Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Tobi … New year 2010 fireworks of course

Tess, who has lived here for two years, has just started her own new blog, sort of a diary really. I don’t mind giving the competition a plug, so here’s the LINK.

"To identify the chemical changes, Marques and his team used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to analyse Madeira wines produced from the four main grape varieties, with each wine aged for either five or 10 years. This analysis revealed that the wines contained varying concentrations of 37 different volatile compounds, including alcohols such as butanol, organic acids such as malic acid and esters such as ethyl citrate". A SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF MADEIRA WINE

"Ronaldo became Manchester United’s first-ever Portuguese player. Initially, he requested for the number 28 as his jersey number because he didn’t feel that he could live up to the pressure of previous players such as George Best and David Beckham who wore the number 7 jersey". CRISTIANO RONALDO – BIOGRAPHY AND TRIVIA

Many thanks to Sue for some of yesterday’s news stories :

My apologies Sue, but I was out yesterday in the afternoon and it was too late to post this when I arrived back, hence some past tenses needed. Der

Singing of the Kings – The Municipal Garden suspended the ‘Singing of the Kings’ in the Quinta Vigia: The aunt of a Government official has died who was also the mother of one of the musicians and composer.  Tried to find this back again – so not 100% sure but if anyone was intending to go maybe you should check first.

Madeira remains on yellow alert – Due to wind and rain strong Institute of Meteorology put Tuesday on yellow alert, the third most severe of a range of four.   According to forecasts, in the afternoon the wind will intensify and mountainous areas of northwest there will be strong gusts up to 90 km / h.  Also the rain far will fall later and intensify during the night which may be by thunder. The state of the sea, the north coast to northwest the swell will be 3.5 to 4 meters. On the south coast the waves are from the southwest with 1.5 to 2 meters.

‘Choupana Hills’ nominated for ‘Best International Resort’ – Condé Nast selection of 25 resorts around the world the ‘Hut Hills’ is the only Portuguese

Choupana Hills Resort & Spa is among the 25 hotels selected by the Spanish edition of Condé Nast Traveller as candidates for its annual awards. The hotel units in Madeira are the only Portuguese representative and are candidates for the Condé Nast Traveller Award 2010 in the category of ‘Best International Resort’. The Condé Nast Traveller awards are chosen by voting on-line ‘on the’ site.

Marina closes indefinitely

The two accesses to the Marina do Lugar de Baixo have again been sealed. Judging from the damage caused by the relentless surf – two leaks in the protection wall in the marina dock area and is unlikely to reopen later this winter. The president of the West Point Development acknowledged Thursday that the ban on access to the marina will remain in the near future. "We are waiting for the time (sea conditions) to improve, so we can assess the damage caused and only then can a decision be taken accordingly," explained Paul Sousa. The marina has closed after the wave heights of the last weeks, three months after the end of September, when the president of the Regional Government has declared its opening in the municipality of Ponta do Sol giving orders to remove the fences and open the marina to public. However, while it was open, the beach area was little used.

Public good despite the rain for Circus – The return to school eased the demand recorded during the Christmas and end-of-year

It was felt that the weather during the Christmas season did not help to bring more public to the circus, but still, overall, the feeling was one of satisfaction, so much so that those responsible for these three circuses this year in the region are already planning to return next year. However, after the feast days, the audience decreased due to back to school and back to work, which means that at this stage discount campaign have been instigated.

Fernanda Alves, owner of Circus Brazil, located in Machico, says that attendance of people exceeded expectations. The rain and wind complicated performances a little, but the balance was positive. "Everything is going better than we thought. Due to the competition we have, we thought things were getting weaker, but no. During the week, the number of visitors did not exceed an average of two hundred, but after the weekend, all the daily sessions ranged between 1,000 and 2,000 spectators. Circus Brazil has conducted a session on weekdays, four on Saturdays and three on Sundays, but this week there will only ne one show on Friday. On Saturday, the hours remain the same but on Sunday the show will be held from 21:45 after this the tent will be dismantled. Although close to the farewell it is their desire to return next year, same location but with a different show.

The same desire was expressed Renato Alves, Circus Dallas. Mounted along the Madeira Technopole, the tent has a capacity of about two thousand people, but the average per show was around of 300 to 400 people. "For a few days was positive," said Renato. With the end of the holiday, the daily spectacle of 15 hours becomes more difficult to achieve, but nonetheless, it is expected a good crowd for 18 hours and 21h30. This week, the circus is distributing discount coupons, which allow the purchase of tickets for the 5 million adults and 2.5 for children. Although the rain has been above average and circus Dallas has already secured the contract for the next five years, at the Technopole. "There will be big surprises for next year," promises Renato Alves not only in the show content but with the animals. "We will try to bring something else, perhaps a white tiger or a white lion and more broad appeal." In Ponta do Sol, the rain was also the main enemy of the Circus Jorge Cardinali. "People want to come, the problem was the bad weather," noted John Azevedo. "We’ve been here 26 days and it rained 22 days." Some performances had to be cancelled as a precaution and the revenue will almost only to cover expenses. Still, John Anderson will return, but to Funchal and a groundbreaking show. One idea is to do a show with penguins. To attract more public, the circus Jorge Cardinalli is promoting two-euro discount on each ticket.

