Costa Blanca South Olive Press - Issue 23 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 1 Issue 23 www.theolivepress.es September 17th - September 30th 2020

It’s still magic across the water... but is Ibiza finally affordable for a holiday? See page 12

Living in fear

NOTHING is in place to stop a repeat of the devastating floods that happened a year ago. That is the verdict of a high-profile Costa Blanca mayor as experts met up at the National Flood Congress in Orihuela. A gota fria (cold drop) storm over the weekend of September 12 to 15 last year wiped out towns and villages across The

OLIVSES PRE

Urgent action needed as flood aid fails to arrive a year on from the fatal gota fria storms of last September

still not received aid that was promised from the regional government soon after the natural disaster. But urgent aid has failed to arrive in many areas, with the President of the PPCV party

By Simon Wade

Isabel Bonig also slamming the regional and national authorities. Paying tribute to the victims

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DEVASTATING: And how demands for €80m of aid were reported in our first issue last November form a

Opinion

page 6

at an Almoradi event, she de- Olive Press, the Liverpudlian manded it was not allowed to who now lives in Formentera happen again. del Segura, said: “The uncer“We must use all the means at tainty became an all encomour disposal to prevent a simi- passing factor in the fear. lar catastrophe from happening “We saw the devastation further again,” she upstream said. with the The PPCV Segura president bursting called for its banks THE heroes who helped save ‘more will’ and taking lives and property during the on the part away enfatal 2019 Vega Baja floods of the natire villaghave been recognised. tional and es. Almoradi council has unregional au“When veiled a plaque at its ‘ground thorities to Heradades zero’, where the Segura River sort out the was floodbroke its retaining walls and situation. ed out, we overflowed into the town. She addknew ForThe inscription reads: "In ed that the mentera recognition of all the heroes money was del Segura who, in one way or another, needed to was next. helped alleviate the consealleviate “Miracquences of the floods that ‘so much ulously, devastated our town from suffering’ the floods September 12 to 15, 2019." because the stopped entire Vega less than a Baja needs mile from investments. our front door. Since then, it’s Expat Peter Corner, 59, yester- only natural to take serious noday recalled the events – and tice of every weather warning. the fear - of the DANA and does “I just hope that all our good not want to have to live through luck didn’t run out in Septemthe same again. Talking to the ber 2019.”

Local heroes

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the Vega Baja region, killing seven people and causing millions of euros of devastation. “Yet we are still in fear as the urgent works have still not been done,” said the mayor of Orihuela, Emilio Bascuñana. He added: “The reality is we don’t have infrastructure to prevent floods from happening again.” He revealed that Orihuela has

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Temper temper A 15-year-old girl was taken into care after her mother slapped her in the face and hit her on the head with her mobile phone on a Murcia street.

Waste want not ORIHUELA has opposed the installation of a waste plant in Torremendo on the grounds that it could lead to uncontrolled dumping of livestock waste, leading to soil contamination

Safer play ROJALES has spent over €44,000 on improving the safety and security of playgrounds throughout its four parks and elsewhere.

Extension ALICANTE council has allowed bars and restaurants to extend their terrace areas and to open earlier to try to boost custom.

Angry teen AN 18-year-old Denia man was arrested for vandalising a home owned by a man who called the police about an illegal outdoor party.

Dirty cops

A JUDGE is probing a police spying network that allegedly aimed to protect high-ranking politicians from a corruption investigation. The surveillance operation, including wiretaps, was set up by former National Police chief Jose Villarejo to spy against disgraced PP party treasurer Luis Barcenas. It aimed to hide secret bank accounts and payments to national and regional politicians in the Gurtel corruption scandal. Under the scheme senior politicians in Madrid and in the Valencia Region were handed millions in black money in return for building licences. The move comes as two senior Madrid politicians were also accused of being involved in the spying operation. The judge believes Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez and PP secretary general Maria Dolores de Cospedal asked Villarejo to ‘carry out tasks paid for with PP funds.’

Former police boss facing jail term after findings discovered he ran 20 year spying operation

KEY MEN: Barcenas (from left) Villarejo and Rajoy By Jon Clarke

Villarejo, who has been held in custody since 2017, allegedly made millions from the cloakand-dagger black operations he ran for 20 years. His spying network allegedly kept tabs on judges, politicians,

Bloody nuisance AN IRATE patient at a Valencia hospital threatened to kill a doctor. The Spaniard, 23, also threatened two police officers on the ward, after nurses bandaged his hand, but then told him to wait as they needed to see patients that had more serious needs. The man then started shouting in the waiting room and removed his bandage with his blood dripping on the floor. He then threatened a doctor and said that ‘he would slash his neck and wait for him outside to kill him’, He was finally arrested on multiple charges including making threats and public disorder.

journalists and businessmen. Court documents show that Villarejo and other senior cops persuaded the Barcenas family chauffeur – a policeman named Sergio Rios – to aid them. The Gurtel operation was launched after El Pais newspaper revealed that the PP party ran a parallel bookkeeping system to keep track of hidden funds, in 2013. The party’s then-treasurer Barcenas, now in prison for 30 years, oversaw his party’s illegal donation scheme, millions of which were kept in Swiss bank accounts. After a five year investigation, dozens of businessmen and politicians, including Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, were linked to the corruption case, leading to a vote of no confidence in the government.

September 17th - September 30th 2020

Expat paedo snared A BRITISH man is set to be extradited to the UK over sexually exploiting children. The 65-year-old was arrested in Alicante where he had arranged an appointment to get residency documents. A computer check revealed that he was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant and he has been transferred to Madrid for an extradition hearing.

LEGAL DISGRACE A BOGUS lawyer is accused of stealing €311,000 from a trusting client in the Valencian Community. The Guardia Civil arrested a 33-year-old woman from Castellon on fraud charges after getting a complaint from a female resident of Oropesa del Mar. The fake solicitor used the money to buy a property in her native Tunisia as well as pumping in the cash to improve her Spanish home and a hotel business. The victim split her time between Spain and Egypt, and needed help with a number of bureaucratic procedures in Spain, as she did not speak Spanish. She hooked up with the fake lawyer, who promised to work on her behalf. As her client spent lengthy periods in Egypt she was given access to her passwords to her bank accounts.

Trucking stupid A DRUNK lorry driver who wanted early retirement is most likely to spend a lot of it in prison. The Catalan driver downed enough booze to put him five times over the limit, then called cops and demanded he be given a breath test. The 56-year-old, from Barcelona, was parked on the AP-68 in La Rioja when he made his call. He told cops he had got drunk because he wanted to be sacked as he was after early retirement on state benefits. He added that if he was not arrested, he would continue his journey and cause an accident. Police arrived on the scene where he pleaded to be detained. He now faces multiple charges and certain prison.

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September 17th - September 30th 2020

Artful Dodger HE was one of the most audacious crooks in British history. And now the story of how a working class northerner climbed into London’s National Gallery to pilfer a painting by Spanish master Goya has been turned into a film. The movie ‘The Duke’, which was immortalised at the Venice Film Festival this month, retells the incredible swinging sixties yarn about how the painting, the Duke, was stolen. Made by Notting Hill director Roger Michell it stars Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. MISSING: Goya masterpiece

A-listers assemble HE’S best known as Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary. Now British superstar Colin Firth is set to grace the boardwalks of San Sebastian for the world premiere of his new film Supernova alongside Stanley Tucci. It has been over a decade since Firth last attended the famous film festival in 2008, when he walked the red carpet for the first screening of Genova, directed by English filmmaker Michael Winterbottom. Firth was praised for his role as a mourning father in the drama and similar success is likely for the King’s Speech actor this year. When a state of alarm was announced in Spain in March, Firth was filming a new film Operation Mincemeat in Malaga alongside Kelly Macdonald. So, the A-lister has multiple motivations to make his return to Spain.

