Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … swimming pool area behind the Forte De São Tiago damaged in the December 2009 storms

With the Portuguese tax year just finished, and the time to submit tax returns just around the corner, this is a rather useful set of Questions & Answers on what you can and cannot submit in terms of medical expenses PORTUGAL NEWS ONLINE

The weekly travel challenge from the UK Independent newspaper this week targets Madeira : "Every week we invite competing companies to give us their best deal for a specified holiday. Today: a week in Madeira, departing on 26 February". The responses (so far) include 4 or 5 star hotels, but I reckon I could find cheaper (for a small fee of course). RESULTS

"Don’t miss the top spot to visit – Funchal Botanical Garden. With an area of 80,000 sq. m. it is the most famous tourist attraction on the island. There is a collection of more than 2500 plant species. Its location in the amphitheatre will enchant you. The Botanical Gardens provides its visitors with spectacular panoramic views over the mountainous backdrop, the city below and its bay with the deep blue waters of the Atlantic". I don’t think it the most famous personally. New year fireworks is for me if we are talking man made tourist attractions. Anyone think that some of those photos have appeared before as the blog daily photos? FULL ARTICLE

"With the advent of refrigerators and other similar devices today it has become possible to have ice all year-round. Now … imagine 100 years ago …. how could one get ice? Only in winter and in the highest regions of Madeira, when it snowed or hailed. Madeira ancestors solved the problem by building reservoirs in which they could store and preserve the ice and snow that winter brought to them those days. It was then used by hospitals and hotels, … thus resulting in the famous Wells of Snow (Poços da Neve)". Don has given his blog a new look HERE

Becky has come up with another batch of web snippets she found … many thanks :

A brilliant clip courtesy of British Pathe.  "Women’s Own" models, Gina and Brenda explore Madeira during a fashion shoot for the magazine in 1952.  Hilarious.  "Play suit" conjures up such different images these days. FOR THE OVER 18′s ONLY

At the risk of boring everyone with historical journals, here’s a link to a short chapter from the Letters of John Driver in 1834 (they’re getting earlier!). He writes engagingly and if you click on [PDF] you’ll get the first 10 pages. It seems he was more interested in chatting up Americans than the locals 176 years ago. If you like what you read, the book of letters has recently been published in hardback and paperback. FUNCHAL LIBRARY BLOG

Over twelve thousand visits from 106 countries to this blog in January, the best yet after 8 months with Madeira Island Direct.

Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :

DIÁRIO 31/01/2010 MADEIRA

Five pathways closed. In less than a month, bad weather and landslides have forced the closure of five footpaths and levadas which are included in the official walking circuit of the serras of Madeira. The official ‘Turismo’ site alerts walkers to the closures and the Regional Director of Forestry acknowledges that the renovation of such extensively damaged areas will be expensive. Levada do Rei, Caldeirão Verde, Caminho Real da Encumeada, Levada da Fajã do Rodrigues and Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal are the five closed footpaths. The worst affected is the Caminho Real da Encumeada, especially the section Boca da Corrida at Encumeada. Almost all the walking paths on the island have been damaged by the bad weather, the ones least affected are near the south coast and on Porto Santo. Before work can be undertaken, a survey will have to be carried out and a firm contracted.

Region lacks Nature Wardens. The Nature Wardens (vigilantes) began in 1988 with four people and there are now 36 members of staff. The law requires 50, which would be too many, according to the President of the Association of Nature Wardens of Madeira. Tuesday is the National Day of ‘Vigilante Nature’. They work in the protected areas and natural reserves under the Service of the Natural Park of Madeira (SPNM). Their work includes helping in conservation projects, raising awareness and environmental educational projects in schools and other establishments. The Wardens also stay on the Ilhas Desertas and Selvagens for three weeks at a time. The Association is facing recruitment challenges as for the past few years there have been no new recruits. The work is physically demanding, including the use of rock climbing equipment and boats.

Plants and animals in Funchal, Madeira 2010 competition. This is open to those aged between 10 and 25 years old. It aims to increase knowledge of the environment and biodiversity in the region. Teams of three to five can enter. Activities will occur in these seven locations of Funchal:  Parque de Santa Catarina, Jardim Municipal, Jardim das Plantas Aromáticas, Jardim de Santa Luzia, Jardim Botânico da Madeira, Núcleo dos Dragoeiros and Jardim do Madeira Magic. These activities will consist of obligatory tasks at predefined locations and dates, assessed for aesthetics, use of techniques and materials and originality. Prizes awarded for the best work of second and third cycles, secondary and university students and awards for all participants. The activities will be carried out during March and April and prize giving is on May 22nd, the International Day of Biological Diversity. The activities will strengthen ties with the natural heritage of Madeira, promote team working, help participants discover the plants and animals on the island and challenge them intellectually, physically and artistically. (Photo from the area Núcleo dos Dragoeiros).

ECONOMY

SATA promotes Madeira – Zurich flights for 278 Euros (round trip). Another special promotion. The direct flight to Switzerland leaves every Sunday afternoon and returns at night. The Airbus A320 has 160 seats. — No details of any conditions.

TerraMinha charter flights from Lisbon to Porto Santo. This firm is part of the tour operator Sonhando (Pestana Group) and has initial promotions using flights leaving Lisbon on Saturdays between 10 April and 23 October. Flying with SATA, the seven night package includes accommodation and breakfast. Prices are valid for advance bookings until April 30 or until 60 days before departure. Promotional prices vary from 432 Euros for accommodation at the Praia Dourada to 995 Euros at the Pestana Porto Santo, although the firm also uses other hotels.

