So langsam hatten wir die Nase voll. Während März als wärmster Monat seit Wetteraufzeichnungen in die Annalen einging, sollte April der kälteste werden, q.e.d.
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| Screenshot taken from local weather webcam |
So we booked a plane and escaped... to the Island of Madeira, Portugal, a.k.a. the flower island, Europe's Hawaii, best agers' paradise, famous for its aqueducts (levadas) and its wine, and birthplace of a famous football player (Cristiano Ronaldo). We had made a reservation for a small car (turned out to be an Audi A3) at the airport, and had pre-booked an apartment overlooking the ocean via Airbnb in the north of the island. Bring on the vacation!
Also nahmen wir kurzentschlossen den Flieger auf die Insel Madeira, bekannt als Blumeninsel, Rentnerparadies, Europas Hawaii, berühmt für ihre Aquädukte (Levadas), den gleichnamigen Wein und Geburtsstätte eines erfolgreichen Fußballspielers (Cristiano Ronaldo). Am Flughafen nahmen wir den reservierten Kleinwagen in Empfang (Es wurde ein Audi A3), eine Reservierung für ein Apartment im Norden hatten wir bereits via Airbnb vorgenommen. Der Urlaub konnte beginnen.
The drive up north, the road and the views...
Die Fahrt in den Norden, die Straßen und die Ausblicke...
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| below the airport lies the road |
The weather didn't look that promising, but it had 20°C which translates to 68°F in American, and it was dry. That was more than we could ask for, and we were happy.
Das Wetter sah zwar noch nicht vielversprechend aus, aber wir hatten um die 20°C und es war trocken, mehr brauchte es auch nicht. Wir waren jedenfalls zufrieden.
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| our home for the next few days, down there, in Ponta Delgada |
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| Stunning colours - Tolle Farben |
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| A room with a view - Zimmer mit Aussicht |
Looks like a beautiful place and one more place that I've never heard of!
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard, it wasn't on our radar either, we traveled here because friends recommended the island as a hiker's paradise.
DeleteEurope's Hawaii should use your pics for their tourism ads....just saying.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dom. No more ads needed ;-) The island seems already quite popular amongst the British and the French, at least these were the crowds we met the most, and almost every Islander we spoke to had a very good command of the English language.
DeleteI agree!!! Sonja does have a gift.
DeleteFunchal airport - not for the nervous flyer!
ReplyDeleteIt was a very smooth landing, Stuart, but we've heard that pilots have to have a special Madeira aviation licence.
DeleteExcellent! Everyone needs a bit of sun and warmth for their well-being. The good thing about living in Europe is easy access to other countries. My sister in law has a timeshare in the nearby (relatively)Canary Isles. Enjoy the vacation and look forward to seeing more pics and tales of your adventures!
ReplyDeleteIndeed Geoff, our time for sun and warmth was overdue, and yes with Frankfurt airport being only a 2h drive away, the world (or Europe for that matter) was our oyster.
DeleteBoah...Neid, Neid...
ReplyDeleteViel Spaß und Erholung auf der Blumeninsel. Hoffentlich wird das Wetter noch besser.
Danke Marcus, Erholung hatten wir pur und das Wetter hat prima mitgespielt (nicht zu warm und trocken war es auch... meistens).
DeleteOooh an island vacation. That sounds nice. While 68F might not seem that warm, compared to the cold wet winter I bet it felt lovely.
ReplyDeleteI too am looking forward to more pictures and your trip report.
The temps were perfect for hiking, Brandy, for beach bumming it wasn't warm enough (the island doesn't have beaches, anyway its all rocks and cliffs...)
DeleteOfficially glued to your photos. Beautiful! I'm glad you are able to get away into warmer climes for a quick change.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori. It's a 3-4 hour flight from Germany, which isn't too bad (besides flying being boring). We were overdue for some sunny climate.
DeleteAch, wie klasse. Ist doch herrlich, wie unkompliziert so ein Urlaub plötzlich ist. Obwohl, bei dir war ja nie irgendwas kompliziert :-)
ReplyDeleteWitzig, ich versuche auch immer, wenigstens ein paar Brocken in der Landessprache sagen zu können.
Gelassenheit ist einem Luxus, den ich mir gönne, auch wenn's mal kompliziert wird, Irina. Und ein paar Worte in der Landessprache zu wissen, finde ich einfach respektvoll.
DeleteOoo, nice lookin' getaway there, Sonja--beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteAnd 68 degrees certainly ain't nothin' to sneeze at when you consider the cold and snowy alternative...
Thanks, Ry. It was really nice to get out it. It still hasn't gotten warmer in the Black Forest.
Deletewow, and what a view from your apartment.
ReplyDeleteAnother place your blogging has made we want to visit!
ReplyDelete