Madeira: Funchal (June 2012)

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean lies Madeira, a volcanic island rich in vegetation. Its year-round sub-tropical climate provides perfect conditions for exotic flowers and fruit trees and makes it a colorful destination.

Funchal is Madeira's capital city and major harbour and is a great place to stay when visiting the island as it has lots of great restaurants and an amazing market for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Welcome to Funchal...

...where the streets are covered in flower petals

Narrow streets

The famous Mercado dos Lavradores, fresh fruit and veg market

Inside the market

Passionfruit

Old woman in traditional gear selling flowers

Birds of Paradise

Passion fruit in various flavors

Various little parks in the city

Tree with mysterious looking things....

Funchal

Cable car to the mountains

For a church holiday volunteers arranged petals into beautiful patterns

It was painful to see it all being destroyed

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Porto Santo (June 2012)

If you are in Madeira and are missing quiet, sandy beaches, take a trip to Porto Santo island! Believe me, you will not be disappointed. There are two ways to get from Madeira to Porto Santo: either take the plane from Funchal airport which is the more expensive option, or take the ferry from the port of Funchal which is what I did. The good thing about taking the ferry is that Porto Santo Line ( http://www.portosantoline.pt/index.php ) has deals with some hotels on the island making it cheaper to book tickets and hotel together rather than booking separately. Porto Santo itself is very small, the main town is called Vila Baleira and has a number of cafes, restaurants and small shops. Nonetheless it is enough to keep you entertained for a few days and nothing is better than to relax on the 9km long beach after some extensive sight-seeing in Madeira! My restaurant tip for the island is a little restaurant called Pe na Agua ( https://www.facebook.com/PeNaAgua ) located right on the...

Antwerp, Belgium (December 2012)

Antwerp often gets overshadowed by the more popular tourist destinations Brussels and Bruges, but not rightly so. It is a vibrant city in the north of Belgium and predominantly known for its port and the largest diamond stock exchange in the world. It is a relatively small city but has a lot to offer from museums, antique shops and popular cafes and restaurants and all the sights can be easily visited on foot. According to a legend, a giant called Antigoon used to demand toll from people wanting to cross the river Scheldt, however anyone who refused to pay got their hands cut off. One day a hero called Brabo cut off the giants hand and threw it into the river and this is supposedly how Antwerp got its name (hand werpen = Dutch for throwing hands). Welcome to Antwerp! Inside Central Station Inside Antwerp Central Station Antwerp Zoo Outside view of Central Station Entrance to the Meir, a popular shopping street The hand, symbol...

Cape Verde (April 2011): Part 2: Boa Vista

Boa Vista was the second and final destination of my Cape Verde trip and the theme of this island is 'sand' as will be self-explanatory from the photos below! As for Sal, the best way to get around is to rent a 4x4, as the roads are either in bad condition or non-existent! This was one of my favourite trips, not only because of the amazing beaches and landscapes but also because of the friendly people and the fact that life there is very simple and stress-free. I am definitely looking forward to coming back and exploring the other islands of Cape Verde. Welcome to Boa Vista...and a lot of sand! Bungalow right on the beach Praia de Chave Praia de Chave My little bungalow Remaining chimney of an old brick factory Ruins of the brick factory Sand everywhere... Fish market in the main town of Sal Rei Sal Rei Streets of Sal Rei Sal Rei in the background Finally, a bit of green! ...

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