Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 279 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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BUYING Find out where Harry Winks is investing on the coast

Buggered Huge finca of ex-Marbella town planner sold

BUY IT Where to get a 13th century philosopher’s home

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Vol. 11 Issue 279 www.theolivepress.es November 22nd - December 5th 2017

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November 2017

The thinker’s finca

Issue 17

Heads up!

November 22nd

- December 5th

2017

Find out how drones are changing the property game and how they help you sell your can home

SEE PAGE XVIII >>

DON’T think about owned by one of it too long… but this historic home just come up for the godfather’s of Spanish philosophyonce has The 1,500 metresale. once owned by square country home, Casa wrote in Catalan.Mallorcan philosopher Ramon Mata, was Llull, who Credited as being one of the forefathers of the Catalan language, Llull sity named aftereven has a univerhim in Barcelona. On sale via various agents, the stunning hunting estate in Mallorca has 53 hectares of prime land and numerous outbuildings. The 13th century writer and artist was hugely influential land and once taught on the isking James II of Aragon. Llull lived in the huge estate near ANCIENT: a Llull book Algaida from 1250 until a series of six religious visions a missionary converting leave his family to lead led him to a life as Muslims and Jews cism. to catholiHe wrote over 200 works during his tomb in Palma’s life and has a basilica of St Francis, ing restored. currently beHis family sold the home in the 16th It sits near Llucmajor century. on the road from Montuiri. Randa to

The Brits are back

BRITISH buyers bounced backhave in Spain over the ond half of the secyear. According to one developer, the key ber of British numers has more buydoubled on the than period last year.same Between July and October 2017, homebuilder Taylor Wimpey has a whopping seen 118% PHILOSOPHER’S increase in buyers STONES: Thinker Llull (left) once lived stunning Casa Mata from the UK. in “We are extremely proud of the results generated to in 2017,” said date sales boss Marc Pritchard. “And it is great to see the British buyers back. “They have been of the buyers in half PAIN’S property market is set last four months.”the for another healthy Another 12 months So far this Sales and prices year. year, of are expected more Spain’s to rise… as leading sales - as long as growth in Spain with 10% been called for December no sudden economiclong as there are Catalunya is dealt 21, and the housebuilder situation has calmed reported a 13% has one of the country’s shocks, predicts 6.9% this with year. However, this has down. crease in sales inAccording to Anticipalargest agents. direct rule. (388 sales will rise by Prices for resales and new of Spain’s largest not stopped some properties) 9.3% next year to builds The property companies meanwhile, compared to 342 homes up from 481,000526,000 properties, to increase are expected to continue est region is regarded as the wealthi- with links to the region, seeing their last year. more than in 2016.this year and 21% quarter of by 5.8% over the fourth has in Spain and its capital Barcelona share prices slump. this year. seen some of the Enquiries for Prices are also highest property Merlin Properties and Colonial The firm’s price holifell by day 5.3% and 6.4% 6.1% next year, onexpected to rise by compiled latest report, however, was It is rises this year. homes during respectively at the before hoped top of an expected height of the independence the summer season independence andCatalunya declared ty will not that the political uncertain- Investors, crisis. affect sales too much, Madrid imposed were up by 13% though, are adopting ticulary as regional par- the elections have now and see’ policy in the run up a ‘wait biggest growth seen to the in the elections. last six years.

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Urgent action needed as Andalucia to be almost uninhabitable by 2100

679702_DFS_SPANISH_BOX_AD_40x40_MIJAS_COSTA.indd 23/02/2017 11:31 1

Olive Press appeals for action as scientists forecast threedegree global temperature rise

SPREADING: The march of desertification is moving from east to west Andalucia

LARGE parts of southern Spain could be desertified by the end of the century. It comes after climate scientists projected that global temperatures will rise by 3.2C by 2100 if drastic measures are not immediately taken. They say the earth will soon reach ‘the point of no return’, which spells almost continual drought conditions for most parts of Andalucia. The entire region is susceptible to desertification, alongside an alarming 70% of Spain, according to official government statistics. In the doomsday scenario, a third of Spain will be as arid as the desert of Tabernas in Almeria. Meanwhile, the narrow green strip running along the north of Africa will disappear, devoured by the desert, and dramatically worsening the migration crisis. Spain’s forests will end up confined to the highest hilltops, while cities, including Malaga and Cadiz, will face ‘severe scenarios’ as sea levels are set to rise by up to a metre, leaving large areas underwater. Meanwhile Madrid will suffer one of the biggest temperature rises in the world, making the city almost uninhabitable in summer. Green group Climate Central said it would worsen the capital’s ‘heat island’ effect, with temperatures rising between 4.3 degrees and 8 degrees in summer. Due to its contamination and altitude only three other cities Sofia, Skopje and Belgrade - will fare worse. Dozens of cities across the country could have average temperatures in

HEADS IN THE SAND

70% of Spain in danger of desertification

Madrid to be 8C hotter in summer Malaga and Cadiz under a metre of water

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www.theolivepress.es News IN BRIEF

Refugee rescue AROUND 600 African migrants were rescued in 24 hours off the coast of Murcia. This comes as the number of people arriving by sea in Spain has nearly tripled over the last year to 17,687.

Political death

British lad abducted from Marbella may be in Morocco By Laurence Dollimore

BRITISH police believe a missing child, 11, could have been taken to Morocco. Alex Batty, from Oldham, was reported missing on October 8 after going on holiday to Malaga with his family.

CRIME

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Wanted mum

Concerned

SPAIN’S attorney general Jose Manuel Maza has died aged 66 at a conference in Argentina from a kidney infection. He had been a key figure in the constitutional crisis in Cataluyna.

The 11-year-old was on the pre-agreed trip with his mother, Melanie Batty, 37, who doesn’t have custody. The pair had been staying in the Benahavis area. However, he failed to return to England as scheduled and enquiries reveal the family left Benahavis

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A GROUP of hikers are being sought by police after they forced a boar off a cliff edge. The Guardia Civil released a video showing them taunting the animal with sticks before forcing it to its death. The vile video was shot on the Cares trail in Asturias’ famous Picos de Europa mountain range, by another nearby hiker. One of the group of Spanish walkers can be heard shouting: “A little more and it will fall.” It then plunges to its death, smashing against a huge rock on the way down.

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possibly heading to Morocco, via Malaga port. Alex has not been seen since and although officers do not believe he is at risk of harm, they are concerned about his welfare. He is white, about 5ft, slim, has blond hair and speaks with a northern accent. Spanish police are helping their UK counterparts. “Our main priority is finding Alex and bringing him home,” said a spokesman for Oldham police. “His female guardian is extremely upset and is desperate to get him home. “We know Melanie has visited Morocco a number of times before and we believe she could have travelled with Alex there.” Anyone with any information should email newsdesk@theolivepress.es and call police on 0044 161 856

Wife beaters THERE has been an alarming 21.6% rise in violent attacks against women in Andalucia. The region has seen 17,614 complaints of violence so far this year, compared to 14,481 over the same period last year. Authorities say the rise in figures is partly due to women coming forward more often. Between January and June of this year, 4,311 requests have been registered by the victims for protection, of which 3,236 (75.6%) have been granted. A €1 billion fund is set to be discussed in Spain’s Parliament to help tackle gender-based violence across Spain, of which 500 million will be allocated to the autonomous communities.

Busted A BRIT who has been on the run for 10 years has been arrested by police with a fake ID and driving licence from Gibraltar. Known only as AJL, he has appeared before a court in La Linea on a European Arrest Warrant. He is alleged to have been involved in a fight with two La Linea cops back in 2007, where one officer was assaulted and another was injured. After hearing he was around the Los Barrios area, cops eventually recognised the man as he was about to visit a shop in the Guadacorte shopping centre. He was found with a fake driving licence and ID card, which had been issued in Gibraltar. He also had several different vehicles

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Wonderkid, part 4 CRISTIANO Ronaldo has welcomed a baby girl into the world with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez. The 32-year-old Real Madrid star shared a picture of his 22-year-old girlfriend holding baby Alana Martina with Ronaldo’s son, Cristiano Jr in the background. “Both Geo as well as Alana are doing great! We are all very happy!” Ronaldo wrote. In June Ronaldo welcomed twins Mateo and Eva by a surrogate mother and with Alana, Georgina’s first child, the footballing legend is now a father of four.

THE world’s most morally bankrupt TV lawyer has sought solace on a famous Spanish pilgrimage. Actor Bob Odenkirk, who plays Breaking Bad brief Saul Goodman, walked a large section of the Camino de Santiago - the Way of St James earlier this year, it has been revealed. The 54-year-old took spent two weeks walking a large section of the route, taking in Merida, Caceres and Salamanca. Walking 16 to 23 kilometres a day, he said his

It’s easel if you try A LOCAL artist claims he works on an easel used by John Lennon. Expat Ed Chapman, 46, insists his trusty canvas stand has inspired his successful career. He got the easel from his mother, Margaret Duxbury, who shared a flat with the legendary Beatle, while studying with him at Liverpool College of Art. His mother also dated one of the group, Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bass guitarist. Lennon’s close friend Bill Harry, who started the magazine Mersey Beat at the college wrote about the links between Duxbury and the band. Chapman, who now lives on in Alora, has become known for his mosaics of famous stars, including Lennon and Jimi Hendrix. His Hendrix mosaic, made of 5,000 Fender guitar picks, was sold at auction for €25,000 euros. “The easel is very inspiring for me to try to emulate the wonderful pieces of art they each created on it,” he told the Olive Press.

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

good

GOODBOY: Odenkirk

goal was to ‘eat only for survival reasons and clear my life of worries.’ The Catholic said he could easily have ‘spent two weeks in Salamanca’. “At this point in my life, you might have expected that at least one person would have told me how beautiful and vibrant these Spanish regions are,” he said. “Now I can return to L.A. and be that person.”

A Bum note Andrea’s free cut-out-and-keep geography lesson of the Iberian Peninsula

X Factor star confuses the Rock with a certain near neighbour for New Year performance EXCLUSIVE By Joe Wallen

THE headline act booked to help Gibraltarians ring in the new year needs a geography lesson. X Factor star Andrea Faustini is clearly confused about where he is actually playing this December 31. In a political faux pas he told the Gibraltar Olive Press he was excited about ‘playing in Spain’. “I love Spain and I’m thrilled to cele-

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NB: On the left Gibraltar and (right) where it is in relation to Andalucia and Spain

brate New Year’s Eve there!,” said the X Factor 2014 finalist. “I’m very excited about it and can’t wait to get there and perform for everyone.” Mistake Assuming he is excused for his mistake, he will be performing on stage in Casemates Square at 11pm, it has been announced by the Ministry of Cul-

ture. The Italian crooner released his first studio album ‘Kelly’ in 2015 which reached number 14 in the UK charts. “I’ve heard there is a very lively cultural scene there, so I can’t wait to bring my music and hopefully people will enjoy it,” he said. “My biggest resolution for 2018 is definitely to keep positive

and happy, that’s the most important thing for me!” His performance will be followed by the countdown to midnight with current Miss Gibraltar Jodie Garcia and James Neish. Gibraltarian Indie band Jetstream will entertain post-midnight, with DJ John James Hazel then taking over from 2am.

A Klass above MYLEENE Klass has delighted her fans by being pictured enjoying the sun, sea and surf in Portugal. The former Hear’Say singer famously took to the showers during her time in the jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. The 39-year-old television and radio presenter was spotted enjoying a holiday with her daughters, Ava, 10 and Hero, 6 on the Algarve. It has been a busy few weeks for Myleene who recently celebrated the launch of her milestone 30th clothing collection for Littlewoods.

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Desertification nightmares From Page 1

summer above 45 degrees and reach records that right now seem unfathomable. “We find ourselves in a situation where we are not doing nearly enough to save hundreds of millions of people from a miserable future,” said Erik Solheim, the UN environment chief, at this month’s crucial global climate conference in Bonn. Despite Spain being one of the country’s most at threat, it comes 21st in the list of EU countries for tackling CO2 emissions. It is well behind in its actions to help stave off a critical two-degree rise in temperature, in line with the 2015 Paris agreement. “Even if the objectives of the Paris Agreement are met, Mediterranean landscapes will change, and the dryer areas will advance north,” says Joel Guiot, a French researcher from the European Centre for Research and Teaching in Geosciences (CEREGE). Incredibly, the country did not even send a respresentative to a global conference on the threat of desertification in China, in September. And the EU recently slammed Spain’s overuse of water, in particular on vital aquifers such as those in the Donana National Park,

between Cadiz and Sevilla, which were struck by devastating wildfires this year. An investigation launched in 2009, demanded that Spain immediately deal with the situation, or face being heavily fined. UNESCO has also threatened to remove protection status. Obvious changes such as the promotion of electric vehicles, public transport and grants for using solar panels have also been stifled due to pressure from the big electricity companies. Meanwhile, the Andalucian authorities are only now considering bringing in already vital drought measures, as reservoir levels enter a critical stage (see below). It has hardly rained since April with reservoir levels sitting at their lowest levels since the 1990s. An official drought status is set to be called over the next few days. There have been serious crop failures this year, as well as wild fires and flooding. It comes after the worst drought in 150 years hit Spain in 2014. The predicted long periods of drought would also spark further mass migration of people from Africa.

A UK insurance firm has been ordered to pay €1billion in damages to the Spanish government. The A Coruña court ruled that The London P&I Club must pay the sum in damages for the 2002 Prestige tanker oil spill, one of Europe’s worst environmental disasters. The captain of the ship must also pay towards the costs,

STUNNING: Pinsapo trees in Sierra de las Nieves national park

Opinion Page 6

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ACT NOW: Andalucia faces uncertain future, while Madrid (below) will fry

IT practically touches the concrete belt of over-construction along the Costa del Sol. So, it will come as a huge victory to environmentalists that Spain is about to declare the Sierra de las Nieves a National Park. The stunning mountain area between Marbella, Ronda and the Guadalhorce Valley will become only the third such protected zone in Andalucia and the 16th in Spain. Environment minister Maria Garcia announced that the 18,500 hectare area would be granted the status by the mid-

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THE Junta is drawing up urgent measures to combat the threat of impending drought across Andalucia. It comes after four years of low rainfall left the region’s reservoirs at around a third of capacity, some 13% below levels last year. New water plans include installing a pipeline from the Iznajar reservoir in Cordoba to the Antequera area, which was supposed to have been built two years ago. A new dam on the Rio Verde will nearly

triple the size of Marbella’s La Concepcion reservoir. Another project could see a pipeline running along the Costa del Sol to the Axarquia region allowing water to flow from the wetter western region to the drier east of Malaga. In total, 115 measures are being introduced to help save water. If officially declared in January, as expected, the drought decree will be the third in a decade, the first two being in 2005 and 2008.

Water idea THE Costa del Sol’s leading water company has offered to use recycled water to hose down streets. It has told the Junta’s Environment Department that wastewater at plants in Arroyo de la Miel, Fuengirola, Mijas, Estepona and Manilva could be used as a drought measure. The company adds that financial savings would be huge and an effective way to use recycled water that is otherwise wasted. Currently a third of its water is used to irrigate golf courses and any surplus is chanelled out to sea.

greenwww.theolivepress.es special

November22nd 22nd- December - December5th 5th2017 2017 November

Billion fine for oil spill which include €61 million in damages to France, which was also affected. The rest must be paid by ship owner Mare Shipping Inc. and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds, a grouping of two intergovernmental organisa-

tions that provide compensation for environmental damage resulting from spills. The Prestige ran into trouble in rough seas in November 2002. Within a few days it broke in two and sank off the coast of Galicia, spilling

63,000 tonnes of oil into the sea. The oil blackened 2,980 kilometres of shoreline in Spain, France and Portugal, leading to catastrophic damage to wildlife and the environment, as well as to the region’s fishing industry.

