UK Gov’t in drink spiking warning THE British Consulate in Madrid has joined the offensive against sexual attacks in Spanish holiday hotspots. Will Middleton, the British consular director for Spain, instigated a series of dramatic posters warning British tourists how to stay safe on nights out. ‘Keep an eye on your drink: It only takes a second for your night out to turn into a nightmare’, reads one. The posters were to be put up, initially, around the tourist hotspot of Ibiza. However the scheme has been temporarily shelved after Ibiza’s tourist industry shockingly silenced the warning. Hoteliers insisted that the posters sent out the wrong signals during peak season. Ibiza’s councillor for tourism, Carmen Ferrer, called for an
SMASH the spiking immediate retraction of the posters because ‘they caused deep alarm’. The consulate warning came just days after the Olive Press launched it’s own campaign into drink spiking, which has led to numerous sexual assaults and rapes around the country. Our campaign - Smash the Spiking - followed an in depth investigation into attacks in Spain’s key holiday destinations. Our investigation revealed a complete absence of official statistics in
Continues page 2
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A MENTAL health nurse who was sacked and jailed for torturing an 85-year-old dementia patient is giving Botox injections on the Costa del Sol. David Hill was imprisoned for six months in 2010 after pleading guilty to ‘degrading and humiliating’ wheelchairbound Dorothy Tunstall at a UK care home in St Helens. Judge Robert Warnock told Hill at Liverpool Crown Court: “You grossly abused your patient’s trust, apparently for your own perverse enjoyment. “You force-fed her, you flicked food in her face and you put her in a hoist and spun her around when you knew she was terrified.” Hill, 52, was also struck off in a hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council in August 2011, banning him from practising as a nurse in England. But he did not attend the hearing, with UK newspapers reporting he was working at a Botox clinic in Spain.
August 7 - August 20 2014
Olive Press discovers shameless, jailed and struck off nurse giving Botox injections on Costa del Sol
hearing report on Hill, who qualified as a mental health nurse in 1983, states: “There is no evidence of either insight or remorse.” A spokeswoman for the Council, Ann Brown, told the Olive Press that by moving to Spain, Hill now comes under ‘the jurisdiction of the equivalent Spanish authority’.
Exclusive By Tom P0well Fast forward four years and the Olive Press has traced Hill, now living with his wife in a luxury villa in the Atalaya development, Estepona, and working as a self-employed ‘aesthetic practitioner’. But when client Natalie Rose discovered his unsavoury past via a Google search, she immediately raised the alarm. “I’ve known David for three years, I even introduced him to people in Coin and helped him advertise on Facebook,” British expat Rose told the Olive Press. “When I saw what he had done in St Helens I was amazed, shocked and upset. “My mum had dementia and he was so sympathetic with me, but now I am appalled, he
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No remorse
Hill: Jailed for abuse must have no shame,” added Rose, who has lived in Coin with her family for 11 years. Hill, who advertises on Facebook, Linkedin and by word of mouth, operates out of his own home as well as visiting clients’ both on the coast and regularly back in England. The UK Nursing Council’s
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“He cannot practise as a nurse in England but according to a February 2014 report, it appears non-registered people can still administer Botox in the UK,” she confirmed. However, the Spanish ministry of health confirmed that only qualified doctors can administer Botox in Spain, and they must be registered. The Ocean Clinic in Marbella also confirmed: “You need to be a qualified doctor to administer Botox in Spain, and registered with the Ministry of Health.” When contacted by the Olive Press, Hill stated that he is a ‘fully trained and legal aesthetic practitioner’, working in both Spain and England. “I was told I did not need a certificate from the Ministry of Health to administer Botox and fillers in Spain,” he said, while expressing no remorse for his previous actions. “I went to prison for something I didn’t do,” he claimed. “I pleaded guilty because my barrister convinced me I would avoid a jail term, but I didn’t.”
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Continued from page 1 Spain regarding reports of drink-spiking – from police, hospitals and town halls – despite reports that this type of crime is on the increase. The Olive Press’ aims are simple: more statistics, better policing, clearer advice. We are currently in communication with the British consul, town halls in Marbella, Estepona, Mijas and Fuengirola, as well as police
the SMASH the spiking
at a local and national level in order to pursue the campaign and make conditions safer for Spain’s tourists. ‘I think it is a very important issue,” said Anette Skou, of the Mijas Town Hall foreigners’ department. The paper is also working in conjunction with Nicole King at Marbella Town Hall’s official radio station MiMarbella. The UK Foreign Office states that 110 Brits in two years have reported a sexual assault in Spain.
olive press
Opinion
Missing the point
IT is sad to see efforts to prevent drink-spiking in Spain attacked for fear of having a negative impact on tourism. The British consul in Spain was forced to remove posters with sensible advice for tourists, after Ibiza’s hoteliers insisted it would have a negative effect on their summer business. The Olive Press, too, has been criticised by Marbella Town Hall as a result of launching a campaign to crack down on drink-spiking in tourist destinations. But they miss the point. Our campaign – Smash the Spiking – is not an attack on Spain’s tourist industry and is as equally relevant to Ibiza and Fuengirola, as it is Marbella, or indeed anywhere else on the Costa del Sol. It is an attempt to implement some positive changes that we believe will keep tourists safer in all resorts around the country.
Following an exclusive investigation into some of Spain’s most famous tourist hotspots, the Olive Press discovered that there are no official records of drink-spiking reports. Furthermore, the national police website offering tourists advice on how to stay safe made no mention of drinkspiking or general safety on a night out. This is despite millions of tourists flocking to Spain’s ‘party’ towns every summer. Our campaign has three simple aims: more statistics, better policing and clearer advice. Our campaign is to keep tourists safe, NOT to damage Spain’s tourist industry. If we can succeed in making drink-spiking attacks on tourists a crime that is recognised and taken seriously, it will be an incredibly positive step for town halls, locals and tourists alike.
CRIME NEWS
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Gotcha! By Jared Garland
ARMED police have arrested Britain’s most wanted man in South Africa, following a three-year manhunt spanning Spain and Holland. Drug trafficker and fraudster Martin Evans, 52, stole over €50 million and was finally found and arrested on Saturday night in Johannesburg. The fraudster - a former Young Businessman of the Year for Wales - first turned to crime in 1995 after his double-glazing business collapsed. He set up an ostrich-breeding business - promising annual returns of 70% - and targeted newly-retired people for investment, pocketing more than €110,000 worth of investors’ savings. However, on the day his trial was due to start in March 2000, Evans skipped bail and went on the run to Spain and Holland, sending a fax to the court to say he would not be attending. While on the Costa del Sol, Evans became involved in
a multi-million euro drug trafficking scheme - selling cocaine and MDMA - and purchased a luxury €3 million villa in Marbella with his illicit funds. He was finally seized at New York’s JFK airport while try-
ing to enter America using a fake passport, however, he was extradited back to the UK in 2001 and jailed for 21 years. But while serving this sentence, Evans escaped after being released on a one-day
Britain’s most wanted seized in manhunt after fleeing to Marbella licence, and went on the run again in 2011. But through collaboration between British and South African police, Evans has been captured once again and now faces an extradition hearing.
OSTRICH MAN: Martin Evans finally seized in Johannesburg, also inset
No luck for Muldoon’s goons NOTORIOUS conman Toni Muldoon’s gang have had their UK appeals thrown out. The foursome were part of a Costa del Sol-based escort and debt recovery scam, headed by Muldoon, spanning Spain, Turkey and the UK. The gang tricked more than 17,000 people out of a total €6.6 million.
Top dog Muldoon - or ‘Timeshare Toni’ - was handed seven and a half years in prison at Ipswich Crown Court, England, last year. Brits Mark Bell, 42, Geraldine French, 61, Colin Samuels, 63, and Bradley Rogers were handed a combined sentence of 21 years imprisonment. The judge, Lord Justice Treacy, refused
Out for the count A BRITISH boxing champion has been shot in Estepona in what is believed to be a drug or gang related crime. Jamie Moore – the former European light-middleweight champion - was rushed to Costa del Sol hospital after being shot twice in the early hours of Sunday morning, once in the knee and once in the groin. Moore, 36, from Manchester, is thought to be linked to the Irish family Kinahan, a clan based on the Costa del Sol, currently under a judicial investigation in Spain. The Unit for Drugs and Organised Crime is now investigating the case, while Moore recovers in hospital under an armed guard. The shooting happened outside the home of one of the children of Christopher Kinahan, reportedly known as the Irish Godfather. EX-CHAMPION: British boxer Jamie Moore was shot twice in Estepona
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the appeals, concluding: “The sentences passed were not manifestly excessive for a case involving large-scale and persistent frauds with a number of aggravating elements.” The gang conned people into signing up to act as ‘non-sexual’ companions with the promise of earning up to €700 a day. Some 14,000 people paid between €300 and €500 to register, but never received any work.
Hash bust A HASH trafficking operation between Spain and Denmark has been busted in Coin and Mijas, with six arrested. Operation Dynamo, a collaboration between Spanish national and Coin local police, saw a total of 94kg of the drug intercepted. The first 53kg was found July 25 in the trunk of a car driving through Mijas en route to Denmark. The other 41kg was later discovered in a house in Coin, according to the Malaga Province Police Station.
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Cruz-in’ for a bruisin’ SPANISH actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have retracted statements about the on-going Gaza conflict. The pair had signed an open letter - sent on behalf of the whole Spanish film industry pinning the blame for violence in the Gaza strip on Israel. “I’m not an expert on the situation and I’m aware of the complexity of it,” said Cruz, 40, in a statement claiming the Pirates of the Caribbean actress’s only intention was to show her desire for peace in the area. Bardem, 45, also defended himself and his wife against accusations of anti-Semitism, coming most notably from American actor Jon Voight, father of Angelina Jolie. He clarified that he detests the military decisions of the Israeli government rather than its people, who he has ‘great respect’ for.
Smile for the cameras ANTONIO Banderas, why the long face? The 53-year-old actor had to go solo to the premiere of his new movie The Expendables 3 in London, after the recent finalisation of his divorce from Melanie Griffith. The Malaga native looked lonely but not entirely depressed at the red carpet affair, dealing with the separation by putting on a smile for the cameras. He refused to talk about his divorce, though, citing a ‘vow of silence’ he made so as not to disrespect his former partner or their daughter. After 18 years of marriage, the A-lister has moved into a bachelor pad in his hometown of Malaga this summer.
CHEER UP: Banderas walks the red carpet solo after his separation from Melanie Griffith
Bossed BRUCE Springsteen is looking good in his American skin for a sexagenarian. The Boss, who hits 65 next month, shed his shirt in Formentera to show off his paddle-boarding skills and a not-too-shabby torso. The American rock star is among a host of celebs who have chosen to vacation in the Balearics this summer. But he and wife Pattie Scialfa, 61, favour the laid-back pace of Formentera to brash, neighbouring Ibiza. The former hippy island is famous for its pristine white sand and nudie beaches, so if The Boss wants to get naked, no problem.
EAT YOUR WORDS: Power couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz take back Gaza statements
the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
LINDSAY Lohan is on a side boob rampage throughout Europe, taking holidays and showing some skin in Ibiza and beyond. The hard-partying redhead showed more than a little bit of cleavage on the Ibiza seaside before jetting off to another beach holiday in Greece. Once in Mykonos, the 28-year-old wasn’t afraid to go out in public in a skimpy black string bikini, showing off her flat stomach and yet again, some more of her bust. Jet skiing and laughing with her friends on the Med, the Parent Trap starlet looked playfully relaxed on her break from the heavy press coverage of her addiction recovery in the States.
The girls are out to play
Lord of the ring Orlando Bloom exchanges blows with Justin Bieber in Ibiza eaterie
SULTRY songstress Adele is the latest celeb to hit the party hotspot of Ibiza, but rumour has it she’ll be shunning the foam parties! The ‘Rolling in the Deep’ singer is looking for some deep relaxation before the release of her next album, ‘25’.
IT’S not unusual to see a string of famous faces in Marbella, and this month Welsh music legend Tom Jones will join the ranks. He will be leaving the green, green grass of his Los Angeles home to grind and shimmy his way to the Starlite stage on August 17 as part of the month-long luxury festival. The 74-year-old sex-bomb – who has received an OBE, knighthood and countless awards during his extensive 50-year career – will no doubt be a hit with the ladies of the Costa del Sol, who just can’t stop loving him. Unmatched in style and rhythm, Jones is listed alongside Julio Iglesias, Ricky Martin and The Pet Shop Boys on the impressive festival line-up. Starlite – now in its third year – brought an economic impact of €40 million last year, and organisers hope this will increase by 30% this year. Tickets have sold across the world, including Mexico, Sweden, Russia and Azerbaijan.
What’s new pussy cat?
By Carey Camel BRITISH actor Orlando Bloom pulled no punches when baby-faced pop idol, Justin Bieber, walked into posh Ibiza restaurant Cipriani. The 37-year-old Lord of the Rings star, who was dining with Leonardo DiCaprio, rushed out from his corner and threw a punch at the 20-year-old teen hearthrob, which Bieber managed to dodge. Onlookers say Bloom refused to shake Bieber’s hand as he and his entourage walked by, initiating the tense encounter.
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TIT-FOR-TAT: Bloom shows Bieber his boxing skills Bloom then made a beeline for the younger star, who normally doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. Photographs of Bloom pointing and shouting have been posted on social networks.
Sources claim the row blew up after Bieber made a lewd comment about the sexual prowess of Bloom’s estranged wife, Miranda Kerr, with whom he has a young son. Bieber was recently photographed with the
Adele rolling for deep downtime in Ibiza The 26-year-old star has taken a month’s rental on a luxurious six-bedroom beach pad where
she plans to unwind before hitting the publicity trail. But it’s not all play and
31-year-old Australian supermodel at a Victoria’s Secret lingerie show. But if this really is a boxing match, Bloom won Round Two this April when he was seen in Los Angeles with the Biebs’ old squeeze, Selena Gomez. no work. Adele will travel back and forth to the UK during her break to tie up loose ends. The new mum has also announced a 2015 tour after her third album’s release, so let’s hope she catches up on some deep sleep before hitting the road!
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the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
NEWS IN BRIEF
Sexuality attacks
Name game TOWNS across Spain are renaming streets that honour the Infanta Cristina and her husband Inaki Urdangarin because of their ongoing embezzlement scandal.
Drill, baby, drill A PETITION against Spain’s plans to drill for oil off the coast of the Balearics has been submitted by German environmental group OceanCare with over 180,000 signatures.
New republic TWO-THIRDS of Spaniards are calling for a referendum on the status of the monarchy in their government, according to a recent Metroscopia poll.
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Dragons’ Den scientist distances himself from expat truffle farmer Wendy Smart after Olive Press probe triggers more complaints By Tom Powell
SPAIN’S LGBT community is the target of more hate crimes than any other minority group, with 235 violent incidents in the first six months of 2014.
NEWS
A DRAGONS’ Den scientist has demanded expat truffle farmer Wendy Smart remove all traces of his name and company from her marketing material. Since the Olive Press’ investigation into her unpaid debts last issue, many more angry expats – mostly Ronda-based - have added their complaints to the growing pile. Investors in Smart’s plantation, in Valencia, are concerned about the state of her plantation and the future of its oak trees, casting doubts that they will ever see a return on their money.
Accusations
“Due to the volume of accusations aimed at Wendy, we do not want our name associated with the project,” said Dr Thomas, who appeared on the UK TV show with his innovative truffle inoculation methods in 2006. “We invested heavily. This included discounted trees in return for a share of the business and a lot of time, analytical testing and consultancy. “A very large number of the trees we supplied, below cost price, were sold on - without our authorisation - for a profit. We are still owed these,” he added. Smart’s Europe Truffles website was initially taken offline, but has since reappeared with Dr Thomas still featured.
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Truffle scientist: “I’m out” Former horse breeder and life coach Smart stands accused of a trail of unpaid debts, including €56,000 to former management consultant Trevor Suter. An action group of shareholders in her company Parkview – led by Smart’s former colleague Roger Wallis - has begun discussing a possible succession plan. While a sacked worker, Jose Alfonso Roda, told the Olive Press he too has never been paid for his services on the plantation. The Spanish labourer, who was in charge of irrigation, is still owed around €10,000 for four months work. Expat Andrew Robb contacted the Olive Press with a similar tale, warning against ‘all kind of excuses she made not to pay us’. “The usual lines from her have been heard before by myself and many others, wherever she goes it’s the
Taxi road wars ENTREPRENEURS in Marbella had their van torched as an alleged result of the town’s ‘taxi war’. Their company, Mas Que Ocio (MQOcio), provides transport in Marbella for a yearly subscription of €120. Members use the app to request a minivan to take them to their destination. COMPETITION
same old story and people in Valencia need to be warned,” said Robb, another former employee. Another expat victim, builder James Bond, claims he and two other labourers are owed €10,000 by Smart for work in
El Rincón de san
pedro
2007 and 2008. “Every time we asked for payment she promised us a stake in her truffle farm,” he told the Olive Press. “The reason she left Ronda was that she ripped off so many people.”
alcántara
But taxi drivers – already up in arms about carpooling apps such as BlaBlaCar – see the company as competition. Police are currently investigating four taxis which were allegedly seen in the vicinity of the van in the days leading up to the attack. MQOcio will temporarily lay off four people until the van is repaired.
TM
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the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
OPINION Not the best of Brits WHAT former nurse David Hill did to his 85-year-old dementia patient is disgusting, and almost unforgivable. But he was punished accordingly, he served his time and he lost his job. And if he had any sense, that would have been it. But three years later, Hill is playing a dangerous game, with serious questions being raised over the legality of his Botox business. And when asked about the abuse, to simply label all those who spoke against him as ‘liars’ and his prison sentence as ‘unfair’ suggests this man has hardly changed his attitude. When the Spanish claim they aren’t getting the best of Britain here on the coast, this is exactly the kind of person they are talking about.
One-sided border THE plans for the new border system in Gib are hardly a development. It is a one-sided affair, with only Spanish citizens seeing any benefit from it. But that’s not all. Sponsored by the Spanish Tax Office, the new ID system appears to be simply a ploy to get more Spanish taxpayers in Gib to pay another set of taxes to the top dogs in Madrid. Not to mention that the application and annual renewal process for the passes will undoubtedly require exorbitant processing fees.
Celebrity love island IBIZA seems to be the holiday destination of the summer, with celebrities the world over flocking to the Spanish island. Bruce Springsteen, British musician Adele, American actress Lindsay Lohan, as well as ‘it’ girls Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are just a sprinkling of the famous faces sunning themselves on the Balearic beaches. And who can forget that the island also this month bore witness to what has been dubbed ‘history’s most pathetic celebrity scuffle’, between baby-faced heartthrob Justin Bieber, and Lord of the Rings actor Orlando Bloom. It must be time for an Olive Press excursion!
