Posts Tagged “Madeira”
I have mixed feelings about Michelin-star restaurants. Yes, they can be striking and obviously the food will be memorable, but sometimes they lack soul and continuity. One has the sense that they might be trying too hard to keep that glittering accolade, at the expense of their guests. Il Gallo d’Oro Madeira has changed my…
A guided tour of Blandy’s 17th century Wine Lodge and its associated Wine Museum, in the centre of Funchal, will reveal some of the art and science that generations of producers have developed, to make a range of delicious, rich and long-lasting wines out of the grapes grown here. There are several excellent table wines,…
Funchal in Madeira is one of my favourite cities and Quinta da Casa Branca has one of my favourite restaurants. That is surely a recipe for delicious contentment and a very happy reviewer. I have not actually stayed at Quinta da Casa Branca but dream of doing so. It is perhaps one of the most…
The 15th century saw the dawn of the Age of Discovery, a time when European powers began exploring the world to find new lands and new opportunities. Portugal was in the vanguard of this drive, sailing southwards in their case down the west coast of Africa. So it wasn’t long (1419 to be precise) before…
For a small island in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira has a big reputation for the sweeter things in life: its history includes sugar, wine, and ‘honey’ – well, a Madeiran interpretation thereof. We’ll discuss the first and the last of these elsewhere, but it’s the story of wine on the island that…
This beautiful and unique island has been a much-loved destination for European tourists, yet primarily for the slightly older generation. But this traveller wonders why, when Madeira has so much to offer for everybody. It has not only an all-year-round summer climate, but tropical flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables. It’s rich in culture and history,…
It is perhaps one of the highlights of any vacation: a trip to an exotic and thoroughly Instagrammable market is hard to beat for local colour and atmosphere. Madeira has a gem of a covered market in the middle of Funchal and it’s well worth a visit. It’s a celebrated and popular landmark in the…
Madeira is said to have been discovered by the Portuguese in 1419, though there are stories from intrepid sailors of much earlier times, that tell of two verdant islands far off the African shore. Settlers arrived just a few years later; they found this paradise to be perfect for developing first the sugar cane industry…