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COSTA BLANCA NORTE / VALENCIA FREE Vol. 4 Issue 84 www.theolivepress.es
Half way there! By George Mathias
A PETITION demanding an answer from the British government over the right for expats to drive in Spain is nearly halfway there. Nearly 4,500 people have signed the demand for action, supported by the Olive Press’ U-Turn campaign. The petition needs 10,000 signatures to force the government to give an official response, with its creator, Stuart Hudd, urging a final push this month. The Murcia-based expat is furious that he is not able to drive in Spain under new Brexit rules, despite registering correctly as a resident in September 2020. Both he and wife got TIE residency certificates, but were wrongly told by a gestor in Mazarron they didn’t need to register to swap their driving licences. “I was told don’t worry, there will be an agreement,” he said. “Now we are isolated in the campo and relying on friends and neighbours to take us shopping and to the doctor.” The poor advice mirrors hundreds of
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voice in Spain
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yorkshirelinencostablanca.com
Med mayhem warning
UNESCO calls on Costa Blanca and Costa Calida towns to get ready for a tsunami, U R with claim that Mediterranean is 100% U -T N certain to suffer one in next 30 years
N O W!
Continues on Page 6
SEASIDE town halls are being urged by UNESCO to put emergency plans in place against a possible tsunami. A new study by the United Nations body claims the probability of a tsunami bigger than one metre on the Mediterranean coastline is 100% over the next 30 years. It is most likely to be caused by an offshore earthquake or an undersea volcano eruption, such as one offshore from the Italian island of Panarea, as scientists note the ‘instability’ of its behaviour. The claims were backed up by the research of underwater explorer Alexis Resenfeld, who described
By Livia Cockerell
the constantly erupting volcano as the ‘gates of hell’. In a study for the 1Ocean expedition with UNESCO, it was discovered that more than a million litres of gas can be released from the area every day. Scientists were this week discussing the threat of a tsunami in more detail at a UN Oceans conference in Lisbon. In particular, they want to stress how vital it is for all coastal communities to be fully prepared for the worst by 2030. While concerns in Spain are focused on Chipiona, on Cadiz’s Costa de la Luz, Costa Blanca and Costa Calida towns have also been warned to make themselves ‘tsunami ready’. The working group of the Hydraulic Institute of the University of Canta-
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ILL EQUIPPED: Councils including Benidorm are unprepared bria (IH Cantabria), led by Mauricio González,said that Spanish coastal municipalities need to calculate the risk of a tsunami. So far, he says, no municipality has been prepared to respond properly to a tsunami warning. The researcher explained that the areas most exposed to the impact of a tsunami are all the coasts of Spain, except Asturias and Cantabria. Besides the Gulf of Cadiz which is the highest risk area in Spain, other coasts are also at threat. These include the Costa Blanca and the Costa Calida, which are threatened by a tsunami after a seaquake, according to UNESCO. Last year, the entire Costa del Sol, and part of the Costa Calida and Costa Blanca were put on a similar warning by Spain’s Institut de Ciencies del Mar (CSIC). It warned of thousands of homes being destroyed and many lives lost within 20 minutes of a potential earthquake in the Averroes fault. “In the Mediterranean, there is no question about it: it is not if, it’s when,” said UNESCO tsunami expert Bernardo Aliaga, this week.
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The experts are worried that towns and cities on the Mediterranean underestimate the risk of tsunamis because they are not as frequent as, for example, in the Indian Ocean.
Warnings
They claim this increases the danger as fewer measures are enforced and warnings are not properly given. Chipiona lies on the same stretch of coastline, where one of the deadliest earthquakes took place in 1755. The resultant 6m waves killed up to 50,000 people (over 1,200 in Cadiz and Huelva) and badly damaged the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The threat caused by a tsunami is made significantly greater due to rising sea levels. Studies in China show the higher the sea levels, the further inland tsunami waves travel. UNESCO plans to support towns and cities as they enforce preparation measures such as alert systems. Opinion Page 6
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CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Angry hubby A VALENCIA man threw a Molotov cocktail at the wall of a Maritim district house with his wife inside. A neighbour extinguished the fire with police arresting the husband, 56, for attempted murder.
