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
The forbidden visionary
Banned by Franco, Irish author Kate O’Brien was the world’s first political travel writer
Anarchy, Andalucia and free women: How women in Spain plotted to bring down the patriarchy
Women in Andalucia were some of the first in Spain to join the fight against General Franco, writes Jack Gaioni
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...
Cloak and dagger… an Andalucian legacy
Espionage, stealth and semantics: Back to the roots of the popular saying
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...
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...
How a butterfly-catcher spied on Gibraltar for the Nazis
Adolf Clauss was running the largest and most efficient German spy ring in Spain, writes Jack Gaioni
She’s Dynamite! (literally): Civil War heroine who took the fight to Spain’s men
Dynamite! It’s a form of slang that refers to the essence of something rather than the explosive device.
For example, we might say: “Penelope Cruz...
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 wrong kind of Catholics?
Spain’s Jesuits were just too successful for their own good
Basque magic: How Spanish children ended up playing in English teams before ‘foreign players’ became a thing
WAS it a cultural thing? Nature vs.Nurture? Was there something in the water? Their DNA? What follows traces the plight of six Basque adolescents,...
James Bond inspired by the iconic expat and British spy Alan Hillgarth
The author confessed ‘the Bond character is a compound of all the secret agents I knew'
Dredging up history: Galicia clean-up project could shed light on mysteries of Spanish Armada
The true aftermath of the Spanish Armada has been buried by the sands of time … until now, writes Jack Gaioni
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.
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...
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
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...
Shedding some light on Spanish secret societies
Secret societies work covertly to achieve a hidden agenda where secrecy is a sanctuary and a source of power, writes Jack Gaioni
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...
The ‘Battle’ of Parsley Island is much more Comedy than tragedy, writes Jack Giaoni
WITH a good pair of binoculars on a clear day, from just about anywhere along the Costa del Sol, you can make out the...
Give war a chance – a Spanish village at war with France
How a 100-year ‘war’ between an Andalucian village and France forged lifelong friendships
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...
Francisco Goya goes to Hollywood
The Spanish artist Goya died nearly two centuries ago but he lives on at the movies, writes Jack Gaioni
LATEST NEWS FROM THE OLIVE PRESS
EXCLUSIVE: Residents feared for their homes when multiple fronts of flames raced towards their homes in L’Atzubia last night
Many expat residents were forced to flee their homes in fear as the giant wall of flames approached.
One, Chloe Modrekelidze send the Olive Press...
