Costa Blanca North Olive Press - Issue 65 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

OLIVE PRESS

The

June 3rd - June 16th 2021

Mijas Costa SAN JAVIER

Births

The first seven months of the year have shown a 4.56% fall in births compared to the same period last year. The INE reported 7,306 new babies up to the end of July, 349 fewer than between January and July 2020. Indications suggest that the rest of 2021 will continue to see an even larger fall in the birth rate. It appears that concerns over the economy and job prospects have acted as a block on births. The INE says that the last significant birth rate fall was in the wake of the 2009 economic crisis. The situation extends across the whole of Spain. Just over 191,000 births were recorded between January and July - the lowest total since national figures started to be collated in 1941.

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Vol. 3 Issue 65 www.theolivepress.es September 23rd - October 6th 2021

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HOPES that the COVID lockdown would lead to a baby boom as bored couples got romantic to pass the time were well wide of the mark. Alicante’s birth rate has actually dropped to levels not seen since the years after the Spanish Civil War. The downturn started last December, some nine months after State of Alarm restrictions were imposed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. And latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) suggest that 2021 will produce the lowest number of new babies since the 1940’s.

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‘...terrifying, tragic… and the greatest show on earth’ - Olive Press EXCLUSIVE interview with eruption eyewitness

GREEN FOR GO

Get set for rush of bookings from the UK as the traffic light system is finally scrapped THE UK’s controversial traffic light system will be officially scrapped next month - and airlines have already reported a surge in bookings. Ryanair reports an explosion of bookings to Spain after news broke of the end of t h e hated COVID testing system. In what is excellent news for expat b u s i nesses in Valencia and the Costa SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS BlanMoriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea ca, this weekend is set to www.moraira-hamiltons.net be the

96 649 1883

By Isha Sesay

busiest for UK bookings since 2019. “We are seeing extraordinary bookings for the mid term break. All our flights to Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain are filling up very rapidly,” said Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. Popular destinations like Benidorm, Torrevieja, Denia and Calpe are now set to see a healthy autumn and winter season. The majority of their bars and restaurants rely on British tourists to see them through the difficult winter months. The current red, amber and green country rankings will be replaced with one red list only from October 4. It also means a significant loosening of travel rules for people entering and leaving the UK, from around Europe. Passengers who are fully vaccinated will also no longer need to present a negative test to travel into England from countries not on the red list. The red list, which features 62 coun-

tries at present, will be reduced to 56 with the removal of among others Kenya, Egypt and Sri Lanka. The change will initially only apply to England, with the Scottish government announcing it will have its own set of rules. The Welsh government has also said that it would first need to carefully consider the measures. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said it was not possible to scrap the system sooner because scientific advice did not favour it.

Lower cost

He said the changes would mean a ‘simpler, more straightforward system, one with less testing and lower costs, allowing more people to travel, see loved ones or conduct business around the world while providing a boost for the travel industry.’ British demand for foreign holidays is now expected to reach its highest level since 2019 after the main barrier for travel to Spain was removed.

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Bad guardian A MAN granted legal guardianship over his disabled cousin has been accused of stealing over €166,000 from him through a Santa Pola property sale.

Jail call PROSECUTORS have asked that a Belgian expat accused of murdering his wife with a fatal stab to her heart in Calpe in 2019 be handed a 24-year prison sentence for the ‘senseless crime’.

Wrong lingo A WOMAN has asked the Calpe City Council to reprimand a lifeguard working on La Fossa beach for asking her to speak in Spanish when she asked him a question in Valenican.

Plea deal EIGHT of 11 men accused of sexually exploiting women from North Africa and South America in clubs in Alicante and Aragon have accepted a plea deal which will see a combined sentence of 80 years in prison and fines of almost €100,000.

September 23rd - October 6th 2021

Gun in my face British sailor reveals how she was confronted by armed police at home during fraud raids A BRITISH yachtie has told the Olive Press how her front door was kicked down by police with assault rifles and pistols during a series of high level raids. Dandelion Sharp, 21, from Somerset, recanted her horror as her Palma apartment was raided by ‘around 20 police’, who ordered her to get down. “I was really scared and had no idea what was happening,” she revealed. “It was about 10am and there was this loud banging on the door and suddenly the door to my room flew open and an armed officer was facing me holding an assault rifle.” She continued: “He gestured to me to get back in my room

EXCLUSIVE By Terenia Taras

and told me to put a mask on. Then I saw there were more officers. “There were about 20 of them, some in uniform armed with rifles and others in plain clothes with hand guns. “It was really worrying as I didn’t know what was going on and whether they intended to harm me. It was like waking up in a movie.” Sharp, who started the job as a deckhand on one of the big yachts only a few weeks ago, lived in the crew apartment in Santa Catalina where the raid occurred. “I’ve never experienced any-

thing like that before. Where I come from in England police don’t carry weapons like that. “We later found out it was to do with a massive fraud investigation and that the British owner of the property was being investigated.”

Hacked off

A LOCAL town hall has had its tourism Instagram account taken over, with hackers demanding the princely sum of €500 to hand back the account. Campello council denounced the hacking of the @campelloturismo account to the Guardia Civil on September 17 and has ‘flatly refused to make the payment’. Marisa Navarro, councillor for Tourism, said: “It translates to the abduction of more than 15,500 followers.

They have been told to ignore messages from that account until the case is solved.” El Campello is the latest council in the region to fall victim to hackers. Mutxamel in 2020 and Xixona this year have both suffered hacks which badly affected their computer systems for several months.

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It was part of a series of raids centering around an international fraud probe that has scammed hundreds of people out of tens of millions of euros, investigations have taken in the Valencia and Alicante regions previously. So far an ex-policeman and bank manager have been arrested, alongside four others who have been charged, the Olive Press understands. It is understood there were also raids in other European cities, mostly in Germany, with most victims German. The precise nature of the scam has not yet been disclosed, but it is understood that the international network deceived customers with products online that did not exist.

Feeling pink TWO Spaniards have been arrested in Elche on charges of trafficking a potent ‘party drug’ dubbed ‘pink cocaine’. It is potentially dangerous being highly addicitve and is considered an ‘elite’ drug because of its high price. The total amount seized could reach a value of €30,000 on the black market. The arrestees, a 29-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, had been under investigation for months by the Policia Nacional, who carried out discreet surveillance where they discovered that the man and his wife were trafficking marijuana and pink cocaine. The suspects were arrested inside their vehicle. A search found €4,500 cash in the car. A later search of two properties in Bigastro and Catral found 300 grammes of pink cocaine, seven grammess of normal cocaine, two nine millimetre pistols and 148 cartridges, knuckle dusters, a taser, a knife, an air gun, tools for weighing and cutting drugs and €1,200 in cash.

Bad dad THIS week, the man who admitted to beating his 75-yearold father to death at his home in Torrent after he discovered that he was sexually abusing his nine-year-old son will stand trial in Valencia Court.

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NEWS

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TV show set to put Juan Carlos I’s dodgy dealings and affairs under the lens A BRITISH TV documentary is to chart the rise and fall of Spain’s former King Juan Carlos I. The controversial Channel 5 documentary will be looking at both his private life, as well as financial indiscretions. In particular, it will be looking at various offshore bank accounts and a number in Switzerland, which could amount to over one billion euros. The embattled king, who is still living in exile in Abu Dhabi, has suffered a huge fall from grace since he broke his hip during a safari trip to Botswana, in 2012. It was during that trip that his affair with Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 57, became known. It emerged last month that she is suing him for 'tens of millions of euros' in the High

Roman Oasis restaurant two years ago. Not content to ‘sit back and do nothing’ he bust a gut (literally) to sculpt the course out of nothing this summer. “I did it all on my own and lost ten kilos from all the hard work,” he explained. But it has been more than worth it, with dozens (even hundreds) of visitors a day beating a trail to his door, hidden up a quiet country lane inland from Sabinillas.

