Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Fiona … Calheta beach looking slightly the worse for wear after recent storms.

"The entrance of the New Year was welcomed with a spectacular 5km extension of firework in Funchal, city of Madeira (Portugal). The city with it lights weaved evening dress, fired the sky with all its colours and lights. From the catamaran we contemplated the event and registered in our retina and on video. This is the full uncutted version (without music)".

Tobi has set up a new website where he has committed to upload a new photo every day, as his new year resolution. New photos will be loaded on every 3 – 4 days, so keep checking back TOBI DAILY PHOTO

Paul in Paul do Mar kindly sent in this article :

Comment: we are very proud not only that we have Casa das Mudas, the international award-winning Art Centre out here in Calheta but, now also, the Gallery in Prazeres … read on below …

Title: Art in Madeira outside of Funchal – Prazeres, Calheta: more world-class art

Following other impressive exhibitions at the new art gallery in Prazeres such as ‘The Rigo 23 exhibition’ The Galeria dos Prazeres part of the Quinta Pedagogica dos Prazeres complex comes another. Until the 31^st January is an exhibition of the world-famous Portuguese artist Paula Rego.

Paula Rego : According to Wikipedia Paula Rego’s work often gives a sinister edge to storybook imagery, emphasizing malicious domination or the subversion of natural order. She deals with social realities that are polemic, an example being her important Triptych (1998) on the subject of abortion, now in the collection of Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal in the UK.

Main Photo Source: Jornal da Madeira

In 1989, Rego was shortlisted for the Turner Prize and in June 2005 was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by Oxford University. Rego has also painted a portrait of Germaine Greer, which is in the National Portrait Gallery in London, as well as the official presidency portrait of Jorge Sampaio. Rego only ever painted one self-portrait which included her grand daughter, Grace Smart, that sold for some £300,000.

Rigo 23

Rigo 23 (also known as Rigo 95), born (1966) is Ricardo Gouveia, a Madeira muralist, painter, and political artist residing in San Francisco, California.

Galeria dos Prazeres Paula Rego Exhibition. The exhibition ‘Les Planches Courbes e outras histórias’ is in the Art Gallery in the Quinta Pedagogica complex behind Prazeres Church until 31^st January. Its open from Tuesdays until Sundays from 10 until 1pm and 2-7 pm

Links : Paula Rego Wikipedia page: Rigo 23 wiki page: Galeria dos Prazeres : Blogspot

Just an observation, but in that photo I am sure Paula looks unshaven, or am I getting my Rigos and Regos mixed up?

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

Park closed to enhance security. In Rua das Cruzes, there are 18 places in the car park exclusively for residents. Now a barrier has been installed at the entrance to prevent inappropriate use of the car park, for example by prostitutes at night-time. As well as paying the resident rate to Funchal Municipal Council, users now have to present the relevant documents and pay 10 Euros for a card to allow free access. The residents object to this additional charge of 10 Euros and that other residents cannot use any free spaces. The Council will consider any requests from residents for additional free spaces.

‘Green light’ to open on Saturdays. A year after the PSP raided the Sunday Fair at Santo de Serra, the stall holders have reduced the amount of counterfeit goods on sale. After a face-lift which was inaugurated on October 3, the traders welcome the improved working conditions which are not as muddy as in previous years. This has increased the number of visitors but not necessarily an increase in turnover. The 96 stalls cost 60 Euros a month to rent from Santa Cruz Council and the stall holders want an additional fair on Saturdays to justify that amount. The Diário reporters visited the fair on Sunday and found pirated DVDs but not the usual imitation clothing. The police say they are now more successful in Funchal, especially in apprehending fake goods sold on the streets at Christmas. There are 96 stalls available for sundries and an additional 7 for food and drink. The charge is 180 Euros a quarter for stalls and 360 Euros for spaces to sell food and drink. A councillor said that nothing prevents the fair opening on other days. It is for the stall holders to decide whether to open on Saturdays and the Council always aims for 100% occupancy, easily met as there is a waiting list.

Elderly woman escaped a rockfall. An octogenarian escaped unharmed after falling rocks hit her house around 3.30 am yesterday morning. The residence is situated in the Travessa da Encarnação in Panasqueira in Câmara de Lobos. Whilst the woman was asleep, a stone wall on land 15 metres above the house collapsed and hit the house. The rocks caused severe damage to the roof and some landed in the room adjacent to the woman’s bedroom. The neighbours heard the noise and the woman’s shouts for help and helped her to leave. She is now staying at her daughter’s house which is located nearby. The area where the stones came from is unstable and threatens the two neighbouring houses. The Fire Department and Council of Câmara de Lobos have been informed and the area inspected.

