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Vol. 4 Issue 90 www.theolivepress.es October 2nd - October 15th 2020
ISLAND HOPE: Move to €35m Andratx villa could aid Schumacher’s recovery
Road to recovery
MICHAEL Schumacher has been reportedly moved to a villa in Mallorca to continue his recovery. The property was previously owned by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and purchased for €35 million by Schumacher’s wife Corinna in 2017. Situated in the exclusive area of Puerto de Andratx, the luxury villa lies in the gated Las Brisas estate. The complex covers 15,000 square metres, boasting two swimming pools, a helipad, gym, expansive garden and stunning western views over the Balearic Sea. According to Diario de Mallorca, the seven-time world champion was taken to their Spanish holiday home to recover from injuries sustained from his skiing accident in 2013. Although updates surrounding his health have been rare, the ex-wife of Formula 1 boss and former QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore, Elisabetta Gregoraci, recently made comments on his
condition. Speaking on the Italian version of Big Brother, Gregoraci said: “They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.” She later added that ‘only three people can visit him and I know who they are’. It comes after reports were made that the Formula 1 legend was spending his winters at the multi-million euro mansion with round-the-clock carers.
Residents at the estate confirmed to a respected German magazine that they saw the racing legend arrive by helicopter last year. It is believed that Schumacher was also at the property for New Year’s celebrations and his 50th birthday on January 3. Schumacher won 91 races in a record-breaking F1 career before suffering a traumatic brain injury. He was reportedly receiving €50,000-a-week treatment from a team of 15 physicians and nurses at his Swiss home.
Best strokes Mega swim challenge by brave expat cancer sufferer
TOGETHER: Philip and Meg with daughters Farrah and Alexa
A BRITISH cancer patient has set himself the goal to swim the equivalent distance of the island’s coastline to raise money for Cancer Support Mallorca. Philip James Baber, 48, began the epic challenge last year and is well on his way to complete the mammoth 555km feat, with more than 320 km already achieved and his daughters Farrah and Alexa are set to join him for the final two kilometres at Son Serra. The fitness fanatic’s health took a turn for the unimaginable in May 2019 when he became crippled by an agonising lower back pain. After weeks of tests at Son Espases Hospital, Philip was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive strain of grade four cancer that had spread onto his spine and around his body. “The scan results were terrifying,” the Brit told the Olive Press. “The tumours littered my body and were growing, heading towards my spinal cord and vital organs - the odds were not looking good.” His wife Meg, who together run the successful poster art company Stick No Bills, was determined to do everything in her power to turn the situation around. They embarked on crash courses in neurology, neuroscience biochemistry and cellular biology, also making a radical change to Philip’s diet. “I started nailing a disgusting litre of organic celery juice every morning followed by all manner of supplements, preparing myself mentally for chemo,” he said. It was at that point, just as he was being fast tracked into the system at Son Espases, that Philip saw a stack of brochures from the Cancer Support Group, later setting up a meeting with their MBE award winning founder Krista Hyer. In this counselling session, Krista listened and assured the couple that the charity would help with all of Philip’s medical admin while also putting the pair in touch with nutritional and alternative therapy experts. Their invaluable support is one of the many reasons why Philip decided to embark on his sponsored swim for the charity. “I swim to rehabilitate and because the neuropathy in my hands and feet makes walking painful and picking things up cumbersome whereas in the water my body feels great,” explained the Brit.
By Isha Sesay
However, with life expectancy statistics for someone in the same condition as Philip being particularly dismal, he also swims for his daughters. He said: “I swim so I can one day walk my daughters up the aisle on their wedding days and that I can one day have the privilege of becoming a grandfather to their children.” If you would like to support Philip on his challenge, please visit his fundraising page on Facebook – ‘Philip’s fundraiser for Cancer Support Group, Mallorca’.
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NEWS IN BRIEF Good dive A COUPLE snorkelling in Cala Marcal have found a safe containing over €1,000 that was stolen from a home in the area on September 21.
Cashed out THREE people have been arrested for drug trafficking in Esporles after 16 large marijuana plants and €10,000 in cash was found at a property.
Bad carer A MAN, 54, has been arrested for defrauding an elderly person in Binissalem out of €4,000. The detainee had worked as the victim’s home carer, here finding out where they kept their debit card.
Boss arrest THE alleged leader of a migrant smuggling ring has been arrested in Mallorca. The man had smuggled hundreds of people from Algeria into the Balearic Islands by boat.