GOLD RUSH

IT must certainly rival New England in the Fall. The stunning Genal Valley, near Ronda, has undergone an incredible transformation. Known as the ‘copper spring,’ the area’s chestnut

Park life

Joy for environmentalists as Sierra de las Nieves park set to gain National Park status dle of 2018. It will join the Donana and Sierra Nevada National Parks in Andalucia. According to Garcia, the 13

villages surrounding the new park will benefit from the tourism boost granted by the title. The Sierra de las Nieves is

celebrated for its ancient Pinsapo firs, some of the world’s oldest trees, and its highest peak is Torrecilla at 1909m.

HEROES: Biologists

Appeal for illegal ibex hunter POLICE have appealed to the public for information leading to the arrest of an illegal hunter who killed a rare Spanish Ibex. Malaga Guardia Civil tweeted a message asking for help in locating those responsible for the killing of the endangered species in Churriana, near Malaga. Anyone with information should call 061 or email seprona@guardiacivil.org.

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trees go a wonderful golden brown before shedding their leaves for winter. The effect produces an amber glow and is the perfect backdrop for walks around the many villages, including Parauta, Pujerra and Igualeja. However, the landscape only stays this colour for two weeks and arrived late this year, so you may want to hurry to catch this amazing phenomenon.

WHO DUNNIT: Police appeal to the public

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Dolphin rescue A BABY dolphin has been rescued from a Costa del Sol beach. Biologists from the Aula del Mar in Malaga rescued the mammal from la Fontanilla beach, in Marbella, after locals described it as being ‘disorientated’. The animal was extremely thin and was found full of parasites.

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Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION The sands of time THE world is on a collision course with mother nature yet governments and world leaders don’t seem too fussed. And it is an absolute scandal that right here in Spain those who want to do their bit are being restricted by shameful laws. The fact that anyone wanting to generate solar electricity must pay a tax, when there should be incentives for it, not to mention a shameful waste of water around Andalucia is a crying shame. Despite 70% of the country being at risk of desertification, Spain couldn’t be bothered to send a delegate to a global conference on the issue this year. And at a time when the country’s reservoir levels reached all time lows and we are due to enter one of the worst droughts for decades. All of us need to do more to protect the environment, whether its on the micro level of recycling more and using less water, or on the macro level, voting for green politicians in local elections, installing solar panels or lobbying government for action. But it is the government ultimately that needs to enforce laws and introduce programmes that will help stave off disaster. It is simply shameful to do nothing, while knowing that in just 80 years this region could be largely an uninhabitable desert. Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

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

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

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UNREPENTANT: Fishermen

SPANISH fisherman has told the Gibraltar Olive Press he remains unrepentant about fishing illegally in British waters. Esteban Navarro Bedriomo and two other fishing boat captains from Puerto de La Atunara in La Linea insist they will continue to plunder fish from Gibraltarian waters Their claims come as the situation threatens to escalate into a full blown political crisis, with Gibraltarian politicians, fishermen and environmentalists condemning the action of the Spanish boats. Our exclusive front page report on the ongoing saga last issue has now been followed up by the national press in the UK, including the Sun and the Daily Express. But despite the national outrage, the fishermen insist they are not scared of confrontation and that the Gibraltarian sea belt is rightfully Spanish.

Undaunted

Spanish fishermen have refused to acknowledge Gibraltarian waters as they continue to fish, writes Joe Wallen

Fisherman’s fiend

“I have fished since I was 15 years old and almost every day since I have been in Gibraltarian waters,” Esteban Navarro, 50, captain of notorious Virgen Carmen Primero, told the Gibraltar Olive Press. “I fish wherever I want, Gibraltar does not have a sea,” he added laughing. Esteban was undaunted by frequent confrontations with the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron. Catching him as he returned to port at 10.30am last Thursday, he told me he had certainly seen an increase in monitoring since the Gibraltar Olive Press first exposed the regularity of his illegal forays. In fact, he admitted that the Storm Petrel, a boat from the Department of Energy had pulled him up on a daily basis. But he wasn’t holding us responsible. The jovial, friendly fisherman said that, to him, it felt more ‘symbolic’ than anything else. “I just move on elsewhere and vated; the Spanish have a coastline tomorrow I’ll be back in the exact stretching for 4,969km, they are place where they found me,” he just looking for a reaction from our said shrugging. “Very occasionally fishermen.” they confiscate my catch.” Conservative MEP for the South He continued: “Ultimately, the West of England & Gibraltar, Ashley Spanish authorities say I can fish Cox, further slammed the provocathere, so I do and when the Gibral- tive action of the Spanish captains. tarian authorities try and stop me, “I am convinced that these illegal they never show incursions are a me an EU or Eusanctioned offiropean commucial practice seeknity document It is completely ing to challenge that says I can’t. British sovereignpolitically So tough luck.” ty over the Rock,” His quotes are motivated they are he told the Gibralbound to enrage tar Olive Press. further Gibraltarjust looking for a “Their entire aim ian fishermen is to be as disrupreaction who believe they tive as possible.” are hard done by While Gibraltarian facing immediauthorities do reate prosecution quest the Spanish boats leave - ofif caught fishing illegally, while their ficially turning back the Virgen CarSpanish colleagues are given free men Primero three times last week rein. alone - there seems to be no further “They catch the Spanish but they enforcement. just get away with a slap on the “The Spanish captains wouldn’t wrist,” Mario Ramos, President of dare fish in Morocco or Portugal bethe Gibraltar Fishing Club told me, cause they know the second they this week. do, they’ll be hauled in and arrest,” “It is completely politically moti- Mario stated.

HARD HITTING: Our front page followed up in UK press

“Here there are no prosecutions so of course they will continue.” Prosecutions are exceedingly rare and despite the Gibraltarian government’s claims to the contrary, Esteban Navarro knew no-one who had faced criminal charges in his 35 years at sea. “What is the problem with me fishing here?” he asked. “The Gibraltarians just pour all their sewage in the sea, everything from human waste to industrial products. They should clean up their act first before telling us about looking after the sea.” He pointed out that the European Court of Justice ruled in May that Gibraltar was breaking EU law by dumping raw sewage into the Mediterranean at Europa Point. A government spokesperson told the Gibraltar Olive Press that plans were in the final stages for a new treatment facility. “Why should we care about their environment when their sewage floats into our waters, killing our animals?” contested Miguel Molinero, 44, captain of the Ana. “There’s nothing they can do to stop me taking their fish anyway be-

cause really they belong to Spain. Gibraltar is my favourite place to fish,” he added. “Every boat in this port fishes in Gibraltarian waters. “Me and a few others are picked up the most because there are no repercussions for entering Gibraltarian waters so we don’t bother switching our radar off. “Anyone can track us. Nothing happens,” he says brazenly. I counted 32 fishing boats in the harbour on the morning of my visit, with the port officials estimating at least the same number were currently out at sea. When you consider that this is just ONE port in La Linea, it is evident how endemic the problem is. The government say that they remained committed to eradicating illegal fishing. “The role of the Environmental Protection Unit includes challenging illegal activities in all areas of nature protection,” a spokesman told the Gibraltar Olive Press. It is evident things will not change. “Yes, of course we fish in Gibraltar” says Javi Pascal Martín, 52, captain of the Santa María, as if I had just asked him if the Earth was round.

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Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es And our site is updated November 22nd - Decemberdaily 5th with 2017the latest news, making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.

XABI: Looking to take Olympic success to the Volvo Ocean Race

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Spain’s Olympic sailing champion Xabi Fernandez talks to Jed Neill about his preparations for the globe’s most gruelling ocean challenge

T has been described as the world’s longest and toughest sporting event - a 45,000 nautical mile marathon across four oceans via six continents and 12 host cities. Alicante was the starting gun for the 2017/2018 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, and the sailors are currently closing in on Cape Town for the second leg of the race. Seven teams of intrepid yachties are travelling across the world and back on the longest route since the event’s inception in 1973. A challenge as prestigious as the Olympics or the America’s Cup, there is no financial reward but getting their hands on the winners’ trophy is an obsession that the world’s master mariners dedicate years of their lives trying to achieve. Sir Chay Blyth and Clare Francis, the race’s first female skipper, are among the British legends who took part in the days when it was known as the Whitbread Round the World Race. Now two-times Olympic medalist Xabi Fernandez is aiming to write Spain into the record books for the first time as the skipper of Mapfre, this year’s favourite to win. With six in-port races under their belt the odds are looking good.

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This year there is a renewed focus on the Southern Ocean for sailors to tackle The Basque yachting ace who celebrated his 41st birthday three days before setting sail is as well-prepared as he can be for an endurance test that will see crew living off freezedried food and braving temperature variations of −5 to 40 degrees, with only one change of clothes during their nine month ordeal at sea. “One of the worst things in the world when you sail is the lack of sleep and being tired,” Xabi confided. “There’s not much you can do. I think keeping the motivation up is the best solution. “Obviously we like sailing in the ocean so it’s not that hard to keep nine people in the boat for so long.” This year there is a renewed focus on the Southern Ocean, an infamously turbulent stretch of water afloat with hazardous icebergs. To tackle the challenge, two crew members are on-board medics and the boat will change the position of the crew every six hours. All teams have identical boats and Mapfre has two other Olympic gold medallists on board Blair Tuke and Tamara Echegoyen - as well as the oldest sailor in the race, Joan Vila, 55, a three-times America’s Cup winner.

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DANGEROUS: The Mapfre boat will navigate the Southern Ocean The sailors are expected to burn 5,000-6,000 calories a day and an on-board water machine produces up to 50 litres of water. However they can only shower if it rains. “The food is much better than people think,” said Xabi. “We have a menu that repeats every four or five days. “Of course you miss fresh vegetables and good meat.” The Olive Press also spoke to Britain’s Dee Caffari who is skippering Turn the Tide on Plastic. The British entry is a mixed, youth team with a strong sustainable message - to save the world’s oceans from plastic pollution.

Dee said a lot of thought went into crew selection to minimise the psychological impact of the race. “Having a balance of personalities that brings out the best in each other was important and I’m confident I’m going to have a lot of fun,” she said. She added that the first thing she’ll do after the race is head home and see her dog – although not before savouring the moment. “I will bask in the glory of seeing my crew having achieved something momentous,” she said.

Updated daily The Olive Press online www.theolivepress.es The website is conveniently accessible from your desktop computer to your laptop, tablets and smartphones throughout the day wherever you are. www.theolivepress.es

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Spain’s leader led a party drowning in ‘corruption in its purest form’ claims probe SPAIN’S ruling party has been accused of ‘corruption in its purest form’ in the long-running enquiry into its finances. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s PP party behaved like ‘a criminal organisation’ after accepting black money via illegal slush funds, claimed the boss of Spain’s Financial Crimes Unit (UDEF). Manuel Morocho also claims there is clear evidence linking leader Rajoy to the receipt of undeclared cash payments. He has already been accused by El Mundo newspaper of taking envelopes with €3,000 in cash every month for years.

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Rajoy took bungs Addressing a Spanish Congressional commission, Morocho described the system as ‘parasitical’ in how it had penetrated public administrations. He also slammed the consideral pressure his team had been under to shelve the investigation. It comes after the Gurtel case wrapped up after an eight-year probe by Morocho’s unit. Investigators claim that the

PP allegedly used millions in undeclared cash, called ‘Caja B,’ to fund election campaigns and pay off key politicians and other important figures. The money was handled by ex-treasurer Luis Barcenas, who admitted he gave large amounts of cash to party members in envelopes. He also had millions stashed away in private bank accounts in Switzerland, it emerged.

Terror stoppers PEDESTRIAN entrances to Malaga city centre have had road blocks installed in a bid to prevent terror attacks similar to those witnessed in Barcelona this summer. The large bollards make it impossible for a car to drive into pedestrian areas, where thousands are expected to gather to see the famous Christmas lights being turned on this week.

Barcenas says any suggestion he was involved in the bribes is ‘absolutely false’ as at the time of the payments he was in charge of the policy, not the financing, of the PP. Rajoy last year became the first serving Prime Minister in Spain’s history to testify as a criminal witness, however he has continually denied taking money and at present he is not considered a suspect.

PP trio to face hard drive destruction charges THE current PP party treasurer is facing prosecution for attempting to destroy evidence linked to the Gurtel corruption case, a Madrid court has ruled. It comes after treasurer Carmen Navarro allegedly erased computers belonging to ex-treasurer Luis

SINGLE IMPLANT

Barcenas. She is said to overseen the destruction of various hard drives that could have implicated the party’s leaders in illegal dealings. Navarro and her co-defendants, legal advisor Alberto Durán and the director of the party's IT José

Manuel Moreno, had their appeal to dismiss the case thrown out last week. The court argued there is ‘sufficient evidence’ that crimes of computer damage and ‘concealment of evidence’ were committed.

IMPLANT BRIDGE

Opposition party Podemos blasted the PP over attempts to ‘intimidate’ the investigators. It’s leader Pablo Iglesias labelled Rajoy a ‘criminal delinquent’. Iglesias has continually referred to the leader as ‘M.Rajoy’ in parliament this month, a reference to the name frequently put alongside cash payments in the alleged PP party ledgers kept by Barcenas. Judge Pablo Ruz now has a few months to decide on the sentencing in the case and whether further investigation needs to be undertaken. Mr Morocho’s comments could not come at a worse time for the embattled Rajoy, who is facing a huge backlash to his handling of the Catalan independence crisis.

BOLLARDS: In Malaga

Power push MARBELLA’S town hall has been blasted for seeking an extra €36 million for next year’s budget. Opposition parties claim the increase is a cynical attempt to ensure victory at the local elections in early 2019. The PP and OSP coalition has asked for €215 million next year, which will go down again to €180 million in 2019. The IU claims the money will be spent to merely appease voters.

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Costa del Sol railway listed as priority for key infrastructure investment

NE WS

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

On track

A CRUCIAL railway line linking the Costa del Sol has been listed as a priority in the next round of Spain’s infrastructure investment. The train line, with an estimated cost of €5

billion, has been promised on and off since the 1990s, but it has stalled due to lack of funding and a lack of agreement between Madrid and the Junta. The link, which would run from Malaga to

Estepona, could be finished within a decade as Spain’s economy continues to grow. It has been highlighted as one of the key infrastructure projects for Andalucia over the next decade, along with new metro lines for Sevilla and a motorway between Ubeda, in Jaen, and Estepa, in Cordoba. Julian Nunez, president of SEOPAN – the Association of Construction Companies and Concessionaires of Infrastructure – says the government will By Laurence Dollimore most likely prioritise health and education over the next two told the Olive Press. years. “You could literally hear But added: “GDP growth and the eucalyptus trees the scale back of the deficit have crackling in the backcreated some space to increase ground and she was askpublic investment in infrastrucing for his NIE and who ture.” he was with.” He has therefore created a proAlex had made spective investment portfolio the emergency for the government, listing the call after seeprojects that are a priority. ing smoke belSome 814 projects are already lowing from planned, but just need the a neighbour’s funds and green light from house. Madrid. They could start and “They obvicomplete in the 2018/2021 ously thought period. he was a prankThey also include a new train ster. Thank God it wasn’t line for the Costa Blanca from a windy day or the whole Vinaroz to Alicante, as well as a valley would have been planned metro from Palma de ablaze.” Torrox Police Mallorca to Andratx. told the Olive Press they Public investment is long overcould not comment on due in the country, having been whether asking for an reduced by 58% since 2009. NIE before sending help Such investment in 2014 was was standard procedure. at the same level as 1984.

