April events ; Pasteis de nata recipe ; Glowing clean up report, & other news headlines
Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … Pitcher plant photo taken at Grandiffora garden centre. 
Many thanks to Becky for this video and web snippets :
Pastéis de Nata recipe… well, you’re going to need something sweet after that fish…
A poem called ‘Madeira from the Sea’ by Sara Teasdale (1884-1933 Missouri, United States)
Pete sent in this video that he found on Don’s blog … thank you both.
Elaine (East) emailed : "Madeira Tourism March e-mail has finally arrived. Only 2 events in March and both are sports and held in Porto Santo, so mainly April activities". Many thanks Elaine.
Madeira Island Open, 8 – 11 April. The Madeira Islands will be hosting the Madeira Island Open 2010 golf tournament from 8 to 11 April, which is part of the main PGA European Tour and is set to take place for the second time at Porto Santo Golf Course. This tournament on the European calendar brings together some of the sport’s finest practitioners each year to contend for victory hole by hole. Under tour rules, the top seventy players after the first two days of play contest the last two days of the tournament. The conditions at Porto Santo Golf Course have never been better, which will certainly contribute towards the success of this event. Golf brochures on the WEBSITE
International Film Festival, 10 – 17 April. This year the Madeira Island’s 5th International Film Festival will include debates, street entertainment, guided tours and parties at night. The event is supported by the Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Transport / Official Tourism Board and will form part of the Annual Calendar of Tourist Entertainment. The film festival is an annual event, highlighting the art of cinema on the Madeira Islands. The programme revolves around an international short and feature film competition, all showing for the first time in Portugal and presided over by an international jury. Those responsible for the films will be there to present their work and take part in this celebration of cinema. The programme will also feature the Panorama informative section, a reflection of current world cinema; a retrospective dedicated to a filmmaker or a country; the "AnimArte" section especially for younger viewers, and various tributes. The presence of celebrities from the world of cinema adds credibility to the festival and increases the international profile of the event. This year the Career Award will be dedicated to the actress Geraldine Chaplin, daughter of one of the greatest figures in the history of cinema and granddaughter of the playwright Eugene O’Neill, as well as the actor Michael York, who shot to fame after appearing with Liza Minelli in the film Cabaret. Information on the official film festival WEBSITE
Flower Festival, 15 – 18 April. Celebrating spring and the wealth of flora it brings us every year, the city of Funchal is once again the stage for this sumptuous spectacle that will please both the eyes and nose. The theme for this year’s Flower Festival, set to take place between 15 and 18 April, is "Earth", tying in with the celebrations for the International Year of Biodiversity. The festivities begin on Thursday 15 April with the opening of the Flower Market in the Central Square of Avenida Arriaga, the Flower Exhibition at Largo da Restauração and the construction of delicate floral carpets along the main streets of Funchal. On Saturday morning, thousands of youngsters will take part in the Children’s Parade, each carrying a flower to place in a mural known as the "Wall of Hope", located in Praça do Município. Doves will be released to mark the end of the wall’s construction and there will also be a show for the children. Sunday brings another dazzling event: the Grand Flower Parade. Hundreds of flower-themed floats and characters will make their way through the city in lavish style to the sound of music in keeping with the Festival, displaying arrangements of many different species of flower typical to the island and leaving soft and ephemeral perfumes in their wake. Program 2010
New Air Links. The Madeira Archipelago will be serviced by new air links this year from various European cities, breathing extra life into the tourism sector and improving air accessibility to this destination. In mid February, the tour operator Atlantic Holidays announced a charter service between London and Porto Santo that will operate during two different periods: from 31 May to 19 July and from 6 September to 25 October. This will be the second time that this operator establishes a direct charter link from the United Kingdom to Porto Santo. Similarly, on 21 February Finnish operators began five new charter flights between Finland and the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The English airline Jet2.com has announced a new direct connection every Monday between Manchester and Madeira, beginning 3 May. The establishment of this connection by the British company is a consequence of the increased demand for the Madeira Islands in this market.
Many thanks also to Elaine (East) for these web snippets :
By a Holistic Psychologist/Health Therapist (?) and Der’s favourite ‘job’, Life Coach. "Madeira clean up puts the world to shame! Ladies and Gentleman, if I ever had any doubts that I was living in the wrong place, let me tell you that over the last week and a half those doubts have been completely erased. Madeira may be a small island but heck, when it comes to getting its ass into gear, (excuse the expression) by God, it surely shifts it … " MORE
Will she be back? "Madeira floods. The news from Madeira lately has been shocking, but maybe not so surprising. Given the way the island was deforested shortly after it was discovered, the Maderenese have been paying for it ever since. Friable volcanic rock and steep unstable slopes in a semi-tropical oceanic position, flash floods like this appear to be a seasonal occurrence, although in most years these floods, although devastating, are fairly localised and small scale in their effects. I saw many landslips whilst walking on the Levadas last November, and they were all being fixed by the resident workforce the Levaredos within hours of being reported. This time it is’nt going to be so easy to sort things out …" SOMETHING FAMILIAR THERE? Also sent in by Becky, thanks anyway.
