Yesterday I asked the lady in tourist info office about the weather forecast for today. -It will be like today: sunny with some haze in the mountains! I booked little car…
It was raining in the morning, but the car was booked… I thought that on the level of 1818 m on Pico Areeiro I will be above clouds. I took me 1,5 hours driving on narrow mountain roads to reach the radar station on the peak. Clouds around, rain and wind, almost zero visibility. Sorry, bad luck! Going down I stopped at Monte Church to see the grave of the last Austrian emperor and famous tobogans used by locals to slide the tourists down… Funny – see them waiting on the picture!
Then I turned again to the mountains. There is famous valley Curral das Freiras (Nuns Valley) situated on the level 633 m, with great views from little settlement. You go there through the eucalyptus forest and 2,6-kms tunnel. Yes, I saw the settlement, but nothing else. Bad luck!
Ironically, when I was returning car in Funchal at 4 pm the great sun was shinning down there (but the peaks were still in the clouds)…
I always repeat talking to the young travellers: you should perfectly prepare your expeditions, but you will also need a bit of luck! 🙂
