I'm not sure I like the sound of Marco's paternal great grandfather - thankfully his snobbery has not been passed down to Marco himself. Another evocative article, beautifully written, and it was wonderful to hear that Sabrina had had a "fantastic" meal at last!
Sounds wonderful! I grew up in a part of New England with a large Portuguese community (largely from the Azores/Cape Verde) . Yet Portugal itself is one of the few countries in western Europe I've never experienced.
Have wanted to rectify that for a long time...and now I want to do even more!
Andrea & I share your love of Madeira. We originally went there on honeymoon, a choice inspired (being new Reids) by the prospect of staying at Reids Hotel. But "its blazer wearing, outstretched-pinkie-fingered pomposity" certainly put us off and we spent a very happy fortnight gazing up at it from the now-demolished Savoy Hotel. Within a very short walk of this we discovered a charming family-run restaurant, the Casa Velha, that specialised in the most succulent beef and where we were welcomed royally with all the warmth and generosity that characterises the Portuguese in general and the Madeirans in particular. When we took our family there 22 years later armed with a few honeymoon photos from our last night with the restaurant staff (literally EVERYONE wanted to be in the frame!) we were astounded to find they were all still there, just as delightful and enthusiatic as ever. Our only disappointment was to find that in the intervening 2 decades almost all the south coast to the west of Funchal had been developed and what had been distinct communities, like the then-so-quaint Camara de Lobos, have been subsumed by developments extending out from the capital.
I want to go!
I'm not sure I like the sound of Marco's paternal great grandfather - thankfully his snobbery has not been passed down to Marco himself. Another evocative article, beautifully written, and it was wonderful to hear that Sabrina had had a "fantastic" meal at last!
Sounds wonderful! I grew up in a part of New England with a large Portuguese community (largely from the Azores/Cape Verde) . Yet Portugal itself is one of the few countries in western Europe I've never experienced.
Have wanted to rectify that for a long time...and now I want to do even more!
How come I have missed this wonder so close to home. You have become my tourist guide for the future. Lovely read. Xx
So enriching always, of the sense of place, to read of your journeys.
A fabulous picture of the island is painted here. Definitely on the list of places to visit.
Andrea & I share your love of Madeira. We originally went there on honeymoon, a choice inspired (being new Reids) by the prospect of staying at Reids Hotel. But "its blazer wearing, outstretched-pinkie-fingered pomposity" certainly put us off and we spent a very happy fortnight gazing up at it from the now-demolished Savoy Hotel. Within a very short walk of this we discovered a charming family-run restaurant, the Casa Velha, that specialised in the most succulent beef and where we were welcomed royally with all the warmth and generosity that characterises the Portuguese in general and the Madeirans in particular. When we took our family there 22 years later armed with a few honeymoon photos from our last night with the restaurant staff (literally EVERYONE wanted to be in the frame!) we were astounded to find they were all still there, just as delightful and enthusiatic as ever. Our only disappointment was to find that in the intervening 2 decades almost all the south coast to the west of Funchal had been developed and what had been distinct communities, like the then-so-quaint Camara de Lobos, have been subsumed by developments extending out from the capital.
I love Madeira. Didn't have the guts to do the toboggan, looked far to scary.
Such beautiful writing . I really want to go now
Roasted chestnuts are such a childhood staple food for me (growing up in a small French alpine town)! 🌰
It's hard not to be lyrical about such a beautiful island, but we really appreciate the kind words, Lakshmi