Mallorca Olive Press - Issue 17 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 1 Issue 17 www.theolivepress.es December 7th - December 20th 2017

London protests Rajoy

DOZENS of Catalan protesters took to 10 Downing Street during a UK visit from Mariano Rajoy yesterday. The protest, organised by the Catalan Defence Committee, demanded the release of the Catalan referendum leaders who remain in jail on charges of sedition and rebellion. Holding up placards saying ‘freedom for political prisoners’ and ‘the streets will always be ours’, the protesters amassed such a large crowd that traffic was diverted from Whitehall.

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Mallorca Meg The soon-to-be Duchess of Sussex has a love affair with Spain and the Balearics SEE PAGE 3

New sustainable approach to land use will see green areas re-classified By Kirsty Tuxford

A RADICAL new building ban will prevent further erosion of the islands’ valuable green spaces. The Balearic parliament ruling means that land previously classified as ‘urbanizable’, or available for development, will be re-classified if construction has not yet begun. Thanks to a campaign by Back door Més per Mallorca thousands Rajoy was forced to enter numof hectares of rural land will ber 10 through the back door. be saved from construction The turmoil comes after a across the islands. Spanish supreme court judge The law which comes into ordered the release of six Cata- force in January will see lan secessionists. heavy fines for anyone breakPuigdemont’s deputy Oriol ing the rules. Junqueras and Catalan ex-In- “It’s great news for the enviterior Minister Joaquim Forn, ronment,” said Damia Borhowever, must stay in jail. ras, PSOE deputy leader in Puigdemont has been given a Menorca. “It provides translifeline after his European ar- parency and more control rest warrant was withdrawn mechanisms to combat urthis week to allow Madrid full ban speculation.” autonomy into the investigation At a press conference to of what they claim was an illegal celebrate the ruling, MES independence referendum. spokesman Bel Busquets said . that in the town of Llucmajor alone some 200 hectares of land would be prevented from being developed. That’s the size of 280 football pitches. She added that the regional authorities were ‘committed to a more sustainable model, which is adapted to the needs of a limited territory that we Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017 15:36 have to preserve’.

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Flightmares

Are budget airlines a thing of the past? The Olive Press investigates the future of low-cost travel

SEE PAGE 6

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News IN BRIEF

Arson attack

Water safety VILLAGES are more protected after 880 new fire hydrants were installed across 45 areas with an investment of 2.2 million euros.

Tragic tumble A 33-year-old Spaniard died after stumbling onto a roundabout near the Son Llátzer hospital. He was lighting a cigarette when he was hit by a passing car.

Whack the baby’s head!

Where’s my dinner attack A MAN has been arrested in Palma for assaulting his girlfriend because she hadn’t prepared his dinner. Police came to the apartment after

TWO hooded suspects are wanted for burning a car in Palma in the middle of the night. The car was completely destroyed and two were others badly damaged before firefighters put out the flames.

December 7th - December 20th 2017

Crime boss’s son offered cash and a property in Paris to drop evidence in Cursach case THE son of ‘King of the Night’ Tolo Cursach is being investigated over claims he tried to bribe a Madam from a well known Palma brothel. Palma’s Court Number 6 is to grill the son of Bartolome Cursach over claims he offered to buy a property in France and pay a regular monthly salary if she pulled out of his corruption trial.

being alerted by the property owner, who had received a Whatsapp message from the female tenant. They found the 41-year-old woman

bleeding from the lip and claiming serious pain in her right wrist. The woman’s partner has been charged with assault.

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Safety

In the separate side case on December 15, Judge Florit will ask Tolo Junior if he made a phone call to the woman, whose identity is being protected for safety reasons. So far 31 people have been ordered to court over the crimes of Cursach, which

include bribing police and politicians with prostitutes and drugs.

The nightclub boss faces 15 charges, including homicide and corruption. He is said to have vowed to destroy rivals in any way possible, and paid

A FAMILY christening has ended in a huge bar brawl. Police were called after chairs and beer bottles were thrown across the bar and a television smashed in the chaos when 40 Palma locals gathered for the baptism. More than a dozen officers attended the 4am fight in Porto Pi.

€3,000 to a witness to lodge complaints about rival clubs with police and town halls. Judge Penalva has stepped away from the case after Cursach and Sbert’s lawyers filed formal complaints claiming he was corrupt. A protest with 300 friends and family of the accused aided in the judge’s temporary suspension from the case. The case is expected to remain in ‘limbo’ until January, giving time for all internal investigations to be finalised.

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Weapon meltdown

Million euro Rolex raid AUDACIOUS thieves have stolen over one million euros worth of watches. It took just two minutes for the gang to raid the jewellers in Portals Nous and get away with the 70 valuable Rolexes. The trio arrived by good fortune when the safe was open and items were being put away for the night. The three hooded men disarmed the security guard and locked him in a room with the sales clerk. They left behind other brands and diamonds.

Parcel problems A 21-year-old man has been arrested in Ibiza for alleged drug trafficking through the postal system. The suspect received a suspicious package that when tested proved to be carrying hash, a solid form of marijuana. Once the suspect picked up his package, he was arrested and the parcel inspected. Police found 1.2 kilograms of hash divided into 100 gram chunks.

SOME 1,500 guns have been destroyed after they failed to sell at a police auction. The shotguns, rifles and handguns were dismantled, according to the Weapons Regulation law. Over 17,000 impounded guns were auctioned off last month.

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AN ARREST has been made in Manacor after policed raided a suspicious house, finding 221 marijuana plants, along with an entire set-up for indoor growing and drying of the illegal plant. The man was arrested for crimes against public health, as well as a crime of defrauding the power company, scamming them out of electricity.

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December 7th - December 20th 2017

Cockpit selfie

EN ROUTE: Rafa snaps pic before flying home

Happy holidays Model Abby Clancy has confirmed she conceived the couple’s third child while spending a week in Mallorca this summer. The former Strictly Come Dancing winner has now posted a picture of her baby bump on social media. The 31-year-old, who already has two daughters with husband Peter Crouch, sailed around the islands in June.

HAPPY: Abby and Peter

Tiesto’s back BH Mallorca's first big gig of 2018 has been announced with Tiesto gracing the stage on July 31. Tickets are on sale now. The Dutch DJ was voted 'The Greatest DJ of All Time' by MixMag.

The Princessto-be is a big fan of Mallorca THE new royal princess is a huge fan of the Balearics. Meghan Markle spent a long holiday cruising round the islands in 2015, where she took in the sights of Palma before taking a yacht around Formentera’s beaches. She then moved on to Ibiza, where she shared photos of herself splashing around in its crystal clear waters and taking in the local cuisine.

RAFAEL Nadal snapped a photo with pilots before flying home to Spain this week. It comes after the Mallorquin had to pull out of the ATP World Tour finals with a knee injury. He posted a picture with his pilots in the cockpit of the Air Europe flight online. He said: “Lucky to have met the pilots that will fly us back home after the holidays. Thanks #Aireuropa!” The picture got more than

15,000 likes and led to some strange theories from Nadalobsessed supporters. The crux of their odds beliefs appeared to be the fact Nadal, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, was so talented he could fly the plane himself. One wrote: "Hope you had a great holiday Rafa, safe home, so boring without tennis, it would not surprise me if you were able to fly the plane home again, as you can do anything and everything."

Come back

soon! DINING: In a local Ibiza restaurant

BEACH BABE: Gabby Allen

Fashion

The future ‘princess’, to be titled Duchess of Sussex, loved Spain’s capital Madrid so much she lived there for 4 months and learned Spanish. Her Balearic travel partner and New York fashion designer Misha Nonoo is rumored to be the ‘mutual friend’ that set up Meghan and Harry not long after their Spanish jolly. Meanwhile, Harry has been coming to Mallorca since he was a baby, visiting the Spanish royals at Marivent Palace with his mother Princess Diana in

Loving it!

HAPPY: Couple and (middle) Meg in Mallorca and Harry and Diana on the island

the early 80’s. Harry also enjoyed the nightlife on Mallorca, causing uproar when he stayed for a long holiday as a single lad.

The Prince of Wales was seen at a series of trendy bars and nightclubs rom Palma to Andratx back in 2011.

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LOVE Island’s Gabby Allen has been spotted getting some winter sun in time for Christmas on the beach in Marbella. The 24-year-old blonde beauty, who gained fame this summer after appearing on ITV’s Love Island, was seen frolicing in the waves in a bikini. The break comes amid claims that her relationship with beau Marcel is on the rocks after texts implied he had been unfaithful.

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www.theolivepress.es By Laurence Dollimore

News IN BRIEF

THIS is the moment a stunned British bride was reunited with her engagement ring after losing it on a Mallorca beach seven months ago. Christie Campbell, 22, was devastated when the precious jewellery, specially designed by hubby Calum, went missing in El Arenal during a family holiday in May. Her family had searched high and low for the white gold, diamond-set ring for hours in vain, leaving Christie heartbroken just a few weeks before her dream wedding. But against all odds, Christie’s cousin Stewart received a shock email three months later with the amazing news that Christie’s ring had been found. Christie said: “Stuart just said ‘we’ve got something for you,’ and I thought it was something for the wedding. I had no idea what it was. “Calum opened up the box and was saying ‘oh my God, I

Das ist gut EASYJET announced a new route from Berlin to Palma beginning January 5. The new option is one of 19 the airline will begin running in January to compete with Lufthansa's Berlin routes.

Marine mystery A BODY has been found in the waters of sa Calobr. After a local spotted the body out at sea, police and specialist divers rescued the corpse. Guardia Civil are currently investigating.

Sea floods HEAVY rains have again overflowed sewer pipes and systems, yet again flooding the sea with faeces and waste.

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Love detector

Lost British engagement ring found by local metal detector enthusiast three months later

LEGEND: Mohammed

Tax haven SOME 80% of projects being financed by the tourism tax are already underway, while two have already been completed. Since the tax began in July 2016, €94 million has been collected and can be used as a tool for local improvement, explained tourism minister Biel Barceló. Estimates for 2018's revenue from the tourist tax reach €120 million, as from May to October the fee is doubled. "The projects guarantee that the vast majority of citizens can benefit from the initial investments," Barceló added. The main goal for the ministry of tourism is funding projects that 'compensate for the ecological footprint of tourism and improve the environment'.

Hit-and-run A DRUNK pensioner hit a parked car while driving in Palma. They fled the scene and crashed into a police car before the driver tested positive for alcohol.

December 7th - December 20th 2017

can’t believe this’. “I was absolutely ecstatic. At first I thought, ‘that can’t be the ring.’ But it fit. “It had actually been in the sea. It was amazing. “The chances of finding it were so small. The beach had been mobbed.” And according to Mohammed Kahn, the gentleman who tracked down the ring with his metal detector, the jewellery was four metres out into the water, exactly where the couple had been swimming back in May. And Christie says she will be forever grateful to Mohammed, 53, for his honesty and kindness. Christie said: “It made the wedding so much better as

well because I had the ring for all the pictures. “That man has no idea how happy he’s made me, it totally restored my faith in humanity. He could have just gone out and sold it, he could have got thousands for it. It was just such a nice thing to do.” Mohammed said: “I started metal detecting in Jávea last year a f t e r chatting to a chap I saw on the beach, and a recommendation from my doctor to lose some weight. “It is rare to find an item like this so many days after it is lost, as there are many other detectorists on the beach and, of course, many beach visitors.”

Hanged dog THOUSANDS of people have signed a petition demanding justice for a family’s whose dog was found dead in a Mallorca rubbish bin. The pet labrador, Llamp, had apparently been hanged after escaping from his home in Felanitx. After a long four day search, involving social media, he was found in a container by a neighbour, who straight away called the family. The owner, who called in police immediately, said: “My dog never wore a collar and lived free in our garden. Someone has hung him.” Now a change.org petition has received nearly 3,500 signatures demanding that police and the local town hall get more involved in the case. The town's mayor Joan Xamena slammed the shocking abuse and strongly condemned the ‘awful mistreatment’. Police are investigating.

