"All Aboard for Madeira " [Funchal]

Really enjoyed your blog what a great time you all had, great photos too :o)

Such a shame about the rain but, judging by your big smiles, it looks like you weren't too bothered. Lovely photos, glad you enjoyed your trip. :o)

Well that really cheered me this foggy november morning. I had heard that Madeira was lovely and your delightful photo's show how beautiful it is, shame about the gardens but maybe another time?.......Wel done Bloomer, brave soul x

I love foreign markets and shops......fascinating

Thanks Pansy x

What a lovely day in Madeira....I'm so sorry that the rain stopped play a bit PP, but the sight of those chillies will have warmed you all up. Well done Bloomer on the cable-car ride. The first time I did that, I had to overcome my own fears. We went in the Aanoch Mor cable car when my children were very small, and not showing my fear was very hard! Now I love them!

Thank you for sharing your trip with us Pansy, the photographs were super and brought back happy memories.
You must go back Pansy! The OH and I were there for 2 weeks in February and the sights are amazing. I'm so glad you got to see the Market, although judging by your photos it wasn't actual 'Market Day'. When it is, the whole of the area inside is full to bursting! There are also lots of Gardens to visit, not just the Botanical. So start looking to book another trip.
Well done Bloomer! We got the cable car up to the gardens and my OH was scared to death. It took a local man to assure him it was safe and even then he wouldn't look at the view, but sat with his back to Funchel and his eyes firmly fixed on the mountain.

What a lovely blog,Carole..you have captured it perfectly..especially seeing that lovely church,which as you know,I declined the walk up 175 steps! I don't do steps :o) It was lovely to see your beautiful Photo's...:o)
You didn't tell everyone we had a couple of free tipples of Madeira wine at the end of the tour ,though .Lol..and as for the cable car,I wouldn't have made it without you all..jammed in the middle ,facing the mountain..and not looking down ! Lol..but it was nowhere near as bad as I thought,,even managed a couple of pics myself...of the rain !! You researched the history of it so well,so that is something else I learned...such a good laugh we had,didn't we,looking like drowned rats !Lol....adding to faves,naturally :o) xxx

Really enjoyed reading your blog Pansy, its a shame about the gardens but it gives you all an excuse for a return trip, well done Bloomer for getting on the cable car, my hubby is scared of heights so I know that wouldn`t have been easy for you.
The photo`s are lovely, the church especially, both inside and out and the sunrising and setting, the market stalls are really colourful, I`d never have known they were chiles if you hadn`t told me, lol, its good to see you all smiling and enjoying it all despite the rain, thankyou for sharing....

Neellan thankyou for your comments and pleased you liked the pics, its a new camera bought specially for the hols, so just glad they turned out so well;0)

Thanks Nariz you are right despite the rain we did have a great time and a laugh at some of the efforts by our fellow travellers to keep dry!

Hi Pamg and thanks, glad it cheered you up, and hopefully we may visit the island again sometime in the future and spend a few days there;0)

Thanks Karen we did love the island and we were also a bit nervous going on the Cable cars but put on a brave face for Sandra's sake and really enjoyed the ride ;0)

Hi Waddy pleased you like the pictures, such a beautiful Island isn't it, it was almost closing time when we reached the Markets and just managed to have a quick look around, it would have been nice to spend more time exploring, but thats one of the downfalls of tours the time is so limited and leave you wanting more ;0)

Thanks Sandra pleased you enjoyed your return visit, it was quite a day wasnt it, such a laugh the thought of those long Blue raincoats still make me smile! and fancy me forgetting the free tipples lol Maybe next time Russell will give you a Piggy Back up those steps so you can admire the lovely church, hey I knew there were a lot of them but not 175! I think I deserve a Gold Star and Oxygen lol;0))

Thanks Lincslass pleased you like the pictures, the Church was beautiful, it must be a fantastic spectacle in August when they have the processions. The scarest part of the Cable Car was getting into it they hardly give you time to get your feet inside before they are off and away lol

Brought back pleasant memories of two holidays spent there about ten years ago,although we we visited in December we missed the rain.There is plenty to see over a week,The Vally of Nuns is a must if you have a head for heights.
There are two Orchid nurseries there and we bought Yellow Laddies Slipper Orchids as cut flowers(they grow on the roadside in places) in the supermarket and put them in our hotel room.,you are also allowed to bring back plants which are stowed in a special hold in the plane for a safe Journey.
As for the Madeira Wine I have been hooked ever since,a bottle of Blandy's always sits on the shelf along side me as I write,wine glass at the ready.
No point in getting old if one canot indulge occasionally.lol
B

WOW! THAT'S AN AMAZING BLOG AND VERY ENJOYABLE TRIP, LOVE ALL THE PICTURES OF A BEAUTIFUL COUPLES, A SUPER FRIENDSHIP AND A WONDERFUL PLACE, HOPE FOR ANOTHER EXCITING TRIP:-))))))))))))

