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Olive Press the Rest is Spain Podcast ep 10 - police violence, police incompetence and tsunamis
Nov 22, 2025
The gang return for the TENTH podcast (wahoo!), all a bit worldly wiser in the ways - and pitfalls - of making a topical podcast.
This week the various police forces of the Iberian peninsula come into focus - specifically the Portuguese police in the Algarve and the Guadia Civil in Mojacar (Almeria).
Jon talks about the shocking case of a Costa del Sol lawyer who was given a royal beating by a bunch of cops during a night out in the Portuguese tourist hotspot.
Walt reports on the tragic case of a Brit who was clearly killed in a botched robbery in his own home, and how the authorities never investigated the case properly and recently closed it claiming they couldn't find a suspect.
The huge tsunami drills that took place in Cadiz this week also get a mention - is it something we should be worried about? And finally the team notes how the oldest people in Spain all seem to come from the same area - what's so special about it?
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0:00
So, this one is one of the worst stories
0:02
I've ever covered in my time in Spain.
0:04
And I would urge all the listeners,
0:06
anyone aware of the story to really pay
0:08
attention to this one cuz it's such a
0:10
travesty, such an injustice.
0:12
>> The secret to longevity is living in
0:14
Spain. You've got the sunshine, you've
0:16
got the vitamin D. And I think there's
0:17
that real sense of community as well.
0:19
Maybe that's the secret to living
0:21
longer.
0:23
>> When they just said get lost, pushed him
0:25
over, knocked him over. And when he got
0:27
up, he took him down an alley and these
0:29
two policemen basically battered him.
0:31
And I mean, they really battered him.
0:34
>> Don't forget to subscribe to the Rest is
0:36
Spain on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple
0:39
podcasts.
0:40
>> Welcome to the Rest is Spain podcast by
0:42
Olive Press, sponsored by Stacial Expat,
0:45
where we discuss all the news that
0:47
matters to expats. I'm joined by John
0:50
and Walt. Hi guys. How you doing?
0:52
>> Morning. Morning.
0:53
>> Morning.
0:54
>> Morning. How are you Caroline?
0:55
>> Good. Yeah, I I didn't get the tsunami
0:58
alert this morning, but I believe Walt
1:00
did. So, tell us about that.
1:02
>> Well, I was just making a coffee in my
1:04
kitchen. Everything was nice and chill,
1:06
and then um out of the blue, I got this
1:08
screeching alert that maybe some
1:10
listeners have had once or twice. It's
1:11
it's quite alarming. [snorts] And um I
1:14
looked at my phone and I had this this
1:18
very long message. If you can see this
1:21
uh telling me there's a tsunami alert.
1:23
>> It does say it's a drill, but I mean, a
1:25
lot in Spanish or
1:26
>> Oh, yeah. So, the first half is in
1:27
English. Sorry, in Spanish. Second half
1:29
in in English, hopefully.
1:31
>> And um it says there's a drill, but it's
1:33
a lot of text, so if you skimmed it, you
1:35
might not see the word drill.
1:36
>> Yeah.
1:36
>> And it says um what's the instructions?
1:40
Drill drill. Tsunami warning may affect
1:42
the Atlantic coast. Move away from the
1:44
beach towards the established areas
1:47
um meeting points or a height higher
1:49
than three floors.
1:51
So basically, if you're on the beach,
1:54
get the hell out of there. And um if
1:56
you're sitting at home on the first
1:57
floor like I am right now, get to the
2:00
roof. This is the um the instructions.
2:02
So yeah, they have had this. It's
2:04
supposed to be like an Andlucia wise
2:07
tsunami tsunami drills, but it's only
2:09
been the lights have only gone out in in
2:11
Khif. So they're they're kind of
2:13
prepacting for a a nightmare worst case
2:17
earthquake scenario similar to the one
2:20
that destroyed Lisbon in 1755. And that
2:23
was like a horrendous earthquake that
2:25
basically changed the course of history
2:26
because it completely destroyed Lisbon
2:28
which was one of the you know the key
2:29
cities of Europe at the time. And that
2:31
would this earthquake if it happened
2:33
would take place off the coast of Cape
2:35
St. Vincent which is at the southwest
2:38
corner of Portugal. And they
2:40
[clears throat] think that the tsunami
2:41
waves would hit all along the Atlantic
2:43
coast of uh Khad including down in um
2:47
the camp of dear uh you know the waves
2:50
could be who knows 5 6 10 mters.
2:53
>> Wow.
2:54
>> And is that um soul you're probably out
2:56
of the firing line. Is that um an
2:59
earthquake in let's say around Lisbon or
3:01
or on the Pac on the Portugal coast or
3:03
is that potentially an earthquake in the
3:05
Caribbean that then sort of sends waves
3:07
all the way across the Atlantic or or
3:09
both or they do they explain it?
