Take me to Madeira

Madeira? A small island in the middle of everything and nothing at once. Few images come to mind except for this allure of the distant. Madeira? Why not! No expectations, the best way to be surprised... And my encounter with Madeira was well beyond surprise. Love at first sight, I left a big piece of my heart there... and I plan to go retrieve it one day! Please, take me to Madeira!

How can I convey the atmosphere of Madeira in just a few words? It's Portugal... but more remote! More insular, more tropical, more colorful, more mountainous, just as rocky...

Located in the Atlantic Ocean between continental Europe, Africa, the Canary Islands, and the Azores, Madeira is a gateway, or rather a hub, a strategic position that has determined, without us realizing it, a part of European and world history. Well hidden far away, it was our deus ex machina, our joker, our soft spot.

I'm talking with a Portuguese woman from Lisbon who has just moved to Brussels and is traveling to Madeira. Of course, the weather becomes a central topic of conversation, one of her biggest fears about moving to the flat country:

I smile as I hear her describe our weather... Yes, schizophrenic, that's a good word, why not... My gaze is then drawn to the heights of the island, covered by a dense grayish cloud, while down at the seaside we are enjoying a strong sun reigning as the sole master in a perfect blue sky.

With its subtropical climate, Madeira offers consistent temperatures almost year-round. With each passing day, Madeira seems to me to be more and more the perfect place to live! Oh, and I almost forgot! The charm of the islands often lies in the first words you receive, and our arrival in Madeira was no exception:

No need to say more. Rasta philosophy version of a tropical island in Portugal. I'm all for it!

It's not me who says this: it's the ancient Greeks (and we know that the wise ancients are always right, don't we?). Even in antiquity, the Greeks knew about this island and made it the paradise where heroes go to enjoy a well-deserved rest. Homer would have even placed Madeira in his Odyssey: it would represent the island of Aeolus, where the god entrusted Ulysses with the Zephyr, while carefully locking the other contrary winds in a sack. Even the Vikings would have come here! And Christopher Columbus not only set foot on this island on his way to his great explorations, but he also married Filipa here. And then there's Sisi! If even Sisi said it...

I know, I know. I tell you this every time: > But this time is different. This time, the feeling is even stronger: more than just a wish or a personal promise, it is a certainty that allows for no hesitation. I will return... And soon!

How can I convey this feeling to you?

Like a dream one tries to analyze upon waking, the more I try to understand the reason, the more it escapes me. I can try to be rational, to share with you the images that fill my head: bits of blue sea, comforting sunshine, white houses with orange tiles, terraced crops reminiscent of Asia or Latin America, scents of flowers, flavors of its cuisine, faces as radiant as the weather... But I'm afraid of falling into descriptive clichés. Because here, the sum of the parts is far greater than the whole...

I promise, I will talk to you more about Madeira in detail about our explorations and share my visiting tips and good addresses... but that will be for a next article!

I love Madeira. It's settled, it's you. Madeira, nothing but its name makes me dream again! Let's cross our fingers, pray to the gods of planes, and start scheming... Or the story of how I'm going to manage to divert François from his obsessions with Japan and South America to bring him back to Madeira!

In partnership with the Portugal Tourism Office.

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