Mallorca Olive Press - Issue 40 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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The Brit architects taking Madrid by storm

October 24th - November 6th 2018

October 2018

Preserving the old...

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Spain looks to protect its social and industrial past, with new laws guarantee ing the safety of key buildings... s ge pa X e &I Se III

October 2018

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Property

It’s the property supplement that has got the island talking...find out why in the latest issue of our popular Property magazine FREE inside

SAVED: An iconic metro workshops in

Madrid, while this famous photo by Capa

(right) could save this key cultural building

...While a series of exciting new architectural trends are making waves in Spanish interior design

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Vol. 2 Issue 40 www.theolivepress.es October 25th - November 7th 2018

STYLISH: Hip new wine shop wows visitors, while this spacious interior of a new development in La Reserva is tempting world’s wealthiest investors

...Celebrating the new

s ge III pa V e X Se VI & X

IN DEMAND

HE Costa del Sol and Barcelona are driving up demand in Spanish property. Data from Spain’s Instituto Nacional ca shows that, on an annualised basis, de Estadistihouse prices grew 6.8% in the second quarter of 2018 with new-build price tags rising 5.7% (see report page IV). However some areas are clearly picking up more of the It comes slack than others, with Catalunya rising 3.7% while Galicia growth as the country is continuing impressive economic by just 0.7%. after being among the worst hit countries by the 2008 crisis. The data is the latest confirmation of a trend of strong In 2017, demand for Spanish property. the total number of home sales in Spain increased 14.6% to 464,423 units from the previous year, according to

Spanish property is a hot commodity and that’s not changing anytime soon

the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Analysts suggest a good portion of (INE). is being driven by foreigners buyingthe recovery in housing homes on the Costa del Sol and in cities like Barcelona. And despite Brexit, the largest number of foreign homebuyers are British, followed by the French, Germans, Belgians, Italians and Swedes. The outlook for Spain’s housing with house sales expected to rise bymarket remains upbeat, to reach about 550,000 transactions between 10% and 15% this year, according to TINSA, the country’s official valuation and surveying body.

Walk this way OVER 2,000 trees and tens of thousands of plants are set to revolutionise the look of Palma’s seaside promenade. The €20 million project will create a far leafier, more pedestrian-friendly arrival in the city from 2020. However, the Paseo project, designed by Ibiza architect Elias Torres, is likely to anger motorists, who are set to lose a lane in both directions, as well as 124 parking spaces, the majority by the Palma Auditorium. The winning project, announced by the Port Authority (APB) this week, will see paths widened between Porto Pi and Avenida Argentina. There will be a zebra crossing introduced every 100 metres and traffic lights will also change quicker to help offset the reduction in lanes.

GREEN FUTURE: Sketches of planned upgrade “It will make the paseo a greener, more human space and one of the best in Europe,” insisted Palma mayor Antoni Noguera. “It will convert it from a six-lane motorway to a new space for citizens.” The first of the 2,150 trees are set to be planted early next year, after a five month period of fine tuning.

Too late! By Laurence Dollimore

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TRAGIC: Arthur Robinson was one of the victims

SPAIN’S weather agency AEMET has been slammed for issuing weather warnings ‘far too late’ during the deadly Mallorca floods. Finance minister Catalina Cladera demanded answers over the issuing of a red warning at 10.26pm, AFTER the first of 13 deaths had already been confirmed. “They didn’t make any predictions, as they’re supposed to do,” she said. “AEMET instead issued 16/06/2017 15:36 warnings as a reaction to what was already happening.”

AEMET slammed after issuing red warnings ‘far too late’ during deadly Mallorca floods It has now emerged that the warnings came many hours after firemen were already out on a series of rescue missions. It was also three hours after Mallorca’s Emergencies chief, Pere Perello, decided to send troops to the Llevant district, at 7:33pm. “The lack of prior warning from AEMET made it impossible to act with greater foresight,” added Cladera.

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A high-level meeting with Spain’s Environment minister is now on the books to ‘undertake the necessary changes’ at AEMET. It comes a few days after the father of a young boy killed in the Mallorca floods thanked a cyclist for saving his daughter. Brit David Robinson, was almost left without a family after his wife Joana, 40, and his two children, Arthur, five, and Ursula, seven, were swept away in their car in Sant Llorenc. Joana Lliteras, a 40-yearold pharmacist, drowned after somehow plucking her daughter from their car, which rapidly filled with water, saving her life. In a remarkable story, Ger-

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DROWNED: Mum Joana man cyclist Daniel Thielk then picked up Ursula from the gushing current and kept her safe in a nearby cabin for several hours. Tragically, Arthur was found dead more than a week later by a volunteer helping with the clean up.

Dramatic

His tiny body was buried in metres of mud that had washed down from mountains in the heaviest rainfall the island has ever seen a fortnight ago. He was found close to where his Spanish mum performed a dramatic rescue of his older sister. The family of Arthur and Joana penned an open letter to the media to thank them for their efforts in finding little

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NEWS

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NEWS IN BRIEF Riding for cancer HUNDREDS of motorcyclists donned pink vests and paraded on their bikes in support of the Spanish Association Against Cancer. The troupe drove from Sa Casa Blanca, through Son Oms to Can Picafort to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

Flying more THIS winter the Palma airport will have 1.5 million more seats, or 25% more flights than last winter. From November through next March there will 7.7 million seats, mostly with Tui airlines, Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair.

No doc CALA d'Or has been left without an emergency doctor in the afternoons shortly after the village fought for 24-hour health care. In March they were promised a 24-hour centre, but so far Cala d'Or's health services close at 8pm on weekdays, and now is shut every afternoon until November – causing frustration with locals and officials.

October 25th - November 7th 2018

Robbers face century in jail A TRIO of robbers are facing 120 years in prison for robbery and attempted murder. The men from the Los Lobato gang are on trial for robbing 21 houses in Mallorca, as well as the attempted murder of a Guardia Civil officer. The gang - which comprised 12 men over three generations of the same family - are accused of breaking into homes

and taking around €12m in items, mostly cash and jewelry. The gang’s leader, 58, is believed to have been behind a shocking 400 robberies over the last three decades, but police did not have enough evidence to prosecute. They were finally caught by Guardia Civil officers last year, who noticed the suspicious ac-

tivity before they robbed another house in Petra. The driver was caught off guard and drove over the officer, dragging him several metres down the road. Another alleged thief tackled two officers as he tried to flee the scene. The other nine member have also been arrested and face separate charges.

Have-a-go heroes A GROUP of four have-a-go heroes jumped in to stop a man beating his wife. The passers-by stepped in as the Calvia man attacked his wife in front of their two-year-old son. One man was quickly supported by another off-duty police officer when he spotted the man holding his partner by the neck. Two motorcyclists also pulled over to get the aggressor off the woman. The man was arrested for gender violence and taken into custody while his wife and son were taken to a medical centre for treatment.

Bin bugs burn officer

A PALMA police officer has suffered first degree burns while extinguishing another burning bin fire in Mallorca’s latest arson attack. Multiple bins were deliberately set alight in the latest fire crime, while half a dozen cars were also torched by the

Police badly burned in new arson attack

By Gillian Keller & Charlie Smith

flames, early yesterday morning around 2:30 am. Shocking images from Palma’s local police show an inferno of melted, burning

Axe arrest A BRITISH man has been hospitalized after an axe-wielding maniac attacked him before running away. A bearded Spanish man, 36, slashed the Brit, 25, on the head with a small axe before fleeing. Police arrested the man six hours later when the two, once again, got into another skirmish in nearby Plaza Gomila. An officer fired two warning shots in the air to stop the attack before arresting the man.

garbage, as onlookers stop and stare at the fires which left at least one person injured. Cars and mopeds can also be seen to be damaged beyond repair, as the vehicles’ bodies are severely melted. Police and fire crews were immediately on the scene of the latest spate of arson, which affected seven vehicles in total. The bustling streets of Carrer de Pere Ripoll i Palou

and Joan Estelrich Artigues, both popular with expats, were targeted in this most recent vile attack. Hundreds of bins have been burned in less than a year as police continue to hunt the island’s serial arsonists. Last month the Olive Press reported that police in Palma were hunting down Mallorca’s petty arsonists, who already had inflicted €200,000 in damage this year through their antics.

Sex bust OVER a dozen men have been arrested for running a sex slavery operation that spanned Mallorca, the Canaries and mainland Spain. In total, police picked up eight men in Palma, with five in Alicante and two in the Canary Islands. The arrests include various Nigerians and Colombians, while five women have been freed. A trio of the women were released in Palma, one of whom had a baby born after being raped. The women were first picked up as teenage girls back home in Nigeria and promised a better life in Europe.But once they arrived in Spain they were told they had to work to pay off a debt of €35,000 each, or their families back home would suffer. Each spent five months walking through the Sahara desert, via Niger and Libya, before taking a ‘patera’ boat to Italy and finally arriving in Spain.

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DEMI Rose has been showing off her curves and driving fans wild while working in Ibiza. The British model has been showing off her new swimwear line around the island. The 23-year model from Birmingham chose the Balearic Island to capture the first shots of her swimsuits from her line IsawItFirst. Rose, who recently dated American rapper Tyga after his public split from Kylie Kardashian-Jenner, took her poodle pup Teddy to Ibiza for the photoshoot. The model, with nearly 8 million instagram followers, paraded around in tiny bikinis, snapping photos and chatting with fans throughout the trip.

MARTIN Scorsese couldn’t resist tucking into some Spanish cuisine after receiving one of Spain’s most prestigious awards for his lifelong work in the film industry. The legendary Hollywood director, 75, was spotted eating in legendary Mar de Llanes restaurant, while touring around the historic city of Oviedo. He had been in town to accept the Princess of Asturias award from King Felipe VI. Scorsese ate with his wife Hellen Morris and ten friends and staff at the restaurant, that prides itself on its fresh seafood. The group opted for Asturian tomatoes with a special dressing, anchovies, grilled sardines and seabass. For dessert, they wolfed down a millefeuille cake and rice pudding.

Seville Row

Rose in Ibiza

Goodfella!

October 25th - November 7th 2018

LEGENDARY British tailor Chester Barrie has chosen Andalucia as the backdrop for its latest campaign. The luxury firm, set up by Simon Ackerman in Saville Row, shot its latest menswear range at The Palacio, a sprawling and stunning property for sale between Ronda and Sevilla.

Cashing in Michelle Obama is making Mallorca ‘trendy’ in the US and island officials are ready to take full advantage MALLORCA is set to cash in from the ‘Michelle Obama effect’. Formerly relatively unknown to US tourists, the ex-first lady is quickly turning the island into a fashionable holiday destination following her recent high profile trips. Mallorquin officials have described it as the perfect time to promote the island’s brand, after Michelle’s Balearic holidays peaked the interest of numerous US tour operators and journalists. It comes after the former

first lady returned for the third time to Mallorca this summer, with close friend and former US ambassador to Spain, James Costos. “She has made Mallorca known. We are facing a great opportunity here,” said minister of Spanish tourism in New York, Jose Manuel de Juan. To take advantage of the island’s new-found fame there are now daily flights between Mallorca and various US airports. Michelle first visited the island in 2010 as first

Janet’s back

SLAY: Janet coming to Spain

NICKI Minaj and Janet Jackson will be among the performers at this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Spain. Jackson, 52, will be receiving the Global Icon Award and is set to perform a medley of her greatest hits during the show in Bilbao on November 4. Minaj is a nominee in two categories this year: best hip-hop and best look. Rosalia, a Latin Grammy nominee, is up for best Spanish act. Winners will be voted on by fans.

Bonita Lupita

FAN: Michelle in Palma

lady, after she and youngest daughter Sasha were invited to a private lunch with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at the Marivent palace. Last summer she returned again - this time with less security as Melania Trump had taken over her title at the White House - staying with Costos at the finca de Ses Planes. She made headlines after she trekked the ancient Cami des Correu and surprised locals in the village of Caimari, when she arrived to sample traditional Mallorquin cuisine at Ca Na Toneta.

SHE won awards for her role in Hollywood blockbuster 12 years A Slave. Now Lupita Nyong’o has made history after becoming the first African woman to grace the cover of Vogue Spain. The Oscar-winning actress, 35, from Kenya, appears in nude makeup and a metallic silver hoodie while staring head on into the camera. "I am so proud of this cover story! ¡Que orgullo me da este número!” she wrote on Instagram, “Thank you Vogue Spain for celebrating me and my work by making me your cover girl this #voguenoviembre!" The actress took the opportunity to blast British publication Grazia after it ‘edited’ her hair to look ‘more European’ for its cover a year ago. “Thank you for celebrating my kinky hair for real!” she said to Vogue.

From Soto to loco!

JUNGLE FEVER: Nick

BRITISH expat celeb Nick Knowles could be swapping the Andalucian countryside for the Australian jungle. The DIY SOS presenter, who moved out of Sotogrande and back in again recently following his divorce in 2016, is tipped to appear on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here. The 56-year-old gave it another go with Jessica but split in December 2016. Knowles, who has a four-year-old son, Eddie, recently said he loves his home in the Spanish countryside as he is able to lay low and keep his son away from the press.

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

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Paying the way NEARLY 50 projects are to benefit from the tourist tax next year. In total 48 schemes in Mallorca will be handed nearly €70 million, with another €40m going to the other islands. Palma projects will receive €17.6 million, with €11.6 million funding social housing. The city will also have funds for improving the Parc de la Mar and lighting in Playa de Palma. The extra money in the tourist tax - or eco tax - will go towards ongoing projects from last year.

Ryanair probed RYANAIR is under investigation for splitting up families in order to force extra payments to travel together. Mallorca’s committee of the environment and public health has joined up with the food safety committee of European Parliament to probe complaints to Mallorca’s consumer body Consubal. After receiving 'many complaints' from Balearic users, Consubal filed a petition to the European Parliament in March to investigate Ryanair's separating of families. From front page

Must do better Arthur. They said at the time: “Despite the hard times we are going through, struggling with all our strength to overcome the toughest of trials of life; we can not fail to thank all those who continue to look for Arthur untiringly.” In total 13 people died in the floods, including a British couple, Antony Green, 77, and his wife Delia, 75.

Homewrecker

Trio of homes damaged in the floods are to be torn down this week, while dozens of roads should be open again by Christmas By Gillian Keller and Charlie Smith

AT least three homes were so badly damaged in the Mallorca floods that they have to be demolished. Two homes in Sant Llorenç and another in Arta are are set to be torn down this week due to safety fears for their inhabitants. The Directorate of Emergencies signed off the demolition order, which will be carried out by local public services firm Tragsa. They have so far inspected nearly 500 homes in Sant Llorenc and the surrounding towns, worst affected by the floods. Meanwhile, dozens of roads will be impassable for months, as Mallorca council embark on a multi-million euro operation of repairs, which they say they hope to complete before Christmas.

