Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 274

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By Joe Duggan in Westminster

since the Brexit negotiations begun there's a third emotion I've been feeling,” said Davey.

"Embarrassment at our country's leaders. Embarrassment for Great Britain."

The colourful crowd, many carrying home-made banners and flags, stopped outside Downing Street en route to the House of Commons.

There were heated scenes outside the Lord Moon of the Mall pub when Leave and Remain supporters traded insults before marcher Middleton Mann defused the situation by hugging one of the Leave supporters.

“Remaining is all about kindness, unity and togetherness and the spirit of happiness and solving problems together,” Middleton Mann, 51, a creative agency manager from London told the Olive Press.

“It didn’t solve anything by booing at him so I gestured at him to come over and have a hug.

We are not going to get anywhere fighting each other.”

Asturias

Daughter hopes never before seen family photos of 1950s Torremolinos can help solve gay dad’s mystery death

SEE PAGE 15

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

THEY had been planning to move to the Costa del Sol for a ‘peaceful’ new way of life.

After a three-month trip to Marbella last year, they believed that the coast offered the dream start for their two children Jasmine, two, and Leo, one.

Keen to escape an increasing spiral of violence in London, property developer Julian Higgins, 52, and his Chinese wife Lydia, 37, saw the benefits of raising a family in Spain, a country famed for its liberal attitudes and lowered crime rates.

Violent

However, their dream move turned into a nightmare when a violent and racist assault left Julian hospitalised and the family’s hopes of settling in Spain left in tatters.

They have now called in lawyers and the British embassy, after an American expat attacked them and their rental car with a baseball bat during a parking row.

Higgins, 52, is furious that police have apparently failed to deal with the neighbour, who left them in hospital and having to pay €1,414 to Goldcar for the damage.

“He was completely crazy,” Higgins told the Olive Press.

“A complete maniac who literally came flying out of his house and swung at me and my wife with this baseball bat.

“He ended up hitting Lydia

Yanks a lot!

HAPPIER TIMES: Julian with wife and son Leo on the shoulder while she was holding our one-year-old son and continued hurling racial abuse at her, calling her a ‘chinky’.

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“He then said he would kill me and my whole family, it was nuts.

“My daughter Jasmine was just behind her and really

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scared so I had no choice but to jump in and defend them, getting injured in the process.”

The attack had happened after the neighbour put a note ordering them to remove their ‘piece of s**t car’ while they were staying at Lydia’s uncle’s villa in Estepona’s Forest Hills area, in July.

Higgins and Lydia, 37 - who was holding their baby son Leo - came under attack, as they retrieved the threatening letter from the windscreen.

But despite going to hospital suffering cuts and bruises and then reporting the incident to police, he is amazed that nothing has been done.

Higgins claims the police seem to be siding with the American, who apparently called the police first.

They have all given state-

ments at the Policia Nacional station in Estepona.

“But for some reason they are delaying giving me an incident number.”

Not to be outdone Higgins employed the services of a lawyer and directly filed a complaint with Estepona court.

“It has left a very bad taste about the police and how they let women and child beaters roam free..this was an unprovoked attack over a car parked in no one’s way.”

When the Olive Press approached the American last week, he refused to comment on any of the allegations. “No comment, no comment, no comment,” was all he would Continues on Page 4

Opinion Page 6

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SOME 50,000 Remain supporters took to the streets of London for the People’s March for Europe on Saturday.

The Brexit opponents made their way from Park Lane to Parliament Square where they heard speeches from Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative politicians.

Sir Bob Geldof sent a message of support, with ex-Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey telling the crowd he felt ‘embarrassment’ at the current Brexit negotiation process.

“I've gone from anger to distress, from fury to despair. But

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CRIME

www.theolivepress.es News IN BRIEF

Facebook fine FACEBOOK has been fined €1.2 million for failing to prevent its users' data being accessed by advertisers.

Mum knows best THE alleged ringleader of a €10million holiday food poison compensation fraud racket is a British mum who owned the Magaluf bar where a teenage girl was filmed giving oral sex to 24 men.

Criminal speeders A DRIVER and a motorcycle rider are both facing charges for criminal traffic offences after being clocked at well over 200 kph in two separate incidents on the Costa del Sol.

September 13th - September 26th 2017

Sounding off EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

A BRITISH businessman has been forced to lay off 50 staff after he had his music licence suspended.

The owner of Sisu hotel - which was controversially firebombed earlier this year - slammed Marbella town hall for ‘killing the end of the summer’ for the mostly Spanish employees.

Londoner Neil Acland (pictured far right), 49, claims he is being discriminated against by the newly-reinstated mayor Angeles Munoz over hundreds of denuncias that ‘do not exist’.

“The problem is we are British, not Spanish, and right now there is an anti-tourist feeling and Munoz is targeting my business to look good,” he told the Olive Press.

Hand-grenade bombed hotel boss claims discrimination is behind loss of music licence

“How come Starlite festival which is a great event but which also has a denuncia and is very loud into the early hours of the morning - has now been given ten more years?

“The town hall has killed our end of summer months and I feel terrible that I’ve had to lay so many people off. I had promised these people jobs until the end of October, some of them have families.”

Crackdown on louts THE decision to suspend the music license at Sisu hotel in Puerto Banus is part of a new crackdown in Marbella. New mayor Angeles Muñoz has vowed it will be an absolute priority to deal with the downmarket tourism that has tarnished the resort’s name this summer. She met with local police to ensure that the security situation was improved in Puerto Banus, in particular, with a higher police presence. It comes after ten firms were reportedly considering leaving Banus due to the cleanliness and security issues in the port.

His hotel was front page news last issue after he released CCTV footage of the hotel being firebombed in March.

He claimed the attempt to close the hotel was over a dispute fighting to have the license rewith the landlord and came af- instated for this year and, either ter receiving death threats for way, they would be ‘back as norhimself and his girlfriend Val- mal’ next year.

He also insisted that his hotel was vidia, who is the manager.

Acland, who previously worked a clean and upmarket place that in Denmark, confirmed he was had ‘nothing to do with mafia given just 10 days to provide ev- gangs’. idence that he had been follow- “Despite the Marbella rumours, I have never worked with Russian ing noise pollution regulations. or Colombian mafia, drug gangs It came after allegaor any sort of cartel, tions surfaced in the this is a strictly legitiSpanish press that he mate business. had been unplugging The good eggs “It is a €400 per night the hotel’s sound limLawyer link hotel, we are not low iter, which he denies, to grenade cost, we are bringing following a reported attack big spenders to the ‘700 denuncias’ area, which only benagainst the hotel. efits the local economy.”

“There are not 700 SALE He claimed the actual denuncias, there owners of the building, has been only ONE,” he continued. “There may have been which was previously the Lor699 calls lodged by neighbours crimar Hotel, were to blame for who want me out, but there has the attack in March and were the ‘only ones to benefit’ from Sisu only been one official denuncia.

“I follow the rules and have being shut or damaged. been more than compliant,” he They have been in a long-term said. “Our music is during the legal battle with Acland, who they claim has not paid rent for eight day, it ends at 8pm.”

He insisted his lawyers were years.

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expats

A BRITISH expat returned to the UK has who found sleeping been local council rough after his refused to house him.

David Sutcliffe, ing and forced 82, was starvto live on the streets after Spain a few he returned from weeks ago following a relationship EXCLUSIVE breakdown.

But despite

By Laurence living in Spain just two years, Dollimore for Council has Bournemouth told the A BRITISH-hotel sioner he has accused is not entitledpen- a local council housing. lawyer to in a terrifying of involvement had failed the They said he hand-grenade ‘Habitual Resiattack.

The manager dence test’, hotel claims of Marbella’s Sisu meanin g nio Flores is legal eagle Antothey don’t night attack linked to a midbelieve Dathat left the unable to open vid intends hotel this Spring.

In the astounding to settle in ageress claim, manthe UK. Ale Valdivia live on television insisted A member that the of Lawbird of the public legal practice boss long-time Olive had notiPress colum-a nist - was fied police ‘in some way volved’. after seeing inIt comes after him so malthe hotel,

by British nourishe businessmanowned LOST: ‘his trousersd Acland, released Neil CCTV footage David which shows were falling interior with a man dousing its down’.

Sutcliffe bing in a handpetrol, before lobClaire MatThe suspect, grenade. thews, founder of Hope ball cap and wearing a basesaid it has for Food charity, been left to the subject bandana, is now teers to help volungation, that of a police investiand trace his David and try tional news has become a naShe said: estranged son.

While therestory. that in 21st“It’s a disgrace is no suggestion century Britain that the assailant an 82-year-old is lawyer Flores, hotel man can be living on the claimed on manager Valvidia, one wants streets and noto take responprogrammes two national TV sibility. “He’s that he was The Olive hind the March been bePress can from pillar attack. ny Hotel Locrimar reveal that to post andpassed “It’s ridiculous,” a charity and left SL is suing compa- claims and partners Flores, 45, the kindness to told the Olive the the public Acland for allegedly of “And Press, rent since grace periodcompany allowed not paying we are taking this week. his head.” to put a roof over him a on paying The hotel, 2009. turn for construction action for libel.” the rent Kelly Ansell, around €4 which allegedly turns provements head of housThe Marbella-born works andin reing at Bournemouth over But made by Sisu. imof owing themillion a year, is lawyer (right) insists Locrimar ough Council accused owners of Borclaims the least €1.2 million. this ‘rent the building said: “We pearances, the the TV apunable to are the at has been holiday’ is fake.contract for releasing of In the ongoing CCTV footage It claims it individual comment on an signed by legal dispute, and the and has been an ex-employee accusations dentiality.”case due to confiAcland ing the case backdated to 2011, are merely against him to become some sort of tion’ from ‘a distraccriminal. leadCan’t be trusted, the real feud and are gangland are the more p 11 story. trying to likely it won’t bring as much pen “The owners hapOpinion Page atten- He again.” lar spot for of Sisu tion on themselves 6 are clearly involved added that football players the accusations celebs like the to against put off more in TOWIE cast. and him stem from attacks.

“The more public battle a legal He claims that his client they and between one of his clients real owner the hotel, which of the hotel,is the foris a popu-

As anti-touri sm protests gather the original expats who pace across Spain, we remember helped SEE PAGE 16 shape the country

British hotel claim legal bosses eagle is behind ‘gangla style bombin nd’ g

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Stories and features in this edition of the coast’s number 1 English newspaper

Shoot out at brothel FIVE people are recovering in hospital following a Costa del Sol shootout on Sunday.

The attack broke out at 9am at a brothel at La Carolina on Marbella’s Golden Mile.

An assailant is believed to have left the club and returned with a gun following a heated argument.

In the ensuing attack he allegedly shot four people, injuring one seriously.

The victims are recovering in the Hospital Costa del Sol. Police rushed to the scene but it is not yet clear if the attacker was arrested.

Two men, aged 23 and 35, and two women aged 30 and 31 are being treated in the Hospital Costa del Sol.

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September 13th - September 26th 2017

3

tearing up the waves Ninth child for Iglesias?

A SPANISH man has filed a paternity suit claiming he is the son of singer Julio Iglesias.

Javier Sanchez Santos, 41, presented the lawsuit in Valencia, based on a DNA test carried out on tissues and cigarette butts touched by Iglesias.

Santos’ mother, Portuguese ballerina Maria Edite, first presented a paternity suit against Iglesias in 1992 but it was eventually dismissed due to procedural reasons.

She says she had a brief affair with the Grammy-winning legend, who at the time was married to socialite Isabel Preysler.

IT was never going to take long before he splashed some of the €100 million he made for his 30-minute superfight battle with Floyd Mayweather last month.

And Cage Fighter Conor McGregor, 28, did it in style by sailing around the Balearics on a megayacht.

He has been joined by his girlfriend and their young son Conor Jack McGregor Jr on the 100ft yacht as he ponders his options.

