Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … "On today’s (Thursday) blog the article on Cleaning reveals the Fontes de João Dinis. You said there is a well, are here two photos for you, 2nd well is working water coming out, The 1st again another well, but dry. I am not clear which one in the blog, so I thought I’d send you both photos".

Many thanks to Paul for this. It was covered yesterday, but with different articles I think :

4 marine protected areas on the extended continental shelves of the Azores as well as mainland Portugal. On the 24^th March the WWF in Funchal, Madeira “praised Portuguese authorities for announcing the establishment of four marine protected areas on the extended continental shelves of the Azores as well as mainland Portugal.” “The four sites – on the southern Mid Atlantic Ridge, Altair Seamount, Antialtair Seamount and Josephine Bank – together cover an area of 120,000 square km rich in vulnerable deepwater communities, including cold-water coral reefs, sponge fields, coral gardens, and deep sea bony fish, sharks and rays.”

OSPAR Convention. The announcement of marine protected area status was made at an international North Atlantic environmental commission (OSPAR Convention) meeting attended by UN fisheries and seabed agencies in Funchal, Madeira. It follows three of the four sites being declared being declared off limits because of the use of destructive bottom fishing gear just under a year ago.

Image : Map of the marine area and the 15 contracting parties of the OSPAR Commission for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic.

Ground breaking progress on ocean governance. Stephan Lutter, International Marine Policy Officer with WWF Germany said it was ground breaking progress on ocean governance : “It comes at a time when the political and economic boundaries in our oceans are shifting. We would wish that all Coastal States who have submitted claims for an extended continental shelf beyond the limit of 200 nautical miles were taking their obligation to protect the marine wildlife out there as seriously as Portugal.” All four of the new marine protected areas will be unique in legal terms, with the coastal state in charge of protecting the natural resources of the seafloor, and international bodies to protect marine biological diversity in the corresponding High Seas waters.

“Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone”. This new legal arrangement opens up possibilities of improving protection to the first pilot marine protected area in international waters of the North Atlantic, the so-called “Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone” located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which was agreed by contracting parties to the OSPAR Convention on the in 2008.

Also from Paul :

No danger of Portugal being sucked into the same sort of debt whirlpool as Greece. "European Union president Herman Van Rompuy said on Friday (26^th March) there was no danger of Portugal being sucked into the same sort of debt whirlpool as Greece. "The problem is completely different for Portugal," Van Rompuy said when asked if he feared that Lisbon might be next to seek help dealing with a bulging annual deficit and national debt. "I really believe that the situations are not in the least comparable and that the markets realise that, and will realise that in the coming days," he added.

Photo : Herman Van Rompuy, ex-Belgian prime minister now EU President

"You can only compare what’s comparable," Van Rompuy added, also distinguishing between what had happened in Athens and fears over Spain’s high deficit.

Portugal’s decision to freeze public sector wages was "a step in the right direction”. European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet meanwhile said that Portugal’s decision to freeze public sector wages was "a step in the right direction." Link to full article

REMEMBERED TO PUT YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD ONE HOUR?

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

DIÁRIO 27/03/2010

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Ancient bridges should stand.  Funchal Council want to keep the old pedestrian bridges wherever possible. Two that are repairable after storm damage are Cidrão (photo) and D. Manuel over the ribeira de Santa Luzia. Bridges that have to be demolished or partially rebuilt are: near the old headquarters of Nacional connecting rua do Tanoeiros and Rua da Alfândega; Til and Rua da Carne Azeda over the ribeiro do Livramento (behind the Jardim de Santa Luzia); over the ribeiras and ribeiros near the Mercado and Minas Gerais; in Laranjal (Estrada Comandante Camacho de Freitas), Fundoa, Quinta Falcão, Casabranca and the ponte do Livramento.

MADEIRA

Two thousand truckloads of inerts. Over two thousand lorry loads of aggregates have been dumped at a landfill at the mouth of the ribeira da Alforra in Câmara de Lobos. Thousands of cubic metres of material, mainly earth, have stained the sea front of this fishing town. This landfill is now closed. The mayor admits the brown stain in the sea has a bad visual impact but the urgency of the situation justifies using this option.

PSP accused of violence and torture. The family of a 46 year old man has made a complaint to the prosecutor against the Public Security Police for aggression and acts of torture committed by agents on that individual. According to the brother of the alleged victim, it started around 17.30 on Thursday when Rui Duarte Nunes, known as Dude, was approached by two police officers of the Rapid Intervention Brigade (BIR) in the area of Quinta Deão. The officers took his brother to an area close to the parish council building and began an unprovoked attack. They punched and handcuffed him and reinforcements came, witnessed by family members who live nearby. Rui Nunes was taken to the Regional Command of the PSP and when released at 20.30, he could hardly walk. He was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was treated until 2 am. Wounds were on his face, back, abdomen, behind his ears, feet and pepper spray had been thrown in his eyes. Rui Nunes attended court where the judge ordered him to go to the Forensic Medicine department for photographs to be taken. The PSP argue that he had attempted to assault them. His brother said that Rui is a drug abuser but neither violent or a criminal.

