Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 238 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

A Estepona Big clean-up ll about

Vol. 10 Issue 238

April 27th - May

10th 2016

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Biggest and best Estepona supplement ever - From P19

From its potted geraniums to its and cultivated orchids its Banksyseafaring virgin and it’s style outdoor art gallery, writes sweet to live in Estepona, Iona Napier

efI saw the huge, ornate as she was COULD have sworn Mary wink at me of a figy of the Virgin sea on the shoulders hoisted down to thesailors last summer. on the most bunch of strapping below the horizon As the sun dipped year, she was launched out electric night of theto be greeted by a flotilla of to sea in a dinghy to their plimsoll lines with lamp-lit boats laden waded into the water to revellers, while others get a better look. on the night of the Virgen del This was Estepona that brings expats, Spanish Carmen, a festival down to the water’s agog. families and holidaymakers watch the proceedings edge en masse to answer to the Oxford-Camas the UK It’s surely Malaga’s as feisty and Spanish bridge boat race, British. event is uptight and is the last bastion of ‘big reFor many, EsteponaCosta del Sol. a ‘hangsort’ charm on the up its appeal with multicoThe town has ramped sprouting from not to ing garden’ of geraniums wall of every street, loured pots on every murals which can be spotmention the colourful ted across town. one better than the plantpots And it has gone orchidarium. with its exotic glass-domedwith more than 8,000 has welThe futuristic greenhouse and three waterfalls species of orchids 250,000 people over the last comed more thanthey continue to arrive by the 12 months and coach load.

olive press The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía

streets

(top left) geranium-lined strip street art and act with beautiful axes are the beachfront cleaned up its The two busiest and the road through the old Estepona has de (Avenida Espana) IMPRESSIVE: high si- for everyone. Terraza), while horseshoe-shaped maps from the Plaza the ocean and the turf in First, grab a fistful of the old town’s prettiest town (Calle Andalucia curves protectively around in and Sandwiched between Avenida de Estepona does surf Flores tourist office 20 erras of Bermeja, the old ditty about Jack Sprat square (or the other office in the marina). Continued Page art walk and a poetry town style. And just like the traditional old up ei- With two walking tours, an Estepona is on foot. prop to see and his wife, between modern port which something route, the best way and the bustling there’s ther end of the promenade,

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Vol. 10 Issue 238

Amy’s stepdad ‘gutted’ brother

Suicidal

“The prosecution case is that Mahon stabbed Dean Fitzpatrick in the abdomen. “There was a piece of intestine protruding,” he said. “In common terms, he had been gutted.” Dean’s girlfriend Sarah O’Rourke told the court that Mahon threatened to ‘stick a knife into my head or neck’. The jury heard that Mahon attempted to flee the scene, later claiming Dean had accidentally walked onto the knife, then changing his story to say Dean was suicidal. Fitzpatrick’s sister, Amy, went missing in Spain on New Year’s Day 2008, with continuing questions raised about her relationship with her mother and Mahon. Mahon and his partner, Audrey Fitzpatrick, moved with Amy and Dean to Spain in 2004. The Olive Press revealed that she had been unhappy, drinking and was living semi-rough in the Calahonda area, before she went missing.

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Now in Andalucía! Follow us: Holland & Barrett Andalucía

Getting a grilling

STILL MISSING: Amy

THE stepfather of missing Amy Fitzpatrick has finally gone on trial for murder. Former Mijas estate agent Dave Mahon is accused of killing the missing teenager’s brother in a savage stabbing incident. A court in Dublin heard how Mahon, 46, literally ‘gutted’ his stepson Dean, 23, like a fish in the attack in May 2013. The jury heard how a row had broken out over the tampering of Mahon’s bicycle outside a gym. The pair squared up over the incident at Mahon’s home later that evening, after he had been drinking heavily. “Mahon arrived back in and had a carving knife,” said prosecution barrister Remy Farrell.

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the good life

Olive Press meets world’s best chefs including Ferran Adria (left), and Daniel Humm Turn to Page 7

One-way injustice A DISABLED expat is being forced out of his home so a one-way system can be built. Retired bricklayer John Gray, 76, and his wife Deborah have been given just two months to vacate their dream home after receiving a compulsory purchase order from Alhaurin el Grande Town Hall. The couple have brought in lawyers after they were offered an ‘insulting’ €35,000 for their property, which cost them three times as much after renovations. “It is completely heart-breaking,” telesales worker Deborah, 57, told the Olive Press. “I am going crazy at the moment, but I have not given up hope. “I have to keep going with my life, but I have started packing in case the worst happens.” She added: “To offer us €35,000 is an insult. It is a third of what we have spent on it and you cannot buy another

property for miles around for that sort of money.” The couple had bought the two-bedroom, two-bathroom home for €66,000 after moving from Hertfordshire in 2003. They were later forced to spend a further €30,000 on renovations after John suffered from a stroke in 2014, leaving him with limited mobility and the need of a mobility scooter. He also suffers from a lung disease called COPD and is currently undergoing tests for suspected cancer. As well as looking after her husband, Deborah cares for her 77-year-old mother Christina, who suffers from a heart

condition. Plans for a one-way system were first mooted in 1994 before being put on hold. However, the Grays were only notified that the work was finally going ahead last year. They were initially told that they could stay in their home but would need to demolish their extension. However, in March the plans were changed and the new road will mean knocking down the entire home. The town hall has given the couple the option to take the €35,000 or move to a coowned plot ‘twice the size’, where they will have planning permission to build two houses. “It is all so vague and we have not got the money to build

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CRUEL: Couple’s fight for justice anyway,” Deborah added last night. “We simply don’t know what to do but hope that justice will prevail.” A spokesman for the town hall confirmed that plans for a one-way system were in place but would not confirm when work would begin or comment further on the case.

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Priors: ‘We’ve been dumped on by Spanish politicians who are the dregs of the earth’

Expats slam ‘insulting’ compulsory purchase of their home EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan

‘King of Marbella’ thrown in jail over Bentley’s flash number plate

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CRIME NEWS

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www.theolivepress.es April 27th - May 10th 2016

Irish gang feud claims another life ISIS pair MISSING: Lisa Brown

Cutting ties AWOL Simon Corner has been dubbed a ‘clown’ by the legal advisor who was formerly advising him. Fixer Jason Coghlan has officially distanced himself from the Liverpudlian yacht dealer now being hunted in Europe over the disappearance of his girlfriend, British expat Lisa Brown. Coghlan, a former armed robber, wrote online: “For clarity, that clown is not represented by me!” He continued: “All I can say is, what goes around goes around… and he has made an enemy out of me.” Corner was reportedly spotted in Thailand earlier this month.

Terror tweets punished SPANISH police have arrested 14 people for allegedly glorifying terror acts on Facebook and in Twitter messages. The group made repeated comments on fake social network profiles that ranged from ‘glorifying terrorist organisations to mocking the victims of terrorism’. Most comments supported Basque separatist group ETA, and far-left group GRAPO.

A CLOSE associate of Spain-based gangster Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch has been gunned down in Ireland. Michael ‘Mickey’ Barr, 34, becomes the sixth person to be slain in the escalating feud between Hutch and his Esteponabased rival clan, led by Christy Kinahan. It comes a fortnight after innocent father

Martin O’Rourke was gunned down in a case of mistaken identity. Barr - who is believed to have supplied guns to the attackers at a boxing weigh in at the Regency Hotel, in Dublin in February - was shot dead by a single assassin. The shooting at the MGM Marbella boxing fight was an attempted hit on Christy

Kinahan’s son Daniel. Kinahan associate David Byrne was shot dead as Kinahan escaped through a window. The boxing shooting is believed to have been in retaliation to the murder of the Monk’s nephew Gary Hutch at his Marbella swimming pool, in September last year.

NOT IN THE FRAME!

Expats hit back over claims they’ve been charged over Agnese

A LAWYER representing two Britons last seen with missing expat Agnese Klavina insists reports that they have been charged over her disappearance are ‘unfounded’. He insists privately-educated Westley Capper, 38, and Liv-

EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan

erpudlian Craig Porter, 34, are now taking legal action against a string of UK and Spanish newspapers which claimed they had been charged.

Anti-muslim attacks up HATE crimes against muslims have increased tenfold in Spain in just one year. There were 534 anti-Islam incidents in 2015 up from 48 in 2014. President of the Spanish Federation of Religious Entities Mounir Benjelloun cited recent attacks in Paris and Brussels for provoking anti-islamic sentiment. “This type of aggression increases whenever there is an act of violence in a European country,” he said. Since the attacks in Brussels, which killed 32 and injured over 300, many mosques have been vandalised across Spain, including in Salamanca and Granada.

He insists the reports that a Marbella judge charged them with ‘aggravated unlawful detention’ last week were incorrect. “The statements made against our client are completely untrue,” read a statement from Cubism law in London. “Neither Westley Capper or Craig Porter have been charged with the disappearance of Agnese Klavina.” He added: “I can confirm that we have written to all of the UK publications and are in the process of writing to the Spanish language outlets.” The pair were the last people seen with Agnese, pictured leaving Aqwa Mist nightclub in Puerto Banus in September 2014. An 18-month probe by special-

MISSING: Since night out ist Madrid detectives, including DNA results from a yacht belonging to Capper’s father was subsequently undertaken. CCTV images allegedly showed three unidentified men dragging a large suitcase onto Capper’s yacht.

seized

A COUPLE suspected of being Islamic State sympathisers have been arrested in Algeciras. A Moroccan man and a Spanish woman along with their young son were seized by Guardia Civil at the port as they attempted to cross over to Morocco. It is believed the pair had links with Islamic State and intended to travel to Syria, where the man’s brother is thought to have died in a recent suicide bombing. Police raided the couple’s flat in Granada and their child has been taken into care. It comes as police arrested a chef in Mallorca, suspected of being an ISIS recruiter.

Sex slaves freed

THE leader of a major human trafficking ring has been arrested in Sevilla. Police freed five South American women forced to work as prostitutes 24-hours a day, in a raid on a brothel. The women, aged between 19 and 33 from Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, came to Spain under the pretence of a 'decent job'. Instead, they were locked inside and forced into prostitution. "The women were deprived of freedom and shared the dwelling space with their captors, who in turn kept watch so they couldn't escape, even using video surveillance systems at all times," police said.

NEWS

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BARCELONA ace Lionel Messi has banned Miss BumBum Brazil from sending him sexy snaps. Curvy Suzy Cortez, 25, can no longer send photos to the Argentine striker after bombarding his Instagram account with racy pictures. Cortez claims she was blocked after hitting a bum note with Leo’s missus, Antonella Roccuzzo. In one cheeky pic (below), the Brazilian model posed in a Barcelona shirt, wrapped into the shape of a thong to congratulate Messi on his fifth Ballon d’Or.

d descen Angels

Bum deal

April 27th - May 10th 2016 SEVEN Victoria’s Secret angels have stripped for a special Vogue Spain photoshoot. The scantilyclad mode l s

struggled to keep their ill-fitting garments on as they posed provocatively on the shore line, for photographer David Bellemere.

EXCLUSIVE

‘King of Marbella’ spends night in police cell over personalised number plate

CHEEKY: Cortez

Hell’s bells! AXL Rose is taking the Highway to Hell as AC/DC’s new frontman. The Guns N’ Roses frontman is replacing Brian Johnson on vocal duties for the legendary Australian rock band’s Sevilla gig at Estadio La Cartuja on May 10. Johnson was advised by doctors that he would go totally deaf if he didn’t stop live shows.

By Laurence Dollimore overnight in cells for the plate - 81G J (Big J) - was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘over the top’. He was arrested for using false plates as he was about to board a plane to London from Malaga airport, having been dropped off by his chauffeur. “It was crazy,” he told the Olive Press. “I had to stay in a cell overnight with just a flimsy blanket. “The Spanish don’t have private number plates and don’t understand how they work, it’s ridiculous.”

Russell ‘rat-arsed’ on Red Bull

KANEING IT: Ibiza bevvies for Russell

PO Boxes Available

BRITISH comedian Russell Kane has become a Spanish party regular after revealing he visits Ibiza four times a year. But with a six-month baby the TV funny man suspects his wife Lindsey may not let him continue the tradition. The I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here host described the party island as a ‘place that has loomed large in my life for many years’. “The celeb element is a bit cringy, but I love that you can be rat-arsed on a vodka Red Bull, dancing next to a 70-year-old and a 17-yearold, and no one bats an eyelid,” he said.

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RICHBOY: And his personalised numberplate

The former Manchester nightclub security boss - allegedly worth £500 million in 2010 - insists his reputation as a bad boy is entirely unfair. He inherited the ‘gangster image’ after writing a column for The Sun newspaper

Purple gain

FOR SALE: Prince’s pad

Dethroned! A CONTROVERSIAL expat has been arrested for driving along the Costa del Sol with a personalised number plate on his Bentley Phantom. Multi-millionaire John Disley - dubbed the ‘King of Marbella’ after boasting about his lavish lifestyle on UK TV - insists he is innocent. Disley, 49, who served part of a four-and-a-half year sentence for bank fraud in the UK, before it was quashed, insists Spanish police simply do not understand the British numbering system. He claims that keeping him

and appearing in various TV documentaries that showcased his lavish lifestyle in Marbella. “The name insinuates I’m a gangster but I’m a successful businessman, the stories are all wrong!” He told the Olive Press he is now writing a book, The King of Marbella: The Real Story, about his life. “The book is a real rags to riches story, and hopefully it will disperse the claims about me and bring me back some credibility.” “I love Marbella, it has always had a place in my heart, and I’m not moving back to the UK anytime soon,” he added.

MARBELLA ROYALTY: Disley

PRINCE may be dead but any fan with a deep pocket has the perfect opportunity to get through the mourning process by buying his former Marbella house. The enormous 13-bedroom palace in Paraiso Alto appropriately comes with a recording studio and impeccable manicured gardens. Prince, who died last week, fell in love with the Costa del Sol after performing in Marbella in 1990 and is thought to have written many of his inspirational songs here. The wedding gift from the famous singer to his wife Mayte Garcia in 1998 also counts a gym, pool and tennis court. A Dutchman who bought it in 2004 after the couple divorced has now put it back on the market for €5.25 million, understood to be making a reasonable profit, with agents Engel and Volkers.

Marc in Marbella

MARC Anthony is coming to Marbella to perform this summer. The former JLo lover will perform at the San Pedro Municipal Stadium on July 9 as part of his European tour.

NEWS

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Man and van

NEWS IN BRIEF

A YOUNG British expat is feeding hundreds of refugees every day out of the back of his van in Greece. As reported last month, Josh TurnerHunt, 22, has travelled from Casares with his ‘Big Red Van Project’. He is now aiming to raise €4,500 in order to feed and clothe refugees across Greece. “The project is proving to be a huge success,” he told the Olive Press.

Nuns on the run TWO nuns in Galicia have had virginity tests to prove the alleged innocence of a priest accused of sexual abuse.

Terror tactics SPANISH police say a man arrested on suspicion of supplying arms for last year’s terrorist attack on a Paris kosher supermarket has been sent back to France.

Cop killer? A POLICEMAN has been arrested after allegedly shooting dead a Moroccan driver following a traffic dispute on the A3 road to Valencia.

Global pact SPAIN is one of 171 countries that signed April’s Paris Agreement global climate pact at the UN in New York, with the aim of preventing dangerous levels of global warming.

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Claim now or miss out! HOLIDAYMAKERS injured in Spain are missing out on millions of pounds in compensation. Legal experts have warned that a ‘quirk’ in the Spanish system means non-package holidaymakers are falling foul of a strict one-year time limit for claims. In 2014, nearly 700 of the 12 million Brits who travelled to Spain required hospital treatment for injury or sickness. The limit is in stark contrast to other parts of Europe, such as France, where the claimant has 10 year to file. Lawyer Neil Wilson, from Quittance Personal Injury, said: “We have seen more enquiries from holidaymakers who have run out of time and it can be difficult to tell someone that they have missed their chance to claim by a few weeks, especially if they are still recovering.”

Cat killer! By Iona Napier

A SERIAL cat killer appears to be on the loose in Sotogrande. It comes after two felines were brutally killed in the million-

Pets drowned and hanged among superyachts in Sotogrande port aire's enclave, one having been drowned, the other hanged. The attacks are suspected to

have been carried out by a repeat offender known to police, who has previously committed

Triple A ‘facing cruelty and fraud charges’ MEMBERS of animal charity Triple A have been charged with trafficking, cruelty and fraud, it has been revealed. Four people arrested at the Marbella shelter are also accused of misappropriation of funds, acting outside their professional capacity and even being members of a criminal gang. The Guardia Civil announced that the investigation, launched in November last year, had so far probed 17 staff, some who were not legal. “Various members of the committee were getting salaries when they were meant to be working voluntarily,” announced a spokesman. They were also getting dinners, lunches and clothes paid for. Operation Tribet also discovered that funds were wrongly diverted to individuals and, most damningly, various animals were put down

with no anaesthetic and in some cases using the wrong dosage, causing further suffering. On top of this, Marbella’s Court Number 3 is investigating how money that was raised from the sale of ‘valuable’ pedigree dogs, many to Finland and Germany, did not come back to support the charity in Spain. Triple A representative Lily Van Tongeren said the nature of the charges are pure hearsay and that the charity is still going strong. She insisted that all the money raised goes back into the charity and only goes to individuals if they have wages. “I don’t think the city hall would support us financially if we were cooking the books or not operating legally,” she added. “We are operating as normal and taking care of these animals.”

HORROR: Hunt for killer other crimes of cruelty. The bodies of both cats were found by security guards who threw them in bins, a breach of animal disposal regulations. “The owner of the hanged cat had her for 16 years and was searching bins to find her,” Guillermo Paez, Soto Cats Rescue president, told the Olive Press. “It’s truly heartbreaking that she couldn’t say goodbye to her pet.” He continued: “We are disappointed at the port staff’s handling of the situation. “We want all harbour personnel to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen in future.” He added it was not the first time it had happened. His organisation is set to denounce two counts of cruelty to animals and is taking action to ensure protocol is followed in the future.

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OPINION

Need to rebuild WITH the Priors (right) set to be badly short-changed after their horrific eight-year saga and a case just as insulting to an expat couple in Alhaurin on our front page, it is a bleak week for foreign buyers. While the British consulate estimates at least 4,000 Britons are owners of illegal homes, the true figure is probably much higher. How heartbreaking that ordinary, hard-working people who were only going to benefit the Spanish system are now set to be screwed over by it. A much needed glimmer of hope came with two new protective laws last year, but for far too many the damage is already done. Let’s hope the authorities, lawyers and new buyers have taken heed of what went before.

Touch of class FINALLY Marbella Town Hall has found a brilliant way to show off what the town should really be about - good food, authenticity and the potential to be an exhibition hotspot. You wouldn’t have found the cast of The Only Way Is Marbs at the A Cuatro Manos event, where 20 chefs - with 71 Michelin stars between them - arrived to cook up a four-day gastronomical feat. It was a masterstroke… and it made headlines for Marbella for all the right reasons.

BREXIT - Your vote matters Do you qualify for June 23 vote? Overseas UK nationals who have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years can vote in UK Parliamentary General Elections, UK-wide referendums, and European Parliamentary elections.

Register You will need to know you National Insurance number and date of birth, and have your passport to hand if you have one. If you don’t have a National Insurance number you can still register, but may have to supply more information to show who you are. You have until May 16 to register.

Declare You have to sign an annual declaration once you have registered to renew your registration every year. So if you were registered to vote for the 2015 General Elections you will have to renew your registration with your local Electoral Registration Officer in the UK or register again.

Vote You can choose how you wish to vote. You can vote by post, by proxy (voting by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf ), or even in person at your polling station.

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

the E

E FR

The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía

olive press

Tel: (+34) 951 273 575 A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 (+34) 951 273 575 Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5 Calle Espinosa 1 Edifi cio centro comercial El Duque, planta primera, 29692 San Luis de Sabinillas, Manilva Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618 Rob Horgan rob@theolivepress.es Iona Napier iona@theolivepress.es Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Designer James Partington design@theolivepress.es Admin & Accounts (+34) 951 273 575 Mirian Moreno – General Manager admin@theolivepress.es

Maria González accounts@theolivepress.es (+34) 658 750 424 Héctor Santaella hector@theolivepress.es Distribution Graham Warters distribution@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: sales@theolivepress.es Chris Birkett - Head of Sales chris@theolivepress.es (+34) 652 512 956 Amanda Bennett amanda@theolivepress.es (+34) 692 725 475 Spanish Sales Juanjo Gonzalez juanjo@theolivepress.es (+34) 678 096 765

NEWS/FEATURE

August 6thApril - August 2015 www.theolivepress.es 27th19th - May 10th 2016

Dumped on! Expats get ‘derisory’ compensation offer after eightyear demolition nightmare A BRITISH couple who have been forced to live in a converted garage for eight years after their home was demolished have been offered a ‘derisory’ compensation offer. Len and Helen Prior, both 72, slammed the Spanish political system as they were awarded half of the €800,000 they were hoping to get after their home was wrongly knocked down in 2008. In an emotional outburst Helen Prior told the Olive Press: “It’s complete madness - we feel like we have been dumped on from all angles and the house was 100% legal. “To add insult to injury we cannot sell the plot for anything other than animals so it is worthless.” The couple, who made head-

UCH will be written this week about Leonard and Helen Prior, who unwittingly became through no fault of their own, the most famous Britons living in Spain. Their fame came cruelly when their dream three-bedroom home was demolished in a cowardly and stupid miscalculation back in Almeria in January 2008. Yet the Priors home was NOT on a flood-plain. It was NOT in a place of singular beauty, NOR was it on the beach or on any plan for expropriation. The Priors were - and are - a simple British couple who had retired to Spain, after a professional life in England that afforded them a reasonable retirement egg. They had planned to move here to enjoy their twilight years with a glass of red wine as the sun sank each evening over the hills before them. After getting planning permission through the usual method via their town hall, they invested €375,000 constructing their dream home complete with heated swimming pool and landscaped gardens… They even named it Tranquilidad (Tranquility). It's not clear why their house was chosen and no other similarly-erected homes built around them faced the same treatment. Perhaps the 30-minute demolition was to send us expats a message? Perhaps they were foreigners, who would just disappear back to their own country. But they didn't. They moved into the garage, making a home in the cramped stuffy lean-to, with hose-pipe water and a generator for electricity - as so many other retired foreigners have been tragically forced to do in Andalucía. They appeared on British TV, repeatedly. They were in all the British newspapers, repeatedly. They were recorded on the BBC and in other European media, repeatedly. Millions read about what the Spanish had done to an innocent couple in the final years of an uneventful life. The Olive Press was there every step of the way.

