Funchal At Christmas

If you've got a chance to go - then go!

Summer's almost over and autumn is pulling at the leaves on the trees. Each year I take on a bet with the world in general:  Will the pear tree in my back garden shed at least half of its leaves before the shops bring out all their Christmas gear?

Each year I hope for nature to triumph over commercialism - and each year the squirrels are still scurrying amid a mass of foliage whilst I'm faced with negotiating shelves full of yuletide garbage that I don't even want to see the week before Christmas let alone during the early weeks of September.

Which brings me to my main point.

If you have the opportunity to get away to Madeira in December, then go for it.

 

Funchal Christmas lights - not to be missed !

Madeira Island, and Funchal in particular, has a different attitude when it comes to the year-end festivities.  They simply do not allow commercialism to get in the way of having a good time.  Of course, everyone has to make a living, but from early December through to New Years Eve, the capital puts on a joyous display - just for the fun of it.

The streets are ornately decorated with festive lights, nativity displays and an assortment of Christmas trees.  The main thoroughfare in Funchal, the Avenida Arriaga, has a Christmas market that is more about spreading goodwill rather than milking the customer of every last euro.    Many shop windows and restaurants also have impressive displays.

During the day and evening, there is an assortment of street entertainment which, although free to watch, is certainly not amateurish.  Of course, there are special shows at the Casino and main theatre which are special festive productions, at a special price. So, if getting dressed up and being seen at top social events is your thing, then you will be catered for as well.

Just one last thing.  If you can manage to stay until the New Year, you will not be disappointed.  The New Year's Eve fireworks extravaganza in Funchal is widely acknowledged to be the best in the world.  And, believe me when I say:  It is!

The Wicker Men of Madeira

Fortunately, the wicker men of Madeira have never had any evil intent towards Edward Woodward.

Indeed, the wicker men of the mountainous village of Monte bear no similarity to that featured in the haunting 1973 film, The Wicker Man, in which Edward Woodward starred.

Instead, the Madeiran version are know locally as carreiros de Monte and their main aim in life is to keep alive a traditional means of transport that has origins dating back more than 150 years. 

Oh, and in the process they not only earn themselves a living, but also provide tourists with an exciting holiday attraction that gives Madeira its uniqueness.

Tourists queuing up to ride the Monte toboggan basket sleighs

Traditionally, the method of conveying people and goods in Funchal, Madeira's capital, did not include wheeled carriages. The uneven cobbled roadways, steep hills and sharp bends, meant that horse drawn carriages and, later, motorised vehicles were regarded as unsuitable.  Rather, the locals opted for various other, more primitive, means of transport.

Unsophisticated wooden carriages, mounted on wooden runners, lubricated with grease and pulled at a sedate pace by oxen were a favourite.  These "carros de bois" were said to have been introduced to Madeira by a British Army Officer who required a means of conveying his invalid wife about town.

Whilst riding in the carros de bois was acceptable on the flat, it was, of course, a painfully slow way to climb the steep hills that dominate the landscape as soon as you leave the narrow coastal plain.

Another, solely Madeiran, means of conveyance was the transporting hammock.  Here, a length of cloth was slung between two, long wooden poles. Two men, one at the fore and one to the back, would lift the contrivance in a mode rather akin to that of a sedan chair.  The occupant of the hammock, usually a woman, was thus carried in what must have been a rather uncomfortable fashion.

The travelling hammock was particularly popular with British society women who were resident on the island in the 1600s.  Often, to the delight of their fare, the hammock bearers would sing in their native Portuguese language as they made their way to the final destination.  A gratuity for this extra service was invariably given.  What the passenger did not realise was that sometimes the songs were extremely disparaging of their customer.  It is reported that on one occasion the bearers of a rather overweight passenger were singing to the effect: "The fare we are allowed to charge is fixed, but just look at the size of this load!"

These popular forms of conveyance were used everywhere on the island, including the mountain village of Monte.  Cumbersome oxen drawn carts and hammocks were the normal way to convey both people and goods.

Progress, in every sense of the word, was slow.  The four kilometre journey down from Monte into Funchal could take anything up to three hours.