ECONOMY

Traders received 136.7 million Euros of aid. A month after the catastrophic events on February 20th, 800 traders have received 136.7 million Euros in compensation. 45 applications of less than 75,000 Euros, totalling 2.3 million Euros have been approved and another 130 are being processed by the banks for a total of 8.3 million Euros. In the final stage are 15 applications totalling 3 million Euros that are for more than 75,000 Euros each. The total so far is 5.4 million Euros of funds set up by the Governments of the Republic and Madeira granted to 180 traders, averaging 30,000 Euros each. Funchal Council has secured 350,000 Euros for 150 traders or 2,500 Euros each. Insurance firms have paid 123 million Euros for 683 claims, an average of 180,000 Euros. Firms with 40/60 employees can ask Social Security to pay 70% of wages and contributions for three months. Among the companies that have received bank aid to secure jobs, 32 are micro-sized, 12 small-sized and one medium-sized firm. They received 2.3 million Euros or 51,000 Euros each. Support has been given to 10 firms in the tourism sector, 8 in the service sector, 3 in the transport sector and 2 construction firms. The most support has been to firms in Funchal and other areas are Santa Cruz, Câmara de Lobos, Machico and Ponta do Sol. 40 other companies have benefited from 1.5 million Euros from credit lines to help with cash flow problems.

ANAM current debt is reduced to 206 million Euros. ANAM manages Madeira Airport and the results in 2009 are an improvement since the previous year due to better management. The passenger numbers fell 4.3% despite a fall of 6.5% through European airports. The main shortfall was a 20% decrease in passengers from the United Kingdom, made up by Easyjet passengers from Lisbon. The net income for 2009 fell from minus 10.3 million Euros in 2008 to minus 7.2 million Euros. ANAM paid 60 million Euros to the banks to reduce the debt by 25% and interest rates were lower. This left a debt at the end of 2009 at 206 million Euros.

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

Socialist Party of Madeira already assures support for Passos Coelho – Guilherme Silva was the delegate of Rangel [loser in the PSD elections], but accepts the victory of the new leader, from whom he expects solidarity. The party activists of PSD-Madeira backed a loser, with 86% of the vote going to Paulo Rangel. Madeira was the only region of Portugal that gave Rangel a majority. Silva said "we always count on each other on the day following the result of an internal party election … it is a saying that the PSD always had". He highlighted the "significant victory" of Pedro Passos Coelho and added that he believes that this is a "strong leadership, capable and consistent to provide opposition to the Socialist Party and José Sócrates". Hmmm … normally that sort of statement would come from the party leader for Madeira, but perhaps Uncle Bertie was just too busy to face the press!

Pharmacies flee from supplying syringes – Complaints accuse drug addicts of ruining the environment. Chemists say that they were obliged to refuse the exchange of syringe ‘kits’ in their shops in order to restore a ‘good environment’. Thefts, threats, injuries, altercations, and a bad atmosphere are the reasons given from withdrawing from the syringe exchange programme, with some shops in downtown Funchal having left the scheme a year ago. "It was a service that we offered for the State and society, but today we can not afford to lose customers because things are not easy," says Ana Mafalda Rodrigues, technical director of the Portuguese Pharmacy, located on Rua João Tavira. The movement of drug addicts in the establishment troubled customers who felt intimidated with the way they spoke and asked for assistance, without regard to who was ahead in the queue, she explains, adding that for such a decision to be taken the occurrence of "some thefts" was also taken into account.

Today’s main news headline : 409 companies leave Business Centre – It is a sharp fall in just one year, but the exit from the International Business Centre of Madeira was already happening since 2001. In 9 years, 3021 companies abandoned Madeira.

Geraldine Chaplin come to the Festival of Cinema. I had no idea who she was, but a quick peek at the article says that she is an actress of great renown, but also the daughter of Charlie Chaplin. However, there is another famous guest who I am well aware of, as he features in my DVD collection … Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame. The festival runs from the 10th to the 17th April, in Funchal of course, in the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias.

The main sport / football headline today : Benfica ‘tidies up’ Braga and the Premier League – The Benfica ‘nation’ can start to celebrate : yesterday, Luisão scored the victory goal before Braga and will have ‘swept away’ the issue of the title for this season. There are still six games left this season, and with a gap of 6 points between league leaders Benfica and second placed Braga, it’s a bit too early to be celebrating methinks, although I don’t have much doubt that the Diário’s assumption is correct. 6 weeks of noisy gloating Benfiquistas to put up with until the season end, and then even more after … I think I might go into a Spring hibernation. It’s been a long long time since Benfica have has a successful season, and I don’t actually begrudge them that, it’s just that obnoxious manager Jorge Jesus that I can’t stand. His behaviour cannot be described as anything other than legalised yobbery and he sets a disgraceful example to football supporters. No wonder hooligan problems are hitting the Portugal headlines with increasing regularity.