Élvio Sousa arranges 5,000 Euros in his favour. The current president of the Parish Council of Gaula, Élvio Sousa, is to receive 5,000 Euros for the three year term when he was secretary to a previous president, Nazario Coelho. Élvio Sousa considers this payment legal and not a conflict of interest. There are two other members of the elected JPP similarly affected: Filipe Nunes is owed 4,000 Euros and Marilia Goncalves 3,000 Euros. The total debt of the Parish Council is 15,000 Euros. Gustavo Caires, who was defeated in the last elections, says they are entitled to the payment but it should not be paid now due to a conflict of interest. When he was president, the Parish Council inherited a debt of 26,000 Euros from the Councils led by Filipe Sousa and Nazario Coelho. The Council paid 13,000 Euros for debts which urgently needed meeting. In turn, Nazario Coelho said the payments had not been made while he was in office due to the high debt inherited from Filipe Sousa’s time in office.

Government to freeze funds. For the fourth consecutive year, the Regional Government will freeze various parts of the budget to overcome financial constraints. With some exceptions, 10% of funding for public administration is frozen. As in previous years, the Legislative Assembly and the Health Service are not affected. This year, projects partly funded by the EU are spared from a reduction in funding. The savings will be 70 million Euros.

Environmental inspections doubled in 4 years. Of the 396 environmental inspections carried out in 2009, 22 were for construction waste and 7 for landfill. The eight authorized landfills withstood the last rains well. The others were the problem. Despite the amount of construction work diminishing, there has been illegal dumping of waste on roadsides, usually during late afternoon and evening and this is causing the most damage. From these, the runoff is not controlled. Ribeiras are showing visible signs of pollution, for example the Ribeira dos Socorrides and Ribeira da Madalena. During the period 2005/9, there were 1,953 inspections compared to 892 over the previous four years. In 2005/9, there were 900 prosecutions compared to 393 for the period 2000/04. There were 42 warnings issued in 2009. Fines totalled 92,250 Euros, of which €63,750 went on legal costs. It cost the defendants 40,000 Euros to repair the environmental damage. (Photo shows an area at Porto Novo called ‘Aterro Maritimo’ and the sea ‘ate’ part of it despite the boulders, which disappeared).

Order free Ricardo Veira in ‘Caso Savoy’. Ricardo Veira is a CDS councillor in Funchal Council and a representative of SIET-Savoy which drafted plans for the urbanization of SIET, which were unanimously approved by the Council. The Order of Avogados (Lawyers) has ruled that he will not face disciplinary procedures but the lawyer is warned not to be a representative in legal situations that have to do with the work of the Municipal Council where he is a councillor. His representation could have been seen as unethical, not independent and a conflict of interest. Ricardo Veira claims he was unaware that his actions and conduct might have committed a breach of ethical standards. He joined the firm after they had been granted the project and there is no proof that he influenced the approval of the draft plan for SIET.

Promotion in London. The Marinas of Quinta do Lorde and Porto Santo are promoted in London. The most prestigious international boat show, the Tullet Prebon London International Boat Show, runs until January 13. There are 500 worldwide exhibitors at this trade fair and thousands of visitors are expected. It is the third time that the Marina of Quinta do Lorde is represented at this event.

Five years in prison for Gonzalez. Fernando Gonzalez is the ex-president of CAPFM, a fruit producers’ cooperative. He was convicted of bribery, diversion of subsidized credit, mismanagement, misappropriation and embezzlement of subsidies. He was sentenced to nine years in prison but the Court of Appeal in Lisbon lowered his sentence to five years. His mismanagement led to losses for the cooperative, involved public funding and he showed no regret. The Court decided that to suspend the sentence would be to give a signal to society that they can commit crimes and not be punished. He owes 400,000 Euros to the Region.

Here are a couple of articles kindly translated and sent in by Vanessa Swesnik :

Lack of investment is a “scandal” says the PM – This Sunday in Ansiao, Prime Minister José Sócrates classified the lack of investment Pinhal Interior’s roadways over the last 25 years as a scandal and granted a concession to build and repave roads today.

“This is the moment in which our country can give justice to Pinhal Interior,” which was, “in terms of access roads to highways, a black hole in which nothing has happened for decades,” said the Prime Minister in the contract award ceremony to Acendi.

“It’s been 25 years since the first proposal was approved for the Roadway Plan. It’s been 25 years since the State told Pinhal Interior that we would construct access roads and nothing was done.” A situation which has since been labeled, “scandalous”. SOURCE

First “exports store” to be created in Leiria. Prime Minister José Sócrates announced Saturday night that the first of a chain of 14 Exports Stores to be created in the country will be located in Leiria.

The announcement was made at a dinner that took place in Leiria’s Business Association (or Associação Empresarial da Região de Leiria- NERLEI) with close to 200 businessmen and women from various sectors of activity as part of the “Vested Government” initiative in which 4 Ministers and various Secretaries of the State are participating.

