Porto Moniz, Madeira with TAP Air Portugal

[Strawberry Muppet]

From: London Gatwick (LGW)

 

To: Funchal, Madeira (FNC)

 

Flight: TAP Air Portugal 349

 

Date: Friday 5th September 2008

 

Scheduled departure time: 16:25

 

Scheduled flight arrival: 20:10

 

Aircraft type: A320

 

Distance: 1551 miles

 

It had been raining heavily in London all morning and I couldn't wait to get away from this part of the world to warmer and sunnier climes. After a lunchtime business appointment I headed to Gatwick by train and arrived at the airport just before 3pm, an hour and a half before my flight. I had already performed online check-in (OLCI) and chosen seat 1A at the front of the business cabin and printed my boarding pass. There are no Star Alliance operated lounges at LGW and the Servisair lounge in the South Terminal isn't worth writing about. I spent less than half an hour in there before making my way to Gate 24 to board my flight. Any longer in the lounge and I would have been bored out of my brain. Boarding hadn't yet started when I arrived at the gate but it wasn't too long before the flight was called.

 

 

My plane

 

 

A former British European Ba146

 

 

CelebAir is the new reality TV show currently showing on British telly. I saw filming near the check-in desks earlier on

 

Flight TP349 to Funchal, Madeira pushed back 15 mins behind schedule and taxied onto the runway in preparation for take-off. Now, for readers who don't already know, LGW operates a single runway for both take-off and landing. Just before turning onto the runway I heard the familiar "dong-dong" call tone indicating take-off was imminent. But instead of speeding down the runway we immediately turned off at the nearest taxiway and rejoined the queue of planes waiting to take-off. I looked out of my window and a few seconds later saw a Brussels Airlines 737 approaching to land. Five minutes later we took off without any problem and the flight time was estimated at 3hrs 35mins.

 

 

Going around for a second take-off attempt

 

 

The Brussels Airlines 737 which had just landed

 

I won't write too much about this flight, suffice to say the service wasn't very good and the food was appalling in business class for a flight of three and a half hours' duration. I knew I wasn't in for a gourmet in-flight experience but I didn't enjoy the flight at all. TAP intra-European business class is hardly luxurious. We touched down in Funchal at about 20:40 local time - there is no time difference between London and Madeira - and I was relieved to feel the heat and humidity of the evening as soon as the aircraft doors opened, and everyone disembarked through both the forward and rear doors via stairs. 10 mins later I collected my hire car and I was soon on my way to the other side of this mountainous island heading to the beautiful town of Porto Moniz where my friend was staying.

 

 

TAP "Top Executive" cabin

 

 

Daily Trash headlines (I don't read this paper!)

 

 

Horrible! This isn't even fit for economy class. And the tea was shockingly bad.

 

 

 

 

 

Funchal runway - 180 degree turn to land

 

Porto Moniz

 

Madeira is amazing. This little Portuguese island is actually nearer to the west coast of Africa than it is to mainland Europe. With a sub-tropical climate it was hot and mostly sunny each day and I had a nice sun tan in no time at all. I stayed in Porto Moniz for four nights and simply loved it. The lava rocks along the harbour are sublime and there is even a natural swimming pool with crystal clear waters from the Atlantic ocean. The views from the top of the mountains down to Porto Moniz and the North Atlantic are breathtaking. Everywhere sweet black grapes and juicy raspberries grew in abundance. Palm trees and banana trees stood in the backyards of homes decorated with potted flowers. Madeirans are completely potty-mad. They love their potted plants. A house belonging to a friend of my friend had more exotic potted plants and flowers than my local garden centre.

 

On Saturday evening we had dinner at the house of potted plants and enjoyed traditional Madeiran food and wine. The house is beautiful and overlooks Porto Moniz with stunning views over the Atlantic. On Sunday we dined with some friends at a harbourside restaurant and I had the best ever Portuguese steak. The meat was well seasoned, succulent and perfectly cooked, topped with a freshly fried egg Madeiran-style. Absolutely gorgeous! On Monday, after a delicious lunch of Madeiran roasted chicken and chorizo bread, we drove down to Funchal and had a look around. Our plan was actually to spend our last night there before driving to the airport the next morning for our flight home. As it was we decided not to stay in Funchal and returned to Porto Moniz. I just didn't like Funchal, I find it too touristy and many shops and restaurants were shutting down far too early. Porto Moniz being much smaller than Funchal is far more relaxing. I didn't really want to leave!

