MASTER MANSIONS
Toll relief
A PLEA has been made to suspend tolls on the AP-7 motorway in the Vega Baja after the charges on the neighbouring Alicante by-pass were dropped until mid-October.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the move will reduce congestion on the A-7 highway around the provincial capital as an ‘experiment’ to measure new traffic flows.
Alicante Provincial Council has now asked the Ministry to extend the suspension south.
Request
Council vice-president Marina Saez (above) says the request comes from Vega Baja mayors who have demanded that their ‘historic request’ be listened to. They also insisted that the ‘Pedro Sanchez government should stop ignoring us.’
“It is incomprehensible that the only toll road in the entire Valencian Community is the AP-7 between Los Montesinos and Villamartín-La Zenia,” said Saez.
“This harms not only residents but also the thousands of tourists who visit us – especially during the summer,” she added.
The AP-7 section has just 6,000 vehicles using it per day and for ‘just seven kilometres, users must pay an exorbitant toll of €9’.
O P LIVE RESS
British grandfather-of-ten died after taking infamous painkiller while cycling through Spain
THE devastated family of a British expat who died within hours of being prescribed a ‘lethal’ painkiller in Spain are demanding urgent answers.
Roy St Pierre, 77, was cycling from Portugal to England when a hospital on the Costa Blanca prescribed him the drug Nolotil.
The grandfather-of-ten was given it despite Spanish health authorities being warned against prescribing the medicine to British tourists back in 2018.
Nolotil is being investigated in both Spain and Brussels after being linked to dozens of deaths of northern Europeans - whose genetics are believed to place them more at risk.
Multiple patients have seen their white blood cells plummet after taking the drug, leading to deadly infections, most notably sepsis.
By Yzabelle Bostyn
them by bike.
In particular, he wanted to meet a new granddaughter born to his daughter, Eve St Pierre, at the height of the pandemic.
“He was very moral and eco-conscious, so he decided to cycle across the continent; he had done it twice before,” said Eve.
On March 2, 2023, he set off to Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, keeping in touch via daily updates on Facebook.
The retired youth worker was soon crossing Spain, where he decided to visit some old friends who had retired in Alicante.
It is this infection that officially killed Londoner Roy within just hours of being prescribed Nolotil at Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, in Alicante.
Roy had moved to Portugal in 2020 and lived with his daughter Amelia St Pierre in Silves, on the Algarve. However, the ‘lynchpin’ of the family still had seven children back in the UK and decided to travel back to see
However, on March 25, he began to experience ‘agonising’ back pain, posting: “I was in agony in Almeria until the ibuprofen kicked in.”
Despite massages and medication, the pain persisted and over a week later, on April 3, he decided to seek help.
After visiting a local health centre in Alicante complaining of stomach pain and vomiting, he was referred to the Hospital Universitari Sant Joan d’Alacant.
He was there diagnosed with ‘nonspecific abdominal pain’, given pain medication and told to return the next day if he was still uncomfortable.
The next morning he set off on his beloved bike to the hospital but fell off and had to be brought in by ambulance.
After an evaluation, it was determined he was suffering from a perforated bowel and would need surgery.
By 12 noon
he was administered metamizole, the active ingredient in Nolotil, which is believed to deplete many northern Europeans white blood cells and leave their immunity exposed.
Roy’s family claim that in spite of his ‘compromised immunity’, he was still taken into surgery.
While the operation was successful, Roy never regained consciousness and passed away from sepsis, a widely reported side effect of metamizole, on April 5.
“We were all reeling with shock,” Eve told the Olive Press, “it was so quick and unexpected.
“We don’t think we can prove definitively that it was Nolotil that killed him, but we know that giving him it didn’t help his odds,” she added.
According to a 2018 informative note issued by the Spanish Medicines Agency (AEMPS), the drug should not be given to ‘floating populations’ that cannot
be monitored, such as tourists. It also should not be given to anyone without a background check, due to the potential risks for certain populations such as
Nolotil tragedy
Northern Europeans. Although banned in over 40 countries, the medication is popular in Spain for mid-level pain, as it is stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol.
German pharmaceutical giant, Boehringer Ingelheim, which makes the drug, told the Olive Press it has a ‘well-established safety profile and has been used by patients for almost 60 years’.
“I would really love to meet a spokesperson at Boehringer, someone who must know there's a problem with agranulocytosis,” said Eve, a community worker.
‘Free falling’
“I want them to look me in the eye and say that prescribing that for somebody's medium level pain, is worth my dad's death.”
Over a year after his passing, the family still feel like they are ‘free fall-
“He was the ground beneath everybody. There’s no home anymore,”
ing’, says Eve. she said.
The European Medicines Agency is currently investigating metamizole’s safety profile after the Finnish government raised concerns about the It comes after years of campaigning by medical translator, Cristina del Campo, and the Olive Press
drug. the case.
You can sign our petition online and find more information at www.adafspain.org. The Hospital Universitari have failed to comment on
EXCLUSIVE
HEARTBROKEN: Eve St Pierre (left) still hasn’t recovered from her father’s death
Seafront restriction
VEHICLES will be barred from Torrevieja’s seafront area during August once the Vista Alegre and Marina Salinas car parks are full to prevent motorists being ‘trapped’ with nowhere to park.
Salt therapy
A SALTWATER therapy centre will be built at Torrevieja’s pink lagoon salt flats inside the disused La Quimica buildings as part of the ongoing work to revitalise the site.
British flasher
A BRITISH expat has been arrested in Mazarron for obscene sexual exposure in front of a child, with the Guardia Civil confirming he committed similar offences in the UK.
Beach death
A WOMAN, 80, drowned on Tuesday while bathing at Bahia del Puerto de Mazarron beach with lifeguards unable to revive her after she was pulled unconscious out of the water.
TRAGEDY struck for a British couple after they were hit by a drunk driver while crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing outside their hotel in Mar Menor.
The husband, 50, was killed in the hit and run while his wife, 48, was seriously injured outside the Costa Narejos Hotel.
The unnamed tourists were staying in Los Narejos and were returning to their
DRINK-DRIVING DEATH
accommodation when the car mowed them down just after 11pm on July 9. The driver fled the scene but was later arrested by the Los Alcazares Policia Local with a breath test showing him threetimes over the alcohol limit.
He testified before a judge that visibility
was ‘poor’ in the vicinity of the crossing.
The British man died from his injuries at Murcia’s Virgen de La Arrixaca Hospital the next day.
His wife, 48, spent nearly a week in intensive care before being moved to a general ward.
Elderly Brit fleeced
A CARER has been accused of stealing over €50,000 from the bank account of an elderly British man and using it to start a new life for herself in Switzerland.
The woman tapped his bank card in a string of shops, restaurants, and gambling premises across the Alpine state.
Spanish carer went on Swiss spending spree – and nearly got away with it
By Alex Trelinski
The victim, a 91-year-old Rojales resident, became suspicious when he started to get notifications for declined transactions.
Believing he had plenty of money in his account, he found he could no longer afford even his modest daily expenses.
Suddenly out of pocket, he had to get emergency transfers
FOUR British and Norwegian men have been arrested in Cabo Roig and Los Urrutias for making fake ID cards to rip-off phone companies and banks.
Six people – mainly women of Irish nationality – were also arrested for acting as ‘mules’ to supply their images used in the bogus cards.