Back for more

SHOT ON THE POT! A FABULOUS new crazy golf course includes a toilet to circumnavigate. The ingenious hole sits alongside others with gnomes, the Rock of Gibraltar and a windmill. All part of the zany mind of Paul Hickling, it sits in a hidden valley between Casares and Manilva. One of the coast’s longest-running entrepreneurs, Hickling came up with the idea of a crazy golf course after shutting his famous

September 23rd - October 6th 2021

WINDY: Paul’s favourite hole “I knew it would do well as there’s no other place like it on the coast,” he added.

The King’s gambit

HE made his name starring in the BBC drama The Night Manager in the Balearics. And now British star Tom Hiddleston (pictured) has returned to the island of Ibiza with his girlfriend Zawe Ashton (with Tom below). The Avengers star, 40, put on an affectionate display with the actress in the water before heading back to the shore where they were joined by friends.

Betrayal

The pair have been together since starring in the West End play Betrayal in 2019. They are now reportedly living together in Atlanta where the actor relocated to film his new Disney series Loki. Hiddleston made his name starring alongside Hugh Laurie in The Night Manager, which was mostly filmed around Mallorca.

EXCLUSIVE By Giles Brown

Court, in London, after accusing him of 'unlawful covert surveillance'. She had an affair with the former monarch, 83, between 2004 and 2009. She later claimed he had 'gifted' her €65 million out of guilt for the 'intense pressure' she came under and as an expression of his love. It's believed the payment came out of funds that originated with a $100million gift from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2008. The 83-year-old monarch who is married to Queen Sofia, 82 - is being probed by Swiss

Love is in the air

SHE has spent the summer getting back to her roots. Love Island star Dani Dyer jetted to Mallorca - where her grandfather comes from - for her 25th birthday celebrations. The winner of the celebrated British TV show rented a villa with her parents and son Santiago. She shared a series of snaps of her stunning break on her Instagram and YouTube feeds. They included one of her father, Eastenders star Danny, toasting to his 'sweet one'.

OLD FLAMES: Former King and his ex-lover Corinna prosecutors over a number of ines-Krause, as well as from accounts in tax havens. private jet company Zagatka. Prosecutors are currently in- The ongoing investigation is v e s t i g a t i n g focussing on the period bedeposits into tween 2014 to 2018. his accounts A Channel 5 source told the where he re- Olive Press, the 90-minute ceived his documentary would be ‘conofficial roy- troversial’ and ‘eye-opening’’. al allowance It talks to key experts, biogof almost raphers and historians who €200,000 a know about Juan Carlos' early year. life, how he rejected Franco's The Spanish ideals and helped usher Spain tax authorities to democracy. are particu- “We will also be looking at his larly inter- more recent downfall and the ested in pay- investigations he faces, and fiments made nally what his legacy will be in HOLS: Dani and dad tby Mexican the eyes of his countrymen,” Allen Sang- said the source.

Slimmed down sparkle This years Global Gift Gala was down in numbers due to the pandemic and health restrictions, but the occasion had a dash of Hollywood glamour as always. Although Global Gift Ambassador and frequent Marbella visior Eva Longoria was unable to attend, founder Maria Bravo was joined on the night by Prison Break actor Amaury Nolasco, Despacito singer Luis Fonsi and CSI star Gary Dourdan, along with Miss World 2020, Ana Garcia Segundo. The most special guests, however, were the inspirational young people who have benefited from the work of the Global Gift Foundation.

NEWS

ONE of Spain’s richest expats has cashed in to the tune of £110 million. That’s how much Charlie Mullins (pictured at his La Cala home) is set to pocket after selling Pimlico Plumbers, the company he founded 42 years ago and whose clients include Helen Mirren and Joanna Lumley. Mullins, who lives in Mijas, has sold up to a private equity firm. He already has an estimated worth of £70million and the sale will dramatically enhance his fortune, given he owns 90% of the company. He told the Olive Press last year he was planning to move to live in Spain permanently.

September 23rd October 6th 2021

Feeling flush

Missing a limb

British footballer admitted for gallstone operation loses his right leg at scandal-hit hospital

A BRITISH expat went into a beleaguered Costa Blanca hospital for routine gallstone treatment, and came out minus his right leg. The 68-year-old is now waiting for a prosthetic leg after the ‘shocking treatment’ he received at Torrevieja hospital. His family are now demanding answers, alongside up to a dozen other expats who have received poor treatment there. The man, James, who has asked for his surname to be removed as he continues to receive treatment, had been admitted to the hospital in November last year, suffering from high blood pressure and a sporadic heart rate. Until then he had enjoyed a fit and healthy lifestyle playing golf three times a week, since he and his wife Ann moved to Spain in 2019. Tests quickly revealed a gallbladder infection and an operation was scheduled, but not before he spent a long period in hospital leading to bedsores, claims his wife.

ORDEAL: James in his hospital bed EXCLUSIVE By Simon Wade

After suffering in bed for a week, he had the operation and was sent home but without any aftercare advice and still wearing his catheter. Within a week, the diabetic was admitted back to the hos-

Woman in selfie death plunge A TOURIST who fell from a popular viewpoint while apparently trying to take a selfie has died in hospital. The 26-year-old Ukrainian woman had plummeted over the railings of Castle Viewpoint in Benidorm as she reportedly attempted to take a picture of herself to post to her social media accounts. The woman fell 20 metres onto the rocks before being dragged out to sea by strong waves. Lifeguards rushed in their speed boat to pull her out of the water. Once at the scene, paramedics continued to perform CPR before transferring her to Alicante General Hospital where she recieved treatment for hypothermia and injuries sustained from the fall. However, after three days fighting for her life in intensive care she succumbed to her injuries.

pital with a urine infection. “He was often confused and drifting in and out of consciousness,” Ann told the Olive Press. Her diary of the saga, shared exclusively with the Olive Press, reveals the full horror of his treatment at the hands of staff. One entry, dated December 7, reads: “Terrified during the night as he wakes up to a war zone.”

Painful

The next day’s entry reads: “Right leg is painful below the knee, doctor says might be blood clot, getting ultra-scan ordered.” Later, she adds: “Confirmed blood clot and doctor says leg is dead, going to amputate!” The next time Ann saw James, he was an amputee, less than five weeks after gallstone treatment. The couple are still waiting for a full explanation why such a horrific issue should arise from a straightforward visit to the hospital. James is now working on his upper body strength to ensure a good quality of life when he receives his new leg. He still has a catheter fitted and is still receiving treatment for bowel issues brought on by the blood poisoning from the bed sore, explained Ann. The hospital was unable to confirm the events when contacted by the Olive Press.

