OLIVE PRESS
The
MALLORCA
FREE
Vol. 5 Issue 123
Your expat
voice in Spain
www.theolivepress.es January 28th - February 10th 2022
HEALTH
Our tips on how to get fit and well in our health special
& HAPPINESS The best foodie escapes in Food, drink & travel section
INSPIRATIONAL: And award-winning, (from left) Aponiente, Noor, Marc Fosh of Voro (inset) and Asador Etxebarri
FIND HIM!
American tourist sought over killing and dumping his wife in woods in Spain THE body of an American woman missing since Christmas has been discovered in a shallow grave on the Costa Blanca. Police suspect that Yana Rose, 40, was beaten to death by her husband during a festive row on the Costa del Sol. Detectives worked closely with Cadiz and Italian police located her body buried in woods, just outside
By Elena Goçmen Rueda
Alzira, near Gandia. An international arrest warrant has been issued for husband, Michael Martin H, who is believed to have returned to the US, where the FBI has launched a manhunt. The couple’s rental car was located at Milan airport on January 11, when he is understood to have flown back to Denver. Police have revealed that the 55-year-old appears to have driven his wife’s body six hours across Spain from their rented holiday home in Sotogrande just after Christmas. They managed to locate the body in woodland, near Alzira hospital, at the weekend. The couple had flown SAD ENDING: Yana Rose in happy times from America for a festive break touring around Europe, visiting I t a l y , France and Spain. It is not k n o w n exactly where they stayed, but they certainly made it to a luxury apartment in
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HUNT: FBI is on trail of Michael Martin H, pictured with Yana Sotogrande for Christmas when Yana’s mother Natalia spoke to her from America. But subsequent attempts to reach her daughter failed and when the elderly woman called her son-inlaw he claimed the couple had rowed and Yana had gone off to visit a friend in Valencia. He added that her phone was broken. “My daughter, Yana, hasn’t been in touch with me or anyone we know since December 27,” Natalia wrote in an online appeal. “She left after an argument with husband and has not come back since.” The friend, who she had allegedly gone to visit near Valencia, reported her missing at Abastos police station, on January 9. She told police that her friend, who is Russian, but has American citi-
Tel: 952 147 834
See pages 5 & 9
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zenship, had never arrived to stay. When police began to probe her whereabouts they found CCTV footage from the urbanization in Sotogrande showing Martin carrying something ‘very large and lumpy’ to his car, at 10pm, on December 27. Remarkably, they were able to locate the hire car company at Milan airport, which had kept GPS data for the couple’s entire holiday. This, in turn, showed that the husband had spent long periods, over several nights, parked up by the patch of woodland in the grounds of a derelict mansion near Alzira. Police quickly discovered the body buried in a shallow grave hidden under branches on Friday, January 21. It was naked and showed signs of bruising. A post mortem is expected to show she had been badly beaten about the head and face. Last night her mother Natalia told the Olive Press, she was ‘devastated’ with the death. She confirmed the photo of Michael and added: “I can’t comment as the investigation is live, but thanks for your sympathy.”
Shadier and shadier CORRUPTION in Spain has got worse, according to a new international transparency poll. The country has dropped one place in the annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI), seeing its rating go down from 62 to 61. Spain is now 34th in the table of 180 countries, coming far behind joint leaders Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, who score a rating of 88. The global table, compiled by Transparency International, is a highly-regarded measure of anti-corruption efforts. Each country’s score is a combination of at least 13 different corruption surveys and assessments, from bodies including the World Bank.
Illegal
Spain scored badly on the now accepted ‘illegal’ lockdowns during the Covid pandemic, as well as the availability of public information in regional and municipal bodies. South Sudan comes bottom with 11, followed by Syria and Somalia on 13. A spokesman insisted that a country like Spain in the world’s top 15 economies should not be scoring below 70 if it ‘wants to maintain its image and competitiveness’. The Olive Press revealed last issue that of the 50 least transparent town halls in Spain, the majority were in Andalucia, Valencia and Extremadura. Sanlucar de Barrameda came bottom scoring a disgraceful 2.47% in the transparency ranking, while Rojales had 4% and Coin 6.1%. Well over half of the 500 councils surveyed offered up less than 50% of the information expected to be available to its citizens. Opinion Page 6
2
CRIME
www.theolivepress.es
NEWS IN BRIEF Lost his trousers A SERIOUSLY ill 68-year-old former Guardia Civil officer suffering from a lung disease had his trousers and €270 cash stolen as he lay in the emergency room of a La Palma hospital.
Bad bouncer POLICE have arrested a nightclub bouncer who punched two clients, breaking the nose of one, after they were thrown out of the Palma premises.
Bad date COPS who raided a Chinese restaurant in Palma which they suspected held illegal gambling sessions closed the premises down when they found food in the kitchen that was several years out of date.
Catch that THE even more contagious Omicron variant BA.2 has been found in Palma. It is not known how dangerous it is, but is said to be highly transmissible.
A DRUNK Brit who grabbed a French woman’s bottom and ended up getting slapped twice for his trouble as his mates laughed at him, has had a fine piled on top of his humiliation. The unnamed 19-year-old man has been fined €180 for ‘coercion’ after the Magaluf incident. Things could have been worse for him though - the prosecutor had been asking for a fine of €3,240 for sexual abuse. But a judge in Pama decided on a less-
January 28th - February 10th 2022
DRUNK’S COMEUPPANCE er penalty, saying: “While the facts are criminally reprehensible, they lack the seriousness that underpin the offence of sexual abuse.” During the trial, held in September 2021, the man claimed not to remember what happened as he had been drinking with his friends. He said 'suddenly the girl slapped me twice and I apologised to her in case I
had upset her'. The French woman said she had arrived on the island the same day and she and her friends met some young men while they were at the swimming pool. “When I got out one of them came up to me and grabbed my bottom. At that moment he asked for forgiveness.” She admitted to slapping the boy twice, which was laughed at by his friends.
Collared Police snare one of Britain’s most wanted fugitives while he’s walking the dog IT seemed like the most innocuous stroll with his dog. But Josh Hendry’s evening constitutional turned into one of the most exciting police arrests in recent Costa history. For most likely unbeknown to him, the 30-year-old Marbella resident had only just been
named as one of Britain’s Most Wanted fugitives. In one of the fastest Crimestoppers foreign arrests in history, drug smuggler Hendry was picked up in San Pedro de Alcantara strolling with his dog. Wearing an olive green tracksuit, he was recognised by an
POLICE in Mallorca tracked down a driver speeding at 120km/h in a 40 zone after the feat was posted on tiktok. In the video uploaded to the popular social media site, the car is shown rocketing along Manacor’s Paseo Ferrocarril with the speedometer recording 120km/h. The zone, which is one of the busiest avenues in the island’s eastern
eagle-eyed off-duty policeman, who had watched the nationwide appeal for 12 wanted British felons just the day before. Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30, had been on the run for three years, after being convicted of trafficking heroin and cocaine. Hendry, from Liverpool, had gone on the run just days before his trial at Grimsby Crown Court in March 2019. He was one of the town, has a limit of 40. scheming masterThe video appeared to set a chalminds behind a big lenge for other drivers, urging drugs conspiracy to them to try out ‘the racetrack’ send €1.5 million of through Manacor. Police analysed drugs to Grimsby. the footage using a state of the art Of the 11 felons left, computer programme to prove the two of them are bespeed shown was authentic. lieved to have strong
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links to the Costa Blanca with Calum Allan and James Stevenson linked to Alicante and Asim Naveed to ‘mainland Spain’. Tom Dowdall, NCA Deputy Director of International, said: “This is a rapid result and it’s testimony to the power these appeals can have. “Whether it’s using tip-offs from the public, sharing intelligence or deploying specialist capabilities, UK law enforcement and our Spanish partners are working as one to trace and arrest the other 11 fugitives. If you know any of these men email newsdesk@ theolivepress.es or call 951 273 575 Opinion Page 6
Cocaine haul PALMA police have intercepted a yacht in the latest blow against a €100 million cocaine smuggling gang. The sailing boat 'Kayros' has been intercepted off the coast of Fuengirola (Malaga) by agents from Palma. An Ibizan and a Lithuanian were arrested. The boat, which is 13 metres long, was carrying a total of 600kg of cocaine in a hidden compartment. The action was part of Operation Rabbit, which had already seen six people arrested as part of a gang that smuggled drugs from the Caribbean to Mallorca. The prosecutor is demanding sentences totalling 84 years in prison for the arrested men.
