Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 166 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 7 Issue 166

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Tarifa beach development and others on Andalucian coast are scrapped in new protection shake up

Outcry

After a huge outcry by environmentalists and demonstrations on the beach attended by 20,000 people, the Junta has revised the legislation that would have permitted construction. The new legislation halts a huge 43,533 properties currently under construction or set to begin around Andalucia, as well as refusing permissions for a further 187,000 properties that are

STAYING VIRGIN: Valdevaqueros beach and (top left) a recent protest within 500 metres of the shore. The provinces greatest affected are Almeria, Huelva and above all, Cadiz, where a total

of 16,665 have been blocked. In particular, the revision of the coastal law includes an explicit ban on building in Valdevaqueros.

Brad on a house hunt? EXCLUSIVE

IT has become one of the hottest talking points of the summer: Will Brad Pitt be landing on the Costa del Sol for the launch of his new film World War Z? But now with an open air premiere confirmed for this Thursday, the rumour mill suggests the Hollywood star may even be staying more permanently. According to Olive Press sources, Pitt, who is married to fellow actor Angelina Jolie, has been house-hunting in the Marbella hills. One local agent, whose friend socialised with the actor last week, revealed that he had been staying in Cascada de Camojan. Pitt, who is spending much of the summer at his vineyard in the South of France, would be joining controversial millionaires Darragh MacAnthony and Judah Binstock in the exclusive enclave. Another agent Adam Neale, from Terra Meridiana, said: “I know of at least two villas

TRIBE: The Brangelina family

that have sold for over ten million euros in the last two months in Camojan, but I really don’t know who the owners are.” This week, nobody at the Starlite festival could confirm if Pitt would be attending the screening at the Cantera venue. “We are Turn to page 9

see page 13

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SAVED!

GREEN groups have reacted with joy after a controversial hotel and villa development was stopped in its tracks by the Junta. New legislation has been put in place to protect the huge area around Tarifa’s emblematic Valdevaqueros beach. It comes after the town hall passed the scheme that would have seen a 1,400-room hotel and 350 properties being built next to the beach, which is celebrated for its nature and beauty.

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By Giles Brown The Junta has declared that 74 hectares threatened by the development have now been classified as ‘territorial protection coastal area 1’ – the most restrictive. This means, it is completely forbidden to ‘build homes or any other type of constructions, buildings or facilities,’ except those directly related to the conservation and maintenance of the environment or educational activities. Intensive cultivation in plastic greenhouses is also banned for areas that, like Valdevaqueros, have been declared protection zones 1. This means the damaging spread of so-called ‘plasticulture’ is being prevented in 67 locations (22 in Almeria, 22 in Cadiz, 17 in Malaga, nine in Granada and nine in Huelva). Of these new ‘buffer zones’, 17 are classified as needing ‘high protection’ while 47 have lower restrictions, allowing some construction. The remaining three corre-

spond to the Natural Park of Sierra de Gata-Nijar, where the illegal Algarrobico Hotel has been built. A spokesman for the Ecologistas en Accion group that has campaigned continually against development on the coast said: “This is excellent news and marks an important change in urban policy at the Junta.”

Safety He added: “The scrapping of the Valdevaqueros project should be the first step in guaranteeing the safety of all virgin coastline left in Andalucia.” The new legislation is expected to come into force in March 2014.

bail out 35% of Spain branches to shut in cull EXCLUSIVE By Alex Iszatt AMBITIONS to become a nationwide bank have been aborted after Barclays gets set to pull out of large parts of the country, it can be revealed. The global conglomerate confirmed to the Olive Press last night that it is to close 18 branches in Andalucia alone. It also revealed that it was to slash an incredible 35% of its branches across the country, with over 1,000 job losses. Insisting that it was focusing on its ‘premier clients needs’, it will only keep branches in major cities and a few key towns. The move is bound to outrage thousands of expats, many who have relied on their local branches for decades.

Upset

One client said: “I am upset as they have shut my local branch in Sabanillas and we will now have to travel much further to find a bank.” A spokesman said; “We are adapting to the changing habits of our premier customers, we will focus on changing our offerings using technology and providing what they need.” Barclays has been present in Spain for over 37 years, with 430 offices nationwide, serving nearly a million customers.

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CRIME NEWS

Toni gets his time

Muldoon and gang sentenced to more than 30 years in prison

HE was described as a ‘thoroughly dishonest, manipulative and mean indvidual’ by Judge Rupert Overbury. And now one of the Costa del Sol’s most celebrated crooks Toni Muldoon has been sentenced to a seven-and-a-half prison sentence for fraud at Ipswich Crown Court. Muldoon, who was based near Fuengirola, was the ‘ar-

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chitect’ of a series of scams, which led to the defrauding of 14,000 people over a number of years. In the largest ever case taken by a local trading standards department, he was aided by a team of lieutenants who each had ‘vital roles without which these schemes could not have succeeded’. Former West Yorkshire Po-

Another one bites the dust

A NOTORIOUS drug dealer, has been arrested after police seized 200kg of cocaine from his house. The arrest of Brian Charrington – said to be one of Britain’s biggest crooks – comes just two weeks after

Mark Lilley was dug out of his panic room at his villa in Alhaurin de la Trre. Charrington spent 20 years hiding from the police after achieving notoriety in the 90s while running a huge drug importation business.

RAPES AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON RISE THERE has been a massive 60% increase in rapes and sexual assaults in the popular tourist destinations of Spain, Turkey and Greece over the last year.

Spain had the highest number of reported sex attacks, with almost half of them in the Balearic Islands, which include Ibiza and Majorca, according to the British Behaviour Abroad Report 2013. “I am deeply concerned to see an increase in the number of reported rape and sexual assault cases involving British people,” said Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister Mark Simmonds. Holidaymakers have at least been keeping their drug taking in check, with drug offences dropping from 143, in 2012, to 101 in 2012. General arrests have also fallen by 80%, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) claiming the decreases are in part due to local initiatives involving consular staff, police and hospital authorities.

NOTORIOUS: Charrington The 56-year-old, former second-hand car dealer from Middlesbrough, ran the company with corrupt detectives, but turned police informant to escape charges. After being acquitted in four high profile trials in the UK and abroad, Charrington considered himself untouchable. However, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) have finally arrested him with nine armed police at his local yacht club in Alicante. Charrington has been charged with drug trafficking after police found more than 200kg of cocaine hidden in one of 10 luxury properties.

lice detective Christopher Taylor was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for money laundering, after he sacrificed his ‘reputation and good name’ for money. Bradley Rogers, 29, who was based on the Costa del Sol, was jailed for two years and 10 months after being found guilty of money laundering. Mark Bell, Colin Samuels and Geraldine French from Spain were each found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to defraud. Bell was sentenced to six years and six months, Samuels to five years and six months and French to six years and five months. Jeffrey Owens was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years. In the €6.6million escort scam, the Costa del Sol-based gang conned people into signing up to act as ‘non-sexual’ companions with the promise of earning up to €700 a day. Victims paid between €300 and €500 to register but never received any work. Typical of the sites was Candy Escorts, which tempted victims to join with the claim that ‘we will always have clients in your area’, plus the temptation of work ‘in more exotic places’. After paying the admin fee, victims discovered that there wasn’t any work. In addition about 3,300 others gave between €540 and €2,000 to be part of a scheme which claimed to write off credit agreements. Efforts will now be made to seize the gang’s assets through the courts. TV company, Tiger Aspect Productions, is now set to make a documentary on the mega-scam.

NEWS

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Spain’s Posh and Becks make €60,000 for hols snaps

FEELING GASSY?

EVEN Americans were shocked when snaps of Spanish basketball giants the Gasol brothers emerged this week. The pair Pau and Marc, who play for the LA Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, looked less like professional athletes and more like normal Americans on holiday in Spain this month.

EVEN though he makes millions each year, Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas couldn’t resist making a bit more on the side by selling snaps of himself and pregnant wife, journalist Sara Carbonero, to the Span-

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No show Gwyneth GWYNETH Paltrow failed to appear at a benefit polo match in Mallorca last week, standing up many other celebrities as well as a good cause. The match, which took place at the luxury country estate Son Coll, donated its proceeds to humanitarian projects in Africa.

ish magazine ¡Hola! for €60,000. The ‘Posh and Becks of Spain’ became a huge celebrity couple after falling for each other when she interviewed him during Spain’s World Cup winning campaign in 2012.

Naked ambition

SPAIN’S VERY OWN ROYAL BABY! SECOND TIME: Javier and a very pregnant Pene! IT is not quite a royal baby.... but it is definitely the next best thing. Spain’s hottest actress Penelope Cruz has given birth to her second child. She and husband Javier Bar-

Let’s get naked! The top ten best nudest beaches in Spain, according to Estepona-based naturist resort Costa Natura

By Alex Iszatt

1. Estepona - Costa Natura 2. Coin – Finca Restonica 3. Almeria – San Jose in Cabo de Gata 4. Cadiz – El Faro de Trafalgar 5. Marbella – Cabopino 6. Malaga – Gaudalmar, near Churriana 7. Benalmadena - Benalnatura 8. Sitges – Cala de Home Mort 9. Mallorca – El Trenc 10.La Herradura - Cantarrijan

Hundreds disrobe to break the skinny-dipping World Record LOCALS in Almeria have landed a Guinness World Record for the biggest-ever group ‘skinny dip’ with 729 naked people baring all. The goal in Vera was to promote tolerance for nudism on beaches and to beat New Zealand’s previous record of 506. Organised by the Spanish Naturism Federation, the event was part of a ‘Day Without Swimsuits’ – a mass exodus of clothes

across Spain. Mayor, José Carmelo Jorge, said the event was a tremendous success after organisers expected only around 600 people to take part. The nudist beach also hosted an event of au naturel athleticism with its first Nudist Fun Run. Unrestricted runners competed over a 3.1km course through the streets of the town’s El Playazo nudist zone.

dem welcomed their baby into the world on Monday, the same day royal baby fever swept the world. Cruz, 39, and Bardem, 44, are notoriously private when it comes to family matters, but sources say the baby girl is healthy and happy. The celebrity couple already have a two-yearold son, Leonardo. Cruz recently said “I want my kids to grow up as anonymously as possible. “The fact IT is one of the hit songs of the year. Now its singer Nile Rodgers is coming back to that his father and I Marbella to Get Lucky! The legendary Chic singer is due to bring his have chosen popular hit Get Lucky! written with Daft Punk this work doesn’t give to the Puente Romano Hotel on August 30. The producer, who has worked for Sister a n y b o d y Sledge, Madonna and David Bowie, is playing the right to invade our his ‘Up All Night’ Greatest Hits party. privacy.”

Marbella to Get Lucky!

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NEWS

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es ‘Inventor of alternative comedy’ Alexei Sayle is set to spend more time in Spain after long absence IT was a distinctly low key return for comedian Alexei Sayle. Staying as far under the radar as possible, he has just spent a week at this holiday home in the Lecrin Valley, near Granada, for the first time in three years. “It is nice to be back and we are now planning to return much more often,” he told the Olive Press, over tea at a local cafe/shop The Camel Stop.

THE BARD IS BACK!

Shopping for furniture and a few ornaments for their home, he and his wife Linda were enjoying the laid back lifestyle and weather. In many ways it is a convenient amount of time away,

EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke with the dust now largely settled on a book he based on the local expat community in 2008. The novel Mister Rob-

erts detailed the ‘rivalries, pretensions, habits and hierarchies’ of the group, and how they are thrown into turmoil when a pair of aliens crashland in the hills. Said to have been based

Demolition delight for Santa Marta residents THE tide is finally turning against one of the Costa del Sol’s most outrageous building projects. Locals were thrilled - but cautious - as workmen this week began to demolish parts of the controversial Santa Marta hotel in Estepona. Over the last year, the Olive Press has highlighted the plight of neighbours, as the building began to tower over their homes. Dubbed the ‘Algarrobico of Estepona’ they insisted they were being ignored by officials, as the project reached seven stories. Originally a single-story chiringuito, the hotel was razed to the ground before developers started to construct a 160-room ‘monstrosity’. This included a three-storey building that was not even on the plans and builders removed over 130 protected

EXCLUSIVE By Alex Iszatt oaks from the site. It was only when locals appealed to Brussels on environmental grounds that their plight was taken seriously. But, it still took over four years before an inspector came to assess building regulations, and in the meantime locals were left living in a building site – with the hotel towering over them. “It is fantastic news that something is finally being done, although we question exactly how much,” said one, who asked not to be named. The town hall has apparently ruled that the building should only be five stories and has demanded that the developers take down the two extra floors and re-

move the three-storey entrance hall. “But while that has now gone we reckon it is likely they will drag their heels and then refuse to pull down the rest,” added the neighbour. Green groups have joined forces with neighbours and will continue to fight to get the hotel removed completely.

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News IN BRIEF

Murderer caged CHILD Murderer Jose Breton has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his two children in Cordoba. COMIC GENUIS: Sayle on various local characters, it understandably caused a fair amount of rancour in the charming Lecrin Valley area at the time. But, after a long absence the local community were rallying around their Scouse celebrity last week. “It is good to have him back and although he is a bit grumpy at times, he brings a bit of colour,” said one. Starting life as compere at seminal London club the Comedy Store in the 70s, the Marxist comedian has now gone full circle, recently starting a series of small, low key shows. “The last time I did it was 17 years ago in Australia playing to thousands of people, so it is funny to be back playing to 150 in Soho,” he continued. There are now rumours of a show at a friend’s hotel in Granada. He bought the house over a decade ago, after falling in love with the area’s landscape and Moorish influence. Any changes over the years? “Well there has certainly been a lot of construction,” he added dryly.

Impossible JUAN Antonio Bayona has won the 2013 National Prize for Cinema for his film ‘Lo imposible’, about the tsunami starring Naomi Watts. It has become the most successful Spanish film in history.

Superfast A NEW high speed AVE train will run from Alicante to Zaragoza covering the 500 km in just four hours.

Horse lane SAN Fernando town hall has announced plans to create a horse lane on the way into town.

FEATURE

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OPINION The Right Thing WHILE the tourist industry has brought many good things to Spain since the first passenger jets landed at Malaga airport in the early 60s, it has been at a cost. Sleepy fishing villages and beautiful beaches in Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Marbella were literally submerged under wave after wave of concrete construction, and have now gone forever. Which makes preserving the last few virgin stretches of Andalucian coastline all the more important. So, like many people, we were appalled when Tarifa Town Hall unveiled their plans to build a huge hotel and residential complex, more suited to the Costa del Sol than the laid back Costa de la Luz, next to the iconic Valdavaqueros beach. After large scale protests and a huge Social Media campaign, incredibly the Junta has explicitly ruled that Valdevaqueros must remain unspoilt. Being an environmentalist in Andalucia, where the politics of brick reign supreme, is often a hard and thankless task. But on this occasion, all the campaigning and work has paid off. And for once, the powers that be have done the right thing.

