Olive Press Andalucia Issue 417

The Olive Press runs a rule over the latest, hottest new restaurants and hotels in Spain’s most glamorous resort, see inside

O P LIVE RESS The ANDALUCÍA

FULL CIRCLE

Expat whistleblower in rental fraud case now accused of exact same ‘illegal’ rental scam

EXCLUSIVE

By Alberto Lejarraga

AN EXPAT whistleblower who denounced a pair of holiday scammers a decade ago has been accused of the exact same fraud.

Juliette De Courcy Withey, based in Malaga, is being taken to court over €70,000 she allegedly owes to the owner of a luxury 15-bed villa.

Withey, from Guernsey, allegedly faces seven years prison over the claims that she illegally rented the huge luxury home in Benahavis.

The allegations relate to a €2,800-a-night palace that was once owned by a Saudi Prince.

Withey, who lives in the Guadalhorce Valley, allegedly pocketed the rental income from the home in Benahavis rather than giving it to the owner.

The owner, Vicente Gonzalez, has filed a complaint at Marbella court claiming Withey pocketed €68,000, although he told the Olive Press he believes ‘thousands more’ is missing in cash payments.

It is the most ironic twist then, that Withey, 65, had herself filed an official complaint against her former boss-

es eight years ago, claiming the exact

same crime. She went public claiming fellow expats Mark and Michelle Stafford had been renting out properties - including the Benahavis palace - that they did not own, collecting thousands from unsuspecting clients.

In what became known as the ‘Rainbow Villas scam’, the Olive Press revealed how more than 100 tourists fell victim to the couple, based nearby in Alhaurin.

In a shocking fraud, leading to the Staffords arrest, many lost thousands when their bookings were cancelled at the last moment. Some of the most unfortunate clients arrived for their dream holiday to find someone else living in the property they had booked. Ironically, Withey - who had worked with the Staffords from their palatial home in Alhaurin - has now been accused in a lawsuit by Gonzalez, 61.

The Spanish lawyer, from Barcelona, told the Olive Press that Withey had been managing the property since helping to expose the original scam in 2015.

But, he claims she has been ‘illegally renting’ out the 1,700 m2 palace - once owned by former Saudi Arabia Minister of Defence, Prince Abdul-Aziz Saud - which is able to house up to 31 people. He told the Olive Press Withey was ‘in charge of the bookings’ and the mostly-British clients made two payments, one a deposit to secure it and another 30 days before arrival.

In court papers, seen by the Olive Press, he claims Withey would ask clients for the second payment to be transferred to her bank account or to be given to her in cash.

Court papers claim that Withey sometimes rented the property to conflicting clients at the same time, cancelling one of the clients, but still pocketing the money, similar to the Rainbow Villas scam.

A source has told the Olive Press that Withey hooked clients through a network of social media sites such as Booking. com and rental websites.

But the source, a British owner of a Marbella rental company Withey used to advertise the palace with, expressed

real surprise at the claims.

“She was legally working for the property so it was not suspicious at all. There were even times when I spoke to her clients and they said she was a lovely woman and they had a great time at the house,” she explained.

The problem was, while the clients may have been having a nice time, the actual owner, Gonzalez, claims he had no idea about them.

It was in 2019, when he was handed documentation by a rental agency, that he discovered multiple bookings for the rest of that year as well as for 2020 and 2021.

Prison

“It’s really important to expose Withey’s behaviour so that she does not scam any other people,” Gonzalez insisted this week. “She has had over a year to pay me back and has paid nothing.

“I don’t want her to go to prison, but she needs to pay soon or that is what will happen.”

According to the lawyer, Withey could face a prison sentence of seven years and six months for misappropriation and fraud, if found guilty.

When contacted by the Olive Press, Withey refused to speak, adding:

“You need to speak to my lawyer. I have nothing to say. He will contact you. He will explain.” He hadn’t by the time we went to press.

OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN

See Page 5

Brit arrested after tragic death of bouncer at Elliott Wright’s Olivia’s

SPAIN’s largest ever mafia trial was nearly derailed at the end of its first week after one defendant threatened his own lawyer.

One of the 157 accused of drug trafficking in the Campo de Gibraltar told his court-appointed lawyer he would ‘get him in the street.’

The threat, which was made in front of a host of prosecutors, was so intimidating the lawyer immediately resigned from the case and even required medical attention.

As a result, the judge suspended proceedings while a replacement counsel was sought.

Fortunately another defence lawyer agreed to fill in the gap and the trial was able to resume after an hour’s delay.

The mega-trial into the activities of the ‘Los Castañas’ gang, led by the Tejon brothers, is being held in Algeciras and is expected to last at least three months.

Monk to Malaga?

AN Irish gang boss extradited from Spain three years ago has been acquitted by a judge of murder.

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, 60, was this week found not guilty of the killing of rival Kinahan clan member, David Byrne. Byrne, who lived on and off in Spain, was gunned down during a boxing weigh-in at Dublin’s Regency Hotel in February, 2016.

Hutch was arrested in a joint operation between Irish and Spanish police in August, 2021 when he went out for a walk near his home where he was hiding out in Fuengirola.

The former crime lord had masterminded a bloody feud with the then Costa del Sol-based Kinahan clan, who now live in Dubai.

The vicious gang war led to at least 20 deaths, many on the streets of Andalucia, as well as

Gang boss ‘The Monk’ could be set for Spain return this week

By Alex Trelinski

in Mallorca.

Yet, only two men connected to the hotel ballroom shooting that day - Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy - were found guilty.

A smiling Hutch was mobbed when he left the Dublin court after Monday’s not guilty verdict but said nothing as he got into a taxi.

Target

Despite being a massive target of the Kinahans, he is still expected to leave for Spain this week - possibly returning to Fuengirola or going to Lanzarote, where he lived for over a

decade.

Two men died after four gangsters, dressed as policemen and one as a woman, tried to assassinate crime boss Daniel Kinahan at the fateful 2016 weigh-in. Kinahan, who organised the fight, was forced to escape through a fire escape of the hotel.

The son of gang boss Christy Kinahan, Daniel, who owned the MTK gym in Puerto Banus, was the main target of the shooting.

The attack was revenge for the murder of Hutch’s nephew, Gary Hutch in Spain.

Another violent attack days later saw Eddie Hutch Snr - the brother of Gerry - killed in his home by four gunmen. Kinahan associate ‘Fat Freddie’

CRYPTO DUO NO SHOW Drug cop ‘Stitched up’

COLLEAGUES of a decorated Guardia Civil detective boss facing charges of bribery have claimed he is being set up by vengeful drug trafficking gangs.

Lieutenant Colonel David Oliva - who led OCON Sur’s crack anti-drug unit in the Campo de Gibraltar - is accused of offering a fellow officer a job in exchange for spying on an internal investigation into his own conduct. Oliva is accused of attending a party thrown by the famous Castanos drug gang he was charged with fighting. Friends claim he is being framed by traffickers furious that he went after their cars, houses and other trappings.

A PAIR of wanted crypto tycoons face arrest warrants after failing to turn up in court. Gibraltarian Damien Carreras and his associate, Russian Pavel Sidirov, did not respond to the Gibraltar court. As revealed by the Olive Press, their company Globix went into liquidation last month amid accusations of fraud and it being a possible ‘Ponzi scheme’.

There are understood to be hundreds of victims around Spain, who may have lost as much as €70 million. Despite their no-show, there will be a further hearing on June 13, which they must attend or face arrest warrants.

We killed ‘Maradona’

A GANG known as ‘Los Suecos’ (The Swedes) have admitted their involvement in the brutal killing of two people on the Costa del Sol in 2018.

One of the incidents was the notorious shooting of David Avila, known by his nickname of ‘Maradona’, when he was leaving the first communion of his son.

The other took place three months later when Soufian Mohamed was gunned down outside his house in Estepona. The admission was made by the prime suspect in the case, Ahmed Abdul Karim, to Malaga Provincial court.

Thompson was subsequently arrested and had his clothes confiscated for forensic testing. Judge Tara Burns said that video footage of the two gunmen did not match up to Hutch while audio material suggested he was not in the vicinity of the Regency.

Hutch’s two co-accused, Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy, were convicted of supplying a motor vehicle to a criminal organisation - in effect acting as getaway drivers.

Continuing

Despite Hutch being cleared and the lesser convictions for Bonney and Murphy, Ireland’s Irish Justice Minister, Simon Harris, said the investigation into the killing is still ‘live and continuing’.

The rest of the defendants in the case also accepted their involvement in the killings.

The four members of the gang who are accused of carrying out the killings are facing Spain’s equivalent of life imprisonment, while four accomplices could be jailed for 12 years.

FREE: Hutch leaving court after being cleared

VICTIM:David Avila was gunned down

THANK YOU VERY MUNCH

ANIMALS at a Spanish zoo are chowing down thanks to a high end department store.

El Corte Inglés has agreed to continue supplying BIOPARC Fuengirola with surplus fruit and vegetables at no cost.

Over the past year, El Corte Inglés has

provided the conservation centre with over 16,000 kilos of food, which is used as part of the daily diets of the animals in the park.

The zoo collects food from the department chain’s stores on the Costa del Sol twice a week and prepares personalised menus for its collection of animals. In total there are nearly 150 different diets which add up to a total of 100 kilos of food per day.

IBIZA’s world renowned club, Amnesia, will be host ing a series of huge techno parties this summer.

Running from June 11 through to October 8, with a teaser party on April 28, Pyramid will showcase some titans of the industry.

Among the big names will be the queen of techno, Charlotte de Witte and housey Chaos in the CBD, as well as Caribou, whose sets are accompanied by a live band. The line up covers all bases of electronic music, from house beats and hard hitting techno to in dietronica, acid and synthy psychedelics.

Joining the cub

King Felipe and Queen Letizia will be at King Charles III’s coronation in break from tradition

Don’t forget Gran’s the word

Royal appointment

By Simon Hunter

ing the coronation of King Charles III in London on

They add to the steady stream of guest confirmations for the historic event that also includes royals from Belgium, Denmark and Sweden, among other countries. The invitation of foreign monarchs to the coronation is a break with tradition. Among those reported to be attending include King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of

FIVE Iberian lynx cubs have been born at the El Acebuche breeding centre in Almonte (Huelva).

They were born in two litters and are all in good health.

These are the first lynxes born this year at the centre, where seven cubs were born in 2022. A total of 43 of western Europe’s largest cat were born in Spain last year (20 male and 23 female), most of them in Andalucia.

The Iberian lynx is classed as endangered. In 2002 there were only 94 lynxes but now there are more than 500.

Belgium and Crown Prince Akshino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan. Felipe and Letizia, who were also in attendance at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September of last year, are planning to arrive in London the night before the coronation and stay in London for around 24 hours.

Exile

While there was speculation that Spain’s former king and queen, Juan Carlos and Sofia, could also attend the coronation, they are reportedly not among the 2,000 invitees.

Juan Carlos, the disgraced self-styled ‘emeritus king’ who has been living in self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi since 2020,was due to meet in private with King Charles III this week in London. He is then scheduled to make only his second visit to Spain since a series of financial scandals forced him out of the country. The former king in tends to compete in the Spanish Cup sail ing regatta in Sanx enxo in Galicia, with the Bribon crew in the six-me tre class before leaving for Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

SHE was slammed for being too old to be a mum when she had a baby via a surrogate mother. But the revelation that 68-year-old Ana Obregon is in fact going to be a grandmother has done little to calm the storm.

The celebrity has received significant criticism not least because surrogacy is illegal in Spain. But she has now revealed that the baby, Ana Sandra, is in fact the child of her son, Alejandro Lequio Obregon, who passed away three years ago from cancer. When Alejandro was diagnosed, doctors recommended that he freeze his sperm, as is common with many cancer patients that undergo chemotherapy. Before he passed away Alejandro expressed his desire to have children even if he wasn’t around to bring them up.

Obregon has now explained that the only thing that kept her going was the thought of one day bringing her grandchild into this world.

Obregon is legally the mother of her grandchild who was born to a surrogate of Cuban heritage in the US.

Leave those kids alone

COLOMBIAN warbler Shakira has made a plea for her two children to be left alone as the three of them begin a new life in Miami.

“My children, Milan and Sasha, have gone through a very difficult year, suffering relentless harassment and persecution with no respite by the paparazzi and several media outlets in Barcelona,’ she wrote on her social media accounts.

“Now that they are starting a new stage of their lives I earnestly call on the media, in the name of my children, to please respect their right to privacy,” she continued.

Shakira has been constantly in the headlines since her high-profile split 10 months ago with former Barcelona football player Gerard Pique.

HOLY GRAIL!

GIBRALTAR’S former police chief has been accused of ‘sexual assault’ in a case described as ‘a fit up’.

Ian McGrail - who is subject of a big political public inquiry - has been charged with the attack on a policewoman in 2018.

In a remarkable level of support, 25 friends and relatives arrived to back him when he attended Gibraltar court on Friday. One told the Olive Press: “It has raised a lot of eyebrows. It is so unlike him. There is a lot of debate about how and why this has all suddenly come together.”

McGrail, 56, who retired early from the force in June 2020, two years into his four-year term, was arrested at his home at 7am on Thursday. It comes a year after a public inquiry was launched over claims that he was unfairly

Controversy and debate after Gibraltar’s ex-police chief McGrail is charged with sexual assault

By John Culatto

‘pressured to resign’.

The former Commissioner will now stand trial for the alleged assault which is believed to have occurred at New Mole Police Station.

Timing

Described as ‘low grade’ and ‘innocuous’ by Olive Press legal sources, his friends question the timing of the claims.

“Many people believe he has been smeared,” said one, who asked not to be named.

“There is a general view there is nothing in it and the fact that so many family members

Easter death rise

A TOTAL of 34 people died in traffic accidents this Easter in Spain.

This is seven more than the 2022 period and the largest number over the last eight years.

The two most deadly accidents were in the Galician province of Lugo, where four young people died, and in Cantabria another crash saw three people lose their lives.

So far this year, there have been a total of 231 fatal accidents in which 258 people have died.

have turned up clearly shows that.”

The senior investigating officer announcing the charge is former detective chief superintendent John McVea, who is already leading a separate investigation into McGrail’s general conduct.

Two weeks ago, McVea ordered the arrest of McGrail on suspicion of misconduct in public office, conspiracy to obtain unauthorised access to computer material, and unlawful obtaining of personal data. Police released him after 10 hours in custody with his lawyer later claiming it was he who had actually ‘uncovered the data breach’. McVea, who himself recently retired from the force after 33 years, has returned to the Rock with a team of Northern Irish and Welsh officers on March 22.

Current Commissioner Richard Ullger said the investigation would be independent and transparent.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo had finally ordered an inquiry into McGrail’s retirement in February last year.

At a preliminary hearing, McGrail’s lawyer Caoilf-

save you tax?

hionn Gallagher KC insisted: “His core allegations are he was put under inappropriate pressure in respect of the conduct of a criminal investigation.”

The human rights lawyer from London’s Doughty Street Chambers added he was ‘subsequently put under pressure by the same individuals to request early retirement against his will’.

Pressure

However, Sir Peter Caruana, KC, representing the government, countered the claims, denying he was put under ‘any improper pressure’. The main hearing will begin on September 25 with Picardo admitting it ‘could be very damaging for Gibraltar’ in a TV interview for GBC

FOOD FIGHT

A JUDGE has sided with a Spanish restaurant after it charged three diners €510 for failing to turn up to their dinner reservation.

The clients had been staying at the Hotel Villa Favorita, in San Sebastian, where the Amelia restaurant is located. While they had changed the reservation date for the hotel stay they had forgotten to do so for the dinner. When the group arrived for their meal, they were told that the restaurant was full and the reservation had been for the night before.

They were offered the chance to rebook a few weeks later, but opted not to, leading to the restaurant charging the amount to the man’s credit card account.

“We host a maximum of 20 people,” manager Xabier de la Maza explained.

“So if the client has any problem, we always charge for the reserved menus. But we usually arrange a voucher so that they can come at any time for the rest of the year or give it away as a gift.”

In this case the client was so angry he filed charges arguing the cancelation policy was not clear when the reservation was made.

He added the amount charged was ‘disproportionate’, both arguments being rejected by the judge.

Food bank shock

A LOCAL food bank has reported that 47% of its users are full-time employees whose wage does not cover their basic needs.