EXCLUSIVE By Iona Napier lines around the world, are to receive just €425,000, despite their bulldozed home in Almeria having the correct paperwork signed off by the town hall. It is a long way from the €600,000 in compensation and €200,000 for moral damages, they were asking from Vera Town hall. The Berkshire couple insisted the figure would leave them with ‘only pennies’ after they had paying legal bills. And worse still, the judgement will likely be appealed by the town hall. “Spanish politicians are the dregs of the earth and we can’t afford to go back to the UK anyway,” Helen continued.

SHORT-CHANGED: Len and Helen Prior “Nothing good can come from this decision as the amount won’t be increased and may be revoked.” She added: “We just kept pouring money into the house and on the day it was demolished it was worth €690,000.” Campaign group AUAN described the offer as a ‘hollow victory’, insisting that the

couple must be given some ‘moral damages’. “It is not acceptable that they must continue to live in their garage suffering continuous moral damage after the house of their dreams was demolished,” said president Maura Hillen. “The Priors did nothing wrong except to trust the Spanish state and its legal system.”

How tranquility turned to tragedy The Priors spent their life’s nest egg building their dream home Tranquility - before it was bulldozed in a cruel error after a swish of a civil servant’s pen, writes their friend Lenox Napier (right)

INTACT: Prior’s former home and (top) being bulldozed Now, once again, Leonard and gion. Helen Prior are in the news. This There are some 11,000 ‘irregular’ houses in the Axarquia, time, even the Spanish news. A happy event, as the news has 12,000 in Almanzora Valley, in been billed: the judicial system Almeria, and a whopping half here has blamed the local town of Chiclana’s residents, 40,000 of them, live in illegal dwellings. hall. Not the perpetrators of the as- That is just three small areas. sault - those faceless morons at Most of the builders of these the Junta - but the local author- homes were protected, as often ity, who gave permission for the happens here, behind simple €3,000 limited-liability compahome to be built. The town hall must pay around nies. half of the money claimed by the Many of the mayors who gave couple, and failing an appeal out the licences - illegally and (which will surely be made), the usually in return for backhandPriors will be awarded enough ers - have had ludicrously low to buy a smaller house some- fines and small jail sentences... where - maybe in another more allowing them to get out and dig up hidden nest eggs of €500 welcoming area! Unfortunately, the 'costs' - the notes buried around the Andagigantic legal fees (after over lucian campo. Many foreign (and, to be fair, eight years) are to be shared. A much smaller house, maybe Spanish) buyers were caught in something nice in Morocco, or these traps: and the horror stories were told again and again Romania. Andalucía is almost proud of its in the foreign media, leading to '300,000 illegal homes': as if no millions, billions in fact of investone knew about these houses ment being cancelled, as buybuilt mainly for speculation in ers and investors stayed away. this large and impoverished re- And it’s not just Andalucia,

the problem of illegal builds is widespread across Spain while Cantabria and Galicia are also badly affected. The root of the cause of the problem is the complexities of Spain’s planning laws, builds going ahead with a lack of enforcement and legal action taking place much later. And, of course, the affliction of greed. While two new national laws, protecting those who buy in good faith, were put in place last year thanks to campaigning from residents groups, such as AUAN, they don’t protect those already bitten. So, how did the Junta (which 'chips' all the animals in the region, even the goats, and knows everything that must be known), fail to notice the construction of 300,000 houses, many even in large illegal urbanisations? And again huge development projects like the Los Merinos golf course, near Ronda, in a Unesco-protected area, or the Algarrobico hotel, on the beach, in a natural park? Few remember what Andalucia was like before all this concrete landed on us. So let’s not dwell on the poor Priors, the mere victims of circumstance. We should be sparing a thought for the Andalucian people. After all, how many jobs have been lost or will never be created, and how much money has not been invested in this region from abroad thanks to the actions of the Junta? And then there is, of course, the poor countryside that will never be the same. But nobody really thinks about that, do they?

FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es

August 6thApril - August 2015 www.theolivepress.es 27th 19th - May 10th 2016

How I blagged a Dani Garcia… Mcdonalds burger

MAKING FRIENDS: Editor Jon Clarke chats to Daniel Humm

Marbella eclipses the world as dozens of Michelinstarred chefs hit town for a four-day extravaganza

By Laurence Dollimore

STARS ALIGN: Superstar chefs pose with Marbella Mayor Jose Bernal

Starry night WITH an incredible 71 Michelin stars clustered together under one roof, the A Cuatro Manos opening

gastronomical four-day event saw the likes of Ferran Adria, Daniel Humm and Sebastian Frank come TASTY: Top Jamon laid out for chefs, including Ramon Freixa together to pay homage to the great French chef Joel Robuchon. Guests including the Mayor of Marbella Jose Bernal were treated to rounds of curious cocktails while the world’s top culinary alchemists mingled with the crowds. Superstar Daniel Humm, whose Eleven Madison Park restaurant in New York is rated number five in GRILLING: Ferran answers questions at event the world, told the Olive Press: “If you want to be relevant today in food you have to experience Spain, Spain is so important to gastronomy today.” On the event’s guest of honour, the legendary Joel Robuchon, Humm added: “There are only a few chefs in history who have really made such an impact and Robugrandhis es emerg it where south, it, particularly the chon is definitely one of ’D made a point of arriving an hour before the al- mother is from. them.” lotted time for the culinary love-in when two dozen “I love it down here, particularly as Andalucia is in The opening night Michelin-starred chefs descended on Marbella my blood, with my grandmother coming from Huercal saw the chefs prepare world. the from around a menu of 20 of the Overa, in Almeria,” he explains. Being a seasoned food and travel writer - spanning “The region really is extraordinar y now and just keeps French maestro’s most nBurgu on nearly two decades, since my first article iconic dishes at Puente getting better and better. miss to going not was I 1998 in Mail Daily the for dy Romano’s Dani Garcia at least five or six really amazing restau are “There Adria, Ferran es genius ry culina meet the chance to restaurant. not exist a decade ago and credid that here rants room. same the in all hon, Joan Roca and Joel Robuc John Thomson, food fore, with some talthe at much very now is ativity ar two-st ’s I soon found myself chatting to Madrid and beverages manager .” Garcia Dani like chefs young ented tian chef Ramon Freixa and friendly German Sebas for the Puente Romano Hacien at , Sevilla near rant restau sister his at It was group said: “It is incredFrank, from Horvath, in Berlin, who was as happy as da Benazuza, that I was first introduced to the greatOlive last the of 49 page ible, this is the most jamon to see his face on ness of Ferran, some 10 years ago. amount of Michelin Press. discov I , r-class maste rse 25-cou ur, four-ho a Over had stars that have ever been After catching up with Rodrigo de la Calle, who I being as d credite now are chefs h Spanis why ered under one roof in Spain, reviewed in Madrid last year, I had a laugh with Daniel the most creative in the world, having easily overand possibly in Europe! Humm, the world’s Number Five chef, from New York taken the French. It’s pretty unprecedentrestaurant Eleven Madison Park, who was as excited It was mind-blowingly original, but not just that, it . ed and the event seems heroes ry culina his of some g meetin be to me as was sumptuous and tasty, unlike some of the more to be growing each year.” not They were here for Dani Garcia’s A Cuatro Manos

night was never going to be anything less than fabulous. Stellar Malaga chef Dani Garcia’s

‘There’s a whole world past Michelin’

an Adria Olive Press editor Jon Clarke meets Spanish superchef Ferr

event and they were all in their classic white (or black) tunics, including Robuchon himself, who I chatted to in pidgin French, while holding court in the dining room. Well all but one! For prowling around the premises with nervous energy and a distinct glint in his eye, was one super-chef who didn’t need to wear a uniform. In a buttoned cardigan and slacks, he was immediately recognisable as THE chef of the 21st centur y. Having held the World’s Best spot in Restaurant magazine’s annual awards for El Bulli from 2002 to 2009 (coming second twice), Ferran Adria, 53, can also rightfully claim to be Spain’s best cook of all time. But, as he explained to me, he isn’t fussed about awards or stars one bit these days, leaving that to his younger brother Albert, from Barcelona’s Tickets (who was also at the event by the way). These days running cookery schools and trying to encourage youngsters to be creative, he travels around as a kind of Spanish food ambassador… and he loves

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modern, over-the-top creative geniuses, I prefer to name. It was my first three-Michelin starred meal in Spain and it did not disappoint. “But there is a whole world out there past Michelin stars,” insisted Ferran. “People need to inspire and create and not worry about awards and what people think and say. “Just keep forging away and working hard and you will get there in the end.” There have never been truer words said… and it was one of the reasons I launched my book and website DiningSecretsofAndalucia.com six years ago… to locate, track down and encourage new and up-andcoming chefs around the region, which the Michelin guide never got anywher near. It is true to this day that dozens, even hundreds, of brilliant restaurants in Andalucia are not even getting a look in from the so-called French food bible. So hopefully I am helping to make a difference. Visit www.diningsecretsofandalucia.com

NE of the perks of being a journalist is being able to talk your way into exclusive events way outside your pay grade. I was set the task of blagging a ticket for the €350-a-head meal on the opening night of A Cuatro Manos. 'Confidence is key,' I told myself as I approached the clipboard-clutching hostess. ‘Laurence from the Olive Press,’ I said. She ran her pen over her list with a growing look of perplexity. “Your name isn't on here.” "How strange," I replied. She ushered over a colleague and after a few minutes of Spanish back and forth, I was allowed to enter. I picked up a glass of congratulatory champagne, only to bump into my editor, Jon Clarke, who informed me I had only got into the pre-event press junket. Still, all good practice I guess. While much of the Spanish press waited dutifully for the world-famous chefs to come down from the enclosed bar, we muscled our way into their stronghold - or rather, sleuthed in, fully aware that we may have been overstepping the mark. Through Jon's broken French we managed to talk to the famous Joel Robuchon, star of the show. "I first came to Marbella three years ago to eat at Dani's restaurant," he told us, "and the chefs here just keep getting better and better." The French maestro, who has restaurants on four continents, added that he owns a house in Calpe which he adores. But as I snapped some pics of Jon and Robuchon we were rumbled. As we were ushered out I grabbed an expensive slice of jamon that had been laid out for the chefs - tasty! Back in the press zone, cocktails were making the rounds. I tried all four of them, for journalistic purposes of course. 'Hot Lips' was the house favourite - a creamy tequila concoction with a splash of chilli. I was soon talking to John Thomson, the Puente Romano’s food and beverages manager, figuring if anyone could it would be him to get me into the banquet. We chatted about our shared Glaswegian heritage before he gave me a tour of the new bar and Le Suite nightclub. He offered me a free meal at the restaurant and a night out at the club in return for coverage. I was getting there. But just as my charm was making inroads, the crowds of paying guests were ushered into the main event, where the host of chefs were preparing 20 courses inspired by Robuchon. John wished me all the best as he sauntered in for the meal of the decade. I watched enviously and with the single slice of jamon in my belly headed to a nearby McDonalds where with one key consolation I ate a burger created by... no less than Dani Garcia himself!

TRIBUTE: Iconic chef Joel Robuchon (right)

theApril Olive27th Press November 14th - 25th 2016 - May 10th 2016

Meet our man in Madrid

BRITISH ambassador Simon Manley will speak about the importance of getting registered to vote in the EU referendum in Malaga this Friday. Our man in Madrid will be supporting the Electoral Commission’s global campaign in Spain at Hotel Vincci from 10.15 am. He will unveil a new poster to encourage overseas voting.

Former economy minister outed in Panama papers scandal FORMER Spanish finance minister Rodrigo Rato has been outed in the Panama papers leak. Allegations have emerged that the ex-Bankia boss employed a Gibraltarian company Finsbury Trust and Corporate Services which instructed Mossack Fonseca to close two offshore companies for him. Under the move in 2013, the

POLITICS

Rato rinsed

former IMF chief was able to syphon off €3.6 million. The allegations may be the tip of the iceberg for the ex-Bankia boss however as he is believed to have links to many offshore

companies including 26 in Gibraltar, two of which he owned. Rato is already being probed for money laundering and was ordered to cough up €3 million to Bankia last year due to

ING Felipe has begun the third and final round of talks with the nation’s political leaders to try to find a consensus among them in a last minute effort to form a government. Judging by the behavior of many of the party leaders over the past four months, it doesn’t appear there will be any government and new elections will have to be called on May 2. The problem is that recent polls have shown little has changed in the minds of voters and the results of the new elections – possible scheduled for June 26 – will remain the same. In other words we can be back to square one. Most official surveys have shown that most Spaniards however are not too concerned about not having a formed

Politicians meet royalty for final effort to form government government. They appear more worried about unemployment and corruption. Besides, the 2016 budget won’t run out until the end of the year, so there is money in the coffers for now. But Spain’s growth forecast for this year has been curtailed, fueled mainly by the political crisis and the current interim government’s inability to make major decisions under the law. Some ministers have even refused to appear before Congress for hearings on different issues because parliament is led by a Socialist and many seats in the leftist block belong to Podemos and other extremist parties.

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A L E G RI

MADRID

Spaniards cannot ignore what S is happening in MATTER the political arena – the situation is much more serious than what it appears to be. At the same time, the new trend of not forming a government soon after an election is a dangerous precedent. But in this case party leaders are at fault because they do not want to cooperate with each other. Few are willing to form pacts while at the same time excluding other groupings from their agreements. No last-minute pacts are expected to be formed this week before the king will have to officially dissolve parliament and call elections. So it appears we will be faced with a similar dire situation in July.

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Mad wife’s ‘dirty’ talk

CORRU

Eye on PTION

‘mismanagement’ and his role in the ‘black cards’ credit card scandal. The news comes as Spain’s minister of industry, energy and tourism Jose Manuel Soria resigned after he himself was linked to offshore investments. Meanwhile, the ex-girlfriend of former Spanish king Juan Carlos, German Corinna zu saynWittgenstein, has also been connected to the Panama papers. The Princess allegedly attempted to transfer shares from USA to the British Virgin Islands via Gibraltar.

Last ditch attempt

A FORMER PP politician on corruption charges claims his wife blew the lid on Town Hall money laundering because she is mentally ill. Alfonso Grau, (below) an exdeputy mayor in Valencia, said depression caused Maria Jose Alcon to make the claims to her son in a 2015 conversation, which was recorded by police. Alcon allegedly outlined how dirty money from the PP could be used to fund the PP’s municipal election campaign that May. Grau claims his wife’s admittance to hospital and her demotion to number 16 on the PP’s electoral list explain her actions.

IU-Podemos pact could threaten Socialists A PODEMOS-IU pact will threaten Andalucia’s socialist stranglehold in the event of fresh general elections in June, it has been revealed. Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias ruled out entering a PSOE-Ciudadanos coalition, both in Madrid and in Sevilla, preferring a purely left-wing alliance. While Podemos Andalucia polled 16.8% in December’s general election, behind the PSOE’s 31%, with the IU, who polled 5.7%, Pablo Iglesias’s party would be just 44,000 votes short of winning. The PSOE is also under pressure from the PP, who were just 1,200 votes shy of gaining 22 deputies in Andalucia, the same number as the Socialists.

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Demolition fears again NEW property classifications being introduced by the Junta could see hundreds of expats’ homes face demolition. The Junta is pressuring town councils to classify buildings on non-urbanisable land as either ‘legal’, ‘DAFO’ (accepted without planning permission) or ‘illegal’. Those labelled illegal - those built on protected areas such as river floodplains - will begin a process leading to demolition. DAFO-registered properties meanwhile will not be able to get mortgages, nor will they be able to be renovated. Town halls will also have the right to block their sale. Campaign group SOHA is advising expats not to apply for DAFO status.

Nesting comfortably

NERJA town hall is being urged to protect the Kentish plover wader birds who have nested along Playazo beach. The Charadrius Alexandrinus, which are swimming birds, live in sandy coastal areas and lay around three brown eggs with black and grey spots directly on the beach, preferably in dunes.

ENDANGERED: Birds

AXARQUIA

April 27th - May 10th 2016

NEWS IN BRIEF

Deputy mayor accused of claiming three salaries in bitter political feud

Supermarket sweep THE Policia Nacional arrested eight people in Axarquia on suspicion of stealing supermarket goods worth €9,000.

Vet victory

MUD-SLINGING: Delgado Bonilla (top left) points finger at Atencia (top right)

Three-loader?

A CURRENT deputy mayor is being accused of collecting three salaries. Former mayor of Velez-Malaga Francisco Delgado Bonilla has accused Torre Del Mar’s Jesus Atencia of the triple

whammy, him being a councillor, a local government member and taking a ‘permanent disability pension’. Delgado slammed the GIPMTM (Grupo Independiente Pro Municipio de Torre

Wise words EXPAT children have been writing to fight child labour. Students aged 10 to 11 at St George’s British School have been writing speeches to raise awareness of child labour around the world. They have sent them to companies including Nike, Zara and Primark and are raising money for UNICEF and Malaga homeless charity Los Angeles Malaguenos. Teacher Janet Hickinson said: “Learning is much more effective when there’s a purpose, and they have been very keen to be a voice for those children who can’t speak or defend themselves.”

del Mar) politician, claiming he receives €1,500 gross each month from the town hall on top of his benefits. It is the latest chapter in an ongoing feud between the two since Atencia accused Delgado of nepotism for employing his own cousin at the town hall. “He is the one who has to explain himself, not me,” said Delgado. It is not the first time Delgado has tried to call out rivals for ‘squandering’ public money. He accused his IU predecessor Salvador Marin of wasting €600,000 on ‘breakfasts, advertising and concerts’ in 2012. In fact, Delgado himself ‘lost’ €1 million of Junta money when in power in 2012 after he scrapped plans to build a conference centre. DEBATE: At school

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PERIANA Town Hall donated the funds for a new vet surgery, 365 Vets, which the mayor opened officially on April 17.

Job fight THE first job opportunity at the Rincon de la Victoria Town Hall since 2007 saw more than 2,000 applications in one week.

Ratted out VELEZ-MALAGA and Rincon de la Victoria are launching targeted campaigns to eradicate the presence of rats and insects in their streets.

GIBRALTAR

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Panama crackdown GIBRALTAR has joined the ‘G5 initiative’, committing to provide automatic exchange of information on the ‘beneficial ownership’ of businesses.

Bay watch

THREE Spaniards arrested in Catalan Bay have been charged after a boat chase in which a cargo of drugs was allegedly jettisoned in Spanish waters.

Super marina THE £24m marina project on Coaling Island opened yesterday. The two-year project has built 700 small berths and 600 metres for commercial activity, specifically for superyachts.

Mobile records GIBRALTAR Health Authority staff will now be able to access patient records on mobile devices during home visits, following agreement at a GHA board meeting.

April 27th - May 10th 2016 www.theolivepress.es

Barclays bashed

Brexit would be ‘disastrous’

IT would be ‘disastrous’ for Gibraltar if the UK left the EU, claims the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG). Backing the ‘Gibraltar Stronger In Europe’ campaign, the group insisted that ‘freedom of movement’ was vital for the enclave. “An exit from the EU would have di-

sastrous consequences,” explained a spokesman. “Gibraltar derives benefits from our membership of the EU including freedom of movement, goods and people, passporting into the EU and funding for certain projects, all of which help to keep our economy buoyant.”

Hands off! Residents fight back against development plans

HUNDREDS of Gibraltar residents are battling plans for 24 new apartments in the heart of Catalan Bay. Nearly a thousand people have signed a petition to oppose two proposals put forward to knock down the historic buildings. They are concerned that four storeys of flats with terrace ex-

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

tensions are to be built on the site, known locally as The Village Inn, as well as an adjacent, dilapidated cottage. The Save Catalan Bay Village From the Developers petition on Change.org has so far

Jobs safe at BHS

NO jobs will be lost in Gibraltar, after huge British retailer BHS went into administration. Both BHS stores, run by International Franchises Limited for 30 years on the Rock, will remain ‘open as normal’ despite the UK company shedding 11,000 jobs. “We are going to be trading as normal and there will be no job losses in Gibraltar,” IFL director George Russo said. “We’ll be trading as usual and opening hours will be the same,” Russo said. BHS owner Dominic Chappell told staff in the UK that the retailer would go into administration this week with the closure of 164 stores.

WE WILL FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES: Idyllic Catalan Bay and (inset) disgruntled Jackson gained 952 signatures. Catalan Bay resident Mike Jackson started the petition and insists the new buildings would ruin the area’s charm. “I think they will spoil the village and take away something of its magic,” expat Jackson, 50, told the Olive Press. “This is uunique place that should be protected. There’s not much left of the village’s history but the narrative is still there where you can see a connection to the old fishing village. You don’t want to lose that. “The developers seem detached and on another planet. Why just wipe away these echoes of history and put up these modern apartments?” Lifelong resident Gerald Lopez added: “It’s going to spoil the character of the place.

“We live a very quiet life here, and for somebody to come here just to earn money and spoil our lives here, I won’t stand it.” The part-time boatmaker continued: “We are not objecting to the buildings being fixed, but in a more tasteful way.” Town planning notices at the site name Catalan Tropical Limited and AKS Architects and Engineers as the companies applying for planning permission, although AKS insists it is not the developer. A spokesman refused to comment. Both applications are scheduled to be considered by Gibraltar’s Development and Planning Commission on May 24. “We are not against change, but the petition has shown people have a great affection for the place,” said Mr Jackson, 50.