Disaster

In total, the damage bill for the island is expected to reach at least €100 million, while the area of Sant Llorenç is saddled with €22.7 million of damage. Overall more than 2000 properties and hundreds of cars were affected by the natural disaster on October 9, which claimed the lives of 13 people. The government has approved emergency funds for damages from the floods, including €6,000 for damaged cars and €60,000 for homes and businesses. Divers meanwhile have been working tirelessly to find what has washed away into the sea, including a whole car found this week in S’Illot. Alarmingly the flooding is

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Flashback How our team of four journalists, including two on the island told the tragic story over three pages as it all unfolded on our deadline, two weeks ago RUINED: San Llorenc house to be demolished predicted to happen again and perhaps on a more regular basis. “It will happen again because the rains are typical in the Mediterranean in autumn,” said Alfredo Baron, the former head of the Department of Studies and Planning of the Environment. He explained the problem lies with “the irresponsibility of builders, administrations and even citizens.” He insisted that they were

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DISASTER SPECIAL

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Sink it in the pink!

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NEARLY two dozen pink rubbish bins have been scattered around Palma

to raise awareness for breast cancer. For every kilo of glass collected from the 20 pink glass recycling bins, Ecovidrio will donate €1 to breast cancer research through the Sandra Ibarra foundation. Ecovidrio is the nonprofit company responsible for recycling Spain's glass waste. Palma joins cities, including Barcelona and Sevilla, which are raising awareness and funds with over 250 pink bins nationwide.

No master of trickery THE leader of the opposition will not be investigated over allegations his master’s degree was falsely obtained. The Supreme Court will not probe PP boss Pablo Casado (below) after he admitted that Madrid’s Rey Juan Carlos university waived 18 out of 22 of his regional law assignments. While he admitted it was ‘favourable treatment,’ he insisted it did not amount to criminal activity. The court agreed. The PP party has now, in turn, called for PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign over claims his doctoral thesis was part written by someone else. Two ministers, Cristina Cifuentes and Health Minister Carmen Montón, have already resigned over degree scandals this year. See Magical Masters on page 6Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017

TRAPPED: A car driver desperately tries to escape the deluge that swept dozens of cars out to sea and left hundreds homeless

BURIED

Ten dead including a nine-year-ol d boy and British couple in worst flooding in Mallorca for a century

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DISASTER SPECIAL

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October 11th - October 24th 2018

T least ten people have died in the worst flooding Mallorca has seen in a century. A British couple, a Dutchman and a nine-year-old boy are confirmed as being among the dead, while another lad, 5, is also feared to have died. The island has been declared a disaster zone by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, while three days of mourning have been

October 11th - October 24th 2018

The gates of hell opened By Jon Clarke, Laurence Dollimore, Charlie Smith and Gillian Keller, in Sant Llorenc

responsible for constructing on flood plains, blocking the natural river torrents and not acting with common sense. In 2010, the government outlined the ARPSI – the Areas with Significant Potential Food Risk – that lie in Calvia, Campos, Manacor, Marratxí, Palma, Pollensa, Soller and Sant Llorenc. There are a dozen torrents with a history of flooding flowing into Sant Llorens, Son Carrió and S’illot.

called by the island’s leaders. The Balearic Government has promised to provide all financial aid necessary to ‘return the victims’ lives to normal’. It came after much of the east coast of the island was left in tatters, after Tuesday night saw the heaviest rain since the late 1800s. Up to 250 litres per metre square of rain fell, causing rivers to burst their banks and leaving many survivors stranded on the roofs of their houses or up trees. Numerous roads were cut off, while dozens of homes were destroyed and hundreds of cars swept away. At least 200 families had to be evacuated from their homes, around the normally sleepy village of Sant Llorenc. One British couple, believed to be holidaymakers, drowned after being swept away in a taxi. Their corpses were later found inside the car, while the driver is believed to be among the dead. Residents described the scenes as ‘apocalyptic’ while another said it ‘felt like Mallorca was sinking.’

ALMIGHTY: Lightning strikes ahead of the deluge

ON DUTY: Pedro Sanchez visits affected zones while (inset) tennis champ Rafael Nadal cleans up hometown

Powerful

Authorities confirmed last night that 10 people had died, four of them women, while one was still missing. A Guardia Civil spokesman said: “The focus now is finding the last lad missing. Riverbeds and the area around the coast are being searched. “There are a lot of cars in the river beds and a lot of wreckage so it’s not an easy job.” Elsewhere, a nine-year-old boy was found dead near a flooded waterway, while an elderly man drowned in his basement. The powerful deluge took the villages of Sant Llorenc and s’Illot by complete surprise, with aftermath photos showing cars piled on top of each other like lego. Others had been dragged out to sea. Over 100 soldiers were scrambled in the early hours of Wednesday morning as the full brevity of the floods became clear. They joined hundreds of local firemen and police in the gruesome job of locating bodies and rescuing dozens of people trapped in cars and homes. Rain had begun to fall at around 4pm, and by 6pm, 175 litres per square metre was registered. The Sant Llorenç torrent burst open and suddenly flooded the streets at around this time. By the end of the night the rain had risen to 250 litres per square metre, almost a record across Spain. Some roads are still closed off as authorities search for the missing and treat the injured.

Nature’s wrath

DESTROYED: Van overturned on main road

Opinion Page 6

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Hot water

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

Pipe ban

The floods came in biblical proportions, bringing record rainfall figures for Spain and leaving a dozen victims in coffins, writes Laurence Dollimore

T could have been a scene from the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was quickly Old Testament. on the scene, pulling on wellies, to declare Millions of litres of rain bombed the area as a disaster zone as he vowed down the hillsides in biblical propor- to offer all financial support necessary to tions in what believers would have de- rebuild the lives of those affected. scribed as the wrath of God. While welcomed, it’s probably meaningStreets were turned into violent rap- less to the mother who lost her son, or the ids, hurtling cars towards the sea and family who lost their grandfather. carrying people, young and old, to The chaotic night left a string of tragedies Sant Llorenc and surrounding villages their deaths. in its wake, like the man who drowned were left in the dark after losing power But this wasn’t God, this was mother while trying to rescue his pets, knowing and phone signal, with many not knowing nature - a brutal force which shows he’d rather die than live without them. if they’d make it through til daybreak. no mercy when it rears its destructive A British mother and son described how Hundreds of troops, Guardia Civil and head. they saw a car swept past them with peoemergency services were scrambled, inA nine-year-old boy with his whole life ple trapped and clearly panicking inside. cluding aircraft. ahead of him, was killed in a mat- They are later believed to have died. But other tales of survival and the human ter of seconds before The tragic nature of the dispirit have shone through the darkness. his lifeless body was saster is matched only by Like the man whose car was swept away in found strewn across its method of surprise. the rapids, but he managed to survive af250 litres fell in A yellow warning was isthe ground in the afterter escaping through a passenger window math. sued by Spain’s official and swimming an incredible 500 metres Another lad - even 5 hours, a record weather agency, AEMET, at to safety. younger - is still missAEMET said was 12pm before being upgradIn scenes reminiscent of tragedies like ing. ed to orange at 8.30pm. Hurricane Katrina, dishevelled victims An elderly man, who a ‘once in a 1000 As if playing catch up headed to refuge centres, which were set was too immobile to with nature, a red warnyearDecember event’ 6th ing - December 19th until 2017 up almost immediately by well organised escape the rushing wawasn’t issued officials and locals. ter as it filled his base10.20pm. The island’s most famous export Rafael ment, drowned alone “We weren’t expecting it,” Nadal offered up his huge tennis academy in his home. said one local, “The weather alert went in nearby Manacor, saying he was ‘deeply A British couple - who hours earlier from yellow to orange in a short time. The affected’ by the tragedy which left parts of had most likely been dining out on brook was in good condition but too much his hometown in ruins. their holiday - were swept away be- water has fallen in too short a time.” Many roads are still closed as officials fore spending their dying moments Indeed long before then, hundredsFrom fled Page 1 asses the damages, especially in the Matogether trapped in a taxi as it filled their homes while others were escaping to nacor area and the East coast, but the Hetheir even gotand himself a for financial with water. roofs praying a breakadvice in the slot on a well overwhelming amount of solidarity offered radio station, through which he snared unsuspectA Dutchman died in a similar predica- known deluge. by citizens with food, blankets and shelter victims. ment, while even the former mayor of ing The statistics are simply terrifying. Some comprehensive investigation was ex- described as ‘incredible’. Arta, Rafel Gili, 71, was swept to his However, 175 litresa fell by 6pm, someOlive 220 Press litres by posed his scams that involved death. midnight, and finally over 250stamps, litres - acoins re- and gold.But as day broke yesterday on the disaster and three days of official mourning were alsoaccording revealed to how he and his close pal Barry Nathan At least six other people lost their lives We cord AEMET, which claimed A HOTEL is to be knocked declared, the aftermath proved there is a wined andadined up to a dozen criminals, anonymously, in what was has been described as this was ‘once in a 1,000 years event’. down for not having enough lot of work to do. the food column. the worst floods to hit the island in through The heavy rainfall flooded the Ses Planes class! The beach of S’Illot has been completely Hebrook, eventually the dry. country following our expose, more than 100 years. which isfled typically CARNAGE: Dozens of cars washed away Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had de Rey must be demolished changed his name by deed poll and was selling coins and within three months, a court antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. has ruled, He was quickly found guilty under English law of conning Andalucia’s Superior Court people and given a suspended prison of Justice ruled that the hosentence only due to health reasons. “And because he promised to never tel falls short of its four-star than permitted. go back to his online cons,” one of the requirement. Although the town hall and British victim explained. developer maintain this exBut this is apparently not the case with Probing cess was later corrected, the two victims claiming he is still using judge ruled that the rectificaIt began probing the three eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps tion would have taken place star hotel and apartment from his unpaid flat in Brighton, usafter the granting of the liing the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtradblock in 2011 after it was decence, so does not count. ing2’. nounced over planning rules The building has 61 apart“We are pretty sure he has broken his which set aside the plot for a ments and 46 parking spacbail conditions and will have to finally four star hotel only. es. go back to prison,” said one victim. According to the PGOU town “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” The original building was plan an apartment block was His landlord last night insisted he should have known granted planning permisnot permitted and it also something was up from the start. sion by then mayor Enrique breached rules by being over “When we met to sign the contracts I thought he was a bit Bolin in 2001. 700 square meters bigger DOOMED: Costa hotel slippery, I went to pay for my coffee only for the barista to tell me he had left without paying his bill.” He continued: “He paid for the first couple of months but then just stopped. He told us his account had been frozen due to a money laundering investigation, which is probably true. “He then told us to stop contacting him and accused us of harrassment. POLICE officers have formed a human wall deter drug smugglers from using the beach “Now he is claiming he is seriously ill and can’t work to along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the as a drop off zone. make payments. construction of a beach wall went ahead. A combined police presence of Guardia Civil, “We’ll see him in court.” The wall, between the church of Nuestra local and national officers were present as Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall fears grew that drug smugglers would try Opinion Page 6 of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to and disrupt the work.

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

NEWS

‘He deserves it’ Not enough stars

washed away while cars have been left piled on top of each other like jenga. Homes and buildings have been completely destroyed, along with bridges and roads. But there is also a lot of healing to do mentally. Dozens of people, like the 200 forced to flee their homes, will be left traumatised and will need medical help to process and recover.

DESTRUCTION: Road cut in half while (right) couple wade through flood water and (below) streets strewn with household belongings

Terrifying

If anything can come out of this, let it be a resurgence in the fight to meet our climate change goals. It is not a coincidence that these ‘freak’ floods are becoming more frequent. It’s affecting the whole of Spain, with floods in Benidorm this week also claiming lives, while parts of Marbella were left dangerously flooded too this week. Two weeks ago there were sudden terrifying downpours in Ronda and near Valencia.. And let’s not forget the biblical floods on the Costa del Sol two years ago which left several dead and tens of millions of euros in damages. While the cost of these floods has been deadly, learning nothing from them would be far worse.

SMUGGLERS’ WALL

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

THEY are, without a doubt, the most shocking images of the weekend. A video shot by a tourist showed the moment an ancient wall and a row of trees collapsed beside Ronda’s historic Roman bridge. In dramatic scenes, firstly the 50-yearold Cypress trees fall into the Guadalevin river, before a wall of the 13th century Arabic Baths collapsed leaving the ancient site swamped with water. Several archeologists are still on the scene assessing the damages. The access for wheelchair users was completely destroyed, as were the gardens. But the greatest loss has been three pools of the tannery - once used to dye fabrics and skins - which dates back to the 18th century. The heavy rain led to dozens of horses and five people needing to be rescued from an equestrian centre behind the historic site. Meanwhile another wall collapsed by a school in another part of Ronda, and leading to the cancellation of classes on Monday. In the nearby Guadiaro valley police helicopters were called in to rescue trapped

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LOSS: Trees fall by bridge and (right) Arabic baths householders including one British woman in Cortes de la Frontera. A popular expat-owned hotel on the outskirts of Ronda, Molino del Puente, made an urgent call out to volunteers to help their clean-up operation.

“Heavy rain has made quite a mess in our family hotel,” said owner Elaine Love. “We are accepting any volunteers to help clear the hotel up as soon as possible, wear old clothes, wellies and bring any spades and wheelbarrows you may have.”

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NEWS

October 25th - November 7th 2018

Around the world

A HOMELESS British man rescued by big-hearted expats has walked an incredible FIVE times around Spain over the last five years. Graham Nobbs, from Kent, revealed that he has hiked the length and breadth of the country on many occasions during his time as a hobo. That is an incredible 25,000 miles… or the distance of the earth’s circumference, he told the Olive Press.