No family love A MAN has been arrested after he took advantage of his brother-in-law’s absence on holiday to steal his car and burgle his house. The Palma man had given his house keys to his relative asking him to keep an eye on his property. On his return he found various items and his car missing, with no sign of a forced entry. He confronted his relative who returned the keys and car - minus its stereo.
NEWS
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Flaming tradition
Final whistle REAL Madrid and Spanish footballing great, Paco Gento, has died at the age of 88. The winger was part of the record-breaking Madrid side of the mid-fifties that won the European Cup five consecutive times. His colleagues in that side included the likes of Puskas and Di Stefano. Gento was the only Real Madrid player to have won Europe’s top club competition six times - the last time being in 1966. In his 16-year-career with Real, he played 600 games and scored 182 goals. He also received 43 Spanish international caps between 1959 and 1969.
A TRADITION where horses are spurred to leap through 20 flaming bonfires has been revived after a COVID break. Las Luminarias, which celebrates Spain’s patron saint of animals, San Anton, returned after the COVID-19 pandemic. This year the 200-year-old event saw 120 horses going through the cobbled village streets of San Bartolome de Pinares, near Avila. The strange ritual is in memory of a devastating epidemic that wiped out a large part of the area’s cattle and horses. The bonfire smoke from bonfires is meant to drive away evil spirits.
SIMPLY DAVINA
TV heartthrob Ricky Merino has told the Olive Press how he fell in love with British presenter Davina McCall the minute he set eyes on her. The actor, who has been presenting the dating show The Language of Love, revealed how they hit it off immediately. “It was love at first sight and we really connected from the beginning,” he admitted.
Passion
He added working with McCall on the Channel4 programme filmed on the Costa del Sol was a ‘dream come true’. “She was very funny and I really love her,” he continued about his time working on the reality game show, set near the white village of Casares. “She made things very easy for me. I met her online one
By Tallulah Taylor
month before we started filming and then I met her in Malaga two days before we began.” Getting a unique understanding of how foreign nationalities bond, the Spanish X Factor winner particularly stressed the importance of music. “One of the universal languages that really helps with love is music,” he explained. “You don't need to speak the same language to fall in love. You don't need to understand every single word to feel the connection, music is universal.” The show sees a dozen British and Spanish youngsters thrown together in a beautiful farmhouse, where they hope to find love without speaking the same language.
ROYAL SPLIT KING Felipe’s sister, Cristina, has split from her disgraced husband Iñaki Urdangarin by ‘mutual agreement’. It came just days after photos were published of him with another woman. Infanta Cristina and Urdangarin have been married since 1997. A magazine published pics of Urdangarin with a female co-worker during a stroll in the south of France, close to where he and his wife have a holiday home. Urdangarin later admitted that ‘these things happen’. The former Duke of Palma, was jailed for five years and 10 months for corruption in 2018. However, in June 2020, he was allowed out
HAPPIER TIMES: Wedding day due to good behaviour and converted his sentence to community work. The former Olympic handball player used his royal connections to win public contracts related to sports.
ESTUCO INTERIORS
Spanish star tells the Olive Press it was ‘love at first sight’ on meeting Davina McCall
SPACE INVADER: Ricky with Davina But Ricky explained that the Spanish men were a bit much for the British girls. “They don't care if they are going to be rejected,” he said. “Brits are more polite and respect space, while in Spain it's like an invasion. We want your space.” He added: “The British girls were really a bit overwhelmed.” He continued: “Spanish people are very close, very passionate. We love touching each other. We speak very loudly and we are too much”. Coming from Mallorca, Merino started learning English from a young age. “I met a lot of English people there so I’ve personally never felt the language barrier,” added the star, who is currently starring in a musical version of Ghost, in Madrid.
January 28th - February 10th 2022
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Home from home AN outbreak of COVID on the set of new movie The Mother, filming in Gran Canaria, allowed star Joseph Fiennes to fly back to spend time with his wife in Mallorca. The Shakespeare in Love actor, 51, is currently renovating a country home with his Spanish wife Maria Dolores Dieguez on the island. The pair have lived on and off Mallorca for nearly a decade and have two daughters together, with one born on the island. Dieguez is a photographer and has a studio in Palma.
Golden girls MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE actor Hayley Atwell, 39, has been taking it easy on holiday in Ibiza. She was mostly looking after her friend Lily Cole, 34, who arrived feeling unwell. The Cambridge graduate revealed she had got some ‘TLC’ from her friend and ‘good sleep’. The pals, who grew up in London, were staying at the new Six Senses hotel. Under a photo of the two lounging in their suite, Atwell wrote: “The golden light of female friendship. As within, so without.”
The Language of Love airs on Tuesdays at 10pm on Channel 4
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SOME of the biggest names in cycling are on the island for the five-day-Challenge Mallorca. The format is five individual races, which started on Wednesday. The Trofeo Calvia, a 154km hilly course from Peguera to Palmanova was dominated by American Brandon McNulty (pictured above) who made a 60km solo move to take the win. The sprinter friendly Trofeo Alcudia was held yesterday with the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana being held today and Trofeo Pollença tomorrow. The Trofeo Playa de Palma rounds off the events on Sunday. Riders taking part include Alejandro Valverde, McNulty, Max Schachmann and Giacomo Nizzolo.
1
Holy Hyena
THE Fira de Ram amusement park on Son Fusteret’s industrial state (Palma) is to be reopened after a two-year coronavirus break. The park has been closed since 2020, but it has now been confirmed that it will reopen on February 24 for the traditional Easter fair. Owners of the various attractions met with health officials yesterday (Thursday) to hammer out hygiene protocols for the reopening. The fair is expected to host 100 attractions from the mainland and 60 local ones.
THE bones of a giant prehistoric hyena have been found in Andalucia. The remarkable find in Orce, Granada, shows that hyenas were once as big as lions, weighing 120 kilos. A researcher from Malaga University, revealed that the studies have been ongoing at the site at Venta Micena for 30 years. Paul Palmqvist explained that the giant hyenas were ‘brutal’ in the way they dismembered and transported the corpses of their prey back to their dens.
Match up
Mijas Costa FREE
FIRE: devastated the
A BODY has been found in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The skeleton, found near Orgiva, is believed to be connected to a head found nearby in November. The gruesome find came close to the alternative expat commu-
EXCLUSIVE by Elena Goçmen Rueda
nity of Beneficio. The skeleton was found by a hiker wedged between rocks in a ravine as he stopped for a rest.
F1 cycling has been accompanying the 32-year-old on team training trips on the Balearic island. Bottas was Lewis Hamilton’s racing partner at Mercedes from 2017 until 2021.
“It appears to be a man, but we Police confirmed that a mountain rescue operation was launched shortly after the hiker, believed to be German, had contacted them. Due to the ‘complicated, hilly terrain’, it took a number of hours to extract all the bones. “It was not easy to get to, due to being at the bottom of a ravine,” added the spokesman. “We needed specialists to get to it.” He also confirmed speculation that the body was likely to be linked to a skull found by a Romanian woman, near a car park on November 18. The Olive Press revealed that the dog of the new age traveller,
OLIVE PRESS
Protection
ANDALUCÍA
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 15 Issue 383 www.theolivepress.e s December 1st - December
THE world's oldest man, Spaniard Saturnino de la Fuente, has died aged 112. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Garcia was named the oldest living man just four months ago when he was 112 years and 211 days old. Garcia, born in 1909, was just three weeks shy of his 113th birthday. ‘Pepino' from Puente Castro leaves behind seven children, 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Why is the Spanish church ignoring child abuse victims?
GRUESOME DISCOVERY
Sierra
Protect it!
HUNDREDS of protesters manded urgent protection have desouthern Spain’s most for one of endangered areas. They were backed by nearly groups and charities to insist50 protest the Sierra Bermeja mountain range is given ‘national park’ status, following a horrific fire this summer. The six-day blaze, which deliberately on Septemberwas started the life of a firefighter 8, claimed close to 10,000 hectares and ravaged of forest. The worst ecological damage saw the razing of over 3,000 rare trees which grow in only Pinsapo pine three areas of Spain and one in Morocco.
