Madeira has to be one of my favourite places to be! Farnham is my home (it has my roots/family), Portsmouth has my heart but I think Madeira has my soul – it’s my happy place.
I’ve just returned from my latest holiday/adventure there, feeling sad and thinking about when I will next get to go back to this beautiful Portuguese island. To me, it’s like an escape route – a hidden gem in the Atlantic ocean with exotic fruit hanging from trees such as bananas, lemons and avocados, vibrant flowers and of course the sweet taste of Madeira wine…
I’ve been extremely lucky to visit the island frequently thanks to my mum and dad accommodating us and this latest visit was around my 25th to the island. I’ve got engaged, gone on honeymoon and been there whilst pregnant with Betsy-Boo. I don’t ever seem to get bored of the picturesque views or the climate and I’m lucky that Darren and the kids feel the same way too.
If you didn’t know, Madeira is a volcanic island just off the coast of Portugal and not far away from the Spanish Canary Islands. Levadas (irrigation channels) supply water and power to the island and there’s over 2,170 km of them which provide a network of walking paths through the Maderia countryside.
This year, I was really proud of Alfie who packed his hiking boots and enjoyed a levada walk with Darren, climbing Pico Rulvo, Maderia’s highest peak at 1862 metres altitude – a 6k walk in the north of the island with a 360 degree panorama view. The views were worth it and the smile on his face after achieving this hike said it all! #WellDoneAlfie!
Whilst the boys climbed, the girls visited Blandy’s Wine Lodge where over 650 barrels and vats are stored of Maderia wine. I’ve visted Blandy’s before but not really appreciated the wine or enjoyed it all that much.
Maybe I’ve come of age! I’m not saying I’m now an expert or in fact a lover of Madeira wine but I learnt a lot, enjoyed the tastings and came away with a bottle or two – even some 21st birthday presents for Alfie and Boo – buying them a bottle harvested during their birth year from a single barrel. Fingers crossed I don’t drink it before they can!
We were amazed by how old some of the bottles in their collection were – for just under £3,000 you can purchase a bottle from 1920! Instead we took a few corks home with us to add to our cork collection jar!
I’ve mentioned the fruit, but you won’t believe how fruitful the island is until you visit the market in Funchal (Mercado dos Lavradores) and taste fruits that you’ve never even heard of or seen before including a custard apple! It’s just another wonder of the island.
Alfie, Betsy and Darren visited the market for the first time this year and enjoyed tasting the many fruits, viewing all the fish from afar (too smelly to view up close) and taking in the beauty of the many vibrant flowers.
Of course you can’t go to Madeira without hearing about Ronaldo who was born and raised there. His family still lives on the island and he visits often. He also has a hotel and museum called ‘CR7’ – which if you’re a footy fan is a must see, even if your not a fan of Ronaldo – it’s full of trophies, cups and football nostalgia (including Manchester United beating Pompey in the Charity Shield in 2008).
Madeira has two football teams – C.S. Maritimo (Liga Portugal – tier 2) and Nacional (Liga Portugal – top tier). Myself and Darren went to a game at Nacional and watched them play Sporting Lisben on our Honeymoon back in 2009 – it’s known for being one of the clubs that formed Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo. Sadly there wasn’t a game on this year when we visited – in fact the national team, Portugal were playing Belgium in the Women’s Nations League at Martimo just after we left Maderia! #Typical!
Alfie loved visiting CR7 again this year and as he’s now been to Maderia a fair few times, we let him come home with a couple of new footy shirts including a Portugal shirt with Ronaldo written on the back!
This year we made the most of enjoying Madeira’s much loved pastries called ‘Pateis se Nata‘. These yummy custard tarts put the English version to shame. Thankfully, we found a new chain of shops called ‘N7‘ – which served a coffee and a nata pastry for just 2 euros or a box of six for 5 euros. Whilst not gluten free (sorry Betsy) Darren, Alfie and myself enjoyed them lots, especially for elevenths!
#GoodNews – if you want to try these at home, both Lidal and Sainsbury’s sale them within there bakery and are delicious heated up for a couple of minutes in the oven!
There’s also the biscuits! Fábrica Santo António, established itself in 1893 as the first cookie and biscuit factory on the island. Francisco Roque recognised an opportunity to bake biscuits and cookies for tea time, during a time when English families were heavily present in Madeiran society. The factory, and only store, is still located in the Travessa do Forno where it produces all their products and uses the same biscuit making machines as in 1893, imported from England from the Sperling & Williams.
Obviously we visit the biscuit shop whenever we visit Maderia as Darren couldn’t survive without his daily biscuit fix – the question is will anyone else ever get to try one as they are simply gone a day or two after travelling back home…
We also love an adventure around Madeira on one of their open top buses! This year we took the yellow bus to go and explore Câmara de Lobos – a beautiful fishermen village where Winston Churchill used to visit frequently to paint the bay and local fishermen boats. We also went to the Cabo Girao Skywalk. It’s not for the faint hearted (myself included) as you get the chance to step on a glass floor, suspended 580 metres above sea level and look down at the sheer cliffs below – something Betsy and Alfie had great pleasure in lying down on!
There’s also the famous Tobaggan ride and a visit to the beautiful village of Monte. This year we didn’t go on a tobaggan as we’ve done it a few times and it’s getting more and more popular with quing times of over an hour. However, if you go to the island and visit Monte, do it! It’s expensive but worth your pennies for a glided journey down some of the oldest streets in Madeira. Two men, called ‘Carreiros’ dressed in white and wearing straw hats, will be your chauffeurs on this downhill adventure. They wear special, rubber-soled shoes that help them steer and brake the toboggan, which is essentially a wicker basket attached to two wooden runners (that glide on greased up rags). The trip to the bottom takes about 10 minutes down a curvy road, and you can expect to reach speeds up to 30mph!
Instead we took the cable car which is equally as good with spectacular views of the island and a chance to visit the church and chapel in Monte Village – Alfie and Betsy find this way to travel just as exciting – especially winding mum up by exclaiming how far up we are travelling and how long a way down it is! #Joyful!
I’ve talked a lot about what I love about Madeira but we wouldn’t keep going back if we all didn’t love the Island. The kids naturally love just going on holiday, swimming in the pool and eating plenty of ice cream. But they also love the culture and the kindness of the people of Madeira who love their country and are family oriented.
Whilst openly admitting that Madeira is one of my favourite places, I also feel guilty each time I visit. You see despite our frequent visits my ability to speak Portuguese is non existent. Languages were never my strong point at school and the problem is that the people of Maderia are so good at speaking English and several other languages! They put us to shame! I must do better and try learning some lingo before my next adventure there.
I always bring a bit more of Madeira home with me each time I visit – new experiences, memories, a bottle of Madeira wine and a wish to visit again soon.
Come again soon Madeira….
#MissingYouAlready
#MyWorld 