Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Tobi … who kindly invited me to raid his Facebook account for photographs, which I have done! There are some fantastic photos on there, but I don’t know if you need to have a Facebook account and know Tobi to access them, but I am sure he will respond to this. This photo is of the Ilhas Desertas.

Anyone ever been to the Ilhas Desertas (Deserted Islands) as pictured above? I have heard of boat trips out there, and I would love to go and take a peek, as it’s full of rare species of various types. But it may be that you need a visitors permit. Please let me know if you have any information, or also fancy going, as maybe a boat could be chartered if there are others interested.

Source : Diário de Notícias 27/5/2008

I suppose we shouldn’t really be surprised that in these days of rising energy bills and petrol / diesel, that someone somewhere is trying to fleece us of a few bucks with bogus energy saving ideas, even here on Madeira! How about a device you plug into your wall socket which will save energy on any connected appliances, or an adaptor that will allow your car engine to run on water? The Diários only money saving advice is to use the car less and switch off lights and electrical devices at home … well, thanks Diário, I would never have thought of those simple steps to save money without your help!

Unusually high numbers of sicknesses and deaths are being reported in the town of Caniçal, due to cancer, cirrhosis, suicide and problems associated with senility. It is thought that this may be happening because of pollution in the ‘Zona Franca’ (an industrial area, eastish of the town). Studies are underway, but particularly notable is the number of cancer deaths in people aged between 30 and 50, and youngsters of 20+ victims of neoplasias*. Historical records show that the normal death rate per annum is around the 20 mark, but more recently that has risen to 30, with 15 already this year.

* A neoplasm is an abnormal mass of tissue, the growth of which exceeds and is uncoordinated with that of the normal tissues, and persists in the same excessive manner after cessation of the stimulus which evoked the change.

Staying with Caniçal and it’s bad luck, 4 boats were sunk in the port on Monday morning when a shipping container was being unloaded and fell. Luckily the boats were empty at the time (no … I am not going there!).

Maybe some good news for our friends in the north of Madeira, is that Hiper Sá is intending to build a supermarket there, although the plans are not yet complete and approved. If all goes to plan a medium size store will be built, and will create 100 jobs (directly and indirectly). If approved, the store will be built in São Vicente, with the objective of serving Porto Moniz also.

Meanwhile, the good people of Santana, who until now had to go to Machico or Funchal for their shopping, will have their new Hiper Sá supermarket open in July, albeit 4 months late. Surprising that there are no plans (that I am aware of) to put some new stores and competition at the west end of the Island. With just one Pingo Doce west of Ribeira Brava, you would think that there would be some incentive?

And then the Diário website went down …

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Having not mentioned football for a while, don’t forget that the Euro 2008 starts on Saturday week (7th). Portugal play Turkey on the opening day (8.45) in Basle, so a few sparks expected there. With the next matches on the 11th (Czech Republic), and 15th (co-hosts Switzerland). I am glad that regardless of results, Portugal will not have to play at the stadium in Berne, as I think I would crack up every time they mention the stadium name.

Speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United and going to Real Madrid this summer are rife, and fuelled by an article in a Venezuelan newspaper after an interview with a source very close to the men at the top in Spain. Talk is of a transfer offer of €120 million. It’s what Ronaldo wants, it’s what Madeira wants, it’s what Chelsea wants, and it’s what Manchester United’s owners and financial backers want … let the man go to a decent team!

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Aside from your valued blog responses (you can reply direct using the form at the bottom of each blog page), please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Vic … the two tall ships referred to by Josie in yesterdays blog. The Creoula(?) on the left, and the Sagres ‘training ship’ on the right.

Source : Diário de Notícias 25/5/2008

Pingo Doce (again!) is to start selling ‘off the shelf’ or ‘free sale’ medical products, starting with the newly refurbished ‘Anadia’ shop, and then in the shops in Cancela, Dolce Vita, Fórum Madeira and hiper do Lido (Eden Mar?).

Petrol prices are thought to be going up again this week, so if you have space and money get your car tanked up.

Vânia’s performance in the Eurovision Song Contest receives high praise, but with strong accusations of cross border and mutual voting totally distorting the results of the competition. 12 countries voted for the Portuguese entry, including notably 8 French points, and 10 each from Andorra and Switzerland. And with ‘nil points’ from Spain, there can be no accusations of vote tampering there.

According to the National Institute of Statistics 49% of homes on Madeira have a computer (up from just 12% in 2001). 41% have internet connections.

Source : Diário de Notícias 26/5/2008

The lead story is about the introduction of new higher taxes on the population of Madeira, to compensate for the reductions in European funding and from Portuguese central government. In 2000 56% of Madeira’s finances were raised from local sources, such as taxes, fines, and charges to businesses, climbing to 65% in 2006. A new finance bill for Madeira is referred to as introducing ‘silent changes’. The government here is limited as to what it can raise taxes on, as IVA (VAT) and duty on fuel and tobacco for instance go to mainland. Over a period of 8 years government (Madeira) expenditure rose from €555 million to €794 million (up 43%). The covering of salaries within government and administration has risen over 50% over the same period, well above the average inflation percentages. It looks like the politicians are looking after themselves and their own, as usual!