Circus Brazil – Machico. Circus Brazil, mounted next to the stage of Machico, promotes performances until 10 January. During the week, the sessions take place at 21.45. Saturdays, at 10, 15, 18 hours and 21:45 and Sunday at 15, 18 and 21.45, however, this week, only one show will be held on Friday and Sunday will be the last session. The great attraction is for the pair of clowns, but one of the big spectaculars is ‘The Magic of Harry Potter’ which is depicted in the poster. There are discounts for groups.

Circus Jorge Cardinalli – Ponta do Sol. This circus is installed at Giga Park ‘, which is in the residential area of Ponta do Sol for 11 days, the Circus Jorge Cardinalli greatest novelty is the ”Water Show, which includes the Pacific Ocean sharks and seals in Alaska. From Tuesday to Friday, there is a daily show starting at 21:30. On Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and holidays, are held three sessions: 15.30, 17.30 and 21.30. Tickets cost 14€ for adults and children over 12, but there is now a 2€ discount.

Dallas circus – Madeira Technopole. The Circus Dallas, located on land anticipated for the expansion zone of Madeira Technopole, says with many animals, including lions and horses and for the first time, macaws, cockatoos and parrots that ride scooters and even perform in a small theatre. Three sessions are held daily, at 15, 18 and 20:30. The shows continue until 17 January. Tickets for the general audience is 15€ for adults and 7.5€ children, but there are coupons available that reduce the price to 5 and 2.5€.

Rather a long article but it shows how people try to survive against the elements and a plug or two probably would not harm – not a circus person myself, but the kids always love it.

Appointments via the Internet – For hospitals and health centres in the Region.

The Health Service of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (SESA) will, by the end of this term, put in place a project that involves the scheduling of appointments via the Internet as announced the JM president of that body, Almada Cardoso. In other words, users can dial "on line" to be consulted when the project is complete, from their homes or jobs or offices provided by the local media. The president emphasized the SESARAM project will also allow for users of the Regional Health Service to consult their consultation process, with confirmation of time delays or anticipation of any delay. On the other hand, the body is considering the implementation of a project some national hospitals, which would allows people registered for the surgery to monitor their position on the waiting list. It is anticipated that this project would advance during the term of the current administration SESARAM. The Ministry of Health announced in late December, that people scheduled for surgery can now consult the Internet as to their position on the waiting list and know how much longer they have to wait before their operation. To check the e-SIGIC, you must register with the Health Portal with the number of users, which entitles you to a password that allows access to the file. The Minister of Health recently said that several people had entered with an indication for surgical intervention approximately 170 thousand patients. In Madeira, the waiting lists affected, as reported recently were plastic surgery, vascular surgery (on the veins, in part because there is no blood) and otolaryngology as well especially removal of tonsils. This situation could be improved greatly with a second room for outpatient surgery, which will be launched next year. According to Almada Cardoso, "the lists” are only for surgery where there is less risk of life or loss of quality of life. In comparison, however, the example of oenological surgery, a patient is operated on average, two weeks after joining the list, "that is well below the national average, which is three months in more regions and 1.5 months in one or another regions.

… and more top stories from yesterday’s newspapers from Elaine … many thanks :

New Year’s Eve ‘positive’ The initial half of the night was for dinner and the fireworks display and then there were the post-midnight celebrations. In the main areas of Funchal, the public live performances were successful. According to the different organizations contacted, the major events in Funchal on New Year’s Eve were well attended. At the Casino, the three nights from the 29 – 31 were all a full-house with more than 400 people each evening. The revellers were well-dressed with spirits to match. For 2010 – 2011, the Casino will have a different format but with live bands again. The three night clubs on the Avenida Sa Carneiro began to fill from 3 am onwards when other parties finished. The Wine Institute (photo) had a good night and feedback was positive and although it was mainly young people, older age groups joined the party. The Molhe club was favoured for its view of the amphitheatre of Funchal and the night "went crazy", according to the manager. The Cafe do Teatro had 2,000 visitors that night and the manager stated, "It failed in nothing, the house was full." — Der heard that the Casino dinner and events cost 180 Euros on New Year’s Eve. I make that around 72,000 Euros takings plus drinks plus Casino bets.

Bad weather continues to punish cruise ships visits  The inaugural visit of the Silver Spirit today has been cancelled due to the conditions in the Atlantic. The captain had to reduce speed between Lisbon and Funchal, so the visit would have only lasted for four hours from 13 – 17 hours. The ship sails directly to La Palma in the Canaries instead. The Volcan de Tijarafe ferry was also delayed during the crossing from Portimão and arrived at 16.00 yesterday. A large wave higher than 9 metres damaged the bow of the ship but the journey to the Canary Islands was still possible at 19.00. All 230 passengers and the cargo of 140 vehicles were not affected, the captain received no complaints and said the passengers did not seem to realize what had happened. (Photo of ‘cosmetic’ damage).

