Olive Press Spain Issue 384 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all our readers

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Vol. 15 Issue 384 www.theolivepress.es December 15th - January 11th 2022

All the fun of the slopes 2021 - 2022

A Sierra Nevada

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Nothing beats a weekend in the Costa del Ski, writes Jon Clarke

the magical architecture And if you fancy a change, Alhambra, why the Sierra Nevada of Spain’s most visited monument, the of the T’S not hard to work out Europe's top skiing is only half an hour away, while the beaches is often dubbed ‘southern beckon in an hour. nearby Costa Tropical sunbathe resort’. in the Alps this week The famous adage of ‘ski in the morning, and it’s While you’ll be shivering lunch is very much game on Pyrenees, I’m eating and it’s foggy in the the top of Spain’s second in the afternoon’ many times. the Sibeen tried and tested in bright sunshine near interests me. I like visiting usu- But none of that the sport, but also the food and highest mountain. the Sierra Nevada is for It’s mid-December and and a few of the regulars erra Nevada watchthe people. ally warm during the day while everyone looks There is simply nothing more amazing than drive are actually skiing in t-shirts, on the skyline as you ing the resort appear Malaga or tanned. washed down with an from around Spain (or fly over to land in that Even better, my light lunch, to just over €10…and Gibraltar). Mulhacen obligatory caña, comes up the slopes! peaks of Veleta and as far as is at a restaurant halfway not the number of ki- The snow-capped miles around (in fact of can be seen for 120 miles as the crow flies) and “Here we sell the weather, Luis Hernandez, boss gone Grazalema, somesteep, often single-carriageway to lometres,” explains Juan the prices have hardly winding up the EOE ski school. “And any drive in the country. the top is as exciting asout with timeless views and up for years.” This is a wonderful day

Continues on Page 2

IT was a fund set up to stimulate employment in Andalucia, the region with the highest jobless total in Spain. But in reality it did little more than feather the beds of politicians and their friends and families. As well as paying millions for thousands of fake training schemes that never took place, millions more were squandered on golfing trips and even on prostitutes at brothels. “The number of irregularities is incalculable,” said a former civil servant who first exposed the fraud behind the appropriately-named FAFFE (The Andalucian Fund for Training and Employment). Speaking at a commission set up to investigate the scandal Teodoro Montes, added that the only purpose of the quango was to make money for the PSOE party and its friends. “It was set up to syphon off enough money for everyone to benefit,” he insisted. Set up in 2003, the FAFFE opened 52 offices around the eight Andalucian provinces, mostly managed

See page 13

NOT FINE! SNOW TREKKING: Across

Brothel shame at the Junta

See our special 16 page Sierra Nevada supplement, which tells you all you need to know to get the best out of Europe’s most southerly ski resort

the sierra

This is England star Andrew Shim faces jail over unpaid drugs charge fine ACTOR Andrew Shim has pleaded with Spanish police to sell off his Mercedes Sprinter and avoid jail following a €88,655 fine for drugs trafficking. Shim was running a business renting out luxury motorcycles at Spanish race tracks before Granada police found 60kg of marihuana in his transport van at a petrol station in October last year.

By Joshua Parfitt

rest warrant to bring Shim back to Spain and face jail. “Shim is insisting he doesn't have the money to settle the fine and has asked for the van that was confiscated to be auctioned off and the proceeds put towards payment,” a judicial source told the Daily Mail. “The state prosecutor has been Prison asked for a report before the judge A Malaga court let Shim off with makes a final decision. a suspended sentence in July af- “If the judge agrees to the money ter an eight-month stay in pris- made from any auction of the van on, on the condition the Notting- being put towards what he owes, ham-based actor paid a fine equal and it's a big if, it's only going to to the drugs’ black-market value. get him out of a hole for a bit beBut now Shim, 38, has pled pover- cause there’s no way that vehicle is ty and asked if police can sell his worth anything like €88,000.” Mercedes. It had been impounded Prices of second-hand Mercedes Continues on Page 5 leading to the collapse of his Track- Sprinter vans begin at around side Hire €25,000, however Shim is known Ltd busi- to be a car enthusiast and has postness. ed upgrades to his Sprinter on soIf he cial media. does not It comes after Spanish police pay, po- busted Shim and two associates lice could for handling 59.88kg of marihuaissue an na with a black market value of i n t e r n a - €88,655 on October 20 last year. tional ar- Police found 19 packets of the drug after stopping Shim and Michael Regan at a petrol station in Huetor Santillan, near ALL AREAS COVERED Granada. The actor, who 4G UNLIMITED made his name INTERNET age 15 in the

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STARS: Shim with co-star Thomas Turgoose (left) Shane Meadows’ film A Room for Romero Brass, confessed to being a drug addict and pled guilty to a drug trafficking charge after being warned he could see five years in jail if the case went to full trial.

Convicted

A second British man convicted alongside Shim asked for imprisonment due to incapability to pay the fine, and the Malaga criminal court warned Shim would also be imprisoned for not paying up. Shim is most famous for his role as Milky in the 2006 cult classic This is England, in which Milky is violently beaten by a white supremacist. He also appeared in several adver-

tisements, such as for a South Africa-based shoot for Orange Mobile. He is an amateur MMA fighter and has a passion for buying and selling luxury cars and motorcycles. The social media accounts of his Trackside Hire busiSee pages 5 & 36 ness show shots of Shim with his Mercedes Sprinter and luxury motorcycles at race tracks around Spain.

Tel: 952 147 834 TM

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Childs jabs COVID vaccines for children are now available in Spain with 1,362,000 doses delivered, 260,000 in Andalucia. The campaign kicks off today.

Killer flood STORM Barra has claimed a second victim as a 61-yearold man was discovered in a van that had been swept away when the Bidasoa river burst its banks in Navarra region.

COVID scam SPAIN'S Office for Internet Security (OSI) has issued a warning against online scams asking for cash in return for fake COVID certificates that never arrive.

Noisy oldie A MAN aged 60 from Vigo has been banned from playing music in his own home after making his young neighbours' lives a misery by playing songs all night.

A DAD has been arrested over the death of a man following a fight at an Estepona cafe over the sexual assault of his daughter. The 57-year old victim died in the operating room after suffering a ruptured spleen caused by the attack. The 49-year-old father had approached his trusted long-term neighbour from behind and hit him, sending him crashing to the ground and then kicked him

BLIND RAGE several times. According to witnesses, the devastated father referenced the sexual assault of his little girl - which was reported to police in 2017 - as he beat the man. Cafe customers intervened and stopped the attack and both men left the scene.

December 15th - January 11th 2022 Days later the 57-year-old began to feel unwell and he was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery but he died in the operating room. The attacker has now been charged with reckless homicide. The harrowing incident took place four years after the girl opened up to her parents about the sexual abuse she had suffered as a child at the hands of the long-time family friend.

Terrifying ordeal A CRIMINAL gang who covered their victim in ice packs and placed him in front of an electric fan before torturing him for five days as part of a €1.5million ransom plot have appeared in court. In September a gang of five hooded men had grabbed the Belgian at gunpoint as he was

Kidnap gang tortured victim and demanded €1.5mn ransom about to get into his car in San Pedro Alcantara. He was then driven to a rural house in Coin, 30km inland and held for five days until he was rescued by police.

During his terrifying ordeal he was beaten, covered in ice and tortured. A Marbella court has ordered that four of the 12 people arrested - four French citizens and

Shocking stabbing

Tonnes of trouble

POLICE are appealing for information after the stabbing of a seven-year-old boy walking to his school in Madrid. The stabbing happened after a junior school class had finished a PE lesson in a sports centre and were walking back to Hastings School in Chamartin. An unidentified man pounced on the little boy who was walking at the back of the line and stabbed the child in the neck. The youngster was rushed to La Paz hospital, where he has had surgery and his school confirms he is recovering well and is in a stable condition.

MORE than six tonnes of hashish have been seized in a huge Costa del Sol drug bust. Operation Gunpowder saw 40 people arrested by 300 police when 31 properties were raided, uncovering six tonnes of hashish, 25 luxury stolen cars, 17,250 packs of tobacco and more than €268,000 in cash. Two pistols, a shotgun, as well as a drone and communication devices were also recovered. Last April the Guardia Civil Guard found 2,675 kilos of hashish in a nursery, leading them to the rest of the gang. From there cops discovered branches of the organisation across the Costa del Sol.

eight Spanish - be remanded in custody. Investigators believe the kidnapping was in reprisal for the theft of a €1.5 million drug shipment, which was stolen from one of the arrested men. The gang made a demand for the same amount from the victim’s family but instead of paying they sought the help of the police.

Ring leader

Police say the operation, which involved 70 police officers, managed to snare the ringleader of the group. They were all members of a huge criminal network who specialise in international drug trafficking between Malaga and Spain’s city enclave in north Africa, Ceuta. During the operation, which included raids in Marbella, Coin and Benalmadena, police seized six luxury watches, three vehicles and €6,400 cash.

STEVE AND SEC

Blood on his hands A ‘MISERABLE’ man who allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death with a knife in a frenzied attack is facing a life sentence for murder. The 44-year-old man allegedly stabbed partner Lorena Requena, 39, multiple times while their young daughters were at school.

Victim

He dialled 091 saying he left his wife lying in a pool of blood at a garage in Granada where the victim kept her car. The suspect is alleged to have told police he also intended to harm the pair’s children, who were at school at the time. Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to save the mother of two. Police arrested the suspect at a nearby bar, handcuffing him with blood still dripping from his hands.

CAUGHT: The suspect

NEWS

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December 15th - January 11th 2022

TIME TO PARTY SUPERSTARS Duran Duran are heading for Ibiza as part of their 40th anniversary tour. Simon Le Bon, 63, Nick Rhodes, 59, John Taylor, 61, and Roger Taylor, 61 will play three nights in the Spring as part of the Ibiza Music Summit. Called Touch the Sunrise, the Duran Duran event will run from April 29 to May 2. Le Bon said: “Everyone in the band has a tremendous love for the island and over the years I have personally spent many sum-

Incredible survival movie about Andes plane crash filming in Spain’s soaring Sierra Nevada IT is one of the most harrowing tales of survival ever told. The incredible 1972 ordeal of the Uruguayan rugby team who managed to survive a plane crash in the Andes of Chile, in part by eating their dead colleagues. Now, thanks to Spanish director JA Bayona (Jurassic World and the Impossible), a block-

DIRECTOR: JA Bayona

A BIG HIT!

mers there with friends and family – so it’s become somewhat of a home away from home for us. “People often think of Ibiza as just a party island – which of course it can be – but there’s a side to it that we really hope our fans get to explore while they are there, that’s about the natural beauty of the place, the incredible food and the warmth of the people who live there year-round.

HOME: Le Bon

The hills are ALIVE! EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke

buster movie is being made on their story in the heart of Andalucia. Largely set in the soaring Sierra Nevada mountains, filming will begin near the resort of Pradollano early next year. As well as taking over a number of hotels in the resort and in Granada, producers at Netflix will be taking over a small part of the isolated Laguna valley. “They are taking over various areas in the resort, but it is all very much in secret,” said a source. “It is definitely a very big production costing millions and it is very good news for the skiing resort.” The most exciting development so far has been the construction of the crashed plane inside a

SPANISH actor and star of Netflix smash hit series Money Heist Ursula Corbero looks to be moving into the big time. One of the signs of heading into the A list category and following in the footsteps of Spanish acting royalty like Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas is being invited on to American late night chat shows. And that is what has just happened to Corbero, who appeared alongside Nicole Kidman on The Tonight Show, Show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Corbero - pictured in Madrid at the unveiling of the next episodes of Money Heist, Heist, titled La Casa de Papel in Spanish – has already made it to Hollywood. She appeared in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins earlier this year, although the film got modest reviews. It is the 32-year-old’s role as Tokyo in the Netflix series which is propelling her to stardom and earned her an invite onto The Tonight Show. Show.

CRASH SITE: The wreckage of flight 571 huge hanger at the top of the resort. “They have built the hanger entirely for the film and are set to shoot various scenes inside it,” added the source. While the main actors are from Argentina and Uruguay, producers of the film, Society of the Snow, have also been looking

Adios to an ace

ONE of Spain’s greatest tennis players, Manuel Santana, known as Manolo, has died aged 83. The four-time Grand Slam champion, who helped to popularise the sport in Spain, passed away at his home in Marbella after suffering heart failure on Saturday. Santana, a pioneer of Spanish tennis, became a national hero after leading Spain to victory over the US in the Davis Cup in 1965 following his 1961 and 1964 Grand Slam successes in France. Santana won the US Open in 1965 and went on to become World Number 1 after scooping the 1966 Wimbledon men’s singles title. He also scored gold at the 1968 Olympic Games

FATHER FIGURE: Santana with Nadal

in Mexico, and overall, he won 72 singles titles, the last one coming in Barcelona in 1970. After his playing career, he became a coach and was captain of Spain’s Davis Cup teams in the 1980s and 1990s.

out for extras from the Granada area. An advert has been seeking local men ‘with long hair and with heights between 166 (5ft, 5ins) and 188cm (6ft, 2ins)’. They also want ‘walkers, mountain climbers between the ages of 18 and 43’. Based on the book La sociedad de la nieve by Pablo Vierci, the film charts the true story of Uruguayan Air Force flight 571 which crashed on a glacier. Famous from the 1993 film Alive, only 29 of the 45 passengers survived the crash, finding themselves in one of the world’s most hostile environments. Barcelona born director JA Bayona said this week he was ‘happy to face the challenge that lies ahead’. “It is great to be telling one of the most remembered events of the 20th century, with all the complexity of a story that gives so much relevance to the survivors as well as to those who never returned from the mountains,” he said.

