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Ago 21
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Sting ray watches as instrument is lowered into the water off Madeira

By Our Islands 2.405 Comments

Sometime last week, hydrographic ship Auriga, during a scientific mission to Madeira, was the mean used to lower two ADCP current measuring instruments (ADCP – Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler), in partnership with the Madeira Ocean Observatory and the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute.

The first was placed off the Cais do Carvão, in Funchal, while the other went down a little to the east of Galomar, in an operation that Madeira In & Out accompanied.

The instruments will allow the gathering of information on speed and strength of the currents up to a depth of 600 metres in the areas where they were dropped. The two instruments will later be raised to the surface so as to analise the data thus retrieved.

Ago 16
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Funchal maintains inner city

By Our Islands 7 Comments

The Funchal city is being painted afresh. The council has already started the works aimed at improving the city’s urban “furniture”, improving the city’s pavements, resetting the city’s benches and repainting the light poles.

These apparently small and unimportant works have a great visual impact, on visitors and locals alike, and contribute for a generally favourabnle first impression on the part of those that visit us.

Ago 16
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FrenteMar raises awareness in the beaches until October

By Our Islands No Comments

Funchal’s FrenteMar has created three “blue centres” this summer. The structures, one in each of the main sea access centres of Funchal, are designed to raise awareness and support for the blue flag programme, with activities designed to suit all users.

These centres have their own programmes, and are multidisciplinary centres. The council wants these centres to be appealing, creative and dynamic, with lots of information about the environment and natural aspects, with various activities, like educational games, ateliers and shows for various target-audiences.

Every day, until October, from 09h to 17h, there’ll be activities in which all can take part, and to participate in various beach games linked to environmental themes.

The various ideas to be put into practice at the Lido, Barreirinha and Ponta Gorda will allow the development of fundamental competences for a more aware citizenship, with the activities being aimed at different publics and age groups.

Ago 01
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Three more D Maria II productions at the Funchal theatre

By Nearby, Our Islands 2.694 Comments

 

The next season of the Funchal theatre already has a set opening date. This is to be September 8th, once again counting with the Teatro Nacional shows brought to Madeira as part of the EUNICE network, bringing together the Teatro nacional D Maria II and Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias.

The selection of the Funchal theatre to be one of the three theatres in Portugal to be part of the EUNICE network was made through a public bid and was, according to Funchal mayor Paulo Cafofo, “directly related to everything that has been made to revitalize the Theatre through these four years, both in terms of infrastructure and, obviously, the choices for the agenda”.

The Theatre beat “in 2016, it’s record of spectators, with 48 thousand attending one of the events hosted in the most iconic show room in the island, which means 25 percent more than in the previous year, and places the occupation rate above the national average”.

Confirmed are Lear (January), Sweet Home Europa (May) and Montanha Russa (Rollercoaster) (June), brought to Funchal by the Teatro Nacional D Maria II, to which various novelties will be added, just like in previous years, said Paulo Cafofo.

Ago 01
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NRP Douro arrives next week

By Nearby, Our Islands 4.100 Comments

The newest ship in the Portuguese Navy, NRP Douro, is set to arrive next week in Funchal for the first time.

Commanded by First Lieutenant Vacas de Carvalho, it’s a twin to NRP Tejo, which we have seen in the seas of the archipelago in previous months, and is to be presented  coming July 12th in the Douyro river, from which it is actually set to travel to Madeira.

Once part of the Madeira command, NRP Douro – carrying pennant number P591 – will be fulfilling missions in such diverse areas as search and rescue, fisheries control, and support of park rangers, both in Desertas and the Selvagens, as well as to the maritime police contingent based in the Selvagens for the last year.

During the summer months it is normal the the new patrol “boat” will generate some curiosity amongst ship lovers, since it is the newest ship in the navy active list, after having been acquired from the Danish navy.

Part of Stanflex 300 class, this coastal patrol has range for seven days, and has a crew of four officers, four NCOs and 16 enlisted men, a total of 24 crew, nine less than the Cacine class they replace.

From next week we will have the opportunity to see the second ship of the class to enter the Portuguese navy.

Jul 26
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Funchal with wifi coverage

By Nearby, Our Islands 3.466 Comments

This was one of the winning projects of the 2016-2017 Orçamento Participativo (Cooperative Budget). Funchal will be fully covered by a wifi network, a 30 thousand euro investment, thus connecting the whole city to the internet.

The projects were identified this morning, at the Funchal council, with mayor Paulo Cafofo highlighting the ones chosen in this edition of the Cooperative Budget.

The projects chosen went from the covering and maintenance of sports infrastructures, to the maintenance of boy scouts’ bases, to the wifi coverage of the city and the adapting of infrastructures for social uses.

Jul 25
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Funchal hosts more culture

By Nearby, Our Islands 551 Comments

The Funchal council is definitely hyped on culture. The numbers have been unveiled, showing the Funchal council has produced, since early 2014 to June 2017, a total of 122 cultural events, of all types.

Theatre, dance, concerts, exhibits and learning, technical-scientific and commercial events, were all part of the cultural offer by the council, with over 30 events taking place every year.

Amongst them, some of the marking events of Paulo Cafofo’s mandate, like the urban festival Fica na Cidade, the commemorative concerts celebrating the 25th of April and the Day of the City, the plays part of the national network EUNICE, or the refreshed events calendar of the city market, that created the Mercado de Chocolate (chocolate market), or the Natal na Praça (Christmas at the Market), amongst many others.

For the mayor, this is “revealing balance, that clearly shows the stress laid in culture by this council, which was one of the most obvious and successful strategies of the mandate”. Funchal needed a bigger, better and cheaper offer, and it is obvious to all that we have succeeded in accomplishing the cultural vitality we were trying to attain”, said Paulo Cafofo.

Jul 25
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More parking made available at Praia Formosa

By Nearby, Our Islands 4.238 Comments

The Funchal council once more makes (free) parking space available at Praia Formosa, just like last year, in the terrain to be found just off the main street.

To overcome the difficulties created by the closing of the previous space serving this beach, the council, presided by Paulo Cafofo, once again found a solution for the popular beach. From yesterday, there’s a parking space of some 2300 square metres, to which all the spots existing on the road finishing on the beach, with all the necessary signage having been posted by the council.

Praia Formosa is the only one in Portugal with sea access for those with seeing and mobility impairments, with the system being set into place, a process which is expected to be completed early in July.

Also for this reason, it is also good to remind everyone that there are special parking spaces for people with disabilities.