NEWS

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‘It’s terrifying, tragic… and the greatest show on earth’: La Palma tour guide shares volcano eruption story

September 23rd October 6th 2021

HELLFIRE

LMOST every day for the last 12 years tour guide Jonas Perez has told visitors about the ‘active, but dormant’ volcano that dominates the landscape of La Palma. But it wasn’t until Sunday at 3.12pm, the moment when a vent ripped open in the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge spewing hot lava into the air, that he truly understood the reality of it. “It provokes very mixed feelings,” he told the Olive Press. “By day it’s devastating watching the lava eat up land and properties as it slowly moves towards the sea, cutting up roads and dividing communities. “But at night when red hot lava is shooting up 30-40 metres

EXCLUSIVE By Fiona Govan

into the sky and the landscape glows a deep red with the moving lava, it is the most enthralling spectacle you’ll ever see.” Perez, 44, his wife and their

THREE small boats with 27 people - including a pregnant woman - on board arrived in Calp, Poble Nou de Benitatxell and Cabo Roig beach (Valencia) and have been successfully rescued. The first one arrived on September 18 with five people on board, all of Algerian origin and in good health. The second, hours later, appeared in Poble Nou de Benitatxell. On board were 12 people, one of them a pregnant woman, all in good

four-year-old twin daughters are among the 5,000 or so residents who were evacuated from their homes in the hours immediately after the volcano erupted. It came after a week of seismic activity that led to authorities

More rescues

health. Finally, on September 19, sea rescue located a skiff on the beach of Cabo Roig with 10 people on board. After being helped by the Cruz Roja (Red Cross), they were transferred to the port of Alicante to undergo PCR tests.

raising the alarm for a possible eruption. “We packed up everything, got in the car and drove to the other side of the island,” explained Perez who runs Isla Bonita Tours. So far, his home is not among the 166 that has been swallowed by black lava as it cut a devastating swathe through the landscape. “Whether our homes are destroyed or not is completely down to luck,” he admitted. Authorities estimate around 10,000 people could be displaced during the eruption which could last weeks. The last time the volcano was active in October 1971, the eruption lasted 23 days.

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September 23rd

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

OPINION SPIRIT OF THE BLITZ IN England we call it the ‘Blitz Spirit’- that sense of community that brings people together in the face of great adversity, not just to make the best of it but to reach out and go the extra mile to really help those that need it. There may not be an equivalent term in Spanish (and if there is, please write in and tell us) but here - as in the worn-torn London of World War Two when the German bombs rained down - people certainly have the propensity to behave the same way. The wildfire that ravaged the hills above the Costa del Sol earlier this month served to bring out the very best in the Costa del Sol community. People were united in despair as they watched hillsides burn. They rallied round to offer shelter to those fleeing from their homes as the blaze threatened to devour properties. And in the aftermath of the tragedy, once the flames were dampened, people didn’t forget the debt owed to firefighters who risked everything, and who tragically lost one of their own. When the brigades returned from the hills it was rightfully to a heroes’ welcome in Estepona and fundraising efforts to rebuild lives are continuing in a material show of appreciation. A similar drama is now playing out in the Canary Islands where forces of nature are to blame instead of a despicable act of arson from a particularly evil individual. But there too, we’ll see that the human spirit will not be broken and as homes are ripped apart, community roots grow stronger. PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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EXCLUSIVE: Frantic battle saw expat charity bosses rescue 100 dogs just before Sierra Bermeja wildfire engulfed their centre

LIKE A MOVIE

AN animal rescue centre boss By Elena Gocmen Rueda has recalled the dramatic mo& Amber Edirisinghe ment she and her husband had to evacuate their shelter asMalaga's biggest wildfire for decades after walking around the site with raced towards them. Brown and her husband, treasurSusie Brown, the president of er Reg Winkworth - the British ADANA (Association for the rights mother-of-one was frequently of abandoned animals), revealed overcome with emotion. how they had been ordered to re- It is hardly surprising with the treat ‘immediately’ after the wind entire valley around them being changed directotally obliterated tion, sending the by the blaze as it Sierra Bermeja 'We got out by raged for six days blaze directly toand leading to the skin of our the destruction of wards them. “Everyone was so hectares. teeth', shelter 10,000 scared,” revealed Driving up to the Brown who deshelter in the boss Brown scribed it as ‘a Parque de los Perevealed miracle’ that the dregales, on the entire centre in border of EstepoEstepona was not na and Casares, razed to the ground. the absolute devastation was all Speaking to the Olive Press on too clear. her first trip back, she added: The ‘sixth generation’ wildfire, “Someone was definitely watch- which was only finally extining over us. If we had been evac- guished largely thanks to rain, uated just half an hour later we has decimated the shelter’s surwouldn’t have made it”. roundings, as well as its outbuildIn an extremely moving interview - ings which held around €10,000 worth of vital supplies, many of them medical. By something of a miracle the main building survived thanks to the volunteers cutting a big fire break around it last year. The shelter had to be evacuat- DEVASTATION: Susie Brown and Reg Winkworth (inset) organised the evac ed along with its 100 dogs after strong winds suddenly fanned were scuppered when news of a tangled mess with volunteers HE wildfire which the flames and they began to the shelter’s struggle was pub- struggling to get by in their vans raged through the crawl down the mountain at lished on social media with pleas carrying the animals. Sierra Bermeja ravaround 8am. to ‘get to ADANA, quickly, they “We got out by the skin of our aging 9,670 hectBrown and her husband had need help with the evacuation’. teeth,” Brown revealed, as tears ares with a perimeter of 85 been monitoring the situation Soon hordes of well-meaning vol- rolled down her cheeks. kilometres is anything but through CCTV cameras fitted unteers began to turn up along She continued that firefighters the biggest fire in Spain’s around the property and even with children in tow. had told them they would have recent history. slept there for two nights. It turned out to be more of a hin- to sacrifice the shelter and let it In fact it comes in ninth As well as cutting the fire break, drance than a help, with Wink- burn as they didn’t have enough and pales in comparison to the charity had also put an emer- worth describing the scene as manpower to protect it. the Minas de Riotinto blaze gency evacuation plan in place ‘surreal’ and like ‘a horror movie’. “There were a thousand soldiers between Huelva and Sevilwith a list of people to get in touch Despite the goodwill it made the and firemen and 40 airplanes la in the summer of 2004 with if the shelter was at risk. evacuation far harder, as the but they just couldn’t cope,” she destroying 29,867 hectHowever, the well made plans narrow access tracks became added. ares across 13 municipalities and killing two people. The second worst fire this century broke out at a welding workshop in 2012 in Corte de Pallas, in Valencia, devastating 28,879 YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES hectares. Another blaze this year in Cepeda La Mora, near Avila, which started when a car burst into flames, saw 21,993 hectares destroyed over eight days. And back in 2012, a wildfire in Andilla, Valencia, saw some 20,064 hectares scorched. That same year Castrocontrigo, in León, had a fire ravaging 11,592 hectares. N the wake of the wildfire that raged In 2005, a fire in the through Sierra Bermeja speculation is province of Guadalamounting as to the ‘who, how or where’ of jara torched 10,352 the source of the blaze. hectares. If you ask any Spaniard as to what the most Next comes a 2017 likely cause of forest fires is, they will autofire in Encinedo matically point in one direction: real estate (Leon) which speculation. burnt 9,820 had occurred would have never been eligible This false belief has been so deeply ingrained for construction anyway, largely due to locahectares, in their mentality that the 2003 Government tion or it being publicly owned. while a fire decided to act to discourage arsonists from Still, the conservative Aznar government of in Quesada, believing fires could lead to rural land being 2003 thought that the 30-year ban on real in Jaen, saw reclassified for building even though it was estate development would fix the problem. 9,756 hectnot the case.. ares burnt in Unfortunately statistics tell another story. So a new Mountains Act was passed that Although the number of burnt hectares has 2015. It thereprohibited for 30 years the change in use of been reduced, there has not been a notable fore comes in forest land after a fire. ninth, with decrease since the worst years (1976-1994). It also made the regional government respon- The thing is that fires have rarely been the 2012 sible for ensuring the restoration of forests caused by owners of the affected land and fire in Malfollowing a blaze and banned any activity that therefore we should look deep into the arsonaga, which would get in the way of the regeneration. razed 8250 ists’ deranged minds and their psychological For the most part, forestry where wildfires characteristics for an explanation. hectares, coming in around Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com tenth.