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Tel: 951127006 (admin/editorial/sales/advertising) or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es 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: Imogen@theolivepress.es B91664029 Admin / Distribution / Accounts: Urb Casares del Sol, bloque 21, portal Anna Cockell 951127006 70, bajo b, Casares 29690, Malaga accounts@theolivepress.es Printed by Corporación de Medios Gilly Lee de Andalucía S.A. admin@theolivepress.es Editor: Jon Clarke SALES TEAM: jon@theolivepress.es Stephen Shutes 655825683 Reporters: Classified Newsdesk Newsdesk@theolivepress.es Sarah Adams 655825683 Giles Brown Axarquia Giles@theolivepress.es Charlie Bamber 661 452 180 Tom Powell Cadiz Elizabeth Gould 683 337 342 Tom@theolivepress.es Imogen Calderwood
FEATURE
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The Isis claim to al-Andalus
A MILITANT force growing in the east is threatening to take over the western world. The violent jihadist terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or Isis - publicly disavowed even by alQaeda for being too extreme has now set its sights on Spain. Two young Isis extremists appeared in a YouTube video last month vowing to liberate alAndalus, the ‘land of our forefathers’. By al-Andalus, the men are referring to the region we call ‘home’ - Moorish Andalucia as it was during 700 years of Islamic rule - and which Isis claims is rightfully theirs. In the minute-long video, a smiling jihadist wearing a kefiah scarf around his head asserts in Spanish, with a heavy North African accent: “I say to the entire world as a warning: we are living under the Islamic banner, the Islamic caliphate. “We will die for it until we open those occupied lands from Jakarta to Andalucia. “And I say: Spain is the land of our ancestors and we will open it with the power of Allah.” Last month, Isis formally declared an Islamic state in the vast expanses of the Middle East that have fallen under its control. It extends from the Syrian city of Aleppo to Diyala province in eastern Iraq. When announcing the caliphate – an Islamic state ruled over by a Caliph – the militants refer to the state as ‘restored’, reinforcing the conviction that this is land that is rightfully theirs. The self-appointed Caliph of this new Muslim state is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the driving force behind the Isis takeover. Al-Baghdadi – who has a $10 million US bounty on his head, and rules under the name Caliph Ibrahim – is a mystery figure. He is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971, and joined the insurgency that erupted in Iraq soon after the 2003 USled invasion. For seven years he went underground, only reappearing as the leader of Isis in 2010 when it was still an al-Qaeda affiliate, based in Iraq. His stature has grown exponentially since then, transforming his umbrella organisation into a trans-national military force. The establishment of this Is-
VICTORIOUS: An Isis militant waves the black and white flag of his cause
As Andalucia comes under threat from the world’s ‘most dangerous’ terrorist group, Imogen Calderwood explores the Isis claim to the land of its Muslim forefathers lamic state has been hailed as the ‘most significant development in international jihadism since 9/11’ by analyst Charles Lister, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. In a terrifying combination of radical religious fervour and political legitimacy, the state is well-organised and ruthlessly efficient. It runs courts, schools and services – it has even started a consumer protection authority for food standards in Raqqa – all flying the black and white flag of the jihadists. But Isis doesn’t plan to stop there. Isis has released a map on Twitter (pictured, right) showing the countries it plans to occupy within the next five years. It spans from Morocco – renamed Maghreb – to the borders of China. India and parts of China combine to form a region called Khurasan; the Balkan states, including Greece, Romania
and Bulgaria, become Orobpa; Yemen and Oman form Yaman. Spain is clearly singled out as being a key European target. Part of a marketing push to entice supporters, other campaign tactics include the release of images of nine men, crucified for ‘not being extremist enough in their commitment to so-called jihad’, along with many beheadings and amputations of militants and civilians alike. But the most unlikely ‘victim’ of this Isis announcement could be al-Qaeda, which has carried the mantle of the jihadi cause since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Isis was born of al-Qaeda but the father figure has been forced aside by its rebellious offspring. The leaders of the two militant groups have clashed publicly since Isis emerged as an independent force in April last year. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Za-
wahiri, realising he was losing control of the Isis branch of his group, demanded that Isis return to Iraq and leave Syria to the al-Nusra Front, another jihadist group in Syria. But Isis publicly rebelled, and al-Zawahiri was forced to formally disavow the group in February. “Isis now presents itself as an ideologically superior alternative to al-Qaeda within the jihadi community, and it has publicly challenged the legitimacy of al-Qaeda leader Ayman alZawahiri,” says Charles Lister. “Taken globally, the younger generation of the jihadist community is becoming more and more supportive of Isis, largely out of fealty to its slick and proven capacity for attaining rapid results through brutality.” As a battlefield commander and tactician, al-Baghdadi is infinitely more appealing to the emerging extremist generation than the Islamic theologian alZawahiri. Initially a Sunni group, Isis has transformed into the go-to destination for extremists of any views, with a number of Shi’ites now joining the ranks. More than 20,000 fighters have reportedly now declared loyalty to the Isis cause. And, with considerable military success, the group is surpassing al-Qaeda as the world’s most dangerous jihadist group. Most importantly, the Islamic State has now achieved what al-Qaeda never could, establishing a state that stakes their claim to the heart of the Arab world and controlling it. But it is the presence of foreign fighters - from countries like the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Cambodia and Australia - that has most significantly unsettled the west. In Madrid in June, eight jihadist recruiters were arrested, and 12 others suspected of terrorist activity. A further eight were arrested in Ceuta while other collaborators were traced to Huelva, Malaga and La Linea. All were suspected of funding, indoctrinating and facilitating travel for would-be fighters, and all are Spanish citizens. But the Isis claim to the land of al-Andalus is rooted in history. In the militant’s eyes, our land is their land.
Grand march of the militants
The Olive Press charts the exponential growth of Isis over its short life
growing out of al-Qaeda in Iraq, as al-Baghdadi expands operations into Syria
2010 – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi emerges as the leader of the future Isis
October-November 2013 – Isis makes significant military advances, controlling a wide swathe of northern Syria, close to the Turkish border
March 2013 – The group that would become Isis in a month’s time take over the Syrian city of al-Raqqa – the first provincial capital to fall under rebel control, with a population of around one million April 2013 – Isis forms,
December 2013 – Amnesty International reports serious human rights abuses by Isis in the Syrian cities alRaqqa and Aleppo, including abductions, arbitrary detention, torture and murder
January 2014 – Isis takes control of the Sunni city of Fallujah, in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar. Large sections of the provincial capital of Ramadi in Iraq, and a number of towns n e a r t h e Turkish and Syrian b o r ders,
are also seized January 2014 – Rebels from both western-backed and Islamist groups launch an offensive against Isis, seeking to drive its predominantly foreign fighters out of Syria June 2014 – The conquest of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, shocks the world and makes Isis global news
New CALIPH: Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
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FEATURE
BLACK STAIN: Isis map reveals planned future caliphate
The Isis claim to al-Andalus goes back 1,300 years
A struggle rooted in history
ANDALUCIA was the most obvious springboard for the Muslim Conquest of Spain when 10,000 Moorish invaders landed in Gibraltar from Africa in 711, under Arab general Tariq ibn Ziyad. In the push north, Muslim forces seized most of Spain and Portugal (dividing the country up into ‘taifas’) as well as parts of southern France. One of the only places
never seized was Asturias from which the so-called ‘re-conquest’ against the Muslim invaders was launched. Several of Andalucia’s leading cities took their turns as the capitals of Islamic Spain, including Cordoba, until the 11th century, Sevilla until the 13th century and, finally, Granada in 1492. But the political unity achieved by Isabel of
Castilla and Fernando de Aragon in 1492 signaled the end of Muslim rule. Granada fell, and the kingdom of al-Andalus ceased to exist. However the name survived as Andalucia – the area where Muslim rule lasted the longest. The idea of a Muslim-owned Spain also survives in the aims and ambitions of Isis.
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NEWS
the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
LOOKING GOOD: The PSOE’s handsome new leader presents his bold plans for the future
Handsome’s high hopes NEW leader of Spain’s Socialist party (PSOE) Pedro Sanchez made big promises at his inaugural speech to get Spain ‘back on track.’ ‘El Guapo’ (‘the handsome one’) plans to give the opposition Populist Party (PP) a run for their money, vowing to combat the recent abortion restrictions and new labour legislation that makes it eas-
ier and cheaper for employers to fire staff. These plans were initiated during his first official talks with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The 42-year-old economist replaced Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba as the PSOE’s leader after the party suffered massive losses in parliamentary elections.
200 at funeral of Tom, 62 BRITISH expat Tom Stewart has died following a heart attack, aged 62. Born in Scotland, Tom moved to live in Coin 12 years ago following a career that saw him travel widely with the Navy and spend time in Gibraltar. In recent times he helped distribute the Olive Press in the Guadalhorce Valley. More than 200 people attended the funeral, and he is survived by daughters Michelle and Kirsty, son-in-law Jose, three grandchildren and a sister.
OLIVE PRESS-256 X170 cmyk.indd 2
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Let there be light Exclusive By Imogen Calderwood HUNDREDS of Brits have finally got their electricity back after surviving for more than a week in total darkness. Pensioners and families living in the Sol Andalusi complex in Alhaurin de la Torre were left completely powerless without warning on July 24. Electricity company Endesa cut off the power due to unpaid bills. However, the community had actually paid its share to the complex’s developers, who never passed it on. The developers – Sol Andalusi SA - went into voluntary liquidation in October 2013, leaving a debt of more than €150,000. As well as all electricity, generators used to power water pumps stopped working, along with lift facilities.
Stranded
This left many pensioners stranded in their apartments, unable to cope with the stairs. Jasmine Nursing Home which cares for 13 British pensioners and one German - is based on the fifth floor of the complex, and was forced to run errands and buy food for the stranded residents. But owner Danielle Jenkins stayed positive throughout the difficult week.
British pensioners suffer for more than a week without electricity in sweltering summer heat
“Of course it is hard,” she told the Olive Press, “but we have a back-up generator which is keeping us going, and we are powering through in true British style.” One resident - who wished to remain anonymous - left his apartment to buy bread, but was forced to carry his inhaler for the return journey up the four flights of stairs to his home. “The last time I had to come down to get bread, going back up nearly killed me,” he said.
But the complex had electricity restored on Friday afternoon, after pressure from the town hall, political groups and media organisations. Electores Equo, a private ecological group, joined the campaign to put pressure on Endesa to reconnect the electricity. “We received a huge number of pleas for help from residents, and we stepped in to see what we could do,” said Agapito Garrido, a leading member of the group.
“It is excellent news that the electricity has been reconnected so quickly.” Pedro Hoz, the lawyer speaking for Sol Andalusi SA, said that he was ‘surprised and outraged’ by the claims of unpaid debts. The community is currently pursuing a contract with Endesa that would cut out Sol Andalusi SA, and avoid leaving residents in the dark over matters such as this in the future.
31/07/14 14:49
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the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
NEWS
Stop fire starters
Art of winning SPANISH artists had a great show at BP’s annual Portrait Award contest in London, with four finalists and a Young Artist award winner. Ignacio Estudillo Perez won the £7,000 (€8,850) Young Artist award with his piece Mamá (pictured below), a candid portrayal of his mother. The four finalists were Maria Carbonell (age 34), Javier Palacios (29), Jorge Abbad-Jaime de Aragon (27) and Perez (29). The Young Artist award – presented by actor Nigel Havers – is reserved for outstanding submissions from artists aged 18 to 30.
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MAYOR Angel Nozal of Mijas Town Hall has asked for ‘full citizen cooperation’ to put an end to a series of fires that are now believed to be the work of an arsonist. The most recent fire, which took place last Friday in the neighbourhood of La Cala, required three transport helicopters, a cargo plane, two Kamov helicopters, a coor-
Tangled Toddler struck by wayward kitesurfer while playing on Tarifa beach A FURIOUS father has slammed ‘misleading beach signs’ after his three-year-old daughter was badly injured in a tangle with a kitesurfer in Tarifa. Expat Mike de Coster-Milman was enjoying a day at the beach with his wife and their daughter Katja, after following a sign to the strictly windsurfers section, where they thought they would be safe. However, while Katja was
Exclusive By Jared Garland playing near the sea, she was knocked down by an out of control kitesurfer. The cords wrapped around her throat, leaving her with severe neck lacerations, but luckily she escaped further potential injury. “Only afterwards did a man in a chiringuito tell me that the whole beach is now a kitesurf
beach - that the signs are old but there are no new signs or any posted warnings,” Mike told the Olive Press. “This could have been a much more serious incident if more ropes had caught her, she is really lucky,” he added. “It could have happened to anyone, tons of families were right there on the beach that day and nobody said anything.”
dination plane, four groups of seven specialists and a firetruck in order to oust the flames. A massive 150 residents were evacuated from their homes, and four houses were left scorched. New safety measures underway include the creation of a fire prevention department and launching a City Plan of Emergencies.
Outcry at school cafeteria cuts CASARES residents are up in arms after the Junta announced plans to cut public school costs by replacing cafeteria services with a cheaper, private service. Shocked parents immediately began protesting at Casares High School, with children and adults holding signs and surrounding the building. There are also concerns that a meals-on-wheels programme for local elderly people, using
surplus ingredients, will have to be scrapped. The current scheme buys local food and adheres to strict nutritional guidelines, but the new service is likely to favour cost-cutting over health and sustainability. School dining schemes in Almárchar, Humilladero, and Mollina are also under threat. An online petition can be found at change.org.
Calling all senior citizens!
ESTEPONA is set to host the Over 50s Show again. The event will take place on the weekend of November 8 and 9, with hundreds of businesses and punters set to take part. Exhibitions will cover a variety of topics, including everything from fashion and finance to gardens and genealogy. To book a place email info@slp.ie, or call +353 01 496 9028, or visit www.seniortimes.ie
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News Mijas mayor orders probe into pony carousels following 65,000 -strong petition
the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
Kicking up a stink EXPAT residents kicked up a stink after raw sewage was left spewing out into the streets of Los Iberos, in the Axarquia, for a week. The group complained for days before the town hall eventually acted. Carl, 75, and Sue Spragg – who have lived in Spain for 13 years – noticed the problem when their toilet wouldn’t flush, becoming clogged with the rest of the town’s waste. The pensioners’ Spanish neighbours suggested they contact the mayor’s office in Almayate, but their pleas on the phone and in person were ‘ignored’. “The smell was terrible,” said Mrs Spragg, 64. “It has truly been a nightmare and I worry about our health.”
No merry-go-round Exclusive By Carey Camel MORE than 65,000 people have signed a petition calling for an end to ‘cruel and painful’ pony carousels. Expat animal lover Michael Owens took his petition, totalling 65,556 signatures, to Mijas Town Hall in an attempt to end the practice in Mijas, La Cala de Mijas, and Las Lagunas. Pony carousels are banned in the region, but La Cala’s feria allegedly still featured one, with several animals trudging around the same small circle until well into the morning. When locals voiced concerns, Owens, 76, leapt into action, drawing on his experience taken from a previous campaign
against the controversial donkey rides in Mijas. The campaigner gathered signa-
Pat Woodley: Shocked by pony cruelty
tures from every corner of the globe, posting the petition on the U.S.-based petition platform Care2.com. With such a strong backing behind him, Owens took the 2.507 page petition to Mijas mayor – also his close friend – Angel Nozal. It has now been officially submitted to the Oficina de Registro system and is being investigated. In the meantime, local residents are in uproar, including Alora resident Pat Woodley, who told the Olive Press that she was ‘shocked’ when she heard the carousels were still occurring. “I am in favour of the strongest possible protest against this blatant cruelty,” said animal enthusiast Woodley.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Bikini snaps EIGHT out of 10 women edit their holiday snaps before uploading them to social media, according to new research, with the sitting-down bikini shot voted the most unflattering.
UN-justifiable THE UN has condemned Spain for not compensating Angela Gonzalez, whose husband killed her seven-year-old daughter over a decade ago. She brought him to court 30 times for abuse without success.
Left in the dust OPEN SEWER: Resident shows where raw sewage leaked out
Kitesurf’s up A WORLD champion kite surfer is offering classes in Marbella. Two-time champion, Belgian Leander Vyvey has launched the initiative at South Beach, which includes private and group classes as well as demonstrations.
The 25-year-old Vyvey – who began kite surfing professionally at 17 – will kick off the newest range of South Beach activities on August 9 at 7pm, with a stuntpacked demonstration designed to inspire any potential pupils.
SIX hours went by before anybody in Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan airport noticed the body of a dead German beggar known as ‘El Barbas’ (The Beard) who lived outside the airport for seven years.
Jihad juveniles TWO Spanish girls were arrested in Melilla, ages 14 and 19, reportedly on their way to Morocco to join al-Qaeda and jihadist forces.
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the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
ON the Rock From August 7
Summer Nights Every Saturday & Thursday Casemates Square Kids activities and live family entertainment Further info, Tel: +350 200 48063 Email: minculture@gibtelecom.net
August 10
Promenade Market Ocean Village, 11am Further info, Tel: 54023166 Email: vivend13@hotmail.com
August 12
The Rock Tai Chi Club Kings Bastion Leisure Centre, 6.30 pm Further info, Tel: + 350 200 78714 Email: rocktaichi@trainingtm.net
August 13
Jazz Nights O’Callaghan Elliot Hotel, 9pm Further info, Tel: + 350 200 70500
August 15
Plant Diversity & Adaptation Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, 10.30am Price £5.00 adults, children free-ofcharge Further info, Tel: + 350 200 41235
August 15
World Dance Championships Presentation Gibraltar National Dance Organisation Tercentenary Sports Hall, 8 pm Tickets £5.00 from national team members or reservation at gndo@gibtelecom
Gibraltar NEWS
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Up to Speed
KEEP your eyes peeled on Gibraltar highways. The Rock has begun preparations for the instalment of roadside ‘speed cameras’ in hazardous locations. The cameras will monitor cars at select points on Gib roads, and if they manage to snap a car speeding, the car owner is met with a fine mailed to their door. Speed cameras are already familiar to UK drivers, to whom the devices are seen largely as
an annoyance. But the cameras may receive a warmer welcome in Gibraltar. The initiative to install them actually started with a petition on Change.org, spearheaded by Richenda Collado Dawes, who lost her son Gareth in October 2013 after a Renault Kangoo hit him while he was motorcycling on Europa Advance Road. The petition received over 2,000 signatures.
Hands across the Strait GIBRALTAR was quick to offer assistance after a large fire swept the countryside near Algeciras. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo contacted Algeciras Mayor, José Ignacio Landaluce, to offer aid. Picardo told Landaluce that Gibraltar’s thoughts were with Algecirans and that Gibraltar stood ready to help with dealing with the fire. The Europa Press news agency in Spain picked up on the
story, remarking that the offer of assistance was made despite the present state of relations, which it described as ‘tense’. Picardo commented: “In moments of danger and threats of injury, death or material loss, we must be there for each other, however harshly we have been treated, or felt we have been treated by some, in recent months.”