Back from the brink

Influx... but where? According to the Spanish government June has seen the highest influx of tourists ever to grace the country. However, many local bar and restaurant owners insist they are feeling anything but a boost to their coffers, with many confused as to where exactly the tourists are going. Well, one place they aren’t going is to La Tomatina festival! The town of Bunol is only allowing 15,000 foreigners access to its event of the year – and 90% of those tickets have sold out within a week. So, where are the Brits going? The party towns will see an increase through the summer months as lads and gals-on-tour get drunk in the sun. What Spain needs is to promote non-drinking healthy activities to get the footfall on the roads less travelled.

Spain is different WHEN people are routinely injured - and sometimes even killed – during municipally-organised events, there is seemingly a problem. Dying during a beer drinking festival, seriously injured during a bullrun, run over during an Easter parade. Yes, it is not like most other European countries... and yes, these ‘accidents’ do little to help the image of Spain as being a modern, European democracy. However, to ban these events, or scale them back too drastically, would be to ruin the very best idiosyncrasies and original off-beat traits and traditions that makes Spain what it is.... a great place to live and visit!

While the lynx is making a dramatic comeback, the Olive Press looks at other species that are indigenous to the Andulucian countryside and one that is anything but welcome...

VER ten years ago the Iberian lynx was nearing extinction but today, thanks to an imaginative conservation programme that has brought hunters, farmers and the tourist industry under its wing, its numbers have tripled from 94

to 312. The rare cat’s main habitats are in the Sierra Morena and the Doñana national park. Itsdiet consists mainly of rabbits. Like other species of lynx, it has a short tail, tufted ears, and a ruff of fur beneath the chin. What distinguishes it from other species is its distinctive, leopard-like spots. The Lynx however, isn’t the only rare and exotic creature living in the Andalucian countryside. Here the Olive Press picks out ten key species that have made their home in Southern Spain (not all of them entirely welcome).

Iberian Ibex

The Iberian Ibex, or Spanish Ibex, is a type of mountain goat native to Andalucia. Characterized by its large, flexible hooves and short legs, it is highly adapted to run and leap on rocky, bare and steep surfaces. Due to hunting, agricultural development and habitat destruction, populations have decreased significantly in recent years.

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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 198,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 Urb Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350 Malaga Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Reporters: Newsdesk Newsdesk@theolivepress.es Alex Iszatt Alex@theolivepress.es

Distribution: Irene Oliver 606 304 144 Admin/accounts: Pauline Olivera 658 750 424 accounts@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: West Costa del Sol Jane Jewson 673 958 858 Axarquia Charlie Bamber 661 452 180 Cadiz Elizabeth Gould 683 337 342 Ronda/San Pedro/Marbella Jon Clarke 691 831 399

Whales and dolphins

The waters off the coast of Andalucia are home to a huge population of whales and dolphins. The Straits of Gibraltar are especially famous for their dolphins, which can be seen throughout the year. The three most common dolphin species in the Straits are the Common, Striped and Bottlenose. A little farther out live Pilot Whales and Sperm Whales.

Flamingos

Fuente de Piedra, Andalucia’s largest lagoon, is home to the second largest pink flamingo colony in Europe. The birds come to Andalucia to breed, with about 13,000 hatchings each year. The flamingoes fly in from all along the Mediterranean and North African coast and can be seen between February and August.

Quebrantahuesos

The quebrantahuesos is one of the rarest birds in the world. Due to overhunting, the birds became extinct in Andalucia in the 80s. Luckily, however, plans to reintroduce them have been successful, and they can now be found in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The birds get their name, which translates roughly to ‘bone breakers’, from their habit of taking large bones up into the sky and dropping them to break them into smaller pieces. The bird is also known as the Bearded Vulture.

Red Palm Weevil

The Red Palm Weevil, originally from Asia, reached Spain in the 90s. Since then it has wreaked havoc on the quintessentially Spanish palm tree. The adult female lays about 200 eggs at the base of the new leaves of the palm. Once hatched, the larvae feed on the soft bark of the tree and burrow deep into its internal tissue, causing usually irreperable damage to the tree.

FEATURE

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Spanish Imperial Eagle The Spanish Imperial Eagle, also known as Adalbert’s Eagle, is an endangered species living primarily in Central and Southwest Spain (with a few found in adjacent areas of Portugal). Currently there are fewer than 500 of these birds left in the world. A small population are protected in Doñana National Park, but most live in Extremadura and Sevilla.

Griffin Vultures

The vultures were once on the vulnerable list, after their numbers began declining by 30% over 10 years. Now their population is slowly growing – especially in the hills of Las Naveros. The bird can grow to 122 cm with a 2.8m wingspan. They quickly devour carcasses, and were used by Spanish farmers as a way to eradicate dead lifestock – until the government’s health and safety rules came to force. Hatched naked, the vulture has a white head and ruff, a yellow bill and short tail feathers.

Iberian Wolf The Iberian wolf is smaller than most other European wolves. They flourished all over Spain until the mid-20th century when the Franco dictatorship launched a campaign to exterminate them. Sadly, the wolves were wiped out in all but the northwestern region of Spain. Since then, ecologists have been trying to revive the species, and they are slowly spreading back down to the south and east.

Bluefin Tuna

The Atlantic Bluefin tuna is native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. The fish can live up to 30 years, growing up to two metres in length and weighing over 200 kg – they can swim at greats speeds reaching 80 km/ hr. The population in the East Atlantic usually crosses the Gulf of Cadiz in late April, or early May, to spawn in warm waters. Due to excessive—and often illegal—farming of Bluefin tuna in the 80s and 90s, the species is now very endangered. Thanks to recently established quotas by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, however, the Bluefin tuna may be on the road to recovery.

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Snail-case caddisfly

The species, scientifically known as helicopsychidae, was discovered in 2008 at the source of the Suas River in Juzcar. Very little is known about it other than its habitat—pure, cold water high in oxygen and vegetation—and its shell-like nest structure, which is constructed out of grains of sand. Unfortunately, road construction work by Malaga Provincial Council, has destroyed the natural habitat of this rare fly..

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NEWS

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NEWS

Robbing the dead Computers, iPad and other electrical equipment taken from Rod Younger’s home a day after his death EXCLUSIVE troublesome neighbours, who vacated their house a couple of days after Younger’s untimely death last month, are the prime suspects. The robbery has seriously frustrated the plans of his sister Christine to keep the business going. A final decision has yet to be made about the future of Books4Spain but a friend said: “Rod had some great plans, but they needed him to carry them out. We’ve still got all our contributors, reviewers, etc, but they, like us have all been in limbo. From Page 1 “There is nobody like Rod, but his passion is still alive. So, if there are any ideas on the screening in the Cantera venue. “We are unable to say how we should proganything at this stage,” said a spokesman. ress his work, we’ll be However, the official importer of Pitt’s wine Chateau Mi- pleased to consider raval into Spain, Simon Robertson, confirmed that he had them”. been invited. While Younger had “I know the invite went out via the town hall,” said the boss been suffering from of Marbella Wine Warehouse. “We just don’t know yet if he ill health, his death is coming. We really hope so.” at just 53 was still a Pitt, who has six children with Jolie, is a long-time fan of shock to his friends Andalucia having spent his honeymoon here with Jennifer and colleagues. Aniston and later spending time touring Rioja. HEARTLESS robbers broke into the home of a popular expat the DAY AFTER his death. In a burglary that has sickened Marbella’s expat population, thieves robbed Rod Younger’s house just hours after he died from a massive heart attack. The heartless robbers made off with computers, an iPad, and other equipment owned by the popular former owner of online bookshop Books4Spain.com. According to sources, some previously

BRANGELINA IN BELLA

PM will come clean over his links to ‘bungs’ SPAIN’S Prime Minister has finally caved in to pressure to comment on claims that he took illegal bungs. Mariano Rajoy has confirmed he will give an account to Parliament over his links to the so-called ‘Barcenas Files’, which apparently show that he took nearly 350,000 in cash payments. In the hearing on August 1, he will attempt to sever all links to the scandal that has led to over 70% of the Spanish electorate believing he should resign. It comes after opposition leader Alfredo Rubalcaba threatened to call a ‘vote of censure’, if he didn’t explain the claims. Former PP treasurer Luis Barcenas confirmed in court that ledgers of cash payments to ministers were ‘authentic’. He added that he had many other documents to back up his claims. The secret ledgers reflect illegal payments to the party for campaign costs worth 7.5 million euros between 1990 and 2008. “The money was always paid in cash and on a monthly basis depending on liquidity,” Barcenas told Judge Ruz in Madrid’s High Court. He said it went to many people and that it was clear the party was ‘violating party financing legislation.’ “When donors showed up with a wad of bills, the money was never counted in front of them because that would have been tactless,” he continued.

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NEWS

NOT feeling blue

Mountain village set for another week of Smurf fever as Barca star and model jet in By Kat Mayhew

IT was dubbed ‘Smurf Town’ two years ago by film producers. And now a small mountain village of just 240 residents is the subject of another bout of ‘Smurf fever’. Said to be the magical, mountain home of the small cartoon characters that heralded from Belgium in 1958, Juzcar was yesterday bracing itself for an invasion of fans. Over a thousand people were set to arrive in the ‘blue village’ in the Genal Valley, between Ronda and Marbella, for a special premiere of The Smurfs 2, the sequel to the hit movie that premiered in the

PAINTING THE TOWN BLUE: Iniesta and Eva town two years ago. Over 20 buses and hundreds of cars were expected to ferry fans into the tiny spot, that was previously best known for an old tin factory from the 18th century.

Sony has been busy promoting its blockbuster project, after the first movie brought in €560 million in ticket sales worldwide. Spanish footballer Andres

Iniesta, of Barcelona, and former Miss Universe Eva Gonzalez were on hand to wow fans, who came from all over Andalucia. The village voted to stay blue after it was painted the unusual colour two years ago. And it has certainly proved to be a good move with the village- one of the very few in Spain to see massive growth over the last two years. Indeed, since 2011, the bluewashed town has brought in more than 210,000 tourists to tour its streets and buy themed merchandise. Before 2011, the town usually saw about 300 tourists visit per year. Britney Spears has written the theme tune to the film Ooh la la! The video features her and her kids in a cinema.

Marbella Club owner dies

A COLOURFUL entrepreneur credited with revitalising the Marbella Club Hotel in the 90s, has died. David Shamoon, 82, had been suffering from pneumonia and passed away at his home in Marbella. In 1993 he brought the emblematic, but ailing hotel, along with its sister the Puente Romano, successfully investing over €40 million in business. His body was flown to London on Monday, where he will be buried according to Jewish tradition. His son Daniel will now take over much of the running of the hotel group.

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AXARQUIA NEWS

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‘Criminal’ General News IN BRIEF

Rotten La Herradura’s rotting wooden pier has now been removed. The town hall has started work on a cleaner area with sand and palm trees.

Summer fun AXARQUIA dog rescue is holding a Summer Fest on Saturday July 27 at Scirocco in Puente Don Manuel. Tickets are €10

Art exhibit The celebrated art collection of writer Antonio Lobillo is now on display in Moclinejo.

Anti-fascist group defaces street named after Franco colleague

AN anti-fascist group has taken direct action against a street named after one of Franco’s former generals. They are furious that de-

Evacuate the kids

FIREFIGHTERS, Civil Protection, Local Police and other security services have taken part in a mock evacuation of infant schools in Almuñecar.

Youth crime problem YOUTH crime appears to be on the increase in the Axarquia. It comes after police arrested a number of youths in three incidents in two days. Four youths were arrested in Velez-Malaga, two of them minors, accused of breaking into and stealing items from four parked cars. Just two days later, on July 12, two more minors were arrested in Velez-Malaga in an unrelated case for stealing from the local high school. Meanwhile, in Rincon de la Victoria police arrested a 16-yearold girl for stealing a mobile phone. The girl claimed she needed a mobile device and did not have the funds to purchase one, sources say.

by Rose Lapp spite complaints to town officials for two years, the street is still named after General Asensio Cabanillas, who was one of Franco’s key soldiers. The group Nerja Limpia de Simbolos Fascistas (NLSF) has now supplanted the word ‘General’ with ‘Criminal’ in a symbolic protest. They ‘strongly objects’ to the glorification of Cabanillas, who led the notoriously bloody advance into Madrid at the end of the civil war in 1939. After the war, Franco made him a Lieutenant General and he went on to become the Minister of War and later the military boss of the Balearic Islands. According to the group, the street sign is in direct violation of the Law of Historical Memory, which provides for the removal of Franco symbols from public buildings and spaces. Last month the Olive Press reported that locals in Malaga were angry over the failure to re-name Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga, which is named after a famous fascist pilot. Other symbols around Andalucia include – in Jerez - a huge statue to Jose Primo de Rivera, who was the founder of the Falange, on which Franco based his politics.

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Axq IN BRIEF

Gib IN BRIEF Drug copper sentence A FORMER Gibraltar police officer who stole cash exhibits from a drugs case avoided jail when he was handed a nine-month suspended sentence.

Gib Gold Heloise Manasco took her sixth consecutive gold in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle event at the Island Games.

GIB NEWS

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Gor Blimey!

7,500-year-old axe unearthed in Gorham’s Cave

By Kat Mayhew

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have made a sensational new discovery on the Rock. The team working in Gorham’s Cave have unearthed a

DIG: At Gorham’s Cave 7,500 year-old axe. The polished axe, which heralds from the Neolithic period, is 11cm in length and made of a rare green stone. Scientists believe the stone is most likely found only in northern Africa, contributing to evidence of close contact between the two continents in the Neolithic Age.

Robber caged A 22-year-old Spanish man was jailed for four years for robbing a shopkeeper in Irish Town and beating him with a wooden truncheon.

Gospel win The Santos Production Choir won two golds at the European Choir Games in Austria in the pop and gospel categories.

HMS Tireless protests GREEN campaigners have questioned the presence of HMS Tireless on a visit to Gibraltar. They believe the nuclear submarine poses a potential danger should there be a nuclear incident.

Rare

This discovery, found on July 20, is significant because it suggests that people lived on the Rock at the time when agriculture and farming was just moving to the west from the Middle East. The finding also suggests that travellers may have crossed the Straits of Gibraltar by boat back them. The discovery is expected to help Gibraltar’s 2015 bid for UNESCO World Heritage Status.

