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Why the Costa de la Luz is the perfect summer escape, see special supplement inside
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GUIDE: Roman statue stands guard at the entrance to Tarifa
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osta de la Luz
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For relief from the hot and busy summer, switch to the Costa de la Luz (or Coast of Light). It’s a complete breath of fresh air, writes Laurence Dollimore
FLUORESCENT kites accentuate its bright blue skies, Caribbean-style sweeping white sandy beaches, which seem wow factor, while the stiff beaches bring the million miles away from its easterly Costa a could easily pass for Chefchaouen hopefully not sweep you Atlantic breezes will Sol neighbour. del aouira. or EssWelcome to Tarifa, the off your feet. Handbags and hippy wind and kite surfers’ It’s no surprise that those-in-the-know scarves hang in the paradise that is unique from doorways around Spain flock pretty much Spain) for in Andalucia (and the summer seasonto the hotspot as soon as trendy barsof fashion boutiques while the its hip, international and quality restaurants begins. vibe and deep layers But there’s more to this will enancient Moorish town gage you for hours. The star of the Costaof history. than surfing and Having everything a town could want Light - that stretches de la Luz - or Coast of is truly a treat. beaches and its old quarter with glorious beaches, it’s no wonder paired technically all the wayfrom here to Cadiz (and Entering via a medieval Tarifa through Huelva to Porarchway, its cobbled has been constantly fought over. tugal), Tarifa is unrivalled for its kilometres of streets and whitewashed buildings are over- Romans first settled near the town laid with a tangible (you can north-African vibe that Continues on
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Mining the depths Opposition slams government’s close links to alleged fraudster and the purchase of an African uranium mine
By Elisa Menendez
UP TO WIN: One of the contestants
Teenage battle THERE is a future for beauty contests in Gibraltar, after all. After the shambles that was the Miss Gibraltar pageant this year with just three entrants, some nine girls have entered the Miss Teen competition The event comprises a total of five rounds and is being judged by a panel of international judges. The winner will represent Gibraltar in the International Teen Pageant in 2019. “The girls have been working very hard for the last three months and have taken part in various fashion shows and photo shoots,” said organiser and director of No1 Models, Kelvin Hewitt. “We believe that our shows are an important life experience for the contestants." The event takes place on August 3 at the Alameda Open Air Theatre.
GIBRALTAR'S opposition party is demanding answers over the government's close links to an alleged Israeli fraudster. The GSD has questioned the Labour governments’ 'socialist' beliefs after both the Chief Minister and Justice Minister were linked to shady billionaire businessman, Dan Gertler. It comes after a GBC investigation revealed that leader Fabian Picardo was a director of Rozaro Development Limited in 2010 - one of two Gibraltar-based companies linked to Gertler. His main company is currently on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control list after assets were frozen for alleged corrupt mining deals, as well as human rights abuses in the Congo. Justice Minister Neil Costa was also once a director of Rozaro, which was registered in Gibraltar as recently as November 2017. “Following on so soon from the Assad/Europort transaction – which involves another individual facing serious international allegations – the public must be questioning the socialist credentials of some of the Ministers,”
claimed a spokesman for the GSD. Independent MP Marlene Hassan Nahon agreed it is not in Gibraltar’s interests to be associated with Rifaat al Assad nor Gertler and described it as an ‘extremely delicate issue’ which will seriously concern everyone on the Rock. The GBC investigation also revealed at least one huge transaction - of $83.5 million - had been paid into another of Gertler’s companies via a Gibraltar bank account from African mining giant, Glencore.
SPOTLIGHT: Fabian Picardo’s links to fraudster Dan Gertler (middle) have been slammed by Roy Clinton and Marlene Hassan Nahon (right) Gertler, 44, who is reportedly worth around £9 billion, is also being probed by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office on ‘allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption around the acquisition of substantial mineral assets’. Gertler and the Hassans have denied any illegal activity, while the Chief Minister insisted all deals adhered to international laws. Costa has yet to comment. Picardo slammed the opposi-
tion’s claims as ‘nonsense’, but did however confirm he had a professional relationship with Gertler and had been involved with the purchase of the Congo mine eight years ago. “I made clear that I represented Mr Gertler in the acquisition of a uranium mine in order to prevent Iranian interests acquiring it. Most people will agree that was a very good thing to do,” said Picardo in a statement. “Additionally I made the point
that the parties I was representing were then, at the time I was instructed, internationally accepted as reputable. “For example, at the time I was acting for him, Mr Gertler was meeting on related issues with the then US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. “To be clear therefore: at the time I and Neil Costa were involved, Mr Gertler was being feted by the US Government, not investigated by them.”
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A RISE in council housing rents is a result of governmental fiscal incompetence, claims the opposition party. The GSD party claims the 3% rise in annual rents will not go to the claimed improvements in infrastructure but rather to pay the interest on the £300 million mortgage secured on six local housing estates. Shadow finance minister Roy Clinton insisted the rents are being collected by the Government on behalf of Gibraltar Capital Assets Limited, which now owns the estates. He added that the interest - at a cost of £11 million per year - means every future
government must increase rents ‘every year by a minimum of 3% for the next 30 years regardless of the merits of doing so’. His attack was described by the Minister for Housing Samantha Sacramento as ‘petty in the extreme’ and a mere ‘populist attack’. Clinton replied, demanding to know why the rent increases were necessary, adding that ‘it is not a populist attack… it is a declaration of fact’. He also attacked the government insisting he had still not been given a copy of the audited financial statements of Gibraltar Capital Assets as requested a year ago.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Jellyfish flags GIBRALTAR is to introduce a flag to warn bathers about jellyfish or other potentially dangerous animals. Purple flags are to show that swimmers should enter with caution.
Copper theft FOUR Spanish nationals have been arrested at Sir Herbert Miles Road, Gibraltar, on the suspicion of copper piping theft. They were later granted bail while the enquiries continue.
Eco future IN his budget, Fabian Picardo has announced that by July 1 2030 every vehicle registered in Gibraltar will have to be a hybrid. By 2035 Picardo hopes for every registered car to be fully electric vehicles.
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Stories and features in this edition of Gibraltar’s original community newspaper
July 4th - July 17th 2018
Rocky road
US inquiry probes if Russian links to Brexit talisman Aaron Banks also helped Trump to victory RUSSIA offered business deals to Gibraltar-based Southern Rock owner Aaron Banks before the Brexit vote, newly leaked emails have revealed. The claims have led to further speculation, particularly in America, that Russia may have used its links with the ‘man who bought Brexit’ to help President Trump come to power. Banks, who recently testified to a Parliament committee about links to Russian involvement in the referendum, now faces further scrutiny over ‘stronger links’. The leaked emails show that he and his closest advisor ‘had a more engaged relationship with Russian diplomats than he had disclosed’.
During a now infamous ‘boozy six-hour lunch’ with the Russian ambassador as well as other meetings, Banks was supposedly offered ‘at least three potentially lucrative opportunities’ in Russian-owned gold or diamond mines. Banks, who owns Gibraltarbased insurance company Southern Rock, has now confirmed that ambassador Alexander Yakovenko did indeed offer him the opportunity to invest in six gold mines, but that he declined. And he added: “After the wholesale theft of my emails, there is still no smoking gun there.” He later recognised that emails might have created the impression of ‘more extensive contacts’ because of the
Watch out, watch out A PAIR of new speed cameras have been introduced along Queensway and Watersport Wharf Road. It means a total of six cameras are now in place on the Rock, each also equipped with rear facing cameras which will capture any vehicle going over the limit. All speeding offences will be sent to the offices of Gibraltar Car Park Limited (GCPL) and a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) will be issued immediately. Speeders will be fined £100.
EMBATTLED: Aaron Banks many exchanges his adviser conducted with Russian diplomats. Funding for Banks’ UKIP and Leave.EU campaigns came from offshore companies, some of which are based in Gibraltar. His support of Brexit flies in the face of 96% of Gibraltar residents, who voted to remain in the European Union. Home Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed a fortnight ago that Banks’ Russian connections are being examined ‘very seriously’ by the government. Banks’s MEP, Molly Scott Cato, has now written to Javid demanding to know what has been done to investigate collusion between the Russian security services and the Brexit
campaign, in particular what MI5 knows and what information should be made public. The efforts of Banks and UKIP leader pal Farage to foster contact with both Russian officials and President Trump’s campaign have captured the interest of investigators in the UK and the US. One Washington Post inquiry centres on the question of Russia’s involvement in key political events that have shaken the globe, such as the referendum. In the US, congressional Democrats who recently obtained a trove of Banks’s communications have also begun exploring a different question: did the Brexit leaders serve as a bridge between the Kremlin and Trump’s charge for the White House?
Incentives
“From what we’ve seen, the parallels between the Russian intervention in Brexit and the Russian intervention in the Trump campaign appear to be extraordinary,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. “The Russians were apparently dangling gold mines and diamond mines and financial incentives behind one of the largest backers of Brexit,” he added.