Gone Bats THANKS to the study ‘Gib-bats,’ The Rock will no longer turn a blind eye to its local bat population. The study is the result of a collaboration between the Gibraltar Museum, the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society and specialists from the UK, with the
backing of HM Government of Gibraltar. The aim is to monitor and boost bat populations on the Rock, which have suffered population decreases since the 1980s. In addition to building ‘bat boxes,’ or man-made roosts that will shelter the animals during the
winter, Gib-bats will try to encourage bats to return roosts abandoned due to human disturbance. However, when not working hard to conserve the bat population, Gibbats gets batty at public bat-themed parties and events such as the September 23 Bat Night.
Gibraltar NEWS
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EU Commision concludes Rock reef is 100% legal
Reef Relief MILLIONS will be spent by Spain’s Tax Administration Agency in a one-sided attempt to free up Gibraltar border crossings with ‘smart’ passes. A €5.3 million plan has been drawn up to install 12 barcode scanners and a ‘fast lane’ exclusively for Spanish frontier workers to expedite crossings at the border. Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has denounced the plan as shortsighted, beneficial only to Spain by excluding tourists and Gibraltarians. He comments: “Their right to free movement is being undermined by Spain.” Gibraltarians who work in Spain will also be able to utilise the new system by applying for a pass that will require renewal annually. Opponents of the scheme say the move has been made unilaterally, without prior consultation with the UK or the European Commission. On top of all of this, the Spanish workers association in Gibraltar
GIBRALTAR’S controversial artificial reef does not break EU rules. That is the finding of the EU Commission’s Directorate-General on Environment, which was unable to identify any breach of EU environmental legislation in respect of bunkering activities, the Eastside or Sovereign Bay project and, in particular, the Artificial Reef System. Spain had complained that the projects dam-
the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
By Giles Brown aged the environment, and the artificial reef had come in for particular criticism from Madrid. Following the Commission’s decision, Gibraltar UKIP MEP Julia Reid said she was ‘delighted’ with the decision and called out Rajoy for acting so poorly towards the Rock. In reply, the Spanish PM described the statement as no more than a ‘letter,’
not worthy of any legal action. As a result of the findings, Gibraltar may now wish to pursue the return of the concrete block stolen from the reef earlier this year, which is said to be valued at £2,000 and is reportedly in the possession of the Guardia Civil. Also earlier in the year, film emerged of Guardia Civil divers checking the reef, an action that prompted outrage on the Rock.
‘One-sided’ border passes have also rebelled against the new system, saying that the Spanish tax office is using it to identify Spaniards who already pay taxes in Gib and then forcing them to pay taxes to Spain. “The new system is such a joke,” says native Gibraltarian Damian, who works as a tour guide on the Rock. “Bear in mind, European Union citizens only have to pay taxes in one EU country, so if they pay taxes in Gib, they should not have to pay in Spain.” The new system, which will replace the checking of IDs by border guards, will be introduced before summer 2015, according to the Spanish Customs Office.
GIBRALTAR has claimed a world first with the launch of the £15 Silver Royal coin. The new coin, which is legal tender, features the Queen and the Rock on one side and the Gibraltarian coat of arms on the other.
Med meeting DELEGATES from several Mediterranean nations took part in a workshop on Higher Education for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean, held at the Caleta Hotel.
AN AGREEMENT has been reached between the Gibraltar Government and Commercial Developments Investments Limited for the development of the old Naval Grounds site as a high-end residential, office and commercial complex.
Restaurant Pizzería La Casita en Montejaque
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EXCLUDED: Gibraltarians and tourists won’t benefit from the new system
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Telf. 632 588 489 info@restaurante-lacasita.com www.restaurante-lacasita.com Calle Herrera Oria, 5, 29360 Montejaque, Málaga
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the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
GREEN NEWS
Winding down
FAMILY EFFORT: Lynn Nicholson with some of the rescued horses
Leading the charge
Expat family rescues 11 dying horses with help from whisperer
A BRITISH famco-founded Exclusive by ily has joined events comImogen Calderwood forces with a pany Jacobs w orl d-f amou s Ridge to horse whisperer to rescue a raise funds for the animals. herd of Spanish horses. German-Afghan Hinrichs Expats Julian and Lynn Nich- brought American horse olson, and their teenage chil- whispering legend Monty dren Megan and Freddie, ini- Roberts to Spain for the first tially saved the horses from time in 2005, with shows in being sold to a meat factory Barcelona, Madrid and Estein Murcia. pona. But after just one month car- Now living near Barbate on ing for the 11 malnourished the Costa de la Luz, Hinhorses, the family began richs is running a week-long struggling financially and residential horse whispering needed help. course in March 2015, the This help eventually came in first event for Jacobs Ridge. the unlikely form of Simin “We are hoping this will be Nadjafi Hinrichs, one of Eu- the start of something quite rope’s leading horse whisper- special with future events ers. planned for the coming years “Simin was extremely posi- and hopefully some well-fed tive, she instantly appreci- and happy horses,” said Juated the commitment we lian. had made to save the horses and help turn their lives For more information visit around,” said Julian, who has www.jacobsridge.com
Watch the birdie A BRAND new laboratory in Tarifa is set to become a world leader in the study of global change in bird migration. The Centre of Migration and Global Change, launched by wildlife monitoring programme Fundacion Migres, will work on developing key scientific research into bird distribution. The foundation was given the 303,000 square metre site by the Ministry of Defence, and has the support of the Junta, the Council of Cadiz and the Universities of Cadiz, Sevilla and Cordoba, among others. Construction is set to begin immediately on the laboratory, which will be part of a network of centres and observatories to
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detect changes in m i gration patterns and predict future scenarios. Tarifa is an ideal location to coordinate data from Europe, America, Africa and the Middle East, and is one of the most biologically diverse regions in Europe. The hotspot for migratory crossings sees more than 30 million birds of 380 different species pass through its skies every year.
INSTALLATIONS of new wind plants in Spain have fallen to a record low following government subsidy cuts. Just one wind turbine - with a capacity of 0.08 megawatts - was installed in the first six months of this year, according to the Asociacion Empresarial Eolica lobby group. A spokesperson for the group added that this is the lowest halfyearly total since 1998, during which time the lowest annual total was last year’s 175 megawatts. In June, Spain’s government capped rates for renewable electricity suppliers, meaning that wind farms installed before 2004 – 28% of Spain’s total – will not receive any more subsidies, and newer farms will also have their funding cut.
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15
GREEN NEWS
five ances only
Merinos could be green for go
perform
Eight years of legal wrangling since the Olive Press first reported on the golf course development planned for a UNESCO-protected area in Ronda… and it still might come to pass By Jared Garland ONE of the most controversial developments in Andalucia’s history may become a reality after all. But the Los Merinos golf and housing complex slated for destroying UNESCO-protected land near Ronda will be a much toned-down version of the threatened macroproject. The scheme to build over 800 houses, two golf courses and a hotel over 10 square kilometres of woodland became the centre of a long-running dispute between the developers, environmentalists and the local authority. In fact, the first ever issue of the Olive Press campaigned against the proposal, back in November 2006. Now after an long legal battle developers will once again continue licence payments for the project. They will continue paying the agreed €1.5m a year to Ronda Town Hall after stopping payments three years ago. Developers Copisa owe €8.5m to the town hall
by Lope
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REBELS WITH A CAUSE: Protesters march against the intrusive development in missed payments. The Andalucian Supreme court has ruled in favour of Ronda, which has been owed a total of €19 million since 2006, when Los Merinos started its development plan. The payments came to a screeching halt when the company froze the project after finding it-
self unable to pay Ronda the agreed €1.5 million per year until 2016. In addition to repaying debts, this means the company will also be able to move ahead with the housing development. However, the new plan cuts out one golf course and some 50% of the houses initially planned.
Licence to confuse
Ronda Golf and Country Club manager Juan Rueda affirms that the new development is a much greener initiative. The project, still pending Junta and town hall approval, will be built with ‘less water usage, less energy consumption, less environmental impact and greater sustainability’.
High Court ruling adds new twist to Algarrobico Hotel tangle FRESH controversy has erupted over the future of the Cabo de Gata’s Algarrobico Hotel, with the Andalucia High Court (TSJA) now ruling that the building licence is legal. However, the half-built 411-room, 20-storeyhotel occupying a protected beach in the renowned Almeria natural park has not been declared legal, only the licence. Legal wrangling over the hotel has rumbled on for nearly a decade in what the Junta’s Environmental Minister has described as a ‘judicial tangle’. In May, the TSJA ruled that the land on which the unsightly hotel was built belongs to the Junta, just weeks after deciding it belonged to the local municipality of Carboneras. The shock U-turn was prompted when six European environmental agencies – including
#LopedeVega #G2G
MUDDLE: Now black spot could be legal
Greenpeace and Ecologistas en Accion – condemned the previous ruling. Also in May, nearly 100 Greenpeace activists daubed an 8,000 square metre black circle on the front of the building with ‘hotel ilegal’ spelled out in white letters. The non-governmental organisation claims the hotel is a ‘black spot’ on the otherwise beautiful coastline. However many people living nearby who are in favour of the hotel have voiced their views with graffiti of their own. Residents doctored the Greenpeace message so it now reads ‘hotel legal’. They also added: ‘Hotel, yes! 100% legal. Work, yes – unemployment, no!’
Bustards bound for Britain SPANISH great bustards are being released in the UK. The great bustards in Spain share closer DNA links to the original UK natives, the last of which was shot in 1832. The Great Bustard Group (GBG) has been re-introducing Russian birds to Wiltshire and Hampshire since 2004, but it has now been discovered that the Spanish variety are a better genetic match. “It’s exciting news, the Spanish population is the largest in the world, is increasing and is largely sedentary,” said David Waters, GBG director. Spain will send 33 birds to be released at two secret sites later this year.
BETTER MATCH: Spanish great bustards
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Dolphin in distress A BABY dolphin has been rescued off Caleta de Maro beach, Nerja. A family spotted the distressed creature after it beached on the shoreline on July 25, and called 112. Civil Protection, local police and specialists from the Centre for the Recovery of Threatened Marine Species (CREMA) moved the animal further up the beach where it was given emergency treatment before being transferred to Malaga. The dolphin, around one year old and measuring just over a metre in length, is thought to have become separated from its pod.
Axarquia NEWS
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Deadly discovery By Joe Chivers A MASSIVE cache of weapons and ammunition, including firearms and explosives, has been discovered in a house in Rincon de la Victoria. The terrifying arsenal, the largest ever discovered in Spain, consisted of more than 200 weapons of destruction. The Guardia Civil's bomb disposal unit was called to the scene as the stash of assault rifles, machine guns, shotguns, mortar rounds and hand grenades was unearthed. Two people, identified as A.H.A., and M.G.G.R., were arrested in the operation, carried out by officers from the Guardia Civil’s Organised Crime Team (ECO) and Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA). The bust follows arrests which took place in May as part of Operation Ivy, an investigation into money laundering and town planning. Those arrested included a local Police officer in Malaga, as well as employees of the Urban Planning Department. A working firearm discovered in Churri-
Spain’s biggest weapons cache is unearthed in Axarquia by police raid hUGE haul: Weapons found in Rincon de la Victoria home
ana, near Malaga, led Guardia Civil officers to the house in Rincon de la Victoria in July. Several books detailing sales of weapons and ammunition were found, suggesting
the weapons were due to be sold on. Investigations to determine whether any have been used in unsolved crimes are continuing.
Welcome to the hotel free-for-all A HOTEL with a difference has opened in the community-minded town of Benamocarra this month. Check in to the Hotel Cerro de Jaula and you won’t have to pay one centimo - provided you’re a local. Probably the only establishment in Spain offering zero
room rates, the 1980s hotel, which has been closed for over a year, has just had a €35,000 facelift, paid for by the provincial government. The town hall tried to convince a private company to run it for a fee of just €800 a month, but when there were no takers, officials came up
with their altruistic free-forall solution. Locals will be able to use the council-run hotel to host social events without paying to use the facilities, the only requirement being that they clean up after themselves. That includes free use of the dining room, kitchen and 10
well-appointed bedrooms, which all have heating, air conditioning, and television. The project is part of the wider ‘A Town for All’ programme introduced by the caring council. Commented Mayor Abdeslam Lucena highlighted the need to help the community.
Rock on!
COMPETA’S hills will be alive to the sound of funk, rock and soul on the night of August 8. The festival in the mountains, Competa Rocks On, will be headlined by the bands Drums of Africa, MPG, Guiri and rising star Ella at bar El Despacho de Fernan. All funds raised will go to the Cudeca and Axarquia Animal Rescue charities. Tickets, €15 for adults, €12 for children under 12, are available from Todo Papel, Competa.
Camp out, stamp out CHILDREN of low-income families are being invited to a summer camp to help them cope with social exclusion. Organised by Velez-Malaga Red Cross and La Caixa, the programme has the dual aim of helping youngsters from Axarquia to achieve academic success. Along the way they will learn how to deal with problems of social isolation related to their financial status, which can affect their progress in class. The programme is open to families who have zero employment or whose income falls below a certain level.
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17 July 23 - August 6 2014
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LETTERS
the olive press - August 7 - August 20 2014
POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 73.88% Same week last year: 79.86% Same week in 2003: 60.92% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.34 American dollars 0.80 British pounds 1.47 Canadian dollars 7.45 Danish kroner 10.40 H Kong dollars 8.44 Norwegian kroner 1.67 Singapore dollars
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Coffee concern
Expat teething problems Lessons to learn AS a father of two young girls, I think it is hard for a foreign family to bring up children on the Costa del Sol, despite the report Smooth transition for expat kids (Issue 192) which stated 75% do not face any problems. I like to think we are open minded and have made the effort to integrate, but often find culture differences huge. The simple life and beach culture in many ways turns people into zombies. I understand it is not customary to say ‘please and thank you’ here but, like me, my children find that difficult to grasp. I really hope my children study abroad and see the world, which is not something Andalucian people do; they are born, live and die here, which is what their families want. While I draw on three cultures available to me, I find the Spanish one influences my children the least. Sadly, we often use it as an example of how not to live, be it : no seat belt, smoking, double parking, no please/thank you etc. Mark, Fuengirola
Beach syndrome THE monotonous ‘Beach – Tapas – Beach – Evening meal’ syndrome is the mainstay of most Spaniards in summer. When I asked friends to see a new art exhibition, the beach always won.
BEACH LIFE: But bringing up expat children is not viewed by all parents as a breeze
AS a fan of the much improved and expanded Malaga Port, I am disappointed and amazed that the vast majority of cafes and businesses do not open before 11am. Ports globally attract foot-fall from early morning until late at night, and if operators in Malaga Port feel they should only open just before midday then the authorities would do well to reconsider all the people who are going to leave unhappy that they cannot even get a morning cup of coffee. J.L, Alhaurin el Grande
Hidden fear Expats actively try to make new Spanish friends, but mostly end up with people from their own country and culture. It’s such a difficult process. Hats off to us for all trying though, but integration is a rare beast. I know people who have been here 20-30 years, with some even married into Spanish families, and they still do not feel integrated. I have not met an expatriate family not already planning for their children to leave and study/work abroad. That is surely one of the most depressing aspects of Spain. A country with no future for its youth. Fred, Marbella
Please teacher! WE Brits tend to think of Fuengirola, Mojácar and Torrevieja as cultural capitals when, in Spanish terms, they are just small towns served with a poor standard of teachers. Indeed, why send better teachers to one particular town of 10,000 inhabitants just because there are foreigners living there? Spain’s elite are found in the cities. Send your kids there for decent, European-standard education or accept that they will receive a substandard one. As far as ‘integration’ goes, check to see which is the child’s preferred language (which one, for example, does he count in). If it’s Spanish, he’ll do fine. Lenox Napier, Almeria
I LIVED in Gibraltar for three years and ended up with bronchial asthma sometime after noticing black soot (carbon) deposits on the apartment railings. I started getting respiratory problems, but as an ex-sports freak and non-smoker, I thought it was just bad luck. However, a scientist friend in the US told me it is almost certainly carbon monoxide residues rising from ground level. He thinks the cloud is suppressing monoxide from the heavy traffic. Additionally when I picked up an inhaler from the chemists they told me they ‘give these out like sweets’. Steven May, Estepona
Homely life but a Wi-fi woe Telefonica installed their Fusion system in my Benahavis home, with the promise of a phone line, mobile phone and ADSL up to 10mbps. Note the emphasis on ‘up to’. When it was installed about a year ago I was getting a download speed of over 8gbps, but this has now dropped to under 2gbps, which means I keep losing my internet connection. I also have my TV powered by the internet through an IPTV box and that too becomes unwatchable. I believe there is a certain bandwidth coming into the village and this is now being overstretched by the number of consumers with IPTV boxes. Is this possible? Mike Lett, Benahavis ED: You’re not alone Mike, but some of the providers are apparently working hard to solve the bottlenecks by rolling out fibre-optic cables across Spain
Spot of bother over bulls PRUNA Town Hall, in Cadiz, is to host a bull fight this month. I am against animal cruelty, and understand an increasing number of Spanish people are as well. Is there an organisation I can contact to officially campaign against the bull fight? Edward Harrison, Pruna
No sympathy I HAVE no sympathy with Brian Flowers and his complaint about being fined for parking in a disabled bay (Letters Issue 192). My mother has a permit to park in them and we have lost count of the times they are occupied by cars with no permits. If Mr Flowers feels he needs a permit he should visit his GP, get a summary of his conditions and apply for one. If they refuse him for being too able bodied he should consider how lucky he is not to really need one. There are many people like my mother who wouldn’t be able to leave the house without being able to park close to where they need to go.
ED: Contact the town hall or PETA, anyone else concerned email newsdesk@theolivepress.es
Sue McCleary, Mijas 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.
CROSSMOT 37
Across 1 Fábulas (6) * 4 Caliente (6) * 9 Lograr (7) * 10 Herramientas (5) * 11 Swan (5) * 12 Convertir (7) * 13 Limitation (11) * 18 Químico (7) * 20 Acted (5) * 22 Desatar (5) * 23 Violet (7) * 24 Silky (6) * 25 Rough (6). Down 1 Francia (6) * 2 Owls (5) * 3 Elemento (7) * 5 Comido (5) * 6 Stumbled (7) * 7 Unties (6) * 8 Descriptivo (11) * 14 Elegido (7) * 15 Lápices De Colores (7) * 16 Se Produce (6) * 17 Basement (6) * 19 Artículos (5) * 21 Holds (5).
la cultura
19 August 7 - August 20 2014
Waiting in the wings Chris Stewart to ensure the show must go on at outdoor amphitheatre’s opening By Imogen Calderwood AN exciting theatre project will see its grand opening this month, but the theatre isn’t finished yet. Expat Anna Kemp has just over a week to build the remaining 50 seats, in her outdoor amphitheatre in Laroles in the Alpujarra mountains. Magical
A crowdfunding project earned more than €6,000 to build Un Teatro Entre Todos – or A Theatre for All – and the team is now on the final push. Former Genesis drummer turned author Chris Stewart, who has lived in the Alpujarra for years, will launch the theatre’s grand debut on August 15. Stewart will be followed by
a performance of some of Lorca’s unknown poems and plays. The theatre will play host to the company Theatre Balls – two improvisers, a musician and an actor – for a night of impromptu theatre on August 16, followed by the jazz-funk quartet, The John Scofield Tribute Band. Oxford-educated Anna was inspired by childhood visits to the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, in the UK. “The charm and the beauty of the experience left a huge impression on me. It’s a really magical experience,” Anna, 44, told the Olive Press.
uengirola. August 7, 8.30pm.
