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OLIVE PRESS
Done deal?
BORIS Johnson has assured his cabinet that a Brexit withdrawal deal is ‘there to be done’. The proposed agreement comes amid signs Joe Biden’s stunning US election win has sparked a desire to double down on negotiation with the EU. The Prime Minister is hoping to strike a trade deal this week before the European Union’s deadline to reach an agreement on November 16. While Olive Press sources insist Biden’s win has injected renewed impetus into the talks, Johnson claimed this has always been the case. “I’ve always been a great enthusiast for a trade deal with our European friends,” said Johnson at the weekend. “I think it’s there to be done, the broad outlines are pretty clear.” His remarks come as EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier returned to London on Monday offering ‘three keys to unlock a deal’.
Discussion
Barnier is here for a week of ‘intensive’ talks with his British counterpart David Frost, with fair trade and fishing agreements the main points up for discussion. Anne Hernandez of lobby group Brexpats in Spain told the Olive Press a deal would be struck this week. She added: “I think Boris has another uphill struggle in befriending Biden who is vocally anti-Brexit but he has to get him on his side since his partner-in-crime is going to be leaving the White House in January. “There will be a deal and Boris will say they have ‘managed’ to agree it with the EU and he will forget to add the reason being that he buckled and did another u-turn.” But her optimism was tempered by a downbeat assessment from Downing Street, with No 10 claiming ‘significant differences remain’ between the two sides on Monday. A spokeswoman added: “The prime minister set out that, while some progress had been made in recent discussions, significant differences remain in a number of areas, including the socalled level playing field, and fish.” She said they had agreed that their negotiating teams would continue talks in London this week to ‘redouble efforts to reach a deal’, adding that they would remain ‘in personal contact about the negotiations.’ Nigel Farage this week blasted the prime minister for failing to secure a withdrawal agreement ahead of the US election results, claiming that Joe Biden ‘hates the UK’.
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Vol. 4 Issue 93 www.theolivepress.es November 13th - November 26th 2020
Jab well done
See page 7
Vaccine breakthrough could be game-changer for Mallorca economy
SHOTS ALL ROUND The vaccine is giving the travel and service industry new confidence for 2021 HOPE has been injected back into the Balearic tourism industry thanks to the ground-breaking announcement that a COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out next year. Developers Pfizer and BioNTech said its drug against the virus was more than 90% effective – a major victory against the disease that has killed more than a million people and devastated the global economy. Government spokesperson Pilar Costa called the breakthrough ‘a light at the end of a very dark tunnel,’ pledging
“For us, 2021 begins today and marks the beginning of how we intend to bring tourism back to the Balearic Isthat ‘at the minimum, the vulnerable lands.” and healthcare professionals would be The Balearic Islands are among the protected by May.’ worst hit in Spain, ranking highest for Minister of Tourism Iago Negueruela unemployment in the entire country also voiced his hopes for a successful with GDP falling by a historic 40.5% in 2021 season, with British travellers be- the second quarter of 2020. ing the key to its revival. These bleak statistics were attributed Speaking at the World Travel Market to the region’s undeniable reliance on he said: “We have every faith in a re- tourism which had taken a battering covery for the British market which is this year. so important for our islands. The news on the drug’s high efficacy has since been celebrated by the Balearic government and business leaders after 10 months of growing uncertainty. Hotelier Gabriel Escarrer was delighted with the virus announcement after his hotel chain Melia, experienced a historic rise on If you suffer from... Or you need... the Spanish stock market on Monday with • Mobility problems • Help with 37%. washing /dressing • Pain / Breathlessness The Executive Vice President and CEO de• Falls / Stumbles • Supervision clared the vaccine as ‘the announcement of You could be entitled to extra income By Isha Sesay
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the century’ that would ‘be the saviour of the tourism industry’. Mallorcan hotel group RIU echoed this view, with its CEO Luis Riu stating that ‘it was the news we were waiting for’ and will have ‘great implications at an economic level for the tourism sector.’ President of the Mallorca Hotel Federation (FEHM), Maria Frontera, said the news ‘had been well received’ by their members. She did however warn that ‘even if the vaccine is rolled out, it will not reach the entire population immediately’ and that ‘protocols must be put in place to fight the virus.’
Travel “We need controls at ports and airports, PCR tests at origin and tracing through technological applications,” said Frontera. One of these calls has already been answered by the Spanish government, which announced on Wednesday that all travellers arriving in Spain from November 23 will have to present a negative PCR coronavirus test. This test must be performed within the previous 72 hours before arrival and will be checked at land, sea and air borders.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
SEX PEST
Feeling fine
A MAN has been arrested after an 18-year-old was sexually assaulted on a train in Mallorca. The 23-year-old suspect allegedly targetted the teenage victim as she was travelling on a train to Palma from Binasselm. Police say he sat down next to her and ran his fingers over her crotch area. When the young woman asked him to stop and got up from her seat, he slapped her buttock and followed her down the carriage and threatened a passenger who tried to intervene after witnessing the assault. The victim managed to escape the train at the next stop and called police. Detectives who reviewed CCTV footage from Binasselem train station found that the man had been stalking possible victims before spotting the 18-yearold and following her onto the train. The man was also known to police in both Mallorca and Ibiza for sexually assaulting women.
MAGALUF takeaway restaurant The Alex Corner have been handed a €36,000 penalty for opening after the government shut down the boozy party strip in June.
Aid plan A PLAN is being coordinated by the Balearic Ministry of Economic Affairs to aid the hospitality industry with social security exemptions and credit payment loan repayment freezes.
Chilly times TEMPERATURES will fall below 17 degrees in the majority of homes in the Balearic Islands this winter, the General Council of Technical Architecture of Spain have said.
Nicked teen A MINOR has been arrested in Palma for stealing more than 10 mopeds across the city. Police nabbed the youth when he was riding through the streets without a helmet.
CRIME
Murder cover-up
November 13th - November 26th 2020 Woman whose husband said she died in a car crash was stabbed in the chest with a screwdriver, cops say
IN a bid to conceal his wife’s murder, a man has staged an elaborate car crash to fool police. The 35-year-old allegedly stabbed his partner, 32, in the chest with a screwdriver before calling his family to say the pair had been involved in a road accident. He claimed that his wife had been fatally injured in the Mallorca crash but when concerned relatives rang emergency services cops found no sign of the couple at the scene. Officers discovered the damaged vehicle at the side of the road but the husband and wife were nowhere to be found. They finally discovered the woman’s body hidden under branches after following a trail
A MAN has been jailed for two years after admitting repeatedly raping two horses in Mallorca. The defendant confessed to having sexual relations with the animals at the farm where he worked in Alcudia. He also owned up to penetrating the mares with sharp objects. His crimes were discovered when the owner of the barn noticed that her horses had been acting strangely for several weeks.
WOODS: Police followed a trail of blood to find body lice to turn himself in. By Isha Sesay The Policia Nacional’s Homicide Group say the woman of blood from the car into the was killed by being repeatedy woods. bashed on the head with a stone A manhunt was swiftly and stabbed in the chest with a launched to locate the husband screwdriver. and hours later he called the po- In recent weeks, Mallorca has been plagued with gender violence incidents. In October, a former soldier shot his girlfriend in the head before turning the gun on himself in Peguera. Upon further inspection, she noticed mulWeeks later, a man intentionaltiple lesions on their genitals and called a ly ran over his ex-wife and her vet who confirmed the animals had been friend with his car in Palma. sexually abused and were suffering from Investigators confirmed that psychological trauma. the woman held an active reThe man was caught after the owner instraining order against her forstalled surveillance cameras in the barn mer partner and that numerous and caught the monster raping the horses incidents of abuse were reportagain on camera. ed throughout their marriage.
Nightmare
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
INFERNO: Cars gutted
Airport blaze
A HOMELESS man has been arrested for allegedly starting a fire at Son Sant Joan airport. The 32-year-old Swiss national had been sheltering in the airport’s car park in recent weeks before a fire broke out. Firefighters raced to the scene as plumes of thick black smoke billowed from the airport’s car park and four cars were completely destroyed in the blaze. The parking facility also suffered considerable damage. Officers arrested the man after finding several lighters and a bottle of butane in his possession. Before the fire broke out, CCTV footage showed the man standing between two of the cars which were later burned to the ground. A few minutes later he moved away from the vehicles and smoke could be seen coming from one of the cars. He has been released from custody but has been prohibited from entering the grounds of Son Sant Joan.
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November 13th - November 26th 2020
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Double edged sword for nature as whales move on while eagles soar in ORCA whales are abandoning the Med and heading to Galician waters, biologists claim. Experts suspect that Orcas (also known as Killer Whales) are leaving the Straits of Gibraltar as the Med is now too warm for them due to global warming. Previously sightings of Killer Whales averaged at around 65 per season, but this number has now decreased by more than two thirds in the past year. It comes as temperature increases in the Med are going up 20%
Queen of the high street! SPAIN’S bargain basement queen has shown her support for the high street donning a pair of €20 trousers from Mango for a record FIFTH time. Queen Letizia, 48, wore the ankle-length grey trousers from the Spanish brand, while visiting a Madrid drug clinic this week. She previously wore them to make an outing to present the 2020 Princess of Asturias awards a month ago, having first worn them in September 2017.