Tree falls on top of car rented by tourists The accident occurred yesterday afternoon at Queimadas and slightly damaged the car but caused no injuries to the occupants as they were not present at the time. The car was parked in the car park of Casa de Abrigo das Queimadas and the Voluntary Firemen of Santana had to ask the Forestry Police for equipment to cut the tree to allow the car to leave. The car park is now shut and should reopen tomorrow when the area has been made safe. The portion of the highway in Madalena do Mar which was closed after a wall collapsed has now reopened.

Falling crane traps man. The crane was transported on a lorry when it toppled off onto another lorry travelling in the opposite direction. This accident occurred on a curved section of road in the area of Levada do Poiso, Ponta do Sol. After intervention by the Fire Brigade, the trapped man was freed, still conscious and taken by ambulance to hospital.

Fallen wall still causes concern A wall that collapsed on December 23, damaging a motorcycle and car, still leaves a house at risk. The accident happened in the Beco das Courelas in Santo Antonio in Funchal and damage to the street lighting has not been repaired despite the residents complaining to the council.

Madeiro still cannot discharge all of the fuel 17,000 tons of fuel was the tanker to supply the islands. The tanker originally arrived on Christmas Day but bad weather has hampered the delivery of fuel to Madeira and Porto Santo. Some fuel was delivered at Caniçal on the 2 January. Since then, she has gone to Porto Santo and will return on Wednesday for another attempt to transfer fuel to Socorridos.

Impact of the Geneva Agreement on Madeiran bananas The PCP (Communist Party) MEPs are visiting on the 15 January and are studying the marketing of bananas. They want to gather information which can be used to alert Brussels about the consequences of the impact of the Geneva Agreement. The EU pact with countries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela leads to a substantial cut in import tariffs. The communists have asked the EU to support European producers as they are concerned on the impact of this agreement. They will also discuss concerns about GESBA, the organization which processes bananas in the region.

SPAR in Santa Cruz This will be the fifth, and for the present time the last of the Dutch-owned chain of stores to open in Madeira; the others are in Porto Moniz, Pilar, Funchal and Gaula. The shop should have opened on the 4 January but has been delayed due to the weather and will open sometime this week, date not yet known. The shop is in the Plaza da Cerveja and has a butchers, bakery, ready-meals, take-away and also sells magazines/newspapers and SPAR own brand groceries. The shops are placed in areas of tourism as the brand has a good image in countries such as the UK, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands etc. There are also a lot of Madeiran residents in South Africa where SPAR is a leading firm.

160 metres of Bolo Rei. This afternoon in the Praça do Municipio, the traditional Bolo Rei Gigante was larger than last years, reaching 160 metres. This tradition has taken place over the past five years. It contained hundreds of eggs, hundreds of kilograms of flour and many kilograms of crystallized fruit and sultanas and was baked according to tradition. Despite the weather, which improved this afternoon, the free slices were enjoyed by both residents and tourists. — SAPO video from last year – 150 metres and 300 kg cake. BIG CAKE

From Madeira Tourism – Events for January

from 12th to 16th – Madeira Islands Walking Festival
This is an organised group walking programme, along man-made waterways (levadas) or special trails (veredas), with specialised guides throughout, lasting for a period of 5 consecutive days. A total of 20 different walks have been selected, all having been classified and recommended by the Regional Government of Madeira. The participants have at their disposal a choice of 4 walks per day, these being of different duration and various levels of difficulty. Stay aware of information about this festival by checking out the official site, MADEIRA WALKING FESTIVAL

15th – Feast of Santo Amaro – Santa Cruz
Every year the saint’s day of Santo Amaro is celebrated throughout the entire island of Madeira, in a particularly festive and ceremonial way, when Christmassy delicacies are laid on every table. This is the day when families dismantle the Nativity scenes (lapinhas in the Madeira Islands), and "sweep the larder clean" – a tradition in which people visit family and friends to share the last of the Christmas season’s delicacies. The feast of the patron saint of Santa Cruz – Santo Amaro – is the most important religious feast of this borough. It’s a very lively three-day festival, which marks the end of the Christmas holidays.

from 26th to 28th – Madeira Orienteering Festival (Festival de Orientação da Madeira)
This is organised by the Funchal Mountain Club with the support of some official Madeira tourist organisations. It is held on the hills of Madeira and has the participation of both national and foreign athletes. This is a competition that blends in well with leisure activities and takes place in a setting offering permanent contact with Nature.