Exhibition of worldrenowned Swedish artist Marin Antonius, inspired by Miro. Hotel THB, Reserva del Higueron, Av. del Higueron.
stepona. August 8. Tourist day with
more than 20 activities and local businesses offering special discounts.
M
ijas. August 9, 9pm. The 13th
annual Latin Night. Cuban rhythms in the Virgin de la Pena Square, Mijas Pueblo.
M
ijas. August 28.
LAST PUSH: The team are nearly ready for the grand debut where Chris Stewart (left) will kickstart proceedings
Socialists lambast cuts to culture
THE Alhambra is under siege in a novel, Song of Granada, by author Anne Sikking. Published simultaneously in English and Spanish, this thriller puts a modern twist on the Alhambra, focussing on contemporary Granada from a multi-national perspective. A British-educated Cheyenne-Cherokee native American and Granada expert, Sikking lends her own patchwork world view to the cosmopolitan, Andalucian setting. The novel is set for release in October 2014 but is also available to preorder online.
F
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Under siege
what’s on
THE Socialist party’s culture secretary Iban Garcia del Blanco has openly denounced the new tax measures for Spain’s culture sector. Describing them as ‘ineffective,’ Garcia del Blanco said that these new measures are a perfect example of the Rajoy government’s continued ‘ignorance’ of the ‘real needs of the culture sector’. Even though they intend to ‘patch up’ deficits in the film industry, the PSOE believes the new measures fail to offset the recent spike in VAT that Rajoy put into place early this year, a change that has hit the culture sector hard. Garcia del Blanco, 37, is furious about the slight to Spain’s art industry, which he points out represents 3.5% of the country’s GDP and generates over 60,000 jobs.
BRITAIN’S most famous theatre is staging its first play in Spanish. The celebrated London theatre The Globe, where Shakespeare first trialed his works, is presenting Punishment without Revenge, produced by Madrid-based company Fundacion Siglo de Oro. For only five performances, the play by Lope de Vega is to be performed entirely in Spanish with every scene summarised with an English synopsis. Written in 1631, ‘El castigo sin venganza’ (the Castilian title) follows a tragic story of a son falling in love with his father’s intended bride. Told with wit and ironic ambiguity, the play, directed by Ernesto Arias, is sure to wow audiences with its powerful scenes of romance and despair.
Globe brushes up on its Spanish
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la cultura
August 7 - August 20 2014
The town that’s ‘all heart’
CITY OF LOVE: Antequera’s landscape has inspired many a fabled love story
Antequera, surrounded by Andalucia’s Big Three cities, is also at the centre of a ‘love triangle’, writes Jack Gaioni
THERE are many reasons why Antequera is known as ‘el Corazon de Andalucia’ (the heart of Andalucia) and not only because it’s close to the region’s geographical centre. The major cities of Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga are all roughly equidistant from it, and a good system of east-west and northsouth highways makes them easily accessible. In the very near future, when the high-speed Transverse Axis Rail passes through Antequera, it will be even more central. Antequera also lies at the heart of Andalucia’s history. The town of 40,000 residents has a surprisingly extensive archaeological and architectural heritage. Europe’s largest Bronze Age dolmens (burial mounds) can be found on the outskirts. Recent archeological evidence suggests that Antequera had sophisticated cultural and economic ties with the Phoenicians, Greeks and Celts. Under the Romans, ‘Antikaria’ (its Latin name) was an important commercial centre known for its quality olive oil, hence the many Roman ruins you can see in and around the town, while a well-preserved alcazaba (fortress) speaks of its Moorish history. Additionally, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Antequera was at the heart of a flourishing arts scene, attracting many intellectuals, writers, humanists and clergy, resulting in an inordinate number of churches, convents, schools and civilian palaces. Collectively, it is not difficult to understand why Antequera
Jack’s Corner has been assigned the moniker of ‘heart of Andalucia’. But there’s another, less wellknown reason. Antequera has a key place in the region’s literary tradition concerning ‘matters of the heart’, as home to more than a few enduring love stories. Consider the following examples. Tazgona and Tello Star-crossed lovers Dominating the landscape of Antequera is an enormous limestone rock formation that soars 880 metres over the town. Known as Peña de los Enamorados, or Lovers Leap, this mountain crag literally lies at the heart of local folklore. One widely-accepted legend tells of an impossible love affair between a young Christian man and a seductive Moorish princess named Tazgona. During the Moorish-Christian conflicts of the 15th century, a Christian
soldier named Tello was captured and imprisoned in the dungeons of the alcazaba. He was visited by the beautiful daughter of the Moorish King and the two were instantly smitten. Tazgona visited daily and the couple plotted Tello’s escape, but both lovers knew that neither Arab nor Christian culture would welcome their union. One morning, they made their bid
for freedom but the King sent troops in pursuit. Rather than renounce their love, the starstruck lovers chose to hurl themselves off the top of the Peña de los Enamorados into the abyss below. This romantic tale has been passed down through the generations as an integral part of Antequera’s oral tradition. Santa Eufemia - Dream woman Another local legend from the same century tells of a young Don Ferdinand (later, King Ferdinand) who struggled with the Arabs to gain
HISTORIC: Bronze age burial mounds
military control of the fertile Antequera valley. One evening, while camped in the area around the Peña de los Enamorados, an alluring young woman with long hair, dressed in a white robe, appeared to Ferdinand in a dream. She implored him to ‘fear not’ and to show courage ‘because the sun rises in Antequera’. So bewitched was Ferdinand by his ‘dream woman’ and her message, he was inspired to march into Antequera the next day and conquer the town for the Christians. Locals believed the woman was Santa Eufemia and from that day in 1410 onward, Santa Eufemia became Antequera’s patron saint. She is still worshipped in candle ceremonies throughout the community and the phrase ‘because the sun rises in Antequera’ is a popular local saying today. Robert Southey - the Goldilocks connection Curiously, another enduring love story associated with ‘the heart of Andalucia’ was penned by a famous English poet. Robert Southey (17741843) was a biographer, lit-
erary scholar and historian but, most notably, England’s Poet Laureate for over 30 years. He was a contemporary of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Charlotte Bronte. Perhaps his most recognisable contribution to literary history is the children’s classic, The Story of the Three Bears, the original Goldilocks fairytale. Southey made a habit of visiting Spain for what he called ‘poetic inspiration’. During one visit, he wrote the poem Laila and Manuel in which he expands on some legends inspired by Antequera’s ‘Lovers Leap’, using the backdrop of the infamous limestone crag to tell his own version of a tryst between Christian and Moorish lovers. The poem has modern resonance and is still read by many British schoolchildren today. While Antequera may lack the munificence of Granada’s Alhambra palace, Cordoba’s mosque or Sevilla’s cathedral, its rich history and romantic folklore gives it deeper significance as the ‘heart of Andalucia’. If you like to follow your heart, I highly recommend a visit. Who knows what might happen!
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la cultura
21 August 7 - August 20 2014
My new golden goal EXCLUSIVE: Recently retired Premiership footballer-turned-Marbella-businessman David Bentley on living in the ‘best place in the world’, learning Spanish and only needing one car, ‘not 10’. By Tom Powell HIS wicked left foot once saw soccer fans across England describing David Bentley as the next David Beckham. But in the past 18 months since he fell out of love with the game, the exArsenal and Tottenham midfielder has not even touched a football, and he’s only 29. The glitzy world of Premiership soccer – the fame, the money and the razzmatazz – have all been left behind for Spanish lessons, business and, more than anything, family. But make no mistakes, this is a man who knows what he wants, and isn’t afraid to make huge football-shaped sacrifices to go get it. “I have great memories of my football days, I loved it and it was a privilege, but now I am taking a different direction,” said the seven-times capped England international, who is now a part-owner of Marbella restaurant chain La Sala.
Broken dream
“I’ve been coming to the Costa del Sol every year since I was 18 and I love the diversity, I don’t think there is a better place in the world to raise children. “I could live in LA, Florida,
Marbella… but we chose here for the lifestyle, because the kids can learn and do so much.” Bentley, who lives in the rural artists’ enclave of Benahavis with wife Kimberly, four-year-old daughter Devon and newborn twins, is not just another British expat here for the sun, sea and sangria. He wants his children to absorb the Spanish culture and to grow up speaking both languages. “My wife and I are determined to become fluent in Spanish, we were having three lessons a week until recently,” he explained. “But my kids are basically getting it for free, they will go to a Spanish nursery and school so they don’t even have to try!” While he is adamant that no amount of money, would persuade him to return to the game, Bentley admits that the prospect of playing in Spain was always a dream. “The Spanish league would have really suited me, it was always my favourite football to watch,” he said. Although footballs are not to be found in the Bentley family garden, it’s safe to say they will always be a sporty bunch. Golf, horse-riding, watersports and
go-karting are among their favourite pastimes. And while many may scoff at the man who turned his back on every young boy’s dream, Bentley is undoubtedly happier, and financially safer, than most footballers are in the years following retirement.
Richer life
“So many of them are simply spending everything they earn, they don’t receive proper advice,” he admitted. “I’m not the richest man in the world but I’m comfortable, and grateful for that. I’m happy to just have one nice car, I don’t need ten.” “I know footballers who have gone bankrupt and it’s unbelievable.” Unlike his fellow players, Bentley is a man with a plan, at least for the next 15 years while the kids go through school. “La Sala is a really exciting business to be involved in, we are all good friends and it’s expanding rapidly.” Despite dedicating his youth to the game he fell out of love, stating it had become too ‘robotic, and predictable’, Bentley said he wouldn’t hesitate to support his son in doing exactly the same. “If I told him football wasn’t worth it I hope he’d tell me to get lost!”
22
la cultura
‘I
F a young man, no matter how insecure, can’t make it with the girls in Torremolinos, he had better resign from the human race’, writes James Michener on the first page of his blockbuster 1971 novel The Drifters. It’s an introduction to Joe, one of six young people from across the world who meet up by chance at a Torremolinos bar called The Alamo, forming lasting bonds of friendship as they travel Europe and Africa together on a journey of self-discovery. They were the backpackers and gap year students of another era lost in time, looking for peace, love and adventure in the days when Torremolinos and Fuengirola meant dope, LSD, topless Scandinavian girls and a permissive society. For anyone interested in a snapshot of life on the Costa del Sol in the decade of free love and flower power, it’s a must-read. There are still people living on the coast today who remember Harry’s Bar in Torremolinos, on which The Alamo is based, and its owner, the irrepressible Harry Hubert. In fact, it still exists today in another of its many reincarnations. Every July, back then, when the Costa del Sol was little more than a cluster of fishermen’s cottages, itinerant adventure-seekers from all over the world would drift into Harry’s Bar, from there to embark on the annual pilgrimage to Pamplona. Harry’s Bar was the heartbeat of the expat scene on the Costa del Sol throughout the 1960s and ‘70s. The bar was decorated entirely in tribute to Pamplona’s famous San Fermin bull run, which was already enjoying literary fame from Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. There were bulls’ heads mounted on the walls, plaques from San Fermin paneling the bar counter, pictures and posters from the event everywhere. Pride of place was given to a letter from Irish-American bull-running legend Matt Carney, signifying the lifelong bond of friendship they shared (pictured page 23). Without Harry Hubert, the bar’s Brooklyn-born owner, the book could never have been written. Much as Michener draws on Torremolinos for inspiration, his novel is also heavily based on the friendship that developed between Harry and Matt Carney, also a central character in the story. Draft-dodging Harry, the San Fermin aficionado, connoisseur of San Miguel beer and serial philanderer, became Joe, Michener’s central character in The Drifters. Joe is The Alamo’s Ameri-
Mapping The In a two-part series, the Olive Press explores seminal novel The Drifters which put the Costa del Sol on the map for its sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll ‘60s lifestyle. Jared Garland retraces real life character Harry Hubert can owner, a pacifist who dodges the Vietnam draft by fleeing to Spain. Matt Carney is the model for the novel’s seasoned bull runner, Harvey Holt, who introduces Joe to the magic of the high adrenaline sport. Michener writes that Holt always ran the bulls with a grin on his face, and it’s true: the real Matt Carney could not help but smile as he evaded death on the Estafeta, the last and most treacherous road of the corrida. Unlike Joe, however, the real Harry was never a draft-dodger. Born in 1932, he enlisted as a Marine in the Korean War at 18, just shy of the legal age for joining the military. After the war, living on a Veterans Association disability pension, Harry
‘But Harry, we were here last year on holiday, you slept with us’ drifted into Torremolinos where he used the money to open up his first hostelry, Bar Central. This bar, though, still alive and well in Plaza de la Gamba Alegre, has changed hands multiple times - so many times that Harry Hubert’s name rings hollow in the ears of the establishment’s current bar staff. When Harry ran the bar, it was the stuff of legend. The music continued long into the early hours when there was no one left to dance to it; the beer flowed, often freely, when Harry was too drunk or having too much fun to keep tab; joints were lit well into the night. The bar became a magnet for American, British and Swedish girls bitten by the travel bug and attracted to Torremolinos by the
sunshine and the cheap cost of living. Along with their suitcases, they brought topless sunbathing, sexual liberty and even the occasional orgy to Torremolinos (even in Franco’s day, when practically everything was illegal). But Harry was the glue that bonded them, and his bar was the place where he could almost always be found. Wild About Harry To all those who knew him, he became an icon of almost religious significance. When asked about what kind of guy he was, most friends let the stories speak for themselves. Realtor John Harper knew Harry for 20 years. When I asked him for reminiscences, his eyes lit up as he started to tell me how Harry got demoted in Korea. “He was asked to clean the latrines and he said ‘let’s do this the easy way’ and chucked a grenade into the lot of them.” Then there was the time when Harry was drinking in his bar, as usual, and two Scandinavian girls walked in, asking if he remembered them. John delivers the line as if Harry was speaking, adopting his gruff, no-bull Brooklyn accent: “I said to them, ‘no I don’t’ and they said ‘But Harry, we were here last year on holiday, you slept with us’, and I said ‘Oh, yeah. You was Wednesday and you was Thursday’.” But maybe it’s best to let his old pal, Matt Carney, speak for Harry. In a tribute he wrote called Insect Telepathy, he tells the story of a butterfly Harry found stuck to the windshield of his car, still barely alive. ‘Harry took a piece of paper and very carefully disengaged the stuck physique,’ he wrote, and for the whole day, ‘the butterfly stayed with him’. The butterfly, just like everyone who met him, couldn’t resist Harry.
The day that Harry died, a whole period of history passed with him
`H
AGELESS: Harry sports the red and white uniform of a bull runner
arry could make a complete hub on his own, he could make a book probably, but a hub for sure. He died about 15 years ago now, and at his memorial service over 400 people turned up from all over the world, including a detachment of Marines from Rota base to do the honours with the folding of the flag. There was a very long and drunken wake held that night and the next day, based in Harry’s Bar (his last bar, finally named for him) which had hand-carved and decorated panneling done by some famous people, depicting bull brands of all the leading bull ranches. Harry was an original Pamplona runner a la Hemingway, and every year runners from all over the world would congregate in Harry’s Bar in Calle Medina, Fuengirola, to make the pilgrimage to Pamplona and the drunken days that entails. The day that Harry died, a whole period of history passed with him.´ From Gino Hollander’s blog, July 2009
23 August 7 - August 20 2014
Drifters... The Michener man HISTORIC FRIENDSHIP: A candid of Harry Hubert (below) and a letter to Harry from Matt Carney (inset) written on a poster he gifted to Harry’s Bar, reads: “We’re always moving with the times, Harry, moving with the flow and never far from the essential”
JAMES Michener is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Tales of the South Pacific (1947), on which the famous 1958 musical was based. It wasn’t until decades later that the novelist took an interest in the Costa del Sol with The Drifters, published in 1971. After its release it quickly shot to the top of the New York Times Bestsellers list, putting Torremolinos on the map for millions of readers, many of whom became bitten by the travel bug just like the characters in the book. The story centres around Joe, whose journey is loosely based on Harry Hubert’s. A 20-year old student at the University of California, he drops out to dodge the Vietnam draft, hitchhiking first across the U.S., and then making his way to Torremolinos, where he takes over The Alamo bar. There he meets 18-year-old Britta from Norway, who arrives on holiday but decides to stay, taking a job as a barmaid. They are soon joined by African-American university student Cato Jackson, who has fled Pennsylvania after his girlfriend was stabbed. The gang is completed by Yigal, a young Israeli who fought in the Six-Day war; Gretchen, a Bostonian who was sexually assaulted at riots surrounding Eugene McCarthy’s nomination; and poor little rich girl Monica, from England, whose father is a titled diplomat. Later, the sixsome meet Harvey Holt who opens their eyes to Pamplona. After the wild success of The Drifters, Harry Hubert received a letter on behalf of Michener, granting him his ‘full legal, moral, and spiritual blessing’ to rename the bar ‘The Alamo’ in order to boost trade. But most of his friends were much more interested in the real-life Harry than Michener’s version. And Harry, who cared little for money, kept the bar under his own name. ing in Marceliano’s. “It was a constant gutter party there,” he says. “Maybe the most classic place in Pamplona. Because it was near the start of the Gutter party encierro, all the runners would gather outside and drink caldo (broth), It is from this iconic bar in and it’d be busy at all times of The police shut Torremolinos that the six adday.” venturers in the novel set forth the bar down for Before he became a San Fermin – peseta-poor but rich in comaficionado, Matt also opened a excessive pany – to witness the spectacle bar on the Costa del Sol, which of San Fermin and, of course, Harry invested in, but the podrug use start the party all over again. lice shut it down for the excesThey arrive in Pamplona sive drug use on the premises. more than half-way through the novel - at Harry’s Bar stayed open until his death in what Harry Hubert’s friend Jesse Graham 1993. calls the “hardest hotel to get a room in dur- From here, every year without fail for nearing ‘the season’,” but to which, of course, the ly 30 years, Harry and his gang set off for well-connected Harry had keys. Pamplona from the Costa del Sol, cementNotoriously Hemingway’s favourite lunch ing a permanent bond between San Fermin spot (he ordered the cod ajoarriero), Mar- and Torremolinos. celiano’s was a pension ‘whose joys would not translate into a travel brochure’, but ‘people would do literally anything to get a room there’. And every July 3, before the NEXT ISSUE: War, running of the bulls, the owner would clear women and wanderers. every inhabitant out of the hotel just so that Harry could fill the rooms with his personal How Harry’s Bar shook entourage of 30-or-so travellers, including up the Costa del Sol Matt Carney. Allen Carney, Matt’s son, remembers stayIt fluttered around his face and wouldn’t leave him alone for the rest of the night.
