Hundreds of workers sent home on Spain’s Costa del Sol due to possible coronavirus exposure

Shock death LA CULTURA

MUCH-loved expat radio presenter Dean Alexanda has died suddenly. Fans of the Costa Blanca personality were left in shock after he passed away from a suspected heart attack while preparing for a gig at Whispers, in San Miguel de Salinas. After telling his bosses about ‘feeling funny’, a replacement for the evening was quickly sent for. Soon afterwards, the 57- year old collapsed and died.

Los Flintstones

A STUNNING collection of prehistoric carvings have been discovered in Catalunya. Archaeologists came across the 15,000 year old depictions of horses, deer and bulls, as well as a multitude of abstract symbols evidencing the artist- ry of ancient humans. There are over 100 etchings carved into the soft rock walls of the cave, which dates back to the Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age era. A team of archaeologists led by Josep Maria Verges uncov- ered the art within the Cave of Font Major complex, 90 kilometres from the Catalan

Tributes pour in for recentlymarried Big FM DJ who dropped dead before gig

Emergency ambulance staff tended to him for an hour but could not revive him. He leaves his wife of only three months, Jan, and two sons, Joe and Jay. Dean had reported no signs of ill health, although he was a wellknown ‘workaholic’ in the Costa Blanca area. He was frequently found undertaking duties at parties, hosting karaoke night and presenting his breakfast show on Big Radio Spain. Station manager Richie Sparks said: “Dean came to Spain to join me at Big FM and has been a huge part of the station for the last four years. “His endless energy and

capital. Incredibly the subterranean system was first discovered in 1853 but it was not until last October that experts were

sent in to analyse the etchings. Parts of the three-kilome- tre complex are open to the public, although no access has been given to the stretch of the cave containing the carvings. Maria Verges, from the Cat- alan Institute of Human Pa- laeoecology has described the find as ‘exceptional’ and com- pared the cave to a shrine. The carvings are now being studied and recorded using 3-D scanning technology. They are said to be extreme

ly fragile and can be damaged just by being touched, with experts trying to find ways of preserving them. The

passion for his job and family was an inspiration and he will be sadly

world-famous cave paintings of Altamira in northern Spain are thought to be up to 20,000 years older. missed.” Carla Stone from rival station Sunshine FM in Orihuela Costa told the Olive Press: “Losing someone from the entertainment world in what is a small close-knit community is devastating to so many people - our hearts are with all of Dean’s family.” Another popular entertainer, Bee Rumble, added: “We always found Dean to be full of fun, laughter and a great buddy. “Dean once invited me and my husband Lee over for lunch, and he served up cheese crackers - we ribbed him for years about it!” A book of condolence has been opened in reception at the Big Radio studios on Calle Blanca, Ciudad Quesada.

Coronavirus and your finances

I’m sure many of you will be aware of the negative effects Coronavirus fears have had on the global investment markets. This is what we call a macroeconomic event. This means it is something that effects the entire global economic system rather than any specific fund or stock. At the end of last week, global markets were down nearly 15% from their recent highs in the space of just over a week. In fact, at the time I’m wri- ting this article, the FTSE 100 is down 10.5% over the last 3 months. What is perhaps reassuring is that our Chorus Balanced portfolio, is down just 0.8% over the same period and is still 9.1% up over the last 12 months. Many of you who have monitored your pensions or investments over the last few years will recall we had similar market action in December 2018. During a 2-week period the mar - kets fell more than 10%, and again, our Chorus portfolios held up very well. What we did see however, was an influx of enquiries from concerned clients of other firms. The reason for this is that during good markets it is quite easy for clients to not be aware that they are in low quality funds, or paying far too much in charges, but when markets fall the effects of this are magnified. A well-diversified, fairly priced port folio is designed to weather out the worst of a market fall, so although no advisor can ever guarantee the performance of a portfolio, Chorus can gua- rantee that you will be in fair priced plan, with the best possible portfolio to get you through volatile markets. Over the last few days I have persona- lly reached out to all my clients to reassure them and explain our approach to such markets. In reality the proven way to deal with such market moves is to sit tight, ride them out and put faith in the fund managers we use to manage the risk to the best of their abilities. Although portfolio values can and will fall at certain times, such price mo ves actually present opportunities for good fund managers, and whether the Panic selling is not the way to deal with such circumstances

Providing multi-award winning advice for your pensions, investments & tax planning.

By Sam Kelly DipPFS, EFA, BA (Hons). Managing Partner, Chorus Financial

effects last from just a few weeks to se- veral months, our experience has shown that panic selling is not the way to deal with such circumstances.

If we were inclined to sell funds during a fall, all that does is lock in losses for our clients, leaving the risk of missing any subsequent recovery. History has shown that as long as you are in a good portfolio, regardless of the leng- th and severity of a market fall, we would expect to see a recovery and new highs over time. For new investors, pull-backs like this may present a good opportunity to enter the markets.

If you have any concerns about anything discussed in this article, or want advice on a new or existing investment or pension, please contact me direct on +34 664 398 702 or s.kelly@chorusfinancial.es.

I wo uld not let a dictator dictate my life Ahead of International Women’s Day, Cristina Hodgson sits down with a feisty Franco survivor honoured for her heroics in a fascist, male-dominated world

‘T O tell a woman everything she cannot do, is to tell her what she can’ is a Spanish proverb that perfectly fits Isabel Marquez Fexias Sula. She grew up in Cordoba during the Franco regime when women were treated as second RESILIENT: Isabel Marquez Fexias Sula

class citizens. It was unthinkable for them to have careers - although prostitution was allowed. But this determined young woman refused to play by Franco’s rules and would not let a dictator dictate her life. Now in her sixties, she has just received two awards. One from the Municipal Council of Montilla in Cordoba and one from Mancomunidad Campina Sur Cordobesa, both given for her role as a pioneer in the struggle for gender equality. Her story perfectly illustrates the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8, ‘An equal world is an enabled world’ - but only collectively, with each individual taking action, is that world possible. The global awareness day first celebrated in 1911 to honour women’s achievements is supported by over one million people today, no less so in Spain, a country that recognises the independence of women. However, it wasn’t always this way. Isabel railed against the restrictions on women during the Franco regime which led her to emigrate to the UK in the 60s Argentina alone, horse trekking in Guatemala and scuba diving in the Bay Islands

- an unthinkable act for a teenage girl in those dark days, just 18 with not a word of spoken English and just a few pesetas to her name. Now back in her home town of Montilla on the outskirts of Cordoba, I meet up with Isabel at her country hacienda. A spectacular view embraces our surroundings, rolling hills stretch as far as the eye can see, green and earthen hues blend into one as olive groves and vineyards fuse, intermingling with the azure sky. Isabel is watching me intently, a friendly smile on her face. “Welcome,” she says, gesturing for me to sit. Her tone reflects confidence, assurance and peace and I immediately feel at home. I’m intrigued to hear her story for, there’s no doubt, this is a woman who has overcome many hardships, building inner strength with every challenge she faced. First and foremost, she tells me, she considers herself a ‘person’ first, then a ‘woman’. She has never allowed herself to be victimised or put off from doing something because of her gender. This philosophy, and her adventurous spirit, enabled her to overcome the obstacles placed in her way. During over 40 years of self-exile in Britain she became a successful business woman, running her own Montessori school which permitted her to travel all over the world giving conferences - something that could never have happened had she remained in Spain. I am almost hypnotised as she whisks me back in time with tales of her exploits; white water rafting in Costa Rica, crossing Argentina alone, horse trekking in Guatemala and scuba diving in the Bay Islands … the stories spill out in an endless stream. Clearly not a woman to be restrained by society, I’m intrigued to find out more about the young Isabel, the one who broke every rule in the book. How did you see your future in Spain when you left? “I saw no future as a young girl,” she says bluntly. “The so- ciety during Franco’s era was a man’s world so that’s why I left. Unfortunately, despite many advances it is still a man’s society,” she adds. “My home town was too small for me. I would have been miserable had I stayed. Let me explain. During the Franco era (1939-1975) women in Spain were second-class citizens. They were denied many opportunities, especially in the workplace where professional careers for women were unthinkable. Ironically, prostitution was permitted. Education followed very strict rules and we were taught by nuns whose knowledge was rather limited. In fact, I ended up explaining basic arithmetic to the nuns and my classmates. University was out of the question for me and women in general.” “Women were only honoured in their role as wife and mother. Had I stayed in Spain I would have been expected to marry and then, only if my husband let me, would I have been allowed to travel, pursue a career, own property. Like I’ve said, this was not the future I wanted and my only solution was to leave.” How did your parents react when you told them you were leaving? “There were some men who saw the potential that women had, and I was lucky that my father was one of those special men. He agreed when I told him my thoughts about leaving, in fact he encouraged me and was happy for me to go. My mother, on the other hand, was very unhappy and didn’t take my departure well. She locked herself away for a week when I left, refusing to eat, and cried all day. Thankfully, she got over it. And if I’m honest, I understood her distress, but it wasn’t going to stop me from going. I felt so suffocated by the repressed society it was a relief to leave. I did cry for the first month as I missed my family but there was no regret in leaving. I just remember fitting in from the get-go. I didn’t speak a word of English so I took language classes and started working as a cleaner to pay my way. I never felt a foreigner in all my years in Britain. In fact I felt I didn’t fit in or belong in Spain at that time. ” Montilla is a relatively small, inland town. Did you perceive any stigma - that people turned their backs on you or saw you as a bad influence for their own daughters? “No stigma at all. Spain was ready for change. Women were starting to mark their place in society and my decision to leave caused a wave of other young women in town to follow my steps. Most of my friends followed suit and flew out to the UK shortly after me. I was the only one to remain permanently in England, however, but it was encouraging to see a lot of young women breaking the norm and seeking their in- dependence as well. I would not let anything stop me, I was determined. I worked in the fashion industry, worked as an interpreter for the BBC covering the Spanish elections and set up a successful Montessori school in Wimbledon. “The only issue I had was when I married, as my then British fiance was protestant and LEADER: Isabel inspired other young women to follow her Worked as an interpreter for the BBC covering the Spanish elections

ADVENTURE: Isabel scuba diving, white water rafting (top left), being awarded for her battle for gender equality (top right) and solo trekking across Argentina (right)

FAMILY: Isabel (left), younger sister Ana (right) and younger brother Paco BONDING: Isabel and daughter Cristina make the International Women’s Day salute

marriage in those days had to be canonical, that is, performed under Roman Catholic law. None of the priests in town wanted to perform the ceremony.” Your advice for young women today? “Aim high and achieve higher, that is the only way we will make our way, be recognised and understood. And it’s especially important for society to understand how hard it is for women, specifically now with so much gender violence taking place. But we need to keep focused and continue working hard.”

Where would you like to see women’s position in society in five or ten years? “I would like to see women positioned equally in society NOW, not in five or ten years. Unfortunately, we all know that it’s still not possible. Society is taking a long time to realise the value of women … how they care for their children and how, in most cases, The process is very slow, but what is clear is that we must never give up

their careers are put to one side to look after them. However, if women didn’t have children, we would not have this world. Given that simple fact, I don’t know how women are not valued as they should be. Sadly, complete equality cannot be guaranteed in five or even ten years as the process is very slow, but what is clear is that we must never give up.” Today, although ‘retired’, Isabel’s adventures continue in Spain. She has discovered a new ‘career’ through her love for photography and ceramics, specialising in Raku, and her exceptional work is often on display at exhibitions in Cordoba. This is clearly a woman who will never give up.