Who’s looking at you A PICTURE of a Spanish police dog looking lovingly at his handler has scooped top spot in a Europol photo competition. Professional and amateur photographers working with law enforcement authorities were invited to submit photographs which show the varied nature of their daily work during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. In the ‘Making Europe safer’ category, Antonio José Pedrosa Padial’s photo of the police dog was chosen as the winning entry. The police officer and her dog are part of the border control team at Valencia port.

NEWS

A PAIR of leading television channels have chosen Andalucia to broadcast their New Year’s Eve chimes. Canal Sur has chosen Ronda to pay tribute to those affected by the Sierra Bermeja fire. These chimes, that will bring 2021 to an end, will be presented by Modesto Barragan of Canal Sur’s Andalucia Directo programme. Last year Barragan travelled to Huelva’s Almonaster la Real for a

Festive joy as businessman funds mercy trip to rescue 92 people from Afghanistan HE is one of Gibraltar’s best known businessmen with a string of property businesses along the Costa del Sol and the local World Trade Centre. But Gregory Butcher is now set to become known as the man behind a daring mercy mission that saved nearly 100 people from war-torn Afghanistan. The keen animal rights activist part-funded an operation to evacuate 92 people from imminent danger at the hands of the Taliban.

Chiming in similar reason as it suffered a fire that burned more than 12,000 hectares. The Mediaset group has also chosen Andalucia and will broadcast from Vejer de la Frontera. Comedian Paz Padilla and actor Carlos Sobera will present the show that will be broadcast on all Mediaset channels including Telecinco and Cuatro.

Magic mission

Safety

In the audacious mission, dubbed Operation Magic Carpet, he helped to get the charity workers and their families across the border to safety in Pakistan. The group of Afghanis from animal welfare charity Mayhew London - whose patron is Megan Markle - had worked alongside coalition forces before the American-led withdrawal in August. The Mayhew Afghanistan project was registered as an NGO in Kabul in 2016 and the team of locally-trained vets captured, neutered and vaccinated over 20,000 dogs. But their mission came to a sudden end when all international troops pulled out alongside the US, leaving the staff and their families in danger. “They were desperate to leave and were without any hope of

RESCUED: Charity workers were moved to saftey from volatile Afghanistan By Fiona Govan

doing so, so we teamed up with other kind people to get a total of 92 people out of Afghanistan,” explained Butcher, who part-funded the mission. “They were all at risk of retribution at the hands of the Taliban and needed to be rescued as well.” The developer behind Ocean Village and various projects

Fail! RED faced exam bosses have had to amend a handbook on the Spanish citizenship test after it was found they had got answers to their own questions wrong. Mistakes included listing Mariano Rajoy as the current prime minister despite him having left office in 2018, as well as stating that the death penalty is still in place, despite it being abolished in 1978. The test, which consists of 25 multiple choice questions on all aspects of Spanish life from cultural traditions, national history to the working of political institutions, forms a part of the exam people wanting Spanish citizenship have to take. The Cervantes Institute, which designs the tests, claimed that errors were caused by a ‘computer glitch’ which meant 12 of the possible 300 questions had incorrect answers.

Hero fundraiser

December 15th January 11th 2022

A MARBELLA fashion show raised over €2000 for the family of the firefighter killed in the recent Sierra Bermeja blaze. The event, organised by boutique owner Anita Escombe Cedge (pictured far right), was held at the Divot restaurant raising €2,350.

along the coast in Mijas and Alcaidesa, added that corporations, like his, have a specific ‘humanitarian and sustainable development’ role to play in society. The complex and dangerous extraction took over two months to complete, during a period which has seen Afghanistan spiral into escalating violence and economic collapse. But the group saved - including 33 children and several newborn babies - were taken to temporary accommodation in Islamabad on December 8.

Xmas setback A GROUP of 68 medical staff working at an intensive care unit in Malaga have all tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a Christmas party. Health authorities in Andalucia confirmed the outbreak at Malaga’s University Regional Hospital adding that all those affected had attended a Christmas party. Those who tested positive had all had antigen tests or the third booster vaccinations before attending the party, health authorities added. Now health authorities are recommending that hospital staff do not attend Christmas parties in a bid to avoid other outbreaks.

NEWS

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Corrupt Junta

December 15th - January 11th 2022

Sad farewell

Don’t get the hump!

Case of skull dug up by dog whips up storm in Granada A SERIES of foreigners have been suggested as the victim, in the case of a head found in Granada last month. The Olive Press has been told of three possible individuals who ‘vanished without trace’ over the last decade. One of these is a Dutchman called ‘Chimney Steve’ who disappeared two years ago. According to a former resident of the Beneficio community he

THE Spanish government has given the green light to introduce new measures to attract digital nomads to make their base in Spain. The measures are designed to tempt the sort of workers who can do their job from anywhere in the world - as long they have good wifi. The move is part of a drive by Spain to attract and retain talent in order to boost the tech start-up scene and transform the nation into a global business hub. It includes a special visa issued to people mov-

SHE rose to fame as one of Pedro Almodovar’s famous muses. Veronica Forque, the Spanish actress who rose to fame after starring in Pedro Almodovar’s dark c o m e d y Kika, has been found dead at her Madrid OLIVE PRESS home in GRUESOME C h a m a r DISCOVERY tin. Police confirmed that the 66 year-old actor had taken her own life.

SUGGESTIVE RUMOURS The

by close friends of the then PSOE socialist-run Junta. They were happy days with tens of millions coming in every year from the European Union, ostensibly to train the local unemployed. But, in truth, the majority of courses were either far more expensive to run than they should have been or they never took place at all. At least €30 million was spent on entertainment, including nightlife and prostitution through its bosses. One executive alone, Fernando Villen, was discovered to have spent at least €32,566 in five different brothels around Sevilla. In one, Don Angelo, he spent €14,757 in 2010 alone. Dozens of senior political figures have been linked to the fraud, including former presidents of the Junta Manuel Chaves and Antonio Grinan.

through the streets of Sevilla. Their carer Adrian Roman said that before performing their role as part of the living nativity scene, ‘we work with them beforehand so that they don’t suffer stress’. And he added that the thick pads on their feet mean they ca walk many kilometres with no harm So when you follow the parade, don’t feel sorry for the camels - it is all part of a day’s work for them.

Mijas Costa

FIRE: devastated

the Sierra

Protect it!

HUNDREDS of protesters have manded urgent protection defor one of southern Spain’s most endangered areas. They were backed by nearly 50 protest groups and charities Bermeja mountain to insist the Sierra tional park’ status, range is given ‘nafire this summer. following a horrific The six-day blaze, which was started deliberately on September the life of a firefighter 8, claimed close to 10,000 hectares and ravaged of forest. The worst ecological razing of over 3,000 damage saw the rare Pinsapo pine trees which grow in only three areas Spain and one in Morocco. of

Protection

EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke

went missing after being attacked in Orgiva town centre. The Dutchman, who lived in the community for a number of years, was warned to ‘never go back to the town’.

Digital nomads ing to Spain to work remotely for foreign companies that will mean they can live here without needing to apply for a full work visa. It will also allow digital nomads settling in Spain to use a non-resident tax status with lower rates for five years. It will apply to employees from Non-European Economic Area (EEA) including the UK.

A former friend of his told the Olive Press that he fears he could be the person found, as reported last issue. The Briton, who lived in Beneficio for years, said: “He was a simple guy, but harmless. Slightly mad and unwittingly upset the wrong people. “He was shaken up by it and was really scared to go out of the community. I worry he could have been the victim as one day he vanished and the talk was he was killed.” Another expat resident revealed there were at least two other ‘rumoured’ cases of missing foreigners in the area. He said one was a German man, who ‘may have been killed’ after raping a local resident in Beneficio, while another may have

ANDALUCÍA

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Vol. 15 Issue 383 www.theolivepress .es December 1st - December

14th 2021

Why is the Spanish church ignoring child abuse victims?

See page 6

Skull found at alternative community near Granada is ‘not’ missing Dutch expat, but man in his 40s EXCLUSIVE By Elena Goçmen Rueda in Orgiva

IT was during a short walk with Campaigners want the area to be given her dog before taking the kids the maximum environmental to school that protec- incredible an expat got the most tion and resources ment, in the hope for forest manage- Wrapped shock of her life. that this would reup warmly against duce the risk of wildfires. the winter morning in the Alpujarras, Joaquin Araujo of near cion explained that Ecologistas en Ac- why Granada, she had no idea Dragon started nearby Genal Valleythe mountains and madly at the earth. scratching had

died of natural causes and b e e n buried by the community. “That though was a long time ago and there are quite a few rumours going round, nothing concrete” he said. The skull, believed to be of a man in his 40s, was found by a dog of one of the female residents from Romania. Last night, police told the Olive Press that the head was still being probed for DNA. A spokesman for the Institute of Legal Medicine of Granada said: “It's going to take a number of months before we know anything.” been exploited for their water for decades. “They have been drained to supply insatiable golf courses Horrified unsuitable in our which are entirely Walking climate, for swimover she was horriming pools and lush private gardens fied to discover that the in super luxury estates designed for the man Shepherd cross hadGerenjoyment of billionaires,” dug up a skull that she he said. He added it was time immedito recognise the ately knew was human. unique character of the range which Initially thinking is home to 37 species it was a vicendemic to the tim of the Spanish area. she later realised Civil War, A petition to demand on returning action has got to retrieve it more than 75,000 that it was much more recently deceased. The nearby Sierrasignatures. awarded National de las Nieves was “It was definitely Park status earlier smelled fresher and this year. quite Opinion Page 6

a nian expat, who lot,” the Romaasked not to be named, told the Olive Press. “My initial thoughts were that

MYSTERY: Dragon

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this tree (below) in nearby Orgiva. A patrol car was scene, by the new quickly on the of Beneficio, near age settlement Canar, where “But when I the expats live. picked it up After taking the bag for safe storlater and put age, they went with her to visit the it into a plas- macabre site, which sits just below tic bag to stop the main car park of the alternaDragon from tive community. chewing it, I They looked around and, oddly, knew it was found no further bones or remains. much more re- There was no sign of clothes or any other personal cent.” items, nor any The mother-of- signs of a struggle. Expats told the Olive Press two, who has they lived in Spain had initially believed the head was for 11 years, that of a Dutch woman named ing’ Dutch woman and was ‘most had soon got Linda, who had an abusive part- likely’ a man in his 40s. the father of ner and a teenage son. “The Judicial Police “She had very her distinctive teeth over the investigation have taken children and it has to contact the and we immediately suspected now been taken to a laboratory in Guardia Civil, it was Linda,” said one. “She left Sevilla for its study,” he said. in strange circumstances and we were worried about her.” Missing A spokesman for the “DNA will Guardia Civil con- leased to be extracted and refirmed the discovery the Missing Persons See page 32 to database the Olive Press and an- months.” within the next two nounced an investigation had been launched. He added: “We can assure you that it is not Linda, However, he denied who it belonged to the that sound and living in a is safe and commune ‘miss- elsewhere in Europe.”

Tel: 952 147 834

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it probably belonged from the Civil War, to a victim as there were many people executed in this region and buried in unmarked graves.

From Front

AS you prepare for Christmas - think of the camels! A reserve in Sevilla is busy doing just that and preparing its humped residents to take starring roles in the January 5 Three Kings parades. The 250 hectare El Castillo de las Guardias reserve is home to a dozen camels that are so tame that they will eat out of the hand. This makes them ideal to transport the Three Wise Men on their annual parade

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Goya

She won the best actress prize in 1994 at the Goya Awards, Spain’s top film honours, for her role in Kika. She had also starred in Almodovar’s 1984 film What Have I Done to Deserve This? and the 1986 film Matador alongside Antonio Banderas. Forque was a regular in Spanish theatres and on television and in 2018 won a lifetime achievement award for her huge contribution to Spanish cinema.

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FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION A XMAS MESSAGE TO YOU THIS time last year we were all looking forward to turning our backs on 2020 and wishing good riddance to what was for many of us the most difficult year of our lives. A year that at times veered on apocalyptic, when we were confined to our homes and prevented from travelling, when many of us lost loved ones as the pandemic took hold and countless others suffered isolation and anxiety. But 2021 looked set to be brighter with hopes pinned on a vaccine that promised to open up the world once again to travel and once again reunite families separated by national borders and government imposed restrictions. Well a year later and 2021 hasn’t been quite as rosy as we all hoped, despite the vast majority of those in Spain having received full vaccination there are many of us facing a second Christmas of cancelled travel plans as uncertainly brought by omicron variant brings new complications for family reunions. It’s also been the year when Brits in Spain saw the real consequences of Brexit bite with new travel rules, a host of new bureaucratic hurdles from driving licence swaps to residence applications, and a loss of freedom of movement that has curtailed visitors and those with second homes in Spain staying beyond 90 days at a time. We have covered all these issues in the pages of the Olive Press alongside some of the more positives stories this year, such as the joys of discovering some of the most beautiful spots in Spain without the usual hordes of tourists. A big thank you to all our readers, subscribers and advertisers for sticking with the Olive Press and supporting independent community journalism, we just couldn’t do it without you! From all of us at the Olive Press, we wish you a very merry Christmas and an even better 2022.