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la cultura
August 7 - August 20 2014
Swim free, swim wild IT’s the start of the summer and boiling hot, and if you’re in need of a cool dip but tired of resort pools there are some gorgeous natural swimming spots in Andalucia. Wild swimming in lakes, reservoirs and waterfalls is one of the best ways to enjoy the region’s natural, untamed landscape. Try seeking out these hidden gems for a change in pace:
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1. Cascadas de Hueznar – north of Sevilla Water trickles down subtle waterfalls into crystal blue pools for a mesmerising swim at this quaint spot, about 2km outside of San Nicolas village. After exploring the surrounding area, a dip in the crisp cold waters here is just what the weary traveller needs.
2. Cueva del Gato – west of Ronda Meaning ‘Cave of the Cat’ this breathtaking underwater cave is so called because of it’s resemblance to a cat’s face. Benaojan is only 2km away, where there are plenty of great restaurants to refuel after a day of swimming.
3. Embalse de Zahara de la Sierra – northwest of Ronda Also tucked away in the Ronda highlands, this spot is truly remarkable because of the colour of its water: a striking green-blue that tricks the eye at first glance. A massive reservoir, this captivating expanse is the perfect temperature in summer.
4. Junta de los Rios – north of Almunecar More challenging to get to than the others, but your hard work will be rewarded with enchanting falls and pools created by the meeting of the Rios Verde and Negro. Don’t forget your water bottle and leave your mobile at home since there’s no reception here!
5. Embalse de los Bermejales – southwest of Granada This giant reservoir is a wonderful place to spend the day, despite being more touristy. Very kid-friendly with its beach and floating pontoon, this spot makes the list for its undeniably pristine water, filled with vibrant fish and underwater life.
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Sotogrande
August August 7 7 -- August August 20 20 2014 2014
Picture by Tom Powell
ll about
25
There is so much more to the idyllic community of Sotogrande than polo and sailing, writes Tom Powell
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T’S not a town or a village... and it’s definitely not a city. However, it boasts five championship golf courses, a top equestrian centre, a marina to rival Puerto Banus and a world-renowned polo tournament. Throw in miles of beautiful beach and a lush nature reserve and you have the unique world of Sotogrande. This upscale resort is in fact an urbanisation – run by the NH Hotels Group – that has become the largest and most exclusive privately-owned residential development in Andalucia. Wedged between the Rock of Gibraltar and the foothills of the Sierra Almenara and sliced in two (Alto and Costa) by the coastal highway, Sotogrande is a world of its own. It is an epicentre of wealth and sport, with the likes of Tony Blair and ‘Fergie’, the Duchess of York, known to spend time there, the latter owning a house nearby. “Sotogrande is excellent for all of the family, it’s relaxed but there is so much to do, especially the polo and sailing,” explained Lorenc Hunda, owner of the Hairy Lemon bar, the port’s certified British expat hub. The former chef and his wife Liz have now opened up The Lemon restaurant next-door, perfect for enjoying a delicious meal in tranquility. “We love the community feel here, everyone is very friendly and chatty. We used to come here on holiday but five years ago made the permanent move,” he added. The resort is an undoubted haven of high-end sporting activity, with 11 polo fields and, of course, the International Summer Tournament (see page 27). Stand-up paddle boarding has also been making a splash – or not, preferably – in the Guadiaro river estuary. This ancient method of travel, used by Polynesians to travel from island to island, is half surfing, half sailing and all fun. Club Mistral international is hosting fitness and
yoga sessions, kids days and excursions on the calm waters at Sotogrande’s river mouth. “It’s the perfect location for paddle boarding here, beautiful scenery right next to the beach and it’s far less windy than Tarifa where we are based,” explained Chris Ziaja, project manager. I went down and tested my balance on a board one Friday evening, sampling everything from yoga to the intense workout and the fun race, getting extremely wet but thoroughly enjoying it. Perhaps the best way to see the beautiful scenery of the Guadiaro river and estuary is kayaking. While kitesurfing conditions are some of the best in Spain, and snorkelling with the Real Club Maritimo de Sotogrande is also very popular. However, there is no doubt as to the main water sport. Passion for sailing is almost synonymous with Sotogrande, as the schools offer training from novice to expert and visitors flock here from across the world. The sparkling port in itself is a thing of beauty, bathed in sunlight and immaculately kept. Just as its multi-millionaire founder Joseph McMicking promised in 1962 when he bought five fincas to create the ultimate family sports resort, Sotogrande has ‘matured like a good Camembert’. Well-considered planning has created an urban area of startling natural beauty surrounded by cork forests, polo fields and golf fairways. There is even a nature reserve in the river estuary, an ornithologist’s paradise crossed by a rickety board walk (see page 28). Away from the wetland, Porsches are quite a common sight. Thankfully, they are kept quiet by the speed bumps, preserving the serenity of birdsong and the sound of running water. Classy bars and restaurants abound in the port, with everything from outdoor sports venues to Turn to next page
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BLOSSOMING: Sotogrande’s Sunday market has grown hugely while (below) if there’s a better way to relax than sitting on a boat, wearing just speedos and a hat, gazing out to Gibraltar and Morocco, try telling this guy
From previous page
top-of-the-range dining experiences. On Sunday mornings the port comes alive with its (up) market, selling chic hippy clothing and the best pepper grinders this side of Harrods, creating a ‘Covent Garden vibe’ in the Spanish sun. Sotogrande’s high-end boutiques are also great places to offload money, with everything from the latest designer collections to children’s clothing and accessories. “It’s like an oasis of calm here, apart from August when all the people from Madrid descend on the port for their summer holiday,” said expat Anita Kemp, who owns a second home there. “I love it because it is very safe, smart and relaxed, and also easy to get to with all of the nearby airports.” Sotogrande might never have existed if Swissair hadn’t sent a pair of complementary flight tickets to the Philippinesbased Ayala Corporation (which gave its name to Sotogrande’s second polo club). The CEO Joseph McMicking sent Enrique Zobel – the founding father of polo in Sotogrande – to scout for land to realise his dream resort. Zobel’s brief was to find an estate with good travel links and ‘an abundance of water’. Gibraltar was the only ‘good travel link’ at this time and so Sotogrande’s early settlers – wealthy families from the Philippines, Belgium, Austria and France in the main – flew in via London. In the early years they had to make their own fun, taking it in turn to throw lavish house parties. Soon the cream of European aristocracy was summering in Sotogrande, alongside the Domecq (sherry) and Ford families. The Spanish arrived en masse after 1969 when Gibraltar was cut off by Franco’s border closure. In the 70s, Sotogrande opened its
Safe, smart and relaxed multi-coloured port, attracting the professional middle class and correcting the estate’s ailing balance sheet. It has never looked back. The beaches are a huge draw as well. Playa Sotogrande at the front of the estate is 2km long, and playa Guadalquiton – its bigger, less accessible but more tranquil brother – lies to the west of Sotogrande estate. The Cucurucho beach club is a favourite of residents and tourists, where curiosities include 7,000 metres of
sunbathing lawn and a pool shower resembling a TV aerial struck by lightning. The club is also famous for its annual Children’s Olympics. The fishing village of Torreguadiaro – with beautiful beaches and one of the coast’s best tapas restaurants, Brasamar – is Sotogrande’s neighbour. Many residents also head inland for the off-resort shops in Pueblo Nuevo, which is steadily drawing more and more expats with its traditional charm and great location.
Where quality, experience and knowledge come together
www.sotograndexclusive.com info@sotograndexclusive.com Tel.: +34 617 005 844
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August August 7 7 -- August August 20 20 2014 2014 July 24- Aug 6 2014
‘Tis the season
ROYAL GAME: British Princes William and Harry have taken part in the ‘Sotogrande season’ while (below) Jodie Kidd with brother Jack, Cooper’s protagonist
‘Polo is a drug only curable by poverty or death’, wrote author Jilly Cooper, about the much vaunted Sotogrande Season
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HE one thing that has really put Sotogrande on the map – even more than sailing – is polo. Not the fresh, minty, ringed sweet but the hair-raising, horseback sport. Polo - the book set in Sotogrande - may be a work of bad fiction. But author Jilly Cooper’s world of ‘bankable patrons and bonkable players’ is not so very far removed from what goes on during ‘the Sotogrande season’. On the field, too, it’s a fastaction game that knocks the area’s other top spectator sport – golf – into the watching-paint-dry category. Every expat in the port owns a polo shirt or six, yet most locals have never seen a live chukka, even though they’re free to watch. That’s an open invitation to ogle the world’s top players thrashing mallets about in the saddle. On occasions, this has included Princes Charles, Andrew, William and Harry, Spanish royals and sultans too. But there will always be cool Germanic blondes, red-hot Argentineans or smooth, snakehipped Frenchmen. Take your pick; most of them are under 35 and in great shape. Another plus: there are enough ponies
to shoot the remake of Ben Hur. One event in particular, introduced in 1971, has been crucial for Sotogrande’s reputation as the heart of polo: the International Summer Tournament, a World Polo Tour fixture ranked among the top three in Europe. From July 25 to August 30 this year, 30 teams of riders and 1,000-plus ponies will do battle at Santa Maria for Gold, Silver and Bronze Cups, watched by 50,000 spectators
Polo: the facts ● A horseback game pitting two teams of four against each other, polo players use long-handled mallets to whack a small air-filled ball into the goal ● A traditional polo game is played on a large grass field, up to 274 metres long by 146 metres wide ● An average game is about two hours long, split into periods called 'chukkas’ ● Though traditionally an Olympic sport, polo was dropped from the Olympics after the 1936 games in Berlin ● Regardless of the player, polo must be played right-handed
drawn from a Who’s Who of high society. Land Rover is once again the tournament’s sponsor for its 43rd edition, with many other high-end brands linked to the trophies and après polo parties where the Taittinger will be flowing until la madrugada. So this month, do yourself and Sotogrande a favour. Go watch some polo. They might not need you in August but they will later on, and you’ll be back. Jilly Cooper says so!
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In the swing
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F there is a beautiful resort on the Costa del Sol, there’s nearly always a beautiful golf course accompanying it. Well, unsurprisingly, Sotogrande and its three world class courses don’t disappoint. The NH Hotel Almenara was designed by Ryder Cup champion and respected course architect David Thomas, while Valderrama and Sotogrande are two of the most highly regarded in Spain. Fantastic Anyone with half an interest in sport will remember the
Sotogrande is home to a fantastic concentration of top-notch golf courses
fantastic last few holes of the Ryder Cup in 1997 when Colin Montgomery played the best round of his life. That was at Valderrama, which is now viewed as one of the must-play golf courses in Europe, beautifully maintained, but some-
SWING TIME: Valderrama is etched in golfing folklore forever after the 1997 Ryder Cup
times thought to be a touch too hard. There are five other golf courses around Sotogrande, the first being Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande, also known as the Old Course, which was the first course built. Bermuda grass Well maintained, it is said to be a dream to play after its trickier sister Valderrama. It was here that the so-called Bermuda grass was first introduced into Spain. The other courses include La Canada, La Reserve, San Roque, as well as Almenara, which is up in the hills, where celebrities Glenn Hoddle and Glen Johnson have homes. “There are few places with such a high concentration of golf courses,” says Ian Bateman, of Holmes estate agents. “When you add the fabulous tennis facilities and polo club, with its 11 full size courses, the facilities in Sotogrande are second to none.”
Wild and
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HE hidden gem of the Sotogrande estate is a 27-hectare area of marshland housing an abundance of wildlife. Boardwalks criss-cross the thick foliage and a lagoon with extensive reed beds attracts many winged visitors. The Junta spent €198,000 on the boardwalk in 1999, along with fences, gates and a bird hide.
29 August August 7 7 -- August August 20 20 2014 2014
So special, so Sotogrande
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CHIRP: A purple gallinule (top), a penduline tit (far left) and the rickety board-walk (left)
After several acts of vandalism, however, the hide is now rarely open to the public. But bird-watching is still easy enough for those with the will and the rewards include purple gallinules (swamp hens) penduline tits, cormorants and gulls. The location of the estuary, where the river Gua-
diaro enters the Mediterranean, is perfect for birds moving along the coast and migrating to Africa. It also provides the best place for views of the estuary and the coast, and, after a morning spent wildlife spotting there is the glorious Guadalquiton beach to unwind on in the afternoon.
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OTOGRANDE...it’s the Monte Carlo of Spain, you’re sooo lucky to be going there,” I was informed back in England by a dreamy Spanish teenager who reckoned to know the place. My expectations were high as a result and, as I chose to settle here, you can tell I wasn’t disappointed. It’s certainly as stylish and glamorous as Monte Carlo, but there the similarity ends. I’ve found other reasons that make Sotogrande special, whether to live in or visit. Buzzing For one thing, in winter it’s very, very quiet. That’s the way I like it: no traffic jams, no hustle. August is busy and buzzing, a complete contrast to the rest of the year. People-watching is a seasonal sport that’s an entertainment on its own in high summer, when the Sotogrande style - a mixture of Madrid chic, nautical nonchalance and a dash of bling - can be seen everywhere. Polo matches offer many opportunities to mingle
Expat resident Kaye Bowerman has the lowdown on life beneath the surface of Sotogrande with the smart and the gorgeous and, like the well-kept beaches, are totally free. But it’s not stuck-up. Sotogrande is a friendly place, a point often noticed by young visitors from England. Wherever I walk - in the port, or around Torreguadiaro or Pueblo Nuevo - passers-by will invariably bid me hola or buenas. I also like the helpful way the Spanish try to understand my poor grasp of their language. In fact, I like the way I am made to feel welcome wherever I go. ‘Yes, but what do you DO in Sotogrande?’ asked an English friend. Surprisingly, even in the quieter winter months, there’s still plenty of action in ‘Soto’. It’s just a question of looking beneath the surface to find great clubs and societies. There’s a strong
musical scene too. Oh, I haven’t mentioned the superb climate, the sparkling port, the beautifully-manicured golf courses, the excellent choice of places to eat or have coffee, the abundance of greenery and flowers… Monte Carlo it’s not; t h a n k goodness!
ENAMOURED: With the port she calls home
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HE laid-back Sotogrande lifestyle is still a great attraction for expats and those looking for second homes, according to local agents. Although the property market is still some years off what it was before ‘la crisis’, sales in the area are steadily moving in an upward direction, However, it appears that Sotogrande’s near-perfect climate, highlyregarded international school and wealth of sporting activities will always be a big draw for families looking to relocate. “It’s a relaxed, easy life here, and it’s still relatively unknown, maybe that is also the charm of the place,” said Monique Westdorp of Sotogrande Exclusive. “I have been so busy since spring and it feels like the market is really picking up,” added the Dutch expat, who has lived in Spain for 13 years. In recent years, Sotogrande has become a melting pot of cultures too, with buyers jetting in from as far as away as Dubai and Australia. The Madrilenos also come in their droves. “I recently had a client from Russia who was looking to spend €2.5 million on a property,” said Westdorp, who has
Sotogrande’s property market is bouncing back as buyers fly in from from all over the world
been running her online business for over three years. Luxurious Although prices are as low as they are likely to get, it’s still a buyer’s market even in this exclusive enclave. Most sales are in the €6-700,000 price range and studio flats can be found from as little as €100,000. Andy Griffin, of rental firm Blue Sky, has been in the area for 30 years and firmly believes prices are on the rise. “The market is at about 60% of what it was but it’s definitely
picking up,” he said. “People are paying ridiculously low prices at the moment, who knows what it is going to be like in a few years time!” Some of the most luxurious real estate can be found at BM Sotogrande in Pueblo Nuevo, where the most expensive homes are currently for sale at above €5 million. As the ‘original top-of-the-market property developers’ in the area, founder Bradley Falconer and team are also the font of all knowledge on design and construction.
Helping your health
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pain’s Costa del Sol is tractions here in Spain is the Advertorial known for its popularity private cover is essential. quality of health care facilities. with expatriates. While STM Nummos Life offers a perThis is what drives the annual many come from the sonal service and provide an Over 50s exhibition. In NovemEU, expatriates from all over individual English, Spanish or ber, the STM team will be in the globe head here. Russian speaking client rela- Estepona again and happy to Spain is an ideal choice for re- tionship manager at no addi- answer any questions you may tirement due to its climate and tional cost. have. There will be exhibitors relaxed lifestyle, however, some Health is an important issue at from all health and wellbeing new residents may not yet quali- any age, but particularly so as sectors and activities for all the fyBM for sotogrande a state pension. oliveTherefore press 2014:Layout 1 04/08/2014 10:31 Page family. 1 you grow older. One of the at-
SOTOGRANDE PROPERTY SPECIALISTS L U X U RY B U Y I N G , S E L L I N G & R E N T I N G BM SOTOGRANDE: VISIT OUR OFFICE IN PLAZA MAYOR 5, PUEBLO NUEVO 11311 info@bmsotogrande.com T: +34 956 785 092 or +34 650 736 623
www.bmsotogrande.com
August 7 - August 20 2014
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TRANQUIL: The courtyard at Si Siam
HOTSPOT: British expat favourite the Hairy Lemon
Tastebud titillation Sotogrande’s culinary newbies are offering flavours to savour this summer
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OTOGRANDE is sprouting so many new restaurants and gastro bars this summer, you wouldn’t think Spain was only just emerging from recession. Many of the newcomers have latched onto the trend for tapas, artfully presented in an array of avant garde culinary concoctions One new addition is The Lemon restaurant, next-door neighbour and younger sibling of the Hairy Lemon, both owned by expat couple Lorenc Hunda (pictured right) and Liz. Opened in February, it’s fast becoming one of the port’s top hangouts, serving freshlyprepared homemade dishes all day. Head chef Adam, who has worked for Michelinstarred chefs in England and cooked for the armed forces in Afghanistan in his diverse career, is also a new arrival to Sotogrande. This culinary magician has conjured up an eclectic menu, including 14 tempting tapas. Try his signature teriyaki duck breast on for size. The complex, meaty flavour, enhanced by a delectable Asian glaze, sits perfectly alongside the zingy wasabi slaw. For heartier appetites, opt for a threecourse meal. Starters include a tangy blue cheese and pear terrine and a homemade chicken liver pate, wrapped in classic Spanish Iberico ham with caramelised onion jam. For mains, you can’t pass up the fresh fish, locally sourced right on the door-
menu include wild boar massaman curry and rosada baked in banana leaf. Another fabulous secret dining spot is La Cabana, set in a stunning old cortijo on the Valderrama estate, next to the riding school. It was opened last year by wellknown local restaurateur, Juan Jose Barrero Pascual. The atmospheric restaurant spills out onto an expansive terrace overlooking manicured lawns.
step. The pan-seared sea bass, smothered in a prawn bisque sauce, comes highly recommended. For a more oriental experience, head for Si Siam in nearby Guadiaro. This Thai restaurant’s elegant courtyard is an idyllic setting for feasting on specialities like beef massaman, panang curry or steamed sea bass, infused with ginger and lemongrass. Be sure to leave room for the speciality house dessert, banana cake with ice cream. It’s fingerlickin’ good. Also in the port, it’s worth checking out the chic, Belgian-run La Terrasse, and Spin nakers, where you’ll get a warm welcome from Monica and Janus, who come all the way from Budapest. For the tapas bar with the best views of the coast in these parts, the newlyopened Brasamar in Torreguadiaro, next to the beach, takes some beating. The terrace offers sweeping sea views while the kitchen serves stylish tapas, fish, grilled meats and rice dishes. You don’t expect to discover a Thai restaurant in an old country house but that’s one of the wow factors at La Finca, near Alcaidesa’. This 200-year old rustic building was once the nerve centre for one of the area’s biggest estates. Today Syrie Blanco Walsh, a descendent of the original owner, and her husband Chris have turned it into an atmospheric escape full of quirky charm and decorative creativity. Must-try dishes on the enticing Thai fusion
Juan Jose used to own the Molino del Conde in Castellar, which has sadly closed. But the good news is he has transferred the name to a new location in Pueblo Nuevo - the Molino del Conde Guadiaro. The restaurant looks out onto a leafy avenue of trees, with a terrace at the rear, and specialises in trendy tapas, artfully presented. It’s hard to choose a star dish but the white chocolate pyramid, filled with fruits of the forest and ice cream, is pretty special. Also in Pueblo Nuevo, look out for Henry’s, a sports bar with a friendly, laidback atmosphere. There’s a bar menu of good-value snacks and a choice of traditional pub games, including pool, table football and a competition darts board. Another realtively new addition to the area is JB’s Cafe Bar in Torreguadiaro, recently renovated by owner Jane and her husband. They are open seven days a week from 8am, for breakfast and lunch, and stock a good range of wines beers and spirits. If you’re one for indulging in ‘elevenses’, don’t miss their homemade cakes.