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 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 other material.

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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 Tom … "Magnolias are blooming on Monte means Spring is in the air".

Many thanks to Elaine (East) for these web snippets / videos :

Cruising the Mediterranean (1933). 38 minutes in total, the first 8 minutes are relevant to Madeira. Keywords: S.S. Columbus, boys diving for coins, oxen drawn sleds, digging paving stones for street, laying stones, pounding, Madeira wine barrel on sled, man herding pigs in street, carrying wicker chairs, fish market, eels (Espada), removing skin on rough stone, live turtle (sold for food), flower seller, embroidery, carrying sled up stairs, sleds career down stone mountain road. HERE

Madeira. Description of the island in the 1920s. 4 minutes long silent clip. Keywords: Ox drawn sleds used for tourists, man passes a greased rag under runners, tourists ride in wicker basket sleds down stone path from Terreira da Luta. Two women sit on ground spinning yarn. Sled goes down stone path while two women wash clothes in gutter, old woman with crutch sits in chair next to young woman doing embroidery, two old men (twins?) with beards wearing pointed knitted hats sit on bench, young man making wicker chair. HERE

Many thanks to Becky for this video :

Lomelino Silva, (1892-1967) born in Funchal in Rua das Maravilhas, in the Parish of São Pedro on the 26th December 1892 on the Portuguese island of Madeira. He is known as the Portuguese Caruso. His singing talent was discovered when he was a youth whilst performing in the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias in Funchal.

And to Elaine out West, for this news article from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias :

Another scare in Jardim do Mar.  New rockfall on the road connecting to Estreito da Calheta. More stones have fallen on the link road between Estreito da Calheta and Jardim do Mar. After a week with traffic stopped due to the storm that devastated this area, yesterday a further rockfall fell on this part of the road and only by chance were a family spared who were travelling on it. Given the pile of stones on the road, some of considerable size, the driver of the car was forced to brake in order to avoid the large covering of rocks. His tyre marks were visible on the asphalt.

In recent days the sun has returned. Now, the population of Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar fear that the heat will open new cracks in some parts of the escarpment. The DIÁRIO knows that the link road to Jardim do Mar is on file as part of the survey that the Department of Infrastructure is conducting regarding the damage caused by the storm on 20 February.

The perils of leaving Calheta by boat before ‘rampas’ slipways or marinas were constructed

Know Calheta, Madeira History. Calheta, now with a population of 12,000 was one of the first areas in Madeira to be farmed. Its capital Calheta Town is about 31 kilometres from Funchal about 40-45 minutes drive time. As the Tourism website puts it “The municipality was once linked to the primary sector, and “industry” used to be important in the region.” There were once as many as eight sugar cane processing factories, though only one of them ‘Engenhos da Calheta’ is still operating today. With its museum with guided tours, shop and café its well worth a visit. Its about half-way up the hill from the Marina: WEBSITE

Photo : Engenhos da Calheta.

Calheta’s ocean front has been refurbished with the construction of a marina with white sand beaches next to it surrounded by spacious gardens.

The Parishes of Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar. Two of its parishes, Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar, challenge surfers to ride their spectacular waves. These surfing spots are nicknamed ‘Europe’s Hawaii’ and are considered among some of the best surfspots in Europe. Both villages, surfing beaches were venues for the World Surfing Championships in 2001. There are several restaurants in both these fishing villages, which of course specialise in fish dishes.

Prazeres.

Photo :  the award-winning eco-hotel Hotel Jardim Atlântico

Prazeres is a historic agriculture market village with a 17^th century church perched on Calheta’s mountains Atlantic Ocean views. It’s a mountain and levada (water canal) walking paradise with its proximity to some of the most popular walks on the island such as Levada Nova and the Prazeres to Paul do Mar walk which starts from the award-winning eco-hotel Hotel Jardim Atlântico.

“The atmosphere in Prazeres is of one incomparable peace and charm, where time stands still and no-one is ever in a hurry.”

Paul da Serra & the famous Rabaçal levada walk. From Calheta you can go up to Paul da Serra a 1,500-metre-high plateau, where there is a view of both Madeira’s coasts. You can get to from Rabaçal from there. Here the untouched UNESCO Laurissilva forest covers the mountains with a green mantle.

You can start out from Rabaçal to walk along some of the most beautiful, impressive paths into the depths of the island, until you find yourself surrounded by the Laurissilva Forest.

The Miradouros of Fonte do Bispo and the Farol (lighthouse) da Ponta do Pargo. “This belvedere is on the Paul da Serra plateau and nature lovers will feel the sensation of being enveloped by the exuberant vegetation of the Laurissilva Forest.”

“This belvedere is at the island’s westernmost point and from here we can see the rugged landscape from the lighthouse to Sítio das Achadas da Cruz.”