What’s on Fri 6 Mar VISTABELLA GOLF, Flannigan’s Irish Bar, 8.30pm. Rain O’Connor - karaoke & live vocals. LOS MONTESINOS, Oasis Bar & Restaurant, 8.30pm. Nikki G sings from past to present. LA MARINA, The Final Whistle, 6pm. Bee Rumble sings soul and Motown. QUESADA, The Black Sheep of Quesada, 9pm. DJ Powell plays soul, funk, pop, house & more. ALGORFA, Jilly’s Bar, 8.30pm. Skittles Night - all invited. Sat 7 Mar FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA, Floyds Lounge Bar, 6pm. Special Tapas Night, followed by Emanuel Panderas on clarinet & sax. CABO ROIG, Auld Dubliner, 9pm. Rain O’Connor - karaoke & live vocals. FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA, Rumours, 6.30pm. Music Trivia Quiz followed by Rock & Roll Bingo with Ian. LA ZENIA, CC’s Bar, 9pm. Andy Owens, the King of Swing. ORIHUELA COSTA, Cosy Corner, 8.30pm. Soul Explosion. Sun 8 Mar LO CRISPIN, Lo Crispin Tavern, 4pm. Karaoke with Samantha Curtis & Andy Jones. QUESADA, Spanglish Bar, 8pm. Fun and free Quiz. ALMORADI, Plaza de la Constitucion, 10am. Artichoke Fair and Tapas Festival. ALGORFA, La Vista Bar & Lounge, 3pm. DJ Rob Stansfield plays soul & Motown. QUESADA, La Vida Sunset Bar - Dona Pepa, 7pm. Karaoke with Samantha Curtis Mon 9 Mar BENIJOFAR, La Cosecha Restaurant, 7pm. Deb- bie H sings pop, rock, ballads & more. Tue 10 Mar LOS MONTESINOS, Oasis Bar & Restaurant, 9pm. Free Quiz, great prizes. QUESADA, Coopers Arms, 9pm. The Incredible Dougie Munro, playing live. QUESADA, Sam’s Bar & Kitchen, 6pm. Towieokie night! Wed 11 Mar FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA, Floyds Lounge Bar, 5.30pm. Towie Okie, great fun. TORREVIEJA, Los Angeles, 8pm. Country Music with BIG FM’s Cherry K. LO CRISPIN, La Hacienda, 3pm. Ian’s Fun Quiz & Rock n Roll Bingo, suitable for all. ALGORFA, Jilly’s Bar, 8pm. Handover Party - everyone invited. QUESADA, Aurora Bar & Lounge, 8pm. Ian’s Crazy Karaoke. ALGORFA, The Yorkshire Pud, 9pm. Free Quiz Night with great prizes. Thu 12 Mar CAMPOVERDE, Jenny’s Bar, 8pm. Disco with Big FM’s Garry Vincent & Play Your Cards Right. FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA, Rumours, 8.30pm. Quiz Night with Ian. QUESADA, Aurora Bar & Lounge, 5pm. Rock n Roll Bingo. SAN LUIS, Reflections Bar, 7.30pm. Murder Mysrery Dinner - booking essential. Fri 13 Mar QUESADA, Aurora Bar & Lounge, 6pm. Melissa Jade, Queen of Sass, sings soul & Motown. LOS MONTESINOS, Oasis Bar & Restaurant, 8.30pm. Vibrant vocalist, Dani, sings 70s to now. TORRE PACHECO, Parafe el Pasico, 1pm. Discount Shopping Fair, with live music. Sat 14 Mar CABO ROIG, Caboo, 9pm. Boogie Nights, dedicated to the 70s & 80s. BENISSA, Plaza Juanme, 9am. Farmer’s Market - food, handicrafts, demos etc. Sun 15 Mar GRAN ALACANT, The Pub, 6pm. Debbie H sings pop, rock, ballads & more. LA FLORIDA, The Local, 4pm. Bee Rumble’s Soul & Motown afternoon. CABO ROIG, Urbanization Aquamarine, 1pm. St Patrick’s Day Parade. LO CRISPIN, Lo Crispin Tavern, 9pm. Amanda’s Quiz with Play Your Cards Right. Tue 17 Mar CABO ROIG, Auld Dubliner, 9pm. Rain O’Connor - karaoke & live vocals. FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA, Rumours, 1pm. St Patrick’s Day Party - Music, BBQ & fun. FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA, The Inn Place, 7pm. St Patrick’s Night Party - booking essential. 1. Maria Zambrano You may have travelled from the Maria Zambrano train station in Malaga without thinking about the woman this bustling station was named after. Here’s what you need to know. Where does she come from? María Zambrano was born April 22 1904 in Velez Malaga and as a teenager discovered a love of philosophy and politics that was to shape her life. What did she do? Unusually for a woman then, she went to Madrid University and after graduating taught philosophy there. She published her first book Horizon of Liberalism in 1931. At the same time she became heavily involved in volatile Spanish politics. What was the political scene then? The country was in turmoil. Maria campaigned for the establishment of the Second Republic - the democatic government that existed in Spain from 1931-39. She turned down an offer to become an MP for the PSOE party. But she sided with the republic when the Civil War broke out in 1936. When Franco established his military dictatorship, she fled. Good move as she had been openly critical of his regime and of the dictator - which was a dangerous move! What next? She wrote many acclaimed books on philosophy and poetry, but led a somewhat sad existence for the next 32 years. Living in Havana, Italy, France and Switzerland, she never settled as nowhere compared to her beloved Spain. But she swore she could not return until Franco died. Did she ever come back? Maria stepped on Spanish soil again in 1983, 42 years after her exile. She was 77 years old. Still a prolific writer, she was named the Favourite Daughter of Andalucia and given an Honorary Doctorate by Malaga University. She also set up the Maria Zambrano Foundation in Velez-Malaga. In 1988 she was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Cervantes prize for literature. She died in Madrid in 1991, but is buried in Velez-Malaga in the shade of a lemon tree. In 2006 it was decided to name the train station after her. 100 Span ish Icons In the first of a new series we look at the famous names you may have heard of, but probably don’t know the fascinating history behind. And as it’s International Women’s Day, we start with one of Spain’s leading ladies THE Alhambra Palace has sold 12,590 tickets in the first eight hours of launching a new ticketing system. An incredible 1,200 tickets per hour were sold, with up to ten purchased per person. Costing from €14.85 for a basic ticket, it is expected to lead to more overnight stays in Granada city. The system was introduced after years of complaints over the old system, which lent itself to fraud and much abuse by both staff members at the palace and local travel agents. The new official site, in English and Spanish, allows visitors to purchase their tickets three months ahead. Soon it will allow visitors to book a year ahead, while some will be made available to be purchased on the day. Visit www.tickets.alhambra-patronato.es Palace pride Lights, camera, action ATTENDANCE at Spanish cinemas has grown by 37% in the last six years. According to a report by the Federacion de Cines de España (Fece), the number of cinema tickets sold since 2013 has grown by 37% to 105 million in 2019. In 2013, in comparison, only 77 million were bought. The figures since then have shown constant growth, with last year having 7.7 million more ticket sales, in comparison to 2018. 12

LA CULTURA March 5th - March 18th 2020

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Mallorca - Issue 74

FREE Your voice in Spain O P LIVE RESS The expat MALLORCA Vol. 3 Issue 74 www.theolivepress.es February 21st - March 5th, 2020

Why is Spain’s second richest town in a rural backwater of Andalucia? Bundles in Benahavis Find out on p9 GLOBAL APPEAL

ena h av i s A l l a b o u t B

2 3 F e brua r y 2 0 2 0

GL E A M I N G l i ke a w h i t e p e a r l i n t he hi l l s a b o v e Ma r b e l l a , B e n a h a v i s i s t h e cr o w n j e w e l o f An d a l u ci a ’ s cl a s s i c w hi t e v i l l a g e s f o r s o ma n y r e a - s o n s . M o s t f a mo u s l y , i t ’ s t he r i ch e s t mu n i - ci p a l i t y i n t h e r e g i o n a n d t he s e co n d w e a l t hi e s t p e r ca p i t a i n a l l S p a i n w i t h a v e r a g e i n co me p u s hi n g € 2 9 , 0 0 0 . An d n o w o n d e r, w i t h t he l i ke s o f v i s i to r s H u g h G r a n t , Ro d S t e wa r t a n d Cr i s t i a n o Ro n a l - d o c o n t r i b u t i n g t o t he to w n ha l l co f fe r s . T he v i l l a g e i s s e co n d ho me to a ho s t o f b i l l i o n a i r e s w ho hav e b o u g ht p r o p e r t y i n n e i g hb o u r i n g L a Z a g a l e t a , An d a l u ci a ’ s s wa n ki e s t p r i va t e u r b a n i s a t i o n . V l a d i mi r P u t i n i s r e p o r t e d l y o n e - a l t ho u g h t he U nli k e i t s w ell- h eeled r es i d ents yo u do n ’ t need dee p pock et s t o enjoy t h e w ea lt h o f n a t u ra l w onders i n B ena h a v i s , wri t es Jo a nn e Oa k le y C o n t i n u e s o ve r l e a f A PEARL BEYOND PRICE

Westminster vs Wellington HEAD TO HEAD The British dukes of hazard battling to be Spain’s biggest property moguls See p18

