Traveling with the Jones

In anticipation of an upcoming visit to Madeira — an island in the Atlantic Ocean — via a transatlantic cruise, we did a little background research. 

1. Madeira — somewhat confusingly — is the name of three different but related things: an autonomous region of Portugal, an archipelago and an island.

2. The archipelago of Madeira is a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean located 280 nautical miles from the coast of Africa and 540 nautical miles from continental Europe.

3. This archipelago — which includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Desertas —  together with the Savage Islands archipelago  — make up the official Autonomous Region of Madeira.

4. Madeira is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. (The Azores are the other one.) Funchal is the region’s capital city.

5. The Madeira region has a total population of nearly 270,000, most of who live on the main island of Madeira. About 5,000 people live on Porto Santo island. The Desertas and Selvagens are inhabited only by park wardens, military and Maritime Police.

6. The Madeira archipelago was claimed by Portuguese sailors in 1419 under Prince Henry the Navigator. In 2019, Madeira will celebrate six centuries since its formal discovery by the Portuguese.

7. Portugal granted political autonomy to Madeira on July 1, 1976 —giving the area its own government and legislative assembly.

8. Madeira Day is celebrated every year on July 1st.

9. Madeira island is mountainous with peaks reaching 6,100 feet. When claimed in 1419, the island was covered with laurel forest, leading to its name. ‘Madeira’ means ‘wood’ in Portuguese.

10. Some original Laurel forest remains on the island’s north slopes and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

11. The island of Madeira has more than 1,350 miles of levadas created to transport water from the mountainous part of the island to the drier agricultural regions in the south.

12. The Portuguese started building the levadas during the 16th century. Convicts and slaves were used to cut the aqueducts and 25 miles of tunnels into the sides of the mountainous ares.

13. In addition to moving water, today the levadas create hydroelectricity. They are also used as a network of walking and hiking paths that are popular with tourists.

14. Tourism accounts for more than 20 percent of Madeira’s GDP. Approximately 1.4 million tourists visit Madeira each year, including more than 500,00 visitors arriving in Funchal via a cruise ship.

15. The Madeira Islands are the home of Madeira fortified wine which can range from dry (consumed as an aperitif) to sweet (usually served with dessert.)

16. Wine making in Madeira dates back to late 15th century when Madeira was a regular stop for ships heading to the East Indies. Spirits were added to wine barrels to prevent spoilage during long sea voyages.  When an unsold shipment of wine was returned back to the islands, it was discovered that extended exposure to heat and movement in the ship’s holds improved the wine.

17. Madeira labeled as vinho da roda (wines that have made a round trip) became very popular. Since using long sea voyages to age wine was costly, Madeira producers developed methods to produce the same aged and heated style on the island. They began storing wines in special rooms where the island sun would age the wine. Today, Madeira’s unique wine-making process which involves heating and aging the wine.

18. One of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite wines, Madeira was used to toast the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A bottle of Madeira was used to christen the USS Constitution in 1797.

19. Coral, the local beer, has been produced at the Madeira Brewery since 1872. The brewery also produces the Brisa brand of soft drinks and Laranjada.

20. Launched in 1872, Laranjada is an orange-flavored, carbonated soft drink created 14 years before Coca-Cola.  The beverage remains popular today. Its name is derived from the Portuguese word laranja which means “orange.”

21. Local instruments such as the machete, rajao, brinquinho and cavaquinho are used in Madeira’s folklore music, and accompany traditional folkloric dances like the Bailinho da Madeira.

22. During the 1880’s, immigrants from Madeira introduced the ukulele to the Hawaiian islands. Their ukulele was based on the cavaquinho and the rajao — two small guitar-like instruments from Madeira.

23. Espetada is traditional dish made from beef rubbed in garlic, salt and bay leaf and marinated for 4 to 6 hours in Madeira wine, vinegar and olive oil. The pieces of beef are then skewered onto a bay laurel stick and grilled. The meat is often served with milho frito, fried squares of corn meal and kale that’s similar to Italian polenta.

24. Embroidery was originally introduced to Madeira by the Phelps family from England who settled in Madeira in 1784.  In 1854, Elizabeth Phelps established a small school in her home and taught children and women to embroider with her original designs. These embroideries became popular and sought-after by tourists. By the 1860’s embroidery had become a major industry with 70,000 women embroiderers “bordadeiras” in Madeira.

25. Today Madeira’s finest and delicate hand-made embroidery arts are popular gifts and tourist souvenirs.

What fun fact about Madeira can you add?

Are you planning a visit to Madeira? Check out these resources:

Footloose on Madeira Madeira: The islands and their wines Top 10 Madeira (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide)

Interact with us via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.

While we’ve visited Phoenix, Arizona many times, we’ve never done background research on the city that we find makes a visit more interesting.

Prior to a visit this weekend, we gathered some interesting tidbits about Arizona’s largest city.

42 Fun Facts about Phoenix, Arizona

1. The land that would become the city of Phoenix was first inhabited by the Hohokam people around 700 AD. The Hohokam created 135 miles irrigation canals allowing the cultivation of crops in the desert climate.

