The Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 312 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

On the eve of Andalucia day, we look at the history of one its most famous group of residents, gypsies

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Vol. 13 Issue 312 www.theolivepress.es February 27th - March 12th 2019

Electric shocker

POWERLESS: The Holdups

Black out

A BRITISH expat couple are facing a ‘disaster’ after they learnt one of the ‘monstrous’ electricity masts (left) is to be built in their back garden. Steve Holdup, 62, and wife Karen, 61, who live on a self sufficient farm near Orgiva, could ironically even lose their sole source of power from solar panels, which are in the way. The retired teachers, who moved from Cumbria a decade ago, claim they have been kept in the dark by energy company REE, and only found out about the pylon from a friend. Steve told the Olive Press: “From having a fantastic house we rebuilt from scratch ten years ago, we’ve ended up with a disaster. “We put all of our life saving into it and now we face having to live with a 220 volt tower directly behind our home.” If built, the tower and adjoining service road will cut right through their field of 13 solar panels. “So somebody in Germany gets a load of electricity from Morocco as a result of putting a tower at the back of our house and we end up losing the little electricity we have for ourselves.” He added: “It has been done in the most chevalier fashion you could imagine.

Celebrities join furious expats and locals to stop ‘abomination’ of pylons set to ruin series of celebrated tourist valleys

POWER STRUGGLE: Christ Stewart and Dr Robert (inset above) join long, snaking protest against pylon project

X-GENESIS drummer Chris Stewart has joined the fight against a ‘motorway’ of power lines planned for Andalucia’s iconic Alpujarras region. The British author - whose Driving

Tel: 902 123 282

Over Lemons novel made the region famous - added his name to a growing collective of campaigning expats battling the proposal. These include former 80s star Doctor Robert, from the Blow Monkeys, who lives in the nearby Lecrin Valley, which is also set to be badly affected by the project. See pages 40 “ O n c e

902 123 282

EXCLUSIVE By Tim McNulty

again private financial interests are riding roughshod over the will and the rights of the people, leaving, as ever, a wake of heedless destruction,” Stewart told the Olive Press, this week. “One day the tide will turn and more reasonable, sustainable ways will prevail; but seemingly not yet; so... it’s back to the barricades again.” The outrage comes after it was revealed energy company Red Electrica de España (REE) plans to install a network of some 211 giant pylons across the two valleys.

While supposedly necessary to take electricity from Morocco to Europe, it is set to ruin the untouched beauty of the area, enjoyed by tens of thousands of nature lovers each year. The Di No A Las Torres (Say No To The Towers) group argues high voltage towers would have a ‘devastating effect’ on tourism and agriculture, as well as health. A petition has been launched, while a protest saw over a thousand people march near the village of Conchar on Sunday. The protest, which included many expats and children, is the start of many to stop the scheme. Blow Monkeys singer Robert

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Howard, who has lived in the Lecrin Valley for two decades, told the Olive Press: “The project to take these massive pylons across our valley is an abomination. It will have devastating consequences environmentally and economically. “It’s a magical place, a ‘Vale Of Happiness’, as the Moors called it, a place of natural beauty and conservation. “These giant pylons will scar the landscape, could destroy the local tourist businesses and ravage the environment. “There are no benefits at all for local people - we must fight to stop them.” Ecotourism is vital to the region, which was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017, mainly for having some of the world’s oldest olive groves. Some 245 businesses work in rural tourism and the valley which is set to have 109 of the pylons - receives an estimated 8,000 visitors every weekend. The figures for the Alpujarras, which will see pylons stretching all the way to the Almeria border, are certainly much higher. Scottish expat Teresa McKeon, 49, who has been at the forefront of the campaign, told the Olive Press: “The whole place is going to be destroyed it is just awful... it really is awful.” Opinion Page 6

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Splitting headache

Snap election

Dug up

A TRIAL has begun for the politicians who organised the vote on Catalunya’s independence in 2017, with former vice president Oriol Junqueras describing himself as a ‘political prisoner’.

PEDRO Sanchez has called a snap general election for April 28, just days after his government’s budget failed to get past parliament.

PEDRO Sanchez has announced plans to exhume Spain’s former dictator General Franco from the site of Europe’s only remaining monument to a fascist dictator.

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Keep them sweet A COLOMBIAN cocaine trafficker has told Spanish TV that corrupt police officers, security or dock workers keep ‘between 25% and 30%’ of cocaine smuggled through Spanish docks. The Malaga-based smuggler, whose face was obscured to protect his identity, told Telecinco these corrupt officials did not drive around the nightclubs selling the drugs, but took a predetermined cut as payment for getting the drugs through high-tech scanners. He said: “If it wasn’t for these corrupt functionaries, we wouldn’t get any drugs in.” He added that a kilo of cocaine could fetch a price of €4,000 once through port security. “So if you’re sending 100 kilos, that’s some money. If you send 1,000 kilos, it’s millions— that’s what keeps them sweet,” he said.

Guns drawn THIS is the moment a reveller ‘pulled a gun’ during a fight on Spain’s Costa del Sol. The viral clip shows three men accosting the young man, before he immediately pulls out what appears to be a handgun - which was later revealed by cops to be a plastic replica. The Moroccan then tries to hit one of his attackers with the ‘gun’ before pointing it at the others, who quickly flee the scene in the centre of FuenFAKE: Plastic gun girola.

Time wasters Expat pensioner gets €20,000 Rolex watch back after dopey thieves dropped it in getaway

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WATCH OUT: Christine too scared to wear Rolex

A BRITISH pensioner got her stolen watch back, after dopey thieves accidentally dropped it during a robbery. Despite being left with severe bruising on her wrist and shoulders, Christine Collins, 69, was delighted when a pas-

Fugitive sought A WANTED Brit, allegedly a member of a notorious British drugs gang, has been spotted in southern Spain. A reward of €5,000 is being offered for the arrest of Leon Cullen (right), from Liverpool, who is currently wanted for conspiracy to supply firearms and cocaine. Cullen is believed to be hiding out among the expat community either around Benidorm or further south on the Costa del Sol. "He was seen in the Benidorm area just before Christmas, driving a big Audi,” a former neighbour said. He has been wanted since police smashed his Warrington-based drug gang, armed with AK47 assault rifles. A spokesman for Crimestoppers, which is offering the reward, said: “He is white, about 5ft 8in tall and of a slim build. He has short light brown hair, a tanned complexion and prominent white teeth. He also has two distinctive tattoos.” Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 951273575 or crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

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ser-by returned the €20,000 Rolex. The incident happened just after the Mijas-based expat had left church in La Cala at around 12:30 last Sunday. She was sitting at a cafe with her husband and friends when a man grabbed her from behind and wrenched the watch off her left arm. The attacker, wearing a full face helmet, jumped on a motorbike, driven by an accomplice. However, just as they were driving off, husband John, 72, and neighbour Mark, 50, gave chase and managed to throw a chair at him, knocking the timepiece out of his hand. “I was delighted to get it back and very surprised,” Christine told the Olive Press. “That said the attack was vicious and I could have been killed.” Christine added: “We’ve been here for 40 years and never been frightened or anything, but I’m wary now.”

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NEWS

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

No walls UNDERFIRE: Allen

Courting controversy MALIGNED Hollywood star Woody Allen has begun scouting locations for a new film project in Spain. It comes after the American director, who was recently accused of sexually abusing children, secured financing for a new film from Barcelona-based Mediapro. The Spanish company previously financed Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris. The partnership comes after Allen lost his lucrative distribution deal with Amazon following a slew of accusations of molestation and sexual misconduct. After his own adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow accused Allen of assaulting her at the age of seven, Amazon shelved the director’s A Rainy Day in New York project. Allen is currently suing the tech giant for € 70 million for breach of contract. His new project in Spain does not yet have a working title and the plot is unknown.

CASTING CALL CHANNEL 4 is looking for expats who have recently taken the plunge and moved to sunny Spain. The casting call is for the ever-popular A New Life In The Sun series, which follows the trials and tribulations of plucky Brits making the move to the holiday favourite. If you, or someone you know, has a great story to tell or think they have something different to bring to the show, get in touch with casting at anewlifeinthesun@truenorth.tv

JAVIER Bardem couldn’t resist taking a pop at US president Donald Trump while introducing an award at the Oscars. The Spanish actor, 49, spoke in his native tongue as he introduced the ‘Best Foreign Film’ category and said: “There are no borders or walls that can restrain ingenuity and talent.” The comment was a thinly veiled criticism of Trump’s proposed border wall between the US and Mexico. Roma became the first film from Mexico to win an Oscar in the foreign film category as it scooped the award at the glamorous ceremony.

Castanet clicks please... POP SHOT: Bardem on Trump

Bale-ing out After six years in Spain British footie ace Gareth Bale speaks almost no Spanish and is in bed by dinner time

IT should have been the opportunity of a lifetime. A big money move from the Premiership to the heady heights of Spain’s capital city, famous for its late night lifestyle and buzzing social scene. But Gareth Bale might have been better off on the Costas, as he has failed to pick up the lingo and prefers a game of golf than a slap up dinner with his Real Madrid team mates. The Welsh forward - signed from Tottenham for around

BRIT ABROAD: Gareth Bale hasn’t fitted in well €90 million in 2013 - mostly heads to be early, avoiding la cena with his colleagues. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who joined the side from Chelsea last summer, suggested that Bale, 29, has still not adapted to the Spanish lifestyle

Big balls A FORMER Premier League star has chased off a gang of burglars who targeted his luxury Spain pad while his wife and kids slept . Ex-Manchester City star Martin Demichelis discovered the thieves raiding his Marbella house in the middle of the night. The gang fled when they saw him, but not before grabbing some cash and jewellery from the former Argentinian HERO: Demichelis international’s mansion. Wife Evangelina Anderson revealed: “They were sleeping when Martin woke up by chance, he went downstairs and bumped into four hooded people. “He intercepted them, there were shouts and the criminals were reportedly scared and left.”

despite being at the club for SIX years. In contrast, Courtois insisted: “I live like somebody who is born and bred in Madrid. I eat late, I go to bed late…it is their way of life. “The other night we had dinner with the entire squad. But Bale and (the German midfielder) Toni Kroos did not turn up. They reckoned the dinner was too late at night. “We had arranged to be in the restaurant at 9.30pm and we started our meal around 10.15pm … and by midnight we were having coffee.” The Frenchman added the squad go to bed at about 1am, and train each morning at 11am. He said: “I think that is a perfect time. But Bale has told us: ‘I am not coming to join you guys. I go to bed at 11.’” Another teammate, Marcelo, confirmed that the footballer from Cardiff, does not speak Spanish. “He only speaks English and we talk with gestures,” said the Brazilian. Opinion Page 6

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AN Andalucian flamenco star has won a prestigious British award for her pioneering dance show. Rocio Molina received the Critics’ Circle award at the British National Dance Awards for her Fallen from Heaven show, which combines flamenco and contemporary dance. The Malaga native is set to perform at London’s Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells in July.

The caliph of crime

ELEBRITY gangster Dave Courtney has revealed how he ‘accidentally’ converted to Islam while inside one of the UK’s toughest prisons. The ex-debt-collector, who gained a reputation for wielding a knuckle-duster, told a 40-strong crowd on the Costa del Sol, it happened at London’s Belmarsh Prison after he grew jealous of extra ‘packed lunches’ being given to Muslim inmates after the sun went down.

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

When told by staff the food was ‘exclusively’ for Ramadan - which he thought was a type of food - Courtney said he blagged his way out of the ‘Church of England designation’ on his prison papers and was duly handed the extra rations. ‘’Then I heard this banging on my door at 3am saying it was Ramadan again and gave me some more food!’’ Courtney told the audience at Bar Montoni, in Fuengirola. He said that he grew increasingly fond of his new religion until lunchtime when he was refused a ‘bacon sandwich’. ‘’When they told me it was prayer time, I told them to **** off,’’ Courtney added. The gangster-turned-author rose to notoriety for organising the security for Ronnie Kray’s funeral in 1995, and EX-CROOK: Dave with OP’s has since written six books. Joshua

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

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Save our tree! By Laurence Dollimore

THE Olive Press is throwing its weight behind a campaign to save the oldest tree in Malaga. El Castaño Santo is around 800 years old but it is plagued by disease and is ‘dying from stress’. The chestnut tree, in the Sierra de las Nieves natural park, needs decking to protect its roots. A petition has now been launched to have the tree, near Istan, declared a ‘natural monument’. Green group Istan Ahora, which launched the campaign, said: “We encourage all readers of the Olive Press to visit El Castaño Santo and sign our petition to have it registered as a monument. “It is also a beautiful place to go hiking, with an idyllic setting in which to disconnect from the madding crowd and fully enter nature.” The group insists the tree, which sits on private land, is being badly affected by thousands of hikers visiting it each year. “Visitors walk over its roots and prevent it from breathing and absorbing the water it needs. “Another major problem is that it is affected by the plague of ‘gall wasps’ which make it increasingly weak and defenseless.” Visit the Istan Ahora Facebook page for updates and tips on how to help. See Garden of Spain Page 6

NEWS

February 27th - March 12th 2019

We give warnings EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

A SERIES of ice cream parlours in Fuengirola told the Olive Press they always warned clients of the contents of their produce, after a British girl died from an anaphylactic shock during half term holiday.

A BRITISH teenager who vanished in Malaga in 2017 would be 13 this week. His mum, Melanie Batty, 37, and grandad David Batty, 59, are both wanted in connection with Alex Batty’s abduction. UK detectives are now re-appealing for help, and believe he may have been taken to Morocco. After staying in Benahavis, the family, from Oldham, were due to return home on October 8 2017. But police investigations

Ice cream parlours insist product warnings are always given after nine-year-old allergy death It comes after the family of Habiba Chishti, 9, insisted they hadn’t been warned, before the schoolgirl died from a fatal nut allergy. “They asked the ice cream place whether there were any nuts and they had been told not,” one of her uncles said. “Habiba knew about the nut allergy and was very careful.” He added: “Her dad was on top of it and this has never happe-

ned before.” The dentist’s daughter, from Yorkshire, went into anaphylactic shock at Mijas’ Club La Costa World resort after suffering from a severe allergic reaction. She died two days later at Malaga’s Hospital Materno Infantil. Yet, an ice cream parlour and a frozen yoghurt vendor on the ground floor of the nearby Miramar shopping centre - where the ice cream was allegedly

Teen appeal believe trio may have tried to make the journey from Malaga Port to Melilla that day. Melanie is not the teenager’s legal guardian, despite bringing him to Spain with Alex’s grandad.. Alex is white, with blond hair, about 5ft, slim and has a northern accent. Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es if you can help. MISSING: Alex

bought - showed the Olive Press clearly displayed charts showing all allergens in their products. One member of staff said allergens ‘were the first thing they were taught’ when starting their job, and doubted that a customer would have been provided false information. Neither wanted to issue an official statement however, despite the claims from the UK. An investigation is currently probing what caused the death, led by a judge from Malaga court. A secondary autopsy will provide more details of precisely which allergens caused the severe reaction. According to a source with links to the Fuengirola mosque, the young girl’s body was flown home a week after she arrived in Malaga. Her family told the Olive Press this week: “We are grieving and unable to give any further comments at present.” The director of Miramar declined to comment.

ARE YOU A UK NAT ONAL LIVING IN SPAIN? As the UK prepares to leave the EU, there may be changes that affect you. From residency rights, to work and pensions and local healthcare, you can find the latest information in the UK government’s living in Spain guide. Sign up for email alerts and get the latest information at gov.uk/living-in-spain

www.theolivepress.es 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

FEATURE

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Mapping the gar S

PAIN is a rainbow nation of biodiversity offering Med sunshine and snow, desert and rain belt, lush river valleys and soaring mountain peaks all within its borders and volcanos too, if you count the Canary Islands. It is also a veritable forest with 7.5 BILLION trees spread across 18 million hectares of land which makes it the second

greenest country in Europe after Sweden. And unlike many countries, the forest mass has actually increased by 31% between 1990 and 2010 thanks to protection efforts by Spain’s leaders, and now absorbs 37% of all the CO2 in Spain. Occupying two thirds of the Iberian Peninsula, washed by three bodies of water - the Atlantic, the Med and the Strait of Gibral-

Pylon the pressure! A PLAN to install hundreds of giant pylons through two of Andalucia’s most evocative valleys is a serious error. The wanton desecration of such stunning landscape by Red Electrica must be halted. It is not for nothing the Moors dubbed it the Vale of Happiness. But the area that more recently inspired Driving Over Lemons is now inspiring a popular revolt to ensure the Lecrin and Alpujarras valleys stay clear of such an ‘abomination’, to use the correct word of local expat celebrity Doctor Robert. For a company that powers light bulbs across Spain, Red Electrica seems to prefer keeping residents in the dark. The Olive Press this week shines a bright torch on the shocking comings and goings, and fully puts its weight behind the ongoing Di No A Las Torres campaign.

The fame in Spain The age-old saying ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ has universal application - even to football’s highest-paid superstars. What a shame Welsh striker Gareth Bale can’t even be bothered to spend a pipa of his massive €400,000-a-week salary on learning basic Spanish. It is shocking to discover that after six years of playing for Real Madrid he still speaks to clubmate Marcelo in ‘gestures’. And they’re not even gracious gestures - goalie Thibaut Courtois revealed the long-haired Welshman ducks out to avoid a night out with the team. Bale’s moody celebrations after scoring the winning penalty against Levante show that money might buy you world fame, but friends still take an effort. As an expat, he is anything but setting the perfect example.

Publisher/ Editor

Cantabrian paradise As green as Ireland or the west coast of France thanks to the plentiful precipitation, its wet and temperate oceanic climate helps lush pastures and forests to thrive. Encompassing the Bay of Biscay, Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria, the climate is determined by the Atlantic Ocean winds whose moisture gets trapped by the mountains - perfect growing conditions for emerald forests of beech, oak and, since the late 20th century, plantations of eucalyptus and Monterey pine which supply the paper industry. The valleys of Laciana and Omaña y Luna, the Picos de Europa and Los Ancares are all UNESCO protected biosphere reserves.

Upland ‘Meseta’ plains This vast plateau surrounded by mountains with Madrid at its centre extends over 210,000 km2 and is the oldest and most complex geologic formation on the peninsula. Dry and prone to temperature extremes, vegetation has to struggle harder here. Encompassing Castile-León, Castile-La Mancha and the wilds of Extremadura, think Don Quixote riding over the dusty plains and you’ve got the picture. However its river basins of the Duero, Tagus and Guadiana provide ideal growing conditions for some of the best wines in the world and three of its mountain ranges - the Montes de Valsaín, Bejar and Francia - are UNESCO biosphere reserves and heavily wooded.

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IN NUMBERS • 80% of Spain’s forests are privately owned • 17,000 football stadiums make up Navarra’s Irati Forest, Europe’s second largest beech forest • 11,200,000 hectares of protected forest areas in Spain • 18,000,000 hectares of forest • 1,500,000,000 oak trees account for 20% of all trees in Spain • 7,500,000,000 trees in Spain

The mountainous south

The multiple personalities of Andalucia, offer alpine mountains and dust bowls, fertile plantations supporting subtropical fruits and olive trees that date back to the Norman Conquest. Think of it as two distinct mountain ranges with a river running through it. The Sierra Morena, one of the last strongholds of the endangered Iberian lynx, spans Huelva, Sevilla, Cordoba and Jaen. It’s dominated by narrow valleys, evergreen forests and shrubland with huge swathes reserved for grazing, viticulture and olive farming. Along its rivers you’ll find alders, elms, ash and hackberry trees, just like in England. In southeastern Andalucia the land abruptly rises into the Baetic Cordillera mountain range which includes the snow-capped ski wonderland of the Sierra Nevada. As well as Los Alcornocales Natural Park - Europe’s largest cork oak forest - the Baetic is home to Mediterranean woodlands and coniferous forests. Further south the terrain turns into the arid ‘badlands’ that cover much of Granada and Almería provinces with huge swathes of desert, known as the Andalucian Steppes. It’s an area facing a high risk of future dessertification.The Guadalquivir River flows southwest across most of Andalucia before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean west of Cadiz, irrigating the region’s famous plantations which provide the rest of Europe with year-round strawberries, avocados CONTRAST: From arid Almeria to green and salads. Grazelema and cork oaks

FEATURE

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rdens of Spain tar - Spain’s windswept coasts and scorching interior make it one of the most climatically eclectic countries in the world. In fact it has 13 climate zones, not counting the Canaries, which is why you can find everything from date palms and chestnut trees to ancient dwarf olives and statuesque pines as tall as they grow in Canada.

