Madeira by Derek Wyatt
My Sunday school teacher was called Miss Penelope Isle. She used to take her holidays in Madeira. We thought that very posh. We did not know where it was but it sounded exotic. We were rather a naughty lot and when she returned we used to come into class with our arms flapping like a plane whilst making a noise like a missile. It was a terrible joke but we repeated it until the penny dropped.
Fifty five years on, I have finally made it to this extraordinary archipelago. If you want a short break in the sun in November or December where do you go? The Keys in Florida is too far, Greece cannot guarantee the weather. Egypt even before the Russian plane disaster is a no-no if you also want peace and quiet. We chose Funchal, the capital of Madeira. We were not disappointed.
Funchal itself is not overly attractive and has no beaches. It is volcanic so there are steep cliffs and black lava doubles as so-called sand. It has a small, deep harbour which can easily take those wretched cruise liners. A million tourists visit here annually so it must have something.
The key is to find a hotel which acts as an oasis. So not the famous Reid's or the many new hotels built on the front to the west which have little to commend themselves. Up a little from the hurly burly are a small number of old houses or quintas with wonderful gardens, outstanding service, a heated pool and old fashioned charm.
We were recommended to try Estalagem Quinta da Casa Branca and we were not disappointed. The blurb said its new extension was in honour of Frank Lloyd Wright but we thought it more Mies van der Rohe (Barcelona Pavilion et al) but it matters not for it is work of sheer beauty.
Tourism has changed Madeira. Funchal's boundaries have expanded up the mountains without - depressingly - any obvious planning regime. Its 130,000 population is employed in tourism, wine making ("Another Madeira, m'dear?") and agriculture.
It was surprising to see so many manicured terraces up the mountains, by the road side and frankly even where there was the smallest of spaces. Growing bananas, grapes, potatoes, mango, sugar cane, bamboo and tomatoes is de rigeur. Almost anything can grow in these rich soils and does.
Of course being an island, fishing provides another living and there is a vibrant fish market in the old town. The fish on our menus included scabbard, red pepper, sardines and halibut,
We took a tour of the Island with a driver. The last train failed to make it home but there are buses and you can hire a car. Madeira has been enriched in every way by the EU. Dozens of difficult and cleverly placed tunnels make the journey easier. We took the old roads and pottered at our leisure finishing up at a delightful restaurant in Santana on the north coast for lunch.
There is only one downside to a November break in Madeira and that is the hundreds and hundreds of wild flowers are sadly not in bloom. I still fell in love with the Bird of Paradise, X and y so not all was lost.
We came for a spot of R&R and were not disappointed. We favored lazy lunches and smarter evenings out. We had goodly times at Taberna da Escuina, Zarco's, Viverde (Santana), Tokos, Centre de Design da Nini, Challet Vincente, Il Gall d'Oro (the only one star on the island) and Restaurante do Forto.
The most famous recent Madeiran has been Christian Ronaldo, now playing for Real Madrid and the subject of a new film currently on theatrical release. I first saw him as a youngster for Manchester United versus Charlton at the Valley. That day he was keen on falling over at every attempted tackle. Ronaldo hails from a poor family and had to beg and borrow his soccer kit when he was very young. He has repaid this in spades funding projects and creating a Ronaldo museum . They adore him here.
Finally, Portugues wines have been overlooked for too long. Try in the whites: Curtimenta 2011, Ninfa 2013 and Esporoa Reserva 2102 and in the reds: Herdade San Miguel Reserva 2011 and for a classy Madeira try Bual 10 anos (Blandys - of course!). Enjoy.