2. The Hohokam later abandoned the area; their departure thought to be caused by floods and drought between 1300 -1450 AD.

3. In 1867 a man named Jack Swilling was traveling through the Salt River Valley and saw a potential for farming. He formed a small community near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers.

4. Seeing the remains of the Hohokam’s prehistoric irrigation canals, one of the settlers in Swilling’s party — Englishman “Lord” Phillip Darrell Duppa — suggested the name “Phoenix”, as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization.

5. When Phoenix became an incorporated city on February 25, 1881, it was home to approximately 2,500 people.

6. By 2017, Phoenix has grown to become the fifth-largest city in the United States with a population of 1,626,078 people.

7. The Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, is home to approximately 4.73 million people as of 2017.

8. Phoenix became the capital of Arizona Territory in 1889.

9. On February 14, 1912 Phoenix became a U.S. state capitol when Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state.

10. Today, Phoenix is the only capital city in the United States with a population of more than 1 million residents.

11. The sun shines on Phoenix during 85 percent of its daylight hours, more often than any other major metropolitan area in the U.S.

12. Phoenix has an average annual rainfall of 8.04 inches.

13. Despite its hot desert climate, the irrigation canal system in Phoenix allowed farming to thrive.

14. Litchfield Park, in Phoenix’s west Valley, was originally founded in 1916 as a cotton farm for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio. The company used long-staple Egyptian cotton to strengthen its tires, but needed a domestic source when German U-boats cut off supply ships during WW I. The town is named for Paul Litchfield, the Goodyear Tire executive who established the Arizona cotton farm community.

15. The “Five C’s —  cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper –were the primary drivers of Phoenix’s economy until after World War II, when air conditioning became more prevalent and technology companies relocated to the area to take advantage of the strong supply of post-war military talent.

16. The Arizona Biltmore hotel –first opened to guests in 1929 – was designed by architect Albert Chase McArthur –a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright served as consulting architect for relating to the “Textile Block” construction the hotel, and the Frank Lloyd Wright “style” shows throughout the resort’s design.

17. In 1930, Chicago chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. became the sole owner of the Arizona Biltmore. Wrigley built the resort’s first swimming pool.

18. The Biltmore’s historic “Catalina Pool” is allegedly both Marilyn Monroe’s favorite pool, and the location where composer Irving Berlin penned the holiday melody, White Christmas.

19. In 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright moved to Phoenix and built his winter home, Taliesin West, as well as the main campus for The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

20. Greater Phoenix sits within the Sonoran Desert –one of the few native habits for the saguaro cactus – a type of cactus can grow more than 40 feet tall and live more than 150 years.

21. The saguaro can take 50 to 100 years to grow its “arms.”

22. Harming a saguaro cactus is illegal in Arizona. Cutting down a saguaro without a permit — even on your own property — is considered a class four felony with a possible three-year, nine-month jail sentence.

23. Phoenix landmark Camelback Mountain –which rises to 2,704 feet above sea — level resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel. Most of Camelback Mountain falls within Phoenix city limits.

24. Phoenix is hot. The temperature in Phoenix reaches or exceeds 100°F an average of 110 days during the year, including  most days from late May through early September.

25. Phoenix averages only five days per year where the temperature drops below freezing.

26. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix was 122 degrees Fahrenheit at Sky Harbor International Airport on June 26, 1990.

27. You can eat at Mel’s Diner — located at 1747 Grand Avenue in Phoenix – that was featured in the 1976-1985 CBS television sitcom Alice. The diner’s sign with the giant coffee cup was in the show’s opening credits. It was “Chris’ Diner” but the owner agreed to permanently change the name to “Mel’s” for the television show.

28. Actress Jennie Garth of Beverly Hills, 90210 TV fame attended Greenway High School in Phoenix and Apollo High School in Glendale.

29. Scenes from the 2017 movie Transformers: The Last Knight were shot on the Loop 303 in north Phoenix during the summer of 2016.

30. Only about three percent of Phoenix homes have basements. The reason: parts of the Phoenix Valley have soil called Caliche that is so hard you can actually see sparks fly off your shovel if you try to dig into it.

31. More than 40 million passengers fly through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport each year, making it one of the 10 busiest airports in the United States.

32. The BMO Tower — a high-rise on Central Avenue in Midtown Phoenix –was originally built in 1991 for the Dial Corporation. The building’s shape was designed to resemble bar of Dial soap.

33. Central Ave. in Midtown Phoenix is also home to the “Punch Card Building” that is part of the Phoenix Financial Center complex built in 1963.

The high-rise building gets its nicknamed due the building’s southern façade resemblance to a computer punch card.

34. The Punch Card Building and other parts of Phoenix Financial Center served as a filming location for the Mike Nichols-directed movie What Planet Are You From? starring Garry Shandling, Ben Kingsley, Annette Benning, John Goodman and Greg Kinnear.

