During the 18th century, a property was bought by Charles Murray, who was also the English Consul at the time. The property was none other than the Monte located to the southern part of the church. It was bought and converted in to a heavenly estate. It was called Quinta do Prazer which means The Pleasure Estate. As the 19th century arrived, a few rich families from Madeira, who had some vast estates themselves, came to live here whenever they came to visit Funchal.

Continue reading... Funchal Monte Palace Tropical Garden

When it comes to putting on a show, the Spanish can always be counted on. To say otherwise is to understate the fact that they like all forms of entertainment. You can expect an extraordinary performance with an oriental flavour when Mallorca celebrates the Chinese Lantern festival. With so many festivals happening in the month of August, this traditional Chinese festival, also known as La Fiesta de les Llanternes, is one spectacular and unique celebration that every family and the Chinese communities in Mallorca look forward to. This colourful festival has also been a source of attraction to thousands of tourists on holiday in Mallorca. You can still be a part of this festival which takes place on the 24th of August, if you start the booking of your flights to Mallorca now.

Continue reading... Chinese Lantern Festival in Mallorca

If you happen to be in Spain on June 3rd then expect to get caught up in one of the major festivals of the Spanish calendar. Corpus Christi is a feast day that celebrates the Eucharist, which Catholics believe to be the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Spanish never need an excuse for a celebration, and as a country with a strong Catholic heritage it is hardly surprising that there are major festivities across the country on this day. However, what makes the festival so exciting for an outsider is that each region celebrates the day in its own unique way.

Continue reading... Corpus Christi celebrations in Spain

When thinking of Sri Lanka, the first things that come to mind are aromatic coffee, images of palm-fringed beaches and, unfortunately, the tsunami of 26th December 2004 and the bitter civil war between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority that lasted for 25 years before finally coming to an end in May last year.

Continue reading... Light of Hope for Sri Lanka