THE Spanish authorities have landed their biggest-ever drugs bust after seizing over 35 tonnes of hashish onboard luxury yachts in the Atlantic Ocean. The drugs, worth an estimated €5 million, were uncovered when agents stormed the boats belonging to an alleged narcos smuggling ring. The operation, named Goleta-Gratil, was headed by the Policia Nacional and Agencia Tributaria with all activity being carried out from a central base in Mallorca. The Balearic island was chosen as it is considered to be a ‘hot zone’, meaning that it is one of the most active areas in the country for drug trafficking. Nine Bulgarian and Russian citizens were arrested in the major raid on Wednesday, September 30. Cops also confiscated six yachts worth an estimated
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
Tons of trouble
By Kirsty McKenzie
€5 million during the swoop. Officials believed the yachts were being used by a crimi-
Cash for visas POLICE have arrested 40 people accused of being part of a illegal immigration gang. According to the Policia Nacional, the detainees were involved in the falsification of documentation that allowed members of their families to live in Spain. An investigation into the crooks revealed that they had been able to put through hundreds of applications using fraudulent tenancy contracts. These documents allowed their relatives to obtain legal residency in either Palma or Manacor. The gang would charge between €500 to
Biggest ever hashish haul uncovered aboard luxury yachts nal gang for the transportation of narcotics and called the success of the operation
€3,500 for each application. Out of the total arrests, 39 are Moroccans with one being Spanish and reportedly the kingpin of the gang, The Spaniard would produce urban lease contracts for his property, listing members of the gang as his tenants. These were then used to support official requests for family reunification at immigration offices. All those arrested have been charged with falsifying documents and aiding illegal immigration. It comes after it was reported that the Moroccan Mafia netted a whopping €160 million in the trade of illegal immigrants in the past three years.
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
Hard bitten
a ‘huge blow to what investigators consider the largest criminal organisation dedicated to smuggling hashish via sea in Spain’. “The logistical capacity of the Bulgarian criminal organisations’ top leaders engaged in drug trafficking in recreational vessels has been hit, preventing new routes from emerging or that they take advantage of the pandemic,” police and tax authorities said in a statement.
A BRITISH man, 29, has been arrested for assault after biting off a piece of a passenger’s ear during a flight to Mallorca. The Guardia Civil were alerted to the incident by crew onboard the aircraft which had departed from Birmingham. According to the police statement, the crew had denied the Brit alcohol during the flight due to him already being heavily intoxicated. He then decided to ignore the crew’s instructions and attempted to open the plane’s beverage compartment before grabbing and downing another passenger’s alcoholic drink. As the flight landed, a fight broke out between the man and another British passenger who had part of their ear bitten off in the confrontation. Officers rushed onboard the plane, restraining the drunken Brit and putting him in cuffs. The victim was taken to hospital to receive treatment on his severed ear.
Criminal
It comes after 4.6 tonnes of hashish were seized in two sailing boats from the same criminal group near the Balearic Islands in March and July this year.
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A year of Culture
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San Sebastian Film Festival SPECIAL
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The Olive Press’s Lydia Spencer-Elliott reports from the silver screen event of the year 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’.”
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
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Depp takes Donostia
Celluloid central
ITH Cannes cancelled and Venice drastically downsized, Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival has led the way for cinema in 2020.
October 2nd October 15th 2020
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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NEWS
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Park blaze AN ENORMOUS forest fire in Mallorca has caused tremendous damage to a famous national park. The blaze in S’Albufera Natural Park raged for three days before it was finally extinguished on Sunday evening after breaking out on Friday, September 25. More than 50 firefighters raced to the wildfire at the nature reserve in Alcudia that burned over 1,082 acres of land A total of three homes were also burned down to the ground. According to park officials, dozens of animals have been killed but no people were injured. The reserve is now being watched by an emergency services brigade to ensure that the blaze does not start again. In response to the incident, the President of the Balearic Government, Francina Armengol, has thanked ‘all those who worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire.’ She also expressed her deep sadness ‘that the wound of s’Albufera would take time to heal’ and ‘that it has hurt everyone who lives on the island’.
SEUR Grapes THOUSANDS of expat customers of eBay and Amazon UK living in Spain claim they are having their parcels stolen by Spain’s leading delivery company. Droves have taken to review site Trustpilot to slam SEUR as a ‘scam outfit’, with one Olive Press reader refusing to shop anywhere that uses the firm for deliveries. The firm, which is part of the DPD group and self-professed ‘leader of the sector in Spain’, is accused of lying to customers, failing to deliver parcels, providing a phone number that doesn’t work and an email address to which an automatic reply says the package does not exist and is therefore not deliverable.
The company is accused of lying to customers and failing to deliver parcels by enraged expats.
Expat David Bullock told The Olive Press that he was left fuming then two Amazon orders were lost by SEUR. The electrical items that he
False alarm
A FAKE bomb threat almost caused an evacuation at Palma de Mallorca airport. It came after a call from Madrid warned of an explosive device hidden somewhere in the building. Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil launched an intense search of the airport at around 7pm. Authorities held off on evacuating and soon verified there were no suspicious packages in sight. It comes after a false bomb threat in Madrid earlier this year caused panic and the evacuation of Amazon’s headquarters. Officials received a warning at around 10:40am on February 13 that there was an explosive device in the building on Calle de Ramirez de Prado. The site was subsequently evacuated and an inspection was carried out with support from Guardia Civil’s Tedax unit, which specialises in the deactivation of explosives. After verifying that the threat was a false alarm, workers were able to return to their posts shortly before 1:pm.