Many thanks to Anna for writing in yesterday … (for tomorrow, please read Friday (today)).
"RTP Madeira had an interview with Feliz which was broadcast last night (Wednesday), and probably shown again this morning. Looks like he was wearing his Nike trainers! It really brings home how devastating the floods were when you focus on one particular case. He has gone back to school/college where it appears he is taking a multimedia course, Good luck to him. They flashed up bank details for donations.
My kids are doing a sponsored walk tomorrow (FRIDAY) with their school, walking round Santa Catarina park, all money going to the flood fund. People outside of Madeira can donate as a webpage has been set up on Justgiving.com there is a video and a short piece explaining what happened in Madeira and what the school is planning to do. I know there are rules on your blog (and rightly so) re websites but if you can post the weblink there may be some people who read the blog who may wish to donate something. So far donations have come from Europe, Caribbean, Russia and South Africa If you want to take a look and see if you are happy to put it on your site here is the link. Thanks LINK
It takes a little time and obviously easier to just buy but I wonder if anyone is interested in making their own bolo do caco? we found a recipe on line and tried it out and it works! we think the recipe needs a little fine tuning but it is fun to do and great for kids to "help" with! will send recipe". Many thanks Anna … does it contain sweet potato, as I don’t think I have ever actually tried the genuine version, and not even seen it on sale anywhere. Der
Many thanks to Elaine once again for yesterday’s top news stories :
DIÁRIO 11/03/2010
MADEIRA
Estradas da Madeira accused of destroying a vineyard. A farmer complained that the company Estradas da Madeira and the rocheiros have thrown rocks onto his portion of 3,000 square metres of grapevines used in the manufacture of verdelho wines. The damage has lost two years of work and caused heavy financial losses. 3,000 Euros spent on this community project have been lost. Several landslides hit the access road to Arco de São Jorge on February 20th. Witnesses claim the cleaning machines are responsible for the rocks on his land. The Secretariat of the Environment has advised him to make a formal complaint at the police station. Estradas da Madeira said human lives come first and cleaning was a necessity, but they will investigate when they have details of the claim.
Marote denies favours to the Union and his son. In the continuation of the Marote Case in court, Rui Marote, a former vice-president of Funchal Council, said he did not abuse his position to promote Clube de Futebol União (CFU) or the company ‘Placar Vertical’ – of which his son is a partner. In 2002, Rui Marote was responsible for sport and finances. He decided, without consulting any other councillors, to spend 101.962.09 Euros to pay for sports equipment for the Union and lesser amounts went to the Club Sport Marítimo and the Associação de Futebol da Madeira. Without public tender, (illegal), equipment was purchased from ‘Placar Vertical’ at a cost of 24,036.07 Euros but the council was billed for 101,962.09 Euros, through 51 separate invoices. The equipment never entered the warehouse or supply division of the council. His defence was that the purchase of the equipment was the result of a meeting between three leaders of the Union and his son. The equipment was justified as it benefited the EU, other clubs like Nacional and Marítimo, and the policy of promoting sport was an electoral promise. The judge questioned whether support for sport should have been a priority at a time when the council was technically bankrupt. Marote said he had no knowledge that ‘Placar Vertical’ was involved until later on, and had never suggested they should be a supplier to the council.
One week, two large landslides. Jardineiros and Pauleiros are angry that they do not know what to do to gain the attention of the ‘deaf ears’ of the government. This was until the Mayor of Calheta suggested in an interview for TSF-Madeira, that the construction of a tunnel would provide an alternative access route to Jardim do Mar. Residents have petitioned for a more secure access to Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar but without any results. Within the last week there have been two large rockfalls onto the present road and the last one occurred around 00.45 this morning, near the exit of the tunnel that links Paul do Mar. It blocked the road, preventing children from attending schools at Calheta. There is a history of landslides, especially after heavy rainfall giving rise to new water channels in the escarpment. An option for the residents is to use the route Paul do Mar/Fajã da Ovelha.
