Poulton le Fylde to Madeira
5 mars 2022, Angleterre ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C
Finally after 2 years trapped in the UK we are finally escaping to warmer climates in search of some winter sunshine 🌞.
Check to ensure we have everything for the perfect holiday: Tickets 🎟 ,En savoir plus
Up, Up and Away
5 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
As the song goes in my beautiful machine...only this was a Boeing 737-800. Anyway it was a lovely smooth 3 hours plus flight ✈️ from Manchester to Funchal. Our suitcases must have been stored veryEn savoir plus
Sunday Afternoon
6 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Usual turkey dinner for Sunday lunch 😂😂
Followed by a stroll around the grounds.
Day 1 - Check out the hotel
6 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Day 1 - sun, sea and plenty of ..........relaxation 😇
Chilly start to the day so had breakfast inside not realising that some of the patio area was enclosed. Staff very friendly, no queues at theEn savoir plus
Still Hopped off
7 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Monte is also famous for the Monte Basket Carts which in 1850 onwards was a new way of transporting wealthy people from Monte down to Funchal via a whicker basket on wooden skates covered by greasyEn savoir plus
Hopped back on
7 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Back on the bus for the ride back into Funchal.
Hop on Hop Off
7 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
....and see Funchal.
Walking into Funchal Old Town we decided to take a two day bus tour of Funchal and its surrounding area.
1st we did the red route to Camara de Lobos via Pico dos Barcelos HighEn savoir plus
Hop on Hop Off pt 2
7 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
After lunch we hopped on the blue route upto Monte and the the Parish of Nossa Senhora do Monte which was established in 1565 and is the final resting place of Charles 1 of Austria.
Back on the bus
8 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
After breakfast with a relaxing view of the deserted pool, we hopped back on the bus from Funchal to Camara de Lobos. Directly translated into English as Seal Sanctuary, although now all the monkEn savoir plus
Off the bus and back in Funchal
8 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Back in Funchal we had a short stroll through the Santa Catalina Park that overlooks the marina before heading into the hustle and bustle of downtown Funchal. We briefly stopped at the Palace and FortEn savoir plus
...and then
8 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
...Jayne found the shops....
You can't beat a good market...
8 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Markets abroad seem so much picturesque than back in the UK.
Nearing the end of the day..
8 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Walking down Santa Maria Street and some of its painted doorways.
Finally, some 19,590 steps later a stop near the hotel for dinner and a surprise for Jayne on International Women's Day, a flowerEn savoir plus
No more hop on hop off
9 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Lazy morning making the most of the sunshine before the forecast cloud sets in. So a couple of scenic photos from around the hotel before we had a leisurely stroll into Funchal via the Santa CatarinaEn savoir plus
Take to the sky
9 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Cable car trip up to Monte to see the Botanical Gardens
Take a second car.....
9 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Change at Monte then take another cable car down to the Gardens themselves....
The Botanical Gardens
9 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Wandering around the gardens.......
"Flying through the air......"
9 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Then two cable cars to get back down again....
Back on Terra Firma
9 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Time for a beer in the Marina ....... fortunately Jayne wore her selfie mask 😷 😄 😆
Stop off for dinner on the way home before Funchal lights up at night.
Overcast in Funchal
10 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Bit of a non day this morning due to the overcast and cool weather conditions. Fortunately we are going out for afternoon tea this afternoon so after a slow lazy breakfast, a stressful check in forEn savoir plus
Afternoon Tea
10 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
All scrubbed up with somewhere to go.
Reids Hotel another 5* favourite of Winston Churchill.
The Food
10 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Afternoon Tea
The full works for Jayne including champagne 🍾
For me a diabetic sugar free version.
Both equally as tasty 😋
The Cocktail Bar
10 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
A most agreeable afternoon and a 5 star luxury experience with no limits to the amount of sandwiches or tea to be consumed.......
Catch of the Day 🐟
11 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Cloudy day today so another of what we thought was a lazy breakfast before a stroll into Funchal.
Jayne still managed to stop for a brief gossip catch up with a few of the locals on the way intoEn savoir plus
Something fishy going on.....
11 mars 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Walking around the fish market. If you ask me the fish would look far nicer wrapped in batter and surrounded by chips 🍟 🍟🍟🍽