Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Pete … “Madeira soil erosion”.

I saw this photo on Flickr titled ‘Natures Fireworks’, which I thought was very clever and appropriate. It was taken in the Farmers Market in Funchal.

Many thanks to Tom for sending in this link : “The Greek debt crisis has spread to Spain and Portugal in a dangerous escalation as global markets test whether Europe is willing to shore up monetary union with muscle rather than mere words … Credit default swaps (CDS) measuring bankruptcy risk on Portuguese debt surged 28 basis points on Thursday to a record 222 on reports that Jose Socrates was about to resign as prime minister after failing to secure enough votes in parliament to carry out austerity measures … Parliament minister Jorge Lacao said the political dispute has raised fears that the country is no longer governable. “What is at stake is the credibility of the Portuguese state,” he said”. UK DAILY TELEGRAPH It had 112 comments by 9 pm yesterday! 

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

DIÁRIO 07/02/2010

MADEIRA

Laurissilva among the favourites. The list of 77 candidates for the next stage of the competition, ’7 Natural Wonders of Portugal’, will be released today for public voting between 7 March and 7 September. These have been chosen from the original 323 entries and there will be 11 chosen for each of the seven categories.

The nine wonders of the region
Ilhas Selvagens – Located about 163 miles from Madeira, they represent the extreme south of the country. The Nature Reserve of Selvagens was established in 1971 and is one of the oldest reserves in Portugal.

Ilhas Desertas – Biogenetic Reserve since 1992 and Nature Reserve since 1995, the Ilhas Desertas are one of the last strongholds of Lobo-marinho. They are also an important centre for nesting seabirds.

Floresta Laurissilva – Considered World Natural Heritage by UNESCO and classified as a Biogenetic Reserve by the Council of Europe, the Laurissilva is endemic to Macaronesia.

Cabo Girão – Located in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, it is the highest promontory in Europe with a height of 580 metres. The viewpoint of the site is one of the most sought after.

Fajã dos Padres – Narrow strip of land along the coast, under a cliff about 250 metres high, this fajã is located on the south coast of Madeira and is endowed with an agricultural area of excellence.

Pico Ana Ferreira – About 283 metres above sea level, it is the highest point of the western part of the island. At its peak there have developed a spectacular set of prismatic columns known as ‘piano’.

Praia do Porto Santo – Stretching over six kilometres between Vila Baleira and Ponta da Calheta, the golden sandy beach is one of the attractions of Porto Santo and the sand has therapeutic capabilities.

Cabeço dos Laranjas – On the islet of Cima (Porto Santo), you can see a spectacular outcrop of fossils of red algae, known locally as ‘oranges’ for their striking resemblance to that fruit.

Galerias do Ilhéu da Cal – In the largest island of Porto Santo, where the limestone mining industry began in the XVIII Century, today there are wonderful galleries where you can see subaquatic lava flows and volcanic ash.

1,000 participants in the Carnival of Câmara de Lobos. 18 groups will participate in this traditional parade held on the evening of February 15th. This year it will include the Associação de Animação Geringonça and  Malta do Furor (Achada de Gaula) and two other newcomers: Banda Filarmónica do Caniço e Eiras and the Escuteiros de São Martinho. Participants from various institutions, of all ages. The parade begins at 21.30, starting at Avenida Nova Cidade and ending at the car park of Baía de Câmara de Lobos.

Plans for Vila Giorgi and Castanheiro in discussion. From 18 February to March 17, plans for the redevelopment of this area of Funchal will be available online. The mayor noted that this is a very balanced plan when it comes to shopping, houses and services as it sets a percentage for each. In between Rua das Pretas and São Pedro, there will be a plaza of 1,700 square metres under which there will be a car park with 450 spaces, and 150 of these will be reserved for local traders. Vila Giorgi is a private development consisting of a five star hotel with 44 rooms and a block of 33 apartments. The detailed plan of the area Ornelas will be available between 18 February and 10 March.