Grange in 2017. However, he insisted he was ‘guilty’ and confirmed it was his tip off that led to German police to develop their current case against Brueckner. The German - who had briefly Maddie suspect lived with Brueckner in Greece confessed to - is a convicted people smuggler, who is believed to have crime links at given his testimony in return Granada music for a reduction of a seven-year sentence. festival, writes The Olive Press can reveal that Jon Clarke it was Busching and another German, Manfred Seyferth, THE key suspect in the disap- who had cleared out Brueckpearance of Madeleine McCann ner’s Praia da Luz home, after allegedly confessed to his in- he was sent to prison for diesel volvement in the case at a Span- theft in March 2006. ish music festival over a decade Making it look like a burglary, the pair had taken all incrimago. Christian Brueckner admitted inating evidence, including his links to the snatch of the dozens of passports, money and three-year-old, while social- watches. ising with pals at the Dragon But, it was during that raid that Festival, in Granada, in March they also took a video camera, on which they found sick re2008. The German paedophile - who cordings of Brueckner underlived close to where Maddie was taking two rapes. One which taken in Portugal in May 2007 - last year convicted Brueckner of came clean while negotiating a the 2005 rape of Diana Menkes, big drug deal at the week-long a 72-year-old American. A combination of a hair found event, near Orgiva. According to his pal Helge Bus- at the scene, plus the testimoching, 48, he confessed at the ny of Busching, led to Brueckhippy bash that he attended ner being handed a seven year on various occasions, the Olive sentence, which he is serving in Kiel, in Germany. Press can reveal. Speaking to The Sun in Corsi- Seyferth, who also knows ca, he refused to give exact de- Brueckner, said: ‘’I knew he tails of the information he gave (Busching) had told British poBritish police from Operation lice Christian was involved. He told me he had something very important to tell Scotland Yard… and what he had to say about Madeleine and Christian was very important.’’ FESTIVAL: People flock to Granada
bought for his car were not of huge value, but David said he refuses to order another Amazon item until the online retailer switch to a different delivery firm. He said: “I have had a negative experience with deliveries from SEUR, even to an Amazon locker. “SEUR stated the item was delivered but no access code for the locker was sent. It is fairly obvious what happened to the Amazon order. “Another item which was supposed to be delivered to my house have also gone missing.” He added: “I will not be ordering from Amazon again until they change delivery company.” A Mac Air ordered from a reputable company in the UK via eBay recently went missing.
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
Overwhelmed ICU SON Llatzer Hospital in Palma has been forced to take on 18 more nurses in their intensive care ward as ICU patients have more than doubled in Spain this month, according to the Ministry of Health. At one point, critical patients were being turned away from the Palma hospital and sent elsewhere due to a shortage of beds and staff. The Nursing Union (SATSE) denounced the ‘unacceptable’ situation at the Mallorcan hospitals.. They said: “There are no nurses for assistance, and although there are beds there is no personnel to deal with them.” They continued that the ‘threat of coronavirus and lack of means threatens the health of both patients and health workers’. President Armengol has denied that the Son Llatzer ICU is full and declined demands from the Partido Popular to apologise for lying about the situation. As of August 28, there were 751 patients in ICU units across Spain. But, by September 29, this figure more than doubled to 1,535 patients. The majority of ICU admissions were made in Madrid, with 484 patients in the capital. This figure is more than triple the number in Andalucia, which is in second position with 173 ICU patients. In the past week, admissions at all ICU wards in the Balearics have dropped by more than 10%. Currently in Son Llatzer there are 17 coronavirus patients being treated in intensive care. In Europe, Russia leads the number of coronavirus cases (1,159,573) followed by Spain (758,172), France 542,639 and the UK 439,013. However, the UK has had the highest number of total deaths with more than 42,000.
Explain in Spain OLD PALS: (clockwise from left) Busching, Brueckner, Tatschl and Seyferth The Olive Press revealed in June how convicted rapist Brueckner was a frequent visitor to the Alpujarras region of Granada. He was certainly visiting the town of Orgiva to visit his best friend, Austrian expat Michael Tatschl around a month after Maddie went missing in 2007. “It was late May or early June when he turned up with this big American campervan, the Winnebago,” Tatschl said. “He came looking for me as he knew I had connections to the marijuana world,” added Tatschl, who lived with him in Portugal and spent eight months in prison with him for diesel theft.
