Mallorca Olive Press - Issue 49

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Vol. 3 Issue 49 www.theolivepress.es February 28th - March 13th 2019

Gas horror Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma

Billionaire beer heiress and partner killed by noxious gas in €8 million rural finca

A BELGIAN beer heiress has been killed in a tragic poisoning accident while on holiday in Mallorca.

Mother-of-three Philippine de Mevius, 52, whose family own the worlds biggest brewing firm Ab Inbev, died alongside her partner Andre Emsens, at the weekend, due to faulty log-burning stove.

An investigation has been launched after the super-rich couple - whose families are worth more than €10 billion combined - were found in the bedroom of the stunning rural estate of Finca Muntanya, near Escorca.

The pair had been spending a half term holiday on the island.

The couple, who own property in Malaga, as well as a 600-hectare estate, Château d’Emptinne, in Belgium, had recently finished renovating the beautiful farmhouse, which sits in the heart of the Serra Tramuntana, near Lluc.

The family of Philippine - a professional osteopath and generous benefactor - are the third largest shareholders of multinational Ab Inbev, based in Belgium.

It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and brews Budweiser, Beck’s and Stella Artois among other beers.

They are believed to be worth just under €7 billion.

Her businessman partner Andre, who was found dead in bed alongside her, is also an heir to a massive fortune.

His family, worth €3.3 billion, own Sibelco, a Belgian mineral giant with more than 228 mines around the world.

Workers on the finca, which has chickens, donkeys and goats, soundIN

Photo by: Mvaquerm - Trail Running Mallorca

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt, Charlie Smith & Tim McNulty

‘Such terrible luck’

T

he owner of nearby restaurant Sa Font Cuberta, in Lluc, Ernesto Couto, 49, told the Olive Press the couple had just finished an expensive renovation on the €8m home.

“It was a big house and they had perhaps done it up too well, closing off all the gaps so there were no draughts,’’ he said Couto added all the locals use wood-burning stoves to heat their homes - but they keep at least a window slightly open. ’’They probably closed all their new windows without realising, such terrible luck.’’

GASSED: Billionaire heiress Philippine de Mevius (inset) was poisoned by gas at her idyllic finca near Escorca (main) ed the alarm after noticing the much-loved couple, who had bought the property two years ago, had not come out of their locked bedroom.

The owner of a neighbouring bed & breakfast told the Olive Press last night how sad the local community was on hearing the news.

“I only saw them on Wednesday

PU

ER TO

morning, last week, when we had a Police confirmed last night that meeting about their new property,” there were no signs of a break-in or she said. criminal activity.

“It had only just been refurbished The couple were found dead in bed and was in perfect condition. It all by police. seems so strange.”

Detectives from Inca are now prob1 deaths, 16/06/2017 15:36 “They came to the island quiteUntitled-1.pdf often ing the in an attempt to unand were really good people. It is re- derstand how the gas leak had ocally very sad.” curred.

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when the toxic gas builds up in your bloodstream.

Your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with the colourless and odorless gas, which can lead to serious tissue damage and death.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Say cheese!

A NEW camera radar system has been installed on Calle Manuel Azana towards Avenidas in Palma to detect vehicles that run red lights. Fines for running a red light will be sent in the post.

Slow down SANTA Catalina will be the next neighbourhood in Palma to have a reduced speed limit of 30kph and dozens of zebra crossings. The city plans to reduce the speed in many more areas soon.

Pressure’s on VALLDEMOSSA has more tourist pressure than anywhere else in Spain.

The town receives 154 tourists per 100 residents daily – a number ‘well above’ anywhere else in Spain.

Self-service THE Supreme Court has ruled that self-service petrol stations WILL be allowed in the Balearics after a two year battle, despite regional degrees mandating at least one attendant.

Drunk driving death A SPANISH woman has been arrested in Palma for killing a 40-year-old motorcyclist while driving drunk.

The 26-year-old woman allegedly hit the motorist,

British expat’s bar has outdoor furniture nicked by brazen pensioner duo A BRITISH expat has told the Olive Press how she caught two elderly women stealing outdoor furniture from outside her bar.

Melanie Bland, from Stoke, made the discovery, via her CCTV, after noticing several items missing from outside

fled and then crashed her vehicle 700 metres down the road. She has stated she does not remember the accident or seeing the man on the motorcycle, who died days later in hospital.

A BRITISH expat has been arrested for attacking his girlfriend during one of Mallorca’s bloodiest weekends for gender violence.

The unnamed Brit was intervened by cops at the couple’s home in central Palma at the weekend.

The abuser, 37, who was reportedly drunk and on drugs,

Bloody Sunday was arrested after neighbours sounded the alarm over the loud and ‘violent’ argument.

Police revealed it was their third visit to the property, near the bullring, in a month, yet despite this, the woman,

Gangster grannies EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

her Betty’s Music bar, based in Santanyi.

On the clip, seen by the Olive Press, two women in their 60s can be seen parking outside the building before walking

Dog attack A BULLDOG in Marratxi has broke into a neighbour’s home and attacked three dogs, killing one.

The Argentine Bulldog is classified as a dangerous breed, but all its papers are in order.

The man reported feeling helpless after the incident when he came home to find two dogs injured and one

February 28th - March 13th 2019

dead.

As the dog has yet to hurt any people, only other dogs, authorities cannot remove it from the man’s home.

down the alleyway next door looking for items to steal.

“In total they stole two chairs and an umbrella stand,” Bland, who has owned the popular bar for five years, told the Olive Press, “It’s shocking really, two elderly ladies as well!

“And I don’t think it’s the first time they have done this.”

Amazingly the clip also shows a Guardia Civil car cruise past, completely unaware of the live robbery taking place.

“We have no idea who they are,” added Bland, who has not reported the incident to the police.

“We were advised that because they didn’t damage anything or break in then there would be little that the police could do,” she added.

Other expats branded the

also British, refused to press charges.

The attack came on a weekend which saw dozens of reported incidents in the capital alone, of which eight led to arrests.

The attacks which shame Mallorca come a week before International Women’s Day on March 8.

Spain has one of the biggest gender violence problems in Europe, with 2017 proving the deadliest on record for women and 2018 likely to be worse.

A total of 158,217 women were subjected to violence in 2017 (the latest year stats are available for).

It was a 17.7% increase on the year before, which also saw 166,620 complaints, a 16.4% increase on the year before.

Minor matter BRAZEN: Elderly thieves pair as ‘scumbags’ on social media after Bland shared a snippet of the CCTV footage online.

“What scumbags!” wrote one, “I can’t believe Guardia Civil drive past in the middle of it!”

A MINOR has been arrested after sexually assaulting his teacher while in a juvenile detention centre.

The minor, who had been arrested two weeks prior, presented himself to his 24-yearold female teacher completely naked.

He then allegedly pushed her into a bathroom where she was able to fight him off and flee.

Policia Nacional have arrested the boy for sexual assault.

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3

No walls UNDERFIRE: Allen

Courting controversy MALIGNED Hollywood star Woody Allen has begun scouting locations for a new film project in Spain.

It comes after the American director, who was recently accused of sexually abusing children, secured financing for a new film from Barcelonabased Mediapro.

The Spanish company previously financed Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris.

The partnership comes after Allen lost his lucrative distribution deal with Amazon following a slew of accusations of molestation and sexual misconduct.

After his own adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow accused Allen of assaulting her at the age of seven, Amazon shelved the director’s A Rainy Day in New York project.

Allen is currently suing the tech giant for € 70 million for breach of contract.

His new project in Spain does not yet have a working title and the plot is unknown.

CASTING CALL CHANNEL 4 is looking for expats who have recently taken the plunge and moved to sunny Spain.

The casting call is for the e v e r popular A New Life In The Sun series, which follows the trials and tribulations of plucky Brits making the move to the holiday favourite.

If you, or someone you know, has a great story to tell or think they have something different to bring to the show, get in touch with casting at anewlifeinthesun@truenorth.tv

JAVIER Bardem couldn’t resist taking a pop at US president Donald Trump while introducing an award at the Oscars.

The Spanish actor, 49, spoke in his native tongue as he introduced the ‘Best Foreign Film’ category and said: “There are no borders or walls that can restrain ingenuity and talent.”

The comment was a thinly veiled criticism of Trump’s proposed border wall between the US and Mexico.

Roma became the first film from Mexico to win an Oscar in the foreign film category as it scooped the award at the glamorous ceremony.

Girl done good A SPANISH actress showed off the work of a Mallorca designer on the Oscar’s red carpet this year.

Catalan actress Ariadna Gil wore a sleek dress by Palma based fashion house Cortana while accompany husband and best actor nominee Viggo Mortensen.

The Pan’s Labyrinth star wore a black silk dress with a deep V-cut down the back, created by Mallorcan designer Rosa Esteva for her first Oscar appearance with Mortensen, her husband of 13 years.

The Barcelona-born actress, 50, often shows a commitment to Catalan fashion while on the red carpet.

The couple were joined

by Mortensen’s son Henri while watching Viggo’s hit film Green Book win an Oscar for Best Picture.

POP SHOT: Bardem on Trump

Bale-ing out After six years in Spain British footie ace Gareth Bale speaks almost no Spanish and is in bed by dinner time

IT should have been the opportunity of a lifetime.

A big money move from the Premiership to the heady heights of Spain’s capital city, famous for its late night lifestyle and buzzing social scene.

But Gareth Bale might have been better off on the Costas, as he has failed to pick up the lingo and prefers a game of golf than a slap up dinner with his Real Madrid team mates.

The Welsh forward - signed from Tottenham for around

EXPAT: Footie ace Bale speaks in gestures €90 million in 2013 - mostly heads to be early, avoiding la cena with his colleagues.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who joined the side from Chelsea last summer, suggested that Bale, 29, has still not adapted to the Spanish lifestyle

Big balls A FORMER Premier League star has chased off a gang of burglars who targeted his luxury Spain pad while his wife and kids slept .

Ex-Manchester City star Martin Demichelis discovered the thieves raiding his Marbella house in the middle of the night.

The gang fled when they saw him, but not before grabbing some cash and jewellery from the former Argentinian HERO: Demichelis international’s mansion.

Wife Evangelina Anderson revealed: “They were sleeping when Martin woke up by chance, he went downstairs and bumped into four hooded people.

“He intercepted them, there were shouts and the criminals were reportedly scared and left.”

despite being at the club for SIX years.

In contrast, Courtois insisted: “I live like somebody who is born and bred in Madrid. I eat late, I go to bed late…it is their way of life.

