Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 250 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 10 Issue 250

Crunch talks

THERESA MAY is set to thrash out the UK’s position over Gibraltar at a high level meeting with Mariano Rajoy tomorrow. The UK Prime Minister will meet Spain’s acting leader in Madrid to also discuss Brexit. The meeting follows a telephone call the two shared in July in which they both agreed that no Spanish or British citizen should be ‘harmed’ by the Brexit result.

Thrash

The pair met at the G20 summit in China in September but they have yet to discuss the sovereignty of Gibraltar. The Rock is expected to be a talking point on Thursday given the recent inflammatory comments from Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel GarciaMargallo (see below). The conservative official has attempted to lobby EU leaders to support his quest for joint Sovereignty, and most recently said ‘we will see the Spanish flag on Gibraltar very soon.’

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LOCK up your hijas, Andalucia. Legendary lothario Steve Coogan and sidekick Rob Brydon have been serving up a third helping of TV comedy smash The Trip in Malaga. The foodie funnymen have spent the summer filming in Santander, Rioja, San Sebastian and

EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

AN expat has been left stumped over a €525 bill for cremating her husband’s amputated leg. Dianne Jones, 73, from Middlesex, claims she was given no warning of the incineration of the limb - nor of its cost - from Xanit Hospital, in Benalmadena. It came after husband Francis, 76, was forced to have his leg amputated above the knee after years of suffering from vascular disease. However, the shock of losing a limb last month was made

Expat slams hospital over shock payment for husband’s leg cremation

considerably harder when she was told she had to pay the ‘unexpected’ bill. Worse than that, it came just days after the operation and while her husband was still recovering at the hospital. “I came in to be

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met by a man from a local funeral company, who asked if I had insurance to ‘cover my husband’s cremation’,” she recalled. “It was horrific. I obviously immediately thought he had died and burst into tears. I nearly fainted.” It turned out however, that her husband of 56 years was actually fine and the ‘cremation’ was merely of his leg. “I was told that by law - even if it is your little finger you have to pay, so I signed on the dotted line,” said pensioner

Who says Jamie Oliver can’t cook the perfect paella?

Page 2

Fuengirola

Aragon before heading south. In Malaga, director Michael Winterbottom and the boys dined out at various places while staying at the Gibralfaro Parador. Places they visited are said to include the Refectorium and Casa Aranda.

OVER HERE: Brydon (left) and Coogan

Hacked off!

Maverick Weekend World publisher in police eviction

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Dianne, who previously ran a cleaning company in the UK. She has now made an official complaint to the hospital’s welfare department, insisting it is entirely unfair to have to pay it. She is already paying the hospital €12,245 for the operation and recovery spell. While she confirmed that the hospital had apologised for not warning of the impending cremation cost, she believes this is ‘not acceptable’. “The hospital was very understanding but it was an unsettling experience as I had no prior warning,” added Dianne, who has lived in Spain with her husband since 2006. Cremation of amputated body parts is mandatory in Spain unless you have a pre-bought cemetery niche or have an agreement to donate it for medical research. A spokesman from the funeral company blamed it on the hospital for not warning her. Xanit hospital was not available for comment. Opinion Page 6 Est 1984

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RECOVERING: Francis and (inset left) the couple

CRIME

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October 12th - October 25th 2016

Did police kill expat grandfather? THE family of a 75-year-old British man believe Spanish police ‘covered up’ his murder. It comes after a coroner described police as ‘unhelpful’ refusing to in-

MIX UP: Dissen (left) and Dixie

Spanish nightmare A DUTCHMAN is suing the Spanish government after spending 12 years in jail for a rape he did not commit. Romano van der Dussen was jailed in 2003 for allegedly attacking three women in Fuengirola. But the convictions were quashed last year after DNA evidence revealed the culprit as Briton Mark Dixie, who had been living there at the time of attacks. Dixie is already serving a life sentence in the UK for the rape and murder of 18-yearold Sally Anne Bowman in 2005. Van der Dussen said he is seeking compensation for ‘damage caused’ and for being ‘wrongly deprived’ of his freedom. He always maintained his innocence and is still contesting two lesser charges of robbery and sexual assault, which were not overturned in the appeal court. Van der Dussen is soon to release ‘My Spanish Nightmare’, an autobiography detailing his ordeal.

vestigate properly. Alan Rankin was struck on the back of the head, most likely with a hammer, before being found at the foot of a cliff in Benidorm, an inquest has

heard. Analysis by British forensic pathologists has shown that Rankin received a blow to the head before falling down the cliff.

His family believe he was murdered and that police covered it up as an accident two years ago. A wallet with £450 in euros inside was missing when he was found.

Booted out!

A DAWN eviction has forced the Weekend World out of its international headquarters. Police lent support to Estepona Court in its eviction order on the head office of Stan Israel’s raft of companies and magazines. It comes after the maverick publisher failed to pay rent or bills for a staggering 18 months. In total, he owed his landlord €23,000, when the police arrived to demand the keys and force Israel and his staff onto the streets. The Spanish landlord told the Olive Press he had not received any rent since Simply Media Group, Sunsearch Media and, most recently, Press Prefer Publishing, started using the Atenea Commercial Centre, in Estepona, in March 2015.

Weekend World in police eviction over €23,000 unpaid rent

over €30,000, and the government’s official BOI bulletin announced both his companies had gone into liquidation owde la Torre told the Olive Press ing €40,800. that she could find no assets of Meanwhile, a new luxury magIsrael’s in Spain. azine Luxury Living has apIncredibly, the publisher has peared, allegedly closely linked already found a new office, in to Sotogrande SA and a raft of Centro Diana, just 500 meThe businessman, who asked to tres from the old office. estate agents, while Etihad remain anonymous, was forced While he continues to airlines and Rolls Royce are to file for eviction after only re- print glossy magazines in supposed clients. ceiving an initial €3,000 pay- ‘dozens of countries around While Stan writes the ment. welcome note, the the world’, his main news“It was a great relief to kick him paper magazine is produced Weekend out,” he said. “I don’t expect to World failed to by Press Prefer, a get any money either.” company owned by come out for nine He added: “Stan knows what he c o n s e c u t i v e his girlfriend Lisa is doing. He gets away with it as weekends this Brown. he knows the court system in summer. Meanwhile, Malaga Spain is so slow he can stay any- As Court has ordered reported where for at least a year without last month, he Simply Media Group paying.” to pay former head is being sued by a Meanwhile, his lawyer Marta string of printers for STAN: Evicted of sales Lola Gomez €23,000 for unlawful dismissal. However, as the Simply Media has filed for insolvency, Gomez HALF a dozen Junta bosses have been accused syphoned off. Those benefiting included two will receive her money through of embezzling funds from a Є2.6 million payout relatives of the officials, who got paid while not FOGASA, or the Wage Guaranto help 24 unemployed workers from the com- even working for the company. tee Fund, linked to the Employpany Surcolor. They are among 16 accused of pocketing funds, ment Ministry. In yet another chapter of the multi-million-euro alongside Junta employment chiefs Antonio Fer- It means the Spanish governERE fraud case, over a million was apparently nandez, Augustine Barbera and Antonio Rivas. ment is effectively now inBy Rob Horgan and Laurence Dollimore

Junta heads in ERE dock

NEW OFFICE: For Stan volved and will be closely following Stan’s future progress. It comes as a massive victory for Gomez, who has spent nearly two years in search of justice since her contract was abruptly terminated in November 2014.

“I just hope the whole of the coast and Gibraltar knows the kind of entrepreneur Israel is. “He lies to his customers about distribution and issue numbers, doesn’t pay his bills and mistreats his workers,” she told the Olive Press. “For me it is a great relief that justice has been served.” The Olive Press has been investigating Israel since he moved to Andalucia, via Tenerife and a raft of bankrupt companies in the UK, two years ago. See more online. Do you know a conman? Want us to investigate? Contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

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NE WS

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Swinging celebs A HOST of famous faces are dusting off their irons for a trip to the Costa del Sol. Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating will be joined by Britain’s got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, Scottish rugby star Thom Evans and TV personality Vernon Kay for the Global Gift Celebrity Golf Day at Estepona Golf. All proceeds from the event will go towards Cudeca, Global Gift Foundation and Marie Keating Foundation as part of the 2016 Ronan Keating Charity Golf Series. Irish heartthrob Keating will also be performing an acoustic set as part of a Gala Dinner in the Gran Melia Don Pepe in Marbella. Taking place on October 14 and 15, enter a team by calling 609142864

INCIDENT: Unamono arrest

Prof speech out on film A NEW film about a professor who bravely challenged General Franco’s dictatorship is being released 80 years after the famous confrontation. The Windy Island tells the tale of Miguel de Unamuno, whose legendary 1936 speech attacked General Jose MillanAstray, as the Spanish Civil War ravaged the country. The dean of Salamanca - already under the iron fist of fascism - attacked the Nationalists, while one-armed Millan-Astray was in attendance. In a famous speech, delivered 80 years ago today, he insisted ‘You will win, but you won’t convince’, leading to the general to shout: ‘Long live death, death to intelligence’! Millan-Astray wanted Unamuno executed for the speech, but he was saved by Franco’s wife.

Not so Fawlty JOHN Cleese has won a prestigious Spanish comedy award. The Monty Python legend received the BBK JA prize at Bilbao’s International Festival of Literature, Art and Comedy. The 76-yearold star of Life Of Brian, Fawlty Towers and a Fish Called Wanda was hailed by the organisers. “His sharp and irreverent vision and unmistakable physical humour are part of comedy’s DNA,” a BBK Ja organisers said.

With his sites set on Ireland’s wealthiest criminal gang, Donal MacIntyre lands on the Costa del Sol EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan

HARD-HITTING investigative TV journalist Donal MacIntyre has been back on the Costa del Sol. Just a year after filming a show on the unsolved disappearance of expat girl Amy Fitzpatrick, the Irish presenter flew back into Malaga. And this time round he had his sights set on Ireland’s most notorious gang, the Kinahans. Focussing on former Kinahan hitman Paddy Doyle, MacIntyre retraced the assassins final moments before he was killed in a brutal hit in Estepona in 2008. Speaking to neighbours about the assassination, MacIntyre also interviewed Olive Press journalist Rob Horgan about the rise of Irish and British criminal gangs on the Costa del Sol.

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TEEING UP: Keating (above), Evans (right), Kay (below) and Dixon (left)

Donal ducks in… Again! assassin: Paddy Doyle the subject of TV documentary

HANDSOME HACKS: MacIntyre and Horgan

“It is great to get local knowledge of the gangland scene,” Donal said. “The

way the judicial process works in Spain is almost inconceivable to us back in

Ireland or in the UK.” A visiting professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, MacIntyre also visited Doyle’s former hangouts as well as paying a trip to MGM Marbella which was raided last month in an ongoing investigation into the Kinahans. The episode will appear in a six-part series called Assassins: Paid to Kill and is scheduled to air next year.

Snapper fund A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched for a popular Costa del Sol photographer who suffered life-changing injuries in a motorbike accident. A specialist in wedding photography both in Spain and Gibraltar, over €5,000 has already been raised to help David Toms receive the treatment and aftercare he needs. Coming off his bike in a ‘freak accident’ in July, David is currently receiving treatment in a Toledo hospital after being rendered quadriplegic. He sustained spinal injuries to three vertebrate as well as a broken wrist, broken ankle and shin plus major neurological damage to the body. After six weeks in ICU in Málaga, he has now been transferred to a specialist hospital. To donate visit www.gofundme.com/2s7mrahs

AMAZING – WE GOT SO MANY CLIENTS! RE the article and advert in the Olive press, I still haven’t managed to read it as I’ve been so busy. But, that aside, I just wanted to say SO MANY CLIENTS came because of it and spoke about it, so it must have been AMAZING and I am really grateful for your time and interest in my venture. I really hope all your projects are going well! Gigi Taylor, Gigi’s restaurant Sotogrande

NE WS October 12th - October 25th 2016 Migrants’ tales book helped by an Olive Press exclusive

www.theolivepress.es NEWS IN BRIEF

Jihadis jailed SPANISH police in San Sebastian and Gijon have arrested two terrorist suspects thought to be key recruiters for Islamic State.

Dadnapper! A 38-YEAR-OLD man from Almeria has been arrested after kidnapping his teenage kids, in an attempt to get them to reveal the whereabouts of his estranged wife.

Fugitive caught ALLEGED British sex offender Cory Baptiste has been arrested in Barcelona after being added to the UK's 'most wanted list' and fleeing the country.

Budget bid THE chairman of eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, has warned Spain to ‘to really scrutinise their figures and assumptions’ before submitting their 2017 budget to EU chiefs.

the

the Olive Press November 14th

Happy holidays SOME 10.1 million foreign tourists flocked to Spain in August. A new monthly record, it is a 5.8% increase on last year. Tourism increased by 10% in the first eight months of 2016, with 52.5 million visits and the country is expected to smash last year’s record of 68.1 million arrivals. The country’s tourism sector has received a boost as security fears continue to plague rival destinations in the Mediterranean and Middle East. The largest visitors came from the UK with an increase of 3.9% year-on-year in August.

nean in Times of Migration was the brainchild of photographer Thomas Dworzak and journalist and civil rights lawyer Alia Malek. Many other reporters helped to compile the book, which covers the migrant crisis since 2015. “They were struck by the urgent need

for the kind of information this book provides,” Malek told the Olive Press. “By featuring the voices of refugees as well as residents of Europe – many of them once displaced themselves – the book is also a place of dialogue.” The non-profit book will be printed in four languages.

For a quote or just some friendly advice

Secret crash EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

AN Irish expat is seeking compensation after the driver of a coach fell asleep and nearly killed his wife in a fatal crash in Morocco. Michael Maye, 70, who lives in Marbella, is demanding answers after his wife Maria escaped death when the vehicle smashed into a lorry that was transporting gas canisters. The crash caused an explosion that instantly killed the

Expat calls in lawyers over mystery crash that nearly killed his wife in Morocco driver and several passengers in the first two rows. The 56-year-old, who was sat further back, said she passed out and woke to a ‘nightmare’. “There was blood all over my hands and I could not move my legs,” she told the Olive Press, “It was awful.” Mrs Maye, who has been

walker mystery solved THE body of a British man who went missing during a 2,000km trek from London to Gibraltar has been found in Spain. The remains of former Leicester councillor David Oldman were discovered by hunters in La Concepcion, near Almeria. Oldman, 66, was last seen on June 9 while trekking from

Huercal-Overa in Almeria to the nearby town of Albox. Concerns grew when he failed to ring his mum or board his flight home to London a few days later. His family made a series of pleas on social media, but an intensive four-week search in July came up with nothing.

a Spanish resident for 30 years, was travelling on the 23:45 coach from Casablanca to Tangier on September 14. She is now recovering at the Quiron Hospital in Marbella, where she has had to undergo major knee and leg surgery costing over €6,000. The couple now fear they will have to pay the entire bill, with the Moroccan authorities even failing to confirm the crash. “We are trying to find a police report of the crash but the authorities are not being cooperative,” said Maye, who has instructed lawyers. “We cannot prove it for certain but the company is said to be part-owned by the King who doesn’t want any negative press,” he said.

Covering Andalucia in 2016 with over 200,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 500,000 visits to thewww.theolivepress.es website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

April 13th - April 26th 2016

Top o’ the travellers

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Village slips up in piglet catching competition pig’ competition to go ahead. Castille y Leon regional court ruled that the competition - in which children attempt to catch piglets who have been covered in grease - is ‘degrading to animals’. It comes after animal A PET pig has been spotted THE UK Foreign & Comroaming monwealth Office Office bacon and a lady in Leba- rights groups protest- Pedro. the streets of San has released a list of this non rang to request an Eng- ed against the event, The Vietnamese pot-bellied which takes place duryear’s top ten bizarre re- lish butler. pig quests from Brits travelling Half a million calls were ing feria and see hun- and is a neighbour’s pet is made to the FCO’s consular dreds of abroad. children chase around allowed to wander They include one Brit plan- service last year – which the pigs. The first child ends. on his own at weekning a move to Spain ring- provides emergency help to to catch a pig gets to An Olive Press photograing the consulate over fears Britons in trouble overseas. take it home. pher he would encounter nudists The service helped 3,250 Animal rights group local watched him greet dogs with his tail wagBrits who were hospital- PACMA walking the streets. welcomed ging. Meanwhile, another asked ised, 4,770 who were ar- the fine, but fears “You rested, and the families where he could buy English of it won´t deter this he often see him here and behaves very much like 3,670 who died overseas. year´s organisers. other dogs,” said a local.

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Top pad THE Spanish architect who designed New York’s World Trade Centre Hub is planning to build the world’s tallest skyscraper in Dubai.

Unwelcome A CONTROVERSIAL spate of graffiti in Palma de Mallorca has been making headlines after ‘Tourists go home. Refugees welcome’ was daubed on a city hall.

A TOWN hall has been fined for cruelty to pigs. Officials in El Sahugo, near Salamanca, have been fined €1,502 for allowing a ‘slippery

Doctor, Doctor!

AN award-winning photojournalist has put together a major new book about the Mediterranean migrant crisis. Among the many articles in the 592page tome, is an Olive Press story (right) about a young African footballer rescued from a dinghy in the Straits. The book Europe and the Mediterra-

- 25th 2016

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Telephone: 951 273 575

NEARLY one in three Spaniards confesses to having lied in order to leave work early, with 52% of those inventing fake doctor appointments.

FINAL WORDS

ESCAPE TO VICTORY Teen migrant saved from sinking dinghy is now following in hero footballer’s footsteps

Homeward Bound.. FRANCE - ITALY - PORTUGAL

THE Irish cannot get enough of Spain. There has been a 20% rise in visitor numbers from the Emerald Isle so far this year on 2015. Spain is now second for Irish visitors after the UK. According to construction company Taylor Wimpey, home sales to Irish buyers are up by a massive 200% compared to last year.

He’s PIG in the city!

Day for the guiris

ORGANISER: Ana Velasco

THE expat population of Estepona has celebrated in style at the 15th edition of the Foreign Residents Day. An incredible 20 different nationalities enjoyed food, crafts and traditions from their home countries, via 35 stands and some live music. A large South American contingent saw residents from the likes of Colombia, Bolivia and Chile join in the fun.

