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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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…)

Today’s Photo Thanks to Eiryl … Porto Santo ferry docked in Funchal

In yesterday’s Portugal Cup 4th round football matches, mixed results for our lads. União (Madeira) lost in a penalty shootout away to Mafra. The Mafra team came onto the pitch wearing protective masks as a protest, after attempts to postpone the game, because of squad members with Gripe A swine flu, were rejected.

Camacha however march on onto the next round, after beating Vigor e Mocidade by 1 – 0 in their home game. They should have won easily as the opponents were from series D in the third division.

Nacional struggled against Fátima in Funchal, with no goals in the actual game, but eventually qualified for the next round after winning a penalty shootout 4 – 3.

Elaine asked me to post this. I am clearly not having much luck in attracting sufficient help, so I really hope Elaine has more success :

WARNING BELLS ARE RINGING.

Der and myself are desperate for help. We are both taking far too much time on the blog, more than you would think (or I dare to admit). People really need to start sending Der articles or this blog will finish for good. We are both fighting hard to keep it going. Please don’t let everyone down by thinking your help isn’t needed or that your article won’t be interesting. Even a small contribution, regularly or otherwise, would help and encourage others. It would take some of the pressure off us both. The more diverse, the more interesting it could get for everyone.

Suggestions of how people can help:

Take a section of the online Diário. Front page, Madeira, Economy, Politics, Culture. I use Google translation toolbar, and other online translators are available.

Other newspapers online. Jornal da Madeira, Diário Cidade.

Tourism Board site. They will send you an email every month with details (in English). Also DRAC site has a monthly Cultural Agenda in English.

Scan newspapers and sites for articles about the island, tourist reviews and blogs.

Any travel articles. Ports, airports, organized tours, hotels.

Any experiences about your days out here, e.g. exhibitions, restaurants, cafes, bars, tours, museums, walks, places visited.

Local food with recipes and wine tasting.

Nature articles. Plants, birds, animals, environment, parks.

Local customs and culture.

Festivals and cultural events – coming or visited.

News and activities where you live, if on the island.

Shopping and offers.

Nautical events and special sports events.

Organisations and their events.

Any suggestions welcome.

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Elaine had very kindly again provided yesterday’s top news stories :

Enterprises, employment and tourism have money. Strengthening tourism promotion, incentives to businesses and jobs and greater investment in culture depends largely on ….. state.  At the end of the year, Madeira will have the largest direct debt in the history of the Region. For the bank loan guarantees, the Government has commitments in the order of 1,900 million Euros. Ventura Garces, the Regional Secretary of Planning and Finance will deliver tomorrow to the President of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira the proposed budget for 2010. As normal, 40% of expenditure is for public investment to secure employment through public works and to prevent people becoming dependent on meagre state benefits. Little is known of this year’s proposals. Tax revenue is expected to drop significantly next year so they are optimistic that the State will transfer €70 million early on. The European Union has provided a transfer of €75 million. The Regional revenue (tax etc) and transfers from the State and the EU will cover 86% of expenditure, so a loan is required for the remainder. Garces would not admit to the amount which he is asking the State to agree but it is thought to be more than €200 million, enough to repay the loan and secure payment to suppliers. Education and Health account for 73% of expenditure and Garces is worried about the spiralling costs of the departments, institutes and autonomous funds which represent 28% of total expenditure, and these levels could be cut. Incentives to business will cost €20 million and tourism will have an increase of almost one million Euros for promotion. In the next three years, €362 million will have to be repaid to banks, €52 million next year. The Government owes more than €150 million to suppliers, backed with loans amounting to €1,174 million. The Regional Government debt is expected to rise to €784.9 million by the end of this year, the highest value in history. This is justified by the debt being 17% GDP and the EU allowing up to 60% GDP or a debt limit of €2,760 million Euros. Jardim hopes to save tens of millions by his recent cuts.

Rocks continue to fall. The rock fall between Ribeira Brava and Tabua continues, along a section that has been sealed off to the public for almost two years.

Bad weather boosts road casualties. The number of accidents increased this week with rain and excessive speed for the conditions. There were 61 accidents that caused 19 minor injuries, compared with 45 accidents and 21 injuries during the previous week. Funchal (26 accidents, 8 injured), Santa Cruz (13 accidents, 3 injured), Câmara de Lobos (9 accidents, 3 injured). Friday was the worst day, 5 people taken to hospital and 15 accidents. The via rápida, where there are an average of 11 accidents per week, had the most accidents with 28 last week resulting in minor injuries to 6 people.

UMajuda helps schools in Achada and Rochão. This University organisation collects donations, especially for the younger age group. They have distributed dictionaries, children’s books, encyclopaedias, maps, video tapes, games and sports equipment to the schools in Rochão and Achada, as elsewhere in the region during previous years. The university musical groups ‘tunas’ have also visited the schools. They have also helped the elderly and the Red Cross and SPAD.

Support for the outermost regions are possible. One of the MEPs said that permanent funding for the outermost regions is not guaranteed from 2013, but it is possible under the Community Support Framework. He said that with the signing of the Lisbon Treaty, member states have not lost their sovereignty under a centralized Europe, as there are sometimes opt-outs if they think the matter should be debated nationally. Risks are that some countries will dominate and defend their own interests first. Costs will increase with an increase in the number of posts.

Official websites of Government and councils lack maintenance. Lack of update. Regional statistics are out of date, some by two or three years. Most councils have not updated details about council members since the elections. Good examples are Câmara de Lobos, Porto Santo, Machico and Santa Cruz.

Bandolin Christmas Concert. December 12 at Teatro Baltazar Dias, Funchal, cost 5 Euros.

Lobo Marinho delayed due to power failure. An electrical failure late on Sunday night affected the electrical connections. The fault was detected at 8 am when the ferry was preparing to leave Funchal and delayed the departure. The electrical failure on the bridge and engine room made it impossible to leave the port of Funchal so a tug had to intervene at about 9.15 am. The failure did not affect the speed of the ship but it had to reduce speed to provide time for the tug to reach Porto Santo. The route normally takes 2 hours 10 minutes and took around 5 hours. The captain said the return journey should not be affected as tugs would be ready both at Porto Santo and at Funchal. The ship had about 200 passengers on board.

