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A ‘PERFECT storm’ is brewing with the combination of Brexit and COVID-19, according to the Deputy Chief Minister. Joseph Garcia said the consequences of this scenario could be felt ‘for years to come’ in a recent video conference call. The conversation on Sunday was part of the Liberal Democrat party conference held online from September 25-28. Garcia explained the challenges of a small nation like Gibraltar to deal with the pandemic and Brexit at the same time. This was made even tougher by the fact that the same ministers and officials were involved in decisions on both issues. He gave a basic outline of Gibraltar’s discussions with Spain and the UK over the future relationship with the EU. The DCM stressed how he thought isolating the elderly saved lives and how the Golden Hour had been given approval by international experts. “Dr Garcia went over the success of the aggressive testing and contact tracing regime in Gibraltar,” said the Govern-
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Meet the stars at San Sebastian
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Christmas cancelled
ment.
Uncertainty “He told the panel that over 45,000 tests had been carried out in a population of 32,000 and that this placed Gibraltar third in the World. “He went on to highlight the serious economic impact of the pandemic and pointed to the provision of £150 million in the budget extension on Friday.” The leader of Gibraltar’s Liberal party told Orkney and Shetland LibDem MP Alistair Carmichael how both Scotland and Gibraltar had voted to remain in the EU. “Europe is in unchartered territory, in the sense that we face a pandemic with a threat to life and Brexit at the same time,” said Dr Garcia. “This is a time of uncertainty. “However, we can be certain that the economic, social and political effects of the situation we find ourselves in will be felt for a long time to come.” The meeting was chaired by Director of Gibraltar House in London, Dominique Searle.
CHRISTMAS celebrations are cancelled on the Rock, it has been revealed.
Benefits Consultancy If you suffer from... • Mobility problems • Pain / Breathlessness • Falls / Stumbles
No formal festivities will be allowed to go ahead as the Rock battles coronavirus By John Culatto
breaks at Westside School have put two classes and 11 staff members into self-isolation. Another case was also reported at St Anne’s Upper Primary School with four staff members and nine pupils sent home so far. The incidents have seen the contact tracing team working with school staff and the Department of Education to find out who has been affected. Staff members and students were interviewed to find anyone who had ‘close contact’ with the individuals concerned. As a result, nearly 20 staff members and around 30
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As Gibraltar counts 46 active COVID-19 cases, Fabian Picardo’s government has already announced that there will be no festive events this winter. The move is an attempt to keep contagion of COVID-19 as low as possible in the colder months. It comes as three out-
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students have been found to have been in close contact with the positive cases and all have been told to self-isolate. Close contact is defined as proximity within a closed area for longer than 15 minutes. The authorities have told all Westside School students to go to school as normal if they have not been contacted by the Contact Tracing Bureau. Gibraltar now has 46 active COVID-19 cases while the nearby area has nearly 600. The Rock’s efficient testing and isolating system has helped keep cases under control while the Campo de Gibraltar suffers. The combined populations of Algeciras, La
Linea, Los Barrios, San Roque and Tarifa have all recorded more cases than ever before.
Deal Although more than 1,100 have recovered since March, new cases are being identified every day. Although these towns have a higher population count than the British Territory, they have also had more deaths from COVID-19. Ten schools with classes were placed in self-isolation since September 10 when they re-opened in the region. In a recent deal the St John Ambulance signed an agreement with the Government to transport asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.
2
CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Cyber Champs BAYSIDE school has won the prestigious UK Cyber Centurion computer programming event, with the Gibraltar Chief Minister saying he was ‘extremely proud of the achievement’.
Fired up NEARLY 40 firefighters and a helicopter fought to put out a forest fire in Tarifa forcing the closure of the main N-340 road at times.
Covid weddings
September 30th - October 13th 2020
Can’t buy taste
A SERIES of photos released by police has revealed the extravagant and over the top interiors of some of southern Spain’s biggest drug lords. Designer candles, tiger heads and pool slides are just some of the features of the homes situated between the Campo de Gibraltar, Sevilla and Malaga. According to authorities, the gangs make so much cash that they have to splurge on luxury items to get rid of it, hence ‘designer everything’ is the norm, down to the pillowcases and even stair banisters. Police have raided dozens of properties since launching the Campo de Gibraltar Special Security Plan just over
Interiors of Campo de Gibraltar drug lords reveal ridiculous spending habits and questionable style choices By Laurence Dollimore
two years ago. The constant raids are giving further insights into how the so-called narcos live - including their questionable taste. “They are still big children who have a lot of money and have to spend it quickly,” a Guardia Civil source told ABC. “They have money to burn and they buy whatever they want without even looking at the price tag.”
Closing in on narcos CASH TO SPLASH: Only the best will do The home of El Pincho, a Campo de Gibraltar kingpin who is still on the run, re-
WEDDING ceremonies will be allowed in Gibraltar when their venues fulfil certain conditions, the Government has announced.
Cooling down PUPILS at St Martin’s school will benefit from air conditioning being left on all night to ensure they can continue learning in recent hot temperatures experienced this week.
portedly left officers speechless. The San Roque property, in El Albarracin, has three floors and a pool converted into a mini theme park with life-size figures of two sabre toothed tigers, a cobra, flamingos, monkeys and other birds. The house itself was filled with Moai Easter Island statues and a crocodile statue measuring several metres which served as a bench.
Versace
The rooms all had their own themes, such as Greece, Egypt and India, complete with strobe lights and bedding by Hermes, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci and Emporio Armani and Versace candles.
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
OVER €6 million in property and cash has been seized by police in raids against a major drug smuggling ring. It comes as a €7 million package to help fight drug traffickers in the Gibraltar Campo is being prepared by the Spanish government. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska is now promising to supply police forces with more equipment to fight the smugglers in the area. He also wants to create new courts especially to deal with the menace to the rule of law in the area. “The drug traffickers are surrounded,” he said in Parliament recently. The pledge came after Lorena Roldan of Ciudadanos claimed that the police had ‘toy cars’ in comparison to what was available to the narcos.
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San Sebastian Film Festival SPECIAL
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September 30th October 13th 2020
Depp takes Donostia
Celluloid central
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The Olive Press’s Lydia Spencer-Elliott reports from the silver screen event of the year
ITH Cannes cancelled and Venice drastically downsized, Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival has led the way for cinema in 2020.
There was an emotional atmosphere as stars took to the red carpet and audiences sat in screenings for the first time since the pandemic’s economic downturn nearly
And the winner is... Golden Shell, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Screenplay
‘Dasatskisi / Beginning’ The Silver Shell for Best Actor Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe in ‘Druk / Another Round’ The Special Jury Prize Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan
Olive Press picks Premiering at the Festival’s closing gala ceremony, Forgotten We’ll Be by Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba is a warm and sweeping drama centered around the family of a Colombian doctor and human rights activist Hector Abad Gomez in 1970s Medellin. Lessons in love and tolerance are at its heart: “It’s a universal story for all languages and all countries,” Trueba told reporters.
Woody Allen’s rising star KEN Appledorn (pictured left) first moved to Spain from Michigan for love. Fifteen years ago, after losing his heart to Jorge Cadaval of the beloved comedy duo Los Morancos, he packed his bags and headed for Triana, Sevilla. And, regardless of the popularity of his spouse, Appledorn’s talent has spoken for itself in the Spanish cinema scene as he featured in Woody Allen’s latest feature Rifkin’s Festival, which kicked off the San Sebastian Film Festival. “I’m excited to have worked with Woody, he was actually really cool and fun,” Appledorn told the Olive Press. “On set he told me to come over and my mouth just opened wide. The assistant director had to tell me ‘he’s not going to bite you’.”