Court establishes that the driver responsible for a fatal accident had no licence.  The accident occurred on the 25 October 2008 near the viewpoint of Cabo Girão. At around 3 am, the car hit a stone wall causing the death of one of the occupants, an 18 year old man and the other was seriously injured. At the time, it was a popular location to practice dangerous manoeuvres. The driver had no licence and the car was uninsured. The driver was still learning at a driving school and had only been in possession of a car for a short period of time.

PT and PSP used in ‘phishing’. If there is an e-mail in the mailbox with the logo of the police and PT (shown), it should be deleted immediately. Clicking on one of these logos takes the user to a copy of the website and an executable file is immediately downloaded.

ECONOMY

430,000 Euros for the Open de Golfe and Rali Vinho Madeira. Turismo de Portugal will provide 330,000 Euros for the Golf Open and 100,000 Euros for the Madeira Wine Rally. This is 30% of the total needed for the golf tournament at Porto Santo, and the Regional Budget will provide an additional half a million Euros. The Wine Rally also needs 1 million Euros in funds and will receive 650,000 Euros from the government.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA – FRONT PAGE NEWS

‘Healer’ takes money and gold at Caniçal. A case of doorstep fraud. A woman and her son knocked at the door of a house where a 40 year old woman lived with her son. The visitors tried to sell clothing but the resident was not interested. The street vendor then changed the course of conversation, claiming that she was a registered healer, reading palms, tarot cards etc. She wanted money for powerful remedies which would be fully effective. Over a period of several days, the victim handed over 3,500 Euros in cash and gold items, totalling 5,000 Euros. The police have found the two suspects, assumed mother and son, and some of the items but not the money. The local people commented on the ridiculous way in which this has happened.

EVENTS

Five robberies in Calheta. Five burglaries in recent days but the assailants have not been caught. Most of the damage has been by the forced entries rather than items stolen. Two houses at Ledo, two at Palheiros and the Junta de Freguesia have been robbed.

ECONOMY

Loja do Cidadão and Dolce Vita have a new innovation. A new information system will be installed in these two areas in Funchal. The user of the Loja do Cidadão can find out their place in the queue for their chosen service and estimated waiting time. The service is also accessible on the second floor of the Dolce Vita commercial mall, so the user can shop or consume food while waiting. This service will be inaugurated at 18.00 on Monday February 8th.

CULTURE

Cortejo folião animated “Festa dos Compadres”. This was the first time this parade has taken place in Santana during the Festa dos Compadres. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, 16 groups from the primary and secondary schools took part. The parade was followed by musical entertainment. Prizes were awarded to the best participating groups and the best participant. The Ball of Compadres followed at 22.00. Many, including families, watched this procession especially as it was the initial one. It is to be kept as a separate additional event from the main parade, which is on the following Sunday afternoon (this afternoon).

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

500 waiting for tobacco consultations. The search for help in quitting smoking grows, but Madeira cannot provide an adequate service, lacking facilities and doctors to cope. [Why is a doctor needed I wonder?]. Outside of Funchal, only Câmara de Lobos can actually offer consultations to help smokers. It has been two years since the publication of the directive of the Directorate General of Health, which called for the creation of specialized clinics in all health centres and hospitals, but decentralization has still not happened.

In politics : Social Democratic Party and Socialist Party without proposals since the Summer – The two biggest parties only came up with two projects of decree in the current legislative session. It’s a good point actually. With the distractions of the regional and national elections, Christmas, the PS leadership election, the Regional Finance Law, and the bad weather, it seems that the politicians here have taken the opportunity for a verrrrry extended Summer holiday.

Many [suffer] damages without the right to compensation. The majority of the storm damage caused over the past weeks, will not be covered for repair or replacement. Natural disaster damage can be covered, such as that experienced recently by thousands of people, and can be remedied, but only for those who have appropriate insurance. The other option for some, is to find someone else to blame, but Saint Peter (São Pedro) himself is exempt from such claims. This is pretty much the situation facing those who are victims of natural phenomena, that may or may not be worsened by human intervention. And the problem is that, except for compulsory insurance associated with bank loans for house purchase, the majority of homes in the region (especially rural) are not insured. The article also has a helpful ‘Question and answer’ session fielded by the Insurance Institute of Portugal, as well as citing various laws that cover this area with insurance policies.  Just for Martin’s benefit, after raising the subject at the weekend.

