Mallorca Olive Press - Issue 38 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

Fake advisor

UP to one in three reviews on TripAdvisor is fake, a new investigation has found. An analysis of tens of thousands of reviews shows toprated B&Bs have almost twice as many ‘fake’ reviews as lowerranked accommodation. The Times caught restaurants trying to buy 5-star reviews, as well as negative reviews of rivals. It comes after the Olive Press exposed a series of Spanish businesses paying for dozens of fake five-star reviews in a bid to increase their rankings.

Victims

Despite TripAdvisor stepping in to investigate, the Times probe insisted enough was not being done to stop the bogus reviews. Another recent study found that almost nine in ten businesses have been victims of negative reviews. Consumer groups say fake reviews are a growing problem and it is believed almost €16 billion a year is spent on travel and hotels following reviews.

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Vol. 2 Issue 38 www.theolivepress.es September 27th - October 10th 2018

Is this the new look for Palma’s seafront? Find out in our Property supplement inside

9 Lives charity pair acosted by resident Expats vow to continue feeding stray cats despite vicious attack from local EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

No paws

RAPPER: Valtonyc AN expat mum and daughter have refused to give up their Do you know of any businesses cat charity 9 Lives after being selling fake reviews? Or places assaulted by a local Spaniard. abusing social media or review Aimee Baert, 28, and mum sites? Contact newsdesk@theo- Sharon, 54, are set to call in livepress.es police after they were attacked as they fed stray cats in the Trick advisor page 6 north of the island. The South African pair were around the Pollensa area. left badly shaken after a local 6th - December 19th 2017 “We’ve hadDecember snide comments Mallorquin accosted them as from locals before but this was they gave food to the feral cats on another level,” continued A BELGIAN court has renear Pollenca’s old town. Aimee, who moved to Mal- fused to extradite controversial rapper Valtonyc back to The man ‘turned very aggreslorca five years ago. sive’ and started to threaten “Unfortunately people don’t Spain. the cats forcing Aimee to step understand that we are actual- The judge refused to comin. ly helping keep the number of ply with the order after the From Page 1 “He had me against a wall and strays down,” she continued. Mallorca musician was senSOME 14 fire bosses have I had to push him off me,” the “We are neutering andgot cas-himself tenced to prison for charges He even a financial advice slot on a well been arrested for allegedly Alcudia hotel manager told trating as manyknown of theradio cats we station, through which he the snared unsuspectrelated to insulting monembezzling €7 million in the Olive Press. can.” ing victims. ‘ROWDY’:public Magaluf archy in his lyrics. funds. “It was very scary and unsetBut despite the violenta comprehensive in- The artist, However, Olive Press investigation exwhose real name The Policia Nacionaltling found and, for a moment, I recident, animalposed loverhisAimee scams that and gold. is involved Josep stamps, Miquel coins Arenas, that the Consortium of for the worse.” ally feared - who has 22We feline also friends revealed how andexile his close pal Barry wentheinto to Belgium in Nathan Bomberos Cadiz took A HOTEL to be knocked The out unnamed suspect is - who at her finca - will be back out up wined and dined to aafter dozen criminals, anonymously, May he was sentenced mass early retirementowns insurdown for not having enough UNBOWED: Brave volunteers Aimee and Sharon a finca in the La Font feeding cats with her mum in column. through the food to three and a half years in ance policies. area, whichclass! he rents out to tow. He eventually fledjail. the country following our expose, area and ‘affecting his busitime the pair have been acBut when their employees Benalmadena’s tourists - blasted them forHotel Vista “She’s hard as nails and we but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had ness.’ costed, while looking after retired early, chiefs siphoned “For thepoll moment heselling is freecoins and ‘bringing more vermin’ to be thedemolished de Rey must won’t be put off, it hashis to name be changed by deed and was Alarmingly, it is not the first the many dozens of stray cats off the money from the payand he is free definitively in CONCERNED businesses in within three months, a court done,” she vowed, “although antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. outs. Belgium,” saidEnglish his lawyer Santa Ponsa are demanding has ruled, I’ll be taking He mywas boyfriend quickly found guilty under law of conning Bekaert.prison changes to Authorities prevent the also areafound diswith me this people week in Andalucia’s Superior Court andcase given Paul a suspended crepancies in the consorfrom becoming the ‘new Magathings get out of control of Justice ruled that the hosentence only due to health reasons. tium’s training courses. luf’. again.” “And because he promised to never tel falls short of its four-star Terrorism than permitted. Large sums were paid to a The Santa Ponsa hotel assoThe mum andgodaughter duoonline cons,” one of the back to his requirement. Although the town hall and company to provide training “There is no terrorism inTRAIN drivers have denounced an “It has happened to us all, stopping furciation has met with the Calvia set up their charity 9 Livesexplained. British victim but other no evidencealarming has maintain more this exvolved, there is no incitelack of safety measures on the ther than we planned. Atdeveloper a transitional mayor, localcourses, police and than fourBut years ago. this is apparently not the case with been foundathat these courses Probing was later island. station it's not the end of cess the world, butcorrected, the ment ofis terrorism, so there businesses to demand series two victims claiming he still using place. secuThey sayItthat traction andthe braking judge ruled that the rectificais coins no question of a crime acof measurestook to improve began probing three has at the end of the line, it is.” eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ and stamps Missing Meanwhile, irregularities been affected as some have one The company began turning one ention would have taken place rity in the resort. cording to Belgian star hotel and trains apartment from his unpaid flat in Brighton, us-law.” wereaalso found in and turned off to save electricity. gine off as a temporary measure after looking ing forthe their own‘gqtrading’ It comes after summer of grantsengine after the granting ofWhile the liHowever, he added that names and ‘gqtradblock in 2011 after it was desubsidies, which The group from over Serveis Ferroviaris caughtsofire innot count. cats which hading2’. gone missing, a European Arrest Wartrouble including a sharp risecops believe does nounced planning rules de the electrical substation cence, were used to pay for private Mallorca, which also runs the Palma May, but months later it The appears to behas 61they realised the full of sure in the numbers of illegal prostibuilding apartrant could be issued if the “We arescale pretty he has broken his whichexposed set asidethe the lack plot for a trips. Metro, have of safety the norm. thespacproblem. bail conditions and24-year-old tutes and street vendors. ments and 46 parking will have torapper finallytravels to four star hotel only. The irregularities date back since the Son Costa generator caught The drivers have also pointed out that “We’ve neutered hundreds Hotels fear the area could bees. go back to prison,”other said one victim. countries. According to the PGOU town to 2008 cops believe at fire. only two of the ten routes in Palmabuilding of cats over the years, this is come 'the new Punta and Ballena', “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” The original was The Sa Pobla artist was conplan an apartment block was leastpart €7 million has been“They sto- have altered some trains so they have speed stop devices that automatihuge issue that to get the most rowdy of MagaHistends landlord last night he should have known granted planning aignored,” permisvictedinsisted of glorifying terrorpermitted and the it also len by those at the top. use less not power, but it affects traction cally brake the trains as they approach added Aimee. luf. something was up ism, from the start. sion bywomen then mayor Enrique threatening right-wing breached rules being over and braking,” said oneby driver. a stop. Earlier this month two “We want the locals to underDemands include more police “When we met to sign the contracts I thoughtand he was a bit Bolin indid 2001. DOOMED: Costa politician Jorge Campos 700 square meters “We cannot accelerate andbigger brake as were hit whenhotel a train in Palma not stand we are slippery, really working intervention against drug trafI went to pay for mydefamatory coffee only forcomthe barista to making well with one engine turned off,” he break in time after it arrived at a station towards keeping the numbers ficking, street vendors and viotell me he had left without paying his against thebill.” Spanish continued. without a speed stop. down, we are not just feeding“Hements lent prostitutes, who 'are nightHe continued: paid for the first couple of months but Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017 15:36 royal family in April. the cats.” ly dedicated FRUIT to robbing people'. then just stopped. He told us his account had been frozen growers in the AxarOrganisations such as Amdue to a money laundering investigation, which is probquia are facing a 60% reduchave ably true. “He thennesty told us International to stop contacting him and action in water use from the La campaigned for Valtonyc’s cused us of harrassment. Vinuela reservoir with no soPOLICE officers have formed a human wall deter drug smugglers from using the beach freedom arguing that it is a work to “Now he is claiming he is seriously ill and can’t lution in sight. along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the as a drop off zone. breach of freedom of speech. make payments. The Junta has decided to construction of a beach wall went ahead. A combined police presence of Guardia Civil, Meanwhile Pedro Sanchez’s “We’ll see him in court.” limit its use as the reservoir is The wall, between the churchC of Nuestra local and national officers were present as new socialist government is already at 22.7% capacity and Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall fears grew that drug smugglers would try working towards Opinion repealingPage 6 M could drop even lower if the of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to and disrupt the work. the controversial Citizen Safedry weather keeps up.

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Hot water

No more Magalufs

Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished

Not enough stars

Not facing the rap!

‘He deserves it’

Train safety concerns

Pipe ban

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Spendy students SCHOOL lunches are more expensive in the Balearics than anywhere else in Spain, as lunch prices have risen 11% in the islands this year.

Parked up SOME 500 parking spaces are set to be built surrounding Es Trenc beach and the natural park, in a bid to solve parking problems between Campos and Ses Salines.

Crash A 15-YEAR-OLD, has died and a friend, 16, is in critical condition in Menorca after crashing a motorcycle.

Evil sex assault gang, including police and soldiers, charged again over new attack By Charlie Smith

AN infamous gang found guilty of sexually abusing a woman at Pamplona’s famous San Fermin festival in 2016, appear to have struck again. The so-called ‘La Manada’ (Wolfpack) gang are to stand trial for another attack on a young woman, 21. The four men are accused of abusing the second girl while in a moving car in Cordoba province. The group, from Sevilla, Antonio Manuel Guerrero, José Ángel Prenda, Jesús Escu-

Wolfpack strike again dero and Alfonso Jesús Cabezuelo allegedly groped her breasts and kissed her while she was sleeping. In the new case, the four men videoed their sexual attack on a phone, sharing the footage over messaging app WhatsApp.

Shocking

The shocking new footage, found on the gang’s phones, was revealed during the in-

vestigations of the Pamplona attack. The judge alerted a magistrate in Pozoblanco to look into the attack. The woman met the gang at a local fiesta and chose to go back to Pozoblanco with the gang in Guerrero’s car, who is a member of the Guardia Civil. Prenda filmed the attack on Guerrero’s phone, also joining in the groping, as the girl

Animal abuser

Graffiti grump CALVIA'S town council has begun a system to eliminate graffiti, focusing on those which incite hatred and violence, and has started a database to aide tracing graffiti to their authors.

September 27th - October 10th 2018

SAVED: Puppy

AN ANIMAL abuser, age 20, has been arrested by the Guardia Civil in Mallorca after throwing a puppy in a bag and tossing her in a bin. Agents found the young pup suffering brain trauma and injuries after being beaten and left to die in the bin. Seprona agents aided in tracking down a similar puppy bought online earlier this year, found the buyer and seller and tested the two dogs' DNA confirming they were siblings from the same litter. The investigation identified the young man who had the puppy and allegedly beat her and threw her away to die.

sat in the back between military man Cabezuelo and hairdresser Escudero. Cabezuelo faces a separate assault charge, as he later threw the girl from the car, slapping her across the face after she refused to perform oral sex on him. The woman took pictures of her bruises the next day, but didn’t remember the attack, only realising what had happened when police showed her the footage. Guerrero, Prenda, Escudero and Cabezuelo have been on bail since June and are awaiting the result of a Supreme Court review of their nineyear sentences for the Pamplona attack. In the meantime they have been given restraining orders, so they must stay over 500 metres away from their Pozoblanco victim at all times. Ángel Boza, the fifth gang member, who was only involved in the Pamplona attack, has been sent back to prison for trying to steal sunglasses in Sevilla.

Trashed again THE rubbish container arsonists have hit again. A total of 10 bins and two cars have been destroyed in the last week, as a spate of arson spreads through Palma. The incidents came just hours apart in an apparent bid to taunt police. As the Olive Press reported last issue, nearly 250 bins have been destroyed in less than a year.

Online agents CYBERCRIME has finally been given its own special department in the Balearics. National Police have set up a division specifically for online and computer crimes led by inspector Jorge Miguel with four agents.

Bullying

In 2016 there were nearly 3,000 crimes that would fall under the cybercrime category, with the number growing every year as technologies advance. The unit will deal with numerous crimes, including cyber bullying, hate speech, fraud and unauthorized hacking.

902 123 282 *Offer ends 30/11/18. Not valid for renewals. Subject to conditions.

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www.theolivepress.es ALIENS actor Al Matthews has died in his home in Spain. The 75-year-old, who played Sergeant Apone in James Cameron’s 1986 sequel to Alien, was found dead at his house in Orihuela Costa, Alicante, by a neighbour. Matthews, who moved to Spain in 2005, also starred

NEWS

September 27th - October 10th 2018

RIP Sarge in Superman III (1983), The Fifth Element (1997) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). The actor and singer was a former marine who served in the Vietnam war.

His last film role was in The Price of Death, a 2018 western by director Chip Baker that is currently in post-production.

WELCOME: For Ryan and Claire

A SPRINKLING of Hollywood stardust dropped on Spain this week. A string of American and British actors were on hand to make it one of the most star-studded San Sebastian film festivals yet. Ryan Gosling, was joined by Claire Foy, as well as Judi Dench and Danny Devito at the most prestigious film event in Spain. Gosling and Foy were in the B a s q u e AWARD: For city to Judi Dench promote their new movie First Man, about the Apollo XI space mission in 1969. Thousands of fans went wild as the La La Land heartthrob Gosling posed for selfies and greeted officials at the festival.

Leather

Dressed in a red leather jacket, the 37-year-old Drive star was only upstaged by his co-star Claire, who recently won an Emmy for her part in Netflix’ award-winning series The Crown. Yorkshire-born star Judi Dench, 82, meanwhile was in town to receive a coveted lifetime achievement award, the Premio Donostia, along with Batman Returns star, Danny Devito. The seven-time Oscar nominee has received countless accolades for her performances in Shakespeare in Love, Mrs Brown and for playing character M in the James Bond series. Past winners of the prestigious award have included Antonio Banderas, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro.

Cross country

Mallorca Hiking

SEEING STARS

Michelle Obama loves to hike and yachting while in Mallorca, reveals former US ambassador MICHELLE Obama is a keen hiker. The former US president’s wife steps out for walks on her trips around Spain. Her enjoyment of hiking has come out, thanks to a new book written by former US ambassador to Spain James Costos. In the book, El amigo americano, he reveals how he took Michelle on one long mountain stroll in Mallorca. Known as the Old Postman’s

By Laurence Dollimore

Cruz-ing with style

route, the 8km hike, in the north of the island, takes PENELOPE Cruz kept things chic at an Emmy around two-and-a-half hours. Awards after party. “We have taken Michelle from The Spanish actress, 44, looked effortless wearEsporles to Banyalbufar, one ing this black feathered dress from Alexandre of our favourite excursions,” Vauthier. he explained in an interview The Oscar-winning actress was attending the with local magazine ABC. awards in Los Angeles for her hit show The AsHe added: “Something spesassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime cial we have also done with Story. Michelle is to anchor right in front of the cathedral for the sunset and the illumination of the cathedral’s lights. WALKABOUT: Obama in disguise It’s magical!” He added that the former CEO of Google joined them on the boat. Detailing his love HE plays the part of a DJ trying to relaunch his career, while working as a of hiking, with nanny. partner Michael And this, of course, shouldn’t be difficult for British star Idris Elba, who has Smith, Costos, been in Ibiza this summer with a regular residency as a DJ. 55, added that the Turn Up Charlie however has mostly been filmed in Mallorca, with the new pair walked up to Netflix series set to come out next year. two hours every The eight-part comedy sees Elba - tipped to be the next James Bond - playing day. a struggling DJ desperately trying to make a living. Michelle is schedIt was mostly filmed around Cala Serena, in Cala d’or, as well as nearby uled to return in Felanitx. The Wire star stayed in a stunning mansion nearby with to Mallorca in his wife Sabrina Dhowre and daughter Isan. November for A total of 50 local Mallorquin locals star in the film, while one the launch of the scene saw 300 locals contracted for a big party scene. INTREPID: Michelle’s route book.

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Persecution Money well spent!

