Our nomadic wandering continues as the itinerary is shredded and missing ports replaced by whoever has an empty dock. We have just pulled into the Med instead of scheduled Shanghai (which is not even a near miss :-).
It is beginning to get cooler as we head towards Europe and we’ve started wearing long-sleeved shirts in the morning (while listening to news reports that the spring weather in NYC has dropped well below freezing). We are losing an hour of sleep each day as we head east and we are now waking up three hours earlier than we would be on the east coast of the US. This nightly progression of the clock will continue. While I guess it’s better than the stack of hours lost when taking a long flight, it’s a lesson against around the world cruises which head from west to easy instead of east to west (which gives an extra hour of sleep per night instead of a steady theft of sleep).
Apparently we’ve missed the Atlantic storm which has been messing with our itinerary as with the exception of the first couple of days which had 10 foot (3 meter) waves, it hasn’t been too bouncy.
We’re happy that we snuck the fourth COVID jab while we were in Miami last week as it seems that the US powers that be are going to give that strategy its blessing next week, making it easy for anyone to do without subterfuge (which would have made it impossible for us to do before we got to Israel – which I think is the next country we are hitting that gives four sequential vaccinations).
The week (plus) of sea-days is filled with an assortment of activities (my favorites currently being art and playing bridge). I am doing my best to avoid eating lunch, going to “high tea” and so on as it’s rough to get enough exercise in to work off those excess calories. So far, clothes still fit (but they may have shrunk just a wee bit ?).
The news has just reported that the CDC has approved of second boosters for seniors – so we jumped the gun by a few days (presumably missing the rush), but unfortunately only a few aboard followed our strategy.
While the only stop this week is at Funchal in Madera (write-up at the end, along with my last take on Gibraltar which was ditched due to heavy weather), so I’ll wander a bit with the story.
But first, some news: Due to inclement weather, the next two ports, Gibraltar and Melilla, Spain are being canceled and an Italian port substituted. In truth, when we passed through the Straits of Gibraltar during the early morning hours, the wind was whistling and the ship bobbing like a cork. More sea-days (and bridge/art), but they could have been a bit more imaginative and stopped at, say, Cadiz or Tunis instead. Ce la vie.
The ship we are on, the Oceania Line’s Insignia has an interesting past.
Renaissance Cruises was a cruise ship company that was founded in 1989. It originally operated a fleet of eight 100 passenger ships which were subsequently sold and are now being used as expedition ships in Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands and the like. These were replaced by eight nearly identical new 684-passenger R-class ships. The R One entered the Renaissance Cruises fleet in 1998. The ships in this class were all built between 1998 and 2001. They were all built at the shipyard of Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire France. While the company had been in poor financial health for quite some time, the economic decline resulting from the September 11 attacks in 2001 is credited with the demise of this cruise line. The company ceased operations on 25 September 2001 and pretty much dumped their passengers at the nearest port…
After the bankruptcy of the company, the eight ships were sold to a holding company named Cruiseinvest. Four of them ultimately ended up owned by Oceania Cruises and four are now owned by Azamara Cruise Line. The R One was laid up until 2003, when she was chartered to Oceania Cruises and renamed MS Insignia (who bought it in 2008). Oceania also owns two ships holding about 1,250 passengers (with a third shortly due).
The chaos caused to the cruise industry in 2020 created a number of actions. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian (owner of Oceania) Cruise Lines (the parent companies of moth of the World’s cruise lines)all took massive loans at usurious interest rates to allow them to continue operations. In addition, Royal Caribbean Line sold their Azamara Club Line to a hedge fund (presumably to raise cash). During early 2022, the luxury Crystal cruise line declared bankruptcy when their parent, Genting of Hong Kong, defaulted. In a déjà vu of Renaissance Cruise Line, they dumped their passengers at various ports rather than bringing them home. During times of financial stress, it is not unusual for cruise lines to fail and the risk should be planned for.
And lastly, for those who play bridge, a puzzle:
North leads the Jack of spades and the contract is 7NT in the West (Hint: West hand only takes one trick ?)