Roar blimey! AN 'extraordinary' 2,400 year old statue of a lion has been unearthed by a farmer in Spain. The artefact was uncovered by Gonzalo Crespo in the hamlet of La Rambla, Cordoba, while he was ploughing his olive grove. The statue in perfect condition depicts a lioness devouring another animal and is believed to have been carved around 400 BC. Crespo immediately recognised he had found something significant and
Orca outing faster than the global average, according to the IMBE institute. But despite a surge in violent incidents involving Orcas along the Northern coast, there is no clear scientific explanation for the Killer Whale’s change in behaviour. Since relocating to Galicia, the Orcas have rammed into a navy vessel as well as a series of sailing boats. “These interactions are very rare and aren’t something we’ve seen here before.” said biologist Alfredo Lopez
Flying high SOME of Spain’s most iconic birds of prey are making a concerted comeback as they take advantage of the peaceful skies of Andalucia thanks to
ADIÓS SEAN From Spain with Love, as former Costa resident OO7 star James Bond passes on
HE had ‘Scotland forever’ tattooed on his forearm but for over 20 years his heart belonged to Spain. The definitive James Bond and long time Spanish resident, Sir Sean Connery has passed away at the age of 90. The 007 legend ‘slipped away’ in his sleep at his Bahamas home after suffering from dementia. The couple first met at a golf tournament in 1970 and married five years later, setting up home at Casa Malibu, in Puerto Banus,
Fitness flashback AT HOME: Sean Connery lived in Marbella for years
Marbella. Connery, a regular in both the port and restaurants in the old town, was best known for his hacking around the local golf courses.
The pair went on to sell the property in 1999 for a staggering €6.4 million before moving to the Caribbean. Connery, a notoriously private person, cited an increase in new homes around the area for deciding to leave Marbella. “These people are not going to see me in my underpants, I am leaving Marbella,” he allegedly said.
Goldfinger
Sunset synths called police. The lioness was transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba where it will be studied by experts.
THERE are not many DJ sets that top this one. Perched on a rocky outcrop in the Ronda tajo, German DJ Christian Loffler looked very much the King of the Decks. French company Cercle brought a team of over a dozen technicians and engineers to film the six minute video, a mix of mellow beats and electronic riffs. Perched on a circular glass stage on the edge of the 500 metre-wide gorge, the overall effect is both moving and impressive.
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COVID-19. The rugged sierras have seen healthy growth in several species of raptor as less planes carve up their airspace. Not only are Ospreys breeding in increasing numbers, but Imperial Eagle numbers are at an historic high, with seven more breeding pairs recorded this year. Most promising of all, three Red Kites have been seen gliding over the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park in Jaen. The trio - one adult male and two young females - were released after a short stint in a Madrid wildlife hospital. It comes after the species became extinct in Andalucia some decades ago.
Connery and his wife were also embroiled in a long-running tax fraud and planning case over allegedly illegal plans for Casa Malibu, although the case was dropped in 2014. He refused to return to face the judge’s questions in the case codenamed predictably ‘Goldfinger’. See Salute to Sir Sean, Page 14
IT may well turn out to be her last hurrah in Marbs. Davinia Taylor has shared a photo of her sizzling physique on holiday in Spain just weeks after she put her villa on the market for €17 million. The former Hollyoaks actress, 42, was clearly feeling reflective as she posted the photo taken during the last lockdown here in the Spring. In the Instagram post she wrote that being in Spain had managed to ‘improve her mood’. No doubt her mood will improve dramatically if she gets a sale of the front line property in Los Monteros for sale through LuxuryEstate. com. It counts on seven bedrooms, tropical gardens and Antonio Banderas as a former neighbour.
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NEWS
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Migrants Europa lifeline rescued
SAVED: Migrants found A TOTAL of 77 migrants have been found off the shores of the Balearic Islands. Police rushed to move five boats after detecting the vessels ten miles east of Cabrera in Mallorca. They rescued a total of 40 migrants, taking them to the Port of Palma and ten more migrants were found on the shores. Just an hour later, a dinghy was sighted on the high seas approximately 50 miles south of Portocolom. A total of 11 men were rescued and than taken to Palma. Meanwhile in Ibiza, the Guardia Civil intercepted 16 migrants on the usually popular holiday spot of Playa d’en Bossa. They have now been taken to a government residence in the island’s capital. Those that are COVID-19 negative will likely be transferred to the mainland, dependant on border closures, and be put in the care of an NGO meanwhile anyone that test positive will have to isolate at a government residence until a negative result is produced.
November 13th - November 26th 2020
Grisly discovery
STRUGGLING airline Air Europa is to get a €465 million boost from the Spanish government. The company has been hit hard by a drop in passengers this year caused by the pandemic. It has now been given a financial lifeline with a loan that has to be repaid by 2026. The company operates a range of domestic services including flights in and out of Alicante, Malaga and Palma airports.
Net value Tennis star’s Spanish villa for sale at half its original value after bank repossession
THE former palatial villa of beleaugured tennis star Boris Becker haas gone on the market at a smashing price. The 12-bedroom home and estate Son Coll is being sold at €4 million - less than half the €9 million Becker paid for it. It comes after British private bank Arbuthnot Latham re-
DREAM HOME: Becker sold the 12 bedroom pad GIBRALTAR’S famous Barbary macaques face a death sentence if efforts to protect them from COVID fail. The government has warned it might have to cull the iconic monkeys if the coronavirus jumps species, as it has with minks elsewhere in Europe. Patrols have now been stepped up to make sure the macaques are not approached or touched by humans. A spokesman from the Environmental department said there were serious worries the macaques could be vulnerable to the virus.There are also concerns that mutant strains may jump
Cull threat for apes back into the human population from infected animals. These were reinforced by the recently announced cull of farmed minks in Denmark, Spain and Italy, which were found to be infected by a mutated version of coronavirus. The Danish government said the mutation could threaten the effectiveness of any future vaccine.
By Isha Sesay
portedly accepted ownership of the property as a settlement for his outstanding debts. The abandoned villa has fallen into neglect after being invaded by German squatters. Shortly after their eviction in 2018 it featured in a porn film, starring veteran performer ‘Dolly Buster’. The six-time grand slam champion filed for bankruptcy in 2017 when his debts spiralled to £11 million. This was despite the tennis star earning around £120 million throughout his lucrative sporting career. Becker is currently facing 28 criminal charges relating to his alleged failure to disclose information over his bankruptcy. He has also been accused of hiding three properties and over one million in cash from his debtors.
THE BODY of a pensioner has been found inside a home in Mallorca. Police made the grisly discovery over the weekend after neighbours reported not seeing the 78-yearold man since March 14. This was during Spain’s state of alarm and when all of the population was confined to their homes. When firefighters forced entry inside the Palma property they found elderly man’s body lying in the hallway. The coroner estimates that he died approximately six months ago. According to Diario de Mallorca, the pensioner was unsociable and did not speak much to his neighbours. It is also alleged that he may have had a drinking problem. Although the autopsy is still ongoing, police are not treating his death as suspicious at this time. The man’s next of kin have been notified.
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The Olive Press all editions FP (342mmx256mm) November 11
6
NEWS FEATURE
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OPINION Dilemma CORONAVIRUS has brought so many new and difficult choices into people’s lives, and for me, there is now another one. With the news that a 90% effective vaccine will be available next year, one may be surprised that I am weighing up if I will even opt to take it. According to the New York Times, important scientific announcements about vaccines are usually made through peer-reviewed medical research papers that have undergone extensive scrutiny, and not through company press releases like Pfizer’s breakthrough announcement.
Questionable
Although the news is a cause for celebration for many, there are also several unanswered questions about the vaccine’s efficacy. Pfizer has not yet disclosed what percentage of its trial volunteers were characterised as ‘high risk’. One would think this would be fundamental to know considering the number of vulnerable lives lost through COVID-19. They have also failed to indicate how long its protection will last as well as how often people might need a booster. No serious side effects are yet to be revealed, but former director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Walt Orenstein, predicts that immune enhancement could be one result. This is a severe illness brought on by a virus’ interaction with immune particles in those that have been vaccinated. I am immensely hopeful for a ‘better’ 2021, but with the very few published details and worrying caveats, my celebration is tamed for now. Publisher / Editor
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ANON has landed
There’s a new show in town for deranged conspiracy theorists that makes Scientology seem like the Open University. Jo Chase gets her hands dirty by looking under the bonnet...
W
ELCOME to the world of lunatic conspiracy theories. And Q Anon might just be the daddy. In case it is yet to make it to you, QAnon is the codename of a high-ranking US intelligence officer – Q – who dripfeeds intelligence to followers. It centres on Trump’s ‘crusade’ to save the world from a Deep State where a satanic cabal of influential people - Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama among them - hide children in tunnels for the purposes of paedophilia and cannibalism. It also involves the gold standard being restored and, following a mysterious ‘reset’, a basic income being
HIDDEN DEPTHS: The remote town of Orgiva has found itself at home to many conspiracy theorists to the disgust of some residents
paid to all world citizens – known as ‘NESARA/GESARA’ (National Economic Security and Recovery Act).