“The other night we had dinner with the entire squad. But Bale and (the German midfielder) Toni Kroos did not turn up.

They reckoned the dinner was too late at night.

“We had arranged to be in the restaurant at 9.30pm and we started our meal around 10.15pm … and by midnight we were having coffee.”

The Frenchman added the squad go to bed at about 1am, and train each morning at 11am.

He said: “I think that is a perfect time. But Bale has told us: ‘I am not coming to join you guys. I go to bed at 11.’”

Another teammate, Marcelo, confirmed that the footballer from Cardiff, does not speak Spanish. “He only speaks English and we talk with gestures,” said the Brazilian.

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Pet police CONTROVERSIAL new laws will restrict the number of pets Palma locals can keep.

Under new regulations, there will be a limit on the number of dogs, cats and even ferrets each household can have.

Currently the plan is to allow only three of these pets in total per apartment and five in a family house.

“The number is not important, but care for the animals is,” said Aida Cortecero from the animal welfare association ICA. The animal charity also criticised the lack of restrictions on caged animals such as birds.

Invited

The public has been invited to submit objections and amendments to the law, which will come into force in April.

Those who have more than the limit when the regulation is passed will have a transitional period to apply for a license for the extra pets.

Livestock will be banned from housing inside the city, including sheep, goats and chickens – but pigeons and rabbits are allowed.

The new law would also fine dog owners, or walkers, between €750 and €1,500 for not cleaning up after their pet – including not carrying a water bottle for washing away pee.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Life’s a beach PLAYA de Ses Illetes in Formentera has again been ranked in the top 20 best beaches in the world.

But it has fallen ten places since it was voted Europe’s best beach in 2016, in Tripadvisor's 'Travellers Choice' awards.

This year it has come in at number 13 in the world – and fourth in Europe.

Two other Balearic beaches joined Ses Illetes in making Spain's top ten beaches from Tripadvisor – Playa de Muro ranks third and Alcudia finishes the list in tenth place.

Stop clowning around Catalan teacher under fire for teaching Spanish classes dressed as a clown

PARENTS and politicians have defended a Catalan-speaking teacher after it was revealed he dresses as a ‘clown’ when teaching Spanish in Ibiza.

The teacher has received death threats after it emerged that he was putting on lensless glasses, and a special tie

By Joshua Parfitt

and shirt to dress up as the funnyman.

Calling himself ‘Godofredo’, he put on the garb while teaching the routine three-and-a-half hours a week of Spanish to children at his junior school, Can Raspalls, in Ibiza town.

Adding insult to injury, critics discovered he is a staunch Catalan separatist, displaying the symbolic yellow ribbon and ballot box of separatism on his social media.

However, nearly 100 of his colleagues have now stood up to defend him, insisting the practise was in fact ‘very common’ and had ‘a long tradition’ in bilingual communities.

“It is a dramatization, a representation, a creative resource that helps the learning of different languages ​​to our students,” insisted a spokesman He added that the fancy-dress was not meant to ridicule the Spanish language, but was avoiding the ‘serious difficulties’ pupils have when learning when to speak Spanish or Catalan.

Ibiza education minister Margalida Ferrer, as well as local teaching bodies, also support-

A SERIES of underwater caves and hard to access rocky coves could be used for the next Disney blockbuster.

Location bosses have been in touch with the island authorities over permission to film the Little Mermaid here this year.

A request was received by the Mallorca Film Commission from the American cinema giant this month.

Oscar-nominated director Rob Marshall, who worked on Mary Poppins Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean, is set to direct the movie, while actor Zendaya, has been strongly linked to play the lead role of Ariel.

Poverty crisis

CLASS DIVISION: Teacher dressed as ‘Godofredo’ ed the teacher, insisting he had ‘acted correctly’.

It comes after an inspector from the mainland investigated the teacher, ruling that his antics were ‘not justified’.

Oddly though, the inspector only made two bizarre requests: that the teacher put lenses in his glasses and change the clown’s name to ‘Pepe’.

It is not the first time however, that the school has been in the news.

Last year a mother complained after her children weren’t allowed to go to the bathroom, if they asked their teacher in Spanish, not Catalan.

The family had just arrived after 13 years in the UK and Irma

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Ricciardiello’s children, 11, 9 and 6, could not speak Catalan.

“If my daughter called out in Spanish that another pupil was hitting her, the teacher said she didn’t understand,” Irma told El Mundo.

Shockingly, the school’s website has pages in Catalan and English, but not Spanish.

The father of another pupil at the school however said the official language of the Balearics was Catalan, ‘whether you like it or not’.

The father added initial reports of Godofredo had been ‘completed distorted’ and called the criticism a ‘public lynching’. ¨My son told me his teacher sometimes wears lensless glasses and a tie, and it never shocked anyone,¨ the father said.

A GROWING number of pensioners in Mallorca are needing food aid, it has been revealed.

They are joining the homeless, unemployed and poor families in food bank and soup kitchen queues around the island.

The Mallorca Food Bank is now appealing for more volunteers and more donations of produce for 2019 to meet demand.

“For 10 or 15 years these pensioners have been living perfectly fine, but now they aren't making ends meet,” said bank spokesman Xisco Cañellas.

“They are now having to decide if they pay the rent or eat,” he continued.

It comes despite the bank handing out 1.5 million kilograms of food to the underprivileged in 2018.

Distributed to 80 different organisations, the food comes from dozens of Spanish and European aid programmes, as well as many local restaurants.

Made up of 30 volunteers, the average amount of food handed out was 70 kilograms per person last year.

Eyes in the sky DRONES are being used to monitor environmental abuses around Mallorca’s ports.

The port of Alcudia is trialing ways to keep an eye on boats and movement of tourists in and around the area.

It could be used to stop boats anchoring on the protected posidonia grass off the Mallorca coast.

Each trip out, a drone captures 750 photos, which can be used as evidence later in prosecutions.

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than 500,000 people a month.

OPINION

FEATURE

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Mapping the gar S

PAIN is a rainbow nation of biodiversity offering Med sunshine and snow, desert and rain belt, lush river valleys and soaring mountain peaks all within its borders and volcanos too, if you count the Canary Islands.

It is also a veritable forest with 7.5 BILLION trees spread across 18 million hectares of land which makes it the second greenest country in Europe af-

ter Sweden. And unlike many countries, the forest mass has actually increased by 31% between 1990 and 2010 thanks to protection efforts by Spain’s leaders, and now absorbs 37% of all the CO2 in Spain.

Occupying two thirds of the Iberian Peninsula, washed by three bodies of water - the Atlantic, the Med and the Strait of Gibraltar - Spain’s windswept coasts

Tragic lesson

OLD draughty houses are a nuisance.

The billionaire Belgian couple, who tragically died last Saturday from carbon monoxide poisoning, probably couldn’t wait to renovate their €8m country villa in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains in Mallorca.

But if expats want to do up their second homes and keep the rustic wood-burning stove, let this sad incident teach them that they MUST install carbon monoxide alarms.

By insulating the walls and sealing their windows, it’s likely this charitable couple also sealed their tragic fate.

Grow up!

PARENTS with children at Can Raspalls must feel like the circus has come to town thanks to the antics of teacherturned-clown ‘Godofredo’.

Dressing up as a clown is a fun way to teach kids and I’m sure there are more creative ways to ridicule the Spanish language, perhaps by giving it only three and a half teaching hours a week, for example, as is customary in Catalan regions.

Spanish is a truly global language and this should be reflected in the curriculum.

Expat parents will want schools to quit clowning around and provide their children with the necessary tools to make it in this ever competitive world.

Publisher/ Editor

Cantabrian paradise As green as Ireland or the west coast of France thanks to the plentiful Tragic lesson oceanic climate helps lush pastures precipitation, its wet and temperate and forests to thrive.

Encompassing the Bay of Biscay, Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria, the climate is determined by the Atlantic Ocean winds whose moisture gets trapped by the mountains - perfect growing conditions for emerald forests of beech, oak and, since the late 20th century, plantations of eucalyptus and Monterey pine which supply the paper industry.

The valleys of Laciana and Omaña y Luna, the Picos de Europa and Los Ancares are all UNESCO protected biosphere reserves.

Upland ‘Meseta’ plains This vast plateau surrounded by mountains with Madrid at its centre extends over 210,000 km2 and is the oldest and most complex geologic formation on the peninsula. Dry and prone to temperature extremes, vegetation has to struggle harder here. Encompassing Castile-León, Castile-La Mancha and the wilds of Extremadura, think Don Quixote riding over the dusty plains and you’ve got the picture.

However its river basins of the Duero, Tagus and Guadiana provide ideal growing conditions for some of the best wines in the world and three of its mountain ranges - the Montes de Valsaín, Bejar and Francia - are UNESCO biosphere reserves and heavily wooded.

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IN NUMBERS • 80% of Spain’s forests are privately owned • 17,000 football stadiums make up Navarra’s Irati Forest, Europe’s second largest beech forest • 11,200,000 hectares of protected forest areas in Spain • 18,000,000 hectares of forest • 1,500,000,000 oak trees account for 20% of all trees in Spain • 7,500,000,000 trees in Spain

The mountainous south

The multiple personalities of Andalucia, offer alpine mountains and dust bowls, fertile plantations supporting subtropical fruits and olive trees that date back to the Norman Conquest.

Think of it as two distinct mountain ranges with a river running through it.

The Sierra Morena, one of the last strongholds of the endangered Iberian lynx, spans Huelva, Sevilla, Cordoba and Jaen. It’s dominated by narrow valleys, evergreen forests and shrubland with huge swathes reserved for grazing, viticulture and olive farming.

Along its rivers you’ll find alders, elms, ash and hackberry trees, just like in England.

In southeastern Andalucia the land abruptly rises into the Baetic Cordillera mountain range which includes the snow-capped ski wonderland of the Sierra Nevada. As well as Los Alcornocales Natural Park - Europe’s largest cork oak forest - the Baetic is home to Mediterranean woodlands and coniferous forests. Further south the terrain turns into the arid ‘badlands’ that cover much of Granada and Almería provinces with huge swathes of desert, known as the Andalucian Steppes. It’s an area facing a high risk of future dessertification.The Guadalquivir River flows southwest across most of Andalucia before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean west of Cadiz, irrigating the region’s famous plantations which provide the rest of Europe with year-round strawberries, avocados CONTRAST: From arid Almeria to green and salads.

Grazelema and cork oaks

FEATURE

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rdens of Spain and scorching interior make it one of the most climatically eclectic countries in the world.

