Madeira News Blog

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 Thanks to  Derek … Jardim do Mar coast

A CRUISE PASSENGER’S ASSESSMENT (Prinsendam cruise in November 2009) : "Madeira (Funchal) – Our last stop before the transatlantic journey, this lush island is such a paradise … I was there at the end of November and the sun was shining, many flowers in bloom and everything was just so green. I did the hop on/hop off here too – be sure to get off and wander. This was my favorite port – the sloping mountainside covered in red roofed homes was quite a sight as I made my way up in the cable car … another activity everyone must try. It’s all just so picturesque. I didn’t try the Madeira wine – mistake! The food was good – lovely soft local cheese blended with al dente pasta, a small salad, chocolate mousse pie and wine for only 10 Euro. I also bought a bottle of local port and a nice big bag of local sea salt to take home to friends – such a nice touch. jmk171′s Rating: 5+". Never heard of anyone taking sea salt as a present for friends … won’t break the bank, that’s for sure.

"They originated as purely experimental devices, but small satellites are now taking on a growing number of operational roles alongside their full-sized counterparts. A conference next year will discuss how the evolution of small satellites is spurring a radical increase in data availability and knowledge-based services. The event is the latest in a series covering Small Satellite Systems and Services – the 4S Symposium. Taking place every two years, the 4S Symposium has enjoyed progressively greater international participation since it began in 1992, with 25 nations represented at the 2008 event in Rhodes, Greece. The next 4S Symposium will take place from 31 May to 4 June on the Portuguese island of Madeira". FASCINATING STUFF … WHERE IS THE PLAIN ENGLISH VERSION?

Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, has, according to the findings of an international study published this week, surpassed London on the ‘World’s Most Expensive Cities’ list regarding the purchasing of common goods, like food. Based on the differences between prices of goods as simple as milk, a coffee or a hamburger, it has been established that all of the afore-mentioned and many other consumables are now more expensive to buy in Lisbon than in London. A study by international price-comparing company PriceRunner International has ranked Lisbon as the 14th most expensive capital city in the world, one place above London, which this year fell one position from 14th to 15th. MORE ON THE PORTUGAL NEWS (thanks to them, and thanks Elaine for the tip-off).

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

Paid night watchmen in Funchal. Funchal Council presented last week a proposal for licensing the legal activity of night watchmen in the city of Funchal. The intention is that from 2010, they can be paid by voluntary contributions from people in areas where they will be working. This activity will start in the city centre and later extended to other areas where their intervention is needed. The night guards will be a link between the population and the PSP. Regulation will allow direct action in areas for trade and tourism and in residential areas. Candidates need to be Portuguese, between the ages of 21 and 65, have compulsory education, be very fit and hold no administrative post. To prevent confusion between their work and the police, the role of the night watchman is to patrol and conduct surveillance in the area for the protection of people and goods. They cannot use a weapon but later may be licensed to use dogs. They will wear a uniform and the only financial support from the Council will be for their training.

Cabo Girão redevelopment. The present redevelopment of the viewpoint at Cabo Girão should take a year and a half to complete (first quarter of 2011), costing over 2 million Euros. There will be a glass floor suspended over the cliff and the entire area renovated to enhance the panoramic view. Until then, there will be limited access, both on foot and by car, especially for the next six months. There will be new pedestrian and vehicle access, landscaping, a tourist information centre, exhibition centre, cafeteria, shops and toilets. The viewpoint itself will extend over the cliff, by a steel structure with a glass floor that accentuates the feeling of height above the sea (580 metres). The cafe will have a terrace suspended above the ravine, where you can enjoy the spectacular scenery that attracts many tourists to one of the finest views of Madeira.

PSP hold aggressor. A man has been identified and detained by the police early this afternoon following a warning by the public that a man was assaulting a taxi driver, and might even have the possession of a firearm. The man who was driving a truck carrying pine wood, placed the truck across the road to block the path of the taxi which had a client inside. The taxi driver was pulled from the car and shaken by the neck and threatened several times. Several motorists and residents witnessed the incident in São Matinho, near Edificio Varzea Park. After the scene, the assailant left the area and the taxi driver whose shirt was completely torn, also left. The police later intercepted and detained the van driver and a machete was found inside but no gun.