“We all wondered where he’d got this big expensive van. We assumed a big drug deal or something like that. Now I suspect it was Maddie. “He was definitely a pervert and all his friends thought that about him.” He continued that Brueckner ‘often’ came to Spain ‘dealing drugs’ and had been to Orgiva many times. Granada police have now confirmed they looked to see if Brueckner could be linked to any sex offences in the area between 2007 and 2020. In particular the suspected rape of a child at the Dragon Festival in 2007, which Christian may have attended. According to
one user of the popular Facebook site Orgiva Massive, the crime was never solved. It comes as it emerged he is now facing a new charge of exposing himself to a 10-yearold German girl on an Algarve beach, just ONE MONTH before Maddie went missing. Joanna Eilts, 23, has now identified Brueckner as the naked man who grabbed her by the arm and began to masterbate. Just 10kms from Praia da Luz, he first talked to her in English and then German. In 2014, Brueckner assaulted a five-year-old girl in a public park in Braunschweig, Germany, before taking graphic photographs of her which he saved
on a memory card. During an investigation, police raided his flat, they found a Casio Exilim digital camera with 391 vile images and 68 videos of abuse. On the same camera, detectives found about five photographs of Brueckner abusing the five-year-old girl in the park. Portuguese police have also started reinvestigating his links to a rape of a 20-year-old Irish girl Hazel Bevan near Praia da Luz, as well as his exposure to four children in 2017. Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fulscher insisted that his client was ‘innocent’ of any involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine.
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NEWS FEATURE
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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.
OPINION Park blaze a tragedy AS an avid lover of nature and stunned daily by the beauty of Mallorca’s landscape, it was saddening to watch S’Albufera Natural Park go up in flames last weekend. The devastation of the forest fire has been unparalleled. Not only has more than 1,000 acres of land been destroyed, but homes have been completely gutted to the ground. It has also been disastrous for wildlife who have now either died or lost their natural habitat. But so far the worst to come out of it all is that the blaze is reportedly being investigated as an intentional act of arson. If this proves to be true, we stand by the Minister of Sustainability, Aurora Ribot, who said that ‘the full weight of the law will fall on those that are found to be responsible’. As well as the reserve being cherished by all those lucky to live on the island, the fire serves as a reminder of the fragility of the environment and how a malicious act can lead to devastating consequences.
Mailroom meltdown WE dive deep into the dodgy mailbags belonging to SEUR delivery drivers (see SEUR Grapes page 4) - exposing the terrible service experienced by people all over the country from pocket pinching posties. The SEUR saga comes after our online story exposing the horrors of one unlucky expat’s battle for her post at a Correos office sent the comment section into overdrive. This week we’ve heard readers share their own experiences of letters and packages vanishing in ways that seem both unfair and unexplained. Isn’t it about time that we expats can expect our post to arrive at our door without hiring a legal team, undergoing an investigation or jumping through hoops? A hope and a prayer simply isn’t enough to ensure successful arrival anymore. Yet, posties even delivered letters and parcels during the blitz. So, how on earth have so many deliveries managed to go AWOL in modern day Spain?
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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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Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.
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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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October 2nd - October 15th 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
Olive Press online ‘Spain’s best English news website’
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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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LA CULTURA
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what’s on
H
ats and Horses
Head down to the Palma Equestrian hippodrome on October 17 for a day of fashion, fun and prosecco at their Hats and Horses Ascot style event with tickets at just €15 from hatsandhorses.com
A
bstract Art
New exhibition ‘K’ves?’ by abstract painter Sandra Llambi launches at Auditioria de Peguera, Calvia this month with glitter tempera, zentangle patterns and generous free entry.
C
hain Reaction
Join the best cycling camp in Europe for amateur riders. Members of the Sa Calobra Cycling Club can enjoy daily massages, bike hire and coaching
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October 2nd - October 15th 2020
cently published in the Journal of Antiquity, they discovered that painting on the walls of dwellings was not a pastime reserved for the males of the community but was very much a social activity. This discovery was made possible thanks to the abil-
ity to establish the ages and sexes of the individuals responsible for each illustration through fingerprints left at the scene. The expert analysis on 32 paintings revealed that fingerprints were left by both men and women and from a wide variety of ages.
Cruzing in
PENELOPE Cruz has joined up with fellow Spanish superstar Antonio Banderas to resume shooting of one of the year’s biggest Spanish productions. The cameras have started rolling again on the set of Official Competition, after filming was stopped in March after just eight days due to the coronavirus lockdown. The high-profile movie, produced by Mediapro Studio,
ighting fit
Step up to the challenge and get fighting fit with a boxing session Strongbox Camp Mallorca running between October 11 and 18. SUPERSTAR: Banderas
Casa Amor
Digging into the past
STUDIES carried out on prehistoric cave paintings nestled deep in the Andalucian hills have shed light on human life 7,000 years ago. Scholars from the University of Granada, Durham University and the Autonomous University of Barcelona carried out in depth analysis of neolithic paintings discovered in a cave in Los Machos, Granada. During their findings, re-
ANCIENT: Los Machos
Spanish superstars restart shooting Spain’s biggest film of the year features a heavyweight cast. As well as two of Spain’s biggest stars, Argentinian Oscar Martinez, a former San Sebastian, Venice and Argentine Academy best actor award-winner also features. The film focuses on Banderas and Martinez who play famous actors whose egos lead to an on set clash, with Cruz playing the film’s director. Gaston Duprat, who is directing the film alongside Mariano Cohn, said: “Within all the negatives of interrupting a shoot, there was something positive: We had an unusually large amount of time to study the already-shot material, and to put under a microscope the screen-
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play for what is left to film.
