Mallorca Olive Press - issue 117 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 5 Issue 117

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Your expat

voice in Spain

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

EXCLUSIVE: The stunning Costa home where The Crown is setting Lady Diana during her 1990s escapes from her divorce back home...

On the make

Are town halls deliberately targeting expats for cash?

ANDALUCÍA

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Vol. 15 Issue 379

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Your expat

Mijas Costa

voice in Spain

October 6th - October 19th 2021

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

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S u b j e c t

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Legalise

In 2016, and then again in 2017, Davey was ordered to knock down his house, but, in common with a neighbour, he waited for more details. While his Spanish neighbour, Irene Millan, 29, did eventually hear from the court again, she was given six months to ‘legalise’ her property - an option Davey was never given. However, his neighbour’s apparent good luck turned into a poisoned chalice. Having spent €20,000 with the town hall to legalise the dwelling, the court finally refused to accept the new paperwork provided by the council. Instead, demolition was ordered which went ahead last week. To add insult to injury Irene’s 54-year-old father, Manuel Mil-

EXCLUSIVE By Fiona Govan

to bring up my son as best I could,” she said. a Then in November 2020, there was knock at the door and she was given an eviction notice. “It turns out that my ex had a €4,000 the debt of unpaid ground tax with on town hall so they put a forced sale it and someone bought it at auction for €25,000.”

Sold

HOMELESS: Victoria and Samuel and (above) the urbanisation they lived on

inI be too late when I was never formed in the first place?” the She was told that she must vacate but property by October 5 this week, can launch an appeal in Madrid. That however will take many monthsa and up to 14 weeks alone just to get legal aid lawyer assigned to her case. and “The judge said I was out of time she that the eviction must go ahead,” our said, sobbing. “I’m packing up to up, eight in total, all to make sure stuff and have no choice but for us that we left the premises,” she added, go and stay on a friend’s sofa.” clearly heartbroken. And so it came to pass when yester- “I had my stuff packed up and met day the previous court order allowing them at the gate and was told to go to her to stay in the home was com- court tomorrow to get the paperwork pletely ignored with the duo being if I want to launch an appeal. It was evicted. horrible,” she added. scandal “Two court officials, two police* offiO f f e r a total v a continued: l i d f o r “It’s She n e w ownc u s t o m e r s new two cers, the home worth €320,000 can ers, a locksmith and that our off for just €25,000 for the showed be sold some other guyTheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd 1 of a €4,000 debt without sake our even being informed. “But it’s actually inhumane that they are going to make my son homeless. “His father abandoned us but ALL AREAS COVERED I thought that at least we have a roof over our heads but now that has been taken despite a 4G UNLIMITED court order promising us anINTERNET other five years. IDEAL FOR “I was never even given the STREAMING TV chance to stand before a judge and argue my case. This is not ALSO IPTV, justice.” SATELLITE TV The Olive Press was hoping to get some answers on the case See page 11 & 18 tel: (0034) 952 763 840 before we went to press.

Amazed that the house her husband so paid €320,000 was sold off for the little, she immediately went to court to find out how it happened without her knowledge. “I was told it was a done deal and that this final eviction notice was definitive and that my time to defend it had the passed because I had ignored all previous legal notices. to “I took a private lawyer with me the court to demand my case file and discovered that all the previous legal notices had been sent to the wrong address. be“My lawyer said I could appeal still cause of this but a year later and no one will listen to me. I keep being can told that I am too late. But how

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o n l y .

DEMOLITION: Expat Gurney

Davey is being forced to knock

lan, whose name was on the deeds, was also sentenced to six months jail and handed a fine of €6 a day for a year. Now Davey is terrified he is set to lose his home at any moment. It comes just two months since his wife Diana died from bowel

down his own house and faces

cancer, at the age of 71, in April. “We thought we had done everything right at the time. We got legal advice and went through lawyer in order to get permissiona to build the home. “Diana fought breast cancer for six years before bowel cancer I am sure the

six months jail

from legal firm Manzanares, told them that planning permission would be applied for as an almacen - or ‘warehouse’. This way it would come under the remit of Tolox town hall, which would give permission and later they could ‘legalise’ the property. The language of one legal letter, seen by the Olive Press, suggests this would be a mere formality.

the smart thing to do. “Why would we deliberately try to build illegally? It makes no sense that we would sell up everything in the UK and risk it all.” Now Davey’s first thoughts are to avoid serving the jail sentence. He said: “My lawyer is trying to get the sentence suspended.”

FLASHBACK: Two recent + + wrong address victims made our Tel:front 952 147 834 page

Lee WHEN Victoria Jenkins’ partner did a runner leaving her and their son on the Costa del Sol, she didn’t think life could get any worse. But the expat family have been evicted after their €320,000 home was sold at auction without their knowltax. edge over an unpaid property The Essex mum from Chelmsford had moved to Mijas with her partner when their child Samuel was fouryears-old. But when he left to go on a business trip to Indonesia some years back, she never heard from him again. it Her nightmare got worse when of took an incredible three years court appearances to win full custody of Samuel, now 14, with a judge the finally ruling she could stay in 18 family home until her son turned in 2026. “I gave up any hope of child support because Lee simply vanished into thin air, but although our home was in his name, it was paid off and I was my assured we could stay in it until she birthday,” 18th son reached his told The O l i v e Press. “I just got on with things and tried

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house. “I went straight to Tolox town hall with it. They told me I shouldn’t have received it yet,” he told the Olive Press. “They said they were going to be sending the notification to me once they had stamped it.” The news came as a massive bolt from the blue for Davey, whose wife has just died of cancer, which he believes worsened from the stress of the case. He had never been told about the court case that followed on from a Guardia Civil denuncia for an ‘illegal build’. Davey’s two-bed home - built in 2004 - should never have been built according to the Malaga court.

home Expat mum and teenage son lose to wrong after courts send legal notices court ruling address despite earlier family

THE SKY DOCTOR

2 147 834

Find out about Spain’s 10 capital cities

British expat faces demolition of his 17 year home - and a spell in prison repeat of controversial Priors - in case

sentence when a court document was delivered to a neighbour’s

HEARTLESS

Continues on Page 2

f o r

expat

EXCLUSIVE By Dilip Kuner

NAMED: Schiffer, Guardiola, Blair and Iglesias oliA HOST of Costa gangsters, garchs and celebrities have been tax caught up in a giant offshore scandal. Former king Juan Carlos, football manager Pep Guardiola and singer Miguel Bose, are among the bigthe gest Spanish names stung in so-called Pandora Papers. RafBut it is the Italian gangster in faele Amato, who was arrested Malaga, model Claudia Schiffer, who has a home in Mallorca, and Julio Iglesias, who lives in Marbella, that will be of most interest locally. as All of them have been exposed having offshore accounts alongside in at least five Spanish politiciansrethe giant trove of documents leased this week. In total, around 600 Spaniards are now under scrutiny after being named in the Pandora Papers leak, which was compiled by over a dozen media groups around the globe. The papers also put the spotlight on Russian oligarchs and godfather Amato, who used offshore companies to amass wealth and assets around Malaga. A series of well-known expats, such as pop star Shakira and Nobel-Prize

v a l i d

Your voice in Spain

Vol. 15 Issue 370 www.theolivepress .es June 2nd - June 15th 2021

AN expat is facing prison for failing to demolish his home after he fell foul of a town hall’s ‘laissez faire’ planning rules. Gurney Davey, aged 67, only found out about the six-month

AN Olive Press reader has claimed that foreigners are being targeted by Spanish town halls wanting to pocket extra cash. The expat, based in Madrid, believes that a penalty fine for non-payment of ground rent (IBI) on a property was ‘a set up’. It comes after the Olive Press re952 147 834 cently reported on two cases in Andalucia, where expats lost their Victoria Jenkins and her son were + homes due to the incorrect mailing thrown out of their+ home that of legal demands. had been ‘secretly’ sold from un952 147 834 In one case, Gurney Davey was der them at Tel:auction over a paltry forced to knock down his 952 home €4,000 debt to the local council. 147 834 after his house was ruled to have “For months and months all the been built illegally in a court case legal notices were sent to an adthat he knew nothing about. dress that didn’t exist,” explained The Guadalhorce resident only Jenkins. “By the time I found out it found out about the judgement was too late.” when a neighbour told him about Meanwhile a hotelier in Ronda a demolition notice which had was left furious after having to pay been wrongly addressed to them a €900 fine when a IBI letter was instead. inexplicably sent to her ex-partAnd last issue we reported how ner’s office in Marbella - despite all her documentation being registered at the Ronda address. The British resident in Madrid m e a n while told the Olive Press how letters demanding the annual IBI on * O f f e r

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stress brought it on.” The couple, originally from Suffolk in the UK, spent €150,000 building their property. “It came as a package - a plot with a new home on it.” Davey admits he and his wife were perhaps naive to follow the advice of their lawyer. The lawyer,

But the property never got legalFlatten ised. In the meantime he In fact, the Tolox mayor of the forced to ask the townhas been time, Juan Vera, has since been permission to knock hall for his own jailed and fined for his part in property down. scheme to allow up to 350 prop-a “I will do it myself. I erties to be built on land classified a JCB from someone will borrow and flatten as ‘rural’. my home of the past 17 years. I In most cases he had used the will not let the town hall very same ‘lax’ procedure of ap- charge me more money.”do it and plying to build an ‘almacen’ to He added: “I’ve no idea where to try to keep the prying eyes of the live afterwards. But the land Junta authorities away. still mine - maybe I can live in is a “We thought that was the way tent.” things worked in Spain,” said Tolox Ayuntamiento refused to Davey, a retired builder. comment, citing data protection “We went to see a lawyer and got laws. advice. It turns out that was not Opinion Page 6

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...WHILE,, also inside, ...WHILE the REAL home that the princess stayed at, which last week was the holiday escape of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his paintbrushes

her property were sent to totally the wrong building. “Meanwhile I kept asking for the bills, and was told by Madrid town hall that they would come in the post. Eventually when I found out what had happened and complained, I was told ‘these things happen sometimes’ but I still had to pay the penalty for late payment.

