Costa Blanca Olive Press - Issue 2 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Power grab SPAIN’S PP party has set out audacious plans for a power grab to take back control from Valencia and the other autonomous regions. Leader Pablo Casado announced his commitment to strengthen the central government’s role in the run up to the national elections in a fortnight. He insisted that such a move would prevent corruption and lead to a drop in taxes. It comes as the party attempts to see off the threat from an insurgent Vox Party, whose leader has described the autonomous parliaments as the ‘cancer of Spain’. Under the plan, the PP wants to increase resources for regional government delegations and paralyse any further transfer of power to the regions.

Supremacy

Casado insisted the move would see Spain being administered ‘more effectively’. The election hopeful stated that his party would carry out a sweeping review of how the regional authorities operate looking at ‘efficiency and equity.’ Spain’s quasi-federal political system of ‘autonomous states’ was added to the constitution in 1978. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose party drafted the constitution, strongly opposed the plan, insisting the PSOE would defend ‘tooth and nail’ the principal of regional self-government.

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WOAH: Emerging from the rock, this stunning home in Valencia is trademark Fran Silvestre, a Spanish architect who is continuing to make his mark in the architectural world. See Fran-tastic page VI

ROCK STEADY

HE average property price in Spain has two consecutive years for the first time grown for Prices rise for two consecutive years, The national average house price rose in a decade. from between while mortgage values continue 3.9% to 8.4%, according to various sources. to grow Along the Mediterranean coasts and most foreigners buy, the average price on the islands, where Balearic Islands. hike has been 4.06%, ac- “Prices have cording to Tinsa, Spain’s leading property been rising most years since the recovery began, But the figures have mostly not yet made appraisal company. but nothing like they did in the boom years, and nowhere near during the long six year recession, with up for the big drops enough to claw back the ground lost in the bust,” the exception of the respected analyst explained Mark Stucklin, of Spanish Property Insight.

However, he added ‘at the very least, the Spanish property continued to grow lastdata suggests that the year.’ Mortgage lending to home buyers meanwhile was up 6.1% in January to 19,390 new loans, according to the Association of Spanish Notaries. The average new loan made in January an increase of 0.9% in a year. As long had a value of €135,616, as mortgage lending for residential acquisitions continues to increase, as it has done for the last few years, the Spanish property market is set to grow.

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THE beleaguered boss of a failed wealth management company which allegedly lost expats more than €20 million has ignored a summons to court. Darren Kirby, of Alicante-based Continental Wealth Management (CWM), failed to turn up at Denia court on March 26. According to Olive Press sources he was due to turn up, alongside former business partners, who did turn up. The case involves a trio of investors, who lost substantial amounts of money when the company folded in 2017. Kirby allegedly fled to Australia following the collapse, finally returning to Alicante last year. “Darren has been sent a Burofax which he didn’t sign for, so the court will now have to pursue him in other ways,” a source said. “A judge is dealing with this and it’s under legal review,” he added. “We understand he is currently in

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2017

What do Fatboy Slim, director Paul Haggis, John Travolta, Dean Norris and Pilou Asbaek have in common? They’ve all had links to the Balearics this week

Govt in exile

Expats who lost millions rage at ‘unauthorised’ deals involving ‘worrying’ signing of blank sheets

CATALUNYA’S beleaguered leader has vowed to fight on from abroad. It came after Carles Puigdemont handed himself in to Belgian police when a European arrest warrant was issued. He and four other politicians are accused on charges of rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust. A judge in Belgium now has up to two weeks to decide if they will extradite the group to Spain.

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

Pension peril

BRITISH expats who lost up to €20 million in a failed pension advisory firm believe their Fight signatures may have been photocopied onto investment docuGiven the whole extradition ments. Brits, most living process can take up to 60 Around 300 battling to retrieve days, it means he may have in Spain, are Alicante-based to run his entire election their funds after Wealth Mancampaign for the Catalan firm Continental folded in SepParty agement (CWM) Democratic European tember, as first reported in the from Belgium. month ago. His party wants him to fight Olive Press a Kirby left for Ausfor continued leadership of Boss Darren the closure of the regional parliament in tralia following main Javea ofthe company’s the December 21 elections. Puigdemont denied he had fices. are spread across fled to Brussels to avoid jus- Victims, who as in Ibiza, Malwell as because Spain, left he that tice but France and the Spanish government was lorca, Portugal, illegal practices preparing a ‘wave of oppres- Turkey, fear to sign blank sion and violence’ against after being asked dealing instructions. separatists. pots were then “I’m absolutely convinced Their pensionhigh-risk assets that the state was preparing invested in to pay out large a harsh wave of repression which promised for which we would have all commissions. pensioner been held responsible,” he One 69-year-old told the Olive Press he lost said yesterday. transferring after “The Spanish state is com- €210,000 despite stating he BOSS: Kirby now in mitting a brutal repression… €470,000 medium aversion Australia if we don’t battle repression had a ‘low to to investment. together, the Spanish state to risk’ attitude “I was asked, ‘Can you sign this he said. may win this fight.” have been looking We will fill in the “They should 15:36 In a show of support to the blank form. 16/06/2017 but they were just 1 out for me Untitled-1.pdf that trusting they deposed president, around details.’ I didmy best interests,” feathering their own nests. To 200 Catalan pro-indepen- would act in to dence mayors travelled Brussels on Tuesday to stage a rally.

Should have legged it

rying’. “This negates the very essence me they knew what they were of the service they are meant to doing.” offer,” said Flores. “It is a blank He added: “I believe some of cheque to invest wherever, the investments were made whenever. without my knowledge. I think “If standard practice, this is that is the case because I do not very worrying. recall signing sheets for all the has gone down by half and I “Signing blank documents investments I had.” need compensation to get it would be seen An email, seen by the Olive track. clion a back asking as irregular in a CWM Press, shows “But some people court of law. The ent to sign and return a blank with have lost everyproblem dealing instruction. don’t thing and these firms is that Another British expat, 55, who have enough to they were all inis trying to recover around in highly live on. One re€200,000, said some pensionPENSION vesting tired victim only investments ers ‘have lost everything’. OUTRAGE risky has €50,000 left without the cli“My paper work that I sent €480,000.” level from risk my ents knowing.” has been altered, Andalucia-based He claimed that was changed from ‘medium’ to lawyer Antonio losses sustained ‘high’ and my dealing instrucwhose investors Flores, by tions have been photocopied Lawbird firm would hopefully repeatedly for buying and sellrepresentare recoverable be ing assets I didn’t authorise,” ing some CWM as the investments that failed he said. victims, said signing blank into perform, or went bust, were “I still have some money left vestment sheets was ‘very worlinked to life insurance policies. and I am still young enough to Pension trustees Momentum get compensation, but my fund and Trafalgar are now attempting to recoup CMW clients’ losses. The Olive Press has so far been unable to discover if CWM was SPECIALIZING IN: registered to provide investment advice with Spain’s offiCRIMINAL LAW cial financial regulator CNMV. New quality homes since 1958

Vol. 1 Issue 13 www.theolivepress.es October 12th - October 26th 2017

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Who’s paying us? EXCLUSIVE

CONFUSION reigns over who should foot the bill for Mallorca hotels hit by the collapse of airline Monarch. Balearic hotels are facing a €10million bill over the collapse that saw the emergency repatriation of over 110,000 back to the UK, many from Palma. Administrator KPMG told the Olive Press ‘the debt owed by Monarch to hoteliers will rank as an unsecured claim’ against the defunct airline. “They will have to file a claim to the joint administrators for all the money they are owed,” said a spokesman. “It has not been determined (yet) how much money will be available to creditors.”

SPECIALIZING IN: CRIMINAL LAW CIVIL LAW BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) FAMILY LAW

Expats lose millions in life savings through failed investment scheme EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

HUNDREDS of British expats are battling to retrieve their pensions after losing up to £20 million in a failed pension OFF TO OZ: Boss Kirby and (above) team at March investment scheme. charity bash Spanish-based financial adviIt is believed at least 300 of sory firm Continental Wealth One Marbella-based expat remain anonymous. Management (CWM) folded told the Olive Press he sunk “The adviser kept telling me, CWM’s 900 clients have had last month obliterating many £59,000 through CWM, only ‘This is guaranteed, it can’t go their pension pots decimated, with victims shocked to later heartbroken Brits’ life savings. realising he had lost £39,000 below a certain level’.” Many of them had transferred when his pension trustees sent His money, and that of others discover the value of their inacross Spain and France, was vestments had plummeted their private UK pensions a statement. through the company, whose “I couldn’t believe it. I have put into high-risk ‘profession- dramatically. Untitled-1.pdf 15:36 lost thousands of pounds,” al investor only’ assets, it has However, a source close to boss Darren Kirby has now1 al- 16/06/2017 the case insisted: ‘There are revealed the victim, asking to been claimed. legedly moved to Australia. still many customers who are happy with their pension portfolio.’ Andalucia-based tax specialist Angie Brooks, a leading expert on pension liberation schemes and the founder of Pension Life, has now launched a fight to help get victims’ money back. She is working alongside pension trustees Trafalgar Inter-

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national and Momentum Pensions. “People are terribly distressed,” Granada-based Brooks told the Olive Press. “They have lost large amounts of their retirement savings.” She added: “Some of these people are going to end up back in Britain on benefits.” “I have nothing but praise for Tony Barnett [Trafalgar MD] and Stewart Davies [Momentum chef executive]. They have been magnificent in trying to recoup people’s money.” The Olive Press understands it

is highly possible legal action may be taken by some parties against CWM, based out of headquarters in Alicante, and its executives. Both the office in Javea and the website have recently shut. The group were pictured celebrating at a charity ball as recently as March this year. When the Olive Press spoke to boss Kirby he ‘definitively’ denied responsibility over the crash. “I have lost my world,” he said. A close associate of Kirby’s said former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’. “It is still quite raw for them, and they are working out what to do next,” he said. Opinion Page 6

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SPAIN’S prime minister has accused Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont of causing ‘confusion’ after signing a declaration of independence. Mariano Rajoy demanded he clarify if he had really declared independence following Tuesday’s nail biting address to the Catalan parliament. If so, Rajoy insisted he could trigger Article 155 of Spain’s constitution to allow Madrid to take direct control of Catalunya. “There is an urgent need to put an end to the situation that Catalunya is going through - to

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England.” The Olive Press exclusively revealed how CWM abruptly folded in 2017, losing hundreds of expats’ life savings in the process. The firm, which was based out of the Marriott Hotel, in Denia, had ‘eight to ten’ telesales staff and clients scattered around Europe, revealed a

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PENSION OUTRAGE

Expats lose millions in life savings through failed investment

Brits’ life savings.

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Vol. 1 Issue 13 www.theolivepress.e s October 12th - October 26th 2017

hotels hit by the collapse of airscheme line Monarch. Balearic hotels are facing a EXCLUSIVE €10million bill over the colBy Joe Duggan lapse that saw the emergency repatriation of over 110,000 back to the UK, many from HUNDREDS of BritPalma. Administrator KPMG told the ish expats are battling Olive Press ‘the debt owed by to retrieve their penMonarch to hoteliers will rank sions after losing up to as an unsecured claim’ against £20 million in a failed pension investment OFF TO OZ: Boss Kirby the defunct airline. and (above) team at “They will have to file a claim to scheme. the joint administrators for all Spanish-based finan- March charity bash the money they are owed,” said cial advisory firm Continental Wealth Man- Many a spokesman. of them had “It has not been determined agement (CWM) folded (yet) how much money will be last month obliterat- transferred their private UK Untitled-1.pdf pensions available to creditors.” 1 16/06/2017 ing many 15:36 heartbroken

through the company,

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whose boss Darren Kirby has now allegedly moved to Australia. One Costa-del-Solbased expat told the Olive Press he sunk £59,000 through CWM, only realising he had lost £39,000 when his pension trustees sent a statement. “I couldn’t believe it. I have lost thousands of pounds,” revealed the victim, asking to remain anonymous. “The adviser kept telling me, ‘This is guaranteed, it can’t go below a certain level’.” His money, and that of others across Spain and France, was put into high-risk ‘professional investor only’ assets, it has been claimed.

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April 2019

Judge set to take further steps after expat boss of suspect investment company fails to turn up at court

Pointing the way to two great Easter travel excursions from the hills of Javea to the wilds of Galicia

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SEE PAGE 20

It is believed at least 300 of CWM’s 900 clients have had their pension pots decimated, with victims shocked to later dis- to end up back in Britcover the value of their ain on benefits.” investments had plum- “I have nothing but praise for Tony Barnett meted dramatically. However, a source [Trafalgar MD] and close to the case in- Stewart Davies [Mosisted: ‘There are still mentum chef execumany customers who tive]. They have been are happy with their magnificent in trying to recoup people’s pension portfolio.’ A n d a l u c i a - b a s e d money.” tax specialist Angie The Olive Press unBrooks, a leading ex- derstands it is highly pert on pension lib- possible legal action eration schemes and may be taken by some the founder of Pension parties against CWM, Life, has now launched a fight to help get victims’ money back. She is working alongside pension trustees Trafalgar International and Momentum Pen- based out of headquarters in Alicante, and its sions. “People are terribly executives. distressed,” Granada- Both the office in Javea based Brooks told the and the website have Olive Press. “They have recently shut. lost large amounts of When the Olive Press their retirement sav- spoke to boss Kirby he ‘definitively’ ings.” denied She added: “Some of responsibility over the these people are going crash. “I have lost my world,” he said. A close associate of Kirby’s told the Olive Press former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’. “It is still quite raw for them, and they are working out what to do next,” he said. Opinion Page 6

former member of staff. “It was a prestigious place but one day they just shut the door,” she said, asking not to be named. Victims had raised fears about being asked to sign blank dealing instructions and their pensions being invested in high-risk assets which paid large commissions. One pensioner based on the Costa Blanca told the Olive Press he lost €210,000 after transferring €470,000 despite stating he had a low to medium risk attitude. “I was asked, ‘Can you sign this blank form. We will fill in the details.’ I did that trusting they would act in my best interests,” he said. “They should have been looking out for me and they were just feathering their own nests. To me they knew what they were doing.” Lawyer Antonio Flores, whose firm Lawbird is representing a number of victims, said signing blank investment sheets was ‘very worrying’. “This negates the very essence of financial advisory services,”said Flo-

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NO SHOW: Darren Kirby res. “It is a blank cheque to invest wherever, whenever. “It is very worrying as they were investing clients’ money in highly risky investments as well as dubious funds just because they paid the higher commissions.” He added that losses sustained by investors should however, be recoverable as the investments that failed to perform, or went bust, were linked to life insurance policies. When the Olive Press finally got hold of Kirby in October 2017, he denied all responsibility. “I have lost my world,” he said. Are you a victim or former staff member? Do you know more about the case? Contact the Olive Press at newsdesk@theolivepress.es

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

Express delivery! Launch issue goes out to the great and the good of the Costa Blanca

Your reporters, here to help on the Costa Blanca Introducing News Editor Laurence Dollimore and Reporter Joshua Parfitt Contact them with any stories or news on 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es (Personal contacts on page 6)

T was all hands on deck for the Olive Press team who delivered a whopping 15,000 copies of the first Costa Blanca edition a fortnight ago. Our hard-working team split into four groups to deliver the new paper all the way from Benidorm to Gandia, meeting a diverse and welcoming new readership en route. From Javea to Denia, and Moraira to Jalon and beyond, residents, bars and estate agents couldn’t wait to get their hands on our first ever edition. In total, the paper went into over 500 locations, including many big supermarkets, golf clubs and leading restaurants, such as BonAmb. You will natuOVERJOYED: Locals with copies of our paper in rally find it in Javea and Denia

DENIA Carrefour Consum Denia market Tourist office

the various Iceland shops, as well as at Super Costa Blanca, in Alfaz del Pi, and Pepe la Sal, in Moraira and Benissa. It is also readily available at Yorkshire Linen and Bay Radio, as well as at the Honorary Consul Mark Petrie’s office in Javea. As promised, the paper was filled with exclusive and original stories and features, offering a product never seen before along the Costa Blanca. Thanks to everyone who has complimented our first issue (and there’s a lot of you), we hope you keep enjoying our

unique fortnightly publication. Here are a few key drops to find us each issue. A more detailed list will be printed soon, while it is available via email from our team, at newsdesk@theolivepress.es.

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

Price of leaving!

JOBLESS: Javier Bardem

You’re not alone HE may have won an Oscar for his role in hit movie No Country For Old Men, but job offers don’t come easy for Javier Bardem in Spain. The actor, who lives in Madrid with wife Penelope Cruz and their two kids, has revealed he does not receive any scripts from Spanish filmmakers. The 50-year-old actor said: “I work much less in Spain than I would like to. “I don’t get the scripts because people think I live abroad, or that I would be looking for stratospheric money, which is not true.” Spain has one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe with 14.1% out of work.

Queen of thrift

THE mother of British celebrity Katie Price, aka Jordan, has been blasted for voting Leave in the EU referendum despite living in Spain. Amy Price (right) told Good Morning Britain she voted out in the 2016 vote ‘to take back control’ of the UK. “I hate the fact that we are being told what to do by the EEC, the Europe thing,” she told presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid. The Brit, who lives on the Costa del Sol, then added: “I’ve been to Spain and the roads over there are absolutely immaculate. All paid for by us. Yet over here our roads have potholes everywhere.”