PUBLIC water company Emaya needs to invest over €200 million to stop sewage water spills on Palma beaches. It comes after the Olive Press reported that there have been 350 sewage overflows in eight years, with 38 beach closures alone since May this year. In total some €222 million is to be invested in constructing the water treatment plant for Palma. A new storm tank is needed as the current 40-year-old plant regularly overflows. The plan, involves €30 million coming from the city of Palma, over €100 million from the Balearic government and between €87 and €120 million from the central government. By Laurence Dollimore

PET owners might have to plan trips to Spain four months in advance if a nodeal Brexit comes into reality. That is the prediction of the British government in its latest set of no-deal papers. According to a shocking new warning, owners would have

RESTAURANT owners in Palma claim they are being ‘persecuted’ after over half of them were fined for terrace violations this year. They insist the authorities are putting jobs at risk, after it emerged that 369 establishments had been sanctioned. In total, over 400 infractions have been issued by the city council, many of them for ‘silly things’ such as not correctly displaying a

By Gillian Keller

terrace licence. An incredible 200 restaurants have been fined up to €750 euros for this, while another 100 have been fined for exceeding the number of tables allowed on terraces. Agents working for the town hall have so far inspected 730 restaurants and insist they will continue inspections into the Autumn.

Slow destruction DEMOLITION workers had to retreat from a job tearing down buildings in the gypsy village of Son Banya. The team came under attack, alongside police, as locals threw stones and other missiles. The city has been on a schedule of demolishing three to five buildings a week at the shanty town, near the airport. The city council have insisted that works will continue regardless.

Restaurant owners have slammed the authorities after half of them were fined this year

President of the Mallorca restaurant association, Alfonso Robledo insisted businesses feel they are being ‘persecuted’ and fined ‘for minor matters’. "We are small businesses and cannot get caught on silly little things that put jobs at risk," he stressed. He has pointed out that there was a time when many businesses worked without a license, but that is not that case any more – ‘but giving a €750 fine to a small business for not displaying the licenses is overboard’.

Brexit threat to pets to prove their pets were vaccinated against rabies before getting a health certificate. Once in the EU they would have to arrive at a designated entry point, for official paperwork. That is unless the UK be-

comes a 'listed third country', which would lead to only minor changes for pet owners. In further warnings for expats and European tourists, the government insisted flights could cease between the UK and the EU. The government warned that flights could be disrupted as the EU-issued aviation licences would not be valid, meaning airlines would have to seek individual permissions to operate.

Flights

Give them a break A BRITISH-based animal rights group has joined calls to ban horse-drawn carriages in Mallorca. Peta UK is demanding that the island follows a similar ban in Barcelona and Oxford. Although Palma has recently restricted their use during the heat of the summer, they are still seen for most of the year and during hot conditions. They are also seen being used many places around the island. Peta UK insists that the ‘barbaric’ horse drawn carriages should be replaced by more ‘pedicabs’ – or people-drawn carts. “Horses are sensitive, social animals who naturally live in herds,” a spokesman told the Olive Press. “They need sufficient exercise as well as appropriate food, fresh water, regular care, and veterinary treatment. If these most basic needs aren't met, the animals suffer throughout their lives and may develop serious illnesses.” Last year, local animal rights group AnimaNaturalis launched a petition for Palma town hall to put an end to horse carriages in the city and to be replaced by electric vehicles. And this summer their calls were joined by the island’s IU party, which accused Palma Council of turning its back on the suffering of the horses. The left leaning party said it had submitted a plea to the EU and that the issue was an ‘embarrassment’ for the island. “Time and again we hear the parties talking about better protection of animals, but nothing has actually happened, it’s mostly one postponement after another,” a spokesman insisted. “It’s a disgrace that a city standing for animal rights sees these horses being exploited on a daily basis.”

"If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no agreement in place, UK and EU licensed airlines would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission,” the government said. It added that it hopes member states will grant British airlines permission to land at EU airports, and that it would reciprocate. "EU-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate wholly within the UK (eg from Heathrow to Edinburgh), and UK-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate intra-EU air services (eg from Milan to Paris)." The warnings come after

Pet parade AN animal shelter is organising a pet beauty parade in a bid to get its animals adopted. The parade this saturday will show off the Son Reus shelter’s huge range of canines and felines available to adopt. There are currently over 100 dogs and nearly 50 cats waiting for responsible people to adopt at the Palma facility.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Chequers plan was effectively rejected by EU leaders in Salzburg last week.

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www.theolivepress.es Mallorca’s original community newspaper

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 Claws out DEVOTING time to assist innocent animals is an act you’d think everyone would praise. Unfortunately this was not the case with a mother and daughter who were accosted when trying to feed hungry stray cats. In what is an increasing problem in the Pollensa area, of stray cats roaming the streets, the charity is certainly helping not only the animals but also residents in the area. Who knows what the man’s problem is. Some may argue that he doesn’t like cats or perhaps that they are interfering with nature - but more likely he’s worried about the felines deterring tourists from staying at his home which he lets out in the summer months. Surely it is only a good thing that they are feeding starving animals and keeping feral cats away from residents’ bins and pets? Whatever the reason behind the heartless attack, we say keep up the great work 9 Lives. You are appreciated by many.

FEATURE

trickadvisor True review or cooked up for cash? It’s hard to tell but many things don’t add up on Trip Advisor, where an estimated one in three reviews is fake. Pablo Balbontin runs the checks

N a follow-up to our front page expose on fake reviews on Trip Advisor, last month, we decided to take a closer look at how the online portal worked.Following our scoop on a Benalmadena-based company CGI Global, which was brazenly offering 50 five-star reviews for €400 and had ‘dozens’ of clients, we ran some Best Restaurant listings in Andalucia and the Balearic Islands through our truth detector. The results are food for thought...

Curry-on Manilva #1 of 10 Could someone be currying favour in our hometown where an incredible THREE Indian restaurants sit in Manilva’s Top Five? Don’t get us wrong, we love our tikka masalas, but with all the wide choice of restaurants here, this seems a little odd! More curious still, the top restaurant slot is scooped by an ice cream parlour. A gelatería - Getoutahere!

Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es design Keith Franks

Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618

Admin Beatriz Sanllehí (+34) 951 273 575 admin@theolivepress.es

Gillian Keller gillian@theolivepress.es

Office manager Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Elisa Menendez elisa@theolivepress.es

Missing in Marbella #2 of 10 He may be Andalucia’s top chef on paper with two hard-earned Michelin stars and a string of awards, but Dani Garcia (below) doesn’t even star in his home town of Marbella’s Top Ten, nor for the matter Top 20, even Top 100. In fact, his eponymous eaterie at the Hotel Puente Romano comes in at 129th. Sure, we know not everyone can afford his prices but the Marbelli have deeper pockets than most. We’re nonplussed that this talented celebrity chef is a no-show in town while a pasta franchise, a curry house and a pizzaria all make the top ten.

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2016/2017 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

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Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

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QUEEN Sofia was summoned to Mallorca’s ‘most expensive home’ to have lunch with Michelle Obama

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Lazy reviews #3 of 10 Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a review is genuine or written by the restaurateurs best friend/wife or mother - but not always. In Cadiz, one reviewer actually awarded five stars to a bar after it was no longer open! And plenty of those leaving the worst reviews, such as many at Dani Garcia don’t leave real names and merely put up a photo of a beach or the moon.

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just cheating’

FAKING IT

this week. The former first lady declined to leave the sprawling estate in Esporles, preferring instead to invite Spain’s queen mum for a long lunch. It is third time Michelle has stayed at the home, which BUSINESSES in Spain are payher friend, former US ambas- ing to post dozens of FAKE fivesador to Spain James Costos, star reviews on TripAdvisor in a bid to increase their rankings. rents out every summer. Michelle invited Queen An Olive Press investigation Sofia and her friends the has unearthed companies ofFruchauds, from Paris, for fering packages of 50 glowing EXCLUSIVE reviews for just €400. lunch at 2pm on Monday. By Laurence Dollimore The leading ladies had lunch Restaurants, hotels and gaand Elisa Menendez and enjoyed a sobremesa’ rages have utilised the services until 5pm, when Sofia re- of Malaga-based company GCI Global, which promises ‘genu- the Olive turned to Marivent Palace. ine reviews’ that will be ‘tailored “It doesn’tPress this week. matter if (the reviewto your business’. ers) eat there or not, although if Security We can reveal that one of its you want to pay a bit more we Michelle - who is travelling clients, a Malaga restaurateur, can actually send solo - is expected to stay on managed to get to number one added Fisher, who someone,” lives in Al- tailor made profesin his town on TripAdvisor af- haurin the island until Monday. sional de la Torre. review packages giving your She has been pictured just ter ‘purchasing’ dozens of ‘ex- “In fact if you pay we can send business a boost and cellent’ reviews over just two four people once getting off a yacht. the edge to share one pizza. It is the second time she months. Then we spread the reviews out over your competitors.” Posing as potential visited Spain this year, hav- In total, 99% of the comments over a few days. “I have dozens a holiday rental clients with ing been over with husband for his restaurant - which we of clients.” business in Marbella, our reporters were Barack and daughters Sacha are not naming for legal rea- The Olive Press probe was told by Fisher that sons - are ‘excellent’ 5/5 with launched and Malia last month. the reviews after we were apStrong security measures only one ‘very good’. proached by an angry reader, would be ‘from real people’. “The reviews are from real peohave made it virtually im- “The restaurant was over 100 targeted by an possible to photograph Mi- (in the list) but look at it now,” email from GCI last unsolicited ple on the Costa del Sol, it’s not a bunch of fake accounts putchelle. The estate, which is GCI boss Ben Fisher boasted to The advert read: month. “We offer ting reviews on,” said said to be one of the island’s Fisher, most expensive, is owned by Mallorcan millionaire Marieta Salas.

launches probe, as a Spanish business ‘selling’ fakeOlive Press exposes on to the global giant’s website customer reviews

Yo-yo Mallorca ratings #4 of 10 The aforementioned Benalmadena restaurant isn’t the only example of how a restaurant’s ratings can rise and fall overnight. While you’re reading this, some towns’ lists will have completely changed. In Port de Soller, Mall o r c a , three small restaurants specialising in fresh local p ro d u c e mysteriously vanished from the Top 10 in one day, including one that was placed second in the list. How come? The same reason, as above.

Model review #5 of 10

The gag is up

THERE have been ZERO fake food poisoning claims by Brits on package holidays to Spain this year. It comes after 2013 saw a 500% hike in the bogus claims, which were dubbed by the Spanish hotel industry as the ‘diarrhoea scam.’ Last year was one of the worst on record in the Balearics, with Mallorca’s Hotel Federation announcing false gastroenteritis claims had soared by 700% since 2015 and had cost hotels on the island €50 million in 2016 alone.

Please forgive us!

In an open letter to Spain, the Olive Press apologises for our unruly tourists

WE’RE SORRY

Weird winners #9 of 10 Dear Spain, WE ARE SORRY.

E ask that you judge us Brits not by the sinverguenzas who choose to poo over your balconies or perform oral services for a free cocktail, but by the majority of respectful expats who are privileged to call your beautiful country home. Seriously though, how did we get here? Brits used to be famed for their polite manners and punctuality. Now we are better known for our excessive drinking and outrageous party antics compounded by the senseless alcohol-fuelled sport of ‘balconing’. Some 46 patients were treated for injuries after falling or deliberately jumping from balconies between 2010 and 2015 - and 60% were Brits. The last two years have seen this number grow, with almost 10 Brits dying this year alone (CHECK). And that’s only one example from a whole catalogue of outrageous behaviour that has seen holiday high jinks sink to a shocking new low. Just this week we were sent a video from Benidorm which showed a British reveller putting his penis in the mouth of a passed-out compatriot.

Elitist users #6 of 10 We are concerned about the huge number of people who contribute just one restaurant review - usually giving it five stars - and wrting things such as ‘great restaurant, the food was delicious’ - with no other details. Highly suspicious, we’ve noticed reviews like this in Nerja and Estepona but you’ll certainly find them everywhere.

And who can forget the brazen British girl who performed oral sex on 24 men for a free drink in 2016, or the man who fell from a balcony in Mallorca last month while trying to defecate over the edge. Closer to home, beach club brawls and stabbings at Costa del Sol haunts dominated the headlines last summer. Two rival gangs’ fight spilled onto the streets of Puerto Banus and ended with one member trying to run over his rivals. Is it any wonder that some of Spain’s biggest resorts are starting to resist tourists? ‘Tourists go home’ and ‘Tourist, you are the terrorist,’ are just some of the messages that have been graffitied across tourism hotspots in the past few years. Just because resorts make a killing from visiting Brits every year, it doesn’t mean they have to put up with such antics. We hope you will bear this in mind the next time you roll your eyes in disgust at yet another story about a British reveller behaving badly, and accept our apology on behalf of the whole damned lot.

Dusculpanos

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16/06/2017

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supersite from $69 per month. “We can provide TripAdvisor reviews that would help your hotel or restaurant to improve its reputation and increase its number of customers,” it offered. Local hoteliers and restaurateurs were quick to support out investigation. “I’m sure it is very common with restaurants here,” said Mark Wardell, manager of the Sunset Beach Club in Benalmadena, Malaga’s biggest hotel. “TripAdvisor is particularly from Hull. very open to manipulation and “A potential customer doesn’t fake reviews. know if they are real or fake. It “You often see these small placis not illegal. You can’t get pros- es pop up with phenomenal reecuted... it’s just cheating.” views that quickly sink without Describing himself as a ‘web trace,” he added. marketing specialist’, he ex- Restaurateur Robert Grimplained how if our reporters mond, of well-established El bought 50 reviews, our new Jardin restaurant in Frigiliana, business would receive two added he had been aware of this five-star reviews per day from practice for years. his network of users consisting “It’s disappointing that busiof ‘friends and family friends’. nesses on the coast He offered to do 20 reviews buying reviews in this are still way,” he for €150 or the 50 reviews for added. €400 - with payments made by cash or PayPal. Trust So confident was he that it would boost our business rank- “If you really want to know if a ing he offered a 100% satisfac- restaurant is good or not, ask tion or a ‘money-back guaran- someone you trust or go yourtee’. “You’re paying for direct self!” marketing - the higher you go Last night TripAdvisor thanked on TripAdvisor the more you the Olive Press and confirmed it pop up as recommended and was ‘investigating the case’. the more business you get,” he “We strongly oppose any atinsisted. Sadly, the process is tempt to manipulate a business’ not new. TripAdvisor has been ranking,” said a spokeswoman, caught out before, including a adding that its investigations famous stunt pulled off by VICE team was ‘proactive and effecwebsite in which an undercover tive’ at catching anyone who reporter set up a fake restau- attempts to market paid rerant, The Shed at Dulwich, and view services. “We take serious made it the number one restau- steps to penalize any properties caught using their services,” she rant in London. Just this week a simple Google added. search unearthed a US-based After revealing ourselves as company, Reviews that Stick, journalists, Fisher told the Oloffering packages on the global ive Press: “People pay for direct traffic, people purchase the reviews, then a team of four will go into the premises, share food and leave a review on their experience… it’s a service that is genuine and helps everybody… the reason my clients pay is to cover the cost of the food purchased by each customer!”

Can a salad bar really be the best Hot restaurant in Malaga, a city blessed water with almost 2,000 eateries? It probably serves very fine salads but we’re not so green to really trust that a bar specialising in garden leaves deserves to be in this food capital. Meanwhile there are three pasta Pipe ban joints in the Top Ten and two fast food franchises in the Top 20. Fishy? Lettuce know what you think! Best English Pub in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am

Opinion Page 6

Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma

Avenida Rey Jaime 1, Santa Ponca, 0034 871Find 510 277out more on page XX 15

SEE MORE IN THE RESTAURANT SOME 14 fire bosses have SECTIONbeen arrested for allegedly INSIDE embezzling €7 million in public funds. The Policia Nacional found that the Consortium of Bomberos Cadiz took out mass early retirement insurance policies. But when their employees retired early, chiefs siphoned off the money from the payouts. Authorities also found discrepancies in the consortium’s training courses. Large sums were paid to a company to provide training courses, but no evidence has been found that these courses took place. Meanwhile, irregularities were also found in grants and subsidies, which cops believe were used to pay for private trips. The irregularities date back to 2008 and cops believe at least €7 million has been stolen by those at the top.

FRUIT growers in the Axarquia are facing a 60% reduction in water use from the La Vinuela reservoir with no solution in sight. The Junta has decided to limit its use as the reservoir is already at 22.7% capacity and could drop even lower if the dry weather keeps up.

Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished A HOTEL is to be knocked down for not having enough class! Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista de Rey must be demolished within three months, a court has ruled, Andalucia’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that the hotel falls short of its four-star requirement.