They shall be remembered

AGONY Property ANT

No motivation

Legal eagle Antonio Flores on why urban planning isn’t behind the Sierra Bermeja blaze

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September 23rd - October 6th 2021

HORROR

PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES...

EET Phoenix who within just two days of the fire was dumped near ADANA. Volunteers working on the clean-up operation at the animal shelter took in the abandoned dog along with his sibling when they were found abandoned tied to a fence near their centre amongst the still smouldering countryside. ADANA’s Susie Brown and Reg Winkworth took in the two lovable dogs without a moment’s hesitation. Winkworth said that Brown wanted to give them ‘two very poignant names’, so the canines were aptly named Phoenix and Pegasus. The pair were said to have been brought in ‘starving’. Winkworth said: “They’re safe now so that’s the most important thing.”

cuation of the ADANA shelter as flames destroyed the surrounding area Walking around the shelter to assess the damage, they described the silence as ‘the weirdest feeling’, as the usually lively shelter that can house up to 150 dogs was completely empty. A series of pipes that provide water for the animals had been destroyed, meaning the dogs can’t return until this is fixed. Luckily they have a 19,000 litre reserve tank that will be able to help them for the meantime while they seek to get new pipes installed. The outer fences that are usually used to contain dogs in case they run away were also completely burnt along with the thermal winter beds that help to keep the dogs warm later in the year. Volunteers have finally returned

to begin the slow process of clearing the debris and trying to begin to return the place to normal. For now, the dogs are being safely housed with 60 different families along the coast. “People were amazing, we have the best supporters,” added Brown. She was also keen to squash a series of ‘fake news stories’ that spread about them having chosen to abandon ‘angry dogs’ and horses at the shelter. It ended up causing a lot more problems as their switchboard became blocked by angry people

Horrifying screams AS well as scorching temperatures and choking fumes, firefighters had to endure the horrifying screeches of wild animals trapped by the fire. Dozens of charred animal carcasses have already been found in the aftermath, particularly those of goats and sheep. Many other creatures, including rabbits, deer and wild boar also died. The nests of around three pairs of Golden Eagles and 10 pairs of Eagle Owls were also destroyed. The Sierra Bermeja is home to 14 species of invertebrates as well as 300 wild mountain goats or Ibex. One fireman described the ‘horrifying screeches’ of wild boars stuck in the undergrowth as he and his team battled against the deadly flames. Francisco Morales told of his feelings of ‘impotence’ and ‘sorrow’ during the six days they were battling the fire. More than 25 volunteer vets with expertise in disaster conditions have come forward to give advice and care to wild animals burnt in the fire. The Malaga Veterinary Association set up a 24-hour hotline (630 80 99 23) to report any sightings of animals injured.

calling up to complain about it. They even received a message from an English newspaper asking: “Why did you let your horses burn?” As for all the generous volunteers, Brown wants to thank them for their ‘phenomenal response’. However, she stressed that the existing team of volunteers are going to have to sort out the cleanup themselves, saying that ‘no matter how kind and well meaning people are, please stay at home’.

What’s breaking

VERY day, almost every hour and sometimes by the minute we are putting up breaking stories online. Over the last 48 hours it has been the remarkable volcano erupting in La Palma, while over the last fortnight it has been the terrifying Sierra Bermeja wildfire. Our website often publishes 25 stories or more on what is happening around the country on any given day. BREAKING Be it floods, fires or terrorist attacks, we have it covered… and we will enNEWS sure to get journalists into the area as soon as we can. Take the fire in Estepona. Over a week-long period we published over two dozen stories - many of them exclusive - with analysis on the horror blaze that killed a fireman and razed 10,000 hectares. Our reporters sought out officials working to contain the blaze to keep our readers informed about how it was developing. We kept in touch with those who were most affected and those who were forced to flee from their properties as the flames approached. And we told their stories. And now our team is doing the same to cover developments as a volcano erupts in La Palma, by speaking to people on the ground, checking official sources, and publishing the most up to date and reliable information. BREAKING It is perhaps little surprise that over the last fortnight we have NEWS seen a healthy 78 people signing up for our paywall online. The team at the Olive Press is dedicated to providing reliable factual reporting but we can only do this by asking our readers to support us. We already have 30,000 of you following us on Facebook, 10,000 on Twitter and 2,000 on Instagram. Please now come and register online and subscribe for full adfree access to our website as well as daily newsletters with all the news straight to your inbox.

The top three most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

“The best way to help ADANA right now is to donate,” she said. Visit www.adana.es to make donations. Or visit the shop in Estepona.

National park now!

URGENT: Petition for extention of park grows fast

A CAMPAIGN to turn the Sierra Bermeja into a national park is gathering steam. A petition to include it in an extended Sierra de las Nieves national park now has 71,000 signatures. Such a move would mean 'more vigilance, more controls and more resources for fire prevention'. Scientists insist the area has a ‘unique and invaluable’ ecosystem, which needs urgent protection. One biologist Felipe Roman, claimed that the area had been ‘completely abandoned to its fate’. The Sierra Bermeja National Park Platform failed to get support from either the PSOE or PP when the Sierra de las Nieves national park, between Mijas and Ronda, was finally created this year. The map above shows the new national park boundary in green with the proposed extention in red.

Is a volcano on Spain’s Canary 1- Analysis: island of la Palma about to blow? Horrorshow as Spain’s Estepona blaze 2- goes into fifth night with 4 more villages evacuated UK scraps COVID-19 traffic light sys3- tem with changes for fully jabbed passengers

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GREEN

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September 23rd - October 6th 2021

National park status would help protect these beautiful areas

ORMALLY I dedicate this column to criticising mankind’s ability to damage the world we live in. Instead of dwelling on global warming, CO2 emissions, pollution of our seas and the air we breathe, this week I want to reflect on the catastrophic damage caused in the Sierra Bermeja. I watched from my terrace as the fires raged in the distance, the night sky alight with an orange glow wrapped with turgid smoke. 10,000 hectares of beautiful nature de-

stroyed. Countless animals burnt alive. Unique forms of flora and fauna decimated. People evacuated from their homes. A brave firefighter dead, leaving behind a wife and two young children to live a very different life to the one they planned.