** Now it’s time, and with great pleasure that I can introduce Vanessa Swesnik. Vanessa is a recently qualified translator and interpreter, and fluent in Portuguese (Brazilian) and Spanish. Vanessa has joined the ‘team’, and will produce several articles a week for the blog in similar areas to the one below (preferring government, politics, economy, business, and environment). She is very busy, so the effort is much appreciated, but we have also talked about another exciting possibility that I may be able to share with you in the future, going in a quite different direction. Unfortunately, we are still way short of the number of contributors needed, so please don’t sit back and relax … or the blog will still have to close … yes seriously. Many thanks Vanessa for this article from yesterday’s Diário :

The last three months of 2009 confirmed that which was already a certainty: last year, with 89 insolvency proceedings of businesses, as individuals, collectives, or persons (also possible according to the law), broke all records in the Madeira Regional Authority.

In the last quarter, the rise levelled off with just 15 insolvency proceedings between October and December. In the three proceeding quarters (January to September), 74 insolvency proceedings were initiated by business owners or creditors. On average, that turns out to be 22 proceedings each quarter and 7.4 businesses publicly assuming financial difficulties for each of the 12 months in 2009.

During the first nine months of last year (according to the latest findings from Coface, a French multinational that publishes information on insolvencies and creation of businesses in Portugal), there was an increase of 184.6% in insolvencies compared to the homologous period of 2008, from 26 to 74.

According to unofficial accounts from the Portal Sitius of the Ministry of Justice- we had a total of 89 insolvency proceedings in 2009 compared to 36 in 2008. This increase of close to 150% reflects the initial idea: that despite everything, the last quarter showed a decrease in the number of insolvencies to enter into the 5 existing courts of the Madeira Regional Authority.

Funchal Stands Out in Front. Not all insolvency proceedings end in the dissolution and closing of a business. Naturally the majority of businesses that file for bankruptcy with the county court are in Funchal.

In the last quarter of 2009, there were 9 filed from Funchal, 4 from Santa Cruz and one each from Sao Vicente and Porto Santo.

Looking at the numbers from the entire year, Funchal “monopolizes” the grand majority of proceedings with 66. The other cases are distributed throughout Santa Cruz (19), Ponta do Sol (2), Sao Vicente (1) and Porto Santo (1).

Many times insolvency proceedings have served as a way to settle accounts and restart business activities, even if it’s at the expense of jobs as is indicated by unemployment statistics (also at record numbers in 2009).

But, as was reported earlier in the Diário (see edition 21/06/2009), according to Ruben Jardim Freitas, one of the principal administrators of insolvency proceedings in the region, there are fraudulent bankruptcies and others that end up being forced by the law or the heavy hand of Social Security.

Of all the businesses, either collectives or in individuals’ names, that are having difficulties and have closed their doors in 2009, there is a growing and still undetermined number of them that will no longer be part of the International Center of Madeira Businesses (or CINM). Practically every week there were dozens of businesses listed in the Regional Official Journal under “dissolution and closing of the liquidation of a business society” according to the Zona Franca’s Conservatory of Commercial Registry of Madeira, or Conservatória do Registro Comercial da Zona Franca da Madeira.

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

Year end helped the tills of the big hotels – They are just a few days, but the period around new year pleased the hotels and improved on the previous.

Today’s main news headline : Birth rate in 2009 was a record low -  The year ended with just 2,386 babies born in the Region, the lowest number ever. The decrease of 12% relative to 2008 is also a record.

São Vicente contract a company to dump mud in the sea – Mayor Jorge Romeira says that he has authorisation from the Regional Government and that he is complying with the standards :  dumping downstream. Quercus condemns the solution that has been polluting the coastline of Passo da Areia. No really, it’s a serious headline! The Diário front page photograph today shows exactly what the headline says, with a lorry having emptied it’s load, and a digger pushing the load down off the roadside onto what seems to be a beach. Nothing surprises me anymore about our government, nor its PSD politicians in São Vicente or anywhere, and the best I can hope for in this story is that the Diário has got it wrong and the picture is a fake, but the truth is I am bl**dy fuming. The article says that there are hundreds of truck loads, taking thousands of cubic metres, being the muck and sludge from the recent storm damage, for dumping in the sea. The environmental agency Quercus say that the action will have tragic consequences for marine life. Personally I would have used that mud etc. to construct a very useful grassy knoll quite near to the council offices in São Vicente. At times Madeira’s claim to be a ‘green’ island is an absolute mockery of environmental issues. Imagine the message that this action sends to the population, who are regularly reminded of the evils of dumping rubbish in the sea (and indeed rivers).

Humiliation in ‘Idols’ pricks islander – The young Madeiran Carlos Costa says the attack of jury member Moura Santos is going to backfire. The controversy started on Sunday live on the TV channel SIC, when Manuel Moura dos Santos said he hoped that the Madeiran Carlos Costa does not win the ‘Idols’. "I hope that you are not the winner of this competition because you are the idol that we do not need," he said after harshly criticizing the selection of music that the Porto Moniz competitor is doing in shows and in particular the song ‘I’m Here’. I have never watched one of these programs, but I remember our local celebrity Vânia Fernandes won this stupid competition one year, and went on to represent Portugal in the Eurovision song contest (… what a gal! … did I ever tell you that she gave me a big hug once?).  Anyway, isn’t the whole idea that the judges are controversial and are expected to harshly criticise the contestants who present them with such an opportunity? Stupid competition, and no doubt many stupid people enter, but I bet the judges earn a hatful of dosh, so maybe they are not so stupid. It seems that now there are several Facebook groups set up both for and against the singer. What a weird world we live in!