HAT comes to mind when most people think of Andalucía is the warm Mediterranean, stretches of olive groves and palm tree-lined white beaches. The heat defines the region, where even the structure of the working-day revolves around a siesta. I was escaping the dark damp days of London for a winter break in Andalucía and I knew it wasn’t going to be sunbathing weather but I was quite unprepared for just how cold it would be.

Scorching

I found myself in a traditional home in a pueblo blanco with views across rolling hills down to the coast. While these houses are designed for the scorching heat of summer and do a fantastic job of retaining the cold, they utterly fail to be comfortable in winter when the mornings and evenings can be surprisingly chilly. But with tile floors and no carpets, little roof insulation and no central heating I soon discovered I would need jumpers, scarves and slippers to keep warm inside.

When Olive Press intern Tallulah Taylor arrived on the Costa del Sol in December she discovered she was entirely unprepared for winter in a house better designed to keep out the summer heat

Was it just me feeling the cold? How do the locals keep warm? I started to ask around and even rea-

ched out to readers of the Olive Press to share their tips. My colleague Elena Goç-

men, a 25 year-old who lives in Marbella, described an ingenious piece of furniture that has pride

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD: Christmas delicacies in all their historical might from English traditions to Spanish alternatives (right)

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HRISTMAS dinner for Brits means Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets and a stuffed (and hopefully not-too-dry) turkey taking pride of place at the feast. Bon viveur Henry VIII allegedly talked us into turkey in the 16th century, as the first English

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Happy eat

LIGHT DELIGHTS: Perfect nibbles

How to cook a merry Spanish Christmas and the difference from back home monarch to choose it for the festive occasion at court. Hitherto, roast peacock or swan were the meats of choice among the rich and fashionable, or boar and goose as cheaper alternatives. While Brits are used to stuffing their birds with sausage, onion and sage, Andulacians who have adopted our turkey tradition prefer a much fruitier affair involving prunes, raisins and apples. So what else do the Spanish do differently? Christmas Eve, not December 25, is the big event when family and friends get together to eat. Known as ‘Nochebuena’ - literally ‘good night’ - the feast starts in the evening and lasts for several hours, after which everyone

goes out … to the bar, to the disco, to midnight mass... In Andalucia where the sea laps the doorstep, fish start the celebrations off with a splash. Think langostinos, prawns and sopa de pescado y marisco (fish and shellfish soup) for starters. If fish isn’t your dish, Picadillo soup with noodles, ham, boiled egg and fried bread cubes is a tasty traditional alternative. Nibbles in between courses often come in the form of huevos rellenos, boiled eggs stuffed with potato salad, seafood or tuna, creatively presented in festive shapes. While a Christmas turkey is no longer unheard of in Spanish homes, more traditional mains are roast lamb or Rioja-style salt cod. For te

December 15th - January 11th 2022

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of place in her grandmother’s village house during the winter. C a - lled a ‘mesa

Camilla’, this table has a specially designed base with a hole cut out to store a brazier for hot coals

ting cod, three days of soaking and three water changes are required to remove the salt before cooking it with the key ingredient of the dish: dried red choricero peppers. Grown in northern regions of Spain and air-dried to preserve their flavour, the pepper gives the fish a sweet and tangy taste. Around an hour prior to cooking, the dried peppers must be placed into a jar of water to rehydrate, after which the inner flesh is used and the papery skin disgarded. If that sounds like too much work, never fear as most local shops sell it pre-prepped ready for cooking. Orginating in Estepa, Andalucia, the crumbly cakes called mantecados and polvorones are served up for the sweet course rather than Christmas pudding - but they are equally as delicious.

or a more modern electric much to warm these ceheater. A heavy blanket ment walls.” is draped over the table Fellow expat Jenny also trapping in the warmth so wraps herself up. “A vest, that those seated around two sweaters, fleece trouit can ensure their feet sers, knee length socks, and legs are kept toasty. furry slippers and a scarf Other tips from Spanish which does a good job of friends inclukeeping the ded ‘constant heat in. Pretsupplies of ty much what A gas fire, thick hot drinks’ I used to do w h i l e pyjamas, a hot in the UK as others inI didn’t have water bottle sisted on central heaswathing and an electric ting there eithemselther.” blanket ves in dresJanice Groom sing gowns revealed she and blankets had made an when at home, and one ingenious alteration to admitted she wears bed her drapes: “Thermal bacsocks that sometimes ked curtains have made a stay on her feet for days. big difference in my cold One young Spanish man apartment.” said his family do put car- While Sonya Llewellyn pets down in winter as a admitted to using every protective layer against available tool in the fight freezing cold stone floors against the cold: “A gas - but roll them up again fire, a blanket, thick pycome spring when they jamas, a hot water bottle are packed away in stora- and an electric blanket.” ge until the autumn. Kevleigh Bastin said he I also reached out to the had to use more drastic expat community to see measures to keep warm what advice I could glean in his home: “There is nofrom those who had ex- thing worse than being perience of swapping we- cold and I did not come ll-heated homes back in here to be so,” he wrote. Blighty for a villa in the sun. Insulation Expats Maureen Croft and “Most Spanish houses do Anne Crosskey agreed not have insulation in the that the best investment roofs, we made sure that they made was an electric we bought a house that blanket. “After 14 years needed a new roof and in Spain and a recent made sure that good insubout of sciatica, I have lation went in when it was just bought one and it is reformed, otherwise you absolutely the best thing are just throwing money for the winter.” away trying to heat a plaJennifer Santolla admi- ce that has nothing in the tted to wearing ‘hoo- roof and fighting a losing ded PJs as a winter battle. uniform’. “My flat is One thing that seemed SO COLD in winter we to be universally agreed skip showers often. upon was to spend as it’s an ice box in here,” much time as possible she wrote on The Olive outside with your face turPress Facebook page ned to the sun. in a discussion about “Go out more as it’s warkeeping warm in Spain. mer outside,” was the fi“A heater doesn’t do nal word from one reader.

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A new draft bill triggers fears of an Animal Farm scenario among the far right, while activists want more, writes Heather Galloway

HE fate of animals in Spain is set to change as politicians give a tentative green light to a new law on protecting animals from a range of abuses. The law specifically focuses on the ‘wellbeing and protection’ of animals in custody cases, but does not tackle the controversial Spanish tradition of bullfighting. Under the new bill animals’ current status as ‘things’ or ‘property’ will change to them being ‘sentient beings’. Similar to their status in other countries, like the UK, they will be seen to experience different feelings ‘including contentment and joy’ as well as negative feelings including pain, fear, boredom and frustration. The new legislation recognises pets’ mental and physical health and, along with farm animals, they will no longer be able to be seized for unpaid debts.

NEWS FEATURE

December 15th - January 11th 2022

THE BEASTLY DILEMMA OF ANIMAL RIGHTS

Religious

But not everyone likes the plans, with the ultra-right Vox party voting against, and the conservative PP party abstaining, while animal rights group PACMA claims it does not go far enough. Vox MP Alvaro Lopez insisted it would ‘open the gates to the religious worship of animals; one of the most modern and cruellest ideologies that condemns the animal to lose its instincts and places man on the edge of the abyss’. The former president of the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation added it was ‘idiocy and nonsense and it humanises animals while dehumanising man’. Current president Juan Herrera agreed, telling the Olive Press this week: “What about a rat? Or a cockroach? Do they have rights now? “If these creatures are badly treated, do

CRUELTY: Deplorable conditions, bulls with horns ablaze and anti-vivisection protests (top right)

we call the animal protection bodies or do they not count because they’re ugly? Where do you draw the line? “In the countryside we look after our animals,” he continued. “This is a law made for cities.” But PACMA’s vice president, Cristina Garcia, hit back insisting that the way that the countryside looks after its hunting dogs was appalling. “The stricter the rules the better,” she told the Olive Press. “Many hunting dogs are subjected to a living hell, are bred relentlessly, imprisoned in tiny cages and put down when they’re no longer of use. There’s no control.” It should be pointed out that the draft of the new law is extensive, critics argue it threatens to take the issue from the sublime to the ridiculous. Hunting concerns aside, it prescribes the need for dog PROTEST: People call for animal rights owners to under-

take a course to prove they are fit for the whatever form it takes. job; not something a parent has to do be- The bullfight is, of course, embedded in fore having a child. Spanish culture, having been introduced Asked if this is not slightly over the top, as early as 711 AD to amuse King AlfonGarcia admitted: “It’s a good idea, but so VIII. not very practical and it could put people Controversially, Catalunya banned it off adopting a pet.” in 2010, only to have the ruling overThere is also the case of a custody bat- turned in 2016; while the one monarch tle, when the pet’s care will be decided previously brave enough to try to do by the judge, in the absence of an agree- away with it was King Carlos IV who ment between the warring parties. outlawed it in 1805, making so many This is in line with EU enemies, the tradition rules that say pets should was reinstated three be treated as a member years later. The bullfight of the family rather than Spain has long had an as property to be divided odd relationship with its is, of course, like a car, say. four-legged friends. In the long list of proposWhile the fighting bull has embedded als, there are many other been the main target, in Spanish sane and crucial dictates, other animals have not such as banning the putescaped the attention of culture ting down of a pet simply those organising fiestas because it suits the ownacross the country, with er. many of them revolving It also bans the use and sacrifice of around animal cruelty disguised as traanimals in certain spectacles and fies- dition. tas, prohibits mutilations and any oth- In Manganeses de la Polvorosa, in Zamoer form of abuse including their aban- ra, for example, a live goat was tossed donment – a necessary law change from the town’s belfry until 2002; in Cafor a country that abandons 200,000 zalilla, Jaen, this tradition endures, but pets a year. with a live turkey substituting the goat. The glaring omission is bullfighting, A feature of the fiestas in the town of which was declared a ‘national heritage’ Carpio de Tajo, in Toledo, consisted unin 2016 and appears untouchable in til recently of hanging live geese upside

down from a washing line, only to have their heads pulled off by a local on horseback; now at least the geese are killed beforehand. Until 2017, in Ceuti in Murcia, pigs were slathered in oil as part of a bestial game of chase. And in Cieza, Murcia, quails were fired from a cannon until 2015. Animal rights organisations estimated in 2017 that 60,000 animals suffer abuse in Spain’s fiestas each year, although PACMA admits this figure is falling. Certainly, many of the more unsavoury traditions have been stamped out, with a few exceptions, including the fighting bulls in in Medinaceli, in Soria, who continue to have burning torches attached to their horns. The question seems to be, should these animals have rights or is it that owners or those responsible for them should simply have a duty of care? Alvaro Lopez is adamant that any beings unable to assume responsibilities should not have rights, while the hunting federation’s director Herrera jokes that next thing hunters will be forced to do is to give their dogs holidays. But, as Together for Catalunya MP, Pilar Calvo, points out, if you took this argument to its logical conclusion, then ‘disabled children shouldn’t have rights because they can’t assume responsibilities’.

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Spain taken to court over nitrates pollution SPAIN is being taken to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg over its slow response in stopping nitrate pollution in areas like the Mar Menor lagoon in Murcia. The European Commission says that Spain has flouted the provisions of the EU’s Nitrate Directive in several regions including Murcia, the Valencian Community, Andalucia, the Balearics, and Aragon.

Complaint

It accuses the country of not controlling nitrogen fertilisers used in agriculture that cause water contamination and has filed a complaint to the EU’s top court. The Nitrate Directive drawn up in 1991 obliges EU member states to monitor their waters and identify people affected or likely to be affected by pollution

Train dealing CAR manufacturers are not noted for their green credentials, despite their move towards an electric future. But now Spanish company Seat is taking a step forward in its ‘Move to Zerø’ strategy with a new rail service linking its Martorell (Spain) plant with the Volkswagen Autoeuropa factory in Palmela (Portugal). The new service is operating once a week, and is expected to transport more than 20,000 vehicles per year to a distribution depot, which will avoid 2,400 truck journeys and reduce CO2 emissions by 43%. The return train journey will take vehicles manufactured in Palmela to the Port of Barcelona, from where they will be distributed by road to different regions of Europe.

