Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin August 20
CLICK HERE FOR THE FEATURE ARTICLES "Animal activists demand that dogs be allowed on ALL Spanish beaches" and "Menu del Dia prices shoot up all across Spain"
It’s been a bit of a week of mixed emotions here in Spain. On the one hand, a long-awaited storm swept in through the north, cooling down the country considerably, but unfortunately, this simply wasn’t enough to prevent the breakout of another violent wildfire. This time the blaze took over the Valencian Community and has resulted in thousands of people having to flee their homes, though thankfully no fatalities have been reported.
Since the thermometers are going to take another upswing this weekend, we’ve got the low-down on some idyllic spots to cool your heels, and how about a splash from a mini-tsunami just to keep things interesting?
All this and more awaits you in this week’s bulletin…
Pet peeves
It’s not only the sea making waves this week, as animal activists have taken to the streets in Spain to demand their beloved pooches be allowed unlimited access to all of the country’s beaches. The PACMA Animalist Party organised the mobilisation in A Coruña in Galicia under the slogan ‘Beaches for all,’ arguing that dogs are “members of our family” and so should be permitted to accompany their owners to the seaside.
To be fair, they’ve kind of got a point, at least legally speaking. At the beginning of this year, Spain’s Animal Protection Law declared that pets must be considered as “sentient beings” and no longer treated as “objects.” This does in fact fall in line with PACMA’s claims, since legally, companion animals are considered part of the family.
According to the organisation, the main example of "this unfair situation" is the fact that "among the more than 3,000 beaches in Spain, just over 90 allow access with dogs."
It’s been a positive week for pooches overall, as Murcia City Council has revealed its decision to allow dogs accompanied by their owners walk off the leash in certain designated gardens and parks.
The new project will mean that owners can let their dogs off the lead between 8pm and 7am in winter and between 10pm and 7am the rest of the year. This will only be permitted in clearly marked parks with the obvious exception of children’s play areas.
Animals on the potentially dangerous breeds list, which is still in place in Spain despite calls to scrap the classification, will continue to require a leash at all times when out in public.
For now, the Health and Parks and Gardens technicians are working on outlining which areas are going to be used for these initiatives, with the park at the Ronda Sur lake, and the garden next to the La Chimenea park-and-ride in Barriomar (formerly La Molinera factory), current contenders, among many other urban green spaces.
Most of us love animals, but certain pesky critters can be a bit of a nuisance in the summer, not to mention deadly. A tragedy occurred on Monday when a 51-year-old man died after being stung by a wasp in the Murcia district of La Alberca. The victim was allergic to the venom, and although paramedics tried to revive the man for almost 40 minutes, he sadly died at the scene.
It hasn’t been all sunshine and daisies for our furry friends either, and one poor pooch suffered a terrible ordeal at the hands of a neighbour in Mallorca. A friend of the dog’s owner reportedly took Laika out for a walk and it wasn’t long before people on the street spotted the woman, who appeared to be extremely drunk, beating the petrified dog for no reason.
The concerned residents’ protests were ignored and the woman instead dragged the pup along to Illetas beach, which was thronged with holidaymakers who watched on in horror as the intoxicated woman tried to drown Laika.
Outraged beachgoers were quick to intervene and saved the dog before calling the police, and she was arrested on the spot for committing an alleged offence of animal abuse.
"It is not enough that she has spent a night in the cells. She has to pay for what she has done,” the dog’s furious owner insisted.
From cuddly to crunchy, prawns are making the headlines this week. You read that right, but it’s not because they make exceptionally good pets. Rather, the Águilas red prawn is in such high demand that each catch is fetching unprecedented high prices at the fish market, and fishermen and rejoicing after a tough couple of years.
Before you rush out to sample this delicacy, better check the bank balance first, as these scrumptious crustaceans don’t come cheap.
This past Tuesday, August 16, the Águilas prawns reached their top value so far this summer, with the largest calling for 110 euros a kilo. Not to be sniffed at either, medium prawns were going for 80 euros while the smaller specimens were still commanding as much as 36 euros per kilo.