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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 The sands of time It is a rarity that action is taken to protect the environment these days. We applaud the Balearic government for making strides in protecting its land from developers. Unfortunately, the world is on a collision course with mother nature yet governments and world leaders don’t seem too fussed. And it is an absolute scandal that right here in Spain those who want to do their bit are being restricted by shameful laws. The fact that anyone wanting to generate solar electricity must pay a tax, when there should be incentives for it, not to mention a shameful waste of water around Spain is a crying shame. Despite 70% of the country being at risk of desertification, Spain couldn’t be bothered to send a delegate to a global conference on the issue this year. And at a time when the country’s reservoir levels reached all time lows and we are due to enter one of the worst droughts for decades. All of us need to do more to protect the environment, whether its on the micro level of recycling more and using less water, or on the macro level, voting for green politicians in local elections, installing solar panels or lobbying government for action. But it is the government ultimately that needs to enforce laws and introduce programmes that will help stave off disaster. It is simply shameful to do nothing, while knowing that in just 80 years this region could be largely an uninhabitable desert. Depòsito Legal PM: 610-2017

Publisher/ Editor

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

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Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es SALES: sales@theolivepress.es Charles Bamber 0034 661 452 180 Charles@theolivepress.es

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2012 - 2017

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

December 7th - December 20th 2017

Flying to the

A lack of pilots, too much competition and the advent of Brexit... is the future of budget air in jeopardy? Investigates Jo Chipchase

HIS year has been inauspicious year for low-cost flights. The October 2 collapse of Monarch Airlines required the biggest ever peacetime repatriation exercise to return 100,000 Brits who were stranded overseas. A further 300,000 people lost their bookings. After struggling financially for over a year, Monarch was unable to renew its ATOL license - a legal requirement to fly. Rumours are circulating that Norwegian has similar problems and may go bust this winter. The airline recently withdrew all flights between Birmingham and Spanish airports, citing, oddly, poor demand as its reason. Meanwhile, Ryanair has its ongoing pilot hours crisis. After making serious errors with its pilot holiday planning, the airline cancelled 50 flights a day from mid-September to the end of October and then a further 18,000 flights between November 2017 and March 2018, affecting 400,000 passengers. The Civil Aviation Authority has launched action against Ryanair for “persistently misleading passengers” about their rights. Refunds or re-bookings can be a thorny issue. Many customers of collapsed Monarch say they have received refunds from their banks but others haven’t been so lucky. Glenys Mason Cuming, a resident of Alican-

When you see flights for €10 you have to realise this is unsustainable te, told the Olive Press: “We booked flights to the UK from Spain with Monarch for Christmas. We used our Spanish debit card and spent €288, which we have seemingly lost.” Meanwhile Pam Amos, from Tenerife, has seen her plans grounded: “My family booked with Monarch to visit me in October. I missed out on a family reunion and seeing my seven-year old grandson. Now I hear that Norwegian has stopped flying to Birmingham Airport, leaving me with less choice for trips from Tenerife to home.” Although passengers are unhappy when airlines withdraw their services, cancelling flights and abandoning airports is hardly a new trick. In the days before BA and Easyjet contracted to fly out of Granada Airport, Ryanair was criticised for withdrawing its Granada-Gatwick route in 2010 in a row over subsidies paid by the Diputación de Granada. The same route had previously been pulled by Monarch Airlines in 2007 for similar ‘commercial reasons’. When airlines pull out of regional airports – as was also the case in Jerez de la Frontera in 2011, when Vueling decided to withdraw – the local tourist industry and property prices can take a direct hit. People who have invested in holiday homes can suddenly find their properties harder to reach and, accordingly, more difficult to rent to holidaymakers and to sell. The end result is that they lose money. Martino Matijevic, founder of cheap flight search site, Whichbudget.com, comments: “Ryanair is famous for playing the cost game. It picks lesser-known destinations that aren’t on the tourist radar and need investment. It asks the airports to offer slots, gets the destination to subsidise the flights and promises them thousands of new visitors. But when the external financial support

DID YOU know ♦♦ ♦♦

♦♦

Spain benefits more than any other EU state from flights to the UK Over 3,400 scheduled flights per week take off, plus many more charter services 21% of Spain’s international visitors are from the UK

dries out, Ryanair simply leaves the passengers with their second homes abroad and no flights. Hiking up fares to cover the shortfall would ruin their business model.” He adds: “When you see a flight for €10 you have to realise this is unsustainable and someone has to pay the difference. Ryanair’s entire corporate philosophy is built on this short-term pricing model. It is driven by subsidies and isn’t an economic reality.” Another issue looming over the low-cost airline industry is Brexit. Michael Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has pointed out that a ‘no deal’ scenario would have ‘conse-

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Over 40% of passengers in Europe fly with low cost companies. In Spain that number reaches 50% Aviation is a vital part of Spain’s tourist industry (around 5% of GDP). UK-Spain aviation alone is worth at least €27bn

quences’, including ‘the capacity of British planes to land in Europe’. Open Skies, a bilateral agreement governing flights between the UK and the EU, doesn’t revert to World Trade Organisation rules if negated. It reverts to nothing. Martino points out the difficulty in forecasting the Brexit impact. Nobody knows how it will pan out – not least Theresa May and her cabinet. He says: “At the time of the referendum, there wasn’t any difference in search patterns on Whichbudget.com and our user statistics aren’t showing any difference today. It is hard to make predictions.”

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Spain has backup aviation plan Spain has said it will have a backup aviation deal with the UK in case of widespread disruption to air travel post-Brexit. Deputy Minister for European Affairs Jorge Toledo said if an EU-UK aviation deal does not come through, Spain will have its own to ensure British tourists keep coming. “If there isn’t an agreement, then we will have a plan B ready,” said Toledo.

My flightmare diaries

HAVE flown around the world from Moscow to Mauritius and from Uganda to the United Arab Emirates with very little hassle. But to mark our wedding anniversary, we decided to stay closer to home and picked our favourite island - magical Mallorca where we had lived when I was editor of the Majorca Daily Bulletin. We booked a return flight to Palma with Ryanair, but only a few days before we were due to fly came the dramatic news ... they didn't have enough pilots! The threat of cancellations because of pilot shortages stopped us in our tracks. We had been dropped in at the last minute by this airline many times before, so we did not want to take any chances. We forked out more cash and booked another single flight with easyJet. No problems with that flight and we had a lovely anniversary visiting our old haunts in Palma, Illetas and Palma Nova. But then on our very last day came the bolt from the blue. As we were packing late in the afternoon ready for the next morning's flight back to Newcastle, we got a text from Ryanair – your flight has been cancelled! Because of the French Air Traffic Control strike we were left high and dry. That night we desperately tried to get a flight back to the UK, but to no avail. So next morning - Tuesday Oct 10 - we decided to hop on our pre-booked 5am shuttle to try pot luck at Palma airport. It was absolute chaos. Some of our fellow passengers were told that Ryanair could help them - they could catch a

Globetrotting journalist David Anderson on his recent Mallorca holiday flight nightmare and the highs and lows of grabbing a cheapie from Newcastle flight to MILAN, stay over, then catch a – remember we'd been at the airport flight to EDINBURGH. since 6am! We did not fancy that after trailing Then when we were due to board came round many airline desks It seemed the bombshell – the flight had been a mission impossible to get home on cancelled – our second in 24 hours! the day of the Why did the strike. Spanish compaBut just as we ny sell us tickets had given up all at the airport in hope, Spanish the first place airline Vueling on the very day came to our resof the strike cue – they could knowing that get us back to the plane would Cardiff that afalmost certainly ternoon. It was never take off? quite a way from Angry passenNewcastle, but gers - some at least we'd be were parents back on British with babes in soil. arms - were We paid 189.98 then told to euros for the collect their 15.45 flight, luggage and go then paid 85 to the Vueling pounds to stay desk where we overnight in a waited for anUNIMPRESSED: David Anderson Cardiff hotel other two hours and 48 pounds for new flight infor the coach travel home the next day. formation, but still could not get a flight What a relief. But we waited and wait- home. ed, our take off time suddenly vanished, The earliest and nearest flight to home then were told that our afternoon flight was Thursday morning (Oct 12) Palma had been delayed until 20.00 hours to Barcelona then Barcelona to Man-

Easyjet has reacted to Brexit by opening a new European HQ in Austria and launching a new airline, Easyjet Europe, headquartered in Vienna. Now operational, this has enabled EasyJet to obtain an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from Austria’s regulator so it can continue to operate flights within the EU, regardless of whether a no-deal Brexit occurs. And last month, the airline announced an increase in the number of seats to Gibraltar this winter by more than three thousand, to take up the slack left by Monarch. The extra capacity comes from upgrades to its aircraft at both Gatwick and Bristol from 156-seaters to 186-passenger planes. Minister for Tourism, Gilbert Licudi, said the move ‘demonstrates Easyjet’s commitment to Gibraltar’. Michael O’Leary of Ryanair, meanwhile, foresees a period of industry consolidation, resulting in the survival of the British Airways group (IAG), Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and ‘possibly Easyjet’. John Moffett, vice chair of Bremain in Spain

(www.bremaininspain.com), a group campaigning for the rights of British citizens in Spain, is an ex-BA manager. He says: “A no-deal, cliff edge scenario could cast into chaos the travel plans of people wanting to fly between the UK, US and EU by invalidating the Open Skies agreement - potentially with nothing to replace it. However, we are hoping for a no-Brexit, not a no-deal.” He adds: “A hard Brexit could find BA flights grounded if there’s no aviation deal. The UK would have to renegotiate old aviation treaties, such as Bermuda Two, which was a predecessor to Open Skies. However, this would take time and considerable effort.” IAG takes a positive tone: “We’re confident that a comprehensive air transport agreement between the EU and the UK will be reached. It’s in the UK and Europe’s interest to have a fully liberalised aviation agreement.” Easyjet concurs: “We believe a UK-EU aviation agreement is needed and should be

chester at 13.25 - a five-hour wait! We then queued up yet again to find out which hotel we would go to and the company laid on a bus for the hour-long drive to Porto Petro, where we stayed for two nights. The company promised us an early morning pick up back to Palma airport on the Thursday - fair enough. But no information was sent to our hotel about the return pick up and all attempts to get in touch with Vueling failed. We anxiously waited through the night for a call from the company - other airlines had posted pick-up messages for their customers - but ours never came. So at three in the morning we decided to go it alone and make our own way back to the airport by taxi, which cost us 79.15 euros. The flight to Barcelona was on time then we had the five hour wait for the Manchester plane. Then it was another long wait in Manchester coach station for the bus back to the North East. Ryanair eventually refunded our flight money, but Vueling said the strike was out of their hands. We lost more than 200 euros, what with hotel and coach bookings, taxi and airport food. After complaining several times, the company reluctantly sent us 60 euros which hardly paid for the taxi fare! However, I must be a glutton for punishment. This week - December 5 - we're due to fly to Malaga .... and believe it or not, there's a threat of an airport strike that day! So my reign in Spain relies mainly on the plane . . . if it turns up.

a priority for the next stage of the negotiations. We are confident there will be a new agreement. Aviation is essential to all the economies of Europe as an enabler of trade, tourism and travel.” Javier Gándara, Easyjet’s country director for Spain, said at the recent Brexit, Tourism and Aviation conference in Madrid that a future without flights between the UK and EU is ‘inconceivable’. Overall, the future of low-cost air travel does not seem endangered. Easyjet insists that it is ‘here to stay’. However, nobody has as crystal ball. With some short-haul routes proving unprofitable without subsidies, Brexit being an unknown factor and GBP/EUR exchange rates remaining unpredictable, carriers will surely continue to examine their bottom lines and may choose to abandon certain routes. So, while the industry seems stable, passengers should be aware that individual flights they book could potentially disappear into thin air.

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December 7th - December December 7th - December 20th 201720th 2017 g reen

8 By Gillian Keller

BULLFIGHTERS can kill again on Mallorca. It comes after the constitutional court suspended the Balearic law against the mistreatment of animals, which was approved last July. But now the law, which banned bulls being killed during bullfights and disallowed minors from fighting, has been found to be ‘unconstitutional’.

Authority

Load of bull

Legal to kill bulls again on the Balearic Islands on the case, either granting the appeal and allowing bulls to be killed in the ring or finding the ban constitutional. Other benefits of the law that are no longer enforced include heath checks on the animals after a fight, time limits and limitations on numbers of animals involved. The Balearic government has assured people that they 'protect their decision' and will defend the law before the courts.

The government's appeal says the regional law violates certain aspects of state laws on intangible heritage and bullfighting. They argue the Balearics do not have the authority for creating laws for specific animal protection. The suspension of the law comes after an appeal was filed in November. Within five months, the courts have to make a decision

Cabrera urges expansion of park CABRERA has asked Madrid to expand its national park by 90,000 hectares. It comes after the environment ministry reversed the decision at the last minute this summer. The ministry claims the expansion would cause ‘significant economic losses’ to the fishermen of the Alicante region. Several ecologists have pointed out the area also affects the oil exploration projects in the Mediterranean. Most of the board members have joined in signing a letter demanding the expansion to the minister of agriculture and environment, and the secretary of state for fisheries and the environment.

Soapy Stream SAMPLES from 20 Soller water wells are being tested for suspected contaminants from a local laundromat. It comes after a stream passing through Biniali was tested 18 months ago to determine if the laundromat discharge was contaminating the water. But after initial tests proved inconclusive, the sample size has been increased as locals maintain the water and subsoil is tainted from contaminated discharge. Neighbours of Biniali have been complaining of soapy water for more than a decade, even reporting the formation of suds when residents fill their pools in the summer. The laundromat has had permission to pipe excess water waste directly into the nearby stream since 1993. Mayor of Biniali Miquel Fiol has supported revoking the permission, as ‘new treatment technologies and regulations’ are now available.

Support for driving limits in Palma SOME 60% of Palma residents are in favour of a restriction of cars in the city centre. According to a recent study on traffic habits, six out of ten residents are in favour of transitioning to electric cars to reduce pollution. The study also found 42% of

people agree with creating more pedestrian zones in the

city centre, while 32% would increase cycle lanes to improve the environment. But although almost 80% of residents are aware of how toxic their vehicles are to the environment, only 23% would be in favour of paying a fee to drive in the capitol.

