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Madeira Magic Janice Farr
As keen RCI members we have enjoyed exchanges in many countries but our latest exchange at the Pestana Madeira Beach Club was definitely one of the best. We knew very little about the island of Madeira but wanted to go somewhere warmer for our visit
to Europe in February and March of this year. After a little research we discovered that Madeira was a small Portuguese island that lies off the African coast. It has a Mediterranean climate, spectacular scenery and is a popular stop off for cruise ships. We found out that Winston Churchill was a regular visitor and often painted the quaint fishing villages.
The resort was in walking distance to the main town of Funchal and our two bedroom apartment was situated right by the sea and the gentle sound of
Irish town proves a hit Sheryl Foster
breaking waves was enough to lull us to sleep most nights. Despite its older furnishings, it was immaculately clean and very well equipped. Being part of the Carlton Hotel, we had use of indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and several restaurants. There was a dedicated Member’s Service Team who were more than happy to organise trips and deal with any inquiries we had. We booked a wine tasting tour and got
to see the rest of the island and learn more about Madeira and its wines.
We learnt Madeira was famous for its walking tracks and its beautiful flowers. We were surprised to recognise
many varieties of flowers from Australia and we even drove through Eucalyptus forests. If you are looking for somewhere different we absolutely recommend this beautiful Island.
nun’s valley
The Carlton hotel
Madeira’s coastline
Kylemore Abbey
In September last year we booked into a cottage in County Galway, Ireland using some of our RCI points. The cottage was located just outside the town of Oughterard. To get to and from our cottage
we had to cross the bridge which was featured in the movie “The Quiet Man”, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. As we soon discovered the bridge was a popular spot for photographers and tourists wanting to take photographs. Our cottage was surrounded by the hills of Connemara and we often found horses and sheep grazing by our front door.
The people of Oughterard were very welcoming and we met some very interesting characters. Desmond at the Camp Street Cafe regaled us with
many stories about the area and we found this entertaining whenever we dined there. We went on a cruise to the town of Cong where much of “The Quiet Man” was filmed. Here we found a marvellous statue of John Wayne holding Maureen O’Hara in his arms. We discovered later when we watched the movie back at the cottage that we had eaten lunch in the very pub that featured in the movie.
From a sightseeing perspective
the cottage proved to be perfectly located and during our week we visited Kylemore Abbey, the Cliffs
of Moher, Brigit’s Garden, Bunratty Castle, Folk Park and of course Galway. We were blessed with perfect weather and friendly people wherever we went, all of which made for a fantastic stay.
The Duke and Maureen o’hara
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