Spain on fire
Fires have raged across the province of Alicante this week destroying thousands of hectares and forcing the eviction of thousands of people in more than a dozen towns and villages.
The inferno has already destroyed 11,700 hectares of land, 700 of them in one morning, and led to more than 2,000 people in 12 municipalities being forced out of their homes, many of whom have still not been able to return.
Thirty Alicante ground fire crews were still in the area on Thursday, extinguishing the flames, together with 13 units of forest firefighters from the Regional Government Service and 4 BRIFOS from the Valencian Provincial Consortium.
However, 112 stated that, due to the increase in humidity, the flames were advancing more slowly and "a favourable evolution is expected".
The incredible footage posted on social media shows the tide rising dramatically without warning, swallowing everything in its path. After the initial panic caused by the waves, beachgoers were seen collecting their personal items while beach bar workers began their clean up from the flood.
Several months ago UNESCO warned that the tsunami risk along the Mediterranean coast has increased exponentially in recent years and Andalucia, as one of the most at-risk regions in Spain, has a 2,000-strong emergency response team ready to spring into action if disaster were to strike.
For those unable (or unwilling) to get to the beach, cities can be a bit of a nightmare in this kind of weather, and the Region of Murcia has certainly borne the brunt lately, with temperatures climbing as high as 45ºC in places. For this very reason,
several councillors have called for the construction of climate centres: urban areas situated in a cool spot where people can take a break from the heat.
Climate shelters are nothing new, and Barcelona has around 200 such structures which are working well to protect citizens during heatwaves. The idea to bring these facilities to Murcia was floated at the plenary session back in July, but the City Council hasn’t proposed a deadline for carrying out the project, saying only that they are “working intensely” and hope to get started “very soon.”
Since it’s now mid-August, it’s safe to assume that Murcia won’t see any climate shelters this summer and it’s more likely that they’ll begin to appear in time for next summer.
And now he’s issued another chilling warning: “August dries up the fountains and September takes away the bridges.”
By the by, the cabañuelas is a long-term weather prediction technique based on the observation of winds, clouds, tides and the behaviour of animals.
In Spain, the regions of Murcia and Alicante are typically some of the hardest hit but Jorge’s forecast instead sees a potential September DANA bringing “a lot of rain” to "different areas of the northern peninsula, the Bay of Biscay and areas of Catalonia."
Jorge’s prediction is not the only gloomy outlook; earlier this week, Mario Picazo, former head of meteorology for Telecinco and current meteorologist for Eltiempo.es, warned that Spain is set to pay a harsh price for the current high temperatures once the autumn arrives.
Thus, on this point he agrees with Jorge: when temperatures drop at the end of summer, a DANA or intense cold drop could occur, bringing to Spain episodes of very intense and “very energetic” storms.
Grub's up
I don’t know about you, bur we’re loving all the drama and scandal surrounding dodgy bills and silly charges in bars and restaurants across the length and breadth of Spain at the moment.
The devious due returned to the scene of the crime that same night and enjoyed a lavish dinner. At this point, hotel staff began to smell a rat and quickly established that the two men weren’t actually staying at their premises at all.
When a waiter presented their table with a bill for breakfast and dinner, one of the German tourists scarpered, leaving the second man scrambling to explain their behaviour. He admitted that they owed the hotel money but as he didn’t have any cash or cards, left his mobile phone with the waiter as security, promising to return later with the full payment.
However, the ‘customer’ returned the next day without any money and quickly became aggressive towards staff when they refused to return his mobile, at which point the Police were called. The 24-year-old was arrested, but officers are still on the hunt for his friend.
It’s common practice these days for bars and restaurants to post ‘help wanted’ ads in their windows, but one such poster had potential workers running the other way.
"We have been looking for waiters, kitchen assistants and grillers for a year. We pay above the agreement and no one appears," the ad begins. Nothing too out of the ordinary so far, except that maybe it raises the question why the place can’t fill vacancies if it pays so well.
Now the poster enters into a bit of a rant: "However, we have more than three million unemployed receiving the subsidy (10,000 in Marbella and 5,000 in Estepona)".