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GIB NEWS

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PLEASE ‘LIKE’ OUR MISS GIBRALTAR THE Gibraltar Government wants everyone to ‘like’ Miss Gibraltar Maroua Kharbouch on Facebook. The Ministry of Culture has appealed for the ‘likes’ in a bid to help her win at least one prize at the forthcoming Miss World competition. This year the organisers of the global competition have intro-

duced a ‘Multi Media Award’ for the contestant with the most appeal on social media sites. The more ‘likes’ she receives the better her chances of winning the award,” said a Government spokesman. The Facebook page is www.facebook.com/MissWorldGibraltar

Fairground suicide shock A FAIRGROUND has been criticised when a ride was opened only TWO hours after a worker was found hanging from it. The man, a Romanian, had apparently committed sui-

cide on the Viking Boat ride at 7.45pm on Sunday during La Linea’s annual fair. The emergency services were called to the ride and attempted to resuscitate the man for over an hour and a

GIBRALTAR BRITISH FOREVER THE Gibraltar Government is issuing a commemorative £3 coin bearing the inscription ‘Gibraltar British Forever’ to mark the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Utrecht. One side of the coin will bear a design featuring a representation of the Treaty of Utrecht with an outline of Western Europe in the background. The coins will be current and legal tender in Gibraltar.

half, but with no success. Paramedics then transported the body for autopsy. A few minutes after the body was removed at 10.05pm, the owners of the Viking Boat opened the ride. “We were shocked. It was as if nothing had happened” said one local Spaniard. Since 2000, 16 people have been killed at funfairs in Spain. These included three Romanians killed on a ride at a feria near Toledo in 2011. Some 35 people were injured when a tornado ripped through a funfair near Murcia in 2011, knocking down a Ferris Wheel.

ON the Rock

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Olive Press guide to the best of What’s On in Gibraltar over the next two weeks Saturday July 27 Gibraltar International Regatta. The yachting event of the summer. For more information contact the Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club. Tel. 20078897 Sunday July 28 GASA Endurance Swim. The annual race from Eastern Beach to Caleta. Tel. 20072869 Friday August 30 8th National Week Beer Fest. Tickets now available priced at £20 and this includes 10 x 35cl beer vouchers and live entertainment provided by Jetstream and The Noiz. Contact the Ministry of Culture on 20067241 Tuesday, September 3 National Week Classical Concert. Held at St Michael’s Cave, the concert will feature a programme that includes Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven. Tickets £20. 1-12 November 40th Gibraltar International Art Competition. The Ministry of Culture is inviting entries culture.info@ culture.gov.gi

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GREEN NEWS

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THE PATH IS CLEAR Death-defying Caminito del Rey is to finally get its first stage of renovations

IT IS one of the world’s most dangerous rites of passage. But now the death-defying Caminito del Rey, near Antequera, is to finally get its first makeover for decades... and that’s definitive. After years of promises, the Junta has confirmed that the first stage of an ambitious resto-

ration project is about to begin. The initial stage - costing €3million euros – will see broken concrete steps replaced with wooden ones along the 1.2km walkway. Often termed ‘the world’s most dangerous path’ - with many people falling to their deaths over the last few decades - this

Go for it Gaby! TREACHEROUS: The world’s most dangerous path is to be repaired will finally start to make it safe. Malaga province boss Elias Bendodo was joined by mayors from Antequera, Alora and Ardales to make the announcement that will create a ‘global attraction’ for thrillseekers. The Caminito del Rey (or

King’s Path) was built in 1905 to transport workers and building materials to construct a new dam. Suspended more than 100 meters above the ground, The Caminito del Rey stretches for three kilometres and is only one metre wide. It is missing handrails for

most of its length, and some sections have completely caved in. The path was officially closed after three people fell to their deaths in 2000, though people continue to travel to the gorge, with some even filming the treacherous walkway.

BIG HEARTED lifeguards on Casares beach have literally taken Gaby the seagull under their wings. After apparently hurting her wing in an accident she is now being looked after with staff leaving her a bowl of water and a tub of food every morning.

Berry battle over pesticides STRAWBERRY farmers in Huelva have been forced to deny French claims that they use pesticides. The Freshuelva group has been backed by the Junta and threatened legal action over the claims by French NGO, Générations Futures. The farmers claim it is completely untrue and that their produce has gone through ‘more than 5,000 tests and controls’ during the season. They add that the supermarkets chains and the importers of the fruit haven’t found any

such problems. They insist the claims amount to harassment. “The attacks most likely come from sectors that have their own interests. Ten or 15 years ago they burned trucks and now they release this kind of information,” said spokesman José Fiscal. “I can categorically say that the farmers from Huelva have made a tremendous effort in recent years to adjust their products to the standards of quality and with respect for the environment,” he added.

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la cultura

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NAZI HUNT

UK author brings out new novel based on the German fascists who fled to live in Spain after the Second World War

New sauce of income for Tomatina festival

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what’s on

uly 26, Granada, Zaidin Civic Center, music festival. 9 pm. Free of charge.

uly 27, San Pedro

Alcantara, Colegio Publico San Pedro. Flamenco Festival featuring flamenco’s most famous names. 9pm.

uly 27-28, San Pedro Alcantara, Paseo Maritimo. The Festival Arte Sano is Andalucia’s ‘healing arts festival on the beach,’ and highlights include concerts, demonstrations, yoga, food, and arts and crafts.

HIDING IN THE COSTA SHADOWS: (From left) Aribert Heim, Fredrik Jensen, Leon Degrelle and Albert Speer A BRITISH author has written a novel centred on the Nazis who fled to Spain in the wake of the Second World War. Scottish writer Neil Forsyth spent a year researching the background of his book San Carlos and spent a month in the Malaga area visiting relevant sites. “Although my novel is set in Ibiza, and some Nazis undoubtedly settled in the Balearics, it was certainly the south coast of Spain that saw the majority of them take refuge”, Forsyth told the Olive Press. He explained how, in particular, he visited various areas around Malaga and Fuengirola. “The old buildings in the Barranco Blanco area in the Guadalhorce Valley, that many think were part of an extensive Nazi compound, were pretty spooky,” he added.

Forsyth’s novel suggests an ageing Nazi could still be alive on the island of Ibiza, and the journalist believes other former Nazis could still be sheltering in Spain. “In writing the book I spoke to Jose Irujo of El Pais who has done considerable research on the topic and he believes there are a few left, most likely on the south coast”, he said. “If they’ve evaded detection for this long, then you imagine they’ll never be found now”. Next issue Neil Forsyth will write an exclusive first person account of his trip to the area on the Hunt of the Nazis. The novel San Carlos is available online. For more information visit www.neilforsyth.com

Picasso’s Asia tour

SPANISH modern art is being showcased in Korea. Two separate exhibitions are to feature modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali, as well as other famous contemporary artists. The exhibitions feature a total of 200 works of Picasso’s, which are composed of the artist’s print works, drawings and ceramics.

MARBELLA HOME: Otto Remer

TOURISTS planning a trip to the village of Bunol for the famous Tomatina festival this summer now need tickets to take part. The annual festival, which takes place on August 28, has been drawing bigger and bigger crowds each year causing chaos for the authorities. Last year more than 45,000 revellers went to the town to get pummeled with tomatoes. In an attempt to cut down on numbers, this year authorities have introduced a ticketing system. An entry tax of €10 is being imposed and only 20,000 tickets issued. Just 15,000 of these will be open to the general public, with the remainder being reserved for locals. Tickets are on sale at latomatina.info/en/buytickets

uly 29-August 4,

Huelva, fairgrounds. Deemed ‘Huelva’s most important festival,’ the annual Columbus Festival is a week packed with sports, concerts, bullfights and much more.

ugust 1-Gibraltar,

Casemates Square. Free jazz concert as part of Gibraltar’s Summer Nights series. 8:30pm.

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Should you visit the Alhambra in the heat of summer?

RANADA in July can get pretty hot, with temperatures climbing up to 40 degrees in the afternoon. Despite these almost unbearably high temperatures, tourists still flock to the Alhambra palace – Spain’s number one visitor attraction - by the thousands. First and foremost, don’t just turn up. If you want to visit the heart of the palace, I strongly suggest you buy tickets in advance, as by the time you get there they will almost certainly be sold out for that day.

Difficult

We visited on a Sunday morning - booking a week ahead for €14.50 per person. When we visited there were more than 600 people scheduled to visit in the 8am – 2pm slot, and almost three times

The Olive Press sent American intern Rose Lapp (left) to visit Spain’s number one tourist site in the heart of July... what tips can she give? that many scheduled to visit during the later hours. To avoid both the heat, and the crowds of the afternoon, we signed up for an 8:30am tour. I will be honest - it was difficult to rouse ourselves, but we were not disappointed. Walking up the tree-lined pathway, just as the sun was rising, was an incredible experience. The fortress is divided into four sections: the Alcazaba, the Palacios Nazaries, Charles

V’s Palace, and the Generalife Gardens. It was the Palacios Nazaries that I found most amazing These Moorish palaces are disarmingly beautiful and it is hard to imagine how much time and talent it must have taken to create them. Wandering through the fortress and gardens, we were astonished at every turn by the intricacy and beauty of what we saw.

It’s possible to buy an audio guide or to join ASTONISHING: The beautiful Palacios Nazaries a tour (available in a multitude of languages) but we decided to wander ment. Near the end of our visit, point to watch for attacks from we went to the Alcazaba, the below. on our own. We finished our tour in just We may have missed out on Alhambra’s oldest section. some of Alhambra’s history, We stood at the top of the tall- under three hours, right as but there were signposts every- est tower and looked across the the sun was getting hot. As where directing us on where to city to St. Nicolas Viewpoint, we walked back down to the go as we walked for hours, and where we had been just the city, through the trees and tiny we were able to take in all the night before. It was amazing to bubbling fountains, I was conbeauty unburdened by a tour imagine people thousands of vinced I’d never seen anything group or clunky audio equip- years ago standing at the same so beautiful.

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Race to the highest bid

A SIGNED photograph of Ayrton Senna sold for €2,900 at an auction of celebrity memorabilia in Marbella last week. As well as the photo of the famous racing driver, other highlights at the auction included a cheque from John Lennon that sold for €2,600 and a signed photo of former dictator Francisco Franco, which went for €360. But the biggest payout at the event at Puente Romano Hotel was a signed ‘folio’ of former French emperor Napoleon for €13,000.

HE’S BACK Spain’s favourite UK dance act to headline Andalucia festival THE UK’s craziest band are back in Spain for another headlining show. The Prodigy will bring their unique brand of electrodance music to the Dreambeach festival in Almeria next month. The band, led by singer Keith

Rock Lounge Launch

MICHAEL Bolton’s show at the Hotel Puente Romano on August 1 will be the first time that the Grammy winning singer songwriter has appeared in Marbella. It will also mark the launch of www.rocklounge.com, a Costabased promotion company aiming to bring more high profile acts to the coast. “We are looking at providing more high-end music events with acts from the 80s and 90s,” said Rock Lounge CEO David Giles. “Backed with our sister company Awesome Global Events, we are aiming at the 40-plus audience who appreciate the luxury lifestyle”. Rock Lounge is also planning to hold events in the UK, Portugal and the US next year.

Flint, headlined to a 27,000 sell out crowd at Creamfields festival two years ago in Jerez. They also headlined at the same festival in 2007. Considered ‘pioneers of the big beat genre,’ The Prodigy fuse together various musical styles including rave, techno, industrial, breakbeat, punk and hardcore electronic. Formed in 1990, the group, comprised of Flint, Maxim and Liam Howlett, have sold over 25 million records worldwide. Famous for tracks including Firestarter, Smack My Bitch Up and Breathe, the band unveiled a new track this month called ‘Rock-weiler.’ They will perform at the Dreambeach Villaricos music festival in Almeria August 9.

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LETTERS

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POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 80.89% full Same week last year: 58.74% Same week in 2003: 60.82% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.31 American Dollars 0.85 British Pounds 1.36 Canadian Dollars 7.45 Danish Kroner 10.18 H Kong Dollars 7.83 Norwegian Kroner 1.65 Singapore Dollars

Freezing An excerpt of a letter sent by D.S. Axon to his Chancellor in response to UK proposals to remove Winter Fuel Allowance for ex-patriots.

Dear OP, I HAVE paid my dues, taken very little out of the system and NEVER claimed any social security benefits until now. Further, I have injected a large sum into the European economy (German surgeon, Welsh osteopath and Spanish physiotherapist), a process that the politicians of Europe do not seem to grasp. Now you wish to remove the Winter Fuel Allowance for ex-patriots, apparently saving £5.8million. It sounds a lot until you put it into perspective. The UK owes €800 billion to other broke European economies and Spain, similarly, owes a trillion. The interest on €800billion, at nominal rates (say 5%) is around €1,250 (or six cold expatriots) a second. There isn’t an economy on this planet (or probably any other) that can sustain that level of debt. You, my friend, as they say in Derbyshire, where I last lived, are pissing in the wind. You have no concept of the economic mess you, and previous governments have created. And now, you have the unmitigated gall (oh, how I love the English language, but not its politics), to remove payment of €200 a year from retired or semi-retired citizens of the UK, just because they chose to live abroad.

I bet you think I’m angry. You have no idea. I’m 63: I haven’t been this angry since I was 16, and then it was hormonal. This isn’t. And let me head off at the pass any concept that, because I live in southern Spain, I don’t need a heating allowance. Think again. Where I live temperatures in the winter hover around freezing and the vast majority of Spanish houses have no insulation, double glazing or indeed, any other energy conservation features. My main source of heating is a wood-burning stove and a delivery of wood costs €130. Wood has been expensive in Spain ever since they lost the Armada. My neighbour used four loads last winter. I put on more sweaters and went out a lot. And that does not include the cost of electricity for my panel radiators, with prices escalating, as Spain does what you are trying to do - screw the silent majority. Well, this particular majority is not remaining silent. Find another way to pay for your mistakes. Don’t take it out on those who can ill afford to pay the price. Sort it quickly - and not by rearranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic. Regards, D. S. Axon Comares

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NO blood on their hands Dear OP YET another celebrity (Benjamin Zephaniah) of whom most people have never heard is hitching a ride on a bandwagon he neither understands nor is even interested in trying to understand. How dare he say that the thousands of people attending the Pamplona festival have blood on their hands? From what depths of cultivated ignorance did this all-encompassing denigration sprout? Fighting bulls are a dying breed - magnificent creatures that only exist because of the Corrida. Ignorance and intolerance are slowly driving them into extinction because people are too ill-informed to try to protect them. The spectacular bullfight is not about cruelty, it is about a man facing a creature that is determined to kill him. It is about allowing a bull that has led as natural a life as possible to end its life doing what it was bred to do – fighting! The bulls are treated for their whole lives with care and respect and even have names. The aficionados of the Corrida go to see a good fight and often a clean kill. They are as intolerant of cruelty to the bull as anybody should be – indeed, the bull is also respected by the crowd and its fighting style and courage are as avidly discussed as those of the matador. Once the bull is in the ring, it will live for only 30 minutes at most. Food animals are a commodity. They are not cared for except as the product that they are. Legislation in Europe means that our food is trucked for many miles to get to a slaughterhouse. At the slaughterhouse they hear the pain and terror of others of their kind. I have seen cows, bulls and pigs eviscerated while still alive because the “humane” killer had not handled it correctly. I have heard the screams of terror as animals are dragged into the killing rooms (of course, being dumb ani-

Joyous Dear OP, Now and then something happens to make your day, or at least reduce your level of cynicism. As when I visited Córdoba to enjoy the International Guitar Festival. I enjoyed a beer at a new bar

mals, they don’t know what is going to happen to them, do they?). How DARE any person who will eat meat try to condemn the relatively quick death of a fighting bull (at four to seven NATURAL years of age) while saying nothing about the prolonged and painful death process of their food (which seldom is older than nine months all of which will invariably have been spent in a miserable barn and cage)? What sort of hypocritical depth does that come from? We are the torturers if we eat meat – we support a level of cruelty that would have every bull ring in Spain closed down as the audiences deserted them. It should also cause every one of us to hang our heads in deepest shame. Fighting bulls are being condemned by ignorance and stupid prejudice to a death far more cruel than any they would experience in the bullring but, hey, while the bandwagon rolls, the prejudice will simply expand and unknown semi celebrities will keep jumping on. Arthur Webster Coín

near the city centre. Then I strolled off. About 10 minutes later I stopped to check my street map — and up pedalled a young fellow from the bar. “Here,” he said. “You dropped this.” And handed me a 10euro note. I am still getting over this. Can you imagine the same happening in Madrid, London or New York?