World class art in Calheta: Casa das Mudas Art Centre & Prazeres Art Gallery. The award-winning ‘Casa das Mudas’ art centre in Calheta is divided into two parts, a mansion built in the 16th century that belonged to a granddaughter of João Gonçalves Zarco, the discoverer of Madeira, and a new, modern wing that blends in perfectly with the surrounding scenery.

This cultural centre built into the cliff with spectacular views of the countryside and the Ocean houses presents exhibitions, musical performances, plays, conferences and many other events. The Centre has run exhibitions displaying the works of artists such as Francis Bacon, David Salle, Eric Fischl, Picasso and Dali.

Photo :  view of Calheta beaches & marina from Casa das Mudas Art Centre.

The new Prazeres Art Gallery part of ‘the Quinta Pedagogica’ complex which includes a small zoo and tea and cider houses run by the local priest is behind Prazeres Church. In early 2010 it displayed works of the world famous Portuguese artist ‘Paula Rego’.

A Tourist Guide to Calheta in English including recommended swimming areas such as Calheta’s white sandy beaches and the slipway (‘the rampa’ at Paul do Mar) is available on Calheta’s Town Hall website: HERE

The source and inspiration for Paul’s article was this page on Calheta on the official Tourism website: HERE Thanks a lot Paul, that should bring the money rolling in!

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

DIÁRIO 08/03/2010

MADEIRA

Courts give 14 cars to the region in 2009. Since 2007, goods seized by the courts have been given to RAM. They have confiscated 23 vehicles (17 cars, 6 motorcycles), 1,340.40 Euros, seven items of gold and many obsolete mobile phones. 5 of the cars were destroyed, 2 were assigned to the government, 4 sold at auction and the other 12 are awaiting disposal. The gold items will be sold at auction. Any clothing is given to institutions and other items are given to government departments. The ship Blaus VII was caught in Madeiran seas carrying 1,500 kilos of cocaine in February 2007. The Portuguese Navy is temporarily using this ship for training cadets although it belongs to the Region.

Old bridge being demolished. Update on a previous report that the century-old bridge at Ribeira Brava has to be replaced. Last Friday, the demolition of this two-support bridge began and should be finished by the end of the week. It will be replaced by a pedestrian bridge which will connect both banks without any contact with the stream. This is because in the recent flooding, the surrounding ‘downtown’ areas of Ribeira Brava were flooded as the debris was obstructed by the supporting pillars.

ECONOMY

Port loses tourists from cruise ships and ferries.  The Port of Funchal maintained its leadership as the port most visited by cruise ships. Until the end of the first two months of this year, 40 ships called bringing 79,336 passengers, a decrease of 3.1% over 2009. In February, when 6 ships cancelled with a loss of 13,000 tourists, the port still received 32,476 tourists. In January, there were 25 ships with 46,860 tourists. The Spanish ferry connecting Funchal to the Canary Islands and Portimão transported 18.9% more passengers than in 2009. The increase was due to ferrying 2,276 passengers to Portimão and 1,130 passengers to the Canary Islands. The Porto Santo Line carried 6,773 passengers or 21.8% fewer passengers to Porto Santo. In summary, during the first two months of this year, there were 4.2% fewer passengers, justified by the decrease of 2,497 tourists from cruise ships, 1,879 fewer on the Lobo Marinho, offset by an increase of 542 carried on the ‘Volcan de Tijarafe’.

IRS declaration. Deadline for paper-based declarations for Class A (dependent) and Class H (pensions) is 15 March. For declaration by the Internet, the period is March 10 – April 15.

POLITICS

Solidarity Fund will only come after summer.  The European Commissioner for regional policy, Johannes Hahn, warned yesterday that Madeira should rely on funding from the EU Solidarity Fund for reconstruction work not arriving until after summer, due to formal procedures that must be met. The Regional Government and the Government of the Republic must work together. They must make an estimate of the cost of the damage and submit it to the EU which will work as quickly as possible. This in fact, in Brussels terms, means months. The decision of the Commission for support from the Fund requires consultation and approval of the European Parliament and the European Council. Hahn admits that support might not even come this year. It depends on when the application is formalized. It is possible for Portugal to redirect some structural and cohesion funds. There are other funds for rebuilding infrastructure which will be discussed.

EXTRA

Caritas speaks of "tsunami of solidarity". After 20th February flood, there have been more than a thousand new volunteers. The charity does not want any more donations of food as the warehouse is full. Furniture and household equipment are urgently needed. To support the victims of the storm involves huge logistics. The social work part of the operation involves Social Security, Caritas and the Army working together flawlessly. The accountancy firm Madeira Management has donated 10,000 Euros to Caritas. According to a teacher I spoke to yesterday, this is a load of cobblers, because the charity doesn’t look outside of Funchal … but there again yet again perhaps I am using a tragedy for political point scoring? Der. 

ONLINE POLL

Do you believe the dispute between the Republic and the Region is resolved?