No en sta

Probing

It began probing the three star hotel and apartment block in 2011 after it was denounced over planning rules which set aside the plot for a four star hotel only. According to the PGOU town plan an apartment block was not permitted and it also breached rules by being over 700 square meters bigger

DOOMED: Cost

SMUGGLER POLICE officers have formed a human wall along a beach in La Linea to ensure construction of a beach wall went that the The wall, between the church ahead. of Nuestra Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to

de as Ac loc fea and

Eroski billboard.indd 1

ARTWORK SETUP TO 25% OF ACT AR

Too good to be true #10 of 10 Last but not least, a common factor of Trip Advisor Top 10s is the questionable ratio of rave reviews to rubbish ones. Nobody’s perfect so when a restaurant has over 200 ‘Excellent’ ratings but less than 10 critical comments it defies the law of probability. And when the negative feedback includes comments like ‘not as good as other people say’ it confirms our suspicions.

Marketing monkeys #7 of 10 The Olive Press investigation into fake Trip Advisor reviews in August revealed how some Costa del Sol restaurateurs paid cheats CGI Global €400 a throw to post a set of 50 fake five-star ratings on the website. Immediately after putting our findings to TripAdvisor, one of his clients - a restaurant in Benalmadena, only open for six weeks - dropped 80 places from Number One. And this foodie corruption has gone global. A couple of weeks ago a man was jailed in Italy for nine months for trying to sell more than 1,000 fake reviews.

OPINION

Impossible to use IT is becoming almost impossible to find good places to eat in the big cities and resorts like Manilva and Marbella these days. That is if you trust sites like TripAdvisor. On a recent weekend trip to Malaga, we struggled to work out where to eat for lunch or dinner, attempting to follow the suspect lists on TripAdvisor. Having not visited the city for a while I was

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CMY

We’re not sure how globe-trotting Spanish supermodel Jon Kortajarena (right) gets time off from his busy schedule to dine in Manilva. Yet his profile picture appears in one local restaurant review and he gives it a glowing four-star rating. It sounds like a clear case of identity theft, but stranger things have happened.

Jobsworth WHILE some may argue the new terracing laws in Mallorca have merit, it’s hard to view them as little more than money making schemes for the government when literally hundreds have been fined in such a short space of time, many for minor infractions like not displaying a terrace licence. It comes after we launched the Save Our Terraces campaign in Santa Catalina earlier this year in a bid to change the government’s position the laws, which most people view as unnecessary. Let’s not get into the habit of punishing hard working business people who work so hard and do so much to keep the reputation of the island as a culinary and nightlife hotspot afloat. The fact that dozens feel persecuted is not a good sign for an industry that is vital to Mallorca’s economy.

September 27th - October 10th 2018

happy to go to a few favourite old haunts, I wanted to try a couple of new places. It was quite clear that TripAdvisor was actually hindering our search and we ended up finding a place simply wandering around and spotted a Michelin sticker and found a menu that looked inspiring. It proved to be exactly that. Jon Clarke

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FEATURE

September 27th - October

SPECIAL REPORT

Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es And our site is updated daily with the latest news, 10th 2018 making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.

olive press online October 2015

Drug dealer lifts the lid on police bribery in Spain and how the cartels get paid

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DATES: September www.theolivepress.es 11 - September 25

SEASONED drug trafficker has revealed how 30% of his gang’s profits are spent on bribing Guardia Civil agents and port workers. In an alarming expose, the narco insisted corruption is ‘essential’ to his cartel’s business and that ‘everyone has a price.’ “Customs officers, Guardia Civil and businessREVELATIONS: Guardia Civil take the most bribes, says trafficker men laundering money, everyone has a price,” the Madrid-based trafficker, known as Zape, revealed in a no-holds bar interview. “Without corruption there is no business.” His claims come as it emerged the cocaine trade in Spain made more than €2 billion in profits in 2015, according to the Intelligence Centre against Trafficking and Organised Crime (CITCO). And according to Zape, a large chunk of this is thanks to people working on the inside of the law. Although mules, fishing boats and sailboats are used to move drugs, the cartels still favour using freight companies to shift large quantities of their goods. The most popular ports are Valencia and in particular Algeciras - the busiest shipping container port in Spain and one of the most important in Europe. “Customs have to tell us which companies are clean so we know which ones to work with to go undetected,” explained Zape to El Espanol newspaper. “Or we create a company and collaborate with an exporting company from a Latin American country. “We have to know which container can be relied upon to carry a huge amount of cocaine, from 500 to 2,000 kilos.” The career-criminal, who has been in the business for two decades, explains how usually several customs officers have to be bribed to ensure the container is not registered. “Then we bribe Guardia Civil agents and finally some of the dockworkers, otherwise it would “They always take their kilos and sell them, usunot leave the port,” he added. ally to local drug gangs,” he continued. Incredibly, he claims, plenty of small loads “But their help is essential otherwise our product (around 100 kilos or less) are actually taken would not leave the ports. out of the port by dock workers and even police. “It only needs a few of them to be corrupted. Once the product has been removed from the Money is very sweet.” containers, it will be officially re-sealed to look Is it any wonder, numerous restaurants, kiosks as though it hadn’t been opened. and other businesses are ‘part-owned’ by police If there are more than 1,000 in Spain. kilos, the container will have to Some 32,795 kilos of cocaine leave the port on a truck. were seized in Spain last year, Their weapons This means customs cannot inand the numbers of officials investigate the container and Guar- are an encrypted volved are damning. dia Civil must allow it to leave. April saw Policia Nacional mobile phone This It then gets taken abroad beinterrupt the biggest ever haul HOTSPOT: Algeciras port fore being put on a ship and the and knowledge in Europe when 8,740 kilos were as a real estate company in Colombia, or an drugs are divided up. seized, with a Guardia Civil agent import business in Brazil. “In total 30% of profits are spent of world finance among the 11 arrested. on bribes,” explains Zape, “The On July 4, the Central Operation The trafficker asks the businessman to make Guardia Civil take most of it, Unit (UCO) arrested 21 people. the €40 million payment and, in return, he will around 16 or 17%. Ten of them were workers from the port of Algeci- be reimbursed 17% of the total transferred. “If we shift 1,000 kilos, 300 are gone in ras. They were part of a network that introduced The businessman will then send it to another bribes.” large quantities of cocaine and other drugs company in Colombia which has been chosen One kilo of cocaine costs around €24,000 in through containers to deliver them ‘to drug traf- by the cartel. This company will then deliver the €40 million Spain. fickers all over Europe.’ It means one shipment of 300 kilos will pro- But once the drugs make it into Spain and into to the cartel through highly complex financial manoeuvres. duce around €7.2 million in profits. the hands of dealers, how is it paid for? And the price is worth paying, says Zape. One method is ‘mirror payments’, explains Zape. A recent study by the Colombian Observatory Let’s say a Spanish drug trafficker - who has im- of Organized Crime said: "[The narcos] They ported cocaine - needs to pay €40 million to a never touch a kilo of drugs, much less a pistol. “Their weapons are an encrypted mobile cartel in Colombia. He will contact a Spanish businessman with phone, a varied portfolio of legally established large financial interests in South America such businesses and an intimate knowledge of the world of finance.” Another payment method, albeit much slower, is the ‘conejitas’ - or ‘little rabbits’. It sees Spanish gangs bringing young Latin American women to Spain for several days. They usually make them travel in groups of ten spread across different flights and landing at different airports - some are passed off as lesbian couples and brought together. But before returning home, they place €100,000 in €500 bills inside a condom or special tube and insert them inside various orifices. If you owed €40 million, you would have to use 10 girls a total of 20 times until you paid your debt. The women are paid €6,000 for each trip, a huge payment for them. SOURCE: Colombian drug cartel

Blow By blow

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Useful numbers Emergencies

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Transport Railway Line Palma-Inca / Palma-Manacor – 971.177.777 Buses in Majorca – 971.177.777 Railway Line Palma-Soller – 902.364.711 Airport information – 971.789.000 Road Traffic Information – 900.123.505

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yo va We u r lu vi e ew s

Just wanted to congratulate you on the 300th edition of the Olive Press - Really quite an achievement in the publishing world here. Well done :) Hope you are all well. Best regards,

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Voted BEST

expat paper in Spain

September 26th - October 9th 2018

this month for being alVILLA in Mallorca made headline news … although the owners of legedly the ‘most expensive’ in Spain might have something an even costlier Marbella-listed mansion to say about that. of the many properties across At a staggering €65 million, it’s one soar as the country’s property the country that have seen their worth market continues to recover. sleuths rounded up some of the Our Olive Press Property Magazine locations. most expensive homes in Spain’s hottest

Simply the best

September 26th - October 9th 2018

PROPERTY

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September 2018

September 26th - October 9th 2018

VII 19

XIV 26

September 2018

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Expensive Taste

21 MILLION

loHIS sprawling modern home is cated in La Finca, near Madrid, reckoned to be the safest residential area in Europe and a favourite Bale and among footie stars like Gareth Zinedine Zidane. of Madrid, The mansion, west of the centre

In the latest round of the Design World Cup, Nest Estepona’s Lotti Ander pits Germany against Spain

masboasts a home cinema, spa, sauna, domotics sage room, gym, security room,staff. and an independent pavilion for ConsultFor sale through Jaime Valcarce and ing Inmobiliario, you also get indoor a nine-car outdoor swimming pools and garage.

T seems all Europeans have their own unique DNA when it comes to interior styles, like stripes that never go away. In our last property magazine, I explained how I could tell with near 100% accuracy where the owners of a home were from depending on their interiors. Kicking off the Design World Cup, I pitted the Brits furniture-loving against the minimalist Swedes. This edition I take a look at the precision-loving Germans and colourmad Spaniards.

We track down Spain’s most expensive homes...

STYLISH: Sleek lines PRIVILEGED: Location overlooking

Palma

PALMA

65 MILLION

to illa Solitaire in Son Vida, Palma was reported in Spain be the most expensive property for sale it is this month at a cool €65 million (although still €15 million less than the Marbella-listed the John Taylor property below). On the market witharchitect Matteo real-estate, it was designed by Italian views over Palma Bay. 1 has stunning Thun andANUNCIO OLIVE PRESS ENERO 18 OK.pdf and six bathThe 2,300m2 pad has seven bedroomscinema, gym, rooms, a rooftop terrace with open-air an elevator … parking for six cars, a botanical garden, we could go on ...

22/1/18

15:33

SEVILLA, Looking for Design Inspiration? 13.5 MILLION

by ring! It also comes WNED and Joanne Hearst with a horse collection Castro, grand- carriage the one daughter of - including Infanta Elena newspaper magnate Spain’s Randolph rode in to her wedWilliam Hearst, this grand ding. m2 property, 152-hectare estate is The 3000 with Sotheby’s, just 15 minutes from listed in 1929 by the centre of Sevilla was built González beand offers jaw-drop- Aníbalbeing upgraded ping views from every fore in 1999. Sotheby’s side. it fullyThe 15-bedroom cor- is offering complete tijo has its own cha- furnished, objets d’art colpel, dressage rings, with from the most pool, wine cellar with lected corners in the flamenco tablao and exotic even a private bull world.

was giant was HIS massive 17-bathroom giant 10-bedroom, 17-bathroom the 10-bedroom, Marbella, the Property Marbella, Prime Property withPrime Listedwith garden. Listed enormous garden. pool, garage and enormous swimming pool, featuresaa swimming andfeatures 2002and builtinin2002 heated with aa heated built complete with home comes complete beachfront home the beachfront plot,the 8000m2plot, an8000m2 onan Sittingon Sitting barbecue. andbarbecue. cinemaand bars,cinema pool,bars, pool,

September 26th - October 9th 2018

GORGEOUS: Gardens of Sevilla mansion

More eye-watering properties overleaf

for homeowners with style… The leading home decoration magazine | www.homeandlifestyle.es Tel. (+34) 951 38 38 97 | info@homeandlifestyle.es

XVI 28

PROPERTY

Property

Roman beauty

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September 2018

Clinical vs Colour

€899,000

I love this historical hacienda with Roman origins, near Antequera. It features some amazing nooks and crannies and plenty of space… and check this amazing

archaeological masterpiece from the first century that was found in the grounds. It’s called the ‘Efebo’ and it sits in Antequera’s town museum.

GERMANY

Order, grunge and gemütlichkeit!

...work out who’s more stylish? The Germans or the Spanish...

ERMANS have a long history with industrial craftsmanship, producing designs systematically and methodically with a rigorous and refined approach to qualall ity. Bauhaus, BMW and beer are products of this ‘mit Präzision’ menway tality! And when it comes to their of living (Germans have a problem with voluptuous and fussy interiors) you can easily see their love for clean, on staight lines. They tend to focus a one statement piece of furniture at time rather than an overall concept, an and they do it themselves - hiring the interior designer is a no-no! Seeing home as an arena for self-expression oris a completely outlandish idea to derly German minds! Please follow the instructions below to give your home the Deutsch touch: •

• •

In every self-respecting German home there should be a brown leather sofa, preferably a 1960s Conseta model. No IKEA-wannabes please! Alternatively, opt for a very complicated module sofa, one that’s hell to hoover underneath and impossible to get up from! Bare brickwork walls and concrete ‘bunker style’ are popular design themes. Organise your home with modular floor-to-ceiling

ORDERED: Clean, tidy and organised

•

in a German home

should shelves and containers. There be no clutter. of Gemütlischkeit demands plenty If you throws, cushions and carpets. feel, want to enhance the arty crafty throw in a lambskin. or manA square fireplace (no frills with telpiece) is a must, accessorised wooden honey candle lights and a floor - zehr naturlisch! For the finishing touch, something clock? olde worlde. Why not a cuckoo

SPAIN

families and businesses across Europe St Georges European have been relocating dedicated European movers, we operate for over 10 years. As one of the UK’s only crews. manned by our own experienced trained our own fleet of purpose built vehicles within the removals & storage industry Insured by one of the UK’s leading brokers facilities in both the UK and Spain and with our own containerised storage to your next move. St Georges European have the solution

80 MILLION 80 MARBELLA, MARBELLA, expensive in Spain. most expensive the most actually the mansionisisactually HIS massivemansion

CMY

PROPERTY

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September 2018

MADRID

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Color, color y mas color!

schizophrenic look, every room must be different, from the porch to the garage and even the dog kennel house! Think fuchsia, neon-carrot, toxin green, bubblegum pink and custard sauce yellow. better! dark Also alien to the Spanish homein • Buy chunky, heavy let no owner is the concept common brown furniture and this age of over-consumption that space come between them when something is out of fashion, when you line them up by it gets chucked out and replaced along the walls. Olé! something more modish. This does not work for a Spaniard but hon- • Install double lines of curestly - why should it? We humans tains. And awnings. And are all hamster hoarders at heart, blinds. And blackouts. And it. but we have a problem admitting use the electricity sparSpaniards don’t. Therefore you may ingly. Think dark side of the have difficulty navigating a Spanish moon, then you are on the home because of the hulking mediright path. eval cupboards, sideboards, bookyou cases and chiffoniers blocking your an • Why be practical when up way to the bathroom. It’s like can run with wet laundry adventure into the Amazon jungle two staircases instead? Alwithout a map. ways keep the washing maHowever, for those who are anal chine in the kitchen/baseabout organisation (like the Germent - that way, you get is mans), the Spanish interior style your daily exercise without utterly liberating! If you want your thinking of it! home to be vibrant, full of life and furniture and with a colour scheme • Stash all your 101 cleanthat will have paint supply coming products - the extermithe panies laughing all the way to nate-everything-includingbank, you should do as follows: yourself stuff - in one of your many wardrobes. Not • Choose distinct, strong space enough ? Buy a bigcolours for your walls. To ger house, hombre! achieve this psychedelic

OW can I describe the art of Spanish interior design in just a few words? It’s virtually impossible because minimalistic they are not. Their motto is ‘more is more’ - and the more the furniture/colours/objets d’art,

CAPTION

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Brexit showdown

€7.5m

September 2018

I can only describe this as a ‘masterpiece’ and aside from winning architectural prizes, this fortress, near Alcala del Valle, between Ronda and Olvera, once owned by a Marquez, has Roman origins and a 120,000m2 plot, with its own olive plantation, chapel and no less than 10 bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

GATEWAY TO DREAMS HOMESELLERS REPORT

Country Mill

in Andalucia… He is one of the best travelled agents like Oscar region and few people know the inland Ernstsen (right), writes Jon Clarke

€295,000 This resorted olive mill on the outskirts of one of inland Malaga’s most charming small villages, is a complete bargain. Completely restored, it sits on the edge of the cultured artist village of Genalguacil, just 30 minutes from Estepona and Ronda! With 1.4 hectares of land providing 1500 kgs of olives and 300 litres of oil, it’s the very epitome of the Good Life. A bargain for an artist or writer!

