Madeira – Fergy's Rambles.

Lock-down Diaries #16.

Hello as always one and all and welcome to my rambles both physical and verbal and I am not actually sure which takes the most out of me!

First things first and a quick explanation for me regular readers who were probably expecting a piece with lots of technical information about my 2014 trip to Sri Lanka which I had mentioned but I have decided against it for various reasons.

Most of the information is out of date now, especially in the light of the pandemic and there is no way of knowing when travel to that country, or anywhere else, will be possible or what the situation there will be as and when it might be possible again. I thought I would post a Lockdown Diary instead to give you a bit of an update about the site and my current situation, the former of which seems to be doing well and the latter much less so.

Fine meal, failed flight and finally home – Madeira #7.

Welcome back and now that I have got the bit between my teeth it seems we are whizzing through Madeira at a fair old rate of knots which I think is an appropriate metaphor considering the amount of time I have spent speaking about Funchal harbour recently. We are up to Day 13 now and I hope it is not unlucky for me. It is already unlucky for you as you have bounced, one way or another, onto this page but I shall try to make it as painless as possible.

Usual rules apply, just click on the “read more” button if you are really such a glutton for punishment that you wish to read more of this nonsense.

Kombis, cakes and quarts of beer – Madeira #6.

Well, hello again and, if you have been mad enough to follow my lunatic ramblings (why do you think I called this blog Fergysrambles?) you will know that you are riding ever closer to the end where I get on my Norwegian Airways flight and get home to leave you alone until I decide what other trip I am going to bore you with.

We are up to Day 12 now and I have finally got round to dragging myself out of my favourite (snack )bar, and you won’t believe it, but we are going walking again today if you can stand this sudden burst of exertion. Usual drill, if you want to go for a walk with me just click on the “read more” button and we’ll get going.

Is Christmas really coming? – Madeira #5.

Good day one and all and welcome back. I do hope the New Year hangovers are long gone and you have returned to whatever form of normality is possible wherever you may be.

We are definitely plodding slowly but surely towards the conclusion of my little expedition to Madeira and I do even get out and about in this episode so if you want to read about it, you know what to do.

I get to the “wrong” side of town – Madeira #4.

Hello again to all of you and if you are still here in this series, you deserve a medal!

First things first so I would like ot take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, prosperous and, most importantly, healthy New Year. I hope you managed to see it in in reasonable style under whatever restrictions you may be experiencing wherever you are.

Of course, with the global nature of the mighty internet I realise this is not the new year for all of you so I shall attempt to remember to write the appropriate words when the lunar New Year of the Ox rolls around in a few weeks. It is said to be a lucky year so lets hope so.

I actually do something! – Madeira #4.

Hello again, dear readers and welcome to another missive in a series which is frankly not my finest hour. I do, however, hate leaving a job unfinished and so I shall soldier on until I eventually get on the Norwegian Airways ‘plane back to UK which will probably be at least as much of a relief to me as it is to you.

If you are an absolute glutton for punishment you know what to do, just click on the “read more” button below and all shall be revealed.

A bit of a disaster – Madeira #3.

Hello again folks, welcome back to the third post in this small series which has frankly taken on a life of it’s own. Two blog posts in two days, this is unheard of productivity for me, utter madness compounded by the fact I am beginning a third entry in three days. Surely not. A hat-trick, three days in a row what is this madness? Actually it is not madness, well not quite but it is a combination of factors.

Once again my sleep pattern is all over the shop, I have been up all night and I have neither desire nor intention of sleeping for the foreseeable future. Secondly, this house arrest is now at the point where I am sure it is affecting me mentally as well as it is physically due to lack of exercise. I don’t even feel like leaving the house now even if I was allowed to and that doesn’t look like happening this side of the Summer Solstice when we have just left the Winter one behind.

As a minor factor in this whole unholy mix, I must confess to being a bit embarrassed. We have had three days of my trip to Madeira and so far I have done precisely nothing of note. If you want to see how I get on over the next few days, you know what to do by now.

No cake and no wine – Madeira #2.

A very warm welcome one and all to the latest offering in my little series about a fortnight break I took in early December 2015 to han out with my dear mate Claus Andersen in Madeira where he was guiding a tour party. If you have landed on this page then please go to the bottom of this entry and go to the previous entry as it will make more sense.

In that post I had travelled from London to Funchal without incident, met up with Claus, checked into my rather comfortable apartment with the great views and had a very brief nocturnal wander which had made me keen to explore a little more. As usual, please click on the “read more” button and we shall see what transpires.

Bom Dia, bagels and Beer – Madeira #1.

Hello one and all and welcome back to my humble scribblings here on my blog, good of you to drop in and again a quick mention of my new readers in various parts of the world. According to my WordPress site, where I compose all this nonsense prior to posting on my site, I have now had visits from 45 countries although I only count it as 44 as I am not sure when the European Union became a sovereign nation, much as they might love to be regarded as such.

Regular readers will know that my last offering was a day-trip to Belfast, the city of my birth and I have any amount of similar days out to share with you but I thought I’d mix it up a bit so if you want to know where we are going this time then please read on although I suppose the title is a bit of a spoiler!