CROSSMOT 12

Across 7 Experimentando (13) * 8 Estornudar (8) * 9 Island (4) * 10 Defence (7) * 12 Gansos (5) * 14 Vertido (5) * 16 Proporcionar (7) * 19 Three (4) * 20 Surname (8) * 22 Correspondiente (13). Down 1 Bueyes (4) * 2 Grave (6) * 3 Vicious (7) * 4 Reinado (5) * 5 Raya (6) * 6 Adjunto (8) * 11 Experts (8) * 13 Libertad (7) * 15 Perdedores (6) * 17 Flown (6) * 18 Cintura (5) * 21 Negar (4). L = 199

David Baird Frigiliana

Taxi rip-off Dear OP Just a quick note on how disgruntled my family and I are about the taxis around Benalmadena. We stayed in Arroyo for a quick getaway last week and used the taxis to get around. We found they still don’t use their meters and seem to charge whatever takes their fancy at the time. The straw that broke the donkey’s back came when my wife and daughter caught a taxi from the bottom of Arroyo to the train station at 8am. The driver told me the taxi was €10. Having made the journey several times, I reminded him that its €4. He said the extra was for the cases and family! After a heated discussion I gave him €5 and tried to take his badge number. He would not give it. I told him to call the police and let them sort it out but he muttered something in Spanish, wagged his fist at us and drove off at high speed. They are really giving a bad name to the decent working people of Spain. I have heard a lot of tourists complaining about the same scenario. We have decided to give Spain a miss in the future. We spent over £3000 on our break in a week. If everybody took the same stance, Spain would surely miss us! Regards, Ian Roberts Manchester

Letters should be posted to Urb. Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350, Malaga or emailed to letters@theolivepress.es The writer’s name and address should be provided. Published opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

ll about

25 25 the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013 25

atural living

The times they are a changin’

An eight page special Olive Press pullout PHIL SPEIRS takes us on a tour of alternative Andalucía to discover how people in southern Spain are working for a more sustainable future

GRAFT: Villagers prepare land in a Transition Town

Sanz is hot and cold HE is one of Spain’s hottest pop stars. But now Alejandro Sanz is about to get a lot colder when he goes on a trip to the Arctic Circle. The expedition, organised by Greenpeace, aims to raise awareness of the fragility of the Arctic ecosystem by documenting the extent of the effects of global warming on the glacier and ice caps. Sanz, who plays Marbella’s Starlite festival next month, says, “We have to acknowledge the fact that

if we help save the Arctic we’re saving much more. It’s the most important environmental battle because it is one of the few places on Earth where an environmental balance still exists.” The expedition will travel to the southernmost point of the Arctic Circle, where the travellers will witness

first hand how the original inhabitants of the area live. According to a recent Greenpeace report, the Arctic could be ice-free within 20 years, which would be seriously detrimental to the people and wildlife of the region. Sanz has sold more than 22 million CDs.

HILE many people are struggling to cope with the realities of Spain’s ever deepening recession, small groups of pioneers are looking for alternatives. Brought together under the banner of ‘Transition Towns’ these forward-looking social activists believe that endless growth and globalisation is simply unsustainable. The movement originated in Totnes, Devon and provides the inspiration for movements all over the world to develop sustainable solutions for their communities. Based on the premise that global diminishing resources and climate change will eventually force us to reconsider the way we live, the movement aims to make the transition a smooth one. This wide-ranging social experiment is now well-established in southern Spain, where groups of concerned individuals have come together and created groups in their local communities. Coín, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, and Axarquia all have active groups and recently hosted the second national

transition congress in Mijas Costa. The aim was to share experiences and ideas of different groups around the country. Over 150 people learned how to establish more sustainable practices in the towns, cities ,and villages that they represented. Coín, one of the first Transition Towns established in Spain, has already launched various projects - putting forward alter-

We should reduce our carbon footprint dramatically to ease the pressure on our over-burdened planet natives to ‘business as usual’. One of the first initiatives introduced was an alternative currency, the ‘coine’, which has been used for the past three years to trade all manner of goods and services. Other projects have included creating community allotments, setting up a local farm-

ers’ market and establishing a system whereby local resources, such as land and abandoned buildings, are regenerated and repaired to become functioning parts of the local community. “We offer a great opportunity for anyone interested in getting involved in interesting, sustainable projects,” explained Jose Martín, one of the founders of the Coín group. “We always welcome new members and hope that they can contribute something new. One of the key messages of the transition movement is that we should look at developing our local resources and reducing our carbon footprint dramatically to ease the pressure on an increasingly over-burdened planet.” Local currencies bring real value for money, farmers’ markets stimulate the local economy, organic farming respects the environment and group activities bring communities closer together. Alejandro Orioli of the Marbella group said “The transition movement is trying to address these issues in a creative and inspiring way.”

PHOTO CREDIT : Claus Mikosch

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Organic Andalucia

Andalucia has long exported its produce... now it is finally starting to offer local food to local people

MARKETS: fresh produce available from local market

HILE Andalucia has been one of Europe’s top producers of organic food for many years, most of it has been

destined for the export market, with very little supply, or demand for that matter, at a local level. All that has started to change over the past couple of years

Save our costas

PRESSURE group Avaaz and Greenpeace have linked up to collect signatures to protect the Spanish coastline from further development. The two organisations argue that the new Ley de Costas law recently introduced by the Spanish government is incompatible with European directives. Once the last few signatures are in it will be formally presented to the European commission this week Every day building work devours an area of coastline bigger than eight football pitches. But rather than introduce stricter controls to protect the little natural coast that is left, the new law will allow further construction nearer to the sea. The petition’s aim is to highlight the fact that the new law infringes on European decrees aims to make the Eu-

ropean Commission step in to stop the law from becoming established. The movement is questioning funds that have been allocated by the European Union to Spain are in conflict with the recent Spanish legislation. “It is scandalous that the government introduces a law that will destroy what remains of our coasts,” said Luis Morago, director of campaigns at Avaaz. “With the pace of building it won’t be long before we have to catch some sun between cranes and cement lorries. It is for this reason that we are trying any method available to prevent this catastrophe.” The main concerns regarding the new law includes urbanisations that will be exempt, reduction of the protected area around coastlines - from 100m to just 20m - and disregarding most delicate ecosystems that are in danger.

with organic markets springing up all over the coast, more shops selling fresh organic produce, and a clear increase in people looking for chemicalfree products. The large supermarkets are now offering dedicated organic sections, but the spirit of the organic movement still lies in supporting small scale, local producers. A shift in awareness has been one important factor in people’s shopping habits. According to Miguel Moreno Trujillo, owner of Bionatura - the coast’s first pioneering organic supermarket - “People have heard of food scandals and can see the connection between health and toxins in food. They know that with organic food there are fewer risks and less additives.” Bionatura has been going strong for 15 years and stocks thousands of products reflecting the ever increasing variety and choice in the organic market.

We are what we eat and we should be eating more organic living foods Tapping into this increasing demand for fresh organic produce, a local grower’s association based in the Guadalhorce valley, has been building on the success of their organic markets. This year they opened four more venues for their regular markets, including Elviria, Málaga and Las Lagunas to add to the already established markets in Coín and Cartama. “People know that they are supporting a more sustainable form of agriculture as well as the local economy so buying organic is good for them and for the environment,” explained Patricia Carrasco from Guadalhorce Ecologico, the association behind the markets. Visitors to these markets and specialist shops know that they are getting certified organic produce that meets strict environmental controls, support biodiversity and natural resources. Vanda Lakatos has been running Biocasa in Fuengirola for the past 3 years and is brimming with passion and enthusiasm for her work. “The food we eat is the fundamental essence of what we are,” she said. “We literally are what we eat and we should be eating more organic living foods.” Vanda explained that not only have more people started showing an interest in organic food but superfoods are also becoming increasingly important (see article on next page). With more shops like Vanda’s and better access to organic produce the revolution is well underway for a more sustainable future.

Natural living special

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Superfoods Amanda Gedeon of Bellaria cafe sings the praises of coconut oil

T never ceases to amaze me how simple it is to make huge impacts on our health. Don’t roll your eyes, I’m not going to tell you to quit smoking (although you should), drink less (ummmmmm) or to get off your backside and do some exercise (no comment, seriously). I’m going to tell you about coconut oil. I use coconut oil in EVERY-

COCONUT OIL: It’s really very good for you THING, from raw cakes, raw chocolates, smoothies, juices, cooking, baking, hair and skin care – I even spread it on toast

(highly addictive, be warned). Before I start reeling off the countless reasons why, it’s important that you know coconut

Super-charging sizzling minerals

INERALS are essential to the health of every living thing, something that even many knowledgeable health professionals are unaware of. We need the full spectrum of major and trace minerals to get the best from everything including ‘super foods’, drinks or any other food or supplement. Minerals control the deli-

cate metabolism within plants and are used to manufacture all other nutrients. The human body requires them to generate it primary source of energy and to activate enzymes: the body’s work force. The nutritional content of super foods, like other plants is determined by the nutrients in the soil in which they were grown. Likewise, our nutrient content depends on the

nutrients in the foods we eat which can be deficient due to poor soil quality. Super foods contain powerful phyto-nutrients and a higher mineral content than most other foods, but to get the best from them we still need to ensure we are getting enough minerals in our diets. One way to do that is with Sizzling Minerals, available from Natural Health Solutions.

oil is the only oil which maintains all its properties when heated. It can help with to relieve stress, maintain cholesterol levels, lose weight, boost the immune system, and aid digestion and metabolism. It can also be used for hair care, skin care, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer. Not bad right? So how exactly does fat make you lose weight? Short and medium-chain fatty acids go straight to the liver, converting into energy. This increases the body’s metabolic rate, burning more calories and accelerating weight loss. Coconut oil is often used by athletes, body builders, and those who are dieting. It contains less calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy, and it doesn’t lead to fat accumulation in the heart and arteries. Now it’s time for a few scientific words you’re never going to remember (but reinforce my point rather well): it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric, capric and caprylic acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. It’s great for your immune system. I think I’ve made my point.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE ENTHUSIASTIC: Eli outside her Mayan Monkey shop

OUNDLESS enthusiasm and hard work, coupled with a great product is a winning formula. Mayan Monkey owners Jason and Eli have capitalised on all of this in their first year of trading to become a firm fixture in Mijas with their handmade chocolates. Quickly outgrowing their first chocolate factory, the team has now opened a second outlet downstairs which acts as a cafe and gift shop - while the production and workshops continue in the original premises. This space allows the couple to develop new lines, all in keeping with the Mayan Monkey ethos – to provide innovative, artisan and mouth-watering products.

Their latest venture is to develop a range of truly healthy chocolate using stevia instead of sugar, allowing them to make a blend with an incredible 99% cocoa content. “Stevia is 30 times sweeter than sugar so we can use much less and therefore much more cocoa,” explained Eli. The chocolate has proved a huge success over the past couple of weeks and while it clearly appeals to diabetics and dieters, the chocolate is so high in cocoa, that is actually an appetite suppressant, people only need a small amount. “In Tel Aviv scientists are recommending chocolate for breakfast to help with weight loss,” concludes Eli.

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Mountain meander Kat Mayhew takes a walking trip in the high Sierra Nevada mountains in a bid to escape the summer heat, with varying degrees of success

STUNNING: Writer Kat (top inset) took a walk out into the hills from Quentar village after an initial mishap and (right) the circuit

HE city of Granada has so much to offer, and it would be understandable for travellers to spend their whole stay within the city. However, just 30 minutes outside of town lies a completely different world. The beautiful and isolated Sierra Nevada mountains have (fairly) easily accessible trails, and a hike in the hills provides good exercise, great views, and a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. In a whirlwind weekend in the city we wanted to pack as much activity into as little time as we could. Even though we had a few

setbacks, we still managed to get ourselves on the trail, do our hike, and still be back in time for a much-deserved 2:00 lunch. With the help of a new, very user-friendly website, www.treksierranevada.com, we filtered through hundreds of hikes by length, season, location and public transport. We found one that sounded perfect for our requirements: only 30 minutes east of Granada, accessible by bus, recommended in the summer, and just 14 km long. The name of the loop was Quéntar Circular. We set our sights on an early morning bus, and set our alarms for even earlier.

Due to a slight misunderstanding and an unclear bus schedule, we went to the wrong bus station and missed our bus. If you know us, you wouldn’t be surprised. But we asked around, found the real bus stop (if you are going to Quéntar, the bus stop

The tiny whitewashed village of Quéntar is worth the trip in itself is across the river from the Corte Inglés), and even had time for a coffee. We finally got on the 10:30 bus, a bit more caffeinated and ready to go. The tiny, whitewashed village of Quéntar is worth a trip in itself. While less than 30 minutes away from Granada, it feels like it is hundreds of miles and hundreds of years away. Following the directions from the website, we wandered through the town and almost immediately found ourselves out in the stunning mountains scenery. And we only took one wrong turn before finding the walk proper. The hike itself was moderately challenging: steep but not impossible. Because we had arrived later than we planned—it was mid-day when we got to the trailhead — it was quite hot. Although it was still doable, if you plan to go in the summer months, I would recommend going earlier in

the morning. I was amazed by how isolated we were. We saw just one other person on the trail in three hours. When it’s that quiet, it’s loud: we could hear a cacophony of insects, the wind blowing through the olive groves and our feet plodding to a steady beat on the dusty trail. In what seemed like no time at all, we found ourselves rewarded with a stunning view: we were directly overlooking Quéntar, nestled in between rolling hills covered in neat groves of olives and almonds. Although we could have continued on, we decided that because of the heat and our desire to see more of Granada, we were happy to turn around and retrace our

Even though not everything went to plan, our hike was unforgettable and well worth it footsteps back to the bus. We walked back down the hill, winding our way back to the city, sweaty, dusty, and very, very happy. Even though not everything went according to plan, and we didn’t even finish the loop, our hike in the Sierra Nevadawas absolutely unforgettable, and well worth it. It was a wonderful morning activity, quite easy to organise and execute, and a perfect complement to a big weekend in the city.

