Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8

FEATURED ARTICLES: "B udgeting bungle leaves dozens of towns in southern Spain without Christmas lights" and "A lertCops app in Spain soon to be available in French, German, Italian and Portuguese"

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Or is it? Well, it kind of depends on where you are really!

Anyone spending the run-up to the festive season in Andalucia is probably feeling right at home since the desperately needed rain has finally decided to make an appearance right in time for the Constitution long weekend, giving a decidedly UK-like feel to the proceedings, although the downpours are expected to be very short-lived. On the other hand, those in Alicante would be forgiven for thinking they were in the Bahamas with temperatures skyrocketing into the mid-20s this week.

Spain’s Christmas spirit is in full swing though and streets, squares and avenues up and down the country have been beautifully adorned with twinkling lights and stunning decorations. Apart from dozens of districts in the popular expat area of Orihuela, that is, whose towns will remain completely in the dark this December. And in southern Spain, a couple of lads from the UK gave us the festive edition of ‘Brits behaving badly’ by defacing a central Nativity scene.

The country might be in the grip of Christmas fever, but there were plenty more goings-on this week, including the death of an iconic Irish musician with a long-standing love affair with Spain, a case of Murcia mistaken identity on Netflix and, you guessed it, even more strikes.

So without further ado, let’s get the show on the road.

Festive fun or Christmas chaos?

The big day is little more than two weeks away and while Christmas in (mostly) sunny Spain is an altogether different experience, usually no expense is spared on decking out the towns and cities in festive splendour. Sadly, this isn’t the experience for the 30,000 or so residents of the 24 districts of Orihuela, whose streets will be left bare this year thanks to yet another budgeting bungle.

The new local government which only came into power during the summer was left with a paltry fund of 61,175 euros to illuminate the entire region and because the money simply isn’t there, they’ve decided to only install Christmas lights and decorations in Orihuela city and the tourism capital of the Orihuela Costa.

This means that residents of the other districts, including popular expat enclaves like El Arenal and parts of Torremendo, will be left in the dark.

As it is, Orihuela is running well behind the rest of Spain and the big Christmas switch-on isn’t due to take place until Friday December 15. Even where the decorations are scheduled to be set up, in Orihuela and along the coast, the lights will be a fraction of their normal size and splendour, compared to the likes of neighbouring Torrevieja where the displays and nativity scenes are more impressive than ever.

Not to mention nearby Alicante, where the pennies certainly aren’t being pinched and which unveiled this week the biggest Nativity scene in the world, taking pride of place in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8

The mammoth structure was the brainchild of local artist José Manuel García, known as "Pachi", and its construction snatched the record from Morocco, which had held the top spot for 20 years.

The Nativity originally only housed the Holy Family but last year, Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar were added to make the scene more impressive than ever. The hefty Three Wise Men measure between 11 and 16 metres tall, Joseph stretches to 17 metres while the kneeling Virgin Mary is a little shorter, at 10 metres. The Baby Jesus, for obvious reasons, is the smallest of the lot, but he still comes in at a larger than life 3.5 metres tall.

We’ve all seen the stories of those stereotypical Brits who cause havoc on the Spanish holidays, whether its by getting blind drunk on the flight over or going topless where they shouldn’t or taking part in that dubious sport, ‘balconing’, where they risk their lives by jumping from hotel balconies.

This week, a group of drunken young Brits were once again in the eye of a media storm in Spain after they were caught on film breaking into a giant ‘Belén’ nativity scene in the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz.

The three lads were surprised late at night when a man who was recording them on his phone shouted at them and told them – in Spanish – to get down from there immediately. It showed a lack of respect for Spanish traditions to be climbing there, although one of the young British guys insisted “I’m a Christian. I love Jesus.”

The man who found the three youths loitering in the Belén reported them to a police patrol that was waiting just up the street, but early the next morning the statue of Baby Jesus was found lying in the middle of the street, having been removed from his manger and smashed to bits. It should be pointed out that as yet there is no proof positive that it was those same three guys who did it.

