Madeira News Blog

Today’s photo – Many thanks to Elaine out West … View looking over Cabo Girão cliff.

God’s Garden – at the Royal Opera House (London). Date: February 11th until the 13th. "As the sun beats down on the village of Porto Moniz, Madeira, a young man prepares to take the biggest step of his life and get married. While his family and friends rejoice at this momentous occasion, he is uneasy. The young man decides to take matters into his own hands and flees on his wedding day to sow his wild oats, leaving his heartbroken bride behind. When he eventually returns to the village, his family are delighted and celebrate his homecoming. He laps it up, believing that everything is as it was before he left, ignoring the fact that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. God’s Garden is the latest full-length work from choreographer Arthur Pita and is based on the parable of the Prodigal Son. Using a combination of text, live music and dance, Pita’s exploration of love and betrayal promises a highly-charged and exciting evening’s entertainment". Anyone who happens to be in London on the dates mentioned might like to savour a little taste of Madeira MORE

I noticed one or two ears pricked up with this story yesterday, so this article gives more details on the birds affected … "Ponta do Pargo – the destruction of an IBA for a golf course. Unfortunately the economic crisis did not hit Madeira Island as it should and money is still being spent on the worst things… One of Madeira’s Important Bird Area (IBA) is being destructed for the construction of another unprofitable (the 3rd one already!) golf course… Ponta do Pargo is the westernmost tip of Madeira island and it was a very good spot for bird watching some of the endemic birds as Berthelot’s Pipit, Rock Sparrows and Spectacled Warblers but also for migrant birds where Stonechat, Wheater, Woodchat Shrike, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Buff-breasted Sandpiper were some of the species already recorded there. MORE

And the last of today’s web snippets came in from Becky … many thanks :

Anyone need a Life Coach?! You have one on the island, and here she describes her move to Madeira: LIFE COACH – IS THAT A REAL JOB?

Extracts from an old (2003) BBC radio programme about Madeirans on Jersey, learning the language and some returning to Madeira. You need ‘Realplayer’ to hear the clips.

Becky has also very kindly donated a couple of stories from yesterday’s Diário de Notícias … many thanks.

Custody for suspected drug trafficker – The cocaine seized could yield close to 126 thousand Euros if it were to be sold on the street. A man of 33 years, of foreign-birth, is in custody in the Prison of Funchal (EPF) after being caught by the Judicial Police (PJ) last Tuesday with 5,070 individual doses of cocaine. The arrest, revealed yesterday by the coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the PJ in Funchal, Ricardo Silva, was made in Madeira International Airport, where the individual, who is originally from an African country, landed on a domestic flight. "From the prevention investigations carried out, we collected strong evidence that culminated in the seizure of 5,070 individual doses of cocaine, carried inside the body, which was aimed at being trafficked in the Autonomous Region of Madeira," said the Judiciary in a statement. The man was taken to the Hospital Dr. SMF Mendonça, where the drugs – valued at around 126 thousand Euros – were withdrawn from his body. This was an isolated situation, which is not related to other investigations of the PJ, which has already prevented about 10 thousand individual doses of drugs – heroin, cocaine and cannabis – from arriving on the streets of Madeira. The numbers given are not read as indicators of increased consumption, but with a more effective police force and the dwindling supply of drugs in Madeira.

Aldo Lima takes ‘stand-up comedy’ to Chega de Saudade. It is an initiative of solidarity that brings Aldo Lima to Madeira. The comedian presents a show of ‘stand-up comedy’ this Friday at Chega de Saudade. The event will help the earthquake victims in Haiti and will also feature live music and dj’s. According to Chega de Saudade, there will be no entrance charge at the door, so it is through the consumption at the bar that the money will revert to the AMI.

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

DIÁRIO 29/01/2010 – FRONT PAGE NEWS

Jewellers feel unsafe and make their own security patrols. There have been a number of robberies on jewellery shops in the centre of Funchal despite alarms, surveillance cameras and reinforced doors and windows. The shop owners complain about the low police presence on the streets at night and at weekends and visit their shops several times to inspect the premises. Most of these jewellers are uninsured against burglary because of the expense, conditions imposed and not many companies will provide cover due to the high risk involved. Most of the robbers are not caught or items recovered. The target of robberies at these shops and private residences are gold items as the price is high because of global demand.

