Arriving into an oven

Departing Madeira

We woke at 0715 and were out the door at 0820 after some breakfast and making sandwiches for the flight to Bordeaux.

The car return went OK and we were dropped off at Funchal airport around 0900 for our 1030 Easyjet flight.

It wasn’t a long wait as I killed time looking for a water fountain which was located only on the lower level of the airport.  I was very relieved when I saw that the incoming aircraft had landed, as there was a bit of crosswind today.

Our wait was cut short with an early boarding, with us departing 20 mins ahead of schedule.  We pushed back with the overhead lockers open while the crew disinsected (kill insects) the aircraft, being a requirement for flight.

The take-off on the CFM-powered A320 felt more powerful than what I’m used to, perhaps due to a shorter runway.  It was bumpy as we became airborne due to the crosswind.

Boiling in Bordeaux

The three-hour flight landed at Bordeaux around 1350, some 35 mins early.  The airport was being renovated and we exited through a somewhat makeshift terminal.

We made our way to the proper terminal to find the rental car agency which we will need in a couple of days and also check if we could use our lounge access for a restaurant upon arrival, but unfortunately the restaurant was closed.

While waiting for the tram to the city, we certainly felt the 35 degC heat.  It was like we had arrived into an oven.  It’s about 9 degC hotter than the current normal temperatures and the expected high during our stay is 41 degC.

Our hotel, the Ibis Budget was very handy to the metro.  The room was only slightly larger than the double bed and we bumped into the wall as we shuffled around in the room.  It’s good practice for doing a cruise.  Fortunately, the aircon coped with the heat wave adequately but not marvellously.

We needed some food by 1630 and got a salad from the supermarket to eat in cool of the hotel lobby and continued staying indoors.

Venturing out at 1830, it was still very hot but bearable in the shade.  Bordeaux’s old city is lovely with plenty of beautiful old buildings.

We finished the day with dinner from the hypermarket, made up of buttered boiled potatoes and a salad.  They discount them at the end of the day.