Racket

“It stinks of a racket to deliberately make money and I have to wonder whether they are targeting those with foreign names around Spain as we are less capable of fighting back?” Have you been deliberately targeted? Do you have a story about legal and official notices going to the wrong address? How has it affected you? Get in touch at newsdesk@theolivepress.es.

Tel: 952 147 834

See page 9 & 12

CRIME

www.theolivepress.es

Runner rescue MOUNTAIN rescue and a helicopter were scrambled to rescue a 26-yearold man who fractured his ankle while running a mountain race in Escorca. He is recovering in Son Espaces Hospital.

Bad friend A SPANISH man, 21, faces a €3,960 fine in Palma for sexually abusing his friend’s girlfriend. He says ‘it was consensual’ but the boyfriend alleges that he apologised to him in tears.

Aged rider

Altar honour LOCALS in Sa Teulara have set up an altar on a park bench to a deceased 70-year-old homeless man in respect for his days looking after a cat colony ‘better than he cared for himself’.

CRYSTAL CRACKDOWN Scooted off

operation was shrouded in total secrecy which meant the sellers had no idea that their suppliers had been removed out of the picture. The dealers had three active sales points in Sant Jordi and s'Arenal de Palma and

Llucmajor. The latest raids took place at three properties and a hairdressing salon. Three people were arrested while two others have remained in their homes under quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

Sex clampdown THE government is planning to rid Spain of its image of Europe’s sleaziest country. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to criminalise prostitution insisting the time has come to put an end to a practice that ‘enslaves’ women. He told his PSOE party’s annual conference at the weekend that he would ‘abolish prostition, that enslaves women.’ He didn’t however say how.

THE body of a 60-year-old German expat woman has been found in Peguera. The widow was covered with bruises when found by Guardia Civil and the door of the house, in Pou street, was open. An alarm was raised by neighbours, who noticed that there was no news of the lady and when they saw the open door they called the police. It is understood that she had

Plan to outlaw prostitution announced by government

Mijas Costa FREE

Tragic find been widowed for several years and lived alone in the semi-detached house. Guardia officers passed the case on to the Policia Judicial and the Criminalistics Laboratory as her death is being viewed as suspicious. A post mortem examination was due to be held yesterday to determine the cause of death.

ANDALUCÍA

Vol. 15 Issue 371

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THE REAL COMMU NITY NEWSPAPER

ALARM: over

The country has been dubbed ‘the brothel of Europe; after a 2011 study revealed it as the third biggest centre for prostitution in the world behind Thailand and Puerto Rico. A 2009 survey by Spain’s Social Investigations Centre (CIS) found that one in three Spanish

OLIVE PRESS

men had paid for sex, while another report later reported the figure as 39%. An estimated 300,000 women work as prostitutes in Spain, and in 2016 the UN estimated the country's sex industry was worth €3.7bn. There are an estimated 1,500 puticlubs - as brothels are known – in Spain and prosti952 147 834 tution was ‘decriminalised’ in 1995. This effectively removed punishment for the offering of sexual services as long as it is not done in public places, although it remains unregulated. * O f f e r

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Pimping

Pimping for sex is illegal however, under the country’s criminal code and so is forcing people to have sex with others for money. Local governments differ in

SOS Save

53 mega parks

our Sol

Locals demand action after council ‘fails for five years’ to tackle prostitution at busy roundabouts

By Fiona Govan

RESIDENTS are mounting a battle over plans for a series farms that threaten of massive solar rural tourism and the environment, views in southern some of the ‘best Dozens of expats Spain’. have joined locals oppose the large-scale to have been slammed projects which frenzy’ threatening as ‘a speculation of Spain’s beauty to carve up some er environmental spots without propimpact studies. In recent weeks protests have taken place around Malaga plans for a staggeringand Cadiz where 53 photovoltaic plants have been unveiled. The mayors of Gaucin, Jimena de la Frontera Casares and have expressed concern about at mega-projects in least four ‘massive’ the pipeline. While in Coin last backed by the townweek, a protest, hall, was held against proposed solar farms in the beautiful Rio Grande area of the Guadalhorce valley. In Jimena alone, an area of over 2,200 hectares – the equivalent of 3,500 football fields is destined for panels. Protesters claim that energy companies are deliberately tions into smaller dividing applicaprojects to bypass environmental regulations. The vast solar parks threaten to carpet an area rich in flora and destroying archaeologica fauna and l sites and ancient pastures. They allegedly also drain already scarce water supplies. Others fear a plummet es and rural tourism, in house pricsential to the economywhich is so esof the region. Affected residents to contact their townare being urged halls and lodge complaints.

Your

expat

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June 16th - June

29th 2021

TACKLING THE LOCAL ISSUES

Why Marbella is still an A-list destination See supplement inside

ROUND IN CIRCLES THAT MATTER TO

YOU

LOCALS are demanding a series of prostitutes action over By Kirsty McKenzie trade near a children’sthat ply their an mother and her & playground Elena Gocmen on the Costa del daughters,” she told the Olive Rueda Sol. Despite complaining they bring other Press. “Sometimes for years, resi- named girls and I question dents say nothing ‘Pippa’ whether tackle a group of has been done to of the trail of by residents because “There they are even 18. clients in broad women who solicit leaves behind sunflower seeds she a few is definitely a pimp because weeks ago we heard taking them intodaylight, frequently “It depicts a each day. that the men were complete lack of the nearby countryside. spect for people re- “It is a firing shots at each other. living in this area,” shame because They are continuing expat otherwise, to work from Press. Susan Davies told the Olive this is such a lovely town. the Abbeygate roundabout But I believe the town on the A7 in Estepona, tised spending the hall has priorinearby junctions,as well as two other money to make Estepona look an Olive Press inUnhygienic gorgeous with vestigation has discovered. its plants and not all “It’s When not working, unhygienic because enough funding for the residents com- not wear plain about a deluge masks, leave their they do aside. police. Safety has been put of litter, in- on the road rubbish cluding plastic and used “The numbers of condoms dumpedbottles, and used the park for children condoms by creased officers have deto tread on. over the years here “They are taking For the last five nearby. and I the piss because would hate to imagine vealed that at leastyears, locals re- nobody is doing anything same way as La Linea us going the See Sunny valley, one woman can Recent about it.” DISGRACE: Rubbish be spotted daily because retiree solar there Bridget are not on the busy N-340 60, who including motorway eclipse on pages condoms dumped 6&7 also lives in the Michaels, safety ofenough police to ensure the between Estepona area, bethe residents.” one girl plies her while (top) and lieves the women may Casares Costa. trade be getting Spaniard Ben Luoma, forced to work by Residents believe a teacher from Estepona, at least three The grandmotherpimps. added: “There are , originally from inherent risks associated women are of- Romford, with enfering sex for that some said she was concerned gaging in this work at the side of the sex workers sale, with one even be may such a busy road and I would of underage. to see the police like being nick- “I believe it’s an and town hall do Eastern Europe- more. ALL AREAS COVERED “My main concern is that some the women, some of of whom are very young, 4G UNLIMITED have been forced into INTERNET prostitution rather IDEAL FOR than choosing to STREAMING TV gage in sex work.” enEstepona lawyer CrisALSO IPTV, tina Molina López confirmed locals SATELLITE TV been demanding had See page 11 tion for years and actel: (0034) 952 763 the problem has that 840 been info@theskydoctor.com raised at countless www.theskydoctor.com See page Continues

their approaches to prostitu+ + tion, usually in response to community pressure groups, and based on ‘public safety’. As the Olive Press revealed earlier this year (see above), teenage prostitutes are being pimped on a number of roundabouts in Estepona, with no attempt to crack down from the local town hall. A spokesman for the Committee to Support Sex Workers, CATS, believes banning prostitution will harm the very people it is designed to help. “This will not eradicate prostitution,” said a spokesman. ” THE SKY DOCTOR

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The day that shamed Spain 4

E IV US CL EX

A 73-year-old Spaniard has been sentenced to seven months in prison and a €400 fine for running over a local policeman with his motorbike in Santa Maria del Cami.

