Bebe hopes to copy Ronaldo

Copy Ronaldo

New Manchester United signing Bebe is hoping to emulate compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements at Old Trafford. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson snapped up the little-known 20-year-old striker from Vitoria Guimaraes last week for a reported fee of £7million. Ferguson admitted Bebe is the first player he has signed without either first seeing him in action or watching videos of his performances following interest from Real Madrid and a number of top clubs in Portugal. However, the player himself has no doubts about his ability to make the grade in the Premier League. "To come to a team like Manchester United is a dream come true for any player," he declared. "The Portuguese factor at Old Trafford was a motivation for me. "You have very big names like Cristiano Ronaldo who has played here and is a very big player now. Nani and Anderson are still at the club. "I want to become like them and I will work hard to become a top quality player." Speaking about the swift transfer deal, Ferguson explained: "You've got to trust your staff at times and our scout in Portugal was adamant we must do something quickly. "So were one or two other clubs and that's where you have to make quick decisions in life and I'm not too bad about that. I also spoke to (former assistant and now Portugal coach) Carlos Queiroz about him. "Sometimes you have to go on an instinct, you look at material. You look at their age and whether they're bringing pace, balance, desire to play and things like that."

(source:sportbox.tv)

Portugal Sends Aid To Island Hit By Landslides

Portuguese authorities say they are flying out emergency aid to the island of Madeira where at least 32 people have been killed and dozens injured after heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides.
The civil protection agency says a medical team backed up by divers and rescue experts will fly to the tourist destination in the Atlantic Ocean aboard a C-130 transport plane.
The statement says the plane is scheduled to fly out 0900 GMT (4 a.m. EST) Sunday and will also carry telecommunications equipment to help repair damage. Phones lines were knocked out.
Authorities say the storm that hit the island Saturday has also displaced 250 people. Authorities says the storm was the worst to hit the island since 1993.

Source:npr.org/

Portugal Resorts in the Algarve

The al-gharb, "the West" is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, incorporating, amongst others, the cities of Faro, Albufeira, Lagos, Olh�o, Tavira, Portim�o and Silves. In 1807, when Junot was leading the first Napoleonic invasion in the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish troops of Manuel Godoy. The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. The maximum temperatures in the Algarve fluctuate between 15 and 38 �C, with the temperature never falling below zero in the winter months. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat.

Over the past 50 years the Algarve has seen an increase in development, particularly from non-Portuguese developers. The Algarve is a popular destination for tourism, primarily because of its beaches, Mediterranean climate, safety and relatively low costs. The Algarve is also host to the annual Algarve Cup invitational tournament for national teams in women's football. The region's administrative centre is the city of Faro, which has its own international airport (Faro Airport) and public university (University of the Algarve). It has since become a common destination for the Germans and the Dutch.

In addition to the natural beauties and plenty of beaches, the Algarve has invested in the creation of a network of golf courses. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights". The Algarve became the first part of Portugal to liberate itself from Spanish occupation, in the rebellion of Olh�o in 1808. In the 15th century, Henry the Navigator based himself in Sagres and conducted various maritime expeditions which established Portugal as a colonial power. The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:

Praia da Marinha, Lagoa was classified as one of the 100 most beautiful and well preserved beaches of the world. The summer months see high temperatures that attract beach-goers and sun-lovers from around the world. In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the kingdom of Algarve. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. The Algarve was a semi-autonomous area with a governor from 1595 to 1808, as well as a separate taxation system until the end of the 18th century.

The Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis which is known today as Portim�o in circa 550 BC. Many years ago, to reflect the Algarve's unique status, Portuguese monarchs were known as "King of Portugal and The Algarves". There are Algarve-based English-written publications and newspapers specifically addressed to this community. The Portugal News being the most popular. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. Its highest point is the mountain range of Monchique, with a maximum altitude of 906m (Peak of the F�ia).

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