14th 2021
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
her dog before taking Campaigners want the area the kids to to be given school that the maximum environmental an expat got the most protec- incredible shock tion and resources for of her life. ment, in the hope thatforest manage- Wrapped up warmly duce the risk of wildfires.this would re- winter morning in the against the Alpujarras, Joaquin Araujo of Ecologistas near Granada, she had en Acno idea cion explained that the mountains and why Dragon started scratching nearby Genal Valley had been exploit- madly at the earth. ed for their water for decades. “They have been drained Horrified satiable golf courses whichto supply inunsuitable in our climate,are entirely Walking over she was ming pools and lush privatefor swim- fied to discover that horriin super luxury estates designedgardens man Shepherd cross the Gerhad dug for the up enjoyment of billionaires,” a skull that she immedihe said. He added it was time to ately knew unique character of the recognise the Initially was human. thinking it was a vicrange which is home to 37 species endemic to the tim of the Spanish Civil War, area. she later realised on returning A petition to demand action has got to retrieve it that it was more than 75,000 signatures. more recently deceased. much MYSTERY: Dragon The nearby Sierra de the dog dug up the awarded National Parklas Nieves was “It was definitely fresher and skull above the house, it probably belonged status earlier smelled quite a next to this tree (below) this year. to a victim lot,”
Mystery skull appears to have a body, after skeleton found near expat community
FINNISH Formula 1 racing driver Valtteri Bottas is training for the upcoming season with his new team Alfa Romeo by cycling on Mallorca's roads. Australian Tiffany Cromwell, a member of the Canyon–SRAM professional women's cycling team,
2
Old news
FUN RETURNS
Opinion Page 6
nian expat, who askedthe Romanamed, told the Olive not to be “My initial thoughtsPress. were that
in nearby from the Civil War, as there were A patrol Orgiva. many people executed car in this scene, by the was quickly on the region and buried in new age settlement unmarked of Beneficio, graves. near Canar, where the expats live. “But when I After picked it up age, taking the bag for safe storthey went with her to visit later and put macabre the site, which sits just below it into a plas- the tic bag to stop tive main car park of the alternaDragon from Theycommunity. chewing it, I found looked around and, oddly, knew it was There no further bones or remains. was no sign of clothes much more re- any or other personal items, cent.” nor any signs The mother-of- Expatsof a struggle. told the Olive Press they two, who has had ALSO IPTV, lived in Spain that initially believed the head was SATELLITE TV for 11 years, Linda,of a Dutch woman named ing’ Dutch woman and was ‘most who had an abusive had soon got ner part- likely’ a man in his 40s. and “The Judicial Police a teenage son. tel: (0034) 952 763 840 the father of “She have taken had very distinctive her info@theskydoctor.com teeth over the investigation and it has children and to contact the it waswe immediately suspected now been taken to a laboratory in www.theskydoctor.com Linda,” said one. “She Sevilla for its study,” he Guardia Civil, in strange left said. circumstances and we were worried about her.” Missing A spokesman for the “DNA will be extracted Guardia Civil con- leased to the Missing and refirmed the discovery Persons to database within the See page 32 the Olive Press and annext two nounced an investiga- months.” tion had been launched. He added: “We can assure you However, he denied that that it is not Linda, who is safe and it belonged to the ‘miss- sound and living in a commune elsewhere in Europe.”
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FLASHBACK: December 1 issue Dragon, had found the head on a walk. It was located just yards from where dozens of expat travellers spent much of the year, near the village of Canar. The expat had initially thought it was a victim of the civil war, but on retrieving the head realised it was much more recently deceased. “It was definitely fresher and smelled quite a lot,” she revealed. The mystery over the body and head still remains.
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January 28th February 10th 2022
FILMING OVER LEMONS Seminal expat book to be made into TV drama about ‘misadventures’ in Spain
HIS books recounting the trials and tribulations of living offplan in southern Spain have enthralled and inspired millions of readers around the globe. Now Chris Stewart’s best-seller Driving Over Lemons is set for the big screen. The story of the hapless Englishman, the original drummer of rock band Genesis, who chucked it all in to be a farmer, will be dramatised in a TV series. His autobiographical tomes, that stretch to four books, recount numerous misadventures as he and wife Ana set about building a life at a tumbledown finca in the Alpujarras area of Granada.
EXCLUSIVE By Fiona Govan
They chart their journey to self-sufficiency as the couple navigate rural customs, wily locals, and the forces of nature to become a valued part of the local community.
Daydreaming
“The story intrigued us from the start - so many of us have daydreamed about uprooting our lives for sunnier climes,” explained scriptwriter Dan Sefton of Seven Seas Films. “His tales of the reality of doing this has provided the most brilliant story filled with humour,
CHALLENGE: Stewart family approaching el Valero farm miscommunication, inspiration, challenges, and gratitude. And all set against the gorgeous Andalucian backdrop. I think
Arson suspicion
Fine up
ARSON is suspected after five cars were gutted and 15 damaged by fire in a car park at Es Saluet in Andratx port. The blaze sparked several explosions waking residents in the early hours of yesterday morning. Flames had engulfed one car at the entrance to the port, and spread to four other vehicles. Police and fire chiefs are investigating the cause, but believe an arsonist may have been responsible as flames spread so quickly.
FED up after having to clear 4,000 abandoned vehicles from the streets in just three years, Palma council has nearly doubled the fine for dumping your car. It will now cost a maximum €3,000, up from €1,600 after council officials complained that they had to store vehicles for at least three months before they could be scrapped or auctioned off.
audiences will fall for its charm, as much as we have.” He added it would make for ‘captivating television’. No details have yet been released on who might be given the role of Chris, Ana or their daughter Chloe but filming will take place on location in the Alpujarras during 2022. The Olive Press has frequently visited (and stayed) at the amazing farm, el Valero, hidden in a fold of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and only reachable on foot. Stewart, a keen environmentalist, has also written a number of hard-hitting pieces on sustainability and corruption in Spain.
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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 NOT GOOD ENOUGH LAST edition we reported on how dismal many of Spain’s town halls are when it comes to transparency. And now comes the confirmation that Spain is getting worse when it comes to corruption. The country has fallen to 34th position in the annual Transparency International poll with just 61 points. OK, this is a lot better than Sudan on 11 points but way behind New Zealand and Denmark - both with smaller economies than Spain - on 88 points. There is no acceptable reason for this. Most authorities here are simply stuck in the past when it comes to openness and talking to the public. They actually like secrecy. It all, of course, links back to the Franco years. The 37 years of dictatorship may have ended decades back but some regrettable attitudes linger on. Too often these seem to include ‘just do what you’re told’ and ‘don’t ask questions’. They also involve an incredibly slow and faceless justice system. For a modern democracy with the 14th biggest economy in the world it is simply not good enough.
T
NEWS FEATURE
HE Vox candidate for Castilla y Leon, Juan Garcia Gallardo stands mask-free on the podium in the regional capital’s Plaza de la Universidad. He is 30 years old and has been in the news for deleting tweets about qays in football and how women have the easy life, or words to that effect. Alongside him stands party leader Santiago Abascal, who’s here at the mid-January rally to kick off Vox’s regional election campaign. Abascal is on his usual sparkling form, bellowing out statements and generally rebel rousing. In particular, he insists the only time Covid was out of the headlines was when they were focussing on his candidate Garcia’s tweets.
EYES PEELED IT’S awful to think one of them might live next door or could be sitting on the next table enjoying a beer. But there is a very good reason why the authorities regularly team up to appeal for help to catch Britain’s Most Wanted fugitives in Spain. Sadly the majority of Brits who go on the run come to Spain, where it is easy to blend in without much effort among the large expat communities along the coast. We may have come a long way since the days where there was no extradition treaty between the UK and Spain and the sunny climes of the Costa del Crime became a haven for hardened criminals on the lam. But these days it is still possible to hide in plain sight, and police increasingly rely on tip offs from the general public to help nab a dangerous array of offenders. The latest mugshots include murderers, drug dealers and armed robbers. Thankfully one of the 12 caught last week was nabbed due to one officer’s eagle eyes. Keep your eyes peeled for the others.
PESADO
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Could an anti-abortion, anti-immigration party - and whose following is three quarters male - somehow get into power in Spain, asks Heather Galloway as regional elections loom
And he’s anything but done. He adds that the pandemic has been used, plain and simple, as a device to mask Spain’s real problems, which include immigration and the rights of young people over those from the LGBTQ lobby. And then there’s the soaring energy prices, the elitist sustainable development Agenda 30, driven, he says, by China, as well as, let’s not forget, the recent government attack on the livestock industry. There is a long list of beefs, not only with the PSOE government and its radical left wing partners, but also with the conservative PP party, who Abascal claims are
You Que?