In fact it has 13 climate zones, not counting the Canaries, which is why you can find everything from date palms and chestnut trees to ancient dwarf olives and statuesque pines as tall as they grow in Canada.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

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olive press online

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website

That contrast is vividly showcased in its five distinct landscapes: the Andalucian Plain, the Meseta Central Plateau, the Cantabria Mountains, the Pyrenees and the Canaries.

Check out our vegetation map to discover how Spain’s multi-geographical garden grows.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

1

- WATCH: Dad pulls live parasite from

daughter’s cooked Mercadona fish (10,934)

Reveller ‘pulls out gun’ during 2 WATCH: fight on Spain’s Costa del Sol (10,684) Terrifying moment plane hits 3 WATCH: severe turbulence while trying to land in Gibraltar (9,414) -

-

del Sol police arrest young mum 4 Costa for trying to throw daughter, 3, out of 10th floor window (8,550) -

High frontier

Stretching for 430 km from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay, this mountain backbone forms a natural border between Spain and France. The western end sees an abundance of rainfall, making its foothills a hotbed for vegetation.

Home to some 200 endemic species of flora which only grow on its high mountain passes, including several types of saxifrage, the Pyrenees is almost as biodiverse as the Alps. It’s also one of the last refuges for several endangered species of fauna including the brown bear and the lammergeier.

begin huge drug bust on Spain’s 5 Police Costa del Sol and Cadiz with boats and helicopters (7,489) -

Visitors: 223,723

Page views: 317,618

Average time on site: 9:25

Canary Islands Cut off from the mainland in a different latitude off west Africa’s Atlantic coast, the Canaries are of volcanic origin and contain the highest peak in Spanish territory, Mount Teide which rises to a skyscraping 12,198 feet on the island of Tenerife.

According to their position with respect to north-east trade winds, the climate can be mild and wet or very dry which gives each island in the archipelago its own distinct VOLCANIC: Mount Teide and (above) La Gomera forest microclimate. The westerly islands of El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera have a climate influenced by the moist Canary current. They are well vegetated, even at low levels, with extensive tracts of sub-tropical laurisilva forests whose broadleaf trees flourish in humidity.

All four of the islands’ national parks are under protection - Garajonay, La Gomera and Teide in Tenerife as Unesco World Heritage Sites and Caldera de Taburiente, La Palma, and Timanfaya in Lanzarote as World Biosphere Reserves.

Celebri-trees

Spanish trees listed in the Hall of Flora Fame

Big boy

Dragon tree

Millennium olive trees

This majestic oak tree in Tineo, Asturias, is so huge that it won an award for its size.

The Carballon Valentin stands 16 metres tall and its trunk is a mighty 10 metres in girth - a measure of its great age. So it’s no surprise to discover it has stood here for almost 1,000 years after being seeded around the year 1160, with documents from around that time confirming its longevity.

It won an award from the Forests Without Borders group in 2008 as part of a bid to raise awareness for the protection of green life in Spain.

It doesn’t breath fire, despite its volcanic location. But El Drago in Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, is one of the major tourist attractions in the Canary Islands.

Although the species is found across Asia and Central America - and even in Gibraltar Tenerife’s dragon tree may be up to 3,000 years old, with many believing it’s the oldest tree on the planet.

The tree gets its name from the red resin it excretes when its bark or leaves are cut.

It was once believed to be dried dragon’s blood which was thought to have healing properties - hence many were uprooted until the species was granted protected status.

La Senia and Ulldecona in northeast Spain are credited with the highest concentration of the world’s oldest trees. Over 400 ‘millennium olives’ have been catalogued, and two of them have received ‘heritage tree’ status from the Catalan government.Some are thought to have existed since Roman times. They can be found along the Via Augusta, an ancient road that once connected Cadiz to Rome.

IT’S been another bumper two weeks for the OP website, as we have shot into the top 200,000 in the WORLD, leaving our English rivals in the dust.

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Smell done

SPAIN leads the EU for use of raw sewage.

Its 2,000 treatment plants recycled 10.74% of water last year, while the European average is just 2.4%.

The recycled water from 20002014 was used for farming, irrigation and industry.

A report by Catedra Aquae also found that Spaniards have reduced their domestic water consumption by 20% in that period, while companies have consumed 40% less water.

It also emerged that half of the water reserves in the country are in a ‘good ecological state’, again surpassing the European average.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Falling fowl

Management catastrophe puts Andalucia bird sanctuary under threat from drought and wild boar THOUSANDS of waterfowl are at risk in the Donana National Park due to a series of management blunders that are seeing eggs and chicks

MENACE: Wild boars

being massacred by hungry wild boar. More than 300 different species of birds use the marshes of Donana to breed, feed and rest throughout the year.

But the area is at risk from farming, cattle and a lack of proper protection measures, claims a leading wildlife organisation.

“All this ornithological wealth is threatened by intensive irrigation that draws groundwater, along with a string of problems arising from its management, among which are the uncontrolled

Nuclear void SPAIN has set a deadline for switching off nuclear power of between 2025 and 2035. Announcing the move, Minister for Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera added that 70% of energy produced in Spain will be renewable by the the end of the decade.

The Government will invest around €2 billion during this period.

The first phase of the plan will be to reduce emissions by 20% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

FACTORY: In Guijuelo

Pork power AT RISK: Birds fall prey to boars at Donana park population of wild boar and the inadequate management of livestock,” said SEO/Birdlife in a statement.

It added: “The overexploitation of its groundwater for agricultural use, especially for the cultivation of strawberries and blueberries, is causing a real threat to the values of this World Heritage Site.”

Donana National Park is Europe’s most important wetland, but some birds are at serious risk of extinction, such as the grey-headed teal, while others have already

abandoned the area.

Cattle farming causes extensive damage when cows overgraze and trample on nests as they move about.

SEO/Birdlife said it appreciated the work the government of Andalucia has done to tackle irresponsible farming practises, but it is still concerned by the wild boar population in the park.

“They prey on the eggs and chick of many of the species that build their nests on the ground or at low altitudes,” the organisation added.

THE celebrated ham town of Guijuelo has developed a system to convert meat industry waste into biofuel and plastics.

The project, in northern Spain, is set to last for two years with a €1.4 million budget, partly sponsored by EU funding.

New technology will be installed at the area’s treatment plant to create a more efficient waste management system.

Mayor of Guijuelo, Francisco Julian Ramos Manzano, said: “This initiative will resolve not just the waste problem but can also serve as a new economic line of employment regeneration in the rural world.”

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Get ready for the huge Sa Rua carnival

By Gillian Keller

Beet that!

A PRIVATE collection of 15,000 beetles and butterflies has been donated to Madrid City Council and can be viewed by the public.

Father and son entomologist team Manuel Ortego Gamboa and Manuel Ortego Fornies curated the insect haul, which is one of Spain’s largest.

Gamboa’s family has now given up the creepy crawly collection, which is housed in the Manuel Ortego Entomological Centre, named after his father.

Some butterflies in the collection, which dates back to 1940, are now extinct.

The four-month restoration of the old building that houses the collection, at Madrid’s Casa de Campo, cost €175,000.

HUGE: Beetle collection

ONE of Mallorca’s greatest carnivals is set to rock the island this weekend.

The Sa Rua party has already started in some towns while others are warming up to the colourful carnival celebrations for this weekend.

Most parades and parties are planned for this weekend to celebrate Mardi Gras but some like Andratx and Marratxi have thrown their massive carnival celebration a week early – and it paid off!

More than 200 people dressed up in elaborate fancy dress costumes for Andratx's Sa Rua Parade, while hun-

February 28th - March 13th 2019

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To the R streets!

what’s on ally Isla

PUERTO Portals is hosting a classic car rally from March 7 through 9. Keep a look for a unique cars parading through the mountains during the Rally Isla Mallorca.

dreds more filled the streets to watch the costumes, parade floats, dancers and singers.

Groups were dressed in creative collaborations, from a swarm of jellyfish to scenes from Planet of the Apes and celebrations of the moon landing.

“I want to thank and congratulate all those who have

P

MARRATXI'S annual potter fair, the fira del fang, returns from March 9 through 17 to explore and shop the best of local pottery and and tiles – with live music dancers throughout.

Fun at the fair CARNIVAL rides, games and plenty of food carts are back at Mallorca's biggest fun fair, the Fira del Ram. Son Fusteret in Palma once again hosts the island's oldest funfair with the biggest Ferris wheel, now open every day through April 28.

ottery fair

REVELLERS: Carnival folk in Palma de Mallorca made this possible, and all the participants, who have once again made this carnival a spectacle, filling the streets with colour and joy,” said mayor of Andratx Katia Rouarch.

Many of the island's Sa Rua parades are on March 2 or 3, most with a Sa Rueta for young children earlier in the day. Almost all towns give cash prizes for best costumes

in different categories.

The islands biggest and brightest celebrations are in Palma with the main parade kicking off on March 3 at 5pm on the Passeig Mallorca.

Calvia, Sa Pobla, Santa Maria and Manacor all celebrate on Saturday March 2, while Deiá, Lloseta, Marratxi and Porto Cristo join Palma and celebrate on the Sunday.

Z

o m b i e Games

ZOMBIE survival comes to life with an adrenalinefuelled game of surviving a zombie apocalypse in Capedera – for six hours!

Catch the fun on March 9 and see if you can survive.

ARE YOU A UK NAT ONAL LIVING IN SPAIN? As the UK prepares to leave the EU, there may be changes that affect you.

From residency rights, to work and pensions and local healthcare, you can find the latest information in the UK government’s living in Spain guide.

Sign up for email alerts and get the latest information at gov.uk/living-in-spain

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

The original ‘guiris’ After almost six centuries of persecution, Spanish gypsies are slowly joining mainstream society, writes Heather Galloway

D

URING the 1990s, I lived amid a large Roma community in La Latina, Madrid, close to the gypsy flea market. My next-door neighbours were the Carmona family – relatives of the flamenco group Ketama – and we would hear singing, guitars and taconeando through the walls. Here was the image of the gypsy artist.

Some years later, living in the mountains outside Madrid, I would pass the Roma shantytown, Pitis-La Quinta. It had a huge oak tree and goats and washing strung over debris. When it was razed in 2007 it seemed a shame. But a representative from the Fundación Secretariado Gitanos (FSG) assures me that living there would be no picnic.

“With rats running past your door, the cold and lack of sanitation?

Bringing up children in that?” Here was the other image, the gypsy as a chabola (shack) dweller.

These two images constitute the stereotype of the gypsies in Spain.