FIVE people were detained on Wednesday morning in a major Policia Nacional operation against a Mallorca drugs gang. The dealers sold cocaine, crystal meth and other drugs in the Playa de Palma area. The fresh detentions followed the arrest a fortnight ago of two people who supplied the drugs to the peddlers. That

NEWS IN BRIEF

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

The

on Page 2

Opinion Page 6

A CONMAN who stole seven electric scooters by driving off into the distance when on test drives is facing more than 12 YEARS in prison. The Portuguese man turned what were a string of relatively minor crimes into something much more serious when he pulled a knife on one of his victims. He had embarked on a crime spree in Palma between November 2 and December 11, last year.

Sell

He would meet scooter owners wanting to sell their vehicles through websites like Wallapop, agree on a price and then request a test ride before scooting off into the distance. He used the scam in Carrer d’Eusebi Estada, Carrer Sor de Catalina Maura, Carrer Llorenc Ribre, Plaza Madrid and Carrer de Sant Magí in Palma. Now the Prosecutor's Office is seeking a sentence of 12 years and eight months for the defendant. This covers six crimes of theft and one of robbery with intimidation after he threatened a scooter owner with a knife In Son Piza Park on November 15 2020.

NEWS

The Benahavis villa that served as the secret hideout for Lady Diana’s 1990s trips to the Costa del Sol

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

PERFECT FOR A PRINCESS

PHOTOS BY: Private Property

www.theolivepress.es

PALATIAL: Stunning eight-bedroom Villa Mozart in Zagaleta

LUXURY: The Titania yacht rented for €600,000 per week

rooms, with their octagonal spa baths and gold taps, while the cross-shaped pool appropriately features a polo horse and rider motif on the bottom. Welcome to the palatial home that is playing its role as Lady Diana’s secret Costa del Sol hideout in the fifth series of hit TV drama The Crown. Doubling as the estate where the princess escaped the world’s media following her divorce from Prince Charles, it is far closer to the true location than anyone

Press

EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke

PHOTOS BY: Vogue and Cordon

ITH a price tag of €15 million it is just the sort of holiday villa befitting a princess. In the hills near Benahavis, it boasts eight bedrooms spread over two wings and features a cinema, billiards room, Turkish bath and gym. With a heliport next door and with neighbours including President Putin and Cristiano Ronaldo, it is easy to get in and out unnoticed and the locals won’t be rubber-necking your every move. Based in Spain’s most exclusive estate of La Zagaleta, no expense has been spared on the wall-to-wall onyx marble bath-

ROYAL LIFE: Dodi and Diana in the 1990s, while (right) actress Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West on set this month. could possibly imagine. Indeed, ‘Villa Mozart’, as it has been named for the series, sits just over a kilometre from the real escape, Torre de Tramores, where coincidentally British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed last week. It was in 600-hectare Tramores, owned by UK government minister Zac Goldsmith, that Diana is understood to have hid out on two occasions in the mid 1990s. Visiting with her close friend Jemima Goldsmith (then Jemina Khan, married to Pakistan president Imran Khan), she was able to try and get her life back on track away from the prying lenses of the paparazzi. With the British prime minister renting the actual estate, and the Goldsmith family understood to have turned down filming, producers went for the next best

REACHING THE HEIGHTS ACTOR Jason Momoa, star of Dune, Aquaman and Game of Thrones, will be filming a reality TV show about rock climbing in Mallorca, it has been revealed. The show entitled The Climb produced by HBO Max will follow complete amateurs as they train and compete for the title of ‘World’s Best Amateur Rock Climber‘. Momoa will be presenting alongside Chris Sharma, widely considered to be the best climber in the world. The pair have been friends since climbing together as teenagers. The 41-year-old Hawaii-born actor is a huge fan of rock-climbing and incorporated it into his training regime for the Aquaman movies, where they built a climbing gym on set. One episode will be filmed at an as yet undisclosed location in Mallorca although current top picks are the Serra de Tramuntana and the famous Es Ponta arch. Production teams have also been seen in Alt Urgell and Pallars Jussà in Catalunya. Twelve amateur climbers will attempt difficult ascents throughout France, Austria, Spain, Mallorca and the US in order to be titled the world's best amateur climber. Viewers will be able to watch The Climb on HBO at the end of 2022.

thing. And Villa Mozart was perfect for a number of scenes, including ones featuring the princess, played by actress Elizabeth Debicki, 31, and her close friend, Jemima. Olive Press sources revealed that producers hired the villa for a week and used it as a base for the team, when filming nearby in Puerto Banus, San Pedro and in the village of Benahavis itself. “At least three scenes were set in Villa Mozart, while they filmed in a couple of locations nearby in Benahavis,” revealed the source. Now relocated to Mallorca, the production filmed at Los Amigos restaurant and the Hotel Amanhavis, in the village, as well as on the stunning Titania yacht, which they rented for a reported €600,000 a week.

“It has been great for Benahavis,” said expat councillor Scott Marshall. “Having Boris Johnson staying was also a real bonus.” It was also good for Marbella, with the Netflix crew filming a number of times around Puerto Banus.

Relationship

Director Philip Martin was spotted calling the shots with Australian star Debicki, who has replaced British star Emma Corrin as Diana in the fifth series. Other actors spotted around the Spanish resort were Dominic West who plays Prince Charles and Imelda Staunton, who plays the Queen. The fifth series of The Crown

Making a splash ACTRESS Priyanka Chopra is making a bit of a splash in Valencia - quite literally. The Hollywood star - and former Miss World - who appears opposite Keanu Reeves in upcoming movie The Matrix Resurrections, has been scuba diving off Benidorm. She claims it is the perfect way to ‘destress’ after a series of long days filming in nearby Valencia, where she has been making Amazon series Citadel. She has also taken a visit to Valencia cathedral with her mother and enjoyed the good weather on a yacht outside the city’s port.

will focus very heavily on the collapse of Diana’s relationship with Prince Charles. It will recall her various trips to Spain during the mid-1990s, including her ill-fated trip to stay at Mijas’ Hotel Byblos in 1994 when she was photographed topless. Her trips to Tramores, which dates back to Moorish times, were far more successful although she came close to getting rumbled when she had her sons, princes William and Harry in tow. “While they had the entire estate to themselves and had plenty of opportunities to ride and swim, the princes had been, perhaps inevitably, looking for more exciting modern-day pursuits,” said the source. “It was agreed they would go and try out the exciting new inland water-skiing lake in nearby San Pedro, where users got towed around, not by boat, but by a cable-ski.” A novel idea, but it proved to be foolhardy as, within minutes of arriving, they were recognised by fellow visitors, one of whom contacted a local Spanish photographer, who zoomed up with a friend and started to take photos. “By incredible fortune the princes covered themselves in blankets in time and their minders were able to get them away, driving, not as the paparazzi were expecting towards Marbella, but inland to Benahavis,” revealed the source. The trail went cold and, despite rumours that they were staying in Benahavis, they were never spotted again that holiday. “It was a stroke of luck and Diana was able to get her life back on track and discuss her next moves after her divorce with one of her best friends,” added the source.

4 www.theolivepress.es Captain Jack CHINESE billionaire Jack Ma Yun, the founder of Alibaba group, has been spotted cruising around the Balearic Islands in his megayacht. The yacht, which is called Zen, docked in the port of Andratx in Mallorca on Tuesday, where Ma was spotted shopping and on Wednesday it moored near Santa Ponsa. The sleek five-deck, vertical-bowed motor yacht, measuring 88 metres (289 ft), can accommodate up to 16 guests and a crew of 25, according to the Superyacht Times. It reportedly took four years to build by Dutch manufacturer Feadship and was delivered in April. The businessman disappeared from public view after he publicly criticised China's regulatory system in a speech last year but reappeared in early October in Hong Kong before flying to Spain on his private jet last week. His empire promptly came under heavy scrutiny by regulators and led to the suspension of Ant Group's $37 billion blockbuster IPO. The South China Morning Post reported that Ma was visiting Spain for a study tour on agriculture and technology related to environmental issues. Shares in the Alibaba Group rose nearly 10% on Wednesday with brokers citing the trip as a sign that China’s government was relaxing scrutiny of the group.