Government reinforces consular assistance in South Africa. Portuguese Government will reinforce assistance during the World Cup next year. They will also produce a brochure with local contact numbers for emergency assistance.

Builders guarantees on new properties provide most complaints. In 2008, the Office of Consumer Protection in Madeira received 305 requests for assistance in this area, and this year the number has already reached 289. For a period of five years, owners of new properties should be able to have any defects repaired by the builder. In reality, it is difficult to get the repair corrected and the person often has to go to court or pay themselves. They often find the builder has gone out of business or disappeared. Legal action has to be taken within three years of the complaint.

AIDS prevention. Madeira, like other European countries, faces serious problems that affect many young people, like drinking, smoking, drug addiction, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. This was stated at the conference yesterday, ‘Youth Without Risk’. Portugal has a staggering number of infected people, especially related to teenage pregnancy. Young people are educated about the transmission of AIDS but still do not use protection.

Burglaries in Barreiros. Burglaries  at the apartments Barreiros Golden and Stadium in Barreiros over the past two days have resulted in doors being broken down and around 8,000 Euros of gold and cash stolen. These occurred last Tuesday and Wednesday and the police have increased patrols.

Failure of lifts in apartment blocks force tenants to climb 150 stairs. Apartment blocks affected are Varzea Park in São Martinho and Caminho do Amparo, block A 1 North. The top flats on the ninth floor are 150 stairs up. Some older people refuse to leave the flats and this has occurred for two months now.

The ‘Madeira’ in documentary. Alzirino Henriques has produced a DVD about the ship ‘Madeira’ which used to transport goods and passengers between Madeira and Porto Santo. Its sinking on 21 October 2000 has led to its use as an artificial reef and this 30 minute video demonstrates the beauty of the flora and fauna which have colonised it. The video is in both Portuguese and English and the producer is Eduardo Costa, who has produced many local videos. It costs 15 Euros and can be purchased from FNAC, the Porto Santo Line and Tourism posts.

Sue very kindly sent in these news stories, many thanks …

The funeral of cabo Telo was held in the presence of hundreds of people – "Now he is in his own country". Hundreds of people gathered yesterday at the church of Paul do Mar for the last farewell to the first cabo (corporal) Gabriel Telo, killed in action 36 years ago in Guinea Bissau. The funeral closes a case of a group of soldiers, of whom two were from Madeira – the cabo and the soldier Telo João Nunes Ferreira. The process of exhumation and repatriation of the bodies to Portugal took about three years. The Union of the paratroopers was the body who started this rescue – being three elements of this special force among the 11 corpses – which now ends with this funeral, the last of the bodies were removed from Guidaje in Guinea Bissau. Now closed, in fact, a course whose objective was to bring home the bodies that had been buried in that cemetery campaign in Guinea, explained the president of the Parachute Regiment, General Avelar de Sousa, who yesterday attended the ceremony. Several entities had joined forces for the task to make this last tribute to the soldier, who died on May 25, 1973 (not 1963 as incorrectly written yesterday). Miguel Mendonça, chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, in the morning put a wreath at the urn of the soldier, while still at the monument to the Madeira overseas soldier. A little later, in Paul do Mar, the district where  the cabo was born, Monteiro Diniz attended the funeral, ex-Representative of the Republic to Madeira, also Brazão de Castro, regional secretary, and Manuel Baeta, Mayor of Calheta, among other personalities. The process of exhumation and repatriation of the bones of cabo Telo opened a wound in the family that they had spent decades trying to heal. Mother, Flora Telo, never gave up so that the memory of the son would not be forgotten. During the last 36 years she insistently repeated stories about Gabriel, highlighting the qualities of this young man, who was sacristan in the church, the same church that hosted the final farewell ceremony. Yesterday, the upset prevented Flora Telo from saying what that final moment meant for her. The day before, however, she confessed that she still felt "a great longing for my son." And looked towards the sky and called to Gabriel. "He was a good dear son, as a child" and he helped in the church, she recalled. The arrival of the remains opened wounds of the past in the family, but, despite the moments of pain and anxiety, no one regrets the decision. Yesterday, Gabriela Telo, his sister two years younger, said one feels ‘satisfied’ that Gabriel was now "closer" to the family. The youngest of the sisters, said she felt "a mixture of emotions that were impossible to describe." Still, she said that at that very moment, outside the cemetery, she felt "a joy, because he is now at home. These last days have been a difficult time, with resentment, but now that he is here in our cemetery in his country, it is now a relief." With the funeral of cabo Telo "we have closed, in fact, a path with the objective  to bring back the bodies that had been buried in that campaign cemetery in Guinea", said the president of the Parachute Regiment, General Avelar de Sousa, who yesterday attended the farewell ceremony of the soldier from Madeira, who died 36 years ago in Guinea Bissau.

Regional success against smoking in national press. At present, about 45 percent successfully quit smoking with smoking cessation consultations from the Health Centre of Bom Jesus. Compared to internationally, the success average here is 35 percentage points higher. Having just celebrated "No Smoking Day", which leads people to seek consultation  at the Health Centre of Bom Jesus. Ermelinda Alves said there are several reasons. Some people, because they became aware that tobacco is bad for their health, causing heart and lung disease, and that it is the cause of many cancers, and therefore making the decision to quit. One of the reasons that have more recently led to consultations relates to the economic crisis, where people cannot afford to smoke and come here to seek help to quit. There are also younger people who have young children who, at school, hear their teacher says it’s bad for health, and then the children ask their parents to quit and come to visit. But, of course, that success will be achieved when the smoker makes that decision, and has a strong motivation to quit smoking.

Mini-series will be shot in RAM. After the success of the TV series "Flor do Mar", Madeira will return this year to be the scene of another project of the TV company TVI. After the series (Flower of the Sea) that "exceeded expectations" in terms of growth in the number of tourists from Portugal visiting Madeira, the regional secretary for Tourism and Transport, said that the private channel is preparing a new Portuguese mini-series to present to their viewers in the first quarter of next year. Filming will take place in Madeira in December. "The plot is funny, but I will not reveal", said Conceição Estudante, explaining that the purpose of not wanting to remove the mystery around this new project is to ensure it commands a good audience in Portugal. The exact date when the mini-series will go on air also remains unknown.