Malaga-based NGO Asaec claims that high food inflation has tipped many minimum wage employees over the edge when it comes to affording to feed their families.

Boss Antonio Paneque told the Olive Press the number of people his organisation is helping has exploded by 40% since the start of 2020.

“There are people with salaries of €1,100, €1,200, €1,300, but these are wages that have not kept up with inflation. He added: “Some people need to choose between paying for electricity or groceries. We are getting a number of people asking for canned meals because they cannot afford to switch on the oven.”

SPOTLIGHT: on McGrail

OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN

Brit, 33, arrested in Marbella as Elliott Wright makes moving tribute to doorman who died breaking up a fight

A LEADING expat restaurant has temporarily closed as a tribute to a doorman who died at the weekend.

Olivia’s La Cala, owned by popular British TV celebrity Elliott Wright, shut for two days after popular employee Jose Pisani was killed during a fight.

The 55-years-old father-of-two, who had recently married, was said to have been punched and fell over banging his head when trying to break up the fracas on Saturday.

“This weekend we lost a much loved and valued member of our team,” a statement for the Mijas restaurant, read on social media.

“Our hearts are broken and we have closed today and tomorrow out of respect. We are supporting our staff and the family whilst awaiting news of further investigations.”

An Englishman, 33, whose initials were given as H.G.J.S was arrested yesterday over his involvement in the fight, a Guardia Civil spokesman told the Olive Press.

“He fled the scene and was arrested in Marbella. He has now been charged with mansalaughter,” she said.

It is believed that Pisani - a personal trainer and bodybuilder

By Alberto Lejarraga

from Venezuela - attempted to break up the row that started when two clients began to cause trouble after midnight.

Allegedly, a punch made Pisani ‘lose his balance’, hitting his head against the corner of a table as he fell.

Graffiti

According to sources, an ambulance took ‘up to an hour’ to arrive and he was rushed to Malaga’s Regional Hospital.

He was immediately sent to the intensive care unit with a serious head trauma, but doctors were not able to save his life.

An autopsy will now be carried out to certify the exact cause of death, while a funeral took place in Marbella last night.

“We cannot reveal any more information as the results of the autopsy have still not been made available,” a police spokesman told the Olive Press.

Jose Rafael Pisani Pardo was born in Caracas and was ‘happy’ having married ‘the love of his life’, Romina Acuna in November in Las Vegas. He was previously married to

another woman, with whom he has two children.

“This is all very sad, he never started any trouble. He was a very good man with a great heart,” one of Pisani’s friends told a local website.

The fallout of the attack led to the restaurant being graffitied on Monday night.

It is not known who daubed the restaurant in red paint, but the words, including ‘asesino’ and ‘mafia irlandes’, were in Spanish.

A Guardia Civil spokesman insisted last night however: “He is not Irish, he is definitely En-

glish,” he told the Olive Press. By Tuesday midday, the graffiti had been mostly removed or covered with patches.

Fire

Elliot, a former star of TOWIE, The Only Way is Essex, has been a restaurateur for 20 years in Spain and owns a second restaurant in Villamartin, in Alicante.

It has been a tough few years for the restaurant, which was badly burned in a fire exactly two years ago, leading to it shutting for many months.

Gorge drama

A TEENAGER was rescued after falling 12 metres (39 feet) into Ronda’s Tajo gorge. The 13-year-old slipped while trying to descend to rock pools where local kids swim. Police were alerted and rushed to the location where he was lying unable to move. Officers immediately called for firefighters’ support. Rescuers were able to evacuate the child, immobilized on a stretcher, to a waiting health team using a zip line set up by firefighters.

952 147 834

*Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and breakdown services.

FALLEN: Pisani with his new wife and (inset) the graffiti daubed on the restaurant

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.

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

Here we go again

THE Costa del Sol has worked hard to shake off its image as a hotspot for criminals and scammers. But the fact is there are still hundreds operating on the coast - or nearby - and we are the only English newspaper dedicated to investigating them.

We have exposed scores of scammers down the years for our readers, but sad to say they just keep on coming.

Our front page today is the latest in a long line of expats taking advantage of the unregulated holiday rental market…this time pocketing cash that should have gone to the owner.

And outrageously Juliette De Courcy Withey had previously complained about another expat pair who had perpetrated a very similar fraud - and at the very same palace she is alleged to have illegally let out herself.

What comes around, comes around, as they say. So it was no surprise that the Olive Press had actually first exposed the so-called Rainbow Villas scam way back in 2015.

In that depressing case, later followed up in the UK press, we revealed how Mark and Michelle Stafford were accused of using the Benahavis villa to defraud up to 100 unsuspecting Brits.

There are so many conmen still out there and, as the holiday season is about to bounce back in a massive way, you need to keep your eyes peeled.

From those targeting holidaymakers with fake websites where properties don’t actually exist, to wedding planners who take the cash and run away leaving behind a trail of distraught brides and grooms. It seems scammers will stop at nothing to strip hard working tourists, landlords and expats of their hard-earned cash.

Unfortunately for them, our NCTJ-trained investigative team will stop at nothing to expose their shady dealings.

We have been doing this for 17 years and will continue to do so for many years to come. And that’s a promise!

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Anthony Piovesan anthony@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

TAXING TIME

Crypto earnings, new deal for working mums…What you need to know about your 2022 tax return

IT’S that time of year again - the period in which to do your tax return has started.

As usual with these processes, it is highly recommended to turn to the services of a gestor if your financial situation is a complicated one or if you don’t understand the language of the forms necessary.

There are, however, steps you can take yourself and things you need to know. Read on for all of the necessary information.

How to get your ‘borrador’ or tax form

From today, taxpayers can download the 2022 fiscal data held by the Agencia Tributaria (Tax Agency), a draft tax return known as the borrador. To do so, you will need to be signed up to the Cl@ve Pin system, or have an electronic certificate that proves your identity on the website. The draft will contain all of the information on the Tax Agency’s system related to your income, taxes already retained, assets, capital gains from property sales, and so on. This information can be modified by the taxpayer if something is missing or incorrect.

What happens next?

If the information is correct, you can confirm it online and the return will be filed. However, gestores warn that some 35% of these drafts contain errors, meaning it is important to carefully check for mistakes or omissions. If the final figure is negative, that means the Tax Agency has to pay you money. If it is a positive number, you will have to pay that amount. The tax return contains a field where you can enter your bank account number for either of these transactions.

What are the important dates for this year?

From today, taxpayers can file their tax returns directly online. If you want to file over the phone, you can do so from May 5 to June 30. And for those who want to do so in one of the Tax Agency offices, the dates are June 1 to June 30. The final deadline is June 30.

How do I book an appointment?

You can get an appointment with the Agencia Tributaria via the website or by calling the following phone numbers: 91 535 73 26, 901 12 12 24, 91 553 00 71 or 901 22 33 44.

What has changed for the 2022 tax return?

The government changed the limits for pension contributions last year. They currently stand at €1,500 for a personal pension plan, and €8,500 for company plans. These amounts correspond to the deductions that can be applied via your tax return. What’s more, working mothers can retroactively benefit from a larger deduction for the years 2020 and 2021 on their 2022 tax return. And women with children under the age of three and who are not working are now eligible for a €100 monthly benefit that previously was only available for working mums. This year’s return also contains for the first time a section where taxpayers can register their losses or gains from cryptocurrencies.

When should I file a joint tax return with my spouse?

If both you and your partner have a reasonable income, it is usually better to file separate returns. If your partner has no income at all or it is very low, it may be in your interest to file a joint return. In this case, all tax information of your family members must be included.

Does everyone have to fill out a tax return?

Not necessarily. Usually, they are only needed if the taxpayer has earned more than €22,000 over the year in question. If you have been claiming the government’s guaranteed minimum income scheme (ingreso minimo vital), you must also file a return.

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LADIES MAN

IMAGINE for a moment an individual who witnessed his family burned at the stake for their beliefs.

Then, rather than seek revenge, have the fortitude to dedicate his life to a culture of tolerance, learning and a study of the human soul.

That person would later shape some of the world’s most influential psychologists and philosophers… a man who assumed the moniker as perhaps ‘the world’s most influential advocate for humanistic learning’.

What follows is the relatively unknown backstory of a Spanish scholar named Luis Vives.

Vives was born in Valencia, in 1493, during the dark chapter known as the Spanish Inquisition. Most of his extended family were executed (burned at the stake) as ‘crypto-jews’ or jews who were suspected of having a secret adherence to Judaism rather than Christianity.

Orphaned, he attended the University of Valencia - a prestigious Medieval school that emphasized dialectic reasoning, metaphysics, debate, and diplomacy.

In his studies he discovered the works of Aristotle and the intellectual movement that began to dominate the educational thrust of the earliest European universities.

After graduation he left Spain - never to return - first studying in Paris (1509-1512), followed by a professorship at the University of Leuven, Belgium.

From there, he often traveled to England where he established strong ties to Oxford University and the court of Henry VIII and fellow Spaniard, Cather-

IF there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 23 years living in Spain, the locals take their food very seriously. So perhaps I shouldn’t have pranked them on Twitter on April Fools’ Day this year… for the reaction was, well let’s just say, nothing short of spectacular. It all started as we were readying the house for our Semana Santa trip to the mountains of Leon (a good remote place to hide, as it turned out, from pitchfork-wielding Spaniards). I hate wasting food, so I decided to chuck my son’s leftover dinner (peas and choppedup sausages) into an omelette, along with some chunks of Spanish cheese.

ine of Aragon.

He later became the personal tutor to their only surviving child Princess Mary, teaching her Latin, French, Spanish, Greek and the philosophy of the ancient Greeks.

Impressed by his tutelage, Catherine commissioned The Education of a Christian Woman which was one of the first books advocating education for women of all classes.

It became the most authoritative pronouncement to date for universal education for women and his writings brought him close to British Humanists such as Sir Thomas More. However, he would fall out of favor with Henry VIII by siding with fellow countrywoman Catherine over the matter of divorce.

Vives returned to the University of Leuven where he commiserated with friend Erasmus - the infamous Dutch philosopher considered the greatest scholar of the ‘Northern Renaissance’. Over the centuries Vives’s works have been viewed as the gold standard on the principles of education for women, the study of the soul and its interaction with the body and its ethics and emotions.

Collectively, Vives and Erasmus combined these elements into what has been called ‘Aris-

Remember Jamie! If you’re going to joke about a national dish as beloved as a Spanish tortilla (potato omelette), you’d better be ready for some serious blowback, explains Simon Hunter

Luis Vives was the world’s first Renaissance Man and championed education for women in the 16th century, writes Jack Gaioni

TWITTER’S VIRAL TORTILLA

The result looked rather unappetising (although as my Spanish wife will attest, it did taste pretty good).

As I watched it cooking, the cogs of my mischievous mind began to turn. I snapped a picture, and posted it on Twitter with the caption: ‘Made a lovely Spanish tortilla this morning, yum.’ When I hit publish, I had an unnerving feeling I was lighting a blue touchpaper and it was time to stand well back.

The reaction was almost immediate: ‘Gastronomic terrorism’, read one response.

‘What an aberration!’ read another.

‘My dog’s vomit’ was a particularly graphic comment, while there was no shortage of Spanish Twitter users insisting I be deported.

DID YOU KNOW?

One pointed out that ‘wars have started for less’.

It was reminiscent of that other infamous culinary row, when Jamie Oliver - horror of horrors - put chorizo in a paella recipe back in 2016.

The British celebrity chef found out the hard way you don’t mess with a traditional Spanish dish like that one, and even re ceived death threats, ‘all because of a bit of sausage’, as he later told Graham Nor ton’s chat show.

HERE TO HELP!

THE Olive Press is always on the hunt for top talent and our latest employee hits the mark for his experience and professionalism.

Matt Jones not only brings his experience from a Who’s Who of the UK media - the Mail, Metro and Birmingham Evening News - but also over a decade in Spain working for the likes of Spectrum FM and Costa Blanca News

An extremely popular and well known local expat, he brings his friendly, sunny personality, not just to the Olive Press sales team, but also to our clients. While some newspapers in Spain go for a time-share style hard sell - which can be very aggressive - Matt and his fellow team are always happy to listen to their potential clients and make genuine friends among many of them.

Our clients are not just numbers to us, they are real people who deserve to be treated with real respect. We are the genuine community newspaper, after all.

This is something that defines the approach of Matt’s new commercial colleagues, Sam, Tina and Charlie.

Sam Adams has been with us for many years and is genuinely the smiling face of the Olive Press

When he is not out and about grafting and chatting to clients, the father-of-one brings his sense of humour and infectious laugh to the office.

As does Tina Brace, who is very well known around her home turf of Sabinillas and nearby Estepona. A loyal and hard-working woman, she is extremely kind to friends and family.

Not so often in the office, but larger than life, is Charlie Bamber - the Godfather of the team. Another, never without a smile, Charlie handles sales along the Costa Blanca and Mallorca with aplomb, bringing in some of our biggest contracts. The reason? He takes the time to get to know his customers, finds out what they want and arranges the advertising campaigns they need.

All in all, the Olive Press is very proud of its highly professional team - and there is room for more if you want to join the Olive Press family.

totelian Christianity’.

Along with personal, life-long associations with many of the great thinkers of his time, Vives directly influenced many of the great scholars in the centuries that followed.

Most influential philosophers (Rousseau, Sartre etc.) and psychologists (Freud, Jung, etc.) made references to his works and his beliefs on the soul and the human psyche, plus emotions, memory and learning are key tenets in how modern psychology is perceived today. Indeed, Luis Vives, who died in 1540, is often highlighted as ‘the father of modern psychology and the grandfather of psychoanalysis’.

● Princess Mary, Vives’s pre- cocious pupil while in Eng- land, would later become known as Bloody Mary or Mary Tudor. She ruled as Queen of England from 1553 to 1558. In a complicated turn of events, Mary would also rule as Queen of Spain with her marriage to King Phillip II.

● There are monuments to Luis Vives in many centres of learning throughout Eu- rope. Statues can be found in Bruges, Brussels, Paris, Madrid, Heidelberg, Rot- terdam and perhaps most meaningful, in the library courtyard at the University of Valencia.

To ensure I defused my own personal on slaught as soon as possible, as is tradi tion, at 12pm I put out another tweet mak ing clear that this was an April Fools’ joke. However, not only did that message get very little traction, I had clearly overesti mated Spaniards’ awareness of the day, despite it being celebrated not just in the UK and the US, but in Italy, Poland, Germany and even Turkey.

Mistake

In Spain and Latin America, of course, the time for pranks is December 28, the Day of the Holy Innocents.

Not only is this the day for practical jokes to be played out between friends and family, but a time when fake news stories make their way into the press and foreign journalists have to be particularly careful not to be duped.

One of the most recurrent comments I received was that I had made a big mistake by making the joke on April 1 and not December 28. I responded by saying the idea was to troll as much of Spain as possible.

And with nearly three million views for the original tweet, and thousands of comments and retweets, I think it’s fair to say that it went pretty well.

Follow me on Twitter @simoninmadrid for more recipes.

If you have the drive, personality and sales experience - and particularly if you speak Spanish (ED: note well, team) - drop us a line at admin@theolivepress.es

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

1- Four Costa del Sol towns are among the 50 most expensive in Spain to buy property

2- Ryanair win lawsuit in their ongoing war with online travel agents

3- Explainer: What will the government’s planned housing law mean for tenants and landlords?

4-

New UK driving licence deal with Spain excludes the Channel Islands and Isle of Man

5- British woman seriously injured after hotel balcony fall in Benidorm

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

COOKING UP A STORM: Our Simon’s tortilla caught the attention of Spanish media

Wetlands threat

Up to 1,000 illegal wells could be ‘regularised’ at Doñana National Park

THE Junta de Andalucia has ignored the European Commission to approve introducing a bill that may see 1,000 illegal wells bordering the protected Doñana wetlands made legal.

In a moment of political theatre during a recent debate in parliament, leftist politician Maribel Mora Grande dumped a jar of sand from Doñana on the parliamentary seat of the regional premier, Juanma Moreno Bonilla of the conservative Popular Party (PP), in protest.

The legislation won the backing of the governing PP and far-right Vox, with 72 votes in favour from a total of 109 seats.

But Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has vowed to do everything he can to save Doñana from the ‘hands of the PP and Vox, who want to plunder the environment’.

Teresa Ribera, the minister for environmental transition, said that she was ‘very

On alert

ANDALUCIA has been put on fire alert 15 days sooner than normal.

