Olive Press Mallorca issue 185 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

REPTILE RELEASE

THEY oversaw the biggest public money fraud in Spanish history, syphoning €680 million into a pot of cash known as the ‘reptile fund’. Dwarfing all other corruption scandals that have plagued the country, it saw politicians famously redirect public funds from Brussels and Madrid into secret bank accounts.

Embezzled

The enormous slush fund - which was meant to help struggling businesses, create new ones or to help pay redundancies - was instead spent on friends, families and paying off enemies.

Yet the sentences handed down to former PSOE leaders Jose Antonio Griñan and Manuel Chaves, convicted of overseeing the huge theft, could soon be overturned.

By Walter Finch

In an extraordinary judgement, the Constitutional Court in Madrid has already significantly reduced the sentences of 15 politicians who were convicted in Andalucia’s infamous ERE scandal.

The decision has led to the slamming of Pedro Sanchez’s government with claims he is ‘pardoning his PSOE friends and covering up his party’s past.’

The decade-long scandal involved many senior figures of the party, including Chaves, a former vice president of the PSOE in Madrid.

The most infamous abuse of power saw an ex-Employment Minister and his driver set up two bogus companies, which were handed €350,000 each in grants.

Javier Guerrero and his so-called ‘Cocaine chauffeur’ infamously spent much of the money on prostitutes, cocktails and drugs, after knocking off work at 2pm.

“We knew exactly what those funds were used for, and it was certainly not for the general interest or progress,” said PP minister Ana Mestre this week.

“If they governed today, the PSOE would just do it all over again.”

Whitewash claims as former leaders who oversaw Spain’s biggest corruption scandal could avoid prison

But this hasn’t stopped Madrid’s Constitutional court from significantly reducing the sentences of 12

Ollie v Olé!

A MATCH for the ages has been set up this Sunday as England will face Spain in the final of Euro 2024. Spanish silk and skill against English steel and grit.

The Spanish against their biggest customer.

England’s 19-yearold prodigy Kobbie Mainoo against Spain’s even younger worldbeater Lamine Yamal – who only turns 17 on Saturday. Yamal announced his name to the world with a brilliant

of the convicted 15 politicians.

Former ministers Antonio Fernan-

Francisco

er against France in the semis.

England clinched their own place in the fi nal thanks to a 92nd minute winner against Holland from substitute Ollie Watkins (pictured) - the latest goal ever scored in a Euros knockout game in regular time. After having rather limped through the tournament, they will face a Spain team that has blown away all comers, including heavyweights France and Germany. The bookies will have Spain as strong favourites to repeat the act against England. But the English will take heart from the fact that their performances have improved as the tournament has worn on. Will they be able to peak on one of the biggest stages of all?

Rodríguez will now all walk free. And, incredibly, the six year sentence handed to Griñan for his in-

volvement between 2000 and 2009 is to be overturned as well.

A draft ruling, expected to be approved next week, will mean Griñan never sees the inside of a prison cell. Chaves is also likely to see his nine-year disqualification from public office quashed.

The rulings, which were confirmed by seven votes to four, were opposed by the four conservative judges, who accused the court of granting ‘immunity’ to former PSOE officials.

Antonio Sanz, a PP minister at the Junta de Andalucia, declared his party would ‘still do everything possible to recover all the stolen money.’

So reserve yourself a table at your favourite terrace, pick which friends you’re going to watch it with wisely, and saddle up for a final that kicks off at 9pm at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Germany.

“No matter how much the PSOE tries to erase its past of corruption, it will not be able to cover up the biggest case of corruption in the history of Spanish democracy,” he added.

dez,

Vallejo and Jesus

PARDONED: Chaves and Griñan oversaw €680m corruption scandal

Killer photos

A SPANISH man aged 43 was killed by an elephant when he got out of his car to take photos of a herd of the animals in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park & Game Reserve.

First blood

SIX people were injured on the first day of Pamplona’s running of the bulls festival, with one man sustaining a serious head injury.

Blood hands

A MAN has been arrested in Malaga for trafficking ‘blood diamonds’ and ‘laundering’ the illicit jewels, mined by slaves in Sierra Leone, through a business he ran.

Derelict dad

A BRITISH man, 38, locked his two daughters, 1 and 7, in a car while he went to ‘get a haircut’ in Tenerife. When police caught up with him, he denied being their father and is now on the run.

A YOUNG British tourist who got into a brawl outside a Magaluf restaurant attacked female police officers trying to break up the fight.

The Calvia Policia Local arrested him for assault and causing minor injuries and damage.

A judge took away the 18-year-old man's passport which will be returned once he pays for a replacement police mobile phone, which was damaged in the incident.

Officers were already at the restaurant at

around 1am on Tuesday dealing with a drunk unconscious female tourist when a fight started outside the premises.

The Brit was lying on top of another tourist who he was continually assaulting.

As the officers tried to break things up, he grabbed one of them by the arm, and a female officer was then shoved to the ground as the teenager hit her.

He was eventually handcuffed with the police woman sustaining injuries to her knees and an elbow.

COP ATTACK

Put a sock in it!

Nervous Brit tourist gives away drug mule role

A BRITISH tourist has been arrested in Magaluf on suspicion of selling cocaine with a retail value of €7,000 that he kept in a sock. The 22-year-old man was

By Alex Trelinski

detained by the Guardia Civil on Saturday morning, having arrived in Mallorca

three days earlier. He was bailed on Sunday after a court appearance.

Officers were called to his hotel after staff reported seeing a ‘very upset’ British man in the lobby.

The young man insisted that he wanted his backpack, which was apparently in one of the rooms - even

KIDS’ SEX ALERT

A SHOCKING three out of four children in Spain have suffered exposure to unwanted online sexual content. The conclusion comes after research carried out by the Guardia Civil and the Mutua foundation. The study spoke to 2,000 children and 1,000 parents, with two-thirds of youngsters saying they’ve received unwanted sexual harass -

ment or content. This included insistent messaging to meet up for an intimate relationship; being a victim of unwanted sexual comments; and being sent pornographic content. The most vulnerable age group is youngsters aged between 13 and 15 years, with 30% of victims needing to see a psychologist.

though he was not staying there.

Given his situation, officers asked the receptionist to contact the guests of the room number that he

told them about.

A few minutes later, another tourist appeared and gave him the backpack.

The Brit calmed down and went outside to find a taxi.

When the vehicle arrived, he asked to be taken to the Punta Ballena party area of the resort, which raised suspicions among the Guardia officers.

Hours earlier, they had been sent a video from a worker about the strange behaviour of a tourist.

It showed the British man going up and down the Punta Ballena strip and trying unsucessfully to find something in some bushes while in an agitated state.

The officers ordered the Brit out of the taxi and searched his belongings.

In the backpack, they found cocaine hidden inside a sock that was in a shoe.

DISCO INFERNO

A GERMAN tourist hit a Playa de Palma nightclub DJ on the head with a metal stool because he didn’t like his music choice.

The assault happened in September 2022 and a court has now accepted a plea bargain deal where the attacker has to pay the victim €1,200 in compensation.

Wound

The DJ suffered head injuries and prosecutors initially wanted the tourist jailed for three years. The victim collapsed and was taken to hospital where he received three stitches to his wound.

Drunk in charge

A DRUNK coach driver taking 23 passengers to Palma Airport was pulled over by the Guardia Civil after he was spotted using his mobile phone.

Officers stopped him on the Ma-15 in the Manacor area and noticed a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. He was ordered to take a breath test, which he failed. The passengers had to wait for a new driver to be brought in to continue their journey.