Paella is my favourite dish GRAHAM’S usual traverse around Spain took him to the north when it’s hot, and he always spends Christmas on the Costa del Sol – his favourite part of the country. His favourite foods on the road are paella and tortilla Espanola. People can donate to Graham here: www.gofundme.com/ helpforgraham

T PA ES EX RO HE

HERE, WE LAUNCH A NEW SECTION ON EXPAT HEROES AROUND SPAIN

Homeless Brit claims to have walked 25,000 miles around Spain before being ‘saved’ by expats EXCLUSIVE By Charlie Smith

It comes after we revealed how the 69-year-old had been offered help and a home by British expats in Almeria during his sixth circuit of the country. The group of half a dozen locals from Albox, stepped in

after they found him sleeping in a supermarket car park. “They have been marvellous, without them none of this would be happening,” he revealed, after they scooped him up at Lidl and gave him a bed. “Life on the road was always up and down. I was always floating, always in suspense. "And the weather was the most challenging thing, particularly the rain," added the former shop assistant. Apart from sometimes walking for 14 hours in a row to find a shelter, he revealed how he had been attacked by a fellow tramp and was once rushed to hospital after collapsing by the side of the road. “This one guy tried to stab me and I had to kick him in the stomach to escape,” he said. “There have been plenty of hairy moments though and you have to try not to show fear.” He continued: "I had a problem where I had a semi stroke and collapsed at the side of the road from over-exerting. I had to go to hospital." This lack of access to medical facilities and other crucial services is a major problem for those like

Ex-Police Chief had 92 homes

HAPPY DAYS: Graham enjoys a meal and new clothes Graham without a permanent home. He had landed the life after driving to Spain, after the majority of his family died through sad circumstances in the UK and he became estranged from his sister. He took to the road, after his car was smashed up by vandals who destroyed his belongings and clothes. He later lost his passport and other ID. “They destroyed all my pictures and I had no other option,” he insisted. Luckily, Graham has now been taken in by three expat couples in Albox, as revealed by the Olive Press last issue. He is managing to get his life back to some normality, as they help him get various documents, in-

EXPAT HEROES

cluding a passport and an NIE, so that he can have proper access to medical care. One of them Sandie Wines, said this week: "We are getting him a passport first and then his UK pension will start to come through in four weeks' time.” She added: "Graham will stay with us until everything is sorted so he doesn't have to travel the streets ever again." The group have set up a 'gofundme' page which they are using to get Graham back on his feet. "It's easier to home a dog than an expat on the street," joked Sandie's partner John. "Very few people put you up, people are wary of the unknown."

Eye opener

AN expat optician is taking an eye-opening step in the battle against plastic. Boss of Specsavers Mallorca Martin Blake has not only banned plastic bags from his shop in Santa Ponsa, but he is looking at many other ways to help the environment. As well as using paper bags in the shop from now on, he has introduced a Cleanwave water filter for staff and clients. And any locals can come in and fill up their reusable bottles, rather than buy new plastic ones. “We shall continue to recycle all plastic and are looking for ways to reduce use of plastic packaging wherever possible,” said Blake. “We will also be supporting beach cleaning activities on a monthly basis in conjunction with Ondine Association. “I believe that we all have a responsibility to protect the environment and take steps to preserve our planet’s future, and hope that other businesses and individuals in Mallorca will follow suit.” So passionate is Blake that he even visited the island’s recycling plant TIRME on World Clean Up Day to see where the little plastic they use ends up.

Do you know an expat hero around Mallorca or further afield, please contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es

BLANK passports, gold ingots and €300,000 in cash have been found in a home owned by disgraced ex-police chief on the Costa del Sol. It comes after Spain’s former police chief, Jose Villarejo, was arrested on November 3 last year, accused of crimes related to a criminal organisation, money laundering and bribery. The investigation has revealed a list of 92 properties belonging to the former police official, including plots of land, apartments, warehouses, commercial premises and offices. An incredible 48 are based in Estepona, 18 in Benalmadena and the rest in Marbella, Torrox, Cordoba, Sevilla and Madrid. One in particular, a stunning €1.5m front line penthouse above prestigious private clinic, Cenyt, in Estepona, yielded the incredible haul, also including a hard drive with year’s of Villarejo’s work. All of it was found in a shoebox in a bedroom of the apartment, registered in the name of Villarejo’s son. The amazing discovery came after the judge leading the case ordered officials to seize the assets, including the home at the Mirador de la Cala building in Estepona, which he used as his home when in the town. According to sources, the property is linked to a separate 10-year-old investigation, the Astapa case, a property corruption scandal worth €40 million. The hard drive found, storing 40 terabytes of secret videos and recordings, is set to reveal the true extent of the ex-police chief’s crimes.

HIV cure closer SPANISH scientists believe they may have managed to eliminate HIV from a patient using stem cell transplant treatment. Scientists in Madrid and Barcelona have managed to remove the virus from the blood and tissues of six patients using the treatment. And one patient now has no antibodies fighting the infection, suggesting it has been completely eliminated. The patients are keeping up their antiretroviral treatment, but researchers believe the virus may have been completely removed from their bodies. It came after the six guinea pigs had stem cell transplants using cells from the umbilical cords and bone marrows of donors at the institute for AIDS Research IrsiCaixa in Barcelona and the Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid. Researchers say the results could open the door to designing new treatments to cure HIV/AIDS.

www.theolivepress.es Mallorca’s original community newspaper

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

OPINION

FEATURE

Pen is mightier than the sword As the authorities prepare to dig up exdictator Franco from his burial site, a British expat tells the Olive Press about his brand new book, 501, based on the brutal execution of his ancestors during the civil war

Positive vibes EXPOSING crooks and crime can - these days - get you labelled as ‘negative’ and accused of ‘only reporting the bad’. On social media at least. To remedy this we have introduced our new ‘Expat heroes’ section, which we began last month with the story of a generous Brit who donated 300 dog cans to dog an animal charity, as well as a group of expats who took in a homeless man. This issue we tell the full story of how British expat Graham Nobbs was taken in by the kindhearted group in Albox. We also praise the hard-working guys behind a recent spate of vital beach clean ups. Yes, our crime stories are gripping and need to be told, but so do the stories of unsung heroes giving back to their communities. So if you have a positive expat story, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Heavens open

YET again we have been reminded of what is to come if nothing is done to tackle climate change. In a matter of hours towns were submerged after a rainfall ravaged communities. It tragically claimed the lives of 13 people, who left behind dozens of loved ones. And the latest criticisms of AEMET are not without warrant, why were they so slow to update us and upgrade to a red level warning? Let’s hope we are given sound answers and changes are made. Only this month scientists around the world warned that we have just 12 years to save the planet and divest from carbon emissions. If the earth’s temperature raises by just one more degree, we will reach the point of no return. Governments around the world need to wake up and act fast before it’s too late. Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es sales Charles Bamber (+34) 661 452 180 charles@theoliverpress.es

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

N the dead of the night, three women and a teenage girl are thrown like animals into the back of a lorry at gunpoint. They must have sensed their brutal fate, but nothing could have prepared them for the excruciating suffering they were about to endure at the hands of Franco’s Falange allies. It was December 29, 1936, just a few months into the Spanish Civil War, when Pilar Espinosa, 42, and Virtudes de la Puente, 53, were raped and shot by firing squad. Pregnant Valeriana Granada, 26, received a worse fate, having her unborn baby ripped out of her stomach with a knife. The foetus was never found. By an amazing miracle, Pilar’s 14-year-old daughter Obdulia was spared and hugged her mother goodbye. It would be the last time she saw her. The trio’s mutilated bodies were left at the side of a road in the sleepy town of Poyales del Hoyo in Avila, before a local man buried their remains the following morning, with a stone on top. Their crimes? Pilar was one of the few women in the town who could read, and had a subscription to a socialist newspaper, Virtudes meanwhile was a Republican and Protestant, while Valeriana was envied by a high-ranking woman in the town. Much of this was documented in former Guardian correspondent Giles Tremlett’s best-selling book Ghosts of Spain. The Falangists went on to target Pilar’s other daughter, Maria, by shaving her head and inhumanely dragging her through the village naked while she soiled herself, having been force-fed castor oil. Villagers in the isolated, predominantly rightwing town of around 700 inhabitants, spat on her as she was paraded through the streets. Forced to flee the village, Maria and her four children - aged four to eight - hid in the saddlebags of a mule to escape the villagers’ attempts to kill them. But what hasn’t been up to now chronicled is

PERSECUTED: (Far left) spared daughter Obdulia, (centre) murdered mother Pilar and tortured daughter Maria

LEGACY: (Left) novel 501 and (right) Poyales de Hoyo dos, the Valley of the Fallen, outside of Madrid. It is the only remaining monument in Europe dedicated to a fascist dictator - largely built by the incredible story of survival, in which they Republican political prisoners under the fascist walked some 200 kilometres to Madrid, where regime - where he is buried along with around they started a new life in the hopes of being 33,000 people from both sides of the war. freed from persecution. Many buried there never had a dignified funeral In 1957 one of those children, Dami, moved and the fate of loved ones remain a mystery to to London where she had a boy with an Indian countless families. man two years later. Inspired by his family’s tragic And now - in an remarkable full legacy, the book, merges fact circle - that little boy is seeking and fiction to tell the tale of a I want people justice for what the Falangists police inspector, named Marto know what did to his family. tin, whose first case investiBrit, Yash Gosain, 59, told the gates the rape and mutilation happened so we Olive Press how he has now of a young pregnant woman set penned his novel 501, or a can have a real during the Spanish Civil War. ‘weapon of mass destruction’, The work is named after the democracy in a bid to ‘bring down the Partileader of the local extreme-right do Popular in Spain’ and unveil Falange party and the man the truth behind the atrocities who raped and killed Gosain’s of the darkest chapter in Spanish history. great grandmother, Angel Vadillo, nicknamed It comes as Spain is in the throes of metaphori- Quinientos Uno - 501 - because he boasted to cally and literally digging up the past, as new have killed 501 ‘rojos’, or reds. prime minister Pedro Sanchez is leading a “I think it could be a weapon of mass destrucstaunch campaign to exhume dictator Francis- tion against the important remnants of fascism co Franco’s remains from the Valle de los Cai- left in Spain,” London-raised Gosain, who now lives in Valencia, tells the Olive Press. “That is exactly what I am using the book as - a weapon against these people for what they did to my relatives and me.” So provocative is the book that his local Guardia Civil and Policia Local have requested his address fearing right-wing Francoists will appear at his doorstep. Gosain asserts he is ‘going for the Partido Popular’ with the novel and hopes it will bring attention to countless untold, tragic stories, offering posthumous justice for the thousands of victims who were never given a proper burial. “I want people to really know what happened in this country, so we can have a real democracy. We can’t with the PP holding so much control with their lies. “It’s hardly mentioned even in school.” He also wants justice for the thousands of babies snatched from their mothers during the civil war - never to be returned again - in the wake of the first ‘ninos robados’ case to ever go to trial. Despite the Madrid High Court finding retired gynaecologist, Eduardo Vela, 85, guilty, he will not be convicted as it ruled the statute of limitations had expired - dealing a massive blow to the hopes of other separated families in their quest for the truth about their stolen babies. Gosain, who penned the novel over the summer, worked for over 22 years as a holiday rep

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FEATURE

October 25th - November 7th 2018

olive press online Mallorca’s best English daily news website

Most read stories DATES: October 9 - October 23 The top six most read stories on www.theolivepress. es in the past two weeks are:

- Two BOMBS explode in Marbella and Benahavis as drug mafia wars reach new heights (26,763)

- RED ALERT: Highest warning issued for Spain’s Costa del Sol while third death announced in Mallorca (25,174)

- IN VIDEOS: British expats and tourists describe ‘terrifying’ floods on Spain’s Costa del Sol as areas continue to be battered by deluge (18,525)

4 5

- Spanish doctors eliminate HIV from patients in stem cell transplant trial (16,792)

HARROWING: Firing squad shoot civilians while (right) Yash and grandmother Maria for Thomson, before spending a year working for Spain’s secret service, he explains. But little did the Brit know that his life would change forever following a shocking telephone call in 2002, in which he would hear the tragic fate of his great grandmother 66 years after her clandestine burial. The call was made by a member of the Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica - a 5,000-strong volunteer-led association locating missing persons who disappeared and were murdered under the Franco regime. They had called him to ask for permission to exhume her body from a roadside between Poyales del Hoyo and Candeleda, near the Natural Park of the Sierra de Gredos. “I was shocked and stunned that I hadn’t known anything earlier. I was upset,” adds Gosain, “But maybe my mum was too scared to tell me because her killers were still living in the town.” The Brit said hearing the story was like finding

the missing pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. “When I used to drive my granny to the next town from Poyales, she would look out the window crying and keep saying, ‘where are you?’. It was then that I realised she was talking about her mother. “I thought she had died of old age, it had never been mentioned,” he adds. In July that year, almost seven decades after their murders, Pilar, Virtudes and Valeriana were finally given the dignified cemetery funeral Gosain and their families never thought they’d see, as covered movingly in Tremlett’s excellent book. “81-year-old Obdulia was there watching as the remains of her mother were dug up. She kept saying, ‘look there’s my mother’s slipper’ or her crucifix. It was incredibly emotional,” adds Gosain. But days later the cemetery was padlocked and the women’s bodies were exhumed and reburied in a ‘common grave’. Antonio Cerro, the recently elected PP mayor at the time in Poyales, claimed the tomb was dug

INJUSTICE: Yash stands over ‘ruined’ grave of great grandmother Pilar while (inset above) Falange extremist

- Warning for storms and rain on Spain’s Costa del Sol and across Malaga from tomorrow (13,821)

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up as a family member wished to move one of the remains to a family niche. When the tomb was opened they discovered it was full of water and had to move the bodies to a new spot. “He smashed up the tomb and threw their bones in the corner. I have proof he lied,” insists Gosain. But nothing could prepare for the backlash the Brit received after he spoke out on national TV against the mayor, by being attacked and spat on by villagers. “Being buried by the side of the road is like tossing a piece of rubbish,” he says. “Spain still today has the second-most people buried by the roadside - more than 130,000 after Cambodia under Pol Pot’s genocide.” The writer, now semi-retired, said he has already received support from political parties such as Compromis and Podemos and has been in talks with a PSOE MP, while trade unions, such as Foro por la Memoria, Asociacion de Amigos de las Brigadas Internacionales and SOS Bebes Robados are also backing the book online. “I am not keeping quiet, I have written the book to convey this message mixed with a police story, a serial killer, throwbacks to the past and many other facets, but in the end it reveals the truth that horrifies and stuns folk.” Gosain hopes the book will finally bring some justice against the PP and give credence to the words that are etched onto the back of this harrowing novel. ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’.

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Reader react to a furore caused after a black man was ‘targeted’ by Renfe officers earlier this month, before being violently dragged off the train

Spain Issue 303

Unavoidable

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October 2018

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The Brit architects taking Madrid by storm

October 24th - November 6th 2018

October 2018

SEE PAGE X

Preserving the old...