He was seen with a bunch of mates swimming in the sea and riding a jetski around the island.

The group was in Ibiza for close pal Lee Dunphy’s wedding.

He posted pictures of himself on Instagram with his son and eating on the boat. The 29-year-old is

A DNA test has proven that Salvador Dali is NOT the father of a 61-year-old Spanish fortune teller.

It comes after the famous artist’s body was controversially exhumed in July at Maria Martinez’s request, backed by a court.

A large stone slab had to be removed so forensic scientists could access the embalmed body and take samples.

The Dali Foundation said they were unsurprised by the discovery.

OLD AND YOUNG: McGregors

Cliff’s hideaway sale

remembered

By Giles Brown

Didn’t see that one coming

expected to return to mixed martial arts after his ‘boxing experiment’.

YOU would have thought it would be better forgotten.

But, somewhat surprisingly, the BBC has marked the 25th anniversary of the axing of flop soap Eldorado, with a ten-minute special.

The network sent its arts correspondent David Sillito to the set in the Guadalhorce Valley to interview former cast members and commemorate the soap opera about expats in Spain.

The soap was billed as the series that would bring a slice of Spanish sunshine to the UK. Launched with a huge fanfare in 1992, Eldorado followed the adventures of an exotic mix of expats living in the fictional village of ‘Los Barcos’, set on the Costa del Sol. Aiming to capitalise on the

BBC celebrates the 25th anniversary since the flop soap was axed

CLASSIC: The original Eldorado cast

huge success of imported Australian soaps such as Home and Away and Neighbours, the BBC built a £10million pound set just outside Coin and were con-

fident of success.

But a combination of inexperienced actors, farfetched and seedy storylines with middle-aged men running off with 17-year-

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old girls saw it falter.

It didn’t help that a string of Spanish, Dutch and German actors often spoke in their native tongues without subtitles, confusing viewers.

The pressure saw the show's boss, Julia Smith, suffer a nervous breakdown, and incoming BBC Controller Alan Yentob, who was never a fan of the soap, was quick to pull the plug on ‘El Dorado’ after only one year.

In the special on BBC Breakfast, Polly, who played Trish Valentine, revisited the set (which is now a paintball location) and lamented how it had fallen into ruins.

"It could do with a lick of paint this place. It's been let to go to rack and ruin, I think it's a terrible shame.

What a waste."

SIR Cliff Richard has said he will 'never recover' from being falsely accused of sexual assault.

It comes as the 76-year-old put his 11-bedroom Portuguese vineyard on the market.

The singer said the Algarve home helped him 'survive great despair' after his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, was raided by police in August 2014 following sexual assault accusations dating between 1958 and 1983.

“It was here that I had the most terrible time of my life, but it was also here that I had the most beautiful time when it all ended,” he said.

“This place was such a haven for me. It didn't change the despair, but I'd rather have been despairing here than anywhere else.”

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Together again

September 13th - September 26th 2017

Australian makes 10,000-mile trek to meet long lost family thanks to Olive Press appeal

Dream’s over From front

say.

A spokesman for Estepona police said he remembered the case and Higgins arriving at the station, but he could not account for why there was no incident number or reference to the incident in the system.

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

AN Australian has praised the Olive Press after he was reunited with his long lost Spanish and Gibraltar family.

Robert Gascoigne, 80, has been meeting ‘literally dozens’ of estranged relatives on the Rock after a tragic event separated them more than 50 years ago.

“It has been absolutely fantastic,” the former chemist insisted, “and it’s all down to you guys, your paper did this and I can’t thank you enough. It’s phenomenal.”

The reunion came about after we ran a front page appeal in June for Gascoigne the son of a Gibraltar soldier, who emigrated to Australia in 1938.

Just two days later, local Pepe Pallas, 71, saw the appeal and recognised his mother-in-law – Gascoigne’s auntie – in one of the pictures.

He immediately contacted the paper and we were able to put the pair in touch, and they arranged a meet up.

“We’ve been to the top of the Rock and seen the monkeys and have met so many relatives,”

HAPPY: Robert and wife (bottom centre) and cousins said Gascoigne, who made the extremely excited about the re10,000-mile trip with his wife. union, died from a severe asth“And the family resemblance is ma attack just two days before insane, the same noses and eyes, the mammoth trip this month. and they are all so loud just like “It’s such a shame,” said Gasus! coigne, “she would have loved “The whole thing has been in- to have known what we have credible.” found.”

Gascoigne had his life turned Gascoigne and dozens of his new upside down at the age of 21, found family members from Giwhen his Spanish uncle Juan braltar and Estepona hosted a joined his family in Australia. reunion party on Sunday, in line Juan was Schizophrenic and with National Day, and have killed Gascoigne’s Estepona- made future plans to remain in born mother, Manuela Valcarcel touch.

Santos, who was just 42, before “If it wasn’t for your paper this turning the gun on himself. would not have happened,” addBut even more tragically, Gas- ed Gascoigne, “you have been coigne’s sister, who had been phenomenal.”

Taking off PASSENGER numbers to Malaga airport have increased by 13% thanks to British travellers.

It comes after new figures revealed that so far this year, 738,854 Brits have flown to the Costa del Sol airport, which is more than the next five biggest nationalities combined.

Germany accounted for 186,549 travellers, followed

by France (135,917) the Netherlands (129,154), Ireland (97,305) and Belgium (86,682).

Between January and August, the airport received 12.7m travellers, meaning it is on course for another record-breaking year.

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www.theolivepress.es

September 13th - September 26th 2017

Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION A real shame IT’S a shame that Julian Higgins’ dream of moving to Spain has been shattered by such a horrific experience.

It’s hard to comprehend how someone could behave in such a vile way.

As all of us know, living in Spain comes with unrivaled perks, from the weather, to the food and of course the lovely, friendly people.

The majority of us are also used to a strong police force who take a no-nonsense approach to crime, of any level.

Unfortunately, on this rare occasion, it seems they have proven woefully inadequate.

We implore Estepona police to get to the bottom of what happened to Julian and to ensure that justice is served.

We just hope Julian can give Spain another chance, we will be sure to make him feel welcome.

Feeling good IT has been a real pleasure helping Australian Robert Gascoigne locate his long lost Spanish and Gibraltarian family.

When he first contacted us at the beginning of the year, we were heartbroken by his story and agreed to launch an appeal.

We must admit we thought it was a long shot, but it has been great to make such a valuable difference to someone’s life.

It makes the whole story even more incredible that he is from the other side of the world.

We are also very sorry to hear of the loss of Robert’s sister.

Hopefully, his journey to Spain and Gibraltar has brought him some comfort in this difficult time.

Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es SALES: sales@theolivepress.es Admin Maria Angeles Vázquez (+34) 951 273 575 admin@theolivepress.es

Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618 Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Jed Neill jed@theolivepress.es Designer James Partington design@theolivepress.es

Accounts Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@theolivepress.es Distribution Graham Warters distribution@theolivepress.es

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HAPPIER TIMES: Gina and dad

In a heartfelt plea from the other side of the world, former expat Gina Harris opens up her photo album to the Costa del Sol community to see if anyone can solve the mystery of her father’s sad death

Family Quest

I

t is a question that has tormented Australian Gina Harris for over 50 years: what really happened to my father on the Costa del Sol? The last time she saw him was at five years old when she waved him goodbye from the Torremolinos finca her parents built in the 1950s.

Too young to be aware of her parents marital prob- GINA: Today lems, all she knew was that she and her sister Anne-Marie were going with mum on a trip to Australia.

“My father struggled with his sexuality, it was not a good time to be gay or bisexual,” Gina confides. “We had a guy called Pepe working for us and I understand they had a romance, my mother freaked out and needed a break.”

But one year later, Geoffrey Harris was dead.

“My mother got a phone call to say he had passed away,” recalls Gina, who runs a travel agency in Melbourne. “She let out a huge scream, it was awful.

“To this day we don’t know how he died or what happened to our home.”

Her mother, Judith Harris, wrote to embassies and authorities in Spain but no one could tell her what happened.

“I personally spent hundreds of euros on Spanish lawyers myself to find me a death certificate but they have continued to come up short,” adds Gina, 61.

Now taking matters into her own hands, the mother-of-two has shared her precious family photograph album with the Olive

FAMILY: (Left) mum, Torremolinos home and (right) father’s lover Pepe Press and will make the 10,700 mile journey from Melbourne to Torremolinos later this month in pursuit of the truth.

“There were suggestions he killed himself but I don’t think that was the case,” she says.

“He liked to drink and it’s thought this es-

calated after we left, we just want answers.

“My sister passed away last year, and I’d like to find out the truth so it isn’t lost forever, I would truly like some closure.”

Geoffrey Cameron Harris was among the first resident expats on the Costa del Sol and, as revealed in Gina’s pictures, was one of the lucky few to experience the area before it became hyperdeveloped.

“They were a very flamboyant and party-loving couple,” remembers Gina. “They loved having local people over to the house and some of them worked for them.

Fabulous food and entertainment including a 5* Christmas “I can’t remember much but the or New Years Eve Gala Dinner with fine wine young local girls loved dressing me and my sister up in flamenco FOR GOLFERS outfits and my mum drove a white includes 3 rounds of golf sports car.”

Mum Judith came from a wealthy f a m i l y, meaning the

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WHAT HAPPENED?: To Pepe

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Every picture tells a story ...

Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on September 13th - Septemberwww.theolivepress.es 26th 2017 And our site is updated daily with the latest news, making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.

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Gina on her precious family photos:

“The best link to my early years in Malaga are these wonderful photos I inherited from my mother. In particularly I love the ones of the local people who looked after my sister and myself and in one picture, the girls who looked after us were twins, I think.

The guy on the end of one of the pictures looks like the same one in the photo below with me. Maybe that’s Pepe, my father’s lover?

My sister and I grew very close to these people and we only spoke in Spanish.

All I know is that my parents built their home, somewhere in Torremolinos in the mid-to-late 1950s and the building may have been put in someone else’s name.”

October 2015

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THE HARRIS’: The first expat family to move to the Costa del Sol

- Marbella mayor revokes Sisu hotel’s music  VIDEO: Floods hit Costa del Sol license and vows crackdown on loutish as heavy rain continues - tou4604 rism as at least ten businesses views threaten to leave Puerto Banus (6,290)

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Posh Pets Spain

SCENERY: Views of vintage Torremolinos couple didn’t need to earn a living.

“They didn’t do much work,” says Gina. “My dad had a mink factory in Kent, England but they ran out of minks and so moved to Spain.”

And the love affair for all things Spain seems to be in the genes.

Gina’s son Manos, an architect based in Paris, speaks Spanish and is a gifted flamenco guitarist.

“He teaches the guitar to Spaniards,” she says, “I guess our love for the culture is in our bones.”

Gina, who will be in Torremolinos with her son from September 19 -25, is now appealing to any locals who might have known the family and may know the truth behind what happened to her father.

“We think the building might have been put into a local’s name.

“I’m not looking for a payout or to

DRESS UP: Harris sisters take the building back, I just want some answers.”

If you knew the family or think you can help Gina track down what happened, contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

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September 13th - September 26th 2017

Disobedience

CATALONIA leaders are facing criminal charges after paving the way for an independence referendum earlier today.

Spanish prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza told reporters that ‘criminal charges are being prepared’ against leaders of the Catalan parliament as well as officials in the regional government.

Maza also said judicial officials would be ordered ‘to seize the effects or ma-

Organisers of Catalonia referendum charged for ‘disobeying’ Madrid terial intended to prepare or hold the illegal referendum’.

He added that regional prosecutors, assisted by national and Catalan police had been told to investigate any actions taken to organise the vote, with potential charges of ‘disobedience’, ‘prevarication’ (wilful deceit) and ‘misuse of public funds’.

Meanwhile, Spain PM Mariano Rajoy said Catalan leaders had committed an ‘intolerable act of disobedience’ in approving the referendum, and that his government was asking Spain’s Constitutional Court to annul the referendum law.

