Forest in the ocean

Despite the fact that the word "Madeira" with Portuguese translates as "Forest", The island that has been the name has always been associated with navigation.

Madeira was opened at the dawn of the era of great geographical discoveries, and then many years served as a stopping point on the way from Europe to Africa, India and South America. At Madeira, Columbus lived for some time and, they say, it was there that he suggested that the uncharted land is under the Atlantic. Famous Madera, Wine, who gave the island, was born thanks to long-range swimming. Yes, and today’s glory – the fame of the resort – Madeira acquired because it was made to stop rich passengers on the way to overseas tropical countries … and even the local airport, whose flight field hangs on giant piles, looks like an aircraft carrier, mooring to the slope of the island.

Madeira Miracles

With the place near which Madeira Airport is located, the legend is connected to the opening of the island.According to "Official" History, Madeira for the first time discovered Captain Zhuan Gonzalvish Zarka in 1419. But according to the loyals, to the island in the middle of the XIV century, the ship was brought by a storm, on which two lovers – Robert Mishshin and Anna Herford – fled to France from Bristol, because the parents were against their marriage. On the island, they soon died, but the ship’s sailors managed to build a boat and return to Europe. Their story allegedly heard the Portuguese Prince Heinrich Navigator, who has an expedition handled. They also say that the cedar, under which Robert and Anna were buried, discovered a satellite Zarka, Captain Trishtan Teixeira, and built a chapel here. It was destroyed by flooding in 1803, but instead they built a new. In the chapel, the crucifixion of the XV century from the cedar, which seems to be made from the rest of the cross installed by Machin on the grave of Anna. The history of this crucifixion is no less curious: after the flood, he discovered American whale in the sea and handed over the chapel. Picture on the wall of the chapel depicts this re- "Observing" Cross … The chapel is not wage, the name of the droplet-hand-Milagrish – "Chapel of miracles"..

What about "Official" The opening of Madeira, it happened not immediately: the zerk found at the beginning of a small island, named by him Porto Santa. And only next year he reached Madeira. It turned out that this is a much larger island, with high mountains and a rice covered with thick forest.

Navigator, however, was not interested in wood, but land for settlement. And Zark set up the island. The fire lasted for several years. He destroyed almost all the vegetation, but the volcanic lands of Madeira, fertilized by abundant ash, became even more fertile, and over time, the island turned into a flowering garden … Lyricated Morocco, the island, nevertheless, does not know the exhausting heat – it winds out the coolness of the Atlantic: The local climate incomprehensible combines all the delights of the tropics and softness of the English summer. It is no coincidence that his British rated: going to the overseas colonies, they stayed here for acclimatization. They and today feel at home.

Feel at home here are not only tourists and vacationers, but also plants from around the world. Madeira and her capital of Funchal, which, by the way, the third largest city in Portugal, is a real botanical garden.

Here wrote Etudes Churchill

What not to find on the island is the gentle banks. And therefore Madeira probably the only one of the world-recognized sea resorts, where there are practically no natural beaches.And nevertheless, almost two centuries here are a continuous stream traveling. Yes, some more! Back in the XIX century, many venance of Europe rested here, and in the last century, Vancing was held here Winston Churchill, Bernard Shaw, Margaret Thatcher … You can list long.

Here come to get out of touch on the gentle sun and breathe with fragrant air. Thatcher came here on the honeymoon, and after 50 years – to celebrate the golden wedding. Chechille – write etudes: Especially he was like a restaurant terrace over the harbor in the town of Kamara di Lobusch. About the stay of the show, like Churchill, on the island reminds "Name" hotel room "Ride", as well as an autograph left writer "Animator" This hotel, which gave him dance lessons, with the words: "The only person who taught me something". Lovers of active recreation in the most popular way of acquaintance with the island of steel walks on Levadam. This is the best way to see the most reserved corners and most picturesque landscapes. Luvadami on Madeira calls conceded for several centuries throughout the island – on the edges of the circle and cliffs – the narrow terraces with the ditch, along which mountain water is delivered to the mountaineers and gorges. Today on the island of more than two thousand kilometers of Levad – with bridges and tunnels! And almost along all the leads are trails. Many Levada are available for every amateur of walks, but for hiking in some need physical training and strong nerves. It happens, on the one hand, a steep wall, on the other – the abyss. And sometimes the trail is included in the tunnel, which stretches for kilometers. In Levadam, you can get closer, go down to the valleys and gorges with waterfalls or go to the huge crater of the extinct volcano Curral-Dash Freirash. The name of this place is translated as "Refuge nuns" – In 1566, when Pirates attacked Funchal, sisters of the Santa Clara monastery were hiding here. The picturesque village, located on the bottom of the crater, is one of the most isolated places on Madeira: until 1959 it was impossible to get here by car, and the television came here only in 1986. But on the third highest top of Madeira Piku Di Arieur leads a great highway. Thirty minutes – and you are among rocky peaks, towering above the clouds, and below – bottomless cliffs over the gorges.

