Love Madeira m’dear

It’s a tough life here on Madeira, m’ dear!!! Love the Botanic Gardens, and inner city life, but the streets blow your mind!
#penguinfacts A group of penguins in the water is called a raft but onRead more
Dancing in the streets of Funchal

What a different day in downtown Funchal. I love the cobbled streets, the laneways, the orchids in the flower show, the photography gallery explaining the history of photography and Madeira, theRead more
4WD fun in Madiera’s wild west

4WD trip to the NW of Madeira with a bunch of Dutch and German travellers cramped into a tiny Jeep. The roads are ridiculously narrow, winding and steep. Paulo our drive was brilliant and loved it, IRead more
More 4WD fun on Madeira

Climbing from the coast you see some spectacular views. The mountains are rugged, wine grapes grow on narrow terraces and villages are perched in precarious positions. The narrow winding roadsRead more
4 WD safari to Porto Moniz

Over the Madeira mountains and back to the coast. Seawalls protect tiny harbours, it reminds me of Cinque Terra. The black volcanic sand doesn’t do it for me! The lava pools at Porto Monez in the NWRead more
Fruity fiesta

There is so much fruit and a huge variety of flowers grown in Madeira.It is paradise!!!
Walking the Lavadas

Walking the Levadas -irrigation channels- is what you do in Madeira. Construction started in the mid 15th century to bring water from the north to the farms and cities in the south. Today a network ofRead more
Monte Palace & Sacred Art

A day in Funchal. Loved the Museum of Sacred Art, as the background of the painting tells a story. Checked out Monte- a Disney Land of art, botany and fun.. flamingos, toboggan rides, peacocks andRead more
Santana

Funchal to Santana-leaving the chaos of tourism and crossing the great divide to the quieter pace of the northern coastal town of Santana. A 90 minute bus ride ( 5 Euros) winding through mistyRead more
Away from tourists in Santana

I took a wander around the back
streets and tiny farms. The volcanic soil and plenty of water are a formula for fantastic crops of beans, corn, spuds and cabbage! The coast is fantastic and I lovedRead more
Sao Jorge and Levada dei Rei

Filipe, an extraordinary young man who trained as a civil engineer in Slovenia, but loves running the family guest house and taxi service drove us to Levada dei Rei, not far from Sao Jorge. I love theRead more
Small pleasures on the track

Fishing the levadas! When you get a bit mindful there is so much to hear, see and experience!! I just tossed the cat in for fun and I think she wanted a fishy snack!!
Walking in paradise

Madeira is a walker’s paradise. Today we did a 13 km walk to Levada do Caldeirao Verde, and oggled at the 100 m waterfall. Walking the levadas (aqueduct) you are on the contour so it is gentle onRead more
Onto Lisboa

A weird sort of day, filling in time before flight to Lisbon. The wonderful Filipe drove Ro and Rod to the airport and dropped me off at Machico to fill in time before an evening flight. Local carRead more
Lisboa and our secret hideaway

The flight to Lisboa was on time and we even got a peak of the eastern end of Madeira and a gorgeous sunset. ☺️Finding the luggage carousel was a challenge and finding our apartment was even moreRead more
Lisboa- Fado

An easy walk from our hideaway in Sao Vincente to The Fado Museum. Along the way I loved the graffiti. Fado, means Fate, and the melancholic singing is loosely captured by the Portuguese word saudade,Read more
Lisboa- Gulbenkian Collection

Calouste Gulbenkian an oil magnate (1869-1955) was a passionate art collector, but with an eye only for the best. The displays cover a vast period and have a broad geographical spread. It’s bestRead more
Lisboa- Azulejo, tile Museum

Azulejo, or tiles, along with Fado are what makes Lisbon special. Housed in the Convent Madre de Deus built in 1509, the museum tells the story of tile production and its role in religious and secularRead more
Lisboa- hills, castles and tarts

Lisboa- it’s a hilly city but we have managed with the metro, buses and ‘shanks pony to navigate our way pretty well. There is always something to attract your attention, graffiti, murals, cafes,Read more
Lisboa - from the street

The history of Lisboa in cartoons. You can’t help being part of the tourist throng. The French, followed by Brazil are the biggest tourists, with Aussies a long way behind. I was fascinated by theRead more
Belem.

When in Lisboa, celebrate with the best Portuguese tart, enjoy the Berado art collection at the Cultural Centre both in Belem and take a little trip to the other side of the river for a grilled fishRead more
Lisboa streets

I just love the streets of Lisboa. It’s such a mix of elegance and reality. Old women sell nips of cherry brandy from their door front. Minimarts are everywhere. Life begins at 10pm in manyRead more
Sintra nightmare

Have you ever been on a tour where a guest has been left behind. That happened to us today. We waited for 90 mins in the bus, cos all her gear was there and left!!! ‘Not happy Jan’
The nightmareRead more
Sintra oppulence

Sintra palace, Lisbon. The opulence of the palace is not reflective of Portuguese architecture. I wish we had time to walk in the beautiful gardens. and do a bit of hiking. I have been checking theRead more
The Baixa- Chiado, Lisboa

I love this city, especially the massive squares, the narrow lanes, the trams, the street life and the friendliness. I love the elegance of the art and the traditional crafts. The RC church seems allRead more
Traveler
And in the blink of an eye, you’re in another world.
TravelerWe have a great apartments, a bit of a slog up to theBot Gardens, but an easy return.
Traveler
Mosaics spring to life.
Traveler❤️❤️👍👍