MADEIRA

Work at Jardim da Serra moving ahead without a budget. The Parish Council of Jardim da Serra has draft plans for the renovation of the Quinta Leonor but have not costed the project. This building belongs to the Region but has been assigned, on a temporary basis, to this Parish Council to be used in a project for the development of socio-cultural research and agro-forestry. It is thought to be a potential use of community funds and will also need private and public investment. 4,000 square metres of land in the Sítio da Fonte Frade, practically opposite the School of Jardim da Serra, are included in the plan. This project is of public interest as it concerns the development of rural communities, the development and promotion of farming and regional products and the social, economic and cultural role of farming. There will be three areas of work: preservation of ethnography, preservation of biodiversity and rural tourism, leisure and education.

Over €58 million spent on medicines. During 2009, Madeirans spent more than 58 million Euros on medicines and pharmaceuticals, buying 6,700,000 units (packages). There has been a decline in the amount spent since 2007 despite more units dispensed in 2009. The explanation is the decrease in prices ordered by the Government of the Republic and generic medications accounting for 9% of those bought. There is still a lot of self-medication and Infarmed (government organization) warn of the dangers of buying over the Internet as there are many illegal sites. They produce a list of approved sites on their website: APPROVED PHARMACIES.

Giga Park continues in Ponta do Sol. A smaller version of the Christmas entertainment park will remain until at least Easter, possibly until October. It has been renamed the Amusement Park of Ponta do Sol. The new opening hours are: Friday 19.00 to 2 am; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 16.00 to 2 am.

Customs seize a kilo of drugs. Customs at Madeira Airport arrested a Madeiran man in his 30s who had heroin and hashish hidden in his underwear. This kilogram of drugs is equivalent to 5,500 doses. He had flown from Lisbon. This is the second arrest this year by Customs, the previous amount was two kilos of heroin or 27,000 doses.

ECONOMY

A classic in port. The tall ship, Stavros S Niarchos, returns to the Port of Funchal and will stay until 14.00 on Sunday. This ship belongs to the Tall Ships Youth Trust, a non-profit making organization. Since 1956, TSYT has catered for 70,000 young people of different nationalities. Madeirans first joined this initiative in November 2006 with the support of Navigation Blandy. The ship will take on youngsters at Funchal for an 11 day trip of the Canary Islands at a cost of 229 Euros each. Tomorrow, 40 youngsters of different nationalities, some flown in, will join the ship. The ship has two masts with 18 sails, is 60 metres long and was built in Devon in 2000, modelled on a XVIII Century sailing ship. The ship has two engines, an air conditioning system, desalination plant and modern radar, sonar, GPS and communications systems.

55 fishermen were considering protesting. Due to the renovation of the Port of Funchal, São Lázaro was to be closed at the end of this month. The boat owners, who said it was difficult to remove their boats, met yesterday afternoon and were considering various forms of protest. The area has been used for 40 years, some boats for fishing and others for sport, some to earn a living. The owners were pleased to negotiate the permanency of their craft in this area.

JORNAL DA MADEIRA

Carnival 2010 – Turma do Funil depict mythical figures of the oceans. In line with the Carnival Parade overall theme, Seas and Oceans, this group takes the theme, The Ocean in Folia (Infopedia – lively dance or great fun, spree). On the night of 13 February, there will be 150 participants in this dance group and the costumes will focus on orange, green, purple, black, white, silver and turquoise. Accessories include feathers, stones, pieces of mosaic and chains of coloured sequins. Rehearsals take place in the Casa da Cultura de Câmara de Lobos. The Flag Bearers are the Goddess of the Sea and the ‘Mestre de Sala’ symbolising the King of the Ocean, Neptune, in foaming waves. Following, there will be fishermen delighted by mermaids, and floats depicting the lost island Atlantis with oysters containing precious pearls in the ruins of the submerged island. Then young children will depict pirates looking for treasure followed by animated girls dancing next to sailors. The Rainha da Bateria and revellers will pay tribute to the people of Câmara de Lobos introducing the Espada-Preto fish and  the boat ‘O Xavelha’. At the opening of each group of dancers, there will always be a pair of open wings representing the magnificent coral reefs. A guest will represent Vasco da Gama.