The prolonged drought has led the Junta to bring forward the forest fire contingency alert which is commonly implemented around May 1.

Some 2,500 firemen and 120 vehicles have been placed on standby to tackle potential blazes as part of the plan.

A ban on agricultural burning has also been extended to April 24 from its original 10 day prohibition starting on April 1. In the first three months of the year some 46,255 hectares have already burned to the ground across Spain.

By Simon Hunter

angry’ with regional premier Juanma Moreno, saying that an increase to the watering of crops in the area would be ‘an outrage’ on the basis that there is not enough water there to do so.

Under the plan, agricultural land that is currently illegal would be regularised. Environmental NGO WWF estimates that there are around 1,000 illegal wells in the area that are being used to supply these farms.

The water levels in the aquifer are at their lowest in decades, while the reservoirs are currently at 25% due to

THREATENED: Millions of birds stop at Doñana

illegal wells, drought and the water supply for the nearby tourist destination of Matalascañas.

Doñana is a wintering site for half a million waterfowl and a stopover spot for millions

FOR a long time, many politically correct vegans and vegetarians have been expounding the virtues of a meat-free diet based on moral and ethical beliefs.

Science now supports this concept as cows produce massive amounts of methane (from both ends!), a gas that has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. Even though CO2 has a longer-lasting effect, methane sets the pace for warming in the near term.

At least 25% of today’s global warming is driven

NET GAINS

ALMOST 80,000 kilos of plastic rubbish was fished from the sea in the Valencian region in 2022, according to a recent report from environmental NGO Ecoembes. The waste was recovered by 891 volunteer local fishermen as part of the group’s national programme ‘Upcycling the Oceans’.

more birds that migrate from Africa to northern Europe, according to news agency AP. It is also home to five threatened bird species, including the endangered Spanish imperial eagle.

Industrial packaging, food and cosmetic containers, and shopping bags are some examples of marine debris recovered. Across Spain, a total of 189,844 kilos of sea waste were brought ashore in Spain last year as part of the initiative. This was possible thanks to 2,600 fishermen working on 600 boats in Andalucia, Galicia, Comunidad Valenciana, Murcia and Cataluña who took part.

Agricultural greenhouse emissions are a big deal

COWS FART...SO WHAT?

by methane from human actions. For a long time, methane was overlooked in the climate change conversation. Now scientists and governments are acutely aware that reducing methane emissions is crucial. The evidence constantly surrounds us as to the results of global warming – wildfires, extreme weather, crop loss, and rising sea levels. Here in Spain the State Meteorological Agency has announced that the current warm and dry spell will lead to extensive drought conditions. May shows no sign of improvement.

So back to cows!

An Oxford University study recently published in the Climate Change Journal shows that meat eaters are responsible for almost twice as many dietary greenhouse gas emissions as vegetarians, and about two-and-a-half times as many as vegans. Methane emissions from agriculture would be reduced if farmers produced more food from plants and less from livestock.

Science has a solution

This is genius.

ANTI-FART: Seaweed for cows?

Every year a single cow belches and farts about 220 pounds of methane. Wow!

Dairy cows could be given methane suppressants made from natural ingredients like seaweed to cut greenhouse gases. Methane suppressants are planned to be available by 2025. Let’s hope there will be a human variant launched at the same time, or certainly in time for Christmas.

What a stocking filler that would be.

Green Matters By Martin Tye

You can find more exclusive properties on our website. In addition, we have dozens of pocket listings of premium properties that are not listed publically anywhere. We are here to help our clients from the first-time buyers to experienced investors to make the best possible deals in real estate.

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Good mews

Mia the cat recovering well after scalding horror

WITH regards to your story about the poor cat that was found badly scalded on Mallorca (the Olive Press Mallorca last edition).

I would like to say thank you for the coverage. Our social media posts seemed to have more likes, comments and shares than usual so the article helped there.

The news is good about Mia (the cat).

Rough justice

WHAT is going on with Spanish justice?

Sarah Hermitage (see Frontier Justice the Olive Press issue 416).

Sarah Hermitage has settled down in Spain and now been forced to sell up and move after being assaulted over a boundary dispute.

To make matters worse the son of the aggressor Vicente Gonzales is a Guardia Civil officer and accompanied him during the assault. The result - Gonzales gets a €90 fine for aggression. This is not even a slap on the wrist!

Betty Johnson, Nerja

She is eating well and is very loving and seems to be recovering.

Toni Beech, Cat Protection Pollensa

Editor’s note: Mia the cat was found having been severely injured after apparently being doused in boiling water or oil.

Easter present

THE differences between UK and Spanish traditions can be seen at Easter, The way in which it is celebrated here is in stark contrast to the UK. It is such a pleasure to see the processions that show us from the UK a different culture. So it was great to see your article on page 6 last edition (Spain’s Weirdest Easter Events, the Olive Press all editions. It was informative and interesting and something we do not find in other English publications in Spain. Keep up the good work!

Joan Williams, Javea

Editor’s note: Many thanks Joan. For many more articles giving a glimpse of Spanish culture take a look at www.theolivepress.es

Tapped up

I WAS interested to read in the Olive Press Online that Spanish beer Cruzcampo will soon be sold on tap in the UK. FYI, The Tap in Ponteland, just outside Newcastle in the NE of England has had Cruzcampo on

draught since at least last June!

Best regards Mark Leonard

Editor’s note: Looks like the North East has stolen a march on the rest of England!

RESEARCHERS have found that civilizations on Menorca were using hallucinogenic drugs as far back as 3,000 years ago.

The findings are based on analysis of hair from a burial site on the Balearic island.

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports, and concluded that this could be the earliest

ANCIENT TRIPPERS

hair samples

Royal Ronda

KING Felipe will be in Ronda today (Wednesday) to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda (RMR).

The RMR is an institution that was originally created in 1573 as a cavalry training school by order of the current king’s forebear and namesake, King Felipe II. While previously the school focused on the defence of the realm, now its main pursuits are the promotion of culture and heritage. It also manages the town's bullring and museum space and offers the use of its library.

The RMR has organised a range of activities for the king in order to mark the anniversary.

Flamenco fervour

FLAMENCO dancing and music are being protected by a new law.

Andalucia’s regional parliament has passed legislation seven months in the pipeline to protect and conserve the artform, as well as its promotion as a regional cultural asset.

The law also legally defines concepts such as flamenco or peña, which are the places where the music and dance are usually performed, as well as incorporating the study of flamenco into school curriculums.

Flamenco peñas themselves have welcomed the law, and are said to be hopeful that financing will soon follow as part of a strategic plan.

By Simon Hunter

direct evidence in Europe of people using such substances, which were derived from plants and bushes.

Scientists believe that the drugs were used for ritualistic ceremonies.

The substances detected in three hair samples included ephedrine, atropine and scopolamine. Ephedrine is a stimulant that can be extracted from shrubs and pines, and increases alertness, excitement and physical activity.

Atropine and scopolamine are found in the nightshade plant family and can cause hallucinations and altered perceptions, and even delirium.

The hair was found at the

ritual and funerary cave of Es Carritx on Menorca, a site that was discovered in 1995. It is considered to be one of the most important Late Bronze Age sites on the island.

The cave is home to more than 200 graves and is thought to have served as a site for funerals and rituals for some 600 years, until 800 BC.

“Considering the potential toxicity of the alkaloids found in the hair, their handling, use and applications represented highly specialised knowledge,” the study states. “This knowledge was typically possessed by shamans, who were capable of controlling the side-effects of the plant drugs through an ecstasy that made diagnosis or divination possible.”

Sheeran in town

ED SHEERAN shared new songs from his upcoming album with a tiny audience at an intimate gig in Madrid.

The English singer-songwriter chose the Círculo de Bellas Artes in the Spanish capital to play eight tracks from - (Subtract), accompanied by just a guitar and piano.

The Grammy-award winner is one of the world’s best-selling music artists and one of the most-followed artists on music-streaming app Spotify, and is more accustomed to playing to arenas and stadiums than the small crowd of 400 super-fans that saw him last night.

In fact, he admitted to the crowd that he felt ‘more nervous’ than usual playing to the tiny venue last Saturday.

The new album is due to be released on May 5, and will be followed by a European and North American tour. For now, there have been no dates announced for Spanish gigs.

Civilizations were using hallucinogens as far back as 3,000 years ago, according to the analysis of

DOUBLING UP

FREYA Rogers, who runs the successful Armario de Freya women’s clothes and accessories store in Orgiva, has opened a second store in the spa town of Lanjaron. Catering for every occasion - from fiestas and special events to work and leisure - the shop stocks a range of attractive clothing, handbags, purses, jewellery, and some homeware. Like its predecessor in Orgiva’s Calle Correos, it is hoped to become a magnet for the discerning shopper who would rather buy quality goods locally than drive to nearby cities to visit large chain stores.

Find Freya’s new store at: Avenida Alpujarra, 29, Lanjarón, 18420 Granada. Opening hours are 10am-2pm and 5-8.30pm.

Boutique

By Jo Chipchase

THE Sierra Nevada area of Granada is a dream for photographers, who will encounter some of the best scenery and atmosphere of Andalucia. This is especially true of the rural Alpujarra, lying on its southern flank.

Here, you’ll find towering mountain peaks, the Mediterranean Sea glistening on the horizon, impressive cloud formations, fiery sunsets, winter snowscapes, and diverse fauna and flora. With visual changes accompanying each season, this area is spectacular all year round. Add to that a wealth of colourful events - such as town processions, ferias, and fairs - as well as the old traditions and culture, and photographers are spoilt for choice.

The Olive Press spoke to some photographers (pros and amateurs) who made this region their home - and view it daily through the lens.

JO CHIPCHASE - OLIVE PRESS REPORTER

Jo first came to La Alpujarra in 2002, to visit friends who had moved beside the tiny village of Lobras, near Cadiar. She immediately fell in love with the area – the rolling hills of the Contraviesa and low Alpujarra with their terraced, crop-laden land, white villages nestling against the hillsides, winding roads, and the slower pace of life.

A few years later, she moved to the spa town of Lanjarón with her kids, and then to the higher mountains.

She says: “My favourite place for photography is the Sierra Nevada natural park, as seen from various mountain passes. I particularly like shooting sunrises and sunsets. The Contraveisa is another personal favourite.”

“When working, I enjoy taking event photos to create a story, from start to finish. This could be the San Juan water fiesta in Lanjaron or the Musica de las Mozuelas in Cañar. I like unusual events that you wouldn’t see anywhere else.”

LIZZIE WOLFENDEN - NATURAL LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER

Lizzie, a resident of Órgiva, was living in France before she moved to La Alpujarra in

Why the Sierra Nevada and Alpujarra region of Granada are a visual feast for your camera SNAP

“Get off the beaten track”

– Fred Shively (unless there are wells, holes, mines, or dense forests!)

“Wander in the golden hour – the spell before dawn and dusk” – Lizzie Woolfenden.

“A good image requires either a lot of patience or a lot of luck!” – Richard Hartley

“Don’t shoot in the haze of the direct midday sun” – Jo Chipchase

Hints & Tips

2017. She says: “We were attracted by a simpler, outdoor life. I fell in love with the pomegranates and photographing them, especially when they crack open at the end of autumn, exposing their jewels.” She adds: “I love portrait photography - on location and in the studio. Shooting portraits indoors with natural light coming through my window is possible most days in La Alpujarra. In England, it would be a different story.”

“The golden hour is when you’ll find me wandering La Estrella, Pago and by the Guadalfeo River, just below Orgiva.”

Lizzie’s work takes an artistic twist to subjects typically found in La Alpujarra. She has

photographed many local people, showing their different facets.

FRED SHIVELY - EX CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fred was raised in Pennsylvania, USA, and visited the UK with the US military intelligence in the 1960s. He worked as a creative director on both sides of the ‘pond’. In 2002, he moved to Lanjarón with his wife, Arpi.

The pair initially worked on magazine assignments.

Subsequently, Fred had several solo photo exhibitions in Granada, and as part of the Artists Network Alpujarra and Al-AndaLUZ Photographers Collective. He’s had two photography books published.

Says Fred: “The Alpujarra is a photographically rich environment.

abierto lunes - sábado

NEW STORE Avenida Alpujarra, 29, Lanjarón, 18420 Granada Calle Correo, 1 Orgiva, Granada, 18400

The white villages, the mountainous backdrops, the flora and fauna, and the peoplethe ‘campesinos’ - their trades, crafts, and ways of life.”

He adds: “As a ‘photo-generalist’, I’ve covered subjects ranging from stark, monochrome architecture to people at work and play, and occa-

Jo Chipchase

Richard Hartley

Graham Knipe

de moda, complementos y regalitos

MARVELLOUS

SWIRLING a glass of flinty French rose, he looked every bit the suave English gentleman you’d expect of Hugh Grant. Holding court with a group of friends on a warm early summer evening, hardly anyone batted an eyelid. It was early June, after all, and Marbella was at its very finest; the scent of orange blossom in the air, the bougainvillaea in full bloom, candles on every table. There was so much else for the throngs of tourists to be taking in.

At the request of the restaurant owner I took a quick snap (left) of the Hollywood star on my iPhone, but declined to interrupt his convivial terrace bonhomie.

Grant’s regular trips to Marbella have sparked rumours over the years that he owns a house in the resort, in par-

ticular, in the luxury hillside enclave of La Zagaleta. But, when I was actually introduced to him recently in London, the Notting Hill star told me it was ‘merely a good marketing tool for local estate agents’. He certainly loves the place, he explained, but mostly he’s down, these days, on business or to film.

It perfectly summed up the resort, which has rightfully earned the reputation of being southern Spain’s playground for the rich and famous.

Full of tycoons, movers and shakers and, increasingly, tech billionaires, Marbella manages to remain Europe’s top location for a spot of business, alongside

Photos by Jon Clarke

TIMELESS GLAMOUR: Grace Kelly and Hugh Grant, while yoga class on the beach today

From front page

An all-year-round resort

pleasure.

A town of over 150,000 year-round residents, it is almost uniquely a resort that never hibernates. Indeed, as most locals will nowadays tell you, the best months are from October to May, when the tourist numbers remain manageable, while all the top restaurants are still open and the sports clubs buzzing. Meanwhile, infrastructure-wise it counts on dozens of excellent private schools, two cinemas showing VO movies and just about every shop you could desire for from Corte Ingles to the Apple store and Gucci to Specsavers.

Since the 1950s, Marbella has been the glamorous dream escape for movie stars, sportsmen and captains of industry. Photos of the glamorous destination fill glossy travel magazines around the world and it’s probably the most aspirational place to live in Europe, bar perhaps San Tropez, Mallorca or Ibiza.

An exclusive resort, it has long attracted celebrity visitors such Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant and Sean Connery, while hundreds of sportsmen like Novak Djokovic and Eden Hazard own houses here, and you’ll frequently find boxers, including Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, in the gyms, or Harry Kane and Gareth Bale on the fairways. The pandemic has only made things more pronounced, creating the opportunity for tens of thousands of digital nomads and entrepreneurs to decamp down here from northern Europe and further afield.

With the likes of Dragons Den’s Theo Paphitis and tycoon Alan Sugar already owning here and crooner Julio Iglesias with a giant estate in the hills, don’t expect any villas these days to be going for a song.

Since the resort’s five-star hotels were filled to bursting during the two years of Covid, dot.com millionaires can snap them up at asking price before siesta time. Prices have continued to soar this year to incredible heights and Marbella was one of the first places in Spain to return back to the levels of 2006 before the crisis kicked in. Prices have nearly doubled in a decade and asking prices rose by 20% last year alone, while at €4,121 per

metre squared it is the among the most expensive property in Spain. There are simply not enough properties for sale,

plots to build are far and few between and listings are becoming incredibly scarce to come by. Demand far outstrips supply.

“Marbella is almost bulletproof from a slowdown or crash,” explained estate agent Adam Neale, of Terra Meridiana. “It is almost unique in Europe.” But what is certainly different about Marbella than other nearby resorts like Estepona or Mijas (or further

VERDANT: One of half a dozen subtropical escapes in Marbella

afield in Javea or Ibiza, say) is its amount of history and culture on offer, when you know where to find it.

And let’s not forget to mention the superb walks in its nearby hills - it sits next to a National Park, these days, don’t you know - while it easily has the best concentration of restaurants in southern Spain.