Bright and talented

HE may be one of the break-out stars of Euro 2024 having scored a wonder goal in Spain’s 2-1 triumph in the semi-final clash with France, but Lamine Yamal’s prodigious footballing talent can’t excuse him from the rigour and pressure of

school exams. Thankfully for the 16year old, who became the youngest ever player at a European Championship, has passed his fourth ESO exam - the equivalent of GCSEs - whilst in

Germany with the Spain squad. The Barcelona-born starlet had taken to revision classes in between training sessions and matches in order to prepare for the tests, and it seems the hard work paid off after it was revealed that Yamal passed the assessments with flying colours.

BENICASSIM BECKONS

It’s time to party at Spain’ biggest music festival

By Alex Trelinski

SPAIN'S biggest partythe Festival Internacional de Benicassim - kicks off four days of top musical entertainment on July 18.

Located in the east coast resort 100 kms north of Valencia, the weekend festival brings in visitors from around Spain and Europe and is regarded as one of the best on the planet!

The event is also very popular with UK music fans due to its seaside location and the guarantee of good weather.

This year's International acts include regular visitors to the country, the Black Eyed Peas, as well as the Libertines, Jess Glynne, and UK Eurovision

ELLE of a night

EVA Longoria sizzled at the 2024 ELLE Gourmet Awards in Madrid.

The Desperate Housewives star stole the show with her stunning look and infectious charm.

runner-up Sam Ryder, The festival focuses mainly on pop, rock, and electronica artists, as well as featuring short films, fashion shows, and art.

Past performers at Spain's answer to Glastonbury have included The Killers, Blur, Oasis, The Pet Shop Boys,

FORMER Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he’s enjoying life and retirement in Mallorca, when he spoke to reporters at a pre-Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Klopp - donning a German football shirt - said he’s been playing a lot of padel tennis since moving to the island with wife Ulla.

He revealed to ESPN reporter Agos Larocca that he has been working on an 'ecological' revamp of his €4m Santa Ponsa villa with a total

Lou Reed, The Stone Roses, Madness and Bastille.

It also attracts celebrity visitors like Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and his wife Begoña Gomez, who attended in 2018 to see The Killers.

The first event was staged in 1995 and is notable for having live music running well

Klopp happy

rebuild covering 5,000 m2.

When asked what he liked about the island he said: “Where can I start? I like everything about it, to be honest, but I'm not long enough here yet. We try to figure out what we like the most.'

They are staying in 'temporary' accommodation, courtesy of the five-star Kimpton Aysla Hotel in the same area.

into the night with a schedule running between 5pm and 5am!

It has three main stages, Las Palmas, Visa, and South Beach Dance, with capacities of approximately 30,000, 15,000 and 8,000, respectively.

A typical attendance for the festival clocks up around 180,000 visitors.

Festival goers who have purchased multi-day passes can camp for up to nine days starting the Monday before and ending the Tuesday after the festival finishes two days earlier.

It's famous for attracting a young, party-oriented crowd and plenty of fun is promised for people of all ages.

Longoria arrived at the event, held at the Italian Embassy, in a black gown that left little to the imagination.

The figure-hugging dress accentuated her curves, while the plunging neckline added a touch of Hollywood glamour.

As always, Longoria's beaming smile was her best accessory.

PLAN HATCHED

TWO chicks fathered by lockdown star Louis the osprey will be flown from Scotland to Spain after fears for his well being.

The Woodland Trust has made the ‘tough’ decision to remove the chicks from their Loch Arkaig Pine Forest nest after realising ‘something was wrong’ with their father, who appears to be struggling to provide food.

According to the wildlife charity, Louis has not been fishing frequently enough to give the chicks a good chance of survival.

It is thought this could be due to difficult fishing conditions in the area. Now, alongside 10 other chicks, they will be moved to Spain to give them the ‘best chance’ in the Pego-Oliva Marsh Natural Park, near Alicante. Louis became a lockdown star after a live nest camera clocked 400,000 views.

Ospreys were extinct in Spain until they were reintroduced in 2003 using Scottish birds.

BRITISH DJ and producer Jax

Jones is suffering a social media backlash after he posted a massive €22,000 bar bill on Instagram. The You Don't Know Me and Where You At star has been accused

Jax it in!

of flaunting his wealth after he posted a receipt from a hotel in Santa Eulaia, Ibiza, which included five bottles of Dom Pérignon Vintage champagne (at €850 a pop), nearly 50 bottles of Moët Chandon

(each priced at €250), as well as numerous other wines and cocktails.

Jones was reportedly partying with fellow musicians Jason Derulo and Joel Corry, with whom he is collaborating on a new song.

The photo quickly went viral, with many fans hitting out at Jones for his ostentatious display of wealth.

WASH THEM AWAY!

Controversial antitourist protests see foreigners targeted with angry chants and water pistols

have targeted tourists with water pistols during a controversial Spanish demo.

Demonstrators barricaded hotels and restaurants along their route in Barcelona, while others chanted ‘Tourists, go home’, while carrying placards with similar messages. But a small number wielded water pistols and squirted tourists while they were

By Walter Finch

the

Video footage showed tourists in shorts and flip-flops scurrying away from their tables while a group of girls sprayed them with water and shouted at them to ‘go home’.

Oh scoot!

SPAIN'S DGT traffic authority will clamp down on electric scooter users with a ban on riders aged under 16. The rules will also enforce the mandatory wearing of a helmet at all times.

All scooter owners will also have to submit their details to a vehicle registry before being allowed on any public roads.

The measures are included in the DGT’s draft reform of the General Traffic Regulations.

Other proposed regulations would restrict scooters to urban areas; the need to have a luminous back reflector: and riders to wear reflective vests.

ABOUT TIME: Scooters have hundreds of serious accidents

A BRITISH tourist has been seriously injured after falling from a first-floor hotel balcony in the Alcudia area.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon when the 43-year-old man plunged five metres to the ground.

BALCONY FALL

He was staying at the four-star PortBlue Club Resort and Spa at Pollentia. Unconfirmed reports suggested that he

was in a heated argument with somebody on the phone, just moments before the fall.

An ambulance took him on the 60 kilometre journey to the Son Espases Hospital in Palma.

Tourism rentals clash

Anti-tourist demo targets entire building in Palma where visitors ‘scream at 6 am’

By Alex Trelinski

platform and focused on a

Calle Gaspar Bennazar building with five floors of accommodation - totalling 56 beds.

TRANS TRAGEDY

A TRANS woman who was being sexually exploited died after jumping from a second-floor window in Ibiza.

Her prone body was found wearing just a thong in the courtyard of the Gemini apartment block in Platja d’en Bossa at 1.30pm last Saturday.

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The unidentified woman, thought to be in her 20s or 30s, had been living in the apartment with other women who were all involved in prostitution.

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An investigation has been opened into whether she threw herself out of the window or she was pushed, although the body showed no signs of violence.

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Protestors held banners and chanted slogans about the lack of regulation of tourist apartments.

Two stickers were posted in the entrance of the building with the words ETV illegal (Tourist stays in homes).

They alleged that the property owner has around 200 unregistered holiday rentals in Palma and is ‘profiting daily from illegal activity’.

Members of the campaign group gave speeches with one stating that the ‘property was denounced a year ago and still continues with its activities with impunity’.

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BUDGET airline Ryanair has accused the Spanish government of trying to ‘break the low cost model of transport.’

Eddie Wilson, CEO of the Irish airline, was speaking after the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs fined his company for charging passengers extra for hand luggage and seating in May. Along with EasyJet, Vueling, and Volotea, the four low-cost airlines were hit with a combined €150 million fine – the largest-ever penalty for practices against customers to be imposed by the Ministry.

Break

ma that is ‘expelling’ residents from the area.

It was also pointed out that long-standing traditional businesses are being squeezed in favour of those that are tourist-orientated.

A resident called Catalina lives in an adjoining block.

She criticised the behaviour of holidaymakers who stay there.