SPOKEN
squashed the creative industry. And there was no shortage of Hollywood glamour as some of the Silver Screen’s biggest names gave the event their full support. Matt Dillon (pictured above), Johnny Depp, Viggo Mortensen and Gina Gershon all jetted to San Sebastian for the 68th year of the festival. “Each edition of the film festival is unique and unrepeatable,” said host Edurne Ormazabal. “But this year’s has been even more so. There have been no parties and no crowds, not even whispering anything in the ear of our seat mates. We are moved by the exemplary behaviour of the audience.” Movie goers were jovial, clapping along to introductory music at every
screening. In a pre-recorded message at the premiere of Nomadland Francis McDormand waxed lyrical about the city: “San Sebastian is fantastic,” she told the audience in her absence. “Eat some good food for me.” When he took to the stage in the Basque Country, Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen held an optimistic outlook: “COVID-19 has screwed us all and will continue to screw us for some time to come, but it is only another stumbling block in our existence,” he said. “Uncertainty is the law of life, but don’t let us forget that life is a gift. We must continue to forge ahead. Long live the cinema!”
Red Carpet Ravine When people say San Sebastian will blow you away they first mean by the Michelin star pintxos. After that, they’re referring to the gale force winds. Stars battled biblical rain and 90km gusts on the film festival’s red carpet as Louboutins got soggy and gown hems saturated. Despite the torrential rain, Gina Gershon wowed in a plunging black gown and black lace stilettos, while Matt Dillon was chic in a navy suit and v-neck jumper. Katherine Waterston was a picture of deadpan beauty at the premiere of World to Come at the Victoria Eugene Theatre. But she couldn’t help but flash a quick smirk when the Olive Press asked if she was pleased to have escaped the quarantine craziness of the UK. Tunbridge Wells boy Joe Alwyn took to the carpet in a striking geometric print shirt. The Favourite actor has been romantically linked to pop superstar Taylor Swift since 2017, with friends placing bets on when the pair will announce their engagement.
SMILE: Katherine Waterston was a picture of beauty
P O RTRA ITS
3
CLAD in a baker boy hat, dark aviators and his famous assortment of rings, Johnny Depp touched down in Donostia to promote his new documentary Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan. Depp revealed to reporters he met the Pogues singer while on a bender in Dublin: “I remember bits of it,” said Depp. “I remember my breakfast, which was Guiness and Irish coffee, my lunch, which was Guiness and Irish coffee and dinner was just Jamesons or Black Bush.” The star was in high spirits as he recalled the memory, despite admitting to challenges with alcoholism at a court hearing over his alleged abuse of wife Amber Heard in June. “I don’t give a f**** about politics,” said Depp when quizzed on the upcoming US election. “I watch Trump speak and I laugh: It’s great comedy. But I would like to take people out of fear and danger and I don’t believe that he’s the one to do it.” The star then returned to the Maria Cristina Hotel and emerged in a petrol blue suit ahead of the evening’s premiere. Staff revealed to the Olive Press that even with A-list festival guests, like Depp and Matt Dillon, they still hadn’t managed to reach capacity following the coronavirus pandemic. Crock of Gold scooped The Special Jury Prize for director Julien Temple.
BOOTED OUT STAFF were forced to remove French director Eugene Green from his own movie premiere after he refused five times to wear a mask. “He lost his status as a festival guest due to his lack of respect,” said festival officials. An embarrassed audience continued with the screening of Atarrabi & Mikelats after the surly Frenchman had been ejected.
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SAFE: Against abuse
Fighting the cowards GIBRALTAR’S police force is getting trained on how to handle wife-beaters as it celebrates inclusion week. Training delivered by UK charity SafeLives aims to show the RGP how to protect victims and prosecute abusers. “Victims can be left with life changing physical injuries and psychological trauma or in some cases even death, as we have experienced in Gibraltar,” said Assistant Commissioner Cathal Yeats. “By responding to domestic abuse effectively, we can save lives.” “No one should live in fear,” added Minister for Justice and Equality Samantha Sacramento. “It is not acceptable, not inevitable, and together - we can make it stop.” The RGP also raised the LGBTQ+ flag at its HQ this week to celebrate Inclusion Week for all the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer community locally. Commissioner for Police Richard Ullger said this shows the Force’s ‘commitment to equality at all times, in everything we do’.
Gang ban POLICE on the Rock have warned residents of on-the-spot fines if caught hanging out in groups of 20 or more. The Royal Gibraltar Police reminded the public that an amendment to the September 13 law has given officers extra powers to sanction anyone gathering in large crowds or refusing to disperse once ordered to. The Commissioner for Police Richard Ullger can also write to a person organising such a gathering so that it is not held. Fines will also be handed out to those who do not self-isolate when told to do so by medical professionals. “I ask that people fully cooperate by complying with current legislation, whether it is the wearing of a face mask, gathering in groups of less than 20 or being directed to self-isolate.” said Ullger. “We continue to do everything in our power to protect you, your family and the wider community by preventing the spread of the virus.”
NEWS
September 30th - October 13th 2020
Blood money
THE disgraced Marrache brothers were ‘the most important’ part of Rifaat Al-Assad’s money laundering scheme court documents have claimed. In a pre-trial report against the so-called Butcher of Hama, it is alleged the Marraches helped Al-Assad and his family operate a sophisticated and complex network of dozens of shell companies to help move around millions and invest in property in Spain. “The most important gestores (financial managers) of the family in Gibraltar were the Marrache brothers, who have already been convicted and sentenced in that jurisdiction to severe prison terms,” the documents obtained by the Olive Press read. The Gibraltar connection began in 1998, when Al-Assad allegedly set up High Mountain Estates LTD in the Bahamas, which in turn was owned by the Alhambra Trust, also owned by Al-Assad’s family and based in the Bahamas. The former was the umbrella of 29 Gibraltar companies, 1% of each of those being owned by another company, Groove Limited. In other words, High Mountain Estates Ltd owned 99% of each of these 29 companies and Groove Limited owned the remaining 1% of each. In turn, Hiba Development SA owned 99% of Groove Limited, with the remaining 1% being owned by Raja Barakat, the wife of Rifaat Al-Assad. It was a highly complex system built to hide the true owners of the companies which would acquire mil-
Crooked financiers helped Rifaat Al-Assad launder millions
DISGRACED: Isaac and Benjamin Marrache were jailed for conspiracy lions of euros worth of assets in Spain. These included several properties within the luxury Gray d’Albion development in Puerto Banus, Marbella, which would later be seized in 2017. These companies were then transferred to Spain where, with the help of Marrache & Co, they constantly changed hands among Assad family members and trusted allies. The last known owners of
EXCLUSIVE by Laurence Dollimore/ Jon Clarke
the companies were Rifaat’s sons, Mohammed Ali and Siwar Al-Assad. The court report explains: “The Al-Assad family began the creation of a complex corporate network aimed at hiding the true ownership of the properties acquired through the different ‘shell companies’.