NEWS

IF you are thinking of taking a drive to the north of the island on Sunday (October 24), be prepared for some delays as 4,500 cyclists take part in the Mallorca 312 race. Starting at 7am from Platja de Muro and finishing at 9pm in the same place, the race has three routes to choose from (312, 225 and 167 km). These will take in some of the most scenic parts of the island as far afield as Andtratx and Manacor. Famous participants in this eleventh edition of the event include German cyclist Jan Ullrich; winner of the Tour in 1997, the Vuelta in 1999 and gold medallist at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

Pedal power Also taking part are honorary 312 bib holder Mavi García, Alberto Contador, Oscar Freire, Joseba Beloki and Pedro Horrillo. The race will cause a multitude of traffic stops on up to 37 roads on the island, belonging to 28 municipalities. The organisers will progressively close and open the roads along each cycling route to minimise disruption. For details of road closures visit milestoneseries. cc/event/mallorca-312

DELAYS: Some of the roads affected

SUCKED DRY

Illegal water extraction is threatening to drain Spain’s wetland reserves and cause irreversible ecological damage A NEW report has revealed the shocking extent of water theft from some of Spain’s most fragile wetlands. The WWF study insists the key endangered habitats include the Doñana National Park, in Andalucia, Las Tablas de Daimiel wetlands, in Castilla La Mancha, and the Mar Menor, in Murcia. The report claims groundwater from aquifers is being looted to irrigate vast vegetable and fruit growing zones at an ‘alarming rate’ without proper control by the authorities. The stolen water is enough to fill 65,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools each year, or

By Fiona Govan and Amber Edirisinghe

the equivalent of half the annual water supply to the city of Madrid. A year-long investigation highlights the extraction in four key areas, which the WWF insists are not isolated cases but are the worst examples of nationwide negligence. The Doñana area - home to 2,000 species of wildlife, including the Iberian lynx - already has the highest protection status and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Yet 80% of its natural water

DEMO: 75,000 protestors gathered in Murcia supplies have already been drained to irrigate the rice paddies and strawberry fields that surround the park, which sits between Cadiz, Sevilla and Huelva. The EU’s Court of Justice ruled in June that Spain had broken EU law by allowing the excessive extractions of groundwater there. Its underground aquifers are in serious danger after 1,000 illicit boreholes and 3,000 hectares of illegal crops were discovered around Donana. Meanwhile the Mar Menor is being slowly poisoned as illegal nitrogen-based discharges are causing a build-up of algae that has cut oxygen levels in the lagoon, leaving marine life to suffocate. “If this is happening in places like Doñana, or the Mar Menor, what is going on in those areas which aren’t under scrutiny?” asked Rafael Seiz, a scientist at the WWF. One of these could be at the Iznajar reservoir, in Cordoba, after an Olive Press reader revealed that hundreds of fish,

at least, have been washing up dead this month. Local expat John Pearce reported that it came after the water level was the lowest he had seen in 20 years. “Then last week dead fish started washing up,” he revealed. “I counted around 200 fish in just one 20 metre stretch of shore.” He added locals believe water is being drained off to fill rice fields in nearby Antequera, while a Coca Cola factory may also have been using ‘too much’ water, but the town hall has provided no answers. The WWF blames local authorities for failing to clampdown on illegal farming and the central government for failing to provide the funds and means required to monitor water theft. Magnitude “There is neither a specific assessment of the water abstractions with a permit from the water authorities, nor a formal estimate of the impact and magnitude of the illegal use of groundwater,” explained a WWF spokesman. The WWF wants the authorities to ‘act urgently and effectively’ to tackle this situation. “Illegal water use is a crime against biodiversity but also against those water users that fully comply with the law and use water responsibly,” added the ACTION: Is being demanded spokesman.

Jurassic Pa...lma

By design MALLORCA is registering record demand for off-plan designer homes this year, surpassing pre-pandemic records. According to German luxury real estate agency Engel & Völkers, the highest demand for top-end homes is from Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria. "Due to the scarcity of building land, developers have focused on building luxury properties with the best Mallorcan architects who bring prestige to each project," said the real estate company’s director Hans Lenz, talking to Ultima Hora. “Clients are particularly interested in sustainable and customised projects in a price range of between €595,000 and €2.8 million.” The company currently manages 30 projects in Mallorca, with a total turnover of around €750 million in new construction. The areas that are attracting the most investment are the Serra de Tramuntana, Port d'Andratx, the Son Vida area and the old centre of Palma.

Gypsy outrage AN incident where an inmate of Norai Juvenile Centre ‘sexually harassed’ a group of gypsy girls sparked a 300-strong demo by the Romany community. The Algerian youth had ended up hospitalised in a serious condition after being beaten up by a witness, but that was not enough for local residents who want the centre relocated. The protestors gathered outside the gates of the detention centre chanting ‘enough is enough’ and ‘out’. “Our daughters cannot go out in the street because some inmates try to rape them. There are robberies, beatings and they break car windows. We want them out”, said one protestor. Spokesman for the local gypsy community Manuel Alameda has since had talks with the centre’s representatives, who, he said, assured him that it will be moving as soon as possible.

VISITORS to Son Fusteret could be forgiven for thinking they have stepped into Jurassic Park. From tomorrow (Saturday) they will be able to see life sized models of Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, Protoceratops, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Spinosaurus, Diplodocus, a Tyrannosaurus Rex and many more. It promises to be a ROAARsome month as the Dinosaurs Tour sets up stall with an exhibition of animatronics and models of the ancient creatures. The exhibit is open from October 23 until November 21. Visit from Monday to Friday from 5pm to 9pm. And on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 2pm and from 4pm to 9pm.

NEWS

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Not so super A MANACOR man who was branded a COVID superspreader when he infected 22 people including three babies has been cleared by a court. Arnay Puentes, 40, was arrested after allegations that he had deliberately spread the virus over the course of four days while shouting ‘I’m going to infect you all’. But now he says he did not even know he had COVID and never knowingly infected anyone as the health staff did not inform him that he had to do quarantine.

Slammed

Puentes was targeted in the media and slammed on social media as a ‘superspreader’ and he says it still hurts him:. He was detained on April 24, 2021, and accused of going to work with 40º of fever and deliberately spreading the virus to his colleagues and fellow gym goers - all of which he denied. Regarding the night of his arrest, he said: "I felt like I was a terrorist.” The Manacor court has closed the case against Puentes because it concluded that he was unaware that he had been positive for coronavirus for four days.

Pets have feelings too! SPAIN has unveiled radical plans to change an animal’s status from a ‘thing’ to a ‘living being with feelings’. Under a new draft animal welfare bill, pets will now be granted rights, while dog owners, at least, will be asked to undertake a training course. In addition pet shops will be outlawed while it will

Spain unveils new animal welfare bill with far-reaching changes be illegal to leave a dog at home alone for more than 24 hours. A pet offender list will ban anyone who has been convicted of abusing animals in the past. Owners will also be banned from keeping over

BULLS OFF THE MENU A ROW has broken out after a €400 ‘state gift voucher’ for 18-year-olds to spend on ‘cultural’ activities will not allow spending on bullfights. Around half a million teens will be handed the one-off gift next year, which is designed to give theatres, cinemas and concert venues a much needed post-COVID boost. Book shops and other struggling cultural businesses, such as museums, are eligible. But bullfights have not been included in the €190 million scheme, despite Spain being able to trace their roots back 2,000 years. It is also despite bullfighting being listed as part of the country’s cultural heritage under Spanish law. Just 8% of the population are said to attend fights, most just occasionally, and there are moves to ban under-16s from attending the spectacles. Bullfighting has also been banned in over 100 towns, including Barcelona and Palma.

five pets unless they apply for a special permit. The draft bill also includes a ban on wild animals being used in circuses and outlines specific new conditions for keeping animals in captivity such as zoos and safari parks. Local authorities will also have to draw up plans to evacuate animals from emergency zones, such as wildfires.

Exciting

However, it falls short of addressing Spain’s controversial bullfighting tradition. A spokesman for Spain’s green Equo party welcomed the bill as an ‘exciting’ moment in Spain’s history. The conservative PP party and the far-right Vox party opposed the bill but it was still passed by the lower house and is likely to be approved by the Senate.

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

Full house THE emergency department at Hospital Son Espases was in a logjam on Monday and Tuesday, with 27 patients waiting for a bed. Seven of them were left waiting on uncomfortable seats for hours, while one patient due to be admitted for surgery had to endure a 116 hour delay. Doctors’ association Simebal has complained that the situation in the emergency room is going ‘from bad to worse’. It refuted hospital claims that the situation was ‘not normal’, saying that problems had been ongoing for several months due to ‘mismanagement of resources’.

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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 NO DRY SUBJECT! AS if Spain didn’t already have a problem with its waterworks. A hard-hitting WWF report has slammed the country for not protecting its key, precious wetlands. Their illegal draining to irrigate unlicensed farmland is a travesty that the Spanish government is well equipped to deal with, if only it had the political will to do so. That the investigation has been left to a charity is a veritable scandal in itself. Sure, lip service has been paid to the serious issue of the Mar Menor, but mostly it has been blame and counter-blame from politicians on both sides. Meanwhile, Spain was firmly reprimanded by the EU for failing to act against illegal farming practices in Doñana some years back… yet not enough has been done to curb it. How many other environmental travesties are being carried out right under the nose of local Spanish authorities? In this issue we highlight one alarming case that appears to be brewing at the Iznajar reservoir, in rural Cordoba. With what appears to be thousands of dead fish floating into the shore over recent weeks, we hope urgent action is being taken to investigate it. We doubt it, however. What we need to do is vote with our feet and take our own action. If we want to eat strawberries and salad leaves all year round, we can expect to see an even larger proliferation of greenhouses across more swathes of the Spanish countryside. The cost however, will be huge. It’s certainly time the authorities did their own bit before it’s too late.