To most normal individuals it seems totally far-fetched, especially given newly ousted Trump’s record for
Complications ahead for British expats in Spain... But a deal will happen! As the stopwatch ticks ever closer, Brexit Analyst Anne Hernández on the key chages for January
I
AM beginning to wonder if the world has gone totally bonkers! sure that everyone living in a country What with Brexit, COVID, Boris Johnson’s bumblings and now that has a treaty with the UK will not the knife-edge Trump v Biden race to the White House. Nothing pay tax in two countries on the same seems ‘normal’ anymore and the year 2020 will surely go down in income. history as one of the worst on record. For British travellers from the UK to the EU however, there will be Brexit is the one thing that will most affect us as British passport stricter border controls and passports must have a validity of six holders here in Spain - and while I have never been a political ani- months. In addition, visas will be needed for work or study in the EU. mal, I have become so since the threat of the referendum loomed Driving in the EU will need an IDP and green card plus GB stickers in 2015 leading to the UK voting to leave the EU. if driving a UK registered vehicle, the UK pet passport scheme will It has been an interesting, albeit sharp, learning curve and I have stop and paying with UK bank cards may become more expensive. made some wonderful new friends and important The Schengen ruling for non-residents being allowed contacts along the way. in the Schengen area for only 90 days in any 180 My association, Brexpats in Spain, that I set-up in days is causing concern for Swallows (or snowbirds), Talk of a no 2016 just after the referendum, now has nearly who holiday here in their second homes for perhaps deal will not 20,000 members. Fed up with all the misinformation four or five months each year. That will probably not throughout the run-up to the referendum I decided be possible after January and their EHIC medical affect our we needed a source of factual information although care will not be valid either so private health care will we have often been accused of ‘scaremongering’ be necessary. rights as which has now proven to be ‘truthmongering’. Talk of a no deal will not affect our rights as citizens citizens Some Brits here still prefer to be ostriches and will as it refers to trade deals, but it will make it difficult do nothing until the very last minute and I fear they for the UK to compete in terms of world business beare in for a rude awakening! cause the EU has deals in place with 70 countries We ceased to be citizens of the EU on January 31 and were given worldwide. a grace period to allow us to get everything done in anticipation of Despite EU/UK negotiations being strained over the last few January 1, 2021, when we become third country nationals. months, over the last fortnight progress has been made on a deal Spain opted for the declaratory scheme so, as beneto avoid a Hard Brexit. ficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) article While the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier told 18.4, those of us who live here must have a resthe media that there were still some key stumidency, Spanish driving licence, private or state bling blocks ahead, the EU is persevering to sign medical care and be on the Padron at our local an agreement. Us expats must pray our own town halls. dear bumbling Boris is of the same ilk. The WA ensured that we will have continued Either way, one of my reliable contacts in Brusaccess to employment, healthcare, educasels has told me that the EU/UK teams tion, benefits and other services. The UK are this week signing a deal. So, if government will continue to pay our true, either Boris has buckled to pensions, child benefit, and disability the EU’s conditions or vice-verbenefits as long as we are eligible sa. I rather suspect the former! UK nationals in the EU. To read more of our ‘truthmonBrexit will not change the existing gering’ go to any of our six BrexEU double taxation arrangements pats in Spain Facebook groups, that apply to EU countries and entwitter or website.
November 13th - November 26th 2020
7 Olive Press online
Expat leader Charlie Ward
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Our Our promise promise -- Our Our DNA: DNA: r pro The The best best reporting reporting in in Spain Spain in in English English NA
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What a year!
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HORRIFIC: Millions
of fish died
Demands for €80m flood aid
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OLIVE PRESS COSTA BLANCA
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Right turn
EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt
POLICE on the
in England.
Failed
Levante hotel at 5.30pm to buy cigaretteson September 9 his bearings and before he lost
Wallet
Opinion page 6
answering our questions,” son Lee Pearce, 41, told the Olive Press last night.
SUR / MURCIA
s Vol. 1 Issue 6 www.theolivepress.e
5th 2020
January 23th - February
2020
January
22th - February
4th 2020
14-metre waves A SERIES of giant this week as lashed eastern Spain officially the Storm Gloria became winter storm since most destructive walls of 1982. The record-breaking that left nine water – and weather as Spain declared dead – came on cue
www.theolivepress.es
Risks
a to drink, be it was safe may not
Milk matters
of up Waves Waves of RECORD: RECORD: eastern 14m toup 14m lashed east to lashed this week Spain Spain this week
Climate emergency declared as recordbreaking storm Gloria leaves nine dead
Water worry
end of the body from bottom (ISGlobal)all 28 EU countries opposite Denmark’s skin. At the and Romania water of with a horror list, 2018. social meexcept Bulgaria compared 2005 and tap wa- H2O was the purest, Spanish or obese varieties. water between However have been advocatSpain’s 10.9%, the fourth being overweight lower-fat dia ‘stars’ of certain creams, to At out with odds of peers who drank whole milk causes ing the use tablets in orderun- ter came with their speculated that reduces snacking. which wipes andcosmetic issues, of 28 studIt has been to feel fuller, the resultsseven counhelp withsome of the potential children beacross are less The research combined aware of that indiscrimithe correlation full-fat milk given were conducted health risks and the risk ies that who drink can cause. had explored than those Martin cows milk nate use CHILDREN Guillermo tries, which drinking be overweight children Pharmacist noticed the problikely to or semi-skimmed. in The American of that tween overweight. Melgar firsta certain brandwas skimmed were publishedand they foundlower of being lem when facial wipes to 40% The findings only Clinical Nutritionmilk had prescription Journal ofwho drank whole selling out, suddenly being recommendchildren chanfind it was Youtube for acne. ed by a popular nel as a treatment
with contact details. A spokeswoman for the British Consulate told the Olive Press it ‘does not
44, died in Asturias first victim, age of government on Sunday when a truck lost control into be at the ‘forefront’ unprecedented ‘clisnowfall and crashed snow action with an expected within 100 in heavy he was putting on mate change law’ the steps of scores his car while chains. days, following in the world. a 63-year-old died The following day roof of countries across storms lashed in Avila after he was struck by a man It came after serious a 70-year-old Alalso leaving millions the Costa Blanca, of euros of damage. tile. Meanwhile in Moixent, died of hypothermia close to Gale force 9 winds icante after falling into snowpeople – havoc wrought and two homeless Carcaixin 115km/h his home, with Gandia and another record- one in also died from hypothermia. winds ent – included in Oliva anda Four people died yesterday,a homehailstorm, waves reaching in ing a farmer in a record-breaking less person killed by hypothermiacol8.44m in Valen- Almeria, a woman whose house car cia, and a shocking lapsed in Alcoy, and a man whose Benidorm. near 14.22m in Ibiza. was swept off a road So far, nine people Four are still missing in Catalunyaa have died around and the Balearic Islands – including Spain, with a fur- 25-year-old Brit in Ibiza. the ther four missing Leading climatologists backed around the Bale5 aric Islands and Continues on Page The Catalunya.
By Joshua Parfitt
of ‘climate emergena landmark state cy’ for the entire country. (below) insistLeader Pedro Sanchez would now ed ecological transition
We’ve gota learn
to guide OM! Ourbest yoga 17 Spain’s SEE Page breaks
or by pockets of arcticbedrop) is caused A gota fría (cold southeast across western Europe climate, polar air that move warmer, humid Mediterannean fore meeting the scientist Jorge Olcina. hence according to Alicante ‘isolated’ at high altitude,at High Depression The cold blast becomes DANA, or Isolated its spanish term Mediterannean Altitudes. and contact with warmer When coming into vapours immediately condense Orihuein one burst. In air, the rising humid quantity of water 400mm of water fell in drop a massive 2019 over average precipila back in September nearly twice annual less than 48 hours, freak gota fría. tation, due to a
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Good health
Issue 335
be doing anything at all.” It comes as scores idents have spent of British resweeks searching for signs of the grandfa-
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Vol. 13
of believing pharmaceutical SPAIN’s has issued a warndecades Spain’s tap water watchdogsocial media influ- After finds ing over dodgy health new study encers pushing is among products. (General Council tap water Associ- SPAIN’s in Europe. The CGCF has filed a the worst Barcelona study of Physiotherapist Spain) has the fourth major ations of with the Spanish Afound it carries cancer for bladder about peocomplaint highest risk continent. that longHealth Ministry medicinal condi- on the suggest a group of ple promoting for beauty Findings to 0.1%, treatments proper knowl- term exposuretap water called ( of less than in the tions without may be of THM count law, chemicals by the Netherlands on the cases edge or training. followed Germany (0.2%). of THMs to Spanish is trihalomethanes one in 20 and only CyAccording promotion is cause forcancer in Europe each highest levels also concluded - behind with 0.1%) and bathing such medical continent 23.2%, Malta wa- The scientists bladder and advertising disease, alBarcelona by indus- year. prus with Ireland’s Liffeythird that showering banned from the trigger the to enter can also 17.9% and a surprising Scientists for Global Health strictly monitored chemicals the the tap ter coming with 17.2%. the lowing thevia the pores of Institute try professionals. analysed
said. “I’ve got 130 taxi drivers who start
was taken to at 4am Meanwhile Albert The consulate email police. and finish Rivera’s Ciudadanos will be Philip was carrying also stated Two months at 2am, but none on, Lee told the neither his of 14. In the 40dBreduced from 57 to passport nor his Ol- the hotels ive Press gain 14% of the poll Vox is set to he was taken by wallet when search anda request for ‘a ground tablishmentsand esvote, alongside the sniffer dogs’ has PP in second place Benidorm’s Policia a stranger to unanswered, gone seen a sign of have with 21.2% and 91 seats and the PhilNacional stawhile the family tion in the Old are ip.” Town just after left searching for answers. with 27.3% and PSOE coming first midnight, as CCTV The The PSOE’s 121 votes. footage con- “We just need closure on wheth- spent family has predicted victory firms. er my dad is still would see the party alive or not,” ting up weeks putHowever, what is Lee said. posters and seats than in April’s with two less and why he was not clear is how “But apart handing out prompting another last election, headache for its the station three allowed to leave sent out from claiming to have of his missing flyers leader Pedro Sanchez some father “The police are hours later. the police don’t drones to look, around Benidorm form a government. as he tries to simply not seem to
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Costa Blanca A DANGEROUS have been slammed after they could see Spain’slurch to the right allowed a confused and disorienVox party becominganti-immigrant tated British great-grandfathe ers in this weekend’s the kingmakto walk out of r general election. into the dead of a police station The massive surge The family of night alone. the recent Catalan - off the back of Pearce, 68, arepensioner Philip of Islam - could crisis and a fear demanding ancomment on individual swers from Benidorm see the party seizing 15% of the seats cases’ such as Philip’s. why he was released police over DISAPPEARED: Philip The expected gains in Parliament. Pearce A Policia Nacional on Septem- (above right) ber 10, at 3am. the last picture enjoying a drink (above), damage centre-right will seriously claimed ‘helicopters’ spokesman while of the pensioner They now fear for Ciudadanos, which could lose in Alicante Airport “It’s scrambled to search had been has been missing his life after he us absolutely gut-wrenching for while the ruling over half its seats, as a family, not for ther-of-three. various Benidorm for Philip on an alarming PSOE and two months. left wing Podemos are also hillsides. he is and why he knowing where Owner of However, he failed expected to sufAnd in a shocking Alicante Transfers, fer. to answer “I just want him disappeared. David McQueen, questions about home British Consulate,email from the miss Vox, which has the exact details pledged to ‘defend’ him so much.” so badly. I spent ‘four to five’ said he has of his release from seen by the Olive Press this Spain from immigrants, the station or hours every whether Philip is predictsniffer dogs and ed to finish third suggestions of a week, there are from was known to be suffering day scouring abandoned buildground in the country’s breach of duty ings and traveller the early signs searches had been fourth general election of care. of demen- around communities would deployed or tia, but was ‘happy in as many years. the Costa Blanca. be soon. The official email and smiling’ when The latest polling pensioner had clearlyreveals the friend he left for Alicante with a “I even sent my dog out with suggests Vox, led Have you seen GoPro a and told by Santiago Abascal, travelling camera police he to search in every in ‘did not remember Philip? partner. bush touch at newsdesk@Get its 24 seats in Spain’s will increase where he He was having a good was staying’ nor holiday we’ve and in every corner, but theolivepress.e 350-seat parwhere he was until he left his Playa liament to 46. found nothing,” from s
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ISHED! T is a particularly sweet landmark. Against the odds, our youngest edition - Costa Blanca south/Murcia - has made it to its first anniversary. Launched in November last year, we couldn’t have picked a more testing time OLIVE as our fifth edition PRESS creaked its way 12 through a difficult winter into an agonising Spring and traumatic Summer. N ACTIO But we held it together and over 26 S STATION issues we managed to bring the region’s expats a range of investigative JANU ARY SALE NOW stories, features and even the odd NOW JANUARY SALE campaign. Highlights includOLIVE PRESS ed the expat group formed to tackle squatters to the Brit who beat COVID-19 twice, and from a probe Goose into motoring conman Simon Da- cha se Ch arity case trade vies, to the scandal of charity shops dea l having to pay IVA. Then there were the floods, the sad case of pensioner Philip Pearce and the capture of Britain’s Most Wanted Louis VIVAL ISSUE THE EXPAT SUR Robinson in Murcia. OLIVE All in all, we would not have been SS RE P able to do all that without you, our readers. Thanks to your commitment, civility and courage in talking to us we can report accurately on what is ...REASONS TO happening out there every issue. BE CHEERFUL Launching a paper in the middle of winter, then going on to battle OLIVE PRESS the twin challenges of a global pandemic and Brexit may have been a struggle - but we have enjoyed every minute of it. A VEGA Baja mayor has demanded €80m in flood aid for the devastated Murcia region.
