Thursday, March 22, 2012

Have some Madeira, m’dear

As regular readers will know, I’m a great believer in serendipity where inspiration for new posts is concerned. Being blessed with a veritable rag-bag of a memory, when something occurs to shake it up, almost anything is liable to fall out. 

This became very clear when I decided to include a song by Flanders and Swann in my last post and later read the comments I received. Suddenly my mind was full of half-remembered songs and the memories they evoked and one in particular refuses to go away. 

Growing up as I did in the Lancashire countryside in the days before cheap holidays in the sun, the first time I heard the word Madeira was in another comic song by Flanders and Swann. I gathered that it was a drink of some kind, but it was years before I realised that it was named after an Atlantic island and decades before I first tasted this heavy, sweet dessert wine.

Through the years I continued to hear the name mentioned, usually by friends and family who had visited Madeira on holiday to enjoy its mild climate and famously prolific spring flowers. But it had never occurred to me to think of going there myself, until my next-to-youngest sister asked whether I would like to go with her sometime, since her own husband didn’t fancy it as a holiday destination and my DH flatly refuses to fly.

Naturally I agreed instantly and we finally decided to make the trip to mark her retirement at the beginning of 2010. The week we chose was exactly 2 years ago this week, and having booked at a lovely small hotel in the old town, just back from the seafront, we spent the hard winter of 2009-2010 looking forward to our holiday in the sun with great anticipation.

Unfortunately the weather had other ideas. That winter was bitterly cold in north-western Europe and the moist, warm westerlies which usually keep Britain reasonably frost-free most winters were pushed south by an influx of Arctic air and instead gave Madeira  and southern Europe their wettest winter for many years. On February 20th 2010 this wet winter culminated for poor Madeira in its worst storm for 100 years, resulting in catastrophic mudslides and flooding in the capital Funchal and along the south coast.  

Even a minute or two of this news footage gives a deeply sobering picture of the damage inflicted, and at first my sister and I couldn't imagine how the island would possibly be able to welcome visitors like us, who were due to arrive just three weeks later. Many holiday-makers cancelled their trips, but we felt that if we could possibly go we should do so, since an island which relies on tourism for so much of its income would find it even harder to recover if all the tourists stayed away.

Farming to the edge of the cliff
So on a cloudy Monday afternoon we arrived in Funchal to the warmest of welcomes from our friendly hotel staff and, despite the less than seasonal weather (only one really sunny day) spent a wonderful week exploring this most fascinating of islands. With its volcanic topography of high mountains and precipitous hillsides and its luxuriant vegetation at lower levels, it is very beautiful and very different from anywhere I had been before. 

Funchal Town Hall
Funchal  we both loved and we spent many hours exploring its compact centre on foot, walking on the striking black and white pavements and visiting a wonderful range of historic buildings (also largely black and white)  from the Art Deco farmers' market to convents, churches and the town hall square.  

Jesuit church and Town Hall Square
Convent of Santa Clara
Mercado dos Lavradores
Ceramic tile decoration in the market hall
On our one gloriously sunny day we even braved the cable car (I don’t do heights) to go up to the little village of Monte, 2000’ (600m) above sea-level, where we could look down over the whole of the city and its lovely bay.

Yes, I DID travel in one of these!
Monarch of all I survey
Coach tours took us to the interior - to the hidden valley of the Curral das Freiras (Nuns’ Refuge) and to the spectacular sea cliff at Cabo Girão, one of the highest in the world, where we looked down 1900’ (508m) through the rain to the sea.


Curral das Freiras - The Nuns' Refuge
Village of Curral das Freiras from viewpoint at 1053m
Cabo Girão - looking down almost 2000' (508m)
We visited the picturesque fishing village of Câmara de Lobos, named not after wolves, as its name might suggest, but after the now critically-endangered monk seals which once crowded its beach.  
Camara de Lobos - a view once painted by Winston Churchill

We also walked round the normally bustling little town of Ribeira Brava, which had been badly battered by the floods, but which, like Funchal itself, was working very hard to repair the damage.

A new seashore built from the debris of the floods
Repair work in Funchal - badly damaged storm drain
In the evenings we braved the blandishments of the restaurant staff in the Old Town, who tried hard to entice us to visit their establishment rather than the next, and enjoyed the local cuisine, with its emphasis on fish and beef, served in interesting ways and washed down with good Portuguese wine. We saw and photographed far too much to be included in a single post, but perhaps, if you've enjoyed this first little sip of Madeira, I may return to tempt you with another one day.
Bird of paradise flower
Madeira - island of flowers

42 comments:

  1. Perpetua, I remember you going on that holiday and how worried you (and some of your friends) were about what you'd find after the terrible weather. The photos are lovely, and you may have unknowingly given me some courage to try out a cable car...which I may HAVE to do in the very near future!

