Madeira, Madeira!

We escaped the winter weather in London and fled to the sunny shores of Madeira, a small idyllic island near the coast of North Africa. December was the perfect month to go and within four and a half hours on the plane we arrived at our destination feeling a million miles from home. The tranquil warmth of the island was in complete contrast to our memories that Christmas was nearly upon us.

After a swift taxi drive through the winding roads and rock tunnels from Funchal airport, we arrived at our hotel, Porto Mare, and quickly stretched our legs in the beautiful gardens. The array of tropical plants was stunning. There were banana trees and orchids of all colours, and brightly coloured exotic birds of paradise flowers. It was a perfect place for my son to explore and find secret gardens where he could hide amongst the bamboo.

We set off to find a place for dinner and meandered down to the sea where we took in the pink pastel sky and crescent moon. We could smell the sea breeze in the air. It hadn't taken us long to shake off London and feel completely relaxed, dining al fresco in the evening.

In the morning we set off to explore the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens on the hill above the capital, Funchal.  It was an oasis of calm and tranquillity, which brought you close to nature's glorious array of fauna and ferns. Plants and trees from across the world grew in all their splendour.

The fresh green tropical plants made you imagine what the world may have looked liked during the Jurassic period. There were Australian Tree Ferns, Californian Redwoods, Pygmy Date Palms, Jelly Palms from Brazil, cut-leaf Philodendron Curly Palms, Elegant Palms from Australia, Windmill Palms from China, Cy cads from Africa and Carvalho Oaks from Europe.

Some plants even had intriguing names such as Dragon's Beard from Japan or Spanish Dagger from America.

It was an immensely relaxing and tranquil place. The tall trees spread their huge fern leaves creating a cooling shade. Breathing in the cool, damp and fresh air immediately calmed you.

An oriental theme was very much part of gardens with laughing Buddha's, roaring tigers and fierce dragon statues placed amongst the trees.

Having the gardens on the hillside, accentuated the picturesque and beauty of the garden. Waterfalls and streams ran by the small winding paths down the hill. The stone steps were smooth and rounded and covered in moss so as to become part of the natural setting. Every where you looked there were little bridges, paths, or stepping stones to jump across the water, a delight for parents and children alike.

All you could hear was the sound of running water, birds in the trees and the chiming of the Buddhist bells.

At the centre of the garden was a lake with two waterfalls cascading down the hill and fountains spraying water. There were ducks, swans and a group of carp fish hiding under a bridge. We walked up to the cafe to drink some tea on the terrace and enjoyed the view of the blue sea and sky. There was a pretty Mediterranean style villa with huge potted plants surrounding the house and trees heavy with oranges and lemons which made for a very picturesque view.

A robin and a few chaffinches came to join us in search of some croissant crumbs. We eventually left to take a cable car back down the hill and watched the panoramic view of the city and sea, shimmering and sparkling in the warm sun.

We had only just begun our holiday but already felt so relaxed and contented being so close to nature in this emerald forest with so many delights to behold. We wondered what the next day would bring.