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ART: Hits the streets

License to perform PALMA street artists and performers will soon need a license to work in the capitol. Those who wish to to perform music or magic, sell goods or artwork will need approval from the town hall to avoid 'current problems'. Eva Frade, the councillor for citizen participation, says problems between artists and residents, business owners and even other artists are a rising problem. It is still undecided how long a license will be valid for, and how much the fee, if any, will be. Proposals suggest priority would be given to artists who live in Mallorca full time, not just during the tourist season. Frade has said organising sections is a main priority, with a possible system of rotation for artists.

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Lost and found A LOST Spanish masterpiece has been found hanging in a Welsh castle. The 17th-century portrait of an austere-looking Spanish writer had hung in Penrhyn Castle for nearly 150 years, unvisited by art experts and assumed by the National Trust, which owns the castle, to be of no great value. Sevilla art scholar Benito Navarrete Prieto, travelled to the castle on a hunch that a painting assumed to be a copy might just be the real thing. Now Prieto has established that the artwork was indeed a lost masterpiece by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, one of Spain’s great painters. It is a major event for European art: there are barely a dozen known portraits by the artist and those few that do exist are worth millions. “It is an absolute masterpiece,” Prieto said. “Magnetic.” Transported from Penrhyn, the portrait is the centrepiece of a major exhibition on the artist at the Frick Collection in New York, before transferring to the National Gallery in London in February.

plush sands and bounteous pines swaying cooly in the breeze. It is a natural wonder which enraptures your senses and surrounds you with a feeling of luxury.”

Christmas festivities in Alcudia ALCUDIA's ice skating rink has opened for the season through December 27. The town's Christmas market is out on December 9 and 17 at the Passeig Mare de Deu de la Victoria. Children perform a concert of carols from the 18 through the 21, with full Christmas concerts on the 22 and 23. The town will also throw a New Years Eve party at the town hall with live music and DJ's to ring in 2018.

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Balearic beach ranked in the top 50 best beaches on the planet FLIGHTNETWORK has put together 'the most definitive list of beaches ever assembled' to find the The World's 50 Best Beaches. Ranked number 42 on the list is Menorca's very own Cala Mitjana, ranked ten out ten for sand and water quality. The vibrant beach made the list for 'clover-coloured waters surrounded by breathtaking beauty' and notes the worthwhile hike through the trees to get a birds-eye view of the cliffs and shorelines. Cala Mitjana scored an impressive eight out of ten for 'sheer untouched beauty'. Number one beach in the world according to the list is the iconic Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos “Cala Mitjana is a small and beautiful sandy beach hidden in a rocky cove,” said Paul Dow, from TravMonkey, “Absolutely breathtaking with clear waters enclosed by

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Tramuntana photo contest THE first photography contest of the Tramuntana mountains has commenced with a winner in each of the five categories. Each winner received €1,000 and each honourable mention €300, one for the world of water, architecture of the Serra, landscapes, local work and farming, and the local people. The contest was the first event organized by the Serra de Tramuntana Consortium in collaboration with AFONIB (the association of nature photographers of the Balearic Islands).

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Curious about Palma’s 17th century Baroque and Gothic style town hall? Every Sunday they host a free open house, with guided tours in English availble by appointment.

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Begs belief Enjoy southern Spain while you can. Strict new laws and taxes for water usage are already being prepared. Spain has done next to nothing in terms of infrastructure preparations for this problem. It's like they never thought the water situation could ever be a problem. Beggars belief. Meanwhile, more and more cash crops are b e i n g grown and the lands Mijas Costa are being prepared - you can see it all over MalCliaga. mate temperature rises have also led to many more pests and diseases; the Xylella 50% Fastidio sa SALE bacteria (the #1 enemy of European plant diseases) is now killing olives, fruits and even the tough-as-old-boots oleander, as well as many other species of Mediterranean plants, and has no cure. Property www.theolivepress.es

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LARGE parts of southern Spain could be desertified by the end of the century. It comes after climate scientists projected that global temperatures will rise by 3.2C by 2100 if drastic measures are not immediately taken. They say the earth will soon reach ‘the point of no return’, which spells almost continual drought conditions for most parts of Andalucia. The entire region is susceptible to desertification, alongside an alarming 70% of Spain, according to official government statistics. In the doomsday scenario, a third of Spain will be as arid as the desert of Tabernas in Almeria. Meanwhile, the narrow green strip running along the north of Africa will disappear, devoured by the desert, and dramatically worsening the migration crisis. Spain’s forests will end up confined to the highest hilltops, while cities, including Malaga and Cadiz, will face ‘severe scenarios’ as sea levels are set to rise by up to a metre, leaving large areas underwater. Meanwhile Madrid will suffer one of the biggest temperature rises in the world, making the city almost uninhabitable in summer. Green group Climate Central said it would worsen the capital’s ‘heat island’ effect, with temperatures rising between 4.3 degrees and 8 degrees in summer. Due to its contamination and altitude only three other cities Sofia, Skopje and Belgrade - will fare worse. Dozens of cities across the country could have average temperatures in

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All these comments toSwing anon by and join the fun! just unaceptable! You British need to mind your own police business in your own country. You coming to spain is not an obligation and your nonsense criticisms even less so!

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AN expat family have slammed slack emergency services after reporting a wildfire near their home. Jo Wright, 51, and son Alex, 16, were shocked when a local police car arrived with three officers and a small fire extinguisher, some TWENTY minutes after calling 112. The pair said it took nearly an hour for two fire engines to arrive and put out the fire near Torrox. It came after the teen was asked for his ID by the operator. “I can’t understand why it was necessary,” mum Jo

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Estepona, could be finished within a decade as Spain’s economy continues to grow. It has been highlighted as one of the key infrastructure projects for Andalucia over the next decade, along with new metro lines for Sevilla and a motorway between Ubeda, in Jaen, and Estepa, in Cordoba. Julian Nunez, president of SEOPAN – the Association of Construction Companies and Concessionaires of Infrastructure – says the government will By Laurence Dollimore most likely prioritise health and education over the next two told the Olive Press. years. “You could literally hear But added: “GDP growth and the eucalyptus trees the scale back of the deficit have crackling in the backcreated some space to increase ground and she was askpublic investment in infrastrucing for his NIE and who ture.” he was with.” He has therefore created a proAlex had made spective investment portfolio the emergency for the government, listing the call after seeprojects that are a priority. ing smoke belSome 814 projects are already lowing from planned, but just need the a neighbour’s funds and green light from house. Madrid. They could start and “They obvicomplete in the 2018/2021 ously thought period. he was a prankThey also include a new train ster. Thank God it wasn’t line for the Costa Blanca from a windy day or the whole Vinaroz to Alicante, as well as a valley would have been planned metro from Palma de ablaze.” Torrox Police Mallorca to Andratx. told the Olive Press they Public investment is long overcould not comment on due in the country, having been whether asking for an reduced by 58% since 2009. NIE before sending help Such investment in 2014 was was standard procedure. at the same level as 1984.

Richard Taylor, Estepona

Lucky escape

ously hurt and thank God the fire did not spread! They were very lucky by the sounds of it, if there had been a bit more wind the whole mountain could have been ablaze, but at least the operator would have known the poor boy’s NIE! Mary Gunther, Alicante

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Respect democracy! “SPAIN has a problem with democracy,” claimed Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell. The long-time friend of Gibraltar is now calling on Madrid to respect the wishes of its region Catalunya, as well as those of its neighbours on the Rock. The 51-year-old vice chairman of the All-Party

“I’m afraid that Spain does have a problem with the concept of democracy,” said the MP for Romford. “For more than 300 years, Gibraltar has wanted to stay attached to the UK and not attached to Spain. Geographically, it may be attached to Spain but in terms of every other sense, they want to stay British. “Gibraltar has made its views known in two referendums, but the Spanish seem to never accept this. “We’re seeing a similar thing in Catalunya, it’s for the Catalan people to determine what constitutional status they want.”

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Spain must do more as migrant numbers triple across the straits By Joe Wallen

MIGRANTS crossing the Gibraltar straits have increased threefold this year, it has been revealed. A staggering 15,000 people have been rescued in what is now the fastest growing route for those fleeing war or seeking a better way of life. The number of migrants and refugees rescued in the straits has increased by 338% on last year’s totals as conflicts in Syria and the Middle East have worsened. The number of migrants crossing the Straits has grown from INADEQUATE: Spanish authorities have been criticized for not doing enough 3,323 people in 2012 to 14,557 people in 2017. Spain’s southern coast in Sep- “I can’t believe The number of boats mean- tember, a route that has tripled am alive, but I am here, that I Concerns are also growing over the rise of unaccompanied chilwhile, has increased by five in popularity this year, and The Spanishwe made it.” times from 104, in 2012, to 617 which has so far killed at least been criticized authorities have dren and women making the by the UN for al- crossing. so far this year. 156. locating inadequate resources to They are particularly vulnerable One migrant, Aboubacar Sylla, “There were ten of us on this tiny the route. to human traffickers en route from Mali told the Gibraltar Ol- rubber boat meant for maybe “The state isn’t prepared and and once in Spain. ive Press he had recently arrived two people,” said Aboubacar. there aren’t even the resources The route from Morocco has near Algeciras aboard an inflat- “We each put in €10 for the total and the means to deal with the gained in popularity largely beable dinghy. cost of the boat which was €100 flow of people The 34-year-old took the 14km and then spent 16 hours pad- spokeswoman arriving by sea,” cause Libya is now considered María Jesús Vega too lawless to escape via Italy. crossing from Morocco to dling across from Morocco. said. Thousands of migrants have

been imprisoned en route with no food or water, assaulted or forced to work in the sex industry and traded like slaves. Oumar Diallo, 23, from Senegal told the Gibraltar Olive Press how Morocco was considered a much safer place for departure. “In Libya, so many Africans go missing and they never turn up again. I know so many of our women who have been raped and forced to work on the streets.

Safer

“Morocco is definitely safer and we are mostly left alone unless we are caught stealing or something,” he says. Many sub-Saharan Africans like Oumar have also benefitted from King Mohammed VI of Morocco’s political overture to West Africa, as prospective Spanish migrants can now travel into Morocco directly from countries like Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Senegal without needing a visa. Due to the proximity of Gibraltar – the distance is a mere 14km – migrants can also organise the journeys themselves, cutting out dangerous people smugglers. “The Spanish authorities must respond urgently to this situation,” said Estrella Galán, head of Spain’s refugee watchdog (CEAR). Opinion Page 6

FISHING ROW HEATS UP

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A TENSE stand-off between the Royal Gibraltar Police and Spain’s Guardia Civil has broken out over fishing rights. Officers from both organisations were called after the Environmental Protection and Research Unit boarded notorious Spanishowned Virgen Carmen Primero last week, while fishing illegally in Gibraltar. While the situation was resolved peacefully this time, it shows how easily fishing rights could lead to conflict, as reported in our last issue. Despite heightened surveillance from the Gibraltarian authorities, the captain of the Virgen Carmen Primero (right) remained resolute in his actions when we spoke to him this week. Fisherman’s Fiend, page 6

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I’m backing British expats ALBERT Rivera is giving his ‘total support’ to British migrants living in Spain. The Ciudadanos leader told the Olive Press he realised the importance of British expats and tourists on the costas. In the week Brexit is being invoked, he promised to back our rights to stay here. He later told a rally in Mijas he was going to be fighting corruption in Andalucia over the coming years and hoped to bring a train line to the coast. BACKING BRITS, PAGE 9

T is a practice that most property professionals had hoped was a thing of the past. But Olive Press Property can reveal that tionable practice of charging buyers the ethically quesrearing its head again on the Costa del as well as sellers is Sol. According to sources, at least two agents in the Marbella area have recently stung their buyers with bills of up to 5%. scene’, especially when you consider The so called ‘finder’s fees’ are in addition from taking comhigh purchase taxes which are often inthey already have very mission from the seller. “We as agents are paid by the sellers excess of 10%. “It’s disgusting,” said Terra Meridiana’s and we never charge a fee to a buyer,” he said, “On the whole nothing wrong with finder’s fees if you Adam Neale, “I have very well as it is, without the need to start our industry works ent beforehand, but I have heard from agree it with the clicharging such high additional fees to buyers. We should certain agents are adding a 5% fee with several buyers that be encouraging them to invest here!” “It’s bad ethics and gives agents on the no prior warning. Costa del Sol a bad Ben Bateman of Holmes in Sotogrande name.” added he was aware of the practice happening ‘in a few cases’. Mike Smith, Chairman of Marbella-based “It is totally unethical and gives our business agreed that charging potential buyers First Choice Spain, a bad reputasuch fees was ‘obtion for sharp practices,” he said.

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EXCLUSIVE: Agents unite as some ‘bad apples’ are slapping finders fees on buyers without warning

“I have no objection to agents operating with a finder’s fee, but I do object when these so called without declaring from the outset that buyers bill both sides He added: “When unscrupulous agentsthey will be doing so.” abuse the system by adding extra amounts, the whole industry suffers. “Beware of this sharp practise.” Legal expert Antonio Flores added that such practises can be deemed illegal. “It is not illegal to have your commission with the agreement of the vendor,” he built into the price, The problem is when an agent adds told the Olive Press. but does not tell the buyer or seller. a commission on top “This happens when the agent is the middle man and the parties are not in touch via their lawyers. This is actually a criminal offence.”

