Madeira M'dear

Well - family grumpy have just got back from a week in Madeira. We stayed just outside the capital - Funchal, and there was very little to get grumpy about - in fact we had a jolly good time!
We booked with the Ilkeston Co-op travel agents branch in Leicester (I had a bad experience with an on-line booking, so I now prefer to go and talk to someone!) with Sunspot holidays. We flew with TAP on a scheduled flight from Heathrow (now there's somewhere to get grunpy about!!!).

TAP's staff showed a remarkable disregard for the normal rules of safety on both the way there and the way back - on the way out, they let a sleeping woman lie accross three seats with no lap-belt on during landing, and on the way back the video screen swere left down, and the lights on full during landing. Not impressed.

The transfer to the hotel was a seriously scary introduction to Madeira's curious driving regime. Speed limits are a challenge to the more masculine male!

The hotel was the Jardins d'Ajuda apartment hotel - and very good it was too. We were unfortunate in being assigned a 'sea view' room - which gave a good view of the main road - what you want here is a garden view room! We were staying half-board, and cannot fault the food or the staff.
Mosquitoes! We got bitten during the night, and I don't ever get bitten! That I don't understand!
The hotel is a little way out of town, but there is a good hotel bus service, and an even better public bus service. Car (and motorbike) hire is available for the brave.

Funchal is not a place for the young, kids or teenagers, the whole place is geared up to the 'more mature' visitor, something it does extremely well. Everywhere sells tea and cakes. (We recommed the 'Loja do Cha' in Funchal centre - tea milk shake, anyone!)
We found 'living costs' to be very reasonable - we spend a lot less here than we did in previous weeks in Croatia and Morrocco!
Everyone (except the german tourists) speaks at least some English, and the currency is the sensible mainland Euro. (Why do we persist with the little-Englander pound? )

A week wasn't long enough to wind down, and to get the best of the place - we'll be going back!