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A YOUNG African immigrant rescued from certain death in the Med is playing football with La Linea’s top team Real Balompédica Linense. Two-footed striker, Amadou Siribe, 19, left Mali capital Bamako two years ago to follow his dream of becoming a professional footballer, like his heroes Samuel Eto’o and Frederic Kanoute. But the dream became a nightmare when he and four others were stranded in a tiny blow-up dinghy while attempting the treacher- SURVIVOR: Amadou ous crossing from Tangier to Cross) boat crew spotted Tarifa. At the mercy of the sea and their tiny dinghy and rescued with no water or food, Malian them, taking them to Tarifa. Amadou and his companions While there, being looked thought they were going to after by the authorities, he started to play football again. die. “The water was very rough He was soon spotted by La and dangerous,” he told the Linea side Atletico Zabal, beOlive Press. “One of us was fore heading to Valencia to bailing out because so much find work, where he banged water was coming in. Dol- in 13 goals in nine games for phins were leaping out of the local team Atletic Amistad. water and almost sinking the Now he has been snapped by by Real Balompedica Linboat. “I fell in the water twice and ense (Balona) after moving to had to be rescued. I swal- La Linea crisis centre Hogar lowed so much salt water I Betania. He also now has an agent. became very sick. “After six hours I thought we “I’m hoping to sign for the were all going to die and be- team in time for next season. I hope this year I can carry on gan crying for my family.” Fortunately, a Cruz Roja (Red scoring lots of goals and do my town and country proud.¨

Kick in the teeth

AN EXPAT animal sanctuary owner who rescued a dying donkey was arrested and forced to purchase it, as well as three others. Brit Peter Singh, 46, discovered one-eyed pregnant Ethel, who was covered in scars, starving and struggling to stand. Singh was taking the mule to his Alicante sanctuary when police made their arrest. The man who had left Ethel crippled with an injured hoof and with her bridle cutting into her face had sent his nephew to the police with two more donkeys. Unless Singh paid €2,000 for all the donkeys, including the unborn foal, he was told he would be charged with theft. "My blood was boiling," he said, "I had no option but to pay up. These people had neglected this poor animal so badly it was close to death." "It was as if I was rewading cruelty," he added.

Lifeguards watch as mother drowns A BRITISH mother drowned in front of her husband after four Spanish lifeguards insisted she was fine because she ‘wasn’t waving her arms around frantically enough’. A UK coroner has heard how the lifeguards failed to act as Julie Dudhill, 57, from Hampshire, was swept out to sea in Alicante on June 27. Her husband Andy Dudhill, 51, alerted them after she started getting dragged out to sea. However, despite her obvious cries for help, the lifeguards ‘did not seem to think she was in danger,’ Andy told an inquest in Basingstoke. It was only when he decided to try and save her that one of the lifeguards swam out with him. It was too late, however, and her lifeless body was brought back to shore. The coroner has recorded the death as accidental.

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October 12th - October 25th 2016

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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month.

OPINION Sort it out! EUROPE’S anti-corruption body Greco has given Spain a kick up the backside, as it continues to ignore regulations outlined in 2013. While it is shocking to hear that none of the proposals outlined three years ago have been put into practice it is sadly unsurprising. That said, this month marks the start of the Gurtel case: the biggest political scandal to rock Spain since General Franco’s days. It remains to be seen how long it will take to get the case through the court or if any of the 37 defendants will be put behind bars. But the fact that it has got to trial has to be a step in the right direction. Then again, former King Juan Carlos has just tried to pay off the country’s top anticorruption agency to save his daughter’s skin…

Stranger things WHAT a strange state of affairs, enforcing mandatory cremations of one’s amputated limbs, even if it is just a finger! It may set you back €500 or so but at least you get to take home a certificate to show the grandkids. That said Xanit hospital should have done a better a job at caring for the poor Jones’, one of whom was losing a whole leg! It must have been a stressful and confusing enough of a time without being led to think your husband had died! Full credit to Dianne for coming forward and trying to inform other expats who might be facing the same unfortunate circumstance in the future. Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

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

Designer James Partington design@theolivepress.es

Rob Horgan rob@theolivepress.es Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Admin & Accounts (+34) 951 273 575 Maria González admin@theolivepress.es Admin and accounts coordinator Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@theolivepress.es Admin and account assistant

Distribution Graham Warters distribution@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: sales@theolivepress.es Chris Birkett - Head of Sales chris@theolivepress.es (+34) 652 512 956 Kerry Hicks kerry@theolivepress.es 655825683

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AWARDS

2015/2016 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2016

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

fe at u re

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Belt tightens! As proceedings begin in the biggest political scandal to hit Spain in over 40 years, Rob Horgan takes a look at who is standing in the dock

Charge sheet

ND so it begins. After seven long years of investigations, no less than 37 former high-ranking PP political figures are going on trial over a €450 million government corruption case. Facing charges relating to taking kickbacks, faking invoices and siphoning public funds into offshore accounts, the Gurtel case is the biggest political scandal to hit Spain since the Franco era. Add in a judge suspended for 11 years for wiretapping and the Gurtel case has all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster. And with Rajoy still hopeful of retaining the Prime Minister’s seat before the end of the year, the timing of the trial could have a massive bearing on the country’s future political landscape. Indeed, the PP itself has been called to the stand for allegedly benefiting from illegally obtained funds.

Charges

Name: Luis Barcenas

Name: Francisco Correa Position: Alleged ringleader and businessman Sentence if guilty: Up to 125 years

Position: Former PP treasurer Sentence if guilty: Up to 42 years

Although the party does not face criminal charges it may be forced to pay the money back into public coffers. Party leader Mariano Rajoy is in for a tough time personally, with prosecutors Name: Guillermo calling on the judge to order the Prime Ortega Minister to testify. Former treasurer Names: Jesus Sepúlveda and Ana Mato - and heavily accused - Luis Barcenas (husband and wife) has repeatedly claimed that Rajoy was Position: ex-Majadaamong scores of party leaders who rehonda mayor (Madrid) Position: Ex-Pozuelo mayor (Madrid) and PP ceived tens of thousands of euros from a secret slush fund during the governHealth Minister ment of Jose Maria Aznar. Sentence if guilty: What else comes out during the trial Sentence if guilty: Up to 15 years each Up to 50 years remains to be seen, but do not be surprised to see more former colleagues throwing one another under the bus as the express prison service draws nearer. Barcenas himself faces a maximum sentence of 42 years behind bars for his the microscope.) contracts for government work to Corinvolvement and has become the poster The case itself centres on a kickback rea’s businesses. boy of the Gurtel case since he scheme between businessmen and pol- Correa - who enjoys being called Don Vito was first linked in 2010. iticians across Spain, mostly for build- in reference to the Marlon Brando characSince then he has adopted ter in The Godfather – is accused of mising contracts. an ‘if i’m going down, you’re Allegedly masterminded by business- using public funds and setting up offshore coming with me’ stance, man Francisco Correa - Correa accounts to keep millions of euros. shouting his mouth to anymeans Gurtel (belt) in Ger- But the whistleblower himself hasn’t one who will listen. man - six regional govern- slipped away scot-free. Penas will take to In total, the group of ments and nearly 200 of- the stand on charges of accepting bribes high-profile businessficial suspects have been before he turned over the tapes. men, senior politicians In 2009, superjudge Baltasar Garzon took probed. and former bank bosses High-profile In particular the local and charge of the investigation following his are charged with 12 ofregional governments in attempt to prosecute Chilean dictator Aubusinessmen and fences. Among the deMadrid and Valencia have gusto Pinochet and his determination to politicians are fendants are three forcome under scrutiny, with overturn crimes committed in the Franco charged with 12 mer party treasurers all politicians accused of re- era. offences with close ties to the curceiving bribes in the form However, the highly respected judge comrent PP set up. of everything from wads mitted a cardinal sin himself, ordering the As well as Barcenas, two of cash to designer hand- wiretapping of conversations between deformer treasurers, an ex-health minis- bags and Cuban cigars. fendants in custody and their lawyers. ter and dozens of former mayors and Correa himself faces a 125 year sen- By February 2012, Spain’s champion local government ministers will take the tence for a multitude of corruption of- of justice was thrown off the case and stand on charges of bribery, influence fences. banned from the legal profession for 11 peddling, money laundering, tax fraud Launched in the summer of 2008, in- years, sparking mass protests. and document forgery over a six year vestigations began when former PP Judges Antonio Pedreira and Pablo Ruz period between 1999 and 2005. councillor Jose Penas blew the whistle have come and gone and the man now (Due to the scale of corruption the in- on Correa’s web of deceit. tasked with presiding over the case is José vestigation had to be split in half, with a Handing over 18 hours of recorded con- Ricardo de Prada. further inquiry also underway to exam- versations over two years with Correa, And with 37 defendants and dozens more ine the following four-year period with Penas’s tapes allegedly prove that PP officials being called to testify, Judge de 100 businessmen and politicians under politicians were bribed in order to hand Prada has quite the job on his hands.

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As Spaniards nationwide celebrate Hispanic Day in honour of their most famous expat, Laurence Dollimore discovers his Andalucian links

October 2015

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English Page views:xxxxxxxxx daily news website

ILLIONS across Spain will celebrate Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas, 524 years ago today. Hispanic Day, or Fiesta Nacional de España, sees everything from naval parades in Madrid to planes painting Spanish flags across the country’s skies. Anyone not in the know would be forgiven for thinking the great 15th-century explorer was Spanish. But Columbus was Italian, born in Genoa, so why is he so adored here? Then, as now, it came down to ‘enchufados’ – his connections. In 1485, following the death of his wife in Portugal, Cristobal Colon, as he is known here, REPLICAS: Of the Santa Maria, Pinta and Niña ships of the New World explorer moved to Palos de la Frontera in Huelva with his newborn son Diego. He had been searching for a sponsor to finance his new transatlantic voyage, aimed at forging a westward sea passage to ‘the Orient’ (Asia). Settlers planned to start a colony where they could convert people to Christianity and exploit the production of spices and other natural resources.

Struggle

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Exploring Columbus

But the explorer was struggling to convince monarchs in Europe that such a route was feasible. After asking the French, the Portuguese and even sending his brothers to seek support from King Henry VII of England, he finally won royal patronage from Spain’s King Fernando and Queen Isabella. And all thanks to the prior of the Dominican convent of La Rabida in Huelva, where Columbus had been staying. Father Juan Perez, who also happened to be Queen Isabella’s confessor, was impressed by Columbus and his plans. He convinced the queen to influence the king, and the explorer was called to court to re-present a proposal they had already rejected once. The explorer demanded the hereditary positions of Admiral of the Ocean Sea and Viceroy SANCTUARY: Convent (left) and monastery (right) and Governor of any lands he found, granting him a percentage of all revenues from new on El Conquero hill and continues to attract mere commodities and sold on as slaves. He set sail again in September 1493 with territories. After rejecting him once more, the tourists. Spanish monarchs reconsidered and agreed. Having made his peace with God, a confi- a fleet of 17 ships, exploring the Caribbean Before departing in August of 1492, Colum- dent Columbus set sail from Palos on the and revisiting La Navidad, where a new setbus pledged allegiance to the Spanish crown Santa Maria (recently discovered) alongside tlement had to be founded because the men at the Convent of Santa Clara in neighbouring the smaller ships Pinta and Niña. Replicas he had left behind had all been killed. of this famous nautiHundreds of indigenous people Sevilla. To this day this architecturcal trio can be toured were enslaved and many died on ally outstanding national monutoday. Hardly transatthe return journey. ment remains a place of pilgrimlantic liners, you’ll be On his third trip in 1498, Columage for tourists for its Columbus amazed how cramped bus discovered Trinidad and Venconnection. they were. ezuela and plunged deeper into The Monastery of Santa Clara in What Columbus South America. Moguer, Huelva, also has special thought was Asia was Still convinced he was visiting significance. in fact the Bahamas. Asia, despite mounting evidence Abbess Ines Enríquez was King He named the first to the contrary, he returned to Fernando’s aunt and supported island he discovered Spain and was made Viceroy and the voyages of Columbus. The exSan Salvador, before Governor of the Indies. plorer later spent a night at the reaching Cuba and QUEEN: Isabella Accusations of tyranny and inmonastery to fulfill a vow made KING: Ferdinand Hispaniola where La competence lead to his downfall. at sea when a storm was about to Navidad settlement In 1500, he and his brothers were capsize the Niña ship. Columbus did a lot of praying, as any sail ship was founded with permission from the indig- jailed for alleged atrocities against the native populations. captain would in those mapless days. Before enous people. his first voyage, he visited the Sanctuary of Columbus returned to a hero’s welcome in Columbus was released in time to set sail on Nuestra Señora de la Cinta, on the outskirts Spain. Along with gold for the royal coffers a fourth and final voyage in search of a westof Huelva city, to ask the virgin for her bless- he paraded the curious novelties he had dis- ward passage to the Indian Ocean. ing. Highly revered by Columbus and his crew, covered on his voyage: not only the tobacco Again he fetched up on the other side of the he promised to revisit her on his return. The plant, the pineapple and the turkey but the Atlantic, this time reaching Honduras, Nicawhite-washed sanctuary is still standing today islands’ native people – also regarded as ragua, Costa Rica and Panama before being beached in Jamaica, where he and his crew were stranded for a year. The explorer returned to Spain for the last time in 1504 and died two years later in Valladolid, at the age of around 54. The house is now a museum dedicated to his discovery of America. Still convinced he had reached the Indies, but stripped of his governor titles and denied the profits from his New World discoveries, he died a disappointed man. He would be pleased to know that he is held in far higher regard today, with his own naFINAL PORT OF CALL: House Columbus died in before renovation (left) and after tional holiday in Spain.

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P oliOctober t ics October 12th - October 25th12th 2016- 25th

With this here backhander! SPAIN’S last king has been accused of bribing officials to drop tax fraud charges against his daughter. Juan Carlos I allegedly offered anticorruption group Manos Limpias €2 million to stop their investigation against Princess Cristina, 50. The offer was allegedly made just weeks before the princess appeared in the dock in Mallorca over corruption charges, alongside her husband Inaki Urdangarin. She is one of 18 defendants and faces eight years in prison for two counts of tax fraud. Judges are still deliberating over the case, which involved her failure to declare taxes on personal expenses paid by a property company she owned

FLUSH ROYAL: King accused with her husband. Her husband was charged with a string of other offences and is facing 19 years if convicted.

Make and take! Spain urged to do more to solve ‘systemic corruption’

SPAIN has been urged to push through urgent anti-corruption measures first outlined in 2013. It comes after a total of 11 European Council recommendations were ‘ignored’ since a re-

port labelled Spain as the fourth most corrupt country in Europe. Several reforms were due to be pushed through this year but have been postponed due to a lack of permanent government. Now the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (Greco) has criticised Spain A NEW round of talks to form breakthrough. for a lack of ‘transa government are set to start on It comes after the socialist leader parency’ in its judiOctober 24. Pedro Sanchez resigned this cial system and govThe two main PP and PSOE par- month, following a 10-month ernment. ties and others will be invited political deadlock, with no party “None of the recomby King Felipe to try and find a holding an overall majority of mendations con176. tained in the 2013 Acting PP prime minister report have been imMariano Rajoy has already plemented satisfactofailed twice to win over oprily or dealt with in a position parties, and a new satisfactory manner,” vote must be held before Oca spokesman said. tober 31 to avoid a third genThe European Couneral election in December. cil recently believed The Socialists, who are set the Spanish governto elect a new leader this ment was not doing month, could abstain from enough to eradicate the vote, allowing Rajoy to the problem of corassume power in a minority ruption, in particugovernment. lar dealing with the Caretaker PSOE leader Jaautonomous regions HE is one of the most unpopuvier Fernández insisted the and local town halls. lar figures in Gibraltarian hisPSOE’s 290-strong federal tory. committee, and not its 85 Offences Now, the fiercely controverMPs will decide whether to sial PP foreign minister Jose Describing corrupabstain. Manuel Garcia-Margallo is tion as ‘systemic’, it heading to Andalucia for highlighted how in crunch talks on the region. 2011 alone there were The outspoken minister is set 1,754 individual casto meet Andalucia leader Sues relating to urban sana Diaz in the Campo de Giplanning offences. braltar area on October 18. A further 5,000 cases He wants Diaz to back his of corruption spanjoint-sovereignty plan, as he ning over 600 mucontinues to link the issue to nicipalities were reBrexit. ported between 1996 HOPEFUL: Rajoy and 2009. It has now suggested each political party carry out and publish an independent annual audit in a bid PODEMOS leader Pablo and military, at which to improve transparall the other leaders Iglesias has again boyency. will be in attendence. cotted an annual The Spanish themselves will not be sur“Democratic reprereception hosted prised with the rulsentatives aren’t by King Felipe. ing, with 95% of them there to eat canaIglesias deperceiving corruption pes and drink clined the as a widespread probchampagne,” King’s invitalem and a part of their insisted the tion to attend daily lives. anti-cortomorrow's celruption ebration of the Opinion Page 6 leader. country’s flag

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News IN BRIEF

Green light signalled THE Gibraltar Parliament has given the green light for the establishment of a new Select Committee on the effects of Brexit.

Here for all CHILDLINE Gibraltar has vowed to expand its services after revealing half of its callers are adults who have struggled to deal with child abuse.

Bobby drive MORE than 270 application packs were distributed in the first week of the Royal Gibraltar Police’s latest recruitment drive.

Odds checker THE UK’s decision to implement a 15% consumption tax on offshore gambling operations will be reviewed by the EU Court of Justice this month.

‘Immoral’ MoD job cuts could raise unemployment by 50%

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Shot in the foot

POLITICIANS and Unite the union have rounded on ‘immoral’ Ministry of Defence (MoD) job cuts. They have slammed a decision to lay off 85 staff, which could see the number of jobless on the Rock soar by more than 50%. Fabian Picardo has called on the MoD to re-

By Joe Duggan

Brexit could have on Gibraltar, particularly in terms of ‘long-term’ strategic needs. consider plans to cut civilian posts by 15%, “We will continue to work to ensure we proseriously adding to unemployment figures, tect jobs, rights and the long-term interests which stand at around 160 people. of Gibraltar,” he added. The Chief Minister said it was ‘wrong to Meanwhile, opposition leader Daniel proceed’ without considering the effect that Feetham has lashed out at the ‘immoral’ cuts so soon after the Brexit vote, which has caused the ‘most difficult moment in our political history’. “This has created significant uncertainty and poteners momentum, then we shall tial economic problems for seriously consider standing as a Gibraltar,” he said. new team for the next elections." Commander of British One policy believed to be under Forces Gibraltar, Comconsideration is the possibilmodore Mike Walliker, ity of a two-tier political system called the plans last separating municipal politics week ‘as good an outfrom state-of-the nation matters come as we could have like Brexit. hoped for’. Hassan Nahon, who is daughStaff at risk will be inter of former Chief Minister formed after a consultation Parliament for four months, and Sir Joshua Hassan, is set to be period ends on November I think it's time for me to begin named on parliament’s seven2, although the MoD insists the process of considering the strong Brexit select committee cuts ‘will be achieved by volfuture of my career in politics,” which was given the green light untary means’. she said. last week. However trade union Unite “There are other people out In September, the popular questioned the MOD’s there who share my beliefs MP was the subject of a foulclaims that the cuts would and convictions, and we are in mouthed verbal attack in parbe voluntary. discussions to develop a 'team liament by Education Minister “In our view this equates strategy' and approach to poli- Gilbert Licudi, who eventually to a mass reduction distics.” apologised after telling Hassan guised as a voluntary Speaking over coffee, at Sacarel- Nahon to ‘get your fxxxxxx facts redundancy package,” a los, she added: “If the ball gath- right’. spokesperson said.