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    1. CB, it really was touch and go for a while, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was put in touch with someone who lives there and he convinced us we should go. We didn't regret it, despite the lack of sun.

      As for the cable car, if I can do it, anyone can. I get dizzy 3 rungs up a ladder, but I managed this and found the views fantastic.

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  2. Lovely photographs...though the cable car is something
    I'd rather not think about.

    Mr. Fly went to Madeira years ago and still remembers the terracing on the hillsides to make the most possible use of land...the irrigation systems, too...and, being him, the stratospheric price of property!

    I think I will have a little more Madeira if you'd be so kind....

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    1. Fly, it was the cable car or 2000' to climb or a taxi up and down the precipitous streets. Frankly the cable car was much the best option.

      I didn't notice the irrigation systems because it was still so wet, but the use of every scrap of cultivable land was very noticeable, even to banana trees in back gardens. All the fruit in the market came from small farmers growing it on tiny patches wherever they could. As for the price of property - I didn't even look....

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  3. What a wonderful travelogue Perpetua. Have you ever thought of writing a holiday guide or two (accompanied by your excellent photograps).
    When John and I belonged to one of the local U3A's, we had friends who regularly holidayed in Madeira. He was/is a very keen gardener and thought the flowers there were some of the best he'd ever seen.
    Not my sort of place, too warm, but the range of Madeiras on sale might just tempt me.
    I especially like Malmsey and Bual. Not the dry ones.
    Thanks once again for a really interesting post.

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    1. Thanks, Ray. The photos are just a few of the many taken by my sister and me. It's that kind of place - a view wherever you turn. As for a book, I don't think I could ever stretch my creativity anywhere near enough for that. Blog posts are about my limit, I'm afraid.

      Madeira's climate is lovely and not as hot as you'd imagine because it's an island. It was actually cooler than usual after the bad winter and this meant that the flowers were a bit behind for mid-March though still wonderfully exotic.

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  4. You have whet my palate for more, m'dear. I would throughly enjoy a few more sips of Madeira poured from your bottle of flowing words and photos. How much you would have missed had you canceled. You know, we had such a mild winter here, and it was nice in we didn't have much snow to plow, but those whose wages were increased with overtime plowing the streets and those whose income depended on the skiing industry have been feeling the brunt of the it.

    Your pictures are glorious. Thank you so much for sharing them with us, m'dear.

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    1. With this encouragement I may well return with more some time, Penny. One post can only give a quick sketch, after all. You're right that it would have been such a shame to have cancelled for many reasons. When one's living is weather dependent, life can be quite precarious and one souvenir-seller told me what a very bad winter season they had had because of all the rain, even before the dreadful storm. Such a lovely place and I hope our photos do it justice.

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  5. Well as ever, Perpetua, you have touched me. Firstly with the title of your blog - the Flanders and Swan song has always tickled me and I have been known to sing this for my own (but no one else's) amusement as I only know the first line!
    Madeira is the island where my father had a stroke eight years ago - my parents were on holiday in their timeshare apartment - they love Madeira. But since then, unable to go themselves, they encouraged my sister and her husband to go. They were due to fly out the very day after the awful storms of 2010 and ended up cancelling. I understand why my parents love it now from your lovely photographs - my mum always enthused over the colours and the beautiful flowers there. It looks like a most interesting place. Axxx

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    1. Annie, the song is such fun and I've known it since I was a girl, though I suppose it was considered a bit risqué back then. :-) This is one of those posts where the title definitely came first.

      I am not at all surprised that your parents bought a timeshare. A lovely climate with so much to see and so many people speak at least some English. One of DH's former colleagues has a timeshare there too and loves her annual trip. It must have been very hard for your parents to have to accept that they could no longer go and I do hope the rest of the family can manage to visit sometime.

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  6. Perpetua - I thought the only thing missing from this most enjoyable post was a link to Flanders & Swann singing 'Have some Madeira M'dear'. But then I found it......

    Somewhere I've never had cause to visit but it does look both interesting & beautiful.

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    1. Sorry the link to the song was more hidden than usual, Ricky, but I thought this post was more than long enough without a visible YouTube link. :-)

      This was my only visit, Ricky, but I'm really glad to have been as it is such a beautiful and distinctive place. Only 35 miles long and 14 wide and yet its mountains rise to 6000'and a great variety of scenery.