Los Alcazares leader Mario Perez Cervera insisted a major flood retention project should urgently to prevent be implemented ous flooding that the sort of serihappened in September. He told the government in Madrid this week that it serve the Mar is also vital to preMenor, which was badly hit by the so-called Gota Fria. The week of heavy deaths of millions rain led to the struction of dozensof fish and the deHe insisted future of homes. floods needed to
The
catch-all term that includes ex-new pujarra residents are unimpressed age travellers, yogis, spiritualists with Q propaganda landing on their doorstep. and the alternative community. For Qanons, Trump is a James Bond- Tanya Grenfell Williams, from Tijola, like figure, fighting with the good told the Olive Press: “Qanon is tapguys against the Deep State as part ping into people’s fears by providing something concrete in these preof a wider ‘Earth Alliance’. Along with the ‘Q’ team and Trump, carious times, even if it is false and this alliance allegedly and rather feeding QAnon’s own agenda. frighteningly comprises: ‘loyal gen- “Unfortunately, these more liberal erals and other high-ranking mem- thinkers, normally left-leaning, are bers of the armed forces’; ‘the white finding comfort in these dangerous hats of the National Security Agency conspiracy theories and naively promoting them to other (NSA)’; and numerous people.” global military leaders Sorrell Badger, an ad- Vladamir Putin; Xi JinHow can ministrator of the Orgiping of China; India’s va and Alpujarra Covid prime minister Narenanyone with Group on Facebook, is dra Modi; and crown less polite. prince Bin Salman of a functioning “It’s such a transparent Saudi Arabia (the one who ordered the killbrain fall for it load of b*llocks,” she told the Olive Press. ing and chopping up “I don’t know how anyof journalist, Jamal one with a functioning Khashoggi, in 2018). According to local Q bigwig Char- brain can fall for it. I also find it worlie Ward (see panel left), the main rying that the same people downplay purpose of the Earth Alliance is the COVID and call it a ‘plandemic’. Just dismissal of the 13 ‘demon blood- look at the death toll in the US – line families of the illuminated Deep 210,000.” State clique’. This world transition Orgiva resident Nick Chambers addis, apparently, being financed by the ed: “QAnon is a massive distraction Chinese Dragon Family. Confused? for people who really should know better. It is taking attention away It’s no surprise. And that so many people subscribe from the real issues of today - the to this patent massive inequity of global wealth, nonsense be- the military industrial complex and, comes less of a the really big one, global climate laughing mat- chaos.” snapped Orgiter when one “QAnonsense”, considers that va-based photographer Fred Shively, these are the who hails from the US, summing it people that up in a word. Trump is seek- However, with QAnon hijacking the ing to inflame #SaveTheChildren hashtag for its to support his own purposes, some people have i n c r e a s i n g - been attracted by evidence that inly deranged stitutionalised paedophilia does exclaims that ist. the US elec- “There’s definitely a paedo cover tion is being up,” commented Orgiva resident Sol‘stolen’ from omon Cardy. “Do you believe that Epstein killed himself? him… And the worst “I don’t subscribe to QAnon but I do news? It’s arrived on Spain’s Cos- subscribe to there being a massive tas, especially within the expat com- paedo ring involving many politicians and I’m glad it’s finally coming munity... Take Orgiva, a town with a thriving al- to light.” ternative community, some of whom With QAnons pointing out that Jimmy are posting messages promoting Q Savile was connected to the UK royon Facebook and sharing pictures of al family, and that Epstein is proof of the pudding, some might say this Estepona ‘conspiracy picnics’. Residents in the Alpujarran market area of debate has some credence. town of Orgiva are reporting ‘Q’ and However, it does not validate the ‘WWG1WGA’ (where we go one, we rest of the QAnon theories or that go all) graffiti splashed across local Trump – a friend of Epstein and on record discussing ‘grabbing p*ssy’ walls. Meanwhile some members of the – is crusading for the benefit of hucommunity have been attending manity. ‘conspiracy theory picnics’ in an With COVID on the increase and a Estepona mansion where they can huge lack of leadership and scienlisten to QAnon ‘red pill’ speeches tific rationalism in the fight against with ‘private intel’ from the likes of the pandemic, one thing seems British expat oil magnate Charlie certain. People will turn more and Ward – the most prominent figure in more to the absolutist certainly of the kind of theories spouted by the Andalucia’s Q scene. With these right-wing views seeping chancers and crackpots typified by into the local community, many Al- QAnon. Fasten your seatbelts…
The
SIGN: Graffiti that identifies with the deranged theorists of QAnon disfigures a wall in Orgiva
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HUNDREDS ty shops are of British-run chariignoring new laws that require Spanish them to charge ue added tax val(IVA) on second-hand goods. A UK plan for A tax clampdown deal with thea Canada-style free trade already slammed has seen a number with big fines, been rejected. European Union has many more with now It comes as UK the Olive Press in the firing line, Johnson laid outPrime Minister Boris One well knowncan reveal. shop on the deal with Brusselshis vision for a trade Blanca is now facing fines of Costa ‘no need’ to follow insisting there was €24,000’ ‘up to EXCLUSIVE after an inspection EU rules. His aim is an vealed they By Joshua Parfitt reCanada signedagreement like the one throughout charged no IVA on sales 2018. goods. tariffs on most in 2016 where import The Torrevieja goods have been charity’s accountant, It comes as another inated. The flow elim- who asked not to be named, British charity, which has two banking – which of services, such as shops are being viewed as any said has also been shops in Torrevieja, tance to the UK is of more impor- high-street other hit with a €5,000 after an inspection more restricted. – however are much changes to business following law fine He also mentioned behaviour. crackdown on fraudulent revealed was paid on however, that if this deal is not second-hand no IVA 2017. the UK will return items in reached “The government’s to the view Withdrawal “It’s completely Agreement, or is that it is not fair that dent, who asked unfair,” the presiAustralia. Borishave a similar deal to is charging a legitimate business IVA on sales to protect the to remain nameless tled ‘unleashing used his speech - ti- door a charity while shop can cut next an work, told charity’s humanitarihighlight the factBritain’s potential’ - to prices,” the down “Our charity the Olive Press. to revert to the that the UK intends ive Press thisaccountant told the OlWorld week. Trade Organi- “There government issteps in because the sation (WTO) are a lot of expats citizens, and failing to care for its UNDER PRESSURE: such a deal. Heterms if the EU refuses to make themselves who need Charity shops them for it? now we have to pay fines. phatically not said: “The choice is em- is not a clampdown aware that this face hefty Government “Factoring 21% “The question‘deal or no deal’. government doing but merely the Susan is whether we fines its job properly.” prices will heavilyIVA into existing charity Weeding, who operates trading relationship “You have to agree a The accountant bear in mind four affect the shops for do and mean parable to Canada’s with the EU com- Hacienda over said he was fighting we reach fewerwork we Care Rescue Centreher Easy Horse of our rescues come at the that most the money demandin need.” tralia’s. In either - or more like Aus- ed from his request of people she ‘might in Rojales, said police and councils directly – someas The president that Britain will case, I have no doubt not aware’ client as the client ‘was starts having well give up’ if she times from as far as of prosper mightily.” to pay IVA to ty shops were added his two chari- ernment. Murcia and He pointed the laws. the gov- Granada. some ‘of the very out that back British-run See Time’s Up “We’re not allowed in the UK, charity home enterprises which few’ “The September on page 6 to re-home shops enjoy now adding the storms as they ro-rated VAT are the Vega zetax. on sales of donated Baja region withalready left cases, become evidence in them He urged all court so why should crops and we’re no forage we be hit by the double sure charity shops to make to government for now in debt they are not keep doing our best?” liable to donkeys our 121 horses, ponies just and alive,” she said. Opinion Page 6
Hundreds of British-run charity shops are facing fines after ignoring tax laws
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The
credibility and coherence. But the movement’s supporters are deadly serious. QAnons claim that President John F Kennedy started the concept, although conveniently, as JFK was shot dead in 1963, he’s not around to confirm or refute this. But although its principles sound like the plot of a B-movie, QAnon has gained traction worldwide, with its supporters trying to decipher ‘Q drops’ and joining forces to fight against the satanic cabal. And while critics denounce Q fans as delusional, the QAnons claim that the public has been brainwashed by the ‘mainstream media’ (MSM). People are, in this respect, polarised in their opinions. Many describe QAnon as being ‘cult-like’. Now, remarkably, it has taken root in the alternative communities of Andalucia’s Alpujarras and is spreading like coronavirus throughout the Costa Del Sol and Costa Blanca. For its supporters, known as ‘QAnons’, it’s something to cling onto during the COVID crisis. For others it is a lucrative business opportunity with Q-themed events popping up in luxury venues along the Costa. One of the main criticisms of QAnon is that the underlying concept is loosely based on the theories promoted by the Nazis to encourage anti-Semitism and justify the holocaust. The Nazis were interested in esoterism and magic, as well as Eastern religions. This helps explain why this newer version of the conspiracy theory proves popular with the ‘cosmic right’ – a
