Madeira News Blog

TODAYS PHOTO :  An iconic painting found in Sé Cathedral in Funchal

Source : Diário de Notícias 31/3/2008

Blood donors are encouraged to go to the central hospital in Funchal to make regular donations, but in 2007 the amount of donors (and blood donated) diminished due to the lack of car parking facilities. Regular donors receive medals awarded at a free lunch when they achieve certain donation levels, and yesterday 186 generous individuals received their awards.

A busy day today for the cruise ships, with 5 ships in port bringing around 8,000 passengers. April is going to be exceptionally busy with 50 cruise ships scheduled to visit.

SATA, the airline based on the Azores, is considering the possibility of creating a subsidiary company to provide Madeira with it’s own airline. It also says that it is considering putting smaller and more frequent flights (40 seats) on the route between Madeira and Porto Santo, currently served by 60 seaters.

British tour operators are complaining that they have lost 30% of the Madeiran holiday market since Easyjet started its new flights to the island. To make matters worse, the charter flights and holidays due to start between London Gatwick and Porto Santo (189 seats every Monday) are just not selling well, because it is such an unknown destination.

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TODAYS PHOTO :  There is a bit of chat about the Marina at Lugar de Baixo on the bulletin board at the moment, so I thought a reminder of the winter it got wrecked might be appropriate

I think we have skipped the rest of spring and gone straight to summer now, after soaking up some of those UV9 rays yesterday. Just timed nicely with the clock changes, so we can get those warm light summer evenings a little earlier than usual. All my flowers are pretty much in full bloom now, and as they were only planted from seed two months ago I am feeling pretty pleased with myself, apart from the lack of sleep due to fireworks starting at 6.30 this morning and every half hour since.

Pretty much nothing in the way of interesting news this weekend in the newspapers … no news is good news they say?.

One of the Diário’s reporters, Agostinho Silva, was invited to Manchester United’s game yesterday, seemingly by Cristiano Ronaldo himself, and this guy was just wetting himself with excitement. Most of the front page and a huge match write-up dominate the newspaper today, elevating CR to almost ‘god status’, after he scored himself and set-up the 3 other goals.

There was an article in last weeks newspaper entitled ‘Invasion Portuguese in World Football’ which made an interesting read. Apparently there are now 311 Portuguese players playing in 31 different foreign countries, with every single one listed in the article. 5 of them are from Madeira. Spain has the most with 40, followed by Cyprus with 39, Romania (30), Luxembourg (29), England (27), and Sweden and Greece (22 each).

I noticed in Pingo Doce yesterday that they now sell tickets for the Porto Santo Ferry, with leaflets on the checkout (no prices included) … smart move Mr. Porto-Santo-Line. The slogan on the leaflets reads ‘You´ll find that there’s too little time for so much’ … I don’t quite see it that way having been there twice, ‘cos if you can’t or don’t want to go on the beach there really is not a lot to do or see except relax. Well worth doing the island tour though.

I got my ten cheap energy efficient light bulbs this week from Electricity Madeira. I just brought the smallest ones because they are the most expensive to buy in the shops, however the screw in fittings are also smaller so they don’t actually fit any lights in the house.

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Aside from your valued blog responses, please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!

TODAYS PHOTO :  A view of that rather pointless promenade at Jardim do Mar, it doesn’t do anything or go anywhere, or offer anything special other than an easy stroll … another PSD white elephant, but this one drove away the surfers.

Source : Diário de Notícias 28/3/2008

For those who didn’t already know, nearly all commercial establishments are obliged by law to have a complaints book, namely the ‘Livro de Reclamações’, one notable exception being taxi drivers. The obligatory use of this was expanded last year, and that is one of the reasons given for the notable increase in complaints in 2007 to 1,483 (1,046 in 2006). The licencing, hygiene and pricing were the source of most complaints, and two thirds were made in the ‘food, drink, and hotels’ sector. 52 cases went to tribunal, although many were settled privately and without the need for official intervention. As you would expect Funchal fared worst with c.35% of complaints, and Santa Cruz, Câmara do Lobos, and Machico followed with between 15% and 13% each.

More information on the ‘Livro de Reclamações’ on the m4u website. I used one once to complain about the toilets in a snack bar, and the authorities sent me a few months later a copy of a letter to the bar owner ordering the closure of the premises. I also asked a business owner in the course of conversation about his ‘Livro de Reclamações’ … he responded that if anyone so much as asked for it they would be thrown out! Note that refusal to give the book on request is itself an offence, and the police can be phoned to attend the complaint.

Ultra violet rays are forecast to be very high this weekend (level 9), especially between 11am and 3pm. I assume that means it’s going to be hot and sunny all weekend?

I have just been through today’s newspaper, and not a single story of any  interest, so I might be struggling for material for tomorrows blog

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I saw on the national news Tuesday night that Portugal is to lower it’s top rate of IVA (VAT) from 21% to 20%, and wondered how that would affect Madeira’s special IVA rates, currently set at 15% for the highest rate. The good news is that Madeira’s VAT rate should also decrease by 1%, with the hopes that a further 1% drop will come in the near future.