Tension “The material we already have is wonderful: Penelope, Antonio and Oscar are extraordinary. The scenes have what we wanted, an uncomfortable mix of tension and sarcasm in an aesthetic framework of great conceptual strength. We restarted filming with the certainty that we have something really powerful on our hands.” Cohn added: “In this film are the experiences and knowledge gained after so many years of shooting. The film has our DNA as directors, but also that of Penelope, Antonio and Oscar,
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 been commissioned. Love Island representatives have not revealed when the show will air as the coronavirus pandemic has made filming schedules uncertain.
BEAUTY: Penelope Cruz as they generously contributed their own experiences. In this film, you will see an intense distillation of the universe that we know best: that of directors and actors trying to do one of the most unnatural and complex things, for me, in the world shooting a film.”
LOVE SHACK: Mallorca
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
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
9
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
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PROPERTY
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
Not a snip
SUPERB: Davinia’s (inset) Marbella home
FORMER Hollyoaks actress Davinia Taylor has put her Marbella home on the market for €17 million. Taylor - who played Jude Cunningham on the Channel 4 soap - is said to be moving back to Lancashire after years of living in the Spanish sun. Listed on LuxuryEstate.com, the villa boasts a stunning frontline beach location in the exclusive Los Monteros urbanisation, not far from a spacious property owned by Antonio Banderas. It has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, a Balinese gazebo, tropical gardens, huge pool and extensive indoor and outdoor dining and living areas. The villa also incorporates an ancient stone tower featuring a luxurious suite.
Escape to the lake For a million euros, you can buy this sprawling property in Barranco Blanco - a place known for its fairytale forest, private saltwater lake and sinister past. By Kirsty McKenzie
A CHARMING villa with luscious green gardens and glittering springs that taper down to a freshwater lake, this place looks like a fairytale perfect home. Nestled in Barranco Blanco, meaning White Ravine in Spanish, the 1980s pad is surrounded by picturesque forests and a sense of peace and calm that belies its proximity to the hustle and bustle of Malaga. The surrounding forest area boasts crystalline pools and wildlife such as boars and mountain goats, who drink from the clear streams of running water that trickle all year round. Hidden between Coin and Alhaurin el Grande, the
SECLUDED: A hidden jewel in a secret valley
ultra private villa is now on sale for offers over €1,380,000 - proving that
millionaires do not need to flee as far as the Caribbean to buy an elite hideaway.
Mystery For your money, you’ll get four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool and private lake sprawling over sixand -a-half luxury acres, as well as a separate onebed apartment, six car garage and three stables. The luxury villa is on sale supposedly after the death of the elderly owner who long enjoyed the mystery and seclusion offered by LUXURY: The home is beautifully furnished
Bright future DESPITE the property market having declined during the COVID-19 crisis, demand from foreign investors has simply been put on hold while waiting for a swift return. This is the conclusion of Miguel Arimont, founder and CEO of LEM Loan e-Market. His business specialises in buying and selling real estate debt in Spain and Portugal, and he thinks that foreign investors will return to the Spanish market in a big way by the end of the year. But this depends on the health crisis being managed effectively in order for the economy to pick up, he warned. Arimont said that Spain is normally a ‘very safe and attractive’ market for buyers and investors, a situation he says is recognised
the secret estate that’s shrouded by greenery in the shade of the Mijas mountains. But as with all good fairytales, the dreamlike location is not without a dark past - the Barranco Blanco area is forever blighted by its notorious associations. Rumour has it that during the Second World War it was deemed a strategic outpost by the German army, due to Hilter’s strong ties with Franco. The latter is said to have chosen the area of natural beauty as a retreat for his close friends before he offered the well-fortified base to the Nazis.
Nazi
POSITIVE: Miguel Arimont by those looking to make investments. He said: “With interest rates at historic lows, the returns from this sector will continue to attract international buyers, mainly large funds and estates.” He added that expats also continue to see Spain as an attractive location for holiday homes and to retire to.
While Barranco Blanco has remnants of the towers that were once guarded by Franco’s civil guards, and homes said to be part of a former Nazi military complex, most locals refuse to talk about the area’s chequered history. It is unlikely but possible that the home here, hidden away at the foot of the stunning natural valley, was ever used as a top secret Nazi hideaway - but could the new buyer be key to unlocking this area’s secret past?