Flaming joke AN expat family have slammed slack emergency services after reporting a wildfire near their home. Jo Wright, 51, and son Alex, 16, were shocked when a local police car arrived with three officers and a small fire extinguisher, some TWENTY minutes after calling 112. The pair said it took nearly an hour for two fire engines to arrive and put out the fire near Torrox. It came after the teen was asked for his ID by the operator. “I can’t understand why it was necessary,” mum Jo

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Lighting up Malaga

MALAGA'S Christmas lights are the highlight of the season and one of the most photographed festive events on the coast. This year they will be switched-on on Friday November 24. The theme for this Christmas has taken a religious tone, with Calle Larios

Download our app now and THE Caminito del Rey has been begin enjoying the best Spanishpraised for its success as a sustainable tourist attraction. news on the go. Costa del Sol representatives gave a talk and lecture on the world-famous walkway at Spain’s biggest business conference FETAVE. Director of tourism for the Costa del Sol Arturo Bernal A MAMMOTH Pablo Pi- said 245,000 tourists have alcasso exhibition is coming ready visited the site this year, TheTate Olive Press while ‘last winter saw visitors of to London’s museum 84 different nationalities flock for the first time. from five different continents’. The show have more TOPwill for news in Spain! than 100 works created by The ‘little king’s walkway’ near the Malagan artist in 1932 El Chorro is one of the most and described as ‘among popular tourist destinations in Andalucia, with around 1,000 his most valuable’.

Picasso’s muse

Of greatest importance are the abstract portraits of his lover and muse at the time, Marie-Therese Walter. Picasso had just turned 50 and was tending to his wife Olga and their 11-year-old son when he was in the throes of his affair. The show will hit London in March next year.

being converted into a cathedral with two giant domes and stained glass windows. Son et Lumiere shows take place on Calle Larios at 6.30pm and 9.30pm and three songs will form part of the show: Boney M's Merry Christmas, Wizards in Winter by the Trans-Sibe-

Do you have a what’s on?

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Send your informati on to newsdesk@theolivep ress.es

what’s on rian Orchestra and Christmas Festival performed by Boston Pops. In addition to Calle Larios, some 1.7 million LED bulbs are being used in Malaga this year. The lights are switched on between 6.30pm and 2am every day and are turned off on January 7.

Walk this way Malaga praised for diversifying its inland tourism sector

visitors a day. It was closed for over a decade after falling into disrepair but reopened in 2015,

and was once known as ‘the world’s deadliest walkway’. But now, thanks to attractions like

the Caminito del Rey, Malaga has seen inland tourism soar by 39% this August compared to last year, while overnight stays increased by 50%. FETAVE bosses said the Costa del Sol is one of the biggest success stories when it comes to diversification of the tourist product. In recognising the province, FETAVE said: “Malaga is one of the most important success stories in Spain for its courage in updating the traditional sun and beach tourism model and betting decidedly on the diversification of its inland tourism.”

M show

alaga - November 2526 Pet

AN unmissable event for animal lovers as ‘Mi Mascota’ returns for the sixth instalment of the hit pet show. Malaga Exhibition and Conference Centre will host the show with professionals on hand to help.

tajate - November 25 - Wine Festi-

onda - December 1 Bubble Magic

val

THE town aims to reclaim its great wine tradition through the celebration of wine must, one of the first steps in wine production. It is one of few villages left where you can try this fabled product.

THIS spellbinding children's show returns for the whole family to enjoy where the protagonists are not people but bubbles. It will be shown at the Vicente Espinel Theatre and doors open 7pm.

L E TT E R S

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Letter

of the

week

Thanks, Marbella Dear OP,

After a two month stay in the UK I decided to travel back to the Costa del Sol in a motorhome. On the way to Spain I contracted an infection called cellulitis (see below). This can apparently be contracted via a bite, cut or broken skin like athlete's foot! I understand it can be picked up in showers, swimming pools or similar damp environments. When I arrived in Fuengirola a good friend took me immediately to the hospital at Benalmadena, where I was attended to very quickly. They confirmed it was cellulitis, but due to possible thrombosis, they referred me to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella where they had the necessary equipment. After six hours of tests I was admitted almost immediately. From this point on I was given the best possible attention anyone could wish for! I was very poorly and in a lot of pain but my 15 day stay was made so much easier by the care from all the staff! I can't thank them enough! Readers should know just how wonderful a hospital they have in Marbella. I have now fully recovered from my ordeal thanks to those lovely staff from one of Spain's best hospitals. Thanks again

Mr E I Ashworth, Fuengirola

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Sick puppy owner

Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

Our readers react to the news of a German Shepherd puppy being dragged for miles while tied to the back of a jeep.

Barbaric act

Deserves same treatment

Surely something has to be done. This is barbaric and makes me sick to my stomach and the people who let him off are just as bad.

Don't waste tax payer's money on this EVIL man. No fine or imprisonment would be severe enough. Tie him to the back of a vehicle and drag him, put him through the same pain and suffering that poor, poor dog went through.

Jill Sibbett, Malaga

Standing together

Melanie Steel, Almogía

I think we all stand on the same side of the fence on this one, tie him to the back of his car and drag him to the point of death and then leave him to die very, very slowly.

Real justice needed I feel sick seeing this and imagining the sheer pain and terror the puppy must have gone through. I own a German Shepherd and they are the most loving and loyal breed. It is a sick, barbaric and incredibly cruel act. I suspect justice will be served by outraged citizens.

Marcia Dobson, Leeds

Knowledge is power I know a particularly nasty debt collector from England. Shame he’s in England, I’d pay good money for him to sort this guy out and I hope the man responsible will go to prison. Roy Price, Mijas

Lesley Boon, Alcaucín

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HUGE: Lithium mine in Chile

I loved Jack's Corner last issue (Back to the Future)...his futuristic predictions for Spain's solar sector aren't that far-out! Kind regards Chrissie Dove, Solview360.com Fuengirola

DATELINE: November 20th,

2067

NEWS POLITICS LAAXARQUIA CULTURA

November 8th - November 21st 2017 November 8th - November 21st 2017

Back & Future

o one saw this coming… In looking back years to the year 2017, all the clues 50 there but like a complex jigsaw puzzle,were few could see the entire picture. have predicted in 2017, that over the Who would we would see the geopolitical rise next 50 years, of Spain as a world leader? Who would have anticipated a golden age for Spain in energy-related technology? Who would have forecasted Spain as a global it pertains to international trade? How model as pen? Let’s try and make sense of it…. did this hapIn 2017 Spain was still mired in the Crisis. Unemployment, especially effects of La for the young, remained among the highest in Europe. election cycles in a row, Spain could For three not form a consensus government as the country teetered between austerity and unacceptable efficiency and corruption were found debt limits. Ingovernance. Furthermore, the voices at all levels of calling for Catalonian independence AND those who were loud and persistent. Lost in all this opposed it, however was an already in-place, albeitpessimism inefficient and non-profitable, solar and wind infrastructure. More about this later… The situation in Europe was not much better. The full impact of Brexit in 2017 had not yet played out. Over the next few decades, the European Union weakened to the point that by 2067, name only. It wasn’t just Brexit that it existed in ning of the end for the EU----rather itwas the beginwas a ‘death FUTURE: by a thousand cuts’. The debt/austerity situation A solar in Greece, the cultural divide between the northern farm and southern countries, immigration/assimilation issues, currency controls, historical grievances in the --- all Indian state of Like the Romans, Tamil

Napoleon and Hitler, the EU had failed to create a unified Europe

The year is 2067 and Spain has returned to superpower status

GOLDEN AGE: Spain’s Hasburgs ruled the country in the 1500s, its most powerful period

Into the Crystal Ball

It has been said that factories were part of the reason for the EU’s ‘those who live by the research, dedicated to the torians viewed the Spandevelopment ish American Alas, like the Romans, Charlemagne,fragmentation. crystal ball soon learn to and mass production of not as coloniesterritories Hitler, the European Union had failed Napoleon and eat shattered glass’. That lithium but rathto create a uni-ion battery fied Europe. er extensions of Spain. may be true as making in- production. All was not lost however. Britain, post Lithium- ion batteries are tuitions into the future is proposed Tesla has Brexit, graduthe buildally entered a trading bloc of the English viewed by investors as never a certainty. It has ing -speaking of gigafactories nations of Canada, the United States, the logical alternative to also been said that the in Europe Australia, New Zealand. The union known as Anglosphere, the internal combustion only way to predict the fu- (Valencia) with Paterna Spain as a tively engaged in international trade through collecengine and high-quality ture is to have the power strong a series of free-trade agreements whereby tariff reserves are found in to shape the future. If this conceptcandidate. The restrictions were reduced and/or eliminated. Interestingly, South America where is true Spain could indeed speaking of an Englishthe trading union is historical enemies of France and Germany inherit a bright future. Ad- not Spain new. Anglosphere, ed a similar trading union to prop up what attemptmittedly, much of the pre- where was left of the EU. Meanwhile, Spain formed an ceding is pure conjecture speakingthe Englisheconomic ascountries sociation with its former South American but some of the preced- share This trading bloc, known as Hispanidad, colonies. does indeed have ining is also factual. The de- heritagea common became in lanthe economic and technological center-of-gravity place financial influmise of the internal com- guage, in history, international leadership. Spain’s return ence. bustion engine seems law, democratic leader leader in geopolitical realities as a world Does Spain, in 2017 imminent as Volvo, the institutions was primarily and due to (5) reasons; Technological innovation have the pragmatism U.K., Norway and France now trade, was the very gy, the success of Hispanidad, well-placed in enerto have shape indeed the future? made provi- expression institutions, profitable natural resource economic As Mahatma Gansions for the exclusive Churchill’s of Winston allocation, project; Hisand extremely good luck. dhi once said: “The use of electric vehicles. tory In 2017, fossil fuels still dominated future depends on Tesla Inc., an American ing of the English- SpeakPeoples. Likewise, the sumption worldwide. Over the next few energy conwhat you do today energy-storage invest- concept of Hispanidad dynamic began to change. The use of decades this and the best way to ment firm, has begun traces hydrocarbons its roots back to became less attractive as fears of global predict the future is spending billions on giga- the warming 16th century when hisand climate change intensified. The to create it.” bustion engine for example, was slowlyinternal combattery power. Volvo announced (in replaced by 2017) that by all pledged to ban all internal 2019 their product line would be exclusively combustion engines them en- masse elec- by 2040. But in 2017 battery power was prohibitive. Furthermore, the tric cars. The United Kingdom, Norway had severe production and disposal and France limitations; driving range was of storage batteries relimited, of batteries was short-lived and the costthe shelf-life quired huge amounts of electricity and had negato produce tive environmental impacts. In the decades follow-

ing 2017, this dynamic began to change wave of innovation in battery technology. due to a batteries--- those that store the energy Lithium-ion that powers mobile phones, electric cars and electricity grids--improved exponentially. Lithium became a coveted commodity and, as fate would have world’s proven reserves were found it, most of the in the ‘lithium triangle”’of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia---all active trading members of Hispanidad. By 2067, lithium technology had improved to the point gafactories’ or large battery productionwhere ‘gisimultaneously reduced the cost of battery facilities production tenfold and greatly improved the design of battery power packs. In the capacity and decades post 2017, the next generation of battery technology doubled and tripled battery capacity, by 40-50% and extended the life of reduced costs fold. By 2067 battery technology not batteries tenthe auto industry but batteries could only changed now be paired with existing solar and wind technologies…industries already well positioned in Spain circa 2017. The foray into lithium extraction however required huge amounts of cash-infusions, both through bank loans and private investment. Spain was well positioned here as well. In banking, Banco Santander (founded in 1857) and La Caixa (founded 1844), had long established ties in They used their scale and influence to the Americas. make big (and profitable) investments in lithium mining. and cultural affinities attracted Spanish Linguistic and Latin American investors as businesses broadened their horizons on both sides of the Atlantic. But when the Bank of Spain--- the country’s national reserve bank— and Bancomext, Mexico’s largest export credit agency both made huge investments in lithium extraction, it signaled to the world dad had arrived as the world’s model that Hispaniin trade and international commerce. Indeed, Spain and Hispanidad was the recipient of some very good fortune. In a perfect technological innovation and an already storm of infrastructure (albeit somewhat primitive in-place in 2017), Spain could pair large scale energy storage with their existing solar and wind industries. Even on windless days wind turbines could now produce electricity via large scale battery storage. The same applied to cloudy conditions and the ability of solar farms to generate electricity. The world Spain led the way in lithium/battery watched as technology becoming an integral part of a low emissions future.

Spotted In last weeks issue we used the wrong photo of Joan Fallon, here is the right one

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22nd 2017 Vol. 1 Issue 15 www.theolivepress.es November 9th - November

Govt in exile

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

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

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

Pension peril

BRITISH expats who lost up to €20 million in a failed pension advisory firm believe their signatures may have been photocopied onto investment documents. Given the whole extradition Around 300 Brits, most living process can take up to 60 in Spain, are battling to retrieve days, it means he may have their funds after Alicante-based to run his entire election firm Continental Wealth Mancampaign for the Catalan me they knew what they were agement (CWM) folded in SepEuropean Democratic Party doing.” tember, as first reported in the from Belgium. He added: “I believe some of Olive Press a month ago. His party wants him to fight the investments were made Boss Darren Kirby left for Ausfor continued leadership of without my knowledge. I think tralia following the closure of the regional parliament in that is the case because I do not the company’s main Javea ofthe December 21 elections. recall signing sheets for all the fices. Puigdemont denied he had investments I had.” Victims, who are spread across fled to Brussels to avoid jusAn email, seen by the Olive Spain, as well as in Ibiza, Maltice but that he left because Press, shows CWM asking a clilorca, Portugal, France and the Spanish government was ent to sign and return a blank Turkey, fear illegal practices preparing a ‘wave of oppresblank sign to against dealing instruction. asked being violence’ after and sion Another British expat, 55, who dealing instructions. separatists. is trying to recover around Their pension pots were then “I’m absolutely convinced assets high-risk €200,000, said some pensioninvested in that the state was preparing ers ‘have lost everything’. which promised to pay out large a harsh wave of repression “My paper work that I sent commissions. for which we would have all has been altered, my risk level One 69-year-old pensioner been held responsible,” he was changed from ‘medium’ to told the Olive Press he lost said yesterday. ‘high’ and my dealing instruc€210,000 after transferring “The Spanish state is comtions have been photocopied €470,000 despite stating he mitting a brutal repression… BOSS: Kirby now in repeatedly for buying and sellhad a ‘low to medium aversion if we don’t battle repression Australia ing assets I didn’t authorise,” to risk’ attitude to investment. together, the Spanish state he said. “I was asked, ‘Can you sign this he said. may win this fight.” “I still have some money left blank form. We will fill in the “They should have been looking In a show of support to the 15:36 16/06/2017 1 Untitled-1.pdf but they were just out for me that trusting they and I am still young enough to details.’ I did deposed president, around feathering their own nests. To get compensation, but my fund would act in my best interests,” 200 Catalan pro-independence mayors travelled to Brussels on Tuesday to stage a rally.

Fight

Should have legged it

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rying’. “This negates the very essence of the service they are meant to offer,” said Flores. “It is a blank cheque to invest wherever, whenever. “If standard practice, this is very worrying. has gone down by half and I “Signing blank documents need compensation to get it would be seen back on track. as irregular in a “But some people court of law. The have lost everywith problem thing and don’t these firms is that have enough to they were all inlive on. One rein highly PENSION vesting tired victim only investments has €50,000 left OUTRAGE risky without the clifrom €480,000.” ents knowing.” Andalucia-based He claimed that lawyer Antonio sustained losses whose Flores, investors by Lawbird firm would hopefully representare recoverable be ing some CWM as the investments that failed victims, said signing blank into perform, or went bust, were vestment sheets was ‘very worlinked to life insurance policies. Pension trustees Momentum and Trafalgar are now attempting to recoup CMW clients’ losses. The Olive Press has so far been unable to discover if CWM was registered to provide investment advice with Spain’s official financial regulator CNMV. New quality homes since 1958

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Confusion reigns

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SPAIN’S prime minister has accused Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont of causing ‘confusion’ after signing a declaration of independence. Mariano Rajoy demanded he clarify if he had really declared independence following Tuesday’s nail biting address to the Catalan parliament. If so, Rajoy insisted he could trigger Article 155 of Spain’s constitution to allow Madrid to take direct control of Catalunya. “There is an urgent need to put an end to the situation that Catalunya is going through - to Continues on Page 7

Who’s paying us? EXCLUSIVE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Respect democracy! “SPAIN has a problem with democracy,” claimed Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell. The long-time friend of Gibraltar is now calling on Madrid to respect the wishes of its region Catalunya, as well as those of its neighbours on the Rock. The 51-year-old vice chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gibraltar insisted Madrid should take heed of referendums ‘instead of bludgeoing the people and bullying them into submission.’

