Madeira - Thursday

For today's excursion we were two minibuses of OAPs. Our guide Antonetta was 7 months pregnant. We went to a sugar mill and tasted some cake, biscuits, rum, sugar cane juice and molasses. Dad wouldn't drink my rum so I had to give it to a different old man in our group.

Next we went to a banana factory and saw all the workers sorting and washing the bananas. Antonetta walked us round the plantation and explained to us how the bananas grow from the flower.

The next stop was for a tasting of guava, papaya and custard apple and some poncha (fruity rum drink).

We all had lunch at a restaurant by the sea. The starter was a new one on us - limpets. I tried one and that was enough for me. Mum and Dad liked them though.

For her main course Mum had the Madeiran speciality of scabbard fish with banana.

Next those of us that could manage went down the cliff face in a special lift.

At the bottom we walked round the mango, papaya and avocado trees.

It was like a tropical paradise. We tasted some Surinam cherries as well.

When we came back to the hotel the cleaners had arranged my pyjamas in a special way.