The Exports Stores are one of the measures of the Internationalization Pact which includes the Council for the Promotion of Internationalization, lead by Francisco van Zellar, who was sworn in on Saturday. SOURCE

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

Green Tariff – The electric and hybrid cars already benefit from a 50% discount in ten parking meters in Funchal. From 1st January, ten parking meters (individuals, not zones it seems) managed by  Sociedade de Exploração de Parques have a sticker that gives qualifying cars a 50% discount. As yet they have not had any contact from interested parties for enjoyment of this privilege. Any driver with a car that fits the requirement needs to go to  the Câmara Municipal do Funchal with the car and personal documents, and they will be issued with a card to be placed in the windscreen of the qualifying vehicle. Hybrid vehicles can be purchased on Madeira now, but there is no dealership yet for electric vehicles.  I am not clear if these parking spaces are exclusively for hybrid / electric cars, or if any car can use them (at full price clearly), so it may be that electric vehicles exhaust their batteries  in the search for a vacant one. The list of the 10 parking meters is in the article HERE

Today’s main news headline : Lacking Ventilators – The outbreak of Gripe A swine flu has filled the inpatient wards for the Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, and occupied the ventilators [for assisted breathing?]. The Army has also provided an apparatus on loan and, to avoid greater evils, SESARAM  has launched a tender contest to acquire nine new machines. Knowing the way tender processes work on Madeira, I would imagine that by the time the 9 new ventilators actually arrive, swine flu will have been superseded by banana flu! The picture with the article I am sure is of an elaborate top of the range computer controlled ‘Goblin Teas maid’

Two more people have died from the H1N1 virus  – The victims were aged 33 and 34 and didn’t have any other associated illnesses. In a statement to TSF Maurício Melim said that the efficiency rate of the vaccine is around 80%. In the week to the 10th January, 42 out of 142 suspected Gripe A cases were analysed, with 42 positive results. The positive count has now reached 773 cases, and there have been 7 deaths in the Region to date.

Nurses announce a strike for the end of January – Proposal of revision of the salary scales was beneath expectations. The trade unions representing nurses are to schedule a strike, one of three intended, at the end of this month. The salary scale revisions presented by the Ministry of Health last Friday do not meet the union requirements, and the union will decide today the exact dates of the strike(s).

Revolution in the banana – The company ‘Frutas Douradas’ purchaser from the producers, ignores ‘GESBA’ and exports a container a week.

Five years in prison for the ex –president of the banana cooperative.

Stars [celebrities] in the country – Carlos Costa carries on in the ‘Idols’, and has already been invited to the Festival of Song. Élvio Camacho is top attraction in the Theatre Maria Matos.

The main sport / football headlines today : Grants choke direction in the Region – The President of the Union of Football Players severely criticizes the leaders of Madeira’s clubs. Joaquim Evangelista regrets the grant dependence as a generator of bad habits and denounces "abuses of freedom of expression," threats to players and evasion of taxes.

"There is foreignization that is wrongful and unacceptable in Marítimo and Nacional," he said. Is that a real word?

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 Photo Thanks to Jon … the last of the hand-coloured postcards … very enjoyable

Where has concrete city (Chocabloc) gone ???

Ever seen a Zino Petrel, or fancied a trip to the Ilhas Desertas? BIRD WATCHING EXCURSIONS If you go don’t forget to share some photos with us.

"The soil and climate of Madeira were found to be ideal for the production of wine. But many arduous years had to pass by, since the first plantings – circa 1470, before the land was cleared and enough vines planted to make an industry". A worthwhile article on growing the grapes and producing Madeira’s most famous export. A Glass of Madeira, My Dear

Fir Park to Funchal "Maritimo’s quaint Estadio dos Barreiros ground is built into the hillside in Madeira’s capital Funchal and is the place where Rangers lost 1-0 in the 2004 UEFA Cup. The call the stadium The Cauldron – and not because the weather’s always hot". I can’t imagine any other reason why it would be called the ‘Cauldron’, as the ground is practically empty during match days. Anyway, even if you don’t like football, it was a good article (despite ‘The Sun’ spelling mistakes), finished off with a quote by the Marítimo manager Mitchell van der Gaag "That’s the only down side to Madeira – life’s TOO good here" 

This weekends football sees Nacional (4th) host Naval today (11th) at 5 pm and Belenenses (14th) host Marítimo (5th) on Sunday at 6 pm (SportTV1).  The highlight of the weekend is at 9.15 tonight, when Sporting take on Benfica. The Porto v Rio Ave game is on RTP tomorrow at 8.15 pm.

OK, you put the pressure on Debs, so here it is. This is called the Platamo banana, and these specimens came from Madalena do Mar, the home of the best bananas. The lady who gave me a small bag of them told me that if you ever see them in the shops (and I never have) they would cost at least €3 a kilo,  more then double the normal price. I have never seen bananas with such girth, and when I got home I weighed them, and 3 weighed slightly over one kilo = €1 per banana. That’s a 10 cêntimo coin by the side. I had one for breakfast yesterday, and I didn’t need anything else to eat until tea time.

As regards the €20 a kilo vegetable, I am not going to say anything on that yet. All I will say that it is a very very very close relative of one of the most common vegetables grown on Madeira, joined at the hip you might say, which is currently priced at about €1 a kilo (Pingo Doce this week). It is also very very very closely linked with the ATLANTA BEAM PIPI. Any ideas anyone? No chance, unless you are a local!!!!