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Fair trade furniture A number of companies are producing top quality furniture that is either fair trade or recycled

ITH the rise of globalisation the gap between rich and poor continues to increase and small producers struggle in difficult conditions in the hope of carving a place in a market dominated by multi-nationals. Deco-Home, founded in 2004,

imports handicrafts, décor and furniture mainly from Bali, as well as other parts of Indonesia and Thailand. Owner Claude has returned to his shop in Mijas after a six month trip searching for beautiful and original crafts. “Deco-Home’s products come directly from local village arti-

Sustainable bedding

sans and not from large factories or international dealers,” explains Claude. “We are committed to sup-

TRADITION: Victoria Linen is based at Hargreaves hall ture from countries such as China.” She adds: “And being located in Lancashire gives us a wealth of local expertise in the textile industry which we can capitalise on plus a work force base that is steeped in the knowledge and tradition of textiles.”

Fair trade is a way of doing business that is ethically and environmentally responsible porting indigenous cultures through Fair Trade principles which include the payment of fair living wages, supporting environmentally sustainable projects, respecting cultural identity, promoting safe and healthy working conditions and discouraging forced and exploitative child labour.” Fair Trade is a way of doing business that is ethically and environmentally responsible –making free trade work for those in developing nations. Deco-home, on the MIjas road between Fuengirola and Mijas, has a large of stock and customers can be content in the knowledge that a fair share goes back to the people that made the goods. They are open every day from 10 am to 7pm, including Sundays and holidays. Another extremely sustainable furniture business is the Wood Factory, based in Marbella.

HEY have been manufacturing bed linen for over 15 years. But the location in Hargreaves Mill, in Lancashire - once the global home of cotton manufacturing - goes right back to the 17th century. The Victoria Linen Company is unusual in other ways however. While the current trend is to manufacture almost everything in Asia, the bedding and curtain company has opted to stay in the UK. Making the business considerably more sustainable, they also source as many products locally as is possible. Marketing boss Claire Murphy said, “We see manufacturing within the UK more sustainable in the long term. “Although the current trend is for overseas manufacture we see this as unsustainable with the impact of global fuel and transport costs plus the increased cost in manufac-

FAIR: Claude makes sure his workers get a living wage

Made entirely out of recycled wood, there is a huge range on offer at Wood Factory Made entirely out of recycled wood, the majority imported from Holland, there is a huge range of tables, benches, sofas and chairs. Also available made-to-measure – a team puts it together in a workshop next door – the style is fast becoming the rage this year. As owner Kristel SchoemanDaneel explains: “We are getting so many enquiries and are battling to turn things around quickly. Best of all, because it is recycled wood we can keep the costs down.” Her clients so far include Cafe de Ronda, in Marbella, Tanino, which has just opened a new restaurant in San Pedro, and a new bar in Puerto Banus called Bar Hola.

PIONEER: Recycling Queen Kristel

he two organisations argue that the new laws recently introduced by the Spanish government are incompatible with European directives. Avaaz and Greenpeace have been collecting signatures to protect the Spanish coastline from the new laws and have nearly reached their target. Once the last few signatures are in it will be formally presented to the European commission in the coming week Every day building work de-

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From small acorns...

T isn’t the first thing most people picture when they think about Marbella, but Arboretum, an environmental charity dedicated to education and creating a ‘people’s forest’, is one of the town’s great success stories. In the two years since it took over a 10 hectare piece of abandoned land near the bus station, thousands of schoolchildren and adults have taken part in tree planting, and other activities, to learn and

be inspired by nature and the environment. Organising hundreds of events through the year, the group has planted 17,000 trees and plants on the site, run dozens of courses and talks. In 2012 the charity and unicaja’s Social Work division joined forces to reforest 30 hectares of land which werebadly damaged by the fire in summer 2012. Using the techniques of permaculture they have planted sixhectares with 3,450 plants.

How a tree-planting group made a huge difference to one Costa del Sol town

Alejandro Orioli, the charity’s director, states, “Despite a difficult year for individuals, businesses and politicians, it has been a positive year for Arboretum because we continue to be fuelled by strength, belief and hope. “We continue planting trees, educating and inspiring thousands of people and improving their environmental consciousness and this consciousness is sure to bear fruit for the future.” There are lots of ways to get involved with the project. For those interested in the techniques they use they will be running a special, fully certified permaculture design course that will be held in October. “Permaculture is a holistic system which deals with the design, planning and construction of spaces where FERTILISING: Spreading the compost to encourage growth

people can relate to nature in an ecologically sustainable way, but which is socially beneficial and economically viable, explained Alejandro.”I believe education is one of the most effective ways to face the current financial crisis and build a sustainable future.” The Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is an intensive two week course, that com-

garden should be close to the house, then we can dispose of organic waste to create compost and feed our plants at the same time, giving back to the land. If insects are destroy crops, get some chickens - to eat the insects and turn over the soil - rather than treat with

DIRECTOR: Alejandro Orioli artificial pesticides. At Arboretum, for example, they use sheep rather than mowers to keep the grass short, creating a happy and productive cycle that benefits everyone.

Permaculture is one of the most effective ways to face the current financial crisis bines the theory of permaculture with practical applications. “Permaculture’s key principles include taking care of the planet, taking care of people, sharing what we have and distributing resources equally,” Alejandro continued. “Permaculture designs are resilient, environmentally friendly, productive and stable.” This includes how we manage our food systems. A vegetable

GETTING INVOLVED: Improving the environment

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Greening the economy A new business forum is a great way to help your company grow and to feel you are taking party, writes Phil Speirs

F Performing arts festival on the beach

FTER the success of previous editions of Arte Sano, the organisers are planning another festival on San Pedro‘s seafront this weekend. “This year we will be bringing the colourful world of alternative Andalucia to life for another weekend for all the family” said a spokesperson for the event. A diverse mix of classes, workshops, and talksm on subjects ranging from personal development to natural health, spirituality and the environment are on offer and all for free. As well as the classes in the open air in the gardens and activities

on the beach, children are always an important part of the event. This year they will be well catered for in their own dedicated area with theatre, games and crafts, while the grown ups can enjoy concerts by some of the coast’s top artists. A dynamic market extends along the seafront with plenty of artisans, natural products, therapists, art and healthy food for visitors to enjoy. There is an area for sustainable technology, where visitors can see how solar ovens, ram pumps and dehydrators work. www.festivalartesano.com

OR a look at how we can start making real changes in the way we do business. I was recently involved in the first festival for a green economy in Malaga. The event, organised through our green business associa-

tion RedVerSo and open to the public, was a chance for all the members to set up shop and show how they are working to improve general business practice with respect to the environment and social equality. What really impressed me was

SHINING LIGHT T

Magnified healing courses

the number of young new business people the green movement is attracting, people dedicated to building a solid business without compromising their eco-principles. Exhibitors included organic food distribution companies, a cooperative

AGNIFIED Healing is a technique for personal development. According to Almuth Jende, who runs courses on the coast: “We are living in a time of dimensional shifts, both planetary and cosmic, giving humanity the opportunity to enter into a co-creative consciousness “as Earth approaches its moment of evolution, humanity also begins its own development into higher dimensions. In order to obtain our ascention, creating UNITY, we can heal ourselves at all levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.” After attending the workshop, and by practising daily, Almuth claims that practitioners will notice changes

and improvements, not only in their physical body but also in spiritual development, people will feel more energised and dedicated to helping people and the planet. During the first phase workshop of Magnified Healing, the course teaches meditation for empowerment, preparation and alignment of spiritual centres as well as clearing of the light channel. Some of the benefits include increasing energy and unification of the main chakras, healing of self and others, activation of DNA, alignment of the five superior bodies and preparation for ascension. Further courses develop these tools to help reach a state of self realisation.

HE Gemasolar Power Plant is making waves in Andalucia as a technological wonder of the modern era. The project is the first of its kind with the ability to produce electricity during both day and night. Spread over an area of 195 hectares, it can produce an estimated 110 GW(s) of electricity each year. Developed by Terresol Energy, in joint collaboration with Masdar and Sener, the plant uses steam to run turbines and generate energy, supplying electricity to 25,000 homes in the region. The project is one of the numerous renewable energy projects currently carried out in Spain. However, the distinctive feature which separates Gemasolar from others is its 15 hour energy storage ability, which has the potential to be used for commercial purposes. Following the Spanish footsteps, the Americans have also initiated two mega projects based on the same technology for the production of green electricity at commercial level.

START YOUNG: Respecting the environmenmt selling fair trade T-shirts, a new concept in recycling for ecopoints that can be ‘spent’ in participating shops, a company specializing in creating urban farms, eco architects and many more – but the key point was that everyone taking part had some aspect of environmental awareness built into their business plan. Judging by the attendance and the packed talks, there are plenty of people out there interested to know more about how they can apply these principles to their daily lives, through the purchases they make or how they run their own businesses. Including plenty of activities for children to ensure that this message got through to the next generation.

Visibility

Over 200 people resisted the pull of the beach to take part in this first event, and we can only hope those numbers continue to grow. When we set up RedVerSo last year, one of the main objectives was to create better visibility for the green economy. Events like this and Festival Arte Sano in San Pedro this coming weekend, offer a perfect platform to promote a more sustainable way of doing business and working in harmony with the planet. RedVerSo aims to help businesses involved in the ‘green’ eoconomy to meet and discuss ideas and raise awareness of environmental issues in business. www.redverso.org

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www.theolivepress.es The Olive Press’

monthly youth and education section

treme

the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013

Not talking proper! SPAIN’S rich linguistic history is being lost as Spaniards are increasingly ignoring the words of great writers like Cervantes and Lorca in favour of a simpler, more limited vocabulary. Spanish has become ‘some-

Academic insists it has become ‘fashionable’ to speak badly in Spain thing of a street language’ believes the country’s leading linguist Victor Garcia de la Concha.

NEETS on the rise

The boss of the respected Cervantes Institute believes it has become ‘fashionable to speak badly’ after analysing

the nature and evolution of the language. He believes it is constantly changing and claims it has

AN alarming report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted a startling leap in the number of young Spaniards who are neither working nor studying. The OECD’s ‘Education at a Glance 2013’ study reveals that one in four Spaniards aged 15 to 29 who have completed tertiary education, such as vocational training or the Bachillerato, are NEET — or neither employed nor in education or training. The 24.4 per cent of young Spaniards who find themselves in this position is much higher than the OECD average of 15 per cent. More worrisome is the 69 per cent jump in Spanish NEETs between 2008 and 2011 which was considerably sharper than the 24 per cent increase seen across the OECD as a whole. NEETs are known in Spain as ‘Ni-Nis’ (Ni Estudian Ni Trabajan, or ‘neither working, nor studying’) and have been described as a ‘lost generation’, who have failed to find opportunities because of Spain’s economic crisis. The organiSation also highlighted Spain’s relatively high average periods of inactivity (1.1 years) and unemployment (2.5 years): the OECD average for unemployment is 2.4 years.

By Rose Lapp developed an ‘unusual’ energy and liveliness. He insisted that this energy is not always a positive thing and he blames the waning sophistication in Spanish speech on the ‘predominantly audio-visual’ culture. “There is a great deal of neglect in the manner of speaking,” he said. “It is a rather shabby period.” The Cervantes Institute is the world’s largest organisation for the promotion of the study and teaching of Spanish language and culture.

LORCA: Linguist

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Surf’s up! THE timing could certainly not be better. A pair of expat students have designed their own surfboards just in time for the long summer holidays. Will Courtney and Sonnie Hiles from a Sotogrande school have spent the last two years working on the project, designing, building and painting the boards themselves. To raise funds, the students even organised a Hawaiian fundraiser party, where guests enjoyed surf movies.

Xtreme

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School’s NOT out for summer! T

HERE were few dry eyes among us soppy teachers and parents on the last day of term. Here at BSM we traditionally hold a Speech Day where our Reception children graduate into the daunting world of

Miss Kirkham looks back on an emotional last day of term

big school, or Year One to be precise. Dressed up in smart university-style mortarboards and navy blue gowns, the cute little monkeys from Miss Fry’s Reception Class had a send off from the Foundation

Stage that was designed to be an emotional tearjerker. Given the moniker ‘Receptacons’ in homage to the popular 1980s cartoon Transformers, the class of 16 youngsters were paraded on stage, where they received

HURRAH: Morter boards in the air as Headteacher Miss Kirkham (above) awards her daughter

Cheering up children

IT is a touching and colourful way to cheer up children stuck in a hospital in Madrid. This rooftop garden just opened at the Hospital Infantil de La Paz is geared towards children diagnosed with cancer.

their graduation certificates during our special ceremony in the playground. As tradition dictates, they threw their mortarboards high into the air after graduating. One neighbour was no doubt left puzzled after several flying hats made an impromptu appearance in his garden from out of the blue. More than 100 proud parents packed into the playground to watch the event,

which also saw certificates given to pupils from each year group for excellence in a number of subjects before breaking up for the summer holidays. However, the school corridors have been far from empty over the last few weeks. Much to the dismay of the school’s cleaners, whose fastidious tidying is being undone several minutes later by unruly youngsters with a penchant for destruction.

Summer school is upon us. For the last couple of weeks, we’ve had more than 60 children through the gates each morning. So unfortunately for them, and in the slightly altered words of Alice Cooper’s hit song, school is NOT out for summer. To see all of the graduation photos, go to our website at www.bsm.org.es

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Create jobs to create a better country SPAIN’S PM Mariano Rajoy has called on support from social action groups to help him achieve his goal of getting as many people back to work as possible. He said: “The creation of jobs is the great national objective after which everything will improve in our country - when people are working, they don’t need unemployment benefits and that money can be earmarked for other areas”. He added: “I would like to be able to dedicate more resources to health and education, not to mention public pensions and social services. The goal is to implement economic policies that will enable us to achieve that”.

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The Olive Press fortnightly business section taking a look at the Spanish economy and offering tips on how to save AND make money

Underground dealings SPAIN’S underground economy totals 20% of its GDP. According to an independent

research group this figure is higher than anywhere else in Europe.