‘Spain’s best English news website’
mise -
The 60-year-old oil magnate, money and self-stated ex-cult member claim trader s that he has been down subterranean tunnels unregistered gold was stored, wher where e shops and houses exist, and people ride arou nd in golf carts. Such is the current popularity of Q – and ed theories - that Ward has gained 166,relatonline subscribers in five months and 000 11.5 million views (https://www.youtu user/drcharlieward). He also chargesbe.com/ an entry fee for his ‘club’. For some entrepreneurs, Q is a boost for business. Peggy Boer runs regular Q Parties at Los Caballos in Estepona, where guesCortijo €22 a ticket and €80 for a night’s accots pay mmodation to hear speakers like Charlie Ward . One such event, branded ‘Conspira cy Protocol’, attracted 95 guests and was atten by the Policia Nacional although they ded supposedly sent packing by the mas were conspiracy theorists (they don’t believe k-less in face coverings). Other popular QAnon themes – as seen in their videos – include anti-vaccination, tian religion, hydroxychloroquine (as Chrisfor Covid), the ‘plandemic’, Trump nota cure a woman-molester, the evil of Bill Gate being George Soros, the dangers of 5G and s and between ‘one world government or a choice There is also a strong pro-Brexit elem Trump’. ent.
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LA CULTURA
8
English-speaking writers keep falling for Spain’s charms. Joe Duggan looks at some of the best authors over the decades
S
November 13th - November 26th 2020
Literary love
PAIN has captivated wave after wave of English-speaking writers for generations. Even now, with so much written about every corner of its magisterial landscape, Spain’s rich traditions and sorrowful past are a siren call to artists from rainy northern climes. Popular, modern-day writers like Britain’s Chris Stewart and the Anglo-American Jason Webster, are re-introducing readers to Spain’s allure, as the country weaves its spell on the next generation. It’s far from an unrequited love affair. In a relationship stretching back centuries, expat historians, journalists and novelists have left an indelible and invaluable stamp on Spain’s cultural map.
Labyrinth
Indeed, Gerald Brenan, with books like South of Granada, the Spanish Labyrinth and The Face of Spain, cemented his place as perhaps the most authoritative voice on Spain, albeit one with a clipped British accent. The perspective of British writers like Brenan and Hugh Thomas, following the Civil War, was crucial in forming an accurate historical analysis of the bloody conflict and its aftermath. With Spanish historians and scholars neutered by Franco’s vicious suppression of free speech, British writers fixed a powerful beam on the Generalissimo’s murky regime. Here is our guide to five of the best British and Irish writers on Spain.
Robert Hughes ART critic Hughes’ peerless Barcelona is an aria to this most elegant of cities. Avoiding the fiery civil war years, his meticulous research and acute observation cast a magisterial eye over the Catalan capital’s 2,000-year history. In the city’s transexual prostitutes plying their trade, Hughes divined Barcelona’s endlessly rich spirit of reinvention. He warmly evokes nights spent in bustling working-class restaurants around the fisherman’s quarter Barceloneta in the 1960s, and vividly recalls the then-seedy Placa Real where you could feel ‘the germs mutating’. But it’s the sheer historical scope of Hughes’ book that so impresses.Tracing the city from its Roman roots, he explains how Catalan developed from the class of Latin conquerors who settled in the area. Barcelona’s art, architecture, its struggles with Castilian and foreign monarchs and the surge in Catalan nationalism are all given generous attention in Hughes’ scholarly masterpiece.
BARCELONA: Hughes cast a magisterial eye over the Catalan capital in his historical book spanning 2,000 years
George Steer
George Orwell
Michael Jacobs THE art historian, travel writer and hispanophile Jacobs was one of Britain’s foremost writers on Spain. A bon viveur, he settled in the Andalucian town of Frailes, writing his much-loved Between Hopes and Memories: A Spanish Journey and The Factory Of Light, set in the village he had come to call home. His final, unfinished work was a book on Spanish art, focusing on Velázquez’s masterpiece, Las Meninas, and his relationship with it. As he was dying of cancer, he pointed out the irony of the darkened figure in the background of the painting, quietly exiting the scene up some stairs. He died in 2014 aged 61.
Jimmy Burns Staying with Barcelona, Burns’s lifelong passion for the Catalan football giants is given vivid expression in a superb labour of love. Barca: A People’s Passion is a forensic examination of the club’s history, tragedies and glories, both sports book and historic account. Burns is a committed cule (the name given to the club’s fans comes from
HOMAGE To Catalonia is a typically Orwellian sneer at the absurdities and hypocrisies of war. An early volunteer to the Marxist POUM, Orwell was initially energised by the anarchist revolution he encountered on arrival in Barcelona in December 1936. ‘When one came straight from England the aspect of Barcelona was something startling and overwhelming,’ he wrote. ‘It was the first time that I had ever been in a town where the working class was in the saddle.’ Dispatched to the front, Orwell describes with a journalist’s detail the squalor, fear and dom of life as borea soldier. While
there, he was shot and wounded in the neck. While recovering, Orwell was in Barcelona again during a key moment in Spain’s Civil War, where he watched the bullets fly between rival leftist factions
the Catalan for ‘arse’, he reveals, as before the Nou Camp was built, fans’ backsides would hang off the walls of small stadiums). The club’s motto, Mes Que Un Club, is examined
on the Republican side from the rooftops of the Ramblas. He was forced to flee Spain with his wife for fear of being assassinated by Communists. His book remains a key firsthand document of the war.
by the journalist as he talks extensively to fans, players and officials connected to the Catalan titans. Barca has, over the years, become a political and social phenomenon, at times acting as an engine of social change and a symbol and forum for dissent. The club’s emergence from a group of English, Swiss and Spanish players, the 1936 assassination of president Josep Suñol and Barca’s reawakening with Johan Cruyff's arrival are all brought to life by Burns in this excellent account.
TIMES journalist Steer was the first reporter on the scene after Hitler’s Condor Legion eviscerated the ancient Basque market town of Guernica. Filing his copy the day after the 1937 massacre, Steer was quick to point the blame at the Nazis, identifying Junkers and Heinkel bombers and fighters as responsible for dropping more than 3,000 incendiary bombs before machine-gunning fleeing victims. The overall death toll is estimated to have been as high as 1,500. Franco denied the bombing was carried out by nationalist forces, ludicrously blaming the massacre on the Republicans. Steer’s detailed on-the-scene account for the Times and the New York Times was a bold repudiation of Franco’s lies. Four days after reading it, Picasso began painting his iconic Guernica.
LEGENDARY: George Steer and (below) Guernica
LA CULTURA
Disney winner
WITH people being stuck at home for large parts of the year, TV streaming services have come into their own. And the big winner in Spain has been Disney. The live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 classic animation Mulan has been named as currently the most popular movie in the country as well as around the world. The $200 million fantasy, available on Disney+, tops the charts in 53 out of 87 analysed countries, meaning 61% of film fans favour this remake above any other movie. The modern version of the Disney tale is considered more sombre and mature than the animated version, following a more classic narrative. The 2020 version has cut back on the stereotypes of China and Chinese people that the Disney version had. Despite being almost two decades old, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), comes in second on the list of most trending films. It is the most searched for in 28 countries (32%) across the world.
Gender Gap
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Art attack
Send your informa tion to newsdesk@theolivepr ess.es
This oddball renovation in Palencia is the latest case of Spanish art restoration gone wrong
what’s on
CHRIST: What happened?
By Eugene Costello
THE Spanish are renowned world over for their incredible works of art - from the Sagrada Familia to the works of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. But not everything can be heralded as a masterpiece and for every Francisco Zurbaran, there are some serious fails. The most recently culture blunder was spotted in the Spanish city of Palencia, with a repair job on a statute being slammed as ‘cartoon-like’ by locals. The figure on the Unicaja bank has stirred up a storm of disapproval because of its flattened features and drooping eyes. It is unclear who is responsible for the restoration, which has been likened to children’s sand sculptures and playdough.