and cently-relaunched website (below left) OOKING for a castle? He’s got a you will find dozens of Andalucia’s most few. Looking for a palace? That’s stunning estates. easy. Want a vineyard or an olive Scattered across seven provinces of Andaestate? What grape or olive varilucia, they include hunting esety do you prefer? tates, equestrian properties, Welcome to the wonderwith vineyards, fortresses, with ful world of Oscar Ernst12-foot high walls and 20-bed sen at Villas & Fincas, Ancortijos with Roman foundadalucia’s most travelled tions. estate agent. “I cover almost all of the region While most Costa del Sol and as a rule of thumb, they agents spend the majorhave to be between a three ity of their time, scouring and four hour drive from my ofthe many urbanisations fice for me to consider them,” between Mijas and Marhe explains. bella, this Dutchman “And something three-and-alooks inland. half hours away will have to be something Aside from a series of charming coun- pretty nice.” try properties near Estepona and He particularly likes the Aracena region, of Casares, where he is based, his beat Huelva, with its rolling countryside, as well as de Seis very much rustic dreams. the Natural Park of the Sierra Norte But not of your ordinary kind. villa, which butts onto Extremadura. Take a look around his company’s re- “I have just sold a wonderful olive estate to as an American couple from New York there, all well as a vineyard near Ronda. They have the bases covered,” he explains. RonHe is a massive fan of the Serrania debored da area in general and ‘will never get and of the amazing drive between Gaucin Ronda’. area, And he also loves the Hornachuelos north of Cordoba and the south of Jaen. “I spend a lot of my week driving around of the inland Andalucia, which is easily one he exmost beautiful areas of the world,” over plains. “I’ve got to know the region wellmany the last two decades and there are so stunning places to live.” Luckily, his office in Casares, near Estepona, and is manned around the clock by his wife of four business partner Anita and a team or cliemployees, so he never misses a call, on ent. Currently they have 250 propertiesvidtheir books, all with exclusive photos and a eos on their new website, which has taken year to create. if, like “There is something for everyone and arme, you appreciate the local Andalucian he chitecture, you will love having a browse,” adds. of Here are six picks from his current crop dream places to buy: Visit www.villasfincas.com

Horses and wines €1.15m

sits in the middle of top class This amazing equestrian property in Ronda, with the most vineyards (near Federico Schatz bodega)Park. amazing views to the Grazalema Natural

€700,000 Few places can take you back in time like this. Oozing history, it was once a monastery and features incredible arches and some of the nicest original features I have ever

€1.55m

You will struggle to beat this award-winning restoration project, sitting inside the UNESCOprotected Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural park. It was formerly

come across on my travels. It even has an old bodega and sits near the idyllic mountain village of Cazalla de la Sierra where famous designers Vic-

an ice factory, and later a farm for classic Jamon Iberico…Today it is a rural country hotel. Oh and by the way, Napoleon (right) once stayed here!

...and find a selection of dreamy inland properties

torio y Lucchino have a home, as well as the daughter of former dictator Franco… and price wise just €700,000.

Little bit pricey

Is this Spain’s most expensive home?

www.eliteglasscurtains.com

UP to one in three reviews on TripAdvisor is fake, a new investigation has found. An analysis of tens of thousands of reviews shows toprated B&Bs have almost twice as many ‘fake’ reviews as lowerranked accommodation. The Times caught restaurants trying to buy 5-star reviews, as well as negative reviews of rivals. It comes after the Olive Press exposed a series of Costa del Sol businesses paying for dozens of fake five-star reviews in a bid to increase their rankings.

September 26th - October 9th 2018

Page VI

INLAND DREAMING

TRIPLE JOY: Historic internal patio in Cadiz stunner, while (below)

ancient arches in Sevilla mill and a vineyard/equestrian estate, near

Costa del Sol is cashing in on a buy-to-let boom

Even up to 2000 that figure only dropped to eight out of 10 homeowners. But times are changing with more buyers hoping to turn their holiday home into a nice little earner, according to a survey by Savills and HomeAway. In the early 2000s, only 14% of second homes were bought purely for rental rather than personal use. But by the time of the credit crunch, this figure had risen to 19% and now more than a third of second homes are

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INTERIORS WORLD CUP, PART 2 See page XXVI ust an hour or two from the Costa del Sol you’ll find a range of stunning historical gems for many going back to the sale, man era and one where Roleon (right) once stayed.Napo-

Little bit pricey

Is this Spain’s most expensive home?

Page VI

See page XVI

Price hike

Taking a stroll around a mountain of bargains

Page IV

Casa or Cave

TRIPLE JOY: Historic internal

patio in Cadiz stunner,

Fabulous photo report of Andalucia’s cave-dwellers

while (below) ancient arches

in Sevilla mill and a vineyard/equestrian

estate, near Ronda

Page XX

Famous Guests

Reform of stunning hotel where Virginia Woolf stayed

Page XXV

ORE buyers than ever homes to rent out - andare snapping up second the Costa del Sol is the second hottest destination bought as investments. of choice. According to new research, “In a low interest rate more than two thirds of owners now rent out income-generating environment investors are seeking part or all of their costs, out their second homes to cover Even assets,” said Paul Tostevin, up to 2000 that figure reversing the trend of director for Savills associate ago. only dropped to eight 50 years 10 homeowners. out of “Today’s second World Research. The top three locations home buyers want properties But times are changing them financially to work for with more buyers hoping ond home boom are the benefiting from the buy-to-let sec- their to turn cover costs but and they’re increasingly looking not just to international market, theCosta del Sol, which has 4% of the surveyholiday home into a nice little earner, according to to a He added: “Globalturn a profit.” Algarve, in Portugal, withCosta Blanca, also at 4%, and the In the by Savills and HomeAway. tourism continues to grow, early 2000s, only 14% of with interBack in the 1970s, nine 5%. second homes were bought national tourist arrivals up by 7% last year purely to a record 1.3 billion. At the same time, second homes purely for out of 10 homeowners kept their But by for rental rather than personal use. the rapid expansion of themselves. the time of the holiday home platforms online such as HomeAway opens to 19% and now more credit crunch, this figure had risen market to up the than a third of second new homes are owners to maketarget groups and makes it much easier for their properties income-producing.”

Costa del Sol is cashing in on a buy-to-let boom

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GIBRALTARIANS are to be banned from keeping whales and dolphins in captivity. It is one of the specific changes to be made to the ‘out of date’ Animals and Birds Act. Under new proposed animal protection laws there will also be tougher penalties for cruelty. Anyone convicted of committing cruelty to pets faces up to five years in prison. Under the new Animals Act, as it will be called, officers will be able to confiscate pets left in hot cars, or any other pets in distress. The changes come after an extensive review carried out by local organisations. “Our law was very out of date and the powers and penalties at present do not reflect what out 20th century society expects. This is a significant and important piece of legislation,” said Minister for the Environment John Cortes.

GSD slams Fabian’s ‘jamboree’ after MTV festival loses millions of ‘taxpayer money’

UNDER FIRE: (Inset) Fabian Picardo in war of words with THE Government has been slammed over losses for its Gibraltar Calling festival to the tune of £9.3 million. The GSD opposition party accused Fabian Picardo of a lack of transparency and claimed he ran the festival like his own personal ‘jamboree’. In a damning statement by

By Laurence Dollimore & Elisa Menendez

the GSD, the Chief Minister was also accused of ‘lying’ to Gibraltarians after he refused to publish the event’s financial expenditures. The party accused the Rock’s leader of spending taxpayers’ money on a ‘grace and favour

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GSD while (right) Rag’n’Bone man performs at MTV festival

jamboree’ to entertain friends in an exclusive VVIP area. “Gibraltar is getting used to Picardo’s spin and lies,” slammed GSD leader Keith Azopardi. “With refusing to publish a real and complete breakdown of figures on the festival, Mr Picardo has now lied to the people of Gibral-

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tar by saying that we would increase ticket prices at the festival,” he added. “Will the Government now publish the list of invitees to its VVIP enclosure?” questioned Azopardi. The attacks led to a vicious row between the government and the GSD after it emerged that this year’s festival allegedly lost a staggering £3.1 million last year alone. It also came as ticket sales dipped for this year’s twoday event, organised with MTV alongside Londonbased business Neon Angel Limited. The GSD claimed that the £3.1 million loss figure for last year was the ‘highest ever’, but this year it could be considerably worse ‘given the diminished list of acts, worse timing of the festival and the undoubted effect on ticket sales’. In addition, a government claim that around one billion viewers would tune in to watch the festival on TV was scuppered when the Broadcasters Audience Research Board showed only 6,200 people viewed the highlights programme in the UK. Azopardi continued: “The GSD is in favour of organising cultural and entertainment events such as these

but they need to be managed responsibly. This is not the Government’s money – it is the people’s money.” He added that if the GSD was in power the festival would be put out to open tender. “We would certainly not have a grace and favour private enclosure for friends, family and party activists. There is no case for the Chief Minister to lord it over the rest of paying customers as is the case every year,” he said.

Tirade

The Chief Minister hit back with a personal tirade at the GSD opposition, slamming their ‘contradictory and hypocritical behaviour’, claiming that many of the MPs had accepted an invitation to the festival. In particular, he slammed shadow finance minister, Roy Clinton accusing him of being critical as he ‘does not enjoy this kind of music anyway’. He added: “Heaven forbid that Mr Azopardi is ever in a position to run the festival! It would end up as unexciting and irrelevant as the GSD.” The Government also insisted that to describe the festival as a loss is ‘too simplistic’.

UP to one in three reviews on Trip Advisor is fake, a new investigation has found. An analysis of tens of thousands of reviews shows toprated B&Bs have almost twice as many ‘fake’ reviews as lowerranked accommodation. The Times caught restaurants trying to buy 5-star reviews, as well as negative reviews of rivals. It comes after the Olive Press exposed a series of Costa del Sol businesses paying for dozens of fake five-star reviews on TripAdvisor in a bid to increase their rankings.

Negative

Despite TripAdvisor stepping in to investigate, the Times investigation insisted enough was not being done to stop the bogus reviews. Another recent study found that almost nine in ten hospitality businesses have been victims of negative reviews. Consumer groups say fake reviews are a growing problem and it is believed almost €16 billion a year is spent on travel and hotels following reviews. Do you know of any businesses selling fake reviews? Or places abusing social media or review sites? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es

.com e Press 2018_Layout 1 16/04/2018 14:57 Page 1 www.adepttransportltd

Opinion Page 6

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DOOMED: Costa hotel

UNDER PRESSURE: Theresa May

deter drug smugglers from using the beach as a drop off zone. A combined police presence of Guardia Civil, local and national officers were present as fears grew that drug smugglers would try and disrupt the work.

He even got himself a financial advice slot on a well known radio station, through which he snared unsuspecting victims. However, a comprehensive Olive Press investigation exposed his scams that involved stamps, coins and gold. We also revealed how he and his close pal Barry Nathan wined and dined up to a dozen criminals, anonymously, through the food column. He eventually fled the country following our expose, but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had changed his name by deed poll and was selling coins and antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. He was quickly found guilty under English law of conning people and given a suspended prison sentence only due to health reasons. “And because he promised to never go back to his online cons,” one of the British victim explained. But this is apparently not the case with two victims claiming he is still using eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps from his unpaid flat in Brighton, using the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtrading2’. “We are pretty sure he has broken his bail conditions and will have to finally go back to prison,” said one victim. “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” His landlord last night insisted he should have known something was up from the start. “When we met to sign the contracts I thought he was a bit slippery, I went to pay for my coffee only for the barista to tell me he had left without paying his bill.” He continued: “He paid for the first couple of months but then just stopped. He told us his account had been frozen due to a money laundering investigation, which is probably true. “He then told us to stop contacting him and accused us of harrassment. “Now he is claiming he is seriously ill and can’t work to make payments. “We’ll see him in court.”

Wake up!

of the

It’s not too late for all you expat Brexiteers to bugger off back home if the EU is so nasty, bugger off back to your island and close the door on your way out. Never before have so many people been so blind as to see what is going on. Jacob Rees Mogg moves all his money offshore and his companies to Dublin. Farage wants to keep getting paid in Euros and his family have property in France. The elite are taking advantage of the plebs in the UK and beyond and m the uneducated are lapping it up. 70 years of no war m in Europe, the longest peace and most prosperous m period ANY country or region in the world has ever m had, and still people think the EU is am bad thing.

week

Opinion Page 6

of Waitrose

wines wines Your TripAd visor expose was excellent but I doubt that TripAd Available exclusively visor will do Available exclusively at Eroski anythingat Eroski to preven t fake reviews. Being one of the Top reviewers on Amazon nearly every day I get requests from Chinese companies offering a refund by PayPal SIZE. if I order a product OF ACTUAL SIZE.SETUP TO 25% ARTWORK ARTWORK SETUP TO 25% OF ACTUAL and then write a 5-star review for their product. For a while I used to forward those requests to amazon HQ but while they replied saying they cared they said they were not able to inform me about their actions for ‘data security’ reasons. I began to realise that nothing was happening as I got the same requests again and again from the exact same Chinese companies. And I have now given up informing Amazon so the fraudsters won. 24/11/2017 11:18

24/11/2017 11:18

Made your bed

Costa del Sol Costa del Sol Hot hotel has three hotel has three water months to months to fight decision fight decision before it is before it is demolished demolished

From Page 1

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From Page 1

W Why do they think the EU will do them any favours? SPEC Aan They chose to leave and must be made example SUPP EMEN NS DE of to deter others. Vo ed

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SOME 14 fire bosses been arres ed or a eg embezz ng €7 m on pub c unds The Po c a Nac ona o ha he Consor um Idiot Bomberos Cad z ook mass ear y re remen n Do you rea y h nk po he knows ance c es where Morocco (DONBu s?when he r emp o ALD TRUMP reSpa n ear shou red y dch e s s pho bu d wa n Sahara off hedeser moneyo rom he ack e Europe m cr s s ou gran s on ne) Or knows anyesh ng Au hor a so ound abou Ceu a and Me es a and crepanc n he con where hey are? Ium doub s ra n ng courses Large sums were pa d Ian Bushnell company o prov de ra Alhaurin courses bu no ev dence been ound ha hese cou ook p ace rregu ar Avoid! Meanwh e were a so ound n gran s d eso whhech cops be TRIPADVISORsubs s one o pay or pr wors s es orwere rev used ews and r ps (Fak ng genera m sconduc ssue 299) The rregu ar es da e o 2008 and ocops be ev I gave wo bad rev ews m on has been proper es reneas ed €7hrough en by hose he a he op hem one n Copenhagen o her n Budapes They were rea comp a n s abou how d r y he properes were on arr va and one even had he owner v- n he A FRUITs growers ng n he proper I go quyawhen are ac ng a 60% re here on n wa er use rom h These rev ews were aken off V nue a reservo r w h n he r webs e au erona ncoup s ghe o weeks and The hav ng Juncoma has dec de p a ned o Tr pAdv m sor s usehey as he reserv gave a s andard answer ha7% capac y a ready a 22 hey wou d ookcou no d drop even ower Avo d hem a adrycos acwea or her keeps up commoda on

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m m

We remember an nc den some years ago nvo v ng abou s x undercover po ce Expa demand who he pushed ‘He deserves it’ it’ e u n oa young man o he floor n NotNot ‘He deserves m on a e FX company LadNoga era a er hey asked h m or h s co ap e am aud p obe enou enou gh gh ID wh s no den y ng hemse ves (UnW stars a r cop ssue 300) A he broke oose Hasstars anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive a ooked ke a gay bash ng Turned ou Press? Have your say on the matter by emailingM letters@ hese po ce were rom Madr d No chargtheolivepress.es or alternatively message us on M es were fi ed bu essons were earned Facebook at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper

4 www.theolivepress.es www.theolivepress.esNEWS

mm m Alex Brown, Malaga

24/11/2017 11:18

He even got himself a financial He even gotslot himself advice financial advice slot on a well on a awell known radio station, through which knownhe radio station, snared through which he snared unsuspectunsuspecting victims. ing victims. However, a comprehensive Olive However, comprehensive Press ainvestigation ex- Olive Press investigation exposed his scams that involved posed hiscoins scams stamps, that involved stamps, coins and gold. and gold. We also revealed how he and We his also closerevealed how pal Barry he and his close pal Barry Nathan Nathan wined and dined up to a dozen wined and dined criminals, up to a dozen criminals, anonymously, anonymously, through the food column. through the food column. He eventually fled the country He eventually following our fled expose, the country following our expose, but we soon tracked him down buttowe thesoon UK, tracked him where he down to the UK, where he had had changed his name by deed pollchanged and washis namecoins by deed selling andpoll and was selling coins and antiques on eBay from a smallantiques oncottage. Berkshire eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. He was quickly found guilty under He was quickly English guilty under English law of conning lawfound of conning people and given a suspended people and given a suspended prison prison sentence only due to health reasons. sentence only due to health reasons. “And because he promised to than permitted. “And because he promised to never never than permitted. go back his online go of cons,” one Although the town hall and Although back theto his online cons,” one of the the to town hall and British victim explained. British victim explained. developer maintain this ex- developer maintain this exBut this is apparently not the case But this withis apparently not the case with cess was later corrected, the cess was later corrected, the claiming he is still twousing victims claiming he is still using judge ruled that the rectifica- judge two ruledvictims that rectificaeBay to sellthe ‘dodgy’ coins andeBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps stamps tion would have taken place tion would have taken flat place from his unpaid from usin Brighton, his unpaid flat in Brighton, usafter the granting of the li- after the granting the li- anding ing the namesof ‘gqtrading’ the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtrad‘gqtradcence, so does not count. cence,ing2’. so does not count. ing2’. The building has 61 apart- The building has 61sure apart“We are pretty “We are he has broken his pretty sure he has broken his ments and 46 parking spac- mentsbail andconditions 46 parking andspacbail will have to conditions and will have to finally finally es. es. go back to prison,” said one victim. go back to prison,” said one victim. The original building was The original “The nerve building of this man wasis unbelievable.” “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” granted planning permis- granted His planning landlord last permisnight insisted His he landlord should last insisted he should have known havenight known breached rules by being over breached rules by being over sion by then mayor Enrique sion by something was Enrique then mayor up from the start. something was up from the start. 700 square meters bigger 700DOOMED: Costa bigger DOOMED: hotel square meters Bolin in 2001. Costa hotel we met to sign the contracts Bolin “When in 2001. “WhenI thought we met to contracts I thought he was a bit hesign wasthe a bit slippery, I went to pay for my coffee slippery, tobarista onlyI went pay forto for the my coffee only for the barista to tell me he had left without paying tell me had left without paying his bill.” his he bill.” He continued: “He paid for theHe FRUIT growers in the Axar- FRUIT growers in the Axarcontinued: first couple of“He paid but for the first couple of months but months then just stopped. He told us his then quia are facing a 60% reduc- quia are facing a 60% reducjust stopped. account Hefrozen told us his account had been frozen had been due to a money laundering investigation, due to a money tion in water use from the La tion in water use from the La laundering which is prob- investigation, which is probably true. “He then told us to stop ably contacting Vinuela reservoir with no so- Vinuela reservoir with no sotrue. “He then him told and us ac-to stop contacting him and acPOLICE officers have formed POLICE a humanofficers wall have us of harrassment. deterformed a human from drug smugglers cused us of harrassment. lution in sight. wall using deterthe drug lution smugglers cused in sight. beach from using the beach along a beach in La along Linea a to beach ensure in “Now La that Linea he the is claiming he is seriously as a dropto “Now he The Junta has decided to The Junta has decided to offensure zone. that the as a drop off zone. is claiming ill and he istoseriously ill and can’t work to can’t work of a beach wall went construction ahead. of a beach make of payments. wall went A combined ahead. make payments. limit its use as the reservoir is limitconstruction police presence ofAGuardia combined police presence its use as the Civil, reservoir Guardia Civil, The wall, between Theofwall, theischurch between “We’llwere Nuestra theand see him church local in court.” of Nuestra “We’ll see him in court.” already at 22.7% capacity and already national localpresent officers were and national at 22.7% officers as capacityand and the perimeter present as del Carmen Senora delwall Carmen andgrew the perimeter fears could drop even lower if the couldSenora that drug wall fearswould smugglers grew try that drug smugglers would try even lower ofdrop the fishing port if of thehopes of the La Atunara, fishing of disrupt La Atunara, to port and hopes to and disrupt the work. dry weather keeps up. the work. dry weather keeps up. Opinion Page 6 Opinion Page 6

Carrer de Mestral, 4 Puerto Pollença

Barry Conacher, Barcelona

From Page 1

DearA range OliveAofrange Press, Waitrose

SOME 14 fire bosses have SOME 14 fire bosses have been arrested for allegedly been arrested for allegedly embezzling €7 million in embezzling €7 million in public funds. public funds. The Policia Nacional found The Policia Nacional found that the Consortium of that the Consortium of Bomberos Cadiz took out Bomberos Cadiz A HOTEL out is to took be knocked A HOTEL is to be knocked mass early retirement insur- mass early down forretirement not havinginsurenough down for not having enough ance policies. ance policies. class! class! But when their employees ButBenalmadena’s when their employees Hotel Vista Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista retired early, chiefs siphoned retired early, chiefs siphoned Rey must be demolished de Rey must be demolished off the money from the pay- off de the money the paywithin threefrom months, a court within three months, a court outs. outs. has ruled, has ruled, Authorities also found dis- Authorities also found disAndalucia’s Court Andalucia’s Superior Court crepancies in the consor- crepancies in Superior the consorof Justice that the hoof Justice ruled that the hotium’s training courses. tium’s trainingruled courses. tel falls its four-star tel falls short of its four-star Large sums were paid to a Large sumsshort wereofpaid to a requirement. company to provide training company requirement. to provide training courses, but no evidence has courses, but no evidence has been found that these courses been foundProbing that these courses Probing took place. took place. It began probing the three It began probing the three Meanwhile, irregularities Meanwhile, irregularities star apartment star hotel and apartment were also found in grants and were alsohotel found and in grants and block inwhich 2011 cops after believe it was deblock in 2011 after it was desubsidies, which cops believe subsidies, nounced were used to pay for private were rules nounced over planning rules used toover payplanning for private which set aside the plot for a which set aside the plot for a trips. trips. The irregularities date back Thefour star hotel only. four star hotel only. irregularities date back to 2008 and cops believe at to 2008 According to thebelieve PGOU at and cops town According to the PGOU town least €7 million has been sto- least plan apartment €7 an million block has been sto-was plan an apartment block was len by those at the top. lennot by those permitted at the top. and it also not permitted and it also

Welcome to St. Andrew’s

service, the fire service and yet she is still Prime Minister. What the hell is happening to the the country I once loved? I am glad I moved to Europe and now consider myself European.

‘He deserves it’

Letter than permitted. Although the town hall and developer maintain this excess was later corrected, the judge ruled that the rectification would have taken place after the granting of the licence, so does not count. The building has 61 apartments and 46 parking spaces. The original building was granted planning permission by then mayor Enrique Bolin in 2001.

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Not enough stars

POLICE officers have formed a human wall along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the construction of a beach wall went ahead. The wall, between the church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to

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A HOTEL is to be knocked down for not having enough class! Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista de Rey must be demolished within three months, a court has ruled, Andalucia’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that the hotel falls short of its four-star requirement.

*Offer ends 30/11/18. Not valid for renewals. Subject to conditions. SMUGGLERS’ WALL

Gibraltar Issue 80

Cookshop, Household Goods, General Hardware, Beach Accessories & more

What a dragon, she is worse than Thatcher. She is not doing anything the people voted for, she is doing exactly what she wants, she wants really to stay in Europe and a no deal will suit her. She is the biggest two faced politician to walk on the planet. She has NEWS ruined Britain, the police force, the national health

APPEAL

‘He deserves it’ Not 902 123 282 enough stars

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EXCLUSIVE By Yvonne Pardo

Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished

PAYBACK WHEN YOU SELL

So easy to be an armchair critic, all I see is the EU trying to divide and conquer and simply do what they always do. Tell the people to go back and vote again until the EU gets its desired outcome. Tom McArdle, UK

where like Mijas or Estepona,” she added. Josh was stabbed in the neck in a crowded bar, in West London, on October 11, 2015, in what witnesses describe as a random and motiveless attack.

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Armchair critics

Ronda

bought as investments. “In a low interest rate environment investors are seeking out income-generating assets,” said Paul Tostevin, associate director for Savills World Research. “Today’s second home buyers want properties to work for them financially and they’re increasingly looking not just to cover costs but to turn a profit.” He added: “Global tourism continues to grow, with international tourist arrivals up by 7% last year to a record 1.3 billion. At the same time, the rapid expansion of online holiday home platforms such as HomeAway opens up the market to new target groups and makes it much easier for owners to make their properties income-producing.”

(right) Tracey with SOUGHT: €50,000 for info leading to O’Brien’s arrest and son Josh “We’ve had an extraordinary on bail. He quickly fled. response on social media and Since then he is reported to I’ve even had people take have been seen in the NethO’Brien’s ‘Wanted’ posters on erlands, Nice and Gibraltar, holiday and put them up in although despite efforts from the Olive Press, this week. some of the remotest places police there, they were unable “He was an innocent boy. around the world. We need a trial and a sento find further evidence. “I am in the worst kind of tence, and most importantly Vigilant pain imaginable”, Tracey told we need an opportunity for Josh’s voice to be heard.” place TM what took “We can’t let 19th 2017 6th - December December has a menacing O’Brien - who in Prague happen again!” tattoo on his back of an eagle The Met continues to enholding a skull - is now one of courage the public to stay Europe’s most wanted crimi- vigilant, especially if abroad, nals with a sum of £50,000 and urges anyone who thinks offered for any information they might recognize O’Brien leading to his arrest. to contact local police im“If it wasn’t for the public, Josh’s mediately. He wasFrom not-1 lastPage campaign wouldn’t be out ed to have shoulder length slot on a well advice financial a 2 page himself See got even continued. He mother his there”, hair, a full beard and is dark SOME 14 fire bosses have See page 5 through which he snared unsuspectknown radio station, known to frequent gyms, boxbeen arrested for allegedly ing victims. nightclubs. ing clubs and embezzling €7 million in investigation exOlive Press However, a comprehensive back tatdistinctive HIsinvolved public funds. coins and gold. posed his scams that previous tattoo, astamps, too covers The Policia Nacional found he and his close pal Barry Nathan We also revealed how ‘Shannon 15-04-06’. that the Consortium of anonymously, wined and dined up to a dozen criminals, MINIMARKET A HOTEL is to be knocked Bomberos Cadiz took out Page 6 Products Deli through the food column. Opinion not having enough for insur- Baked down . s n o i t i d n o c mass early retirementFreshly o t t c e j b u S . s l a w e n our expose, e r r o f d i l a following v . Not He eventually fled the country 602 514 384 * O f f e r e n d s 3 0 / 1 1 / 1 8 Tel:class! ance policies. but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had 602 559 385 Hotel Vista BASED WhatsApp: UKBut when their employees Benalmadena’s changed his name by deed poll and was selling coins and be demolished College retired early, chiefs siphoned de Rey must Opp St Anthony’s antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. Hills off the money from the pay- La Cala three months, a court within Reliable private hire transfer 2/8/18 17:01 He was quickly found guilty under English law of conning Closed outs. services for any occasion ruled, hasMondays people and given a suspended prison Authorities also found disAndalucia’s Superior Court • Luxury vehicles sentence only due to health reasons. crepancies in the consorthat the hoof Justice ruled promised to never he • Door to door service because “And ON CASHBACK training courses. Spanish fortium’s permitted. than collections tel falls short of its four-star • Airport go back to his online cons,” one of the to a Large sums were paid YOUR HOUSE the town hall and Although transport • Weddings residents requirement. British victim explained. fire bosses have SOME company to provide training maintain this exwith 14 day trips developer • Sightseeing But this is apparently not the casebeen arrested for allegedly courses, but no evidence has shuttles later corrected, the • Restaurant cess was www.globelink.co.uk two victims claiming he is still using Probing embezzling €7 million in been found that these courses the rectificaruled judge eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps at: that more public Find out took place. It began probing the three us- funds. Nacional found tion would have taken place from his unpaid flat in Brighton,The Policia www.simply-shuttles.com irregularities Meanwhile, star hotel and apartment the lithe ing the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtradafter 117granting of www.eliteglasscurtains.com 279 and that the Consortium of tel: 951 WHEN also found in grants 96 626 were 5000 PAYBACK 2011 after it was deblock in ing2’. cence, so does not count. Bomberos info@simply-shuttles.com which cops believe Tattoo Cadiz took out DISTINCTIVE: his 1353 699082 over planning rules +44 (0) subsidies, he has broken nounced SELL YOU “We are pretty sure The building has 61 apartmass early retirement insurwere used to pay for private which set aside the plot for a conditions and will have to finally bail spacparking 46 and ments policies. ance trips. four star hotel only. go back to prison,” said one victim. es. But when their employees The irregularities date back “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” According to the PGOU town siphoned chiefs early, The original building was retired to 2008 and cops believe at known have he should His landlord last night insisted off plan an apartment block was the money from the paygranted planning permisleast €7 million has been stosomething was up from the start. outs. not permitted and it also sion by then mayor Enrique len by those at the top. was a bit disI thought he “When we met to sign the contracts found breached rules by being over also Authorities Bolin in 2001. to barista Costa hotel only for the slippery, I went to pay for my coffee in the consor700 square meters bigger DOOMED: crepancies his bill.” tell me he had left without payingtium’s courses. training but of months couple He continued: “He paid for the first paid to a werefrozen Large sums had been then just stopped. He told us his account training to provide companywhich is probdue to a money laundering investigation, has evidence no FRUIT growers in the Axarbut courses, him and accontacting that ably true. “He then told us to stopbeen these courses quia are facing a 60% reducfound cused us of harrassment. tion in water use from the La took to and can’t work illplace. from using the beach “Now he is claiming he is seriously irregularities Vinuela reservoir with no soPOLICE officers have formed a human wall deter drug smugglers Meanwhile, make payments. lution in sight. along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the as a drop off zone. presence of Guardia Civil, were also found in grants and A combined police “We’ll see him in court.” cops believe The Junta has decided to which construction of a beach wall went ahead. subsidies, as present officers were for private limit its use as the reservoir is The wall, between the church of Nuestra local and national were used to pay smugglers would try Page 6 already at 22.7% capacity and Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall fears grew that drug trips.Opinion work. the disrupt and to hopes the if Atunara, lower La of back even port date drop could of the fishing The irregularities dry weather keeps up. to 2008 and cops believe at least €7 million has been stolen by those at the top.

Hot water

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Page XXV

Mother makes heartfelt plea to Olive Press readers to find alleged killer of her son believed to be in Malaga

Immediately after the incident O’Brien, 30, from London, the chief suspect in the investigation, managed to flee the UK on a private plane. He was later arrested for GBH, while living in Prague the following year. However, tragically, police were unable to link him to the UK murder as he was arrested under the false name of Enzo Mellonceli and released

www.globelink.co.uk

ust an hour or two from the Costa del Sol you’ll find a range of stunning historical gems for sale, many going back to the Roman era and one where Napoleon (right) once stayed.

Price hike

Fabulous photo report of Andalucia’s cave-dwellers

Famous Guests

Reform of stunning hotel where Virginia Woolf stayed

SEEN HIM?

A DESPERATE mother has appealed for expats to keep their eyes peeled for the man, suspected of killing her son. Tracey Hanson’s plea comes three years since her only son Josh, 21, was allegedly killed by tattooed Irish gym fanatic Shane O’Brien. On the third anniversary of his death, she believes O’Brien is ‘very likely’ to be immersed in an expat community like the Costa del Sol. Her views are backed up by a recent Metropolitan Police report - with a reward offer of €50,000 - which claims he may be living around the Marbella area. “He was definitely spotted in Do you know of any businesses Gibraltar and we have had selling fake reviews? Or places lots of expats in Spain contact abusing social media or review us since a Crimestoppers apsites? Contact newsdesk@theo- peal two years ago. livepress.es “I really believe he could be hiding in someTrick advisor page 6 lying low and

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INTERIORS WORLD CUP, PART 2 See page XXVI

Nice little earners

ORE buyers than ever are snapping up second homes to rent out - and the Costa del Sol is the second hottest destination of choice. According to new research, more than two thirds of owners now rent out their second homes to cover part or all of their costs, reversing the trend of 50 years ago. The top three locations benefiting from the buy-to-let second home boom are the Costa del Sol, which has 4% of the international market, the Costa Blanca, also at 4%, and the Algarve, in Portugal, with 5%. Back in the 1970s, nine out of 10 homeowners kept their second homes purely for themselves.

Ron UK

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Taking a stroll around a mountain of bargains

Casa or Cave

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Readers react to Theresa May’s demand for respect at Downing Street speech in ongoing Brexit negotiations a’s ty Malagproperine bestmagaz

VI 18

What can you buy in Spain when money is no object?

XVII 29

September 2018

Karen O’Neill Crime writer, Can Pastilla

(Free or paid for)

See page 35

Spain Issue 301 www.theolivepress.es

I’ve recently been writing about political corruption in Spain in my new novel, ‘One Drop’, which is set here in Mallorca. I turn to the Olive Press time and time again for leads and background. It’s amazing how their journalists just aren’t afraid to tell the truth. I love their sheer nerve! Well done on 300!