History-wise there is certainly a fair amount to do from inspecting its Moorish walls in the casco historico, to visiting a Roman villa or Visigothic church on its outskirts.

Indeed, rewind the clock sev-

eral millennia, and you’ll find it’s always been a popular spot.

Marbella’s earliest origins are as a palaeolithic settlement. Humans hunted and gathered over the very same land that now boasts Michelin-starred restaurants.

The Phoenicians were here,

before Its next incarnation came as a Roman port. You can see the evidence at the

Continues on page 4

GOING VINTAGE ON AN OLD TOWN SHOPPING TOUR

THE Old Town of Marbella, known as the Casco Historico, is an idyllic paradise of independent shops, bars, restaurants, churches and even museums.

The cobbled streets, whitewashed buildings, and the al fresco dining around Plaza del Altamirano, perfectly embody the traditional ambiance of the Spanish lifestyle.

Plaza de los Naranjos is its epicentre – an absolute must-see, particularly if you are visiting when the orange trees are full of wonderful azahar blossom or heavy with ripe oranges.

In addition to being the home of the architecturally stunning town hall of Marbella, the plaza has an abundance of bars and restaurants, with tables set out in the shade of the trees.

The whole aesthetic gives off the scent of romance and it’s worth just wandering around and getting lost in its maze of fabulous shops, including

Deja Vu, which has the finest vintage clothes and furniture on the coast.

Run by expats Richard and Amanda, who have been in Marbella for nearly three decades, they have the most uncanny knack of finding original and quality items.

If looking for interesting antiques, nearby you’ll find the Athenea Gallery, while just across the main road, a must visit is the incredible candle and scent shop, Alma Essentials. Recently set up by English businesswoman Emma Tremlett, it is not only the most delightfully smelling shop in the resort, but the prices are amazingly good value.

The mother-of-two, whose Spanish husband Jose grew up in Marbella and owns the 1960s built Hotel Finlandia, also now runs scent and candle-making workshops, from just 30 euros per person.

They are great fun and, given Emma knows everything there is to know about the resort, you are bound to pick up some nuggets on who's been in town or what’s new.

Whatever you do, always keep your eyes peeled upwards when in the old town and don’t ignore the charming architecture, and the fascinating mix of Moorish and Christian influences in many of the buildings.

The charming church, the Capilla de San Juan de Dios, is by no means the grandest in Marbella, but, with its simple Christian interior topped by a splendid Mudejar (Islamic style) ceiling, it perfectly encapsulates the meeting of the two cultures.

VARIETY: Modern Banus and the Sierra de las Nieves hills behind, while a girl group plays in the old town and (far left) a section of Arabic wall

ARTISAN: Emma at Alma Essentials and vintage style at Deja Vu

From page 3

VISIGOTH INVASION

Termas de Las Bovedas Roman baths, near San Pedro de Alcantara, which comes under Marbella, and at the Roman villa in Rio Verde.

The northern European Visigoths were frequent visitors to

the coast and left their mark in the form of the Vega del Mar Basilica, a necropolis, also to be found in San Pedro.

They, like the giant number of northern Europeans who live here today, would have been

attracted by the excellent warm temperate climate, which rarely goes below 8 degrees, nor over 30 degrees, thanks to the protection it gets from the nearby Sierra de las Nieves National Park and pointy La Concha mountain.

In contrast, the early Arabs, or Moors, who arrived in the 8th century found it a fair bit cooler than across the pond, spotting the town’s potential, calling it bien habitada, or ‘place of good living’.

They eventually built a walled city in the old town in the tenth century and even a large Alcazaba castle.

The walls, some of which survive today, were dotted with around a dozen towers, including the Torre del Puente Levadizo (meaning the ‘Drawbridge Tower’) and the Torre de la Puerta de Hierro (or ‘the Iron Door Tower’).

It doesn’t come close to competing with Cordoba or Sevilla for ornate Moorish architecture, but it came a close second to Ronda in terms of size and fell to the Christian Crusaders in the same year, 1485, just seven years before the Catholic Reconquest was complete. Marbella, to conclude, is a destination that has been a lot of different things to a lot of different people over the years, but the cosmopolitan atmosphere, world-class restaurants and perfect climate look set to entice the world’s elite for decades – if not millennia – to come.

English Summer Camp is coming!

WARREN: Charm personfied in an Old Town alleyway

OLD TO NEW: Ancient and modern styles of worship from Marbella old town to nearby church

ART BENEATH THE GLITZ

Think Marbella is all luxury and glamour?

Nadia McDonald spent a long weekend uncovering some of its hidden charms as an art lover’s paradise

OF course, the cobbled streets of Marbella old town (its casco antiguo), with their hanging flower baskets and tiled street signs are famously picturesque. Even the bins are painted in pastel tones and feature orange groves and sea creatures. But there is art everywhere around this beautiful beach resort.

Take Bar Guerola, standing in a quiet leafy square, a short way from the promenade. Its interior is a real feast for sore eyes, every inch of its walls covered in art.

On one side, paintings by local artists including Pachi Gallado, from Torremolinos. On the other, blue pen cartoons depicting key moments from the last 40 years, with homages to various works such as Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and Picasso’s Guernica. The bar, which opened in the 1960s, has been run by the same friendly owner, Manuel, since 1982. The entertaining drawings were done by his friend, a well-known local dentist who passed away a year ago. He picked up a small sketchbook with its pages mostly empty. It was a gift for the art-

ist when he’d gone into hospital. “I miss him every day,” says Manuel. “He was a true creative, always thinking up drawings, and he would spend many days here with me. “After he passed away, his wife gave me these works, and I cherish them. We both loved art, but he was a lot better than me.”

With a full stomach from delicious chicken liver pate and a seafood salad, I wandered through the popular yet surprisingly tranquil Alameda Park, with its tiled benches in the dappled shade of palms, and then on to pedestrianised Avenida del Mar.

To my delight, I came across the large bronze sculptures by legendary surrealist Salvador Dali (including the rhino, below), and, at the south end, the two children looking out to sea in Eduardo Soriano’s moving

WE start our art tour at Marbella’s best known museum. Home to one of Europe’s most important Latin American collections, the Museo Ralli focuses on modern movements, particularly surrealism, with works from a wide range of contemporary artists. Its current temporary show is on show until April 2024.

Monument to the Freedom of Expression.

Seeing the sculptures against the backdrop of the sea was a suitably surreal experience. Avenida del Mar with its pergolas, benches and fountains is like an open-air gallery, inviting passers-by to stop and admire the thought-provoking pieces.

The following morning I headed to Hospital Bazan, not in search of medical attention, thankfully, but prints. The historic old town building houses the Contemporary Engraving Museum that is free to visitors, and houses works by a superb range of artists including Joan Miro, Antoni Tapies and even Malaga-born Picasso. A personal favourite was Jose Caballero’s lithograph of his

friend, Granada’s famous poet, Federico Garcia Lorca.

The black and white portrait showing Lorca with a spattering of blood across his forehead is a stark reminder of his execution during the Spanish Civil War. In contrast, Miro’s works were wonderfully co lourful and vibrant. There was more Miro to be had at the Museo Ralli Marbella, an hour’s walk (or a quick taxi hop) away, near Puer to Banus. There was Dali here too, in an exhibition of Surre alism from Europe and Latin Amer ica – his bronze sculpture of a female torso, Venus Spatial, is precariously balanced, al-

most defying gravity. The permanent collection is a hotch-potch of paintings and sculptures from various artistic movements. Look out for the triptych La familia Informal by Peruvian artist Herman Braun-Vega: it incorporates multiple references to Spanish masterpieces and it’s an entertaining brain game trying to identify them. The hall of the museum is inhabited by life size bronze sculptures by Mario Aguirre and Gerardo Quiroz. I found myself mistaking them for fellow visitors only to realise that, as I had been during the entirety of my stay, I was merely in the company of art.

Ralli Museum ?

DALI AND MORE!

It’s not just hen parties creating an exhibition in Marbella; these three picks will satisfy culture vultures

“To fall in love with an artwork is to recognise your soul through the artist’s mirror” – or so said Marife

Es.Arte Gallery

WHERE?

Urb. Coral Beach, Rio Verde, N-340, km. 176, 29602 Marbella, Málaga

WHEN?

Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00 h

Saturday 10:00 to 16:00 h

Nuñez who founded the gallery, and probably knows about these things. Es.Arte is a contemporary gallery with a busy calendar of exhibitions and fairs. As well as exhibiting works by contemporary artists, the gallery also offers consultancy services, helping you find something to hang on your wall.

WHERE?

Av de Manolete, 1, Centro Plaza, Local 11, 29660 Marbella ?

WHEN?

Tuesday to Friday 10:30 to 16:00 h

Saturday

10:00 to 14:30 h

Avenida del Mar F

OR an outdoor gallery, head to Avenida del Mar to see some of Salvador Dali’s famous bronze statues. Located on this beautiful marble promenade near the waterfront, these statues include a depiction of Perseus beheading Medusa; the Roman emperor Trajan on horseback; and, changing the mood slightly, a statue of Dali’s wife looking through a window. Also look for nearby sculpture by Eduardo Soriano, a tribute to freedom of speech and expression.

WHERE? Avenida del Mar ?

WHEN? 24 hours a day!

INTRIGUING: The engraving museum

CREATIVE: the walls of Bar Guerola (left) while (above) Aguirre’s sculpture and (below) Dali

A RESORT WITH MORE

All along the watchtower

Visigoth vestiges

Declared of Cultural Interest in 1985, the 15-metre Torre Ladrones (Thieves Tower) is the highest watchtower on the Malaga coast. The defensive structure dates from the Muslim period but some speculate the Romans first built it. You can find it close by the Artola dunes nature reserve and Cabopino port.

Arabian delights

The Alcazaba fortress is the most important vestige of Muslim civilisation in Marbella. The Castillo was built in the 10th century during the reign of Abd al-Rahman III, Caliph of Córdoba.

The Olive Press picks out 6 reasons to love Marbella

A Renaissance square

A salty start

The Basílica de Vega del Mar in San Pedro was excavated in the 20th century on a former Roman road running from Cadiz to Cartagena. It is one of the few remaining examples of north African Visigothic churches built in Andalucia during the sixth century although all that remains today are its awesome one-metre walls.

The Plaza de los Naranjos lies at the heart of Marbella’s old town. Built after the Christian Reconquest, it is an outstanding example of Castilian Renaissance architecture. From one of the many sun-soaked terraces, you can admire the Renaissance-style town hall, the Mayor’s house combining elements of Gothic, Renaissance and Mude jar design and the Chapel of Santiago, the oldest religious building in the city.

In Roman times, the city was called duba (Salt City) after the local fish salting industry. The Arabs changed it to Marbil-la, the origin of its current name and it’s spoton. In Spanish, Marbe lla means ‘beautiful sea.’

INTERIOR DESIGN | DECORATION | BESPOKE FURNITURE | PAINT & WALLPAPERS

The elephant sculptures that spray water from their trunks on many of Marbella’s best beaches are an Instagram favourite.

Dunk by Dumbo

BEING SMART

Gearing up for another triumphant year...

After opening the doors to their first office on the Spanish mainland last year in Puerto Banús, the Smart Yachting and Smart Charter Marbella team are ready for a successful second season on the Costa del Sol.

Part of the renowned Smart Group and in partnership with U.S. charter booking platform Boatsetter, the boating enthusiasts offer everything from yacht brokerage and boat maintenance services for private owners to a selection of fabulous charter experiences.

The Smart Yachting Marbella team will continue to focus on the acquisition and sales of yachts, as well as management services including full annual maintenance by qualified in-house mechanics, customisation services including upholstery, painting, wrapping, electrical and demotic systems, short and long-term mooring options, winter storage and expert advice on charter options.

Meanwhile, the Smart Charter Marbella team - together with support from Boatsetter - will take care of the day charters operating out of Puerto Banús. A selection of amazing experiences is available

to choose from, including half-day charters, sunset boat trips, romantic couple’s cruises and family boat trips to name just a few!

Director of Sales, Tim Hope, comments:

“We are very pleased with the warm welcome we received in Marbella and the success of our first season on the Costa del Sol. This year, we are focusing on making further connections with private clients and brokers alike, and continuing on our mission to help our customers have the best time on the Mediterranean Sea - whether they are boat owners or charter guests!”

Smart Yachting and Smart Charter Marbella are part of the renowned Smart Group, which was founded in Ibiza in 2013 and also includes the Balearic Islands’ largest private boat rental company, Smart Charter Ibiza. With over 50 privately owned boats in the company’s fleet, the company gives private owners and charter guests access to an impressive and varied portfolio.

This year, the Smart team is proud to celebrate 10 years of business, growth and countless unforgettable memories made.

For further information visit www.smartyachting.com, www.smartchartermarbella.com and Boatsetter.com.

Sailing in for summer

Take the opportunity to stroll the decks of the first ship to circumnavigate the world

AREPLICA of the first ship to sail around the world will be paying a visit to Marbella.

The Nao Victoria will remain docked, and open to curious visitors, from April 21 to 23 in the city’s Bajadilla port.

The historic sailing ship’s visit is part of a world tour to mark the 500th anniversary of the Magellan–

Elcano expedition - the first circumnavigation of the globe.

The original Nao Victoria, commanded by Juan Sebastian Elcano, left Sevilla in 1519 and returned to the same city three years later, in 1522.

During its stay in Marbella, the public will be able to tour its decks and learn about the incredible adventures that its sailors experienced 500 years ago, as well as the experiences of the young crew that today continue to sail around the world.

The replica was built in Spain in 1991 following months of historical research in order to preserve many details and aspects of the original carrack, which disappeared en route to Sevilla from the Antilles in 1570.

The ship will be open to the public from 10am until 7.30pm each day.

Tickets cost €6 for adults and €3 for children (between five and 10 years old). In addition, there is a family ticket available for two adults and up to three children between five and 10 years old for €15.

Tickets can be booked online at www.fundacionnaovictoria.org

Restaurant

952 636 290 valeria@valeriagourmet.com

952 636 290 valeria@valeriagourmet.com

Centro Comercial Guadalmina 4, local 28 GUADALMINA ALTA, SAN PEDRO DE ALCÁNTARA 29670 Marbella, Málaga

Centro Comercial Guadalmina 4, local 28 GUADALMINA ALTA, SAN PEDRO DE ALCÁNTARA 29670 Marbella, Málaga

The finest cuts of quality matured meat in Marbella

Mon-Fri: 10.00-14.30 & 17.00-20.00

Sat: 10.00-14.30 Sun: Closed tel: 620 67 36 18

Centro Comercial Guadalmina, 29670, San Pedro Alcántara, Málaga

A donkey ride and more before the Marbella tourist gold rush...

Going back in time

PIONEER: The Marbella Club kick-started the town’s glamour back in the 1960s, when donkey rides were de rigeur, while the El Fuerte hotel (ringed) was built by an ancient Roman site, before the town grew many-fold

TRAIN TO NOWHERE: Well actually to the mine that once provided 75% of all Spain’s iron ore

STUNNING: The Puente Romano Hotel’s ancient bridge

BUILT BY ROMANS

MARBELLA began its life as a town in the seventh century BC, when it was a Roman settlement called ‘Salduba’. This is also the name of a well known bar at the entrance to Puerto Banus that has been there for centuries too.

Meanwhile an original Roman bridge still stands surreally in the middle of the Puente Romano Hotel and a few kilometres away is the restored Roman villa at Rio Verde with its beauti- ful mosaics.

SPECTACULAR: Mosaic at Rio Verde

A sleepy town during the period of Al-Andalus, Mar- bella was retaken by Chris- tians in 1485. The Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square) has been the fo- cal point of the town since then and the town hall is still located there today.

NO SIN: Nuns having fun in the sun on a Marbella beach, while (below) fishermen head out for their catch

IN WITH THE NEW

It’s 15 years since La Sala launched in Marbella. With a new restaurant, bowling alley, sports bar and estate agency soon to be added, Jon Clarke discovers why the restaurant and lifestyle brand is still going stronger than ever

WITH no sea view and sitting on a roundabout overlooking the busy N-340 motorway, it has no right to be the most successful Marbella restaurant in a generation.

Yet, somehow, La Sala continues to be the place that every tourist aspires to come to for at least one night of their holiday.

Guaranteed to offer glitz and glamour, the sprinkling of stardust continues by the week, with celebrities from around the world continuing to flock in to enjoy the vibe.