Sue very kindly sent in this article :

Prisoner of 35 steps. One by one, there are 35 steps that Maria Ilda has to overcome, dragging and using only the strength of her arms, whenever she has to leave home. Also there many more for the return, because access to the residence on the site of the Wheel Massapez, the Belfry, is made only by steep steps and is certainly not adapted to the physical problem that affects this 59 year old lady. The call for the solidarity in Madeira for the purchase of an electric wheelchair and the construction of a ramp, made on 23 November in the ‘letters to the editor’ DIARY were made, as a kind of last resort, because all applications for help did not work. "The best gift Maria could have this Christmas would be a wheelchair ramp and a motor in order to reach the road," which would be the only solution to her problem. Mainly because now she is beginning to lose the strength in her arms, a consequence of osteoporosis that is also affecting her. "I have a lot of pain in the arms and shoulders and, in most cases, I can no longer climb the stairs," and the situation is aggravated when it rains. Maria suffered from a case of meningitis when she was one and a half years old which led to paralysis and the thinning of the lower limbs.  Maria to date has always depended on the other, but with an electric wheelchair and a ramp she could have again some independence, but as she expressed, she cannot afford the high costs. Maria gets a pension of 200 Euros and adds that the family does not have sufficient income to help her even they all work for a living. For three years, Maria Ilda requested support Social Security, with the great help of Helda Andrade," the nurse specialist in rehabilitation of the municipality of Ribeira Brava, who was interested particularly in this sensitive case, but the support for the electric wheelchair has not been achieved due to the substantial cost (more than five thousand Euros) and there is no money available. The same applies to the elevator/stair lift, the cost of which is estimated at around 25 billion Euros. The decision on the ramp on the regional road is still under study in the City of Ribeira Brava, due to height of the slope.

Solidarity march
A ‘card reader’ to account for the delicate situation of Maria had instigated a series of reactions from readers of the Diary, who agreed at once to help the dream of this lady to be independent and not an invalid. In this sense, a fundraising campaign fundraising has been started to try and minimise the effects of physical limitations in daily life of Maria Ilda. All those who want to collaborate with this charitable initiative can do so by NIB: 003506870000567430024 (on behalf of Ascension Ilda Maria Andrade) or by direct contact with the residence (291,953,807 or mobile phone 919013446).

I read her letter in the Diário earlier this week, and how she must have felt sending in a begging letter to a newspaper I don’t know, but added to her mobility and health problems it’s a very sad story indeed. Der

… and many thanks to Elaine for yesterday’s top news stories :

Togolese suspect vessel may be towed. The mystery of the ship ‘Newhope’ that since November 9 has been hovering 12 miles from Funchal thickens. The vessel continues in Portuguese waters, with lack of food and fuel, a situation which the authorities consider strange for a ship travelling between Brazil and India. During the past three weeks the ship has asked permission to anchor, claiming to need supplies, a claim the Maritime Authority does not authorize as there is information that the ship’s certificates are expired and that the ‘Newhope’ is included in a list of ‘black flag’ ships, which constitute a threat to safety and the environment. Now a representative of the shipowner is in Madeira, who in recent days has been trying to encourage the regional authorities to find a solution through supplying while offshore, without the ship entering port and subject to an inspection. The presence in Madeira of the seagoing tug ‘Fairmount Summi’ thickens the mystery. Because there is suspicion that the presence in our seas for five days and without a port of destination, it is linked to the situation of the ‘Newhope’. With lack of water, fuel and oil for the generators and other equipment, the captain of the Togolese boat may request aid and thereby triggering a maritime rescue operation, that would justify the presence of this tug of Dutch flag. Recently the tugboat has towed a ship for 20 days from Brazil to Europe, at high cost, which may link the presence of the ‘Fairmount Summi’ with the situation of ‘Newhope’.

TAP has lost passengers but thanks to liberalization. The liberalization of air transport between the mainland and Madeira has helped everyone. The conviction was shared by the President of TAP, defending free competition, admitted the airline lost passengers but has become more competitive. "Madeira has won. It has more service and we have a better service." The losses of TAP reached 60 million Euros last September but he ensures the company will survive the crisis. "TAP has its second best year ever in numbers of passengers but not in terms of income." The reason is simple, the prices are much lower. In addition to lower prices, he noted that in a time of crisis it was necessary to reduce supply by 10%. The result is expressed in the occupation on board the aircraft of TAP rising to 74%. Liberalization and the contribution of domestic tourism have mitigated the numbers of tourists. But the Portuguese are not available to holiday in Madeira for 12 months and we will have to find alternatives and domestic tourism can be short-lived. To increase domestic tourism, a 2 million Euros advertising campaign ‘Find a Greater Portugal in 2010′ for the Spanish market and to migrant communities in France, Venezuela and South Africa. This is to attract migrants and descendants of second and third generations. These countries have good air links and South Africa will be in the spotlight in 2010 with the World Cup.

