Year: 2022

We had breakfast out on the terrace, can’t understand why people want to eat in the restaurant when we still get waiter service. How can people drink prosecco every morning for breakfast?!

People had complained about the pigeons flying around so the hotels answer was to get the hawk man in!

He just let the hawk fly around and the pigeons stayed away.

We forgot to bring adaptors with us, all 2 pin in the hotel so we walked to the Forum. We were in for a surprise. That is one thing about Madeira there is always so much going on everywhere.

Then everyone was looking up and we didn’t expect to see Father Christmas! What a lovely surprise.

After all that entertainment back to the hotel and the afternoon was by the pool.

In the evening  the folk dancers  put on a really good show which ended with everyone joining in conga style.

I had to laugh that someone had written “Madeira is the destination for newlyweds and nearly deads!!” Well we have been married 24 years so must fit in the other group!

 

 

At 2.30 am we drove to Rhys’s, left Ellie there for her holiday and Rhys drove us to Gatwick airport. We had speedy check in and also paid for the lounge which we really weren’t impressed with. I guess if you want to drink alcohol at 6 in the morning it is good but we didn’t! The food wasn’t that good either, as for the speedy check in there were so few people there anyway!

But it was an amazing sunrise as we left the UK.

A good flight and even better that it is only 3 hours. We were driven to Pestana Royal. This was not our original booking but the hotel we were going to stay at was closing half way through our week for refurbishment and so they sent us here and because they changed the hotel we had a luxury executive room with a sea view. The room was huge with a kitchen, sofa and armchairs. It also had a massive balcony. Very impressed.

The view from our room was lovely. We also discovered that there were 10 tables on the terrace outside the restaurant where you could eat. We don’t like eating indoors and managed an outside table for nearly every meal. You had the choice of red, white, rose or prosseco every meal and they keep topping your glass up.

In the evening we listened to a guitarist as we sat outside and drank a little too much!

After Ellie’s walk we started to pack and then had an early night, ready for our trip to Madeira.

Thought for the Day – “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” ~ Ralph Marston

I think it rained all night. Around 9 am the skies cleared and so we had a long muddy walk across the fields.

A cleaning day and managed to get all the washing dry as well.

Thought for the Day –  “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” ~ Buddha

Lou gave me ideas for Christmas presents so I went straight out to get them! There and back in 2 hours! The only delay was the shop assistant took ages trying to get the security cage off one of the presents. No one could, thankfully they had one more left in stock and the cage came straight off that one! I was also impressed with the help I received in JDSports. It makes a change nowadays.

Mal cooked a roast and sadly Hammers, Man U and Spurs lost! So the whole family was unimpressed.

Thought for the Day – “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” ~ Omar Khayyam