Good morning. Today brings farm trials with faba beans, busy buses in Lisbon, a fresh look at the buildings we already have, and plenty of small gatherings to look forward to.
A Portuguese farming source reports on a continuing search for production models that bring crop rotation into the system. The approach goes beyond winter cover crops and centres on faba bean grown together with a companion crop under regenerative principles.
Madeira's Socialist Party says the chestnut processing centre in Curral das Freiras should operate in full. Party leader Célia Pessegueiro, visiting the parish on Saturday, found growers handling picking, drying and packing themselves because the centre does not offer every stage. She singled out sterilisation, which would help fight the chestnut pest and extend shelf life, as missing, while equipment sits in storage and deteriorates. She also pressed the regional government to build a long-promised second road into the parish, which currently has a single entrance and exit, arguing this poses risks to residents.
The Escola Profissional de Alte – Cândido Guerreiro, in the municipality of Loulé, will hold an event on 3 December focused on the role of women in agriculture. The text available gives no further detail on the programme, speakers or format.
Lisbon's municipal transport operator Carris says more than 100 million people used its network in the first nine months of the year. That is 3.5% more than in the same period of the previous year, according to the figures the company itself announced.
Discussion of the future of Portuguese cities tends to centre on building more homes, opening new urban developments and expanding infrastructure. The article's opening argues that this focus overlooks the part of the urban future that lies in what has already been built, pointing towards the existing building stock as a resource to be considered alongside new construction.
The Cávado Intermunicipal Community (CIM Cávado) has opened a 30-day public consultation on the second version of its Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, starting on 1 December. The plan, under development since June 2025, sets priorities and measures to improve accessibility, link different transport modes, promote sustainable travel and cut the environmental impact of mobility across the region. The consultancy VTM is coordinating the work, which is funded through a call from the national mobility and transport institute (IMT) and has drawn on input from the member municipalities. Residents, public bodies and businesses can read the document on the CIM's website and send comments by email until the consultation closes.
Portugal is often likened to California for its mild climate, its coastline and its hilly cities. A less flattering parallel has also emerged: housing is becoming steadily more expensive in both places. The comparison points to a shared pressure on affordability behind the scenic similarities.
The Azores branch of the Chega party has voiced concern about a new rise in butane gas prices on the islands, due to take effect on 1 November. A 13-kilo bottle will cost around €28.59, more than five euros above the previous month. Party leader in the regional parliament José Pacheco says the increase adds to the burden on thousands of Azoreans, because wages and pensions are not keeping up with rising prices. He points to pensioners, large families and low earners as worst affected, notes that the middle class is also losing purchasing power, and calls on the regional government to consider measures to ease the impact of essential goods on household income.
European farming is under mounting pressure to deliver on food security and sustainability, and farmers are now caught between those demands and the rules that govern their daily work. Two examples stand out: drone operators must give notice before every single flight, and products in routine use have to be reassessed under European legislation. The debate is whether this regulatory framework supports growers or simply adds to their burdens.
Unimadeiras, a company that currently manages 96,000 hectares of forest, has sent the Ministry of Internal Administration a set of suggestions on how forests should be managed. Among them is the use of public-private partnerships. The company's stated aim is to take on responsibility for more forest territory.
Many people store the original boxes of televisions, coffee machines and vacuum cleaners for years, fearing they will be needed for a warranty claim. Portuguese law, however, does not make the packaging a condition of the three-year legal guarantee set by Decree-Law 84/2021. What counts is proof of purchase, such as an invoice or receipt, and showing that the fault is covered. In the first two years a defect is presumed to have existed at delivery; in the third the consumer must prove it. Covered repairs or replacements are free, including transport, and should take no more than 30 days.
More than 3,000 people have already taken part in 'Ao Encontro da Natureza', a project funded by Madeira's regional department for inclusion, labour and youth. Around 2,000 of them travelled to Porto Santo, while another 1,000 joined activities held on Madeira itself. The association ASA runs it in partnership with social and sporting institutions and Casas do Povo, covering every municipality in the region. By December it is expected to reach more than 5,000 users, combining educational and cultural elements with efforts to promote citizenship and tackle social isolation.
PROMOB, the community promotion and mobilisation association, is staging another Literary Dinner on 6 November at 8.30pm in the AMMA hall in Mamarrosa. The evening is also the first step towards the 2027 Semente Festival. Reciter Isaque Ferreira returns after winning over audiences at the previous edition and across the festival's history, joined by musicians Mariana Mota and Ana Miguel. Guests are invited to bring a poem or text of their own, or by another author, and share it with the table during the meal.
Six restaurants in the municipality of Avis, in the Portalegre district, are taking part in a gastronomic trail this November. The initiative is promoted by the local council and aims to highlight the flavours and traditions of the area's cooking.
The Casa do Povo da Serra de Água has announced that the next Regional Honey and Poncha Fair will take place on 30 and 31 January 2027 in the small square at the centre of the Madeiran parish. The event began in 2007 and has changed its name several times, from Poncha Fair to its present title, while keeping its purpose of promoting local products, producers and traders. Next year marks two decades since it started, and the organisers plan to mark the anniversary with music and entertainment. They also thanked partners, co-funders, beekeepers, artisans and participants, and expect it to remain one of the first big festive events of the year in the region.