He also said all municipalities in the region would be warned over their ‘obligation to impede or paralyse’ efforts to carry out the vote.

A Catalan government spokesman has since insisted that the referendum will go ahead despite a ‘covert state of siege’ being imposed Madrid.

“Whether it’s snowy or windy, we will do it because we have a contract with the citizens of Catalonia,” Jordi Turull said.

Facebook rape fightback POLITICAL leader Ines Arrimadas is pressing charges against a woman a message who wrote on Facebook that she wanted to see Arrimadas ‘gang raped’.

The leader of Ciudadanos in Catalunya has been supported in her decision by political colleagues around the country, including Junta boss Susana Diaz and PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez.

She explained: “Here is a clear sign of hatred...I'm going to report this woman. Not only because what she said about me, but for all the women who have been raped.”

The shocking Facebook post was written by Rosa María Miras, from Badalona, after a debate on the forthcoming referendum in Catalunya.

In the post, she wrote: "Listening to Arrimadas in the T5 debate, I can only wish that when she leaves tonight she is gang raped because she does not deserve anything else”.

Miras has been fired from her job at property valuation firm Tinsa as a result of her post.

ERE: five years and still no money THE investigation into Spain’s biggest ever public money fraud, the ERE scandal, is now into its fifth year...but the authorities have yet to prosecute one person or recover any of the funds.

This is in spite judges hearing how a staggering 855 million euros came from the EU was illegally syphoned away to a string of individuals and companies.

The money, which was intended for retired workers and struggling companies, was instead taken by thousands of politicians, businessmen and town hall workers.

So far 275 people have been quizzed in the investigation, which has seen five different judges presiding over the case.

These include senior political figures, such as former Junta presidents Manuel Chaves and Jose Antonio Grinan, who have been called to give evidence before the investigating judges.

The investigation has been handicapped by political infighting, personal feuds and the deaths of some of the accused.

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la cultura

Do you have a what’s on?

September 13th - September 26th 2017

Estepona’s hit heavy metal fest set for take two

what’s on

M Race

By Laurence Dollimore

THE Pink Purple Zep Fest is looking to return to the Costa del Sol following massive sucDownload our app now and cess. begin enjoying the best SpanishThe rock concert in Estepona’s Plaza del Toros saw a celebraMARBELLA town hall has news plans on the go. tion of three of the world’s most announced to declare influential bands of all time.

Starlite a ‘festival of municipal Almost 2,000 locals and tourinterest’. ists packed out the venue to It is also planning to ask the see tribute bands Think Floyd, Junta to extend the occupation Deeper Purple and Whole Lotta at the old quarry of Nagüeles Led rock out the greatest hits of for another 10 years, which will Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and guarantee a decade of future Led Zeppelin. editions of the music festival.

Ian Grant told the OlAccordingThe to mayor OliveAngePressOrganiser ive Press: “Everyone wants us to les Muñoz, the purpose of do it again and we’d love to say these plans is ‘to recognise the TOP news comin Spain! yes right now, as it was the most uniqueness offor the festival, amazing experience, we just plying strictly with the current legality, and to put down immediate foundations for Marbella to continue to maintain the right to use the natural enclave in which Starlite is developed.’

She said in a statement that ‘Marbella can not allow meaningless controversies about an event that, beyond its cultural offer, contributes without any doubt to the international projection of our city.’

The municipal executive will tarjeton.pdf 1 30/03/2017 9:57:08 take the proposal to extend LEFT BARE: Franco Starlite in Marbella for the next ten years to the local governhouse ment board today.

STAYING PUT: Starlite

Star power

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Take two?

SUCCESS: Organisers look forward to second installment of rock fest need investors and sponsors.

“We couldn’t attract many this time around and could only get a small amount of sponsorship because people doubted whether a rock concert using tribute bands and no ‘names’ could put bums on seats.

“Well, on that score, I think we well and truly proved the concept with around 1,500 people turning up!”

He added: “A future event is on the cards, but now we’ve proved it can work, we will be looking for bigger sponsorship and at

least one investor, so I can sleep at night and not have to worry about my pension going up the spout!”

If you’re interested in sponsoring the next festival, email newsdesk@theolivepress. es

Banksy A no show A SPANISH town has been left disappointed after an appeal for Banksy to paint on their walls came up short.

Ferrol, in Galicia, was hoping to win Spain’s first catalogued work by Banksy at the Meninas de Canido festival - so-named because artists are encouraged to cover the walls with their takes on Diego Velázquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas.

The town wanted the UK artist to work his magic on Franco’s first home.

“I think that would be a fantastic idea. People

come here only to see the house where Franco was born and it is an albatross around our neck.

I would much prefer them to come and see the Banksy,” said Eduardo Hermida, a painter who organises an annual festival.

The festival, sponsored by the Galician beer brand 1906, even launched a massive media campaign, taking out advertisements in leading international newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph, as well as billboards in Bristol and London.

alaga - September 24 Sea Crossing

Misericordia Beach plays host to the 1st Aliquindoi sea crossing race. The race is being held in aid of people who risk their lives crossing the Med. There are two distances of 1,350 metres and 2,700 metres.

M

alaga - September 21-24 - Mayumana’s Rumba Tour

Following it’s success in Madrid the group is considered as the most important percussion, rhythm and dance group in the world. They will be hosted by Malaga’s Cervantes Theatre.

C

ampillos - 30 Sept-1 Oct - Artisan Cheese Fair

Teba will hold this world famous fair, winner of the prestigious “Guadalteba Award”.

Artisan cheesemakers from around Spain will display their creations as well as a contest of desserts.

estamos

abiertos temporada

2017

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ORIGINAL: Nik Turner and below Alex from the Orb

A RANGE of DJs, musicians and punk legends are set to gather for one of the most exciting festivals of the year.

The organic, esoteric event taking place at Space Mountain recording studios, is the brainchild of one of the world’s top music producers Martin Glover, AKA Youth.

As well as the Orb, Nik Turner and The egg, Roger Eno and X-dream will be performing at the threeday arts festival, from October 6 to 8.

Glover, best known for being one of the founders of indie pioneers Killing Joke, is expecting at least 30 live performances across three stages ‘with lots of surprises’.

One live show is expected to involve a

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September 13th - September 26th 2017 September 13th - September 26th 2017

Space’d mountain!

Ambient arts festival to connect eclectic group of musicians in with some of the world’s top producers, writes Giles Brown ‘sort of post-punk supergroup’, he told the Olive Press, featuring Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman and the Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray. Glover certainly has the contacts to make the festival work, having produced numerous albums for groups, including including U2, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode and Guns N’Roses to name just a few.

He will be joined by fellow producer John Leckie, credited with producing the famous Stone Roses sound, as well as working with Radiohead and Muse,

TALENT: Youth (left) today and in Killing Joke, while poster and the Lecrin valley

as well as Mim Scala, who has worked with the Rolling Stones.

Glover describes the festival, at

his studio in the Lecrin Valley, as being like a ‘cosmic arts lab’ allowing the public to see

CAUGHT LIVE

BY JON CLARKE

Calling the shots Dynamic deck spinner Steve Aoki added extra voltage to an electrifying MTV Gibraltar Calling music festival, writes Jon Clarke

W

AMAZING SET: And (above) Steve Aoki, (right) Ricky and (top right) Years and Years

ITH a giant bottle of champagne, a dozen cakes thrown into the crowd and a cameo from Charli XCX, Steve Aoki more than stole the show.

A masterstroke bringing one of the world’s biggest DJs to the MTV music festival this year, American Aoki brought an energy and enthusiasm too rarely seen in this part of Europe.

While he didn’t hit the stage till well past 1am, he more than made up for it on the last date of his European tour and soon everyone was doing the Aoki Coky.

Even my nine-year-old son, suffering from festival fatigue, was jumping up and down within minutes for his arrival.

A stunning array of visuals, a string of massive tunes and his livewire intervention at the front of the stage made this the gig not to be missed.

In terms of sheer energy, only Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs came near to creating as much audience participation, although rapper Tinie Tempah took him right to the edit on Sunday evening.

Gibraltar Calling proved, once again, to be one of the big festivals of the summer.

An eclectic mix of acts, from pop giants Clean Bandit to Spanish favourite Ricky Martin and from festival stalwarts Kaiser Chiefs to British dance legend Fatboy Slim there was, quite literally, something for everyone.

While my 12-year-old daughter had been most excited about Charli XCX, who played a fabulous set on Saturday, my son had been looking forward to Jonas Blue and Aoki. Something of the raver in the making there.

Meanwhile Dad was most impressed

with Years and Years, whom I had heard a lot about but never seen. The electronic dance band wowed the crowd with hits like King and Shine, while singer Olly mesmerised in his bright pink boxing shorts.

I was upset to miss both the Vaccines and the cool up-and-coming Spanish girl band Hinds, who I caught last year in Bilbao.

While Ricky Martin has never done much for me, I must begrudgingly admit his show was worth watching for his fab dancers and continual change of outfits. Less said the better about Village People...

On Sunday, the Kaiser Chiefs impressed but were on too early and struggled with the heat, particularly Ricky (in a pink leather jacket, no less).

Clean Bandit were the big stand-out surprise for me, really professional, slick and with some amazing backdrop visuals, which complemented their various big hits of the last couple of years. The kids loved it.

Bastille changed the mood, with their infectious indie feel, before the stage ushered in Tinie Tempah, a massive draw for the Gibraltar crowd, with his six number one singles, making him the UK’s most successful rapper of all time.

It certainly showed and he was clearly taken aback at the level of adoration displayed at Victoria Stadium, which completely rocked to his hits Girls Like and Text from your Ex. All that was left was for Craig David, and then finally Fatboy Slim, to bring the house down well into the wee hours of Monday morning.

‘music created and mixed live in a professional recording studio with award-winning producers’.

The ’ambient arts festival’ will also feature DJs, food stalls, cinema, yoga classes and ‘sound healing’.

“I’ve had a place in the Lecrin Valley since the late 90s and built the studio in 2005,” Glover confirmed.

“It’s a beautiful spot with a great creative energy, and it gives me a buzz to see other people enjoy it.

It’s so rare for fans get to see international artists in a modern studio, and I’m happy to do that.

“I’ve invited various artists that I have a close connection with with,” added Glover.

A trial run of the festival last year, featuring Alex from The Orb, flamenco artist Gaudi and Roger Eno was so successful they took it to the Royal Festival Hall, in London, and Glastonbury, this year.

Glover also has the full support of the local community “It’s been a great excuse to curate a festival in a creative way. The aim is to create and facilitate the arts community in the Lecrin Valley and I’ve been lucky enough to have had lots of encouragement from the local people and the mayor, but I’m not trying to compete with other festivals.

“It’s a big private party with cool artists”.

With less than a month to go to Space Mountain Festival, Glover is busy with the last minute details.

“I’m not a professional organiser and I’m fine tuning at the moment.

I’m arranging travel at the moment for all the artists and thinking: ‘Why am I doing this?’ but it’s one of the best things that I’ve ever done.”

For tickets and for more information www.spacemountainfestival.com

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GARANTÍA

September 13th - September 26th 2017

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L E TT E R S

www.theolivepress.es

Look in the mirror I live in a part of Chiclana which has no tourists. All locals.

The streets are disgustingly filthy around here. A small park and a children's playground near my house are always littered with cans, plastics bottles, takeout food papers, etc etc. There are bins within a few meters, but nobody knows what each bin is for!

Adults as well as kids just throw everything on the ground. Complete lack of education.

Dog poo is a big problem as well. Only a few people pick up after their dogs.

Even in the high school yard there are cans and bottles and other litter scattered around the grounds. I was disappointed about the litter and dirtiness when I came here after living in Portugal for two years. There seems to be little encouragement to use bins. Perhaps if the council was a lot more proactive about bins / recycling of glass, plastic, cans the people might be more inclined to be clean and have some civic pride.