Drugged out AN Alicante court has ordered the permanent dissolution of two cannabis clubs in Benidorm and Denia.
Guardia Plea THE Guardia Civil union, AUGC, says Alicante Province needs another 600 officers. It claims busy coastal areas are badly served during the summer, especially when their members take holiday leave.
Naughty teen SIX Pobla de Duc residents were defrauded by a teenager who used their credit card details for online gambling. The Guardia Civil arrested the man 19, in Enguera.
THREE Czechs have been bounced into prison cells after being arrested for running a mail order drugs service. They were based in Playa de San Juan in Alicante and the Playa de Muchavista area of El Campello. The Guardia Civil received co-operation from the US NaA RUSSIAN couple were kidnapped by bogus police officers to get hold of access codes to a cryptocurrency wallet. The kidnapped man - a computer expert specialising in cryptocurrency management was able to contact his lawyer, who in turn called the police. El Campello Policia Local located the car where the man's partner was held and discovered she had been handcuffed. A Spaniard, who is an ex-Guardia Civil officer turned private detective, and a Russian woman, who acted as an interpreter, were both arrested. A third person who drove the car, fled on foot, but was subsequently detained. The Guardia Civil are still searching for a fourth kidnapper. An Alicante
June 30th - July 13th 2022
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tional Security Investigations department in Buffalo to bust the trio. The traffickers mailed out so-called ‘zombie’ drugs and amphetamines to the USA as their main destination.
Customers in the UK, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland were also mailed illegal narcotics. Up to 300 parcels were sent each month from Correos offices across Alicante Province.
Crypto kidnapping
Bogus cops kidnap Russian couple in Bitcoin bid
By Alex Trelinski
judge sent the three detainees to Fontcalent prison as inquiries continue. The private detective said he was hired just to find the Russian couple and did not realise that kidnapping
was on the agenda. The pair were approached by the detective and another man at their San Juan (Alicante) home garage shortly after 6pm on June 19. The visitors said they were police officers and flashed badges to confirm their status. The
IRISH TOURIST RAPED POLICE are searching for two men who raped a 28-year-old Irish man in the El Carmen area of Valencia city. The assault happened in the early hours of the morning, with the victim telling police that the assailants were of ‘Arabic origin who spoke English with a French accent’. The holidaymaker was enjoying his last
night of his vacation before returning to Ireland. The victim was in a venue with a friend when he met the men who suggested they should leave together to party elsewhere. When walking by the Turia river, the intentions of the men became clear, and he tried to leave. They tore off his clothes and sexually assaulted him.
couple were told to hand over their phones before they were bundled into a car. They were joined by the Russian female interpreter who threatened serious violent consequences if the computer expert did not hand over his cryptocurrency access codes. The man said the codes were at a friend's home in the Central Park area of El Campello.
Hostage
They drove there and the kidnappers let him enter the building while keeping his partner hostage. It was at that time that he phoned his lawyer, with the kidnappers speeding off when they realised he had tricked them.
Expat killer retrial THE Supreme Court (TSJ) has ordered the retrial of a Dutch man convicted of murdering a British expat in order to steal €550 from her purse. The TSJ says there were irregularities in the judge’s instructions to the jury which may have influenced their deliberations. The body of Margaret McNulty, 70, was found in her Granja de Rocamora home in November 2019, where she lived on her own after her husband died in 2005. Handyman Nicholas Pijnenborg was found guilty of murder and robbery at his Alicante trial last September.
Assaulted
Alicante Provincial Court then sentenced him to 25 years and six months in prison. Last year’s trial heard that McNulty had been brutally assaulted by Pijnenborg who she had known for four years. He popped round to ask for a loan and when she pulled €50 out of her purse, he noticed that she had a lot more cash in it. Pijnenborg grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the floor, before punching and kicking her to death. He then stole €550 and spent some of it that evening in nightclubs.