And it is hard to see past it. Not that another reality doesn’t exist but those who live it only manage to do so by becoming ‘invisible gyp-

sies’ – keeping their origins quiet to avoid the deeply entrenched prejudice that still exists, reinforced by the media and certain politicians. And not just the ultra-right.

In 2004 Carmen González, then vice-president of Education for the Madrid regional PP government, said there was little point in readying gypsy children for school, because a gypsy boy only ‘wants to go to the market to sell fruit with his father’.

According to José Eugenio Abajo Alcalde of the Asociación de Enseñantes con Gitanos (AEG): “Of course they want to be included. Why would they want to auto-marginalise themselves? How could they possibly want that when it stops them from getting jobs?”

SMILING: Two gypsies from 1933 - Roma weren’t recognised as Spanish citizens until 1978

And yet a staggering 55% of Spaniards are uncomfortable with Roma pupils attending their children’s schools according to the Eurobarometer on Discrimination (2012); while only 9% have any significant relationships with Roma people, according to the FSG’s own survey in 2004.

And things When the line blurs between truth and h a v e n ’ t changed much morality... since, despite the best efforts An Anonymous Girl by Greer Henof the National dricks and Sarah Pekkanen Roma Integration Strategy ROM the authors of Jessica Farris is a make-up 2012-2020, the bestselling novel, artist living in NYC. focused on eduThe Wife Between One evening while working cation, employUs, comes a new psy- she overhears a message ment, housing chological thriller. about an ethics and moraland health.

Seeking women aged 18- ity research study which Ignorance 32 to participate in a study pays subjects to answer abounds - reon ethics and morality con- questions. inforced by ducted by a preeminent Knowing that her client will headlines such NYC psychiatrist. Gener- not be able to attend, Jesas ‘Gypsy Serous compensation. Ano- sica decides to go in her bian Mafias nymity guaranteed. place.

The rules of the study are simple: Be open and truthful and avoid pivoting away from any embarrassment or pain the questions provoke.

Jessica is so open and honest in her answers that the psychiatrist running the study, Dr Shields, asks her to continue.

As the study progresses and the questions become more invasive Jessica begins to wonder if she is being manipulated by Dr Shields.

A suspenseful and thrilling novel about secrets, betrayal and morality.

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Available from The Bookshop San Pedro for €16.90 www.thebookshop.es

Buy Young Girls to Rob Homes’ and women separated and sent to (July 2017) and ‘Ten arrested in an labour camps. This cruel persecuarmed battle between two gypsy tion lasted 14 years. gangs in Lavapiés’ (January, 2017).

In 1933, the Republican governFar from marginalising themselves, ment’s Law of Idlers and Crooks mainstream society has cut them legitimised the surveillance, segreout. The truth is that large numbers gation and detention of supposed of the Roma community are caught ne’er-do-wells in ‘reformatories’. in a vicious circle that dates back Shockingly it wasn’t until 1978 centuries. thanks to the first They came to Spain Roma politician to almost 600 years ago address parliament Just 2.6% of from the Punjab. But - Cadiz-born activist their luck ran out in lawyer Juan de Dios gypsies in 1499 when the CathRamírez-Heredia olic Monarchs brand- Spain have gone that Roma were reced Jews and Muslims ognised as Spanish on to higher traitors and gave citizens with access the Roma 60 days to education and education to leave or settle as healthcare. But the serfs to landowners.

55% illiteracy rate and ‘Offenders’ would get substandard housing 100 lashes and jail; repeat offend- almost across the board remained ers would have their ears cut off - a big issues. crueler medieval version of the yel- “None of this was taught to us at low Star of David which identified school,” says Roma journalist Ana Jews in Nazi Germany.

Segovia Motoya who promotes inIn 1749 they were once again sin- tegration for her community as a gled out for persecution with the member of the FSG. Gran Redada (Great Round-up), de- There are now between 750,000 signed to ‘biologically’ rid the coun- and 950,000 Roma living in Spain, try of Roma. Ten thousand were with 40% based in Andalucia. The arrested simultaneously, the men number in professional careers is rising, forming a Roma middle class with the courage to own their identity and provide a voice for the community. These are the 2.6% who have gone on to higher education.

“I was the first girl in my village in Cadiz to leave for university,” says Ana, 28. “But now I’m a role model. We need role models.”

At university in Sevilla where she studied journalism, Ana was often confronted by the sort of ignorance displayed

by Carmen González. “We had a test and were asked to explain what the collective image of a gypsy was.

The correct answer was ‘artist and delinquent’. I left it blank and got a worse mark.

“Another teacher asked us who the Jews of the 21st century are in Spanish culture. No one answered and he said, ‘The gypsies be-

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DOUBLE STANDARDS: Many gypsies are trapped between the stereotypes of delinquency and celebrated artistry

cause they set up their stalls in the markets but don’t pay tax.’

It has taken Ana years to find the courage to challenge the prejudice.

“Four years ago, when I went for a flat in Madrid, the owner said, ‘Thank God you’re not gypsy’. My uncle signalled for me to keep quiet so I would get the flat. He was so ashamed I had to go through that.

Later I did tell the owner I was a gypsy. She replied ‘You don’t look like one.’ You have to fit the stereotype.”

Today only 4% of the gypsy community live in the slums that fuel this stereotype. This, says the FSG, has a marked impact on education. If you have somewhere de-

cent to live, you can start to focus ceiling. If employers recognise on education and a job. And when someone is from a gypsy neighmore women start to work, they bourhood, in many cases they have fewer children. won’t give them a However, there is job. Where’s the mostill marginalisation tivation to study?”

Plenty consider within schools, says The FSG worked with José Eugenio. “As the gypsy pupils 456 schools last teachers belong to year on an individual mainstream society, to be unruly and approach to these they too have their tending towards problems resulting prejudices and there in 81% of Roma pudelinquency are plenty who conpils graduating with sider the gypsy puthe secondary ESO pils to be unruly and certificate. FSG also tending towards delinquency. It’s coordinates work placements with like a self-fulfilling prophecy. open-minded firms across Spain.

“Then there is the employment And they have other champions.

On February, 28 - Andalucia Day the President of the Congress of Deputies Ana Pastor is to receive an award from the FSG for her contribution to the defence and support of the Roma community, along with La Caixa’s social programme, Alcampo supermarket, which is a big gypsy employer, SM Foundation, RNE Radio, Gypsies, Art and Roma Culture and the flamenco star Manuel Moreno.

As José Eugenio says, “If the politicians, the teachers, the parents of non-gypsy children and the gypsies were all clear that we have to fight for harmonious coexistence, then wonderful things would happen.”

JOBS: Alcampo is a big gypsy employer

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Life on What do the Old Testament, Space travel and Spain have in common?

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HE man had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

He also had a personal army of 12,000 and a fleet of ships.

But most notably, he had a penchant for building opulent palaces and temples.

He obsessively embellished his building projects with lavish gold, silver, diamond and copper ornamentation.

That man was the Old Testament’s lege n d ary King Solomon and yes, he had expensive tastes.

But you may be surprised to learn that one source of his great wealth has a link to Andalucia. More about this later…

This past Novem-

ber, America’s space agency successfully landed the spacecraft InSight on Mars.

It was NASA’s eighth successful Martian landing. The lander’s mission statement proclaims a dedication to ‘promote the peaceful application of space exploration by developing technologies for human and robotic exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond’.

NASA’s mission statement is alive and well and also has a direct link to Andalucia. But again, more about this later…

The Rio Tinto mines are located along the river of the same name in the province of Huelva, Andalucia. The mining complex is immense - so vast in scale that the manmade crater measures several kilometers across. Since 3,000 BC the Rio Tinto has been mined for copper, silver, gold and other alloys.

King Solomon and his Phoenician allies, circa 1000 BC, were quick to discover the vast mineral wealth scattered along the Rio Tinto. Although the legendary ‘mines of King Solomon’ are shrouded in myth and Old Testament allegory, there is tangible archaeological evidence to suggest that much of the opulence of King Solomon’s temples was sourced from the Rio Tinto. It is estimated that some 30 tonnes of gold and 30,000 tonnes of silver adorned his famous temples, mostly

EXPENSIVE TASTE: King Soloman was one of the first to exploit the mineral riches of the Rio Tinto mines

RIO TINTO MINES: Sit between Huelva and Sevilla in Andalucia

from the mines. Intriguingly, a section of the mining complex is still known today as Cerro Solomon (Solomon Hill). Meanwhile the nearby ancient pueblos of Zalema La Vieja (Old Solomon) and Zalema (Real Solomon) also strongly suggest that the king was a full partner in the Rio Tinto mining project.

Following King Solomon, the Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Moors mined the site. The Spanish government began operating the mines in the early 1700’s. But in 1873 underinvestment, corruption and inefficiency led the Spanish government to sell the mines to the Rio Tinto Group, a British syndicate. Since then, the Group has grown exponentially and today is among the world leaders in the production of minerals, with operations on all six continents.

One of the most common reactions to visiting the Rio Tinto mining complex is a comparison to a Martian landscape - and that’s not so farfetched for a number of reasons.

The 5,000 years of mining along the Rio Tinto River has left the landscape with hues of dusty pink, brown, yellow, red and grey. The various minerals, the mining tailings, centuries of erosions, sedimentations, oxidation and the gargantuan proportions of the complex have added to the otherworldly Martian-like environment.

This comparison has not been lost on NASA. In 2005, its space rover Spirit landed successfully on the red planet.

It was expected to travel 0.4 miles and provide three months of data. To the unexpected surprise of engineers, Spirit traveled 7.8 miles and gave an astonishing 5 years of analysis of the chemical and geological makeup of Mars.

Ultimately, Spirit got stuck in a veneer of soft soil but was still able to send back geochemical analysis. Becoming immobile was a blessing in disguise as the rover was able to drill deeper and send more definitive analysis back to Earth.

NASA scientists determined that the rover was stuck in a cache of ‘sulfates, hematite sedimentary rock and a composite called Jarosite’ precisely those elements that compare to the trace elements dominating the Rio Tinto complex. This is a geological and chemical environment that rarely occurs on Earth but is almost an exact environmental likeness to the mineral deposits of the Rio Tinto. And it certainly got the attention of NASA scientists.

Since 2005, NASA has run a series of dress rehearsals in the Rio Tinto to test future space technology on a ‘geophysical landscape closest to condi-

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Mars tions on the Red Planet’. Through the MARTE campaign (Mars Analogue Rio Tinto Experiment), NASA tests its Martian rover prototypes, remote control drilling techniques and spacesuit designs.

Perhaps the most exciting speculation comes from evidence that ‘life forms’ may indeed be found on Mars.

