Funchal Botanical Gardens, Funchal

To celebrate Joan entering her sixth decade we took a trip to Madeira in early March. Whilst it’s a beautiful place the holiday wasn’t straightforward – uncharacteristic winds and rain and a tragic event in which an elderly lady fell to her death left us a bit subdued at the end of the week. So we went back there in June for a lovely week during the island’s firework festival. Lots of walking; exploring the spectacular mountains and ‘levada’ walks left us refreshed and convinced we would return there many times.

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