Travels and Impressions on my journeys

Stoppelmann

Stoppelmann

Member
Location
Germany
Our first impression of the main island of Madeira was that every square centimetre was built up, and, similar to our trip to Koh Samui, we were initially disappointed as we drove through the busy streets. Thick clouds hung in a dark sky behind the hills, and we feared the worst. But the worst didn't materialise, even though the clouds occasionally obscured the sun.

Once we arrived at the hotel and after 45 minutes of sleep, the world looked different again, and we explored the area around the hotel. The variety of plants, typical of these islands, was not yet lush but very impressive. The garden, laid out on several levels, was a boon. Yellow and red bougainvillaea, diversely coloured philodendrons, a multitude of palm trees, lobelia and countless unknown beauties adorned the path. There were also agaves and, crossing our path, countless geckos scurried through the thicket.

On the obligatory search for a supermarket to buy water, we passed a new building with large balconies and lush planting that incorporated glass components and walls made of solid stone blocks. The whole building had character and showed imagination. These impressions made up for the heavy traffic, and we returned to the hotel. We tried a supposedly traditional cocktail and devoured the peanuts hungrily, but it didn’t prevent a dizzy feeling.

At our first proper meal after 16 hours, we realised we had done the same as the many retired couples who made up most of the clientele by rushing to the restaurant before it opened. We were starving. A young couple with a small child in the restaurant was the absolute exception among the hotel guests, some of whom were very old. On the other hand, we thought about how, back home in Germany, it was usually older people who had plenty of time and still pushed their way to the front of the queue. We had seen some younger people at the pool and assumed they would come for dinner later.

My first night was restless as usual, but my wife had taken a sleeping pill, so she didn't notice that I woke up and had to get my bearings. In the dark, the light from the hotel balcony looked like the light from the living room in our bedroom at home. I was awake, and it took me a while to get back to sleep, but eventually, we had a good night's rest. We could see a path leading along the coast from our balcony, and our morning walk was already secured. We just had to wait for the tour guide, who gave us the usual information about our stay, which we always attended because it often contained insider tips.

At the breakfast buffet, I was interestingly approached by German tourists at the coffee machine in English, which I put down to my clothing, consisting of a denim shirt and trousers. I replied in English, but the hesitation of my conversation partner led me to believe he was already at the end of his English skills. The next person, who was standing on my other side, filled the gap in the conversation with a suitable answer, and we laughed and parted company. The Restaurant was bustling with activity; this time, the age groups were mixed and various languages were spoken.

More to come as we investigate the island ….

I'd post my pictures, but I'm not sure how ... technology, not my thing ;-)
 

Stoppelmann said:
Our first impression of the main island of Madeira was that every square centimetre was built up, and, similar to our trip to Koh Samui, we were initially disappointed as we drove through the busy streets. Thick clouds hung in a dark sky behind the hills, and we feared the worst. But the worst didn't materialise, even though the clouds occasionally obscured the sun.

Once we arrived at the hotel and after 45 minutes of sleep, the world looked different again, and we explored the area around the hotel. The variety of plants, typical of these islands, was not yet lush but very impressive. The garden, laid out on several levels, was a boon. Yellow and red bougainvillaea, diversely coloured philodendrons, a multitude of palm trees, lobelia and countless unknown beauties adorned the path. There were also agaves and, crossing our path, countless geckos scurried through the thicket.

On the obligatory search for a supermarket to buy water, we passed a new building with large balconies and lush planting that incorporated glass components and walls made of solid stone blocks. The whole building had character and showed imagination. These impressions made up for the heavy traffic, and we returned to the hotel. We tried a supposedly traditional cocktail and devoured the peanuts hungrily, but it didn’t prevent a dizzy feeling.

At our first proper meal after 16 hours, we realised we had done the same as the many retired couples who made up most of the clientele by rushing to the restaurant before it opened. We were starving. A young couple with a small child in the restaurant was the absolute exception among the hotel guests, some of whom were very old. On the other hand, we thought about how, back home in Germany, it was usually older people who had plenty of time and still pushed their way to the front of the queue. We had seen some younger people at the pool and assumed they would come for dinner later.