Yes     19% All short-termism politicians voted here I reckon, but I hope they are right. Der

No       50%

Maybe 31%

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

Weather forecasting platform was suggested 7 years ago – Madeira didn’t take on the project that would allow with some detail, and with 48 hours advance warning, would inform on the conditions of the state of the weather.

Inerts go to Carreiras – Funchal Council stands away from the politics of the temporary landfill sites of the Regional Government. Funchal Câmara is going to take out all the inert materials (sand, stone, mud etc.) from the site at Praia Formosa, and move it to licensed site at Carreiras, with the responsible councillor Costa Neves saying that it is "time to learn lessons for the future". "We make a point of not dumping debris and sludge into the sea and we maintain this practice", said the Environmental Spokesman for CMF. Is that responsible environmental policy by CMF, or passing the buck I wonder, as the GR has no problems with dumping muck in the sea?

Today’s main news headline : Disney comes to liven up the Flower Festival – The cruise ship of ‘Disney Cruises’ will dock in Funchal and offload characters that will mark their presence on the event. The presence of Mickey and company guarantees publicity for Madeira on a world scale at a decisive time. ‘Disney Magic’ is due to make it’s debut docking in Funchal on 18th April, the day of the cortejo (parade) of the Flower Festival, bringing the Disney’s most charismatic character Mickey Mouse and friends. Tourism haven’t confirmed the information obtained by the Diário, but they believe that the cruise visit was arranged so the passengers would be able to enjoy the Flower Festival, with a longish stop-off of almost 9 hours.

The big picture on the left : Majority of the prize-winners have not yet premiered on Madeira. Looks like there was an Oscar awards ceremony or something like that.

The main sports headline today : Tourism doesn’t take advantage of Bernardo Sousa. Bernardo Sousa is available to promote Madeira in international and national rally  competitions. It just needs those responsible to contact him. BS won the rally in Portugal last weekend, and I think someone is dropping a hint that there is an opportunity being missed here. 

Nacional defeated (0 – 2) in Guimarães gets further away from a European placing.

World Cup Football : Get to find out the biggest thrashings of all time.

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. 

Did anyone see that special programme on the Madeira disaster last night on TVI? They kept a reporting team out in the field, visiting the worst affected areas, and families that had suffered badly. It’s easy to get the impression that things are returning to normal, and in downtown Funchal and Ribeira Brava town the clean up does give that impression. But out in many of the parts that don’t make the headlines, the situation is still horrible to see, with people trying to clean up and rebuild things that are just not cleanable or rebuildable in the normal sense of those words, not in weeks or even months, and certainly not without money. It’s extremely important to revive tourism here of course, and those areas are being given priority attention, but as many local people are saying it is at the expense of help for people who needed help over two weeks ago, and still do today. I suppose I will be accused again of political point scoring on the back of a tragedy, but I don’t really care, as long as people don’t get the impression that things are hunky dory for all, and a broom and hosepipe is all that’s needed to return to normal. I didn’t think I could be shocked any more after what I have seen since the 20th February … I was wrong as I found out last night.

I have been asked if it is possible to send a cheque to help orphan Feliz Abreu. It is now. With some help, he now has his own bank account. You can send a Euro cheque to Feliz at his school, made payable to ‘José Feliz Silva Abreu’. If you can please send them to one of the teachers who is helping, as I think it might be safer :

Professora Magda Borges. Escola Secundária Padre Manuel Álvares. Rua São Francisco , 9350-211 RIBEIRA BRAVA. Madeira

Transfers direct to Feliz’s account by NIB are also now possible : NIB 0038 0000 3867 5021 771 17.

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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 other material.

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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 Becky … "Can anyone help and tell me what plant this is Looks like a Sweet Pea but I have never seen one with a curl in the middle before?".

This video has only just been posted on YouTube, but is the only one I have seen that captures the moment (well almost) when the bridge got badly damaged, with both walls swept away, and a wave of mud then swept into town. As for the second event, that damaged the bridge structurally, I have yet to find even a photograph yet of the tanker lorry that was washed down river from several kilometres away, and whacked into one of the supporting pillars before being torn to pieces. Compulsive but not exactly pleasant viewing! Der.

Nail from time of Christ’s crucifixion found in Madeira. A four-inch long nail thought to be one of thousands used in crucifixions across the Roman empire was discovered in Summer 2009 in a decorated box in a fort on the tiny isle of Ilheu de Pontinha, just off the coast of Madeira. Pontinha was thought to have been held by the Knights Templar, the religious order that was part of the Christian forces which occupied Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th century. The knights were part of the plot of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Full article / Source : Daily Telegraph

Image caption: supervisor Dilly Correia Ozard has been in Guernsey for 30 years but still has a lot of family in Madeira

Superstore in Guernsey raises £1,000 for Madeira. Guernsey does its bit for another island in trouble. Sandpiper employs around 20 Madeirans at its Checkers superstore at Admiral Park, Guernsey. HERE

Many thanks to Paul for sending these in, and the following article also.