Macau sends aid to Madeira. 30,000 Euros donated to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Funchal (charity). This has been deposited in the fund created by the União das Misericórdias Portuguesas (UMP).
Analysis proves water quality. In 15 different areas of Funchal, samples of drinking water have been sent for microbiological analysis to ensure that the water is fit for consumption. IASAÚDE – part of the health service – published the results yesterday afternoon on their website, certifying that the water can be safely consumed. Dozens of people have used the emergency service of the hospital with gastrointestinal complaints, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, but these are not related to the recent storm affecting the water supply network. A viral infection is responsible, often occurring at this time of year, and is currently affecting other countries such as England and Sweden. The President of IASAÚDE said it is possible that some of the viral gastroenteritis diagnosed in the region could have been caused by viruses ‘imported’ by visitors.
Survivor of Pomar da Rocha has his own solidarity fund. José Feliz Abreu is the only survivor of a family of eight, victims of landslides in Pomar da Rocha in Ribeira Brava, during the storm of February 20th. He is 19 years old and after two weeks in hospital, he has now returned to Ribeira Brava. He has had some fingers of his right hand amputated, hampering his return to work at a petrol filling station and restaurant. The local school and friends have started a fund to help him start a new life. Contributions to: BANIF, NIB 0038 0000 3867502177117. — Alternatively, contribute to Der’s fund for him. No please, if you can, send any help direct to Feliz. Der
LATEST NEWS
Opposition wanted the suspension of the work at Barreiros. The opposition parties wanted the immediate suspension of work on the Estádio dos Barreiros and instead, the 31 million Euros should go towards the recovery of Madeira. At issue was the discussion of a protest vote by the BE against money being wasted on a football stadium. All opposition parties supported the vote although some parties saw the necessity of a new stadium for Marítimo. The PSD rejected the vote, arguing that it was not a capital expenditure of 31 million Euros, but an endorsement for 15 years. They also argued that it will create jobs and generate tax revenue.
European Parliament adopts resolution on disaster. Joint Committee to be established. 5% repayment of IRS to councils. Members of the European Parliament approved a resolution on the effects of the storm of February 20th, expressing the need for assistance to the region for economic and social development. The voting was 474 in favour, 7 against and 50 abstentions. All Portuguese MEPs supported the document. The resolution calls for the mobilization of the Solidarity Fund and a review of regional programs funded by the EU. The document called for the rapid deployment of the maximum amount from the Solidarity Fund. José Sócrates has signed the order creating a Joint Committee to determine the damage and cost of the reconstruction of Madeira. After the survey, the Special Law of Finances for Autonomous Regions will be created for the next three years. The Government wants to present in April to the national parliament the amount of solidarity money the State wants to transfer to Madeira. The Joint Committee’s work is essential as regards the engagement of external aid, such as the EU Solidarity Fund. Parliament has approved the proposal to re-enter in the State Budget the transfer of 5% of IRS revenue to the councils of Madeira and the Azores, and payment of arrears. Votes in favour by the PSD, PCP, BE, CDS-PP and socialist deputies. Teixeira dos Santos (Minister of Finance) was against this proposal as the councils on the Continent automatically receive 5% of IRS revenue, so the autonomous regions would get 100% of revenue and the State only receives 95%. Arrears amount to 5,671,839 Euros for the Azores and 8,085,960 Euros for Madeira.
Travel Agents complain of serious consequences of the strike by pilots. The six day strike by the Union of Civil Aviation Pilots is from the 26 – 31 March. According to the Portuguese Association of Travel Agents, this will cause serious problems for tourists that travel for the Easter holiday. It will affect scheduled flights, including those to Madeira. Alternatively, the Union of Civil Aviation Pilots says the strike by TAP pilots will not affect Madeira, as the operation to and from Madeira will be maintained, since it is considered urgent that the normal activity of tourism returns after the effects of February 20th.
More later maybe … especially if someone would be kind enough to contribute something …
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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.
Jardim Orquídea is a genuine exhibition. We have built a miniature forest where you will have the opportunity to admire a wide variety of orchids, both in their original form and hybrids, as well as other tropical plants.