Great, so we save 1% on our purchasing power, and hopefully 2% in the near future, good (if not mindblowing) news for us all. However, underlying that is something possibly much more important. Madeira currently has the equal lowest IVA rates in Europe at 15%, along with Luxembourg. A 1% drop in IVA can be a huge amount for a company wishing to locate offices in a low tax environment, so the spin-off could be quite significant for Madeira’s economy.

Don’t forget : clocks change tonight – put forward one hour at 1am on Sunday morning, or better still wait until you wake up naturally.

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Aside from your valued blog responses, please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!

TODAYS PHOTO :  Thanks to Tobi … A view from Madelena do Mar

Source : Diário de Notícias 27/3/2008

In May 2006, a man from Caniço was apprehended and a ‘collection’ of 47 fire arms seized, including 8 automatic weapons, in the biggest gun seizure of all times on Madeira. That’s a relief … you would think. However, the Police have been ordered by the courts to return the weapons to the owner, with an apology. It was found that they had all been legitimately obtained ‘by post’ by the owner, who as a result of the police action had been fired from his job and branded a ‘criminal’, and he now intends to take a civil action against the authorities.

A little worrying that you can order guns by post, let alone accumulate such a large collection. What’s even more worrying is that the man’s name and place of abode have been published, so lets hope we don’t get to read about some nutter going to burgle his house with god knows what in mind.

8.30pm on Monday night saw a punch up at Madeira Airport between two taxi drivers, trying to entice the same client into their cabs for a ride to the visitor’s hotel in Funchal. One worked regularly for the particular hotel, and the other was soliciting for business .. which resulted in “applying him a punch in the face”. To quote the Diário, “this episode was the culmination of many other situations of illegal competition that continue to proliferate at the airport.” I wonder what they mean by that, taxi drivers breaking the law … surely no one is going to swallow that? 

During the police crackdown ‘Operation Easter’, which finished on Monday, 486 drivers were breath tested and 19 found over the legal alcohol limit. All in all, 27 people were detained.

Source : Diário de Notícias 28/3/2008

British Airways (BA) longstanding grip on UK to Madeira flights (via GB airways) technically come to an end on Monday, when everything officially and legally becomes Easyjet. So who would have expected to read in today’s newspaper that BA would be applying to introduce new flights between the UK and Madeira? Possibly 5 a week. The application has to be approved by the authorities here, who seemingly have to overcome some problems, but given the prestige of BA (what!), the response is likely to be favourable. That raises lots of questions, especially about the Easyjet acquisition of GB Airways and what terms were imposed. However, as Easyjet’s prices seem to be creeping upwards in a monopolistic manner, then it should be good news for both travellers and Madeira alike.

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Us lucky people in the vicinity of Ribeira Brava are going to get a free live performance from Vânia in May. Winner of the Portuguese equivalent of ‘Pop Idol’ and the representative for Portugal in the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, this will be a real treat for the locals who only normally get to see ‘big name’ acts when the PSD (ruling political party) tries to ‘bribe’ everyone at election time. I saw her perform last year, and she is a very good jazz singer.

20h30 live football tonight on SportTV V. Guimarães v Marítimo 

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Aside from your valued blog responses, please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!

TODAYS PHOTO :  Sam comes to Madeira … see below

Source : Diário de Notícias 26/3/2008

m4u blog followers will be aware that their has been a big trial ongoing as a result of some serious crimes in the Banana Cooperative on Madeira (they coordinate collection and distribution of the crops). The mastermind behind the scams was yesterday sentenced to 9 years imprisonment as well as fined and ordered to pay compensation and costs. The prosecution had asked for 6 years imprisonment, for a range of charges including corruption, misappropriated funds, and subsidy fraud. The other 8 defendants were punished with suspended prison sentences through to fines. The American singer Barry Manilow is said to be delighted with the verdict, as the fraud had tainted his classic hit ‘Coopbanana’ (OK, I admit, I have plotted for months to deliver that one!).

A couple of stories about the state of some roads and accident blackspots. If you have a complaint about a road safety issue on Madeira, you can present it the the consumer association here ‘DECO’ who will take it up on your behalf.

Around 10% of the houses and apartments on Porto Santo are ‘up for sale’, a total of between 300 and 400 properties, and the number is growing with 150 ‘lots’ as yet not developed. Property agents on the island say that the island has not reached ‘saturation point’. Oh spare me please! 10% of properties up for sale and growing, and not yet reached saturation point. I know many estate agents are renowned bullshitters, but surely no one is going to believe that.

In Tuesday’s printed edition of the Diário I read that Samantha Fox (spelt with an ‘F’) is coming to perform at a festival in Calheta this June. Best known (!?!) for a massive hit called ‘Touch Me’ released in the 80′s, she also released an album of ‘Greatest Hits’. A quick search on amazon.com reveals that to be a LP, not a photo album.

The Diário has a whinge about the fact the Marítimo v Nacional local derby football match on Sunday 6th April is not going be televised, even on SportTV. Disgraceful!

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Anyone else have UZO as their mobile phone provider? I switched around 6 months ago and got a very memorable phone number and a very attractive payg rate of 16 centythingys a minute to any land line or mobile network. However, that rate drops to 12 ctytgys for 30 days after a top up of €15 or more. Anyone beat that? Last week I put a €20 top-up on the phone, and got an unexpected €5 bonus credit … not sure why, but I’m not complaining.

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Aside from your valued blog responses, please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!