PENSION AGE TO COME IN AFTER 67

THE European Commission is calling for Spain to raise the state retirement age even further because the Social Security pot is running dry. The vice-president of the EC’s department of economics, Ollie Rehn, says the country needs to raise minimum pension age higher than the recently-approved 67 years. This would be ‘in line with higher life expectancy’ and to ‘guarantee that the government will be able to pay pensions’. According to Rehn, Spain’s Social Security fund is ‘in deficit’ and that it paid out 10.1 per cent of its GMP in pensions in 2010, which will rise to 13.7 per cent in 2060 – above the average for the rest of Europe as a whole. He has also called for index-linking of state pensions to be scrapped, something the Euro MEP for United Left, Willy Meyer, is against.

The Foundation for Financial Studies (FEF), estimates that only Italy has a higher black economy at around 21% of its GDP. The FEF estimates that Spain’s tax office is losing €18 to €20billion a year due to this illegal activity, which largely comes from underthe-table work in the construction sector. The foundation estimates that the ‘black economy’ provides jobs for at least one million Spaniards. President of FEF, Juan Carlos Ureta, said this gives a false picture of Spain’s economic position. “It looks like we have more unemployment than we do, and more fiscal deficit than we do, and this lessens foreign confidence,” he said. The foundation recommends the creation of more 40-hour week jobs, the simplification of tax brackets and the reduction of company taxes to legitimise more of the economy.

IT’S BACK ON! Marbella Mayor claims Bajadilla port project will resume again in 2014

THE on-off saga of Bajadilla port in Marbella rumbles on. Mayor Angeles Munoz has insisted that the Arab prince behind the project is ‘still committed’ to it and construction would begin next year. She insisted the project ‘would become a reality’ after meeting with representatives of Sheik Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani last week. She confirmed that his company had now made significant steps to restart work, after it set up a ‘port management team’ and promised to pay outstanding debts. Meanwhile the company’s social capital was increased to €21m. This comes just weeks after the €400m project was in danger of being sunk when the sheik threatened to pull out after being told that regulations refused to allow him to build a hotel in the port. He has apparently now relented, with Munoz insisting it will allow the town to become a major cruise destination. “This project will create jobs and restart the local economy” she said.

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Top Dollar

STERLING STUFF

Greenback growth

TERLING spiked higher across the board last week after the minutes from the new Governor of the Bank of England’s first meeting surprised the market with a unanimous vote against further quantitative easing. Having been at a four-month low against the euro (below 1.15), it leapt nearly 1% following the release, also gaining 1% against the US dollar. At the same time, UK employment data revealed a larger than expected decline in unemployment to 7.8%, which was good news for sterling. Sterling does however remain vulnerable to additional declines later this year, though I’d argue it’s not against every currency. As ever with currencies, it’s about relative concepts, not absolute ones. With several central banks of the world’s

by Keith Spitalnick of HiFX

largest economies easing monetary policy, or maintaining it at very accommodating levels for the foreseeable future, the forecasts for sterling to plummet may well prove exaggerated. This is particularly relevant against the euro where some forecasts are for a further decline of 4%+ despite the fact that the pound is down 10% from its peak last July and 6% from the beginning of this year. The ECB is one central bank that has pledged to keep interest rates at their current level, or lower, for the foreseeable future given the weak economic backdrop of the majority of the eurozone so I don’t see a much better reason to buy the euro versus the pound. If the US economic recovery picks up pace then the most likely winner in 2013 will be the mighty greenback.

Keith Spitalnick is head of European Sales at HiFX. To contact HiFX and find out how the team can help you with your international transactions, call in at the office in Centro Plaza, call 951 203 986 or email olivepress@ hifx.co.uk

Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander

ITH one of his first proclamations after assuming his role as Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney made it clear that an increase in interest rates is further away than the money markets were hoping. As a result, sterling fell sharply against most major currencies and for expats in the Eurozone, the reduction against the euro starts to bite once again. With the most recent Consumer Price Index figures showing an increase to the highest point for over a year at around 3%, the news for savers remains gloomy. For borrowers, of course, continuing low mortgage rates is a comfort, but for savers, the reality that savings are being eroded by inflation is of no comfort at all. I have written often on the subject of the dangers of keeping too much cash on deposit but now more than ever, savers really should question themselves as to what it is they are trying to achieve with their savings. If the answer is a need for income, then there are better investments. If it is just a matter of preserving capital values, then deposit accounts don’t work!

THERE MAY BE TROUBLE AHEAD

Savers are unlikely to be excited with the initial proclamations of the new Bank of England Governor Mark Carney (below), writes Richard Alexander I accept they may be relatively secure in terms of the account balance not going down but they are losing money in real terms nonetheless. Let me put it another way. If you plan to fly over the mountains in a hot air balloon, but you have a leak, you may have the bal-

Be careful and only take advice from a regulated, independent financial advisor loon but you won’t get over the mountain and sooner or later, you are in for a crash landing. Mid-summer is a time when many things get put on hold and dealing with financial matters is no exception, but perhaps this year as you relax by the pool or catch up with family, you might

just reflect on how well your capital is invested. And if you do nothing else, make one resolution; to take some advise from a regulated, independent financial adviser about what you could do to improve your arrangements. A word of caution though; be

discerning about who you ask for help. If you are going to take advice, make sure the firm you consult is properly regulated to advise in Spain and obtain a copy of their ‘client service agreement’ and ‘terms of business’ before making any decisions. Understand what their fees are and don’t get lured into allowing commissions to be deducted from your investments. Any initial consultation should be without cost or commitment and any advice should be put in writing before you are asked to make a decision. This will also give you the opportunity to ask for a second opinion and remember two things above all else: if in doubt – DON’T DO IT and if what you are being offered seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com

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SEAT wins car of the year

SEAT Leon, was named international Car of the Year 2013 at the annual Auto Express New Car Awards held in London last month. It was a double win for the Leon, as it also drove off with the Best Compact Family Car Award, and a hat-trick for the Spanish manufacturer as the SEAT Alhambra was named Best MPV for the third year running. Auto Express editor-inchief, Steve Fowler, commented: “The new Leon is a brilliant all-rounder offering space, quality, economy and plenty of style. You’ve only got to look at the cars the Leon beat to see just how good it is.”

Production cutbacks hits SEAT Despite winning awards, low demand forces staff cutbacks AFTER winning big at the Auto Express Awards this month, (see above) SEAT has announced plans to cut staff. The cutbacks will affect production staff and more than 9,000 employees. Low demand is cited as the reason. The plan includes cutting production of the Audi Q3 cross/utility vehicle and the SEAT Leon and Altea ranges from September to December. The auto maker’s Exeo range was discontinued last week.

BITTERSWEET: SEAT wins award while employees lose jobs

Vodafone battle

BRITISH phone giant Vodafone has seen its sales drop in the south of Europe. The decline is being blamed on the rise of unemployment in Italy, Spain and Greece, which has seen people spending less on mobile phone services. The company is still doing well, however, in the United States, where its 45% holding in Verizon Wireless generates huge profits.

Cement falls to lowest level since 1960 SPAIN’S cement sector is moving as slowly as, well, cement. Consumption has fallen by 24.2% this year, to levels last seen in the 1960s. Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008 to the end of 2012, the demand has fallen by 70%. The decline is being blamed on the huge crisis in the property market. A massive drop in investment in public projects is also adding to the drop and this year Spain will be the lowest investor in infrastructure projects in Europe. Exports have improved by 6% in the first half of the year.

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Law

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Prison threat for mayor

Radical Juan Sanchez Gordillo is facing two years in jail for occupying army estate

HE has been wrapped up in legal knots since getting involved in a so-called symbolic ‘supermarket raid’ last summer. Now, Andalucia’s most controversial mayor Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo is facing yet more time in prison after prosecutors confirmed they were demanding two years for the illegal occupation of an estate last year. The communist mayor of Marinaleda is facing the sentence for occupying the Las Turquillas military estate, near Osuna, for three weeks last July. Gordillo, along with union spokesman, Diego Canamero, has already been charged with the wrongful seizure of government land, disobedience and damage during the occupation.

Gordillo has been ordered to pay €800 for damage and €1200 for theft. But now he faces an even stiffer sentence, along with other militants who are considered leaders of the protest. The protest had been organised to symbolically draw attention to the plight of landless labourers. The huge estate was not being used for any agricultural reasons.

Gordillo told the Olive Press last issue: “I am already facing up to 10 years for other offences so this doesn’t make much difference. I will not be cowed. I very much doubt they can put me inside.” An incredible 50 other defendants, who occupied the land between July 24 and August 9 last year, face a year-and-a-half in prison. The case continues.

AGONY ANT

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

It’s barking obvious

Antonio Flores explains that town halls are responsible for all types of noise pollution, including barking dogs

EVERY town in Spain has specific rules on the maximum noise levels that residents should have to endure. Largely standardised around the country, these rules are applicable to ‘any activity or behaviour that generates noises or vibrations producing a nuisance or damage to people or goods’. So if you are suffering from a barking dog, a disco or noisy neighbours, then you have every right to take your case to the town hall. They are forced to investigate the issue by looking at decibel (db) levels, the universal unit of sound measurement. This is easily measured with a meter that registers sound pressure and displays these readings on a sound level scale. So you can quickly see if your neighbour has a

Ask Ant

Q.Can commercial premises be transformed into residential property? A. According to a Supreme Court ruling in December 2010, if the Statutes do not include a specific prohibition, so long as the internal distribution of the commercial unit complies with the regulations for residential property and the proponent of the alteration obtains planning permission, there is no legal impediment to not allow the change. If the Statutes of the community prohibits this, a unanimous vote by the attendees of the community will be required in addition to planning permission.

noisy pub, or if a basketball court is breaking the law. Spanish Town Halls follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), that establish a maximum of 55 decibels during the day and 45 at night. Any activity that breaches these limitations is against the law and the Town Halls have to act to put a stop to it. Last May, two pub owners were sentenced to four years in prison by the Spanish Supreme Court for committing an ‘acoustic environmental’ criminal offence against neighbours. They had systematically disobeyed Sevilla Town Hall’s orders to limit the noise or stop trading. The diagnosis of a psychologist expert witness was categorical: the emotional and mental disorders caused by persistent destructive noise levels were so severe that they could take years to cure. And if a Town Hall does not act, then it becomes responsible for not implementing its own laws. Take the El Copo case in nearby Velez Malaga, where the Andalucian Supreme Court recently ordered the town hall to pay compensation to 18 neighbours for not taking action against a bar in Torre del Mar. The 18 homeowners are hoping to get over 5 million euros for putting up with noises reported to be, in peak season, in excess of 120 decibels when the maximum legal was 30! So get out there complaining... and give me a call or email me if you want a hand. Aflores@lawbird.com

U J

44 44the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013

p the

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ardin path

MOTOR

Dig yourself out of the dumps

Forest of discovery

Gardening is a great way to overcome stress and improve moods

Malaga city has a wealth of amazing gardens to visit

VISIT to Malaga isn’t all about shopping - there are some spectacular plants in the city. Starting on La Alameda, there are numerous tropical and sub-tropical ornamental plants and palms, including the Washingtonias near the Customs house. You are also spoilt for choice with excellent examples of large Kentias, as well as Arcantophoenix and Caryota. There is also a very rare bottle tree - Chorisia insignis, not far from the lovely Ficus retusa in La Alameda which contains a curious date palm with nine trunks. On the outskirts of the city on the road to Alhaurin are the oldest gardens in the area. The best is that of El Retiro de Fray Alonso de Churriana, whose pond and ‘Bishops Orchard’ date from 1669. The most interesting gardens are at La Sirena with a splendid avocado tree, while the garden of La Cascada has a lovely avenue of cypresses. Nearby, La Cónsula gardens date from the 19th century. They are noted as the most sombre gardens in Málaga, but they do contain some lovely old trees.

Use the garden to make yourself beautiful, writes herb specialist Sue Rodgers

Show off your skin

reat-looking skin is something we all aspire to, especially at this time of year, when more skin is on show than ever! The cosmetic industry has pandered to our insatiable desire for perfection so well that women who use make-up on a daily basis are absorbing over 2kg of chemicals through their skin annually. Fortunately, there is a burgeoning natural and organic skincare industry that makes some of the most effective skin treatments around. However, these often come at a price. Women around the world have been using oils to cleanse and moisturise long before the cosmetic industry was invented. Olive, jojoba, almond, avocado oils can be used, as can Argan oil from Morocco and rosa mosqueta, made from a wild Chilean rose. Simply apply a small amount of one of these oils to your skin and gently massage in. Leave it for a couple

of minutes, and then remove with a damp pad of cotton wool (organic of course!) or with a warm washcloth. The Romans used to cover themselves in olive oil then remove the grime with scrapers. For those of us with more mature skin, almond

oil is particularly effective. I infuse almond oil with calendula flowers, which make the oil even more sumptuous. Your kitchen is a veritable feast of goodies for your skin. A great softening skin mask can be made from peeling, stoning, then mashing two apricots, combine with a teaspoon of avocado oil and apply to the face,

The Wa ter

avoiding the eyes and mouth. Leave for 20 minutes, then wash off with warm water and moisturise as normal. Love fruit? Then check out a great recipe for a fruit facial at www. selfsufficiency4u.com . Think lettuce only belongs in salads? Think again. Lettuce has great skin softening properties, and when infused in boiling water and left overnight, it makes a great skin tonic. Simply strain the liquid into a sterilised bottle and keep in the fridge for no longer than a week. Sit back and enjoy the compliments on your great looking skin! sue@selfsufficiency4u.com

WHEN the workday feels long, or life starts to feel a little too stressful, a quick trip to the garden may be the perfect remedy. According to a recent study, regular gardening will lift your spirits. More than 90% of gardeners feel that their hobby improves their mood, according to a survey for Gardeners’ World magazine. The poll of 1,500 adults found that 80% of gardeners feel satisfied with their lives compared with 67% of non-gardeners. Gardeners are also less likely to display symptoms of unhappiness or depression. This comes as no surprise to many gardeners, who view their hobby as the perfect escape from our busy, modern lives. Perhaps unsurprisingly, outdoor pursuits appear to bring the most happiness – 78% of walkers are satisfied with their lives, as are 75% of those who fish, according to the survey. This is consistent with many earlier studies, confirming that the combination of physical and mental activity involved in gardening is good for personal health, both physical and mental. As an added bonus, food grown in your own garden is the freshest and healthiest food you can eat. And those of us without large gardens have no need to worry- according to experts; even keeping a few houseplants can be beneficial.