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  7. Thank you for posting Flanders & Swann - they're really funny. I've never been to Madeira. It looks very beautiful there.

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    1. You're very welcome, Molly. I think they're great and have been rediscovering them in these last couple of posts.

      Madeira is one of those places I always thought sounded lovely, but somehow didn't think I would ever visit, so I'm really pleased my sister suggested we have a girls-only trip there. We had a lot of fun. :-)

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  8. For someone who doesn't do heights...you seem to have done rather a lot of them on this trip.Some of those photos are very very scary. This is a great post Perpetua, from Flanders and Swann through the story of the expedition, and your reasons for not cancelling, to the beautiful photographs...completely delightful.

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    1. Don't, Janice! The worst bit of all was the coach trip to the sea cliff, where we drove along a narrow road cut into the hillside with a precipitous slope above and below. I tended to shut my eyes and pray! The hairpin bends were fun too.... Thankfully all the photos were taken with a nice solid barrier between me and the drop and somehow the heights were so great that they stopped being frightening, if you see what I mean.

      I'm glad you enjoyed the trip with me - it was good to remember it it all.

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  9. Gorgeous photos Perpetua and I enjoyed the post. I do so want to go to Madeira now!

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    1. Thanks, la mujer libre, and welcome to my blog. The photos are even better when viewed in Blogger's lightbox - a very nifty gadget. I think you would really enjoy Madeira and we loved being based right in Funchal itself, rather than one of the little resorts, as it was such fun to explore it as much as we wanted.

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  10. Hello Perpetua:
    How sad that your visit should have coincided with such extremes of weather on Madeira, but how good it is that you went and as well as enjoying this lovely island [which we have yet to visit] you were also helping, indirectly, in the repair of a very damaged economy. And judging from your pictures there is much to see, much of which is exceedingly beautiful.

    How brave to go in the cable car. We most certainly do not 'do' heights and would have been terrified.

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    1. hello Jane and Lance. Yes, it was a pity in some ways, especially in the lack of sunshine for better photos, but that's a minor thing. It was both impressive and humbling to see how hard the local people were working to clear the debris and repair the damage. They had cleared so much in just 3 weeks! We certainly didn't regret going and had a wonderful time.

      The cable car was an interesting experience, but not as bad as I had feared, which did surprise me.

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  11. What a wonderful trip! I know that I have never previously seen any photos of Madeira! It is indeed beautiful! I'm so impressed that you didn't let the weather and circumstances that deterred other travelers keep you home. You embraced adventure and have some wonderful photos (memories) to share. I'd love to see more of your trip. I do enjoy a little vicarious travel! Debra

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    1. It was lovely, Debra and I'm glad to have introduced you to Madeira. It's popular with a lot of older Britons as a winter and spring holiday destination, but with the Caribbean on your doorstep and Hawaii one of your states, you Americans have plenty of island destinations closer to home.

      Interestingly, our travel company said that if the hotels were open and the road to the airport was passable we could go, and they were right. We were very glad we didn't cancel. Another drop of Madeira to come in the future, I think....

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  12. How fabulous. I am hoping to go to Madiera next year with a friend, now I see why she is so eager to return. Thank you for the wonderful photos and words

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    1. Cationa, you would absolutely love Madeira. Very beautiful and surprisingly wild in many places, despite being small and heavily populated. Do go if you possibly can. I would love to revisit and see some of the places I didn't manage to get to last time.

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  13. I remember well the terrible storm that hit Madeira -- never having been there the footage at the time was intriguing and it has lingered in my mind that it would be a good place to have a holiday. It's so wonderful that you did go at that time -- it must have been encouraging to the people of the island to see not all the tourist had given up. Your photos are wonderful and have whetted my appetite. I am not one for heights -- even watching perilous drops on television or in the movies can make my legs feel rubbery! And driving around many of the Italian hills I have to close my eyes.

    In addition to all that the memories of a certain very dear friend of mine were brought back as he was famous for his rendition of 'Have Some Madeira My Dear' and for his resemblance to the man 'with a beard in her ear'!!!

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    1. Broad, if you can cope with the Italian hills, you can cope with Madeira. :-) We didn't try to drive ourselves, thank goodness, or I would have totally freaked out at some of the gradients and bends. The coach drivers were very expert and very reassuring and it was worth the gritted teeth and closed eyes to see the places we visited. We only scratched the surface in one visit and I can see why some people get hooked on it.