Problem

“I’m afraid that Spain does have a problem with the concept of democracy,” said the MP for Romford. “For more than 300 years, Gibraltar has wanted to stay attached to the UK and not attached to Spain. Geographically, it may be attached to Spain but in terms of every other sense, they want to stay British. “Gibraltar has made its views known in two referendums, but the Spanish seem to never accept this. “We’re seeing a similar thing in Catalunya, it’s for the Catalan people to determine what constitutional status they want.”

Rosindell: Friend not foe

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Olive Press meets GSD rivals in the forthcoming battle for the party leadership See Page 7

Troubled waters

Spain must do more as migrant numbers triple across the straits By Joe Wallen

MIGRANTS crossing the Gibraltar straits have increased threefold this year, it has been revealed. A staggering 15,000 people have been rescued in what is now the fastest growing route for those fleeing war or seeking a better way of life. The number of migrants and refugees rescued in the straits has increased by 338% on last year’s totals as conflicts in Syria and the Middle East have worsened. The number of migrants crossing the Straits has grown from INADEQUATE: Spanish authorities have been criticized for not doing enough 3,323 people in 2012 to 14,557 people in 2017. Spain’s southern coast in Sep“I can’t believe I am here, that I Concerns are also growing over The number of boats meantember, a route that has tripled am alive, but we made it.” the rise of unaccompanied chilwhile, has increased by five in popularity this year, and The Spanish authorities have dren and women making the times from 104, in 2012, to 617 which has so far killed at least been criticized by the UN for alcrossing. so far this year. 156. locating inadequate resources to They are particularly vulnerable One migrant, Aboubacar Sylla, “There were ten of us on this tiny the route. to human traffickers en route from Mali told the Gibraltar Olrubber boat meant for maybe “The state isn’t prepared and and once in Spain. ive Press he had recently arrived two people,” said Aboubacar. there aren’t even the resources The route from Morocco has near Algeciras aboard an inflat“We each put in €10 for the total and the means to deal with the gained in popularity largely beable dinghy. cost of the boat which was €100 flow of people arriving by sea,” cause Libya is now considered The 34-year-old took the 14km and then spent 16 hours padspokeswoman María Jesús Vega too lawless to escape via Italy. crossing from Morocco to dling across from Morocco. said. Thousands of migrants have

been imprisoned en route with no food or water, assaulted or forced to work in the sex industry and traded like slaves. Oumar Diallo, 23, from Senegal told the Gibraltar Olive Press how Morocco was considered a much safer place for departure. “In Libya, so many Africans go missing and they never turn up again. I know so many of our women who have been raped and forced to work on the streets.

Safer

“Morocco is definitely safer and we are mostly left alone unless we are caught stealing or something,” he says. Many sub-Saharan Africans like Oumar have also benefitted from King Mohammed VI of Morocco’s political overture to West Africa, as prospective Spanish migrants can now travel into Morocco directly from countries like Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Senegal without needing a visa. Due to the proximity of Gibraltar – the distance is a mere 14km – migrants can also organise the journeys themselves, cutting out dangerous people smugglers. “The Spanish authorities must respond urgently to this situation,” said Estrella Galán, head of Spain’s refugee watchdog (CEAR). Opinion Page 6

FISHING ROW HEATS UP

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

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A TENSE stand-off between the Royal Gibraltar Police and Spain’s Guardia Civil has broken out over fishing rights. Officers from both organisations were called after the Environmental Protection and Research Unit boarded notorious Spanishowned Virgen Carmen Primero last week, while fishing illegally in Gibraltar. While the situation was resolved peacefully this time, it shows how easily fishing rights could lead to conflict, as reported in our last issue. Despite heightened surveillance from the Gibraltarian authorities, the captain of the Virgen Carmen Primero (right) remained resolute in his actions when we spoke to him this week. Fisherman’s Fiend, page 6

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November 2017

Issue 17

Heads up!

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Find out how drones are changing the property game and how they can help you sell your home

SEE PAGE XVIII >>

The thinker’s finca

DON’T think about it too long… but this historic home once owned by one of the godfather’s of Spanish philosophy has just come up for sale. The 1,500 metre square country home, Casa Mata, was once owned by Mallorcan philosopher Ramon Llull, who wrote in Catalan. Credited as being one of the forefathers of the Catalan language, Llull even has a university named after him in Barcelona. On sale via various agents, the stunning hunting estate in Mallorca has 53 hectares of prime land and numerous outbuildings. The 13th century writer and artist was hugely influential on the island and once taught king James II of Aragon. Llull lived in the huge estate near ANCIENT: a Llull book Algaida from 1250 until a series of six religious visions led him to leave his family to lead a life as a missionary converting Muslims and Jews to catholicism. He wrote over 200 works during his life and has a tomb in Palma’s basilica of St Francis, currently being restored. His family sold the home in the 16th century. It sits near Llucmajor on the road from Randa to Montuiri.

The Brits are back

PHILOSOPHER’S STONES: Thinker Llull (left) once lived in stunning Casa Mata

Bring it on S PAIN’S property market is set for another healthy year. Sales and prices are expected to rise… as long as there are no sudden economic shocks, predicts one of the country’s largest agents. According to Anticipa sales will rise by 9.3% next year to 526,000 properties, up from 481,000 this year and 21% more than in 2016. Prices are also expected to rise by 6.1% next year, on top of an expected

Another 12 months of growth in Spain with 10% more sales - as long as Catalunya is dealt with

6.9% this year. Prices for resales and new builds meanwhile, are expected to continue to increase by 5.8% over the fourth quarter of this year. The firm’s latest report, however, was compiled before Catalunya declared independence and Madrid imposed

direct rule. The region is regarded as the wealthiest in Spain and its capital Barcelona has seen some of the highest property price rises this year. It is hoped that the political uncertainty will not affect sales too much, particulary as regional elections have now

been called for December 21, and the situation has calmed down. However, this has not stopped some of Spain’s largest property companies with links to the region, seeing their share prices slump. Merlin Properties and Colonial fell by 5.3% and 6.4% respectively at the height of the independence crisis. Investors, though, are adopting a ‘wait and see’ policy in the run up to the elections.

BRITISH buyers have bounced back in Spain over the second half of the year. According to one key developer, the number of British buyers has more than doubled on the same period last year. Between July and October 2017, homebuilder Taylor Wimpey has seen a whopping 118% increase in buyers from the UK. “We are extremely proud of the results generated to date in 2017,” said sales boss Marc Pritchard. “And it is great to see the British buyers back. “They have been half of the buyers in the last four months.” So far this year, Spain’s leading housebuilder has reported a 13% increase in sales (388 properties) compared to 342 homes last year. Enquiries for holiday homes during the summer season were up by 13% - the biggest growth seen in the last six years.

Buying or selling?

III 14

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November 22nd - 2017 December 5th 2017 November

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November 22nd -2017 December 5th 2017 November

XV 15 15

Winks moves in on the Costa

ENGLAND star Harry Winks has invested in a new development on the Costa del Sol. The Spurs midfielder is a shareholder at the Heights, at La Resina Golf Club, in Marbella. The 11 opulent new villas, developed by the La Sala group, include infinity pools, wine cellars and 24 hour security. They also have direct access to the celebrated golf course. “Each villa has specially designed entertainment areas to enjoy the uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean,” said a spokesman for The Heights. Harry Winks & Michael Campbell become “The breathtaking ambassadors for the new luxury villa project environment comes The Heights at La Resina Golf in Marbella with elegant contemporary architecture achieving the perfect The Heights is a new luxury development of 11 unique private balance between villas in a secured gated golf and country club estate in design, comfort and Estepona, Costa del Sol. The team behind the project proudly respect for nature.” announced its two top sports stars as the oﬃcial ambassadors The sale comes a month after the Winks recently made of The Heights - the Tottenham and England player Harry Winks authorities sold his Mallorca home and the former U.S. Open Champion Michael Campbell. his debut for Engfor €2 million. land in a 2018 FIFA Tottenham's latest young prodigy loves spending time Cup in The seven bedroom property in World Qualifier Marbella, which is what sparked his interest in The Heights and Playa D’Or, near Santanyí, boasted against WINKS: Invests in therefore not only he became an ambassador but he is also a Lithuania Winks announced as the ambassador of the two outdoor pools and glorious sea and has madeHarry eight shareholder in the development.

luxury villa project in Marbella

Marbella’s Heights views. starts for Spurs so

(below) The second celebrity ambassadors this off unique is the far this season. The authorities have alsoforsold a project one and only New Zealand former professional golfer He Michael joins a long list property in Ibiza for €450,000 and Campbell, who after retiring decided to move with his family to other footballers, who have invested via the a house in Marbella centre for2005ofU.S. Marbella. He is best known fortown having won the Open La Sala group including David Bentley, Stephen €700,000. and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Carr of and15Shay Given. Play Roca Championship, in theconvicted same year. - who was asWith the a total wins worldwide he has played on the USGolfer PGA tour., Michael Campbell is one of the ‘ambasBIRD’S EYE: professional ringleader of the massive corruption on the European Tour and on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

View of estate scandal that tainted Marbella for sadors’ for the Heights development, where prices start at 1.275 million euros. decades has been jail for less more The Heights villas- were oﬃciallyinreleased than a month ago

Snatched!

Disgraced Marbella town planner to lose his biggest property asset

S well as languishing for decades in jail… disgraced Marbella town planner Juan Antonio Roca has lost the crown jewel of his property portfolio. Malaga court has sanctioned the sale of his huge Murcia estate, La Loma, for €18.5 million. The sprawling Los Alcanzares estate, has been sold to a huge agribusiness, known as the ‘grandfather of the melons’. The 82 hectare estate, which is full of orange, lemon and mandarin trees, failed to reach its estimated value of €27.5 million.

The estate has a huge 1,200 square metre mansion with 10 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, three kitchens, an office, gym, cinema room, pool and helipad.

with athan launch that was attended by the Mayor of Estepona 10event years. José María García Urbano, Ipswich Town FC Captain Luke The authorities have so far raised It was here that police found Joan Chambers, Birmingham City goalkeeper David Stockdale, around €75County million the professional Manager of Derby Garythrough Rowett, former Miro paintings on the wall and nufootballer and Manager former footballer auctioning off of Michael assets Brown, including merous priceless antiques when Stephen Carr,cars, former England midÞelder luxury watches, weaponsDavid and Bentley, along they raided the home as part of the with the team behind The Heights - leading Football Agent Rob horses. This goes towards paying off massive Malaya investigation. Segal, Ian Radford and Federico Gonzaléz to name a few.

Roca’s civil and criminal liabilities.

rising opposition HUNDREDS of angry locals have protested against a planned skyscraper in Malaga’s port. Organised by Defend Our Horizon, the march was joined by representatives of political parties Podemos, Izquierda Unida and Malaga Ahora. An estimated 300 protestors demanded more consultation on the project, which they say will only benefit wealthy Malaguenos. So far 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing the development (left), that would include a hotel, casino and luxury flats. Defend Our Horizon spokesman Juan Antonio Trivino explained that the site was public, but would be ‘privatised for the benefit of a few’. Qatar-based Al Bidda Group has been given permission to build Suites Malaga Port on the jetty beside one of the oldest continuously operated ports in the Mediterranean. Suites Malaga Port, which will open in 2020, will reportedly have 352 rooms, parking for 485 vehicles, and a spa, shopping centre, conference centre, and swimming pools.

Border business WORK on a new €10 million shopping centre is set to begin in Fuengirola next summer. The 21,000 square metre plot will straddle the Fuengirola and Mijas borders, near Camping Fuengirola. The centre will create an estimated 200 new jobs when complete. Final plans are being agreed, but will have to be passed by the Junta before work begins.

About The Heights

The Heights is a new luxury development of 11 unique private villas in a secured gated golf and country club estate. Each villa enjoys uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean whilst situated front line on the 4th, 5th and 9th holes of the La Resina Golf Course. Located in the heart of the Golden Triangle, La Resina is only a few minutes drive from the white washed old town of Estepona, the stunning old town of Marbella and the luxurious port of Puerto Banús.

The second ambassadors is the former U.S. Open Champion Michael Campbell

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Intu the blue THE largest commercial and leisure centre in Andalucia is one step closer. Prelimanary surveys have been completed for the huge Intu shopping centre, which is to be built in Torremolinos. Representatives from the British developer were on the Costa del Sol to visit the huge site near the Palacio de Congresos. The mega-site, which includes hundreds of shops, restaurants and even a dry ski slope, will create an estimated 4,000 jobs.

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XVI 16

Property

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November 22nd - 2017 December 5th 2017 November

Spain is the foreign favourite and Brits are still out in front, writes Mark Stucklin

OREIGN demand for property in Spain rose 11.6% in the third quarter of the year, driven by global buyers compensating for lower British and Scandinavian interest, according to data from the latest housing market report from the Association of Spanish Registrars. Some 15,312 home sales deeds involving a foreign buyer were inscribed in the Spanish land register in the third quarter of the year, up 11.6% compared to the same period last year, but down 1.8% compared to Q2 of this year.

Growing

As a result, foreign buyers are now 12.9% of the Spanish housing market, down from 13.3% a year ago, simply because local demand is now growing faster than foreign demand. Demand for Spanish property today is global, but just eight countries (excluding Romania and Morocco, which would be the 7th and 9th respectively, if not excluded) contribute 56% of buyers, led by the British as always, with 2,252 purchases recorded in the period (15% of foreign demand), followed by the French (1,299 transactions, 8% of foreign demand), and Germans (1,192 sales, 8% of foreign demand). Out-

this rate. There was robust growth of 15.6% in Russian demand after several years of big declines, and reasonable growth of almost 6% from France, the second biggest market today. At the other end of the scale, British buyers continue to decline in the wake of Brexit, while Sweden and Denmark both fell by 7.5%. The overall picture, however, is another quarter of growing global demand for homes in Spain.

British demand for property in Spain Q3 2017

Foreign affairs

side the big eight markets, the rest of the world (including Romania and Morocco) delivered 6,744 buyers in the period, 44% of total foreign demand.

How is foreign demand for property in Spain changing? Overall, foreign demand for homes

in Spain increased by 11.6% in Q3 compared to the same period last year. Looking at the change in demand per country, we see strong demand up more than 20% from Romania, China, Holland, Ukraine

and the ‘rest of the world’, and a big increase of almost 20% in demand from Germany – the third biggest market and on course to overtake France in the number two spot at

British demand for property in Spain was on fire after the crash ended in 2012-2013. UK investors were attracted to Spanish property by low prices and rising confidence, with demand growth close to 50% or more in many quarters between the start of 2014 and the beginning of 2016. However, after the Brexit vote in June 2016, British demand declined significantly, but only for a few quarters. It now looks like British demand will return to positive growth in the next quarter or two. It looks like Brexit was just a temporary set-back. What is driving the change in British demand? More than anything, in my opinion, the Pound-Euro exchange rate that determines British spending power in Spain. British demand for property in Spain lags behind the exchange rate by a couple of quarters. I’ve also heard reports of a recent flood of enquiries from British clients looking to escape Brexit Britain and the hard-left Government that looks likely to control it. Interesting times when Spanish property is seen as a safer bet than British assets. www.spanishproper tyinsight. com

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November 2017

XVII

November 22nd -2017 December 5th 2017 November

III 17 17

Madrid by sea Town near capital set to have Europe’s biggest man-made beach

UROPE’S largest man-made beach is coming to INLAND Spain. The 15,000 square metre stretch of sand is being installed in the town of Alovera, 50 kilometres north of Madrid. The €14 million leisure project will also feature a huge inland lake, created by Chilean company Crystal Lagoons. Developers Grupo Rayet predict the attraction will be visited by around 250,000 people a year paying €10 a head. Computerised images show windsurfers, kayakers and swimmers enjoying themselves in Caribbean-style transparent water. A restaurant, beach bar, toboggan slides and a sailing school, plus 1,000 parking spaces are to also be built. The project is expected to create more than 300 jobs and the beach, which will be open all year, is expected to be open by 2020. The project is likely to lead to the town of Alovera expanding by up to 10,000 residents, particularly as some 4,000 homes are also to be built in the area.

