Must See Pestana Casino Park Hotel in Funchal, Madeira, designed by Oscar Niemeyer

Problem
The Pestana Casino Park Hotel is distinctive. I loved the descending spiral or curved entrance descending to the dining room which sudeenly ans you round the curve reveals a panorama of the sea and promontaries either side of the bay. But who was the architect?

I was reminded of the descending spiral slope of the Guggenhaim Art Gallery in New York. You would think they would have a huge plaque to the architect. I'ts not Guggenheim. It's Oscar Niemeyer.

Oscar who? I looked him up.

Answer
He dessigned Brasilia, capital of Brazil. he also designed the Brazil cathedral, very modern, with a circular design, and projections. It remidnes me of an orange with extended segment dividers. The casino next door to the hotel looks like that. I like the way the casino is in a separate building, away from children and those who don't want gambling at breakfast. If you've been to Las Vegas, you know what I mean.

One building looks out at the landscape. The other encloses you in a cocoon.

I didn't look up the architect until a fortnight after I had left Madeira. But all credit to the hotel and to travelling. The memory of the view of the dining room and from the dining room stayed with me. One of the world's great views.

Lots to see in Madeira, the CR7 hotel and museum featuring Cristano Ronaldo, the football player from Madeira, and the old thatched houses, small, triangular design, so different.

Thatched traditional house in Madeira. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Niemeyer
pestana.com
visitmadeira.com
tripadvisor.com
visitportugal.com
easyjet.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

An Englishman's Home is his Castle - his garden, his snail shell

A French visitor to England told me he was surprised and delighted by the gardens and greenery of houses in London.

You need go no further than an English garden for endless entertainment. All summer the roses bloom. On the underside of a rose I found this little snail.

Have a rest on this petal.

Oops - you are going to crawl off the plate onto my work surface and disappear. Let's put you on the edge of the sink for a moment.

 You are gorgeous. Stay there while I fetch my camera.

Lovely. In close up I see your shell is a gorgeous spiral. But it's a bit damaged.

Just a minute where

are

you

going?

I knew snails could walk along uneven ground.

I didn't know you could cling 

to a sheer

shiny

metal

sink!

At this point I decided to gather up the snail, by edging it onto the rose petal, and carried it back to the garden to enjoy the plants, roses, and fellow snails and slugs.

What's the difference between a snail and a slug? A snail carries it's protective house on its back and can withdraw into its shell for protection from birds and predators. I don't feel as friendly towards slugs as I do towards snails. I don't eat snails.

The French eat snails. The variety of snail they eat is not the same as the English garden snail.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and author and speaker.

If you like my posts, texts and pictures, please read more and follow me. Like me on Facebook. Link to me on LinkedIn. Watch and like me on YouTube. (Angela Lansbury comic poet reading poetry, and explaining spelling and grammar and restaurant etiquette.)