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

Catalogue lacking from the war in the west – The artists of the exhibition ‘Linha de Partida’ [Line of Departure] that has been running for a year in the Casa das Mudas, has Ricardo Veloza under fire.

Today’s main news headline : Horários of Funchal in technical bankruptcy – the company shows it’s own capital as negative and has already had a passive loan [debt] of €30 million at the end of 2008.

Government puts forward another €250,000 for management of the Jornal da Madeira. Is this never going to end? Despite the complaints of the Diário de Notícias at an international level, nothing changes, and the taxpayer is still funding the political mouthpiece of President Jardim’s government. And no doubt the other negative aspects of this state sponsored propaganda mechanism are alive and well, with government advertising expenditure deliberately targeted to ensure that the competition to the Jornal is pretty much excluded from benefitting.

Salaries in arrears prompt rout in the Association  of the Casas do Povo [Social Centres].

Opposition make possible inquiry of the Socialist Party about regional debt – The PP and PCP ensure enough signatures to allow a commission of inquiry proposed by the PS , in order to determine the value of the debt denied by President Jardim.

In Lisbon, after several concessions, there is discomfort on the Social Democrat bench with the Regional Finance Law.

Agreement : Transition period began and nobody understood. I bet a few people will look at this headline today and wonder what this is all about, as it shows a paper with various Portuguese words shown and their new replacements with simplified spelling. The idea is to ensure some level of language consistency in the Portuguese speaking world, a move which is not going down particularly well on this side of the pond at least. Some examples : Lectivo will become Letivo, Correcção will become Correção, and Jóia will become Joia. The changes should also reflect better the way the words are actually pronounced.

The main sport / football headline today :  Madeira doesn’t attract stages – Other regions of tourism try to attract teams. Through here there is a lack of reaction. Today Nacional – FC Porto 17h – SportTV and TSF. Despite what it sounds like, the article is saying that at the moment there are national teams looking for warm-up games in preparation for the World Cup this year in South Africa, and are looking for fixtures, or training venues at least, in Europe. The article says it is up to the Regional Government to attract interest, since there is no other entity that can promote all the sports facilities and stadiums of Madeira and Porto Santo. The Diário was unable to get any response from the relevant government department.

An extra headline article that I thought was worth a mention, or a look rather, shows our great President Alberto João Jardim in his famous peg-leg pose. "I will not resign". Jardim asks the parties not to further postpone the vote on the Regional Finance Law. The guarantee of Jardim is that if there is no change in the Law of Regional Finance (LFR), the president of the Regional Government of Madeira is not going to resign. Well he has given them Hobson’s choice really, and getting rid of Uncle Bertie in exchange for losing a few million Eurobucks would have been a worthy exchange indeed. Back to the grassy knoll plan then I think.

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 Rita  … this is the photo I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, and for me just goes to show that black & white lives on, and in this case makes the subject so much more dramatic. Anyone other readers still using black and white these days? If not send me in a colour photo for publishing, and I can convert it to black and white on request. BTW its taken at Ponto do São Lourenço.

This is quite an interesting article about the opinions of Low Cost Airlines in Portugal. LINK 

"The World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED), a World Tourism Organisation (WTO) institution, has assessed the Madeira Islands as a tourist destination based on 15 parameters". Repeated, because Don very kindly provided a link to the full report, which is quite interesting, and shows lots of strengths, but rather than than list the ‘weaknesses’ it very diplomatically puts the strengths in a lower rating band. It’s not very in-depth, but worth a read. MADEIRA EXCELLENCE 

We had the Google wagon in Ribeira Brava this week, capturing it’s images for Street View. Luckily I was out of sight as it passed by, as no doubt Interpol will be checking all these images. I am looking forward to a ‘virtual walk’ around town very soon. Shame they didn’t wait a few more days, and then we would have a permanent record of the lovely Xmas decorations.

