Boas Festas

So, we just got back from a fabulous few days in festive Funchal, Madeira.

The weather was mixed but one day warm enough for Jeff to swim in the sea!!

Cable car rides, toboggan sleigh rides, palaces, botanical gardens, seaside villages, mountain hikes, daily pastel de nata consumed!! (custard tarts) sculpture, street art, poinsettias and Christmas lights galore. What's not to like??

A beautiful island to explore further, another time x

We flew out early on Monday morning.

We had a lovely apartment in a central location, booked through booking.com

Although I forgot it was on the 3rd floor, 54 steps up!!

Day one, exploring Funchal

Funchal has been a nice surprise. It's busy enough to feel alive but not so busy that you can't move around easily, get a table, queue etc. We intended to just get our bearings on the first afternoon, but as per, we ended up walking miles! We eyed up where all the Christmas lights would be, found the Ronaldo statue and museum, although I was more interested in the big recycled fish. Ended climbing up to some gardens, to get views over the city. All the festive feels.

Day two

 First up, the Mecado dos Lavradores. A food hall on two floors with a lovely courtyard. Then we headed to the cable car. It was €12.50 each, one way, but it was a good 15-minute journey up, with the most fabulous panoramic views. We were initially going to take a further cable car to the Botanical Gardens, but whilst having our coffee and reading some reviews, we changed plans and decided on the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens instead. It was €15 each but great value for money. We spent 3 and a half hours wandering around. Not only were the gardens themselves, vast and immaculately laid out, and well looked after, there were loads of sculptures and tiles and features dotted throughout and a flock of pink flamingos.

Having gone up to the top of Monte, 550m above sea level via cable car, we had to come down.....by toboggan! We had to ride the famous wicker basket sleigh toboggans 'Carreiros do Monte', which take you down the hill from Monte towards Funchal at up to 30kms and hour. Loved it!! The toboggans only took you halfway back down the hill. €20 for a taxi or walk!! We walked!! Sooooooo deserved that beer at the end of the day!! 

Our evenings were spent wandering around admiring all the Christmas lights.

Day three, bus trip to Camara de Lobos

We bused it to Camara de Lobos, a picturesque harbour town about 9km from Funchal. Cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, and traditional colourful Madeiran boats (Xavelhas) what's not to like! We had a lovely chilled out day and then an enjoyable evening taking in more of the lights.

Day four, a 'proper' hike 

On the fourth day of Christmas ......we went hiking! Like 'proper' hiking! 

We signed up with a group tour, which essentially drove you the 40 minutes up to the start of the hike, 1810m above sea level, higher than Ben Nevis! The weather wasn't the best. As we approached the drop off point, it started to rain!! We were the oldest in our little group but as we all split off, walking at your own pace, it didn't matter. We all had the same rendezvous point 5 hours later!!

We had signed up to walk PR1 'Pico do Areeiro', a 7km hike but a big chunk of it was closed due to maintenance work due to forest fires. We were able to walk the first section, which is probably the most photographed bit, but as you can see on the way out, you couldn't see much. 

To make up for our original hike being closed, we were directed onto PR3 'Vereda do Burro', a 7.2 km walk predominantly down!! My knees were not thanking me at the end!! Thankfully, the rain stopped, waterproofs got packed away, and we followed the red and yellow markers along the route. The route was a mix of steps, track, stones, river crossings and a bit of forest! All in all, it was a good hike, just hard on the old knees, as the majority of the walk was down!! The weather stayed dry after our soggy start, and we made it to the finish with time for a coffee before our lift arrived to take us back to Funchal. 

Day five 

Another busy day, starting at the Mecado (market) We then bused it up to the botanical gardens and back down for a beach afternoon, a meander around the Fort of São Tiago, and then our final night at the Christmas market.

It was the warmest and sunniest day, and so no suprise, Jeff couldn't resist a swim in the sea. 

So we spent and couple of hours in the afternoon, sat on the beach chilling!

We've spent every evening at the Christmas market, wandering along the seafront, just taking in all the festive feels. It's been fabulous. The last few evenings, we'd timed it right to enjoy some Christmas music, and watched the locals let their hair down!! A great atmosphere.

Day six, final wander around Funchal, last pastel de nata!! 

