Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Vic … the crowds gathered in Funchal (Friday) to see the naval presence to mark Funchal 500. And there’s that submarine ‘Barracuda’ we saw sneaking around the coast last week (the display finished yesterday with a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Defence for Portugal).

Vânia Fernandes achieved a respectable 13th place in last nights Eurovision Song Contest Finals. My guess for a top 10 place was a little over ambitious perhaps, but she did achieve 2nd place in the semi-final on Thursday which was highly commendable. Well done to those blog readers who correctly guessed who would finish last (again!). The whole contest stinks anyway if you ask me, aside from the fact of the countries (like the UK) who don’t need to go through the semi-final stage, it is just not about the music. The winning Russian entry defies exact description, but it lies somewhere between ‘visually imaginative’ and ‘pants’.

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I think the record price I have ever been charged for a small beer on Madeira (Balão / ballon 30cl glass) was €1.70, and that was in a tourist rip-off joint. Where I live that same beer costs between €0.70 and €1 tops. Yet yesterday I went to an Irish Pub near the Savoy Hotel, in one of my rare visits to Funchal, to watch a football match on Sky TV (which annoyingly went off for 30 minutes of the game ‘cos the Sky card was put in the wrong slot). The pub is very nice, but has nothing Irish about it whatsoever, except Guiness, and the prices. A whopping €2 for that little glass of beer, and that  was not a tourist rip-off, that was the normal price. Bejeebers! Perhaps we will get loaded with snacks I thought, and that will make up for it … but did the steak niblets arrive, did they hell … we got one lousy little ashtray full of manky nuts in the space of over 3 hours, and that was to share between four people. Despite my hunger, I resisted the temptation of what looked like a vomit filled jacket potato … FROM €3.95! However it wasn’t an expensive afternoon, ‘cos the service was so poor it was a 10-15 minute wait to get a drink served outside. How can a business charge so much and not have a consience about paying Madeiran bar staff a lousy €2 per hour? Nice class of customer though! Don’t bother barring me for my observations Moynahan’s, I have already imposed a life time ban on myself from entering your premises again.

However I do apologise for my unacceptable and untrue embellishments  about the quality of your peanuts and flavour of  jacket potato filling.  

Sorry that that winge has left no time or space for real news, but I will catch up tomorrow … promise!

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Just to complete my journey report coming back to Madeira on Wednesday by Easyjet (from the UK). Excellent! I reckon 30+ people boarded before me, but I still managed to get a front row seat with more legroom than I could use. I managed to check-in online, but you can only do this at the UK end, and if you have no hold luggage … that gets you into boarding group A. And thanks to lifts at both end of the journey, probably the smoothest journey I have ever made. PS … Easyjet are doing a flight sale that lasts until next Tuesday … you can pick up flights between Madeira and the UK for under €30 each way, but there are very few dates at or close to this price.

I came back to find several colonies of ants under flowerpots on my patio … are they getting that lazy that they can’t be bothered to build their own nests anymore?

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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 : Borrowed from the Diário, thanks … Vânia Fernandes looking rather scary performing her Eurovision Song Contest entry

Source : Diário de Notícias 23/5/2008

Lead story is about immigrants working here with all the correct papers and paying taxes and social security, but yet without residents permits. But slow application processing has already meant 11 months waiting, and in the meantime the bosses are threatening them with dismissal for fear of legal repercussions (The cases referred to by the Diário seem to focus on non-European immigrants). New labour laws that came in last year seem to be the root of the problem, and the timescales specified in that legislation are not being matched by the processing time for residency applications, and that means effectively that these workers are illegal immigrants until the residency permits are issued.

The subject of illegal ‘rural’ tourism seems to be a sore point at the moment within politics, as there are many ‘units’ that do not have the necessary documentation and authorisation to be legally available for occupation.

I have referred several times in this blog to the farce that has gone on over 4 years in Lugar de Baixo regarding the marina and leisure complex, but apparently it will now reopen late July / early August “having been delayed due to the heavy rain in April”. €7.5 million will have been spent on securing the surrounding rock faces before the complex reopens. Any betting people out there wanting to back this reopening timescale? Why weren’t the dangerous rock faces secured before the place was even built? I know the answer, and it’s buried in the rubble of PSD (ruling party) politics.