Trolls to face justice A STRING of racist comments against Member of Parliament Marlene Hassan Nahon has been rebuked by the Chief Minister. Fabian Picardo said he would even refer these social media comments to the police for further action. The racial slur against Hassan Nahon came on the back of a false claim she had a dual citizenship with Israel. “We must all denounce a small minority who are making racist and anti-Semitic statements about a Member of our Parliament based on her religion,” said Picardo “This is in addition to insults also apparently made about her relating to her ethnicity and which she has rightly countered.” The Chief Minister admitted there were disagreements with Together Gibraltar, but insisted this would never become a personal attack. “Our debate is about our differing policies and ideas on how we each think we can improve Gibraltar,” said Picardo. “For some to make racist and anti-Semitic remarks as part of supposed political debate is just alien to the Gibraltar I know and love. “People who say these things do so because they have lost the argument and can only attack a person’s religion or ethnicity when they have no arguments left. “As Leader of the House, I will also be referring these comments – and those making them – to the Commissioner of Police.” A person has been arrested for racial harassment but it is as yet unclear if this is connected to this case.
“Behind these would finally be found a family Trust run by relatives and expert managers who would have helped Rifaat Al-Assad build the complicated system.” Spanish prosecutors are seeking a historic €1 billion fine against Rifaat Al-Assad for decades of alleged money laundering in the country. The so-called ‘Butcher of Hama’ is accused of orchestrating a criminal network dedicated to laundering hundreds of millions of euros obtained from illegal activities. The uncle of embattled Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, and several of his family members, are alleged to have used the profits from extortion, smuggling, plundering of archeological artefacts, drug trafficking and more to line their pockets for almost four decades. The conclusions from years of investigation claim Al-Assad made a deal with his brother in 1984, the then Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad, to ‘drain the national treasury of $300 million.’
Laundering
Rifaat then launched a ‘strategy of concealment, transformation and laundering’ of the illegal cash across Europe, including in France and the UK – and allegedly with the help of the Marraches, Gibraltar. Benjamin and Isaac Marrache, the two brothers mentioned in the papers, were sentenced to between seven and 11 years each on charges of conspiracy to defraud in 2014. Marrache & Co’s involvement with the Assads ceased on February 8, 2010, when both were first arrested and their offices raided.
No needles flu jabs THE largest flu jab campaign in Gibraltar’s history was launched this week due to its possible impact on COVID-19. The flu vaccination programme is targeted mainly at children, vulnerable persons and the elderly. Its launch coincides with fears that the flu and COVID-19 could cause a potentially dangerous combination this winter. Children between the ages of two and 11 will be given the vaccine through a nose spray so no needles are involved. Nurses will visit schools to offer the Fluenz Tetra vaccine to children whose parents give their consent. Teenagers can be vaccinated from November 2020 if they have no separate medical conditions. “The flu vaccine is particularly recommended for all persons aged 65 years or over,” said the Government. “It is also strongly recommended for all persons aged between six months and 65 years who suffer from diseases which put them at high risk.” The 2020 flu vaccine programme will start on September 28 for vulnerable people under 65-years-old. Vaccinations will be given between 1pm and 6pm every working day. Appointments can be made by calling 20052441 from 1pm to 3pm, Monday to Friday.
Frontier death
THE death of a cross-frontier worker in her 40s from COVID-19 has heightened calls for care when visiting Spain. The authorities said the tragedy showed how deadly the virus could be in the Spanish hinterland. “The person in question was diagnosed and died in Spain where she was a resident,” said the government. “We became aware of this death through persons who know the deceased. “It has been confirmed through contact between the relevant medical authorities. “We would like to express its most sincere condolences to her family, friends and work colleagues.” As a result, the government reminded locals travelling to Spain to use face masks, keep to social distancing and wash their hands. It was also noted how the virus has been spreading to over70s with at least five elderly people infected. “This follows the trend where the younger generation contracted the virus and then passed it on to their parents and grandparents,” added the government. The public health advice is that the elderly should try not to leave home and avoid contact with younger people.
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The Olive Press all editions FP (342mmx256mm) September 30
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NEWS FEATURE
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OPINION
A bitter dish WHEN Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia claimed Gibraltar was in for a ‘perfect storm’ this week he was not wrong. The combination of both Brexit and the worldwide COVID-19 crisis is forcing the government to plug every single hole in the government coffers. Public debt is going up by an unprecedented £80 million in a worst case scenario for the Rock. Few could have predicted that Gibraltar could be sailing into 2021 with all its hopes of being an entrypoint to Europe dashed. Even less could have imagined the current universal employment crisis that would follow a global pandemic. Tourism, in particular, has always been a mainstay of our economy and was projected to be a fallback option in hard times. Now, with free movement ended by COVID-19, Gibraltar will have to make do without this large cashflow. It seems inevitable that public service cuts will have to be made to accommodate the reduction of income. For the first time in a long while, the Rock’s economy, practically unscathed by the 2008 financial crash, could come to a halt.
Taxes
The options the government has are limited but raising taxes, especially for the rich, could be one idea. However, such a move could find stiff opposition from all the large internationational companies the territory wants to continue to attract. What seemed an unbreakable financial model will now need to be revised and all without the help of the EU. Brexit has served the people a meal they would prefer not to taste with the isolation no-one wished for. With the UK predicting a 20% hit to its own economy for the same reasons, it is unlikely they will come to their aid either. It will take all the guile and grit of the Rock’s master economist Joe Bossano to come up with a plan for the future.
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Eye of the hurricane La Linea mayor ‘with the most difficult job in Europe’ speaks exclusively to the Olive Press
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pain and the UK are both guilty of serious class divides. And, as in Britain, splashing the cash in Spain isn’t always synonymous with good taste or manners. Zara owner and retail giant Amancio Ortega is your prime example. Despite a net worth of 67 Billion USD, he has regularly been spotted driving a demure black Audi while dressed like anyone’s uncle in a blue shirt and sensible shoes. Meanwhile, on the streets of Puerto Banus, boy racers hurtle round corners in luminous purple Tron Aventadors and bedazzled Lamborghinis. The appearance is gauche and it certainly isn’t ‘upper class’. The grinding gears and revving engines deafen passers by. This is the way of the ‘pijo’. For simplification, think of them as types with ‘a fur coat no knickers’ philosophy. It’s all for show and while they may not earn a significant sum, they spend at a sensational rate. Most days they can be found ordering countless bottles of champagne at a beach club blow out. They dance with their hands in the air, not out of elation but to avoid water damage to their fake timepiece. In Britain, wealth manifests itself in a few choice items and behaviours. These include, but are not limited to:
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the surge of drug crime has become the greatest scourge of the southern coastline of Spain. In a hard-hitting interview with one of Andalucia’s most popular alcaldes, he tells the Olive Press that when he became mayor of La Linea in 2015, he knew he was taking on the ‘most difficult job in Europe’. Born and raised in the town that sprawls along the border of Gibraltar, Franco has
Where high society and high price tags don’t always go hand in hand. Lydia SpencerElliott sorts the pijos from the truly posh
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IRING gunshots into the air, police officers swarmed towards a boat full of drug traffickers as they raced towards the beach for a drop off in the dead of night. It looked like something from the Mexican narco wars. But the scene, from the new documentary on Netflix, is real and happening on an almost daily basis just kilometres from popular tourists hotspots on the Costa del Sol. While the hard-hitting miniseries, La Linea: shadow of Narco, makes for shocking viewing for those watching faraway from the comfort of their sofa, town mayor Jose Juan Franco Rodriguez knows better than anyone how
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Similarly in Spain, there are tell tale signs that sort the pijos from the truly privileged. ●● Paella is strictly a lunchtime dish. The elite don’t roast themselves on the beach in the midday heat— that’s reserved for Brits abroad or office workers with the day off. Instead, they indulge in luxurious long lunches. Think a shaded chiringuito wrapped in a slouchy Ralph Lauren linen shirt. Large meals are exclusively for lunchtimes so don’t order paella at 9pm. ●●A glow from within Despite spending seemingly all their time in the shade, the wealthy are deeply bronzed. They radiate the same golden hue as the Renaissance antiques in their coastal summer homes. This can only be achieved with the privilege that allows for summers that last from May to October. Not the same as the mahogany bronze you get from spending every day of your two week trip basted in Factor 4 tanning oil, sorry. ●● ‘Cortijo’ countryside boltholes The UK and Spain have this one in common. Whether a farm in Cordoba like Victoria Ortiz Martinez-Sagrera or a hillside hideaway in Sarria-Sant Gervasi, Barcelona, everyone needs a mountainside mansion to escape from the bustle of the weekday social scene. Must have horses. ●● Watersports. There’s a breed of lowkey pijo that melds the moneyed with the bohemian. Dubbed the ‘pijhippie’ they can be found in Tarifa in campervans or kitesurfing. Similar energy to ‘gap yah’ students from West London. ●● Bimba y Lola crossbody bags. I can’t explain this one. But they are on tabletops everywhere from Nobu to Restaurante El Paraguas. Costing €100 to €300, they don’t break the bank in the same way Dolce does. Yet, they have infiltrated the wardrobes of millenials and old-money mujeres alike. ●● Winters in Baquiera Beret. The Courchevel of Spain, nestled in the Pyrenees at Lleida, with winding slopes and a Sisley spa. Hotel Val de Neu is the go-to accommodation for the cognoscenti. Bogner ski jackets are a must. ●● Forget fast fashion. We’re talking ‘investment pieces’ people. Timeless silk and linen for summer, classic cashmere and denim for winter. Queen Letizia and Helena Revoredo rewear their outfits: sustainability is chic, honestly.