HI Bjs The gardens will be top of the lists of places to see if we get to go again and the Valleyof The Nuns sounds a beautiful tranquil place, as for the Brandy go on indulge yourselves its one of our treats lol

Thank you Junna for you lovely comments. it was such a beautiful place I just had to take pictures of everything lol a wonderful holiday experience with Dear Friends! another aspect that made the holiday so enjoyable was was the fantastic service we got from the staff on board ship they were all from the Philipppines and have to say what wonderful helpful and courteous people they were, nothing was too much for them, they would have made you proud ;0)

What a fabulous trip Carole , I don't blame Sandra for being nervous at the cable car I don't like them I'm convinced i'm going to tip out I grip the sides so tight you can see where my nails dig into my hands ... it's a shame that you didn't get to the tropical garden but you took in so many other sights instead , I love all the coloured fruit and veg. and that rain ! what a soaking ,I hope you didn't go into the tea room with your new smelly bag LOL x

what a lovely wet blog pp, glad the rain did not dampen your spirits, the market is just how I remembered it, beautiful, you all looked to have had a great time.

Lol Amy, I sprayed my new bag with deododrant and hung it in the wardrobe, Simon and Clare came round last night and I offered it to Clare but needless to say she declined lol one souvenir it seems Im stuck with!

Thanks Val We are not the type to let a drop of rain get us down lol even if it did ruin my hairstyle ;0) It was a great holiday and we have lots of pictures to remember it by;0)

You will love it when the smells goes Carole then Clare will wish it was hers :o))

Hi Pp. great story here and so glad you all enjoyed your cruise together. You did not miss that much at the Botanical gardens by the way, i was there a year ago and yes it was raining too that day!!! and I was a little dissapointed to tell the truth although their cactus colln. was terrific. Those chillies were amazing wern't they?

Interesting blog Carole :o)
I thought that church was fantastic, and what a beautiful island it looked too.
What a pitty you couldn't go to the tropical gardens after looking forward to it so much. Mind you I had to laugh when I saw you both drenched to the skin lol sorry :o)
I hope you dried out pretty quickly afterwards !
Well done to Sandra for going on that cable car thing. You wouldn't have got me on it for any money lol !
I hope you'll be able to revisit there one day ...

Thanks Grandmage, will look out for "cactus Colln "if we go again and hope for better weather too;0)

Hi Hywel we did dry out very quickly especially after the Madeira Wine lol and the Church was amazing well worth the climb up;0)

Carole,I have just added another little blog on Madeira..for Hywel,to show him there was another way down..:o)

so glad you all enjoyed yourselves, it brought back memories of maderia for me, been twice and love it, the black and white church i remeber like yesterday and that cable car, we had a group of german men in with us who wouldnt stay still and i was so scared haha, so we walked down, was going to come down by the sledge things but that looked scarey to lol,
lovely island and lovely people to, thanx for sharing carole :o)) x

Thanks Sandra, I didnt know you have been there too, it really is a very special place isnt it;0)

Hi Sandra Will have a look now ;0)

such lovely pictures PP - the place and the sky pictures were excellent. Loved the pics of you all so nice to see our members too

Hi Paul
Thanks for your comments, I have this thing about taking pictures of the skies especially sunrise and Sunsets ;0))

Very nice blog PP. You obviously had a lovely time, and it makes a difference having good company when the weather is bad, and you can have a laugh together.

Thanks Cinderella We certainly had a good laugh, and some good weather too which made up for the rain in madeira lol

Smashing photo;s Carole, its a shame the rains came down,but glad it didn;t spoil your day. Well done Sandra for the cable trip.The Chillies and the Agapanthus looked
so colourful and the markets as well.

Thanks Val It was a lovely day, coming from Manchester area we are use to the rain;0) The color, scenery and the company more than made up for it!

Thank you Pansy for delivering me such a super definition of my countryman, Filipino are really courteous ,helpful and wonderful :-)

Just to butt in on Carole's blog,Junna..again ! ..Lol..She didn't mention that a lovely handsome young man from your Country,serenaded us at dinner,whilst playing his Guitar:o) Wish I had taken a photo ! .I always called him 'BeeGee boy,as he sang one of their songs to ladies on the next night..so smooth and gentle..but oh boy,what a different lad he was on the crew's talent night ! Belting out his music on an electric guitar..I've never seen fingers move as quick..a real Rocker ! :o)

Pansypotter, thanks for sharing your pics, I felt as if I went on holiday too. The places and scenery is absolutely gorgeous.

Did you have a " Boogie" the pair of you ? I bet you did!:)

Thanks Sixpence pleased you enjoyed your cruise ;0)

Val we were too busy filling our faces lol but lovely to be serenaded by an handsome young man;0)

I Bet ! :)