Gibraltar - Issue 117 Find out more on page XX C M Y CM M Y CY C MY K Unt itled- 1.p df 1 16/06/ 2017 15:36 Avenida Rey Jaime 1, Santa Ponca 0034 871 510 277 96 626 5000 + 44 (0) 1353 699082 www.globelink.co.uk UK BASED TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents *Offer valid for new customers only. Subject to conditions. Ends 31/12/19. T M 952 147 834 The O liv e P ress-256 x 170-HOME02.indd 1 2 1/ 6 / 1 9 13:30 Tel: 952 147 834 See Page 5 Boffin breakthrough Mallorca scientists develop material capable of absorbing microplastics from the sea BOFFINS in th e Balearics have come up with an ingenious invention that can absorb microplastics from the sea. The team at Mallorca University (UIB) made the breakthrough while conducting experiments in the lab. Based on the doctorate of PHD stu dent Mateo del Rio, the team discov ere d a material that can extract pol lutan ts from wa te r, including dyes and plastics. Team leader doctor Gemma Turnes hopes that it can now be used as a magnet to remo ve po llutants fr om the sea and other bodies of water. The Chemistry Faculty researcher added it was extremely stable, both chemically and thermally and is easy to regenerate. By Isha Sesay Researcher del Rio had always fo cused his doctoral thesis on solving water pollution problems. Exploitation A ccording to his study, published in the ACS Applied Materials & Inter faces s cientific journal, the material can extract pollutants from water in just ten minute s. It can be used to clean small samples of contaminated water, and coul d serve to monitor sea pollution, pos sibly leading to larger scale projects. The young chemist stressed the need to raise awareness about safeguarding the environment. “You have to locate where the prob - lems are in order to act as soon as possible and respond to na tural disas - ters,” he added. His hybrid substance has a metal-or ganic structure (MOF-74) and porous carbon. There is currently much concern about the over - explo itation of natural resources, which has led to a range of measures being rolle d out a cro ss the island. Between Mallorca and Menorca alone, it is estimated that some 752 million plastic particles weighing a total of 3.7 tons are present in the se a. The vast majority are microplastics of less than five millimetres in size, as detailed in a recent study by the Mediterranean Ins titut e fo r Advan ced Studies. A DAMNING study has found that 50% of the Med’s beach plastic ‘comes from tourists’. The project, by Blueislands, com - pared plastic and other waste on thre e different beaches on eight different islands. It found that 80% of beach lit - ter was plastic, with tourism ‘di - rectl y’ a c counting for 50% of the plastics. On each island the researchers looked at a busy tourist beach, a less popular locals beach and one almost ‘untouched’. In Mallorca, Calvia’s Playa de Tora, Es Caragol, near Santanyi, and the natural beach of Sa Cano - va near A rta, were studied. Rubbish, including micro-plastics and small particles, was collected, catalogued and analysed at inter v als throughout the year. Other islands in the study included Mykonos, Malta, Crete and Sicily. Trashy tourism means exactly that ISLAND REVOLUTION: Hybrid substance filters out pollution ZOOMED IN: Microscope image of ‘wonder substance’ INVESTIGATORS have once again inspected the pool which took the lives of three British holidaymakers in Andalucia on Christmas Eve. It comes after a Malaga judge al lowed a ‘parallel’ probe be launched by the Diya family into how the pool at the Club La Costa World Resort, in Mijas, could have killed dad Ga briel, 52, daughter Comfort, aged nine and son Emmanuel, 16. The site was visited by an engineer, pro fessional div er a nd an assistant. The experts carried out several tests in front of the Diya family lawyer Ja vier Toro. Gues ts of the hotel remained loung - ing on sunbeds as the diver entered the water for around half an hour. He took photos of all areas of the pool, focusing on its suction systems and drains. The group then introduced a piece of cloth into the water and analysed how it reacted to the suction system. They t hen did the s ame w it h a swim ming cap, similar to that of Com fort’s, which had been found by Guardia Civil officers in the main drain of the purification system fol lo wing the tragic incident. Opinion Page 6 FREE P LIVE RESS The The Rock’s ONLY free local paper O GIBRALTAR We use recycled paper RE use RE duce RE cycle Vol. 5, Issue 117 www.theolivepress.es March 4 th - March 17th, 2020 T U C K E D d o w n a s i de s t r e e t i n S ab i n i l l as , M c G u i n n e s s ’ I r i s h P u b w a s alw a y s a c o s y , w e l c o m i n g , i f u n as s u m i n g l o c al p u b. H ow e v e r i t s s t e l la r r e p u t ati o n w as r e l ati ve l y u n k n own f u r t h e r afi e l d, u n t i l i t w a s l au n c h ed i n t o TV s t a r do m i n an e p i - s o de o f Ch an n e l 4’ s A N ew L i fe i n T h e Su n . A n d i t s p a t r o n s , e xp a t c o u p l e M i c h e al a n d D an i e l l e , t y p i f y t h e g et - u p - an d- g o s p i r i t o f S ab i n i l l a s , D u q u e s a an d M an i l v a. J u s t a ro un d t h e c o r n e r i s K i n s ale r e s t au r an t i n t h e h e art o f D u qu e s a p o r t , w h e r e y o u c an o rd e r a f a n t as t i c h o m e m a de p i e w as h e d do w n w i t h a G u i n n e s s . T h i s l o c al f avo u r i t e r e c e n t l y h ad i t s m o m e n t i n t h e s p ot l i g h t t o o , as I TV N e w s de s c e n de d f o r B r e xi t n i g h t as t h e U K l e ft t h e WORLDS COLLIDE B r eathtakin g coastlin e mee ts in land adv en tu r e. J oshua P arfitt fin ds b ags of Sp an is h tr a d ition an d plent y of e x pats in M an ilva, Sab in ill as an d Du q u esa C o n t i n u e s n e x t pa g e E U . I t i s n o s u r p r i s e a s Man i l v a o f fi c i a l l y h a s th e h i g h e s t p e r c e n t - ag e of B r i t s o n t h e p adr o n i n S p ain . T h e r e ar e s o m e 4, 00 0 o f B r i t s i n t h e 1 2, 00 0- s t r o n g m u n i c i p ali t y . A n d i t i s n ’ t j u s t t h o s e fro m B l i g h t y . O t h e r s et t l e d e xp a t s h e l p m ake u p 42 % o f M an i l v a ’ s p o p u l ati o n , a c c o r di n g t o D e a n T y l e r S h e l t o n , M an i l v a l o c al, an d o n e o f t h e o n l y B r i t i s h p o l i t i c i an s o n t h e C o s t a de l S o l . M o s t i n t h e s e p ar t s i n h a bi t e i t h e r t h e c o r al- w h i te m a r i n a of L a D u qu e s a, w h i c h s i t s at t h e e n d o f t h e m i l e - l o n g be a c h f r o n t o f S an Lu i s de S a bi n i l l a s o r u p o n t h e h i l l t o p l o o k o u t o f M an i l v a i t s e l f . T h o u g h t h e B r i t s an d t h e 1 80 - o dd ot h e r n at i o n ali t i e s c o m e f ro m all w alk s o f l i f e a n d o c c u p ati o n s ( E d : So me h a ve e v e n set u p a n ew sp ap e r h e r e ! ) t h e y all h av e s o m e t h i n g i n c o m m o n . L i k e M a n i l v a’ s fi r s t h e alt h t o u r i s t , J u l i u s C ae s ar, w h o v i s i te d t h e R o m an ba t h s arou n d 6 0B C , i t s e e m s t h at p e o p l e c o m e h e r e f o r a t e m p e r ate l i f e be n e ath t h e j a w - drop p i n g m o u n t ai n s , f e d b y t h e f r u i t s o f t h e s e a. W a l k i n g arou n d t h e y ac h t - do t te d m ar i n a I m e e t e x p at J o h n J a c k s o n , a 74- y e ar- o l d S c ot s m an , c o u n t i n g t h e fi s h i n t h e s h a l l ow s , w atc h i n g th e m e a t c r u m bs f rom h i s p an fl a u t a, o r S p a n - i s h ba g u et te . “I t ’ s a r e all y w e l l m ai n t ai n e d p o r t , fr i e n dl y a n d s afe t o o , ” t h e f o r m e r bu s i n e s s c o n s u l t an t t o l d t h e Ol i v e P r e ss , w h i c h i s als o ® B R U N O S C A R R E N T A L . C O M R E NT A C AR M Á LA GA - G I B RA L T A R - D UQUE S A Man i lv a, Sa b i ni l las and Duquesa A l l ab ou t V o l . 1 3 Is s u e 33 8 w ww .t h e oli v e p r e s s . e s M ar c h 20 20 H I ST O R Y : T he C a s t i l l o de l a Duques a t a k e s pri de o f pl a ce , k e e pi n g w a t ch o v e r t he un s p o i l t M e di t e r ra n e a n cov e s a n d be a che s t ha t st r e t ch a l l t he w ay f ro m S a bi n i l l a s t o C a di z pro v i n ce F UN I N T H E S UN : Fo r l oc a l f a mi l i e s a n d M cG ui n n e s s pa t r on s M i che a l a n d Da n i e l l e i n S a bi n i l l a s From stunning Manilva to lively Duquesa, check out our free supplement inside

Andalucia - Issue 338 *Off e r valid for ne w cust o mer s onl y. Subject t o c o n d itions. Ends 31/12/19. TM 952 147 834 T h eOli veP r ess-256x170-HOME02.indd 1 21 / 6/1 9 1 3:30 Tel: 952 147 834 See page 24 96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082 www.globelink.co.uk UK BASED TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents CORRALLING CORONAVIRUS Simulations and battleplans being drawn up to prepare for coronavirus on the Rock TRAVELLERS from coronavirus risk areas will have a ‘legal duty’ to report to the Gibraltar authorities. A raft of new measures have been brought in to tackle COVID-19 in Gibraltar where the threat level is still ‘low’. A n um ber of possible arrivals from the Far Eas t have been put into self-isolation for 14 day s b ut no case has been reported to date. The government has revealed it is checking people coming to the Ro ck after ha ving been in the ha rdest hit countries, mainly in the Far East and northern Italy or Iran. In February, the Government set up the Coronavirus Co-ordinating Group to ramp up its response to the g lo bal c risis with the Gibraltar Health Authority. “These active measures include the publication of regulations im posing a legal duty for travellers arriving in Gibraltar within two we eks of travel to an at-risk coun try to report to authorities on ar rival,” said the Gibraltar Govern ment. “They wi ll be c onta cted by a Pub lic Health professional who will advise on the best way to protect themselves and others.” A couple of simulations have al ready been held to practice for the discovery of a coronavirus case on the Rock. “Repeat practices ensure that all staff are thoroughly prepared and the procedure is streamlined, and ready in case it is ever needed,” said the GHA. “The global spread of COVID-19 is being constantly monitored and is under continuous review. “The risk to Gibraltar currently re mains low.” Minister for Public Health John C ortes said everything was being done to protect the public. “In the meantime, it is always good practice to keep good hand hygiene and use tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, and throw them awa y as soon as possible,” he added. “Anyone travelling outside of Gi braltar is asked to pay close at tention to the changing situation worldwide, and contact Gibraltar au thorities as soon as possible if they are in an at-risk area. Proud “All travellers returning from an at-risk country within two weeks of arr iving back in Gibraltar have a le ga l du ty to report. ” For his part, Paul Balban, Minis ter for Health and Care, said: “I am extremely proud of the GHA for their wo rk in pre paredn ess and plann ing, and I am happy with the progress to date. “It is up to all of us to do every thing that we can to protect our selves and others by keeping our hands cle an and fulfilling our duty to report any travel to at-risk ar eas.” SPOTTED: Medical staff in hazmat suits have been seen assisting members of the public in Gib Both sides Page 5 Opinion Page 6 B y John Culatto Head O ffic e | P u ert o Du q u es a t el : 9 52 89 1 41 5 A l l I nc lus iv e C a r H i re ! N O H i dd e n Ex tra C os ts on A rri v a l a nd N O De p os it B oo k onl i ne n o w w w w. br un os ca r. com ‘WE need to trus t women’ was the message from the wife of the Chief Minister as she gave an im p assioned speech at Casemates Square. Justine Picardo (above), herself a lawyer, was one of a number of top speakers who spok e in fav our of a Yes vote at the March 19 ref erendum. The m ar chers walked from the Piazza to Casemates Square bran dishing banners and chanting, ‘Home, safe, legal’. “We ha ve the opportunity to vote for something meaningful that will improve the lives of women to com e,” said Pica rdo. “Being pro-choice doesn’t mean we are pro-abortion or anti-life. “It is not something we ever wish to have to choose but it can be a necessity for a number of women who find themselves in unfortu nat e choices.” “This referendum is about wheth er we should trust a woman about when to have a baby to choose for herself what to do with her body and her life.” Extreme She told the crowds of when she had a miscarriage which could have needed an abortion so as ‘not to risk death’ for herself. Picardo scoped that even in the scenarios of rape or casual sex the Pro-life group would suggest these babies were given for adop tion. ‘Trust women’ “The anti-choice group does not re ali se the mental and psycholog ical trauma of carrying a baby for nine months only to give it up for ad option,” sh e said. “How can we as a society believ e that it is acceptable to force a pregnancy on women against their will? “We need to be able to trust wom - en.” She said tha t passing a law just for incest or rap e was a non-st ar ter. “Such a law would take us to the other extreme,” continued the law yer. “Women would be accused of claiming false cases of rape in or der t o have an abortion. “No-one has been able to produc e a law only for rape and incest, be - cause they know no such law is p ossi bl e.” Compassion Picardo c oncluded that the March 19 referendum was an opportuni ty that the people should take to modernise the law. “Gibraltar now needs to step into the 21st Century,” she continue d. “We need to have a choice law, not because we are pro-abortion but because we are pro-women. “We want our sisters, daugh ters and grand daughters to have access to safe medical treatment to have safe medical treat m ent under any cir cumstances. “Voting no is telling society that we are not to be trusted by having free wi ll over our own bodies and do what is right for ourselves. “I don’t understand how any wom en has any right to vote against this law or how any man has any right to vote no. Vote yes because you have empathy,because you ar e compassionate, because you can sense her fear, because you can walk in her shoes.” Together Gib ra ltar said she was concerned that the ‘social bonds’ could stop people from voting in the referendum. “T he re ferendum is here and we need to vote,” said Marlene Has - san Nahon. “We n ee d to make people under stand what is at stake here. “We need to trust women, get out and vote for Yes.”