In the dock By Alex Trelinski

caused by nitrates originated from farming. The accord demands the use of ‘good agricultural practices’. Excessive nitrate levels damage freshwater and the marine environment, which is the case with the Mar Menor lagoon where thousands of fish have died in several ‘mass death’ events over the past few years. The European Commission sent a formal notice to Spain in 2018 that it needed to toughen up measures against nitrate pollution. In December 2020, the Commission gave the country three months to adopt an action

DISASTER: Dead fish on the Mar Menor shore package to stop it breaking the too little, too late for the ComNitrate Directive. mission. An EU spokesman Increased measures have start- said: “The measures have been ed to be taken in Murcia and insufficient to reach the objecelsewhere but it appears to be tive of the Nitrate Detective.”

recently had the pleasure of taking tea with a delightful couple, Clive and Shami, on the terrace of their beautiful house just north of Benidorm. They are regular avid readers of the Olive Press and in particular the Green Page. COP26 had just come to an end and we were discussing the outcome and progress made. Clive commented: “Real action will have to come from individuals and private industry. Governments have proved themselves consistently incapable of tackling the issue of climate change effectively.” I have to say he is 100% right. When you consider what was actually agreed at COP26 the obvious conclusion in my view is that we are planning to fail. So what was actually agreed in Glasgow ? It was agreed all countries will meet again next year to pledge further cuts to CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. Wow….that must have been hard. It was agreed to significantly increase financial support to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change. Haven’t we heard that before? World leaders agreed to phase out subsidies that artificially lower the price of oil, coal or natural gas. However, no firm dates were agreed. Plus governments love nothing more than cutting subsidies. The world’s biggest CO2 emitters, the US and China, pledged to cooperate more over the next decade in areas including methane emissions and the switch to clean energy. It will be interesting to see how that goes. China and the US fall out more than warring siblings. Leaders from more than 100 countries promised to stop deforestation by 2030. This is seen as vital as trees absorb vast amounts of CO2. However, there is no mention of how this

December 15th - January 11th 2022

Blown away WIND power is on track to become Spain’s leading energy source this year, overtaking nuclear and gas-powered electricity for the first time. Wind has generated 23.1% of Spain’s electricity in 2021 so far, above Nuclear’s 21% contribution and 16.8% from combined-cycle generators which run on natural gas. Spain currently boasts 1,267 wind parks with 21,431 wind turbines providing 27GW of wind energy capacity – the second-most capacity in the EU after Germany. Spain’s National Integrated Plan of Energy and Climate (PNIEC) hopes the industry will double in size to hit the target of making Spain 74% renewable energy by 2030. “Wind power is going to continue to dominate the Spanish electricity grid for a long time,” said Francisco Valverde, a consultant at the energy company Menta Energía. The northern regions dominate wind power production with Castilla y Leon providing 23% of wind power, Aragon providing 15.2% and Castilla La Mancha providing 14.2%.

Planning to fail when it comes to climate change

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will be policed. This year, Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has seen more deforestation than ever. Over 14,000 square kilometres of forest has been lost. Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro (straight out of the looney Trump mould) actively encourages mining and agriculture in the Amazon. A scheme to cut 30% of methane emissions by 2030 was agreed by more than 100 countries. However, the big emitters (China, India and Russia) didn’t commit.

So, you can see why I remain cynical. Next year’s COP27 is in Egypt. We can all look forward to hearing the ‘same same’ pledges again with insufficient action. Will we be convinced more then with the magnificent pyramids as the backdrop, or like the resident camels get the hump?

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LETTERS NOT IMMUNE TO CRITICISM

December 15th - January 11th 2022

Be clear! Dear Olive Press, language used WE have to be very clear with the rs. othe ead so as not to misl ion is only auI quote: “At present, since inoculatren under this thorised from the age of 12, child efore become age are not immunised and can ther (Olive Press). infected and spread the disease.” rrectly here. inco used is ed’ unis ‘imm d wor The Hillary Jones to son John s Bori from yone As ever rs clearly state and all of the vaccine manufacture do not proucts prod e thes e, atur in their liter would need a vide immunity. If they did, nobody . dose er booster or any furth 9 is not immuBeing vaccinated against COVID-1 nisation. smission might It was hoped early on that tranproven. What is way no in is this but ced be redu nt, is that we hoped, and promised to some exte , our sympcted infe if use beca s elve protect ours sation and itali hosp and er mild toms should be death less likely. n? It is shockCould you please publish a correctio assure me that ing to me that elderly people still they need to they are immune. They are not, and take care and not feel complacent. une? Well, not Why do they think they are imm use the press hard to figure that one out! It’s beca and uses words plays fast and loose with languageinterchangeably. ed unis imm like vaccinated and ulation’ as this Well done for using the word inoc context. is the most accurate term in this Debbie Ryder, Rincon de la

Victoria

your clarifiEditor’s note: Thank you for blame the cation, although it is harsh to Organisapress when the World Healthauthorities tion and many other health vide immusay that the vaccine does pro is. nity - albeit on a temporary bas

Readers views and questions on COVID vaccine and passports Still waiting

I HAD to give a wry smile on reading your article entitled Vaccine Riddle. I am an expat resident in the area referred to (Torrevieja) and would like to tell of my experience with the vaccine. I am mid-seventies and received my first two COVID vaccines at my local Centro de Salud in May. All well and good! After the obligatory six-month wait I returned to make an appointment for the booster jab. This visit would have been approximately November 19 but I was shocked to be given an appointment for January 18! Giving consideration to my (vulnerable) age group and what will now be an eight-month gap between 2nd and 3rd shot, I was astounded and disappointed to say the least about this delay. Why so long? What is going on there? Thank you Nell Gandhi, Torrevieja

Code warning IT is extremely difficult for people like us coming from regions where we don’t have an EU QR code and can’t get one, for example visiting from the USA, where we have a paper certificate/pass. I have a British passport but I am resident in the USA. So far, I haven’t had a problem, but then I am going to places where the capacity is under 50. What’s the situation with people who aren’t allowed to get the QR code, in places with over 50 capacity? Appreciate any help/advice! Jaci Stephen, USA

Passport doubt WE have a Canadian COVID passport that will get us into Spain (Malaga) but I doubt the local restaurants and bars will be able to scan the QR code. Can we go somewhere with our paper COVID documentation and get a Spanish passport that we can use and if so, where? Malcolm Berry, Canada

Editor’s note: The situation in Spain with regards to COVID passports is complicated by each region needing to bring them in with court approval. This is far too complicated a matter to answer here, but please look on theolivepress.es for a full explainer on the current situation.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 7 Her tan, uniformly distributed, is unlikely to have been acquired here (6) 8 Part of a service (6) 9 Site of Pendennis Castle (8) 10 Waiters wait for them (4) 11 Shut with force (4) 12 Wracked with pain (2,5) 14 Falkland Islands capital (7) 16 Cramped (4) 19 Storage containers (4) 20 Most likely to get a laugh (8) 21 Thin layer of wood (6) 22 Went off (6)

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2021 - 2022

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Nothing beats a weekend in the Costa del Ski, writes Jon Clarke

T’S not hard to work out why the Sierra Nevada is often dubbed ‘southern Europe's top skiing resort’. While you’ll be shivering in the Alps this week and it’s foggy in the Pyrenees, I’m eating lunch in bright sunshine near the top of Spain’s second highest mountain. It’s mid-December and the Sierra Nevada is usually warm during the day and a few of the regulars are actually skiing in t-shirts, while everyone looks tanned. Even better, my light lunch, washed down with an obligatory caña, comes to just over €10…and that is at a restaurant halfway up the slopes! “Here we sell the weather, not the number of kilometres,” explains Juan Luis Hernandez, boss of EOE ski school. “And the prices have hardly gone up for years.”

And if you fancy a change, the magical architecture of Spain’s most visited monument, the Alhambra, is only half an hour away, while the beaches of the nearby Costa Tropical beckon in an hour. The famous adage of ‘ski in the morning, sunbathe in the afternoon’ is very much game on and it’s been tried and tested many times. But none of that interests me. I like visiting the Sierra Nevada for the sport, but also the food and the people. There is simply nothing more amazing than watching the resort appear on the skyline as you drive from around Spain (or fly over to land in Malaga or Gibraltar). The snow-capped peaks of Veleta and Mulhacen can be seen for miles around (in fact as far as Grazalema, some 120 miles as the crow flies) and winding up the steep, often single-carriageway to the top is as exciting as any drive in the country. This is a wonderful day out with timeless views and Continues on Page 2

SNOW TREKKING: Across the sierra

2021 - 2022 From Front

many Andalucians simply head up to take in the air, particularly on bank holidays which are generally worth avoiding. What is certainly changing in the Sierra Nevada though is the dedication to move forward. New kilometres of pistes are added most years, while this year saw a record 77 of the latest snow cannons installed, guaranteeing excellent snow until early May. The season normally starts promptly with the December ‘puente’ weekend of Constitution Day and the Immaculate Conception, when up to 40,000 skiers can rock up for the weekend.

ll about

Sierra Nevada

Costa del ski

Netflix

There will be up to 110kms of pistes open at the peak, including the excellent Laguna valley, for expert skiers, where they have recently been filming a Netflix series about the infamous 1972 plane crash in the Andes, when the Uruguayan rugby team were forced to take to extreme measures to survive. You must also look out for the excellent Superpark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park, with its fabulous 165 metre long 'half pipe', amazing for snowboarders. And then there is the famous 'Rio' run that leads right down to the resort of Pradollano, which sits at 2,100 metres. At the same latitude as Cyprus and just 30 miles from the beaches of the Costa del Sol, it is nothing short of amazing really that you can usually ski here in early May. This is all to do with the altitude of the Sierra Nevada, which has its

HIGH LIFE: Spectators and media watch a competitor on the Olympic run, while (right) snow cannons at work highest peak in Mulhacen, a stag- can be a little nippy up there with the free passes. gering 3,482m above sea level. wind whistling past, so make sure to It certainly pays to pick your days Named after a 15th century Arabic bring a coat and jumper. with Christmas and Semana Sanking Muley Hacen (Abdul Hassan From here, competent skiers access ta seeing the resort rammed, with Ali), who is said to have been buried the amazing runs of the Laguna de sometimes big queues for the ski uled to be held there (it actually took at the top, this is the highest peak in las Yeguas area, including the cele- lifts. My tip is to visit for the Reyes place the following year due to poor mainland Spain. brated Olympic run, which is full of when 99% of the Spanish will have snow). From the top of the highest ski lift, twists and turns. returned home for their presents “Since then the infrastructure at 3,300 metres, the views make And believe me, you can sometimes and family get togethers. changes were huge and it is now a the Mediterranean below look like a find yourself skiing alone midweek Then there is Semana Blanca (liter- big resort,” explains resort marketsmall pond, with half the coastline of and the sheer nature and landscape ally 'white week') – or half term at ing boss Santiago Sevilla, who has Morocco clearly in view. are spectacular. the end of February – when school worked there for well over a decade. It is an amazing place, although it It is incredibly easy to have a few children can learn how to ski, while “When the weather is favourable, days skiing and bank holidays can also and that is most of the you can always be very busy and gettime, this is a fantastic park in the un- ting up to the resort place to be skiing.” The apres ski derground car can be slow. Giles Birch, who runs tel: (+34) 958 48 08 51 at this resort park right be- That said, problems the well-established low the main can be missed by arBritish Ski Center, estiof fun is WhatsApp: (+34) 629 452 833 square. riving by 8.30am or by mates that Pradollano You come up to waiting till midday. has one of the longest amongst the the ticket office While a modern resort, seasons in Europe, www.spinprocenter.com best in Europe opening at the start of in Plaza Andalu- Pradollano itself is a cia where there pleasant place to simDecember and often goare new credit ply take in the air or ing through to mid May. card machines a spot of lunch, and there is a fair “There have even been snowfalls in now installed so amount for children to do, with en- June and when the snow and weathyou shouldn’t tertainers and Disney figures wan- er are favourable, which is more ofhave to queue dering around, particularly around ten then not, the openness of the ski for long. Christmas. terrain provides some of the most A day’s skiing is It has also got a good reputation as exhilarating off piste skiing to be not cheap, cost- being a resort for fun, with the apres found anywhere.” ing €51 to €54 ski being some of the best in Europe, He continues: “Off piste skiing here on most days, once you know where to find it (tip: has made a great name for itself but just €42 on it’s most uphill). with easily accessible zones all over a wednesday, The place really started to evolve the terrain, very little avalanche risk while those in quickly from 1995 when the World and wide open expanses for all to their 70s get Skiing Championship was sched- enjoy.”

Festive fun SKI AND SNOWBOARD SCHOOL APARTMENT HIRE SKI EQUIPMENT HIRE SPORT CLUB SKI PASSES Edificio Salvia, 6, Plaza de Andalucia 18196 Pradollano, Sierra Nevada (Granada)

MAGICAL: Three kings trudge up the slopes on January 5

he resort is one of the most festive places to be in Spain, and the Spaniards know it, as they arrive in their droves for Christmas and New Year. ‘Nochebuena’ or Christmas eve, when the Spaniards celebrate the festive season with a huge family meal and lashings of turron, is usually a sell out. Meanwhile ‘nochevieja’, or New Year’s

Eve, where massive screens show the countdown in Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol, with grapes galore, is a riot. For the eve of the Reyes on Jan 5 the three kings duly arrive on skis. Kids will love it. Carnival, from February 6-14, also sees a mass arrival for the fancy dress competition, snow-sport contests and spectacles from Granada University.

