Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Elaine (West) … municipal gardens, Funchal

"Sunway are delighted to introduce the breathtaking island of Madeira. This wonderful island has so much to offer from many historical monuments, squares and streets in the capital of Funchal to enchanting gardens, picturesque villages and amazing landscapes". MADEIRA HOLIDAYS FROM IRELAND

Apparently this website is also showing the Funchal 2010 fireworks live on the internet tonight, but it may well be linked back to the website link that I gave you a couple of days ago NEW YEAR 2010 FIREWORKS MADEIRA

Lets hope the weather stays good for tonight’s celebrations, and that a new firework world record is secured for Madeira.

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

39 farmers have already signed up. Many more are expected to follow. On the first day after the Government announced financial assistance for storm damage, 39 farmers have registered. There is no time limit for applying, or limit to the amount of funds applied for. 18 farmers were from Funchal, 11 from São Vicente, 5 from Santana, 3 from Ponta do Sol and 2 from Calheta. Teams of experts are to survey the damage and monitor risk areas; Sao Vicente Council has already set one up.

Sea damages areas at Praia Formosa. The promenade between Praia Formosa and Doca do Cavacas has been closed due to bad weather. Bars have been partially destroyed, small pebbles washed onto the promenade, and the swimming pools at Barreirinha, Doca do Cavacas and Lido lashed by 3.5 – 4.5 metre waves. The bar Barra Azul has had further damage, the Docas Cafe was also badly affected and the Yacht Bar has lost its rock staircase. The administrator of the Frente Mar Funchal says losses are huge and will estimate the cost after the end of the year, when he expects an improvement in the weather.

Danger in the Tres Paus. Part of the Caminho dos Tres Paus in Santo Antonio collapsed last weekend. Funchal Council erected security barriers but the residents continue to use the road. They want a protective wall constructed, especially after two men died last year after a car skidded in that area.

Large rock hits a home and threatens others. A large rock fell onto a residence located at Travessa do Ribeira Canavial in São Roque. It was part of a landslide which occurred at 23.30 last Monday. Officials have surveyed the damage but the Council say they are not responsible for clearing the escarpment and will notify the owner of the land to undertake this work.

Court of Auditors censures IHM construction in Figueirinhas.  The Court says the IHM (Housing Investment of Madeira – social housing) should respect the Code of Public Contracts. 50 residential units were built in Figueirinhas in Funchal through a contract between the IHM and the company Soconstroi. The contract was for 2.838.179,34 Euros but the final cost was 3.215.022,09 Euros. The units were completed in 1998 but the contract was not sent for approval until 2000. After an additional contract, which caused the increase in the cost, the work was finally approved six years after the expiration of the five year guarantee.

Fewer ships, more tourists. Table of the number of cruise ships and passengers visiting for the New Year’s Eve fireworks display, since 1962 (shown below).  In 2007, there were the most cruise ship passengers (13,156 from 12 ships). There might be problems ferrying more than 3,000 passengers from the two ships berthed offshore this year, due to forecasts of bad weather. The Queen Victoria has a 24-hour delay and hopes to anchor offshore at 7 am tomorrow. For the third day running, the ferry could not sail for Porto Santo.

TOP 10 of the Port of Funchal on 31 December
Year – Ships – Tourists
1962 – 10-5440
1964 – 10-5800
1968 – 13-6892
1969 – 12-6400
1974 – 9-5077
2001 – 9-7935
2002 – 10-9539
2005 – 11-8670
2007 – 12 – 13.156
2008 – 8 – 7.200

