101 Beautiful Things

4th August 2019

Mary Quant at the V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some really exciting exhibitions and fashion seems to be something they excel at. I really enjoyed the Alexander McQueen one they held a couple of years ago. It was amazing to see such skill in tailoring which McQueen was known for, and that his fashion house continues, at close hand.

Currently on at the V&A is a Mary Quant retrospective. This was a name I grew up with. I was aware of her clothing but as a child only took a passing interest in it, and certainly didn’t appreciate the creativity. On a recent visit it was great to see all of the pieces on display and the influence they had on the Sixties. Most of the clothing on show has been donated by the owner and there are some interesting notes about why they bought it, how much it cost and for what occasion they wore it. I particularly liked the quirky items including the cricket jumper dress and admire the interesting use of synthetics such as pvc and crimplene which, while a big no no now, was the height of sophistication at the time. Makes me break out in a sweat just thinking about it.

Mary Quant herself was and still is a style icon, sporting her famous bob created by Vidal Sassoon. She was a massive influence on sixties fashion, creating relatively affordable pieces in comparison to her peers and teaming up with shop and catalogue brands to bring high fashion to the masses. Something that is fairly common now but almost unheard of then.

To me Mary Quant means make-up. When I was about 12 years old I developed an obsession with nail varnish. A school friend had an older sister who worked at a cosmetics factory and she would bring back samples for us – we would spend hours painting our nails in different colours. My favourite was Plum Gone by Miners but the creme de la creme was Mary Quant. Occasionally we would get our hands on the much coveted little round bottle of Mary Quant nail varnish. So glamorous.

After I tried the nail varnish I was intrigued by the rest of the range. It was so different to anything you could get at Woolworths and so out of my reach financially. But one glorious day my aunt gave me a tin of Mary Quant Crayons; she could have given me the moon and I wouldn’t have been happier. I remember spending ages just opening the tin and admiring them before I ever attempted to use them. Realistically they were not that great but the concept and the hype around them was amazing.

Funnily enough a few years later I got a summer job at the same cosmetics factory as my friend’s sister and although my love for make-up was never diminished, my love for nail varnish did very quickly after working on the production line. It constantly broke down with bottles spilling everywhere when it got stuck on the conveyor belt. I vowed then and there never to buy another bottle again.

The exhibition is great and well worth a visit if you want to learn about sixties fashion or just take a trip down memory lane.
It is on now until 16 Feb 2020. For booking and more information click HERE

This post is not sponsored. Entry fee paid by me.

28th July 2019

Flowers of Madeira

The magnificent Protea – Palheiro Gardens

As you travel around the island you see what the benefit of having a sub-tropical climate brings to the local flora and fauna. There are flowers everywhere and, understandably, Madeira has some of the most beautiful gardens displaying a wide range of species from all around the world. Anyone who likes flowers can only be impressed with the range and abundance on offer.

If you have a head for heights you can jump in the cable car near the central market and go up to the Tropical gardens in Monte which are amazing. If like me you don’t like heights, it is accessible by road. Definitely worth a visit. Or take a trip to the Botanical gardens where the flower beds are arranged in geometric patterns and lovingly cared for. Really beautiful with fabulous views.

Palheiro Gardens Madeira — Palheiro Gardens

On my recent visit to Madeira we stopped at Palheiro gardens. This used to be the home of the Blandy family, so you will hear locals refer to it as Blandy gardens. It is very high up so the temperature is slightly cooler but the flowers and plants are still quite spectacular, and there are great views over the bay.

Bird of paradise — Strelitzia – Bird of Paradise

The gardens are very reminiscent of an English country garden, lots of roses and camellias. There are some trees that look as if they were imported from the UK and are struggling with the climate. However, it’s perfect for the Proteas from South Africa and the Jacaranda from Brazil, as well as the crowd pleaser favourite, the Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise.

This is the fourth and last part of my Madeira series. Please scroll down for the other three. This post is not sponsored, all trips were paid for by me.

More information about Palheiro Gardens HERE

14th July 2019

Eating in Madeira

You can enjoy some fabulous food in Madeira. The local produce is amazing. I have already spoken about the bananas which to me are the way bananas should taste, really sweet and slightly waxy in texture. But the locals are not satisfied with just having them as a dessert, they pair them with fish too. The dish that you will see in many restaurants is scabbard fish with bananas (espada com banana), a seemingly odd combination but actually delicious. A deep water fish, the scabbard is long and silver when in the water but as soon as it comes up to the surface it turns black. It has a very subtle taste, so is perfect to be accompanied by stronger flavours.

Most people have tried Madeira cake at some point. The pale yellow one with a darker crust. Simple and delicious. However, a more traditional cake is the honey cake (Bolo de Mel). This is a dark, dense delight that’s very sweet and nutty. My favourite, though, are Pastel de Natas, small custard tarts usually served slightly warm with a coffee. Nothing like the custard tarts you get in England. The pastry is light and flaky and the custard is creamy and sweet. Absolutely delicious. Lucky for me, my local supermarket sells them and although they are not quite as good as the ones in Madeira, they are not a bad substitute.

The market place in Funchal is a great place to visit. Full of beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables, it also has a wide selection of chillies and fresh fish and flowers for sale. Definitely worth a visit just to browse or buy flowers to take home. They will pack them up for you to take on the plane.