J 10 9 4 2
8 7 5 3
3
K 4 3
6 A K Q
A K Q J 10
A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6
A Q J 10 9 8 7 2
8 7 5 3
9 6 4 2
5 4 2
6 5
Funchal (Madeira) Portugal
“When you look like your passport photo, it is time to go home” - Erma Bombeck
Madeira is a sub-tropical island in the Atlantic Ocean around 960 kilometers southwest of Lisbon, off the coast of Africa and known for the fortified wine of the same name. It is considered part of Portugal and while many people understand English, Portuguese is the official language spoken. Madeira’s flora fills not only its parks and gardens, but the houses and wild spaces between towns. The island was colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century and has acted as a fueling and provisioning station, initially for the African route, and from the 16th century, on for transatlantic routes.
Funchal, Madeira’s capital is framed by a backdrop of mountains on the island’s south coast. The city unfolds over a series of hills and terraces in a landscape that helps define its character. Its daily market in Old Town offers fruit, vegetables and fresh fish and seafood and the town’s restaurants are numerous, a great value and offer delicious food.
Funchal is one of our favorite “European” cities.
A level walk along the seaside of about a mile from the cruise terminal to town and can get you about a block east of the shuttle bus location. About a half mile further will bring you to the Teleférico cable car lift terminal. Those with mobility issues should take the once every thirty minute shuttle bus supplied by the port.
Just as a note, about a week after we left Madeira, on April 17, 2019, we found out that at least 28 people have died in a tour bus crash there. It just goes to show how much luck (good and bad) plays a part in our lives.
Rather than start by wandering the town, we figured we’d hire a taxi for the day. After the usual confusion of taxi negotiation, the most economical tour ended up being for six of us to take a van for a total of 120 Euros (for four hours). We ended up taking Duarte (Duartetaxifernandes@gmail.com), who turned out to be an excellent driver and guide. He did make it clear (repeatedly) that he hoped for a tip and I made it clear that once a price was negotiated, a tip was only coming for extraordinary service beyond what would normally be included. He was good enough that he did earn his tip. In 2022, a 2 ½ hour taxi sightseeing tour cost a (negotiated) 50-60 Euros.
We started by heading to a series of natural pools topped by a tunnel built as part of an anti-submarine fortress system during the Second World War. As expected, on this scenic island, the views are spectacular.
The Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden), one of Madeira Island’s most popular tourist attractions, is located about four kilometers northeast of the Funchal city center. Draped over the slopes of the Quinta do Bom Sucesso estate, the garden dazzles with its rich and diverse sub-tropical flora. Thousands of Indigenous plants, trees and flowers share the grounds with other exotic species from around the world. A manor house that used to belong to the estate’s original owners is now the Natural History Museum that is near the entrance. The western edge of the garden provides spectacular views across Funchal bay. (Accessible by Bus No. 30, 31, Admission is 3 Euro)
An interesting way of reaching the estate (which we missed because we took the taxi) is by the Teleférico do Funchal cable car (15 Euros per trip). The 15-minute “flight” over the Madeiran capital and up into the surrounding hills provides an outstanding 360-degree view of the town below, the dramatic mountain landscape, and the lapis lazuli blue Atlantic Ocean. At its highest point, the cable car hits 560 meters above sea level. Departing from the esplanade near the Zona Velha, passengers can get off at the Jardim Botânico or continue towards Jardim Tropical Monte Palace, the cable car’s final destination. The traditional (tourist) way down is by the Monte Toboggan (20 Euros each – double occupancy - Plus tips).
Originating in the 19th century as a rudimentary form of public transport, the tradition continues. Passengers are seated in a wooden basket mounted on wooden runners are steered downhill by carreiros - two men dressed in white and wearing straw boaters - who use their tire tread soled boots as brakes to negotiate the five minute ride (it used to be a four-kilometer descent from Monte to Funchal in 20 minutes).
Compared to the exotic transportation up and down to the gardens, the price of our taxi excursion was looking good already.
Our taxi’s route covered the western half of the island with multiple scenic stops at churches (including “Our Lady of Monte” where Charles, the last/exiled Hapsburg emperor is buried) and assorted shrines. We also stopped at the Bar Filhos D’Mar for free samples of the famous Madeira wine (fortified to 18% alcohol and similar to sherry) and of freshly mixed “poncho”, a mixture of local rum, sugar, lime and passion fruit (3 Euros – cost not outlined in advance). Of course, these libations are for sale to those who wish to buy them.