* Many fail to buy tickets until the last minute – Getting ready for New Year’s Eve. From the Jornal da Madeira. On the eve of another End-of-the-Year night, there are many offerings for the night of reveillon, shown by the various advertisements that already appear in the pages of newspapers. Prices vary depending on the economic possibilities of each and depending on what they want. In general, there are already many tickets sold for the festival of the passing of the year. However, the contacts we made told us that most people leave it until the last minute to buy the entrance tickets. A fact that, as we mentioned, not only has to do with "the habit of doing things at the last minute" but above all due to indecision. Because as we explained, "as a couple it is easier to decide", which is not true of groups. Although again, as we mentioned, there are also groups that prefer to buy the tickets on time to avoid some of the members being left out. As for the animation, there is also a bit of everything and for all tastes. From dance music with renowned DJs, to live music through performances by musical groups. In general and in relation to the hotels, we found attempts to present a special program for guests, but also for the many Madeirans who choose to enter the New Year in hotels. But the party is not only in hotels, clubs or other places that usually open the doors to mark New Year’s Eve. For the last night of this year, there is also a show provided by the Association of the Light Orchestra of Madeira, which will take place between 21.00 and 04.00 in the Municipal Garden of Funchal. Before the fireworks, in downtown Funchal between 10.00 and 20.00, there will be performances by brass bands and folklore groups. In the Central Square next to the Cathedral of Funchal, the Children’s Choir of the Office of the Coordinator of Arts Education will perform between 18.30 and 19.20. Also in the area of Avenida Arriaga, but in the garden situated to the north of the Palacio de Sao Lourenco, the Ensemble of Accordions of the Office of the Coordinator of Arts Education is also expected to perform between 11.00 and 11.50. I saw in last nights Diário that the Casino has a special do with dinner tonight. For a bargain €180 a head one can feast and then frolic … how the other half lives eh! Der

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

What changed and what awaits us – 56 pages. Looks like the good people from the Diário have produced a bumper year end supplement with today’s newspaper. If I see an online edition I will provide a link to it, but no sign of it yet.

Danger of collapse in the valley [of the Nuns] – Bad weather caused openings in the road and lands. There are fear of a landslide in Curral das Freiras, into the river, after significant cracks appeared in the road (ER 107) and nearby land. The cracks have been getting bigger since the beginning of the week. MORE PHOTOS The danger area is between the centre of Curral das Freiras and sítio do Colmeal. Residents are very concerned that the rockfall could be considerable. The first cracks appeared on Monday in the tarmac, soon after the tunnel exit, and are growing in size. Cracks in the nearby land, just below the road, have also appeared, in land belonging to the Levada Commission. Huge quantities of earth have been deposited there over the years with the story being that there would be cultivation and forest planting. The president of the Câmara Municipal of Câmara de Lobos, Arlindo Gomes, says that the earth deposited actually supports what is above, and that from what he knows "the situation is under control". With your track record in misleading the public Sr. Gomes, I think I would be off from there like a shot if I was unfortunate enough to live in the area at risk!

Today’s main news headline : Jorge Romeira calls-off the work plan of Humberto – The sea front zone of São Vicente, that was one of the flagship projects of ex-president Humberto Vasconcelos, doesn’t have conditions to move forward, according to the new council president Jorge Romeira, who will also do in his own style administrative restructuring. The project goes to the ‘Greek calendar’ [indefinitely], with no possibility of starting in the next few years. Romeira also intends to do some ‘housekeeping’ to organise his empire in his own style. The sea front redevelopment has now been dropped from the council programme, due to lack of funding, even more so now due to the damage caused by the abnormal rain fall in recent weeks, and the resulting need for priority expenditure. Don’t councils have insurance policies here? That will come as a bit of a shock to the locals I would imagine, as that was a much needed project for trade and to generally improve the visual aspect of the area. I wonder if that was mentioned in the small print of the PSD Social Democrat Party election manifesto a  few months back? 

100 police in the streets to guarantee safety later tonight – ‘Operation Fim do Ano’ [year end] runs on the night when 39 firework posts will light the night sky. Here you can see a list of the ideal places to watch the fireworks.

ARTICLE & MAP OF THE TOP FIREWORK VIEWPOINTS

The most profitable in the world expected today on Madeira. With a portrait photo of a thoughtful looking Cristiano Ronaldo, who may of lost the title of the world best footballer, but has now taken David Beckham’s crown as top money-spinner in the game. The Madeiran revealed yesterday in an interview with a Spanish sports newspaper his desire to "regain the Golden Ball" and his ambition to be "the best player in history." "Thank God I have already won the trophy once for best player in the world, but I hope to win it back again. This year or next I will come back to win the Golden Ball," said Ronaldo, who fills the front page of the Marca newspaper. In a revealing interview he confessed his admiration for the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz, and his ignorance of the main places of night time entertainment in Madrid. He doesn’t like bullfighting either. The newspaper said that Ronaldo, now 24, could generate up to €80 million a year in advertising revenue, dethroning David Beckham as the adverting idiot icon in the world of football.  