3:12
>> Yeah. Yeah. This is specifically for the
3:14
one scenario of um a repeat of the
3:16
earthquake of 1755 which is this this
3:19
tectonic plate just off the coast of
3:21
southwest Portugal near near near Spain
3:24
area. So if an earthquake happens in
3:26
Caribbean, you know, I think I think it
3:28
wouldn't be that that awful once the
3:30
waves come to the to Spain. They don't
3:32
they don't practice for that scenario.
3:34
But
3:34
>> surely the fetch would be higher, right?
3:36
Cuz surely the idea of the waves the
3:38
sort of fetch gets bigger and bigger as
3:40
it comes across the further away the
3:42
earthquake almost the worse the wave.
3:43
But again, I'm I'm not a geographer. I
3:46
only study geography at university.
3:47
[laughter]
3:48
>> That's a good question. did you that you
3:49
should feel that's the question
3:52
>> but you know I always think that cuz you
3:54
know we live kind of front line here on
3:55
the beach um or near the beach very near
3:58
it and uh I thought if you had an
4:00
earthquake say Chunisia or or or Algeria
4:02
or somewhere you could get a tsunami
4:05
coming across the Med and my son who
4:07
just who is actually studying geography
4:09
A level said that that's nonsense dad
4:11
that that plate doesn't move it's the
4:13
African and Eurasian plate apparently
4:15
doesn't move but so but somehow the one
4:17
in Portuguese
4:19
That's a different plate, is it? That's
4:20
a different different part.
4:22
>> I think it's you know how you get um is
4:25
it Nazareth where you get these enormous
4:26
waves that
4:27
>> Nazareth? Yeah. Yeah. Amazing.
4:28
>> All the biggest all [clears throat] the
4:30
biggest um surfers in the world like to
4:32
uh attempt and it's highly dangerous and
4:34
you risk your life. I think that's cuz
4:36
there's a huge huge like abyss at that
4:38
point where the the plates meet. I'm not
4:40
I mean I might be wrong with this. I'm
4:42
not
4:42
>> No, I think you're right. It's 100 foot.
4:44
They say there's going to be a 100 foot
4:45
wave at some I think someone's done a 92
4:47
or 93 foot wave and and they're still
4:49
waiting for someone to do the 100 foot
4:51
wave at
4:53
>> unbelievable this [clears throat]
4:54
underground sort of tech tectonic plates
4:58
>> set up with all the obviously they have
4:59
to test these things. They have to do a
5:01
drill or a symbol as they're calling it
5:03
in Spanish. But like what why are they
5:06
doing this now? Like what is news? What
5:08
news has just come out? What why are
5:10
they doing this? Well,
5:11
>> it's a good question cuz you might
5:12
think, well, they're doing that cuz it's
5:14
going to happen. And obviously, there's
5:15
no suggestion that it is going to
5:16
happen. I think it's just a one in a not
5:19
quite a million, but one in half a
5:21
million possibility. They haven't had
5:22
one in several lifetimes, but they could
5:26
have one. You know, it's just like a
5:27
>> It's a 250 years, right? So, 1755 you
5:30
said,
5:31
>> Yeah. I mean, there might have been
5:32
other ones in between that we don't know
5:34
about, but basically it's a it's one of
5:36
those tin It's one of those black swan
5:37
events, you know, highly improbable, but
5:39
if it happened, it would mess things up.
5:40
So they they're rehearsing for it and
5:42
you know fair fair play.
5:43
>> Yeah.
5:44
>> Is it like San Andreas Fault? Do you
5:45
know the one in America? You know the
5:47
one in California that sits through goes
5:49
right the way through Los Angeles and
5:51
San Francisco. So So and they're
5:53
predicting it. They have been predicting
5:55
it now, haven't they? For 20 30 years.
5:56
It's been due.
5:58
>> Yeah. 1905, wasn't it? That that
6:00
destroyed what messed up San Francisco.
6:03
>> So yeah.
6:03
>> How many people died? I mean because did
6:05
you say 50,000 people died in Lisbon or
6:07
something? Was it like someone it's like
6:08
the record number of people ever died,
6:09
right?
6:10
>> It it destroyed the city. So, it must
6:12
have been a record. I haven't got those
6:13
figures to hand, but I mean we're
6:15
talking catast catastrophe. The worst
6:17
case scenario. If it happened again
6:18
today, obviously you'd hope the houses
6:20
and buildings would be a bit more sturdy
6:21
than they were in 1755.