Today’s main news headline : Bad debt threatens health – The Regional Health Service owes 147 million Euros to suppliers, that admit withholding supplies from the hospitals and health centres. With wisdom the people say : health doesn’t have a price. But the truth is that on Madeira it costs plenty, more than the money that the Region makes available. The shortfall is paid through the long waiting lists, as well as from the medical suppliers whose ‘financial health’ for a long time has been connected to the [life support?] ‘machine’. At the end of 2008 the Regional Health Service (SESARAM) had to pay €147 million to the suppliers, a scary figure if one considers the impacts on the suppliers of essential products to health centres and hospitals. Several other large figures are presented, all related to various categories of debt, or lack of equity, and the Diário once again labels another major organisation as ‘technically bankrupt’. 60% of the health budget on Madeira is used to pay doctors, nurses, and other staff. Skipping through the meat of the article, the Diário changes tact somewhat, and then reports that the average costs of public expenditure per head of population here (in general terms) is 36% higher than in the Azores. In medical terms the two archipelagos compare differently, with Madeira with 2.5 doctors and 7.7 nurses per thousand of population, and the Azores with 2 doctors and 6.7 nurses for the same numbers of people. Both sets of numbers are however well lower than the European average. Madeira spends on health an average per head of population of €1,312 [per year?] compared to €960 on the Azores. So where does that leave us you ask, with a health service in technical bankruptcy? What can we do to protect ourselves in our times of greatest need. Whilst we can all do things to lessen our risk of needing health care, like Uncle Bertie packing in those toppling Cuban cigars for instance, the answer of course lies in Poncha. More research and investment is needed in Poncha, and I am prepared to do my bit to help. Where health facilities are being starved by suppliers of essential medical supplies, low cost Poncha substitutes are the key. We could allocate different flavours for different illnesses for example, with the traditional lemon being used to treat problems with stress and depression, whilst the rather more sickly maracujá flavour could be used for ladies with problems.The main sport / football headline today : What lacked in the paint remained in the points – The game in Barreiros was delayed because one could not see the lines on the pitch. But neither that, nor a barely tolerable performance stopped Marítimo beating União de Leiria [1-0], and overtaking Nacional, defeated  [1-0] in Olhão. The unimpressive photo with this story has the lions share of the front page of the Diário, with the rather bizarre scene out on the football pitch, of a solitary man and a pot of paint and a brush, repainting the seemingly non existent white lines on the pitch. It could only happen here … a premier league match, a cut field with goalposts, two football teams, a refereeing team, a couple of thousand fans, … but someone had forgotten to mark out the pitch, and nobody noticed until it was too late!!! Luckily the game wasn’t televised, as this embarrassment can hopefully be maintained on Madeira. It must have been quick drying paint too. The plot of distraction obviously worked as Marítimo overcame the opposition to win. Well done lads, good tactics (said through gritted teeth).