Team Marlene in progress EXCLUSIVE Interview by Joe Duggan

MARLENE Hassan Nahon is preparing to launch a new political movement in Gibraltar, it can be revealed. In a move that could rock the political establishment, the independent MP is in the early stages of creating a new political party. Hassan Nahon - who was elected to parliament in 2015’s general election - left the GSD in May citing a ‘toxic environment’ in Daniel Feetham’s party. Speaking to the Olive Press this week, Hassan Nahon confirmed she is actively gauging opinion among interested parties ahead of any manifesto announcements. "I've been an independent in

A sky-high squabble EUROPE’S aviation trade body has slammed the deadlock over Gibraltar’s airport credentials. Airports Council International Europe is calling for ‘swift, responsive and responsible’ action to sort out a stalemate that is delaying various aviation agreements. ACI Europe’s Director General, Olivier Jankovec, claims many deals - including one between the EU and Ukraine have been stalled now for three years due to the ‘Gibraltar issue’. “The Gibraltar deadlock means we are missing out on opportunities for growth and job creation that Europe so badly needs,” he said. “This is the case today with the EU-Ukraine aviation agreement which cannot be activated.” He added: “Next in line might be the EU-Brazil aviation agreement currently being finalised, which might well be blocked for the same reason.” Spain’s PP government argues that as Gibraltar is a ‘disputed territory’ it must be left out of the EU’s aviation agreements. Currently no deal can be struck while Spain disputes Gibraltar’s position on the council.

Return to the Rock THE University of Gibraltar’s first vice-chancellor has hailed a ‘landmark day’ for the Rock after she was installed at the institution. Professor Daniella Tilbury was installed along with new chancellor Lord Luce at an official ceremony last month. The university currently has 261 students from 13 countries, but has plans to extend the number of students to 1,000. For Gibraltarian Professor Tilbury, the new role has allowed her to return to the Rock after 30 years away in a career that has seen her work with UNESCO. “It’s a landmark day for the university and

personally for me it is a very emotional day,” Professor Tilbury told the Olive Press. “Being Gibraltarian and having a university in my homeland is a significant thing.” She previously served as a delegate at the UN’s CoP Climate Change meetings and UN Summits on Sustainable Development. “We are a new source of economic development for Gibraltar. It will have ripple effects across the community,” she said. She added: “We would like to set up a centre for maritime studies. With the department of education we will also be establishing teacher training on the Rock.”

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Layer of Cepsa campo oil spill slammed filth ENVIRONMENTALISTS have called for an independent review after a Cepsa oil spillage in Algeciras. Up to 2,500 litres of crude poured into the bay from opposite the refinery, with half a mile of El Rinconcillo beach covered in black oil.

By Laurence Dollimore

A BRITISH expat has launched a project to clean up the ‘layer of filth’ on Almeria’s Tabernas desert. Julian Phillips, 46, from Essex, says the region has become increasingly popular for tourists and filmmakers but its future is being undermined by an increase in fly-tipping and littering. “All the beauty is being hidden beneath a layer of filth,” he told the Olive Press, “from household refuse and rubble to unwanted electrical goods and dead animals in plastic bags.” Phillips is hoping to raise awareness and get more local support for the campaign. “It’s frustrating to see the lack of respect for nature shown by the locals,” he added, “and there has been a lack of action from the Town Hall too, who have not replied to any of my messages.” Phillips has created a Facebook page and arranged the first volunteer-led clean up for October 16. Volunteers will meet in the car park of the sports centre in Tabernas at 10am. “We are looking for anyone who is willing to help out, if they have tools, a 4x4 or van, a trailer all the better,” said Phillips. To be involved contact Julian Phillips on 666820257.

Green groups demand Mariano Rajoy ratifies Paris climate change deal ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners are urging Mariano Rajoy to ratify the Paris climate change agreement. In a joint statement, Friends of the Earth, Ecologists in Action and Greenpeace called on Spain’s acting prime minister to prioritise the landmark 2015 deal in Congress.

Rajoy signed the agreement on April, but it is yet to be ratified in Congress. By September, 61 countries, including USA, China and India had ratified the deal, which brings it a big step nearer to entering force. However, Spain’s political deadlock has prevented its parties from doing so.

THE world’s first gas-fuelled cruise ships could be docking in the Med within the next few years. Carnival Corporation, the biggest cruise operator on the planet, has commissioned two cruise ships that will run on

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liquefied natural gas (LNG) and sail across Europe and the western Mediterranean. “These will be exceptionally efficient ships, and the first ever to be powered by LNG, which shows our commitment to improving air qual-

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“We are one of the European states that is most vulnerable to the impact of climate change,” the letter said. “But at the same time we are one of the best positioned to fight it and adapt to a new economic model which creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs.” Rajoy’s PP and all Spain’s other major parties backed the Paris deal, which aims to fight climate change after 2020. The agreement aims to hold ity," says Tom Strang, senior the global temperature rise to vice president of Carnival ‘well below’ two degrees centiCorporation. grade. Oil giant Shell will provide the The ratification of internationLNG for the first two ships, al agreements by an interim which are expected to weigh Spanish government requires more than 180,000 tonnes a ‘special interest’ justification. each.

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need to be monitored from outside the industry. Penalties for any spill have to be of such magnitude as to cause a new and increased level of care and prevention within industry." There was no reported damage in Gibraltar waters.

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Cepsa has blamed the leak from the energy giant's monobuoy - used to help unload cargo from ships - on mechanical failure. A Gibraltar Environmental Safety Group spokesperson said: "Control of equipment, systems and prevention measures

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23/05/2016 14:28

RUMBLES: Quake fears

Eruption fears

EXPERTS are investigating Tenerife’s Mount Teide volcano after 92 micro earthquakes were recorded on Sunday. The quakes occurred as deep as 13km underground, prompting fears the volcano could soon explode. Investigators are also concerned by the ‘abnormal’ amount of carbon dioxide in the air, a key indicator that an eruption could be about to happen. The Volcanology Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan) said: “We are registering an important seismic rally on the island of Tenerife. “In principle, these earthquakes are very low magnitude, consistent with those that occur in active volcanoes. Mount Teide has been dormant since it last erupted in 1909, but its fragile formation makes it extremely unstable.

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AxaOctober rq 12th u i-aOctoberOctober 25th 2016 12th - 25th

Dog days are over FRIGILIANA mayor Jose Antonio Gonzalez Conejero has cancelled all future dog shows following a spike in complaints. It comes after the town’s annual dog show was heavily criticised for exposing the canines to unnecessary heat and for chaining them too tightly. Conejero said he had no choice but to cancel the future shows given the number of complaints, but insisted the event had fulfilled all legal requirements. He said dogs were cared for by their owners who made food and water available at all times. PAW-FUL: Show cancelled

Restaurant where gas explosion injured 90 people is under investigation for not having a licence

Explosion probe launched

AN investigation has been launched into the gas explosion which injured 90 people in Velez-Malaga. Local police and the town hall are trying to determine whether the incident was avoidable or if anyone is to blame. Mayor Antonio Ferrer confirmed that the restaurant at the centre of the explosion hasn’t held a licence since 2013. He added that a licence was last applied for in March 2013 to turn the premises into a burger bar but it had been denied. The establishment - which is usually closed

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- had opened for the day to assist with the large number of people at the La Bohemia bar next door during the town’s feria. Of the 90 people injured, four have been left with serious injuries including one man who needs an operation to save his eye. Ferrer also applauded the Moroccan cook who evacuated the area after noticing a gas canister on fire. He said: “If it wasn’t for the quick reactions of this woman the effect of the explosion could have been much worse.”

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Spotted... again!

Focus on future

I CAN’T believe that Kinahan associate Francis Delaney is still free (Spotted, issue 247). As correctly pointed out by the Olive Press, Irishman Delaney has been in the La Cala/ Mijas area for a long time. I saw him around two months ago strolling peacefully down the street near to Benalmadena Costa. He seemed a little on edge, I watched him stop traffic on the A7 then dash into the road and climb over the barrier in the middle of the traffic. When he caught me staring at him he shouted something at me in Spanish from across the road. It was all very strange.

IT is irrelevant to talk about the first 100 days since the referendum result because the UK is still a full member of the EU (100 days since Brexit vote, issue 249). You really need to focus on the first 100 days after Article 50 has been triggered. Cameron indicated that he would trigger A50 immediately after the referendum and all the predictions were based on that but it was all guess work because there is no precedent for leaving the EU and of course Cameron didn’t pull the trigger. Once article 50 has been triggered and we are locked into a tight two year negotiation period with no guarantee of an extension, the markets and employers will get very jittery particularly if we don’t finalise the trade deals in time and have to revert to WTO tariffs. My advice to anyone thinking of relocating is to get your ducks in a row, explore your options (Irish passport?) before the UK pulls up the drawbridge in mid-2019 and says ‘adios’ . Jane Garrett, Axarquia

Gabi Vela, Benalmadena

Stop moaning I STRUGGLE to feel any sympathy for the parents of four-year-old leg break victim Alfie Barton (Leg break horror, issue 248). Why will his parents not let the Spanish doctors fix his leg? It seems totally ludicrous - and abusive - to make him suffer the pain of traveling back to the UK. I cannot believe for one second that nobody at the hospital speaks English. That is rubbish. Add in the fact that she said he cannot eat the food in the hospital and I have a pretty clear picture of what this woman is really like. Some people just can’t help moaning for the sake of it. Frederick Pyatt, Alora

Attention Ambassador I ATTENDED an event with British Ambassador Simon Manley last month. Taking place at the X! Hay Festival, in Segovia, the Manley stated that the Brit-

Built on a stack of lies

THERE is nothing democratic about winning a referendum that was based on a pack of lies and I think the 100 days since have proven that the Leave campaign was built on mistruths. Boris, May, Fox and the rest of the dunderheads in office couldn’t negotiate their way out of a paper bag and they are all in favour of hard Brexit so I wouldn’t be too optimistic of the outcome if I were you. ish public voted to leave the European Union. I publicly invite the British Ambassador to correct this misinformation. The facts are, 51% of the British voters voted to leave the Union and 49% of voters voted to remain. However as reality is coming home thousands of ‘Leavers’ are realising they have been misinformed, misdirected and downright lied to spewed out principally by Conservative zealots. Historically, the majority of Conservatives have been anti European. The

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Number crunching

days of summer

The only certainty is uncertainty and it is like watching lemmings walking off a cliff. Steven Smith, Marbella

Little faith

AS put in the article the most important 100 days are most likely to be the next 100, especially if May is thinking of triggering article 50 in March. It is in the coming months that the UK will put its faith in Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and other bastions of international diplomacy to negotiate post-Brexit deals and shape the face of an independent UK. What ever could go wrong! Harry Alter, La Linea

zealots have grabbed the ‘passport’ the ‘Leavers’ have given them to pursue their own questionable political cause. Now, I invite Manley to publicly inform us of the true facts of the referendum vote and perhaps at the same time the true cost to the British Taxpayer to leave the European Union… to help him the cost will be in excess of £5,000 million....Does the Ambassador agree?

PM search

THE most important issue in Spain’s political turmoil is removing Rajoy from his corrupted seat. A coalition of PSOE and PP would be as odd as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn forming an alliance. Spain needs a true alternative and if it doesn’t get its act together, the military is always happy to provide their own!

Johnny Mack, Casares Costa

Stefano Lewinski, Marbella

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A NEW collection of celebrity portraits and nude photos has been released by Mariano Vivanco and features Antonio Banderas and Cristiano Ronaldo. Malaga-born actor Banderas is pictured sitting cross legged on a table as he stares deep into the camera lens, while

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Bosch job

A ‘ONCE in a lifetime’ Hieronymus Bosch exhibition has smashed visitor records at Madrid’s Prado Museum. So far, 600,000 art lovers have cast their eyes over the largestever collected body of works by EERIE: Female statue the Dutch artist. A FORMER womens’ prison The Olive Press Running from May to Septem- from the Franco era has been ber, The 5th Centenary Exhibi- transformed into an art galtion broke record forinthe TOPthe for news Spain! lery. most visitors at Spain’s top gal- La Carcel, Segovia Centro de lery. Creacion in Segovia, is now The previous most popular home to more than 20 art exhibition was a collection of projects, including paintings, works by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez which attracted over half a million visitors in 1990. In fact, demand was so strong that museum officials extended opening hours to as late as midnight on some weekends.

October 12th - October 25th 2016

what’s on

Baring all Real Madrid’s Ronaldo features with a close-up of his face from below. Vivanco, a photographing legend who has shot countless covers for GQ and Vogue, has

lcornocales, until October 15

pooled a collection of his best shots from the last ten years into his latest project, Portraits, Nudes, Flowers. Emma Watson and Naomi Campbell are also featured.

Behind bars

DEER rutting excursions, on foot, horseback or by car are being run for the first two weeks of October in collaboration with a number of local hotels. For more info email www.tugasa.com

erja, October 15

ANDALUCIA’S top pooches will be going paw to paw at the Nerja Scruffs Dog Show, with prizes available for puppies under one year. Entry is €5 per category or €12 for three categories

Franco-era jail hosts 20 art projects

sculptures, installations and film pieces. The exhibiting artists have all worked with the themes of

suffocation, isolation and resistance. One installation features a series of painted portraits of

Really stitched up USUALLY associated with grandmothers and lonely housewives, the public opinion of cross-stitching is being transformed in the capital. Blankets of floral patterns are being plastered around Madrid by hip Madrid street artist Raquel Rodrigo. Placed on the sides of buildings, Rodrigo’s massive artworks use fencing materials and thick rope while keeping the pixelated texture associated with crossstitching.

arbella, from October 21

women who lived in the prison and a sculpture of a distorted female figure partially covered in blackened sheets. The piece, named In rem scripta and located in one of the larger cells of the prison, is described as a tribute to the hunger strikes organised by the prisoners in the 1940s and 50s. The hallways and cells are adorned with projects exploring the notions of violence and loneliness. The exhibition, titled Galerias, will run until October 16.

ARTWORKS by Bilbao sculptor Jesus Hilera and landscape painter Andrés Rueda will be on display at the H10 hotel until November 16. For more info email art@artmoves.es

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AN exhibition of retrospective oil and wax artworks by Cordoban artist Emilio Sujar are on display at the cultural centre in Miraflores. For more info call 952 902 714

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Mura-culous

ESTEPONA has added another giant painting to its artistic murals route. The town hall has officially welcomed a 420m2 painting by Anula Mixtura entitled 6 Segundos de Oscuridad (Six Seconds of Darkness). Taking almost a month to complete, the new mural is printed on a building near Punta Doncella, and depicts a red lighthouse among choppy waters. It is the 34th mural to be added to the artistic route in Estepona, creTOWERING: New mural ated to promote cultural tourism.

The Olive Press Insider’s Guide

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Tower power MORE than 20,000 spectators gathered to watch the annual human tower competition in Tarragona. Some 32 teams compete in the Concurs de Castells in Catalonia, home of the sport since the 18th century. Teams carefully build their towers by placing their strongest and heaviest members at the base, arms interlocked, while the lightest and littlest climb to the top. A group from Vilafranca del Penedes won the contest for the eighth year in a row.

Child painter declared dead

There is a whole new way to discover Andalucia @allaboutandalucia @aboutandalucia @allaboutandalucia All about Andalucia

THE ‘child painter of Malaga’ has been declared dead, some 29 years after he went missing. Budding artist David Guerrero disappeared from his Malaga home at the age of 14, almost three decades ago. With no word or sighting of him since he left home on April 6, 1987, Guerrero’s missing person case has finally been put to bed. Relatives will now inherit money left to David by his father after his death last year. Surviving relatives had been unable to access their share of the inheritance as David was still technically

29 years after disappearing with his bus pass and paintbrushes, the search for the child painter of Malaga is called off

registered as one of the heirs. This situation has forced the family to request that David be formally declared dead, nearly 30 years after his disappearance. Information about the declaration were made public in a last-ditch attempt for clues about David’s disappearance. However, nobody came forwards and

previous investigations in Switzerland and Portugal have come to nothing. David received the nickname ‘child painter of Malaga’ after his painting, Christ of the Good Death, was hung in Malaga’s La Maison gallery. On the day of his disappearance, David walked out of the house taking only his art material and bus pass.

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HE saucy pastime of a womanising duke is catching on in a new South London restaurant opened this summer. Hailed ‘the city’s first and only naked dining experience’, The Bunyadi invites patrons to enjoy its menu of raw food by going rawhide themselves. The 42-seater ‘clothing optional’ pop-up has a waiting list of 25,000 customers champing at the bit to banquet in the buff. Seriously! And had the raunchy Duke de Richelieu (1715-1788) been alive today, he too would be itching to plonk his bare butt on a banquette and join in the fun. Well, he was French. The daring duke was known throughout the Spanish Balearic Islands as a bon vivant. Biographers have described him as ‘a womaniser - a man of exceptionally loose morals, with a deplorably defective education’. And, for some inexplicable reason, the epicurean aristocrat had the odd habit of inviting his guests to dine in the nude. Yet these same biographers concede he was a very effective military leader. And he has another claim to fame. In celebrating a military victory at Mahon, capital of Menorca, the duke’s cook (presumably not naked as food was cooked over fire in those days) prepared a celebratory feast. Realising he was short of dairy products after the lengthy military siege, he substituted olive oil and garlic for cream and added whipped egg yolks. The duke loved it and a new culinary creation was born. He named the new sauce ‘Mahonaise’ after Mahon, the site of his

October 12th - October 25th

The naked truth about mayo As foodies strip off for a nude dining, Jack Gaoini reveals how eating naked hit the Balearics 300 years ago and may have led to invention of mayonnaise

OLD TRADITION: Mayo in the nude victory at the Battle of Menorca. Thereafter, the duke’s guests often savoured this saucy dressing while remaining undressed themselves, and Spanish gastronomes have proudly proclaimed ‘mayonesa’ to be a true Spanish creation. French food experts tell a different story, however … Bayonne, France, a resort town on the Basque Atlantic coast, has a long tradition of exquisite sauces. One centuries-old

local favourite called ‘bayonnaise’ is much like traditional mayonnaise with the addition of pimento peppers and a dash of cognac. ‘Mayonnaise’, claim the French, is simply a linguistic corruption of ‘bayonnaise’. Other French historians claim the condiment receives its name from the Old French words ‘moyeunaise’ or ‘moyeu’, meaning egg yolk. French chefs have long defended the claim that the popular sauce is an

epicurean creation of their own. While the origins of mayonnaise may be of importance to Spanish and French chefs, food critics and restaurateurs, medical science has added a new dimension to the story. When applied topically to the hair, mayonnaise is extremely effective in combatting head lice-- a malady that infects hundreds of millions each year. The secret lies in the cocktail of ingredients which, when applied in concert, has a proven record of effectiveness. The oil’s viscosity ‘suffocates’ live adult lice while the vinegar (or lemon juice kill the larvae.

Experience

It’s not just an old wives’ tale. No less than the Minnesota Department of Health in America has proclaimed mayonnaise preferable to ‘harsh pesticideladen shampoos’ and ‘an effective natural treatment that uses several remedies right from Mother Nature.” The Duke of Richelieu would be delighted to know that his Mahon mayonnaise is nothing if not versatile. We put it on fish (tartar sauce), on French fries (popular in the Netherlands); on eggs (hollandaise sauce) and add fruit and walnuts to make Waldorf salad. The list is endless … It’s even going down a storm at The Bunyadi restaurant which has received rave reviews for its natural foods and healthy vegan and non-vegan menus. One review especially liked the restaurant’s ‘white spirulina mayonnaise sauce’…. My guess is, the duke would most certainly approve.