Two boulders threaten road. Two large stones are likely to fall on the road linking Pestana Junior to the access to the motorway. The rocks are about 40 metres away from the road that is used daily by thousands of cars. The warning was made to the Diário by householders residing in the area, who became aware of the situation while searching for mosses and ‘cabrinhas’ for presepios which they are making for Christmas. The two rocks should weigh close to half a  ton each, appear to be based on an area of land capable of being easily altered by the elements of erosion, particularly in the event of high intensity rainfall over an extended period. Note that the slopes of the area, limiting the Ribeira de Joao Gomes, have been subject to several visits to remove earth and stones, some of which were conducted in the wake of some landslides or to prevent such an occurrence.

Prisoner of 35 steps. Maria Ilda, 59 years old, has to overcome 35 steps by using her arms whenever leaving and returning home. There was a call for the purchase of an electric wheelchair and the construction of a ramp on 23 November in the letters section of the Diário, as a last resort, but it did not work. She now has osteoporosis causing pain in her shoulders and arms and has difficulty climbing the stairs, especially when it rains. Her wasted and paralysed lower limbs are due to contracting meningitis when she was one and a half years old. A wheelchair would give her some independence but she only has a pension of 200 Euros and the family all work and have no spare income. She has requested support from the Social Security for three years with the help of the specialist rehabilitation nurse but the cost of more than 5,000 Euros could not be met. The ramp would cost about 25,000 Euros. There is a fundraising campaign by the readers of the Diário. The NIB no:00350687000056743002 in the name of Maria Ilda Ascensao Andrade.

Volunteers Fair in Jardim Municipal. In years of crisis, the numbers of requests which have come to various charities have shot up, but fortunately the contributions followed this trend. The Fair of Volunteers opened yesterday afternoon and runs until Sunday. President of the Casa do Voluntário said, "Expectations are very high because we have more associations (56) and we extend the time of this fair to four days". "In times of crisis, associations that deal with issues relating to economic difficulties have had more users, more users means that the technicians have more work and need more volunteers, in that respect I think that civil society has responded." The Support Centre for the Homeless is just over a year old but already has 30 volunteers. "We distribute food every night (except Saturdays) in Funchal and although we have more people in need, we have been able to respond." The purpose of the fair is to make a Christmas dinner for users. Unemployment is the main factor for the increase in requests for help. The purpose of the fair is to promote the work of the association. "We also use the fair to recruit volunteers."

Jardim punish those who voted against him. Following the recent visits of Jardim to the 11 Municipalities, the aftermath is that seven public works that had been promised and were part of the Government Program will not be undertaken, at least in the current term. The exorbitant cost of some of the planned investment was the main ‘excuse’ used to make them leave the ‘map’ of priorities, although there are also other cases of less expensive works, which were also part of the Government’s commitments, ‘smelling’ of political revenge. Coincidence or not, the most penalized was Santa Cruz Municipality where the PSD had the worst result. Here, the mayor of the Council has recognized the need to rethink the program for the parish of Gaula, following the defeat of the PSD, who lost the Parish that they had regained from the Interim of 2008. Jardim did not apply ‘half measures’ and withdrew three investments that appeared in the Government Program for this county, and the ‘dissenting’ Parish  was the most impaired, with two works cancelled. Probably also to pay the ‘bill’ for not being Social Democrat, a ‘distant’ neighbour the Socialist parish Achadas da Cruz, Porto Moniz, also saw the disappearance of building a road that would allow access to Fajã das Achadas da Cruz, currently only accessible by cable-car. It was a work that had been ordered by the ex-mayor Gabriel Farinha and the newly elected Valter Correia failed to hold onto it. The cancelling of works was not limited only to locations not favourable to the PSD. In the case of Porto Santo, which has seen ‘erased’ a bus station. However on the ‘orange’ island, Jardim has been careful to announce counterparts, saying that ‘compensation’ would be the improvement of another public investment. In the wake of the cuts announced, is only missing Funchal. They are not going to get sand at Praia Formosa and the restoration of Toco area will just be a ‘mirage’. Two large investments that Jardim emphasize were not annulled, but only postponed. Jardim has double standards: hostile terrain has works cut without any alternatives, yet when forced to announce restrictions on ‘orange’ ground, he is careful to divert some money for other works or just postpones them.

Caritas collecting food at Pingo Doce. Caritas again calls on the generosity of Madeira under another campaign to collect food, which will be held Saturday and Sunday in all Pingo Doce stores in the region. Last June, the campaign collected about 33 tons of food and articles for personal hygiene. This second initiative is to replenish the stocks that are to support people in need until May 2010. The charity currently supports about 300 families and has increased the number of persons and households that use the institution for the ‘support-SOS’.

Chocolate Island. 12 and 13 December at the Congress Centre. Visitors will have the opportunity to appreciate and buy chocolate in its various forms and flavours. Also combination products for example jams, sweets and teas and many others. An area for children to make sweets and desserts. Entry 2.50 Euros and accompanied children under 12 are free. Revenues for the Foundation of Gil.