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September 30th - October 13th 2020
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FRONT LINE: La Linea with the bright lights of Gibraltar and (inset) police raids which are common place in the fight against criminal gangs
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E at the Olive Press are always keen to talk to our readers to get constructive comments and feedback. After all, without readers – whether for our traditional newspapers or our website and online platforms – there is really very little point to our job. So we take note of what people are saying to us, as our announcement of a 50% discount on our paywall for pensioners and students proved. But one question we get is 'what do I get for my money – what am I paying for?' Well, what you get is journalism, you are paying for people who excel at storytelling to do the work they love and the job they were trained to do.
dedicated his career to improving the place he says remains ‘in the eye of the hurricane’. It used to be that just the presence of the police on the shores of La Linea de la Concepción was enough to deter the criminals - Franco once said he believed the earlier generations ‘had certain ethics’ when it came to the drugs trade. But in recent years they have grown bolder and more sophisticated in their ruthless dealings and it is estimated that more than 30 drug gangs employ circa 3,000 people, with the documentary sharing shocking footage of drug boats loaded full of packages as they speed past police boats and empty beaches, a law unto themselves. It’s these extreme circumstances that persuaded Franco to open the doors of the Town Hall to Netflix television crews for many months last year, in the hope that the documentary would expose the dangers faced by the city and put pressure on central government to cough up extra funds and resources. Whether they will, remains to be seen and Franco reveals that he is still in two minds about the documentary. “I would prefer to talk about the strength of our city but the reality of narcos traffic is always there,” he told the Olive Press from his La Linea office. “I understand it is the show they want to make. We are not Columbia, but it's clear they wanted to show that we were going that way because that is entertaining.” He adds: “We have a very uncomfortable reality in La Linea. Thousands of people try to earn their money honestly but the drug dealers are here and so is the tobacco smuggling industry. “When we talk with the people who live here, they want everyone to know the truth of the city - but it has two branches. “On the one hand we are a normal city, what we have built here is impressive but on the other, there is a dark social reality in our town. “The root of the problem is a very complicated social issue. Our city is just 50km from Morocco, the biggest producer of cannabis in the world, and we have 12km of beach that is very hard to monitor. We have become the gateway for drugs getting into Europe.”
ON DUTY: Police patrol the streets
Trailblazing
EERIE: Calm before the storm
Being behind a paywall frees us from the tyranny of 'clickbait journalism'. With the knowledge that money is coming in, we do not have to chain our reporters to their desks to chase ever more page views. Thanks to those people who have signed up for €5.99 a month – or €59 a year – we can afford to free our journalists to do what they do best – get out and about, meet people and report back to you, our readers. It is how we have managed to send one of our writers to the San Sebastian Film Festival this week to bring you daily reports on the latest news from what in these coronavirus-stricken times, is probably the most important fim event in Europe. This is the sort of event we can cover with an extra income stream – and we are pleased to announce out paywall website has got off to a flying start. Within just a month more than 3,000 people have registered with us, and hundreds have paid to get unlimited access to our site. This is way beyond our initial expectations – so thank you to everyone who has recognised that quality journalism is worth paying for!
Winning thanks
It’s the proximity to both Gibraltar and “We need a plan to improve the infraMorocco has made the city a key base structure here from the central governfor criminal gangs and drug kingpins, ment. We need Madrid’s attention to help with narcos travelling in by high-powered us ensure that young people can go into speedboats every night from north Africa good jobs, not just turn to criminal organisations for money.” to drop off several tonnes of Unemployment rates in hashish and tobacco. 2020 hover around the Franco says his main chalMadrid’s 33% mark – a fact that has lenge is getting through to pushed many of its people the youngster who, in some attention is into assisting the Rock’s areas of the city, worship narcos like pop stars. needed to stop smugglers by warehousing contraband tobacco from “The majority of people in young people Gibraltar and drugs from La Linea are against the drug trade,” insists Franco, turning to crime Morocco before it is distributed throughout mainland a lawyer by trade, who has Spain. children. “But there is a miBut Franco is hopeful that nority of people who idolise change is coming. As the final Brexit deadthe drug clans. “Even if we are talking just 1% of the pop- line looms, with the transition period due ulation, that is a big problem because to end on December 31, Franco predicts then that’sº about 700 people. In certain businesses will be looking to move their areas of the city, the operations from Gibraltar to La Linea, ponarcos are god. But tentially creating thousands of new jobs in the majority of peo- the area. ple hate the circum- “This is my focus for the next three stances we are in.” months. There are people, particularly in Change, Franco the financial sector, that need a passport says, will only come to work in Europe and I hope that La Linea from educating can become the platform for these activithese youngsters ties and connect people to the EU.” and ensuring they Franco - who has a strong mandate having enter better forms won a large majority in the elections - is of employment in- determined but admits that challenges stead of turning to his city faces are overwhelming. criminal gangs as a “The problem is that we cannot reject or way to make money. minimise the drugs arriving from Africa. “If we solve the We cannot change the fact that it is so problem of unem- close. ployment and low “But we are taking steps to change our reeducation that will ality here,” he concludes with a smile. “I help,” he believes. am committed to that.”