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Madeira may redirect existing EU funds to re-build infrastructure. ‘EurActiv’ comments that Madeira is already investigating the possibility of redirecting existing EU funds to the worst-hit areas. The island already receives additional regional monies as a peripheral area, and as most of these funds are already earmarked for infrastructure projects, it should be possible to use them for rebuilding bridges, roads and running water systems in the disaster zones.

New Austrian EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn will come to Madeira this week and travel to the French coast soon, offering assurances that EU ‘disaster funds’ will be made available to the devastated regions.

- In specific cases The Solidarity Fund can be mobilised even if the threshold is not met. According to the Commission, the Solidarity Fund may only be called upon once a certain threshold has been reached – in Portugal’s case, it is set at €958 million worth of damage. First estimates from the Portuguese authorities show that the damage would exceed this threshold. In specific cases, however, the Fund can be mobilised even if the threshold is not met. The affected areas have 10 weeks to submit an application, though as French EU Minister Pierre Lellouche was quick to point out, the Solidarity Fund cannot be used for damages to private property.

- The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF): background. The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which was set up in 2002, allocates emergency aid to member states and applicant countries which have been struck by a major natural disaster. Its annual budget is €1 billion. Since 2002, the Commission has received 69 applications for financial assistance from the Fund, of which 33 led to the granting of financial support totalling more than €2.15 billion. Catastrophes are considered to be "major” if the estimated direct cost of damage exceeds three billion Euros or 0.6% of gross national income of the member state concerned. Portugal was granted aid from the EUSF in the wake of the forest fires which occurred in the summer of 2003. On that occasion it received €48.5 million.

- Madeira benefits from a reinforced support (additional funding) from Cohesion Policy as it is one of the EU’s seven "outermost regions" with a specific status recognised in the EU Treaty to take into account their specific geographic situation and their insularity. France received €109 million in 2009 when the Landes region was hit by Hurricane Klaus.

- Positions. "Europe is expected to come to the aid of those countries affected by the violent storms this weekend, who must let the European Commission know exactly what they need to get through this disaster so that European solidarity can be as efficient as possible", said French centre-right MEP Joseph Daul yesterday. "If the European Union was effective in Haiti, as it will also, I am sure, be in Chile, its duty is also to work to address the most urgent needs of those Europeans themselves affected by such a violent storm," he added. This article has been written by Paul adapted from the Euractiv article.

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Many thanks to Elaine (East) for these web snippets :

Is this true?  …Pilot whales off Madeira, in the Atlantic, have been known to drag swimmers down to the depths, apparently heedless of their need for air … KILLER WHALE INTERVIEW

Madeira visitor’s blog : FIRST   SECOND

Elaine out West sent this in, from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias … many thanks.

Care still needed with regard to water. Several people have come to the hospital with gastrointestinal complaints. In recent days several people have come to the Emergency Service of Hospital Dr. Nelio Mendonça with gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. The situation was foreseen by the regional authorities, since, due to the storm of 20 February, the water supply network suffered disruptions, causing the contamination. It was for this reason that, in the first announcements made by the Government to the population, calls were made for water to be boiled before consumption. To reinforce the importance of taking care of the water, the Institute of Health Administration and Social Affairs (IASAÚDE) has created an information pamphlet in which are described and recommended some measures for water treatment. Maurício Melim, president of IASAÚDE, told the DIÁRIO on behalf of the Water Management (GEF) that he has been assured that the water of Funchal is of good quality. However, in areas that were most affected by the storm, such as the uplands of Funchal, as well as in Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol, where some problems were identified, there is a continued risk of contamination. "It is better to take preventative measures, which means that water should be boiled for 10 minutes before being consumed,“ he stated. This care should be reinforced in the case of children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, who are usually more fragile, Maurício Melim warned.

How to treat drinking water. Wash salads, fruit or other foods that are consumed raw, and only drink water boiled for at least 10 minutes. If boiling is impossible, added bleach to it on the following scale: one litre of water to two drops of bleach, a gallon of water to ten drops of bleach. The water, whether boiled or treated with bleach, should be stored in a clean container (for example, a bottle with a capacity of five litres) so it can be used more easily. It is not necessary to boil or disinfect water that is intended for cooking food or cleaning teeth.

Nacional played their rescheduled football match against Belenenses yesterday afternoon, after it was postponed on Monday night due to thick fog in Choupana. Our lads managed a 1 – 0 win, ending a poor run of results, and leaving them in equal 6th position in the Portuguese premier league.