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
YEAR OF
I
HIJO
o conclude the topic of family terms in Spanish, the word hijo meaning ‘son’ and hija meaning ‘daughter’ are real terms of familiarity in Spain. Generally used by older people referring to younger acquaintances, it’s a word similar to ‘love’ or ‘sweetheart’ in English but shows perhaps even more affection and concern. You can add on a possessive mío at the end to get really intimate. Example No, hijo mío, no he visto tus llaves por aquí. No, my son, I haven’t seen your keys around here.
f there’s any word that best encapsulates Spain’s love of family – and especially for one’s mother – it’s captured in the verb desmadrar. Literally it means to ‘de-mother’. It can describe separating a baby animal from its parent but more commonly means ‘to ruin’, ‘to mess up’ and even ‘to fall apart’. Cute, right?
they are now predicted to get as many as ten berths in parliament in elections next month. The mid-January polls put the party on an alarming 20.5%, up from 10.3% in the November 2019 general elections. If they do well in Castilla and, later
Nine genius Spanish words you just can’t translate into English, writes Josh Parfitt
L
EARNING a language is a lot like spraining an ankle: it’s painful and takes ages to get better. But every language learner will hit a tipping point when suddenly they jump and shout for joy. S o m e say it happens when you first dream in a foreign language.
T If you’ve ever tried to find the word for ‘annoying’ in Spanish you might have seen pesado. Literally, though, the word just means ‘heavy’. But this works in the word’s favour especially when someone’s energy is stifling a situation or just bringing everyone down. The best part is in feeling the weight just lift off your shoulders with this satisfying insult. Example Dame el mando ya, ¡pesado! Give me the remote now, annoying person!
‘socialists in disguise’. The crowd is stoked. There are around 1,000 people cheering and chanting (5,000, according to Vox) in this, Europe’s largest region and one of its least populated. Vox has gained ground in Castilla y Leon since 2019. From one seat,
Others say it’s the pride of correctly insulting someone. But more often than not it occurs as you spit out a word in your native tongue and get stuck. Not because your brain has had enough, but because there’s just no translation for the foreign word you’re trying to say. The word has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. (See what we did there?) Here are nine genius words in Spanish that just don’t mean the same thing in English.
The word to, ahem, use the bathroom has an incredibly rich range of uses without verging into swear word territory. A terrible situation can be a cagada or a ‘pooing’ for example, while a cagado is a fantastic way of referring to a terrified person. It captures the essence of when English people say they ‘wet themself’ with fear, but with a little more oomph. Example No ha mirado su cuenta bancaria aún, esta cagado de miedo. He can’t bring himself to check his bank account yet, he’s pooing with fear.
BOCACHANCLAS
B
ocachanclas is a fantastic word that literally means ‘flip-flop mouth’. It’s akin to the English ‘chatterbox’ except that the association with flipflops add in an extra air
CAGADO
Except that desmadre or ‘unmothering’ has since come to mean ‘rampage’ in Spanish and particularly when referring to an incredible night out. Example ¡Vaya desmadre que tuvimos anoche! Que dolor de cabeza. What a mental unmothering we had last night! I’ve a stinking headache.
COTILLA
DESMADRE
January 28th - February 10th 2022
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FORGING AHEAD
T
HE green shoots of recovery are starting to sprout after the pandemic. Those of us in the newspaper world are among the first to notice economic recovery. How’s that? Well, major advertisers come back on board as they seek to capitalise on the early signs of growth. In recent weeks we have welcomed significant campaigns from key clients such as McArthur Glen, the European Cricket Network and Mijas Town Council. A trio of big insurance companies, Liberty Seguros, Abbygate and Linea Directa have also just committed for the year ahead. Specsavers has done the same. These are major players and they take their advertising seriously. Above all, they expect bang for their buck and recognise that a solid media group like the Olive Press is an excellent place to spend their marketing budget.
Top of
HORDES: A rally of thousands in Valladolid, which comes as Vox is predicted to get 20% of the vote this year, in Andalucian elections, they will not only occupy key regional positions of power, but will also have a chance of entering government after the general elections next year. As a party - which counts 76% of its voters as men - it primarily wants
lower taxes, a pared down welfare state and donation-only funding for political parties. What do their voters think? The Olive Press spoke to a couple. The first, Alejandro, who prefers not to use his full name, is keen to see a change in the political system.
EMPANADO
E
mpanado is a word you’ll find on menus as it means ‘breaded’ (think schnitzel). Yet you wouldn’t want anyone calling you empanado in Spain. It’s usually hurled as an insult for anyone distracted, away with the fairies, momentarily blocked for ideas or just a confused soul. Once you know it, the visual imagery of a person’s head all breaded over is too delicious to forget. Example ¡Oye empanado, que te vas a chocar contra la pared! Hey stupid, you’re about to walk into the wall!
of cheapness and uncleanliness. An extremely satisfying insult that can also be shared among friends. Example ¡Cállate ya que estoy conduciendo, bocachanclas! Shut up while I’m driving, flip-flop mouth! If there’s one activity everyone’s grandma is up to in Spain it’s curtain-twitching. Spying on other people and gossiping about it after are so popular in Spain that both activities only need one verb: cotillear. The word you’d call a gossip or curtain-twitcher is cotilla. There’s even a popular gossip mag in Spain called Cotilleo or ‘gossip’ who’s byline unashamedly reads ‘we are gossips by hobby and by profession’. Example Para ya de espiar la nueva piscina de los vecinos, ¡que cotilla que eres! Stop spying on the neighbour’s new pool, you’re such a curtain-twitcher!
Y
CHUNGO
ou won’t get very far in Spain without knowing the word chungo. It’s one of many Roma words commonly used in Castilian Spanish, and literally means ‘disgusting’ or ‘repulsive’. However you’ll hear Spaniards turning to the word at the first
C
COCHINO
ochino is a word that in some Spanish-speaking countries means ‘pig’ but in Spain can be an affectionate way to call someone messy or unkempt. Okay, you can use it to call someone downright disgusting too, don’t worry. It’s a word you might often hear dog owners calling their pets in the sense of ‘mucky pup’ when they roll their muck all over your bed sheets. But it can also be used to describe a generally dirty establishment or to gossip about other people’s hygiene. Example ¿Has visto que cochinos tiene sus niños esa tía? Have you seen how dirty that woman’s children are?
sight of any troubling or tricky situation. Example ¿Que chungo las obras no? ¿En pleno verano encima? How terrible the roadworks no? And in the middle of summer?
“For starters, the politicians in ‘Spain is crap’ while Red Cross Vox all had jobs before getting volunteers danced around them. into politics, or assets or inheri“I saw it on the TV,” she insists. tances at least,” he says. “Not your TV. This isn’t shown on “They don’t need the money Spanish TV. We have to put up and want to eliminate the public with these kinds of things and funding of parties. We’re talking many people are fed up.” about millions in taxes.” When we drill it down she conHe is also a keen pro-lifer, like firms she watched it on EDATV, Vox, which believes that women an uncensored TV platform used have no rights over the life inside by Vox. them. This sort of propaganda and “It’s not about the woman’s a series of bulos or fake news body,” he continues. “The fetus stories (see example below) are doesn’t belong to them. It’s anonly further accentuating the other life and abortion is never truth and spreading lies. Despite okay.” this, Abascal is unrepentant and And even in rape cases he bein full denial at this month’s rally. lieves it is wrong. “When you talk “We are the party of truth and to women who have been raped dignity,” he cries at the Valladoand have the kid, they are usulid meeting. But where does the ally happy with that child. That truth lie? speaks to the The right accuse power of life,” he the left of ‘an insists. ideological dicThe fetus Sonia Organista tatorship’ and doesn’t belong of being fascists meanwhile, is one of the rare while the left acto them. female supportcuse the right of ers of the party, the exact same Abortion is having previously thing. never okay been a PP voter. It’s not the first The PP today is time Spain’s pol‘too soft’ for her itics have been and she supports Vox’ plans to this polarised, but it may be the abolish the gender violence laws. first time that the right is, ironiAbove all, she likes the party’s cally using the term ‘Nazi’ to vilify stance on illegal immigration, their political opponent. which is extremely strict and The worry is the divides are growsupports repatriation. ing and the far right is on the She believes Spain is facing march, and, let’s not forget that a Muslim cultural takeover. “I Trump made it into the White can’t say Happy Christmas anyHouse and Brexit happened more. I have to say Happy Holiamid all this migrant furore. days. But the Muslims can still So will Vox really have a shot at say hala-hala-hala,” she tells parliament? the Olive Press, referring to the As extreme right specialist and recent European Commission’s historian Xavier Casals told the internal guidelines for staff. Olive Press this week: “My only She claims she’s even seen forecast in politics is that you newly-arrived illegal immigrants can’t make a forecast.” with mobile phones costing €700, then refusing to eat the See online, 8 times fact macaroni they were offered checkers caught Vox lies in by rescue workers and singing 2021 Vox Vice-President Jorge Buxade recently reeled off a list of crimes allegedly committed by immigrants of a predominantly north African origin with no time frame and no mention, according to the National Institute of Statistics, that these would be a fraction of those committed by Spaniards. African immigrants, for example, were responsible for 8.9% of sexual assaults last year while Spaniards accounted for 73.4%. In the case of homicides, 6.6% were attributable to Africans and 75% to Spaniards.