THEY say good things come in threes, or in this case 300! In our fitting 300th issue we are packed with exclusives and original content - more than ANY other English paper in Spain. Aside from the news and our ongoing TripAdvisor probe, we have food features on the culinary delights of the Basque region, as well as a missive on how an Andalucian weed helped boost the UK’s literacy rates in Victorian times. Plus our in-depth dispatch from the Valley of the Fallen, where Franco is soon to be exhumed, with exclusive commentary from three of Spain’s leading Hispanists, Paul Preston, Ian Gibson and Giles Tremlett. And in a special supplement

Gary Edwards International Photographer, Marbella

September 26th - October 9th 2018

September 27th - October 10th 2018

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Mallorca

September 2018

New look for Palma seafront?See page III

T ex m he in pe ost Sp ns ai ive n?

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September 27th - October 10th 2018

KEEPING BUSY: Rajoy

Minister of real estate MARIANO Rajoy is spending his political retirement back at his old job in property. Spain’s 63-year-old expremier has swapped mingling with world leaders to heading up the local property registrar office in Santa Pola, Alicante - a job he held at just 24-years-old after becoming the youngest person to ever pass the registrar exam. “He is calm, he is partly over the shock of the noconfidence motion, which he could not have anticipated, and he still keeps abreast of events,” commented an aide. “He is in touch with a few politicians who have come down to visit, but in particular with friends who organise lunches for him in Santa Pola, and also in Madrid, and with lifetime friends with whom he has spent past summers in Sanxenxo.”

DREAM LOCATION: Villa Soltaire overlooking Palma Bay costs a cool €65 million

Nice little earners

ORE buyers than ever are buying second homes to rent out - and Spain is the hottest destination of choice. According to new research, more than two thirds of owners now rent out their second homes to cover part or all of their costs, reversing the trend of 50 years ago. And in Spain, the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol account for 8% of buy-to-lets from the international market. When paired with the Balearics, it means Spain has more than 10% of the worldwide share. Back in the 1970s, nine out of 10 homeowners kept their second homes purely for themselves. Even up to 2000 that figure only dropped to eight

Spain is cashing in on a buy-to-let boom

out of 10 homeowners. But times are changing with more buyers hoping to turn their holiday home into a nice little earner, according to a survey by Savills and HomeAway. In the early 2000s, only 14% of additional homes were bought purely for rental rather than personal use. But by the time of the credit crunch, this figure had risen to 19% and now more than a third of second homes are bought as investments.

“In a low interest rate environment investors are seeking out income generating assets,” said Paul Tostevin, associate director for Savills World Research. “Today’s second home buyers want properties to work for them financially and they’re increasingly looking not just to cover costs but to turn a profit.” He added: “Global tourism continues to grow, with international tourist arrivals up by 7% last year to a record 1.3 billion. At the same time, the rapid expansion of online holiday home platforms such as HomeAway opens up the market to new target groups and makes it much easier for owners to make their properties income-producing.”

Ronny de Graeve

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to the

September 2018

By Amanda Butler

Don’t hang around

To Brexit or not to Brexit? That is the question...

HE end of September already! They do say as you age time speeds up… but really, that much?! As time is zooming by and the Brexit date is looming closer, the British Government seem to be no closer to a deal than they were this time last year, which is a bit of a worry. It appears as I write that after the last Brexit proposal being thrown out, there is pressure from within (or without – depending on where Boris Johnson is coming from) to clude security and of course change tack and pursue a the Irish border. This debate completely new plan outlined is of course continuing, with by the Institute of Economic Labour adding their pressure Affairs, followfor a re-vote. ing the CanaGoodness dian EU trade knows where a g r e e m e n t It may be wise to we will be this guideline, with time next year! act fast to take Perhaps havfull reciprocal market access, advantage of pre- ing placed our no tariffs in British feet goods includover the Brexit Brexit rights ing agriculture side of the and maximum fence we will recognition of all be asking regulatory standards. Since for a re-vote... this is only a trade deal there Well at least both sides have would have to be other ar- agreed to look after current rangements agreed to in- expat residents “legally re-

siding” in all EU countries, which is what most of us expected. But if still contemplating moving to Mallorca, it may be wise to act fast to take advantage of the opportunity to maintain the current pre-Brexit rights. Registering on the Spanish electoral roll in the local town hall will help show you are legally resident pre-Brexit. If wanting permanent residence in Spain it is available after five consecutive years, and should you wish Spanish Citizenship after 10 years – but that would mean giving up your original nationality and British passport.

Contact Amanda J Butler to buy or sell your home: Tel: +34690075169, www.mjcassociates.net. Your professional one stop property shop around the Island!

PROPERTY Mallorca money savers September 27th - October 10th 2018

British expat couple move to Mallorca to save money to buy in London

A BRITISH couple have moved to Mallorca to save money for a deposit on a flat in London. Ryan and Kiera Crabbe have already saved €54,000 since making the jump. The pair, who are able to live abroad being freelance finance

Hotel price drop

BOUTIQUE hotels have been forced to reduce their prices for the autumn. Palma’s 25 small and trendy hotels have had to drop their rates for the first time in five years, as they were putting off visitors. The price per room in the city - between €120 and €500 - is the highest in Spain. However, a steady increase in hotel prices has not been met with an increase in demand this year. Javier Vich, president of the Palma hoteliers association, has pointed out the drop in prices matches the data that the city's boutique hotels have peaked and hit a turning point.

consultants, are saving over €2,300 a month on rent, bills and lifestyle changes during their year abroad – all to put towards their future home. The pair, who each make €52,000 a year, are enjoying their time on the island. “We’re lucky that both of our jobs mean that we can live abroad and continue to earn what we did at home,” said Ryan. “We knew we wanted to buy a place of our own but it was going to take us around six years to save for somewhere while we rented.” Ryan, 33, was spending around €300 a month travelling to Bristol and Bournemouth, but now spends around €55 on a return flight once a month. The couple hope to save £75,000 or €84,000 to put down as a deposit on a one or two-bedroom flat in London.

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Fair bnb? A THIRD of Airbnb’s Spanish rentals are run by big business - developers or companies which hold more than five properties. The largest agency, Villafinca, has around 854 properties listed on its website. The 10 most influential Airbnb ‘landlords’ have more than 4,000 properties in the major cities and tourist hotspots.

Pocket

According to research company, DataHippo, this undermines the idea of Airbnb as a service that can help hardpressed homeowners to pocket a little more cash. A spokesman said: “The level of transparency of these platforms is almost zero and many researchers and groups told us that they lacked data to be able to analyse further.”

September 27th - October 10th 2018

Tower of Gesa Can a deal finally be struck between Endesa and Palma to build an ‘iconic, futuristic’ tower?

AN emblematic building similar to the Pompidou in Paris, the Hafencity of Hamburg or Torre Sevilla, in Sevilla, has been proposed for Palma’s seafront. Power company Endesa has offered to build the ‘intelligent, futuristic and iconic’ tower, alongside a big park for residents and tourists to enjoy. "The building would greatly improve the value of the seafront from an architectural and industrial point of view," the company claims. The only issue

III 11

September 2018

Empty homes law SPAIN is planning to punish owners of empty homes. The government has drafted a set of initiatives that would affect homes owned by investment firms, banks and private citizens. There are more than 3.4 million homes lying empty in Spain and new laws could see sanctions for their owners if they remain unoccupied.

Forcing

NEW LOOK FOR PALMA: Hamburg’s Hafencity and Sevilla’s Torre

is in return they want final permission to build seafront homes

on 38,000 m2 on another nearby plot. And if it is not possible

Meeting of minds

Art deco haven

A SCANDINAVIAN couple have reformed a Mallorcan apartment using a mix of their own style with that of a British interior designer and builder. The airy open-plan seafront home was created by interior designer Samantha Knight, alongside Paul Robinson Construction to meet the couples needs. Classic mouldings, bespoke cabinetry with brass details and textured wallpaper bring elements of elegance to the three-bedroom home. Natural light fills the kitchen, which opens to the breakfast bar and a dining room centred around a natural wood table under a refurbished chandelier. Knight sources furniture and fabrics from Mallorca and London, piecing together a laid-back look with traditional fabrics and textures.

QUIRKY: A sumptuous feast in Madrid

A MADRID apartment has been transformed into an art deco haven. Interior design firms Gancedo and Rue Vintage 74 collaborated on the project, incorporating bold colours and unique staple furniture pieces from the 19th century. From cacti made from esparto - a weed grown in Andalucia - to huge goldplated palm trees and pineapple wallpaper, the work has been praised by the likes of design magazines Radar and AD.

to develop land beside the protected Gesa building they would be happy to trade it for another nearby plot. The plans are all part of a complicated and controversial case that goes back years. While Endesa has long had planning permission to build on the plot, it has been held up by the city council and Mallorca courts on many occasions. On top of this it once again owns the Gesa building, which was protected with BIC status in 2015, and may want to convert it into flats. Palma’s city planner Jose Hila has insisted he wants to keep the seafront free of more construction and stated this month the city ‘does not trade in plots’. For over a decade, different administrations have gone back and forth on how to classify the land, and whether to allow Endesa to build residential buildings. As they have permission from over a decade ago, the company would have to be compensated if it is unable to build. "We are willing to share the seafront of the city, creating a park and building an iconic property," insisted an Endesa spokesman. If the city agrees, it will hold an international design competition to come up with the best design.

It comes after some regional authorities started to fine owners, as well as forcing them to rent and even temporarily expropriating their properties in some cases. In some areas only banks holding repossessed homes can be sanctioned while in other regions private individuals are also being targeted. PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is trying to get agreement across all parties before introducing the bill.

Clause to celebrate MORE than 97% of floor clause victims have won their battles in court, new figures have revealed. It comes 15 months after 54 courts were set up to deal specifically with around 40,000 cases of mortgage abuse clauses utilized illegally by banks. According to the courts, 17,485 cases were resolved between April and June this year, with 97.3% being won by the claimants. But while the cases are being dealt with at a quicker rate, the backlog has soared after 50,000 new claims were brought before the specialised courts over the same period. The hidden floor clauses tied the homeowners to minimum monthly repayments of around 2%, even when interest rates went much lower. It meant they were forced to pay hundreds of euros extra per month.

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IV 12

PROPERTY

September 27th - October 10th 2018

www.theolivepress.es

September 2018

What can you buy in Spain when money is no object?

VILLA in Mallorca made headline news this month for being allegedly the ‘most expensive’ in Spain … although the owners of an even costlier Marbella-listed mansion might have something to say about that. At a staggering €65 million, it’s one of the many properties across the country that have seen their worth soar as the country’s property market continues to recover. Our Olive Press Property Magazine sleuths rounded up some of the most expensive homes in Spain’s hottest locations.

Palma

Expensive

65 m

illa Solitaire in Son Vida, Palma was reported to be the most expensive property for sale in Spain this month at a cool €65 million (although it is still €15 million less than the Marbella-listed property below). On the market with the John Taylor realestate, it was designed by Italian architect Matteo Thun and has stunning views over Palma Bay. The 2,300m2 pad has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms, a rooftop terrace with open-air cinema, gym, parking for six cars, a botanical garden, an elevator … we could go on ...

Mad

Elegant Villa with Spa and Sea View in Son Vida, Palma de Mallorca

21 m

his loc rec den vourite a Bale and The man drid, boa na, mass domotics for staff For sale sulting I door and a nine-ca

5+ Beds 5 Baths 408 m² Living 15.112 m² Plot €2.200.000 Pool Ref: 18016

Beautiful stone faced family finca, recently reformed, set in a quiet and secluded area yet 15 minutes to Palma and close to the popular village of Bunyola, with lovely views across open farmland to the Tramuntana Mountains. Extensive wrap-around covered terrace, gym, u/f heating, own well for garden, solar heating, heli-pad and more.

For more information please contact Amanda J Butler www.mjcassociates.net email: ajb@mjcassociates.net or tel: (+34)690075169

Marbella, 80 million

his massive mansion is actually the most expensive in Spain. Listed with Prime Property

Marbella, the 10-bedroom, 17-bathroom giant was built in 2002 and features a swimming pool, garage and enormous garden.

Sitting on an beachfront ho with a heate and barbecue

www.theolivepress.es

Taste

September 2018

Sevilla,

13.5 million

wned by Joanne Hearst Castro, granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, this grand 152-hectare estate is just 15 minutes from the centre of Sevilla and offers jaw-dropping views from every side. The 15-bedroom cortijo has its own chapel, dressage rings, pool, wine cellar with flamenco tablao and even a pri-

vate bull ring! It also comes with a horse and carriage collection including the one Spain’s Infanta Elena rode in to her wedding. The 3000 m2 property, listed with Sotheby’s, was built in 1929 by Aníbal González before being upgraded in 1999. Sotheby’s is offering it fully-furnished, complete with objets d’art collected from the most exotic corners in the world.

drid

million

his sprawling modern home is cated in La Finca, near Madrid, ckoned to be the safest resintial area in Europe and a faamong footie stars like Gareth d Zinedine Zidane. nsion, west of the centre of Maasts a home cinema, spa, sausage room, gym, security room, s and an independent pavilion f. e through Jaime Valcarce ConInmobiliario, you also get ind outdoor swimming pools and ar garage.

n 8000m2 plot, the home comes complete ed pool, bars, cinema e.

Ibiza, 12.6 m

he perfect party villa on an island that knows how to have fun, with spectacular sea views. Just 10 minutes from Ibiza town and the sandy beach of Talamanca, it’s listed with N.A.R.T. Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. Recently renovated with spacious surroundings and three separate guest apartments, the infinity saltwater pool has wow factor vistas to Dalt Vila and the hippy island of Formentera.

September 27th - October 10th 2018

www.theolivepress.es

Ref: 11960

Bedrooms:5

Bathrooms: 4

Build: 300m2

1,350,000â&#x201A;Ź

Villa with spectacular views in Paguera This beautiful villa is located in a quiet area and has all the necessary services close by. The villa has been built in 2018, it has a modern style and high quality materials, a plot size of 827m2 and a built area of 300m2, distributed in two floors, where we can find five bedrooms, four complete bathrooms, a fully furnished and equipped kitchen, a spacious living room, two terraces where you can enjoy the wonderful views of the sea and the mountains, a nice garden with swimming pool and a garage for two vehicles. The property is in perfect conditions, ideal for a family that wants to design its interior style and to live a luxurious life in Mallorca.

Ref: 11950

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

Build: 118m2

495,000â&#x201A;Ź

Apartment with garden in luxury urbanization in Nova Santa Ponsa This charming apartment has 118m2 of living space distributed in two large double bedrooms with bathrooms en suite, fully fitted kitchen, large living room with access to a beautiful terrace of 35m2 so as a garden of 20m2. This apartment is located in one of the most luxurious and sought after urbanizations in the area, has several swimming pools and large gardens. Located in a residential area of luxury, completely quiet to live, a few minutes drive from several golf courses, the famous Puerto Adriano and its beach. With all the necessary services just ten minutes from the Santa Ponsa area. Ideal for golf lovers or to spend your holidays !!!!

W W W. S G I - M A L L O R C A . C O M

www.theolivepress.es Y O U R PA R T N E R S I N M A K I N G Y O U R D R E A M S CSeptember O M E 27th T R- October U E 10th 2018 A PA R T M E N T S

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TOWNHOUSES COMMERCIAL

Ref: 11957

•

PLOTS •

•

VILLAS

R E N TA L S

PENTHOUSES •

FINCAS

•

Bedrooms: 3

Yo u r s H e r m a n n K ö p p l e r

FULL SERVICE

Bathrooms: 3

Build: 350m2

900,000€

Mediterranean style house in Paguera This house has been built on a plot of 1000m2, the house has 350m2 of living space distributed over two floors. On the lower floor there are two guest apartments each with a double room, toilet and living room. On the top floor there is the main house with three double bedrooms and three bathrooms, large kitchen fully furnished and equipped, living room with fireplace and access to a large terrace with views over the area of Paguera. Outside the property we find a nice pool with several terraces and BBQ areas. Located in a quiet residential area to live just a few minutes from the famous Paguera Boulevard and the beaches of the area. A visit is a must !!

Ref: 11954

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1

Build: 60m2

249,000€

Refurbished apartment next to the beach in Santa Ponsa This beautiful apartment consists of 60m2 distributed in two bedrooms and a bathroom, large modern style kitchen integrated into the living room with access to a terrace of 7m2 approx. This apartment has been completely refurbished in 2004 including electricity and plumbing system. It is located a few meters from one of the beaches of Santa Ponsa, in a completely quiet area to live but close to all necessary services, supermarkets, schools, pharmacies, etc. and only ten minutes by car from several golf courses and the famous Puerto Adriano. A visit is worth it !!!!!!