In sport : Today there is and exciting derby in the juniors – The captains of Nacional and Marítimo show ambition.

Hard to believe the report from Elaine earlier about that ship getting hit by a 9 metre wave and buckling the top rail (as shown in the photo above). The Naviera Armas ferry, ‘Volcán de Tijarafe’, was also damaged during the last journey between Portimão and Funchal, which although turbulent and far from pleasant, "there was no panic on board". The hull was damaged at the bow of the ship, but it will not prevent it from continuing its journeys.

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

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

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

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

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TODAY’S PHOTOS : Thanks to Selina … "This is a view of the Sea front Marina, just after the rains had finished at 1.30 pm on Sunday afternoon (4th October). The sun had just come out and everything was drying up. The area was mostly deserted, the entrance by the tunnel was closed again due to a small rockfall. We walked along the marina to view the huge amount of water cascading down in the waterfall, behind the marina buildings. The car parking at the far side was under water, resembling a very large swimming pool".

Lord of The Rocks is continued with today’s instalment – "Flip Rocks".

Read on dear reader if you dare……

The Saturday sun rose orange above the green lands – Flip and Robin looked North to the bad lands and, saddened by the gathering orange dust cloud of Percy’s bad men gathering to fight them (a little bit) looked a right angle to the West – to Percy’s seat. It was huge and worth many swiggles and had many places to sit in the great palaces that Percy had had built – some for him, his family and some (empty) just to get the swiggles from the European Union….

"Flip" said Flip and Robin (hood) winked……"we can’t fight them this way, for they are too many, I have a cunning plan……."

And so it was that Flip and Robin spent all the day travelling up and down the secret steps deep into the ground where the FlipFloppers stone lay, buried and hidden from Percy. They carried away many many precious stones (and rather nice pieces of precious metals as well) from the stone but their task was huge…..they needed help. And so it was that Flip secretly summoned his "Just Poor People" friends and they also secretly began carrying away many many good bits of the stone, soon they had nearly all the people from the green lands helping and some also from the land of the Whales boyyo.

Flip and Robin handed out the good bits of stone (worth many swiggles) to all their peoples and by the rise of the not so orange sun on Sunday, everyone had a plenty and a promise of no longer being "Jolly Poor People" but "Justly Proud Participants" of the rule of their lands – they had more squiggles than even Percy!

And it came to pass that Percy did hear of this and he and his bad, greedy family and friends all rushed into their tunnel towards the stone to grab what they could……but so big was the hole left by Flip and Robin and the JPP that Percy and ALL fell headlong into and down the hole never ever to be seen ever again (promise)!

This of course left Flip and Robin to rule fairly over the Land of the (one less) Rock with a fair hand and heart and ALL the people of the lands lived happily ever after.

Ah, I think I am seeing a bit of a picture here, and it sounds like today is an important day!

"We are also thinking of stopping at Porto Santo, when we leave Funchal.  Porto Santo is the other inhabited island of the Arquipelago Madeira.  The Arquipelago is made up of five islands but only two Madeira and Porto Santo are inhabited.  Porto Santo is known for its long white sandy beach.  Not counting tours, there are less than 3,000 people on the island". If you have been following the voyage of the Resolution, this is the next short episode of the captains (b)log. What happened to the other 2,000 people on Porto Santo though? RESOLUTION

The gym at Ribeira Brava has introduced two new classes, and as a promotion they are free to attend during October.

1. Kickboxing – Mondays 7.30 pm

2. Indoor Cycle ? – Tuesdays & Fridays 8 pm

I am off to do my duty very soon. The PS gets my vote today, as they gave me the most goodies (baseball cap, pen, pencil and notepad), although I really did want the oven mitts, I have managed to forgive that oversight now. The BE left block came a close second choice, having the catchiest campaign song, but I think that would be an even more wasted vote anyway. DD (democracy day) has come at last, or will Unc. Bertie have his henchmen out with big sticks. I will let you know if I see any.

Porto Santo is all out of petrol. A breakdown in the main filling station has meant that excess demand had drained all the petrol elsewhere. The Portugal Airforce has already started an operation to provide petrol to the island. The petrol station with the breakdown cannot be fixed until Monday. I can think of more disastrous scenarios I must admit, after all, apart from emergency situations, it wouldn’t do anyone any harm to to a bit of walking on a Sunday.

I received an email from someone who lives on Madeira on last night asking me to send them money to help them out of a ‘desperate situation’. It looked like a hoax, and it turned out to be just that. Apparently many hotmail accounts have been hacked, allowing crooks to use the email accounts of innocent people to try and con the contacts in their address book.