Next up is the real stinger, which has really wound people up ever since a picture of the job ad appeared on social media:
"203,000 people receiving the minimum vital income and an undetermined number of
illegal immigrants, receiving a pension and having health care."
It’s not clear whether the bar in question has filled its vacancies but we’ll let you make up your own mind about that one!
The ever-popular Menú del Día, or Menu of the Day, has been feeding budget-conscious families and holidaymakers across Spain for as long as anyone can remember.
This is a 9% increase on 2016 according to Hospitality of Spain and Edenred, who recently carried out a survey of 611 establishments around the country.
Many products essential to running a successful bar or restaurant have shot up in price in recent months and in order to keep their heads above water, smaller establishments have no choice but to pass this cost onto their customers.
Will the higher costs put people off trying out the daily menu in restaurants in Spain? Somehow I don’t think so. Even at its most expensive 14 euros, three or four courses of delicious food as well as a drink and a pleasant afternoon out still sounds like a bargain to me.
Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic continues to loosen its grip on Spain with the cumulative incidence rate dropping for the fifth consecutive week and the 7-day rate even falling under 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Every community in the country is showing positive signs, with each region now below the 600-case barrier.
This equates to 9% of the approximate 3,500 hospital beds available in the province's 10 hospitals with the largest capacity.
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Murcia
The city was hailed “a dream for vegetarians” thanks to the rich surrounding countryside and its celebration of home-grown, time-honoured dishes, like the famous zarangollo (scrambled eggs with veggies).
"The perfect paparajotes can be found in the Rincón de Pepe restaurant," according to 'The Telegraph'.
The paper suggested that anyone visiting Murcia must begin at “the imposing Cathedral” before making their way to the Plaza de las Flores, “where on summer nights Murcianos congregate to take in the cool night air, a wine and tapas.”
The publication goes on to say that a trip to Murcia would not be complete without stepping just off its doorstep and visiting its beaches, adding that the much loved Mar Menor has become “the favourite excursion” of many
There's much more to Murcia than coastline and cuisine; travel a little further inland and there's a wealth of idyllic towns and villages set in unspoiled natural surroundings.
And you don’t have to melt in the heat, as the interior of the Region offers an abundance of river beaches and pools, both in the Vega Alta del Segura and in the Northwest.
To highlight a couple, in the Ricote Valley, the Segura river offers several stunning options, including El Arenal beach and the Canoeing Club Pier, as well as La Mona beach. In addition, there are numerous natural resources in the Northwest region to shelter from the heat and take a refreshing dip, in particular, the variety of enclaves offered by the waters of the Segura River as it passes through Calasparra.
What you wouldn't expect to see on a trip to the beach is a boat perched on top of rocks, completely out of the water. Well this is exactly what happened in Juan Montiel de Águilas marina when hundreds of people packed the beach to watch the fireworks. Spectators found more to gawp at than the polytechnic display in the sky after
an 8-metre boat had mysteriously found itself precariously balancing on the top of rocks, providing a perfect backdrop for selfies that soon made the rounds.
Apparently, the boat was attempting to enter its mooring in the dead of night and rough waves pushed it off course. The Red Cross of Águilas reported on its Facebook page that there were three crew members on board and that, fortunately, none were injured.
And for the first time in 19 years the Águilas cucaña was not won by David García; this year the title was taken by his nephew Pedro García. Must be something in the family genes!
Repair work has consisted mainly of removing all the material that had become loose as a result of the landslide and the road has been reconstructed using granular material, rockfill and gravel cement.
And to prevent further landslides, triple torsion mesh which was used to contain possible slippages is being repositioned with a concrete gunite to give it more resistance.
Traffic offences in general shot up, but the stand-out has is the increase in drivers caught by radar detectors which record the violation but don’t stop the driver, instead sending on a ticket later. These fines have skyrocketed by an incredible 40%. And it's worth remembering that there are 48 speed cameras o n Murcian roads!
Check out our EVENTS DIARY to see everything going on in Murcia:
Spain
From this point on, the “rains and storms will disappear in practically all areas and the sun will shine with rising temperatures and a fully summery atmosphere," according to Ruben Del Campo, Aemet spokesperson.