She insisted she only lived in Spain for health reasons, after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2017. “The dry air is so much better for me, and the warmth. I am coughing more here. Whereas in Spain it’s easier for me to walk more and do more.” Former glamour model Katie (top left), who appeared on the show with her mum, added that she didn’t vote in the referendum.

Pres a manger

Barack Obama zooms in for Cadiz-style meal during Spain trip

BARACK Obama made sure to go for a presidential-style eater during a three day trip to Andalucia. The former US President took

Gazza gigs

HE’S fat, he’s round, he’s coming to your town, Paul Gascoigne. The former England legend is coming to the Costa Blanca for a pair of engagements in June. The Spurs ace, known as Gazza, will be part of An Evening with Paul Gascoigne on June 24 and 25, at the Orihuela Costa Resort and La Marina Hotel, in Benidorm. The 51-year-old, who is widely regarded as the most naturally talented England player of

his generation, will also take part in the Willie Thorne Classic 2019 charity golf event the same month. While famously troubled from years of alcohol abuse and mental health battles, it is hoped he will line up alongside former England goalie Peter Shilton, snooker legends Willie Thorne and Mark WIlliams, as well Westlife singer Brian McFadden and Boyzone’s Keith Duffy. Australia due to ‘ill health’ as well as events in the UK.

ECONOMICAL: Queen Letizia with Prince Charles in London and (below) recycled dress

FOOD FRIENDS: Obama (right) with chef Alcantara a group of friends to the trendy Bache de San Pedro restaurant in the heart of Sevilla old town. He insisted on visiting the restaurant run by Cadiz-born Ale Alcantara, where he ate a stunning display of Andalucia’s best produce with a Japanese and Middle East twist. This included gyozas of veal with pickled ginger, alongside a kebab of Cadiz pork scratchings (chicharrones) with a sauce made from payoyo - an award-winning cheese from Grazalema. Wearing a navy suit, he was joined by former US ambassador to Spain James Costos and his boyfriend Michael Smith, among others. He had been recommended to Alcantara, who opened his first restaurant in Madrid, after training under Martin Berasategui, Eneko Atxa and Sergi Arola. Obama was seen exiting a black

van, surrounded by security, before later waving to cheering crowds who had gathered to snap a pic of the much-loved ex-president. They took up three tables and sat alongside various tourists including a pair of Americans ‘who couldn’t believe it’. The feast came after Obama took in the sights during a three-day working visit to Sevilla. The former US President enjoyed a private tour of the Real Alcazar after being a keynote speaker at the World Travel Tourism Summit conference. The 57-year-old was escorted around the Arabic palace by the city’s mayor Juan Espadas. The father-of-two stayed at the iconic Alfonso XIII hotel. It came after he had emphasised the need to ‘build bridges and not walls’ during a meeting with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

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QUEEN Letizia is not shy when it comes to wearing the same outfit twice. The thrifty royal admitted it after stepping out during a visit at the School of Engraving in Madrid, donning the same outfit she wore in Madrid in October last year. It’s no surprise she elected to wear it again, looking chic and perfectly transeasonal in a colour-blocked Hugo Boss skirt and matching geometric blouse and camel coat. The double take comes after the former journalist met with Prince Charles to open a brand new exhibition of Valencian artist Joaquin Sorolla at London’s National Gallery.

Hogwarts steams in IF you’ve ever wanted to toss a quaffle ball, pull your own Mandrake or sit in Hagrid’s armchair, then start booking your tickets for Harry Potter: The Exhibition now. This globe-trotting exhibition will open in Valencia’s Museu de Les Ciencies this week, and features some of the iconic sets and props from your favourite Harry Potter films. In 2017, the exhibition opened in Madrid, attracting more than 460,000 guests in its four-month run, and is making its second stop in

Spain on a global tour. Having passed through dozens of cities, including New York, Sydney and Tokyo, this will be the only stop in Spain this year. The massive exhibition will allow visitors to see the craftsmanship behind authentic costumes from the films, and witness dramatic displays from the Hogwarts film sets.

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

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Rocky rescue A BRITISH rock-climber has been rescued after falling at cliffs near Morro de Toix. The woman, whose identity is not yet known, suffered serious injuries during the 10m fall. She was rushed to Villajoyosa hospital after being rescued by firemen.

Lucky escape A CHILD was saved from suffocation after a fishing line he was playing with in a school playground got wrapped around his neck in El Campello. The 11-year-old Spanish pupil at Pla Barraques school was playing alone with the fishing wire and began turning blue after his throat became entangled. Teachers rushed to save him, but the 2mm thick line proved impossible to remove until he was cut lose with a pair of sharp scissors.

Hacked off Government press officer probed over links to ‘patriotic brigade’ who trashed PP opponents and faked stories A SENIOR government press officer has been forced to resign after he faced charges of helping to cook up false claims against Spain’s left wing political leader Pablo Iglesias. The former editor of Interviu magazine, Alberto Pozas, 59, has been accused of helping to trash the reputation of the Podemos leader, with claims that both Iran and Venezuela funded his party. It came after he admitted to a judge in Madrid that he had

handled a pen-drive, which was full of personal information on Iglesias. Much of the information which appeared in his magazine in 2018 - was acquired after one of Iglesias’ assistant’s had her phone stolen in 2016. The stories, which also appeared in online news website OKdiario, came from fake documents allegedly obtained from ‘police informers’. One of the allegations, followed up by the national me-

Fiscal revolution RESIDENTS in Andalucia are set to pay less income tax under new Junta laws. Despite claims that a drop will impact social services, leader Juan Manuel Moreno will introduce the ‘fiscal revolution’ this year. As part of a three year plan, the Junta aims to lessen the tax burden on both the lowest and highest earners. “It is a massive drop in taxes and as long as another government doesn't repeal what we are doing, we will lower taxes every year so that from 2019 to 2022 we have the same taxation as Madrid," he said. Currently workers in Madrid pay between 9% and 21% income tax depending on how much they earn. The lowest earners in Andalucia pay 10% while people earning above €120,000 per year pay 25.5%. Moreno said reducing the gap will benefit families and attract investment.

dia, showed that Venezuela’s communist Maduro government paid Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias $272,000 through a bank in the Grenadines. However it has since emerged that a bank statement had been rigged using online screenshots, and the names of various Venezuelan departments. Judge Manuel García-Castellón believes Pozas worked alongside disgraced former police chief Jose Manuel Villarejo, who is awaiting trial for countless charges of fraud, phone tapping and other criminal behaviour. Villarejo - a shady figure who oversaw the ‘cesspit of the Spanish state’ under the PP party - amassed millions of euros, dozens of gold bars and hundreds of properties around Spain during his 20 years as the head of the Policia Nacional. He oversaw a group - dubbed the ‘Patriotic Brigade’ - who were allegedly tasked under former PP leader Mariano Rajoy’s government of finding, or fabricating, evidence against political opponents. Villarejo is also linked to the ‘Operation Kitchen’ papers, which were stolen from former PP treasurer Luis Barcenas and showed how PM Rajoy had been closely involved in wide-scale corruption and fraud.

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Expat handed lethal painkiller after routine operation

BRITISH patients are still EXCLUSIVE being handed the banned By Timothy McNulty painkiller Nolotil despite a directive issued to health bodies after we launched our Kill last year following countless The Drug campaign in 2017. Nolotil has been found to deaths. The Olive Press can reveal cause sepsis and a rapid drop that a hospital on the Costa in white blood cells leading to del Sol handed expat pen- the deaths of several british sioner Keith Caldwell, 78, holidaymakers. Fortunately, the danger drug following an in this case Keith suffered no ill effects, but Sylvia has said operation this month. Fortunately his wife realised the ‘scary’ incident left her soon after doctor’s adminis- deeply concerned for other expats. Medical tered the drug, translator Cristina which has been Garcia del Campo, banned in the UK, who has consistently US and most of campaigned against Europe. the drug for years, “When we realitold the Olive Press: sed he had alreNOLOTIL “Unfortunately, this ady had two bottVICTORY is happening quite les of Nolotil I was a lot, people never shocked,” Sylvia know when they are Caldwell, 71, told 902 123 282 going to be given Nolotil. the Olive Press this week. “I know it does not affect “I believe people will only everyone but there is always be safe once it has been fua chance which was worrying. lly banned.” In November Caldwell had been adminis- Spain’s medical agency AEtered Nolotil via a drip while MES issued a directive to recovering from a gallbladder all healthcare bodies to stop operation at Malaga’s CHIP giving the drug to British and Irish visitors, unless caprivate hospital. This was despite hospitals refully monitored. It came and clinics around Spain out- after Garcia del Campo prelawing or warning patients sented hundreds of cases in about the drug, including Madrid, many of whom had Marbella’s Costa del Sol hos- been uncovered by the Olive pital. The Olive Press helped Press. The hospital failed to raise awareness of the drug comment. WIN, WIN!

Stars from Anne Hathaway to Jodie Whittaker keep visiting Ronda, find out why in our travel supplement inside

New Andalucia Rough Guide See inside

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Vol. 13

ll about

Issue 304

November 7th - November 20th 2018

errania de Ronda

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Picture perfect Andalucia’s city in the mountains is a hot ticket for world leaders and their wives despite Hemingway’s lukewarm words, writes Elisa Menendez

‘

NICE promenades, good wine, excellent food and nothing to do…’ Thus Ernest Hemingway wrote off the town where he spent numerous holidays drinking the local wine and carousing at corridas, no doubt disappointing many of Ronda’s proud residents with his puzzlingly lacklustre review. Most of today’s travellers - including Britain’s last two prime ministers and an American First Lady - would certainly disagree with him. Ronda has been crowned Andalucia’s third most-visited town and it’s not hard to see why. The so-called ‘City of Dreams’ is a true wanderlust gem and somewhat of a celebrity hang-out. This year alone, Theresa May, Anne Hathaway, Ricky Gervais, Jodie Whittaker, Gordon Ramsay, Kristin Scott Thomas and Spain’s ex-premier Mariano Rajoy have all allegedly visited the stunning mountain town... so say locals in the know.

Obama

Michelle Obama also made headlines when she visited in 2010, touring the old town and discovering the Moorish dynasty with her daughter Sasha. Celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli went house hunting in the town after falling in love with it in 2009. With its spectacular high sierra setting, leafy parks, cobbled lanes and atmospheric ventas it’s no wonder Ronda has stolen the hearts of so many travellers. Over the centuries a slew of writers have waxed lyrical about its timeless character, stunning views and charming locals. The German poet Rilke baptised it the ‘City of Dreams’, Orson Welles took a shine to its bullfighting scene and

GRAND TOUR-ISTS: Painters tackle the gorge, while (inset) recent visitors Anne Hathaway, Gordon Ramsey, Jodie Whittaker and Ricky Gervais

Continues on Page 18

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Vol. 13 Issue 304 www.theolivepress.es November 7th - November 20th 2018

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‘You’re killing us!’

ENVIRONMENTAL groups are taking legal action against the Junta ‘failing to tackle toxic air’ in the Campo for de Gibraltar. Ecologistas en Accion has filed a complaint with the Health Ministry, claiming nothing has been done to protect citizens from a rise in air pollutants caused by the expansion of ‘toxic’ industries in the Bay of Algeciras. According to the green group, more than 10,000 tonnes of dangerous lutants were released into the atmosphere pollast year. This includes potentially lethal cancer-causing chemical benzene, as well as other fine particles. The writ comes as Cadiz province was officially declared to have the air quality in Spain. worst And alarmingly, La Linea, which borders Gibraltar, ranks as the 30th polluted place in the world in terms most The shocking stats were revealed of air quality. tion report which lists the world’s in a damning World Health Organisa‘most contaminated’ towns and cities. Adding salt to the wound, Cadiz Continues page 11 also came bottom in

MESSAGES: Left for teen

Tragic end

“IT’S a dirty world that I don’t want to live in anymore.” These were the intended last words of a British teen who had embarked on a suicide pact with her 16-yearold boyfriend in Marbella. The privately-educated expat, 14, added: “I’m Sorry: To anyone who has ever loved/known or supported me, thank you, I love you and I will miss you.”

TOXIC: Oil refinery plumes

black smoke into the Campo

Lethal painkiller BANNED for Brits after hard-fought battle

Bizarre

However, her heartfelt messages had a cruel, bizarre twist, when her British-Brazilian boyfriend Richard Fitzsimons managed to take his off the top of the Corte Ingles life department store, while she miraculously survived. It came as a hero security guard somehow managed to grab the before she was able to plunge to girl her death after her lover. In a tragically sad incident - that has shocked the coast and made headlines around the world - the teenager, who we are not naming for legal A LETHAL painkiller believed to be rereasons, is now requiring serious sponsible for the deaths of dozens of expats is finally being regulated in Spain. Nolotil, which the Olive Press has invesContinues page 2 tigated for nearly two years, has been TM

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EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

A BRITISH expat couple are fighting to save their Malaga home from demolition over a technicality. Gill and Bob Ward, both 74, have been locked with their town in a battle claims their house hall, which in Almayate is illegal. Just yesterday the ple from Cornwall retired couwere given

Irish tourists. Expats in Spain will now be administered Nolotil on a short term prescription only. Furthermore it can only prescribed after a detailed analysis be of the patient’s medical his-

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THE Olive Press pairs of tickets for is giving away three tribute bands certs on the Costa two of the best con- Whole Lotta Think Floyd, Deeper Purple and Led rocking out the And all you have to del Sol this summer... greatest hits of Pink Floyd, Deep do is answer two simple questions! at the Plaza del TorosPurple and Led Zeppelin Michael Bolton takes For a chance to win on August 26. emotive end of season to the stage for an Bolton, just answer a pair of tickets to see night at Marbella’s Puente Romano on was Michael Bolton the question; what year August 10, while Estepona is set for its biggest For the Pink Purple born in? rock concert in years with mammoth tell us; Where was Zep Fest in Estepona, just Jimmy Page born? answers to the newsdesk@theolivepress.es. Email WIN WIN WIN: Bolton

Doctors and dentists join Olive Press appeal for ban on dangerous painkiller Nolotil EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

banned for tourists in Spain. In a breakthrough move, The Spanish Medicine Agency (AEMPS) has finally issued a directive to all healthcare bodies to stop giving the drug to British and

KILL THE DRUG and Pink Purple Zep

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THE Olive Press is calling on Spain to ban a lethal painkiller that is killing countless of unsuspecting expats. British dentists are supporting and doctors the ban after Briton Graham complained to the Ward, 75, Olive Press of how he was prescribed the deadly Nolotil drug by a dentist last week. one month to knock down their same drug that It’s the very only property (pictured Dr Nina King, of Oasis above). for killing his wifewas blamed In a court order in 2006. the campaign, telling Dental Care in Marbella, fully The Marbella-based Olive Press, the seen by the supports the Olive Press the she prescribes. expat drug is not something was furious when warned they will Wards are he was told “It’s not a drug I use, to take the painkiller nally responsible be held crimishe said, “And after I stick to safe and standard medication,” if they refuse. by his Spanish dentist, “I don’t know what I won’t be using in seeing what damage it can do, ing from a difficultafter suffermore, I’m at the to do anyit’s a drug Marbella-based the future.” His wife Mary, 59, abscess. private doctor Dra. tether” Gill told the end of my had died afAlmeda also agrees Olive Press, Victoria María ter being prescribed “I’m totally exhausted the drug,” she told the drug is dangerous. “I don’t Chacón the same from the drug following a whole ordeal.” prescribe the Olive Press, “I tients and I am aware have lots of tomy at Costa deldouble vasecThe retired pair, who Sol Hospital. “There needs to be of what it is capable of doing.British pa“Within 24 hours spent thousands of have now a lot more research on its impact.” in intensive care, she was gal costs, bought euros on leblood cell count her white doctor to get house ‘in ruins’ the old farmplummeted in 2004, and to zero within days,” renewal in April,a were given permission The dad-of-two from Graham, a former explains tests showed the Velez-Malaga town later died from computer hall to retechnician, from drug had caused build it. HAPPIER TIMES: septic shock – London. Graham with She never regained a toxic poisoning But when the original wife, and Billy believed to be Smyth wall colness and was on conscious- again. in his bone marlapsed of its own linked to taking a life support “He said Metamizole, machine for FOUR she would be alive row construction, the accord during the Nolotil. if in the US, theNolotil is banned bloodand his white months, she hadn’t before spending tect told them it Wards’ archiUK, Ireland and Another cell was three years heard fromtaken it, but I have most of Europe, Britfighting the impact dangerously low. and that he wouldwould be fine dozens of Brits ish expat Hugh let the town of the and Irish scribed widely in but it is pre- Billy, drug, which led hall know. Unfortunately Wilcox was preSpain. a keen to organ fail- it,” addedwho have been given Irishman for ure. Graeme. William scribed the same ‘Billy’ sportsman, develIt is the third victim Smyth was given Continues on Page “The chief surgeon medication a five-day oped sepsis and of 8 for pital promised me at the hos- drug the Olive Press has the course of the drug in Febru- necrotising fascimild shoulder re- ary. he would ported on in never prescribe itis as a result and pain on the Costa that drug Sometimes under a year. known also as But when the 66-year-old re- required ‘radical surgery’ del Sol. turned to a different to He developed severe head Spanish remove the affected tissue in an attempt to save his life. Continues

Need for more

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CAMPAIGN: Previous SALE issue 59 despite various side effects,Mosquitowhich tory and heritage. Screens It will also have to be can cause a rapid drop in white blood much more closely mon- cells, leaving patients unable to fight infections. Medical translator, Cristina itored. It comes after an Olive Garcia del Campo, who has pulled toPress investigation into gether hundreds of case studies from the mysterious deaths victims for the AEMPS’ probe, said she of expats from was ‘very happy’ the authorities the drug was have finally reacted. Follaunched lowing the results of her KILL THE in rigorous investigation she 2016, DRUG along with a has now demanded that 1,000-strong the drug must not be sold petition to have it reguwithout a prescription and a detailed patient analysis. lated a year later. Nolotil, also known as “I am very happy that the problem has Metamizole, is banned in been dealt with,” she told the Olive the UK, the US and most Press. “I will be making sure that the AEMPS recommendations are carof Europe. Despite this, the drug is ried out and if necessary make sure it’s still one of the most pop- banned completely.” The Olive Press ular painkillers in Spain, began investigating after a trio of expat families told us how their relatives had died unnecessarCASHBACK ON ily in excruciating pain, after YOUR HOUSE taking the drug in Andalucia. In April, the paper revealed the first steps towards regulation had been taken, with Marina Salud, a big health network in Alicante, issuing a warning to PAYBACK WHEN stop administering the drug to British, Irish and Scandinavian YOU SELL patients. www.oaklandfurniturespain.com

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OPINION Must face justice The dissolution of Continental Wealth Management (CWM) in 2017 was a scandal that saw over hundreds of victims lose millions of euros. As we reported exclusively at the time the firm cut many corners and seemingly flaunted the law. But the bigger scandal is how many people behind the company have so far been brought to justice. An Olive Press report in 2017 discovered how CWM clients had their signatures copied onto high-risk pension schemes they did not agree to. One pensioner said he lost €210,000 of an initial €470,000, and has not seen a cent of compensation. Former director Darren Kirby - and his various deputies and partners - should face justice for the many victims their financial gambling has harmed. It’s not going to be easy, particularly as Kirby has a habit of vanishing at key moments. In the meantime, expats seeking favourable pension schemes should check and double check the companies they invest their futures in - and still get third-party approval from an expert.