Cakes, cakes, liqueurs and pork – In times gone by all these products were made at home and since the beginning of December there was a great hubbub, especially from the ladies in the preparation of these delicacies. Recipes for cakes and liqueurs were often kept in the minds of people and passed on to subsequent generations. A tradition that has persisted over many generations was the so-called "Night of bread." At a time when there were few existing bakeries in Madeira and Porto Santo, families gathered on the evening of 23rd December to bake the bread in the oven. The hard work was done with joy and often the sound of typical melodies of Madeira. Even today in some parishes, especially in the city of Funchal this tradition is maintained. The meat of the pig that was killed on the 8th of December, or the next few days after that date, provided an enormous amount of different recipes.

When the "Feast" had another flavour. Maria Fernandes 78 years clearly remembers the "Feast" and at times it is with some nostalgia that she refers to the many activities taking place in the build up to Christmas. "In the past it seemed that time was not moving. We waited with anxiety the arrival of December to experience the festival. And since there were many difficulties times, Christmas was a very special time because meals were better, we had cocoa and cheese, which during the other months of the year were a luxury. "Also important was the day the pig was killed. The entertainment around the event was varied" Maria Fernandes recalled. "On the eve of that day I almost could not sleep thinking about the task the next day. From early morning until the night I had so much to do with helping "Marchant" (the man who kills the pig), to prepare the various ingredients with the meat of the pig, the innards, blood and lard. And as it was a day of entertainment, I was always looking to play some pranks such as asking someone to go and get oil to lubricate the saw to cut the pork, or  placing of the nails in the pockets of some of the more intoxicated people. And throughout the day no one went hungry or thirsty, with coffee with brandy drunk early in the morning, and not forgetting the dry red wine". These traditional activities of yesteryear are still re-created in the present day by some cultural associations of the region. And in some rural parishes of Madeira, there are those who keep their Christmas with an authentic flavour.

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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.

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…)

Today’s Photo : Thanks to Tobi … a visiting private yacht

"Funchal is the prime spot for overseas property buyers; the capital enjoys sunnier and drier weather than the rest of the island and has all the amenities expected in a cosmopolitan city plus the international airport close". The usual BS from a property company, and if you have up to €429k spare, by all means read it, but I wouldn’t bother. ‘Healthy’ tourists prefer holiday homes to hotels

"When the leste blows – the wind that comes from the Sahara – the thermometer may rise to about 33ºC. But that does not happen often and, on this little Portuguese island, situated far out in the wide Atlantic, you can assume the temperatures will rarely rise above a pleasantly warm 24°. You may prefer to sleep with a blanket, but you won’t roast in the mid-day sun". HELLO MAGAZINE ON QUINTAS

Carlos Carvalhal, the ex Marítimo manager, who was sacked a few weeks ago after a pretty poor start to the new football season, has been appointed as the new boss of one of the biggest Portuguese teams. Sporting gave him the job after Paulo Bento resigned last week. Just shows that poor performance doesn’t stop one going up in the world … the world of football that is.

Yesterday’s top news stories thanks to Elaine again :

More details about the emergency exercise at the airport on Wednesday. On Wednesday at 00.30 there will be a full-scale exercise to test the Emergency Plan. The scenario has been set for this year. A bus with 32 passengers for a flight to Lisbon looses control and will hit the right wing of an aircraft, while 52 passengers are disembarking by foot and another 91 remain in transit on the plane. In the mean time, 109 passengers are boarding. The flight originated in Lisbon and is going to Caracas. The bus also collides with a refuelling vehicle, causing a spill of about 3,000 litres of gasoline which catches fire. As a result of the accident, there are 328 casualties – 13 dead, 10 seriously injured priority I, 20 seriously injured priority II, 10 slightly injured and 178 uninjured. In addition, 6 passengers go missing because they panic and flee, and 80 passengers have to be evacuated from the airport. The scenario is chosen by the probability of occurrence and to test equipment which the emergency services might be unfamiliar with using, for example to deal with a fuel spillage into the sea. As such, the Administration of the Harbours and Control of the Maritime Area will be present. This operation involves dozens of regional entities and about 160 extras, in addition to observers and assessors, and will last four or five hours. I thought these emergency exercises were supposed to have an element of surprise, but it seems that if all this was published in the newspaper beforehand everyone involved can have everything planned and prepared to the last detail … I’ll be home for tea honey! Der

5 neonatal deaths in Madeira in 2008. This was one less than 2007. There are decreases in both neonatal and perinatal deaths in the region. Nationally the infant mortality rate decline to 3.3/1000 live births and the neonatal rate decline to 2.5/1000 live births.

300 people on the waiting list for smoking cessation therapy. 45% of the 900 people attending for anti-smoking therapy at the Bom Jesus Health Centre since February 2005 stopped smoking. This is above the 20% national rate and 35% international rate due to more intensive therapy but there is a waiting list of 300 people and the treatment is not subsidized by the state. There are priority cases, for example people with lung problems, heart diseases and relatives of people who have quit smoking. There is a multidisciplinary team consisting of a doctor, nurse, psychologist and nutritionist. It is more successful as there are more consultations, between 16 and 18, and a person calls the user every day to try to motivate them. The main reason for failure is the cost of the medications which are not subsidized and range from 70 to 100 Euros. It would be cheaper to subsidize them than the health service treating resulting diseases, usually occurring 28 years after starting smoking. Since the tobacco advertising law was enforced in 2008, there has been a 5% decrease in tobacco sales and a decrease in the number of men smoking but an increase in female smokers.