That contrast is vividly showcased in its five distinct landscapes: the Andalucian Plain, the Meseta Central Plateau, the Cantabria Mountains, the Pyrenees and the Canaries. Check out our vegetation map to discover how Spain’s multi-geographical garden grows.

February 27th - March 12th 2019

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The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

- WATCH: Dad pulls live parasite from

daughter’s cooked Mercadona fish (10,934)

Reveller ‘pulls out gun’ during 2 WATCH: fight on Spain’s Costa del Sol (10,684) WATCH: Terrifying moment plane hits 3 severe turbulence while trying to land in Gibraltar (9,414) -

High frontier

Stretching for 430 km from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay, this mountain backbone forms a natural border between Spain and France. The western end sees an abundance of rainfall, making its foothills a hotbed for vegetation. Home to some 200 endemic species of flora which only grow on its high mountain passes, including several types of saxifrage, the Pyrenees is almost as biodiverse as the Alps. It’s also one of the last refuges for several endangered species of fauna including the brown bear and the lammergeier.

Police begin huge drug bust on Spain’s 5 Costa del Sol and Cadiz with boats and helicopters (7,489) -

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Canary Islands Cut off from the mainland in a different latitude off west Africa’s Atlantic coast, the Canaries are of volcanic origin and contain the highest peak in Spanish territory, Mount Teide which rises to a skyscraping 12,198 feet on the island of Tenerife. According to their position with respect to north-east trade winds, the climate can be mild and wet or very dry which gives each island in the archipelago its own distinct VOLCANIC: Mount Teide and (above) La Gomera forest microclimate. The westerly islands of El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera have a climate influenced by the moist Canary current. They are well vegetated, even at low levels, with extensive tracts of sub-tropical laurisilva forests whose broadleaf trees flourish in humidity. All four of the islands’ national parks are under protection - Garajonay, La Gomera and Teide in Tenerife as Unesco World Heritage Sites and Caldera de Taburiente, La Palma, and Timanfaya in Lanzarote as World Biosphere Reserves.

Celebri-trees

del Sol police arrest young mum 4 Costa for trying to throw daughter, 3, out of 10th floor window (8,550)

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Spanish trees listed in the Hall of Flora Fame

Big boy

Dragon tree

Millennium olive trees

This majestic oak tree in Tineo, Asturias, is so huge that it won an award for its size. The Carballon Valentin stands 16 metres tall and its trunk is a mighty 10 metres in girth - a measure of its great age. So it’s no surprise to discover it has stood here for almost 1,000 years after being seeded around the year 1160, with documents from around that time confirming its longevity. It won an award from the Forests Without Borders group in 2008 as part of a bid to raise awareness for the protection of green life in Spain.

It doesn’t breath fire, despite its volcanic location. But El Drago in Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, is one of the major tourist attractions in the Canary Islands. Although the species is found across Asia and Central America - and even in Gibraltar Tenerife’s dragon tree may be up to 3,000 years old, with many believing it’s the oldest tree on the planet. The tree gets its name from the red resin it excretes when its bark or leaves are cut. It was once believed to be dried dragon’s blood which was thought to have healing properties - hence many were uprooted until the species was granted protected status.

La Senia and Ulldecona in northeast Spain are credited with the highest concentration of the world’s oldest trees. Over 400 ‘millennium olives’ have been catalogued, and two of them have received ‘heritage tree’ status from the Catalan government. Some are thought to have existed since Roman times. They can be found along the Via Augusta, an ancient road that once connected Cadiz to Rome.

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POLITICS

Feb 27th - Mar 12th 2019

Brexit delay looms, as Labour backs new EU referendum THE UK government has promised MPs a vote to delay Britain’s departure from the EU, if they reject her withdrawal deal. The decision would come by March 14 so long both the

prime minister’s deal is rejected and MPs vote against a no deal Brexit in a separate Commons ballot. It comes after the Labour party confirmed it was officially backing a second referendum

Respect us

MANILVA’s sole British councillor has left his party, saying that Spain needs to pay more respect to the ‘foreign vote’ Dean Tyler Shelton, 44, told the Olive Press that since ‘the day after the Brexit referendum’ he felt Izquierda Unida (United Left, IU) Manilva began losing interest in him. The Nottingham-born councillor for foreigner’s affairs, commerce, consumers and the environment will retain his executive role, but said that politics has got in the way of doing the best he can ‘for the town I love’. Shelton said: “The Spanish will be the first to say the tourism industry drives their economy. “I can contribute to politics because I have linguistic access to most other nationalities. I want to help anybody and everybody. “But I felt Izquierda Unida were just seeing me as British votes, while my projects are stuck in the sand.” Around 42% of Manilva’s 16,000 residents are foreign-born, with Brits making up the majority of this diverse group.

on the decision to leave the EU. In a statement to the Commons, Prime Minister Theresa May said: "Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended.

"Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on March 29. "An extension beyond the end of June would mean the UK taking part in the European Parliament elections. What kind of message would that send to the more than 17 million people who voted to BRITISH travellers could suffer passport queue de- leave the EU nearly lays of up to FIVE hours if the UK crashes out of the three years ago now? "And the House EU without a deal. That's the warning of consumer group Which?, should be clear that a which predicts a no-deal Brexit could add an extra short extension - not 90 seconds per passenger at popular EU destina- beyond the end of June - would almost tions, including Malaga, Mallorca and Alicante. The group's study found that an average of 201 certainly have to be a hours of additional immigration checks may be re- one-off." quired every day at the airport if the UK withdraws May has been pressufrom the EU without an agreement.Alicante, Mala- red by a group of Tory ga, Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Ibiza and Palma de rebels who met on Mallorca are among the top 10 airports in Europe Monday night to discuss how they might for British passenger numbers. But Which? said it is concerned that Spain has yet stop the Britain leato reveal any concrete plans to tackle the additio- ving the EU without a deal. nal immigration checks. According to its investigation, airport staff may As many as 15 MPs are have to check UK holidaymakers' passport validity, said to be prepared passport expiry date, purpose and length of stay to resign, including and whether they can support themselves finan- industry minister Richard Harrington, dicially. It would take a single passport lane in an EU air- gital minister Margot port nearly five hours to process one flight full of James and energy minister Claire Perry. UK passport holders.

Holiday hell

February 27th - March 12th 2019

GREEN

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Smell done

SPAIN leads the EU for use of raw sewage. Its 2,000 treatment plants recycled 10.74% of water last year, while the European average is just 2.4%. The recycled water from 20002014 was used for farming, irrigation and industry. A report by Catedra Aquae also found that Spaniards have reduced their domestic water consumption by 20% in that period, while companies have consumed 40% less water. It also emerged that half of the water reserves in the country are in a ‘good ecological state’, again surpassing the European average.

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Falling fowl

Management catastrophe puts Andalucia bird sanctuary under threat from drought and wild boar THOUSANDS of waterfowl are at risk in the Donana National Park due to a series of management blunders that are seeing eggs and chicks

MENACE: Wild boars

being massacred by hungry wild boar. More than 300 different species of birds use the marshes of Donana to breed, feed and rest throughout the year. But the area is at risk from farming, cattle and a lack of proper protection measures, claims a leading wildlife organisation. “All this ornithological wealth is threatened by intensive irrigation that draws groundwater, along with a string of problems arising from its management, among which are the uncontrolled popu-

Nuclear void SPAIN has set a deadline for switching off nuclear power of between 2025 and 2035. Announcing the move, Minister for Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera added that 70% of energy produced in Spain will be renewable by the the end of the decade. The Government will invest around €2 billion during this period. The first phase of the plan will be to reduce emissions by 20% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

SINGLE IMPLANT

FACTORY: In Guijuelo

Pork power AT RISK: Birds fall prey to boars at Donana park lation of wild boar and the inadequate management of livestock,” said SEO/Birdlife in a statement. It added: “The overexploitation of its groundwater for agricultural use, especially for the cultivation of strawberries and blueberries, is causing a real threat to the values of this World Heritage Site.” Donana National Park is Europe’s most important wetland, but some birds are at serious risk of extinction, such as the grey-headed teal, while others have already

IMPLANT BRIDGE

abandoned the area. Cattle farming causes extensive damage when cows overgraze and trample on nests as they move about. SEO/Birdlife said it appreciated the work the government of Andalucia has done to tackle irresponsible farming practises, but it is still concerned by the wild boar population in the park. “They prey on the eggs and chick of many of the species that build their nests on the ground or at low altitudes,” the organisation added.

THE celebrated ham town of Guijuelo has developed a system to convert meat industry waste into biofuel and plastics. The project, in northern Spain, is set to last for two years with a €1.4 million budget, partly sponsored by EU funding. New technology will be installed at the area’s treatment plant to create a more efficient waste management system. Mayor of Guijuelo, Francisco Julian Ramos Manzano, said: “This initiative will resolve not just the waste problem but can also serve as a new economic line of employment regeneration in the rural world.”

IMPLANT DENTURE

LA CULTURA Aural Beet that! assault NEWS

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A PRIVATE collection of 15,000 beetles and butterflies has been donated to Madrid City Council and can be viewed by the public. Father and son entomologist team Manuel Ortego Gamboa and Manuel Ortego Fornies curated the insect haul, which is one of Spain’s largest. Gamboa’s family has now given up the creepy crawly collection, which is housed in the Manuel Ortego Entomological Centre, named after his father. Some butterflies in the collection, which dates back to 1940, are now extinct. The four-month restoration of the old building that houses the collection, at Madrid’s Casa de Campo, cost €175,000.

HUGE: Beetle collection

DARK, sinister and brooding. And as subversive, as ever. The first Massive Attack shows in Spain for years found the British ‘trip hop’ collective in fabulous form. Challenging the status quo and audience - from the onset, the Bristol group launched an aural assault with two drummers at each side of the stage. And they did it very much their way, coming on after five minutes of complete unsettling darkness and walking off without an encore, nor a single word to the thousands of fans gathered at the Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid’s scruffy southern suburbs. The set was designed to look like a prison, asylum or council estate from the outside with lights intermittently spitting in and out. A backdrop projected images of the global pariahs that have so inflamed the lifeview of singer/songwriter 3D, aka Robert del Naja, a massive critic of the Iraq war let's not forget. Tony Blair, Putin and, of course, Donald Trump took the

brunt with the American leader soundly booed every time his face flashed up. With harrowing visuals of terror victims, bombings in the Middle East and the infamous 9/11 Attacks, it was completely mesmerising. It coordinated well with a series of statements, the best a chilling reminder that we are being spied on and followed around all the time, via our phones and computers. This is an original concept tour hooked on the 21st anniversary of their seminal Mezzanine album, interspersed with the concept of memory, looking at some of the band’s favourite musical memories over the last few decades. “A tour about the ghosts of our past,” is how Del Naja described it to El Pais at the weekend. It meant some somewhat unusual cover versions, including obscure (but brilliantly delivered) Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus and the rather better-known 10.15 Saturday

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

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what’s on

Jon Clarke catches a moody, cutting-edge performance from Massive Attack in Madrid

Don’t stop me now HEAR your favourite Queen classics in a tribute night to the band at Bar El Chorrillo in Benalmadena Pueblo on February 28.

Welsh cakes RICKY Lavazza presents the St David's Day Concert 2019 at The Salon Varietes Theatre in Fuengirola on March 1 and 2.

Stand and deliver

LIVE: Massive Attack rocking Madrid Night by the Cure. Drip, drip drip... In between, we had some excellent high points from the album, the best being the moving Teardrop sung by the Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser, who also delivered Group Four and Black Milk with haunting appeal. Although perhaps a touch quietly. Angel was the best way to end the show though, with the soulful pleading lyrics from reggae legend Horace Andy...and fittingly the weekend actor Bruno Ganz who played film noir fallen angel Damiel in cult classic Wings of Desire, should die.

Huge-selling Mezzanine went straight in at number one in the UK and has sold millions since. It was one of the most influential albums of the 1990s and as dark as it was powerful. Reviewing the album for NME, critic Keith Cameron said: “It’s hard to think of another band since Joy Division with such an aptitude for articulating the despair that lurks at the very heart of darkness.” As they left suddenly at 11.06pm on Sunday night, without so much as a wave or goodbye, that dark heart continued to pump, strong and relevant as ever. Cutting-edge stuff indeed.

GET your tickets for British Comedy in Estepona, a night of stand-up at Louie Louie on May 9, before they sell out.

My first my last DO not miss the ‘best Barry White tribute in Europe’ at the La Sala restaurant in Puerto Banus on March 12.

TOP OF THE CLASS The Benalmadena International College would like to congratulate two of its students Larissa Schuurman and Radu Socol, for attaining the highest examination marks in Spain, for Fine Art and in English First Language, awarded by Pearsons (Edexcel) Examination Board.

The Only Specialist Sixth Form College in Málaga

Also congratulations to Siena Hall Rogers from Yr 5 for coming in first in her Squash Tournament held in Lugo on the 15th February.

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12 www.theolivepress.es 12 February 27th - March 12th 2019

LA CULTURA

February 27th - March 12th 2019

The original ‘guiris’ After almost six centuries of persecution, Spanish gypsies are slowly joining mainstream society, writes Heather Galloway

URING the 1990s, I lived amid a large Roma community in La Latina, Madrid, close to the gypsy flea market. My next-door neighbours were the Carmona family – relatives of the flamenco group Ketama – and we would hear singing, guitars and taconeando through the walls. Here was the image of the gypsy artist. Some years later, living in the mountains outside Madrid, I would pass the Roma shantytown, Pitis-La Quinta. It had a huge oak tree and goats and washing strung over debris. When it was razed in 2007 it seemed a shame. But a representative from the Fundación Secretariado Gitanos (FSG) assures me that living there would be no picnic. “With rats running past your door, the cold and lack of sanitation? Bringing up children in that?” Here was the other image, the gypsy as a chabola (shack) dweller. These two images constitute the stereotype of the gypsies in Spain. And it is hard to see past it. Not that another reality doesn’t exist but those who live it only manage to do so by becoming ‘invisible gypsies’ – kee-

ping their origins quiet to avoid the deeply entrenched prejudice that still exists, reinforced by the media and certain politicians. And not just the ultra-right. In 2004 Carmen González, then vice-president of Education for the Madrid regional PP government, said there was little point in readying gypsy children for school, because a gypsy boy only ‘wants to go to the market to sell fruit with his father’. According to José Eugenio Abajo Alcalde of the Asociación de Enseñantes con Gitanos (AEG): “Of course they want to be included. Why would they want to auto-marginalise themselves? How could they possibly want that when it stops them from getting jobs?” And yet a staggering 55% of Spa-

SMILING: Two gypsies from 1933 - Roma weren’t recognised as Spanish citizens until 1978

niards are an armed battle between two gypsy In 1933, the Republican governuncomfortable with Roma gangs in Lavapiés’ (January, 2017). ment’s Law of Idlers and Crooks legipupils attending their children’s Far from marginalising themselves, timised the surveillance, segregation schools according to the Euroba- mainstream society has cut them and detention of supposed ne’er-dorometer on Discrimination (2012); out. The truth is that large numbers wells in ‘reformatories’. while only 9% have any significant re- of the Roma community are caught Shockingly it wasn’t until 1978 - thanks lationships with in a vicious circle that dates back to the first Roma politician to address parliament - Cadiz-born activist lawyer Roma people, centuries. according to the They came to Spain almost 600 Juan de Dios Ramírez-Heredia - that Roma were recognised FSG’s own sur- years ago from the Punjab. But their luck as Spanish citizens vey in 2004. with access to educaAnd things ha- ran out in 1499 when Just 2.6% of tion and healthcare. ven’t changed the Catholic MonarBut the 55% illiteracy much since, chs branded Jews gypsies in rate and substandard despite the best and Muslims traitors When the line blurs between truth and efforts of the Na- and gave the Roma Spain have gone housing almost across the board remained big tional Roma In- 60 days to leave or morality... on to higher issues. tegration Strate- settle as serfs to lan“None of this was taugy 2012-2020, downers. ‘Offenders’ education An Anonymous Girl by Greer Henght to us at school,” focused on edu- would get 100 lashes dricks and Sarah Pekkanen says Roma journalist cation, employ- and jail; repeat offenAna Segovia Motoya ment, housing ders would have their ROM the authors of Jessica Farris is a make-up ears cut off - a crueler medieval ver- who promotes integration for her and health. the bestselling novel, artist living in NYC. I g n o r a n c e sion of the yellow Star of David which community as a member of the FSG. The Wife Between One evening while working There are now between 750,000 abounds - rein- identified Jews in Nazi Germany. Us, comes a new psy- she overhears a message forced by head- In 1749 they were once again singled and 950,000 Roma living in Spain, chological thriller. about an ethics and molines such as out for persecution with the Gran Re- with 40% based in Andalucia. The Seeking women aged 18- rality research study which ‘Gypsy Serbian dada (Great Round-up), designed to number in professional careers is 32 to participate in a study pays subjects to answer Mafias Buy ‘biologically’ rid the country of Roma. rising, forming a Roma middle class on ethics and morality con- questions. Young Girls to Ten thousand were arrested simulta- with the courage to own their identity ducted by a preeminent Knowing that her client will Rob Homes’ neously, the men and women sepa- and provide a voice for the commuNYC psychiatrist. Gene- not be able to attend, Jes(July 2017) and rated and sent to labour camps. This nity. These are the 2.6% who have rous compensation. Anon- sica decides to go in her gone on to higher education. ‘Ten arrested in cruel persecution lasted 14 years. ymity guaranteed. place. “I was the first girl in my villaThe rules of the study ge in Cadiz to leave for uniare simple: Be open versity,” says Ana, 28. “But and truthful and avoid now I’m a role model. We pivoting away from any need role models.” embarrassment or pain At university in Sevilla where the questions provoke. she studied journalism, Ana Jessica is so open and was often confronted by the honest in her answers sort of ignorance displayed that the psychiatrist by Carmen González. “We running the study, Dr had a test and were asked Shields, asks her to to explain what the collective continue. We ooer: image of a gypsy was. The coAs the study progresses rrect answer was ‘artist and and the questions beco Website design and build delinquent’. I left it blank and me more invasive Jessigot a worse mark. ca begins to wonder if  Website Reviews “Another teacher asked us she is being manipulawho the Jews of the 21st ted by Dr Shields. A sus Search optimisation century are in Spanish cultupenseful and thrilling re. No one answered and he novel about secrets, besaid, ‘The gypsies because trayal and morality. they set up their stalls in the markets but don’t pay tax.’ To discuss your project, email: Available from The It has taken Ana years to find roger@attractmore.co.uk Bookshop San Pedro the courage to challenge the for €16.90 prejudice. https://attractmore.uk www.thebookshop.es “Four years ago, when I went Based in Spain for a flat in Madrid, the ow-

Novel idea F

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DOUBLE STANDARDS: Many gypsies are trapped between the stereotypes of delinquency and celebrated artistry

ner said, ‘Thank God you’re not gypsy’. “Then there is the employment ceiling. My uncle signalled for me to keep quiet If employers recognise someone is from so I would get the flat. He was so asha- a gypsy neighbourhood, in many cases med I had to go through that. Later I did they won’t give them a job. Where’s the tell the owner I was a gypsy. She replied motivation to study?” ‘You don’t look like one.’ You have to fit The FSG worked with 456 schools last the stereotype.” year on an individual approach to these Today only 4% of the gypsy community problems resulting in 81% of Roma pulive in the slums that fuel pils graduating with the this stereotype. This, says secondary ESO certificaPlenty consider te. FSG also coordinates the FSG, has a marked impact on education. If you work placements with have somewhere decent to the gypsy pupils open-minded firms across live, you can start to focus to be unruly and Spain. on education and a job. And they have other chamAnd when more women tending towards pions. On February, 28 start to work, they have - Andalucia Day - the Predelinquency fewer children. sident of the Congress of However, there is still marDeputies Ana Pastor is to ginalisation within schools, receive an award from the says José Eugenio. “As teachers belong FSG for her contribution to the defence to mainstream society, they too have and support of the Roma community, their prejudices and there are plenty who along with La Caixa’s social programme, consider the gypsy pupils to be unruly Alcampo supermarket, which is a big and tending towards delinquency. It’s like gypsy employer, SM Foundation, RNE Raa self-fulfilling prophecy. dio, Gypsies, Art and Roma Culture and

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JOBS: Alcampo is a big gypsy employer

the flamenco star Manuel Moreno. As José Eugenio says, “If the politicians, the teachers, the parents of non-gypsy children and the gypsies were all clear that we have to fight for harmonious coexistence, then wonderful things would happen.”