Samba The Spanish Tax Agency has a duty to crack down on homeowners not paying their dues. Many in Spain build pools without notifying their Town Halls, which is a petty evasion of property tax (IBI). But using drones and Google Maps to catch a British expat who put a plastic football goal up in his garden is well over the top. Embargoing a bank account over just €12 is petty, and has created a massive headache over what should have been a mere kickabout in the garden.

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FEATURE

Rise of the Far Right After a dangerous neoNazi was captured in Mallorca, the Olive Press investigates the growing threat from far right terror in Spain and abroad, by Timothy McNulty

HE neo-nazi bomb maker scurried out from his Mallorcan villa hideout over to the bins where the police officers lay in wait. Wanted throughout Europe, the 28-year-old terrorist had tried to maim and kill hundreds with a pipe bomb in the small German town of Burglengenfeld. Michael Leopold Stiegler hid in the tourist town of Peguera, only venturing out to dump his rubbish which is when the Guardia Civil made their move. Though Stiegler is now in custody awaiting extradition to Germany, the far-right hate-filled ‘trash’ that inspired him continues to litter the globe and fester. Stiegler is believed to be a member of the staunchly neo-Nazi Reichsbuerger movement, a desperate collective of unapologetic racists and anti semites.

Small-

The self styled ‘Citizens of the Reich’ refuse to accept that the German Reich was abolished at the end of World War Two. The growing movement had 16,500 supporters in 2018, including a former ‘Mister Ger-

Vox spread fear and division as they mount far right election push ahead of national polls

THE forces of Spain’s reactionary right stand at the threshold of entering the country’s parliament for the first time since democracy returned in 1975. Vox head into the early general election later this month on the back of a breakthrough performance in the Andalusian polls. The ultra-nationalist movement has enjoyed a quick rise and now calls France’s hard-right leader Marine Le Pen and former KKK leader David Duke friends Nationally Vox, which means ‘Voice’, are on track to win as many as 37 seats, a worrying time for Spain, Europe’s most tolerant country.

Hardline

Santiago Abascal, Vox’s hardline leader and his budding MPs have called feminists ‘bitches’ and ‘scum’, want to undo gay marriage and mimic Trump's anti immigrant border wall. Meanwhile, the party’s election campaign has lurched from one controversy to another as it looks to weaponize fears of immigration and frustration at corruption. Prosecutors in Valencia have mounted an

2016 - 2019 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

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DEFUSED: Neo-nazi bomb maker accosted by Guardia Civil in Mallorca

Deposito Legal MA: 498-2019

AWARDS

April 11th - April 24th 2019

CONTROVERSIAL: Paz and (right) deputy leader of Vox Ortega Smith

many’ winner who has been charged with the attempted murder of a policeman. Fortunately in Stiegler’s case the bomb in Burglengenfeld did not explode and was spotted by relieved residents. Explosive experts later found the powerful device had been made with gunpowder and mercury, the latter added to inflict even greater devastation. The resurgence of extreme right-wing terrorism has now reached Spain’s idyllic coastline and following Stiegler’s arrest, police spoke openly about their ‘growing concern’. Violent nationalist groups have been on the march throughout Europe thanks to growing discontent in the wake of the financial and migrant crisis. According to Interpol, the number of individuals arrested in relation to right-wing terrorism offences almost doubled in 2017. The surge comes as right-wing anti-establishment parties have made electoral gains such as France’s RIDING INTO POWER?: Abascal Front National, Italy’s The League and the Freedom Party in Austria. investigation in connection to a rally in which In Spain, the rise of Vox has seen far Vox’s deputy leader whipped up a crowd with right extremism break into mainstalk of a an ‘Islamist invasion.’ tream politics for the first time since It comes as Spain’s Jewish community conthe death of General Franco. demned the party’s nomination of a holocaust Vox whipped up fears over crime denier as candidate for the April 28 elections. and immigration along the way to The pseudo historian-cum-candidate, Fernantheir electoral breakthrough perfordo Paz, has previously questioned the official mance in Andalucia’s last regional narrative of the Holocaust and labelled the Nuelections. remberg Trials a ‘farce.’ The radical right-wing party won 12 Vox has recruited three former generals to their of the 109 seats in Andalucia and cause, two of whom have openly expressed subecame the kingmakers in the Peopport for the military uprising that ignited the ple’s Party taking power, ending deSpanish civil war. cades of PSOE control. The inclusion of openly pro-franco candidates When in power, Vox plans to dealso marks a port all illegal immigrants, build a clear break Trump-like wall around Spain’s norfrom politics as normal in a country still bearing the scars of General Franco. However, with a record number of voters yet to decide how to cast their vote, the vox populi may yet block the far right’s path to power. RESEARCHER: Ignacio Jurado

FEATURE

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

olive press online

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website The top three most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: HATE: Vox leader Abascal targets Muslims asking for ‘Morocco wall’

Border tangle

- Benidorm introduces bans on mobility

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A SHOCKING line of new razor wire has been installed to the border fence between Ceuta and Morocco. The government in Rabat installed the wire as well as a two meter deep ‘anti immigration trap’ after receiving EU funding. It comes despite Spain’s interior minister Fernando Grane-Markaka promising to remove the lethal wire from the border in February. Some 1,979 immigrants scaled the fence around Ceuta, last year. Moroccan Association for Human Rights’ Rachid Aouli said: "It is inhuman and cheating. Spain removes the wire but Morocco now puts its up paid for by Europe.”

NAZI SALUTE: At a German ale event in Mallorca

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Defend

KILLER: Spanish neo-nazi Jose Estebanez stabbed man to death on Madrid metro and (above) named on New Zealand gunman’s magazine

The move came as the leader of far right party Vox echoed US president Donald Trump with a call to build a ‘great’ wall to stop immigrants coming to Spain. Santiago Abascal called for a ‘insurmountable wall’ to be built at the borders of Spain’s two north African enclaves to halt the ‘wave of illegal immigrants.’ Abascal argued Morrocco should pay for the wall and the soldiers at the borders should be given the ‘necessary orders’ to defend them. Polls suggest Vox could be the first far-right party since the 1970s to win seats in the Spanish parliament in the upcoming general election on April 28.

Soaring high A TOTAL of 20,000 visitors are using the Olive Press website on a DAILY basis. That’s over 600,000 visitors a month… or well over SEVEN MILLION a year! On any given day we get a great balance of visitors from around the country as well as Europe, with many from Sweden, Holland and Germany. Having a new paper in Alicante is helping the figures soar, as is an investment in two new NCTJ-trained journalists. Providing original content on an almost hourly basis, seven days a week, means that our Alexa ranking - created by Amazon.com, the world’s biggest online retailer - has continued to soar. http://www.theolivepress.es Analytics As well as being in the top 12,000 in Spain, we are www.theolivepress.es approaching 180,000th place in the world. Audience Overview And, if you were to doubt Amazon’s own statistics (believing they were in some way manipulated) then you could All Users 100.00% Users use Google’s very own analytical programme to verify our claims. Overview Here are two recent days, with reports freely available to any potential advertisers. They show exactly how many visitors we get each day plus Users the amount of time they spend on the site. FYI,2,000it is currently running at about five minutes. That is three minutes longer than most of our jealous Go torivals! report 

th African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and fically in the recent massacre of Muslims in when he spotted a group of counter demonsNew Zealand. t r a to r s waiting to board. reclaim Gibraltar from Britain. He pulled a knife and staThe rhetoric coming from the far-right has The country’s deadliest ever terrorist a t bbed Carlos Palomino in fuelled a rise in hate crimes, with a recent re- tack saw a gunman open fire the heart shortly after the port by the interior ministry revealing a 120% on men, women and children from close range at two mos16-year-old boarded the increase in anti-Muslim attacks. train. The Movement Against Intolerance, which ques in the city of ChristTarrant is known to have works directly with victims, registered 602 church, killing 50. traveled widely in Spain incidents in 2018 connected to hate crimes. Shooter Brenton Tahttp://www.theolivepress.es last year, passing throuThe organisation estimates that annual hate rrant paid homage to Analytics www.theolivepress.es gh Granada, Cordoba attacks in Spain number between 4,000 and a convicted Spanish 1,000 Audience and Overview Ronda. 6,000, although the majority go unreported neo-Nazi during his ramhttp://www.theolivepress.es page, which was streamed live on social me- P o lice are now investigating to police or judicial authorities. Apr 2019 - 5 Apr 2019 Analytics 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 510:00 Users … 01:00 02:00 03:00www.theolivepress.es 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17 what possible links theAll Australian supremaExperts have linked the rise to the use of dia using a Go-Pro. 100.00% Users racist, anti-Muslim messages by parties like Tarrant wrote the name of Jose Estebanez cist had with far right networks here in Spain. Audience Overview Retu Vox as part of their election platforms for the on the magazine of Overview http://www.theolivepress.es Users New Users Sessions All Users country's upcoming general election on April his rifle in white marAnalytics www.theolivepress.es 100.00% Users 17,034 7,741 21,194 28. ker, alongside a host Audience Overview Users Vox’s leader Santiago Abascal has spoken of of other notorious Overview 2,000 a new ‘reconquista,’ referring to the histori- far-right killers from Users per User Number ofAll Sessions Page Views Pages/Session 100.00% Users cal battles between Moorish and Christian around the world. 1.24 28,665 1.35 kingdoms for control of Spain. The former soldier beThe leading independent ceramic tile retailer, Users 1,000 Overview Ignacio Jurado , a senior came a cult 3,000 based in Gata on the Costa Blanca lecturer in politics at the figure for Avg. 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GREEN

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Future’s green again THE so-called ‘sun tax’ which effectively prevented homeowners from installing solar panels has finally been abolished. It comes as new rules for homeowners generating their own renewable energy came into force in Spain this month. In good news for ecologists, the new rules will mean small payments can be made for energy being injected back into the grid.

One step closer IT is one of the most popular destinations on the Costa Blanca for nature lovers, but the Sierra and Cabo de Santa Pola still doesn’t have proper protected status. That could soon change, however, after Santa Pola Town Hall announced plans to protect the area by making it a natural park. Environment councillor Alejandro Escalada has announced a 45-day window for anybody to make representations for or against the plan.

April 11th - April 24th 2019

There will then be a further six-month period where the council will meet with local groups, followed by a two-year window in which to determine permitted activities on the reserve. “It will mean the area finally having a certain degree of protection,” said Escalada. The Sierra de Santa Pola is known for its cliffs, which rise 144m above sea level on the northern tip of the bay of Alicante. It is one of the only geographical formations of a fossilised coral reef in Europe. Atop the Sierra is a lighthouse, called the Torre Vigia Atalayola (left), and at the base of the hill is Torre d’en Mig, an old barracks for controlling smuggling now converted into the Centro de Investigation Marina’s (CIMAR) base.

Renewable

Previously, households had to register as energy producers, jumping through a series of complicated administrative hoops, before they could be compensated for giving back to the grid. But the new measures approved by Royal Decree last week will allow for owners of renewable energy systems no larger than 100 kilowatts to receive up to 100% of the value of energy consumed in a month. Additional measures approved include collective self-consumption whereby several consumers may be connected to one generation plant. Consumers may also for the first time use energy generated outside their own properties, opening the door for community schemes.

By Joshua Parfitt

PLANS to halt a plague decimating almond groves has caused uproar after it was revealing 100,000 trees will be cut down in Alicante. Campaigners say the scheme will ‘completely destroy’ the cultivation of almonds in numerous traditional areas and worsen the problem of depopulation. The Xylella fastidiosa bacteria,

It’s nuts!

A fifth of almond trees in Alicante to be DESTROYED as fight against bacteria intensifies spread by insects, has been destroying olive, almond and apricot trees, as well as vines,

around Spain. The bacteria was first detected in El Castell de Guadalest, near Altea, in July 2017, and has since spread across 134,000 hectares, invading 76 municipalities in Marina Baixa, Marina Alta and El Comtat. The current strategy of the Ministry of Agriculture, in Valencia, is to quarantine and rip up thousands of trees where the bacteria is present, with 30,000 already uprooted. The containment plan eradicates trees within 100 metres of an infected specimen, even if they are healthy, with many specialists believing this will destroy 20% of all the trees in Alicante. Now an association of those affected, the AXFA, has hit back against the plans, insisting it will cause ‘irreparable damage to the environment, landscape and local economy’. “Tourism will be badly damaged and this could further hasten depopulation, which

is already a problem in rural areas,” said a spokesman. Farmers in the association, who have not even been able to use the wood as fuel, have demanded that only infected trees be cut down. “The destruction is not even being carried out correctly, as the authorities have cut the trees but left the roots, allowing them to sprout back up,” added the spokesman. The Ministry of Agriculture has so far proposed €4.5 million of compensation to affected farmers, but they must leave the land fallow for five years.

Water wars FARMERS and residents of Pego and El Verger have planned a series of protests over plans to exploit a nearby aquifer to supply Denia with water. They believe the extraction will affect the Segaria aquifer, which is vital for their crops and could become saline if overused. Their concerns were aired after water company Aqualia announced it had begun testing a well in El Verger to help supply the tourist hotspot. The company insisted the extraction will be ‘responsible and sustainable’ and denied claims on social media that it would extract anything like 7 million m3 of water. “That 7 million m3 would count for the total consumption of Dénia, which is supplied by 14 different sources,” the spokesperson added. “We only need 500,000 m3.”

Renewable boom

RENEWABLE energies accounted for 39.7% of Spain’s electricity in the first quarter of this year, grid operator Red Electrica de España (REE) has revealed. The first three months of 2019 saw 24% of electricity come from nuclear and 22.9% from wind. In March alone, the share of renewables was 43.5%, with wind and hydropower accounting for 24.2% and 11.1% of the total generation, respectively.

New dolphin death

BEACHED: Dead dolphin Denia

A SECOND dead dolphin has been found washed up on the Costa Blanca in just a week. Police were called after the dolphin appeared on Els Molins beach in Denia, after another was found at Les Bovetes beach, a fortnight ago. While it is believed that the dolphin had suffocated from ingesting plastic, the body had decomposed too much to perform an autopsy into its death. Maite Mompo, who runs plastic awareness campaign ¡Mojate! in Denia, told the Olive Press: “It is important that the gut of the animal is opened to know if it died due to ingestion of plastics, or if the death has been caused by fishermen. “This is happening in other places such as France, where more than 1,100 dolphins with marks of violence have arrived dead since January.” He added: “Citizens need to know what has happened in order to prevent future deaths.”

Do you have a what’s on?

LA CULTURA Mosaic marvel

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Send your informa newsdesk@theolive tion to press.es

Final curtain

THE West End theatre company behind Fame and Little Shop of Horrors is moving to Spain to escape Brexit. London-based production firm Selladoor Worldwide will open in Madrid ahead of the UK’s departure from the EU. The group, currently working on Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5, cited ‘Brexit fears’ as a reason behind the move. “I would be lying if I didn’t say that Brexit contingency plans haven’t factored into strategic thoughts regarding a Europe hub,” said director David Hutchinson.

