We hope this letter finds you doing well and staying in good health despite a global pandemic! So much has changed since we celebrated last Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, our hope is you are safe and making the best of the situation. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We think of our family and friends often.
Lighted angels in front of the Cathedral of Funchal, in the 16th Century this was the first headquarters for the global Catholic diocese.
We are thankful for many things and at the top of this list is our health. As long as we can get up in the morning and plan another day we feel blessed. We are happy to be in Madeira, Portugal (an island off the coast of Africa but belonging to Portugal) where the numbers of Covid cases have been relatively low. We can eat at outdoor restaurants when the weather is nice enough. Most days it has been around 70 F and sunny, though Christmas Day saw gales of wind and pouring rain. We are nestled in a rental house in the hills of Funchal, the main town of Madeira Island.
Lights near the Port of Funchal harbor
The Portuguese people have been friendly and take Christmas decorating very seriously. The island has an irrigation “levada” system or canals to help distribute water. They are also used as hiking trails. Some of the lights you see in our pictures are of the levadas. We arrived to Madeira in mid-October and by November we saw Christmas lights going up on a daily basis. The workers have been installing lights for nearly two months.
Lighted levadas (canals) of Madeira
We understand the New Year’s Eve celebrations are quite spectacular, and that “Madeira holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Pyrotechnic Performance in the world,” according to Madeira Best (see video here). Whether that is true or not, we hope to sit on our “socially distanced” patio and enjoy it this year!
Christmas market of Madeira
We will explain a bit more of our daily life in our upcoming Portugal post but wanted to share some of the beauty we see in Madeira around the Christmas season.
Roasted chestnuts to keep you warm
For now, we hope you will enjoy a few highlights (pun intended) from Madeira.
Nativity scene with poinsettia plants
Christmas train in the Municipal Park downtown Funchal
Staying safe
Beautiful downtown images
Making bolo bread at their Christmas market
Museum decorated with lights
Lights of the harbor looking back at Funchal