“What is happening is not compatible with the life of somebody who gets up to go to work,” she said.

“Coexistence is impossible because their schedule begins at 5pm and ends at 6am when they return drunk and screaming.”

A big demonstration by the ‘Less tourism’ platform has been organised for July 21.

“It seems that Spain’s Ministry of Tourism sees the importance of connectivity, but the Ministry of Consumer Affairs wants to break the lowcost model,” Wilson said. Wilson defended Ryanair's hand luggage policy, arguing that they charge extra for bags in the overhead compartments ‘for safety reasons, as there are 189 seats on a plane and not all bags fit’. He added: “We invite the Minister of Consumer Affairs (Pablo Bustinduy) to come and see for himself.”

By hitting Ryanair with such a hefty fine and forcing them to drop the extra charges, Wilson implied that the airline might have little option but to raise prices.

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OPINION

Sea Change!

THE tone of this year’s Black Flag report (right) is a sea change in the right direction.

With the ravages of Spain’s coastline due to incompetence and inaction, Spain’s leading green group Ecologistas en Accion is pulling no punches.

The hard-hitting report details how time and time again local politicians and even regional bodies are blatantly violating environmental laws. Developments are being approved and blind eyes are being paid to barbarities and abuses. In clear infringements of Spanish and European laws, the Canary Islands are allowing four new mega resorts.

This from a political class which flaunts its multi-billion dollar profits while more than 35% of the Canaries population is ‘at risk of poverty’ and the unemployment rate sits at 20%.

It’s little different in Andalucia, where the Junta has sanctioned a beach bar in Fuengirola that grossly violates regulations and threatens the integrity of the coast.

Meanwhile, in Tarifa and Vejer, the battlelines are being drawn in the sand as a phalanx of wealthy developers continue to sniff around for coastal land to raze.

In Valencia the situation is worse, while the Balearics fare no better.

The politicians are committing harakiri on what is left of this country’s coastline.

Already being strangled by a collar of concrete, they continue to court the deep pockets of, mostly, foreign investors, who won’t think twice about carving up what’s left before jumping on their private planes elsewhere.

The majority of developments are not in the interests of the Spanish population and it’s hard not to believe that plenty of backhanders are kicking around.

Madrid must get a grip on the unhealthy relationship between business and politics which has been flourishing in plain sight at the municipal level for years.

Spain’s coasts have a limit. Saving what’s left is vital for the future of the country.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

‘SUICIDAL RACE’

THE latest Blue Flag report offered a dazzling verdict on Spain’s beaches. The global organisation created a map that blanketed the country’s coastlines in blue dots, indicating beautiful clean beaches with excellent water quality, compliance with coastal laws, and services such as lifeguards and toilets.

Out of the 694 beaches that applied for the cherished blue flag, the group merrily handed them to 638 – an approval rate of 91%.

However, an alternative report from local environmental group Ecologists in Action offers a dark er vision of the health of Spain’s beaches.

By Walter Finch

flag,” Ecologists in Action coordinator Rafael Yus-Ramos (below left) told the Olive Press

“But we can’t give a black flag to every beach that deserved one because otherwise we would have ended up with too many to count.”

The group’s Black Flags report, re leased in June, gave out 48 black flags around the country, including 10 in Andalucia, six in Valencia, two in the Balearics and four in the Canary Islands.

But in reality the num ber should have been even higher.

“Many of the beach es that received a blue flag actually should get a black

The report comes in a year when anti-tourism protests have broken out in hotspots across Spain, ‘excessive’ seafront developments have been approved in the Canary Islands and Malaga, and 26 tonnes of plastic pellets were washed overboard a container ship into the sea off the coast of Cantabria.

The trend causing the most harm to Spain’s beaches, however, is ‘the touristification and urbanisation of our coastlines’, according to the environmental group.

The Canary Islands come in for keen criticism for leaving an ecological footprint 27 times larger than their landmass.

Yet the villains are not the tourists occupying the hotels and Airbnbs but the political class,

IT’S a sad day for the news industry when one cannot even report on serious crimes without being reported for ‘offensive’ content.

That is what has happened to the Olive Press over the past for months, with Google warning that some of our stories are too risque to appear on the search engine.

These included the conviction of a rapist in Gibraltar, a respected Spanish urologist warning of the effects of smoking on men’s penises and - incredibly - a story about crucifixes being stolen from cemeteries in Spain. But it’s not just Google trying to censor the news landscape, with Facebook also barraging us with warnings

who ‘flaunt multi-billion dollar profits while more than 35% of the population is at risk of poverty and a 20% unemployment rate.’

In Tenerife, development has restarted on two hotels, Hotel La Tejita and Hotel Cuna del Alma, which were stopped for environmental violations.

And in Fuerteventura a golf course and a wellness centre with more than 2,000 beds each have both been approved.

“These are just a few examples, among many,” the report states, “that demonstrate the suicidal race that our leaders are betting on which exclusively benefits business interests.”

But the Black Flags report saves some of its strongest criticism for the Costa del Sol, which receives two of the unwanted awards.

A number of beach bars have been approved despite receiving negative reports for environmental law violations, the report claims.

Ecologists in Action have pointed the finger at the Junta for ignoring the damning reports and ploughing ahead with development regardless.

In the most shocking case, it gave out a licence to build Bikini Beach Club at the foot of the Fuengirola castle.

Snowflakes!

over the most basic of stories.

These included all of the above plus plans by Spain to bring in restrictions on accessing online porn.

Unfortunately, Facebook and especially Google still have a stranglehold over the news industry. Every newspaper in the world remains dependent on their articles being served to the billions of people who use the tech giants daily.

Google , in particular, can make or break a news site, as placing its articles on its ‘discovery’ page or its ‘news’ section can bring in millions

of hits.

But what does it say about the future of journalism if important stories about sex crimes and intimate health issues are essentially being blocked?

It runs the risk of newspapers reporting less and less on such topics for fear of losing favour with Google and Meta (the owner of Facebook ). This will reduce the quality of news reporting and it is the reader who loses out in the end.

Google’s power over the media is one of the reasons many sites - including the Olive Press - have introduced subscription paywalls.

With a guaranteed monthly or annual income from loyal readers, websites can continue to report the news without having to adhere to arbitrary rules

By Laurence Dollimore

The annual Black Flag report is in and it isn’t pretty reading as ‘touristification’ and a greedy political class are blamed for destroying Spain’s coastline

The 440-metre behemoth is being built directly on the sand – with basement included – not far from an archeological site, in plain violation of coastal regulations.

“It all comes down to the country’s laws which regulate coastal developments,”

Yus-Ramos said.

“There are things you can do and things you can’t, and the Junta just ignores it.

“The town halls submit plans for beach developments but it's the Junta which has to approve them.

“The ultimate responsibility for these black flags lies with the Junta.”

The report also pulled Malaga up for the massive plastic waste generated by the San Juan festivities on June 23.

“The night of San Juan left the beaches covered in plastic,” Yus-Ramos said. “In the

that seem to change daily. Plus, they will eventually steer away from the disliked ‘clickbait’ articles once they are no longer so reliant on advertising income generated by clicks.

If you’re an avid reader of news sites and believe that proper journalism is worth safeguarding, support your favourite newspapers either via a donation or subscription.

PLASTIC : Tonnes of beads were washed overboard in Galicia, while (below) the aftermath of the San Juan festivities

end, much of that plastic waste goes in the sea.”

The group estimates that between 20 and 40 tonnes of litter was left on beaches come the morning.

Ecologists in Action has called for more bins to be placed on the beach for the event and signs warning of the harm caused by litter.

It added: “Ideally, these massive festivities should gradually decline until they disappear.”