Portugal is much cleaner. There are recycling points in every small village and town - in fact in my small village there were 3 such areas in which to separately deposit the glass, cans, and plastic. I do not see enough of them here and generally most people just don't seem to care.

Maybe it is time for some Spanish people to look to themselves to have civic pride instead of looking to blame others.

Margaret Lennon, Chiclana

Keep it up!

I read the Olive press every day in Plymouth in Devon and enjoy keeping up with the latest Spanish news.. It’s a great paper!

Mary Shipman, Devon

Well done Typical for you: true journalistic spirit, while others just copy from your news. Upkeep the courage and educate people about the dangers secret societies bring to society, highlighting the destruction of the social order of life as we knew it (Secret Societies, issue 273). The ones culpable of the exploitation of masses to the benefit of a few are the PRIVATE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES. Today, like never before in human history, due to modern IT technology, they yield a power regime and no one even speaks about it. NOT in CLARITY, NOT in a way the people would really grasp! So dedicate a series to that topic, educate the people!

Ken Roach, unknown

Childish The EU is 'incapable' of carrying out negotiations (EU chief Brexit negotiator tells UK to start ‘negotiating seriously’, online). The EU can only see their side - which amounts to just 50% of the argument. They are only interested in being seen to make it hard for the UK - so that other member states don't think about leaving, it’s so obvious and childish.

Michael Fewings, Marbella

September 13th - September 26th 2017

Shocking?

Our readers react to the story of expat David Sutcliffe, who returned to the UK but was found homeless and starving as local council couldn’t home him Treated as a foreigner I know someone who looked into going back to that area - even into a caravan - and he couldn't afford it. They are inundated there with pensioners and he was told there was a wait of possibly two years. You would be treated as a foreigner if you decided to go back! If you are on the health service here there's no need to go back - you are far better looked after here. It annoys me that we have all cut our ties with the UK to live here but expect that we can just go back and be treated as a special case! There are so many young couples who cannot get accommodation either.

Let down I came back from Spain three years ago after losing my house in the 2012 fires . I went to the social and they had me filling in the bible… I received nothing. They wouldn't give me a home either, it’s crap. We all pay into UK but get nothing in return.

And people wonder why some people are racist!

I’m now back on my feet and found myself a job after just four days of returning and I now have my own house, and that is through hard work and family, NOT the government! This man is 82 years old probably fought for his country and now they have let him down!

Kath Edwards, Malaga

Not a burden There are no 'hand outs' living abroad, you have to pay for everything yourself...he was obviously forced to return and had probably paid into the UK system all his working life. Why live abroad?

Because your pension goes further that's why... and a burden on the UK health system? Far from it, in fact helping it by putting the burden on the systems abroad! Think about it...what will happen if all the expats had to return to the UK because of Brexit...then the burden would be there! All the older folk needing housing and health care!

Sharron Cromwell, Manchester

Terrible Same thing happened to a 70-year-old freind of mine he went back and was told the same thing.. luckily he had a few hundred pounds to buy a caravan and lived in that while is basic pension covered the camp site fees.

Unfortunately he has now passed away due to ill health.

It is terrible how he and many others are treated.

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

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Asturias

Escape to Arcadia

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

W

E are nearing the end of one of the most spectacular walks in Spain when we finally bump into another human being.

It’s midsummer and over the previous three hours the only other signs of life have had horns or wings - cows, goats and a pair of screeching eagles.

Well-marked out and well-promoted, the circular route takes you through a breathtaking gorge of virgin woodland, then up and up to high mountain pastures with incredible views.

So where is everyone?

Well, this is Asturias and, crucially, not the celebrated Picos de Europa or the nearby coastline, which in August does get busy, thanks to half of Madrid being on holiday not to mention the rest of Europe.

Our walk, near Fuensanta where the celebrated bottled water comes from, is halfway between the sea and the soaring inland picos and close to a couple of lesser-known Natural Parks (Asturias has an incredible 24 in total).

About 25 minutes from the city of Oviedo and 20 minutes to the coast, for most of the year this is a spot where you will hardly ever see a tourist.

The sole traveller we meet is clearly intrigued to see us and stops in his stride to ask where we’re headed… and why?

He is soon our unofficial tour guide, listing

It’s said the rain in Spain falls mainly in Asturias …

But when Olive Press editor Jon Clarke swapped the crowded Costas for a summer break in this peaceful pastoral paradise, he only wore his raincoat once other good walks nearby and insisting we make a small detour to the 13th-century tower that sits astride the river 600 metres upstream.

He’s in his early 60s and has the healthy pallor of most of the locals you meet in

It has a bit of everything, from snow-capped mountains to sweeping beaches these parts.

He is also engaging and our conversation becomes a history lesson on Asturias - it was a kingdom many centuries before Ferdinand and Isabella created Spain and it was where the reconquest against the

Moors began - until the discussion turns to corruption in Spain ...

Our informed guide turns out to be a policeman - the ‘captain’, no less, of nearby Gijon’s Guardia Civil. Cultured and educated, he well sums up a week’s holiday in this particularly unspoilt, civilised part of the peninsula.

Asturias is the polar opposite of the Costa del Sol or the Costa Blanca.

Like a microcosm of Spain it has a bit of everything, from snow-capped mountains to sweeping beaches and from simple local ventas to grand upmarket eateries, along with swathes of wild virgin countryside still inhabited by bears and wolves.

Known as ‘green Spain’ (a title which neighbouring Cantabria, Galicia and the Basque Region also claim) it’s not hard to see why as you fly into little-known Asturias airport.

Looking more like the fjords of Norway than a Spanish coastal region, forested hillsides swoop down to apple orchards Continues on Page 16

September 13th - September 26th 2017 Sept 13th - Sept 26th 2017

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Hit the

From previous page

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

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

CAPTION.

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W t o he s t re ay

DOUBLE GARAGE: Asturias style way to keep your cars

and fields of hay grazed by herds of cows.

This is a pastoral paradise and perfect walking terrain, even in August when summer daytime temperatures average 23 degrees, only hitting 30 on a very hot day.

Sure, you will have to contend with an average of 10 rainy days in August (with 12 in September and 11 in June and July), but these days are mostly overcast, not wet from dawn till dusk, meaning you can be out and about all day with none of southern Spain’s siesta lark!

We were looking for the best place in Spain to get away from Andalucia’s stifling midsummer heat but still be in shorts and t-shirts, and to get in some decent walking, a day or two on the beach and a bit of cultural stuff.

And, above all, we had come to eat the region’s rated food and sample its famous cider (see article on p28), which we had enjoyed on various trips to Asturias in our 30s, in the years before our two kids were born.

Centering our holiday around a booking at the region’s most famous restaurant - Casa Marcial, in Arriondas (see review overleaf), which we had also visited a couple of times back then - we packed the kids off to the grandparents in the UK and took a very reasonably-priced flight from Malaga via airline Volotea, which flies a couple of days a week.

Everything ran smoothly and by 10pm we

were sitting down to dinner at our first port of call, a fantastic small boutique hotel called el Gran Sueno (www.elgransueno. es).

With a plate of amazing ham, a simple gazpacho and a fabulous flinty ‘albarino’ white wine called Nibias from nearby, what more could you want?

As we’d arrived at night, we’d had no hint of the dramatic scenery awaiting us at breakfast, set up in the charming garden below our room.

The view went on forever, stretching to the distant soaring picos nearly an hour away by car. At closer range we marvelled at the vernacular architecture of the tiny village of Pintueles and its classic horreo (grain store), unusual as it was charming.

Our host Dave Haxby, originally from Brighton, moved here with his Asturian boyfriend Javier a couple of years ago.

They couldn’t have made us feel more at home, plying us with suggestions for walks and places to eat. One stroll began literally from the doorstep and took us into the nearby hills along ancient tracks and (supposedly) to lunch in a restaurant halfway

THERE is a m stay in Astu and breakfa palaces.

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

around.

Sadly, it was closed (well, it was a Monday, albeit in August) but obligingly our hosts came to our rescue, booking us a late lunch at a nearby hotel in Torazu.

Their best advice by far, though, was to steer clear of the famous walks of the Picos de Europa which got its name from

the conquistadores who saw its peaks before any other land on the way back from the New World. (We had, anyway, visited Fuente De and Cabrales gorge before.)

But they talked of hour-long waits for the cable car up, hundreds of people on the

an Oscar winner

The Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre in Aviles was intended to have a similar effect to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, a short hop along the Green Coast.

But, while it definitely has its allure, it is not quite as striking as the wonderful art museum in the Basque region.

That said, the €44 million centre, designed by Brazilian architect Niemeyer is well worth a visit, particularly as it is a fascinating link between the city’s industrial past and its medieval core, across the city’s main river.

It is just a stone’s throw from Spain’s leading steel works, Ensidesa, which can be seen smoking behind it and the whole

industrial backdrop is interesting.

There are usually art exhibitions going on and the tower - reminiscent of a formula one race track - compliments the snaillike buildings alongside it.

The centre has different architectural spaces that are distinctive for their design and functionality.

The least well-known of Asturias’ trio of cities (Oviedo and Gijon are the other two) Aviles is wonderfully laid-back, friendly and cultured.

But it has been rightfully described as the ‘Cinderella’ of them all.

It once had one of the best harbours on the northern coast and for centuries did well out of fishing and trade. However, not unlike another city in Southern Spain (Algeciras), in the early 1950s the rot set in and Avilés was earmarked for an industrial future by Franco’s government.

The wetlands of the estuary were partially drained, the course of the river altered and the giant factory complex including steel works and smelters moved in.

EYE-CATCHING: The Oscar cake

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North Asturia s

Take a hike INTO THE ABYSS: Pendon walk

REAMS HELPED BY SALVADOR DALI

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

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

five-star rural hotel has a spa and indoor swimming pool plus a fabulous restaurant, which is rightfully often full.

You can walk from the door along dirt tracks to nearby Lastres, which has its own port and some of the best fish restaurants in Asturias.

Another interesting place worth considering is Palacio de Cutre (www. palaciodecutre.com), still owned by the original landowner and full of aristocratic charm with a summer terrace restaurant offering amazing views.

Finally try and get into el Gran Sueno (www.elgransueno.es), an amazing bed and breakfast, boutique hotel, with plenty of charm in a tiny hamlet other necessities. not far from Oviedo.

The owners are knowledgeable on the region and are more than capable of cooking for guests and providing most PICTURE WINDOW: The dining room at Palacio de Luces

paths and the need to get up at 6am, which was the clincher, and we opted to stay nearby.

But we were in no way being shortchanged, with our already-mentioned hike around Fuensanta and another adventure into the wonderfully-named Ponga Natural Park.

This day out took us up a green valley to the village of Espinaredo, where we had a simple lunch and were fascinated by what is supposedly the largest concentration of horreos in Asturias, some 700 in total dating back to 1548.

From here, we walked part of the interprovincial GR109 footpath up into the hills, past the cute hamlet of Omedal and up to a ridge with one of the best views in Christendom, where we sat and devoured a perfect packed lunch.

On the way back we were guided to the town of Infiesto, where an ancient wooden-clad bodega sold dozens of wines by the glass. Just what the doctor ordered.

Our next port of call was only 20 minutes by car through the Sierra del Sueve towards Arriondas, where we had our much-anticipated restaurant reservation.

We tried out two different hotels, both equally amazing: Palacio de Cutre (www. palaciodecutre.com), where we ate on one of the most spellbinding restaurant terraces in Spain and woke up to deer in the garden; and the five star Puebloastur (www.puebloastur.com), which is easily one of Spain’s best rural hotels.

In contrast, the last few days of our trip were spent on the coast near Lastres, where we planned to eat some decent seafood and visit some beaches.

In the end, the weather conspired against us and with sunbathing off the schedule, we took some walks - along the coast from Playa la Griega in Colunga to the small village of La Isla, and inland from the remarkable Fito viewing point up to the nearby peak of Pienzu.