HE KNOWS HIS ONIONS! by Peter Langdale

I AM sitting writing this from my hotel room overlooking Victoria harbour, in Hong Kong as my wife Gill and I are on the last leg of our holidays. We were fortunate to see the British Lions in Melbourne and Sydney and enjoy the most incredible atmosphere of the win in Sydney. On our travels we have also been visiting botanical gardens and making note of any plants that seemed quite unusual and may have a place in gardens in Spain. Today we have in our sights the botanical gardens in Hong Kong. As

Margin

they are not far from the tram to the ‘Peak’ we can take them in as we visit that part of Hong Kong Island. Anyway, enough of my travelogue, no doubt everybody back home is well into the routine of summer trying their best to keep every-

thing watered. That said, the summer so far has been relatively cool and most plants should be holding their own. One thing I have learnt on our travels is that it is quite easy to waste water by overwatering. For those

of you with limited water it is essential you understand the needs of your plants. This is determined by soils, rooting structure, location, ability to adapt to high light levels, and underlying weather conditions. When planning your garden always consider zoning your planting in relation to water requirement - by this simple strategy blanket watering will not be necessary. Once again I would like to remind you that our team at Garden La Palma is always ready and willing to give you advice. Until next month, bye for now.

Top Salud

51 www.theolivepress.es

Brighton to Spain ACCOUNTANT and intrepid cyclist, Simon Hood has setoff on a solo bike ride from the top of Spain down to the Costa del Sol in Andalucia The 37-year-old, from Brighton took the ferry from Por,tsmouth to

Santander on July 15, and will be cycling the 900-plus miles to Malaga over the next three weeks. Hood is planning an average 50 miles a day and will be wearing a Dark Star Brewing Co cycle jersey in the hope that any other

Sussex ales fans he encounters along the way will give him an encouraging shoutout. Mr Hood said: “I’m feeling increasingly destructible each year but an upcoming period between jobs means I have the chance to take on

a physical challenge while I still can. “Spain was the obvious choice as being engaged to a girl from Catalunya has meant many visits her over the last few years and given me a strong affection for the country.”

In the eye of the beholder Cancer can affect every part of the body

IT may come as a surprise to know that moles can appear on any part of the body, in-

cluding the eyes. Joanne Hill, 42, received the shock of her life when she

TOO LONG TO WAIT PATIENTS in Andalucia are having to wait over 180 days before being admitted to surgery This .year a shocking 494 patients spent more than 180 days waiting to be admitted to surgery. In previous years, only two or three patients would ever have to wait this long. According to the Andalucian Health Department these are the highest numbers the region has seen since the government first began publishing surgical waiting lists 11 years ago. There were 57,185 patients waiting for surgery in June alone - 1,515 more than the year before. Health official Maria Jesus Montero claims that this is not due to an ineffective health system but rather to an increase in people seeking surgical procedures.

went for a routine eye-test and doctors told her she had an ocular melanoma on her retina that could be malignant. The engineer from Todmorden, West Yorkshire was referred to the Ocular Oncology Unit in Liverpool Hospital —one of only a few specialist eye cancer teams in the UK. Because the melanoma was near the optic nerve and so close to the brain, there was a real risk if it spread. But because the mole was on the retina, removing it completely could have put Joanne’s sight at risk. Instead, the specialist team decided to treat it in situ, by placing a radioactive metal disc onto the affected area to destroy it. After five days the disc was removed and Joanne went home to begin the slow process of recovery. Since the treatment in 2008, she’s undergone annual check-ups which will continue for the rest of her life. Those most at risk of ocular melanomas are people with red hair and fair skin, sunbed users or anyone exposed to large amounts of UV light. The over-50s are most commonly affected. ‘This is still a rare type of tumour and the exact cause is unknown, but it is something people need to be aware of and, where possible, protect themselves against,’ explains Jane Maher, an oncologist and chief medical officer for Macmillan Cancer Support. Jane continued; ‘Unlike with a skin melanoma, there are no definite risk factors although it is more common with increasing age and more likely to be seen in people with blue/grey eyes, because they have less of the protective melanin pigmentation. ‘To best protect the eyes, I’d recommend sunglasses with a UV400 label, which means

they block all UV light, and a British Standard Mark, guaranteeing quality.’

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Top Salud 51

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Trying therapy through horses Despite a car accident Jane Hepburn is still able to offer riding advice and tours

OR Jane Hepburn, riding has always been therapeutic. Ever since she began riding at age 10, her love for horses has never wavered. Even when a serious car accident at age 15 left her physically disabled, she was back in the saddle again as soon as possible.

Champion

HORSEPLAY: Jane Hepburn on the back of one of her favourite horses

Back in the saddle again Stephen Shutes dusted off his riding boots and went out for a hack with Jane (and Slug)

was trying to rememb er, when was the last time I was on a horse? Most probably nearly 30 years ago in Portugal, and now I was on my way up to Rancho del Rio near Cartama, to meet up with Jane and go for a ride. I had spoken to her on the phone, and when I mentioned that I had ridden before, she said that Rocket would INTREPID: Stephen on Slug (KC) most probably be alright for me! stroll, but I wasn’t bothered. When I told her it was 30 years The scenery is lovely, and the ago, we decided Slug might be conversation good, so I can a better match for me. highly recommend it. So Slug it was, although this So when people asked me, 18-year-old Andalucian mare’s “How did you get on?”-you put real name is KC. your left foot in the stirrup, We hacked out for an hour, and and put your right leg over the at one point Slug broke into a saddle…

At age 34, she won a national championship in Paralympic dressage, and competed on the international circuit for a year after that. Soon after, Jane and her husband decided to move to Spain, have a daughter and open a riding stables in Andalucia. Fast-forward ten years and Jane’s Rancho del Rio, located in a pastoral setting just outside of Cartama, Malaga, is going strong. She offers something for everyone, whether therapy for the disabled, riding lessons for all ages (she hosts a riding club every Saturday), or a casual hack for anyone looking to enjoy the scenic area on a purebred Andalucian horse. Jane’s natural ability to teach and her ‘glass is half-full attitude’ create a supportive, positive environment for riders of all types. Quite simply, she ‘loves encouraging people to believe in themselves.’ And of course, she lets the horses work their magic. For more information, please contact Jane Hepburn at 659 696 535 or email info@horseridingandalucia. com

Heart healers RESEARCHERS have proven that olive oil and nuts can prevent heart disease. A report carried out by Malaga University has confirmed that the Mediterranean diet is the best for avoiding heart attacks. Virgin olive oil, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are among some of the fats that are good for you – reducing the chances of heart attacks by 30%. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine this month.

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Complementary Salud!

Losing your mind I

n mindfulness, or shamatha, meditation, you will be able to achieve a mind that is stable and calm – and naturally content. An important point is that when we are in a mindful state, there is still intelligence. It’s not as if we blank out. Sometimes people think that a person who is in deep meditation doesn’t know what’s going on—that it’s like being asleep. In fact, there are meditative states where you deny sense perceptions their function, but this is not the accomplishment of shamatha practice.

Environment

Find a place that is not too noisy or disturbing, and make sure you cannot be provoked.

Beginning the Practice

Start by only meditating for ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening, and during that time you are really working with the mind. Then you just stop, get up, and go.

the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013

Using Mindfulness Meditation to relax your whole body

Posture

The Buddhist approach is that the mind and body are connected. The energy flows better when the body is erect, and when it’s bent, the flow is changed and that directly affects your thought process. We’re not sitting up straight because we’re trying to be good schoolchildren; our posture actually affects the mind.

Gaze

For strict mindfulness practice, the gaze should be downward focusing a couple of inches in front of your nose. The eyes are open but not staring; your gaze is soft.

Breath

As you start the practice, you have a sense of your body and a sense of where you are, and then you begin to notice the breathing. The whole feeling of the breath is very important. The breath should not be forced, obviously; you are breathing naturally. The breath is going in and out, in and out. With each breath you become relaxed.

BATHE AWAY TOXINS

THE benefits of herbal tea are endless; we drink it by the gallon, so what more is there that we can do to prove our love for the stuff? Bathe in it! To complement the incredible health attributes drinking herbal tea provides, why not take a dip. The tradition of bathing and its ability to nourish and invigorate us is an ancient convention. Lauded for its immune boosting, muscle relaxant and wholesome conditioning. With the expert blends of herbal goodness seeping into your skin added to the aromatherapy of the teas, you’ll take relaxation and wellbeing to new heights. Lake Ainsworth is a freshwater lake in Australia surrounded by tea trees, the surrounding water absorbs the tannins from the tree roots and fallen leaves making it, essentially a giant herbal tea bath. The Japanese are also huge advocates of tea baths, often creating hot pools of Green tea to be used communally for the ultimate rejuvenation. Let 5-6 tea bags of your choice steep for 20 minutes, then climb in and drift away on the waves of relaxation. Ensure the water is not too hot and clean your bath after you get out to avoid staining. A Green Tea Bath will utilise all the antioxidant properties of green tea to gently revitalise your skin and flush out toxins. A Chamomile Tea Bath is great for softening skin whilst providing a calming aroma to help clear the mind. Lavender and chamomile re great for insomnia, anxiety and de-stressing.

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OP Columnists www.theolivepress.es

CHOOL is out for your grandchildren and if you’re hoping to spend some quality time with them this summer be proactive and get the ball rolling. Parents, especially those who have full-time jobs, often find the summer months to be challenging. They look forward to more time with the children, but they also are stretched to pay for babysitting or daycare. They also must come up with finances for those special summer trips to the beach or camping or other summer fun. Here’s where you, the grandparents, can grab some time with the grandkids. You can be available to fill in the gaps and ensure that you’ll have fun times. Follow these tips and solve one of the biggest problems we grandparents have: spending quality time with each grandchild.

Plan Early

Get a head start on summer fun

Juliet Hambro offers tips for grandparents looking to make the most out of the holidays for certain days or weeks in the family summer schedule. Offer to be the one who takes the kids to swimming lessons or day camp. Plan a weekend or week-long Grandparent Camp experience complete with all sorts of fun activities. Work with your children to make their lives easier, and you’ll get all the quality time with the grandkids you can handle.

Make it Special, Make it Fun

You’ve probably spent hours reading to your grandkids or buying them toys to play with at your home. You may have used up all the ideas you have

their grandchildren.

Maybe your children want to take an adult vacation without the kids. Bingo. That time may be perfect for you to schedule time with the grandchildren. Or maybe you live near enough to offer childcare

for doing fun activities. Now is the time to mix it up and find some new and fun things to do. Check with your local parks, libraries and recreation facilities and see what’s available. Take

outdoor events such as campfires, sing alongs, games of hide and seek and all the other games kids used to do when the parents said, ‘Go out and play.’

them rock climbing or swim- All in all, finding time with ming. Plan a scavenger hunt your grandchildren is all about or make super bubbles. Create scheduling and communicata new playhouse out of card- ing with your children. What do they have on their schedules? board boxes or make up a new ‘holiday’ such as magic day or How can you fill in and help them? What can you offer in homethe way made of fun i c e Granny quote a n d cream surprisd a y . es to I think I’ve discovered the The inenrich secret of life - you just hang ternet is their an endround until you get used to it s u m less reCharles Scultz m e r source for fun things to do with children. Find months? Make the effort to activities or projects thatare coordinate summer fun and you’ll have great memories to fun for you as well. share with the grandkids.

It is probably too late for this summer, but in future, get the calendar out early and plan with your children Granny fact for the times you wish to be with the grandkids. Books on grandparenting This may look like a whole family gathering, often tell grandparents not to or it may be individual offer advice unless it’s asked time with just the chilfor, and that is generally good dren. You might want to schedule one on one advice. 80% of grandparents time with each grandsay that they feel “very child. Whatever you comfortable” or “ comfortable” want, get it on the caloffering child-rearing advice endar early before the days are all booked up to their children and 95% are and unavailable to you. comfortable giving advice to

Meet Needs

Go Outside There are lots of fun activities to do indoors with the grandkids. You will play board games, play video games—it’s okay to beat them once in a while, and maybe do puzzles. You can make crafts, cook yummy treats and eat them and you can read chapter books out loud. You’ll look forward to seeing old movies from your childhood or new ones that the kids love. But today’s children don’t play out of doors as much as they should. They only relate outdoors to sporting events. Show them how to build forts, go on nature walks, sleep outdoors, play kick the can or capture the flag. Plan

www.askgranny.com is a unique website and resource for grandparents and senior citizens worldwide created by Granny Juliet and provides useful information on a number of topics.

Is the grass REALLY49 greener on the other side of Europe? the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013

Enter the world’s largest expat survey for your chance to win £1,000 in cash CALLING all expats! Have you moved overseas for a better quality of life for your family, to pursue a career opportunity or for a change of scenery? If you have, a UK media company wants to hear from you. Whatever initiated your move, ‘The Expat Survey’ compiled by Max Media International invites you to share your opinions on a variety of different topics. The study wants to know about your experiences, whether or not expectations have been fulfilled and what you miss about home. It also wants to hear your tips and advice for others contemplating a move to a new continent. “In a world of rapid change and volatile economies, resulting in employment instability and mounting stress, many have chosen to move overseas in the belief that the grass is greener on the other side,” explains Max Media director Mark Edwards. “For some it’s a permanent move, for others temporary; in many cases for a life-style change, for others

there has been no choice. Whether it has proven to be the best or worst decision you ever made, your feedback is essential.” The Expat Survey aims to be the largest independent research study ever undertaken on migration and expatriate life. Led by the ex-head of research for BBC World, it does not share any information with third parties and has no links to any Government whatsoever. The study comprises three surveys – ‘Migration & Lifestyle’, start date July 15, ‘Retail & Finance’, start date September 10, and ‘Travel & Health’ in November. Whilst the main thrust of each survey lasts 8 weeks, all surveys will remain live until December 31 so that a continual collection of responses takes place. Those completing all three surveys are automatically entered into a prize draw to win £1,000, which you can opt to donate to charity if you wish. Please go to www.theexpatsurvey.com to find out more and complete the first survey which has now gone live.

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Belinda Beckett (aka Mistress of Sizzle) meets the deer that was nearly venison

OU’VE seen him in Babycham adverts and a well-known Walt Disney cartoon but I never expected to come nose-to-nose with the reallife, polka-dotted, velvet-antlered version: Bambi in the flesh. That pleasure awaits visitors to Reserva Animal La Pequeña África, the maddest menagerie in southern Spain,

the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013

Bambi the Malaya Case Fawn

buried in the cork forests surrounding Estación Jimena de la Frontera. If it hadn’t been for the park, Bambi would have been venison: an ex-deer; defunct; passed on; pushing up daisies. His Mum too, dead as a ‘doe-doe’. Their heads would

probably be hanging on some big shot’s trophy wall. Bambi and his extended family were originally acquired for target practice by Juan Antonio Roca, Marbella Town Hall’s ex-(but not dead) ‘urban consultant’ and ‘king pin’ in the Malaya Case corruption scandal. When he wasn’t allegedly engaged in embezzlement, money laundering, bribery, influence peddling and other ‘acts of malfeasance’, the righthand man of Marbella’s ex(and dead) Mayor, Jesús Gil,

WHO SHOT BAMBI The deer that Roca brought for target practice ‘horny’ males during the berhosted lavish hunting parties at his cortijo, La Morisca, a fawn’s skip from where his deer now safely graze, rescued when his assets were

seized. Now it’s Roca who’s fenced in and learning to dodge bullets. He’s already serving one stretch in Alhaurín de la Torre jail and is expected to be banged up to rights for another, any day now. Oh the poetic justice!