Mijas Costa Vol. 13 Issue 338 www.theolivepress.es March 4th - March 17th, 2020 FREE Your voice in Spain O P LIVE RESS The expat ANDALUCÍA Opinion Page 4 TRAVEL TROUBLE Hotel and restaurant owners watch with fear as the coronavirus tightens its grip on Spain and Europe ahead of Semana Santa NERVOUS hoteliers and restaurateurs are bracing themselves for the devas tating effect coronavirus could have on Spain’s tourism industry. They ar e joined by tourist chiefs who fear a major hit t o critical Semana Santa week, which heralds the start of the holiday sea son. It comes as Spain has seen its number of cases soar to over 150, with the number in Madrid doubling almost overnight. Data from travel ana lytics firm Forward Key s shows international flights booked from the UK and the US were down al - most 20% for a five-week period up until February 23. British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair and Lufthansa have all started cancelling flights within Europe and those to China. Some have drastically cut prices in order to fill e m pty seats, with Ryanair reducing flight s to Italy by 25%. Stocks are plummeting t o o, wit h IAG, the company that owns British Airways, Vueling and Iberia suffering a drop in value of more than 9%, the highest of any company in the Ibex 35. The International Air Transport Associa tion estimates that the virus outbreak will cost the sector more th an € 26 bi llion in 20 2 0 . Travel a n d tourism analyst, Ralph Ho l lis ter, from GlobalData said: “If the virus is still having the same impact by the end of April, cancellations could start to in crease at a rapid rate as consumers deem the risk to their health to be greater than their need for a holiday.” With Semana Santa starting on April 5, businesses in Spain are worried about whether one of Spain’s busiest weeks will go ahead as normal. More tha n a mil l ion visitors traditionally desc end on Sevilla and Malaga combined duri ng Holy Week. A total of 14% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product comes from tourism, according to the European Travel Commission. It’s Executive Director Eduardo Santand er said: “The impact of the virus on Eu rop ea n touri sm w ill be massive — we ’ re tal king ab out big losses.” But despite the surge in cases here, the UK aut h orities has y e t to issue travel warnings to the country, as Spain has done with Italy. The UK Foreign Office simply insists that travellers should comply with any addi tional screening measures put in place by the Spanish author ities. Meanwh ile , footba ll may be the most TWO SPANISH HEROINES: One who escaped Franco to another whose infamous name has been adopted by a train station PLUS: The opinions of ten leading ladies to celebrate International Women’s Day By Dimitris Kouimtsidis see page 4

M a r c h 2 0 2 0 A sp ecia l f ou r -page pu l l ou t w w w .t h e o l i v e p r e s s . e s 23 See special supplied inside

Get educated Rose Moore sees the EU , essentially, as a political dictatorship (Leave and proud, Issue 325, pg 7). The reality is the opposite. There are 28 sovereign states, including the UK, which voluntarily chose to become associated. Steve Dunne believes that the UK would fair better on WTO terms. Not so. I’m not going to weigh down your letters page by quoting chapter and verse, but I recommend that Steve looks into the specifics of any industry that he knows. That Trump is trying to get a trade deal with an EU-free UK should tell you all you want to know: Trump’s trade deals have US-first labels. Finally, Brent Mahler speaks for a number of UK citizens wary of an EU armed force and an ever closer union. However, these are ideas floated by specific people and not EU policy. I am more worried at the insidious 40-plus years of pro paganda against the EEC/EU by the Mail, Telegraph, Express, Times and, of course, The Sun. What did Murdoch say when he was asked why he was so an ti-EU? Something along the lines of: “When I go into No. 10 they do what I say: when I go to the EU.” The implication is that he had to ask for an appointment! LEAVERS: Trio of Brits in Spain Spirit s rai s ed I would like to mention that the main reason that so many of us were duped by Rothschild Bank is because the scheme was marketed and sold by them as a legit imate Spanish Inheritance Tax Mitigation plan through the safe investment (Victory, pg 4, Issue 24). This was the main motive, and that which they ad - vertised, and extolled at their many sales seminars throughout Spain. Not being Spanish tax experts, us pensioner victims trusted the word and name of such a prestigious and established bank to invest in the scheme. When our Spanish lawyers checked with the Hacien da, it later transpired that it did not offer any advan tage for tax purposes whatsoever, and furthermore we had been led to attempt to defraud the tax authorities through the scheme. There is actually a lot more about the bank’s claims, and their illegal agents, altering contract contents af ter being signed, along with vastly inflated property valuations etc. That could be gone into, all of which makes a clear case for mis-selling and fraud. Thank God finally, after some 14 years, we are starting to see justice done, and peace of mind returned to the victims, so that those of us still around can have our lives back. It was a good article nonetheless, and a great spir - it-raiser for all of us, thank you. Steve Bicknell, M allorca

60-metre-long wheelchair ramp at a school in Andalucia (Donkey wrong, pg 56, Issue 337)

Classic Spain Typical Spanish local authority logic! They show no embarrassment. No one is responsible. The pavements are in desperate need of repair, but this is of little matter when we can build a silly ramp.

Douglas Ross, Marbella

Just a thought Why didn’t they just install a lift for disabled peoplel only.

Linda Radmore, Malaga

Money to burn Whoever approved this total waste of money should pay for it.

Pauline Laverick, Torrevieja

Challenge accepted It almost makes you want to get a wheelchair just to see if it’s possible to go up it!

Lionel Cooper, Cranfield

No laughing matter This has to be a joke. As a carer of a 220kg man in a wheelchair, this would just about see me in a wheelchair myself!

Lola Lopez, Sabinillas

They don’t care No logic, this is ignorance mixed with arrogance yet again at a Spanish town hall.

Arroyo D’Flint, Manchester

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

I’m in the US and have booked for my first trip to Spain for many months. Unless the airline cancels the flights I have no choice but to go or waste my ticket. I definitely have concerns about travel and your reports are helping me to understand this very fluid and constantly changing situation. Please keep reporting on it and let us readers/tourists know if your famous landmarks are being closed. Paris closed the Louvre. I wonder if the authorities in Spain will close La Sagrada Familia, the Prado and/or Guggenheim Museums and the Alhambra Palace? Katherine Wenglikowski, California

Public information

There is help for the homeless in Fuengirola, at Lux Mundi Centro Ecumenico (The forgotten, pg 7, Issue 337). The homeless are given clothing, hot meals and help to get medication. Anybody can help there as a volunteer.

Lorna Henry, Marbella No love lost

She’s his mum (Hearing about Hercules, pg 2, Issue 337). However I’m not shedding too many tears. When you read his record and the fact he pulled a loaded gun on the streets of Estepona… His mum needs to understand that the Spanish police don’t mess about when it comes to handling violent disorder, unlike the sadly neutered British cops who have been undermined by the race industry among other things. That card wont work here thank God.

Ambrose Boxwell, London

952 147 834

WE CAN DO ANYTHING! Ov e r a c e nt ur y a ft e r I nt e r na t iona l W om e n ’ s D a y fi r s t s t a r t e d , K a r e n L iv e r m o r e a sk s , a r e t hing s r e a ll y a ny b e t t e r in 2 0 2 0 ? W e need e d to c ha nge the wor k cultur e Ana B o t í n , P r e si de n t o f t h e S an t an de r ban k i n g gr o up A N eq u a l wor l d i s a n en a bl ed wo r l d. T h i s i s th e th eme of I n ter n a ti on a l Wo - me n ' s D a y 2 0 2 0 . On Ma r c h 8 th e s po tl i g h t tur n s to wo - men th r ou g h ou t th e wo r l d w h o a r e s tr i v i n g for g en de r pa r i ty i n th e wo r k p l a c e , i n th ei r bus i n es s es , i n s por ts , i n c u l tu r e a n d a r ts , a n d i n th ei r c ommu n i ti es . T h e mov emen t s ta r ted i n N o t o n l y w a s A n a B o t í n m a d e a n h o n o r a r y d a m e b y Q ue e n E l i z a b e t h I I f o r s e r v i ce s t o t h e F i n a n ci a l s e c t o r i n 2015 , s h e w a s a l s o a w a r d e d t h e fi r s t Aw a r d f o r R e s p o n s i b l e C a p i t a l i s m a f t e r t a k i n g t h e h e l m t h e y e a r b e f o r e . A n a , 59, i s a l s o a p i o n e e r . T h e fi r s t wo m a n t o r un a m a j o r E u r o p e a n b a n k , s h e ’ s b e e n r a n k e d e i g t h o n t h e F o r b e s ’ l i s t o f Wo r l d ’ s M o s t P o we r f ul Wo - m e n . Wi t h i n h e r corp o r a t i o n , t h i s fi n a n ci a l wh i z z h a s m a d e a p o i n t o f b o o s t i n g f e m a l e d i r e c t i o n , a i - m i n g f o r 30% o f it s CEO s t o b e wo m e n b y 2025 (t h e y cur r e n t l y a ccount f o r 20%) . B e y o n d 2025 , t h e a i m i s t e ch n i ca l e q ua l i ty , wh i ch m e a n s a 6 0%- 40% r a t i o , ir r e s p e c t i v e o f g e n d e r . I n a n a r t i c l e s h e p ub l i s h e d o n h e r L i n k e d I n p a g e i n r e s p o n s e t o a d e b a t e o v e r h e r f e m i n i s t c r e d e n t i a l s , s h e wr o t e , “ I h a v e s p e n t y e a r s a s a n e x e cu t i v e ; y e a r s i n wh i ch I h a v e s e e n e n o ug h t o k n o w t h a t i n g e n e r a l wo m e n d o n ’ t g e t a f a i r d e a l … I n a s p e e c h d e l i v e r e d t o a r o o m f u l l o f m e n i n B i l b a o i n 20 08, I t a l k e d a b o ut t h e i m p o r t a n ce o f wo m e n a c t i n g wi t h m o r e confi d e n ce i n o ur s e l v e s a n d 1 9 1 1 , s o n ow i n a n e w c en - t u r y a n d a n e w de c a de a r e we ma ki n g a di f fe r en c e ? A t fi r s t g l a n c e, i t’ s ea s y to s a y y es . T h er e ’ s s ome th i n g i n th e a i r th a t f eel s l i k e r ea l c h a n g e. T h e # me too a n d # ti mes u p mov emen ts w er e a pa l pa bl e momen t w h er e w omen w er e n o t on l y bei n g h ea r d, but th ei r v oi c es wer e power f u l . T h e y wer e c a l l i n g ou t pr e v i ou s l y u n tou c h a bl e medi a g i a n t s , c ompa n i es , pol i ti c i a n s a n d s ta r s . B e - i n g ma l e, r i c h a n d po w er f u l w a s s u dde n l y n o l on g er a s h i el d. Out o f i t h a s c ome a r ea l e f for t to s h i f t , n o t on l y u n pa l a ta bl e men f r om th ei r pos i ti on s , b u t th e v i e w s th e y r epr e s en t , f r o m publ i c a c c ep ta n c e. T h i n g s th a t ma t ter to a n d a f f ec t wo men , a r e fi n a l l y g e t ti n g h ea r d, a n d a c t i on i s bei n g ta k en . B u t th er e i s s ti l l s o fa r to g o. We ma y be c el ebr a ti n g th e do w n fa l l o f H a r v e y Wei n s tei n , a n d th e s h a mi n g o f P l a c i do D omi n - g o ov er h i s a dmi s s i on o f s e x u a l l y h a r a s s ed w omen , but i n S a u di A r a bi a wo men a r e s ti l l h i g h fi v i n g t h ei r r i g h t to ow n a pa s s por t w i th ou t th e c on s en t o f a ma l e g u a r di a n . G en d er v i ol en c e a g a i n s t wo men i s s ti l l a l a r mi n g . L a s t y ea r w a s a da r k 1 2 mon t h s i n S pa i n w i th 5 5 w omen ki - l l ed ei th er b y pa r tn er s or e x pa r tn er s . T h e h i g h es t fi g u r e s i n c e 2 0 1 5 . I t' s n o t th e on l y c ou n tr y w h er e th es e fi g u - r es a r e r i s i n g . Ho w e v er , i n a di s tu r bi n g mov e th e V o x p a r ty i s l obb y i n g for c u ts i n f u n di n g to c omba t g en - C o n t i n u e s o v e r l e af t h a t we n e e d e d t o ch a n g e t h e wo r k cul t ur e a n d i n d o i n g s o s o ci e t y i f we w a n t e d t o s e e a d v a n ce s i n t h e fi e l d o f e q ua l i ty . “ S i n ce t h e n t h e s e i d e a s h a v e b e e n r e fl e c t e d i n t h e e q ua l o p p o r t un i ty p o l i ci e s t h a t we fi r s t p us h e d f o r i n B a n e s t o , t h e n i n S a n t a n d e r i n t h e U K a n d m o r e r e ce n t l y i n t h e S a n t a n d e r g r o up a s a wh o l e ,” s h e con t i n ue d . “ I n t h a t s p e e ch I e m p h a s i s e d t h e b e - n e fi t s o f d i v e r s i ty i n t h e com p a n y . A n d wi t h d a t a f r o m d i f f e r e n t s t ud i e s , I e x p l a i n e d t h a t h a v i n g m o r e wo m e n i n m a n a g e r i a l p o s i t i o n s , a p a r t f r o m b e i n g f a i r , w a s g o o d f o r b us i n e s s . B e s i d e s t a l e n t , wo m e n b r i n g s k i l l s t o b us i n e s s t h a t co m p l e m e n t t h o s e o f m e n –b e t t e r i n t e r p e r s o n a l co m m un i ca t i o n , coo p e r a t i o n , h o r i z o n t a l t h i n k i n g a n d a ca p a - ci t y t o r e a l l y l i s t e n a s we l l a s m o r e e m p a t h y a n d t h e a b i l i t y t o p r i o r i t i s e .” B o t í n h a s a l s o i n t r o d uce d a l i f e - wo r k b a l a n ce s ch e m e b e ca us e , ‘ o n e o f t h e k e y s t o e q ua l o p p o r - t un i t i e s li e s in d o m e s t i c w o r k .’ S h e s a i d : “ F o r m e n t o i n cr e a s e t h e i r s h a r e o f t h i s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , we n e e d p ub l i c p o l i ci e s t h a t a l l o w f o r g r e a t e r fl e x i b i l i ty in t h e w o r k p l a ce .” A n a i s a d a m a n t t h e r e wi l l b e n o d i s cr e p a n cy i n s a l a r i e s b e tw e e n m a l e a n d f e m a l e s t a f f m e m b e r s t a k i n g o n e q ua l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i n a b a n k i n g i n s t i t u - t i o n t h a t is r a n k e d 16 t h in t h e w o r l d . F o r b e s m a g a z i n e a l s o n o t e s t h a t B o t í n h a s a p o l i cy o f ‘ b a ckin g s m a l l co m p a n i e s a n d com p a n i e s o wn e d b y w o m e n ’. L e t ’ s rai s e a g l ass t o c e l e b rat e I n t e r - n at i o n al W o m e n ’ s D ay 2 0 2 0 o r , as w e say i n Sp ai n , D í a I n t e r n ac i o n a l d e l a Muj e r . T e n w o m e n i n Sp ai n f r o m al l w al k s o f l i f e sh ar e t h e i r v i e w s an d i n sp i r a t i o n al st o r i e s W om e n on the f ro ntl i ne i n Sp a i n T M Tel: 952 147 834 See pages 5