Each day over the weekend will become progressively warmer, although the good news is that, in the far south at least, the nights should become a bit more bearable. During the day, however, the thermometers won’t stray far from the mid 30s.
With clear skies on the horizon for the rest of the month, another influx of tourists is set to hit Spain, but it wouldn’t be the summer of 2022 without some irksome travel disruptions and this week, Spanish budget airline Iberia Express has thrown its hat into the ring, announcing
a 10-day cabin crew strike between August 28 and September 6.
The Madrid based carrier has expressed its "total incomprehension" about the proposed work stoppages, which have come after a series of “intensified” negotiations with the unions.
Cabin crew representatives have responded by explaining that staff are downing tools to demand better working conditions and salary increases that reflect rising inflation, similar requests to those made by staff from Ryanair and easyJet, whose crew have staged a series of strikes in Spain throughout the summer.
The airline has renewed its appeal to the union to call off the strike and continue with negotiations.
As this date approaches, she explained, the application of the fuel discount will be fully analysed and a final decision will be made in advance.
And in what will come as a great relief to drivers across Spain, the minister has ruled out putting tolls on the country’s dual carriageways and highways for the time being, until a consensus is established which is more "in line with what is done in the rest of Europe".
It wouldn’t be right to go a week without a warning from the DGT, would it? The latest nugget of advice relates to parking and you guessed it, there are 101 things you could do wrong that lead to a fine.
According to the Road Safety Law, as long as there is a footpath, a pedestrian area or some other suitable space, people on foot simply should not be in the road, as this puts both themselves and other drivers at risk.
So next time you are faced with a pedestrian hogging a parking space and refusing to move, you are fully within your rights to call the police, and the person standing in the spot will face a fine of 80 euros for refusing to leave the road.
While UK citizens residing permanently in Spain are losing patience with the respective governments over the length of time it’s taking to finalise negotiations on the driving licence exchange, British tourists have also been dealt their fair share of conflicting information about what documents they require to take to the roads on their Spanish holiday.
Thankfully, the rules are very clear-cut: according to the Geneva Convention, people visiting from participating countries, including the UK, DO NOT require an IDP to drive in Spain if they are here on holiday.
The Guardia Civil have confirmed that around 30 holidaymakers have been incorrectly fined in recent months for not holding an IDP and that these charges will be refunded, since all British tourists are permitted to drive with their valid UK licences.
Alicante
Flames ravaged 100 hectares and forced the Emergency Coordination Centre of the Valencian Community to evacuate 10 people from the nearby Caprala Camp, which belongs to the Petrer Town Council, before the forest fire was brought under control 10 hours after it started.
The origin of the blaze has since been located to a country house on the Rambla de Puça. According to Alicante Firefighters' Consortium, the flames spread very quickly through shrubland and despite the efforts of fire crews from Elda and Villena, almost reached L'Aviol.
Aerial resources were overrun, dealing with the raging wildfire in Vall d'Ebo, but five planes were soon on the scene and the fire was contained in the early hours of Thursday.
The first broke out in scrub land near a power plant in Los Montesinos. Thankfully the flames didn't reach the plant, "due to the rapid intervention of firefighters", according to the Local Police which is reminding the public to keep plots of land clear of shrubbery and debris.
In a separate incident in Torrevieja, less than 10km away, firefighters were called to a waste container blaze dangerously close to two villas in Calle Ángel García Rogel on Los Balcones urbanisation. Police believe the fire was the work of an arsonist and an investigation is underway.
Police and other emergency services were called to the property after neighbours reported a fire in which "flames were spreading rapidly". Once the fire had been brought under control, police entered the house to check that no one was in danger and found the detainee who was subsequently treated for smoke inhalation. They also discovered a marijuana plantation and went on to seize 255 plants along with an illegal revolver and ammunition.
The drama continued in Calpe where six people, including three children, were injured in a boat explosion.
In incredibly hair-raising scenes, the crucial role that drones play in saving lives couldn't have been more apparent in Alicante this week in footage shared by the Valencia Government.
