Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Tobi … Funchal beach, near the ‘Balloon Bar’, to say it’s not looking it’s best is being too kind.

Front Page News : source Diário de Notícias 27/10/2008

The secretary general of the PSD (Social Democrats Party) was here yesterday to plan next years election campaign with President Jardim. What a horrible thought … nearly a whole year until it is all over. I was thinking about hibernating, but I would need a volunteer to take over the blog? I suppose the only thing to look forward to is the PSD campaign budget, as we usually get a few concerts amongst other sweeteners. Some of the câmaras (councils) have passed by-laws to stop the excessive and invasive placing of propaganda posters, but as the PSD pretty much controls the câmaras I wonder if they will be breaking their own rules … a silly question probably.

The Easyjet Airbus 319 that arrived on Madeira Monday, on the inaugural flight from Lisbon brought 142 passengers out of a capacity for 156. The return flight took 130. The secretary of state for tourism, who was on board, said that Easyjet played an extremely important role for Madeira and tourism here.

It’s just as well we live (or visit) on an island of low crime, because the police have run out of money to keep their vehicles on the roads. A third of the fleet of police vehicles is currently off the road, because budgets won’t stretch to buy new tyres, do servicing, or for other repairs. Funchal in particular is really stretched. You would think that with so many vehicles off the road you would see more foot patrols, but I rarely see one where I live. Also, as usually there is a Christmas campaign to deter drink driving, I guess the impact this year will be somewhat reduced … and that for sure will please many locals.

The ongoing campaigns to reduce the rat population and control mosquito breeding in Funchal are being compromised by the state of the Ribeiro (river) da Nora in the old zone. Sewerage pipes are broken and sewerage and rubbish is piling up in the river bed, and a nauseating smell is bothering the locals. CMF (Funchal Council) is planning to renew the sewerage system in the area and has announced a tendering process to do that, but a spokesman refers to problems with a number of illegal connections to the existing sewerage system by people trying to avoid payment for using it. I have heard of people tapping in to utility systems to get free gas, electricity and water, but who would believe that someone would break into a sewerage pipe to avoid paying any charges.

The inauguration performance of ‘A Orquídea Branca’ (The White Orchid), that is stated as being a debut performance worldwide, took place in Funchal Theatre (Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias) on Monday. The one performance cost around €100,000 to stage, partially helped through the Funchal 500 programme. Now it has to fund itself, and the concerns are that box office receipts will not be enough, already confirmed through insufficient advance ticket sales. The opera tells the moving story of a romance between Princess Amélia and a young gardener named José Maria, and the Diário says that a number of people were seen leaving the performance in tears. Did anyone go, or is anyone planning to go .,. if you send me a review I will be happy to publish it and maybe we can help boost ticket sales a little.

Other News :

A vaccination campaign against ‘Virus of the Papiloma Human’ (HPV) commenced yesterday, but unfortunately the vaccines themselves had not yet arrived. The campaign will start with all girls born in 1995, and the purpose is to reduce the levels of cancer of the womb(?) that kills more than 300 women in Portugal annually, through a course of three treatments.

Whilst in other countries people are planning Halloween celebrations, or trick and treat, the planning here is for an important religious celebration called ‘Pão por Deus’, or Bread through God, an occasion that  passes by unnoticed more and more every year. You might see some displays around, made up of seasonal fruits and nuts (particularly chestnuts). The purpose is to provide extra support for the poor, through gifts of small bags of food.

A new species of fungus has been discovered on Madeira, in Santana between Pico das Pedras e a Cova da Roda, on 6th October. It has been confirmed by experts as totally new and been given the name ‘Phallus maderensis’.

The fishermen of Madeira will be celebrating the news that the black espada fish, a traditional speciality for Madeiran, will not suffer the cut from a new European directive on fishing quotas. The proposed cut of 15% would have affected the 300 fishermen and the related industries. The battle was won after officials were able to demonstrate in Brussels that selective fishing and stock preservation measures were already in use in the region.

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