It has long been assumed that the waters of the Rio Tinto system were so contaminated by the toxicity of the chemical ‘cocktails’ involved in 5,000 years of mining that no life existed. In fact, a life form does indeed exist in its ‘red’ waters: abundant one-celled microbes called Extremophiles which are unique to the Rio Tinto. Their ability to survive in an extreme geophysical environment similar to Mars could be a clue as to the possibility of water, and therefore life, on Mars. Stay tuned….

The last significant mining activity near the Rio Tinto was in 2001. Today, it operates as a tourist destination. Huelva’s Rio Tinto Mining and Railroad Museum has displays that explain the mineralogical and cultural history. The best way to zz

zz

view the Martian-type landscape is to ride the restored 21km train system that weaves its way through the complex. It is a real glimpse into the past.

And just when it seemed that the final chapter in the Rio Tinto’s history has been written, NASA’s presence suggests not. Who knows - they just might be looking at this little-known corner of Spain for the space technologies of the future!

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13 13

February 28th - March 13th 2019 EARTHLY REPLICA: (Inset) Rio Tinto mines and (below) the NASA Mars Rover

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. In 1888, miners, Spain’s first environmental protest took place in the Rio Tinto complexcarcinogenic clouds farmers and 12,000 local civilians went on strike to protest the noxious governor of Huelva, a created by the company’s mining practices. On the order of the civilpretty. They opened fire wasn’t It tration. demons the quell to in sent were troops of regiment in between 13 and 101 on unarmed demonstrators in the Plaza de la Constitution resulting into an 2007 Anglomade was event The believe). you account deaths (depending on whose ou can watch it for free Spanish movie called The Heart of the Earth (El Corazon de la Tierra).Y on-line….go to www. Vidimovie.com (1873), they naturally When British syndicate the Rio Tinto Group purchased the mines a purpose-built village created they form, to True ment. manage and miners British in brought tyle houses, to house their employees. Known as Bella Vista, they constructed British-s Church - all rian Presbyte a and club, social a courts, tennis lawns, trimmed neatly can still be Vista Bella of Much ide. countrys ian Andaluc the of in the middle found today. zz The British Rio Tinto employees also brought their passion for sports.

Spain’s first football pitch AND its first golf course were constructed near Bella Vista. The golf course still exists (now called Carta Atalaya Golf Course). It was re-done in the 1990s but you should not confuse it with Valderrama. However if you’d like to imagine what it’s like to play golf on Mars, you might enjoy it!

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BUSINESS

www.theolivepress.es

Wing and a prayer

BRITISH-owned Iberia has been given just six months to reorganise its shareholding structure in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The UK-owned Spanish travel giant could be penalised by the EU for not being more than 50% owned by EU shareholders.

Like British Airways, Iberia are owned by UK holding company IAG. From March 29, the date the UK is set to leave the EU, the operator will have six months to comply with EU legislation.

Failure to do so could see all its flights from the UK to Europe grounded.

Government subsidies for farming and agriculture are drawing more and more people to the industry NEARLY 300 professional farmers in the Balearics have received financial aid from the eco-tax this year.

A second distribution from FOGAIBA, the Balearic agricultural and fishing guarantee fund, has also been handed out to farmers, making the total aid given in the two hand-outs €1.2 million.

The eco-tax, commonly known as the tourist tax, has contributed nearly €3 million

Banking on EU SPAIN’S former finance minister, who oversaw the financial crash, has been elected president of the EU banking agency (EBA).

Senior Santander banker Jose Manuel Campa has

Brit for purpose BRITISH investment in Spain has increased, despite Brexit, but companies are moving their headquarters elsewhere, figures have revealed.

UK investment in Spain increased by 80% from 2016 to the end of 2018, compared to the previous three years, the Office of the State Secretary for Trade reported.

The total invested by UK businesses in that period was €7 billion, but companies are still choosing other cities like Paris, Frankfurt and Dublin ahead of Spain.

“Although it is true that the investment figures are good, we are not seeing big movements in Spain as a result of Brexit,” said Spanish Chamber of Commerce economist Raul Minguez.

BOSS: Manuel Campa

been nominated as head of the EBA as it leaves its London base due to Brexit and sets up home in Paris.

The EBA is the European body responsible for carrying out the stress tests on Europe’s biggest banks.

A total of 48 financial institutions were examined in 2018, four of them Spanish.

Political

Campa managed to see off competition from both French and Hungarian candidates for the role.

The appointment comes as Spain looks to recover political weight in European institutions and organisations.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

Young MacDonald had a farm

to this fishing and farming fund.

The funding helps farmers maintain the agricultural landscape, offsetting the high costs of farming, especially as regulations change and farms have to become more sustainable and efficient.

So far this year 282 farmers have received funding from FOGAIBA, making the total number of farmers helped by this fund since the eco-tax was introduced 643.

It has also meant more and more young people have begun careers in farming and agriculture in recent years.

Between 2014 and 2020, Balearic farmers have €147 million in subsidies available, half from the Balearic government, some from the EU and a little from the Spanish government in Madrid.

There is even €13 million in special funding for people under 40-years-old who have given up employment to dedicate their careers to agriculture. Many of those who apply for this are given between €25,000 and €55,000 depending on part-time or

Drugs ship for sale A CARGO boat used to transport 16 tons of hashish has been put up for auction by the Port of Almeria.

The merchant ship ‘Lady Boss’ was intercepted in August 2017 just off the coast of Almeria, and is now on sale for €190,400.

The captured vessel was awarded to the Almeria Port Authority in a National Court case which saw the 13 crew members jailed for between four and six years.

The 85-metre-long boat can be visited at the port during working hours and from 08.30 to 14.00 with prior notification to port services.

Bidders have 30 working days from February 20 to present their offers.

full-time work.

This young-farmers subsidy has drawn around 500 applications since is began in 2015, around 300 of them from Mallorca.

Many of the farms are of a low scale, making products such as local honey or goats cheese to sell around the islands.

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PROPERTY

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Feb 28th - Mar 13th 2019

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Keys Isl nd to the

By Amanda Butler

Sunny horizons

After a bad start, the sun will be shining on Mallorca’s housing market this year, predicts OP Property expert Amanda Butler

H

AVING been away for the last two issues I thought it time to get my feet under the desk and put ‘pen to paper’ so to speak.

So my column this week starts in the form of more of an estate agent’s ‘blog’ and sadly not all is rosy in the garden of the Olive Press Property Correspondent.

Having finished 2018 on a high with

a good end of year, and the anticipation of three sales which looked positively ‘in the bag’ - two agreed offers and one being negotiated - I thought it good timing to take a two-week break to the US for the last week of January.

Although let’s face it - when the company is your own, do you ever have the chance to really shut off?

Communications will always continue

without relent, but even so, I returned to all three falling at the last and coming to nothing within a few weeks of my return!

Estate agent commissions in Mallorca are often regarded as high, certainly from a British perspective, but comparisons between first and second home property purchases are hugely different; one often being completed

HOPE: There will be sun on the horizon for Mallorca’s housing this year

WE ARE

at speed in a set location close to cations and options that are right for transport, work, and other key criteria, them, which can result in many viewand the other being a luxury frequently ings and several hundred miles in the without any timescale process.

So all I can say is, Well, last year was great, but this year when someone chalsadly is not starting well - although lenges commissions the benefits of living here and helpin Mallorca, it’s often ing people along this occasionally comparing arduous path apples with are worthwhile pears, with Brexit appears - and I continue many sales to love what I processes be- to have had little do and where I ing counted in do it. impact on the years rather Continuing than months upper end of the on this more or weeks. positive note, market The life of a if any readers real estate are interested agent is not in investing in exactly easy, perfect Mallorca’s first Medical Wellness Spa or even that much fun Hotel, please do get in touch, as we when these things endeavour to assist in sourcing inveshappen, but that’s tors for this very much needed busithe market in which ness proposition here on the island, we operate here. with a full legitimate medical license Most properties are - Mallorca continuing to build its pronot exclusive and file as a destination for healthy minds many foreign buyers and bodies against the backdrop of need a great deal of the beautiful beaches, mountains and ! out rd wo the get to us Help assistance in workscenic landscapes. Moving on to the ing through the loreal estate market as a whole - the Naates to help tional Ministry of DeWe are looking for motivated candid velopment published tion lica pub htly nig fort our ute distrib its figures for 2018, showing €1.7 billion of foreign investment icle veh a n ow st • Mu in the Balearics last nd isla the of year, which represents • Excellent local knowledge 40% of all property insed ani org • Be vestments in Spain. e abl reli • Be The German market was in the lead, fol• Be self-motivated lowed by Scandinavia and Britain.

Surprisingly, Brexit IN a recent statement, Palappears to have had ma mayor Antoni Noeura little impact on the upinsisted he was not going per end of the market, to back down on banning where one of the most FREE apartment holiday rentals, Voted expensive property pure Lions Threpub BEST despite a lawsuit by the Fechases last year was expat paper vitur National Federation by a British buyer for a g nin win in Spain ard aw an ent res rep for holiday rentals.

Would you like to price of €25 million.

His decision to introduce Son Vida, Puerto media group? the ban was taken after reAndratx and Calvia ports showed the negative claimed the highest ca llor impact of the neighbourMa in square meterage pricWe need agents hood, and the association es, with an average of between holiday rentals €15,000. nce erie exp es sal s viou and the price of property, • Must have pre The report states that which adversely affects prices stabilised last • Have good local contacts the local working classes. year, with a positive It also follows an initiative • Be reliable forecast for 2019. on behalf of the Palma fedSo the sun is shining • Be self-motivated eration of residents assobeautifully this Spring, • Good references essential ciation which raised a petiunlike in 2018, and tion with 6000 signatures there is a positive against holiday rentals. outlook for the year to come.

Hiring!

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ct jon@theolivepress.es nta co e as ple n the es tak it at wh ve If you ha

Contact Amanda J Butler to buy or sell your home: Tel: +34 690 075 169 www.mjcassociates.net Your professional one stop property shop around the Island!

PROPERTY www.theolivepress.es

LUXURY: Market strong

Splash the cash

THE luxury property market in Mallorca is remaining strong with foreign buyers making up 40% of all property investment last year.

An annual report from real estate service provider Engel & Völkers confirmed that international owners spent €1.7 billion on Balearic properties, based on figures from the national ministry of development.

German buyers lead the way, followed by Brits and Scandinavians.

One of the most expensive properties snapped up last year - at a price of €25 million - was bought by a Brit, proving that Brexit was not a big risk factor.