NEWS FEATURE

CROWN AND COUNTRY

ROW of photographers lined the track outside the leafy Torre de Tramores estate in the foothills of Spain’s newest national park the Sierra de las Nieves. Kitted out in khaki shorts and t-shirts, the appropriate attire for an Indian summer on the Costa del Sol, they scoured the horizon and waited patiently for their subject: the UK’s beleaguered prime minister Boris Johnson, who had fled abroad, trying (but failing) to escape a growing gas and produce crisis festering back home. All set for a jolly week of peace hidden away in a secret valley ten miles inland from the coast, near Benahavis, the Old Etonian must have been spitting in his cornflakes when he woke up to find his those times when the preshols gracing the front pages … sure of leading the country the best in the Sunday Mirror: got too much for him. Just about the only picture of the ‘What Costa Living Crisis?’ Drat and blast! Just the sec- holiday showed the mop top ond day of his break, follow- leader standing squinting into ing a rousing Conservative the evening sun in a pink work party conference speech (typ- shirt painting a sunset over, eh, Sotogrande! ically short on Well that direcfacts, large on tion at least. banter, a la BoIt looked A fortnight earris) his plans to lier he’d have go hiking, a day staged to caught the on the beach perhaps mountain horiand carousing zon in flames, the boutiques invoke some from the Sierra of Marbella sympathy Bermeja fire. old town came It looked staged crashing around to perhaps inhis ears. He would just have to make voke some sympathy from do with the 600-plus hectares his long-suffering subjects of woodlands, with semi-trop- back home, now feeling the ical gardens, a duo of swim- catastrophe of Brexit coming ming pools, tennis court and, home to roost. one would expect, a croquet But, above all, how tragic that he should be foiled in pitch or two. Oh, and dabbling with his his cheeky getaway, while the paint brushes in the after- rest of the UK had been more noon sun, as his hero Winston or less ordered to Staycation! Churchill had once done all How ironic as well that this

How the Olive Press played its part in Boris Johnson’s painting break on the Costa del Sol that didn’t play well to the crisis-torn subjects back in the UK, explains Jon Clarke

SUMPTUOUS: The stunning retreat of Torre de Tramores counts on two pools and 600 hectares

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classic slice of Andalucian paradise, had once allegedly become the redoubt of the world’s most pursued princess, Lady Diana, back in the 1990s. Yes, indeed, the leafy acres of

The Torre de Tramores estate in Benahavis takes its name from an ancient 10th century tower built in the times of the Moorish occupation. The gardens still have their original streams and irrigation channels planned by the former Muslim owners, from the days of Al-Andaluz. The property was bought by

Al Andaluz paradise

multimillionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith, who decided that this would be the place where he would spend the last days of his life. He died of cancer there in 1997.

the Torre de Tramores estate had somehow successfully shielded her from the world’s press who were circling as she hid out with her friend Jemima Khan to escape the scandal of her divorce from Prince Charles and the end of her relationship with surgeon Hasnat Khan. It had been a masterstroke to descend to Benahavis and the estate owned by Jemima’s dad Sir James Goldsmith, who latterly passed it on to her brother Zac Goldsmith, a Tory politician and pal of Johnson’s, on his death. At the time, the world had been wondering where Diana had disappeared to, when suddenly the lenses picked up her sons, Willam and Harry, water skiing nearby in San Pedro and the hunt intensified. But while the princes were pictured at the nearby inland lake, somehow they were never traced to Tramores, a short five minute drive inland from the picturesque village of Benahavis. A few weeks later she would famously be on the yacht of Dodi Fayed off St. Tropez and all set to get married to, shock horror, a Muslim. The Tramores estate is still a marvellous escape today, easily reached by helicopter with its own helipad, and with

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October 22nd - November 4th 2021

Those in the know

HEN British Prime Minister Boris Johnson flew into Spain to take a break from the challenges of dealing with a fuel crisis and the prospect of empty shelves by Christmas, it was Olive Press editor Jon Clarke who stood up the story with Spanish police. It made the front page of the Sunday Mirror and Mail on Sunday and sparked a wave of criticism back home as a squadron of Fleet Street hacks decamped to the Costa del Sol to pick up the story. We guided them to the amazing Benahavis estate where Boris and his wife Carrie, and toddler son Wilf were staying and gave them the full rundown and background. And we, of course, kept all our online readers in the loop every step of the way. A week earlier an Olive Press story about The Crown filming in Malaga was gracing the UK press, while over the last few months over a dozen stories have seen their way into the international media.

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But you don’t need to wait for the foreign press to follow up on our stories. At the Olive Press online you’ll find exclusive after exclusive story, as well as hundreds of travel articles, dozens of interviews and scores of important ‘explainers’ vital for an easy, painless, life in Spain. Oh and all the latest up-to-date news and information - be it volcanoes, floods or strikes - that is important to those living or travelling in Spain. Join us at www.theolivepress.es today and sign up as a subscriber with a special Autumn offer that gives you full access to all our content for just €3.49 a month.

TOULOUSE LE PLOT: Boris has been painting inside the estate and how his painting was imagined a number of properties sleep- Most intriguing, the Olive ing up to 29 VIP guests. Press can reveal, is a visit by Costing €30,000 a week, it Boris’ father Stanley in the divides between the main Spring, when a source bumped house, set over three levels, into him while hiking in the and a two-bedroom apartment nearby hills. He had been with private access. Another clearly sizing up the place for smaller villa sleeps 10 with a post lockdown break for his five en-suite bedson. rooms. It was on the Occasionally vissecond day of Olive Press ited by Zac and his holiday, on discovered the the Friday, that his brother Nathanial, its most Olive Press Prime Minister the common family discovered visitor is younghad become a that the British est brother Ben, Prime Minister famous guest had become the who oversees the running of most famous the estate. guest for some It has seen many famous time, at least. guests, including Pakistani Through sources in MarbelPrime Minister Imran Khan la, the paper was able to eswho was photographed there tablish that he had arrived on his 1995 honeymoon with straight after the Conservahis now ex-wife Jemima Gold- tive party conference with smith. Hugh Grant has also his new wife Carrie and son allegedly stayed. Wilfred, 18 months. Carrie is

pregnant with their second child. Told he would be spending ‘up to 10 days’ at the estate, we quietly passed the story on to the UK press over the weekend, having just gone to print with our fortnightly edition a few days before. While the government did its best to try and paint a positive slant, it was impossible to stem the criticism of a leader taking an exclusive break, while most people struggled back home. His first foreign break since before the pandemic critics slammed him for leaving the country in the middle of a fuel crisis and with a predicted winter of discontent, with surging energy prices and stock shortages, brewing. The boss of the GMB trade union Gary Smith accused Boris of having ‘swanned off on his jollies while the country

is in the grip of a crisis’. “While working people worry about how they are going to pay the bills, the Prime Minister is relaxing in a luxury villa - missing in action once more.” UK Steel boss Gareth Stace also questioned the timing of the holiday when key industries in Britain were sending out warning signals. Steel producers, as well as manufacturers of paper, glass and ceramics claim they may be forced to halt production unless the government does something about energy prices, which have zoomed up due to the price of natural gas. Stace told LBC radio: “I'm sure he can get on the phone and get talking to them but to my mind, now is not the time for a prime minister to be on holiday, from the steel sector point of view.”

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The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: Benidorm and Costa Blanca hotels don’t 1- Why want to rely on UK tourists coming to Spain has it all - the ultimate guide to 2- Benahavis the hidden gem of Spain’s Costa del Sol luck this time Boris Johnson hoping 3- Better holiday in Spain’s Marbella isn’t as disastrous as previous vacations leaving Spain in drovers 4- Are Brits really where’s the evidence are the new rules for travel between the UK 5- What and Spain now Amber List has been scrapped.

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October 22nd - November 4th 2021

WITH THE RUN UP TO COP 26, SPACE TOURISM SHOULD BE OUTLAWED

AM not the most fervent fan of the British Royal Family. Her Majesty the Queen is an exception. She is rightly the envy of most nations. Prince Charles shot himself in both feet with the whole Diana/Camilla affair. The less said about ‘Randy Andy’ the better. Prince William, on the other hand, is becoming a true ally of the movement to help save planet Earth from the vicious and damaging effects of climate change. In an interview on the BBC he said that the world’s greatest minds should be focused on trying to save this planet. He said: “It really is crucial that we focus on this planet rather than giving up and heading out into space to try and think of solutions for the future.” I agree. The human race is seldom logical. In July 1969 America put a man on the moon. This cost over $25 billion then. Yet lower income Americans then and now cannot afford proper healthcare.

Countless billions have been invested in space tourism, yet we still can’t cure cancer. It all comes down to priorities. Is the exponential investment in putting the extremely rich into space (with a huge carbon cost) worth it ? Prince William’s father Charles was actually ahead of the curve in talking about environmental changes. William, his son, is a more credible voice that people will listen to.

Don’t COP out…

The COP 26 conference is due to start in Glasgow on October 31. Early November will see more hot air come out of Scotland than the Sahara desert. I feel I could write the headlines now that will come from this critically important meeting of the world’s leaders. But are they truly committed? I think not. China’s Premier Xi Jinping will not be in

Green

Matters

FINAL FRONTIER? By Martin Tye

Repair this planet - don’t try to find the next place to live attendance. The Chinese are the world’s largest polluters. The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will now attend but only following huge political pressure on him to do so. Russia, India. China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil have still not come forward with fresh commitments to make COP 26 a success. Climate issues are all over the media. Electricity costs have soared to unimaginable heights. Gas prices are through the roof. Let’s hope that concrete, tangible, measurable commitments come from this conference. The clock is ticking - the world is suffering.