Authorities said that multiple scams were committed by the gang across Spain, but did not say how much money they made.
The crew obtained original identity card
from his son just to survive. The victim contacted the Guardia Civil to report what had been going on.
A 64-year-old Spanish woman with a criminal record was subsequently arrested in Formentera del Segura and charged with defrauding the man of €53,753. The carer took some tracking
IDENTITY FRAUDSTERS
images which were modified by computer technology and superimposed the photo of another person on the altered card. The forged ID was then used to carry out different types of fraud ranging from registering phone contracts to getting credit card accounts.
down as she was spending a lot of time in Switzerland where she had a property.
She knew that authorities were after her but made a vital mistake that led to her capture.
She came back to Spain to sell her home in Formentera ahead of a permanent migration when cops finally put cuffs on her.
The Guardia probe involved a full study of the British man's bank account where they discovered a high number of unusual withdrawals.
Investigations quickly zeroed in on his caregiver, who had worked for him for 18 months.
The woman was bailed after appearing before a Torrevieja judge.
It’s the latest in a string of cases in recent years where carers have betrayed the trust of the people that they were meant to be looking after.
Ski mask gang arrested
A TERRIFYING robbery gang that targeted luxury villas across Alicante province by stalking the owners in ski masks has been arrested.
Three men and three women of undisclosed nationalities were detained in Rojales, Algorfa, Villajoyosa, and Orihuela Costa. They were all bailed after a Villajoyosa court appearance and face multiple robbery charges, as well as car theft and faking documents.
The Guardia Civil launched Operation Hanok in November 2023 after a La Nucia villa was broken into with the residents inside after the gang followed the owner into his property.
False
Various items were stolen including a high-end vehicle. Investigators found the crew mainly operated in the south of Alicante province.
Like in the La Nucia robbery, they trailed owners to their villas with their faces covered by masks to avoid recognition. Besides false car number plates, they used fake documents under bogus names to rent homes which they changed regularly.
A house search on Orihuela Costa found items used in the robberies including radio inhibitors and binoculars.
McGregor madness
CONOR McGregor tore up Marbella and ruffled feathers in his usual style.
Fresh from sailing in from Mallorca on his yacht, his strolls around town caused excited crowds to gather outside the Hard Rock Hotel where he was staying.
He then kept fans waiting for three hours at his VIP evening at the swanky Clubhouse bar.
But when he did finally show up, it was blockbuster. He swirled through the venue and schmoozed with the fans – before promptly vanishing into the VIP lounge.
The UFC legend is in the Costa del Sol to promote his newest venture – bringing bare-knuckle boxing to Spain.
Diva 1
GOOD SPORTS
Boy band congratulate Spain on Euros win during Marbella concert, wearing Spanish flags and sipping sangria
BRITISH boy band Take That sparked controversy after they donned Spanish flags during their Marbella concert to congratulate Spain for their Euros win.
Take That performed at Marbella’s Starlite Festival in the aftermath of England’s Euros defeat on Monday, July 15. After taking to the stage during Sunday’s match, they raised eyebrows in their post-Euros concert by donning Spanish flags and congratulating Luis de la Fuente’s side.
“We had to play a show during the game last night to a mix
of Spanish and English,” said frontman Gary Barlow.
“That was tough.”
The band then brought out a picnic basket containing flags, scarves, sunglasses and hats emblazoned with the Spanish flag.
Barlow congratulated La Roja, saying: “It’s only a game of football, well done Spain.”
Mark Owen even draped himself in an Andalucian flag, sipping fresh sangria under a parasol.
Refreshed, the band sang This Life, the title track of their new album. In the face of England’s loss
ALTHOUGH known as the archetypal 90s boy band, Take That proved they are still going strong, albeit with a hefty sprinkle of dad dancing and panto-esque narration. Some 34 years after they first got together, just three of the original five members remain: Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen.
They performed two sold out shows at Starlite Festival in Marbella on July 14 and 15. It is part of their European tour promoting their new album, This Life, with seven shows in Spain.
Almost four decades into their career, they delivered a unique and privileged experience, showcasing their dozens of hits to a captivated audience.
As they traversed their musical career, the
Bump and grind
the song aptly encouraged fans to move on, saying: “This life ain’t no bed of roses. This life will take everything that you’ve got.
“In this life, there’s no second chances. Make this life
band gave a cheesy, musical-esque narration, taking the audience on a journey through their discography.
Barlow’s voice is as strong as ever and the group's stage presence cannot be doubted.
Despite various videos poking fun at their choreography online, it is clear to see that fans enjoy the dad-style dancing.
The show also had multiple outfit changes, each more glittery than the last.
All the band members got their time in the limelight, performing at least one solo song each.
My favorite was definitely, Pray, with the fun dance routine giving it that touch more pazzazz. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed the speculator.
yours.”
As for the searing balmy evening with temperatures hardly dropping below 30C, the trio fought through sweat to serenade the sell out crowd.
“It’s going to get even worse: we’re playing in Sevilla tomorrow (Tuesday, July 16). That’s even hotter,” Barlow told the 1,500 fans.
The band played a 90 minute show full of hits from their 34 year career.
Cheeky
As they left the stage, Owen whipped out a water gun, squirting at the crowd. Was he helping fans combat the heat? Or was it a cheeky reference to Barcelona anti-tourism protestors drenching visitors?
Although missing two former members, Robbie Williams and Jason Orange, they delivered a thoroughly entertaining performance.
The crowd was a mix of English, Spanish and Northern Europeans of all ages, singing along and enjoying the show.
Diva 2
IT was the return of a true disco legend. Like a classic diva, 76-year-old Grace Jones rightfully turned up on stage half an hour late and then gyrated like a teenager in a sexy outfit at the BBK festival in Bilbao. Headlining at nearly midnight, she danced and grooved through a fabulous two-hour set including classics I’ve Seen that Face Before and Pull Up to My Bumper Wearing thigh-length boots and at least half a dozen outfits she wowed the crowd in her first headline show here for a decade.
When complimented on the show and asked by the Olive Press later backstage how she had so much energy at her age, she flashed a wicked grin and said: ‘You’re so cute, I love that. Thanks.’
See Tears at Midnight, page 36
LICENCE TO SHOCK
DANIEL Craig literally let his hair down this week with a surprising new look in an autumn-winter campaign for the Spanish luxury fashion house, Loewe. The Brit actor, 56, looked a longway off from his roles as James Bond and an American detective in the Knives Out movies.
Photos show him looking like a hipster, with longer hair, and some quirky clothing choices. He modelled a range of colourful knitwear including a forest green and caramel polo top and a modern fair isle jumper splashed with hot pink, orange, lemon-yellow and olive-green.
Social media comments included ‘from Bond to cool uncle’ and over his longer hair – ‘Javier Bardem is that you?’
Kicking up a stink
A PROTEST will take place next week against a new regional biowaste recycling plant that Los Montesinos council has agreed to take on. Some residents are upset about the lack of public consultation and foul odours once the facility goes on line.
The platform fighting the project admits that 'garbage is a problem' but was surprised that Los Montesinos, covering the Vega Baja region, offered itself up to become home to the facility.
“We don't understand this decision and we are having to make some noise because we oppose the plant,” it said.
“No matter what anybody says, there will be smells,” the group added, with protest banners appearing around the town in the last week.