Optimism on Portugal’s austerity budget: “the Socialist government has cut a huge budget deficit before, when it soared beyond the EU limit in 2005”
ON Fusion Art by Porto Bay, 16 – 18 July. The third edition in the Old Zone of Funchal arrives earlier this year, normally held in September. The exhibitions bring together painting, photography, craft shows, multimedia design, fashion, dance, street theatre and other forms of expression. Events are held at: Largo do Corpo Santo, Rua de Santa Maria, Jardim do Almirante Reis and the Hotel Porto Santa Maria. The Porto Bay Group’s "duty" is to boost private enterprise in Funchal and accept its share of social and cultural responsibility. ON in the name is from the fusion of Old and New and means to activate, connect and energize. The revival and revitalization of the historic area is in mind during the three days of intense activities, including live performances. ON is a biennial event and the works of art are auctioned at a formal dinner for not-for-profit institutions. The first two events in 2006 and 2008 raised a total of 65,000 Euros for social services institutions, particularly the Associação de Paralisia Cerebral da Madeira (Association for Cerebral Palsy) and the Centro de Acolhimento de São Tiago (Shelter). Money raised this year is for the Associação dos Amigos da Arte Inclusiva – Dançando com a Diferença (Association of the Friends of Inclusive Arts – Dancing with a Difference) and the Associação de Desenvolvimento Comunitário do Funchal (Community Development Association).
Candidature of Ribeira Brava might be suspended. Following on from the last item, the Mayor of Ribeira Brava thinks the application for the beach at Ribeira Brava to gain Blue Flag status should be withdrawn. The council has not discussed the suspension. He thinks this precaution is needed as there is a lot of work to be done, particularly in Tabua and Serra de Água. During the flooding on February 20th, the entire sea front and the basin inside the breakwater were completely littered with debris. The area surrounding the beach is still strewn with waste despite the removal of a large amount of material. Some of the mud removed during the clean-up was discharged directly into the sea near the beach front and into the river, whose flow has taken it to the shore. The mayor, Ismael Fernandes, believes the quality of sea water will be good during the summer season even if the Blue Flag is not raised.
Marginal serves as a dump for rubble. The coastal road between Ribeira Brava and Tabua is used for storing the debris removed after the flood of February 20th. Since last week, lorry loads of inerts mixed with rubbish, washed ashore during the flooding, have been deposited in the section beneath the parish cemetery. The Chairman of the Council assures that the situation is temporary, allowing a quick recovery back to normal life and an attractive county. The mayor is convinced there is no risk to Public Health as the area is safe and away from the populated area. 
The BBC wants comments and information from people who live in these countries: Portugal, Ireland, Greece or Spain? “PIGS is a horrible acronym. But this is how the financial markets refer to the troubled and heavily-indebted countries of Europe – Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain.(Some analysts use PIIGS to include Italy – Europe’s longstanding biggest debtor.)” The BBC is after answers to these questions:
Financial crisis: IMF boss says there’s no reason why the spillover to Portugal or to Spain will take place. "No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow morning but there’s no reason why the spillover to Portugal or to Spain will take place" 
Available for all. "I am available at any hour and any moment, as I always have been and I always am wherever I go." That is the message of the rally driver Bernardo Sousa. Diário asked him if he would be associated with any tourism promotion campaign carried out by the Regional Government. He said that no one has contacted him but he would be willing, not only abroad but also in Portugal. Three days ago, he won the Rally Torrié and soon will be competing in countries where the residents choose to spend their vacations in Madeira. Bernardo is taking part in the World Rally and says Madeira could draw dividends form the media attention. He will be in France, Germany and England and the events will be covered by television, newspapers and the radio. Bernardo will be going next to Jordan in early April. The events are usually covered by 200 journalists and the organization has its own TV channel and radio and their website is visited by many millions of enthusiasts. The photo shows the Flag of Madeira raised on the podium when he was in first position in the Campeonato de Portugal de Ralis de 2010. It was placed on the roof of his Ford S2000, in solidarity with the victims of the storm.
Weather forecasting model not implemented for 7 years. The Centre for Geophysical Sciences in Lisbon University proposed to the Institute of Meteorology in 2003, a project for high resolution, more detailed forecasting of weather conditions in the Azores and Madeira, 48 hours in advance. The Institute of Meteorology agreed to participate but only the Azores progressed with the project; Madeira lacking partners. For the weather forecast for Madeira, the Institute uses a European model, which is the best global model but it does not have enough spatial resolution to represent the topography of Madeira sufficiently. To compensate for the island’s physical characteristics, additional regional data is collected from remote radars and satellites. The installation of the high resolution model would cost no more than 100,000 Euros. The diagram shows the model used by the Centre for Geophysics in Lisbon to allow more detailed forecasts, thanks to high resolution orographics (how hills and mountains affect the weather – BBC website).