CMF wants to encourage renovation of buildings. Funchal Council want to revise the municipal tax again in another initiative to encourage private investment in the renovation of houses. There is already a 50% reduction for residential use and exemption if the use will be for tourism. The mayor Miguel Albuquerque said that in recent years there had been a housing boom in the city centre. Therefore the council must make an effort to ensure affordable social housing in these areas such as in Cruzes and Alegria, and not introduce discrimination in terms of residents in the historic centre. He was speaking at the inauguration of a restored building in the Rua do Bispo, which includes six apartments, seven offices and three commercial spaces, and cost 1 million Euros to renovate, keeping the original facades and main features. (Shown in photo)

64 year old man arrested for sexual abuse against a child. Arrested on Friday for an alleged sexual abuse of a female child, up to the age of 13 years but no age specified. The offence occurred in Funchal and there is no family relationship between the man and the child. The man is prohibited from approaching children and could face up to eight years in prison. In March, a 17 year old was arrested on suspicion of rape of a 50 year old man and is in custody in prison.

An accident victim is seeking witnesses. The woman has fractures to both feet and one knee after a head-on collision last Friday in the Meia Legua tunnel in Ribeira Brava. A blue Fiat Panda was reversing inside the tunnel and she had to swerve to avoid it and collided with a van travelling in the opposite direction. There are several witnesses but no known registration number of the Fiat which left the scene, so any information should be passed on to the police.

Fine issued by GNR taken to the European Court. An emigrant from Madeira living in Luxembourg has refused to pay a 175 Euros fine issued by the GNR in Ponta do Sol in October and says he will take the case to Brussels. He was penalized for driving a car registered abroad that had exceeded the time limit of 183 days of exemption from taxation. He said he did not violate the law as the car had been in the region that same year but with another owner. "The car was mine but I sold it to my mother and thus the period of 183 returns to zero." The GNR said they might interpret the law in one way, and the Customs differently.

Airport receives 200 pieces from the private collection of Joao Carlos Abreu. The collection of  ‘Angels and Boys Choir’ will be on display at the Arrivals Area from 20 December and throughout the Christmas period. These figurines are made of clay, ceramic, cardboard and metal and many were collected in Portugal and Italy as well as other countries.

President of the RTP in lightning discreet visit. The President of the Radio and Television of Portugal, Guilherme Costa, had a lightning visit to Funchal yesterday, previously unannounced and was not available to speak to journalists. The leaders of RTP-M also declined to comment. The workers of RTP-M were stunned as they had expected a formal meeting on Thursday to discuss the replacement for the retiring director and the future plan for equipping the regional centre. It is only known that the president talked at length with the retiring director, Leonel Freitas.

The 2010 budget depends on bank loans. The Regional Government will formally ask the State to amend the debt limit so it can go to the banks for loans to finance the Regional public investment. This revenue is needed to avoid an increase in unemployment and keep the economy going through wages and spending. It is difficult to cut current expenditure without affecting the quality of life of the population, for example health and education account for 75%. The current expenditure will be maintained by tax revenues and transfers from the State. Some investment finance should be available from the EU but the regional component has to be funded and Madeira has no money for this. Without bank loans the situation will be dire, the Regional Government cannot invest, major corporations will collapse and unemployment will soar. The Regional Government will have to depend on support at Lisbon of the PSD and CDS. The review of the Regional Finance Law introduces a new concept of the debt limit and possibly allows the State to endorse loans. The Regional debt to suppliers could surpass 150 million Euros by the end of this year and the Regional Government needs a new way of settling such debts as from June next year, the EU requires Member States to pay suppliers within 30 days. The PCP have delivered a package of 39 measures to cut ‘megalomaniac projects’ to the Regional Secretary of Planning and Finance. These are in economic and social areas to be included in the Budget next year. Jardim has already put the brakes on promises the Government made in some municipalities but some projects cannot be postponed, for example the new hospital in Madeira and a new small hospital in Porto Santo.

‘Estelinha’ and the conflict over the chapel. ‘Estelinha’ – popular name for Estela Pereira Ferreira – a 73 year old resident of Campanário who holds the keys to and receives the money from the promises for the Capela de Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho (Chapel of Our Lady of Good Order). She has done so for more than 40 years on behalf of the local population. Several parish priests have been in the region but none have been able to clarify the ‘jurisdiction’ over the private chapel which belonged to Conde Canavial. There have been bitter exchanges and suspicions between ‘Estelinha’ and some priests, disagreements over public/pulpit money. In 2004, the priest and the diocese refused a baptism in the chapel, other times there have been weddings, Masses and christenings. Now the Mass is limited to festive seasons and the priest has to ask ‘Estelinha’ to open the door. ‘Estelinha’ says she has the permission of the owner to manage the chapel and has a ‘commission’ to pay for the upkeep made from received money and the ‘gold’ of Our Lady given by Conde Canavial. With conflict over the ownership of this property over the past 15 years, this ‘commission’ is not enough for the people to legally claim ownership of the chapel. Also conflicts over payment for repair work and the door and the roof were restored with the ‘commission’, not by the parish. The chapel is in a magnificent setting with a beautiful view and it is worth tourists asking to see inside. It was founded in 1672 and restored in 1762. In 2007, the Regional Government classified it as a monument of public interest and with this classification, it is in an area for special protection.

Unemployment decreases in the third quarter. Unemployment fell 0.2% over the second quarter of 2009. It stood at 7.9% in the third quarter of 2009. The national unemployment rate grew 0.7% to 9.8%.

Christmas shopping hours proposal. The union SITAM handed a proposal to the CMF that commercial areas close on Sundays and public holidays and at 20.00 in the week before Christmas. This is defended by a lack of consumers.

Consultations in the hospital increased 5.9% in the first halves of the years 2008 and 2009. Consultations at Health Centres also increased by 8.4%. Almada Cardosa of SESARAM stresses that the increased efficiency proves that the staff are not dissatisfied with the new management. "There is a great motivation and increased production with the same conditions." —- No strikes then?

PSD support new fisheries policy. The PSD Parliamentary Group wants Madeira, as an outermost region, to be treated differently by the European Parliament and they need a new fisheries policy for Madeira. The fishing vessels need upgrading to compete with the major industrialized countries and the large industrial vessels. They need to discuss with the MEP their concerns about levels of stocks of many species, not just the black scabbard fish. Also need to be able to manage stocks when there are future imbalances. The new fishing port at Câmara de Lobos will become a reality in 2011. It will be the largest fishing port in the region and the infrastructure will include the Regional Directorate of Fisheries, the auction and all the infrastructure related to the port.