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

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(2nd August). Today’s main news headline . ‘RED FLAG – There are hotels with red flags and beaches with yellow flags because of dirtiness and jellyfish. The ‘Environment’ says that the tests produce good results. The bathers are on dry land’. The people see rubbish that the entities deny exists. Four beaches have already taken down their Blue Flags since the official start of the beach season. There is rubbish in the sea nearly every day, but the Regional Director for the Environment doesn’t know about any cases of pollution in the swimming zones. The fortnightly water test results have been good, with the only bad result being at Praia do Vigário, that doesn’t have a Blue Flag. Four of the twenty Blue Flags awarded this year have already been taken down. That includes the one at Madalena do Mar, that won’t be returning, after the water was found to be cloudy due to discharges from the land. Lido, Calheta (and Madalena) are singled out several times in the article for particular criticism, mentioning pollution coming from hotels, of an unpleasant origin. “As for jellyfish, biologists guarantee that there is no connection between the plague this year and dirty water, but the truth is, that when the sea is dirty, there are more jellyfish, and the those responsible hoist the yellow beach flags to avoid any hassle”. The jellyfish are common in Madeira’s waters, but for many years they have not been seen in such large numbers, with so many bathers stung, and they are the biggest cause of complaint this year. Did I wake up on a different island this morning? For anyone thinking of visiting Madeira this article would be quite off-putting, and I actually left out some of the more specific and unpleasant parts. I can only say from my experience, and I have been in a beautifully clear clean jellyfish free sea this week, that in my opinion there may be some places with problems as reported, but they must be vastly outnumbered by clean safe places round the island. Funchal, through the high concentration of population, hotels, boats etc. is bound to have more problems than elsewhere, but it is is also much better equipped to respond to any reports of pollution very quickly after notification. The very relevant photograph above courtesy of the Diário de Notícias.

‘Cavaco Wants To Bring Princes To Madeira – Joan Carlos said goodbye yesterday to Madeira and is going to encourage Spanish businessmen to invest in the region’. After the kings, the princes. The President of the Republic expressed the wish to see the Spanish princes come to Madeira, and made an invitation to the future king / queen of Spain, Carlos and Letizia, whilst on the golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros. The Spanish king and queen returned home yesterday, finishing their royal visit on Porto Santo, but after Juan Carlos said he would like to return to Madeira. On Porto Santo the beach was empty as people flocked to see the royal visitors. At the airport, because of tight security, the goodbye was witnessed mostly by tourists. The royal walkabout in Funchal earlier was very tight in security terms. Rubbish bins were removed, and mobile phone networks were disconnected in the vicinity. Anyone watching from windows was ordered to close them, and retreat back into the room.

In a separate article : ‘Juan Carlos promises greater business cooperation – The King will present the case for Madeira to businessmen from the private transport sector’. The royal visit has already served to promote Madeira for tourism in Spanish territory, and has also provided publicity for some of the problems of the regions, particularly those related to being a remote island.

‘Young Man Dies In Motorcycle Accident In Campanário’. The 25 year old died yesterday afternoon after coming off of his motorbike in a tunnel on the via rápida at Campanário. He was a natural of Caniço. That’s the ninth road death on Madeira so far this year, with 5 within the last month.

The main front page photo today shows two drivers on top of their car, with champagne, after winning the Wine Rally : ‘Basso Makes It Three In The Vinho Madeira – The Italian driver makes the party in the 5th edition of a rally that lasted until the final special test, because of the pressure of Bruno Magalhães, 2nd placed. Alexandre Camacho secured the final place on the podium’. Basso (and Dotta) have participated here 5 times, and won in three of those. The Madeira team came in a very respectable third. FULL STORY & RESULTS

‘More Generics Sold – The market share of generic medicines on Madeira has already hit around 10%’. The search for the cheaper alternatives increases. Between June 2008 and June 2009, 629,100 packages or bottles of such medicines were sold here. That’s around 10% of the market, up from 572,000 on the same period the year before. The total expenditure on generics was under €7 million, around €1 million less than the year before, due to government forced price cuts. Health professionals are also obliged to tell patients that generic drugs are as effective as the brand names, but they are not obliged to prescribe them.  A new campaign to further the cause has the motto “Don’t you think that being ill already costs enough?”, and will run until October.

Around 50,000 Madeirans have already applied for the Cartão do Cidadão (Citizen’s Card), around 20% of the population. That happened in just one year. The single card replaces the multitude of cards each citizen has for identification, health, tax, social security, and voting.