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MEDIUM – BEGINNERS Ski’s for 24€ – Snowboard & Snowblades for 25€ HIGH – INTERMEDIATE Ski’s for 33€ – Snowboard & Snowblades for 34€ PREMIUM – EXPERTS Ski’s for 43€ – Snowboard & Snowblades for 44€ Jackets & Trousers – 21€ Helmet – 6€

Customer is king

IT is a classic family business. Jose Antonio Lopez and his wife Montse are now joined by their two children, particularly when the resort gets busy. But thankfully it’s not too far, the family living in nearby La Zubia, just at the foot of the slopes. In an excellent location, their shop Skisol has some of the best quality skis and snowboards to rent and customer service is the key to its success. “We always put the customer first and have plenty of returning business,” explains Jose Antonio, who has been renting out skis in the Sierra Nevada for four decades. Best of all, the prices have not gone up for a decade. “And we don’t just rent out any old equipment…

EXPERIENCED: Jose Antonio and Montse we buy at least 50 new pairs of boots alone each season,” he adds. Visit www.skisol.es or call 958 48 08 57

HIGH FLYERS TO HIGH-FLYING

HEY could have become a successful London power couple when they met in 2008, but both preferred to swap the rat race for the outdoor life in Spain. Georgina Simon and Nathan Merchant were both looking for a total career change when they met on a 12-week ski/snowboard instructors course in New Zealand… and within a year were teaching skiing and snowboard classes in Spain’s sensational Sierra Nevada. “We both loved the mountains and to ski and snowboard so when the opportunity came up to both come and teach here in Spain, we jumped at it,” explains Georgina, 40, from Herne Hill, in London. “We were both bored in our jobs and wanted a complete career change. This ticked so many boxes. “We both loved Spain and, in particular, the Sierra Nevada as Nathan learnt to snowboard here and I came a few times as a child to ski.” Now 13 years on the pair are running their own successful ski and snowboard school on the slopes, with three fellow instructors, catering to anybody who wants to learn in English. Called the English Ski School, they juggle teaching and admin of the company with bringing up a family of two children, four cats and a dog in nearby Guejar Sierra. “We have a multinational team who aside from teaching in English can offer lessons in Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and French,” explains Nathan, 44. While some would see this as the perfect life, they have had to deal with many challenges, not least the complications created post-Brexit and the ongoing uncertainty in the winter sports industry due to the pandemic. But aside from these challenges they have built up a loyal client base in just four years since forming their company, which runs out of the well-established rental shop Skisol. As well as offering skiing classes to all levels, they concentrate on a tailor-made bespoke personal service from the minute a client contacts them to when they fly away at the end of their holiday. They are able to help organise lessons, EXCITING IDEAS: Georgina and Nathan made a total career change equipment hire, lift passes, accommodation and transfers.

Get in contact at www.englishskischool.com or on 603 562 889

Snow Glasses – 5€

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Sierra Nevada

HEN four friends set up Telemark in 1991 they were only the fourth skiing school in the Sierra Nevada. Some three decades on they count on 21 teachers, five admin staff and well over 100 years of experience of teaching on the

slopes. “It’s great to have made it this far,” explains Luis Casanove, one of the resort’s true village elders. “What a different world it was back then with so few schools.” He continues: “We wanted to be the pioneers of the new world offering a much more private, personalised service and doing it in various languages.” English, in particular, was a key requirement for the team (and still is) and among their first clients were various British expats from Marbella, as well as many Scandinavians and Portuguese. The name of the company comes from the style of skiing known as ‘telemarking’. This can be seen in a photo on the wall of the company… a grainy black and white picture of Luis’s grandfather skiing in 1912 in the Guadarrama mountains near Madrid. “Telemark skiing was the original way before Alpine skiing became more fashionable later in the century,” he explains. Be it hiking, Telemarking, cross country, snowboarding or off-piste skiing, there are not many inches of the Sierra Nevada that Luis and his business partner Jesus Fernandez don’t know. They can arrange everything from accommodation to ski passes and are well known for their famous off-piste mountain adventures that last from a morning to two days. “Our knowledge and know-how is ideal for families who want the perfect personal one to one break,” he adds. The company also runs amazing wilderness trips that literally end up in another world... the charming cobbled villages of the Genil valley, in the Alpujarras. These one or two-day adventures take you through deep off-piste snow onto narrow mountain tracks. Another popular pastime for those who don’t fancy risking life and limb on the pistes, is to have a day of cross-country skiing on two or three well established paths around the resort. “It is great fitness and you do get to enjoy the fabulous views and nature at the same time,” he adds. The company can also help organise hard-core uphill climbing for mountaineers to a half day soft snow walking trip with snow rackets.

HAPPY HATRICK

While Sierra Nevada ski school Telemark hits its 30th anniversary this year, its roots go back to 1912, writes Jon Clarke

PROUD: Luis shows off photo of his grandfather

BEFORE AND AFTER: The team in 1991 and 2021

Contact the team on telemark@telemark.es or call 958 48 11 53.

ting Celebra on 30 years es the slop

WE ALSO ORGANISE ACCOMMODATION AND SKI PASSES

OCALS boast of its cream snow. So it is no wonder the Sierra Nevada is a Mecca for thrill-seeking snowboarders, who come in their droves to take advantage of a soft and sumptuous ride. For beginners and experts alike, Spain’s highest resort is a glorious setting. With its stunning scenery and topclass facilities, it was no surprise that it won the bid to host the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships a few years ago.

Freestyle

One of the best places to catch the top riders in action is at SuperPark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park. Sitting at an altitude of 2,700 metres on Borreguiles, the famed snowboarding park houses the country’s biggest permanent halfpipe. Measuring an astonishing 165 metres in length with a height of six metres, the special design flattens the snow on the side of the half-pipe so boarders can jump on both sides. Rookies will also find a place to carve their niche in the resort, thanks to the gentle gradients of central station, Borreguiles. Here, lifts deposit snowboarders on a smooth and well-groomed

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FLYING STARS

FREESTYLE: Riders catch some air

The Sierra Nevada is fast becoming a natural haven for Spain’s top snowboarders area where they can hone their skills. Many professional snowboarders class Sierra Nevada as their home and a few shops specialise just in snowboarding. These include South Star, where Jesus and his brother juggle their passion for the snow with running their own three shops. “It’s a fantastic place for snowboarders, one of the best in Spain, if not Europe,” explains Jesus. “It has grown loads over the last few years and we are always busy.”

CARVE UP: Superpark Sulayr

Sierra Nevada

Native English Ski & Snowboard Instructors

www.skisierranevada.co.uk Holiday Arrangements: sierraessence@skisierranevada.co.uk

info@britishskicenter.co.uk T: 670 461330 / 646 178406

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Timeline of a ski station ● Angel Ganivet, Spanish Consul to Helsinki, gave birth to the idea of turning the Sierra Nevada into a ski resort at the end of the 19th century. He likened his Granada homeland to the ‘Finland of Andalucia’ in a local newspaper. ● 1898 marked the creation of Diez Amigos Limited, a group that led skiing excursions around the area. ● Thanks to their continued success, the organisation was able to create the first youth hostel in the area not long after rebranding itself Sociedad Sierra Nevada in 1912. ● The main road from Granada to Sierra Nevada and a cable car were both put in place at the beginning of the 1920s, which allowed more people to discover the joys of snow-oriented fun. ● The boom years of the resort began in 1964, when Centros Turísticos S.A. (CETURSA), was created, allowing its rapid development. ● Sierra Nevada is the southernmost ski station in Europe and sits at the highest point in Spain. The station hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1996. It has also welcomed several Alpine Ski World Cup events, with the first in 1977. In addition, it has been the main venue for the Winter Olympics. ● In 2017, the Sierra Nevada hosted the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships (see poster right), a major international contest put together by the board of the International Ski Federation.

Sierra Nevada

GOING UPHILL SLOW

It used to be a two hour bus ride from Granada and then a donkey up the slope

HE only way to get to the top of the slope was to walk... or take a friendly donkey! Indeed, until the first two ski lifts (Borreguiles and Parador) were built in 1969, this was the preferred route. The resort actually dates back to 1912 when Spain's oldest ski club, the Sierra Nevada Society was founded. However, it was not until the 1920s – with the modernisation of Granada’s roads - that the Sierra Nevada started to become known. By the 1950s a bus used to chug its way up to the slopes, while cars would turn up in their dozens at weekends. Visitor numbers slowly grew from then and, in 1964, Cetursa, a business dedicated to reserving ski tickets, was founded. It was around then that the resort was at its most glamourous with the likes of Principe Alfons Hohenlohe, the owner the Marbella Club hotel, regularly bringing up friends, including Sean Connery to ski.

The best selection of old pictures, not just some of the vintage visitors to the resort, can be found in the charming Tito Luigi restaurant, which has been open for 30 years and counts the King as an occasional visitor. “We have had them all in here,” explains owner Javier, who heralds from Menorca. “Spain’s best footballers, bullfighters and its leading politicians... everyone loves to ski in the Sierra Nevada.” One of the longest-established workers in the resort Jose Carlos Villanueva remembers the 1960s well. “I actually had my first communion on the slopes wearing ski boots and a jersey. I was the only one in Spain,” he explains pointing at a photo of him as a child, with his sister.He had arrived there in 1961 when his father got a job running the 'alberge' one of just three buildings in the resort back then. Living there for five years, it was no surprise that he always had a strong urge to return and at the age of 15 he became a ski teacher. Now, appropriately – after 38 years teaching and an incredible 50,000 students – Jose Carlos is running the charming bar Bodega Casablanca.

YOMP: Most skiers had to walk up until 1969, while (right) a donkey lift

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THRILLSEEKERS: Get their kit off every year

But would he approve? AVALANCHE: Of snow (below) but rarely more than a dozen cars came up in the 1960s

A COLLECTION of Sierra Nevada’s bravest and silliest thrill seekers rush down the mountain in swimsuits for the last day of the season. Next year, the unusual downhill event will start at Borreguiles where participants hand in their clothes to take to the slopes into Pradollano where drinks and hedonism awaits. Budding nudists often get a discounted ski pass if they sign up to the official page. However, space is normally limited to 500 people and prizes are given to the best and most outrageous outfits. One regular visitor to the slopes, King Felipe, is not expected to take part. In former years he normally drops in around Christmas time with friends (pictured left).

Your home from home!

CHUGGING UP: An old bus takes skiers up the slopes with a bit of help from its passengers

IMEDA SIERRA NEVADA We are dedicated for more than ten years to the rental and management of tourist apartments. All our apartments are new or completely renovated, have functional furniture and offer great comfort. They have kitchens equipped with appliances and are fully air-conditioned. All of them have either a private garage, or a parking area. Pets are welcome, in most of them, so you don’t have to leave any family members at home!

Tlf: +34 637 22 14 90 www.imedaapartamentos.es Spin Ski School Procenter Sierra Nevada Edif. Salvia, Andalucía Pl., 6, 18196 Sierra Nevada, Granada

LIVE I T eventually had to happen. And now, as the sun finally sets over the main square of the Sierra Nevada resort, there is music - and often a live band - to dance to. Thanks to the ingenuity of music fan Antonio Huerta, over 100 concerts are now planned for the late afternoons and evenings in Pradollano’s Plaza Andalucia. His new venue is called Edelweiss, a name not normally associated with rock n roll, but it is one you are soon going to struggle to forget. With an amazing sound system and stage (both inside and out) and a

AND KICKING Rock up to Spain’s highest music venue, Edelweiss, as it launches in the heart of the Sierra Nevada

lineup of bands scheduled for the season, make sure to rock up for the best apres ski fun on the slopes. “We’ve got 70 concerts planned for the winter and 30 in summer,” explains Antonio, a softly spoken chef by trade, who heralds from Sevilla. “I realised there was a gap in the market here and I love my music, particularly rock and pop and anything from the subculture from the 1980s onwards. It was all too obvious spending an afternoon at the venue, firstly listening to the strains of classics from the likes of Joy Division, Elvis and Nirvana, before a live band came on to play a variety of Amy Winehouse covers. But that’s not all. Thanks to

Huerta’s profession as a cook, he has an excellent kitchen specialising in Americana-style dishes. This means amazing ribs, fabulous burgers, but also a nice mix of salads and cakes to follow. Make sure to pop inside to see the amazing bar, painstakingly created by Antonio out of an olive tree, using a cornucopia of nic nacs and stickers he’s collected over the years.

Visit www.edelweissapresski.negocio.site for more information

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Sierra

WHERE TO EAT

introducing...

SHIMBUYA RESTAURANT

REBEL SUSHI AND MUSIC CREATIVE: Stevie with Luna (right) and dishes

PISTE TO PLATE! tel: 958 88 55 06 Virgen de las Nieves, Edifico Bulgaria (local 7), Monachil

No uphill battle to find good places to eat in the Sierra Nevada, writes Jon Clarke

OU might think you have walked into a scene out of a skateboard video. They call it Rebel Food, but the team at Ci Vediamo, quite frankly, cook some of the most classic food in Granada. Yes, there is plenty of creativity here too, but the simple dishes of young chef Stevie Silva are often the best. Take the tartaki of Galician beef served in a yuzu sauce with chives and flowers, or an amazing soft crab tempura they are mountain fresh and delicious to boot. And when he gets all arty you find dishes like a ceviche of scallops in a bloody Mary sauce and an amazing false risotto with coconut milk, kimchi and prawns. With over a dozen years on the slopes, he and his partner (and Maitre d) Luna keep getting better and better. Thanks to a wanderlust that takes them around the world

in summer time (to the Far East and around Europe) there are plenty of new dishes each season. And on top of that the pair have a new restaurant to go with their collection, a simple joint, Bar Tola, which sits in the heart of the resor t’s nightlife sector. While nothing fancy, it has a simple, good value menu that includes lots of hearty tapas dishes. More exciting is their Asiatic joint Shimbuya, that takes its inspiration from classic Japanese minimalism, with its wood and electric blue interior.