🔴🔴VIDEO atentan contra el Belén monumental de Santo Domingo en Jerez 🔴🔴 pic.twitter.com/FCtGnYlxSA
— COFRADEMANIA (@cofrademania) December 1, 2023

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this particular nativity scene has been trashed, and it hasn’t always been Brits who are behind it.

In 2019, hooligans broke the arms and legs off the statues of Baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In 2018, several of the Nativity figures woke up with clay pots from the Belén upturned on their heads. And in 2014 the infant Christ disappeared, only to turn up a few days later smashed under a car.

Spain MacGowan

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8

Recently (it wasn’t this week, granted, it was on November 30), we said goodbye to one of the great poets of our time, Shane MacGowan of The Pogues, a man who lived and sang with all the bright-burning fury of any romantic poet you’d care to name. He was the voice of the London Paddy, and in a broader sense of the Irish diaspora the world over, which is where he has something in common with those of us who emigrated from our home countries to Spain.

Shane himself also had a bit of a love affair with Spain. Ever heard The Pogues song ‘Fiesta!’, a rambunctious, frenetic whirl through a boozy Spanish trip through the Andalucía locality of Almería?

Somewhat bizarrely, the music video for the song was filmed in Barcelona, but it’s Almería where Shane’s heart lies. He fell in love with the place while filming the spaghetti western parody movie ‘Straight to Hell’ alongside The Clash’s Joe Strummer and Courtney Love. Loads of spaghetti westerns have been filmed in the desert of Almería, of course, and there is even an cowboy town there which has been turned into a sort-of theme park you can visit.

As well as acting in the film, The Pogues contributed three songs to the soundtrack, including ‘If I Should Fall from Grace with God’, and Shane also wrote a song about that other great poet and national Spanish hero, Federico García Lorca, native of Granada. ‘Lorca’s Novena’, released a few years later in 1990, tells the story of Lorca’s murder in 1936 at the hands of Franco supporters during the Spanish Civil War, and of how his body – which was never recovered – was rumoured to have gotten up and walked away.

Alert! Cops…

If you’re lucky, you’ll never have to contact the police while you’re in Spain, but tragedy is only ever one mishap away and anyone could find themselves on the wrong end of an accident or emergency situation.

The main emergency number in Spain, of course, is 112, which is the freephone number you can call for police, ambulance, firefighting, rescue and other services. But there is another tool that many people find very useful, and that’s the ‘AlertCops’ app.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8 It’s an app for your phone or tablet developed by Spain’s Home Office and it allows you to report crimes or emergencies in real time and with precise geolocation data so officers can pinpoint exactly where you are to be able to help you more quickly and easily. It’s got two-way communication abilities so not only can you send a message to the police but they can also talk back to you, and it’s available in Spanish (naturally) and also English.

Now, this is nothing new, but what is new is that the app will soon be translated into a host of new languages, including French, German, Italian and Portuguese. This is obviously great news for the wider foreign population living in Spain, and also for those who come to visit Spain on vacation. It is also a pleasing example of how the Spanish do – contrary to what many people might tell you – recognise and appreciate the value of the foreign community in their country and that they are prepared to invest in making life better and safer for us.

Murcia

Murcia has a new permanent tourist attraction as of this week with the opening of the Isla del Barón, and island sitting out in the middle of the Mar Menor lagoon and the largest island in the Region of Murcia. The owners of the privately held Barón Island have decided to allow tourists to visit the island for the first time, with boat tours available from around 48 euros per person to go and discover the island’s remarkable palmetto forest, its amazing neo-Mudejar palace and learn about the important role it plays in the local environment.

But beyond that, possibly the biggest draw of visiting the Isla del Barón is the fact that it’s haunted. Legend has it that the Spanish baron who owned the island back in the 1800s of who gave it its name held a fancy shindig which was attended by, among others, a beautiful Russian princess.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8

The baron fell head over heels in love with the tsarina and so, naturally, her parents gave her away without her consent and the Spaniard kept her prisoner on the island. It is said that she eventually died of a broken heart, or in more macabre tellings of the story, that she was murdered. People sailing on the Mar Menor swear they’ve seen the ghost of that forlorn Russian damsel wandering along the cliffs, naked and desperate for rescue. So by all means go and visit the island… if you dare!