Gunning for prison A GIBRALTAR resident has pleaded guilty to drugs and firearm offences. Anthony Bernard Casey, 46, pleaded guilty to multiple offences including three counts of possession of controlled drugs, with intent to supply, as well as owning a handgun. The court heard that when police raided Casey’s home in March, they found 175 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of amphetamine sulphate and 450 grams of cannabis. The approximate street value of the drugs seized was £11,500. He will be sentenced on July 27.
Close the gap GIBRALTAR’S Equality Minister has called for a reduction in the pay gap between men and women. While the gap is smaller than most of Europe, Samantha Sacramento insisted the government must investigate the factors that create the disparity. Announcing the launch of a new Women’s Mentorship Program in September, she said the Rock needed to ‘empower women and challenge the systemic barriers that stand in their way’. Any woman over 18 residing in Gibraltar can apply to this program, which will give training, advice and other support.
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BEAUTY: Angela Ponce
AN Andalucian model has become the first ever transgender woman to be crowned Spain’s Miss Universe. Angela Ponce, 26, will represent her country at the Miss Universe finals later this year. Former Miss Cadiz Ponce, who lives in Sevilla, stunned judges at 1.77m tall with light brown hair and blue eyes. “I’m very happy with the significance of this win,” she said. “I want to be a lesson to the world for tolerance and respect towards ourselves and others. “Bringing the name and colours of Spain
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Full of pride before the universe is my great dream. “My goal is to be a spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but also for the entire world.” The historic win came just as international pride month came to a close. Ponce previously entered Miss World Spain, but missed out on the crown, after becoming Miss Cadiz in 2015.
Rocketing in Host of Hollywood stars attend wedding of space tech giant Elon Musk’s brother in Spain HOLLYWOOD legends Will Smith, Salma Hayek and former US president Barack Obama were rumoured to be attending Spain’s celebrity wedding of the year. The trio were on the guest list to the nuptials of US tech giant Elon Musk’s brother in Catalunya. The top secret wedding in Girona was attended by 300 friends and family of Kimbal, who runs a string of green
HAPPY COUPLE: Kimbal and Christiana
Lady in red QUEEN Letizia was forced to whip out a huge umbrella as she arrived to a glitzy award ceremony in Girona. The royal didn’t let the rain ruin her parade, stunning in a a red gown by her favourite designer Carolina Herrera. The former journalist was attending the 2018 Prince of Girona Awards.
Catch of the day HE’S known for his hard tackle in the centre of the park. But Man City midfielder Phil Foden used a different sort of tackle to hook this beast on a fishing trip to Spain. The 18-year-old ace took to Instagram to show off pictures of the huge catfish he snared during a pre-season break on the Rio Ebro,
businesses in America. Salma Hayek, 51, in particular stole the show in a full length white dress and was pictured with her billionaire French husband FrancoisHenri Pinault, 56. The lavish wedding, held in the village of Sant Marti d’Empuries, saw Kimbal marry his sweetheart Christiana Wyly. His brother Elon, the founder of Tesla and Space X, is understood to be spending a week holidaying around the nearby Costa Brava. One of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, South African-born Musk founded X.com - which later became PayPal - before selling it for €1.3 billion in 2002. His brother Kimbal - who is an avid supporter of Catalan
ELEGANT: Salma and hubby independence - was a major investor in the company. Access to the Greco-Roman ruins in Sant Marti were controversially closed off for the reception, which was held in the historical centre. Locals protested that the ruins being rented out, but town hall officials said it had been done before, adding that the money raised would be invested back into the area. Local restaurant El Moli de l'Escala prepared the dinner, while several nearby luxury hotels were filled with attending celebs. Former president Barack Obama arrived in Spain with his wife Michelle. He is set to attend an economic forum in Madrid this week, before heading to Porto, where he will be a keynote speaker at the Climate Change Leadership summit organised by Marbella expat Pancho Campo.
Fighting fit GARBINE Muguruza was full of fighting talk ahead of her first Wimbledon match against Briton Naomi Broady. The Spaniard - who won the Grand Slam last year posed for pics in a white power suit during an interview. “You know she is a very good tennis player but I’m a very good player, too,” she said of Broady ahead of their meeting on centre court. “I understand the noises and the intimidation, but the racket has to speak. The intimidation is a part of it, every player knows, but you have to perform yourself and you have to believe in your talent.”
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Jobless Carteia concerns record as just 45 on dole GIBRALTAR continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. According to the latest figures, just 45 people are officially out of work on the Rock. The news was given by tourism minister, Gilbert Licudi, during a budget speech this week. A new all-time record low, he put it down to the government’s careful running on the economy and job creation.
Successful
“We now have in place a highly successful mechanism that has taken so many out of unemployment and given them worthwhile and meaningful jobs,” he said. In further good news, the budget also revealed that visitors numbers were up and tourism expenditure had increased by 20% this year. The number of cruise calls and passengers to the rock also hit record highs in 2017 and is expected to rise by 6% this year.
Gas fears eased
GREEN groups have slammed the mystery appearance of heavy machinery near one of Cadiz’s most important Roman sites. Verdemar Ecologists in Action have denounced the heavy machinery near the Torre de Rocadillo, in San Roque. They believe any digging in the area could adversely affect the careful excavations of the Roman village of Carteia, citing especially the fine ceramic already unearthed. Most of the Roman site was destroyed when the huge oil refinery development was in the area 50 years ago.
Opposition refuses to back new goverment budget over lack of transparency claims THE opposition has insisted it will not support Fabian Picardo’s ‘big lie budget’. The GSD accused the Chief Minister of being a ‘consummate spin doctor’, as it slammed the new budget as lacking transparency. In a stinging rebuke, Leader of the Opposition Elliot Phillips claimed the government’s approach to public finance was ‘fundamentally opaque’ and was ‘parking most of its debt off the balance sheet’. He added that Picardo was a ‘big spender’ and that future generations were being
Big lie budget saddled with debt due to his policies. He accused the government of intentionally hiding the true scale of public debt highlighting the fact that there was no provision in the budget for the £52m contract for construction of eight new schools. He added that Gibraltarians had ‘stopped trusting him’ and that his party would not be supporting this year’s budget. “This is not a Brexit budget, this is the big lie budget,” he
REBUKE: Elliot Phillips
said. It came after the government presented what it claimed was a budget ready to tackle Brexit. According to Picardo it will balance ‘caution with optimism and prudence with investment’, and will see neither cuts nor austerity measures. In particularly he wants to spend more money on schools and invest in the blockchain sector. He defended his decisions on the current surplus of
£36 million, a GDP increase of 8.6% on last year, as well as record unemployment figures. He did confirm that there needed to be a ‘deeper and wholesale change’ to stop the dependency on income brought in from tobacco. According to the GSD’s analysis, gross public debt stood at nearly £1.25 billion, meaning every person in the community had ‘a £37,000 millstone round the necks of our children and grandchildren’.
THE government has been forced to step in to calm fears that air vents for nitrogen could be a danger to the public. It comes after locals in North Mole Road expressed concerns that vents being installed for the new liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal could be hazardous. The vents are being installed until early August, but are merely important in the process of cooling down the terminal to its correct temperature to be ready for the first arrival of LNG cargo. Although a small cloud, created by the low temperature of the nitrogen and the air’s humidity will be visible, residents are warned that it causes no harm to either the public or the environment. LNG is gas that has been converted to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport.
Banking on improvements THE Royal Bank of Scotland is to invest £1.1m in its offices on Line Wall Road. It aims to improve its customer service section, as well as installing additional cash machines.
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Fe at u r e
Shopped! The latest Melania Trump outrage is not the first time Spanish brand Zara has courted controversy, writes Laurence Dollimore
‘
OPINION
WHAT was she thinking?’ That was the universal reaction to America’s First Lady turning up at a migrant holding centre wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words, ‘I don’t really care, do you?’ Considering she comes from the fashion world, it looked like a conscious choice that delivered a slap in the face to the thousands of migrant children separated from their families thanks to her husband’s cruel ‘zero tolerance’ policy. The jacket by Spanish brand Zara caused a news firestorm, with the Slovenian underwear model branded as ‘ignorant’ and ‘heartless’. And it’s not the first time Zara, one of Spain’s most successful exports, has been at the centre of controversy. Below we have rounded up the company’s most notorious fashion faux pas.