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LETTERS

LE T T E R S

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

Letter

Dear Olive Press,

Property

I saw your article in your Property Magazine and I am trying to find out the result of the vote to allow illegal homes to obtain an AFO. I have searched internet and can find nothing. We sold our house in Colmenar five years ago only to discover that it was built on protected land and therefore illegal. There are apparently 1,200 houses just on this particular 7km stretch of land. Obviously the sale fell through and, although the architect at Colmenar Town Hall is continually telling us that they are working toward a solution, nothing has materialised to date. The article lifted our spirits a little and we would appreciate it if you could tell us the result of the vote last week. So many people are trapped in Spain at the moment through no fault of their own. Any articles on the status of the thousands of illegal homes in Malaga area are always well received. All of us in the above situation are desperate for factual news regarding progress toward rectifying this dreadful situation. It is destroying so many lives. The article was the most positive we have read in the last five years. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and replying with the result of the vote. I know you must be really busy.

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

’s e property Malaga bestmagazin

FREE

INTRUDER: In waters

Blast off ANOTHER Spanish warship has entered British territorial waters at Gibraltar while blasting its national anthem. A 300ft patrol boat engaged in a two-hour stand off with a 50ft Royal Navy boat, during a training exercise off Gibraltar. As the HMS Sabre began the drill at around 9am, the Spanish Tornado boat interupted the exercise and refused to move. Local reports said Royal Navy personnel heard the Spanish national anthem being played over the radio at a base on Gibraltar. It comes after a Spanish warship illegally encroached into Gibraltar’s waters back in December, also blaring the national anthem of Spain.

Incident

Vol. 4 Issue 90 www.gibraltarolivepres s.com February 13th - February 26th

- February 26th We 2019

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February 2019

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LET IT GROW

SPAIN’S property least another two market is expected to continue growing for at According to a years, experts have predicted. slow down until leading Catalan institute, ITEC, there will be no It comes after lastat least 2021. continued to be crisis, with a 9.7% year saw sales reach their highest in the top three ments in the world destinations for Meanwhile, the year-to-year increase from Januarysince the 2008 property investThe only regions for Brits. compared to the number of sales in October rose to September. Growth Islands, the latter where sales fell were in the Canary same month in 2017, was particularly by a huge 17% ment statistics (INE). strong in Murcia, of which saw a according to official ingly, Sevilla province significant 3% dropand Balearic up 53%, and interest- quarter. govern- Growth saw New home sales in the last Meanwhile, the were up 15% to 7,971 was also strong a 50% spike. across the Spanish and resales up 17% lona to 43,536. And in particular with a rise of 31%.board in Catalunya, and Barce- Spain’s biggest appraisal house price index published by Tinsa, company, it was hotspots such as Barcelona like the Costa del and Madrid were showed prices in the big cities Sol and Costa Blanca The Mediterranean up coast shot up 7.8%,9.4% in November. which nary Islands and the Balearic up 2.3%. and Ca-

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of eight siblings is still alive. “In the draft withdrawal deal we only have until 2020 to enjoy free healthcare, but what happens at FEARFUL: Expat Basil Moonilall the end of those two years?” Javier Rodriguez, an asses- to cover you’ if you are 65 He added that over-65s sor with the Expat Agency, and over. could pay into the Spanish insisted he expected more He said: “I know many social security system, for problems for expats like Spanish people who when which the minimum paythey reach 70 their insurhim in two years. ment is currently €283 per He told the Olive Press that ance companies don’t want month. most private health insur- to cover them, or make them It would mean however ance companies ‘don’t want pay as much as €1,000 per that, without any reciprocal month.” agreements between the UK TM and Spain, in the event of a no deal Brexit, the next best scenario could see Moonilall with only €228 spare capital per month. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU in just six weeks.

Basil with son

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As Spain adds 11 new towns we explore how to its ‘most them there, see their unique architecturebeautiful’ list, Belissimas page helped get VIII

2019

After the December incident British Ambassador to Spain A BRITISH expat fears beable to afford private insurSimon Manley confirmed ing kicked out of Europe ance EXCLUSIVE on his €511-per month that the UK would make a just before his 90th birth- pension. By Joshua Parfitt day in the case of a no-deal formal complaint to Spain. “If I don’t get free healthMedia reported that the UK Brexit. care, I don’t get to see the ing as part of the Windrush will also protest to Spain Windrush pensioner and doctor,” Moonilall, who generation in 1958. former train driver, Basil over this latest incident. only has one vocal “We can confirm an incur- Moonilall, 89, relies heavily from cancer, told the cord “I’m worried that if I leave, Olive I will have to start life all sion by the Spanish navy oc- on Spain’s health system af- Press. over curred this morning,” a UK ter having a throat tumour The expat, who worked as a anxiousagain,” added the removed in 2000. train driver in the UK for 35 moved grandfather, who Foreign Office spokesperson However to Spain in 1993 to if the UK crashes said. out of the EU without a years, also fears that if he be with his Spanish wife was forced to return to Brit- who They added: “As with all deal, Moonilall, sadly passed away two incursions, the Royal Navy La Linea, fears based in ain he could be deported months ago. he won’t be back to Guyana challenged the vessel. after arriv- The Windrush generation “When were born British subjects challenged, the Spanish navy vessel subseand arrived in the UK before 1973 from the Caribbequently left British Gibraltar an, but shockingly in recent Territorial Waters. years have been refused “Incursions are a violation of healthcare or had their citisovereignty, not a threat to zenship revoked. it, we have no doubt about Some have even been forced our sovereignty over Gibralhome. tar.” “They were asked to come Questions of Gibraltar’s to the UK to rebuild the sovereignty have arisen durcountry after the war,” ing the negotiations for the Moonilall’s son Raymon, UK to leave the European who lives in Gibraltar, told Union. the Olive Press, adding that However, the Rock’s Chief he is worried his father may Minister Fabian Picardo was be sent back to Guyana. firm in his new year’s message, as he said the concept Security of joint sovereignty of the This despite not visiting territory with Spain was ‘as since 1958 and where only dead as a dodo’. one

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We uncover Spain’s most iconic frescos, from the dark ages to the 21st century, see Fab Frescos page VIII

February 13th - February 26th 2019

continued to be in the top three destinations for property investments in the world for Brits. The only regions where sales fell were in the Canary and Balearic Islands, the latter of which saw a significant 3% drop in the last quarter. Meanwhile, the Spanish house price index published by Tinsa, Spain’s biggest appraisal company, showed prices in the big cities such as Barcelona and Madrid were up 9.4% in November. The Mediterranean coast shot up 7.8%, and the Balearic and Canary Islands up 2.3%.

I MISS MY BROTHER

February 14th - February 27th Vol. 2 Issue 48 www.theolivepress.es

in THE toxic thermal power station Alcudia, Es Murterar, has finally confirmed plans for its closure. in Endesa-owned Es Murterar is Spain’s top ten of most polluting power plants, and one of only around left a dozen coal-burning power plants in Spain. Balearic Government president Francina Armengol has met with government officials from all energy and land of departments along with the CEO Endesa to plan the phased closure. They have also ensured that all existing to jobs will be saved and transitioned the new model. The two oldest parts of the power plant are set to close down in January 2020. opThe other two sections will reduce for erating hours to 1,500 hours a year until August 2020, then just 500 hours per year until 2025.

Expansion for two more years, as market approaches growth of 17% this winter

Growth was particularly strong in Murcia, up 53%, and interestingly, Sevilla province saw a 50% spike. Growth was also strong across the board in Catalunya, and Barcelona in particular with a rise of 31%. And it was hotspots like the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca which

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SPAIN’S property market is expected to continue growing for at least another two years, experts have predicted. According to a leading Catalan institute, ITEC, there will be no slow down until at least 2021. It comes after last year saw sales reach their highest since the 2008 crisis, with a 9.7% year-to-year increase from January to September. Meanwhile, the number of sales in October rose by a huge 17% compared to the same month in 2017, according to official government statistics (INE). New home sales were up 15% to 7,971 and resales up 17% to 43,536.

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Issue 26

From medieval to modern

LET IT GROW

Deal or no deal, we break down everything expats need to know about the UK’s divorce from the EU

Voted

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2019

Barbara Rumsey, Colmenar

of British Heartbroken family and wife filmmaker speak out after mystery balcony fall

Ed. Thank you for your letter Barbara. The result was a rejection, carried through by the PSOE. The Junta was voting on a law amendment that would allow town halls to issue AFOs to houses waiting for legalisation through the town plan. With the Socialists now out of Andalucia, Maura Hillen, president of the AUAN, thinks there may now be a sea-change.

EXCLUSIVE By Charlie Smith

THE sister of a British filmmaker who plunged from a balcony in Malher heartbreak but lorca has spoken of in The plant must be closed by 2025, as her brother remains in a coma will close earlier if the second natural be- hospital. gas link to the mainland is finished Emma Whiteley told the Olive Press fore then. last night she was ‘still speechless’ 39, "It was necessary to propose a change after her brother Carl Whiteley, fell from his first– and this change in the energy model our from Lincolnshire, is global and an opportunity for be- floor flat in Palma a fortnight ago in islands that can not leave anyone mysterious circumstances. hind," said president Armengol. Cli- The ‘friend of the stars’ - who mixed Stallone and wife Esther Stallone "It is a solution that fits in with the Sylvester of likes with the and (right) Carl with Sylvester mate Change Law and is also a guaran- and Johnny Depp - smashed his FAMILY: (Left) Sister Emma some fresh air. out and She said: “We argue like other coutee of continued work. for the employ- head open at around 11pm, following Palma’s Son Espases Hospital, ples, but that’s it, everybody has their “Then I heard a noise, ran ees," she continued. with his wife, Esther from Carl still lays in a coma. argument an saw him lying his head busted, with in close where problems. When the first two sections Muñoz, 33. blood everywhere and I rang the ammy brother. His progress is own 2020, the Balearic Islands will emit Carl’s sister Emma immediately “I missmuch the same, there is still “The neighbour banged on our door, bulance straight away.” hear Lucy crying. 10% less CO2 immediately – Mal- made the journey from the UK to the pretty praying for a because she couldbecause of all the The accountant continued, “I just ill’ no change, but we are “She was upset lorca's emissions alone will drop 33% Balearics to be with her ‘critically want him to wake up and tell us what recovery.” brother. that day. I want to be away from Esther denied noise.” hon- Meanwhile his wifeany way involved She explained that the couple had happened. TM “I nightmare that we are living.” in moved into a new flat in this a new brain scan on Carl’s estly don’t that she had been on January 30. just only and that they were After k n o w in his horror plunge Press that her hus- central Palma fractured skull, meanwhile, doctors w h a t She told the Olive she has a daughter only just getting used to their home. wife that he is stable and two hours confirmed to his say,” band, with whom to fallen after a “It was a windy night made good progress. has have and may the nine, blew Lucy, wind the a fell, E m m due to being ‘dizzy’ before Carland shut and broke part of “Doctors have begun to take the mortold the gust of wind or door open few drinks. phine off bit by bit,” she confirmed O l i v e after having a Palma’s Son Espases the wall,” she explained. “but we need to keep fightdoor was shut, but this week, P r e s s Speaking at that reports in “The balcony bed I heard it open ing and praying.” in after re- hospital, she insisted lung ca15:36 16/06/2017 1 press that the pair when I was for The mum-of-one said Carl’s Untitled-1.pdf turning to the Mallorquin ‘totally untrue’. again and I assumed he had gone SEE PAGE 2 pacity and oxygen flow had E n g l a n d had argued were now also improved, meaning IN PUE the antibiotics are working. RTO Carl is well-known for his PO RTA work in cinema, including bottle LS for writing the script to Emof wine pire. ject to conditions. with this ad C t valid for renewals. Sub He is also behind the Harry *Offer ends 30/11/18. No convention DiagCon, Potter M based at Manchester’s Printworks. Y 2/8/18 17:01 Emma helped to organCM ise a GoFundMe page with her other brother Chris to MY pay for any of Carl’s medical bills, with the remaining CY money going towards brain RESERVATIONS: 971 283 410 trauma charities. CMY The fundraiser met the Fine Indian Cuisine Mallorca. Illes Balears £5,000 total in just 13 days K Puerto Portals 76-78, 07181 Portals Nous *valid one ad and one anonymous donor www.mahaltandoori.com per table gave a whopping £1,754. Find out more on page XX

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Across 7 Ape (7) 8 Decree (5) 9 Harass (5) 10 Intoxicating liquor (7) 11 As before (5) 13 Appears (7) 15 Common sight in Saudi Arabia (3,4) 16 Run away (5) 18 Hearing distance (7) 21 Strode (5) 22 Farewell (5) 23 Rooms (7) Down 1 Previous to birth (8) 2 Bump off (4) 3 The Pope (4) 4 Instructors (8) 5 Desire (4) 6 Fashions (6) 7 Stately (5) 12 Repair (8) 13 Snake-like fish (3) 14 Enormous (8) 15 Musical dramas (6) 17 Oceanic ins and outs (5) 19 Sudden assault (4) 20 Underground (4) 21 Seed containers (4)

February 27th - March 12th 2019 Supply and demand

Brexit fallout

Good luck with that (Hash Smash, Issue 90 Gibraltar). People want the drugs, the demand is there. Why not just legalise and regulate? Think about the tax they could earn. Sure, people will die from overdoses, just like people die in car crashes or from alcohol.

Readers react to a legal expert’s warning that 700,000 Brits in Spain could become ‘illegal aliens’ after Brexit

Scott Ashley Burns, Nerja 2

NEWS IN BRIEF Independence THE 12 leaders of Catalunya’s failed independence referendum have gone on trial at Madrid’s Supreme Court.

Ice cold A MAN, 43, has been arrested in Madrid after police found the body of his girlfriend, 22, chopped up in a freezer.

Locked up THE hitman, James Quinn, 36, locked up for Gary Hutch’s murder will spend 22 years behind bars after losing his appeal.

Three to go THREE GHA staff at St Bernard’s Hospital arrested on suspicion of manslaughter have been released after the death of a newborn baby.

Buckle up gammon

Plot to kill A HOMELESS Spanish man, 43, in Malaga has nearly been burnt alive by a couple who torched the car he slept in.

It’s a humongous, ignorant outcry. A legal expert has stated what she believes will happen. Depending on what happens with Brexit, this scenario could well happen (whether you like it or not or voted for it or not). Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Amanda Cano, Granada

Downright stupidity Actually this is a good informative piece. The statement by the UK Ambassador says it all. If you stay more than 90 days in Spain, then register. No ifs, no buts, just do it. Failing to do this would be downright stupidity.

Hash smash

500 cops, helicopters and boats mobilised in one of Campo de Gibraltar’s biggest ever narco raids

February 13th - February 26th 2019

SCUM: More, Barton and Panitzke

Wanted Brits

POLICE have begun a huge anti-drug trafficking operation by land, sea and air on the Costa del Sol. Over 500 Guardia Civil agents are involved in the RAIDS: Across the Campo de Gibraltar bust, which focuses on La Linea and other targets in The criminal clan control His brother, dubbed the ‘nar70% of the hash that passses Malaga and Cadiz. co king’ of the Campo was Several people linked to the across the Strait of Gibraltar caught earlier in June, after notorious Castañitas drug from Morocco into Spain. police revealed the pair had gang have been arrested after Head honcho of the gang, amassed a fortune in excess cops moved in with 30 differ- Francisco Isco Tejón Carras- of €30 million. ent search warrants early on co was cuffed back in October A police boat and at least two after starring in a reggaeton Tuesday morning. helicopters are also patrolling video. the skies and seas in the area. The neighbourhoods of La Atunara, San Bernardo, El Zabal, Santa Margarita have all been the target of police SOME 2,800 people were arrested in connection to drug trafficking raids. in Andalucia last year, figures released this week have revealed. A search in San Bernardo reAccording to the Guardia Civil, the armed most successful years in terms of arrests police force had one of its sulted in the seizure of a raand seizures. dar used by drug traffickers in Some 227 tonnes of hashish were recovered, as well as ten tonnes counter-surveillance of cocaine and almost 250,000 cannabis against police. Meanwhile, a total of 2,796 suspects plants. were detained for drug-re- The main aim lated crimes, representing a 5% increase of the police on 2017 and a 34% in- operation is to crease on 2016. dismantle the narco gang that operates The results came in what was one of the bloodiest years on the between Morocco Costa del Sol in terms of mafia activity. and the Campo.

THE UK’s National Crime than Agency (NCA) has released John€1 billion. Barton was sentenced its list of the most wanted to 20 years behind bars in British criminals on the run. 2003 Among them are an alleged port for conspiring to immurderer, convicted drug into large amounts of heroin trafficker and a big time VAT and the UK between 1999 fraudster who may have fled He 2000. was convicted in absentia to Spain. and Christopher More is wanted to is believed to have links in connection with the mur- delthe Fuengirola and Costa der of a man in Cheshire in If Sol area. you have seen any of the June 2003. following people or know Sarah Panitzke is wanted by of their whereabouts, get in the UK’s HMRC for conspir- touch at newsdesk@theoliveacy to acquire criminal prop- press.es or contact the NCA erty after laundering more immediately.

Ballers CRACKDOWN behind bars ROCA ROLLING

HE was the svengali who made Spain’s biggest-ever corruption scam tick like clockwork. The mastermind behind Marbella’s infamous Malaya case, Juan Roca, has finally been let out of prison after serving 12 years of a 20-year sentence. A judge deemed the former Marbella urban planning boss eligible for release as he had

completed over half his sentence and been a model prisoner. This is despite the politician amassing a fortune worth at least €125 million, including a string of properties, a huge collection of exotic animals and a private art portfolio that included a Miro that he kept in the loo. Roca was convicted of being the ringleader of the Malaya plot, which saw 53 officials, including three former Marbella mayors, tried for embezzlement of public funds and fraud between 1991 and 2006.