My top tip, go for the California Roll with a king prawn, salmon and sesame seeds. Next door, keep an eye out for the excellent local Swell, which is a cool place to grab a burger, salad or wok and watch the football. A n o t h er great place to eat, particularly if meat is your thing, is La Muralla, run by Argentinian Gonzalo Funes. The steaks are surely the best in the resort, while the melt-in-themouth carrillada is also stunning. The ‘tostas’ are also great and come in various guises, while I loved the milhoja of

Sierra Nevada’s coolest new restaurant ONLY the Best Beef! Edif Mont Blanc, Sierra Nevada (in front of Melia hotel)

RE-FIT: La Muralla Burguer has the best gourmet burgers in the resort

Nevada

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SUNSET: It’s always an atmospheric time as the sun sets overlooking the terrace of Las Gondalas restaurant

foie gras and a courgette carpaccio with fig sauce. He and his brother Luciano also run the brand new Muralla Burguer, almost next

door, which specialises in the best quality burgers on the slopes. It’s hard to disagree when urged to try his ‘gourmet’

burger, which is actually made from oxtail ‘rabo de toro’ with a thin slice of cheese and mayonnaise and cooked in its own juice.

The brothers also own the famous Las Gondalas restaurant right in the heart of the reContinues on Page 12

Ci Vediamo The Sierra Nevada’s most elegant restaurant

Michelin trained chef Esteban Silva produces classic Italian style dishes with a modern twist Open 7 days a week Monday to Sunday 12.00-16.00 & 20.00-24.00 Plaza Andalucía, Edf. Salvia s/n, Pradollano tel: 958 480 856 civediamosn@gmail.com FInd us on Google Maps with 360° degree view

Bar Tola

tel: +34 695 19 91 84 Calle Virgen De Las Nieves, 18196 Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada National Park

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Sierra

WHERE TO EAT

Best Home Cooked quality food on the slopes QUIRKY: Telesilla (left) and (above) Nichi at Bar Ski

From Page 11

Plaza de Pradollano, Bajos Melia Sol y Nieve, Sierra Nevada – Granada Tel: 958 65 03 29

sort, next to the slopes and excellent for some apres ski light bites, a hot drink or a beer. Also look out for the two joints owned by Yolanda, one of them a Swiss joint called La Fondue de Noa and the more exciting La Braseria.

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE Recently renovated it has a great mix of dishes, particularly specialising In things on the bbq. I loved the Portobello mushrooms stuffed with provoleta

cheese and tomatoes and even the basic onion soup which had the surprise of a whole egg yolk in the middle. Another great simple joint, but with great home cooked

food, is Telesilla Burger. It is one of the most popular joints with workers in the resort and that is no surprise both for its great value prices, and the fact that owner Maria works in the kitchen. Cleverly designed using ski lifts as tables, you can get everything here from hot coffees in the morning to superb desserts at tall times of day. By far the most fun tapas joint is Bar Ski, set up by the funniest man in the Sierra Nevada, Nichi, two decades ago.

Buzzing

His place is always buzzing at lunch and in the evenings and comprises a classic soul kitchen concentrating on hardy, simple dishes. Just up from here, look out for the amazing Bodega Casablanca

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STALWARTS: Big cheeses at Tia Maria and Vertical, while (below) the recently opened Bar Tola

run by Jose Carlos Villanueva, who grew up on the slopes, with his father opening one of the first hostals in the 1960s. The historic photos add to the atmosphere (as does a framed Olive Press article!) and the heart-warm-

ing soul food is always excellent, and includes stews, lentils as well as prawns wrapped in potato with a soya mayonnaise and lovely lamb chops with whisker-thin wild asparagus.

Another excellent place overlooking the slopes is Tia Maria, which has a good mix of dishes and is a great place for breakfast. Continues on Page 14

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Sierra

WHERE TO EAT

KINGS OF PRADOLLANO: Xavi and Luis at Tito Luigi

ROYAL DINING

N the heart of the resort the most established restaurant is easily Tito Luigi, run by two long term pals Luis and Xavi (above). At least two kings of Spain have eaten at this seminal joint and the walls pay tribute to their long list of established and famous clientele, including American film stars, bullfighters and politicians. You will need to book in high season even though it can sit 250 covers a night,

but you will be rewarded with splendid Italian fare, my favourite dish being the squid-ink spaghetti with prawns. The pair have another, hipper restaurant Tito Tapas practically next door and a third joint up the hill in the middle of the resort.

MOUNTAINS OF MEAT From Page 13

A total institution run by Carlos (part of the Tito Luigi family) this is the spot to chill out and enjoy the sun for the afternoon and early evening. For coffee, breakfast, and in fact just about everything, Vertical is hard to be beaten and also has a great range of snacks and light bites, including hot dogs for the British clientele.

Rated

Finally, few places get as busy as the highly-rated Antorcha, which sits by the Kenia Nevada hotel. Run by Antonio and Maite for

TEAM: At Antorcha and their ‘sausage tree’

over a decade, each table gets its own ‘sausage tree’, while its speciality of the

La Antorcha · RESTAURANTE ·

“Our speciality, meats on the authentic stone” Edif. Atlas/ Bajo Hotel Kenia . T 958480345/654345117 Sierra Nevada . Granada

house is the ‘hot and spicy platter’ on which you can cook your own rump steaks, up to 400gr.

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WHERE TO STAY

SNOW DREAMS There are hundreds of places to stay in the Sierra Nevada, but only a handful are really reliable, writes Jon Clarke

T is hard to describe Pradollano as an authentic mountain village. But, with a metre of snow on the ground and the sun finally out, it certainly has its charms. There are lots of places to stay but easily one of the most charming has got to be the authentic Hotel Kenia Nevada, which is well located near the centre of town and open most

of the year. Run by the friendly Don Pedro – who used to ski for the country as a youngster - it is clean, well run and serves up one of the best breakfasts in Spain. It also has a gym and spa, with an in-house masseur, and plenty of communal areas, filled with charming old furniture. You could also go upmarket

and splurge on one of the two wonderful Melia hotels, right in the heart of the resort. The rooms at the Melia Sierra Nevada have been recently renovated and the New Premium rooms have been built on floors 7 and 8. Meanwhile the nearby Meliá Sol y Nieve hotel offers The Level experience, which is the hotel group’s most exclusive commitment to luxury and personal service.

Shock

SPLURGE: At luxurious Melia hotel

Another popular option is to rent an apartment in the resort, of which there are many. Be careful, of all the many deals on the likes of airbnb and Booking you could be in for a shock when you arrive, being stuck out in Babylon or find the place much smaller and dirtier than it initially looked in photos. A much better option is to trust the long-time local specialists, Snow Rentals, which has up to 50 apartments on its books, which start from €80 a night

AUTHENTIC: Kenia Nevada

and go up to well over €1,000 if you want something really exclusive. It even has some chalets to rent to boot. A more upmarket apartment agency is Imeda, which has been situated in the resort for over a decade. All come with kitchens and are fully air conditioned, and each has a parking space. Best of all, pets are welcome which is a good draw for many expats.

MELIÃ

SIERRA NEVADA

MELIÃ

SOL Y NIEVE

MELIÃ | SIERRA NEVADA

–

MELIÃ | SOL Y NIEVE

(+34) 902 144444 // www. melia.com

SOUTH STAR SHOP ‘Your snowboarding centre in the Sierra Nevada’

‘Lessons, gear, advice and tips’ Tel. 958 48 07 31 C/Virgen de las Nieves, Galeria Comercial Hotel Melia Sierra Nevada Local 5, 18196 Sierra Nevada Plaza de Pradollano 3, 18196 Sierra Nevada – Edificio Salvia, Local 16, 18196 Monachil

tica mexicana n e t u a % 0 10 a in coc

cocina 100% mexicana

tel: 958 00 72 97 / 605 91 07 86

RESERVAS: 958 007 297 / 605 910 786 Galeria Comercial Hotel Melia Sierra Nevada Local 6

LA CULTURA

Feel the beat

THE most listened to artist on Spotify Spain during 2021 has been Puerto Rican musician Rauw Alejandro. The Reggaeton star has had 34.2 million monthly listeners on the platform compared to his girlfriend Rosalia who racks up a mere 23.6million listeners. Other artists in the top five include Bad Bunny, Myke Towers, J Balvin and Anuel AA in that order. But in terms of most popular artist streamed on Spotify worldwide, Bad Bunny holds the crown for the second year in a row. Bad Bunny, who is also from Puerto Rico, has notched up a whopping 9.1 billion plays this year. Second place in the global rankings is American singer Taylor Swift, followed by South Korean group BTS, then Canadian hip hop artist, Drake and finally pop superstar Justin Bieber.

December 15th - January 11th 2022

Historical nuggets A GOLD coin struck 1,400 years ago been found during home improvement work in Leon has been seized by police. An even older coin was also intercepted by cops in the Ciudad Real area after it was advertised for sale on a social media site. Both coins come from the Visigoth era which was a time of French-based rule sandwiched between the fall of the Roman Empire and the

arrival of the Moors. The Leon coin was struck during the reign of Visigoth king Sisebuto between 612 and 621 AD. It’s only the third-such Visigothic coin to be discovered and had an engraving that suggested it was minted in what would these days be Lorca in the Murcia region. It has now gone on display at Leon's Provincial Museum. The second coin was truck between 491 and 518 AD.

A STAR IS BORN Barcelona skyline has a new feature

A STAR has been born as the final piece was placed atop a tower on the Sagrada Familia cathedral, changing the skyline of Barcelona The giant five-and-a-half tonne star was lifted into place to complete one of the Antoni Gaudi designed towers, just in time for Christmas. Architects have been labouring to finish the basilica for close to 140 years and it was slated for completion by 2026 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. The visionary architect began work on his most ambitious project in 1882 but his death in 1926 beneath the wheels of

a tram in the Catalan capital meant completion of his opus was entrusted to future gen-

Inky fingers

BIZARRE: Tattoed models

GIRLS ON FILM BELGIAN artist Dieter de Greef will be the focus of a new exhibition in Malaga. More than 200 works, which he has produced over four years specifically for Malaga’s Centre of Contemporary Art will be on show until February 20. The works are a mixture of surrealism, comedic, neo-expressionism, all reflecting on happiness, love and unsatisfied desires. Coup de théâtre is inspired by the internet, where the artist obtains photos of women to whom he wants to give ‘another life and another identity’, in the form of original art. AFTER a year-and-a-half of partial closure, Madrid’s Prado Museum is finally fully open. Many parts of its exhibition space had been closed down to comply

Full glory with COVID social distancing measures. Since lockdown it has gradually been opening up again, and now the process is complete. With almost one million visitors since the start of 2021, it has averaged over 100,000 a month since July.

Visit

By Fiona Govan

A BIZARRE new exhibition is celebrating the art of the tattooist. CaixaForum Madrid has put on an unusual display of more than 240 pieces celebrating everything about the tattooing world and its history. The exhibition goes back to the origins of body art and showcases how its popularity has surged in recent years. A special feature of the exhibition is the bizarre sight of of 20 silicone torsos tattooed by masters of the art, as well as models of other body parts. Tattoo. Art under the skin can be visited until April 17, 2022

erations. Known as ‘God’s architect’ for his pious yet visionary obsession, Gaudi died penniless after sinking all his money into the project when public funds dried up. During the Spanish Civil war of 1936-39 anarchists burned the original plans for the project leaving modern architects struggling to remain true to Gaudí’s vision.

Toll

However, as the target completion date of 2026 edges closer, the coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll. Without the huge numbers of tourists visiting the unfinished site – which is Barcelona’s most popular tourist site and the second in Spain after the Alhambra – resources are dwindling. Before the pandemic hit, the site attracted 60,000 visitors a day and filled the coffers with around €100m in 2019 alone.

CHASING TIME

by Thomas Reilly

An emotional mixture of contemporary fiction and fantasy, CHASING TIME, by Thomas Reilly, is a gripping suspense novel of cinematic scope. Could Spanish olive oil provide the key to unlock the cure for a deadly disease? Follow historian Tony Lucas as he travels from America to the lush olive groves of Andalucía on a chase that spans time to save his stricken wife. www.amazon.com/Chasing-Time-Thomas-Reilly/dp/195508680X/ref=sr_1_1 www.thomasreillyauthor.com

You can now visit the Treasure of the Dolphin and the Still Lifes of Clara Peeters as well as the works of Rubens, Jan Brueghel and David Teniers, plus painters of the Dutch school including Salomon de Bray and Gabriel Metsu.