We were told that a restaurant just outside of town by the name of Vila do Peixe (Rua Dr. Joao Able de Freitas, ViladoPeixe@sapo.pt) is the sort of place that locals go to celebrate.
We had the taxi drop us back in town at the end of our tour as it was only about a twenty minute walk back to the pier where the ship was docked.
Funchal’s Zona Velha (“Old Town”) is the city’s oldest neighborhood and is where some of the earliest streets and buildings are located. Funchal’s Sé (Cathedral) was consecrated in 1514 and is a functioning religious building. Its rather austere façade belies a rich interior that features an early 16th-century gilded altarpiece and richly carved sanctuary. Its style blends Moorish and European architectural elements. Entrance is free.
Located east of the Se, the Mercado dos Lavradores is the island’s largest farmer’s market. Stallholders sell flowers and a vast array of fresh fruit and vegetables in an Art Deco hall. The fish and seafood section is relegated to the basement - tuna and espada (called scabbardfish here, but I suspect may be sword fish) take precedence here. The first-floor is a warren of independent retail outlets specializing in local handicraft, wicker, and leatherwork. The market is at its busiest on Friday and Saturday mornings when farmers bring in their produce from surrounding villages.
In the old part of the city, not far from the water’s edge, is a narrow street called Rua de Santa Maria (Santa Maria Street) which is feeling the effects of age. It’s not wide enough for cars and, even if it was, tables and chairs from the many restaurants and cafes are taking up most of the space.
In an effort to revitalize the area, the local council has organized an art project in 2014 involving the doors of buildings. About 200 doors – into houses, restaurants, businesses, galleries – have been handed over to artists and designers who have been asked to ‘do something with them’. The imagination of the graffiti paintings on these “canvases” invite people inside.
After considering numerous similar appearing restaurants near the cathedral, we almost arbitrarily selected “A Pipa” (Rua da Queimada de Cima, 13, restauranteapipa@yahoo.com.br). Besides the regular menu, they had a lunch menu with supposedly smaller portions (but they looked full sized to us) for about 5 Euros per main course. We decided to stay traditional and ordered espada (for me) and tuna, washed down with a local stout dark beer and a passionfruit soda. There is a 2.50 Euro per person cover charge for bread (incredibly tasty hot garlic and butter). After we paid the bill, the waitress came back with shots of Madeira wine (on the house) as well as a basket of gingerbread cookies. This was followed by the restaurant’s owner dropping off a bottle each of a local banana liqueur and “Ginjinha” (Portugal’s sour cherry liqueur). He was looking for more bottles as we made a hasty retreat while we could still walk in a (more or less) straight line. Not only was the food excellent and inexpensive, but the hospitality was the sort of thing that legends are made of.
Another very good, reasonably priced restaurant is “Restaurante Sabores” at Rua da Conceição, 37.
We were blown away by the quality, imagination and reasonable price of the food at the tiny “Rustikus” restaurant at Rua da Conceição, 65. Two portions of espada (fish) and polenta, a portion of tongue and three large pours of wine came to less than 30 Euros. We had well made pasta de nada pastries for desert at the “A Confeitaria na Praca” bakery at Rua da Conceição,49.
To the right of Restaurante Sabores at Rua da Conceição, 43 is the second floor (they call it the 1st floor here) salon/spa named “Lazano Care”. Under the skillful eye of Carla Melim, the spa provides very inexpensive manicures (new nail polish for my wife was 2 threading and similar services. Men can get 10 Euro haircuts and women reasonably priced competent manicures/pedicures and hair work done at Ongles (Rua Bom Jesus, 26).
Woman’s haircuts and coloring are expertly done at a reasonable cost (35 Euro for coloring) at Helena Pineiro at Rua da Conceição, 25 (www. HelenaPineiro.com).
The least expensive place to buy Madeira’s justifiably famous fortified wine (half the price of the souvenir shops), honey cake and other local foods is at the Continent Modelo supermarket at Rua do Seminario, 7. For those looking for liquor, they also have a broad variety at what looks like duty free pricing.
A good place for general souvenirs (credit card machine seems permanently broken) is the “Universal Store” at Rua Joao de Deus, 14A.