Mourinho is added to the ever growing list of multi millionaire footballers who apparently, don’t earn enough money (Jose Mourinho convicted of tax fraud in Spain but won’t serve any of oneyear prison sentence, Issue 311). The truth is, one of these Spanish prisons should have a Champions League-winning squad, and now they should even have the manager! Stuart Hill, Marbella

Cheers Olive Press Very interesting article (COSTA DEL VIENTO: Five cultural insights into the winds in Andalucia, online). Well researched. Thank you for that and well done. When I first came to live here many, many years ago, it was much dryer, arid and hot. My Spanish friends told me that it was also Franco who began planting pine trees in the mountains in order to create more humidity and rain, thus making enough water for tourists.

Phill Langley-May, Castillejar

People should panic People really should panic if they have been staying under the radar and avoiding tax. That is the point. Estimates of between 500,000 and 700,000 unregistered British people in Spain will be considered illegal after Brexit if they overstay 90 days. There is no point being complacent over this if you are a Brit and want to remain in Spain.

Valerie Benchetrit, Mijas

Katrina Edbrooke, Granada

FEATURE

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

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OPINION

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Rock and a hard place

The top five most read stories www.theolivepress.es in the paston two weeks are:

IT’S high time the British Government stop infighting and get on with delivering Brexit, whatever it may be! The human impact of the UK’s divorce from the EU was revealed to its fullest extent this week, as Basil Moonilall, who turns 90 this year, revealed it could see him kicked out of TWO countries. Basil came to the UK in 1958 with the Windrush generation, before he moved to the Campo de Gibraltar in 1993 to be with his Spanish wife, who sadly died two months ago. His future is more uncertain than most, with his healthcare and citizenship in question, but his story should resonate with the hundreds of thousands of Brits who have built their lives here in Spain. The biggest fear for British pensioners is that their healthcare will not be covered by the NHS after the UK leaves the EU. Whatever the outcome, there needs to be something concrete from the Government so that people like Basil - who spent his whole working lives in the service of the British public - can begin planning their futures after March 29. PUBLISHER/ EDITOR Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Charlie Smith charlie@theolivepress.es

Joshua Parfitt joshuap@theolivepress.es

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Round em up Too many Brits are living in Spain under the radar. No tax returns or any paid taxes. They deserve to be caught and returned. However, they are already illegal aliens for not following the EU residency regulations and by breaking the law in Spain and the UK!

Gordon Sandilands, Almunecar 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

olive press online

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

The UK don't want anyone back, because pensioners would be homeless, homes abroad would be worthless and lots more pension credit would be claimed, plus other benefits.

Cath Hillier, Calasparra

CRIME

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ANXIETY RISES PACKED: Hundreds of expats came

to hear the latest updates from Simon

Manley in Malaga

A deal, or no deal, expats are growing increasingly concerned about Brexit next month… here Charlie Smith and Joshua Parfitt present their Brexit Survival Guide

ILL I be deported? Can I still see a doctor? Do I have to fly the Spanish flag? It’s no wonder fears are ing among the up to one million swirlwho call Spain their home, as theexpats Brexit deadline approaches like an express train.

With just over six weeks to go the UK pulls out of Europe, it before unclear exactly how the 300,000is still registered Brits in Spain will be treated… alone all those who come and go let on a temporary basis. In a mercy-type mission to ease concerns, British Ambassador to these Spain,

CAPTION

TENSION: Jean Claude Juncker shares

frosty moment with Theresa May

as Brexit looms

Simon Manley has been undertaking a fears about their status in Spain series of roadshows around the come coun- March 29. try. At one, taking place to a packed hall Above all, he assured the 200-plus peoof expats in ple gathered that Malaga last drawal agreementunder the draft withthere would be no week, his significant changes to anyone’s rights m e s s a g e until the end of a transition period, set was simple: to last until December 31 2020. ‘Keep calm, However, he raised and get reg- and warned what a few key concerns could actually happen istered’. if the UK leaves the EU with no deal, as A l o n g s i d e could still alarmingly an expert Here, the Olive Pressbe the case. breaks panel, he key talking points of the Brexitdown the seminar, c a r e f u l l y on everything from healthcare to penand clearly sions and the peculiar UK passport. situation where r e s p o n d e d Spain permits But, you can also become a Spanish foreigners to citizen get dualthrough birth or marto people’s citizenship. riage, even if your Spanish parents were born outside the country. The other requirements include being a ‘good citizen’ and being integrated into Spanish society. To be a good citizen you must be financially stable and without a criminal record. Being integrated means that you Spanish and ‘take part in Spanish must be able to speak some social activities’. If you are applying after having lived in Spain for 10 years, you must first have permanent residency. To apply for Spanish citizenship you will need to visit your local Civil Registry office. You will need to fill in a citizenship form and bring the following documents:

How to get your Spanish citizenship

2 PANEL: Experts giving their advice

just weeks before the UK divorce

date

DEAL - ‘Your rights maintained’ but new ‘TIE’ green card needed Ambassador Simon Manley rose to that ‘with a deal, your rights in Spainhis feet to assure anxious attendees will be guaranteed by force of international law.’ “The deal will maintain your right to residency, pensions will continue to be uprated and healthcare will continue as before,” he said. And the diplomat calmed nerves by saying that a grace period - a paradise period for some - in which all paperwork could be sorted out, would remain until December 31, 2020. “But that withdrawal agreement can only enter into force when it has been approved by the UK,” added Manley. The Brexit divorce is being felt in many parts of the Union, but at this stage of negotiations it appears the source of heartache for expats on the Costa del Sol is not the English channel, nor Brussels, but the House of Commons. If it passes before March 29, the key residents in Spain will be the transitioncomponent of the deal for British to a new form of identification. The Ambassador announced that ‘a new card will replace the green card’ that British expats currently wield as their right to residency in Spain. Brits will ‘at some point’ during submit their green registration certificatesthe transition period need to for a Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE) - it’s the same identification that grants non-EU nationals residency in Spain - but Brits will not need to fulfil the same requirements as nonEU nationals. Those who are NOT currently registered however be able to acquire a TIE card. via the National Police will NOT “Please apply now,” the Ambassador urged, “there’s nothing more important you can do.”

Dual citizenship exists for a chosen

NO DEAL - Assuming our rights will be maintained, but no agreement yet In the worst-case scenario that and the UK leaves the EU with noan agreement is not reached, deal, the Ambassador warned that British expats’ rights in Spain will ‘not be protected’. He spoke passionately about meetings Minister Pedro Sanchez, who insisted with Spanish Prime he greatly valued the British presence in his country. However, as with promises surrounding pensions, healthcare and rights to residency, the recurring word in the Ambassadors oratory was ‘assume’. Concerning healthcare, he said: “The intentions are clear, but we have to find an agreement with Spain.” Regarding pensions, Manley added: “We need a reciprocal agreement with Spain, because without that the default position is pensions will not be uprated - British expats in Australia do not have uprated pensions.” A royal decree is expected this month to underline how Spain will treat British expats should Britain exit the EU without a deal. There were sterner warnings however, from panel legal expert Myra Azzopardi, of Citizens Advice She warned the Olive Press that Bureau Spain. up to 700,000 British people either living full time here unregistered or with interests in Spain could face immigration issues She said that under EU law, British soon after March 29. citizens would be allowed 90 days in Spain before they would selves at the nearest national police have to register themstation. Though Spain currently has no powers to expel Brits who stay over this 90-day period, she said pelled as an illegal alien, you could‘after Brexit you will be exbe deported.’

I can’t be the only one After living in Spain for 10 years you can apply for Spanish citizenship. Getting this ‘golden ticket’ means you can travel, work and visit within the EU. Spain does not permit dual citizenship however, so you would have to give up your

few

Spain does not permit dual citizenship, except for two very specific groups of people. But who are these chosen two? 1. International Brigades veterans: This group of volunteers fought as soldiers for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. Named after the 50 countries from which they came, the group’s largest intake was from France with 9,000

4 5

HERE TO HELP: British ambassador

Simon Manley

- Man in Spain arrested as police find his girlfriend chopped up in freezer (4,880)

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Number crunching

● 700,000 - the possible number of unregistered Brits who could be forced to leave Spain ● 26,000 - the income (in euros) you might have to prove to gain residency in the event of a no-deal Brexit ● 1,735 - the number of

workers hired by the Spanish government to deal with Brexit ● 10 - years you need to live in Spain to get Spanish citizenship ● 5 - years you need to live in Spain to get permanent residency

The Olive Press is this week the most popular website in the world,199,000th more than 650,000 places higher than Mallorca’s own Daily Bulletin...and even ranked very three times higher in Spain

joining from the country. The UK contributed 2,000 men to the International Brigades and 500 were killed while 1,200 were wounded.

I read your article on pages 6/7, even though I’m absolutely sick of the whole business (Brexit: Everything British expats in Spain need to know, Issue 48, Mallorca). But I have yet to find an article that refers to people in my position: Widowed, main home in France, and a second home in Mallorca. Registered as a ‘non resident’ with an NIE number, I pay the relevant taxes etc. What is my likely fate? There must be others in my position.

● A valid passport and copy ● For under-18s: a guardian, or both parents ● Spanish Resident Card (TIE) ● Birth certificate printed within last 90 days ● Criminal record check printed within last 90 days ● Marriage certificate if applicable ● Registration certificate printed within the last 90 days ● A CEFR certificate of at least A2 in Spanish ● A CCSE exam certificate showing the result of an exam on Spanish laws and culture ● A payment of €100

- Another Spanish warship enters waters playing national anthem Gibraltar in two-hour Royal Navy stand-off (13,533)

- WATCH: Spaniards fuming at viral of two drunk British women being video treated at hospital in expat hotspot (12,392)

- Dog walker finds dead narco washed Costa del Sol beach after high speed up on police chase (8,069)

- WATCH: Wild boar shot and killed after rummaging through bins onby cops Spain’s Costa del Sol (7,300)

2. Sephardi Jews who can prove a family relation to Spain:

These Jews are an ethnic group originally from Spain or Sepharad, a place of uncertain location that is mentioned once in the Bible. The Sephardi Jews set up communities throughout Spain and Portugal, before they began to be exiled in the 15th Century. About 16% of the global Jewish population is Sephardi and around 40,000 are

Shirley Hunt, Mallorca Ed. Hi Shirley, thank you for your letter. There are a number of helpful websites for people like yourself. Try La Moncloa and CAB Spain.

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ll about

Vol. 13 Issue 312

Manilva, Sabinillas and Duquesa www.theolivepress.es

WE GOT Hooked

Take15 Five

February 27th - March 12th 2019

C/ Isaac Peral, 6, Sabinillas

952 93 61 70

February 2019

The ports, beaches and hilltop town of Manilva are home to a significant foreign population. Joshua Parfitt finds out what’s drawing them in

T Kinsale restaurant in the heart of Duquesa port you can order a fantastic homemade pie washed down with Guiness, while almost next door is Tim’s Fish & Chips. Around the corner buy a copy of your favourite British daily paper, while an English butcher has plied his trade for nearly two decades nearby.Brexit? Sod that. Perhaps that is why the municipality of Manilva has

such a high percentage of foreign, settled residents - 42% according to Dean Tyler Shelton, one of the only British councillors in Spain, and Manilva’s councillor for foreign affairs. Officially over 3,000 British expats live in the 17,000-strong municipality, either in the coral-white marina of ‘La Duquesa’, upon the mile-long beachfront of San Luis de Sabinillas or up on the hilltop lookout of Manilva itself. Though the Brits and the 180-odd

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February 2019

ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Marvellous Manilva From Page 15

other nationalities come from all walks of life and occupations (some have even set up a newspaper here, yes Sabinillas is the home of the Olive Press!) they all have something in common. Like Manilva’s first health tourist, Julius Caesar, who visited the Roman baths around 60BC, it seems that people come here for a temperate life beneath the jaw-dropping mountains, fed by the fruits of the sea. Walking around the yacht-dotted marina I meet expat John Jackson, a 73-year-old Scotsman, counting the fish in the shallows, watching them eat crumbs from his pan flauta, or Spanish baguette. “It’s a really well maintained port,

MURAL: Showing famous grape pickers

VARIETY: Take a history tour at Duquesa’s Castillo and then enjoy the unspoilt coastlines nearby friendly and safe too,” the former February is exactly the right time for second-hand designer wear. business consultant told the Olive British expats Peter and Jackie, who Running further west the other side Press. have had a holiday home here for of Duquesa, the coastline gets wilJohn moved to la Duquesa in 2012, the past 12 years. der and less and less developed. where in the winter months the ma- They say they come to ‘Sabi’ - as Here, you will find an extensive naturina remains virtually untouched by they affectionately call the town - in re zone and golden beaches edged tourism. winter to escape the with wild grasses and Wandering the cozy, pedestriani- biting cold of England flowers. sed streets, it’s clear that this pla- and to avoid the bustThe Punta Chullera The market ce is small enough for everyone to ling crowds of sumarea is a rock-pool poknow everyone - and while collecting mer. tterer’s paradise and is a bargain my chips and curry sauce from a On Sundays, howeoffers the occasional takeaway, a local waiter pops in to ver, the famous flea hunter’s paradise curious sight, such as practise his English. market Rastro de Safresh octopus hanging Nearby, San Luis de Sabinillas offers binillas proves that stretched across on washing lines to dry another take on coastal living with the Spanish do not (see front page). 300 stalls its collection of ‘chiringuitos’, where hibernate and there is Here is where I meet the salt sea air is flavoured with the still much to see and Belgian biker Robert aroma of ‘pescaditos fritos’ - fried to do. Vermeulen, who winds fish, Spanish style this time. Held weekly at the fairground off the down to the rocky headland ‘to do These informal beach restaurants Camino de los Banos de la Hedion- nothing’ but enjoy his retirement. often open around Easter in prepa- da, the Rastro is a bargain hunter’s The 68-year-old makes the journey ration for the holiday season, and in paradise stretched across 300 stalls to the beach from his Casares puethe winter lie dormant like a grapevi- piled with jewel-coloured fruit and blo apartment by motorbike to take ne, waiting for the sun. veg, antiques, local handicrafts and long walks and soak up the sea air.

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“I think the coastline is just beautiful,” he says, in his leather biker’s jacket as the sun pokes out. The local fisherman still have a place in the community, he tells me, pointing out the numerous vessels parked in front of the promenade. Next to the gin palaces bobbing at anchor in la Duquesa’s pleasure port, he appreciates that Manilva has not lost its authenticity. If resting on your well-earned retirement laurels is not for you, then you can still head for the rugged hills of Manilva, which unfold like a fan along several walking and off-road trails. These capillaries are ever more deeply etched into the landscape by the coast’s growing number of biking and walking enthusiasts who enjoy the trips into nature. Adventurers should also make a pilgrimage to Manilva itself, which traces its roots dominance back to 16th century vineyards famed throu-

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February 2019

Bases covered

FECUND: Collecting the potatoes in the Rio de Manilva valley ghout the world for their sweet wines, known locally as ‘vino mosto’. The story of its thriving wine industry is beautifully told at the Nilva Wine Museum where you can also take a vineyard tour. While meandering through the resting vineyards I bump into Dave and Nicki, who say they only make the trip now for old-time’s sake. Having run their own property business for 15 years on the Costa de la Luz, they came to Manilva to open up shop and capitalise on the throngs of holiday-home buyers eyeing up the area. The 2008 economic crash changed that and their business suffered in the ensuing years. “People stopped coming, even the Brits,” recalls Nicki. Despite a tainted experience, the couple say that Manilva is back in business and shows no sign of slowing down, with ‘more Brits here now then there have been in previous years’. Indeed, in the town centre I see both Spaniards deftly opening salty ‘pipas’ sunflower seeds baked in shells - in one bite, and two mums with thick Yorkshire accents keeping tabs on their skateboarding children. Nearby, on the border with Casares, you can go back in time to one of Costa del Sol’s earliest recorded new arrivals: the Roman baths of Hedionda. The cloudy blue pools reposing beneath arched brickwork allow you to take in the sublime atmosphere of hundreds of years of history, where medicinal sulphur spring flowing out of from the limestone is said to cure a whole host of ailments, including sunburn. In fact, that is what brought Julius Caesar to Manilva when he was governor of southern Spain to cure a nasty skin infection. Apparently, it worked. Whether here for work or for pleasure, the sun, the sea and the fresh food are never far from people’s reasons for residence - Spanish or foreign. Somehow it still feels as if a certain spell hangs over these hills, attracting people here from near and far.

FISHERMEN: Pull up their boat on Sabinillas beach

Perfect port

Duquesa is the true gem of Manilva with dozens of restaurants and an international clientelle to match

UQUESA is a small harbour with a big personality. Any lunchtime, even in winter, the pavements are filled with tourists taking the sun and enjoying the huge range of restaurants on offer. If the idea of travelling around the world in 80 restaurants floats your boat then this is the perfect spot to drop anchor. A walk around this whitewashed marina takes scarcely longer than five minutes but just count the blackboards promoting cuisine from all over the globe: China, India, Japan, and Singapore, and a plethora of European ports of call too! It could be argued that La Duquesa lacks Spanish identity, with more English voices than yachts and more burgers than tapas. But step out either side of the port, where Spanish chiringuitos (and boatfuls of grilling sardines in summer) fringe sandy beaches and you’ll be left in no doubt which country you’re in. This social meeting point sings through its restaurants, cafes and bars, the people who work in them and the visitors who sit in the sunshine enjoying them. This elegant enclave of turrets and towers, pretty plazas and steps leading to different levels jutts out from the mainland, encircling its attractions like an oyster encloses a pearl. Quirky and eclectic, it’s like a younger sister to Puerto Banus – less glam perhaps, but less snooty too; more affable and, importantly, very much more affordable. This sociable spirit is enhanced by the people who work here, who hail from all over the world and are woven into the ethnically diverse fabric of La Duquesa.

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WHEN Charlotte Levy met Sandra Marin, the pair immediately hit it off. While coming from different walks of life - Sandra, 37, is from the Ronda mountains, Charlotte, 22, from affluent lowland Essex - they share a similar world view and get on like a house on fire. The pair, who both have degrees in business, have now set up a brand new real estate and accountancy firm in the heart of Sabinillas. Called Le Vack & Marin, the company typifies the rapid changes taking place in the Costa del Sol’s fastest-growing resort. The business offers everything from property sales and rentals to advice for foreigners, help in dealing with inheritance tax and undertaking annual and quarterly tax returns. The pair originally met, while Sandra was working for Charlotte’s father Robin as an accountant in nearby Estepona. A long-time property developer in the UK and Spain, he has built dozens of homes on the Costa del Sol and spends much of the year here. “We are all very excited about the changes in Manilva and how quickly things are picking up,” explains Charlotte, who spent five years at school in the town. “We are already building a series of new properties here, which will be available soon.” Sandra continues: “On top of that we are offering to sell homes at just 4% commission and I have been working as an accountant and advisor since 2005 so we have a lot of experience of helping expats here.”