New luxury mega-yacht. The Northern Star, one of the most luxurious and modern mega-yachts in the world, anchored today in the Port of Funchal for six hours. Coming from Falmouth, en route to the Caribbean (Antigua), where it will operate for the coming months then return to Europe in late March 2010. Built in Germany in 2009, it became operational in July and ranks 67th on the list of today’s largest yachts, the first position belonging to the imposing Dubai with a length of 162 metres. The Northern Star is 75.6 metres long and 13.5 metres wide, it caters for 12 guests and 22 crew and has a maximum speed of 17 knots.

Mundovip Madeira prepares new destinations for Summer. SATA will continue to be the major partner. The new destinations in next Summer’s schedule are ones that are served by direct flights from Madeira. Negotiations with SATA about more flights to the Canary Islands, one of the main destinations for the past eight years. It might be possible to fly directly to Cabo Verde and better links to Canada.

Orchestra launches Symphonies of Mozart. Four years after accepting an invitation from EMI Classics to record five albums for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart, the OCM launches tomorrow at FNAC five albums of Mozart’s symphonies. Both national and regional soloists were involved and some will be at FNAC tomorrow with the conductor Rui Massena at 15.00. The discs have been on sale since November.

Madeira in Autumn / Winter 2010 catalogue of Pierre Cardin. The French designer has chosen Madeira as background for the catalogue for the Autumn collection. Ponta de Sao Lourenco, Quinta da Eira in Santo da Serra, Paul da Serra, Chão da Ribeira (photo) in Porto Moniz and The Vine Hotel were chosen. He hired a German production team with the well-known Hamilton R. Pereira who is responsible for Fiat Punto, BMW, Jaguar, Zara, Nike, Air France and KLM adverts. They came for a week and brought international models including the English top model Ryan Thomas. Two days were spent at Chão da Ribeira. The photographer taking part, Tim Peterson, covered a top editorial piece in Vanity Fair about Michael Jackson. Pierre Cardin is 87 years old and founded his design house in 1950 and is responsible for unisex pieces, avant-garde and designing for men. One of his most famous ploys was the 1954 ‘bubble dress’. This year, he has been named global ambassador for the UN Organisation for Agriculture and Food.

More companies cancel Christmas gatherings. Restaurants show a 30 – 40% loss in demand since 2008. Due to the credit crisis, many companies are suspending traditional Christmas gatherings. Interview with Jose Brito, the manager of A Lareira in Caniço. In the first quarter of the year there was a drop in tourism, numbers increasing during the summer months but a decrease in customers again since then. Their main business is at the weekend and this Christmas is also looking poor, so far 30% less bookings than last year. Restaurants are traditionally visited at the end of Midnight Mass when families go for soup or hot chocolate. In Machico, the restaurant Escondidinho has 40% less bookings for Christmas lunch and dinner. The Council of Machico has cancelled its reservation there. To try to attract customers, the As Vides in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos is offering a digestive aguardente and the possibility of using a photography service on festival days upon payment for photos. The owner said, "In times of crisis, it’s time to innovate".

PSP pay the bill of the Finance Law. The Regional Command of the PSP is the only one in the country without funding because only in Madeira, the fines levied contribute to the Regional Budget. This limits the operation of the PSP. The Regional and Republic Governments have not decided on who takes the initiative for funding: the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the holder of the source of revenue from fines (Executive of Madeira). The PSP has paid the bill for litigation between the State and the Autonomy, since the Law of Regional Finance was announced with a cut in funds for Madeira. In Ponta do Sol, the Council has financed repairs to the dilapidated local police station and a new one is urgently required. New stations are required in other areas and new police vehicles are also needed.

Offended trader receives compensation. Four individuals who were aggressive towards a trader in Banda d’Alem in Machico three years ago, have been ordered by the Court to pay compensation. They were verbally and physically assaultive against the 53 year old haberdashery owner. The shop owner asked a woman driver not to park on a yellow line outside his premises as it was causing damage to his business. The four from the same family heard later on about the incident and thought he had used insulting terms and entered the shop for an explanation. A conflict occurred and local residents had to assist the shop owner and the police arrived. The aggressors had threatened to "take justice into their own hands" and said the proprietor failed to have the same view for every vehicle that stopped outside his shop, especially when it belonged to a relative. The trader is relieved they have been found guilty, as he has found it psychologically difficult when coming across these four in the street and his 15 year old son refused to attend the school in Funchal where one of the aggressors taught, (two of the four were teachers). The money will be donated to an institution which helps victims of domestic abuse.