      As for Flanders and Swann, I seem to have one or other of their songs running through my mind most of the time at the moment. :-)

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  14. I remember a particular glass of Madeira we enjoyed – with a slice of Madeira Cake after the morning service at the English Church in Funchal – beats the usual post service instant coffee & biscuit back home!

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    1. And very nice it was too, PolkaDot, as was the conversation and the service itself. It was a lovely trip, wasn't it, despite the weather and the not feeling well in the middle. I'd go again.....:-)

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  15. Dear Perpetua, . . . first let me say that I'd love to be tempted again by another posting about Madeira. This one was quite an adventure because I followed your links. I can't remember seeing anything about the 2010 flood on American television. I've never before seen such raging water filled with mud.

    You've tempted me to add a vacation in Madeira to my bucket list!

    Peace.

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    1. Dee, the votes for more Madeira are piling up, so I'll be back. :-) I'm glad you followed the links, as they provide the background for the rest of my post. I think the floods got a lot of coverage in the UK because Madeira is such a popular destination and there are always plenty of British tourists there at any one time. Sadly, one British tourist was among those who died. When we were there we could see the many scars on the hillsides where the water had rushed down so violently.

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  16. How fortunate that you were not there when that terrible flooding actually was happening. I remember it looked awful on the news. Madeira is normally a place that you can happily visit during the winter and enjoy warm balmy days. We have visited twice, once walking along the Levadas, and another time staying by the coast and taking walks from there. It is a lovely island, thank you for reminding me.

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    1. I agree, Rosemary. It must have been dreadful to be there at the time and we felt for all the inhabitants whose lives were so badly disrupted. It was certainly much cloudier and cooler than normal when we were there, but we still enjoyed ourselves enormously. Going through my photos and writing this post has made me realise how much more there is to see, so a second visit may be on the cards one day.

      Glad to have brought back happy memories for you.

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  17. I so enjoyed this post. The song, of course, is deliciously wicked, and I, too, finally made it to the island itself. It is the most extraordinary and unexpected place, from its semi-tropical seafront up to the gorse and heather of the topmost plateau, via eucalyptus trees and wild agapanthus. Memories of the island make me appreciate the several varieties of Madeira wine all the more!

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    1. Thanks, DB. The song is quintessential Flanders and Swann, with all its little linguistic conceits, and the island is wonderful. You sum up its extraordinary variety of scenery and vegetation perfectly. I remember thinking, as we crossed the high plateau to the other side of the island, that it was very like parts of Scotland. A lovely place.

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  18. I can't say that Madeira is somewhere I've thought about, until seeing your photos here. What a beautiful place. I would certainly welcome more of your photos!

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    1. Tghanks, Ayak. more to come at some future date. I think Madeira isn't thought of as a holiday destination by most younger people as it doesn't have the resort atmosphere of the popular Mediterranean places and being volcanic and very steep, it has very few beaches. But if you are interested in history and landscape it's truly fascinating.

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  19. Oooh I love those Mediterranean colours! And Perpetua - I've discovered you CAN get emailed when someone responds to your comments!! When you make a comment you will see at the bottom of the comment box (outside it) "Subscribe by email". If you click on that then any replies to your comment etc get emailed to you. Is that what used to happen??

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    1. Sian, the colours were wonderful, even in the cloudy conditions we had for most of the week. When the sun shone, it was fantastic.

      Yes, the comment format you and I use still has the 'subscribe by email' option, but the other two formats (pop-up and full-page) no longer have it. Apparently they are supposed to be getting it back at some point but it's been over 2 months and it hasn't happened yet.....

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  20. I have a small bottle of Madeira in my kitchen, brought back last month by my sister! We had a wonderful week there a few years ago - we were so lucky with the weather and managed the circuit of three of the Picos with a local guide, which was fantastic. I'm scared to go back in case it rains on our parade! (My pics can be seen here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/goforchris/sets/72157603862179959/)

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    1. Christine, better weather would have been the icing on the cake, but we still had a marvellous time, despite clouds and some rain. It wasn't walking weather unfortunately, unless one stuck to the pavements, so I envy you being able to do your circuit. Thanks for the link to your photos. I shall enjoy these very much.

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  21. Lovely travelogue. Beautiful pictures and perfect narration.

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    1. Thank you, Ramakant, and welcome to my blog. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. It's a wonderful island and I wanted to do it justice, if I could.

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I welcome your comments and will always try to respond to them. Thank you for reading.