Be they actors or soap stars, boxers or racing drivers, singers or royals, there is a magical ingredient that ensures they feel at home here or at one of its sister restaurants, including La Sala by the Sea, and soon to reopen, the Oak, next door.

From Tyson Fury to Frank Bruno, Harry Redknapp to Harry Kane and Bruce Forsyth to Ja Rule, the stars from today and yesteryear keep coming back.

Even Prince Albert of Monaco has been in for dinner, while celebrity chef Jamie Oliver made a point of joining the fun on a trip to Spain a couple of years ago.

With Amanda Holden, Boy George and

LA SALA BY NUMBERS

Julian Clary already scheduled to drop in this Spring, what exactly is the recipe for success ensuring that anyone who is anyone keeps scything a trail to its door?

“It’s all about not being complacent,” explains boss Ian Radford, who moved to Marbella from London at the age of 20.

“We are constantly evolving with the Marbella scene and are never sitting back,” he explains over a beer on the sunny terrace.

“We don’t stop trying to change things but, above all, we try to keep the prices as reasonable as we can.”

This is certainly a vital ingredient in a resort, where prices have rapidly zoomed up to the levels of all luxury destinations in the world.

Rising fast since the pandemic eased last year, the average cost of a good quality restaurant in Marbella these days is around 80 to 90 euros a head,

● The La Sala Group has 155,000 covers a year

● On a busy summer day it can serve 1500 people

● Over one million drinks are sold each year

● 300,000 food dishes are sold

● It employs over 200 staff

● Pre-bookings at La Sala by the Sea are over 10,000 this year

● A sunbed for four to six peo- ple costs around 300 euros for the day

estimates Radford, a father-of-three, who was a squash and padel pro, before becoming a restaurateur.

“We could jump on the bandwagon and

Continues overleaf

HOT SPOT: The desirable La Sala terrace and (top) new Oak design

IN CHARGE: Ian is closely involved in the Oak renovation

LEGENDS OF LA SALA

The great and the good have eaten out at La Sala over the last decade and, here, the keen celebrity-spotters among you will be able to pick out a handful of them, including two world champion boxers, an American rapper, two TV presenters, a pair of soap stars, a European prince, a Formula one ace, a trio of giant American soul legends, a pair of British pop stars and enough Premier League footballers and managers to drink Marbella dry

WE’RE NOT GETTING GREEDY!

get greedy, but we are trying to keep it at 65 euros a head, up about 10 euros from before the pandemic.”

It has certainly been anything but plain sailing for the businessman, who struggled through the pandemic, not to mention Brexit and six years of recession before that.

Having over 200 staff between the various businesses, it wasn’t easy to survive the two years of Covid, he admits. “We got very little support from the government and while many of the staff went on furlough we still had to pay their social security, meaning we made quite a big loss.”

However, the last 18 months have really seen the business bounce back, bringing the highest turnover and profits since opening in 2008, initially at the beach club site.

Meanwhile, reservations for La Sala by the Sea itself have gone through the roof this year, which should serve as a great barometer of the season ahead.

Before opening in a week’s time, it already has a staggering 10,000 bookings for the season, which compares to 6,000 bookings in the last comparable year of 2019.

“It is an exciting time and we are really happy that people are finally booking their holidays again nice and early,” explains Radford.

“They get their flights sorted and next it is the beach beds and restaurant bookings, well before arrival.”

He is hoping that the strong recovery in the tourist market helps to make a string of other plans for the season to go ahead swimmingly.

The first in an exciting roll out of new ventures is the re-opening of The Oak restaurant across the road from La Sala.

A complete redesign by a local firm will see the venue become a stylish, high end cocktail and wine bar, with food, open in early June.

“We are spending a lot of money on it and with a proper new roof it will be able to stay open for 12 months of the year,” explains Radford, whose wife Claire Strutton runs the beach club.

The group also owns the Havana bar in San Pedro, run by his daughter, and has recently bought a 60 foot motorboat, anchored in Puerto Banus, which will be able to take clients on day cruises and nighttime charters.

Part of the entire package the group aims to give its customers, there is also soon to be a bowling alley and golf simulator venue below the main restaurant, where it used to have a nightclub. And then there is the sports bar, the Clubhouse, which should be open by the summer, as well as La Sala Homes, a real estate arm, set to open soon next door.

“And once the new Marbella town plan is finalised we hope to open a hotel upstairs over two floors,” adds the businessman, who is also in the process of planning a 12-bedroom luxury hotel and spa in Malaga city. Clearly, never standing still, he has just acquired a country home in the Serrania de Ronda, where he insists he and his wife are never happier.

As if he needed a sign of the good omens ahead, just as he’s telling me that legendary 80s pop star and TV presenter Boy George is set for a trip over in June, on comes his hit Do you Really Want to Hurt Me? With this much enthusiasm and joie de vivre, there can’t be many.

FAMOUS FACES: Ian and wife Claire with Jamie Oliver and leading football agaent Rob Segal

STARS:

Don’t get stuck!

WHETHER it was Diana Dors or Sean Connery, Ava Gardner or Audrey Hepburn, James Hunt or Rod Stewart, none would have come to Marbella without the influence of Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe.

For the German aristocrat was the svengali with the necessary capital to turn the dusty village into a highfalutin millionaires playground to rival the likes of Cannes and Deauville, in France.

It was in 1947 that the charismatic playboy had been sent to the coast by his father Prince Maximilian to purchase some land. The family already had business interests in southern Spain, particularly in Malaga.

The 23-year-old was told to hook up with his eccentric uncle Ricardo Soriano, who had been eulogising about the merits of the coast for a number of years.

A huge fan of watersports, Soriano especially liked powerboat racing and lived an enviable bohemian life.

He was soon chaperoning his nephew up and down the coast in his vintage Rolls-Royce looking for land.

The bilingual Alfonso – who was a keen painter - was immediately taken by what he saw in Marbella.

Sheltered by the dramatic Sierra Blanca and with crystal-clear waters just a stone’s throw away, the savvy prince immediately saw a wealth of opportunities.

He ordered his father to sell off his wine cellars in Malaga and began developing his now seminal Marbella Club hotel, which opened in 1954.

But that was not enough and the well-connected prince soon embarked on a European-wide campaign to convince all his high-flying friends that Marbella, not San Sebastian or Cannes, was the only place to be.

And his campaign worked with the grand families of central Europe, including the Bismarcks, Rothschilds and Metternichs, coming to see what the fuss was about.

A string of celebrities followed suit, with actresses including Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren, photographer Patrick Lichfield, footballer George Best, model Brigitte Bardot, and Rolling Stone Bryan Jones joining the in-crowd. Even British aristocracy got in on the act, with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (Edward and Mrs Simpson) visiting the hotel.

“The people I met in Hollywood, in New York, and in Europe, they were the roots, the bridge that brought people to Marbella… who made Marbella,” explained Marbella took pride in being cut off from the hectic, stressful and often scary modern world.

Indeed, news of the Cuban Missile Crisis did not reach the resort until it

STARDUSTER

ties when the rest of the world was trembling that World War III was starting,” explains Count Rudi Schonburg, a former manager of Marbella Club.

Coining the nickname the ‘King of Clubs’, Alfonso’s reputation quickly preceded him and he soon opened up a disco which got the club swinging every Tuesday and Friday night.

Despite revelling in its exclusive status, the Marbella Club was anything but formal.

“At dinner everybody arrived with a dinner jacket, but I said ‘Stop! This is not the Marbella way! You only wear a dinner jacket on New Year’s Eve,” recalled Alfonso. As the inspired prince’s creation boomed, so did Marbella and its surrounding hillsides. New restaurants, bars and sports clubs began sprouting up as the Costa del Sol quickly entered its so-called golden era.

Developers included Jose Banus, who built Puerto Banus marina and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, who built a white palace (still there today) that is modelled on both the White House and a mosque.

The likes of multi-millionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi (who formerly owned La Zagaleta, Spain’s most expensive urbanisation) were able to dock their luxury yachts in the port.

“Thanks to my initiative, Marbella’s Golden Mile alone now provides 60,000 jobs,” Alfonso once said.

While his friends called him the ‘King of Clubs’ or the ‘Little Prince’, locals came to know him affectionately as Ole-Ole because of the difficulty he had pronoucing his surname. Yet as the Costa del Sol dream began to spiral into uncontrollable development, Alfonso became aware of the monster he had helped stir. Concrete towers were sprouting up as far as the eye could see, from Malaga all the way down to Estepona, almost 100 kilometres away.

Worse still, wanted British criminals began to take advantage of a lack of an extradition treaty between England and Spain.

This influx of crooks and subsequent crime left the idealistic Alfonso disillusioned with the vision of rich grandeur he once envisaged for Marbella.

After growing weary of the mass tourism that was lowering the tone of his town, he sold up all his Marbella business interests in 1978 in search of a new vision.

BIGWIGS: Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly loved Marbella

Entering his 60s, the prince settled in his last home with his third wife Marilys Haynes, a Gibraltarian divorcee. He plumped for a mountain retreat, in the hills close to Ronda, with a trout lake, partridge wood and an impressive library.

And the ever-inventive Alfonso decided on another successful business pursuit – producing the soon-to-be award-winning wine Principe Alfonso. And it was nestled in the heartland of Andalucia, close to the sleepy village of Arriate, where Alfonso finally found true happiness before passing away, leaving his estate to his children, in 2003.

“I have lived in castles, in Venetian palaces and the world’s finest hotels. I have watched the sun rise over the beaches of five continents and I have looked into the eyes of the most beautiful women of the universe,” he famously remarked. “Everywhere I sought my dreamed-of city and at last I have found it in Ronda.”

The team at Estuco Interiors are full of the best design ideas

FROM bold statements to subtle interventions and fabrics to furniture, the all-female design team at Estuco are here to help.

With over a quarter of a century in business, they know their way around Marbella and the Costa del Sol like a taxi driver. For those in the know, Christel Jurgensen and Chris Poveromo, from Sweden and the UK, are the only interior designers they can trust.

Always busy with dozens of jobs on the go from as far and wide as Malaga to the Algarve, it’s lucky they have a talented team of trainees working under them.

“I’m working on three or four quotes today alone,” says Chris, who moved to Marbella in the 1980s. “It’s always the same at this time of year.”

Her associate Christel, who also arrived in Marbella in the 1980s, grew up in contrast, in Africa, and has a great understanding of the exotic and African vernacular.

The company has one of the best selection of fabrics and wallpapers on the coast and works with many of the world’s leading brands from Porta Romana to Nobilis and Farrow & Ball to Designers Guild.

Their excellent service is also guaranteed thanks to a trusted network of craftsmen, builders, painters, electricians and suppliers who are ‘always on time, on spec and on budget’.

For more info visit www.estucointeriors.com or email info@estucointeriors.com

“Everybody had the most gorgeous par-

The Olive Press looks back at the lives of the aristocrats and celebrities that turned a small fishing village into a glitzy, star-studded resort for the ‘jet set’

GLAMOROUS: Diana Dors sunbathing, while George Best plays football on a Marbella beach (below)

We had the most gorgeous parties when the rest of the world trembled

Sinatra and Ava Gardner enjoyed the charms of Marbella’s old town

DINING CAPITAL

Marbella has the best restaurants in southern Spain, insists Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke

WHEN I researched a restaurant book on Andalucia a decade ago, I came across some wonderful hidden gems tucked away in the tiniest inland villages all around the region. But, what is one of the real Dining Secrets of Andalucia, is that Marbella is the region’s definitive Foodie Capital. Forget Malaga, Sevilla or Granada, cities with far more tourists and many more locals, Marbella has the best spread and quality of places to eat that I have come across. And

that hasn’t changed. It’s no coincidence that the resort of 150,000 people counts on the second highest number of Michelin starred eateries in Spain, per capita, after San Sebastian. That’s five in total, while it also, coincidentally, has the same number of references (14) in the famous guide as Sevilla and one more than Malaga.

But that’s only half the story, for there are perhaps a dozen more incredible places jostling for a listing in the famous French food bible.

Meanwhile, eight also count on prestigious soles (suns) from Repsol’s Spanish equivalent, with one, El Lago, counting on two.

A long time visitor to the resort and now living nearby, my personal favourites

include Ta-kumi and El Lago, which have never let me down.

And then there is the stunning simplicity of the soul food at Gaspar, run by a young lawyer Carlota, as well as the intriguing Kava, where the chef, Fernando, is also a lawyer and entirely self-taught.

Casa Tua, run by an Irish expat and her Italian partner, have been serving up magical Italian fare for a decade. Meanwhile, befitting the glamour of the Golden Mile, Boho Club is style personified, with the former chef of El Lago Diego del Rio at the helm and fast heading for its first star. And also on the Golden Mile and amazing for sheer variety all in one place is the Puente Romano hotel’s famous La Plaza restaurant zone. Here you will find the Asiatic delights of Thai Gallery, as well as Monkey Club, Nobu and Lena, while the

Continues on page 18

CULINARY MAGICIANS: Team at Ta-kumi and Fernando at El Lago, while (top right) Jon with Boho Club chef Diego del Rio

WELCOME: Paco at Sauvage things at Nomad and

CONSISTENT: Italian Casa Tua is now a decade in Marbella

(above left), while (above) Alex bosses and a waiter shaves parmesan on a dish

WHERE TO EAT

SHOWBIZ CHEFS

MARBELLA is the place to go star-spotting, particularly in the summer months with Ronaldo, Robert de Niro and Michelle Obama all visiting for a meal over recent years. But for me, the most exciting visitors are the actual chefs themselves, who regularly come down for holidays, but also for a string of key events.

The best of these was the once annual, A Cuatro Manos, organised by Dani Garcia for years at the Puente Romano, where I met the great and the good of Spain’s famous food scene. Plus a few global greats to boot, such as Daniel Humm, of New York’s Eleven Madison Park and international megastar Joel Rubuchon, who sadly died the following year.

My all time favourite interview though was with El Bulli legend Ferran Adria, who told me how much he liked the resort and, in particular, Andalucian cuisine.

I later got to grill the three-Michelin geniuses Joan Roca, of Celler de Can Roca, and Valencia’s Quique Dacosta, among others.

Where art meets gastronomy

Since getting it’s first Michelin star 17 years ago, El Lago has just kept getting more artistic and creative, writes Jon Clarke

IT has long been one of the most sustainable and forward-thinking restaurants in Spain.

But El Lago, which is a staunch supporter of the KM-0 Slow Food concept, is also getting more and more creative.

The Marbella joint, which has held on to its Michelin star since 2005, serves up some of the most beautiful dishes on the coast.

Thanks to its talented chef Fernando Villasclaras, the vast majority of the creations are made with vegetables and fruit.

While they do have meat and fish on the menu, Villasclaras, from nearby Nerja, sources his ingredients from dozens of growers around Andalucia.

Artichokes from Alhaurin, aubergines from Coin and radishes from Estepona… these are the true stars of his restaurant.

“The roots of El Lago started with the Slow Food concept,” he explains. “I am fanatical about finding the best local ingredients and thankfully we are spoiled for choice in Andalucia.”

A great example is his take on a healthy French classic ‘Gargouillou’, a delicious fusion of over two dozen different blanched vegetables.

Villasclaras trained with Spanish genius Andoni Luis Aduriz, at Mugaritz, as well as Heston Blumenthal, of Fat Duck fame, in the UK.

Visit www.restauranteellago.com and full Olive Press review online: www.theolivepress.es

From page 16

Beach clubs and more

brand new Peruvian joint Coya is making massive waves.

And then there is my top tip for something new and exciting this year; Sauvage, in the heart of town, run by two former Marbella Club chefs, one who trained at three Michelin starred Celler de can Roca.

Also extremely likely to do big things this year is Nomad, the latest creation of the talented Metro Group, which has just opened in Nueva Andalucia.

A stunning place, with no expense spared, their launch chef Alex Craciun, is the executive chef of the UK’s

leading Jason Atherton group. A man who has also worked with top UK chef Gordon Ramsay and at world-famous

GRILLED: (from top) Jon has interviewed Dani Garcia, Ferran Adria and Joan Roca in Marbella

CREATIVE: Talented Pablo at Savor and a dish, above.

