News from Sue (Saturday 28th) :
| Pier will be built at the Landfill Site near Funchal Bay |
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| Centre launched for Cancer Patients in Porto Santo |
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News from Sue (Friday 27th) :
Fires still Active in Funchal , Câmara de Lobos , Ribeira Brava
According to updated figures this morning by the Regional Service of Civil Protection firefighters continue to fight fires on the ground in Meia Légua, Ribeira Brava, no Curral Velho, parish of Santo António and Furneira and in the country of Câmara de Lobos.
The ‘ peacekeepers ‘ succeeded in extinguishing various re-ignitions which occurred on Thursday in various parts of the island and remain vigilant in various parts of the island, Águas Mansas, Santa Cruz, Ribeiro Frio and Achada do Teixeira, both in the county of Santana.
UV radiation at extreme level
Funchal is now under extreme risk for exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which will continue until Monday.
The Institute of Meteorology advises the use of sunglasses with UV filter, a hat, t -shirt, umbrella, sunscreen and avoid exposure of children.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lead to acute problems and chronic health, particularly of the skin (cancer), eyes (cataracts) and immune system.
The Old Bridge over the river from Porto Novo Re-opens Today.
The Regional Social Secretary will be present for the reopening the old bridge over the river from Porto Novo, in the county of Santa Cruz at 17H today.
The artwork exists, the old stone bridge has a span of 120 meters and intercepts to the Ribeira do Porto Novo. Structurally, it consists of two wing walls, which contain the landfill and its platform and two arcs that intersect the stream.
In its previous configuration, the bridge had a width of approximately 6.40 meters, 5.50 meters and lanes and there are no sidewalks. With the reconstruction the bridge has a total width of 9 metres and an addition 6.5 metres of carriage way making it compatible with the level of service required.
The “Tango “will be in Madeira in October
After the success of ” Swan Lake ” at the inauguration of the Centenary of the CD National, the Classic Stage brings to Funchal ‘s famous musical ” The Tango, The Ultimate Tango “, which will premiered on October 30 at the Congress Centre of Madeira Casino , 22.00.
“The true tango lovers now have the privilege to watch this magnificent spectacle, which will be on tour throughout the country and world premiere at Madeira, ‘says the promoter of shows.
Directly from Buenos Aires to major European stage, “The Tango, The Ultimate Tango”, is “recognized by critics as the best current Tango Show “highlights the Classic Stage.
In 2009, the musical ran a week of sessions at the Casino de Paris, earning praise from the French press and continued to impress audiences in Belgium, France, Italy, Cyprus, Slovenia, Switzerland and Estonia.
With artistic director Olivier Tilkin and Sabrina Gentile Patti and choreography at the expense of double Veredice Adrian and Alejandra Hobert, ” Tango “is interpreted by dancers Adrian Veredice , Alejandra Hobert , Claudio Gonzalez, Melina Brufman , Lucila Cionci , Rodrigo Corbató Joe , Christian Marquez, Virginia Gomez , Sabrina Masso and Daniel Escobar.
It also features the voices of Sandra Rumolino and Jose Luis Barreto, orchestrated by Cincotango Ensemble and other musicians.
With this large production, in October, the Congress Centre of Madeira Casino will host a night of dance that portrays the soul of the Argentine people.
Articles from Paul :
Canoe tour/race around Madeira: 24-29 August, 2010
‘VOLTA A MADEIRA EM CANOA’
The XIX Canoe Tour round Madeira is 141 Kms divided into 9 laps/sections. Organised by Treino Mar from Madeira..the event is internationally known for its difficulty, organisation, international participation and for the beautiful landscapes that the Island offers.
Image caption : Kayaking on Seattle, Washington’s Lake Union
The event is only for sea kayaks – K1, K2, Surf Ski I and Surf Ski II
Contact Treino Mar: 00351 291236337
Link: http://www.madeiraemcanoa.com/ENG/index.html
Football: history for Braga!
UEFA.com reports:
“Lima hat-trick ensures history for Braga..
Sevilla FC 3-4 SC Braga (agg: 3-5)
One goal from Matheus and a Lima hat-trick earned the visitors a remarkable win and a place in the group stages of the Champions League for the first time.”
Image caption : Câmara Municipal de e Fonte do Pelicano, localizadas nos Paços do Concelho de Braga.
Link: HERE
New species of dolphin sighted in Madeiran waters: ‘Fraser’s Dolphin’‘Rota dos Cetáceos’ sighted recently a new species of dolphin in Madeiran waters. The specie named ‘Fraser’s Dolphin’ is normally only sighted in Azorean waters. Experts say that one of the reasons they have come into Madeiran waters is the higher sea temperature which was on the day of the sightings about 24 degrees.
image caption : Frazer´s dolphin group (Lagenodelphis hosei)
From wikipedia:
Fraser Dolphins’ are about 1 m long and 20 kg weight at birth, growing to 2.75 m and 200 kg at adulthood. They have a stocky build, a small fin in relation to the size of the body, conspicuously small flippers. The dorsal fin and beak are also insubstantial. The upper side is a gray-blue to gray-brown. A dirty cream colored line runs along the flanks from the beak, above the eye, to the anus. There is a dark stripe under this line. The belly and throat are usually white, sometimes tinged pink. The lack of a prominent is a distinguishing characteristic of the Dolphin. From a distance however it may be confused with the Striped Dolphin which has a similar coloration and is found in the same areas of ocean.