Spain looks to protect its social and industrial past, with new laws guaranteeing the safety of key buildings... See III pag & es IX

SAVED: An iconic metro workshops in Madrid, while this famous photo by Capa (right)

could save this key cultural building

...While a series of exciting new architectural trends are making waves in Spanish interior design

Voted

SEE OUR ADVERT INSIDE WITH RESERVATION

Asses in gear CAMPAIGNERS remain sceptical over new plans to improve the lives of Mijas’ famous donkeys. It comes after the town issued proposals to bring in weight limits for riders, while ensuring the donkeys are free of injury and are wearing proper saddles. Under the plan stables must also be up to humane standards and the donkeys must not be overworked. "We have to move with the times," said mayor Juan Carlos Maldonado. "We are going to improve the quality of life of the donkeys which, in turn, contributes to the local economy"

expat paper in Spain

STYLISH: Hip new wine shop wows visitors, while this spacious interior of a new development in La Reserva is tempting world’s wealthiest investors

IN DEMAND

HE Costa del Sol and Barcelona are driving up demand in Spanish property. Data from Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadistica shows that, on an annualised basis, house prices grew 6.8% in the second quarter of 2018 with new-build price tags rising 5.7% (see report page IV). However some areas are clearly picking up more of the slack than others, with Catalunya rising 3.7% while Galicia by just 0.7%. The data is the latest confirmation of a trend of strong demand for Spanish property.

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Spanish property is a hot commodity and that’s not changing anytime soon

It comes as the country is continuing impressive economic growth after being among the worst hit countries by the 2008 crisis. In 2017, the total number of home sales in Spain increased 14.6% to 464,423 units from the previous year, according to

CONTROVERSIAL: Renfe get heavy handed with black man

the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE). Analysts suggest a good portion of the recovery in housing is being driven by foreigners buying homes on the Costa del Sol and in cities like Barcelona. And despite Brexit, the largest number of foreign homebuyers are British, followed by the French, Germans, Belgians, Italians and Swedes. The outlook for Spain’s housing market remains upbeat, with house sales expected to rise by between 10% and 15% to reach about 550,000 transactions this year, according to TINSA, the country’s official valuation and surveying body.

STRANDED Highest rainfall figures in history leave hundreds homeless, one dead and streets destroyed

Letter

Welfare

The mayor added: "The donkey taxi is one of our major tourist attractions and we have to combine this with the welfare of our animals.” However, campaigners warn that the laws, pulled together with local associations, could be simply ‘empty promises’, particularly with elections coming up next year. Campaigner Mike Frizell, from Mijas Pueblo Animal Cruelty, warned that such new laws were meant to be introduced several times in the past years. “We have seen the lies from the mayor over and over again,” Frizell told the Olive Press.

COLLAPSE: Only road between Estepona and Forest Hills caved in by Rio Padron bursting its banks

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HUNDREDS were rescued, while a fireman died, after Malaga was battered by the biggest ‘weather bomb’ in Spain’s history. Dozens of towns were left semi-submerged after huno n s . of litres of water fell in c o n d i t i dreds just 12 hours over Saturday night and Sunday. In Alpandeire, near Ronda, a national record was broken 2/8/18 17:01 the village saw 399.4 liafter

CASHBACK ON YOUR HOUSE

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Hot water

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

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October 24th - November 6th 2018

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Sea weed POLICE in Gibraltar have seized £1.35 million worth of cannabis, following a dangerous high-speed chase at night. Four drug traffickers led the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP), HM Customs and Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP) on a wild goose chase off Europa Point. The men sped around the Rock’s southernmost tip in their inflatable boat, powered by three Yamaha 350 HP outboard engines. Eventually they dumped a total of nine bales of cannabis resin, with a street value of £1.35 million, into the sea.

Delighted

“I am delighted that local law enforcement agencies working in close collaboration were able to frustrate a drug trafficking operation of some magnitude,” said RGP Commissioner Ian McGrail. He added: “We will continue to work tirelessly to make life difficult for those who engage in illicit activity in surrounding waters and send a clear message to drug traffickers that we will be out there in numbers policing the area to thwart their criminal undertakings.”

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Vol. 4 Issue 82 www.gibraltarolivepress.com October 24th - November 6th 2018

SEE PAGE X

Spain looks to protect its social and industrial past, with new laws guaranteeing the safety of key buildings...

workshops in Madrid, while

this famous photo by Capa

(right) could save this key

cultural building

...While a series of exciting new architectural trends are Spanish interior design making waves in

STYLISH: Hip new wine a new development in La shop wows visitors, while this spacious interior Reserva is tempting world’s of wealthiest investors

...Celebrating the new

es I pagXVII See & XVI

IN DEMAND T

HE Costa del Sol and Barcelona are driving demand in Spanish property. up Data from Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadistica shows that, grew 6.8% in the secondon an annualised basis, house prices price tags rising 5.7% (see quarter of 2018 with new-build However some areas are report page IV). clearly picking up more slack than others, with of the It comes Catalunya rising 3.7% while as the country is continuing by just 0.7%. Galicia growth after being among the worst impressive economic The data is the latest hit countries by the 2008 crisis. confirmation of a trend demand for Spanish property. of strong In 2017, the total number of home sales in Spain increased 14.6% to 464,423 units from the previous year, according to

Spanish property is a hot commodity and that’s not changing anytime soon

the Instituto Nacional de Analysts suggest a good Estadistica (INE). portion of the recovery is being driven by foreigners in housing buying homes on the Costa Sol and in cities like Barcelona. del And despite Brexit, the largest number of foreign buyers are British, followed homegians, Italians and Swedes. by the French, Germans, BelThe outlook for Spain’s with house sales expected housing market remains upbeat, to rise by between 10% to reach about 550,000 and 15% transactions this year, according TINSA, the country’s official to valuation and surveying body.

Gibxit: Almost set as Spain and UK ‘reach deal’

SPAIN will not block any final Brexit deal over Gibraltar’s future, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has confirmed. It means that Gibraltar will be able to leave the EU in March next year alongside the UK, with no drastic changes. “Gibraltar will no longer be a problem in arriving at a Brexit deal,” said Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez at an EU leaders summit last week. “If we reach an agreement (soon), great. If not, it doesn’t matter because we’ve got time to reach one,” he added, after discussions with UK leader Theresa

May. While Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was a bit more cautious he said he was ‘optimistic’ a deal would be reached, he confirmed there was still some fine tuning. After flying to London to discuss key issues like the tobacco trade and citizens’ rights, he said: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” He spent a few days in London for Gibraltar Day - a celebration of business and political links with the UK. He also appeared in front of The House of Lords EU Committee to give evidence over the final details of Brexit.

Taxi company leaves disabled pensioner in a rainstorm outside restaurant for two hours A GIBRALTAR taxi company left a 93-year-old disabled woman screaming in agony for two hours while thunderstorms raged on Sunday. Mariola Summerfield MBE, who has no legs and needs to take tranquilizers, was left freezing in her wheelchair by the driver who refused three times to pick up her up. It came as some of the heavi-

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est rain in Gibraltar’s history saw 250 litres per square metres fall in just a few hours. Mariola, who was awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II, shivered under a blanket in the street, having just celebrated a birthday lunch for her grandson in the De Juan fish restaurant. “It was horrible to see her like that,” Mariola’s granddaugh-

EXCLUSIVE By Charlie Smith

He answered questions on his cooperation with Andalucia’s government and the Campo de Gibraltar region in order to serve the interests of cross-border workers and the communities on either side. In the UK’s overall Brexit negotiations with the EU, a hard border in Ireland is thought to be the principal remaining sticking point. Theresa May confirmed this week that the Brexit withdrawal deal was ‘95% done’. It comes despite a protest of more than 500,000 people in London demanding a second referendum, attended by many expats from Spain.

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

NEWS

December 6th - December 19th 2017

‘He deserves it’ Not enoughRonda’s Roman bridge almost collapsstars ing on October 21 in the floods (online). From Page 1

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

There’s been damage to the bridge onto the road to Forest Hills. I have mentioned many times before that if there SMUGGLERS’ WALL was bad weather there could be serious problems. The extremely bad weather we are experiencing is showing this A range weak spot. A range area as a very As a matter of Waitrose Waitrose of ofwines the utmost urgency all heavy lorwines ries should be banned from using this bridge. The weight limit is 15 tonnes and not the 30 tonnes plus that go over this bridge. There is a lot of heavy traffic from the concrete works using this bridge every day. Please let common sense prevail and ban this excessive heavy traffic.

Probing

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

DOOMED: Costa hotel

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

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

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

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ter Gail, 45, told the Olive Press. “We had used the service before,” said Gail, who called

the Gibraltar Taxi Association, specifically requesting wheelchair access 15 minutes prior to leaving the restaurant. Gail explained that the first time the ‘rude’ driver pulled up, he told her grandmother: ‘I’m not here for you’. After a second and third time being refused by the driver, the Summerfields were angry and Gail’s father, John, 65, began shouting abuse at the driver, running after the car, which sped off into the rain

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

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October 2018

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FRUIT growers in the Axarquia are facing a 60% reduction in water use from the La Vinuela reservoir with no solution in sight. The Junta has decided to limit its use as the reservoir is 13 at 22.7% capacity and already could drop even lower if the dry weather keeps up.

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tres per metre square of rainfall in just 12 hours. Estepona and the towns near Antequera were particularly hard hit, while the A-92 motorway was shut and a fireman was swept to his death in Campillos. The damage is still being assessed - expected to run into the tens of millions - with insurance companies’ phones ringing off the hook. As well as substantial damage to roads and buildings, a wall of the historic Arabic baths in Ronda collapsed. At least 400 vehicles were also destroyed.

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of the

ON FILM: Taxi and (right) Mariola Summerfield without passengers. screaming in pain towards “It was disgraceful,” said the end of the experience”. Gail. “You can’t justify the As a co-founder of the Houseunjustifiable, she was literally wives Association, Mariola is a hero for Gibraltarians due to her work defending the sovereignty of the British overseas territory, which saw her present a petition to the Queen in 1966 at Buckingham Palace. Mariola, who was also Gibraltar’s first female juror, chronicled her heroic life in her book, A woman’s place, published in 2007. The Gibraltar Taxi Association - who describe their drivers as ‘extremely professional and courteous in their approach’ - have asked Mariola and family to their office ‘to work something out’, but Gail maintains they ‘did it on purpose’. www.eliteglasscurtains.com The firm officially declined to comment.

Philip Sadd, Estepona

Olive Press Crossword 1 6

Answers on page 30

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NEARLY two dozen pink rubbish bins have been scattered around Palma to raise awareness for breast cancer. For every kilo of glass collected from the 20 pink glass recycling bins, Ecovidrio will donate €1 to breast cancer research through the Sandra Ibarra foundation. Ecovidrio is the nonprofit company responsible for recycling Spain's glass waste. Palma joins cities, including Barcelona and Sevilla, which are raising awareness and funds with over 250 pink bins nationwide.

Perfect pink In ref to your story about pink bins Noraising mastermoney for breast cancer, I have of trick ery been saving all of my glass to take to these special bins. So far I have found bins on Passeig del Born (McDonald’s end) and by the Aquarium (next to the car park entrance. I already took two bags full of bottles down and can’t wait to take more! THE leader of the opposition will not be investigated over allegations his master’s degree was falsely obtained. The Supreme Court will not probe PP boss Pablo Casado (below) after he admitted that Madrid’s Rey Juan Carlos university waived 18 out of 22 of his regional law assignments. While he admitted it was ‘favourab le treatmen t,’ he insisted it did not amount to criminal activity. The court agreed. The PP party has now, in turn, called for PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign over claims his doctoral thesis was part written by someone else. Two ministers, Cristina Cifuentes and Health Minister Carmen Montón, have already resigned over degree scandals this year.

Racial profiling should not happen but I regularly travel through France and Italy on their trains and I’m sorry to say this - when they find the stowaways locked in the toilets they are always Moroccan or black. It’s unfortunate and not fair to those of different ethnicity that have paid for their tickets also, but most ticket inspectors and police know who they are looking for. It is very unfortunate that they may pick on a black person who has a ticket etc. but it seems that the majority without tickets are black.

See Magical Masters on page 6Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017

Jennifer Knowles, Malaga C

Across 6 Relinquish a throne (8) 8 Tibetan oxen (4) 9 Mayonnaise (5,8) 10 Expert in atmospheric conditions (13) 14 Rebirth of the soul in a new body (13) 17 Meteorologist (13) 20 Unknown (4) 21 Freeze (8) Down 1 Turkish currency (4) 2 Outlaw (6) 3 Breakfast food (6) 4 Power of vision (8) 5 Related by blood (4) 7 Blind system of writing (7) 11 Lack of variety (8) 12 Belonging to us (3) 13 Exhibitionist (4-3) 15 Prejudice against old people (6) 16 Baby’s feeding bottle cap (6) 18 Sicilian volcano (4) 19 Clarets (4)

He was racially picked out, as the guards made straight for him without asking anyone else to see their ticket. Why just go for him? They should have checked everyone’s ticket and then you can rightly say he was stupid to not just show it. Even so, it would have been wise for him to show it, but the guards were well out of order. Pretty disgusting to my mind.

CMY

Corking idea What a great incentive - I tend to let the recycling pile up so now I have a great excuse to take out all the old Avenida Rey Jaime 1, Santa Ponca, 0034 871Find 510 277out more on page XX 15 wine bottles - and a few gins.

I just wanted to write in and say that although we have not been receiving your paper here for very long, we all regularly enjoy the read.

This arrogant man refused to show his ticket and got stupid. And of course the ‘poor guy’ got support even from some stupid passengers. And of course everybody immediately pulled the ‘racist card’. He refused, even resisted and had it coming, nothing wrong with it.

Nita de Peterson The Anglican Church Palma Voted BEST

expat paper in Spain October 11th - October 24th 2018 Vol. 2 Issue 39 www.theolivepress.es

Pablo Iglesias sparks cannabis legalisation debate in Spain (online) In a free society you shouldn’t have to ask your government permission to use a natural plant given by our Creator, clearly for healing full stop!! Ok I admit its purpose shouldn’t be recreation and smoking but free people should be allowed to make their own decisions with nature. At the moment none of the cannabis clubs are allowed to accept people without residencia so people like me who live here with just a NIE number get screwed! Debbie Brown, Columbia Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@theolivepress.es or alternatively message us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

REuse REduce REcycle

We use recycled paper

Sink it in the pink! NEARLY two dozen pink rubbish bins have been scattered around Palma to raise awareness for breast cancer. For every kilo of glass collected from the 20 pink glass recycling bins, Ecovidrio will donate €1 to breast cancer research through the Sandra Ibarra foundation. Ecovidrio is the nonprofit company responsible for recycling Spain's glass waste. Palma joins cities, including Barcelona and Sevilla, which are raising awareness and funds with over 250 pink bins nationwide.