*Of fer val id for ne w cu s t omers onl y.

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Turning Japanese Rock bottom 15 FOOD , DRINK & TRAVEL March 5th - March 18th 2020

BRITISH film-makers have tried to unravel the mystery of why something so Mediterranean is so big in Japan. Olive oil is to become the subject of a fascinating new documentary by Bristol’s FareLight Productions. They are working with professional olive oil taster, Johnny Madge, to produce a film following the mysterious journey of Extra Virgin olive oil’s popularity from Spain to the Far East. The story will follow Madge into the lesser-known world of olive oil tasting, aiming to unearth the rapidly growing demand for the ‘liquid gold’ in the Japanese market. The documentary will be called Orībuoiru, Japanese for olive oil. Madge said: “In the 80s there was almost no olive oil being imported into Japan, but in 2015, almost 62,000 tonnes were im-

Step aside sangria

A SPANISH startup has developed a beverage that’s distilled with cannabis. The newly created startup 420 Neo Drinks launched a blue drink based on cane rum infused and flavoured with cannabis. Founders of the company Juan Manuel Caro, Pablo Saura and Raúl Calvo, claim that the idea arose when they saw the great increase that is taking place in the world of cannabis-related products. Saura said: “We wanted a drink to get away from the negative concept that this substance has had until now. The tipple is 37.5% ABV. A 700ml bottle is available for €25 on Amazon.

Documentary sets out to discover why Spain’s ‘liquid gold’ has become a bizarre hit in the Far East

ported.” The team flew to Spain during the harvest period to meet with Madge, olive oil producers and experts to discover its roots and origins. As well as revealing what makes an olive oil Extra Virgin, they also wanted to set the record straight about the popular foodstuff. “There is a huge amount of misinformation on olive oil in the UK, I’ve even heard people say that you shouldn’t cook with it - but try telling that to anyone in Italy!” said film director, Lucas Sinclair. His fellow filmmaker, Leora Bermeister told the Olive Press “Japanese cuisine is built on tradition, with recipes handed down from generation to generation, so when I heard that Japan is the fastest growing Asian market for high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I was hooked!” Previously, the pair have funded the project themselves, relying on the generosity and hospitality of people they’ve met during the film-making. However, with the documentary becoming such a mammoth task, and alternative investment unlikely, FareLight decided to crowd-fund the PIONEERS: Japan is fastest growing Asian market for extra virgin olivre oil

project, asking for small donations from the public and other industry professionals. Bermeister admitted: “A huge leap of faith in the generosity of others may be all that is needed to see this film completed. “Lucas and I have long dreamed of working on a project like this but never thought it was actually possible. We have spent years honing our skills in preparation for a project of this scale.” SPAIN’S Government has responded to the agricultural crisis, but insists it is facing an uphill struggle. Thousands of angry farmers have pushed the issue to the forefront in recent weeks. Those in the agricultural sector have taken to the streets over the continued struggle they face to stay afloat. Their fury over rock bottom olive and orange prices has proved a headache to government leaders who in turn face pressure from the European board. In an attempt to prove that the farmers’ voices are being heard, The coalition government’s first step is to reform the current Food Chain Law by raising prices ‘at the gate’ and helping manufacturers cover costs of production and staff wages. However, the government cannot regulate prices by law, therefore it must only strongly suggest measures and hope that companies take them onboard. Spanish farmers have been holding nationwide protests in the past few weeks in response to low prices, the threat of fewer subsidies from the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the announced minimum-wage hike.

BRITISH expat, Jim Barclay, had been retired and living in Spain for less than a year when he started looking for a challenge. His itchy feet quickly became fishy fingers when he and his wife, Carolynn, opened what became the popular Our Plaice, in La Marina. The fish restaurant in the San Fulgencio urbanisation, opened in 2017 and soon gained a reputation for quality fayre, all sourced locally - and served with proper chips! Understandably, the proud Scotsman wanted to expand his menu, but although the site was suitable - Jim thought an upmarket menu deserved an upmarket venue. So, along with Carolynn, he took the plunge and invested in transforming the restaurant into the brightest most luxurious eating place for miles. Both from the East coast of Scotland, they told the Olive Press they were delighted with the re- furbishment work, which took six weeks. “We’ve changed everything from the front terrace and dining area to the kitchens and toilets at the back”, enthused Carolynn. “We must thank Paul of Leddy Contractors for both the amazing transformation and finishing bang on schedule, continued the ex-travel agent. Jim, who used to be a manager on North Sea oil rigs, stressed the importance of integration. “We get involved as much as we can, especially with the Tapas Runs, held regularly,” said Jim. “Being part of the community is so special, particularly in THIS community,” he continued. Jim admitted, “After all, you know you’re ‘home’ when you can get good fish and chips.” A special opening night was held tonight, March 2, ahead of tomorrow’s official re-open- ing. In time, Our Plaice will be expanding the menu to include a much greater selection of seafood, so watch this space for news. East coast to Med coast - how Br it co ple ade Our Plaice like home to a whole co nity

Lifting the Val

It’s been dubbed ‘the world’s best ski resort’ and ‘gee, even bigger than Vail’... Jon Clarke (right) takes a trip to Baqueira and the Val d’Aran and finds a lot more than just snow-plough fun

WE’RE at the top of Baciver ski lift, some 2,610m high in the Pyrenees. There’s a light dusting of powder snow and the kids are itching to go. We’re in Baqueira, southern Europe’s largest ski station, counting 161km of runs over four distinct areas and six soaring peaks. Some 1,000 metres below, at the end of a mobile phone, is my wife having an entirely different day out. While also enjoying the mountains, her relationship with the snow is visual, not tactile, as she hikes just below the snow-line with a friend and a packed lunch at the ready. Not a fan of skiing? No worries, Baqueira Beret is part of Spain’s wonderful Val d’Aran, a totally independent fiefdom of fun and festivities, where there’s more to do than you can shake a ski-pole at. The Pyrenees only East-West facing valley, this impressive mountain redoubt counts 33 towns and villages and even has its own language. Some 3000 local souls speak Aranese, but don’t worry they also speak plenty of English, alongside the obligatory Catalan and Spanish. What’s more of relevance to the traveller though is the rich local culture... and, particularly, the food. The region’s a r c h i t e c t u r e is distinct and the local authorities (the Aranese have their own government, it turns out) have done well to maintain the integrity of their villages, which could have been ruined by modern blocks a la many European ski resorts. But then this is where the King of Spain chooses to hone his turns, minus his wife Letizia, who - like mine - is not a fan of the winter sport. He has a splendid villa, appropriately just above the main lift up, and pops up a few times during the season with friends, as do his brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, explains the resort’s marketing chief Pep. “The Bourbon family were given the villa in 1984 by resort chiefs and only they can use it,” he explains. The former disgraced PP party treasurer Luis Barcenas also coincidentally has a villa here. “But we try to keep that quiet,” adds Pep. Described by the Daily Telegraph as the ‘perfect ski resort’ and by the Financial Times as ‘Spain’s true secret’, there really is something incedible charming about Baqueira. Local American businessman/writer/estate agent Keith Kirwen arrived as a snowboarder two decades ago and totally agrees. “I found this small paradise by accident and couldn’t believe it was bigger than Vail, Colorado,” he reveals. Coming from an American, that is something. But the statistics are certainly impressive, even when compared to the best US resorts and those in France or Switzerland. The ski area extends from 1,500m to 2,610m and counts 99 runs and 35 lifts. Opened in the 1960s, it has 161km of marked pistes, seven kilometres of marked off-piste runs and seven ki- lometres of cross-country runs. It’s laid out in four sepa- rate areas; Baqueira, Beret, Boniagua and the recent- ly-opened Baciver, which has created half a dozen new pistes. Due to its north facing aspect and close proximity to the Atlantic, it has some of the best snow in Europe Where the King of Spain chooses to hone his turns, minus his wife Letizia SCENIC: Typical Val d’Aran village and (above) Jon’s kids get set to ski

and, should the snow gods not shine, there are 50 snow cannons to help things along. We certainly found plenty to entertain us; the snow park for the kids with its myriad of jumps, being a highlight, as well as the wonderful Eth Coret run that snaked its way through a pine forest. Classes were easy to arrange through the Era Escola, who provided the wonderful Alycia for the kids, while I even tried a couple of advanced sessions with local lad Francis, who took us off piste and even taught us a bit of Aranese. But the key to a successful family holiday are the nearby mountain villages, that each offer a cornucopia of churches and museums to visit, as well as numerous local restaurants. The history of the area is fascinating, being a key mountain pass used by Repulicans to escape during the Spanish Civil War as well as a later base for the Maquis (the guerillas who continued to fight on against Franco well into the 1950s). During World War II, the French resistence smuggled 20,000 Jews through the high mountain passes to safety here and en route to Portugal. You really get a feel for this, heading up into the Rio Verde mountain pass above the wonderful medieval village of Bagergue, which at 1419m is the highest in the valley. This is part of the celebrated (Grand Route) GR211 footpath and is a lovely walk, often below the snowline, where you should spot eagles, vultures and even, if lucky, one of the brown bears reintroduced a few years back (don’t forget, they hibernate). Best of all, when you get back to the village - voted among Spain’s most beautiful - there is an interesting artesan museum, a cheese factory and shop, and four superb r e s t a u r a n t s , each with its own specialities. Other villages of note are Salardu and Arties, which has a river running through it and a stunning church, plus the famous Urtau tapas joint, where punters queue Should the snow gods not shine, there are 50 snow cannons

Let the train take the strain

One of the real joys of getting to the Val d’Aran was the train. The high-velocity AVE takes just over four hours to get from Malaga to Lleida, thanks to a recent spur opened around Madrid to the East. The scenery is wonderful as you head through the Sierra Morena, where we spotted deer and wild boar, and later the Zaragoza desert, where we spied fields of saffron and wide expanses of cherry and almond blossom. In Lleida we hired a car for the two-hour drive up to the slopes, which is a wonderful drive into the Pyrenees foothills and made an hour quicker since the five kilometre Vielha tunnel was finished in 2007. Another alternative is to fly to Toulouse, and hire a car, or to drive, which takes around 12 hours.