October 12th - October 25th 2016

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All about Vol. 10

Issue 250

uadalhorce

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October 12th - October 25th 2016

alley

1919 19

June 26 - July 9 2014

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Valley of plenty

A food truck fiesta reminds Laurence Dollimore that the settlements of the Guadalhorce Valley have fed, watered and fascinated visitors since Roman times

THERE’S always something happening here,” says Amanda Owen Jones. “We love it because the area is so traditional but it also has its modern touches, it’s like the old meeting the new.” The smitten 54 year old is talking about Coin, the unassuming and quintessentially Andalucian capital of the Guadalhorce Valley – a winding green corridor hemmed in by mountains linking eight white municipalities like pearls on a necklace. Coin – pronounced ‘co-een’ – has been coining it in from its cornucopia of agricultural produce and precious marble since the Romans set it up as the market town of Lacibis, some 2,000 years ago. Today vintage churches and pastel apartment buildings that wouldn’t look out of place in Paris meet modern bars and cafes and the large 45,000m2 La Trocha shopping centre. Continues on next Page

SPLENDOUR: The recently renovated Castillo de Monda lords itself over the nearby town and (inset) Roman columns in Alhaurin

PHOTO BY JON CLARKE

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uadalhorce Valley

Villages waiting to be explored From previous Page

A weekend food truck festival was in full swing when I pitched up at the centre, where you will find the likes of Dunnes stores and other chains. A garish yellow American school bus, rigged with a booming sound system and a stage for live performances, marked the entrance to this pop-up feast lining the main square. There were burgers and pizzas, American hot dogs and Asian wok dishes, cocktails and ice cream. Families dressed to the nines came in their droves to eat, drink and laugh the night away with friends. “And this is nothing compared to some of the other events here,” says Amanda, who flits back and forth between Coin and Wales with hubby Trefor, 60. “We always do New Year here, when 4,000 people fill the streets in fancy dress, it’s absolutely amazing.” The couple have owned a house in the nearby hills for a decade, some 20 minutes walk from the centre, getting the best of both worlds. “We are not really Marbella people, we like things quiet but we also like to have a good time, which is why it’s great here,” says Trefor. “It’s family-orientated and safe and there is always something exciting going on.” Indeed, the food trucks wouldn’t have looked too out of place in Roman Lacibis on market day. As well as being the Romans and later Moors’ fruit and veg basket, Coin was a transition point for the minerals being quarried five kilometres to the south, in the Sierra Blanca. Marble from these quarries was used to construct the amazing Roman town of Italica, near

GLORIOUS: Church tower in Yunquera, Arab tower in Alora (above, right) and Coin fountain Sevilla, birthplace of the mighty Emperor Hadrian in 76AD. But like many parts of Spain, Coin fell to the Moors in the 900s before being reconquered by the Christians in the late 15th century. The city buckled under the pressure of a siege in which, according to legend, the great New World explorer Christopher Columbus took part. Four centuries later, a certain Captain S.E. Cook of the Royal Navy visited Coin and the surrounding towns of the Guadalhorce valley and was clearly as impressed as residents today. “These villages are on rising ground above the river and, in beauty of situation and cultivation, cannot be excelled,” he wrote.

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“They afford a specimen of the whole country when possessed by the Moors, being surrounded by gardens with orange, lemon and palm trees.” Every town in the valley sprouts different varieties of fruit trees - living motifs to represent their valley of plenty. Alhaurin el Grande to the east was described by the Romans as being blessed by the gods for its fertility, minerals and sunny climate. The bustling town, carved into the Sierra de Mijas, has had quite the tumultuous history. After the Romans, the Visigoths descended, and then the Moors who brought it up to date, built a fort to keep enemies out and changed its Roman name from Lauro Nova to the more appropriate Alhaurin, meaning Garden of Allah.

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Like the Romans before them, they linked it to another neighbouring community by name, distinguishing the two townships as Alhaurin el Grande (The Great) and Alhaurin de la Torre (of the Tower). Alhaurin the Great lived up to its name, seeing off waves of invaders, epidemics of plague and even an earthquake in 1680. During the Peninsula War of 1808-14, it was occupied for four years by French troops and suffered considerable bombardment. It is even more remarkable, then, that traces of its ancient past still survive. A 12th century Moorish archway remains firmly in place while the Plaza del Ayuntamiento displays five Roman columns excavated close by. From the plaza you get an amazing bird’s eye views of the valley. Combined with narrow streets and colourful terraces, you can’t help but feel you’ve discovered the Spain every visitor comes to find. “You can live in a beautiful and authentic setting while being just 30 minutes from the coast,” says Antonio Alvarez, an Alhaurin-born Spaniard. “If you want a taste of the real Spain this is where you come, it’s so peaceful and there’s such a community spirit, which is getting harder and harder to find these days. “Things are also a lot cheaper up here,” he adds. Take a ride out og Coin heading north and you will soon be haeding into the pretty villages that line the stunning Sierra de la Nieves natural park. Take your pick from Tolox or Casarabovela, or Yunquera and Alozaina for wonderful mountain scenert and walks. The most isolated town is El Burgo which sits in its own hidden valley a few kms east of Ronda. From here you can take the most boneshaking windy pass to Ronda, or head north to Ardales. Nowhere is that authentic Spanish flavour more piquant than in Alora, a typical pueblo blanco that shines like a white light on the mountain. Set between three rocky spurs and topped

with an ancient castle, Alora is known as the ‘Crown of the Guadalhorce’ and its most famous resident – Cervantes, who allegedly lived here from 1587-93 – is practically royalty in Spain. First built by the Phoenicians, expanded under the Romans, almost obliterated by the Visigoths and rebuilt by the Moors, Alora is still reeling from the shock of yet another invasion – tourists. They come, these days, in their thousands for one reason: to take the Caminito del Rey challenge. Once known as the world’s most dangerous walkway, the ‘King’s Little Path’ has become the biggest attraction in the valley and is known all over the world. Built into limestone rock face, the three-kilometre route offers heart-stopping views as it crosses the Gaitanes gorge over the river, a giddy 100 metres below. It reopened last year following four years of extensive repairs and renovations, and is now attracting adrenalin junkies from Tokyo to Timbuktu who are looking for their next kick or daredevil selfie. The architectural marvel has just been awarded a €10 million cash injection from the European Union to help bolster the attraction and its surrounding villages. The reservoirs in the region around El Chorro - also draw tourists to the ‘Malaga Lake District’, as it has become known. With crystal blue waters and plenty of secluded spots along the shore to lay out your towel and picnic, it’s the perfect alternative to a day on a crowded Costa del Sol beach. Waterside restaurants keep the spot popular in winter too, with blazing log fires and barbecues offering a warming welcome after a bracing walk around the lake shores. If you’re looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the coast, the authentic white villages of the Guadalhorce valley are within easy reach and waiting to be explored.

RESIDENTS: Antonio and friends and Jones (right) while (above) Alhaurin church

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Andalucia’s own ‘bread basket

THE Guadalhorce Valley is 804km2 in size, and home to around 150,000 permanent residents, while many more own second homes there. It has always been known for its citrus production, with orange and lemon plantations stretching out in every direction from the valley’s towns. Of the eight municipalities, Coin is the biggest. But towns such as Alhaurin El Grande, Alora and Cartama are also immensely popular with expats. While first colonised by the Romans, it was the Moors who have had the largest influence on the area. Everywhere there is evidence of their work, which tamed the tumbling streams into irrigation systems and brought fertility to the

whole of the valley. But while the region has been termed one of the bread-baskets of Andalucia since Roman times, the locals have long struggled with fluctuating rainfall, which can still bring devastating floods to the whole of the valley or leave the land parched for months on end.

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22 22 22 www.theolivepress.es 22 22 ll about

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uadalhorce Valley

Valley life

Moving inland BUILDING a rural retreat to escape to at weekends opened up a new business opportunity for property professional Richard Woodland. After moving to Spain almost 15 years ago, he initially worked for H2O Countrywide as an IT manager before setting up the Property Overseas Group, which concentrated on property sales along the coast. “Having spent several years living in Marbella I was then attracted to the inland lifestyle and energy so I bought some land and constructed my own finca in Coin,” explains Richard. “Initially this was intended as a weekend retreat, but it wasn’t long before I’d moved in permanently and then started my next building project in Monda”. He soon gained experience of the country property market and, alongside his coastal operation, he now has a thriving inland office in Coin. Richard works closely with local architects, lawyers,

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Properties are selling like hotcakes in the Guadalhorce Valley as more and more Brits seek a taste of ‘the real Spain’

IN THE KNOW: Richard

gardeners and builders, such as Coín Gardens, to provide a complete property service in the area. Situated opposite La Trocha commercial centre in Coin, Property Overseas Group deals with sales and rentals in the town & its neighbouring villages of Monda, Guaro, Tolox & Alhaurin el Grande. Contact Richard on 952 814 780 or visit www. propertyoverseasgroup. com

HE sun is still shining on the bright pueblo blancos of the Guadalhorce valley. From expansive fincas in the hills to pastel-coloured townhouses in the villages, the property market is reaping the rewards for offering a sought-after quality; a life in the real Spain. “It is incredibly busy right

now,” says David Laver, owner of Ideal Country, who has been selling ‘lifestyles’ in the valley for the past 10 years. “People are buying a new life,” he says, “They want a serious change and are attracted by the fact that all the great bars and restaurants stay open after the summer season. “It is an all year-round community with great schools and healthcare, so it is always going to be attractive.” And the prices help too. “Your money goes a lot further up here than down on the coast,” says Jo Wood, co-director of Grapevine Properties. “You can probably get a detached property with a private pool for the same amount as an apartment on the coast, which is only a 20 minute drive away.” Demand is so high in the

FOR SALE: Property Group Overseas, €775,000, Alhaurin

valley that Jo admits she is scrambling to find more properties for her clients. “We have made a lot of sales this summer so we are looking for both big houses in the hills and the smaller town houses in the villages, but we never fail

to find a house for our clients.” And it’s not a strictly British affair, with many clients coming from elsewhere in Europe. “We have a strong English base but right now we are seeing an increase in dutch

Business as usual IT has been an exciting year for Alora’s leading agent Margaret Mitchell. The boss of Alora Properties, who has been based in the area for 18 years, has had another fantastic year since moving to their new office last December. Setting up just a few doors along from the former office, Alora Properties is going from strength-to-strength. “We’ve had a great year,” Scot Margaret explains. “So far Brexit doesn’t seem to be affecting us and sales are good. “We have moved offices but it is business as usual and we are working hard.” But things have not always be such smooth sailing. Between 2008 and 2012, Margaret saw 12 agencies close in the area as Spain was slow to get out of the economic crisis. But things have turned around and are continuing to be on the up. “The area is popular as ever,” Margaret says. “With the opening of the Caminito del Rey, a lot of business is coming to nearby towns such as El Chorro and that is good for buying or selling property.” With properties across the Guadalhorce Valley, Alora Properties also collaborates with agents in England and Belgium as well as the Costa del Sol. For more information visit www.alora.properties

HARD-WORKING: Alora team

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uadalhorce Valley

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Tall story IS it a castle? Is it a folly? Or a piece of redundant scenery from a movie set? The origin of the brick tower standing tall on the hillside above Alhaurin, has been the subject of heated debate, for years. Many thought it was a Medieval castle, rumours did the rounds that the Moors built it and there were even whispers that it was a glorified tourist information cen-

FOR SALE: Grapevine Properties, Alhaurin, €368,000

clients,” says Jo, who has been selling in the valley for ten years “But we have so many different nationalities, Italian, German, Scandinavian, everyone in Europe appreciates what is on offer here, beautiful greenery, outstanding views, its very own Lake District and a priceless traditional Spanish neighbourhood.” Even Brexit was unable to put a chink in the armour of this property magnet. “It has not made a single difference in the market,” claims David. “Most people want to move to the valley long-term and so to them it is not about making money or having a holiday home for two weeks in the year, and that’s how you are guaranteed a

FOR SALE: Ideal Properties, Alhaurin el Grande, €795,000

CASTLE IN THE SKY: In Alhaurin

FOR SALE: Grapevine Properties, Alhaurin el Grande, €1.95m

friendly and inclusive community.” And property veteran Richard Woodland agrees. “It has definitely bounced back from Brexit,” says Richard, 50, who has owned Coin-based Property Overseas for the past eight

years. “Things have recovered niceley and have picked up from a more uncertain summer, but you will always have the interest here because of the value for money and accessibility to the coast.”

October 12th - October 25th 2016

tre. Some people even remember it from the opening credits to the ill-fated BBC soap opera, Eldorado. Now the Olive Press can settle the score once and for all by definitively reveal it was built as a water tower, cunningly disguised as an ancient castle to fit in with the region’s surroundings. Although it turns out it was a bit of a folly after all - constructed to provide irrigation water for a golf course that never happened.

24 24 24 www.theolivepress.es 24 ll about

October 12th - October 25th 2016

uadalhorce Valley How long does it take to climb two of Malaga’s tallest mountains and row across its celebrated lake district? Just the one back-breaking, breath-taking day, discovers Jon Clarke

FTER scrambling heroically to the top of one of Malaga’s highest peaks, I was more than ready to toast our success and call it a day. But despite providing stunning panoramic views, a fleeting opportunity to forget the stresses of life and the chance to negotiate some tough, almost virgin, mountain terrain, the Two Peaks and a Paddle trail does not offer a cable-car back to the start. With hindsight I’m glad, because although the summit was stunning, it was only the beginning. We hadn’t even had breakfast yet. To rewind, we had been invited to climb two 1000-metre plus mountains and row five km across a lake in the stunning El Chorro region. It’s not an official route, but we were told it was one of the best. The only catch was that it all had to be done in one backbreaking, awe-inspiring 17-hour day.

PHOTOS BY JON CLARKE

Scramble

LONG WALK: Setting off to the other side and (above, right) paddling on lake

Therefore, the crucial aspect of the trail is timing. The first peak must be reached in time to enjoy the sunrise and the second must be triumphantly conquered to enjoy the same day’s sunset. We met our guide Martin Levien in Ardales at 5am. He ensured the pace was brisk and our four-strong group had to scramble to the top of the first mountain La Huma, which towers over the lake district below in around two hours. A word of warning to would-be trekkers – I highly recommend wearing trousers, even in hot weather, as the army of thistles will have their evil way with your shins – a lesson I learnt the hard way. We quickly realised as we ascended the mountain that our grand plan to reach the summit as the sun rose would be largely scuppered by a band of uncharacteristic grey clouds. Yet, after a strenuous scramble, our spirits were anything

Two pea and a p but dampened by the low-lying cloud that greeted us when we arrived. It was a surprisingly cold morning at the summit which meant we were thankful for having brought precautionary jumpers, woolly hats and rain jackets. Martin, the keen organiser, had the inspiration to bring a flask of hot coffee accompanied by a generous amount of chocolate. This was the first real break for two hours and when the clouds occasionally parted we had the most breathtaking views over the unspoilt beauty that Andalucia can offer. The descent back down was easily more challenging

than the jou While Mart slope, my t amusing th progress. But in bet awestruck ered over u The sun w tween the small part point to wa

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October 12th - October 25th 2016

aks paddle

ourney up. tin - in his late 50s - practically ran down the technique consisted of falls, trips and skids, he group and holding up their more assured

tween my regular stumbles I was still left k by the surrounding mountains that towus. would intermittently break out from bee clouds to send rays of divine light onto ts of the landscape. We stopped at one atch a partridge with her chicks and then

BEGINNING IN SIGHT: Martin points to start (right)

stumbled across an ancient cave house. As Martin explained, this was a practically forgotten path, which crisscrossed ravine and dale en route to our breakfast stop at restaurant El Mirador beside Lake Guadalhorce. After a few tough hours of tackling slippery slopes and biting shrubs we eventually arrived at the El Conde de Guadalhorce dam, near the once forbidden Caminito del Rey begins. The bright blue river gushing 100m below and stunning vertical cliff faces are a wondrous sight and signalled the first third of the day was complete, so we celebrated with a hearty

and much-needed breakfast of bacon and egg blings about some of us stopping our day here. But a butties. bit of geeing up later and we quickly agreed to embark After a short break to recharge our batteries we on the final challenge at 7pm. carried our canoes, which were conveniently wait- Our weary legs eventually set off to conquer Mt Caparaing at the cafe, down to the lake side. You can also in, which looms some 1,300 metres above sea level. easily rent canoes from the cafe (and a few other We determinedly soldiered up the much gentler, betnearby spots). ter maintained and marked mountain And then, with consummate timing, path that twisted and turned towards the sun came out for good as we the summit. With an almighty began to row lazily across the tranAs dusk descended we reached a plaquil lake, which stretches for miles, teau that was adjacent to the elusive push we fought all the way to Ardales, our destinapeak we had been striving to conquer past the remaining all day. tion. Having suffered a few hairy moments rocks to arrive at our With an almighty push we fought past on the earlier hike, the canoes herthe remaining rocks and bramble to promised land alded the arrival of a very welcome arrive at our promised land - just in relaxed stage to the day. time to witness the sun pass behind After a good two-hour row we arrived low-lying cloud! at our landing point, complete with Martin’s jeep With now customary timing Martin fished out some ready and waiting for us to load up and head onto a still cold beers from his rucksack and we toasted the late lunch at the simple La Cantina, also by the lake. Two Peaks and a Paddle Trail... one of Andalucia’s very A few beers in, I must confess there were serious rum- best. And that’s saying something.

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Fabulous apartment located in the centre of town. With shops, bars and restaurants on the doorstep this property could not be better located.