Granada’s new eco-village

PAGE XIV

Andalucia’s highest towns

Have you been a victim? Email newsdesk@theolivepress.es

STRUGGLING TO SELL YOUR SPANISH

PAGE XVII

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Expats take legal action on double glazing firm over thousands of ‘missing’ euros

revealed that he was offered a €187 discount if he did a bank transfer immediately. “The man’s impossible to AN employee at a well deal with,” said Jones, 69. known glass and windows “We could never get him company has come clean again. after dozens of clients com“We have used another plained about unfinished company now. I just want work. my money back from Expat Rudi Kaiser, 58, reWare.” vealed that tens of thouAnother victim, Pete Jones, sands of euros of work has paid Ware half of a €9,000 not been completed by quote for bifold doors in his his former firm Andalucia as deposits on contracts kitchen in October. Glass & Steel. that were never completed, After hearing nothing for He admitted he ‘could not some up to €20,000.” five weeks, Jones was told take it anymore’ after reKaiser, who lived in London by Ware via text that he was ceiving a barrage of comfor 30 years, began work at having computer problems plaints and being cited in the Marbella-based compaand that work would start various court cases. ny four years ago working ‘imminently’. “I have been tarnished by as a salesman and on social “Of course, nothing hapthis company and I’m not media. pened,” said Jones. “Since happy about it,” the GerHowever, it soon became then I have been constantly man told the Olive Press apparent that boss Vincent trying to contact him withthis week. Jones, claims he never two patio doors in Estepona Ware, also 58, was not deout luck. “We are talking about large heard from Ware again aflast October. livering what he promised. “I am sure, like others who Lastpaid MARBELLA of money, amounts ter transferring €2,000 for Jones, from Cheltenham, One victim, expat Graham LANDMARK FOR ditch have lost money, CANCER BATTLER plea for there is very little Becky that can be done. “I think exposing Homeless his practices will at least help people in plea the future.” A HOMELESS couple towards a deposit for a By Chloe Glover One client, hotelier have received much needflat, which they are in the Andy Chapell, was plight last issue. ed financial help thanks to process of looking for. forced to go to court Kennedy, who runs the “If it wasn’t for groups an Olive Press story. to demand the reHelp the Homeless Costa Leslie and Paul Dunt, who and people like Joel, we turn of €800 paid del Sol Facebook page, were left sleeping between wouldn’t be as close to for a safety fence, said the money had been their car and a shed, have finding anywhere,” said which never arleft over from a recent been offered €500 by Paul. “We are very graterived. group fundraiser. good samaritan Joel Kenful for their generosity and Malaga Court ruled Paul will put the money nedy who read about their support.” DONOR: Joel NEWS

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MORE than 160,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org asking for a street in Marbella to be named after brave cancer sufferer Pablo Raez. The campaign has been set up in response to Raez's inspirational campaign to increase awareness, as well as the num-

March 15th - March 28th 2017

ber of bone marrow donations. Raez sadly lost his battle to leukaemia in February, but not before launching a campaign that went viral, its aim being to increase donors from 230,000 to one million. The petition has now been submitted to Marbella mayor José Bernal. MISSED: Pablo Raez

www.theolivepress.es March offer

€245 +IVA

Eviction

“We are really grateful we have this hut for now, but it has no running water, electricity, heating or gas. “I’m really worried what effect living in these conditions will have on Paul’s health and my own,” she continued. The couple, who moved to Spain 15 years ago, had fallen into financial difficulties last year when Paul had to stop working when he had a pacemaker fitted following a heart attack. As he was unable to continue running his mobile car valeting service they quickly fell behind in the rent. “The heart attack left him dependent on crutches to walk which meant he couldn’t work for 18 months,” added Leslie. After receiving a letter in January from the landlord telling them he was taking them to court, they were evicted on March 7. “It was horrible to find police and bailiffs banging on our door telling us

We’ve got Andalucia covered

SOUGHT: Boss Vincent Ware and (above) Rudi

A DETERMINED expat is devastated after being told she cannot have the drug she has been campaigning for. Doctors told Coin resident Becky Baker, who has cystic fibrosis, she is now too ill to have the Orkambi drug, despite being well enough when she first requested it a year ago. It is the latest blow for Becky, 32, who spoke to the Olive Press last issue (see left) after Malaga’s Carlos Haya hospital, where she NEWS Br-exodus - as they is a patient, said she was no longer fight to leave UK!eligible for for a lung transplant due to having too low a lung function. She had been campaigning to have American drug Orkambi legalised in Spain, which thins mucus, to help Coast clear those with the progressive lung condition. “For the hospital to only say now I could have had the drug were I bet-

Olive Press story helps homeless couple March 1st -

Long term expat couple need urgent help after being forced to live between their car and a hut

March 14th

2017

Drug plea

of EU citizens fibrosis believes THE numberUK actually inExpat with cystic leaving the help save lives last year. By Chloe Glover creased by 17% new pills could the amount In the year of Brexit,to the EU or is pleading for of people returning increased A BRAVE expat denied a vital moving elsewhere help after being 103,000 in one operation. from 85,000 to lung transport who has cystic year. Becky Baker, revealed that relies on an New figures also fibrosis, currently as UK breathe. Spaniards registering oxygen mask to from Coin, is fell by 2,000. a residents also The 32-year-old, readers to get has been Meanwhile, there asking Olive Press campaign in the number sharp increase the country folbehind a nationwide new US of Brits leaving June 23 result to legalise a pioneering lowing the shock drug called Orkambi. for somelast year. She is also searching the Office for able to help her The figures from one who may bemedication. show that National Statisticsthe UK rose find alternative live,” said Becky, emigration from “I just want to Spain with her in 2015 to now and before by 9%, from 297,000 who moved to lungs. Becky Baker, from Burncluding my newa chance that I 323,000 in 2016. 20 BRAVE: mum Sarah Spencer Málaga to push in Somerset “If there was treatment or a Fibrosis Quística ham-on-Sea could get more UK I would go its legalisation. to years ago. campaigning stay alive every for transplant in the there is re“I’m fighting to life and am in “We’ve been for the past year back but the weather get it legalised single day of my to repair lungs and I don’t expensive costing ally bad for mybe here now if I’d WORK is underway constant pain. kilos (1.25 stone) and yes it’s patient per year…. wrecked by think I would Malaga beachesfloods. that “I’ve lost eight months alone, €120,000 per you consider stayed. it of any other last December’s will be spent in the last few pills a day and but when who are using “If anyone knows have to take 50 fed at night as some people to take their othA total of €4.1m may help I would sand and retreatment that them as I am on restoring have to be tubemany calories as now don’t needor stay in hospital of love to hear from at the mo- pairing the infrastructure er medication I’m burning so so high. stretching from feeling very down my heart rate is Spanish doc- it’s not bad.” coastal areas recently refused ment.” Spanish doctors “At the moment, a campaigning Manilva to the Axarquia. been a lung transplant, anything to help Becky, who has have already tors won’t do only keep me to give Becky See Off CF Spain, her main hope website called a fundraiser for Diggers sand from one stretch which had been me. They will hopes to launch cystic fibrosis moving to another in Estein of survival. stable. amyloidosis of beach which is legal Marina, research into more because I have “But Orkambi, that has been “It’s pona and at Casares cures. a well,” said Becky. the US, is a drug both badly hit with Becky to even if I had lung function by as To get in touchhelp, go to www. which were “They said that proven to boost too the confrom floods. find out how to of kidney transplant and would thinning mucus. it, as would lots seeoffcfspain.com dition would return organs, in“I’d love to try know here.” other other people I up with charity damage my She has teamed

back on your ter when I began to campaign to get Due money long ago is so gutting,” said Becky, originally from it so mortgage? Spanish Somerset.

FREE family has ramped up its plea HerRISK Call us today - 952 78 03 38 treatment. 647 20 20 29 - NO FEEout there has any other suggestions for us or NO WIN “If anyone with...

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MAKESHIFT: Leslie and Paul are living between a Ford Fiesta and a hut

are desperate and don’t know what to do.” Their good samaritan, a local Spanish landowner, jumped in to help after seeing a plea a friend of theirs had posted on Facebook. He quickly offered blankets and dog food and allowed them to live in the hut on his land. “But now we need someand permanent thing would be over the moon if anyone out there could help us. “We almost have enough to pay a deposit and would find enough money somehow. “We just need a little help to get us over this hump. It is incredible how quickly you can fall here.”

to leave. “Fortunately we were able to move our belongings to

our neighbours’ houses temporarily and live in our Ford Fiesta, but we

Anyone able to help can contact Leslie and Paul via newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

Continues Page 4

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would like to fundraise to enable more research into CF that would be great,” said Becky’s mum, Sarah.

By Chloe Glover

A BRITISH couple have pleaded for help after eviction left them living between their car and a shed. Leslie and Paul Dunt are desperately hunting for somewhere to live for themselves and their 17 rescue dogs after being thrown out of their home in Coin. Paul, 56, who has a pacemaker, and Leslie, 63, who has a serious back problem, now fear for their health, as they struggle to survive on a small plot of land of a friend in Alora. “We can’t believe what’s happened,” said Leslie, who comes from east London.

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A WORD IN YOUR SHELL LIKE: Olive Press reporter Joe Duggan interviews Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera

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Rosindell: Friend not foe

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70% of Spain in danger of desertification

Francis Treml, London

COUNSELLING/ PSYCHOTHERAPY Christie Nicholas

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HEADS IN THE SAND

Parliamentary Group for Gibraltar insisted Madrid should take heed of referendums ‘instead of bludgeoing the people and bullying them into submission.’

you going ridiculous isn’t it?! Surely, Thiswe is keep just absolutely for the emergency services, the fire should be the priority and not the piece of paper!

PHYSIOTHERAPISTS David Peromingo Tamara Abramovich

November 2017

BRING IT ON

Urgent action needed as Andalucia to be almost uninhabitable by

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Ridiculous

OPHTHALMOLOGIST Dr. Mariano Salvatierra

5th 2017 Vol. 11 Issue 279 www.theolivepress.es November 22nd - December

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The thinker’s finca

DON’T think about it too long… but this historic owned by one of the godfather’s home once of Spanish philosophy just come up for sale. has The 1,500 metre square once owned by Mallorcancountry home, Casa Mata, was philosopher Ramon Llull, wrote in Catalan. who Credited as being one of the forefathers of language, Llull even the Catalan sity named after him has a univerOn sale via various in Barcelona. agents, the stunning hunting estate ca has 53 hectares of in Mallorprime land and numerous outbuildings. The 13th century

writer BRITISH buyers have was hugely influential and artist bounced back in land and once taught on the isking James Spain over the secII of Aragon. ond half of the year. Llull lived in According to one key ANCIENT: a Llull book Algaida fromthe huge estate near 1250 until developer, the numof six religious visions a series led him to ber of British buya missionary converting leave his family to lead a life as ers has more than Muslims and Jews to cism. catholidoubled on the same He wrote over 200 works period last year. tomb in Palma’s basilica during his life and has a Between July and of St Francis, currently ing restored. beOctober His family sold the home 2017, in the 16th century. homebuilder Taylor It sits near Llucmajor on the road from Randa Wimpey has seen Montuiri. to a whopping 118% increase in buyers PHILOSOPHER’S STONES: Thinker Llull (left) once from the UK. lived in stunning Casa Mata “We are extremely proud of the results generated to date in 2017,” said sales boss Marc Pritchard. “And it is great to see the British buyers back. “They have been half of the buyers in the last four months.” PAIN’S property market So far this year, for another healthy year. is set Another 12 months of Spain’s Sales and prices are expected more sales - as long as growth in Spain with 10% been called for December 21, and the housebuilder leading to rise… as long as there has Catalunya is dealt with reported a 13% insituation has calmed down. are no sudden economic shocks, crease in sales (388 However, this has not one of the country’s largest predicts 6.9% this year. stopped some properties) of Spain’s largest property direct rule. Prices for resales and According to Anticipa sales agents. comwith links to the region, companies pared to 342 homes 9.3% next year to 526,000 will rise by meanwhile, are expected new builds The region is regarded as the seeing their last to continue wealthiproperties, to increase year. up from 481,000 this by 5.8% over the fourth est in Spain and its capital Barcelona share prices slump. year and 21% quarter Enquiries for holiMerlin Properties and has seen some of the highest more than in 2016. of this year. Colonial fell property 5.3% and price rises this The firm’s Prices are also expected 6.4% respectively at by day homes during the the summer to rise by compiled latest report, however, was It is hoped that year. 6.1% next year, on top season before Catalunya declared the political uncertain- height of the independence crisis. of an expected independence were up by 13% - the Investors, though, are adopting and Madrid imposed ty will not affect sales too much, par- and a ‘wait biggest growth ticulary as regional elections see’ seen have now elections. policy in the run up to the in the last six years.

