Madeira, Portugal

There are two elements of every New Years Eve party that go hand-in-hand - alcoholic beverage(s) and pyrotechnics.
Auld Lang Syne may come in a close third place but the thunderous roar of the fireworks drowned out any hope we had of hearing those words being sung.
On the last day of 2013 we were blessed with access to an open bar (courtesy of Pestana Casino Park's Gala Dinner) and one of the most spectacular firework displays in the world - 48,776 firework points exploding over the Portuguese island of Madeira.

A Big Bang
In 2006, the firework display in Madeira's largest city, Funchal was officially recognized in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest fireworks show. When 2013 came to a close, what we witnessed was no exception. A total of 5520 pounds of explosives were used across 30 locations and all wrapping up in 8 minutes. The celebratory atmosphere was complemented by 12 cruise ships, dozens of small yachts and thousands of international revellers that like us had travelled to this small island off Africa to enjoy the temperate tropical non-winter climate and bring in the New Year with a bang.

Getting ready to party

The casino next to our hotel

Year of the Cruise Ship

The following list of cruise ships came to visit Funchal as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Port of Funchal. 

1. Aurora

2. Balmoral

3. Saga Sapphire

4. Saga Ruby

5. Aida Blu

6. The World (largest privately owned yacht on the planet, with 165 residences)

7. Braemar

8. Marco Polo

9. Aida Stella

10. Mein Schiff1

11. MSC Fantasia

12. Funchal (steamer)

2013 was the year of the cruise ship

Cruise ship port

Flying into Funchal
Our trip began with a flight from London Gatwick airport to Funchal, a duration of about 3 hours. Given the drama of the Christmas period where one of the Gatwick terminals lost power; we gave ourselves plenty of extra time to get checked in. It seemed that other experienced travellers had taken the same approach and the check-in counter was brimming with excited holiday makers

Most of the flight was made uncomfortable as a result of having our seats kicked by two children in the row behind. However as soon as we landed, the blue sky and temperate 18 degree weather cheered us right up. The airport is located outside of the main city and our recommendation would be to pre-book a private car for a drop off at the hotel. Other alternatives include taking a taxi or to wait for the shuttle bus that arrives about once an hour after certain times on the weekend.

Pestana Casino Park

Our criteria for selecting accommodation in Funchal was based on proximity to the marina, where the New Year's Eve action would be. We selected the Pestana Casino Park, located on a hill overlooking the harbour and came highly rated for amenities including pool, sauna and bar/restaurants. However, the rooms were slightly disappointing - the air-conditioning was not working and we had to pay extra to rent an iron from house-keeping.

Restaurante Casal da Penha

The hotel was located near a street filled with restaurants - Rua Imperatriz d Amelia. For dinner we located a highly ranked tavern style hotel - Restaurante Casal da Penha where we were entertained by folk musicians and ate fish soup (not as tasty as Bergen fish soup) and beef chateaubriand (thick cut of a tenderloin) served at our table at a very (bloody) medium rare.

Lots of beef

Christmas Lights

After dinner we took a walk down to the marina to see the Christmas lights.

Christmas Market

A small Christmas market had been set up along the main street of Avenida Arriaga. The market was flanked by a long taxi rank where the drivers moved their cars up the queue by letting off the handbrake and pushing the vehicle forward.

Walking the taxis up the queue

Yellow Bus Hop On Hop Tour

The next day, we used the Yellow Bus Hop-On Hop-Off tour as a means of getting our bearings around town. The tour took us to the fishing district of Camara de Lobos on the west side of Funchal, famed for the fishermen that hunt the black scabbard fish - an elusive but tasty piece of seafood.

On the route back to Funchal we passed by many luxury hotels and resorts. When we had been searching for accommodation for this trip it had been tempting to book a room at one of these hotels. However, the further you are from the marina, the cheaper the room rate but it becomes less convenient for public transport. 

Garden allotments

Beerhouse Restaurant

For lunch we visited the Beerhouse Restaurant located on its own pier in the marina area. The beer was brewed by the company and it was a refreshing break from all the sightseeing activities we had performed in the morning.

Beer o'clock

Cod with potatoes

Grilled squid

Cable Car to Monte

In the afternoon we headed to the cable car station and took a cable car to the hillside town of Monte, over 600m above sea level. The trip offered some nice views over the city, although the wind made the cabin rock slightly. 

Cable car building

On the cable car

Cathedral - Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte
As it was already quite late in the afternoon and we didn't want to miss the last return cable car to Funchal; we chose not to visit any of the Botanic Gardens in Monte. Instead we visited the Cathedral - Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte. Built in 1741, it is famous for being the last resting place of Emperor Charles I of Austria, last of the Habsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who lived in exile on the island of Madeira.

Statue of Emperor Charles I

Mural on the church wall

Zona Velha

Close to the cable car building is Madeira's Old Town, known as Zona Velha - a picturesque area of cobblestones and small shops that had been spruced up with some unique street art.

Christmas Light Night Bus
We swapped dinner for some local bread from a street store that had been stuffed with salami and drizzled with garlic butter. We walked down the marina where we queued to board the special night bus for a tour of the Christmas lights. The Christmas decorations were another famous tourist attraction and this year's theme showcased many tropical flowering plants that thrive in Madeira's warm climate.