Focus

Selladoor hope to use its European address to focus more on Spanish-language productions. The new workspace is set to open in January 2020, at the same time Selladoor’s musical Flashdance hits the stage in the Spanish capital. The company, founded in 2008 and based in Greenwich, also has offices in New York, Shanghai and Bangkok. Selladoor Worldwide’s back catalogue also includes Jersey Boys, Of Mice And Men, Footloose and James and the Giant Peach.

Ancient settlement saved on Costa Blanca following years of human pollution ANCIENT Roman mosaics will soon be open to the public in Calpe after undergoing months of restoration work. The 2,000-year-old artworks at the Baños de la Reina, a stone’s throw from Calpe’s yacht club, had fallen into disrepair, with experts warning that litter and encroaching vegetation would destroy the site ‘within a decade’. But thanks to two years of painstaking work by specialist restoration company Alebus

Patrimonio, pictures have now emerged showing the damaged but still intricately stunning Roman floors. “Here you can see how the wonderful mosaics and pavements of the Queen of Calpe are coming up in all its splendor,” citizen group Banys de la Reina de Calp said. A spokesperson for the group confirmed to the Olive Press that guided tours would soon be available once restoration work is complete.

What’s on TA FOR THAT PUBS along the Orihuela Costa Irish tapas route will be offering a drink and a tapas for 2.50 on Saturday April 20 and Sunday April 21.

O’ROCK

HISTORIC: Roman mosaics open to public The ruins are what is left of a Roman settlement established in the 1st century AD, and which was in use until the sixth

World renowned ALICANTE’S Feria de Tots Sants de Cocentaina is set to receive the honorary distinction of being a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest. The recognition is only held by 30 fiestas in Spain, seven of which are in the province of Alicante. The Feria - the second oldest in Valencia was already declared a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest in 2012, and was announced as a Bien de Interes Cultural in 2018. Begun in 1346, the feria was long thought to be the oldest festival in Valencia, but an ancient document discovered in 2011 revealed the Feria de la Purísima de Segorbe was just eight days older.

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Fiestas of International Tourist Interest must feature no mistreatment of animals. The Feria will take place November 1-4 this year.

century. A bathing complex can still be made out in the site—featuring the typical anointing room, hot room and cold plunge pool—as well as three fish ponds at the water’s edge. It was these fish ponds that were mythically linked as bathing areas for the legendary Reina Mora (Moorish Queen). Centuries of disuse slowly saw the ruins fall into disrepair, but volunteers in 2017 also recovered 15 barrels of brushwood, mattresses, nappies, cans and even dead animals from the ancient site, suggesting human interference was hastening decay. In 2018 the ruins were designated a Bien de Cultural Interes (BIC), leading to a €14,989 grant from Calpe’s Town Hall to Alebus Patrimonio for four months’ restoration work.

THE Shamrockers will be performing at Father Ted’s Bar in Moraira on Friday April 12 with their lively acoustic set getting underway from 7.00pm.

AHOY PIRATES will invade the town of Los Alcazares for theatrical re-enactments from April 18-21 with falconry displays and donkey rides also on offer.

BELOVED ONE of the best-loved musicals of all time, My Fair Lady will be formed by the Javea Players Amatuer Drama group on Saturday April 13.

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Banderas and our guide to Semana Santa

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ROCK STEADY

HE average property price in Spain has grown for two consecutive years for the first time in a decade. The national average house price rose from between 3.9% to 8.4%, according to various sources. Along the Mediterranean coasts and on the islands, where most foreigners buy, the average price hike has been 4.06%, according to Tinsa, Spain’s leading property appraisal company. But the figures have mostly not yet made up for the big drops during the long six year recession, with the exception of the

Prices rise for two consecutive years, while mortgage values continue to grow

Balearic Islands. “Prices have been rising most years since the recovery began, but nothing like they did in the boom years, and nowhere near enough to claw back the ground lost in the bust,” explained respected analyst Mark Stucklin, of Spanish Property Insight.

However, he added ‘at the very least, the data suggests that the Spanish property continued to grow last year.’ Mortgage lending to home buyers meanwhile was up 6.1% in January to 19,390 new loans, according to the Association of Spanish Notaries. The average new loan made in January had a value of €135,616, an increase of 0.9% in a year. As long as mortgage lending for residential acquisitions continues to increase, as it has done for the last few years, the Spanish property market is set to grow.

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Power grab

SPAIN’S PP party has set out audacious plans for a power grab to take back control from Andalucia and the other autonomous regions. Leader Pablo Casado announced his commitment to strengthen the central government’s role in the run up to national elections in a fortnight. He insisted that such a move would prevent corruption and lead to a drop in taxes. It comes as the party attempts to see threat from an insurgent Vox Party, off the leader has described the Junta andwhose other autonomous parliaments the ‘cancer of Spain’. Under the plan, the PP wants to resources for regional governmentincrease delegations and paralyse any further transfer of power to the regions.

Supremacy

The supremacy of the National Police Guardia Civil over regional security and would also be enshrined under the bodies proposals advanced by PP. Casado insisted the move would see being administered ‘more effectively’. Spain The election hopeful stated that his would carry out a sweeping review party of how the regional authorities operate looking at ‘efficiency and equity.’ Spain’s quasi-federal political system of ‘autonomous states’ was added to the constitution in 1978. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose party drafted the constitution, gly opposed the plan, insisting the stronPSOE would defend ‘tooth and nail’ the principal of regional self-government.

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AN expat has been made homeless his British tenant refused to moveafter EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore and allegedly ‘threatened to kill him’ out if he returned. been dossing down on benches Patrick O’Loughlin, 72, is appealing at train for stations and Malaga airport. help after being forced to sleep rough Despite having evidence after finding himself unable to afford that the property, the Londoner says he owns the cost of a hotel. he has had little help from the cops and The British pensioner, from London, has is making its way too slowly that his case through the courts. “My wife left me that home when she died eight years ago and I can prove it,” O’Loughlin - who

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suffers from high blood pressure - told the Olive Press. “My tenant agreed to move out in February but she is still there and now there is a huge man living in my bedroom and they won’t leave. “They both owe me at least €1,500 in rent.” O’Loughlin said when he calls po-

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lice to the home in Fuengirola, his tenant, a British woman, manages to ‘sweet talk’ the cops with her fluent Spanish. He also believes the tenant - who the Press exposed several years ago in Olive a furniture scam - has used his bank account to pay for the internet and other items. “She has totally conned me,” the fatherof-one continued. “She under-paid her first month’s and asked me for my bank details rent to pay me the rest. “Stupidly I gave her them because ted her, and now there’s a string of I trusstrange charges on my account.” The Olive Press has seen bank ments which appear to back up stateO’Loughlin’s claims. The expat, who has lived in Spain for decades, has asked Olive Press readers for help. “If anyone can offer me a place to stay for a few days or can offer any legal aid it would be brilliant, I need all I can get to get. I just want them the help gone.” O’Loughlin’s son, who asked not named, showed messages to this to be from the tenant, threatening to paper, dad if he tried to enter his home kill his again. The Olive Press visited the property week but the tenant was not availablethis to comment. Email newsdesk@theolivepress.es if you can help

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ROCK STEADY

Vol. 4 Issue 94 www.theolivepress.es April 10th - April 23rd 2019

ON LAND AND SEA

Prices rise for two consecutive years, while mortgage values continue to grow

land. The project will be undertaken by entirely locally-based developers and will be made up of leisure, community, retail and commercial space. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: “This deal represents yet another great vote of confidence in

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The Government has also said the land will provide sustainable space has a knock on effect on degrowth on the western side of the mand for residential accommodation. rock for the next 10 years. A No.6 spokesperson said: “To- Picardo said: “A larger site would gether with the Coaling Island deliver the best future-proofed site, the Victoria Keys develop- project for our community.” ment will complement the natural Spain has opposed land reclamagrowth of our modern city for de- tions in the past on the grounds that Gibraltar has no territorial cades to come. waters, making such “It will create sig- gal in Madrid’s eyes. projects illenificant recreational Spanish authorities areas for the com- London they could have warned take legal acmunity and provide tion if similar construction projpublic access along ects infringed on Spanish ‘sovernew stretches of our eign waters.’ harbour and mari- Meanwhile, Picardo said it was esLettings | Sales nas.” sential the opportunities presentThis continued re- ed by the Victor Keys Investments | Relocations project were quest for commercial ‘exploited to the fullest.’ TM Commercial

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What drove this expat to cut off his member? Page 6

Celebrating the end of the Spanish Civil War

Page 12

ANXIOUS expats breathed a sigh of relief this week after Parliament voted to wrestle back control of the Brexit process in yet another humiliation for Theresa May. The fresh blow for the British Prime Minister has put the future of a million expats in Europe firmly into the to hands of MPs, who are expected vote against a hard Brexit. It comes after thousands of expats joined a million marchers at a mas-

sive at the weekend. “It was great to be there making of history I hope,” said Sue Wilson pressure group Bremain in Spain. “It is not the first time we have voted with our feet, but it was our biggest ever march contingent,” she added.so “It was a sign of commitment that many members joined us in London.” exMPs used Monday night’s vote to Continues on Page 8

in Calvia, Police seize wanted terrorist of far right while confirming ‘resurgence’ the island

which could endanger A DANGEROUS neo-Nazi has been managed to trace and ing ‘Host’) snared after a right wing bomb plot 4 4 NEWS went to The device comprised various powEU PHEW the fugitive, who reportedly was foiled in Germany. and metal compounds and was great lengths to avoid detection. Police swooped on Michael Leopold ders carried in a glass vial. his being The wanted terrorist only left Stiegler at a luxury villa he was stayhas Police in Germany and Spain rented hideout once a day to put out ing at in Peguera, Calvia, which launched Operation Huestes (meana large German expat community. The 28-year-old - described as ‘very dangerous’ - had fled Germany after Site for a powerful homemade bomb, consore eyes! in taining mercury, was discovered Bavarian the town of Burglengenfeld this year. A EuroSolar secrets pean arrest warrant was issued for Stiegler after Death of the potentially a giant devastating de15:36 16/06/2017 was spotted 1vice Untitled-1.pdf Page 5 by neighbours See page 2 and defused. THE EUROPEAN DENTAL PRACTICE www.theolivepress.es For appointments: +(34) 971 681 439

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PALMA city council, the Consell de Mallorca and the Balearic Government have joined forces to try and stop construction of an ‘outsize’ shopping centre in a valuable green area near Palma. They have been joined by local expats and green groups to prevent the Palma Springs project from being built in a green area in Playa

COMING SOON?: New shopping centre

de Palma. They have agreed to fight together to stop the controversial scheme after Madrid’s Supreme Court turned down an appeal to stop the scheme

PROTESTORS: Fighting the solar panels

A PLAN to build a huge solar power park beside a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mallorca has ‘angered’ locals and expats. The 35,000m2 project in Selva, in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, will feature 12,600 solar panels that will each be 3m high. So far, over 300 residents of the idyllic valley - recognised as a ‘cultural landscape’ - have signed alegaciones forms to object to the proposals. They are now set to protest in the town of Selva this weekend. Finnish architect, Evi Wager, 67, originally from Helsinki, was ‘shocked’ when she realised the site would be just 20m from her porch. “Nobody has been informed,” the mum-of-three told the Olive Press this week. “This has been going on behind our backs. “The location is wrong, you can’t just place a large industrial site in a rural area like this. “It is not only going to ruin the views, it will act as a precedent for 20 other sites in mallorca.” It comes after consultancy firm Podarcis found that the plans will lead to the ‘destruction of vegetation and the disappearance of animal species’. Evi, who is an ‘avid gardener’, also alleges that politicians have flouted the rules governing development on rural land, by classifying the solar park as a site of ‘general interest’. Swathes of farmland, and the celebrated hiking trail to Lluc, are set to be divided by the green energy site. Madrid-based green energy firm, Good Wind Entertainment, which is behind the solar park, was not available for comment to the Olive Press. The company has also planned two other solar parks, each costing €2.5 million, in nearby Alaro, and Sant Rafael, in Ibiza. The Balearic Islands government failed to comment before HATED: Proposed solar farm we went to press.

834 282 952 147 Tel: 123 902

902 123 282

A no deal Brexit was last night dramatically ruled out by MPs by just four votes in excellent news for expats in Spain. In yet another defeat for the government , MPs ruled by by 312 votes to 308 that the country should not leave the EU without a deal in any circumstance. The Spelman amendment vote comes after the Prime Minister's withdrawal agreement was heavily defeated in the commons on Tuesday. Yesterday, May said: “Voting against leaving without a deal, and for an extension, does not solve the problems we face. “The EU will want to know what use we want to make of that extension. The house will have to answer that question.” MPs will now get the chance to vote on possibly extending Article 50 in another vote today.

in the natural wetlands of Ses Fontanelles. The 80,000 square metre centre was originally granted a licence in 2014, but works did not start within the timeline and it expired. Later a new license was rejected as laws had changed, better protecting the area - south Mallorca’s largest wetland area - from development. But developers Unibail Rodamco Westfield have continued to fight for the licence taking their case as far as the Supreme court. Its lawyers argued that it should have a similar permit to that of the nearby Fan shopping centre, that opened in 2016. "We are continuing the process to make this great project a reality," said a spokesman for the firm, this week. Environmental group Amics de la Terra Mallorca have major concerns, not only for the environmental impact but because of the traffic problems on nearby roads, already congested due to the nearby airport.

SPECSAVERS in Santa Ponsa has been spreading awareness during World Glaucoma Week – with an estimated one million people suffering from the eye disease in Spain alone. The local optician, part of the largest in Europe, warned that around half of those with glaucoma do not know they have the degenerative eye disease that can cause blindness. Stop by an optician to discuss any vision concerns.

Ashamed

Fellow green group GOB, added that the scheme ‘makes us feel ashamed to be citizens of these islands’. Local expats such as Jamie Foster, from Nottingham, agreed. “Parking is already atrocious in this area, I dread what it will be like if this mall opens up,” he told the Olive Press. “Traffic on the road by Palma Springs is already gridlocked every afternoon, adding thousands of people to the area will just cause chaos,” the 33-year-old teacher added. Another expat Nicky Bowdidge added: “Tourism has encroached on most of the dunes that used to be along the seafront, the ecological impact of this wasn't understood at the time. “We mustn’t lose more valuable virgin land.”

TRAGIC: Man dies

IT was meant to be a joyous parade celebrating the 120th anniversary of the death of the founder of a church in Campos. But joy turned to tragedy when one of the men, carrying a giant figurine, collapsed and died during the event. The local, 35, died of a heart attack while carrying the socalled ‘gegant’ which is 3.4m tall and weighs 38kgs. He was rushed to hospital, but died before he arrived. The annual parade for the Sor María Rafela foundation was suspended until the next day when a minute’s silence was observed for the victim.

March 28th - April 10th 2019

STRANGER Things star Millie Bobby Brown has been dating Romeo Beckham. The Marbella-born starlet was introduced to Romeo’s famous family at charity Unicef’s 70th anniversary gala in December 2016. Romeo’s mum Victoria has given her ‘seal of approval’ to the young couple and is said to think highly of Millie, who is a regular on the Costa del Sol, where her parents used to work. The 15-year-old British actress, who earns €257,000 per episode for the hit Stranger Things series, posted a message on instagram last year wishing Romeo a happy birthday.

NOT AMUSED: Benidorm’s Madge

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My husband and I have really enjoyed the Olive Press since you have come to the Moraira area. We enjoy your articles, and you are keeping us up to date with what’s going on. You have certainly presented us with a very good read. The only thing missing to make it perfect is a Sudoku. My husband and I enjoy pitting our wits against each other by completing the hardest puzzle we can find. Please find a small space to help keep our brains exercised with a Sudoku.

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Ed. Thanks for getting in touch Felicity. Watch this space, a Sudoku is something we are very keen to include in future editions.

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Stiegler

the rubbish, which is when police made their move. Stiegler is believed to be a member of the radical Reichsbuerger movement, which has often been involved poin violent clashes with German

lice. the Reichburger or ‘Citizens of Reich’ is a collective of neo-Nazis who insist the German Reich, which in ended after World War II, is still existence. The growing movement had around 16,500 members in 2018, according to Germany's domestic intelligence agency. are Police in Mallorca said they monitoring the resurgence of right wing terrorism with ‘growing concern.’ as “They could cause incidents as tragic a the recent attack perpetrated againstby New Zealand mosque, committed that Australian, nationalist a far-right caused 50 fatalities and 50 wounded," a spokesperson said.

Ed. Hi Stacey, thanks for your letter. Just to be clear, the over-55s and those with a blue disabled badge are exempt from the ban.

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Carry more

Close to home

We picked up a copy of your wonderful publication in Carrefour Gandia. We wondered if that is the only place, or if you have a few locations in the Gandia area. I appreciate we can read it online but my wife likes to read the physical paper.

I saw your story about a British rock climber falling off a cliff. This sent shivers down my spine, as I had a similar accident some years back when walking in the Peak District. I must also congratulate you on launching your new Costa Blanca paper. I think you are going to be very popular here.