 The forecast had been for heavy rain but it didn't turn out so bad. Our accommodation hosts kindly agreed a later checkout, so we went out and made the most of our time in Funchal

At 3pm and our check out time, we got the bus to the airport, which was super easy. Our flight wasn't until 7pm, arrival in Bristol just after 11pm. We had to wait for hold luggage this trip and then get the bus to get the car. Anyway, we made it home at 00.50am this morning!!

It was a great trip, would recommend, especially for a big old  dollop of festive fun!

Obviously in the lead up to Christmas I wouldn't have indulged quite so much!!! Pastries for breakfast (God's Bread, fruited Christmas buns), bolo do caco for lunch (Madeiran flat bread), pastel de nata for coffee time treat (custard tart), tried to have protein and veg for tea and a few beers. Amazingly, the scales were kind this morning and I only put on half a pound!! But we did walk a far few steps, so balanced out, I guess!! Have just done a food shop, all the veg!! A goodish week now, before the full festivities kick in!!

A Funchal festive bun!!

Madeira....we will be back!!

With every trip, it's lovely to be away and it's always lovely to be back home. I was pretty organised before we went, so it was lovely to come back to everything ready for Christmas. I still have bits to do. Sophie comes home on Tuesday and Sam returns on Saturday. We have a few get togethers coming up and a festive night out in Bristol to come. If the weather is dry, it'll be nice to get out and get a few walks done, possibly a trip over to the Newt if there's time. Thankfully it would seem I didn't bring a Christmas bug back with me, like last year!! So far, so good!!

It's beginning to look......

....a lot like Christmas!!

After my busy week last week, visiting my mum and dad down in Cornwall and then up to Cardiff to see the kids, I really needed a week at home to get organised and catch up with local friends before the real Christmas madness begins. So on Monday I met up with a friend for lunch....

...Tuesday was my last time walking with my friend Lynn, for the year.

I went over to hers, to walk along the river. It was a misty, murky morning but the sun burnt through eventually and then it was back to hers for a coffee.

Tuesday evening and I was out again, meeting two of my old Sainsbury's colleagues. 

One is still there, the other now retired, so it was lovely to spend a few hours together.

Wednesday, and my plans changed. I had been asked earlier to go on an Art trip with school but had to decline as I was meeting a friend. That friend then had to cancel, so after two things in the diary I was down to nothing!! So, I decided to get decorating! Only a few new additions this year!

Taaa-daaa!

A few of my treasured decorations.

The 'Christmas Cupboard' doors were opened for another year!

And we are Christmas ready!!

 I love all the decorations in the build-up to Christmas. I haven't got time next week as we are away, and then everyone will be coming home..... so why not have them up for longer? I'm always itching to get everything down and packed away before the new year, so by going in early, I get to enjoy them in the run up to the big day and for a little longer.

The weather this week has been very mixed. Jeff got soaked on Thursday evening walking home, then going to Wells cathedral in the evening for the school carol service. But Friday morning we opened the bedroom shutters to this fabulous sky! This weekend we've hunkered down enduring Storm Darragh, which even activated the red alert on our phones. Other than the garden furniture and recycling bins being blown around the garden, we've escaped it unscathed!

Friday, and Jeff broke up! 

I met an old family friend in the morning over at Avalon Marshes. I've not seen her since my wedding day. She is the daughter of my dad's best man at his wedding. She's 10 years younger than me, so would have been a teenager when we did last see each other, but with social media and the yearly Christmas card update, it was as if we'd seen each other yesterday! After a lovely walk (we spotted Kingfishers) and a coffee, it was home for a quick change, then out to meet a different friend in the afternoon. I'm trying to squeeze everyone in before we go away and then get super busy with everyone home!

I was meant to meet my sister on Saturday, but storm Darragh meant everything was cancelled, 

so I finished decorating....

......and spent all day Saturday wrapping presents.

I LOVE wrapping presents!

I wanted to get them all done before we go away, as last year I still had them all to do on our return and was poorly, so felt really rushed. It's one of my favourite things to do at Christmas.

I also got Jeff to help me put up and rearrange a few pictures 

and help me put up my early Christmas present.