6:23
>> But I mean this warning you got today,
6:25
what actually happened? Nothing. You
6:26
just looked at it. You didn't
6:28
>> Yeah. So, I looked at it and thought,
6:29
"Oh, okay." And then made my coffee. But
6:31
um the the actual the sort the drills
6:34
have involved
6:35
>> Can you go and look out your window? to
6:36
see who's on the roof. See how many
6:38
people are up [laughter] there.
6:40
>> Can't see. I want the ground, man. I
6:41
can't see. I I would be swept away by
6:43
now already to be honest. But um they
6:46
they it's kind of crazy. They got 20,000
6:48
people taking part. All the schools have
6:49
been evacuated. Um especially hotels. So
6:53
guests in hotels have been expected to
6:55
participate as well if you're in the
6:56
flood zones. So especially Kadith, the
6:57
city, the um capital, it's probably the
7:00
worst exposed sort of place in the whole
7:03
all the costs still are loose. If you
7:04
ever been on holiday in one of these
7:06
beautiful little towns on the coast of
7:07
Duth, you got Conneal or Chipiona or or
7:11
um Zahara, they're all going to get
7:13
washed away and Kadith itself would
7:15
would be completely submerged. So all
7:17
these hotel guests or the tourists
7:20
imagine right now they're on the
7:22
rooftops.
7:22
>> I was going to say are they actually
7:23
doing it then? Are they actually
7:24
evacuating the whole of Kadis and all
7:26
these towns?
7:27
>> Uh no no if you're just a normal person
7:29
does only public sector workers and
7:31
hotels. So tourists and hotels might
7:33
have a few
7:34
>> funny videos on social media if you look
7:36
around.
7:37
>> And is this the the warning that you
7:38
know this controversial warning that
7:39
should have gone out in Valencia, right?
7:41
That that the Valencian presidents
7:43
resigned over which is the that warning
7:45
that they should have all got at about 4
7:46
or 3:00 in the afternoon when that huge
7:49
flood came when he was actually having
7:50
lunch with that that that pretty
7:52
journalist that blonde journalist.
7:53
>> Exactly that. Yeah. Obviously it's
7:55
different different incident but
7:57
attesting exactly the same system that
7:58
they didn't they failed to activate in
8:00
Valencia. Yeah. So, learning from their
8:02
mistakes, which is great. And let's see
8:04
what happens with that one. Let's hope
8:05
that we don't need a real one. Um, and
8:08
going back to the news this week. So,
8:11
um, big story about the lawyer who
8:14
basically went to Portugal and got
8:16
beaten up. So, tell us about this, John.
8:20
>> Yeah, absolutely extraordinary story
8:22
that we've been working on for about a
8:24
month now. And he's actually probably
8:27
arguably the um the best known expat
8:30
lawyer on the Costas. I mean both
8:33
Valencia and Anderuthia. He's been here
8:35
for years. Grew up actually on the
8:37
Costel Soul. very respected, has offices
8:40
in five or six towns and um you know
8:43
member the former member of the British
8:44
Chamber of Commerce, a member of the law
8:45
society, member of the Spanish Law
8:48
Society um has I'm going to say dozens
8:51
of lawyers working for him and he was
8:54
over on holiday actually in Portugal
8:56
with his two daughters who I think uh
8:58
early 20s and his sister and her family
9:01
and they were they were basically they
9:04
were in Larosh which of course is where
9:06
Maddie Mac went missing. and he went out
9:09
for a few drinks with the family and he
9:10
decided to stay out for another drink
9:12
and he met a couple of guys and they had
9:13
a really fun evening and they ended up
9:16
basically in this bar called Bon Vivant
9:19
which is a very famous bar in Larosh and
9:22
they were there at about I he's out
9:24
quite late. He was obviously having a
9:26
really fun night and you can see from
9:27
the photos actually cuz they're out with
9:29
these guys having a lot of fun and at
9:31
about 4 in the morning um out of nowhere
9:34
he suddenly gets lifted up by the
9:36
bouncers and they throw him out the door
9:38
but not just throw him out they
9:39
basically punch him and beat him up and
9:41
chuck him on the floor outside the club
9:42
and he's like what are you doing you
9:43
know and so he can't believe it and he's
9:45
bruised and he's got you know sort of
9:47
you know he wants to get back in they
9:50
won't let him back in and and you know
9:51
he's actually got his phone in there
9:52
he's all sort I mean it's a complete
9:54
mess the whole
9:55
And so as it turns out in this square
9:58
there's a four police officers and
10:00
there's quite a lot of other people
10:01
outside in the square because you know
10:02
it's sort of lash and it's the weekend
10:04
and quite busy. So he goes up to he says
10:07
I'm going to go up to the police and
10:08
report this incident. Oh this is
10:09
ridiculous. Anyway, the police officer
10:12
doesn't like the idea and just says get
10:14
lost. And he's like no no excuse me I'm
10:16
a lawyer from Spain and I'd like to
10:18
report that what's just happened to me
10:19
in this club. And they just said get
10:21
lost. Pushed him over. Actually knocked
10:22
him over. And when he got up, he took
10:24
him down an alley and these two
10:26
policemen basically battered him. Um I
10:29
mean they really battered him and and
10:31
you know that's quite shocking but but
10:33
actually it gets worse because he then
10:37
thinks he's he's in real fear now. He
10:39
decides this is outrageous. So he goes
10:41
round he walks off and he comes about 5
10:43
minutes later and he takes a picture
10:45
surreptitiously of these police in the
10:46
square and tries to get up close get a
10:49
close-up picture. They obviously spot
10:52
him. So he he he he he freaks out. He
10:53
goes off, walks away and he's walking
10:56
back to his hotel now about 5 minutes
10:58
away from the club. Suddenly out of
10:59
nowhere, two guys jump on him from
11:02
behind. Absolutely squash him. One
11:05
strangles him so that he passes out on
11:07
the floor. And when he comes to he he
11:10
doesn't know what's going on. He's
11:11
completely dazed. Finds out he's got his
11:13
he's got his watch. He's got his wallet.