LA CULTURA

A taste of the divine

LA CULTURA

December 15th - January 11th 2022

Get thee to a Spanish nunnery for the best sister act in home-baking since Two Fat Ladies. Karethe Linaae gets an exclusive cookery lesson in Ronda

T’S beginning to smell a lot like Christmas, here in Spain, when the buttery aroma of mantecados warm from the oven wafts from bakeries and abuelas’ kitchen windows, filling the chill December streets with festive expectation. Sinful homebaked sweetmeats have been a guilty Christmas pleasure in these parts since Moorish times and every town, village, peña and brotherhood has its own traditional recipes – frequently jazzed up with a naughty nip of cider, sherry or aniseed liqueur. But who could have guessed that some of the nicest (and naughtiest) are produced behind convent walls by nuns! Some sisterhoods have been tempting mortals with their convent confections since the Middle Ages, guarding their

recipes with the secrecy of the confessional. So it was with a fair degree of excitement that the Olive Press got to spend a morning baking with a group of group of nuns at the Convento San Francisco in Ronda… and the results were divine! Convent pastries - such as Huesos de Santo (Saints’ Bones), Trufas de Madre de Dios (Mother of God Truffles) and Corazones (Sacred Hearts) de Santa Clara - are often christened to reflect their saintly origins. And the nuns work their culinary alchemy with the humblest of ingredients. Augustine nuns at Sevilla’s Convento de San Leandro have been baking since the 16th Century and their most famous pastry, Yemas de San Leandro, contains only egg

HAND MADE: Nuns using traditional skills to make mantecados yolks, sugar and a few drops of lemon. They are among a heavenly host of artisan reposterias made in Andalucía’s convent kitchens. Carmelite, Cistercian and Franciscan are among the orders now busy at their devotions to produce seductive sweetmeats for Christmas. While initially selling to the surrounding communities, some convents now have websites, offer gluten-free alternatives, and can ship anywhere in the world. Our local nuns in Ronda have also gained quite a reputation

for their blessed dulces. culinary traditions into every We are led in to meet them bite-sized treat. in their wonderful authentic They are baking an incredikitchen in the bowels of their ble 35 kilos of mantecados – wonderful home, just off the meaning a few thousand cookmountain town’s ies – by hand in historic Plaza de a single day! San Francisco. Originating in Taste of home We are soon Antequera and cooking, old watching ancient brought to fame Sister Natividad in the tiny town cracking a sack village kitchens of Estepa, manof almonds on a tecados have and a bit of tree trunk in the gone nationwide heaven convent patio to become synwith a giant hamonymous with a mer. Spanish ChristAs December begins, the mas. What’s the secret? Could sisters can be found roll- it be the generous amount of ing dough around the clock, lard? kneading their love, care and In their industrial-sized Among the most typical Christmas pastries are Roscos de Vino. Andalucian children will keep three to give to the Three Kings on Dia de los Reyes, known as Roscos de Reyes. While the grandmothers of every household used to bake these ring-shaped pastries infused with sweet wine for the whole family, today that task is often left to the local nunneries. Borrachuelos are a traditional Christmas treat from Malaga’s villages - miniature empanadas filled with cabello de angel (angel hair, a spaghetti squash marmalade). Borracho means drunk, and these tipsy treats are laced with a generous glug of cider. Each piece is then deepfried and dunked in sugar for extra naughtiness. It’s no surprise that some pastries date from the Al Andalus era. For example alfajores (from the Arabic al-fakher, meaning luxurious), have been found in the Spanish dictionary since the 14th Century, and are a particular speciality in the Cadiz pueblo of Medina Sidonia. Alfajores were also exported to the New World and have become a traditional Christmas treat in South America.

DID YOU KNOW?

19th-century kitchen, the sisters chat softly as they fill tray after tray with neat round dough balls which one of the novices will top with sesame seeds. After baking, each mantecado is individually wrapped in a silk paper with the convent’s seal. “Working and praying is our life”, Sor Isabel tells me. Madre Nieves, the Abbess, adds touchingly: “With all the bitterness in the world, we pray that our treats will sweeten the lives of those who eat them”. When I ask them where they keep their recipes, they look down at their busy hands, pretending not to hear. Each convent has its own specialties and the recipes are sacrosanct. What I can disclose is that no pastry is made with more than a handful of ingredients and contains no preservatives or artificial flavourings; just ground almonds or wheat flour, butter or lard, cider or sugar and a touch or cinnamon, lemon peel or orange zest. Most ingredients are grown locally, some in the monastic gardens. Some closed convents still sell their confections clandestinely through a revolving Lazy Susan embedded in the wall so as not to show their faces, but our nuns now sell them from their little store, albeit still behind bars. People here say that the nun’s

PROCESS: A patient nun watches her mantecados bake in the oven

LA CULTURA

December 15th January 11th 2022

31 Part Time Booking Supervisor & Inspector You will be working in a fast-paced friendly environment with lots of client interaction and a varied day to day role. We are one of the longest standing holiday rentals companies in Calahonda, Mijas Costa established for over 30 years. We are looking for a confident, organised individual who can work independently and as part of a small team. The role compromises processing new enquiries, dealing with current bookings and inspecting our properties, in addition to assisting with the overall working of the rental department. Conversational Spanish and good English essential, other languages would be advantageous. Driving license required. A good knowledge of Outlook and Microsoft Office required. Experience preferable but not essential as full on the job training will be given. There is a possibility of extended hours in the Summer months.

TEAM EFFORT: Nuns sit and prepare their Christmas treats at the San Francisco de Ronda convent reposterias taste of home cooking, old village kitchens and a bit of heaven. Thanks to the income from their baking, the sisters can

continue their simple lives and maintain their convent. By purchasing their artisan pastries, you are not only sharing in a best-kept Spanish gas-

tronomic secret but also keeping alive an important part of the country’s culture. And when you get to eat them - believe me - heaven can wait!

The convent in Barrio de San Francisco is open for purchases from 10.00 to 18.00. For more information call: 952 872 177

For more information and or a full job description please email Elizabeth@suncoastergroup.com or call 0034 952 939 415

32 PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

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www.inlandandalucia.com

December 15th January 11th 2022

ALICANTE Province has beaten the Costa del Sol’s Malaga and attracts the highest percentage of foreign property buyers in Spain. International consultants Colliers say 17.6% of all foreign home buying in Spain for 2021 has been in the pop-

ular tourist region. It makes the area the most sought-after part of the country for non-Spanish buyers for a second successive year. Malaga Province comes second with an 11.4% share of the foreign market, followed by Barcelona on 8.7%. The

Bouncing back FOREIGN investors are once again buying up properties in Spain, due to the competitive prices of housing compared to the rest of Europe. There had been a drop in property sales by foreign investors of around 20% during the COVID-19 Pandemic, due to travel restrictions and financial uncertainty. Madrid, Barcelona and the Balearic Islands are the most popular locations for second homes, according to a report by the International Federation of Real Estate Professionals. Anna Puigdevall, director of FIABCI, said: “Spanish property prices are very competitive compared to those in the rest of Europe and this is causing foreigners to see an investment opportunity in our country.”

Alicante and Malaga vie for popularity

Canary Islands account for 7.6% of foreign buys while the Balearics stand on 6.2% Colliers say that the busiest area for new property construction is Madrid with over 21% of Spain’s new builds. Malaga Province comes second at 8.9%.

Sales

The consultants, who specialise in the real estate and hotel sector, commented that the first half of 2021 was the best for property sales since 2008. “Housing transactions were 63.7% higher than in 2020 and 10.67 higher than the first half of 2019,” stated Colliers. The significance of those figures is the rise in sales to levels above the pre-pandemic period of 2019, which back up other studies and official government statistics. Colliers estimate an annual house price rise of up to 2% for 2021.

Tall order ANOTHER Briton is making history in Spain. The British architect and Pritzker Prize winner Richard Rogers has designed the tallest residential building in the Basque Country. It will be finished in 2023, be 119 metres tall and have 35 floors. The construction company Urrutia has already started work on the building, called Anboto Dorrea, after signing a contract worth €36 million. The tower, built for Grupo Arrasate, will also be the second tallest office building in Bilbao. Anboto Dorrea will house five basement floors, with 239 garages and 166 storage rooms, three floors for commercial use and community facilities. It will also have 166 energy-certified A-rated homes distributed over 32 floors with terraces and viewpoints on all floors of the skyscraper and panoramic lifts.

TOWER: How it will look

BUSINESS

New and old join forces

A €720 million package to help Spain’s pandemic-hit tourist sector has been approved by the Council of Ministers. New technologies as well as historic heritage areas feature as part of the investment. Reyes Maroto, said: “These funds will allow the modernisation plan to go forward for tourism which in turn will allow the whole economy to recover and modernise.” Tourism accounts for 12% of the country’s economy. Some €565 million will fund innovative projects that seek to improve the competitiveness of the sector. That includes ramping up digital and smart technology as well as energy efficiency in tourism-related businesses. Money will also go to each of Spain’s 17 regions to maintain historical heritage sites and the 15 World Heritage cities in the country.

December 15th January 11th 2022

NOT VALUED

THE pay gap is still having a devastating effect on women in Spain, with four in 10 female workers making less than €1,336.60 per month, compared to just one in five men. The average female salary stood at €1,852 per month in 2020, an increase from the €1,773.30 average in 2019. Meanwhile, the average salary for men increased in 2020 to €2,210.30 per month but the wage gap still reduced from 22.5% to 19.3%. In the workforce as a whole, bankers are among those who earned the most in 2020, followed by teachers and those working in public administration - with domestic, hospitality and agriculture workers at the opposite end of the scale

PEOPLE in Spain are in their most precarious financial situation for 30 years, according to data which combines the unemployment rate and inflation. The estimated annual inflation of the Consumers Price Index in November 2021 was recorded at 5.6%, according to a flash indicator prepared by the National Statistics Office (INE). Inflation has become the most serious threat to the Spanish economy as the increase not only puts the recovery of companies at risk it also hits the purchasing power of citizens. Significant increases in the price of electricity have had a fundamental impact on the inflation rate and the price of fuel is at a record high

Women remain lower paid than men

By Kirsty McKenzie

Finance and insurance executives earned the most, with 64.8% taking home more than €2,295.2 a month, according to new stats from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). What they

Pain in Spain with petrol exceeding €1.50 per litre. Public expenditure is also linked to inflation, such as contributory pensions, which will rise by 2.5% in 2022. Despite falling significantly in recent months, unemployment in Spain still stood at 14.57% in the third quarter and is the second-highest unemployment rate of all EU states. Overall, the data revealed that of all the developed countries, only Brazil and Turkey are worse off than Spain.

didn’t say is how much more than that they earned. The majority of teachers and public workers also took home well over €2,000 per month. Meanwhile cleaners had the lowest monthly wage, pocketing an average of €997.30 total per month while hospitality workers bagged an average of €1,119.50 and agriculture employees earned €1,373.6 each month on average.

Salaried

Some 30% of Spain’s salaried employees, around 4.88 million people, earned less than €1,350 per month. Another 40% of employees (6.44 million) earned between €1,336.60 and €2,295.20 gross per month in 2020, while 30% (4.8 million people) earned salaries of at least €2,295.2 monthly.

A GOOD OPTION

Facts you may not know about Equity Release in Spain

QUITY release is 100% legal and is not a new concept in Spain. It has been common practice in Europe, specifically in Spain, Germany and France, for many years. It is as popular as it is in the UK, although the process is different. All transactions are approved by the Bank of Spain and the CNMV (the Spanish Government Agency responsible for the financial regulation of the securities market in Spain). Operations are totally different from the Equity release ‘schemes’ that were available to British expats in the early 2000s, funded by offshore banks. All operations are documented in the Spanish land registry and are formulated in a public deed before a notary. You will only receive a percentage of the current market value of your home because you will sell the ‘bare ownership’ but will retain the ‘Usufruct’ which is the right to live in it for the rest of your lives. Equity release is not a last resort, it is an opportunity that may suit you. What if you don’t want to move house, downsize, or move to a more affordable area? You might not want to leave behind the life you have built for yourself with friends, family, and your social scene. Ideally, you would like to remain in the home you love with the security

of knowing you can afford it and never have to move. You may wish to give your children the leg up they need now, rather than later. You might be considering care options in the future and wondering how you will manage financially. You may also want to keep your home and rent it out. You might have already looked at current selling and buying costs, inheritance taxes and procedures and are at a crossroads as to the best way forward. At JJC Capital Partners we speak your language. First and foremost, we will offer you friendly advice, and go through all the options available to you. We explain how the process of the division of property rights works here in Spain. The sale of the ‘bare ownership’ and the retention of the ‘Usufruct’ in language you will understand. We don’t ask for any money up front We provide you with non-obligatory proposals and there is no hard sell. We always advise our clients to seek independent financial advice, speak to friends and family and don’t rush into a decision.

To find out more visit: www.jjccapitalpartners.com, email: info@jjccapitalpartners.com or call us on 910 375 611

AFFORDABLE BUSINESS CONTACTS

December 15th January 11th 2022

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

The Ibiza restaurant that is officially the most expensive dining experience in the world

DINERS with exceptionally deep pockets should head to SubliMotion in Ibiza which has been recognised as having the most expensive tasting menu in the world. The restaurant located at the Hard Rock Hotel on Playa d’en Bossa is only open during the summer season from June 1 to September 30 and charges a whopping €1,500 for a 20-course tasting menu accompanied by wine and champagne. But as the price-tag suggests, this is no ordinary meal. ‘If Willy Wonka had a restaurant, this could be it,’ says the Michelin Guide in its description of a totally immersive dining ex-

December 15th - January 11th 2022

RICH FOOD

STUNNING: The view from the restaurant perience that includes a sound and light show for which virtual reality goggles are required. The entire restaurant seats

MALAGA is the most popular place to go camping in Andalucia, according to new figures. Data collected by the Institute of Statistics and Cartography found the city was a hit with happy campers, even well after the summer season ended. Most of the campers were from Spain (38,475), compared to 9,275 foreign visitors. Spanish holidaymakers stayed an average of 4.5 days camping in the region, while tourists from abroad stayed around 3.3 days. Algeria was ranked the second most popular staycation spot, followed by Almeria and Cadiz.

just 12 diners for a meal that includes a course served up in Faberge eggs and is designed under the watchful eye of mo-

Happy campers Huelva came in fourth place with a total of 47,750 overnight stays and 11,174 visitors since October. People choosing to holiday at home have fuelled a recovery for the camping sector as figures confirm that campsite visits in the region returned to pre-pandemic levels. The bookings for the first two weeks in October correspond to 62% occupancy, which is four or five percentage points higher than the same time in 2019.

lecular gastronomy genius Paco Roncero and a team of chefs who at one point boasted eight Michelin stars between them. The restaurant, which opened in 2014, was identified as the world’s most expensive Michelin-starred tasting menu in a recent study by Chefspencil, an international food magazine that reports on industry trends.