Questions raised THE Gibraltar government has yet again been dragged into allegations of sleaze. In the latest round of murky dealings, a GBC investigation revealed that Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Justice Minister Neil Costa had close links to alleged fraudster Dan Gertler. It is entirely irrelevant whether it was good or not to stop Iran acquiring a uranium mine in Congo. It is simply a concern that our leader was so close to the underhand way Gertler is said to have gone about doing it. And likely on various occasions. On top of that, exactly how much work did Picardo and Costa do for Gertler? And how much were they paid? These are legitimate public interest questions and certainly raise doubts about their socalled socialist principles. The timing certainly couldn’t be worse for an embattled government, coming so soon after its very own Finance Minister was linked to a lucrative deal involving the uncle of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad - another businessman facing serious international allegations. And it certainly doesn’t bode well for a leader, who has clearly lost the public’s trust, as claimed this week by Leader of the Opposition, Elliot Phillips. It’s time to come clean, or move over and let someone else do a better and more transparent job.
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Swastika handbag Zara was forced to pull handbags from its stores in 2007 after shoppers realised they were emblazoned with the symbol of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. The company claimed the swastika logo wasn’t featured in the original design and had been added at a factory in India.
Celiac crisis
Sufferers of celiac disease were so offended by a Tshirt printed with the slogan ‘Are you gluten free?’ that an online petition to have it pulled garnered more than 50,000 signatures. Zara bowed to the pressure and parent company Inditex even issued an apology, stating: “We sincerely regret that this case might be interpreted as a trivialisation of coeliac disease, the absolute opposite of our intentions”.
What curves? The ‘Body Curve Jeans’ line hit a bump in the road when an ad campaign featured models with ... well ... no bumps at all. The image of two size zero models with the words ‘Love Your Curves’ written across them went viral for all the wrong reasons. The campaign triggered a tidal backlash against the brand for choosing to feature body positivity as skinny rather than curvy.
Holocaust T-shirt
What the frog? Zara was yet again forced to pull a product in 2017 after its denim mini skirt featured versions of Pepe the Frog - memes which had become a symbol of the alt-right movement in the US and were also linked to anti-Semitism and racism. Pepe was designated as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League. The skirt was on sale as part of Zara’s ‘oil on denim’ spring artist partnership.
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Auto Quick
The multi billion-euro company found itself fighting off more anti-semitism claims in 2014 after its ‘striped sheriff’ T-shirt for kids seemed to resemble the yellow star-studded uniforms jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Zara pulled the product but maintained western films had inspired the design.
White is right?
Some shoppers were less than impressed by what they saw as racist undertones in Zara’s ‘White is the new black’ T-shirt, released in 2014. It may have been referencing the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black, or even a genuine fashion trend. But the message was lost in the political climate of the day and Zara was forced to pull the product from its website.
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The so-called ‘la Manada’ (wolf pack) rape case has opened old wounds in a country struggling to shake off its macho image, writes Laurence Dollimore
REVELLERS: At Pamplona
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Pack of shame
CONVICTED: The Wolf Pack, accused of rape, were sent down on a lesser charge of ‘sexual abuse’
T was the trial that became a flashpoint for Spain’s genderviolence crisis. Five men, including a police officer, stood accused of raping an 18-year-old girl at the Pamplona bull running festival. But despite what many saw as solid evidence, the men, all from Sevilla, were convicted on a lesser charge of sexual abuse. The verdict in the case dubbed ‘la Manada’ (or wolf pack in English) sent shockwaves through feminist groups in a country where gender violence has increased at alarming rates - with last year being the most violent on record. A total of 158,217 women were subjected to violence by men in 2017, an alarming 17.7% rise on the year before, albeit much of this HAD ENOUGH: Women marched across the country throughout the trial and after due to an increase of reporting of such crimes. back to prison last week after at- a country where 17 women were fear and didn’t know what else to More worryingly, the number of tempting to get a new passport. murdered in the first two months do but submit. minors brought before the courts It came after he and his friends of last year alone, and where “I just closed my eyes, I was in a for violence against women also were found guilty of ‘sexual abuse’ women are still paid 16% less than state of shock.” increased from 179, in 2016, to of a teenage girl on April 26, de- men. She said the men only talked to 266, in 2017. spite the victim insisting the men The trial itself was heavily criti- each other while they took turns Just last week, a boy was among a took turns to rape her in a seclud- cised after the judge allowed the raping her. group of five males arrested for as- ed building entrance. defence to introduce photos taken “I could not even look at their facsaulting an underage girl in Gran The group, Jose Prenda, Alfonso by the victim in the days after the es, I only remember seeing their Canaria. Cabezuelo, Antonio Guerrero, attack. tattoos. Dubbed ‘the new wolf pack’ - the Jesus Escudero and Angel Boza The snaps - taken by a private “I remember them laughing and name they gave were sentenced detective - showed her laughing one of them saying, ‘hey man, it’s themselves in a to nine years’ and smiling with friends, suggest- my turn!’” Whatsapp group Women’s groups imprisonment, ing she shouldn’t have been in a She has suffered nightmares and they were released five years’ proba- ‘happy mood’ after such an attack. insomnia and had periods of deep blasted the trial tion and ordered Women’s groups blasted the tri- depression ever since and this on bail last week, to much uproar. pay €10,000 al for being a cross-examination week - for the first time - wrote to for being a cross to What shocked each to the vic- of the victim and kickstarted a Spanish TV network pouring out most is how much tim. Spain’s very own Me Too move- her heart. examination of the original wolf Guerrero, a Guar- ment. “Tell a friend, a relative, the police, the victim pack case seemed dia Civil officer, Thousands of women shared their in a tweet, do it as you wish, but tell to inspire the latwas also given heartbreaking personal experienc- it,” she said. est assault, with a €900 fine for es by using the hashtag #Cuéntalo “Do not stay silent, because if you at least one of the alleged abus- stealing the woman’s phone after (Tell it) showing solidarity with the do, you are letting them win. ers recording the attack on their the brutal attack at the Pamplona young victim. “Nobody has to go through this. No phone. festival. The victim, 18 at the time, had will- one has to regret drinking, talking The original wolf pack were also After the verdict was known, pro- ingly kissed one of the defendants to people at a party, going home released on bail last month in a testers in Pamplona shouted: and was walking towards his car alone or wearing a miniskirt.” shock decision by Navarra judges. “This justice is bullshit!”, when the other four men joined It is a heart-wrenching appeal to a They defended the move by saying “It’s not abuse, it’s rape!” and “If them and took her to the secluded society that needs to listen. the risk of them trying to flee would they touch one of us, they touch all spot. What the trial, verdict and heated be limited by several conditions, of us!”. “When we arrived to the building debate has made painfully clear, is including reporting to police three Her lawyer and the Navarra gov- entrance I became so scared,” she that the fight for women’s rights in times a week and relinquishing ernment have now appealed, told the court. “They took off my Spain is far from over. their passports. while demonstrations took place bra and started unbuttoning my A spokeswoman for the Navarra But Guerrero, the police officer across the country, forcing a fierce top, then they grabbed my jaw.” regional government said it would among the accused, was sent debate about gender inequality in She said she became frozen with also appeal after not agreeing with
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arrison Library Tour, July 6
FREE tour taking a look at the Great Siege of Gibraltar - an attempt by the Spanish and French to capture Gibraltar from the British (1779-1783). Tours take place on Fridays at 1100 hours at the Gibraltar Garrison Library at 2 Library Gardens.
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FBS Summer BBQ, July 7
SPORTS themed Summer BBQ with live music and raffle with entertainment from BFBS Radio. Adult tickets are £5.00 with child’s entry fee costing £3.00. The event is 2-6pm, tickets available from Louise Kane at 4 Corners & Claire Jones at Europa.
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9-15
uropean Backgammon Championships, July
BACKGAMMON tournaments dates are from July 10-15, with a cash prize in the region of £100,000. The venue is Caleta Hotel. More information can be found at www.gibraltarbackgammon.com
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World ref Historic Andalucian city to get special recognition from the United Nations, Elisa THE remains of an ancient Arab city in Andalucia has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites last weekend. Settled on the outskirts of Cordoba, 10th century Medina Azahara meaning ‘the shining city’ in Arabic, was once the de facto capital of alAndalus, also known as Muslim Spain, and was built as an imposing, luxurious symbol of power. The incredibly well-preserved settlement, built between 936
MOORISH: Architecture
- 940, had been buried for around 1,000 years until it was re-discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the Unesco's World Heritage Committee, the site is a ‘complete urban ensemble’ that offers ‘indepth knowledge of the now vanished Western Islamic civilisation of Al-Andalus, at the height of its splendour.’ Experts say the medieval Moorish city is a perfect example of the advanced urban architecture of the Umayyad culture, which had at the time an aqueduct that supplied running water to buildings and its 25,000 inhabitants, along with bridges, roads and decorative ornaments. After prospering for several years, the opulent city was ‘laid to waste during the civil war that put an end to the Caliphate in 1009-10,’ added UNESCO. Recognised as the first
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THE Mayor of Pamplona has called for a radical overhaul of bullfighting at the city’s legendary summer Download our app festival. now and Joseba Arison suggested begin enjoying the best Spanish the famous Running of the news on the go. Bulls could take place without the bullfights that traditionally follow. He said ‘nobody can imagine a form of entertainment based on animal cruelty’ when pressured over the future of the San Fermin festival.
