Back on Madeira in April, at the same time of year as our very first visit back in 2017.
It's always lovely to be back, especially now that we have our own house to return to, but April is a month of variable weather, especially in Sao Vicente on the North of the island.
When we arrived last week it was about 16 degrees. The mists were hanging low in the valley and there was very little sign of blue sky between the heavy downpours. A pair of jeans and a jumper were necessary attire in order to keep out the chill, especially later in the day.
Jump forward to yesterday. 16 degrees in Funchal and it felt very pleasant. Sat in a cafe with the spring sunshine on our faces, jumpers slung around our waists and me wishing I had worn a pair of shorts.
Later we took a ride out on a catamaran to look for the elusive whales; we were in luck, a pod of 3 pilot whales, a large pod of bottlenose dolphins and a lone risso's dolphin (quite rare we were reliably informed). On the return journey along the south coast, that 16 degrees felt quite chilly; jumpers were back on and it was a relief to step back ashore.
Today we woke up to sunshine, blue skies and - yes you guessed it - 16 degrees. What a difference the sun makes! T-shirt, suncream, a hat and a good book. Later, a walk around the hidden higher pathways around the valley, always winding steeply up or down, never on the level, and on return a cold beer.
16 degrees. It's almost pointless looking at the weather forecast here. Whatever the temperature, its always a great place to be.
Comments