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White-washed and wonderful

WAY from the hustle and bustle of vibrant Coin and Alhaurin, a sleepy, white-washed Andalucian pueblo sits waiting to be explored. Despite keeping its fascinating history to itself with unwarranted modesty, Alora has blossomed into a hive of cultural activity. Marked out by its stunning Arabic castle atop Cerro de las Torres hill, the sprawling streets are brought to life through Moroccan and Roman influences before them. However, the castle is even older and was originally built by Phoenicians, before being expanded under Roman rule. And later destroyed by Visigoths in the fifth century before the Moors finally came and rebuilt it. The Muslim minaret is still clearly visible today, protruding defiantly from the elegant and immaculately preserved castle. Built in 1462, from local history expert and museum worker, Maria Jose says. “You can see evidence of all the different ages of the castle, it is so interesting and such a shame that so few people come and see it.” It is a wonderful place to visit, but

Unashamedly modest, travel back in time in alluring Alora

HISTORIC: Castle

unfortunately the castle is not often open to the public. A short walk down narrow traditional streets leads to the town’s lowestlying square. Here stands the impressive 17th century Catholic church of La Encarnacion, which somehow appears to be even larger on the inside. Adjoining the church is the municipal museum, complete with ancient pottery, historical displays and intense mustiness. It is a Mudejar construction dating from the 16th century and supported by stone pillars and columns. “Alora is such a wonderful town, there

is so much culture to see in the artists, history and of course, the best food in the region is here,” explains local tour operator Kora Buggel, who is hoping to organise tours of the castle and village. Hidden right in the heart of the town is an old molino, where olive oil was traditionally produced but it is now used for the occasional concert. Various small museums and bars have sprung up in the centre since the turn of the century, as this town continues its legacy as one of the most important settlements in the Guadalhorce Valley. It is certainly a fairly bustling place, much busier than most of the valley’s pueblos. One of the highlights is the small bodega belonging to José Miguel Pérez Hidalgo, which produces a range of wines from the Guadalhorce Valley’s vineyards, and offers tasting sessions to organised groups. At the foot of the hill on which Alora rests is a railway station, and it was here, just three years ago, where the

October 12th - October 25th 2016

houses were struck by a terrible flood, killing livestock and destroying homes. From the castle it is easy to see where the river ripped apart a bridge, separating Barriada Estacion from neighbouring Barriada del Puente. David McGovern, owner of Manhattan bar opposite Alora train station, recalls the water flooding all of the surrounding buildings, reaching metres high. “It was awful, several people lost all of their possessions and were left homeless for 18 months,” he said. “I gave my Nike trainers to a man who lives just across the river from us, and he’s still wearing them now!” But the area has recovered and risen again, with hourly trains bringing visitors up to the town from Malaga. And those who travel when the sun goes down continue to be treated to one of Alora’s most stunning sites. The castle, lit up like a halo, is utterly alluring at night… A IMPRESSIVE: 17th Century church sight not to be missed.

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uadalhorce Valley

Castle in the sky

ARTAMA castle at night is a magical juxtaposition of ancient and modern. The crumbling hilltop remains are bathed in floodlights at night, recently installed by the Town Hall. Even in daylight, no other vantage point in the vicinity offers such far-reaching views of the Guadalhorce Valley.

Crumbling remains on top of Cartama’s hilltop offers a trip back in time

Cartama spreads out below, at the head of the Guadalhorce river, where a restored iron bridge connects the town with its train station. A rocky path zig-zags up from the main square to the castle, meandering beneath shady pine trees, with benches placed at intervals for much-needed breathers. At the top stands a pretty shrine to the town’s patron

Money matters

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saint - the Ermita de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios. Built in the 17th century on top of the original 15th century building, the sanctuary was restored as re-

cently as 2007. Inside you can still see the ornate ceiling with its crystal chandelier, the elaborate decoration contrasting with the spartan wooden benches that seat the congregation. Above the shrine are the remains of the 10th century Moorish castle. The crumbling walls are all that’s left of the impenetrable fortress that originally boasted ten watchtowers, but the views are still to die for.

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uadalhorce Valley

WHERE TO EAT

ITH a fabulous range of local produce it is no surprise you can eat well in the Guadalhorce Valley. One of its true stars though is Jaap Schaafsma, 30, at the Castillo de Monda (www.castillodemonda.com), who wouldn’t be out of place in Marbella and indeed spent many years cooking in some of the best restaurants back home in Holland. It is definitely a welcome return for the friendly Dutchman, who previously cooked up a storm at the popular nearby Santa Fe restaurant in Coin, before heading home to the Netherlands for a few years. He has definitely come back stronger and his small team is creating one of the most exciting menus I have tried this year in Andalucia and will deservedly appear in our sister website www. diningsecretsofandalucia.com when it relaunches later this month. Combining a range of styles from around

There’s a decent mix of places to eat in the Guadalhorce Valley, writes Jon Clarke

Grubs up the world, there is a fabulous take on cerviche, with seabass, coriander and grapefruit and a superb salmon sashimi. Doffing his hat at local dishes too there are quails in bacon, chives and honey and a rack of lamb with aubergine and tarragon.

But also expect plenty of vegetarian dishes and salads, while his vanilla creme brulee with orange sorbet left me with a smile on my face. For another amazing dining spot head to Finca La Mota (www.fincalamota. com) on the outskirts of Alhaurin, which

DREAM TEAM: Jaap (centre) from Castillo de Monda

sits in its own secret valley. Also Dutch owned, you dine on a candle-lit terrace at night surrounded by mature pine, orange and avocado trees. A classic rural idyll, the diners are spoilt with a great mix of international dishes, with a slant on the oriental, Moroccan

and Thai. Its best offering is an amazing starter or main course of red king prawn, which is as succulent as lobster and comes care of owner Kees, new company Norcrab (see below). Meanwhile you must try herring on brown bread, the the chicken satay and a splendid ‘zarzuela’, which has a top mix of shellfish, rosada and lanisland sauce, they arrived from Norway having been goustines. cooked and then frozen. The Thai prawn and The business norcrab.es has been so successful that it chicken curry came in has now expanded into quality naturally smoked salmon red, green or yellow deand other fishy delights. pending on your preferHe and his son Reuben have invested in a van ence for spice. The apple and are now delivering up and down the Costa strudel was a sure fire del Sol. winner to end the meal. “We have no idea it was going to take off,” adds If you are looking for GalKees (left with chef). “But it definitely has.” lic flair then look out for The pair are now gearing up for Christmas stalwart El Postillon which they expect to be busy. (www.elpostillon.com), “We have the large size Norwegian King Crab where you eat on a fan(5L) and we can deliver to your home at €52 tastic terrace overlooking per kg.” a leafy garden and with For more information visit norcrab.es or views into the nearby Sicall 609301035 erra de Mijas.

A fishy Cottage industry

ENTERPRISING: Reuben and Kees

ALWAYS looking for a new way to keep his regulars happy, Kees de Cock jumped at the opportunity to serve up red king crabs from the north of Norway. And so impressed were his clients at Finca la Mota, in Alhaurin, last year, that he decided to set up a company to import the huge crustaceans, via a client, a fisherman, who has a holiday home nearby. “This chap has been fishing them deep from the ocean for years and reckoned we should give it a try here,” explains Kees, a former Spanish and Moroccan tour guide. “They are better than lobster and they went down so well we decided to set up a company to import them.” Served up as a starter with rose

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WHERE TO STAY

You will be spoilt by the cooking from Xavier Sierra, who after working in his parents’ restaurant in France and studying at the best cooking school in Bordeaux packed up his kitchen utensils and headed to Spain 20 years ago. “I am passionate about cooking and I want to share that passion,” he says. “Cooking is my life. My parents owned a restaurant and I was all but born in a kitchen.” As one would expect his foie gras is excellent, as is his lovely seafood ‘gratin’ with prawns and scallops, not to mention a fresh sea bream. Over in Coin, you must look out the adventurous and highly romantic, Bohemia restaurant. The owner Pedro Trillo has incredible talent both for his interior design, food and original tapestries which line the walls. His food is classic soul food with a heavy emphasis on vegetables and, in particular, I loved the aubergines layered with salmon, parmesan, chives, caviar and cherry tomatoes. The courgettes stuffed with goat’s cheese were amazing too and the portions are of an excellent size. Finally, also in Coin, check out Casa Paco which has an amazing range of fresh fish and seafood and has been running since 1985 with current owner Juan starting to work there at the ripe old age of 16. A livewire, he works extremely hard and this is one of the genuine ‘dining secrets’ of Andalucia. The hot conchas finas are incredible, while the razor shells are as fresh as could be.

Valley of dreams T The region is full of charming rural retreats, writes Jon Clarke

HERE are some amazing places to Taken over by three talented Dutchmen, stay in the Guadalhorce Valley, where the place not only counts on spacious bedpeace and mountain landscapes rooms, replete with four poster beds, jacuzzi merge. baths and private terraces, but it also has One of the best established is Finca la a spa. Mota (www.fincalamota.com), in Alhaurin Best of all, one of the trio, Jaap Schaafsma, el Grande, that was once one of the biggest who is in charge of the kitchen, has worked estates in the entire valley. among Holland’s best restaurants, a few of The 350-year-old farmhouse them with Michelin star status. sits in its own secret valley, surLooking for somewhere up in the rounded by stunning countrytrue hills, away from the madside and with views to match. dening crowd, then few places Run by Dutchman Kees and his beat Cortijo la Pura (www.bedtwo sons Reuben and Danny, breakfast-cortijo-lapura.es). you enter into a classic patio In the hills above Alozaina and Andaluz with a huge pool and Casarabonela, this beautiful its own terrace restaurant. place, over 200 years old in age, Inside it is charming with comsits in total silence, and counts fortable rooms and a separate on wonderful grounds and views. dining area. A lovely shady pool Run by a worldly well travelled and views to match make up Dutch couple, it has four well apthe scene. pointed rooms, each with miniBest of all, it has a highly rated STUNNING: La Pura and bars, air conditioning and terrestaurant, perfect for shady (below) Castillo de Monda races. Plus three nights a week dining by day and charming atyour hosts cook an evening meal mospheric dinners at night. for guests. Fancy staying in a castle? Well And finally close to Coin, look out now you have a chance followfor Finca La Luna Azul (www.laing the amazing renovation of luna-azul.eu), which has recently the soaring Castillo de Monbeen taken over by a couple of da (www.castillodemonda. friendly Germans, from Hamcom). burg, who love their horse riding Not just lording over the village and Harleys, the perfect mix. of Monda, but the entire valley, It’s a splendid good value B&B with mountain views in all diwith guests having a chance to rections, it is little surprise that ride horses, go on nearby hikes, it has been nearly fully booked or simply hang out by the fabusince opening in the Spring. lous pool.

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SOUTHERN SPAIN DAMP PROOFING

T SS DP

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ll about

HEY come from as far as Cyprus and Italy to learn how to groom dogs by Rachel Goutorbe. With an international reputation spanning over two decades, it is perhaps little surprise. Her thriving business Posh Pets, which she runs with husband Les, literally treats its guests that is, its pampered pooches and cats better than most human “ hotels”. The fortunate pets that end up getting groomed here, or who come to stay, come from as far as Nerja and Gibraltar, and end up looking squeaky clean with big smiles on their faces. “They absolutely love it in here, running around playing together, their tails wagging,” explains Rachel, who has been running the upmarket kennels since 2004. “A lot of the dogs that stay are ex rescue dogs and you can see how they unwind and relax here particularly in the Pet Sensory Garden. “The Garden helps build up their confidence as well as to tantalise all their senses, plus it helps them to interact with their surroundings and provide physical and mental challenges to help enrich their lives.” With a sensory herb garden and a sandpit with treats hidden in it... could there be a pet hotel in

October 12th - October 25th 2016

uadalhorce Valley

Heavy petting Students from all over Europe come to Andalucia’s poshest pet hotel to learn how to groom, writes Jon Clarke

BLOW DRY: Lucky dog Spain quite as posh? The Pet Sensory Garden/Playground named “ The Red Wreck” sits in a half acre grove of mature citrus trees and is a riot of smells and colours. Cleverly thought out, there is a big range of self-medicating plants such as valerian, often selected by anxious dogs for its calming effect, and marigolds, often se-

lected by animals that are experiencing grief or emotional stress. Then there is lavender to encourage scar tissue regeneration, wheat grass for animals that are nervous, as well as peppermint which is good for its cooling properties and often selected by animals with skin irritations. It can also be used as an aid for training. The garden also boasts a water feature, a wendy house, illusion mirrors and crazy daisies, which spray the dogs with water, keeping them cool in summer. The fantastic adjacent dog hotel has its kennel rooms named after Coronation Street characters and each comes with its own pink sun bed. The dog Hotel was even mentioned in the original “ Coronation Street “ blog!! Aside to this there is a spacious boutique cattery away from the boasting large individual rooms complete with climbing frames, cat trees, toys and music. Each cat has a 360 degree view.

October 12th - 25th

PAMPERED: Pooch “Our grounds are fully secure with CCTV and we live on site so there is peace of mind,” continues Rachel, who now trains up students, who come from as far as Greece, Holland and even the United Emirates. Regularly photos of the pets on their holiday are posted on the Facebook page POSH PETS SPAIN. And clients that live some distance from Alhaurin can be picked up by a licensed Pet Pickup service too. On top of this the company runs a fully licensed pet transportation service to and from the UK and Europe. Finally, the Grooming Salon & Groomers training centre is fully equipped and caters for all breeds & crossbreeds as well as cats. Courses to learn how to groom last two or three weeks and next year the courses take in pet first aid, canine massage and how to make your own holistic pet products. Visit www.poshpetsspain. com for more info or call 952 597 035

-final of Spanish TV talent show 3065 views

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BE ‘APPY! PLATING UP: British

Bell boys

Football legend wants a career in property when he hangs up his boots

Property olive press

miss October 12thDon’t - October 25th 2016 www.theolivepress.es

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our Property magazine out in November

‘pause’ in run-up to EU referendum Special report by Iona

BOSSES: Cox and Wells

IN COME THE BIG BUCKS! A HUGE US property fund is splashing €45 million on three new Costa del Sol developments. The American bosses Real Capital Solutions behind have snapped up sizeable plots in Estepona, Mijas and Benahavis and continue to look at further opportunities along the coast. The company, based in Marbella since 2013, already has five other developments, including The Retreat, in Elviria.

“We have spent around lion here so far and have€86 mila fund of €100 million to spend,” plained Managing Partner exWells, based in Colorado. Peter “We are one of the largest opers on the Costa del develSol and our emphasis is on distressed properties.” He added: “Also we do transparently and always things try and deliver on price and quality.” The company - which made hundreds of millions buying ing distressed propertiesand sellUS - has 16 staff working in the its office at Centro Plaza. out of Local boss Taylor Cox, added: “The coast is really starting come alive and it’s a pleasure to to live in such a beautiful part of the world.”

Napier

ESTATE agents in Spain lining themselves up for and Gibraltar are the busiest July on record. It comes as some British buyers put purchases on hold due to referendum on June 23.the forthcoming EU Most agents the Olive Press firmed they had various spoke to con‘paused’ awaiting the result,sales currently despite the British market remaining The majority believe that strong. pected result - to stay in the ex- will lead to the pound Europe strengthening with a red hot summer of sales to follow. Ben Bateman, at Holmes Sotogrande, described the lead up as a ‘pause forreferendum British buyers’ due to thought for concerns over the weak pound. “After a remain vote however, we expect to see a strong finish to the den wave of bids from year - and a sudBritish buyers,” he told the Olive Press. One agent in Gibraltar has gone one step further actually employing July. Savills director Sammy extra staff for Cruz-Armstrong said: “Everything is on but I am convinced we hold due to Brexit, and am taking on extra will stay in Europe with the expected delugestaff in July to deal Benahavis agent Scott of business.” Marshall of Proper-

Spanish property sales

RANKED No.1 for

Deals

Source: Registradores

Either way, official statistics out this month confirm the British market remains strong and tens of thousands continue to look for their dream home. Respected analyst Mark eign demand for SpanishStucklin insists that forin the first quarter with property was up 16% of foreign buyers at 22%Brits the biggest group “The British still dominateof the market share. property and there is no the foreign market for able decline in demand evidence of a noticeas yet,” he said. And certainly not everyone One agent, Graham Govier is suffering. of Inland Andalucia has seen ‘no negative impact’ at all during the referendum lead-up. “In fact it is the opposite. cheap right now and we Prices are extremely are selling two times as many properties as we were He added: “My salesman last year,” he said. a local celebrity - has justPaul - already a bit of enth consecutive sale and completed his sevbecause they can see that people are buying won’t wait around for themthe incredible deals Paul made headlines in forever,” he added. the Olive Press last year when he sold an impressive nine properties in a row.

ALL CHANGE: La Quinta

ALL PROPERTY MATTERS

RICS BUILDING SURVEYORS BY CAMPBELL FERGUSON& VALUERS

Instruct Lawyer

Buy with Knowledge that water is added to whatever the wall has & Confidence been built to retain and could cause the wall to crack or even collapse. Also, if the water is held there, the sponge +34 effect 952 923is 520 seen again, with the wall becoming admin@surveyspain.com saturated and at the surveyspain.com very least looking unsightly with flaking paint and salts. We’ve had a dry year so far and so, combined with the exceptional number of tourists, there is likely to be a water shortage for some time unless we get a lot of rain soon. Wells will run dry and there will be restrictions on irrigation. So collecting any rain that does fall makes sense, which can be most easily done with gutters and downpipes taking any rain into barrels or even large underground storage tanks, to be used as a ‘free’ asset for as long as it lasts. Potential buyers of property instructing surveys are often surprised by how innocent-looking blemishes in a house can hide long-standing problems that can be costly to correct. Alternatively, where what appears to be a ‘deal breaker’ of a fault turns out to be easily cleared with a little bit of practical know-how. We are here to help spot the difference. They are minor inconveniences when one considers Hurricane Matthew and storms that wreak havoc in other areas of the world. We have much to be thankful for here.

Contact Campbell and the team on +34 952 923 520 or email info@surveyspain.com

PAGE 31

A LUXURY golf hotel and spa has re-opened its doors on the Costa del Sol. The Westin La Quinta Resort in Benahavis is open for bookings after major renovations. With a state-of-the-art spa, the resort also boasts an enormous 27-hole golf course. A driving range, putting green and gym are also available for golf enthusiasts. And for those looking to relax, there are two restaurants, three bars and three outdoor pools. Double rooms start from €150 per night, with five suites and one presidential suite also available.

years 13 11+ experience in

Instruct Building Surveyor

PAGE 25

Introducing OP’s Agony Uncle

Save money when buying or selling your property in Spain

How to avoid getting damp in your property

Find Your Property

How to reclaim floor clause fees

Spa quality!

Ortega towers

ORRY to put a dampener upon this fine weather (as I write), but the autumn rains are on their way. As mentioned in my last column, damp is the fault that we find most often in our building surveys. So much of it is avoidable with a few elementary precautions. Let’s start at the top. Roofs collect the rain and either pour it onto the garden or down drains and gutters, most probably too few and too small to cope with a deluge. Make sure that the roofs and terraces are cleared of debris, as that is sure to block the drains. If that happens, the water will find some other way down and most probably through the building. Installing gutters and downpipes puts you in control of where the water is going to go. That should certainly not be just emptied onto the garden or path right beside the house. All that does is soak into the ground, which holds it like a sponge against the building and so it gets sucked up as rising damp in the walls and under the floors. Proper construction should guide that water down to field drains below the level of the lowest floor, with them channelling it away from the building. Drains on driveways that lead down to basement garages should also be cleared and any sump pumps tested should the water level rise. The same with retaining and indeed any garden walls with soil behind them. Make sure that the field drains and the outlets to these are clear and the water is guided away from the building. The walls should have plenty of cleared ‘weep’ holes, that allows any water held behind the wall to leak through. Otherwise the weight of

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Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish RONALDO: And new hotel A TEAM newsof on British the go. butlers has been flown in to run the country’s first 24-hour CRISTIANO Ronaldo has opened Real Madrid star said at the launch lished Portuguese chain Pestana, butler service. his second hotel. of the hotel. with the first being on the player’s Working at the Abadia ReWhile the 31-year-old said he sees “Although football is my grand pas- home island of Madeira. tuerta LeDomaine in Valhimself playing football for another sion, I must start to think about the He added: “When I was young I had ladolid, the butlers will be decade, he admits the 82-room Lis- future.” the dream of having my own hotel. tending to guests’ every bon hotel forms part of his future The Pestana CR7 Lisboa is the sec- Now I have two, and I am proud one need around the clock at plan after the game. ond opened under the relationship of them is in Lisbon.” the converted 12th-century The Olive Romanesque abbey. Press“Life is not just about football,” the between Ronaldo and the estab- Rooms at the Lisboa start at around €200 a night Located in a 500 acre vineyard, have and can go up to TOP the for butlers news in Spain! hand-picked from the €1,250 if you opt Queen’s royal staff. for the rooftop Alongside 30 hotel rooms, CR7 suite, which the abbey’s former stables features a 48” HD FASHION mogul Amancio Ortega has splashed have been converted into TV, Playstation 4 a spa with sauna, steam €490 million on one of Madrid’s most famous skywith virtual reality room and hydrotherapy scrapers. games and cardio pool. The 80-year-old owner of Inditex - home to the work-out equipThe hotel also offers mounlikes of Zara and Pull & Bear - made the purchase ment. tain biking trips as well as through his property investment arm Pontegadea Some €15 million horse-riding excursions Inversiones. has been invested and helicopter tours. It is thought he bought the Cepsa Tower from Abu in the partnerThe celebrity guest list is a Dhabi tycoon Khadem al-Qubaisi. ship between Ronclosely guarded secret, but Ortega is building a property empire and has aldo and Pestana if you can afford the €450 bought properties in London’s Mayfair and Oxford and future hotels a night fee then don’t be Street, along with other properties in prime locaare planned for starstruck if you bump into tions in New York and Seoul. A-listers from all over the SKYSCRAPER: In Madrid Madrid and New world. York.