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
Test and pick
No need to whine as grape pickers undergo strict testing to ensure safety while working at vineyards in Alava SPAIN'S most famous wine-growing region will test all workers for COVID-19 before the 2020 harvest. Grape pickers in Alava will need the all clear before they are allowed to start work at vineyards in one of the country's highest producing Rioja regions. The health department will carry out the PCR tests and those who are able to work will be giv-
en individual baskets and scissors to avoid contamination. Seasonal pickers living in temporary accommodation were hit hard by the virus over the summer months which led to local lockdowns in fruit-growing areas across the nation. Authorities in the Basque Country, looking to avoid another lockdown, have made it compulsory for
wine estates to provide a list of workers. About 6,000 seasonal
Top bevvy
THE best beers in the world are Spanish. This is the conclusion of the British-run World Beer Challenge where the best beers are ranked according to type. Of the 355 brews assessed, just 20 were awarded a gold medal, with Spain dominating the list by scooping 13 of the coveted awards. And of the seven beers to get the top score of 100 points, six were Spanish, with only one German brew breaking the Spanish monopoly. Spain’s top-scoring beers – all with 100 points – were: 1906 Reserva Especial, by Hijos de Rivera better known as La Estrella de Galicia - whose 1906 Red Vintage and 1906 Black
Coupage also got top marks. The date refers to the year the brewery was set up. The other three 100-point scoring brews were from Mahou San Miguel - Manila de San Miguel, San Miguel Radler and Selecta de San Miguel.
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Money bags Iffy Salami
SAFETY FIRST: Workers will be checked
1 Group of tents (4) 2 Harmonize (4) 3 Without others (3,5) 4 Pickle purveyor (4) 5 Emollient (8) 7 Renowned (7) 9 Period of history (3) 11 Hearten (8) 12 Problematic (3,4) 13 What every story has, proverbially (3,5) 17 Critical ward (1-1,1) 19 Piece of work (4) 20 Black Beauty, when young (4) 21 Charged particles (4)
All solutions are on page 13
workers are employed in the Rioja harvesting campaign in the Basque Country’s Alava and the neighbouring region of La Rioja. However La Rioja has not yet imposed mandatory testing as a condition of work. Farmers report that the harvest will start within days and they expect a good yield of high quality grapes following perfect weather for the correct ripening of fruit. Vineyards are said to be in excellent condition and barring unforeseen incidents a good harvest is expected - provided workers get the all clear to pick the grapes.
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THE Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), has warned that batches of Fuet Cabanes sausages may be contaminated with Salmonella. The food alert was first raised in France on September 4, where contamination was originally detected in the product. However, since then other contaminated lots distributed throughout Spain and other European countries have been detected. The sausages concerned are fuets and espetecs extra belonging to 10 different lots of the brands: Embutidos Sola, Cabanes, La Granja, Calet, Sola i Maso, Don Teo, Cambasec, Sanglier, Franper, Vic d’Or, Tapas Pape, Julian Mairal and Reketukas.
RYANAIR customers pay more than €2.5bn in add-ons according to new analysis. Seat reservations, priority boarding and checked bags now account for a whopping 35% of the budget airlines total revenue. According to these figures, RyanAir now makes more from add-ons than any other airline outside America. To check a 20kg bag with Ryanair will now set you back between €25 to €50. Meanwhile seat reservations cost a steep €3 to €13 per journey. “Ryanair flights are not expensive, but it has long been the king of extras. Flying most of the time has got cheaper than it used to be, but passengers have got to look with their eyes open,” said Guy Anker, deputy editor of Money Saving Expert to the Daily Mail. “If you want anything other than to get yourself and the clothes you are wearing on board, you will have to pay extra.” Ryanair maintained that all of their extras were optional and that the prices were fully transparent.
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
October 2nd - October 15th 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
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
Steaming in
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 outing 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
Electric decision
MAIS OUI: French rival to Renfe
such as Malaga, Sevilla, Alicante, Cordoba and Valencia.
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.
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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General Director of the company, Helene Valenzuela announced the plans 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.
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Pay up! EMPLOYERS could be forced to pay home working expenses after an agreement was reached between the Spanish government, unions and businesses. The proposed legislation was revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias in an interview on the TVE television channel. The proposed bill would make employers responsible for any expenses incurred by remote workers as well as allowing flexibility in working hours and enshrining ‘disconnection time’ as a statutory requirement. It has not yet been revealed what sort of costs will have to be covered by employers. The draft bill will have to be approved by the Spanish cabinet before it is put before parliament.
Fundamental
During the coronavirus lockdown millions of people were forced to work from home, with many still doing so due to restricted occupancy levels in offices to maintain social distancing. Iglesias said: “It was fundamental to regulate remote working to protect the rights of workers.”
