the Water Slide Summer is back to liven up the summer in the Porto's Metropolitan Area and the surrounding area Entry to this sort of 'water park' in the middle of the city is free In summer, the water parks are synonymous with fun there is always an alternative: a giant slide the “Water Slide Summer” is back and will animate this weekend the Sameiro area (Praça da Escritaria) will be transformed into a kind of water park there is a condition for ‘diving’ down the 300-meter-long slide to slide in the “Water Slide Summer” you need to present a float The giant slide has two lanes, but it’s not the only attraction planned. On site, the little ones can have a great time in a kidzone with painting There is also musical entertainment by DJs Like last summer, the “Water Slide Summer” will be held in some of the city centers of the region Porto Metropolitan Area and the surrounding area We have published an article describing a new calamitalean species named Annularia paisii with an insect gall about 303 million years old This new fossil species was discovered in the region of São Pedro da Cova in the Douro Carboniferous Basin of the Upper Pennsylvanian of Portugal Our study also includes a report of the worldwide record of arthropod herbivory on sphenophytes The interactions between terrestrial arthropods and vascular plants encompass complex and intriguing terrestrial ecosystems that have persisted from Early Devonian times until today and host plants interacting over a range of trophic levels through predation (i.e. intensity and diversity of these interactions are mainly influenced by climatic and environmental conditions Galling represents the most biologically complex of all major arthropod–plant interactions consisting of parasitic relationships characterized by the endophytic insect-induced plant tissue damage that can occur on all major plant organs The insect-induced galling damage consists of atypically enlarged plant structures that are three-dimensional generally of bilateral or radial symmetry and externally hardened This offers to the encapsulated insect larvae a suitable microclimate nutrition and protection from natural enemies Insect galls usually affect plants only locally Insect galls have a long evolutionary history and the earliest fossil records of galls are known from the Pennsylvanian strata These occurred on stems of arborescent ferns and calamitalean sphenopsids Although insect galls have been well-documented in a wide range of host plant species The Pennsylvanian-age galls are very poorly known because they are rarely found and only occasionally reported in the fossil record Horsetails are plants with a very old historical lineage occurring in the fossil record from the Late Devonian to the present day The new species Annularia paisii shows an insect gall induced by parasitoid insects (popularly known as galling insects) an a previously unknown ichnospecies that received a name Paleogallus carpannularites This shows the existence of complex insect-plant relationships 303 million years ago and reiterates the importance of the fossil record of the Portuguese Carboniferous The patterns of herbivory of insects and other arthropods on horsetails are little known recently published in the International Journal of Plant Sciences documenting 315 million years of sphenophyte herbivory relationships by arthropod Ecological adaptation of Annularia paisii The arrangement of the leaves of Annularia paisii appears anomalous for a species of Annularia Its leaves are arranged in cup-shaped whorls a typical characteristic of other calamitalean sphenopsid-like fossil genus Asterophyllites Several explanations can account for this condition The leaves of Annularia paisii were perhaps retracted into a cup shape during their burial the cup shape could have been an induced feature resulting from their sensitivity to sunlight or an external tactile stimulus similar to the modern sensitive plant Another possibility is a physiological reaction from an herbivorous insect Annularia paisii is named in honor of the Portuguese paleobotanist João Pais (1949–2016) from Nova University in Lisbon (Portugal) This story is part of Science X Dialog, where researchers can report findings from their published research articles. Visit this page for information about ScienceX Dialog and how to participate Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email Continente has announced the opening of 16 new local stores by the end of the year representing an investment of 35 million euros The food retail brand will close the year with more than 180 Continente Bom Dia stores in Portugal The new stores will be located in Paredes (Porto) Pousada de Saramagos (Vila Nova de Famalicão) and Pevidém (Guimarães) We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time If Continente is opening that many new stores in Portugal why can't Lidle and Aldi open 1 new store each in Madeira Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal CRISTIANO RONALDO marked people's cards when he first arrived at Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon He cheekily said to those around at the time: "If you think I'm good Incredibly, Paim was more highly regarded at Lisbon than either Ronaldo or now-Wolves star Joao Moutinho. Ronaldo has established himself as one of the greatest players in history with 198 international caps as Moutinho closes in on 150 matches for his country. Unfortunately for Paim, despite winning 