David Wright, Gandia

Ed. Thanks David, watch this space, we are developing our drops every issue and will publish them all shortly

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Most political parties are sticking to the Pact of Forgetting, or in Spanish: Pacto del olvido (Grave news, Issue 1, pg 5). It’s well overdue to make up for the Franco terror and pin down those responsible.

Felicity Ashcroft, Moraira

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Ed. George, we are not in the slightest bit anti-Tory - and Farage is UKIP. We just think the whole ERG, DUP, and Brexit fiasco is damaging most of our businesses and lives here. And the vast majority of expats think that. We’re reflecting that. Clearly not all are going to agree. Sorry if our paper from time to time shows a bit of attitude! No other paper does.

Ed. Thank you David, we are delighted to be representing the community, and we look forward to hearing more from you.

(right) with film crew ADVISOR: Editor Jon Clarke Vanished Spain features heavily in the In the hard-hitting series he doc, with shots of the Olive ‘Madge-mobiles’ after one THEY have famously been dubbed takes the crew around the re- Press head office in Manilva popular characters. of hit TV show Benidorm’s most sort, and reveals his shock at and the Costa del Sol. resort itself has decided So it is with great irony that the tourist of its pavements. how laid back the police ope- The series looks into dangerous to ban mobility scooters on the majority ration was and how he met the paedophiles around the area up to €450, will also see SeThe move, which carries a fine of McCanns in those early hours. scooters barred from the and many new leads that were gways, hoverboards and motorised "Initially there was just a small not followed up. town’s pedestrianised areas. bit of tape in front of the apart- One investigator from detectiand along the paseo. ment, and then a bit at the side ve agency Metodo 3 in Barcelo- millions and puts to rest long They are also banned in cycle lines British tourists, have been where the patio doors were," na revealed how he spent nine term rumours that the parents The vehicles, a favourite among a new speed limit of 12mph her. branded a ‘menace’ and will be set he revealed in the film. months probing dozens of ‘sick’ killed "It wouldn't have been diffi- paedophiles in both Portugal One local British expat NOT in other areas. effect after a two-year battle and cult to walk in and have a look and Spain. featured is conspiracy theorist The new laws have come into ban in Alicante. around. It certainly wasn't Fort It is expected to be watched by ex-detective Peter MacLeod, seven attempts and follow a similaras part of a crackdown on Raunchy t-shirts are also banned Knox," he added. based in Nerja. The former Nottinghamshire ‘uncivic tourism’. 500 ‘offensive’ items - including DEVASTATED British comic copper has long trolled that the It comes after officials seized - in raids on five shops on Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown will still parents were guilty and even lighters adorned with naked women play in Alicante this weekend libellous pamphlet Calle Gerona and Avenida Europa. 5. a April on produced globally released despite a BRITAIN’S most famous wildli- The pair of national treasures on why they did it. shock fafe expert has teamed up with are among 10 local narrators of Friends of Maddie’s parents actress famous mily tramost an told Spain’s the series, which has taken four slammed him after he gedy. for a new Netflix documentary years to make and was filmed Australian TV channel this It comes Kate Mcabout the natural world. in over 50 countries, involving month that the way after the Our Planet is the latest series over 600 crew members. Cann described her daughter’s 74-yearform the streaming giant, which as wide open window bedroom old comegives viewers the option to have on the night she disappeared SHE travelled the world dian canSir David Attenborough or Penecould be a ‘red flag’. as a global ambassador for celled two lope Cruz as a voiceover. They insisted he was merely Spain. tour dates The team responsible for the ‘spouting off’ and that they But now 1996 Miss Spain Scotin BBC’s award-winning Planet were 'spurious allegations'. has been arrested at Madrid land at the 11th hour after a Earth are behind the new eiMacLeod, who used to run a airport after failing to pay a family bereavement. ght-part wildlife show, which is B&B business in Ronda, once traffic fine. Brown’s management said: tried to claim that Olive Press Maria Jose Suarez was sei“Roy has cancelled his immiClarke could not have editor Scotland in zed as she got off a flight HELD: Maria Suarez dates nent tour been in Praia da Luz on the from the Dominican Repudue to a tragic family loss. unpaid fines, one of which morning after Maddie’s disablic. “Roy would appreciate digblog driving without a ppearance. In a disgusting The model and TV presen- was for nity and privacy at this sad post he also somehow suggester was flagged up for two licence. time.” have been may Clarke that ted Chubby’s next gigs are scheAttenborough in some way involved. duled in Benidorm on March EXPERT: Cruz and 31. March 30 and Alicante on

MORAIRA PLUMBING HEATING

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nothing else to be concentrating on? (Madge-mobile clamp Madge-mobile down, Issue 1, pg 3) So now clamp down these folk will have to go on the pavethe on allowed road if not Show must go banned from pement? And on if of reason this Voices entirely, destrianised areas g means disabled people can’t Dressin down get about at all in these areas. You just couldn’t write this stuff - somebody would be hung out to dry for this in the UK and Speeds thePoor500 ofTolerate labelled as ‘disable-ist’. The seizing Don’t lighters with pictures of naked women got me. Spain has been renowned for selling rude tat souvenirs like this for about 40 years!

2/8/18 17:01

SNARED: Moment cops arrest

Hi, We are delighted to see the Olive Press fortnight publication on the free paper stands in Calpe. The new paper fills a gap, as we have lost the RTN paper. I am the publicity officer for Calpe U3A. I take the photos for our meetings, day trips and short holidays. We have a strong expat community in Calpe, with the British Legion, The Lions and of course Calpe U3A. I’m sure most of the expats here will really enjoy the Olive Press.

Hopinmg Benidor How ridiculous that for s scooter has ‘banned’er mobilityan swers Strang from some fling areas - have they THE Olive Press has played a starring role in the new hit Netflix documentary about missing Maddie McCann. The paper's editor Jon Clarke features in various episodes of the eight-part series just released by the global streaming giant. The makers behind the €20 million series, the Disappearance of Madeleine Mccann, spent two days with the Olive Press team in Malaga. They then travelled with Clarke to the Algarve, in Portugal, where the British three-year-old went missing on May 3, 2007. The Olive Press editor, 50, was the first journalist on the scene in Praia da Luz the day after police began their disastrous attempt to find the toddler.

I picked up your paper today and found your front page distasteful (House rules, Issue 1, pg 1). You say in your welcome on page 2 that you are sick of cheap and tawdry papers! Then you have an insult to large numbers of your potential readers with that quite nasty anti-Tory and blatantly racist inset about gene pools. I hope that you can elevate future content above this lamentable level or I fear your paper will find little success in the Costa Blanca.

Gap in the market

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Letter COUPLED-UP: Romeo and Millie

Government announce major new harbour basin development

THE Gibraltar Government has announced a major new development in the Harbour area with the creation of a £300 million reclamation project. The Victoria Keys development, situated inside the harbour basin next to Coaling Island, aims to create up to 60,000 metres of new

What a change

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Melanie Wright, Javea

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing newsdesk@ theolivepress.es or alternatively message us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

Olive Press Crossword 1

8 9

14 15

17 18

Across 1 Stopping place (7) 5 Goat's milk cheese (4) 9 Appreciative (8) 10 Uncommon (4) 11 Basic unit of heredity (4) 13 Capital of Inner Mongolia (6) 14 Horned African animal (Abbr.) (5) 15 Agile (4) 17 Keen on (4) 18 Avian incubators (5) 19 Drinking vessel (6) 21 Easy stride (4) 23 Separate article (4) 24 Old liners (8) 26 Sweet palm fruit (4) 27 Armed robbery (5-2) Down 2 Californian resort lake (5) 3 Leather factory (7) 4 Rotten (3) 6 Soil (5) 7 Aerodrome (7) 8 Tavern (8) 12 Very large woman (8) 16 Schemed (7) 17 Mohammedan (7) 20 Boundary (5) 22 Hidden (5) 25 Corrode (3) Answers on page 54

Property

be Ma s m t p laga ag ro ’s az pe in rty e

www.theolivepress.es

Issue 28

April 2019

April 11th - April 24th 2019

PLASTIC FANTASTIC: How this remarkable centre could win Spain important architectural prize, See page IV

WOAH: Emerging from the rock, this stunning home in Valencia is trademark Fran Silvestre, a Spanish architect who is continuing to make his mark in the architectural world. See Fran-tastic page XVI

Rock steady

Prices rise for two consecutive years, while mortgage values continue to grow

II12

April 2019

PROPERTY

www.theolivepress.es

April 11th - April 24th 2019

End of a golden era? EU condemns Golden Visa investmentfor-residency scheme popularised by Spain, writes Mark Stucklin

RESSURE is building in the EU to end so-called ‘Golden Visa’ schemes that offer residency and even citizenship in return for mo-

ney. Back in January the European Commission expressed its opposition to

Golden Visa and Golden Passport schemes in Europe like the one in Spain that offers qualified residency and a path to long-term citizenship in return for an equity investment of €500,000 or more in property. Now the EU’s parliament in Strasbourg has added its voice to the condemnation of residency-by-investment programmes in Europe, with a vote supporting a hard-hitting report from the parliament’s committee on financial crime and tax evasion calling for all Golden Visa schemes to be

GAME OVER?: EU report calls for Golden Visa schemes to be ‘phased out’

‘phased out’ as soon as possible. are a gateway for money laundering The parliament passed a resolution and organised crime,” said Markus stating that residency and citizenship Ferber, head of the conservative group by investment schemes ‘do not offset in the parliament’s economic commithe serious security, money launde- ttee. ring and tax evasion risks they pre- In response, the Investment Migration sent’. The resolution is Council, representing non-binding on memthe residency-by-investber states. ment industry, claimed Unlike Portugal, EU lawmakers see the that killing the schemes business of selling visas would cause economic the Spanish and passports as an indamage and threaten Golden Visa vitation to tax-evasion vital investments in ‘peand money-laundering scheme has not ripheral economies’. The Spanish Golden by wealthy individuals from countries where attracted scandal Visa was introduced by the right-wing Popular corruption is rife. The Party in 2013 during report also accused Luxembourg, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, the depths of Spain’s recession when Hungary, Belgium and the Nether- times were hard, money short and lands of acting as tax havens. property abundant. Too bureaucratic “A good first step to combat intra-EU and unattractive, at first it was a flop money laundering would be to get rid but after tweaking to make it more of the so-called ‘golden visas’ which attractive to residency investors it be-

came the most popular scheme in the EU, with 24,755 Golden Visa issued since 2013, according to a Transparency International report published in 2018. Unlike Portugal, the Spanish Golden Visa scheme hasn’t been hit by any scandals, at least not yet. Now the Socialists are at least temporarily in power in Spain, supported by the hard left Podemos party, and with a General Election coming this month opposition to the Spanish Golden Visa scheme might soon come from closer to home. Obviously the hard left hate the scheme because it attracts foreigners with money to Spain. If the left win power in the General Election, will they keep the Spanish Golden Visa scheme alive or close it down? It’s clear that the powers that be in the EU would urge them to do so. www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

III

Rural SOS HUNDREDS of thousand of protesters have descended on Madrid demanding an urgent investment into Spain’s dying towns and villages. The protesters insisted that something must be done to help the country’s isolated rural communities that are vanishing at an alarming rate. Dubbed the ‘revolt of an empty Spain’ they are demanding better infrastructure, investment and services. It comes after it emerged that almost half of Spain’s municipalities have a population density less than 12.5 inhabitant per square kilometer, a ratio considered ‘very low’ by the EU. Guadalajara province counts on the lowest density in Europe, and less than much of Russia. Between 2011 and 2017, approximately 62% of the country’s settlements lost inhabitants, and even many sizeable towns up to 50,000 people in size have seen a dramatic decline. “The hemorrhaging needs to be stopped,” said Spanish TV presenter Campo Vidal. “Today in Spain, 26 provincial capitals are losing inhabitants. If these key towns are declining, imagine what is happening to towns and villages! “We need to make urgent changes.” See Fighting Extinction, page VIII

Go go Gaudi Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia finally receives planning permission, 136 years after building work began IT is one of the longest-running building projects in the world. Under construction since 1882, Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia cathedral is now finally edging one step closer to completion. It comes after the building, designed by Antoni Gaudi, got final planning permission after a two year tussle between authorities and the Catholic church. The functioning church, which is vis-

ited by 4.5m visitors a year, and counts on Unesco world heritage status is now set to be completed by 2026. Gaudi took on the project in 1883 after the original designer quit and worked on the project for the rest of his life. The famous architect was advised to put his plans and ideas down on paper but he never did so before before being hit by a tram and killed in 1926. Barcelona’s

Airb’n see ya

ICONIC: The Sagrada Familia ABANDONED: Hotel plans

Home not hotel

city council agreed to pass the final stages of planning permission after the Catholic

White out

OVER 95% of the rentals on Airbnb in Madrid have been ruled illegal. It comes after the city ruled that all properties that rent for over 90 days a year need to get a special tourist licence. They will only be issued for properties that have their own private access to the street, independent of other neighbours. The law has been brought in to prevent an increase in the number of tourists staying in housing blocks and to prevent a worrying rise in gentrification.

THE number of deaths resulting from heat waves each year could be reduced by painting roofs white, according to new research. Scientists in the UK have found painting roofs in colours that reflect the sun can keep buildings significantly cooler. Dr Clare Heaviside of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, said: “Climate change

April 2019

and increasing urbanisation mean that future populations are likely to be at increased risk of

Church, which owns the site, agreed to pay €34 million towards community projects. If followed, Gaudi’s original design would require the demolition of almost two blocks near the site. The President of the project’s construction board Esteve Camps said: “As the heirs of Gaudi overheating in cities. we want to “Building interventions push his vision have the potential to rethrough to the duce this risk.” end.”

PLANS for a luxury hotel which was hoped to revitalise the historic centre of Javea have fallen through after a year and a half of battles with bureaucracy. The mansion, in Plaza Celestino Pons, was bought by a businessman after a bidding war in 2017. But as buildings surrounding the San Bartolome church have been declared a Bien de Interes Cultural (BIC), heavy bureaucracy has seen plans for the luxury hotel collapse. Councillor for Urban Planning, Isabel Bolufer, confirmed the Town Hall has not had a request for a hotel licence from the owner of the mansion, but instead for a single family home. And even that licence reportedly took a year before being approved, further scuppering the plans to reinvigorate the faded building.

Conference COOL Palencia’s plastic fantastic conference centre is bidding for best design award

S it a spaceship, an iceberg or a massive plastic bag? This extremist piece of architecture set in the extreme landscape of Extremadura is closest to the latter - a vast conference space wrapped in a translucent skin of energy-efficient plastic foil. In fact it is the Plasencia Auditorium and Congress Centre, one of five finalists shortlisted for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe

UNIQUE: Conference centre in Palencia fills with sunlight during the daytime due to plastic exterior

Award, a biannual gong recognising the best piece of architecture on the continent in the past two years. It was designed by José Selgas and Lucía Cano of Madrid firm SelgasCano who won a competition to design it back in 2005 but it was not completed until 2017 due to financial problems. Originally planned for a site on the urbanised northwest of town, instead the architects chose the

opposite side where the wild natural landscape extends as far as the eye can see. Although plastic has understandably not had a fantastic press, the material enabled the archi-

tects to create an eye-catching, energy efficient building on a shoestring budget, a technique they have used in other iconic buildings such as their Serpentine Gallery Building in London. The faceted white façade emerging from the rust-coloured Extremadura landscape belies a vibrant interior filled with multicolored acrylic walls, brightly painted ceilings and dyed rubber flooring which glow invitingly through the translucent cladding at night. It has certainly made its mark on Palencia but will it impress the judges? The winner will be announced later this month. Other finalists include Skanderbeg Square by 51N4E, PC Caritas by Architecten de Vylder Vinck Taillieu, Terracehouse Berlin by Brandlhuber + Emde and Transformation of 530 dwellings by Frederic Druot Architecture, Lacaton & Vassal Architectes and Christophe Hutin Architecture.

April 2019

PROPERTY

Design lesson

IT is certainly one of the most stunning school developments of recent years. And now with the completion of its indoor pool, the brand new Lady Elizabeth School, in Alicante, is to have its grand inauguration this month. The €13 million development, in Benitachell, near Javea, took a year to finish and now houses over 1,000 pupils all under one roof (well a few to be fair). “It’s an inspiring place in and it’s functioning well,” explains Canadian headmaster Chris Akin. Prospective parents will literally be blown away by the location and style of the place, which took a year to build and unites the junior and senior schools for the first time. The international school was designed by Arquivir Arquitectos and built by local firm VAPF . The school is part of a chain of over 30 international schools globally, including Laude in Marbella and the British School of Malaga, formerly St.George’s.

Compost class

NEW SKOOL: Lady Elizabeth School in Javea comes complete with a new indoor swimming pool and football pitch and a cooler than cool design by Arquivir Arquitectos

THE Lady Elizabeth School has become the first educational institution in Valencian to install a composter. A group of Year 10 biology students put on their gloves to begin filling the new machine with food waste, which will soon be converted into high-quality, organic fertiliser. Up to 40% of all household waste can be converted into compost instead of rotting away in landfills. "Our students must become aware of the value of recycling and ecology, as well as the importance of understanding the circular economy and its benefit for our environment,” a school spokesperson said in a statement. The Lady Elizabeth School intends to make its own compost using food waste from canteens, allowing students to get their hands dirty for nature.