THE government has slammed Barclays as a ‘failure’ after the bank announced it is pulling out of Gibraltar. In a strongly worded statement, the government insisted the bank had ‘let down’ employees. “Barclays is principally letting them [the workers] and their families down after many of them will have decided or been forced to stay with the bank at the time of its withdrawal from the retail banking sector in Gibraltar,” it said. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has now pledged to work hard to find all 16 employees jobs, alongside local trade union Unite. "We care about the Barclays employees who didn't take or were not allowed to take redundancy packages two years ago,” he said. Barclays insisted it would continue to service its customers in Gibraltar from the UK, describing the move as part of ‘a continuing drive for simplification’. However local Unite representative Dominick Hook said: “If Barclays proceeds with this plan Gibraltar’s residents and businesses will be left high and dry. “The loss of vital experience and specialist knowledge built up by local staff over many years simply cannot be replicated remotely from London.”

GREEN NEWS

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Fruit shoot

A LOT OF SPACE: Marbs

Home grown boost GREEN-FINGERED Marbella residents will have more chance to grow their own fruit and veg with the tripling of allotment space. In a bid to boost sustainable development, the Arboretum Foundation has created an additional 70 allotment spaces near the bus station, bringing the project’s total up to 100. Applicants must be schools or groups located in Marbella, or residents registered on the padron for at least one year. The application period closes on May 15. To apply for a space email huertos@arboretummarbella.org

Clearing up THE Junta has agreed to begin drafting the new Andalucian Air Quality Strategy. The strategy will incorporate new European Clean Air directives and review the levels of air pollution.

SPAIN is to become the first EU country to export stone fruits to China. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Chinese administration signed a protocol that will allow EU countries to export peaches, nectarines, prunes and other stone fruits to the vast and growing east Asian market, and Spain will be the first. Chinese inspectors will visit next month to inspect farms and factories, with exports by air expected to begin this year.

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Horsing around

MALAGA’S farmers are sending their female horses to be impregnated by five newly-arrived brooding stallions. The handsome fellows have come fresh from a military centre in Jerez and will remain on a farm in Coin until mid-June, where they will offer their services.

The plan is to impregnate every mare in the region to improve the future foal population. Four of the horses are pure Spanish and one is pure Arabian. They will even host Mayor Fernando Fernandez - solely for official purposes, of course.

Fury at the fair

Shocking photos released of collapsed horse at Sevilla’s feria ANIMAL rights group PACMA has shared photos of a collapsed horse from Sevilla’s April Fair in a bid to shine a light on ‘animal exploitation’. According to witnesses, the horse was released from his cart after he began shaking. The tremors continued and he collapsed before nearby vets rushed to his aide, where they stayed for two hours. “Thanks to them the horse is alive today,” PACMA said on its Facebook post, “All riders say they love their horses, but when money calls the shots, the animals take second place to circuses, zoos, carriages, horse rentals and the meat industry. “Animals are not here to be exploited, live and let live.” PACMA claims that overexer-

tion of horses at the fair happens every year with numerous complaints, but the local authorities do little to tackle it. The group had been at the fair to protest over its claims that millions of euros of taxpayers’ money are spent by the Junta to subsidise bullfighting. It says dozens of bulls are killed during the city’s ‘April Fair’, while the government spends millions re-transmitting the fights on the public television channel and covering the financial losses of the organisers. Animal rights concerns continue to divide opinion over many of Spain’s famous ‘cultural’ festivals as campaigners remain active.

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SpongeBob clear pants WOMEN in Spain are being encouraged to ditch their tampons and use sea sponges instead. In a bid ‘to save the planet’, members of the CUP party in Catalunya are encouraging women ‘with an environmental conscience’ to favour sea sponges over tampons. In a bizarre set of instructions, the party insists that natural sea sponges are both better for the environment and the human body. They claim that some traditional products are in fact ‘harmful’ for women’s health and have also suggested introducing reusable sanitary towels on a wider scale.

Oil for nothing

HORSE COLLAPSES: At Sevilla festivals

SPANISH oil giant Repsol’s earnings are expected to fall 22% this year. International agency Fitch ratings said the firm has a negative outlook given that oil looks set to remain at around €31 a barrel this year. The collective earnings of the six leading European oil giants fell by 34% last year.

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LETTERS

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Taking sides

Answers needed I’M curious what the investigations will reveal about the claims made against Triple A animal sanctuary (Locked up, issue 237). I highly doubt that any of the claims can withstand a thorough investigation. I have many friends who volunteer at the centre or who work closely with people there and I have only ever heard good things. And I wonder why activist Pedro Torres is so involved in this. I don’t know enough about the background, but something really doesn’t add up here.

I CAN understand the large support for the UK remaining in the EU. Like many others that have property in Spain, I will most likely vote to remain in. And from an expat pensioner’s point of view, remaining in the EU does have it’s merits. But if I had no investment in Spain and used it purely as a holiday destination I would definitely vote out. I doubt many expats would support voting in if they had no property in Spain. I am fed up with Britain being consistently being taken for a ride. Not one suggestion, one amendment, one alteration has been heeded by the unelected few at the top table. There is no democracy, no yearly accounts and no voting rights of the people as to who should have control.Yet, they love taking our money the second highest contributors to the coffers - and I agree with everything that the Leave campaign is fighting for.

Banker’s debt OFFSHORE banking will always have a stink about it, no matter what justifications are offered in favour of it (Panama problems, issue 237). If a big saver has nothing to hide, home banking would, in most people’s minds, be the preferred option. If banking overseas is legal, say it is legal and leave it at that. If it is ‘immoral’ - as it is being labelled then make it illegal.

Karl Arnez, Fuengirola

Fear factor IF the UK votes out then I personally think the EU could unfold. However, the government are so worried about Brexit that there appears to be a new scare story every day. The latest being from Christine Lagarde - who heads the IMF - and is also ‘in bed’ with George (tax haven) Osborne. They always back each other, and have now come out with ratcheted up Brexit scaremongering. Unfortunately, the

Stefano Liwinski, Ronda

I READ about the travel nightmare of two expats who could not sail with their pets with great interest (Dog fight, issue 236). I had the same sort of problem in 2013,

olive press online

October 2015

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Weighing up

Michael Messier, Marbella

Similar tail

April 27th -

when sailing from Santander to Plymouth. The girl at the Brittany Ferry Pet Scheme check in would not allow us through because the stamp was on the back page because my dog’s passport was full on the vaccination page. She sent us to a vet two blocks away

Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es And our site is updated daily 10th with the latest news, May 2016 making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.

Most read this fortnight on www.theolivepress.es  Costa del Sol on weather alert

with dropping temperatures and more rain - 4616 views

more they use these tactics the more it seems to strengthen the Leave campaign. Mike Noble, Marbella

Change needed I DON’T like what the EU has become and it needs to be radically reformed if it is to survive. But from a personal viewpoint, I really can’t see how Brexit can possibly help either Brits in Spain (whether part time or full time) or Spaniards working in the UK. It’s easy for Brexit campaigners to say that we could negotiate new treaties but something vital is bound to be left out and/or forgotten, it would be shed loads of hassle and would create a load of uncertainty. Much as the status quo does not thrill me, I don’t like the alternative so I will be backing the Remain campaign.

in Santander. When we got there, there was another very upset lady who was going through the same ordeal. However, when we got to Plymouth we were waved through with no check at all. Annie Attridge, Santander

Fish thoughts I WAS just wondering if any of your readers could help me with finding somewhere to fish in or around the Conil de la Frontera area. I am a keen angler in Scotland and have been told that this part of the world is great for casting about. I am used to fishing for trout, perch, and pike but would love to give other fish a whirl. Can I fish from the beach? Or is there a reservoir, lake or river nearby that I can get to? Any help would be much appreciated. John Johnston, Glasgow, Scotland

Jane Garrett, Ronda

Clarification DARRAGH MacAnthony is in no way connected to Spain Homes or America Homes. A legal representative for MacAnthony contacted the OP following a report (Issue 237) that highlighted that several former employees of MRI - a company previously headed in Spain by the Peterborough FC Chairman are directors of the two property companies. They stated that MacAnthony ‘has no form of interest in any real estate company in any jurisdiction, worldwide’. The Olive Press would like to make it clear that MacAnthony has never been ‘charged’ with a criminal offence. Instead, a litigation brought about by MRI ex-clients is currently in the civil - not criminal - courts in Marbella. The Olive Press wishes to apologise to Mr MacAnthony for any misrepresentation in its previous article (Issue 237).

Letters should be emailed to letters@theolivepress. es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

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la cultura In tune ONE of the world’s top harmonica players is embarking on a Spanish tour. Paul Orta from Texas, USA, will be touring Andalucia along with the Short Fuse Swamp Blues band from the UK. Opening in Almeria on April 28, Orta will be playing in Estepona’s King Creole the following evening as well as in Granada on April 30. After that the Texan will be heading north through Spain before jetting home.

FEELING BLUE: Orta

Lights, camera

MALAGA film festival is underway for the 19th consecutive year. The event is attracting familiar figures from the national film industry, including actors Natalia de Molina and Javier Gutierrez, who presented the opening gala.

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Butterfly effect

Abandoned mansion to become art centre

AN uninhabited mansion in Torremolinos has been given the green light to become a contemporary art centre. For almost 20 years, the house of the wealthy Barrabino family on Costa del Sol square has been slowly deteriorat-

ing, with neighbours lamenting the building as landscape pollution in the newly pedestrianised area. Torremolinos Town Hall is now trying to buy the property from its owners, while Malaga architect Jose Maria

Lost and found EYESORE: Deteriorating house

Morente is working on designs for the project. It began when the president of the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs Torremolinos, Juan Vallejo, called for the site to be turned into a cultural attraction.

Pollock’s Mural in Malaga INFLUENTIAL American artist Jackson Pollock’s renowned ‘Mural’ is currently on show at the Museo Picasso in Malaga. The 2x6 metre work, created in 1943 and worth an estimated €123m, is on loan from the University of Iowa. Pollock posthumously became America’s

Donated

HUGE: Famous mural measures almost 20ft most famous twentieth century artist for his pioneering abstract work. The mural was commissioned by Peggy Guggen-

heim after her advisor, art dealer Howard Putzel, urged her to allow Pollock to express himself on a large canvas.

Sources say discussions are already taking place with the Barrabinos family, whose home dates from the late nineteenth century. The goal is to create something similar to the contemporary art centre in the old slaughterhouse near Malaga’s Guadalmedina river. The Independence Square, the Costa del Sol square and the avenue of the Springs were part of a large estate that belonged to the family before they donated it to Malaga City Council in 1940.

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A DON Quixote film that began work in Spain 15 years ago will finally go back into production. Terry Gilliam’s The man who killed Don Quixote will be resurrected, again, in mid-September, with a budget of €16m. The last attempt to revive the film was squandered by misfortune when leading actor John Hurt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In previous attempts, a flood turned the Bardenas desert set into a nightmare while the constant noise of NATO fighter jets practising in a nearby shooting range made filming impossible. A documentary film titled Lost in La Mancha was released in 2002, comparing Gilliam’s ongoing struggle to finish the film to Don Quixote’s quest to become a hero.

On track AN expat author has penned a book about Andalucia’s most famous railway line. Titled Mr Henderson’s Railway - Algeciras to Ronda by Train, expat Nick Nutter follows the enterprise undertaken by fellow Brit Sir Alexander Henderson in the 19th century, stopping off at each village along the track.

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Summer’s here Sweet 2016 is playing out to be the best year ever for Spanish rock festivals - music to the ears all summer long

Murcia SOS: May 6-7 a rabbleThe Manic Street Preachers (below) have grown from ine act. The headl giant a into nks ho-pu anarc of group g rousin and will be Welsh band top the bill at Murcia’s SOS festival of their Eversary anniv 20th the celebrating erything Must Go album by playing all the tracks in full. The Libertines’ 2015 album, Anthem for the Doomed Youth, marked one of the most unlikely comebacks of recent times. Pete Doherty (above) and Carl Barat’s combustible relationship is a fascinating backdrop to the Libs’ energetic live show. Meanwhile sleek Glaswegian electro outfit Chvrches will have punters pirouetting to their synth-laden pop hooks. Catalan group Love of Lesbian, Blonde Redhead and Mew are other standout acts on an impressive bill.

Mad Cool Festival, Madrid: June 16-18

PAIN has become a hugely popular destination for British festival-goers. More than sun, sea and sangria, it’s sound that’s luring a new generation of live music lovers to its shores. The advent of cheap air fares has dovetailed neatly with the explosion of interest in festivals, and intrepid aficionados seeking an alternative to rain-sodden British fields are jet-

ting to Spain’s sunny plains to enjoy Glastonbury vibes in the Med, rather than the mud. From Bilbao to Barcelona and Murcia to Madrid - and this year, Andalucia too - foreign music fans know they are guaranteed good weather, cheap beer and exotic surroundings. The bands aren’t too shabby either, with this summer shaping up to be Spain’s strongest festival lineup ever.

The absence of a festival in Madrid to rival Barcelona’s Primavera is finally addressed with Mad Cool’s heavyweight line-up. The Who, Neil Young and The Prodigy are headline acts that signal Mad Cool’s intent . Local heroes Vetusta Morla precede Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend on the opening night to give the main stage a Spanish flavour. Elsewhere, The Kills, Jane’s Addiction, Editors and Caribou are part of the stellar line-up for this three-day extravaganza.

Festival de Trafalgar, Barbate: June 24-25 There will be a defiantly British feel at this decidedly Spanish setting. Certainly it’s unlikely that Costa de la Luz music fans have ever heard anything quite like Sleaford Mods (left). The duo’s pared-down rap invective, enunciated in a Nottingham accent as broad as the Trent, is a hybrid of The Streets and The Fall in all their splenetic glory. The Buzzcocks’ timeless melodies of teenage angst will strike a more familiar chord, and the beatboxing Beardyman is another British one-off on the weekend’s roster. Headliners Crystal Fighters are the perfect feel-good act to round off a sun-kissed weekend.

Primavera Sound, Barcelona: June 1-5 Once again, Primavera has arranged a world-class roster of talent. Booking James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem is a real coup, with the New York group’s Friends surely the perfect summer festival tune. Radiohead’s (above) return for their first live dates since 2013 is another huge draw, but there is so much more to Primavera than its headliners. Air, Brian Wilson (performing Pet Sounds), PJ Harvey, Sigur Ros, Beach House, Dinosaur Jr and Deerhunter are just some of the bands heading to Barcelona for what is always the summer’s standout festival.

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April 27th - May 10th 2016

and time is right... Sonar, Barcelona: June 16-18

The same weekend as Mad Cool hits the summer circuit, dance fans can get their groove on at Sonar. The festival’s By Day and By Night tickets offer round-the-clock access to various Barcelona venues hosting the electronic music festival. Fatboy Slim, New Order (right) and John Grant join over 150 diverse acts. Anohni, Anthony and the Johnsons’s collaboration with Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke, is a fascinating prospect. Richie Hawtin’s minimal techno, Santigold’s blissful funk and 2013 Mercury Prize winner James Blake will ensure the party goes on all night.

Benicassim is the number one choice for British music lovers heading to Spain. Over the weekend, the town’s festival campsites and bars reverberate with English voices. The heat certainly isn’t Blighty-esque, but campers can take a cooling dip in the Mediterranean and sprawl out on the beach to sleep off the previous night’s excesses. They will need to. Like all Spanish festivals, the music goes on all night at Benicassim and it lasts four days. Chemical Brothers, Muse and Kendrick Lamar are huge headliners, with a special appearance by Bristol trip-hop masters Massive Attack a particular treat.

alaga, ongoing The Marina Plaza’s famous food festival will run until May 8, and features delicious street food, workshops, tastings and chefs showing off their culinary skills. Info: malagastronomyfestival.com

an Pedro, May 21-22 Twelve Yoga experts will present the second international congress of mythical Indian Yoga, organised by the Andalucian Yoga Association.

Dreambeach, Almeria: August 11-14

BBK Live, Bilbao: July 7-9

FIB, Benicassim: July 14-17

what’s on

The cream of dance music’s DJ crop will be spinning the discs at Spain’s Dreambeach festival this August. Carl Cox (below), Claptone and John Digweed are just some of the star names performing at the electronic music festival from August 11-14. Sunday’s closing party at the Villaricos site will be staged by Elrow.

New Order would be the headline act at any ordinary festival but this year’s BBK is no ordinary gig. The presence of the majestic Arcade Fire has relegated the Manchester band into sub-headline slot on an eyecatchingly brilliant opening night. The following night, Pixies (right) and Underworld are two stalwart groups whose infectious music retains its relevance years on. Canadian songstress Grimes, psychedelic Aussie rockers Tame Impala and British band Foals offer a strong variety of sounds. Father John Misty’s 60s-inflected melodies will sound sweet on a Basque summer night.

stepona, April 29 Harmonica legend Paul Orta will play at Sala King Creole. The Texan will appear alongside UK band Short Fuse Swamp Blues. Info: 651 610 189

arbella, ongoing Roger Cummiskey’s abstract oil paintings, created with just a pallet knife, are on show at the Golfer Sports Bar until June 30.

Gibraltar Electronic Music Festival: August 6 Since it started in 2013, the GEMF has stamped itself firmly as Gibraltar’s premier electronic music festival. Although this year’s full lineup hasn’t yet been released, acts confirmed so far include Lady Waks (left), Vulgarythm, Re-Sorted, Plata 44 and NuEra. International and local artists from emerging electronic music trends will hit the stage, with the festival promising massive change and growth this year. Meanwhile, the Gibraltar Music Festival lineup is still to be announced, with rumours that Stereophonics and Satana could be headlining.

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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

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The wrong kind of Catholics? Spain’s Jesuits were just too successful, writes Jack Gaoini

HISTORIC: The Spanish Inquisition

HEY wore flowing black robes as a mark of distinction and represented a belief system that threatened the Spanish Catholic order. They were deemed heretical, unbelieving and nonconforming and were eventually expelled from Spain en masse. They were neither Moors nor Jews nor victims of the Spanish Inquisition. In fact, the Jesuits were devout Catholics. Just not the right kind of Catholics for 18th century Spain during the Age of Enlightenment. They were forced into exile at a time when the monarchs of Europe – including and especially Spain – were taking a fresh look at religion. It was a period of secularisation and anti-clericalism, when the fixed dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church were be-

POWERFUL: King Charles III

ing questioned by science, individualism and philosophy. In an attempt to centralise and modernise the country, Spain began to view The Jesuits, (unlike the Franciscans or Dominicans) as too autonomous in showing loyalty to the Crown. They were too international and too strongly allied with the Pope in Rome. Most threatening, however, was their economic success in the New World. The Jesuits had become wildly successful in running plantations, mills, schools, hospitals and missions. They had better business methods and, with exemptions from Royal taxes, they undercut other Spanish merchants and growers of tea, sugar, wine and cattle. They had become too successful and, in the eyes of the Spanish Crown, a ‘state within a state’. In 1767, a frightened King Charles III ordered the expulsion of The Society of Jesuits from Spain and the New World. Troops assembled in churches, schools, monasteries and hospitals to march the Jesuits to points of embarkation and exile. Within a year, the same fate awaited those Jesuits in Spanish America.

For the next 60 years, Jesuits experienced a type of diaspora with exiles settling in such diverse places as Corsica, Rome, France, Prussia and Russia. It would be a mistake to assume that this ideological split within Spain’s Catholic hierarchy and the Jesuits is unique within religions. Schisms like this seem to be the rule, rather that the exception. Within Christianity, the Protestant /Catholic divide is omnipresent. Just ask those living in Northern Ireland. In Islam, the ideological Shia/Sunni split has been anything but seamless. In Judaism, the secular/orthodox differences are daily issues within Israel’s body politic. It would also be a mistake to assert that in modern times, Spain has been solidly Catholic. Because, for a few decades in the 18th century, you had to be the ‘right kind of Catholic’. The lesson here is that amongst human beings, the struggle over money, power and prestige seems to be a natural tendency, rather than a religion-specific tendency. Humans beings are like that.

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A Estepona Big clean-up

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April 27th - May 10th 2016

From its potted geraniums and cultivated orchids to its seafaring virgin and its Banksystyle outdoor art gallery, it’s sweet to live in Estepona, writes Iona Napier

COULD have sworn I saw the huge, ornate effigy of the Virgin Mary wink at me as she was hoisted down to the sea on the shoulders of a bunch of strapping sailors last summer. As the sun dipped below the horizon on the most electric night of the year, she was launched out to sea in a dinghy to be greeted by a flotilla of lamp-lit boats laden to their plimsoll lines with revellers, while others waded into the water to get a better look. This was Estepona on the night of the Virgen del Carmen, a festival that brings expats, Spanish families and holidaymakers down to the water’s edge en masse to watch the proceedings agog. It’s surely Malaga’s answer to the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, as feisty and Spanish as the UK event is uptight and British. For many, Estepona is the last bastion of ‘big resort’ charm on the Costa del Sol. The town has ramped up its appeal with a ‘hanging garden’ of geraniums sprouting from multicoloured pots on every wall of every street, not to mention the colourful murals which can be spotted across town. And it has gone one better than the plantpots with its exotic glass-domed orchidarium. The futuristic greenhouse with more than 8,000 species of orchids and three waterfalls has welcomed more than 250,000 people over the last 12 months and they continue to arrive by the coach load.

IMPRESSIVE: Estepona has cleaned up its act with beautiful street art and (top left) geranium-lined streets Sandwiched between the ocean and the high sierras of Bermeja, Estepona does surf and turf in style. And just like the old ditty about Jack Sprat and his wife, between the traditional old town and the bustling modern port which prop up either end of the promenade, there’s something

for everyone. First, grab a fistful of maps from the Plaza de Flores tourist office in the old town’s prettiest square (or the other office in the marina). With two walking tours, an art walk and a poetry route, the best way to see Estepona is on foot.