AN ANTI-TOURISM protest broke out in Alicante this month calling 'housing is a right and tourism a privilege'.
A manifesto was read outside the Casino del Puerto saying that the city 'lives off tourism, when in reality it is tourism that lives from it, and Alicante has a limit'.
Anti-Alicante
Around 700 people joined in the event, organised by neighbourhood pressure group Donde Vas? (Where are you going?). They also slammed job insecurity in
Environmentalists form human chains across beaches to protest beach erosion and home evictions
BEACHES across the Valencia and Murcia regions saw the remarkable sight of hundreds of people forming human chains.
The classic peaceful protest stunt, it was organised to demand action against sand erosion and potential evictions of homeowners.
Organisers Somos Mediterranea blame the construction of dams and ports along the
PLANS to turn an old American military base into a migrant reception centre have been scrapped over opposition from residents.
The government said last year that around 600 people would be hosted at the Aitana facility by mid-2025 with the help of €25 million from a EU grant.
At over 1,500 metres above sea level, the centre sits at the highest point in Alicante province.
However the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration made a hasty U-turn when they realised the extent of the costs to
coastline for the sandy beaches being washed away.
The platform also says that the most recent Coastal Law reforms will result in the demolition of homes – some of which have been around for 'centuries'.
Around 100 homeowners of coastal properties in Denia said they have been threatened with losing full control of their
NOT IN MY BACK YARD!
refurbish the buildings.
The department also acknowledged that people in the Alcoleja municipality had mobilised themselves to oppose the development over its 'environmental, urban, social, and economic impact'.
the tourism sector and warned of the dangers of a model of 'tourist monoculture', which only benefits a business elite.
Taking up arms
homes last autumn because of legislation classifying the plots of land as public domain.
Federico Aniorte from Somos Mediterranea said:
in the Valencian Community including Malvarrosa, Gandía, Guardamar and Sagunto as well as Cabo de Palos in Murcia.
Fatal fall
A BRITISH woman, 74, fell three metres to her death at the site of a ‘known hazard’ near Torrevieja.
Widow Hilary Philips was walking along a footpath by Playa Flamenca commercial centre, close to the Help at Home office, when she stumbled and fell through a gap in the fence onto the road below.
Resident groups had been warning about the hazard posed by building work in the area for years.
Priscilla Cromie, who was with Hilary at the time of the accident, said: “I will never get it out of my head. “She walked on the wrong side where the workers were and went straight over the edge of the track, falling down into the service road.”
Paramedics treating her for 45 minutes before stabilising her condition.
Hilary was then taken to Torrevieja Hospital with serious head and neck injuries but died several hours later.
"Instead of protecting what is needed, the Coastal Law is being applied to expropriate and banish families who have had their legal home since time immemorial, without compensating them and even making them pay for the demolition of their property."
HAND S OFF OUR COSTAS
The arm linkers appeared on several beaches on Saturday
A PP deputy in the Valencian parliament, Ignacio Aleixandre, attended the protest in El Perello.
“A new Coastal Law is needed for people and the environment because our beaches are suffering a significant deterioration that threatens their disappearance,” said Aleixandre.
HAZARD: Authorities knew of the issue
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two
OPINION
Time for action
THIS week, we published yet another tragic Nolotil story.
Since we began our campaign against the drug in 2017, we have written dozens of articles detailing the horrific pain and suffering caused by the painkiller.
And finally, the European Medicines Agency is taking a hard look at the evidence against this dangerous drug.
But for many heartbroken families, it is too little, too late.
Take Roy St Pierre, a man who cared so much about the planet he would leave behind his ten grandchildren and opt to cycle across Europe instead of catching a cheap Ryanair flight.
The evidence suggests he was struck down by Nolotil whilst trying to do the right thing for the world he loved so much.
Who can forget Yvonne Flowers? The vibrant expat whose family had to fight tooth and nail to get compensation for the loss of their beloved mother to the drug.
These are just two of an estimated 45 deaths and hundreds of Nolotil related cases.
Not every victim has died as a result of the drug. Many have been left with life-altering injuries including amputations and other complications.
For example, Brit Stephen Burke, 65, had to relearn how to walk after his encounter with Nolotil.
The drug is one of the most popular on the market in Spain as it is not an opioid but stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol, making it ‘perfect’ for mid-level pain.
KILL THE DRUG
Spanish health authorities have recognised the dangers but state the benefit outweighs the risk.
How can that be true when Nolotil has so often led to sepsis, organ failure and even death for the thousands of northern European expats and tourists in Spain? Let’s hope that the EU will finally make the Spanish health authorities take notice.
PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es
Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es
Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es
Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es
Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es
Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es
Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es
Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es
FRAGMENTATION
Is Spain about to undergo an internal fracturing?
Inside the movement that wants to make Leon the country’s 18th autonomous community – letting the independence genie out of the bottle in the process
ALITTLE-KNOWN independence movement is trying to take root in Granada. A rabble of rambunctious rebels are seeking to cleave the province from the autonomous community of Andalucia, and escape the so-called yoke of its regional capital, Sevilla.
Leading the charge is author and activist Cesar Giron, who believes Granada could thrive as its own autonomous region.
He points to neighbouring regions to support his argument.
"How is Murcia, which is smaller than Granada, doing? And Logroño, Asturias or Cantabria?”
The region’s history as the former Kingdom of Granada gives the independence movement a historical mandate, he believes.
“It is clear that things have gone badly for us in Andalucia,” Giron adds. “Sevilla has taken everything and left nothing for us.”
While the movement currently appears to have remarkably little public support, it can take heart and inspiration from events fur-
EXCLUSIVE
By Cole Sinanian
ther north.
A recent vote in the province of Leon favouring autonomy from Castilla y Leon has brought to the spotlight its own far more evolved independence movement.
One that’s haunted the region since the transition to democracy.
While it remains to be seen whether the Castilla y Leon government will heed the Leonese call for autonomy, activists in the Leonese region — which includes the modern day provinces of Leon, Zamora, and Salamanca — deem it necessary to confront the related issues of economic decay, depopulation, and what they describe as a deliberate effort to erase Leonese identity.
The historical region of Leon is defined as such through a shared history distinct from that of Old Castille — which includes today’s
theolivepress.es
THE death of Queen Elizabeth II, Liz Truss’s disastrous stint as prime minister, chorizo-paella croquette and lately the Spain-England Euro 2024 final. What do all of these things all have in common? Well, fortunately for me, they’ve been excuses over the last two years to get my mug back on the Spanish telly to explain to viewers just what the hell is going on with the UK.
Those watching Spanish television most recently may have spotted me giving an English perspective on the Euro 2024 tussle between England and Spain – which turned out to be a painful but unsurprising victory for the boys in red.
My side-gig as the go-to-guiri for Spanish tele-
provinces of Burgos, Soria, Segovia, Avila, Valladolid, and Palencia — as well as through a cultural lineage stretching back to prehistory.
The region also has its own language, Asturleones, which forms a dialect continuum of mutually intelligible varieties spoken across the north of Spain and Portugal.
HISTORICAL: Up to 90,000
independence in 1984
and landowners began to form in Leon in the 7th century, through which small towns maintained a degree of economic independence from the feudal lords, with peasants making collective decisions and settling feuds communally.