11:15
He's actually has got his phone because
11:17
his phone's been given back to him.
11:18
everything on him hasn't been mugged and
11:21
these guys have vanished anyway. So,
11:22
luckily for him, a good Samaritan guy
11:24
picked him up, took him up to the local
11:26
health center. He got checked out. He
11:28
thought he'd broken his arm. He had lots
11:30
of bruises and cuts. So, he did all the
11:32
things he had to do. He went to a
11:34
proper, you know, he got properly
11:36
checked out, went home to the hospital.
11:37
Next day, he was very stiff. decided
11:39
he'd go and go and file a denunia with a
11:41
local lawyer, a proper complaint and um
11:45
went to official doctor to get it
11:47
checked. Um went to the the police and
11:50
filed an official complaint against what
11:52
happened. And so now we're waiting to
11:54
see what happens next. And you know,
11:56
it's clearly extremely worrying when
12:00
this happens to a perfectly standup
12:02
member of the community. And as we did a
12:04
quite a lot of research, discovered this
12:06
club, not only have two other people
12:07
been pepper-sprayed in the last month,
12:09
one woman claimed she was she was beaten
12:11
up and thrown out. And then it turns out
12:13
another woman made a complaint because
12:14
there was a woman on the dance floor who
12:16
was who was so drunk or or been drugged
12:18
and the one of the the barman literally
12:20
undressed her on the dance floor.
12:23
>> Yeah.
12:24
>> And you know, if you go back further and
12:26
further, there's so many complaints
12:27
about this place. So it is something
12:31
that clearly needs to be dealt with. I
12:32
know it's not in Spain, but you know, it
12:34
was very nearby. Um, and you know, we
12:36
tried to cover the Iberian Peninsula and
12:38
you know, we would do the same if this
12:39
was a club in Fangalola or in Javier or
12:41
Mariah or somewhere in Valencia.
12:43
>> So, um, you know, basically, uh,
12:47
hopefully something happens. I
12:50
>> mean, my question with this is, is this
12:51
a, um, issue of police violence or an
12:54
issue of a dodgy bar?
12:57
It's a
12:58
>> good question. I think it's a
12:59
combination of a bar working kind of
13:01
closely with the police. Something fishy
13:03
going on there, the connections there, I
13:05
think, and they're turning a blind eye
13:06
to stuff. Now, the reason that that my
13:10
friend basically, I can't really give
13:11
his name for legal reasons. He sent me a
13:13
whole series of videos and photos on the
13:15
night was one because he knows I've
13:16
spent a lot of time in Portugal doing
13:18
the Mattie Macan case. I know the police
13:19
there very well, how it functions. But
13:21
two, he was really, really scared. I
13:24
mean, he said he was terrified. He he
13:26
and this is this is after it happened.
13:28
He thought it was going to happen again.
13:29
He was He thinks that there's some no
13:31
there's some sort of issue between He's
13:33
certain there's an issue between the
13:34
bouncers there and the police. He thinks
13:36
there's drug dealing going on. He thinks
13:37
there's some spiking going on. So it
13:39
kind of ties into our spiking campaign.