P U I G D E S C A S T E L L E T. 1 - 2 , B L . 3 , 0 7 1 8 0 S A N TA P O N S A , M A L L O R C A (+34) 971 695 912 • INFO@SGI-MALLORCA.COM

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BUSINESS

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Holiday stays up OVER 90 percent of hotel rooms in the Balearics were occupied in August, the highest in all of Spain. The islands were the favoured destination of foreign tourists, with 35 percent of the non Spanish tourists visiting the Balearics. Five percent of Spanish holidaymakers came to the islands. There were one percent more British and Irish tourists in the Balearics than in August last year. Mallorca had the highest number of overnight stays for the month with over eight million.

Believe the Hypo A TEAM of students from the University of Malaga have won a prestigious prize for their invention designed to stop the poaching and trafficking of animals. The ‘Hypochip’, developed by biology, engineering and electronics boffins, allows for zoo and other captive animals to be chipped and monitored in order to prevent trafficking. The University’s team also participated in the global stage of the Zoohackathon competition held in Delhi, India, which aims to highlight technological solutions to combat the illegal trafficking and poaching of animals.

Tax evasion whistleblower to remain in Spain after extradition denied twice SPAIN is refusing to extradite a former HSBC employee to Switzerland after he exposed alleged widespread tax evasion. Whistleblower Herve Falciani has been hailed a hero by some after his leak of thousands of clients’ data triggered major investigations in several countries. Swiss courts sentenced the banker, 46, in absentia to five years behind bars for ‘financial espionage’. But the Spanish High Court denied for the second time the extradition request against Falciani, a French citizen who worked for HSBC, because the charges in the Swiss ruling are not considered a crime in Spain. “The Spanish criminal code does not include any charge similar to the crime of ‘aggravated financial espionage’ for which the Swiss justice had sentenced Falciani to a fiveyear prison sentence,” the

Huelva lot cheaper

THE cost of living in Huelva is a fifth cheaper than Malaga and almost half the cost of living in Barcelona. Huelva is the least expensive place to live in Andalucia, according to a report by Kelisto. es which compared day-to-

day expenses including housing, food, public transport and the cost of entertainment such as cinema tickets. It found the most expensive cities in Spain are Barcelona, San Sebastian, Madrid and Palma de Mallorca.

HERO?: Falciani

court said. The leak in 2008 was considered to be the biggest in banking history. Switzerland’s federal office of justice, which lodged the extradition request, said it did not comment on court rulings. France, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Argentina launched investigations based on the information leaked by Falciani, but Swiss authorities insist the data was stolen and therefore legally inadmissible. Falciani was cuffed in Madrid earlier this year after

employment level will soon return to 2011 levels. According Randstad, a global consultancy firm that crunched numbers from the National Institute of Statistics, the sector is returning to form across Spain with 1.2 million construction workers now in employment.

NEWS IN BRIEF Withdrawn croissants

Nothing to see here

Building blocks

THE construction sector in Andalucia is bouncing back with a 22% increase in the number of workers over the past year. Some 191,800 Andalucians are currently employed in the sector, compared to 156,900 workers in 2017 and just 127,700 in early 2014. If the current trend continues, the

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September 27th - October 10th 2018

speaking at a conference on whistleblowing in the capital. He was released the next day but Spain ordered him to

remain in the country while the extradition request from Switzerland was being considered.

Mercadona has withdrawn the croissants from its white label Hacendado due to a labeling error that failed to indicate that the product contains milk and other derivatives.

Theatre improvements Mallorca’s council have announced they will spend €560,000 to improve the Fundacion Teatre Principal. The works have already started and should be completed by the end of summer 2019.

Waste A study by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Barcelona found 400,000 business and leisure waste products on Mallorca’s beaches.

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or in this case THEY say good things come in threes, 300! with In our fitting 300th issue we are packed than ANY other exclusives and original content - more English paper in Spain. TripAdvisor Aside from the news and our ongoingculinary delights probe, we have food features on the on how an of the Basque region, as well as a missive UK’s literacy rates Andalucian weed helped boost the in Victorian times. Valley of the Plus our in-depth dispatch from the with exhumed, be to Fallen, where Franco is soon Spain’s leading exclusive commentary from three of and Giles Hispanists, Paul Preston, Ian Gibson Tremlett. our 300th issue, And in a special supplement to mark came to be we tell the story of how the Olive Press currently reporters former our and where many of work, with some in Russia and America. grab a coffee Yes, there is a lot inside. So sit back, your with relax and wine of glass or reach for your favourite fortnightly newspaper. Hope you’ll still We’re here for at least another 300. be too.

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EXPATS may have lost millions over the suspicious collapse of a foreign exchange firm being probed over ‘criminal activity’. Dozens of victims have lost up to €400,000 each after Premier FX Limited was forced into administration by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It comes after the firm - which operated from Mallorca, Portugal and London - suddenly stopped trading on July 27, following the death of director Peter Rexstrew. Since then, hundreds of clients, many of them expats,

Expats demand the return of millions after FX company collapses amid fraud probe have been left completely in the dark and unable to access their funds. The group have now formed an action group with nearly 200 members demanding immediate answers. One British expat, based in Mallorca, told the Olive Press she has no idea what has happened to the €30,000 she was holding with Premier FX. “I had used them for many

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

years and there were never any problems,” explained the 69-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous. “I had transferred the money and was waiting for the exchange rate to improve. “The next thing I knew, the money was gone. I feel sick

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about it,” added the pensioner, based in Palma. Another entrepreneur told the Olive Press she is missing a staggering €400,000. businessUK-based The woman, who previously lived in Portugal for ten years, has made three monthly transactions with Premier FX for 12 years. Despite knowing former director Rexstrew, who also lived in the Algarve, she was given no warning. “I tried to make a transaction but no one would answer the phone. I then emailed and I

received this automatic reply saying they had ceased trad- EXPAT: Andrew Jones ing and there’d be no further transactions. “I immediately smelt a rat,” she added. When she called Action Fraud, EXCLUSIVE an operator explained he knew nothing about it. A GAY couple have denounced “I’ve been stuck for two months a Guardia Civil officer after he without that money and have allegedly assaulted them. no idea whether I’ll get it back. Expats Andrew Jones, 36, from “It’s not just affecting people London, and Mario Dieni, 39, buying holiday homes, it is also from Argentina, claim they affecting business owners, who were ‘pushed and grabbed’ for can’t pay staff or clients.” no reason. Both victims had been prom- The couple have called in the ised by Premier FX that their British embassy and filed an ‘segin held being was money official denuncia over the inregated, personal accounts’ cident, which took place near with Barclays, but administra- Torrox, at the weekend. tors now think this was not the Jones, who has bipolar discase. order, told the Olive Press he The FCA has since discovered was ‘really shaken up’ by the that the company, set up in alleged assault, which came af2006, was operating without ter they were routinely stopped full authorisation. at 1am. It was forced into administraContinues on page 8

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Unfair cop

Aggressive

“He was immediately aggressive. We are gay and he saw us together, perhaps it is discrimination. I don’t know,” he said. The British expat, who works in marketing, had been driving home having picked up his partner from work at a hotel in Nerja. “He went absolutely berserk, pushing me so hard that the officer behind had to catch me,” added Jones. “He then grabbed Mario and tossed him to one side.” Eventually the officer was moved away by colleagues, who then gave the couple his badge number, so they could file a complaint. A Guardia Civil spokesperson confirmed the incident was ‘being investigated’.

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T was upsetting to read about the expats caught up in the ‘brokers muddle’ on the front page of the last issue of the Olive Press. Hopefully administrators unravelling the ‘company book’ of Premier FX will not be delivering further bad news… and can soon throw out some life buoys to those customers left in choppy waters. It’s the very least we’d expect for an established financial company trusted with clients’ money. And given the UK’s very strict Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is now going through the foreign exchange company’s affairs I’d hope for a good outcome. So how do you recognize a good broker? Before I answer that question I went to Wikipedia, which defined ‘a broker’ as follows:

Key exchanges

Cashback? By FX trader Mark Rickard

No guarantee for victims of Premier FX, but authorities will help get money returned, writes specialist Mark Rickard * A broker is an Independent party, whose services are used extensively in some industries. A broker’s prime responsibility is to bring buyers and sellers together and thus is the third party facilitator between a buyer and seller. An estate agent or stockbroker are familiar examples. Regulation plays a key role in the financial sector, therefore watch for the FCA membership number on any FX company’s website and any correspondence their representatives send to you when engaging in business. Never be scared to ask representatives about their company’s regulatory status and safety of your funds: Good companies are always happy to answer, and should be definitive

in their response. Safety of your funds should be paramount when making large foreign payments, and all good FX companies segregate client monies in a ring-fenced account, so it does not form part the brokers profits or losses. Lawyers have similar segregated accounts as well, by the way, known as Clients Trust Accounts. Documentation to prevent money laundering is very strict in recent times, and getting stricter, as brokers understandably want to know who you are, before acting on your behalf. Therefore, the registration criteria will usually be thorough! This protects you and the broker alike...and if the registration process is not detailed, loose or slack, you should perhaps wonder why?

Lastly, and the most commonly asked question to brokers, and actually it’s the justification for their very existence is ‘the price’! The one you get for euros, dollars, yen, whatever. Brokers will always give you a better price than banks, as they have commercial terms with the principle party (they buy wholesale amounts of currency), unlike individuals or even companies. Also they will go to more than one bank to get better prices, hence offering you a better quote.

Beware

Probably the most hazardous sign to watch out for is when a broker offers a better price than ‘the market’ known as the ‘interbank rate’, because it will

mean they are likely to be taking risks themselves. They should be buying currency at the moment you buy your currency…it is a back to back transaction which has NO RISK. They should not be waiting for better exchange rates. That is gambling with YOUR money. I have been working in the financial industry for nearly 20 years, and there has never been more protection for clients what with the FCA, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise, and of course the Government itself. There are also internal compliance departments to police activities.

However, there will always be feral and rogue institutions, company directors who behave improperly. And usually, in my experience the person most affected is the man on the street. I sincerely hope this sad chapter in FX history, is quickly brought to a close. And I hope to be writing a more cheerful story in my next column in October.

Please feel free to contact me at Key Currency if you have any questions regarding choosing you foreign exchange broker. www.keycurrency.co.uk • Call +44 (0)1872 487 500

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Ecce Vino THE iconic botched restoration painting of ‘Potato Jesus’, Ecce Homo, has hit headlines again but this time for inspiring an award-winning wine. The most famous failed paint job in history has become a tourism attraction in the town of Borja, Zaragoza. The legendary image sells t-shirts and trinkets and now a wine after social media users likened the Son of God to a ‘potato’ or ‘monkey’.

Chocolate

The vino, aptly named Ecce Homo (behold the man), is made by Campo de Borjabased producer Bodegas Aragonesas. Priced at €4 a bottle, it is a blend of old vine Garnacha, Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with cherry aromas and a hint of chocolate. It has even been awarded a silver medal at the Mundus Vini Grand International Wine Award. Thousands have made the pilgrimage to see the 1930 fresco at the Santuario de Misericordia church and the amateur painter, 81-yearold Cecilia Gimenez, has become a local celebrity. The winemakers say 51% percent of sales are donated to charity, while the remaining 49% go to Gimenez to care for her son who has cerebral palsy.

September 27th - October 10th 2018

September 27th October 10th 2018

Local flavours CALVIA’S leading restaurants are set to take part in a highly-anticipated food show offering diners exclusive one-off menus. Every Friday throughout October, local restaurants will take part in the Calvia Food Show, where guests can tuck into special three course menus. Showcasing the culinary talent of a different Mallorquin area every weekend, the foodie event will kick off with 17 restaurants in Palmanova, Magaluf and

Son Ferrer on October 5. Santa Ponca and Costa de la Calma have ten different menus on offer for hungry diners on October 12, while the following week El Toro, Peguera and Cala Fornells will offer eight. Bendinat, Son Caliu, Portals Nous and Illetes wrap up the final weekend with eight more restaurants taking part in the culinary show, including the luxurious OD Port Portals. Each restaurant will have a set lunch and dinner menu ready to sample for just €12 to €16.

Legacy lives on Anthony Bourdain’s highly anticipated final TV series features an emotional episode in Spain FINAL episodes of the late Anthony Bourdain’s eponymous Parts Unknown series are set to feature a trip to northern Spain. The legendary celebrity chef was filming series nine of the critically acclaimed foodtravel show when he was found dead in a hotel room in France having tragically killed himself, aged 61. Incredibly emotional and full of classic Bourdain no-nonsense humour, the colourful final six parts include an episode on Asturias, while the first - a tour to Kenya - premiered last weekend. Joined by Asturian chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, the pair hike to a remote village in the mountains to try a traditional fabada (bean

stew), search ocean cliffs for rare percebes (gooseneck barnacles) and get lost in the region’s famous secret cheese caves.

Honour

The novelist and TV personality also tucks into a pitu de caleya (chicken stew) with local musician Pablo Und Destruktion and learns about Asturias’ miners and their working class movement. The show won six accolades at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including Bourdain’s ‘long-coveted’ honour for an outstanding short form nonfiction or reality series - something he had been nominated for numerous times.

19 19

“It had always eluded him, the one he had always coveted, so it is with tremendous bittersweetness that I accept it on his behalf,” said producer Lydia Tenaglia at the ceremony. The father-of-one travelled to Spain and Catalunya multiple times, with an episode in Andalucia among critics’ favourites where he falls in love with Granada’s tapas, Alhambra and gitano culture during Semana Santa. He said: “Any reasonable, sentient person who looks to Spain, comes to Spain, eats in Spain, drinks in Spain, they’re gonna fall in love. Otherwise, there’s something deeply wrong with you.”

What’s on for foodies!

apas fun

TODAY Cala Millor's September festival is hosting a 'Food and Shopping' night from 6pm until midnight, with a tapas tasting in Parc de la Mar from 7pm on Saturday.

avarian ball

OKTOBERFEST is taking over Pueblo Espanol with bratwurst, beer and pretzels in tow, running September 28 - October 14 every Thursday to Sunday.

weet fair

FIRA Dolce, a sweet fair deep in the Tramuntana mountains in Esporles will be offering cakes, pastries, jams and artisan crafts on October 7.

RIP: Legendary chef Bourdain

Let’s stomp

BINISSALEM’S iconic wine festival has got off to a crushing start with some 1,500 people stomping on grapes in Mallorca’s most famous vino village. Wineries including Maciá Batle and José Ferrer are set to join in the celebrations after a successful September harvest. The festival kicked off with a huge fruit battle, while the famous ‘trepitjar raïm’ competition returned for the 20th year with pairs stomping in buckets of grapes in a race to extract the most purple juice. And the race saw record-breaking numbers of participants this year with a staggering 240 entries. On Friday September 28 the festival will host a large market at Placa des Raquell in the morning, followed by a unique neighbourhood open-air dinner taking over the streets at 8:30pm. The festival runs through the weekend, with a parade on Saturday along with a wine fair on Sunday.

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Basque love story

Why Bilbao is one of Europe’s best gems and how to enjoy the city in 72 hours, writes Elisa Menendez

S I sat at a computer on my first day of work experience on a local newspaper, my phone buzzed. An email appeared reading ‘British Council Language Teaching Assistant Placement’. It was an email I had waited on for months to find out which school I’d be working at and where I would live during my university Erasmus year abroad. All hopes pinned on my first choice of Valencia, I opened the email crossing my fingers. Sestao. What? Where on earth is that? A Google search showed an overcast industrial town in the Basque Country, with cranes and run down grey buildings. My heart sank. Hardly the sangria on the beach experience I’d hoped for. A disappointed 21-year-old went home in tears fearing I’d spend the year stuck in a miserable town with no friends. Thankfully it was 40 minutes from Bilbao on the metro but the relatively unexplored city’s reviews back then were not as glowing as they are now. I read of constant rain, ETA terrorism, the cold nature of Basque people, heavy metal independence music and language barriers. The only saving grace, it seemed, was the cuisine. “Well it can’t rain as much as Manchester does,” said my mum in a bid to cheer me up as rain battered on the windows. So off we went, my life packed in two

VIEWS: Elisa overlooks the centre of Bilbao and (right) typical street

suitcases and mum ever supportively in tow. But neither of us were prepared for the breathtaking beauty and quirkiness my new home offered - and the fabulous bargain Zara jackets. We immediately fell in love with the boho shops and the 18th century architecture of the old town, drinking cafe con leche on the sparkling riverfront, befriending local waiters in an art deco bar, stuffing our faces with raw seafood pintxos and snapping pictures with the Guggenheim’s 40-foot flowered guard dog, Puppy. And it was third time lucky when I

bagged a room in the heart of the Casco Viejo, in an iconic red building which features on many of Bilbao’s postcards, with Zara visible from my balcony. Gold. The luck continued when I met my flatmates, a hilarious mix of Spanish and English students, with whom I spent the year travelling across Spain. In a city surrounded by mountains, divided by a river, where old architecture meets modern, and a stone’s throw away from charming medieval towns, it’s not hard to see why Bilbao was awarded Best European City 2018. No Bilbao travel list can start without a trip to Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Mu-

seum. To truly appreciate the 33,000 titanium sheets that make up the architectural masterpiece, take a walk around the outside of the building, closely guarded by Mama the steel spider, a silver bubble tree, and Puppy, whose 37,000 flowers are changed by hand twice a year. I recommend taking a scenic walk alongside the Nervion River, before taking the lift up the bold Arcos Rojos bridge where the views are spectacular. Check out Art After Dark - a cool monthly event held at the museum where you can party alongside exhibitions to Spain’s biggest house DJs.