Flower Festival "is already sold out". The Regional Secretary for Tourism said that hotels are largely full, a "good omen" for the tourism industry after the storm of February 20th. Three and four star hotels are almost all fully booked and five star hotels are going that way. But the President of Porto Bay Group, António Trindade, cautions this optimism, saying that high occupation rates are not a reality. If there is too much optimism it could generate a disincentive for agencies to sell Madeira. He said the market is reacting positively to the events of February 20th but there are still many beds to fill. 
Museum of Sugar will only reopen within a year. The Museu do Açúcar or "Cidade do Açúcar" in Praça Colombo, one of the most emblematic and important museums in Funchal, requires 300,000 – 400,000 Euros of repair work after the flood of February 20th. DRAC is still at the stage of assessing and costing the damage. The building was damaged and 30% of the exhibits are missing, mainly small items. The only other museum to be affected is the privately owned religious museum, Mary Jane Wilson in Rua do Carmo. Water entered through the front door of the Museu do Açúcar and the collection in the basement was completely flooded. Members of the public and the Instituto dos Museus e da Conservação have volunteered to restore damaged items. It could have been worse because many of the most valuable items are in the Palácio da Ajuda in Lisbon for the exhibition, ‘Obras de Referência dos Museus da Madeira – 500 Anos de História de um Arquipélago’. This exhibition of 300 museum pieces from Madeira, representing 500 years of an archipelago, should have ended on 28th February but is extended to April 6th and the extra ticket returns will go to Madeira. 
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. 
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: 
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Photo : view of Calheta beaches & marina from Casa das Mudas Art Centre.
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.
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. 
Know your EU Commissioners: Johannes Hahn : Without a doubt the most significant EU Commissioner for Madeirans indeed all Madeiran residents is Johannes Hahn, European commissioner for regional policy who is now responsible for a policy that accounts for about one-third of the EU’s spending. He is expected to overtake agriculture as the single biggest budget item. He was of course in the Region to assess the floods damage and discuss scope for EU support with the President of Madeira’s regional government, Alberto João Jardim. The Madeira visit follows up a meeting the Hahn held with the Portuguese Interior Minister, Mr Rui Pereira, in Bruges (Belgium) on 26 February.
Had the planets aligned differently, Cristiano Ronaldo might have been playing for the Australian national team rather than Portugal.
Progress after the storm. In the county of Ribeira Brava, there are two people still missing and 211 people remain homeless. 90% of the roads are cleared of debris and the demolition of the century-old bridge has begun. The bridge was partially damaged by the flood and it will be replaced by a suspension bridge which, unlike the old one, does not depend on two supports in the stream. There are no more isolated areas in the county now the new military bridge connects Fajã da Ribeira to the rest of the island. The population in Curral das Freiras are returning to normal life but still become alarmed at the instability of some slopes with landslides occurring. They feel trapped in the isolated area and one person is still missing. There are 34 families homeless in Câmara de Lobos municipality. Roads in Jardim de Serra have all been cleaned and repaired. Santa Cruz Council rehoused only 6 of 83 families last week. They do not know when the remaining 77 families will be permanently settled as they want to return to the areas they used to live in. 48 homes suffered significant damage and repair work should begin next week on some of them, but another 19 homes cannot be recovered (one shown in photo). There are a total of 237 homeless in the county and 184 of these are staying with relatives or neighbours. The machines are still slowly working along the ribeira da Luso-Brasileira, next to the Estrada do Livramento, to remove the large amounts of sludge and debris. They have to work slowly as there are still people missing in the area. 
Fajã da Ribeira out of isolation. The military bridge connecting this area to Ribeira Brava was finished yesterday and can now be used by motorists. For the assembly, materials had to be transported from Portugal in three trips using military aircraft (C130), transported to the area, a large crane stabilized on site and the bridge mounted by nine soldiers supervised by senior army officers. The bridge can support up to 22 tons and measures 18 metres long and 4.10 metres wide. There are no plans at present for any other military bridges. 
GNR will have another dog for search and rescue. The team in Madeira will have another dog as another one is necessary to cover the region. The commander of the Territorial branch of the GNR said that first they have to find the right dog and then a handler who needs total commitment to the job. The team in Madeira has only one dog for detecting human odour and this dog is presently in convalescence. There are four dogs trained to detect drugs. Diário has a long article about the two dogs that came over from Portugal to search after the February 20th storm. They are Timmy, a 5 year old border collie who has returned to 
Portugal while Sacha, a six year old golden retriever, remains on the island. Each handler works exclusively with his dog. When the dog detects a victim, it signals this by barking. If the dog is unsure, it smells and scrapes. They are trained to work in various scenarios/types of terrain and weather conditions. The dogs are trained from an early age by being rewarded for detecting human odour and they treat it like a game. 
