Madeira with Voice of the People

The trip to Madeira started with a mad dash as I woke up an hour late.  Changed my alarm time but forgot to put it on!  Picked up Yvette and Pearl half hour late.  All good and we arrived at Bristol in time.  Comfortable flight on Easyjet arriving in Funchal at 11 am.  Free day today.  After lunch Helen, Jim, Caroline, Paul and I walked to the Lido.  While the others swam, Jim and I continued around the walkway.

Stormy waves on our arrival

The first of a few kestrels I saw on the island

Had a rehearsal before dinner then bed.  On Friday we were picked up together with two other choirs who had flown over from Portugal and treated to a tour of Funchal by the Funchal choir.

Banana outside our hotel - Dorisol Mimosa

Inside Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias

Helen at the back with Ian, Philip and Ros at the front with Trevor behind them

Rosemary and Stephen with Paul in the flowers

James and Philip having fun

President of the Funchal choir with the choirs

Gilly looking elegant

One of the choirs singing in the Cathedral.  They went home before the main concert

Banana flower

Caroline

Choirs listening to a choir singing outside the cathedral

The market where we had dinner on Sunday evening

Christa and Pearl

In camera movement of the flowers

This family posed for me after this but I prefer this candid image

Outside the town hall for the mayor's reception

Yvette's shoes

Margot, Jill and Rosemary

Trevor, Paul and Caroline

The square from the balcony

More food

Singing at the reception

On Saturday we went on another tour with the President of Camacha.   We were part of the twinning ceremony of Bridgewater and Camacha.  We were treated to a lovely traditional lunch.  The choir performed at the church in Camacha in the evening and we were given a standing ovation - first ever.

The spotted four Sheila, Lesley, Yvette, Sheena and unspotted Jill

Looking down from the 'glass' balcony

The Spotted with the Mayor of Bridgewater

President of Camacha showing us the souvenirs

Jill with Daphne in the background

Drone taking pics of us

Looking over to Nun's valley

Paradise beach

Lots of lovely graffiti 

Rose and James

Waiting for the twinning ceremony

The signing

Images from Camacha

Camacha church

We had a free morning on Sunday.  I walked to the gardens of Quinta Magnolia.   We met up at 3pm for rehearsal at the Casino concert hall in Funchal with 3 other choirs.  The concert was televised.  Hope to see it one day.  We were treated again to dinner at the Fishmarket by the Funchal choir.

Met some cats in the gardens but they kept to themselves

Pollinating

The lizards were friendlier than the cats

Part of the concert programme

The spotteds are now pirates

On Monday a few people left us as we were now part of the staying on group.  No more concerts but we still managed to sing everyday in most places we were in.  We had a safari jeep tour all day with lunch.

Ros, Philip, Helen and Christa

Caged

A much needed coffee break

Rose and Louse in front. Yvette Paul and Jim at the back

Getting together for another sing

Our guides

A different temperature up here

Courgettes or squashes on the roof

Looking down

Multiple exposure of graffiti and waves

Caroline, Paul, Jim and Christa

The swimmers

Ros, Jill and Jane with in camera movement

I walked into Funchal and back on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Walking past the casino with the plants being watered

Street where the artists are given free rein

Waiting for people to walk into the pic and the first were Lyn and Jane

My own take on the street art

Another kestrel

This fort is a restaurant now

This guy was sitting on this rock for a long time at the beach by the fort.  He  deserved a tail which if you went to Quayfest, you will recognise

Some of the others went whale and dolphin spotting, others took the cable car to the lovely Palace gardens or to the Botanic gardens or some shopping.  On Wednesday I walked up to the big fort which had some wonderful views.

Having walked too far up, I had to walk down but I snapped this on the way

I spotted the ducklings then the rat swimming in the background.  When I saw the image on the computer I noticed the family of rats and the two pigeons looking down.  Click on this for a bigger image

Finally made it to the fort

Inside the fort

In a nearby musem gardens

Finally the native Monarch posed for me

Spot the little cat (click on pic to enlarge)

Inside the church by the town hall where we were at for the mayor's reception

At the photographic musem

In the evening a few of us went to O Dragoeiria restaurant near the hotel.  A lovely meal and we sang a couple of songs which were videoed by one of the staff and put on their Facebook page.  Not being on Facebook, I have yet to see it.

Sarah wearing one of the many magnolia flowers which dropped on us

Dragon tree

So finishes another great choir trip.  Now for time at home before heading up to Isle of Lewis.