Jardim remains on the Committee of Regions. One of the twelve representatives of Portugal on the Committee of Regions, a position that he has occupied in 2000 and 2001. Since Portugal joined the EU and the creation of this body, Jardim has been Portugal’s representative on the Committee. Besides Jardim are Carlos Cesar (Azores) and ten mayors, five elected by the PSD, four by the PS and one by the CDU. The mandate is until 2014. —- I’ve never heard of this Committee. Does that mean it does little but give the members nice ‘jollies’?

Illuminations in Calheta on 11 December. 19.30 hours, switch-on ceremony. On the same day and at the same time, the inauguration of the Nativity scene at the Praceta 24 de Junho. Christmas party 10 December for more than 1,000 children of the county. 13 December a Christmas lunch for just over 1,000 elderly people.

Mobility allowance approved in the Assembly of the Republic. Parliament today approved the creation of a travel allowance for travel of residents and students form Madeira. The opposition united against the PS to approve two bills originating in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira to create a grant to support air travel for residents and students from Madeira. They voted to change the law governing the allocation of a social mobility allowance when travelling between the islands and the mainland, following the liberalization of air transport, which offers variable pricing in tariffs. One proposal that, instead of the 60 Euros currently allocated as subsidy per journey, there is a refund of 50% of the total value of travel for residents, and 65% for students on four trips back, per academic year. The other proposal seeks to counter the double insularity to the residents of Porto Santo, which increases costs of routes, offering a subsidy of 65% of the tariff on four trips, providing that they are connecting Funchal-Continent, made in 24 hours. This approval is a ‘warning to the Government of the Republic’ as it was not adopted by the previous Government and it is only possible due to the balance of forces in parliament."It is a political signal, it is the first vote that the opposition is claiming a majority against the minority Government."

Madeira Wine and Barbeito distinguished in London. The Madeira Wine Company was last night awarded ‘the best producer of fortified wine’. Francisco Albuquerque was elected the winemaker of the year three times. The International Wine and Spirit Competition elected Barbeito Malvasia 30 years as the best fortified wine. The company also earned a gold medal for the Malvasia Old Reserve 10 years and another five silver medals, best in class for the wines: Veramar 5 years Boal, Malvasia 20 years, Barbeito Single Harvest 1977 Meio Seco, Verdelho Old Reserve 10 years and Sercial Old Reserve 10 years. Two silver medals for Malvasia 1994 Colheita Single Cask and Boal Old Reserve 10 years. All the wines were produced by Ricardo Diogo. In 2008 the competition received more than 7,000 competitors from 80 countries. The medals and trophies are the most prestigious awards in the market representing the best wines in the world. Competitors are entered in categories divided by country, region, variety, style and vintage. This is the third international recognition gained by Barbeito during the year 2009 for different wines. The fist was achieved in the International Wine Challenge when Old Verdelho Reserve 10 Years Old won the Madeira Trophy gold medal and Champion Trophy in the class fortified wine. In the Japan Wine Challenge, the Old Reserve Malvasia won the Best Portuguese Wine and Best Fortified Wine and the Malvasia 30 years won the Trophy for Worldwide and Fortified Wine 2009 gold medal (Best in Class) at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

My turn (Der) :

Today’s main news headline from the Diário de Notícias : Socialist Party in the minority stay at war with Madeira – Against the absolute majority of the opposition, the socialists confirmed yesterday that they were not going to change their stance regarding Madeira. And so, the residents air travel subsidy was passed but not through the Socialists. Taking advantage of the fragile Socialists, the Legislative Assembly of Madeira already has 6 proposals in São Bento. Top story belongs to someone else today, although already partly covered above re the transport subsidy … any takers?

Controversy : Convention of APAVT: Conceição Estudante (Regional Secretary of Transport & Tourism) criticises Tourism of Portugal through it’s failure in the promotion of Madeira, Luís Patrão denies. The campaign ‘Discover a Bigger Portugal’ was criticised by Estudante for not really identifying the destinations. She says there is a lovely picture of Madeira, but unless you already knew you wouldn’t be able to identify it. Patrão, boss of Tourism (civil servant level), denies the allegation, saying "We were very strict about including the right images in the campaign partly, because we have the Secretary of State who is from Madeira". Bernardo Trindade of the Socialist Party is of course his boss, so maybe this is more about politics than anything else, but as Estudante is not an elected Regional Secretary then it’s probably just mischief making to keep Uncle Bertie happy. One thing that is certain is that Trindade looks after Madeira very well, probably better than anywhere else in Portugal in his national portfolio in tourism. If I was Estudante I would keep my gob shut and let Bernie get on with it, otherwise she might shoot herself in the foot.