Contact the team at www.levackmarin.com

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February 2019

ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

Once upon a time Manilva was among the richest and bestconnected places in the world

R HISTORIC: Roman mosaic art in Spain

OMAN roots run deep throughout the Iberian Peninsula but this westerly corner of the Costa del Sol really tickled Roman legion fancies for the climate, the fishing, the farming … and for its strategic position at the gateway to the Mediterranean … and home. Stone Age man and many later invaders liked it too but it was the Roman Empire - to which it once belonged - that really put what we now call Manilva and San Luis de Sabinillas on the map. What did the Romans do for us? They made the region rich, they brought work, they built roads just like in the Monty Python sketch. The area was as well-connected then as it is today. They left behind fascinating ruins and a working Roman health spa you can still check into. And it’s free. First, a little history … Baetica, the Roman name for Andalucia, became one of the most dynamic and economically developed regions in the farflung Roman Empire, rich in resources and modern in outlook, even welcoming liberated slaves. Before the legions arrived in

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

Empire days

VIA ROMANA: Roman bridge at Banos de Hedionda the second century AD life ted agricultural settlements. was hard and simple, the land However the development of a dotted with small and isola- fish salting industry fuelled by increasing Roman presence on the Iberian Peninsula saw most of these segmented populations moving to the coast, settling in the town we now call San Luis de Sabinillas. At that time, salt curing was the best method for preserving fish for export by sea to Rome entire Costa del Sol to Almeria. and other parts Casares, unof the Empire. der the Roman Manilva becaShowcases the name of Lacipo, me known as was a strategic remnants of Saltum and gateway from came under the valley to the Roman Baths, the administramountains of tion of Conven- curing factory and Cadiz and Matus Gaditanus laga. - a vast region even a necropolis Manilva and Castretching from sares boasted modern-day Caroad links as diz province and along the the good as EU funding has proviHEALING: Taking a swim in the Banos de Hedionda ded today. They were connected by one of Baetica’s main thoroughfares to Carteia (currently San Roque where the Roman ruins of Carteia still partially survive), Corduva (now Cordoba) and the city of Baetica, together with Italica and Hispalis, both in the Sevilla region. Some of that amazing infrastructure still survives. Roman remains can be found in Sabinillas, Haza del Casareño, Lagunetas, Manilva and Castillo de la Duquesa which showcases the remnants of a Roman Baths, town, curing factory and even a necropolis. However, undoubtedly the most popular ‘asset’ is La Hedionda, the Roman baths built around a natural mineral spring where Julius Caesar himself is said to have cured a skin complaint. Still in working order today, the name means ‘stinky’ in Spanish and comes from the sulphurous waters which smell like rotten eggs. The good times ended when Baetica was invaded by Visigoths and the Roman’s Iberian empire fell around 5AD. People started to abandon the coastal settlements, returning inland in search of other ways to survive, perchance to dream of the glory that was once Rome.

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

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February 2019

Manilva over millennia 6,000 BC - Neolithic farmers arrived in Manilva, leaving stone tools and pots in places like the Sierra de la Utrera caves, just north of Sabinillas. 1,500 BC - The Phoenician civilisation spread across the Mediterranean, leading to settlements in Cadiz (meaning ‘fort’ in Phoenician) and the Castillejos de Alcorrín settlement in Manilva.

The Olive Press talks to Manilva mayor Mario Jimenez Rodriguez What is the biggest draw to Manilva?

200 BC - The Romans invaded the Iberian peninsula in 206 BC, establishing a fishing village in Manilva. Julius Caesar became governor of Southern Spain in 61 BC and is believed to have cured a skin disease in the Roman baths at Hedionda.

I’m a big fan of the green spaces and the fantastic expanse of coastline, some 8 kms in total. We are working really hard not to over-develop the coast and have actually dropped density levels since I came to power

711 AD - The Moors invaded the Iberian peninsula and established the settlement of Martagina just south of La Chullera.

What about the history here?

1400-1500 AD - Barbary pirate raids forced most of the population to flee into the hills for security. However, many still returned daily to fish. 1515-20 - Following the Reconquista, the Duke of Arcos conceded land in present-day Manilva to the fortified town of Casares for growing grapevines. 1530 - The hilltop village of Manilva proper began to take shape thanks to its Duke, who parcelled off pieces of land to encourage people to settle there. 1722 - The Church of Santa Ana in Manilva village was destroyed by an earthquake. 1796 - Manilva gained independence

from Casares, when it was given a ‘royal privilege of the town’.

Well there is actually an incredible amount to enjoy, such as the castle, near Duquesa, and the fascinating Roman archaeological site we are currently exploring beside it. The Romans had a key base in Manilva and we understand they made a lot of the celebrated fish paste Garum here, which was exported back to Rome. I am also fascinated by the Fortress of Los Castillejos de Alcorrín, an eighth century castle - and much older settlement which was only discovered in 1989. Why did you run for mayor? I’ve now spent 16 years in public office, and have held posts such as councillor of sport, youth and infrastructure, as well as working in the technical office in the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol. But as I am from here I wanted to come back and help my village, where I originally ran a plumbing shop.

Everyone welcome in our green paradise VINES AND MORE: View from village north-east After two years in office, what have you achieved? I am happy with the changes we have made to the historic centre, as well as the covered pool in Sabinillas and the improvements with the wine museum. I think we have bettered the local quality of life (better cleaning, more green spaces and gardening, etc) while also lowering taxes for three years in a row. What steps are being taken to get the type of town you want? We’re very lucky that Manilva has a lot

Ramos Established 1962

of potential in terms of tourism, sport and culture. My plan for the future is based on creating new infrastructure projects and aiming to get 5% of the cultural tourism that comes to the Costa del Sol. How would you define yourself politically? While initially from the IU (United Left) party I am much more central in terms of my views today. I live in the heart of town, near the town hall and feel like just another member of the community, leaving my door open to everyone.

CHANGES: In town centre Any future projects you want to highlight? We’re due to further improve the historic centre of Manilva, in particular with four streets and with more works on the church. I want to encourage more people to come up to the old town. Any message for the foreigners here, particularly with Brexit looming? We are very proud that so many foreign residents have chosen Manilva as their home, in particular the British, who number 3,168 out of our official census of 17,500. We know there are many thousands more, perhaps 5000 who come and go and we hope they continue to enjoy our town. And we will certainly make you feel welcome whatever happens with Brexit. We are really hoping for a positive result on March 29.

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www.theolivepress.es

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Duquesa – ref: R3336592

from €129,800

Duquesa – ref: R2175053

Bedroom: 2

Terrace: 28m2

Bedroom: 3

Bathroom: 2

Build: 96m2

Bathroom: 2

Build: 120m2

€249,000 Terrace: 26m2

Duquesa – ref: R140245 Bedroom: 2

Bathroom: 2

Build: 88m2

€245,000 Terrace: 16m2

48 Modern residential apartments situated in a privileged location next to La Duquesa golf course. The project offers wide common areas with swimming pool, gym and social lounge in a private urbanization where tranquility prevails. Panoramic sea views.

FRONT LINE GOLF - Large south facing duplex penthouse. The development is very well located, within walking distance of all amenities, including local beaches, the marina of La Duquesa, supermarkets, town of Sabinillas.

Front line beach modern ground floor apartment – situated in the much sought after development of Marina del Castillo. Only 3 minutes walk to Puerto de la Duquesa. Modern style building with 24 hour security, elevator, communal pool and sauna.

Duquesa – ref: R3166123

Duquesa – ref: R3240679

Duquesa – ref: R3287701

€395,000

Bathroom: 3

Build:178m2

€495,000

Bedroom: 3 Bathroom: 2 Build: 130m2 Terrace: 32m2

Bedroom: 3

Terrace: 650m2

FRONTLINE BEACH – This fantastic 3 bedroom ground floor apartment has been built to a very high standard and is located on one of the most luxurious and popular Urbanisations in La Duquesa with direct access to the beach.

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Bedroom: 2

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Build: 85m2

€175,000 Terrace: 15m2

Location, Location – Close to all amenities. South facing corner penthouse with garage + Storeroom. located on a quiet complex with well tended gardens & swimming pools, Excellent Investment property.

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360,000 Terrace 220m2

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Duquesa – ref: R3240643 Bedroom: 4

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from €395,000

Build: 190m2

Terrace: 506m2

Duquesa – ref: R3341299 Bedroom: 3

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Build: 125m2

€150,000 Terrace: 40m2

Lovely 3 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse with private garden A unique and contemporary development of 17 luxury villas and sea views. and roof terrace on a gated development with large communal located just 500 meters from thefrom beach and amenities. private garden Duquesa – ref: R3240643 €395,000 Duquesa – ref: R3341299 €150,000 0,000 Duquesa – ref: R3240643 from €395,000 Duquesa – ref: R3341299 €150,000 Duquesa – ref: R3337393 360,000 swimming pool and children’s pool within walking to d fantastic Large, high quality homes that will be built on plots of 605 m2 Bedroom: 4 Bathroom: 3 Build: 190m2 Terrace: 506m2 Bedroom: 3 Bathroom: 2 Build: 125m2 Terrace: 40m2distance 20m2 Bedroom: 3 Bathroom: 3 Build: 160m2 Terrace 220m2 Bedroom: 4 Bathroom: 3 Build: 190m2 Terrace: 506m2 Bedroom: 3 Bathroom: 2 Build: 125m2 Terrace: 40m2 the beach. ent. to 650 m2. The villas comprise of a large living room, garden, Lovely 3 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse private unique and contemporary development ofsea 17 luxury villas s. private andheated parking area for 2 vehicles. A unique and contemporary development of 17with luxury villas garden Lovely 3 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse with private garden CloseAto all amenities – pool Private pool and views. andjust roof500 terrace on afrom gated with large communal and roof terrace on a gated development with large communal just 500 meters has fromthe thelargest beachprivate and amenities. den located meters thedevelopment beach and amenities. This located large corner townhouse garden swimming poolhomes and children’s pool within walking distance Large, high quality homes that will be built on plots of 605 m2 Large, swimming pool and children’s pool within walking distance to on the development. Very unique property and fantastic high quality that will be built on plots of 605 m2 to them2. beach. to 650 for m2.either The villas a large living room, garden, to 650 the beach. opportunity livingcomprise or rental of investment. The villas comprise of a large living room, garden, private pool and parking area for 2 vehicles. private pool and parking area for 2 vehicles.

€275,000 Terrace:70m2

m townhouses

Casares Costa - ref: R3347260 Bedroom: 3

Bathroom: 3

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Luxuriously furnished in a secure gated community only 10

Duquesa - ref: R898018 Bedroom: 2

Bathroom: 2

€160,000 Build: 87 m2

Terrace: 22 m2

Front line Golf South facing spacious apartment, consisting of 5

a gated minutes from the beach. Air con throughout (hot/cold) and community pools, one for children,€160,000 barbecue area, Padel 5,000 Casares Costa - ref: R3347260 €325,000 Duquesa -large ref: R898018 Duquesa – ref: R3347260 €275,000 Casares Costa - ref: R3347260 €325,000 Duquesa - ref: R898018

€160,000

e features aBedroom: high in one3of the most exclusive developments theBedroom: 2Tennis, well kept with low community Garage 0m2 3situated Bathroom: 130m2 Terrace: 42 m2 on Bathroom: 2 community Build: 87 m2 Terrace: 22 m2cost. Bedroom: 3 Bathroom: 2 Build:Build: 148m2 Terrace:70m2 Bedroom: 3 Bathroom: 3 Build: 130m2 Terrace: 42 m2 Bedroom: 2 Bathroom: 2 Build: 87 m2 Terrace: 22 m2 eam marble floors, Casares Costa. and storage included, Sold fully Furnished. ses Luxuriously furnished in a secure gated community only 10 Front line Golf South apartment, consisting of 5 Front line Golf South facing spacious apartment, consisting of 5 Exceptionally spacious 3 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouses Luxuriously furnished in a facing securespacious gated community only 10 from private the beach. Air con throughout (hot/cold) and large community pools, children,(hot/cold) barbecue area, with minutes underground garage, situated in a gated minutes from the beach. Air one con for throughout and Padel large community pools, one for children, barbecue area, Padel a high community situatedwith in one of the most exclusive developments the Tennis, wellofkept community withdevelopments low community 3 swimming pools. The house features aonhigh situated in one the most exclusive oncost. the Garage Tennis, well kept community with low community cost. Garage e floors, general Casares Costa. and Costa. storage included, Sold fully Furnished. standard of fixtures and fittings – Cream marble floors, Casares and storage included, Sold fully Furnished. double glazing, hot and cold air conditioning.

Your search has ended Manilva Properties has been serving the area for a decade, but has never seen so much growth than the last few years

F you’re looking to sell, rent or buy a Manilva home then look no further than Manilva Properties. The clue’s in the name, and after nine years in business, the company is now connected to more than 960 real estate agents along the coast...and Manilva is hotter than ever. Just ask London-born boss Shaun Parr, who launched the company with Yorkshire pal Chris Hoare almost a decade ago. Both live in the Manilva area. “Over the last three to four years this area has become far more popular due to its exposure to several well known TV programs”. “We mainly cover the Estepona to Sotogrande areas with Manilva still being our biggest market,” says Shaun, who has worked in property on the Costa del Sol for 15 years. “The interest is still majoritively from the British but we have Swedish, Norwegian, Belgian, Dutch and even Middle Eastern clients

interested in this area.” And it’s no surprise, says Shaun: “Manilva has a much more relaxed vibe than other expat hotspots and there’s a great mix of retirees and families and of course younger workers who cross into Gibraltar each day.” Manilva Properties has an extensive track record in selling homes, with years of experience in showcasing properties to the largest consumer base possible. “Being exposed at such a high level allows us to reach the highest amount of buyers, helping you sell at the best terms and price,”

Shaun adds. And if you’re a landlord, there are plenty of opportunities for prospective renters - especially thanks to the big employers in nearby Gibraltar. “With our close ties to several large gaming and financial companies on the Rock, demand is still outstripping supply, so these are some great opportunity for investors” explains Shaun.

tel: (0034) 952 936 106 info@manilvaproperties.com tel: (0034) 952 936 106Manilvatel: (0034) 952 936 106 www.manilvaproperties.com So whether your a landlord or info@manilvaproperties.com info@manilvaproperties.com Properties SL, Puerto de la Duquesa vendor, visit www.manilvaproperties.com La Cigala Bloque 5, local 75 www.manilvaproperties.com Manilva www.manilvaproperties.com Manilva or call 952936106.

Manilva, Malaga, Spain, 29692 Properties SL, Puerto de la Duquesa Properties SL, Puerto de la Duquesa La Cigala Bloque 5, local 75 LaManilva Cigala Bloque 5, local 75SL, Properties Manilva, Malaga, Spain, 29692 Manilva, Malaga, Spain, 29692

tel:(0034) 952 936 106 info@manilvaproperties.com www.manilvaproperties.com

Puerto de la Duquesa, La Cigala Bloque 5, Local 75, Manilva, Malaga, Spain, 29692

22 22

February 27th - March 12th 2019 ll about

www.theolivepress.es

February 2019

Taking care of business

NOW YOU DON’T SEE IT: Now you do... how the popular resort of Sabinillas has expanded in just a few decades

HERE is not much economist Gabi Recio Madrona does not know about Manilva. And when it comes to numbers… his family have been taking care of business here for most of the last century. He and his team at Recio & Madrona have many expat clients, pro-

viding everything from tax and accounting advice to vehicle transfers, property registry, wills and inheritance. After training in Economics at Malaga University, he became a tax consultant in 1995 before expanding into administration management in 2013. He often enlists the services of his cousin, Juana, who has been a lawyer since 1997, as well as other trained accountants and assesores. “We are k n o w n for being trustworthy and professional locally and can m o r e t h a n t a k e care of your business,” insists Gabi. TRUSTWORTHY: Gabi Recio

LEADING THE PACK: Ex British Prime Minister Ted Heath enjoys a flamenco show on the terrace of Venta Madrono (right)

GESTORIA

RECIO & MADRONA Non-Resident Tax Accounting Services - Tax Advisors Vehicle Transfers Spanish Car Registration Assisting at the Notary Telephone: 952 892 097 – info@costamanilva.com

SABINILLAS - MANILVA

WE SPEAK ENGLISH

Manilva, Sabinillas and www.theolivepress.es Puerto de la Duquesa

February 2019

Landmark venta

Fairy Dust Property Services Based between Sotogrande and Estepona on the beautiful Costa del Sol in Southern Spain, we are delighted to offer a bespoke solution to your property needs

Venta Madrono has been a stopping off point for centuries

OR decades it was the stop off for artists, politicians and celebrities. So, it was something of a tragedy when Venta Madrona was knocked down due to the construction of an underpass through Sabinillas a decades ago. One of the main stop-offs for travellers between Gibraltar and Malaga for centuries, the historic restaurant was always full and served up an excellent range of dishes. “We had an amazing range of visitors, including Frank Sinatra, Ted Heath and former Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez,” recalls the son of the former owner. Now running his own wine and lottery shop, La Mar de Vinos, at the same spot, Jose Antonio Madrona recalls the frequent visits from famous flamenco stars like Valerin and Camaron, Spain’s most famous flamenco star. “He was often here as he was a friend of my uncle. He stayed the night and frequently sang. I remember even dancing for him as a child.” The venta, which was built in 1929, also counted on the founder of Andalucian nationalism Blas Infante as a regular. “He had plenty of meetings here in the run up to the civil war,” added Jose, who studied history at Malaga University, before studying viticulture. The shop - which has almost 1000 references of wines - sits right next to the roundabout and is very much one of the main hubs of the community - like Venta Madrona before it. It was once a key lunch stop on the coast…now it is a wine and lottery shop As well as a fantastic selection of Spanish wines, from

February 27th - March 12th 2019

BLASTS FROM THE PASTS: Manilva in the 1960s and 1970s

BESPOKE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT KEY HOLDING HOLIDAY RENTAL MANAGEMENT GENERAL CLEANING COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE

around the whole country, there is a good mix of champagnes and sherries. In addition, the shop stocks a great array of delicacies, including pates, cheeses and sauces… and, of course, the coast’s favourite English newspaper, the Olive Press! Visit La Mar de Vinos at Calle Bolivia, 1, Sabinillas

(+34) 634 31 21 86

info@fairydustpropertyservices.com www. fairydustpropertyservices.com

LABest MAR DE VINOS wine shop on the Western Costa del Sol

Get your wine, delicacies and lottery tickets all in one place LA MAR DE VINOS

Find what you need in an idyllic place in Manilva, attended by professionals where tradition and modernity becomes synonymous. Official Euromillions Representative – lamardevinos@yahoo.es Calle Bolivia, 1, Sabinillas, 29692 (Manilva) MALAGA KM 144.5 – N340 - on the roundabout opposite Repsol

www.theolivepress.es

February 2019

Rose to the challenge

tel: 952 89 21 73

LA CASITA

BA R R E S TAUR A N T Serving lunch and dinner

International style USA - Spain - Italy - Argentina OPEN: 11.00 - 00.00 Closed Monday Calle Fernado Pessoa, Local 2, San Luis De Sabinillas, Andalucia, Spain

La Taberna 2 El Castillo

In the quaint village of Castillo de la Duquesa, Plaza Miramar Menu del Dia – 3 course 13.95€ Early Bird (6.30pm-8pm) 2 Courses– 17.50€ available Mon-Fri (closed Tue)

Sunday Roast 1 course - 12.95€ 2 courses - 15.95€ 3 courses - 19.95€

g kin Boo ly On

Reserve your table: telephone 951 97 96 54 OPEN: Wed to Sun (Closed Tuesday) Lunch 1pm-3pm & Dinner 6.30pm-10.30pm

Castillo de la Duquesa, Manilva, Malaga restaurantinmanilva

AN expat favourite is celebrating a successful first year in business with an exciting new menu. Since opening last February, the Rose & Thistle in Duquesa port has made a name for itself for its superb bar and grill menu and traditional Sunday lunches. Now it will be the only venue in the port to offer succulent rotisserie-cooked chickens, to eat in or takeaway. In addition, new dishes being added include slow-cooked chorizo in red wine, roast topside beef with horseradish and roast loin of pork with apple sauce. And there are plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, including a Mexican quinoa stew and garlic mushrooms with lemon and fresh coriander. “We’ve had a brilliant first year and want to thank everyone for supporting us,” said British owner Simon . Food is available from 1pm Tuesday to Friday and 1pm on weekends, and starting in March it will be opening for breakfast. There are also multi-screen TVs for a wide range of live sporting events and there is plenty of live music including favourites such as Rocking Jonny and the UK’s number one Michael Buble tribute act Peet Rothwell.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

NE of the Costa del Sol’s most famous chicken restaurants is FINALLY reopening after a huge upgrade. Restaurante Las Brasas, in Sabinillas, will open the doors to its revamped eatery on February 29, much to the fanfare of locals and experts who have missed tucking into its juicy rotisserie chickens for the past couple of months. The much-loved joint promises unbeatable prices for large portions of roasted meats, excellent rice dishes and fish. Serving everything from chickens to BBQ pork ribs and paella, the favourite will also offer a takeaway service, available on 952 893 198 (phones will not be answered on Sundays or bank holidays).

ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas February 27th - and March 12th 2019 Puerto de la Duquesa

There is more than just good fish restaurants in the seaside resort of Manilva, writes Jon Clarke

VER since I took a photo of giant octopus’ drying on a line at one of my favourite secret chiringuitos a few years ago (see front page), I have known that Manilva is a little different. But being the definite Wild West of the Costa del Sol, you definitely take your chances when it comes to eating here... Believe me, I’ve had some shockers! Certainly when it comes to seafood you can hardly go wrong with Ramos restaurant, established since 1962 on Sabinillas sea front. Run by local brothers Manuel and Juan Antonio for the last few decades (one front of house, one in the kitchen), it has the perfect location with stunning views up and down the coast. It is famous for its ‘espeto’ skewered sardines cooked on a boat outside, as well as any other fish you fancy and it’s not only good value, but its staff are incredibly friendly. Just around the corner sits another institution, La Casita, where Gabriel and his wife in the kitchen have never rested on their

HATS OFF: To team at La Casita

Net gain

laurels. ken, you will be (and I mean this) Indeed, the pair have been ser- amazed at how good the poultry ving an excellent mix of interna- is at Las Brasas. tional dishes for 17 years, since While winning no beauty prizes they arrived in Spain, via Italy, sitting on a roundabout with no from Argentina. views apart from the N-340, it Expect to eat denonetheless licious prawns, draws in puntender rabo de ters - and hunServing goodtoro and sucdreds of them value food for culent steaks, on busy days and remember from many decades and for -miles to book, partiaround cularly at weean amazing 365 for possible the kends when it best chicken on days a year! gets incredibly the Costa del popular. Sol. Another good Heading up the place nearby is Miel, run by coast to the port of Duquesa, friendly Belgian Kaat Buelens, I rarely venture past Kinsale who also plays a key and it doesn’t matter when or at role at the emblema- what time, as this institution has tic Roman Oasis in been serving good-value food nearby Casares in the for decades and for an amazing summer. 365 days a year! Her beach spot thou- “And we stay open late, often gh is very much an very late,” explains manager institution with high Tom McNeil, 24, from Berwickstandards for break- on-Tweed. “Put it this way I often fast and lunch and is bump into the cleaners coming very often full. in when I am locking up for the Other nearby spots to night.” eat include legendary A bar/bistro it has an excellent long-standing pup range of dishes, and always O'Callaghan's, run some superb specials including by friendly British expat great homemade pies, as well Rob and his dad, as as paella. well as Cafe Nenit, With 20 staff, service is fast and where Jose and his efficient and you won’t miss a team serve breakfasts game of football or rugby with and pastries from ear- nearly a dozen big screens. ly morning, tapas for In Duquesa you have a warren lunch and bar snacks of other good places to eat incluinto the evening. ding the decent La Taberna 2, And don’t forget Take as well as Capitanos and PaFive, an amazing cafe rapiros, two of the longest-runfor snacks, while Po- ning Italian restaurants on the llo Pronto is an ins- coast. titution for take away You will also find an excellent roast chicken and Moroccan, called appropriately chips. Casablanca and its neighbouBROTHERS GRIN: Manuel and Jose On the subject of chic- ring joint, the Mexican Grill

Reservations: 951 276 728

Established 1966

RESTAURANT TAKE AWAY

RESTAURANTE PARA LLEVAR

Centro Eroski, next to Duquesa Golf (N340) Manilva Great food • Good Value

tel: 951 273 647 Plaza Vicente Espinel, 8 email: lodeandres@gmail.com SABINILLAS - MANILVA - Málaga facebook.com/lodeandres.sabinillas

LUNCHTIME MEAL DEAL Fish & Chips 1 Side Order 1 Drink 1 Dessert ONLY €8.95 Mon-Fri

EARLYBIRD SPECIAL 6pm-7.30pm Fish & Chips 1 Side Order 1 Drink ONLY €8.50 Mon-Thurs

SUNDAY ROAST Beef, Lamb, Chicken 1-4pm ONLY €10.95 Booking advisable

Modern spacious comfortable restaurant with outside terrace We can cater for any party of up to 100 people

www.theolivepress.es

February 27th - March 12th 2019

February 2019

Pluck of the Irish

PORT VIEW: From the terrace at Kinsale and Bar, which is authentic in the extreme. For Manilva’s best fish and chips you need to head up the road a little to track down Marlows, on the main road, which first plied its trade in Gibraltar in the 1960s. A true institution, owner Steve Marlow, has run restaurants around the world and is a classically trained chef, with a good knowledge of the business, having learnt everything from his father. Punters often drive for over an hour - from Ronda, for example - to sample MOUNTAIN ESCAPE: Sarmiento the amazing cod and chips. best restaurant in Spain, it is run Last, but not least, if you are loo- by capable brothers Juan and Miking for something amazing in guel. the hills, head inland past Manil- Their head chef is Victor Carraceva to the neighbouring village of do, who has also worked around Casares. the world for leading chains, inYou cannot fail to be blown away cluding Ritz-Carlton and Hilton, with Sarmiento, which sits abo- and is currently head chef at Marve the most photographed white bella’s five-star Don Pepe hotel. town in Andalucia, with views Their new restaurant is ‘based AND food to match. on the essential pillars of the Already winning plaudits from Andalucian lifestyle: authenticity, food websites including El Tene- spontaneity and the enjoyment of dor, which ranks it as the 34th friends and family’.

XPAT couple Danielle Carroll and Michael McGuinness haven’t looked back since opening a pub on the Costa del Sol just over two years ago. Despite not having pulled a pint in her life, Danielle, 26, from near Belfast, has successfully launched the friendly pub with partner and ex-barman Michael, 27, in the heart of Sabinillas’ expat community. And if you recognise the bubbly couple, you probably saw them on your screens last year when they appeared on Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun. The hit show documented the young pair’s stressful renovation project and the ups and downs of launching a new venture abroad. Well its been up and up for the popular pub, which attracts expats and locals with its competitive prices and unique cultural offerings. An Irish music trio (featuring one Scot) brings the crowds each Saturday night with their fiddles, guitars and traditional singing, while fun game show nights see hundreds of euros up for grabs for lucky punters.

Enjoy the view from our Enjoy the Winter view from our wonderful terrace wonderful Winter terrace

Special Midday Menu 15€ Special Midday Menu 15€ inlcluding 1 drink (weekdays) inlcluding 1 drink (weekdays) Available for Events Available for Events Fridays Fridays Live Live Music Music Bar Bar Open Open Weekends Weekends till till 01:00 01:00 tel: 952 952 89 89 50 50 35 35 info@restaurantesarmiento.com info@restaurantesarmiento.com tel: Wed-Mon: 13:00 13:00 to to 16.00 16.00 & & Wed-Sun: Wed-Sun: 19:00 19:00 to to 22:30 22:30 Wed-Mon: Crta. de de Casares Casares Km Km 12’5 12’5 Crta.

www.restaurantesarmiento.com authenticity, spontaneity and enjoyment when being around a table

Serving you the best home made, locally sourced, delicious food, daily!

Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Tapas, Sandwiches, Sharing Platters, Dinner, Sunday Lunch and Paella Wednesdays... Open every day 9am til late! Upper Level, Frontline Puerto de la Duquesa, Manilva, Malaga

tel: 952 897 282

•

BEST ENTERTAINMENT & LIVE MUSIC • GREAT VIEWS

•

www.kinsaleduquesa.com

8 BIG SCREENS SHOWING SPORTS

•

LARGE TERRACE

•

www.theolivepress.es

February 27th - March 12th 2019

ROSE & THISTLE SPORTS BAR & GRILL

Excellent home cooked food Live sporting events Regular live music shows

+34 952 155 850 roseandthistle@gmail.com

c/La Cigala, 86/87 Puerto de la Duquesa, Manilva

G N I 9 N 1 E P 20 O E RY R D RUA N A GR H FEB T 8 2

SPECIALISTS IN SEAFOOD, RICE AND FLAMEGRILLED MEATS

ENJOY TOP QUALITY FOOD IN OUR FRESHLY REFURBISHED RESTUARANT OR TAKE AWAY MONDAY - WEDNESDAY & SUNDAYS 12:30-23:00 FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS 12:30-23.30 Calle Espinosa - San Luis de Sabinillas - Manilva - Tel: 952 893 198

PROPERTY

Flood of money

RONDA Town Hall has allocated €100,000 to repair the Arab baths that were badly damaged in the October floods. Dramatic footage at the time showed the collapse of the historic 14th-century landmark as the Rio Guadalevin river burst its banks.

Shocking

The shocking moment came after 200-300 litres of rain per square metre fell in just five hours. Ronda delegate of Public Works and Urbanism, Francisco Marquez, announced the new cash injection, which will be put towards clearing the six areas of the baths, rebuilding walls and constructing two new school gyms.

GIFT: From Marquez

New order Right-wing coalition could end illegal homes heartbreak for expats THE President of illegal homes action group AUAN has said Andalucia’s new government could favour the legalisation of homes built with illegal licences. Maura Hillen, told the Olive Press that the PSOE party’s huge loss in the regional elections could prompt movement on a crucial illegal homes bill. The left-wing party had been responsible for rejecting a vote in October allowing greater certainty over illegal homes. But with the balance of power shifting, Hillen believes that things may now change. She told the Olive Press: “The change of government has been good news for illegal homes campaigners. “The old PSOE party was in an ivory tower and stuck in its ways.” Hillen was speaking as so-ca-

EXCLUSIVE By Charlie Smith

lled AFOs (temporary legal status) may now be re-voted on after the PSOE rejected it. Specifically, the vote is a law amendment so that town halls can grant AFOs to houses waiting to be given legalisation through the town plan. AFO stands for ‘Asimilado Fuera de Ordenación’ and grants homes partly legal status. Hillen believes that the new leader of Andalucia, the PP’s Juanma Moreno, will be good for the many expats who have fallen victim to buying homes on protected land. The AUAN president reassured expats that as long as their house is on ‘non-urbanisable land’ with no future plans to build on it, they can apply for an AFO.

Lap of luxury THE 10 most exclusive areas in Marbella have been revealed in a new report by Andalucia Realty. Included in the estate agency’s overview of the glitzy resort city are areas such as Puerto Banus, Los Monteros and Sierra Blanca. Also on the list is the La Zagaleta neighbourhood (actually in neighbouring Benahavis) where, as the company points out, Rod Stewart, Vladimir Putin and Hugh Grant all own property. A company spokesperson said: “Our experience provides us with the necessary knowledge and skills to offer our clients the best service and support in finding the required property.

LUXURY: One Marbella pad

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Drugs ship for sale

EXPERT: Maura Hillen

A CARGO boat used to transport 16 tons of hashish has been put up for auction by the Port of Almeria. The merchant ship ‘Lady Boss’ was intercepted in August 2017 just off the coast of Almeria, and is now on sale for €190,400. The captured vessel was awarded to the Almeria Port Authority in a National Court case which saw the 13 crew members jailed for between four and six years. The 85-metre-long boat can be visited at the port during working hours and from 08.30 to 14.00 with prior notification to port services. Bidders have 30 working days from February 20 to present their offers.

The Grapevine

by Laura Wood

Siesta secrets

Open your eyes to the benefits of Spain’s customary afternoon snooze

A COMMON side effect of living in Spain is finding yourself succumbing to ‘the siesta’. According to some people, this traditional afternoon catnap is the greatest human invention since the wheel. Especially during the summer, getting out of the heat and letting your body rest for a couple of hours is said to be beneficial to productivity and will help you get into the swing of a Spanish lifestyle. And as those who work outside can confirm, a break from the harsh shimmering midday sunlight is essential. In Andalucía, the siesta is a way of life. Shops and many other businesses still close between the hours of 14.00 and 17.00 or later (each business sets its own hours) leaving plenty of time for lunch and a snooze. Siesta Origins The word actually comes from the Latin hora sexta (sixth hour). This would be counted from dawn, hence ‘midday rest’. Although the exact origins are unclear, the common consensus is that siesta’s were first taken by agricultural workers who escaped the hottest part of the day under a shady tree. Post Civil War when the modern economy was developing, people working more than one job would use this time to commute from one workplace to another, as public and private transport were scarce. You might hear Spaniards referring to the siesta as ‘mediodía’ which is when they generally have their heaviest meal of the day. They also keep late hours and still manage to stay fresh. As people often say in Spain - if you want to fiesta take a siesta!

Top Siesta Tips ●● Don’t snooze for over 90 minutes. Studies show that our body rests in cycles of 90 minutes. Sticking to this time frame should help you to beat that groggy feeling on the other side. ●● Sleep in a dark room. Closes all the shutters, draw the curtains and fool your body into thinking it’s night time. You’re more likely to nod off in total darkness. ●● Reserve some non-screen time. Put your mobile/tablet/laptop on flight mode and enjoy some peace without emails and social media. The glare from these devices won’t help you sleep either!

Visit us at Calle El Burgo, 5, Guaro or contact us at tel. 952 457 761 / enquiries@grapevine-properties.com

Feb 27th - Mar 12th 2019

Property of the Week

BUSINESS

Front-era of the pack

Chiclana de la Frontera is Spain’s third most profitable resort

Alcala la Real / Jaen - CJ373 was 130.000€ NOW 79.000€

This beautifully finished 3 bed, 3 bath cortijo in Las Grajeras has been split into 2 separate apartments offering a great business opportunity but could easily be converted back into one large family property.

tel: +34 953 587 040 Calle Abad Moya 4 bajo, 23680 Alcalá la Real, Jaén info@inlandandalucia.com www.inlandandalucia.com

A SMALL Cadiz town is the surprising third-most profitable holiday destination in Spain, new figures have revealed. According to tourism industry group Exceltur, hotels in Chiclana de la Frontera made more profit than any other destination on Spain’s mainland last year. It was only beaten by two Ibiza locations, San Josep de Sa Talaia and the white isle’s capital Eivissa. The destinations were ranked by revenue earned per available room (RevPAR), a metric used widely by the hotel industry. It combines occupancy and price figures over a certain period of time. For example, if a hotel has two guest rooms at €100 each, but only one is occu-

Brit for purpose BRITISH investment in Spain has increased, despite Brexit, but companies are moving their headquarters elsewhere, figures have revealed. UK investment in Spain increased by 80% from 2016 to the end of 2018, compared to the previous three years, the Office of the State Secretary for Trade reported.

Investment

RAKING IT IN: Chiclana de la Frontera

pied over the analysed period, the RevPAR is €50. Some 106 tourist destinations were studied to find the profitability of Spanish hotels last year, with the results being broken down into city destinations and vacation destinations.

Compensation

The Balearic Islands and cities performed the best, while the Canary Islands felt the competition from rivals Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt and Greece. San Josep de Sa Talaia topped the list with a RevPAR of €124.1, a 10.5% rise from the year before, while Eivissa came second despite a 7.1% drop to €121.8. Chiclana came in third with a RevPAR of €111.9, a 4.3% rise compared to

2018. Fourth spot went to another municipality in Ibiza, Santa Eulària des Riu, with €109.8, while fifth place went to Adeje, in the Canary Islands, with €101.8. Cartagena (€44.2), Denia (€46.8) and El Puerto de Santa María (€35.6), also in Cádiz, filled out the bottom three of the rankings. The city with the highest RevPAR was Barcelona (€98.9), followed by San Sebastián in the Basque Country (€97) and Palma de Mallorca (€84.8). Madrid had the highest RevPAR of inland cities (€73.5), followed by Sevilla (€72). Chiclana is a hugely popular destination for Spaniards escaping to the coast from the likes of Madrid and Sevilla during the hot summer months.

Banking on EU SPAIN’S former finance minister, who oversaw the financial crash, has been elected president of the EU banking agency (EBA). Senior Santander banker Jose Manuel Campa has

Shut down CAIXABANK has said it will close 126 branches in Andalucia, 10 of them in Malaga. The move, which affects some 400 staff in the region, comes as part of the financial giant’s new ‘Strategic Plan 2019-2021’. Nationally, CaixaBank will lose 17% of its branches, while 2,157 staff will be made redundant across the whole of Spain. In total the group will shut 52 offices in Sevilla, eight in Huelva, 22 in Cadiz, 10 in Malaga, 14 in Granada , four in Almeria, six in Jaen and 10 in Cordoba. Meanwhile, the company is considering opening 101 Store and Business Bank offices with fewer staff and specialised opening hours.

BOSS: Manuel Campa

been nominated as head of the EBA as it leaves its London base due to Brexit and sets up home in Paris. The EBA is the European body responsible for carrying out the stress tests on Europe’s biggest banks. A total of 48 financial institutions were examined in 2018, four of them Spanish.

Political

Campa managed to see off competition from both French and Hungarian candidates for the role. The appointment comes as Spain looks to recover political weight in European institutions and organisations.

The total invested by UK businesses in that period was €7 billion, but companies are still choosing other cities like Paris, Frankfurt and Dublin ahead of Spain. “Although it is true that the investment figures are good, we are not seeing big movements in Spain as a result of Brexit,” said Spanish Chamber of Commerce economist Raul Minguez.

Hacked off ANDALUCIA businesses receive more cyber attacks than any other Spanish region, new government data has revealed. Cyber attacks, which can cost €3 million each to deal with, are a particular problem for Andalucians and ‘all companies are threatened’, experts have warned. During a conference, organised by the Association of Entrepreneurs of Southern Spain, it emerged that cyber attacks in Spain had shot up by 22.1% in 2017, the last recorded year. The data, provided by the Ministry of the Interior, showed that in 2017 Spain saw 81,307 cyber attacks.

Wing and a prayer BRITISH-owned Iberia has been given just six months to reorganise its shareholding structure in the event of a nodeal Brexit. The UK-owned Spanish travel giant could be penalised by the EU for not being more than 50% owned by EU shareholders. Like British Airways, Iberia are owned by UK holding company IAG. From March 29, the date the UK is set to leave the EU, the operator will have six months to comply with EU legislation. Failure to do so could see all its flights from the UK to Europe grounded.

G A

BRITISH BANKS FACE BIGGER SCANDAL THAN PPI

In the past decade British banks have paid out £71billion for misconduct including £34billion in pay-outs in respect of the PPI scandal alone. That could mean individuals receiving thousands of pounds in compensation pay-outs in this next phase of bank misconduct which could make PPI look like pocket change. Bank Reclaims has been set up to help those trapped in non-cancellable loan contracts. The £71billion compensation payouts for misconduct by British Banks could be just the tip of the iceberg according to newly launched legal support specialist Bank Reclaims.

Bank Reclaims is a new division of the law firm Maxima 1 Legal S.L. (M1 Legal) to help what could be thousands of consumers who may have fallen foul of financial institutions when taking out loans. Bank Reclaims has the full weight of the M1 Legal team.