See Double Take on page 8

Got the message

An unlikely overseas friendship has been sparked after an American bottle landed in Spain By Kirsty McKenzie

WHEN a busy dad with wanderlust Jerry Whitt died suddenly in 2018, his wife Mary was determined that he would finally get his chance to travel the world. So she lovingly placed the American’s ashes into a bottle with a note and dropped him into the Atlantic Ocean from their favourite holiday retreat in Florida and waved farewell one last time.

And to her surprise, two years later she received a phone call from a Spanish family who had found Jerry on a beach almost 5,000 miles away.

ISOLATED: Leonor is now quarantined

Movers international

E U R O P E LT D

Now, after a series of letters and calls, the American is hoping to come and visit the Alvarez family, who found the bottle on Praia de Razo, in Carballo, Galicia. “I decided to put Jerry’s ashes in a bottle, and his picture and a note,” said Mary, from her home in Kentucky. “I thought that this would be a good way that he could travel.” She is now delighted that the Alvarez family are to spread Jerry’s ashes in the north of Spain. Mary said: “It touched all of our hearts. It’s just so heartwarming and touching that they are this good to us.” Jerry’s daughter Emilee added: “I think he would be so excited to think that we have friends in Spain now. “We talk often and he would have absolutely loved that.”

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FASHIONISTAS have flocked to Madrid fashion week. The 72nd edition of the event went ahead without a hitch from COVID-19. Famed for showcasing national designers, this year it teamed up with Amazon to give more visibility to everyone from independent to medium-sized fashion designers. It means users at home can shop straight off the runway and everyone could be in the front row this year.

FOUND: Ashes discovered on beach

Princess in isolation fears HEIR to the Spanish throne princess Leonor has been placed in quarantine. It comes after Leonor’s classmate at Santa Maria de los Rosales school in Madrid was diagnosed with COVID-19. The eldest daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia will now have to self isolate for 14 days within the Zarzuela Palace and be monitored closely for symptoms. The rest of her class are now in isolation as well as her younger sister princess Sofia.

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Boardwalk revamp WORK on a major boardwalk revamp on the southern shores of the Mar Menor could start early next year. The project will go out to tender over the next few weeks after a long campaign from residents wanting improvements on the paseo in Los Urrutias. Some €1.4 million is to be spent on the overhaul after a final plan was put out for public consultation in January 2019.

Raising a stink

PLANS to build a manure processing factory have caused a stink among residents and environmentalists. The proposed plant in Torremendo, on the Murcia-Alicante border will convert 96,000 tons of chicken and cow manure into fertiliser

Cash hotline SELF-EMPLOYED people and companies that work in telesales have been given a COVID-19 cash boost. Finance is now available in Murcia to buy telephone and other equipment to facilitate an improved work-life balance during the pandemic. The aid available is €1.5 million, with a maximum amount of €15,000 available to each beneficiary. The grants, co-financed with ERDF funds, are non-refundable and will contribute to 50% of the eligible costs for medium-sized companies, 65% for small companies and 85% for the self-employed.

Plans to convert 96,000 tons of imanure into fertiliser By Alex Trelinski

for farms each year. A pair of environmental groups, Amigos de Sierra

Plans ahead

Escalona and Ecologistas en Accion have voiced their opposition to the 13 hectare indoor plant. “The plans are an outrage,” said Carlos Arribas from Amigos de Sierra Escalona. “A vile stench will hit an area of several kilometres affecting residents with increased problems with flies.” Leader of nearby Zeneta Salvador Canovas vowed to launch a series of protests over the project.

Protests

TORREVIEJA is to launch a ten-point plan to revive tourism in the resort. Strategies are being set in conjunction with the University of Alicante. The Tourist Enclave Project will be divided into five phases with consultation and implementation stages to start between now and November 2020.

“We are going to try to stop this development by using everything in our power. We will stage protests if we have to,” he said. A spokesman for the company behind the project, Grupo Lucas, said that the plant is different to a landfill site which residents had previously campaigned against. He added that ‘everything had been done within the law’ and it would be down to the regional authorities to make a decision.

September 17th - September 30th 2020

Prison at last A GROUP of businessmen have been jailed after being convicted of a €9.6 million tax fraud. The eight Costa Blanca men have also been ordered to pay back double what they embezzled. Meanwhile ringleader Angel Fenoll was handed a 30-month jail term by an Orihuela court

Talks demand TORREVIEJA Hospital workers are staging five-minute strikes every Thursday until they have talks with Valencian health minister, Ana Barcelo. Unions are worried about staffing levels when the hospital returns to public management in October 2021 and say they’ve had no reply from Barcelo in spite of four requests to meet her. Torrevieja Hospital and the local health department is currently managed by the private contractor Ribera Salud.

It’s time to take control of your financial future! Chorus Financial’s Senior Partner Tracy Storer and I have a combined 15 years giving financial advice here in Spain. We’ve seen it all and our industry has certainly evolved during those years. We’ve seen countless advisers come and go, and it’s true to say that Chorus have been largely responsible for the short careers of many an IFA (independent financial adviser) here in Spain. The truth is, when we opened Chorus the vast majority of firms here were recruiting advisers on the promise of huge commissions and questionable sales practices. Almost none of them had experience as an IFA, and even less had anything that would resemble a recognisable qualification. So, they arrived in Spain looking forward to raking in huge amounts of commissions, only to find that Chorus Financial had begun a marketing campaign against hidden fees and poor practice that would go on to be recognised Europe-wide, earning Chorus many awards and accolades. We’ve seen advisers of these firms drop off like flies over the years, leaving Tracy and I amongst Spain’s longest serving financial advisers. The reality is that running a successful financial services business involves a long journey, not short-term targets. Companies like Chorus survive and thrive not by taking huge commissions, but by building up a loyal and happy client-base over many

years. This is why during this CV19 pandemic Chorus have been able to maintain our usual high standard of client service and industry leading portfolio performance. Because we have a long-term, client focussed business model, rather than one that relies on making huge fees each and every month to survive. What do you want and need as a client of a financial advisory firm? Do you want to know your adviser is m a k i n g every decision based 100% on putting you first? Do you want to know that your adviser is fighting to get you the lowest possible fees and the highest quality solutions as possible? Well, with the Chorus model that is guaranteed. We only take a low, transparent up-

front fee, rather than a huge hidden commission, so we are absolutely aligned with your long-term goals from day one. By ensuring the needs of our clients are always put first, we also align the needs of our business by keeping our clients over the long term. This is a truly symbiotic relationship, and the only way a financial services company should operate. If your adviser has consistently put their needs ahead of yours, tied you into expensive products for years on end and put you into funds that paid them commissions (likely without you even knowing), then they have acted against your best interests. Forget the annual reviews, the friendly coffees and chats, most of this is just a sales spiel they have been trained for.The reality is, they have placed your financial

for committing five crimes against Spain’s tax authorities in 2005 and 2006. Fenoll, will have to pay back €8.6m, after being found guilty of issuing fake tax receipts while he ran the Colsur and Proambiente waste collection companies. His co-defendants all received up to two years in prison after filing fake IVA and corporation tax returns. One petrol station alone invoiced €1.7m in 396 bogus invoices. It comes after prosecutors in Alicante launched an appeal after Fenoll was cleared of bribery to win a waste disposal contract from Orihuela council. In the so-called Brugal Case, Fenoll and 33 co-defendants, including two ex-mayors, were acquitted by an Elche court in June. It was the biggest-ever corruption case heard in Alicante Province. In 2016, Fenoll was cleared of tax fraud charges to the tune of €4.5 million, in 2003. The case collapsed after the court ruled that the way the investigation had been conducted ‘violated the fundamental rights of the accused’.