Link to Canhas will be realized, Calheta Health Centre earlier. The link to Canhas in Ponta do Sol will be completed but the forecast is not until 2012. Jardim said that as the work is so complex and deadlines changed, he might not be able to inaugurate it. The Centre for Health and Social Security at Calheta will be completed earlier than expected as the project will begin immediately and not in 2010.

Headlines from the front page of today’s newspaper … feel free to add more ‘meat’ to the stories :

Offences of Jardim reduce PSP Madeira – Political accusations and mainland issued during the [election] campaign result in ‘lows’. The repercussions of President Jardim’s behaviour and accusations of a police force controlled from Lisbon. Some officers have requested transfers, cheesed off with Jardim’s behaviour and attitude toward the police.

Today’s top news headline : Expenditure in the port divides opinions – The project is to provide facilities to embark and disembark in the comfort of covered passageways. But the investment of €3 million is not peaceful between the shipping agents, because the equipment will not be 100% functional.  This is about the installation of walkway equipment that will be used to embark and disembark some passengers arriving by ship (ferry or cruise), similar to the facilities used for planes, where a moveable corridor is moved into place to allow passengers to enter or leave the ship through a moveable corridor mechanism, as shown.

European Popular Party [PPE] brings 500 to Madeira – The assistant secretary general of the PPE is in the region preparing a meeting for October 2010. The PPE is the major ‘family’ of Euro MPs in the European Parliament, with nearly 300 inside the group. The event, scheduled for 13th – 15th of October 2010 will see a congress held here under the theme of ‘study days’. The event is likely to be one of the major events of the year, with around 500 people expected to attend, representing the 27 member states of Europe.

Festival of ‘Tunas’ livens up Funchal in December. With no specifics about this as I haven’t read the article yet, if you get the chance you should get along to witness this, as it is worthwhile. The ‘Tunas’ are bands from the universities of Madeira and Portugal, and the ones I have seen have always been all girls or all boys, normally up to around 20 in a group, but regardless have been really entertaining. Whilst other students may spend their spare time ‘down the pub’, these students put their effort into music and entertainment. What is different is the ‘extra’ entertainment they provide, often quite challenging and athletic, and I would imagine also very tiring.

War today on the road to South Africa – The atmosphere in Bosnia continues to be hostile to Portugal on the decisive day for entry to the World Cup. In South Africa, where Ronaldo already shines, the Portuguese community sees it’s pride in check. The second leg of the playoff between Bosnia and Portugal is tonight, on TVI (channel 4) at 7.45 pm. It’s do or die time, and the 1 – 0 home game lead has to be protected, or it’s no visit to South Africa for the World Cup Finals next year, and a big disappointment for the three Madeiran players likely to be in the squad.

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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. 

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Today’s Photo : Thanks to Eiryl … Water lily at the Palheiro Gardens

"Wedged in by mountains and the Atlantic, Madeira Airport requires a clockwise approach for which pilots are specially trained. Despite a unique elevated extension that was completed back in 2000 and now expands the runway length to what should be a comfortable 9,000 feet, the approach to Runway 05 remains a hair-raising affair that pilots absolutely dread. They must first point their aircraft at the mountains and, at the last minute, bank right to align with the fast-approaching runway". DIAMOND PILOTS

"On our quest to explore sunny islands in the Atlantic Silke and I have already visited Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Our latest exploratory trip took us to Funchal on the Portuguese island Madeira. We were welcomed by sunshine, blue skies and a gentle breeze which was a relief after the dreadful autumn weather in England". Nice photos. MATT & SILKES BLOG

Many thanks again to Elaine for yesterday’s news. Can anyone else PLEASE help out?

Island Escape cruises selling well. Thomson Cruises Island Escape will sail for seven night cruises, departing and returning to Funchal, from the 11 January to the 19 April. These will be weekly with stops on Monday in Funchal. Already 400 places have been sold, mainly through Abreu agency to Madeirans. The price is "very nice", according to the one of the directors, at 389 Euros plus 100 Euros in taxes. He highlights the value of the ship as there are free dining facilities. There is a buffet for breakfast and lunch and a restaurant for an informal dinner. There is a night buffet and another buffet open 24 hours a day. The ship has 746 cabins for 1,750 passengers and has 500 crew members. —- Dear Santa Claus …..

Mother complains of assault by supermarket security. A mother of a 15 year old made a complaint to the police, alleging there was an assault on her son when he was inside a large commercial area at Rua Dr. Brito Camara, in front of Edificio 2000. The boy was with friends inside a supermarket yesterday evening when "He was taken to a room by a security guard to see what was in the bag, and when he left shortly after he was bleeding from the nose and mouth." The mother took the boy to the Emergency Room for treatment. Regarding the alleged assault, the progenitor regrets what happened since, in his view, "Even if the group were causing fuss or noise in that commercial area, there would possibly be another way of dealing with the matter."

Educating for tourism. This initiative is to make students aware of the importance of tourism and provide an insight into the day of a tourist. Activities will simulate a ride in a tour coach with a translator guide, reserve air tickets and hotel rooms, check-in at the airport, check-in at a hotel and visit areas such as the dining room, hotel room and learn how to make a bed, bar and learn how to prepare a cocktail, kitchen, laundry, maintenance area and conference room. More than 2,000 students will participate and the investment of 16,000 Euros is spread between various travel agencies and the Directorate of Tourism. —– Learn how to make a bed and a cocktail. The things they teach in school today!

Bats misunderstood. There is a group of four Madeirans who have studied bats in the region since 2001. They have developed a project to determine the different species, estimate population sizes and identify and characterize habitats important to them, to ensure their survival. They are having to finance the project themselves after failed applications for both regional and national funding. This is despite published work by the researchers receiving international recognition. There are three known species of bats in the region and the Pipistrellus maderensis (Madeira bat) is one of the smallest in Europe. They feed on insects and therefore are central to the ecological balance of Laurissilva and agricultural areas. "Given that each bat eats around a thousand insects per night and if we have a population which is estimated at three thousand bats, this means that each day these mammals eliminate 3 to 4 million insects." The researchers fear that already there are less than the estimated three thousand bats in the region and the situation in Porto Santo is also worrying as it is estimated at less than 50 individuals. It is urgent to preserve and study the bats as contrary to their ‘bad image’, they aid in the conservation and ecological balance of Laurissilva, farms and forestry, which are in danger.