The direct democracy of the Consejos, as they were known, was seldom seen in Medieval Europe, and played a key role in the kingdom’s prosperity.
A 2020 survey suggested 81% of residents of the Leon province supported ditching Castilla
Its identity was solidified with the rise of the Medieval Kingdom of Leon, which, at its peak in the High Middle Ages, was among the Iberian peninsula’s most powerful — and perhaps most democratic.
An elaborate rural network of alliances between peasants
According to Alberto Zamorano, president of the Citizens Collective of the Leonese Region (CCRL) — a group fighting against the ‘cultural erasure and economic and demographic decline’ in historic Leon — an autonomous Leon could help codify the role of direct democracy in Leonese politics.
“Leones autonomy would reinforce this role,” he told the Olive Press, “with specific legislation that would grant them the duties that correspond to them at the legal level.”
POLITICS, DEPOPULATION, AND THE RISE OF LEONESISMO
Despite Leon’s inclusion in the 1833 division of Spanish territories, a series of last-minute political decisions urged by the soon-to-be
The Olive Press’ go-to-guiri Simon Hunter has been on Spanish telly offering an English perspective on the Euro 2024 final – but it’s just the latest in a string of television appearances
ally dedicated myself full time to Spanish television.
By Simon Hunter
I racked up 15 trips to the television studio in nearly 30 appearances on television and radio – on La 1, Antena 3, Cuatro, Telecinco and La Sexta, among others – to discuss the crisis in the British Royal Family.
Despite the serious situation, with both the Princess of Wales and King Charles being treated for cancer, the run of appearances had its lighter moments.
vision channels really got going back in 2022, first with the Platinum Jubilee, then with the passing of the queen and later with the ensuing political turmoil. But nothing could have prepared me for the media frenzy in Spain that arrived after Kate Middleton released a badly photoshopped picture of her and her children in March. Rumours were already swirling that all was not as it seemed with regard to her health problems, and the Spanish needed a wisened Englishman to counsel them on the matter. For three weeks, I liter-
In the midst of the madness, I drove up to see my wife and her family who were spending Easter in their village in Leon.
When I stopped to get petrol, a customer at the counter looked at me and said: “You look very familiar!”
I sheepishly suggested she may have seen me on the television in recent days, to which she replied, pointing her finger at me: “Ingles!”
Once in the village, I also got recognised while we were in the local bar, much to the amusement of my family.
I should, however, point out that everyone who has recognised me so far has been an older Spanish lady – no young people at all – which may tell you something about the profile of the terrestrial TV watcher in Spain these days… Practically every appearance I have done over the last two years has been live, which can be somewhat nerve wracking, particularly as I am
LEON CATHEDRAL: The city and province has been seeking independence for decades
protestors marched for Leonese
first Deputy Prime Minister Rodolfo Martin Villa during the transition to democracy in the late 1970s led to the merging of Leon and Old Castille into a single autonomous community, largely to the opposition of Leonese.
Polling since has shown high support for Leonese autonomy, with a 2020 survey suggesting 81% of residents of the Leon province supported it.
In 1984, not long after the approval of Castilla y Leon’s statute of autonomy, somewhere between 35,000 and 90,000 protesters took to the streets of Leon under the slogan Leon sin Castilla es una Maravilla (Leon without Castilla is beautiful).
Despite the numbers, the protests failed to enshrine Leonese autonomy, though the sentiment behind them never wore off.
In 2024, the lack of economic opportunities in Leon and the corresponding depopulation of rural Spain — which has had a particularly drastic effect on the Leonese region — has influenced the most recent push for autonomy, says CCRL member Hector Alvarez.
As younger generations head to major cities in search of work, the three Leonese provinces have suffered drastic population losses in the past 10 years.
Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that the population of the Leon
speaking in my second language. As soon as the camera comes on, you are aware that any slip-up could immediately become a meme, and thanks to the internet, will literally live forever.
While I don’t generally get nervous, I do curse myself when a grammatical slip comes out of my mouth, or when I lose my train of thought.
And I always spend a huge amount of time preparing for each appearance, having been caught out very early on in my career for not doing my homework
Guiri TV
when doing a radio interview. Fortunately, with very few exceptions, everyone I have dealt with so far – both on camera and behind the scenes – has been incredibly kind, generous and encouraging. My experiences tell me that Spaniards are fascinated by our Royal Family, and they have also been observing the political chaos post-Brexit with something approaching schadenfreude, but never losing that deep affection for the UK
AVOID THE FOMO!
Only registered readers at theolivepress.es can enjoy our exclusive giveaways
“We can make our own budget, but we don’t have the option to choose a tourism strategy, or industrial strategy,” Alvarez
SPLIT: The Leon portion of Castilla y Leon includes the provinces of Leon, Zamora, and Salamanca says. MURKY FOUNDATIONS
There’s also the issue of the numerous public ‘foundations’ put together by the Castilla y Leon government, whose purposes are often murky and, despite being funded in part by taxpayer money in Leon, have little to do with Leonese society
as most are based in Valladolid.
province fell by more than 8% between 2012 and 2021, while Zamora’s population fell by nearly 12% in the same period, and Salamanca’s fell by more than 6%.
The region’s ties to Castilla have prevented it from developing an economy sustainable enough to keep its population balance stable, Alvarez says, as only a small portion of the autonomous community’s budget is dedicated to the sparsely populated Leonese provinces.
“We are forgotten,” he says. “We don’t have the capacity to define our own economic policy and we depend on what Valladolid tells us.”
This lack of autonomy has prevented the Leonese provinces from forging their own economic policy specific to their needs.
Tourism in Castilla y Leon, for example, has historically been concentrated in Castilla, mainly in Valladolid, so the autonomous government lacks motivation to develop a largescale tourism campaign in historic Leon, which could provide jobs and much-needed economic stimulus.
that so many Spaniards harbour.
As the fame and popularity of the now-deceased English former footballer-turned-presenter Michael Robinson showed, Spaniards also have a soft spot for a Brit who can speak their language. Luckily for me, I currently have the honour of fitting that bill, and being their go-to-guiri whenever anything nuts is happening in the UK. I’ve not been short of work…
In some cases, these organisations have political motives, and at times appear to have actively worked to diminish Leonese identity.
“There people varez says.
“There is a part of the expenditure that’s spent in a very opaque way and is certainly not for the benefit of the people of Leon,” Al-
One example is the notorious Fundacion Villalar, founded in 2003, whose stated objective is to ‘contribute to the consolidation and development of democratic coexistence and social progress in Castilla y Leon through the promotion, defence, knowledge, and diffusion of values.’
democratic coexistence knowledge, is
The organisation is named after a 16th-century battle in the Valladolid town of Villalar de los Comuneros, during which a group of bourgeoisie rebels staged an uprising against the rule of Carlos I.
The insurrectionists were crushed, and the battle resulted in the decapitation of the rebel leaders.
The Fundacion Villalar, funded by the Castilla y Leon parliament, uses much of its €750,000 a year to pay for ‘Castilla y Leon Day’ celebrations, a holiday that takes place on April 23 — the date of the battle.
Erasure
However, the CCRL as well as the Leonese People’s Union — the primary Leonese regionalist political party — have accused the organisation of a campaign to erase Leonese identity.
