A full day

Stayed last night at Liverpool airport with parking just a few yards away right opposite departures. All good but Christmas songs in Duty Free at 5.30 am we’re perhaps a tad too much. 
A good flight and with a following wind we landed early at 11.30 to 24 degrees C and blue skies. We were in our hotel at 1.00.pm but had a little wait for our room so we had a drink at the hotels nearby bar/restaurant we ate at two years ago on our last visit to Madeira.

I had a wander around the hotel gardens which are full of beautiful exotic flowers as expected, the buildings are in the old traditional Madeiran style which we like and I’m using this picture for my blip as it shows the contrast with where we are now with the huge ‘new’ hotel we stayed in two years ago just above us.

We had a lovely room there and again the gardens were great where we had breakfast each morning but some of it was a bit over the top.  In contrast we have a small bungalow room here with a garden terrace and it suits us fine. 

What we liked most was the location and we could see this  hotel from where we were before. Also it was recommended to us by friend and fellow blipper Orchid99 who has arrived here too today so hopefully we will meet up in the coming days.

Once sorted in our room and changed into something a bit cooler we walked to Santa Catarina Park exploring our sister hotel across the road on the way which with it’s lift and foot bridge will prove a useful aid on our return walks from town. There are, as ever it seems, two huge cruise ships in the harbour and we enjoyed a drink watching the comings and goings. Very busy everywhere.

Having a cuppa on our little terrace before preparing to walk the few yards to our dinner tonight. I think we will sleep well afterwards!