Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Oct 25

TOP STORIES: "Clocks go back an hour this weekend" & "Amazon same-day delivery expanded to 15 Spanish cities"

There were a couple of major national and local transport stories that dominated headlines in Spain and Murcia this week, which we’ve got details on below.

This weekend signals the start of half term for UK schools, when many families will be coming to Spain for a bit of October sun (that is, if it doesn’t rain), so that’ll be a nice boost for Spain’s out-of-season tourism sector.

Next is also Halloween, of course (mainly one for the kids again), while November 1 is, as it is every year, a festivo in Spain (one for the adults, too!). But don’t worry, you’ll still get your weekly bulletin next Friday as usual.

For now, a reminder of something else that’s very important for you to do this weekend:

Fall back

Yes, this is the annual ritual of clock-changing which is nearly upon us again, signalling for some the definitive end of the Spanish summer.

As the evenings get shorter, it’s time to unearth those long-forgotten jumpers buried at the back of the wardrobe, gathering dust since the last chilly evening, which probably feels like a distant memory.

And the evenings are about to get that bit shorter as it gets dark an hour earlier. Daylight Saving Time in Spain (and the rest of the world that follows the rule) is designed to make the most of natural light, aligning our working hours with the daylight available.

In summer, this means longer, lighter evenings, perfect for enjoying a late meal on the terrace. In winter, however, Daylight Saving Time ends and the clocks go back, with the trade-off being that we’ll get lighter mornings at the cost of early dark evenings.

One day, of course, the whole outdated concept of Daylight Saving Time will be abolished. There are already four countries in Europe, and plenty more around the world, that don’t observe it, preferring to keep the same time all year round.

Originally, the idea was to make better use of sunlight and save energy, of course, but in recent years experts have pointed out that the benefits in energy savings are minimal and that, all things considered, the adjustment negatively affects people’s wellbeing by disturbing sleep patterns and reducing productivity, so that it ends up doing more bad than good. Apparently.

However, a 2018 proposal to get rid of clock changes EU-wide resulted in indecision and a distinct lack of action. So we can expect to keep changing the clocks back and forth for a few more years yet. Unless you prefer to just keep your own time, of course, and the rest of humanity be damned.

So, when exactly do we all need to perform this time-honoured tradition in 2024? Well, mark your calendar (or you can just let your smartphone handle it, really) for the early hours of this Sunday, October 27.

At precisely 3am, the clocks will roll back to 2am, giving all of us that glorious, longed for gift – an extra hour of sleep.

Of course, you’re not likely to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning to go around the house changing all the clocks back. In the age of smartphones and digital devices, this process is now delightfully easy since phones, laptops and tablets all handle the switch on their own, sparing us the hassle.

But for those traditionalists who still have a wrist watch that isn’t connected to the internet and can’t think for itself, or heaven forbid, a wall clock, a manual adjustment is required.

And then there’s the microwave and the oven, of course, which are probably still stuck flashing “00:00” from the last time the fuses went back in July. Let’s be honest, you don’t know what half the buttons on the oven actually mean, and you’re not about to root around trying to find the manual to adjust it at the risk of touching the wrong thing and having it beep incessantly at you. And no one even uses the microwave clock for timekeeping anyway. You can probably just leave them be. You’ll only have to change them again come March 30, 2025 when the clocks go forward an hour again, so why bother?

Ama-zones

In a move that will surely delight anyone who has ever stared at their online shopping cart and thought, “I need this right now,” Amazon has expanded its ‘Delivery Today’ service to 15 more Spanish cities, meaning you can now order something in the morning and have it delivered to your door by the evening, for no extra price.

Well, sort of because you have to spend at least 29 euros per order. Amazon aren’t that generous.

The list of new cities joining the fast delivery Amazon service are:

Murcia
Cartagena
Alicante
Elche
Málaga
Marbella
Seville
Cádiz
Jerez de la Frontera
Madrid
Barcelona
Valencia
Tarragona
Valladolid
Zaragoza

With Spain now firmly on the same-day delivery map, Amazon can pat itself on the back for increasing same-day orders by a third compared to last year. Globally, 2024 is shaping up to be Amazon’s fastest delivery year yet for Prime customers.

According to an Ipsos Digital study, 70% of online shoppers in Spain claim that fast and free delivery is one of the top reasons they click the “buy now” on Amazon. And really, who can blame them? Waiting days for a package to arrive now seems outdated to most of us in this age of near-instant wish fulfilment and gratification.

