Madeira is in my heart , its bright colors , its scents, rich vegetation and then is an island that smiles at you
… the deep blue sky, the ocean , a continuous succession of emotions
you reach the soul and bring with you forever.
Located in the Atlantic Ocean ,
Madeira is an archipelago of islands that lies in front of the Morocco and south of Lisbon ,
we can say that although geographically belongs to Africa, politically it is in effect a region of Portugal.
Funchal is the main town on the island ,
among its monuments remind Pilar de Banger , are the ruins of an observation tower about the end 700
The statue of the Empress Sissi
who spent a long time in Madeira , is a life-size bronze statue
The forest Laurissilva
is classified as Unesco World Heritage Site , its name derives from the Latin silva ( forest ) and Laurus (laurel)
Madeira preserved as cultural highlight some of the most beautiful villas
that over time have been the residence of personality as members of royal families, writers, actors,
generally these residences are called Quinta,
a word which in Portuguese means stately homes in the country,
Quinta Vigia , Sir Davis was the property and he accomodated
pricipess Sissi in 1882 and in 1883.
What remains of the villa is now part of the Grand Casino Park Hotel
But Madeira is a hub of festivals and events that develop throughout the year.
Carnival is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe and the world,
held two parades, the first one, on Saturday is the most important parade with floats and samba dancers,
the atmosphere is similar to Carnival in Rio
and ” Trapalhão ” held on Shrove Tuesday, anyone can participate in this parade wearing the costume you prefer
The flower festival is held in April and begins with the ” wall of hope”
a wall covered with flowers that the children put on in it inthe town hall square ,
is a great festival , full of charm , colors, smells … every edition is unique
Madeira is also known for fireworks,
are spectacular, taking place during the celebrations of the New Year
and have earned the island the Guinness Book of world records
for the largest fireworks show in the world, everything is even more spectacular when you see the fireworks from the sea.
Each month, the island has an event,
Do not forget to experience the thrill of the descent with the ” cestinos ”
for those who do not have heart problems,
Wicker baskets expertly guided by two men ,
along a path that winds its way from the shrine of Our Lady of the mountain at the center of Funchal
And now finally able to taste the specialties of the place … the dinner begins !
First course of a long series … arroz acafrao
it is a saffron rice with fish and chicken, resembles’ the Valencian paella
We continue to alenteiana with gazpacho , a cold vegetable soup with sausage and bread with cumin
Can not miss the Acorda de bachalau ,
a bread soup made with fish broth , salt cod and olive oil. coriander , fried eggs
Certainly no shortage of seafood with the arroz de Marisco , a dish of seafood , rice, shrimp, clams and mussels
Espada with bananas is a typical dish of the isle,
is a battered scabbard fish with herbs , put in a pan and served with a caramelized banana
We taste a little meat … lombo a alentejana,
loin of pork with a sauce made of garlic , lemon, orange , dry white wine , served with French fries , baked apples and agriones
Ohhhh … Finally we reason … greedy people is our moment !
Farofias , delicious meringues cooked in milk,
lemon, sugar and then served cold with cream , milk-based egg and then sprinkle with cinnamo
Arroz doce , rice pudding and eggs dusted with cinnamon, served cold
Bolo de Mel, is the oldest sweet Madeira ,
mainly due to the Christmas holidays , exists in two variants , honey cake and honey biscuits ..
Dinner ends with her on our trip at the beautiful island of Madeira,
in the mind and heart its smells, its bright tones ,
the brightness of its people … back to my couch, inevitable coffee… ready to visit other beautiful places like this .
Until next time!
And … the journey continues!