Feel one of "Beatles"

A few years ago, an unofficial meeting was held on Madeira, not the financial magnates. And what only luxury yachts neither stood then in the port of Funchal! But the most famous Madeira yacht can be seen at any time. On the black volcanic sand of the funchal embankment stands yacht "Vagrant". About her glorified owners reminds the sign at the entrance to the board – once she belonged to the group "Beatles". As far as I know, none of the Liverpool Four on Madeira was not. Fate brought a yacht here after she changed the owners. With new owners, it was thoroughly praised by a storm somewhere in the Canary Islands. Then she bought her "neighbors" from Madeira, repaired and put on the eternal jokes in the center of Funchal, turning into a restaurant. Only in tide water licks the bottom "Vagranta", But, sitting at the table on the open stern of the yacht, hanging over the ocean and the wind blowable, you can quite feel in the open sea, and not by someone, and John Lennon or Paul McCartney!

On Madeira there is not only natural beaches. All the harbor island artificial, and everyone is located on the southern coast. Another 50 years ago, the ships in Funshale stayed on the raid, and the holidays moved to their hotels by boats. The North Coast is completely impregnable – when building the first road along the coast, the workers went down on the ropes, and they cut into the cutting cornice. In the harbor of the Funshali port there is a small marina, there are many local vessels, there are cruise liners every day, and in the peak months (October – November) it is difficult to moor. Funchal Yacht Club (Clube Naval Do Funchal) is located away from Marina, but around the berth there is its office where all documents can be issued. At the same time, it is necessary to remember: even arriving from the neighboring Madeira Porto Santa, it is necessary to go through all the formalities. To the west of Funchal in relatively new resort centers, too, there are marina. So, the second largest Marina Islands (designed for 300 yachts) is in calieta (14 miles from Funchal). There is a yacht club, customs office, maritime police and immigration service. A completely new Marina, Lugar di-Bayish, is in Ponta-do Sol. There, too, there is everything you need, including even the pool. Another new, convenient and popular Yachtsmen Marina is located in Kinta Du Lordi, east of Funchala, at the town of Canisal. There are all the amenities and, as in Funchal, you can not only go through all the necessary formalities, but also to get permission to visit the external islands. And this is important for authentic connoisseurs of adventures, for the Desertes and Selvazhsh, lying next door to Madeira Island, can only be accessed on a boat or on a yacht.

Treasures imaginary and real

Desertes’ Islands are clearly visible from the Funchal embankment. They are a suitable place for lonely lovers: no one lives on this small island group; sometimes on the shore can be found seal. And on the island of Desert Grandi, wild goats are found, which, according to the local legend, the Christopher Columbus left there. Previously, the islands belonged to the family of descendants of the English Magnate-Sakharozavodser, Henry Hinton, but now Desertes – Natural Reserve.

Even more deserted islands Selwazh. This small archipelago lies between Madeira and Canaras. Believe that it was there that the captain of Kidd buried part of his treasures. In 1830 and in 1890, expeditions were even equipped with Selwazhsche. In 1911, a special detachment with a German canonry was settled on Selwazh "Panther". When the First World War began, the British suggested that the Germans went there to create a warehouse of ammunition and equipment, and in 1914 the English Admiral Stoddard was sent to Selwazhsche. He did not find any military equipment there, which confirmed the guessed – the Germans were looking for treasures.There and now you can see the pit and funnels dug in various hunters. However, the captains are trying to hold onto the delicate distance, as these islets are replete with thousands of underwater cliffs and reefs.

Today, the islands are known as eye birds and declared a reserve. Even to come to the shore and throw anchor, preliminary permission is necessary. But on the port of Santa you can see genuine treasures of victim. Actually, Porto Santa – a favorite place of a beach holiday on a weekend for residents of Madeira. After all, home "bait" Islands – the sandy beach, which stretches on nine kilometers almost all over the southern coast. Therefore, a steam that rises between the Funchal and Porto Santa, on the weekend it is scored by large noisy companies of local lovers to sow on the sand.