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8
GREEN
www.theolivepress.es
January 28th - February 10th 2022
THE SPANISH EXTINCTION
SPAIN is the European country with the most plants and animals at risk of extinction, according to a new analysis. Data from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species show a staggering one in seven species (14.51%) in Spain are categorised as being under threat of disappearing. Spain was trailed by Greece with 14.24% of species under threat of extinction, followed by Portugal with 11.64% and Italy with 11.35%. Though the report suggests half of Spain's threatened species are suffering from agriculture – and over a third from residential and commercial construction – Spain's top spot is not totally down to manmade factors. Spain was also the country with the largest number of species registered for the study (7,549) and with the most endemic species of any European nation (1,297 or 19.77%) According to Jose Luis Postigo, a researcher from the University of Malaga, the number of threatened species is directly related to the total number of species in a country. He said that as the Spanish mainland is on a peninsula,
Killer Plastic A GIANT fin whale found beached in Estepona probably died from ingesting plastic, it is believed. The 70 tonne mammal most likely ate too much plastic, believe experts from the Center for the Recovery of Marine Species in Malaga. The team are also probing the death of three dolphins in Malaga, as well as others in Torremolinos, Marbella and Nerja.
Duck quacks back SPAIN'S Marbled Duck population is bouncing back after serious concerns about its decline. Falling numbers in the 2010s led to the official declaration of the species as being of ‘critical conservation importance’ in 2018. In 2021, 105 females accompanied by 759 chicks were recorded during the breeding season, distributed mainly in Andalucia (50.4%) and Valencia (38.1%). The Balearic Islands and Castilla-La Mancha had nine and three breeding females respectively. The positive results are viewed as outstanding especially with the scarcity of water in Andalucia’s natural wetlands during 2021.
Wildlife in danger as plants and animals face dying out it’s more likely that species are specialised and hence under higher threat of extinction as they aren't found elsewhere.
The Iberian Lynx is faring much better going from 94 cats in 2002 to a healthy 900 today.
It is crystal clear we are not moving fast enough since since COP-26
Green
WHEN WILL THE PENNY FINALLY DROP? I T’S now over 2 months since the COP-26 conference concluded in Glasgow. Have the many declared and promised actions been implemented? The UN climate summit ended with calls on governments to return this year with tougher pledges to slash greenhouse gas emissions. Nations made new pledges on methane gas pollution, deforestation, coal financing, as well as long awaited rules on carbon trading and a notable US-China deal. When the curtain fell in Glasgow, climate scientists, legal experts and some politicians argued that the promised actions would only result in incremental progress and be inadequate in addressing the real severity of the climate crisis. As I have written before in this column, in my opinion nowhere near enough has been done. As Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute said: “While we are not on track, the progress made over the last year and at the COP-26 summit offer bright spots. The real test now is whether countries accelerate their efforts and turn commitments into action.” I couldn’t agree more. I hate to say ‘I told you so,’ but I told you so. COP-26 became a public relations exercise. I agree with what the International Executive Director of Greenpeace, Jennifer Morgan wrote. She said: “It’s meek, it’s weak and the 1.5C goal is only just alive.” Part of the feel good factor that came from COP-26 centered around the US President’s commitments with his Build Back Better Plan. He now faces legislative gridlock with his bill containing $2 trillion of spending on social and environmental initiatives. Biden can pursue his climate agenda without legislation through rules and regulations. BUT those can be undone by subsequent presidents, as demonstrated
by Biden reversing the Trump administration rules, that in turn rolled back protections put into place by Barack Obama. Even with the Build Back Better bill, engineers at Princeton University have stated that there is a ‘yawning gap’ between where US emissions are today and where they need to be to hit President Biden’s climate targets. The UK government recently admitted that its efforts to insulate the UK from climate change impacts have been inadequate. Ministers agree they’ll have to go much further and faster to curb the worst impacts. Tell us something we don’t know! Of course everyone agrees with this. But where is the action? Inadequate finance from the Treasury will result in failure. Not just in the UK but everywhere. In the last UK budget, the Chancellor did not mention climate change once. Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “It’s crystal clear that we are moving nothing like fast enough to net zero emissions and the longer we delay, the more it will cost. The government acknowledges the risks. We have yet to see the action plan that will deal with them.” It’s almost like a comedy scene from Yes Minister. The difference is; this isn’t funny. When will the penny finally drop? Look at just some of the compelling evidence that results from World leader’s inaction:
● The past 7 years are the hottest on record (EU satellite data). ● The amount of warming gases in our atmosphere continue to increase. ● Last summer was the warmest ever in Europe. ● In Sicily, 48.8C was reported, breaking Europe’s record for the highest temperature by 0.8C.
● Australian bushfires spread fast and wild. ● Green snow in Antarctica. Parts of Antarctica are turning green due to climate change and the bloom of snow algae. ● The hot temperature in the eastern and central Mediterranean was followed by intense wildfires in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. ● Huge floods devastated parts of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. ● Methane levels continued to rise in 2021 compared to 2020. (Methane is more potent than CO2). I could add many more to this list. It was bitterly disappointing that the COP-26 delegates left in their executive jets without setting up a fund to actually help people who suffer permanent loss from climate change. The aspirational rhetoric that came from COP-26 is exactly that. Scientists confirm that we are on track to see temperatures rise by more than 2.4C this century. I’ve said it before,and I’m sure I’ll have to say it again….. WAKE UP WORLD.
Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es
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Matters
By Martin Tye
LA CULTURA A turnip for the books
Strokes of genius
SOME 18 Spanish artists have been named in the top 100 world-wide for murals. They are street artists who work alongside town halls to spread messages of inclusion, celebrating the elderly, reducing electricity consumption and promoting feminisim. Their work paints life and colour into otherwise empty walls and structures. The Street Art Cities website has combed the world for the most striking murals and named 18 works in Spain in the top 100. People can now vote for their favourites from the short list to come up with the top 10.
Woman takes traditionally male role in centuriesold fiesta that features root vegetables THE first woman Jarramplas has been named in a bizarre turnip throwing fiesta. The country has a whole host of odd fiestas, from jumping over babies during El Colacho in Burgos province to the gigantic flour and egg battle of El Enfarinats in Alicante. The January festival of Jarramplas is no less weird as it involves one lucky resident running through the streets dressed in rags and a devilish mask while crowds pelt him or her with turnips.
Rob
SUPERB: Foxy mural
The centuries-old tradition takes place each January in the town of Piornal in Spain’s agricultural Extremadura region. It is said to be a re-enactment of an incident far back in the annals of time when a thief came to the town to rob cattle but was thwarted by the townsfolk who saw him off using turnips as projectiles.
By Fiona Govan
These days the thief is represented by a devil-like figure in a costume that includes protective armour beneath the rags topped by a mask with long horns. Portraying the Jarramplas, who runs through the street banging a drum, is considered a great honour with a waiting list running until
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9
Too little too late
IT may be a little too late for them, but Catalunya is set to honour and dignify the memory of women persecuted and hanged for witchcraft by naming streets after them. Catalunya has a haunting history of witchcraft in the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, with 400 women estimated to have been hanged. If as expected a resolution is approved this week in the Catalan parliament, then local councils will be able to change their street names to honour the women.
LOOK TO THE STARS WORK on building the EU’s largest planetarium is set to start in Malaga. The finished construction will have a dome 27 metres in diameter with a capacity of 400 people. The project’s promoters, headed by astrophysicist Alberto Castro-Tirado, have revealed that work will start this year on a plot of 8,811 square metres between the Plaza Mayor and Bahía Blanca shopping centres, next to the A-7 motorway. The large dome will show films on a variety of leisure and science themes, as well as planetarium sessions with recreations of the night sky at different times and places. Equipped with 8K technology and a surround sound system, Malaga Planetarium is scheduled to open in 2023, with an estimated annual number of more than 250,000 visitors.
IN A PERFECT WORLD
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2047. This year Maria Hernando, 27, made history as the first female Jarramplas in the history of Piornal when she donned the 50kgs suit. Her father had taken the role decades before and offered her some advice: “My father told me: Keep going straight ahead, look under the mask and stride down the middle of the street with a firm step.”