Yus-Ramos added that constant construction and development all along the Costa del Sol has led to the disappearance of many beaches, which now have to be regularly replenished with artificial sand.

“In Cadiz there are sandy natural beaches that still have dunes,” he continued. “But these have almost completely disappeared in Malaga.

pumping station located in the ravine, due to overflow and lack of maintenance.

It’s a similar story at Alicante beach, where the population has doubled in the last 40 years without a similar investment in local infrastructure.

Incredibly, plans are already underway

to expand the illegal sites with two waterhungry golf courses

Cadiz, however, does not escape lightly, receiving four black flags, with said dunes on the Trafalgar coast between Tarifa and Vejer being a particular concern.

“The current urban development between Zahara and Atlanterra is dismantling the natural barrier that has protected the region’s dune systems,” the report states.

It adds that there are nearly three kilometres of formerly pristine beach that are now occupied by illegally-built homes that ‘lack basic infrastructure for water supply and wastewater treatment’. Incredibly, plans are already underway to expand the illegal developments with two water-hungry golf courses. Meanwhile, sewage waste has been seeping into Playa Talamanca in Ibiza and both Playa Granada and Playa Poniente in Granada. This has been killing off the seagrass meadows that grow just off the coast, with over half of the fields in Talamanca Bay now dead. And do not even ask what is escaping onto the Alicante beach of El Barranco del Amerador (see right).

Ok we’ll tell you: “So far this year, there have been two faecal discharges at the Amerador beach from the

MILLION MILESTONE

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Over the past few months, we have seen nearly 10,000 people register an account on theolivepress.es.

We now have 40,000 users, a figure that is currently increasing by more than 1,000 each week.

Our registered users receive weekly newsletters covering travel, property and health.

“The risk of new discharges could produce not only visible items like wet wipes, plastic bags, or cotton buds but also less visible pollutants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbon residues, and other toxins,” the report says.

“Beaches could be closed if tests reveal high levels of E.coli, as happened last summer at San Gabriel and Urbanova beaches.”

The report does try to offer solutions to each of the environmental or management issues it raises, which often involves upgrading infrastructure such as treatment plants.

But for Yus-Ramos, the ultimate cause of the issues on Spain’s beaches are the commercialisation and poor environmental management of the coastline, the blame for which he plants squarely at the feet of politicians.

They also get to comment on stories and get sent special deals and discounts from our growing number of partners. This includes access to competitions, such as entering to win tickets to see Jonas Blue play at Max Beach next week, or Pete Tong DJ in Marbella in August.

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3- Jay Slater latest: Two witnesses are urged to come forward with ‘crucial info’ about missing British teen

4- Body of missing teenager is found in Spain following extensive search

5- Weather warnings in Spain: Blood rain and HAIL hit Andalucia and beyond due to freak ‘gota fria’

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SEWAGE: Has blighted the popular and beautiful Playa Talamanca in Ibiza (above)

HOLY CHRIST: Was ‘banned’ by Google for showing nudity

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

MURCIA will be home to one of Europe's biggest film and tv studio complexes at a cost of around €100 million.

It will be set up by UK company Stage Fifty in association with Universal Productions Services. The facility- covering 100,000 m2 - will be called the Murcia Film Studios and is expected to create 1,000 jobs.

Committed

It will be built 20 kms north of Murcia City at the Los Carmenes industrial estate in Las Torres de Cotillas.

Last November, Stage Fifty said it was committed to coming to the Murcia region and was looking for a suitable location after being wooed by the regional government.

Murcia president, Fernando Lopez Miras, signed a deal for the project in London with Stage Fifty CEO, James Enright. The company provides production facilities for international companies like Disney , Amazon , Netflix , HBO , and Apple

Down discovery

First ever Neanderthal with Down syndrome is discovered in Spain

THE discovery of the remains of a Neanderthal girl near Valencia has allowed scientists to conclude that she had Down syndrome and was looked after by her prehistoric community.

Researchers have identified ear bone abnormalities from a tiny piece of skull, which are consistent with someone who had Down syndrome, the first Neanderthal with the condition ever found.

“This child would have required care for at least six years, likely necessitating other group members to

By Simon Hunter

help the mother in childcare,” the researchers write in Science Advances magazine.

The Cova Negra cave site in Xativa has been excavated several times between 1929 and 2017, and has yielded human fossil remains dating from between 273,000 and 146,000 years ago, as well as materials from the Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic.

The remains of ‘Tina’, as the

Concerts by candlelight

subject was dubbed, were found in 1989 among other bone remains of Neander-

EVENTS platform, Fever, is bringing its Candlelight Concerts to Spain. Talented musicians give popular songs from the likes of ABBA, the Beatles and Queen the classical treatment.

If you’re more traditional, they also play classical music like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Ludovico Einaudi

Hosted in beautiful venues across Spainl, the concerts are a treat for the eye as well as the ears. Surrounded by hundreds of candles, they make for the perfect romantic evening.

To find out where concerts local to you are, visit candlelightexperience.com.

thals, many of them children.

The new study concludes that she survived for more than six years thanks to the care and support from her community group.

Her condition would likely have included severe hearing loss as well as incapacitating vertigo.

“What was not known until now was any case of an individual who had received help, even if they could not return the favour. This proves the existence of true altruism among Neanderthals,” Mercedes Conde, researcher of the Chair of Evolutionary Otoacoustics and Paleoanthropology at HM Hospitales and the University of Alcala, explained.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

KIDDIES BULL RUN

A ROW has broken out in Valencia after the Old Town (Ciutat Vella) district board backed a simulated bull run aimed at children.

Opposition political parties are complaining to the Ombudsman to ‘protect minors from the violence of bullfighting’.

On a date to be specified, parents will push around carts representing bulls to chase youngsters through the streets.

Rejected

The idea had been rejected in recent years, but the year-old Partido-Popular and Vox coalition majority outvoted left-wing parties to push the measure through.

It had been proposed by former bullfighter and local resident, Vicente Barrera, who is also the Valencian region’s Minister of Culture.

Barrera believes it will allow children to learn more about the culture of bullfighting including elements like the matador’s cape. The far-left regional Compromis party said they blamed the 'weak' Partido Popular (PP) mayor, Maria Jose Catala, for approving the run.

CARING: The discovery of the Down Syndrome child is the first evidence of altruism found

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

LA CULTURA

BRINGING HOME THE BACON

As police recover stolen painting by the Irish master, Ben Pawlowski delves into Francis Bacon’s love

affair with Spain

FRAIL and ill, Francis Bacon

spent his final days in the heart of Madrid, charming the nuns who were treating him with his characteristic wit and newly-learnt Spanish skills.

It was a low-key end to a remarkable life, 82 years which had taken the Irish-born maestro from an affluent Dublin household, was unceremoniously booted out from, after his father discovered him wearing his mother’s underwear, to the Spanish capital.

While he was well known as a fervent Francophile, Bacon had a passionate fling with Spain in his later years.

Famed for the raw, powerful imagery that inhabited his works, Bacon took inspiration from two colossuses of Spanish art whom he regarded as his greatest influences - Pablo Picasso and Diego Velazquez.

Indeed, Bacon’s trademark representations of papal figures mimicked Velazquez’s famous paintings.

The Prado Museum, the marvellous maze holding the entire Spanish royal collection, soon became Bacon’s favourite stomping ground as he sought seeds of creativity

By Ben Pawlowski

from masters old and new.

Workers recall Bacon insisting he be allowed in on Mondays when the museum was traditionally closed to visitors, so he could peruse the thousands of works displayed without distraction, learning from the baroque methods of Velazquez and the cubist imagination of Picasso.

It wasn’t just Spanish art with which Bacon fell deeply in love - at a party hosted by Sir Frederick Ashton, the acclaimed British ballet star, Bacon met a dashing, young, rich Spanish banker by the name of Jose Capelo.

