POSTCARD FROM MADEIRA 25th May -5th June 2016

I met my friend Anne at Gatwick and we had a very good flight to Funchal.  However, I had a bad start as I developed BPPV two days before take-off.  This is a form of vertigo, which leaves you unbalanced and your head spinning, even when lying down.  Thankfully my doctor gave me permission to travel.

On arrival in Funchal I almost keeled over when waiting for our luggage, but after that I was fine for the whole holiday.  I spent a lot of time lying by the pool, and in the evenings we went on some walks before taking ourselves out to local restaurants for dinner. 

The hotel thought it was Anne’s birthday on the Friday, even though it was two days earlier, so sent her a cake and some champagne.  She had somehow got an upgraded room, so we enjoyed her celebrations overlooking Funchal Harbour from her room!

On Saturday we took an afternoon bus into Funchal and walked the little city for two hours before walking all the way back to the hotel.  On Sunday we took a car and driver for the day to show us around the island, going up to Pico de Arieira and the Nun’s Valley and down to the beautiful little village of Camara de Lobos, which Winston Churchill frequented!  Thankfully the weather was kind up the mountain so we had some good views.  All around the island we have seen some beautiful flowers and colourful trees – a great time of year to visit.  That evening we visited Reids Hotel and enjoyed a glass of wine in their cocktail bar before

going to a local restaurant for dinner.

Monday was a quiet day by the pool.  On uesday was gloriously sunny, even on the mountain, so we spent the morning by the pool.  In the afternoon we took the cable car up to Monte where we walked around the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens and visited a beautiful church before taking a amazing toboggan-ride [two-man-guided] back down to the outskirts of Funchal, from where walked the three miles back to our hotel!

After another quiet day and a half by the pool, we met with our friendly taxi driver who took us to Machico in the east of the island, and then we spent a very peaceful two hours walking the Mimosa Levada at Maroços.  It was a delightful walk through wild flowers and vegetable plots in glorious sunshine.

Friday and Saturday were quiet days by the pool.  Friday in glorious weather, Saturday in rather cloudy weather, which I gather is par for the course in June, so we were very lucky to have beautiful weather for the last ten days.

Sunday was a fairly easy journey home after our delightful break on such a beautiful island.