"Swiss" mountain peaks and party balloons

On our last rental-car day we head for the highest peaks. Pico do Areeira, at 1818, is the third highest, and you can drive all the way up it. After a brief stop in Camancha, at a cozy café (this is the wicker-making capital of Madeira) we drive the steep, but well-kept two-lane road to Pico do Areeira. A hotel/restaurant is perched at the top. We go out to the look-out, then take a short hike on the "civilised" path, starting out wide and lava-stone paved, with railings here and there. There are swallows and hawks doing acrobatics over the stunning great valleys between the "Swiss alps" peaks, volcanic pinnacles rising from the blue mist, disappearing in the bed of clouds, and appearing again over them.
But we don't have more time today for a longer walk because we're invited to a birthday party in Funchal at 4pm. "Blue Marlin's" two little girls are 6 years old today. Their parents have rented a little kiddies park near the marina. We arrive at the same time as "Tamarisk", now berthed at Calheta. So the guests represent the whole coast of Madeira, east to west! "Agape's" two teen girls bring the twins along and soon we have all the palm trees bright with balloons.

The two "Blue Marlin's" arrive and the party can begin. Presents, pizza, and a beautiful cake! And endless ring games. We eat, drink and chat til the Funchal hillsides darken, the city lights come on, climbing the hills straight up to the stars.