‘Fires Oblige Alert – The fires in Santa Cruz were under control yesterday, but the area was still under observation’. A team of 20 firefighters spent all day yesterday on surveillance duty in the areas affected by fires since Friday morning. The fire only threatened houses (but not according to RTP national news, that said two houses were quite damaged and had film footage of one), but a warehouse was damaged by the fire. It was eventually confirmed at the end of yesterday that all fires had been extinguished.

There will be restrictions on the via rápida between Funchal and Cancela from tomorrow until the 13th August for roadside repairs. Some exits will also be affected.

(1st August). Today’s main news headline : ‘Accounts Reveal More Performance And More Bad Debts – The accounts for Madeira for 2008 register, in times of crisis, an unexpected record in the rate of performance, as much in the receipts as in the investment plan. But the regional government left around €100 million unpaid’. To be honest, I have little idea of what some of this is about, being full of financial and accounting terms, and abbreviations that I don’t know what they stand for. It says that investment expenditure by the government was up by €133 million on the previous years, to €505.9 million. Capital expenditure was up 31% from 2007, with big increases in the sectors of transport and communication (+162.7%), security and public order (+116.5%), housing and associated services (+25%), agriculture (+14.8%), and education (+7.3%). Meanwhile public investment in the health and tourism / transport sectors were down (-7.9% & -25.7%). Receipts achieved 93% of that budgeted, achieving €298.3 million against an expectation of €317.5 million. Indirect taxes (purchases /IVA /VAT) underachieved by €6 million, being mainly income from alcohol, tobacco, petrol, car tax etc. However, the government did fail to pay around €100 million owed for services and to suppliers.

Aside from the photo of the fire in Gaula, the main front page photo showed the King of Spain being presented with the Gold Medal of the City by the president of Funchal Council : ‘Juan Carlos Condemns Terrorism – The King of Spain made a space yesterday in his visit to Madeira, in a speech in Paços do Concelho of Funchal, to condemn the "savage attacks" in Burgos and in Majorca’. The "despicable" terrorism overshadowed the visit of friends. The king sent a message of support and sympathy to the families of two dead policemen, and stressed the importance of collaboration between Portugal and Spain in the fight against organised crime and terrorism. The president of the Republic of Portugal, on the visit to The Madeira Wine Institute, said that "everyone says that the wine of Porto is the greatest ambassador for Portugal", and having realised his blunder he managed to correct himself and pay homage to Madeira Wine instead. Quite an interesting article actually, with lots of little entertaining snippets. What the newspapers didn’t know of course is that Juanny and Sofe popped over to Rib. Bra. late last night for a few beers with me and a bowl of my homemade ‘paella real’. I can’t reveal much about the conversation for security reasons, but my guests said they preferred Super Bock beer, made in Portugal, to our local Coral beer, and that in just two days they were a little shocked at the prices they were charged for the traditional ‘Balão’ whilst supping in Funchal. On the more important topic of who was the true king of Spain, Juanny admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo probably earned more than him, and maybe even ranked alongside in popularity, but according to the constitution, there could only be one official king and at the moment that was him. However when pushed on the fact that he was not in Spain at the present, he reluctantly admitted that until get he gets home CR737 was unofficially standing in, and in the meantime had free access to the royal wardrobes, a fact that concerned the couple a little. 

The headline from the Madeira Wine Rally, after day two :‘Basso Commands The Pace At The front – The Italian won 8 of the 12 ‘specials’ yesterday. Alex Camacho goes into the final day in 3rd place in the Rali Vinho Madeira’. Today, the places to be are in Ponta do Pargo, Lameiros, Chão da Lagoa, and ‘Paul’. Updates & reports in English :
YAHOO SPORTS
AUTOSPORT

‘Gripe A Necessitates Careful Feeding – Faculty of science for nutrition had produced an ebook on the subject’. In the event of a swine flue epidemic it will be recommended that persons infected remain in their homes, and the Faculty of Nutrition and Food at the University of Porto has produced an ebook (www.dgs.pt) to help us stock and and eat healthily during the time of the infection. The main rules is for simple food, eaten regularly in small quantities, and to keep well hydrated. Stock up with pre-made meals and long life canned food. Drinks with a lot of sugar and alcohol are not recommended. In the pantry you should have bottled and packaged items, canned food, dry foods (a mix of those that can be eaten uncooked, or need to be cooked), and fresh foods that keep well at room temperature. In the fridge / freezer keep meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruit, pre-made meals, bread, and dairy products.