There are so many amazing walks to take around Asturias, aside from those in the celebrated Picos de Europa.

The Foces de Rio Pendon walk (left and above) is a three-hour affair and starts beside the celebrated Fuensanta water bottling plant, near the village of Nava, and heads along a deep gorge and through incredible virgin woodland before heading up into the high pastures and back.

Meanwhile, walks along the coast are equally stunning and reminiscent of the coastline in Devon or Cornwall.

Below, a two-hour walk heads from Colunga’s Playa Griega to La Isla and back.

SEASIDE OUTING: Near Colunga

This gave us a great opportunity to see how unspoilt the coastline is in Asturias and, in particular, to enjoy its cuisine, with restaurant Gueyu Mar in Playa de Vega a particularly standout place for seafood.

Best of all was holing up and relaxing in our final hotel, the Palacio de Luces (www.palaciodeluces.com), a luxurious Relais & Châteaux affair with wonderful suites maximising on the views and a restaurant that puts just about every

other hotel establishment I have eaten in to shame.

Following the advice of friendly manageress Maria Dolores to ‘eat in’, even when there were so many good local options, was a masterstroke and we were soon tucking into an incredible ‘salpicon’ of local lobster and langoustines and a tartare of avocado and tuna with mustard, passion fruit, tomato and chives.

The ravioli of ‘colmenillas’ mushrooms in the juice of free range chicken was superb as was the red mullet with apple sauce.

It perfectly set up the last day of

our holiday, spent sightseeing around the town of Aviles, the smallest of the three cities of Asturias now famous for its Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre, a much-needed tourist magnet for the city.

Having already visited the capital of Oviedo (a historic masterpiece) on many occasions, and the seaside city of Gijon which is one of the definitive party capitals of Spain, it was good to spend time in more laid-back Aviles, which has a charming historic quarter, no shortage of places for lunch, before heading for the airport just 15 minutes away.

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la culturapolitics asturias special

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Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke is delighted to find Asturias’ leading restaurant still has oodles of rustic charm, despite a 20-year gap and two Michelin stars

CONCENTRATION: Nacho prepares sea urchin

M

T

STYLISH: The place is beautifully lit and the dishes compliment that

Asturias

arvellous arcial

HE first time we ate at Casa Marcial we litthere with the celebrated dining temples of San erally stumbled across it on a muddy hike Sebastian and Girona. It is just not so fussy, nor around inland Asturias. so grand, and it’s kinder to your pocket!

It appeared at the top of a steep hill like a Broadly, you have a choice of two set menus: a ray of sunshine after a storm … a magical spot in traditional one, called the ‘roots menu’, and a a tiny hamlet with marvellous views of the soarmore modern seasonal version, known as the ing Picos de Europa mountains in the distance. ‘horizontal menu’.

It needed a double-take to notice that the small And, best of all, you can divide both in half - adstone cottage had a menu on the door. On closer visable at night - and end up with nine courses inspection, it jumped out as both original and instead of around 15, for €98 including IVA. good value.

Our culinary journey started with the most reWhile we’d missed the midday service (we’d almarkable seafood spread, hidden in a rockpoolready wolfed down a packed lunch, in any case) style presentation in which a clam, a mussel and we were suitably inspired to pop in and book for a whelk were lurking. that evening.

It continued with a ceviche of avocado with the And what a joy it turned out to be, with its young peel of sardine, which was tasty, followed by an chef Nacho Manzano not long in the kitchen and enoki mushroom with squid and ‘soil ink’, which a year or so before winning his first Michelin star. sounded odd but hit the spot perfectly, rich in The food was fresh, the service charming and both flavour and originality.

Nacho himself was personable and engagAn eel served with ‘scanda’ wheat was deliing. We returned to our simple rustic cious while the grilled grouper, served hostel that night noting that it had with edible flowers and mixed been the highlight of the holileaves, was cooked to perfection. day.

Easily the strangest dish of the Fast-forward two decades night was the cow’s tongue and we are being chaufserved with lentils and a feured from - ironically mole sauce (that’s the the very same hostelry, chocolate version, not the now an incredible five furry animal), but it was star spa hotel called also one of the finest.

PuebloAstur.

However, it was trumped This time we’re clad in and it is rare that I say this our glad rags and have a - by an amazing chocolate, reservation, made three mint and passion fruit pudmonths earlier via the ding, washed down with website. a fabulous 10-year-old Casa Marcial is an entireMadeira. ly different prospect today.

On the subject of wines, I Manzano has been dubbed the am not normally a big fan region’s top chef with two Miof ‘maridaje’ wine pairing chelin stars here (the only one in but on this occasion we Asturias) and another in nearby succumbed to the charms Gijon. The small stone cottage of the sommelier.

The main changes has been spruced up with a A massive fan of sherries, have been to the Guggenheim-style extension juthe explained how brilliantly ting out back. they worked with the seamenu, which is Now part of the upmarket Relais food/mountain mix of Na& Chateaux chain, it has all the cho’s food. It was hard to creative without attractive flourishes you would disagree, particularly with losing its soul and expect from a two-Michelinthe amazing saltiness of starred joint, inside and out. the boutique UBE wine from still very much part The lighting is fabulous and the Bodegas Cota 45 in Sanluof its surroundings decor more contemporary, yet it car de Barrameda, a perfect has managed to hang onto its partner for the seafood original rural charms, much of starters. this thanks (it is said) to a certain Scottish deOther standout wines were the bone dry El signer who spent a couple of years living nearby.

Prohibido from Ribeira Sacra and the PortuThe main changes have been to the menu, which guese Vertice Gouveio 2008. The red Masis creative without losing its soul and still very suria 2013 from Bierzo complemented the much part of its surroundings. cow’s tongue to a tee.

Described as being ‘neither traditional, nor vanAll in all, it is great to see that the changes at guardista, neither from the sea, nor the mounMarcial haven’t affected the food. Who knows, tain… but a mix of them all’, probably best sums if the quality keeps up, Nacho could be heading it up. up Asturias’ first three-star restaurant anytime What you eat at Casa Marcial is in every way up soon.

Casa Marcial, Calle La Salgar, 33549 Arriondas, Asturias, 985 840 991

RETURN: Jon and Gabirella

ORIGINAL: Beef tongue

STAFF: Polite and informative

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PABLO Picasso’s mansion in the French Riviera is to go up for auction in October with a starting bid of €20.2 million.

The Malagueno maestro lived and worked

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in the home, which is known as Mas de Notre Dame de Vie, from 1961 until his death at the age of 91 in 1973.

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The home has a tennis court, pool, and a spacious gym/fitness center, with a spa and steam bath.

Property of the Week

Only way is up begin enjoying the best Spanish news on the go.

Prices continue to soar across The Olive Press Spain as Malaga TOP for news in Spain! and Balearics lead the way PROPERTY prices in Malaga are expected to soar by 5% next year thanks to increasing demand.

It comes after Solvia, the property division of Sabadell bank, forecast an average increase in house prices of 7.3% across the country by 2020.

Bankinter, meanwhile, predicts a 5% increase in 2018 alone.

Regions with the strongest demand and economies such as Catalonia and Madrid are likely to see the biggest rises and the

Solvia forecast the biggest rises will be in Catalonia (11%) and Madrid (14%)

Bankinter predict a average growth of 5% in 2018 alone

Sabadell Bank forecast 7.3% national incease by 2020

LOOKING UP: Property prices

Solvia forecast suggests increases of 11% and 14% respectively.

It added that sales are likely to be strongest in Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Malaga and Alicante, where demand continues to be high.

Ibiza, meanwhile, is selling so fast it is becoming unable to cope with demand.

“Demand for high end residences on Ibiza remains significantly higher than the supply available,” said Florian Fischer, managing partner of Engel & Völkers on Ibiza.

“In addition, we registered a rise in average property prices in 2016,” said Florian Fischer, Engel & Völkers brokered properties to buyers from 17 different countries last year.

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Change your life today!

Spanish slimmer Asier Santa Cruz heads to UK slimming final after losing 42kg

SMILE: Slimmer Asier shows great new figure

H

E once tipped the scales at an incredible 136 kg due to ‘sheer laziness’ and eating too much.

But now Asier Santa Cruz, from Pamplona, is down to a very healthy 94 kilos, having lost 42kgs in just 18 months.

His impressive drop will see him attending the final of the International Slimmer of the Year finals organised by Cambridge Weight Plan (CWP) in the UK this November.

It comes after he pipped fellow finalists Alicia Whelan and Rosa Torrens at the regional final in Malaga last week.

He told the Olive Press how the weight plan had ‘given him back control of his life’.

“It has been amazing as has winning this award,” he said. “I simply had no one else to blame for my massive weight gain. I just ate too much and was lazy.”

Asier will join slimmers from more than 30 countries at the grand final in Telford, in November, including Gibraltarian Alfred Traverso, who lost 31kg in just nine months.

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BUSINESS

September 13th - September 26th 2017

September 13th - September 26th 2017

Winter is coming AT least 46,400 Spaniards lost their jobs in August as the tourism season began drawing to a close, new figures have revealed.

The figure is a much sharper rise in unemployment than over the same period last year, when the number of jobless claims increased by 14,435 people.

There are now 3,382,324 people officially registered as being out of work in Spain.

The number of people contributing to social security fell to 18,309,844 people in August, after retreating 0,97%.

The figure represents the greatest job de-

struction for a month of August since 2008, the beginning of the financial crash.

Meanwhile, a new Eurostat survey has found that Spain is among the member states with the greatest number of people working in temporary posts against their will.

In 2016, 91.4% of Spain’s temporary workers said they would have preferred to be in a permanent position. Only Cyprus had a higher rate, at 92.2%. Most of these workers want a more stable, full-time job – particularly since these pay better. Around 27% of Spain's jobs are temporary.

Brit boom

Bank fined

Spain smashed all tourism records in July thanks to UK holidaymakers

BRITISH holidaymakers have helped Spain smash its record for international tourist arrivals.

It comes after the National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed the number of

FINED: Unicaja

KEEP ‘EM COMING: Brits love Spain

visitors in July soared by 10.1% on last year.

Spain hosted more than 10.5 million foreign tourists in the seventh month of the year, adding to expectations that 2017 arrival numbers will reach new heights.

From January to July, the number of visitors rose 11.3% on last year to 46.9 million.

Research carried out by Caixabank predicts a total of 83 million international tourists by the end of 2017.

Catalonia was the most visited region in July.

Hotel groups and government ministers have so far dismissed concerns that the attacks in Barcelona could affect figures, saying cancellations since have been isolated.

According to a survey by ITB World Travel, two thirds of international

travellers only go to destinations they perceive as safe.

Tourism has accounted for around 11% of economic output during Spain’s economic recovery since the devastating 2008 crash.

It’s an essential industry for the country, employing 13% of the population.

British tourists remained the largest group of visitors, accounting for 22.1% of the total, despite Brexit and the plummetting pound against the euro.

“There is no noticeable impact of Brexit on our future bookings, which remain positive,” a spokesman for Thomas Cook said. “The annual sun and beach holiday is resilient.”

More than 2.3 million Brits travelled to Spain in July, up 7% from 2016.

Generation gap SPAIN will not be joining the race to deploy 5G, the fifth-generation mobile network standard that the world’s most developed nations are trying to roll out as soon as possible.

Countries are keen to adopt this next-generation technology that multiplies the speed of today’s 4G connections by 250.

But Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda Minister Alvaro Nadal has confirmed there is no planned date for Spain to deliver this new technology, and that the government’s priority for now is to deploy 4G and fixed broadband connectivity across the entire territory, where 30% of the population still lacks this technology.

For the time being, the government will let Spanish operators carry out 5G tests on the 3.5GHz bandwidth, said the minister. But Nadal added that it is too soon to talk about auctioning off the frequencies that will carry the new services.

LEADING bank Unicaja has been fined €3.15 million by the Junta de Andalucia for what it considers abusive clauses in the bank’s mortgage contracts.