VARIETY: Local highlights include Arties village. churches, cheese and artisan products

outside before a 7pm opening time and it’s elbow-room at the bar from 7.30pm. The capital of the region is Vielha, a bustling town, with plenty to write home about. Take a stroll around keeping an eye out for the San Miqeue church, which is a 600-year-old gothic gem, known for its 12th century bust of a very haggard-looking Jesus. Take my advice, hire a car and have a really good poke around the valley when you fancy a break from the snow... you never know you might even decide to pop across into France, with Fos, some 25 minutes away!

For more information visit www.visitvaldaran.com or www.baqueira.es

Buy AND cash in Looking to enjoy skiing holidays in Spain’s top resort AND make money from an investment there? Specialist real estate company Feel Free has decades working with owners in Baqueira, who both use their properties, as well as rent them out for many weeks during the year. The holiday rental company, based in San Sebastian and the Val d’Aran, locates, manages and rents hundreds of villas and apartments across the two key areas. “We are experts in these types of projects and many of our owners are foreigners, as we speak all the main languages, English in particular,” explains CEO Roberto Jimenez. they have a big range of new-build projects for sale, as well as quite a number of off-plan schemes. Visit www.feelfreerentals.com or call (+34) 943 56 36 54

Where to eat The real beauty of Baqueira is its proximity to the Val d’Aran and its collection of excellent eateries. Every village has a good choice. Take Bagergue, whose 107 local residents are spoilt with four. The cuisine is a good mix of Spanish and French, plus a few local chestnuts, such as an Olla Aranese, a lovely rich bean and pork stew that warms the cockles after a hard day on the slopes. The cheeses are excellent, as are the lamb chops and steaks. I particularly liked the trio of places I tried in Bagergue, each quite different in style and flavour. At Casa Rosa, I loved the cheese plate as a starter, while the pate and tortilla espanola was delicious. Jardi dels Pomers has a charming garden for spring and summer, while in winter a big log-burner to aid the am- bience. Here, definitely have the beef consome, as well as the cep mushroom-filled rav- ioli with truffles. Meanwhile, Unhola is Basque and you appropriately sit under a large copy of Picasso’s Guernica, chowing down on some excellent crab and wild mushroom crepes, cabone, plus an in- triguing wild seabass burger. I would also recommend a trip to Urtau, in Arties, but get there early as you cannot book, if sitting down is es- sential. If not, you can perch at various tables or at the bar and graze on the dozens of creative tapas, that are remi

SERVICE: At Casa Rosa

niscent of San Sebastian at its best, if not quite up there for quality. The Vinoteca Eth Cerer, in Unha, is a long-standing favourite for the apres-ski crowd and it is certainly a well-oiled machine, with two great-value set menus (€15 or €18 a head) and a good wine list. Make sure to get there early to have a poke around the village.

Where to stay

For classic village charm stay in Hotel Seixes in Bagergue, the highest village in the Val d’Aran. This great value hotel (left) has wonderful views and best of all has four excellent restaurants within a two minute walk. www.hotelseixes.com For five star luxury, it’s hard to beat Hotel Pleta, which sits at 1700m and counts on its own pool, spa and gourmet restaurant. There is a separate cigar room, a shuttle to the ski lift and easily one of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten. www.lapleta.com Looking for a villa or apartment, the best local company is Feel Free Rentals, which has hundreds to rent from isolated farmhouses to centrally located in the heart of Baqueira. www.feelfreerentals.com.

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Obligation “Europe is leading the battle for sustainability,” says Javier Torralba, director of Breeam, a sustainable certification platform in Spain which has just elevated Spain to sixth in the world rankings. This method of evaluation and certification did not land in Spain until 2010. Breeam certification initially focused on housing and didn’t really kick off until 2014 but since then, the increase in certification has grown exponentially across different types of real estate.

Impact Torralba added that, ‘sus- tainability is no longer an option, but an obligation.’ These sustainable devel- opments are not only bet- ter for the environment, but are also good for both tenants and the property as the energy saving in a Breeam-certified property is between 30% and 70% and the reduction of water expenditure is approximately 40%. The evolution towards this greener industry can be seen through the growth of the certification platforms that rate the impact of buildings on the ecosystem, such as Leed and Well. With the uncertainty of Brexit over, British buyers are forced into action to beat the transition period deadline THE number of British buyers in Spain has more than doubled in a year - at least according to one big homebuilder. Taylor Wimpey España has reported a staggering 125% increase in UK nationals buying homes in Spain, as uncertainty around Brexit has finally forced people into action. Brits were the top buyers over the months of December and January, accelerating strongly following the mid-December general election. Andalucia meanwhile, was the most popular region registering 19.55% of total sales, according to the official Colegio de Registradores. Better together A GROUP from the UK has arrived in Alicante this week to copy the design of an apartment block designed to bring young and old generations together. The Plaza de América block in the Costa Blanca city was built in 2008, with 56 apartments for people aged over 65 and a further 16 apartments for people aged 18-35. The younger homeowners are tasked with carrying out community work in an arrangement that keeps neighbours of different ages in day-to-day contact. The older residents also take care of building maintenance and activities depending on their health and abilities. Alicante’s Councillor for Housing, José Ramón González, said the UK wants to create its ‘first intergenerational community’ following the Alicante example. “Our building will become a benchmark for social architecture at an in- ternational level, and a role model of solidary coexistence between young and old.” The 25 UK visitors are part of a group of charities and nonprofit organisations interested in how the project works. The timelapse of 10 years since construction means that successes and failures can be easily witnessed. The groups comprise of the Anchor Society organization, with 250 years of support for elderly people in need, as well as All Saints Church Lands Charity, Bristol Together, The Cote Charity and Noma Architects. Tom Blathwayt, the consultant who will develop the project, also attended alongside Bristol and Bath Regional Capital, which in recent years has contributed 38 million pounds to social initiatives. The homes were awarded in 2010 with the first prize of the Spanish Association of Public Housing and Land Promoters for the best performance in the field of socio-community intervention. In 2012, the block was a finalist in the World Habitat Awards of the Building and Social Housing Foundation. The second most popular region was Catalunya coming second at 16.41%, while sales are also up for British buyers in Alicante and Mallorca. The Costa del Sol is the most popular area, with almost all British buyers during that period choosing the coast as their favourite place to buy. “The British love of the Costa del Sol dates back decades,” explained Taylor Wimpey España Sales Director, Marc Pritchard. “While the drawn-out Brexit process caused many buyers to pause, they are now pushing ahead with their plans and buying Spanish second homes at an impressive pace. “With a range of styles and price points available, the Costa del Sol is perfectly positioned to meet varying needs as sales pick up speed, during 2020. “It’s that time of year when many British families are planning and looking forward to their summer holidays. “For those buying a holiday home, it’s an incredibly exciting time, with some superb locations offering sun, sand and sporting facilities to suit every taste and budget.”

Health first BUSINESS

THE Government has repealed a law allow- ing businesses to dis- miss workers who ac- cumulate too much medical leave. Adhering to a manifes- to promise the PSOE government scrapped the law, put in place by the PP in 2012.

Unfair “We are repairing an anomaly in which this unfair dismissal does not exist, and that provides legal certainty,” said Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz. “It is not fair to sack people who can medically justify their absence.” The law was introduced despite the European Court of Justice warning Spain that firing employees on the basis of illness was discriminatory. It aimed to allow greater flexibility in the labour market, facilitating lower wages and lowering the dismissal of workers. Its supporters argue

‘Unfair’ sick leave law repealed by government in boost for workers’ rights

it helped make Spain a more competitive market, but its opponents believe it eroded workers’ rights, while promoting job insecurity and lower wages. It could be argued that the law has helped to reduce unemployment, as it fell from 27% in 2013, to 13.8% in the final quarter of 2019. The current government believes that the rate of unemployment will stabilise at 13.6% in 2020 and fall gradually to 12.3% in 2023.

Air bust

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AIRBUS employees have re- jected the company’s plans to cut more than 600 jobs in Spain. A series of walkouts are be- ing planned, while bosses of the aerospace giant have called for unions to attend talks set for this week. Proposals include axing 630 jobs across Madrid, An- dalucia and Castille, while Airbus has planned 2,362 job losses across Europe by 2021. No further specifications have been given but it is thought that the plan will affect 332 direct jobs, work- shop operators mostly, and 298 indirect jobs. The European manufac- turer has not broken down the number of job losses in Spain by department. It has urged unions to enter negotiations, a proposal that the unions have ‘unanimously’ rejected, according to the UGT union. Unions will not negotiate this adjustment until the end of July, when the legal period of the consultation ends. However, they have said that they do not accept the proposed dismissals because they have not been justified by the company. Airbus employs about 12,600 staff in Spain, of which 7,560 work in the area of Defence and Space. According to the plan, 829 jobs will be lost in Germany, 357 in the UK, 404 in France and 142 in other countries. A number of demonstrations are set to be called in the week before Easter.

Big prob lem ALMOST 25% of people in Spain are overweight, according to a new study. The figures obtained from a study undertaken by the European Association for the Study of Obesity also suggest that by 2030, half of Spain’s population will be overweight. The Spanish government is trying to curb this trend, considering increasing IVA on high calorie products, such as fast foods, pastries and soft-drinks, with the aim of reducing their consumption. According to a report by UNICEF’s Spanish Committee, up to 40% of young people between the ages of eight and 16 are overweight in the Iberian country.

What virus ? HEALTH

Local victim he feels ‘brilliant’ while recovering from COVID-19 in Valencia A CORONAVIRUS victim in Valencia has revealed he feels ‘f**king brilliant’ despite having caught the bug. The 31-year-old told his parents that it just feels like ‘common flu’ and ‘not to worry’. Speaking from the La Plana isola- tion hospital, in Castellon, where he must stay for 15 days, he added

Butt out

SPAIN’S ban on smoking in public spaces and workplaces has made a huge dent in tobacco sales in Cordoba. Spain joined its European neighbours in banning smoking in public in 2006, in line with EU regulations. The move was a clear statement of intent to improve the nation’s ever increasing problem with lung and heart disease. Before the ban, 72 million packs of cigarettes were purchased throughout the province, but since then, figures have steadily dropped to bring the 2019 figure down to 31.5 million packs. The numbers were released in a recent report by the Tobacco Market Commission of the Ministry of Finance. In 2007, the figures steadily declined to 66 million, before plummeting to 30.9 million in 2018, the lowest figure on record, with a slight rise to 31.5 million then recorded in 2019. his symptoms were minor and being treated purely with paracetamol. “It’s just like a normal flu and I’m sending a message of tranquility to everyone, be- cause I feel f**king amazing, and please don’t worry,” he wrote in a text message.