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tieSpain, meanwhile, described the pause as ‘very psychological’. He said: “It’s a combination the vote and the exchange of the uncertainty of While many agents have rate right now.” rently on hold, some havea couple of sales cur“We have up to ten sales seen more. til after the referendum,” currently on hold unboss of Castles, in Manilva.said Victor Witkowski, “Buyers are not necessarily they are biding their time pulling out, but to see what happens.” Fellow Manilva agent, confirmed a slowdown, Shani Hamilton, also predicting a huge influx but added: “We are a decision is made.” of business as soon as

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Buoyant But ‘chronic lack of supply’ hitting Spanish-based Gibraltar workers, says Chestertons MD BREXIT hasn’t harmed Gibraltar’s house prices, leading property expert Mike Nicholls has revealed. But the Chestertons Gibraltar managing director said 6,000 Spanish-based expat workers living outside the Rock are being hit by its ‘chronic lack of supply’. With space limited, rental prices remain high, with Chestertons having just one

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property under €1,140 a month. “On the rental side the chronic lack of supply continues,” said Nicholls. “We have a requirement for over 20, three bedroom properties for an incoming company, a requirement that is close to impossible to fulfil. “So Spain takes up the slack. The new properties under construction cannot be built fast enough.” Meanwhile, the muchfeared post-Brexit slump has failed to materialise, says Nicholls. “Three Gibraltar banks visited me in September to promote their mortgage products, seemingly all FEWER people are living in gypsy camps in three were keen to attract Spain. more business and lend An increasing number of young gypsies are more money,” said Nichabandoning their traveller roots across the olls. country. “To the best of my knowlIn fact, the number of gypsies living in camps edge no company has left has reduced by 70% over the past 20 years. Gibraltar as a result of the Government officials put this down to greatreferendum. er acceptance and inclusion of gypsies in the “Indeed, we are assisting educational system (more than 93% of chila FTSE-listed company dren now attend school in Spain). moving in a substantial As few as 2% of the total gypsy population part of their business to represented on the Iberian Peninsula still Gibraltar, a post-referenlive in traditional camps. dum decision.”

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Luxury living

ONE of Britain’s largest developers is launching a huge real estate project at an exclusive Marbella golf resort. Taylor Wimpey is building 92 apartments at the Los Arqueros golf resort on the Ronda road. Located between the upmarket gated communities of La Quinta and Zagaleta the exclusive project is the latest venture by the UK company in Andalucia. The three-bed apartments all feature south-facing terraces with views over the golf course and the houses are designed to with an environmental conscience, with solar panels installed on each building as well as thermal and acoustic insulation. Construction on the homes has begun with completion expected by 2020. For more information visit www.taylorwimpeyspain.com

By every measure 2016 was a record year

The Property Insider

by Adam Neale

Sunshine and bright skies

ARBELLA, shining star of the Costa del Sol and destination of choice for the rich, famous, and wannabe, has had a tough time over the past few years. 'La crisis' hit it harder and faster than many of its Mediterranean peers and it has taken the town almost a decade to bounce back, but now it is doing so better than most. Since 2005, the slow hand of justice and the Spanish government have finally caught up with the corruption that riddled the Town Hall for decades, sending dozens of politicians to prison, dissolving the Town Council, and washing Marbella's dirty (money) laundry very publicly. Tourism numbers and house sales first faltered then fell sharply, as the national market nosedived, and overseas holidaymakers and property buyers traveled further afield in search of better value for money as prices, for everything from a coffee to an apartment, boomed to busting point in the first half of the noughties. And, last November, the Spanish Supreme Court overturned the 2010 municipal urban planning laws, sending the town back in time, Return to the Future-style, to 1986 and leaving thousands of residents in legal limbo. Amid the weed-littered ruins of speculators' getrich-quick schemes and sunseekers' dreams, Marbella began to look down-at-heel, rather than well-heeled, and less appealing to those looking for a place in the sun, both for a fortnight in the summer and, sometimes,the rest of their lives. The local property market halved in size from 2006-9, with the total number of transactions plummeting from 4,432 to 2,199. And tourism numbers shrank, as Spaniards stayed at home and sweated out the summers, while foreign tourists took ever more economical long-haul flights to far-flung, exotic destinations that made

October 12th - October 25th 2016

cheaper piña coladas and where the living it up was even easier.By the end of 2015, however, things were taking a turn for the much better. Some 4,396 properties changed hands in Marbella in 2015, despite lingering uncertainty about town-planning guidelines and the challenges that still lie ahead of the new, cash-strapped but clean, Town Council under Mayor José Bernal, at the head of a four-party coalition. In October, Mayor Bernal announced that Marbella had generated a budget surplus, rather than a black hole, of €46.5 million to date. That was more than enough to pay back, ahead of schedule, €19 million in debts to private-sector lenders, saving €6 million in interest; has reduced its outstanding Social Security obligations by €14 million and the period to liquidate what it owed in back payments by two years. In terms of tourism, while rivals like Morocco and Turkey have suffered due to the threat, real and imagined, of terrorism over the last couple of years, Spain has been making hay, and cash, while the sun shines. Last year, a record 68.1 million visitors came here, a 4.7% jump over 2014. Andalucia attracted 26 million, 8.4% more. While calculating the total number of visitors in Marbella is nigh on impossible (statistics are by province, not municipality), hotel occupancy is reaching new records (90% this September, compared to 85% last year) and the town's high-end hotels – it has seven five-star establishments, with more on the way – are registering all-timehigh demand.And after failing, this year to buy the iconic Marbella Club, this October, China's Wanda Group was revealed as one of three companies in the running to win the €400 million concession to develop a new marina at La Bajadilla, which would make it the biggest project of its kind in the entire Mediterranean.

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Over the next two months Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited will be continuing their season of seminars for expats living along the Costa del Sol, with events planned in Nerja, Mijas, Benalmadena and Marbella in conjunction with the local town halls. Our seminars allow us to provide information on the above and other topics of relevance to the expat community in the area. The presentations are conducted in English, but are relevant to all nationalities of ex-pats. The forthcoming seminars will focus on the following topics: 1. BREXIT! – of course, at the time of writing this, Article 50 has not yet been invoked, and there are no concrete details of what the end result will look like, but during the seminar we will take a brief look at the process and any recent news.

In Spain over recent years there have been a number of changes that have had a significant effect on expats (as well as Spanish nationals). In 2012, there was an amnesty for residents with undeclared overseas assets. This was quickly followed by the introduction of the Modelo 720 in early 2013, a new tax form requiring residents to declare any overseas assets in excess of €50,000. More recently it has been the automatic exchange of information, whereby information on all financial holdings and transactions will be shared between countries, BREXIT, and the forthcoming changes to inheritance tax in Andalucia which has attracted attention. Further to this, there are a range of more generic topics which always attract a lot of discussion. These include Spanish residency rules, how inheritance and gift taxes are calculated, and any recent changes in Spanish taxation and how it applies to expat residents. Also of key interest are the investments available to residents in Spain, and the benefits of these over investments in their home countries. This normally translates to ways to minimise the income, savings or inheritance taxes payable in Spain.

2. Exchange of information – starting in 2016, financial institutions in over 100 countries will be obliged to share an individual’s financial details with the tax authorities of their country of residence. Find out how this could affect you. 3. Changes to Inheritance Tax in Andalucia – Andalucia has historically had one of the highest levels of inheritance tax in Spain, but these new changes bring some welcome reductions.

4. Holiday rentals – new regulations have recently required owners of rental accommodation to register their property with the junta de Andalucia. Find out the details at the seminars.

Dates for the events in Benalmadena and Mijas subject to confirmation To reserve your seat at one of the seminars, or for more information on any of the events, please call +34 952 816 443 or email Ilse. Liebrechts@blacktowerfm.com. Blacktower would like to thank the Ayuntamientos of Nerja, Mijas, Benalmadena and Marbella for their help and support in putting on these seminars. Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited are ideally placed to help you. The Blacktower Group was formed in 1986 to provide independent wealth management advice and a bespoke service for both individual and corporate clients. We celebrated our 30th anniversary earlier in 2016. Our international financial advisers continually keep pace with the changing needs of our clients, and of changes to regulations and legislation. We follow a strict regulatory and compliance framework to ensure protection of clients assets at all time. To contact Richard Mills, the author of this article, call +34 952 816 443 or email info@blacktowerfm.com Offices in Spain and throughout Europe.

5. NIE, residency and empadronamiento – helping you to understand the differences, and the importance of getting it right. There will be plenty of opportunity for attendees to ask questions either during the Q&A session at the end of the presentation, or over drinks and tapas afterwards. 20th October at the Andalucia Lab in Marbella at 5.00pm 26th October at the Cultural Centre in Nerja at 11.00am

Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd is licensed by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission Licence 00805B and with the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

Looking for peace of mind? • Expert wealth management • Effective tax planning • Tailored investments • International Pension Transfers • Private Banking • Discretionary Fund Management Contact the Marbella or Gibraltar Office: O T +34 952 816 443 | +350 200 42353 E info@blacktowerfm.com Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited is licensed by the Gibraltar FSC Licence 00805B and registered with the DGS in Spain. Blacktower Financial Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

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That’s what BE EU do‘APPY! THE European Union is pumping €15 million into Malaga city to renovate the old town and restore abandoned and vandalised buildings. Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish SLAMMED: Zara App invasion news on the go. ZARA’S new sustainable THE national data clothing range has been protection agency is slammed as ‘not good investigating claims of a enough’ by environmental personal data exchange between WhatsApp and groups. Facebook, which would The Spanish label’s ‘Join breach Spanish data Life’ collection, which protection laws. launched earlier this year,

The Olive Pressuses only organic cycled materials. All together now

and re-

Each piece must also be

TOP for news in Spain! manufactured with one of VODAFONE SPAIN has the company’s ‘Green to launched a subsidiary Wear’ technologies, such called Vodafone Servicios as water recycling. to act as a one-stop shop for customers with phone, But environmentalists ininternet and TV contracts. cluding Nikolay Anguelov,

Rainy season THE end of the summer has left an additional 2,873 people in Malaga out of work as summer season contracts have drawn to a close.

1 euro is worth 1.11 American dollars 0.90 British pounds 1.46 Canadian dollars 7.44 Danish kroner 8.59 H Kong dollars

author of The Dirty Side of the Garment Industry, say they are very sceptical of the line.

Fashion faux pas Environmentalists blast popular Spanish brand’s new ‘ecofriendly’ line “There’s misinformation in the marketing message,” said Anguelov. “The eco label is not deserved. It is a minor improvement, but unfortunately it’s communicated to the consumer as if it’s problem solved.” His research shows that fabric accounts for only 6% of the cost of any piece of clothing, meaning a change in the textiles fails to make much of a difference to the environment. The energy used to transport the clothes and the

Hands in the air! A BRAND new theme park inspired by the Middle East is on track to open next year in Spain. Ferrari Land will launch in Port Aventura, near Tarragona in the south of Catalunya, following the success of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. The park is expected to host 1,800 thrill-seekers a day with rollercoasters and entertainment stalls by the dozen. The grand opening is scheduled for April 2017.

Property AGONY ANT

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

How effective is the legislation against squatters?

CCORDING to most dictionaries, a squatter is deemed a “person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land, which he does not own, rent or otherwise occupy lawfully”. In Spain, the neologism ‘okupa’ (the ‘k’ as a opposed to a “c” was introduced to express transgression) was created in the in the 1980s to refer to the occupation of abandoned buildings and other real estate, both as a necessity but also as a means to denounce the inequalities of the political system. Legally speaking, the activities of an ‘okupa’ or squatter are not protected by the law, other than those granted to beneficiaries of adverse possession once the term has expired (30 years in a property with registered title). On the contrary, squatters face anything from a 3 month fine to up to 4 years in jail, depending on whether violence was used or if it was the owner’s habitual domicile, as described in the Spanish Criminal Code: Article 202. The individual who, without being resident therein, enters the dwelling of another, or were to remain therein against the will

Squatters’ rights of its dweller, shall be publishable with imprisonment of six months to two years. Should the act be perpetrated with violence or intimidation, the punishment shall be imprisonment from one to four years. Article 245 Whoever, by means of violence or intimidation of persons, occupies real property or usurps a right in rem over real property pertaining to another, in addition to the penalties incurred for the violence committed, shall have a sentence of imprisonment from one to two years imposed; that shall be set taking into account the utility obtained and the damage caused. Whoever occupies a property, dwelling or building pertaining to another that are not a dwelling, without due authorization, or who remains there against

the will of their owner, shall be punished with the penalty of a fine from three to six months. How effective is this legislation? Statistics show that there are few criminal cases open for this as it is difficult to identify which person was responsible for the specific criminal offence of initially occupying the property. However, it happens that other offences could be committed in the process, such as illegal connection to supplies, damage to property, threats, resisting arrest etc. Conversely, civil action is always effective although can be slow and costly. But whether through civil or criminal action, our advice is to always go through the Courts –no matter how frustrating this can be- to avoid an awful victim-turn-offender situation!

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

toxic chemicals released in the bleach and dyes are what need to be addressed, claimed Anguelov. He added that millennials buy five times the amount of clothes as the previous generation, exacerbating the problem. Inditex, which owns Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear, released 1.1 billion units of clothes in 2015, raking in €10.47 billion.

100% debt SPAIN’S debt is now 100% over its GDP. The Institute of Fiscal Responsibility found that the national debt has risen to 100.2% of GDP in June. This makes Spain the sixth European country to breach this concerning level.

October 12th - October 25th 2016

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September 28th - October 11th 2016

The great oak BRITISH furniture company Oak Furnitureland has opened its first store in Spain. The shop is located near the industrial centre in San Pedro and offers 22 ranges of furniture, all made of 100% solid oak. “There’s no vyneer in here!” Director Steve Day, 50, quipped to the Olive Press, “Business is brisk and we have had a good start to our first day. “We are excited about what our first Spanish store will bring.” The San Pedro store is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm, visit www.oaklandfurniturespain.com for more info.

Happy medium IN an industry where there are more fakes than ghosts, Derek Acorah has appealed to even the cynics. A household favourite, international medium Derek was the star of UK Livings Most Haunted Live and will be visiting The Moonlight Rooms (Sunset Beach Hotel - Benalmadena) on October 17 and the Inces Theatre in Gibraltar on October 14 to demonstrate his mediumship. So if you've got an open mind and are an intrigued spirit, then make your presence known to the amazing Derek Acorah! Tickets available online or can be bought at Sunset Beach Leisure Desk.

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BREXIT Bulletin

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October 12th - October 25th 2016

No deal

Carpe diem! THERESA MAY has called on Britain to ‘seize the day’ as the UK prepares to invoke article 50 and withdraw from the EU. Speaking at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, the Prime Minister labelled Brexit a once-in-a-generation moment to ‘reshape our nation once again’. She said Britain had been handed the ‘rare chance to write a new future upon the page’ as the Government ends Brussels’ rule and begins to ‘bring power home’.

CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo has said ‘No way Jose’ to joint-sovereignty with Spain at New York’s United Nations (UN) 4th Committee. In a powerful address, Picardo savaged Jose Manuel GarciaMargallo’s ‘defamatory and obsessive’ stance to Spain. Attacking Spain’s refusal to have its claim over the Rock tested at the International Court of Justice, Picardo laid in to the PP’s acting foreign minister. “Why has the Spanish government chosen to continue Franco’s policy of political defamation and economic sabotage instead of testing its case in the International Court?” said Picardo. “Margallo has insisted that he believes the Gibraltarians can

Gibraltar leader Picardo shoots down Spain’s offer of joint sovereignty

FIRM: Picardo be blackmailed into accepting Spanish sovereignty, in return for preserving Gibraltar’s links

Brief By Charles Gomez Is the EU really in a position to face down the UK?

More facts, less myth

have been gratified by the many emails and private messages that I have received arising from this series. Some of the inquiries have related to legal advice unconnected to Brexit which I and other members of my team have been delighted to answer. However the bulk of the interest has been to do with implications of Brexit for Gibraltarians and other British citizens residing in Spain. Brexit is very much terra incognita but there is a great deal of information out there which should allow one to predict likely outcomes. As I said in a talk in Rabat, Morocco last week, the economic data does not support the doomsday scenario painted by many people who voted to remain. On the one hand the UK economy continues to present as much more solid than those of its European neighbours. So much so, that in late September the Organization for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) which continues to prescribe austerity for most other countries in the EU recommended an increase in British public spending. This is not a turn of events which can be ignored. Internally, the Office of National Statistics reports that the impact of Brexit on consumer confidence has been "negligible". On the other side of the fence, prognoses for the rest of the EU appear to be less bright. Ex-Greek Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis says that the EU is "disintegrating" because it is "badly constructed" and has failed in terms of the banking union, the economy, public debt and migration. Varoufakis highlights the failure of European leaders to recognize that there is a crisis. Of course, the ways of the Ostrich are always a precursor for disaster but I for one stop short

of his conclusion that the collapse of the EU will be as "quick and painful" as it was in Greece. So, is the EU really in a position to face down the UK? For "EU" many read "Germany" and the powerful Frau Merkel in particular. Will Germany support Mr. Hollande's and Mr. Juncker's threats to make Brexit as painful to the UK as possible? The figures suggest otherwise. The UK accounts for 20.5% of Germany's entire trade surplus (€51bn). This at a time when Germany's losses in loan interest to the European Central Bank are said to amount to €125bn and the costs of its immigration policy have been estimated as €400bn from 2016-2036. Logic dictates that Germany will want to protect its trading advantage and one does not need to be a Nigel Farage to conclude this. Closer to home, the Spanish economy continues to be fragile. Despite recent improvements, the unemployment rate of 21.4% (2015) is a whopping twice the size of that of e.g. Turkey. One of Spain's traditional major industries is, of course, tourism and long-term visitors to the country. Would Madrid want to prejudice this? Recent reports from the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce and organizations in nearby parts of Spain have suggested that the Gibraltarian economy accounts for up to 25% of activity in the Campo de Gibraltar. Would Madrid want to prejudice this? We live in strange times. Politicians in many countries appear to have become detached from the realities on the ground but, wherever one looks the hard facts tend to show that it is in everybody's interest to ensure that Brexit is carried out in an orderly fashion and in a spirit of continuing cooperation. What do you think?