Another article talks about the existing poverty and those at risk of falling into the poverty trap because the salary (or take home pay) already just won’t stretch to pay the bills, and the cut backs start with food. Madeiran families have to live with €71 per month below the Portuguese national average income, a situation obviously far worse outside of Funchal. These poor people need tax rises and fines like a hole in the head.

The ‘QE2′ cruise ship will make it’s last ever visit to Madeira on 19th June, after 80 visits to our island that started on 2nd April 1970. The Queen Elizabeth II was inaugurated in September 1967, and 41+ years later will become a floating hotel owned by ‘Dubai World’, who paid €70 million for her. The Ships Enthusiasts Club of the Madeira is planning something to mark the occasion (are they the equivalent of train spotters in a land that has no trains?)

The International Association of Air Transport (IATA), which has 240 member airlines, including the  Portuguese TAP has announced that starting on the 1st June that its members will be moving to electronic ticketing systems, saving €2.2 billion in annual costs, and 50,000 trees. These electronic tickets can be acquired through the internet or travel agents, and buyers will be sent a receipt by email, mail, or fax which they can use to check in at the airport. Fliers on flights involving transfers may still get a paper flight ticket. Blimey! Are we really that stupid! So the airline industry saves mega€uros, and we spend them instead using costly printers, papers, and inks to print them off at home. Any claim to environmental benefits are just hogwash, and if anything, without the economies of scale the environmental impacts will surely be worse?

Portugal tourism is on the up, with a new yearly record for receipts up to March amounting to €7.5 billion. Income for the first quarter of 2008 was up by 11.5% on the same period last year, and up 13.6% over a year. These figures were announced on Friday by the Bank of Portugal.

Finally, a message from Dave : Hi all, we came to Madeira on the 14th May for 5 weeks house hunting but only managed 4 days and was called back to England as some Toerag had broken into our home. What I wanted to say was that the help we had from staff at the Airport was great. (First Choice ) they managed to sort us out within an hour and we were heading home.  The good news is we will be back this Wednesday and try again fingers crossed we managed to get one of those cheap flights someone was talking about £19-99 each.

www.madeira4u.com

Aside from your valued blog responses (you can reply direct using the form at the bottom of each blog page), please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!

TODAY’S PHOTO & COMMENTARY : Thanks to Josie … Saturday’s military manoeuvres to mark Funchal 500.

“Apart from the speeches, (lasted about 1 hour) it was really good, roads from Santa Catarina gardens to end of Ave de Mar closed and sailors lined the route, after speeches they paraded along then we all rushed down to the ‘beach’ where they gave a superb demo of precision manoeuvres in inflatables, a ‘drugs’ raid on a small navy vessel and search and rescue with two helicopters whose pilots were fantastic. At the end the helicopters hovered above and did a ‘bow’ then came down onto the two ships which obviously were aircraft carriers.  The two tall ships are still in harbour but not been able to find out, it looks like one is one of those training vessels, it is carrying many national flags for different countries.”

(Thanks Josie … Sagres & Creoula are the names of the tall ships I am told, and the first one is a training ship – Der)

Source : Diário de Notícias 24/5/2008

Bus drivers for the company ‘Horários do Funchal’ (yellow buses) are threatening to strike on the Friday of the Rally Vinho Madeira, in a dispute over rest days. I think the Madeirans are nearly as bad as the French when it comes to threatening strike action, with bus and coach drivers, hotel workers, teachers, and public services frequently in the headlines.

New laws come into effect today that impact all utility suppliers (gas, electricity, water, sewerage, internet, telephone, TV). They will be prohibited from applying standing charges (meter hire), and also prohibited from charging a minimum consumption. Exactly how that will affect bills and overall prices I am not sure, but a quick flick through this month’s bills shows a meter (contador) hire charge for gas and water, so I shall be watching to see what happens in the future. I remember paying a hefty sum (>€100) to the Câmara for our water meter, which I thought was a deposit, so maybe I will get that back too?

The 7th Festival do Atlântico starts next month (7th) with Italy, France and Poland invited to light up the skies with their top of the range firework displays. The shows will be on Saturday nights at 10.30, and last for 20 minutes. The total cost will be €700,000.  Various orchestras are programmed to perform as part of the festival.

The Department of Tourism are patting themselves on the back having achieved an 80% hotel occupancy rate for next month, which is traditionally the lowest month for tourism every year. Whilst visiting England recently I looked in the windows of several travel agents, and was surprised to see how Madeira and Portugal holiday prices compared with other holiday destinations … considerably lower in most cases.

Those nasty mosquitoes are prevalent again in Santa Luzia, but despite of a number of suspected cases the dreaded ‘dengue’ disease has not yet been detected.

The Pingo Doce supermarket in the Anadia Shopping Centre (Funchal) reopened at the weekend after a €4,000,000 refit. One of the new features is a new larger restaurant that can seat 100 people, and you can choose how much you want to order of your chosen dish (I presume they must weigh it?).

Any previous users like to report back on how the €4m spent has improved their Pingo shopping experience, and do the staff working there for €2 an hour look delighted with their new surroundings?

Pingo have also announced refurbishments of their older shops in Lido, Calheta, Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava.

www.madeira4u.com

Aside from your valued blog responses (you can reply direct using the form at the bottom of each blog page), please send any unreported Madeira news, photos, events information, or snippets for the madeira4u blog to blog@madeira4u.com – thank you!