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LA CULTURA
January 28th - February 10th 2022
LAYING DOWN THE LAW T
FIGHTERS: Men from the International Brigades arriving at Jarama
HE Battle of Jarama in February 1936 during the Spanish Civil War served as a brutal reality check for the anti-fascist volunteer army known as the International Brigades. Most of the fighters lacked military experience, having been drawn to the war because of their political convictions, and attempting to hold back the professionally-trained Spanish army bolstered by troops from Germany and Italy proved deadly for many. But one man from the American volunteer force, known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, did have military experience. Oliver Law, a 36-year-old veteran of World War I, impressed his colleagues with his skill and bravery in the battle. Afterwards, he earned a promotion to commander of the brigade’s machine gun company. And when the brigade’s commander Martin Hourihan fell ill, the soldiers turned to Law to lead them. In just six short months, he had risen from soldier to commander, in doing so becoming the first black American ever to lead integrated American troops. Such a rise would not have been possible had Law been fighting with the US military, which remained segregated until after World War II and barred African
OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 7 Disappear forever (6) 8 School divisions (6) 9 Kind of rock (4) 10 Centre of the English Riviera (7) 11 Pair of loose trousers upheld by a drawstring (6) 13 Residence (5) 15 Instagram shot (3) 17 Entangle (5) 18 Unfathomable (6) 20 Prepared to land a plane (7) 21 Tagged along (4) 22 Of the back (6) 23 “Honey, I --- the Kids” (1989 film) (6)
OP SUDOKU
Down 1 Kind of chapel (8) 2 Unbudging (4) 3 London Marathon theme tune (3,4) 4 Graph (5) 5 Commuter country (8) 6 Kind of flare pistol (4) 12 Alter a magazine cover photo (8) 14 “Bulldog”, created by Sapper (8) 16 Most unfriendly (7) 19 Cunningly (5) 20 “Terrific!” (4) 21 “Dead ---” (Dick Francis novel) (4)
All solutions are on page 12
How a black American soldier became the first to lead an integrated battalion during the Spanish Civil War, writes Shannon Chaffers
HERO: Oliver Law died leading his men in the battle against fascism Americans from serving at the highest ranks. Law was acutely aware of this discrimination. Born in Texas in 1900, he joined the U.S. army as a teenager, and fought in France during World War I. Although he stayed in the military after the war, he was prevented from rising beyond the rank of corporal. So he left the army in 1925 and traveled north, ending up in Chicago. When the Great Depression hit, though, Law found himself unemployed. Frustrated by the labour shortage and lack of government assistance during this time, he joined the local Communist Party, setting him on the path to fighting in Spain. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, America and many other Western democracies adopted a non-interventionist policy. This left the Soviet Union as the Spanish Republican forces’ lone major ally, and they put out a call for volunteers across the world to come and fight. Around that time, Law’s activism in the Communist Party involved protesting Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia under Mussolini. So when he heard that these same forces were helping to assert fascism in Spain, Law, along with 2,800 other Americans, 90 of them African American, decided to fight back. They joined over 30,000 men and women from 52 countries
who made their way to Spain to them as heroes like those who form the International Brigades. fought in World War II. Law and his American com- Instead, those who made it rades arrived in January 1937, back were treated with suspiand Law was made commander cion due to their communist in June. leanings, and became targets Unfortunately, he only held this of the FBI. position for a few weeks as he And although the city of Chicadied just west of Madrid at the go recognised Law by declaring Battle of Brunete in July. November 21st Oliver Law Day According to those who were in 1987, he is still a largely with him, Law died as he fought: overlooked figure in American fearlessly. history. Fellow soldier Harry Fisher ex- His legacy has faced a similar plained that he fate in Spain. ran across a hill, During Franco’s known as Mosreign, the governThe American quito Ridge, wavment promoted a ing his men tosimplified story wards the enemy. government did of the Civil War “He was the not see them as favouring the first man over fascists, and the heroes on their ‘pact of forgetthe top... he [did not] attempt to ting’ instituted return protect himself, after his death and in a matter meant the speof seconds, macifics of the war chine-gun fire ripped into him,” were largely swept under the Fisher recalled. carpet. The war ended two years later While many on the left today in defeat for the Republicans, celebrate the Brigades, those but it was only the precursor for on the right have a less favorthe coming international fight able view so it remains a conagainst fascism. tentious topic. World War II saw the USA and One author, Pablo Durá, has atthe other western democracies tempted to elevate the history, officially enter the fray, ultimate- recently publishing a graphic ly succeeding in defeating Hitler novel telling the story of Law and Mussolini’s forces. and the International Brigades. Although Law and his col- He said: “If this graphic novel leagues were pioneers in this can help and play a small part fight against fascism, the Amer- in keeping the memory of those ican government did not see who came to Spain [to fight] alive, I’d be very happy.” Indeed Law’s story is certainly one worth telling. As his fellow troop member Steve Nelson said at a celebration of their acts in Spain in 1986, ‘it is important that we recognise now that it was an historic moment – a black man was placed in charge of a largely white unit for the first time in U.S. history. We want the world to share in the pride that we feel’. BRAVE: Some of these men may have had just days to live
HEALTH
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January 28th - February 10th 2022
GET FIT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM Want to avoid COVID? There are so many online fitness options to help get your body in shape after the festive excesses, writes Jo Chipchase
Fitness The range of fitness training options on social networks and Google Play is limitless – catering for every device from TV to laptop and android phone to Apple watch. You’ll find everything from classes of Pilates to abdominal exercises and Zumba routines to HIIT (high intensity) training. A good starting point is the list of 50 fitness channels compiled by Insure4Sport.
While a pair of good fitness YouTubers to check out are Fitness Marshall, who has adapted pop songs into cardio dance routines, and Lucy Wyndham-Read, an ex-army corporal who offers handy 10-minute HIIT classes for busy people. You can also follow fitness trainers on Facebook. A resource called Siéntete Joven (Feel Young) has an impressive 1,728,334 followers. It offers many forms of exercise and is popular with the 50-plussers. Other popular links to check out are Glo.com, Dailyburn.com and Gaia.com. Although online fitness classes are comprehensive, they’re not perfect for everyone. We tried a fitness app called ‘Lose Belly Fat’. Although the app was easy to follow, the daily routines became repetitive.
Spinning Spinning is one discipline that has sorted the motivation issue, by creating online communities featuring group rides and leaderboards. The Olive Press tried a Peloton bike and was impressed by the range of classes – it’s so addictive!
However, Peleton isn’t yet marketed in Spain, where the main option is currently Volava bike. This exercise hobby isn’t cheap – the static bikes cost €1,195, or €549 for the lower model, and a year’s subscription costs €400. Zwift offers ‘200km of roads across five worlds’, and competitive online cycling challenges, for €14.99 per month. However, there’s a catch - you need to buy a special support to keep your normal bike stationary, or buy a static bike, and a smart device to run the program. It’s cheaper to buy a normal static bike and search for ‘free spinning class’ on YouTube. Most providers upload some free content, but you must buy membership to access the premium rides.
Outdoor trails Those who prefer to ride outside can download the ‘Strava’ GPS cycling and running app. You can track your routes, join challenges, share photos and follow friends, which helps with motivation. As with many apps, the premium features are unlocked by paying for membership. Strava could conceivably be adapted for horse rides.
Yoga Everyone and their pet dog seem to be into Yoga these days. Literally! It’s a discipline that you can do at home or in an outdoor beauty spot. A popular YouTube channel is ‘Yoga with Adriene’ – accompanied by her cute dog. Adriene has recently uploaded a free 30-day class that is suitable for newcomers. For your smartphone, the ‘Down Dog’ app
has an impressive 4.9 Is online exercise rating on for you? Google Play. It features PROS 60,000 dif3 Usually costs less ferent contha sical classes, with men phy figurations mbershi p sta rting at 3 euros per to avoid month r e p e t i t i ve 3 No Covid risk wo rko u t s , 3 Convenient – no nee is begindress in your best active d to wear ner-friendor drive to a gym ly, and memberCONS ship costs 3 Lack of motivation / around abandon a boring cla easy to €10 per 3 The spinning bik ss e options month. are expensive 3 Risk of injury if you Also popudo the exercises wrong. lar is ‘Asana Rebel’, w h i c h creates a daily plan based on your personal aims and includes nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep advice. It weighs in at around three euros per month. Novices might also like the free app, ‘Yoga for Beginners – Workouts for the mind and body’. With online yoga, it’s important to do the asanas (stretches) correctly to avoid hurting yourself. Says qualified yoga teacher trainer, Amy: “I don’t do online training. There’s just so much that can go wrong. I teach anatomy, so I am aware of potential issues.”