42 international caps at youth level for Portugal's Under-16's all the way through to the Under-21's, he faded completely into obscurity. He didn't earn a single senior international cap, and as he admitted, he didn't deserve to either. Because Paim's story is an educational one for youth players who get bumper contracts when they're kids and think they've already made it. He joined Sporting at the age of six, and by 14 Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United were regularly checking on his progress. Even the French Football Federation offered him the chance to move to France so he could represent their country. To warn everybody off, Sporting tied Paim down on an £18,000 per week contract. FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS little did they know they would be sowing the seeds for his eventual downfall He told Globoesporte in 2017: “I spent a lot of money on cars I believed I had more talent than everyone else drive a nice car and behave with no humility I spent time with people I wanted to and did what I wanted no one criticised me when things were going well Paim was born in the luxurious surroundings of Estoril a famed luxury entertainment destination on the Portuguese Riviera Paim added: “I was not used to having money “I didn’t have what young players have now which is an example to follow I feel proud and a little ashamed to pass along this message to them.” After failing to break into the Sporting Lisbon team super agent Jorge Mendes brokered a loan deal for Paim to try his luck at Chelsea in 2008 Playing for the Blues' reserve side under Brendan Rodgers it was hoped the move would kickstart his career again as he revealed: “It was there where I stopped training and doing my work I had money and I started doing a lot of things I didn’t do before The doors were open for me to do what I felt like.” After a season in West London he returned to Portugal and was eventually released by Sporting in 2010 joining 12 different clubs in seven different countries he was looking for game time with Portuguese second division side before moving to fourth tier side AD Sao Pedro da Cova on a free Paim was arrested for possession of narcotics but was later acquitted as wire-tapping is not admissible in a court of law But Paim knows where he went wrong and where Ronaldo went right I could do more than him but I did not have what he had which is the strength and desire to be what I wanted to be "He had a great work ethic and I didn’t have that “I would have preferred to have less quality if I had more of the other part I would have been one of the best in the world I thought having talent was enough but it’s not.” houses and other abandoned buildings pique the curiosity of the 'bravest' there are places that are considered 'haunted' even away from the big screen this is our list of ‘haunted’ and/or scary places About half an hour’s drive from Invicta this is probably one of the most famous ‘haunted’ places near Porto The Valongo Sanatorium (as the Mont’alto Sanatorium came to be known) is located in the parish of São Pedro da Cova the sanatorium remained active between the 50s and 70s Tuberculosis patients were often housed here there were reports of mistreatment and neglect it is said that the building once had around 350 patients at the same time vandalized and damaged by subsequent fires The name alone makes it sound like a ‘scary’ place, right? Located less than an hour’s drive from Porto, this abandoned house is in Felgueiras, according to other media, more specifically in the Moure area. Known as the ‘House of the Devil’, this is another of the ‘haunted’ places that could serve as a setting for horror fiction. According to the associated urban legends, a childless couple once lived in this building, the husband was a farmer and lived off the land, while the wife did embroidery for the outside. It is said that they lived alone, but that unexplained phenomena often occurred in one of the rooms of the house. For example, there were reports of objects flying or furniture moving on its own. One day, the woman left some of her work neatly folded and ironed in the aforementioned room. However, what she found was a very different scene, with the embroidery all messed up and covered in urine. It is said that the couple ended up leaving the house forever, and it has since become known as the ‘Devil’s House’. Furthermore, even today, there are allegedly reports of unusual noises and sightings of a mysterious man on the balcony. Of the various stories mentioned here, this is certainly one of the most macabre legends of all. Belonging to the municipality of Penafiel, it is said that D. Luís de Lencastre Carneiro de Vasconcelos, Baron of Lages, and his wife, Inês , once lived at Quinta da Juncosa. A heinous crime is said to have taken place in this once manor house . According to the accounts, the baron was a jealous man, so when he thought that his wife had betrayed him, he murdered her. However, he did it in an unspeakable way. In other words, the baron tied his wife to a horse and dragged her around the farm until she died. When he realized what he had done, the baron killed his children and committed suicide. Since then, it’s been speculated that his spirit has wandered around Quinta da Juncosa forever! View this post on Instagram Casa do Relógio do Sol Located in one of the most ‘privileged’ areas of the city of Porto is mentioned in several articles on the subject of “haunted places” Built at the beginning of the 20th century namely artillery captain Artur Jorge Guimarães it is said that his children clashed over inheritance This led to the building being abandoned and it is said to have been clandestinely occupied by a shoemaker who stole all the contents and damaged the property the rightful owners and heirs entered into litigation with the occupant and the case allegedly went to court without a solution Against a backdrop of conflicts and unresolved issues but here’s another story worthy of Halloween Daily news about the Eurovision Song Contest Portugal has chosen its representative for Eurovision Iolanda has achieved victory in the Festival da Canção 2024 with her song “Grito.” The young artist secured first place in the regional jury voting and second place in the televote This win gives Portugal the chance to reach the Eurovision 2024 final although it all depends on whether she can qualify in the first semifinal to be held on May 7 in the Swedish city of Malmö Iolanda is a Portuguese singer and songwriter born in São Pedro de Cova Gala such as her debut in 2008 on the first season of the television program “Uma Canção para Ti.” she decided to pursue further education by moving to London where she studied composition at the BIMM Music Institute at the University of Sussex Iolanda has made her mark with a distinct identity in her music which is characterized mainly by a pop and R&B (Rhythm and Blues) style while always keeping her Portuguese and Iberian roots “Cura,” entirely composed during the lockdown months of the pandemic she’s given small acoustic concerts with Brazilian musician Vando Barros and performed at various significant Portuguese festivals like Sonar de Lisboa Her latest release is the single “Grito,” the song with which she participated in the Festival da Canção 2024 and the winning proposal to represent Portugal in the upcoming Eurovision edition This song speaks about taking a stance to overcome life’s obstacles and freeing oneself from the wounds of the past Her latest release is the single “Grito,” the song with which she competed in Festival da Canção 2024 and the winning entry to represent Portugal at the new edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö This song is about adopting a mindset of overcoming obstacles and releasing the burdens of the past The staging of this song prominently features the color white in both the lighting and the attire of the singer and her dancers with contemporary dance surrounding Iolanda at all times The most poignant moment comes in the final part of the song and the camera closes in for a close-up shot senti O corpo a carregar Seguimos assimUm e outro Sou queda livre Aviso quando lá chegar Entrego-me aquiPouco a pouco  presa na partidaQuero largar o que me deixou feridaPeço à estrela mãe que faça o dia Nascer de novo  (Ainda arde!)Transformei cada verso de mimE entregue à coragemQue ainda arde ainda ardeBate a luz no peito e abreSou chama que ainda ardeAinda arde Hoje eu quero provar a mim mesmaQue posso ser o que eu quiser Juntar quem me quer bem numa mesaPerdoar quem me quis ver sofrer Não!) Eu sou todo o tamanho (Sou!)Ainda lembro presa na partidaHoje eu largo aquilo que me deixou feridaE peço à estrela mãe que faça o dia Nascer de novo  Transformei cada verso de mimE entregue à coragemQue ainda arde I felt my body carrying meWe keep goingOne and the other I’ll let you know when I get thereI surrender myself stuck in the starting lineI want to let go of what hurt meI ask the morning star to make the day rise again (It still burns) I’ve transformed every verse within me(It still burns) And given in to the courage that still burns still burnsBeats the light in my chest and opensI’m a flame that still burns Today I want to prove to myselfThat I can be whatever I want (whatever I want)Gather those who love me around a tableForgive those who wanted to see me sufferI can’t be fooled (no no)I am whole (I am)I still remember when I was littleI dreamed first still burnsI’m a flame that still burns I’ve transformed every verse within meAnd given in to the courage that still burns Portugal’s Eurovision debut dates back to 1964 António Calvário was the first representative to kick-start this Eurovision journey which to this day has amassed 56 participations and 8 qualifications for the Final since the introduction of semi-finals Subsequent Portuguese participations in Eurovision lacked the success they desired they had to take several breaks from participating due to financial problems that were difficult to overcome in preparation for a new edition Their return in 2017 served to crown Portugal as the winner of that year’s edition held in Kiev Salvador Sobral touched the hearts of the audience with his ballad “Amar Pelos Dois,” achieving the highest score in history Portugal hosted Eurovision 2018 in the capital city of Lisbon came with her song “O Jardim” only managing to score 39 points landing in the last position on the scoreboard Cláudia Pascoal attempted once again to represent her country in Eurovision but only managed to secure the bronze medal following Mimicat’s victory with her song “Ai Coração,” becoming Portugal’s representative in 2023 Mimicat qualified for the final where she finished in 23rd place in the grand final Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked * Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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