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By Sam Kelly DipPFS, EFA, BA (Hons). Managing Partner, Chorus Financial long-term security at risk for their own selfish gains, and you should not continue to reward this. It is time to reconsider your financial future, and put yourself in proven, trusted hands. Chorus offers you the opportunity to take real control of your financial goals and outcomes, and build a long-term, transparent and honest relationship with your financial adviser. Whether you’re looking for a new solution, or have an existing plan, for example a QROPs, SIPP, or Spanish Compliant Bond from providers like Prudential, STM, Quilter PLC (formally OMI), SEB or Lombard International, it’s time to take control today. Call me direct on +34 664 398 702, email s.kelly@chorusfinancial.es or visit www. chorusfinancial.es for more information.

The advisers trading as Chorus Financial are members of OpesFidelio and authorised to give financial advice subject to contract in parts of the EEA, including Spain, CNMV No Registro Oficial 3970. OpesFidelio is a trademarked network of the Aisa Group which includes Aisa Financial Planning Ltd and Aisa International s.r.o. Aisa Financial Planning is authorised and regulated in the UK as an independent financial adviser for UK retail clients by the Financial Conduct Authority, Reference number: 189652, and has permissions throughout the EEA under both directives IDD and MiFID. Aisa International s.r.o. is authorised and regulated in the Czech Republic as a financial adviser by the Czech National Bank and has permissions through selected EEA countries, including Spain.

Investment contracts are intended as medium to long term investments, and all investments have some level of risk. Figures in our articles are examples of what can be achieved and cannot be guaranteed; the value of your investments can go down as well as up. Fees and charges can vary and will be fully explained to you before any advice can take place. This article should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular product.

965 641 163

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NEWS

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Much too much POLICE raided a restaurant in Spain and found a 20-strong group of British diners breaking capacity and distancing rules. The Policia Local got a tipoff that coronavirus protocols were being flouted at the Chinese diner in Puerto de Mazarron (Murcia). They paid it a visit and took a photo of the illegally setout tables. Up to six people are allowed to dine indoors as a group and a safe distance is mandated between tables. The restaurant faces a fine of up to €4,000 for those infractions as well as others including the availability of menu folders.

No protection POLICE have recovered over three million items of COVID-19 protective gear after the largest theft of its kind in Spain. In total, 2.4 million pairs of gloves were recovered, along with 800,000 surgical masks and 100,000 further masks. The items, worth €700,000, were about to be resold on the black market having been stolen from a warehouse in Madrid. During a police raid, stolen televisions and cold meats were also discovered at another warehouse south of the city. So far five men have been arrested.

September 17th - September 30th 2020

Hopping in WE’VE had to put up with the Germans bagging the sunbeds. Now it’ll be the French grabbing all the best tables. When it comes to tourism in Spain, Britain’s Gallic neighbour – and traditional arch rival - has overtaken the UK. For the first time in decades – possibly since Napoleon’s troops swept through Spain before meeting their Waterloo with Wellington – French visitors have outnumbered Brits. To make it even worse, the Germans have also overtaken the UK when it comes to the number of tourists landing on Spanish shores. Just 378,000 Brits visited Spain in July when the UK government imposed quaran-

Zut Alors! Brits forced to relinquish tourist top spot to our Gallic neighbours

NEWS IN BRIEF Hash smash TWO Guardia Civil agents were injured outside Murcia City when a lorry carrying 180 kilos of marijuana crashed into their car during a chase.

Big hitter AN ALICANTE motorist hit six parked cars on a city street and drove off before being arrested by the Policia Local.

By Dilip Kuner

tine restrictions on returning visitors… or a paltry 18% of the 2.2 million who arrived in July 2019. By comparison, French visitors numbered 597,000 – still a big drop from the 1.43 million seen in the same month last year. Second spot in the ranking went to the 432,302 Germans who visited, compared to 1.24 million the previous year. It is a historic reversal of trends – but perhaps a ray of light for the hard-hit Costa Blanca tour-

Mask raid FRENCH INVASION: Gallic visitors take top spot ism industry. Some 80% of French holidaymakers arrive in Spain by road meaning the Costa Blanca is

Cheap as chips

within easy reach for many. With Catalunya – long a favourite for the French – put out of bounds due to coronavirus outbreaks, many kept on driving into the Valencia region. The figures for August have yet to be released.

A FOOD truck once owned by General Franco has been served up at auction for just €3,200. The vehicle that served the former dictator for 36 years was previously valued at €30,000. The Ford 817 T, rumoured to be gifted to Franco by Henry Ford in 1937, was used by the fascist leader as a dining car during the Civil War. It was bought by Asturias businessman Jorge Sandoval after Madrid company Desguaces La Torre went bankrupt and was forced to get rid of its fleet of historic cars.

And with the UK government unlikely to remove the current, strict travel restrictions on visitors to Spain, it could put Britain’s annual tourism top spot in danger of being eclipsed too. So if Britons are ever to emulate Wellington’s heroics and usurp the French, they will probably have to wait until next year.

Heroics

AN 18-year old man got a four month jail sentence for stealing a mask from a Murcia supermarket and threatening security guards with a knife.

Beach death A WOMAN died of a suspected heart attack last Saturday after she went for a morning walk at La Estaca beach on the Orihuela Costa.

Radar alert NEW lightweight mobile speed traps appeared on Torrevieja´s roads this week with 20 police agents trained up to use them.

NEWS FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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 Hollow promises A YEAR has passed since the devastating DANA storm swept the Costa Blanca and Murcia. Heroic efforts by police, firefighters, council workers and everyday citizens saved many lives. But there was only so much they could do against the implacable force of nature., which claimed seven lives. Politicians were swift to pledge their help, support and more vitally cash. There is no doubt that emergency funding was relatively swift to arrive to ensure the most basic of human needs – shelter, food, medical aid – were met. But as is so often the case, it seems the Vega Baja region and much of Murcia suffer from what might be called ‘out of sight, out of mind’ syndrome. Promises to upgrade infrastructure to minimise the risk of a repeat of those desperate days are starting to sound hollow. As our front page shows, local politicians are getting more and more frustrated at the lack of regional and national government action. They need help – and we hope they get it soon – the sooner the better. No one deserves to be living in fear.

