Lisbon, Madeira, London
July 11, 2003 - July 22, 2003
On July 11, 2003, Kenny and I set out for our long Portuguese vacation. We flew Virgin Atlantic/TAP to London, then Porto, then Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, where we spent a short weekend. Lisbon was more beautiful and much larger than we ever imagined. We took an eight hour bus tour around the city and the surrounding countryside. But then it was off to our real destination, Madeira, which is a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco. We stayed in Funchal, the capital, which is Portugal's third largest city. Madeira is breathtaking. It's a volcanic island that is covered in gorgeous green mountains and is surrounded by deep, blue waters. Kenny and I managed to see much of the island by jeep, bus, boat and on foot. A truly surreal vacation and one I highly recommend. A relaxing week later, we headed on back home, with a quick night in London.
On the way to Lisbon!
Belem Tower, a Moorish castle on the coast.
The town of Cintra, outside of Lisbon, full of royal palaces.
Jeronimos Monastary.
Ponte 25 de Abril, which looks amazingly like the Golden Gate Bridge.
Me relaxing seaside.
Discoveries Monument.
Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe.
Yep, relaxing seaside again.
The beautiful farmer's market.
The cablecar up the mountain.
You toboggan down the mountain. Way fun!!!.
The botanical gardens. Unreal!
Kenny so peaceful.
Robbie unusually tranquil.
Madeira's beautiful coast.
Kenny and the mountain.
Our wonderful hotel, the Pestana Palms.
The incredible view from our balcony.
The Santa Maria.
Me on board the Santa Maria.
One of the many whales we spotted.
One of the many mountains we spotted.
Pico Ruivo, the highest peak on Madeira. A six mile hike!
Me and my Coke above the clouds.
Us, ruggedly athletic.
Us, walking with the moo-moos.
Ta from London.