Noma in Denmark, it was no surprise to find an extremely varied menu, with some amazingly deft touches. For beach clubs Bono Beach is a surefire winner, in particular, for its amazing attention to detail and client care. Another favourite, Macaao will hopefully reopen later this summer after a total rebuild, while Pu-

ente Romano’s Sea

Grill is always popular.

It’s more tricky to find somewhere good to eat in the old town, but Candela, with German chef Andy on the chopping board, is a good tip, while Casanis is a great spot and Altamirano comes highly recommended by most.

I must also mention Skina, which now has two stars in the heart of the old town, and its owner, a sommelier by training, Marcos Granda’s new Asiatic restaurant Nintao, which already has a star around the corner.

Nearby in San Pedro de Alcantara, you have the excellent Savor, where well travelled Pablo Castillo regularly changes the menu with a sprinkle of stardust, while the secret spot El Cortijo de Ramiro, in Guadalmina, is where the power-brokers-in-the-know go to eat.

For a drive into the hills look out for the charming restaurant at Alcuzcuz, one of the true gems in the hills of Marbella (albeit technically Benahavis). Just 200m further up the road is the architectural masterpiece El Coto, which recently opened for the super rich and super-picky gourmands around Zagaleta and Madronal.

In the tourist hive of Puerto Banus one might expect it to be rammed with great places to eat,

but the truth is it can be very hit and miss.

Stick with the classic spots like Jacks, Leone and Mumtaz, probably the best Indian in Marbella, and you can’t go wrong.

You’d probably however, be better off walking out of the port up towards the unbelievably popular stalwart of La Sala… that is if you can get in. Incredibly, now 15 years old, it is the place to do your star spotting and just about everyone who’s anyone has been to eat here (see our centrespread this issue).

Most likely Marbella’s most successful restaurant of the last decade, it employs over 100 staff and includes a football team of investors, including David Bentley, Shay Given and most recently Harry Winks.

The food is not just excellent value for its location, but the menu changes regularly and there will always be some entertainment. In particular, with the fellow guests.

Finally, and reluctantly, I feel the need to mention one Dani Garcia, a man who really helped to put Marbella on the map, in particular a few years ago when he won his third Michelin star at his Puente Romano joint, before controversially throwing them all in the same year.

A local Marbella man, who became famous winning a star for Ronda two decades ago with Tragabuches, he still has his imprint all over the resort, and is involved in at least half a dozen restaurants.

Brasilian Rodizio, different cuts of quality meat cut directly at the table and typical side dishes

You literally can’t miss him, with a huge advertising hoarding as you pass Corte Ingles in Banus, but the truth is, among the local culinary movers and shakers, his star is somewhat waning.

TOP PICKS: The glamour of stunning Boho Club, while (below) La Sala’s famous dining terrace

WHERE TO EAT

Nervecentre for gourmands

Jon Clarke takes a gourmet tour around SORI - also known as ‘Downtown’ - the hip new area where you must go and eat when in Marbella

IT’S a small area of around six or seven streets - or approximately a kilometre squared - but it encompasses maybe half of Marbella’s best places to eat.

Let’s call it SORI (South of Ricardo Soriano), this is a nucleus of a dozen or so excellent places for a tapa - or a full gourmand blow out!

Everything from a park pop-up serving up an award-winning sarnie to the best Japanese on the coast, this is the area for serious foodies.

Broadly south of busy, Avenida Ricardo Soriano, down to parallel Antonio Belón and bounded from the east by the Alameda and west to, approximately, Calle Gregorio Maranon, the SORI area has formed as restaurateurs increasingly swerved the old town - or relocated - to be taken more seriously and to capitalise on the more reliable, all-year round local trade.

“The area seems to be growing really fast and is definitely up and coming,” explains Emma Tremlett, who recently opened a shop, Alma Essentials, there.

“It’s gaining a personality, which is excellent and we sometimes hear it called ‘Downtown’ or ‘Little Soho’,” she adds.

Aided by the continual growth of fulltime residents in Marbella (now officially 150,000 people, but in reality much higher), new restaurants and shops are opening almost every month, while three of them, Ta-kumi, Kava and Backi, are now Michelin-recommended.

“There is so much passing trade from business people, lawyers and politicians through the winter months it made a lot of sense to relocate,” explained Luis at El Albero, who recently made the leap from the casco histórico across main radial avenue.

Around the corner, Catherine Visentin of excellent Italian Casa Tua, which has also relocated, added: “We miss

the charm of the old town but we have a lot more room and a nicer space to work with here.”

She and her husband, chef Adriano, from Milan, first opened their stylish joint a decade ago and they have built up a loyal local trade.

Another place, even better established, is the true dining secret of Gaspar, which has now been open for 25 years.

The sort of place the locals only whisper about, the family-fun Spanish joint is the true godmother of the SORI area and you’ll definitely need to book for their extremely popular style of soul-cooking.

A charming woodbeam eaterie with a cornucopia of collectables from bullfighters capes to typewriters and murano bottles to sewing machines, it is run by Carlota, a lawyer by trade, who can normally be found at the back surrounded by books and notepads.

It is anything from what you would expect from a Marbella restaurant, with the menus scribbled out in the morning by hand (in Spanish), once the team has decided what to cook (see right).

This is entirely seasonal and depends on what they feel like rustling up daily, but many of their recipes have been tried and tested for decades.

There are loads of stews and potajes and most can come as a half portion (media racion) if you want to try a few things or are eating alone. Most of them come in a big pot, with the potaje of chickpeas with chard being a classic Spring dish and good for Lent.

The pastel de berenjena, a sort of aubergine moussaka with bechamel and toasted

cheese on a bed of lettuce and diced pork, was a sure fire winner, really delicious.

The generous grilled sea bass came with a salsa verde green sauce and was beautifully cooked and tender, while the apple tart with no pie crust was a gluten-free joy. Just around the corner, you better try out the brand new hotspot, Sauvage, which has only been

open for nine months, before it gets too packed. Stylish and attractive, it has an unusual exotic style, without being fussy, while its menu is simple, without being too sparse.

A very international mix, its fusion of dishes with an asiatic flavour are created by the duo of young, yet well-trav-

elled chefs, Daniel Ortega, 31, and Nacho Espana, 28, who both grew up locally.

Award-winning Ortega did his time at three Michelin-starred Celler de Can Roca, while Nacho did the Melia hotel circuit before ending up at the Marbella Club hotel, where they both met. Head waiter Paco, who has worked for

SOUL FOOD: Luis and Marta from Albero (far left) specialise in great Spanish dishes like fabada while Timonel (below)

20 years in Marbella, is meanwhile brilliant at explaining everything, such as the Osaka pork ribs cooked at very low temperature, or the lamb shoulder accompanied by petit plom in its juice - a type of couscous from Morocco!

I really liked the Buñuelo of squid starter with eel sauce, which were off-sweet with dry tuna flakes, as well as the delicious red prawn ‘pilpil’ croquettes with langoustines and bluefin tuna from Cadiz. There was a definite explosion in the mouth.

hoisin toffee and cucumber sunomono.

A Peruvian cerviche was one of the best I have had on the coast.

Yakiniku baos with slow cooked pork had a Lebanese sauce

His Yakiniku baos with slow cooked Iberican pork had a Lebanese sauce, while the Peking dumplings were made of duck with

If you are after more traditional Spanish fare, then head to El Albero, where Luis, from the fast-improving wine region of Valdepenas and his wife Marta, from Salamanca, have set up a real quality joint.

Think fabada Asturias, or cocido Madrileño, this is a place for top quality traditional Spanish classics.

The menu is simple but good value with lots of tostas and traditional dishes like salmorejo and gazpacho soup, perfect for hot days, while the oxtail (rabo de

toro) was surprisingly good. The wine-list is particularly worthy of note, coming from all around the country. Near-neighbour, Timonel has only just opened, but is likely to also do very well.

An attractive place open all day from 1pm to 10pm, it has elegant decor, maximising on the light.

There is an interesting, minimal menu, ranging from Focaccia with sardines to a delicious pisto of cod in a classic tomato sauce. I also liked the tosta of Iberian pork and ham, with nuts, rocket and a ‘joppie’ sauce, while the duck magret was well presented with a quail egg on a courgette tower.

Continues on page 22

Tuesday to Saturday: 1:30pm-4:00pm & 8:00pm to 11:00pm Sunday: 1:30pm - 4:00pm

Closed: Sunday night and Monday

t: +34 952 73 75 97

sauvagerestaurant.es

Calle Antonio Belon 17, Marbella

LOCAL TALENTS: David and Nacho at Sauvage and two of their dishes

TUCKING IN: Gaspar is the most authentic wholesome joint one could hope to find, (from far left) a range of dishes and the menu

WHERE TO EAT

From page 21

Tasty treats

Around the corner the Gourmet Burger Room, does exactly what it says on the tin… and it has been doing it for seven years.

Run by a Frenchman Franck, he clearly knows his onions but isn’t scared to graft having done his time in hotels and restaurants in France and also a decade in Marbella.

You choose your type of burger (there are dozens, including vegetarian and even vegan ones) and then one of three buns… In particular I recommend the ‘Milano’ which comes with Gorgonzola, bacon and mushroom.

Heading a bit further west, definitely look out for Ta-kumi, which is the absolute best traditional Japanese food I have eaten in Spain.

The place that footballer Ronaldo swears by when he is in town, Alvaro Arbeloa and Toshio Tsutsui are total style freaks and attention to detail is spectacular.

t: 951 51 77 27

tropicosol@hotmail.com

gourmet-burger-room.business.site

Avenida Antonio Belon 18, Marbella

The place is minimalist and easy to miss, with a very Asiatic feel, but once inside you will quickly relax and enjoy the tour of Japan’s best dishes, from a simple, good value Miso soup to a soft shell crab Tamaki, which I could eat every day. Other places well worth looking out for are Kava, where Fernando Alcala is doing remarkable things.

This local Marbella man shelved a high flying job as a lawyer in Switzerland to return to teach himself cooking

and then open his incredibly stylish joint. His attention to detail is big in both decor and layout and it’s great to watch all the chefs working away in the kitchen. Produce-wise, I found it one of the best I have tried in Andalucia. Also highly-rated, but not yet tried, are the Parque de la Milla pop up in Parque de la Constitucion, which seems to change its opening times by the week.

Connected to the La Milla chiringuito up on the Golden Mile, it won the X Snack competition at Madrid Fusion this year with its pickled partridge sandwich, winning chef, Javier Ruiz, 1,500 euros. Go on, try it before me!

Meanwhile, brand new, De Juan, is a stylish place just opened on Calle Antonio Belon, while lots of locals are raving about the Argentinian bakery Maleva, which definitely has style.

Absolute gem

Enjoy a friendly Irish welcome at The Claddagh in Marbella

THE Claddagh Irish Bar is an absolute gem. Located in the centre of Marbella beneath The Skol apartments, it's a must to pop into on your travels.

YOUR GO TO IRISH BAR FOR LIVE SPORT AND MUSIC EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!

WEEKDAYS: 18:00PM-2:00AM WEEKENDS: 14:00PM-02:00 AM | +34 952 779 537 | info@thecladdaghirishbar.com | Avda. Arias Maldonado

Gerry and the team know how to look after you. With live music most nights of the week just walk in and let your hair down and dance. Not forgetting, Claddagh is a great place for live sports. Golf, football, GAA Formula 1 to name a few. The Claddagh Bar is the most warming of bars in Marbella. You can walk in alone, though leave with friends. Enjoy the Craic at Claddagh Marbella.

16 Avienda Arias Maldonado, Skol Apartments, Marbella info@thecladdaghirishbar.com Facebook - thecladdaghmarbella

va Andalucía Beach.

A FASCINATING HARD ROCKTHEMED HOTEL

In true Hard Rock style, a variety of signature brand experiences and amenities exclusive to Hard Rock Hotels can be found here. The hotel features a curated collection of music memorabilia, distinctive luxurious decor, and a lush and oasis-like garden. Thanks to their sparkling events and incredible live concerts and performances, guests have free access to the hotel’s music shows, including a programme of star-studded line-ups.

THE SOUND OF YOUR STAY® – THE SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR HOLIDAYS

Guests can turn their room into a tailor-made musical experience with Hard Rock’s Sound of Your Stay® programme. This allows them to listen to Tracks®-curated playlists inspired by

premium spirits, and all sorts of refreshing drinks so that they can toast to the good life.

PAMPERING SPA

EXPERIENCES AT THE ROCK SPA® WELLNESS CENTRE

Guests can pamper themselves with body and facial treatments and massages, or just relax in the sauna, hammam, or spa pool. Here they will find everything they need to recharge their energy.

WEDDINGS ROCK AT HARD ROCK HOTEL MARBELLA

Hard Rock Hotel Marbella is also a glamorous option for a wedding – and it takes the stress out of the big event. Wedding planners are on hand to help customise a party and make a couple’s wedding dreams come true.

www.hardrockhotels.com/marbella

MASTERCLASS: At Japanese gem Ta-kumi and (top) Kava’s Fernando

HAPPY

SAY ‘HELLO’ TO HOLA PROPERTIES IN ITS NEW HEAD OFFICE

Successful estate agency expands its operations for buyers and sellers in Granada province

sional landscapes. I’ve also interpreted poetry, as in my book and exhibition about Frederico Garcia Lorca.”

“Recently, I’ve delved into abstract and photo-manipulation techniques. My next book will feature ‘photo-sketches’, primarily of Andalucian scenes.”

RICHARD HARTLEYMOUNTAIN GUIDE

Richard arrived in the Alpujarra in 2002 to escape the rat race, and never left. He lives above Lanjarón and works for his own company, Spanish Highs, as a mountain guide.

He says: “I tend to go against the grain. When mobile phones

became ‘de rigeur’ for taking images, I reverted to a trusty camera. I can compose a good photo but like to point and press. During mountain days, usually with groups of people, I must take photos quickly. I get good shots more by luck than judgement.”

He adds: “One of my favourite images was taken with a new 50mm prime (fixed focus) lens. We were hiking from the Hoya del Portillo, in the Sierra Nevada, down to the Rio Bermejo in the Alpujarra. At the end of the walk, I suggested visiting a beautiful waterfall that I’d seen before. At first, I was disappointed that it was in the shade and didn’t look as stunning as I remembered.”

“My luck changed when Chris Stewart, famous author of ‘Driving Over

Lemons’, descended to the waterfall. I was standing on a narrow platform and couldn’t move. Chris Stewart enjoyed looking at the waterfall, so he kept still. This was lucky, as any movement would have caused blurring. The shot was framed just as I wanted.”

GRAHAM

KNIPE - SEIZE LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Graham Knipe is a professional photographer who lives with his wife, Rosie, on a small cherry farm at Guejar-Sierra, on the opposite side of the mountain to La Alpujarra.

He says: “Photographers can take inspiration from many things here - from the potential of a gentle portrait to the incredulity of huge, majestic vistas. To be out in nature and feel her full impact as you sit waiting for the right moment! The delicate interplay of light and shadow balanced against the subtle palette of a million different colours. That’s the essence of photography for me.”

One of his favourite images, ‘Sunset Over Guejar Sierra’, was taken 30m from his house.

He explains: “The sunsets that I capture here are frequently at their most sublime. One of my favourite locations is near my home. I love the north side of the Sierra Nevada mountains for everything that they represent.”

HOLA Properties, a thriving real estate agency based in La Alpujarra, has moved its head office after its recent expansion. The larger premises, in the spa town of Lanjaron, enables the company to provide its award-winning* services to an increasing client base. The agency recently expanded its geographical reach to cover an area extending from Granada to the Costa Tropical of Andalucia.

Hola director, Mathew Wood, explains: “Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping countless clients find their dream homes. The satisfaction of helping people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives is unmatched, for me and the expanding Hola Properties team.”

“After outgrowing our previous location, Hola Properties is moving to a larger office. This is possible because of continued support and personal recommendations from our clients. Thank you for placing your trust in us.”

“The new office has also enabled the installation of an advanced IT system that will provide more efficient real estate services than ever before. We also have new agents joining the team. These individuals share our vision and passion for real estate.”

“For those wanting to buy or sell a property, I invite you to experience the difference that Hola Properties can make in your real estate journey.”

“With our team's expertise and dedication, as well as our highly professional approach, our success rate is unrivalled locally. We are rated 4.9 on Google.”

“We will be sharing more news and insights soon.”