Stag do The Valencia resident had picked up the virus while visiting Milan on a stag do. Tests confirmed he was the first patient to catch the bug in Valencia. A second coronavirus patient, journalist Kike Mateu, 44, added he too felt ‘perfect’. He picked it up while covering Valencia´s football match in Milan against Atalanta. There are now more than 200 confirmed coronavirus cases in Spain.

By Jeremy Kenton HEALTH APPOINTMENt

Too far

NEARLY 90% of pregnant women who want to have an abortion have been harassed by anti-abortion groups, according a report. Asociacion de Clinicas Acreditadas para la Interrupcion del Embarazo (ACAI) is an organisation that runs abortion clinics and has released a report stating that 89% of women who have tried to terminate their pregnancies have been pressured by anti-abortion groups. Sonia Lamas, a spokesperson for the organisation described some of the examples of abuse the clinics face: “We reported months ago the harassment we suffered, but the authorities don’t even come to clean the graffiti.” Of that 89%, 67% felt threatened during the medical procedure because of the harassment they had faced previously. Anti-abortion groups such as Hazte Oír, Derecho a Vivir, Más Futuro and Asociación Sifra dedicate a good part of their time and resources to put obstacles up in place for women trying to get an abortion. Examples of that include going to clinics in the mornings and planting themselves there, waiting for women in order to persuade them to change their minds, sometimes by giving them brochures and sometimes even through harassment, by grabbing their arms or calling them ‘murderers’.

Women are well informed about the risks of breast and cervical cancer, but men should be checking their own parts too, writes expert osteopath Jeremy Kenton Check your balls

With every woman in the UK more aware than ever of cervical cancer, it is easy for us males to forget that we might have our very own health time bomb waiting to explode. Just think: women check their breasts regularly and cervical smears are recommended to spot early onset of cervical cancer. But what about us males? What do we check, what should we be checking? Well, here is an interesting fact: 2,000 males between the ages of 18 and 40 are diagnosed each year with testicular cancer in England alone. So what are we talking about? Let’s run through a quick Q&A with me as the doctor whispering in your ear.

I have a lump, so what? If it’s left unchecked it could spread. One of them is sore and tender when I feel it. Then it’s time to go to your doctor now. I am afraid to go, anyway what’s the worst that could happen? Having one or both testicles removed to stop a further spread or, in the worst cases, even death. Most lumps are benign, but you should still get them checked out. OK, I get the picture, so how do I check them? 1. Feel them regularly so you get to know what the normal testicle feels like – a good idea is to feel them in the bath as they drop with the heat which makes it easier to feel around 2. Support each one to get to know the weight of each testicle, feel each to get to know the size of each ‘ball’ 3. Compare the two for any obvious changes, by rolling each testicle between fingers and thumb feeling each one all around (do not be alarmed by the cord like structure at the back as this is the epididymis which is meant to be there) 4. Feel for lumps, swelling, tenderness, or a change in firmness, anything unusual, dull aches, unusual heaviness, pain or discomfort, enlargement of tissues, collection of fluid etc... 5. Look at them in the mirror, and perhaps get your partner to do it for you as well if you like...health can be fun!!! So I am worried now? DO NOT PANIC. These symptoms don’t always mean you have testicular cancer. But you should see your doctor if you are concerned about your symptoms. Where can I get more information? A really funny but informative read is “One Lump or Two” by Darren Couchman. Darren’s book is an account of his own experiences from spotting the cancer to his treatment and birth of a child afterwards. Also do check out Cancer Research UK. How regularly should I check myself? At least once a month...and don’t forget perhaps you should make the 1st of the month BILLS and BALLS DAY!!!!

30 Health & Beauty www.weekender.news Look better in the buff: Get your sexy back without giving up everything you love Looking sexy, svelte or built in your clothing is one thing. Looking better in the buff is a whole other ballgame. Clothing - even low-cut necklines, shortshorts or tight-fi tting tees - can hide your fl aws and accentuate your assets, but when you are nude, there’s nowhere - or way - to hide anything.

If you want to look better naked, you are not alone. Far from it. More and more people are into healthy living and getting fi t these days. The good news is that there is fi nally something you can do about it that doesn’t involve giving up carbs and sweets, doing excessive crunches or having invasive cosmetic surgery.

Fully one-third of Americans opt for minimally invasive fat reduction or body sculpting treatments to look better in the buff , according to a new survey of 500 men and women from Cutera, Inc. And those who exercise regularly are most likely to have a body-sculpting treatment, with runners and yoga enthusiasts topping the list.

According to boardcertifi ed plastic surgeon Walter L. Bernacki, MD of Ohio Plastic Surgery in Central Ohio, “The newest non-surgical body contouring system is Cutera’s truSculpt iD that uses radiofrequency (RF) technology to target and permanently destroy fat in your trouble spots (think muffi n tops and love handles) - in just 15 comfortable minutes with no downtime. We have found that the treatment works on all skin types, sizes and physiques, including individuals who were previously not considered candidates for body contouring procedures.”

What’s more, truSculpt iD produces an average fat reduction of 24 percent, and visible improvements are seen in 6 to 12 weeks following the fi rst treatment. Multiple areas can be treated in one session, but additional treatments may be required for optimal sculpting results.

“TruSculpt iD is a very exciting new development in non-surgical body contouring. The lower abdomen and love handles can be treated in just a single 15-minute comfortable treatment session. Our patients have been very pleased with the body sculpting results they can achieve with this innovative system,” says Dermatologist Jeff rey S. Dover, MD, FRCPC of Skincare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, MA.

By and large, people are loving their truSculpt iD results. In a separate study of individuals who had the procedure, 100 percent said they were satisfi ed, would get it done again and would refer a friend for truSculpt iD. And everyone felt better in - or out of - their clothes.

So, if you’re thinking about looking into a new kind of personalized body sculpting without resorting to drastic measures, fi nd a truSculpt iD provider near you by searching https://trusculpt.com/find-aprovider. by BPT Dr Karan Sud British dentist Calpe Bridge the gap DREADED is the dentist – and dreaded still are dental implants. The popular procedure to turn toothless grin into beaming smile is costly, lengthy and requires intensive surgery to screw a tooth into your gums. It’s not for the squeamish. Dental implants can also create a risk of infection and pain, especially when pressing on unintended nerves. Which is why K Sud Dental are offering a new, cost-effective procedure to replace missing teeth in just one visit to the dentist. The fixed bridge can also replace dentures at an affordable price. The procedure is also low risk, reversible and doesn’t involve putting a screw in, well, anywhere. “We’ve been able to convert someone’s existing removable denture, and it works really well,” Dr Karan Sud said. “The fixed bridge looks the same, but feels amazing because you won’t have your palate covered anymore. “There are no hidden surprises, and you’re no worse off than when you started should any complications arise.” K Sud Dental is a British dental clinic based in Clinica Britannia in Calpe. We offer general and cosmetic dentistry along with facial rejuvenation treatments. All work is carried out by British qualified clinicians in a cross infection quality controlled medical centre. Come and visit us. We will inform you. CLINICA BRITANNIA, 16 BIS (next to 16) FIRST (not Ground) Floor, Ejercitos Españoles Av. Tel 965 837 553 - 24H 607 255 755 Health & Beauty Look better in the buff: Get your sexy back without giving up everything you love Looking sexy, svelte or built in your clothing is one thing. Looking better in the buff is a whole other ballgame. Clothing - even low-cut necklines, shortshorts or tight-fi tting tees - can hide your fl aws and accentuate your assets, but when you are nude, there’s nowhere - or way - to hide anything.

If you want to look better naked, you are not alone. Far from it. More and more people are into healthy living and getting fi t these days. The good news is that there is fi nally something you can do about it that doesn’t involve giving up carbs and sweets, doing excessive crunches or having invasive cosmetic surgery.

Fully one-third of Americans opt for minimally invasive fat reduction or body sculpting treatments to look better in the buff , according to a new survey of 500 men and women from Cutera, Inc. And those who exercise regularly are most likely to have a body-sculpting treatment, with runners and yoga enthusiasts topping the list.

According to boardcertifi ed plastic surgeon Walter L. Bernacki, MD of Ohio Plastic Surgery in Central Ohio, “The newest non-surgical body contouring system is Cutera’s truSculpt iD that uses radiofrequency (RF) technology to target and permanently destroy fat in your trouble spots (think muffi n tops and love handles) - in just 15 comfortable minutes with no downtime. We have found that the treatment works on all skin types, sizes and physiques, including individuals who were previously not considered candidates for body contouring procedures.”

What’s more, truSculpt iD produces an average fat reduction of 24 percent, and visible improvements are seen in 6 to 12 weeks following the fi rst treatment. Multiple areas can be treated in one session, but additional treatments may be required for optimal sculpting results.

“TruSculpt iD is a very exciting new development in non-surgical body contouring. The lower abdomen and love handles can be treated in just a single 15-minute comfortable treatment session. Our patients have been very pleased with the body sculpting results they can achieve with this innovative system,” says Dermatologist Jeff rey S. Dover, MD, FRCPC of Skincare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, MA.

By and large, people are loving their truSculpt iD results. In a separate study of individuals who had the procedure, 100 percent said they were satisfi ed, would get it done again and would refer a friend for truSculpt iD. And everyone felt better in - or out of - their clothes.

So, if you’re thinking about looking into a new kind of personalized body sculpting without resorting to drastic measures, fi nd a truSculpt iD provider near you by searching https://trusculpt.com/find-aprovider. by BPT Own Medicine SUFFERERS of muscle strains can face daily challenges in exercising, cleaning the house or just picking up a chair. Physiotherapy can be expensive or time consuming leaving many living with unnecessary burdens. But the pioneering doctors at Clinica Britannia have introduced a treatment that could help using your body’s own incredible ability to heal itself. Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) is a new advancement in orthopedic – or musculoskeletal – medicine that can heal injured rotator cuff tendons, bicep tendons and even labral tears of the hip. It works by enhancing the ‘growth factor’ in a patient’s own blood. Growth factors can be hormones or proteins that stimulate cellular growth or healing, for example growth factors in blood platelets stimulate the healing of wounds. The PRP process is surprisingly simple: blood is drawn from the patient and processed in an approved medical device, to separate the healing power of platelets from blood plasma. The doctor then takes that concentrated healing platelets of the patient’s own blood and re-introduces it or grafts it into the injured site, which has been identified on MRI and Ultrasound imaging. do ing hard t ime A DOCTOR who went on the run for falsifying viagra prescriptions, has finally been caught four years later. The medical expert worked at the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Sevilla, but vanished in December 2016 after being sentenced to four and a half years in prison for falsification of medical documents and an additional six months for fraud. In addition, he was also fined €2,169, a sum he had to pay to the Andalucian Health Service. He was found guilty of getting a colleague to fill out a prescription for 280 viagra tablets, claiming that they were for a relative of his (who was in fact dead), but instead sold them to patients. This was repeated on another occasion with 244 pills. Then began a journey of nearly four years of evading the authorities in small towns throughout Andalucia. “He was able to escape on numerous occasions just as we were going to catch him,” said the Guardia Civil. This was made possible by disguising himself numerous times, hiding in the boot of cars and even staying confined in an apartment for months without leaving. Until finally the Guardia Civil managed to find him in Mollina, a small town with a population of 5,149 inhabitants in the province of Malaga and have now placed him in prison to serve out his five year sentence. It is yet unclear if he will face any additional punishment for fleeing. This graft p r o v i d e s the rel- a t i v e l y avascular i n j u r e d structures with blood compo - nents to regenerate tissue and speed the h e a l i n g process. The grafting is done with precise accuracy under Ul- trasound imaging and the en- tire process takes under one hour and is performed in an outpatient setting. The research shows PRP can deliver 500% more growth factor and bio active pro- teins to the injured area then would occur natural- ly, thus reducing healing time and returning pa- tients back to their active lifestyles much faster than traditional non-surgical or- thopedic treatment. 21 HEALTH March 5th - March 18th 2020

“I chipped my front tooth on Saturday, phoned Monday, and got a cancellation appointment for Wednesday afternoon. I thought my 30 minute slot was for Karan just to look, but he repaired there and then. Perfect. This is the best, most organised dentist I’ve ever been to. Great people, these are now my forever dentists.”