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

Region recorded an increase in beekeepers and hives. The number of beekeepers in the region has increased by 40% between 2008 and 2009. There are 142 registered beekeepers whereas there were only 104 last year. There are also 38% more hives, increased from a total of 2,262 to 3,127 this year. In terms of honey production, 30 tons is similar to the previous two years. This year, there has already been sold 300 kilograms of honey from organic production from the hives situated at Galhano in Calheta and this amount should increase next year. The six members of the two inspection teams visit hives to detect pests and diseases, and disseminate information from experimentation on new methods. There are two main serious diseases, one controlled by medications but the other can prove deadly to hives as the pests can become medication-resistant. Tomorrow in Ribeira Brava is the Festa de Santo Ambrósio, the patron saint of beekeepers in the region.This is a 20 year old tradition. The celebrations begin at 10.00 with Mass in the Church of Ribeira Brava, then at 11.00 a colloquium in the parish hall on the health of bees. A lunch at the restaurant Lugar de Baixo will include the traditional honey poncha. The lunch costs 16 Euros for adults and 8 Euros for children and is bookable by phone.

Collection by Abraço beats expectations. The association Abraço supports people diagnosed with HIV / AIDS. Their collection of food, hygiene and cleaning products exceeded expectations. Between 28 November and 1 December, they collected 26,000 packages which will be distributed to affected families. Abraço also supply meals daily. The association receives donations throughout the year of toys, educational supplies and clothing and have an increasing number of volunteers. On 12 December they are relaunching the fund-raising campaign to collect used electrical cables for their copper content. —- The Madeirans are being more generous each year, despite the economic difficulties.

Presépios of Portugal in Santana. Joao Egidio Rodriques, since he was six years old, has amassed a collection of over 2,000 nativity pieces from various countries and a hundred are displayed in the Casa da Cultura in Santana. This year, he will again be responsible for the decorations in the Largo do Chafariz and the large presépio in Funchal. Gold, red and purple are this year’s colours. The figures have arrived from the continent and are awaiting his final touches.

Expropriation of the sanitation in Santo da Serra. The basic sanitation in Santo da Serra is not functional despite the infrastructure being in place, as the three pumping stations have not been built. Problems in the ownership and location of land have meant that the 250,000 Euros stations have not been constructed. The sanitation should be working next year, depending on network connections by the Municipalities Machico and Santa Cruz. Until then, the population will still be forced to use septic tanks and the Municipality will still send out cleaning tankers.

Nails are ‘bleeding’ trees. Council have acknowledged the error and have had to replace the nails. Dozen of nails were driven by the Council itself into the trees that support the Christmas lights in Câmara de Lobos. This practice was once widespread but now has been virtually banned by environmentalists. The Mayor of Câmara de Lobos was annoyed by the wave of criticism and counter-attacked, "Today even a nail into a tree causes an outcry but maybe these people do not see the number of trees that were planted." He devalues the impact of the nails as he thinks they do not have any effect, and in some circumstances the branches will be cut during pruning. Quercus, the environment lobby, criticize driving nails, screws or other sharp materials into trees as they can cause the death of the tree, and other methods can be used. The fact that this practice has been carried out by local officials reinforced the tone of criticism, "Even more serious because the authority itself knows what it takes to keep the trees and public spaces healthy." What often happens is that the ornaments are removed but the nails are left in place, with consequences later on for the tree.

