Adventurous Maite: 27-Madeira (Portugal): 15th July 2014

15th July (Tuesday)

In the early morning I went to Mercado dos Lavradores buy a bunch of flowers because it was the birthday of Carmen. My mum gave me the idea because I'm very indecisive when I have to make a gift! I took some pictures while this woman was preparing the bunch

With the bouquet of flowers in my hands

At home: the flowers and the birthday card that I bought for Carmen

We celebrating the birthday in Estreito de Camara de Lobos, a traditional Madeiran

village with its characteristic ambiance and a few shops and bars

Apart from its construction services and commerce, Estreito de Câmara do Lobos is important for its cultivation of grapes, for the production of Madeira wine

Church of Nossa Senhora da Graça

Estreito is bordered on the south and west by the parish of Câmara de Lobos, to the north by Jardim da Serra, to the west by Quinta Grande, and on the its eastern border with the municipality of Funchal. The north of the parish is primarily elevated mountains

We went to eat at the village's best restaurant: Restaurante Santo António

Next to the restaurant

Selfies

Photos inside the restaurant

Caty serving the potatoes

With my friends Mica and Andreia before we started eating

Caty and her mom, the birthday woman :-)

The whole family :)

Caty and her parents

All together again

My dessert... hahahaa... vanilla-chocolate ice cream

But... ice-cream was really small... What a thymus!

After eating. Outside. Nice views facing the sea

Estrada João Gonçalves Zarco

The yellow building behind me: Panidoce-Panificadora De Câmara De Lobos Lda

Pretty stamp

Going to Santa Cruz, one of my favourite cities of the island

The International Airport is located in Santa Cruz

Already in Santa Cruz, Rua Nova de São Fernando :)

Santa Cruz is a municipality, a parish and a city in the eastern part of the island

It's the second most populous municipality, behind Funchal.
The population in 2011 was 43.005, in an area of 81.50 km²

Santa Cruz is a calm and rexlaxed city. The resorts' hidden gems make it an ideal destination for those who love the beach, a rich local history and the beauty of orchards rolling just above the sea. If you’re looking for plenty of activities to keep the family occupied or you're are interested in exploring local culture you'll love this place

Exploring Santa Cruz... A cheap way to cool off, wander down to Praia das Palmeiras, which is a public lido offering toys for children and plenty places to sunbathe

Houses in Santa Cruz, with the arcades of the International Airport

The Promenade, with shops, bars and restaurants running it’s length,
offers opportunties to experience Santa Cruz firsthand

Praia das Palmeiras (Palmeiras Beach) is located in the centre of Santa Cruz

It owns a pleasant marine stroll bordered by palms

The Palmeiras Beach offers attractions for all ages and is ideal for spending a day on the beach with the family. This beach is divided into two areas: a pebble beach and a pool complex. This complex also has excellent water quality, great facilities, sports activities and lifeguard surveillance during the bathing season

Rua da Praia

If you want a balance of nightlife and quiet, step out of Funchal, stay in Santa Cruz, with direct access to one of the most popular beaches of the island. Head there for a relaxing day and enjoy the clear sea, beautiful scenery and great facilities on offer

Children's pool

Travessa de Figueira

Enjoying a wonderful walk along the promenade, bounded by palm trees and the sea

Casa da Cultura - Quinta do Revoredo (Culture Centre)

An old mansion owned over the years by various families from the parish, it was later acquired by the Santa Cruz Municipal Council to be used as a cultural centre

It's also the headquarters of the Santa Cruz Municipal Band. The Santa Cruz Cultural Centre - Quinta do Revoredo promotes various cultural activities. Various exhibition rooms can be found in this space, as well as a plastic arts workshop, a photography lab, a library, a charming open-air amphitheatre and a well-kept garden

Proudly bearing a blue flag, as well as its crystal waters, this pebble beach has two swimming pools (for adults and children) both comprised of seawater with sea access, changing rooms, showers, WC and first aid facilities

Orca water slide

People having fun on floating platform

Flags: Portugal, Europe, Madeira, Santa Cruz

The Fountain roundabout

A place to dream

Magnum White at snack time

Rua da Fonte

A Câmara Municipal de Santa Cruz -City Council. This building is from the XVII century which as manueline moth, a ogive door and a twin windows. It's a national few relic and an historic from the primitive Domus Municipalis

The Câmara Municipal de Santa Cruz transmits the huge colonial architecture in the Madeira Island because still has the sidewalk and the decoration that shows the colonial presence in the Santa Cruz council

Madeira Island is very rich in its traditions customs, and events organization. There're many Religious Festivities known as “Arraiais” from June to September and they celebrate the traditional festivals happening all around the Island...

In Santa Cruz- Festa do Senhor -14 and 15 July

Close to the 4-star Hotel Vila Gale Santa Cruz

Again in Rua Nova de São Fernando

A plane arriving at the airport :-)

Rua Dr. José Barros Sousa

Going to the airport

Super selfie

At the airport watching planes landing and taking off

Plane before taking off

Another plane

Madeira International Airport

If you were landing in Madeira before the millennium it was normally filled with ‘dread' due to the size of the ‘mini’ runway, nowadays you can sit relaxed while the pilot makes the final landing manouevres

You can be at ease today because on the 15th of September 2000 Madeira Island inaugurated one of the biggest constructions ever executed in the region, amounting to a total investment of about 520 million Euros

Madeira's new Intercontinental Airport, boasting a runway of 2781 m length, has given the island a new image for the new millennium. The new airport capacity is 3.5 million passengers/year and all types of passenger aircrafts are now able to land and take off from this airport

To extension of the runway by one kilometre was one of the most ambitious constructions on the island, especially if one considers that the pillars of the runway measure in total 120 metres, 60 m above and 60 m under sea level. The old runway was turned three degrees to the north to assume what is now its final position