Wet roads cause two vehicles to overturn. The wet roads caused by rain, and reckless driving (excess speed) were the source of at least two vehicles overturning that have resulted in material damage to the vehicles involved in accidents yesterday. The first one occurred at 12.30 on the Machico to Funchal motorway and a 34 year old man was slightly injured. He had to be taken to the hospital and was discharged mid-afternoon after minor surgery. Half an hour later, another accident in Ribeira Brava and despite various ‘flipovers’, the driver left unscathed. He was on the motorway towards Serra de Agua and crashed and overturned in the tunnel of Meia Legua, in the vicinity of the Sports Complex. After a curve, he lost control of the vehicle and crashed near the tunnel entrance, hitting the footpath on the opposite side and the vehicle ended up on its side. Two cars collided on Sunday night on the Machico to Funchal motorway in a spectacular crash and damaged the exterior rails and the inside central cement blocks of the road.

Loja Diogo’s celebrates 20 years. On Saturday 21 November, the wine shop celebrates its 20th anniversary with free wine tasting between 15.00 and 19.00 hours. Wines from 20 producers will be available at the Hotel Four Views Baia, followed by a dinner costing 25 Euros, subject to reservation.

Rui Moses closes council employees car park.  The new mayor of Santana first of all changed the locks on the Town Hall, now he has closed the small car park next to the building. This has been used for more than 20 years for people working at the Town Hall. He justifies the decision on behalf of tranquillity and comfort for visitors to Santana. It is to preserve the dignity of the building, which is considered a flagship infrastructure and referred to for this reason. "It must be appreciated in tranquillity as the traditional thatched houses of Santana are in the gardens."

Petition challenges afternoon classes in Tabua. Parents of children in the first year at the basic school in Tabua are dissatisfied with classes in the afternoon, leaving the morning for extra-curricular activities. More than 80% of the parents have signed a petition but it has not been accepted and the parents are unhappy with the reasons given. Usually, following a recommendation from its own Regional Board of Education, years 1 and 2 are taught in the morning while classes for years 3 and 4 are in the afternoon. However in this school year, years 1 and 4 times have been exchanged. Parents of year 1 children complain that because the children are playing in the mornings, they are too tired for afternoon lessons and this affects their academic performance, some even falling asleep in the lessons. The reason given for year 4 children being taught in the morning is that there is evidence that these students demonstrate hyperactivity and medical studies have shown that such children should be taught in the mornings, and also year 2 children have priority over year 1.

Brussels reduce the catch of bluefin tuna by 40%. In the Mediterranean, the bluefin tuna stock has been decreasing since 1957 and has fallen 60.9% in the last 10 years. On the west coast of the Atlantic, the number of tuna has fallen by 82.4% between 1970 and 2007. At an international meeting, agreement has been made to reduce the total allowable catch from 22,000 to 13,500 tons from next year. Fishing for bluefin tuna in the Atlantic will be restricted to the period 15 May to 15 June. Madeira will have an Oceans Institute by the end of the year to explore the exploitation of surrounding marine resources.

Jardim cuts three works in Santa Cruz. Two are in Gaula, a 4 million Euros road linking Fazenda – Largo de Cerca, works at the praia das Fontes in Porto Novo, and a road to Meia Serra. Since the inauguration of the new Santa Cruz Council, there have been 316 building permits filed (declared obsolete), 196 of such between 2 November and 13 November, as a "symbol of great activity in that area by the city council.". —– retribution by Jardim again? At the opening of the new church at Jardim de Serra, he insisted Socrates "is the problem" and he is tired of colonialism by Lisbon, as Madeira is self-sufficient in all areas apart from Social Security. He said the complaint by Edgar Silva in the Diário yesterday about the Government giving money to the Church was printed because it is a newspaper taken by the Communist Party.

Full-scale exercise at the airport on Wednesday morning. The scenario begins with a collision of a bus with the wing of an aircraft and a refuelling vehicle, leading to a fuel spillage and subsequent fire breakout. The exercise will start at 00.30 and last for 4 – 5 hours.

Portuguese smoke on average for 28 years. On average, Portuguese start smoking around 17 year old and stop at 40, and consume 18 cigarettes per day. A high percentage of smokers and former smokers older than 40 years have respiratory symptoms and changes in respiratory function. It is worrying that they start smoking early as at the age of 17, the lungs are still growing and have not reached full respiratory function. 10% of the Portuguese have COPD, half still continue smoking after diagnosis and it is the fourth leading cause of death in Europe.

Ribeira Brava residents want more roads. Another Jornal da Madeira post-election interview session with residents. They want the seafront enlarged by another 15 metres to form an area similar to the one before it was redeveloped as a square, so the tourist buses can stop there again. Central parking would also help the area. Complaints about robberies at São João especially as there are many single elderly living there. —– I think Der will agree with their ideas.

Overnight stays in September down 8.5%. Loss of 49,200 tourists compared to last year and the occupancy rate was an average 60%. A total of 528,200 nights in September 2009 and the visitors stayed 0.4 days longer than in 2008. The region was 2.5% above the national average which fell 6%.

This from today’s front page of the Diário newspaper :

The main news headline today : 2010 budget requires loan – Madeira desperately needs to increase its debt. The regional government is going to formally ask the state if it can go to the bank.

The Câmara of Funchal demands €5.5 million and prepares a legal action against the state. This relates to money that Funchal council says should have been transferred this year from central government, under the local finance law.

Romeira works in the chamber part time – The new president of São Vicente will be councillor in the morning, and doctor in the afternoon. Roberto Silva, leader of the Association of Municipalities, says that since 25th April [1974] he has never seen anything like it. That was back 35 years ago, when Portugal was the poorest country in Western Europe, and never had there been a part time president it seems. 35 years on, Portugal is still the poorest country in western Europe (depending where your boundaries are of course), and now has a part-timer. And I know the question in most people minds at this moment will be "but isn’t Uncle Bertie part time?", but he is not in fact. The fact that he doesn’t take his seat in either the regional or Portugal assemblies, is misleading. He is actually very busy doing inaugurations, in between his disappearing acts (when he leaves Madeira and nobody knows he has gone (or where)and when he will come back, but manages to run up expenses of hundreds of thousands of Euros a year). Romeira is a private consultant, and there is no known case in Portugal of a câmara president working like this, even though it is permitted in law. His council salary will be reduced accordingly. The PS opposition leader called it a "true political fraud", and he is right, as this intention was not declared before the voters made their choice last month, in a constituency where the PSD support is noticeably weaker.