Earlier this year, the Policia Nacional recovered the fourth of five paintings, personally gifted by Bacon, which were stolen by a gang from Capelo’s home - a portrait of Capelo

(above), the fourth painting to be recovered, is estimated to be valued at €5 million.

While Capelo has always insisted their relationship was not romantic, leaked recordings after Bacon’s death suggest the opposite, with their flechazo regarded as the artist’s ‘final, passionate affair’. He fell in love with a Spaniard, indeed, but also with Spain, with the warmth, the food, the drink, the culture,

making many friends along the way. Madrid became the final, great destination of a life which had toured cities including Berlin, Paris and Tangier. He was enamoured, too, with the bullfighting tradition which he described as ‘death in the sunlight’ and a ‘marvellous aperitif of sex’. He often visited Las Ventas bullring. A favoured drinking spot was Bar Cock, an elegant setting off the magnificent Gran Via, where Bacon and his

INSPIRATION: Velasquez’s Pope Innocent X with Bacon’s ‘screaming Pope’ and (above) the stolen portrait of Capelo

Spanish partner would have a martini or, if feeling fancy, a bottle of champagne at ‘their’ spot of table nine. Afterwards, the pair would tend to stroll down to La Trainera, an upmarket seafood restaurant in equally swanky Salamanca, where they would wind away hours.

BREAK DOWN COVER

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ARTISTS: Francis Bacon as a young man and pictured above with Lucien Freud

AIRVAT

SPAIN’S leftist alliance Sumar, which is the junior partner in the Socialist-led coalition government, has come up with a range of proposals for tax rises aimed at tourist apartments.

The move is designed to reduce the profitability of AirBnB style lets and encourage landlords to offer longer-term contracts to tenants.

To start with, such rentals would be subject to the full VAT rate of 21%.

Currently they are exempt from this sales tax, unless they offer similar services found in the hospitality sector.

Justified

Sumar is arguing that the tax would be justified due to the negative effects of tourist accommodation, such as driving residents out of neighbourhoods, while traditional hotels or hostels create jobs and have other positive effects on the economy.

The announcement by the party, which is led by Deputy Prime Minister and Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, comes at a time of rising tensions in Spain about the tourism sector.

Recent protests in popular destinations such as Barcelona, the Canary Islands and Malaga have all pointed to the effect that tourist rentals are having on property prices, in many cases putting rents out of the reach of locals.

Feeling fuelish

GERMAN airline group

Lufthansa has announced it is adding an environmental charge to its ticket prices, in a bid to offset the cost of sustainable aviation fuels.

The company is the first of its kind in Europe to introduce such a fee, but other airlines are likely to follow suit. The charge will come into force in 2025 and will add between €1 and €72 to fares.

Lufthansa, needs the extra money, to comply with EU regulations on bringing down emissions.

The extra cost of using sustainable aviation fuels has prompted airlines to warn for years now that ticket prices would have to go up.

Green move

GERMAN polymer material maker Covestro has signed a 10-year renewable energy purchase agreement with BP. The multinational will supply the manufacturer with green energy from a solar farm in Teruel in the Aragon region. The deal will significantly increase the use of renewable energy in Covestro’s Spanish operations, as it tries to become carbon neutral by 2035. The partnership is set to increase its renewable energy consumption in Spain from under 10% to 30%.

Fast track to ruin

Spain to complain to EU about low-cost rail rivals

SPAIN’S public rail company Renfe will complain to the European Commission about French-owned rival Ouigo, calling its low price for high-speed services unfair competition.

Transport Minister, Oscar Puente, confirmed the state operator will be making a submission to Brussels.

He accused Ouigo of price dumping and operating at a loss, propped up by France’s state-owned parent company SNCF.

Despite Ouigo and also Iryo entering the battle for highspeed rail customers, Renfe

By Alex Trelinski

is still the dominant company in the market.

Three operators and four brands have been competing since 2021, which led to a big fall in prices - ending Renfe's monopoly - and attracting more passengers. Ouigo was the first competitor that Renfe had to deal with.

The newcomer began an aggressive price strategy with tickets available from €9 which forced the Spanish

company to respond with the launch of AVLO - its own low-cost brand.

Despite a big increase in demand, Ouigo’s moves raised shackles in the corridors of

Richer get richer

SPAIN’S economy may have suffered some serious blows in recent years, from the pandemic to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, but these factors don’t seem to have had an effect on the country’s biggest earners, whose ranks have swollen. According to data from the Spanish Tax Agency, 2022 saw the number of taxpayers de -

claring a yearly income in excess of €601,000 rise by 25% compared to the year before.

Record

The total number of people who fall into this tax bracket came in at 15,200, a record and up from 12,178 the previous year.

17 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

Scan to find out more

Renfe bosses.

The Spanish government believes that double standards are at play with barriers being put up to stop Renfe running services in France.

Olympic

It tried for over two years to offer connections on the Lyon-Paris line this month to coincide with the Olympic Games in Par-

The line is regarded as one of the most profitable in Europe but Renfe says it has encountered constant obstacles from France which has made it impossible to launch the service.

Idealista move

THE hugely popular Spanish property portal Idealista has been purchased by British fund Cinven for €2.9 billion. The platform is the leading real estate site in not just Spain, but also Italy and Portugal. The deal, which is still subject to approval by market regulators, will see Cinven buy 70% of the company. Its founder and chairman, Jesus Encinar, will continue in his role as leader of the company, as he did in 2015 after the portal was sold to other funds managed by Apax and in 2020 when it was sold to the until-now main stakeholder, Swiss fund EQT.

SPAIN has reported the lowest unemployment figure for June since 2008, with 2,561,067 people registered as being out of work.

Registrations with social security grew by 71,000 since May to reach 21,392,889 - the highest total since records began. The hospitality sector is largely behind the improvements, with last month heralding the start of the main tourist season. Unemployment amongst the under 25s fell by almost 4,000. All 17 regions saw jobless falls with the biggest in Andalucia (-8,746 people), Catalunya (-5,816) and the Valencian Community (-4,929).

WHERE THERE’S MUCK….

Farms get power boost from buried batteries that harness bacteria in the soil

FARMS could soon be powered by dirt thanks to a revolutionary new battery. UK startup Bactery has developed a soil-powered battery that utilises natural bacteria to generate clean electricity. These ‘install and forget’ batteries are buried underground and harness the

By Dilip Kuner

electrons produced by soil microbes.

This eco-friendly approach offers a cheap and sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources for farms.

The long-lasting batteries, expected to last over 25 years, eliminate the need for expensive infrastructure like solar panels or power lines. Additionally, the low cost of €30 per unit makes them a highly attractive option for farmers. This innovation has the potential to transform data-driven agriculture. By powering sensors and internet-connected devices, Bactery’s batteries will allow farmers to collect real-time data

SOIL BATTERIES: are being developed for farmers by Bactery in the UK

on their crops and land, ultimately improving yields and resource management. Dr Jakub Dziegielowski was part of the research team that developed the technology in 2019 at the University of Bath in the UK. Since then it has been tested on a water filtration system in Brazil and for the last four years he has been taking the concept a step further by developing ways to scale up electricity generation.

He said: “We’ve learned a

whole lot more about the different bioelectrochemical processes, and grasped a better understanding of the roles both bacteria and the soil play in this complex equation.”

The company is currently refining prototypes and expects to launch commercial production in 2026.

CLIMATE change has been blamed after winter storms blew away a fifth of Barcelona’s golden sands. From July 2023 to April 2024, beaches in the Barcelona metropolitan area lost 60 acres of surface area, with experts blaming windy storms, driven by climate change, for the coastal erosion.

Pipelines, used to supply water and electricity to businesses on the seafront, have even been unearthed as sand levels dwindle.