Aigle Azur magazine devotes 18 pages to Madeira. This is the autumn edition of the in-flight magazine of this French carrier. The two principle articles cover 15 pages and describe the potential of Madeira as a tourist destination, suggesting routes and itineraries, and the history and geography of the archipelago. It also includes useful tourist information. There is a direct weekly flight from Orly Airport, increasing to twice a week from March. Aigle Azur expect Madeira to become a popular destination for the French tourist, thus invested in promotional flights which brought 150 travel agents and journalists to the island last October. This company had remarkable growth last year are are implementing a total of 40 flights per week from Paris to Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Madeira.

NS magazine – no prizes given to Madeira wines. This magazine is distributed with Saturday’s editions of the two major Portuguese newspapers, ‘Diário de Notícias’ and ‘Jornal de Notícias’. Yesterday’s copy published the list of the ‘Best of 2009′ wines. In the 18 categories, Madeira wines had 5 nominations. They were on the short-list in 10 categories but could not get enough votes for the first place in any of them. The region was nominated for Best Protected DOC, won by Bucelas. Old Blandy Wine Lodge (Adegas de São Francisco) nominated for Best Wine Tourism Without Estate, won by Quinta do Seixo, Adegas Sandeman in Tabuaço. The Vila Cipriani restaurant in Reid’s Hotel nominated for Best Wine Service in a Restaurant, won by Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais. The Madeira Wine Company nominated for Best Fortified Wine Producer, won by José Maria da Fonseca. In the Personality of the Year category, Américo Pereira of Diago’s Wine Cellar was nominated but André Ribeirinho of ‘Blogger Adegga’ won.

POLITICS

Arlindo prefers to preserve nature in Socorridos. Last Thursday, the Municipal Council of Funchal approved the Urbanization Plan of Socorridos by the firm Tâmega, with only the support of the PSD party. This will legalise the unlicensed industrial activity in the area, that has been repeatedly acknowledged by the council and Regional Government.  Arlindo Gomes, the Mayor of Câmara de Lobos, does not follow the intent of Funchal to urbanize the valley but prefers to recover and preserve the natural aspects of the area. He promises that as stated in the PDM, the land will be for agricultural purposes. Laurissilva in the corridor leading to Curral das Freiras will be preserved. In the photo, the left-hand side of the valley belongs to this municipality with the river bed on the side of Funchal.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

Azores will receive 20 million Euros. From the European Commission for the restructuring of the dairy sector under the strengthening of rural developments program. This restructuring of the dairy industry involves 27 member states and 14.5% of the total budget. The funds are from the CAP and the Economic Recovery Plan. The current economic and environmental situation requires action. — This is important to Madeira as the Azores are the main source of dairy products.

Porto Santo Line maintains tariff. In 2010, the Porto Santo Line will keep the present price list (2009 prices) for the sea voyages between Funchal and Porto Santo. The departure times also stay the same. Economy class round trip costs 42.10 Euros for adults in low season (January – March and October – December) and 51.50 Euros during high season (April – September). Residents in Porto Santo pay 28.60 Euros for each return ticket throughout the year. Children between 5 and 11 years pay 50% of the adult fare and children under 5 travel free. Vehicle transport fares are the same as in 2009. The fares are subject to fuel surcharges.

Police identify a dozen individuals in raid. On Friday night / Saturday morning, both uniformed and civilian police officers held a preventative raid in areas of Funchal, Santo António, São Martinho and São Roque. They went to establishments that had given rise to complaints in terms of noise and public disorder. Social complexes were searched for narcotics, particularly Quinta Josefina in Nazaré and Ribeira Grande. Some vehicles were stopped and individuals were identified but no arrests made.

Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :

Cáritas [charity] and grandparents have to feed children – Couples robbed of resources by the crisis leave the children with the grandparents and institutions. There are more and more cases of kids getting caught up in the economic crisis, going hungry at school, and being supported by grandparents. The first impacts of unemployment are felt by adults, but the children end up facing the consequences when hardships arise. Failure of maintenance payments is also a harsh reality, with hundreds of cases being dealt with through the courts, and Madeira at the moment is in a peak of single parent families. In some cases, especially where drug addiction is involved, children are even being abandoned, without any warning, with grandparents. In cases like these the charities step in to help where the grandparents cannot provide what is needed.

Today’s main news headline : Company waits 12 years for €6 million from the government – Successive appeals in court continue hindering judicial decisions that indicate towards an indemnity from the Regional Government to the businessman Avelino Catanho.  At stake, lands at Zona Franca.

This photo was taken in Santa da Serra yesterday where the water depth here reached one metre, after heavy rain at the end of the morning. 

Today’s main photo shows the cruise ship AIDALuna in Funchal Port in some pretty agitated looking water : Strong waves delay docking – The angry sea obliged the AIDALuna to stay out at sea for 4 hours, for a peek of an opening in order to dock in the Pontinha, that finished up being done with the help of a tug boat. I think that spell of high waves yesterday occurred right on a very high tide, because although the waves were not that big, they seemed to sweep over everything in front. The picture on the news last night showed one swimming area in Funchal underwater, and the Lugar de Baixo marina looking a bit of a mess … nothing new there then!

In politics : Jacinto Serrão asks for the resignation of Ventura Garcês – The size of the regional debt scares the leader of the Madeira Socialist Party, who is going to ask for the intervention of President Cavaco Silva.

