gin | 101 Beautiful Things

While shopping in my local M&S last month I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a beautiful display of these bottles, all lit up and glistening in the light. Not feeling in the mood for Christmas at that point, I didn’t purchase one there and then which I later regretted as they became very difficult to get hold of. But success on an early morning trip – felt a bit uncomfortable buying gin at 10am when everyone else was getting milk and bread but it had to be done as the store had put a two bottle limit on them as they were flying out.

I think M&S have certainly pulled it out of the bag for the Christmas must have this year. It makes a perfect gift, very attractive, doesn’t need wrapping and comes with its own light. Give the bottle a quick shake, press the light on the base and sit back and enjoy the edible gold leaf glistening in either Clementine or Rhubarb flavour gin liqueur. I haven’t tried it yet as it is almost too beautiful to drink but it should satisfy the gin loving friend and being only 20% vol makes a good mixer with other spirits for cocktails.

I have always been quite fascinated by snow globes. I cannot walk past one without giving it a quick shake and watching the snow flakes swirling around often a very disappointing plastic Santa. In my research for this piece I tried to find a more modern tasteful one, but sadly only came up against an array of very kitsch looking Santas, snowmen and winter scenes.

Looking at the history of snow globes they first appeared in Vienna Austria, apparently by accident when the inventor Edwin Perzy was trying to increase the brightness of an electric lightbulb. Inspired by shoemakers who increased their light source by filling a glass globe with water and placing it in front of a candle flame, he experimented with glass globes but after trying out several different methods dropped some semolina in water and noticed how it fell like snow to the bottom. Sensing he had hit upon a winner he added some scenes as a backdrop in the globe and the snow globe was born. They are still being manufactured by the family company today. I will continue my quest to find a nice looking snow globe but in the meantime, cheers!

Not sponsored or paid for, all items purchased by me.

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.