Amazon’s ‘Delivery Today’ service allows customers to receive millions of products within mere hours, delivered right to their door or to one of those handy Amazon Lockers that you now see dotted around the place.

To keep up with this insatiable appetite for speed, Amazon has thrown over 700 million euros into technology, robotics and AI across Europe since 2019. By the end of 2024, they’ll likely have invested enough to turn their fulfilment centres into futuristic hubs of efficiency.

Interestingly, Amazon have also revealed what the most popular same-day purchases are in each Spanish city, and some of them are quite surprising. In Madrid, it’s apparently Instax Mini Film for instant cameras (does anyone actually still use those in the age of iPhones?). In Barcelona and Zaragoza, Amazon Fire TV Sticks are flying off the virtual shelves, while the fine folks of Seville and Valencia seem to have a pressing need for Dodot brand wet wipes.

In Murcia, what most people want desperately are Varta batteries. Yes, batteries, for whatever reason. Again, a bit of a mystery when so many things now don’t need AAs but can just be charged up with a charger.

So now you know – if you’re in one of the lucky 15 cities, you can go ahead and order that last-minute necessity (or impulse buy) and revel in the joy of same-day delivery for your batteries and wet wipes. After all, why wait for tomorrow when you can have it today?

Murcia

There was trouble on the roads in Murcia this week, with several incidents causing major backups.

On Tuesday, a car drove the wrong way down the A-30 between Murcia and Cartagena and caused a serious accident, with the main victim of this reckless driving being PSOE deputy Miguel Ángel Ortega, who was trying to make it to a parliamentary session at the time when he was involved in a head-on collision. He was admitted to hospital and had to have his spleen removed due to damage to his internal organs.

The offending driver tested positive for drugs and alcohol at the scene and within just two days a court had sent him straight to prison. Nothing makes the criminal justice system work faster or come down harder than when one of their own has been wronged.

Just one day later, both the A-30 and A-7 motorways were backed up due to a lorry accident, coupled with the rain, which caused massive traffic jams.

The accident occurred at kilometre 566 on the A-7 near Nueva Condomina, causing traffic to come to a halt. Emergency services scrambled to assist the injured lorry driver, while the rest of the motorists sat in long queues.

Not far away, at Corvera, air passengers have been trying to make sense of the news about Ryanair and its flights to Gatwick. Or rather, its non-existent flights to Gatwick.

Despite the initial reports that we brought you last week which suggested that Ryanair might be doing a London connection this winter, it turns out they won’t be offering a route to Gatwick from Murcia after all.

Thankfully, there is still easyJet which has a connection to London Gatwick from Corvera Airport for the low season, which starts from now and lasts until around the same time the clocks go forwards again.

Talking of the tourist low season, recently revealed figures show that caravan parks in the Region of Murcia are one of the major bastions in helping to keep tourists coming all year round – the golden goose of Spanish tourism authorities that is ‘deseasonalisation’.

In San Javier, the Mar Menor Campsite and Camper Park are both heroes in the battle against seasonal tourism, with winter caravanners having fully booked out (or near enough) the places from now until April.

It’s mostly tourists from northern Europe who come caravanning to Murcia in the off-peak months, and have helped to expand the winter season from just two or three months to nearly five, with an occupancy rate close to 100%.

According to the caravan park owners, while in the summer it is mainly tourists from other parts of Spain who book to come to Murcia, many of those who come in winter are retired couples from abroad, some of whom have sold their possessions in their countries of origin to buy a motorhome and travel the world, but like to stay in one place for an extended period of time.

It is exactly these kinds of tourists that they mayor of San Javier is so keen to have coming to the municipality to help to contribute to the local economy all year round.

Of course, as well as being the start of the low season, it’s also flu season, and for anyone over the age of 60 in Murcia, flu and Covid-19 vaccinations are now available at your local health centre. Compare this with having to be in your mid-60s in the UK to get a flu shot. The same goes for pregnant women and at-risk groups. Just make an appointment at your health centre and indicate whether you’d like just the flu jab, or just the Covid booster, or both.

If you’re younger and feeling a bit left out, don’t worry – you’ll get your chance in December. The health authorities, ever vigilant, are also reminding those 65 and older to check their pneumonia vaccinations while they’re at it.

And for anyone born in 1944, 1958 or 1959, it’s time to roll up those sleeves again—this time for a shingles jab, if you haven’t had one. Oh, what a time to be alive!

