I recently met a young man called Koen Darras, a self-proclaimed “Adventurer, Keynote Speaker and Content Creator”. He is the first person in history to climb the ten highest mountains of South America and Africa in succession and conquer the iconic peaks Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, and Eiger in just nine days.

From summiting Denali in Alaska to traversing entire continents, Koen is an undeniable risk-taker and he likes to film it all. He hopes that by pushing his own limits and sharing these expeditions as a full cinematic experience, he may inspire others to step out of their comfort zones too.

Once of his next objectives is to be the world’s first person to cross the Atlantic by kitesurf, some 5,000 kms and 60 days at sea. He plans to start out from the Canary Islands, travel via Cape Verde and then head towards the Caribbean. Although Koen will surf alone he will be accompanied by a sailing boat all the way and a very dedicated team.

In order to prepare for this 2027 mission Koen had been training in the Canary Islands and took the time to come to Marbella on his way back to Belgium to share his passion for this very ambitious adventure.

Koen was accompanied by his 10 year old daughter Lio, who kindly helped me with some recording for the TV interview that I with her dad. From just the brief encounter it was easy to see that she, like her father, embraces the belief that limits are only invitations.

What a great team they make and what an inspirational encounter all round.

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Juan Carlos, Spain’s exiled ex-king, appears keen to swap Abu Dhabi’s gilded quiet for a triumphant homecoming following his recent return to Spain and standing ovation reported in these pages. Freshly released files may even help his case, though the past still clings like stubborn sand.

His fall from grace began memorably in 2012: an elephant hunt in Botswana, a broken hip and Spain had had enough! It was the height of the eurozone crisis, and within two years he abdicated in favour of Felipe VI, seemingly drawing a discreet curtain over his reign.

Yet discretion never quite arrived. Financial scandals multiplied, family members faced prison, and whispers of opaque wealth grew louder. By 2020, Juan Carlos had departed for self-imposed exile amid controversy over a lavish Saudi “gift” and undeclared millions. A hefty tax settlement later polished his legal standing, if not his reputation.

Now comes a twist. Declassified documents on the failed 1981 coup reinforce long-held views Juan Carlos helped save Spain’s fragile democracy. Armed rebels had seized parliament, yet the king’s televised intervention halted the insurrection.

Historians, however, are frustrated. Key files are missing, perhaps destroyed, leaving huge gaps. Spain’s strict secrecy laws scarcely encourage clarity.

So the former monarch eyes a return, imagining applause. Whether Spain offers cheers or raised eyebrows remains, like so much else in his story, intriguingly unresolved.

Thanks for emails to my website below! Thrilled you enjoy my novels too!

Nora Johnson’s 14 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers, including the latest ‘The House of Secrets’ (www.nora-johnson.net), all available online at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.