WHY? This was an intentional act of arson. It was clear to investigators that this could not have happened any other way. One Olive Press reader wrote to me saying that the guilty parties ‘should be burnt at the stake’. An understandable sentiment , although an unlikely outcome. I cannot fathom why anyone would want to do this. I hope they rot in jail until the next mil-

Green

Matters

TIME TO REFLECT By Martin Tye

Disastrous wildfire gives food for thought lennium. All this does make me reflect on the beauty that surrounds us. Spain has it all - sea, mountains, fabulous landscapes. It needs protecting. Areas like the Sierra Bermeja need National Park status, and a suitable infrastructure to enable it to be protected and thrive. I hope the Spanish government provides suitable financial support to enable speedy restitution in the Sierra Bermeja. I have been touched by the many local initiatives that have sprung into action:

-The charity Collective Calling organised and delivered food parcels to displaced and affected families -GoFundMe pages to raise funds to help resident animals who lost their feeding habitat -Aloha College Marbella with a non uniform day to raise funds These are just a few of the many examples of how communities pull together to relieve disaster. The sad thing here is that this disaster should never have happened.

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CLIMATE change is to blame for the dramatic shrinking of glaciers in the Pyrenees which could all but disappear within two decades, scientists in Spain have warned. A new study reveals the extent to which the ice mass has melted at a steady but rapid speed since the 1980s. Three glaciers have all but disappeared since 2011 leaving just stagnant strips of ice behind while in 17 of the remaining ice sheets an average loss of 6.3metres of ice thickness has been recorded. And in parts of the fasting-melting glaciers, the ice thickness loss was estimated to be up to 20 metres. Using high-res satellite imagery dating back to 2011 and

drone footage collected last summer, a team from the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, (IPE) mapped ice mass evolution and produced 3D models of the shrinkage.

Alarm

According to the study, the ice mass of Pyrenean glaciers shrank by over one-fifth on average over the last decade. The researchers firmly lay the blame for the shrinking glaciers on climate change and specifically the 1.5ºC rise in temperatures in the mountain region over the last century. Jesus Revuelto, one of the research team said the findings should act as an alarm bell.

Running out of Puffinus THE most critically endangered seabird in Europe has been spotted off the coast of Ibiza. At least 10 pairs of Balearic Shearwaters were seen nesting on the islet of Es Vedranell. Balearic Shearwaters are one of the rarest birds in Europe and one of two listed as ‘Critically Endangered’. As well as a low reproduction rate and small population, it has a very high mortality rate from non-natural causes such as being hunted by rats and cats. Many get accidentally caught in fishing gear.

LA CULTURA

Happy anniversary

ONE of Spain’s biggest music festivals celebrated 10 years this summer with its longest ever season. This year’s Starlite festival in Marbella featured more than 180 shows in 80 days - 57 concerts in the main auditorium and more than 124 on the outside stages - and attracted 161, 724 concert goers. Although hampered by COVID restrictions and travel rules that meant many international acts were unable to perform, Starlite still featured a diverse lineup of artists across all musical genres. They included Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler, Nicky Jam, Raphael, Miguel Ríos, Carlos Rivera, Placido Domingo, and Ara Malikian. HUGE prehistoric footprints uncovered in western Andalucia belong to elephants, researchers have confirmed. After careful analyses of fossilised footprints discovered along a stretch of the Huelva coastline between Matalascañas and Mazagon, experts have revealed

IN one of the most unexpected pairings in entertainment history, filmmaker David Lynch and singer Pharrell Williams have paired up to open a nightclub and beach restaurant in Ibiza. Situated on the west coast of the White Isle, El Silencio Ibiza features ‘huge fabric tentacles, giant lips and swing seats, giving off the vibe of an ethereal, Lynchian dreamland,’ said Miranda Makaroff, the artist and fashion designer responsible for the some of the premises’ interiors.

September 23rd October 6th 2021

The odd couple

David Lynch and Pharrell Williams team up for nightclub

Cocktails Managed by Arnaud Frisch, the space has been designed by Moredesign with the cocktails imagined by Diego Cabrera. While the artsy club and cocktail bar is something to behold, these peculiarities are enhanced by a Balearic-themed restaurant backed by Williams’ own ToGo street-food group. Sitting on wooden tables directly on Cala Moli beach, diners can enjoy simple dishes such as a strawberry, feta

BIG FOOT

that the site was a nursery for prehistoric elephants some 129,000 years ago. Based on the rounded–elliptical nature of the tracks, along with other shape features, the team have concluded that the footprints were left by

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and tomato salad, tempura calamari or Iberian pork with sweet potatoes and chorizo. straight-tusked elephants. Researchers from the University of Lisbon assessed the height, mass and age of the elephants by each of the 34 tracks discovered and believe that the footprints belong to 14 young calves, eight juveniles (aged two– 7), six adolescents and five adults.

There’s even a pool complete with a simple poolside menu that includes Mediterranean favourites including toasted focaccia bread and mozzarella with caramelised tomato. This is not the first time Lynch has delved into the nightclub world having opened a members-only club in Paris called Club Silencio which was inspired by his classic film Mulholland Drive. Its new Spanish counterpart is however much less formal and open to the general public from Monday to Friday until the end of October.

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LA CULTURA

In a second extract from his new book My Search For Madeleine Olive Press editor Jon Clarke tracks chief suspect in the Maddie McCann case Christian Brueckner to a desolate corner of Saxony

Photos by Jon Clarke

Overgrown and isolated

September 23rd - October 6th 2021

HIS LINKS TO GRANADA!

Shallow grave?

T was two weeks after Christian Brueckner had been made a prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case in June 2020 that I received a call from the Mirror to dig into him in Spain. Talk about coincidences. I was actually reading a book about Orgiva, the Granada town, which I’d dubbed the ‘Glastonbury of southern Europe’ (and where, coincidentally, the Olive Press was born) when the reporter in London asked: ‘Can you get to a place called Orgiva?’ I almost fell off the sofa. ‘It’s where Brueckner’s friend Michael Tatschl lived for many years, a guy he went to prison with. I’ve tracked him down on Facebook and he would make an excellent interview.’ Despite omitting the fact that his Facebook page actually showed him leaving Orgiva in 2016 – or that his featured image showed him snarling at the camera with his middle finger sticking up – it was definitely worth the threehour drive into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Most of all though it came as a real Eureka moment when two dots itching to be joined were finally united as a concrete certainty: the hippie hangout of Barao de Sao Joao in the Algarve, where Brueckner lived for some time, now had a direct crime link to Orgiva, the new age capital of Spain. I had long had a feeling Brueckner would have links to Orgiva, with its little-checked, free-spirited community of international travellers tucked away in a string of hidden valleys. The Alpujarras is a region I know well having come across the fledgling Olive Press there in its first few months, while writing a travel article for a UK paper.