Diet
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OP Puzzle solutions
Quick Crossword
Across: 7 Perish, 8 Houses, 9 Glam, 10 Torquay, 11 Pyjama, 13 Abode, 15 Pic, 17 Snare, 18 Opaque, 20 Circled, 21 Came, 22 Dorsal, 23 Shrunk. Down: 1 Wesleyan, 2 Firm, 3 The Trap, 4 Chart, 5 Suburbia, 6 Very, 12 Airbrush, 14 Drummond, 16 Coldest, 19 Slyly, 20 Cool!, 21 Cert.
SUDOKU
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ITH Spring just around the corner, it’s not long until beach season arrives. Although a bikini body is – in all fairness - any type of body in swimwear, it’s natural to want to trim up beforehand. Now is the ideal time to focus on your health and fitness. If you don’t fancy joining local exercise classes because of COVID you can do it online. The Olive Press has found fitness classes and apps to suit readers of all abilities, that can be done in the privacy of your home, or outdoors in our beautiful Spanish countryside.
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL FUN ON HOLD
January 28th - February 10th 2022
13
Bright future
THE Baleares are hoping for a tourism boost after the UK scrapped all travel restrictions for vaccinated people in the UK. Boris Johnson made the announcement that from 4am on February 11 people will no longer need to show a negative COVID test, as long as they have been fully vaccinated. Now leading British tour operators and airlines to Mallorca have reported a surge in booking from that date which is just before the British school half term holiday.
Travel
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said: “The relaxation of travel restrictions gives confidence to our customers. We are looking forward to a good summer.” ABTA chief executive Mark Tenzer said: “The announcement by Boris Johnson is a great step forward in getting travel back to normal. Many families looking to go abroad will see their vacations become cheaper. It will be a great boost to the industry's recovery.” Austria has joined the UK in this decision, meaning there will also be an increase of tourists from central Europe. The president of the Hotel Association of Playa de Palma,
Two of Spain’s most famous carnivals postpone festivities TENERIFE and Cadiz have decided to postpone their famous carnivals until June. The festivities, previously scheduled for February, have had to be postponed due to an increase in the number of COVID infections on the island. Municipal sources suggest a possible date between June 4 and 26. They will have a format of contests and galas that will take place outdoors
BAD HAM: Poor quality
By Elena Goçmen Rueda
rather than indoors, but for now, parades and street parties are not being considered. The Tenerife and Cadiz carnivals are the most famous in Spain and attract wall-to-wall television coverage every year. The Cadiz carnival is said to have its origins in the 15th century when
MALLORCA has been named as the world’s top destination of 2022 by travel review website TripAdvisor. The biggest of the Balearic Islands tops the ranking of ‘trending destinations’ in the 2022 Travellers Choice Awards beating other island hotspots such as Tulum in Mexico and the Greek Island of Santorini for the top spot. The website describes Mallorca as ‘dreamy’ with ‘beaches and coves, a spectacular mountain range, romantic fishing villages and a rustic countryside dotted with almond and olive groves’.
Fake ham probe
ing often satirical songs lampooning politicians and well known figures. Internationally, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife festivities are second only to those held in coastline and 50 beaches. Rio de JaneiAs well as plenty of restaurants ro and attract and bars and the beautiful UNthousands of ESCO protected old town, there tourists evare endless things to do. ery year. It is The other destinations include most notable Arusha, Tanzania for climbers for its extravaand safari enthusiasts, the Turkgant costumes, ish town Goreme which is carved fireworks and into volcanic rock, Paraty in dancing, and Brazil known for its swamp fish is also host to and Charleston, South Carolina an ‘outrageous’ which, according to the website, Drag Queen is bursting with southern charm. festival.
Genoese traders settled in the area. It is characterised by bands of musicians sing-
SIMPLY THE BEST
Among the highlights recommended on TripAdvisor’s list of ‘All 2473 things to do on Mallorca’ are boat rentals, wine tasting, and hiking on trails along the inland mountain range. But Mallorca isn’t the only destination in Spain to earn a top ten spot. The neighbouring island of Ibiza appears at number six on the list. Described as ‘one of Europe's favourite nightlife playgrounds’ with more than 100 miles of
Friends. Reset.
Comfort.
Sunset.
THOUSANDS of falsely-labelled Iberian hams have been seized in a probe over a €1 million food fraud. Seven meat firms are being investigated by the Guardia Civil in Badajoz, Madrid, Murcia, and Salamanca. Ten people have been interviewed, and one arrested, over the bogus labelling of premium meat products. Some 29,000 items have been impounded including 19,600 Iberian hams and ham shoulders, with a retail value of over €1 million. Inquiries into a mass fraud started after a food shop inspection in the Zafra area of Badajoz last year. Experts spotted deficiencies and anomalies in meat sold there, notably in Iberian ham products that were not what they claimed to be. Police uncovered a chain of seven meat firms who falsified documents and changed the classification of hams to the accredited Iberian standard.
Much more than four stars.
At Ocean Drive Port Portals we have our own star rating. Because, we like the stars of the Majorcan sky, the stars that form the lights of the harbour or the star service provided by each member of our team. A hotel that maximises the destination to it's full potential, thanks to it's excellent location. It offers great local experiences at any moment. With art, design, relaxation and comfort. A hotel full of life.
Music.
Good life.
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
14
January 28th - February 10th 2022
NEW PASTURES The Olive Press’s chief foodie Jon Clarke (bottom) offers up his wishlist of exciting places to graze around Spain this year now the pandemic is starting to ease
I
THE DELIGHTFUL DOZEN!
1
DEESSA - Madrid
We might as well start with Senor Dacosta, the genius of the East with a collection of Michelin stars to compete with the best. Having tried and failed to eat at his Denia nerve centre on three separate occasions, this year I’m planning the next best thing: his new restaurant Deessa, at the Ritz hotel, in Madrid. OK, it may not be the Real McCoy, but one of my all-time best meals in Spain was at the diffusion restaurant of El Bulli legend Ferran Adria, at Hotel Benazuza, near Sevilla, in 2009. A 25-course menu to celebrate his quarter century at El Bulli (then the world’s top restaurant for nearly a decade), he was on hand, alongside Ronda’s now celebrated Benito Gomez (of Bardal), to roll out a masterclass. I’m hoping for something similar at Deessa.
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BAGA - Jaen
I
t was something of a surprise when the culinary desert of Jaen won a Michelin star a couple of years ago. But Baga gaining the plaudit says so much about the changes in Andalucia over the last decade: skillful chefs who trained abroad coming home to use the region’s great local ingredients. Jaen is, after all, the home of two of the country’s four best olive oil denominations. It is
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also not short of vegetables and great wild game, like partridge and venison. Head chef Pedro Sanchez Jaen even has the right name to weave magic in his hometown and his dishes, including beef tartare with smoked eels, sound wonderful. Small and little-known locally, let alone abroad, this is one joint I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into. www.bagagastronomico.com
ASADOR ETXEBARRI Axpe
its borders is something few would have thought possible in 2010. It’s the same with Madrid, which easily rivals San Sebastian and Barcelona, as Spain’s food capital nowadays and well worth a gourmet-tour in 2022, whatever the budget. And let’s not forget the east coast, which I have gotten to know well over the last few years, having launched a trio of newspapers there. Valencia is today one of the most exciting places to chow down, what with its phalanx of female chefs, such as Vicky Sevilla, in Sagunto, coming to the fore, not to mention Quique Dacosta, who is fast becoming the country’s top kitchen whiz. Now the pandemic is finally easing, I’ve sauteed a list of chestnuts - one a month - ready for the ultimate gourmet tour of Spain this year.