A
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The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: eyesore set to be knocked down 1-Benidorm on Spain’s Costa Blanca (31,583) Lloyds becomes latest bank to strip Eu2but-ropean expats of British current accounts, Spanish customers remain in the dark (21,344)
on Spain’s Costa blanca use 3- Gang smishing scam to con bank customers (18,277) COVID-19 measures coming to 4- Sticter Spain’s Andalucia on Tuesday (12,423) defied dreadful August for stru5- Denia ggling hotels on Spain’s Costa Blanca (11,922)
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Reclaiming parliament TWO cafes below parliament could soon become history under new plans unveiled by the Government. The works will expand the office space available to parliament staff and politicians locally and from abroad. “We are pleased to announce that the integrity of Parliament House in Main Street will be restored to its former glory,” said the Gibraltar Government. “This follows the decision to take back the commercial premises on the ground floor and return the area to its original use.”
NEWS
September 30th - October 13th 2020
Covid black hole
Huge cost of coronavirus pandemic
THE COVID-19 crisis could leave a £150 million hole in Gibraltar’s coffers by June 2021, the Chief Minister has revealed. This amount has been set apart for the COVID relief fund, with nearly £60 million being lost until June 2020. The numbers are being added up as the financial year was extended by a further six months to March 31. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo spoke of ‘extraordinary’ times being lived at this time in a speech in Parliament. The decision of the Gibraltar
Wheely good idea
government follows a similar move by the UK to suspend the budget for this year. “This is the right thing to do because it will be easier also for the general public to judge our spending by reference to a simple doubling of our costs,” said Picardo. “In terms of process, we plan to return to the traditional budgetary process as from April 1 2021.” The lack of income makes the greatest loss of revenue with £23 million being spent on the pandemic response.
THE first of a new range of benches for people who use wheelchairs has been installed in the town centre. Known as the ‘B_tween Bench’ it allows people to sit either side of a person in a wheelchair. Designed by local company Gamma Architects, it took third place at the Streets Seats international design challenge in 2018. The B_tween Bench has been placed beside the Royal Engineer’s Monument on Main Street. A similar bench was unveiled back in March outside the ICC, paid for by the shopping centre itself. More benches are now being planned for other areas around Gibraltar and the Director of Gamma Architects, Ruth Massias Greenberg, is ‘thrilled’. “The bench embraces those who may sometimes sit on the margins of society,” she said. “We believe that it is not people who are disabled but rather buildings and places that are not equipped or inclusively designed to be able to accommodate them.”
Over £11 million was given out to pay ‘inactive’ private sector workers as part of the BEAT COVID payments scheme. As a result, only 42 people were expected to be unemployed by the end of September. Some of these measures will be continued throughout the next three months at least, with private landlords urged to follow suit. The Nightingale Facility cost £1.5 million to set up, although donations added up to £1.8 million. To fund all these expenses, borrowing has been increased to a maximum of over £80 million. “It means Government finances are being squeezed from two sides,” said Picardo. “We are making less and we are spending more. “We will need to be at our most agile and innovative if we are to re-establish ourselves at the levels we enjoyed before this pandemic. “As ever, I remain confident that with the Gibraltarian spirit and ingenuity we will get there.” The Chief Minister finished his speech by thanking the public service for their effort, adding he would try to prevent a second lockdown at all costs.
THREE bus-drivers have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing a search for more infected cases. Contact tracing teams are investigating the outbreak with the Gibraltar Bus Company. Six people were believed to have come into close contact with the drivers
Viral buses for more than 15 minutes. They have all been asked to self-isolate with any other potential victims told to call the 111 line. The Government regularly tests all front-line workers to find out if any have been infected.
CLEAN GIVING
DONATION: Ocean Village gave hand sanitisers THE community spirit is keeping Gibraltar alive at one of the most challenging times in the British territory’s recent history. In a recent presentation, Ocean Village handed over sanitisers and a dispenser stand to the Gibraltar airport. The move has been welcomed by the airport, which has put into place strict protocols since the lockdown ended. “We are delighted to be able to donate our hand sanitizers to Gibraltar Airport to help keep travellers safe,” said Emilia Hazell-Smith of Ocean Village. “We have donated over 30,000 hand sanitizers throughout Gibraltar since we started distribution at the beginning of August.” Terence Lopez, CEO of Gibraltar Airport, said: “Despite the reduction in passenger figures this year, we are concerned for the health and well-being of all our passengers and staff. “We look forward to Gibraltar’s safe and profitable return to normality.”
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A Vol. 5 Issue 132
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September 30th - October 13th 2020
Spanish charmer San Pedro now firmly holds its own against the glitz and glamour of Marbella and the heavily-invested port of Estepona
Especialidades Carnes de Caza y Pescado
PICTURESQUE: San Pedro then and now
Open 364 days/ year San Pedro's most famous restaurant
A
DIVERSE food scene, glorious beaches and an old town oozing traditional Spanish charm. It’s the holy trinity that any visitor or prospective expat hopes to find on the Costa del Sol, and San Pedro has all three in droves. This former fishing village is no longer in the shadow of its sibling Marbella and has become a reference point for some of the best food on the coast as businesses and Brits continue to flock here. Just last week the plans for a new huge secondary school were revealed, a milestone which cements the growing importance of the former humble pueblo. Founded in 1860 by army general Don Marquez Manuel Gutierrez de la Concha, residents of the surrounding towns and villages first flocked here for agricultural work. The Civil War slowed production but soon work began again and Continues on Page 2
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San Pedro started to take shape as a bustling municipality, with the 40s and 50s seeing steady growth. Everyday is another heyday for San Pedro as businesses continue to open and renovations get approved. Casco Antiguo, San Pedro’s centre, yields the plethora of cafes and bars you’d typically find in the Old Towns of the Costa we’ve all come to know and love. There are independent shops aplenty selling high quality fashions and shoes, while abuelas - at least in the days before the pandemic - gossip on shade-covered benches. And when it comes to food, this once tiny village will leave you spoilt for choice. For traditional - and fair priced - tapas, hit La Bodega on Calle Lagasca, which has been serving everything from boquerones
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an Pedro de Alcantara
Super San Pedro to fresh prawns, jamon, meatballs and more for the past 25 years. Nearby El Siete, too, is a fantas-
tic family run Spanish restaurant which offers one of the best prawn pil-pils on the coast. Meanwhile, Savor, on Calle Andalucia, is one of the latest restaurants to arrive on the San Pedro scene and it is a masterclass in fine and modern dining - the perfect spot to treat yourself or a loved one. Finally, don’t miss one of the town’s best kept secrets at La Cocina de La Abuela on Plaza Vistalegre, a traditional Cordoban hotspot with melt-in-your mouth pig cheeks in thyme sauce and one of the best black puddings going. But the number one spot - consistently voted as such on Trip Advisor - is La Bodega del Cantinero. Host and owner Alberto is a sherry and wine expert and has one of the largest and most impressive 100% Certified Green Energy collections in the province. His homemade croquetas are a masterclass, as are the clams cooked in a sherry garlic sauce or the delicious French-style mussels. It can all be topped off SAVE UP TO 35% ON YOUR ENERGY BILL by a cranberry and cointreau cheesecake
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which gets set on fire before your very eyes. The competitive gastronomy scene has been one of the driving forces behind government investment here. It comes after some €100 million was invested by Marbella town hall on the now iconic snaking pedestrian walkway which winds over the main road. The ‘ice rink’ and skate park are also welcome additions to what eration tends to head to the other has become a modern town with a places. traditional feel. “It is almost always calm here… Another €85 million was also put but at night it can be party, party, towards forming a tunnel - which party too.” directs traffic underground - and Despite San Pedro’s somewhat trana car park to cope with the peak quilo reputation, it still has its quirks: summer months. I learn former Spanish prime minHowever there’s no ister Jose Maria Aznar better time to visit is often seen in jogger San Peds than during shorts panting around Independent its feria in October, Baja, acshops aplenty Guadalmina the last to happen companied by a team in Andalucia for the sell high quality of bodyguards. year (but I guess you There is also the unfashions and will have to wait until official town mascot, 2021 now, for obvious a mammoth-size pig shoes reasons). which can be seen evAnd Hungarian expat ery Sunday, roaming Zoltan Kiss should through the streets, know. He’s lived here for 14 years snorting along to the claps and and manages Bar Ramirez, right shouts of the locals. next to the town hall. History can be found here, too. “You have places like Estepona The Roman baths, watchtower and and Marbella, but there is a per- the intriguing Paleo-Christian burifect happy medium here,” he said. al site, Vega de Mar, are a must for “I think you find the younger gen- history buffs. The beach prome-
Oldest swinger in town
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AVING opened its doors in 1959, the Real Club de Guadalmina has long been a trailblazer for golf on the Costa del Sol. It has hosted major golf tournaments including the Spanish Championship and PGA Professionals and is renowned not just for the quality of its fairways, some of which offer an authentic beachside links experience, but also the fine dining in its impressive clubhouse.