 

 

Beautiful morning sunrise over Porto Moniz

 

 

The famous rock with the lighthouse

 

 

The natural swimming pool is on the far right in the distance

 

 

Looking down over Porto Moniz from high above

 

 

Me in front of the famous rock!

 

 

Mine's the one with the mango. Yum.

 

From: Funchal, Madeira (FNC)

 

To: London Gatwick (LGW)

 

Flight: TAP Air Portugal 348

 

Date: Tuesday 9th September 2008

 

Scheduled departure time: 11:50

 

Scheduled flight arrival: 15:30

 

Aircraft type: A320

 

Distance: 1551 miles

 

I spent the last night in Porto Moniz at my friend's house high up in the mountain. It's over an hour's drive to the airport so we had get up early and after refuelling the car we set off for the airport. The drive took us up and down mountain cliffs, along winding coastal roads and through many long tunnels deep into the mountains. Our flight was scheduled at 11:50 and we arrived at the airport some 2 hours beforehand. After we checked-in I had to return the car keys before joining my friend in the TAP Executive Lounge for some coffee and a last look at the fabulous views from the airport. Buses took us from the gate to the aircraft and we boarded the aircraft via the stairs.

 

 

TAP Executive Lounge, FNC

 

 

View from the lounge

 

 

View from the outside terrace

 

 

Passengers disembarking

 

The flight was much better than the outbound on Friday. For a start the cabin crew greeted passengers as they boarded, which didn't happen on Friday. We had seats 4A and 4C, the last row in the business cabin, which affords more privacy than the first row. Seats are configured 2-3 in business class on TAP with the B seat not in use making the A and C seats slightly wider. Seat pitch is normal economy class. Flight time was estimated at 3hrs 10 mins. The flight path would be heading north east over the Atlantic, skirting the northern corner of mainland Portugal, across the Bay of Biscay and then over Brittany, northern France before flying over the English Channel. After take-off pre-lunch drinks were served. I asked for a Bailey's Irish cream and my friend had an OJ. Normally I don't drink spirits at lunchtime, but it was the thought of leaving Madeira and returning back to the dreary weather at home. Actually I should have asked for a double.

 

 

 

Newspapers, menus and hot towels were handed out before the lunch service commenced. For the starter we had the prawn salad with grapes and chives. The main course was a choice of either the lamb curry with banana and Thai rice or the gnocchi with fresh tuna, chorizo and oregano. I chose the gnocchi and my friend went for the lamb only to change his mind after he saw my meal. The food was well presented, much nicer than the awful meal I had on Friday and tasted rather nice. The "gnocchi" was actually potato but it tasted fine so I don't have any complaints. To go with my meal I opted for the Luis Pato sparkling wine which I had on the way out. For dessert there was a mango and papaya mousse with yoghurt and cardamom. When I see mousse on an airline menu I don't usually eat it - I tend to think it's like a "lazy" dessert - but as it was a fruity mousse and I absolutely love mango I did eat it and it wasn't too bad. I passed on the Camembert cheese and finished my meal with some French cognac and Portuguese port. The cabin crew were efficient, friendly and welcoming and made the flight a very pleasant one. Hot bread rolls were offered not once but twice during the meal and nothing was too much trouble. And the coffee wasn't bad at all.

 

 

 

 

 

We landed at Gatwick ahead of schedule. Ahh, what lovely weather to welcome us home; dull, damp, drizzly and not very warm. I won't be needing my shorts, T-shirts, sun lotion and flip flops any more that's for sure.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

[Guest David C]

Thanks for posting ... I always enjoy trip reports , and the photos were great too ..

 

Dave C

 

 

[Guest Chainsaw]

What can I say, wonderful report. Thank you :)

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Another awesome trip report mate. Always enjoy reading them! Keep it up and keep sharing them

 

 

[zacair]

Great trip report!