No master of trickery THE leader of the opposition will not be investigated over allegations his master’s degree was falsely obtained. The Supreme Court will not probe PP boss Pablo Casado (below) after he admitted that Madrid’s Rey Juan Carlos university waived 18 out of 22 of his regional law assignments. While he admitted it was ‘favourable treatment,’ he insisted it did not to amount criminal activity. The court agreed. The PP party has now, in turn, called for PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign over claims was part thesis doctoral his written by someone else. Two ministers, Cristina Cifuentes and Health Minister Carmen Montón, have already resigned over degree scandals this year. See Magical Masters on page 6Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017

TRAPPED: A car driver desperately tries to escape the deluge that swept dozens of cars out to sea and left hundreds homeless

BURIED ld boy and British Ten dead including a nine-year-o for a century couple in worst flooding in Mallorca

15:36

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Enjoy the read

Playing ‘racist card’

Typical racism in Madrid. Not any documents need to be shown to these guys. It seems that Franco is still very present in Madrid. For those who know what they are talking about, 10,000 people held a meeting for the Vox political party in this beautiful capital. What a fascist party, I guess white people should be treated the same way in different countries.

BUR

Fiona Simkin, Can Pastilla

Kristen Dibos, Palma de Mallorca

Edith Farminer, Mijas

City of fascists

TRAPPED: A car driver desperately tries to escape the deluge that swept dozens of cars out to sea and left hundreds homeless

Pretty disgusting

Peter Sauer, Philippines

Vol. 2 Issue 39 www.theo

Sink it in the pink!

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

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

Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma

SEE MORE IN THE RESTAURANT SECTION INSIDE

Shocking This is really shocking. My heart goes out to those who have lost family, friends and property xxx Val Doughty, Sheffield

R. I. P I could not even start to imagine how a parent feels when faced with this tragic news, R.I.P little man. David Lodge, Malaga

Rotten royal Get the Imprisoned royal thief out to help clean up Iain MacAlba, Palma de Mallorca

e Lion Threpub

Best English Pu in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am

Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Pal

LA CULTURA

Do you have a what’s on?

NEWS

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

Send your informa tion to newsdesk@theolivepr ess.es

what’s on

Deck the halls

Green fingers

Music, gastronomy, design, comfort and great art.

AN exciting new exhibition promoting the vital green lungs of underwater Mallorca is set to be unveiled at one of the island’s leading hotels. OD Port Portals combines Critically acclaimed intergood location with national artist, Antonio Vilcontemporary and lanueva mediterranean design. will be revealing his environmentally conscious For work or for pleasure, exhibition, POSIDONIA at as a true symbol of thePortals OD isPort Portals Hotel quality, OD Port everything anyone tonight (Thursday) from staying in Majorca can 7.30pm. ever wish for. A lively The Ibizan painter has tradplace, with its edownhis usual brushes and events, Burger Meets Gin, Mexican Brunch or Tasting Brunch, where locals and visitors are welcome.

H F

un Fair

Proceeds

SANTANYI is celebrating their annual autumn fair from today through Sunday, with the main events on Saturday including a massive market, local farm animals to see, live music and performances all ending with a traditional Correfoc.

Carols will be sung by the tools for dried posidonia students from the Baleares seagrass - a species endemic International College, while to the Mediterranean sea students can meet Father to create a series of unique Christmas. works. Press 2018_Layout 1 16/04/2018 All proceeds will 14:57 go toPage the1 It promises to takeOlive visitors church in Palma and a local on a journey explaining the school for children with disimportance of conserving abilities. fauna, flora and the waters of the Mediterranean. The exhibition continues until November 25, and is the Welcome to latest step in the OD Group’s St. Andrew’s commitment to protect the Carrer de Mestral, 4 Puerto Pollença environment.

Sundays

10am Sung Eucharist followed by refreshments

Thursdays

12.30pm Said Eucharist

Wednesdays Av. Tomàs Blanes Tolosa, 4 11am-1.30pm Coffee Morning 07181 Calvià | Mallorca ~ homemade cakes & soups +34 971 675 956 odportportals.com You are most welcome!

Mallorca is set to welcome a host of stars for its annual film festival PALMA is about to be invaded by giant cinema screens and paparazzi as it welcomes its hotly anticipated Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. The glitzy event, now in its seventh year, will kick off with a Gala Opening event tonight to officially mark the beginning of the week-long star-studded affair. In a bid to ‘bridge the gap between culture and people’ through film and art, the festival will screen dozens of films across numerous venues in Palma. Described as one of the ‘fastest-growing film festivals’ in the Mediterranean, the

alloween horror

THE Olive Tree in Palmanova is hosting a ‘Fang-tastic Halloween Evening’ on October 31. With holiday themed cocktails and a night of terror and fright planned, head down for the adults only event and aim to win a prize for best costume.

We are next door to Burger King!

Starry nights

arley fest

HARLEY Davidson fans can join the 115th anniversary celebrations for the massive motorcycle brand at Port Adriano on November 1. All day the port will host an exhibition of Harleys in Mallorca, joined by a market, a tattoo stand, barber station and food trucks to cater to Harley lovers.

GET into the Christmas spirit with one of the island’s first festive fairs of the year. Hosted by Palma's Anglican Church, the Christmas bazaar on November 17 will be offering all things festive and jolly. Kicking off with a market selling seasonal treats, including mince pies and homemade jams, visitors can buy Christmas gifts and enter in a raffle.

ECO ART: Antonio Villanueva

October 25th - November 7th 2018

Chaplain: (+34) 971 866 689

www.anglicanchurchmallorca.org

Christmas Bazaar The Anglican Church

C/. Nunez de Bilboa 6, 07014, Son Armadans, Palma

Saturday 17th November 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.

Father STAR-STUDDED: (Left) Melissa Leo and DeVito event will welcome directors and industry professionals to introduce world premiere screenings, Q&As and art and

Drive-thru VINTAGE drive-in cinema nights will be pulling up to stylish Port Adriano, as part of Mallorca’s international film festival. Designed by award winning French designer Phillippe Starck, the time warp cinema boasts a 30-foot tall movie screen and space for up to 50 cars. For just €10 per car, film lovers can enjoy the outdoor cinema and a series of gourmet food stands offering the island’s best cuisine. On Saturday October 27, Disney's CoCo plays at 8pm, followed by romcom Daddy Issues at 10pm – both showing in English. On Sunday Romanian hit Hawaii will play at 7pm with English subtitles, with James Cameron's iconic Aliens on at 9:30pm in English.

Live Music

film exhibitions, Short films, documentaries, animated films and feature films will be shown, including the Oscar winning film The Fighter – a true story about a low-level boxer and his rise to glory. Actress Melissa Leo, who won an Oscar for her role in the film as the mother of Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, will be at the screening on October 27 at Cineciutat and hosting a Q&A after.

Vision

Santa Catalina resident and Hollywood A-Lister Mads Mikkelsen will be receiving the Evolution Vision Award this year, while Goya winning actress Marisa Paredes will be receiving the Evolution Honorary Award. Previous winners include Pilous Asbaek from Game of Thrones and Hollywood legend Danny DeVito. This year the festival is celebrating Sweden as their guest country – with special exhibitions featuring native artists such as Max Anderson, Sara Graner and Erik Svetoft.

Christmas

Jewellery Toys

Cards

Gifts Games

Bric-a-Brac

Christmas Cards and Calendars

Decorations

Hand made gifts, toys and cards

Books and C.D.s

Christmas CAKES and Mince Pies

Jams and pickles …….and much more! Snacks and Refreshments

Grand Christmas Raffle

Mulled Wine, Pork pies, Mince Pies Hot dogs, bacon butties etc., Games Guess the Weight of the Cake Lucky Dip Roll a Ball

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08-Olive.pdf

CMY

19/7/18

16:27

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

Property

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

www.theolivepress.es

The Brit architects taking Madrid by storm

October 25th - November 7th 2018

October 2018

Preserving the old...

SEE PAGE VIII

Spain looks to protect its social and industrial past, with new laws guaranteeing the safety of key buildings... Se e III pa & ge V s

SAVED: An iconic metro workshops in Madrid, while this famous photo by Capa (right) could save this key cultural building

STYLISH: Hip new wine shop wows visitors, while this spacious interior of a new development in Palma Bay is tempting world’s wealthiest investors

...Celebrating the new

Se e p IV ag e

...While a series of exciting new architectural trends are making waves in Spanish interior design

IN DEMAND T HE Balearics, Madrid and Barcelona are driving up demand in Spanish property. Data from Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadistica shows that, on an annualised basis, house prices grew 6.8% in the second quarter of 2018 with new-build price tags rising 5.7% (SEE REPORT PAGE II). However some areas are clearly picking up more of the slack than others, with Catalunya rising 3.7% while Galicia by just 0.7%. The data is the latest confirmation of a trend of strong demand for Spanish property. It comes as the country is continuing an impressive economic

Spanish property is a hot commodity and that’s not changing anytime soon

growth after being among the worst hit by the 2008 crisis. In 2017, the total number of home sales in Spain increased 14.6% to 464,423 units from the previous year, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE). Analysts suggest a good portion of the recovery in housing is being driven by foreigners buying homes on the Costa del Sol, Balearics and in cities like Barcelona. The INE publish regional house prices changes in the last two

quarters show the hottest markets as Madrid, Catalonia, and the Balearics. The Spanish house price index published by Tinsa – one of Spain’s biggest appraisal companies – also shows house price changes by area, with the big cities (mainly Barcelona and Madrid) up 9.8% in May, the Mediterranean coast up 4,8%, and the Balearic and Canary Islands up 9.2%. And despite Brexit, most foreign homebuyers are British, followed by the French, Germans, Belgians, Italians and Swedes. The outlook for Spain’s housing market remains upbeat, with house sales expected to rise by between 10% and 15% to reach about 550,000 transactions this year, according to TINSA.

II12

October 2018

PROPERTY

October 25th - November 7th 2018

www.theolivepress.es

House prices show a steady recovery, writes Mark Stucklin SPAIN’S property market is welland-truly back in business, according to the latest market reports. The SPI House Price Index Tracker plots the progress of the six mostwatched house price indices in Spain, and brings them together in the chart above. The residential property price indices were updated in Q3 2018 (all figures show latest year-on-year percentage change): •

The Ministry of Public Works (Fomento) +3.8% in the second quarter, based on official valuations

•

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) index +6.8% in the second quarter

•

The Spanish Land Registrars’ Association +10.68 in the second quarter

• •

OFFICIAL GROWTH: Government figures, by region, for the year’s first and second quarter

The Association of Spanish Notaries index -4.5% in July

•

The Idealista.com (property portal) resale asking price index +9.2% in August

•

The Tinsa index based on property valuations carried out by the company +5.6% in August

UPWARDS: There has been a very healthy rise in construction this year

Going strong As I always point out, these national indices don’t tell us anything about local markets, but they do give us some idea of where we are in the property market cycle. With the exception of the volatile index published by the notaries, which seems to go up and down like a yoyo, all of the main indices now show Spanish house prices as rising in what looks like a well-established recovery. The INE publish regional house prices changes in the last two quar-

ters, as illustrated by the following chart showing the hottest markets as Madrid, Catalonia, and the Balearics. The Spanish house price index published by Tinsa – one of Spain’s biggest appraisal companies – also shows house price changes by area, with the big cities (mainly Barcelona and Madrid) up 9.8% in May, the Mediterranean coast up 4,8%, and the Balearic and Canary Islands up 9.2%. More info at www.spanishpropertyinsight.com.

#ClimateChangeIsReal

THERE IS NO PLANET B

Only Mallorca Real Estate - Here to make a difference

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

October 2018

Green light

Giddy heights for top Mallorca earners Historic building made famous by war photographer Robert Capa set to rise from the ashes of conflict PRICEY: Mountain property

MALLORCA'S top earners prefer to live in the mountains, according to new statistics. The wealthiest residents on the island live in or on the edge of the Sierra Tramuntana, but prefer the villages closest to Palma. It means Valldemossa, Esporles, Bunyola and Alaró are the the towns that rank highest in Mallorca, according to the new information released by the tax office. The four communities, all within 30 minutes of the capital, are also among the top 50 highest earning communities in Spain. The nearly 2,000 working people in Valldemossa earn an average annual income of almost €40,000, the highest in Mallorca. Residents in Capdepera, in contrast earn on average €20,400 annually with, Son Servera, Sa Pobla and Llosesta earning only slightly more. The Balearic Island rank fifth in Spain with the highest gross income per inhabitant.

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IT was the silent witness to the horrors of war. No.10 Peironcely Street in Vallecas, on the outskirts of Madrid, made it into history books thanks to a photograph Robert Capa took in the winter of 1936, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War.

Rubble The candid picture shows three kids sitting on the pavement amid the rubble after the building was blasted by German bombs. Now Madrid City Council is masterminding the neglected property’s renaissance with plans to buy it from its current owner and convert it into a cultural space dedicated to that his-

AN abandoned five-storey complex is to be given a new lease of life. The derelict Son Ferragut complex in Palma is to be turned into luxury apartments. The project to build the complex began in 2002, and construction started in 2007 but was quickly stopped due to the financial crisis and a lack of financing. The property located behind Son Olivia is now in the hands

of the 'bad bank' Sareb, which has now given the city authorization to build on the land. The plot is 110,000 square metres with 31,000m to be used for the apartments. The development will mean that an adjacent park named after a pilot can also finally open. The Salvador Hedilla park, named after the first pilot to fly to the island, was finished in 2015 but never opened to the public.

Home of the forgotten

Buried treasure A MEDIEVAL mosque that has remained a secret for centuries has been discovered by chance in the city centre of Toledo. Archaeologist Arturo Ruiz de Taboada was restoring a public building in calle Tornerias, thought to be a Roman cistern, when he realised it was something far different. He has now revealed a monumental Moorish building dating from between the end of the Roman and beginning of the Visigoth eras. Each outer wall is more than 12 metres in length, organised in arches, and is the first of its kind to be found inside a city. The discovery ups Toledo’s count of Moorish mosques to three.

Turn to page 28 for a roundup of the most impressive mosques around Spain.

Tall order LEGENDARY: Famous photo by Capa (inset below) and (right) the building today

toric era. The new Capa Centre, to be christened after the

Winter rental blueS RENTAL prices have not dropped as they usually do in the autumn on the island. A shortage of new housing and high construction costs have made the demand higher than usual for off-season housing, according to the Association of Real Estate Agents. President José María Mir explained that when there was a surplus of rental housing available, residents moved around more, finding better apartments and making more availability. But now that competition and prices have increased, tenants are staying in housing longer, taking advantage of the law which allows three year price guarantees. There is also a shortage of places to rent and new properties becoming available are being snapped up fast. With the numerous changes to rental laws, and larger fines being levied for infracciones, a number of previously rented flats are being sold.

award-winning Hungarian war photographer, will ‘recover a story that had been erased’, according to José Maria Uría of the trade unionist Fundación Anastasio de Gracia. But the project faces one major hurdle: the need to relocate the 14 families who still live in the rundown property. “We obviously know that this is a historical place but, for us, it’s just where we live”, said Cristina Uquillas, one of the residents who

lives with her mother and her two children. Others see the change more positively, since the building is infested with rats and mosquitoes and vulnerable to extreme weather. Madrid Council has defended the new protected status of the building, ‘not just for its status as an example of early 20th-century construction, but also because of its value as a testimony of historical memory’.