MOCK UP: Visitors hang out by one of the several restaurants and bars planned for the area

Elegant Marbella Estates

Tel 951 087 933 · Mob 635 389 285 · sales@elegantmarbella.com · www.elegantmarbellaestates.com

A1278 · Apt in Calahonda · €182.500 2 beds · 2 baths · Fully furnished · Sea views Glazed terrace · parking places · 2 pool areas ·

V1264 · Villas in El Higueron · From €850.000 4 beds · 4 baths · Large garage · Pool · Garden Sea views · New Promotion Villas

A1274 · Apartment in Costabella · €370.000 3 beds · 2 baths · Garage · Storage · Sea views 2 Tennis courts · 3 pools · First beach line

A1276· Apt in Calahonda · €205.000 4 beds · 3 baths · Sea views · Pool · Garden Large terrace · Comm garden · Parking area

V1242 · Villa in Mijas Costa · €648.000 5 beds · 5 baths · 4 Terraces · Large garage Pool · BBQ house · 2 entrances · 2 gardens

PL1274 · Hacienda Las Chapas · €655.000 Garden plot for villa 1710 m2 · Build 800 m2 Sea views · Close to sea · Gated plot

XVIII 18

www.theolivepress.es Property

A cut above

November 22nd - 2017 December 5th 2017 November

END RESULT: One of VillaPix’s portraits

Using a drone can really mean lift off for any property on the market to sell or rent

HE drone was already over 100m into the air and going at a rate of knots, before the device hit a temporary hitch. As if 45 degree slopes and a legion of cypress trees to avoid was not enough, the alarm had gone off on the console and wouldn’t go off. Quickly establishing this was no issue with batteries, the team Gary Edwards and Dave Vickers from VillaPix soon realised that this was a warning about a restricted zone. Despite being in the heart of the Serrania de Ronda, a few miles outside the historic market town, there was oddly a ‘no-fly’ ban over 100m in the air. Both experienced photographers, they were well used to the rules involving flying around airports, royal palaces and sensitive city zones. So what was this? It turns out the ban was due to the Spanish Foreign Legion base a few kilometres up the road and, as Gary explained they could still get the perfect aerial shot, but they would be very careful not to break the rules, something that is important to note. Since the emergence of commercial drones a year or two ago, a raft of aerial production companies have launched in Spain offering the service to rental homes and particularly estate agents and developers. But few are properly licensed, understanding the laws of flight, not to mention having any clues about proficiency. “Becoming legal is expensive and involves taking courses,” explains Gary, who has lived in Marbella for two decades. “There are theoretical exams covering ‘AESA’ regulations, international air law, meteorological conditions, theory of flight, communication, as well as a practical exams.” On top of this, the vast majority of companies have no understanding of visual marketing and how to best process the captured photos.

UP UP AND AWAY: But the pair have a lot to check before the final result (4)

“It’s one thing to string together a series of aerial images, another to make those images function, reach their target and get your phones ringing,” adds Dave, who has been a filmmaker and photographer for two decades. The pair - who have travelled extensively working for Turkish Airlines over the last four years saw the opportunity to launch their product earlier this year as the property and tourism market began to grow again in Spain after years of recession. With tons of international experience - both as agency photographers and filmmakers - they are in the perfect position to offer not just the perfect angles to promote your property, but know how to stage it first … and finally how to best deliver the finished product be it film, stills Carlos Hotel, Molino del Santo, El Oceano and or video. Sunset Beach Club. Before the “We really try hard to elicit the shoot, the pair sit correct feel of our surroundings, down with their clients and discuss in length what The final product how each shot would influence a prospective client and why, and they are looking to achieve from is little short of of course what could be done to the filming. shot in post-production to “This way we can decide how amazing and the each help the final image.” the shots need to be set up and He continues: “Large properties which props may be required and pair don’t limit on the Costa del Sol are often where they should be. Attention themselves built on hilly plots. To get a photo detail can be the difference tograph of the whole property is between a good image and a very difficult as the cameraman stunning image,” explains Gary, has limited space and is unable who has worked with many of Spain’s top hotels and beach clubs, including Nikki Beach, the Don to get the distance from the house. “With the availability of the drone, the problem is solved - often only 15 or 25 feet off the ground can be the difference between a very ordinary image and a stunning one combining the property, the gardens, pool and the view.” He goes on to explain the complicated new laws brought in by this fairly new flying technology, and that using a licenced company is vital to avoid any fines in the future. “Be warned this is very important. It could have expensive implications for your business.” One client, Gabriella Chidgey, at www.alcantarilla.co.uk, whose house near Ronda features in these images, was blown away by the quality of images, many which are now on her website and being used by some of the UK’s top rental agencies. “All in all, the final product is little short of amazing, and the pair certainly don’t just limit themselves to the aerial drone shots… they did a range of pictures inside and out with a series of different cameras. VISUALISING YOUR SHOT: No better way than at Estepona Golf

TRADITIONAL: The pair also do standard pics “Even better they were very fussy on getting the right items for the set up. This included colours and the right shaped towels! They both knew exactly what would work best.” Apart from villas and hotels, the company has been using its drones for golf courses, most recently Estepona Golf and the 5* Monte Rei Resort in Portugal.

Contact VillaPix at villapix.es or call 610713334 or 618876348

www.theolivepress.es

MARBELLA EAST

Ref: OP10064

Beach side! Rusticstyle villa in Elviria

MARBELLA CENTRE

4-bedroom villa within walking distance to the beach, supermarkets and restaurants and just a 10 minute drive to Marbella centre. Central air conditioning and heated pool. Must be seen!

GOLDEN MILE

Ref: OP10134

2-bedroom beachside apartment completely refurbished and located in the heart of Marbella Centre. Views to the sea and overlooking the plaza.

GOLDEN MILE

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Built: 72 m² Including terraces Price: € 275,000

Renovated, bright & spacious 2-bedroom apartment with mountain views. Gated 5-star complex with 24-hour security in Las Lomas del Marbella Club.

Ref: OP9735

Charming 4-bedroom villa distributed on two levels. Located in La Carolina, walking distance to the beach and all amenities.

NUEVA ANDALUCÍA

Ref: OP10102 Built: 135 m² Terrace: 67 m² Price: € 495,000

Built: 286 m² Plot: 892 m² Price: € 950,000

Built: 344 m² Plot: 1,052 m² Price: € 1,295,000

Ref: OP09929

South-facing 5-bedroom villa, walking distance to Puerto Banús & Centro Plaza. Heated pool & Jacuzzi. Up to 18 guests. Great rental potential!

Built: 357 m² Plot: 917 m² Price: € 950,000

Offices at the Puente Romano Hotel & opposite the Marbella Club Hotel Tel. (+34) 952 863 750 info@panorama.es www.panorama.es An International Associate of Savills

Regulated by RICS

III 20

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November 22nd - 2017 December 5th 2017 November

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

A ll about

An Olive press special 8-page pullout

Ahead ofNovember its much-anticipated 22nd - December 5th 2017 arrival on december 2, Jed Neill takes a look at what will be on offer from one of the Costa del Sol’s most informative events for expats

EXPERTS: Mike Kelly and Eric Knowles inspecting coins, jewellery and other family heirlooms at previous events

Let’s go expo! Costa del Sol’s most popular convention making huge comeback on December 2 and 3

n exciting new event is taking place at Fuengirola’s Hotel IPV Palace this December. The 50 Plus Expo has hundreds of professionals specialising in areas as broad as insurance, health, currency, exchange, property, tourism and much more. Eric Knowles, the face of the Antiques Roadshow is also on hand to give free evaluations on small items and collectables and larger items, including furniture, paintings and glassware. With other world class valuing experts on hand, expats are guaranteed to get the best price for their family heirlooms. If this isn’t enough then internationally renowned coin specialist Mike Kelly will be there to make sure even the smallest items get maximum attention. Previously known as The Over 50’s Show, it is returning to the Costa del Sol bigger and better than ever before. But it is not just valuations that are on offer, food stalls and cookery demonstrations will ensure expats are prepped and ready for one of the most important meals of the year. There will be yoga demos, modern dance lessons and a new feature of walking football demos, one of the fastest growing sports for the over-50s.

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With free health checks, spinal treatments and ear testing, everyone will be able to relax this festive season. The expo will run from December 2 to 3 and doors are open 11:30am to 5pm each day.

info@soleyes.es

www.soleyes.es

FUENGIROLA

C/Romeria del Rocario 6 29640, FUENGIROLA tel. (+34) 952 470 073

WE ARE MOVING SOON

Av/Alcalde Clemente Díaz Ruiz 3, FUENGIROLA

MARBELLA

AV/Rotary Internacional 34 29660, MARBELLA tel. (+34) 952 635 719

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A ll about

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017 November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Art exhibition

HEY are some of Andalucia’s most gifted artists. Now their work will be showcased at the 50 Plus Expo, available either to buy or be admired as you walk round the exhibition. The Andalucian International Artists Art Group (AIA) was set up in 2004 to act as a collective space for burgeoning artists to come and present their work. Coming from all corners of Europe you can be sure that every quirky taste is catered for with a wide range of work from an abstract rose garden to a collage of James Joyce. All the artists work and live in Andalucia so expect sunny scenes that have come to capture the very essence of life on the Costa del Sol.

COLLAGE: Featuring one 20th century’s most formidabble literary figures is just one example of the work being shown

Are you aware that you may have to pay Spanish Death Duties? You may even have to pay UK Inheritance Tax. But did you know that you could pay both on the same assets? To find out how to avoid this tax pitfall register for our complimentary seminar, which focuses on the taxation benefits available to ex-pats and the St. James’s Place distinctive approach to investment management.

We are attending the 50 Plus Show on 2 & 3 December at the Hotel IPV Palace & Spa in Fuengirola. Come and find us on Stand 25.

Are you running the risk of paying tax twice?

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested. The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances. To reserve your place or to request your complimentary guide to investment management, contact:

HILL & CO FINANCIAL ADVISERS LTD Best Financial Adviser 2016/17

PARTNERS IN MANAGING YOUR WEALTH

Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management

Tel: 0044 2920 263422 Mob: 0034 663612829 Email: hillandco@sjpp.co.uk Web: www.hillandcofa.co.uk

The Partner Practice represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. H2SJP27564 11/17

www.theolivepress.es

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never walk alone

PACE MERCHANTS: Walking football is inclusive

ALKING football is fast becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with 1,000 clubs registered in the UK and the FA now issuing an official rule book. It is football played without running and with minimal contact and tackling, making it an ideal sport for those with delicate legs. Teams are made up of between five to seven players and games last for 60 minutes so it is a great way for older people to meet new friends and with teams in Benalmadena, Elviria, and San Pedro it is quickly taking the Costa del Sol by storm. Manchester City were the first Premier League club to launch a walking football team and the game has won support from professionals including Harry Kane, Geoff Hurst, Alan Shearer and Fabrice Muamba. There are two tournaments, sponsored by MyGuideMarbella in the Finca Naundrup sports centre scheduled for 2018..

www.sanitasestepona.com

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

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A ll about

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

YOGA: Being demonstrated to expats

Hotel IPV Palace

EXPO: Proves a hit on the Costa del Sol

2 2

50 Plus Expo - 2nd &

FUENGIROLA: The home of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event

www.theolivepress.es

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

All under one roof Main floor plan for the two principal halls. (There will also be a number of stalls in adjoining areas) Stand 1 DE VERE SPAIN Stand 2 SONTEC HEARING Stand 3 SANITAS Stand 4 ALMERIA ANGELS Stand 5 SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Stand 6 ASSSA INSURANCE Stands 7/8 ABACUS FINANCIAL Stand 10 ALC INSURANCE Stand 12 PHOENICIAN EXPORTS Stand 13 CARE AT HOME Stand 14 PLOT 29 Stand 15 SOL EYE CARE

ace

23 22 2

Stand 16 CLINICA SANDALF Stand 17 IBEX INSURANCE/GOLDEN LEAVES Stands 18/19 BODYWORKS Stands 20/21 LIBERTY SEGUROS Stand 22 HOTEL ALGARVE Stand 23 ALGARVE SENIOR CARE Stand 24 AVALON Stand 25 HILL AND COMPANY FINANCIAL Stand 26 FRANCISCO CAMERO Stands 27/28 MEDICAL DISTRIBUTORS Stand 29 CROOKE DENTAL Stands 30/31 BLACKTOWER FINANCIAL

21 20

19 18

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

15 14

3rd December, 2017

17 16

Clínica SANDALF is a private outpatient medical clinic for orthopaedic surgery, trauma surgery, ophthalmology, urology, physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage therapy and counselling. All our health professionals have completed their specialist medical training in Germany or the United Kingdom and are fluent in English.

30 31

we keep you going

36 2

CONSULTANT ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON Dr. Alf Neuhaus

41 2

Eric Knowles Antique valuations, Mike Kelly coin, stamp and banknote valuations, crafts etc.

OPHTHALMOLOGIST Dr. Mariano Salvatierra PHYSIOTHERAPISTS David Peromingo Tamara Abramovich

COUNSELLING/ PSYCHOTHERAPY Christie Nicholas OSTEOPATH Christie Nicholas

www.clinicasandalf.com

C/Mercurio 75, 29631 Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena tel: (+34) 952 57 77 66 email:info@clinicasandalf.com

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A ll about

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017 November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Mr Knowles it all From car-boot sales to the Australian outback, Eric Knowles has seen it all and is bringing his wealth of experience to the Costa del Sol, writes Jed Neill

E is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of most, able to put a price on history. With a career spanning three decades, Eric Knowles understands what objects make money. His indomitable talent, normally charged by the hour, will be available for free at the upcoming 50 Plus Expo at Fuengirola’s Hotel IPV Palace. The Lancastrian first came to Spain in 1980 to Barcelona for a camping holiday and has been coming back ever since to Mallorca as a family favourite for a holiday. “I like the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range. We tend to hover between Pollenca and Alcudia,” said Knowles. “It’s got real character, we’ve been going to the same restaurant for 20 years. “When I come here I like to do a little bit of aerobic arm lifting with some good Rioja.” This is not Knowles’ first rodeo and is the face of reason on the popular BBC show The Antiques Roadshow as well as appearing on Call My Bluff,

20th Century Roadshow and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. The father-of-two joined London auction house Bonhams in 1976 working as a porter, gradually rising through the ranks, becoming a director 10 years later. He gained fame as a ceramic spe-

cialist on The Antiques Roadshow before making in-roads on a string of TV shows. One of his most memorable finds was back in 2008 when a woman brought along a small glass vase she had purchased at a car boot sale for £1. It turned out to be an exceptionally rare

piece by Rene Lalique (Knowles speciality) valued at £25,000. His most recent endeavour was in January this year where he spent four weeks in Australia making a TV program called Clash of the Collectibles. He says: “You have to plough through an awful lot of rubble to find that golden nugget.” Working for Bonhams he was frequently posted in the Marbella office and was commissioned to write numerous articles for the Daily Mail and a few antique magazines. And with his brother living in La Herradura, near Nerja he’d ‘love the opportunity to do more’ down here. When he does shows like the expo he says it mainly consists of waiting for people to form a queue and oneby-one emptying their belongings hoping Knowles’ eagle eyes will find something valuable. “Most of things we get are family heirlooms, items people have picked up along the way. “I never know what’s going to turn up.” At a previous 50 Plus Expo event in

Dublin, Knowles discovered a Faberge enamel cigarette box which the owner had been using as a casual cigarette holder. He says: “Usually it is the one thing they don’t suspect that has value.” Yet, it is not just value for money Knowles offers but also insight into an ever-changing market. “Now Georgian furniture is at a bargain basement price and people are more interested in post-war design. Today is all about design and effect,” continues Knowles. Although he does acknowledge his limitations saying he is proficient in everything except the printed word so ‘it’s probably best to leave your books at home’. Sadly, in 2015 tragedy struck when his son Seb Knowles was killed in a road accident on the M40 after his Mercedes collided with a lorry. Both Knowles and his son were supporters of Wycombe Wanderers but he says he is ‘forever an optimist’. “And it is always a bonus to find myself travelling to a sunny place. I miss the sun”.