In a statement the Junta said that it had imposed the fine for what it deemed as abusive clauses in its mortgage loan contracts. It also said that the bank had failed to provide adequate information and that it ha received 357 complaints during its investigation into floor rates clauses.

For its part, Unicaja issued a response saying that its mortgages were ‘clear, transparent and lawful’ and that it would be appealing against the decision. Unicaja also pointed out that, according to Spain’s Supreme Court, only courts of law and not regional bodies have the authority to determine whether or not contract clauses are abusive and imposed penalties.

Problem

Unicaja is not the only bank that has been in the Junta’s line of fire recently. In July it announced that it would be fining Banco Mare Nostrum €1.6 million for the same reason and other banks may be next. In 2013 FACUA Andalucia ( the federation of consumer associations) reported Unicaja, along with 19 other banks, for abusive mortgage floor contracts, while the Junta reported over 15 banks for the same reason the following year. Mortgage floor contracts are not solely a problem in Andalucia, with FAUA making similar reports in other Spanish regions.

The figure of €3.15 million is comprised for €650,000 for the contravention of customer rights and the €2.5 million that the Junta claims Unicaja made from the mortgage floor rate clauses. In addition the bank has been fined €350,000 for failing to provide adequate information to its clients.

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education

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September 13th - September 26th 2017 September 13th - September 26th 2017

Early starters

Hero teacher A BRITISH teacher has raised almost €10,000 for animal charities by cycling to southern Spain.

Toby Boram, 54, raised €9,152 by cycling from his home in Chester to Murcia, all to raise vital funds to help greyhounds in the UK and their Spanish cousins, galgos.

The 1,500-mile marathon took him 14 days.

“There I was, surrounded by cyclists, with cycle team cars in front and behind, a motorbike speeding past to stop the traffic at the next road junction so our passage to the ve-

Is old school best?

SOME 67% of Spaniards think schools should promote creativity as a top priority.

It comes after the PEW Research Centre asked parents in 19 different countries whether they think schools should focus on resourcefulness or basic academics.

Public opinion in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada also showed a clear preference for an education system that emphasised creativity and independent thinking.

But in the UK, only 24% thought creativity should be a focus, while 51% felt academia should be pushed.

The no-nonsense view in the UK came closer to that of less-developed countries in the survey, such as Kenya and Nigeria, where the expectation was that schools should get on with teaching the basics.

Report reveals regions with the lowest educational investment ANDALUCIA, Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha invest the least amount of money in their school students.

A report has revealed Andalucia invested €4,510 per student in non-university education in 2014-2015, the most recent figures available.

That is little more than half of what the Basque Country invested in its students €8,976.

Navarre, Cantabria, Astur-

lodrome would not be interrupted,” marvelled Tony.

“It’s been a dream of mine since first watching the Tour de France on television, and across the road into the velodrome there was a white line showing where the UK2Spain route would end.”

He spent the next few days at the Galgos Del Sol centre doing what he loves best, spending time with the dogs and trying to make a difference to their lives.

The proceeds from his cycling challenge have gone to Forever Hounds Trust and Galgos Del Sol.

Mind the gap ias, Galicia or Castilla y León spend more than 6,000 euros per student annually 25% more than Madrid or Andalusia.

Meanwhile Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Com-

munity all spend less than €5,000.

The figures highlight the ‘huge gap’ between northern and southern Spain following the 2008 financial crisis which hit certain regions,

including Andalucia, harder than others.

Experts have stated that the gap between community spending is reflected in educational outcomes and is leading to a ‘clear division between communities.”

“There is a north with a higher socioeconomic level, which also spends more on education, and a south with a more disadvantaged socioeconomic level, which also invests less in education,” said Daniel Santín, economics professor at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM).

He and others believe that the higher socioeconomic level of the Catalunya and Madrid populations ‘cushion’ their smaller levels of public investment.

PRE-SCHOOL enrollment in Andalucia has increased by 11% over the past year.

The region will allocate €175 million in the sector this year, 3.7 percent more than in 2016.

A total of 88,377 children under the age of three began nursery on September 1.

That’s an increase of 8,912 students on the previous year.

Education Minister Sonia Gaya said the figures highlight the Andalusian government’s commitment to early learning, contributing significantly to a child’s future academic success on both personal and professional levels.

University challenge SPAIN is absent from the list of the world’s top 200 universities and only seven of its groves of academe made it into the top 500.

According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) which identifies the best 500 global higher educational institutions, the first entry from Spain is Barcelona’s University Pompeu Fabra, in 239th place.

The top three places went to Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge.

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health

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Detective Perro

Four a day SPANISH researchers are creating a stir in the medical world with the news that FOUR cups of coffee a day could be the secret to longer life.

The major study of some 20,000 middle-aged people found that those who drank coffee regularly had mortality rates almost two-thirds lower than non-drinkers.

Previous studies also showed that coffee improves liver functionality, reduces inflammation and boosts immune systems.

The findings suggest that, contrary to current received wisdom, a caffeine kick could reduce the chance of early death from all causes by as much as two-thirds.

Health hustle SPAIN has posted 40 vacancies at its National Drug Agency in a bid to win the coveted European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London, post-Brexit.

The new staff will reinforce evaluation and monitoring of medicines ahead of Britain’s exit from the EU, which will likely lead to the European regulator leaving London.

More staff would allow Barcelona to better compete as one of 19 European cities that have lodged official applications to host the EMA, the country’s health ministry said.

The European Commission is currently assessing candidates but the final decision rests with EU leaders who will try to reach a consensus deal at their next summit in October. The winner is expected to be announced in the following month.

The amazing Spanish health hound who can detect lung cancer at a sniff A SPANISH dog has been trained to nose out lung cancer with a 95% success rate.

Blat, from Barcelona, can detect the deadly disease just by smelling the breath of potential sufferers.

Incredibly, the canine super sleuth can even detect cancer in its very early stages.

“The dog seems able to pick up everything, even when the tumours are very small, it’s astonishing,” wrote Angela Guirao, co-author of the study which was carried out at Barcelona’s Hospital Clinic.

Blat can sniff breath samples which have been hermetically sealed and are then opened and placed within a wooden box with a hole to amplify the scent.

Within seconds the dog can detect lung cancer and indicate it by sitting next to the sample.

More amazingly, Blat was a delinquent dog when Angela adopted him at 11 months after he needed rehoming.

But after months of training Blat, now three-and-a-half years old, has an almost faultless record. “He was a little hooligan because he hadn’t been trained properly but I saw that he had great potential and took him on,” said Angela. “I recognised him as a labrador retriever mixed with an American Staffordshire pit bull, a cross that makes for easy training.”

Blat’s results have astounded the medical profession. “They indicate that there are molecules specific to lung cancers and that some of these molecules are detectable in the exhaled air,” explained Laureano Molins, a thoracic surgeon at Hospital Clinic and co-author of trial.

Stop the ads!

FOOD giants in Spain are ignoring new laws aimed at reducing their advertising to children, a new study has revealed.

Up to 88.3% of TV food and drink commercials violated the code in 2012, up from 49.3% in 2008, the year new regulations came into place.

Restrictions cover using popular children’s characters to promote unhealthy food and broadcasting outside established time slots that were introduced to protect minors.

The study by University of Madrid researchers found that 2,582 food adverts were broadcast on five Spanish TV channels between January and April 2012, from 8 am to midnight.

Noncompliance was greater in advertisements issued by children’s channels (92.3%) than in general (81.5%).

The study has called for tighter restrictions as Spain’s child obesity numbers have continued to grow.

23 23

September 13th - September 26th 2017 September 13th - September 26th 2017

Viagra warning A SPANISH study has warned against the use of viagra to treat valvular heart disease.

While it is traditionally used to boost performance in the bedroom, it was also thought it could help treat the common heart problem which can cause dangerously high blood pressure.

But the latest research suggests the medicine might actually do the opposite and actually increase patients’ heart risks.

In what he called a ‘surprise’ finding, ‘six-month treatment with sildenafil leads to worse clinical outcomes than placebo,’ said lead researcher Dr Javier Bermejo, a cardiologist at University Gregorio Maranon General Hospital in Madrid.

The bottom line: “Long-term usage of Viagra (sildenafil) for treating residual pulmonary hypertension in patients with valvular heart disease should be avoided.”

Bermejo spoke in a news release issued during the annual European Society of Cardiology convention in Barcelona, where he presented his team’s findings.

One US heart expert agreed that the news is a surprise, but noted that many people suffer from pulmonary hypertension, so more study is needed.

Dental phobia

How to calm your nerves in the dentist’s chair

“

I HATE coming to see you but don’t take it personally ….” Every dentist has heard these words and there are very few professions where complete strangers address you like this on a regular basis…. But dental phobia is a common occurrence. The source of many people’s extreme anxiety may be rooted in previous bad experiences, e.g. as a child, or for others (who admit to never actually having had a negative dental experience) it is simply the vulnerability they feel when the chair is tipped back. Irrespective of origin, dental phobia has proven to be a formidable barrier preventing many from seeking necessary dental treatment. The UK Adult Dental Health Survey 2009 estimated that up to 12% of adults have extreme dental anxiety.

The consequences of this are far reaching; affecting health, with obvious problems arising from pain/swelling to social impacts like trying to find a dentist in a foreign country when you are supposed to be on holiday…

As a dentist, my team and I pride ourselves on re-assuring our nervous patients and treating them successfully, simply by showing them some TLC. Listening to people, avoiding

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13 September

triggers such as certain sounds/smells and simple distraction techniques are enormously successful in helping patients cope and end that vicious cycle of waiting until things get so bad that when they do come in, it’s often complicated and stressful.

However, some phobic patients require a little more help. They still want to be “put to sleep” for dentistry as they feel they can’t face it otherwise. General anesthesia (being unconscious) performed outside of a hospital setting is no longer legally possible… however conscious sedation is a far safer and extremely effective alternative. You are awake but very pleasantly relaxed and feeling like you have had quite a few gin and tonics, thanks to the medication we administer! The side effects are minimal; one of which is complete memory loss during treatment with patients often ‘waking up’ afterwards asking ‘when will we start?’!

Nervous patients should start by trying to find a dentist they trust and work on feeling comfortable with them.

Conscious sedation may however be the solution to finally break through that fear barrier.

Contact the Oasis Dental Clinic on 952 83 74 42

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In a new dental health column, Nina King advises on all things teeth

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with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

Wine boom SPANISH wine exports have reached a record high of €1.33 billion in the first half of this year, up by 6% over the same period in 2016.

The increase is largely put down to the growth of the Chinese market, which has jumped by a massive 53.7% in a year.

The increase in profits is due to price increases which overcame a drop in volume by 7.8 million litres.

The average price per litre rose from last year’s €1.11 to €1.18. China has climbed the rankings to become Spain’s fifth largest wine market.

A third of all grape picking in Jerez is now undertaken at night

MO NSHINE in 2003. He discovered night harvesting when he was working in a winery in Australia and realised that the practice would work as well in his native Jerez.

First introduced in 2008, initially workers and fellow producers were sceptical.

“At first, people didn’t want to do it because they said they couldn’t see and were afraid of cutting themselves”.

Gradually, however, the workers were won over.

“The main beneficiaries are the pickers: they feel more comfortable and they work

OVER 30% of all the grapes picked in Jerez’s wine harvest are being picked at night.

The local vineyards have had to resort to the nocturnal practice to avoid the worse of the seasonal heat.

As well as improving the wine, the job is made considerably easier for the workforce.

“It was not easy convincing people,” admits Willy Pérez, an enologist who also runs the Luis Pérez bodega that his father established NIGHT PICKING: At a vineyard in Jerez

BiSTROT CASANiS

Sept 13th - Sept 26th 2017

better,” he says.

“And with the coolness, the grape is firmer and easier to transfer to the presses, while the de-stemming process is better as well.