April 2019 NEIGHBOURS of a new development in Denia have hit out against diggers ‘destroying’ the beach by using sand in the new property’s gardens. Images show the diggers raking up sand on the small beach, which becomes submerged during storms, and dumping the sand in front of the half-built housing development. The developers already had to modify the project at the request of the Ministry of the Environment, as construction went

Beach property row ahead without its authorisation. Neighbours have also criticised the destruction of protected habitats for Plover birds, which can be seen around the sand heaps. "They are destroying the beach to make the garden or common areas of the urbanisation," one neighbour claimed.

Expat factor Alicante had highest number of house sales last year, even beating Malaga

MORE properties changed hands in Alicante than anywhere else in Spain last year, it has been revealed. There were 21.4 transactions per thousand residents in Alicante, which was 2% above its nearest rival Malaga, which had 19.7 trans-

Top marks for Germans GERMAN buyers had a record-breaking 2018 in Spain, new figures have revealed. The Germans bought 4,902 homes last year, up 3% on the previous year, and more than 100% up on 2013. The Germans have now overtaken the French as the sec-

ond biggest group of foreign buyers after the British, representing 9.7% of the foreign market in 2018, compared to 8.8% for France and 15.5% for the UK. There was however a decline in demand from Germany in the last two quarters of 2018.

actions, while Almeria had 15.2, according to the Spanish College of Registrars. The Mediterranean coast and islands saw a stark contrast to the interior of Spain and north. In Ourense, in Galicia, only 5.6 transactions per thousand inhabitants were registered. The difference is largely down to expats favouring the better weather on the Mediterranean coast, with one in ten houses sold to a foreign buyer last year. Nearly half of all houses in Alicante province were bought by homeowners from outside Spain, whereas foreigners in Galicia bought less than 1% of houses. British buyers made up the lion’s share of foreign buyers, constituting 15.5% of the foreign market.

Seller performance In their first column, Alicante-based Hispania Properties introduce their 20-step programme to sell your home

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PROPERTY

April 2019

Fran-tastic Valencia architect blazes a white-hot trail across the world with his signature designs

ENOWNED Va l e n c i a n ‘starchitect’ Fran Silvestre has unveiled his latest jaw-dropping home in Portugal (right). The curiously-contoured property on the fringes of Lisbon, sits atop a golf course with distant views of the capital city. Consisting of two elongated box shapes joined at the base - one wing for communal living areas, the other for private spaces - the head-turning home completed last month was commissioned by an unnamed but ‘very wealthy family’. They had requested an open plan abode which was also very private and nestled into the landscape.

Silvestre, head of multi award-winning Valencia firm Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, has become a household name in recent years for his iconic houses which are predominantly white with edgy, clean cut lines. On his seeming obsession with white, Silvestre explains: “We use white for three reasons. “There is a strong contrast between blue and white. It is a symbol of culture. The second reason is scientific. When you have a white interior it makes it look more spacious. “There is also the thermic question. You cannot have a big black box under the Spanish sun. And lastly, it is the subjective reasons about the perception of beauty.” Join us on a tour of his most impressive works around Spain.

COMPLETE: Fran Silvestre’s latest home in Portugal is now ready for a ‘very wealthy family’ who asked for a property with ‘privacy’ which was immersed into the landscape

Looking into our crystal ball, in el spite of the Eurozone economy stuye e T n ttering a little in the last quarter of 2018, analysts are still predicting growth during 2019. Consequently we do not believe there will be a decline in construction and house sales this year. Spain remains a perfect place to buy a second home or to relocate to, especially looking at last year’s sales figures. There are several other positive factors that certainly help us to believe sales will remain buoyant during this year For example mortgage lending levels have improved, the banks are offering excellent mortgage deals with continuing low interest rates, they seem much more inclined to lend than they were a few years ago with more packages on offer, including fixed rate options. The Spanish Government is still offering an incentive to help boost investment in real estate, despite rumblings that it may be outlawed by Brussels soon. Known as the Golden Visa, investors get a Spanish residency permit in exchange for a minimum investment of €500,000 into

The year so far

Predictions looking ahead

n the c o

st oa

ELL welcome to our first column giving us the opportunity to update readers on the Costa Blanca market and its many intricacies. Over the coming year, we aim to share our knowledge and thoughts on who is buying, what clients are looking for and how well the market is moving. We will also be giving tips for selling and generally keeping you abreast of changes in the world of real estate.

Crystal ball Eyes

Helen Tye of Coast & Country makes her predictions for 2019

According to official statistics sales in Spain are up between 5% and 7% compared with this time last year. And the Alicante region showed sales at an impressive 6% higher than the national average. The year generally started well, but slowed down a little during February, before picking up again in March. We have seen many clients from Belgium, France and surprisingly the UK, despite the Brexit chaos and uncertainty! The new build market is also definitely improving. Just walking the dog I am witnessing more construction work in progress, more building supply lorries passing each day and new build villas going up at a remarkable pace. In Moraira even the new boutique hotel which has been at a standstill for years is finally close to completion. Don’t take my dog walking observations as gospel, however Tinsa, the country’s leading appraisal agency, reports a 24.7% increase in building licenses in coastal areas. That is compared with this time last year and is a clear sign that more construction is officially happening.

property in the country. It means a Chinese, Russian or American investor can reside in Spain and travel throughout the EU. It is a real bonus for many nationalities wishing to avoid the hassle of having to obtain the relevant visas and permits. Who knows, this may even be relevant to UK buyers in the future! Sold So for those readers thinking of putting their properties on the market, now is a good time. Realistically priced properties will sell. Properties in the range of €250.000 to €500.000 seem to be the most popular price band at the moment, along with lock up and leave apartments in high demand.

VII

April 2019

CONTRAST: A home in Valencia (left) is true Silvestre style with sleek white lines aplenty, while (above) another Valencia project has the effect of protruding from the rocky landscape, a common theme in the maestroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work

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VIII

April 2019

PROPERTY

Fighting extinction In rural Spain, humans are an endangered species despite initiatives to address the spectre of ‘ghost villages’. Heather Galloway reports from Guadalajara, the ‘Ground Zero’ of depopulation IT is hard work reaching paradise and there are more than a few potholes to negotiate along the way, but deep within an oak and pine forest in the province of Guadalajara lies the enclave of Fraguas, where a group of idealistic young men and women have breathed new life into a hamlet that was expropriated in 1968 by Franco’s dictatorship and reduced to rubble during military exercises in the 1980s. It is ‘the good life’ transported to one of the most severely depopulated areas of Spain in the region of Castilla La Mancha. And on a sunny Sunday in March, chatting over platefuls of beans, pizza and cold home-made beer, I could almost see myself there tilling the land and taking showers warmed by solar panels in the outhouse. “There are lot of initiatives all over Spain like this one,” says Jorge, an environmental science graduate who moved into a room above the workshop just over a year ago, after working on agricultural programs in Nepal. In fact, it was a ‘tour’ of similar collectives that brought him to Fraguas, which he considers a place of self-discovery

LIVING ON A PRAYER: Campaigners inside their home in Guadalajara ahead of potential sentencing while (top left) residents rebuilding town

and learning. “Everyone is welcome arguably go some way to easing its sehere,” he says. “You don’t need an area verity. However, as Fraguas lies within the protected boundaries of the Natural of expertise. You learn as you go.” Known as’ the Ground Zero of rural Park of the Sierra Norte de Guadalajadepopulation’, Guadalajara province ra, designated in 2011, the regional gocovers 4,200 km2 but has only 8,900 vernment is proving intransigent despite inhabitants, the equivalent of 2.1 peo- fierce local support for the collective. ple to every km2. In the nearest town of Arbancon, an But it is not alone. Much of Spain’s inte- elderly woman tells us: “These kids harior fanning north from Madrid is seeing ven’t done anything. I wouldn’t mind its inhabitants board up their homes to signing something to stop them from seek work and company in the cities or going to jail.” along the coast, a trend that began with Some 10 km from Fraguas, two other the much-documented Rural Exodus of villages are teetering on the brink of the 1960s. extinction: Arbancon has Burgos and Soria now 157 inhabitants; its neighbour, Monasterio, has have 162 and 116 villa‘There aren’t ges respectively with less just 11. It would seem than 100 inhabitants – a many of us and that, in the balance, any third of what there were sign of life is to be treawe don’t have sured. during the 1990s – while Teruel and Valladolid Sanz, spokesman much electoral Diego have some 90 villages for La Otra Guadalajara, weight’ between them hanging the provincial platform on by a thread. lobbying the government According to the goverto address the issue of nment’s Commission for Demographic dwindling numbers, tells me: “Initiatives Challenge, 53% of the country is at se- like Fraguas could have a place in rural rious risk of depopulation. Spain, but it’s a bit of a one-off. Really And last month a huge protest brought politicians should be coming up with hundreds of thousands of rural dwellers policies. There aren’t many of us and onto the streets of Madrid to highlight we don’t carry much electoral weight but the issue, a big contingent from Fragua. concentrating everyone in the big cities Back in 2013 when the first six settlers leads to environmental problems such arrived in Fragua, expertise was needed as urban pollution and rural degradaand there was plenty of it to go around. tion. All were graduates, some of architecture “We want to see tax incentives for small and engineering. And any gaps in their businesses – currently, a small shop owknow-how were plugged by friends who ner here in Alsustante, a village of just could easily be persuaded to make the 90 inhabitants, has to pay the same tax two-hour trip from Madrid to collabo- as if he had set up in the Puerta del Sol,” rate in the resurrection of a village that he adds. once consisted of 23 homes, 80 inha- On the last day of March, La Otra bitants and a town hall that doubled as Guadalajara was joined by 15 other a jail! platforms from across rural Spain - inIt is these pioneers, known as ‘the Fra- cluding Soria Ya! and Teruel Existe! - in a gua Six’, who are now just months away demonstration in the capital to highlight from being put behind bars themselves. the problem and urge politicians to put Last May they were sentenced to a it on their agenda. year-and-a-half of jail time on top of a But as the Mayor of Olmeda de la Cues€2,700 fine to pay for the demolition ta in Cuenca, 51-year-old José Luis of the handful of houses they have so Regacho Duque pointed out: “None of the political parties are involved in beautifully restored. It is a strange twist to a tale of innocence the demonstration. Politicians don’t do and renewal that may not solve Spain’s anything if it’s not for votes. And there’s rural depopulation problem but could only a handful of us.”

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April 2019 Municipalities that have lost population in the 21st century

HAD ENOUGH: Protests in Madrid over depopulation crisis

DESERTED: Areas in dark green are at most risk of abandonment and with a ‘very low’ population density

José Luis has featured in newspapers around the world for his tireless efforts to keep the village he grew up in on the map, turning it into a symbol of Spain’s rural depopulation crisis. During his childhood, Olmeda de la Cuesta had 300 inhabitants. In 2014, it was being hailed as Spain’s ‘oldest’ village as among the remaining 35 inhabitants the average age was 75. Now, he tells me, some of those have

departed not for the city but to ‘the other side’ and the official population has shrunk to 28. However, a scheme to sell off 250 m2 plots for the bargain price of €1,300 four years back means that six additional households now swell the figures on weekends and holidays. “There is an increasing tendency for initiatives like Fraguas,” says José Luis, who has a myriad of strategies aimed at turning the tide.

“I’m trying to get that kind of thing off the ground here, speaking to the owners of houses that have fallen into disrepair to see if they can be persuaded to allow volunteers to rebuild them in exchange for free rent for a period of, say, 20 years. “If people want to start a market garden and try self-reliant living, there is plenty of land,” he adds, explaining that only last week a group of artists from Madrid

approached him over such a possibility. Nor is he ruling out the villages’ potential as a tourist attraction; a series of stone and iron sculptures as well as a Guernica Tree symbolising peace have meant the village now gets its share of visitors. But the scale of these initiatives in no way matches the size of the problem. “The government needs to see this is as seriously as what is happening in Catalunya,” he says. “They do a lot of talking but they must put the money where their mouths are. The central government should allow the council to have more of a free reign when it comes to abandoned properties. Because if there were more people here, we could provide jobs for the unemployed in Madrid. We could produce clean energy. We have a lot of resources.” And he is not the only one trying to persuade owners of abandoned or ruined houses to part with their property. Two estate agents, Aldeas Abandonadas and Galician Country Homes, are making good business out of sorting through the paperwork so that small, uninhabited hamlets can find new owners. “Now with Internet and globalisation, it’s feasible to get back to our roots,” says Rosi Adkinson, whose British hus-

band Mark set up Galician Country Homes 15 years ago. “Mark and I live in one of Galicia’s smallest villages and we deal with people in over 150 countries around the world,” she says. Rosi has watched the business boom over the last three years and says 90% of her clients are British. “But we also have people from Canada and there’s even a businessman from Afghanistan. The people we sell to want to integrate and respect the environment. Some are looking for a place their extended family can come to, some want to set up a rural hotel and we had a group who wanted somewhere they could retire together.” Prices range from €60,000 to over a €1 million, depending on the state of the hamlet in question and its location and viability for business.But whatever the starting price, Rosi explains, it will probably cost over €1 million by the time the buyer is finished the renovation work, though EU grants may cover 45% of the cost. It is obviously a more commercial scheme than those being proposed by José Luis. But the mayor of Olmeda de la Cuesta is far from against it. “It could be the only way to repopulate the countryside,” he says. “To stop us being the Lapland of the south.”

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PROPERTY

Grass with class April 2019

INSTAGENIC: Eyecatching products like esparto cacti have generated a buzz on social media

Esparto is no longer just for espadrilles as the world warms to the eco credentials of Andalucia’s ‘green’ grass of home, writes Dierdre Tynan

ROM rustic Andalucian kitchens to Insta-cool loft living in Manhattan, the traditional Spanish craft of esparto grass weaving is making a comeback in the most unexpected places. The material once used for Spanish peasant footwear and shopping baskets is enjoying a revival in high-end interior decor thanks to its versatility and vegan credentials. Business has never been brisker at the artisan workshops of Perez y Perez in the pretty historic village of Porcuna in northern Jaen province, where craftsmen have been making traditional esparto products since 1957. However of late the family-owned business has branched out into commercial designs with international appeal that run to a lot more than baskets, blinds and traditional bulls’ heads. Think furniture, curtains, aw-

MULTI-PURPOSE: Esparto blinds repel insects and preserve the ambient temperature of rooms

nings, umbrellas and even TV set designs. “We’ve had the privilege of making products for important businesses, companies and television programs like Kitchen Nightmares, La Peste and Still Star Crossed,” enthuses Vicente Perez Jimenez who learnt how to collect and weave the grass from his parents and grandparents as a child during the school holidays. Perez y Perez also works closely with fashion designers and stores across the Iberian Peninsula creating eye-catching window displays with textured lamps and matting in pale earthy tones, perfect for achieving ‘a touch of the desert’ says Vicente. Esparto’s global revival is thanks in part to its Instagram appeal with pictures of six foot esparto cacti (above)

gracing homes from Santa Fe to Copenhagen popping up all over the social media channel. A playful bulls head sent design mavens into overdrive when it was featured as an ‘object of desire’ on Remodelista.com, a cult American website dedicated to luxurious, eco-friendly interiors. Esparto weaving is an ancient skill specific to Mediterranean areas where the grass grows abundantly. The technique is virtually unchanged from the Neolithic period. Esparto grass baskets of more than 7,000 years old have been found in caves in Granada, while the ancient Greeks and

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in South East Asia. And, now the city has a huge investment worldwide potential – both because of the growing numbers of tourists, and as a result of investments by the government and foreign investors in the industrial zone of the East Coast. This, of course, attracts both investors and other categories of customers, from businessmen to retirees. Well-defined investment policy of the country focuses on the liberalization and promotion of free trade. Foreign investments, especially to improve the

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April 2019 RESURGENCE: Trendy interior designers and native Andalucians are both behind the esparto renaissance

Phoenicians used it to make ropes for their boats. “We consider genuine esparto to be an ecological material since it is collected In the mountains, and no chemical or unnatural components are applied,” explains Vicente. “With proper use of the product, it does not require additional maintenance and once its useful life has ended, which can take decades, it can be used as fertiliser since it breaks down like any other plant,” he added.