OUR PROPERTY MAGAZINE INSIDE

23/02/2017 11:31 .indd 1 679702_DFS_SPANISH_BOX_AD_40x40_MIJAS_COSTA

Flaming joke I’m just glad no one got seri-

Stephen Morgan, New Zealand

www.oaklandfurniturespain.com

Fuengirola

billion, has been promised on and off since the 1990s, but it has stalled due to lack of funding and a lack of agreement between Madrid and the Junta. The link, which would run from Malaga to

Property www.theolivepress.es

BUGGERED Huge finca of ex-Marbella town planner sold

BUY IT Where to get a 13th century philosopher’s home

BUYING Find out where Harry Winks is investing on the coast

SPREADING: The march of desertification is moving from east to west Andalucia

On track

In most countries emergency operators ask callers to identify themselves and checking who a minor is with is probably good practice for safety. I don’t think there is anything untoward in doing so. The fact they then only sent THREE men and an extinguisher, however, is a real problem!

Olive Press appeals for action as scientists forecast threedegree global temperature rise

Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

A CRUCIAL railway line linking the Costa del Sol has been listed as a priority in the next round of Spain’s infrastructure investment. The train line, with an estimated cost of €5

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SPREADING: The march of desertification is moving from east to west Andalucia

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It is silly! My flatmate nearly burnt our building 10 10 down and they immediately needed my NIE to www.theolivepress.es Costa del Sol check I wasn't an illegal. railway listed as priority for key

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Typical!

infrastructure Jennifer Santonella, investment Estepona

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Vol. 11 Issue 279 www.theolivepress.es November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Madness

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Issue 17

BRITISH buyers have bounced back in Spain over the second half of the year. According to one key developer, the number of British buyers has more than doubled on the same period last year. Between July and October 2017, homebuilder Taylor Wimpey has seen a whopping 118% increase in buyers PHILOSOPHER’S STONES: Thinker Llull (left) once from the UK. stunning Casa Mata lived in “We are extremely proud of the results generated to date in 2017,” said sales boss Marc Pritchard. “And it is great to see the British buyers back. “They have been half of the buyers in the last four months.” PAIN’S property market So far this year, for another healthy year. is set Another 12 months of growth Spain’s Sales and prices are leading in Spain with 10% been called for December housebuilder to rise… as long as expected more sales - as long has 21, and the reported there are as Catalunya is dealt situation has calmed no sudden economic a 13% inwith shocks, predicts 6.9% However, this has notdown. crease in sales (388 one of the country’s largest this year. stopped some properties) agents. of Spain’s largest property direct rule. Prices for resales and According to Anticipa comsales will rise by meanwhile, companies pared new builds The region with links 9.3% next year to 526,000 to 342 homes properties, to increase are expected to continue est in Spainis regarded as the wealthi- share pricesto the region, seeing their last year. up from 481,000 this slump. and its capital Barcelona by 5.8% over the fourth year and 21% quarter Merlin has seen some of the more than in 2016. of this year. highest property 5.3% Properties and Colonial fell by Enquiries for holiprice rises The firm’s day homes during Prices are also expected and 6.4% respectively to rise by compiled latest report, however, was It is hoped this year. at 6.1% next year, on top that the political uncertain- height of the independence crisis. the the summer season before Catalunya declared of an expected independence and Madrid imposed ty will not affect sales too much, par- Investors, though, are adopting a ‘wait were up by 13% - the and see’ ticulary as regional elections biggest have now elections. policy in the run up to the in the growth seen last six years.

Voted

2 See page xx

November 2017

The thinker’s finca

DON’T think about it owned by one of the too long… but this historic home once just come up for sale.godfather’s of Spanish philosophy has The 1,500 metre square once owned by Mallorcancountry home, Casa Mata, was philosopher Ramon wrote in Catalan. Llull, who Credited as being one of the forefathers language, Llull evenof the Catalan sity named after him has a univerOn sale via various in Barcelona. agents, the stunning hunting estate in Mallorca has 53 hectares of prime land and numerous outbuildings. The 13th century writer was hugely influential and artist land and once taught on the isking James II of Aragon. Llull lived in the huge estate near ANCIENT: a Llull book Algaida from 1250 until a series of six religious visions led him to a missionary converting leave his family to lead a life as Muslims and Jews to cism. catholiHe wrote over 200 works during his life tomb in Palma’s basilica and has a of St Francis, currently ing restored. beHis family sold the home It sits near Llucmajor in the 16th century. on the road from Randa Montuiri. to

December 7th - December 20th 2017

Five years proven sales experience, preferably in media Excellent management skills Building key reliationships with clients Good admin and communication skills References essential

Please send your CV to admin@theolivepress.es

ne ws pol itics la cultura a xarquia

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Asturias

December 7th - December 20th 2017

Escape to Arcadia

PASTORAL: A local with his historic Lorreo, cows line the route and a mountain stream in Espinaredo, while (right) a giant Dali statue at hotel Pueblo Astur

E are nearing the end of one of the most spectacular walks in Spain when we finally bump into another human being. It’s midsummer and over the previous three hours the only other signs of life have had horns or wings - cows, goats and a pair of screeching eagles. Well-marked out and well-promoted, the circular route takes you through a breathtaking gorge of virgin woodland, then up and up to high mountain pastures with incredible views. So where is everyone? Well, this is Asturias and, crucially, not the celebrated Picos de Europa or the nearby coastline, which in August does get busy, thanks to half of Madrid being on holiday not to mention the rest of Europe. Our walk, near Fuensanta where the celebrated bottled water comes from, is halfway between the sea and the soaring inland picos and close to a couple of lesser-known Natural Parks (Asturias has an incredible 24 in total). About 25 minutes from the city of Oviedo and 20 minutes to the coast, for most of the year this is a spot where you will hardly ever see a tourist. The sole traveller we meet is clearly intrigued to see us and stops in his stride to ask where we’re headed… and why? He is soon our unofficial tour guide, listing

It’s said the rain in Spain falls mainly in Asturias … But when Olive Press editor Jon Clarke swapped the crowded Costas for a summer break in this peaceful pastoral paradise, he only wore his raincoat once other good walks nearby and insisting we make a small detour to the 13th-century tower that sits astride the river 600 metres upstream. He’s in his early 60s and has the healthy pallor of most of the locals you meet in

It has a bit of everything, from snow-capped mountains to sweeping beaches September 13th - September 26th 2017 these parts. He is also engaging and our conversation becomes a history lesson on Asturias - it was a kingdom many centuries before Ferdinand and Isabella created Spain and it was where the reconquest against the

Moors began - until the discussion turns to corruption in Spain ... Our informed guide turns out to be a policeman - the ‘captain’, no less, of nearby Gijon’s Guardia Civil. Cultured and educated, he well sums up a week’s holiday in this particularly unspoilt, civilised part of the peninsula. Asturias is the polar opposite of the Costa del Sol or the Costa Blanca. Like a microcosm of Spain it has a bit of everything, from snow-capped mountains to sweeping beaches and from simple local ventas to grand upmarket eateries, along with swathes of wild virgin countryside still inhabited by bears and wolves. Known as ‘green Spain’ (a title which neighbouring Cantabria, Galicia and the Basque Region also claim) it’s not hard to see why as you fly into little-known Asturias airport. Looking more like the fjords of Norway than a Spanish coastal region, forested hillsides swoop down to apple orchards Continues on Page 16

l ia n ec t o s Sp llou ria u pu Ast

12 12

la cultura

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December 7th - December 20th 2017

Hit the

From previous page

The view went on forever, stretching to the distant soaring picos an hour away

Horreo-land An ‘horreo’ is very much the architectural stand-out for most of Asturas. They are everywhere and come in so many shapes and sizes. Grain stores built in wood or stone, they are raised from the ground by pillars supporting ‘straddle’ stores that are flat and keep out rats.

CAPTION.

W t o he s t re ay

DOUBLE GARAGE: Asturias style way to keep your cars

and fields of hay grazed by herds of cows. This is a pastoral paradise and perfect walking terrain, even in August when summer daytime temperatures average 23 degrees, only hitting 30 on a very hot day. Sure, you will have to contend with an average of 10 rainy days in August (with 12 in September and 11 in June and July), but these days are mostly overcast, not wet from dawn till dusk, meaning you can be out and about all day with none of southern Spain’s siesta lark! We were looking for the best place in Spain to get away from Andalucia’s stifling midsummer heat but still be in shorts and t-shirts, and to get in some decent walking, a day or two on the beach and a bit of cultural stuff. And, above all, we had come to eat the region’s rated food and sample its famous cider (see article on p28), which we had enjoyed on various trips to Asturias in our 30s, in the years before our two kids were born. Centering our holiday around a booking at the region’s most famous restaurant - Casa Marcial, in Arriondas (see review overleaf), which we had also visited a couple of times back then - we packed the kids off to the grandparents in the UK and took a very reasonably-priced flight from Malaga via airline Volotea, which flies a couple of days a week. Everything ran smoothly and by 10pm we

were sitting down to dinner at our first port of call, a fantastic small boutique hotel called el Gran Sueno (www.elgransueno. es). With a plate of amazing ham, a simple gazpacho and a fabulous flinty ‘albarino’ white wine called Nibias from nearby, what more could you want? As we’d arrived at night, we’d had no hint of the dramatic scenery awaiting us at breakfast, set up in the charming garden below our room. The view went on forever, stretching to the distant soaring picos nearly an hour away by car. At closer range we marvelled at the vernacular architecture of the tiny village of Pintueles and its classic horreo (grain store), unusual as it was charming. Our host Dave Haxby, originally from Brighton, moved here with his Asturian boyfriend Javier a couple of years ago. They couldn’t have made us feel more at home, plying us with suggestions for walks and places to eat. One stroll began literally from the doorstep and took us into the nearby hills along ancient tracks and (supposedly) to lunch in a restaurant halfway

THERE is a m stay in Astu and breakfa palaces. Without dou al and luxuri puebloastur. small rural ca star luxury. euro investm original pain stalled, inclu ton’, a strikin the main cou There is a sp and a big w Spain’s top are maximis corner of the Another equ LUXURY: Pool at PuebloAstur, breakfast table at el Gran Sueno and the lacio de Luc com) on the wonderful dining terrace at Palacio de Cutre

around. Sadly, it was closed (well, it was a Monday, albeit in August) but obligingly our hosts came to our rescue, booking us a late lunch at a nearby hotel in Torazu. Their best advice by far, though, was to steer clear of the famous walks of the Picos de Europa which got its name from

the conquistadores who saw its peaks before any other land on the way back from the New World. (We had, anyway, visited Fuente De and Cabrales gorge before.) But they talked of hour-long waits for the cable car up, hundreds of people on the

an Oscar winner

The Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre in Aviles was intended to have a similar effect to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, a short hop along the Green Coast. But, while it definitely has its allure, it is not quite as striking as the wonderful art museum in the Basque region. That said, the €44 million centre, designed by Brazilian architect Niemeyer is well worth a visit, particularly as it is a fascinating link between the city’s industrial past and its medieval core, across the city’s main river. It is just a stone’s throw from Spain’s leading steel works, Ensidesa, which can be seen smoking behind it and the whole

industrial backdrop is interesting. There are usually art exhibitions going on and the tower - reminiscent of a formula one race track - compliments the snaillike buildings alongside it. The centre has different architectural spaces that are distinctive for their design and functionality. The least well-known of Asturias’ trio of cities (Oviedo and Gijon are the other two) Aviles is wonderfully laid-back, friendly and cultured. But it has been rightfully described as the ‘Cinderella’ of them all. It once had one of the best harbours on the northern coast and for centuries did well out of fishing and trade. However, not unlike another city in Southern Spain (Algeciras), in the early 1950s the rot set in and Avilés was earmarked for an industrial future by Franco’s government. The wetlands of the estuary were partially drained, the course of the river altered and the giant factory complex including steel works and smelters moved in.

EYE-CATCHING: The Oscar cake

a asturias special

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North Asturia s

Take a hike INTO THE ABYSS: Pendon walk

REAMS HELPED BY SALVADOR DALI

massive range of places to urias, from charming bed ast’s to stunning five star

ubt one of the most unusuious is PuebloAstur (www. r.com), which was once a caserio but now offers fiveA massive multi-million ment has seen dozens of ntings and sculptures inuding Salvador Dali’s ‘Newng giant man sculpture in urtyard. pa, a variety of restaurants wine cellar, with some of bottles, while the views sed from just about every e hotel. ually luxurious spot is Paces (www.palaciodeluces. e coast near Lastres. This

five-star rural hotel has a spa and indoor swimming pool plus a fabulous restaurant, which is rightfully often full. You can walk from the door along dirt tracks to nearby Lastres, which has its own port and some of the best fish restaurants in Asturias. Another interesting place worth considering is Palacio de Cutre (www. palaciodecutre.com), still owned by the original landowner and full of aristocratic charm with a summer terrace restaurant offering amazing views. Finally try and get into el Gran Sueno (www.elgransueno.es), an amazing bed and breakfast, boutique hotel, with plenty of charm in a tiny hamlet other necessities. not far from Oviedo. The owners are knowledgeable on the region and are more than capable of cooking for guests and providing most PICTURE WINDOW: The dining room at Palacio de Luces

paths and the need to get up at 6am, which was the clincher, and we opted to stay nearby. But we were in no way being shortchanged, with our already-mentioned hike around Fuensanta and another adventure into the wonderfully-named Ponga Natural Park.

