Monte Horizonte

Archive for February, 2010

Aigle Azur has added new routes from the Paris-Orly Airport to the popular island of Madeira. The airline already flies to Lisbon, Porto and Faro and since last October has been running weekly service from Paris-Orly to Funchal. Aigle Azur is a French airline that operates 30 different routes from French cities to Algeria, Morocco, Mali, Tunis and Portugal. For more information about these flights, go to www.aigle-azur.fr

The British low-cost carrierJet2 will start operating a new route from Manchester, England to the island of Madeira this February, offering flights every Monday. This new route is supported by the New Routes Fund, a partnership between Madeira Airports, Turismo de Portugal and the Madeira Promotion Bureau. Negotiations with Jet2 will continue to expand even further, including possible future routes from Leeds/Bradford and Newcastle. The company flies from seven airports in the United Kingdom to more than 40 destinations is Europe. For more information, go to www.jet2.com

Some 5% of Madeira’s farm land is now 100% organic. And that number will increase, as the region’s hotels opt for more organic, locally grown produce and meat. With fertile farm land, and a strong hotel market, the island has the opportunity to be a leading organic producer.

The Costa do Estoril just west of Lisbon will be the site of one of the most prestigious international small sailboat events in the world, the Cascais Dragon Winter Series. From October to March, small boat owners flock to the golden shores of Estoril to compete in six events on the world-renowned Cascais regatta course.

The Costa do Estoril is highly regarded as a top spot for competitive sailing events because of the quality course and ample facilities. The beauty of the region is another draw. Sailors can view the Serra de Sintra mountain range beyond the golden sands of the Estoril beaches. On shore, the historic city of Sintra, plus the proximity to Lisbon, makes the Cascais Dragon Winter Classic a popular winter event. The Cascais Dragon Winter Series is organized by the Cascais Sailing Club in partnership with the Portuguese Dragon Association and with the support of the Estoril Tourism Board.

Regatta Calendar:

• Regatta 4 – From 29 to 31 January
• Regatta 5 – From 25 to 28 February – 17th Príncipe Henrique Trophy
• Regatta 6 – From 11 to 14 March – 15th S.A.R. Rey Juan Carlos I Trophy

Click here to find out more information.

Portugal is a nation with a sweet tooth. We’ve been keen eaters of all things sweet at least since the Moorish invasions of the Iberian peninsula. With the arrival of sugar from the Madeira island in the 15th century the pastry and confectionary industries bloomed. However, it was the nuns and monks from Portugal‘s convents and monasteries who created some of the country’s best-known and loved recipes. Here is guide to the best!

Specially designed for medium wind speeds, the ENERCON E-82 wind turbine – with the new rotor blade design and tower versions up to 108m hub height – guarantees excellent yields in the 2 MW category, even at inland sites. In fact it is the most efficient wind system in production, and is built in Sever do Vouga, near Aveiro. The E82 is 30% that previous generation turbines. Maker ASM has some  306 workers producing turbines to match the annual orders of  50 million  euros world wide.

J. Crew, the nationally recognized retailer of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, has made Portugal the theme of its new catalogue. In Passport to Portugal, Lisbon co-stars with the chique clothes that make J. Crew a name in fashion.  Look for Lisbon in retail shops, catalogue and on-line.  The new on-line catalogue features a guide to the city of Lisbon, from phrases, to the best cafes (A Brasileira), to pastry shops (Antiga Confeitaria de Belem), to guide to the locations they shot at. Not that Lisbon is a new background to the cameras. The city has played host to recent Nike commercial and car launches, not to mention major motion pictures such as A Lisbon Story, The Russia House and House of Spirits. The city with its photogenic neighborhoods, sweeping river visas and many monuments makes a great backdrop. J. Crew said this of it on the web: “Bold color mixed with romantic decay… intimate neighborhoods with narrow winding corridors… grand town squares boasting elaborate mosaic pavements… lively sidewalk cafés…  Our team spent five days in this charming city of Lisbon and its outskirts capturing both the understated beauty of each setting and the easygoing elegance of every look.” J. Crew operates 243 retail stores, the J. Crew catalog business, jcrew.com, and 78 factory outlet stores.

Ryanair has recently announced the following new flights from Porto to destinations throughout Europe.

-Porto to Faro

-Porto to Karlsruhe/Baden in Germany

-Porto to Dusselsdorf/Weeze in Western Germany

-Porto to Tenerife Sur on the Canary Islands

Ryanair also announced that it will debut a new route to and from Oporto to Bordeaux on March 10. For more information about these routes and others, go to www.ryanair.com