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
SIMMERING in the sierras of southern Córdoba, the white town of Montilla presides over the hottest and driest wine regions in Spain. In summer the sun seems hot enough to shrivel the fruit on the vine. Yet the alchemy of the harsh climate and local soil combines to produce perfect growing conditions for white Pedro Ximenez grapes which account for 95% of production here. So perfect that acclaimed American wine critic Robert Parker gave one of its wines his top score of 100. That wine was a PX 2011 from Bodegas Alvear. Parker described it as ‘the most amazing Pedro Ximenez I’ve ever tasted’. History, tradition and innovation rule at this family winery now in the hands of the eighth generation. Founded in 1729, it is the oldest in Andalucia and the second oldest in Spain. A stroll through its cool, musty cellars gives fascinating insight into a world of viticulture where ancient tradition meets modern techniques. Wine, and olive oil too, are Montilla’s life blood, along with the tourists who come to buy them and explore the town’s palaces, churches, hermitages, convents and castles. Most were built between the 16th and 17th centuries, giving a glimpse of how things were almost 300 years ago when this exceptional winery was born. Throughout its long history, ownership has passed down from parent to child, each successive generation bringing their own ideas to the business as it strives to keep pace with new technology while preserving its long heritage. Most of the winery’s 40 staff also followed their own fathers into the business, some starting as young as 14 in the days when the winery paid for the education of workers’ children. Fernando Gimenez Alvear, the current Executive President, is continuing a tradition started by his ancestor Diego Alvear Escalera, a Riojan who came to Montilla to buy vineyards and set up the winery.
Jewels
But it was Fernando’s great grandfather who replanted the estates with Pedro Ximenes grapes after the phylloxera plague that devastated Spain at the end of the 19th century. Now there are 500 acres
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
A vintage business
Cristina Hodgson dives into the dark cellars of Andalucia’s oldest bodega where eight generations (right) have cultivated the prestigious wines of DO Montilla-Moriles which have even scooped 100 points from Parker producing PX wines, the jew- are subject to the miracle els in the Alvear crown. known as ‘ageing under a Fernando studied naval en- ‘velo de flor’, Fernando exgineering according to fami- plains, ‘a natural biological ly tradition but always knew process where a cream cohis vocation was winemak- loured cap of yeast develing and he returned to the ops on the top of the wine’. winery over 30 Rows and rows years ago. of wine casks When asked line the dusty Alvear studied what makes Alfloor, kept vear wine stand damp in the engineering out, his formal summer by but always demeanor gives water sprays way to a broad to maintain knew his true smile and his optimum temvocation eyes shine with perature. Ferpride. nando’s words “The Pedro echo softly Ximenez grape is the true around the quiet cellar as gem behind the Alvear he continues to explain the wines,” he tells me. “The complex process. “Wine same grape variety be- casks or butts are filled to comes the sole basis of all about five sixths leaving our wines, from dry fino to enough free space at the fragrant amontillado and of top for the flor to develop. course our acclaimed sweet The action of the yeast gives Pedro Ximenez.” an extraordinary aroma and But how can the same grape flavour to the wine.” produce such different He shows me a cask in the wines. “It’s all in the aging centre of the cellar which process” he says, pushing has been especially deopen a centuries-old oak signed with a glass side to door, and we step out of reveal this alchemy. the glaring sunlight into the This initial ageing process dark dank cellars. gives birth to Alvear’s Fino The wines - or what Brits C.B., Alvear’s signature know better as sherry - wine. Wherever Andalucians get together, you’ll find this ‘still wine’, meaning it has no added alcohol. Wines subject to a longer ageing process - usually until the nutritional capacity of the flor has been exhausted - become Amontillados, acquiring a deep golden colour. For darker, richer Oloroso the flor is not allowed to develop at all. The process is
PRESIDENT’S PICK: Fernando is a fan of PX and (above) old machinery
stopped by fortifying the wine to an ABV (Alcohol by volume) of 18% (flor needs around 15% to grow) and by completely filling the wine casks to the top. The effects of ageing in these wines can be appreciated via the distinctive aromas left by oak and time.
Award-winning For the famed dessert wine Pedro Ximenez - my favourite - the process is different again. This smooth, sweet chocolate-coloured wine is made by exposing the grapes to the sun once harvested. The grapes are spread over plaited esparto grass mats towards the end of August and are slowly sun dried until they turn into raisins. A dense must is then obtained from the crushed fruit to produce an authentic raisin juice. I was honoured during my visit to be given a preview of a new wine not yet released on the market: 3 Miradas Paraje de Riofrio Alto 2016. It’s taken from the best vines on the best plots, biologically aged under its yeast cap and blended in a butt for three years.