A genuine esparto product will contain only natural materials – such as grass, wood and sisal rope – to sew the plaits of esparto together. “We harvest the esparto in June, July and August from the Sierra Magina, the nearest Andalucian mountains to us,” says Vicente. “The harvest must be carried out with special care to leave enough fibres for the next harvest,”. The walls of the Perez y Perez workshop are lined with traditional and contemporary esparto designs inclu-

ding baskets, mats and lampshades in a variety of styles, from understated to conversation starters. The display emphasises the two sides of the artisanal output – home crafts and high-end design on a commercial scale. “This work, like that of any other craftsman, requires a lot of time to learn. It’s will and persistence that allows you to understand and learn improvements to the trade,” says Vicente. “In our case, we work with multiple professionals in the world of

decoration - window dressers, interior designers, architects - which requires us to innovate continuously to adapt to their needs. Each new product requires a different technique of interlacing esparto.” One of the workshop’s biggest projects in 2017 involved creating an esparto lining for a 2,000 square metre co-working space at the Impact Hub in downtown Madrid. “It is the first building completely lined with this natural fibre and the environment this material creates in a room gives a great feeling of tranquility and harmony,” says Vicente. Native Andalucians are also driving

MORTGAGE THINK TANK

T Keep

calm

Latest figures show expansion is slowing but there’s no reason to panic, writes Tancrede de Pola

HE number of homes sold in Spain in January barely increased compared to the same month last year, new figures have shown. According to the Spanish Land Registrar, some 42,850 homes were sold in the first month of this year, just above the 42,745 sold in January 2018. Small markets saw strong growth in the likes of Extremadura, Huelva and Teruel, but tourist hotspots, including the Canary Islands, the Balearics, Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca all saw a year-onyear drop in sales. But what does this mean? While on a national level there has been an increase in sales, the figures to some suggest that the expansion enjoyed over the last few years could be slowing down. It is the first time growth has been in the low single digits for three consecutive months since the market turned the corner around the end of 2014. In fact growth has been consistently lower since May last year.

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However, sales were up in the Catalan provinces including Barcelona, the Costa Brava, and Costa Dorada, perhaps because the political problems in Catalunya no longer alarm investors. This could be a sign of things to come for the Costas when the Brexit fiasco is finally dealt with. Uncertainty surrounding the UK’s divorce is no doubt having an impact on British buyers, the biggest foreign market for Spanish property by far. Once some certainty is brought back - and hopefully

the esparto revival, remembering it from their childhoods and incorporating it in their modern homes for the same reason their grandparents did, as it is ideal for the local climate. Esparto blinds and curtains are a particular bestseller as they preserve ambient temperature in the home, they are anti-mite and naturally repel insects and noise in addition to their decorative appeal. Further info from the Perez y Perez online shop in English and Spanish: www. tienda.artesaniasperezyperez.com/en/

by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola a soft a Brexit as possible - the pound will likely bounce back strong and buyers will feel more comfortable taking the plunge. It’s also important to remember the property figures tend to be quite volatile, so we will get more of an idea of how much the steam is running out, if at all, in the next few months. So while it has been a slower start to the year, don’t panic, things are still looking healthy!

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The Olive Press: Alicante edition – 342mm x 256mm

11 April

BUSINESS High rollers

Baggage claims

THE European court is set to decide whether airlines should pay out thousands to travellers in lost luggage compensation. Under proposals, flight operators could have to automatically pay €1,400 when they lose a passenger’s luggage, while currently payouts vary depending on individual court rulings. It comes after a preliminary case in Barcelona was brought against Spanish airline Vueling over its baggage handling procedures. Airports lose more than 20 million bags a year while the average amount claimed by air passengers for missing luggage last year was €808. A decision is due in the coming months.

Better grades SPAIN’s economy has seen stronger than expected growth in early 2019 thanks to higher domestic demand, according to the country’s central bank. Growth in Spain’s economy in the first quarter comes as Germany’s, the eurozone’s largest economy, came close to recession. Spain’s GDP, meanwhile, grew 0.6% in the January to March period after a similar rate of 0.7% at the end of 2018.

US cannabis giant splashes millions on Valencia greenhouse in bid to expand into Europe

BOSS: Clifford and Perry inisde greenhouse

Get on the bus! THE new Benibus will hit the streets this Friday to provide public transport between Benissa and the municipality’s coastline. The bus will pass through the village of Benimarco, before stopping in Baladrar, the Fanadix campsite and La Fustera beach.

Preparation

Trips will begin at 10am near the Molinos stop in Benissa, and information about route times

COMING SOON: Bus

can be found on benissa. net/benibus. The bus is being rolled out in preparation for Semana Santa, and will run until the end of summer.

A LAS Vegas company has bought a massive greenhouse in Valencia in a bid become the ‘largest producer’ of legal cannabis in Europe. Freedom Leaf invested more than €4 million in the 40,000 sqm complex in Benifayo, in Ribera Alta, which until January 2018 was used to grow poinsettia plants. But now the US company intends to convert it into one of Europe’s biggest legal cannabis plantations, with the intention to supply ‘all of Europe’ with CBD products. “We intend to become the largest producer of greenhouse cannabis in Europe, where there is a thriving market related to cannabis,” director Clifford Perry explained. The company hopes to begin harvesting 50 tonnes annually by next year and hopes that the Spanish government will decriminalise the recreational and therapeutic use of cannabis.

April 11th - April 24th 2019

10th anniversary success THE Olive Press team was in the house for the tenth anniversary of Alicante’s hit Home, Gardens and Lifestyle Show last week. Our group of journalists and salespeople joined the 3,500 other visitors at the successful show at the Villa Gadea Hotel, in Altea. A total of 87 exhibitors offered everything from legal services to water ionisers and from powdered curry mixes to mosquito repellents. The event, which has popped up in Estepona, Torremolinos, Torrevieja and Altea, over the last seven years, will return again next spring. “We have everything to help expats integrate into the Spanish way of life,” founder Gina Marks told the Olive Press. “It’s the only expo of its kind, and we’ve had people coming from as far as Valencia and Cartagena.” She added it took a whole ‘nine months’ of work to deliver the expo, but after a short break she would begin preparations for the 11th edition next spring.

HAPPY: Public at Alicante garden show

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

Take notice UBER and Cabify drivers will now have to notify the authorities of every single trip. On every route they are now obliged to register their name, ID, place and date of travel, start and finish time, and car number plate in an online registry. The measure was introduced after the ‘Guerra del Taxi’ protests, with taxi drivers claiming the likes of Uber are destroying their business. Jose Luis Abalos, Development minister, said that more measures are yet to come, such as ensuring only one low cost driver for every 30 taxis and strengthening the working conditions for VTC drivers.

MOTORS EU must be joking

New EU safety measures for 2022 include a breathalyzer that prevents the owner driving drunk

About time!

THE first ultra-rapid charge point for electrical vehicles in Spain has been installed at a Repsol petrol station. Lopidana, a village of just 24 people in the Basque Country, is the location for the new high-speed charge point, installed CHARGED UP: Repsol on April 1.

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The charger has a 350kw battery, which can charge any car in just six minutes. Despite this, there isn’t any electric car on the market that can utilise this charging power. The latest Tesla Supercharger only works at a maximum potency of 250kw.

Still the king RECKLESS: Drunk driver crashes into a Guardia Civil building

DRIVERS in the EU may soon have to take a breathalyzer test each time they get into their vehicle. That’s just one of the measures being proposed by the union in a bid to bring down the number of accidents. It comes after 24,794 people were killed on the roads last year (1,180 in Spain), while 140,710 were seriously injured. The new measures are being proposed by the European Parliament and would be mandatory on any new vehicle from 2022. Measures include an ‘automatic emergency braking system’

which means the car would break whenever the driver tries to go over the speeding limit. ‘Cruise control’ features would also mean vehicles automatically keep a safe distance from each other. The measures are being considered as 90% of accidents are the result of human error, mostly due to dangerous habits like speeding or driving under the influence. For a new vehicle to pass the future tests it must be installed with a pedestrian detector, a rear view camera, an assistant to involuntary lane change and a data storage device, similar to a plane’s black box.

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Battle

Diesel represents 56% of the market, meaning that it continues to be the primary force despite its car sales decreasing 0.7% from 2017 to 2018. The numbers show Spain has an uphill battle if it wants to ban combustion cars by 2040. Hybrid and electric cars represent just 1% of sales.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Pepper potted

POPULAR Benidorm restaurant The Peppermill has closed down after a lengthy legal battle. The restaurant was loved by British expats for its bargain breakfasts and Sunday roasts. But after a tussle with the local council over a live music licence the owners finally admitted defeat. “It is with deep regret that we are closing at the end of this month,” owners Jane and Trevor Knight said. They added that because their restaurant was on designated ‘rustic’ land the council refused to give them the appropriate licence for live music. The lack of live music has ‘cost them a lot of business’. The news comes after the infamous Tiki Beach bar was forced to close in Benidorm, before suddenly reopening last month.

Eat that! SPAIN is among the countries with the least food-related deaths, a new scientific study has revealed. Frequently praised for its ‘Mediterranean diet’, Spain finished third in the global list, just behind Israel and France. Spain has 89.5 food-related deaths per 100,000, while Israel and France have 88.9 and 89.1, in second and third respectively. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded the research into 195 countries worldwide, which was published in scientific journal Lancet. Deaths caused by eating badly, including heart attacks and obesity, total 11 million per year worldwide, which is more than tobacco-linked deaths, which account for 7 million.

April 11th - April 24th 2019

A CHEESECAKE made by a Marbella chef has been crowned ‘the best in Spain’. Malaga-born cook Fernando Alcala, owner of the city’s Kava restaurant, claimed the title in the Campeonato Nacional de Tartas de Queso. His tarta de queso was recognised for its crisp, toasted outside, creamy centre, and excellent flavour. WINNER: Marbella cheesecake “The secret of our cheesecake is in the

Best in Spain

Rice try

delicious contrast between the toasted exterior and the creamy interior,” Alcala said. The Malagueño described his cake as a ‘classic of our dessert menu’, after receiving the accolade at the inaugural edition of the competition held in Gran Canaria.

THE European Parliament has caused fury among Spaniards after serving up a ‘paella salad’ in its canteen. A picture of the creation online attracted harsh criticism from Spaniards, who saw it as an affront to the Valencian dish.

Tastemakers Roca brothers create new miracle menu to help people with no sense of taste THE world-famous Roca brothers have begun developing menus for people that have lost their sense of taste. Jordi, 40, Joan, 55, and Josep Roca, 53, are the chefs behind the three Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, which has twice been crowned ‘best restaurant in the world’. But now the trio have turned their attention to the development of personalised menus with the help of psychologists, nutritionists and neurologists. The Rocas have centred their project around chocolate, in order to bring back memories for those who suffer with what is commonly referred to as ‘dysgeusia’ - a distortion of taste.

Cocoa was chosen because ‘it is a global and evocative element that can be associated with personal experiences’. That is according to Dr Jesus Porta-Etessam, head of Neurology at Madrid’s San Carlos Clinical Hospital, who has been working with the Roca brothers.

Attack

Beatriz Rios, the journalist who saw the food, called it a ‘culinary attack’, while another online user said: “Do you remove the lettuce to warm it up?” The label on the €6,25 dish says it contains ‘paella-style rice, mixed peppers, prawns, cherry tomatoes and salad’. Proper ‘Valencian paella’ is made using rice, green beans, seasoning such as saffron and meat, often rabbit and chicken.

Evocative

Jordi, the youngest of the trio, began experimenting with memory and taste after his friend and fellow chef, Oriol Blanes, said that he could no longer taste his food. Dr Porta added that the main hypothesis of this pioneering work is to see whether ‘it is possible to recover the sensa-

Bean-ing with pride

SENSELESS: Roca trio are at the vanguard of taste tion of taste in people throu- cal disorders like cancer or gh the stimulation of senses mental illnesses such as deand associated memories’. pression. The Rocas’ work is Around one in five people su- being made into a mini docuffer a lack of taste, which can mentary by BBVA called El often be the result of physi- Sentido Del Cacao.

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whopping 51 centimetre-long legume claiming first place in the size competititon. Tere Devesa took home the gong at the event last Sunday, which ended a week-long festival celebrating Benitachell’s iconic crop. The lengthy bean, longer than an average forearm, smashed last year’s record of 45.3cm, and was the longest since records began with the first MitjafavaFest in 2013. The prize for the pod with the most broad beans went to Gabriel Pastor, who’s specimen contained 10. Last weekend also saw 16 new recipes utilising the big brother of the pea family, including a broad bean burger, a bean dumpling, a chili con bean, a bean flan and bean croquettes. Renowned chef Alberto Ferruz, who runs the two michelin star BonAmb in Benitachell, was also on site, creating a salad of fermented dry tomato juice, canailla, cockle, oxalis, coastal herbs and broad beans.

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

Hasta la vista The Olive Press sent reporter Joshua Parfitt to hike the gruelling Mirador Challenge… and he’ll definitely be back LIKE that moment when your plane comes in to land, or when you flick through old photographs on your phone, viewpoints are places for collating memories. These vistas are places for dreamers, which is why you usually find teenagers kissing or smoking at them. But they’re also places for the adventurous, because who would pay to use a treadmill featuring the odiferous view of a sweat-drenched back, when you can hike to see the actual Mediterranean and come back with bugs in your hair? For others, viewpoints are for Instagram and Facebook particularly journalists who will do anything to not be sat

behind a computer all day. Perhaps it was for these reasons The Mirador Challenge was set up eight years ago by British expats Mike and Fay Smith to trace 15 viewpoints (miradores in Spanish) along the dramatic limestone coastline cradling the historic town of Javea. The route covers close to 30km, and this year saw a new record for the Challenge. But if you’d like to complete the route at your leisure, Olive Press Alicante reporter Joshua Parfitt tagged along this year to capture the highlights along the way, below are his highlights.

Crown jewel of Ambolo

CHALLENGE: The route takes in miradores or viewpoints

The third viewpoint on the Challenge looks out over the Isla del Descubridor (Discoverer’s Island), allegedly named after a Javean sailor who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the Americas. A more shocking discovery for anyone who decides to take a pair of binoculars, however, would be the nudist beach at the foot of this cliff. A man was indeed spotted on the beach during the Challenge in early April, but an Olive Press investigation with on-site binoculars revealed he was wearing speedos. The real crown jewels is the dramatic coastline stretching east of the Ambolo viewpoint, locked in a perpetual battle with the sea that happily produces the shingled beaches enjoyed by the fully-clothed and nudist alike.

Cabo San Antonio If you choose to follow The Mirador Challenge, there are actually five further viewpoints from Porticholl all along the Cala Blanca, the Arenal and the Bahia de Javea. But once your reach the northern end of the port, and climb the winding footpath up the steep cliffside, it will all soon be worth it. The Cabo San Antonio offers perhaps the most stunning, near-360 degree views of the Javea coastline, and beyond. From Ibiza to the east, the whole of Javea beneath you, and the Montgo mountain to the west, if there’s anywhere you want to go to remind yourself why you love this place, it’s the Cabo San Antonio. From here, you can see how the citrus groves just outside the old town of Javea find sanctuary in this valley from the hard limestones cliffs that confront the sea like a rampaging Spanish bull. And as you gaze longingly over the town, it won’t be long before you’re enticed back into one of its bars to remind your battered body why beer is best served ice-cold.

TRAVEL

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Cabo de la Nau

Crystal sands of La Granadella The challenge starts in the 700ha Granadella Forest Park, a scrubland still recovering from a forest fire in 2016 that decimated the area. As the most challenging part of the challenge, this walk through scrubland can be steep and rocky, though the lack of trees offers sublime views all the way down to Javea’s second-most popular beach, Playa de la Granadella. Eyes will probably be transfixed on the rocky terrain, however, as one ex-Challenger, Jacki Mudge, told the Olive Press this was where her team all slipped over in unison and landed on their behinds. But after a short scramble up the hill from the beach the Mediterranean arrives like a balm for sore bodies out from Castell de la Granadella viewpoint. That balm will also be necessary for viewers coming by car, as the winding urbanisations leading to this viewpoint can leave one quite dazed.

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The Cabo de la Nau is the name given to this whole headland south of Javea. The protruding cliffs here mark the closest point on the Costa Blanca to Ibiza, which can be seen on a clear day across the shimmering blue sea. But Cabo de la Nau also refers to a high, rocky outcrop boasting two restaurants, Cabo de la Nau and Mirador de Javea, with unbeaten views over the Med. The viewpoint itself, the fifth on the challenge, is bejewelled with purple clumps of toothed lavender—a rare, endemic species that is separate to the more common English lavender seen in ornamental gardens. You may need to come see them quick-sharp, as all along the Challenge route the Spanish seemed to be out picking spring flowers for dazzling homemade bouquets.

Fabulous La Falzia

The woods around La Falzia viewpoint are the only forested area on this otherwise highly-developed part of the coastline. But with sunrise views over Porticholl island, who can blame residents for choosing such an inspiring vista. The water is so crystal clear you can almost see the fish, and you probably would quite rapidly if it wasn’t for wooden barriers keeping you from

the sheer cliff-edge. A great place for walking, La Falzia is only a stone’s throw from the Playa de la Barraca, which offers a secluded bay for swimming in the summer months. La Falzia is the seventh viewpoint on The Mirador Challenge, and from here to Javea’s port, hikers more or less follow the coastline at sea-level, rather than walk up and down the jagged cliff-tops.

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April 11th - April 24th 2019

Sky high

A short drive out of the city you will find one of the most unusual architectural projects in Spanish history. While heavily controversial - having cost many times over budget (and over €400m) to build so far - this interesting collection of six hilltop buildings designed by American architect Peter Eisenman is well worth visiting. Its use of materials is extravagant and its genesis suspect, but its attractive staccato lines are an architect's dream. While it is some way off being finished, you can visit a library and a newspaper archive, and if you are very lucky you may find an actual exhibition worth visiting, as I did with a fabulous display of works by Galician photographer Jose Suarez this month.