Canon Martins wants to see the icon in Ribeira Seca. The priest is referring to the statue of Fátima that is on loan from mainland Portugal, and has been touring the churches of Madeira for the last few months. He said at the end of mass yesterday, in Machico, that the statue was coming to Ribeira Seca, fulfilling a promise made by the Bishop of Funchal. Fátima is due to be in the churches in Machico between the 5th and 9th May. Canon Manuel Martins had asked the faithful to pray for this to happen, and for any obstacles to be removed. The power of faith and prayer eh! I prayed for a cheese and pickle sandwich at 11pm last night, and I am still waiting. No faith, that’s my trouble.

The main sport / football headline today : NONE! That’s twice in a week, what is going on?

If anyone else can oblige with the translation of any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines, or other news stories, here is the link. All contributions much appreciated. 

… and to finish today, a couple of pieces from the Diário de Notícias from Elaine out West … many thanks.

Madeira Mandolins at Teatro Municipal.
A piece by Antonio Vivaldi and ‘Preludium and Allegro’, a work by composer Fritz Kreisler for mandolin and orchestra will be performed by Isabel Camacho and Sara Gonçalves together with soloist André Martins. These are works to mark the special concert of Mandolins da Madeira, led by Eurico Martins, on 18 February at 21.00 hours in the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias. Tickets (20 Euros) are now on sale at the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias.

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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 photo or video, 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 don’t send in automatic translations (like Google translator) without checking them through and correcting them first, thanks.

You can email blog@madeira4u.com with any large contributions and photos / videos.

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Please use the comments here for general chit-chat, or feel free to ask any questions … someone usually has an answer.

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Today’s photo – Many thanks to Martin … A Bentley Derby 1923, that competed in the 2009 ‘Volta da Madeira’.

OLD CASKS (PIPAS) NEVER DIE 

Well I certainly missed some notable news stories whilst ‘off line’, and the transfer of Câmara de Lobos hero Rúben Micael from Nacional to Porto must take the tastiest biscuit. Rúben Micael Freitas Ressureição player profile Anyone know how much Porto paid for the lad?

Another one of those travel / destination guides for Madeira … but I don’t mind the extra effort if it persuades a few more tourists to take a holiday here and spend their luverly dosh EVERY LITTLE HELPS 

Becky wrote in about helping out with material for the blog : “Once you’ve had a chance to read all the various suggestions re. the blog and submissions, maybe you can let us know what you think is best – I’m happy to contribute the best I can but maybe need pointing in the right direction as to when and where and what”.

It seems that we may have some extra contributors after the blog ‘time out’, and many thanks for the offers and half-offers. We will never have enough helpers I guess, so please help us balance the workload and share information. If you are thinking of sending in a news story, I guess the only way to ensure there is no duplication is if you put something in the blog comments to say what you are going to work on so other helpers don’t do the same thing. Any other ideas on how to manage this gratefully received, but people should really do what they want to do, as it is not right for me to dictate.

What would be ideal of course would be to have a number of regular contributors with either particular areas (like Vanessa has) or days of ‘duty’, but we are probably far from that at the moment. If someone would like to ‘specialise’ please let me know, but it does mean a regular commitment.

Another thing someone could help me with is the ‘snippets’ or ‘titbits’ like those above. As there is no translation involved, then it might be quite easy for someone to do. I could arrange for the alerts to be sent once a day, not necessarily every day for just one person, and then someone could check them out and if they are worth a mention it’s just a question of formatting them to be ‘cut ‘n pasted’ ready to go into the next blog (that would be explained) and emailing me. That alone would save me up to an hour a day to do something else. Or perhaps someone would like to a be a YouTube monitor (or any similar website) and just check every few days to see if there is are any new interesting and relevant videos posted.

Many thanks to Elaine for this huge contribution.

Ribeira Brava Philharmonic Band travels to Venezuela. The Banda Municipal da Ribeira Brava will tour Venezuela this year to perform to the large immigrant community. It will probably be during the summer, including the Day of the Region. 30 to 40 band members will stay for a week. The Mayor of Ribeira Brava promised to support the trip although it is the result of an invitation by a group of Luso-Venezuelan emigrants. The council supports such projects because they promote culture, represent the country and allow closer ties with the immigrant community. It benefits the emigrants as they meet together at such functions and many migrated decades ago but they never forget their roots.

Communists suspect the CDS will no longer back the Regional Finance Law / PS maintain their position. The regional directorate of the PCP-Madeira suspect that the CDS-PP will approve the State Budget of the Socialist Government and not the Regional Finance Law, as wanted by the Prime Minister José Sócrates. The PCP leader Jorge Cordeiro said, “The signs are worrying for Madeira.” “Everything indicates that the Regional Finance Law and the interests of Madeira have been transformed into a bargaining chip, particularly by the CDS.” The communist leader said the vote on the law was postponed twice then the PS and CDS approved another postponement. If the law is not passed, it is likely that poverty and unemployment will increase in Madeira. The PS-M maintain the position on the Regional Finance Law that they held in the 2007 elections, when they only received 15% of the vote. They insist there is an error as the GDP is inflated by the effect of the Free Trade Zone which has resulted in a loss of transfer of 500 million Euros from community funds. PS leader, Jacinto Serrão, says the relationship between Lisbon and Funchal leads to insults and attacks on the Government of the Republic and asks the Minister of Finance, Teixeira dos Santos, not to be so stubborn so both parties can negotiate.