Their aim is to help thousands of ordinary people caught up in this latest battle with the banks after unwittingly being taken advantage of when taking out loans. In addition under the Credit Consumer Act 1974, when misrepresented products were paid fully or partly by credit card, the full amount of the purchase price can be claimed from the credit card company together with interest. Lawyer Adriana Stoyanova of M1 Legal states: "Since the boom in personal spending, the banks have been at the forefront in providing finance for consumer purchases. “Very often the products were not as described and furthermore many of the loans were arranged by unregulated credit brokers which in many cases were indeed the actual vendors of the product. “There are hundreds of thousands of mis-sold loans for a variety of products across many sectors other than PPI such as cars, boats, double glazing, solar panels, timeshare, fractional ownership, holiday clubs and more whether purchased at home or abroad. They were often sold by unregulated credit brokers representing many high street banks.

“The chances are that if you have taken out a loan, even some time ago, there is a strong possibility it could have been through an unregulated credit broker - and coupled with a defective product, you could instigate a claim for a complete refund plus interest.” In April 2014 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) took over responsibility for regulating consumer credit. “The FCA promised to find tougher measures aiming to protect consumers and restore public confidence in this sector. M1 Legal supports this approach and has set up Bank Reclaims to help consumers who will be able to have their purchase contract and loan agreement reviewed by our legal team at no cost.” Bankreclaims.com is a trading name of Maxima 1 Legal S.L. which is regulated by the Claims Management Regulator in respect of regulated claims under registration number CRM44126.

For any Bank Reclaims enquiries please call 0203 519 2142 or email info@bankreclaims.com

M1 LEGAL GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

With the addition to three new lawyers late last year, we are now seeing the benefits of more lawsuits being submitted.

543 cases being 245 prepared cases in the courts

This Month’s Latest Victories:

Leisure Dimensions - £16,284 Awarded Anfinpan - £7,985 Awarded Diamond Resorts - £17,597 Awarded Anfi Group - £13,016 Awarded

For any timeshare enquiries regarding this story call 0034 951 562 209 or email sharon@m1legal.com. Maxima 1 Legal S.L. is regulated by the Claims Management Regulator in respect of regulated claims under registration number: CRM44126.

G A

Wine win A SPANISH restaurant has scooped a prize for its wine at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards in Paris. Mugaritz in San Sebastian won the ‘Forward drinking’ award in the ‘Big Plates’ category. The two-Michelin star restaurant holds around 1,600 wines in its cellar.

CENTRE STAGE: Cher’s trousers

Work-shy Spaniards leave fruit farmers on shelf ONLY 970 Spaniards have responded to 23,000 job offers to pick strawberries in Huelva despite the province having the third highest unemployment rate in Spain. Fruit growers are now being forced to look abroad for workers to fill the labour gap. Last month, plans were set in motion to hire more than 19,000 seasonal workers from north Africa to help harvest strawberries and other berries. After a slow beginning this year, farmers who produce strawberries for export across Europe, said they need 19,179 extra pairs of hands by no later than March to cope with the harvest. Some 11,500 of these workers will have picked berries in Huelva before, others will be first timers. Union bosses are extremely disappointed with the poor response rate from ‘work shy

Pop memorabilia set to adorn the walls of the new venue includes a Bon Jovi guitar, Cher’s trousers, a Jimi Hendrix coat and a Beyonce bag. Around 80 staff will serve customers in the new restaurant, which will seat 350

residents’ in Huelva when unemployment in the province is 22.79%. Only Badajoz and Cadiz have higher rates of joblessness. Pay for picking

strawberries ranges from €30 to €42 per day. The work is mostly carried out by Moroccan women who work at least 39 hours per week, and

guests and feature a rooftop terrace.

Too posh to pick? Berry big deal Huelva is soft fruit and berry capital of Europe. In 2018 it produced 280,300 tons of strawberries, 19,170 tons of raspberries; 38,000 tons of blueberries and 1,800 of blac-

kberries worth €437.2 million. Just over 11,464 hectares is dedicated to growing berries in plastic tunnels. Strawberries take up about 6,000 hectares.

sometimes 10 hours more. Last year the Andalucian Employment Service offered 11,000 fruit picking jobs and the response from Spanish jobseekers was just as bad with fewer than 1,000 people taking up the opportunity. The producers association Freshuelva estimates that tens of thousands of more workers could be needed to this year to pick the wide varieties of berries in Huelva, with the majority of those being migrant workers.

ONLY 45% of Spaniards now eat the ‘Med diet’, the Mediterranean Diet Foundation has revealed. “We are eating a lot of food from the top of the food pyramid such as pastries, sweets and cold meats,” said Tara Rendo, a professor at the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Diet. Her comments come after a Spanish Nutrition Foundation study found that Spaniards now eat just 269 grams of vegetables a day, 40% less than in 1964. The Mediterranean diet is renowned for its balance of fruit, vegetables, olive oil, seeds and oily fish. Spain is famed for the diet but in the National Health Survey it emerged that 17% of Spaniards are now obese.

FOOD fraud in Spain is on the rise, a leading expert has warned. Among the counterfeit produce seized by Europol and Interpol last year were shrimp paste containing pesticides, alcohol mixed with methanol and rotten meat. “The number of notifications grows every year,” said Javier Ruiz-Santaella, an intelligence analyst at the EU Network Against Food Fraud. Individual frauds reported by the information-exchange group increased by 30% in 2018 compared to the previous year, with 239 cases in total. Last year the organisation helped European police confiscate over 3,600 tonnes of counterfeit produce. Worldwide, the black market food industry is worth around €30 billion.

Salad dodgers

Rock on

THE Hard Rock Cafe group is to open its second restaurant on the Costa del Sol in March. Malaga’s Muelle Uno site will join the chain’s existing branch in Marbella, making it the ninth Hard Rock Cafe in Spain. Currently the restaurant giant also has cafes in Barcelona, Ibiza, Madrid, Mallorca, Sevilla, Tenerife and Valencia.

AG A

Culinary crime

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Feb 27th - Mar 12th 2019

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February 27th - March 12th 2019

Hollywood hams it up

HUELVA ham flew to Hollywood to make its debut at the exclusive post-Oscars Governor’s Ball last weekend. The Cinco Jotas jamon took centre stage at the glittering Academy Awards bash thanks to Austrian celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. “Nobody makes ham like

Andalucia’s award-winning jamon stars at Oscars after-party

Spain and Cinco Jotas is special,” he said. “It’s absolutely perfect, the guests will feel like they’re in the best restaurant in Spain, it’s a gift, it’s the first time we have it but it will not be the

Maxed out MUCH-loved Mijas Costa restaurant Max Beach has been taken over by the Metro Group. The popular beachfront eatery at Playa Riviera is being souped up just in time for Easter. Max Beach is in good company with the Metro Group, also owning Jacks Smokehouse, Mumtaz and Metro Italiano Ristorante. Metro Group Executive Chef Lawrence Otterburn joins forces with new Head Chef Geoffrey Sacchi from Nikki Beach in the takeover. The new site will also feature Max Fitness, a new purpose-built gym on the upper level.

NEW OWNERS: Max If that wasn’t enough, the gym will also be headed up by David Segorbe, World Powerlifting Champion and world record holder in deadweight. The updated venue will also boast a sushi bar, 25-metre pool, a cocktail bar and large terraces with plenty of sunbeds. Due to open in April, it’s tipped to be one of the Summer’s hottest spots.

last,” he added. Puck, who has been in charge of the star-studded event’s menu for 20 years, is a huge fan of Iberian hams. In 2011 the Academy spent $54,000 (€47,000) on 90 hams from another Spanish brand. This year there were five legs of ham, costing at least €86 a kilo, for the 1,500 guests. “We have brought Iberian ham before, but nothing like Cinco Jotas, it is the best we have ever had,” enthused Puck. Cinco Jotas ham is 100% from Iberian pigs which have grazed in pastures on an acorn diet for two years. It was presented to the Oscar crowd in tapas-sized dishes with a cornucopia of garnishes including caramelised cauliflower, golden raisins, pine nuts, beetroot, almond custard, Asian pears, grapefruit salad, persimmon with walnuts, burrata and arugula lettuce. And Hollywood’s glitterati washed it down with another award-winning Andalucia product - 7.5 litres of Pedro Ximenez sherry from Jerez.

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Body and soul An Ayurvedic detox diet can help you bounce back from winter bingeing, writes Andalucia-based chef Manna Teji

Open Tuesday to Sunday. until 22.00 Closed 12.00 until mid February

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

ID you overdo the comfort food eating this winter … on top of the usual festive season blowout? Now that the chillier months are nearly over it’s a good time to put a spring back in your step with a detox diet. Being Indian, I naturally turn to the Ayurvedic healing system which originates from my homeland and is thought to be one of the world’s oldest ‘bodymind’ cleansing systems. Our natural state is health, balance, and happiness, according to Ayurveda, but from time to time toxins enter our body or mind to interfere with that natural state. They can be physical toxins found in our food, personal and household products, air, water, and other elements of our environment; or emotio-

Foods to eat:

PURIFYING: Ginger tea is a great digestive booster

nal toxins such as negative thought patterns and beliefs, self-criticism, chronic stress and other painful experiences. Ayurveda therefore recommends detoxifying on a regular basis to eliminate damaging elements and return to our innate state of health and well-being. Although fasting is one of the best detox methods – and one that I use regularly – we can achieve similar results just by simplifying our diet for three days (or longer if you can). This allows our body to redirect its energies to rid itself of toxins that have built up. For a detox diet we need foods that come from the vegetable kingdom - freshly harvested and low in calories as opposed to foods that are packed, come from animals and are high in calories. As our digestion is strongest when the sun is brightest, it’s best to eat our largest meal at noon, and have a light dinner when the sun goes down, such as a vegetable soup. Other ‘musts’ are to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water to flush out toxins, (around eight glasses a day). Also try to include the six Ayurvedic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent) in every

meal, along with healthy oils for example a combination of sesame seeds and raisins. Ginger tea is recommended as a purifier and digestive system booster and there are many other great detox foods you can try on my list. To complete the detox, set aside time for at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise daily - enough to leave a fine film of sweat on the skin to eliminate toxins. Hot baths and saunas also help! I normally go to Casona Granado’s wonderful sauna while I work on the menus there. At the same time as cleansing our bodies, we need to detox our minds too, by limiting use of electronic media and turning to activities that nurture our senses. TV viewing and social media create emotional toxins. Get outside, read a book, do a creative or physical activity or simply sit and meditate. I hope you have enjoyed delving a little into the Ayurvedic detox tradition and feel inspired to try it yourself. To help you on your way, here’s a delicious recipe for lentil soup that can be a mainstay of your detox program. Enjoy and happy cleansing!

33 Lentil soup 33 Kitchari (savory porridge made with rice and lentils) 33 Light vegetable soups 33 Steamed or sautéed broccoli, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and beets 33 Lightly steamed greens such as spinach, chard, and beet greens 33 Basmati rice, quinoa, millet, and barley 33 Spices such as ginger, cumin, coriander, and fennel 33 Flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds 33 Poached apples and pears; cooked apricots, prunes, and figs 33 Fresh berries – raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries

Foods to avoid: 22 Animal and dairy products (clarified butter, or ghee, is fine in small amounts) 22 Refined sugar and flour products 22 Canned, leftover, processed, and microwaved foods 22 Fermented foods, including pickles and vinegar 22 Cold and raw foods 22 Fried foods

22 Alcohol 22 Caffeine 22 Chocolate

Lentil soup - serves 4 to 6 This lentil soup is an all-time favorite of northern Indian cuisine. It is light, tasty and nourishing and a source of easily digested proteins. It is also comfort food for winter as it fills you nicely and is easy to make. In my family home every day in winter we had some sort or other of lentil soup. This is very alkaline in nature so it’s a good food while you are on a detox program. INGREDIENTS: 1 cup of mung bean lentils 4 cups of water 1 small chopped onion 1 inch chopped ginger 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped 1 hot green chilli chopped (optional) Juice of half a lemon

Salt and Black pepper to taste ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional) ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon Gram masala 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil 1 pinch of asafetida 10 grams of fresh chopped coriander leaves

METHOD: Wash the lentils, rubbing them gently with plenty of water till the water runs clear. Leave them to soak while you prepare the rest. In a pan heat ghee or coconut oil and add the cumin seeds and black mustard seeds and wait till they start to crackle. Add chopped onions and sauté till they are translucent. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Stir fry till they are golden brown. Add the rest of the spices and the soaked lentils. Let them cook for 30 minutes, stirring them occasionally if you are using a normal pan and for 10 minutes after the first whistle if you are using a pressure cooker. Once the lentils are done, take them off the heat and add the lemon juice. Decorate them with chopped coriander leaves. Your lentils are ready for serving hot with naans, chapatis or rice, whichever you want.

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Feb 27th - Mar 12th 2019

Robo docs A TEAM of Spanish and international doctors have begun researching the use of robots in mental health care. The Barcelona study involves assessing whether robots can provide care to autistic children, the mentally ill and the elderly. Researcher Jainendra Shukla: “The robots are 58 cm tall and look, speak and move like humans.” It is hoped the robots will talk, play and interact with patients in the same way carers do.

MERCADONA has been forced to explain itself online after a customer accused the supermarket giant of having parasites in its fish. Jor Montejano posted a video of him pulling live ‘anisakis’ parasites from his ‘cooked’ hake that he bought from the supermarket. “It’s a good thing my daugh-

Medical experts launch three-year plan to banish Hepatitis C SPANISH doctors have launched an ambitious plan to eradicate Hepatitis C in just three years.

What can I do with my old glasses?

They could help someone who really needs them, says shop boss Amrik Sappal

pecsavers Opticas in Fuengirola and Marbella have renewed their commitment to work with Lions International in Marbella and the La Cala Lions in Fuengirola to collect unwanted glasses and put them to good use. Specsavers Opticas and the Lions Club share the same goal – to end avoidable blindness and improve people’s vision, by ensuring everyone has access to glasses. Q: How can my old glasses help someone? A: Developing countries often have a shortage of glasses as they have limited access to opticians and medical support. Donations of old specs are absolutely vital to people with poor vision in countries such as Africa and India. Specsavers Opticas have collection points in all their stores so that it’s easy for people to drop off their glasses which are then donated to the Lions Club. Q: But surely my glasses won’t be right for just anyone? A: You’re right, it takes a lot to get the glasses ready to use! After they are donated in store they are sent to the Lions Club’s recycling plant in Alicante. There the glasses are cleaned, repaired and sorted into the different prescriptions before being sent on. The Lions Club sends around 100,000 pairs of glasses to over 30 countries each year, predominantly in Latin America, Africa and Asia, to be given to people who really need them. Q: How can I donate my glasses? A: All Specsavers Opticas stores have a strong relationship with their local Lions Club. Glasses can be donated at Specsavers Opticas in Marbella and Fuengirola during opening hours.

To find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es

Fishy business ter saw it before she ate it,” the father said. The supermarket claimed it was making ‘all efforts to control and minimize’ the anisakis.

HEALTH

“It is not a problem for Mercadona fish, it is a challenge for the fishing sector,” the retailer said, “which is why the Spanish Food Safety Agency recommends cooking completely or freezing it for at least five days.” Anisakis is usually found in raw fish, including haddock, cod, salmon and monkfish. PARASITE. Anisakis worms

Doc’s orders

Experts have created a 10-point strategy to treat the 70,000 to 100,000 Spaniards who are unaware that they have the bloodborne virus. The move is a bid to meet the World Health Organisation

Hip flop BRITISH manufacturers of surgical gloves and hip implants have been warned they could be effectively barred from the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. According to medical industry sources, customers in Europe have been threatening to stop placing orders after March 29. The European Commission is insisting that, after Brexit, imported products must have their safety certificates issued by an agency based in an EU country. But out of the UK agencies capable of issuing such certificates, only the British Standards Institution has plans for a base in the EU, switching certification to its office in Holland before the Brexit deadline. Two others, Lloyd’s Register and SGS, have told manufacturers that there is insufficient time to transfer the process to an EU-based entity. This could leave producers unable to export their goods for up to six months, putting them at risk of losing contracts to overseas rivals.

(WHO) goal of eliminating Hepatitis C by 2021. Scientists have formed the Alliance for the Elimination of Viral Hepatitis (Aehve) and say their plan allows them to ‘get close’ to achieving the three-year goal. According to the WHO there is no current vaccine for Hepatitis C, but in Spain a drug has been deployed since 2015 to treat over 120,000 people. “We are world leaders in this field, with a history of success, but we also have to bear in mind that people are still dying from this illness,” Aehve coordinator Javier

García-Samaniego said when Spain’s plan was launched. The direct-acting antiviral treatment rolled out in 2015 has achieved a 95% success rate in treating patients. In order to reach those most at risk Aehve has now identified three groups most at risk - drug addicts, gay men having unprotected sex, and immigrants from countries with high prevalence rates. The scientists have recommended that non-medical institutions should refer Hepatitis C sufferers, including mental health centres, NGOs and social services.

Get on board! A LOCAL surfer has tragically lost her hands and feet and needs your help to recover. Specsavers Opticas Marbella is asking Olive Press readers to get behind its campaign to help raise €200,000 for the quadruple amputee. Sarah Almagro Vallejo, 18, was rushed to hospital on July 23 last year with severe abdominal pains and a fever, the result of a Meningococcal septicaemia that caused a coma, kidney failure and forced the amputation of her hands and feet. The high-street opticians, situated on Ricardo Soriano, will now be selling bracelets bearing the words ‘Palante con Sarah’ for €2.50. The Marbella local has become

APPEAL: For Sarah a social media sensation with over 11,000 followers, and her hashtag campaigning aims to purchase advanced prosthetic limbs. Sarah posts regular updates about her life after the tragic infection, but maintains a dogged determination to keeping looking forward, or ‘palante’.

Viral healthcare A RAVE review of the Spanish healthcare system posted by a mum-to-be from her hospital bed has gone viral. Eva Castizo, pregnant with twins, was in Sevilla’s Virgen de Valme hospital for five days when she was told she could give birth prematurely. “I don’t think we’re aware of how lucky we are and why we must fight to ensure this system is not taken away from us,” she wrote. Her post about the importance of Spanish healthcare has received 17,000 shares and 7,600 comments on Facebook since it was published on January 30.

THANKFUL: Mum Eva

Health freaks SPAIN has officially been crowned the healthiest country in the world. The 2019 Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index ranks 169 countries on various health factors, including obesity, tobacco use and life expectancy, and found that those living in Spain had the healthiest lifestyle on the planet, beating out rivals such as Japan and Italy. The index cited the country’s Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, nuts, oily fish and vegetables, for resulting in a ‘a lower rate of major cardiovascular events than those assigned to a reduced-fat diet.’ Spain has jumped up five places from the 2017 index, when it was ranked sixth. Spaniards also have the highest life expectancy in the EU at 82.8 years, and are expected to take over Japan by 2040.