Readers of the Olive Press are invited to discuss this or any other legal matter with Charles Gomez by emailing charles@gomezco.gi

with the EU. “He has written to EU foreign ministers making his medieval case for the transfer of our sovereignty over our heads. “When it comes to the question of whether we will transfer all or any part of our sovereignty to Spain our answer will never change. It is: “NO WAY, JOSE!” Picardo also offered trilateral talks between Gibraltar, the UK and Spain. “Spain and Gibraltar could once again be cooperating in the Trilateral Forum as good neighbours to address the presentday challenges we face,” he said. “We could once again be acting together to maximise the economic and labour opportunities on both sides of the frontier.”

Bad climate CONCERNS are growing over Europe’s ability to reach its climate change targets postBrexit. UK Prime Minister Theresa May failed to mention the issue in her party conference speech, just months after she scrapped the government’s department for energy and climate change. Seb Dance, the Labour party’s spokesman on environmental issues at the European Parliament, said: “UK government climate change policy continues to wallow in unprecedented levels of uncertainty following the Brexit vote.” The UK was a leader for climate policy under David Cameron, but after leaving the EU, it will no longer be bound by EU climate policy.

Brexit means.. breakfast? THE Tory leader of Wales was left with egg on his face during a speech at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham in the UK. Andrew Davies proudly declared: “Mark my words, we will make breakfast...Brexit, a success.” After making a meal of his speech Davies said he would have a word with the autocue, let’s just hope his future career isn’t toast.

On track to unity A LULL in enthusiasm for the EU after Brexit has inspired the bloc to consider free InterRail tickets for youngsters. The plan is to grant a free continental rail pass for every EU citizen on their 18th birthday, in hopes it will rekindle appreciation for the bloc and counter the rising nationalism in Europe. InterRail tickets are typically month-long passes THE UK government is in that allow for young talks with Nissan followpeople to travel across ing threats of moving its Europe at will. manufacturing to Spain. “People all around EuCEO Carlos Ghosn has said rope must get to know he will move the contract and learn to cherish each for building Nissan’s new other. Our wish is that as Qashqai model from Sunmany youngsters as posderland to France or Spain sible get to know other unless the government countries and make new pays up in compensation friends,” said Manfred for the extra costs resultWeber, an ally of Gering from Brexit. man chancellor Angela Sunderland produces Merkel. 500,000 cars a year, mostHe added that it would ly for the export market, not be easy and would employing 7,000 people, require cooperation with and it is the UK’s unfetrail operators. tered access to the EU that The commission is lookhas helped make the couning into the cost and potry the third largest car tential funding sources. manufacturer in Europe. The usual cost for a ticket Prime Minister Theresa is €479 for a full month, May has said the Governbut with some five milment has heard the conlion Europeans turning cerns of Nissan and Greg 18 each year, the drain on Clark - the Minister for rail systems could be coBusiness and Industrial lossal, meaning a lottery Strategy - is in talks with system might be more the Japanese car firm. realistic.

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Education

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The Olive Press gets an exclusive glimpse at Old Town’s newest school AS I ascend the steep climb towards the new Prior Park School, the angelic sound of a children’s choir reaches my ears. The 60 pupils currently attending the former Sacred Heart school are part of Gibraltar’s first independent co-ed school, with extensive renovations carried out before the building re-opened in September. But the re-design of this handsome, early 20th-century building is not the only way Prior Park is rejuvenating this elegant corner of Gibraltar, as headmaster Peter Watts tells me. “Fr. Jonathan at Sacred Heart church was delighted to see the children arrive back in the school following the closure last year of Sacred Heart middle school,” he says. “It’s given him a new congregation. Over the past four or five years, the population in the Old Town had dropped, so the arrival of so many children into Sacred Heart school has been a real bonus.” So far, those pupils are from years 8, 9 and 10 with double that number starting next year, before the final number of 240 is reached the year after. With a teacher/pupil ratio not exceeding 10 to one, the amount of hands-on instruction is first-rate. During the summer renovations, original designs - such as a beautiful tiled floor hidden under lino

Prior Park-life

- have been uncovered and restored. “We’ve increased the class sizes by reducing the number of corridors and making use of the stairwells,” says Mr Watts, who is married with two children and spent 20 years teaching at Dorset’s Sherborne school. “We have fantastic, well-equipped science laboratories that opened at the end of September. Internally, every surface is built to last. “The old headmaster of Sacred Heart came up last week and said he is delighted that we have done all the things he wanted to do over the last decade.” Teachers armed with IPads, and Skype-based classes with Prior Park’s alma mater in Bath, show how the school embraces modern education techniques. Indeed, the links between the three other UK-based Prior Park schools and Gibraltar are even stronger than the school’s superb wi-fi connection. “James Murphy O’Connor, the principle of Prior Park School and

Tony Berry - the chairman of governors who was an old boy here at Sacred Heart and Prior Park College - were over in Gib a few years ago meeting up with alumni from Prior Park College,” says Mr Watts. “There is a tradition in Gibraltar of overseas boarding back in the UK, but a group of local parents wanted the choice of co-education and independent education for their children here. “They approached the government, which gave its tacit approval and the two groups just happened to meet at the same time.” Joint parent-pupil Zumba classes are planned, with enhanced Spanish and English classes for parents wanting to brush up on their language skills. “I think we’ve got a duty, and the children have a duty, to give back,” said Mr Watts. “We’re in the Old Town, and there are a number of community projects that need awareness-raising and fundraising.”

October 12th - October 25th 2016

PARENTS in Spain have called for a ‘homework strike’ to protest the amount of extracurricular work they have to do with their children. Around 50% of parents now believe that the burden of homework on children has become too much and is detrimental to family life. “Parents who join the strike will formally ask schools not to set homework over November weekends,” said a statement from CEAPA, Spain’s umbrella organisation representing 12,000 parent associations across Spain. “If schools do anyway then parents will send in a note excusing their children for not having done the work with the explanation why,” it said. Recent studies have revealed that one in five kids in Spain spend two-and-a-half hours a day on homework. This exceeds guidelines in Madrid, which say year one students (five year olds) should receive 10 minutes worth of homework a day, which should increase by 10 minutes each year. This means a 12-year-old should not be doing any more than one hour and 20 minutes a day, but parents claim they are doing far more.

Parents unite! Mums and dads warn schools their kids will not complete their homework in protest

STRESSED: Parents say kids get too much homework

Pay day TEACHERS in Spain are among the highest paid in the world. A new report has shown that a starting salary for a lower secondary teacher in Spain in 2014 was around €36,000. It puts Spain fifth out of the 36 developed countries that were analysed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The entry level salary was nearly €7,600 above the OECD average, and was only behind Luxembourg (€70,000), Switzerland (€53,500), Germany (€50,000) and Denmark (€41,000).

SMILES: Foreign students in Spain among happiest

Satisfaction guaranteed

SPAIN swept up the most gongs at the International Student Satisfaction Awards. Some 27 universities, including Malaga, Sevilla, Cordoba and Alicante, received a ranking of at least eight out of 10 from their visiting students. The StudyPortals report asked 1,583 students in Spain to review their university experience. The country received an overall satisfaction grade of 8.8, ranking 13th out of 21 winning countries. A university was eligible for an award if its average student satisfaction, based on a minimum of 20 reviews, scored at least 8 out of 10.

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Islamic first THE first Islamic university in Spain has opened its doors. The institution is based in San Sebastian and has a main building at the Islamic cultural center of Donostia. Acting as a franchise of the Islamic University of Minnesota in the US, it offers courses in the Islamic sciences and Arabic language. The centre is a collaboration between Spainbased Dr Rachid Boutarbouch and Professor Waleed Al-Maneese of the Islamic University in Minnesota, which seeks to expand across Europe, having already opened in Germany, Italy and France.

A SPANISH college has been ordered to overturn its controversial ban on hijabs. Benlliure high school, in Valencia, has been forced to overturn its ‘discriminatory’ ruling by the regional government. Muslim student Takwa Rejeb, 22, contacted SOS Racism after the school forced her to remove her traditional Islamic headscarf. The school claimed that Takwa’s hijab, which covers the hair and neck but not the face, was ‘against school dress code’. However Valencia’s regional government sided with Takwa after SOS Racism slammed the case as ‘discriminatory’, ‘racist’ and ‘isolating’. The education department is now in the process of drawing up regulations to avoid similar cases.

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Pregnant at 62

A WAR Veteran who died after suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, received better care in Spain than Britain, according to his heartbroken mum. Lee Dodgson, who served in the British Army for 21 years, tragically fell to his death in Tortosa, north east Spain after experiencing years of blackouts, heavy drinking and confusion, due to the life-altering condition. The former corporal in the Royal Corps of Signals, originally from Skipton, North Yorkshire, moved to Spain in January last

CONTROVERSIAL: Mum

TRAGIC: Lee Dodgson year to get help. His furious mother Roseann, said Britain should be ashamed of itself. She said: The Spanish took more responsibility for a British soldier than the UK did. The Spanish have been brilliant. Britain should be ashamed. He wasn’t just a number, he was my boy. “They have their own funding problems in Spain but they took the time and care which was needed.” Lee who died at the age of 40, had worked in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Baghdad, seeing countless numbers of his friends and companions die in unspeakable circumstances. Roseann is now campaigning for change. She adds: “If you have a mental problem they don’t want to know. It’s just ‘not British’ is it? And it’s just not right. “He hadn’t known anything but the Army since he was 16. He came out with a mental disorder but they didn’t put any safety nets in place.”

39 39

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Brexit bad for your health

SPAIN’S Foreign Secretary Jose Garcia-Margallo is demanding Britain foots the health bill for expats and tourists. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is to meet his Spanish counterpart to thrash out a post-Brexit deal between the two countries. Top of Boris’ list of priorities is reaching an agreement on healthcare for expats living in Spain. Margallo - never one to shy

A SPANISH woman has defied biology by falling pregnant at 62… 20 years after she began menopause. Doctor Line Alvares said that she has been given a ‘second chance at life’, with just weeks remaining until she is due to give birth to a girl. The mother-of-two got pregnant by using fertility treatment. She said: “They said there was only a 6% chance of success, but I got pregnant with a baby girl. “Everything is going per-

Experts slam ‘huge risk’ of mother having third baby in her 60s

Doggy daycare

fectly. I feel like I’m having a second chance and the pregnancy has made me feel younger and stronger.” However, not everyone is overjoyed by the ‘miracle’ baby, who will be 18 when her mother reaches 80. “This person is taking on a huge risk,” said Jose Antonio Castilla, the former

A DOG in Spain is proving that pooches really are man’s best friend. Maya - an Akita-Inu breed - is refusing to be dragged away from the hospital doors where her owner is recovering. She has been parked outside the doors of Elda hospital near Alicante for almost a week, as her 22-year-old owner Sandra Iniesta recovers from an operation for appendicitis.

secretary general of the Spanish Fertility Society. “The law which regulates assisted reproduction states that treatment should only be given when neither the baby nor the mother is put at risk.” The infant will be a younger sister to two big brothers, aged 10 and 27.

Amrik Sappal, Store Director, Specsavers Opticas Fuengirola

away from controversy - is demanding that the UK government foots the bill for expats using public hospitals. However Johnson is hopeful of reaching a ‘Canadianstyle’ agreement where 99% of healthcare expenses are waived. Margallo has not confirmed whether his plan includes or excludes expat residents who pay into the country’s social security.

ripe old age SPAIN has ranked third in life expectancy in a new survey. The famed mediterranean diet, which includes fish, nuts and healthy fats has meant the the average life expectancy for a Spaniard is now 83 years old. The report conducted by the The World Economic Forum, looked at healthcare, healthy diets and and suicide rates to retrieve the data. Spain fell just behind Japan and Hong Kong who ranked first.

How many people suffer from visual impairments?

PECSAVERS and RNIB recently conducted an important study into the state of the UK’s eyes and so for this month’s column we wanted to answer your questions about this important study.

How many people in the UK are visually impaired? More than six million people in the UK live with sight-threatening conditions or uncorrected refractive error. Some may not yet be experiencing any symptoms and may have no idea that anything is wrong. Of these people, more than two million (3.08% of the UK population) are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives. This figure is set to increase to more than 2.7 million by 2030, driven by an increase in the UK’s ageing demographic. How does this compare in Spain? According to a study by Spain’s National Institute of Statistics in 2008, in Spain 979,200 people are suffering a visual dis-

ability, 2.14% of the population. Of these 20,900 are people classed with low vision, and there are 58,3000 cases of blindness. This figure is increasing every day, with 3,000 new members joining the blind charity ONCE each year and as of June 2016 there are 72,091 ONCE members who are classed as legally blind. What is the cost of sight loss? Independent research commissioned by RNIB estimates that the total cost of sight loss to the UK economy is in the region of £28 billion a year. In Spain, it was calculated to be 358 million Euros in 2008 and increasing. Specsavers and RNIB want to get the message out there that you need to take care of your eyes, and make sure everyone has sight tests every two years from the age of three. Specsavers Opticas in Fuengirola and Marbella are currently offering free comprehensive eye tests which include health checks. To find your nearest store and book a free eye test, visit www.specsavers.es

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Permanent contract • Guaranteed work • Paid holidays Subsidised travel costs • UK based roles on flexible shifts i.e.: 2 weeks on/ 2 weeks off – Ideal for people living in Spain to have a good work/life balance We are the only dedicated 24/7 Live in Care provider to be rated as outstanding by Care Quality Commission.

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We are a growing family run business looking for an Office Manager/Administator to work full time in our busy office. The person must be self motivated, thorough, have good organisational skills, a good telephone manner and most importantly be able to work within and support a busy team. Duties to include; answering of sales enquires and telephone calls, arranging of appointments, meeting and greeting new clients and general organisational tasks. Must be native English speaker, fluent Spanish and other languages are a bonus.

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September 28th - October 11th 2016

Not pucker! Footballer’s feast THE days of professional footballers piling on the pounds post-season, smoking at half time and sinking a skinful of pints the night before a big game are undoubtedly in the past. However, Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas has shown that the current crop of elite athletes are not so obsessed with their diet they can’t enjoy a treat every now and then. Uploading his post-match meal to Snapchat following Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Hull, Fabregas’ feast included two pizzas, two milkshakes and three different types of cake.

PUCKER TV chef Jamie Oliver has received a barrage of abuse for his take on paella. The Essex-man was hounded on Twitter after uploading a photo of the classic rice dish featuring chorizo (a cardinal sin in Spain). One Twitter user even drew a comparison between Oliver’s dish and renowned botched fresco artwork Ecce Homo. Proud of his work, the

Jamie Oliver’s paella recipe sparks online backlash ... star of 30 Minute Meals tweeted: “Good Spanish food doesn’t get much better than paella. My version combines chicken thighs and chorizo.” But Twitter users quick-

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AMIE may be copping some stick nowadays but there weren’t too many Spaniards complaining when 500 villagers tucked into the British chef’s paella in the Serrania de Ronda in 2009. Taking orders from local cook Salvador Garcia Dominguez, Oliver cooked up a storm and was even there at midnight to serve up his dish in the village of Benaojan. According to Garcia, Jamie was a good learner. “He worked hard and learned fast,” he said. In good humour, Oliver later told the Olive Press: “It took almost four hours to cook and just five minutes to eat and not a word of thanks in sight. “It was a bit like being stuck in the middle of a dole queue!” he quipped.

Life Saver EATING a Med diet makes you less likely to suffer heart problems. A diet rich in fresh fish, vegetables, olive oil and nuts helps people live for longer, found a Cambridge University study. The study of 24,000 Brits found that those who stuck to the diet typically eaten in Med countries were 16% less likely to develop cardiovascular problems.

ly reacted by satirically tweeting fish and chips recipes using aubergines, duck, beef and ravioli. Others were more sinister, likening Oliver to a ‘food terrorist’ and telling him to ‘stick to chicken nuggets’. Less venomous commenters said that while the inclusion of chorizo meant the recipe could not be described as paella, it still qualified as ‘rice and stuff’. Oliver is yet to respond to the tirade of criticism.

PREP: Sticking to the job

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Putting cool in the kitchen SPORTING a mohawk, earrings and covered head-to-toe in tattoos, David Muñoz is set to become the coolest chef in London. Launching StreetXO in Mayfair this November, Muñoz will be splitting his time between England and his three Michelin-starred DiverXO restaurant in Madrid. Inspired by street food, his menu will regularly change and will feature dishes from Spain, Asia,

South America and London. The restaurant’s focal point will be a central open kitchen where chefs can interact directly with diners. “Having spent five years working in restaurants like Nobu and Hakkasan, I feel like London is my second home,” he said. “I’m excited to bring a cooking style that I’ve really evolved in Madrid to London.”

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Food, drink & travel October 12th - October 25th 2016

Curious case of Spanish coffee Delving to the depths of the coffee pot, Devour Spain cofounder James Blick finds out what makes some cafe con leches less appetizing than Italian lattes

LOVE the sound of Spanish coffee. The smack and clack of cups and saucers on marble bar tops, the scream of the milk steamer. Prop up a Spanish bar mid-morning and you’re surrounded by a cosy, comforting racket. But when the black stuff hits my lips, the romance is over. Sipping a café solo in Spain is often like swilling hot, black acid. Bitter, harsh and acrid, with hints of paint thinner. Blame it on torrefacto. I first spied the word on the side of supermarket coffee packs when I moved to the Spain a couple of years back. ‘Mezcla. 50% natural. 50% torrefacto.’ I had no idea what ‘torrefacto’ was and, when someone mentioned it had something to do with roasted sugar, I shrugged and took another sip. Then, six months ago, I got talking to a guy at Cafés Pozo. He mentioned ‘torrefacto’ and ‘post-civil war Spain’ in the same gasp. I was intrigued. Plus, I’d started to suspect a link between torrefacto and the fact that the local coffee was stripping my oesophagus.

So I went to Toma Café to find out more. It’s a new(ish) café in Malasaña that’s been getting good press for the quality of its coffee. “I’ve come to talk torrefacto,” I said to the barrista. “But we don’t serve torrefacto.” “Exactly.” Santi and Patricia opened the rustic, pocketsized (soon to be enlarged) coffee house last year. Surrounded by young, ristretto-toting coffee refugees who’d come in search of a decent cup, we perched on coffee sacks and talked torrefacto.