(31st July). This was in the Jornal da Madeira, and although it was headlined in the Diário I couldn’t find the story at the time : ‘Diário de Notícias Dismisses 13 Workers – The process has started but the Union of Journalists protests’. The newspaper started the process of dismissal yesterday of the 13 staff, mostly journalists (10). The news shocked those affected badly, especially those that had decades of service at the newspaper. The journalist’s union believe that the proper protocol has not been followed and legal requirements have not been met for an action of ‘collective redundancy’, including starting discussions with those losing their jobs without the trade union representative being informed. In a press release the EDN, that owns the company, said the action was necessary because "the world economy is experiencing a major crisis, crossing all sectors, with particular impact on those in financial, real estate, automotive and media". It goes on to say that EDN have implemented a series of cost cutting measures, but if these turn out to be insufficient to achieve the objectives, then other additional measures will be taken as necessary. A bit worrying to say the least. How a newspaper like the Diário could ever make ends meet was always a mystery to me, but to lose 13 staff, mostly reporters, what are we going to be left with … another Diário da Cidade, full of ads and features, but very light on news?

It wouldn’t take a genius to have predicted today’s headlines … royal visit and Madeira Wine Rally of course. I will do the headline for the rally, but as it is covered in English on Eurosport and with plenty of reports on the internet, I will just do the headline.

(31st July). Today’s main news headline : ‘Maximum Security On The Royal Visit – Not even at the arrival were there the traditional statements to the press. Juan Carlos, Sofia, and Cavaco Silva are already on Madeira, but what one saw most was the presence of the police’. The front page picture shows the king with the president of Portugal just arrived at the airport, surrounded by military police or army troops on inspection. All the cars parked in the VIP zone at the airport were searched regardless who drove them, with everything being opened, and scanned with an explosives detector. The visit that lasts until tomorrow started on a low note for the Diário, seemingly a little upset that the royal arrival was swamped by the police presence, and with the visitors not even making a statement to the waiting press. The article is a blow by blow account of every little detail form landing to dinner to bedtime at Reid’s and the Royal Savoy. The second headline ‘The entourage goes today to the chamber of The Wine Institute, to Monte, and to Cabo Girão’, I didn’t look into.

Madeira Wine Rally : The main picture shows a British Peugeot steaming through Funchal : ‘Meeke Confirms Status -  Leader of IRC wins in Avenida do Mar. Bruno Magalhães was the best Portuguese. Alexandre Camacho the quickest amongst the Madeirans. Today the contestants undertaken 12 special tests’. Many thanks to Tobi for the photos. MORE

‘Specialists Propose Mosquito Vigilance – A team of entomologists working on Madeira say that the possibility of dengue is strong and it is being studied’. The experts from the Medical Entomology Unit of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT), have been here for two weeks doing their research on the mosquito Aedes Aegypti, and return home tomorrow. One of the team members said "It is extremely necessary to have a monitoring system, preferably linked to health, with trained specialist teams". 15 people were involved in the study, much of which was fieldwork. Some of the study was focused on the insecticides used to control the mosquito, and that process will have to continue with care, as it is possible the mosquito may develop a resistance after continuous applications. Lots of detail, but this probably says it all "… This is a job that has to be sustained and continued for years, decades or even centuries".

‘DRAC Publish Lost Book – The 16th Century Work Was Discovered By Aurelio Vargas’. The regional directorate of cultural affairs wants to publish this year a lost and rediscovered book ‘Argonáutica Cavalaria’ by a Madeiran author, Tristão Gomes de Castro. The book was rediscovered in Torre do Tombo in Lisbon. The issue is of particular significance and interest, at a national and even international level, as it is an old romance of chivalry of the ‘King Arthur and grail legends’ type. Aurelio Vargas is now back on Madeira, and a thanks to a grant from DRAC, for over a month has been "searching and doing some research on the biography of Tristão Gomes de Castro, who was a major character on the island of Madeira". He was born around 1539 – 1544, and died in 1611.