However, the run from Monte into Funchal was one long, steep, downward slope.  Accordingly, it was to be expected that one day, in the late 1840s, one of the locals decided to explore a more radical means of conveyance.  By mounting a flimsy wicker basket on two ski-like wooden runners it was discovered that you could glide headlong down the hill and reach the city centre in a mere 10 minutes.

The logistics were simple.  All that was needed was one hefty push to get going and someone to stand on the rear to steer.  In no time at all, you would soon reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.

Suddenly, there was a fast, and cheap, means of transport from the outlying mountain village into the commercial centre of the island - the snow less, Monte wicker basket sleigh was thus invented.

In addition, the local inhabitants soon discovered that rich Europeans and Americans would take the journey just for fun - hence, the original Madeira tourist attraction was created.  Indeed, Ernest Hemingway famously described his Monte toboggan wicker basket sled ride as the "most exhilarating experience" of his life.

One pull on the ropes, and the toboggan soon gathers speed

Today, the toboggans persist, but they are for tourists only.  Two carreiros guides, dressed in traditional white with straw hats, will propel you down a shortened route from Monte.

There are no seat belts and the only brake you can rely on is the rubber sole of your driver's shoe.  The views can be stunning, if short-lived and the usual souvenir photo awaits you at the end of the ride.

The ride is priced rather expensively by Madeiran standards. But, if you want to treat yourself to an experience that you are unlikely to find anywhere else, then give the Monte toboggans a go.

Famous Quotes - 1

George Bernard Shaw in 1925

"He was the only man who taught me anything while I was on a holiday in that land." George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature recipient - January 1926.

Talking of Michael Rander, who taught George Bernard Shaw to tango whilst the playwright stayed at Reids Palace Hotel on Madeira in 1924.

Flights Direct Norwich To Funchal

Since the summer of 2010, there is now a charter service flying from Norwich Airport direct to Funchal.

The current schedules run until 31st March 2011.   And, at the time of writing, return flights can be booked for as little as £174.

Landing at Funchal Airport

Things have certainly changed since the 1950s.  Then, the only way to travel by air to Madeira was by sea plane - and the journey took two days, stopping overnight in Lisborn.

Even as recently as twenty years ago, if you wanted to Fly to Madeira there was little chance of boarding a flight from your regional airport.  Now, thankfully, that has changed.  Regularly flights can be had from Aberdeen, Birminham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle and Norwich.  Of course, all 4 main London airports fly direct to Madeira as well.

Press Release - 4th August 2010
The boss at Norwich Airport has predicted a return to growth this year after a 30% slump in passenger numbers last year saw its revenues fall by £2.4m, EDP reports. Elliott Summers said passengers will fall from 575,000 in 2008/09 to 404,000 for the year ending March 31, while turnover is expected to drop from £12.4m to £10m.

But despite tough trading conditions Mr Summers told the newspaper that an expansion in charter flights would spearhead growth in passengers in coming years, with 475,000 passengers forecast in the 2010/11 financial year. Eight new charter routes have been confirmed for this summer, including Tenerife, Bulgaria, Madeira, Portugal, Tunisia and Guernsey. He also revealed that the airport is in talks with airlines over possible new services from Norwich to Newcastle, Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow, Brussels and Dusseldorf.

Accounts for 2008/09 show Norwich Airport made a pre-tax loss of £1.36m, and despite efficiency savings of £1.4m the results for the current year are likely to be significantly worse after the drop in turnover. But Mr Summers said the airport was still on course to generate a profit by 2014, a target set in a five-year plan unveiled when he took over the role in January last year.

There is good news though!

Norwich Airport is set to see 30 percent growth in charter flights next summer, the Evening News reports. It will launch six new destinations - Tenerife, Bulgaria, Madeira, Tunisia, Portugal and Guernsey. Holidaymakers will be able to fly to Tenerife over Christmas and New Year, with the other destinations taking off in Summer 2010.

Elliott Summers, the airport's managing director, told the newspaper: 'Since I became managing director in January our focus has been to build relations with airlines and tour operators and introduce destinations that meet demand, providing more choice to customers from their local airport.

'We have concentrated on a hit list of popular destinations as indicated by our destinations survey and we are delighted to be offering our local passengers exactly what they have asked for.
'We are looking for local travel agents and customers support these new destinations and actively help us grow the airport in the coming years.'

Dale Harries is the owner of Norwich Airport VPS.