Madeira News Blog

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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