Being a policeman here must be a bit of a well paid soft job most of the time, so it’s no surprise that youngsters are queueing up to become cops, with 220 applicants in the latest batch (up 12% on the previous figures). Those cops based in and around Funchal must be noticing differences in the amount and types of crimes they are dealing with, but those further out are still enjoying a pretty relaxed life. I have lots of stories about the police and policing here in Rib. Bra., but I have nothing bad to tell about village cops apart from rumours about fining drivers and pocketing the cash. Their methods of handling problems are unorthodox by my experience, but they seem to work, and I guess that is mainly down to the fact that they know everyone including the villains. You have to be 1.65 metres tall to be a policeman (male ), yeah right … I can see they stick to that like glue!

Discussions about the use of genetically modified crops to ease the problems of food supplies and prices here have been abandoned. It was concluded that the cultivation of “OGM” crops would not improve the current situation.  

Finally an article about how the Portuguese are reacting to the high price of petrol … they drive over the Spanish border to fill up, or go to supermarkets with petrol stations. Option one is a bit of non-starter for us, and I don’t think the concept of supermarkets with petrol stations has caught on here yet (?).

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Don’t forget Vânia in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest tonight (RTP 8.00 pm), and if you miss it I will publish a short report on the blog on Sunday. It is a lovely song (I had to hear it a few times before forming that opinion, and she sings it beautifully). It is one of very few songs that is not sung in English, and for that alone I wish her extra luck, and I will be phoning in my vote for sure … anyone joining me?

Anyone heard anything about a new supermarket to be built in Ponta do Sol? (where?, who?)

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 : Thanks to Vic … spotted on Wednesday … anyone know the name. origin etc?

Source : Diário de Notícias 21/5/2008

One of Madeira’s largest construction companies is laying off 32 workers, many with long service records. AFA is the biggest employer in Calheta. The company blames a 70% reduction in works.

Madeira’s Hotel bosses are offering their staff a 1% pay rise, but they and their union want 5%. The threat of strike action has been made, starting on 7th June, for an indeterminate time.

With 13 Portuguese warships and 800 sailors in our waters, you might be a little concerned, but don’t worry it’s all part of the commemorations of Funchal 500 (years).

Source : Diário de Notícias 22/5/2008

In some news that will probably displease more people than it pleases, President Jardim has fulfilled his promise to review the ‘no smoking’ law that came in at the beginning of this year. The result : a change that will allow all establishments  to choose to be ‘smoking’ or ‘non smoking’, and this will apply to all bars and restaurants outside of shopping centres (who will have different rules). For larger restaurants that have smoking and non-smoking sections, the two must be physically separated. This revised law will go for government consideration on the 29th May, but everything indicates acceptance. As one who has had the odd puff or two, it seems pretty silly having got to this point to totally backtrack. In fact I haven’t met anyone yet who has complained!

When you buy something that breaks, then you would take it to be replaced or repaired. In the latter case, there has until now been no law covering the topic of repairs, so really you would not know what to expect … until now. Whether it’s a piece of furniture, a car, a mobile phone, or a electrical appliance, the new law says that the repair must be completed within 30 days, or risk of fine between €250 and €300,000. That repaired item will then be guaranteed for a period of at least two years.

In the year up to April 2008, unemployment on Madeira increased by 7.9% to 8,774, the only region in Portugal to show an increase over that period.

Vânia Fernandes did Portugal and Madeira proud last night, being the first entry into the finals since 2004. Of the 10 songs selected, Vânia’s haunting song was the last to be picked. Looking scary and a little weird in performance, she sang superbly after a few starting jitters. Portugal has has a terrible record in the Eurovision Song Contest, and is the longest participant without a victory.  Maybe Saturday night that will be put right? The whole contest is one big fix anyway, so whether you come first or last it means nothing in terms of the quality of the music.

Having been away for 3 weeks, it was time to fill an empty freezer, so it was a nice surprise to go to Modelo yesterday to find it was the first day of a 3 day promotion  (ends 24th) where ALL freezer produce was discounted by 15% on the loyalty card. And just to chip in on the early discussion about the price of melons, they had green melons at €2 per kilo. Outrageous!

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!