They need help too

Expats must look out for each other, writes psychiatrist Karen Rhodes

HE shocking story of the expat lady in Istan who kept her dead mum at home for a year ty of people for a year might sound (inset below), took me back to shocking, it is sadly something that my time as a psychotherapist in the could easily happen. UK. I worked with a lot of carers who We can never know how the situation were looking after elderly parents arose for this lady caring for her mowith dementia. The strain of this ofther, and what state her mind was in ten led to mental health concerns for upon the death of her mother. It is the carer. important that we do not judge and The stress of having to recognise the immense watch and care for somental challenges that meone round the clock carers face every day. often led to depression, The Dementia Statistics social isolation and loHub (dementiastatistics. DEAD FOR neliness for the carer. org) research states that A YEAR It is not something that ; ‘1 in 3 people born in we can prepare for, to be the UK this year will delooking after our parents velop dementia in their when the natural order lifetime. With such an of life is that our parents alarming rate and with have the caring role. very little support, it is Dementia is becoming vital that we encourage an increasing problem 902 123 282 and help the carers of as we are generally living longer. these people so that a similar situaOften, only one member of a family tion does not happen again. will be caring for a parent that can be It is important that we let carers demanding, challenging, can wander know that it is ok to ask for help. Resoff and get lost and on occasion, be pite care is available, and sometimes physically and verbally aggressive. a little time away from such a demanThis can often be due the estrangeding role can be enough for the carer ment of a family, as was the case in to have a break. There are agencies Istan, or because we are a society up and down the coast that offer that has become less family oriensome respite which would allow the tated. carer to leave the house and have Living in such a transient expat comsome time to themselves. munity, do we ever really know who is If you are a carer or know of someliving among us? While the headlines body who is caring for someone with regarding an elderly lady apparently dementia, there is a list of compalaying undiscovered in a communinies on the Costa del Sol that offer Property www.theolivepress.es

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Spain’s most iconic frescos, from the dark ages to the 21st century, see Fab Frescos page VIII

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Issue 26

From medieval to modern

LET IT GROW

SPAIN’S property market is expected to continue growing least another two years, experts for at According to a leading Catalan have predicted. institute, ITEC, there will be down until at least 2021. no slow It comes after last year saw sales reach their highest since crisis, with a 9.7% year-to-year the 2008 increase from January to September. Meanwhile, the number of Growth pared to the same month sales in October rose by a huge 17% com- ly, Sevillawas particularly strong in Murcia, up 53%, and interestingin 2017, according to official province saw a 50% spike. statistics (INE). government Growth was also strong across the board New home sales were up 15% in Catalunya, and Barcelona in particular with a rise to 7,971 and resales up 17% of 31%. to 43,536. And it was hotspots like the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca which

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a Marbella chiringuito completely destroyed. Flames begun in the centre of the Playa Padre club - a favourite of Pamela Anderson and Eva Longoria - at around 7pm on Monday

FIRE: At club while (above) aftermath and (inset) Pamela Anderson and owner at launch event

Continues page 5

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doors in the run up to her death by her daughter Louise, after she ‘kept wandering off’ due to her illness. Guardia Civil officers recovered Valerie's ‘mummified’ body on Saturday morning from beneath a plastic mattress and cardboard boxes. The Lincolnshire-born pensioner, whose son is a councillor in the UK, was found fully clothed, surrounded by empty air fresheners. The gruesome find came a year after residents’ complaints about a foul smell emanating from the property, which sits in Zahara de Istan development, fell on deaf ears. “The home was always dirty and scummy, and I just wanted social security or someone to clean up, but Louise wouldn’t talk to anyone,” a British neighbour told the Olive Press. The neighbour was extremely ‘worried’ that the recruitment consultant may not be of sound mind and ‘could be of danger to herself’. The tragedy comes a few years after her

TRAGIC HOME: (Left) Louise Butroid, Istan lake and (inset above) house where Valerie was found

teenage daughter was allegedly taken into care. “I really hope the family gets some help,” another British expat, who asked to remain anonymous, added. “Louise was an intelligent woman, it’s such a shame it had to come to this.” Another neighbour added: “They locked Valerie in the house because she was wandering around and getting lost.” A local gardener told the Olive Press how Valerie - who is believed to have died of natural causes on March 12 last year, just after Mother's Day - was often seen walking a brown labrador. “I used to see Valerie walking the dog every day, but then she didn’t seem right in the head and disappeared,” he said. Locals said the brown labrador has not been walked since Valerie was kept indoors and that its faeces was ‘all around the property’.

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It is not known who continued to feed it, though the groundskeeper confirmed Louise is still living at the €300,000 villa, overlooking lake Istan. He said she was ‘keeping watch’ and only left the house when no one was around. An Olive Press reporter visited the home this week, but despite hearing a dog barking nobody answered the door for comment. The porch was littered with seeds and an awning at the back of the house was missing planks. Despite speculation in the UK press that Louise was claiming her deceased mother’s pension, the groundskeeper said it was unlikely because the family seemed ‘well off’. The gardener, who has worked in the urbanisation for seven years, said Butroid ‘never spoke with any of the neighbours and didn’t know a word of Spanish’. He added: “When the granddaughter was younger she never went to school, and social security had to take her away to a foster family or a boarding school.” “After two or three years she came home—I saw her last week in the car with her moUK BASED ther.” According to her social media profiles, Louise is believed to have worked at Job Finder Spain. A spokesman from the company refused to comment for Spanish but said the press had got residents things ‘completely wrong’. Meanwhile, Valerie’s son Riwww.globelink.co.uk chard Butroid said he was ‘saddened and shocked’ at the news. The Lincolnshire county 96 626 5000 councillor said that he has +44 (0) 1353 699082 been estranged from the family for eight years.

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HELP NEEDED: For carers care packages which can vary from somebody coming in to help for an hour a day, to 24 hour care (www. spainmadesimple.com care). A homeless lady who had a severe mental health breakdown after years of caring for her elderly mother who had dementia. She told me: “Some people surprise me with their kindness. Some think people like me choose this path. “I lived with my mum and I never wanted to leave home. Then I became her carer but she died and they took the house back. I was on my own, I didn’t know any other life. “Maybe I should have left home like normal people do, but I loved my mum so much, I just wanted to be with her all the time and now I don’t know how to look after myself”. Email Karen at rhodes.karenj@ gmail.com

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Your best self Clínica Estética Contur offers the best nonsurgical procedures to improve your smile and confidence

CLINICA Estetica Contur located in the Centro Comercial Contur in Elviria is owned by Dr. Karl Wehmeyer, who has been working in Marbella as a dentist in the Clinica Dental Dr. Wehmeyer since 1999. Much of his work is devoted to the field of aesthetic dentistry. In this context, Dr. Wehmeyer’s vision is to make the patient’s smile appear fresh, healthy and vital through the harmonious balance of healthy teeth combined with a beautiful shape and colour. His patients’ desire to improve their looks is what gave him the idea of opening his own beauty clinic. At Clínica Estética Contur, a highly professional team of experienced specialists will look after you and answer all your questions in the field of aesthetic medicine. The beauty clinic is located next to Clínica Dental Dr. Wehmeyer. In this way the patient can receive a holistic and aesthetic treatment without leaving the Centro Comercial Contur in Elviria (Marbella). TYPE-MATCHED AND NATURAL The philosophy of Clínica Estetica Contur is a beauty clinic where the patient feels safe and well looked after. The aim of the clinic is to work in harmony with the patient, to help them create a personal, natural beauty that emphasi-

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“

COLUMNISTS Saving Private Brian

Boot Camp? Like in the Military? I don’t even own any boots, only trainers. Is Brian going too?” My son stares at me through narrowed eyes, arms crossed, already a couple of inches above me in height and leagues ahead of me in attitude. Prepared for his reaction, I silently place a flyer in front of him which explains the 5-day summer course based up in the Alhaurin hills called ‘Eagles Training Camp’. With a sullen expression he reads it, grunts a couple of times and then looks back up at me. “So, basically it’s like the scouts but with

OFF TO CAMP: Paula’s son

Haribos and ice cream. Can Paula Leskovitz convince her son to go to bootcamp?

no dib dibbing, considerably hotter with mutant-sized mosquitoes?” he enquires. I nod my head in agreement and remain quiet as he takes the pamphlet into his bedroom and closes the door. I can hear the familiar sound of the Xbox controller being taken out of its stand and I reach for the phone, hoping he will forgive me in years to come for making this decision on his behalf. Thinking back to my own childhood filled with fresh air and conkers amid endless summer holidays, I smile at the recollection of my bygone youth. San izal (medicated toilet paper), a prerequisite in all the school toilets then once we escaped the confines of our dusty classrooms, playing kiss chase until the sun set over our freckled faces. Faggots and peas or Findus crispy pancakes graced most of the dinner tables in our cul de sac, in fact anything highly processed and on offer at Kwik Save being the staple diet of most children of the 70s, the more E numbers, the

better. Looking down at my weathered hands, I dial the number on the flyer and after a brief conversation with a lovely lady called Debbie, the wife of Micky (ex-military, no nonsense) my only child is booked on the five day survival course which provides children and teens the basic skills to cope in the wilderness, and also how to deal with bullies in the real world. The small selection of boys and girls would sleep in adjoining tents placed adjacent to the family house, high up in the hills and I smile to myself, wishing I was young again and able to happily function on a daily basis without the aid of HRT or Silverkrin. Sitting on our apartment balcony I hold the still warm phone in my hand and look out over the street. The world is passing by in a sunny haze of garbled conversation and noisy mopeds. My son’s bedroom door opens and he walks over to where I am sat. Silently, he places his arms around my neck and gives me a hug. I smile up into his brown eyes, knowing full well the difficulties he faces, an English child in a foreign land approaching

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ICONIC: Mr Brain’s faggots his teenage years. “Ok, I’ll do it, it actually looks good fun. “But I want to take lots of Haribo for snacks and get my hair cut before I go”. Nodding my head in agreement I hug him back and fail to mention that he is already enrolled starting the following Monday and that, although the camp is in the wilderness, they conveniently have a tuck shop available on site from 3-5pm. Brian places a paw upon my lap and looks beseechingly at me; it’s time for his morning walk. Clipping his lead on, I bribe the boy child to accompany us on our jaunt with the promise of an ice cream en route. The hairy hound is also partial to a lick of a strawberry mivi and we all set off before the sun has time to heat up the

New wife in the sun

pavement below his naked pads. “Where’s the car parked mum? I’ve not been in it for weeks,” my son enquires, as we make our way over the Miramar Bridge. I point in the direction of the car park where our dusty jeep sits forlornly in the corner, patiently awaiting its next adventure. Unfortunately, the one downside of living in the town centre is the lack of parking, food shopping is nigh impossible. A trip to Lidl involves double parking outside the apartment, hurling all of the shopping into the communal hall, jumping back into the car, parking it several miles away, sprinting back on foot to the flat to find everything has already defrosted and henceforth, that evenings tea will consist of a various assortment of food items that cannot be refrozen. “Why don’t you sell the car mum and get a couple of motorbikes; at least we can leave those parked outside the flat… can I have 3 scoops?” he asks all in one breath while perusing the assortment of sugar-laden helados on offer. I stop dead in my tracks, of course, this is the obvious solution, why didn’t I think of it myself. Flog the car and get a couple of mopeds, do as the locals do, when in Rome and all that. After all, what could possibly go wrong? Follow our further adventures and video clips on www.anewwifeinthesun.com

The Quiet Life? An idyllic cottage by the lake gave Giles Brown a bit more than he bargained for

HEN I moved into my idyllic cottage by the lake and escaped the madding and frequently maddening crowds on the coast I did so for a variety of reasons. Some were financial; it's a lot cheaper inland. Some were spiritual, although I have yet to turn all ‘New Age’ and there is a permanent ban on crystals, wind chimes and anything resembling a dream catcher at the Casita. As an aside, why do people put dream catchers in their cars? Shouldn't they be focusing on the road ahead rather than allowing themselves to dream? Although, in all fairness, dream catchers in Marbella are pretty much the equivalent of furry dice in Essex. And then there were the health issues – as in, I stood a higher chance of not getting my face mashed in by a bouncer again if I was living in Istan. It was the quiet life I was after, and with the sun setting over the lake and wild goats grazing on the far bank, it seemed that I was living in an office cube rat's screensaver. Looks can be deceptive, however, as the past few days have proved. First off was my well-documented run in with the Wild Boar. Now, I'm not sure if they read the Olive Press, but after my column appeared in the last issue, the tusked terrors have redoubled their efforts and last week carried out what looked like a precision bombing operation on the top garden, with turf, stones and the remnants of the shrubbery, flung

in all directions. Luckily for me, Florin, my unflappable gardener has moved back. As a Romanian ex-paratrooper, he took one look at the devastation, muttered something in a very dark language (I'm guessing a Transylvanian curse) and set about constructing some boar defences. It's been very quiet up there since, although I'm reluctant to check. I might find myself hanging upside down by my ankles from a tree, or much worse, on the wrong end of one of his fiendish traps. It's not just my place that has been lively, however. Istan was rocked by the discovery of a mummified pensioner at Zahara de Istan, one of the more upmarket resorts in the area – so full of wholesome quinoa-eating young professionals that it looks like a version of Dawson's Creek – which added a dash of David Lynch-style macabre horror. And then there was the police raid on a large villa two kilometres up the road that ended with two Camora Mafia fleeing into the surrounding campo. 'Lock your doors and windows', advised the Guardia Civil, 'there are desperate Italians on the loose'. At which point, one of my best female friends who lives in Cerros del Lago, a more, ahem, 'bohemian', urbanisation than Zahara, sent me a text message. 'Desperate Italians on the loose?’, she purred, 'I'm leaving my doors and windows wide OPEN!'

Across: 7 Gorilla, 8 Edict, 9 Annoy, 10 Alcohol, 11 Ditto, 13 Emerges, 15 Oil well, 16 Split, 18 Earshot, 21 Paced, 22 Adieu, 23 Bedsits.

Down: 1 Prenatal, 2 Slay, 3 Papa, 4 Teachers, 5 Wish, 6 Styles, 7 Grand, 12 Overhaul, 13 Eel, 14 Galactic, 15 Operas, 17 Tides, 19 Raid, 20 Tube, 21 Pods.

SPORT

Forehand to four-iron

RAFAEL Nadal is best known as the tennis world no. two, but the Mallorcan superstar has another trick up his sleeve: golf. Nadal, 32, took second place at the Balaeric Islands Golf Championships at Vall D’Or Golf Club and finished the game with 70 shots (- 1). Interestingly, the Spaniard has a 1.5 handicap, making him eligible to become a professional. Back in 2011, Nadal penned an essay on his passion for golf, saying he’s ‘more aggressive’ on the golf course, and that his success was due to his ability to ‘accept difficulties and overcome them’.

Come a copa

February 27th - March 12th 2019

Triple showdown Barcelona and Madrid will head-to-head three times in one week FANS of Spain’s footballing giants will need multiple shirts ironed as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona prepare to meet twice this week. But as if two El Clasicos weren’t enough, the Real Madrid basketball team will also travel to northeastern Spain to face Barcelona Lassa on Friday, making this a week of triple of Spanish classics. La Liga leaders Barcelona already drew with Real Madrid on February 6 in the first of two semi-final legs for the

Copa del Rey. La Copa, as the knockout competition is also known, is the oldest Spanish football competition and the rounds of 32, 16, quarters and semi-finals are always played over two legs.

Bagged

In this month’s previous Clasico, the two Spanish sides drew 1-1, but since Los Blancos bagged an away goal a draw of Wednesday would

Twin-turbo

SPAIN’S version of the Community Shield, the Supercopa de Espana, will be played abroad, it has emerged. The four-team tournament will be held between the Copa del Rey finalists and the top two teams in La Liga. “In this way, we get the brand of the Spanish clubs to participate in a more important way,” Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales said.

IDENTICAL British twins Simon and Adam Yates have missed out on a podium place in their first appearance in the Vuelta a Andalucia. Adam, 26, came 5th in the general classification, while his brother Simon, also 26, trailed in 41st. Last year’s Vuelta a España champion, Simon took the fourth stage last Saturday on the challenging Hazallanas mountain pass, in Granada, which peaks at an altitude of 1,679m.

TWIN: Yates The five-stage Vuelta a Andalucia took place between 20-24 February, beginning in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Cadiz, and ending in Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga.

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RIVALS: Barcelona and Madrid will face off see them striding to the final. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the world’s top two most-followed teams on social media, and there is a history of devoted players baiting the crowds with after-goal celebrations - both Ronaldo and Raul have shushed Barcelona fans, and in 2017 Messi held out his shirt like a red rag to a bull after a 93rd minute winner. The match also comes after controversy in the Real Madrid changing room as Welsh winger Gareth Bale angrily shrugged off his teammates following his winning penalty against Levante on Sunday. In basketball, Real Madrid already met Barcelona Lassa on February 17 for the basketball Copa del Rey final, which Barcelona won 94-93

following a questionable call made at the buzzer. With Madrid leading in the basketball league tables, and Barcelona in the football, this week is set to be a thriller for fans.

Not so badminton REIGNING Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marin has begun training again after injuring her knee in January. The three-time world champion, four-time European Champion and former world no. 1 ruptured the cruciate ligament in her knee during the final of the Indonesian Masters Tournament on January 27. Marin’s Instagram profile showed her still wearing a leg brace following surgery on January 29, but the Spanish star also posted a video of her walking with ‘just one crutch’. Marin, 25, from Huelva, Andalucia, said her goal to win gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 kept her motivated and keen to get back on the court. “What makes me train is the desire to do what I enjoy doing. Otherwise it would be impossible,” Marin said.

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FINAL WORDS

Genial-guacil GENALGUACIL, a tiny mountain village in Malaga province’s Genal valley, has been included in a list of Spain’s top 100 cultural hotspots.

Sole-Favours ANDALUCIA’S regional president Juanma Moreno has announced that the €50 discounted monthly rate for the newly self-employed (‘autonomos’) will be extended from one to the first two years, cutting social security contributions by €225.

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Vol. 13 Issue 312 www.theolivepress.es February 27th - March 12th 2019

A FUTURE rail and road link from Spain to Morocco could be back on. Plans to dig a tunnel or construct a bridge are being undertaken at a senior level, a government minister has confirmed. “We have been working for years with Spain for the railway line between the two countries and we are now in the process of deepening technical studies,” Morocco’s Transport Minister Najib Boulif said.

Back to Africa Morocco link a step nearer as studies are set to probe whether a bridge or tunnel is best He added that the research could be completed in less than two years. “Swiss experience has shown that some of the proposals,

A CAFE in Spain is doubling as a dog adoption center where customers hang out with cute canines over a coffee. The Doger cafe, in Madrid, has been a hit among animal lovers, with 12 dogs adopted to date.

PAWESOME: Madrid cafe

which were not feasible in the last 20 years, are now possible,” he said. The Moroccan minister was referring to research carried

Paw me a coffee Founders Roberto Aláez and Javier Alcazar set it up after contacting shelters and offering to advertise dogs up for adoption. “We are taking on loads of shelters and transmitting consciousness to the people through great communication,” said Alaez. The dogs interact with prospective adopters for about 15 minutes, and get to cool down with a two-hour nap period. A second cafe is set to open in Barcelona, while the owners also have sights on the South American market and are in the advanced stages of bringing the new concept to Peru.

out by the University of Zurich and Herrenknecht, the world’s largest tunnel-building firm. The joint study showed that the tunnel, which could cost €8 billion, is possible to build. Funding, some of which would come from the EU, would determine whether the line would be over a bridge or through a tunnel. Moroccan and Spanish companies are both understood to be working towards the project. If the first land link between Europe and Africa was made by tunnel, it would have to be 38 km to stretch between the two countries. That is shorter than the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France, which is 50km in length. High speed trains in the tunnel would make cargo journeys between Madrid and Marrakech up to three times shorter.

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Dynamic or Dumbo? A MASSIVE theme park could be built near Sevilla ‘on a scale and ambition rivalling Disney’. The new tourist destination, set for Castilblanco de los Arroyos, in the Sierra Morena, would be a ‘smart city’ with 2,000 homes for residents, alongside a series of rollercoasters. Referencing Greek mythology, Elysium City will feature a water park, an 18-hole golf course, a 40,000 seater stadium and four hotels. "It’s basically a smart city from ground up, but the core will be the entertainment pieces: a Disney-level theme park and an adventure water park that’s unlike typical water parks,” said John Cora, founder and chairman of Cora Alpha behind the city. “The goal is to have it be a place where you want to work, live and play.” Environmentalists are unlikely to support the idea, which will allegedly also have a casino AND a marina, despite being 100 kms from the coast.

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