T the end of a dark, narrow track I finally found the collection of derelict buildings, suffocated by knee high weeds and weighed down by history. The former East German box factory, near the tiny Saxony village of Neuwegersleben, was one part of my journey into the heart of darkness for my book that I couldn’t avoid. It was here that the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case Christian Brueckner invested €36,000, through an auction in Leipzig, and here that police found up to 20,000 sickening photos and videos he had hidden in a Lidl bag under the body of his buried dead dog Charlie. I arrived on a sunny afternoon to find nobody else about, although I recognised it from a SINISTER: One of Brueckner’s cara and an apparent shallow grave at the German box factory, Maddie and Brueckner (below) number of press reports. It had thing rather more sinister than fit the bill. ‘Particularly if evitaken some time to find the making boxes. Perhaps arma- dence is destroyed afterwards,’ site, which spread over quite ments. There were dozens of he had replied to his pal. a number of hectares and its openings that led down to dark ... rusty old gate was chained shut spaces, some interlinked and and had a ‘Stop’ sign alongside others full of rubbish. I had those words etched in my it. I clambered into the first build- brain so when I wandered to It was walking into the wide ing, which had a collapsed roof the back of the small annexe open expanse that you began and rubble piled up at least a I did a double take. Looking to realise what an incredible metre high. On one wall the recently dug up, and certainly opportunity this could have word Arbeit (job/ work) and two not appearing in a single photo been for a pervert like Bruec- shorter words could just about or video I had seen of the box kner, 44, who officially told be made out, not dissimilar factory, was what looked like friends that he wanted it to be to the words on the entrance a shallow grave, about 5ft in a car repair garage or some gate at Auschwitz concentra- length and a foot and a half in sort of sculpture tion camp: Arbeit in depth. garden. macht frei (work A pile of rubble, with chunks As Chief Prosesets you free). of concrete at the bottom, was saw cut into a workbench. gersleben was one such facilCould this cutor in the case I slowly wan- next to it, while an empty bot- There was a kitchen, two bath- ity. It would make more sense Hans Christian dered about the tle had been thrown in, almost rooms and a big room with doz- to blow the place up once the be where Wolters told me various build- for decoration. It was extremely ens of shelves, which had up investigation into Brueckner is Brueckner the following ings looking for sinister. to 1,000 books on them (many finally comday: “If you want anything of rel- When I later brought it up more were strewn on the floor), pleted. made some of to sexually abuse evance until I with the prosecutor in nearby as well as hundreds of old rekids, that is the his videos? stumbled across Braunschweig, he refused to cords, presumably all once My Search right place, as a side annexe be drawn on what they had stolen by Brueckner, including for Madnobody would with four huge found at the box factory, only one by Barry Manilow, which I eleine is see or hear plastic vats, presumably used admitting that they had recent- imagine wasn’t his taste. available on anything. There are no neigh- to store the diesel that Bruec- ly been back. The weirdest thing I found as I Amazon in bours!” kner stole on many occasions. The industrial site would have sifted through the cornucopia Kindle and The site was divided into a Next to it was another small been one hell of a job for the of neglect was a large series paperback grid of concrete squares and annexe with one big, heavy ga- police to examine and, it was of circular symbols sprayed v e r s i o n s comprised around half a doz- rage door slightly ajar. I pushed reported that 100 of them had on the floor at the threshold and at most en buildings. The first thing I it open and wandered in to been in situ for the first few of each room, a neo-Nazi-type good booknoted was the amount of un- find a pair of dirty mattresses days of the search which began Celtic cross in an electric or- shops PAL: Micha Tatschl derground areas, suggesting propped up against the wall, a on January 14, 2016. ange colour. that it was once used for some- tub full of empty alcohol bot- All around the site I found They appeared to have been recently, probably tles and a pair holes in the ground, openings added of broken wom- leading to cellars and tunnels. sprayed by police as they finen’s sunglass- Some areas had obviously ished inspecting a room in the been excavated by police, while latest search. es. International Bookshop Could this be many others appeared to have With dusk falling I took my where Bruec- been ignored. But that is only leave, not wanting to be stuck here at night and with an kner made guesswork. Quality Used Books since 1985 some of his The downright spookiest build- appointment already made videos? Did he ing was probably once the fac- with friends of Brueckner’s in Polly’s Bookshop in Javea Port is 35 years old. keep women, tory’s main office and it was Braunschweig, an hour’s drive “Polly’s is as old as me,” says Sam, her proud owner, “and to away. even children, the most intact. celebrate, we are opening a new Polly’s Bookshop in Moraira.” chained up I pushed open the door to go in Braunschweig, I later learned, Like Polly’s Javea, the new shop has thousands of quality used and found a trapped bird flying was where Adolf Hitler had here? books, fiction and nonfiction, in English, Spanish, German, French There was only around and tried to let it out, been given citizenship in 1932 and Dutch. Apart from the books that are extra special, they’ll still be to allow him to run in that one small win- unsuccessfully. 3 euros each with a euro credit if you want to return it. dow with rein- This had obviously been the year’s German presidential forced glass, hub of activity and according election, and he was rewarded We are continuing with our busy proofreading and editing services so this would to one of Brueckner’s friends with a series of ministries once and our popular book finding and ordering services too. It feels great be the place Bjorn, who I talked to later, this the Nazis took power the folfinding an out of print book for someone who has been searching for it. for it, and given was where he stored most of lowing year. his stolen goods, including dozThis included the Hitler Youth his 2013 Skype chat with his ens of computers, solar panels and even the SS training Javea Port, Calle Santisimo Cristo del Mar online friend and many other items. There schools base, while a num03730 – tel: 665 314 404 panickspatz66 were pots of paint, cutlery, ber of key armament factories Moraira-Teulada, 237 Moraira Calpe Road about ‘captur- countless chairs and tables, were set up around the area. 03724 – tel: 711 010 439 ing something over a dozen computer mon- It would certainly make sense UNSETTLING: Was this Brueckner’s place to small’, it would itors. A nasty looking circular that the nearby site in Neuwe‘capture something small’?

DARK HISTORY

POLLY’S

•Coinciding with 3-6/DIC2021

From December 3 to 5 - 2021

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MASTER SPANISH VERBS

N Learn how to conjugate and use all the verb tenses

O you have problems with Spanish verb tenses? Do you know how to conjugate them and when to use each one? Verbs are probably the biggest problems for English speakers learning Spanish. There are many more verb tenses in Spanish than in English, 14 in use nowadays, and all of them have regular and irregular verbs. In addition, in each verb tense there are six different forms, one for each person. For these reason, the online academy Tu escuela de español, creator of the successful YouTube channel, published a book with which anyone can learn how and when to use all the Spanish verb tenses, ‘Domina los verbos en español’ (Master Spanish Verbs). This book has 176 pages divided into 20 lessons. In them, you will learn how to conjugate and use correctly each of the 14 verb tenses that we currently use in Spanish in the indicative, imperative and subjunctive modes, and how to distinguish one from the other. You will also learn how to use non-personal forms of the verb (infinitive, gerund and participle) and verbal periphrases. All the lessons have several exercises to help you practise and the solutions are at the end of the book so that everyone can advance at their own pace. ‘Domina los verbos en español’ (Master Spanish Verbs) is available in three versions: paper, printable PDF and non-printable PDF. And now you can buy any of them with a 10% discount using this coupon: OVLI10S21 Tu escuela de español has another book, ‘Por fin entiendo el español’ (Finally, I understand Spanish), also written by its founder, Elena Prieto, and dedicated to improving text and audio comprehension in Spanish. This book has 40 lessons: 8 at basic level, 18 at intermediate level and 14 at advanced level. In each lesson, there is an article, most of them about current affairs in Spain, accompanied by audio and various exercises to work on different aspects of the Spanish language. Finally, you can also improve your Spanish with the 5 online courses of Tu escuela de español on grammar, verbs, vocabulary, spelling and comprehension. Our Premium Zone has more than 200 lessons with 150 videos, 90 audios, dozens of PDFs and more than 600 exercises. Visit us at www. tuescueladeespanol.es.

ack to

GET NATIVE

O one wants to be the expat who can’t speak the language, but starting out on the road to being bilingual can be hugely intimidating. There are many different options and the indecipherable long lists of schools online would put off even the most enthusiastic of students. But here, The Olive Press has broken down all you need to know about picking the best language lessons for you and on this page some of the region’s finest schools can be found. ALONE OR IN A GROUP? The first choice you face is whether you want to be taught alone or as part of a group, and both options have their advantages and disadvantages. If you go solo you’ll have