The resulting wine is neither wines was the ‘velo de flor’ filtered nor cold stabilised, on my own perfect day. which means it is so good it A l v e a r ’ s a w a r d - w i n n i n g doesn’t need to go through wines are the perfect comany other process. The plement to the gastronomy first bottles will be winging of the Montilla-Moriles retheir way to wine shops this gion - both with it and in it. spring. Local olives, grapes, cereal Bodegas Alvear and garlic feahas the capacture in dishes ity to age five Ximenez wines i n f l u e n c e d million litres of by its Jewish, have a place wine in butts Moorish and distributed Christian past. in kitchens of around its variThe result is a ous wineries: La every Michelin- cuisine where Sacristia and El wine plays an starred chef Liceo where the important role oldest wines both for boostare stored; Las ing flavours Mercedes, known widely as and as a key ingredient. C.B.; and Las Higueras and Today Pedro Ximenez wines Buganvillas where the Pedro have a place in the kitchens Ximenex wines are aged. of every Michelin-starred A further bodega in the old chef as well as in the town centre called de la restaurant wine cellars and Casa was Alvear’s very first there’s one to go with anyproperty and is regarded as thing, savoury or sweet. a site of historic and artistic Worth mentioning is the interest. This 18th century tapeo, an informal way of former manor house hosts tasting a wide range of typthe regions oldest soleras ical tapas of the area while which contain amontilalado enjoying Fino, Pale Cream or wines that are two centuries Amontillado served straight old. from the barrel by a tradiA walk through this vintage tional venenciador. winery with a direct family The 90 minute guided tour descendant of the Alvear dy- of Bodegas Alvear includes nasty to guide me through a an introductory tasting for tasting of these exceptional €12 per person.
HEALTH
October 2nd - October 15th 2020
School’s out Thousands of classes across Spain in quarantine
IT has only been a few weeks, but already pupils from 2,852 classrooms across Spain have had to go into quarantine. The numbers of affected classes since the start of the new school year varies hugely between regions. But even in the worst affected areas, education authorities say the number of classes being forced to shut down in favour of remote learning is at a ‘manageable’ level. Most schools are still open
Lisa Burgess
15
Sleepy head
The trials of not being able to drop off
A TESTS: Pupils are regularly checked for symptoms and operating ‘relatively normally’ as far as can be expected during the coronavirus pandemic.
Good mews SPANISH researchers have found that cats may be able to develop antibodies that neutralise COVID-19. Scientists studied two cats - one of which was known to have suffered from COVID-19 along with his human family - while the other showed no symptoms. They found that both had developed antibodies to the virus, with their immune systems putting up a robust response. The first cat - Negrito - was put down for a problem unrelated to coronavirus, but an autopsy showed he had been infected by the disease without any obvious symptoms. Further tests on the cats showed they had low viral loads and were able to fight the virus by developing antibodies. Researchers say this has given them a new insight into coronavirus, which may be useful in battling COVID-19 in the human population.
The figures were revealed by the Ministry of Education, which had collated them from the 17 regional authorities. The figures do not show the number of pupils affected by quarantine, and it is difficult to assess a precise figure. According to El Pais, Madrid is by far the region with the most classes quarantined (832). Next is Catalunya (602) then the Basque Country (268), Castilla-La Mancha (180), Andalucia (168), Aragon (148), Navarre (142), Castilla y Leon (141), Valencia (130), Extremadura (73), the Balearic Islands (49, La Rioja (33) and Galicia (27). Murcia did not give a figure for classes quarantine, but said 187 pupils and 43 teachers had gone into self isolation.
MERICAN author Poppy Brite wrote, ‘the night is the hardest time to be alive and 4 am knows all my secrets’. Ain’t that the truth. It is the witching hour, nobody is awake, you can’t switch on the television or call a friend and you lie in bed wondering where on earth you put your birth certificate. I have always been a good sleeper until an array of cancer meds crash-landed into my bathroom cabinet. Healthline. com says research shows poor sleep has immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, brain function and can cause weight gain and increase disease risk in adults and children. Top tips from the Cancer Society for a good night’s sleep are as follows: 1. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day including weekends. Weekends are made for the lie on. 2. Don’t take naps after 3 pm or nap longer than 20 minutes. Try telling that to sleep-deprived parents. 3. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol late in the day. I am lucky I don’t
drink coffee. 4. Get regular exercise but not within 2-3 hours of bedtime. Sex is exercise. 5. Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the day. This is Spain. 6. Your bedroom needs to be dark, quiet and around 20 degrees. Tell that to my broken air-conditioner. 7. Don’t lie in bed awake if you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes. Do something calming like listening to soft music. It’s 4 am I am wide awake, I am not feeling calm. Personally, when I can’t sleep, my best remedy is reading. In the dark of night, I find myself Googling amusing quotes. Here is one that fits the bill from saucy American actress Phyllis Diller who said: “Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight!”
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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. 4 Issue 90 www.theolivepress.es October 2nd - October 15th 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
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
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 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.
Friends.
Reset.
Music.
At OD Port Portals we have our own star rating. In fact, we have all the stars of the Mallorca sky and we will enjoy them all together every summer night at OD Sky Bar, on our spacious terrace and at our restaurant On Top. A hotel full of local experiences, music, art, gastronomy, yoga, pre-parties, flea markets, brunches, concerts, Pilates, tardeo, sea, sun and all the stars. A hotel full of life.
Horizon.
Sunset.
Memories.