This day out took us up a green valley to the village of Espinaredo, where we had a simple lunch and were fascinated by what is supposedly the largest concentration of horreos in Asturias, some 700 in total dating back to 1548. From here, we walked part of the interprovincial GR109 footpath up into the hills, past the cute hamlet of Omedal and up to a ridge with one of the best views in Christendom, where we sat and devoured a perfect packed lunch. On the way back we were guided to the town of Infiesto, where an ancient wooden-clad bodega sold dozens of wines by the glass. Just what the doctor ordered. Our next port of call was only 20 minutes by car through the Sierra del Sueve towards Arriondas, where we had our much-anticipated restaurant reservation. We tried out two different hotels, both equally amazing: Palacio de Cutre (www. palaciodecutre.com), where we ate on one of the most spellbinding restaurant terraces in Spain and woke up to deer in the garden; and the five star Puebloastur (www.puebloastur.com), which is easily one of Spain’s best rural hotels. In contrast, the last few days of our trip were spent on the coast near Lastres, where we planned to eat some decent seafood and visit some beaches. In the end, the weather conspired against us and with sunbathing off the schedule, we took some walks - along the coast from Playa la Griega in Colunga to the small village of La Isla, and inland from the remarkable Fito viewing point up to the nearby peak of Pienzu.

There are so many amazing walks to take around Asturias, aside from those in the celebrated Picos de Europa. The Foces de Rio Pendon walk (left and above) is a three-hour affair and starts beside the celebrated Fuensanta water bottling plant, near the village of Nava, and heads along a deep gorge and through incredible virgin woodland before heading up into the high pastures and back. Meanwhile, walks along the coast are equally stunning and reminiscent of the coastline in Devon or Cornwall. Below, a two-hour walk heads from Colunga’s Playa Griega to La Isla and back.

SEASIDE OUTING: Near Colunga

This gave us a great opportunity to see how unspoilt the coastline is in Asturias and, in particular, to enjoy its cuisine, with restaurant Gueyu Mar in Playa de Vega a particularly standout place for seafood. Best of all was holing up and relaxing in our final hotel, the Palacio de Luces (www.palaciodeluces.com), a luxurious Relais & Châteaux affair with wonderful suites maximising on the views and a restaurant that puts just about every

other hotel establishment I have eaten in to shame. Following the advice of friendly manageress Maria Dolores to ‘eat in’, even when there were so many good local options, was a masterstroke and we were soon tucking into an incredible ‘salpicon’ of local lobster and langoustines and a tartare of avocado and tuna with mustard, passion fruit, tomato and chives. The ravioli of ‘colmenillas’ mushrooms in the juice of free range chicken was superb as was the red mullet with apple sauce. It perfectly set up the last day of

our holiday, spent sightseeing around the town of Aviles, the smallest of the three cities of Asturias now famous for its Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre, a much-needed tourist magnet for the city. Having already visited the capital of Oviedo (a historic masterpiece) on many occasions, and the seaside city of Gijon which is one of the definitive party capitals of Spain, it was good to spend time in more laid-back Aviles, which has a charming historic quarter, no shortage of places for lunch, before heading for the airport just 15 minutes away.

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AS rental contracts expire +TheolivepressEs and new ones are drafted, many landlords are raising SPAIN’S second largest bank rents, causing many tenants has agreed toBE sell 80% of its to leave their homes. ‘APPY! real estate business to US fund Claims of residents needing Cerberus for €4 billion, show- assistance in housing rights ing how investor enthusiasm for and rehousing aid have Spanish property is reviving. soared, according to local The BBVA real estate assets included in the deal have a value of consumer associations. €13 billion. app now and Affordable A burst propertyDownload bubble inour 2008 sent the countrybegin intoenjoying a downthe bestDemand Spanish has risen for afturn that lasted nearly five fordable long-term housing news on theyears, go. causing mass unemployment across the island. The high and prompting a more-than €40 billion bailout for Spain’s volume tourist areas of Palbanks. The economy returned to ma, Calvia and Alcudia are growth in 2013 and has outper- experiencing the most draformed the rest of Europe since matic rental hikes. then, helping to revive residen- “It's one thing to be just and tial construction as house prices another to be legal, and even though these practices are pick up. This hasThe startedOlive to at- Press tract foreign investors back into not fair, they are legal,” commented spokesperson for the market. TOP for news in Spain!

On your hike Landlords demanding rent increases of over 40% in Palma

the consumer association La Defensa, Bernat Ferrer. Even three year contracts can legally be raised after they expire, and tenets only have only month to accepts or leave. Rent increases of 30 and 40 percent are unattainable by many middle and lower class

Spain’s World cup legacy A SPANISH company is building a removable football stadium for the controversial Qatar World Cup. Madrid Fenwcik Iribarren will construct the 40,000-seater stadium in different parts, which can be disassembled and moved once the competition is over. Called the Ras Abu Aboud, it will be located on the Doha coast and will host several matches until the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup. Archtiect Mark Fenwick said: “We are confident that this innovative and sustainable concept will be an inspiration for stadium promoters and architects from all over the world, capable of creating stadiums with a great aesthetic that also offer legacy possibilities.”

residents. The president of the school of Balearic real estate agents , José María Mir, admits that rents in Palma have increased almost 30 percent in two years. Ferrer pointed out that sharp increases across the island can backfire on landlords. "The shortage of rental housing in the market, especially in Palma, means that many tenants are forced to accept prices that they will eventually not be able to pay, and that will mean that they will become 'delinquent' and then the owner will be owed for months until they can be thrown out through the courts," explained Ferrer. Other effects include families moving far from their communities and jobs, taking what little options they can find in the one month period.

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Playa improvements IT’S been debated for years. Now, finally, an investment of €7 million is to be spent upgrading the Playa de Palma area. A total of four projects have been signed off by the minister of tourism Biel Barcelo. They include improvements to the promenade, the creation of a new public car park, and two parks. The Arenal swimming pools will also receive improved parking.

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By Amanda Butler

Time to reflect

S has long been predicted, the Mallorca has a reputation property market in Mallorca appears to be following the dynamics to uphold as the market of other premium locations across takes off the globe including London, Barcelona, New York and Paris. With the combina- admire on this island. Brad is an Austration of ease of access internationally, high lian diving enthusiast who started an outquality of life, services and amenities, not door pursuits and diving business here in to mention stunning and diverse scenery 2009, and is now spearheading greater and activities the island has to offer, it’s awareness and protection of the waters no wonder prices this year have soared in around the Balearics with his Asociación Ondine and Dos Manos all regions of the island. Beach cleanup initiatives. With the easy flow of interI salute you Brad for your national money exchange The market in much needed work with and investment, increasing globalisation and continued Mallorca seems locals and residents alike, not to mention the marine government investment, to be following industries who all need to this is likely to continue for much greater care in the foreseeable future. We the dynamics of take their use and activities in are of course experiencing London and around our precious the natural lull in winter waters. Anyone interesting activity, much welcomed in in supporting Brad´s work many respects allowing all to recalibrate after the hectic crowds and please go to www.asociacionondine.org. pace of summer, but more importantly On another altruistic topic I would also permitting a much needed regeneration like to highlight an association close to my and cleansing of our waters, which is a key heart - the JoyRon Foundation - which supattraction to the island, on which we need ports children in need and those in palliato more focus more actively to protect in tive care on the island. As Christmas aporder to maintain our increasingly strong proaches and as a great way of supporting this most worthy of causes, we have reputation. With that in mind, and as an aside, I would designed a stunning ‘Diversity of Mallorca’ like to highlight the work and dedication calendar depicting the wide array of activiof Brad Robertson , someone I greatly ties and produce we have to offer, set to

some iconically beautiful scenery. At a minimum donation of €12.50 each, this high quality A3 plus calendar makes a great Christmas present for friends, family alike. To order yours, please go to joyronfoundation.org. Returning to real estate.... With the increase in property prices, one needs to reflect on the negative impact on the local populace who are finding it increasingly difficult to find affordable housing on their mostly service- related incomes. Recent holiday rental legislation may help to ensure more long term rental property availability and more modest increases, but this will not solve the problem. The local government will have to consider a stronger focus on affordable social housing projects along the lines with those in London, as well as of course ensuring a steady increase in wages, which are well undervalued at this time amongst a booming higher end tourism industry. After 15 years of living and working on this island, life has never been dull but certainly the next few years will be interesting times on both infrastructure and in the property market. Oh to have a crystal ball!!! If you are looking for personalised and discreet property advice, whether buying or selling, it would be a great pleasure to hear from you.

Property of the week

Illetes – Frontline with direct sea access 4 Beds ● 3 Baths ● 255 m² Living ● Pool ● €2.45m ● Ref: 17016 Situated in a perfect location right on the waters edge, this spacious apartment is nicely presented and offers a total area of 255 m2 including 55 m2 of covered terraces. It comprises 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, with the master en suite. There is a sizeable entranceway which is lockable from the community. Illetes is less than 15 minutes from Palma, and only 5 minutes to Puerto Portals. Local amenities are within walking distance. The only sound you will hear is that of lapping water on the rock below.

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

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Exporting increases BE ‘APPY!

EXCLUSIVE By Jed Neill

+TheolivepressEs

Timber Tinder

WE’VE all heard of dating apps to help you find the perfect partner, but a brand new EXPORTING of wine, per- app aims to match up users fume oils and shoes from with dream holidays instead. the Balearics to Europe A Londoner has developed have soared in the first nine an app that offers a cheap alternative for holidaymakmonths of this year. Germany, France and Italy ers in Spain by sharing their properties online in a dating Download our appEuropean now and and the largest importers of Mallorcan and app format. begin enjoying the best Spanish HolidaySwap, aimed at 20 to Balearic goods. news on the go. Exports across the Balear- 30-year-olds, immediately ics grew over 95 percent this puts two property owners in year, more than any other re- touch in the same way Tinder or Bumble gion in Spain. “Someone at home then do for potential can swipe right to ‘like’ couples. Trend them or go left to ‘pass’. Creator James If they’ve also ‘liked’ you "The business commitment Asquith said – bingo. It’s a match and reaffirms the current trend people build up Thesales Olive you can start messaging,” of foreign of ourPress pro- their profiles he said. ductive fabric, which helps using photos The 28-year-old deTOP for news in Spain!of the property to consolidate our economic scribed the app as a ‘halfgrowth and makes clear the they want to way house between Tincapacity of the Balearic busi- share. ness community, which is committed to finding new markets to position its products,” affirmed minister of trade and industry, Iago Negueruela. SPANISH retail sales fell for the first time in over three An analysis from the Regional years in October, with sales in Catalunya dropping Ministry showed many secsharply after its independence referendum. tors evolving positively with The vote prompted a standoff with the central governquarterly sales increases, ment, which then took control of the region. most improved being the The crisis hurt many of Catalunya’s economic sectors in footwear industry. October, with car sales, job creation and hotel-stays all The forecast for the final underperforming the rest of the country. quarter and beyond is posiAlmost 3,000 companies have moved their legal headtive, with increases in many quarters from the region since the vote. exports throughout Europe.

· International Language School · Spanish Classes German Classes

New Tinder-style app will offer accommodation from €1 per night

Catalan fallout

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ALMA'S newest language schools is one for the books; Treffpunkt is German for meeting point, and the school sure lives up to the name. The school opened this year and is the unique brainchild of Lisa Göltenboth and Francie Hagedorn with Chusa Alonso heading the Spanish department. The classrooms are colourful and inviting, each one themed for a different region. The Berlin room and Munich room both highlight Germany's cultural variety and importance. The Serra de Tramuntana room is a perfect representation of Mallorca's greatest natural area. The highlight for many is the garden room, a relaxing section welcoming to all. Grab a practice worksheet or book in any language and snuggle into a big couch with a coffee for all levels of learning in the most comfortable environment. “Students often come 30 minutes early and hang out in the garden, sit and chat, do some school work, it's really great to see,” explained Francie. The entire school is colour coded for masculine, feminine and neutral in

der and AirBnB’, allowing users to construct their profiles using their properties. “Its been a long road,” he told the Olive Press, “but it’s all coming together. One of the things we’ve been building up is the swapping functionality.” This allows people who have been matched (liked each others properties) to start up a conversation and discuss dates. Once agreed you only pay a euro a night through the app. Asquith, whose grandfather was Spanish, said Spain is ‘a massive target’ for him, especially because ‘there a lot of properties vacant’. The Englishman also holds the Guiness World Record for being the ‘Youngest person to travel to all sovereign countries’, travelling to 192 countries over five years.

