Madeira, Portugal, Portuguese - what do we know about them?
Answers
I remember sitting on the sledge going downhill on Madeira as a child with my parents. Somewhere we have a picture in an old album which proves it and acts as an intermittent reminder.
Madeira
Madeira is an island known for Madeira wine. (You might recall the amusing, suggestive song, 'Have some madeira m'dear', from Flanders and Swan.) Madeira wine was created by a happy accident. The long journey by ship in the heat did not destroy the wine but improved it.
Madeira is a fortified wine - not distilled like a spirit. Alcohol is added to increase the strength. The same applies to another well-known Portuguese fortified wine, Port (from The port of Oporto in Portugal).
(Other fortified wines you may know are Spanish Sherry, which comes from the sherry triangle around southern Spain, Jerez, on the border with Portugal (where I went to a Bodega. I find Madeira and Port rather strong. My favourite fortified wine is Muscat de Beaune de Venise from southern France. Fortified muscats from around the world include Rutherglen Muscat from Rutherglen in Australia.)
A grand hotel is on the hill. You can take a ride downhill.
In case you hadn't noticed, Madeira is Portuguese (not Spanish).
Portuguese Language
Portuguese is similar to Spanish, two of the world's easiest languages for English speakers. Airport is Aeroporto. What could be easier than that.
Portuguese Names
Cristiano - Christian. Ronaldo - Ronald. Portuguese adds a lovely lilt to names and other words in the language. An extra syllable. An extra vowel. A slightly sing-song intonation.
If you want to go to Madeira, and learn a few words of the lingo first, you can pick up some Portuguese on Duolingo. Where else does the Portuguese language pop up amongst the population and place names? South America. Macau (now Chinese).
Wikipedia informs us that:
'Portuguese (português or, in full, língua portuguesa) is a Romance language and the sole official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It also has co-official language status in East Timor, Equatorial Guinea and Macau.'
Famous Footballers, Personalities and Airports
Which other landmarks are named after famous people?
John Lennon Airport, Liverpool, England. Named after John Lennon of the Beatles.
George Best airport, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Tips
Ten Fast Facts:
1 Madeira is Portuguese.
2 Language: Portuguese.
3 Airport: renamed Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo.
4 Drink: Madeira wine is fortified wine.
5 Food: Madeira cake - a kind of sponge cake.
6 Capital: Funchal.
7 Where: - island.
8 Top activity - downhill sledge ride.
9 Top hotel
10 Tourist fact - popular cruise ship stop.
Try Madeira cake and wine in your home country and compare prices and flavours on arrival at the island. Allow time for a photo with the statue to open your slide show or photobook of your trip.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Some_Madeira_M%27Dear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_John_Lennon_Airport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Best_Belfast_City_Airport
Useful Websites
https://www.visitportugal.com/en/destinos/madeira
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/madeira-wine-two-hundred-year-old-found-fortified-cellar-new-jersey-liberty-hall-union-a7835881.html
http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/about/history
duolingo.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/port-and-portuguese-wine-labels-and.
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/how-to-ask-for-food-and-drink-in.
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/learn-your-first-ten-words-in.
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/how-do-you-say-please-in-portuguese-is.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English, learner of 12 other languages.Please like, follow and share links to my posts.
See my other travel blog:
http://www.luxurytravelforless.co.uk
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