Challenge

In some areas on Barcelona’s long coastline, which measures 26 miles, beaches have lost over 50 metres of width, representing a growing challenge for local authorities and tourism boards. The worst affected stretch of beaches is between Badalona, an industrial heartland just north of Barcelona, and Montgat, considered the epicentre of sand loss where over 36% of its beaches have been eroded away by storms and the sea.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Vintage crime

A SACKED ex-employee has been accused of being behind an incident in which 60,000 litres of wine were literally poured down the drain.

Bodega

Grainy CCTV footage showed how, back in February, a hooded figure opened the taps of stainless steel tanks at the Cepa 21 winery in Valladolid, flooding the bodega with €2 million worth of plonk. Now the Guardia Civil has arrested a female ex-employee of the winery, who had been fired two days before.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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July 12th - July 25th 2024

COSTLY MOORING

PUERTO Banus is the most expensive port in Europe for mooring a yacht. The up-market port came top of the Engel & Volkers Yacht Rankings, which list the basic day

rates of moorings for a 55-metre craft during the high season. If you fancy mooring your yacht for a day, then you will need to pay €4,289 for the privilege - considerably higher than for

You’re welcome!

BRITISH tourists continue to be the most important foreign visitors to Spain in terms of volume and value, new figures have revealed.

According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), tourists who flew into Spain in May spent a total of €11.68 billion - up 19.7% on the same period last year. It means the average tourist is now spending €1,263 during their stay, a year-on-year in-

British tourists have injected €7.3bn into the Spanish economy so far this year crease of 7.3%.

When expanding the data to cover the first five months of 2024, the INE puts foreign tourist spending at a whopping €43.2 billion. That represents a 21.8% increase compared to the same period in 2023. And despite a surge in an-

ti-tourism protests, the number of holidaymakers flocking to Spain is continuing to surge.

Between January and May, some 33 million people from abroad visited the country, up 13.6% on last year. Leading the way in

TOURISTS visiting Barcelona are set to be hit by a rise in charges after the city council agreed to increase visitor levies by over 20%.

The Catalan capital, which receives almost 10 million visitors annually, will increase its tourist tax from €3.25 to €4 a night on tourist accommodation in a move that is expected to generate an additional €20 million in revenues. When introduced just three years ago it was €0.75 a night.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

THE LUXURY LINE

SThe Olive Press steps on board the Al Andalus express on a week-long journey of a lifetime, writes Yzabelle Bostyn. While, (overleaf)

Editor Jon Clarke gives his own individual take

IPPING on a flinty glass of ice cold Albarino as the last few rays of sunshine drench endless sunflower fields somewhere near Jerez, I wonder how life could get any better.

If there is a secret recipe to happiness, the organisers of the Al-Andalus luxury train must know it.

This is the most exclusive way to tick Andalucia’s renowned cities off your bucket list.

The luxurious trip naturally comes at a price, but from the taster Renfe gave the Olive Press, it’s certainly worth it.

I never saw one guest frown during the entire journey, perhaps due to the quality food, great wine, delightful company and plenty of culture.

After walking the red carpet laid

I admired the historic cars, some of which date back to the 1920s.

The train was once used by the British monarchy while they holidayed in France and the staff still treat their guests today

like royalty.

I have never been treated so well: after a day of sightseeing, it was a pleasure to return to the elegant wood panelled rooms, plush sofas and fresh drinks served by friendly, knowledgeable waiters who made every effort to get to know your likes and dislikes. However, it was not until the end of the first day that we finally glimpsed Spain’s answer to the Orient Express. More of which later.

The trip had kicked off at the sumptuous four star Hotel Taberna del Alabardero in the heart of Sevilla, setting the bar high.

The pleasant small talk of getting to know our fellow travellers was punctuated with a childlike excitement as we were presented with our tickets in shiny envelopes.

A healthy mix of English and Spanish speakers - who came from as far and wide as Brazil and Australia - were all given an audio guide, allowing us to seamlessly experience multilingual tours throughout Andalucia’s best attractions.

In the restaurant car, piano music drifts out of the speakers and mingles with the aroma of fresh bread

DISTINGUISHED DINING: Each night a delicious four-course meal was served

In fact, the word seamless is a great way to summarise the whole trip. The day begins at 8:00 am, when the twinkling sound of a bell travels through the seven bed carriages to let travellers know breakfast is served.

Unraveling themselves from fluffy blankets and towel robes, guests venture out in search of caffeine.

In the restaurant car, elegant piano music drifts out of the speakers along with the aroma of fresh bread, jamon, fruit and more. Much more. After ordering bespoke om-

along the platform, elets and maybe even a mimosa or two, the ad-

REFUGE: The plush, comfortable furnishings offer a sumptuous place to rest after a day’s exploration

24/7: Help is on hand at any time

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

ventures began at about 9.30am, usually with a city tour.

Knowledgeable and entertaining guides, provided a concise overview of our latest stop, alongside a variety of activities which showcased the unique cultural identity of the area.

In Sevilla, we toured the world famous Alcazar, where despite an earlier visit, I still learnt many more curious facts and grew to appreciate the city’s multicultural identity as a cradle of Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions.

After the Alcazar, we wandered the area around the Alcazar, where the opera Carmen is set.

The sounds of Andalucian chatter, fluttering fans and flamenco floated towards us as we made our way to the Plaza de España, as if to make sure we knew we were in the birthplace of many Spanish traditions.

The street performers provided a taste of the flamenco show we were treated to later that afternoon in the Casa de la Memoria.

Dedicated to preserving the art of this folkloric tradition, the dancers oozed passion on stage with palpable chemistry that is so characteristic of the art. These cultural experiences (tours of the Alhambra, the Mezquita de Cordoba, Gonzalez Byass bodega, etc.) are without a doubt, the highlight of the Al-Andalus experience.

Visitors are only taken to the most iconic and very best venues, showcasing the incredible legacy of Andalucia.

From Sevilla, the train travels to Jerez, winding through infinite vineyards and olive groves set against a perfectly blue sky.

As we settled down to dinner, it was always hard to know whether you should concentrate on your food or take in the gorgeous views.

Travelling alone? Don’t worry you’ll soon be invited to a table, or will find everyone around you asking questions and making you feel at home.

Each meal was meticulously designed to complement the day’s experiences, with wines from local vineyards and typical delicacies, such as queso payoyo in Ronda or seafood in Cadiz.

This was the ideal way to end the first day on the Al-Andalus, as the deliciously sweet sherry from our next stop, Jerez, lulled the guests into a restful evening.

The next morning, full of tostada con tomate drizzled with local olive oil, we set out on a day trip to Cadiz.

Passing over the salt fields, our tour leader, Maria, provided interesting tidbits to illuminate what could have easily been a mundane bus journey.

She pointed out flamingoes and told us about the area’s traditional industry, explaining the word ‘salary’ comes from Roman times when local workers were paid in salt.

Once we arrived, the local Gaditano (Cadiz native) guides took over to gave a panoramic walking tour of the city’s wonderful coastline and old town.

Then, as always, we were given a compre-

hensive list of recommendations on how to spend our free time that afternoon. Day trips are always finished with a sumptuous four-course lunch at a high quality restaurant, including Sanlucar de Barameda’s Casa Bigote, which is an institution on the Guadalquivir river facing Donana National Park and rightfully in the Michelin guide. Throughout the trip, evening events are held in the restaurant car or bar, including skilled guitarists, pianists and even magicians. The ‘Murder on the Al Andaluz Express’ magic show was a particular highlight, with funny, ingenious tricks that left every guest stumped. Other highlights included the wine tour at the home of Tio Pepe in Jerez.

Elegant and flawless, the show triumphed, picking up speed in the second half with complicated routines and impressive choreography.