Panelo with lack of cabbage. Today, Chão da Ribeira in Seixal hosts a festa for the traditional free panelo. The problem this year for residents is to obtain enough cabbage or grelos (similar to spinach). The wild pombos (pigeons) have devastated the local crops. The panelo is usually cooked using cabbage and semilhas (Madeiran potatoes) grown in Seixal and salted pork from the tradition of ‘killing the pig’ in December. This traditional panelo started around forty years ago when families decided to gather on the last Sunday in January at the Chão da Ribeira to consume the remains from Christmas. Pork, chicken or beef are cooked in a Portuguese manner then served with wine from Seixal. Tradition dictates that the panelo is served on a tablecloth on the ground and the afternoon spent with family and friends.

Diocese collects 18,000 Euros for Haiti. The Diocese of Funchal has received 18,000 Euros in donations and the charity Caritas will forward it to Caritas in Portugal which in turn will deliver the money to Caritas in Haiti. Both the headquarters and warehouse in Port-aux-Prince are still standing. Caritas always helps areas where reconstruction and rehabilitation are needed, for example after the December 2004 tsunami and more recently, in Peru. One or two years after the money has been sent, a commission goes to the area to see how the funds have been used.

‘Park and Ride’ this year in Funchal. Funchal City Council want a single fare to cover using the car parks situated outside the city and transport into Funchal on buses run by Horários do Funchal. ‘Park and Ride’ has been attempted before but failed due to a lack of adherence. Car parks with spare capacity are located at Clube Naval and Rua Bela de São Tiago, near Largo da Força. The council are in talks with the companies managing the car parks as they want to make the price attractive to users so they gain financially. The service will benefit people who commute daily from Câmara de Lobos and Caniço. The council want to reduce the number of cars travelling into the city centre to reduce pollution and petrol consumption. Economists talk of an increase in the price of petrol in the near future. The cheapest monthly cost for a car park in Funchal is 90 Euros and the council want the new scheme to reduce this to 55 Euros.

Romeira closes municipal company. The Mayor of São Vicente, Jorge Romeira, will close a municipal company created four years ago by his predecessor Humberto Vasconcelos. The company Promovicente was created with the approval of the PSD councillors and the PS have always been against this decision. This company was created to promote the municipality and they were almost exclusively paid to promote cultural, social and sports activities. Jorge Romeira insists the activities of the company are only suspended. His motto is ‘clean’ and he has a tendency to cancel projects of his predecessor.

37 accidents in a month and a half at Porto Novo. The majority of accidents occurred on a 26.8 km stretch of the Via Rápida 1 in the direction Funchal/Santa Cruz, after the end of the bridge at Porto Novo. Some drivers blame the maintenance of the road by Vialitoral but the area has road signs that indicate danger in unfavourable weather conditions, as experienced between this period of 1/12/2009 and 17/01/2010. The firm’s statistics taken from speeds measured by 54 counters indicate that the majority of accidents were due to excessive speed.

Azores receive two billion Euros more than Madeira. Plenty of numbers in this article which are summarised in the diagrams shown. A study by the Regional Government condemns the State and Europe for guaranteeing in the past 12 years, 28% more for the Azores. The Regional Government is considering a full-scale campaign in national newspapers to publicise the amount the State has allocated to each region, especially the disparity between the Azores and Madeira. Declarations by the leader of the Azores have led to a break in the relationship with Alberto Jardim. Carlos César has said that the revision of the law would undermine the Azores. Under the present law, the Azores receive 60.5% of the money transferred from the State and Madeira receives 39.5%. With the revised law, the Azores would receive 52% and Madeira the other 48%. At present, the Azores receive 20% of the Cohesion Fund and Madeira receives 4%. The Regional Government say that the GDP (PIB) of Madeira is more than that generated by the Azores, due to high public investment and it should not be penalized for this. Since the 1998 Regional Finance Law, the GDP of Madeira grew 97% whereas that of the Azores grew 73%. Accused of spending, Jardim says that the Regional Government has spent 26.6% GDP whereas the Azores has spent 31% GDP. The State has spent 45.8% GDP which rose at the end of last year to 51.3% GDP.

Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :

Socialist Party of Madeira criticizes the “stubborn ones” affecting finances – The congress closes with some stick given to President Jardim and [Finance Minister] Teixeira dos Santos.

Minister ‘buries’ the Finance Law. Finance Minister Teixeira dos Santos is sticking to his guns with a ‘no’ to the Regional Finance law amendments, put together and submitted by President Alberto João Jardim of Madeira. “Why is it that one would give several tens of millions more Euros to Madeira in this conjuncture?” he asks. He says that both the Assembly of the Republic, and his own Socialist Party, are not available to do the revision requested, and that no one would understand why a government would approve the amendments of the Social Democrats of Madeira at a time when the county needed to keep a tight reign on public expenditure. It looks like Uncle Bertie will have a tough end to his dictatorship long period of rule then, with some tough choices ahead. What will he do … stop lining politicians pockets … cancel the €45 m redevelopment of the Marítimo stadium … flog off a few more publically owned assets. No I don’t think so, they would be easy solutions. Look out for cut-backs in job-rich community projects I reckon, especially in those areas where the PSD-M didn’t fare so well in the recent elections.

Today’s main news headline : GARBAGE CONSUMES 31.5% OF BUSINESS SUPPORT – The Regional Government has committed almost a third of the support destined for extra help given to company operations. And it did it to the benefit of the public body that manages the waste, the ‘Valor Ambiente’ [Environmental Value].

