From The Digital Editor
Walter Finch
Dear Olive Press readers,
The Easter weekend is already with us – or, as it is properly known here, Semana Santa; be it Sábado Santo (Holy Saturday) or Domingo de Pascua (Easter Sunday).
Anyone who’s stepped out of the house this week will have done poorly not to notice the incredible processions – some of the most impressive displays of religious pageantry and tradition you’ll see anywhere in the world.
One of the stranger Semana Santa traditions in Malaga is the custom of granting a random prisoner clemency. This year it was the turn of two brothers jailed for ‘crimes against public health’ which we can’t say definitively but was most probably related to selling drugs.
Meanwhile, some of the imagery coming out of the processions is undeniably startling for Americans and those less familiar with Spanish culture – we explain that, although the penitents look like they’re marching for the Klu Klux Klan, actually they are not.
The police are taking advantage of Semana Santa to clamp down on speeding and dangerous driving, ramping up controls and cameras and dishing out huge fines to racers so bear that in mind when you’re out on the roads this week.
They’ve also cranked up the price of Costa del Sol toll road during Semana Santa in a case of clear price gouging – it comes back down for just one month before going back up again for the ‘summer rates’.
Speaking of which, Spain’s most dangerous road has been crowned – and it’s not in Andalucia. Think further up the coast.
Meanwhile, those thinking of nipping over to Spain from the UK for an Easter break should heed the travel chaos brought about by tourist strikes in the Canary Islands and airport strikes in Gatwick this weekend.
Costa Blanca fraudster Jodie Smart, who was recently found guilty in a fraud trial linked to the giant CWM pension swindle from ten years ago, kindly told us she would be appealing. She had a few other choice words to say as well, which you can read here.
We explain how to take advantage of Spain’s highly generous Renfe discounts – and even free travel – here, and we put out another explainer on how to get your Andalucia health card here. Both very useful guides for expats in Spain.
Sadly, the search for missing US banker Grant Barr ended in tragedy. His body was found on a Costa del Sol beach a few weeks ago. His family contacted us to pay tribute to him.
The family of another expat who died in Spain got in touch to tell us they would be protesting the Mojacar town hall after numerous police failings in the investigation into Brett Dryden’s death last summer. It seems the autopsy – which police didn’t want to release – contradicted almost everything they had told the family.
Orcas season in the Strait of Gibraltar is starting up again, and with it new efforts to track and monitor the giant creatures which have been damaging sailing vessels. Watch the latest technique for attaching cameras to them.
That’s all this week (although it’s just a small slice of all the news we’ve put out!).
Until next time,
Walt
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