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3
September 30th - October 13th 2020
Quick fix
Up and away GIGANTIC: Spectacular plan for the main boulevard
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OLD TOWN: The centre is still as charming as ever, and the perfect place to relax for a while
nade features a great selection of chiringuitos, with the likes of Nuevo Reino a stand out. There are also market stalls set up every weekend, with a selection of fashions and jewellery available. In many respects, San Pedro really is the perfect destination, a
modern town which has firmly held onto its Spanish identity while not becoming too overdeveloped. If anyone has any doubts that this town can rival its closer and glitzier neighbours, tell them it’s too late, it has already out-charmed the lot of them.
LANS have been laid for a €1.5 million 50-metre-high Ferris wheel on the Boulevard of San Pedro next summer. The 50-metre-high attraction will have 30 eight-person cabins. Each cabin will be air-conditioned and will be accessible for people with disabilities. It will offer unparalleled views across San Pedro and Marbella’s La Concha mountain. Mayor of Marbella Angeles Muñoz described the Ferris wheel as ‘a symbolic attraction and a tourist icon that will be an economic shock for the entire area’. She added: “It is a unique element found in large cities around the world and will add a tourist attraction to the area.
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September 30th - October 13th 2020
de Alcantara
Hidden treasure
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IDDEN away in full sight is one of the lesser known gems of San Pedro - the Visigothic church known as La Basilica de Vega del Mar. The remains of one of the oldest churches in Andalucia are within a stone’s throw of the sandy beach that bor-
Remains of one of Spain’s oldest churches tucked away on San Pedro’s beach
ders the Linda Vista a urbanisation. At first sight this pleasant housing estate doesn’t offer much to lovers of ancient history, but for those willing
DISCOVERED: Visigothic ruins
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de Alcantara
NPRECEDENTED safety measures at Laude international college in San Pedro de Alcantara seem to be paying off. Nearly a month since the Autumn term began and the pupils are all back and learning again. The leading private school - that counts on nearly 1000 pupils from over 20 nationalities - has taken on dozens of special measures to ensure that the risk of spreading Covid-19 is down to a minimum. By dividing the students into ‘villages’ and ‘bubbles’ and creating four entrances and exits, the social interaction is kept down to a minimum. “It means we are able to continue to guide our students towards a range of top universities, including those from the UK’s Russell Group, such as Manchester and University College, as well as leading universities around Europe and the US,” explains principal Amanda Hughes. The school offers either the English National Curriculum,
By Laurence Crumbie
to take a closer look, the evidence of pre-Islamic Spain is there to see. These remains can be found on Calle los Eucalyptus, and together with the nearby Roman baths, the site be located on the Roman settlement of Cilniana, though the exact location of this town has been lost in the mists of time. The basilica was discovered in 1915-16, but extensive excavations only began in 1929-30, led by archaeologist Jose Perez de Barradas. He and his team mapped out the structure of the basilica and unearthed 148 tombs, though later excavations have found a total of over
FASCINATING: The grounds of the Basilica
200. The most significant of these is the ‘Constantine Crimson’, named after the Holy Roman Emperor Constantine, which may be the oldest Christian tombstone found in Spain. The origins of the basilica are disputed. While the adjacent necropolis dates back to Roman rule in the early fourth century, archae-
Villages and bubbles
ologists disagree over the construction of the basilica. Perez de Barradas placed its foundation in the last third of the fourth century, but the prevailing consensus today is that it was built in the sixth century by the Visigoths. The basilica exhibits several significant architectural features. Evident from the remains are its rectangular plan and the presence of three naves, though perhaps the most interesting feature of the building is its apses. Unlike most churches from this epoch, the Basilica de
from three years up, or to study within the Spanish ESO system from 12 years old. The second option is getting increasingly popular and has the benefit of costing less, plus many classes are taught in English. Laude is the only private school on the coast that offers a full ESO programme, meaning pupils have a big range of subjects from philosophy to economics and history to French. And they also get to learn public speaking in English as an extra subject. Founded in 2004, Laude is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP) that has 46 schools around the world. It was also recently ranked among Spain’s best 30 international schools by El Mundo newspaper. Around 30% of the pupils are Spanish, 25% are British, 20% are Scandinavian, while Russians make up 15% and Germans 5%. TOMBS: Excavation discoveries
Vega del Mar has two apses, which are the semicircular terminations or recesses of an ecclesiastical building. Unusually, the western apse is its principle one. The basilica is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11.15 am to 2pm and is free to visit. However, these times may vary due to COVID-19. For more information and to arrange tours, call the Delegacion Municipal de Cultura of Marbella council on 952 825 035.