T started as a Cold War tale of intrigue involving a spy, international headlines and appearances from Robert and Edward Kennedy. It ended when a shepherd in a remote backwater of Spain discovered a decomposing corpse in a gulley. The mystery man could only be identified from documents found in a nearby wallet. Guardia Civil decided the body was that of 48-year-old Vladimir Kazan-Komarek – an American citizen of Czech descent. The year was 1972, with Spain still under the thumb of fascist dictator Francisco Franco and the world in the depths of the Cold War. The location was the now bustling - then sleepy - town of Estepona on the Costa del Sol. Kazan-Komarek had first

Cold war MYSTERY

A documentary is studying the enigma of spy Vladimir Kazan-Komarek, 50 years since his death, writes Dilip Kuner come to public attention six years previously when he became embroiled in a spy scandal that would not have been out of place in the pages of a John le Carré thriller. It involved the shadowy world

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

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Isha Sesay isha.sesay@hotmail.com

Lydia Spencer-Elliott lydia@theolivepress.es

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Admin Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

Office manager Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

Newsdesk: 0034 951 273

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AWARDS

2016 - 2020 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2020

Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

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RECEPTION: Robert Kennedy greets Kazan-Komarek

of espionage and high level diplomatic negotiations. Now, a French documentary team is looking into the mystery death of the American, trying to piece together his intriguing life. What was known was that on October 31, 1966, when Vladimir was returning from a travel agents’ conference in Moscow, the Soviet airliner on which he was traveling — supposedly on a nonstop flight to Paris —was diverted to Prague for ‘mechanical reasons’. It has never been proven that the flight was deliberately diverted at the behest of Czechoslo-

vakia, but the authorities certainly grabbed their chance to lay their hands on the suspected spy. He was hauled off the plane and charged with setting up and operating an underground espionage and terrorist network in the communist country between 1948 to 1950. They also held him responsible for the death of a policeman. Press reports from the Czechoslovak media had previously identified him as an agent for US Army Counterintelligence. A prisoner of the Nazis during World War II, Kazan-Komerak had worked for the US army in Germany in 1945 and 1946, before he returned to his home country. But when the communists took control, he fled Czechoslovakia in 1948 and lived in Paris before moving to the US in 1953. There he faded into the background, marrying a noted beauty, fathering five children and becoming a US citi-

TIEd up in Red Tape

It’s a bureacratic joke as I still can’t get my NIE after two months of trying By Lydia Spencer-Elliott

TIME passes at varying speeds: you age slower in a spaceship but faster when in the queue at the extranjeria office in Spain… A whole month has elapsed since I last wrote of my seemingly endless quest for a TIE residencia card. Since then I have mentally decayed faster than a peach in the Spanish sun … transformed from my prime (24) to the metaphorical autumn of my life, rotted by bureaucracy and fermenting with fury. Concerned that my A-level Spanish was insufficient for the task, a native speaker with five years experence in a legal firm called several official offices on my behalf to identify our next port of call on this marathon mission. “I’ll be honest, we don’t know the steps anymore, ” she was told. “Because of COVID and Brexit, everything has changed.” After another fruitless appointment at the police station in Estepona, some pleading and a borderline refusal to leave until we had more information than ‘no se’, we were handed the next clue in the treasure hunt: a website link. Into the search bar it went and three clicks later our appointment in Malaga was secured. Things surely had to work out differently on the fourth try. The instruc-

LONG WAIT: Lydia is still battling Spain’s infamous red tape tions had come straight from the horse’s mouth and, to mix metaphors, we knew better than to inspect the teeth of this gift horse too closely. Wrong decision, we discovered on our arrival in the city. “They told you the wrong thing,” said a genuinely sympathetic member of staff. “The appointment you need can only be booked on the phone. You have to come back another day.” It turns out lucky expats who secured residencia before July 6 are not required by law to obtain any new documents. But if, like me, you arrived after this critical date, the road to residencia is long, winding and may cause stress-induced alopecia. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Will our fifth attempt turn out to be the charm that works …or a one way ticket to an asylum? Watch this space.

September 17th September 30th 2020

www.theolivepress.es

Olive Press online NEWS FEATURE

September 2nd - September 15th 2020 ‘Spain’s best English news website’

Bringing you the news SAFEGUARDING REAL NEWS After two years of rapid expansion, the Olive Press announces an online pay wall

S the Olive Press approaches its 15th anniversary it’s a good time to take stock of what we have experienced down the years. But even more important is to take the lessons we have learned as Spain’s only English language investigative newspaper and apply them for the next 15 years. Back in 2006 when a small but dedicated band launched the very first issues out of Ronda we couldn’t have dreamed how much we would expand in the coming years. A move to our head office in Sabinillas near Esteponsa proved to be a key move and within a few short years we went from covering all of Andalucia to launching editions in Gibraltar, Mallorca and the Costa Blanca North and

South. But perhaps the biggest change has been the rise of the internet as the medium through which we can reach a hugely expanded audience. We have striven to provide engaging, well researched and original content, with regularly over 20 stories and features a day. This has involved a heavy investment in the most important factor for any news organisation – the staff. Our dozens of fully-trained, NCTJ-qualified reporters have uncovered hundreds of exclusives which would make many a ‘bigger’ media group proud. It helps that many of our team have worked at UK national newspapers, including Dilip Kuner at the Sunday Mirror, Kirsty McKenzie at The Daily

Olive Press online ‘SPAIN’S BEST ENGLISH NEWS WEBSITE’

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: Benidorm officials say 130 million 1-demolition bill for illegal towers is not in the public interest (30,996) Village engulfed in mammoth fire on Spain’s Costa del Sol (27,542) 2- Laguna Levante Beach to end 3- Benidorm’s restrictions this Monday as domestic tourist season ends (24,402)

PRAGUE: Kazan-Komarek (inset) was imprisoned behind the Ironfrom Curtain - Terrifying footage inside Laguna

zen, all while settling into life as a travel agent. Life seemed to be going well until he made his fateful Moscow trip. In Prague he was charged with high treason and espionage. During the Kazan-Komarek trial in 1967, the most serious charges that he had been an American intelligence agent were quietly dropped after an intense diplomatic campaign by the US government. He was instead convicted on lesser charges of subversive activities against the Czechoslovakian state and jailed for eight years. His rapid release was brought about largely through the intervention of Senator Edward Kennedy, whose brother Robert was present when Kazan-Komarek’s flight touched down on American soil. Once safely back in the US, Vladimir admitted that the charges against him were partly true. He had helped people escape from Czechoslovakia, believing that he was working for French intel-

ligence. Subsequent investigations found he was being rather modest with the truth. It is believed that he was one of the most important agents for the French Secret Service (SDECE). And that he returned to the other side of the Iron Curtain to organise a network to rescue people threatened with death or prison for their resistance against the regime’s dictatorship. The network was liquidated by communist police and Kazan-Komarek alone managed to make it back to the West after a shoot-out with border guards. Seriously injured, he returned to Paris and spent several months in hospital. While the case caused a sensation at the time, Vladimir faded into the background. He severed ties with the Harvard Travel Service, of which he had been president. Then in 1971 he left his wife and five children in Wellesley, Massachusetts and disappeared to Europe. In November that year he re-

Village fire on Spain’s Costa del Sol (21,677)

Fire at Estepona’s Laguna Village: surfaced in Estepona where zan-Komerak through the(19,212) pictures from the scene 5-Exclusive he lived alone in a small flat. documents found nearby, toGet in touch a today at sales@theolivepress.es Guardia Civil investigators gether with key to his front or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote said he led a normal life, door. passing his time writing a Strangely, the US authorities book about flying. in Spain failed to inform his He made friends with expat widow of the death. That was Americans and was due to fly left to the Canadian couple to the US with a he had been Canadian couset to travple when he disel with some The mystery appeared. months earlier. On June 5, US State Deof his life and 1972, the Unitpartment offideath have ed States concials said there sulate in Sevilla was no indicanever been was informed tion that Kaquite forgotten z a n - Ko m a r e k by Samuel Berman, an Amerimight still have can living in Esbeen involved tepona, that Kazan-Komarek in intelligence work, and inhad been missing since May sisted he had not been em11. ployed by any United States The authorities discounted intelligence agency. And the report after being in- there the matter rested. formed he had been seen in But the mystery of his life the first week of June. But a and death has never quite body was discovered on Sep- been forgotten. There are tember 7 in a hillside gully on still people who wonder if the a farm outside Estepona. body truly was his and why A Marbella court decid- he should have given up a ed there were no signs of successful career and large foul play and confirmed family to disappear into what the corpse’s identity as Ka- was, at the time, a remote backwater of a country living under a dictatorship. Now, nearly 50 years on, a French documentary team led by Karel Prokop and Laurence Guyot is trying to unravel the mystery of Kazan-Komarek’s death and is looking for anyone who knew him, or had heard any stories about the man of mystery. Their ultimate ambition is to solve the enigma of Kazan-Komarek - and find answers to the puzzle that briefly thrust the quiet town of Estepona into world headlines.