The main historical place of the island is the House of Christopher Columbus. The museum you can see documents confirming the residence of Columbus on the island, maps, paintings, engraving. Materials are preserved, testifying that in 1478, perhaps as an agent of Sugar’s merchants from Genoa, Christopher Columbus came to Madeira. He went to Porto Santa, where the hereditary governor was also the Genoese – Bartolome was shot. In 1479, Columbus married his daughter Felipe Monis, who gave birth to him the Son. Some time they lived on Madeira.

In fact, in addition to this house-museum, the traces of the stay of Columbus on Madeira left a little. It is known that Columbus in Funchalah lived on the street Rua-do-Aermald, but his houses no longer exist. It has only a stone carvings from it, which can now be seen in the estate of Kinta Palmayeir, belonging to the descendants of all the same rich Hinton. In Funchal, there is a Columbus Library Museum, hidden by the signboard Diogo’s WineShop: It is part of the Vinhos Barbeito Winner Museum. Her meeting of 30 thousand books about the Great Morpeter is considered the second for wealth in the world!

Genuine things related directly to Columbus, nor in Funchal, nor on Porto Santa you will not see. But in the Columbian Museum in Vila Baleir, the other part of the exposition can not impress – unique finds made in 1974 by the French researcher Robert Wastieu from the northern coast of Porto Santa, – Treasures from the Dutch ship, following Indonesia and sunken in 1724. And this is one of the rare examples of the fact that the treasures at the bottom of the sea can still be found ..

Wine navigator

But the biggest pride of the island, the fact that Madeira is known for the whole world – it is her wine – Madera. And her birth is also associated with navigation.The first grape vine on Madeira was taken from Crete in 1460. Later, grape varieties from the Rhine Valley, Burgundy, Italy appeared. However, the wine from these lots was carried out on Madeira not at all, as in Europe. Volcanic soils filled with ashes from screaming after the opening of the island of forests played their role. And of course, the climate that can be called permafrost.

Local wine for better preservation with long transportation in the holds was attached to alcohol. The fact is that Wine from Madeira in large quantities went to the overseas colonies, the benefit of the island lay on the way from Europe, both to the Cape of Good Hope and Brazil. If the wine did not manage to sell there, it was brought back to Madeira and returned to the owners. Then it was noticed that by having committed a long marine voyage, the wine acquired an amazing, new taste and fragrance. He was called "Wine traveled to India and back". The demand and price of such wines – travelers were much higher, and here the winegirls from Funchal specially began to send goods of wine in West and East India.

Now Madera is not equipped with cruises, and just withstand in special chambers – "Eshtufa", where for several months barrels with wine are stored at a temperature of from 30 to 50 degrees and where the temperature mode of swimming is repeated via the equator and back. After such a procedure, the wine is maintained in barrels at least three years. There are wines that are kept in barrel 10, 15 and more years. In one of the cellars I saw a barrel with wine in 1920!

In 1776, Mader’s glasses raised Americans about the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and Inauguration George Washington, which, by the way, said that "For lunch daily drinks Pinta Maders". At the end of the XVIII century, wine from Madeira began to flow to the Imperial Court in St. Petersburg, and then quickly conquered Russian light. Pushkin wrote: "My hospitable cellar glad Mader Golden". And already at the end of the XIX century, the names and addresses of customers from Russia are often found in the grandbukhs of the Blind family of the family, settled in Funchal.

Blandy’s cellar, one of the oldest wine firms, united in Madeira Wine Company, from the XIX century are located in the center of the capital of the island. This is a group of buildings where the ceilings are lined with the remains of broken ships. Here everything smells the story and, of course, wine ..

"Madera is a drink, without failure", – Say experts. Even an open bottle of maders can without loss of quality to simultane up to three months. The company’s collection has a wine harvest 1808. And in the private collection of the Blandi family, Madera is kept 1775!

But the most valuable and most famous wine, a little more young. This is Madera Harvest 1792. It was it that it was sold to the Hapoleon, when, on the way to exile to St. Elena, he visited Madeira. British Consul Watech, famous for the fact that, contrary to the instructions, he turned to a refrigerated Bonaparte not "General", a "Your Majesty", ordered that in the barrels of his vessel pumped over a hundred gallons Maders. After the death of Napoleon, Maders returned to the island and part of him turned out to be in the hands of the Blandi family. Several bottles are still stored as a relic. This Madera was brought to Churchill. The prime minister was delighted: "Ladies and gentlemen! This is a great moment. Amazing wine made on this island. Just think – it appeared one hundred and fifty years ago, three years after the French revolution! To such guilt should be treated with respect, which it deserves!".

A glass of maders will be by the way to celebrate the arrival after the ocean transition to this island, where everything, including this golden drink, is associated with navigation.