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ON THE MAP: Arab ruins given protected status Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba - a state in Islamic Iberia ruled by the Umayyad dynasty hailing from Mecca - the opulent city was designed to intimidate enemies and rival the caliphates of Baghdad in Asia and Ifriqiya in North Africa. Legend has it the spectacular city and its palace were built as a tribute for Caliph Abdar-Rahman III’s favourite
wife, Azahara. During the 10th century, Cordoba and its palatial Medina Azahara were recognised as privileged locations. Scientists, astronomers, philosophers, musicians and mathematicians, hired by the Caliph, produced work which was key to the appearance of the Renaissance era five centuries later.
with strong opposition from bullfighters and breeders. They said: “The possibility of celebrating the Running of the Bulls without the subsequent fight could simply not exist in Pamplona.” The Mayor called the breeders’ opinion ‘very respectable’ but stated that the times are changing with regard to the sport. Other similar festivals in the Navarre region have now adopted bull-running with no bullfighting.
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Photos by: Jon Clarke and Atlas Beach
GUIDE: Roman statue stands guard at the entrance to Tarifa
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For relief from the hot and busy summer, switch to the Costa de la Luz (or Coast of Light). It’s a complete breath of fresh air, writes Laurence Dollimore
FLUORESCENT kites accentuate its bright blue skies, Caribbean-style beaches bring the wow factor, while the stiff Atlantic breezes will hopefully not sweep you off your feet. Welcome to Tarifa, the wind and kite surfers’ paradise that is unique in Andalucia (and pretty much Spain) for its hip, international vibe and deep layers of history. The star of the Costa de la Luz - or Coast of Light - that stretches from here to Cadiz (and technically all the way through Huelva to Portugal), Tarifa is unrivalled for its kilometres of
sweeping white sandy beaches, which seem a million miles away from its easterly Costa del Sol neighbour. It’s no surprise that those-in-the-know from around Spain flock to the hotspot as soon as the summer season begins. But there’s more to this ancient Moorish town than surfing and beaches and its old quarter is truly a treat. Entering via a medieval archway, its cobbled streets and whitewashed buildings are overlaid with a tangible north-African vibe that
could easily pass for Chefchaouen or Essaouira. Handbags and hippy scarves hang in the doorways of fashion boutiques while the trendy bars and quality restaurants will engage you for hours. Having everything a town could want paired with glorious beaches, it’s no wonder Tarifa has been constantly fought over. Romans first settled near the town (you can Continues on Page 20
In the heart of the old city, ready to steal your heart!
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WIND CAPITAL: Kitesurf is big business in Tarifa From Page 19
still visit the Roman ruins in nearby Bolonia) before it was taken over in an attack by the Moors, led by Berber military commander Tarif ibn Malik in 710. After the Islamic conquest of Spain, the city became increasingly more fortified before becoming part of the Kingdom of Granada. In 1292 it was conquered back by the Christians in the shape and form of Sancho IV of Castile before resisting several sieges and invasion attempts over the centuries. The Peninsular War saw Tar-
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osta de la Luz
IDYLLIC: Stunning El Palmar beach overlooked by a watch tower
FULL OF SURPRISES
ifa besieged again, this time Three Kings night (January by French troops in 1810, and 5) the French realised their again in Depowder was cember 1811 wet and their when General guns were Laval demandbogged down A wonderfully ed surrender in mud, and atmospheric after bomretreated. barding it over Since then, location which Christmas. the town has Both the Brit- comes into its own managed to ish and Spanhold onto its after dark ish commandArabic and ers refused Spanish oriand their degins to create fiance was rewarded by tor- a wonderfully atmospheric rential rain the next day. By location which really comes
OPEN 10:30am - 2:15pm & 6:00pm - 9:30pm
into its own after dark. We were there for this year’s San Juan celebrations and Tarifa’s can rival rival any on Spain’s southern coast, not to mention somewhere like Ibiza. In the black of night, dancers celebrated around huge beach bonfires and ferocious fireworks lit up the sky. The cobbled old town was heaving with revellers making the most of drink prices that wouldn’t have been out of place in Magaluf or Benidorm, although here, every-
HISTORIC: Tarifa church
one was a lot better behaved, as two German tourists observed. “It’s my favourite place in Spain,” marketing expert Dominic told me. “It’s superchilled and everyone is really friendly, it’s a genuine place where you can relax and you don’t feel overrun by tourists.” ‘Chilled’ is probably the word that perfectly sums up the Costa de la Luz, which takes in some of Andalucia’s most beautiful towns. Take Vejer de la Frontera, a traditional white hilltop village a half an hour drive from Tarifa. Don’t let the sleepy exterior
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fool you, it’s packed full of surprises. Not only does it ooze history and views to die for, it also has an amazing mix of stylish boutique hotels and, probably, the highest concentration of top restaurants per capita of anywhere in Andalucia. It is a true foodie capital with hip restaurants like the Hotel Califa’s Moorish walled garden gem to the amazing bistros lining Calle de la Corredera, a balcony jutting out over the countryside with jaw-dropping views to the coast and inland. Its hilltop location made it a popular enclave for Europe's oldest civilisations, with the Romans founding the town of Besipo here, with evidence today seen in the columns of the parish church, the nearby Santa Lucia aqueduct and other archaeological remains scattered about. In later centuries, it became an observation point crucial to the defence of the fishing fleets in nearby El Palmar and Conil. Until almost the middle of the 19th century, all land near the
Photos by: Jon Clarke
July 4th - July 17th 2018
BEACH LIFE: Canos de Meca coast was at the mercy of pillaging raids by Berber pirates who constantly attacked the town. Its shores also witnessed the famous Battle of Trafalgar, where the Franco-Spanish fleet was defeated by the British. Nowadays it still sees plenty of action - not military but culinary. Vejer’s setting within
STURDY: Tarifa’s famous fortress
CASA COLINA BLANCA
the orchard of Andalucia, near the Jerez sherry triangle and the four big almadraba tuna towns who fish for these ocean giants the old ecological way - has inspired an explosion of gastronomic creativity that’s attracting a world-wide audience. Barbate exports its unrivalled tuna as far-wide as Japan, with the choicest cuts selling for up to €90 per kilo (SEE PAGE 28. From Vejer you can follow the sherry trail to its capital, Jerez, via the manzanilla seaside pueblos of Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar; an entrance point to the famous Donana National Park, Andalucia’s green lung; or head down the coast to Cadiz to experience the sophistications of the provincial capital. In between, closer by, are a series of stunning white 'cubist' towns bequeathed by the Moors who ruled this land for nearly 800 years, from
DREAMY: Stunning light in the backstreets of Vejer the historic fishing village of Sancti Petri, near Chiclana, to bustling Conil de la Frontera and to quirky Caños de Meca, named for its freshwater springs and Islam’s holy city. On top of that you have El Palmar, famous for its surf breaks and party atmosphere, Zahara de los Atunes, easily one of Spain’s most exclusive resorts, full of superb restaurants and amazing beaches and Bolonia, known for its sand dunes and amazing Roman ruins. If you need to escape the hustle and heat of a sticky Spanish summer, do yourself a favour and switch to the breezy Coast of Light. It’s a breath of chilled fresh air!
LOOKOUT: Trafalgar lighthouse from Canos de Meca
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Quiet, courtyard holiday home for rent on the edge of old town Vejer de la Frontera Spacious, sunny roof terrace with wonderful views of Vejer ‘pueblo antiguo’ Sleeps 5, two double & one single bedroom 2 bathrooms with showers Comfortable dining/lounge area Well-equipped kitchen Wi-fi, TV, DVD, Music player, BBQ Perfect location for Vejer’s historic centre, restaurants, shops and parking Costa de la Luz beaches, Cadiz and Jerez nearby For more information, availabilty and booking www.casacolinablanca.co.uk
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Hurrica
HOT SEAT: At Valdevaqueros with staff pictured (below right)
The coolest hotel group on the Costa de la Luz never sits still. Jon Clarke finds out about the latest changes at the Hurricane group
T
AKE a slice of Ibiza cool, a dash of London savvy and a gust of Europe’s most wonderful wind and you find the hippest beach club on the Costa de la Luz. Welcome to Valdevaqueros, where the world’s best kitesurfers and windsurfers mix with some of Andalucia’s coolest kids. From the friendly staff to the athletic punters, this is a place to spend the day and best understand what comprises the unique Tarifa vibe. Sit on a beanbag with a cocktail in hand and watch the scene unfold as the kitesurfers kit up and a cornucopia of characters pass on through. In one of the most picturesque
The Coolest spot in Tarifa!
settings imaginable, you will be mesmerised as the dozens of colourful kites bob up and down with a backdrop of green mountains and the massive Punta Paloma sand dune in the distance. Take a stroll down to the white sandy beach and you’ll find everything from trinket salesmen to a rail of bikinis, while the sea is a wonderful clear blue and perfect for a dip. Back up in the protected leafy compound, you can grab a healthy buffet lunch, or a delicious burger, and also shop in the hip clothes shop Graffiti next door. If you feel active you can rent a windsurf board or book a kitesurf lesson, while the vast majority of visitors simply grab a beer or cocktail from the Tumbao bar, whose star boss David Alvarez, a butcher by trade, works hard to run a happy ship, by bringing in a mix of good DJs and flamenco groups. Valdevaqueros, which sits a ten minute drive west of Ta r i f a , i s p a r t of t h e s u c cessful Hurric a n e group, owned by three British brothe r s , Peter, J a m e s and Michael Whaley. Apart from their main Hurricane Hotel, now an institution in Tarifa, the trio own the laid back Punta Sur hotel nearby, as well as a hotel, Hurricane Jeri, in Brazil. “We are always looking for new ideas and improving quality, while not putting prices up for four years,” explains James, who is very much the life and soul of the Hurricane.