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es HE was the archetypal heartthrob in An Officer and a Gentleman and Pretty Woman, with Julia Roberts. And Richard Gere has been looking as dashing as ever on a summer break to the Balearics. The Hollywood star has been spending a few weeks with his Spanish wife Alejandra Silva and their two sons touring around the islands. The 72-year-old, whose breakout role was as a male escort in American Gigolo, has stood up well to the ravages of time, as this photo from his wife’s Instagram account proves. The couple, who married in 2018
June 30th - July 13th 2022
Still got it!
What an Ora
and live in New York, have taken to the waves aboard a yacht cruising around Ibiza and Formentera with their children. Gere became a father for the third time in 2020 when Silva, 39, gave birth to their second son just a year after their first. He also has a 22-year-old son from his previous marriage to model Carey Lowell. His first wife was supermodel Cindy Crawford. Silva, who comes from Galicia, has a nineyear-old son from her first marriage.
RETURN TO SENDER
‘Ello ‘Arry By Kimberley Mannion
EXPATS were surprised to discover a famous punter in their midst as they enjoyed an afternoon pint when Harry Redknapp showed up. The former Premier League manager, who won ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, thrilled drinkers at Ryder’s Bar in Duquesa, on the Costa del Sol, as he swapped banter.
Drink
He had been planning a quiet drink with agent Eamon Collins and ex-West Brom star Derek Stratham, both of whom are regulars. Bar owners Sharon Anne O’Callaghan, 60, from London and husband Andrew Moore, 62, from the Midlands, said it was a pleasure to have Rednapp at Ryder’s. Sharon told the Olive Press: “It was great to meet Harry, he is a lovely man, a true gent and was only too happy to chat with customers.”
Urgent consignment of British Red Kites sent to Spain to save threatened species
IT was three decades ago that Spain sent a consignment of 13 Red Kites to the UK to urgently boost a population that was on the verge of extinction. Now the UK has returned the favour packing 30 of the glorious birds of prey in the other direction. The reintroduction programme will see the 15 pairs of Milanos Reales, as they are called in Spanish, scattered around Extremadura and Andalucia. They are likely to be the descendants of wild Red Kites sent from Spain to the Chiltern Hills in the 1990s, after Britain’s population was re-
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SHE was appropriately sparkling as Rita Ora wowed crowds at a fashion show for high end jeweller Cartier in Madrid. The Let You Love Me singer Rita Ora showed true aura in her performance wearing a stunning fuschia pink silk dress set off with diamonds from Cartier. The star has been the face of the jewellers of late, attending several of their events. Ora, 31, who also holds Kosovon nationality, grew up in London. She was not the only star at the show with Bohemian Rhapsody actor Rami Malek also on hand.
HOME: Young Red Kite in Badajoz duced to a mere handful of pairs in one isolated spot in Wales. The conservation programme has been so successful in the UK that the birds are now a common sight soaring over gardens across half of the country with their reddish tones, forked tails and distinctive mewing cries.
Historic heights AFTER years on the brink of extinction, the Spanish imperial eagle has reached a new all-time record with 166 chicks hatched in Andalucia alone this Spring. It comes after a 2021 census found 129 breeding pairs in the region, some 5% up on 2020. The highest previous record came in 2019 when 144 chicks hatched.
It is estimated that there are now between 4,000 and 6,000 breeding pairs in the UK. Meanwhile, in Spain they have fared far less well and there are only 11 breeding pairs in Caceres province and just four within Badajoz. It is hoped that the new arrivals will boost the wild population in Extremadura and Andalucia with the same success as the British programme. This month the first batch of 15 fledgling birds arrived at the Amus rescue centre in Villafranca de los Barros, in Badajoz. From here they will spend a short time in aviaries to acclimatise before being released after about three weeks. Another 15 will arrive at the end of June and 30 more will be sent over each June for the next two years.