“The first fermentation takes place at 15ºC, and it is more efficient and easier to lower the temperature from 19ºC at night than from 30ºC in the daytime”.

Many other vineyards are following suite, while the process of mechanical harvesting is also spreading in Jerez.

CAFÉ FLORE À L’iTALiENNE

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C/Ancha 8 (Casco Antiguo Marbella) tel. 952 900 450 www.casanis.es

Plz/Puente de Ronda 5 (Casco Antiguo Marbella) tel. 952 770 535 www.cafeflore.es

FOR HAKE'S SAKE!

T

Dish of the day from Corredera 55 in Vejer de la Frontera

H

EC

W

HY not go out and pick up these great local ingredients plus a good piece of Hake and a decent bottle of fino sherry and you can have a go at creating our famous ‘Guiso Catalan' full of aromatic flavours and a real taste of Spain.

With ingredients including infused saffron, Damascan lemons, ginger, garlic, sweet tomatoes topped with langostines and mussels this dish shouts ‘wow’ but can be made in 20 minutes with one hand while with the other you can drink the rest of the Fino!

A S AN IS

Restaurants

de Coeur

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

FAMiLY

2 cloves of Garlic sliced finely Finger of garlic grated finely 1 small white onion chopped finely 2 potatoes cut into thin discs 1 beef tomato cut into thin discs 1 fillet of Hake 250ml of Fino sherry Cup of fish stock 6 strands of saffron infused in a little water 3 damascan lemons Half a cup of chopped tomatoes 2 langoustines 4 mussels handful of parsley Salt and pepper

METHOD In an ovenproof dish on a low heat gently fry the garlic and onions in a little olive oil until browning. Add in the grated ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to medium and add the fino simmering off the alcohol for 1 minute.

Layer the thinly sliced potatoes and tomatoes on top of the garlic and onions and add the fish in the centre.

Pour over the fish stock, cup of tomatoes, add the saffron water and lemons, season with salt and pepper to taste and place in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile toss the langoustines in olive oil and fry in a dry pan for 3 minutes until curling and cooked.

Remove and splash the same pan with a little fish stock adding the mussels and cover for a few minutes until they begin to open.

Remove the dish of fish from the oven and decorate with the langoustines, mussels and top with handfuls of fresh parsley.

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The place to be

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22/06/2017 12:47

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Food, drink & travel

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Reborn

HOMEGROWN: Lola pods ‘faba’ beans, while husband Jesus shows off his cider collection

Asturias is the must visit place for authentic Spanish cooking and haute cuisine, hot on the heels of the Basque Region, writes Jon Clarke

S

MELLY cheese and lots of beans…that is pretty much how you would have summed up Asturian cuisine a few decades ago.

The guidebooks didn’t suggest otherwise and there was certainly nothing much to alter that view when I was a regular visitor to the region from Madrid in the early 1990s.

Introduced by my then-girlfriend, an actress from its biggest city Gijon, I got to love the rugged coastline, reliable waves for surfing and the partyloving people, who drank a lot of cider and proved to be friendly and straighttalking.

As far as food was concerned it was even more straight-forward. No matter where we ended up, we would eat blue cheese from Cabrales and grilled

FISHY: Fish soup and sea urchins in Castres port and (below) Cecina cured beef with goats cheese and walnuts meats, apart from when we ate ‘chez actriz’, when out came the ‘fabas’ beans.

Her mum would spend all morning preparing her legendary fabadas which came with lashings of salted meats, sausages and black pudding.

And what monsters they were; delicious and full of goodness, if just a touch bloaty on the stomach.

Very much a dish for lunch, not dinner, they would set you up for the rest of the day, whatever the weather, but be careful when you were in polite company.

These days the fabadas of Asturias are so famous that chefs guard their

Fabada and more

The most famous Asturian dish is the fabada, a hearty stew of fabas (white beans) mixed in with smoked meats and sausages, various vegetables and spices, often including saffron.

Other dishes include fritos de pixín (deep-fried monkfish pieces), menestra (vegetable stew), empanada (a thick crust pie), torto de maíz (fried maizeflour flatbread). The seafood, landed at the busy fishing ports of Gijón, Lastres and Avilés, is second to none. exact recipes with their lives, and an annual competition pits 100 restaurants against each other with their best efforts.

Some chefs are so concerned at the softness of the skin of their white beans - a key factor - that if there is a hint of toughness, they will bale out of the competition before it starts.

“We decided on giving it a miss this year for that exact reason,” explains Maria Dolores, the manageress of the coast’s top five star hotel Palacio de

WEEKDAYS MENU Served Tuesday to Saturday from 18.00-22.30 3 Courses €24.95 pp STARTERS *Soup of the Day *Mixed Salad with Pear & Citrus Fruits, Dressed with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette *Fish Cakes with Sweet Chilli sauce

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WE’VE GOT THEM ALL FOR YOU

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MAINS *Thai Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice *Grilled Pork Fillet with Pepper Sauce, New Potatoes & Mixed Vegetables *Grilled Hake with Lemon or Garlic Butter, New Potatoes & Mediterranean Vegetables *Goat Cheese, Olive and Tomato Tart with Vegetable Gateaux, Dill Pesto & New Potatoes DESSERTS A choice of Cheese Cake, Chocolate Mousse or Ice Cream

SUNDAY ROAST MENU

Served Sundays from 13.00-22.30 3 Courses €25.00 pp 3 Courses and half Bottle of House Wine (Red, White or Rosé) €29.95 pp STARTERS *Soup of the Day *Vermouth Tempura Squid, Pineapple & Persimmon Salsa *Haggis Bon Bons with Beetroot & Carrot Purees & Rough Oatcakes, Orange & Lemon Jam & Homemade Bread *Deep Fried Camembert with Dandelion & Burdock Red Onion Jam *Spicy Vegetable Pakoras with Mango Chutney & Tofu, Pea & Mint Dip *Chicken Liver, Cointreau &t Pistachio Pâté with Mixed Salad *Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail with Apple MAINS *Roast Sirloin of Beef *Lemon and Thyme Roasted Chicken *Honey and Mustard Glazed Gammon *Slow Braised New Zealand Lamb Shank Above dishes served with all the trimmings *Oven Baked Sea Bass with Fennel Cream, Asparagus & Sweet Potato *Giant Ravioli with Aubergine, Chickpeas, Garlic & Courgette in Hearty Italian Tomato Sauce DESSERTS *Apple Pie with Ginger & Coffee Ice Cream *Triple Chocolate Mousse *Lemon & Poppy Seed Crepe with Buttercream Filling *Rice Milk Sorbet with Sugar Basket & Winter Fruit Cocktail

We also offer a full A La Carte menu as well

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September 13th - September 26th 2017

29

TRIED AND TESTED RECIPE FOR A GREAT DAY OUT:

CAPTION.

Luces (www.palaciodeluces.com).

It is in these horreos that you will find the most “Our chef Ignacio Garcia Canellada had been amazing array of natural products from the struggling to get the right supplier of beans this green and giving hills, making Asturias one of year and the ones he grew he just didn’t have the most productive places in Europe. confidence in, so we pulled out at the last minAll in all then, it was only really a matter of time ute. before Asturias went through “It’s a shame, but we didn’t a food revolution, particularly want to take the risk of not getgiven its geography so near to ting into the final.” the Basque Region.

Just behind her stunning hotel, And this is indeed what has in Lastres, you will find the perhappened over the last defect example of how serious the cade, as a range of creative locals take their beans (recipes chefs have sprung up to take for Asturias fabadas go right advantage of its amazing prodback to 1884). ucts.

It is well after lunchtime on a A lot of this began with NaFriday and in a well-ordered cho Manzano (see review on storeroom, Lola is hard at work page18) who over the last two podding a basket-full of white decades has brought the modbeans. ernisation of Asturian cuisine Carefully sifting through her to a top level of refinement. haul and laying them out to dry, At his restaurant Casa Marcial she explains that she’ll be usin Arriondas he now has two ing them later that weekend to Michelin stars, and the place cook. has got better and better since She and her partner Jesus have I first tried it two decades ago, GRILL KING: a well organised almacen (store room) entirely by accident.

Abel with his full of their own homemade cider and His creativity has led to local competioyster and plenty of dried vegetables and fruits. tion, with a second restaurant in Arrionbarnacles and “So many things grow around here,” exdas El Corral de Indianu being awarded plains Lola. “Almost everyone has their waitress pours a star, while other chefs such as fatherown vegetable garden and most famiand-son team Pedro and Marcos Mocider lies have a few cows they ran, at Casa Gerardo, are take out to graze.” breathing down his neck, There are indeed cows in with in particular a legendevery direction wherever ary fabada. you land in Asturias...cows Another amazing place of all different sizes and worth checking out is Gueyu colours.

Mar, on Playa de Vega, in Much of their milk goes into Ribadesella, where the ritzy cheeses which are said to crowd from Oviedo and Ginumber over 40 different jon head for the weekend. types in Asturias, three of Here chef Abel Álvarez not SEAFOOD MARVEL which have Denominación only guarantees to find THE de Origen status. best seafood on the entire Beach restaurant Gueyu Mar, in RibFew places in the world coastline, he cooks it almost adesella, is original, hip and hard to get even in France - can boast entirely on a series of handa booking such variety over such a cranked grills. small area. The most fa“We’ve been doing it now for mous is Cabrales, which is CREATIVE DATE a couple of years and we are a strong rival to Stilton or really starting to see sucCamembert for taste.

Make sure to try Casa Marcial, in Arcess,” he told me. “It takes Many families will have a riondas, which has been setting the a while to understand how herd and as soon as school agenda in modern Asturian cuisine for best to do it, but it is not only breaks up for summer, they two decades delicious but more healthy will take off for the high this way.” pastures, where they will In particular, his smoked FOODY HOTEL spend the whole summer, oyster is incredible, as are making cheeses which will his percebes (barnacles) Palacio de Luces, in Lastres, has a be brought down in Sep- superb restaurant, where chef Ignacio and razor shells. The wine tember to cure in special list is also superb.

Garcia Canellada has the pick of the caves.

But Asturian cuisine is genbest of Asturian produce The caves are still a key eleerally getting better known ment in the making of Caon the international stage, brales and the other great much of it thanks to the Asturian blue cheese, Gamonedo. work of Jose Andres, possibly Spain’s The caves are normally bored into the most famous chef thanks to his close hillside and are damp and musty with a connection to former American presinaturally powerful stink. This is where dent Obama and his ten restaurants the cheeses will be stored until mature around the US. and ready to eat.

He has taught at Harvard and most imMost families also have a grain store portantly created a 26-episode show - known as an horreo - where they will Made in Spain, in which he promoted store their other produce. his native Asturias (he is from Mieres), Designed to stay dry and keep out as much as humanly possible. rats, on one outing, we came across a There are now eight Michelin star reswoman with her hazelnuts, just picked taurants in Asturias and with such from the nearby hills and absolutely amazing produce right on their doordelicious, despite still needing a few steps it is extremely likely that this numdays to dry. ber will double over the next decade.

THREE PICKS FOR ASTURIAS

INGREDIENTS: 1 YOU 1 FRIEND OR PARTNER OR FAMILY MEMBER - ADD MORE IF DESIRED 1 TRAIN 1 MOLINO DEL SANTO METHOD: 1) Phone 952 16 71 51 or e-mail info@molinodelsanto to book a table at Molino del Santo 2) Drive to Estación de San Roque train station.

3) Park near Station - lots of parking available.

4) Buy tickets for 12,00 train to Benaoján (Return tickets are Ida y Vuelta - and cheaper at about 12€ return) 5) Enjoy spectacular train journey 6) At 1.15 arrive at Benaoján - walk less than five minutes to Molino del Santo 7) Enjoy a delicious lunch. Mr R.P said on the 5th September 2017 “The best meal I’ve ever eaten.”

8) Add wine to personal taste.