A writer and film director/producer - who once managed massive 80s band Adam and the Ants - he has recently overseen the expansion of the gym, introducing mountain and e-bikes to rent, as well as bringing in a new chef, Ivan, a local lad from Tarifa. “He is changing the m e n u daily to ensure guests can stay in as much as possible,” adds James. “He is upgrading traditional Spanish cuisine with modern touches, which is going well.” The hotel has also recently started to develop a Wellness program and contracted the services of a leading psychotherapist, Dr Alejandra Hallin, who has clinics in Marbella, Sotogrande and Gibraltar. Her team of 16 fully-trained
therapists deal with a range of issues, ranging from anxiety to depression and eating disorders to drug and alcohol addiction. They also specialise in family issues, such as school bullying, insecurity and phobias. “She has been really good for me and helped me get over an anxiety problem,” explains James. “I thoroughly recommend her.”
Story so far
The story behind the Hurricane group began over three decades ago when oldest brother Peter made an unscheduled stop off in Tarifa, en route from his home in Ibiza to a holiday in Morocco. A keen windsurfer he unwittingly found himself on the windiest beach in Europe and had the vision to launch a business there. It was 1984 and he had soon found a partner (an Australian BOSSES boardmaker Barry Pussell) to Peter help him open the coast’s first rental business. Named 100% Fun (now a successful nearby hotel) – the shack rented out windsurfs and sold clothes from his wife
Ride free Bar & Grill
Fresh produce, homemade food MADE with LOVE
Nacional 340 sn playa Valdevaqueros, Tarifa, Spain
HORSERIDING along the bright, windswept Costa de la Luz is a wonderful adventure. Hurricane Hipica, in Tarifa, has established itself as an equine epicentre, offering rides that take you over breathtaking beaches and forested mountains. Run by world-class Dutch equestrian Klaartje Muijser, the horses are incredibly well looked after, living shoe-free in open fields. For more information, check out www.tarifahip.com
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ane Force Photos by: Jon Clarke and Atlas Beach
Whether it’s day or night time, the surroundings are magical and the atmosphere is friendly, but best of all is its flavour!!!
Terese’s successful fashion label Graffiti Ibiza. “It was a low key launch and we had no idea how well it was going to go,” Peter explains “What we did have was a great board maker and fantastic, totally Spanishmade clothes.” It was the spark to launch the wind revolution on the Costa de la Luz, an industry that now brings in tens of millions of euros every year.
But, Peter quickly realised that in order to keep the growing number of surfers happy they needed to offer accommodation, so the following year he and his brother Michael, a builder, bought an old ruined 12-room hostel just up the road. His well connected third brother James, who speaks an incredible seven languages, also got involved, helping to make it one
of Andalucia’s hippest places to stay. “It just grew and grew organically,” explains Peter, who still spends half the year in Ibiza, where he has a farmhouse. “But now we think we have just the right ingredients to continue to be successful for years to come.” Their hotel in Jericoacoara, Brazil, meanwhile, continues to go from strength to strength, having opened a new wing last year and a second restaurant this year. “It is coming along really well,” explains James. “It has become a very popular place to stay and is nearly 90% occupancy all year round.”
On the up The Hurricane story would not be complete however, without a mention of Peter’s son Liam Whaley, who is one of the world’s top kitesurfers, winning the world championships a few years ago. Having taken up the fun, high-adrenaline sport from the age of nine, he now travels the world competing, but can often be found hanging out and training at Valdevaqueros, where it is not uncommon to have 40-knot winds. “There is never a shortage of wind here,” he tells the Olive Press. “And it is one of the most fun places to live.”
S: James and (below)
DREAM LOCATION: Dinner at The Hurricane
www.restaurantecastilleria.com Location Pago de Sta Lucía s/n, Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz. Spain Phone +34 956 45 14 97 Opening Hours Open every day of the week for lunch, except from October to March when we are closed due to end of season
Reservation Every day in the morning from 11.30h to 13.30h
+34 956 45 14 97
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Hooked on Barbate Elisa Menendez has a fin-tastic time learning why Barbate is the world’s tuna capital
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S dawn breaks over a horizon of crashing waves, distant twinkling lights and gigantic fishing nets strewn across the docks, fishermen huddle in groups anxiously awaiting their captain. These are not your ordinary fishermen. They are divers who plunge into the ocean to spear eight-foot tuna head-on in a 3,000-year-old Phoenician trap-fishing technique called La Almadraba. Welcome to Barbate, the gritty Andalucian town which has put the delicacy of wild bluefin tuna on the global culinary map. While surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in Spain, this old fishing port won’t win many awards for its appearance. That said, you can’t help but fall for the charm of the locals and the tastiest fish you will ever tuck into. The town isn’t only famous for its tuna. Until FISHERMEN: Jose and (right) Gonzalo the late 90s it was called ‘Barbate de Franco’ after the dictator, who spent many summer Morillo, the top of the head, is almost imposholidays there, adding his name in the 1950s sible to get in Spain, as almost all of it gets in a bid to industrialise the town and create hoovered up by the Japanese. industry and jobs for the area. That said, if you want to try it and just about It only lost its controversial suffix in 1998 af- every cut of the world’s best tuna, head for ter a decree was passed by the Junta. El Campero restaurant, in the town, which is But back to fish. The meat of possibly Spain’s best fish resthe bluefin is known as atun taurant. rojo (red tuna) due to the deep Barbate truly comes alive in The Almadraba crimson-coloured flesh which May as the almadraba season is tender and sweet, but dense system - meaning begins, when the locals spend like steak and melts in your to strike in Arabic the full month paying homage mouth. to their blue-finned fish with Locals usually eat it raw, pre- - is praised for its Barbate Tuna Gastronomy pared as a tartare, as its Week one of the highlights. sustainability unique texture and full flavour Its three sister towns which is best appreciated without also operate Almadraba trap heat. nets - Tarifa, Zahara de los The Japanese, the world’s largest buyers of Atunes and Conil - do likewise. tuna, also go nuts for it. Up to 90% is exported After the first full moon in May, the fishermen to the land of the rising sun - filleted, frozen set up a complicated labyrinth of nets which and air-dried within hours of being caught, catch the tuna as they migrate from the Atlanready to turn into sushi and sashimi. tic to warmer Mediterranean waters to spawn. The most expensive part (the barriga or belly), Their fat reserves keeping them warm through will sell for at least €40 per kilo. Other cuts, the winter mean the fish are succulent and once manufactured, can go for up to €90. full-flavoured.
tel: 687 231 923
www.restaurantepatria.com www.facebook.com/restaurantepatria ANCIENT METHOD: But the Almadraba system of nets has been effective since Phoenician times
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ANCIENT: Technique from the Phoenicians T h e fish swim through different compartments of the nets until they reach the final area, locked in by the fisherman’s boats which form a ring around the net. Next comes the most dramatic and breathtaking part of the process, ‘la levanta’, in which the burly fishermen hoist up the net and select the biggest fish, with some weighing more than 500 kilos. The almadraba system - meaning ‘to strike’ in Arabic - has been praised for its sustainability as there is no overfishing with a strict quota that the fishermen cannot exceed. “There are boats which trap them and fatten them up and don’t care for the fish as much. We fish for a month and whatever we don’t catch is allowed to carry on the migration,” says Jose Maria, a Barbate-born diver and fisherman. The 33-year-old explains it is a more humane way of killing the tuna. “They die quickly from the spear so the fish are not tense or stressed, they don’t swallow water or choke. “They say this is w h a t makes it such a high-quality prod- u c t . It’s regarded as t h e jamon iberico pata negra of the sea,” he tells me as we stand shivering by the port in the cold and clammy 6am darkness. Jose knows a thing or two about the tuna business, as his parents own one of the most well-known fishing companies in the town, Almadraba Cabo Plata. It’s all hands on deck from a young age for the almadraba fishermen as the skills of the ancient tradition are handed down from generation to generation of families, with the boys beginning their training at the age of 14 and starting work at 17. “The majority of the men here have been trained by their fathers and their fathers before them. They have spent all their life at sea, explains Jose. “It’s beautiful work and above all it’s a very respectful type of fishing. It’s a way of life more than a job,” he adds.