TENDER: Duck breast with wasabi slaw at the Lemon
MOUTHWATERING: Thai food at Si Siam
Elevenses
Restaurant Brasamar Gastrobar Come and taste our tapas, fishes, grilled meats and rices in our wonderful terrace with an amazing view over the Mediterranean Sea.
Second-hand heaven A NEW shop for secondhand gems has opened in Jimena de la Frontera. Déjà vu Déjà vu offers everything from furniture to unique clothing and antiques. “We have an incredible range of items, but all of good quality and great value,” said Jill Honess, the owner.
Bouncing back ESTATE agent extraordinaire Kristina Szekely has reopened her office in Sotogrande, and it’s bigger and better than ever. Although the office originally opened almost ten years ago, it was forced to close last year before Szekely revived the business in mid-July, declaring ‘now the time is right’. However, the director of the
new office, Esther Nistal, had her hands full with the reopening when the office flooded within the first week of business. But the agency is back on its feet, selling some of the finest luxury properties in the area through its superbly located office, right smack in the middle of Sotogrande port.
LOOKING AHEAD: Kristina Szekely has now reopened her Sotogrande office
Telephone reservations:
662 612 449 Avenida Mar del Sur, 84 Torreguadiaro (in the beach access)
ELEGANT VILLA NEXT TO GOLF CLUB RÍO REAL, LOS MONTEROS Spectacular luxury 5 bedrooms villa very high ceilings, beautiful interior enjoying an abundance of natural light. Charm & character throughout such as antique front door, underfloor heating and A/C. The best master bedroom in Marbella with very big bathroom ensuite and large walking closets. Lush tropical garden with sea views and just 2 minutes walk to golf club. Exceptional good price.
REF: 22154P
RESIDENCIAL PALACIO DE CONGRESOS
PLOT: 1.980 m2 BUILT: 900m2 approx.
REF: 22339P
One of the best projects in Marbella, situated on the edge of town near to the 5 Star Don Pepe Hotel, and just 2 minutes walk to the beach. A choice of apartments with 1, 2 & 3 bedrooms. All properties are finished and ready for occupation. This magnificent Project offers excellent price-quality ratio Lovely show flat.
Prices from: 270.000€ En proceso
We still have some villas and apartments for summer lettings!!
El consumidor tiene derecho a que se le entregue una copia del correspondiente Documento Informativo Abreviado de la vivienda
Tel: (+34) 952 81 01 02 · www.KSsir.com · Email: info@KSsir.com
Property
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www.theolivepress.es
Price is a significant part of the equation when buying and selling property. We look at how valuations are calculated, who needs them, and how they can help you
August 7 - August 20 2014
The Property Insider by Ad am Neale
Is the price right? AFTER a decade in business I can honestly say (and you don’t often hear an estate agent use the ‘h’ word and mean it) that the old dictum is true: every property sells. Even places I never imagined would find a new owner, or those at the very top end of the market where money is no object, eventually sell if the price is right. Knowing the correct answer to the inevitable question, ‘how much?’ is not only important to buyers and sellers but also to tax authorities which demand a share of the sale, lawyers dealing with probate and matrimonial disputes and, first and foremost, the financial institutions that – for a price of their own – often put up much of the cash. “Banks require, in effect, a ‘risk assessment’ to provide an opinion on value and an overview of the property for lending purposes,” confirms Paul Gibson, a member of RICS (the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and a partner in Gibson Gale, a Gibraltar-based valuation firm that has served clients on the Rock and across southern Spain for a decade and a half. In Spain, says Paul, the process involves: • Obtaining copies of the deeds, via a nota simple (information extract) or, preferably, escritura (public deeds) and the cadastral entry • Inspecting the property – “looking at location, type, and quality,” says
Paul – including a full, measured survey of the building and, sometimes, the land • Comparing relevant sales and talking to reputable agents • Calculating value and, if required, insurable sums via build costs • Producing a report, including photography and other documentation “The basis of valuation is almost always comparison,” Paul points out. “We compare recent sales of similar properties, and others for sale, often on a square metre basis. Where there are no comparable sales, or if a property is unique, we use our experience and knowledge so it is more subjective. A valuation only reflects conditions on a particular date, which is why lenders arrange updates to reassess the value of their security.” Juan Aviles, a bank manager for 32 years on the Costa del Sol and now an independent mortgage advisor at his Paseo de las Limas Gestores, reckons the mar-
ket has undergone huge changes because of ‘la crisis’, especially in the last three or four years. Previously, some risktaking savings banks lent more than the most optimistic valuations, thinking the bubble would never burst. It did, and so did they. Since then, those that survived ‘simply closed the tap’, he says. Now, Juan says, banks typically offer loans of 50-60% of current market values, rather than 80%-plus of speculative future gains as some were offering before. And they demand to see exactly how much is changing hands on the escritura before opening their purse strings. Both our experts agree that, sometimes, sellers are well-advised to invest in an independent valuation – ‘usually where an owner has been given a wide variation of values by local agents’, says Paul, or ‘because we all think our house is the best but an official document is more reliable’, notes Juan – rather than relying on banks that act on behalf of the buyer to determine the right price. Costs vary, depending on the size and value of the property, starting from as little as €250 and climbing ‘to well over €1,000 for larger units’, Paul says, adding that the process usually takes thre to four days from instruction to production of the valuation report. But it’s not a high price to pay to know what your home is worth.
PROPERY SALES • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • PROjEcT MANAGEMENT PLANNiNG • REfuRbiShMENT • TuRNkEY cONSTRucTiON George T Klein, founder of Klein & Partner, has many years of experience and expertise working in the property market of Marbella and its surrounds on Spain's renowned Costa del Sol. The result is that, today, Klein & Partner is recognized as being one of the most established and reputable real-estate agencies in the area - a company that goes far beyond mere property sales and purchase, but provides a whole realm of additional support services. Tel: (+34) 952765636
E: klein@kleinandpartner.com
www.kleinandpartner.com
Property Andalucia goes to Hollywood 34
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OLLYWOOD is falling over itself to admire celebrity architect Richard Landry’s latest multimillion dollar project - inspired by southern Spain. The Los Angeles-based ‘starchitect’, who has designed more than 500 private homes for a Who’s Who of showbiz clients, adopted Andalucia as his muse for a palatial new pad in California. Canadian-born Landry has designed luxurious homes for a host of America’s rich and
MOORISH MEMORIES: 18th-century gates shipped from Andalucia
From gloom to boom
America’s celebrity ‘starchitect’ seeks inspiration from southern Spain
famous, including actor Mark Wahlberg and singer Michael Bolton, and the rental home for Michael Jackson where the king of pop died in June 2009. More recently, client Lorna Alaback flew the architect trans-Atlantic to Spain on an inspirationseeking trip to add authenticity
to her new California mansion. Now complete, the spectacular home – valued at €8.5 million - is full of Andalucian and Moorish touches crafted in tile, plaster, wood and stone. The shape of the outdoor swimming pool is modelled on a coat of arms, picked up at a Spanish street fair, while the 18th century wooden doors and gates were bought from a family business in Andalucia and shipped back. And according to the listing agent, Chad Rogers, the stars can’t stay away. Actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell dropped in for a quick tour, and actress Diane Keaton even waylaid Alaback at her mailbox to request a sneak peak. Another Landry project – The Brentwood Estate which he designed for American footballer Tom Brady and his Brazilian wife, model Gisele Bundchen – has just been sold to American rapper Dr Dre for nearly €30 million ($40 million).
FLORAL TRIBUTE: Bougainvillea is the scent of Spain while (below) a pool modelled on a coat-of-arms
SPAIN’S building trade is back in business as the fastest-growing in Europe, according to the latest data. The country’s construction industry registered an incredible 42.4% growth since May 2013 – the highest in all of Europe put together – according to the EU statistics office, Eurostat. Miniscule Spain outperformed both the Eurozone, which showed a miniscule 3.5% growth, and the European Union (3.2%). Slovenia came second after Spain, with growth of 41.8%, followed by Hungary (28.7%) and Poland (6.8%). The Netherlands came bottom with 4%, followed by Portugal (10.2%) and Romania (10.3%).
Stuff the mortgage!
HOME buyers in Spain are preferring to flash the cash rather than take out a mortgage, according to new data... And Andalucia is benefiting most. Only 30% of home purchases in the country are made with the help of a mortgage, according to Euroval’s latest Spanish Real Estate Situation report. Seven out of 10 are financed without a mortgage or paid for in cash – up from 65% in 2007. According to the report, Andalucia saw the highest number of home sales, with 19.4% of the total, followed by Valencia with 15.4%, and similar shares for Catalunya and Madrid.
COMMERCIAL real estate investment in Spain has smashed a new post-crisis record, fuelled by a retail rush from a new breed of buyers. Almost €2.5 billion was invested in the first half of 2014 - an incredible 110% growth. The money is pouring in from surprising new sources, with the biggest investors coming from nontraditional areas such as China, Latin America and the Arabian Gulf. Money sunk into retail properties accounted for the largest market share, with 38% of the total invested, followed by hotels (29%) and offices (27%).
Record and new breed of buyers
GOLF In the swing of it
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In the green ANDALUCIA raked in more than €500 million from tourists flocking to the region’s greens in 2013. Up by 5.4% on 2012, this is the most ‘wedge’ the sport has made since 2010, as Andalucia’s tourism boom continues. The average length of a golf vacation has increased to 12.8 days with an average spend of €86.18 per day.
Golf revenues in Andalucia are anything but sub-par
However, golf tourists can suffer from ‘tunnel vision’. A study of 1,000 players and 98 course managers showed that 66% of golf tourists to Andalucia have no other interest in the region and a mere 8% claim any attraction to the re-
gion’s cultural offerings. Andalucia is the national leader in golf tourism and home to 21.7% of all Spanish golf courses. Of these courses, 49% are in Malaga while an additional 22% are in Cadiz.
Spanish women take the crown SPAIN shocked the International Crown women’s golf tournament as they claimed their first title. Despite being seeded five out of the 32 teams, four Spanish women won all four singles matches to snare the coveted trophy. Carlota Ciganda was the first to win, followed by Belen Mozo who defeated Thai Moriya Jutanugarn. The next Spaniard to
sweep the green was Beatriz Recari, who clinched a 3-2 victory over Sweden before her partner, Azahara Munoz, sealed the deal with a win against Japan. The team cites their friendship on and off the green as the reason for their confidence in the tournament and subse- CELEBRATION: Munoz, quent victory.
Mozo and Recari after victory
From tee to green
The Texas Scramble and a Texan TV star Bob Gaston gives the monthly golfing low-down
I POPPED into Estepona Golf the other day for a coffee with the boss Rory Leader and had a run round the course. Rory and his willing team are doing a fantastic job on the course and it’s well worth a visit. Manager Jason Callow is organising a new Wednesday competition called ‘Estepona Scrambles’. This is a four-ball team Texas Scramble and includes a buggy, prizes, BBQ and drinks. For just €55 it’s well worth a go. A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a charity day at the immaculate La Quinta course by Iberostar Hotels, who were one of the sponsors. The Global Gift Foundation is a charity close to the heart of Eva Longoria, the Texan star of the TV series ‘Desperate Housewives’, and she was there For more information about Estepona to present prizes to the winners (pictured left). Scrambles telephone Gaston Golf on I’m afraid I wasn’t one of the lucky few, but a good 952 936 803 day was had in aid of a very worthwhile cause.
Bids build on Rory’s ball
IF you’ve got money to burn and love Irish golf star Rory McIllroy, get ready to bid. After sinking a shot on the 18th hole at the Royal Liverpool for his third major win, the 25-year-old hurled the ball in celebration. USA-based Green Jacket Auctions swiftly took to Twitter offering €7,450 ($10,000) for the piece of memorabilia. Bidding on Rory’s Nike RZN Black ball – which started at €745 ($1,000) – is now open on their website.
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C E................. ................ n Buen
amino
Back to the future By Jared Garland
NATIONAL police have arrested 27 used car dealers for dialing back cars’ odometers to sell them at a higher price. The investigation began after a man bought a car in Toledo thinking it had done 87,000km, only to find out it had travelled 207,000km. Since this incident, 48 falsified cars – from 24 dealerships – have been found in five provinces. Authorities have reported that only a small percentage of falsified cars ever get discovered by their owners.
Car dealers in Spain arrested for taking thousands of miles off vehicles’ odometers
The equipment needed to turn back odometers can be bought online for as low as €100 – roughly 10% of the profits dealers stand to make from dialing back on just one car. Used car sales are up 4.5% from last year, putting a record number of Spain’s population at risk of being scammed. According to the
Federation of Associations of Automotive Dealerships, two used cars are bought for every new car purchased in Spain. Used car buyers can protect themselves by looking up the kilometrage records on any car’s inspection reports, now tracked by the National Department of Traffic.
Look, no hands! THE UK Government has announced that driverless cars will be allowed on public roads from January 2015. Spain appears to be lagging behind the Brits, as the new technology has not been approved here yet. Technology However, Swedish company Volvo tested a semi-autonomous ‘train system’ on a Barcelona highway in 2012.
FUTURISTIC: On UK roads from next year This train system, called SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) trails a string of driverless cars be-
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August 7 - August 20 2014
hind a manned truck. Volvo hopes to release the technology by 2020 across the continent for public use.
Second time failures SPANISH drivers are notorious for their road rage. But new statistics suggest that just 2.8% would pass a driving theory test if they took it now. The National Confederation of Driving Schools discovered that 21% of Spanish drivers with at least 21 years experience on the roads would answer fewer than 22 questions correctly. Divorced The most correct answers were given for road safety questions, while the most incorrect answers were for road rules questions. The survey revealed that separated and divorced people scored higher than married people, but there was no difference between men and women. Murcia was the lowest scoring region.
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By Carey Camel
Local issue 46:The Local Issue 5 5/12/14 7:29 PM Page 59
SEVILLA’S bars and restaurants are facing a blow to business following new regulations banning excessive noise in the city. Bars with televisions on the street, patrons having ‘loud’ conversations, and even that great Spanish tradition – outdoor dominoes – could be heavily fined under the new law. Drivers are also being targeted, so no more revving engines, blaring stereo speakers or car alarms that go off for
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August 7 - August 20 2014
Loud protests Outdoor dominoes and al fresco TV could be a thing of the past in Sevilla more than three minutes. Although Spain has been named the noisiest country in Europe by the World Health Organisation, the new ruling has produced loud protests from bar and restaurant owners who fear it will
damage trade. Its introduction follows a 4,000-strong petition presented by residents who complained that their children were being put off their school work by excessive noise. The price tag for break-
ing these new laws range from €300 to €300,000, but local authorities have complained about the difficulty in enforcing the ‘ambiguously-defined’ regulations.
Felipe’s royal house rules THE massive embezzlement scandal tainting the Spanish monarchy has led to a whole new set of royal rules. It’s an attempt by King Felipe VI to regain favour for the Royal Family by curtailing their involvement in the private sector and keeping a beady eye on the accounts. But the new statutes will not affect Felipe’s sister, the Infanta Cristina, although she was the reason for their introduction. She is currently facing trial over her alleged involvement in the money-laundering and fraudulent private business activities of her husband Inaki Urdangarin. Under the new rules, key royals will no longer be allowed to work for private firms, and palace accounts will be subject to stringent external audits. Expecting approval before the year’s end, the statutes apply only to the former King Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia as well as Felipe’s wife, Queen Letizia, and their two daughters. The King’s sisters, including Princess Cristina, will be exempt since they are considered ‘rela-
The weakest link WEAKNESS in the economies of Spain and South Africa is being blamed for a big quarterly drop in Vodafone revenue. The world’s second-biggest mobile phone operator has reported that the two countries offset a stable market elsewhere in Europe, leading to a 4.2% fall in revenue. Vodafone is currently stepping up spending to create a new, faster 4G network due to an increased demand for data.
tives’ of the royal family rather than official members. This is despite new email evidence this month alleging that she played a key role in, and was aware of, all her husband’s business dealings. Lawyer Manuel Gonzalez Peeters hopes the documents will prove that she lied when she told the court she played no part in her husband’s business activities and was unaware that the family business - of which she has a 50% share - was used for tax evasion and money-laundering.
VIP set to lead deals and wheels ONE of the world’s leading economists will lead a VIP talk on investing at the La Vuelta cycling race in Benalmadena on August 28. Led by Saxo Bank’s CIO and chief economist Steen Jakobsen, the event will discuss the current stock market, predictions for the upcoming quarter and the most interesting investments on the market. Free and open to the public, Jakobsen will appeal to both active investors and those who want to sharpen their knowledge of strategic investing. The event takes place at the start of the sixth stage at Benalmadena’s La Vuelta cycling race, where attendees can catch the competition from a great spot. To reserve your place, call +34 91 769 69 96 or register online at www.saxobank.es/lp/benalmadena
EURUSD, Forex Spot, Daily, GMT + 0
EURUSD EURUSD
Daily
Candlestick
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August 7 - August 20 2014 Advertorial
Spain Buying Guide brings a slice of Spain to homebuyers in Costa del Sol THE new SpainBuyingGuide. com offices opened in the Costa del Sol last week with a party for their business partner guests, offering a little taste of the good life in Spain. Offering a one-stop shop for Spain property buyers, the Spain Buying Guide offices are a little bit different to the rows of property agents and money transfer retail outlets in the vibrant La Cala de Mijas. You are greeted with a warm welcome, a comfy sofa and a good cup of coffee or ice-cold refreshment, much needed by the property hunters of Malaga, as you can see from next door’s bustling coffee shop full of would-be buyers! Once inside, Spain home-hunters can search for properties across Spain on a touch-screen property portal; find a local property agent, solicitor or financial advisor through Spain Buying Guide’s trusted partner network; and speak to a currency specialist from Smart Currency Exchange about transferring funds for that dream property! It’s a very different business
BUSINESS IN BRIEF Growing quick OVER the past three months, Spain’s economy has seen its fastest rate of growth since 2007, according to the Spanish stats office.