Talking of scary and gruesome, have you ever seen ‘Squid Game’? Ultra-violent Korean TV programme? Was all the rage a couple of years back? Had everyone digging their red ‘Casa de Papel’ boiler suits back out of their closets for Halloween?

If you haven’t, don’t worry. All you need to know is that Netflix, buoyed by the success of the programme, have created a new reality TV show, ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’, where contestants take part in a series of “high-stakes children’s games” for big cash prizes, though much less blood and gore is involved than the original (fictional) series.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8 Fair enough, I hear you say, but how does this relate to Murcia? Well, it seems that in one version of the show’s opening credits, Netflix managed to – probably by accident – include a 3-second clip of a famous Murcia landmark along such others of global fame as the Sydney Opera House and the New York skyline.

The short clip that opens the programme shows the 14-metre-high statue of Christ that stands on a mountaintop in Monteagudo, just north of Murcia city, looking passably like the much more famous 38-metre Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If you’ve never seen it, the Monteagudo statue is quite the sight, and work is currently underway to make the nearby 12th-century ‘Castillejo’ fort visitable very soon.

The inclusion of Monteagudo in the Netflix show was most likely a mix-up, of course, but maybe – just maybe – this is the proof we needed all along that Murcia _is_ on a par with the great cities of the world and that it can pull its weight like any other. Next thing you know there’ll be a character called ‘Murcia’ in the next La Casa de Papel/Money Heist spinoff.

Lastly, after the news that Renfe would soon be banning electric scooters from all its trains during peak hours due to the not-insignificant chance of them spontaneously combusting, the tram network in Murcia city has come out in favour of doing the same.

While Murcia Tram has said they would like to take this measure to continue to ensure the safety of their passengers, ultimately it is Murcia City Council that will have to make the decision to change the regulations.

These scooters are already banned in several other public transport networks, most notably the Barcelona metro, and if Murcia Tram have their way it will be forbidden to take them on this popular form of transport in the Regional capital as well.

Remember that this Christmas, travel on Murcia’s trams, as well as on urban buses within the city and the hire of transit bicycles, will be all free of charge in an effort to improve mobility while road works are going on in the city centre.

Remember, you can always check the EVENTS DIARY to see what’s coming up soon in the Region of Murcia:

Spain

With the holidays fast approaching, many of us will be looking forward to a Christmas mini-break or a trip to visit family or friends. These days, more and more people choose to bring their pets on vacation with them, and Barcelona-based airline Vueling has recognised this growing trend.

In response, the company has become the first in Europe to offer in-flight meals and snacks for canine companions and beginning this winter season, passengers on Vueling planes can order a range of treats from the Edgard & Cooper brand for their dogs.

But that’s not all, as the airline has also unveiled a brand new menu for health conscious passengers as well and will soon be offering a Heüra plant-based burger with cheese on top of its other veggie options which include a vegetarian cous cous dish and the ever-popular Spanish omelette, or tortilla.

The new menu also has a variety of options for coeliacs, with products such as a puff pastries, a double chocolate muffin and kale chips with tomato and oregano. The airline has also added items from the Robin Good company to its menu, a snack made by hand by people at risk of social exclusion, healthy and with 100% plastic-free packaging.

Spain is also breaking barriers when it comes to transport and has this week voted in favour of an EU proposal to allow 17-year-olds to drive, once they are accompanied in the car by someone aged 24 or over who has held a full licence for at least five years.

Negotiations on this rule change have dragged on for months given that it’s a serious public safety issue, but most of the experts in Spain agree that the earlier we get youngsters on the road in a controlled manner, the better.

Moreover, teens under 18 have been allowed to drive in other countries like France and Sweden for some time now, and with great success.

Here in Spain, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is fully on board, arguing that when a young motorist turns 18 and is allowed on the road alone, they will already potentially have 12 months of driving with someone more experienced under their belt.