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The two busiest axes are the beachfront strip (Avenida Espana) and the road through the old town (Calle Terraza), while horseshoe-shaped Avenida de Andalucia curves protectively around Continued Page 20

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the historic centre. The outskirts are modern, residential and more likely to offer up wacky murals. Thanks to Banksy, graffiti has gained worldwide acceptance as an art form and Estepona has been quick to respond, turning 24 of its own wall paintings into an al fresco art gallery, marketed as the ‘mural route’. The writing’s also on the wall for literature lovers. They can tour the town on a poetry treasure hunt via 22 ditties daubed in different languages. It’s also kind to your wallet. Expect to pay no more than €1.50 for a café con leche as you while away the afternoon in the winding backstreets where the locals carry on the daily grind to the pattering of fountains. While the old town’s twisting uphill streets offer a glimpse of life as it used to be in Es-

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Estepona

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Garden of the Costa

QUAINT: Streets and plazas of the Old Town while (top) Calle Real statues tepona, the promenade brings you right back to the present with its lycra-clad joggers, giant chess sets and sand sculptors. But scratch the cosmopolitan surface and you’ll find a lady with a past who has been flirting with civilisation and repelling invaders since neolithic

times. Her story is told through a scattering of watchtowers built to ward off the Moorish invaders, the Arab-built clock tower and 16th century castle ruins. Disney may only have discovered her in the early 1990s – the town was the original choice for Eurodisney but was

pipped to the post by Paris – but ‘Estebbuna’ was founded during the golden age of the Caliphate of Cordoba in the 10th century. Destroyed by the conquering Christians in the 15th century and rebuilt by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand almost a century later, King Philip V

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Estepona

April 27th - May 10th 2016

BUZZING: Estepona port granted the town a charter for 600 families in 1728… Compare that to the 60,000-plus residents today – a figure that more than triples in summer months. The high tourist numbers are unsurprising, and not only because of Estepona’s 325 days of sunshine a year, 21km of coastline, 17 beaches, dozens of chiringuitos, eight golf courses and more spa hotels than you can shake a fluffy white towel at. Fresh air fiends can sail in the port, go horse-riding, do high ropes at Selwo Adventure park, play padel in the poligono or kick back with a cocktail and their toes in the sand at one of its glorified beach shacks. The main players are the town beach, Playa de la Rada, 1.5km of sand dotted with chiringuitos and Playa del Cristo, a sheltered bay with two pleasant watering holes. In fact, the fishy fare served by these ramshackle beach huts is surprisingly good. In town you can find everything from five-star grub at the beachfront fish joint Palm Beach to the formerly bestkept seafood secret in the old town, Bar Simon, (Avenida Juan Carlos), which is always packed. After supper, pick up an ice cream on Calle Real or hit the bars: Louie Louie’s is always guaranteed for a good boogie or if you prefer to watch, El Patio puts on a colourful feast of flamenco on Friday nights for €20. But the marina is the main port of call for Estepona’s bright young things who flock there to see and be seen on

HANDSOME: Clock tower and (top left) mural of fishing day weekends. Several lively bars and clubs freehand pour drinks according to ye old Spanish ‘say when’ system (hic) and will only turf revellers out towards 6am. After that you can freshen up with a quick swim before breakfast, then face up to a long hot day of paying for the night before - face down on a beach towel. Alternatively, if you went to bed on time, there are four excellent markets to get up for. Three are held on Sunday mornings: one at the port (9am-2pm), a rastro in the bullring (10am-3pm), and an artisan market in Plaza ABC

FUTURISTIC: Orquidarium

(10am-2pm). On Wednesday mornings (9am-2pm) Avenida Puerta del Mar market is the place to be. Alongside with a large retired population – 30% of Estepona’s residents are from overseas – many 20 and and 30-somethings find their way here and just can’t seem to leave. “I love wandering through the sunlit streets on my 15-minute commute to a local language academy - there’s always a buzz and plenty to see and hear,” says 23-yearold Ed Lloyd from Devon, who has lived here for almost two years. “Estepona has got under my skin. Tomorrow’s lunch is still swimming in the sea

and, high or low season, your euros go so far with fine wine and quality local food.” He adds: “There also seems to be a team of ‘round-the-clock’ Alan Titchmarshes pruning Estepona’s streets into a floral paradise – I love it here.” While armies of gardeners keep the town spruce, the town is kept safe by an aboveaverage quota of crime-fighters, as Estepona is a police training HQ. As an Esteponian of one-year standing I have never witnessed any crime and there is a distinct feeling of year-round holiday vibe as Inma, my welcoming Spanish landlady, confirms. “What I most like about Estepona is the easy-going life,” she says. “In some ways, even when working, it is like being on a permanent holiday: nice weather, nice people, good restaurants... What else can you ask for?” Different nationalities mingle happily together in the resort and the cosmopolitan melting pot gets an extra stir with twiceweekly English/Spanish exchanges and a French conversation group on Friday evenings. Hazel Hale, 73, who has been living in Estepona for 12 years, helps organise the exchanges. They average 12 people a time and she is keen to keep the tradition afloat. “We have opened the Spanish/ English exchange to all levels and it’s very

sociable and enjoyable,” she tells me. Polyglots abound and young Spaniards come from as far away as Barcelona in search of one of Spain’s finest Flamenco guitar teachers, Paco Javier Jimeno, who has won no less than seven national awards and also performs live. A quality lifestyle is certainly attainable in this Spanish town conveniently equidistant to Malaga and Gibraltar airports, 20 minutes by car from glitzy Marbella and swanky Sotogrande and under an hour from vertiginous Ronda. And in case visitors are not convinced, to prove the point the town hall is pumping more money in with a new 42-bed hotel in the main square and 100 new underground parking spaces costing just €1 per day. Once the new development is completed, the old town will boast over 3,000 tourist beds. But whether that’s a king-sized bed in fivestar luxury, bunk beds in a hostel or the sofa in my own crash pad, you will be welcomed as an honorary Esteponian with a free and open invitation to join the locals in all their joyous fiestas: the Virgen del Carmen (wet and wild) the Semana Santa processions (solemn and moving) or San Juan Night (completely crazy), when we all leap over beach bonfires and bathe three times for luck. So come on in, the water’s fine, and join the party!

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AST year was the best year in living memory for most of Estepona's restaurateurs and bar owners – and that's including the boom years. The long, balmy season saw tourists and locals spilling out into the streets well into October and enjoying the town's authentic Spanish charm. Estate agent Adam Neale, of Terra Meridiana, has seen his chosen home go from strength to strength since settling there in 2004. And the expert puts the influx of visitors into the centre of Estepona largely down to the recent regeneration project. "Ever since the mayor decided to transform the streets of the old town with hundreds of colourful pots of geraniums, we have seen a market emerging out of practically nowhere," he tells the Olive Press. "There are large amounts of Scandinavians, French, British, Germans and of course Spanish buying in the old town." Neale adds that the recent interest in old town properties includes a movement of Spanish families returning from their poolside urbanisations due to grandparents and extended family staying put in the town centre. "While there's a lot of demand for properties in the old town you've got to be brave as 95% of them are in need of renovation and many have paperwork and ownership issues ," he admits. But the fact remains that Estepona is the latest hot destina-

Estepona

Blooming marvellous

Property expert Adam Neale reveals why Estepona’s on the rise, but will it ever become the new Marbella?

Established in Estepona Port 1984

Property Management Property Sales Holiday & Long Term Rentals Key Holding & Post Boxes

Properties required for sales & rentals due to high demand

BLOOMING QUAINT: Streets in the old town decorated with flower pots and (top) Neale tion on the Costa del Sol, with a gourmet market opening up in the Mercado de Abastos and whispers on the wind that in half a decade's time it could become 'the new Marbella'. If that's a scary thought then

don't fear, as Neale quickly puts paid to these rumours. "I think Estepona is going to boom but it will always attract a different crowd to Marbella," he continues. "Many buyers are actually

France to Spain

CELEBRATIONS: At launch

1hr REPAIRS

tel: 951 707 402

We are located next door to the chicken shop in Benavista

Melrose Properties

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

They already run one of France’s most influential estate agents with nearly a dozen ‘shops’ stretching from the Vendée to the Pyrénées and from the Atlantic coast right down to the Mediterranean (an area the size of England and Wales). Now the team from Beaux Villages (‘Beautiful Villages’) have headed south to launch their first venture in Spain, The Spanish Estate Agent. The team have chosen Estepona surely the Costa del Sol’s prettiest town - for their first base. Experienced local agent Tony Reddin, who has lived on the coast for nearly two decades, joins the team and the agency already has clients looking for properties. Set up by Lynn Longley in the Gironde in 2008 the agency has grown quickly, thanks to its unrivalled ethos of complete customer care from initial enquiry through to completion – and beyond! ‘Via a custom-designed and userfriendly website, online marketing and through established relationships with worldwide partners, The Spanish Estate Agent will bring property in southern Spain to the attention of a global clientele,’ says Lynn. For more information contactTony on 0034 512703166 or visit www.thespanishestateagent.com

escaping from Marbella to enjoy the quiet of a local village, where there still remains a sense that you are living in Spain.¨ Visit www.terrameridiana.com for more information

Calle Levante 14p, Puerto Deportivo, Estepona 29680

tel: 0034 952 802 912

rentals@melrose-properties.com sales@melrose-properties.com

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Estepona

REALISTIC: Gardener mural in the old town with lifelike buganvillas and (right) a risque and extravagant €50,000 gold statue

N 5 minutes from Puerto Banús

O-ONE would contest the fact that Estepona is easy on the eye. With a collection of the most off-the-wall urban murals on the Costa del Sol and a host of impressive statues and fountains, there’s no denying it. At the end of last year the town hall unveiled its latest purchase: a €50,000 goldplated statue of two embracing lovers standing on the main roundabout on Avenida Juan Carlos I. Some find it a bit ‘Dirty Dancing’ and others think it’s downright wasteful, but keeping up appearances has always been high on the town

Mural, mural on the wall… Is this town not the fairest of them all?

hall’s agenda. Take the cheery plant pots, for example, which have seen Estepona transformed into the secret garden of the Costa del Sol. Other statues pepper the town

from naked figurines in Calle Real, Plaza Ortiz and Plaza Blas Infante to the scholarly gentleman sat on a beachside bench, good company but a little lacking in conversation. Two moving wartime tributes

can be found on Plaza Almengual and on an Avenida Litoral roundabout - in fact, the majority of the town’s roundabouts are beautifully decorated. If sculpture’s not your thing,

ESTEPONA’S TRADING CENTRE FOR QUALITY REFURBISHED ITEMS

BEACH BOOKWORM: Statues line Estepona´s paseo

Working on the Costa del Sol since 1990

ESTEPONA’S TRADING CENTRE FOR QUALITY REFURBISHED ITEMS

WE BUY AND SELL SECOND HAND FURNITURE, ANTIQUES, PICTURES, MIRRORS, OBJECTS D’ARTE EVER CHANGING STOCK QUALITY PIECES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES RELAXED AND FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE

T: 952 802 221 M: 636 538 877 Monday to Saturday 10.00 to 14.30 hrs.

Calle Nueva 8, Estepona RETRO-ESTEPONA

home automation - internet - satellite - tv - audio Satellite, Internet & Terrestrial TV | Community Specialist TV for all Nationalities | Multiroom Viewing

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Tel: +34 952 80 24 57 Mob: +34 654 75 84 15 info@orbitsl.com

Puerto Paraiso Local 15 – 29680 (Estepona Port)

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Up a gear

HEN it comes to gearboxes, nobody is boxing Robert and James Sutcliffe into

a corner. And now the gearbox specialists at Transmatic are celebrating their quarter century in Estepona with some brand new signs and logos. Former in 1991, the company is the Costa del Sol’s leading specialist in gear boxes, specialising in the repair and service of

the murals are incredibly diverse and have been painted by anyone from top international artists to creative prison inmates. It seems that every other high rise is bursting with colour and imaginative designs – from dancers and divers to optical illusions which deceive the eye from a distance. A particularly realistic recent addition to the ‘Artistic Murals Route’ is a gardener cutting bougainvillea on the side of Victor de la Serna school by Jaen painter Jose Fernandez Ros. The impressive ‘Fishing Day’ mural, also by awa rd - w i n n i n g Jose Fernandez, occupies 1,000m2 across six separate buildings – and holds the record for the largest vertical mural in Spain. There are now 24 murals but keep an eye out as you never know when a creative Esteponero will take their palette and create another colourful corner of bliss in this photogenic town.

Retro, not old! WITH its rustic feel, stone arches and wooden beams, Retro in Estepona could not a better backdrop for its Aladdin’s trove of second hand furniture, antiques, pictures, mirrors and objects d’arte. British expats Hugh and Sue Thompson set up the shop 13 years ago soon after they upped sticks to the coastal town to follow their dream of ‘turning a hobby into a profession’. They buy much of their stock from house clearances and people selling their furniture when replacing with new, but they only buy good quality items. With an ever change stock there’s always something new so many of their clients are regular visitors who pop in to see what goodies they can find and of course a friendly chat with Sue and Hugh! The shop is open in the mornings, then Hugh spends the afternoons lovingly restoring items in his workshop. All stock on sale is in excellent condition and perfect for residential and rental properties. “We love being based in Estepona and it has come such a long way in the last few years with massive generation and a huge mix of nationalities shopping with us,” explains Susan. Retro’s style is less-Ikea, more classic and has special appeal to the Spanish, who ‘love the quaint British desks and cabinets, which can be so hard to come by here on the coast’. Drop in to the shop on Calle Nueva from 10am-2.30pm Monday to Saturday or call 952 80 22 21 for more information.

gearboxes for all makes of car. Says Robert: “While most drivers understand they need to regularly service their car to keep it on the road few realise the gearbox can suffer from high amounts of wear and tear.” In many cases, he insists, even main dealers fail to change the oil and filter during servicing as they lack the knowledge and tools for the specialist job Email info@transmatic.es or call 952796166

TOP GEAR: At Transmatic

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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

PANORAMIC: Views from atop the mountain

Estepona’s

POTTERY SCHOOL Classes offered Monday to Friday All levels, beginners welcome! Pay as you go! Simply book lessons one at a time Unwind, Have fun, Get creative!

www.TotemCeramics.com

Tel: (+34) 952 887 364 Find us on Facebook

Totem Ceramics, Centro Comercial Costasol, A7 km 166, 29680 Estepona (near Cancelada)

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Estepona

High and

TANDING like a monolith towering over Estepona sits a mountain bigger than Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak. The perfect backdrop to the coast’s most upmarket resort, this stunning peak, Los Reales, is an amazing place to escape the buzz of the Costa del Sol and get back to nature. Indeed, this mountain sitting in the Sierra Bermeja nature reserve is about as far removed from the coast as you can get - yet only 8km inland. The perfect place for a walk, the easy circuit leads to the highest point of the nature reserve, known as the Pico Reales. Rising to 1,450m - some 106m taller than Ben Nevis - from its antennae-topped summit there’s a dizzy, panoramic vista of a huge slice of Andalucia: north to the Sierra de las Nieves, east to the Sierra de Ojen, west to the Alcornocales Natural Park and south to Gibraltar and Africa. One of its best walks goes through the Pinsapar de los Reales, home to one of the few existing stands of the uniquely beautiful pine, Abies Pinsapo Boix, found in less than half a dozen places around the world.

Stop at the great viewing point, the Mirador de Salvador Guerrero, which entails a short diversion but which is well worth the extra effort. Finding the starting point for the walk is all part of the adventure. To reach the trailhead, you’ll need to follow a snaking mountain road inland from the town for about 20 minutes. Here is a breakdown of how to do it:

The vermillion mountain looming high above Estepona is a nature reserve like no other, with a wonderful walk around it, writes Guy Hunter Watts

Circuit to the Pico Reales and the top of the Sierra Bermeja THE NITTY-GRITTY Distance: Time required: Rating: Total height gain: Map(s): Water:

8 km (up and down) About 2.5 hours (inc. breaks) Easy/Medium 5,300m IGN 1:50000 Jimena de la Frontera 1071 (14-46) & Estepona 1072 (15-46) Tap with unchlorinated water @ 1 hr 15 mins

Reaching the start From Estepona take the MA8301 towards Jubrique (it begins next to the Mercadona supermarket on the north of the town) for 15km to the top of the pass, Puerto de Pe-

ñas Blancas. Here turn left past a sign for Los Reales, pass a green barrier then continue for 2.75km to a signboard to the right of the road marking the beginning of the Pinsapo walk, Paseo de Los Pinsapos.

MAJESTIC: Sierra Bermeja

The walk From the signboard Paseo de los Pinsapos head down a narrow, rocky path which drops away from the road into the pinsapo forest. Just 75m after crossing a small concrete bridge you reach a junction. Cut left following the sign Los Realillos/Los Reales for 2.2km. The path leads past a signboard about pinsapo pines then on past a ceramic sign of a poem by Lorca inspired by trees, before climbing steeply through dense undergrowth: as you climb higher Mediterranean pines begin to take the place of the pinsapos.

www.transmatic.es

ALL MAKES SERVICED, REPAIRED AND RECONDITIONED, 12 MONTH GUARANTEE

AUTOMATIC GEARBOX SPECIALISTS

REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF YOUR CARS AUTOMATIC GEARBOX CAN PREVENT COSTLY REPAIRS CALL NOW TO HAVE YOURS SERVICED BEFORE ITS TOO LATE ALSO 4X4 AND POWER STEERING SHORT AND LONG TERM CAR RENTAL SERVICE

C/Juan de la Cierva, 26. Poligono Industrial, Estepona E:info@transmatic.es • T:952 796 166 or 615 834 322

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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

April 27th - May 10th 2016

mighty!

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Careful! Some five minutes beyond the ceramic sign of Lorca’s poem you reach a junction marked by twin stone mounds. Here cut hard left and continue your ascent, zigzagging up through the pines and the reddish rocks. Passing a small breach in the rocks the path runs up to the top of the ridge where views open out to the southwest and the Bay of Algeciras. (30 mins) Here the path bears left towards the transmitter antennae atop the Reales peak, through another swathe of pinsapo pines. Marker posts help guide you up. Passing across another jagged ridge the path bears right and continues to climb. Reaching a flatter area and bearing left it runs on up to the antennae. Here, reaching a white hut, cut right, pass a second hut then follow a narrow path up to the trig point marking the top of Los Reales (1,450m). (50 mins) This is a great spot for a break with the incredible panorama that lies before you. Leaving the peak retrace your footsteps back towards the first white hut which you passed earlier. Five metres before the hut cut right on a narrow path which

drops down to the track leading to the transmitter masts where you’ll see a signboard for Sendero de los Realillos. Here angle right down a stony track which loops down the eastern flank of Los Reales, shortly passing by another transmitter mast. Looping on down past a group of forestry buildings you reach a junction with another track and a plaque dedicated to Edmond Boissier who first catalogued the unique Pinsapo pine. (1 hr 10 mins) Here, cutting right for 100m you reach a picnic area, Área Recreativa, where there are picnic tables and, just beneath, the Mirador de la Costa del Sol. There’s a tap with water to the right: a sign warns that it isn’t chlorinated but the taste is all the better for that. Continuing on along the track you reach a turning circle and a sign Mirador de Salvador Guerrero. From here continue along a narrow path to reach one of the Costa del Sol’s most spectacular viewing points. After visiting the mirador trace your steps back to the Boissier plaque then follow the track on for approximately 1.6 kms to return to your point of departure. (1 hr 55 mins)

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All Premier Sports shown on large screen TVs football, rugby & cricket Live Music Nights Tapas served daily Sunday lunches 1-6pm Thursday Quiz Nights Pool Table & Pool Competitions

Open 7 days a week from 1pm ON TOP OF THE WORLD: Hikers reach the summit

tel: 952 883 215

Urb El Pilar, Local 1, Benapilar 3B, Estepona, 29680

ESTEPONA PORT Bar & Restaurant

Telephone: 951 517 015 Email: healymacs.es@gmail.com

www.healymacs.com ’’BEST BAR OUTSIDE IRELAND’’ awarded by The Irish Times & Diagio

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Estepona

trazado final ABRIL 2015 anuncio essential doble pagina central 544 x 342 mm.indd 1

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22/4/16 10:42

S TA B L IPress SHED F O R 1 714th Y E-A25th R S 2016 30 Ethe Olive November

T Mon - Fri 4pm-11pm Weekends - 1pm-11pm Kitchen open 5pm-10pm

Live Sport Shown Quality Wines & Mahou Friendly Atmosphere Home from Home British Tapas Bar with Daily Specials Inn the dog house

Sample Menu

C ottage P ie Baguettes & Toasties Sausage & Mash Cheeseboard

Mini Sunday Lunch Served 1-6pm

Tel: (+34) 952 888 410 Urb El Pilar, No.4, 29680 Estepona Email: innthedoghouse@gmail.com

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WO of the genuine grandes dames of the Costa del Golf are found in Estepona. Both El Paraiso and Atalaya rank with the oldest courses on the coast and were established in the days when you could build a golf course just about anywhere you liked. As a result, the quality of the courses is fantastic, built on wonderfully flat land with the mountainous backdrop of the Sierra de las Nieves. It means you don’t lose so many balls and the courses are easy to walk around. El Paraiso caters for every kind of golfer, boasting seven different types of membership and up to eight competitions a week for varying abilities. It also has an active ladies section, with more than 200 members. Atalaya Golf Club proudly dates back to 1968, when the design of the course was more important than fitting it between apartment blocks. Eucalyptus trees, cacti and palms line the club’s two 18hole courses - Atalaya Old and Atalaya New - whose wide, easy-walking fairways pass fountains and flower beds. As a members’ club that is open to guests, the course has a lively community feel and there is always a buzz around the clubhouse.

Estepona

www.theolivepress.es April 27th - May 10th 2016

Estepona boasts two of the Costa del Golf’s founding courses, and a whole lot more

PITCH PERFECT: Estepona courses

Greens are go! Although a younger course, dating from 1989, Estepona Golf is famous for superb putting surfaces and sea views. Featuring strong par 3s, it provides an excellent round for players of all standards. “Estepona has the best golfing temperatures in Europe, with over 320 days of sunshine a year and an average of 22 degrees,” explains Jason Callow, of Estepona Golf.