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A SPANISH town is becoming a model for how to run a municipality on a sound ecological basis. Just a few kilometres from the brash tourist trap of Benidorm, La Nucia is committed to going green. The town hall has put in charging points for electric cars that are free to all, and has come up with a novel way to discourage the throw-away culture. Mayor Bernabe Cano oversaw a move that meant the more residents recycle, the less local tax they pay, which has been deemed a huge success. The road to a sustainable future has been a long one, with the municipality starting on the journey 20 years ago. Since then it has won three Architizer awards for its ecological architecture. The first step to sustainability was to ban cars from the old town centre and create green areas planted with native pines to improve air quality.

Architecturally the town has embraced a ‘quality of life’ philosophy with an emphasis on single family homes rather than the massive tower blocks seen in Benidorm.

Long run

And the council has chosen architecture that is environmentally friendly. Harking back to the old pre-airconditioning days, walls on the municipal buildings are built to be thick, thus providing a heat sink and reducing cooling and heating costs in the long run. The town hall’s approach has proven to be extremely popular with foreigners, who have flocked to the area. Expats from more than 100 countries make up more than half the population. The mayor hopes that his town can point other Spanish municipalities in the right direction by continuing to set a good green example.

Meadows threat A SCIENTIST has issued a stark warning about the future of Posidonia in the Balearic Islands. In a report for the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), oceanographer Biel Jorda predicts that the ecologically vital species is in grave threat of disappearing in the next few decades despite EU legislation to protect it. A combination of pollution, rising water temperatures, increased fishing activity, untreated sewage dumped into the sea and anchor-dragging from an increasing number of boats off the Balearic coast has already wiped out a significant percentage in the last few years as well as threatened the Mediterranean’s ecosystem. “In August of this year, the sea surface temperature reached 26.5°C, which means that the Posidonia meadows are already at their limit for thermal resistance and importantly, beyond 28°C, the Posidonia will be in very serious danger,” explained Jorda. Posidonia provides a haven for breeding marine life.

LA CULTURA

Legacy of Spain’s ‘Schindler’

SPAIN is trying to find the relatives of thousands of Hungarian Jews that were saved from the Nazis by a diplomat branded as the ‘Spanish Schindler’. German industrialist Oskar Schindler famously saved 1,200 Jews during World War Two, with his story being turned into the 1993 film Schindler’s List. Spanish diplomat, Angel Sanz Briz, used a legal device to prevent over 5,200 Hungarians being deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

Bogus

Sanz Briz created bogus Spanish passports for thousands of Jews. He used an out-of-date 1924 Spanish law that granted citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews who were thrown out of Spain in 1492. Spain’s Foreign Ministry is now working with Centro Sefarad-Israel to see if they can track down the relatives of those people saved by the brave diplomat. Centro Sefarad-Israel director, Miguel de Lucas, said: “For him the principle of humanity, prevailed over the principle of legality.”

October 22nd November 4th 2021

THEYDUNNIT!

Giant €1 million prize solves literary mystery A €1 million cash prize has helped solve the mystery of just who a popular ‘woman’ author is - and it turns out to be three middle aged men. For years the identity of Carmen Mola had been kept a closely guarded secret. The

By Kirsty McKenzie

story put out was that she was a university professor working under a pen name to maintain ‘professional integrity’. And so everyone believed - un-

ART CAPITAL MALAGA could soon have a prestigious new museum that may see it take on Madrid as the Spanish capital of art. Picasso’s birth city has welcomed the idea of Russia’s Hermitage Museum (above) opening a gallery in the port. With 3 million pieces in its collection, it would have no problem fully stocking the gallery. There it would join the world famous Pompidou centre offshoot as well as adding to Malaga’s other major artistic draws like the Picasso museum and Carmen-Thyssen gallery. Representatives of the Saint Petersburg museum have been in touch with city mayor Francisco de la Torre to disTHE GAME DEALER: cuss the idea after Barcelona City Council turned it down. By Pieter Aertsen

til her latest work La Bestia (The Beast) won the €1m Planeta award — the world’s highest paying literary trophy. In a plot twist worthy of an award-winning novel, it was revealed that three Spanish men had in fact penned the prize-winning book, when they were flushed out in order to claim the money. Jorge Diaz, Agustin Martinez and Antonio Mercero from Madrid and Mercia wrote The Beast together under the female pseudonym. The grand reveal has come as a huge surprise to literature fans around the world, who believed that Carmen Mola was the ‘Spanish Elena Ferrante’ — a reference to the reclusive, and also pseudonymous, Italian literary novelist. The first book, published anonymously in 2018, named The Gypsy Bride was a story that attracted international acclaim. The debut was followed by The Purple Network and La Nena, with the series focused on Elena Blanco , a police inspector who has to face the toughest and most gruelling cases in Spain. “Carmen Mola is not, like all the lies we’ve been telling, a university professor,” said Diaz on winning the prize. “We are three friends who one day four years ago decided to combine our talent to tell a story.”

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October 22nd 13th August

LA CULTURA

Fairytale princess October 22nd - November 4th 2021

The story of a humble Malaga girl who became Indian royalty

HE started out as a Flamenco dancer from a humble background but became a Maharani when she captured the heart of an Indian Maharaja. Aged just 16, she was whisked away to Paris to be taught how to become a princess and entered into a life of wealth, privilege and high society as she married into royalty in a story that could form the plot of a Disney extravaganza. It all began in 1890 when Anita Delgado Briones was born in Malaga. Her family moved to Madrid in search of a better life - one that Anita was to find

By Amber Edirisinghe

when she bewitched His Royal Highness the Rajah Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. In Madrid, Anita and her sister Victoria were scouted at dance lessons by promoters who dubbed them ‘The Camelia Sisters’ and were famed for their beauty, leading famous artists of the day to ask them to model. Being just 16, Anita declined but she was soon to catch the eye of a Rajah. The sisters had become regular performers at the Central Kursaal, socialising with intellectuals such as Leandro Oroz and Va l l e - I n clan. I n 1 9 0 6 many members of Europe’s - and the world’s highest echelons of society came to attend the wedding of King Alfonso XIII and Princess Victoria Eugenia. Among them was the Rajah of Kapurthala. When Anita spotted the fabulously dressed man in a white

HANDSOME: The maharajah and Anita in their Indian finery

and blue turban adorned with a peacock brooch, it was love at first sight. The pair were able to make contact with the help of the intellectuals from the Kursaal. When they began their correspondence, Anita was only 16 so produced ‘very childish’ letters, said Elisa Vazquez de Gey, authoritative biographer of Anita Delgado. Some of her letters were intercepted by Oroz and Valle-Inclan who felt compelled to ‘help out’ by editing her writing as it was hilariously juvenile. “It could be said that the maharajah fell in love with the event of a motor vehicle acletters of the cident or theft of your vehibest Spanish cle. From flat tyres and dead writers”, says batteries to empty petrol Eliza. tanks, Línea Directa is always In fact the coron hand 24/7, 365 days a respondence year for total peace of mind. was so successful that EXPAT2EXPAT just a week afDid you know that Línea Directa has its own Expat2Expat programme? Whenever an existing customer recommends a friend, then we reward the policy-holder and the friend with €30 in cash. You can recommend up to 10 people and earn up to €300 in cash per year. Simply ask your friend to call 917 002 006 and quote your full name. Then once their application for car, bike or home insurance has been approved, Línea Directa will pay the reward straight into the bank account following payment of next or first premium. See terms and conditions at lineadirecta.com.

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ter the royal wedding Anita had ficial occasions, was frequently received a letter of proposal from in the company of men, painted, hunted, played tennis, and drank. the maharajah. Anita was also After quickly acceptknown for her philaning, she was whisked away to Paris where Whisked away thropy during the World War. she was taught how to Paris where First She recruited and to be a princess by many governesses, she was taught funded weavers to make clothes in her who showed her etihow to be a palace, for the Sikh quette, horse riding soldiers on the front and music among princess lines whose uniother activities. Anita and the mahaforms couldn’t face rajah were married the cold of Europe. for the first time in Paris, and then Life was good and she was popagain in Kapurthala in 1908, this ular, but in 1920, the maharani time in the Sikh rite. fell very ill. A heart ailment meant The maharajah had a lavish she spent a long time recuperatpalace erected for him, ing in Kashmir, far from her reminiscent of Versailles husband. - because he loved all As they say, while the things French, which cat’s away, the mice is where they estabwill play and the rajah lished their home. succumbed to tempThis is where Anitation. ta’s true reign as Several affairs drove the Maharani of a wedge in their Kapurthala began. marriage. Anita Unlike previous waited until her son maharanis, AniAjit was old enough ta was very freeto be the rightful willed. She only heir and then they wore a sari on ofsigned a separation

Call their Englishspeaking customer service staff on 952 147 834 or get a competitive quote now at lineadirecta.com ELEGANT: Portrait of Anita and (inset) in European garb

LA CULTURA

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

OPULENT: The palace modeled on Versailles which was home to the royal couple in India

agreement - they never divorced - ernment would take her to a safer and she returned to Europe. place. She lived in opulence For this reason, she at her Paris mansion lived through the and in Spain, and She had many Spanish Civil War in the maharajah sent a small hotel in Britadmirers and her a monthly sum tany, France, and the of money. She had Second World War in entertained many admirers, travPortugal. elled frequently and many important Anita was badly afentertained many imfected by the death guests portant guests. The of the maharajah maharajah’s sole rein 1949. Luckily, he quest was that if a war broke out had generously left her a large where she lived, the British gov- pension as well as the title of ma-

harani. She moved to Madrid in her final years and in 1962 she died of heart disease at the age of 72. Something so unique about Anita’s life is the amount of documentation on it. According to Elisa ‘she always wrote diaries’. She even wrote a book, Impresiones de mis viajes por Las Indias, about her travels with her husband. If anyone led a life worthy of a book, surely it is Malaga’s very own Maharani.