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Photography is by Imagen Subliminal

October 2018

STYLISH: The wine racks are part of Vinas & Viandas’ design

Design corker A new hip wine shop has taken inspiration from its stock

MIRRORS: Customers can see the design from all angles

SHOP in Valladolid is popping corks in the world of architecture after basing its design around its main moneymaker wine bottles. Vinas & Viandas, created by Zooco Estudio, is a cave-like structure in the city centre using elements based on wine bottles and barrels. Wine racks line either side of the space surrounded by curved walls and furniture all designed to imitate the shape of wine bottles, barrels and the vaulted ceilings of old wine cellars.

...Bodega beauty Meanwhile, Rioja’s famous Marques de Riscal is celebrating 160 years in business. Located in Elciego, Alava, the award-winning 100,000sqm estate is home to the iconic Frank

Photography is by Imagen Subliminal

Leitmotiv “The circumference shape is very noticeable in the world of wine,” explained the Madrid and Santander-based studio. “It can be seen in the wooden barrels that are visible inside the cellars, in the bottles, and in the antique vaulted cellars. Therefore, the circumference introduces us into this world as the leitmotiv of the project. “The space is perceived as a sequence of wooden ribs in which the circumference shape is even more present.”

O.Gehry building, which can only be compared to Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum. The incredible design is nestled between vineyards, tradition and hundreds of years worth of history.

CONTRASTS: Between the historic cellars and curving lines above

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Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists are keeping Spain’s working class history alive

EDRO Sanchez’s Socialist government is taking steps to preserve the working class history of millions of Spaniards.

October 25th - November 7th 2018

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October 2018

toiling to remember The Ministry of Culture and Sport is reforming the Historical Heritage Act of 1985 to protect the memories and history of those who toiled in

factories. Workers have fought to preserve these areas of industrial importance, with the workshops at the Metro

garages of Cuatro Caminos, Madrid being a particularly high profile example. “In the ministry we consider it necessary to conserve and study them,” a government spokesman said. “These are essential testimonies to document and understand the last two centuries of our history.” Alongside a chapter on industrial heritage, Javier García Fernández, secretary to Culture Minister José Guirao, wants to introduce new provisions to protect all the laws of autonomous communities in Spain. The law changes will be seen by many as a continuation of a campaign of historical remembrance by Sanchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). They recently sought to ‘right the wrongs’ of the Spanish Civil War by exhuming dictator General

STRIVING: Pedro Sanchez

Franco’s remains from the Valley of the Fallen in Madrid. Sanchez’s second month in office also saw him order that a Madrid house bombed by the Nazi’s and immortalised by photojournalist Robert Capa be preserved as a reminder of the war.

PROTECTED: The iconic-shaped workshops at Cuatro Caminos and (right) historic internal shot

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October 2018

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A tale of two very British architects taking

Towering success Sotogrande-based British architect makes his mark in Madrid...

RITISH expat architect Mark Fenwick’s career, like his buildings, is soaring to new heights. With his business partner Javier Iribarren, the Spain-based designer’s Fenwick Iribarren firm is one of the world’s most recognised architectural firms, with a portfolio that includes Barcelona’s award-winning CornellàEl Prat football stadium and new stadia for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Now, with Madrid’s Espacio Caleido or ‘big sculpture’, as Fenwick brands

it, set to be the fifth tower in Madrid’s Business Area - the duo are embarking on one of their most ambitious projects yet. The 180-metre tower will change the capital’s skyline forever due to its unique upside-down T shape which will be the first of its kind in the world. It will hold three levels of parking, the Business Institute, a university campus and jaw-dropping views over the city and its mountain backdrop. “Everything begins with a pencil and a blank piece of paper;” explains Fen-

wick (above), who grew up in Torremolinos, but now resides in Sotogrande. The rest is ‘a lot of hard work and a bit more, a lot more than others.’ This was especially true when the financial crash of 2008 threatened to destroy everything the Brit had worked for. But the tough designer revealed he sought inspiration from the Chinese definition of ‘crisis’, represented by two symbols - one meaning danger and the other opportunity.

Crippled

ICONIC: Mark Fenwick’s 180-metre T-shaped tower, set for Madrid

As much of the western world was crippled by the crash, Fenwick sought emerging markets in the Middle East. It was in Qatar where the Brit was able to forge good relations with the crown prince, negotiating the rights to construct the now iconic Cameldrome stadium. Building on that success, Fenwick Iribarren is now constructing three of the eight stadiums to be used for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

WORK OF ART: Stadium design in Qatar

Keys Isl nd to the

By Amanda Butler

Musings of an estate agent Amanda Butler writes about the ups and downs of selling properties on the island

ANYONE reading and following my bi-weekly article will know that I have been fortunate enough to have had two offers on two properties in the last few weeks. I’m pleased to report that the seafront duplex apartment in Palmanova at 1.7 million is progressing quite nicely, albeit the lawyers procrastinating over the Option Contracts which can be rather painful for both the buyer and the seller since there is still no certainty as yet for either side. One wonders why it takes so long, however I am 99% certain this will be signed and a deposit sent by the end of the week, so looking good! However, the second offer on the Bunyola property listed at 2.5 was gazumped by a third party, so keen to have it that they had the option drawn up in two days and a deposit received by the fifth day! Rather irritating considering I have been

trying to sell this property for several years, only to have opportunists making ridiculous offers in the past, and then having three different parties making offers all at the same time! There is no rhyme or reason, however I must have visited it myself at least 20 times over the last

year, so very disappointing for me. That said, I received a third offer from another agent just last night on a country villa in Felanitx on at 2.35 million, which I sold to the current owners 10 years ago (yes that’s three in a row, pretty good going for many larger agencies, never mind an inde-

pendent like myself!). Anyway, I have been working as the seller’s representative, introducing the agents I felt would do the best job. It has been an interesting process since I am effectively working as if I were the owner, (with the owner paying me separately for my

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

work) and the agents being given their standard 5%. It’s been on the market for three years now with few viewings and no offers – a long time by UK standards - however with an average selling time of a year it’s not so unusual in Mallorca. Unfortunately, most of the agents have appeared very disinterested with the property, having generated very few leads between the three key agents I introduced. This offer is in fact from a fourth agent only recently introduced, who had similar enthusiasm to me when I first saw it, I was pleased to see. It wasn’t right for the first client they brought along, but the second client who came on Saturday liked it immediately, and came in with an offer last night, which we’re still negotiating over. But since we are quite close I am pretty confident it will happen. So it just goes to show how important it is to work with agents who actually like and take an interest in your house, rather than being one of many they are not enthused about. It is also worth having faith that if you liked it, it can be a case of all patience in finding that one right person or couple to walk over the threshold, and it can be love at first sight!

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IX October 2018

Madrid by storm

Columbus would be proud ...while Norman Foster’s new opus is so transparent you can barely see it

RITISH ‘starchitect’ Norman Foster is making his mark in the heart of Madrid with a see-through glass box called Axis. The cube-shaped steel and glass structure will harness solar power to turn the capital’s 2.769 hours of sunshine into energy and allow trees and plants to grow indoors. The complex of shops and offices topped with an open-air sky terrace will transform a 1970s building in Plaza Colon once home to Barclays Bank into a green icon, promises the Prtzker Prize-winning owner of Foster + Partners. “Situated at one of the most important intersections in Madrid, Axis is a new landmark for the city that reflects the prestige and importance of the site,” Foster explained. “It establishes a new vision for the existing 1970s structure, stripping it back to its essence and creating a flexible, future-proof building that will endure. Its striking façade will also nurture a new identity and sense of place for the city of Madrid.” The four-storey building’s diamond-shaped glass and stainless steel façade is adapted for Madrid’s climate, pulling light, life and gre-

enery inside. A soaring atrium connects shops on the ground floor with the offices above, crowned by an open-air rooftop terrace and garden – a rarity in Madrid. The optimised geometry of the slightly slanted cube design responds to structural efficiency, minimising energy and material consumption. The iconic edifice – Foster’s second in the city along with the Torre Cepsa – will join other statement buildings around Plaza Colon, named after Christopher Columbus. It will sit on Paseo de la Castellana, where the neighbourhoods of modish Salamanca, Chamberi and the Centre meet, in view of a statue of the great explorer and close to the extraordinary Torres de Colon, twin towers nicknamed El Enchufe because of the plug-like structure binding them together. Axis is expected to be open by next summer.

NEW ADDITION: Iconic building to be built by pioneering Brit in Madrid’s city centre

October 25th - November 7th 2018

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October 2018

PROPERTY

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Heritage homes Whether you want to live in a Roman settlement, a Moorish citadel or a Christian stronghold, you’ll be buying into a piece of the nation’s heritage in any of these eight historic designer towns

HEY are part of Spain’s living history - towns shaped over millennia by conquering civilisations with architectural styles that can never be repeated. Everyone from Romans to Moors and Christians have had a hand in their creation. And luckily for us, this diverse history has left dozens of

Spanish towns with their own unique design. Following our coverage of Spain’s most beautiful villages, we shine the spotlight on eight lesser-known gems singled out for their centuries-old design and benchmark architecture. If you’re house-hunting, here’s where you can invest in a piece of the nation’s history.

FORTIFICATIONS: Perfectly intact in this Pyrenees gem

Besalu, Catalunya THIS stunning town has kept much of its medieval structures in tact. The fortified citadel is laced with narrow cobbled streets that link to its iconic medieval bridge which is lit up every night.

TESTS OF TIME: Merida’s incredibly long Roman bridge and (below) temple

Mérida, Extremadura

ICONIC: Gaudi left his mark on this quaint village

IN case you were in any doubt that Romans once ruled Spain, a trip to Merida will set you right. Home to the best-preserved ruins in the country, the Extremadura capital boasts the Puente Romano, the longest Roman bridge ever built and still used by pedestrians today. Its 16BC Roman Theatre could accommodate almost 6,000 spectators, making it one of the biggest arenas in the world relative to that time.

Comillas, Cantabria FEW people know that the small town of Comillas is home to an iconic Antoni Gaudi building. The El Capricho building is unique among the Barcelona architect’s work, given its Persian minaret style. Other stunning structures include the Sobrellano Palace.

Renovated finca with gorgeous Tramuntana views 4 Beds ● 3 Baths ● 314 m²Living ● 8.000 m² – Plot ● Pool ● €2.250.000 ● Ref: 15009

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

Beautifully renovated stone built country home just 15 minutes from Palma, in tranquil countryside with gorgeous lavender garden set amongst natural Mediterranean grounds. 4 double bedrooms, country kitchen with separate dining room, several al-fresco dining options, carport. Walking distance to sought after village of Santa Maria.

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

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October 2018

Peñíscola, Valencia KNOWN as the ‘town in the sea’ - or the ‘Gibraltar of Valencia’ - no wonder hit fantasy series Game of Thrones couldn’t resist filming here. The former fishing village was used for some of the famous scenes from Mereen, and since then the visitors haven’t stopped coming. Visit the Castle of Pope Luna atop the Peniscola hill for a mindblowing 360° view. FILM SET: Peniscola in Valencia

ICONIC: Homes on the cliff edge in Cuenca

Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha THE capital of Castilla-La Mancha is most famous for its ‘hanging houses’ built into the rocks. But this small city of around 50,000 inhabitants has other attractions. Perched

on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of 956m, it’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its wellpreserved history. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace was the first in

Spain built in the Gothic style while Plaza Mayor, the magnificent central square, showcases one of the country’s finest examples of Baroque architecture in its Town Hall.

Olite, Navarre

Setenil de las Bodegas, Andalucia

THIS tiny town, home to just 3,000 people, flaunts a fairytale palace that wouldn’t look out of place at Disneyland. Built over several centuries, the Palace of the Kings is a fortress consisting of two royal residences and the church of Santa Maria la Real. Its mild Mediterranean climate has also made Olite one of the capitals of Spanish wine, so make sure you sign up for a tasting tour.

PROBABLY the most unique town in Spain, much of the population of 3,000 live under a rock - and many of the rest in caves. Legend has it that Setenil was built underneath a cliff to provide shade during the sweltering summers while keeping heat in during the winter. Setenil evolved from a fortified Moorish settlement and got its name from wineries which were carved out from within the rock. Today the town produces olive oil and almonds as well as wine.

HISTORIC: The centre of Salamanca

Salamanca, Castile and León SALAMANCA is home to Spain’s oldest university, founded in the 13th century. It is actually the third oldest in the world and once schooled Miguel de Cervantes, Spain’s answer to Shakespeare. Other than its links to literary greats, this stunning city is a perfect example of old meeting new, with medieval structures intertwined seamlessly with 21st century buildings and homes. MEDIEVAL: The tiny town of Olite

FEARLESS: Homes and bars under rocks

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BUSINESS

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Power to the people

THE government has signed a landmark deal to protect the rights of Spain’s self-employed. The changes to Spanish taxation, revealed as part of the General State Budgets 2019, will link the contributions of self-employed workers to their actual incomes. The changes are part of a government roll-out of fiscal measures to achieve a fairer society and in essence the changes mean that from 2019 workers with lower incomes pay a lower state contribution.

Regressed

In the budget statement the government said: “After seven years of cuts and suffocation our country has regressed on equal opportunities, in social cohesion, in freedoms and rights, in democratic quality and in coexistence.” The announcement comes as the government also agree to ending so-called ‘false self employment’ before the end of 2018 by including a law that says workers offering their services for hire are - in monetary terms - employed by the company hiring them. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias signed the agreement into law at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid this month.

October 25th - November 7th 2018

SPAIN has received less tourists this summer for the first time since 2013. The latest figures reveal that 700,000 less travellers came to the country this year. The drop comes as rival destinations like Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt and Greece have enjoyed a comeback thanks to lower prices.

Expat survey ranks Spain near bottom for wages but features almost top for quality of life SPAIN has made it into the top 15 as one of the best countries in the world but with mixed rating, a recent expat study has revealed. Although it dropped three places since 2017, the country that offers sun, sea and sangria is still keeping expats happy, as respondents awarded Spain 14th place, in HSBC’s 11th Expat Explorer survey.

Wellbeing

Singapore has been chosen for the fourth year running as expats’ overall number one destination, with higher salaries, more work opportunities and excellent education. In the category of economic

Summer dip in tourism Tourism minister Reyes Maroto maintained a positive outlook, saying Spain was aiming for ‘quality over quantity’, pointing to the 2.8% boost in tourists’ spending.

Catalunya lost the most amount of tourists with a 5% drop, which was blamed on ‘political instability’ - although it still accounted for 23.4% of all tourists, the highest out of all the regions in Spain.

