Fake news: How a lost suitcase changed photojournalism
Although the terms are contemporary, the role of journalism in ‘manufacturing opinion’ has been a human activity as far back as reliable evidence suggests, writes Jack Gaioni
The Liberator and the ecologist
Olive Press columnist Jack Gaioni on why the ghosts of Simon Bolivar and Alexander von Humboldt are alive and well
In Cordoban Skies… How a Moorish daredevil made aviation history
Columnist Jack Gaioni explores the history of flight in Spain
Given the bird: How falcons are used to protect Spain’s airports from the dangers of bird strikes
BIRD strikes, (airplane engines and/or landing gear colliding with birds), are a growing problem as they have become frequent, very expensive and sometimes fatal.
In...
World Water Day: What you should know about the rain in Spain
IT is painfully obvious that, in spite of some recent rainfall Spain is experiencing a prolonged drought.
Average rainfall this winter is 33% of normal...
SPANISH AUTHOR CARLOS ZAFON: The pen is mightier than the camera…
CARLOS Ruiz Zafon needs no introduction. Arguably the most recognised contemporary writer in Spain, he has an equally successful international reputation.
Translated into over 50...
Wind of change: Two sides of the ecologist movement clash as Spain debates renewable energy
OUCH! Another electric bill arrived today as more evidence of the skyrocketing price of energy.
Electricity costs have quadrupled - yes quadrupled! - from February...
How scientists in Valencia are pinning hopes on protecting the oldest living species on earth
WITH three eyes, hundreds of legs, and elongated antennae, these critters are not going to win any beauty contests. Yet they are fascinating organisms....
Meet the last shepherds eeking out a living on Spain’s ancient pastoral routes
MEET Valentin, his dog Hooky, and Alberto. We occasionally see each other on my walks near Requena, a rural area in Valencia province.
Full...
SEEDS OF HISTORY: SCIENTISTS USING OLIVE SEEDS TO PROVE BIBLE STORIES
OLIVES and Spain! Spain and olives! It’s no surprise to those of us who live here that the two are virtually synonymous. Chances are...
Better luck this time! Spain’s chequered history in the FIFA World Cup
TODAY - November 20 - marks the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
While rightly surrounded in controversy for many reasons, Spain will...
Beer today, gone tomorrow?: The history of cerveza in Spain
‘I drink beer when I have occasion …and sometimes when I have no occasion’ - Jack Gaioni agrees with Miguel de Cervantes
THE INDUSTRIALISATION OF SPAIN’S COUNTRYSIDE: CONCERN AS COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS TURN MEGA
IT was described as ‘the first and only solar extracting and pumping station in Europe’ and, from the moment it was operational, it was...
Life is Easy with Eyes Closed… (But opened for John Lennon in Spain’s Cabo de Gata!)
A little-known fact: John Lennon had terrible eyesight. By today’s standards he would have been considered legally blind without his glasses.
He was severely myopic,...
Jack Gaioni explores the horrors of a Civil War concentration camp and Franco’s grip on the Spanish press
IF you were hoping for a ‘feel good’ article, read no further.
If you were hoping for some logical, ‘moral-to-the story account’ - again, read...
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING: The controversy in a small Valencian village over plans for a massive solar...
IT was described as ‘the first and only solar extracting and pumping station in Europe’ and, from the moment it was operational, it was...
Driving on sunshine: Are solar cars the future?
THE Spanish government is preparing a law to ban the sale of internal combustion engines by 2040. It is part of a concerted effort...
Ladies man: Spanish free-thinker Luis Vives was the world’s first Renaissance Man and championed education for all women back...
IMAGINE for a moment an individual who witnessed his family burned at the stake for their beliefs.
Then, rather than seek revenge, have the fortitude...
JACKS CORNER: Emergency Services on the Costa del Sol just got better
IF you found yourself among the commotion on the A-334 north of Almeria on April 24, you are probably wondering what the frenzy was...
FREED AT A BRUSHSTROKE. Recalibrating a Chapter in Spanish Art History
DIEGO Velázquez (1599-1660) needs no introduction. Perhaps the best-known painter in Spain’s Golden Age, Velázquez’s paintings became the paragon of excellence for the great...
FROM THE ARCHIVES: In Cordoban Skies… How a Moorish daredevil made aviation history
CORDOBA Airport is a non-descript local hub primarily used by small planes.
Due to it’s diminutive scale, Malaga and Sevilla airports host most of the...
The papal effect: What does a deceased, oversexed Spanish pope have to do with climate change?
Jack Gaioni examines Pope Alexander VI's life, role and global influence.
Where did your dinner really come from?
Columnist Jack Gaioni explores the real link between countries and their national dishes
What the Dickens?
Columnist Jack Gaioni takes a rather unusual ride to an eccentric event centered around tweed in Madrid
Francisco Goya goes to Hollywood
The Spanish artist Goya died nearly two centuries ago but he lives on at the movies, writes Jack Gaioni