A series of children’s comics released in 2011 by the Fundacion Villalar and distributed to public school libraries called ‘History of Castilla y Leon in Comics,’ has been criticised for its historical inaccuracy and apparent ignorance of a Leonese history distinct from that of Castilla.
The comics avoid mentions of a Leonese language and imply that a unified Castilla y Leon has existed since prehistoric times.
“They have persecuted any trace of the Leonese past that united the provinces of Leon, Zamora and Salamanca,” Zamorano says.
“This cannot continue like this, and with the autonomous community we would recover the identity and traditions that have been stolen from us.”
The success of the independence movement is still up in the air. The ball is in the court of the junta of Castilla y Leon, who have historically brushed leonesismo aside.
But were Leonese to be granted their wish, it might be the first in a spate of independence dominoes to fall within Spain’s larger autonomous regions.
THE Olive Press website is proving a hit around the world with more than 10,000 readers registering an account over the past few weeks. It means we now have more than 40,000 registered users at theolivepress.es, with hundreds more joining each day.
While the majority come from the UK and Spain, more and more are signing up from Ireland, the US, Canada and even Australia.
It comes after we posted a record number of visitors in the last edition, when more than 1.4 million people visited our website over a seven-day period. Our unrivalled coverage of the Euro 2024 fi nal last Sunday, for example, brought just under 140,000 people to the site in one day.
Becoming a member is completely free and has many benefi ts, including the ability to comment on articles and engage with other readers.
You will also receive multiple newsletters each week, covering travel, health, property and more. Additionally, only by becoming a registered user will you have the chance to take part in our exclusive giveaways.
This week, for example, we are offering you the chance to win two free tickets to see the legendary Ibiza DJ Pete Tong in Marbella.
Details of the competition will be sent out by email tonight and tomorrow, but only to our registered users - so sign up to take advantage while you still can! Our previous giveaways have included free meals at a range of restaurants and free days out at some of the most exclusive beach clubs along the Costa del Sol.
We have lots more competitions planned for the future, so if you want to avoid the FOMO (fear of missing out), scan the QR code and register.
Register your FREE account now for a chance to win two tickets to see Pete Tong by scanning the QR code below
REVOLT: Leonese rebels rose up against Carlos I
One thing we all need is clothes – but it’s time to give a little thought to what we put on our backs says Christin Hagemeier
Sustainable Fashion
HOW many new items of clothing do you buy a year? Try counting it some time!
The fashion industry produces 100 billion garments in a year, which is an astronomical number given there are only 8 billion people living on earth.
Next question: How long do you keep the clothes and how often do you wear them?
The average person today buys 60% more clothes than 15 years ago, but keeps them for only half as long. An average item is worn ten times before being discarded.
Why is this a problem? Because the fashion industry is one of the most polluting, responsible for 4% of all greenhouse gas emissions – not only during production but also during disposal.
Every year 40 million tons of clothing are dumped in landfills, where they smoulder and pollute the atmosphere.
But is it not only the greenhouse gas emissions that are problematic; it starts at the beginning.
Growing cotton, for example, uses extensive water and dries out the soil, while at the same time heavily depleting and degrading it.
This is caused by the intensive farming that accompanies it and the pesti-
cides spray on the huge cotton fields. On the
other hand, 69% of clothing is made from synthetic fibres such as polyester.
ECO-FEST
The latest figures suggest that 35% of all microplastics in the ocean comes from these synthetic fibres, which end up in the human body.
Furthermore, the production process often uses toxic dyes and heavy metals that end up getting flushed into clean water streams and rivers.
From there they are consumed by humans and animals, harming ecosystems and biodiversity.
So what can and should we do to stop this system?
The first rule is to buy less clothing and fix it when it breaks.
Next rule: buy higher quality clothes. They last longer and repair easier.
BARCELONA’S Cruilla festival was the first to be fuelled entirely using 100% renewable energy sources. Held in Parc del Forum, it used electricity exclusively from renewable sources, eliminating the use of diesel generators.
It is Spain’s only festival that has not used diesel generators over its four days of music.
In the 2023 edition, Cruilla saved around 10,000 litres of diesel, stopping 36,000kg of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.
The commitment to sustainability clearly attracts big names, with acts like The Pet Shop Boys, Avril Lavinge, The Kooks and Kasabian performing this year.
According to a sustainability assessment
STELLAR ACTS: Pet shop boys carried out in 2023, the festival produces 6.52kg of CO2 per attendee. That is some 5kg lower than the British and European average of 11kg.
Finally: Have you thought about second hand shopping? I was really surprised how many people do second hand shopping in the fashion capital of Milan.
Please send your questions or comments on how to be greener to christin@theolivepress.es
OP QUICK CROSSWORD
Across
5 Relaxes (4,4)
8 Big shot in the office (4)
9 Epistle writer (2,4)
10 The Giant's Causeway is made of it (6)
11 Diverse enterprise (12)
14 Unexpectedly (3,2,3,4)
17 A man, a plan, a canal, ---! (6)
20 Untidy arrangement for natural state (6)
21 Concerning (2,2)
22 Scouring powder (8)
Down
1 Highly skilled musician (8)
2 Declines (5,3)
3 Woman with many fans? (6)
4 Crossbow expert (4)
6 Not the Queen's English (5)
7 Soviet state security police (1,1,1)
12 Magnifies (8)
13 Shares (8)
15 Out-stared subjects of apprenticeships (6)
16 Get settled (3,2)
18 First-class (1-3)
19 Letters denoting simplicity (1,1,1)
Dire future?
NASA predicts the Valencia community will endure sky-high temperatures, long periods of drought and coastal cities swamped by rising sea levels
THREE of Spain’s most heavily populated regions are at risk of becoming uninhabitable for humans by 2050, according to NASA. The Valencian Community is likely to become an epicentre of intense heat and severe weather patterns that run the risk of rendering the
region uninhabitable.
These periods of intense heat will not just become more frequent but also more intense, with the possibility of unprecedented temperatures becoming the norm.
NASA has warned that the unbearable summers in-
Ecological
timebomb
AN invasive species of catfish that can reach over two metres in length and 100kg in weight is threatening to exterminate the biodiversity of Spain’s rivers. Scientists are currently conducting studies in the Guadalquivir River downstream of Sevilla to try to determine just how much damage the massive beasts are doing to the native fauna.
The river monster, which feeds not just on fish and carrion but also birds and even rodents, needs to eat 5% of its body mass every day.
“A thousand catfish, over the course of a year, equals more than 700 tonnes of biomass exterminated,” said Carlos Fernandez Delgado, a professor of zoology at the University of Cordoba. To make matters worse, they live on average for 30 years.
land could even become a year-round phenomenon if current climate trends continue.
Madrid and the greater interior plateau of central Spain is another danger zone, while the southern autonomous community of Andalucia is also at risk of becoming uninhabitable. Even now, many Spaniards are feeling the heat as long summers see temperatures hit ever-higher peaks and droughts threaten to suffocate the nation’s drier regions and guzzle up dwindling reservoir levels.
Guzzle
Meanwhile, the coastal cities of the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Barcelona are at risk of being swamped by rising sea levels. Levels in the Mediterranean around Barcelona are set to increase by 13cm by 2030. By 2070, they will have risen 43cm, according to Nasa, and 75cm by 2100. And if long-term forecasts are accurate, sea levels could have risen 126cm by 2150. Elsewhere, sea levels around Huelva could rise by 69cm by 2100, 64cm in Tarifa and 61cm in Malaga.