SLEEPY: The quiet backwater of Estepona found itself at the centre of world headlines

You can approach the film makers through us by emailing newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Yes, those subscribi see a 90% drop in p and adverts being se every time you want t up on your favourite news site in Spain. And a fringe benefit our print editions wil main free, just as they have been. We are sure that ou readers will continue port us. After all, w asked for donations us provide news dur lockdown nearly 10 them rallied to the cau And we in turn have gotten these genero loyal readers. Anyon donated €25 or more a free subscription for while anyone who ga €10 or €20 will get t two months free. We thank them and l ward to welcoming many new subscriber coming years as we to maintain our posi Spain’s premier Engl guage news site.

T the Olive Press, there are few things Olive Press is following in the upgrades to an even better footstepsthan of The Times, Tele- unparalleled we love more a good story. news service. graph and New York Times respected Spanish pizza daiSure, ourand print night run and coflies such as El Mundo, El Pais Less adverts fee from andour Diario Sur to introduce a and pop ups pay wall. favourite corner And cafe it is extremely positive news. For, by charging just Best of all, anyone joining might be up there €4.99 -a month (or €49 a will find the service so much year) we can dramatically in- easier and cleaner to use, but the only thing crease investment employing with only one advert allowed Please contact us a more journalists and writers per story and a much simpler, desk@theolivepre that really beats for any questions to provide a news service that faster loading time. the thrill of setting the agenda and breaking the bigTO celebrate the biggest relaunch in the Olive cription to the new site, while a third r gest news stories Press is website’s history we are giving readers a will scoop a six month subscription. chance to win prizes in our 3-2-1 competition. Our first place winner will get to stay Top prize for one lucky reader will be a two-ni- stunning La Perla De Torrenueva villa hearing from our readers. ght stay and gourmet dinner in a luxurious vi- which comes complete with its own p lla onlisten the Costa del located between Marbella and Mij When you talk, we - Sol. whether it is pool when Second place will get a free 12-month subs- Set in an enclosed complex of eight vill rroundedof by lush gardens, the villa has you’re sharing your enthusiasm, differences tacular views over the Mediterranean, to Gibraltar and the Rif Mountains of Moro opinion or pointing us in the direction of an unThe lucky winner will also get to enjoy vateyou. three-course dinner cooked by F earthed story, we always love to hear from chef Joffrey Charles, who is well know coast. And receiving your feedback on the newthe payLa Perla villa complex (www.laperlade nueva.com) manages three exclusive wall is no exception. bedroom villas, a cottage, an apartmen an ensuite We’ve been thrilled with the uptake so far andbedroom and would be ide corporate groups and seminars. we hope you are equally delighted to be getting To enter the competition visit our we www.theolivepress.es top quality journalism for as little as €5.99 a month - or even better value at €59 a year. However, as your comments reminded us, not everyone can afford to pay, which is why we are happy to announce we will be offering a 50% discount to all pen- sioners and students. To those of you who have already subscribed, thank you. When you pay for journalism, you are paying for people who really excel at storytelling to do the work they love and the job they were trained to do. We are not working for clicks, we are working to bring you the biggest breaking news stories, the most important campaigns and the agenda setting content that has made us Spain’s only English language investigative paper and website. But we pay for our own late-night coffee runs. Promise.

Record and Jon Clarke at the Mail on Sunday, while our Costa Blanca reporter Alex Trelinski worked for many years at the BBC. This highly experienced group of journalists help to bring our young trainees through, showing them how to stand up stories and how to find and develop the many entertaining features that go into the Olive Press. And it takes a lot of resources. Historically our business model relied mostly on advertising, allowing our papers and website to be freely accessed at all times. But one thing the coronavirus crisis has taught us is that to rely on advertising alone is too slender a reed to hang our entire business on. While confident that businesses in Spain will bounce back from the present crisis as they have in the past, our thoughts have turned on how to guarantee our next 15 years as Spain’s leading English news outlet. Sure, we could go down the easy route and just translate what is in the Spanish news. That is cheap and easy to do, but offers no value to the reader. We prefer to employ real journalists and writers to look behind the headlines and come up with original content. This is why from this week the

WIN A LUXURY ROMANTIC BREA

www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

woman arrested after lying that €140 had 1- British been illegally withdrawn from her bank account (21,901) British expat on Spain's Costa del 2-SolEXCLUSIVE: has card details hacked losing nearly €500, but bank refuses to refund amount (20,363) Police in UK and Spain reopen case 3- ofEXCLUSIVE: Costa del Sol bar owner who vanished 27 years ago (18,001) Two arrested in Benidorm after robbing foreign 4-cars at ‘40 golf courses’ across Spain’s Costa Blanca (17,958) From June 8 you can travel throu5- BREAKING: ghout whole of Spain's Andalucia, Government announces (14,853)

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote

LA CULTURA Double Take

September 17th - September 30th 2020

They dig it

SEVERAL ancient walls were uncovered by workers in Orihuelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medieval City. The find is believed to be part of a fortified enclosure from the Islamic period of the city. A 50 metre ditch was being excavated in order to bury electricity lines throughout the streets in and around Calle Ros at the foot of Sierra de San Miguel. Historical Heritage councillor, Rafael Almagro, stated the remains could be, â&#x20AC;&#x153;part of a wall that goes from the Tower of EmbergoĂąes to the Sanctuary of Monserrate.â&#x20AC;? Only a few months ago, remains of the same wall were found on Calle Santa LucĂa. The combined finds are being documented, photographed and georeferenced to complem ent the works of the Master Plan of the Castle and Walls. Historical Heritage representative, Inmaculada Reina, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once documented, they will be covered and protected in order to continue with the works.â&#x20AC;? Monitoring will continue to find out how and where these finds may develop in the city.

SPAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S top film festival opens this month with the premiere of a Woody Allen film about itself. Shot in the city last year, the action in Rifkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival starring Elena Anaya and Louis Garrel is set during festival week. It tells the story of a married American couple seduced by the magic of the Basque

San Sebastian Film Festival to headline controversial Woody Allen film about sex in its own city city and the fantasy of the event (she has an affair with a French movie director, he falls in love with a Spanish woman). Amid sexual assault allega-

tions towards the American director, the selection of the rom-com to launch the programme hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t passed without controversy. However, Allen, 84, will not

attend the festival himself, due to coronavirus fears. Running from September

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig

Finding out what makes life worth living

etween life and death there is a libraryâ&#x20AC;Śand every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nora Seed has lived her life trying to please others, however, her own life has left her feeling desperate and suicidal. When she finds herself in the midnight library, she finds that all her possible lives are stored in books, all the different scenarios had she made different decisions and choices along the way. Nora gets the opportunity to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;try onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; different versions of her own life, from rock star to Olympic athlete, to glaciologist, but ultimately Nora must decide what makes life worth living for her. Nietzsche meets Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Wonderful Life meets Doctor Who in this poignant, nuanced and eloquent new novel from the masterful Matt Haig.

â&#x201A;Ź19.90 The Bookshop San Pedro, www.thebookshop.es

18-26 and now in its 68th edition, the festival has long attracted esteemed directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Francis Ford Coppola, silver screen legends (Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Davis) and current stars like Penelope Cruz, John Malkovich and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And this year, with Cannes cancelled and Venice scaled down due to the pandemic, San Seb is picking up the slack with top-tier cinema normally reserved for its famous rivals. Originally due to premiere on the French Riviera, Colombian filmmaker Fernando Truebaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forgotten Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Be will now close the festival. Other top movies to watch out for are Harry Macqueenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s British drama Supernova starring Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth and Chloe Zhaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nomadland, starring Oscar award-winner Frances McDormand.

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The Olive Press all editions FP (342mmx256mm) September 16

BUSINESS

Winner takes it all

September 17th - September 30th 2020 By Lydia Spencer-Elliott

Olive Press columnist Giles Brown has been pipped to the post BARCLAYS is set to abanin a €100,000 investment challenge organised by BINCKBANK don its expat customers next Marbella. The fantasy contest saw Giles and fellow Talk Radio month by terminating the Europe host Hannah Murray compete to see who could make accounts of anyone without the most money off the hypothetical wad of cash. TRADING a residential address in the Although Giles got off to a flying start, Hannah swiped the winner’s title when she took a chance on an investment in Japanese UK. BEYOND THE Industrials. Thanks to the risky business, Hannah triumphed Because of Brexit, the bank with a €9,000 lead on Giles’ investment HORIZON returns. will cancel all Barclaycard Victorious Hannah received a €1,000 donation to her charity of credit cards of Brits living choice: Age Concern Marbella. WITH BINCK abroad full time. “Although I’m obviously gutted to have lost, having been in the Unlucky expats have been lead until the final week, hopefully I haveTake beencontrol able toof raise the your future told and to get their affairs in orawareness of my chosen charity DEBRA,make who Iyour will continue to choices! der as their cards will only own financial support,” said Giles. function until October 22. “A massive thank you to Kaspar and his BinckBank.com/horizon team at BinckBank for After this date, they have organising this event and proving been told to cut up their that, in the world of finance, I am credit cards but continue the Wall of Wolf Street...” paying back their debt with the usual interest rate. Their accounts will be frozen from November 16, with only deposits allowed in order to pay off any debt. Tommy Lee, 55, who has banked with Barclays for 15 years and lived in Alcoy for 14 of them, was horrified: “I’ve never missed a payment, ” he told the Olive Press. “They’re just being awkward. Maybe they’re using Brexit as an excuse to get rid of ex-

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Don’t bank on us EXCLUSIVE Expat Barclays customers face being left high and dry

pats. I don’t know what to do instead.” He continued: “A lot of expats are using these cards to regularly live off. They need to be warned what’s coming and they better get ready.

“If you need credit get your act together now because this could be really serious.” Barclays started pulling out of the EU in 2014 when it sold its retail banking business to CaixaBank for €800

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SUDOKU

million. Before Brexit, Barclays was once the largest foreign bank in Spain with over 500 branches in Madrid, Catalunya and Andalucia. A spokesman told the Olive Press this week: “With the UK due to leave the European Union, we can no longer offer credit cards to customers who do not have a residential UK address linked to their Barclaycard. “We have written to customers to give them advance notice of this decision,” she added.

Speedy roll-out THE last of the ‘big four’ mobile phone operators has launched its 5G service. MásMovil, has reached an agreement to use the super-fast network of French company Orange to offer its customers the latest technology. Initially the service is being tested in 15 Spanish cities. The test will see clients of Yoigo, which belongs to MásMovil, given the chance to hook up to 5G services that promise faster speeds.

Double mission Saving both money AND the planet is the promise of fast-growing Malaga company Mariposa Energia IT should come as no surprise that Mariposa Energia is rapidly spreading its wings. Meaning ‘Butterfly Energy’, the expat-run firm is now covering the whole of Spain with its double mission: to save you money AND save the planet. The green business, which only set up a year ago, is shaking up the electricity market by providing cheaper energy tariffs, while also providing 100% sustainable energy, coming exclusively from Spanish wind farms. And the team, based in Marbella, are so confident they can save you money they are more than happy to prove it. Simply send over a recent energy bill and the team of ten will calculate the amount you would save if your electricity was supplied by Mariposa. Consumers who switch, not only save money, but they’re also reducing their carbon footprint with one of the cleanest forms of electricity available. Electricity from wind farms has very little environmental impact and unlike traditional fossil fuels, there are no emissions that pollute the air, creating greenhouse gases. Furthermore, the turbines take up far less space than traditional power plants and don’t consume large quantities of water (for generating electricity or for 100% Certified Green Energy cooling purposes). Even better, wind energy is renewable, meaning it’s constantly replenished and won’t run out.

ELECTRICITY

“Saving the planet is something the whole team at Mariposa are passionate about,” insists CEO and founder Martin Tye. The British businessman, based in Marbella for years, adds: “We know it’s often difficult to prioritise the planet but our cheaper tariffs give everyone the opportunity to save money FLEET-FOOTED: Some of the rapidly growing Mariposa Energia team in San Pedro de Alcantara and do their bit for the environment.” to understand, a key selling point for Mariposa EnWhile switching energy suppliers is common practice ergía. in many European countries it is a relatively new con“Electricity bills are notoriously difficult to undercept in Spain. stand and it’s often challenging to know how much energy you have consumed,” adds Martin, a long-time green campaigner. “That’s why we’ve made our bills simple, straightforIt is an incredibly straightforward process, explains ward and easy to understand.” Tye, a father-of-three, whose solar panel and LED bulb And when it comes to customer service you won’t have company supplies schools and universities around to deal with a faceless call centre, as each Mariposa the UK. client has their own account handler for any queries. “The team will make the switch for you and almost “We’re helping businesses and households alike to instantly you will get cleaner, greener energy down save money. As long as you spend €25 or more per the same cables. month on your electricity we’re confident we can save “There is no need for any new equipment or for any you money. “Some of our clients are saving as much work to be done. It’s literally easier than flicking a as 35% on their electricity bills. switch. You won’t even notice it’s happened until you “If you’re a business that consumes a high amount of start receiving cheaper bills.” energy, such as a restaurant, that could make a big A further benefit is that your bills will be a lot easier difference to your monthly fixed costs.”