BUSINESS

GO AHEAD: Ione Belarra

Hand out

THE Spanish Government has given the green light to additional funding that the Minister of Social Rights hopes will help tackle child poverty in Spain. The support package includes a direct payment to all families with children who are scraping by on the Minimum Living Wage (IMV). Ione Belarra, leader of junior coalition party Unidas Podemos and minister of Social Rights, said the new cash boost will offer payment for each child in families with low incomes. The maximum amount of €100 will be given to families who have a child under three years of age and €70 if the child is between three and six years old. €50 will be offered for every child in a low-income family between the ages of six to 18. A TOP Spanish steelmaker has slashed production at one of its factories due to the big hike in electricity prices It says that power costs have risen by 400% in a year, which it described as ‘exorbitant’. Sidenor has cut back ‘special steel’ manu-

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

CASH COWS Self-employed fury as they face new hike to make them the highest paying in EU

SPAIN’S hard-hit self-employed (autonomos) face an €8 a month hike in their social security contributions. The draft General State Budgets for 2022 has outlined a plan to increase both the monthly quotas and the contribution base for self-employed workers starting next year. Currently, most freelance workers in Spain pay around €283 a month in social security fees regardless of how much they earn. That means those that are self employed are still charged even if they don’t take a pen-

ELECTRIC SHOCKER

facture at its Bilbao base for at least 20 days until December 31. The overall effect will be to reduce production by 30% for the rest of 2021.

Prices rise

DEMO: Autonomos in Madrid

By Kirsty McKenzie

ny home that month. The fee, which is paid on top of other taxes, gives access to Spain’s public health system among other welfare benefits including contributions towards a state pension. Critics of the autonomo system have long demanded an overhaul - with self-employed workers in Spain currently paying the highest monthly social security fees in the EU which are far higher than the UK’s €14/ The company says it has yet to make a decision over its 1,500-strong Bilbao workforce but warned that ‘other measures’ might be necessary if price trends continue. Sidenor says it has also has plans to reduce steel production at its other plants in Cantabria and Catalunya.

month (minimum fee), the Netherland’s €50 a year and Germany’s €140 for those earning more than €1,700 a month. However, the new proposal could see some freelancers paying a minimum or €294 per month, up €8 from the current €286.15. Self-employment unions in Spain have already decreed the new payment proposals to be ‘inconceivable’.

Demos

Association of Autonomous Workers (ATA ) Lorenzo Amor said this was ‘not the best time to implement a measure of this nature’. “Many self-employed workers are still on the edge and we have been enduring a ‘complicated’ situation for the last year,” he said. Earlier this year autonomous in the hospitality industry staged a demo in Madrid demanding action to help them after incomes plunged 20%.

SPAIN’S inflation rate has hit its highest mark since September 2008 due mainly to rising power prices. The National Statistics Institute(INE) said last month’s figure stood at 4%, a rise of 0.7% on August’s figure. The INE said electricity bills went up by nearly 11% in September and have risen by 44% over 12 months. But for the government intervening to slash taxes on domestic power bills, power prices would have risen by 61% resulting in an inflation rate of 4.5%. There is no immediate prospect of an inflation slowdown as wholesale electricity prices continue to rise and business users will almost certainly pass on some of their increased costs to consumers. Spain has taken more radical action than its European Union counterparts to buffer consumers against bill hikes. It’s tried to persuade the EU to take regional action but it has not been satisfied with the response so far. The EU set out proposals last week to help the most vulnerable citizens and companies from the unprecedented surge in prices.

TOP CHOICES FASHION chain Zara is the only Spanish brand to appear on Kantar BrandZ annual list of the 100 most valuable labels worldwide. The list combines financial outcomes with consumer surveys of quality and reputation, as well as the brand’s value or potential to generate value for a company. Zara in position 83 is valued at more than $21.3 billion, maintaining the same level as last year. Amancio

Ortega founder of Inditex, the group that owns Zara has a current net worth of $78.9 billion making him the third wealthiest in Europe and the thirteenth wealthiest in the world. This past year has seen particular change in the list due to different consumer priorities during the pandemic. Amazon valued at $683 billion tops the ranking for the third consecutive year, ahead of other tech-giants like Apple valued at $612 billion.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 1 Headquartered (5) 4 Where trapeze artists connect (3-3) 9 Tidy CIA mall to find a Duchess (7) 10 Examine the books (5) 11 Soft (5) 12 Cool (6) 14 Accretions (13) 17 It would have been 105 pence (6) 18 Landing site (5) 21 Fright (5) 22 Look over (7) 23 Hands down (6) 24 With regret (5)

Down

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1 Insolent rejoinder (8) 2 Large Japanese wrestlers (5) 3 Diver Tom --- (5) 5 Puzzle solver’s exclamation (1,4,2) 6 Supplemented (5,2) 7 Grasses (4) 8 Political crown of thorns wearer (5,6) 13 In an advantageous way (8) 15 Mountain lions (7) 16 Barely adequate (7) 18 Hebdomads (5) 19 Give on merit (5) 20 Disconcert (4)

All solutions are on page 14

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

High cost

HOTELIERS across the world have praised Barcelona for its tough stance against ‘unregulated’ holiday lettings by online firms such as AirBnB. A virtual meeting between representatives of hoteliers’ associations from 36 countries demanded more regulation of tourist flats in holiday hotspots - with them saying Barcelona’s model was a step in the right direction. Didac García,of the Barcelona Hotel Association, said that during the meeting hoteliers had criticised the exponential growth of the ‘poorly regulated’ short term lettings market.

Devil’s visit MALLORCA will host the 5th International Symposium on Mediterranean Festive Fires at the Mar y Tierra Municipal Theatre in Palma. The event that lasts from today October 22 until 24 will focus on the theme ‘the fiesta, the devil and fire’, bringing together experts to host exhibits and talk about these topics. The programme is divided into three themes: the identities of the devil, the devil in context and free-themed communications, and will promote education and dissemination of the island’s cultural heritage as Mallorca’s traditions linked with fire and demons are interwoven with its music and gastronomy.

October 22nd November 4th 2021

Travel boost England introduces cheaper COVID testing for fully-vaxxed travellers

FULLY vaccinated passengers and children arriving in England from non-red list countries such as Spain will be able to take a cheaper lateral flow test instead of a PCR test from October 24. The British government had said it would introduce the changes but only recently confirmed the date, meaning the new rules will kick in time for half-term holidays. The new rules mean it will be considerably cheaper to perform the compulsory Day 2 test on arrival to England from non-red list countries.

Although the rules only apply to England and not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland they may well be rolled out there in the coming weeks. Passengers will still have to book the tests ahead of their flight and include the booking code in the Passenger Locator

AIRPORT FREEDOM

FAMILIES and friends can now wave farewell or welcome arrivals from inside Spain's airport terminals. For the past 17 months, terminal access had been restricted to passengers with a boarding pass unless a special exemption had been granted. The restriction ended last Friday, subject to general health safety rules like mask wearing. Airport bosses reserve the right to restrict entry at busy times to avoid the risk of overcrowding.

OVER 250,000 PROPERTIES FROM 2,000+ AGENTS

Form. Lateral flow tests will still have to be bought privately and list of approved private providers will be posted on gov.uk on October 22. However, travellers who are not fully vaccinated will still need to take a PCR test on day two after arriving and must quarantine for 10 days at home.

Simpler

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it would make travel easier and simpler. Taking away expensive mandatory PCR testing will boost the travel industry and is a major step forward in normalising international travel and encouraging people to book holidays with confidence."

Friends. Reset.

Comfort.

Sunset.

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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.