Son Vida in Palma, Andratx and Calvia were the areas with the highest house prices - up to €15,000 per square metre.

In Palma, the average price of a luxury apartment in Portixol was €800,000, while for houses in the old centre the average was €4 million.

The report says that prices stabilised last year after a period when they were rising and that the prospects for 2019 are positive.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

Balearics on top

Ibiza resorts are most profitable in Spain, experts reveal after study of 106 destinations A PAIR of Balearic resorts are the most profitable holiday destination in Spain, new figures reveal.

The Ibiza resorts of San Josep de Sa Talaia and Eivissa performed better than any other destination in Spain, while the white isle’s Santa Eulària des Riu finished fourth.

Meanwhile Palma de Mallorca ranked in the top three city destinations just behind Barcelona and San Sebastian, according to tourism industry group Exceltur.

The destinations were ranked by revenue earned per available room (RevPAR), a metric used widely by the hotel industry.

It combines occupancy and price figures over a certain period of time.

For example, if a hotel has two guest rooms at €100 each, but only one is occupied over the analysed period, the RevPAR is €50.

Some 106 tourist destinations were studied to find the profitability of Spanish hotels last year, with the results being broken down into city destinations and vacation destinations.

The Balearic Islands and cities performed the best, while the Canary Islands felt the competition from rivals Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt and Greece.

San Josep de Sa Talaia topped the list with a RevPAR of €124.1, a 10.5% rise from the year before, while Eivissa came second despite a 7.1% drop to €121.8.

Chiclana de la Frontera came in third with a RevPAR of €111.9, a 4.3% rise compared to 2018.

Fourth spot went to Santa Eulària des Riu, with €109.8, while fifth place went to Adeje, in the Canary Islands, with €101.8.

Cartagena (€44.2), Denia (€46.8) and El Puerto de Santa María (€35.6), also in Cádiz, filled out the bottom three of the rankings.

The city with the highest RevPAR was Barcelona (€98.9), followed by San Sebastián in the Basque Country (€97) and Palma de Mallorca (€84.8).

Madrid had the highest RevPAR of inland cities (€73.5), followed by Sevilla (€72).

Down the Don! HOTEL Don Pedro has come under fire for continuing its reform despite being ordered to stop construction weeks ago.

The GOB, a local environmental group, was the first to demand the hotel stop construction works on the beachfront hotel in Pollensa's Cala Sant Vicenç.

“It is surprising that the technical section of the Territorial Authorization Service has reported favourably on the works of a building that is totally illegal because it was built in an area of protection and surveillance,” the GOB said.

Three weeks ago the Consell de Mallorca ordered the works to stop, but

the hotel is still working on its facade and interior.

The GOB has demanded it ceases construction at once while calling for the hotel to be demolished.

“The entire building is illegal,” the group said.

Bendinat Golf – Penthouse Apartment with views over Bendinat Golf Course 2 Beds

2 Baths 138 m² Living Pool €490.000 Ref: 19004

Lap of luxury THE 10 most exclusive areas in Marbella have been revealed in a new report by Andalucia Realty.

Included in the estate agency’s overview of the glitzy resort city are areas such as Puerto Banus, Los Monteros and Sierra Blanca.

Also on the list is the La Zagaleta neighbourhood (actually in neighbouring Benahavis) where, as the company points out, Rod Stewart, Vladimir Putin and Hugh Grant all own property.

A company spokesperson said: “Our experience provides us with the necessary knowledge and skills to offer our clients the best service and support in finding the required property.”

4th floor penthouse located in secure community with 4 pools, private parking space, and large roof top terrace with jacuzzi. Only 5 minutes from Portals, and 10 minutes from Palma. Requires some modernisation.

For a personalised and discreet service please contact Amanda J Butler on +34 690075169, go to www.mjcassociates.net or email: ajb@mjcassociates.net

EXCLUSIVE: One Marbella pad

www.themallorcadeal.com

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PROPERTY

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Feb 28th - Mar 13th 2019

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Fabulous frescos

It’s not just Italy that loves it’s frescos..Spain has a modern and ancient tradition too

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ROM cave paintings to church frescos to modern murals of epic scale, countless artists have left their brush marks on Spanish architecture down the centuries

for visitors to enjoy today. These are not all frescos in the strictly technical sense but whether classical or street art, some Spanish murals are downright impressive.

Sistine Chapel of Extremadura Looks are deceiving … If you came across this modest shrine in Badajoz, you’d never guess it houses a treasure known as the Sistine Chapel of Extremadura.

Olive trees and streams surround the Shrine of Virgen

Madrid’s Goya dome Abbey El Escorial The historic home of the Spanish monarchs has as many impressive frescos as it has legends. From this colossus reigning over the city of Madrid from its northern hills, King Felipe II could sit in the library and ponder art representing the seven liberal arts: Rhetoric, Logic, Music, Grammar, Arithmetic, Geometry and Astronomy. The majority of the El Escorial frescos were painted by the 16th century Italian sculptor and mural painter Pellegrino Tibaldi.

Frying pan masterpieces IT is Spain - and Europe’s - hottest place in summer… and Ecija, in Sevilla, also counts on some of the most beautiful frescos in the coun-

try. The ones painted on the Palacio de Penaflor are 60 metres in length and were created by artist Antonio Fernández in 1764.

del Ara in Fuente del Arco. For a chapel in the middle of nowhere, it’s surprisingly large but the whitewashed walls give no clue to the magnificent polychromic frescos that lie within.

Saint Louis of France frescos

The Royal Chapel of San Antonio de Florida boasts a jewel to match its regal name - ceiling and dome frescos by the great Francisco de Goya, painted in 1798. They depict Saint Anthony of Padua raising a man from the dead to free his innocent father from murder charges. They took Goya just six months to complete.

Recently restored, the church of San Luis de los Franceses in Sevilla showcases some of the finest examples of Spanish Baroque art in the country. It’s not so famous for its quantity of frescos as for their harmony with the architecture. With ornate artwork rampaging over arches, domes and cupolas, completely disguising supporting pillars, it’s difficult to see where the painting ends and the church begins.

Frescos of Abdon de Paz A series of 17th century religious frescos recently discovered by accident when the owners of the house in Abdon de Paz Plaza, near Toledo, was doing it up.

The whitewashed walls of the traditional patio home hid awesome paintings depicting the parable of the Prodigal Son and other religious scenes. The family renovation project continues, this time with the help of an archeological team.

St. Antony of the Germans fresco frenzy Founded in Madrid by Felipe IIl at the beginning of the 17th century, the church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is one huge wall-to-wall fresco.

It’s also the only church in the region with an elliptic form. Originally built alongside a hospital for Portuguese

migrants, it was later rededicated to German immigrants The frescos are by Luca Giordano and Francisco Ricci - the former a prolific Neopolitan court painter renowned for his speed of painting, nicknamed Luca fà-presto (Luca-get-it-done-fast).

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

Penelles Art blooms in the most extraordinary places and surprises wait around every corner in this Lerida (Catalunya) village. Penelles may count only 500 inhabitants but this pint-sized pueblo has become a reference point for street art and painters from all over Europe come here to leave their creations. Many of the murals tell the story of the town and its residents - like El tato and El sison, a native bird from Lerida.

Fresco faux pas The Ecce Homo in the Zaragoza village of Borja is famous for all the wrong reasons. It was just another of many sacred paintings found across Spain until 2012 when a well-meaning resident decided to do a bit of restoration work, with hilarious results. The Christ figure on the canvas took on a more comic look and became the laughing stock of the Internet. But this previously unknown village is laughing too, all the way to the bank, having welcomed more than 200,000 visitors since.

Fresnedillas’ Living Houses Fresnedillas de la Oliva used to be a ghost village, like many other pueblos in northern Madrid abandoned by their inhabitants for jobs in the city. To encourage people back, the town hall devised the

Casas con Vida project to restore the dilapidated village houses. The artist Elena Parlange was commissioned to embellish them and her stunning murals lend a bright new tone to the village.

El Provencio’s comic walls

Galactus lives on the walls of El Provencio, in Cuenca, along with Silver Surfer, Captain America and other comic book heroes. The origin of these original artworks was the Comic Walls initiative organised during the International Comic Convention. Hosted in July, it attracts fans from all over the country who agree, El Provencio is a comic ‘Marvel’.

20 www.theolivepress.es 20 February 28th - March 13th 2019 What’s on for foodies!

P

a amb Oli MALLORCA'S most popular starter has its own four-day festival from March 3 in Palma's Sa Feixina park with a competition judged by Michelin-starred chef Andreu Genestra.

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ira del ram Get your fill of fun fair food including candy floss, corn dogs and street food at the fira del ram in Palma, now open daily through April.

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apa night TAPAS are the talk of the town every Tuesday in Palma’s Sa Gerreria neighbourhood with dozens of bars and cafes open from 7am until late.

S

tar quality MICHELINstarred restaurateur Marcus Waring will host a supper club on February 28 at 7pm at Mymuybueno in Palma.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

FOOD fraud in Spain is on the rise, a leading expert has warned.

Among the counterfeit produce seized by Europol and Interpol last year were shrimp paste containing pesticides, alcohol mixed with methanol and rotten meat.

“The number of notifications grows every year,”

Work-shy Spaniards leave fruit farmers on shelf ONLY 970 Spaniards have responded to 23,000 job offers to pick strawberries in Huelva despite the province having the third highest unemployment rate in Spain.

Fruit growers are now being forced to look abroad for workers to fill the labour gap.

Last month, plans were set in motion to hire more than 19,000 seasonal workers from north Africa to help harvest strawberries and other berries.

After a slow beginning this year, farmers who produce strawberries for export across Europe, said they need 19,179 extra pairs of hands by no later than March to cope with the harvest.

Some 11,500 of these workers will have picked berries in Huelva before, others will be first timers.

Union bosses are extremely disappointed with the poor response rate from ‘work shy

Culinary crime

said Javier Ruiz-Santaella, an intelligence analyst at the EU Network Against Food Fraud.

Individual frauds reported by the information-ex-

D

residents’ in Huelva when unemployment in the province is 22.79%. Only Badajoz and Cadiz have higher rates of joblessness. Pay for picking straw-

HUELVA is soft fruit and berry capital of Europe. In 2018 it produced 280,300 tons of strawberries, 19,170 tons of raspberries; 38,000 tons of blueberries and 1,800 of blackberries

to Ayurveda, but from time to time toxins enter our body or mind to interfere with that natural state.