The gift of learning A voucher for language lessons might be the perfect Christmas gift for someone special

both Spanish and German, making it appealing for hands-on and visual learners. It is also they only registered Erasmus language school in Mallorca, offering discounts and specials to members. The school offers intensive courses and regular lessons in both German and

Spanish, the two most important languages for expats working in Mallorca. They also offer customised courses for companies needing staff to expand their language skills. ”It's important that people connect and know the culture of others,” commented

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THE TEAM: Lisa, Francie and Chusa created a colourful hands-on language school

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Brit boom ANDALUCIA has seen a 10% rise in foreign tourists in the first ten months of this year compared to the same period in 2016. Some 10,451,449 extranjeros visited the holiday hotspot between January and October, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). In October alone, 1,122,329 international tourists visited the region, 2.6% more than last year. Andalucia is now the fourth most popular destination, behind Catalunya, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. British tourists topped the list of visitors, accounting for 26.5% of the total. On a national level, Spain received more than 73.4 million foreign tourists in the first 10 months of the year, an increase of 9.2%. In October, 7.3 million international tourists visited the country, 1.8% more than in the same month of the previous year. The number of Brits coming to Spain increased by 7.1% to more than 17 million Brits, almost one third of the whole population. It was followed by Germany, which experienced a growth of 5.9%, to 10.8 million visitors, and France, with more than 10.1 million international tourists, representing an increase of 0.4%. Catalunya received the most international tourists in October, with 1.5 million visitors, despite suffering a fall of 4.7% thanks to the referendum and ensuing political crisis.

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business Spain will secure own post-Brexit aviation deal to secure tourism numbers SPAIN has said it will have a backup aviation deal with the UK in case of widespread disruption to air travel postBrexit. Deputy Minister for European Affairs Jorge Toledo said if an EU-UK aviation deal does not come through, Spain will have its own to ensure British tourists keep coming. “If there isn’t an agreement, then we will have a plan B

December 7th - December 20th 2017

Back up plan

MIND THE GAP SPAIN’S income inequality is one of the worst in the EU. A new report by the European Commission found that while the economy is improving, the divide between the haves and have nots is only increasing, with young people looking to be hit the hardest. Along with Greece, Bulgaria and Lithuania, Spain faces a ‘critical situation in terms of income inequality’. The wealthiest 20% of households in the country received an income share 6.5 times that of the poorest 20%, compared to an average of 5.1 times across the union. Spain is still suffering from chronic youth unemployment, sitting at 40%, compared to an EU average of 18.7%. Meanwhile, more than 70% of young workers in the country are working under a temporary contract (compared to only 13.1% for workers aged 25-49). Spain’s youth situation has been described as ‘critical’ because almost 20% of young Spaniards leave school early, compared to the EU average of 10.7%.

ready,” said Toledo, 52. “It would be necessary to work on a European solution but also on a national-based solution.” Airlines tend to make their flight plans one year in advance, so Spain still has about four months to see if a back-up plan will be necessary, with the UK planning to leave in March 2019, Toledo said in an interview in Madrid. As Brexit talks stall, Spain wants to protect its tourism industry, which drew 18 million Britons last year. Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary warned in August that airlines would be ‘screaming blue murder’ next year if a wide-ranging deal on aviation isn’t reached. Spain fully supports the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, but a collapse of the talks would threaten tourism and commercial links and the role played by Spanish firms including Banco Santander SA and Iberdrola SA in the UK economy.

Feel the force ACCORDING to the ministry of employment, 18.7 percent of companies in the Balearics plan to increase their workforce. The Balearics ranked third only behind Valencia and Navarra in planned hiring increases. In the whole of Spain, 87.5 percent of companies said they would increase their staff if the demand was there, but half of those would do so with temporary staff. Others would simply increase hours or subcontract work.

Grim reapers

A BRITISH funeral planner has been exposed for targeting vulnerable pensioners, using high-pressure and illegal tactics to sell expensive funerals. My Funeral Avalon, which has offices in Torrevieja, Alicante, was found to be in breach of ethics and legal standards by a Mail on Sunday investigation. Salesmen boasted of goading pensioners with constant and repeated calls if they turned them down, while a manager ordered a worker posing as a salesman to ‘trick’ an elderly customer into handing over personal information – a breach of data protection laws.

Christmas bonus PALMA'S hotels restaurants and shops are expecting their best December in volume and sales this year. Supermarkets and luxury stores expect to have even better sales than before the financial crash a decade ago. Between December 6 and 25, sales should double from preseason sales in the historic centre of Palma. “Shops are stock for the great demand that is looming,” said a spokesperson for El Corte Inglés. “After 'Black Friday', we hope to exceed all sales forecasts in the Christmas campaign.” The Palma airport expects a ten percent increase in December traffic compared to last year, reaching 800,000 travellers. This year Palma has more direct flights than ever with 140 different routes, 24 more than last December.

An undercover journalist posing as a pensioner was warned his family might end up in debt if he did not buy a funeral plan. And a salesman admitted misleading a customer into thinking plans cover the entire cost of the funeral. One British pensioner said: “I was being harassed the whole time as if the only way you were going to get a conclusion from it was by accepting the policy.” The investigator secretly filmed inside the UK call centre, where 70 sales staff bombarded elderly people with calls about pre-paid funeral plans costing more than £4,000 (€4,500). A computerised dialling system automatically rings tens of thousands of people every week and some people are hounded with repeated calls. Avalon – best known for TV adverts starring John Cleese as the Grim Reaper – closed down the call centre and has since launched an investigation. The Information Commissioner’s Office, a data privacy watchdog, also pledged to take ‘robust action’ where they found the law had been broken.

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Mallorca remains a foodie paradise as it holds on to 10 Michelin stars

Raining stars

MALLORCAN restaurants have held on to their ten Michelin.stars. Chef Fernando Pérez Arellano’s Zaranda in Es Capdellá continues to be the island’s only two star establishment for the third year running. Meanwhile Sa Coma’s Bou celebrates its 15th year with a culinary star. Jardín, Es Fum, Adrián Quetglas, Argos, Deiá’s Es Racó d’es Teix, Andreu Genestra, and Marc Fosh all kept their stars for their outstanding culinary talents. It was a good year for Spain overall, with two new res- León, is the first three-Mitaurants gaining three-star chelin starred joint in Anstatus, the highest award dalucia. around the world. León has been interviewed The French food bible many times by the Olive handed out the top gong to Press since he began a deABaC restaurant in Barce- cade ago. See feature on lona, where TV chef Jordi the next page. MenuCruz advert_Layout 19/11/2017 17:20 is based, as1 well as Overall SpainPage has 111threeAponiente in El Puerto de star restaurants, 25 twoSanta Maria. starred establishments and The incredible fish restau- an impressive 159 awarded rant, run by talented Angel one star.

MAESTROS: Jordi Cruz and (below) Fernando Arellano

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December 7th - December 20th 2017 December 6th 7th --December 20th 2017 December December 19th 2017

first three michelin star restaurant for andalucia

Starry eyed Eight things you need to know about new triple-Michelin chef Angel Leon

THROWBACK: Olive Press editor Jon Clarke first met Angel Leon a decade ago

A fish out of water!

E’S fast becoming one of Spain’s most famous chefs. Cadiz-based Angel León has long been a supernova in the cooking stakes, and this has now been confirmed after his restaurant Aponiente received its THIRD Michelin Star last month. In honour of the maestro, who we have been following since the start of his career, we have gathered some must-know facts about the legend in the making.

IT was exactly a decade ago that I first met three-star Angel León at his then tiny Aponiente restaurant in El Puerto de Santa Maria. It was his first year open and I was scouring Cadiz province for the first edition of my book, Dining Secrets of Andalucia, and his name kept coming up. By then already working with Cadiz university on a marine sustainability project, he was clearly a fish out of water, very much counter-flow, inventive and angry. He told me how the seas were ‘being raped’ by the fishing industry in Spain and he adamantly refused to use over-fished species, such as Cod, Sea Bass and Monkfish.

Tricky

HOTSPOT: Leon at Aponiente in Cadiz

After seeing how some fish glow with light, León is now experimenting with incorporating bioluminescence into his menu so that guests can actually ‘drink light’.

This chef is not the pretentious type, revealing in a recent interview that he doesn’t mind being called a ‘cook’. “Deep down I’m a cook and that you can never forget, you have to be down to earth and humble. I’m just a cook. I have the luck of being a dreamer, having fulfilled many dreams, but certainly with a team of people,” he said.

In 2007, he designed the Clarimax, an award-winning machine that eliminates fat from cold stocks and broths while maintaining purity of flavour.

Instead, his team slaved away to find palatable ways to eat tricky and unusual fish such as Breca, Zalema or Baila. The problem was how difficult they were to buy ‘as the fishermen usually threw them overboard dead’, which angered him further. His solution; to contract his own fishing boat and crew and find and use whatever fish he fancied. It was a brainwave and led to what is easily - and now definitively - Spain’s best fish restaurant. While, his food is challenging and anything but straightforward, in the handful of times I have been back since, I have loved the experience, if not the price. But, all in all, Angel deserves this award more than anyone else in Spain. He is scientist, a genius and a genuinely caring man. He was years ahead of the curve and the best evidence in Spain of someone who can - and is - making a difference. A total star!

Ángel’s obsession with the sea led him to investigate the nutritional properties of plankton. After extensive research he began to farm it to turn it into an edible ingredient that he could offer on his restaurant menu, and thanks to him it has now been officially included as a new edible ingredient for human beings and the ‘Chef of the Sea’ uses it as a key ingredient in his cooking.

He sticks up for his southern Spanish roots, and hates it when people claim northern Spain has better food than the south, saying recently: “I always say that we are lucky enough to belong to the golden age of Spanish cuisine and ALL of it should be celebrated, we are in an era that will be recorded in the annals of history.”

León regularly conducts research with the University of Cadiz, which have produced products like his famous fish-based sausages, which despite totally looking like pork ‘embutidos’, are made entirely of discarded fish.

As a child he would regularly fish from his family home in Cadiz, where he grew up by the ocean, basing most of his menus on the deep blue, hence his nickname Chef of the Sea.

He once said his father taught him to be the best from a young age: ““My father always told me: “Dude, if you’re a baker, or this, or that, you have to be the best... do not know a little about everything, but a lot about one thing.”

health

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Squating hell FLIES have been outed as the dirty bombers of the insect world, carrying more harmful bacteria than previously thought. Scientis at Penn State Eberly College of Science in America have found that common houseflies carry salmonella, e-coli and other bacteria that can lead to stomach ulcers and deadly sepsis. Results show that the housefly harboured 351 types of bacteria and the blowfly, found in warmer climates, carried 316 with a large crossover of bacteria found in both types. The study examined the microbiology of 116 flies from three continents. Donald Bryant, one of the authors, said in the journal Scientific Reports: “Think twice about eating that potato salad that’s been sitting out at your next picnic.”

December 7th - December 20th 2017

AN Indian teen who received a miracle cure in Marbella has shared snaps of her recovery one month after starting the treatment. Shalini Yadav, 16, known as ‘snake girl,’ shed her skin every six weeks since being born and had to bathe every hour to stop her skin from hardening while constantly applying moisturiser. People avoided her on the streets and Indian doctors refused to treat her let alone touch her. That’s when a team of skin specialists from the International Medical Academy in Malaga saw her story in the press and welcomed her to the Hospital Banus in Marbella. She said: “Before I was in my room normally, lying in bed watching TV. Now, in the mornings, I go to the terrace to soak up the sun.

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Peeled off “Then I usually do yoga and afterwards I enjoy breakfast. I am very happy now because I have a new life and a new skin thanks to Spanish doctors.” After receiving the €50,000 treatment for free she has since returned home to India to continue her recovery. Yadav has gone from wanting to die to living a happy life. Dr Enrique Herrera, the dermatologist responsible for her recovery said: “It is nothing fancy just 10 millilitres of acetyltrin.”

Abortion backlash THE Council of Europe has blasted Spain for its ‘backlash’ against abortion rights in a damning report. Abortions are legal in the majority of EU countries, but in some states a wave of ‘retrogressive restrictions’ are threatening women's health and wellbeing, the report read. The Council emphasised that sex education is one of the most critical issues in guaranteeing women's sexual and reproductive health. Proposals for a neartotal bans on abortion have been tabled in recent years in Lithuania,

Dolphin Dementia DOLPHINS found dead off the Spanish coast had Alzheimer’s, in new groundbreaking discovery. Scientists from the Universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Florida and Oxford, concluded that the dolphins shared the same proteins found in human patients with dementia in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia. This is the first study to show the disease in a wild animal as it was previously thought that Alzheimer’s only existed in humans.

December 7th - December 20th 2017

Professor Lovestone said: “It is very rare to find signs of full-blown Alzheimer’s Disease in non-human brains. “This is the first time anyone has found such clear evidence of the protein plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s Disease in the brain of a wild animal.” The discovery adds to another feature humans share with dolphins after it was revealed that both species can survive long after their prime age for reproduction.

