After waiting for what seems like forever ... our departure date arrived.
Normally we spend the month of November in the Sunshine State at our timeshare in Kissimmee, Florida and have done so for nearly twenty years.
This year we decided to try some place new and different.
Late July we booked this adventure that will give us a "Taste of Portugal/ Portuguese Islands"!
Our travel day started early (not that we had an early flight), not sure if the excitement woke me up too soon or I was thinking of last minute things that needed to be done before we were on our way ... and as you know if you follow our blog this is our least favourite day that we call "Hurry Up and Wait Day"!
Our journey to the airport was slow with heavy traffic on the 400 series of highways.
For this trip we booked a park and stay package for our return ... so we left the car at the hotel, had a quick drink, a nibble and then we were shuttled to the airport.
Is is coincidental that the hotel's restaurant was called "Postcard"?
Hurry up, line up to check in.
The check in process at SATA airlines was a breeze (we had done the web checkin so this made it easier) and the attendant even teased us about the lightness of our suitcases with lots of unused weight/ space to bring things back!
Hurry up, line up again ... Security screening also was uneventful.
A great start to our adventure!
Now it's the real "Hurry up and wait time" ... we find our gate and then go in search of a decent place to enjoy a drink & something tasty to eat.
We got lucky, choosing a delicious wood- fired pizza not your typical airport "cardboard, frozen" food.
It's around 7PM and our flight isn't scheduled to board until 8:55PM with a 9:45PM departure time.
Some down time to relax, a little walking around the concourse and finally the boarding call ...
and we are off!
We hadn't paid much attention to the travel times until we heard the Captian announce our arrival time in Ponta Delgada, San Miguel. Our first flight Toronto to Ponta Delgada was only five (5) hours, just like flying to Huatulco, Mexico not like most Trans-Atlantic flights we've taken.
With a dinner service and then lights out, we were able to do some cat napping.
We arrived the next morning on time to a damp, misty spray of rain as we disembarked the plane.
Our next flight Ponta Delgada, San Miguel to Funchal, Madeira was delayed by an hour due to technical problems ... Are you kidding?
It's always comforting to hear that kind of announcement.
During this time the mizzle became a deluge, raining "cats and dogs". It is the rainy season afterall!
Our inter island flight was on a Dash 8 Propellor plane ... not this Dash 6 but not much bigger than this!
Two more hours of flying across the Atlantic Ocean to the island of Madeira, and a half hour cab ride from the airport and we arrived at our destination for the week.
The area is beautiful, lush, green with views of the blue ocean peeking through everywhere you go!
We are spending our first week in Funchal, Madeira.
After our hotel check in and some freshening up we ventured out on our "shanks' ponies" to acclimatize ourselves with the immediate area.
We walked along Estrada Monumental past many restaurants, hotels, private estates and we found a lane way that took us to a spectacular place for up lose views of the Ocean...
We stopped in a mini market, low and behold there we found a bottle of JP Rosé wine on the shelf
for only 2.95€ ... we didn't buy this; we decided to try the JP Private Selection 2012 Red wine for 5.99€.
We favour the JP Rosé and after tasting this Private Selection red wine ... it is also now a favourite!
We are getting very tired by now and decide to return to the hotel, get freshened up and go for an early dinner and early to bed.
We didn't venture far from the hotel ... climbing up hill.
Did we mention everything is up or down if you're coming back to the hotel?
We found a quiet restaurant for our first night (quiet only because it was early), typically people go for dinner much later than what we are use to ...
We patronized Restaurant Antonio's ... with views of the rooftops in the neighbourhood.
We sat in the inside terrace room.
Senhor Honey said we had to have the fish soup, he had some in Provence this past summer and hasn't stopped talking about it!
So we both had it tonight ... delicious (note to self, look up the Portuguese word for delicious)!
Next course "Fish with banana" the most tasty green beans and carrots, salad, and rice.
Dessert ... Caramel pudding or chocolate mousse?
A great first day in Funchal, Madeira!
Lots more to come!
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