View of Funchal at night

CR7 Museum

On our third day, after eating a satisfying hotel breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon and lots of fruit (so that we didn't feel so guilty about eating the fried bacon); we headed back to the center of town for more exploring. Our first tourist destination was the newest attraction in Funchal that opened on the second week of December - the CR7, Cristiano Ronaldo museum.

Front doors of the museum

A big trophy cabinet

The concept of opening a museum dedicated to one's football career may sound slightly egotistical - however for a mega star like Cristiano Ronaldo with his movie star looks, a trophy cabinet that displays an envious amount of silverware and being the darling son of Madeira - he could do no wrong. Entry to the museum is 5 euro and we discovered that one of the shop workers is actually his cousin (yes, we asked because the jaw-line was a give-away).

Count the hat-trick balls

Golden boot trophy

Worker's Market
Our next stop was the Worker's Market - Mercados dos lavradores that sold a range of household items and tropical fruits - primarily to the passing cruise ship passenger / tourist.

Portuguese blue tiles at the market

Fruit Salad Plant

One of the more exotic fruits on sale was the Monstera deliciosa (also known as the Penglai banana). It is grown on the Monstera plant (a common indoor plant with white flowers) and the fruit tastes like a mixture of pineapple and jackfruit, although when eaten in an unripe state it can create an irritation in the back of the throat.

The interesting fruit

Funchal Town Hall
As we still had a day left on our Hop-On Hop-Off ticket - we boarded another bus and saw the remaining sites of Funchal including the Town Hall and a lot of celebratory folk music and dancing.

Town Hall

Musicians doing an ad hoc performance

Folk dancing in traditional costumes

Chalet Vicente

Lunch was eaten at the Chalet Vicente - a restaurant that came with good reviews and we ate the house specialties of suckling pig and goat casserole, washed down with some local beers. The restaurant also had a small garden next to the terrace and Mei amused herself by taking photos of flowers that would be impossible to see in London's winter.

Suckling pig

Goat casserole

Blandy's Wine Lodge
A trip to Madeira would not be complete without tasting the fortified wine that shares its name. At the center of town near the Tourist Information Centre is the Blandy's Wine Lodge.  Blandy's is a family brand that has been producing Madeira wine for 200 years. Tours can be booked within the wine lodge, however we opted for just the tasting - the medium dry Verdelho and the semi-sweet Bual.

Understanding the different types of Madeira wine

Wine tasting

Armazem Do Sal

During our travels we rely heavily on Tripadvisor recommendations for restaurants. From our experience, making the effort to book a seat at one of the highly rated restaurants can pay off for a special night out. On this occasion we scored a place at the number #1 restaurant - Armazem Do Sal where we were greatly impressed by their customer service, food and concept of matching wines (chosen by the sommelier) and of course the discretionary 'top ups' that also came along when we were deliberately eating our courses very slowly.

Foie Gras with fig

Beef carpaccio

Black scabbard fish with banana

Duck with pear

Lovely desserts

Poncha

Another highlight of the local culture that we fell in love with is the drink, Poncha. Made with Aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice), honey, sugar and a range of fruit juices (we recommend maracuja, the Portuguese word for passion fruit). Poncha is served in little shot glasses and kept us very happy whilst we watched a local singer entertain the crowd with his rendition of U2's With or Without You.

Poncha night

Showcasing local talent

The Santa Maria
New Year's Eve (Day Four) soon arrived and we were keen to get at least one harbour cruise done. We had originally considered the ferry to the nearby island of Porto Santo, however it was a full day trip and we ran out of time. Instead we booked ourselves onto the Santa Maria de Colombo - a magnificent replica of Christopher Columbus’s flag ship "The Santa Maria" from the 15th Century.

Cruising under full sail (and a diesel engine)

Testing out the waters

The tour took us along the south west coastline where we anchored near a cliffside hotel and a few brave individuals (including Olie) jumped overboard to test out the temperate waters (about 18 to 20 degrees Celsius). We were also given a small glass of Madeira wine and the other local specialty - honey cake as part of the tour.

Men overboard

New Year's Eve celebrations

Soon the night of the main event had arrived - New Year's Eve celebrations. We purposefully dressed up to attend this Gala Dinner, enjoying the champagne and canapes served in the hotel lobby. We noticed some variety in people's interpretation of a 'gala dress code'. It ranged from jeans and a smart shirt on one end of the scale; to full length glittering ball gowns that belonged on a red carpet premiere.

Dressed up for the gala dinner

Olie and the accordion player

Who needs champagne when spirits are on offer

Hanging out with other Brits

On our table, we were introduced to three other British couples that had all been to Madeira previously and had fallen in love with it. And as a twist of 'its a small world', two of the couples had never previously met but then discovered through conversation that the two gentlemen attended university together almost 40 years previously.

Very interesting lobster and scallop dish

Entertainment for the night

Entertainment of the night included the hotel Big Band; two gymnasts on a pommel horse structure and one doing aerobatics with silk ribbons; and the Portuguese performer FF (Fernando Fernandes).

Fireworks

After dinner and about 15 minutes before midnight, we were led to the Casino Gardens to take up prime position along the balcony. Whilst there wasn't a dramatic countdown, the eruption of fireworks made for a truly spectacular entry into 2014.

Fireworks over the port of Funchal

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