For many, Italy is considered the best country to enjoy a good cup of coffee. It comes in many varieties, and the Italian coffee has a long and interesting history. What many don’t know is that Portugal is another country where you can enjoy an excellent cup of coffee. Much, much better than in Spain…
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A winter hike to Pico Ruivo
Many people used to be fed the line that Madeira was an island for the elderly. The publicity probably told you it is a ‘flower-island’, wrong footing most, as the general image of Madeira was – and still is – that of beautiful and civilized gardens, inviting to leisurely walks and glasses of Madeira wine…
Green Veil: Madeira bushfire aftermath
It was just after mid-October when we received a WhatsApp call from Maria, who looks after our house in our absence. What she told us was frightening: our village, Fajã da Ovelha, was on fire. When I speak about Fajã da Ovelha as a village, I have to add that a village in Madeira is,…
Calheta on fire: arson proven
Like every summer, from a distance, we follow the Madeiran news about bush fires. There are many eucalyptus trees on the island, and the leaves they drop are easy fuel for any spark dropped, incidentally or on purpose. We have had our share of bush fires in Fajã da Ovelha, and though some of them…
Scary animals in Madeira?
I do realise this is a bit of a scary header. But, rest assured, you have seldom read a more reassuring article on scary animals. Even though Madeira is a subtropical island, where all kinds of nasty critters would thrive because of the climate, there are no poisonous or otherwise dangerous animals in Madeira. For…
Happy 2023!
From the stunning island Madeira we wish you all a very happy 2023, with the spectacular fireworks that mark the beginning of every year in Funchal. Enjoy the video, like we do, as a thick blanket of fog blocked the view from our high vantage point so we did not see a thing. Oh well,…
Fanal Forest, enchanting place in the mists of Madeira
One of Madeiras most stunning areas is the Fanal forest high up on the North side of the island. The Latin name of the gnarled trees in the Fanal forest is Ocotea Foetens. It is one of the many Laurel species and some of them are 600 years old. Unesco World Heritage The Fanal forest…
Passenger rights and cheating airlines
It’s winter in Madeira. And with winter comes wind and rain, much wind also may cause air traffic disruption, delays and cancellations. This article is not going to be a long rant about how bad some airlines treat their passengers, however appealing writing such a story may seem. Instead, let’s have a look at the…
Happy New Year 2022
Some things change. As the pandemic continues. we did not go to see the new year’s fireworks in Funchal for the second time in a row. But some things don’t change: we stick to our new year’s tradition and send you a registration of the always spectacular fireworks of Madeira, that practically fill the complete…
Life in Madeira after over a year of covid-19
A great deal has already been written about Corona and the measures that go with it, and about life on Madeira in a pandemic. I, too, have wasted more words than is good for us. But after a year and a half of the pandemic, we can safely say that life in Madeira has remained…