Article by by LAURA LATHAM - Easy Jet Inflight
WE MOVED TO…
MADEIRA, PORTUGAL
When home is a grand 19th-century estate on a semi-tropical island, what more do you need?
YEAR-ROUND SUNSHINE, stunning coastal views and an active, outdoor lifestyle may sound too good to be true, but the Still family will tell you how wrong you are. They moved to Madeira two years ago and love it so much they’ve set down roots as deep as the ancient trees in the island’s famous forests.
“I never expected to end up in Madeira,” says Roger, 57, who lives with wife Lizzie, 49, and 10-year-old daughter Lara in a villa overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. “But it’s a beautiful island with so much to do. It’s a wonderful place to live.”
Roger’s career in international sales had already taken the Stills across the world, from the Caribbean to central Europe and Portugal, when he was offered a job working for the illustrious Blandy family in Madeira.
One of the most important names on the island, the Blandys made their fortune in the 1800s, by exporting Madeira wine. Palheiro, the family’s 19th-century estate, is famous for its boutique hotel, golf course and botanical gardens - and the development where the Stills’ home is located. “Palheiro is a stunning location,” says Lizzie. “There is a certain amount of kudos to saying we live there. People are always very impressed.”
Madeira is a highly cosmopolitan environment, which gives Lara the chance to mix with a range of nationalities at school. “It was difficult when I first moved here,” she says. “But I soon got used to it, and now have a lot of friends from Madeira, Germany, Spain and Holland. We hardly ever watch TV, but we never get bored, because there are so many other things to do.”
Roger and Lizzie feel Madeira allows Lara a diverse, outdoor lifestyle she wouldn’t find elsewhere. She’s currently taking golf and riding lessons, plays tennis and goes on hikes with her father and the family spaniel, Archie, along Madeira’s famous levadas (aqueducts). These narrow paths follow the watercourses that flow from the mountains and are picturesque, but can be precarious. “Walking levadas is fun but sometimes it can be scary,” says Lara, “Archie fell in last time, so I don’t think he likes it much.”
Living on such a far-flung outpost doesn’t make the family feel isolated. “Europe is only three hours away, so we can get off the island whenever we need a change of scenery,” explains Lizzie. “Plus, we have the internet like everyone else, so we can communicate with friends and family and, of course, do our shopping online.” She laughs: “Roger’s heart sinks whenever a delivery arrives - he knows I’ve been busy with the credit cards.”
Lizzie also feels the family benefits from a simpler, as well as a better, quality of life. “It’s a safe environment. Children here don’t grow up as fast and aren’t exposed to a competitive or materialistic culture.” She admits, though, that Madeira may not suit everyone, and advises prospective residents to visit several times or rent for a few months first.
ROGER ALSO CLAIMS the island is losing its “blue rinse” reputation, thanks to younger families who have moved there. Even their eldest daughter, Charlotte, 21, who lives in the UK and used to prefer holidaying in Ibiza, is happy to visit with her friends. They now find enough clubs and bars on the island to keep them happy.
The family’s only quibble might be that the year-round good weather has made them soft. “Madeirans are so used to warmth they think anything below 15°C is freezing, and last winter was quite cold,” says Roger. “We’re one of the few families in the area who have central heating, so we were the envy of all our friends.”
For now, at least, the family have no plans to leave and are constantly thrilled with Madeira’s unexpected pleasures. “The other day, we saw a school of dolphins playing just offshore,” says Roger. “It’s those experiences that lifts the spirits and makes us realise that, after two years, we’ve barely scratched the island’s surface.”
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