Chefs

Although many of the chefs who collaborate in the kitchen there have Michelin stars for other restaurants in Spain, SubliMotion itself hasn’t won any of the coveted awards.

HIGH DINING

IT brings new meaning to the term ‘haute cuisine’. A new restaurant has opened in a Madrid skyscraper to become the highest eatery in all of Spain. Elkar opened on the 33rd floor of the Torre Emperador in the capital’s business district at the northern end of the Paseo de la Castellana. Diners can enjoy panoramic views through floor to ceiling windows of the city stretching below them to the snow-dusted mountains of the sierra beyond. The restaurant, whose name means ‘together’ in Basque, is probably not the place to take a date who suffers from vertigo as tables are located at 160 metres above ground level. But its location promises to be a lure for Instagrammers as much as for foodies drawn by the promise of exquisite dishes designed by celebrity Basque chefs Sergio Ortiz de Zarate and Beñat Ormaetxea who have teamed up in the kitchen at Elkar.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

December 15th - January 11th 2022

PEAKS OF PERFECTION C Set your sights higher than the festive food mountain this Christmas and scale one of Spain’s Awesome Nine, writes Jed Neill

HRISTMAS is an opportune time to fill your boots with food and drink and veg out around the family fireside but extreme measures may be called for later when your trousers don’t fit … like climbing a mountain! That’s not such a tall order in Spain, Europe’s second most mountainous landscape after Switzerland. And with scaleable sierras in easy reach of the costas (no need for crampons), there can be no excuses. To celebrate International Mountain Day on December 11 we bring you Spain’s Awesome Nine! Happy hiking!

Awesome Aneto 3,404m Despite being outside Andalucia, this geological giant deserves recognition for standing guard against the French along the Pyrenees. But its reputation as the ‘needles of ice’ is under threat as its impressive glacier is rapidly shrinking due to ever-increasing summer temperatures and scientists estimate it could completely disappear by 2050. The icy heart of Spain can still be scaled in under 12 hours by both experienced and novice climbers alike.

Towering Teide - 3,718m Standing tall at number one with the most vertiginous vital statistics in Spain, Tenerife’s Mount Teide in the Canaries is glued to the landscape like a giant limpet. UNESCO describes it as Earth’s third-tallest volcanic structure and this mythological mountain is steeped in folklore. The native Guanches believe that Magec, their God of Light, is trapped inside and erupts when angry, releasing a molten tide of rage over the landscape. However, the last time Magec got hot under the collar was in 1909. These days he’s a lot more chilled.

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The Mighty Mulhacén - 3,479m This monster massif is named after another captive of his environment, Muley Hacén, the penultimate Muslim King of Granada. In the 15th century, according to legend, he was buried at the foot of the mountain, the loftiest in the Sierra Nevada. In a country flanked with reigning peaks, Mulhacén stands above all of them and is the highest peak in western Europe after the Alps. But the path to the peak is well-signposted and can be reached in a day so forget the satnav and add a sturdy pair of hiking boots to Santa’s list.

A SHERRY MERRY XMAS A look at Spain’s liquid gift to the world

OR many, the word ‘sherry’ brings back memories of a dusty blue bottle that makes a brief appearance at Christmas before being put back into the deepest recesses of the cupboard for next year. But sherry has come out of the closet for good and luckily for us, it’s made down the road, globally speaking, in the Andalucian province of Cadiz. Evidence of winemaking in the region dates back to 1100 BC and the Phoenicians. But it wasn’t till the 1200s that a wine similar to the sherry we know today was widely exported around Europe. Working on behalf of the Spanish authorities at the time, explorers Christopher Columbus

and Ferdinand Magellan both took sherry on their voyages across the seas.By the end of the 16th century it had gained a reputation in Europe as being one of the world’s greatest wines. Dry sherry is produced in a variety of styles, ranging from light versions such as Fino and Manzanilla to darker and heavier versions known as Olorosos, all made with the Palomino grape. Cream style sherries, made popular by the Brits, use Pedro Ximenez blended with dry styles to make it sweeter, while PX-only sherries are luxuriously sweet. Here are two classic cocktails with a sherry twist to get the party started.

Perfect Sherroni

Maria Sangrienta

30 ml Oloroso Sherry 15 ml Dry Vermouth 20 ml Vermouth di Torino 15 ml ounce Campari

30 - 40 ml Fino 55 ml tomato juice 7 ml fresh lime juice 7 ml Worcestershire sauce 4 drops Tabasco sauce 2 turns fresh black pepper Pinch salt

Stir ingredients together with ice, strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange wedge.

Combine all ingredients and stir over ice. Strain into rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with olive, celery stalk and lemon peel.

FOOD & DRINK

December 15th January 11th 2022

The perfect Autumn escape!

“MACAAO BEACH TAKES THE

The Amazing Alcazaba - 3,371m Almost a quarter of Spain sits a kilometre above sea level and Alcazaba, whose north face is the backdrop to the city of Granada, is no different. A walkers’ paradise with one of the longest climbing seasons in Europe, nimble ibex are a regular sight. But if the going gets too tough, you can take refuge in the Poqueira hut at a height of 2,500 metres. If that’s full, there are a few stone huts on the western side of the mountain but book well in advance, they’re popular. Competent climbers take on the north face challenge while novices stick to the gentler south.

Vertiginous Veleta 3,398m Back in the Sierra Nevada, this steely champ protects and inspires skiers from all over the world. Having gained fame for hosting the World Ski Championships in 1996, southern Europe’s de facto ski resort is celebrated as the place where you can ski in the morning and be back on the coast, mojito in hand, in the evening. The highest ski lift, Puerta Laguna, arrives just shy of the summit offering one of the longest ski runs down to Pradollano for a flying finale.

Sublime Cerro de los Machos - 3,327m Often overshadowed by its siblings, Veleta and Mulhacén, this mini mountain is the perfect to hone your mountaneering skills, taking 2 hours 30 minutes to reach the top.

Pico Posets - 3,369m Also known as Punta de Llardana, it is the second highest peak in the Pyrenees, after Aneto. The spectacular mountain is located in the north of the province of Huesca (Aragon) and forms part of the famous Pico Posets, Pico Perdiguero and Pico Aneto route undertaken by serious hikers.

Lofty La Maroma 2,066m This rocky gem has its own claim to fame as the highest peak in Malaga province. Taking nearly six hours to scale, but travellers are rewarded with some of the best views of the Mediterranean on reaching the summit.

Luscious La Concha 1,200m Named for its conch shell shape, Marbella’s La Concha mountain is the defining feature of the Costa del Sol, whose beauty has been revered by settlers for millenia. The walk is not difficult and caters for families and climbers of all abilities.

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HEALTH

December 15th - January 11th 2022

HIGH-TECH HOPE

YOUNGER JABBING COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged between five and 11 have started. The Public Health Commission approved the extension of inoculations to 3.2 million younger children. Evidence suggests that the still-to-be vaccinated group of youngsters is one of the biggest sources of new coronavirus cases in the country.

Spain has begun to receive the first batches of a 3.3 million dose order of Pfizer vaccines aimed at the new age band. Some 1.3 million doses are expected this month with a further 2 million in January. It will then be down to Spain’s 17 regions to arrange the injections and to decide which children should be inoculated first.

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SPANISH scientists are developing technology that will help people who can not even blink an eye to communicate. The University of Malaga is making a prototype of a machine that uses scalp sensors to read patients’ brain waves as they think of a word or phrase and displays them on a computer. By using ‘virtual’ voice assistants, the patients can then send the text via instant messaging services or email. So far the technology has been tested on healthy people, confirming its suitability to start trying it out on patients. The researchers aim to help people with neurological diseases such as ALS or Guillain-Barre syndrome, which progressively weaken the motor system, eventually isolating them completely. It is hoped that it will be an effective tool to improve the lives of patients and their relatives, and caregivers.

THERE THERE: Getting the jab

PEOPLE in Spain are less likely to suffer financial hardship due to healthcare costs than in most other European countries. The financial crisis in Spain had a significant effect on people’s ability to pay for health services, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

But despite the worsening economic situation, only a small share of households currently experience financial hardship when using health services thanks to the preventative policies of Spain’s NHS. These included residence being the basis for healthcare cover as well as services being free at the point of THE Junta has proposed the use of COVID passports for nightlife venues and the hospitality sector. In a frantic attempt to halt the sixth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, experts from the Andalucian Regional Committee of High Impact of Public Health met and decided

Clean bill of health

Health system is amongst best in EU for protecting people from financial hardship

By Tallulah Taylor

use. There are also measures to help reduce costs such as a cap of €4.24 per item for prescriptions to treat chronic conditions. There are also exemptions for payments for disadvantaged groups, and an income-based cap on payments for prescriptions for

Beer pass to go ahead with the measure - but it still needs court approval. If the Andalucian High Court greenlights the initiative, anyone wishing to access bars, restaurants and clubs will have to present

most pensioners. “Health care is a fundamental right and should never the EU Digital COVID Certificate or a negative coronavirus test result (either antigen or PCR). The document would be enforced until at least January 15 and would join the decision to request COVID-19 passports to access hospitals and nursing homes.

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leave people out of pocket. I am pleased to see that Spain is leading the way in our region. “These are positive and encouraging findings, showing that limiting the use of co-payments, and practical measures such as reducing co-payments for medicines for chronic conditions, exempting disadvantaged groups and introducing income-based caps, go a long way in protecting Spanish households from financial hardship,” said Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, during a virtual press conference launching the report. Despite these strengths the report says there is still a relatively high level of unmet need for dental and eye care in Spain due to their costs, as well as long waiting times for secondary care and surgery.

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December 15th - January 11th 2022

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The

OLIVE PRESS

REuse REduce REcycle We use recycled paper

Swapped at birth

FINAL WORDS

THE biological parents of a woman accidentally swapped at birth 19 years ago have told their daughter they will ‘take her in’. The blunder was only discovered when a judge ordered a DNA test in a paternity case.

Dino bolt EXPERTS studying a series of 120 millionyear-old fossilised dinosaur footsteps in La Rioja have calculated that it could run at 28 miles per hour - the same speed as sprinter Usain Bolt.

Defrocked BISHOP Xavier Novell i Goma who made headlines after he abandoned his calling to marry the erotic novellist Silvia Caballol has formally been stripped of his powers by the Church.

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Vol. 15 Issue 384 www.theolivepress.es December 15th - January 11th 2022

HOT FOOTED

Thief picked wrong man to steal trainers from A THIEF who nicked a coveted pair of Nike Air trainers probably thought he could get away with a clean pair of heels. Unfortunately for 19-year-old Charles Alex Baglietto, he had picked on the wrong victim – a Gibraltar plod. The teen had swiped the footwear from outside a home on the Varyl Begg Estate on the Rock before making a run for it. But the unnamed policeman

was not surprisingly security conscious and had fitted a motion-sensitive camera to his home.

Camera

When the next morning the hopping mad officer found his £130 trainers missing, he checked his camera’s footage and immediately identified the culprit, who was well

known to the Royal Gibraltar police. Later that same day, officers found Baglietto in Edinburgh Estate. He didn’t have a leg to stand on when questioned as he was wearing the officer’s trainers. He was arrested on suspicion of theft and the shoes were seized as evidence. At Gibraltar Magistrates’

Licking their wounds

A GANG of teens are licking their wounds after being bitten by a dog following a boozy street brawl. The group of five youngsters were seen throwing bottles at people and taunting a passerby’s Belgian Malinois. Police rushed to the scene in Malaga city centre at around 4am after concerned witnesses raised the alarm that the teens were wreak-

ing havoc in the streets as tempers flared. The louts confronted a man walking a large dog and taunted the animal by attacking and prodding it. A fight was then sparked as the dog lashed out and bit two of the boys, according to police. Five youngsters were then arrested and two were hospitalised for dog bites to their legs.

PHOTO: The evidence Court Baglietto, of Edinburgh Estate, pleaded guilty and was fined £80. It is not known if the policeman has had his footwear returned to him. In a separate case Baglietto was given a £200 fine after pleading guilty to Possession of Cannabis after police found him puffing away on a joint in a storeroom in Mid Harbours Estate. And in yet another case Baglietto was fined £400 after pleading guilty to three counts of Criminal Damage at Charles Bruzon House, Eurotowers and Edinburgh Estate in offences dating back to August.

REAL Betis’s match against Real Sociedad saw a pitch invasion in their last home game of the year. But there were no hooligans in sight as the Sevilla team’s supporters carried on a ‘tradition’ of showering the pitch with cuddly toys. They have been doing so since 2018, with the soft toys being donated to disadvantaged children over Christmas. This year fans rained a record 19,000 of the cuddly presents from the stands during half time, which were quickly collected by volunteers at the Benito Villamarin stadium. Around 52,128 fans were in the stands, watching the soft toys thrown as Bobby Helm’s classic ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ was played.

Merry Xmas to all our readers... back on Jan 12

13/12/21 17:27