“This coast is one of the best places in Europe for golf, due to the weather, the breathtaking panoramic views across mountains and sea, and of course the great choice on offer.” Contact El Paraiso on 952 883 835 or email info@elparaisogolfclub.com For Estepona Golf, call 952 937 605, or email information@esteponagolf.com

Stocked up

EVERYTHING from designer shoes and caps to golf balls and gloves are up for grabs at Estepona Golf’s brand new pro shop. Stocked with big name brands such as Callaway, Garmin and Ecco, Estepona Golf’s new shop is bringing the best golfing gear to the Costa del Sol. And with the popularity of golf on the Costa del Sol going through the roof, budding Sergio Garcia’s will want to look their best. In fact, due to a successful start to the year, Estepona Golf is already taking bookings for the 2017 season. “Due to the success of our 2016 package we are now taking bookings for 2017,” explains managing director Jason Callow. “There are two packages available, one includes seven nights at the TRYP Hotel at Valle Romano with five games of golf, and the other includes three nights with two games of golf.” Meanwhile the club has introduced the Estepona Card for just €199 per annum which entitles the holder to 50% discount on green fees every time they play. “We believe this is a great option for local residents and golfers that visit the coast a few times during the year,” Jason added. For more information, email jasoncallow@esteponagolf. com or call 952 937 605

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The flower pots are shaking as guitar solos provide the perfect contrast, writes Rob Horgan

Photos: Manilva Life

IERCING guitar riffs, the clashing of drums and methodical bass lines are becoming as common as the chirp of seagulls in Estepona. It may be a pretty, tranquil seaside town, with flower pots lining cobbled streets and elaborate water features decorating expansive plazas... but when the sun goes down Estepona is a different beast altogether. Quiet by day, anything but quiet by night: the resort has a growing reputation for putting on top-quality gigs. No longer solely reserved for ‘the Port’, a number of live music venues have popped up in the old town too. As local music expert and Olive Press columnist Gary Beaumont explains, ‘Estepona is booming’. “The town has become a hotspot for live music on the Costa del Sol,” he says. “Catering for all tastes from flamenco to funk and from hip-hop to heavy metal.” For much of the past decade the only place for live music was Louie Louie in the bustling port - and it remains the musical hub. Run by charismatic Ricky Cuesta, Louie Louie is home to the annual Battle of the Bands competition, involving local and expat musicians. Largely focussing on everything rock ‘n roll, live music is on every Friday and Saturday while Sundays are reserved for more chilled out vibes. Bands from America, Canada and Australia often include the venue on their European tours. And on the back of Louie Louie’s success, King Creole has risen in the midst of the old town. This relatively new bar has

We will rock you! ROCKING OUT: In Louie Louie (top) and (right) flamenco is also popular

latched on to the increasingly popular rock scene, and with a slightly ‘cooler’ edge to it, blues acts often take to the stage too. Meanwhile, just around the corner Bribones has jumped on the rock scene, with owner Juanmi regularly found headbanging to a Korn soundtrack on any given night of the week. However, it is a very different vibe come summertime, with the arrival of an outside stage for weekly flamenco

Beach vibes and top tucker

SUN, sea and live music… what more could you want! Arguably the coolest hang out on the Costa del Sol, chiringuito Sonora Beach also offers up some of the best live music. While there are often gigs in the week, the beach bar is renowned for its Sunday evening sessions with hundreds of punters flocking in from as far as Malaga and Gibraltar. Meanwhile a new jam session night is being planned for Fridays, while the kitchen keeps getting better under the watchful eye of Cuban chef Ania Lopez. For more information visit www.sonorabeach.com or visit Facebook for information on concerts

performances and amazing shows can also be found at El Patio. And, if it is more traditional music you’re after, Duende in the port and La Escenario host a number of salsa and bachata nights to get hips moving. Meanwhile, the Pena Flamenca association puts on regular concerts in the bandstand in Plaza Reloj. There’s no doubt that Estepona’s music scene is booming, and long may it continue!

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Estepona

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Push the boat out

Celebrating 1 year in the Port!

NEW MENU FOR 2016 Healthy Breakfasts Great Cocktails and Fresh Juices Fusion Tapas & Goan Inspired Cuisine Open: 10am - late – Closed Wednesday

Avda. Luis Braille, No.14 PuertoParaíso, 29680 Estepona (Malaga) tel: 692 480 270

ARS, boats, restaurants and All the fun of Puerto Banus much more. Estepona port may not have the same glamour as without a Gucci bag in sight nearby Puerto Banus but there is just as much fun to be had. Without a Gucci bag or Rolex in sight, the port offers everything from high-end restaurants to classic Irish bars, catering for all tastes in between. While the old town captures a true sense of traditional Spain, the port is the embodiment of the expat community that has brought rise to the Costa del Sol. And it is not just the Brits that have jumped on the port’s bandwagon. All types of cuisine are imaginable in the cosmopolitan tower of babel that is Estepona port. Thai, Indian, Chinese, Italian etc. are all on offer. Re s t a u r a n t s worth a special mention FUN TO BE HAD: At Estepona port include Plan B - run by German couple Veronika and Oscar, celebrating one year in the port - which specialises in Goan gastronomy, fusion tapas and healthy break- And if it fasts. A bar-cum-restaurant, is international Plan B is a great place to en- food that whets joy a cocktail or fresh juice in your palette, then look no further a relaxed atmosphere. than De la Mar. Run by Dutch couple Helene 09.30-LATE – CLOSED and Pim since June last year, De la Mar offers dishes from around the world, including everything from English breakfasts and Sunday lunches to grilled meat and fish. But if it is a slap up meal you are after, Restaurante Limonero will not let you down. Well established in the port as the perfect place for special occasions, Limonero uses local ingredients for its everchanging menu.

MONDAY

restaurante

Limonero Estepona

Portside

The newest kid on the block is recently opened Irish Bar Healy Macs. Located slap bang in the middle of the port, the bar is already proving popular with locals and expats. With a big terrace area and outward facing TV’s, Healy Macs will no doubt be the number one location for watching the Euros this summer. But it is not just food and drink to be had in the port. Every Sunday a market stretches throughout the lower level of the port offering everything from designer sunglasses to leather goods and Moroccan trinkets. Boat tours are also big in Estepona port with trips leaving numerous times a day. Among those offering tours is Sotoboats. Dedicated to all aspects of sailing, the company offers boats of any size and feature to suit the customer, be it to rent or buy. And if you fall head over heels with port life then Melrose properties can help you find your perfect portside pad.

Sunday Lunch International Menu Homemade Desserts Breakfast & Lunchtime Snacks Fresh Fish Board & Daily Specials

FREE Glass of House Wine with A La Carte Menu Expires: 29/05/16

tel: 952 806 759 / 722 552 433 www.limoneroestepona.com Avda. Luis Braille 12, Puerto de Estepona

PRIVATE FUNCTIONS CATERED FOR

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VINOTECA - GASTROBAR

Main courses and plates to share Great variety of cold and hot pintxos More than 75 different wines to choose Outside terrace, large dining area and interior patio

Calle Raphael Nº7, 29680 Estepona, Málaga T. 951 96 54 14 Opening Hours: 12.30h a 24.00h

www.lacasadelreyestepona.com

We offer wine tastings, pairings and presentations of gourmet products

HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY !!

Wine tours trips and guided visits to the best wineries and vineyards

Variety in Cocktails

from 20:00h to 21:00h

Wine and spirit courses from beginner to professional level

Located in the heart of Estepona with a large outside terrace with an amazing atmosphere

The best place to enjoy a drink in the port of Estepona

Calle Raphael Nº7, 29680 Estepona, Málaga T. 951 96 54 14

Calle Real Nº72, 29680 Estepona, Málaga Opening Hours: 16.00h a 02.00h

Urb. Puerto Deportivo Nº 24, 29680 Estepona, Málaga · T. 952 80 24 46 Opening Hours: 10.00h a 02.00h

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Estepona

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Brilliant Benavista Expats are very much at home in Estepona’s ‘East end’

Tel: +34 656 476 887

The Frock Exchange Estepona

The Frock Exchange Designer Dress Agency Boutique WE BUY AND SELL

YOUR DESIGNER & QUALITY CLOTHES, SHOES, BAGS, JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES OPEN: Tuesday to Saturday:10.30am - 3pm Closed: Monday El Pilar, Benavista, 29680 Estepona (above Swans Real Estate)

THE

ENAVISTA is one of the most popular places for British expats to put down roots on the Costa del Sol. Less developed and lower rise than many of its neighbours, Estepona’s ‘east end’ is aptly named - you get a better vista in Benavista! A family favourite resort that has grown up around the beautiful (and arguably best) beaches between Estepona and San Pedro, the thriving community of foreign residents has shaped it into what it is today, and there’s always something going on.

“We are so spoilt for choice,” says Hughie Holgate, 67, who runs the popular Benavista Bowls Club and its Green Bar. Taking the club from 50 members to over 150, Hughie has transformed the run-down kitchen facilities he inherited into a thriving bar which serves tapas and daily specials. “There are at least half a dozen golf courses within a mile of here and the facilities for families are great. “On top of that, you are only a short drive from the hills via the Ubrique or San Pedro roads.”

All going to pot

FATHER and daughter duo Chad and Suzanne Morritt are still going potty after setting up Totem Ceramics in Cancelada three years ago. The family school teaches pottery courses and exhibits the work of their students. Daughter Suzanne studied Ceramics A Level in London after being inspired by her father. “Growing up, our house was always full of pottery my dad had made at school and college, he was making pottery from the age of 14,” she said, “It has remained a passion for both of us!” Dad Chad, who is currently designing his own range of tableware, specialises in throwing

tuition while Suzanne teaches hand building and glazing. “It really is fun, it’s therapeutic and you get to meet friendly, like-minded people,” she added, “Many of our students wouldn’t have described themselves as artistic before joining us.” But what does it take to become an expert potter? “Patience, practice and an acceptance that things can and do go wrong!” said Suzanne, who added that the perseverance can be rewarding. “They learn to unwind, have fun and get creative,” she explained. “Two of our students who were complete beginners now have their own wheels at home! They still attend classes

CREATIVE: On the wheel to perfect their skills, but to see them share our passion is the ultimate prize for us.” www.totemceramics.com

Tel: 952 885 148

We offer a personal and professional service for those clients looking to purchase a property in the area. Please feel free to call into our office located next to the tower in La Cala de Mijas if you are considering buying here on the Costa del Sol. We also offer free valuations for anybody looking to sell. If you have a property for sale at the moment or are thinking of selling we will be happy to speak to you.

GREEN BAR B E N A V I S TA

B O W L S

La Cala de Mijas – Ref: R 258 7958

C L U B

Price: 179.000€

2 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM APARTMENT Modern ground-floor apartment located within easy walking distance of La Cala de Mijas. The property has a large south west facing terrace and comes complete with private parking. Ideal holiday home, an excellent entry level apartment.

Riviera del Sol – Ref R 259 4714

Price: 199.000€

3 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM TOWNHOUSE Spacious townhouse situated close to all amenities and only a couple of minutes’ walk to the beach. Recently reformed to a high standard. Set within well maintained community with the added bonus of community pool.

Everyone Welcom e

La Cala de Mijas – Ref R 244 7072

Price: 399.000€

La Cala de Mijas – Ref: R 263 9678

Price: 499.000€

THE ONLY CLUB ON THE COSTA DEL SOL WHERE YOU CAN WATCH ‘LIVE’ BOWLING 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM 2 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM www.benavistabowlsclublive.com DETACHED VILLA PENT-HOUSE, FRONT-LINE BEACH This private but perfectly located villa Extremely rare opportunity to purchase fantastic sea views and is only a absolute frontline beach property. OPEN: Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm –boasts Kitchen 10am-4pm short walk into the village. Private parking, Stunning views and soon to benefit from and recently updated kitchen are just the proposed extension to the Sunday 11am-5pm – Kitchenpool 11am-4pm a few of the many features. coastal footpath. Excellent property at a great price. Full English Breakfast from 3.95€ • Large Lunch/Snack Menu

• Daily Specials • Happy Hour 4-6pm • FREE WIFI Homemade La Cala Sales and Rentals Esq, Calle MarbellaTapas 4 Local 2, La Cala de Mijas, 29649 Mijas Costa, Malaga Large Sunny Terrace • Fun Bowling Area • ‘Live’ Sports Shown Tel: +34 951 778 707 e-mail: info@lacalasalesandrentals.com www.lacalasalesandrentals.com

www.facebook.com/The Greenbarbenavista

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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

SOCIABLE: Times on the green (right) a beach near Benavista

The bowls club is a real magnet for the area, added entrepreneur father-of-four. “We have many members who play in leagues up and down the Costa del Sol,” he says. “And non-members have their own

green.” Next door, restaurant Los Arcos has been given a makeover that the whole family can enjoy. A giant play area, cinema room, bar and

restaurant – not to mention five big screens to watch the football and a fivea-side pitch to play – are just some of the new attractions at the bar-cum-restaurant Down from here a necklace of well set-up urbanisations – Diana Park, Benavista and El Pilar – offer every variety of shop and service, all with an expat twist. They include a range of excellent butchers and cake shops, as well as English supermarkets, curry houses and British bars. It is also the Spanish headquarters of British construction company Roger Bullivant. One of the best shops is Cath’s Cards, which stocks a fabulous range of greetings cards, balloons and party accessories. And don’t forget, cross the footbridge and you are in Benamara, which is just two minutes walk to the beach!

First class repairs

VER the past seven years Premier Bodyshop has established an enviable reputation as a first class motor vehicle body repairer and restoration company. The major part of the business is insurance repairs however the restoration side continues to grow with major projects for the increasingly valuable classic car market. The main facility is over 700m2, fully equipped to tackle the most demanding repairs. The team is made up of eight members of staff, with five dedicated to the workshop. An additional facility now provides se-

cure and managed storage for classic cars and has space available to rent at competitive rates. In addition, Premier has an established presence in Gibraltar offering the same excellent service with free collection and delivery and now represents approximately 20% of the business. Premier is unique in providing free courtesy cars to its customers and every vehicle repaired receives a full valet, free of charge. Premier is without doubt one of the best and most reliable companies in this area with which to entrust your cherished vehicle.

QUALITY: At Premier

3535

Lolailo Melting pot! A

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Estepona

April 27th - May 10th 2016

RESTAURANTE CHIRINGUITO – BAR DE PLAYA

TASTY: Cheesecake at Tolone

Estepona has a fast-growing restaurant scene, writes Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke

I tel: 952 11 32 13 Playa del Cristo, Estepona Chiringuitololailoestepona@hotmail.com

T is a hard act to follow but Estepona is slowly developing a food culture to rival that of nearby Marbella. Little by little, more exciting places are opening up around the town and along the nearby coast, with everything from Japanese to Goan. Take excellent chiringuito Palm Beach, one of the best beach restaurants on the coast for quality. Set up by former Dutch broker Erwin Vanderdonck, he and business partner Aart produce some stunning dishes including prawn pil pil samosas and crab spring rolls, which are melt-in-the-mouth amazing. It is a similar story at Restau-

’ LOLA S

Tel: 951 50 85 65

BAR & TAPAS

•

ESTEPONA

Do you like to eat?

rante Alexandre, where Belgium talent Alexandre is currently producing some of the best quality food on the coast today (see side bar, right).

de la

bar y restaurante

One of the most stylish spots is Tanino, a riot of colours and cool interior decor, in Benamara, which has an Asiatic fusion menu, with a distinct depth of

Family Style Restaurant International Cuisine Catch of the Day Traditional Sunday Roast Private Catering

SPECIAL SERVICE: Asiatic influence at Palm Beach quality. Open 365 days a year, it has an international wine list and plenty of cocktails, plus a great outdoor terrace. Another long term favourite is Kokomo, where former Savoy chef Simon Taylor-Lane, gets busier as the years go on. And now in a brand new venue, up in Nueva Atalaya. Having also trained with Marco Pierre White, he has the classic knack of creating culinary classics and, best of all, an amazing value set lunch. He and wife Sally run a tight ship and it is incredible how busy their place gets. Up in the heart of Estepona there has been a quiet revolution with a string of new and stylish terrace restaurants opening of late. Pick of the bunch is easily Casa del Rey, where there are no less than 70 wines by the glass and resident sommelier Farran Pacheco, who used to work at Harrods, gives out some excellent wine pairing tips with tapas (see panel, right). Nearby, you must look out for Lola’s, run by a French couple from Paris, who are always coming up with new dishes and specials, including beef bourguignon and snails, while their fantastic spring rolls (nems) and very own invention, ‘rajaos’, which means ‘something broken’, are excellent.

Open 7 days a week Kitchen open Monday to Friday 9am till 10pm Saturday and Sunday 9.30am till 10pm

lolas bar estepona Lolas Estepona Plaza Garcia Caparros 3, Paseo Maritimo Estepona

Puerto Paraiso 29, 29680 Estepona

tel: +34 952 797 180

NEW LOCATION: Kokomo and prawn salad (above)

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April 27th - May 10th 2016

Fit for a King

I FRESH: Rincon Toscana, while (right) David at Lola’s and (above) his profiteroles You must also check out Argentinian Sur, where well-travelled owner Juan is never standing still, always trying new things in terms of decor, wines and dishes. A classic family affair, you often find father, wife, son and daughter, not to mention son-in-law serving up juicy empanadas, lamb tagines and, of course, the best steaks imaginable. If it is a good Italian you are after

ON THE MOVE: Juan at Sur

few places come as good as Rincon Toscana, run by Uri, who previously ran a b&b near Siena. As well as great Italian wines, you will eat the freshest pasta and the best pizzas around. Just across the square is easily one of the best ‘hang-outs’, or meeting points, in the town. Tolone, run by cultured American Kristi, is now an institution and famous for its breakfasts, juices, cakes - including an amazing Amaretto-soaked cherry cheesecake, and snacks. Up in the port look out for Plan B, where owners Veronika and Oscar serve up exciting Goan gastronomy, as well as amazing fresh juices, smoothies and mouthwatering cocktails. The decor is quirky, the atmosphere welcoming and all of the dishes homemade. Another great spot is De la Mar, where Dutch owners Helene and Pim have opted for fine dining, having previously run a pub. With a distinct international feel, there is some excellent fresh fish and grilled meats, as well as a selection of Scandinavian dishes. Run by father and son team

Olé for Alex

t is literally beautiful food, some of the prettiest served up on the coast… With classic Michelin star panache Belgian Master chef Alexandre is a creative genius in the kitchen. After a decade on the coast at the likes of Casanis and Casa Mono, he set up stunning Restaurant Alexandre - all contemporary lines and hip decorations - nearly two years ago. Changing the menu by the day and working as seasonally as possible, it is only a matter of time before he wins some plaudits. A largely undiscovered gem, hidden in a backstreet in the hinterland between Estepona and Marbella, expect dishes like scallop carpaccio with seaweed and truffle sauce or poached egg with spinach and chanterelle mushrooms. His turbot was in a word ‘wow’, while vitello tonnato with white veal and tuna with capers, gherghins, radishes and parmesan shavings was a delight. There are some great French wines to match and some local chestnuts too. One GEM: Alex (top right) and one to watch out for. of his stunning creations

Mike and Tom, Limonera focuses on seasonal, locally-sourced food and offers an inspired menu. While there why not visit Caesar's: an intimate dining space, which is the perfect spot for a special occasion or private function. While in the port make sure to look out for Healy Macs, which was previously the Irish Fiddler and has undergone a stunning conversion, with a decent mix of dishes and a great outdoor terrace. Voted ‘best Irish pub’ outside Ireland, by the Irish Times and Diagio, dishes include great chicken liver pate, paella croquettes and an amazing Aberdeen Angus steak. Last but not least, just outside the port, up on the ‘secret’ Playa del Cristo look out for chiringuito Lolailo, where a friendly team serves up the freshest fish that one would expect from a good beach restaurant.

EXPERT: Sommelier Ferran and Casa del Rey (right)

T completely changed the fabric of Estepona old town centre when it opened four years ago. With its fantastic collection of 70 wines by the glass, separated into easy to understand price brackets, Casa del Rey brought a new style of diner to the centre. Gourmets keen to experiment with wines and tapas love the stylish high-ceiling ambience and attractive tables outside, always full on warm evenings. Its sommelier Farran Pacheco (pictured) lives and breathes wine and now offers regular wine tasting courses at the recently opened Wine Room next door. Part of the Reinaldo group of businesses, which includes Reinaldo in the port and a new spot Bar Don Reinaldo in Calle Real, it is well run and offers quality.