‘CMF Could Resolve The Problem Of The Minas Gerais Building Through Administrative Possession – The câmara wants the problem resolved by the end of 2009′. Building work was stopped some months ago near the Rotunda do Infante, because the developer built more floors than he had a permit for. But now Funchal council may consider taking ownership, still hoping that such an intervention will not be necessary. "I think the situation will be resolved with the project developer able to restart work, with the project properly licensed and the alterations duly authorized" said a spokesperson at CMF. 

‘Firefighters control fire in the Serrado das Ameixoeiras – Fire consumed barns and threatened some homes’. Santa Cruz fire brigade, with the aid of their colleagues in Machico, managed to control a fire that started about 1pm yesterday, on a steep inclination littered with ‘combustible material’ in Santa da Serra. The houses were protected by the firefighters, but it burned down two barns and an empty annex. Altogether 20 firemen fought the blaze with 7 vehicles involved. A later report at 9.30 last night said that the fire was still active.

Two more villains nabbed for drug trafficking, and 4,010 fixes seized in the process. The traffickers were just 18 and 20 years old. A good week for Madeira’s drug squad!

The Jornal da Madeira yesterday did a feature, prompted by the visit of the King and Queen of Spain, on royal and celebrity visitors, noting that these days the ‘famous’ are not such frequent visitors. In the 19th century there were more famous visitors, because it was believed that the air here had therapeutic value, especially for tuberculosis victims. Here is a quick rundown of the top names : Empress Leopoldina of Austria (1817), Empress Elizabeth, better known as Sissi, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1860′s), Queen Adelaide of England (1847), a few Mexicans and more Austrians, The last emperor of Austria, Carlos (1922), D. Carlos and Queen Dona Maria Amelia in 1901, D. Carlos and Queen Dona Maria Amelia in 1901, British prime minister Winston Churchill (1950′s), Mrs Franco (the Spanish dictators wife) 1958, Charles Gustav XVI and Queen Silvia of Sweden (1986), prince of Saudi Arabia (1980′s), Pope John Paul II on 12 May 1991, all the presidents of Portugal, opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa in 2000, ex PM of Britain Margaret Thatcher 2001, Queen Silvia of Sweden 2002, Der the blogger 2003, and author / writer John le Carré 2009. Reid’s Hotel claims to have a list of 78 famous guests that have stayed there.

I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised to find today that there is little ‘normal’ front page news today, just the Spanish royal visit and the Madeira Wine Rally, with the royal couple getting the lion’s share.

(30th July). Main headline today : ‘Filipe Works Out Of The Royal Visit – The visit of the king and queen of Spain starting today on Madeira doesn’t include The Palace of São Lourenço, nor the Forts at Pico and São Tiago, works with a ‘Filipe touch’. Just the old Palace Espiscopal, today the Museum of Sacramental Art, make up the visit. The passing through Madeira is considered historic by the Spanish ambassador in Lisbon, but not so much for the historians. Together with various restrictions caused by the rally, the royal visit is expecting the closure of roads and parking along various parts of the course’. The visit today is seen as important for the exposure of Madeira, but what many might not realise that King Juan Carlos actually lived in Portugal (Cascais), he loves Portugal, speaks fluent Portuguese, and even when in Spain is a frequent visitor to a Portuguese restaurants(s). I am not really clear on the ‘Filipe’ issue, though the monuments mentioned were built in a period of Spanish influence around the time of Filipe II of Spain, something a little sensitive in Spanish-Portuguese history perhaps?