9
what’s on
S
mooth jazz
THE Jazz Voyeur Festival returns to Palma from November 13, showcasing some of the very best Funk and Blues music. Film screenings will also be on offer at the Santa Catalina Valls Theatre.
F
oodies unite
THE island’s favourite gastronomical festival, TaPalma, is set to go ahead from November 25. For one week, foodies can take advantage of very reasonably priced tapas at 50 participating restaurants.
F
all fair
POTATO HEAD: No one is sure who did the bodged restoration in Palencia “It’s more like a cartoon head compared the new sculpture to In 2012, a churchgoer in Borja than the artistic head of one ‘sand sculptures kids do on the attempted an unauthorised resof Palencia’s most emblematic beach’ while another said her toration of a fresco of Christ. buildings,” local painter Anto- ‘granddaughter could do better Her dubious daubing of the prized Ecce Homo became a nio Guzman wrote in a Face- with playdough’. book post alongside before and It’s not the first time an unorth- global laughing stock, with critafter shots of the statue. odox redesign has stirred up ics likening the redesign to a monkey and blurry potato. A second social media user artistic controversy. But Cecilia Giménez, the 85-year-old amateur art restorer, had the last laugh. Her interMEN are running Spain’s cultural sector Some 82% of the artistic directors of public pretation of the 1930s painting and it shows, says a new study. institutions in Spain are male, the study reby Elías García Martínez has An audit commissioned by the Ministry of vealed, meaning official decisions on culture attracted thousands of visitors Culture and Sport to study its own struc- remain in the hands of a majority of men. from around the world, bringtures and bodies shows a striking disparity On top of that three quarters of pieces ing unexpected wealth and between opportunities for women and men. bought by galleries were the work of men. fame to the church and now counts itself as a protected site.
OP QUICK Crossword Across 7 Conclusively (4,3,3,3) 8 A mix of living tissue and machinery (6) 9 One or the other of two (6) 10 Eat like a king (5) 12 Having an interesting past (7) 14 Combat area (3,4) 16 Seaport in NW Israel (5) 19 Spanish fleet (6) 20 Walk softly (6) 22 Computer messaging system (8,5) Down
OP Sudoku
November 13th - November 26th 2020
1 Salad green (6) 2 Maidenhair, for example (4) 3 Pass into law (5) 4 Consequences (7) 5 Standards of judgment (8) 6 Arm cover (6) 11 Fairly large (8) 13 Dredge up (7) 15 Kind of airliner (6) 17 Baffles (6) 18 Performed terribly (5) 21 Career golfers (4)
All solutions are on page 15
THE autumn Olive Fair will take place in the picturesque village of Caimari on November 16 and 17. In the main square, visitors can purchase typical Mallorcan products derived from the olive tree itself.
W
ine fest
ENJOY Feria del Vino on November 23, a fair to celebrate the arrival of Mallorca’s new wine. Take a tour of Santa Maria del Cami’s renowned vineyards with wine-tasting included.
10
BUSINESS
Flying south
BRITISH and German holidaymakers are flocking to the Canaries now that they do not have to self-isolate on return. According to a recent study by Bookiply, a service provider for holiday rental owners, bookings to the paradise islands have doubled since last week, proving that COVID-19 is less potent than the travel bug. "After the German and British governments lifted the travel warnings, we immediately recorded the first bookings," reported Gabriela Rubio, manager of Bookiply’s Tenerife office. Tourism on the Canaries has boomed since they were taken off the list of risk areas on October 25. Tenerife has profited the most, with 75% of its accommodation already booked for the Christmas period.
Former BHS boss guilty of tax evasion
THE disgraced former boss of doomed retailers BHS has been jailed for six years for tax evasion. Dominic Chappell - who had several links to Spain including a property at the Oasis Club in Marbella was found guilty of evading tax on the £2.2million income he received after buying the chain for just £1 from billionaire Sir Philip Green in March 2015.
November 13th - November 26th 2020
Jailed! By Dilip Kuner
Chappell, 53, from Blandford Forum in Dorset (UK), evaded paying £500,000 in income tax, corporation tax and VAT between January 2014 and September 2016. Serial bankrupt Chappell was convicted at a trial at London’s Southwark
crown court. The court heard that he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury items, including a yacht, a Bentley car and a Bahamas holiday. A year after he took ownership, BHS collapsed under the weight of a £571 million black hole and some 11,000 jobs were lost. In 2016, he made head-
Diverse dolls win prize A COSTA Blanca company has won a prestigious accolade for producing the best Spanish toy of 2020. The award has gone to Miniland in Onil for making a collection of four Down’s syndrome dolls of different races (pictured). The dolls are two boys and two girls of white and dark skin who have the
characteristics of Down’s. A jury put together by the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ) decided on the award winner with experts from areas like education and sales. The judges said that they ‘valued the dolls for promoting respect for diversity, tolerance, and integration’. AEFJ president, Jose Antonio Pastor, said: “The objective of the collection was very much to get children to have a normal view of different looking youngsters from an early stage of their life.”
Time for payback DISHONEST: Chappell
lines when he allegedly evicted his brother from a villa at the Oasis Club that had belonged to his mother. He allegedly persuaded her to sign the property over to pay debts associated with the BHS deal. His brother Damon had lived in the property with his wife and son for over a decade. Chappell also faced allegations of misusing company funds from Cadiz-based Olivia Petroleum Around €385,000 was allegedly siphoned from the company which he fronted without other shareholders’ approval. The money was allegedly used to fund a lavish lifestyle and another business. Just a year ago, Chappell was banned from holding company directorships in the UK for 10 years for ‘abusing his responsibilities’.
A SPANISH online bank has been ordered by a Costa Blanca court to refund €8,820 to a customer who was charged excess interest on a controversial high-interest credit card. An Orihuela judge decided in favour of a WiZink bank client over charges dating back to 2007 over a so-called ‘revolving’ card. The card allows customers to continuously borrow up to certain limits depending on purchases and payments.
Captive
Spain’s highest legal body, the Supreme Court, threw out a WiZink appeal in a case involving a Santander woman who had annual interest rate charges on her card of 26.82% ‘Revolving’ card holders usually pay a fixed monthly fee which is not very high, but with an excessive interest rate. The cardholder ends up paying a much higher amount than the available capital and the payment of the outstanding debt is extended over such a long period that the borrower can become, in what the Supreme Court called, a ‘captive debtor’.
Golden years MORTGAGE repayments in Spain won’t go up for a decade, according to one of Spain’s leading bankers. CEO of Caixabank Gonzalo Cortazar said the Euribor rate - which currently stands at a historic low of -0.468% - will be the ‘new normal’ for banks until 2031. Euribor, which is the interest rate at which credit institutions lend money to each other, has not stopped falling since the coronavirus pandemic began. The negative rates mean the cost of repayments on variable mortgages have plummeted in the last few months, with some homeowners even seeing reductions of up to €120 on the price of their loans for next year. Now Spanish analysts have revealed they foresee banks gearing up to offer steep discounts on fixed mortgages to pull in customers.
Pressure
Forecasters predict that lenders will be forced to slash rates on fixed deals to steer people away from variable rates. Meanwhile some banks may insert clauses saying interest payments will never fall below zero. And while this is all good news for homeowners or prospective buyers, these negative rates are putting pressure on the banking sector and add to other foreseeable consequences of the coronavirus crisis in Spain. Cortazar has pointed out that with this situation and with the prospects that non-performing loans will rise during 2021, banks have no choice but to find ways to improve income and accelerate efficiency.
12
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Safe travel corridors
SPAIN'S Minister of Tourism Reyes Maroto has revealed plans to extend so-called 'safe corridors' throughout Spain. Following what was agreed last month between the Central Government and the regional executives of the Balearic and Canary Islands, on establishing a protocol to set up safe tourist corridors with European countries in order to reactivate tourism, Maroto aims to extend the protocol in other areas of Spain, especially in Andalucia.
Protocols
The already established protocols with the Balearic and Canary Islands, decree that travellers from European countries with an incidence of over 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants will have to present a negative test for coronavirus 48 hours before the flight. The Minister of Tourism advocates working on this project now so that when the current incidence of the COVID-19 in Spain is under control, it will be ‘easier to open corridors as the resources and protocols will be in place.’ The proposed protocols include testing for coronavirus at Spanish airports.
Burn bright or fade
November 13th - November 26th 2020 STAR: Chef Martin Berasategui
Will Spain’s most awarded chef Martin Berasategui keep his dozen Michelin stars this month? HE’S got more Michelin stars in Spain than anyone…and more in a single country than any other chef worldwide. But how many of Martin Berasategui’s 12 stars will he keep when the annual awards gala is held this month? Not even the seasoned 60-yearold chef can answer that. The culinary godfather - who reached the pinnacle of success with his same name Basque Region restaurant 20 years ago - is keeping his fingers crossed.
By Jon Clarke
However, he accepts that with many of his 12 restaurants closed for much of the year (he has three in the Caribbean, one in Mexico, one in Lisbon) he has no idea. Admitting it has been a terrible year due to the COVID crisis, he at least hopes for the best. “With the stars you can never know,” he revealed this week. “The best minutes of the year
are when you go up to collect the stars, but even better is to see former pupils go up and pick them up.” But he is realistic about the year in general. “The Caribbean is dead, Madrid and Barcelona are in trouble, Ibiza we opened to simply close, Bilbao, San Sebastian and Lasarte, good and bad. At least we are working.” Another of the plus sides of the current crisis is that he has found the time to refocus on
CONTINUITY:Will Munoz, Dacosta and Angel Leon keep three stars?
finding a series of new dishes, seven in total. The end result is what he calls the ‘Menu Pandemia’, which is proving popular in his main three star restaurant, 6kms out of San Sebastian. “Without this illness we would not have had time to create this new menu, so that is good,” he added. The Michelin gala takes place in Madrid on November 30 and it will be interesting to see if the capital’s wunderkind David Munoz has kept his three stars for Diverxo. And if Spain will keep its other three Michelin starred eateries including El Celler de Can Roca, in Barcelona, Akelarre and Arzak, in San Sebastian, and Quique Dacosta, in Denia, and Angel Leon at Aponiente, in Cadiz. By the middle of September some 86% of Michelin starred restaurants were open in Spain, while this number had dropped off to around 75% by the end of October.