They can be physical toxins found in our food, personal and

Lentil soup - serves 4 to 6 This lentil soup is an all-time favorite of northern Indian cuisine. It is light, tasty and nourishing and a source of easily digested proteins. It is also comfort food for winter as it fills you nicely and is easy to make. In my family home every day in winter we had some sort or other of lentil soup.

This is very alkaline in nature so it’s a good food while you are on a detox program.

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup of mung bean lentils 4 cups of water 1 small chopped onion 1 inch chopped ginger 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped 1 hot green chilli chopped (optional) Juice of half a lemon

berries ranges from €30 to €42 per day.

The work is mostly carried out

by Moroccan women who work at least 39 hours per week, and

Berry big deal

An Ayurvedic detox diet can help you bounce back from winter bingeing, writes chef Manna Teji

land and is thought to be one of the world’s oldest ‘body-mind’ cleansing systems.

Our natural state is health, balance, and happiness, according

Wine win Salad dodgers

A SPANISH restaurant has scooped a prize for its wine at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards in Paris.

Mugaritz in San Sebastian won the ‘Forward drinking’ award in the ‘Big Plates’ category.

The two-Michelin star restaurant holds around 1,600 wines in its cellar.

Too posh to pick?

Body and soul

ID you overdo the comfort food eating this winter … on top of the usual festive season blowout?

Now that the chillier months are nearly over it’s a good time to put a spring back in your step with a detox diet.

Being Indian, I naturally turn to the Ayurvedic healing system which originates from my home-

change group increased by 30% in 2018 compared to the previous year, with 239 cases in total.

Last year the organisation helped European police confiscate over 3,600 tonnes of counterfeit produce.

Worldwide, the black market food industry is worth around €30 billion.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Salt and Black pepper to taste ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional) ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon Gram masala 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil 1 pinch of asafetida 10 grams of fresh chopped coriander leaves

METHOD: Wash the lentils, rubbing them gently with plenty of water till the water runs clear. Leave them to soak while you prepare the rest.

In a pan heat ghee or coconut oil and add the cumin seeds and black mustard seeds and wait till they start to crackle.

Add chopped onions and sauté till they are translucent. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Stir fry till they are golden brown.

Add the rest of the spices and the soaked lentils. Let them cook for 30 minutes, stirring them occasionally if you are using a normal pan and for 10 minutes after the first whistle if you are using a pressure cooker.

Once the lentils are done, take them off the heat and add the lemon juice.

Decorate them with chopped coriander leaves. Your lentils are ready for serving hot with naans, chapatis or rice, whichever you want.

worth €437.2 million.

Just over 11,464 hectares is dedicated to growing berries in plastic tunnels. Strawberries take up about 6,000 hectares.

sometimes 10 hours more.

Last year the Andalucian Employment Service offered 11,000 fruit picking jobs and the response from Spanish jobseekers was just as bad with fewer than 1,000 people taking up the opportunity.

The producers association Freshuelva estimates that tens of thousands of more workers could be needed to this year to pick the wide varieties of berries in Huelva, with the majority of those being migrant workers.

ONLY 45% of Spaniards now eat the ‘Med diet’, the Mediterranean Diet Foundation has revealed.

“We are eating a lot of food from the top of the food pyramid such as pastries, sweets and cold meats,” said Tara Rendo, a professor at the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Diet.

Her comments come after a Spanish Nutrition Foundation study found that Spaniards now eat just 269 grams of vegetables a day, 40% less than in 1964.

The Mediterranean diet is renowned for its balance of fruit, vegetables, olive oil, seeds and oily fish.

Spain is famed for the diet but in the National Health Survey it emerged that 17% of Spaniards are now obese.

Foods to eat:

PURIFYING: Ginger tea is a great digestive booster household products, air, water, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and and other elements of our en- astringent) in every meal, along vironment; or emotional toxins with healthy oils - for example a such as negative thought pat- combination of sesame seeds terns and beliefs, self-criticism, and raisins. chronic stress and other painful Ginger tea is recommended as experiences. a purifier and digestive system Ayurveda therefore recom- booster and there are many mends detoxifying on a regular other great detox foods you can basis to eliminate damaging ele- try on my list. ments and return to our innate To complete the detox, set aside state of health and well-being. time for at least 20 minutes of Although fasting is one of the best vigorous exercise daily - enough detox methods to leave a fine – and one that film of sweat on I use regularly – the skin to elimiHave a light we can achieve nate toxins. similar results Hot baths and dinner when just by simplifying saunas also help! the sun goes our diet for three I normally go days (or longer if down, such as a to Casona Grayou can). nado’s wondervegetable soup ful sauna while This allows our body to redirect I work on the its energies to rid menus there. itself of toxins that have built up.

At the same time as cleansing For a detox diet we need foods our bodies, we need to detox that come from the vegetable our minds too, by limiting use of kingdom - freshly harvested electronic media and turning to and low in calories as opposed activities that nurture our sensto foods that are packed, come es. TV viewing and social media from animals and are high in create emotional toxins. calories.

Get outside, read a book, do a As our digestion is strongest creative or physical activity or when the sun is brightest, it’s simply sit and meditate. best to eat our largest meal at I hope you have enjoyed delving noon, and have a light dinner a little into the Ayurvedic detox when the sun goes down, such tradition and feel inspired to try as a vegetable soup. it yourself.

Other ‘musts’ are to stay hy- To help you on your way, here’s drated. Drink lots of water to a delicious recipe for lentil soup flush out toxins, (around eight that can be a mainstay of your glasses a day). Also try to include detox program. Enjoy and happy the six Ayurvedic tastes (sweet, cleansing!

33 Lentil soup 33 Kitchari (savory porridge made with rice and lentils) 33 Light vegetable soups 33 Steamed or sautéed broccoli, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and beets 33 Lightly steamed greens such as spinach, chard, and beet greens 33 Basmati rice, quinoa, millet, and barley 33 Spices such as ginger, cumin, coriander, and fennel 33 Flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds 33 Poached apples and pears; cooked apricots, prunes, and figs 33 Fresh berries – raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries

Foods to avoid: 22 Animal and dairy products (clarified butter, or ghee, is fine in small amounts) 22 Refined sugar and flour products 22 Canned, leftover, processed, and microwaved foods 22 Fermented foods, including pickles and vinegar 22 Cold and raw foods 22 Fried foods 22 Alcohol 22 Caffeine 22 Chocolate

21

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February 28th - March 13th 2019

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Hollywood hams it up

HUELVA ham flew to Hollywood to make its debut at the exclusive post-Oscars Governor’s Ball last weekend.

The Cinco Jotas jamon took centre stage at the glittering Academy Awards bash thanks to Austrian celebrity chef

Andalucia’s award-winning jamon stars at Oscars after-party

Wolfgang Puck.

“Nobody makes ham like Spain and Cinco Jotas is special,” he said.

Tuck in BALEARICS Day is celebrated this weekend with hundreds of events, including many for food lovers!

A food fair full of local carts and stalls is open all weekend from 11am in Parc de la Feixina.

Free tastings and treats from some of the city’s best restaurants will be exhibited.

A gastronomic tour of Palma begins at 10:30am on March 1 at the entrance of the Es Baluard Museum. On Saturday the tour begins Placa del Mercat and on Sunday at Placa de Cort.

The Consulate de Mar is hosting afternoon cocktail tastings with live music on their patio from 12:30pm until 4pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Parc de la Mar is hosting a

fair all weekend with a special focus on products classified as D.O. (designation of origin), products produced and prepared locally.

On Friday at 5pm, the final of the ‘best ensaimada in the world’ competition takes at the fair in Parc de la Mar. A special 'show-cooking' exhibit using D.O. olive oil will be at the fair on Saturday at 1pm.

Coffee lovers can enjoy a fancy filtered coffee tasting hosted by local coffee roasters Cafes Bay at the fair in Parc de la Mar at 11am on March 1.

“It’s absolutely perfect, the guests will feel like they’re in the best restaurant in Spain, it’s a gift, it’s the first time we have it but it will not be the last,” he added.

Puck, who has been in charge of the star-studded event’s menu for 20 years, is a huge fan of Iberian hams. In 2011 the Academy spent $54,000 (€47,000) on 90 hams from another Spanish brand. This year there were five legs of ham, costing at least €86 a kilo, for the 1,500 guests.

“We have brought Iberian ham before, but nothing like Cinco Jotas, it is the best we have ever had,” enthused Puck.

Cinco Jotas ham is 100% from Iberian pigs which have grazed in pastures on an acorn diet for two years.

It was presented to the Oscar crowd in tapas-sized dishes with a cornucopia of garnishes including caramelised cauliflower, golden raisins, pine nuts, beetroot, almond custard, Asian pears, grapefruit salad, persimmon with walnuts, burrata and arugula lettuce.

Friends.

Reset.

Music.

At OD Port Portals we have our own star rating. In fact, we have all the stars of the Mallorca sky and we will enjoy them all together every summer night at OD Sky Bar, on our spacious terrace and at our restaurant On Top. A hotel full of local experiences, music, art, gastronomy, yoga, pre-parties, flea markets, brunches, concerts, Pilates, tardeo, sea, sun and all the stars. A hotel full of life.

Horizon.

Sunset.

Memories.

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Feb 28th - Mar 13th 2019

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Don’t mention the Brexit

Talking politics with the family is often best avoided, writes Lesley Keith

I

've been back in the UK for a few days, I went on my own as my partner and I have separate friends and family making it so much easier to get to everyone that way.

If you disregard scraping the ice off my

By Lesley Keith car before heading to the airport and a pea soup fog delaying departure by an hour it was another painless journey.

I got a row all to myself and I could hear catch up with a wonderfully indepenthe announcements clearly, very im- dant 99 year old aunt and a weird, ecportant when you're as nervous about centric cousin while I had the time. It was a 300 mile round trip on the only flying as I am.

The UK was under thick fog too but that wet day of my stay. I've always known really worked in my favour because I there's a few oddballs in my family with couldn't see how close to landing we me being pretty much the most normal were and never got into panic mode. one, whatever that means. This was Thank you and well done to Stelios and highlighted by my cousin, who has always been, shall we say, his gang. a simple soul asking me I'd booked a car hire from Brexit was. a place walking distance Europe is being what I looked at her to check across from the terminal wasn't joking, but difficult as if it she and they'd kindly upno, my aunt and her graded me to a lovely big were a wronged were looking at me exand luxurious German they honestly automatic. The weather spouse trying to pectantly, had no idea. was good, warm and mostly dry and everyone block the divorce How can anyone not know? Anyway I think seemed very pleased to I did rather well, I said see me. Always a nice to imagine that the UK surprise that!