Can’t buy happiness

well-being, Spain has finished almost last at number 27 out of 30 countries reviewed, with expats earning less than the collective average of all nations considered. Switzerland unsurprisingly takes the top spot in the category, ahead of Germany and Singapore, while Turkey came in last. The study is based on expat interviews with some 22,000 professionals from 163 different countries, analysing three key areas - economy, quality of life and family. The country performed very poorly in areas of entrepreneurship, income, promotion opportunities, job security and a lack of saving possibilities.

WAGE CONCERNS: Spain almost bottom But despite the apparent financial woes of expats, the country jumps up to second place for high quality of life,

just losing out to New Zealand and ahead of Taiwan, with Brazil finishing bottom of the pile.

NOT A FAN: Casado

Budget bashed THE leader of the opposition in Spain, has labelled the budget proposals of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist government ‘economically suicidal.’ Casado, leader of the PP party, is opposed to a proposed higher state spending, significantly increased minimum wage and higher taxes. Speaking to the Financial Times, Casado called the plans ‘a new deep crisis when we still have not exited the last one.’ Sanchez and his PSOE party are looking to bridge the gaps of inequality in Spain, as staunch Socialist stronghold Andalucia heads to the polls early in December for local elections. Polling day in Spain’s southernmost region will be a test for the PSOE’s policies, which Casado and his PP party will be looking to combat. He said: “I don’t want to insult our former voters. I want to win them back. I want them to come home.”

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Key exchanges

www.theolivepress.es By FX trader Mark Rickard

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Why invest in Spain? Gibraltar H ERE on the Spanish costas we have experienced a bumper five years for property

sales. Today we are seeing more and more new developments stretching the length of the coast, bespoke villas, contemporary apartments and solid, commercial infrastructure to accommodate their new occupants. Despite slowing numbers of Brits (we all know why), Northern Europeans are flocking to the Costa del Sol for the usual pluses of sunshine and lifestyle, rarely matched anywhere else in Europe. However, the two perpetual and usual reasons for the attractiveness of our beloved coastline are not always the only reasons for seasoned property investors to part with their hard-earned cash. There are now plenty of other ingredients at play which are leading to a deluge of investors to hunt for property on the coast ...and they have been piling in! Much of this is thanks to banks finally starting to lend again, in a big way. Mortgages are much more

There is an increasing number of commercial property investors looking for a solid investment on the Costa del Sol, writes Mark Rickard

readily available than they were two years ago and even non-residents can expect to get up to 70% of the property’s value. Here are the key elements to a good property investment: •

Low cost of borrowing - still under 3% in Spain

•

Good LTV terms (loan to value)

•

Up to 70% for non-residents

•

Yields between five and 10%

This of course depends on occupancy and short or long term rentals. One thing for sure though, capital growth, is good and prices have been rising on the costas for the last five years consistently, and now

faster than ever. Spain also has a decent stable economy, at present and the country has certainly benefited from its EU membership. It has helped to lead to a stable currency and an investor never wants to see his or her income depreciate by a weak exchange rate. I’m sure a seasoned agent can offer many more reasons to invest in Spain from their knowledge bank. I’m not an expert, so I’ll leave that to them. But, from what I can surmise with the elements above and in my financial capacity, the property market should remain stable for some time to come. Viva the Spanish costas!

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

deal may still tumble There is many a slip between cup and lip when it comes to deals like the complex Brexit one, writes Michael Doherty

HE news that the expats are the Spanish and UK gov- wider British ernments have struck family who are a Brexit deal over Gi- feeling particubraltar will ease the fears of larly vulnerthe many British expats who able. have made their home in Their first conthe area and the thousands cern, underof Spaniards who travel to standably, is the territory to work. for their own I don’t want to cause any personal afsleepless nights, but I would fairs: their penjust remind them of the old sions, health BOSS: Michael Doherty is CEO of the caution that there’s many a care, transfer Woodbrook Group slip between cup and lip. of capital. Some points of the agree- But they also need to give Loss of British tourism, ment are still to be finalised some thought to how the which contributes 1.2% of and they are pretty funda- economy will fare in the Andalucia’s GDP, is an obvimental since they include country where they live. And ous concern, but nobody retobacco tax, free movement not just the country, but the ally expects that decline to be huge or long-lasting. of labour and control of the region. airport. New research has shown Andalucia’s response to the Prime Minister Pedro San- that the impact of Brex- survey highlighted other, more serious, fears chez has said that, so far as it - particularly an - about foreign inSpain is concerned, the Gi- unplanned and vestment, agbraltar issue is ‘solved’ and messy Brexit riculture and ‘will no longer be a prob- will vary hugetrade. lem”’. ly, not just Officials said Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s from country a particular chief minister, was a little to country concern was more hesitant. A ‘fairly final’ but from the potential protocol had been agreed, region to reloss of subsihe said. gion within dies from the He is right to be cautious be- the bigger EU Common cause Gibraltar is just one countries. Agricultural Polsmall piece in the complex Nobody doubts icy when London jigsaw of the Brexit nego- that the UK will no longer contribtiations. These negotiations suffer most from an utes to the budget, arguhave been conducted on the unplanned Brexit. basis that nothing is agreed However, Ireland, because ing that the cut here could until everything is agreed. of its extensive and deep be as high as €190 million And for the moment, al- economic links to the UK, is a year. though many also very vul- Andalucía has called for a European fund to mitigate issues have nerable. been sorted And a survey the harmful effects of BrexAndalucia has out, a final by the EU’s it. But what about the indiagreement C o m m i t t e e vidual problems of the many called for a still looks a of the Re- expats? European fund to gions shows The wider economy is in the long way off. A no-deal mitigate Brexit’s that, even lap of the gods - and, more Brexit remains in countries worryingly, the politicians effects a grim possithat look well- but when it comes to their bility and that positioned to personal economic circumcould bring shrug off Brex- stances, I would urge all exthe Gibraltar protocol tum- it, some districts may suffer pats to take advice. A good financial adviser bling down, along with the quite badly. many other agreements that The committee sent a ques- will help you set a plan for have been reached. tionnaire on Brexit to offi- getting and keeping your finances in shape. WoodWe should not be surprised. cials in every EU region. Divorce proceedings are The biggest concern was brook Group are experts in never amicable and rarely from Spain, and Andalu- the field and can help guide go smoothly. Families often cia was the region with the you through the very stormy waters of Brexit. suffer and, in this case, the most worry

*For more information, contact our team at the Woodbrook Group Office in Marbella: Av. Ricardo Soriano, 72 Edificio Golden Portal B, 1ª Planta 29601 Marbella, Málaga, Spain. Telephone: +34 952768471 • Email: officemarbella@woodbrookgroup.com • Woodbrook Group is regulated by CySEC.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

25 25

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TASTY: Sevilla gym

Colour of the sun ONE of Britain’s biggest gin companies has paid homage to Sevilla with a new flavour inspired by the Andalucian city. Tanqueray has unveiled its soft Flor de Sevilla distilled gin, made with Spanish orange essences and blossoms.

Special

It comes as Pantone, the worldwide standardised colour production guide, has also revealed a special colour for the Andalucian capital, which has been used on Tanqueray’s new crystal bottle. The tone, named Orange FFAB60, was created through a chromatic study using Google Street View, analysing more than 1,000 streets and 30 cultural sites in Sevilla, such as the famous Plaza de Espana. Tanqueray’s latest creation is not a limited edition, so gin lovers will be able to get their hands on a bottle for the foreseeable future.

SPANIARDS will have the longest life expectancy in the world by 2040 while the UK will sit in 23rd place, a study has revealed. Beating Japan into second place, the Spanish are predicted to enjoy an average lifespan of 85.8 years thanks to their healthy Mediterranean diet, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle. Experts say the biggest threats to global wellbeing and human lifespan will be high blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as obesity and tobacco

October 25th - November 7th 2018 October 25th November 7th 2018

On the up

and alcohol consumption. “Spain does really well in those areas,” said Dr Christopher Murray, director of the IHME, “although tobacco is an area where they could be better.” In 2016, Japan held the title for the world’s highest life expectancy, due to a well-balanced diet with more fish than red meat and very little processed food and sugar. Currently in 26th place, the UK is predicted to rise up to 23rd place with life expectancy increasing from 80.8 years to 83.3 years in 2040.

Wining for a reason Archaeologists demand historic Phoenician bodega be turned into cultural centre

A VINEYARD producing wines before the birth of Jesus could be transformed into a tourist centre. Archaeologists are demanding that the 2,300-year-old winery - set up during the Phoenician period, near Cadiz - be turned into a museum into ancient winemaking traditions Nestled in the Sierra de San Cristobal, between Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa Maria, the 2,000 square metre site was found hidden in undergrowth in 1991.

Sweet

The winery, known to be the oldest in Western civilisation, counts on two wine presses, ovens to produce sweet wine and storage space for vats. However, fears are growing that the site could be

What’s on for foodies!

ood Passion

THE 6th edition of Port Adriano's Food Passion event returns every Friday through Sunday with special set menus throughout the marina. Top restaurants including Vino del Mar, Coast by East, and Restaurante Bruno off threecourse menus for €18 or less every weekend.

BINDI Indian in Santa Catalina is turning their usual Street Food Wednesdays into a Halloween treat, with scary street entertainers, wicked cocktails and ghostly beasts serving nibbles and bites. Come in costume for a special cocktail at the door.

G HISTORIC FIND: Bodega in Cadiz

pooky Indian

in Burger

THE opening of Burger meets Gin is on November 9 at the OD Port Portals hotel. From 8pm grab a 3-course menu including two burgers with a top notch gin and tonic for only €22, or mix and match your own snacks and gins while listening to live music.

desecrated and allowed to go to ruin, as nothing has been done to preserve it in decades. “This is not just the history of my town, this is world history,” said Diego Ruiz Mata, the Jerez archaeologists, who led the original excavations into the site. He fears that the area is in danger as it has become an area popular with motocross fanatics and already has a circuit nearby. He hopes the site will become a new destination in a network of archaeological sites open to the public and help to show the ancient wine making processes.

Cherry picking FIVE varieties of local cherry have been officially recognised by the ministry of agriculture. A total of 20 ancient varieties were put up for the national study. The new varieties are White cherry, April cherry, Comosa, Sarro, and Del Capella. UNIQUE: The comosa cherry is one of Mallorca’s most prized cherry, and one of the first to ripen in spring.

Peruvian Fusion Cuisine by Irene

tel: 696 52 67 58 Carrer de Cotoner, 44, 07013 Palma, Illes Balears

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL October 25th - November 7th 2018

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Very Moorish Oct 11th - Oct 24th 2018

Readers can get their teeth into something tasty next month, as the Olive Press starts an exclusive serialisation of Fiona Dunlop’s book Andaluz - a Food Journey through Southern Spain

FIONA Dunlop has food and travel in her bones. The globetrotting writer has written dozens of books on countries as diverse as India and France and Vietnam and Mexico, as well as countless travel articles for

the likes of the Guardian, the Telegraph and National Geographic. But her spiritual home is Spain and in particular Andalucia, having first visited the region as a child in the 1970s, later via numerous

Let your company STAND OUT and really be seen This space from as little as 100 per issue

stays at her parents house in Mojacar, and now staying at her own home in a typical hamlet, near Iznajar, in the stunning Subbetica region of Cordoba. “It’s the geographical heart of Andalucia and my house hugs the edge of a hamlet of olive farmers, all deeply rural in spirit and life slows to a crawl here,” she explains. She has now told the story of how she ended up living here for large parts of the year through her latest book, Andaluz - a Food Journey through Southern Spain. The tome, out in November, will primarily focus on Andalucian cuisine and, in particular, its influence by Arabic culture. “It looks at the influence of the Moorish period on Andalucian food, the ingredients that were brought and the produce that was planted,” Dunlop explains from London, just before jetting off on her next culinary adventure to Jerusalem and the Middle East. It is fitting, as she writes about how much influence comes from the Moors, Af-

HOME: Near Iznayar

rica and the Middle East in Andalucian cuisine. Dunlop calls this a ‘cultural conduit’ and says, ‘right from the very start there were Moroccans bringing in their food.’ The book starts in Almeria, and then works through Granada, Cordoba, Malaga, Sevilla, Cadiz and Huelva. “There are big distinctions between the areas,”

Goat’s head soup

ne evening we were invited by the Sorbas butcher to have dinner in his shop along with similar village dignitaries. Here, following a spread of tasty (piggy) victuaIs, we were rather formally presented with a huge pan filled with... goat’s head soup. Little did they know about the Rolling Stones album, released a few years earlier—or perhaps they did? When encouraged to eat the goat's, said to be the greatest delicacy, I demurred, but the cheeks were a treat.

DELICACY: The soup

she says. “Almeria, for example, has what they call ‘desert food’ because it is so dry, although they do manage to make incredible olive oil. “Over near Sevilla there is very good Iberian pork that comes from the hills and in Cadiz you have a special kind of beef.” For the book, that has taken years to compile, Dunlop consulted with 21 chefs – including a couple of home cooks – who all contributed a handful of recipes to the book. “It was talking to them and looking at their menus that showed me what was left of that whole era,” she adds. “It turns out to be mainly ingredients, not so much dishes.” In this wonderful book, which we will begin serialising next month, Andalucia’s cultural

journey is interwoven with Dunlop’s own, as she recalls seeing ‘little old ladies in black veils, twitching curtains at tiny little windows in whitewashed cottages’. She harks back to the more ‘simple’ times, which she knew from her many months spend in Mojacar, in Almeria, where her parents had a home, as well as to Spain’s transition from fascist dictator Francisco Franco to modern democracy. She explains that immigration has been the driving force for change in Andalucia’s gastronomic landscape, a process Dunlop labels a ‘very current subject.’ “We are going on as if this is something new but it isn’t, it’s been going on for centuries,” she contests. “Every new wave of immigration brings their own culture and influence and that’s what this book is about.”Fiona lives in Highbury, north London, with her journalist and travel partner Richard. Don’t miss her next few installments in our November editions

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October 11th - October 24th 2018

October 25th - November 7th 2018

My land of Andalucia… karst, canaries and fattened pigs meeting their maker MATANZA: Fiona regularly recorded the pig slaughter ritual

t was late autumn, which meant that the annual matanza (slaughter) was kicking off in the village. Every morning, agonizing squeals rang out as the fattened pigs met their makers - hardly romantic, but at that stage I had no idea about the resultant joys of jamón, salchichón or chorizo. While monsieur wielded his paintbrushes or cogitated in a hammock on the roof terrace, I would set off with my camera to try and record this timeless place. Inquisitive faces framed by black headscarves peered out from tiny square windows but it was the monumental karst landscape sliced by canyons and speckled with sculptural cacti that electrified me the most. By the turn of the millennium my life had changed. I moved back from Paris

to London, my parents died, and the Mojacar house was sold. I felt bereft. I continued to travel regularly all over Spain to write travel features and books, as I did to North Africa, mainly Morocco but also Tunisia and Libya, and to the Middle East, but I missed that deep connection with the land. “Es tu tierra!” (it’s your land) as a local builder once said to me, holding up a fistful of soil. Once, after driving from Extremadura into Andalucia, I realized how sensorial my attachment was when I entered a village bar to be dazzled by a chaotic patchwork of patterned tiles, whiffed garlic sizzling in olive oil, heard a cheeping canary, and was instantly served a saucer of crisp fried fish with my caña. It was all about lightness, simple bounty, and good cheer—and it felt like home.