Fraser Dolphins’ swim quickly in large tightly packed groups of about 100 to 1000 in number. Often porpoising, the group chop up the water tremendously. The sight of seeing a large group fleeing from a fishing vessels has been reported as “very dramatic”.
It is also marked by having the smallest genitalia of any open sea dolphin.
The species feeds on pelagic fish, squid and shrimp found some distance below the surface of the water (200& or 500 meters). Virtually no sunlight penetrates this depth, so feeding is carried out using echolocation alone.
link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser’s_dolphin
Tourism in Portugal: a matter of economics
Eturbonews.com reports:
“Portugal’s tourism sector is represented by Bernard Luis Amador Trindade who could easily be mistaken for a movie star, but it is his Mediterranean charm, business intelligence, and political savvy that makes him the perfect representative for a country noted for its beauty, casual way of life, excellent cuisine, and history. Born in Lisbon, his current address is Funchal, the capital of Madeira Island.
Coming from a hospitality, travel, and tourism family, Trindade has been associated with Banco Espirito Santo, the Regional Legislative Assembly of Madeira, and a leader in the Socialist Party since 2003. His move to tourism has been not so much as a step in a new direction, but rather an acknowledgement of his roots.”
Marketing Objectives
Tourism represents 65 percent of the country’s GDP, and companiesandmarkets.com determined that the Portuguese travel and tourism industry has been facing a tourism crises since 2009 (the global crisis began in 2008). The decrease in consumer purchasing power in Portugal and its most important tourist source markets, together with the consequent decline in demand levels, formed the basis for the slowdown.”
“The National Strategic Plan for Tourism indicates that Portugal is seeking an annual growth rate of 5 percent with 20 million tourist visits by 2015.
The areas contributing to growth will be Lisboa, Algarve, and Porto e Norte. It is anticipated that by 2015, tourism will represent 15 percent of the GDP and 15 percent of national employment. In a March, 2009 report, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) placed Portuguese tourism in 10th position (in terms of size) in the European Union and 6th in tourisms’ relative contribution to the national economy.”
Image caption : Algarve
NEW DIRECTIONS : Accessible Tourism
A search for new markets has prompted the government and tourism officials from Algarve to develop the locale as a leading destination for tourists with disabilities and restricted mobility. The project includes adapting the region’s infrastructure to accommodate the disabled and training professionals in customer service so they are able to meet and respond to the unique needs of this market segment. It is estimated that “accessible tourism” could represent millions of Euros to the tourism economic sector. Currently Algarve has 41 accessible beaches and most have amphibian wheelchairs and crutches available for visitors.”
Link to full article: http://www.eturbonews.com/18089/portugal-tourism-matter-economics
Portuguese philosopher Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza
“You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all.”
Image image caption : Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677)
Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza (Hebrew: ברוך שפינוזה Baruch Shpinoza, Portuguese: Bento de Espinosa, Latin: Benedictus de Spinoza) (November 24, 1632 – February 21, 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese Jewish origin.[1] Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza’s work was not fully realized until years after his death. Today, he is considered one of the great rationalists[2] of 17th-century philosophy, laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment[2] and modern biblical criticism.[2] By virtue of his magnum opus, the posthumous Ethics, in which he opposed Descartes’ mind–body dualism, Spinoza is considered to be one of Western philosophy’s most important philosophers.
Philosopher and historian Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said of all modern philosophers,
“You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all.”[3]
To read more: link to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza
Many thanks to Sue and Paul for sending in a contribution(s) for this blog.
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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or good or bad experience, a news item, or a story from a Madeira newspaper, a teaser, news of a bargain flight or item in a supermarket. Please help keep this blog going … without user contributions it won’t survive. Please only send in ‘exceptional’ or very topical photos by email attachment, as they take quite some time to process. Links to photos that are already online take much less time. Anything submitted for inclusion will be ‘cut and pasted’ to the blog very likely unchecked and unaltered, so please check anything through before sending it in, especially ‘automatic translations’, to avoid any ‘afterthoughts’. Blogs will be published when there is sufficient material to make one worthwhile. I can’t always respond to emails, so please accept my thanks in advance, and the attribution on the blog itself. Der.
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Madeira News Blog / madeira4u © 2007 – 2010 All Rights Reserved
Fulham sign ‘Nacional’ defender. Reuters reports:
London Gatwick to Faro and Oporto with Ryanair from October 31st 
William Warre
Last volcanic activity in the Azores in the 1950′s
Falling palm tree kills woman in Porto Santo 
The last fisherwomen! 
Portuguese Miguel Fernandes wins Triathlon gold in youth olympics 
Bottlenose dolphins and Bryde’s whales off Calheta coast.
Plan to organize and manage Garajau’s Nature Reserve
One of yesterday’s front page stories in the Diário was about a young man ‘Navarro’ who fell off a wall and broke his back. He only has movement from the neck upwards, and since the accident has spent the last 29 months in hospital, because of his lack of mobility. He is due to be moved to a care home for old people, but even then he will still be ‘housebound’. He needs desperately an electric wheelchair to give him some mobility. An account in the Bank Montepio has been opened in the hope that the 9 thousand Euros needed to buy the wheelchair can be raised, and the publicity from the Diário will hopefully get this underway. If any readers can help the account (NIB) number is 003601589910006658455. 
Canon Martin criticises the PSP Machico and speaks of injustice over the arrest of four youngsters. Community is in turmoil and continuing controversy. 
Madeiran Shipowner Launches New Containership Service 
Estalagem Eira do Serrado and SPAD were evacuated
Government has used all available to fight the fires