/ Musical Programming 1st May: Johnny Baker (vocals and piano) 6th May: Mexican evening (typical food,

cocktails and Mariachis) 13th May: Flamenco evenings with Retales (music, dancing and typical food) 20th May: 3 Part Sound (soul and pop band) 27th May: Johnny Baker (vocals and piano)

· Opening Hours: Mon to Sun 12 a 02h · Carretera de Cádiz, Km 168, Urb. Benamara, 29688, Málaga T. +34 952 883 259 · info@tanino.es

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Estepona

Presenting the

*1 voucher per customer

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Property

the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015

Triple threat

11+

years experience in

ALL PROPERTY MATTERS

RICS SURVEYORS & VALUERS BYBUILDING CAMPBELL FERGUSON

HERE are three items in the news For peace of mind follow now that are affecting demand and these property buying rules supply in the property market here. Brexit and the Euro/Sterling exchange rate are the obvious ones, the Find Your Property doubts as to the result and its fallout are causing UK buyers and sellers to hesitate. In addition, the fall in the value of sterling, from the 1.40s to 1.20s / euro in the last three months has made the relative costs tions of each individual asset. the bank rescue Instruct Instruct of property here much more expensive for This has seen Sareb, a write-down Surveyorof its portfoLawyer UK buyers, but of course better for those bank, announceBuilding lio by more than €2 billion, in addition to wanting to repatriate to UK. However, the latter will be concerned that the €968 million write-down in the past two there is more reduction in value to come years. It may be that many private banks which could result and so may decide to hold onto euro assets will have to do the same, Buy with Knowledge price for propuntil closer to the referendum in the UK on in them lowering the asking & Confidence erties they are trying to sell, thus reducing June 23. A recent letter received from a client con- the market level as a whole. firms this situation; “We are concerned that The reduction of asset values could also reduce banks’ abilities to offer mortgages, if the UK leaves the EU, then +34 952 923 520 leading to a downward Connect spiralwith us! we expect property prices in admin@surveyspain.com again. surveyspain.com Spain may fall considerably and, therefore, we should be As well as Brexit, The requirement for regular revaluations has also been grateful for your view as to there are the quoted as one of the reawhat the property would be worth in the case of the UK risks associated sons for private equity firm leaving – and in the case of with a change of Cinvin buying TINSA, the Spanish-based tasadores. the UK remaining in the EU. However, as before, signifigovernment If we go ahead with the purcant expatriate demand has chase before the referencontinued on the Costas, dum, we are thinking that we with the availability of mortneed to cover ourselves regarding the price that we agree, to compensate for any likely gage finance assisting. Fortunately, this is not only from the UK, with Scandinavians, fall.” These particular buyer clients have agreed Germans and other northern Europeans to pay the seller in sterling, which is to also being active in the market. their advantage as the exchange rate has Irish tourism has increased 20% on the last year and previously they were strong buychanged. But as well as Brexit, there are the risks as- ers of Spanish property. Brexit will not have sociated with a change of government in such a direct effect upon them, although it Spain. More than one client and acquain- is anticipated that there will be increased tance has stated that they will sell and nervousness in the market as the end of move if a left-wing government should be June approaches, both due to the UK referelected. Again, the uncertainty could be endum and the Spanish Government situcausing buyers and sellers to pause until ation. there is a result, which could be before the This column featured extracts from our end of May, but equally could be after June. End of Winter Quarterly Report. For the full Thirdly, Spanish banks are being obliged to report, visit: www.surveyspain.com/blog/ update their valuation of assets practice to quarterly-market-report-winter-2016-9thinclude regular annual or bi-annual valua- april-2016

Brexit isn’t the only thing causing concern for those looking for property in Spain

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

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Taking its toll

Roadside residents launch petition over excessive noise

A GROUP of Costa del Sol expats fear the volume of traffic on the A-7 road is damaging the value of their homes.

EXCLUSIVE By Iona Napier

Several Buenas Noches residents, an urbanisation between Estepona and Manilva, are taking a stand against road noise and one expat couple has launched a petition for new tarmac and sound barriers to be installed. One of their qualms is freight lorries ‘avoiding the toll road’ and driving through the night on the N340 dual carriageway through their neighbourhood. The landscape has changed significantly since another expat, 76-year-old Anthony Hartley, built a three-bedroom property overlooking what he describes as a ‘donON SALE: Nelson’s country retreat key track’ in 1972. Since the dual carriageway was built he has been forced to install a glass case around his balcony for €6,000 to A SPECTACULAR country retreat given to Admiral Nelson’s fam- block the sound of the traffic. ily by the government after he died in the Battle of Trafalgar is on Nothing was done after Hartsale for £12 million. ley launched a petition and The family remained in the Wiltshire mansion - renamed Trafal- submitted an official comgar Park after the 1805 battle near Vejer, off the Strait of Gibraltar plaint about road noise in - until 1946. 2011. Passing through a number of owners since, current resident Mi- Now he has submitted his chael Wade has spent the best part of 20 years renovating the own change.org petition afproperty’s 100 rooms. ter finding prospective buyers With 33 acres of land, the Grade I listed building has a baroque were holding back because of hall, library and over 33 acres of gardens. the noise. The setting of blockbuster films 28 Days Later and Sense and “We had no idea when they Sensibility, the property is now on the market with Savills. built the road that this was how it would be and we all agree that our house values will suffer as a result,” Hartley told the Olive Press. “Never mind selling the propA BREXIT would be ‘bad for the Spanish property erty – which I believe has news’ for British homeown- market and British owners probably halved in price as a ers in Spain, property ex- of property in Spain,” the reresult – I don’t particularly perts have warned. port states. even want to go on holiday A report from Spanish Prop- “The implications of a Brexit here any more,” he added. erty Insight highlights the are complicated for expats “I am also convinced that curfact the pound could fall fur- and holiday-home owners, rent illnesses I am suffering ther if Britain votes to leave and the pound might fall have come about because of the EU on June 23. even further, given what the fumes.” The pound has fallen around the currency markets are alThe grandparent-of-two be10% against the Euro since ready saying about even the lieves he would now ‘be lucky’ last summer. possibility of a Brexit. to get €200,000 for his house “If the referendum ends in “None of which would be which was worth up to an esa Brexit result (vote to leave good for British demand for timated €600,000 before the the EU), it will be bad news property in Spain.” 2007 financial crisis.

Up for grabs

Brexit home blow

Property

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Rent rise

In a new column, Christine Trainor from HomeCareontheWeb gives advice to renters

RENTERS are having to dig a little deeper into their pockets this year. The price of rent has increased by 4.3% during the first quarter of 2016, representing a 5.2% yearon-year increase. It means the average price per metre-squared is up to €7.40, according to property portal idealista.com.

Homeowners maximise your rental income

HEN clients come back to your holiday home year after year, you know you have the right formula for maximising rental income. Yes, you need to get all the basics right, such as the price, the marketing and the furnishing needs to be comfortable and in good condition. Then you need enough linen and utensils and to make sure everything is in good working order, remember to fit safety equipment and, what is a must these days, get WiFi. And don’t forget to ensure the property is professionally cleaned, as this is the first thing your guests will notice as they walk through the door.

But equally important is the communication you have with the client. You need to ensure they understand fully what they are booking, such as location and how to find it, plus what the local amenities are and where to collect the keys. Location is always important and they will want to know how far from the beach, lake, golf course, supermarkets and restaurants the property is. Finally, ensure you’re registered with the Junta and adhere to the new rules regarding short term rentals. If you feel this is going to take up too much time, get a professional, multilingual company, like ours, with many years experience of helping owners maximise their rental income.

Visit www.homecareontheweb.com for more information

Summer sale OLD TO THE NEW: Controversial renovation has been lauded

In ruins? ONE Spanish heritage body called the refurbishment of Cadiz’s Matrera castle ‘lamentable’, while photos of the bizarre patch-up went viral around the world. But now, critics have been served a huge slice of humble pie after the restoration project won an international architecture prize . The leading architect, Carlos Quevedo, travelled to New York to collect the Architize A+ award for architecture and preservation. He said: “We are very happy, I am proud of the work we’ve done and we want to celebrate. It is very important for us because it is a recognition for all the work we have

Widely criticised Cadiz castle restoration wins architecture prize

done over five years.” He added that those who criticised the work were upset by change. Cultural heritage campaigners Hispania Nostra said the project was ‘truly lamentable’. “No words are needed, you just need to look at the photographs,” a spokesman said. Architecture has seen a growing trend of restoring ruins with blank additions.

Marbella Real Estate Photos Running the rule - new

rental regulations

NEW on the Costa Del Sol Prices from EUR 90 + IVA Get those all important viewings with good pictures

www.marbellarealestatephotos.com

BARGAIN buys are up for grabs along Spain’s coastline. For the second year in a row, Spanish bank Sareb is offloading thousands of properties at cut-prices. Starting from €32,000, a total of 2,337 homes have been put on the market under Sareb’s Tu Casa a Toda Costa scheme. The cheapest property is a one-bedroom apartment in Alicante, while the priciest pad is a 342 m2 luxury villa in Calvia (Balearic Islands) going for €866,000. Meanwhile in Andalucia there are a number of properties on the market. The cheapest can be found in Roquetas del Mar for just €38,000, while the priciest is in Sotogrande at €428,000. Surprisingly, the secondhighest priced property in the scheme is in La Linea, one of the poorest towns in Spain, and is on the market at €334,000. The scheme runs until August 30.

The Property Insider by A

New Junta rules for tourist accommodation rentals begin in May, but what exactly do they all mean?

dam Neale

more than two months with the same tenant or when the property is ‘rented’ without any money changing hands (i.e. you let your friends stay while you’re away). The property in question must have a licence of occupation and meet a long list of requirements that ensures any dwelling rented to tourists has: exterior ventilation (a window in every N February 2 this year, after years of debate, the Junta bedroom and sitting room) and air-conditioning (with both cool finally passed its decree regulating properties that are air in the summer and hot to maintain minimum temperatures, rented as tourist accommodation across the region. if you intend to rent during the winter months), is furnished to Decree 28, 2016, which comes into force next month, legal standards, and comes with cleaning services, complaint just in time for the tourism season, aims to regulate the thou- forms, a first-aid kit, tourist information and a document that sands of transactions between owners and tenants who rent provides tenants with instructions and rules. properties for their holidays every year. An individual rental contract will be required for every tenancy, The basic presumption to determine whether a property is be- although the terms and conditions may be freely agreed to by ing rented for tourist accommodation under the terms of the both parties. law is when it is marketed through typical tourOwners will be required, however, to make ism promotion channels, such as travel agenpublic their terms in advance. In cases where cies, tour operators, or for short-term holiday If property is specific relevant terms, such as check-in and rentals on websites like our own. out times are not specified by the contract, the The new law applies to all kinds of dwellings in rented as tourist provisions of the new law will be applied. residential areas that are rented on a regular accommodation Prior to marketing properties for rent as tourist basis to tourists. accommodation, owners are required to proBut it does not cover those located in rural ar- and not declared vide a declaration of responsibility (declaración eas, nor complexes of three or more units that it will be illegal responsable) to the Junta, declaring they are in are owned or managed by the same person compliance with the requirements of the new and located within the same building or group law. This can be done by filling in a (seven-page!) of buildings, both of which are already covered form that can be downloaded from the Junta’s under other legislation. website here (in Spanish) with the owner’s details and the The rental of individual rooms that form part of larger property catastral reference of the property. Once this has been done, to different tenants and the letting of an entire property to the the Junta will register the property with a unique number, same tenant both fall under the terms of the law, subject to which must be included on all advertising materials. a maximum licensed occupancy of 15 people in both cases. After May, if a property is rented for tourist accommodation Tourist accommodation agreements are also, as defined by without the owner previously having filed a declaration of rethe law, for short-term duration and pecuniary gain, so the new sponsibility, this will be considered against the law and punishregulations are not applicable if the rental is for a period of able with fines of between €2,000 and €18,000.

Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona. Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com

Top Dollar

41 41

December 10th - 22nd 2015 April 27th - May 10th 2016

NEWS IN BRIEF Big spenders

Off the rails

THEY may whizz you around the country in half the time, but it appears Spain’s high speed railway network (AVE) could actually be damaging tourism. Bizarrely, figures from the Foro del Transporte suggest hotel stays have decreased by 8% in cities connected by the service, which has already cost €70,000 million to construct. Furthermore, the total figure for AVEs to be built in the near future has just been calculated at an eye-watering €27,000 million. With each kilometre of track costing €11 million to build and €150,000 per year to maintain, national newspaper El Pais EXPENSIVE: AVE claims ‘no Spanish AVE line is profitable’.

Victory at last THOUSANDS of homeowners in Spain with clausula suelo mortgages could share a €6 billion payout after a landmark court case ruled the fixed minimum rates were null and void. A Madrid judge ruled in favour of 15,000 mortgage holders who hold the controversial mortgages, which block rates

Landmark court ruling against clausula suelo mortgage clause could spark €6 billion payout from falling below a certain price, with up to four million people possibly affected. Those victims are now looking to recoup their money having

Caminito del Change THE Caminito del Rey has reopened its death-defying cliff-side walk again after a change in management. The new online reservations site went live on April 18 while the ‘world’s deadliest walkway’ reopened its doors officially on April 22. Tickets have gone from costing nothing to a maximum of €8.26 (plus IVA), meaning visitors should never have to pay more than €10. Meanwhile, local hotels can no longer get free access for their guests. The attraction is now managed by Hermanos Campano and Bobastro 2000 who paid Malaga council €1.6 million to take over the booking portal (www. caminitodelrey.info), site maintenance and security for the next four years. A total of 300,000 people per year visit the extraordinary path with a maximum of 1,100 per day.

Bride and boom

SPAIN is the world’s second largest exporter of bridal dresses after China, it has emerged. Figures show the country’s wedding gown industry turned over almost €1.3 billion last year, 41% of which were exports. The study also revealed that the millennial generation will comprise the biggest group of potential brides and grooms by 2020.

paid up to several hundred euros a month extra despite the benchmark Euribor interest rate hitting historic lows. “The majority of those affected who do not sign an agreement with their bank can be guaranteed the removal of the clause and a refund,” Myra Cecilia, from Citizens Advice Spain, told the Olive Press. “You have the option to litigate using professional lawyers with expertise in bank products with a 99% success rate.” Spanish consumer group Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU) has created an online calculator for concerned homeowners to check how much they are owed by banks. People can ascertain if they have a clausula suelo clause by checking their bank statement’s interest rate (March Euribor closed at 0.015%). They should contact a specialist lawyer, then ask the bank in question to remove the clausula suelo, with the bank obliged to respond within 60 days. If the bank turns down the request, clients should check if it is attached to the ombudsman service and file a complaint with them or the Bank of Spain. For more information contact myra@citizensadvice.org.es

Zero rates

A STARTUP free mobile service has been launched in Spain following success in the US and UK. FreedomPop offers free use of WhatsApp, which accounts for 90% of text messaging in Spain. It also includes free

basic voice and data, plus free roaming in 31 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, France, Portugal and Italy. The company expects to gain between 500,000 and one million Spanish users in the next two years.

Underdogs ONE of the main rivals to revolutionary ridesharing app Uber has received €106m in its latest round of funding. Cabify, which operates in Malaga, across Spain and in Latin America, is now valued at €283m. The app says it operates a business-focused service, with clients including Google, Visa and Allianz, while all their drivers are required to wear suits. The news is welcome for a service that remains an underdog in a competitive market. Rival apps BlaBlaCar and GrabTaxi are valued at €1.4bn and €1.3bn respectively.

FOREIGN tourists spent 45.6% more on the Balearic Islands in February 2016 compared to the same period last year.

Cashing in BANCO Sabadell’s net profits jumped by 44% in the first quarter of the year, boosted by the acquisition of British lender TSB.

Staying put A RECENT Brexit survey of almost 3,000 expats across Europe revealed 94% had made up their minds with 67% planning to remain in Europe and 28% voting to leave.

Streetsmart SANTANDER has been named as a ‘smart city’ with thousands of sensors controlling parking, ‘intelligent’ streetlights, bin collections and info for shoppers.

A state of Uncertain Uncertainty (Or “that” man waiting round the corner with the spade...) - By Quentin Sellar / International Financial Adviser Costa del Sol

don’t like uncertainty; its makes them very jittery and that in turn causes high volatility. In turn, this can cause investors to behave in different ways. My colleagues and I recently attended a Conference hosted by FEIFA (Federation of European Independent Financial Advisors) where we listened to a presentation by one of the world’s largest Fund Managers regarding Investor Behaviour. Using a research tool developed in conjunction with the University of Cambridge and with a sample size of over 2000 people they found 9 types of behaviour biases. I want to focus on the top 3:

• Projection Bias • Present Bias • Herdism Thank you I wrote an article in this paper 4 weeks ago reminding people about their obligations and deadlines regarding Fiscal Residency and Modelo 720 submissions and also the potential impact of Spanish Inheritance tax if a person’s estate is not structured properly. I would like to personally thank you for the tremendous response we had to that article and my colleagues and I are delighted we could help – it’s what we do best. Uncertain Uncertainty A very good friend of mine told me the story that just when you think everything is working well for you, “that” man with the spade pops out from his hiding place and smacks you right in the face with his spade. Now I’m not talking about what happens in Glasgow when you’re walking home from the pub on a Saturday night (and I’m Glaswegian so I’m allowed to joke about things like that); I’m talking about 2016 and what faces each and every one of us this year – Uncertainty. In fact, it could almost be classed as “uncertain uncertainty”. The key issue for British expats is obviously the UK referendum on 23rd June when the vote will be taken as to whether or not the UK stay in the European Union. So how do retail investors react in these conditions of uncertainty and what should you actually do? Now we all know that the Financial Markets

Projection Bias is defined as “the tendency to falsely project current feelings onto future events Present Bias is defined as “the tendency to prefer immediate gains over larger future gains” Herdism is defined as “the tendency to do something because many other people do the same” Now think. How many people do you know that tried to cash in on the property boom here in Spain in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s looking to build a property portfolio for their future (Projection Bias and Herdism)? Then we have the collapse in the property market and people were left in an “asset rich but cash poor” position. What happened next? Well there were a lot of people who completely cashed in their Pensions by transferring to a QROPS jurisdiction that allowed you to do so at an earlier age then in the UK (Herdism and Present Bias). And then what happened? They had cash in the bank but a massive impact on their future income when they stopped working.

over a cup of coffee we can:

• Clearly establish your current financial situation

• Discuss the reasons that you want or need to invest

• Explore your future plans and goals and not just take your stated needs at face value

• Ensure that your investment goals are

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Top Dollar

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SPAIN’S Industry Minister Jose Soria has resigned after he was exposed by the leaked Panama papers. The snowballing revelations over his offshore business activities made it difficult for Mariano Rajoy and other senior PP leaders to defend him in public, leading him to resign. It had been revealed in the Mossack Fonseca file leak that he was the director of an offshore company called UK Lines Limited for two months in 1992. But Soria continually denied he ever had a company registered in Panama, and

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Sorry Soria Industry minister resigns over offshore business revelations even called a press conference to insist his family business only had a commercial relationship with the firm. However, contradictions soon began to appear in his claims, and it transpired that he had been secretary of a UK company with the

Currency Brexit warning

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

same name for six years, until 1997, coinciding with his stint as mayor of Las Palmas. The lies continued to pile up as it was further revealed that Soria was a director of another offshore company, the Jersey-based Mechanical Trading Limited, until it was

dissolved in 2002. Again this was during his stint as mayor. He is the latest head to roll following the release of 11.5 million documents from the Panama based law firm Mossack Fonseca, which revealed how the rich hide their wealth.

WEB OF LIES: Soria forced to resign

LIBERTYLIFE

By Matthew Harris, Cambridge FX

OLITICAL uncertainty is never good for a currency, and we have seen Sterling suffer tremendously over the last few months, as the Brexit referendum date approaches. I should preface this article by stating that before a June referendum was announced, Sterling had suffered a 12-cent drop from over 1.42, edging under the 1.30 mark in the preceding three months. While that decline was mostly due to interest rate expectation adjustments, it is likely that the potential for a Brexit also weighed on the pound. payments If Britain does w property. indeed vote to leave the 952 830176 EU and go it alone, most analysts agree that the pound is likely to suffer, certainly in the short term. Goldman Sachs is suggesting that it could be as much as a 20% decline in Sterling’s value overnight, which would put levels near parity in sight, as we saw (but did not quite reach) in 2008/2009. Given that experts are split on what the result of the referendum is likely to be, the risk of trusting one side over another seems rather high. As a result, for anyone with a large future currency exposure, the question they should be asking has shifted from ‘What is going to happen with the result’ to ‘How do I want to manage the currency risk’.

Takeover

SPAIN’S CaixaBank has launched a full takeover of Portugal’s BPI after announcing plans to obtain 56% of its shares. The bank will offer €1.113 in cash per share, valuing the Portuguese bank at €1.6 billion.

United crackdown THE EU’s largest economies have agreed to share information on secret owners of trusts and businesses. The data exchange between Spain, UK, Italy, Germany and France is a response to public concern over the Panama Papers revelations. It is designed to make it more difficult for businesses and wealthy individuals to operate without paying the correct amount of tax. Going forward, information on the ultimate ‘beneficial owners’ of companies or trusts will now be automatically exchanged. They will also create new registers of financial trusts. The tax crackdown has been welcomed by the International Monetary Fund, whose chief Christine Lagarde said it added to the momentum building against those who sought to hide income and assets.

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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

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Top Dollar

www.theolivepress.es April 27th - May 10th 2016

Abandoned ‘ghost airport’ finally sold for half original asking price

Royal approval

New hope for ghost airport THE ‘ghost airport’ at Ciudad Real has finally been bought after years of failed bids and rock bottom prices. The white elephant that stood as a testament to pre-crisis overspending has been sold to Ciudad Real International Airport SL for a total of €56.2 million. Although five companies bid for the site, Ciudad Real was the first to successfully deposit the €1.873 million necessary to secure the sale, with

four months to complete the payment. Presiding Judge Carmelo Ordonez said it was a ‘satisfying’ day as the airport had been on the market since December 2013, originally priced at €100 million. The story caused controversy when a Chinese consortium attempted to bag the airport for just €10,000 in July 2015. The consortium, Tzaneen International, was almost successful but was outbid by a British private military aircraft company which failed to present the cash. Bank guarantees presented by Swiss millionaire Richard Taffin de Givenchy, who offered an incredible €200 million this MALAGA’S controversial second runway has March, were declared ‘invalid’. opened far earlier than usual this year. The airport originally cost alThe runway usually only opens in the summost €450 million to build mer to deal with the tourist hordes, but huge and has the longest runway in volumes of passengers arriving in spring Spain. have led to its early opening. It was designed to handle twoFollowing its €470m construction in 2012, and-a-half million passengers the runway was used only around 1% of the per year but in reality only hosted 190,000 over three years of time in 2014 and 2015. operation. That’s the equivalent of €78m for each day it

We have lift-off

was used. Last September a statement issued by the air traffic controllers union - USCA - said the runway causes economic losses for the airport and often delays passengers. The union said as increasing numbers of passengers use the airport with only one runway in operation, they have to stack incoming planes, leading to longer waits on the tarmac.