Lightning bolts in the unveiling of the illuminations. The lights in downtown Funchal were switched-on on a stormy night with a widespread power-cut, but symbolised the initiation of the Christmas spirit : academics deliver presents and the charity Cáritas collects donations. The actual front page photo shows Xmas decorations like lightning bolts hitting the ground, but unfortunately I can’t reproduce that photo for technical reasons. Anyway the gist of the headline is that the switching-on of the Christmas lights coincided with a very noisy storm last night that put nearly the whole island (more so in the West) into darkness. Here in Ribeira Brava we were in blackness for about half an hour. It was indeed a spectacular storm with numerous dazzling lighting bolts, window-rattling thunder, and very heavy rain. It was almost without wind here which was great as I was able to stand out and watch the sky for a while. An hour or so after it started you wouldn’t have known there had been a storm, and even the moon was visible. Smarty Alec me must have had a premonition as I brought a pack of candles this week! The bit about the charity collections is already covered above in Elaine’s article.

Fleeing under pressure – Sporting – Benfica : Managers reject the duty to win. Nothing to do with Madeira of course.

The derby game Barcelona v Real is tomorrow with Ronaldo in the centre. As I can’t raise much interest in Portuguese football, I can’t see much point in moving to the Spanish game! … moving on …

H1N1 claims its first fatality. It didn’t make the front page today, but it was all over yesterday’s news bulletins that Madeira yesterday has it’s first death attributed to Gripe A swine flu. A 52 year old woman from Câmara de Lobos died in hospital, but there were also other illnesses involved. A man was also hospitalised with Gripe A, the fifth case since this all began. The article says that the peak of the pandemic will hit Madeira worst between January and February, although the lead up to the Christmas period will see an intensification of cases.

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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 Selina … "The waterfall by Modelo in Ribeira Brava was extremely fierce, dark brown in colour from all the soil in the water. This picture was taken during a downpour on Sunday morning".

‘Easton resident, native of Madeira, follows calling to become a Spanish teacher – Blue Hills Spanish teacher is well-versed in five languages’. Worth a quick visit to read the beginning bit about the differences in education, and although things have vastly improved here, the kids / parents still have to buy their school books. BOOKS FOR FREE

‘Wind Power in Portugal’. Although not specifically about Madeira, quite an interesting article about renewable energy policy and achievements in Portugal. THAR SHE BLOWS

"Hi all, I have found a website for anyone wanting to learn a new language, you can find it at www.livemocha.com . There are about 160 hours of lessons in 21 different languages available for free, including Portuguese.

The livemocha site offers social-networking tools that augment the online lessons and let users add hints and tips. You are given a personal homepage where you can see what lessons you have taken, how far you have progressed, and how fast you are learning. The site also supports video chat so you can hook up with other students and practise conversations. The site is totally web based, and easy to sign up which I have done, lessons seem quite easy to start you off, and could be a good free way of getting some practise in Portuguese". Tobi.

In today’s news : ‘Seasonal Flu Vaccinations Start On Monday – The campaign gives free jabs  to at risk groups’. The health centres of Madeira will start the injections next week, with the over 65′s, people with chronic conditions and respiratory problems, and other ‘at risk’ illness groups at the head of the queue. 27,000 vaccines were ordered, 3,000 more than last year.

As for Gripe A swine flu, last weeks figures were released and the numbers remain unchanged, with no new cases confirmed from the 10 that were tested. The count since the start remains at 40, mostly being foreigners, with just 4 cases of secondary transmission so far.

‘Mosquito Bites Increase In The Last Few Days’. The complaints have noticeably increased, but it is not possible to confirm whether the ‘Aedes Aegypti’ was responsible, or other mosquito species, particularly as studies in July have shown the AA population to be low. A new study started yesterday looking at the AA population density, and the effectiveness of the insecticides being used.

‘Rock Fall Hits Via Rápida – Junction at Quinta Grande closed in the direction of Ribeira Brava’. At around 2.30 yesterday afternoon a rock fall closed the via rápida, forcing drivers to exit the road at Quinta Grande and rejoin at Campanário. No one was hurt and and the damage caused was minimal. It was hoped to clean up the area and have it reopened last night. The TV coverage didn’t show much evidence of the rock fall, but the workmen were up on the rockface clearing off loose material.

The main news headline today : ‘Fire In Quinta Escuna Creates Political Controversy – The company that owns the property in Santa Cruz said it is the "victim of an act of vandalism" and involves the movement ‘Juntos Pelo Povo’ (JPP) in a communication about the fire of suspect origin on Sunday. The case is already in the hands of the law. JPP threatens it own lawsuit’. The company that administers the Quinta Escuna, Tijolo Branco, has sent a communication to the Diário making 5 points about the fire, that was started by a tyre and petrol, and could have caused much more damage if the emergency services hadn’t arrived quickly. The basis for the blaming of the JPP, who are contesting all the seats in Sunday’s local elections, seems to be based on the fact that an organised event was cancelled due to bad weather, and the fire occurred soon after, after many of the JPP supporters had "frequented the taverns and bars of Santa Cruz". A fire of suspect origin eh? I would suggest that a burning tyre accompanied with petrol was slightly more than ‘suspect’, especially if the rest of the car was missing at the scene.