Where dreams begin
RAISING THE WOOF A WIREHAIRED Fox Terrier called Funfair Foxhouse has been crowned as the World’s Best Dog. Think Crufts on steroids as 16,500 dogs and 12,000 professional breeders travelled to Madrid from 50 countries to take part in the World Dog Show. Queen Sofia inaugurated the event in which dogs face agility tests and obstacle courses. Silver went to an English Bulldog and bronze to an
TOP DOG: Funfair Old English Shepherd. The best placed Spanish dog was a Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund who came fourth.
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4 www.theolivepress.es 4 wheels good TWO new quad-bikes are being used by Benidorm’s Policia Local to patrol the resort’s busy beaches over the summer. The quads are state-ofthe-art units that also have patrol car features including lights and sirens. Benidorm mayor, Toni Perez, said: “We will provide the best beach surveillance service, since both vehicles have all the necessary technical features to do the job well.” Perez described the approaching summer high season as ‘very special’, with the resort looking to regain the pre-pandemic visitor numbers of 2019.
NEWS
THE American president and his wife have been gracing the palaces and matching up with Spanish royalty as world leaders unite in Madrid for the NATO summit. But it didn’t all go to plan when America’s First Lady, Jill Biden, kept Queen Letizia waiting outside a Ukrainian refugee centre. Not used to waiting, the Queen touched her hair and looked at the sky, opening
June 30th - July 13th 2022
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her arms as though to say ‘finally’ when her new friend arrived at last. Despite the American’s faux pas of making the Queen wait, the pair have had a busy and successful two days, which included a trip to the Spanish Association Against Cancer.
GREETINGS: Biden and Letizia
STADIUM RESURRECTED 15 years after being started new home for Valencia scheme rebooted
PLANS to finally complete Valencia CF’s Nou Mestalla stadium have been unveiled which could seat up to 70,000 spectators and have a solar-powered roof.
Rough and tumble VILLAJOYOSA will host the sixth Costa Blanca Beach Rugby tournament this Saturday (July 2) featuring six men’s and six women’s teams. The event offers ranking points for the Spanish Beach Rugby Series and the European Beach Rugby Series. The tournament on the Centro beach offers fast-moving rugby of five minutes per half. In all, 30 matches will be played with the finals scheduled for around 7pm.
By Alex Trelinski
Valencia’s general director, Sean Bai, said that it was the club’s intention to ‘finish the stadium as soon as possible’. The incomplete Nou Mestalla currently stands as a monument to Spain’s financial crisis 13 years ago. Work on the Nou Mestalla began in August 2007 and was due to be completed in the early summer of 2009. Construction was halted in February 2009 due to financial problems suffered by Valencia CF. A deal struck two-years later to finish the stadium involving financing from Bankia fell through. Redesigned plans came and went until a fresh project
GOOGLE News is returning to Spain after nearly a decade. The service was shut down in 2014 as the Spanish government insisted payment be made to publishers for promoting their news stories. Spain’s newspaper industry has pushed for the tech giant to restore it and in 2020 the government revamped its copyright rules to allow media outlets to negotiate directly over use of their content. Despite the impasse, the Olive Press won a Google News Initiative award for our reporting in 2020.
Looking out VAST: Stadium plans excites fans
was announced last December. The club said the new stadium would become a ‘benchmark in sustainability’ thanks to its photovoltaic solar roof which will be the largest in Europe. Crowd capacity will start ini-
tially at 49,000 before possibly rising to 70,000. Valencia’s The Nou Mestalla will have Mediterranean-style balconies inspired by the current Mestalla stadium and the venue will incorporate a large restaurant and leisure area.
ELCHE police will be patrolling the municipality’s beaches this summer through to September 15. Some of the 40-strong team gathered at Arenales del Sol on Tuesday to mark the start of the tourist season patrols. Officers will monitor the safety of bathers daily between 10am and 7pm. Unauthorised hawkers, including masseurs, will be stopped from pestering beach goers and police will also keep an eye out for thieves.
NEWS
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Pump price warning PETROL prices in Spain might hit €3 per litre this summer according to a service station employers group. Nacho Rabadan, president of CEEES, said: “I do not rule out any scenario and we could see prices of three euros per litre this summer because demand far exceeds supply.” Rabadan believes that with the summer holiday season approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, there simply isn't enough petrol to go round. Pump prices in many parts of Spain have passed the €2 per litre mark.