COME VISIT US at the 50s PLUS EXPO email: nursemanager@careforme.es tel: 952 636 900 tel: 682 870 120 www.careforme.es

Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 December 2017 in the IPV Palace Hotel Fuengirola

Where we will be offering FREE Health Checks

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OUR PREMIUM HOME INSURANCE HAS EVERYTHING. IT EVEN HAS A 24HR EMERGENCY PLUMBER WHEN YOU NEED IT.

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

The hugely popular lifestyle event returns to the Coast with all its regular features... plus many new attractions

Costa del Sol

FREE antique valuations with Eric Knowles, BBC Antiques Roadshow

FREE valuations of coins, stamps and banknotes from leading expert Mike Kelly

Golf tips and putting competitions from PGA pro Alan Howard Green

Costa del Sol

Yoga lessons and demos

Get quilting! Tuition and groups to join

Join a walking football team. Info & demos from Walking Football Spain

Wealth management, pensions and insurance advice from leading experts

Free blood glucose & blood pressure testing from Diabetic Support Group

Music and dance lessons each day from 2True (AKA Mr. Maph & Simone Lisa) and Colin Gausden

Plus Crafts, Christmas Gifts, Fashion, Jewellery and much more!

Hotel IPV Palace and Spa, Fuengirola Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd Dec, 2017 Open: 11am to 5pm each day

The Hotel IPV Palace & Spa fronts the A7 at Km 207 next to Fuengirola (Sohall) Castle

WIN a 2 night stay for 2 people at Holiday Inn Algarve & Hotel Carvoeiro!

The 50 plus Expo Costa Del Sol, in association with Holiday Inn Algarve & Hotel Carvoeiro, are offering visitors to this years event the opportunity to win a 2 night stay for 2 people in B&B for 1 winner, drawn at random. Just answer the question & fill out the form below. The organisers will contact the lucky winner which will be picked out by Holiday Inn Algarve & Hotel Carvoeiro on Sun, 3rd of December at 4 pm.

In which beach is the Holiday Inn Algarve located? Answer: _____________________________________

ADMISSION

FREE

For info, email info@slp.ie or ring 666 782 642 • seniortimes.ie

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE OVER 50 – EVERYONE WELCOME!

Name: ______________________________________ Email: ______________________________________ Courtesy of

Telephone: ___________________________________ Tick if you don’t wish to receive correspondence from SL Promotions Ltd.

www.theolivepress.es Property

November 22nd -2017 December 5th 2017 November

ESTEPONA

Coming through!

XXIX 29 29

Quality street

NEW-BUILD, FRONT-LINE, FOUR-BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR SALE, WITH SEA VIEWS AND SWIMMING POOL, ESTEPONA CENTRE TMNA11236 Estepona Bedrooms: 4 Built: 193 m2 · Terrace: 33 m2 1.050.000 €

Beware Marbella, for Estepona is the new hotspot on the Costa del Sol, writes leading Estepona agent Adam Neale from Terra Meridiana

BELL-TOWER: Adds dynamism to the sky line

POTTED: Streets adorn Estepona

OR decades Estepona lived in He has overseen many renovation the shadow of its rich, glamor- works and the adorning of the historic ous neighbour Marbella, but now town centre with coloured flowerpots things are changing. and the painting of large murals on Marbella is still very much in fashion, apartment buildings. yet in recent years Estepona has made This together with the wave of modern, a leap from a charming seaside town to high quality developments has raised the a vibrant, attractive spot at the heart of profile and attraction of Estepona, parthe Golden Triangle. ticularly the town centre, where properties This is the region including Marbella, are selling fast and prices have shown a Benahavis and Estepona – and in- healthy rise, thus indicating the growing creasingly it is this zone and not just demand for property here. Marbella that is the reference when Along with this comes a growth in amepeople think about the privileged life- nities both public and private, with stylstyle that this southern region of Spain ish eateries, boutiques and beach clubs offers. joining a new theatre, hospital and proThe glamour and status appeal that jected downtown shopping area. was once only reserved for the area Estepona is a place on the rise, and not between Puerto Banús just in the beachside and Marbella East has and surrounding areas. thus extended to a widOur office has been Demand for er region, with the New based in the old town Golden Mile the main of Estepona since homes, hotels focus of growth. 2004 and since 2012 It is here that much and commercial we’ve seen increasing of the recent quality demand for properties projects is very property development in the historic centre, on the Costa del Sol is including those that healthy concentrated, with atoffer scope for renovatractive modern gated tion. communities, apartDemand for homes, ment complexes and also contempo- land, hotel projects and commercial rary semi-detached homes taking the premises is very healthy, and budgets entire region west of Marbella further have grown too. upmarket. Indeed, many discerning Have a look at these five excellent placbuyers no longer restrict their search to es on offer this issue and get in touch, Marbella and its immediate surround- as we have many many more for sale at ings, but also look for homes to buy in Terra Meridiana. the area between San Pedro de Alcán- Estepona is rapidly transforming itself tara and Estepona. into a true hotspot, and while prices The process has been spurred on by are rising there is still great value to be the greater availability of land here and had here and much potential for future the efficiency of the Estepona town hall growth amid continued improvements in processing project applications. and growing demand. But the increasing desirability of Este- It seems that from here on out Estepopona among investors and homebuy- na is very much the place to be. ers alike is also very much down to the impressive beautification the town has Visit www.terrameridiana.com for enjoyed under mayor José María Gar- more information on town or to cía Urbano. contact Adam Neale

FANTASTIC TOP FLOOR TOWNHOUSE FOR SALE IN OLD TOWN ESTEPONA TMRT1159 Estepona Centro, Estepona Bedrooms: 2 · Bathrooms: 1 Built: 65 m2 137.000 €

PROPERTY FOR SALE IN THE OLD TOWN CENTRE OF ESTEPONA, WITH PATIO AND POSIBILITY TO BUILD EXTRA LIVING SPACE. TMRT11313 Estepona Centro, Estepona Bedrooms: 3 · Bathrooms: 1 Built: 116 m2 · Plot: 103 m2 175.000 €

TOWNHOUSE IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN WITH PRIVATE UNDERGROUND PARKING WITHIN A GATED COMPLEX TMRT11311 Estepona Centro, Estepona Bedrooms: 2 · Bathrooms: 2 Built: 83 m2 · Terrace: 14 m2 230.000 €

LARGE PLOT IN PRIME LOCATION OF TOWN CENTRE ONLY 100M FROM THE BEACH IDEAL FOR HOTEL TMC1101 Estepona Centro, Estepona Plot: 600 m2 1.700.000 €

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www.theolivepress.es Property

November 22nd - 2017 December 5th 2017 November

ON TOP: The palace sits high above Ibiza with amazing views

it of coin

STUNNING: Rooftop pool and (below) cave pool

Palace in Spain is first in world you can buy with cryptocurrency Bitcoin

T the highest point of Ibiza’s skyline stands the medieval Palacio Bardaji, built in 1742. With just under a square kilometre of floor space, which includes a near quarter kilometre of accessible rooftop, it can all be yours for 1850 bitcoin. How much that actually is in euros changes everyday, but at time of press, around €12 million. The Palacio Bardaji has gone through a rigorous yet protective renovation to bring it into the modern day, following strict guidelines from UNESCO (it is in a world heritage site, Ibiza’s Dalt Villa).

Luxury

It follows other luxury Bitcoin sales, such as Dubai Science Park which is selling units for Bitcoin and a luxurious London townhouse is also selling for Bitcoin this year. In total, the Ibiza palace has 921 square meters of floor space, and 220 square meters of land. It comes complete with six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a private garage among its three stories. The property also includes a separate, fully appointed apartment, as well as staff accommodation. Curro Quevedo Bueno of Zooo, the real estate agency responsible for the sale, says the owner sees Bitcoin as ‘a big thing in the near future’. “That led to the decision to become part of this new financial world. “We are very aware that doing the transaction this way will definitely not make things easier, as we still have to figure out a way to make this connection between this new world and the old one.”

ORIGINAL:

MODERN: Gold, white and spacious interiors

The interior decor is stylish and different

www.theolivepress.es

November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Villas & Fincas | Casares Property Agent Ctra. de Casares s/n, 29690 Casares Malaga SPAIN Phone: + 34 952 895 139 Mobile: +34 636 546 796 E-mail: info@villasfincas.com

Call us now to list your property, we have clients waiting for Luxury Country Properties, Vineyards, Quality Equestrians and Hunting Estates.

GAUCIN – 1.650.000 € Ref. Nr. 186-2749P COUNTRY VILLA NEAR CASARES AND GAUCIN WITH PANORAMICAL VIEWS, IDEAL FOR HORSES

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RONDA – 1.250.000 € LUXURY MODERN COUNTRY HOUSE, CORTIJO FOR SALE, RONDA CASARES Bedrooms: –5 675.000 € Bathrooms: 5 OLD OLIVE 573m² MILL NEARm²CASARES m² Built: Plot: 25.000 Garden: Bedrooms: Garage: m² Built:

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XXXII 32

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In a new column on issues facing urbanisations, specialist Michelle van Gaalen explains whether pools need a lifeguard or not

Need to splash on a lifeguard? QUESTION: Could you please explain when community pools need the attendance of a lifeguard, and if all pools need to be enclosed with a fence? ANSWER: Only pools of communities of more than 20 properties and with a size of more than 200 m2 of surface need a lifeguard. When not in attendance the pool has to be closed and must be fenced off. In smaller pools of less than 200 m2, the pool must only be fenced when the pool is closed (out of season) or the water is not suitable for swimming (i.e. not enough chlorine, too much chlorine, too high PH, etc.). The Junta law which governs swimming pools of this size, states that you must be able to enclose the pool area to stop its use in case the pool is closed, empty, or water is not suitable for swimming. If the pool is open all year round and the

water is fine then COMMUNITY no fence is CORNER required, but you must be able to stop access when there is a chemical problem with the water. QUESTION: We live in an urbanisation in Mijas Costa. Why do we have to pay community fees to an urbanisation when we already pay our IBI rates to the Town Hall? Are we not paying double? ANSWER: This has been an issue historically. In the past, urbanisations were getting almost no service from the Town Hall and were paying higher rates than properties in the city areas, such as Mijas Pueblo. When the town council changed from PSOE to the PP (from 2011 to 2015), a lot of improve-

ments took place. The Town Hall gradually took over the delivery of refuse containers, built platforms for the recycling bins, improved the collection frequency and started a program of cleaning of the bins. It also continued to take over the electricity supply of urbanization lighting and the maintenance of the lamp posts. It also started to asphalt a number of key roads within the urbanisations. The mayor back then Angel Nozal also started to help them clean their green areas and the surrounding campo land and to provide fire breaks. The next step was to take over the collection of garden refuse, but the PP was voted out. The bottom line is, urbanizations should receive more service for the rates they pay and this in turn should result in lower community fees. Michelle van Gaalen is an administrator of Communities and the wife of ex mayor of Mijas Angel Nozal (PP). Email your questions to newsdesk@theolivepress.

MORTGAGE THINK TANK by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola

Beware

Spain’s economy is growing fast and with it its property market, but borrowers must be cautious

PAIN’S GDP has been one of the fastest growing in the eurozone and its property market is at its strongest since the 2008 crisis. The economy will grow by 3% this year while unemployment has fallen 11% since 2013. And despite the ongoing Catalunya crisis giving cause for concern, its impact has been lessened by prime minister Mariano Rajoy acting quickly to dissolve the region’s government and calling snap regional elections for December 21, meaning uncertainty isn’t expected to last long. All in all, it’s still a very good time to invest, but borrowers need to keep their eyes open. With an array of banks battling to offer the most attractive mortgage rates, it’s easy to get carried away. That is where a broker becomes essential: someone in your corner to highlight any hidden fees or compulsory add-ons tucked away in the small print and to ensure you get the best possible mortgage rate to suit your needs. One of the biggest pitfalls can be ‘trap-related products’ that often get hidden in the small print. These additional products get attached to your mortgage and usually include insurance policies. It is important to know exactly what is attached to your mortgage. What may seem

like a great rate can be soured by expensive – and sometimes unnecessary – insurance packages. Using a broker will save both time and money as they will be looking out for these hidden add-ons and will always have ways to lessen their impact. The Finance Bureau has its own insurance arm and can therefore guarantee you the best deal not only on mortgage rates but also on insurance policies; be it home, life, health or building cover. And while the vast majority of banks specify the fees and commissions they charge, not all of these costs are always declared. Many financial institutions refrain from publishing less known fees such as early redemption charges. These are, however, regulated by law, and may not exceed 0.50% for the first five years and 0.25% from the sixth. It is advisable to ask the bank to specify all commissions and how many there are before signing the contract. This will spare you unwanted surprises down the road. But the best way to ensure a good mortgage that does not hide anything in the fine print is to solicit the help of a mortgage broker. When it comes to picking a mortgage, you may only get one shot as it is virtually impossible and, at the very least, expensive, to reverse a decision that goes against you.

To contact Tancrede for all your mortgaging needs call: 666 709 743 or for insurance queries call: 951 203 540 Email: tdp@thefinanacebureau.com The Finance Bureau Centro Commercial Guadalmina, 2nOffice No. 7 Guadalmina, 29670

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November 22nd -2017 December 5th 2017 November

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November 22nd - 2017 December 5th 2017 November

Property of the Week

Oh my Gaudi!

EXQUISITE: Casa Vicens inside and out

First home built by the Spanish icon has Andalucian influences

T ARABIC: Inside spaces have Moorish influences

HE first house designed by maestro Antoni Gaudi has opened to the public for the first time. The Casa Vicens has gone through a restoration project over the last two-and-a-half years and has been kept to its original design. Gaudí, the master of modernism and creator of the iconic Sagrada Familia, had been qualified only five years as an architect when he was hired in 1883 by a tile manufacturer, Don Manuel Vicens Montaner, to design a summer house in Gràcia, then a suburb of Barcelona. Gràcia has since been swallowed by the city, and to the visitor, happening upon the house in its narrow street, among offices and apartment blocks, the Casa Vicens comes as a delightful surprise: a faux Moorish palace that might have dropped in on a magic carpet. It’s full of built-in furniture, murals of herons and cranes, and spaces between beams filled with paper-mache carvings of cherries of leaves. And there is a clear Andalucia influence inside the Arabian smoking room, where Gaudi incorporates a polychrome pastiche of the stalactite ceilings of the Alhambra in Granada – made of moulded cardboard. Fans will have to be lucky when visiting the new must-see, as only 500 people are allowed inside each day.