Bottom’s Up
THE best wines in the world for 2020 have been revealed – and one of the top pours comes from Spain. Montecillo Crianza 2016 was crowned ‘the best buy’ in the world by prestigious booze magazine, Wine Enthusiast. Leading wine aficionados, sommeliers and luxury travel correspondents who had rated wines from across the globe put forward the Spanish vino as their top pick. The wine from Bodegas Montecillo, DOC, Rioja’s third oldest winery, was selected as number one by critics who awarded the wine 91 points. Editor Michael Schachner said he favoured the balance between notes of fruit and wood and its ‘authentic Riojan character’. Montecillo Crianza is made from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes from vines located in Rioja Alta and spends 18 months in American oak barrels, followed by at least six months in the bottle. The wine, which is sold in most supermarkets for just under €9 a bottle, has previously picked up a number of accolades including a gold medal from Mundus Vini, and 91 points from wine magazine Decanter which featured the bottle on its cover.
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
I
T’S hard to picture Spain without the accompanying image of a condensation-coated glass, filled to the brim with ice-cold beer and placed beside a plate of tapas. Seeing that Spain is Europe’s fourth largest beer producer, right behind Germany, the UK and Poland, and that the average Spaniard consumes anywhere from 46 to 86 litres of it per year, it seems that most inhabitants of Spain would not disagree with this statement.
MAPPED: Where each beer dominates in Spain by sales
Emperor
Beer’s introduction here is usually attributed to Roman Emperor Charles V, who gained power of Spain in 1516. Charles hailed from the ale-drinking nation of Flanders (modern-day Belgium). So that he could continue to enjoy beer in a country that strongly favored wine, he ordered brew masters to accompany him to Spain, and even had a brewery opened along the Manzanares’ River. His son Philip II opened more breweries when he came to power after his father’s death. Yet despite the growing industry, the beverage remained widely unpopular. Some historians attributed its lack of favour to the people’s dislike of the emperor; others said that it remained runner-up to wine because wine was tastier and cheap. The beer downer continued until around the 20th century, when major breweries such as Aguila, Cruzcampo and Damm began opening. Beer became cheaper than wine, and the emperor’s strange choice of beverage became the staple
Wheel ale IF you have a thirst for something more adventurous than a brewery tour but still want to taste Spain’s speciality tipples, why not hop on a beer bike? The activity is exactly as it sounds; you sit on a communal bike that doubles as a bar, and enjoy different types of beer while pedalling through the city, quenching your thirst in the cooling breeze. But you will have to wait until next summer and hope the COVID restrictions are all over! Keep an eye on Tarifa, Sevilla and Granada to see if the services restart. If that sounds too much like hard work, several food and tapa tours on the islands include beer tastings where you can enjoy your cerveza at a more chilled pace. Salud!
and beloved cerveza of Spain. The word cerveza comes from the Gallo-Roman word cerevisia, which was meant to honor the Roman Goddess of the harvest, Ceres. In Spain, cervesa has different names depending on the glass it is served in. A caña is a small glass often served with tapas, the idea being that the beer won’t be warm by the time you are done drinking it. If you have a stronger thirst, you can order a tubo, a tall, thin glass, or a pinta, pint.
Dominated
What is poured into the glass also differs, depending what region you are in. In Spain, the beer industry is dominated by breweries such as Heineken España, Mahou-San Miguel, Damm, Hijos de Rivera, Alhambra and Ambar. If you are walking along the streets of any town in Andalucia, you’ll be very unlikely not to encounter at least one Cruzcampo sign hanging above a restaurant doorway. Cruzcampo, a Heineken España product, dominates in Southern Spain. Mahou is prominent in Castilla, while San Miguel claims the market in the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, the Basque region and Navarra. Ambar is popular in Aragon, Estrella Damm in Catalonia and Estrella Galicia in Galicia. Raise your glasses as we take a pub crawl through Spain’s top breweries.
November 13th - November 26th 2020
13
Don’t worry, be hoppy! Danielle Fortuna dons her beer goggles to tap into the brewtiful history of Spanish cerveza
Cruzcampo
Damm
This Sevilla-based brewery, also with a footprint in Jaen, has been owned by Dutch brewmasters Heineken since 1991, and is the biggest-selling beer in Spain, as well as one of the top selling brands in Europe. Founded in 1904 by two brothers, the name came from the phrase, la cruz del campo, which means ‘the cross of the field’, and refers to the location of the first factory. A very popular choice in Andalucia, this company was the first to produce a cerveza sin - beer without alcohol. Their latest product is a malty premium Gran Reserva 1904 (6.4%), which costs €2.50.
Founded in 1876 by August Küntzmann after he and his wife fled Alsace and the Franco-Prussian War, this lager-producing company is based in Barcelona, and is the oldest in Spain. The beer they brewed was lighter than central European ales and more suitable to the warmer, Mediterranean climate. Now the most dominant brand in Catalonia, Damm’s Inedit (4.8%), priced at €3.95, and Vall-Damm Doble Malta (7.2%), priced at €1.10, are two of Spain’s highest-rated beers.
MahouSan Miguel This company was born in the fields of Manila, where Spanish Monks brewed it in the San Miguel district of the Philippines’ capital. In 1957, a Spanish businessman bought the rights to the beer and started producing it in Spain, where it became part of the Mahou-San Miguel Group. Now widely popular, this company controls 30% of the Spanish market. In 2004, they introduced the first organic beer to Spain, San Miguel ECO, and also have an apple, alcohol-free beer. The San Miguel factory in Malaga even welcomes visitors to make an appointment and experience the brewery for themselves. Their highest ranked products are the Mahou Maestra (7.5%) at €2, and the San Miguel 1516 (4.2%) at €0.80.
Alhambra As you probably guessed by the name, this beer originates from Granada, its two lions symbol referencing the Patio de los Leones at the Alhambra Palace. Partly owned by Andalucia’s first independent brewery, Alhambra SL, and now by Mahou-San Miguel, its Cordoba factory boasts a production of 60,000 cans per hour. Alhambra even dedicated a red ‘Abbey’ beer to the city of Cordoba, called the Mezquita (7.2%), which sells for about €2. The Alhambra 1925 (6.4%) was featured as one of Spain’s best beers, costing €1 and available in most supermarkets.
Hijos de Rivera (Estrella Galicia) Not to be confused with Estrella Damm, this completely family-owned business was started in 1906 by Jose Maria Rivera Corral after he returned to La Coruña from his travels in Cuba and Mexico. Unsurprisingly, this beer dominates the market in the Galicia area. One of their top-ranked tipples is Estrella Galicia 1906 (6.5%, €0.80), a malt-flavored beer with toffee, flower and herb undertones, which was created to commemorate the company’s anniversary.
La Zaragozana Group (Ambar) Aragon’s abundant barley inspired a group of friends to set up this brewery in 1900. They then took it on a promotional tour, after which it became well-known in London and Paris as well as Madrid. Today, the Ambar Export Tres Maltas (7%), an extra lager priced at €0.90, is considered one of the top beers in Spain. Based in Zaragoza, the brewery always welcomes guests, inviting them to see and enjoy this ‘live museum of beer’.
14
COLUMNISTS
November 13th - November 26th 2020 Terenia Taras
Feeling positive W
ell it finally got me, despite me trying to play ninja and just ignore it! Even with all the rigorous hand sanitising and wearing of face masks, I caught COVID-19 and became a global statistic. It started with a bit of a sore throat, but being the time of year, I just thought I was coming down with a cold. It wasn’t until I was eating Paul’s homemade chilli and realised I couldn’t taste anything, that I thought: “Oh I have it!” The next morning we both went along to the doctor, handed over €120 each and had uncomfortable sticks shoved down our throats and up our noses. It was pretty ouchy, but luckily was over in seconds. We then had to wait till the following day for our results, which unsurprisingly due to the lack of taste and smell, were
Telling it like it is
Columnist Terernia talks COVID tests and supportive neighbours
positive. So at this stage I’m sitting on the sofa looking at Paul, and both of us are immediately scared, yet relieved. Scared, because all we’ve really heard and seen in the media are the worst case scenarios with people going into hospital and dying alone. On the other hand we were relieved, because I have to be honest (and this is only my own experience) and as I said to my nineteen-year-old son, ‘I’ve had worst colds’. Yes, I felt lethargic, maybe more than usual, but I think with the sheer stress of this year weighing on everyone, none of us are feeling particularly bouncy! All I wanted to do was sit on the sofa and watch films and boxsets, no change there from lockdown then. The worst symptom for me was losing my sense of taste and smell. Eating was a waste because I couldn’t enjoy my food. So, I decided now was the time to eat super healthy in the hope that I may even lose a couple of pounds in the process! Bran Flakes no longer tasted like the cardboard box they come in, yay! I had to let the few people we’d seen prior to getting our results know, which
Salute to Sir Sean
made me feel really guilty, as though we’d somehow deliberately caught it to put them at risk! One of our neighbours, who kindly did some shopping for us, mainly alcohol, came to the door chanting “unclean, unclean”. Thanks mate! We spent weeks racking our brains as to where we may have caught it, and fortunately the three people we’d seen prior to us testing positive all tested negative! This made it even harder to understand how, and where, we may have got it? We therefore had to assume we might have touched something, a door handle, a glass in a restaurant, or a baguette! Hear me out on this one. When I was able to go out shopping again I saw the man next to me at the bread section touching the baguettes with his hand, no not in a weirdo way, but to feel if they were still warm. Aha, I do this too. I know I shouldn’t, but I do it subconsciously, and who doesn’t love a warm baguette? We will never know where we caught COVID, but the main thing is we’re fine. I appreciate that not everyone is as lucky as us and I’m now relieved we’ve had it. Because I think the more people who do, and get over it, the less of a threat this virus will hold over us and hopefully it will disappear as quickly as it came! PLEASE FOLLOW ME
@tereniataras
Everyone lucky enough to live in Marbella between the 60s and 80s has a Sean Connery story
T
HE Bond star lived in his beachside villa Casa Malibu between 1975 and the mid 90s. But Sir Sean was a frequent visitor to Marbella from the 60s, where he could indulge his passion for golf and relax between films, most notably with fellow actor Sir Stanley Baker. He also developed a lasting friendship with Formula One World Champion James Hunt as well as opera singer and restaurant owner Toni Dalli. There’s even a dish named after him at the Dalli Brothers Pasta Factory in Banus. As I said, everyone has a Sean Connery story, so here is mine. Or more specifically, my Mum's. In the early 80s, Mum decided to walk back from the Saturday market at the bullring to our house at the back of Nueva Andalucia. Being pretty and petite, Dad jokingly warned her not to accept lifts from strangers on the way home. "I was walking back" she told us "when a Mercedes pulled alongside and asked if I wanted a lift. I was just about to say 'no thank you', when I looked in and saw it was Sean Connery. "I almost leapt in through the window!" Mum, who was a natural talker and from Glasgow, for once found herself lost for words. "I couldn't think of anything to say" she admitted "I don't even think I mentioned I was Scottish. I asked if he was here for the golf and he said yes. Then we drove in silence for about 10 minutes. "When he dropped me at the urbanisation, which was normally busy, there was no one around to see me get out of Sean Connery's car apart from a stray dog. I didn't even ask him if he wanted a drink or if I could take a photo with him". Other friends admit to a prank they played after spotting him driving up to the Aloha Golf Club. As they were in their teens and driving a Golf GTi, there was only one thing for it. They screeched up alongside, leant out of the windows and pretended to machine gun 007 before pulling a handbrake turn and speeding off. They were treated to 'the look' and a raised eyebrow from Sean.