13:41
>> And you know it's it's actually what
13:44
they call ironically the PSP which are
13:45
the Portuguese security police. And so
13:48
you know the one force is meant to be
13:50
looking after you when you go out late
13:51
at night and checking on you did did did
13:54
the very opposite. Um
13:56
>> and um
13:56
>> welling
13:58
>> yeah actually kind of weird actually
14:00
weirdly so the Portuguese police in
14:02
Lisbon we got in touch with them and
14:03
they couldn't have been more helpful
14:05
they've helped us not only told us that
14:07
the case was going forward they gave us
14:08
the case number they gave us the public
14:10
prosecutor's details which court it was
14:12
being dealt with and I was like this
14:15
never happens in Spain you know that we
14:17
try really hard and they they obserate
14:21
or however you say that
14:22
>> and um finally uh finally Um, you know,
14:25
it seems like they're taking it
14:26
seriously. So,
14:28
>> let's hope justice for it. Um, and
14:30
talking of cases like this in Spain,
14:34
something bit worse actually, an actual
14:36
murder, you know, death. So, um, well,
14:39
tell us about Brett Dryen, but what's
14:42
the story there?
14:44
>> Now, we're going to take a quick break
14:46
from talking about the news to hear from
14:48
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14:50
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>> Stayhaw expert is a tide agent of ergo
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seor. [music]
15:18
So, this one, Caroline, is one of the
15:20
worst stories I've ever covered in my
15:22
time in Spain. And I would urge all the
15:24
listeners, anyone aware of the story to
15:26
really pay attention to this one because
15:28
it's such a travesty, such an injustice.
15:30
>> It's um it's hard to believe all the the
15:32
the sequence of events.
15:34
>> So, Brett Trident was a an English guy
15:36
from County Durham who was found dead in
15:40
his house in Moaka in the summer 2024.
15:44
And um the police initially told the
15:48
family that he died of a blood clot on
15:50
the brain and they wanted to close the
15:52
case like that. And um so we did a story
15:55
on it recently cuz we got hold of the
15:57
police report which revealed all the
15:58
details behind the scenes. But there's
16:01
actually a story we've covered a lot
16:02
since it happened a year and a half ago.
16:03
And um we did a big story on this like
16:06
six months ago which is a front page
16:08
splash for us. I can't remember the date
16:09
exactly. And this was the the mother of
16:12
Brett Dryden telling us that initially
16:14
when they went to um you know to see the
16:17
body and etc. The the police wanted them
16:19
to sign a form saying that yep he died
16:21
of a blood clot on the brain [snorts]
16:22
and they were going to do that without
16:24
checking the body. They just trusted the
16:25
police and the mother said that a um a
16:29
female detective started sobbing and
16:30
crying and said don't sign the papers go
16:32
and look at the body
16:33
>> and this is what this is what this is
16:35
not in our story this week. This is old
16:36
story but kicked it all off.
16:38
>> It's it's unbelievable. and then
16:40
everything just gets worse and worse.
16:42
So, what we've dis what we've learned
16:43
from this police report is that um the
16:46
police tried to say it was a this
16:48
embolism is the technical term, but the
16:51
Brett was found in his home with wounds
16:53
with a cut on his head, blood on the
16:56
walls, um his belongings missing, money
16:58
€8,000, phone and wallet, and crucially
17:01
there's CCTV of men of one man waiting
17:05
outside his house like a suspicious
17:06
lookout is how they describe it. And
17:09
then um testimony from his friends. So
17:11
Brett was running a this is an
17:12
interesting fact. He was running a
17:13
cannabis club in Moaka.
17:16
>> Okay.
17:17
>> And [clears throat] what we understand
17:18
now is that from the police report that
17:20
he went about midday, 1 p.m.ish, left
17:23
the club to go and he told his um his
17:25
work colleague or his friend, we're
17:26
going to go meet someone in his house.
17:29
And then he apparently sent a text
17:31
saying they're here to the same friend.
17:34
And then silence from him. CT CCTV
17:38
captures three guys running away, one
17:40
holding his bag and the police had all
17:43
this information
17:45
to try to close the Well, they
17:47
disgusting is absolutely disgusting.
17:49
>> Why would the police be hiding this?
17:51
What what are they why would the police
17:53
only we can only speculate about that?
17:54
Um I mean one thing I was told is that
17:57
um it was a local Guadia Seville first
18:00
handled the case and then some bigger
18:02
big head shows came in from um the
18:04
capital Almia and then there was a lot
18:07
of screaming and shouting. So it seems
18:08
that they did try to cover it up then
18:11
they realized they couldn't cover it up
18:12
and then they did investigate it but
18:14
they did a very very poor job. They
18:16
didn't even so they tracked from the
18:17
phones they tracked um people to a house
18:20
in a nearby town. They figured out that
18:23
um he was supplying his cannabis or
18:25
sourcing it from some Albanian mafia
18:27
figures.
18:28
>> Okay,
18:28
>> they didn't track down these Albanian
18:30
mafia figures. They didn't go to the
18:31
house where the phone was, you know,
18:33
find my iPhone where his phone was. This
18:36
phone actually made a call to Brett's
18:38
mother hours after he was dead.