Scrap collections reduce to a half. Less scrap metal in the streets, with just 8 abandoned cars towed away per month during the last year. The considerable reduction comes after concerted efforts by local councils and police to do something to stop the problem. Making people aware of the importance of protecting the environment and the image of this tourist destination has been a key facet of the actions taken. Abandoned vehicles have been a problem for a long time, especially in areas distanced from population centres and main roads, and that problem still remains. Anyway, the figures in 2006 were 20 a month, and that last year was down to 8 a month. Owners traced as having abandoned cars face a fine of between €250 and €750, with the upper limit rising to €2,500 if the car is in a state of scrap. I don’t suppose it could be anything to do with the fact that people don’t have the money to replace their cars these days? The Diário mentions several such zones, popular for car-dumpers, but fails to mention Boa Morte [Good Death] which last time I went through was littered with decaying vehicles, but nether-the-less I was tickled that the place was perhaps named as such as it was the final resting place for old cars.

Crisis obliges working in unfamiliar areas – Not even the marketplace for work  can offer opportunities that match university qualifications. Find out about some examples.

The main sport / football headline today, and also the main picture :  Rúben makes an almost perfect debut – The Madeiran debuted for FC Porto in the League Cup and deserved praise. Saturday he plays in the Choupana [Nacional, Madeira ... the club he has just left].

Victory of Nacional was insufficient. Nacional beat Guimarães 1 – 0 yesterday in the league cup, but it wasn’t enough to move from the group to the next stage of the competition.

Manuel Machado retakes his place tomorrow. The manager of Nacional, who was critically ill in hospital with a post-operation infection before Xmas, is back at work tomorrow, some months sooner than originally expected.

There are still 3 more sports headlines to go, but that’s enough for me, save to say that my lads of Ribeira Brava beat Porto Moniz 2 – 0 yesterday, leaving them clear at the top of the Madeira Series league table.

Many thanks to Elaine out West for this from the Jornal da Madeira :

New link to Madeira. In early summer the Azorean airline SATA will start a new route between Ponta Delgada, Funchal and Faro, using the new Bombardier Q400 Dash, the first of which will be delivered today in Toronto. “This new service, which will be held twice a week, will depart from and arrive the same day in Ponta Delgada, allowing the connection between the Azores, Madeira and the Algarve,” said one SATA source, speaking to journalists in the Canadian city. In a ceremony at the Bombardier plant in Toronto on Monday SATA received the first of four Q400 NextGen Dash, acquired by an investment of 74 million Euros. The aircraft will arrive at Ponta Delgada at the end of the month, allowing SATA to begin the certification process to enable them to start operations in late February. The four planes purchased by SATA should all be flying by the end of the first half of this year, replacing the existing ATP aircraft. The new Dash Q400 NextGen will operate routes between the islands of the archipelago on routes between the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands and the link between the two islands and the Algarve which starts operating at the beginning of Summer. Fleet renewal SATA Air Azores began last year with the arrival of two Bombardier Q200, which replaced the Dornier that the company used for links to the smaller islands. The two Q200 will ensure links between Funchal and Porto Santo and the routes to the islands with lower demand in the Azores archipelago, in particular Corvo, the smallest island of the Azores.

If anyone else can oblige with the translation of any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines, or other news stories, here is the link. All contributions much appreciated. 

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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 photo or video, 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 don’t send in automatic translations (like Google translator) without checking them through and correcting them first, thanks.

You can email blog@madeira4u.com with any large contributions and photos / videos.

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Please use the comments here for general chit-chat, or feel free to ask any questions … someone usually has an answer.

(more…)

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Elaine (West) … Hibiscus flower

Someone a few days ago was asking about this : "… This year we will be transmitting the famous Madeira New Year’s Fireworks show live, here on MadeiraHelp.com from an even better location [than last year], where one may see most of Funchal amphitheatre. … The broadcast will be on from 23:30 on the 31st December 2009 and will transmit all 10 to 12 minutes of the Fireworks show which start at midnight (GMT)". FUNCHAL 2010 LIVE FIREWORKS

Someone looking for really cheap accommodation might find this link handy, as it lists cheap hostels / budget accommodation from just over €10 a night MADEIRA HOSTELS 

I must be going soft, giving all this free publicity : "Estate agents Fine & Country have just opened their latest office, at a landmark location in Madeira. The opening of the Madeira office also follows hot on the heels of Fine & Country scooping two of the industry’s top international accolades last month: Best International Estate Agency Marketing at the CNBC International Residential Property Awards, and the Gold Award for Best Estate Agency Overseas at the Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year Awards. ESTATE AGENCY INFO

"Madeira’s unique topology is what accounts for the prolificacy of levadas. A mountain chain cuts the island in half on an east-west plane. This causes clouds drifting in from the Atlantic to get caught, where they release plenty of rain. The problem is that most of that rain falls into the north end of the island. The south end, which is a more favorable farming area, can sometimes go for six months without any rainfall. The particular geography of the island causes what rain does fall to run directly into the ocean". LEVADA WALKS ARTICLE

Wind strong to very strong in mountains – Civil Protection advises against journeys on foot or by car because of the strength of the wind. The Institute of Meteorology predicts the occurrence of strong winds and very strong in the mountains by early afternoon on Monday, December 28, with gusts that could reach 110 km an hour. The Regional Civil Protection warns the public of the risks associated with cars and pedestrians in mountainous areas and exposed areas.

Many thanks to Sheila for sending this in : The Portuguese Parliament has approved a new law (proposed by the Communist Party) which will give tax inspectors power to access the bank accounts of relatives of anyone being investigated for tax evasion. The law was passed with the support of the PCP and other parties of the Left, but the ruling Socialist Party and the main opposition Social Democrats abstained from voting.

