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Sunday August 9, 2015

British sun-lounger snatchers in Spain


Sun-lounger wars are on the rise this summer in Spain

For many years in Britain there’s been a recurring – apocryphal – joke about Germans rushing to claim sun loungers early in the morning during the summer months while on holiday in Spain and antagonising their British counterparts. Now, top selling German newspaper Bild argues that rather than Germans claiming sun loungers early in Spanish hotels, it is the British who rise early in order to bag their places before other guests.

During a covert investigation, the newspaper discovered that Britons were waking as early as 6.30am to place beach towels on loungers before heading off elsewhere for the day. In consequence, when other hotel guests arrived poolside they discovered that selfish Britons had commandeered the loungers with their belongings and towels thus inhibiting others from using them. Bild suggests that German tourists should report such behaviour to the hotel management and remove towels from loungers in protest.

In the circumstances it’s perhaps not surprising that last year travel operator, Urlanbstours discovered that Britons were disliked only second to Russians by holidaying Germans who found that as a nation we were loud and often drunk. Still, if we’re casting aspersions, it’s only fair to say that they don’t always behave impeccably on holiday either. In Arenal, a notorious resort close to Palma beloved by young Germans, loud partying is often the order of the day. All the same I’ve never noticed German holidaymakers approaching the beach at dawn to thwart Britons from having a deck chair and on the whole they’re a peaceable lot.
If it’s true that an increasing number of Britons are childishly claiming sun loungers with towels early morning – even if they don’t actually use them until later in the day – they should get a grip. In fact I hope that management at such hotels does outlaw such practices.

It’s so important that we all learn to live around one another without aggression and resentment while on holiday. After all the sun is shining, life is good and the glistening warm sea isn’t far away wherever one is in Majorca. It’s holiday season so surely a time to live and let live?



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