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Great TR from one of our favourite places. We love it so much we have joined the Pestana Vacation Club there and visit a couple times a year. I love the Coral cider in Madeira.
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Teleférico do Funchal
Today we are going to visit the Botanical Gardens. Quick bus to town and then we hop on to the cable car that takes us up the hill.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8e194d712c.jpg What they mean is... https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d7672e1062.jpg Get ready for the queue of your lifetime! |
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Don't look back. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...09e4fe7aa3.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cb2496d8a8.jpg Onwards and upwards. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b8fa7f8af6.jpg Over there are the Botanical Gardens. At the summit are the Tropical Gardens, but we decided first to visit the Botanical Gardens. So we need to take another cable car. |
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And down again! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...50e141358c.jpg The Botanical Gardens are about half way back. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...05350b50d9.jpg Bee! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7bd4de06c2.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ef012567f3.jpg Needs a trim. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b5d396a4be.jpg Prickly. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...30ca1af4f6.jpg Alien. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d605ff01f6.jpg Who lives here? https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...88d4ff713b.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c817a17036.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6a47a7a04a.jpg Here's the man who made it possible. |
Originally Posted by bigbadjoe
(Post 37150821)
Great TR from one of our favourite places. We love it so much we have joined the Pestana Vacation Club there and visit a couple times a year. I love the Coral cider in Madeira.
Coral at an Irish pub. With slices of apple. Novel idea. |
After we returned from the Botanical Gardens, we had planned to also visit the Tropical Gardens. However, we realised neither of us are that excited by flowers, and spending another 2x15€ wasn't what we wanted to do. We took the teleférico back down to the city and went for a walk.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ae4af6c5ee.jpg We sow the seed, nature grows the seed, and then, we eat the seed. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d90b7d39e3.jpg Town Hall. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c085a9c86e.jpg College Church. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f150c97c82.jpg Praça do Município. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3d2c9f704f.jpg City Courthouse. Then we went to the 3D Fun Art museum. It's a gallery of optical illusions that you can photograph yourself into. Well to be honest, it's not easily going to work solo unless you have a tripod. It works pretty well with two people. I won't share our photos, just have a look at their website if you are interested https://3dfunartfunchal.com/ My bag broke and I tried to sew it using the amenity kit provided by the hotel, but the needle snapped going through leather. Used a safety pin instead. Hope it will last the trip home. Have tried today's mojito cocktail during happy hour, it's a bit sour. No idea where to eat tonight. Need to think about packing. Going for a last swim. |
A bit late, but I would give you the same recommendation I have given Japes, Talho do Caniço. Or at least seek out espetadas somewhere else.
Great pictures of your trike trip. Now I realize what I need is not to have a trip to Madeira, but to get a job where I can go there for a couple of weeks, work in the morning, and be a tourist in the evening and weekends... I miss it. I really do. |
Last night we perhaps overdid it with the happy hour. Then sat in the jacuzzi while all the other guests were in the restaurants. We walked down to Il Basilico at 8pm and they said they wouldn't have a table until 9pm. We went across the park to sit watching the sea and chat.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...07d0d33ec5.jpg Pizza Rustica. After the very late dinner we returned to the hotel to pack. This morning went smoothly. We said goodbye to the breakfast restaurant, ordered a taxi and were on our way at half past nine. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e516c6176e.jpg View from reception down to the breakfast area. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3713cfe0f4.jpg Great taxis here. Now we are sitting out on the terrace watching the planes. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c90068751f.jpg Waiting to depart. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2a7f1610c0.jpg 737 max 8 bound for Newark. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fdd945863c.jpg Here's our plane just arriving... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...82a298aa24.jpg Hope they can turn around quickly. |
Hey! We've been in that very same taxi before with the same driver! Glad you enjoyed your visit, it's a great place to relax
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Originally Posted by bigbadjoe
(Post 37153297)
Hey! We've been in that very same taxi before with the same driver! Glad you enjoyed your visit, it's a great place to relax
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Ba2717 fnc-lgw
At the airport we made the rookie mistake of going outside to watch the planes, forgetting that we hadn't reached passport control yet.