Strong winds in the mountains. The Institute of Meteorology predicts strong winds, especially in the mountains, by early afternoon on Monday 28 December. Gusts could reach 110 kilometres per hour. The Regional Civil Protection warns of risks to traffic and pedestrians in the mountainous areas and exposed areas. The ferry to Porto Santo returned earlier than normal to Funchal today due to the conditions of the wind and sea. It might be unable to sail tomorrow with predictions of an increase in waves to 4.6 and 5 metres.

Many thanks to Elaine from the East for this whopping contribution from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias :

SANAS rescue capsized launch in the Marina.  The boat was moored in the Marina of Funchal. The owners of other boats were checking their vessels after the bad weather and discovered this one, a recreation launch (Seagull) beneath other boats. The Maritime Police investigated then SANAS intervened. The boat was re-floated, towed then lifted by a large crane into dry dock at São Lazaro. The operation took five hours.

Overturned car at Pilar.  A car on the motorway from Santa Cruz – Câmara de Lobos, crashed then overturned at Pilar junction. The accident occurred at 20.30 and the driver was unhurt.

Shopping centres flooded yesterday with shoppers. MadeiraShopping Centre was crowded with people exchanging gifts and seeking reduced priced items in the first sales, especially luxury items. Most are visiting relatives on Sunday, although the shops expect another bumper day, and the majority of people want to shop before they have to return to work. The shop owners were rejoicing and the evidence was in the long queues at the tills. The closure of the shops in Funchal centre on Saturday helped boost sales. FNAC did well yesterday since gift cards are gaining popularity as presents. Worten  tripled their sales on the last few days before Christmas. Salsa has maintained its popularity in the 25 – 40 year old range by strategic marketing during the crisis with promotions. Analysts predict a very difficult 2010 for the Portuguese economy. The Avenida Arriaga was visited by numerous families yesterday, especially after the recent stormy weather. The children enjoyed the seasonal displays with many photographs taken, the Christmas Crib and Ethnological Village being favourite attractions, more than the stalls selling regional produce.

Mysterious boat.  A  luxurious mega-yacht took refuge from the bad weather off the north coast of Madeira. For two days, the sinister image puzzled drivers on the north coast roads. Dozens of calls alerted the Diário to its presence and the reporters discovered it to be a mega-yacht called ‘A’. The name represents the initials of the owner’s wife Aleksandra. The owner is a Russian billionaire, Andrey Melnichenko, his ‘toy’ is 119 metres in length with a construction cost of 150 million Euros. It was built under secrecy at the German shipyards Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, under the name ‘Sigma SF 99′ and the interior designer was French. It was finished this January and it is designed with straight lines to minimize splashing under the maximum speed of 25 knots. Privacy and security are paramount as evidenced by close-circuit TV, motion sensors and digital codes for access, especially to the master suite. It is at the 11th position in the ranking for the largest motor yacht in the world. The heliport is often used by the couple to embark  and disembark. It is crewed by 35 sailors, chefs, entertainers and security staff. The special glass used on the yacht allows privacy for celebrities who want to escape the photographers.

Tsunami here is not a fantasy. The region might suffer a natural disaster, similar to that five years ago in Southeast Asia.  A British researcher, Simon Day, has finished a thesis on the formation of tsunamis by landslides, his study quoted by an advisor to the British Government. In the next 10,000 years, a giant tsunami wave up to a hundred metres might form in the Atlantic Ocean. The epicentre would be the volcano Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Islands and the collapse of rock would cause a wave which would have a catastrophic effect on the east coast of America, Brazil and sweep over the Madeiran archipelago. A previous eruption in 1949 opened a 2 km gap in the island of La Palma, sufficient to threaten the destabilization of an area of 500 cubic kilometres. A University of Madeira representative said that geological mapping of the region confirms this but more work is required for any predictions. Geological mapping of seismicity in the North Atlantic by the National Earthquake Information Centre – United States Geological Study is shown in the photo. The map shows flaws in Madeira but the seismic potential is very small. The two previous earthquakes on 24 November (southwest of Funchal) and 3 December (near the Desertas Islands) have gone largely unnoticed.

100 elderly on the waiting list for domestic help.  At present, 3,346 elderly receive home help from 580 carers employed by Social Security and there are 100 on the waiting list. Judging by the three personal stories quoted, there are no complaints about the care received. Care is often needed when the families lack patience, are selfish and elderly relatives are abandoned.

Year of crisis makes more people join political parties. The Socialist Party over the past 5 years has gained an average 200 new members every year, with an increase of 400 in 2008 – 2009. The only party which will not give numbers is the PSD but numbers have increased for all other parties. The Movement of the Earth party is the only one with more women than men.