*Most Trusted Agent in Granada and Best International Estate Agent in Southern Spain and Andalucia

Find

Senor de la Expiracion 48, Lanjaron, 18420 (head office). The company has local agents in Orgiva, Lecrin Valley, Los Guajares, Velez de Beanudalla, Salobrena, Motril and Granda. Tel: 695 39 86 79 www.holaproperties.com

Fred Shively

LA CULTURA

PICASSO QUIZ: How much do you know about his art?

It’s Picasso Year, in case you hadn’t noticed. April 8, 2023 marked a significant anniversary of the death of the great Spanish modern artist, and major exhibitions are happening across Spain and around the world commemorating his life and work

LOVE him or hate him (or quite like some of his stuff sometimes), Picasso achieved massive fame and success.

So you shouldn’t have any trouble with our Picasso Year Quiz. The questions are all multiple choice.

1- Big anniversary – so what year did he die?

a) 1923

b) 1948

c) 1973

d) 1993

2- Where was he born?

a) Malaga

b) Barcelona

c) Torremolinos

d) Valencia

3- Which of these is Picasso’s first known oil painting? (below)

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

Across

6 Model Five fired men at the moon (6)

8 Many canoes get upset (6)

9 Olivia Newton-John sang about its banks (4)

10 Scorn (8)

11 Vermin catcher (6)

13 Have the helm (5)

15 Nought (3)

17 Leash (5)

18 Twelve --- High (1949 Gregory Peck film) (6)

20 Short of a Beatles album? (8)

22 Movable barrier (4)

23 Bring in from abroad (6)

24 Las Vegas’ state (6)

Down

1 Greek spirit (4)

2 If it ever existed, it missed the boat in Noah’s time (7)

3 Attractive (5)

4 Statue support (8)

5 Crack (4)

7 Disturbed that war goes from side to side (7)

12 Stirrer (8)

14 Agitated (7)

16 Slackens (7)

19 Euro fractions (5)

21 Trees badly affected by fungal attack (4)

22 Donated (4)

All solutions are on page 16

4- He was a very busy artist indeed and left behind somewhere in the region of 20,000 works in one form or the other. Best known as a painter, he was creative in other ways. What discipline isn’t he famous for?

a) Poetry

b) Theatrical sets

c) Pottery

d) Embroidery

6- If there is one painting associated with the Spanish Civil War, it’s Guernica. Where was it first exhibited?

a) Bilbao

b) Madrid

c) New York

d) Paris

7- Where did Picasso spend most of his life?

a) Malaga

b) Barcelona

c) Paris

d) The French Riviera

5- Over the space of five months, Picasso created a suite of 58 works called Las Meninas, 44 of which (including this one below) were inspired by a painting by which artist?

a) Joan Miro

b) Modigliani

c) Diego Velasquez

d) Juan Gris

8- He named his daughter Paloma after

a) the universal symbol for peace

b) the pigeons flying around Malaga

c) the song, Paloma Blanca

d) the ballet dancer Anna Pavlova but had – famously

– misheard her name

9- Robert Capa’s iconic 1948 photo of the Spanish artist and his lover (left) was taken on:

a) the Costa Brava

b) the Costa del Sol

c) the Costa Blanca

d) the French Riviera

10

- His name and his art are known around the world. But could you pick the young artist out from a lineup (above)?

Fabulous at anytime: Museo Picasso Malaga and Museu Picasso Barcelona

For details of all major exhibitions, visit Spain is Culture

10 - A - Pablo Picasso, photographed in 1908. The others are: Antoni Gaudi (b); George Bernard Shaw (c); and, another Spanish artist being commemorated this year, Joaquin Sorolla (c) who died 100 years ago this August.

9 - D - The French Riviera. It shows Picasso (65) and the artist François Gilot (25). Although they never married (Picasso was already married to the Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova), they met in 1943, had two children, and remained together for almost a decade.

8 - B - The pigeons in Plaza de la Merced, Malaga, that he could see from the window of his family home obviously had a profound impression on the young Picasso.

7 - C - Paris. Picasso’s family left Malaga when he was 10 (for A Coruña). He lived in Barcelona for close to nine years (1885-1904) but began spending an increasing amount of time in Paris, and left Spain for good in 1904, remaining in Paris for 63 years, before moving to the French Riviera.

6 - D - Picasso was living in Paris when he painted Guernica in 1937. It was first shown at the International Exposition in Paris the same year, before being sent to MoMA in New York, where it stayed until finally coming to Spain after Franco’s death. It is now at the Reina Sofia in Madrid.

5 - C - Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, painted way back in 1656. The masterpiece by the Sevilla-born Velazquez caught the eye of the young Picasso during one of his many trips to the Prado Museum while studying art in Madrid, and you can still see it there today. Picasso’s -inter pretations are part of the permanent collection at the Museu Picasso, Barcelona.

4 - D - Embroidery.

3 - B - El Picador, painted by Picasso in 1889 when he was eight years old, and a painting he kept all his life. The others are: a) Portrait of Gertrude Stein, also by Picasso but done 16 years later; c) Blue Coat by Paul Klee (aged 69); d) Last Supper by Emil Nolde (aged 42).

2 - A - Picasso was born in Malaga. His family lived in Plaza de la Merced for the first 10 years of his life, and the family home is now a museum, the Museo Casa Natal de Picasso [https:// museocasanatalpicasso.malaga.eu/].

1 - C - Picasso died on April 8, 1973, aged 91. This is the 50th anniversary of his death.

PICASSO QUIZ ANSWERS

Picasso, Barcelona

Preparing students for a global world

Diverse & Inclusive Environment

SINCE September 2022, Laude San Pedro International College has a new Principal, Andrew Atkinson. He has been involved in international education for over 30 years.

Born and raised in England, his international experience has taken him all over the world.

Andy (as everybody knows him) graduated from Exeter University and went on to teach Geography and Theatre in secondary schools before getting a Masters in Leadership and Management at Trinity College, Dublin.

He is known for his passionate beliefs in international education and has experience with many international programmes of all ages from 3 to 18 years.

His last formal headship was as Director of the International School of London and over the last three years,

Safe Happy Learning

“What I most like about Laude is our school community,” insists Andy. “Friendly staff is one of the most dominant things at Laude. Our children are physically safe from a safeguarding perspective and well looked after for their well being.

he carried out consultancy work at projects in Spain, Russia and an innovative international school start-up in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

“The first thing a Principal should do in his first year is see how the school runs for an entire year,” he explains.

“So I've spent a lot of time running focus groups, listening and finding out what people are already doing.

“To understand trends in education, we need to go deeper. So to do that, I want all my teachers to feel passionate about keeping up to date.

“We started something called ‘Research Wednesdays’, where we stay after school voluntarily for an hour discussing an article or some of the latest research. It has proved very useful! Here are some other key things I’ve noted.”

Sports, Arts, Drama & Beyond

Laude is an inclusive school with a programme focused on academic excellence, teaching the British National Curriculum - from age 3 to 18 - and, from age 12, offering the possibility of studying the Spanish ESO and Bachillerato curricula (with up to 65% of classes in English).

We have a strong focus on academic standards - our GCSE and A Level results, as well as the Spanish Selectividad, are well above national averages in both countries.

It is a highly international environment with students of over 50 nationalities enjoying a unique learning environment designed to their needs.

“We really encourage students to be vocal and speak their minds+, which also leads to a sort of personal safety of mind. We’re just beginning some work on something called ‘global life competencies’.

“They’re the sort of broader cross subject skills that children learn how to do, like the ability to think critically or the ability to communicate effectively or the ability to self manage and self organise yourself.”

ISP School

We are part of the global education group ISP (‘International Schools Partnerships’) one of the largest education groups in the world. As a global group of schools, our students benefit from being part of a wider international community which offers many additional learning and cultural opportunities.

This means there are always great opportunities for staff such as online

Innovative learning & International Mindset

We offer a unique and incredible educational experience to each one of our students, which we call ‘Amazing Learning’: having the ability to improve day by day, and be amazed at everything learned, whatever the starting point was.

We work so that the student feels happy and motivated in an environment that generates confidence.

“So there are five key areas that they’re working strategically on,” explains Andy. “One we’re doing super well on is English as an additional language and multilingualism. I think that’s one of the biggest strengths of the school.

“Children can join a special Cambridge English programme and we’ve got an amazing language programme; we do French, German and Chinese, not just in the Secondary school, but also in Primary School from Year 2 upwards.

“Even the students who are in the Spanish national system of ESO and Bachillerato are all bilingual with an amazing level of English by the time they leave.”

Quiz nights, Dog shows, Radio stations…Getting better is what drives us

“At a personal level, I’ve tried to get staff to start some student-led projects,” continues Andy.

“What delights me about our school is certain things like our sports department full of enthusiasm for different sports, for getting involved in tournaments and making sure there is a genuine belief about making our kids phys ically fit,” says Andy. “I’m also working hard on our arts group, because we have a great visual arts teacher, we have an amazing dance-drama teacher and we have a new music teacher who’s got great potential to take music forward.

“A lot of people just think it’s a department in a school, but it’s actually a way of life and learning across the whole school.

“If you have sports, music, art, drama and dance, it brings joy to a school that radiates every bit of a school.

“Our recent Key Stage 2 talent show absolutely showcased that. And I’m a strong believer that children don’t just learn art or sports, they learn through these experiences about other things.

courses for teachers and staff to register for. It also means great opportunities for students with around 30 kids playing chess online with over 60 schools around the globe.

Amazing Campus

“It’s about students not expecting things to be done for them. Do you want to do something? Get on and organise it. How do you want to organise it? Do it. We’ve got areas where students are leading at the moment, like quiz night, a dog show, school radio station and much more.”

Our excellent facilities include a football pitch, two multisports courts and a gymnasium with changing rooms for over 400 people. We also have four computer rooms, a multimedia lab, a graphic design room, innovative science labs, dedicated rooms for drama, food technology labs and a new radio studio, as well as the latest technological devices (iPads, Chromebooks and interactive whiteboards). We have a large dining hall with its own kitchen where school meals are prepared and an extensive library to encourage our pupils to develop an interest in reading and research.

“We are very blessed with physical space,” insists Andy. “And we have a continual rolling plan of investment to improve the campus. Right now we are about to invest a lot in our dining room and bathrooms.”

“We talked earlier about these competencies of life, the competencies you get through the arts, the confidence to perform on stage, the confidence to stand up and show a piece of exhibited artwork and explain something very personal to you, to play an instrument and opportunities that every kid has to have and is a way into learning other things. So I’m really proud that our sports and arts department are excited about where to go next.”

A vision from new Laude principal Andrew Atkinson

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

TikTok no

A VIDEO on TikTok has gone viral for revealing an innovative tapa served at Bar la Cuadra in Ronda. The clip, which has attracted comments from foodies and travellers alike, features a tapa of what appear to be croquettes. But after a punter takes a bite into the little round wonders it seems that these are in fact deep fried breaded olives.

These olives have the approval of the tiktoker, a unique take on the classic olives that are served automatically with a cold beverage along the Costa. But one commenter has slammed the snack saying ‘Just No! This isn’t Glasgow’.

CHEAP TRAINS

Sick day

44 people left with food poisoning after eating dishes prepared during MasterChef

A TOTAL of 44 people were left with food poisoning after sampling dishes that had been prepared during an edition of the Spanish version of MasterChef.

The episode of the hit show, which is broadcast on state

Cinnamon alert

THE Spanish food safety agency has issued an alert about the possible presence of bacteria in the Especias Pedroza brand of ground cinnamon.

According to Aesan, clostridium perfringens has been detected in 700 gram jars of cinnamon with batch numbers A220079 and A222605.

The alert was raised in the Madrid region, but it is not known how widely distributed the product has been within the rest of Spain.

The bacteria can cause gastroenteritis with symptoms including diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 6 Saturn, 8 Oceans, 9 Ohio, 10 Contempt, 11 Ratter, 13 Steer, 15 Nil, 17 Strap, 18 O’clock, 20 Helpless, 22 Gate, 23 Import, 24 Nevada.

Down: 1 Ouzo, 2 Unicorn, 3 Bonny, 4 Pedestal, 5 Snap, 7 Athwart, 12 Teaspoon, 14 Excited, 16 Loosens, 19 Cents, 21 Elms, 22 Gave.

By Simon Hunter

channel La 1, took place at Valencia’s Oceanografic oceanarium, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the aquarium complex.

The contestants were given the challenge of preparing a menu for the 120 staff who work there, with ingredients that included seafood such as oysters and clams, as well as sea bass.

The alarm was raised about the food poisoning by one of the members of staff. With the user name Irene, she denounced on Twitter the fact that she and her colleagues were left with serious cases of gastroenteritis by the food.

According to her messag-

RENFE has put on sale tickets from just €7 for its new Avlos train service between Madrid and Andalucia. The low-cost version of AVE high speed trains will provide two daily services on the Malaga-Madrid and Sevilla-Madrid routes. All Avlo trains between Andalucia and Madrid will stop from June 1 at all intermediate stations along the route: Antequera Santa Ana, Puente Genil, Cordoba, Villanueva de Cordoba, Puertollano and Ciudad Real. Each train will offer a total of 438 seats, with two of these being for customers with reduced mobility. Tickets can be purchased at www.renfe.com/es/es

Spanish invasion

ONE of Spain's top draught beers is launching in Britain with Heineken UK bringing Cruzcampo to the country. The lager will be available exclusively on draught with Heineken describing it as a ‘great quality experience at an accessible price’.

Cruzcampo was first brewed in Sevilla in 1904, and experts describe it as having subtle hoppy notes and fruity characteristics, finished with a signature bitterness, to make it a fresh, crisp, easy drinking beer.

es, she had to be given an injection at the emergency room to stop her vomiting, and she claimed she lost five kilos in three days.

“Thank you MasterChef for the worst gastronomic experience I’ve ever had in my life,” she added. She claimed that more than 70 people were left sick, but sources from the regional health department in Valencia said the number was

actually 44.

Shine Iberia, the producer of the program, released a statement admitting that the reports were true but stressed that nothing like this had happened in the 11 years that the program has been broadcast in Spain. The case will now be passed on to the health department in Madrid, which is where the production company is based.

Costa less

MERCADONA has decided to slash the prices of 500 daily products from this April until the end of the year. The Spanish supermarket giant intends to help fight inflation by making a few essential items more affordable. This discounts will cover items such as canned and dairy food, nuts, oils, household products, pastries and perfume.he discounted products will be identified with a yellow label marking their previ-

“People in the UK want Spanish lager, so we thought we’d make it more accessible by launching Cruzcampo into the mainstream,” said Heineken UK's Serena Smith.

Spanish lager sales have risen by 73% in England alone over the last year with 20% of premium draught pints pulled being a Spanish originated brand like San Miguel, Estrella Damm, and Madri Excepional.

ous and current price. The company claims that the initiative will save each customer up to €150 a year.

Lawbird is a firm of English speaking lawyers who specialise in property law, corporate law, litigation and immigration law. Whether you plan to buy a house, start a company or relocate to Spain, we offer a no-nonsense service to assist you. Lawbird Legal Services Slp

CULINARY DISASTER: The MasterChef team

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

ALL THE FUN OF

Feria de Abril, Sevilla, April 23-29

THE season kicks off with the biggest, most famous and, many would argue, the best: Sevilla’s feria always begins two weeks after Easter Sunday. The pressure to create an event that’s at least as iconic as the last is huge, but there’s enough razzle-dazzle here to wow even the most jaded visitor. One word of warning, the majority of casetas are invite only, so dig out your contact book...but there are always the public casetas

Feria del Caballo de Jerez, May 6-13

JEREZ horse fair is among the most traditional of the ferias.

The city is in the cradle of flamenco, and there is flamenco singing, dancing and guitar-playing year-round.

The feria is the chance to notch things up. Fewer people wear traditional dress when attending these events in touristy Malaga and the Costa del Sol, but almost everyone sports a spectacular costume (traje) in Jerez.

Aside from having fun and looking fabulous, the focus is on the horses (caballos). The finest of them from far and wide (some with riders, some pulling carriages) make mesmerising circuits of the fairground every day.

STARTING as cattle markets (or occasionally, religious ceremonies), ferias have evolved into the cultural highlights of the year in the South of Spain. They tend to be week-long events in the larger cities, and run from midweek to Sunday in the smaller towns. Expect food, drink, loud music and flamenco dancing until dawn, along with fairground rides, horse parades and, often, a bit of wrangling or a display of horsemanship.