In the second of a series, Jon Clarke casts a photographic eye over the stunning Galician city of Santiago de Compostela and its wonderful green surroundings

HE historic city of Santiago de Compostela is just a stone’s throw from one of the most westerly tips of Europe at Cape Finisterre, meaning ‘End of the earth’, and surrounded by some of the best countryside in Spain. Why bother walking there - like thousands of peregrinos (or pilgrims) do every year - when you can now fly easily via numerous airlines from around Europe and Spain? The airport is just 20 minutes from the city, which is a World Heritage Site, and if you hire a car you can reach numerous local beauty spots, beaches and historic, hidden gems in under an hour. Head there out of season and you will find Galicia one of the least populated, least visited corners of Spain, with prices to match. There is a fantastic range of places to stay and its collection of restaurants and bars in the centre easily rival the quality - if not creativity - of its Basque neighbours. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite:

A Word in your shell-like The scallop shells you see adorning countless walls of the city (even the cathedral) are associated with the apostle Ja-

mes. It has become the symbol of those making the pilgrimage to his shrine at the cathedral and it stems from a legend in which James saved a knight who had – bizarrely – been attacked by hundreds of the aquatic molluscs. Practically, the scallop shell laterbecame a scoop – with pilgrims entitled to take as much oats, barley or wine as they could fit in their shell from houses they passed on their way to the shrine.

TOP TAPA: Scallops in olive oil

No need to be shelling out The city’s tapas bars and ‘pulperias’ are a joy to dip in and out of. There are dozens in the old town and many serve up wonderful shellfish, including razor shells and clams, as well as the classic dish of scallops in olive oil, from where the pilgrims famous shell comes from. Some rave about the authenticity of Gato Negro, although I preferred Maria Castaña, practically next door (see picture), while La Tasquita de Jacobus, in Calle Senra, had amazing squid and berberechos (a type of clam).

Not for the claustrophobic

Said to be the narrowest street in Spain, Calle Entrerruas is a tiny metre-wide alleyway linking Rua do Vilar and Rua Nova. It has a tiny square in the middle and, best of all, each of its granite paving stones has a number engraved on them.

To the end of the Earth Cape of good hope

The cape of Finisterre (End of the world) sits at the third most westerly tip of the ominously named Costa da Morte, or Coast of Death, which is found between the villages of Muros and Malpica. It inherited its name due to its rugged, exposed coastline, which has been a hotspot for shipwrecks for centuries and, even recently, included a number of oil tankers, such as the Prestige, in 2002. It is a stunning stretch of coastline pockmarked with pretty coves and headlands and interspaced with a string of austere, but scenic settlements, which would not look out of place in the Western Highlands of Scotland. There are many decent seafood restaurants, but the ones scattered around the 100-plus fishing boat port of Fisterra take some beating.

Out into the hills

Chic and cheerful Strolling around the centre you will find a great range of interesting shops, from music to books and from shoes to art. Hat shop Sombreria Iglesias (inset) goes back over 100 years to 1912, while there is a charming shop (left) Catrineta full of fish conserves (www. catrineta.com) of every size, description and taste, naturally next to the celebrated fish market, which coincidentally has its own website www.mercadodeabastosdesantiago.com

Take a rural ride out into the stunning countryside east of Santiago and you will be heading broadly along the Ruta de Santiago, trodden by pilgrims for centuries. There are numerous historic villages and towns and within 30 minutes you are out in the heart of wild terrain. Looking for a great spot to stay - or for a fabulous luncheon - head for Casa Brandariz in Dombordan, which has been putting up travellers for centuries. A basic, good value menu, is supplemented by excellent local vino… and there are simple rooms upstairs to lay down your head for a siesta. www.casabrandariz.com

TRAVEL

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Soaring masterpiece If there is one stand-out building in Galicia it has got to be the cathedral of Santiago, which is almost as wonderful to look at from all four sides. Certainly no anticlimax for the thousands of pilgrims who walk for months to venerate themselves there each year, it is perhaps one of the most ornate buildings in Spain. Part Gothic, part Baroque, it was first built in the eighth century, before being burnt down by the Moors and then rebuilt in the 11th century. Founded on the legend of St James, who brought Christianity to Spain and was later beheaded in Jerusalem, it is the journey’s end of the most famous Catholic pilgrimages in the world. You could s p e n d d a y s poking around it and there is so much going on, whether you are a believer or not.

Eye on Santiago

Masterful at the market Slap bang next to the city’s famous fish market (which is also worth a visit during the day) is perhaps Santiago’s current standout restaurant. Abastos 2.0 is an atmospheric space with avant garde jazz music and some of the most exciting food in Galicia. Pop-up in style, its ingredients are local and the menu changes by the day, with many dishes served up by the chefs themselves with a distinct enthusiasm for their creations. Expect fish, of course, while I also ate some fabulous dim sum and an incredible tender ‘rabo de vaca’ (tail of cow) with radish, spring onion and broccoli. A pre-dessert of ‘citrus apple’, baked in a bag of sugar, was unusual, while a smoky blackberry and apple sponge cake with cream of honey and blood orange ice cream was masterful. www. abastosdouspuntocero.es

Not just Rioja If you are looking to properly immerse yourself in the local food culture, you will also need to get your head around the wonderful Galician wines. Since the Albarino grape from the Riax Baixas denomination took the world by storm two decades ago the region has had a revolution, now creating some of the best whites in Europe, from its two other regions Ribeiro and Valdeorras. The grape varieties are hard to pronounce (try Treixa-

dura), but in their Godellos they have something to easily rival the best Albarino. Meanwhile new reds keep emerging and get better and better. You’ll find decent wines in most of the city’s eateries, but if you really want to get amongst it why not head for the stylish, modern Bodeguilla de San Lazaro, or its sister joints San Roque and Santa Marta, where you can find hundreds of local references.

Just hanging around

The real joy of Santiago is simply wandering around its historic central core. Protected by Unesco, this maze of medieval paving-stone clad lanes is crammed with charming buildings, some austere, some more ornate. Glistening after rain, their porticos and alleyways and arches lead to charming squares and, of course, everything tilts around the wonderful cathedral.

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Age is just a number, especially living on the Costa Blanca, writes Loraine Gostling of Javea Connect

COLUMNISTS

GetTING ConnectED

Seize the day

PONDER a lot. I waste time on musings and wondering about stuff, and try to look at things from different points of view, and this is why I would never have made a good politician. As I am now at the age where I will soon be drawing my pension if ‘they’ don’t keep changing the goalposts, I think about the fact that my last birthday was the subject of a famous Beatles song and wonder how I have suddenly clocked up so much mileage. This thought first hit me when I was referred to as an old crone by a charming chap on my Facebook group. So I looked at myself and thought firstly, ‘that was bloody rude’, but a ponder was definitely needed now. I can’t speak for others on this whole ageing malarky, but personally, I feel no different to when I was singing along £20 teletext, last-minute girly getaway to T-Rex’s Ride a White Swan, smoking to Salou in the early 70s. one of the cigarettes I had stolen from The whole pertness has gone skew-whimy dad, sitting with my ff, three beautiful kids spotty adolescent malovingly restructured tes in the barn. I had never used a the whole physique just Yes a huge room full of a bit, and the size of straw and hay at the microphone, sang, the under-eye luggage stables in Chingford now questioned fredanced or acted, isquently (H&S inspections were by Ryanair. almost non-existent). but Costa Blanca So the exterior coating I subsequently ponhas changed, but nochanged that dered, ‘what then has thing else has. changed in almost 50 I think the same way years?’ I always have, I still Well OK, I admit that the anatomical do most things I have always enjoyed stuff isn’t quite what it was on my first and despite the fact that I have never

been a great fan of sport, preferring the less strenuous games, such as Cards Against Humanity and Trivial Pursuit, I have not needed a doctor since a bout of bad flu in 1994! Board games may not be good for keeping the leg muscles firm, but as far as the facial muscles go, a night around the table with your best mates, some nibbles and a few drinks, works wonders for stimulating those endorphins. Since arriving in Javea in 2007, my body, my life and personality have all changed, but mostly for the better. Seven years running a bar with my family took its toll physically, but despite the long unsociable hours and little

financial reward, there were so many times spent giggling for hours on end, which I will never forget. When I arrived in Spain I had never used a microphone, sang, danced or acted, but the Costa Blanca has changed all that. I have achieved more in ten years here than in 50 years back in Brexitland - I mean the UK. So the moral of the column this week is, I suppose, never give in to thinking you are getting too old to do something new, try new stuff and make new friends. What is the worst that can happen? At the end of the day, there are many

By Loraine Gostling

Farewell dust So that's the yellow peril now washed away for another year. Mother Nature taking care of us by dousing us all last week as she does every year, mainly just after we have all cleaned our cars. But don’t worry if you have not gone and removed the custard, leave it a bit longer as soon, the red peril will hit (usually on a Wednesday from memory) and your windscreen will then look even more colourful than it did before. But the H2O was needed and some of the dramatic photos taken made up for the fact that I had to put my electric blanket back on.

profound sayings about getting old(er). Lots of them try to make us feel better about ourselves, like ‘age is just a number’ etc. Well yes, I suppose it is, but if you are worried about that number getting bigger each year, then those little endorphins waiting at the starting block will just sit there twiddling their tiny endothumbs waiting for some fun. Don’t go sit in God’s waiting room people. Release that little devil we all have inside, dye your hair bright pink, break that routine, go skydiving (eek), or if you really feel like throwing caution to the wind, sing at karaoke!

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HEALTH

www.weekender.news

Health & Beauty

Wondering wanderer

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Eyes wide open!

Look better in the buff: Get your sexy back without giving up everything you love A CLINIC on the Costa Blanca is pioneering the use a device which helps families of dementia sufferers track their loved ones via GPS. The ‘SOS fob’, being offered by Altea Medical Centre, is a great way to monitor elderly relatives, who may have wandered off. The ‘first of its kind’ device includes a SIM card to allow medical staff to telephone the patient. The fob, no bigger than a smart key and worn around the neck, has already been trialled with one patient and has brought significant ‘peace of mind’. “Using an app, we can build a ring fence around the patient’s property, which alerts us when the patient leaves this boundary,” director of Altea Medical Centre, Barry White, 59, told the Olive Press. “This means the patient’s family can go out with peace of mind that everything is under control.” White said the medical team were on call 24/7 to respond, and that the wearer of the fob could even press a button to call up staff if worried or lost. He said the development would greatly help elderly partners of dementia sufferers, and help to avoid the large costs of placing someone in a home.

THE healthiest part of an avocado might actually be the seed, researchers have revealed. According to a study by Penn State University, the pip can assist with reducing inflammation and could be used as a food ingredient or even be turned into a pharmaceutical drug. The research, scientists insisLooking sexy, svelte or built ted, is still in its by early stages and BPT

Bye bye Viagra as revolutionary new shockwave therapy is radically improving sex lives A REVOLUTIONARY new ‘shockwave therapy’ is improving sex lives on the Costa Blanca. The pioneering method, invented in Switzerland, treats erectile dysfunction with ‘remarkable effects’, insists the owner of the Clinica Britannia, in Calpe, Dr Vicente Mera. A treatment more commonly used to crush kidney stones, it has so far invigorated the sex lives of over 20 patients. And it has no side effects, added Dr Mera, who imported an expensive Storz Medical machine in December. “It’s the first time this machine has been used on the Costa Blanca,” he told the Olive Press. “And the results have been excellent.” Penetrating the penis to a depth of 40mm, the new machine uses shockwaves designed to ‘stimulate circulation’ and improve erections. “Think of the penis like a tree with roots, and what we are

in your clothing is one thing. Looking better in the buff is a whole other ballgame. Clothing - even low-cut necklines, shortshorts or tight-fitting tees - can hide your flaws and accentuate your assets, but when you are nude, there’s nowhere - or way - to hide anything. If you want to look better naked, you are not alone. Far from it. More and more people are into healthy living and getting fit these days. The good doing stimulating thonews is here thatisthere is finally se roots,” you he explained. something can do about shockwaves create miit “The that doesn’t involve giving nor injuries, and the way the upbody carbs and injuries sweets, isdoing repairs by inexcessive or having creasing crunches blood flow. invasive cosmetic surgery. mus“It’s just like producing cle through one-third exercise.” Fully of The machine to abAmericans opt isforsimilar minimally dominal muscle stimulators, invasive or body thoughfat is reduction in the shape of a sculpting to look ‘gun’ andtreatments applied to the penis better the area buff,inaccording to and in groin six sessions over survey a six-week period. a new of 500 men and Dr Mera, expert anwomen from an Cutera, Inc.inAnd ti-aging, said he has treathose who exercise regularly ted patients aged from 45 to are80-years-old most likelyso tofar,have a though body-sculpting treatment, with suitability depends on a num-

some studies also suggest the pip can be toxic if consumed in large amounts. It comes after a 2013 study by the same university found that Aztecs and Mayans would eat avocado seeds by boiling and heating them to treat SPANIARDS consume an a range of diseases, including diabeaverage of 4.5 kilogramtes, stomach problems and parasitic mes of coffee each year, additional treatments loving their truSculpt infections.but the equivalent of 22 jars iD of

may be required for optimal sculpting results. “TruSculpt iD is a very exciting new development in non-surgical body contouring. The lower abdomen and love handles can be treated in just a single 15-minute comfortable treatment session. Our patients have been very pleased with the body sculpting results they can achieve with this innovative system,” says Dermatologist Jeﬀrey S. Dover, MD, FRCPC of Skincare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, MA. By and large, people are

Things looking up

ber of factors, including habits such as smoking. “The person suffering from erectile dysfunction is often the last to realise,” Dr Mera added, saying that sufferers do not, most likely, have a reference point. “But we can now say ‘bye bye viagra, and hi hi shockwave therapy’.”

Ditch coal now! SPAIN’S healthcare system saved almost €1 billion thanks to a reduction in coal use in just two years, new figures have revealed. According to the International Institute of Law and Environment (IIDMA), there was a 30% reduction in the use of coal between 2015 and 2016, saving the country €952 million in health costs. However, over the same period, air pollution from coal-fired electricity generation

Pip is hip

still contributed to 1,529 premature deaths and 914 hospital admissions - costing around €3.5 billion. These costs include decreased productivity, such as 371,552 lost work days and 1,350,401 restricted activity days – coal is also blamed for a total of 20,112 asthma symptom days in asthmatic children and 2,066 cases of bronchitis across the country. The report called for the goal of phasing out coal by 2025 to be legally binding.

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Forever young A CHILDREN’S council has been created in Benitachell to gain insight into youngsters’ wishes . During the first Q&A with mayor Miguel Angel Garcia, children requested that older generations also be given playgrounds.

FINAL WORDS

Dove hurts PIGEON thieves hit the Spanish national pigeon racing champion, stealing, along with other raids, 35 competition birds carrying a value of €52,000.

Rapid demise A SANTA POLA man has been arrested for stealing a mobility scooter from an elderly woman, after he sold it for €450 at a shop where he also provided his personal details. The 49-year-old was arrested within a day.

Stumped POLICE searching through Facebook located a 41-year-old man selling a stool made from an elephant’s foot, before arresting him for obstruction the protection of flora and fauna.

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Own goal

Town hall 1 - Expat - 0 as Brit gets charged for erecting innocent football goal in back garden A BRITISH expat has had his bank account embargoed after putting up a standard football goal in his garden. The business owner, in his 40s, received a letter from Javea Town Hall saying he had an outstanding debt of €12 added

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

to his local property tax (IBI) for owning a ‘sports facility’. But the father-of-one, who asked not to be named, failed to pay the tax, leading the Town

Kicking up a pink HOLIDAYMAKERS on an Easyjet flight to Spain were greeted by a flamingo walking across the runway. Holidaymakers were stunned as their plane, which had just touched down in Mallorca, was forced to slow down to avoid the bird.

Hall to embargo his account over the bill. When contacted this week the expat told the Olive Press his goal ‘must have been spotted on Google Maps’. “It’s ridiculous and incredibly it’s true,” he confirmed, after publishing his complaint on social media. A spokeswoman for Javea Town Hall told the paper: “The Spanish Tax Agency has been clamping down on homeowners who neglect to register sports facilities, which increase IBI payments. Last year they focused on the Javea area.” She added that ‘sports facilities’

included pools and other installations and that inspections were made via both Google Maps and even by drone. She confirmed that ‘hundreds’ of people in Javea had not applied for licences before building such facilities in their gardens, and were also fined €60. For those who neglected to pay the fine, an extra €12 was added on this year, before bank accounts were finally embargoed. It’s ridiculous though to be fined over a football goal,” she admitted, urging the person in question to complain to the Gerencia Territorial del Catastro in Alicante.

X-woman AN expat has turned to the X-Men for inspiration after she was robbed near her home in Albir. The Dutch national, Denise, bought a set of Wolverine-like claws (above), made out of steel, which she now wears whenever leaving home after dark. Denise, 53, was robbed last month, losing her handbag and €35, the second such attack suffered in Spain. “While pepper spray and knuckle dusters are illegal, these claws are not,” she told the Olive Press. “I feel a lot safer.” Denise added she has been robbed three times in the Netherlands, including an assault where a gun was put in her mouth.

Pep talk PEDRO Sanchez has said he is still ‘offended’ at Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola’s pro-Catalan independence comments that Spain is an ‘authoritarian state’.