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HEALTH

September 17th - September 30th 2020

Date rape breakthrough SPANISH researchers have come up with a way to easily detect if a drink has been spiked with date rape drug GHB. It allows people to see with their naked eye if the drug â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is colourless and odourless and has a slightly salty taste â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has been poured into their drink. GHB (Îł-hydroxybutyric acid) is notorious for leaving its victims helpless and open to attack. The Spanish Society of Emer-

New test instantly shows if drink has been spiked

gency Medicine (SEMES) estimates that the substance is involved in approximately 20% of sexual assaults. University of Valencia (UV) predoctoral researcher Silvia RodrĂguez NuĂŠvalos explained that current tests are not particularly reliable. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you mix spirits with non-alcoholic beverages, for example, a tonic, the detection problems increase, as those beverages contain products that can

CORONAVIRUS may cause menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s testicles to swell and impair their ability to have children, Spanish scientits have warned. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) fever, dry cough and shortness of breath are the defining clinical aspects of COVID-19. However, scientists are now documenting a growing list of atypical coronavirus infection symptoms, giving

give false positives or false negatives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the sensor developed by the UV team, the composition of the drinks does not change the response, so it is a safer method.â&#x20AC;? The test comes in an easy to use kit where a drop of the suspect drink is added to a liquid. If it changes colour, then GHB is present. Led by Ana Maria Costero, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the university, the team has now patented the test. GHB is relatively easily available. Its effects last from three to six hours and the body metabolises it quickly, so it is very difficult to prove its intake afterwards.

Testicle Trouble testicular pain. In addition to this medical case, the study included other cases of coronavirus positives who also experienced inflammation in the testicles. This potential condition is painful and could lead to fertility problems if no action is taken, experts warned.

COVID home take over A COSTA BLANCA nursing home has been taken over by the regional health authority after one person died from COVID-19 and 54 residents tested positive for it. Valencian officials have assumed the management of the Casaverde de La Torre centre in Pilar de la Horadada.

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Defenceless It is used as a recreational drug due to its euphoric effects, but it is addictive and produces loss of consciousness of reality, so the person who swallows it is defenseless against dangers such as robbery or rape.

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doctors more insight into the emerging disease. Spanish scientists highlight ed a scientific study whose conclusions have been published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. The study covered the treatment of a patient who had swollen testicles after testing positive for coronavirus. The report explained that the patient, in addition to the typical symptoms of the disease, arrived at the hospital with severe

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September 17th - September 30th 2020

Eye on IBIZA

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

You don’t have to be a millionaire A-lister to enjoy a week on the party island of Ibiza, discovers Olive Press editor Jon Clarke

It’ll be all

GOLDEN FIND: Chiringuito on Cala de Sa Ferradura sits below Ibiza’s most expensive rental

E’RE eating €8 sausage sandwiches with thinly-sliced Toro tomatoes, washed down with ice cold Estrella Damm lagers and a couple of fizzy drinks. With a plate of prawns as a

starter and ice-creams for the kids for postre, the bill comes to just €58 and the owner throws in a couple of sunbeds and a parasol for free, as it’s a ‘bit of a gloomy day’. The simple beach chiringuito, Es Pas de S’Illa, on Cala de

sa Ferradura, may not be the easiest place to find, but keep your eyes peeled and you might see an international superstar or footballer stopping in for a quick one. For above it is, reportedly the most expensive private island home in the entire Meditteranean. Built on a small rocky outcrop, actually joined by a small spit making it a peninsula, the stunning home has been rented by global starlets, including singer Madonna and Cesc Fabregas for his wedding. Russian-owned, it will set you back a lofty €250,000 a week in summer. But it sleeps 18, has 22 staff and you can arrive by boat or helicopter if the mood so takes you. With spectacular sea views, two swimming pools and a rotating sun-deck atop a tower, you get the picture that this is something out of the ordinary Costa rental market. Welcome to Ibiza, where even in the heart of the Covid crisis, the fashionable beach restaurants are busier than ever. Indeed, according to locals, many are almost twice as busy as usual. This is the island of the global super rich and don’t think for a minute that the coronavirus is stopping them from spending their money. Whether buzzing to and fro from nearby Formentera isle on a superyacht or shooting the breeze at a private villa party, they were very much in attendance. You could see it from the lineup of private jets at the airport and the designer schmutter being worn around Ibiza town. And while the island’s celebrated superclubs might have been shut this season, it didn’t stop the select few from splashing out on bottles of champagne at €500 a pop or a plate of Jamon Iberico de Bellota at €50 a throw. I watched it with my own eyes during a 10-day stay on the island with my family, taking advantage of an amazing €50

return fare on Ryanair from Malaga this summer. While hoping to experience some of the glamour of the socalled White Island, we were very much on a budget and looking to save our pennies as much as we could.

Taking picnics to isolated beaches is a great option, as is watching Netflix at home in the evening with an excellent bottle of Ribera (or a local Balearic wine) in the comfort of your rental home. I particularly recommend White Lines,

a drama about the genesis of Ibiza’s club scene, actually set in nearby Mallorca, but with some excellent storylines. Here are some other great money-saving ideas for doing Ibiza on a budget without missing out on a thing.

Take a hike

SECRET: Portitxol beach is accessed by mountain path only

t might come as a surprise to many, but Ibiza is excellent walking terrain. The island is criss-crossed with a network of fabulous hikes, many taking in secret, isolated beaches that can only be accessed via Shanks’s pony. The walks are well mapped out, particularly the ones in the north, and the excellent website and app Wikiloc provides plenty of easy-to-follow maps. One of my favourites, short and sweet at under 8km, is the amazing circular walk which takes in Playa es Portitxol, a stunning cove with a few boat houses and nothing else. Park up by the Urbanizacion Isla Blanca and, my advice, take the inland route downhill first, skirting around an incredibly unspoilt pine forest.

September 17th - September 30th 2020

white!

History tour

STUNNING: Dalt Vila

any wrongly assume that Ibiza is lacking in culture, being full of footballers and Love Island types. In fact the island has a rich history dating back to the Romans and Phoenicians before them. One of the best places to appreciate this is Ibiza Town, also known as Eivissa. Beautifully preserved behind formidable fortifi-

cations, the historic core is known as Dalt Vila, a UNESCO protected World Heritage site and once one of the most important trading centres in the Med. Heavily fortified during the reigns of Kings Charles I and Felipe II to defend it against the French and the Ottomans, you enter on foot via the dramatic slope up to the drawbridge and gateway of Portal de Ses Taules.

From here you pass an ancient cobbled courtyard into a maze of narrow, winding streets full of rather overpriced restaurants and boutiques. You’re better off shopping in the grid of streets below the old town, home to one of the island’s oldest restaurants, Comidas Bar San Juan, or the nearby Santa Rita Ibiza, which has some great value tapas and wines by the glass.

Super Santa

CONTRASTS: From hip W hotel to historic Puig de Missa church

Santa Eulalia is probably Ibiza’s only year-round resort. It’s great value for families, well looked after with a historic core and a friendly vibe. The polar opposite of rowdy ‘San An’, make sure to visit the charming Puig de Missa church which dates back to the 16th century before strolling along the promenade to the pretty marina. There are some excellent restaurants dotted along the seafront and a couple have live jazz in the evenings. But this is not a party town so by midnight most of the locals and tourists have gone to bed. The beaches are darned good too and the historic Hotel Buenavista, the island’s second oldest, has gorgeous gardens - paradise for cocktails or an evening meal. You should also take a look at the recently opened W Hotel which architecturally takes some beating.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

September 17th - September 30th 2020

Beach life

Flights/Ferries Getting to Ibiza from the mainland of Spain has never been cheaper. Since the Covid crisis took a grip direct flights have been costing not much more than €50 return. Flying at the end of September with Ryanair from Malaga will cost you €46 before you book in a bag or seat, or €54 via Vueling from Alicante. Alternatively take a ferry from Denia or Valencia via various companies.