The flight was called and we went towards the gate only to be confronted with a massive immigration queue with 2 empty lanes for EU passports, and 1 agent slowly checking UK passports. An easyjet flight was leaving at the same time, so probably several hundred people in the queue, with both flights boarding. I was able go through with my Dutch passport and my brother said I should go. So I went through quickly and then asked at the gate if there was anything they could do to help my brother. Initially they said "it's just how it works here." But later the lady admitted there were still 93 missing. I spoke to everyone in uniform that I saw, even the easyjet lady who was obviously dealing with a similar issue. She said I should plant myself at the gate and not move. Every time they called final boarding I asked how many still missing. Eventually it was down to 26 and at that point my brother stopped responding to whatsapps so I was confident he was through. Finally he turned the corner and we went through the gate. While I was getting nervous, he told me he was trying to be zen. With so many still to get through it would be unlikely BA would consider unloading so many. He was annoyed by others trying it on with the EU queue and when denied, nonchalantly lifting the tensas and sliding into a better position. Anyway lesson for next time. Soon enough we were on board and waiting for our slot. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...57ecf21494.jpg Menu for today. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2e4d3de200.jpg Farewell Madeira! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...665f57b4dc.jpg Taking off southwards. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ab59efd8be.jpg Fizz and gin-ginger. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ada581eac0.jpg Braised beef was tasty, I loved the peppercorns in the sauce. Starter was meh. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...914fe49098.jpg VGML. Wasn't very good he says. Flight was fine, plenty of attention regarding drinks for the first half of the flight. Bit of pause of service in the middle but they did another round with an hour to go. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d4ae9045e9.jpg Gatwick approach. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...374b04f9cb.jpg Hang on a minute, we're not in Newcastle yet, are we? https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...52dc1d420c.jpg Flixbus to Heathrow, with some wines kindly given by the Funchal crew. |
Originally Posted by JapesUK
(Post 37148975)
Loja dos Vinhos does good tastings. Its a bit spit and sawdust but the guy is really knowledgeable
Originally Posted by Fabo.sk
(Post 37152456)
A bit late, but I would give you the same recommendation I have given Japes, Talho do Caniço. Or at least seek out espetadas somewhere else.
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Ba1338 LHR-NCL
Heathrow yesterday was a bit of a disaster :cool:
First the self bag drop machine didn't accept our bags. Ask for assistance, it said. The lady tried rebooting the machine before we were offered desk assistance. Then when I presented my passport, the lady checked me in for LHR-AMS which wasn't even the next flight. My bag was going down the belt and almost prematurely on its way to the Netherlands before my brother said "hey that's not right." Next she couldn't find our flights to Newcastle. When she did the computer wouldn't process it, saying something like "too many connections through LHR". I immediately had an idea what the problem was and asked for the bag to be "short checked" but she didn't know what I meant. I tried to explain this booking wasn't a regular Newcastle return... Back in October we had booked on BA holidays multi centre page like this : 1. NCL-LHR/LGW-FNC (as NCL-FNC) 2. FNC-LGW/LHR-NCL (as FNC-NCL) 3. NCL-LHR Likely the system had compressed the last part as LHR-LHR via NCL, and wasn't allowing the bags to go from Heathrow to Heathrow. Eventually she asked a more senior colleague who explained that the system was new. What I called short checking was now under advanced options. I asked what phrase I should be using, but she didn't or couldn't answer. Finally we were checked in and bags disappeared down the chute, so to speak. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7ab638b998.jpg Is this where they program the flight booking system? Next disaster was security. Firstly, only the right side conveyor belt at fast track north was open. Secondly, the four tray spots were taken by several passengers, surprised by having to remove liquids and placing them in ziploc bags. Perhaps it was just bad luck to get a group of such people ahead of us. Large scale opening of rollaboards and backpacks and arguments about how this all works. While that was happening, the tray return at the other end gummed up. I've seen it before, there is an increasingly large stack of trays in the return feeder. The feeder is stuck but pax and staff keep adding to it. While at the front, nobody seems able to communicate that there are no new trays coming through. The staff seem unwilling to move from their posts, and happy for everyone to just stand there at an impasse. Eventually a lady with a radio came to the front to see what the issue was, before radioing to the back to fix the tray hopper. Finally the trays appeared, the liquid ziplocs were acceptable, and we started moving through. It probably only delayed us by 10 minutes but it seemed like ages. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bee092bd09.jpg Light evening meal. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...624ace8f4a.jpg Into the sunset. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...70f2160bd4.jpg Bis später, Heathrow! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...672f61720e.jpg Two prawns, three different sauces. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ea7970c34c.jpg We disembarked last to get a snap of this 321neo. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...609fa93a87.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...87f604a920.jpg Room at the DoubleTree. We went for a cider at the bar before retiring for the evening. |
Ba1325 NCL-LHR
We were up bright and early ready for my brother's last flight of the trip.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3ea9230fec.jpg Japes sausage stottie. Wasn't bad. I think I'll stick with bacon egg cheese, though. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d80a50a910.jpg Bye bye Newcastle! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b2b7c18119.jpg Breakfast menu for today. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...93cf93b6c9.jpg Seems I ordered kosher meal. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...08e7dba1a6.jpg Tricky to remove all the wrapping on this short flight. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c48159f8c8.jpg In case you need some events catering? |
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Back in London. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4aae6c08fc.jpg Our plane is travelling onwards to Ibiza. After a week together, it was time for me and my brother to part ways. Six flights together and we've had a lovely time. Boat trip and trikes were excellent, of course, but it's just nice to chill together next to the pool with a glass of cider. We thought Madeira was excellent. He's gone to catch an Uber home and I've settled myself in Galleries North. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...523e1571a5.jpg Gin o'clock again. |
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