PORTUGAL

We have always had something of a fascination with island clubs - especially the ones playing in Portugal’s Primeira Liga that are far out in the Atlantic Ocean. But then, in 2023, Marítimo disappeared from the top flight and there were no island clubs in the division for the first time in 38 years.

Keen to find out what had happened, we booked a trip to beautiful Madeira - the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo - to explore the island and take in the Funchal derby between second-tier Marítimo and Nacional at Estádio do Marítimo.

What an occasion it was: 25 degrees in January, passionate fan bases on both sides and a 3-1 victory for the home team, who - along with their crosstown rivals - have since returned to the upper echelons of the Portuguese game.

We also paid a visit to the Cristiano Ronaldo Museum, ate traditional black scabbardfish (caught deep beneath the ocean) with banana and went whale watching. We saw precisely zero whales - but we were treated to a scintillating sunset!