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Mallorca's person of the week: La Paca

La Paca outside the courts in Palma (archive). | Alejandro Sepúlveda

| Palma |

Person of the week

Was a 66-year-old grandmother who found herself being packed off back to prison. La Paca, aka Francisca Cortés, falls under the category of person of the week for dishonourable rather than honourable reasons. But great publicity follows the Son Banya drugs matriarch around. Despite the millions made through a trade that deals with misery, she is portrayed as something of a colourful character. Hence the interest in her, although she has discovered that this interest is equally shared by the police. On third-grade release from prison, she was arrested on suspicion that she had been reviving her matriarchal status, one she has denied.

Three cheers

For meteorological role reversal. Having issued boos to the weather two weeks in a row, it was finally time for some cheers. The sun had got its hat on - hip, hip, hooray - and was rescuing holidays for those poor souls who had been affected by the cold, the wind and the wrath of the seas. It was also helping residents burdened by the heating bills. Oh well, there'll soon be the air-con bills to worry about. As if we needed any confirmation of how lousy the weather had been, it came from Aemet. The met agency said that sunshine hours in March were the lowest since records began, while average rainfall in Mallorca was almost twice as much as normal.

Big boo

For thinking it's all over and then realising that it isn't. There was a throwback to those days of January when everyone was off sick with Omicron, as strangely enough the virus hadn't gone away. British Airways and easyJet were two airlines having to cancel flights because personnel were off with Covid. At UK airports such as Manchester, they were short staffed not just because of Covid; they were reintroducing personnel they hadn't needed. If it isn't one thing, it's another when it comes to travel. The good news, though, was that Mallorca was rising above the problems as best it could and anticipating very good Easter tourist numbers.

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