School

IVING in Spain for nearly two decades I didn’t think I could improve my Spanish much. How wrong could I be? While understanding most of a newspaper article or a film or TV programme, it turned out my own grammar needed more than a brush up. While I was happy to grill a mayor, or a lawyer on a story, my conjugation of verbs was a shocker and my grasp of the subjunctive worse. Then along came Gymglish, a dynamic easy-to-use - and fun! - way to brush up on the lingo. Through an open-ended series of daily emails, you get a 15-20 minute lesson served up to your inbox. Based around a series of real life subjects - that have real practical use - you simply open up the email when you find you have a moment, be it lunchtime, teatime or before going to bed! And you don’t have to do it every day - if you miss a lesson it reminds you the following day and continues until

The Olive Press takes a look at the variety of ways you can improve your Spanish and what to look out for in a course. 100% of the tutor’s attention, making your lessons more intensive and solely structured around you. But many people find a group learning environment more beneficial, and that a sense of camaraderie boosts their enthusiasm. FINDING A TUTOR There are many ways of tracking down a tutor, the most useful way in a smaller town is to check ads in local newspapers and other community areas like post offices and newsagents. If you’re in a larger town or city, there are a number of websites where tutors advertise that ensure a level of legitimacy.

FINDING A GROUP CLASS The search for a group class can be even more baffling, as language schools tend to employ more persuasive marketing tactics than personal tutors and there are a lot more factors to consider. Be clear in your own mind what you’re looking for and you can simplify the search before it even begins. These are the main factors to consider: TYPE OF COURSE The intensity of timetabling varies greatly from course to course. Some schools offer six hours of lessons a day, while others offer a couple of

hours a week. Take into consideration how much time you want to dedicate to your lessons before choosing a course. In terms of class sizes, smaller classes are nearly always preferable, as they ensure you will get more time with the tutor and the class will progress more quickly. Are other cultural activities on offer? - many schools offer other opportunities to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture, including cookery and dance lessons. Some schools operate a ‘20+5’ system, which consists of 20 hours of Spanish lessons a week with five additional hours of ‘extracurricular’ lessons included in the price.

Language work out! Gymglish offers a simple daily step to help learn the lingo, writes Olive Press editor Jon Clarke you have taken the lesson. My series began with a granddaughter flying over for a funeral in Madrid staying at the Hotel Borbollon. It was interesting and entertaining and gave me a great work out on practical language we all use when we travel. There are plenty of cultural and social references to Spanish characters and society and optional spin offs you can immerse yourself in. Best of all, they do a simple test at the end to see if you picked things up… and give you a mark almost immediately. Then you get a reminder the next day on the mistakes you made to remind you not to do them again. I’m proud to say I’m getting

mostly As and Bs, but there is always something I get wrong - and this is an easy and simple way to address it. I’m only on lesson 7 after 2 weeks so, yes, I’m a bit behind. But I’m planning an autumn blitz so by Christmas I can storm into Madrid’s Ministry of Health and insist on a detailed breakdown on the fight against COVID. And for now - all Olive Press readers have a very special back to school deal of an additional 30% discount on all online Spanish courses from September 17 to October 5. In order to benefit from this special offer, simply subscribe to our 15-day free trial

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FOOD & DRINK

September 23rd October 6th 2021

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across

Cooking up a treat

7 They can be common or proper (5) 8 House clearer (7) 10 Most common TV or radio broadcast (3,4) 11 Run off (3,2) 12 Like old videos (6) 14 Wide scarf (5) 16 Oliver Twist’s fence (5) 19 Pines (6) 24 Arranged in stacks (5) 25 Machine-like (7) 26 Unruly SAS well out of it (7) 27 Electrical rectifier (5)

Spanish chefs dominate world’s Best Chef awards

fered by restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. During the pandemic Muñoz launched a successful takeaway service GoXo offering food from his restaurant in Madrid and then expanded to Barcelona. He leapt from number five on the list last year to scoop the top award describing the

CASH BOOST ORIHUELA COSTA is to reap the benefit of Spain’s EU membership by taking advantage of a €3m fund for sustainable tourism in the area. European funds will be available for the Destination Tourism Sustainability project, launched in Orihuela on Tuesday. Mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, along with Mariola Rocamora and Jose Galiano, from Tourism & Transport respectively, presented the project as part of the nationwide call for eco-friendly tourism. Rocamora explained: “With this plan we act from different areas: mobility, nature and heritage.” Focus will also be developed in the improvement of energy efficiency; the digital transition; and competitiveness with other areas. A 17-point master-plan is expected soon, for both Orihuela and Orihuela Costa, which includes popular expat areas such as Playa Flamenca, Cabo Roig and Campoamar. Bascuñana added: “It is an exciting project and very well developed, [it] will bring very important actions for tourism development in the municipality.”

recognition as ‘the greate s t joy’. Muñoz w a s among 15 Spanish chefs named i n the top 100 chefs which included Basque chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, from Mugaritz restaurant, in third place. Joan Roca, one of the brothers behind El Celler de Can Roca in Catalunya, appeared in fourth place and also took home the Science Award.

Down

Named

The team at Barcelona’s Disfrutar - Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas- were jointly recognised in sixth position. Other Spanish chefs named on the top 100 list are Martin Berasategui, (at number 28), Eneko Atxa (31) Paco Roncero (45); Angel Leon (48); Paco Morales (54); Quique Dacosta, (57); Jordi Cruz, (59); Antonio Romero (87); and Diego Guerrero (89).

OP SUDOKU

A SPANISH chef has scooped the top prize in The Best Chef Awards 2021 in a list dominated by Spanish talent. 41 year-old David Muñoz is the owner of Madrid’s three Michelin starred DiverXo collected his award in Amsterdam with a speech that recognised the hardship suf-

1 In the limelight (2,5) 2 Archimedes’ shout of triumph (6) 3 In the wake (6) 4 Roof support (5) 5 Charm (6) 6 Banal (5) 9 Period of watchfulness (5) 13 Hankering (3) 14 Wily (3) 15 Super excited (7) 17 Permit (5) 18 Heavily committed (2,4) 20 Personify (6) 21 Sines and tangents, for example (6) 22 Express words by letters (5) 23 Destroy (5)

All solutions are on page 14

Think of others

Dear Jennifer:

It can be a struggle for the disabled

AM going to start this article with an observation. Unfortunately, for over a year now, I have been struggling with knee problems and I have to be very careful of pavements, steps and access to The Ladies Room, and this part has been a nightmare. How people manage when they are disabled, I just don’t know but I am very shocked at the lack of facilities in so many places. Even just a support bar in the toilets would make so much difference. Can I therefore ask owners of restaurants to check if their facilities are actually easy to use, for those who need it. With the easing of the travel restrictions, I am delighted to be able to inform you that once again I can now offer travel insurance. Unfortunately, the company that we have been dealing with for many years, for some reason has been unable to become Brexit friendly and has withdrawn from the Expat market, which meant I had to find a suitable travel insurance for my clients.

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

STRANGE SIGHTS Pay a visit to eight of the most unusual museums in Spain

PAIN has its fair share of worldclass museums and galleries to visit, but look beyond the major tourist attractions and you will find some small and sometimes frankly bi-

FROM just a single pepper mill, Andrea Ludden grew her collection to what it is today, with over 20,000 pairs of eclectic salt and pepper shakers. Ludden has organised shakers dependent on theme and colour and it’s crazy to see the variety of different pieces from replicas of the beatles to antique pieces from the 1800’s. Head inland from the Costa Blanca to the hilltown of El Castel de Guadalest in Alicante, to visit the collection and spice up your life!