If you still can’t get enough of the Gugg, sample a variety of tasting menus at Josean Alija’s iconic one Michelin star restaurant, Nerua, housed downstairs. Another high class culinary option is the award-winning Yandiola, housed on the roof of impressive cultural hub, Alhondiga - try their bacalao al pil pil which won Best Cod in 2004 or enjoy the views with a cocktail from the swanky rooftop bar. But don’t forget the 110-year-old Museo de Bellas Artes with masterpieces by Goya, El Greco and Sorolla. From there stroll through plush Parque Casilda Iturrizar, dubbed ‘Parque de los Patos’, and spot ducks, swans and

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LAUGHS: Elisa with Bilbao pals and (below) Puppy

STUNNING: The snaking river running through Bilbao peacocks roaming the classic carousel and fountains. Next head down to the stunning Casco Viejo and pintxo hop around Plaza Unamuno and Plaza Nueva. Head to Sorginzulo, a cave-like bar for some of Bilbao’s most innovative pintxos, try famous calamares at Cafe Bar Bilbao, or try Bizkaia’s Best Pintxo 2015 - the Sopa de Idiazabal, cheese, egg and mushroom soup at Gure Toki. To work off the calories, take the steps to Parque Etxebarria and watch the sun set over the city. Spend a day wandering the streets of the old town and stumble across the stunning Bilbao Cathedral, get lost down Siete Calles, enjoy fresh produce and live music on a Friday night at the Mercado de la Ribera, and pintxo hop and glug Kalimotxo (red wine and coke) before exploring hippy shops until the early hours on Calle Somera.

For just €3.25 and the best views of Bilbao, head up the Funicular de Artxanda (cable car) for panoramic mountain views and head to the cosy Restaurante Txakoli, a former shepherd and mountaineer hub, or to Kate Zaharra where you can sample over 1,000 wines from its bodega or try rare percebes (gooseneck barnacles) and lobster platters. Book tickets to see the Basque Country’s famous Athletic Bilbao football team in action at San Mames stadium before walking to Calle Pozas - a latenight drinking and pintxo street - and tuck into every variation of tortilla imaginable at Zaharra. If the weather permits (trust me it doesn’t rain all the time) take the metro to Playa de Plentzia, an untouched beach near the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary. Then catch the metro to the UNESCO-protected 1893 Vizcaya Bridge - the first bridge in the world to

All European destinations served worldwide shipping door to door free storage available carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola, or marvel at the timewarp of old white sailor cottages in Getxo’s Puerto Viejo. And if you’ve got extra time, hop on a bus to nearby gems San Sebastian, Pamplona, La Rioja or make the epic 241-stepped hike up to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (‘castle rock’ in Basque) and ring the bell three times to make a wish. Legend has it

the famous Game of Thrones filming location once welcomed witches, knights and even John the Baptist. Looking back on my anxiety at the thought of moving to Bilbao is laughable - a place that has become one of my favourite cities in the world and inspired my brother to move there after I left. Yes it does rain, but like my mum said, not as much as Manchester.

Yes, can do

The perfect burger! IT is almost impossible to find a better place to get a sunset snap. So it wasn’t surprising to see over a dozen international photographers ascend to the rooftop bar of the OD Port Portals this month. The group were trying out a series of new lenses for the Japanese photographic giant Sigma. Conveniently there was a pair of pretty girls taking a cocktail at sunset, as well as, er, a big group of golfers on tour. But, what seemed to draw the photographers attention most was a burger plate on a table set with a flower vase and a cocktail glass.

AN E-bike company has launched a series of routes for clients to follow around the island. The four exciting routes are simple to follow and can be easily accessed via a mobile phone. Loaded onto any phone via the scan of a QR code, they then give detailed instructions for each route. “It’s a great way to see the island,” said Oliver Wienrich, the owner of Santa Ponsa business Yes We Bike. The company, which is set up in Son Bugadelles industrial estate, specialises in sales and rentals of electric bikes of all calibres and budgets. Since opening, the com-

pany has seen extraordinary growth in the use of e-bikes. “They are the future, a fabulous way to see more of the island and a great way to commute to work,” added the German businessman. Visit www.yeswebike.es for more information

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Leave spiders alone and zap those mosquitos, writes Lesley Keith

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Bug’s life

T’S coming to the end of Septem- ‘This will really work’. ber now and I guess we all know Yes, argan oil, brewers yeast tablets, what that means, nights drawing citronella candles, plug in devices, in, switching off the air condition- sprays etc etc, it all costs a fortune ing, tired waiters and better UK TV and to be honest there are only two programmes. things that actually seem to make a For me in my flat it definitely seems difference. to mean more spiders! One is covering yourself in deet ladI quite like spiders actually, not in a en anti-mossie spray, it stinks and I touchy feely way you understand, I hate layering myself with chemicals seriously don’t want one on my pil- but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotlow or walking up my leg but having ta do, and the other is drinking tonic them around is reassuring. water. Apart from anything This doesn’t actually else they eat flies and stop them biting you that’s got to be a good but really reduces the Out he runs, thing. I never kill them itching. if I can possibly avoid Sadly you can’t include stark naked it, not so easy at the gin with it as alcohol, moment when I’m tryas our startled along with spicy foods ing to clear their webs. to make me even new neighbour seem I have this magic dustmore mossie attractive. ed that picks them One thing we have had walks past up so I can relocate great fun with though them in a more rural is a battery operated environment. No doubt tennis racquet thingy. they come straight back but that’s You bat the offending fly with it and their problem. it kills it with an impressive flash and I’m reliably informed it is coming into sizzling sound. Wonderful, although mosquito season as if it had ever they seem to know you’ve got one, been away. they’ll waft past you once, then disIt’s a problem I know I’ve mentioned appear completely as you hover, before and it’s still very much the poised like Federer facing Nadal unbane of our lives here. We’re pretty til you get fed up waiting. much the unsung experts on the var- As soon as you put it down of course ious suggested remedies that have they return but when you do finally been put to us over the months. get one it’s game set and match to We’ve tried them all, and each time us, break out the barley water! holding on to the assurance that With the heat and the humidity I’ve

been heading to the beach while it’s still possible. Luckily there’s a couple of great ones with good parking five minutes down the road.

Being in a sheltered bay the water is incredibly warm and I go to the far end where there’s very few people. The sea is clean and clear and it’s

Real bandwidth

wonderful. As residents I think you can forget to do this sort of stuff so I now leave a beach bag ready and chairs in my boot so when it’s possible I just go. Who knows how much longer we can actually do this? I always follow the ‘Pick Up 3 Pieces’ ethic from the worldwide campaign of picking up three bits of plastic from the sand to stop the sea life becoming contaminated. No one else seems to bother so I add up how many people are around me and pick up three pieces for each of them too. Another good reason to go to an empty beach! One last note, the final chapter of my unwelcome visitor unfolded last week. Yes cleaning the floors I bent down to pick up a random shoe lace from under my sofa, only it wasn’t attached to a shoe. It wasn’t even a shoelace, it was a rat’s tail with a dead rat on the end of it. Picture the scene. My partner had picked this moment to be having a shower so I’m out on the front patio repeatedly screaming his name, God knows what the locals were thinking at this point. Out he runs, stark naked just as our startled new neighbour walks past….. welcome to the block! Oh well at least I know it’s definitely gone now and I somehow I can’t see our new neighbour trying to borrow a cup of sugar any time soon. Or maybe he will….?

RADICAL CHANGE:

Expat cognitive therapists Martin & Marion Shirran’s highly-esteemed work has been featured in Vogue, Marie Claire, The Times, Telegraph and The Daily Mail

By Lesley Keith

Our amazing successes

Costa del Sol-based cognitive therapists star on UK television special

olly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have talked with Martin and Marion Shirran about their Gastric Mind Band® permanent weight loss treatment on the This Morning TV Show. The Costa del Sol is acknowledged around the world for a number of reasons, but for a few in the know, including a growing number of celebrities, it remains the Go-To destination for those wishing to achieve Permanent Weight Loss. The incredible story around the Gastric Mind Band® treatment goes back to 2012 when it was developed at a small clinic in Fuengirola, by Martin and Marion Shirran. Shortly afterwards Claudia Connell (left) of the Daily Mail, travelled to Spain to meet the developers and experience the treatment for herself. Two weeks later she wrote a two-page feature in the Daily Mail newspaper dePRIME TIME: Marion and Martin with Phillip Schofield and tailing her treatment that literally got the whole Holly Willoughby on This Morning world talking. Martin and Marion were then flown to New York to be featured in a Good Morning ment is evidence based. There’s no smoke and mirrors, no diet America TV special regarding their approach; resulting in them plan, and no exercise regimes to follow. establishing a number of licensed clinics around the world. “Helping people to successfully, and permanently lose weight is Following the TV appearances they signed a multi-title publisha complex task, requiring a careful fusion of empirically proven ing contract with leading Mind Body publishers interventions. The treatment incorporates CogniHay House in New York, and were then invited to tive Behaviour Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programshare details of their work at two leading EuroHelping people ming and the clinic’s own registered, TactileCBT pean psychology conferences at universities in with Mindfulness Techniques, each underlose weight is along Portugal and Poland. pinned as and when required by Hypnotherapy. They were recently invited to appear on the This a complex task The treatment has been further enhanced followMorning show to talk about the treatment and its ing the new and exciting research in the field of development, you can see the full interview on requiring various Neuroplasticity. the clinics web site – www.gmband.com. Various past clients have been interviewed in the techniques The revolutionary treatment which can be commedia and on TV worldwide. One Sara Price, lost pleted over either three or four days delivers what half her body weight following her treatment, Kais surely Utopia for dieters... Permanent Weight tie Drew, went on to lose over 100 pounds. Kaye Loss using a range of proven psychological interventions. Today Lindley, a past client was interviewed by Lorraine Kelly on GMTV the Gastric Mind Band® is regarded by many as the gold stanBreakfast show after losing 105 pounds and reversing her diadard in permanent non-surgical weight loss treatments. betes. The unique approach has been refined during a decade of research and extensive client trials. Every element of the treatRead their stories at www.gmband.com

Mallorca diaries

Sara Price lost half her body weight, thanks to Gastric Mind Band

TRANSFORMATION: Katie

Drew lost 100 pounds

Gastric Mind Band Therapy Elite Clinic, Fuengirola +34 951 311 591 • mail@gmband.com www.gmband.com • www.pausebuttontherapy.com

SPORT

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RETURN: Tommy Haas

Tennis legends TENNIS fans have a chance to see some of the top players in the game at Palma’s Legends Cup Tennis Tournament from October 4 to 7. To compete, players must have been ranked number one during their career, be a Grand Slam finalist, or win a Davis Cup as a single player.

Croat crowned best male player of the year by FIFA REAL Madrid’s Luka Modric has been named the best male player at the Best Fifa Football Awards in London. The 33-year-old midfielder beat out former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. It comes after the Croat won his third Champions League title with Los Blancos in a row in May and guided his home country to their first World Cup final in the summer.

Selected

Voting for the player and coach categories was conducted by national team captains and managers, selected journalists and, for the first time, an online poll of fans. Each accounted for 25% of the total. Modric said: "This award is not just mine. It is my team-mates from Real Madrid and Croatia. “Without

September 27th - October 10th 2018

Mad for Modric MAN OF THE MOMENT: Luka Modric

my coaches, I would not have won this and without my family I would not be the player I am today.” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said: “Luka Modric is the captain of my team, he's the best player in my team and in the world, and he deserves this award.” Modric made 56 appear-

Nostalgic

In the fourth edition of the tournament, tennis greats including Martina Hingis, Tommy Haas, Carlos Moyá and Eva Guerrero will step on the court. The nostalgic tournament is held at the Palma Sports and Tennis Club with tickets on sale now.

Fifa top 11

LEGEND: Hingis

Goalkeeper: David De Gea Defenders: Dani Alves, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos & Raphael Varane Midfielders: Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante & Luka Modric Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe & Lionel Messi.

Run Palma run THE PALMA Marathon returns on October 14 for athletes of all ages. There is the main marathon, a half marathon, a 10K and walking and Nordic walking events. Registration is open until October 7 for the scenic course along the Mediterranean towards the cathedral.

ances for club and country as he won the Champions League and reached the World Cup final - beating England in the semi-final in what he admitted before the ceremony was his ‘best season ever’. And even England manager Gareth Southgate agreed, having voted for Modric to win the Fifa award. This is the third edition of the Best Fifa Football Awards, set up after football's world governing body ended its association with the Ballon d'Or award.

23 23

September 27th - October 10th 2018

No US matches LUIS Rubiales has blasted the idea of holding a La Liga match in the US. The Spanish FA president wrote to his La Liga counterpart Javier Tebas to express his strong opposition to holding a Girona V Barcelona fixture in Miami on January 26. According to Spanish sport outlet Marca, there is a ‘zero per cent’ chance the match will take place. However Tebas remains confident that it will. He said: “Obviously [the Spanish FA] aren't excited about [a match in Miami]," Tebas told reporters. "They are not saying no, they are just requesting more information. I have been talking about this for some time now, so I am optimistic.” La Liga needs the approval of the Spanish FA, Spain's Sports Council, Uefa, and the US Soccer Federation for the game to take place.

NOPE: Rubiales

Voted BEST

Reuse Reduce Recycle We use recycled paper

FINAL WORDS

Xmas comes early PALMA has announced that the city's Christmas lighting ceremony will be on November 22, with entertainment starting at 5pm, with 12 art exhibitions spread across the city.

Car cap A TRIAL restricting cars at Cap Formentor will be continued next season. From 9am - 8pm, cars and motorcycles will be banned from April to October.

expat paper in Spain

FREE

Build a wall!

Vol. 2 Issue 38 www.theolivepress.es September 27th - October 10th 2018

Armchair archaeologist finds historic site by studying Google maps AN amateur archeologist has unearthed an unknown site of huge historical interest near

Sleuth

Cordoba by using Google maps. Jose Broch, a civil servant

from Castellon, located a ‘man-made structure’ by following the course of the Gua-

Driven to distraction

A NAUGHTY couple tied up traffic in Palma while driving around the highway appearing naked. While the pair were in fact wearing swimsuits, drivers on the city's busiest road weren't sure what they were seeing. “They were such a distraction, traffic very suddenly slowed down – which we all know quickly triggers the whole road to stall,” said one driver. “It was pretty dangerous, I think they knew what was happening.”

dalquivir River until he found ‘straight lines’. The exciting discovery, near Almodovar del Rio, could be the lost city of Medina AlZahira which was built more than 1,000 years ago, but officials in Cordoba think it may be an outlying area of the Arabic city of Madinat Qurtuba or even a Roman villa. “I was reading a report about the lost city of Medina AlZahira and couldn’t believe it had never been found,” said Broch. “I thought I would take a closer look and see what I could discover.” Medina Al-Zahira was an ancient fortress town built on the outskirts of Cordoba under the dynasty of Almanzor. Blockbuster TV series Game of Thrones was partly filmed at Almodovar del Rio.

DONALD Trump has suggested Spain should build a wall across the Sahara desert in a bid to bring migrant numbers down. According to foreign minister Josep Borrell, the US president insisted the barrier would help tackle Europe’s migrant crisis. Borrell did not reveal when the leader floated the idea, but sources suggest it was in June, when Borrell visited Washington during the White House visit of King Felipe and Queen Letizia.

Popular

He ‘made it clear’ that he disagreed with Trump's diagnosis but insisted a policy was needed to deal with the fact that Africa would double its population in the next 20 years. Spain is now the most popular entry point for migrants in the EU, accounting for 6,500 arrivals out of 12,500 in August. Most arriving in the country came from Morocco, Guinea and Mali.

Music, gastronomy, design, comfort and great art.

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