35. The Silver Pony–a cash-only dive bar in Phoenix — offers a hitching post where you can tie up your horse (that you rode in on) while you drink and enjoy the music. It is located just 6 miles south of downtown at 620 W. Dobbins Rd.

36. Opened in 1962, the 125-acre Phoenix Zoo is the largest privately owned, non-profit zoo in the United States with more than 1,400 animals and 2.5 miles of walking trails. The zoo was founded by Robert Maytag of the Maytag appliance family.

37. Phoenix is home to the largest municipal park in North America. The South Mountain Park and Preserve covers 16,500 acres and offers 50 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails.

38. Phoenix is one of only a few U.S. cities with four major professional sports leagues: the Phoenix Suns (NBA), the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), the Arizona Cardinals (NFL) and the Arizona Coyotes (NHL).

39. Every spring the Cactus League comes to town when 15 Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the greater Phoenix area, drawing nearly 1.9 million fans.

40. Arizona State University (commonly known as ASU) is a public research university on four campuses across the Phoenix metropolitan area. ASU is one of the largest public universities in the U.S., with approximately 80,000 students attending classes across its metro campuses in the fall of 2018.

41. The Musical Instrument Museum showcases music of cultures from around the world, with more than 6,500 musical instruments and objects on display.

42. Although daylight savings time begins in the U.S. this Sunday, Phoenix and most of Arizona won’t “fall forward.”  In 1973, Gov. Jack Williams argued against implementing daylight savings time in Arizona, saying the change would increase energy use and force children to go to school in the dark.

What fun fact about Phoenix can you add to this list?

Share your thoughts with us via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.

Learn more about Phoenix, Arizona with these books:
A Brief History of Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona: A Photographic Portrait Phoenix Travel Guide 2019: Shops, Restaurants, Arts, Entertainment and Nightlife in Phoenix, Arizona (City Travel Guide 2019).

If you enjoy wine, purchasing a wine package on your cruise can be a good option.After attending the wine tasting on the Koningsdam spring transatlantic cruise, we decided to purchase several different wine packages to enjoy during our 14-day cruise between Ft. Lauderdale and Rome.

A Look at Holland America’s Wine Packages

Holland America Line offers three different wine packages called The Sommelier Suite. Each package — straight-forwardly named Cellar No 1,  Cellar No 2, and Cellar No 3 — contains 14 different bottles of wine, half white or rose, and half reds.

Purchasing a package of four, six or eight bottles saves cruise guests up to 25 percent off of the single bottle price.

Loyal Holland America Mariners get an even better deal:

•  3-star Mariners receive a 25 percent discount on the package price
• 4- and 5-star Mariners receive a 50 percent discount off the package price

A 15 percent service charge (before any discount) is added to all packages.

As 5-star Mariners who used to bring their own wine on board — paying a corkage fee after the first bottle — we find these wine packages an ideal way to enjoy a variety of wine on Holland America cruises.

Cellar No 1 – is Holland America’s least expensive wine package. After trying the Italian Frescobaldi Remole during the wine tasting event, we decided to buy a four-bottle package.

We enjoyed also enjoyed the Greystone Sauvignon Blanc, the Los Riscos Merlot and the Estancia Pinot Noir that are a part of the Cellar No 1 package.

Cellar No 2 is Holland America’s middle-priced wine package, with a number of familiar California and Washington wines. Simi Chardonnay, Estancia Pinot Grigio and Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc are all comfortable wines to enjoy during cocktail hour or sitting by the pool.

A fellow cruiser at wine tasting advised the the Le Grand Courtage Brut was a good sparkling wine choice. Another friend recommended the Frescobaldi Castiglioni Chianti when dining the the Canaletto Italian restaurant. We agreed with these recommendations.

As Pinot Noir lovers, we expected to order several bottles of the well-known Meiomi Pinot Noir; however, many other cruisers must have had the same idea as the ship was out of this wine. Our wine steward graciously offered to serve is the Hangtime Pinot Noir (from the Cellar No 3 package) in place of the Meiomi.

We enjoyed the Hangtime Pinot Noir; it has a hint of sweetness on the palate.

Cellar No 3 is Holland America’s most expensive wine package , but if you purchase 8 bottles the price is $41.13 per bottle before the service charge. For 4- and 5-star Mariners, these are terrific wines for a little over $20 per bottle.

As we were traveling with a group of friends who are also 5-star Mariners, we each bought wine packages and shared and compared. One of the benefits of a longer cruise, and sharing wine with friends is getting to try a number of different bottles on the list that weren’t familiar.

We knew we liked the Drylands Sauvignon Blanc from the wine tasting. We enjoyed the Big Easy Chenin Blanc from South Africa. The Laurenz V “Singing” Gruner Veltliner was perfect with a slightly spicy dinner at the Tamarind Restaurant.

Our favorite surprise of this list is the Meiomi Rose, a crisp wine that paired well with all kinds of food.

Have you tried Holland America’s Sommelier Suite of wine packages? What are your favorite bottles?

Share your thoughts with us via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest  or Instagram.