Mark Kirby

For more information visit www.ksuddental.com Tel: (+34) 965 837 553 - 24h emergency: (+34) 602 612 688 Clinica Britannia, Avda Ejercitos Españoles 16, first floor, Calpe

22

COLUMNISTS March 5th - March 18th 2020 By Loraine Gostling Get TING Conne ctED Oh n y u’re n t! Javea Connect admin Loraine Gostling reveals her moonlighting as a pantomime actress as Adrian: A Fairytale of Happing Endings is set to infect the Costa Blanca with laughter Message in a pot-belly

Farm Flash By Susan Weeding

This week, I am removing my Javea Connect hat and becoming a little more fruity with you all! When I say ‘fruity’, I am actually quite fruit specific... a banana, to be exact. Please bear with me as this story will get to the point, but I need to go back in time a little: three years ago to be pretty precise. So, in 2017, a post appeared on the Javea Connect group, asking who might like to get together and form an amateur drama group. The idea at the time was geared toward The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a movie I had only seen once (partially), had not understood what the hell was going on BUT.. I did know how to ‘Timewarp’ from parties back in the 70’s, when I was young and I could dance for more than 10 minutes without having to call an ambulance. Nevertheless, I duly commented on the post that I could ‘do the Timewarp’ and, from then on, my life changed dramatically (s’cuse the pun). From that day on, I never looked back. About 25 people gathered in Javea one Sunday af- ternoon and it did not take long for many of us to click. Although we had no name at the time, Bananadrama had been born! Three years later, we are not so much a dra- ma group, as a family. People have come and gone, as will always happen, but there is a core team who put their heart and soul into the shows for no financial reward whatsoever. Now, I cannot imagine life without them. The Bananas have already raised around

€9,000 for Cancer Care and Help of Dama and now the latest show Adrian is about to hit Alcalali Broadway next week. Now, I hear you all say ‘Never heard of it’... well no, you probably haven’t. But believe me, it is a very funny script, that revisits your most cherished pantomime stories, except now Pi- nocchio’s a bratty teenager, Wee Willie Win- kle’s in court for disturbing young children and Bo Peep’s just realised that shepherding isn’t her passion in life. So please, if you want a very different night out, do come along and support our bunch of Bananas. And if there is anyone out there who would like to join us in the future, we al- ways need new people. It matters not if you have never set foot on stage before (many of us had not) all you need is a sense of fun, team spirit and can be free most Saturday afternoons. Slip over and see us next week at the Careline Theatre or you can get in touch with the group on Facebook (What’s On With Bananadrama).

As miracle pig Rupert falls ill with cystitis, a chance encounter with a vet brings an important message to animal lovers far and wide

IT appears the lost pig who turned up at the Easy Horse Rescue Centre last year came with an important message. Rupert the miracle pig, who made frontpage of the Olive Press last August, fell ill with cystitis, and by pure chance his vet has issued a warning for pig owners in all of Spain. Cystitis is common in Rupert’s breed of pig, but it’s been difficult to give him medication as he spits it back out. Injecting such a large pig is another challenge, so we managed to find probably the only farm vet in Alicante to treat him – normally with pigs you have to go Murcia as the Valencian Community has few pig specialists. As this lovely vet came to check on him at 9am she noticed our other pigs: our pot-bellies Isadora, mum Penelope (another mysterious arrival out of nowhere) and her two boys, Leonardo and Leonard. By pure chance she told us that new laws have come in forcing all pot-bellied pig owners to microchip their animals, register them and sterilise them.

The pigs have recently been classed as ‘invasive’ and, as of next year, anyone owning a pot-belly without fulfilling these requirements will have it immediately removed and slaughtered. As of 2022, no one will be able to own, purchase or rehome a pot-belly. The trouble is that, with so few pig specialists in Alicante, most pot-bellied pig owners will have no idea about the new laws. So we are trying to reach as many as possible hoping that, because of Rupert, many pigs could be saved. If anyone wants information or a contact number for the vet, they can contact the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre and we will give you everything you need. On another note, Linda who supplies our catering, donated some scones and donuts for Rupert to put his medication in and hopefully he swallows the lot. He’s had his injections, and will hopefully feel better soon. We’ve been told his life expectancy is about 17 years, and as we believe his first birthday is coming up soon I’m sure he’ll make the papers for a long time yet! For the meantime, we’ve got enough on our hands with the pot-bellies. When the pig vet came the babies started running around everywhere, and one of them even jumped in the fish pond to escape. I thought I was going to have to jump in myself, but thankfully I’ve been spared that column for another week. Contact the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre here: rescue@easyhorsecare.net

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 7 Serve, 8 Aseptic, 9 Easiest, 10 Supra, 11 Primer, 13 Enrol, 16 Agape, 18 Fiddle, 21 Until, 23 Ad- vance, 24 Selects, 25 Darts. .

Down: 1 Dressing, 2 Recede, 3 Oast, 4 Person, 5 Step, 6 Scram, 7 Sleepy, 12 Rue, 13 Elf, 14 Ordinary, 15 Re- news, 17 Palace, 19 Invade, 20 Curse, 22 Talk, 23 Also. 6 1 2 7 3 4 9 8 5

9 7 8 2 5 6 1 3 4

5 7 4 2 8 3 1 3 4 8 9 1 6 2 7

9 5 8 6 4 2 1 3 6 5 7 4 6 9 1 5 2 1 7 4 8 5 8 3 2 9 8 7 4 3 2 6 9 5 7 1 3 2 1 9 6

23 SPORT March 5th - March 18th 2020 For the love of the game

EXCL USIVE By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

FOR many football fans, the team they support means the world to them, but one superfan takes it a step further. British expat, Jan Formella, 44, is a die-hard Tottenham fan, who’s had a season ticket for more than 15 years. When he upped sticks to Alicante five years ago, the Londoner refused to leave his beloved Spurs behind. The father-of-three makes the 1,400km trip from his home in Javea to London’s newly-built Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as often as he can. He claims he’s never sat down and calculated

As Tottenham struggle for form this season, one superfan from Spain is earning his spurs, commuting to London to watch as many matches as he can

the costs of attending a match, but, believes it is somewhere in the region of €500 and €600. “I probably catch around ten home games a season, along with the odd European one away,” he told the Olive Press. To make this possible, he tries to schedule UK busi

ness trips to coincide with midweek fixtures. Formella runs his Surrey-based IT and recruit

Vroo m boo m MURCIA is hosting the Spanish motocross championship at the Las Salinas circuit on the weekend of March 21 and 22. This huge event in the Alhama de Murcia municipality attracts visitors from all over Spain and Europe and is part of the Spanish National Championships circuit. Competitions will include MXS18, MX65 and MX35. On Saturday, there will be a qualifying practice session with the main racing falling on Sunday from 10am onwards. The superfinal will take place at 12pm that day. ment company, Cornucopia IT Resourcing Limited, remotely from Spain. “I fly either the day before or on the morning of the match, either from Valencia or Alicante. “I then get the train to Surrey and go into the office, have my meetings and then head off to meet my mates at the pub for some pre-match beers.” Despite the increasing popularity of resell websites such as Stubhub and Viagogo, Formella refuses to use them to sell his seat when he’s absent, as he ‘doesn’t want to make a profit out of other fans’. If he can’t attend, he either gives his ticket to a mate, or sells it through the club exchange programme. When asked if he ever saw himself stopping, Formella said: “I say every season is my last one, but it’s an addiction, I can’t stop. “Football is a community thing, that’s why I go back, to meet up with friends and experience it together.” JAN: With pals at Champions League Final in Madrid and (left) former Spurs manager Terry Venables - ‘El Ted’ who lives in Alicante

Fair play AHEAD of International Women’s Day, female football players in Spain’s top division have secured a minimum wage deal. The footballers have signed their first collective agreement on pay and conditions, breaking an impasse with sporting authorities, which led to a strike last November. The Association of Women’s Football Clubs (ACFF) and various players’ unions had been locked in talks over the league’s first ever collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for nearly 18 months. This agreement guarantees Primera Division players a minimum salary of €16,000 per year, along with paid holiday and maternity leave. Sports Minister, Irene Lozano said: “This is a historic day because this collective agreement is very important for players who were worried about their futures.” Ruben Alcaine, president of the ACFF, added: “This is a moment to celebrate and now all actors in women’s football need to work together.”

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F I NA L WOR D S Surf or turf?

VALENCIA’S Oceanographic has become the world’s only aquarium with a pair of ‘pig sharks’ – as the breed is known in Spanish. The sharks are so rare that staff don’t know what to feed them.

Picture that

PICTOGRAMS have been painted on zebra crossings in the Valencian town of Sagunt in a new initiative to help people with learning difficulties, especially autism, better navigate the streets.

Duck’s sake A HUNTER has been fined €720 for shooting a western swamphen – a protected species – after confusing it with a duck in a Valencian lagoon four years ago.

Bank and file BANKIA has launched a float of 12 ‘office-buses’ that serve remote hamlets across Spain – including in the Valencian Community – without a bank in their municipality. The buses have cashpoints, a waiting room, and claim to aid 250,000 people in 373 municipalities.

Your voice in Spain O P LI VE RE SS The expat FREE Vol. 1 Issue 7 www.theolivepress.es February 6th - February 19th 2020 COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Your voice in Spain O P LI VE RE SS The expat COSTA BLANCA Vol. 1 Issue 9 www.theolivepress.es March 5th - March 18th, 2020

POLICE on Spain’s Costa del Sol don’t have enough money to wash their own vehicles. Dirty cops Penny-pinching police cannot afford to clean their own cars Flying off shelves ENTRE PRE NEURIAL online salesmen are selling a Dean Koontz novel at €50 each amid claims the 1981 book ‘predicted coronavirus’. Andrea, a seller on Spanish online marketplace Wallapop, has listed the novel Los Ojos de la Oscuridad (The Eyes of Darkness) claiming it ‘forewarns’ the global outbreak. The 312-page novel published 39 years ago follows grieving mother Christina Evans as she realises her son, Danny, has been infected with a man-made bio weapon created in WUHA N, China. “They call the stuff ‘Wuhan-400’ because it was developed at their RDNA labs outside the city and it was the fourth-hundredth viable strain of man-made microorganisms created at the research centre,” a passage in the book reads. That’s according to the notice board at Estepona’s Policia Nacional station which said it did not have the budget to pay for the essential service. “As of today, February 10, and until further notice, official vehicles cannot be washed due to a lack of budget,” the notice reads. Miguel Millan, chief of Policia Nacional in Malaga, told El Mundo that Estepona could be the first of many to stop washing their cars. It comes after the Automotive Department received a significant budget cut. “There is no money at all,” he told the respected Spanish paper, “the cars are in an unfortunate hygienic state. “Of course officers clear away their food etc but there is also lots of dust, dirt, glass…many of the vehicles have never seen a vacuum cleaner.” He added that the most worrying aspect is that they are not being disinfected, labelling the situation as ‘outrageous’. He said he would be submitting a request to have the budget restored. By Laurence Dollimore

Racked with guilt

DEFR OSTING meat on the washing line may have seemed a neat idea at the time. But for one apartment owner in northern Spain, the ingenious idea led residents be- low to panic after see- ing ‘drops of blood’ appearing on their pa- tios. When police were called to investigate they eventually found it was coming from a rack of veal ribs dry- ing on a clothes line above. “Blood had begun fall- ing as it thawed out which freaked everyone out,” a spokesman for Pamplona police revealed.