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…
Author: Peter Groen
Peter was born in Amsterdam in 1949. He has a history in PR and copywriting. Now, part time resident of the Island of Madeira of over 10 years, he writes about Madeira, its culture, its overwhelming nature, its food and drink, and about everything concerning travel to and on this beautiful island.
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…
We got the covid jab!
In spite of the fact that we were assured by the secretary of our local ‘Centro de Saúde’, and in spite of the fact that the national Portuguese government decreed that anyone who is in Portuguese territory, for whatever reason, is entitled to get the covid jab, we were pleasantly surprised by the phone call…
Vaccine against Covid-19. Can I get it?
We all have passed a rather dark year. What started – in the eyes of many – as just another but a little more serious flu that would pass in a couple of months, turned into a full-blast pandemic. Hardly anyone has ever lived anything remotely like this. Even when the first wave hit us…
Butter factory, the beginning of the end?
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…
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…