High tension in the ‘war of Bosnia’ – Portugal received with insults and spitting. That’s not very nice. By 9.30 pm tomorrow night, if all doesn’t go to plan, there will be a big depression over Portugal and Madeira, and it won’t have anything to do with the weather. If all does go to plan, expect to see Thursday full of smiley faces and sunshine.

Festival of Digital Art brings names and tourism – The shows runs in December in the Centro das Arts, Calheta, with 100 Germans amongst the audience. It’s a festival of experimental digital music and digital video, to be held between 4th and 7th of December. Artists are coming from Germany, Sweden, Mexico, England, Austria and Ukraine.

Parishioner refuses to deliver the key to the parish priest – ‘Estelinha’ administers the Chapel of Bom Despacho, in Campanário, for over 40 years and, in the name of the people, she says that she is not going to give the key to the padre. The probable story of the day for me, with Estelinha pictured prowling in front of the locked chapel, with the key clenched in her left fist (the key is actually visible in the front page photo of the Diário). But why is she doing this you ask? Well I don’t know yet, as I am going to save it for a read tonight. Maybe Elaine will tell us tomorrow. Maybe someone else will make a supreme effort and delve into the story and share it with us all.  Who knows?

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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. 

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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(23rd August). Today’s main news story : ‘Forensic Medicine Troubles The Hospital Of Funchal – The specialists are half of those necessary, they are close to retirement and at the weekend they turn to obstetricians of the emergency department’. It is necessary to double the number of forensic experts. The three doctors are aged between 50 and 60. At the weekends there are no forensic doctors working in Funchal Central Hospital (HCF), no one to qualified to examine the victims of sexual assault. In the end is is left to obstetricians or gynaecologists who are working in accident and emergencies to provide cover. "In reality there is still not enough (experts of forensic medicine) to allow them to provide this service in full. Therefore, when there are not sufficient, it is done as it used to be: by the obstetrician who is working in emergencies, who collects the evidence", explains Miguel Ferreira, clinical director of the HCF. According to police data, every month there is a person aged over 16 that is raped on Madeira. The average number that arrive at HCF is certainly higher, but the police coordinator did not wish to disclose more. Specialists of the Institute of Forensic Medicine are the most qualified to perform the collection of organic elements (semen, hair, and other cells) that, in pathology laboratory tests, may prove the existence and culprit of sexual crimes. What most worries Miguel Ferreira is the future. It is the age of the current specialist of the Institute of Forensic Medicine employed on Madeira, being between 50 and 60 years old, in pre-retirement age. The aging of the limited staff makes it urgent to train new specialists in this area. "If someone does not appear in the next ten years it will be difficult" admits the doctor obstetrician. But the field of pathology is unpopular, with doctors completing the course and then deciding not to continue in that field. "They prefer to deal with the living rather than the dead", says Miguel Ferreira.

Today’s main picture is of a normal looking street in Porto Santo : ‘Case Of The Kidnapped Businessman Changed Habits On Porto Santo – The population has recovered from the shock of the murder, one month after, but there are a series of precautions. The foreigners give rise to mistrust’. "Now anything is possible", "but everything changed" two of the leads quotes in the article. "People think now that everything is possible," says Roberto Silva, president of the council of Porto Santo, noting with some irony, that "nobody believes in Santa Claus". "Initially, it was putting some pressure on people," recalls the president, as the tragic and violent circumstances surrounding the death of 78 year old businessman José Guilhermino Alves turned out to be "abnormal, both at regional and even national level". The man was lured to a fake business meeting, and murdered, and the Diário went to hear the after effects of the event on the people of Porto Santo, and how they view safety on an island that in the last 10 years has changed as much "as the night into day". The article also looks at crime on the island, which was low anyway, but is even lower now, so the fear of crime generally should make people feel more comfortable, but as one man said "people no longer leave home or leave the car parked without ensuring that the doors are firmly locked". Alexandra Castro Brito says that since the murder (that occurred on Madeira) she is "very scared" when she has to go to Madeira to consult the doctor who is monitoring her pregnancy. Another man said "I know one person that was coming here every year and no longer comes because their house is far away and isolated". Also he said, he views with some suspicion, at least at first, the many people that now come to the island.

‘Merlin And Lobo Test Evacuation Of Crew – The crew of the helicopter EH101 ‘Merlin, of the Air Detachment of Madeira, tested yesterday the operational ability of the aircraft in an evacuation exercise of an injured person from the ferry boat Lobo Marinho’. The exercise was to prove the rescue a seriously injured victim of an onboard accident from the top deck of the ship, and take him to Madeira Airport on route to hospital. The exercise took place off the Praia da Fontinha beach, roughly half a mile from the coastline, and captivated the curiosity of many tourists who were on the beach despite the lack of sunshine. I bet it did, probably thought it was for real. Wall to wall sunshine here again in Rib. Bra.

‘Drugs Were Arriving Inside Heels – Customs seize 750 grams of coke and heroin’. A foreign national was caught and arrested by customs at Madeira Airport smuggling in cocaine and heroin drugs inside the heels of a pair of designer ladies shoes, inside his luggage. Supposedly a gift for someone living here. The baggage control system detected the presence of illegal substances within a package wrapped in a bag. The passenger was searched and the customs officers eventually found the drugs: 580 grams of heroin and 180 of ‘coke’. The heels of the designer shoes, were very well sewn so that to the naked eye, the package had a perfectly normal appearance and was far from suspicious.

‘Police Grab 21 Feet Of Cannabis In Ribeira Brava’. The Public Security Police (PSP) carried out a seizure of 21 feet of cannabis, which were planted on land located in Eira do Mourão, in São Paulo in Ribeira Brava, some 50 metres from the roadside. A couple were identified as having planted the plants. At the beginning of last week another seizure of plants was made in Ribeira Brava, enough for 270 individual doses. I am not sure that ‘feet of cannabis’ is the correct interpretation even though the translation is technically accurate.