On Spain’s northern coast, the waters around Bilbao may rise by 69cm and 72cm in neighbouring Santander.
PLATFORM: Housing minister Isabel Rodriguez
CRACKDOWN LOOMS
THE government is set to introduce two new rules to crack down on short term property rentals.
The first will see landlords having to justify why they are only offering short contracts.
According to the Minister for Housing, Isabel Rodriguez, this ‘justification’ is necessary to avoid fraud and help seasonal workers and students.
A new state platform is also being considered to advertise short term rentals.
Each will be given a unique code in order to track and control rentals.
The measures were presented by Rodriguez following a meeting with Spain’s working group on short term rentals.
The group, made up of estate agents and unions, was established to find a solution to landlords who abuse short term contracts, as well as the issue of tourist lets.
Rodriguez is hoping to modify the ‘Horizontal Property law’ so that neighbours have to give the green light before tourist lets can be set up.
“We simply can’t look the other way,” she said.
Not fit for yankees
AN American magazine has warned its citizens to avoid the Campo de Gibraltar and the Mar Menor area of Murcia (right) if moving to Spain.
International Living, which promotes the idea of living abroad, warns that Gibraltar has too much focus on banking and gambling.
It claims the ‘border towns’ of the Rock, such as Algeciras and La Linea, should also be avoided.
“Gibraltar's focus on online gambling and banking that offers international tax shelters adds to a somewhat unsavoury atmosphere,” it ruled.
“As a tourist destination, these elements do not pose a problem, but maybe you wouldn’t want to live there,” the article continues.
It was also extremely damning about
Americanmagazinesinglesout Gibraltar area and Murcia as not beingsuitableforUSretirees. ButMijas,Benalmadenaand Sitgesarefine
By Simon Hunter
the Mar Menor area due to its environmental problems.
It ruled that the saltwater lagoon area has suffered from the ‘ecological collapse of marine life’ caused by pollution from farming and hotels. Instead, the controversial feature on moving to Spain, picked out five places it recommended to its readers, four on the coast and one, Miraflores de la Sierra, close to Madrid.
In Andalucia it particularly recommended Benalmadena (far left), which comes top of its list.
It raved about the ‘quiet, family-friendly beach resort’ with its attractions including a butterfly park, a Buddist stupa,
two aquariums and a cable car.
It also recommended its casino, despite its criticism of gambling in Gibraltar, and Tivoli World amusement park, despite the fact it has been shut for years.
Growing confidence
HOME property purchases in Spain went up by 3% in May compared to a year earlier with prices rising by 1.3%.
Despite high interest rates, the country’s notaries said there was an increase of almost 10% in the number of new mortgages granted.
The figures show the continuance of the upturn recorded in April which was a busy month due to the Easter holiday period.
The number of mortgages granted in May grew by 9.8% yearon-year, to 28,909 loans with the average loan rising by 1.8% yearon-year, hitting €150,219.
Financed
The percentage of home purchases financed by a mortgage stood at 46.3% and the size of the loan accounted for an average 71.9% of the price.
And it raved about its nudist beach, Benalnatura, which ‘has its own café and bar’.
Second on the list is Mijas (left), described as attracting expats from all over the world because it serves as the gateway to Costa del Sol’s ‘golf valley’.
“With beautiful weather all year and reasonable greens fees, this location is a golfer’s paradise,” the article reads. Finally it singles out Almuñecar, in Granada, and Sitges in Barcelona province.
The average price per square metre stood at €1,681/m² in May, which is 1.3% more than the same time last year.
Apartments rose by 3.4%, to 1,890 euros/m²; while those of family homes stood at 1,300 euros/m²3.3% less.
The biggest price rises were in Galicia (21.3%), Cantabria (11%) and the Valencian Community (10.1%).
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
LOOKING FOR MORE PROPERTY STORIES?
Scan to visit our website
INSIGHT
ATake a journey through half a dozen of Spain's house museums with Dilip Kuner
S the summer heat arrives, the crowds head to the beaches. But as thermometers hit the sizzling 40s those-in-the-know are usually to be found hunting cooler alternatives. Fortunately Spain boasts a wealth of cultural treasures, and its ‘house museums’ offer a unique opportunity to step
into the lives and spaces of creative giants - and get out of the sun.
From the whimsical visions of Gaudi, the mindfulness of Cervantes or to the eccentric world of Dali, these homes-turned-museums provide a window into the minds that shaped artistic movements
CREATIVE CASA NATAL DE PICASSO
Art enthusiasts can really delve into the world of Pablo at the Casa Natal de Picasso in Malaga, the birthplace of the iconic artist.
This house museum offers a fascinating starting point to understand Picasso's formative years, before strolling round the corner to view his more serious works at the Picasso Museum.
In particular, you will discover why he loved painting doves and started as a small child, with the birds frequently perching on his bedroom windowsill.
CASA DE CERVANTES
If you are more into words than paintings, then pay homage to Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Spain’s most famous book Don Quixote
The former home of the iconic writer (formerly a tax collector) can still be visited at his birthplace in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid.
The Casa de Cervantes museum allows visitors to explore the home and surroundings that influenced the father of Spanish literature.
GÜELL: Gaudi’s home is inside the famous park he designed
GAUDI HOUSE MUSEUM
LITERATE: The Cervantes house dates back to the 16th century
Immerse yourself in the intimate world of architectural genius Antoni Gaudi at his former residence within Park Güell in Barcelona. This house-museum, where he lived from 1906 to 1925, showcases not only the architect's design genius, with furniture and objects crafted by his hand, but also offers a glimpse into his personal life.
Imagine him surrounded by these very furnishings, fueling the inspiration that produced Barcelona's most iconic landmarks, including the Sagrada Familia cathedral.
PABLO: The birth house of the Spanish great can be visited in Malaga
LA CULTURA
November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE CULTURE STORIES?
‘SPANISH AT HEART’
AFTER conquering first Wimbledon then Europe, Spain has now set its sights on a global sporting prize: this year’s Olympic games.
Their star studded roster includes athletes that have gone on to become household names, such as World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso and tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
Among the 382 athletes Spain will send to Paris this summer will be a ‘lesser known’ cohort of Spanish athletes, canoeists, swimmers and more whose roots extend beyond Iberia.
One will even carry the Spanish flag during the opening ceremony.
Marcus Cooper Walz, a sprint canoeist born in Oxford, UK, will represent Spain alongside Galician sailor, Tamara Echegoyen.
Although Walz grew up in Mallorca, he was born to a German-British mother and American father.
While speaking about the flag ceremony, he said: “I
By Yzabelle Bostyn
have English blood and a Spanish heart, all my successes have been for Spain.
“It’s the best flag of the best country in the world.”
He has competed for Spain since the early 2010s, and is one more the country’s most successful athletes, earning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and a silver medal in 2020 Olympics. This year, he will
With Spanish sporting supremacy underpinned by expat-born stars, which immigrant athletes might follow in their footsteps the opening ceremony of the summer Olympic Games in Paris?
take part in the K4-500 race and the K2-500 race on the River Seine.
Another expat-born athlete hoping to triumph – but this time in the water not on it – will be as swimmer Carmen Weiler. Weiler was born and raised in Singapore to a German father and Valencian mother.
