The streets of Madeira

As we walked down the Hill, we were facinated with the 'old' and 'new' and how the two seemed to merge. The homes are mostly multistoried and very few have gardens as we know them, here in SA. In fact there is very little cattle farming because of it and fresh milk and home-grown beef is rare.
We walked past a street of Quinta's ( which is a 'homestead' including a fair sized erf/garden.) The only people who have these kinds of properties are decedents of 'old Madeiran money". These quinta's often have properties stocked to the brim with grape vines, banana trees and their own vegetables and livestock (chicken and rabbits mostly).
This is a pretty little 'garden' walk-way off a narrow cobbled street.

This is the neglected building of a once obviously pretty school. It appears that corruption and dodgy politics is not only a SA thing.
This old school has been abandoned because of a greedy, proud, and socialist government. Madeira needs local schools but they prefer not to provide it if they cant have complete control...on their terms...hmmmm




There are many homes in Madeira, abandoned like this one. Well located and when you walk past them, your mind races at all the possibilities. Properties are hugely expensive. As in most old European cities in Spain and Italy, homes are built just off the roads and often door jams are the only things available to keep you from being flattened by a car.