It should not always be the taste of sweet muscat wine and the smell of hyacinth on Madeira.

In 2005 Marina Do Lugar De Baixo was built.It was to be a home, be it temporary, for the super-luxury yachts.Since it was built the walls of the harbour have been damaged three times by huge waves to such a degree that repairing them now is simply not tenable and the road to the Marina has been chained off.Fifty million euros down the proverbial drain.True,only 3.5 million had been provided for this fiasco by the European Union, but the residents of Madeira have been given another 6 billion to play with and it is anyone's guess how much of it has been repaid since 2012 when the 6 billion was owed. Yes, 252 000 inhabitants owe 6 billion euros. In the shopping centre next to the Ritz hotel,where the shops are supposed to be open 9-13 and 15-19,several of them were still closed at 10.30 in the morning. I liked the look of one of them, so returned shortly after 12.As the only assistant was attending to two patrons, I popped inside the shop next door and went back ten minutes later.It was 12.15. The boutique was dark, the door firmly locked. The life on Madeira is very good for the natives.They have been blessed with the most wonderful commodity- the warm sea and the constant sun. And with the euro billions on tap it is always the taste of sweet muscat wine and the smell of hyacinth on Madeira.