We looked forward to our next excursion, a guided tour around Ronda, followed by free time.

Not only were the sherries delicious but they are rich in history with their enormous bodegas often termed the real ‘cathedrals’ of the city.

Of course, we could not leave without seeing the famous dancing horses at the Royal School of Equestrian Art.

Curiously, while including the typical elements of a picturesque old town and interesting churches, our tour of Ronda also included a visit to the bull ring. One of the oldest in Spain and while I wasn’t thrilled to be visiting it as a vegan, it was still interesting to learn about this part of Spanish culture. Then, I grabbed an ice cream before heading down to the brand new Desfiladero del Tajo, where you can catch an iconic view of Ronda’s famous bridge.

After a meal at the parador surrounded by stunning views of the nearby countryside, we boarded the train to Cordoba. The next morning, we had a whistle stop tour of the old town before visiting the mezquita and Michelin star restaurant, Casa Rubio.

A full-on day, we also visited the often missed but nonetheless worth seeing,

Ubeda and an olive oil factory.

Then, it was time to watch the sun go down over the Andalucian countryside as we travelled to Granada.

An absolute must-see for any trip to Spain, we enjoyed an in depth tour of the breathtaking Alhambra palace before a delicious lunch at the Restaurante Carmen San Miguel. That evening, the goodbye party was bittersweet as we didn’t know when we would see our new found friends again. Luckily, we had one final day in Malaga to look forward to, complete with a city tour and sumptuous meal.

The trip is well balanced when it comes to rest, activities and entertainment while providing a great taste of the region’s many jewels.

As the train passed through the Serrania de Ronda’s miles of olive groves, I felt grateful to have been part of this truly magical journey.

The Al Andalus train is a special experience which holds itself to the highest standards... and only running a few dozen trips a year.

Each day is an indulgent dive into Andalucia’s culture, history and gastronomy of which guests will never tire.

But, if they do, there’s a deluxe bed waiting for them with a cold glass of wine just a phone call away.

The Al Andalus train is run by Renfe, with prices starting at €9,500 for a couple for six nights.

Find out more at: eltrenalandalus.com

EQUINE EXCELLENCE: Jerez’s dancing horses are a must see

IFOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

November 29thDecember 12th 2023 LOOKING FOR

PLATINUM STANDARD

FASCINATING: Tour guide Rocio’s explanation on the Alhambra’s decor

T was the first time a man in white gloves had ushered me off a train and it was the first time I’d set off in Spain and arrived exactly on the dot.

Then there was the 100-year-old dining car and the dance floor used by the British royal family on tour in the mid 19th century, not to mention the giant Apple Mac set up for guests or the sommelier who served a choice of four wines by the glass as we rattled along somewhere between Ubeda and Granada.

But riding the Al Andalus Express around the gems of Andalucia was a carriage-load of firsts from the very start. Take the buffet breakfast, as good as the one at the Ritz, or the Earl Grey silver service and biscuits brought to my suite at exactly 4pm… this was a first class Platinum journey until the end.

But the comfort of the train aside (and yes, I did actually sleep remarkably well), the real success of this exclusive journey is the quality of its staff. And there are plenty of them; over 20 including cooks, waiters, cleaners and receptionists.

The white-glove silver service is only trumped by the tour guides, writes Olive Press editor Jon Clarke on his inaugural trip on the upmarket Al Andalus Express

your arrival.

This is the dozen or more historians and professors, who have a painstaking knowledge of their town or city, able to rattle off the most unusual, colourful and little-known facts whether that be on the Mezquita of Cordoba or the Alhambra in Granada.

Earl Grey silver service and biscuits brought to my suite at 4pm

And that’s just a half of the total team that goes into making the Al Andalus adventure a success.

For when you pull into every station of this eight-stop regional tour you have a series of talented local guides awaiting

Served up in either English or Spanish you are taken on interesting routes through the various cities, sometimes a little off the beaten track.

Best of all are the lesser-known tours around Ubeda, or an olive mill near Linares, while the stroll around Cordoba and finally to its famous mosque was incredibly interesting.

I learnt, for example, why Cordoba’s buildings are a different colour to those in nearby Sevilla, as well as how four architects had been employed to ensure the ‘insertion’ of a Catholic cathedral into the Cordoba Mezquita had ensured it didn’t collapse.

I really didn’t think I could learn anything new having been around the Alhambra of Granada well over a dozen times, but our guide Rocio (who is actually from Cadiz) couldn’t have been more entertaining.

Incredibly enthusiastic, she insisted we needed to enter via a different gate to the 99% of other tourists and really brought to life the gardens as much as Spain’s most

visited site.

Suggesting the best place for a selfie, her top tips on where to stay and plenty of detail on the planting, was invaluable knowledge for my next trip to Granada. In short, she and the other guides are the very best on offer. Hand-picked by RENFE to ensure that nobody gets short-changed.

Perhaps I should also mention they arrange all the entrance tickets, tables for lunch in excellent local restaurants, while each group is also shadowed at all times by one of two tour leaders (both called Maria) to watch over their flock… whether this be to warn us about pickpockets or, say, step in if anyone was feeling a little faint from the midday heat.

Sure, the cost, starting at €11,200 for a couple, will put most people off, but as the majority of my fellow passengers were over from Brazil, Australia and the UK for journeys of a lifetime, it is anything but extortionate.

When you include lunches at the Parador in Ronda, tickets for all the main monuments and as much wine and spirits as you can drink at meal times, it works out to be reasonable value. And the train takes the strain.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 4 Astonishment, 8 Uh-uh, 9 Imagines, 10 Alphas, 12 Tarzan, 13 Tremor, 14 Nieces, 15 Phoneins, 16 H T T P, 17 Prime suspect.

Down: 1 Gogh, 2 Civil Service, 3 Pedigree, 5 Scholarship, 6 Heart and soul, 7 Therapeutic, 11 Humanoid, 16 Hops.

OFF-BEAT: A tour of Cordoba old town, while (above) engaging staff

Emergency generation

THE Balearics are finally set to start training the first cohort of A&E doctors in 30 years after a decree by the Council of Ministers.

The first step will be to set up a commission which will then create a training program for the new generation of specialists. Medics boss Daniel García said the program should be ready to start training new specialists in May 2025.

Keeping stones at bay

CASES of urinary tract stones rise by up by 30% during Spain’s hot summer with a urologist recommending simple dietary changes to keep them at bay.

Dr Bartolome Lloret said:

“High temperatures cause big water losses due to high perspiration while vigorous physical exercise can cause periodic dehydration and increased concentration of crystals in the urine which form stones.”

The specialist recommends drinking more than three litres of water per day at this time of the year. He also suggests reducing the consumption of butter, sausages, preserves, soups, dehydrated creams, cheeses and ham, as well as avoiding adding extra salt to dishes.

Slim chance

A NEW ‘miracle’ weight loss drug has landed in Spain, allowing patients to lose up to 24kg while avoiding Ozempic’s hefty €271 price tag. After the Ozempic craze swept through Spain, it was only natural that competitors and alternatives would come to the fore. Now, pharmaceutical brand Lilly will release a new weight loss drug. Tirzepatida, known under the commercial name Mounjaro, is set to be released this month. An injectable drug given once a week, Mounjaro can only be administered by prescription and is free for patients.

Results

The new medication has had surprising results at clinical trials, where after 72 weeks, patients had retained weight loss, quality of life and levels of vitamins and minerals compared to pre-treatment. According to Lilly, this is thanks to the medications multi action mechanism, which works with different organs simultaneously. It is suitable for people with type two diabetes and obesity as it binds to insulin receptors in the pancreas, brain, heart, veins, intestine, liver and fat cells.