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

FRONT PAGE NEWS

People are the high priority. Alberto João Jardim and José Sócrates met for more than two hours yesterday in Lisbon to set a plan for dealing with the damage caused by the disaster that struck Madeira. José Sócrates welcomed a framework of cooperation and presented the three areas that Funchal and Lisbon will work hard on: homeless, economy and reconstruction of public infrastructure. "This operation of great urgency aims to restore living conditions for the homeless." The plan is also to help the recovery of the affected economy and help private enterprises recover their businesses. The Prime Minister also considered it important to recover the destroyed public infrastructure. There will be a joint committee established between both governments which will rigorously examine what can be done in all three areas: what is needed, the work that is needed and its financial cost. In the case of homelessness, new homes will only be supplied to those in need. There were 400 homes damaged by the storm and those that need cleaning, will be cleaned. In terms of businesses, cheques will be distributed to revitalise the economy. There are already credit lines established for traders. From today, there will also be help with paying wages. In the case of infrastructure, international means will be a key pillar for the reconstruction. The priority is the water infrastructure and the coast. The European Investment Bank has approved a loan of 240 million Euros for the reconstruction of public infrastructure, for 75% of the cost. Using the Solidarity Fund is another option. Sócrates says he will resort to all means. Over the next three years, the financial relationship between the two governments will be under a Special Law which will replace the Regional Finance Law for the period of reconstruction. The Regional Finance Law is not affected and will be voted on in March. The Prime Minister said this is because extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures. "It would be pointless if Madeira can only count on the support from the Government resulting from the new Regional Finance Law." Not so long ago, he found increased transfers to the Region were unaffordable and a negative sign but times have changed. The opposition parties all seem pleased and in agreement with this arrangement.

Century-old bridge will disappear. The Mayor of Ribeira Brava believes the century-old bridge at Ribeira Brava, opposite the church, is not recoverable after structural damage during flooding on February 20th. This iconic bridge was once the only access to the southwest coast of the island. The decision to demolish and replace it will not be taken until after further evaluation. The water in the stream underneath pounded and overflowed this bridge until the structure finally gave way and it was partially destroyed. The council have a special telephone help line for those affected by the storm, for help and advice about damage to buildings, belongings and agricultural land.

Trinidade offers to Madeira a Flower Festival campaign. Bernardo Trinidade, the State Secretary for Tourism, has instructed Turismo de Portugal to allow Madeira to enter late proposals for the PIT program, for promoting the Flower Festival to the domestic market. The deadline for submissions was last October but there is still 150,000 Euros in funding available. This exceptional measure is because of downturn in demand in the hotel and regional economy at times of high activity, Easter and the Flower Festival. As well as financial support, the promotional ‘machine’ of Tourismo de Portugal will be available. Yesterday, a delegation of the Portuguese Association of Travel Agents and Tourism and eight journalists visited the region, with the cooperation of TAP. The recovery of Madeira and promoting the Flower Festival to the domestic market were the aims. Madeira is a focus for this association as there is a meeting in Lisbon next week for European tour operators and associations, so this organization will be able to speak about the recovery of this island.

MADEIRA

Population in Achada in despair. About 30 people living in Achada in Curral das Freiras are in despair as there have been no visits to help or assess the damage and support needed, since the tragedy. The criticism is towards the Regional Government, Municipal Council and Parish Council. Although close to the centre of Curral das Freiras, this area is difficult to access and many children missed the beginning of the school week yesterday. There are four other areas difficult to access from the centre. There are still fears of mudslides and landslides in Achada.

Pilot study for Census 2011 transferred to Santana. As there have been many regions of Ribeira Brava affected by the storm on February 20th, the pilot survey for the Census 2011 is now to be carried out in Santana.

ECONOMY

Children fly free on TAP flights. TAP will launch a solidarity campaign with Madeira that provides free tickets for children under 12 years old, accompanied by their parents, flying from the Continent to Madeira. The campaign runs from April 12th to May 31st. There is not a fixed number of seats reserved for this campaign as it will depend on demand but it is assured there will be a considerable number. TAP will also assist journalists and tour operators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Russia, so they can evaluate the recovery of the island. Members of the Victoria campaign can donate their air miles which will be converted to funds for the recuperation of Madeira.

Madeirans were stranded on board the Island Escape. A group of Madeirans who made a cruise between the Canary Islands and Madeira on February 15th, had a choice of staying free for another 7 nights or returning by flight. They were due to return on February 22nd but this was cancelled due to security as many streets were being cleaned and restored. Five couples declined the free cruise extension as they were anxious to return. Due to the bad weather, the ship could not stop at Agadir and only stayed at Lanzarote long enough to pick up passengers. Instead, the ship sailed between Tenerife and Las Palmas four times.The option to continue on board for an extra week meant that passengers could visit Agadir and the three Canary Islands before a difficult return journey in rough seas to Funchal.

POLITICS

New mandate of Jardim is not surprising. The confirmation of the continuity of Alberto Jardim as the head of the Regional Government and the PSD after 2011, seems almost a formality. Some of the most influential leaders of the party were not surprised by his statement that he is reconsidering leaving. Miguel Mendonça, president of the Legislative Assembly, has always advocated Jardim remaining in power and says that the reconstruction of Madeira might be a factor in this important decision. He said he is of the same generation as Jardim and is grateful for what he has done and maybe he is "mais albertista". Miguel Sousa, vice-president of the Legislative Assembly, also agrees with this decision, "I thought so in times of peace, much more I believe in times of crisis."