Record
At just 19-years-old, she has never taken part in the Olympics before but in June, she set a new Spanish record in the sport, securing her a spot on the squad. She trains under Spain’s Olympic bronze medallist, Sergio Lopez, at Virginia Tech University (United States).
‘I have English blood, but a Spanish heart’
She will compete in the women’s 100m backstroke category.
“When I touched the wall, I didn’t even know it was a record,” she said. Spain’s expat population will also be represented in the dressage com-
petition by Jose Daniel Martin Dockx. The 50-year-old was born in Malaga to a Belgian mother. Despite his heritage, he is clearly proud of his Spanish upbringing. When he competed at the World Dressage Cup in 2023, he brought the only purebred Spanish horse, saying: “It’s our breed and as you can see, it’s got a lot of heart, is obedient and can compete…They are beautiful animals.”
He has previously competed at two Summer Olympics (2012, 2016) securing records of 7th place in team events and 29th place individually. Finally, Florian Johannes Trittel Paul will represent Spain in the 49er sailing category. Born in Switzerland, the 30-year-old has previously competed in the Nacra 17 event at the Summer Olympics, where his team placed 7th. He was inspired to sail by his dad and grandfather, both keen on the water and began his sailing career in Spain.
PROUD: Dockx uses Spanish breeds when he competes
PAUL POWER: Florian Johannes Trittel Paul will represent Spain in sailing
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Busy June
OVERNIGHT hotel stays in the Valencian Community rose by 5.9% in June compared to the same month last year, totalling to 3.1 million stays.
The split between domestic travellers and foreign tourists was fairly even, with 1.55 million and 1.51 million respectively.
The average daily rate per room stood at €111.84 – up 10.4% year-on-year, while charges rose by 10.53% over 12 months.
The region’s hotels recorded an occupancy rate of 67.05% in June, the highest in mainland Spain, only surpassed by the Balearic and Canary Islands.
The sector also saw a rise in employment, up 2.9% to 20,267 workers in the economy.
November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?
Scan to visit our website
July 25th - August 7th
Top of the parks
Spanish water park voted the best in the world – ten years in a row
OP Puzzle solutions
Quick Crossword
Across: 5 Sits back, 8 Exec, 9 St Paul, 10 Basalt, 11 Conglomerate, 14 Out of the blue, 17 Panama, 20 Nudity, 21 In re, 22 Cleanser.
Down: 1 Virtuoso, 2 Falls off, 3 Geisha, 4 Tell, 6 Slang, 7 K G B, 12 Enhances, 13 Equities, 15 Trades, 16 Bed in, 18 A-one, 19 A B C.
A SPANISH water park has been voted the world's best for 10 successive years.
The accolade, courtesy of the 2024 Traveller's Choice Awards from TripAdvisor, goes to the Siam Park on the Costa Adeje – located in the south of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Among the reasons given for travellers choosing Siam Park is its recreation of the ancient Thai kingdom from which it takes its name, along with the varying water park experiences covering over 85,000 m2. There is plenty on offer from dizzying slides, pools of all shapes and sizes (including
ELITE EDUCATION
CRIMSON Global Academy (CGA) is changing the way families think about education.
Our online school is an internationally accredited private school that’s delivering live, world-class real-time learning to students all over the world.
From primary to middle and secondary school years, we offer a wide range of class options to suit every student. Whether your child is just beginning their educational journey or preparing for admission into top universities, CGA supports students each step of the way.
Founded for students and families who seek personalised online education opportunities, CGA provides a flexible and dynamic pace of learning.
The Online School Helping Students in Spain aim for Global Success
THE CGA EXPERIENCE
At CGA our teachers have an average of over 20 years experience
● For young athletes and performers, CGA’s flexible schedule allows them to balance their training with academics.
● Families that move frequently can rely on CGA for consistent, high quality education no matter where they are in the world.
● Ambitious students aiming for top universities can study based on their ability, not just their age, enabling them to earn university-recognised qualifications through accelerated courses.
In the past year alone, our students were accepted into 61 of the best universities worldwide, including Ivy League schools like Princeton, Columbia and Cornell. They also received five offers from Oxbridge and 21 offers to the world’s top 20 universities.
At CGA students can expect everything they would find in a traditional school, and more. From exams, assemblies, to school houses and a dedicated principal, students can ensure they receive a holistic school experience. Students at CGA have the opportunity to study at a pace that’s as unique as they are. Either through one-on-one learning, live group classes or asynchronous learning, our students have the flexibility to tailor their education to their needs and goals.
CGA’S ACADEMIC ROADMAP:
CGA Primary (Ages 8-10): Focuses on core subject mastery with complimentary World Geography and Computer Science subjects, in preparation for international curricula within a global school.
CGA Middle School (Ages 10-13): Includes US Junior High and CGA Lower Secondary school. Students can choose between 1:1 or group classes, available part-time or full-time.
CGA High School (Ages 13-18): Offers internationally recognised curricula from International GCSEs, A Levels to Advanced
big artificial waves), huge areas to slide through, exotic forests, and zig-zagging rivers. It is divided into three sections: Relax, Family, and Adrenaline.
There'a a kilometre-long tropical river known as the Mai Thai River along with various beaches and a sea-lion pool plus the Floating Market shaped like a typical Thai village.
The Tenerife complex has welcomed 14 million visitors since opening in 2008, and the TripAdvisor award consolidates its position as the 'most awarded' water park on the planet.
It has also come top in competitions such as the Euro-
pean Star Award or the Park World Excellence Award. Many of its individual attractions such as Singha, Kinnaree or The Dragon have also been award winners.
Spectacular
TripAdvisor takes into account the absence of security issues, proper management of the facilities, the treatment given to visitors, and the transparency in comments published on their site, which means that contenders that want to apply for an award cannot manipulate the process.
The spectacular nature of the attractions, care of the park and the vegetation it boasts are also analysed.
Pricey penthouse
A LUXURY Barcelona penthouse suite will start taking its first guests in September for an eye-watering €6,000 per night.
The top range accommodation, branded as 'the best room in Barcelona', will be offered by Melia Hotels International, at their new Torre Melina hotel. The hotel claims the suite is something that has 'never been seen before' in the Catalan capital. It will have three levels covering 300 m2 with bathrooms and bedrooms plus a centrepiece dining room stretching for 100m2. The terrace will become the largest hotel terrace in the city at 100m2. The finishing touches to the penthouse are still being put together and will attract highend guests.
Placement courses and the US High School Diploma. WHAT MAKES CGA SPECIAL?
At CGA our teachers have an average of over 20 years teaching experience, and are chosen for their ability to engage and inspire students. With small, real-time classes,
students receive the utmost personalised support and attention, combined with social counselling and university admissions guidance.
By combining the best aspects of a traditional school with innovative online methods, CGA helps prepare students for an extraordinary future.
MAI THAI: Siam park is inspired by Thai kingdoms
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Must-visit: This littleknown city an hour from Madrid makes the perfect day trip for history buffs and literature lovers, writes Yzabelle Bostyn
SUPRISING: The university is full of curiosities
JUST an hour from Madrid, this city makes the perfect day trip for both history buffs and literature lovers.
While the oldest universities in the world are spread amongst Bologna, Oxford and Salamanca, few people know that just outside Madrid lies the world’s first university city.