What the hell is torrefacto? “It’s the practice of adding sugar to coffee beans during the roasting process,” explained Patricia. The sugar burns and the beans wind up coated in a shiny black film. This glossy coating protects them from oxidisation. Torrefacto was originally a preservation method. But there are side-effects. The process makes the resulting drink much darker and more bit-

K KOKOMO RESTAURANT, GARDEN & GRILL

For information and reservations

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NEWS FROM THE October 12th - October 25th 2016

MOUNTAINS vvvvvvvv

BAD NEWS!

SPECIAL BREW: Coffee lover and (right) Torrefacto advert

Another year flies by and Molino del Santo, Ronda’s most popular rural hotel and restaurant, is preparing to close the doors on its 30th season on the 2nd November 2016.

ter. It also masks the true, rich flavour and aroma of good coffee. According to the guys at Toma, stock-standard Madrid bars usually serve a 70/30 or 80/20 mix (where the smaller percentage is torrefacto beans and the rest natural beans). The run-of-the-mill stuff at your supermarket is generally a nipple-hardening 50/50.

GOOD NEWS!

There are still a few rooms available for the last days of the season and the restaurant is open until the evening of the 1st November 2016. Book now! Tel. 952 16 71 51 or e-mail info@molinodelsanto.com

But why? Where does Spain’s torrefacto tradition come from? And what’s it got to do with the Spanish Civil War? Spain’s first torrefactor was José Gómez Tejedor, founder of still-running coffee conglomerate Cafés La Estrella. On a coffee-sourcing trip to Mexico in the early 20th century, José noticed local miners roasting their coffee beans with sugar. The technique stopped the miners’ beans going off during the long stretches spent underground. José realised the Mexican miners’ trick was a boon for business back home, allowing him to distribute his coffee more widely throughout Spain without it going bad. But torrefacto really took off after the 1936 – 1939 Spanish Civil War. The post-war years were marked by scarcity, and coffee was often substituted with chicory and other dodgy, ersatz infusions. Torrefacto became an excellent way of dealing with the coffee shortage. Adding sugar to the roast extended the coffee(a portion of the coffee companies were selling was actually just sugar); masked the quality (allowing companies to use cheaper coffee beans, or other ingredients entirely); and gave the impression of a strong, black cup (allowing companies to use less coffee without the consumer noticing). In other words, torrefacto helped hard-pressed post-war Spanish coffee companies get by with less and lower-quality beans. Which all makes sense in the context of 1940s Spain. But why are we still drinking it now? According to Magdalena at Infusionistas.com, what was once a post-war necessity simply became a habit. In other words, Spanish consumers got used to the torrefacto taste. And Santi and Patricia suggest it’s not in the interests of big Spanish coffee companies to change to 100% good-quality, natural beans. Torrefacto remains an excellent way of bulking up coffee, thereby lowering coffee companies’ costs. (Santiago: “It’s a scam. You’re buying sugar at the price of coffee.”). But there’s more. A parallel issue affecting the quality of Spanish coffee is that much of it (especially the stuff on sale in the supermarket) contains cheaper, lower-quality and more astringent robusta beans, rather than pricier and richer-tasting arabica beans. So, yes, you can buy non-torrefacto in your local supermarket (look for ‘100% natural’), but chances are it’s probably cut-rate robusta (or a fair portion thereof). I emailed Marcilla, which supplies about 25% of the Spanish market, and asked whether their coffee was robusta or arabica (or what was the mix). They replied that under current Spanish coffee labelling laws, they’re not required to tell me. Let them drink torrefacto! But locals aren’t the only ones with a taste for the gut-busting torrefacto blend. A number of non-Spaniards have gone online to wax lyrical about torrefacto. This Australian man is ‘drooling over the idea of torrefacto coffee’ and is planning to start roasting his own downunder. And this Englishman calls torrefacto

BAD NEWS!

If you don’t visit before the 2nd November you’ll have to wait until the 17th March 2017. ‘the essence of heaven’. To feed this market, online Spanish food shops sell blended torrefacto coffee as a gourmet product. Tienda.com hails the ‘dusting of a fine sugar mist’ added to the beans, as if it were the fruit of gastronomic insight, rather than a technique used by early 20th century miners to stop their coffee going rancid.

So what if I like torrefacto? It’s not like it’s killing me! Taste is subjective and each to their own. How about health, then? This is where things get murky. Is torrefacto good for you, or is it a little bit lethal? A 2008 study by Dr. Isabel López Galilea, a scientist at the University of Navarra, claims that torrefacto-roasted coffee has up to twenty-times more antioxidants than normal roasted coffee. Yet, at the same time, a few local coffee gurus told me torrefacto causes chaos in the gut and can even accelerate the big C. I dug around but didn’t find any evidence of torrefacto being directly linked to cancer. However, I did talk to a pair of nutritionists (Pilar Munné and Júlia Farré). And the upshot was that (as we know) burnt food can upset the stomach and is considered a carcinogen. And given torrefacto is burnt sugar, well… you get the idea. Nothing earth shattering, but something to keep in mind.

GOOD NEWS!

Last minute offers available on remaining rooms for Olive Press readers. Mention this ad for a special room rate. Tel. 952 16 71 51 or e-mail info@molinodelsanto.com

BAD NEWS!

There is no more bad news.

GOOD NEWS!

All of the staff and the owners at Molino del Santo and Eddie the Dog would like to thank everyone who has visited the hotel or restaurant this year for helping to make 2016 one of our best seasons ever!

BAD NEWS!

We’ve already told you there is no more bad news. Please pay attention.

GOOD NEWS!

We look forward to seeing you all again – or for the first time - after the 17th March 2017. We are now taking lots of reservations for 2017 – book as soon as you can to avoid disappointment. Tel. 952 16 71 51 or e-mail info@molinodelsanto.com

Life’s too long to drink crap coffee So, where does that leave things? Depending on who you are and what you believe, torrefacto is either wonderful or revolting, and it’s either the fountain of youth or is killing you softly. But if you do decide to do your taste buds a favour and ditch the burnt-sugar brew, then pull up a hessian cushion at Toma. Santi and Patricia tell me there’s a coffee renaissance underway in the Spanish capital. Before moving to Madrid with his Spanish wife in 2011, James Blick was a lawyer, filmmaker, and writer. Once in Spain’s capital he quickly became an expert in Spanish cuisine and culture, and a well-known travel and food journalist. You can now find him running Devour Spain, an award-winning tour company dedicated to connecting visitors to Spanish culture through delicious food, wine, and history.

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More information of any kind e-mail

info@molinodelsanto.com

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

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Columnists

HIS month I celebrated five years since I moved into my own little slice of paradise, otherwise known as El Casita del Lago. I was going to call it El Refugio del Loco at one point, but I decided against it. If you have been reading my witterings for the past couple of years, you’ll know that the Casita is my cottage that sits in splendid isolation on a lake in the hills above Marbella.

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Wild in the country Life in paradise in the hills of Marbella

Splendid

It’s one of only two that actually have lake frontage, though with the lake actually being a reservoir, the term ‘lake front’ can mean anything from right at the bottom of the garden – and I have kayaked to the duck gate when the lake is full – to a good 20 minutes walk away during the very dry summer of 2014. That was the year when the houses that were submerged after the reservoir was completed in 1970 under orders from Franco started to reappear, per-

STUNNING: Backyard views

Lost in translation Expat or immigrant – what’s the difference? Writes Olive Press blogger Malcolm Dick

HAT’S in a name? To misquote with such extreme views, only fuels the antiShakespeare, an expat by any other immigrant frenzy. The Wall Street Journal has joined the debate, name does not smell as sweet. ‘Immigrant’ and ‘migrant’ are re- writing that the label you are given ‘depends peated again and again in the news. ‘Refugee’ on social class, country of origin and economic is used less and less, even when it more clearly status ... a double standard woven into official defines the individuals who have recently been policy.’ ‘It’s strange to hear some people in Hong Kong rebranded as ‘immigrants’. A refugee, according to the Oxford Dictionary, described as expats, but not others,’ the article is ‘a person who has been forced to leave their continues. ‘Anyone with roots in a western councountry in order to escape war, persecution, or try is considered an expat … Filipino domestic natural disaster.’ How could this not be a fitting helpers are just guests, even if they’ve been description for the people of Syria, escaping here for decades. Mandarin-speaking mainland Chinese are rarely regarded as expats …’ war, death and destruction? Instead we hear about ‘thousands of immi- The word ‘expat’ seems to be bound up in govgrants arriving in boats’ like they were coming ernment policy on how the movement of people as in on cruise ships. It doesn’t come close to de- from different places can be labelled. And, scribing the overcrowded boats that collapse we have seen with the refugee crisis, the words beneath the weight of starving, wounded and used by government officials profoundly shape terrified passengers … often before they ‘arrive’. our view. Language is the way in which we naviAn immigrant is ‘a person who comes to live per- gate our world, our sense of self and our culture. In this way, the word expat serves as an outdatmanently in a foreign country.’ ed supremacist ideology where This refashioning of refugees we separate ourselves from as immigrants has devastating immigrants (whom we tend to consequences when the term assume are African, Syrian, Filisoftens the reality. Refugees It all comes pino, Mexican…) because we do not simply choose to live lucky enough to be born in their flee They else. somewhere down to a hefty were wealthy and privileged places. homes in fear of their lives. This reality is lost in the translation. helping of cultural Passports pack a punch. Finns, Swedes, Germans, Americans It simply does not define the circonditioning and Brits have access to 174 cumstances. countries without a visa, while And why expat? Expatriate is both refugees and immigrants defined by the OD as ‘A person will be denied free movement who lives outside their native where they were born. of because simply immigrant. as same the much Pretty country.’ So what makes me an expat while a Syrian It astounds me how fortunate I am to be able to work and prosper in this beautiful place, and refugee is an immigrant? If we insist on calling refugees immigrants, then surely it’s better to write for a living in my own language. just say expat – a term looked upon much more So many refugees are forced to flee to a strange land, then have to learn the language and culfavourably. in It all comes down to a hefty helping of cultural ture and work within foreign systems, often conditioning and a warped western ideology. We low-paid jobs, no matter how educated they may economically advantaged, generally white Euro- be in their homeland. still peans need a word to distance ourselves from And even when they do integrate, they are the Syrian refugees on the 6 o’clock news; just called immigrants. as politicians strive to downplay the desperate In contrast, many expats retain the title even reality of the refugee crisis by calling them im- when they don’t learn the language or integrate. It doesn’t seem right. migrants. the I don’t really know what to call Katie Hopkins of I’d prefer to describe myself as a citizen of LBC radio. Perhaps just a scary person with a universe, although I understand how idealismicrophone. Live on air, she defined vulnerable tic that may seem. It would make for a pretty ‘migrants’ fleeing aboard boats to UK shores as epic passport, decorated with planets and my ‘cockroaches’ and ‘feral humans.’ She added stars - although I’d miss the unicorn on that she would deploy ‘gunships’ to ‘tow them current one. But if I can’t do that then I’ll settle for being back to where they came from.’ These people were refugees with legitimate a Scottish immigrant. I will continue to learn claims for asylum under the 1951 Geneva Con- the Spanish language and perhaps someday vention. The confusion of these terms, coupled I’ll be adopted as an honorary Spaniard too.

fectly preserved in alluvial mud. (Your everyday Fascist dictator likes a grand public works project or two. See also autobahns and draining the Pontine Marshes). It was also the year that every bugger with a cross bike, buggy, quad and 4x4 decided to use the dry lakebed as a testing ground, turning my terrace into the main grandstand for the manic ‘Mad Max meets the Dakar’ chaos that ensued. The dust clouds did little for my washing, and I took a perverse pleasure every time someone got stuck in the mud. With no Wifi, phone line, TV, electricity or mains water – I use a generator and pump water from the lake into a deposit tank – I’m basically living in the 17th century but I’m more than OK with that. The track to get to my place

CHILLING: In the hills

runs along the edge of a steep drop, and has been described as a bit ‘Temple of Doom’. I’ve yet to lose a passenger, although one did grip my knee and scream loudly while another curled up in the back in a fetal position and refused to look out. And it has lead to some interesting conversations, including the night I brought a young lady back to the Casita to the first time. She grew increasingly quiet on the way up and went silent as we pulled off and started heading down the track. As we rounded a bend, she looked out to see the Casita, all alone in the moonlight, by the edge of the lake and surrounded by woodland. Your basic psycho killer territory. She looked at the house, looked and me and then uttered the immortal line “You know. I don’t really know you that well, do I?” “That’s what all the others said,” I laughed, manically! + 34 675 314 678 Marbella, Spain

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CYCLISTS competing at “I am afraid of what may this week’s Doha Road happen with the dehydraWorld Championships tion,” he said. “Europeans need protecting from the MayfairSportsBar aren't accustomed to the scorching heat, Spain’s highest temperatures of Tel: 632 56 33 38 team doctor has said. Doha. With temperatures in QatarCalle “We have to take a lot de Sabinillas, Local 22, of topping 40C, Inaki Inigo precautions. The humidUrb. El Pilar 29680 Estepona has raised concerns the rid- ity will be very high, which ers could dehydrate during increases the sweating levSunday’s seven-hour race. els.” Inigo plans to wrap rid- Spain’s largely unknown ers in cold vests before the team is without main stars race and give them liquid Joaquim Rodriguez, Aleparacetamol to regulate jandro Valverde and Albertheir temperature en route. to Contador.

RISK: Riders fear punishing Doha heat

Leaving The Olive Press

The Spanish Football Federation hasfor since confirmed TOP news in Spain! they did not. Speaking after the match he said: “The 2018 World Cup in Russia will be my last appearance for the Spanish national team. “I've thought about it a lot. This isn't a spur of the moment decision. “There are people who think it's better if I'm not here.” “I have tried everything, but I can’t bear this anymore,” he added, “Today’s issue of the sleeves is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. “They’ve managed to make me lose the excitement of coming here and although after Russia I’ll only be 31, I’ll leave.” FOUL PLAY: Footballers’ leaked sex tape causes storm

Gael force start RETIRING: Pique

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+TheolivepressEs Pique-d GERARD PIQUE has announced will retire from BE he‘APPY! international football after the 2018 World Cup in Russia as he ‘can’t bear’ to play for Spain anymore. The 29 year old broke the news following his country’s 2-0 victory over Albania in Download a World our Cup appqualifier now and in Shkoder. begin enjoying the best Spanish His controversial support news on the go. for Catalan independence has angered many fans and came to a head in the Albanian stadium when he was booed for cutting the long sleeves off of his jersey, which fans claimed featured the Spanish flag.

October 12th - October 25th 2016 LIVE MUSIC MayfairSportsBar

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THE Costa Gaels stormed to an impressive opening day victory over Gibraltar Gaels in the Andalucian Gaelic football league. The men from Marbella ran out 23 (2:17) – 12 (1:9) winners against their close rivals at Marbella Rugby Club. The victory sends the Costa Gaels to the top of the league, with last year’s

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Top stuff!

PREMIER League stars Diego Costa and Nolito scored as Spain beat Albania 2-0 to top World Cup Group G. Chelsea hitman Costa bagged a 56th minute opener before Manchester City’s Nolito came off the bench to seal the win. The victory comes after La Roja earned a valuable point with a 1-1 draw in Turin against Italy, with Daniele De Rossi’s late penalty cancelling out Vitolo’s opener. Spain face Macedonia next on November 12.

Sex romp pair in hot water after film goes viral

TWO La Liga footballers who filmed themselves having sex with a young woman are facing jail. The unnamed woman has complained to Basque police after a video showing her having a steamy romp with Eibar stars Sergi Enrich and Antonio Luna went viral on social media. Under Spanish law, the pair could be jailed for three months to a year for releasing the film without her consent. The video was made a year ago, with Enrich and Luna saying this week they regretted ‘the potential damage [not only] to our image, but in particular to that of the club’. They added: “The video shows a recording of a private act which took place between fully consenting adults. “We are aware that professional footballers should set champions Eire Og Seville yet to play. an example in every walk of A new training regime has seen Miss life, especially to children Fit Marbella personal trainer Luke and apologise if this incident Hill drafted in to whip the Costa has caused harm to anyone.” Gaels into shape. Meanwhile, the Eibar dropped the players team were recently put through their for a friendly this week, alpaces by Costa del Sol yoga instructhough they haven’t been tor Jeanette Amy from Nirmala Yoga suspended from La Liga ac(see picture). tion.

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BERNABEU: New plans

Covering up REAL Madrid’s €400m plan to rebuild the Santiago Bernabeu stadium has been given the green light. The La Liga giants and Madrid council have presented proposals to add a retractable roof to the stadium, which will be renamed the Cepsa Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez were set to unveil the plans this week. La Real aim to start the renovations next summer and complete them two years afterwards. A team of architects have designed a plan that would see the stadium extended upwards, with a larger VIP area and an extended museum.

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A 12-YEAR-OLD Spanish boy accidentally racked up €100,000 in online advertising fees in a bid to make his brass band famous.

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Sacked, shamed and now Big Sam floored by ATM in Spain

Bun brawl

So long Salou SEMI-NAKED drunken British students will have to find a new resort after Saloufest, on the Costa Dorada, canceled next Easter’s event.

October 12th - October 25th 2016

Need a sub?

Little, big spender

A FIGHT broke out between passengers on a flight between Edinburgh and Alicante after one man was repeatedly insulted for having a man bun.

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DISGRACED England manager Sam Allardyce could have used a cash bung while on holiday in Spain. The 61-year-old looked downcast as his bank card failed to reap rewards at a cashpoint on the Costa Blanca.

Beaver patrol

A SPANISH water polo player suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction during an underwater scrap with her opponent. Anna Espar was wrestling with her Italian counterpart for space in the pool when the clash became increasingly violent. The pair exchanged blows and attempted to pull each other underwater before the Italian player inflicted a brutal front wedgie on the Spaniard.

In need of a sub, Allardyce shuffled back to his car and returned with his wife Lynne, 61, who had no trouble in withdrawing funds. Allardyce has been lying low at his home ‘Big Sam’s Villa’, near Benidorm, after a newspaper sting into corruption caught him bragging about side-stepping FA rules on transfers. Allardyce is now expected to be charged by the FA for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’. Chief Executive Martin Glenn said: “It is realistic he could be charged. “It could range from a fine to a ban. That’s what the history shows. That’s for a tribunal to decide.”

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Donald dump

October 12th - October 25th 2016

DONALD TRUMP and Hillary Clinton have been caught with their trousers down by a Spanish figurine company. Catalunya-based Caganer, which makes miniature figurines for nativity scenes, has this year created specialty versions of the US Presidential candidates.

The figures traditionally show famous individuals with their trousers down and bottoms on show with something not-so pleasant at their feet. Previous celebrities to be miniaturised include Real Madrid star Gareth Bale and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias. They are placed alongside Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus and are meant to be a source of luck and prosperity in the new year.

Yoga on the hoof NEIGHWAY!: Crazy yoga

IF you’re having trouble with your cat pose or downward-facing dog, try practising your yoga moves on the back of a horse. Neigh, it’s no joke. The luxury eco resort of La Donaira, near, Grazalema is giving legs - four of them - to the calming meditative discipline with an equestrian input. Their unusual blend of riding and yoga sees participants assume poses on the back of a horse.

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