I'm not really interested in politics, had been married to Europe for a long finding it rather boring but there was time and now wanted a divorce. absolutely no getting away from it. Es- Europe however doesn't want this and pecially when seven Labour MPs chose is being difficult as if it were a wronged this time to resign primarily over the spouse, and trying to block any of the Brexit debacle. The TV, radio and news- divorce settlements being suggested. papers couldn't get enough of it. The This sounds very patronising now I only relief being Donald Trump and his think about it but they were really Mexican wall. Now I'm mentioning this pleased and reckoned I'd managed to for a reason. I took the opportunity to make it clear when up until then they

Mallorca diaries

hadn't had a clue. Impressed? Yes I thought you would be.

A couple of times later in the week I mentioned this to other friends who reacted pretty much with total apathy which leaves me to wonder if there's just been total political overkill and everyone's lost interest, stuck their fingers in their ears and started singing la la la?

It's not as if we're all agog over here, waiting with baited breath but I think we all know we'll be affected in some way, the questions being how and when?

Several Brits have upped sticks and gone elsewhere and I've heard a lot of moaning by people saying that they've had to get various bits of paperwork sorted which they'd actively managed to avoid for several years. Really? So is what they're telling me that they've probably been here illegally then? Mention to an 'expat' that they're an illegal immigrant and they seem to get a bit upset. I think I'd better keep my thoughts to myself then, that'll be a first.

On a lighter note I have now returned, happy to find that the weather is warm

and dry and the nights promise to soon be warm enough to be able to switch off the electric blanket. We even forgot to turn on the calor gas heater the other night so things are definitely heating up.

My car is now starting to be covered by the dreaded yellow Spring dust again.

Shall I wash it, what do you think? Nah, me neither. I'll try and avoid what happened last year when I had a dark blue car and walked straight past it after the dust had completely changed its colour and I just didn't recognise it! I thought it had been nicked, no such luck!

THE paper not to miss on Mallorca island THE Olive Press is now distributing all over the island in an incredible 500-plus locations.

Found at golf courses, tourist offices, museums and petrol stations, it has become the most sought-after English newspaper in MalAlaro Alcanada Alcanada Alcudia ALGAIDA Andratx Andratx BENDINAT BENDINAT BENDINAT Binissalem Cala Estancia

lorca every fortnight. Look out for one of our many stands, as seen here at Santa Catalina market, in Palma, and in Andratx town centre.

We print between 8,000 - 10,000 copies every issue and take our distribution very seriously,

Acros Bar Alcanada Golf Spar Tourist Information EROSKI Tourist Information CCA Andratx CAN NATURA Lindew Hotel Real Golf at Bendinant Eroski Aqua Restaurant

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and need you, the readers to keep us informed of numbers... and more importantly if each location needs more or less papers.

We also want to know where you would like to see it and where you don't think we should

Yacht Club Eroski ROSITA RESTAURANT TOWN HALL Gran Folies Golf De Andratx HIPER CENTRO SPAR EROSKI AQUARIUM Ponderosa Beach Bar THE GLASGOW SUNDOWNERS MOODS Robert Graves Museum Forn Deía SPAR BAR NOU Spar Tourist Info Office Barretts Hipercentro EROSKI Golf Club Pontiene Maioris Gof Club Lidl Bar Mingos VILAMIL HOTEL TOURIST INFORMATION BOATHOUSE

bother. Here are a select group of a few dozen key drops.

Please get in touch at Newsdesk@theolivepress.es to find your nearest drop or suggest another.

EASY TO FIND: In Andratx street PALMA PALMA PALMA PALMA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMANOVA PALMANOVA Palmanyola Pollensa

Santa Catalina market Palma University Real Club Nautico First Mallorca Eroski Tourist Office GOLF FANTASIA EROSKI Palmanova Gardens Mari Cunningham Son Termens Golf Pollensa Golf

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Advertise with The Olive Press TEL: (+34) 951 273 575 EMAIL: sales@theolivepress.es

SPORT

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Not so badminton REIGNING Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marin has begun training again after injuring her knee in January.

The three-time world champion, four-time European Champion and former world no. 1 ruptured the cruciate ligament in her knee during the final of the Indonesian Masters Tournament on January 27.

Marin’s Instagram profile showed her still wearing a leg brace following surgery on January 29, but the Spanish star also posted a video of her walking with ‘just one crutch’.

Marin, 25, from Huelva, Andalucia, said her goal to win gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 kept her motivated and keen to get back on the court.

“What makes me train is the desire to do what I enjoy

Barcelona and Madrid will headto-head three times in one week FANS of Spain’s footballing giants will need multiple shirts ironed as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona prepare to meet twice this week.

But as if two El Clasicos weren’t enough, the Real Madrid basketball team will also travel to northeastern Spain to face Barcelona Lassa on Friday, making this a week of triple Spanish classics.

La Liga leaders Barcelona already drew with Real Madrid on 6 February in the first of two semi-final legs for the Copa del Rey. La Copa, as the knockout competition is also known, is the oldest Spanish football competition and the rounds of 32, 16, quarters and semi-finals are always

REAL: Madrid

23 23

February 28th - March 13th 2019

Triple showdown

played over two legs.

In this month’s previous Clasico, the two Spanish sides drew 1-1, but since Los Blancos bagged an away goal a draw of Wednesday would see them striding to the final.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are the world’s top two most-followed teams on social media, and there is a history of devoted players baiting the crowds with after-goal celebrations - both Ronaldo and Raul have shushed Barcelona fans, and in 2017 Messi held out his shirt like a red rag to a bull after a 93rd minute winner.

RIVALS: Barcelona and Madrid to face off

Forehand to four-iron RAFAEL Nadal is best known as the tennis world no. two, but the Mallorcan superstar has another trick up his sleeve: golf.

Nadal, 32, took second place at the Balaeric Islands Golf Championships at Vall D’Or Golf Club and finished the game with 70 shots (- 1).

Interestingly, the Spaniard has a 1.5 handicap, making him eligible to become a professional.

Back in 2011, Nadal penned an essay on his passion for golf, saying he’s ‘more aggressive’ on the golf course, and that his success was due to his ability to ‘accept difficulties and overcome them’.

Controversy

Come a copa SPAIN’S version of the Community Shield, the Supercopa de Espana, will be played abroad, it has emerged.

The four-team tournament will be held between the Copa del Rey finalists and the top two teams in La Liga.

“In this way, we get the brand of the Spanish clubs to participate in a more important way,” Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales said.

Last year’s edition saw Barcelona beat Sevilla in Morocco, in what was a one-off game outside of Spain.

February 28th - March 13th 2019

The match also comes after controversy in the Real Madrid changing room as Welsh winger Gareth Bale angrily shrugged off his teammates following his winning penalty against Levante on Sunday.

In basketball, Real Madrid already met Barcelona Lassa on 17 February for the basketball Copa del Rey final, which Barcelona won 94-93 following a questionable call made at the buzzer.

With Madrid leading in the basketball league tables, and Barcelona in the football, this week is set to be a thriller for fans all across the sporting world.

Twin-turbo IDENTICAL British twins Simon and Adam Yates have missed out on a podium place in their first appearance in the Vuelta a Andalucia.

Adam, 26, came 5th in the general classification, while his brother Simon, also 26, trailed in 41st.

Last year’s Vuelta a España champion, Simon took the fourth stage last Saturday on the challenging Hazallanas mountain pass, in Granada, which peaks at an altitude of 1,679m.

Have your business seen by over 100,000 readers each issue, with cost effective advertising solutions from the Olive Press Be seen here for as little as €250 per month

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Role model A BLIND, deaf and mute model from Mallorca has been the first woman with Usher syndrome to walk the runway at Milan Fashion Week.

Mireia Mendoza, 25, has said “it has been an unforgettable and exciting experience”.

FINAL WORDS

Voted

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Wall fall A GERMAN woman, 50, has died after falling off a wall at Palma Cathedral.

National Police are investigating if it was suicide or just a terrible accident.

NEIGHBOURS in Alaro are being warned to lock up their cars after a mystery man broke into half a dozen of them to pleasure himself.

At least five neighbours have reported having their cars broken into in a similar fashion.

All of them live in the same street Calle Joan Alcover, in the heart of the town.

The baffling behaviour

Morning gory Baffled residents demand stiff justice for perpetrator of Mallorca’s oddest crime began at Christmas, when one neighbour discovered her car had been broken

A CAFE in Spain is doubling as a dog adoption center where customers hang out with cute canines over a coffee.

The Doger cafe, in Madrid, has been a hit among animal lovers, with 12 dogs adopted to date.

More meds NURSES in the Balearics will be able to prescribe medications starting in April.

The Balearics join only Andalucia in allowing them.

PAWESOME: Madrid cafe

into and soiled with the man’s sperm.

Since then, at least four

Paw me a coffee Founders Roberto Aláez and Javier Alcazar set it up after contacting shelters and offering to advertise dogs up for adoption.

“We are taking on loads of shelters and transmitting consciousness to the people through great communication,” said Alaez.

The dogs interact with prospective adopters for about 15 minutes, and get to cool down with a two-hour nap period.

A second cafe is set to open in Barcelona, while the owners also have sights on the South American market and are in the advanced stages of bringing the new concept to Peru.

other neighbours have come forward to police with the same complaint.

On no occasion was anything stolen from the cars.

“I had left my sunglasses, some money, a mobile charger and even a wrapped present for my husband in the car yet all of it was still there,” one woman, who had parked her BMW right outside her house, told Ultima Hora.

“Things were a little upside down, but strangest of all was two passport size photos of me had been stuck in the glove compartment.

“I thought it was with glue, but I now realise it was sperm.”

The group are now urging police to find the ‘disturbed’ man for fear that he may commit more serious crimes in the future.

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Dynamic or Dumbo?

A MASSIVE theme park could be built near Sevilla ‘on a scale and ambition rivalling Disney’.

The new tourist destination, set for Castilblanco de los Arroyos, in the Sierra Morena, would be a ‘smart city’ with 2,000 homes for residents, alongside a series of rollercoasters.

Referencing Greek mythology, Elysium City will feature a water park, an 18-hole golf course, a 40,000 seater stadium and four hotels.

"It’s basically a smart city from ground up, but the core will be the entertainment pieces: a Disney-level theme park and an adventure water park that’s unlike typical water parks,” said John Cora, founder and chairman of Cora Alpha behind the city.

“The goal is to have it be a place where you want to work, live and play.”

Environmentalists are unlikely to support the idea, which will allegedly also have a casino AND a marina, despite being 100 kms from the coast.

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