Political parties ask for support for families affected by bad weather. The leader of the Party of the Earth, Isidoro Goncalves, has criticized the silence of the authorities over the damage caused by the weather over recent weeks. She suggests that Câmara de Lobos Council give support, through the contingency funds, especially in the areas of Estreito and Curral das Freiras. There have been no official Council or Government visits to the areas and criticism is directed at Manuel Antonio Correira and Santas Costa. Some damage is due to negligence of the Government in not implementing public works which would have influenced the water courses. In Ribeira Grande in São Vicente, Joao Gouveia (PS) suggests the creation of an emergency plan, after visiting the local population. There has been alleged dumping of waste materials in waterways by the company Tâmega. After a protest by locals, he wants their activity suspended and compensation for families affected by damage. The CDS deputy in the Assembly of the Republic has said his party will write to the Prime Minister to ask for a plan to help those affected by bad weather, as it did with the Azores. José Rodriques had visited São Vicente and wants an immediate payment of 250,000 Euros for those affected, similar to the amount given to the Azores on the 16 December. A contingency plan is also needed for farmers, especially for damaged vineyards.  He said the Madeiran executive must establish the responsibility of those who dumped rubbish and other debris in the rivers, which contributed to the destruction seen in São Vicente, Santana and Ponta do Sol. He said the destruction was a combination of human error and the weather, and it was strange that the Regional Government was not meeting the emergency, both in restoring public infrastructure and surveying the damage. The bombeiros responded between the 24 – 26 December to 57 requests for assistance, 34 for transport to hospital. They undertook over 50 hours of work, and 60 vehicles and 123 bombeiros were involved.

New Year average of 90%. Forecasts for the end of the year point to an average occupancy rate of 90% in the hotels. Occupancy is better than last year and some hotels are already full.

Prisoner on Christmas leave returned in less than 24 hours.  The man, on leave to join his family over Christmas, was forcibly returned to Funchal Prison within 24 hours. He was apprehended by the PSP on the day after release, in a bar in Santa Cruz, for damage to a motorcycle by throwing it to the ground after a bar fight. He had more than four times the amount of alcohol in his blood than legally allowed under his probation conditions. He had been imprisoned for several years for a rape which he committed on the Continent, and was imprisoned at Cancela in order that he would be closer to his family.

Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias :

Judicial Police without leads of the whereabouts of Martins – 5 months after the death of the businessman Guilherme  Alves, the PJ were on the look out for José Martins, who was already the accused and the plaintiff in Porto Santo Court. That’s seems an interesting combination of roles, so perhaps Martins also has a separate lawsuit outstanding beyond his alleged role in the murder of the businessman.

´São Silvestre’ trusts in São Pedro. If the weather helps, today there will be a record number of participants in the Volta (race). Marítimo also runs in the name of solidarity.

Today’s main news headline : Malaria attacks Madeira by surprise – There is a man in the intensive care unit infected with Malaria. Another two are hospitalised with the same disease. Returnees from Guinea, they were diagnosed with flu. The clinical director has already requested new medical supplies.

Movements in the port quadrupled in 50 years – Despite the small berthing area, the number of dockings grew 94% and the size of the cruise boats tripled.

The main photo on today’s front page shows several felled trees and a pile of large rocks, clearly where they shouldn’t be. Today seems to be ‘catch-up day’ for weather stories with 5 making the headlines :

Tempest provokes political storm – Rodrigues (PP) has already  written to Sócrates calling for support and sent another letter to Jardim harshly criticizing the lack of action by the Regional Government.

Manuel António guarantees that he was at the site.

BE  (Left Block) takes protest to Legislative Assembly of Madeira.

Race to the water in Ponta do Sol.

Two families relocated in Ribeira Grande.

The Lobo Marinho has decided not to go to Porto Santo island today, well I guess the actual masters of the ferry service have decided that. Sea conditions are just too bad.

I am really strapped for time today and tomorrow, so I can’t do any more today, but will try harder tomorrow.

If anyone else can oblige with the translation of any of the ‘blank’ or sparsely filled headlines, or other news stories, here is the link. All contributions much appreciated. 

I read that tsunami article just before going to bed last night, and it was really interesting, with facts and figures about what this massive piece of rock in the Canary Islands (500 cubic kilometres) would do. I remember trying to work out how big that really is, and I reckon that’s a fair bit bigger than Madeira, the part above sea level at least. That particular risk in the Canary Islands has been known about for years, and nothing has been done to mitigate it. But what do you do with a chunk of rock that big? All the cement and cement mixers in the world probably wouldn’t do much good to patch up the cracks. There I go rambling again. Anyway, the tsunami wave would be between 50 and a 100 metres high, and would obviously devastate Madeira and many other coastlines within hours of happening, so it’s no laughing matter. But you know what dreams are like, and as I was still thinking on the matter when I went to bed, I ended up with dreams ravaged by massive tsunamis. The blog snipers will be pleased to know that I did not survive, perishing as the water crashed through my patio doors situated at a mere 40 metres above sea level, having refused to abandon home along with the others. However the dream also contained other important information about who and what survived, and obviously whilst I cannot tell you much about the fate of Uncle Bertie and the other political cronies for reasons of national security, I can tell you that the newly finished €45 million Barreiros Stadium, where Marítimo play, was smashed to smithereens, and Uncle Bertie was pretty upset. But he still managed to stump up another €116.7 million of taxpayers money to build another one before the tsunami wave reached his own front door. The Nacional football stadium however, being much higher up in Choupana, survived the disaster unscathed, and the team inspired by the memory of those lost went on to win the Champions League. I can’t tell you which year it happens exactly, but Cristiano Ronaldo was still playing for Real Madrid, so it’s not so far away. I might leak some more facts later on, but it’s all still a bit wishy-washy at the moment.

Sue sent in these news stories – many thanks.