UPDATES :

You can probably guess the big front page story today, especially if you followed the football yesterday. Cristiano Ronaldo promised a goal, and went off injured instead, but the team went on to win despite an inconsistent performance. Portugal 3 Hungary 0. They need to win against Malta on Wednesday to stay in 2nd place in the group and reach the play-off games for next years World Cup.

Also in football, Mitchell Van der Gaag has been confirmed as coach for Marítimo and his duties with Marítimo B have been given to Nélson Caldeira.

The main political story is of course the elections today : Madeira Elects 772 Councillors – They are in play in the organs of local power regarding the 11 regions of Madeira and the 54 freguesias (parishes), the president of the republic appealed for the vote. Cavaco Silva made a national broadcast on TV yesterday evening to try and get people out to vote today.

And finally from me : News in Black and White. The Diário newspaper completes 133 years in service today, and the Sunday magazine with today’s printed edition travels back to look at the newspaper in 1876. These days we are accustomed to around 50 pages a day, filled with photographs and information graphics, signed texts, interviews, letters from readers, cases of the day, colourful advertising media and then of course there is the online edition. Back in the old days it was a huge buzz caused by four-page black and white offering with no pictures or authors, produced without much graphical care or  design rules. No pictures it says, but just browsing through the news stories from 133 years ago one caught my eye about a lady in Santa Luzia who had just given birth to a very very  noisy stroppy baby, who threw all his toys out of his wooden wheel-less pram at the slightest little thing, and could insult all and sundry within range within just a few hours of being born. It’s not easy to read such old text, but let me see … yes I think his name was Alberto João Cardoso Gonçalves Jardim. Anyone ever noticed that Santa is an anagram of another rather scary word?

Yesterday’s news stories, courtesy of Elaine in Garajau :

MADEIRA NOT READY TO HAVE A EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE. The Secretary of Education and Culture admits that Madeira is not yet ready to enter an application for the award.

DENUNCIATION OF CHEATING IN ALBUQUERQUE. The Communist candidate for Funchal stated that the council had announced eleven times the redevelopment of Pico dos Barcelos, and promised four green spaces/parks in Santo Antonio, but none created. "If Dr. Miguel Albuquerque participated in a film of Pinoccio, his nose would have grown so much that it would not fit on the screen."

‘FUGITIVO’ CASE WHICH ACCUSES 2 PSP OFFICERS OF ACCEPTING BRIBES POSTPONED UNTIL 9 DECEMBER. 12 defendants from a raid on a nightclub in 2006. Found ‘waitresses’ and ‘dancers’ appearing to be acting as prostitutes. The 2 PSP officers are accused of accepting VIP treatment at the nightclub for passing on information about raids. The 72 year old Brazilian ringleader, his 58 year old brother and other workers at the club are charged with various illegal activities including arranged marriages to Portuguese women. The women involved at the nightclub were Brazilian, some illegally immigrated.  

TWO ACCIDENTS YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) CAUSED LONG QUEUES ON HIGHWAY. Two accidents on the Santa Cruz/Funchal road. In the first one, a 33 year old woman had to be cut free from her Ford, which is to be scrapped, but she was released from hospital in the afternoon. She changed lanes without warning and a Ferrari driver from behind could not take avoiding action. His car will cost a few thousand to repair. –The commentators in the newspaper are not sympathetic to the Ferrari driver – excess speed? 

STUDENTS GIVEN TIPS FOR FLIGHTS PRICES. Students flying between Madeira and Lisbon can save money by booking in advance, booking directly via the websites of SATA, TAP and Easyjet rather than through travel agents, and a small change in date/time can make a difference. So instead of 400 Euros, the cheapest prices were for SATA 73 Euros, TAP 95 Euros and Easyjet 121 Euros, between 14-17 December and return 7-10 January.

PRAZERES GALLERY HAS FIRST ANNIVERSARY. The gallery in front of the Quinta Pedagogia has had 20,552 visitors to 11 exhibitions.

MSC ‘FANTASIA’ OFFERS CRUISES FROM FUNCHAL. November 23 and 4 December a 11 night cruise costs from 1380 Euros and a port fee of 130 Euros. A 6 day cruise on the 15 December costs from 878 Euros. An offer for an accompanying passenger.

MADEIRA TOURISM CHARM 170 FRENCH ON MONDAY. To coincide with the arrival of the low-cost carrier, the Tourism Office will host a two day tour of the island for French tour operators, tourism representatives, travel agents and media. They will have a welcome cocktail, dinner, trips to the Famers’ Market, wine lodges, Monte, walks, rides, jeep safaris and dolphin watching trips.

MILLENNIUM BCP WILL OPEN SATURDAYS. This bank will open on Saturdays from today. Anadia branch 9.30 to 13.30.