CULTURE

Cultural Agenda of DRAC is outdated. The Cultural Agenda of DRAC for March, published yesterday, does not include changes due to the aftermath of the flood. These are after the flooding of the Municipal Theatre and include the postponement of some plays, exhibitions and concerts. Some other concerts are not guaranteed, for example those by the OCM at the Casino.

Gala raised half a million Euros. The Portuguese pledged 526,000 Euros to help the victims of the flood. The gala event in Lisbon was organized by SIC television channel and was broadcasted live.

Taken from today’s Journal da Madeira.  Best wishes to you all. Waterbaby.

FIRST MODULE OF THE BRIDGE FOR FAJÃ DA RIBEIRA, RIBEIRA BRAVA HAS ARRIVED!

The first of several modules of a bridge for Fajã da Ribeira, Ribeira Brava arrived yesterday at around 18.15 hours, by a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Portuguese Air force. Assembly of the bridge modules will be carried out by army engineers who arrived on the same flight.  This flight also included a Lieutenant-General of the Portuguese Army, Amaral Vieira, who came to learn of the help that the army has provided to the region following the floods.  In a brief interview Lt-General Vieira said ‘I know what the staff of the 3rd Regiment of the Military Zone of Madeira has done, and I want to congratulate them for the excellent work they have carried out’.

Lt-General Vieira stated that the bridge is split into 3 sections prior to final assembly.  The first section arrived yesterday and today two additional flights by C-130 transport aircraft arriving in Madeira at 11.30 and 13.30 hours, whereupon the sections will be transported and assembled on site.  Weather permitting the assembly will take 24 hours to complete, with the bridge being capable of supporting up to 22 tonne loads.

For the return flight to the Mainland, the transport aircraft took aboard 10 elements of firefighters from Lisbon, as well as elements of the Navy (Marines) and equipment such as the large capacity pumps loaned by firefighters and the Port of Lisbon, that were used to empty the basements of some buildings. Many thanks Waterbaby. I can’t find the exact location of this on my very expensive map, or through the internet, but I believe this is the bridge that will open up the road to Serra d’Água again?

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

Madeira is losing anti-storm ‘shield’  – The island is more vulnerable to the bad weather.

The instability continues this Winter.

Hail stones whitened the mountain ranges and arrived in Funchal. 

Today’s main news headline : Damages of €90 million in Ribeira Brava – The initial calculations of the Council don’t include damaged equipment [infrastructure] of the Regional Government within the area of responsibility, such as the roads.

Governments give priority to the European Funds – [president] Jardim and [prime minister] Sócrates seek to minimise expenses in the state budget. Nacional funds will not arrive before May.

Regional Government wants to  re-house the displaced population [through the floods] up until the end of March. 350 people are currently staying in the holding centres. There were 600 people without homes, and 350 still remain in that position, mostly from Funchal, Ribeira Brava, Santa Cruz and Câmara de Lobos. I asked an official from the (family) court in Funchal about this yesterday, curious to know what guarantees Feliz Abreu from Pomar da Rocha would have, as it seems the government takes responsibility for re-housing those who have been made homeless. He said that there are no guarantees, and each case is judged on it’s own merits, based mainly on the circumstances of an individual after the event. So for example, if someone had another home, or relatives that could offer accommodation, the government would not help. The issue of whether the person had failed to take out buildings insurance or not (to have a property repaired or rebuilt) does not seem to be an issue, as it is recognised that such insurance is just too expensive for many, and besides that many policies exclude liability for ‘an act of god’, as was seen last month.

Gil Rosa Director of content on RTP Madeira. An interview with the man chosen to direct the information content for public television and radio.

Martim Santos new director of RTP Madeira – Gil Rosa moves to lead the Department of Information. The news about Martim seems to have exited Diário readers today, with mixed reactions to the appointment. 16 comments posted already (2 pm). Some readers think that there is nepotism, or perhaps favouritism, in play. Who would of thought that could happen on Madeira?

The main sport / football headline today : Nacional achieves it’s first win in 2010 – The goal of João Aurélio defeated Belenenses (1 – 0) and strengthens the position of the alvinegros for a European position. The Portugal v China friendly game, or rather a World Cup 2010 warm-up match, is live on TVI (channel 4) tonight at 8.45 pm. The under 21′s also play Wales today, with live coverage on TVI at 2.55 pm.

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 have been sent a computer virus warning, and whilst normally I would just bin it, this one actually comes from the Portuguese police. It is a video called "Aneis Durex", and although it arouses my curiosity at least, it apparently reformats your hard drive and sends the virus to your contacts, so don’t open it.

The blog software upgrade attempted today failed. As a result another attempt will be made tomorrow morning, but is expected to take longer, and so access to the blog will be not be possible during the work. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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