After visiting the fabulous 'Arktisk' exhibition by Emily Powell last week, and falling in love with at least half a dozen, if not more, of her fabulous Arktisk squares, I knew, after seeing her work in person, that I had to own my very own little piece of Emily Powell brilliance. Sadly I couldn't afford a square but then she did a live stream the other evening, of affordable paper works, I didn't hesitate to acquire a vibrant, joyous, colourful painting. 'If you love them, tell them'. I've put it at the top of the stairs, so that every morning and night, just before bed, you are reminded to tell those who are special, that they are loved.

I hope, one day, to add to my collection. If I could afford to, I would fill my whole house with her vibrant, colourful, joyous works of art.

Anyway, I'm off to make lunch now, then must get packing!

ADVENT ready!!

Pinch and a punch.....

....hello December!!

Farewell to the fabulous month of November!

What a super busy month!! Sophie's birthday, my birthday, and a mixed month of work and pleasure! Two weeks of work/exam invigilation, then, Mary Poppins, Will Young, Wicked (film) Emily Powell's fabulous 'Arktisk' exhibition 💖 First frosts, beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Trips to Cornwall to see my folks and Cardiff to see Sophie and Sam. A great month x

And an awful lot of that has been packed into this past week!

So, on Monday, I headed down to Cornwall. I last went in June with Sophie, so it was about time I went down to see my parents. As it was dry, I headed all the way down to St Ives, as again, it's been ages since I was last there.

I didn't realise until I was there, just how much I needed to see and hear the sea 

and just breathe in the salty fresh air. 

It was lovely and quiet, just how I like it. 

And there was most definitely a little festive feeling in the air.

On Tuesday Mum and Dad joined me for brunch, out at Tremenheer Sculpture Gardens. 

There is a lovely cafe there, which is accessible for mum.

We then dropped her back home and Dad and I headed over to Trelissick Gardens for a walk. 

Dad can't get out as much as he'd like, as he's really now mum's full time carer. 

So when I'm down, I like to get him out and about in the fresh air for an hour or two.

I headed back home on the Wednesday, taking a slight detour, via Newton Abbot, to see a fabulous exhibition by the artist Emily Powell. I have been stalking her on Instagram for a couple of years now and finally got to see her fabulous work in person and meet her too.

Her work is the most fantastic, colourful, vibrant, uplifting explosion of joy. This exhibition, titled Arktisk, is a result of a painting trip to the Arctic. I LOVED every single inch. A whole room, from floor to ceiling, made up of 100 + individual 1mx1m square canvases filled her studio space.

It was just BRILLIANT

Each square was a painting in it's own right. I could have happily brought  a few home with me but sadly her paintings are out of my financial reach. But I do believe owning an 'Emily Powell' will be of huge value in the future, as she's just been taken on by Banksy's agent.

Thursday morning was stunning!

What a view to wake up to!

I was in school on and off, doing a little internal exam invigilation.

The school grounds were looking lovely and festive as I was leaving.

Friday was 'hair colour and cut' day! Then I packed up the car and headed to Cardiff. It was an horrendous journey. Took an hour longer than it should have done, due to the M49 being completely closed for resurfacing and then 10 mph traffic around Newport. It was worth it though, to see the kids. I dropped off my stuff at Sophie's, then collected Sam and took him food shopping, before heading back to Sophie's to stay, and put up her Christmas tree together.

Then on Saturday my sister came up to visit for the day. She'd not been to Sophie's flat yet and as she's thinking of buying a house soon, if she didn't see it now, she might of missed it completely. 

So after a quick tour and a coffee, we walked over to Snails Deli for brunch.

It was a good idea, as although busy and festive, it was a much better place to be then town!!

We headed in to town afterwards, to do a little Christmas shopping but it was sooooo busy!

Whilst we were in the centre, Sophie and I went and saw Wicked, as Jo headed back to Bath on the train. Two hours and forty minutes went by in a flash!! It's had all the hype and I really enjoyed it. I have seen the stage musical twice, so knew the story but there were so many additions and links to the original Wizard of Oz, although I'm sure I missed enough to warrant going to see it again!!

So here I am now, Sunday evening, home in time to celebrate Advent! 

I have my advent calendar up, Christmas mug out, the chocolate tin is full....

......and my first Christmas card opened!

Christmas can now officially begin and a little bit of festive magic can drip in day by day xx