Defying gravity SPANISH bank BBVA saw rises in profit over six consecutive days this month, signaling good news for Spanish loans.
Up to her knees model, appreciated by customers and partners alike. This was apparent in conversations on the evening among guests and partners. Jana Korpova, Head of Business Development at partners Smart Currency Exchange commented, “By not selling property directly or by just focusing on currency exchange, it’s a really different dynamic, one that can offer real depth of expertise to customers looking to buy safely in the Costa del Sol and beyond.” John Holloway, Partnership Development Manager at Viva, complimented the ‘retro’ feel
of the offices and the importance of their partnership with Spain Buying Guide’s parent company, the Overseas Guides Company. “We welcome this new move and look forward to continued growth for our valued partners.” Clive Saxby, of partner agents Marbella Dream Living, reflected on the good timing of the office opening. “We’re seeing a really positive upturn in the Spanish market, and are looking to expand ourselves, employing more staff to meet demand. It’s a tight-knit business community here and re-
ally is the place to be, we’ve been working with the team at Spain Buying Guide for some time and are delighted to finally welcome them and their unique offering for homebuyers in Spain!” Juan Antonio Porras of Europrestige also commented on Spain Buying Guide’s unique business model: “The way they support Spain buyers throughout the whole journey is really impressive. These new offices are in a popular, much soughtafter location for homebuyers, tourists and businesses, so it’s the ideal spot to bring together this hub of experts and to work
together closely.” Legal expert Raquel Perez, who entertained guests with a Flamenco demonstration, has worked with Spain Buying Guide and Smart Currency for years, finding it a valuable business partnership. “Working with them has really helped me to help my buyers save money and manage the buying process safely and efficiently. Many currency companies approached me offering their services, but I feel the Smart Currency and Spain Buying Guide proposition is completely different, and second to none.
SPANISH billionaire Esther Koplowitz is in €1 billion of debt linked to her share in a Spanish construction company that counts Bill Gates and George Soros as investors.
Retire early
MADRID and the Basque Country are the Spanish autonomous communities with the highest pensions, according to a recent government statement.
Find your dream property today! After 10 years of helping our customers buy safely in Spain, we’ve opened our new Costa del Sol office to make it even easier to find your dream property! From property agents to legal advice, we have all the expertise you need in one place.
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50-year bond bail-out Pundits say a long-term bond could aid Spain’s economic recovery EXPERTS claim the time is right for Spain to issue a 50-year bond to bolster its economic recovery. This would be its longestterm bond ever, as current bonds do not exceed 30 years. Demand has soared over the past few years, as shown by the country’s 10-year bond launch in
January, which pulled in a €40 billion subscription for a €10 billion supply. If issued, it would be a private placement bond, meaning it would only be available to large firms such as banks and mutual funds. Spain would not be the first EU country to launch the scheme, as France and
Austria also both have 50-year bonds available, which have been well received. This type of long-term investment may be exactly what Spain’s recovery needs, as immediate debts can be paid back. Given high demand, low interest rates and large debt payments on the
brink of the financial horizon, experts claim that now would be an opportune time for Spain to increase the average maturity of its debts. “The time is right,” remarks David Schnautz, rates strategist at New York Commerzbank. Spain’s finance ministry has yet to comment.
Flying high SPANISH airport company Aena Aeropuertos is set to hit the market this autumn in one of the biggest privatisations in Europe this year. Owner of London’s Luton Airport, the company is the largest airport operator in the world. The £7 billion (€8.84 billion) deal has five banks onboard to oversee the listing: Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merill
Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Santander and BBVA. The listing involved a competition between investment banks to see who would get a stake in the deal. As the company is backed by the Spanish state, prospective banks had only 15 minutes each to convince government officials that they were worthy to handle the crossover.
GOING BIG: Luton owned by Aena Aeropuertos of Spain
The Insurance Doctor Internet comparison sites are all very well but nothing beats the human touch, writes Danni Worth
Insurance brokers or robots? THE electronic age has made things possible to the layman that were once restricted to seasoned professionals, such as photographers, graphic designers and printers. The internet has amplified this process further, enabling us to bank remotely, book flights and hotels, inform ourselves using the world wide web, and buy insurance online. While there is no denying this
has given us greater access and independence of action, doing everything yourself is a time-consuming chore that not all of us have the hours or the inclination for. While some people love scouring the internet for the best flights, holiday deals and insurance packages, many find it a frustrating process. Comparison sites can be confusing, too, which is why a significant
proportion of consumers are returning to the professionals in their search for quick, professional, accountable advice. This is particularly true of the insurance industry, a highly-complex field that requires more than ‘off the shelf shopping’ if you want to get it right: that is, ensuring you receive the best possible coverage, with the most favourable conditions, at the lowest price. To say that buying insurance is like venturing into a minefield might be a slight exaggeration but, such is the complexity of the information you’re dealing with, it can be hard to see exactly what kind of cover you’re paying for. Someone without the required knowledge could quite easily buy insurance at what seems to be a very reasonable price, only to find out that the policy in question contains a great many loopholes, come pay-out day. This is the inherent danger of comparison sites. They gather large numbers of policy types together and compare them almost exclusively on the basis of price, without focusing too much on the actual cover and possible get-out clauses. For this reason, drawing on the knowledge of an experienced insurance broker not only ensures you get the right policy, offering the cover you need on the most acceptable terms, but also that you get it at the best price. Moreover, thanks to their product
knowledge and buying power, brokers are often able to find better prices than even the comparison sites can offer. Personalised cover The insurance broker really comes into his own if you need a little more than mass-produced, one-size-fitsall solutions. Individuals or businesses with specific insurance requirements will do much better to consult a broker about their cover to find an option tailored to their personal and practical needs. These solutions need not be expensive. What’s more, your broker will take the time to explain the options to you, allowing you to make an informed decision rather than merely paying for something that will not give you the right amount, or type of cover. A professional will therefore be able to help you find the best value for money, whether for standard household, medical or car insurance or specialised cover, such as professional liability insurance, commercial insurance or income protection. More than this, as well as helping at this important initial stage, an insurance broker is also a vital cog in the machinery if you do need to make a claim. At a time when you most need help, your broker will be there to assist you. Call centres and comparison sites can’t compete with that!
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Google off! Spain’s ‘Google tax’ leaves aggregators agog By Jared Garland A CONTROVERSIAL tax on internet services has been proposed in Spain. The bill, named after its primary target Google News, would require aggregation services to pay the news sources they provide links to. So far, neither a price nor a method of payment has been established but the bill would likely charge Google News per page view it generates. Critics of the bill have been calling it ‘web illiterate’ and ‘self-defeating’, given that news providers rely on search engines like Google to refer readers to their pages, so they stand to collect revenues on
a service that works to their benefit. Newspaper lobby AEDE (Association of Spanish Newspaper Editors), which championed the bill, claims that online news aggregators, such as Google News, function much like old-fashioned newspaper ‘clipping services’, which collated relevant information for paying clients. A similar bill has already been passed in Germany, although Google and other online news aggregators skirted the law by refusing to direct users to any newspapers which did not waive their right to collecting the tax. For fear of losing readers, news sources readily waived their right.
Top SEO COs YOUR search is over. Spain’s top 10 search engine optimisation firms have been announced. A number of firms are put through a vigorous evaluation of their solutions to make sure only the highest-performing companies make it onto the list, produced by independent search authority topseos.com.es.
But this bill is different: in the Spanish version, the right to collect tax is defined as ‘inalienable’, meaning news sources do not even have the ability to opt out. Critics have also voiced concerns that the bill does not clearly define what it considers a ‘news aggregator’, meaning that those who post news articles on Facebook or Twitter could also face taxation. However, the ministry maintains that only those who profit from news aggregation will be taxed. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment until the bill has been finalised.
Here’s the list in full: UK Secure Web Hosting SEO in Spain SEO Costa Blanca Web Designers Redline Company SEO Ibiza SEO Services Spain Mister Web Anoop System Sentinia Seo Company Spain
August 7 - August 20 2014
AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED
Old crimes in Spain WHAT do Jimmy Savile, Max Clifford and Rolf Harris have in common? They were all convicted of committing sexual offences, following a police investigation codenamed Operation Yewtree, for acts that took place decades ago. According to the different lines of investigation, the extent of the sexual exploitation of children was unprecedented and on a ‘national scale’, so said the Metropolitan Police. Consequently, all three were duly tried by English courts - under English laws - which returned three guilty verdicts. But what would have happened if the above trio of sexual predators had operated in, say, Torremolinos? Without even assessing the allegations, the surprising answer is known to most lawyers: nothing. Or, at the very most, they would have had to report to the nearest national police station where they would have denied all allegations to the duty officer – for sure without having to spend any
What if Jimmy Savile had found his victims in Torremolinos, asks Antonio Flores time in locked up in cells - to finally walk out just as they walked in: immune to any charges. The reason is fairly simple: the Spanish penal code establishes that all crimes, save for crimes against humanity and genocide, shall have a statute of limitations. As such, article 131 states the following: ● After 20 years, when the maximum punishment set for the offence is imprisonment of 15 or more years ● After 15, when the maximum punishment set by law is barring for more than 10 years, or imprisonment for more than 10 and fewer than 15 years ● After 10, when the maximum punishment set by law is imprisonment or barring for more than five years and does not exceed 10 ● After five, all other felo-
nies, except those of slander and defamation, which shall prescribe in one year Allegations against Savile covered four decades, from 1959 until the 1980s; those against Max Clifford had been situated in the 70s and similarly, all others accused under Operation Yewtree would have committed their offences at least 30 years ago. In Spain these offences would have been automatically deemed non-indictable and given at the very most the status of anecdote. And unquestionably, legally contested via defamation of character/libel claims by those accused. Finally, in the hypothesis that they were within the above time limits, it is also very possible that had they reached court it would have taken more than several witness statements to find them guilty.
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Costalot less… It’s not just the sun, sea and sand drawing people to the Costa del Sol THE Costa del Sol has been named one of Europe’s best value-for-money holiday hotspots. Buckets and spades, sun cream and insect repellent can cost holidaymakers up to 80% more in some European resorts, according to a Post Office Travel Money survey. Spain was beaten only by Bulgaria on price, while Italy and France were named the costliest countries in Europe. A three-course family meal, beach items and alcoholic
drinks were among the 15 typical holiday-spend items surveyed in 13 popular European resorts. The best-value resort was Sunny Beach in Bulgaria, where all 15 items cost just €83. But the Costa del Sol, where the items cost €101, was hot
plaints lodged with the firm in 2013. Turkey tops the list with 17% of the complaints, followed by Egypt (15%), the Dominican Republic (12%) and Spain (10%). Most of the complaints relate to health, hygiene and food standards, according to Suki Chhokar, a partner in the International Personal Injury law team. “Unfortunately, the same issues, such as poor food preparation and storage and unclean swimming pools, are responsible for the majority of illness cases we deal with,” she added.
Market mumbles
Markets are fickle By Mark Rickard FOLLOWING weeks of positive data from the UK economy the pound dipped last week against the Euro. The fall came as a reaction to the International Monetary Fund’s comments stating that Sterling is overvalued by 5-10%. Sterling is currently under pressure from the US Dollar, reacting well to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s continued tapering programme and job creation. But to dip suddenly against a struggling Euro does seem unwarranted - although it could just be the big city traders taking profits before heading off on their summer holidays. There were more damaging stories emerging from the ‘The City’. Possible currency manipulation is being investigated, among claims that are not too dissimilar to previous accusations of Libor the London Interbank offer rate - fixing, for which fines have been issued. The Foreign Exchange (FX)
August 7 - August 20 2014
Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander
Jam today or tomorrow? Deferring your UK State Pension may seem like a crazy idea but there may be method in the madness, writes Richard Alexander
…but still Costa del Complaint DESPITE being one of the world’s cheapest holiday destinations, Spain is also one of the countries visitors moan about most. As the world’s favourite holiday hotspot for Brits, perhaps it’s unsurprising that Spain came fifth in the list of countries producing the most getaway gripes. But the most highly-criticised tourist experience is not even a country, according to the UK’s largest travel law firm, Irwin Mitchell. Cruise ships topped the list for the fourth consecutive year, with a shocking 27% of com-
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investigation will look at large banks from the US, Switzerland and the UK colluding on large trades that can influence prices beyond ‘supply and demand’. Many of the traders involved have already been suspended while the outcome of their activities are investigated. Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, has been called on to make a full disclosure of the BOE’s influence in the FX rate fixing scandal, as the accusations indicate the BOE turned a blind eye? I’m sure the story will unfold... but this could bigger than both the PPI and Libor scandals. This week we have interest rate announcements in both Europe and the UK. Can they go any lower? Visit www.hifxpartners. com/theolivepress or call 951 203 986 to learn how you can achieve the best exchange rate
on its heels, followed by Crete, at €110. At the other end of the spectrum, buying just a bucket and spade in Nice on the French Riviera – the most expensive resort – will set you back an incredible €10.32.
Off to work we go UNEMPLOYMENT in Spain has fallen below 25% for the first time in two years. The economy is signalling a revival after an extra 402,000 people secured work in the second quarter of this year. A seasonal boost in the tourist sector has been flagged as the main reason, which helped to push the official jobless rate down to 24.5%, from 25.9% in the first three months of the year. “These figures are much better than expected, and while there’s an important seasonal element, seasonally-adjusted figures are also strong,” said Jose Luis Martinez, an economist at Citi in Madrid.
SO why would you want to defer your pension? After all, with state retirement age on the rise, most of us have to wait long enough to receive it. But many people have good reasons for not drawing it the moment they become entitled to. It could be that they don’t need it at that stage, or they may be concerned about paying too much income tax on it. Although State Pension is paid gross, without tax being deducted at source, it isn’t tax-free income. It’s added on to other earned income to determine your rate of tax. The income tax rules and rates differ between the UK and Spain but the principle remains the same: if you are already receiving earnings at a level that you pay tax on, then all of your State Pension will be taxable at your highest marginal rate of income tax. At first glance, the option to defer pension could look attractive. So what is involved? First, I should point out that the rules are changing for people who reach state retirement age on or after April 6 2016. But for those retired already, or reaching retirement age before then, a deferred State Pension will grow by 1% for every five weeks that you defer. This is equivalent to a 10.4% annual increase and you can then elect to start it at any time. Sounds good so far! If you have deferred for at least 12 months, you have the further option of taking the deferred pension as a lump sum, when interest at a rate of 2% over bank base rate will be added. That sounds good too! But beware – the full amount is assessable for income tax. The lump sum itself could even push a basic rate taxpayer into a higher tax bracket that year. If your spouse has a deferred pension and dies before drawing it, you should benefit. Howev-
Retirement: Key to happiness is no pension problems er, if there is no surviving spouse or civil partner, then only three months of the deferred pension is available to the estate! For people reaching retirement age on or after 6th April 2016, the rules are less generous. The rate of accrual for deferred pensions is reducing from 10.4% to 5.8% every year and, furthermore, the option to take the lump sum is being removed altogether. For people already in deferment in 2016, the new rules will not apply. As you can see, what at first glance looks like a daft idea could actually have merit in certain circumstances. But don’t be swayed by the benefits without thinking about your tax position and, perhaps, your state of health too. As always, there is nothing simple about any kind of pension so, if in doubt, you should seek independent advice.
Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com
Columnists In Praise of Los Palmones 44
Sucks to what the Tourist Board says, writes Belinda Beckett, aka the Mistress of Sizzle
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ELL ain’t life a beach! Cadiz Tourism’s website is not very complimentary about my local strip of sand: ‘surrounded by industry’ and ‘not very attractive’, it says. And I thought the whole point of a tourist board was to promote tourism … Los Palmones beach isn’t perfect but it’s better than Brighton’s, which consists mainly of tar and pebbles. It used to cost my mum a fortune in eucalyptus oil, the smelly remedy for removing tar from skin when I was a gal growing up in Sussex by the Sea. Brighton beach is no good for making sand castles, like Los Palmones is. Its nudist beach may be world famous but your bottom looks like perforated bubble-wrap after a few hours of sitting on stones. It doesn’t take huge imagination to write something positive about Los Palmones, the lastremaining protected wetland on the Algeciras coastline The beach boasts natural dunes that make its own sand, instead of having to nick it from elsewhere. Nextdoor is a river estuary with marshlands where you can ogle glossy ibis and black-tailed godwits as well as ‘birds’ in bikinis. Not forgetting the IMAX cinema views to Africa across the Gibraltar Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
STACKS OF CHARM: Despite the chimneys
‘BOND’-I BEACH: 007-style drama There aren’t many beaches that can boast close-ups of luxury ocean liners and container ships the size of Manhattan street blocks. There’s James Bond-style action too, when the Guardia Civil chase down cigarette smugglers in their highspeed launches. It beats having to watch the chubby dude in front of you changing out of his wet cossie while you’re eating your picnic! Los Palmones is sandwiched between an oil refinery and an industrial estate, so it will never win a Blue Flag. You have to cross the N340 from Los Barrios to reach it, and there are petrochemical chimneys peeping above the palm trees. But like the best things in life,
it’s free. There are no exorbitantly-priced sun loungers lined up thigh-to-thigh, like hospital ward beds. There are no ‘Scandihooligans’ hogging the prime spots with their beach towels. There’s a shady riverside walk with a café where you can watch the fishermen raking for clams, feed the ducks and geese or have a giggle at the English translations on the tourist board signposts. I wonder if Algeciras Town Hall knows about the reference to its ‘city slums’, the translation for ‘estribaciones meridionales’, which mean‘southern foothills’ in English. One pre-crisis signpost proclaims Los Palmones to be the ‘Gastronomic Centre of Cadiz’.
OTT, maybe, but the seafood at Restaurant El Copo is still so fresh you can catch it yourself from their tank. You can have Los Palmones beach to yourself, outside weekends in summer, as it’s only popular with locals. It’s well after 4pm when they descend with their tables and chairs and tents and cold boxes and half the kitchen sink. Although it’s time to leave when the kids get out their bats and balls and use your body as the net! There’s only one downside to my local playa if you’re that way inclined. Hardly anyone goes topless. The reason, I’m told, is that they’re a bit too intimately acquainted – either blood relatives or next-door neighbours!