Cribs in São Roque and Nun’s Valley. On Friday evening, the large manger at São Roque was inaugurated and can be visited between 15.00 to 22.00. It is at the Associação Cultural do Galeão. The theme is ‘Environment and Traditions’ and includes a wide range of figures typical of the region and religion. Every year a new crib is presented to captivate audiences, especially children. At Nun’s Valley, the Associação Refugio da Freira will present the crib on December 19 in the car park of the Civic Centre. It will  stay until January 17 and can be visited between 09.00 to 20.00. The crib is larger than previous years as the space for it is larger and there will be a raffle on the final day. The Casa do Povo in Ponta do Sol is having a Christmas nativity scene contest for all three parishes in that area. Their large public crib will be inaugurated between December 18 and December 20.

Today’s news headlines from the front page of the Diário de Notícias. Lots of them today! Far too many for one person to manage …

Fishing with losses of €2 million – The earnings and the catches register further decreases in the third quarter. The losses compared to last year have already reached €1.95 million according the the latest report form the National Institute of Statistics. The first 9 months of 2009 have seen revenues fall to €11.9 million. The drop in revenues is partly due to the  reduction in the Madeira catch, with September this year for example registering a 29% lower catch than in 2008. In the first 9 months of this year 957 thousand less kilos of fish have been landed. Tuna fish have been the exception, with 142 more tons caught so far this year.

Today’s main news headline : Debt is going to duplicate – Loans and other means increase by 125% the direct debt of Madeira that, at the end of 2010 will surpass the thousand million Euros. There is a shortage of funds to meet the budget for 2010, and tomorrow the ‘chancellor’ Ventura Garcês has to explain how the government will cope with the situation, the most difficult in recent years. This link to a webpage will enable you to see where the money is going MADEIRA BUDGET 2010 (you will need to enlarge the tables – bottom right corner of Windows Explorer 8).

Budget obliges government to make up €500 million.

Debate gets underway tomorrow in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira and favours monologue of Jardim.

Pregnancy terminations increase 46% in the Region – Single women, aged from 20 to 29, are the group with the most abortions. In the first 10 months of this year there were 210 voluntary pregnancies terminations, compared to 174 in the whole of 2008. Data collected since the new abortion law came into force on 1st January 2008 shows that 58% of the women are single, 36% are married, and 6% were divorced. 40% of the total are aged between 20 and 29, 6% are aged 40 to 49, and 20% are less than 20. The youngest of them all was a 13 year old girl. 16% of the total were foreigners living here. The increase in abortions is reflected nationally, but not nearly to the same extent according to the examples given in the article.

There are increasing numbers of students with scholarships. 1,470 young people receive government support for their further education, and €250,000 has already been spent on support. In the 2008 / 2009 academic year the number of such students was 1,372, and number that has already been exceeded in the current academic year, with a few more already waiting to be added to the list. One reason for the increase is the "global crisis that affects all families and that causes more students to seek this kind of support", says João Costa e Silva, Director of the Office of Education. Those students who study outside of Madeira receive monthly support of €170, and that amount also applies to those students from Porto Santo who come to Madeira for higher education. The total monthly cost to the Madeira government will work out at around €250,000.

Marítimo lose the game and fifth place – Rio Ave effectively impose the first defeat of Mitchel. Today’s rather pointless main front page photo shows some players milling around on the pitch. Marítimo missed a chance to go 4th in the league, and climb above Nacional who lost on Friday night. They lost 0 – 1 at home to Rio Ave yesterday afternoon, the first [league?] defeat under new manager Mitchel van der Gaag.

Jokanovic takes charge of coaching of Nacional.

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 … Thank you in anticipation.

Elaine has very kindly sent in a second contribution today: "Jornal da Madeira is having a series of articles on Madeiran Christmas traditions".

CHRISTMAS 2009 – The tradition of Christmas with the taste of honey – HONEY CAKE

Appeared in the heyday of sugar production in Madeira, honey cake, and through the centuries until today, remains as a symbol of Madeiran cuisine. The tradition dictates that this cake is prepared on December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which marks the beginning of Christmas in our region.

Although the honey cake is baked in industrial moulds to meet the demands of the business, there are still many people who prefer to do it at home, as with Rita Freitas who from a young age became accustomed to this art that has its secrets, because as she stated "there are many recipes for honey cake and each one has a special feature. What causes it to be tasty and look great are the amount of products that arise and the cooking time."