I Breathtaking Benirras This gorgeous beach deserves special mention. It’s where the cool crowd go to strip off (often entirely, so be warned) and listen to the sunset bongo drums, particularly on a Sunday which is an all-dayer (although you now have to get bussed down as it gets very busy)

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biza is famous for its huge variety of beaches, ultra clean water and lush undersea Poseidon grass meadows. Don’t miss Cala Bonita (below), a great city beach near Eivissa with its own excellent chiringuito, Cala Nova, which rustles up great surf waves and fodder too at the hip Atzaro Beach club (above). Cala de Sant Vicent is another must visit, as are the beaches east of Portinatx including Cala Xucla, Cala Xarraca and, if you like to dive in from the rocks, S’Illot des Rencli. Another excellent beach for underwater exploration in the south is Cala Tarida, with its superb, good value beach restaurant Ses Eufabies.

Car hire Be warned car hire is expensive in Ibiza whenever you go. Always book a long time in advance or look out for local firms, based in each town/resort who will rent you cars for considerably less once in situ. Where to stay The supercool five-star OD hotel in Talamanca (www.od-hotels.com) is easy walking distance to Ibiza Town and the famous nightclub of Pacha. Walk the other way and in ten minutes you are in amazing pine forests en route to the superb Cala Bonita. Hyper modern with a cascading trio of pools, it is where the DJs and those-in-the-know stay. It’s top floor restaurant has views to die for, as do most of the rooms. Another great place to stay is the Hotel Buenavista & Suites in Santa Eulalia which counts on fabulous, mature gardens and some spacious rooms (www.ibizabuenavista.com) Markets The hippy market in Las Dalias opened in 1985 and is bustling with people out to buy handmade jewellery, cool linen beachwear, and rustic-looking leatherwork.

PROPERTY Movers and shakers

FINDING a dreamy rental property in Spain during the summer season often turns into a nightmare. But the arrival of COVID-19 - in lieu of millions of holidaymakers - means landlords in hotspots across Spain are offering substantial discounts in some of the country’s most desirable postcodes. Some of the biggest bargains can be found on the party island of Ibiza, best known for its glamorous parties and big-name celebs - and counts Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Jade Jagger, Rafael Nadal and Michael Fassbender among its A-List fans. The island, nicknamed the White Isle after its traditional lime-washed houses, is known as the clubbing capital of the world and acknowledged for its high octane parties - and equally high rental prices. But even the most hardcore ravers were forced to call it a night after coronavirus swept the globe and pulled the plug on the party island. Still, if

House deals down

HOME sales in the Valencian Community collapsed by 37.2% in July compared to a year earlier. The figures come from Spain’s College of Land Registrars with the regional fall nearly 5% above the national average. The domestic property market is continuing to feel the effects of the pandemic and the survey says that 4,390 sales were completed in the Valencia region during July. Home purchases fell in every Spanish region, with the exception of the Basque Country and the North African enclave of Ceuta.

It’s the great Ibizan bargain hunt! Deals are on offer from chalets in Santa Eulalia to apartments in Sant Jordi

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Time to move... CORONAVIRUS restrictions may have kept people at home, but while there, they have been investigating moving house. Two of Spain’s leading real estate websites – Idealista and fotocasa – have seen a surge in property searches over the past three months. For fotocasa this translated into 40% more traffic in June compared to the same month in 2019. The company’s communications director Anais Lopez said: “All the real estate agencies we work with say they’re seeing unprecedented interest in changing homes.” Benat del Coso, speaking for Idealista added that

September 17th - September 30th 2020

online mortgage brokerage requests over the summer were 20% per cent higher than normally seen in the same period. These figures come as a relief when compared to the stark data reported by the bank of Spain for April, May and June.

Plunge

Across Spain house sales plunged 43% to 75,000 in the second quarter. Price growth slowed in the same period to a quarterly rate of 0.44% according to the College of Registrars, although there are signs that prices have started rising faster through the summer.

For instance, rental sites like Idealista and Fotocasa are advertising homes all across the island for 50% less than their usual rental price. The rent on a three-bedroom chalet in Santa Eulalia has fallen from €4,000 per month to €2,000. Meanwhile €1,500 has been knocked off a two-bedroom luxury penthouse with a jacuzzi in the center of Ibiza, and €775 off another villa in the same spot. Rooms in shared apartments are also seeing prices slashed by up to half. A room in a two-bedroom shared apartment in the centre has gone from €1,200 euros to €650. And in the town of Sant Jordi, the landlord of a four-bed villa is now offering a room for just €300 after previously asking for €500. In the same town, a room in a five-bedroom villa has decreased in price from €850 to €500. But remember, just like blearyeyed partygoers, properties in Ibiza move quickly. If you want to bag a bargain and secure a rental property in Ibiza, you better get a wiggle on.

What a deal!

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FINAL WORDS

Mistaken identity COPS busted a brothel in Tetuan and dished out 75 fines for flaunting COVID-19 restrictions after a man mistook the plain-clothed officers for punters and offered them ‘alcohol, girls and parties’.

Bomb surprise A DOG walker on a stroll in Murci’s Sangonera la Verde stumbled across an active mortar grenade dating back to the Civil War in the late thirties.

Tomb raider 11 ANCIENT graves have been uncovered by student volunteers at Pobla de Ifach in Calpe on the northern Costa Blanca.

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Vol. 1 Issue 23 www.theolivepress.es September 17th - September 30th 2020

Sign of the times

A STORM is brewing over the makeover of a 90-year-old lighthouse with a campaign group taking a dim view of the colourful changes. The beacon, near the Cantabrian town of Ajo, is at the centre of a cultural row after a vibrant paint job by local artist Okuda San Miguel.

Zebra crossings and children warning signs are deemed to be sexist ROAD signs in Spain have been branded sexist. A government report highlighted what it called the 'machismo' displayed in tra-

ditional road signage. In particular it claims that a ‘careful of children’ sign, which depicts a boy holding the hand of a girl leading

Missing post SPANISH police have tracked down a valuable painting by renowned Spanish artist Joan Miro that had been missing since it got ‘lost in the post’. Investigators tracked it down to a London auction where the piece was up for sale with an estimated price of €10,000. Investigations began after

the artwork from the famed Gaudi series failed to reach its destination.

her across the road, shows women in a 'situation of dependence and subordination.' Other signs such as those for 'zebra crossings' and 'tractors prohibited' are also under fire for showing only male figures. "Even when progress has been made, signs contrary to the principles of equality still survive,” said a spokesman for the Attorney General’s office. Critics argue that the signs, designed in 1957 by British typographer Margaret Calvert OBE, were created

without a specific gender in mind. A survey carried out in 2017 by El Pais showed that just 22% of Madrid's street names were after female figures, compared to 19% in Barcelona and just 10% in Valencia. This is not the first time that Spain has seen its roadside information come under fire. As early as 2006, the town of Fuenlabrada near Madrid gave all its signage and traffic lights a make over, swapping all of it's male signs for female outlines.

Vibrant

Some 4,000 people have signed a petition asking the council and the port authority to reverse the scheme for the monochrome sentry, which stood stark white over the Atlantic for almost a century. The council has been hoping the recently completed project, called Infinite Cantabria, would encourage tourists from across the globe to visit the landmark. Some of the money raised through events at the site will go to funding food banks in the area.

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