18:41
Everything about it just stinks.
18:43
>> It's a shambles. I mean, there's clearly
18:45
I mean it's one of two things. It's
18:46
either the police are involved in it
18:47
directly, which is entirely possible cuz
18:50
every single time there's a big drug
18:51
bus, there's always one guardia civil or
18:53
they just because he's a foreigner like
18:55
we've seen so many times, right? They
18:57
just don't give a They think, you
18:58
know, what's the point? Let's just if we
19:00
can brush out the carpet, it means less
19:01
police work. Means we can cover this up.
19:04
We can get on with other stuff looking
19:05
after Spanish people, you know, the
19:07
local Spanish. We can only that happens
19:08
a lot, right?
19:10
>> We can only guess. But um well there so
19:12
the the recent news is that the they got
19:15
the case reopened. The hard work of the
19:16
family heard this story so many times in
19:18
different situations. The family got the
19:20
police to take the story seriously. They
19:21
investigated it. Then they got silence
19:24
and then in September uh a new judge a
19:26
new investigating judge closed the case
19:28
but they said they couldn't find any
19:30
suspects even though they didn't search
19:32
or or interview these Albanians or or
19:35
investigate the phone and the location
19:37
where it was.
19:38
>> It's been archived, isn't it? So that
19:39
means they sort of they've sort of
19:41
shelved it temporarily. I mean if
19:42
something I mean basically aren't the
19:44
family getting some detectives well to
19:46
kind of I mean ultimately shouldn't we
19:47
as journalists as well find an bit of
19:49
information and potentially get the case
19:51
reopened if we found something or if the
19:53
detectives
19:54
>> they're going to hire some private
19:55
detectives. They well they they planning
19:56
on it. I mean that's that's another
19:58
story. But um it's just I would also be
20:01
thinking what's the British consid
20:02
embassy doing about this because it's so
20:05
black and white. It's there's not two
20:06
sides to the story. I mean sometimes
20:07
there is two sides. this one. There's
20:09
just no two sides. How can the embassy
20:11
defend what's happened?
20:12
>> Yeah. Embassy will say nothing. But I
20:14
can tell you now that why should
20:15
families pay for private detectives to
20:17
do the work that the police should have
20:18
done in the first place? There's the
20:20
question,
20:21
>> and it's not the first story we've had
20:22
like this as well. And I think John,
20:25
like you said, it could be widespread
20:27
police corruption. You just can't rule
20:28
it out. And it could be that they just
20:30
don't want to invest their resources
20:31
investigating foreigners and Brits doing
20:33
stupid things, you know, or
20:35
>> following. Yeah.
20:36
>> I I I think it's I'll be honest with
20:38
you, if it was a local thing, then I
20:41
think it could be, you know, police
20:42
involved. But because you say it was
20:44
also Al Maria, head of Almaria in the
20:46
city and potentially a judges, it looks
20:48
more likely that they just can't be
20:49
bothered because it's not there's no
20:51
public pressure. I mean, we're putting a
20:53
bit of pressure on it, right, aren't we?
20:54
And you know, we're we're probably
20:56
Spain's biggest English newspaper, but
20:58
how many people are going to read that
20:59
that matter? Who's going to read it in
21:01
Madrid? That matters in the public
21:02
prosecutor's office or in Almaria.
21:05
Hopefully, the family will keep putting
21:06
this out. our story might get picked up
21:08
by the mail or the Sun or one of the UK
21:11
papers and then it starts gathering
21:13
steam and then then there might be some
21:15
pressure putting it but as long as it's
21:16
just a local story and no one cares it's
21:18
just a Brit just a giri then it isn't
21:20
going to go forward is it just there's
21:22
no public pressure
21:23
>> it's also something for the UK foreign
21:25
office to um to look into you know they
21:27
they should be dealing with this as well
21:29
>> but they sorry
21:32
>> yeah well I mean we got to move on now
21:34
but we're gonna keep an eye on this case
21:36
and you guys can keep raising awareness
21:39
which I think will really help um to put
21:41
that pressure on. Um so yeah, very sad
21:45
but then not all the news is sad and I
21:48
was really touched to see the article
21:51
about the oldest ladies in Spain. So
21:54
John, tell us more about about that.
21:57
>> There's not really very much I can tell
21:58
you. I mean Walt Walt's going to be the
22:00
man. Walt knows Cataloonia and Barcelona
22:02
very well and and I I'm sure Walt uh
22:04
will you know will understand a bit more
22:07
about it. All I can say is that I'm
22:08
amazed that and I've been reporting for
22:10
the Olive Press now for 20 years and and
22:12
and before that for the Nationals in the
22:14
UK. How how many women the oldest women
22:17
in the world come from Spain and and
22:20
this is something that comes up time and
22:21
time again. The oldest women in the
22:22
world is in Spain. And now we've seem to
22:25
have established that not just Spain but
22:27
actually Cataloonia. It does appear that
22:30
the Catalans are the ones who are living
22:32
longest. So Walt, I mean, why is this
22:34
wool? Have you any ideas?