Here is a quick roundup of my favourite restaurants in Madeira:

La Vaca Negra
If you like steak, this is the place for you. Every cut of steak you could ask for, beautifully cooked, flavoursome and served simply with a jacket potato or chips, and salad. Go hungry as the portions are large.

Cris’s Place
This is one of three restaurants by the same owner that are situated within a square mile. Cris’s and Cris’s Flambé are the other two. All three have a similar concept whereby there is a set menu at a fixed price, offering three courses plus coffee and wine. The wines are chosen by Cris to complement each course and they are good quality. if you find choosing Portuguese wine a mine field this is a good choice. The service is excellent and it has a very upmarket feel.

Indian Palace
Fancy a curry while on holiday? This one serves up some of the best I have tasted. All your favourites with rices and beautifully fresh, fluffy naans to complement your dish. Great service too.

Frango de Guia
Grilled chicken, rosemary and garlic flavoured chips and a nice fresh salad. If that sounds good this is the place to visit. They do lots of other dishes but every time I visit that is what I order because to me, there is nothing better.

Hole in One pub
I have to give an honourable mention to this pub. It has the best atmosphere and attracts a lot of tourists. There’s live music most evenings and sport on large TV screens will keep you there for several drinks. It also has great range of gins, local beers and wine, plus food.

This is the third part in my Guide to Madeira, for the first two parts scroll down below.

This post is not sponsored. I paid for all meals and excursions.

16th June 2019

Madeira: Levada walks

If you like walking and want to see some spectacular views and nature at its very best, Madeira’s levada walks are for you. These small canals were built in the 16th century to bring down rainwater from the peaks to the parched areas of the island, assisting farmers cultivating land on small strips on the sides of steep hills. The little paths alongside them mean walking in the hills is relatively easy.

The scenery is spectacular with fabulous waterfalls and quite magnificent vegetation growing alongside the canals and pathways. Although it is possible to make your own way along the levadas, I would always recommend going with a guide. We went with Emanuel from Walking with Emanuel in parties of six to eight people. The walks are graded easy to hard and some are in the high peaks, although these they are weather dependent. On both occasions that we booked the Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo walk it was too misty and foggy to be safe, so we were given a substitute walk instead. Summer may be the best time for that one. That said, all of the walks have plenty to offer and my favourite was Rabacal 25 springs – the highlight is the view where 25 springs merge into a large waterfall.

A walk lasting about four hours with return pick up from your hotel will cost in the region of 25 euros. You will need to have walking boots and a waterproof jacket. A guide will help you navigate the sometimes narrow paths and point out key points including the plants which grow to spectacular proportions in the clean pollution free atmosphere.

Our guide took some cheese with him and showed us how to hand feed the birds which was a nice experience. At the end of the walk we piled into the van, weary but elated and were driven back to our hotel in time for a relaxing bath and a pre-dinner drinks.

Tip: Some tourist places seemingly offering cheap rates for walks and jeep safaris are really timeshare agents for hotels and will try to sign you up for a 90-minute talk before you qualify for the cheaper price.

We went with Walking with Emanuel HERE

This post is not sponsored, I paid for all excursions.

8th June 2019

I Love Madeira

There are some holiday destinations where you arrive and instantly feel relaxed and comfortable. For me that is Madeira. It is the place I return to year after year. As soon as I step off the plane everything seems OK and all those day-to-day problems that we all have vanish.

Situated off the west coast of Africa, Madeira is an Island belonging to Portugal. It has a sub-tropical climate which supports an abundant collection of flora and fauna all year around. Fabulous flowers just growing on the road side, gardens with bananas ripening. I urge you to try a banana from Madeira, they taste like bananas should be, slightly waxy in texture, sweet and full of flavour. If you have ever had a pointsetia at Christmas and failed to keep it alive by January you can only look and weep at the huge ones just growing by the side of the road and the palm trees gently swaying in the warm breeze all year around.

I first came here back in the nineties with my then boyfriend (now my husband) and it did have the reputation as an older person’s holiday destination. We did feel like the kids in the hotel that we stayed in, but lately that has changed a lot. It attracts a far more diverse age group for the wide range of sports and leisure activities.

The capital Funchal has an old colonial feel to it due to its prosperity as a place for passing ships to stop and refuel in the 1800s. It is situated just off shipping lanes bound for Africa and the Far East. While here, they would also buy provisions. This led to the popularity the sweet fortified Madeira wine, which kept well in the warm environment of the ships, and it soon became renowned worldwide. There are stories of people like Churchill and Napoleon being given barrels of the wine to give to dignitaries.

John Blandy moved from England to Madeira in the early 1800s due to ill health in order to benefit from the restorative climate. He set up his wine business a few years later. Due to its success and a desire to diversify, he then bought several businesses including the famous Reid’s Hotel. The family no longer own this but it is the number one hotel on the island and you only have to enter the reception to look at and feel the splendour that still exists today. Blandys, still run by the family, is possibly the most well-known of the Madeira wines and operates a very informative tour where you can learn how Madeira is made, about the different grapes and see the private Blandy family collection with wines that date back to 1500.

The centre of Funchal is also home to the most fabulous market building which manages to keep cool even in the searing heat. Scabbard fish, any chilli you could name and the freshest of fruit and vegetables are all on sale alongside an amazing collection of cut flowers.

Madeira is a beautiful place, over the next three blog posts I will be exploring some of my favourite things to do, places to eat and the beautiful flowers.

All trips and items shown were purchased by me.

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