Music, gastronomy, design, comfort and great art.

OD Port Portals combines good location with contemporary and mediterranean design. For work or for pleasure, as a true symbol of quality, OD Port Portals is everything anyone staying in Majorca can ever wish for. A lively place, with its own events, Burger Meets Gin, Mexican Brunch or Tasting Brunch, where locals and visitors are welcome. Av. Tomàs Blanes Tolosa, 4 07181 Calvià | Mallorca +34 971 675 956 odportportals.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

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Oct 11th - Oct 24th 2018

NEWLY DISCOVERED: Mosque in Toledo

As archaeologists dig up an exciting third mosque in Toledo, Laurence Dollimore discovers how Islam has enriched Spain with architecture to worship ANDALUCIA is undoubtedly the most Arab-influenced region of Spain, and almost certainly in Europe. From language to art, the Moors left an indelible mark on Spanish culture. But it is their monumental talent for elegant architecture - particu-

October 25th - November 7th 2018

A-muezzin grace

larly in its places of worship - that transfixes visitors to this day. Following the news of a newly-discovered mosque in Toledo, we scanned Spain’s minaret-studded skyline to round up the most impressive mosques in the country, most of them on our own doorstep.

Almonaster Mosque, Huelva THE Almonaster mosque reveals a lot about Huelva’s Moorish history as one of the last surviving gems in the city. Built on the site of a fifthcentury Visigoth basilica, this is one of few surviving rural mosques in

the country. The mezquita has three components in a trapezoidal shape: the pillared prayer hall (Haram), the courtyard of ablutions (Sham), and the classic minaret tower for the call to prayer.

ONLOOKERS: At new Moorish ruins in Toledo

The Alcazar, Jerez de la Frontera First constructed by Andalucia’s Moorish rulers back in the 11th century, the Alcazar is is one of the lastremaining examples of Almohad architecture on the Iberian peninsula. Many centuries of history are preserved in its lofty towers and massive 4,000m walls. Climb to the top of this monumental eyrie for a bird’s eye view of the whole city.

The Mezquita, Cordoba

Mosque of Cristo de la Luz, Toledo THIS breathtaking mosque is one of the most visited in the world and it’s no wonder it’s been labelled a UNESCO World Heritage site. Packed with a forest of brickwork columns and double arches, climbing the steps of its bell tower offers stunning views of the city. The structure is regarded as one of the most accom-

plished monuments of Moorish architecture. A small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers.

THIS square structure is one of the only mosques to remain unchanged since Moorish times. It features classic horseshoe arches with outside gardens transporting visitors one thousand years back in time. A fragment of Roman road, preserved under a glass floor, transports tourists even further back in time. The mosque’s viewing balcony offers beautiful views of the outskirts of the city.

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October 25th - November 7th 2018

Mosque of las Tornerías, Toledo

And here are two modern examples

BUILT in the middle of the 11th century on the foundations of Roman architecture, las Tornerias lords it over the old Muslim neighbourhood of Arrabal de Francos. The mosque continued promoting Islam in Spain well beyond the reconquest of the city by the Christian troops of Alfonso VI of León and Castile in 1085. It was in use until the early 16th century when it was deconsecrated by the Catholic Monarchs. Later it became an inn, and was also put to commercial and residential use.

King Abdul Aziz Mosque, Marbella Another mosque to be built in modern times, this Islamic place of worship was funded by Saudi Arabia in honour of their late King Fahd, one of Marbella’s wealthiest frequent visitors. It can hold over 800 people and consists of housing for the imam, a library and beautiful gardens. Every summer, billionaire Arab royals and their retinues retreat to the mosque after docking their megayachts in Puerto Banus and Marbella.

The Giralda, Sevilla The Renaissance-style bell tower of Sevilla Cathedral was originally built as a minaret under Moorish rule. Piercing the sky at a height of 104.1 metres, it has become the symbol of the city, recognised the world over. Curiously it was designed with a ramp rather than steps so that the muezzin could ride a horse to the top to recite the Adhan (call to prayer). UNESCO rightly honoured it with World Heritage status in 1987. Today it’s one of the city’s top tourist attractions.

Madrid Central Mosque

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29 29

October 11th - October 24th 2018

THIS new kid on the Islamic block aka Abu-Bakr Mosque can be found in Madrid’s Tetuán district. Spread over four floors, it also holds offices, a nursery, school, library, auditorium and shop. After its dedication as Waqf land - a charitable entity under Islamic law - it still took years to collect enough individual donations to construct the mosque. Finally opened in 1988, it became the first mosque in the capital since the end of the Islamic occupation in 1085.

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October 11th - October 24th 2018

Moving to Mallorca has been a roller coaster ride and there are eight things you should know, writes Lesley Keith

OOKING at my phone today (as I do from time to time) it tells me that I arrived on this lovely island exactly two years ago. I really don't know where that time has gone but I know I've used it wisely. I've made lots of new friends, explored the area, made inroads into learning Spanish and embraced becoming part of a different culture. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. I knew I'd always wanted to live abroad but somehow never got the opportunity. I'd watch wistfully as many friends disappeared over the horizon to exciting and exotic pastures new. But here I am, reviewing the last two years as you do, so I thought I'd share the things that have stuck in my head over the months, maybe you'll relate to some of them.

1) Sheep are orange, that's not orangish but actually bright orange. This is everywhere I've been on the island and it still amazes me now.

Going native 2) I soon got used to drinking a lot of coffee because wherever I wanted to be was always closed. I was forever hanging about for whatever it was to open so would sit in the nearest coffee shop. I quickly learned that it paid to use Spanish ones and not English as they're cheaper. Having one coffee a day will cost you about €50 euros a month each, throw in a cake or croissant and suddenly ends aren't meeting, both in your purse and round your waistband. 3) If you speak in Spanish you'll be answered in English. If you speak in English you'll be answered in Catalan and no matter how good you think you're getting at Spanish you will still make a complete idiot of yourself. 4) Supermarkets don't have express queues so you'd better time it right. You can end up waiting for very long time for that single baguette. Brits may think they're the best queuers but Spanish are certainly the

Mallorca diaries

By Lesley Keith

most patient.

5) Cyclists are a fact of life. Love them or hate them there's been cyclists here for over a century and aren't leaving anytime soon. It means that the roads are well maintained and tourism continues long after the official season has finished. Yes they drive up one way streets the wrong way, yes they cycle on pedestrian only areas, no they don't look before they pull out in front of you, and single file doesn't seem to figure in their plans but moaning about it probably won't change anything. I just leave extra time for my journeys and grit my teeth. 6) If you leave unwanted but usable things beside public bins they magically will find a new home and be regenerated. 7) Don't be fooled by bright sunshine, this place is humid and your bed and clothes will feel damp a lot of the time. As windows tend to open inwards it is difficult to keep them still and quiet when they're banging about on a windy day so airing it

is difficult. 8) Don't hang about in any public loo. The lights in them are on timers and prone to plunging you into darkness So that's my thoughts, I still get

in the wrong side of my car and still forget shops close in the afternoon but isn't that what emigrating is all about? I'm still here and not going anywhere soon.

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SPORT

If you have a sports story, newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575

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Contract stalling

SPAIN’s number one goalkeeper David De Gea keeps Manchester United in the dark over his future at the club as he delays signing a new contract with the struggling Premier League side.

Pummeled

United have already extended the current contract of their first-choice keeper until at least 2020, and have thrown a new £275,000-a-week salary on the table to entice De Gea to stay. Red Devils chairman Ed Woodward is in talks with D e Gea’s agent J o r g e Mendes and United manager Jose Mourinho. The Spanish shotstopper, was pummeled by Raheem Sterling and E n g land.

October 25th - November 7th 2018

31 31

October 11th - October 24th 2018

Swing while your winning

Indiana slammer VETERAN golf champ Laura Davies trounced the opposition in Indiana to clinch her second senior major of 2018 and bag $90,000 in prize money. The four-time regular majorwinning Brit cruised to victory on the Senior LPGA Championship tour, ending with a four-shot advantage over her nearest rivals Silvia Cavalleri and Helen Alfredsson. At the blustery French Lick Resort, Davies, 55, capped off a great day sinking a six-foot putt to claim her fourth birdie of the day.

Garcia clinches third straight win at Valderrama, with a four-shot victory SPAIN’S Sergio Garcia claimed his third straight win at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters on Monday, easing himself to victory over his nearest rival Ireland’s Shane Lowry. The event is by far 38-yearold Garcia’s favourite tourna-

ment, where he has now recorded a hat-trick of victories with this win, bagging a cool €387,500 in prize money. This is only Garcia’s third win this year, the others being the Singapore Masters on the Asian Tour and last month’s Ryder Cup, where his Europe-

REAL-ly poor REAL Madrid endure their worst start to a season in 17 years, as the goal drought of their attacking line reaches an incredible 500 minutes. The La Liga side’s front three, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio have failed to score in the league since their 1-0 over Espanyol on September 22.

The former champions are currently 7th in the league, only one point ahead of Levante, who they lost 2-1 to on Saturday. Real coach Julen Lopetegui, faces mounting pressure, but was boosted by a mid-week Champions League 2-1 win over Plzen last night with Benzema breaking the deadlock.

an side rolled over the American team. The golder, whose charitable foundation hosts the event, finished on 69, 12 under par, as the crowd cheered him on with shouts of ‘Vamos’. Garcia was leading by three shots, with 11 holes to play, as the tournament entered a fifth day of action on Monday, due to bad weather caused by the storms raging across Andalucia. However, the favourite Garcia saw his lead cut to just a single shot as Lowry managed three birdies in a row by the time Gar-

cia was teeing up for the 14th hole. It was a four-stroke victory for Garcia in the end, as he was able to putt in from close range at the 14th for a birdie, following an excellent chip, while Lowry was saddled with a double bogey at the 15th hole. Garcia’s victory marks the first time since 2004 that a player has won the same European Tour title three times in a row, with the last to achieve the feat being South African Ernie Els. Englishmen Ashley Chesters and Lee Westwood placed fourth and fifth respectively, while Scot Richie Ramsay finished 11th.

Sinking

Finishing on a two-under 70 she bagged her 86th worldwide professional victory on the challenging Pete Dye Course.

THE paper not to miss on Mallorca island THE Olive Press is now distributing all over the island in an incredible 500-plus locations. Found at golf courses, tourist offices, museums and petrol stations, it has become the most sought-after English newspaper in MalAlaro Alcanada Alcanada Alcudia ALGAIDA Andratx Andratx BENDINAT BENDINAT BENDINAT Binissalem Cala Estancia Cala D’or Cala D’or

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

bother. Here are a select group of a few dozen key drops. Please get in touch at Newsdesk@theolivepress.es to find your nearest drop or suggest another.

EASY TO FIND: In Andratx street and (right) on the bar at Cappuccino, in Portals PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMANOVA PALMANOVA Palmanyola Pollensa Pollensa PORT ADRIANO

Eroski CAPPUCCINO GOLF FANTASIA EROSKI Palmanova Gardens Cappuccino Son Termens Golf Pollensa Golf Eroski Sansibar

Port Alcudia Port Andratx Port Andratx Port Alcudia Port Pollensa Port Pollensa Port Soller PORTALS NOUS Portixol PUERTOPORTALS

Lidl Cepsa Garage Cappuccino Eroski Cappuccino The Stay Hotel Jumeirah NICE PRICE Portixol Hotel Capurccino

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FINAL WORDS

False ID A NETWORK of criminals who sold fake documents to illegal Senegalese immigrants have been arrested in Palma. Six Senegalese expats have been detained and their operation of selling residency cards, health cards and working permits dismantled.

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Vol. 2 Issue 40 www.theolivepress.es October 25th - November 7th 2018

Smash and grab

A RARE spider crab has been found in the bay of Alcudia. The unusual crab surprised a boat of tourists, who could not identify it through local guidebooks. The group then took to social media and asked the internet for help identifying the crab. After Mediterranean groups and experts found the post, they suspect the crab is the rare Leach's spider crab, usually found in Norway as well as West Africa.

EXPANDING: Nadal opens tennis academy branch in Mexico

NATURE: At its best

Nadal takes his tennis centre to Mexico as he plans expansion

RAFA Nadal is celebrating the second anniversary of his tennis academy in Manacor by opening a new centre in Mexico. It is the first of a number of new centres, the local tennis ace is

planning abroad. "It is a dream that’s ended in reality,” Nadal said of the Mallorca academy on its second anniversary. “The birth of the academy was a

Clocking off CLOCKS will go back this weekend at 3am on Sunday October 28, which could be one of the last times following an EU movement to abolish daylight saving time all together.

very special moment in my life and it gives me great personal satisfaction,” he continued. The new Mexican centre, near Cancun, will be part of a resort with the Grand Palladium hotel in Costa Mujeres. It will host programs for adults and children both living in the area and on holiday. Nadal, from Manacor, has confirmed meanwhile that the brand is planning to open more centres in various tourist destinations. “This is part of very significant growth worldwide," said Nadal. While the Manacor academy focuses on training young athletes, the Mexican centre will be focused on holiday packages and week-long intensive sessions. The hotel and resort is set to open in early November and the tennis centre shortly after.

Wild and free

HERO: Returns home

DOZENS of people watched 80 wild animals released into Mondragó Nature Park. Owls, hedgehogs and turtles were released back into the wild, after the children and visitors learned a little about the creatures up close. Turtles were declared extinct in the area in 1992.

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A SAILING boat has been severely damaged after spending a week shipwrecked on rocks. The 25 metre ship, Sila Sibiri, limped into Palma bay during a storm to seek refuge, but became entangled and wrecked on the rocks while anchoring. The two men on board were able to safely escape the crash. A large crane had to dismantle the 21-year-old boat and the vessel's two masts that hung over the Paseo Marítimo, closing off two lanes of the road for a morning. Over a week later a team of divers assessed what was left on the rocks of Can Pere Antoni for damage. The sailboat has drawn a lot of attention as people pass by, and is expected to be cleared away in the coming days.

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DRAMATIC: Helicopter rescues sailors