LA CULTURA
How a local beauty’s perfect pins changed the course of Spanish history, writes Jack Gaioni
Do you have a what’s on? Send your informa tion to newsdesk@theolivepr ess.es
September 30th - October 13th 2020
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A legend with legs
‘S
HE’S got legs and she knows how to use them’. In 711 AD Roderic was the last Visigoth Christian king American rock band ZZ Top’s lyrics strike more before Muslim forces dominated the Iberian Peninsula. than a chord with the legend of From his tower fortress in Toledo, it is said the fair Florinda la Cava - a Spanthat the monarch often observed a young ish beauty whose ‘shapely legs’ may have woman named Florinda bathing in the Florinda is transformed the trajectory of her country’s Tagus River below and became obsessed. history. So alluring was her beauty that ‘love, with named as a Preposterous you say? An overstatement? beating wings, inflamed him’. They beseductress Perhaps, but judgements about Florinda came lovers and had a child. But then the run the gamut: Was she a devious seducdetails get somewhat muddled…. who bewitched tress? Or a young ‘bonne vivante’? Was In many Christian narratives, Florinda is Roderic... she a powerful political player, a conseportrayed as a seductress who bewitched quential historical figure? Or merely innoand ‘morally corrupted’ Roderic from his cent and playful? Did she even exist at all? role of leadership. So distracted was the Regardless, the many interpretations of Florinda la Cava king that he failed to properly recognise the imminent go a long way to explaining a major chapter in Spanish threat of the Muslim invasion. history. Let’s take a look… These Christian writers describe Florinda as a young
beauty who purposely bathed ‘au natural’ in full sight of Roderic. And that she and her young female companions would suggestively bathe while measuring each others’ legs to see who had ‘the roundest and best shaped’. Roderic evidently gave that designation to Florinda. Early Christian accounts suggest that it was because of Roderic’s moral laxness in the face of this temptress that Spain had to endure seven centuries of Muslim dominance as ‘Divine Punishment’. But was their relationship true love? Or was Florinda a vixen who used her sexual charms to seduce a powerful leader, and Roderic some sort of a ‘Peeping Tom voyeur’ who became her stalker? No matter the interpretation, most Christian sagas suggest that Spain lost to the invading Muslims due to moral corruption. Muslim versions tell a different story. They depict Florinda HIDDEN: Can you spot Rodeas the innocent daughter of Julien, the Christian governor ric in the picture below? of Ceuta on Africa’s north coast, sent by her father to Toledo for her education and refinement. In these narratives, the king is depicted as spying on her while she bathed.There she was ravished (read: raped) by Roderic. So vengeful was Julien that he turned renegade and began a campaign of colluding with the Muslim invaders. Blinded by hate, revenge and retribution, he provided military intelligence, troops and ships to topple Christian Spain, making the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula a lot easier. The first written account of Florinda and Roderic does not occur until the 12th century - a full 500 years after Roderic lost his Christian hold on Spain. For this reason, many historians find the legend surrounding Florinda factually suspect. Did she really exist at all? Or could the story be an extended allegory much like the biblical parables? These questions are unanswerable. Whether or not she captured Roderic’s heart, the legend of Florinda has captured the imagination of numerous authors, poets, artists and playwrights down the decades. In Don Quixote, Miguel Cervantes described her as ‘that wicked Christian woman through whom Spain was lost’. Clearly, Spain’s most iconic author gives credibility to the Christian accounts. From the same era, Jacobean writer/comic/actor William Rowley recounts the legend in his play, All’s Lost by Lust (c. 1619). It has been described as a ‘tragedy of remarkable frankness - both crude and fierce’. British writers Sir Walter Scott and Robert Southey (of Goldilocks fame) treat the legend poetically Scott in The Vision of Don Roderick (1811) and Southey in Roderick, Last of the Goths (1814). Meanwhile, American writer Washington Irving recalls the tale in his famous Legends of the Conquest of Spain. More recently, in London’s West End, the musical La Cava played to audiences from June 2000 to February 2001, with Oliver Tobias (who played opposite Joan Collins in The Stud) and Julie-Alanah Brighten as the lovers. Reviews were mixed. Over the centuries there have been plenty of examples of women toppling powerful men using their physical charms. Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and Catherine the Great, come to mind. But in the case of Florinda, her reputation has lived through the centuries as manipulator, manipulatee and everything in between. We’ll never know - but that BEAUTIES: Florinda as depicted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter tells the story of the last King of the Visigoths. Credit: New York Met/Public Domain doesn’t make ZZ Top’s lyrics any less plausible!
THE ORIGINAL PEEPING TOM
Natural history revealed online A conference to discuss Gibraltar’s natural history value will take place online in mid-October. The 2020 Calpe Conference, from October 15-17 takes into account social distancing measures with delegates attending via digital media. The event will be held at the University of Gibraltar, but only speakers will be present on location. “Given COVID-19 issues worldwide, it has not been possible to bring speakers from abroad. “Instead, an exciting conference on Gibraltar’s natural history, with mainly Gibraltarian speakers, has been put together.” Minister for Heritage and the Environment, John Cortes said: “It is a testament to the quality of Gibraltarian researchers that a conference that is now world renowned, can be held with a unique local line-up. “I look forward to this exciting conference and I am grateful to have been offered the opportunity to participate in it as a speaker.” Further details, including the full programme and how to register, will be issued shortly.
LOVE Island, the seismically popular dating reality TV show, has been filmed for the last six seasons in Mallorca. But only now have ITV execs announced Spain’s own version of Love Island, commissioned by Atresmedia and produced by Boomerang. Contestants on the 2019 series horrified Spaniards and Brits alike when they revealed they thought that Barcelona was in Rome. Despite geographical blunders, many international versions of the British programme have been released in previous years. Love Island Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, US, Poland, Romania, New Zealand, Sweden, Hungary, Finland, France and Australia have all taken a swing at the format, with varying degrees of success. But this is the first time a Spanish language series of the show has ever been commissioned. . Love Island representatives have not revealed when the show will air as the coronavirus pandemic has made filming schedules uncertain.
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LOVED UP: Spain will soon have its own version of the UK show
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
September 30th - October 13th 2020
King of the Castles Cristina Hodgson visits some of the crowning glories that give Spain the highest castillo count of any country in Europe
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ROM austere hilltop fortresses to splendid royal palaces and stunning Moorish alcazars, Spain out-castles all of Europe with over 2,500 to explore. Andalucia, fought over by Moors and Christians for seven centuries, is better-endowed than most regions with medieval fortified hilltop citadels. In Cadiz, where they marked the boundary between the two warring kingdoms, many
Castillo de Coca
of the towns that grew up around them still carry the suffix ‘de la frontera’. There’s romance in walking their wind-battered battlements and sharing the same sweeping views from their crenelated towers as the great kings, queens and warriors of old. So step away from the beach and ignite your imagination with some culture and the Olive Press guide to five must-do fortresses in Spain.
Alcazar de Segovia
Staying in the region of Segovia, the 15th century Castillo de Coca is another fabulous fortification for your digital photo album. Built in 1493 on the site of ancient Cauca, birthplace of the Roman emperor Theodosius whose death marked the beginning of the Middle Ages, it is protected by double-thickness walls of 2.5 metres in width and a 560-metre moat to further discourage invaders. A mix of Gothic and Moorish styles, it is considered Spain’s finest example of Mudejar brickwork. For nearly a century until it was declared a Spanish National Monument in 1926 it was known as the House of Alba, home to the Spanish aristocratic family of the same name who must have found its maze of corridors and chambers easy to get lost in.
This sleeping beauty rises out of the rocky slopes on a hill dominating the entire city of Segovia in Castile y Leon. Its fairytale turrets famously inspired the design of Walt Disney’s iconic Cinderella’s Castle. It was also the favourite residence of the monarchs of Castile before being demoted to a state prison for more than two centuries. A place of royal ceremonial importance in Early Modern times, Isabella of Castile, the monarch whose reign alongside hubby Ferdinand of Aragon marked Spain’s Golden Age, was crowned Queen here in 1474. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this amazing alcazar has to be on your hit list as one of the most Instagrammable castles in Spain.
La Alhambra
Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos Another of Ferdinand and Isabella’s preferred boltholes, the sober exterior of the Castle of the Christian Monarchs belies the splendour of the stunning gardens within. Surrounded by thick defensive walls, this 13th century palace fortress was famously where Ferdinand and Isabella first met with Christopher Columbus to discuss the explorer’s first trip to the New World, an event celebrated in
Spain on National Day every October 12. Revamped many times, the sumptuous palace is still used for royal occasions, such as the wedding reception of the Infanta Elena, and it also appeared in Game of Thrones. The royal baths and the hall of Roman mosaics are fascinating and the monumental grandeur of the patios and terraced gardens will take your breath away.
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scaped gardens watered by the Rio Genil, it’s easy to see why the Moors, arriving from the arid deserts of North Africa, believed they had found ‘heaven on earth’, and why Granada’s last ruler wept at leaving it. Shady colonnades, fountains with running water and reflecting pools were used to cool and add light and beauty to the 13th century palace fortress described by one Moorish poet as ‘a pearl set in emeralds’. It has been treasured as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984.