Finally, on the Camposol urbanisation, Mazarrón local police prevented some squatters from setting up camp in a property this week thanks to a quick-thinking neighbour who sounded the alarm.

The potential squatters were swiftly thwarted – something that it is crucial to do within the first 48 hours in Spain to avoid the intruders becoming entrenched – and the house was secured.

Officers placed security tape across the entrance of the property to show that it was under their control and surveillance and to deter future squatters, and they also called in a service crew to weld the security grills to secure the property until the owner can arrive.

It comes at the same time as a new neighbourhood association going by the name of AVC or Asociación de Vecinos de Camposol has popped up, hoping to improve the quality of life in Camposol. In a way it’s an alternative to and a continuation of the 2025 Group. It’s not official yet, but they’ll be hoping to be able to focus on practical projects like getting sports facilities for the community and other promises from Mazarrón Town Council. Time will tell if it is a success or not.

There was also an earthquake in the area this Thursday evening. With its epicentre just south of Totana, the quake measured 3.0 on the Richter scale and surprised residents of the Camposol, Condado and Mazarrón Coutry Club urbanisations with what sounded like a huge explosion at around 7pm.

It is just one more of the small quakes that are often recorded in this part of the country, and which normally go unnoticed, though for this one to reach more than two-point-something on the Richter scale means it’s at the larger end of ‘small’, but thankfully there were still no serious personal or material damages.

If you’re looking for something to do with the kids for Halloween, there’s plenty going on this weekend and next week in Mazarrón, in Lorca, in San Javier, in Fuente Álamo, at La Manga Club, at the Mar Menor Golf Resort, at Condado de Alhama Golf Resort and at Terra Natura zoo and park, among other places.

See our EVENTS DIARY for more events and activities coming up soon in the Region of Murcia:

Spain

Last weekend there was a transport mishap in Madrid when the AVE high-speed rail network fell victim to a series of unfortunate events that would have made Lemony Snicket proud.

First, an unauthorised person decided to take a stroll on the upper walkway at Madrid’s Atocha station, throwing everyone’s travel plans into chaos. Then a train derailed in a tunnel between Atocha and Chamartín, leaving 19 services cancelled and 17,000 passengers stranded in crowded stations.

Renfe scrambled to manage the situation, promising full refunds for frustrated passengers and deploying extra staff to help manage the crisis. Despite the chaos, trains resumed within 24 hours, albeit with some minor schedule adjustments.

But the derailed train has still sat there in the tunnel all week long as it is very hard for them to extract it. If only it had derailed in the open air, a crane could have easily lifted it clear but unfortunately it chose a most inconvenient place to cause trouble. At least no one was harmed, that’s the important thing.

Speaking of trouble, it has been officially confirmed what was on the rumour mill a couple of weeks ago – that the discounted and free public transport scheme in Spain is being discontinued for all but a select minority of people.

The generous subsidies that have made travel on Renfe’s trains, Madrid’s Metro and even long-distance buses significantly cheaper (or even free) for the last year and a half are set to vanish at the end of 2024.

These discounts, introduced in response to the energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, have been a lifeline for commuters. But, since good things rarely last, from 2025 public transport will once again come with a price tag unless you’re a young person, a frequent traveller or part of a vulnerable group. For everyone else, it’s back to full fares.

Continuing on the topic of transport, the truckers’ strike which was to start this coming Monday and affect several days of deliveries and bus transport throughout October, November and December has now been called off after an agreement was reached between employers’ associations and workers’ unions. So your Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas shopping deliveries are safe… for now!

There was a tragic story from Mallorca as Agostina Rubini Medina, a 24-year-old student, went out for a night of partying in Palma and tragically never returned.

Weeks later, her skeletal remains have been found at a waste disposal plant. Investigators believe that after a night of drinking, Medina accidentally fell into a rubbish container while trying to retrieve something, lost consciousness and was tragically crushed to death when the bin lorry arrived shortly after.

Her phone was last active in the early hours of October 3, and police are still piecing together the final moments of her life through witness statements and CCTV footage.

As bizarre and tragic as this story may seem, it’s not the first time Mallorca has faced such a mystery. Medina’s disappearance echoes that of another local girl, Malén Ortiz Rodríguez, who vanished without a trace in 2013.

Despite intensive investigations, Ortiz’s fate remains unknown. The tragedy of Medina’s death has not only devastated her family but also sent shockwaves through the local community, reviving painful memories of previous disappearances.