3 NOOR - Cordoba
RESERVE LIST: Casa Marcial
T’S been a dreadful two years for restaurants and anyone who relies on the sector for their livelihoods. The Olive Press - and me, specifically - has had a tough time surviving without the regular weekly trips snuffling out great new local eateries, not to mention the monthly escapes to winkle out the best dining secrets further afield around Spain. Well I’m out grazing again, acting like a bloodhound on the hunt to sniff out a morsel, whether that be close to home on the Costa del Sol, along the Costa Blanca or somewhere in the wilds of Teruel. Since writing a book, Dining Secrets of Andalucia, over a decade ago, I’ve had a keen weather eye on my local region, which has improved massively for foodies since then. That Andalucia now has a staggering 20-plus Michelin stars within
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If food tourism has become one of the biggest growth areas for the industry, it is places like this that have encouraged it. In a tiny village, next to the little known Urkiola natural park, some 30 kilometres inland from Bilbao is Asador Etxebarri. Google Maps sums it up perfectly as simply: ‘Rural retreat for refined Basque dishes’ Said to be the ultimate expression of simplicity, it is all about the ingredients and most of the dishes are cooked on an open grill. It’s long been on my bucket list. www.asadoretxebarri.com
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SOLLO - Fuengirola
A VISIT: Jon with Diego in 2017
revisit to try the food of the now-legendary King of Caviar, Diego Gallegos, on the Costa del Sol is already well overdue. While it’s near the Olive Press HQ, in Fuengirola, I last tasted Diego’s thoughtful food around four years ago. An erudite and intellectual chap, Sollo deservedly has one of the very few ‘green stars’ handed out by the Michelin guide for his ethics and drive for sustainability. I first tried Diego’s creative food at the obscure (but amazing) Casa Piolas in Algarinejo, in the wilds of rural Granada, 15 years ago. A trip I will never forget, these days he is known for his skills with the caviar that he brings in from Riofrio, also in Granada.
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL 8
January 28th - February 10th 2022
HOSPEDERIA EL BATAN - Teruel
APONIENTE Cadiz Staying with fish, one place I am certainly going to visit, money permitting, is the new location of celebrated restaurant Aponiente, in el Puerto de Santa Maria. Angel Leon is to Spain, what Heston Blumenthal is to the UK. A magician consistently foraging for new tricks - and always with an environmental edge. Chef of the Sea, as he is known in Spain, he was the pioneer to take cod and tuna off the menu in response to overfishing. A man who bought his own fishing boat and deliberately used rare fish that nobody had heard of, less, knew how to cook. Interviewed a few times in the early days for the Olive Press, today he is an international star, whose name is held up in Japan and America.
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7 BALUARTE - Soria
T
his is the very definition of a gourmet tour, striking out to find this temple of cuisine in the sticks in Soria province. Billed as Castilla y León’s ‘best chef’ Oscar Garcia is all about ‘tierra’ and is a genuine hero to his homeland. Having set up in 2008 it has been a huge battle to get this far, and he has become much more than just a chef. Known for his ‘responsible gastronomy’ he has a local huerta (vegetable garden) where he employs only people with mental health issues. Expect to eat some of the local black truffles, wild mushrooms and some of the best butter in Spain. www.baluar te. info
Looking for THE most wonderful rural escape ticking all the boxes? Well Hospederia el Batan has it all. This rural hotel in the wilds of Teruel province has great walks right from the door and nature literally banging on it. We stayed here last summer, nearly running over a stag as we arrived, then listened to the bark of foxes and other creatures through the night. It sits just 10 minutes from the gem of Albarracin (one of Spain’s most beautiful villages) and, best of all, is really a restaurant with rooms. It even has a Michelin star and given, sod’s law, it was closed due to COVID last year, I’m hell bent on a return this year to give it a proper test run! www.elbatan.es
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9I
ELKANO - Getaria
t was on a trip to northern Spain a decade ago that I tried the best turbot of my life. In the small fishing village of Getaria, el Astillero, was simple, remarkable and sat right on the dock of the port. With the excellent Balenciaga museum, it should be noted, just up the road. After continually mentioning it to chefs and foodies around the country, the one thing that kept coming back was: ‘try it’s near neighbour Elkano, it’s even better’. Fingers crossed, this year I will.
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El MESON DE LA COSTA - Torrevieja On the other end of the spectrum to many of my choices, El Meson de la Costa is simply the very epitome of an excellent quality local. Right in the heart of touristy Torrevieja, it ticks so many boxes in so many ways and does it without fanfare.
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In a resort where you really struggle to find decent tucker it is a real oasis, focusing on good solid ingredients and with a great wine list. Expect excellent seafood and the best steaks money can buy. www.elmesondelacosta.com
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VORO Canyamel (Mallorca)
Y
ou might assume that having had a newspaper on the Balearic island for five years that we’d know all the great places to eat there. But things change so quickly in Mallorca - and so many places open and close - it is hard to keep tabs on what is good or not. One reliable place is that of Marc Fosh, the expat Brit, who has kept his Michelin star for eight years running now. But another, I really want to try is Voro, in a sleepy rural corner of the island, where you expect plenty of good hikes and beaches but not adventurous, creative cuisine. The difference though is the wunderkind Alvaro Salazar, from Jaen, who has made the Cap Vermell hotel not just a great place to unwind, but now to feast! Describing his food as ‘dishes with heart and soul’, you certainly get a good flavour by a visit to the website. Www.vororestaurant.com
BON AMB - Javea
It’s been nearly three years since we celebrated the launch of the Olive Press Costa Blanca north edition at Bon Amb. The world has been through a whirlwind since then, but here we are… planning a return to celebrate our birthday in March at this same wonderful restaurant. A taste of everything best about the region, Bon Amb perfectly combines style with comfort and luxury with authenticity. Thanks to its chef Albert Ferruz, who started cooking at 12 and did his time in Paris, and Pablo Catala, a globetrotting, award-winning sommelier, you are in the most reassuringly reliable hands. www.bonamb.com
TOP TEN RESERVES There are so many chefs and new ex excellent young choose around Spainciting places to more to get the appe . Here are a few tites whetted
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New player
FINAL WORDS
FRENCH striker Anthony Martial, 26, has made a surprise move from Manchester United to Sevilla, with the Spanish club paying a €6 million loan fee to keep him until the end of the season.
Winter hope SPANISH eyes are set on snowboarder Queralt Castellet who will be competing in her fifth Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Sabadell native has just won bronze at the World Cup in Switzerland.
Top spot SPAIN produced the best football managers in the world over the past decade, with 10 European tournament wins, alongside eight league wins in foreign leagues, according to Sports Pub betting site.
OLIVE PRESS
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Vol. 5 Issue 123
CRICKET lovers in Spain don’t have long to wait to see some of the best club cricketers in Europe in action. Some 30 teams from across the continent and the UK are heading to the Cartama Oval in Malaga for the 2022 Bet2Ball European Cricket League finals. ECL22 will take place over six weeks starting on February 7 with Group A action including the English champions Tunbridge Wells. Hailed as ‘the Champions League of European cricket’, ECL22 is an expanded 30 team tournament including the champions of England, Ireland and Scotland. Originally set to be held at La SOME of the world’s best rugby players have been in Spain for the HSBC Sevens World Series. F o r the
PRESENTED BY
Your expat
Digging deep
voice in Spain
www.theolivepress.es January 28th - February 10th 2022
Padding up By Dilip Kuner
Manga Club in Murcia, it was postponed due to pandemic travel restrictions. This year the Federations and Champion Clubs of Jersey,
Eyes on Spain as ‘Champions League of Cricket’ set for Malaga Guernsey, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Portugal, Bulgaria, Malta, Turkey, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Luxembourg
SEVENS HEAVEN
first time ever, the country is hosting the major competition, with men’s and women’s events held in Malaga last weekend and then Sevilla this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Andalucian cities are two of three new hosts, along with Toulouse in France, to tempo-
rarily replace traditional Series hosts Sydney and Hamilton. The inaugural Sevens provided a weekend to remember in Malaga as South Africa needed a late try to come out on top in an engrossing men’s final and USA women clinched their first Series title since 2019.
and Switzerland have been added to the expanded tournament. The European Cricket League is a fast-growing competition that attracts teams from countries not traditionally know for the sport. European Cricket Network (ECN) CEO Roger Feiner told the Olive Press: “People don’t realise it, but cricket is the fastest growing sport in Europe, and second fastest in the world. “In Germany there are now 350 clubs - there were only a handful a few years ago.” Matches are televised and streamed on YouTube and have attracted an incredible 130 million viewers.
HE had to dig deep, but Rafa Nadal is still on track for a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam men’s singles title. The Mallorcan showed all the grit he is famous for to overcome Denis Shapovalov in the Australian Open quarter finals. He needed four hours and seven minutes to beat the Canadian in five sets with a 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 win in his 14th Melbourne quarter final. “I was completely destroyed after that,” said Nadal. He will now take to the court again on Friday. “For me it’s amazing, honestly, to be in the semi-finals.” Now two wins away from a second Aussie Open men’s singles title (2009), Nadal survived an inspired comeback from the 14th seed and a troubled stomach to avoid an upset. One year after surrendering a two-set lead to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the same stage on Rod Laver Arena, Nadal was able to summon a late surge to avoid a sequel. With World Number one Novak Djokovic not at the tournament following his expulsion from Australia Nadal may not have a better opportunity to win another Slam.