Historians reckon some 10,000 castles have existed in Spain over the centuries. Sadly, most were successively abandoned while others were deliberately demolished by Spanish kings to prevent Moorish invaders from moving in and taking over. A good number of the 2,500 left standing can still be found in exceptionally good condition thanks to the dry climate and the relative rarity of wars on Spanish soil after the Reconquista.
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With its irresistible air of magic, Spain’s top tourist attraction is a must-see on any European itinerary, castle enthusiast or not. Considered one of the finest achievements in Moorish art and architecture on the planet, this stunning ‘Red Fort’ is perched in a dreamy hilltop setting surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and was the ‘last outpost’ of the Moors before the fortress fell to the Spanish in 1492. An oasis of musical fountains and lush land-
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BUSINESS Steaming in September 30th - October 13th 2020
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Leading train operator RENFE faces stiff new competition as French rival enters Spain SPAIN’S number one train operator Renfe is to face fresh competition as a French company has announced its intentions to enter the market in 2021. French railway operator SNCF, under the brand name Ouigo, announced its plans to begin journeys on Spain’s high speed lines on March 15, 2021. Ouigo will make its first out-
ing on the Madrid to Barcelona line, with stops in Zaragoza and Tarragona, using the double decker Alstom Euroduplex high speed train. The service will offer 509 seats with waiting staff and a bar service. By 2022, the plan will be to expand to Andalucian cities such as Malaga, Sevilla, Alicante, Cordoba and Valencia.
Electric decision
PROTEST: Workers at the doomed plant
MAIS OUI: French rival to Renfe General Director of the company, Helene Valenzuela announced the plans
WORKERS at the doomed Nissan factory in Barcelona are waiting to see if their jobs have been saved by LG. The Korean giant is considering a proposal to convert the car assembly plant – slated for closure in December 2021 – into a battery factory. The Spanish government has offered direct aid of €600 million towards the €1.6 billion cost of the proposed takeover, with LG due to make a decision by the end of this month. Spain is the second largest electric vehicle manufacturing country in Europe after Germany. If given the go ahead, the plant would be LG’s second battery facility in Europe. Its first is in Poland. It would supply batteries to Seat, which has the largest car factory in Spain in Martorell. The converted factory would employ between 1,500 and 2,000 people. The facility presently has a 2,500 strong workforce.
during a press conference. “We plan to run five outbound and five inbound journeys per day before expanding the network to a total of 30 services per day and a total of 30,000 seats.” said Valenzuela. Known for their budget price tags, Ouigo will enter the parket with a greatly reduced ticket price compared to their Spanish rivals. To celebrate their arrival into Spain, Ouigo will also offer €1 tickets on their website for the first 10,000 customers to purchase a fare. Valenzuela hopes that their arrival into Spain will give the eco friendly rail network a welcome boost and hopefully increase the number of train passengers twofold by 2030.
Cutting out the risk GIBRALTAR is bringing in new rules for Distributed Ledger Technology companies wishing to set up shop on the Rock. The Gibraltar Finance Services Commission believes it needs to adapt to a fast-changing market. “As well as offering further clarity on key areas, the amended guidance notes also update the risk framework,” said the Government. “This will distinguish between virtual assets and virtual asset denominated instruments that are arguably higher risk. “It will also require additional factors or on-boarding tests to be considered.” The work to modernise regulation has taken into account the advice of the Financial Ac-
tion Taskforce (FATF) on virtual asset service providers (VASP). The Government is also consulting with an international group of professionals about the travel rules for these areas. “Today marks another milestone moment for Gibraltar’s thriving DLT/VASP ecosystem,” said Minister for Digital and Financial Services, Albert Isola. “We are refining the regulatory framework that guides companies through the licensing process and beyond. “Our jurisdiction’s agility has been a hallmark of our success to date, with a progressive open dialogue between regulators and industry figures. “It is helping to craft a framework that satisfies natural regulatory prudence while allowing for a sensible amount of regulatory latitude to help projects innovate properly.” The process, which started last November, has involved the GFSC, the Gibraltar Association for New Technologies (GANT), and current DLT Provider license-holders. Currently there are 13 DLT companies on the Rock, including large international groups such as eToro, Huobi, Xapo, LMAX, Bitso and Gnosis. “With a finely tuned DLT regulatory framework, Gibraltar is even more equipped to broaden our DLT community and continue Gibraltar’s strong arc of economic growth post-pandemic and Brexit,” said Isola. “We look forward to welcoming more quality projects into our blockchain ecosystem in the months and years ahead.”
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FINAL WORDS
BARCELONA’S Sagrada Familia cathedral has become the latest victim of coronavirus as its 2026 final completion date has been put back after tourist numbers plunged.
Well spoken SPANISH politician Carlos Galiana has been criticised after he made a televised address to support Valencia’s bid to become the European Capital of Innovation 2020 with him being dubbed with a flawless English accent.
Finally justice STATELESS Palestinian woman Heba Nabil Iskandarani, 26, has been granted Spanish citizenship under a 2015 law as a descendant of Sephardic jews expelled from Spain in the 15th century.
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Vol. 5 Issue 132 www.theolivepress.es September 30th - October 13th 2020
AN animal charity is re-housing 96 cats found in a single flat after their owner was evicted. They were crammed into an apartment in Gandia, Valencia. According to animal shelter SPAMA Safor, the cats had not seen natural daylight, nor received veterinary care since the day they were were born. But the animals seemed to have been well fed and the flat had been adapted to house them - even though in rather cramped conditions
Triathlete captured the hearts of fans after selfless gesture A SPANISH triathlete has been hailed a true sporting hero after he stepped aside to let his British rival go first past the post. The events at the 2020 Triatlon de Santander
saw Madrid born athlete Diego Mentrida sacrifice his podium position to James Teagle, who had taken a wrong turn in the final stages. Teagle, who had held third place for a number of laps, en-
Killer ban YACHTS were banned along a 100 kilometre stretch of Spain’s northern coast after a series of attacks by Orcas. Also known as Killer Whales, the animals have approached very close to several vessels – including a Spanish Navy vessel – over
the past few weeks, damaging several. Spain’s Ministry of Transport issued a week-long ban on boats under 15 metres long between the capes of the Prioriño Grande and la Punta de Estaca de Bares. They were allowed to leave port but had to head straight out to open sea without lingering near the Galician coast.
Turtley amazing!
SPORTING: Mentrida and Teagle tered the final corner when he mistakenly attempted to head straight, hitting the barriers and losing his position to the closely following Mentrida. Aware of the Brit’s mistake, Mentrida backed off and slowed, allowing Teagle to overtake and reclaim his hard-earned podium slot. The crowd erupted as the pair shook hands and embraced as they crossed the finish line. “He must not have seen the
detour to the finish line, or they did not signal it well. I don’t know, the fact is that he deserved it,” said Mentrida. “I deliberately slowed to allow him past, and I would do it again, every time.” Organisers of the event acknowledged Mentrida’s actions and awarded the 21-year-old the same prize money (€300) as Teagle in recognition for his selfless gesture.
A TOTAL of 37 sea turtle eggs hatched on the beach of Cabopino in Marbella. The original nesting took place on busy Los Boliches beach in Fuengirola. As the nest was located very close to the shore, the eggs were transferred to a quieter beach in Marbella. So far 37 loggerhead turtles have hatched. These are the first hatchlings of this species in Malaga or the Costa del Sol.
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