It is recommended for use alongside a low calorie diet and increase in physical activity to both lose weight and maintain weight loss. However, it is not recommended for people with a history of thyroid cancer or pancreatitis.

TICK WATCH

SPAIN is increasing monitoring of two potentially fatal diseases transmitted by ticks, but states that it is good practice, rather than a response to a medical crisis.

Health authorities have introduced tick monitoring into the National Plan for Surveillance and Control of Vector-borne Diseases. This focuses on measuring instances of Lyme disease

and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF).

Ticks are carriers of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, which they transmit to humans when they pierce the skin to draw blood.

TOP KILLER REVEALED

Cancer biggest cause of death in Spain for first time

CANCER has become the biggest killer in Spain for the first time, according to 2023 mortality figures compiled by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

Last year, 115,013 people died from some kind of tumour - representing 26.55% of all deaths.

Until then, it had been diseases of the circulatory system that had the highest mortality rate, but those fell by 5.3%.

Lung cancers were the most prominent with 22,717 deaths, followed by colon cancer, with 10,891 fatalities - 2.3% fewer than in 2022.

By Alex Trelinski

There were a total of 433,163 deaths in Spain in 2023, some 31,254 (6.7%) fewer than the previous year. Among men, ischemic heart disease was a leading cause of death (17,038), while among women it was dementia (12,817).

The INE says the diseases that increased the most were respiratory diseases.

Deaths from pneumonia went up by 17.1% and chronic lower respiratory diseases by 2.6%.

THE Spanish Medicines Agency (AEMPS) has warned that just using suncream is not enough to protect children from the harmful effects of sun exposure. It comes as it launched a campaign in partnership with the Spanish Dermatology Academy.

Titled Advice for adequate sun protection for kids, the campaign aims to avoid burns,

THRICE BITTEN

THE venomous violin spider has bitten its first recorded victim in Spain.

A 42-year-old resident of the northern Pais Vasco region was the unlucky recipient, being bitten at least three times between May and September in his own home.

Strokes accounted for 23,173 deaths - 6.1% lower than in 2022.

SUN WARNING

sun allergies, eye injuries, visible ageing and, most importantly, skin cancer.

A spokesman said: “Just applying sun cream without other physical sun protection methods like glasses and hats is not enough to protect against sun radiation.”

The man was later diagnosed with a culour, and have very thin legs.

taneous necrotizing condition, prompting doctors to drain the wound and put him on a course of antibiotics.

The health authorities said that it was important to recognise this kind of bite so that it can be properly treated in this way.

The violin spider is one of three venomous varieties out of 1,400 documented species that inhabit the Iberian Peninsula.

The spiders measure between one and three centimetres, have six eyes in the shape of a half moon, are a reddish brown co -

“Its popular name derives from the violin-shaped pattern it has on the front of its body called prosoma,” biologist Claudia Isabel Navarro Rodriguez told the magazine Unam Global.

“Beyond its physical characteristics, it can be said that the violinist is shy, so it avoids contact with humans and, if necessary, can self-injure to escape human presence,” she added.

Meanwhile, zoologist Aitor Albaina said that peo -

ple shouldn’t be alarmed about this first case of a violin spider bite.

“Most bites have only mild consequences,” he said, adding that there was no need for ‘social alarm’.

“The venom of this spider is quite toxic, it generates allergic reactions,” he said.

“Normally they are mild, but it’s possible, as in this case, given that it was a third bite and continuous exposure, that the body reacts in a more exaggerated way and in the end it creates this necrosis.”

Rock solid advice

IF men don’t want their penis to get smaller the secret is to not get old!

A Spanish urologist has released a new book called Everything you need to know about the penis and never dared to ask (Todo lo que necesitas saber sobre el pene y nunca te atreviste a preguntar) that contains a few uncomfortable home truths for men.

Blanca Madurga, a doctor from Hospital del Mar in Cadiz, has claimed that men’s penises shrink as they get older due to their decreasing testosterone levels.

The figures show that 95.9% of the deaths registered last year were down to natural causes. Another change compared to previous years is that accidental falls appear as the main cause of external death, surpassing suicides for the first time.

Nevertheless, suicides average nearly 11 per day in Spain with 2,962 cases last year and a larger prominence among males.

In further bad news for smokers, Madurga claims that the habit causes the blood vessels in the penis to shrink. This can weaken a man’s erection by as much as 25%.

The urologist emphasises the importance of addressing taboos about sexual organs, offering men advice on when and how to seek professional help for sexual dysfunctions, which are often more treatable than they believe.

FEAR: The venomous Violin Spider has had its first victim in Spaim

Crucifix thieves

POLICE recovered over a tonne of bronze crucifixes stolen from cars and homes in Toledo province that thieves were going to melt down and sell for cash.

Flip-flopped

THE Guardia Civil has issued a reminder to drivers in Spain that although wearing flipflops is not strictly illegal, you can be charged if you crash because of them.

Hero search

THE hunt is on for a lone ‘hero’ Spanish football fan who was filmed celebrating manically in a sea of Germany supporters after Spain scored a last minute winner in their Euro 2024 quarter final.

Come again?

Government wants to limit people to 30 porn sessions a month in order to combat children being exposed

THE Spanish government is seeking to introduce a ‘digital card’ that will give users ‘tokens’ in order to view porn websites. The online card, set to arrive in late summer, will require users to identify themselves and verify their age when they top their cards up.

By Walter Finch

It will give them 30 tokens to visit porn websites over a period of 30 days before needing to identify themselves again.

But the user can renew their set of tokens as many times as they want, so in effect there will not be limitations on how much porn a person can watch. Heavy users of online porn will even receive alerts reminding them to renew their tokens if they max out their sessions before the 30-day period. The idea of the tokens is to

FURIOUS locals are demanding action over 200 rogue goats, which have taken over the picturesque mountain towns of Cox in the Sierra de Callosa mountain range in Alicante.

The brazen baa-stards are munching through gardens and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

For years residents have en dured the hoofed hooligans,

Baa-stards!

but a recent drought has made things even worse.

The feral goats are now descending on the town in ever larger numbers in search of food and drinking water from the town’s fountains.

As a temporary measure, the town council has created areas with supplies of water and food in the hills out of town.

avoid the need for identity checks every time someone wants to watch porn, which would in turn create privacy issues for the government’s policy planners. The stated purpose of the new ‘digital card’ is to stop children under 18 from accessing porn. “The data we

see on minors’ access to adult content and its possible consequences are what have led us to develop this tool as quickly as possible,” said Jose Luis Escriva, Spain’s digital transformation minister,

A report published by Spain’s Ministry of Justice in January found that seven out of ten young people between the ages of 13 and 17 regularly watch porn, with 30% saying it is their only source of sexual education. The tokens will be issued by a ‘trusted government entity’ which ‘will not generate a trace of the request’, according to sources from the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

The National Cryptologic Centre will ‘ensure there is no record’ of users’ porn habits’.

O.A.Prix

RACING legend Johnny Herbert is swapping the high-octane world of Formula 1 for the thrilling world of...Benidorm's mobility scooters.

Apparently, British holidaymakers have earned a reputation for being a tad too enthusiastic with their electric steeds, leaving the local council clutching their pearls. That's where Herbert comes in. Forget champagne showers and podium finishes, this summer he'll be facing a different kind of g-force: Granny power.

The 1991 Le Mans champion is being enlisted by package holiday company, On the Beach, to teach the over-55s the finer points of mobility scooter etiquette.

The good news for Brits (and their possibly terrified ankles) is that these lessons will come with a free scooter rental. Herbert himself, now a sprightly 60, sees the humor in the situation. “I never thought I’d be teaching Brits how to drive scooters in Benidorm,” he chuckled (hopefully not while trying to outrun a particularly feisty octogenarian on a mission for discounted marmalade).