In our daily view from our house and garden features a very characteristic building. It is the old ‘fabrica de manteiga’, the butter factory of Fajã da Ovelha. The building is 110 years old. As the name says, it was used to make butter, and also cheese, in the days that it was still worthwhile…
Category: the island
everything to do with the island
Happy New Year!
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Feliz Ano Novo! Happy New Year! Une très bonne année! Gutes Neues! We wish you all a very happy new year 2021. A year with fewer worries, fewer restrictions, more freedom. A year in which we can breathe again without fear, in which we can explore new horizons. And above all, a year…
Ferry to Madeira: whatever happened to it?
A ferry to Madeira could be good in these days of covid-19. All kinds of rules and regulations make air travel less pleasant. And maybe, they make you feel less safe than you would like. Unsurprisingly, many have sent me questions about the ferry to the mainland. True enough, a ferry to the mainland would…
Close your eyes, melt into the music: Madeira’s delightful surprise.
Most people are coming here to enjoy their holidays. The culture in Madeira is usually not on top of the list. Many people who enjoy their holidays on a subtropical island like Madeira do not really realise that there is life beyond the list of typical attractions for tourism. Now that alone, in Madeira, is…
covid-19 measures for Madeira
Latest update on June 15, 2021. New, relaxed covid-19 measures have been in place since the beginning of May. Infection rates have dropped significantly over the past two months, and now seem to be stabilising at five to ten new infections per day. Of course, there are also people who recovered every day. The total…
iconic voices and iconic places of Madeira
Over the months of April and May 2020, the great Madeiran performing artists have seen their income dwindle; hotels, theatres and other public spaces where they used to perform were forced to close due to the corona pandemic. No tourists and closed venues meant their work was put on hold. They have closed ranks and…
State of emergency lifted: the first week after.
The State of Emergency has been lifted now. Since last week, we have a little bit fewer restrictions, making our lives a little easier. But we are far from back to normal, though I keep saying that our lives here are still very relaxed compared to many countries in Europe, or even worldwide. The number…
Fake news and misinformation in corona times
Since we have to suffer the vainest and most useless US president the expression ‘Fake News’ has seen a lot of use. Or is it abuse? I think the latter. Fake news: since the orange idiot is mismanaging the United States the best definition of the expression Fake News would be: information that the reader…
An Easter of hope on Madeira. Corona seems under control
It’s Easter. A big thing in Portugal and on Madeira. People accept the extra measures, some grudgingly, but let’s be honest: it seems to work. Madeira seems to have Corona under control. In the week running up to Easter there were hardly any new infections, and the ones there were concerned people who had come…
Madeira quarantine: 3 weeks now, but life goes on…
The third full week of the Madeira quarantine is now behind us. The restrictions continue to be firmly in place: social isolation, no travelling unless for shopping, going to the bank or travelling for medical purposes and only leaving your home for physical exercise or walking your dog. Nothing really happens, we follow the developments…