‘Delays – The Complaints Increase : Correios [Post Office] delay payments to the retired, that increase by more than five thousand in a year’. Madeira has over 37,000 retired pensioners, but add to that those with ‘survival pensions’ and disability pensions, the number rises to close to 64,000, rising by an average of 524 each year over the last decade. These people complain about the services of Correios in sending their pensions, and the Association Of Retirement of Madeira has called a conference next week to discuss the matter. There should be a counter just for complaints at the Correios, as the service just seems to get worse and worse. For me lately, stuff delayed by weeks, stuff correctly addressed but returned to sender, masses of repeat and out of date junk mail, and then last week an attempted delivery that wasn’t when the postman couldn’t be bothered to ring the doorbell, and left a card instead. The days when the bills arrive before the direct debits are taken from the bank have become a rarity. Darn contractors, no pride in the job and the lack of local knowledge, are probably the main reasons, and if we could get Uncle Bertie to give them as good a slating as he did with the police, then maybe the Correios bosses might sit up and take notice.

UPDATES : Thanks again to Elaine in Garajau :

Funchal council demolish building in Rua de Santa Maria. They will demolish part of the building which partially collapsed on Friday, as it is a danger to passing people and adjacent buildings.

Shelter has new attic wing for boys. Funchal council will aid expansion of the shelter for young people, Our Lady of Conception, which at present houses 45 young people, although it can accommodate 50. It successfully helps them integrate back into society.

Camacha has a new Centre for Occupational Activities for children with special needs. Necessary due to geographic location often making travelling difficult to other areas.

Three parish councils provide training for the unemployed. Three areas of Funchal, Sao Martinho, Sao Goncalo and Imaculado Coraçao de Maria, will provide IT and commercial training, leading to recognized qualifications, for 15 people in each area. The courses last 15 months and they will receive a subsidy of 500 Euros.

Rain affected official inaugurations. The rain affected Jardim’s inaugurations of new roads in Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava yesterday. In the first one, he had to use the PSD campaign car’s sound system. Usual refreshments were still served. Jardim looked favourably upon the rain, saying: "It is said that when there is rain there is happiness." "Thanks to God we always need plenty of water for our land, especially for these agricultural areas that have missed the rain". The photo with this story will appear tomorrow, for reasons that will soon become clear.

Two PSD rallies have been cancelled due to the rain, one at Santo António and one at Ponta do Sol.

Government has filed a complaint about Friday’s policing of the opening of the port tunnel. Unlawfully disturbing the activities of the Government can lead up to three years in prison. Jardim keeps stating he has no problem with the PSP of Madeira it is just outside influence (Portugal, I presume).

Political disagreements about the residential home in Porto Moniz. A PS candidate for the area complained that the opening of the home had occurred just prior to elections, although it is not ready to function or would employ as many people as stated. The Foundation which run the home have rebuffed this political accusation.

Usual complaints by all political parties about unfair electioneering by inaugurations, defamation and sweeteners.

Fishermen in Câmara de Lobos complaining. Saying that politicians only think of them during election time. Still want a fishing port, and subsidies during the low season similar to those in Machico and Caniçal. Also, poorer catches of the black scabbard (espada) fish.

PSD confident to win Câmara de Lobos. Usual pre-election poll says they will return to power, as in 2001 and 2005, with 5 seats and 2 to the PS. They will get 50 – 54%  of the vote, less than 61.4% in 2005, and the PS 15.4% instead of 17.6% last time.

PS candidate for Funchal asks the Minister of Finances to resolve the situation of €8 million owed by the Portuguese State. Claims that there has been 5% IRS withheld from the 2009 Budget, 5.4 million Euros from Funchal council and when including other municipalities, 8 million Euros should have been transferred in February.

Porto Santo has emergency plan. More details of proposed work on the island. There will be an emergency fund for housing repairs, food assistance and assistance with medical expenses, especially to the elderly. Road improvement, expansion of the Residential Home, Arts and Crafts Workshop, Cultural Centre, Library and Archive and Fire Department.

Colombo’s Resort still stagnates. Work stopped in 2008 when the developer SITCB needed 60 million Euros to complete the project. Difficulty in obtaining investment and bank loans due to the financial situation. In July, there was supposed to be a memorandum between public and private companies to restart the work but still no progress. Was due for completion in summer 2010. There are still negotiations about the continuation of the works on Madeira Palace Hotel, and management of the Quinta da Lorde Resort in Caniçal.

‘Costa Serena’ will start cruises from Funchal next January. The Costa Cruises Portugal promoter confirmed that you will be able to board in Funchal on the cruise from next January.

Date of next year’s International Film Festival still not certain. Not yet confirmed that it will be 10 – 17 April 2010.

‘Overcoming the Fears’ exhibition opens in the Electricity Museum. Opens at 6 pm tonight. Illustrating the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals, established in 2000 by 189 Governments.

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If you can, please contribute something Madeira related. A funny story or 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. 

You can email blog@madeira4u.com with any large contributions or comments and photos / videos, or if you can contribute regularly, I can give you a special account that allows you to create your own blog postings.
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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.

(more…)