Court case to stop Quinta do Lorde will cause bankruptcy. The Director-General of the company of the Quinta do Lorde development said yesterday in court that if the work stops for more than three months, the company will go bankrupt. The pre-trial case is for the class action filed against the Council of Machico. The company has already spent 43 million Euros on the development in Caniçal. The marina and adjacent buildings cost 18 million and were completed in April 2007. The marina was financed by the Incentive Scheme for Tourism by 4 million Euros, of which €1.1 million was in grants, and the support of the Regional Government was 0.5 million Euros. The project directly employs 40 workers and indirectly provides employment for 200 people. The current restaurants and marina have an annual turnover of 350,000 – 400,000 Euros. There are around 600 entries / sailings per year of yachts in the bay of Funchal. The total bank loan is for €70 million and already €43 million has been spent. 650,000 Euros has been paid to Machico Council for licences. Contracts to the sum of €4 million have already been signed. The Council will gain €7 million from the cost of the enterprise. After pressure, the Quinta do Lorde management returned the public land around the Capela da Piedade and supported a network of sanitation and telecommunications / energy for 3 kilometres serving both the project and the Council. The environmentalist / popular author Raimundo Quintal is one of the witnesses and due to the complexity of the case, the parties are submitting written evidence.

Closure of São Lazaro by the end of the year. The Administration of the Harbours is to shut São Lazaro in the next 20 days due to a contract ending. 48 sailing vessels will have to be removed, not an easy task as some are in for maintenance work and some have been abandoned, occasionally the owner is not known. The administrators of Funchal Marina are trying to contact the owners but moving large boats in bad condition will be difficult and the authorities will not assume that responsibility. Three dozen owners of small boats will not have any facilities for storing the boats or equipment. This closure is due to the development of the Northern area of the port of Funchal. The opening of the area at Água de Pena should occur this week and will be managed by the same firm that manages the marinas at Quinta do Lorde and Porto Santo.

Transavia.com flights to Nantes. The low-cost carrier will fly on Mondays and Fridays from Madeira to Nantes (West provincial France) from next summer. Launch price of 90 Euros per leg. This should benefit the increasing number of French tourists. SATA has one flight a week to Paris, which will increase to two in the summer. Aigle Azur began last October a scheduled weekly flight, also to Paris, which could increase to two in the summer depending on demand.

CDS-PP propose a famer’s market in Ribeira Brava. The central parking area over the Ribeira was disapproved of by the majority of the PSD. The CDS-PP want a farmer’s market on land in front of the municipal auto-silo, so farmers can sell their produce on the same day.

Most hotels lowered prices to overcome crisis. Hoteliers emphasize that the cost of holidays in Madeira is increased by the cost of air transport. Most hotels in Madeira have lowered their prices to minimize the effects of the crisis, but Madeira keeps the status of high quality. The region has had decreased occupation this year. A five-star hotel is charging prices that used to be charged by a four-star hotel, and the latter now the same as a three-star hotel used to charge. They have had to decrease prices to compensate for the cost of flights. Reid’s Palace Hotel, one of the oldest on the island, has suffered from a 24% fall in (mainly) English tourists but has an increased number from France, Germany and Portugal, the latter by 30%. They are now looking at alternative markets, for example Scandinavia, Switzerland and Poland. The Director-General of Reid’s said that Madeira still has the same quality of customers as before, of higher quality than visit the Algarve. They will not lower their prices to attract more customers as they cannot provide the service any cheaper. The Tourism Minister also emphasized that the region will always remain a destination of quality despite reduced hotel prices. Everything has been done in the region to promote quality, including investments made by hotels in staff training and replacement of equipment. She thinks the current economic crisis is temporary, and that prices of hotels are now at the level two years ago and this situation is not desirable but recoverable.

Marine tourism activities grow in the region. Weather conditions allow operations throughout the year. Increasing are footpaths to contemplate the coast of the island and whale watching, though not always possible, with dolphins more probable as they occur in larger numbers in the North Atlantic. The visitor can also enjoy a swim in the warm, clean ocean off the island. The catamaran for whale and dolphin watching was very busy during the first year, especially the summer months, so the family business brought a second boat and numbers of visitors have been steadily increasing.

Special Presépios in the Dolce Vita. The initiative ‘Nativity Scenes Contest’ is in its fourth year. It is a competition for people with special needs to build presépios.The exhibition of them in the Dolce Vita is to promote inclusion and make awareness of the entire population that has special needs. They have been prepared in Centres of Occupational Activities in the region which welcome both young and adults with certain intellectual difficulties, some charities and some primary schools. The Toy Museum has also gained toys made from recycled materials, the results of an educational contest for people with special needs.