On alternate Fridays and Saturdays, there is a crafts market in the Jardim Municipal (Municipal Garden) near the shuttle bus stop in town (it is located near the base of the cable car system on the other alternate weeks on Thursday and Saturday) and a similar one on Sundays in the Jardim Almirante Reis. Notable among the vendors was Luisa Cardoso (www.oatelierdab.com) whose innovative, handmade cloth toys and child’s books were fascinating in their variety and utility. Those buying gifts for preschool children should seek her out.
The main shopping area is around the Cathedral in the center of Funchal and has dozens of small shops and restaurants.
For those who insist on including museums, around 3km (2 miles) from the cruise port is the Santa Clara Monastery since about 1500. Across the road is the Museu da Quinta das Cruzes which, housed in a former manor house, features a collection of antique furniture, porcelain and art and is surrounded by gardens. Also nearby is the Frederico de Freitas House Museum (not free, closed Monday) which also features antique furniture, porcelain and art. The Museu de Arte Sacra (Rua do Bispo) is housed in the former Episcopal Palace of 1594 contains examples of religious art through the ages including many pieces by Flemish masters.
Gibraltar, UK
“When you look like your passport photo, it is time to go home” - Erma Bombeck
We awoke to Gibraltar’s harbor and I got a bit of a surprise. When I first saw the Great Pyramid at Giza, my reactions was “Sheesh, that’s big!” despite people telling me that all of my life. I’ve always identified my image of Gibraltar by the monolith displayed on the Prudential Insurance logo, and my first image of “The Rock” was “that’s it?” It was not it is most impressive angle.
The name Gibraltar is the English pronunciation of the Spanish interpretation of the Arabic name meaning “mountain of Tariq.” This strategic location has been populated by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Moors, Spanish, Dutch and finally the British. The town of Gibraltar itself was formed in the 11th century by North African Islamic Moors. The town’s architecture is “British Colonial built on Spanish Colonial built on Moorish”.
Lord Nelson, whose navy protected it during the Great Siege in the late 1700s, is a popular guy and there are several monuments honoring him. Because of the strategic location of the territory, at the narrow passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, it has been used as a fortress for hundreds of years, and the Rock itself is honeycombed with tunnels and has over 30 miles of roads carved into it.
The enormous rock of Gibraltar actually faces Spain and not the Strait of Gibraltar (which explains its wishy-washy appearance when viewed from the ship). This British Crown Colony is geographically an isthmus of Spain (you can walk across the road past the customs guards, but it can be crowded and time consuming). Its location, over the years, has caused lots of irritation for the Spanish government. During his reign, Ferdinand Franco, who served as dictatorial prime minister until the 1970s, tried to force England’s to cede the territory to Spain by closing the border and cutting off telephone communications. The Spanish claimed that, because it is attached to Spain, it should belong to Spain, but the locals have voted twice to stay with Britain as UK citizens. It is said that as long as the Barbary apes, prized by the locals, inhabit Gibraltar, it will remain a British colony.
Prices are marked in the Gibraltar pound, that is equivalent in value to the British pound sterling. While the UK pounds can be used in Gibraltar, Gibraltarian notes and coins are not legal tender in the UK (so make sure to convert them to UK Pounds before you leave). If purchasing, use a credit card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee rather than buy local currency (though you’ll need pounds to take the local bus).
Cruise ships dock only about 1.5 km, (about a 20-minute mildly uphill walk), to town. There is Free Wi-Fi at the Burger King on the main square. Gibraltar residents speak English and Spanish.
Traveling to the top of the Rock is easy via land tours or a quick cable car trip. At the top is a nature reserve, and along the way, there are always a number of the Barbary macaques (the tailless macaca sylvanus are usually referred to as Barbary apes even though they are monkeys), the only free-living primates in Europe, and the Barbary partridges. Both creatures are unique to Gibraltar. DO NOT FEED THE BLOODY MONKEYS! They will ignore you unless they think you have food, in which case they can become mildly aggressive and grab other items from you (presumably there is a fence they all deal with to get rid of the stuff they grab ?).
Shuttles to town (mostly mini vans - the wait can be long) are offered by the port as well (3 £ one way, 4 £ return), as well as taxi’s which charge 4 £ per person one way. The walk back from “downtown” is about 15 minutes and slightly downhill, with signage to the port, all the way. The main commercial square is “Casemates Square” and the main commercial street is “Main Street” (what else?). To walk back to the ship, head through the triple arches at the western side of the square.
There is also a local bus (UK or local currency only) from near the port to the town center.
