Just back from a holiday in Madeira where husband and I were enjoying some balmy weather, a bit of pampering and eye-widening sights before the final rush to the 25th.
Time is running away and still so much to do so my post on Madeira will have to be put on hold while I stuff the washing machine, finalise shopping for presents and food, contemplate a bit of housework and catch up on nearly 1000 emails. So apologies for my lack of comments, though I have tried to read all your pieces and hope to respond to some more recent ones.
Meantime I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas, spending it doing just what you want with those you want to spend it with.
Christmas tree made from Madeira wine bottles in the foyer of the Funchal cable car.
However you spend it, have a great time.
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About jingsandthings
I am me.
What do I like?
Colour
Shapes
Textures
Paintings, photographs, sculptures, woven tapestries, wonderful materials. The love of materials probably comes from my father who was a textile buyer, and I grew up hearing the names of mills and manufacturers which sounded magical and enticing.
Glass in all its soft and vibrant colours and flowing shapes, even sixties glass which makes its own proud statement.
A book I can immerse myself in.
Meals with family or friends with lots of chat and laughter (and probably a bottle or two of wine).
The occasional trip abroad to experience the sights, sounds, food, conversation, quality of light and warmth of other countries. To revel in differences and be amazed by similarities.
I like to create and to experience, to try and to achieve.
And then there are words – read, heard, written at my keyboard, or scrawled on sticky notes, or along the edges of dog-eared supermarket receipts excavated from the unexplored nooks of my handbag.
What do I dislike?
Cold
Snow
Bad design
Fast food
Condescension
I am me. For more click image.
jingsandthings 
Merry Xmas!
Thank you. Hope yours is all you wish.
I enjoyed your photograph of the wine bottle Christmas tree. You always seem to get the right photos!!! thanks
Madeira seems to go in for unusual trees. We saw wonderful ones made from driftwood and all kinds of weird and wonderful unusual stuff which looked really eye-catching as a festive tree. They also favour lots of fruit (especially oranges and tangerines/satsumas) scattered around their nativity scenes. Something to do with fertility, we were told! Looked very colourful anyway.
Envy!
Merry Christmas from Tokyo!
Madeira was really interesting…but Tokyo must be something else. Hope you are having a fabulous time and that 2014 is all you want it to be.
i had to look up where madeira is (shame) but i hope you had an amazing holiday! again, all my best for 2014 🙂 x
I was a bit hazy about where it was too. Turns out it was nearer Africa than I thought — hence the good winter weather.Lots of photos so will be posting about it once things return to normal. Have a great 2014.
That’s quite a Christmas tree – I’ll look forward to hearing more about the sun soaking!
Madeira seemed to go in for ‘alternative’ Christmas trees. We saw lots made from pieces of driftwood and all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff. Perhaps when you have greenery all year round the usual tree is not so special.
Oh! We honeymooned for a week in Madeira just over three years ago and absolutely loved it. Lucky you! I definitely want to go back one day.
Mind you, I love the Borders too 🙂
Anywhere the weather is warmer than winter weather here suits me fine. Though we probably have less harsh winters than you up north.So far (fingers crossed) we seem to have got off lightly compared to the west coast.
Madeira was interesting. I loved the contrast between the coastal strip and the mountains. Still trying to prise myself out of holiday mode to get down to writing some posts on Madeira’s attractions. Think I’ve gone from holiday mode to hibernation.
Nothing wrong with a spot of hibernation till it gets lighter…
We have wet, windy and dark winters, but snow is unusual and it’s rarely as cold as the east coast/Borders.
While hibernating I’ve been usefully employed trying to get to grips with iBooks Author — amazing programme. Am about to hit iBooks with a novel complete with photographs. Makes the Kindle version so antiquated!
Think so far we have missed the worst of the stormy weather. Hope it stays mild.
What a fun marriage of wine and Christmas, Dorothy. I haven’t been to Madeira, but we did celebrate Christmas on Gran Canaria three years ago, and had a splendid time – a perfect holiday escape.
We weren’t actually there for Christmas but for a week mid December. Christmas was then spent at home with some of the family. I understand Madeira is less hot than the Canaries, with less divergence in temperature between summer and winter and more rain which keeps everything very fresh and green. And there is a wonderful contrast between the coastal strip and the mountains which go up to over 6000 feet. Rain is channelled from the mountains to the southern shores by a system of levadas or water channels. Many visitors spend their days walking these as they twist and turn through the landscape. I’m trying to prise myself from hibernation and motivate myself to writ a post or two about the island. Hope 2014 is good for you.