This Plant Is Native To The Portuguese Islands Of Madeira

Pacific Grove, California

March 21, 2021

After being on the Monterey Peninsula for over a week, today I finally ventured into Pacific Grove. I should have gone sooner. A wonderful enclave. But that’s for another post.

As I took this photo by the promenade by Monterey Bay in Pacific GrI’ve, a fellow riding his bike stopped and told me the name of this plant (which I promptly forgot) and that it is native to the Madeira Islands off of North Africa. Turns out that he and his wife had visited Madeira several months ago to go hiking. He told me how it’s a volcanic place about 20 square miles and that they capture the rain water. The water runs a high head hydro plant — and some of the water is pumped back to the top of the penstock using electricity from solar panels. He said it is a very steep island with the summit being at 7,000 feet. As a result, the airport is built on a flat surface supported by pilings.

At this point, the gentleman introduced himself as Derek. He and his wife are leasing a house in Monterey as they look to buy a house in Pacific Grove. They moved here from Alameda and doubled their money on their house.

Here’s where it gets interesting. He grew up in Charleston, went to the College of Charleston, dated a girl at UVa. He interned during college for a contractor at the Savannah River Plant in Aiken.

He gave me a ton of ideas for things to do north of here including visiting the Offset Fence and the hot springs at Steep Ravine, but only on a moonless night or the full moon.

And that’s how I spent a good deal if my time late this afternoon.