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COLUMNISTS

October 22nd November 4th 2021

Never Mind the Boris

Dear Jennifer: Don’t hang about police are watching

E are all still experiencing changes as a result of BREXIT and here is a little bit more useful information regarding the changes that are occurring all the time and this is regarding GB stickers for your

Making the headlines and splitting the press

RITISH Prime Minister Bo- (an image that will stay with me ris Johnson’s recent break for a long time) as well as enjoyto Marbella - or more accu- ing a spot of painting in the open rately Benahavis - seems air. Which particular painting by to have divided the Press and numbers kit it was, I’m afraid, public back in the UK. was not disclosed. His supporters said that he de- In the meantime, comments on served a break after a difficult 18 social media have ranged from months both pub‘That’s a long way licly and privately, to go for petrol’, to while his critics ‘look where the The particular claimed that he snivelling little was abandoning whelk is staying paint by the country in the - right by us. Hypnumbers middle of a fuel ocritical piece of crisis. dirt’. kit, was not Boris isn’t the first Others might British Prime Minargue that with disclosed ister to choose gangsters, oliThe after sales that you will receive will be practically non-exMarbella, with garchs, tax exiles istent and you will be on your own regarding a claim and also, both David Cameron and Tony and other assorted ne’er do wells do you really know what cover you have and are your docuBlair visiting in the past (at differ- seeming to pop up whenever ments in English. Then of course, there is the situation which ent times, obviously) Marbella makes the news, the I do not like at all – automatic renewal. The fact that he was staying at beleaguered Boris was bound to Therefore please find the time to check your documents and Zac (now Lord) Goldsmith's pa- choose ‘Marbs’ for his hols! the renewal date, taking into account that you have to give latial estate in the hills above a month’s notice, and come and talk to one of the ladies, or Marbella also upset many, but give us a call and we will explain the difference between our to be honest the property has policies and the banks and assure you of the excellent after been in the Goldsmith family for OL D HA CK IN sales procedures. decades, since the late Sir James TH E SU N There is nothing more frustrating in having a query which you purchased it in the mid-80s. And can´t get answered and this of course, is unacceptable and Benny Davis you could hardly imagine Bozo will never happen in my company. Ramblings of an 80-som looking for a bolthole on Airbnb. ething expat Alas, it seems that the PM resisted the chance to let his (unrufIF YOU NEED ANY HELP, JUST CALL US ON 966 461 690, fled) hair down and go loose in EMAIL INFO@JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET OR VISIT THE Banus. Photos from a well placed WEBSITE WWW.JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET paparazzi show Johnson shirtless OME readers may have read my `re- Lying flat under a tirement´ announcement in a previous huge robot maOlive Press issue. Nearly 90 now and chine that has parts suffering from cancer, it seemed the sen- two sible thing to do, but after receiving an appeal playing hide from the newspaper, to carry on as long as and seek possible, I called for a family conference. The over my verdict – stay strong, go with the flow. So, I’m body. Clicback, but before I get going again with my king, whizany mumblings, I have to mention my ad- rring, and miration for fellow sufferers I meet every day m a k i n g in the cancer treatment clinic. Mostly, ladies other stranwearing head scarves, wigs, and hats to hide ge noises, it sothe loss of their crowning glory. All greet me metimes hovers with smiles, waves, as if attending a friendly above, then takes a tea party, not a sad face between these lovely deep dive to the right people who have retained their personalities whilst a second dramatiS we continue to adjust to the new normal and dignities. This is another reason I am not cally appears from the left, and the challenges that the new world giving up. If they can do it, as the new boy on as if acting out a strange ritual tribal brings, making savings where possible dance. I always expect to see a line of miniatuthe block, so can I. continues to be a priority for many famiMy treatment is solely Radiology at present. re Benny´s marching out of the monsters base lies. 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The Olive Press all editions - FP_342x256 - PROMO - October 20th

FINAL WORDS

DRONES are being used to feed and water dogs stranded by lava during the volcanic eruption on La Palma, with two companies vowing to continue the mercy missions ‘while it is safe to do so’.

Naked truth SCIENTISTS at University College London using artificial intelligence and 3D printing have managed to reveal a hidden nude portrait painted by Picasso underneath his work ‘The Blind Man’s Meal’.

Stubbed out A MAN 27, threatened to attack an Alicante bar manager with a screwdriver after illegally lighting up a cigarette on the premises. The customer’s threats led to the police being called in and his subsequent arrest.

Vol. 5 Issue 117

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Your expat

voice in Spain

October 22nd - November 4th 2021

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This is not a Drill

Valencia’s Bioparc celebrated the birth of a new member of its Drill family, a highly endangered species of primate which number less than 4,000 in the wild.

Raunchy video on atheism leads to dean’s resignation A COUPLE grinding suggestively against each other in the hallowed environs of Toledo cathedral for a music video has led to the resignation of the dean. Spanish rapper C Tangana and Argentinian singer Nathy Peluso staged their romp for new release Ateo. Church authorities have launched an investigation into

Bite size?

A 35 metre-long nougat turron - a Spanish speciality for the sweettoothed especially at Christmas - is set to be the largest ever made in Jijona when it takes pride of place at this month’s Alicante Gastronomica fair.

how permission was given for the filming of Ateo – a song meaning Atheist – a collaboration that is full of religious imagery. It appears permission to film was granted by the dean of the cathedral who expressed support for the project arguing that the song and its video ‘presents the story of a religious conversion through love’.

Boogie nights

REVELLERS in Andalucia have been given an extra hour of fun. Late-night opening hours for restaurants and bars have been extended to 2am, while nightclubs can stay open until 3.30am.

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Vol. 15 Issue 377

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Seeing double

Your expat

voice in Spain

September 8th - September 21st 2021

ORIGINAL SIN

Bishop chucks in his cassock to marry erotic writer

A SPANISH bishop has resigned so he can marry an By Kirsty McKenzie erotic novelist. Xavier Novell announced It his decision to leave the thathas now been revealed he took the personal church just 11 years after he decision due to his relationbecame the youngest bishop ship with erotic writer Silvia in Spain at the age of 41. Caballol. The 52-year-old sent shock- “I waves through the commu- a have fallen in love with woman and I want to do nity when he suddenly re- things signed as the diocese of Sol- vealed. properly," Novell resona for ‘personal reasons’. “It is a magnificent vocation

Short fuse

A MAN attacked an electricity office in Galicia after receiving a high bill. The irate 54-year-old smashed windows at the Naturgy office in Vigo over a huge rise in his normal bill.

He told the police that his anger had up for a day and he could 'no longer been building contain himself'. The government has introduced temporary reductions on IVA to reduce the impact of hikes.

THEY normally take years to produce just one baby. Now a remarkable panda mother has given birth to twins in Madrid. In the first panda births in Madrid Zoo for five years, Huz Zui Ba had her fifth and sixth babies. As soon as she gave birth to her first cub, she put it on her lap and started to give it a good lick. The father is Bing Zing, who last year topped the charts in the ‘Giant Panda Global Awards’ for being the ‘most favourite panda’. The health of the cubs, born with pink skin, is being monitored by vets, joined by two experts from China’s Chengdu Panda Breeding Base. The international captive breeding programme has seen it now declassified from an endangered species to the ‘vulnerable’ category.

SEEN THE LIGHT: Bishop and his lover Silvia but I see that the Lord has wanted me to renounce that ger family." beautiful thing to have a big- Novell will now also ask for the Pope's permission for a dispensation from the vow of celibacy and obedience that all Catholic bishops take when they enter the MARBELLA firefighters priesthood. have rescued an Eurasian If the Pope gives Novell his eagle-owl after one of its talblessing, he is set to marry ons got tangled in netting at the 38-year-old writer from a local golf course. Barcelona. Firefighters used a specialShe has penned at least two ised vehicle to get close to novels, Amnesia Trilogy and the owl, which got trapped at The Hell of Gabriel's Lust, San Pedro Alcantara. which is described as ‘an erotic novel with Satanic overtones’. RARE: Pinkies

Terwit woo hoo!

AMUSED?: Naughty Bishop Novell (above) would have approved

He quoted lyrics from the song including; “I was an atheist but now I believe, because a miracle like you has to have come down from heaven”, as an example.

Big omelette DIGGERS have uncovered a dinosaur’s nest that contains a dozen eggs. The 60 million-year-old discovery was hidden away in a massive two-ton rock in Loarre in north east Spain. Each egg is 15 centimetres in diameter- nearly four times bigger

ANDALUCÍA

than a chicken egg. Early analysis suggests that they were laid by Sauropod titanosaurs, which were herbivores with long tails and necks and could reach a massive 20 metres in length.

He insisted that although the video used ‘provocative visuals’ it was not insulting to the faith. “The aim was only ever to support a dialogue with contemporary culture while always respecting the faith of the church.” However, the archdiocese of Toledo released a statement within hours of the video being released expressing ‘deep regret at what had happened’ and implied the archbishop had known nothing about the project. Subsequently the dean, Juan Miguel Ferrer, resigned from his position.

MOST Spanish men lose their virginity at 19 according to a study which has pinpointed the average age for first time sex in 35 countries. Icelandic teens are apparently the first to slip between the sheets with the average boy losing his virginity at 15.3 in the famously liberal country. According to the report by Manual, Spain comes last - almost - as the country of Latin lovers was ranked only above Japan, where men also lose their virginity at 19, and China, India and Malaysia where men wait until their early 20s to pop their cherry.

Virginity

In comparison, the average age a British man loses his virginity is 18 years and 4 months old. Men in the United States, Greece, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, South Africa, Russia and Mexico, on average, all wait until their 18th birthday before doing the deed. After Iceland, Denmark ranked second youngest with an average of 16.1 while Sweden came next with an average of 16.2.