Alicante

From the murky past of one of the Vega Baja’s most well-known puticlubs, we now have plans for a swanky seaside resort. This is the latest eyebrow-raising news from Torrevieja that the once-infamous Eden Roc brothel is being dusted off and converted into a luxury hotel.

Built in the ‘60s as an exclusive hotel before its less reputable turn, this building, abandoned since 2013, has seen its fair share of vandalism, decay and, it’s probably safe to assume, some colourful stories.

Now a French company has taken ownership of the place and is determined to return this relic to its former glory as a hotel. It’s unclear how many people will book rooms once they learn of the hotel’s storied past – it might even be a pull for some people – but it will be good to repurpose and rejuvenate the building, which is currently unused.

Meanwhile, not too far away in Orihuela Costa, a more modest (but slightly less scandalous) transformation is underway as the town council throws 15,000 euros at updating street signs and installing LED lighting. While it may lack the drama of turning a brothel into a boutique hotel, the initiative does claim to improve sustainability and tourist facilities on the Costa.

In areas like Punta Prima and Playa Flamenca, energy-efficient lights will soon brighten the paths of tourists, while new ‘urban signage’ will better showcase local attractions.

A further 10,000 euros are being put toward adding awnings to historic centre of Orihuela to provide some shade.

From the new to the old in La Vila Joiosa now, where archaeologists have stumbled upon something the remains of a Carthaginian industrial area. Unearthed in a construction site, this historical discovery dates back to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.

Specifically, what they found were two wall foundations, an impressively large elliptical cistern and a couple of smaller basins, all used for rudimentary industrial purposes.

The whole setup offers a fascinating peek into the pre-Roman Carthaginian presence in the region. Even more remarkable is that all this will be preserved under a new building, giving future residents the chance to sleep atop ancient ruins, a unique selling point if ever there was one.

Where would you rather stay – in a repurposed brothel or on the site of a 2,000-year-old factory?

Andalucía

We start this week’s Andalucía section with the sad story of Alfonso and Isabel, a couple from Murcia who took off on what was meant to be an ordinary flight in their ultralight aircraft.

Tragically, their journey came to an abrupt end in the rugged Sierra de Cazorla mountains of Jaén, Andalucía. The couple went missing, sparking a search, and after several tense days, the Guardia Civil confirmed that the wreckage of their plane had been found, along with their bodies.

Alfonso, a retired firefighter, and Isabel, a caretaker, had tragically died in the crash, which investigators suspect may have been caused by bad weather conditions.

Onto larger passenger aircraft now, and it seems that Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, where, despite the occasional grim headline about delays, things are looking quite perky.

Ryanair is expanding its reach this winter, connecting Málaga with no fewer than 78 destinations. The Irish airline seems to be single-handedly making sure that the Costa del Sol stays bustling, even when the summer crowds have long packed up their towels and headed home.

And it’s not just Ryanair, as 42 airlines will be flying in and out of Málaga this winter, ensuring that the sun-seekers of Europe can still pop over for some winter rays.

Interestingly, while Málaga is riding high on a wave of increased passenger numbers (a record August with over 2.6 million travellers!), it has also earned the dubious honour of being Spain’s second-most delayed airport, right behind Palma de Mallorca Airport.

Apparently, 36% of flights at Málaga Airport over the summer saw some sort of delay, according to data compiled by passenger rights company AirHelp.

Moving away from the bustle of busy airports to Andalucía’s quainter villages, though, there are four charming pueblos in Almería that are vying for the title of the most Magical Town in Andalucía, and indeed in all of Spain.

Yes, that’s an actual award, courtesy of the Network of Magical Towns of Spain. The pretty little hilltop towns of Abrucena, Enix, Laujar de Andarax, and Vícar are all in the running, and the stakes are higher than you might expect.

Being named a Magical Town isn’t just about bragging rights; it’s about honouring places that have worked hard to enhance their local charm, whether it’s through stunning landscapes and rich traditions, and winners get access to an enticing range of promotional goodies from the Network of Magical Towns and the chance to flaunt their ‘Magical Town’ status, which could mean a boost in tourism and a nice influx of visitors who are eager to soak up the ‘magic’… but not the Halloween-y kind.

You can vote online for your favourite Magical Town in Spain until November 17, if you are so inclined. And if you’re feeling lucky, you could even win a getaway to experience every single one of the winning Magical Towns in each of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities firsthand.

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