My first night was restless as usual, but my wife had taken a sleeping pill, so she didn't notice that I woke up and had to get my bearings. In the dark, the light from the hotel balcony looked like the light from the living room in our bedroom at home. I was awake, and it took me a while to get back to sleep, but eventually, we had a good night's rest. We could see a path leading along the coast from our balcony, and our morning walk was already secured. We just had to wait for the tour guide, who gave us the usual information about our stay, which we always attended because it often contained insider tips.

At the breakfast buffet, I was interestingly approached by German tourists at the coffee machine in English, which I put down to my clothing, consisting of a denim shirt and trousers. I replied in English, but the hesitation of my conversation partner led me to believe he was already at the end of his English skills. The next person, who was standing on my other side, filled the gap in the conversation with a suitable answer, and we laughed and parted company. The Restaurant was bustling with activity; this time, the age groups were mixed and various languages were spoken.

More to come as we investigate the island ….

I'd post my pictures, but I'm not sure how ... technology, not my thing ;-)
Click to expand...
Thanks for your post; it was a nice read. Looking forward to more.
 
The hotel's gardens were quite picturesque, but as we went up into the hills, the visibility and temperature reduced, and we had to turn around because of low clouds. Instead, we visited a trout farm, where all the tourists had gathered, who had intended to go to the top of the highest hill. The best time we had was in a tuk-tuk with a young woman who showed us some narrow streets and the artwork of the university students, who had decorated many garage doors and made places many-coloured.IMG_7341.JPG

The trumpet trees were in full bloom, and the bougainvillaea were colouring the streets and hedges, so it wasn’t that nothing was out. It is just that when you speak to people about Madeira, they all have ideas like us that didn’t transpire. The worst thing was that so many roads crisscrossed the country, which immediately tells you when you are on your way to the hotel that the island isn’t what you expected it to be. We also noticed that the island has two different sides. The sea was calm on the south side, where we were, and the temperatures were roughly two degrees higher than on the north side. On the north side, you had the Atlantic as we have known it in the past, wild and windy.
IMG_7345a.jpg
Our return flight was cancelled due to “adverse weather conditions” on a day when people were sitting outside in the sun. Apparently, blusters of wind made landing and taking off difficult, but that got worse after our planned flight, and in the morning afterwards, the windspeed was higher than before. However, with a lot of tension leading up to finally boarding and standing around (there were no seats free) waiting to see if the plane was going to land, and after a night in which some of our fellow passengers slept four in a bed, we were finally allowed to board the plane.
IMG_7629.JPG
Fortunately, I’m a frequent user of booking.com and secured a studio nearby and transport there and back, but the bed was extremely uncomfortable, and the tension from the day before left us still tired the next day. Other passengers, such as some from France, had their flight cancelled a second time, and judging by the number of flights cancelled on the day ours was, at least 1,000 passengers were looking for accommodation. The airport should have a travel warning because, according to a girl working for one airline, this is a regular event, and apart from a few foldable chairs, there were no preparations, and the airline, the holiday organisation, and the ground staff left us to it.

With this experience, our enjoyment of our vacation turned sour. It was already faltering because although the island certainly has its charm, which they have managed to preserve between the many roads covering the island and the extensive network of 135 tunnels primarily used for roads, it was too little. The food in the hotel was monotonous, too rich, and too fatty for my digestive system, and the paths we could walk without confronting heavy traffic were too few. But such experiences are there to learn from, and as avid visitors to the Canary Islands, that is where we will probably return for such trips in the future. Madeira is quite a bit further north than the Canaries, which means the risk of rain and snow in the hills is higher – as we experienced.
IMG_7236.jpg
Of course, it wasn’t all bad. The weather was quite good on the first three days, and we had the right clothing afterwards. We weren’t expecting a summer holiday, but we had thought that spring would have presented us with more flowers. As it was, the locals said a few weeks later it would have been better for flowers. The island has a rugged beauty, and the seasons allow them to harvest potatoes and other vegetables four times a year. You find banana plantations tucked into corners you wouldn’t suspect; the avocado season had just ended, and there were still fruits in the trees next to roads.