DETAIL: Exterior features are unusual

Gibraltar game-changer

RIGHT in the heart of Gibraltar a new residential development offers some of the best views in the Iberian Peninsula. On a clear day, residents walking on Arengos Gardens rooftop terrace will be able to see Tangiers and the African coastline. If you tire of that then there is always the pool to relax in. Nestled in a cul-de-sac at the top of Gibraltar’s Upper Town it is the ultimate location for those looking for a bit of peace and comfort while still being a short walk away from the town centre. Inside, the apartments are filled to the brim with high-tech amenities such as windows that open at the touch of a button and every apartment has a built-in wardrobe. On top of this, the doors leading out onto the balconies are polished aluminium creating a seamless transition between the outside world and inside luxury. All kitchens are fitted with a high gloss finished cabinetry with built in Bosch appliances. With a range of different rooms sizes, from threebedroom penthouses, to one-bedroom studios you can be sure every preference is catered for. Even so every square inch is priced at affordability with a medium range three-bedroom terraced apartment costing £565,750, and a two-bedroom apartment with a balcony with views over the territory of Gibraltar will set you back £331,857. And the unparalled state-of-the-art ground floor gymnasium means getting fit has never been

easier. What’s more the building is very environmentally friendly with solar panels on the roof, plants running down the entire external wall and each apartment has its own heating and cooling system. And if worried about parking, don’t be. Every apartment has private parking and there are numerous charging points for electric cars. But if you’re interested you better hurry, half of the 62 apartments have already been sold. This flurry of interest is rising fast and with the first bricks in place by January, the time is now to visit the piggy bank. The build is expected to be completed by November 2018 and who knows, there may even be a bottle of bubbly for those hoping to catch the last summer rays.

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Luxury apartments in the heart of Gibraltar

Arengos Gardens is a unique and unparalleled Development not seen inside the City Walls of Gibraltar before. Residents will have direct access to the Upper Nature Reserve via the regenerated Old Victorian ‘Arengo’s Palace’ Gardens which have lain untouched since the decline of the ‘Arengo’s Palace’ last century. One bedroom apartments of 45.00m2 from £229,875 including 28m2 patio and parking Two bedroom apartments of 76.00m2 from £331,875 including balcony, store room and parking Three bedroom apartments of 103.50m2 from £427,700 including balcony, store room and parking Larger apartments CAT 2 applicable

Swimming Pools, Rooftop Sundeck, Gardens, Gymnasium, Parking, Laundry Room

www.arengosgardens.com Mulberry Real Estate are exclusive agents for Arengos Gardens – tel: (+350) 200 42737 Cornwall’s Ln, Gibraltar GX11 1AA www.mulberry-realestate.com

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017 November 8th - November 21st 2017

New apartments and townhouses

Spain New quality homes in Spain since 1958 Buy directly from the developer Our Ourcurrent currentprojects: projects:

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AGONYProperty ANT

British +TheolivepressEs Airways vows to modernise BE Wi-Fi ‘APPY! with and more meals

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

BRITISH Airways has said it’s bringing back the ‘glory days’ with wifi and more meals. CEO Download Alex Cruz, who took our app now and the top jobenjoying 18 months ago, begin the best Spanish announced a €5 billion innews on the go. vestment that would make British Airways ‘the airline of choice for everyone’. “The glory days are coming back,” he said during a speech in London. “I firmly believe that our best days lie ahead.” Cruz said the cash injection would The go towards procuring Olive Press 72 new aircraft, upgrading 128 existing planes, training TOProlling for news in best Spain! staff and out ‘the Wi-Fi in the sky’. He also committed BA to installing in-seat power points omy, with the return of a in all cabins and improving proper second meal instead long-haul catering in econ- of a snack.

Banks beware! Banks set to lose millions worth of equity release contracts

Glory days “What else can passengers expect? Lower fares, better service and new destina-

Cata-strophic PRIME Minister Mariano Rajoy has said 500,000 jobs will be created if the Catalunya region returned to ‘normality’. He added that the country’s economy would grow a third faster than currently predicted if order is restored after the regional elections next month. It comes after Madrid lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2018 from 2.6% to

2.3% last month as the Catalan situation reached crisis point. “If this calms down, the economy could grow five or six tenths more next year,” Rajoy said in an interview. Spain has been growing at 3% per year since 2015 and is expected to reach 3.0%. The regional elections will take place on December 21.

tions,” he said. He added that BA had ‘learned some hard lessons this year’, referring to the computer meltdown that cost the airline an estimated €90 million, and the botched roll out of ‘buy on board’ refreshments from M&S, which replaced free meals on shorthaul flights in January. Stocking issues meant the airline repeatedly ran out of food before all passengers had been served. “The low-cost model is now spreading to long haul,” said Cruz, who claimed BA would have to become more efficient going forward. “If you don’t change habits formed in cosier eras you will shrink and ultimately risk irrelevance.”

RECENT ruling by the appeal court of Bilbao is to set the ground for future cases on the so-called Equity Release mortgage loans. Three Judges in the Basque High Court have ruled that banks - and by extension any other financial services companythat do not have a valid operating licence will see their agreements declared null and void, be it mortgage loans, investment contracts or any other. In late 2014, 20 pensioners (mostly British) bought an action to set aside 12 equity release mortgage loans against SLM worth 6 million euros, a Cheshire-based lender. The lender had not secured the mandatory regulatory license although they did warn they had no license to operate in Spain as, according to them, they were only providing lending for customers seeking to raise cash on their homes. Now, the Bilbao Appeal Court has said the warning was no ‘mitigating’ factor because it misled the claimants into believing that the loan they were sold was financially secure when, in fact, most of it was invested via unregulated Isle of Man based dubious Premier Group. The relevance of the ruling, which brings an end to the suffering of the victims of this scam, is twofold: it nullifies contracts issued by unregulated companies and it fully endorses the allegations of the claimants that the widely publicized Inheritance Tax benefits were false, emphasizing that such conduct is deceitful and fraudulent. It is believed that defunct Luxembourg-based Landsbanki Bank had lent a staggering 100 million euros in Spain to reduce death duties that thankfully will be difficult to recoup, whilst Rothschild Group could be set to lose 40 million Euros.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

Excel currencies will let you know exactly how much they make with every money transfer

Transparent Times

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CHANGE is afoot for the many who transfer money to and from Spain. For years the money transfer industry has been plagued with hidden exchange rates, commissions and transfer fees. I’m sure many of you who are reading this article can relate to this... Have you ever wondered how much is made when you transfer money overseas? Or thought, ‘How can I be sure that I’m truly getting a good deal and I haven’t fallen for the big marketing campaigns’? The only way to be certain that you are getting a fair and consistently great exchange rate, is to know how much the money transfer company is making, right?! At Excel Currencies, we have taken our transparent product that is used by our corporate customers and have given it to our personal customers. The customer will see what we make as a company before they agree to the exchange rate. This transparent approach has led to an increase in customer loyalty and a 60% increase in unprompted customer referrals (the latter a pleasant shock to us).

It’s clear that customers want to refer a company they trust to offer the best deal all the time and not some of the time. Why did we feel now was the right time to offer this? Some 14 years ago, when we first started in business, many customers were unaware what the mid-market price was. So, to even mention it would more often than not confuse matters. However, today this is certainly not the case. Our customers today have evolved with the internet and the ability to easily access FX rates online. Our goal as a company is this firstly, reduce our marketing spend. Secondly, this allows us to improve our exchange rates. Thirdly, we then ask our customers to speak about our brand on Trustpilot and other social media platforms because this is far more valuable than us trying to say it ourselves. We have a special offer for readers of the Olive Press too, if you contact us before the end of November you can receive up to £200 cash back on your first transfer.

DECEMBER

38 38

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Boycott impacting trade

NO THANKS: Trade Union boycott

Young maestro is best in Spain for third consecutive year A SPANISH maestro has been named the Best Young Chef in Spain and Portugal for the third year in a row. David Andres, 30, the sous chef at Abac in Barcelona, will now travel to Milan to compete to be named best in the world at the finals of the San Pellegrino Young Chef comeptition. Andres beat out his compatriots with a cold starter followed by a hot plate which wowed the jury and they unanimously chose him as the winner. The hot dish, titled Buscando el aprovechamiento del atún rojo, was bluefin tuna with

TRADE groups across Spain have been calling for a boycott of goods produced in Catalunya following the region’s secessionist attempts. There are now apps that identify Catalan products so customers know which to avoid. But the shunning of wine and food products are having knock on effects for manufacturers in other regions.

One boycott target has been cava, the sparkling wine produced primarily in Catalunya. The two major cava producers, Freixenet and Codorníu, bottle their wares using glass from Aragón and León, cork from Extremadura, capsules from La Rioja Alavesa, labels from Murcia, and are shipped in boxes made in the Valencian Community.

History repeats seaweed consomme, a tuna fritter, aioli made from the fat of the fish with grated sea-

weed and a lettuce papillote with the tuna’s head served on a spike.

"I look for sustainability so much so that I have taken advantage of the skeleton and bones of the tuna,” explained Andres. Judge Oriol Castro, who owns the restaurant Enjoy in Barcelona, praised the tuna dish. “It's a balanced dish with a great flavour and it uses parts of the tuna that are not normally used in the kitchen,” he said. Andres - who came third last year - will compete against 20 other finalists in Milan in May.

Oil’s good THERE’S good news for cooks who might finally get a break on grocery bills after three years of increasing olive oil prices. Spain’s Deoleo, the world’s largest olive oil supplier, expects rising global output in 2018 to bring prices of the Mediterranean staple down. Bigger olive harvests across much of the Mediterranean region will lift oil output by an estimated 12%. High prices have recently led shoppers to choose cheaper options like sunflower-seed oil.

Your Christmas Party All Wrapped Up Click on the festive banner here!

Barking up the Christmas tree For all your quirky gifts C Boutique products are the result of an nine year process that begins in the Spanish and Portuguese cork forests. Cork trees live for approximately 300 years and are harvested every nine years, removing only the outer bark. It takes 20 to 25 years before the first cork can be removed from the Cork Oak tree. Raw planks of cork are then boiled making them flexible and elastic. This cork skin is extremely lightweight, waterproof, vegan, durable, and most important to us at C Boutique, eco friendly. A mature cork oak tree will produce hundreds of kilos of cork skin at each harvest, and lives for many generations. We believe in happy trees, a happy World and happy products at Cork Boutique, the gift shop with conscience.

Branching out We are now offering a new and exciting clothing range at affordable prices, all sizes are catered for especially the lady with the curves.

RECORD BREAKERS: Alhaurin

Hammed in! SPAIN’S most skillful ham cutters joined forces to smash two Guinness World Records in Malaga. The event in Alhaurin de la Torre, broke the record for the largest number of people carving at the same time and the most amount sliced in one go. In order to break the record, 243 ham cutters had to cut at least five slices of ham between 0.5 and 1.5 milimetres thick in two minutes. Organised by Alhaurin town hall, the cutters went through 900 kilos of ham with musical performances, raffle and an equestrian show to follow. The record was previously held by another town in Malaga - Sierra de Yeguas. Proceeds of the event were donated to the AHUCE Foundation, which raises money for people with brittle bone disease.

Central reservations or looking for some ideas? Speak to Dominique dp@huntergroup.gi or +350 200 68411

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

japanese restaurant

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

Shroom time I Mushrooms are heading onto menus around Spain, writes Jon Clarke

T'S mushroom season again - and chefs around Spain are conjuring up a raft of delicious dishes based around the wild autumn favourite. From succulent Boletus to delicate Chanterelles and from marvellous Morels to perfect Portobellos there is such a variety here. The rains of autumn bring out The dorada dozens of different types and each has its own specific fla- served with shititakes was also a stunner. vour and complimentary dish. The Serrania de Ronda, in The blini dessert came with Malaga, is said to have 30 dif- truffles now commercially farmed in the nearby Puig de ferent edible Santa magdaspecies alone, lena hills. while each region of Spain The blini dessert “It has taken him years but has its specific came with truffles now he has varieties. a few dogs “It's one of farmed in the trained up to my favourite find them,” times of year,” nearby Puig de explains Joan. explains chef Joan Marc, Santa Magdalena “They are best in December whose same and January.” name restaurant has been doing a brisk The eight course menu came trade for six years in Inca, in in at 65 euros a head while a shorter four course number Mallorca. “I love pairing the different weighed in at just 41 euros intypes with meat and fish as cluding iva. well as just serving them on their own.” He has come up with a fantastic 8-course mushroom tasting menu which includes an original black truffle ‘cocao blini’. The chef, who trained at legendary two Michelin-starred Can Fabes in Sant Celoni near Barcelona before refining his skills under his ‘godfather’ Marc Fosh in Palma, now has his own red meals status with Michelin. I particularly liked his pork liver dish served with succulent cep (niscalos) mushrooms. This was the very definitive taste of autumn with its locally grown white beans as a base. The duck terrine with black trumpet mushrooms was also delicious, while the true winner was the stewed beef cheeks (carillada) with Boletus. SWEET FINISH: Truffle blini

restaurant | lunch and dinner

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golf

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Gold standard SPANISH golfer Rafael Cabrera-Bello has been awarded the Gold Medal for Sporting Merit by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (RFEG). The award is in recognition of the golfer’s contribution to Spanish golf on the world stage. He was the highest ranked Spanish golfer at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro coming fifth with fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia just three places behind him. The RFEG said ‘his manor and chivalry inside and outside the golf course’ has led him to occupy a prominent position in the world rankings. A statement released by the RFEG said: “We reward groups of people and institutions that have distinguished themselves over the years for their support and promotion of golf both inside and outside our borders.”

Britain’s Sam Horsfield dominated the green the claim his place in the European Tour next season ENGLISHMAN Sam Horsfield cruised to victory at the Qualifying School Final Stage in Tarragona. The 21-year-old, who turned pro last year, went into the final round with a comfortable lead.

Young guns

week.” The Brit dropped only five shots over 108 holes, drawing praise from Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter who later tweeted to congratulate Horsfield. He said: “I’m extremely impressed, just like I was 7 years ago with this young man. European Tour Q School is a daunting week. Many congratulations to now being employed and I hope you enjoy the new job.”

Turning pro

Stylish

Horsfield scored 63 which put him in at a phenomenal 27 under par. The result meant he obtained a European Tour card ensuring his place on next years European Tour. “All these experiences add up,” he said afterwards. “I am not sure I can say I

November 22nd - December 5th 2017 November 22nd - December 5th 2017

envisaged being here when I first started this journey at First Stage but I feel as

ONE of Spain’s greatest golfers has called for peace amid continuing tensions in Catalunya. Speaking from his home in Florida, Sergio Garcia pleaded for people to come together following a recent rally in Barcelona that saw 750,000 protesters take to the streets demanding the release of the separatist leaders. “As a Spaniard, I think that there’s so many bad things happening in the world, it feels wrong to separate each other,” said Garcia. “It is a touchy subject. I’m not a politician and I’m not going to start being one but I think

though my game has been good for a while and it really came together this

Call for peace everybody getting closer to one another will make this world a better place.” The 37-year-old recently celebrated his 32nd victory, as host, at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

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The dramatic tournament at Lumine Golf Club saw 33 players fighting for their right to play on the European Tour next season. Two-time PGA winner Anders Hansen regained his card after scoring 66 to share second place with Jacques Kruyswijk, Andrea Pavan, Pontus Widegren, Jeff Winther and England’s Charlie Ford. After turning pro just two months ago, Connor Syme finished on 17 under par with Mark Foster. Seven-time winner on the European Tour, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano regained his card. But not everyone secured a place and the former European Tour winners who missed out included Johan Edfors, Tom Lewis, Julien Quesne and Gary Stal.