9) Return on train at 16.07 or 20.10 HANDy HINT: Face the other way on the train for a different view.

VARIATIONS ON THE RECIPE: For even more pleasure, combine the above ingredientes with a stay in the hotel - we may have last minute offers that we can make.

The train can be substituted for a car. The journey from San Pedro, for example, takes one hour.

ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

More information of any kind e-mail

info@molinodelsanto.com

www.molinodelsanto.com | info@molinodelsanto.com | 952 16 71 51 ESTACIÓN DE BENAOJÁN, NEAR RONDA, MÁLAGA

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30 September equals holidays for the locals, writes Natalie Rose Kern

A

Open: Tuesday to Saturday 12.00 til 22.30 Kitchen closed 15.30 til 19.00 Sunday 12.00 til 16.00 Closed on Monday Reservations: elgarden2016@gmail.com

restaurant | lunch and dinner

S September arrives in Marbella you can almost hear a collective sigh of relief, as a beautiful tranquillity descends upon the coast, and we reclaim our home. The tourists depart, the traffic diminishes, the heat subsides, the queues lessen... and it's glorious!

It's the simplest things that have brought me joy: like being able to pop into Supercor for a loaf of bread without having to queue behind a hen party who are bagging up their weekly shop (in bikinis and six-inch heels!) and arguing (loudly) as they count out their euros, or not having to wait half an hour in taxi queues out of Banus to get home, behind (very) drunk holidaymakers who are on the verge of a punch up... Ah those simple pleasures!

After three months of hibernation, I've found myself falling in love with life here all over again. The milder temperatures mean that suddenly there's so much to do, and the tourist exodus has propelled me back into action. From morning yoga classes on the beach to clambering, jumping and swimming the Benahavis riverwalk, September has reignited my passion for Andalucía and its favourable outdoor lifestyle.

As beach clubs up and down the coast, geared up for their champagne spray weekends, a group of us organised a 'fare-

Columnists

September 13th - September 26th 2017 Sept 13th - Sept 26th 2017

My summer is here

well to summer' party on Playa de San Pedro and, if there's one thing I recommend that you do before the season is over, then book a barbeque boat on the beach with family or friends!

The string of barbeque fishing boats in the sand, which are traditionally used to cook fish, most commonly sardines 'al espeto', on wooden skewers over fire, can be rented for the evening from the ayuntamiento de San Pedro. All we had to do was bring our own

food, drink and entertainment.

From sardines to steaks, and English sausages to Bratwurst, our boat was a gastronomic feast from around the globe.

Everyone brought typical dishes from their home countries to share and, as we piled plates high with couscous and curry, I remarked on what a multicultural bunch we are!

Each boat had its own fiesta going on; there was salsa dancing in the sand, children running and swimming, flamenco guitars strumming... and of course, no party would be complete without the sound of the summer favourite, 'Despacito' playing over (and over, and over) again in the distance. A few of our bunch had brought guitars and maracas, and we sang everything from Oasis to The

Gypsy Kings – although our salsa dancing was not quite in the same league as that of our Spanish neighbours!

I sat back and watched the party unfold around me: the moon glistening on the sea, families of all ages picnicking and dancing, and the sound of jovial singing sounding out until the early morning, and counted 16 nationalities in our group alone. This, I mused, was a perfect scene of the energy, beauty and cultural diversity of life in Marbella.

But perhaps, the best thing about September is the fact that finally, it's back to school!

"How was your holiday?" The mothers greet me at the school gate. I plant a kiss on The Monkey's head and, as I wave him off, I smile...

"It's just getting started!"

Bring on September and a return to some normality

Back to School

S

EPTEMBER has finally arrived and brings with it the more than welcome cooler weather, less traffic and, generally, less hassle - although trying to get through the San Pedro tunnel and up the Ronda road at some points of the day still requires a cunning combination of the calm of a Zen Master

WWW.ELMUELLE-ARRIATE.COM ESTACIÓON DE ARRIATE | ARRIATE (MA 7400, KM 4) 0034 637 784 416 | 0034 952 166 370 CLOSED ON MONDAYS

and the ‘I’ve seen a gap and I’m bloody well going for it’ approach of a kamikaze pilot.

The month also brings a sound peculiar only to this time of year.

It’s a deep relieved exhalation of breath and a contented sigh as the school year finally starts and Marbella parents drop their little darlings at the school gates.

We all know that Spain is a wonderful place to bring up children, what with the fabulous outdoor lifestyle and child-friendly attitude.

But the one thing that blots this idyllic vision is the length of the summer holidays. Judging from the stories I’ve heard from my friends who are ‘blessed with children’, holidays in Spain seem to start in mid-May and last until Halloween. OK, I may have exaggerated that point a little - not by much - but you know what I mean.

Not being a parent myself, I am pretty much immune to the trials and tribulations of having tots, tweens and teens. But I do find myself getting regular phone calls towards the end of summer from despairing parents, imploring “We’ve done the water parks, kids’ playgrounds, zoos and safari parks. Please can we come up to the Casita and have a day on the lake?”.

If the offer is sweetened by a promise of food and drink, then I’ll normally agree and invariably end up taking everyone out on one of the boats. The kids throw themselves enthusiastically off the bow or the diving rocks while the mums collapse gratefully in the stern, normally with a bottle of chilled white.

As well as the aforementioned audible sighs of relief, the other event that marks this time of year is the sound of yummy mummies declaring that ‘once the kids are back at school, I’m going to go to the gym/yoga/pilates (insert fitness class of your choice)’.

Which made following Social Media on the first Monday back to school even more interesting than normal, as the Internet was full of mummies posting about having their houses back, enjoying a cheeky lunchtime snifter or just dancing in relief around the living room!

Probably to Alice Cooper but singing “School’s back from summer!”

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Friday 17th - St. Patricks Day

Playing away 2.00pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 4.00 pm 7.00pm 9.00pm 10.00pm

Cheltenham Races All Ireland GAA Club Finals 4€ Biddy Mulligan´s Golf Society Party Live Music with John Maddocks Ireland U20´s vs England U20´s Ireland Women vs England Women Live Music with Alan Shiels

t r a d i t i o n a l

DAY menu OFFICIALSSt.ofPATRICKS theservedSpanish all day football league have said they Guinness, Magners €4 support the idea Kilkenny, of matches PatricksSpain.

Day Shots €2 being played St outside It comes after FACE a PAINTING La Liga spokesman the Final Day saturdayadmitted 18th - 6 Nations league 1.30pm is looking grow the Scotland‘to vs Italy 3.45pm France vs Wales international appeal’.

6.00pm Ireland vs England The discussions, which 9.30pm Live Music with Layla are still in the early stages, follow Sunday 19th - Premier League 1.00pm when Middlesbrough vs Man Utd a summer Barcelona 3.15pm Spurs vs Southampton played 5.30pm Real Madrid as part of Man City vs Liverpool 9.30pm Live Music with Sean Murray the International Champions Cup pre-season Check outtournament. our Facebook page for our Virtual Tour, It was only the second timeWhats Coming Up Special Offers, the clubsBiddy had met outside Mulligans BiddysLaCala Tel: 952 494 877 Spain and attracted a capacity crowd of 66,000 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The league is trying to find ways of closing the commerRAFAEL Nadal stormed his way to an cial gap between itself and the ‘unbelievable’ US Open victory with a English Premier League. straight-sets win over Kevin Anderson.

It believes taking matches The Mallorquin wrapped up a 6-3, 6-3, outside Spain may bring in 6-4 win to secure his 16th Grand Slam, additional income from overhis second this season after triumphseas markets. ing in the French Open for the tenth time.

Nadal dispatched South African Anderson in two hours 27 minutes as his extraordinary renaissance continued.

“It’s unbelievable what’s happened to me after a couple of years of injuries, playing not so good,” said Nadal, who is expected to stay world number one this year.

“But I’ve been playing a high level of tennis and the crowd here brings me

Mario’s Mallorca magic BORUSSIA Dortmund star Mario Gotze didn’t look too down after being dropped for Germany’s World Cup squad.

The 25-year-old spent his weekend off sunning himself on board a superyacht at Port Adriano with his former lingerie model girl-

Sweet 16

friend Ann-Kathrin Brommel.

The pair, who have been an item since 2012, frolicked in the water during their Balearic break.

Gotze, who scored Germany’s winner in the 2014 World Cup final, exploded onto the football scene in 2012.

Rafa rocks New York to claim US Open win over Kevin Anderson to a higher level of energy.”

The six-foot eight Anderson rained down his serves on Nadal, but the Spaniard was able to take control of the match playing deep.

By game six of the second set, Nadal had lost only seven points in nine service games and went on to clinch the final with a serve and volley on his second match point.

The Flushing Meadows final marked the last Grand Slam where Nadal would be coached by his uncle Toni, with Carlos Moya taking charge of his training next year.

"I can't thank him enough for all the things he did for me," Nadal said of his uncle.

COMEBACK KING: Rafa Nadal

LEGEND: Chris Froome

Froome’s Spain gain CHRIS Froome has become the first British rider to win the Vuelta a Espana after sealing a historic victory in Madrid.

The Kenyan-born Team Sky leader made it a season double after winning the Tour de France in July, the first rider to bag both Grand Tours since Bernard Hinault in 1978.

Froome, who has won the Tour de France four times, said this year’s Vuelta was the toughest tour he had ridden in.

“Not even the Tour was like this. There were a couple of transition days in the Tour when it was more relaxed but here it’s just felt like everyone is on that physical limit,” he said.

“Every day someone has gone full gas.”

32

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Unsinkable ANTONIO Ibáñez de Alba has developed a water additive which increases the density of water making it impossible for a body to sink.

FINAL WORDS

Cut to size TV host Juan y Medio has sparked fury after trying to cut co-host Eva Ruiz's dress while she presented Spanish TV show Afternoon Here and Now.

Bioparc joy BIOPARC Fuengirola has welcomed a special new resident, the first ever goldencheeked gibbon to be born in Spain. Visitors at the park can see the newborn gibbon and its mother, Ares.

Giant lilies

LA Concepción botanical gardens in Malaga has been celebrating their success in growing a gigantic species of water lily from seeds. Each pad can measure more than a metre in diameter.

Vol. 11 Issue 274

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Wedding smasher Bride-to-be makes off with groom’s kitty for lads Spanish stag do holiday

A BRIDE has allegedly fled with money raised for her fiance’s Ibiza stag parties as well as her own hen-do.

Rachel Doran, 29, is said to have scarpered with €6,600 she collected from 20 pals for her pre-nuptials night out in Edinburgh.

But it is also claimed she swiped €14,300 from her 27-year-old betrothed Chris Mahone’s 29 stags who had planned to head to Ibiza.

A source told The Sun: “The wedding is off and the hens are desperate to know where their

money has gone.

"They’re worried she’s taken that as well. She has simply vanished into thin air.

“The hens are furious. She was organising both the stag and the hen dos and now it looks like the girls have suffered the same fate as the boys.”

Heartbroken Mahone has told friends he is looking to sue Doran for fraud.

Her gran, Monica McKee, 81, said: “We’ve all done everything for her and all she’s done is throw it back in our faces.”

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The Cap doesn’t fit Experts were left with egg on their faces when a Seville-based professor proved that that they were better at Art History than Geography. For years a cherished landscape by revered Spanish impressionist Joaquin Sorolla was believed to be of Javea’s Cap Marti.

But when the Sorolla Museum in Madrid posted a photo of the landscape on its Facebook page with the caption “Where are we?”, Antonio Gonzalez Alba, a Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Seville, disagreed with the majority who identified it as Javea. Gonzalez - Alba argued that painting in fact showed the Penon de Cuervo in Malaga.

Now, after five years, Soralla’s heirs, including his great great-granddaughter Blanca Pons-Sorolla, who is recognised as the foremost authority on his work, have agreed that the landscape is of the Penon de Cuervo.

The painting, properly named, now hangs proudly in the museum in Madrid.