Funchal Is Simple Sophisication

N ot many places on earth          archipelago is really something    get the opportunity to be       special to enjoy.                  discovered twice, but the                                          islands of Madeira and Porto          Funchal was named the capital of   Santo have. These two islands         Madeira in 1425 and is located on  together with Las Desertas and        the south side. Under the rule of  Las Selvagens islands make up         Joao Goncalves, Funchal prospered  what is called the Archipelago of     into being a very important sugar  Madeira. They are found 1000          cane producer and by the year      kilometers southwest of Lisbon,       1508, it changed its position      Portugal and half that distance       from town to city and sugar canes  from the African continent. Since     were carved onto the coats of      their discovery around 1419 and       arms as its main symbol. Being as  founded in 1425 by Joao Goncalves     ocean travel was becoming more     Zarco, little was known about         popular, especially among the      these islands but in the last         greedy and pirates, Funchal was    decade have quickly become the        attacked and robbed. This fact     major tourist attractions in the      made this enticing stopover react  Atlantic Ocean. Joao Goncalves,       and built its city in a            with a special permission from        semi-circular way so that all the  the Portuguese government, used       building would be looking and      prisioners from the prisions and      watching the sea. Even today       enticed settlers from the poorest     there are houses and buildings     regiones like El Algarve to           that face the waterfront ‘ just  colonize Madeira. The airport on      to keep on eye on things'.         Madeira in the town of Santa Cruz                                        on the east side is just an hour      Animated Funchal All year       flight from Lisbon and also           Round                          serves the other island of Porto                                         Santo with smaller planes. This       Whatever season you decide on,     you will be guaranteed a warm,        up in marble and cedar wood. One   mild climate with temperatures        of the most impressive buildings   between 17 to 26 degrees. One         is called Pacos do Concelho (      would think that the busiest          18th c. ) with black volcanic      season for tourism would late         stone counteracting with the       spring to early fall, but             white front facing and doorways.   Christmas is actually one of the      There are museums dedicated to     hottest and most lively times on      religious art, the Museum of       these paradisiac islands. With        Natural History housed in the      visitors from the colder              Palace of Sao Pedro where you can  countries and very much into the      get a closer look at the marine    Christmas spirit, Madeira dresses     life of these islands and a        its port streets with the best        museum which holds many pieces     lighting decorations and the most     left behind by all the different   colourful fireworks on New Year's     cultures that frequented the       Eve. July and August are usually      islands like Chinese porcelain     very muggy and with the highest       and figures carved from the ivory  humidity and temperatures, but        tusks from the captured whales.    quite welcomed after a long cold      Around this museum there are also  winter.                               interesting pieces of art                                                accompanied by the aroma of fresh  The city of Funchal is chock full     orquids.                           of history and architecture as                                           you visit churches going back to      Bon Appetite in Funchal But man    the 17th century as is the Church     does not live on beauty alone and  of Colegio Sao Joao Evangelist or     therefore must feed its physical   the Se which is cathedral in          spirit too. Tunafish and codfish   Portuguese. Being as Madeira          are main dishes done in so many    means wood in Portuguese, the         different ways: baked, fried,      inside of the cathedral is done       stewed with home-grown green       beans and potatoes. Tropical          homes on the hillsides so that     fruits are abundant such as           everyone can feel as though they   maracuyas, mangos and bananas to      are at home, amongst a paradise    mention a few. And of course, the     of lush green vegetation in the    famous Madeira wine. And in order     city of Funchal on Madeira,        to sleep well, there are              Portugal.                          luxurious hotels or simple rural       About the Author: Jack Blacksmith is a successful author and regular contributor to the spezialised website http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com . He is specializing in reports on funchal and Portugal. Source: www.isnare.com