Most of the twenty or so cases of Gripe A have passed without not even the need for hospitalisation, but a 39 year old man from Santana has already spent several days in hospital connected to breathing equipment, and is likely to be there for 10 days. His condition has now stabilised after he was affected by bilateral(?) pneumonia.

Another article looks at the high number of days on Madeira with high UV radiation warnings, and basically concludes that people don’t "always" take the issue and warnings seriously.

Today’s sports headline : ‘Opening Game With The House In Works – Marítimo receive Leixões at The Barreiros, Nacional Play tonight in the Dragon’. Referring mainly to the fact that Marítimo play their first home game at a building site, as reconstruction work is already well underway for the new look stadium.

(22nd August). This was in yesterday’s economy section, to mark the success and profits of the company concerned, but I though it was better as an article on the attitude to smoking and the continuing strength of the disgusting habit : ‘Dismade Turned Over €125 Million In Six Years – The company is the leader in the distribution of tobacco products on Madeira’. Friday was the 6th anniversary of the company in the company premises in Água de Pena, Machico, where it has a warehouse. Many clients and local politicians attended the event, besides its employees and business partners. Of the €125 million in 6 years, €21 million was turned over last year, and the business has grown every year, with a 5% growth expected for 2009 to €22 million. The company is responsible for around 85% of the Madeira tobacco market, with 2,400 outlets here. It has made it through the crisis with new and diversified products to meet demand. The company offered guided tours through its preparation and production facilities. Funny how attitudes differ, as I expect this would be a low key event in Portugal where smoking is less acceptable, and probably most tobacco companies go to great lengths not to talk about profits, and success if they can help it (except direct to shareholders of course). Here of course we have a smoking president and the habit is far from discouraged, and we even have weaker smoking laws for public places. Hence we can safely celebrate the growth in the profits of a supplier for the world’s deadliest habit … no namby pamby stuff like that here, and maybe I shall have a puff tonight to mark the event.

and in politics, mostly along the normal theme of course :

(23rd August). ‘PS-M Expects 15 Thousand For Today’s Visit Of Sócrates At Fonte do Bispo’. Prime minister José Sócrates participates for the first time in the annual rally of the socialists of Madeira. This time he is not here as prime minister, but as general secretary of the socialist party. He is always invited but this time is the first acceptance, an event that a local PS-M leader feels will "alleviate the feeling of orphanhood" amongst the party activists, as well as give encouragement to other activists and socialist sympathizers, especially on the eve of two elections. The “Festa da Liberdade”, according to the Jornal da Madeira, is for the first time this year not selling alcohol on the ‘barracas’, with the excuse that the space normally allocated is needed for other ‘cultural’ things.  That hardly fits in with the "festival of freedom" sentiment, and I wonder if the activists already knew this? Uncle Bertie says that the arrival of Sócrates here always sinks the socialist vote. I think he has only been here once since becoming prime minister, and that was earlier this year. So he is technically correct, as the European election results did go the wrong way, but I would hardly put that down as a ‘track record’ though.

The last of the front page stories : ‘Block Insist On A Pact To The Left – Roberto Almada, head-of-list of BE (Left Block) in the legislative national elections, holds PS and PCP responsible for the non-existence of a anti-PSD coalition. But he still has hopes’. This is the Diário daily interview with the top of the list candidates. It’s not worth covering as another no-hoper party, but as regards the headline where he refers to attempts to form a coalition with the PCP and PS, he said this has been an aim of BE since 2004, but he talks about the elections for Funchal council rather than national elections. To win this he said would put an end to the reign of the PSD, and start "the beginning of the end" for Jardim.

‘PS Of Sócrates Doesn’t Have Ideology – Jardim says that the actual socialist party is not that of Soares, Almeida, Guterres or Alegre’ (being previous party leaders I presume). President Alberto João Jardim, who reiterated that he is close to leaving politics, accused prime minister Sócrates of having finished with the party ideology. He accused him of being responsible for the worst economic situation in the country since April 25 (1974?) and to be the mentor of the "greatest propaganda campaign" of ever in Portugal, in order to hide the true state of the nation. He appealed to the disenchanted socialists to vote for his party the PSD social democrats, and also challenged Sócrates to explain how he managed to help the communist political forces to achieve together 20 percent of the votes in the recent European elections. For the Social Democratic leader, the only concrete proposal of the present Government of the Republic was to propose homosexual marriage.

In the Jornal da Madeira . "I Always Translated The Sentiments Of The People", was the headline quote from president Jardim, returning to his holidays on Porto Santo after the Funchal 501 celebrations. Explaining why he goes to Porto Santo for his holidays, he said it is because of official commitments, but more so to relax and be with friends. Asked about the initiative of the PND (New Democratic Party) who were on Porto Santo asking people to donate money to help Jardim pay for his holidays (see also yesterday in Funchal), he said "As you know the PND is a party of the extreme right that lives on clowning around. This form of begging is not unusual, because one of the PND leaders is heir to the fortune of Padre Lopes, in a way that I don’t admire such a method of obtaining money through donations" he snapped.

Back to the Diário : The police unit on Porto Santo was asked to despatch two officers and other elements of the maritime police authorities, in response to a rumour that the PND had arranged to walk two pigs on leashes along Porto Santo beach at the same time that president Jardim was taking the same stroll, on the way to the famous ‘Bar do Henrique’. The stunt was cancelled for hygiene reasons, because the leaders of the PND couldn’t find away to "stop the animals satisfying their physiological needs on the beach". Sounds like a bit of a wheeze to me, but why two pigs? Was this to be a remake of the famous story ‘The Three Little Pigs’ with houses of straw, sticks and bricks, and a big bad wolf? Which role would Uncle Bertie have played, with such a clear conflict of interest on both sides. And if asked to play along do you think he might have said "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin"?

I am having big problems with the Diário website today, and it’s taking sometime 5 minutes to get from one article to the next. I will have to carry some stuff across to tomorrow.