22:36
[laughter]
22:36
>> Because they I know they're they're
22:38
quite a bunch that like to complain and
22:40
moan and you know, not the most
22:42
conducive lifestyle to live in forever,
22:44
but sometime somehow they do.
22:47
>> But I mean,
22:49
>> it's not the blue zone though, is it?
22:51
Because there's all the blue zones
22:52
around the world where people live
22:54
longest. And that was more the other
22:57
side was the north of Spain I believe
22:59
there was a small area um
23:02
>> on Galissia around there.
23:03
>> Yeah.
23:04
>> The fish that this is Yeah.
23:06
>> should be added to the blue zone.
23:09
>> I mean yeah I mean clearly because I
23:10
think was it this woman the woman who
23:12
died is 117 right? So the new one is
23:14
113.
23:16
>> Let me let me go back. There's a there's
23:17
a chain of them because obviously they
23:18
they don't hold the crown for that long
23:20
sadly. So the one you have Angelina
23:22
Torres who was the oldest woman in the
23:24
world at 112 from Barcelona. She passed
23:27
away very sadly. Before her we had um
23:31
Maria Branas who was 117 when she died
23:36
from also in Catalunia and before that
23:39
was Pier Lorente from Aragod which is
23:42
next to Catalunia who was 113 when she
23:44
died. This is all within the last sort
23:46
of year or 18 months. So yeah, this is
23:50
the hot spot. This little
23:53
>> Yeah, cuz I I I remember doing one a
23:55
story about 10 years ago about a woman
23:57
from Sevilla. It was a remarkable story
23:59
about a woman who lived in the gypsy
24:00
quarter called Elvasier and she was she
24:03
was about 114 115. It was an incredible
24:07
story and the the family were so shocked
24:10
because they weren't going to renew her
24:11
council house contract and then the
24:14
family put a bit of pressure on. And
24:15
they said, "All right, we'll give you
24:16
another year begrudgingly." And this
24:18
poor woman [laughter] thought they're
24:20
not giving her very long to live. She
24:22
actually she actually did die within
24:24
that year to be fair. So they were
24:25
right. But and I presume they turf the
24:28
family out. But it's a story we've done
24:29
so many times, haven't we? Um in the
24:31
Olive Press. I mean, you've been this
24:32
four years, Walt. Now, I mean, how many
24:34
You've probably seen the story about
24:35
four or five times at least.
24:36
>> Like I say, the crown changes so
24:37
frequently that it's it's quite
24:39
[clears throat] an evergreen story. I
24:40
should point out, by the way, that we're
24:41
talking about the oldest people in
24:42
Spain, not the world.
24:44
>> Yeah. Maybe the secret to longevity is
24:46
living in Spain. You've got the
24:47
sunshine, you've got the vitamin D. And
24:50
I think there's that real sense of
24:51
community as well, which is something
24:52
that was mentioned in the blue zones as
24:54
well. So, you know, maybe that's the
24:57
secret to living longer.
24:58
>> Being so being sociable, it's important.
25:00
I mean, obviously the fish is important,
25:01
isn't it? The Mediterranean diet, the
25:03
kind of pulses and but I think you're
25:05
right.
25:05
>> I think they do
25:07
>> the soa.
25:10
Yeah. Yes, me. But isn't it also like
25:11
and I I put this in as well because
25:13
don't they walk a bit more? They're not
25:14
a bit more healthy because it's quite
25:16
hilly. It's the most hilly country in
25:18
Europe, isn't it? After Switzerland and
25:19
does that mean you walk more? You're
25:21
more sort of
25:22
>> it's it's harder to walk when you're
25:24
walking up hills.
25:25
>> All those things matter. All those
25:27
things.
25:27
>> And don't the men work to the grindstone
25:29
to keep their wives happy?
25:31
>> Not sure about that. [laughter]
25:34
>> Maybe in Rhonda, but
25:37
>> I can tell you what we do in Rhonda.
25:38
Definitely.
25:39
>> [laughter]
25:41
>> No. Um, [snorts] yeah, it's it's a very
25:43
interesting one and like, you know,
25:45
they've they've obviously lived through
25:47
all of Franco, everything. So, they've
25:50
lived through so many different phases
25:52
of the Spanish history. It's very
25:54
interesting.