Attenborough

But the best thing about Bambi’s presence is that I’m finally going to get to see his Mum and Dad enjoying some rumpy-pumpy! That doesn’t make me a voyeur - this sex show is all above board (ask David Attenborough). During a three-week window in October you can book an excursion to watch the local babes shaking their booties at a bunch of

Bike to the Future

rea, the autumnal deer-rutting ritual. Last year, on my baptismal berrea, I spent hours crawling through the undergrowth, attempting to bring a small brown speck into focus in fading light: one solitary doe (a deer, a female deer). I don’t know which one of us was more disappointed to find ourselves at a stag party with no males! I hope for better luck at Reserva Animal La Pequeña África where the deer are more of an exhibitionist bunch.

De Doolittle

But don’t wait until October to take a trip to this Dr Doolittle land where you’ll be amazed to hear yourself conversing with quadrupeds, parlaying with peacocks and speaking eland and watussi with elan. Not all the animals are fenced in and they’re not afraid to swap a nuzzle for a nibble on your bag of grain, sold at the gate for €1. An Ape-to-Zebra inventory of unusual breeds from five continents - rescue animals and zoo overspill - live in a semi-wild state. Rare sights include: • Wallabies bounding across the fields of Jimena with Joeys clinging to their pouches like

t’s the time of year that I dread the most. Every summer the Tour De France brings cyclists out onto the Spanish roads in droves, eager to emulate their Spanish heroes. Now I know that we are supposed to applaud those who take to the streets on two wheels, as they are doing their bit for the environment etc etc But they drive me up the bloody wall. Maybe it’s because of where I live. The white village of Istán really came into its own after 1492 when all the Moriscos were sent there as it was out of sight of the sea. (The reason being so that they couldn’t signal to their Moorish bretherin across the water). But the road goes to Istán and no further, meaning that there is very little traffic and the perfect place for cyclists to train. Which is all well and good if you are getting ready for the Tour de whatever, but means that I spend most of my time looking a guy in lycra’s arse. I used to have to pay good money in certain clubs in Soho

for that pleasure.... Even on the main roads it’s little better, as you are bound to come across a “peña cyclista” in training in the right hand lane - normally numbering about 20 - and blissfully doing about 11 mph. And while they may argue that they have every right to be on the road,

so do rag and bone men. And I haven’t seen a horse and cart on the A7 for a while now. But I digress, and I’ll probably be shouted down by the bike brigade. I’ll just take my revenge by shouting “drug fiend!” at every cyclist that I pass. Simple things for simple minds etc....

Virgin matters

Last week was one of my favourite festivals, the Virgin del Carmen. And let’s face it, there aren’t enough public holidays in Spain are there? Watching the good people of Estepona and Marbella messing around “over refreshed” in boats, jet skis, wet bikes and whatever else they could get their hands on that floated, I was struck by this sobering thought. Thank God there isn’t a Virgin of Air Traffic Control....

Paella Power I love my Spanish friends. Mainly because they have no qualms about inviting themselves up to my place on the lake and throwing impromptu lunch parties. “Hola Gil?” (my name is a nightmare in Spanish) “We’re coming up on Sunday. What do you need?” Last weekend was an absolute case in point. It was Pepe’s birthday, so he, his family and 15 or so close friends rocked up. They made paella, brought salad, sang, danced and generally had a great time. Pepe’s wife asked why I still wasn’t married at 40 something (don’t ask) and then, at about 7pm, they all washed up, packed up, threw various children in cars and left. Leaving my place cleaner and with more food than at the start of the day. As I said. I love my Spanish friends....

competitors in a marsupial sack race. • Lala the Bengal tiger who grew up with Niebla the Spanish mastiff and Robin the German shepherd and “cries” when they’re separated. • Emus more in-your-face than Rod Hull’s which come up and eyeball you in a scary way. There’s one species you won’t meet. The tiny, sabre-proboscised mosquitoes that descend in biblical numbers for two weeks in June to picnic on bare flesh. Yep, I had to pick that fortnight. One week later, I still had more spots than Bambi! Find the park on Facebook/ Tel: 956 640 210

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FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

A mix too far? T

HE summer season in Spain can be very hot and the kind of drinks that people look for must be refreshing, easy to drink, slightly sweet and, of course, these days affordable. There are a good number of wine-based drinks that are part of Spanish culture and traditions. While some, perhaps understandably, offend the purists (and I have been attacked by the odd wine writer and blogger for it), I am happy to defend these drinks that mix good wine with soft drinks. I strongly believe that wine has to be made easy to understand, fun and approachable. And if young people start drinking some of these combinations below, it will ultimately increase the chances of them trading up eventually and starting buying wines that are more expensive and sophisticated.

Tinto de Verano

This is a combination of red wine and ‘gaseosa’, which is a mild flavoured

Pancho Campo risks the wrath of the wine purists to pick out a few summer favourites mixing vino with soft drinks

Pancho’s Punch Add the wines and spirits, cover, and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. Add the fruit and, if your jug is large enough, the soft drink and serve over ice.

Rebujito

low sugar carbonated lemonade (La Casera is the bestknown brand). However, proportions can vary greatly according to the taste of every individual. Gaseosa can be replicated by mixing Sprite or 7-Up with carbonated water. Rum is sometimes added to the drink. It is served over ice, sometimes with a slice of lemon. Make sure you use a young wine, not one that has been aged for a long time or wine that is more than two or three years old.

Sangria

Sangria is a typical Spanish drink, but you can also find it in Portugal and Argentina. Because the drink contains

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brandy, sugar and lots of fruits it can give you a massive hangover! So beware. The ingredients most commonly used to make a good sangria are: Chopped fruits such as oranges, apples, pineapples, lemons, strawberries and peaches. 1 bottle of cheap but nice Spanish red wine 50 ml of brandy 50 ml of Cointreau or Malaga sweet wine Cinnamon 500ml Gaseosa, 7Up or Fanta Lots of Ice Put the orange slices in the bottom of a large jug or bowl, and muddle, or squash, using a wooden spoon or similar.

Rebujito is a cocktail that mixes Sherry and 7-Up or Gaseosa. The ideal way to prepare Rebujito is in a tall, tube-shaped glass known in Spain as ‘vaso de tubo’. Add a few pieces of ice and mix a Fino or Manzanilla type of Sherry. After pouring one third of the glass with this type of Sherry, add the soft drink and make sure it mixes perfectly with the wine. This is the traditional beverage drunk at the world famous Feria de Sevilla and many of the other popular fairs held in Andalucia. The combination with a soft drink makes the Fino Sherry much more enjoyable and less aggressive. Remember, because Sherry is a fortified wine, which has been made by adding alcohol, combining it with the sugar or soft drinks result on a very pleasant tipple but lethal when it comes to hangovers!

SAUCY NUMBER In the third part of a series on the setting up of Tarifa’s Hurricane hotel, James Whaley recalls the whirlwind arrival of a drug-addled, sex-obsessed head of house, who kept everyone on their toes... and made a mean tomato soup!

FTER six months of set- for someone else. ting up our new hotel A friend suggested an Italian in Tarifa girl called Rita, 20 years who had apparago, I had to ently managed leave the hotel a successful After a second for half a year to establishment work on a film in botle of wine she in Germany and America. could speak six suggested we It was too risky languages, alleaving the place beit badly. sleep together in the hands I paid for her of my best barflight over and man, Ramon, a she arrived conservative, brought up in the drunk – yes drunk - for her inmilitary, who only ate fried eggs terview. and chips, so I started to look Wearing cut off jeans, which

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Rita’s tomato-sweet potato soup 1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 large diced onion, 1 dried red chili (seeds removed), 1 bay leaf and 1 ½ lbs sweet potato (peeled and cubed), a hint of coriander and sauté for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring from time to time, until both the onion and sweet potato look slightly caramelized and golden, about 10-15 minutes. 2. Raise the flame to medium-high. Add 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and salt to taste. Stir well and bring to a slow boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes or so until the potatoes are soft. 3. Remove the bay leaf, add a dash of cream and puree the soup. revealed a rather large backside, she then disappeared and returned to offer me a line of coke. Over dinner and after a second bottle of wine, she suggested we sleep together. That way, she reasoned, boss and employee could get to know each other better. I declined. I’ll never hire her, I thought. But the following day I reconsidered. As Ramon had no idea about food and Rita apparently

did, and Ramon wore a suit and tie while she was completely off the wall, I thought the pair could balance the scales. So I hired her and she had soon filled the restaurant with flowers and young lovers, while Ramon did all the paperwork. Rita also introduced new recipes and screamed at the cooks for not making the pasta ‘al dente’. She also made a great tomato soup from South America, blended with baked yams

or sweet potato flesh. A drop of cream, a touch of coriander and the yams take away all the acidity from the tomatoes. So I left in peace with Rita seducing clients left and right, and Ramon trying to figure out how the computer worked. I got back and the place was still running and Rita ultimately stayed onboard for more than a decade. And if any of you fancy giving it a go... here is Rita’s tomato soup recipe above.

the olive press - July 24 - August 7 201353 53

the olive press - July 24 - August 7 2013

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Flight of fancy Champagne dreams WHO says that luxury is dead? Makers of Louis Roederer Cristal champagne have released eight jeroboam bottles of its prized vintage at a staggering €18,000 each in Spain. The bottles come in their own gold cage box, which took a goldsmith four days to craft.

CAN FABES CANNED ONE of Spain’s most famous restaurants has been forced to shut. Can Fabes, founded in 1981, reached legendary three Michelin star status, but after its famous chef Santi Santamaria died in 2011 it began to struggle, losing a star that same year. The restaurant in Sant Celoni, near Barcelona, employed new chefs. But they were unable to maintain the high standards.The restaurant’swebsite simply states ‘Can Fabes says goodbye’.

Dani Garcia brings his celebrity skill to Malaga airport MICHELIN star chef, Dani Garcia, has created a new culinary concept specifically for Malaga Airport. The Dani García Deli Bar will showcase some of the finest local flavours in a cuttingedge style. A key feature of the new outlet is a classic tapas selection, which allows the passenger to choose from a range of snacks and starters as they would in a traditional tapas bar in down-town Malaga. The bar has also been designed to meet the diverse needs of passengers at the airport, and the requirements of the travelling consumer. On the menu are a number of the dishes which will be very familiar to fans of García’s cuisine, including the acclaimed ‘Bull Burger’! An innovative ‘take on board’ option, which utilises pioneering new packaging that maintains the temperature of hot foods, means that passengers can choose to take their order onto the plane.

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FINAL WORDS

No victories SPAIN went without a single victory in any stage of the Tour de France for the first time since 1998.

New broom ARGENTINIAN Gerardo Martino has become the new manager of Barcelona in a three-season deal.

No problem LESBIANS will not be excluded from receiving fertility treatments in Andalucia, despite nation-wide changes in policy to exclude them.

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Covering Andalucia in 2013 with 198,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 200,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

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June 24

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New trophy for Xavi

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A SPANISH man has died after drinking six litres of beer in just 20 minutes at a drinking contest. Joaquin Alcaraz Garcia, aged 45, collapsed just minutes after winning the trophy, when he began vomiting profusely and falling unconscious. He was rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival. The contest is part of a traditional summer festival held in the Gea and Truyols, in the Murcia region.

BARCELONA star Xavi Hernandez has added another trophy to his collection: a new wife. The footballer, 33, wed journalist Nuria Cunillera, 31, in a 16th century monastery in Catalonia. Dressed impeccably in a black suit, the midfielder arrived accompanied by his father in a Mercedes. The bride, dressed in white, arrived in an antique Bentley. The couple asked for donations in place of gifts, which were given to aid the construction of a childrens hospital in Barcelona.

June breaks tourist record

Sunbed skirmish Pair hospitalised after vicious fight breaks out over an encroaching sun lounger By Rose Lapp WHAT started as a relaxing Sunday afternoon on the beach turned into a huge punch up when sunbathers rowed over a case of the encroaching sunbed. Police have now detained a 40-year-old father after he reportedly attacked a couple sunbathing on Pinomar beach, in Marbella. The couple took offence at the man when he placed a sunbed ‘excessively close’ to where they were lying on towels. Despite asking him to move a little further away, the man refused and an argument broke out. Reportedly, the father ended up pushing the younger man, which led to him falling on his girlfriend and leaving a nasty cut.

“I saw my girlfriend covered in blood,” he explained, before getting punched himself and being left on the sand. Badly injured with deep cuts and bruises, the pair were rushed for treatment at

Bounding back... and on the Beeb THE UK media has long been promoting (and accentuating) the trail of broken dreams back to the mother country from the economic wasteland of Spain. Well now the tide has apparently turned with a new BBC TV series set to chronicle a great return back to Spain. The show Escape to the Continent is now looking for Britons who are bravely making the plunge, unbowed by the tarnished image of Spain. According to programme makers an increasing number of people are looking again to the Mediterranean to give them respite from the poor weather and stress of UK life. The series is now offering to help those people emigrate here and to find their dream homes. Each 60-minute episode will follow one set of participants as they search to buy a new permanent home abroad. People interested being on the show should email escapetoeurope@boundlessproductions.tv, or visit the ‘Be on a show’ page of the BBC website.

nearby Quiron hospital. The injured man, who asked not to be named, added that he was more upset about his ruined day than his cuts. “I hadn’t had a free weekend in so long,” he lamented.

OVER six million tourists visited Spain in June... for the first time ever! In the best early summer period ever, a staggering 6.3million tourists arrived in the country from abroad. The stunning figures follow hot on the heels of May, which also broke records with 5.8 million tourists. Visitors from the UK and Germany made up 40% of the visits, which is a 5.3% increase from last year. It was Nordic tourists, however, that were primarily responsible for the increase, their numbers rising by 26%. While all of Spain has seen increases, the big winner were the Balearic Islands, which saw an extra 142,000 more tourists than last year, thanks mostly to British travelers. A record number of tourists also enjoyed the beaches of Andalucia, with the region seeing a rise of 2.5% and 817,000 tourists visiting. Some 30% were from the UK. The UK continues to account for the largest share of tourism expenditure, representing 22% of all international visitors. The tourism rise is being seen as a crucial boon for a country which has been mired in recession.