Region wants to borrow €129 million. The ALM want the Assembly of the Republic to rectify the State Budget to increase the net debt per capita in the Region. José Sócrates government will ask the Assembly of the Republic to increase the debt by more than €4.500 million, which will mean the State spends more than €15 billion than it raises in revenues, the largest deficit in 24 years. Jardim states that if the State Budget was altered, then the Autonomous Region could also increase its debt to about 388 million Euros, if the State agrees to an increase in Regional debt by €129 million.

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

Homeless resigned to spending Christmas in the ‘Casa dos Pobres (Poor House) – Those that live on the street are more concerned with survival day to day : food and a roof. It is meal time in the Protective Association for the Poor, on Rua do Frigorífico in Funchal, and those who rely on the free meals are appearing. António Pita, retired from the Câmara Municipal of Funchal says "It is true. I lunch and take an evening meal every day and Christmas isn’t going to be any different, I am going to spend it here". The tears are dancing in his eyes, but they quickly disappear. "I am already used to it" he adds. He is 69 years old, he receives a pension of €500 (a month I presume), and says he is alone in the world. "I have a daughter, but it is like I don’t have". He sleeps at night in a room for which he pays €300, and what remains doesn’t go very far, but he doesn’t lack anything, and is well clothed, shoed, and well fed. Another man says, "I have been unemployed since the Hotel do Mar closed. I am aged 51", says Mário Freitas. "[Xmas] is always a complicated season, I am alone, and all my family are in Venezuela". "I come here everyday for lunch and dinner, and what I receive from the Social Security doesn’t go any further". He was employed in the hotel until 12 years ago when it shut down, and has been unemployed ever since. Just a sample of some of the stories in the article.

Today’s top news headline : Vaccines for everybody with or without risk – The Clinical Director of SESARAM gave orders to the Health Centres to vaccinate whoever requests it as long as they are in possession of a referral note. And who makes it difficult picks up a ‘process’. For Miguel Ferreira, the more people that get vaccinated, the better, whether or not in an identified ‘at risk’ group. Yesterday there was a second fatal victim on Madeira, and another infected person remains in intensive care. The two thousand vaccines available at present won’t go very far, but the health chief has issued the order that anyone who comes forward with a ‘doctors note’ should be given the jab, and he is not interested if they are officially in a priority ‘at risk’ group or not, or hear talk of bureaucratic issues. Those who disobey his order by refusing to give the inoculation face disciplinary action.

Arabic crisis hinders ‘new’ Technopólo - It was announced with pomp and circumstance in 2005, the second phase of development of the Science and Technology Park of Madeira is now in check. The crisis has hit  Arabic investors. For anyone with the time and urge to translate this article, here is the LINK

Dallas Circus in Funchal with a tent big enough for two thousand – The controversy is over : The Madeiran Xmas has a circus, Dallas, that was in the Marítimo Fair. For anyone with the time and urge to translate this article, here is the LINK

In sport, or football even, the main stories : Portuguese squad sets up camp in the zone of the Madeirans – During the 2010 World Cup Portugal will stay in Gauteng, a zone in reach of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Bruno is the news story in the Marítimo – Olhanense match today. The skipper is back already for this afternoons game, having just recovered from Gripe A swine flu. A win for Marítimo will put them in fourth place in the league table, but Nacional could retake the position tomorrow night.

Ronaldo missed a penalty, scored a goal, and was sent off. Cristiano Ronaldo had an eventful game last night in Real Madrid’s 4-2 victory over Almeria. The forward from Madeira missed a penalty, scored a few minutes later and then received a red card for a second bookable offence. Ronaldo was initially booked for taking his shirt off after scoring his team’s fourth goal and then received a second yellow card for lashing out at an opposition defender. After the game Ronaldo said: "I am human and I have faults" and added that he had raised his arm in "an instinctive reaction." The world’s most expensive player admitted he had apologized to his team mates and said he was “sad” to miss the next match against Valencia next week (and the one after I believe).

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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.

(more…)