It remains to be seen how popular the new initiative will be, since the data shows that people in Spain are waiting longer and longer to obtain a driving licence. Last year, the DGT processed 278,570 class B licenses (cars and vans) to young people between 18 and 20 years old out of a total of 594,960 issued.

Over in Mallorca, an Essex woman and her brother, along with several accomplices, face years behind bars if convicted of fraud and belonging to a criminal organisation.

Magaluf bar-owner Laura Joyce, 44, is looking at six and a half years in prison for allegedly convincing hundreds of UK tourists to file false food poisoning complaints against three Spanish hotels in order to claim compensation.

The mum-of-three and her brother Marc are accused of masterminding the scam between 2016 and 2017 that cost the three hotels in question upwards of 10 million euros.

The controversy surrounding the expat didn’t stop there, however, as it soon emerged that her Magaluf bar ‘Playhouse’ had been sanctioned after a fellow Brit was filmed performing sex acts on 24 male customers for free drinks back in 2014.

No date has yet been set for the trial but it’s expected to take place early next year.

The Spanish capital is set to be flooded with tourists in the coming weeks, excited to experience the stunning decorations and the iconic Christmas markets. But anyone planning a trip to Madrid is advised to stock up on the essentials before hitting the road, as several supermarkets and shopping centres have voted to strike on four of the busiest days of the festive calendar: December 23, 24 (Christmas Eve), 30 and 31 (New Year’s Eve).

The UGT union is demanding better pay and working conditions for the likes of shelf stockers and cashiers, employees they claim were viewed as “essential workers during the pandemic and are now the forgotten ones.”

The supermarkets where staff will down tools are Alcampo, Hiper Usera, Hiber, La Sirena, Carrefour and companies represented by ACES and Asedas. Also included are traditional markets, shopping centres and street food trucks.

Alicante

A British man had a very lucky escape this week when he took a tumble while climbing a sheer rock face in Benidorm and became trapped, injured, on the cliffs.

The 66-year-old was scaling the Serra Gelada cliff area on Monday December 4 and heading along the path to the famous lighthouse lookout point when he slipped and couldn’t regain his footing.

Several emergency units were sent to his rescue but personnel were hampered by the difficult terrain and an approach from the sea was quickly ruled out. Instead, the emergency services decided the safest course of action was to mobilise the mountain rescue group (GER) aboard the Alpha 01 helicopter and the Briton was eventually carried to safety in an evacuation sling.

The man had suffered various minor cuts and bruises in the fall so was taken immediately to a local health centre, before later being transferred to a private hospital.

Check out the Costa Blanca What’s On and Where to Go Facebook group to see more things to do around Alicante province!

Andalucía

It’s been something of a washout of a week in many parts of the autonomous community of Andalucía, which is fair enough as we’re in December and the rain was fairly welcomed by those parts of the region, including several municipalities along the Costa del Sol, that have incredibly been labouring under water restrictions and pre-drought alerts, even this late in the year.

What with it having been such a dry year so far, the rain feels like a blessing from above, even if it did choose this long ‘puente’ week to finally show up.

It is hoped that the downpours this week will go some way towards topping up depleted aquifers and securing precious stocks of water for the next few months so that more water restrictions are not necessary this winter.

Considering the tinderbox-dry conditions, we were very lucky to get away with a relatively quiet summer for forest fires this year in the south of Spain. Now the rains will help to douse the ground, which is an important natural defence against the spread of wildfires.

It’ll be a sunny weekend this Saturday and Sunday, at least, to give us time to enjoy the weekend before more drizzle sets in come the middle of next week. Then again, for Monday and Tuesday meteorologists are actually predicting temperatures to rise to nearly unprecedented levels for this time of year!

So, as ever, while there is good news in the arrival of the rain this week, the continuing strange mix of weather, shifting from cold to hot and from wet to sunny at the drop of a hat, doesn’t bode well in the long term.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Dec 8

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That’s all for now folks. We hope everyone enjoys the rest of the Constitution long weekend and we'll be back with you next week with the latest news and happenings throughout Spain.

Take care!