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. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————–
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.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

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

(more…)

(14th August). Today’s main news headline : ‘Slowing Of The Crisis Surprises ACIF – The opinions were divided yesterday in the country on the meaning of the increase in PIB (GDP / Growth) of 0.3%. For the government, the economy came out of the ‘red’ and has arrived at the beginning of the end of the crisis. Economists advise prudency. For now, ACIF expect results from the improvement’. Despite the previous days expectation of a further negative showing for growth in the Portuguese economy (-0.6%), the actual result surprised everyone, with 0.3% growth, and matching the results also announced earlier for France and Germany. The President of the Commercial and Industrial Association of Funchal (ACIF) considers it a "good surprise" with the news announced yesterday, that the Portuguese economy is reviving, given the announcement of the increase of 0.3 percent in the Gross Domestic Product in the second quarter of this year. He says that the improvement will also be reflected on Madeira. Francisco Santos, also regional director of the Millennium / BCP bank, told the Diário that the positive figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), follow on from the announcements of economic recovery in some other countries of the Eurozone, especially Germany and France, whose statistics were also revealed this week.

It would normally go under ‘politics’ of course, but as it is another headline that directly relates to the headline above : "0.3% Is Zero Growth" – Jardim considers that the increase in PIB / GDP signifies nothing and is a "big fat economic failure". Unlike many reviews and opinions, Alberto João Jardim considers that the growth in the economy of 0.3% means nothing. Prime Minister José Sócrates guarantees that the figures show that Portugal is coming out of recession in a turn in the country’s economy. The president of the Madeira government has a different opinion : "0.3% is zero growth and is therefore a big fat economic failure" that doesn’t even pass for a "fantasy for cheap electioneering". Funny that Uncle Bertie mentions the subject of elections, as that means that for the forthcoming national elections the voters may well be cheered by the news, and decide to stay with a socialist government.

‘Unemployment Worsens In The Second Quarter Of 2009 – Rate hits 9.1%’. That’s up from 8.9% in the first quarter of 2009. The figures from the National Institute for Statistics released today show that unemployment in Portugal has risen by 1.8% in the space of a year. The bad news was above the governments prediction of 8.8%, and the average prediction of analysts contacted by the Diário. We just need to wait now for Uncle Bertie’s mob to provide the figures for Madeira, but we can already predict the reaction to the normally vastly understated figures, probably something like "?.?% is zero growth" from the man himself.

‘Help For The Rent – The number of interested parties in the support of IHM for the unemployed, without money to pay for housing, is growing’. 320 families are already interested in receiving assistance with their rent since the new scheme was introduced in April. The scheme, which helps those who find themselves unemployed and without sufficient money to pay their rent, has already attracted many contacts and applications through ‘Housing Investment in Madeira’ (IHM). Nearly all of the tenants in question are still receiving unemployment benefit, but when that runs out, and there is still no work, then the new scheme kicks in. Just three families so far have reached that stage. The maximum assistance per person is €175 a month, but if a couple of tenants living together both lose their work, this assistance can be doubled. It is paid for 12 months,  but can be renewed at the end of that period if necessary.

In Transport & Tourism : 

According to the TV news this morning, TAP, Portugal’s favourite airline, is really going through tough times at the moment as people cut back on travel and the competition begins to bite. It has announced fairly severe cutbacks, the more significant being a 10% cut back in flights next month. The president of TAP is said to be feeling the pressure in managing the company "due to the policy of trade unions in a year of elections". He made a statement to the media in reaction to the announcement of 4 days of strike action, by employees represented by 5 different trade unions, over the lack of a pay increase since last year. Madeira is one its most popular and well occupied routes, so maybe we will get off lightly in the cut backs. On the other hand it is now one of the stiffest routes for competition, so perhaps not.

‘DECO Accuses Easyjet Of Rejecting Complaints – The airline company that does connections to Madeira doesn’t accept complaints in Portuguese’. The consumer defence organisation DECO has accused Easyjet of breaking the law, because it is refusing to deal with complaints written in Portuguese. DECO has had several complaints from flyers, in connection with delays and baggage issues, where the complainant has been told they must complain in English, Spanish, German, French or Italian. Likewise, anyone ringing the company office in Luton, England, will be turned away as there are no Portuguese speakers. I guess DECO will get nowhere with this one, unless of course they write their own complaint in one of Easyjet’s acceptable languages.

‘Disney Cruise Line Promotes Madeira – The company website of Disney promotes the destination’. The cruise ship ‘Disney Magic’ is to visit us twice in 2010, with 2,400 tourists. The first time will be in the height of the flower festival (18th April), and then again in September. The Diário says that the Disney website is one of the most popular in the world, and the write up for Madeira could also also promote tourism here through means other than the Disney cruise ship.