Madeira Islands-The Subtropial Paradise

[Automation Gallery]

A couple of pics of the busy cruise ship Port of Funchal.

Ocean front and marina in Funchal

Ariel view of the capital city of Funchal

Reids Palace Hotel
http://www.orient-express.com/web/omad/reids_palace_history.jsp

Town of Santo Antonio

New Traffic circle (Rotunda)

South coast-Cabo Girao (worlds 2nd highest seacliff)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35F2roxAI7A

The north coast.

Interior subtropical rainforest.

Madeira International Airport 3000 meter runway (600 million Euro development extension over the ocean)

Sports Park and Path beneath the runway

Sunset

Winter Storm

Natural ocean pool gets washed up.

A couple days later

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira

 

[Mustapha]

That's quite the runway extension. Nice pics, thank you.

 

[Tewder]

Wow, looks beautiful.

 

[Edward]

Love those waves.

 

[ganjavih]

Looks quite incredible. May be worth a visit on my next European trip.

 

[Maggie]

I'm awe struck

 

[Whoaccio]

I never even knew this place existed... I found this pic of the airport on wiki, jesus does it look like a nightmare to construct.

Part of me is very jealous of a lot of European countries that have managed to hold on to some remnants of their colonies, and can now use them as passport free resorts! Makes me feel like Canada should take over some pissant Caribbean nation or some islands in the South Pacific. We need our "place in the sun", literally.

 

[ShonTron]

Turks and Caicos have been discussed seriously several times.

 

[Automation Gallery]

I never even knew this place existed... I found this pic of the airport on wiki, jesus does it look like a nightmare to construct.

Just recently found this on skyscrapercity regarding the airport.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgu...onal+airport&ndsp=20&hl=en&sa=N&start=20&um=1

 

[DavidJamesTO]

I never even knew this place existed... I found this pic of the airport on wiki, jesus does it look like a nightmare to construct.

You have to wonder what the designers of structures like this dream of at night.

Part of me is very jealous of a lot of European countries that have managed to hold on to some remnants of their colonies, and can now use them as passport free resorts! Makes me feel like Canada should take over some pissant Caribbean nation or some islands in the South Pacific. We need our "place in the sun", literally.

As already mentioned, Canada has explored the prospect of annexing the Turks and Caicos Islands from the UK in the past. It's not the first proposal, though.

In the 19th century, Canada explored linking up with Jamaica and Barbados at different times. In the aftermath of WWI, Canada tried to secure the majority of Britain's islands in the Atlantic/Caribbean as 'protectorates,' in the same way Australia did with many of Britain's Pacific islands. In the post-WWII years, Canada also discussed union with Bermuda (four of whose Methodist churches, incidentally, are linked to the United Church of Canada) and with the short-lived West Indies Federation.

Didn't work, but it's certainly fun to think about! Maybe the perennial free trade talks with CARICOM can eventually lead to some kind of favourable travel/customs deal.