When I was born there were less than 50 km of highways in the country. When the monies started flowing from the EU we quickly upgraded building endless miles of tarmac, to Spain, to the Algarve, interconnecting the industrial north, to Galicia, east-southwards, shoreline alternatives and to Spain again. All pretty useful infrastructure in the XXI century.

Our railway system to the outside of the country is a joke. Lisbon and Madrid are connected by a regional railway line, not even by an inter-city. The journey there takes about 10 hours and costs something in the order of 100 €.

Lisbon and Oporto are connected with the same flavour of HSR as Lisbon – Faro (theoretic max speed 250 km/h). But unfortunately in the last two thirds of the journey the train rarely goes over 100 km/h, due to various politic issues that prevented the proper upgrading of the railway line (environment, property, geographic, etc).

Plans existed for a proper HSR network to be built at the dawn of the century, but our politicians' endless insight delayed most of it sine die, with the Lisbon – Madrid connection set for 2013 at the earliest.

Lisbon is about 2400 km way from the heart of Europe (Paris – Amesterdam – Frankfurt triangle). Once diesel is high enough to stop the trans-european lorries our economy dies for good.

The Portuguese people have much strength and is capable of everything, even for something as they are misinformed ... I don´t know if you saw "Pros and Contras" about the fuel cost on Monday, it was simply frightening ..

http://jn.sapo.pt/2008/05/22/primeiro_plano/pesca_paralisar_a_partir_dia...

(Google translator, working fine thanks:), much better than yahoo )
"Fishing will paralyze from the day 30
Shipowners demanding subsidies for fuels, which are similar in practice in other member states, but Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries refusal

The fishing industry will make a total detention on the mainland to May 30 in protest against lack of government support to the sector, which can not absorb the increase in fuel prices. The escalation of fuel prices has, moreover, discussed yesterday, the Assembly of the Republic.

The decision of owners of fishing downtime at the end of the month, and for an indefinite period, vai lead to stay on land of about seven thousand vessels, according Miguel Cunha, head of the Shipowners' Association of Industrial Fishing (ADAPI). This stoppage, the leader stressed, vai "impossible the existence of fresh fish caught by boats Portuguese and require the purchase of imported fish, which will be more expensive for consumers and on which you can not ensure the hygiene and health conditions."

The protest, which joins the approximately 20 national associations and unions in the sector, "stems from the fact that in January have sent a letter to sr. Minister, to explain our problems and, until now, not having received any response . We feel ignored, "explained Miguel Cunha.

For the manager, it is worrying that the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries refuses to support the sector, when other EU countries such as France, Italy and Spain, are subsidizing the fishing industry, because of increased fuel. Still, yesterday in France, the fishermen have a mega protest that began with the blockade of the port of Marseilles and has spread to other ports, forcing an emergency meeting between representatives of fishermen and the Government.

"What we ask is that if equivalent competition rules, so that we can compete with our competitors on an equal footing," stressed the leader of the ADAPI. According to the association, the EU has a support mechanism for these situations, and in the case of Portugal, could be made available 15 million euros in aid.

Yesterday, the Minister of Agriculture, Jaime Silva, made it clear that no vai provide more support to the sector, saying that the fishing and agriculture already receive "an important support that others do not have", with a 50% reduction in the price of diesel.

The prime minister, who in Parliament merely reaffirm the assurance that the report of the Competition Authority will be known in early June, is not committed to any position. Not to change the tax on petroleum products (which recognized represent 60% of the total price) or to press oil companies to change their policy on fuel prices.

The Opposition of Right, Santana Lopes and Paulo Portas, insistou the need for tax changes and greater support to enterprises and citizens, victims of the increases.

To the Left, Jeronimo de Sousa and Francisco Louçã challenged the government's inactivity in the face of the huge profits of oil. And no longer a question that the prime minister did not answer "How do you justify that the increases in fuel prices are higher than those of oil?"

I am afraid of what might happen in Lisbon where the problems start, especially in Cova da Moura, Almada ... It may well be the same as in France, but on a larger scale ..

Thank you!
I got used to Yahoo because I use many technical terms and that Yahoo is much better than Google, but I see that in normal language is not true.
I have no problems to read but to write :-) ...
Thanks!

Thanks for the link.

Unfortunately no option for Brit to American English :-)

All those misspelled words, and since when do cars have boots ?

We are not French, and we are NOT sticklers for exact grammar, spelling etc. It is difficult for many native speakers to use English to it's fullest, so do not worry.

Best Hopes,

Alan