To make a honey cake at home is a task that requires much effort. It starts the day before the day to prepare the cake, when you buy the bread dough at the bakery in preparation for the baking at home. After a day of "rest" the dough is ready to receive the condiments, warm honey, grated orange or lemon, spices, almonds, walnuts, Cidrão and Madeira wine. Kneading is also a demanding job, as Rita Freitas said, emphasizing that "the person must have some strength in order to be a long time leaning over the bowl to knead, as tradition, but now there are machines that make this service quicker, but never as they did it before. Before then, It seems that the cake was better. But it is with joy knowing that then we will have a honey cake that will please many people."

The next step may be effected only three or four days after mixing, since in this work "we have to cover the dough with a cloth or blanket and let it rise in a warm place at a constant temperature. Then divide the dough into portions of 250, 500 or 750 grams depending on the size of the cakes. Put these portions of dough into round shapes, low and level and well oiled and take to bake in a hot oven, after having decorated the surface with half walnuts or almonds or pieces of Cidrão." When finished, honey cake is ready to be served at home visits of family and friends, or typical gatherings particularly those that are after the Mass do Parto. A lament of our speaker is that "the younger generation is no longer interested in making honey cake at home and thus this tradition will be lost. I still remember the time when in all the houses honey cakes were made and the joy that lived with so many people to help in making this cake. So then it seemed that Christmas was more joyful. But while I can I will continue to make homemade honey cake, not only to maintain the tradition but also that many can enjoy a real Madeiran treat."

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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or good or bad experience, a news item, or a story from a Madeira newspaper, a photo or video, a teaser, news of a bargain flight or item in a supermarket. Please help keep this blog going … without user contributions it won’t survive. Please don’t send in automatic translations (like Google translator) without checking them through and correcting them first, thanks.

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

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

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TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Eiryl … Sunset over Funchal, taken from São Gonçalo

"My first impression of Funchal is very favorable.  It is a charming and fashionably upscale city with a definite European flavor.  It is also a very clean city.  Shopkeepers sweep the sidewalks in front of their stores (most US cities could learn from this) everyday.  There are lots of sidewalk cafes with tables with tablecloths and waiters in formal attire.  The food has been very good and the selection excellent". SAILORS STORY

"Madeira – Going off the surf map / Surf Madeira – Hawaii of Europe". Great video here, but whether it was taken before concretization, I don’t know for sure, but judging by the final few seconds I suspect it was. SURFERS DREAM

Don’t forget that today is a public holiday for Portugal, and public transport will be affected. Known as Implantação da República. It commemorates the proclamation of the Portuguese First Republic in 1910.

Tobi sent in this video of a drive through foggy Cancela :

Rock Fall Makes Circulation Difficult On The Access Road To Jardim do Mar – The size of the object is impeding the movement of heavy vehicles. The large rock was obstructing the road yesterday morning in the district of Calheta, and buses and other large vehicles had to turn back. It was pretty chunky I must say, and right in the middle of the road. There is no photo, but there is a video on this page HERE … somebody tied red stripped warning ribbon around it, but I don’t think it really made much difference. Photo taken later shown below.

A similar problem at Lugar de Baixo, near the tunnel to Ponta do Sol, where torrents of water carried mud and stones, blocking off the marina main access.

UPDATES :

Today’s main news story : ‘Government Diverts ‘Polis’ To The Stadium Of Barreiros – A programme of urban rehabilitation was contemplating the construction of a ‘multipurpose building’ (polis) in the Barreiros for parking and to interface with public transport. The government of Madeira abandoned the idea and instead channelled the funding of the ‘polis’ for the remodelling and improvements of the football stadium of Marítimo’. The ‘polis’ projects were created in 2000 to generate environmental and urban recovery in 39 Portuguese cities, with a total budget of €1.17 billion of state, local authority, community and private funding. The original plan, approved by the government here in 2004, for this particular ‘polis’ would have provided 531 public parking places, a ‘park & ride scheme’, day care centre, and trade and commercial premises amounting to 36 thousand square metres. I wonder if this was saved for this election week by the Diário, as it’s a pretty embarrassing story for the government and PSD social democrats, especially as we all know the Marítimo football club is one of Uncle Bertie’s great passions. So a building that would have provided jobs and services for the people of Funchal, and improved public transport and traffic flow in the area, was traded in for a super-duper new look stadium for a small football club of little interest to the majority, who not only got given a stadium that belonged to the people, but another €45 million on top of that to make it into a showpiece.