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MELON MUSEUM GENERATIONS of melon farmers belong to Madrid’s Villaconejos and the fruity museum sprouted here acts as an exploration of the history of the area, honouring the fruit itself and its growers. The municipality even hosts its own melon festival in autumn!

IF YOU NEED ANY HELP, JUST CALL US ON 966 461 690, EMAIL INFO@JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET

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THE TORTURE MUSEUM ALTHOUGH there are indeed many torture museums all over the world, this one found in Cantabria’s Santillana del Mar, focuses in on methods used during the Spanish inquisition. There are over 50 gruesome torture instruments on display, from guillotines to iron maidens and chastity belts.

MUSEUM OF EROTIC SCULPTURE ALTHOUGH this is an outdoor sculpture park, this collection of erotic sculptures certainly merits a place on the list. Located throughout the Can Ginebreda woods in Girona, the collection began in 1975 and was sculpted by Xicu Cabanyes. Cabanyes utilises many different materials in order to create his pieces from concrete and stone to recycled objects and scrap metal. His pieces that often prompt a giggle from passers-by, actually hold many deeper meanings. The sculptures act as a celebration of life, connecting intimacy with nature and also incorporating religious symbolism.

Quick Crossword

Down: 1 On stage, 2 Eureka, 3 Astern, 4 Truss, 5 Amulet, 6 Trite, 9 Vigil, 13 Yen, 14 Sly, 15 Psyched, 17 Allow, 18 In deep, 20 Embody, 21 Ratios, 22 Spell, 23 Trash.

AS home to one of the largest known witch trials in history, it is natural that the town of Zugarramurdi in Navarra is also the location of this museum. The museum remembers the 53 victims who were sent to the stake and prison during the trials and explores the history of the myths and folklore surrounding witchcraft.

THE POTTY MUSEUM UNVEILED in 2006 by Jose Maria del Arco Ortíz, this museum is home to over 1,320 different chamber pots, ranging from the 13th to 20th century that were donated by the public and collected by Ortíz himself. Ortíz sadly passed away in 2011, however the town has continued his legacy. If you find yourself in Salamanca’s Ciudad Rodrigo, it’s worth spending a penny.

BESALÚ in La Garrotxa is home to this collection, inaugurated in 2007 by artist and jeweller Lluís Carreras. The museum displays over 5,000 pieces of miniature artwork, with many pieces having to be viewed through a microscope. Some pieces to note are an ant holding an umbrella whilst walking a tightrope and pinocchio and his maker in a peanut shell but there are many more. The collection is very diverse as it receives donations from many different artists.

OP Puzzle solutions Across: 7 Nouns, 8 Remover, 10 The News, 11 Leg it, 12 Grainy, 14 Stole, 16 Fagin, 19 Yearns, 24 Piled, 25 Robotic, 26 Lawless, 27 Diode.

OPENED in Barcelona in the 1970’s by Cristóbal Torra. This seemingly morbid museum displays 19 pieces from the 18th century to the 1950’s including: 13 horse-drawn hearses, 6 accompanying cars and 3 motor hearses. Visitors can marvel at the intricate carriages and take a glimpse into the history of funerals past.

WITCHES MUSEUM

MICROMUNDI MUSEUM OF MINIATURES

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MUSEUM OF FUNERAL CARRIAGES

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zarre collections dotted across the country. Here are eight of the most unusual and fascinating museums to seek out if you are travelling off the beaten track.

MUSEUM OF SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS

This was not an easy task and took some time, but we have found a very good alternative, which matches what we used to be able to offer, and I am delighted. The new policy is very similar to what we are used to and so far the service has been excellent and the prices are very competitive. All the sales consultants have been trained with the new policies and to obtain a quote is the easiest thing to do, with single trip and yearly policies available. I have noticed on the television UK insurance companies adverts and in little print – those awful words - auto renewal. This is quite normal, so unless you are checking your bank statements on a regular basis, you can miss your renewal premium. My company has invested in a renewal department of now very experienced ladies, who contact all my clients on renewal, to check that they understand their cover and inform them of the new premium, which is always very reasonable with Liberty. It is a service which I am very proud of, as it works extremely well.

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Pilgrim lost

FINAL WORDS

POLICE are hot on the trail of a French pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago who vanished along with seven goats, three donkeys and a dog from a ‘secure pound’ where the animals were placed when officers demanded to see paperwork.

Sad addict

A BOY from Castellon (Valencia) has been registered as the first clinical case in the world for video game addiction after he spent 16 hours a day playing Fortnite when he became depressed after his mother died.

Hisssteria POLICE spent two days hunting for a two-metre long boa constrictor which escaped from its tank in Palencia, with neighbours being warned to keep their pets at home in case they became a snack for the slippery reptile.

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It’s no surprise as saddest folk in Spain live in the wettest regions IT will come as no surprise to northern European expats that the Spanish regions that experience the highest rainfall are also the most miserable. A new study has discovered that Galicians, who experience the most rain, are the least happy in the country.

Pig of a plan

RAINING ON HAPPINESS By Amber Edirisinghe

The region, which gets around 75 inches of rainfall a year, is only matched in a lack of happiness by its near neighbour Asturias that gets

Win a home for a song WITH property prices constantly rising one woman has decided to give people the chance to get a house for just €28. The three bedroom two bathroom villa in the historic town of Mula (Murcia) has been home to Colette Copperwhite for 20 years. But now she has decided to pack up and head back home. And instead of selling her property in the traditional way she has decided to put it up for raffle. For £25 a ticket people can not only win the villa but pocket a cash lump sum of £15,000 (€17,450) if enough tickets are sold. A percentage of proceeds from this raffle will be divided between the Spanish and Irish Cancer societies if all tickets are sold. See advert on page 7.

almost as drenched. Meanwhile, sunnier spots, including the Balearic Islands, Andalucia and Valencia are among the happiest in Spain. The most joyous spot of all however is Navarra, with a 7.85 out of 10 rank, closely followed by the Balearics, both dry and sunny areas.

Culture

According to research by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), the southern and north-eastern regions have the most cheerful residents. A colour-coded map by Carlota Albala clearly shows which regions are the happiest. According to the study, the residents of Pamplona, in

Navarra, are the happiest in Spain. The region is known for its rolling countryside and gastronomy as well as its art and culture. Andalucia ranks at a respectable fifth place, with its warm climate and rich cultural history. Valencia ranks sixth with a happiness rating of 7.38 out of 10.

IT has stood firm against hordes of marauding Moors and columns of crusading Christans. And at one time it was the base for legendary Spanish knight El Cid. But the fearsome fortress of Gormaz, in Soria, is now under attack from a more unconventional, and decidedly smellier, enemy. It comes after plans for a nearby pig farm were passed, allowing 4,000 swine into the nearby valley. The move has sent a hastily raised militia of ecologists, architects and history lovers to the battlements. Only a kilometre from the castle - the largest fortress in Europe when constructed in 965 - the pig farm will understandably pollute the area with its smells. Green group Ecologistas en Action, in particular, cite the health risk caused by 2,000 sqm of slurry. Now the battle is on to ensure that the 28-tower fortress, that was once a strategic stronghold for the Caliphate of Cordoba, repels this latest repugnant assault.