DERELICT: Airport

IT is rapidly becoming a high street name in Andalucia and Gibraltar, but Holland & Barrett has now been praised back in the UK by no less than the Queen. To celebrate her 90th birthday, Her Majesty bestowed the prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade on the health food chain. The annual awards celebrate UK businesses leading the way in international trade, innovation and sustainable development across a broad range of sectors. Holland & Barrett International - which has had a Gibraltar shop since 2012 - just completed its 28th consecutive quarter of growth with annual growth of over 10%. The firm also saw sales increase from £513.6m in 2014 to £573.8m in 2015, with around 26% (£133m) representing international sales. Operations Manager Ildefonso Aparicio said: “We are proud to be honoured with an award of such accolade from Her Majesty, The Queen. “We at Holland & Barrett Spain have contributed to the global expansion of the business and are looking forward to further growth as the market for health and wellness here continues to develop.” Holland and Barrett Spain has four stores in Andalucia – Marbella, Fuengirola, Sevilla and Granada. For more information visit Facebook.com/HBAndalucia or call the Spanish flagship store in Fuengirola on +34 952 58 68 49

AGONY ANT Property YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Let’s be friends

T’S widely believed that where a lawyer and op- Spanish lawyers and the question posing counsel know each mutual respect other, there is a better sors when saying: “We are surprised chance to sort matters under dispute in a less acrimonious, and that the previous lawyers failed to thus expensive, manner. I fully agree resolve such trivial differences, and rather poisoned the relationship bewith this. Where you know and respect your tween their respective clients”. counterpart, tensions can be mitigat- More obvious was a ruling by ed in contested litigation or, in say, a the Malaga Law Society reprimanding a lawyer who protracted bitter negotiation. This is however not always the case; maintained, in Court, that many lawyers feel that they owe no re- the opposing counsel’s spect, companionship, trust or loyalty actions consisted in “… to their counterpart because of per- lying barefacedly… insonal differences, historical disputes, structing witnesses to prevarifierce competition in the market place deliberately or a mere dislike for another human cate… submitting a fundamentally malicious, being. And these scenarios often trigger reckless and fraudulent disciplinary action by the district claim that not only opLaw Society, in charge of repressing portunistically omits unfriendly attitudes between fellow prejudicial documentation members. also, As an example, the Malaga Law Soci- but ety found it to be an impropriety for exaggerates and the newly appointed lawyers to criti- facts the cise the job done by their predeces- twists

reality of things…sending missives where the lawyer pressurised the other party to accept an agreement, not short of blackmail…” On the contrary, the same Law Society found that stating ‘from the boring reading of the tedious appeal writ that the opposing party has submitted, at least in respect to the intellectual production which is scarce, from what we can see…’ was not disrespectful. And the same outcome was reached where a lawyer, on talking about the merits of prior counsel, said: “…his delicate health…the physical conditions at the time were far from ideal, whether for age limitations or the rather more perceptible issue of arriving from a function where alcohol was in abundance…”

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

Columnists

45the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

www.theolivepress.es

April 27th - May 10th 2016

A day out at the hospital A magical mystery tour for the halt, the lame and the blind

T was just an appointment for a blood test and a chat with some dashing postgraduate anaesthetist (I hoped) about my impending, non-life-threatening operation. It turned out to be a six-hour visit to four departments with two disrobings in different buildings, all on an empty stomach because you can’t eat or drink before a prueba de sangre (blood test). Normally they do it nice and early in the morning so you don’t have to wait too long for that life-saving first café con leche. But my appointment was 10:30am – way past breakfast and approaching elevenses. And being British I got there early – a big mistake. In Spain, you should arrive at least an hour late to be on time for anything, I reminded myself as I fought my way along corridors more clogged than a London tube train at rush hour; the difference being that here, everyone was having a good old natter and making a social occasion of it. Finding myself a perch outside Consulta 7 – you can’t call those long lines of joinedup metal platforms in Algeciras’ Hospital Punta de Europa ‘chairs’ – I learned from a large lady whose bottom was sharing my ‘rung’ that the doctor was running approximately two-and-a-half hours late. A posse of disgruntled patients was already waiting in ambush outside his door

TESTING TIMES: Hospital horror

at home alone” “I’m diabetic, I need to eat and take my insulin or I could pass out.” All to no avail. Finally it was my turn. It went fine. Although I was a little disconcerted when the anaesthetist asked me, “Are you having it all out or just partially?” “You mean you don’t know?” I gasped. He did know that the surgeon performing it was ‘a very jolly man with curly hair’ which on a need-toknow, I didn’t, although I was beginning to under. phase stand why this particular lla I BLAME it on the 80s. Marbe tion regula in spent was 80s the e The rest of doctor is infamously late. mainMy formative fashion years were spent in a decad still I gh althou jeans ripped style T-shirt and Oh well, he was almost that saw rolled-up jackets worn over T-shirts and tained the gelled hair. handsome. shoulder pads you could land a small Lear Jet on.lly The build-up to a big night out included applying manfu led Ever since that decade, I’ve strugg get it just right. to ray hairsp of ities quant rial indust I’d that through the world of fashion so I thought Expecting I’m sure that I was single-handedly responsible for share some of my more, ermmm, ‘interesting’ fash- the hole in the ozone level above Banus. But that wasn’t the end you. with years the over pas ion faux Then I’d leap on my Mobylette and, in those preof it. There was a maze I grew up in the 70s, which meant that most of the helmet day, tear down to the Port. of corridors to negotiate early childhood photos have me sporting a ratherT Obviously, when I arrived, my hair looked like I’d to find the blood clinic, to off fetching lumberjack jacket, Starsky and Hutch was it so l tunne wind a been blasted through then out past the dustshirt and flared jeans combo, with my hair worn the bathroom to do the whole process again. bins, through a baseshoulder length. It’s a look that I came back to re- My look, ahem, ‘mellowed’ during my last two years ment and up in a service ng cently, but without the hair (of which more later). studyi at college. I was playing guitar in a band, lift to the main hospital my into me saw ds Midlan the in years ge y teena My art and English and was heavil for an X Ray. I got lost . phase Rock Goth-Heavy into The Doors and Hendrix. somewhere between ObThe Cult, The Cure and Killing collarless shirts, grew my wore I stetrics and EndocrinolShake Joke were all big influences and a added and long hair ogy and trailed in last, I spent the ages of 13 to 17 hap. beard an speare behind the lady with the the pily moping about the drizzlewas I ht thoug ts Visiting paren large bottom and an elfilled Staffordshire countryside drama teacher… derly gent on a zimmer. pitch in a succession of long trenchme A return to London saw Then we had it all to do baggy oats, waistc black the coats, head first into plaid shirts and again in reverse to get boots felt heavy rs, black trouse whole grunge scene, with my hair back to outpatients for and Victorian brooches, and as er length a la Kurt Coshould now an ECG, by which time we miserable as a wet weekend (listhe terrible day that I until bain, were all in need of paceback tening to non-stop Cure albums the of ion reflect the t caugh makers. I’m expecting an saw will do that to an impressionable and mirror the in of my head Unfit for Procedure letter t) teen, trust me). (righ patch. s bald a Gile ROCKER: the beginnings of any day now. the And then something terrible into d Without hesitation, the next day I walke Who knew blood tests Puerto to ies Potter the from moved We ned. chop happe st hair salon and asked the stylist to neare could turn out to be such cula was s friend new with g meetin first My Banus. the lot off. an adventure? No one she as ture shock that took months to recover from. glee of s shriek her ber remem all I can still had been forewarned, of was Most of them wore surf shirts and ripped jeans, place the that ent comm the hacked away and course. It’s just assumed somehad tans and looked healthy. if as looked it ards, a so full of long hair afterw you’ve got nothing better My Goth gear made me stick out like a Zombie in ka. Bazoo a with one had shot Russell Brand to do. Zumba class, a fact that was confirmed when I went My hair has stayed cropped ever since, and I’ve By the time I was set free t perfec to my first BBQ, over in Estepona. few in lived by the mantra of ‘God made just a to get my caffeine fix the ndent resple y journe bus ng hour-lo the d starte I heads. On the rest He put hair’. winter sun was heading with shirt black oat, waistc black – outfit street my finest rs In the meantime I’ve given up trying to wear -aged back to the horizon but diamante broach at the throat, black baggy trouse middle a than worse g nothin ’s style (there boy did that coffee taste and thick felt studded boots, my hair defiantly gelled bloke in skateboard gear and baggy jeans) and good. A little abstinence Mellow and spiked. is think to like I that am trying out a look makes the heart grow Sixty minutes later the other passengers had be- Mediterranean Mod. fonder. come so concerned at the weirdo slumped over the And, due to the fact that I wasn’t born innately stylBetter still, for the Italan back seats sweating profusely that they begged the as – ish (In my next life I want to come back first time in years I got w windo a open could they so over pull to den driver ian, please), whenever I’m faced with a fashio through an entire morndays. ioning condit pre-air in this was cision, I find myself asking the following question: ing without needing a I poured myself gasping into the street, my hair plas- ‘Would David Niven have worn this?’ pee! tered to my face, and that was the end of my Goth to pounce on the nurse as she emerged to summon the next victim, waving documents and all talking at once. “I have to get to the paint shop before it closes.” “I have an elderly mother who’s

Faux pas fashion It’s been a journey of sartorial trial and error for this Marbella man

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April 27th - May 10th 2016

Fungi can’t cure cancer!

SURGERY: For Brits abroad

Fly and tuck

SPAIN could see an increase in health tourism after the UK’s General Medical Council published new guidelines on cosmetic procedures. The rules, affecting surgical and non-surgical procedures, ban promotional deals such as ‘two-for-one’ and the offering of procedures as prizes. A surgeon found to break the fresh guidelines could be struck off the medical register. The changes could lead more Brits to seek operations abroad, with Spain already a hotspot for a cheaper op. The country’s health tourism sector, mainly driven by Brits, grew by 20% last year and is worth €500 million. Brits pay around 60% less for procedures in Spain, while the exchange rate is beneficial.

A SPANISH father is suing a homeopath for telling his son he could cure his leukemia with ‘fungi and alcohol’. Julian Rodriguez’s son, Mario Rodriguez, lost his battle to cancer after favouring alternative remedies over conventional medicine. His father wants the landmark case to result in tougher regulation on homeopathic

practitioners, and it is expected to put pressure on Spain’s growing alternative remedies industry. The Provincial Court of Valencia decided that medically untrained Jose Ramon Llorente should be held accountable for his claims that he could cure cancer, and that a case could be brought against him on the grounds of ‘professional intrusion’.

If convicted, Llorente faces up to two years in prison. Doctors had recommended a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy for Mario, who was a 21-year-old physics student when he was diagnosed. Homeopathy has no grounding in scientific evidence but is worth an estimated €60 million a year in Spain.

Surgery addict’s flesh eating hell Tap water

DIRTY: Infected water

Marbella surgery addict almost loses nose after 20th op in one year A SURGERY addict who spent €400,000 to look like Barbie’s Ken has had his nose rescued in Malaga after it developed a hole. Rodrigo Alves, 32, who has a home in Puerto Banus, had an operation on his nose in February but his body rejected it. His septum then became

loose and a hole appeared on the outside of his right nostril. “A horrible hole appeared in my nostril and the infection was eating my nose, I was warned if it was not stopped it could eat into my face,” he said. As the hole grew, the Brazilian found it hard to breathe and was admitted to Malaga hospital where he received antibiotics through an IV drip. His nose had developed necrosis, a complication of cosmetic surgery where a loss of blood supply causes

please

CHANGING FACE: Of surgery addict Rodrigo the new flesh to die. If not treated effectively it can lead to blood poisoning and gangrene, and eat into the surrounding skin. Doctors were able to save his nose and Rodrigo eventually returned to his Marbella pad. The air steward began his

transformation in 2004 after struggling with the way he looked since childhood. In the past year alone he has spent an incredible €120,000 on 20 procedures, travelling to clinics from Iran to the United States.

Focus on women’s eyes When it comes to eyes, are women really from Venus?

MOTHER’S Day in Spain is the first Sunday in May, so to celebrate the great mums, grandmas, sisters and aunties we wanted to answer some questions about how women’s eyes are affected by hormones and what eye health conditions can particularly affect them.

Are women’s eyes affected by hormones?

Unfortunately women’s eyes can suffer when they are menstruating, pregnant or breastfeeding, as they need to retain more liquids and this can affect the eyes as well as producing other side effects such as bloating and swollen ankles.

Are there any other things that can affect a woman’s eyes? The contraceptive pill can often cause changes in your vision, as can antidepressants, anti- anxiety medications and antihistamines.

Why do my eyes get so dry?

The term ‘dry eye’ is used when we don’t produce enough tears or our tears evaporate too quickly. People with dry eyes often have plenty of water in their tears but not enough oil. Dry eye is three times more common in wom-

en than men, as it is affected by hormonal changes during a menstrual cycle, pregnancy, breastfeeding or the menopause. As we age this can get worse, with 60% of women over 50 years old suffering from this uncomfortable condition. To reduce symptoms drink plenty of water, use eye drops and sprays to add extra lubrication, reduce your central heating and avoid direct heat from heaters.

What is conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis is the most common eye disease in the Western hemisphere and kids often get this at school and pass this on to their mums. It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva which makes the sclera appear reddened due to an increase in blood supply. The eye feels itchy and watery. Sometimes there is a sticky discharge which feels uncomfortable and makes vision blurry. Although conjunctivitis is often referred to as ‘pink eye’, this technically only refers to one type of the eye disease, bacterial conjunctivitis. Contact lense users should remove them and wear glasses until symptoms recover. There are Specsavers Opticas stores in Marbella and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. If your eyes are sore or red, or you are experiencing discomfort, go to your nearest store for a free eye test www.specsavers.es

MORE than 4,000 people have fallen ill from drinking bottled water in Catalunya. A brutal outbreak of norovirus struck 4,146 people down in Tarragona and Barcelona last week with complaints of stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Doctors believe the water was contaminated and investigations are underway. Water company Grupo Eden Springs, which specialises in water dispensers, has recalled over 6,000 bottles in the afflicted area ‘as a precautionary measure’. The manager posted a message on Twitter apologising for ‘any inconvenience’ caused to customers.

GHA’S cancer awareness day OVER 250 people have been screened by the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) at skin cancer awareness day. The annual initiative, now in its third year, allowed locals to be checked by the GHA’s dermatology team earlier this month. The screening day marked the launch of the annual Sun Awareness campaign, aimed at raising public awareness on the dangers of overexposure. A GHA spokesman said: “In Gibraltar we already have a substantial number of skin cancers that are managed by the dermatology department and the surgeons in the hospital and it is imperative that we do all we can to reduce future cases. “The importance of protecting ourselves from sun exposure cannot be over emphasised.”

www.theolivepress.es The Olive Press’

On your bike

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015 monthly youth and education section

treme

British teacher takes on 8,000km cycle across Europe, starting in Tarifa

A FOREIGN languages teacher from the UK has completed an epic trip across Europe. Swapping his interactive whiteboard for a road bike, Briton Andrew Sykes cycled 8,000km across the continent. Starting in Tarifa, Europe’s

PARENTS interested in giving their children an independent education on the Rock were given the latest updates on brand new school Prior Park Gibraltar last week. Headmaster Peter Watts met the crowd in Algeciras’ Hotel Guadacorte on April 21 to talk about curriculum, school fees, staff and the site’s exciting refurbishment. The faith school, in the old Sacred Heart campus, will cater for 240 boys and girls at capacity, starting with Years 8, 9 and 10 this year and sixth form twelve months later. The Olive Press met Watts in February to learn more about the man behind the in-

southernmost point, Sykes cycled across Spain before entering France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. His voyage came to an end at North Cape after 96 days. An ‘uplifting slog’ Sykes said the best part of his trip was testing out his lan-

NEW SCHOOL: Prior Park Gibraltar opens in September

Students revolt

THOUSANDS of students held protests across Spain over the country's education law, which changed the duration of university degrees and introduced fee hikes. The protests were called by the Students Union with the biggest marches taking place in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The controversial bill increases the number of annual exams and reintroduced religion as a subject. The government said it wanted to stem the school dropout rate.

Marbella Mayor Jose Bernal met with delegates from the University of West London to discuss developing a partnership for educational projects. Many UK universities have been looking to partner with the town as it is one of Spain’s best cities for English language educative courses.

TEACHER’S TOUR: Sykes’ cycle across Europe

In the know

dependent Catholic school set to open in September. “I just can’t wait for it

London links

Work to do

guages. “In my opinion the best teachers are ones that take a holistic approach so the

to open now,” he said. For more information visit www.priorparkgibraltar.com

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experiences gained from taking a break can be really helpful when you go back to the classroom,” he said. “Starting in Tarifa was great as I was straight into speaking Spanish.” He added: “It was about as challenging as a longdistance cycle through Europe could get. It’s in-

teresting to compare the different countries along the route.” Sykes - who teaches French and Spanish in Yorkshire is now writing a memoir of his journey, titled The 35 Degrees: Heading North on a Bike Called Reggie, due for release at the end of the year.

A UNICEF report published in April ranked Spain sixth worst for childhood inequality among developed countries. The ‘report card’ found that nearly a third of children in Spain are at risk of poverty or social exclusion while the income gap has exceeded more than 60%. The report analysed changes in equality over time from 41 countries from the EU and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Spain only beat Romania, Bulgaria, Mexico, Greece and Israel in the list.

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PAY UP: McD’S

McRumbled!

FRENCH tax officials have reportedly demanded €300 million from McDonald’s in ‘unpaid tax’ after a report which also said it dodged paying €68.5 million in Spain. Last year’s Unhappy Meal report claimed McDonald’s avoided taxes worth more than €1 billion in Europe between 2009 and 2013. It stated the fast food joint owed the UK even more than Spain, €75 million. Nadja Salson, from the European Federation of Public Service Unions, said: “The net is closing in on McDonald’s.” France’s finance ministry estimated it had been underpaid by €200 million.

Going nuts

RONDA is witnessing a rejuvenation in pistachio cultivation with more than 20 hectares already planted. It has not grown so extensively in the region since the Moorish empire, but the crop is now believed to be more profitable than olives and almonds. The price of the dried nut continues to climb thanks to a growing demand in China and Europe.

The only English newspaper in Spain March 2nd - March 15thwith 2016 a dedicated food, drink & travel section every issue of ANDALUCIA.com

The garden of delights ‘Spice junkie’ Robert Grimmond’s El Jardin restaurant in Frigiliana gets a visit from Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke

OU are looking down onto ‘Andalucia’s prettiest village’. And to the sound of a tinkling fountain, the walled garden redoubt offers the most delightful townscape fusing with terraces of avocados and the distant coastline far off in the distance. This is El Jardin, in Frigiliana, one of the true dining secrets of Andalucia, where the food very much matches the views. You get here, on foot, via a series of alleyways, arches and arrows, which children will enjoy following, and arrive to attractive mosaic tables, heavy wrought iron chairs and natural wooden sunshades. It’s authentic and organic in the extreme and, best of all, its owner Robert Grimmond is a veritable spice junkie, loving to experiment with new tastes

BEAUTIFUL: Andalucia’s ‘prettiest village’ from El Jardin’s terrace and (left) salmon salad in the kitchen, before moving around the capital and finally landing in the Axarquia, where his parents had a holiday home. Since opening 11 years ago he has consistently honed and

improved his menu, bringing in specials by the day, based around the seasons. While Robert insists there are ‘no tricks, just great fresh, local produce’, there is actually a lot more going on with his dishes,

Spain begs UNESCO to protect world-famous cuisine

collections of objects, but it has now evolved to include flamenco, the whistled language on La Gomera island and the human towers formed during festivals in Catalunya. Tapas is not the first food to request UNESCO recognition either. Italy will find out if its Neapolitan pizza is worthy of Intangible Cultural Heritage protection next year.

and flavours. Having trained at award-winning London cookery school Leiths - whose former alumni include the Duchess of Cambridge - he got a good start

Save our tapas THE next time you order a plate of boquerones or meatballs with your caña, you might be tucking into an item of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. UNESCO is investigating whether to bestow the title upon tapas, after being con-

tacted by the president of Spain's Royal Academy of Gastronomy, Rafael Anson. “Tapas is the very model of food,” he said, “Pizza in itself is not intangible, but the

concept of the mediterranean diet, for example, is.” The Ministry of Culture is expected to make a formal presentation to UNESCO which, if successful, will see

tapas safeguarded against any cultural erasure that may happen in the future. The definition of 'items with cultural heritage' was once limited to monuments and

Dream come true FORMER elBulli head chef Ferran Adria is swapping Michelin stars for Mickey Mouse in his latest food quest. The legendary cook (who met the Olive Press last week in Marbella, see P7) has teamed up with Disney to create a multimedia project promoting healthy food and recipes for kids in a fun way. Incorporating Disney themes Caption for the younger audience, he will appear in ‘Te cuento en an app with a cookbook and la cocina’ (I tell you in the videos such as ‘how to make kitchen), which will consist of chickpeas and spinach, fit for

Capped up

a jedi’. He has 60 recipes prepared for the project so far.

ALDI has launched its own brand of coffee capsules in Spain. The ‘Markus’ range, sourced from Latin America and Africa, is now being sold across its 260 Spanish stores. The coffee capsule market in Spain grew by over 10% last year and now makes up one third of the €18 billion western European coffee market. The supermarket’s range is compatible with Nespresso machines and packs of 16 cost €2.99.

ARRIVAL: And (left) Robert which are light and original and, almost without exception, come with interesting spices. Take his Shawarma spiced salmon salad (pictured), which is really more of a soup, comprising a base of delicious almond ajo blanco, cucumber, celery and grapes, plus tahini sauce, fennel oil and pomegranate molasses. It’s a massive winner and a dish I would eat every lunch if I could. And then there’s the original Thai-green curried clams, sitting in coconut milk and chili and the fabulous courgette and onion fritters (bunuelos), which are a proper stuff-yourface number.