‘Human skull found on beach’. A human skull was found yesterday in the early afternoon, in the middle of the beach at the Bathing Complex of Ribeira Brava, more precisely in front of the channel of a small stream that flows into the area. Nearby some bones were also found, that are also presumed to be human. It seems that the bones would have been swept down by torrents of the stream, whose flow has increased due to heavy rainfalls during the night and Sunday morning. Due to the location, any theory of the remains being deposited by the sea have been ruled out, as the location is far from the reach of the waves. In an area upstream of the beach there is a cemetery, but it is unclear is the stream runs close to the cemetery. Police are investigating the matter. The gruesome find was made by two young couples from the mainland, as they strolled along the beach. They promptly asked for help from a restaurant in the area to alert the PSP. You can imagine, this was talk of the town last night, but the story was that it was a human head! I suppose I felt some relief this morning to find out that it was a skull and bones, not for any reason other than it doesn’t sound as nearly as gruesome.  

And Elaine from Garajau has very kindly provided news stories again :

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Rain causes more landslides. In Nun’s Valley, the rain caused a landslide near the entrance of the tunnel. Most roads were only temporarily closed. People driving too fast on the slippery roads led to at least four accidents.

A motorist’s car overturned in 2001, after hitting fallen rubble and mud on the road 101, which they said should have had warning signs up, having been reported earlier to the Control Centre. They originally sued Vialitoral and were awarded 20,849.75 Euros but the company appealed, stating that road conditions were not its responsibility and that the driver was at fault. This appeal was partially dismissed and compensation  reduced to 15,000 Euros.

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CDS/PP leader says people must vote according to their conscience. Usual political electioneering in São Vicente. The CDS/PP leader ironically and critically said, "We must be sympathetic to Dr. Alberto Joao Jardim. He looses his head often. He also complained about Jardim’s criticism of the PSP, saying that Jardim is "creating a climate of intolerance in Madeira." "We asked him to be more tolerant, respectful of the opposition, political freedom, religious freedom and civil liberty that I still think there is in the region."

Porto Santo launches project to revitalize the city. The municipality are still implementing the plan to revitalize the city area. There have already been areas defined where the nightlife clubs and bars can exist, to try and reduce noise in residential areas, with complaints from some owners whose premises are now not in the permitted areas. The plan is to include an urban park, recovery of derelict buildings and make them re-habitable, and general upgrading. The project is called ‘Building with art and quality’. There is also going to be improvement to the municipal green areas, viewpoints, land acquisition and landscaping, and recovery of the church surrounds, graveyard, chapel and fountains. Better wireless access and IT implementation, scholarships, environmental education and implementing the Eco-schools project. They are going to create a bird observatory and encourage the increased use of renewable energy and agriculture production, especially organic farming. They are trying to attract tourism by better quality Feasts of St John, art, a mobile bandstand, a new Promotional department and increase international conference tourism.

In another article, young people have little future on the island due to a slowdown in tourism and the construction industry, and flights are a worry.

Warning if you visit Porto Santo, rabbit shooting season starts today!

Elderly should be with their families. Jardim inaugurated a new residential home in Porto Moniz, which has 30 residential places, 20 for day care and 14 rooms especially for Alzheimer’s patients. He insists that the elderly should be the responsibility of the family and homes/hospital care a last resort. The grandparents also have a role in the upbringing of grandchildren, especially with parents often having to work, whereas the modern lifestyle in Portugal of sitting them in front of the television  is an educational disaster. There should also be implemented a network of help with meals and laundry facilities for people in their own homes. The building has four floors, with medical and nursing services, social room, activity room, gym, cafe and kitchen. Investment over 2 million Euros.

Camacha market upgrade. There is to be an improved auditorium and covered agricultural market in Camacha.

Historical pieces mysteriously disappear. Jose Manual Coelho, PND, accused the PPD/PSD council of removing a  Henry Costa bronze commemorating Churchill’s visit after the Second World War for renovation eight years ago, and it has not been returned. Also, a disappearance of a valuable stone fountain dated 1920 when a road was being widened. He accuses Social Democrat Arlindo Gomes of knowledge of their whereabouts.

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