‘Emotion At The End Of The Afternoon – Vinho Madeira gets going at 7h30, with the technical inspections, but the emotion only comes with the super-special on the Avenida do Mar, that starts at 19h30′.  A small timetable then shows that roads in the vicinity are closed from 3pm until 21h45, and gives tomorrow’s route times and road closures. The article then discusses cars and drivers, so not much I can add here in terms of a summary of the article.

Then the Diário did save a small corner for three actual news headlines, one of which is in politics :

‘Electric Cars In 2012 – Inside of 3 years, Madeira will have charging posts for electric vehicles’. Nissan-Renault have already presented the first prototype of an electric car that is to be built in Portugal, but of course it is not much good without ‘juice’. Galp petrol stations and major shopping centres in Funchal will be the first equipped to refuel electric cars, with the buildings of Dolce Vita, Modelo, and Pingo Doce named, along with Galp filling stations. A protocol has been agreed with all parties, which includes 21 regions / cities of Portugal in phase one (until 2010), which includes Funchal but it outside of the timescale of the rest. The initiative will be extended after that. I may be a bit behind with technology, but pulling into a Galp petrol station to refill seems to me something to avoid at all costs. Petrol etc. takes a matter of minutes, but with recharging batteries it is a much longer process, so does one take a sleeping bag or portable hammock? What will the queues be like?

‘Abortions Increase – From 82 in the first 6 months of last year, the number rose to 130 this year, until June. An increase of 58%’. That’s according to data provided to the Diário by the Administrative Office of Health and Social Affairs (IASAÚDE). Likewise the number of consultations about pregnancy terminations was also up from 109 to 159  over the same periods, up 46%. The president of IASAÚDE explains that this could have several meanings. He says that women have more knowledge and confidence on the subject, and are now prepared to turn to the hospital for help, but also admits that there may be other reasons, "which are due to various causes such as economic or social condition of families and women". The abortion law has only been in place less than 2 years, so it is impossible to draw any conclusions. A hospital spokesman said that abortions are now a medical procedure like any other, and are part of the hospital routine in terms of both the consultation and the termination itself.

In other local news:

‘Airport Arrivals To Be Monitored For Gripe A – New arrivals will be checked with a body temperature measuring device’. The regional secretary for Tourism and Transport, Conceição Estudante, explained that the device will permit measurement of the body temperature of passengers landing at Madeira Airport, saying that since the cases for H1N1 swine flu to date were imported "if we identify the situations at the entrance door we reduce the risks and their impact". No start date has been announced, but she said that they are taking the steps for rapid acquisition and installation of the equipment needed.

‘Vinho Madeira With Financial Support From The Republic – The Secretary of State for Tourism makes €100 thousand available for the promotion of the competition’. The idea is to ensure Madeira receives the maximum exposure of the Madeira Wine Rally internationally with TV coverage in over 50 countries. Good idea from Secretary Bernardo Trinidade, who just happens to be Madeiran … strange that it is announced just hours before the event starts though, especially after all that fuss about changing the law to allow tobacco advertising to make up a funding shortfall.

‘More Than 800 Policemen On Duty For The Royal Visit And Madeira Wine Rally – Operation obliges extra controls over traffic movements and parking’. The visit of the King of Spain, added to the requirements to police the rally, is going to stretch the police force here, and the police commissioner has appealed to Madeirans to collaborate, particularly in the areas of Largo do Colégio, Sé, and Rua dos Ferreiros in Funchal.

‘Police Identify Stash Of Cannabis Plants In São Vicente – The investigation led to the arrest of two men’. The two men have been arrested for drug trafficking. Once the police had identified the site where the cannabis was being grown, they staked out the location until they identified the two men. 6 plants were seized with a height of around 70cm. The plants will be analysed in a laboratory and then destroyed. In these hard times perhaps they were just growing them for the hemp to make clothes?

’12 Firemen Extinguish Three Bush Fires -The three fires were in Madalena, Quinta Grande, and Lombo dos Aguiares’. The causes are unknown, but they started yesterday morning. The fire in Lombo destroyed a "vast" area of land, but in all cases no residences were affected.