Sauced in the Silly Season I
T’S not easy being a Good Samaritan in this town. If you read my column in the last issue of this esteemed organ (Summertime and the livin’ ain’t easy) you’ll recall that I mentioned we are in the middle of High Season, when the Costas are packed with tourists. After my latest escapade, however, I think we might be better off naming this time of year the Silly Season. Staggered I’ll explain why. I was presenting the Breakfast Show on a well-known radio station a few weeks ago while the normal DJ was taking holiday leave. The Breakfast Show entails getting up at what is technically termed the ‘crack of sparrow fart’ and driving past the fleshpots of Puerto Banus just as they are throwing the die-hards out of the clubs. As I sped past the bus stop opposite Banus, I spotted a young man, coated in red, waving frantically. Thinking that
he was bleeding profusely, I switched into ‘action hero’ mode and brought my aging Freelander to a shuddering halt (no easy task, I can assure you) and the injured man staggered into the car. It was then that I noticed two things. 1)That he was staggering not through life-threatening injury but because he was, ahem, slightly tipsy. 2)That the red substance coating his body wasn’t blood. It was tomato ketchup. The bladdered Brit then explained that the reason he was ‘sauced’ all over was because he had been in an argument with a group of girls in a wellknown fast food restaurant (subtle hint - he hadn’t been ‘lovin’ it’) and they had poured the substance over him. I gave the guy a lift home saying that he was lucky he was covered in tomato ketchup, which I mistook for blood. Had it been Brown Sauce there is no way I would have stopped...
CENTRE OF ATTRACTION: Your man’s got bolas
More Bolas than most SILLY Season continued at the recent anniversary party of a Marbella restaurant. As a highly-trained ‘lifestyle’ journalist who has lived on the coast for nearly 30 years, I have developed a highly-tuned set of skills that can sniff out a free canape or glass of fizz from five miles away. This one was no different, with the cava being quaffed and the free food scoffed. The entertainment was a pair of gaucho drummers from Argentina, who not only drummed up a storm but also pulled off a series of tricks with traditional hunting ‘bolas’. These are metal balls joined on a string used to bring down prey by tangling around the legs. If you got hit on the head by one of these things, you would know it. And then they called for a ‘macho man’ from the audience to help. I had taken my new girlfriend to the event and, desperate to impress, can you guess what happened next? That is how I came to find myself on stage with a cigarette between my lips as a pair of bolas whistled past my head. To say that I decided halfway through that this was a baaaaaaad idea is an understatement. But the cigarette flew out of my mouth, the crowd erupted and I took a bow like the old pro that I am. Afterwards I asked my girlfriend if I had flinched at all. “Your eyeballs didn’t even move!” she replied. Next time, I’m sticking to the canapes…
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‘ANTIQUES and future antiques’ is the philosophy at Muebles del Mundo, a family-run furniture business with locations in Coin, Sabinillas, and Puerta de la Duquesa. As the name suggests, customers are apt to find sundrenched and exotic goods from all over the world – a hand-painted ceramic Moroccan dining room table, a teak garden table and chair set from Thailand, or a tiled-glass lamp from India, to name just a few of the many treasures. However, there are some countries you can be sure will not be represented... “Nothing made of plastic, nothing IKEA, nothing from China,” owner Ramon Francia reassures. “Everything here will last you 100 years.” For more information, call 952 450 156, email info@mueblesdelmundo.eu, or visit www.mueblesdelmunco.es
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Taste the rainbow Spanish Willy Wonka concocts colour-changing ice cream LIKE something out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, a Spanish scientist has created the world’s first ever colourchanging ice cream. Creator Manuel Linares – a qualified physician, engineer and mathematician – started cooking classes as a de-stressing hobby. However, tapping into a previously-unknown passion, he decided to complete a masters degree in ice cream-making, which inspired his ground-breaking invention. “Everyone laughed, but as a physicist I knew there were various possibilities that might work, and I was delighted when I managed to crack it and create an ice cream that changes colour,” said Linares. The secret to the colour change is the acidity of our saliva and the heat of our tongues, which changes the ice cream from blue to purple to pink as it is eaten. The ice cream is only available in Catalunya for now, but will hopefully make its way to the coast soon.
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Fizzling out SPAIN’S soda sales may plummet during the high season as new research reveals a quarter of Brits are consuming fewer fizzy drinks than six months ago. Half of 16 to 24-yearolds – the main age group avoiding the drinks – cited the
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Michelin in Marbella
STUDIES show that traditionally strong Spanish coffees lag behind those from Glasgow in caffeine content. According to a study conducted by researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Parma, and Navarra (Pamplona), Glasgow independent coffee shops churn out espressos with over 212mg of caffeine, while those in Spain have only 127mg. The researchers took sam-
Java wars
World’s most highly regarded restaurant guide is launching on the coast THE world’s most prestigious restaurant guide is set to launch its annual Spanish edition in Marbella this year. It is the first time the annual Michelin red guide has been launched in a tourist resort, with the 2015 guide set to be unveiled on November 19. Previously the annual trawl through the best of Spain’s restaurants and hotels has only been launched in Barcelona, Madrid and the Basque Country. Europe’s most revered din-
ples from cafes in their cities and concluded Glasgow leads in caffeine consumption, with Spain following, and Italy – the birthplace of espresso – coming in last. These discoveries do not bode well for Glasgow’s expectant mothers as the super-charged java contains more than the maximum suggested daily intake for pregnant women (200mg).
ing book will be presented in a ceremony involving the mayor of Marbella, Maria Angeles Muñoz, and celebrity chef Dani Garcia. The event will take place at the Hotel Los Monteros, which was fittingly the first in Spain to win a Michelin star for its El Corzo restaurant in 1986. Marbella has become a beacon of fine dining on the Costa del Sol in recent years, with no less than three Michelin starred restaurants.
Fruity French’s peach peeve FRENCH farmers are complaining that cheap Spanish peaches are flooding their market and cutting them out of the business. They accuse Spanish growers of ‘dumping’ their low-cost peaches into French stores, setting prices only once across the border to ensure they undercut French prices. France’s agriculture minister Stephane Le Foll has announced that imports will be checked for produce regulation compliance, following allegations that Spain has broken EU rules by failing to report information about their fruit and vegetables. Spanish farmers’ federations have rallied against the accusations, saying they are not to blame for the ‘fruit crisis’ in Europe.
Lush labels
THE winners of the annual ‘Alimentos de Espana’ award have been announced for 2014, but they aren’t from the usual Rias Baixas region. Valencia’s Bodegas Murviedro took the prize alongside Ciudad Real’s Bodega Dehesa del Carrizal. Murviedro’s top-notch vintage is their 2011 Cueva de
la Culpa while Dehesa’s is their Petite Verdot label from 2010. To be eligible for the awards – sponsored by Spain’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and the Environment – competitors must have received the five highest marks at the Vinos Bacchus 2014 international wine competition which
took place in March. The runners-up were Sauvignon Blanc 2013 from Bodegas Ramón Bilbao, Pedro Ximénez Tradición from Bodegas Tradición, Vall Sanzo Vendimia Seleccionada 2011 from Rodríguez Sanzo and Ysios Reserva 2007 from Pernod Ricard Winemakers Spain.
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Christmas & NEw YEar Fabulous food and entertainment including a 5* Christmas or New Years Eve Gala Dinner with fine wine
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3 Night New Years Package 28/12/14 ~ 02/01/15 Half Board plus 3 Rounds of golf – 389,00 euros 5 Night New Years Package – 299,00 euros New Years Eve Party with Unlimited Free Drinks, Music, Dancing and Lottery with lots of gifts etc. New Years Day Special Brunch Prices are per person for half board, twin room Extra golf if required at Monacilla Golf for 20.00 euros NUMBER ONE: Bodegas Murviedro’s Cueva de la Culpa
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The taste of summer
WHEN the sun’s out, there’s nothing quite like firing up the bbq, whipping up a fresh salad or two and inviting friends and family over for some delicious food. From a refreshing Greek treat to a triple threat of killer barbecued chicken, here the Olive Press provides some simple summer dishes that are bound to impress. With chicken, be careful that it is thoroughly cooked and the juices run clear. And it goes without saying, remember safety around barbecues! Chicken with lemon, za´atar and tahini, from the Garden Restaurant, Frigiliana Marinade four chicken thighs in ¼ diced preserved lemon, two teaspoons of Za’atar and a glug of olive oil, for at least four hours. For the tahini sauce whisk 200ml tahini, 200ml water, 75ml lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a bowl until it has the consistency of pouring cream. Grill chicken skin side down until crispy, then flip and finish the other side. Boned chicken thighs are great on the BBQ as they stay juicy and cook fairly quickly, but be sure to cook it all the way through! Best chicken breast, from Kontiki, Guadalhorce valley Make two cuts on a chicken breast, squeeze lemon over
it and rub in salt. Next rub crushed garlic and ginger into the meat, along with ½ a teaspoon of oil. Finally, rub 2 spoons of natural yoghurt into the meat with a sprinkle of garam masala and leave for 30 minutes in the fridge. Grill it on a BBQ for 8 minutes each side, and then tuck in! Tzatziki, from Yamas, Marbella Place Greek yoghurt in a bowl with a shredded cucumber (use a grater) and some of the water squeezed from it. Add 2-3 crushed garlic cloves, salt, olive oil and, finally, fresh lemon juice and dill. Mix well but don’t overdo it, and make sure it’s creamy. Serve with grilled meat, slices of tomato and onion and pita bread!
Tandoori chicken from the Molino del Santo, Benaojan
Mix 600g natural yoghurt and 150g melted butter with 6 lemons (juice and peel), 6 tsps cayenne pepper and garam masala, 3 tsps pimento, coriander and cumin, plus 6 crushed garlic cloves and some chopped fresh coriander and salt. Marinade 6 chicken breasts or kebabs for several hours. Get the BBQ really hot, then let it die down a bit. Put the marinated chicken breast on and let them seal on each side. We serve them with a selection of chargrilled vegetables and couscous. BBQ Banana with chocolate, ice cream, peanut butter creme and miel de caña, from the Garden restaurant First line a tin with clingfilm. The bring 600ml of milk to
Hot and Spicy: Waiter Diego with tandoori chicken and chargriiled vegetables
the boil and simmer with a scraped vanilla pod. Whisk 4 large egg yolks with 125g sugar, then add 30g each of cornstarch and flour to form a paste. Add a cup of the hot milk, stirring continuously, then put the pan
Hamming it up
back onto the heat and when it boils again add the rest to the egg mixture. Whisk vigorously to stop the mixture sticking to the pan. Once it is thick and glossy, turn into the tin lined with clingfilm and cool in the fridge. Then
transfer to a bowl and whisk in 150g of peanut butter. Make a slit down the centre of a banana and fill with chocolate, cook for 5 minutes until soft. Serve with ice cream, peanut butter creme and miel de cana.
RETURNING TO THE UK? An exciting opportunity to acquire a very busy and profitable restaurant of long standing, in a best of Norfolk location Audited net profit £160,000+p.a. with a long secure lease at a very attractive £18,000 p.a. Fully staffed and ready to rock This is a private sale from the owner direct (retiring)
ESTEPONA is set to host Spain’s largest Serrano ham fair. More than 4,000 ham enthusiasts are expected each day, between August 14 and 17. Professional ham-cutters and more than 55 of Spain’s most important Serrano ham
companies will be attending, many competing in the notorious ham-slicing competition. The fair will be on the paseo maritimo between the Juan Carlos roundabout and the port, from 8pm to 2am.
For complete confidential details, please leave your name and tel number on the UK telephone below, and we will get straight back to you. 0044-(1) 7840 203 636 Alternatively contact us at: plattsville@hotmail.com
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Hotelier and Hoteli-HER
Little ones... WE still remember the dear guest in a childless relationship, who when asked if he liked children replied: “Yes, but I might not be able to eat a whole one.” We really like kids for the energy they bring to our hotel. Besides anything, they are our ‘guests of the future’. They are very welcome and as long as they respect other guests, and we think people are
...and big birthdays
pleased to see them, too. One thing I’ve learnt though: don’t EVER criticise children to their parents. Be circumspect at all times and pick your words with extreme caution. Now, what would you do if a parent ordered two pints of strong lager, quaffed one and then gave the other to his nine-year-old son? We chickened out of making an issue and turned a blind eye.
NEVER DULL: Owners Andy and Pauline’s great nephews Archie and Oscar at Molino
My dog friends on the coast don’t believe me when I tell them how cool it gets up here in the mountains at Hotel Molino del Santo even at this time of year. The heat here is dry not sticky like the coast. You really should try it for yourself. Recipe for a great August Dog Day: Early walk in the cool of the morning, back for well-deserved breakfast. Chill, swim and snooze. Light lunch in the shade. Chill again Out again to explore in the late afternoon. Excellent Dinner. Sleep like a puppy. Also works well for humans, substituting baby for puppy. By the way what do you call a dog with unusual vision? A cock-eyed spaniel. Woof woof. Follow Eddie’s regular thoughts on our Facebook page – Hotel Molino del Santo
www.molinodelsanto.com info@molinodelsanto.com | 952 16 71 51
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EDDIE’S THOUGHTS by EDDIE DOGG
AS well as celebrating the young, Molino del Santo also likes to celebrate the old and wise. Dr Dorothy O’Hagan, who can regularly be seen in the shade of the hotel’s restaurant, partied in style on her 98th birthday this week. Many of our locals will recognise this extraordinary lady as she often gets the train up from San Roque to have lunch with her family in our restaurant. Her son-in-law, Roger McKechnie, has written a short piece in honour of her birthday: “Dorothy was born on August 1 1916. She attended Bedford High School for Girls and then studied Medicine in Newcastle. She married Dr Stanley O’Hagan in 1942, qualified herself in 1944 and spent most of her working life in public health in Lincolnshire. After retiring at the age of 75 she indulged her love of orchids and travelled all over the tropical world searching for them and participating in orchid conferences. Today she spends a lot of time with her daughter in Sotogrande and Northumberland while still maintaining a house in Lincolnshire. Last year, as she went to the station to renew her Carta Dorada rail pass, the stationmaster at San Roque smiled at her and said she must be the oldest person in Spain to get a new rail pass. Some accolade! Dorothy is still a regular for lunch at Molino and loves to stay for a few nights in the rooms close to the garden and pool.”
BIRTHDAY GIRL: Dr Dorothy O’Hagan enjoying lunch
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101 Great Ideas to Make the Most of the Ronda Area
A whole range of ideas for all ages in this wonderful area
An essential guide shows you 101 different ways to enjoy a stay in the Ronda Area with lots of clear information When you first arrive in an area, or even if you think you know it well, everything is made so much easier if you have someone who really knows the area guiding you in the right directions. Having lived near Ronda for 27 years, I am pleased to offer you an up-to-date guide to some of the very best things to see and do in the Ronda Area. So many people miss so much because they don’t have the right information at their fingerpirnts – now one simple guide solves all of those issues for you. Included in the packed-with-information guide: GETTING YOUR GUIDE IS EASY! SEND AN E-MAIL TO n Unusual and less known places to eat and stay info@molinodelsanto.com n Beautiful places to visit by car with the subject n How to use the local trains to explore great places 101 GREAT IDEAS or CALL US n Names and contact details of tried and tested people who will show you around ON 952 16 71 51 n Museums and exhibitions that offer you a great experience English speakers will help you. n Walks that you can explore at your own pace We’ll get your FREE guide n Reliable companies offering more active pursuits to you immediately. n Places that children will love n Suggestions of larger cities to visit as a day trip n Help with finding the best bodegas, caves, Roman ruins, fiestas, local produce and much more. With 101 ideas in your hand you will get to discover great places and find much more to enjoy in this very special area. Get this guide today to help you meet the best people, find the best locations, eat the best food and drink the best wine that this area has to offer. I am sure you will come to love the area that has kept me enchanted for 27 years.
Andy Chapell
Job satisfaction THE summer tourism season has seen Spanish unemployment drop by 29,841 people in July, marking the 10th consecutive month that unemployment has decreased.
Animal house TWO Madrid Zoo employees have been arrested on allegations of stealing over €1 million through a fraudulent ticket sale operation.
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Covering Andalucia in 2014 with over 200,000 papers EE (130,000 digital) and around 300,000 visits to the R F website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!
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August 7 - August 20, 2014
Bondage hotelier’s plans tied up by town hall
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Sick priest SPANISH priest Miguel Pajares, 75, has been quarantined in Liberia with what appear to be symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus that has recently killed 887 people worldwide.
Being watched MADRID will install 46 new surveillance cameras on in crimeridden streets in the city, making for a total of 147 cameras across the municipality.
Frozen arms IN light of the Gaza crisis, Spain has become the second country after Britain to provisionally freeze arms sales to Israel, where it sent €4.9 million worth of weapons in 2013.
FIFTY SHADES: Behind these walls lies your own private dungeon SPAIN’S first bondage hotel has cancelled its grand opening after uproar from locals and the town hall. Nestled in the quaint Valencian village of Vilafranca, the
20-room – and four-dungeon - hotel was inspired by erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. However, angry locals have put a stop to the BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism
and masochism) boudoir, claiming it is too close to the village chapel. Vilafranca’s Mayor Oscar Tena has launched legal action to block the plans, claim-
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ing that existing paperwork is insufficient for a hotel and restaurant on the site. According to the businessman behind the hotel, however, locals have been happily using the hotel restaurant before the plans were unveiled, with no call for further paperwork. Mayor Tena said: “We don’t want this in our village, because it is right next to our residential centre and our chapel.” The anonymous businessman is renting a roadside hotel called the L’Om del Llosar but plans to rename it Roissy Castle, as a nod to erotic novel The Story of O. A Facebook advert for the raunchy hotel states: “Our guests can enjoy their games, exhibit themselves and share experiences with other visitors.”
Tortilla takeover THE world’s biggest tortilla was made in Vitoria-Gasteiz last weekend by Spanish chef Senen Gonzalez. At five metres wide, the massive omelet weighed in at over 1500kg and was happily consumed by some 10,000 onlookers at the Guiness World Record attempt. Gonzales – who took to Twitter to express his excitement over his new world record title – received an award in 2010 for the best
Spanish tortilla in the country. An enormous pan and a complex heating mechanism were engineered specifically for the attempt, allowing the gargantuan tapas favourite to be cooked on both sides without requiring flipping. The official recipe of the mammoth tortilla included 840kg of eggs, 1,600 kg of potatoes, 30kg of onions, 10kg of salt, and 150 litres of olive oil.
Sucking it in BRAZILIAN footballer Neymar is in Ibiza… but not in the standard poolwear. He’d rather wear a corset. The 22-year-old striker made an early exit from the World Cup after Colombia’s Juan Zuniga sent a knee into Neymar’s back, breaking one of his vertebrae. Following the accident, the star player began an intensive physiotherapy routine with a strict course of anti-inflammatory medicine. The injury hasn’t stopped the Barcelona star from kicking back, as a hilarious photo of the player in skimpy trunks with a sexy recovery corset was posted to Twitter.
SUPERSIZE ME: The world’s biggest tortilla
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Lord of the dance A SPANISH Roman Catholic priest’s sevillanas skills have made him an internet sensation. Jose Planas Moreno has drawn scores of female worshippers desperate to boogie in the nave with him. The 66-year-old’s energy is contagious, as he whirls his congregation around the aisles of the Nuestra Senora del Carmen church in Campanillas, near Malaga. “Something happens when I dance,” said the nimble-footed priest. “I love it. It brings me closer to God.” Moreno even danced for the late Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1997, and since the video was put on YouTube it has had more than 15,000 views.
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