RIP: Connery was a true global star In the pre-DVD 80s, the old cinema in Puerto Banus was the starting point to a Friday night when it showed English films. With deep, cushioned rattan chairs, an interval halfway through giving you time to hit the bar and a corrugated iron roof, not to mention San Miguel at just 150 pesetas a pop, teens like myself flocked there. Spotting Sean taking a seat one evening, we began to hum the Bond theme, getting louder and louder and finishing with a "DA DA. DA DA DAAAAAAH" One of the boys then approached him for an autograph. '**** off" Sean growled. The teen beat a hasty retreat. Sean loved his time in Marbella, whether he was enjoying a night with friends at the Marbella Club or playing a round of golf - where you could often hear him voicing his displeasure down the fairway if he was having a bad game. Actor, icon and an unforgettable personality during Marbella's Golden Age - RIP Sir Sean.
HEALTH Mass jabbing
SPAIN’S Health Minister, Salvador Illa, has predicted that the majority of the country will have received coronavirus vaccines from companies like Pfizer by next May (see front page). The breakthrough to find an effective vaccine was announced by Pfizer on Monday. Interviewed by broadcaster, TVE, Illa said that the government will buy 20 million doses of the 90% effective Pfizer vaccine. Salvador Illa said: “Either this week or next, we will sign a contract with Pfizer for the vaccine which means that the first batch of 20 million doses will arrive in early 2021.”
November 13th - November 26th 2020
Triple Vaccine Miracle?
Children’s jab may be key to coronavirus ‘immunity’
A SPANISH doctor claims that the triple vaccine given to young children could be the reason why youngsters are not badly affected by COVID-19. Dr Pedro Reche, an immunologist and researcher at the Complutense University of Madrid, has found evidence of cross-reactive immunity to COVID-19. Simply put, antigens produced by the DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) vaccine routinely given in the first few months of life help provide immunity against the coronavirus. For several months Reche has carried out computer research which has
OP Puzzle solutions Across: 7 Once and for all, 8 Bionic, 9 Either, 10 Feast, 12 Storied, 14 War zone, 16 Haifa, 19 Armada, 20 Tiptoe, 22 Bulletin board. Down: 1 Endive, 2 Fern, 3 Enact, 4 Effects, 5 Criteria, 6 Sleeve, 11 Sizeable, 13 Unearth, 15 Airbus, 17 Floors, 18 Stank, 21 Pros.
SUDOKU
Quick Crossword
confirmed his hypothesis: “The existence of extensive cross-reactive immunity between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the antigens present in the triple bacterial vaccine DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis), which is prescribed during the first months of life”. Reche believes that the protection of infants, and young people to COVID-19 could be due to this cross-reactive immunity. He said: “It is normal for the geriatric population to suffer an infection and for it to be serious, because the immune system is weakened. What is not normal is for a small child whose
RESEARCH: New insight from Dr Pedro Reche
immune system is being formed and educated not to suffer this type of infection.” The strongest correlation factor in COVID-19 cases and severity is age. In fact, the majority of COVID-19 fatalities occur among the elderly (90% of the victims are over 70 years) while the paediatric population is largely spared. Moreover, the triple bacterial vaccine DTP is the most frequently repeated vaccine: three or four doses are scheduled during the first
year of life, it is reinforced at four to six years old and finally a low antigenic load dose is given between nine and 14 years. Additionally in countries such as Mexico or Indonesia, which don’t follow the same vaccination programme as many European countries, there are reports of alarming infant mortality due to coronavirus, leaving Reche to conclude that the vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) may be responsible for such protection.
15
Vision off MORE than a third (34%) of people have noticed a deterioration in their eyesight during the pandemic, a new study has revealed. Figures, released by Specsavers, show that nearly half of people surveyed (44%) have become increasingly health aware due to the pandemic. But thousands of newly health conscious people were unable to attend routine eye tests due to lockdown restrictions. “During lockdown many of us were spending more time looking at screens, reading, or watching TV, which is likely to make people more aware of pre-existing sight conditions or prescription changes,” said Specsavers director Martin Blake. “More screen time can also lead to eye strain and visual fatigue, which isn’t usually serious but could explain why so many people have been reporting issues,” he explained. Astoundingly half of sight loss is avoidable with routine eye tests, making check-ups essential. “In the height of the pandemic many people may not have had access to these diagnostic tests,” said Blake. “Not only does this mean their eyesight is at risk but potentially other aspects of their health too.” “Several changes in our vision can be signs of a wider health condition and there are some things that can only be detected during an eye test,” warned Blake.
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Waltzing like nun other
FINAL WORDS
SPANISH nuns from Caceres have grabbed a slice of global fame after a video of them dancing ‘to cheer the world up’ went viral.
Polar-ised AN olive farmer from Ciudad Real province went out after heavy hail storms to find that a miniature glacier had formed on his fields.
MALLORCA
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 4 Issue 93 www.theolivepress.es November 13th - November 26th 2020
Stone me!
Fly and pay
Airborne cabs plan for Spanish cities PEOPLE will soon be able to hail a cab to fly to their destination, if plans for an airborne taxi take off. ENAIRE Spain's aviation authority has announced a scheme to introduce unmanned flying taxis to Barcelona by 2022. ENAIRE is working alongside
Poetic licence SPAIN’S transport minister has announced that the Alicante-Elche airport is going to be renamed after the Franco dissident and celebrated poet Miguel Hernandez.
By James Warren
two organisations to realise their dream of air taxis - the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation and private tech company Everis. Their hope is to begin testing airborne transport and passen-
AS anti-lockdown rioters set fire to the streets of Barcelona this weekend one busker calmly continued his set regardless. Not phased by the disruption, the pianist tinkled the ivories playing The Bangles classic hit ‘Eternal Flame’. In the video, rioters can be seen throwing rocks at police vans and setting fire to objects in the street. The lyric ‘Is this burning an eternal flame?’ suddenly took on a much darker message as the blaze grew behind the musician. “For some reason [it] reminds me of them continuing to play music as the Titanic went down, videos like this will be looked back in 100 years to try and understand the madness of the pandemic,” commented one Twitter user.
ger vehicles by 2021, with a full roll out one year later. The cities slated for the first test flights are Barcelona and Santiago de Compostela. One man passenger drones will be introduced alongside un-manned parcel and goods carrying drones, similar to the
Piano Man
WHAT RIOT?: Pianist played on
ones used by Amazon. ENAIRE hopes that the introduction of state of the art technologies will help revitalise the floundering economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is hoped that new logistic solutions will entice private businesses back into the major cities and position Spain at the forefront of this newly developing technology. “We need to move urban mobility into the third dimension: airspace. And we need to do it as efficiently and sustainably as we can,” said project leader Angel Luis Arias. Arias hopes that the use of passenger carrying drones will also work towards greener cities and reduce congestion and emissions by replacing fuel burning vehicles on the roads.
FORGET initials gouged into tree trunks or scratched into desks. One 13th century stonemason made his mark by carving a cheeky self-portrait and secretly placing it in one of Europe’s best-known cathedrals. Perched at the top of a 40 feet column, the 30cm stone selfie has been gazing down on worshippers for over eight centuries, hidden away inside the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral away from clerical eyes. “The carving brings us face to face with one of the people whose work we’ve been studying, and it was delightful to meet him,” said British art historian Jennifer Alexander, who made the astonishing discovery while conducting a stone-by-stone analysis. The scholar added that the figure looked ‘pleased with himself’ – perhaps because he had found a way of cementing his place in history, for otherwise stonemasons went uncredited in architectural logs. Building work on the cathedral was started in the 1th century, and it has become one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Europe, with 350,000 visitors in 2019.
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20/7/20 13:08