25:55
>> Well, why don't I mean, why don't the
25:56
men live so long? I think it's
25:58
interesting because we've got a doctor
25:59
who works for the the Spanish uh FA, the
26:02
official doctor for the football team,
26:03
and he talks about um how how the
26:06
longevity of of living. He said when you
26:08
get talking to one of his former
26:10
colleagues said that they used to say
26:11
when you were 60 you were old and this
26:13
is going back 20 years and he says now
26:15
it people talk about 80 being old and he
26:17
said you know it's so much about things
26:19
like smoking and and no one smokes so
26:22
much anymore don't drink so much the
26:23
diet but not despite that the men don't
26:26
seem to live as long as the women and I
26:28
don't know why that is
26:30
>> it's always been that way now it's just
26:31
like um genetic thing about humans women
26:34
live longer than men
26:36
>> globally is that like a a that
26:38
>> the tent they generally do
26:40
>> I'd love to find the place where men
26:42
live longer than women if there is such
26:43
a place
26:44
>> you going to move there [laughter]
26:46
I'm quite happy I'm happy I 80 years is
26:48
enough for me
26:50
>> okay good
26:51
>> I think didn't you said that didn't so
26:54
finally well didn't you say that the
26:55
average age has just gone up of of death
26:57
in Spain that the average
26:58
>> this is a great topic that we'll have to
26:59
do another time but um the
27:01
[clears throat] average age of Spain in
27:02
2024 reached a new level of 84.01 01
27:06
years, but the um the birth rate has now
27:10
fallen to 1.1 women per child, which
27:14
>> so [snorts] the average age going up is
27:15
always a good thing, but if you combine
27:17
it with this apocalyptic birth rate,
27:19
it's actually kind of a negative thing,
27:21
but it another time. Yeah.
27:23
>> Okay.
27:24
>> Right. Okay. Well, the only other story
27:26
that I wanted to talk about was the
27:27
Michelin star restaurants. Um what's
27:30
what's happening in Malaga? John, just
27:32
quickly tell us about this because it's
27:34
very exciting for us foodies.
27:36
>> Very exciting. Actually, the first time
27:38
ever the Michelin Gala is in in Malaga
27:40
next week and uh that normally suggests
27:43
that there's going to be a few local
27:45
stars being handed out. Um I have to say
27:49
sadly I can't make it next week but it's
27:51
going to be brilliant to be in Malaga.
27:53
There's going to be I think there's nine
27:54
Michelin starred chefs from Malaga
27:56
province who are cooking this meal
27:58
>> for all the dignitaries who will be
27:59
coming from all around the world. And
28:00
you know the Mitchellin guide is is
28:02
still the number one guide for foodies
28:05
uh wherever you are in the world whether
28:06
it's Japan or America or France or
28:09
Spain. It's it's a massive massive uh um
28:12
pinnacle of achievement to get a star.
28:14
And we've got, you know, I've seen in
28:16
the last 20 years of being here so many
28:19
new stars coming in from Ander Luther
28:20
and particularly Malaga. And uh we're
28:23
watching out. We would we've done our
28:24
predictions and we we think that
28:26
potentially there's going to be one one
28:29
new star for the Malaga. We think Danny
28:32
at Kka in Malaga City might get another
28:35
star. He's got three restaurants. He's
28:37
got one star already and we think he
28:38
might get a second star for his
28:40
restaurant KKA. We think probably Bonito
28:44
Baral in Rondo. Although he's got two
28:46
stars already, I don't think he's going
28:47
to get now. He's just opened two new
28:49
restaurants, one in Malaga, one in
28:50
Sauti. He's been very busy with those. I
28:52
don't think he's going to get another
28:53
star.
28:54
>> Much as I love him, he's brilliant. Um
28:57
um also, uh there's Skinner in Marba.
28:59
He's a busy bee. He's got two already. I
29:02
can't see him getting another. Diego
29:04
Gagos at Soyo in Fangarola. Maybe,
29:07
maybe, just maybe he might get another
29:09
one. He's he's an incredible guy. we've
29:11
known, worked with him for years, so
29:12
let's see. Um, it's going to be really
29:14
exciting and um we'll be watching it
29:17
very closely when it happens next week.
29:19
>> Yeah, I can't wait. Great. All right.
29:20
Well, on that note, um, everyone should
29:23
have a great week. Looking forward to
29:25
seeing what happens with that story and
29:28
keep safe from tsunamis.
29:30
[laughter]
29:31
>> Yeah. Get on that roof.
29:33
>> Yeah. Get ready.
29:37
>> Thanks, guys. See you soon.
29:38
>> Cheers. Thank you. Byebye. Thanks,
29:40
Caroline.
29:40
>> Don't forget to subscribe to The Rest of
29:43
Spain on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple
29:46
Podcasts.