Popcorn

Yes, el Jardin is very different, not least because it has a salad menu almost as big as its main courses, but also as you will be hard pressed to find anywhere in Andalucia serving up black pudding with baba ganoush… oh, and ‘spicy popcorn’! For mains I was steered off piste to the ‘special of the day’ which was pluma Iberica from Aracena with crisp jasmine basmati rice and a delicious dhal source. I can still taste it a week later. Yes, this is one place you need to visit soon, before a trade blockade stops Robert getting his hands on such spicy chestnuts as ‘urfa biber’ and ‘za'atar’. Even his coffee is darn good, fair trade, coming from Ethiopia, via a supplier in Alicante. I didn’t even mention the wines, which are varied and interesting, or his puddings, which included a barbecued banana with vanilla marshmallow. Holy smoke. Visit Diningsecretsofandalucia.com

ORIGINAL: Thai green curry clams

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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

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No country for Roaming the hills with a goat at your heels is the best way to disconnect in the campo, as Iona Napier discovers

KNEW it as soon as I put my iPhone into hibernation mode and tore off a hunk of bread with my bare hands. I had arrived in the campo. Not the harsh unforgiving campo local farmers know but the stuff of fairytales – Heidi country, served up with home-baked bread drenched in prize-winning olive oil - ‘officially’ the world’s best, produced by neighbouring Venta del Baron farm. From sleeping in a bedroom overlooking the groves which provide this delicious golden dip to sipping a local red wine beside a roaring log fire, it’s a pampered introduction to rural life. Of course, a tour of the landmarks along Cordoba’s Olive Oil and Wine Routes is never going to be hardship, although my

STUNNING: The cortijo and (inset) Iona with Divina the goat mountain-biking colleague Rob Horgan experienced some of that on our weekend at Cortijo la Presa. I had a more gentle time of it, exploring the hinterland on foot with Divina the goat (think celestial, not McCall) and getting stuck into some good, old-fashioned sightseeing.

“Say cheese, Divina”, I called. “Baa humbug”, she bleated back. The country pile straddles the frontiers of three Andalucian provinces - Cordoba, Granada and Malaga - and is within easy daytrip distance of major tourist hotspots like the Mezquita and the Alhambra Palace. Priego de Cordoba and Iznajar are just two of stunning Subbet-

ica’s well-kept secrets that our hosts unveiled during our country activities weekend. A dawn walk got the visit off to a refreshing start as we snacked on home-grown almonds and watched the sunrise cut through mountain mist as neighbour Francisco, stoked a bonfire. The charming town of Priego is perched dramatically on a high cliff on one side, a jumble of

Ride of my life

City boy Rob Horgan hits Cordoba off-road on two-wheels – minus his cycling shorts – to discover the agony and ecstasy of mountain biking ur y Ho Happrom f 0 - 18:3 16:00

SPECIAL ROMANTIC OFFER • Double room with ensuite bath • Nice breakfast • 30 minutes in the Turkish bath followed by tea • A bottle of cava and strawberries in the room • Candles, flowers, cakes and cava on arrival in room • Dinner for two persons with a bottle of wine JUST 180 EUROS PER NIGHT Hotel Las Orquideas, C/Virgen de La Milagrosa, 10 Los Romanes, Axarquia, Malaga. Tlf.: +34 951.509.071

I HIT two steep learning curves during my cycling weekend in the rocky mountain ranges of the Subbetica. One: there’s a reason mountain bikers wear those body-revealing lycra cycling shorts. Two: hippos are right. Mud can be glorious. I was covered in it most of the time, returning from the experience with a satisfying burn in my thighs … but a less-welcome throbbing in the buttocks from friction burns. It was (saddle)bags of fun but next time I’ll be sure to get my clothing in gear too. From exploring a secret cave occupied by rebels during the civil war to whizzing through muddy puddles in the olive groves, mountain biking in the hills above Cordoba is something I won’t forget in a hurry. Rewind two days and I arrived at Cortijo La Presa with fellow reporter Iona Napier and our plus ones for a mountain biking, hiking and yoga extravaganza. Greeted by an excitable Chicuca (the cortijo’s water dog), charming hosts Jonathan and Claire quickly followed to welcome us into their grand retreat on the outskirts of Las Lagunillas. A trained mountain bike leader, Jonathan left his job as a sub editor at The Sun newspaper to make headlines with his LIKE A PRO: Cyclist Rob own business. The yoga side is taken care of by Financial Times journalist Claire, who was trained by nuns at school and monks the prospect of going off-tarmac sounded in Thailand. She has been teaching for six daunting but Jonathan’s local know-how years and is also trained in gong baths and quickly dispels nerves. meditation. He has designed two of the trails (more are Hearty homemade country fare, and lots to follow), using natural materials, and on of it, is a strong theme of every weekend. day one we hit the first, christened Almond Served up by housekeepers Carmen and Avenue. husband Antonio, we gorged on prawns with A gentle spin snaking through olive groves quinoa and avocado, salmon with roasted and along a cart track beside a stream, tranveg, goat’s cheese, chorizo, white pudding quillo doesn’t even cut it. and barbecued chicken. Diverting off track to visit one of the route’s The best thing about cycling is that greed is star attractions, we scrambled up a steep good. Every calorie is essential fuel so you hill to a cave that was once home to humans are encouraged to eat your fill. during the Spanish Civil War. More recently, As a ‘city boy’ and regular on-road cyclist rabbits have claimed squatters’ rights.

Looking out over the breathtaking landscape to the sounds of warbling birds and flowing water, I saw why Jonathan loves this place. He and Claire were living in Iznajar and already smitten when Isidoro and Carmen asked them to come on board as business partners last year. “How could we say no?” says Jonathan. “We are the perfect team. Isidora is a builder and does a fantastic job with any work that needs doing, Carmen knows about the market and renting property. Claire and I bring the activities to the table, with the biking, yoga and media contacts.” After lunch we were ready for Olive Groove, Jonathan’s second bespoke trail, a downhill run with all the prescribed bumps and bends to get the heart racing. From there, the ‘easy riding was over as a challenging climb above the cortijo worked our thigh muscles into a slow burn. Then the reward – a twisting downhill slalom with ups, downs and spectacular views. A tough first day was perfectly rounded off with a relaxing yoga session, hosted by Claire, where I discovered for the first time the real pleasure of yoga, especially after a gruelling bike trip! Upcoming yoga retreats at the Cortijo are scheduled for June and October. Day two was slightly tougher with a challenging climb part of the way up Mount La Tinosa, Cordoba’s highest peak. Dubbed ‘base camp’ by Jonathan, the views rival any in Andalucia and the uphill trip is more than repaid by the ride down. A morning shower had left the track awash, calling for yet another clean-up. But as Jonathan maintains,‘With mountain biking, the muddier you get, the more fun you’ve had’. And as it happens, you can believe an exSun newspaper sub. As I watch another spectacular sunset over the mountains, an ice pack pressed to my bottom, I’ll also take his word on another thing. Next time, I’ll wear cycling shorts.

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iPhones

IT’S A-MAY-ZING the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

MAY in the mountains is really memorable. The combination of the light, the colours, the wild flowers, the pleasant temperatures...

DAYTRIPS GALORE: To Priego de Cordoba, Cordoba’s Mezquita (inset right) and nearby caves (inset left) whitewashed buildings, sensa- sotto and gorgonzola croquetas. tional Baroque architecture and Fine food and fresh air is the handsome churches practically best sleeping pill and I was up with the lark next day to enjoy on top of one another. Tossed between the Moors and a typical cortijo Sunday in the the Christians over the centu- great outdoors. ries until 1341, the booming Housekeeper and champion silk trade in the 18th century forager Antonio led me off the brought economic prosper- beaten track to pick armfuls of wild asparagus ity and accounts and impart a for many of the vital lesson on ornate buildings. We travelled edible and killer Look out for mushrooms the spectacular back in time to while keeping 16th century Fuente del Rey the magnificent our four-legged escort - a goatfountain and the hilltop town of dog menagerie Moorish art of - in check. Barrio de la Villa, Iznajar Later, we timewhose sinuous travelled back to alleys lead to t h e plant pot-festooned Plazuela de San Antonio. days of the conIsolated it may be but the lo- quistadores cal cuisine is bang on trend. At on a guided tapas bar Zyrah we feasted on tour of the honeyed aubergines, seared m a g n i f i duck, tuna teriyaki, seafood ri- cent hill-

RELAXING: Yoga on the beach while (inset) the team and (below) picturesque Iznajar

top town of Iznajar (Moorish for ‘happy castle’ although I doubt it was that). Climbing the steps to the highest tower atop the 8th century fortress, you can almost smell the blood and sweat from battles fought long ago and hear the clash of steel blades as you browse the alarming samurai sword collection. The castle is cobbled together in a charming Christian/Moorish collaboration, added to as each side conquered, surrendered and reconquered. The blast from the past intensified as I clambered down a rickety ladder into an ancient reservoir, preserved from Arab times when a sloped terrace above funnelled rainwater down into the cool, arched chamber you can visit today. Indeed, water is a running theme in Iznajar which overlooks a stunning turquoise reservoir – an incredible inland paradise that’s the country equivalent of Nikki Beach with sunbathing areas, kayaks, pedalo hire and several bars and restaurants serving up panoramic views with your preprandial cocktail. It’s the campo but cut off from civilisation it’s not, with outdoor pursuits aplenty and culture in no short supply. If you can’t put your iPhone down for one weekend, you are missing a treat. Visit cortijolapresa.com

Combine the natural world with the pleasures of Molino del Santo and you are in for a real treat. Just 15 minutes from Ronda you will find an old watermill converted into a charming small hotel and restaurant alongside a mountain stream. The surroundngs are stunning, Molino del Santo is recognized as one of the most special places in Andalucia.

GREAT MAY-TRE & MAY-DS Open every day for drinks, meals and accommodation, Molino del Santo is a real destination location. Recommended by Michelin, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and many others, with excellent reviews on Trip Advisor and other websites, why don’t you take the time to discover, or re-visit, Molino del Santo soon? Our staff are exceptionally friendly from the May-tre In the restaurant to the MAY-ds in the rooms.

“Don’t change a thing… you have created a piece of heaven.”

ON THE MAY-N LINE Molino del Santo is just 5 minutes walk from a sleepy railway station on the Algeciras to Granada line. In just over an hour from San Roque you will alight at Benaoján station having travelled through stunning scenery. (The fare is just 12euros return!) Stroll to the restaurant for lunch before taking the afternoon train back again. Or stay over. There are lots of walks from the hotel where no car is needed. Contact info@molinodelsanto.com for easy instructions on how to visit by train for a different and unforgettable experience.

BRING YOUR MAY-TES Molino del Santo is an ideal place to enjoy the company of friends of family. There are no TVs anywhere in the hotel so you have time to catch up and really relax. A special birthday, an anniversary, a reunion… you have found the ideal place to celebrate.

WE MAY-KE SPECIAL OFFERS During the month of MAY we’ll offer you a special rate for any unsold rooms. (There aren’t many left so please contact us soon.) Mention The Olive Press and ask for last minute rates.

So there is no excuse… why re-MAY-n at home when you could be enjoying MAY in the mountains? ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

More information of any kind e-mail

info@molinodelsanto.com

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

the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

Trays at the ready

IT may not be the most well known, or prestigious award ceremony but waiters around Spain are on the edge of their tray tables. With a €3,000 prize up for grabs, the annual Spanish Waiter of the Year competition is almost upon us. Contestants must show their deep knowledge of food and wine, their skill at mixing drinks, preparing coffee, blending a steak tartare and - of course - cutting jamón. Judged by Ignacio LópezEtcheverry president of Amyce, the country’s national association of waiters, the competition takes place on April 28.

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

FLOWER POWER by Steven Saunders of the Little Geranium

This week the former Master Chef from TV’s Ready Steady Cook and the Little Geranium in La Cala throws a right royal party

Fiesta Food!

’VE been cooking for over 40 years so I’ve planned a lot of parties, weddings and special events in my time. One of my most memorable would be the bash I threw for Prince Charles in London, using some of his own Highgrove lamb. It was a sophisticated yet casual affair and I used the opportunity to celebrate the lamb farmed on his estate. I have to say it is the best I have ever eaten. I was aiming to keep it simple with so many people attending but, being a chef, I couldn’t resist using all the cuts laid out before me. I decided on slow roasted shoulder with anchovy and rosemary, pink juicy rack cutlets, harissa-spiced leg, some bbqed rump steaks and ribs with honey and pistachio. When people arrived they all commented on the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. Most people tried a little of each, which we served with interesting salads: Nicoise with French beans and olives, roasted peppers with fresh white asparagus and wild mushrooms, Greek village salad with barbecued haloumi cheese, Moroccan spiced cous cous, quinoa with mint and chillies, roasted aubergine caviar and summer leaves loaded with garden herbs. I whizzed up a variety of sauces and dips as

LEGENDARY WAITER: Manuel of Fawlty Towers

Every Sunday Carvery: Beef, Lamb and Turkey Open every day for Lunch and Dinner except Tuesdays closed Restaurante Olé Urb. Los Claveles Edf. Ecuador 202, 29650 Mijas Costa Tel: 952 492 162

well - salads should be interesting. Instead of a bog-standard mixed salad, think about deconstructing some of the ingredients and do a fab tomato salad with red onions and balsamic, for example, or a roasted pepper salad. Borrow some of the above ideas and Google others. However what stuck in most of the guests’ memories, and that of the royal host, was the slow roasted ‘pulled’ lamb with anchovy and rosemary. Prince Charles commented that the anchovy gave the lamb a most interesting saltiness and fabulous flavours. I thanked him and asked him whether his mother liked it too. ‘My mother?’ he replied quizzingly (as she was not in attendance). ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I cooked a similar dish for her when we opened The Lowry in Manchester.’ ‘ Good stuff’, he replied. ‘Lets keep it in the family’. So on the right is that royal recipe. I wish I had the space to share all the dishes we cooked that day which go perfectly with tender lamb shoulder. If you are throwing a party, this dish can be cooked the day before and reheated successfully on the barbecue or in the oven which makes it a winner for simplicity as well as magnificent flavours!

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Pulled shoulder of lamb

Ingredients:

2kg shoulder of lamb 4 tbsp olive oil 2 Spanish Onions 1 cinnamon stick 4 cardamom pods Half a tin (120 g) of chopped anchovies 2 bay leaves 1 tsp light brown sugar 1 tbsp red wine vinegar Maldon salt

For the Paste 6 garlic cloves Approx half a tin (120 g) of tinned Anchovies A bunch of fresh Rosemary 1 green chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you don’t like it too hot) 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds

Method Up to one day before the party, tip all the paste ingredients into a small food processor with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Blitz until fairly smooth. Lightly score the lamb a few times on all sides and rub the paste all over. Push some of the rough chopped anchovy into the scored lamb, throw loads of rosemary over it and drizzle with olive oil. Ideally cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Heat oven to 160C fan/gas 4. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a roasting tin that is big enough to fit the lamb snugly. Add the onions, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves to the hot oil and cook for 10 minutes to colour and seal. Sprinkle over the sugar and the vinegar and season with Maldon salt. Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven for three hours until the lamb is really tender. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. Heat the barbecue on full (or your oven, 200C fan/gas 6). Place the lamb in a shallow roasting tin if in the oven, brush with oil and roast for 40 mins until nicely browned. When cooked, make a sauce with the lamb juices in the roasting pan,by adding rosemary, red wine and melted redcurrant jelly, finished with fresh mint leaves. Pull the lamb off the bone with two forks and serve on a board, using the coriander, mint and rosemary sprigs to garnish. Serve with the sauce and some coliourful salads.

Steven Saunders FMCGB - www.thelittlegeranium.com - steven@thelittlegeranium.com +34 952 49 36 02

sport

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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

April 27th - May 10th 2016

Nadal ‘doping’ row on centre court RAFAEL Nadal is suing the former French minister who accused him of doping. The 14-time Grand Slam winner is launching a defamation suit after Roselyne Bachelot’s ‘offensive remarks’ last

UNEXPECTED: Win for Brit Andrew Johnston

Magic Johnston OPEN de Espana winner Andrew Johnston revealed he burst into tears after winning his maiden European Tour title at Real Club de Valderrama. The Englishman saw off Joost Luiten and host Sergio Garcia to seal a famous one-shot win from the Dutchman, with the Spaniard finishing third. Johnston, 27, claimed victory when Luiten was unable to birdie either of the final two holes to give him his first win in his 63rd European Tour start. "I came off the course and started crying with the emotion of it," said Johnston. "It’s what you dream of. You see the history of the event and you see all these names [on the trophy], and you put mine on there and it seems pretty ridiculous. "Hopefully I can be one of those guys who has an incredible career like that and people can say, 'Oh, Beef’s on there'." Johnston admitted he didn't think he would last beyond day one, given the demanding rigours of Valderrama. His 1-over 285 total is the first over-par title winning score on the European Tour since the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion. And the man known as Beef admitted he was astonished his first title had come so soon. "The goal this year was go to out and get a win. I can't believe it's happened so quick,” he said.

Rossi triumphs VALENTINO Rossi triumphed in the Spanish MotoGP at Jerez on Sunday. The Italian was ahead of his rivals from the start, winning in 45 minutes, well ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez. It's the seven-time MotoGP world champion's ninth win at Jerez and his 87th victory in the top category. Marquez maintained his top position in the overall standings, going up to 82 points. Lorenzo is second with 65 while Rossi is third with 58.

month. Bachelot claimed that Nadal’s sevenmonth layoff in 2012 was ‘probably due to a positive doping test’. The Spaniard claimed he had tendinitis and a virus.

In a statement, Nadal said: “Through this case, I intend not only to defend my integrity and my image as an athlete but also the values I have defended all my career.” He will donate any money won from the case to a French NGO.

Rucking fabulous

Trocadero Marbella Rugby Club win Andalucian championship

TROCADERO Marbella Rugby Club have been crowned Andalucian champions for the first time following a stunning 24-10 victory over Sevilla’s San Jeronimo. Augusto Nunez opened the scoring for Marbella with a 20th minute try before two penalties from Andres Costa put the Costa del VICTORIOUS: Marbella rugby team Sol side 11-0 ahead at Puerto Santa Maria. San Jeronimo responded with a converted try, but a ALBERTO Contador has demanded that riders caught mechani- drop goal by skipper Kike cal doping should be banned for life. Gonzalez and Rodrigo StuThe two-time Tour de France winner was speaking out after re- ven’s try stretched Marbelcent allegations that cyclists were using motors in their bikes. la’s lead to 21-7.

Motor mouth

Contador said: “First there was the fight against doping. Now the affair of mechanical fraud. “A lifetime suspension must be the only verdict. No pardon.”

Olympic push

JOSE Maria Olazabal believes it is ‘crucial’ that golf is back at the Olympics in Rio this summer. The ex-Ryder Cup captain was joined at La Reserva Golf Club by Sergio Garcia, Olympics captain Manuel Pinero and European Tour president of international relations George O’Grady. With golf back at the Olympics for the first time since 1904, the players spoke of their ‘pride’ at representing Spain. “To be in the Olympics is crucial for golf,” said Olazabal.

PROUD: Golf legends “In 15 or 20 years time we will reap the rewards because golf will come to countries we had never imagined.” Garcia said he ‘couldn’t be more proud to be an Olympic athlete’.

Victory

In the second half, both teams traded successful penalties before two straight reds for San Jeronimo and one for Marbella reduced numbers on the pitch. Roared on by a large travelling Marbella contingent, Trocadero held their nerve and the lead to claim a famous victory. The team dedicated the win to Javier García de la Peña, who was injured in the semifinal.

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April 27th - May 10th 2016

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A Llama drama

FINAL WORDS

Birthday blues

advice

ALMOST 30 expats turned out to help escort two elderly llamas to a new mountain home. Rosanna, 21 (84 in llama years) and daughter Benna, 18 (72) tramped 15km up hill and down dale in a five-hour journey to Tijola, in the Alpujarras. “We really didn’t know wheth-

THE 400th anniversary of Miguel Cervantes’ death has been thrown into doubt by historians who claim he died two months earlier than previously thought.

Big fat gypsy wedding

Spec-tacular!

SPECTACLE wearers across the Costa del Sol are gearing up for the annual Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition at Marbella’s Specsavers store.

Kinder surprise LIVERPUDLIAN Joseph Poulson was arrested attempting to smuggle two Kinder Surprise eggs full of cocaine onto a flight to Alicante.

er they were going to make it,” joked new owner Bernard Byrne, 59, who runs the Orgiva tea garden. “But they did well and are enjoying it here.” Previous owner Lizzie Wynn, who adopted Rosanna in Wales in 1995, has moved back to the UK. ON A MISSION: Llamas pilgrimage to new home

€100,000 gypsy ‘Wedding of the century’ held in Spanish town with 46% unemployment

HAPPY COUPLE: In after-party ensembles

IT has been dubbed the ‘wedding of the century’. No it is not the tying of the knot between Wills and Kate. Posh and Becks? Guess again. Even Katie Price’s ‘fairytale’ wedding to Peter Andre falls short

in comparison. It is, in fact, the gypsy wedding of Ana and Jose Luis in La Linea. With 400 guests, five photographers and three live music acts, the happy couple wed in La Linea.

Officially, home to Spain’s second highest unemployment rate (46%, behind just Sanlucar de Barrameda), the total is estimated to be around €100,000. The ceremony took place in the Iglesia de la Inmac-

ulada, the town’s biggest church. Both part of the large Romany gypsy family known as the Ramones, Ana was led in by one of her brothers as her parents both died a year ago.

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BLUSHING BRIDE: Ana was led into La Linea church by her brother

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Sporting a 10-metre train, Ana’s bridesmaids, clad in bright red dresses followed her into the church. Meanwhile, groom Jose Luis also wore white with a matching cane. On the wedding invites, the couple had labeled the ceremony as ‘the biggest wedding of the century’. The after-party was just as impressive. With 32 tables, guests enjoyed kilos of seafood served up in old fishing boats. Eighteen hours of dancing then ensued with gypsy dance troop Farruquito and singers Sinai and Parrita leading the celebrations. Over the course of the evening, the bride changed outfits five times. In Spain there are an estimated 450,000 gypsies. Of these, 350,000 live in Andalucia.

King of the urban jungle A HOMELESS dog from Spain has become an internet sensation after his rescuer released photos of his new found modelling life. German photographer Julia Marie rescued the pup after he was thrown from a car and left to rummaging in bins. Seeing a resemblance to Simba from The Lion King, the photographer stitched together a mane and has since taken a series of photos of the now canine model. Giving him the name, Tschikko Leopold von Werner, her project is named ‘Big City Lion’ (Grossstadtlowe), which sees the rescued pooch in his element as king of the urban jungle.

Photos by Alexander Sanchez and Charissa Buhler

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

the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016