Strong wind reaches the Azores islands and disrupts air traffic

An aircraft carrier Azores Sata from Lisbon to the Third and he was forced to depart at the end of the morning on the island of Santa Maria because of the strong wind at the airport of Lajes and eventually returned to the capital. A company spokesman told Lusa that the plane, with 89 passengers on board, tried to operate on Terceira island after refueling in Santa Maria, but the weather did not permit it. Five of the passengers disembarked at Santa Maria and the other will fly on Monday from Lisbon to Terceira, stated by the same source. Despite strong winds, the inter-island operation of the company was to be accomplished by other cancellations, said the same source. The nine islands of the Azores will continue to be buffeted by strong winds, with gusts that could reach 100 miles per hour, until the early afternoon on Monday, warned the Regional Civil Protection yesterday. In a notice issued in the late afternoon yesterday, the Azores Civil Protection stated that it also predicted heavy rain and scattered thunderstorms, between last night and the afternoon on Monday. During the same period they warned of rough seas around the islands, with waves that could reach six feet tall.

Faial without signaling. Not only was the sun out yesterday in the early afternoon it attracted some families in the bathing area of Faial. So popular was it that they also wanted to get close to the power of nature and the damage caused by the storm, as the walls of the support ‘promenade’, tumbled due to the storm last Thursday. Clearly the absence of signs or even barriers that prevent the inquisitive children to move close to the rugged area, it could create more accidents; a fact which should be considered due to the number of visitors and tourists who visit this leisure site.

River sand removed. The mouth of the stream that flows next to the swimming complex Madalena do Mar, which was completely blocked on the night of 22 to 23 December, had the sand removed. However, it is believed that due to the weight of huge amounts of earth, stone and debris from trees and other materials carried by the water caused this. But as the photo shows this did not happen. The dredging of the mouth of the stream resulted in a huge pile of debris that is piled on the stone, served to show the many facets the force of rain can given to the flow which had gone down stream.

BMF collects dog run over and save trapped cat. The Fire Department of Funchal were called yesterday to collect a dog that was killed on the Road Conde Carvalhal. The intervention of the same corporation was sought afterwards in the area of the promenade, near the Lido, to remove a cat that could not get down to an awning, where he hid to escape the attack of a dog. Sad dog Happy cat!

Tons of trash from river give the marina. Funchal Marina protests against illegal dumps in the Ribeira de S. John. Funchal marina has removed rubbish in the order of tons since records began with the more intense rainfall this winter. Americo Costa, head of the management of port infrastructure protests against the "lack of civility and poor education" of Funchal who throw garbage into streams allowing the problems to drag downstream. Debris has been dragged either by long duration of heavy rain which raised the level of the streams. The illegal dumps that proliferate along the Ribeira de Sao Joao, which flows along the portage of St. Lazarus, lie behind the pollution of domestic waste in the river port. The strong southwest wind has carried the garbage to the mouth of the marina, outraging some yachtsmen. Carlos Sousa has several vessels moored there and saw with displeasure the diverse abundance of garbage: bottles, plastic, driftwood and animal carcasses. He witnessed the waste floating on Christmas Eve – describing it as "an attack on public health" – Carlos Sousa contacted the administration of the Marina of Funchal, but says nothing was done. He also called for civil protection that ultimately refered the matter to the authority of the Marine Police. No action was taken and the pollution continued for all to see, tourists and sailors, right next to the berths in the south jetty near the mouth of the marina. "We do not have any claim related to this, either orally or in writing," responds to the director of Diary of marina capital of Madeira. Americo Costa says that whenever outbreaks of garbage are detected, the order for removal is given in conjunction with the evaluating of the weather. "The cleanup actions then proceed immediately whenever they are detected debris carried by the rains.

We have the collaboration of APRAM, which provides us a means to transport car and the site itself," he explains. Since the beginning of the rains that have hit the region over the last three weeks, the Marina of Funchal has removed from the basin under its concession area "junk in the order of tons," says the head. "With the floods and the southwest wind, the garbage comes all into the marina." Americo Costa points out that the problem is upstream and protests against the perpetrators of the attacks environment. "It’s a common situation but it should not happen, but there is a lack of civic education and it is the people and who are downstream who are paying," remarked when asked why more surveillance activities were available.

Play safe CHRISTMAS 2009 – Entrepreneurs of shops selling fireworks leave message. The so-called "bomblets Christmas" and any type of firework that the islanders have traditionally launched at this time of year are safe, since they are launched in accordance with the recommended rules. The message is shared by two owners of "Firework Shops" of Madeira, respectively, Fernando Rodrigues and Rui Camisanova.

The latter, Firework Shop Mariano in Itataia, advises parents not to let the children throw any type of fire without being accompanied by adults. "Although they is a moderate risk, there is risk" he says. Adults, in turn, he warns: "Fireworks and alcohol are not good companions." Rui Camisanova explains that a person should never release "bombs" or other types of fireworks, because under the influence of alcohol you do not have control of your actions. "Have fun in safety and not put others at risk ‘is your final warning. Whilst sales have not been could to date due to the economy and bad weather it is hoped that by the end of the year sales will increase. Until then, who buy 75 Eurs or more fireworks in his shop are entitled to a bottle of sparkling wine and 100 grams bag of raisins. Fernando Rodrigues, in turn, owns the "Shop of Fire" Burn the Street, the oldest of Madeira, with about 60 years. Compared to the past, Fernando Rodrigues has no doubt that sales fell a lot. Mainly due to increased competition. Is that this is a type of product to sell, especially at this time and, or if you can sell, or no recovery possible in other months of the year, explains. Five years does not increase the prices of the products they sell and, although he says people are spending more difficulties than before, another explanation for the loss of sales is primarily the weather. It was, as he says, ‘a real whirlwind for the traditional trades. Fernando Rodrigues caveat that "taking the bombs and rockets of large, none of that danger", when used correctly.

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