AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson
Yachting accident off Banyuls coast
The beach of Banyuls-sur-Mer was urgently closed on Friday afternoon to allow the Dragon 66 helicopter to land in the small seaside resort following a very rare accident. While sailing off the coast a 16 metre yacht was hit by a large wave, caused by the gusting tramontane wind. The main window of the yacht shattered and pieces of glass caused lacerations to the legs of the two occupants, men aged around 25 years old. About 30 firefighters and the helicopter were mobilised from the main beach, and the two men were evacuated to hospital suffering from serious hemorrhagic wounds.
Dangerous day at Perpignan prison
Perpignan prison is one of the most overcrowded prisons in France with 413 inmates for only 160 places, which makes life extremely difficult for the warders. Tuesday July 22nd was an exceptionally difficult day: at around 3.30am they found a lifeless body in a cell, the third death in a month, but it was said to be of natural causes. Just a few hours later while delivering breakfast a supervisor was violently attacked by a prisoner, who was put in isolation ‘for his own safety’ but chose to set fire to his cell in order to shorten the disciplinary sanction. While trying to control the detainee the supervisor seriously injured his leg. Soon afterwards a new incident broke out when a 64 year old inmate attacked his cell-mate by burning his face and splitting open his temple. The supervisor who arrived suffered a plethora of racist and homophobic insults.
Head-on collision injures 6 people in Llupia
In the early afternoon of Friday two cars collided head-on on the D612 connecting Thuir and Trouillas. The reason for the crash is as yet unknown but 5 people were said to be just slightly injured while another was seriously injured and had to be cut free from the vehicle. Over 30 firefighters were called to the scene (some having to be called away from two vegetation fires in the Estagel area) and the road was closed in both directions for most of the afternoon.
Ceret restaurant designated ‘best in the Pyrénées-Oriéntales’
Having opened in September 2024 and already having received a Michelin star, the restaurant Fario de Céret has just been awarded 3 Toques (chefs hats) and 16/20 points in the Gault and Millau Guide meaning it is the top restaurant in the department. Only two other restaurants in the region have 3 Toques, La Galinette in Perpignan and La Balette in Collioure, both with scores of 15/20 awarded by Gault and Millau. The chef, Kévin de Porre, is now chasing a second Michelin star.
Le Barcares beach temporarily closed
On Thursday the Red flag and the Purple flag were hoisted at the level of emergency stations 6, 7 and 8 (ie the village beach between the port and the mouth of the Agly) at Le Barcares. The Purple flag indicates an episode of water pollution and the (perhaps aptly named) ARS (Regional Health Agency) confirmed that water samples showed an abnormal level of bacteria, mainly fecal. In recent weeks several abnormal samples have been detected by the ARS on the Catalan Coast, involving temporary beach closures at Canet, Torreilles, Collioure and Cerbere.
Gun panic at Gran Jonquera shopping centre
On Tuesday afternoon an armed man ran into the El Caso restaurant and threatened two of the servers with a gun. He quickly fled when police were called and was later arrested in the shopping centre. Luckily they quickly ascertained that the 30 year old was only holding a plastic gun but he was arrested and will face court. The man is said to be a resident of La Jonquera and was a former employee of the restaurant.
And finally……
We are all well aware that if we take our dogs over to Spain they need to be on a lead, and we are all well aware of the obligation to pick up the poop, but an ex-pat couple who were walking their dog on the streets of Barcelona were shocked when they were shouted at several times for breaking another little-known rule. Apparently it is obligatory to carry a bottle of water with you – not to give your pooch a drink but to rinse off the urine when your dog pees. Spain must have the cleanest pavements, lamp-posts, bushes, car-tyres, doorways, fire-hydrants, sandwich-board shop signs (not just my dog, surely?!), bollards, signposts and clumps of weeds!