Mealy good

CAMBRIDGE Weight Plan is bringing its life saving treatment to Spain to help those at risk from developing diabetes. Its ‘buddy’ program pairs people up with a consultant who creates a tailormade program of weight loss to suit the individual needs of that person. It has become so successful in the UK that the NHS uses it as the first-port-of-call for diabetes treatment. This intimate consultation means that people get hands-on advice on a weekly basis so tracking your progress has never been easier. It is frightening to see diabetes on the rise across the globe and if current figures are right then by 2035 the number of people living with diabetes would make up the worlds third most populous country. Excess body fat accounts for 80% of the risk for type 2 diabetes, however, genes, age and exercise are also other contributing factors. If left untreated it can have life threatening consequences, including kidney failure, vascular problems and eye disease. The results of Cambridge Weight Plan’s 800 kcal Meal Replacement Diet have been fantastic as a recent study showed that body weight had reduced by over 10% in 8 weeks. This significantly reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Spain blasted over women’s rights in new EU report

Slovakia, Spain and Poland. Most of these antiabortion initiatives were defeated - except in Slovakia - following large-scale protests. But the report warns they illustrate ‘the extent and nature of the backlash to the advancement of women's rights and gender equality in some parts of Europe.’ It comes after a recom-

mendation from the European Parliament this year called on EU member states to significantly increase ‘sexual and reproductive health and rights funding and launch an international fund to finance access to birth control and safe and legal abortion.’ In February 2017 some European Parliament groups - the Liberal Alde, the centre left S&D, and the radical left - blasted the ‘severe conservative backlash’ in sexual and reproductive health and rights in ‘Hungary, Poland, UK, Spain and other countries’.

Say goodbye to your dentist back home

HETHER they’ve lived in Mallorca for ten months or ten years, plenty of residents still go back ‘home’ for their dental treatment. Doubts over pricing, standards or language affect some, while others are just too afraid to cut ties with the familiarity of their ‘old’ dentist. It doesn’t have to be this way. “We’re delighted to have converted hundreds of residents from flying back ‘home’ to being comfortable that they’re getting the best treatment right here on their doorstep in Mallorca,” says Dr Howard Forge, owner of Santa Ponsa Dental Practice. “Our relationship often starts with an emergency dental issue, but they leave confident that they’ve found a ‘new’ dentist they can put their trust in. We hope we’ve made plenty of busy lives a whole lot easier.” It’s also likely to be a fallacy that dental treatment is cheaper back ‘home’. In a 2016 study, WhatClinic revealed that the average cost of a simple private check-up is now £51 and an implant £2,814 - your UK dentist may not be as affordable as you remember. Furthermore, many treatments require multiple visits (planned or unexpected) over a certain timeframe - so you may have to factor in several flights. Of course standards vary wildly from practice to practice in Mallorca, as they do in the UK, and this can be reflected in the age and quality of the equipment used, the dentist’s experience and expertise, and whether (s)he chooses to work alone or with a nurse. “I can only speak for Santa Ponsa Dental Practice but, having qualified and worked in the UK, I can assure that we meet the same high standards here in Mallorca,” says Howard. “We have the latest technology including a digital panoral x-ray and on-site CEREC to create

Keep it local same-day crowns, as well as a team expert in all kinds of treatment from root canals to implantology. I am also fully registered with the Balearic College of Dentists who insisted I learn Castellano and go through a homologation process before being able to practice on the island. You’re in safe hands.” “As for language, I employ other native Brits, bilingual born-here Brits, and Spaniards from both mainland and here in Mallorca - so don’t panic. We

can communicate with highly-skilled lab technicians, and referral centres for more complex oral surgery or orthodontics - and with you - with ease.” Is it time you said goodbye to your dentist back ‘home’? Contact Santa Ponsa Dental Practice on (00 34) 971 694 071, hforge@ santaponsadental.com, www.santaponsadental.com – or find us on Facebook.

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GORGEOUS: Palma comes alive in the festive season

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AN you believe we are in December, Mallorca can make you fall seriously, where does the time go? It seems like it was only a few days back in love with December, ago I was swooning in the heat and writes Lesley Keith yet here we are dodging downpours and trying rather unsuccessfully to get the flat money I really can’t afford on people I hardwarm. Day times are okay but as soon as ly know to buy them things they don’t want that sun dips the temperature falls dra- wasn’t doing it for me. Plastic reindeers, matically. awful songs, hoping for the snowfall that I had no idea I’d have to cover my kitchen never comes, you get my drift. The news window with plastic to stem the icy draft. was always full of the fact that shops were What with several power cuts leaving me panicking that spending was down harmwith no hot water and having to sleep in ing the economy yet personal debt was up, thick pyjamas and woolly bed socks plus for goodness sake the whole thing seemed waking up in the middle of the night be- ridiculous. Since moving here however, and cause my nose is so cold. this will be my second Christmas, I have to It’s all very well saying how much colder I’d say my joy in it has started to be rekindled. be if I was still in England because there You can buy decorations that relate to the I’d have the luxury of wonderful things like Nativity, the day itself is not about what central heating that can stay on all night, presents you get but being together and double glazing to keep the heat in and love- seeing loved ones. It all seems less franly soft carpets. Every morntic and manic, it’s softer, ing my partner and I draw kinder and for me far more lots to see who’s going to be I had no idea I’d enjoyable. Picking out little the ‘lucky’ soul who has to be thoughtful gifts rather than have to cover brave enough to go into the hoping I’ve spent enough arctic zone that is my kitchen my window with to match what I receive is and make our first cup of so much more fun. Throw in tea. Once the little bedroom plastic to stem the the fact that there actually heater has started doing its was snow this week, (I could icy draft thing I then have to wipe the see it from my roof, it really dripping condensation off my wasn’t very far away) things windows and wait until the are definitely looking up. I’ve thaw has set in before getting dressed. bought a little tree and am making my own This is the stuff of my childhood, when decorations from fir cones and twigs so you’d get dressed in front of the fire that that they can be recycled afterwards. I’m my poor mother had got going. Talk about having friends round and have been invited pathetic I’m ashamed of myself, I had no along to various things, it’s all good and I’m idea I’d become so cossetted. Mind you actually truly looking forward to it. it’s not how I’d imagined it was going to be Whilst on the subject I would like to ask when I moved to sunny Spain. Of course it’s you all a little favour, please ensure that if lovely once the sun is fully up and shining you know someone that lives alone please then all is forgiven and forgotten until the check they have somewhere to be on the sun sets later and it all starts up again! day. Yes it is just another day but it’s not I digress however, let’s get back to time one anyone should spend alone if they’d whizzing by. The onset of Winter can, of rather not, ask them along, one more course only mean one thing, Christmas. As around the table will hardly be noticed but an adult I’ll be honest, I’ve never really liked it’ll probably mean the world to them and Christmas, by which I mean the ludicrous isn’t that what it’s all about? circus that is all of December. Spending Feliz Navidad, one and all.

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Sports & yachting

December 7th - December 20th 2017

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Iberian showdown BE BE‘APPY! ‘APPY! BE ‘APPY!

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THE World Cup Group stage has thrown up a few tasty draws, but none more so than in Group B where Iberian rivals Spain and Portugal will face off. RAFAEL Nadal has said he Neighbours Morocco have also had to give up water sports Download Download ourapp app now nowand andof his bad knees. been drawn in theour same Download app group nowour and because in what will surely lead toenjoying some begin begin enjoying thethe best best Spanish Spanish tennis ace has The Mallorca begin enjoying the best Spanish friendly rivalry. news newsononthethego.go.suffered from knee probnews on the go. Iran are the fourth Group B team lems for much of his profesvying for the two last-16 spots sional tennis career. and must feel slightly left out. His most recent blow came Meanwhile, England have had when he had to pull out of a relatively easy draw, facing the ATP World Tour Finals Belgium, Tunisia and Panama in London. in Group G. He owns a yacht in his The full draw is listed below: hometown and recently told sailing magazine Nauta360 The The Olive Olive Press Press The Olive Press Group A: Russia, Saudi Arathat he would love to take bia, Uruguay, Egypt up water sports again. TOPSpain, for for news ininSpain! Spain! for TOP news in news Spain! Group TOP B: Portugal, Asked if he swims while on Morocco, Iran the ATP Tour, Nadal said: Group C: France, Australia, “Whenever I can I try to Peru, Denmark swim and snorkel, to do evGroup D: Argentina, Iceland, erything I can in the water. Croatia, Nigeria Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea Group G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan

Knee-d for speed

Nadal misses his highaction water sports following latest knee injury

“Sometimes I also do aquatic exercises, especially in case of injury, because everything you can do in the water is very important to recover well. “But I do not practise water sports regularly, at least now. “It would not be good for my knees. “I do not do water sports for health reasons, but in the future I would love to take it

Female ferocity SWIMMING champ Mireia Belmonte has been voted Spain’s top sportswoman for the past 50 years at an awards ceremony in Madrid. The sporting bash

celebrated Spain’s sporting heroes as AS newspaper celebrated its 50th anniversary where readers voted on athletes who have changed the face of Spanish sport.

up again, of course.” Nadal was speaking to the magazine that features his MCY 76 yacht. He added: “Andy Murray came and used the boat with his team for a few days. “I have taken on board Feliciano Lopez, Marc Lopez, David Ferrer, many of the Spanish players who come to train here, and we always go out with the boat, and with Juan Monaco as well. “Fernando Llorente, the soccer player, came last week. “Many of them have loved the boat and love to go out to sea. “For this there is nothing better than a comfortable, safe and beautiful boat. So everyone who climbs my MCY 76 always enjoys it to the max.”

Rugby lads on tour

THREE Balearic rugby players have been called up to join Valladolid's training sessions for Spain’s national U20s team. The boys come from just outside Palma and train in the STEIB academy in Principes de Espana's sports centre.

Berizzo fights back SEVILLA FC has confirmed that their manager told his players he was suffering from prostate cancer while the side was losing 3-0 to Liverpool. Pundits were lost for words how Los Rojiblancos made their remarkable comeback after halftime to draw the game 3-3. However, the emotional admission from boss Eduardo Berizzo was said to be behind the turn around. “It was a crazy game,” said midfielder Ever Banega. “We had to go back out with a positive attitude for the coach. “He is the most important of us all and we are with him to the end.”

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Scarred for life A 28-YEAR-OLD plumber from Leicester could be scarred for life after a henna tattoo of a moustache and beard on his face started swelling up, causing burns on his skin, while holidaying in Benidorm.

Holiday chaos SPANISH roads are expecting 6.7 million vehicles to hit the roads for the five-day weekend. Extra speed cameras have been put in place on roads across the country.

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For pitta’s sake

THE iconic doner kebab is under threat in Spain and across the EU. It comes after EU politicians have begun moving to ban phosphates, deemed necessary to keep seasoned kebab meat moist. The politicians argue it

POLICIA local in Soller have busted a speedster driving a record 216km/hr in a 60 km/hr zone. Palma police report the 27-year-old was the fastest offender they have ever recorded. The driver, who police accuse of rally racing in his Mitsubishi Lancer, fled the scene, leaing police to patrol Palma for hours looking for the distinctive red car. National police eventually found the driver and car and he was charged with crimes against road safety in the early hours of the morning. The young speedster has been caught speeding multiple time over the past couple years. The suspect has since contacted the police requesting the photo of his speedy encounter.

Standing alone

Iconic British staple facing ban in Spain

negatively impacts health and is linked to heart disease. The issue arose when the EU’s executive commission proposed to officially

Racing arrest

authorise the use of phosphates in lamb, mutton, beef, or veal. The Health Committee voted 32-22 to oppose it, following recent studies

indicating the additive put people at a greater risk of heart disease. A vote of the full Parliament set to take place in two weeks could see the ingredient banned, potentially banishing the doner kebab from European menus.

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Beauty from Barcelona

THE Olive Press newspaper is already all around the island with over 400 distribution spots. But now it’s more visual than ever with over a dozen stands installed at key locations. Mostly in the important south west corner, they can be found in Portals, Andratx and Santa Ponsa. Coming out fortnightly - every other Thursday - copies should be available for at least a week at these key locations, including Fara Homes and the Santa Ponsa dental practice. In just eight months the paper has gone from strength to strength, offering a mixed and varied diet of news stories and features from around Mallorca and Spain. We have a team of writers on the island and our regional sales rep Charles Bamber is in Palma for much of the year. As well as printing 20,000 copies a month on the island, our online edition can easily be found through our website www.theolivepress.es, Spain’s leading English news website. We have hundreds of stories online every week and over 5,000 visitors a day. Contact the paper at newsdesk@theolivepress.es, admin@theolivepress. es or our sales rep at Charles@theolivepress.es

EVERY so often when the skies are clear, Mallorca can be seen from the Catalan capital of Barcelona. Between the storms and clouds that have graced the island, Alfons Puertas grabbed a gorgeous shot of Mallorca glowing in the sunset this week. The photo is taken 206 kilometres away, and Alfons explains that the shot can only be caught on a clear day, with no clouds and dim early-morning lighting in Barcelona. Alfons has managed to capture the island from the mainland on a few occasions over the years, and says it is only HEAD OF SALES: Charlie possible to see between 12 and 15 times a year. Bamber

cycling crash leads to charity A SCOTTISH superfit cyclist is backing organ donating campaigns after his kidneys failed while cycling 400 miles around Mallorca. Derek Eadie, 35, spent days touring Mallorca on two wheels, as many do. Just after returning home to Falkirk, he was rushed into intensive care where tests revealed Derek had only 10 percent function in his kidneys

and needed a transplant. “There were times in Majorca when we did 100 miles a day and climbed mountain passes,” Derek explained. “It just shows that this can happen to anyone.” The insurance boss is now sharing his story with Go for Bo, a Scottish campaign aimed to register organ donors.