Final Night in Funky Town...

Jimmy was in charge of grilling again for our final night in Funchal.

Yummy grilled corn...

and bolo de caco plus other grilled veggies.

After dinner we walked down to the harbor for a cocktail.

Magical Dolphin Spotting...

Later that afternoon, we managed to fulfill one of our biggest desires: Swimming with Dolphins with Rotas dos Cetaceos. I was somewhat skeptical when we got on board the semi-rigid boat, but I did a good job making sure that the girls got to sit in front.

That pessimism was short-lived as the entire two-hour sea safari was great. Not only was the boat ride itself fun, offering fantastic views of Madeira, but we had three encounters with groups of dolphins. 

As cool as the first two were when we saw Bottlenose Dolphins, it was the third with the Atlantic Spotted Dolphins that was especially memorable. 

While I opted to stay on board, Jimmy and the girls got into the water to “swim” with the dolphins, which entailed holding onto a rope on the boat and being dragged along. When Ashlynn said she forgot she was human and nearly forgot to lift her head to breath while swimming next to three dolphins, I knew that the experience was indeed magical.

My only regret is that I didn’t bring my camera along as I was concerned it would get wet, which it would not have as the seas were calm, so these phone pics will have to suffice.

More of Colorful Funky Town...

Yet another colorful ramshackle spot for photos.

I had read that the vendors at this market often rip off tourists, so we didn’t try any samples, but did enjoy the scenery. 

We would have loved to have tried the monstera deliciosa, which looks like a pineapple and banana hybrid.

After Jimmy and Ashlynn met up with us, we headed to a vegan restaurant for lunch. 

Church of St. John...

Veronica and I enjoyed visiting this 17th century church with its elaborate decor.

We didn’t hesitate to pay the whopping fee of €1 to go up the tower to see the view.

There was some interesting displays...

...and another beautiful ceiling.

The outside seemed very simple compared to the colorful inside.

Cool Architecture...

While Jimmy and Ashlynn were driving to a dive shop (in what proved to be an unsuccessful attempt to go scuba diving without a reservation), Veronica and I went for another wander around town. Along the way we saw some cool old buildings...

...and some in desperate need of renovation.

We were impressed with the elaborate mosaics on the sidewalks which changed depending upon the neighborhood.

While we couldn’t go inside, we could enter the inner courtyard of Funchal Town Hall, which was built in 1758.

Rooftop Antics...

While wondering around Funky Town, we happened upon a hotel that had a rooftop bar, where we enjoyed a cocktail, spotted some pink flamingos...

...and took a family selfie.

Once back at the apartment, Jimmy made some Sangria and fired up the grill.

We quickly became addicted to the local bread: bolo do caco, which is made with sweet potatoes and is cooked over a stove or stone rather than in the oven because of a medieval ban on using ovens without paying an extra tax. Of course, our bread came already cooked from the store, but the girls slathered on olive oil and garlic for the grill.

The girls took the opportunity to do some rooftop stretches...

...and squats. 

The sky was constantly changing, often with threatening clouds in the background, but it never rained.

Painted Doors Project...

It was hard to resist taking photos of every one of the painted doors and then even harder to narrow down those to my favorites, but here goes.