In the clip, the eye in the sky scours the sea looking for potential emergencies and zones in on the woman who can be seen waving her arms in the air frantically almost 300 metres from the shore.
Fortunately, the drone was able to drop a life jacket 4o seconds after spotting her and a rescuer was on the scene 60 seconds later to bring the stricken bather to safety.
So far this summer, the Valencian Security and Emergency Response Agency drones have assisted in 87 emergencies across the region, completing 637 flights over a total of 1,611 km of coastline.
Vesta is described as being 1.67 metres tall and of slim build. She has brown hair with blonde highlights and brown eyes. Days after the SOS Desaparecidos (SOS Missing) appeal, a second was made for 22-year-old Tomas Paulauskas, also Lithuanian, who disappeared from his home in Torrevieja on the same day. So far, no link has been officially made by the police.
On a happier note, the summer is in full swing and what better time to explore the Coasta Blanca's stunning coastline and crystal waters and enjoy a little adventure.
Incredible spots can be found in Javea, Calpe, El Campello, Benidorm and Altea - all you need are bathers and a snorkel!
Andalucía
The passenger, identified only as Bárbara GL, was travelling from Almeria to London with her husband and daughter back in August of 2019, when their flight was delayed by almost four hours.
When the family returned to Spain after their holiday in the UK, Bárbara contacted FACTUA Almeria, who sent several written claims to easyJet requesting compensation of 1,200 euros (400 euros for each of the passengers), for suffering through a delay of more than three hours.
The carrier initially refused to pay this amount, which is established by law, so the consumer rights association brought the case to the attention of the State Aviation Safety Agency (Aesa).
Eventually, on April 25 2022, easyJet authorised the compensation and the family was paid 1,200 euros.
The 43-year-old was nabbed with two mobile phones, another two cameras, two hard drives, a torch, an mp4, five USB pen drives and 49 memory cards stashed in his backpack, and police discovered five hidden cameras in a place people frequently use to urinate.
The peeping Tom admitted that the devices were his so a search of his properties ensued, where officers were horrified to discover "child pornography material consisting basically of photographs of boys and girls urinating in different places and postures".
The pervert also had a camera set up from the window of his Malaga city holiday home to record an alleyway below.
The suspect has now been charged with crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity.
On to far more pleasant things now and
the countdown has begun for Almeria Fair 2022, which is set to run from August 19 to 27 this year. After two years of cancellations and restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fair will return in all its former glory to celebrate the municipality’s patron saint, Virgen del Mar.
The nine-day festival includes parades, floats, music, bullfighting events, fireworks and so much more.
The Feria del Mediodía (Midday Fair) opens on Saturday August 20, and on the fairgrounds there will be nine snack bars, seven traditional stalls, eight youth stalls, 25 street stalls and numerous attractions and food tents, with 2,341 parking spaces available.
Presenting the official fiesta programme on Wednesday, acting mayor María Vázquez, invited "everyone to enjoy these festivities without losing sight of the enormous effort that many people are going to make for your safety, for your peace of mind and so that everything runs smoothly."
You may have missed…
Electricity demand in Spain drops 37% with new energy saving measures.
For the past week, air-conditioning units in public places have to be set no lower than 25ºC or 27ºC and shop display lights are switched off by 10pm.
What is the most popular supermarket in the Region of Murcia?
One store beat its nearest competitor by a country mile to be crowned as Murcia's favourite.
A Boeing 757-300 passenger plane destined for Hamburg was forced to make a dramatic U-turn and head back for base after its crew reported engine failure shortly after take-off.
British tourist sexually assaulted by tattoo artist while holidaying in Spain.
The 47-year-old tattoo artist had previously been arrested for a string of similar offences.
Baby boom: Alicante bucks national trend with a rise in birth rate.
The number of babies born in Alicante province rose by 3.2% in the first half of 2022.
Murcia residents plagued by stinky bins during heatwave.
Neighbours in the Murcian district of Santo Angel are caling for more waste containers to avoid bags of rubbish sitting in the intense heat.
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A bar across the water in Andalucia has left customers both shaken and stirred this week, and has clogged the internet with indignant comments.