However, the job comes with a dangerous price, we learn, as Jose explains how he was once left struggling to swim to the surface after a swing from a tuna tale left him with broken ribs. Later, as we tuck into a lunch of grilled tuna and manteca (melted pig fat) sandwiches - a typical dish in Barbate - Jose’s cousin Gonzalo regales us with the tale of his first tuna dive, aged 17. “I was just thrown into the water and left to find my own way,” he laughs. “I was terrified because you have so many gigantic fish coming towards you and you don’t know which way is up, down, left or right. “But if you show passion and courage the fishermen will give you a chance and give you the job,” he adds. The job is certainly considered an honour in Barbate and it is clear as the fishermen walk through the bustling town that they have earnt the respect of every local who comes to chat to them. Their faces beam as we make our way to the tuna festival, where a huge outdoor screen shows videos of their cousins fishing, as locals dance around it to upbeat reggaeton and salsa music. If you don’t want to fork out a few hundred to get on the tuna boat and watch the fishing in action, it’s worth going to Barbate just for the gastronomy fair to follow the ‘tuna route’, in which each food tent offers a unique tuna tapa and a drink for just €3.50. I never thought I would say this about a tuna festival, but with welcoming locals, a vibrant energy and some of the best food you will ever taste, it is truly an event not to be missed.
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There’s bravely no tuna on the menu at 21, but Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke, couldn’t care less
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osta de la Luz
Tune out!
“
TUNA? No way… it’s the last thing I’m going to serve in a town with 120 restaurants serving it,” barks Ali Palmiero. “I only ever put it on the menu if my girlfriend Marina really insists on it.” It’s a brave statement for a restaurateur in Zahara de los Atunes that sets up its stall on having not only the best tuna in the world… but is even named after it. But Ali is anything but your normal chef on the Costa de la Luz. For starters he’s an Aussie, and secondly he produces a menu that would be much more at home in San Sebastian or, indeed, Barcelona, where he worked for many years. One of the genuine up-and-coming stars of the coast, Ali and his girlfriend Marina, a photographer/designer from Madrid, set up their restaurant three years ago, after meeting and falling in
COSY: Inside cool 21 love in London. Combining Marina’s exquisite eye for style with Ali’s skills in the kitchen has created one of the hippest restaurants around. There are few places in Andalucia that have so much panache, combined with delicious and creative food. Full of antique Andalucian furniture, much donated by their families, alongside some bold Jackson Pollock-style paintings, the sense of place is challenged by
creativity. It is perhaps a metaphor for Ali’s cooking skills that were picked up around the world in Australia, London, Spain and Italy, where he studied for four years at cookery school in Modena (he is actually half Italian and his family own a mortadella company there). “I started baking bread at the age of 12 to make some pocket money and my first real job was shucking oysters at the Sydney Opera House,” he tells me, before profering a long list of
places he has worked. But forget the CV, I was literally blown away by the quality of ingredients that Ali puts in his dishes, that are heavy on vegetables and light on calories. The menu gave little away being incredibly simple and short, but soon came out some delicious home-baked bread with salted garlic butter and an amuse bouche of ‘sausage roll on carrot earth’ served on a beach pebble. Now, I was excited. There was little that disappointed over the next hour, from the
chargrilled scallop, served with a wakame salad and trout caviar with diced apple and chilli strips to the signature dish of fresh foie served on a brioche with violet potatoes. And NOTE WELL, this was not your ordinary foie gras, but carefully selected crueltyfree foie from world famous Pateria de Sousa, in Extremadura, where former President Barrack Obama and UK cooking wizard Gordon Ramsay source it. (Want to know more? Visit the Olive Press website, where you will find a feature from four years ago).
DELICIOUS: (Left) cod dish and (right) Ali and Marina I also loved his fish dishes including a smoked sardine creation that was as off the wall as it was delicious, basically slices of the fish, with cherry tomatoes, ‘smoked’ yogurt and radish, all installed into a poppadom, no less. Seeing was believing. And then came out his surf-andturf-style French cod dish, which was like no other fish dish I have ever eaten in Andalucia, served with pork neck on a bed of spinach, artichokes and quinoa. Think north Spain and you get the idea. By the time the panna cotta pudding came out I was in heaven. As happy, in fact, as on my 21st birthday!
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Property
July 4th - July 17th 2018
July 4th - July 17th 2018
Buy, buy, baby!
Heritage heroesBE ‘APPY!
+TheolivepressEs
THE Gibraltar Heritage Trust has invited nominations for this year’s Heri- Huge surge in Brits buying Costa tage Awards. The awards, for outstand- homes as Brexit looms Download our app now and ing sensitivity or contrinumber of Brits buy- year,” said Marc Pritchard, begin enjoying best Spanish bution to Gibraltar’s heri- theTHE ing their dream home on the Sales Director of Taylor tage, may be made to an news on the go. individual, group, team, Costa del Sol has doubled in Wimpey España. the run-up to Brexit. “The exchange rate has a club or company. Estate agencies have reported huge influence over such a 100% year-on-year increase matters. We've also seen a Restoration in purchases by UK buyers 15% increase in the numThe aim is to recognise over the past 12 months. ber of property reservations heritage conservation A comprehensive BBVA bank across mainland Spain and projects and develop- forecast that Spanish proper- the Balearic Islands as a ments and encourage ty prices will rise 5% this year whole, with reservations now The Olive community involvement has Press been a key reason. at their highest level for sevin restoration. "We've seen a sustained in- en years." Email heritage@gibraltar. crease in British buyers on TOP for news in Spain! gi or visit their website. the Costa del Sol over the past Volatility
ON THE UP: Brits are flocking to Spain
GOOGLE Home has learned Spanish. The tech giant’s smart speakers are now able to listen and respond to users’ voice commands in the world’s third most popular language. The update may help the speakers gain more ground against Amazon’s Alexa-powered Echo devices, not only in the US where a number of people speak Spanish as their native language, but also in Spain and much of South America and Europe. Google added that its Google Home products, including the Home, Home Mini and Max, are available in Spanish in Mexico and Spain.
income are projected to grow by 2% over the year - following a record-breaking 2017, when 12.5 million visitors arrived in the Costa del Sol, up 6.4% on the previous year. An additional 80,000 visitors from the UK helped to bolster the figures. It seems the costa’s stunning beaches and lifestyle offer have eclipsed buyers' Brexit worries, leading to a surge in interest in Spanish second
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According to xe.com, the past 90 days have seen just 0.32% volatility in the GBP/EUR exchange rate, from a low of 1.12014 to a high of 1.15801. The result is an increase in British buyer confidence. The figures coincide with the CEO of Costa del Sol Tourism, Jacobo Florido, announcing the ‘most important summer’ in the region's history. Both tourist numbers and
homes. "A number of factors are at play here,” added Pritchard, “On the one hand, we've seen a relatively stable exchange rate over the last several months. At the same time, interest in the Costa del Sol in general is rising. “Then there are the age-old attractions of the area's pristine beaches and golf courses. All of this is excellent news for the local tourism sector."
Calpe House opens IT is the most exciting Gib building to open off the Rock in years. Calpe House, in London, has been formally opened by former Chief Minister Sir Joseph Bossano. The 37-bed property, in Norfolk Square, will continue to help thousands of Gibraltarian patients find accomodation in the UK when seeking medical treatment. Since its formation in 1989, the Calpe House Trust charity has helped over five thousand GHA patients’ visits to London. The new premises replace its predecessor at Princes Square, and includes the use of the garden for visitors. It is a two minute walk from St. Mary’s Hospital, in Paddington, and 20 minutes to all major hospitals in London. Sir Joe is to have a wing named after him.
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HEALTH
July 4th - July 17th 2018
July 4th - July 17th 2018
Change your life today!
Step toward euthanasia Spanish parliament votes to consider a draft bill to legalise assisted suicide
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SPANISH Congress have agreed to consider a draft bill that could legalise euthanasia. The proposal, put forward by the PSOE, aims to make euthanasia a right available through both public and private services in Spain. 208 MPs voted in favour, 133 against and one abstention. The PP was the only party to oppose the bill, which is the second proposal of its kind to be considered in just over a month. If the proposal is passed as a law, adults with terminal illnesses and chronic, severe disabilities could seek help for assisted death if they are a Spanish national or legal resident.