Cable cars from the station at the end of Main Street run from 9.30am until 5.45pm to the Upper Rock. A “cable car and apes” ticket costs £13 return if you just want to take the cable car to the top and see the apes. In season, there can be long lines at the cable-car.
A ticket including entrance to St. Michael’s Cave and the Siege Tunnels costs more and will require some walking and climbing.
Alternatively, a ‘Taxi-Tour’ (typically for 8 people in an MPV) will cost £22 for a 1.5 hour tour, including the fees for entry to the Cave, tunnels and upper rock. Taxis will often tell you that the cable car is broken, do not believe them! These tours leave from the cruise terminal.
Gibraltar is less than 7 square kilometers, so most of it can be seen on foot. Bear in mind, though, that some of the roads (especially up to the Upper Rock) are very steep. Taxis will take the strain out of the climbs.
The 1,400-foot-high “rock” is a limestone formation, riddled with as many as 140 caves. Remains were found in St. Michael’s Cave, a fascinating cavern once lived in by Neolithic peoples and visited by early Romans. Nearing the top of the Rock are Princess Caroline’s Battery and the entrance to the Upper Galleries, or the Great Siege Tunnels. There is a new a 71-metre-long suspension bridge across a 50-metre-deep gorge at Anglian Way in the Upper Rock.
There is a system of tunnels carved out of solid limestone. The works were commenced on the 25th May 1782 by the forerunners of the Royal Engineers and today they stand as a monument to their ingenuity and engineering. Stroll through Windsor Gallery, to St. George’s Hall. This is a fascinating experience ignored by most visitors to the Rock. As you leave the Great Siege Tunnels you will see the runway built during the Second World War with rocks hewn out of these and other tunnels inside the Rock. The unique feature of this runway is that a public road runs across it. A tunnel under it is being built, but for now, the traffic has to be stopped on both sides for landings.
A short distance away you will pass by the Moorish Castle built in 1333 by the Moors. From here your tour proceeds to the Gibraltar Museum. Opened on the site of the old Moorish Baths it will amaze you with the enormous amount of artifacts that are on display. There is an optional 15-minute Film show depicting the evolution that has taken place in Gibraltar over the past 200 thousand years.
Beyond the Rock and the handful of museums, the old town of Gibraltar consists of a main street jammed with tiny shops and a handful of famous British chains, such as Marks & Spencer, BHS and Dorothy Perkins. For North Americans, however, there are few bargains. tobacco is probably cheaper aboard the ship, but alcohol may be cheaper in the shops here (if your ship allows you to bring it aboard).
Shops normally open between 9.00 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. during weekdays and half days on Saturdays. Many, but not all, are closed on Sundays
Notes from our ship’s security department: Getting around on the Rock involves a moderate amount of walking over uneven surfaces and there are numerous steps to negotiate (approximately 60 steps). It is not available to wheelchair guests or those guests with mobility concerns. Participants should be in good physical condition. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. When visiting the Rock Apes it is important to keep your possessions close as these are wild animals, but are used to tourists and will steal items from them. Also, it is a bad idea to touch or feed the apes as they can be very aggressive.
carreiros - two men dressed in white and wearing straw boaters - who use their tire tread soled boots as brakes to negotiate the five minute ride (it used to be a four-kilometer descent from Monte to Funchal in 20 minutes).
Compared to the exotic transportation up and down to the gardens, the price of our taxi excursion was looking good already.
Our taxi’s route covered the western half of the island with multiple scenic stops at churches (including “Our Lady of Monte” where Charles, the last/exiled Hapsburg emperor is buried) and assorted shrines. We also stopped at the Bar Filhos D’Mar for free samples of the famous Madeira wine (fortified to 18% alcohol and similar to sherry) and of freshly mixed “poncho”, a mixture of local rum, sugar, lime and passion fruit (3 Euros – cost not outlined in advance). Of course, these libations are for sale to those who wish to buy them.
We were told that a restaurant just outside of town by the name of Vila do Peixe (Rua Dr. Joao Able de Freitas, ViladoPeixe@sapo.pt) is the sort of place that locals go to celebrate.
We had the taxi drop us back in town at the end of our tour as it was only about a twenty minute walk back to the pier where the ship was docked.