Return of the woods? BILLIONAIRE Tiger Woods has announced his return to professional golf by playing at his own tournament later this month. The 41-year-old American will resume his career at the Hero World Challenge. The tournament is a small exhibition, hosted by Woods each year and is set up by the Tiger Woods Foundation. Excitement has hit such a fever pitch that the Golf Channel has added an extra hour of live tournament coverage for the first and second rounds of the Hero. The winner of the tournament will take home €1 million. It is the same site Woods made his last comeback to professional golf in 2016, but that proved to be short lived. The tournament runs from November 30 to December 3 at Albany Golf and Beach Resort in the Bahamas.

motors

www.theolivepress.es SPAIN’S car sales have continued to soar while the UK’s have fallen dramatically. While registrations in western Europe rose by 4.6% on average in October, they plunged by 12.2% in the UK. “France, Spain and Italy have seen significant gains amid strong eco-

Tour of Spain THE Grand Tour’s new season will feature an episode in Spain. Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond’s second season will be available to stream on Amazon Prime from December 8, but the exact location of the episode is being kept under wraps by production bosses. It comes as it was revealed that the American version of The Stig - the faceless test driver from the three lads’ previous Top Gear show - has been scrapped. Taking to Twitter, NASCAR driver Mike Skinner, who plays ‘The American’, announced that he will not be returning in the second season of the Amazon motoring show because he was told that ‘his character was not developed.’

Some 200,000 motorists from the UK drive on the wrong side of the road in Spain each year AN estimated 200,000 UK are putting lives at risk by accidentally using the wrong side of the road in Spain each year. Research from Churchill insurance found that 2% of British motorists have mistakenly driven on the left in Spain in the past five years, meaning an average of 200,000 drivers annually. The survey, which questioned 2,004 people, also discovered that more than one in 10 drivers (13%) have had a near miss while driving abroad, and that one in 12 people (8%) have had an accident while driving outside the UK. "That so many motorists have veered onto the wrong side of the road while on holiday in Spain is very worrying and it’s lucky

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Rising petrol heads Hidden fees

nomic fundamentals in the eurozone, while low consumer and business confidence in the UK has resulted in another month of disappointing sales,” said LMC analyst David Oak-

ley. Registrations rose 13.7% in France and Spain and 7.1% in Italy. Sales in Germany, the region’s biggest market, rose 3.9% in October.

Get on the right!

there haven’t been even more accidents," said Steve Barrett, head of car insurance at Churchill. The study also found that many motorists don’t even

Mystery arson AN investigation has been launched after 31 cars were torched in Catalunya. In five separate incidents, dozens of cars were set ablaze in Sabadell and Blanes. It has not been confirmed whether the arson was related to the Catalunya independence fallout. Some 21 bins were also set on fire.

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swot up on the local traffic laws before driving abroad. Nearly half (46%) of those respondents who had driven in Spain were unaware that speed camera detec-

tors were illegal, while 47% didn’t realise that they could be pulled over for failing to indicate while changing lanes. Drivers also seem unaware of the requirements for vehicles being driven in Spain, which could prove problematic for those taking their own car on holiday. Just 39% of those questioned were aware that Spanish law requires cars to carry a high-visibility jacket for every vehicle occupant, while just under three-quarters (72%) didn’t know that cars in Spain need to carry two warning triangles.

CAR manufacturers selling vehicles in the EU could face unexpected fines and more than half of car buyers could face higher registration and ownership taxes because of a stricter approval process introduced by regulators. Since September 1, new cars have undergone laboratory tests performed under the so-called Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) before being approved for sale. An additional new test, known as the real driving emissions (RDE) test, measures pollutant emissions on the road for the first time instead of just in laboratories. The consequences of tougher testing procedures could have significant disruptive effects on the European market, according to market researchers JATO Dynamics. “Automakers had expected the new process to increase CO2 emissions by around 3%, but the first findings for vehicles already homologated with the new procedure show much more significant increases compared with the same models tested with the previous procedure,” said Alessandro Paulucci, JATO’s head of service innovation for Europe.

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Columnists

November 22nd - December 5th 2017 November 22nd - December 5th 2017

The Maestro of Mo In the moustache-mad month of Movember, Belinda Beckett pays tribute to Spain’s ultimate Mo Bro

M MO-MAN: Dali’s famous moustache

OUSTACHE - or bigote, if you’re Spanish - is the word on everyone’s lips as the global grow-amo-in-November campaign gathers momentum. Millions are raised for research into men’s health issues through the simple act of cultivating a lip sweater and five million supporters – Mo Bros and Mo Sistas – sign up for it every Movember. NB: Ladies are not required to grow facial hair although they are at liberty to join in Have Sex with a Guy with a Beard Day (November 18). Well, it is for charity. But I very much doubt that anyone’s efforts will come close to the gravity-defying specimen sported by Catalan artist Salvador Dali when he was alive ... or even when he was

dead, for that matter. If you’ve read the press coverage about the artist’s exhumation in September over a (false) paternity claim, you’ll know that after spending 28 years in a crypt below his museum in Figueres, his trademark ’tache was found perfectly intact and still ‘pointing (like the hands on a clock) to ten past ten, just as he liked it.’

Miracle

His embalmer was so impressed he called it ‘a miracle’. It’s certainly a miracle the tourist board wasn’t tempted to snip it off for display in the museum before putting its owner back in the ground. Movember.com voted it the Most Famous

Crisis? What (mid life) Bring on reaching the big 5-0, writes Crisis? Giles Brown

HERE’S been a dark cloud and a rumbling on the horizon recently. Not the weather, which seems to be permanently stuck on an early September setting. acle that I While most people have been posting made it past 30. endless photos of beautiful sunsets Perhaps it is the fact that, when I’m and days on the beach – much to the running down the Spanish Top Ten on annoyance of those in colder climes – my breakfast show, I can recognise campo dwellers such as myself have only about three of the artists – and been praying for rain. wonder where the vowels went with Not just the torrential downpour com- the rest of them (The Weeknd, SZA plete with impressive thunder and etc.). lightning that we had a few weeks Perhaps it’s because I don’t care ago, but a steady couple of weeks to what you made Taylor Swift do. Or perfill up the reservoirs. haps it’s because that I The only effect of the am now reaching the age recent impressive downthat skull t-shirts, basepour was to flood the I have always ball caps and ripped kitchen, bedroom and jeans all look a bit like subscribed to bathroom at the Casita your uncle trying to be at 6am. the ‘age is just a down with the kids. And With the weather doing I am that uncle. a fair impression of Hur- number’ school of Even worse, my recent ricane Katrina outside, I attempts to be eclectic thought was unable to get to the in my dress sense, has outbuildings and turn on also come under fire. I the generator, so ended paired brown brogues up mopping up by candlelight, re- with a pair of yellow hooped socks, splendent in a dressing gown and wel- Burberry scarf and country jacket and lington boots. Whoever said candle- was appraised by a fellow (female) light provided the perfect mood was journalist (and proper writer) as lookright. After my campo version of the ing ‘very Toad of Toad Hall’. Poseidon adventure, I was in a foul So I’m looking forward to turning 50 mood for the rest of the day. in January and fully embracing my The aforementioned dark cloud, mid life crisis. however, has been my impending Probably with soup and a sandwich landmark birthday, now less than in a chair by the fire, blanket over my two months away. I have always sub- knee, and shouting ‘I don’t believe it’ scribed to the ‘age is just a number’ at the Today programme. school of thought and, given my fairly Does anyone have Ronnie Wood’s hairy lifestyle choices over the past number? I need some tips on growing couple of decades, it is frankly a mir- old disgracefully….

Moustache of All Time in 2010 and the surrealist himself claimed: “It’s the most serious part of my personality. Like two erect sentries, it defends the entrance to my real self.” He styled it on the moustache of Velazquez, one of the artists he most admired ... and went on growing it. At its max it measured 25 centimetres and reached up to his eyebrows. He waxed and twisted it into weird shapes and even used it as a paintbrush, claiming his twin facial bristles were antennae that could pick up creative inspirations. Ever the joker, he once explained: “Since I don't smoke, I decided to grow a moustache—it is better for the health. However, I always carried a jewel-studded cigarette case in which, instead of tobacco, were carefully placed several mustaches ... I offered them politely to my friends: Mustache? Mustache? Mustache? Nobody dared to touch them. This was my test regarding the sacred aspect of mustaches.” For posterity, along with his better-known artworks, he also left us Dali's Mustache, a photographic Q&A exploring his psyche through 28 images of his most distinctive facial feature – adorned with flowers, poking through the holes in a Gruyere cheese or contorted into a dollar sign and captioned: Question: I have the feeling I have discovered your secret, Salvador. Could it be that you are crazy? Answer: I am certainly saner than the person who bought this book.

Mo Bro

DALI: Used his moustache to sign cheques

Of course, unlike a true Mo Bro, Dali was only ever in it for the Mo-ney. He used to doodle on his cheques before paying his bills, knowing they would never be cashed as the art was worth more! But he was unquestionably ‘a man of character’ – or ‘un hombre de bigote’ as the Spanish say, in Dali’s case never more aptly! Etymology note: Bigote is said to originate from the Reconquest of Granada when Swiss German crusaders fighting for the Catholic Monarchs used to scream ‘Bei Got’ (by God) as they charged the Moorish hordes. The only soldiers sporting moustaches (everyone else had beards), the Spanish nicknamed them ‘los bigotes’ and, like a false moustache, the word stuck. They were also fearless men of character – ‘hombres de bigotes’.

sport

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November 22nd - December 5th 2017

If you have a -sports story, November 22nd December 5th 2017 contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575

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Spain in Malaga Romp

t r a d i t i o n a l THE Spanish national football team ran side Malaga CF rooted to the bottom of ceived the loudest cheers of the night and riot against Costa Rica in a recent friend- La Liga, with just two wins so far this a standing ovation when he was substiPATRICKS DAY menu FOOTBALLSt. fans excitement served all day ly match at La Rosaleda. season. The La Rosaleda was full and the tuted. There was even time for Garbine has reached fever pitch across Guinness, Kilkenny, Magners €4La Roja dominated from the offset and atmosphere was electric, as Malagueños Muguruza, the current WTA world numthe continent following the St Patricks Day Shots €2 were 5-0 victors, thanks to a David Silva got their chance to see some of the na- ber 2, to visit the dressing room after culmination of the European brace. The match provided some respite tion’s star players. the game. ‘Had fun watching this great qualification campaign for FACE PAINTING beleaguered Malagueños, with local Benalmadena-born midfielder Isco re- team,’ she posted on Instagram. the 2018 World 18th Cup.- 6 Nations Final for saturday Day 1.30pm Scotland vs Italy The process appeared to 3.45pm France vs Wales demonstrate a changing of 6.00pm Ireland vs England 9.30pm Live Music newcomwith Layla the guard, with MARBELLA has been ers Iceland qualifying, while Sunday 19th - Premier League awarded the first round of 1.00pmsuperpowers Middlesbrough vs Man Utd footballing Italy next year’s Davis Cup when 3.15pm Spurs vs Southampton and Holland 5.30pm missed Man City vs out. Liverpool Spain fight Great Britain. 9.30pm Live Music with Sean Murray Iceland will be joined by The Spanish Tennis Federahosts Russia, France, Portu- page Check out our Facebook ourchosen Virtual Tour, tionforhas the Puente gal, Germany, Serbia, SpecialPoland, Offers, Whats Coming hotel Up Romano along the England, Biddy Spain, Belgium, Mulligans BiddysLaCala 494 877 Costa del Tel: Sol952hotspot’s soSwitzerland, Croatia, Sweden called Golden Mile. and Denmark from Europe. The event will take place beIt was the first time since tween February 2 and 4 and 1958 that the Azzurri had Puente Romano’s stands €400,000, and also deal failed to qualify for a World will be extended. with organisational costs, Cup after their 1-0 playoff It is believed the Spanish mainly increasing the loss to Sweden. players’ opinions were a stands capacity. The total The game also marked the deciding factor in the decicost will be around €1 millast appearance in the leg- sion. lion. endary international career They prefer to play at sea The Junta will help contribof goalkeeper Gianluigi Buf- level, where the ball goes ute to the final cost. fon, the most capped player slower, hence Marbella The town hall will receive in Italian history, with 175 proved more popular than 50% of the money collected appearances. its rival for the tie Granada. from the sale of tickets and The blame should be ‘divided The clay court currently has season tickets for the three equally among us all,’ said a capacity for 2,500 people days of competition. tearful Buffon, following his and will have to be expandThe result of the draw for side’s elimination. ed to fit 9,000 spectators. the first round of the 2018 The Italians have won the It is a stage that has hosted World Cup four times, mak- WTA tournaments and is a It is not yet known if Spain Andy Murray – will be play- Davis Cup was announced on September 20, with the ing them the second most favourite training base for and team GB’s biggest playing in the cup. match scheduled between successful team in the tourna- Novak Djokovic. ers – Rafael Nadal and Marbella must pay a fee of Spain and Great Britain. ment’s history, behind Brazil.

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Nadal and Murray could be squaring off in Marbella next year

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Justice served RAFAEL Nadal has won a defamation suit against France’s former health minister Roselyne Bachelot. During a national TV broadcast in March 2016, Bachelot had accused the Spanish tennis star of doping. Although Nadal had been seeking €100,000 in damages, Bachelot has been ordered to pay €10,000 and a €500 fine. Bachelot claimed on the French TV channel D8 that Nadal feigned an injury to avoid giving a drug test. Nadal said he will donate the damages to an NGO or French charity.

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Knees up

Water anarchists

OVER 700 families in El Palo were without water for a few days after three people poured detergent into a well. Police tracked down the culprits but no arrests have been made.

BOXING legend Ricky Hatton got a lot of laughs with his costume at a Spanish festival. The festival – a favourite among Brits

Mourning comedy

FINAL WORDS

Vol. 11 Issue 279 www.theolivepress.es November 22nd - December 5th 2017

Fired up

ONE of Malaga’s most loved comedians has passed away. Household funnyman Chiquito de la Calzada died aged 83 from coronary heart disease, six years after the death of his wife, Josefa Garcia.

Real deal

A PORTRAIT hanging in a Welsh castle, for 150 years, long thought to be a copy has been exposed as the real thing. Painted by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo the portrait depicts Don Diego Ortiz de Zúñiga.

BOXER: Hatton in Spain

REAL Madrid striker Karim Benzema is a lover of all things fast, including the kebab. The 29-year-old Frenchman has revealed that his favourite restaurant is a kebab house, in downtown Madrid. The multimillionaire has been a regular at the restaurant near Atocha station for a number of years. Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata is also said to be a fan of the place.

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– regularly throws up some of the best fancy-dress outfits around and Hatton has joined the list. In footage posted to his Twitter account, the 39-year-old is seen dressed up as an Irishman on top of a leprechaun. He dances for the camera by lifting up his fake legs and singing to the camera. The man filming bursts out into laughter and Hatton's 530,000 fans were also in stitches. “Absolutely brilliant this. What a legend! Love the Hitman.” Another: “Not a monkey given. Different class.” It comes as the former world champion said he would come out of retirement to fight Rio Ferdinand after the Manchester United announced he was training to become a boxer.

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SPANISH TV presenter Adriana Abenia suffered a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ while posing for at an awards bash. The 33-year-old presenter exposed her left breast as she was turning for photographers at GQ magazine’s Men of the Year Awards in Madrid. She later posted the photo on Twitter, writing: “I had another photo ready, but since this one is going to accompany me all my life...here you have it!”

Blast from Nun too clever the past A GROUP of nuns have been fined €170,000 by the Junta for beginning upgrades on a 17th century organ without permission. The culture ministry has sent the fine to the Clarisse nuns of Sevilla’s Santa Ines convent for restoring the temple’s organ. The sanction will be reduced to €102,000 if they voluntarily pay the fine. The organ, by 17th century artist Perez Valladolid, has been listed since 1983.

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Some boob

A HIKER had a shock when he stumbled over a hand grenade from the Spanish Civil War near Antequera. The unsuspecting man picked up the ‘strange metal object’ before contacting police, who blew it up in a controlled explosion the following day.

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