… and today’s too … thanks Elaine :

Quinta do Lorde resort promoted in England and France. 99 apartments and 23 single houses for sale. Already promoted in Madeira, promotion in England to begin in November through Savilles Estate Agency in London, then Glasgow in February and Manchester in September. They are betting on selling to the UK market as there is a strong English tourism base. They are using Savilles which have an exclusive clientele. Also promoted on the web sites of the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times and Financial Times. It will then be promoted in December at the Cannes International Luxury Travel Market fair, which is only open to ‘VIP buyers’, who have to be able to prove that they have a certain income and lifestyle to visit it. Later promotions in Sweden, Finland and Denmark. They still do not know when the resort will be finished and  realise that now is a difficult time to sell. —Another half-sold development?

Eco Line occupancy rate has tripled. To reduce mobility needs, traffic congestion and accidents in Funchal, energy consumption and pollution, the Eco Line buses have been made free since the 1 September and their usage has tripled. There already is one Green Line bus (no 1) running between Piornais and the city centre and the Funchal Bus Company is buying more buses (hybrid technology or electrical) to run one every seven minutes. This is part of the CIVITAS project, involving the council, Technology and Science Park and Energy and Environment Agency. They are still surveying the usage of  buses in order to plan a better service.

Fraudulent PSP e-mails. These e-mails, purporting to come from the police, are still being issued and the police are getting about 50 enquiries a week. These notify the recipient that they are required to attend a court hearing but the attached file contains a ‘phishing’ message.

Condominium Management Companies more competent. The Bureau of the ACIF Business Condo has eight members which represent 50 – 60% of the sector. There is a draft law to be debated, which has been designed over the last three years, to regulate the industry. The management firms often have problems with 20 – 30% of the owners and recovering debt by litigation is expensive and lengthy, so a last resort.

Young people want more time with parents. Lack of love, values and dialogue, summarises more than 3,500 people aged between 12 and 21, enrolled in the Youth Service at Bom Jesus Health Centre, Funchal. These are from dysfunctional families which now occur in all sectors of society. The parents do not have time for them, no family meals and no joint activities. This service is run by a 24-strong multidisciplinary team, including 4 doctors, 8 nurses, 3 psychologists and a nutritionist, who promote healthy lifestyle and less risky behaviour. Last year they started three new projects, for pregnant teenagers, eating disorders and sexually-transmitted diseases. They next want to be able to monitor health of pre-adolescent 10 to 13 year olds. —Unfortunately, sign of the times.

SPAD requests the inclusion of  animals in the declaration of IRS. At yesterday’s  Blessing of the Animals ceremony in Funchal Municipal Park, there was much barking, with a few dogs but no cats. The SPAD (equivalent of the PDSA) representative wants the cost of pets to be deductable in tax returns.

Best way to book travel? It has been thought that Travel Agents might disappear because of increased use of internet booking, but the cheapest deal might not always be the best, mainly due to the conditions and limitations of the cheaper tickets. Travel agents often have agreements with airlines so they can offer good rates not seen on websites, and the service charge pays for them and security as the agents do not receive commission. It is easier to book a holiday package through a travel agent, and they build up knowledge over time so can advise. WTTC-affiliated agents are more secure.

Voting complaints. In Sao Roque do Faial, a complaint about PS propaganda leaflets near the ballot box (illegal). Also several complaints about the politically-known arranging transport to polling stations (influence?).

—–I noted that last night at the Santana Theme Park OCM concert, they also erected screens for those wanting to watch the football match.

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(26th September). Today’s main news headline, and also the main photo, shows a beautiful landscape blighted by ugly yellow storage tanks and a black barrier : ‘Temporary’ For Six Years – The site in Meia Légua occupies more than half a kilometre extended. Quercus alerts : The safety of the town of Ribeira Brava is in danger’. The facility, towards the narrow end of Ribeira Brava valley and alongside the access road to Serra de Água, was started in 2003 and completed and inaugurated in 2004. It is in effect, a builders yard, belonging to the construction giant AFA. But it has now grown to over half a kilometre long. The excuse of the government for the site being there for so long, is that it is intended to build a walkway on the left hand side between Ponte Vermelha and the via rápida junction, with the delay blamed on the compulsory purchase of land not being completed. The AFA site is not only a blot on the landscape, but it occupies a strategically important site, that allows central access to all parts of Madeira. The assurance is given is that as soon as work is complete on the via expresso road, the site permit will be withdrawn. That could be a long way off with the stretch between Meia Légua and Serra de Água still outstanding. The president of Ribeira Brava council showed some discontent with the situation, but refuses to get involved in what is a matter of regional government. The environmental agency Quercus says that the site poses a danger to Ribeira Brava town, as long heavy rain could flood the river and site, taking materials downstream into the town.