Funchal’s Zona Velha (“Old Town”) is the city’s oldest neighborhood and is where some of the earliest streets and buildings are located. Funchal’s Sé (Cathedral) was consecrated in 1514 and is a functioning religious building. Its rather austere façade belies a rich interior that features an early 16th-century gilded altarpiece and richly carved sanctuary. Its style blends Moorish and European architectural elements. Entrance is free.
Located east of the Se, the Mercado dos Lavradores is the island’s largest farmer’s market. Stallholders sell flowers and a vast array of fresh fruit and vegetables in an Art Deco hall. The fish and seafood section is relegated to the basement - tuna and espada (called scabbardfish here, but I suspect may be sword fish) take precedence here. The first-floor is a warren of independent retail outlets specializing in local handicraft, wicker, and leatherwork. The market is at its busiest on Friday and Saturday mornings when farmers bring in their produce from surrounding villages.
In the old part of the city, not far from the water’s edge, is a narrow street called Rua de Santa Maria (Santa Maria Street) which is feeling the effects of age. It’s not wide enough for cars and, even if it was, tables and chairs from the many restaurants and cafes are taking up most of the space.
In an effort to revitalize the area, the local council has organized an art project in 2014 involving the doors of buildings. About 200 doors – into houses, restaurants, businesses, galleries – have been handed over to artists and designers who have been asked to ‘do something with them’. The imagination of the graffiti paintings on these “canvases” invite people inside.
After considering numerous similar appearing restaurants near the cathedral, we almost arbitrarily selected “A Pipa” (Rua da Queimada de Cima, 13, restauranteapipa@yahoo.com.br). Besides the regular menu, they had a lunch menu with supposedly smaller portions (but they looked full sized to us) for about 5 Euros per main course. We decided to stay traditional and ordered espada (for me) and tuna, washed down with a local stout dark beer and a passionfruit soda. There is a 2.50 Euro per person cover charge for bread (incredibly tasty hot garlic and butter). After we paid the bill, the waitress came back with shots of Madeira wine (on the house) as well as a basket of gingerbread cookies. This was followed by the restaurant’s owner dropping off a bottle each of a local banana liqueur and “Ginjinha” (Portugal’s sour cherry liqueur). He was looking for more bottles as we made a hasty retreat while we could still walk in a (more or less) straight line. Not only was the food excellent and inexpensive, but the hospitality was the sort of thing that legends are made of.
Another very good, reasonably priced restaurant is “Restaurante Sabores” at Rua da Conceição, 37.
To the right of Restaurante Sabores at Rua da Conceição, 43 is the second (they call it the 1st floor here) floor salon/spa named “Corpus Feminini Estetica”. Under the skillful eye of Carla Melim, the spa provides very inexpensive manicures (new nail polish for my wife was 2 Euros) and offers massages/reflexology (for both men and women) at about 20 Euros per hour. Men can get 10 Euro haircuts and women reasonably priced competent manicures/pedicures and hair work done at Ongles (Rua Bom Jesus, 26).
The least expensive place to buy Madeira’s justifiably famous fortified wine (half the price of the souvenir shops), honey cake and other local foods is at the Continent Modelo supermarket at Rua do Seminario, 7. For those looking for liquor, they also have a broad variety at what looks like duty free pricing.
A good place for general souvenirs (credit card machine seems permanently broken) is the “Universal Store” at Rua Joao de Deus, 14A.
On Fridays, there is a crafts market in the Jardim Municipal (Municipal Garden) near the shuttle bus stop in town and a similar one on Sundays in the Jardim Almirante Reis. Notable among the vendors was Luisa Cardoso (www.oatelierdab.com) whose innovative, handmade cloth toys and child’s books were fascinating in their variety and utility. Those buying gifts for preschool children should seek her out.
The main shopping area is around the Cathedral in the center of Funchal and has dozens of small shops and restaurants.
For those who insist on including museums, around 3km (2 miles) from the cruise port is the Santa Clara Monastery since about 1500. Across the road is the Museu da Quinta das Cruzes which, housed in a former manor house, features a collection of antique furniture, porcelain and art and is surrounded by gardens. Also nearby is the Frederico de Freitas House Museum (not free, closed Monday) which also features antique furniture, porcelain and art. The Museu de Arte Sacra (Rua do Bispo) is housed in the former Episcopal Palace of 1594 contains examples of religious art through the ages including many pieces by Flemish masters.