Various fruits are available there, and papaya trees are almost as abundant as avocados, but hardly anything is exported. Fortunately, our walking outing was cancelled because we were shown when out in a minibus where it would have taken us, which was up steep hills. They had said that we didn’t have to be trained hikers, but it didn’t look that way.
IMG_7361b.jpg
 
Stoppelmann said:
The hotel's gardens were quite picturesque, but as we went up into the hills, the visibility and temperature reduced, and we had to turn around because of low clouds. Instead, we visited a trout farm, where all the tourists had gathered, who had intended to go to the top of the highest hill. The best time we had was in a tuk-tuk with a young woman who showed us some narrow streets and the artwork of the university students, who had decorated many garage doors and made places many-coloured.View attachment 338518

The trumpet trees were in full bloom, and the bougainvillaea were colouring the streets and hedges, so it wasn’t that nothing was out. It is just that when you speak to people about Madeira, they all have ideas like us that didn’t transpire. The worst thing was that so many roads crisscrossed the country, which immediately tells you when you are on your way to the hotel that the island isn’t what you expected it to be. We also noticed that the island has two different sides. The sea was calm on the south side, where we were, and the temperatures were roughly two degrees higher than on the north side. On the north side, you had the Atlantic as we have known it in the past, wild and windy.
View attachment 338519
Our return flight was cancelled due to “adverse weather conditions” on a day when people were sitting outside in the sun. Apparently, blusters of wind made landing and taking off difficult, but that got worse after our planned flight, and in the morning afterwards, the windspeed was higher than before. However, with a lot of tension leading up to finally boarding and standing around (there were no seats free) waiting to see if the plane was going to land, and after a night in which some of our fellow passengers slept four in a bed, we were finally allowed to board the plane.
View attachment 338520
Fortunately, I’m a frequent user of booking.com and secured a studio nearby and transport there and back, but the bed was extremely uncomfortable, and the tension from the day before left us still tired the next day. Other passengers, such as some from France, had their flight cancelled a second time, and judging by the number of flights cancelled on the day ours was, at least 1,000 passengers were looking for accommodation. The airport should have a travel warning because, according to a girl working for one airline, this is a regular event, and apart from a few foldable chairs, there were no preparations, and the airline, the holiday organisation, and the ground staff left us to it.

With this experience, our enjoyment of our vacation turned sour. It was already faltering because although the island certainly has its charm, which they have managed to preserve between the many roads covering the island and the extensive network of 135 tunnels primarily used for roads, it was too little. The food in the hotel was monotonous, too rich, and too fatty for my digestive system, and the paths we could walk without confronting heavy traffic were too few. But such experiences are there to learn from, and as avid visitors to the Canary Islands, that is where we will probably return for such trips in the future. Madeira is quite a bit further north than the Canaries, which means the risk of rain and snow in the hills is higher – as we experienced.
View attachment 338521
Of course, it wasn’t all bad. The weather was quite good on the first three days, and we had the right clothing afterwards. We weren’t expecting a summer holiday, but we had thought that spring would have presented us with more flowers. As it was, the locals said a few weeks later it would have been better for flowers. The island has a rugged beauty, and the seasons allow them to harvest potatoes and other vegetables four times a year. You find banana plantations tucked into corners you wouldn’t suspect; the avocado season had just ended, and there were still fruits in the trees next to roads.

Various fruits are available there, and papaya trees are almost as abundant as avocados, but hardly anything is exported. Fortunately, our walking outing was cancelled because we were shown when out in a minibus where it would have taken us, which was up steep hills. They had said that we didn’t have to be trained hikers, but it didn’t look that way.
View attachment 338522
Click to expand...

That trail looks good right from where you're standing. Hard to see how hiking to a different point would add or subtract from it.


Two plants I grow which come from there are the world's largest geranium, G. maderense. I grow the one with the standard mauve colored flower and also one with white flowers.

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I've always lusted after the flat growing Aeonium tabuliforme, but have had no luck making them happy. But A. glandulosum which grows on Maidera likes me just fine. It is monocarpic on each arm and rosette of foliage. I had one that bloomed already and sure enough that part died. Now the other two branches are both looking like they'll bloom this year. I suspect they won't be nearly as nice looking blooming side by side.

Here is a pic of A. g. with my hand for scale and another of it when it bloomed.

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Here is a picture from a screen capture of it growing above the water on Madeira.

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I just find plants that can make use of such locations amazing and that a succulent should be able to do it even more so. Mine again.

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Oops one more showing the last two heads starting to bloom. No where near as graceful in bloom but nicely comical.

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