My sister and brother had some business in Portugal so I decided to join them for a very quick dash for a impromptu family reunion.
We rented a flat to stay for a few days.
View from the window
In and around town (Lisbon)
Portuguese food
Not our name, but our passion
My sister and brother had some business in Portugal so I decided to join them for a very quick dash for a impromptu family reunion.
We rented a flat to stay for a few days.
View from the window
In and around town (Lisbon)
Portuguese food
Achadas da Cruz on Madeira island is the ancestral home of my mother’s family. I grew up hearing stories of the tiny little parish town and the steep cliffs my grandparents had to hike up to bring produce back and forth from the even smaller village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova. It was like a pilgrimage for Alex and I to walk in the footsteps of my ancestors. When we came to the parish cemetery and I saw so many gravestones with my mother’s maiden name emblazoned across them it really hit home.
Local Parish Church – Nossa Senhora Livramento
Caldeira – My mothers family name
Local businesses include a post office and general store
At the top of the cable car terminal is the Calhau Snack Bar
The steepest cable car in Europe
Tiny village of Fajã da Quebrada Nova at the bottom of the cable car ride
Nearby are hikes along the levadas
The Achadas da Cruz cable car takes you down from a high precipice to the tiny village Fajá da Quebrada Nova. This is the steepest cable car in Europe with a trip length of 600 meters and a vertical drop of 450 meters.
The Calhau Snack Bar is at the top of the precipice where you will get into the cable car.
Fajã da Quebrada Nova at the bottom of your descent.
The cable car ready to take you back up the cliff.
The Albatroz Beach & Yacht Club is a small 20 room hotel in Santa Cruz, Madeira. The hotel is conveniently located near the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. The hotel has a beautiful pool overlooking the sea and spacious rooms also with ocean views. A wonderful hotel restaurant complemented the hotel perfectly with dinner by the sea.
The Pool Area
Trying Madeira signature dish Bolo de Caco at the hotel restaurant.
Our Try the World subscription box for November 2020 contained products from Indonesia, Israel, Portugal, Turkey, Japan, California and The Netherlands.
Ginger Chew candies from Indonesia
Pizza flavored wheat snacks from Israel imported through the UK.
Pho broth out of California
Sparkling Water from Japan
Wheat crackers from Portugal
Sour Cherry Jam from Turkey
Crackers and Jam
South African sauce made in The Netherlands