REGULATION: New law could be introduced Deputy head of the PSOE, Adriana Lastra, said: "This regulation guarantees to protect the fundamental right to life, but also the recognition that it isn't an absolute right... It must be adjusted according to other values, including that of human dignity." The bill will be sent to a committee for debate before going back to Congress, where it will need an absolute majority before moving to the Senate. It outlines that qualifying patients will be able to make a request by writing, without
coercion. They must have prior approval by two doctors who have regularly treated the patient or an outside physician who specialises in the illness or disability. It would then be sent for regional evaluation it will be accepted or rejected. The patient will make the final decision, which they must have expressed twice at 15day intervals. In Europe, euthanasia is already legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and Switzerland.
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+TheolivepressEsUS president’s EU warning tariffs set to take toll on to Britain BE ‘APPY! Andalucia over Rock staples EU LEADERS have urged Britain to reach a deal with Spain AMERICA’S new import tax hikes could hit Andalucia’s on the status of Gibraltar. With only nine months until growers and manufacturers where it hurts. our app now and the UK exits Download the EU, Gibraltar The food and drink sector, was brought begin into enjoying question theby best Spanish the Spanish delegation during especially olive and olive oil news on the go. manufacturers, as well as last weeks’ talks. There is continued lack of cer- the aluminium and watchtainty around whether the Brit- making industry have all exish overseas territory will be a pressed grave concerns. part of any withdrawal agree- Donald Trump’s protectionist reforms will impose higher ment. A document issued by the 27 duties on foreign products to member states said: “The Eu- benefit American industries ropean Council takes note, and workers. It means that products like olives will have however, that The other important Olive Press aspects still need to be agreed, a tougher task reaching the including the territorial ap- US market. news in Spain! plication ofTOP the for Withdrawal Agreement, notably as regards Worried Gibraltar.” “We’re not just worried about olives, there’s also the olive Deal oil”, said a concerned Paz European leaders agreed Brit- Hurtado, who heads Malaain must reach a deal with ga’s Chamber of Commerce’s on External Spain on the status of Gibraltar Committee after Brexit, noting such a deal Trade. should be part of the withdraw- Local suppliers have good al agreement as already agreed reason to be alarmed as America is the sixth largest in the ‘divorce’ bill. Madrid have been pushing for importer of Malaga products joint jurisdiction of the airport in the world. The province in Gibraltar, meaning Spanish earned €144 million from police could be stationed inside exports to the US alone last year. Gibraltar’s borders.
Business July 4th - July 17th 2018
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Trump’s dump DAMAGE: Trump and (inset top right) Paz Hurtado The olive industry is already fighting back with numerous workers from all over Andalucia representing farmers,
manufacturers and packagers planning a mass demonstration outside the American Consulate in Sevilla on July 5.
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July 4th - July 17th 2018
Other enterprises like the Malaga food and wine cooperative Dcoop, do not hide their fear: “We have to know how to adapt. The United States is not our principal exporter … but the situation is worrying.” Another sector at risk from the tax reforms is Malaga’s aluminium industry. According to Hurtado, many new production contracts for America’s car industry have yet to be signed, pending stabilisation of the situation. Mayoral Malaga, one of the biggest textile firms in Spain, claims that although it has not been affected yet, it is keeping vigilant. The US is Andalucia’s top non-European market with exports of local products totalling €517 million last year.
IN SPAIN: Amazon
Down to business AMAZON Business has arrived in Spain and Italy. It means its EU coverage now includes five countries, after expanding into the UK, France and Germany last year. Amazon Business offers B2B suppliers the ability to sell products online with VAT-exclusive prices.
Visualise
The service includes access to Amazon’s business analytics software, which allows users to set up dashboards to visualise sales figures and cost data. The platform can also manage aspects of human resources, displaying current employee numbers and, if needed, helping to construct new employee interview conduits.
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July 4th - July 17th 2018
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Super-market! FOOD lovers rejoice, a brand new gourmet market has officially opened on the Costa del Sol. Estepona’s up-market Mercado Gourmet de San Luis opened its doors on Wednesday and is set to put the beach-side town on the Costa foodie map, offering products like prestigious ‘Amelie’ oysters, the finest jamon Iberico and an area dedi-
GOURMET: Estepona cated to Japanese cuisine. Housed in the town’s former market hall, the build-
ing has been transformed into a gourmet emporium with restaurants, cocktail and beer bars, a cafe, a wine shop and a spacious terrace, with a ‘chill-out’ zone. Extra reinforcement work meant the budget to refurbish the old building rose from €60,000 to €1.6 million. It is expected to create around 75 jobs.
Out of the frying pan Spain’s most famous chef will never go back in the kitchen, he tells a new documentary
SPAIN’S most influential chef will never open a restaurant again. Ferran Adria confirmed his vow as he launched a new 15-part documentary about his record-breaking seminal restaurant El Bulli ElBulli: Story of a Dream, follows the incredible story of Adria, 56, who worked his way up from dishwasher
ICONIC: elBulli
Beach life in a Bethnal Green toilet!
YOU normally find them on the fringes of the sea, around Spain and its islands. But now London is getting in on the act… with it’s first chiringuito restaurant. On the inauspicious site of a former toilet in Bethnal Green, Chiringuito has all the style of a typical Iberian beach bar. “With a rooftop lo-
cation, Chiringuito calls to mind the warmth, energy and ethos of lazy days in Spain,” explains its creator Alex Dehayen. Converted from a derelict public toilet into a contemporary all-day bar, the food is being provided by Peruvian chef, Marco Padilla, with a menu inspired by fresh Hispanic and Latin American fla-
vours. “It is embracing the sharing ethos of tapas and pinchos,” adds Dehayen. Dishes will include manchego cheese with honey and fig; fish tacos of swordfish with elderberry jam; roast pork belly in ‘pisco and beer sauce’ with red Peruvian chillies; and pizza topped with roast tomato, spinach, chorizo or garlic mushroom.
FLUSH: New chiringuito ONE of Spain’s leading tuna companies is being investigated for breaking fishing laws. It comes after police raided the facilities of Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos, in La Palma, Murcia, as part of a national operation against the illegal fishing of Bluefin Tuna. Sources say the company has been keeping baby tuna corralled in offshore farms while fattening them up until the legal weight to catch them. It has also been allegedly exceeding annual quotas set by the EU.
to culinary icon. The restaurant was named the best restaurant in the world a record five times but shockingly closed seven years ago - with 3,000 people still on the waiting list for a table. But speaking about the new film, the Spaniard said he will never open a restaurant again. “It makes no sense for me to open a restaurant,” he said, “Why would I do that? “Almost all the greatest chefs in the world - with a few exceptions - no longer actually cook. “They taste, direct and conceive.” Adria has, however, helped his brother Albert open six establishments in Barcelona, of which one, Enigma, he described as a ‘baby elBulli’.
Series
It came 95th in the latest 50 Best world restaurants list. He also teaches at Harvard university in the US and runs the elBulli foundation, funded by €12 million euros of private capital from the Spanish giants Telefonica and CaixaBank and the Italian coffee company Lavazza. The eye-opening series is now available on streaming service Amazon Prime.
Tuna probe The limit is 4,000 tons per year but those close to the Guardia Civil investigation say this is being widely exceeded by fisheries across Spain. Several people have been arrested in Madrid as part of the nationwide probe, but investigators say dozens more could be picked up in Valencia, Vigo and Cadiz.
July 4th - July 17th 2018
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‘Bringing music to your ears, and Gibraltar to your screen’
Columnists July 4th - July 17th 2018
Life on the wild frontier
Where smuggling goes with the territory, writes Belinda Beckett
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I
WAS browsing the internet the other day for a four-wheel drive car to replace our decrepit Renault Kangoo when Google threw an interesting statistic at me, culled from this very newspaper: ‘At least one 4x4 gets stolen by drug traffickers every day in the Campo de Gibraltar.’ I’ve always thought of the beau-
tiful area where I live as Andalucia’s ‘wild west’, but for its virgin beaches, stork colonies and lynx forests, not trafficking. The closest I’ve come to it is seeing women stuffing cigarette packets down their leggings in the anteroom of the Gibraltar tobacco shop (now closed ) where I used to pick up my monthly allowance (now
down from one carton to four packets for cross-border workers and anyone living within a 15km straight line from the frontier. It’s actually what helped me to cut down.) But despite living close to the ‘wild frontiers’ of VAT-free Gibraltar and '#' Morocco, it’s not Miami Vice here quite yet, although smuggling runs in the blood. As one local historian put it: ‘Countless modern Gibraltarian families would be able to trace the origins of their present wealth to the scheming of some moustachioed contrabandista.’ Where there’s a hard border, it goes with the territory. During the Great Depression my own grandmother smuggled (or should I say swaddled) the fabric for her wedding dress from Dublin to Belfast, wrapped around her like a bandage under her coat.