‘MAC Exposes Illiteracy In Youngsters That Went To School’. The Apostolate Movement for Children (MAC) has exposed the cases of youngsters, now 18, 19, or 20 years old, who went to school but forgot everything they learned. Some cannot understand a simple SMS text message, or even sign their name. One teacher is now voluntarily giving weekend lessons to help these people, in what the teachers union describes as a “dramatic situation”. A spokesperson for MAC says that they had access to school, but because they were rebellious or had behavioural problems, stayed away, or just forgot. Not knowing how to read or write at 18, 19 or 20 years is a worrying development, stresses the coordinator of the Teachers Union of Madeira. Strangely, there are no numbers given, but MAC say it doesn’t have sufficient volunteer teaching resources available to adequately manage the situation. 

‘Pestana Group Awaits For The Court In Order To Enter Lugar de Baixo [marina] – Works will move forward one year after the decision of the Constitutional Court’. The administrator of the the Madeiran Pestana group says that there is no doubt: “The project of the Marina of Lugar de Baixo interests the Pestana Group, provided that it adopts to the philosophy that we stand for”. A year has passed since the announcement of an agreement in principle between Pestana and The Development Society of Ponta Oeste, to form a company that will progress the concept through to the construction of a tourist hotel on the marina site. “We’ve already done the outline of a project and have presented a mock-up to the regional government. We will build it on stilts and redimension [the marina?], because we want a hotel of only 80 to 100 guest rooms”. The option to use stilts reflects the continued concern about the invasion of the sea in times of bad weather, and the project will downsize the marina to little over one hundred berths. The group is waiting for the court to decide on some litigation issues before it can proceed, particularly on the change of use of the marina zone and the rights for private development, and will then need around a year to prepare the plans. The intention is to develop the project in phases, that could extend the total development time for up to ten years. The marina at Lugar de Baixo is the biggest political embarrassment for the Madeira Government, because the investment of €32 million is of no use because the designer did not consider the actual conditions for sea waves in that area, resulting in the sea at times engulfing and destroying the infrastructure. To use it as a marina, it will need millions of Euros spent on improving the protection zone.

Today’s sport / football headline : ‘Naval Battle’ Decisive For Carvalhal – The Marítimo Coach complains about a lack of efficiency in his attack but, in today’s game he is only going to change the defence’.

If anyone is interested, the league game between Benfica and Leixões is on RTP 1 at 9.15 pm tonight. Should be good for a few goals, or famous last words?

In entertainment : ‘Madeiran Theatre Sets Upon The Câmara – The amount paid for ‘Calcinhas Amarelas’ stirs controversy’. The comedy play ‘The Yellow Panties”, by José Vilhena, with the participation of Tozé Martin (from TEZEEME Productions), currently playing, is causing some upset amongst other producers in the region. At issue is the value of the contract between Funchal Council and TEZEEME Productions, of € 87.500. The council say that it is only €62,500, taking into account the receipts from ticket sales. Nether the less, it has rankled in theatrical quarters the fact that an outside production has attracted extensive funding, when there are theatrical and cultural groups much closer to home that can’t get the financial assistance they need.

‘Machico In Festival Starting On The 28th – Astronomy, music, exhibitions and sport highlight the Festas do Concelho’. The celebration lasts from Monday until 13th October, to mark the day of Machico district. FESTA PROGRAMME

A 39 year old man died yesterday after being taken to hospital, after he was run over on the via rápida near the school Horácio Bento Gouveia in Funchal. Having been hit by one car, he was then hit by a second surprised driver. After the rescue, firemen had to go out and clean up the area. That’s the 14th road death so far this year. In another incident last night near the Savoy Hotel in Funchal, two women aged 74 and 79 were caught in a ‘hit and run’ case and taken to hospital with grazing, but police have information about the vehicle responsible.

A power cut affected the whole of Madeira early yesterday morning, at around 3 am, for around 40 minutes for some, longer for many. A cable fault was responsible, causing a system overload. The Diário curiously has a picture of Madeira at night, either without a power cut, or teaming with fire flies.

‘Avenida do Amparo Eases Traffic In The West – Road inaugurated yesterday cost €10.5 million and connects Nazaré to the [estrada] monumental’. Government officials were out in force for the opening (can’t imagine why that would be?). Access to the via rápida for those in the west will now be much easier. The new road has two lanes in each direction and extends to 1.2 km.

The pope is to visit Portugal in May next year, but no there is no indication that he will visit Madeira. It will be the first time that Papa Bento XVI has visited Portugal.

The 1.5 km connection between the roundabout at Funchal Port and Pilar will be inaugurated next Friday. It includes the tunnel of ‘Pontinha’ which is nearly 700 metres long, and a new rebuilt bridge .

‘The First Vaccines Against Gripe A Arrive In Portugal Starting On 12th October – Deliveries are going to be phased weekly in proportion to the delivery made’. The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is to share it’s production releases of Pandremrix amongst countries that have ordered, proportioned according to the amount ordered in total. Portugal ordered 6 million vaccines, in theory enough to immunize at least 3 million people, at a cost of €45 million. It may be that one vaccine dose per person will suffice, but that is still to be determined. Pregnant women and children over 6 months old will be the first to benefit, with children receiving half the adult dosage.