Established in 1499, Alcala de Henares quickly became a beacon of knowledge and learning, so it’s no surprise that it is also the birthplace of ‘Spanish Shakespeare’ Miguel de Cervantes.
At just 30km from Madrid, this small city is easily accessible by train or bus, both taking just over an hour.
Stepping off the train in the modern area of the city, we recommend you start at Alcala’s main attraction, the university.
From the pages
The University of Alcala de Henares
Just a twenty minute walk away, you will soon find yourself faced with the institution’s intricate facade and bustling roses in the Plaza de San Diego. Although you can have a look around for free, the university also offers guided tours for a purse-friendly €6.
We took a Spanish guided tour and I hastily translated everything for my mum and brother, making sure they missed none of the surprising, amusing and intriguing history of the university.
There are also tours in English, but they only run once a week (Saturdays at 2.00pm), so an audio guide might be your best bet.
Built as the ‘model’ Spanish city by Cardinal Cisneros, the university represents the start of the Spanish golden age after their reconquest of Moorish territories.
Unfortunately, only the assembly hall remains of the original building, with fascinating mudejar features and Cisneros’ mausoleum.
to the Nobel prize for literature is awarded by the king.
As you leave, make sure to admire the facade, designed by famed Spanish arquitecht Rodrigo Gil de Hontañon.
After the university, make your way to the nearby tourist information centre in the Plaza de Cervantes.
The Plaza de Cervantes
On your way, make sure to admire the towering statue of Cervantes’ legendary work, Don Quixote and the surrounding rose bushes.
There, the helpful guides will give you a map of Alcala’s main sights, starting in that very building.
The tourism office is found in the Capilla del Oidor, an ancient church which houses a brief but interesting exhibition about Cervantes.
Echoes of fairytales and fantasy rang from the Tudoresque buildings
This is in part due to the decline of the university in the 19th century, leading to the hall’s use as a stable until the people of Alcala took back ownership.
The main plaza echoes Madrid’s Plaza Mayor, while the second plaza was once home to the dormitories and a jail.
Literary devotees will love the auditorium, where Spain’s answer
Then, cross the plaza to the Santa Maria tower, where you will get privileged views over the city.
You may have noticed a number of white storks
flying overhead as you wandered around Alcala and from the viewpoint, you can spot dozens of nests on church towers, trees and ramshackle roofs.
Known as the city of storks, Alcala has over 90 breeding pairs and thanks to their conservation work it now has the largest population of the birds anywhere in Spain.
Once you have admired the views, make your way down the
steps and head towards the Cathedral Magistral de los Santos Justo.
The Cathedral de los Santos Justo
Along the way, admire the unique architecture of the city, with orange brick buildings and cobbled streets. You can enter the cathedral for free and although it’s certainly worth a look, it pales in comparison to the majesty of other Spanish cathedrals like Sevilla or Granada.
Calle Mayor
From there, enjoy a drink in the square or begin to make your way down Calle Mayor, the longest porticoed street in Europe. Echoing fairytales and fantasy, the tudor-esque buildings were delightfully different to what I normally see in Andalucia and I loved dipping in and out of the porticoes to discover gift shops, cafes and hidden alleyways. We stopped along the way at Empanadas Lulu, a family business serving a variety of pastries, complete with veggie and vegan options.
After following a sign for the old synagogue, we also found a quiet square and enjoyed a moment of calm in this tucked away bar.
The Cervantes Birthplace Museum
After enjoying our snack, we continued to the Cervantes Birthplace Museum. Don’t forget to get your snap with the bronze figure of Don Quixote outside the museum, which is free to enter.
A window into what life was like
WALKING TOUR:
Take a while to wander Alcala’s enchanting streets
in Spain in the 1500s, it focused not just on the writer himself but gave context to the world in which he grew up and penned his literary legacy. I particularly enjoyed the room dedicated to his father’s medical practice, though just looking at the sharp tools and spikes made me glad to be born in the 21st century.
Museo Hospital de Antezana Before you leave, check out the Museo Hospital de Antezana,
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?
Scan to visit our website
of history
believed to be the first modern hospital in Spain.
Although unfortunately it wasn’t open when we arrived, you can visit on Saturdays and Sundays for €6 or book a guided tour to visit during the week.
Once finished, make your way down the street to admire the Plaza de Cervantes one last time, before heading back to the train station.
Plaza de Cervantes
BLANCA SUR / MURCIA
Cheesy bites
A STUDY has shown carboxylic acids, commonly found in aged cheeses and human sweat, are irresistible to mosquitoes.
High notes
AN air hostess has gone viral after entertaining passengers with an improvised concert on a delayed flight from Ibiza to Madrid, she sang Hit the Road Jack, by Ray Charles.
Going native
HOLLYWOOD legend Michael Douglas celebrated turning 80 during a local celebration in Valldemossa, Mallorca, where he has a home.
Olympic
Village goes wild as Alcaraz and Nadal arrive ahead of their ‘dream team’ doubles
THE Olympic Village is buzzing in Paris ahead of one of the most highly-anticipated sporting events in history.
Two of Spain’s greatest ever tennis players will be joining forces in a bid to take home doubles gold medal.
Carlos Alcaraz, 21, and Rafael Nafal, 38, sent fans into a frenzy this week as they posed for a cheeky selfie after landing in the French capital.
debut
By Alex Trelinski
The Grand Slam champions will be waving the flag for Spain at the opening ceremony and have already attracted a lot of attention in the village. Their arrival sparked quite the commotion in the dining hall with non-stop requests from participants, volunteers, and organisers for selfies - be it to-
Beach day cut short
A HUGE swordfish measuring some two metres in length has forced the closure of a beach in Spain. Sunbathers in Tarragona raised the alarm with the authorities at about 1pm last Thursday, prompting police to attend the scene at the l’Ardiaca beach in Cambrils and close it
off to swimmers.
Double trouble
gether or individually.
For Mallorca’s Nadal, it will be his fourth Olympics as he tries to win his third gold medal, while Alcaraz, who hails from
The fish sadly thrashed around on the coast in a disoriented state, before getting trapped on the shore and dying.
Once the danger to the bathers had passed, the beach reopened and activity resumed.
The fish’s corpse was taken to the Centre for the Recovery of Marine Animals under orders from the police and City Hall, so that an autopsy could be carried out before it was incinerated.
Murcia, will be enjoying the world’s greatest sporting event for the very first time.
It follows his second Wimbledon title in a row after his thumping straight-sets victory against Serbian Novak Djokovic earlier this month.
The Roland Garros clay courts will be familiar to 14-time French Open winner Nadal and his young successor, Alcaraz, who won the tournament for the first time in May.
Certainly if all the photos are anything to go by, both men are enjoying their Olympic experience so far.
A BURGLARY spree on the Costa del Sol has turned out to have curious culprits: three mischievous housecats. Daisy, Dora and Manchita have been prowling the small town of Frigiliana looking for open windows. After darting in, they would leave with their ill-gotten gains, including socks, underpants, baby clothes and gloves.
100 items
The actions of the felines have strained neighbourly relations between owner Rachel Womack and her cats’ victims.
The trio can bring home more than 100 items a month – most recently a stuffed bear and a baby’s shoe – and Womack has no idea who they belong to. The behaviour has baffled the experts.
“All around the world there are cats doing this, yet it has never been studied,” says Dutch biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra.