Swathed
San Juankers!
T
here are many signs that summer has officially arrived in Spain. The supermarkets are open on Sundays for example. Although you’ll still get stuck behind the new arrivals seemingly buying their entire two weeks worth of shopping in one go. Or the Spanish family shopping for what looks like the onset of some huge natural disaster that will entail living in a bunker for four months, but is, in fact, for a Sunday on the beach. But the most obvious sign that summer 2018 is underway is Noche de San Juan. It’s the night when you traditionally go down to the beach, dressed in white, leap over a flaming bonfire and then take the first dip in the sea to purify your sins. Nothing remotely pagan about any of the above of course and say three ‘Hail Marys’ for even thinking such a thing. Back in my misspent youth, San Juan was another great excuse to grab a couple of guitars, more than a few crates of San Miguel (you used to get money back if you returned the bottles, and for a few months it was our sole source of income) and head to the beach. It was all very low key and great fun. Although waking up face down and hungover in the sand the next morning wasn’t so great.
DISGRACE: Rubbish on beach
I n recent years, however, San Juan has turned corporate. Every beach bar has its own party and even the Town Halls have got into the act, with light shows, stages, live acts and DJs playing dreaded Reggaeton music – the type that pounds out of the yellow Seat Leon that undertakes you on the Fuengirola bends… If that’s not bad enough, the mess they make is unbelievable. For a night that celebrates nature, it’s more than ironic that they leave ALL their rubbish on the beach. Photos of Malaga the morning after looked like Genghis Khan and his Mongol horde had been through, after visiting a fast food chain. Not so much San Juan than San Juankers… And if you were wondering, no, I obviously didn’t do San Juan tonight. I have a lake in front of my house and it would take more than a quick paddle in the Med to cleanse me of my sins, trust me. Anyone out there want to lend me a deep sea diving outfit for my forthcoming underwater walk to New York?
Ever since Gibraltar became British, everything that couldn’t be got in Spain was smuggled via the Rock, from coffee and fuel to fabrics and fountain pens. Many benefited – the local jobless, the local traders ... for many Spanish and British merchants ‘el contrabando’ was the import/export trade. In 1856 Gibraltar Governor Sir Robert Gardiner reported to London: ‘Human beings enter the Garrison in their natural sizes but quit it swathed and swelled out with our cotton manufactures, and padded with tobacco, while the carriages and beasts, which came light and springy into the place, quit it scarcely able to drag or to bear their burdens’. Female smugglers had it easier in pre-legging days when blousy black dresses were the fashion in Spain. Their long black lines criss-crossing the frontier became known locally as el contrabando de hormigas – ‘smuggling ants’. The cigarettes sold in the tabacaleras back then were nicknamed mataquintos – soldier killers – so for a duty free supply of British American tabaco rubio it was worth the risk.
Contraband
The homing pack dogs didn’t have it so good. As a 1903 report described it, ‘Dogs are trained, through starvation or cruelty, to run home when landed at night. They carry saddlebags strapped on, or even have the skins of larger dogs stuffed out with tobacco fastened on to them.’ Even live turkeys were transported with contraband strapped beneath their wings. Smuggling was ever inventive. Today it’s all done by sophisticated cartels equipped with powerful RIBs, jet skis, drones and SUVs and now I know where they get their 4x4s from, we’ve decided to keep our clapped-out Kangoo. Her electrics may be a tad idiosyncratic but no drug runner would give her a second glance.
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Sport July 4th - July 17th 2018
Spain exit
+TheolivepressEs World Cup
BE ‘APPY!
after penalty shoot-out
DAVID DE GEA has admitted Spain is ‘f*****’ after its shock World Cup exit The Manchester United goalkeeper has issued an Download our app now andhonest account of Spain’s downfall after exiting earbegin enjoying the best Spanish ly to hosts Russia. news on the go. Despite finishing top of their group above Portugal, the 2010 World MALAGA who will be Cup champions have now playing their football in failed to progress beyond La Liga 2 from next season the last-16 in the last two will not be benefiting from consecutive tournaments. extra-time, the the controversial video as- After match was concluded by sisted referee system. The Press penalties, where Russia Despite the firstOlive division adopting VAR for this up- goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev, TOP for in Spain! saved both Koke and Iago coming season thenews second division has decided to de- Aspas’ spot-kicks. Host lay the new system until nation Russia, now enter the quarter-finals for the the 2019/2020 season. VAR works by allowing the first time since their Soreferee to consults second- viet Union predecessors ary referees on important in Mexico 1970. issues such as penalties Real Madrid and Spain and goal line decisions. As captain, Sergio Ramos, seen in this years World said after the game: “It Cup in Russia, VAR has hurts a lot but nobody been the talking point of should doubt that we’ll most post-match discus- be back to try again and sions, with some calling again. Some will go and others will come along for its abolishment. but we’ll all defend this shirt with passion and respect. NO TECH: For Malaga
VAR Delayed for Malaga
NOT PLAYING: Andy
Murray out
FORMER World number one, Sir Andy Murray, has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to ongoing injury setback. Murray, who won the tournament in 2013 and 2016, has had his 2018 season blighted with injury and rehabilitation. In January of this year, he had surgery to rectify a hip injury he picked on last seasons ATP tour. Despite playing in the preWimbledon tournament, Queen’s, Murray said: “I’ve made significant progress in practice and matches over the last ten days, but after lengthy discussions with my team, we’ve decided that playing best of five set matches might be a bit too soon in the recovery process. “We did everything we could to try to be ready in time.”
In defeat I feel even more proud of being Spanish.” Spain’s world cup campaign did not get off to best of starts: former boss, Julen Lopetegui, was sacked days before preparations started, with some saying it was a contributing factor to Spain’s early exit. Former Barcelona midfielder, Andres Iniesta, announced his retirement immediately after their defeat. Russia will now go on to play Croatia in the quarter finals.
Iniesta retires ANDRES Iniesta has retired from international duty following Spain’s early exit from the World Cup. Iniesta, who has had a glittering career for both club and country, has hung-up his international boots after 12 years of service. He has represented Spain at youth level since the age of 16, working his way up the ranks to become one the most decorated Spanish footballers of all time. His international highlights include winning the European Championships in both 2008 and 2012 as well as winning the World Cup in 2010. Speaking after the defeat, he said: “Sometimes the endings are not as one dreams.”
GUTTED: Iniesta
IN TROUBLE: Spain team
July 4th - July 17th 2018
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FINAL WORDS
St George? A restoration of a 16th century wooden statue of St. George has been jokingly mocked on social media, some saying he strikes a resemblance to Tin Tin or British comedian Marty Feldman.
New Wave Spain are already eyeing potential new wonderkids to help rebuild the football team. The likes of Yeray, Carlos Selar and Rodri are being heavily sought-after.
Dance Victory Gibraltar claims gold medal at the Dance World Cup. Nathan Villalba helped secure gold with his entry finishing first out 17 entries.
Iberian hero
July 4th - July 17th 2018
The Rock’s only free and local paper
AN England player brought up in Portugal put England through to the world cup quarter finals last night. Spurs player Eric Dier scored the final penalty to send the team into the last eight. Dier played most of his youth career with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
Vol. 3 Issue 74 www.gibraltarolivepress.com July 4th - July 17th 2018
Serial scooter Manhunt on for mystery pensioner using mobility scooter on Malaga motorways POLICE are still searching for a man who has been filmed repeatedly driving his mobility scooter on motorways in Malaga. The serial driving offender was pictured and filmed several times in May by infuriated car drivers. The elderly speedster was caught on camera travelling on Velazquez Avenue and the MA-21 towards Churriana. In one video he is seen running a red light. But despite policia local opening an investigation
in May, he has not been caught. Now, this week, new footage has emerged. It shows the mobility scooter, designed for disabled people, travelling on a road next to the Guadalhorce River, which connects the motorway to the seafront.
Reckless
The scooter is not classed as a vehicle and is prohibited from travelling on roads meant for cars. The vehicle is considered
CUTE: Hero Poncho
CP-Aww
CAUGHT ON FILM: Scooter driver
‘pedestrian’ and can only operate on sidewalks and pavements. The General Directorate of Traffic described the man’s actions as ‘reckless’.
The investigation continues. Have you seen this scooter offender? Get in touch with the Olive Press at newsdesk@ theolivepress.es
A VIDEO of an adorable Spanish police dog performing CPR on an officer has captured hearts around the world. The footage shows Poncho the service puppy, with a blue police light strapped to his back, running to the rescue as an officer pretends to collapse. Little Poncho repeatedly springs on his chest and nestles his head against the officer’s neck to check his pulse, as the audience erupts into a round of applause. The video, Tweeted by the Policia Municipal in Madrid, has been shared over 17,000 times and included the caption: “The dog is the only being in the world that will love you more than you love yourself.”
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