If you happen to be living or staying near the feria grounds, you can also expect little sleep, at least, not at night.

The build-up starts weeks in advance, the events are spectacular, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Afterwards, everything goes quiet for a bit. Feria week is the perfect chance to experience Andalucian culture at its most exuberant and colourful best, so here are six of the top events to put in the diary.

Feria del Corpus de Granada, June 3-10

THOUGH less famous than Sevilla and Jerez, Granada’s version has everything an Andalucian feria needs. Its unique highlights include a recreation of one of the city’s famous monuments done in lights at the entrance to the fairground. And, unlike in Sevilla, where you need friends in high places to invite you in to enjoy the action in majority of the casetas (or large tents with drinks and entertainment), the casetas here are open to the public, free of charge.

Feria de Pedro Romero de Ronda, August 28September 3

PERHAPS a little con troversial for many foreign tourists, Ron da’s feria is named for the bullfighter Pedro Romero. The local population continues to embrace the theme and contin ue the Spanish tradition, with a series of bullfights known as the ‘Corrida Goyesca’. Away from the bull ring, the streets of the historic town come alive during feria week with singing and dancing and all-round family-friendly enter tainment.

Feria de San Lucas de Jaen October 15-23

JAEN’S Feria de San Lucas is a chance to see deeper Spain.

This is another of the more traditional fairs, with both male and female attendees dressed in fine flamenco wear, and it takes place against a stunning backdrop of hills and olives.

As in Malaga, the action takes place in the town during the day, and moves out of the centre to the fairground at night, where flamenco eventually gives way to the roar of fairground and reggaeton, for a real mix of the modern and traditional.

The feria is among the greatest of Andalucian traditions. Celebrated (and how!) in every town between April and October, make an effort to attend at least one . . . just allow for a couple of days of recovery time afterwards

THE FERIAS THE

Feria de Agosto de Malaga

August 12-19

MALAGA’S feria runs for a marathon 10 days and nights, with events taking place in the historic city centre during the day, and at the fairground (located in the Cortijo de Torres district) at night.

The usually international and touristy capital of the Costa del Sol reverts to full-on Spanish culture for the duration, with horses and carriages trotting around, and the sound of flamenco rhythms in the air. At night it is famously rocking and, said to be, one of the most intense in Spain, up with Pamplona’s.

reservations: +34 951 74 47 77 / +34 627 12 14 43 clive@cotorestaurante.com

Tuesday to Saturday: 11am-12am Sunday: 11am-6pm Monday: Closed Ctra. de Ronda, A-397, Km. 44, 29679 Benahavís, Málaga

A unique dining experience in a inspiring location boasting stunning views of the Andalusian landscape all the way down to the Mediterranean Sea

Ryan-win

torious from the latest battle in its long running war with online travel agencies (OTAs).

The low-cost airline has frequently complained about the ‘illegal’ behaviour of wellknown companies such as Booking.com, eDreams, Gotogate, Kiwi and Opodo.

Ryanair insists that OTAs sell its tickets without authorisation, apply extra charges to customers, obstruct direct communications between Ryanair and customers, and block refunds by not providing correct customer information.

Spanish travel agency association ACAVE filed a lawsuit in September 2021 over the Irish airline’s attacks ‘on the reputations of its members’.

But a Barcelona court has stated that Ryanir’s accusations are ‘true, objective, and relevant.’

Crypto tax

Cryptocurrency earnings become subject to Spanish income tax

By Alberto Lejarraga

THE Spanish Inland Revenue has launched an investigation to identify bitcoin-related assets to prevent tax evasion and avoidance.

The period for submitting the income tax return declaration (IRPF) opened on April 11. Taxpayers are required to give evidence of their earnings in 2022. And these include any profit obtained from cryptocurrency. In 2021, only 35,2000 IRPF

Small change

THE days of sorting through near-useless one and two cent coins among your change could soon be over as the European Commission comes ever closer to scrapping them.

Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, has said that possible changes include eliminating them altogether and introducing rounding-up rules across the EU. The EC carried out a public survey which showed that 70% of respondents were in favour of the abolition of the coins and the introduction of uniform rounding-up rules.

declarations for that year’s tax period included crypto profit.

These made a total of €759 million.

Not every taxpayer is aware of this requirement. According to a study carried out by the Spanish Association of Financial Users (Asufin), 4.4 million people invest in cryptocurrency in Spain. However, over 40% of them believe they do not need to declare these earnings. The gains are calculated deducting the purchase value from the sale value and are taxed at the following tax rates:

Less than €6,000 - 19% income tax

Between €6,000 and

Smell the coffee

COLOMBIAN cafe chain Juan

Valdez will be opening a flagship shop in Madrid as part of its plans to have over 100 outlets across Spain by 2027.

The coffee retailer will open its new store in Madrid’s 36-storey Torre Caleido skyscraper next month.

It already has four Juan Valdez Express stores in Madrid’s La Gavia, El Ferial, Príncipe Pío and Plenilunio shopping centres, primarily catering for take-away customers. However, the new flagship store will feature indoor and outdoor seating alongside a retail space and it will also offer a coffee-based cocktail menu during the evening.

€50,000 - 21% income tax

Between €50,000 and €200,000 - 23% income tax

Over €200,000 - 26% income tax. Losses can also be declared and may translate into paying 25% less annual tax during the following four years. Those who have virtual currency but are not trading do not have to include them in the IRPF declaration form. This comes at a time when the Olive Press is doing an ongoing investigation on crypto company Globix. It is alleged that Globix bosses took out €11 million just before the company collapsed.

How

BIG BIO PLANT

OIL company Cepsa has formed a joint venture to set up a large-scale biofuels plant.

Cepsa and Bio-Oils, which process vegetable oils, have announced that they will invest €1 billion at Cepsa’s La Rabita Energy Park in Huelva.

The facility is targeting the annual production of 500,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel for aviation, maritime and land transport.

The use of biofuels can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared with conventional fossil-based fuels Cepsa described the project as ‘the largest second generation biofuels plant’ in southern Europe.

choose an ethical financial adviser in Spain?

FIDUCIARY Wealth has been shaping the wealth of the British expatriate community in Spain through unbiased tax-led wealth management advice since 2007.

CHOOSE A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL

Seek out a financial adviser with a UK level 4 qualification in financial advice or an equivalent qualification from the European Financial Planning Association (EFPA).

DO YOUR RESEARCH

When making your selection, carefully research all of the financial advisory firms you are considering. Looking online will help you gather information.

EXPERTISE

You should hire a financial adviser with extensive knowledge of cross border tax planning for British expats.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

A financial adviser with a strong professional link to a prestigious, well-regarded law and accountancy firm/network is a safer bet.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

The way a financial adviser communicates will tell you a lot of what you need to know, including any red flags. They should employ clear and easy to understand language, dealing in precise details rather than vague terms.

HONESTY IS PARAMOUNT

A crucial trait in any financial adviser is honesty. You should feel able to trust that your adviser is honest and that your interests are their key priority.

LISTENING SKILLS

Expect any good financial adviser to ask plenty of questions about yourself and your financial needs

and goals. They should be interested in your personal circumstances, rather than simply talking about the products and services that want to push or a single product they would like to sell you, such as a ‘Spanish Compliant Investment Bond.’

THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF YOUR NEEDS

Steer clear of any financial adviser that offers a report that is short on content and detail.

SALES PRESSURE TACTICS

Avoid a financial adviser who uses high-pressure sales tactics to force you to make a decision more quickly than you feel comfortable with.

SINGLE PRODUCT VERSUS WHOLE OF MARKET

Do not engage with firms that offer the same products to everyone - Spanish Compliant Bonds. A good adviser should provide best advice rather than one-size-fits-all remedies.

BE CLEAR ON PAYMENT

Avoid any nasty surprise charges by clearly establishing how much you will pay before embarking on a course of action. Always ensure all charges are disclosed upfront.

HOW IS YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR PAID?

Work with financial advisers that are being paid a salary. An adviser who is on commission is unable to offer impartial advice – as his objectivity is compromised. If getting paid is contingent on obtaining sales, you cannot expect a commission-only advisor to be working in your best interests. Before committing, ask your advisor to confirm in writing if they are commission-only renumerated or salaried.

We are in the Costa del Sol fully available for meetings throughout the week from Sotogrande to Nerja and inland Andalucia.

POIGNANT PARADE

The processions through

THE residents of Alozaina made the long Easter weekend into a memorable, sad but at the same time happy occasion.

The processions over the three main days were poignant but at the same time beautiful and were very ably led by the Alozaina band and their musical counterparts from Yunquera. Many of the younger children were dressed in robes and behaved beautifully, realising they had an important role to play.

Some of the village ladies also dressed traditionally in black with gorgeous lace veils held in place with mantillas. The overall effect was stunning and added to the solemness of the occasion.

The highlight for many was the mid night procession on Good Friday. This had a slightly different format from last year, but it was a change that I felt brought about a more dignified and sol emn procession with the street lights being turned off and the whole route lined with residents and visitors alike carrying candles.

Many of the local ladies sang sponta neously which was beautiful to hear and it seemed to me that the whole village was taking part in the event. The pasos, or floats, which were very carefully carried down slopes

home village

and steps and through the village streets by young and old alike, were spectacular and very poignant. The dressing of the pasos themselves, as well as the robing of Jesus Christ, Mary and John The Evangelist were carried out with love and care by the congregation of the church and the overall effect was complemented by the many beautiful floral arrangements. Although these Easter processions are commonplace throughout Spain, there is something special about being part of a village community. The whole process is more personal and intimate and there is an overwhelming feeling of belonging and being part of the pro-

his

of Alozaina were both poignant and happy, writes Matt Jones

SPAIN’S Social Security system is using artificial intelligence to try to predict whether someone who is taking sick leave is ready to get back to work.

That’s according to an investigation carried out by Spanish online daily El Confidencial Spain’s National Institute of Social Security deployed two machine-learning algorithms in 2018 to assess the health of millions of people on sick leave.

The aim was to detect which recipients were defrauding the state.

The investigation discovered that the system is very opaque and that its algorithms are considered to be ‘poor’ and ‘unbalanced’. It also alleged to generate a high number of false positives, which could potentially be pushing people back into work before they are medically fit to do so.

A cut above

Pioneering lung transplant operation carried out by robot

By Alex Trelinski

A BARCELONA hospital has carried out a pioneering lung transplant operation with a robot involving a less invasive procedure for the patient.

The four-pronged robot called Da Vinci was used at the Vall d’Hebron hospital in a surgery that no longer required opening up the chest and separating ribs.

Da Vinci cut through just a small area of the patient’s skin, fat and muscle to re-

ON STRIKE

THE Andalucian Medical Union has called for seven days worth of strikes until the end of May. Strikes by primary care doctors and pediatricians are proposed to take place between 8am and 8pm every Wednesday.

In Malaga alone, 1500 medical professionals are expected to take action

Unions have called the strikes because they claim the regional health authority has broken an agreement to limit the number of patients seen to 35 a day and, in the case of child patients, to 25. Currently the average doctor sees 60 patients daily.

move the damaged lung and inserted a new one through an eight-centimetre incision in the lower part of the sternum, just above the diaphragm.

Besides being safer than previous techniques, which needed a 30-centimetre cut, the patient's post-op treatment involves less pain as the smaller wound closes far more easily.

Vall d’Hebron’s Lung Transplant head, Albert Jauregui, said: “We believe it is a technique that will improve patients’ life quality, the post-surgery period and reduce pain. We hope this technique will eventually spread

Casillas award

SPAIN'S World Cup 2010 winning captain Iker Casillas has been awarded a Gold Medal for services to cardiovascular health at the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) in Barcelona.

The ex-keeper, 41, ended his playing career in 2020 after almost a year on the sidelines following a heart attack he suffered during a training session with his Porto teammates. He now works at raising the awareness of maintaining a healthy heart and spotting the signs of a heart attack.

to more centres.”

The procedure had only previously been used in lung cancer operations and was used on 65-year-old Xavier who needed a lung transplant after suffering from pulmonary fibrosis since 2007.

Pros

“I weighed up the pros and cons,” he told reporters. “I totally trusted the robot machines because they reduce human error,” added Xavier.

He backed up Albert Jauregui's analysis by saying that he woke up after February’s operation and felt no pain whatsoever.

“When the doctor told me I was having a heart attack, I couldn’t believe it. I do sports, live a healthy lifestyle, and was feeling good and strong, ” said Casillas.

Your Mental Health is Just As Important as Your Physical Health

WE BELIEVE IN CARE, COMMUNITIES AND COUNSELLING

Life sometimes seems to be a series of ‘ups and downs’ and all of us are somehow expected to cope. At times like this when there are financial pressures, worries about the future and the spiralling cost of living crisis, there are additional stresses on us all that affect us directly, or through our families. We sometimes reach a point where we need to speak to someone for professional help and assistance to get through life’s hurdles. For many, having someone to talk things through with, to share what may be troubling you or having someone to engage with in counselling, helps to overcome fears, apprehensions, worries and self-doubt.

This is especially so in Spain where English speaking qualified and trusted therapists are hard to come by.

Sadly, many people suffer from anxiety, stress, fears and a lack of confidence. For others, bereavement, family or work pressures can lead to problems. Change through relocation abroad can also add to mental health pressures and these life changes are never easy.

Counselling and therapy has changed the lives of many. Getting in touch is the first step.

Recognising that there is an issue is the first step on the road to recovery. Help is available through our confidential counselling service.

FIRST: Lung transplant by robot

P LIVE RESS

Dead giveaway

AN Alicante man admitted defrauding authorities of over €119,000 by collecting his grandmother’s pension, despite her being dead for over 16 years.

Trust issues

ALMOST two thirds of Spaniards no longer trust social media to get political news, a new study has found. And over 70% believe it promotes extremism in society.

Lock In

A MAN out for a drink in a Valencia pub fell asleep and woke up to find himself locked in. Police had to wake up the pub owner to get him out.

TASTY TATTOO

Unusual candidate

THE PP’s latest mayoral candidate is a departure from their usual professed traditional values: the former gay porn star Antonio Moreno. Six years on from his time known by his stage name Hector de Silva, Moreno is now standing for the mayorship of Carcelen, Albacete. He moved to the remote village with his partner after he hung up his movie set pass in 2017. The pretty, rural township of 652 souls comes complete

The PP stands ex gay porn star as mayoral candidate in rural Albacete village

By Walter Finch

with its own castle and is just 100km (60 miles) south east of Valencia.

The former gay porn star seamlessly moved into forest fire fighting after he retired and is now a livestock farmer.

"I was born in the city of Al-

bacete but when I arrived here I fell in love with this village and its natural environment, which is spectacular," the 38-year-old (pictured below) said. But the media attention that has come his way since the PP announced his candidacy has not surprised him.

“I knew that this could hap-

Painting with ploughs

AN artist has marked the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death in a suitably surreal way by ploughing a giant portrait of the maestro in a field Dario Gambarin’s unconventional portrait spans over 25,000 square metres and is claimed (probably rightly) to be the largest depiction of Picasso in the world. Gambarin used a field in the Italian town of Castagnaro as his canvas and a tractor, plough and rotary harrow as his brushes..

pen since it's a part of my past, from six years ago.”

"I take my past as a porn actor normally because my family, who supported me, knew about it and I have always told them about it.

“It was a stage in my life that I don't regret because I learned a lot,” Moreno said.

“When I arrived in town, everyone knew about it and I've always talked about it as something normal,” he added.

He will face off against incumbent PSOE candidate and current 12-year mayor Maria Dolores Gomez

Piqueras on May 28.

A MAN from Sevilla has gone viral after having a tattoo of a sandwich inked onto his leg. And it’s not just any old sandwich - it is a picture of Andalucia’s famous Serranito. The ‘work of art’ is much more than a simple pictureit is so detailed that it could be used as a recipe.

Bread, tenderloin, green pepper, serrano ham, tomato and aioli are all labeled in the correct order.

Queen of curses

THE elderly Spanish woman may have been talking to Queen Letizia, but that didn’t stop her from using some colourful language when she got a chance to meet the royal in Cordoba.

“I love you and your husband and your children very much!” the ‘lady’ shouted from a crowd, in reference to Letizia, King Felipe VI and their daughters, Leonor and Sofia.

“The rest of them can go f*ck themselves!” she continued.

‘Wow,’ was the reaction of the queen, who also proffered several thank yous to the lady as she slowly backed away.