Roller tragedy A MAN died in the Benimarfull after the mini-steamroller he was driving overturned and crushed him. The accident happened on the CV-700 close to a roundabout at La Cabaña. The vehicle flipped over, trapping the man who was unable to move his head and neck. Alicante Provincial firefighters arrived at the scene to free him. The injuries that he sustained were so severe, that medics confirmed he died before he could be released.
June 30th - July 13th 2022
Green face-off Costa Blanca versus Costa Calida in race to become Europe’s Green Capital MURCIA and Valencia are facing off to become Europe’s Green Capital in 2024. Valencia city recently unveiled details of the bid, officially declaring its candidacy in May for the European Green Capital Award (EGCA). Murcia is also throwing its name in the ring, meaning one city may be declared green and the other left green with envy. The award recognises the efforts of European cities to improve the environment and, therefore, the economy, as well as the quality of city life. Valencia mayor, Juan Ribo, said: “Opting to go for this
award was a very important challenge that we faced with the conviction that we are a Mediterranean benchmark in
sustainable policies and a city with great potential, which has a consolidated green infrastructure, a unique Natural Park and the largest urban garden in Europe.” Not to be outdone, the Coun-
That just won’t fly A drone owner faces a fine of up to €225,000 after causing an emergency alert at Alicante-Elche airport. An airline pilot sighted the drone flying over the airport's air space and alerted authorities. The incident occurred on May 16 but details were only released on Monday by the Guardia Civil. Given the security threat posed by the drone, Guardia officers swung into action to find the unit and its operator. A computerised tracking and monitoring system called Aeroscope was used to locate the offender.
Extradition for Maddie suspect EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke
IN OPPOSITE CORNERS: Antonio Navarro Corchon (left) and Juan Ribo By Alex Trelinski & George Mathias
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GROUNDED: Police impound drone The drone operator broke a series of laws including infringing controlled airspaces and not having a licence to fly the commercial-style unit.
cilor for Sustainable Development in Murcia, Antonio Navarro Corchon said: “The distinction will provide many benefits such as increased tourism and international profile, networks and new alliances, new jobs, greater emphasis on environmental projects through sponsorships and subsidies, as well as the improvement of culture and the arts.” The shortlist has competition from the Italian cities of Cagliari, Florence, and Prato also vying for the award as well as Krakow (Poland), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Kosice (Slovakia). The list will be narrowed-down next month ahead of final presentations and a decision, which will be made in the French city of Grenoble in October.
EXTRADITION proceedings are being launched to bring five new charges against Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner. A German prosecutor confirmed he is sending paperwork to officially extradite Brueckner from Italy, where he was last a free man, despite him actually being in a German jail. Describing it as ‘a formality’, he told the Olive Press that it would mean the German paedophile being charged with five new offences ‘within weeks’. The crimes - three rapes and two child sex assaults - are expected to come to court in the early Autumn.
Formality
“It’s only a formality and I hope it’s not a problem,” said Hans Christian Wolters, the chief prosecutor, in Braunschweig, where the Madeleine McCann case is being handled. A prosecution against Brueckner, 45, in the case of abducted Madeleine, who vanished in Portugal, in May, 2007, will follow immediately after.
NEWS FEATURE
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OPINION Do not waver WITH so much focus on the dangers of forest fires in recent weeks, the news of UNESCO calling on towns in Southern Spain to get ready for a tsunami are a much needed reminder of the very real danger coastal towns face from natural disasters. It is particularly concerning that none of the towns which could be affected by a tsunami, which UNESCO says is 100% likely to hit the shores of Spain in the next 30 years, appear to have a contingency plan in place for such an event. Forest fires have rightly caused increased diligence and readiness in areas at high risk of catching alight, with catastrophe zones recently declared in the Pujerra area which has seen successive years of fires which have charred vast swathes of land and strict laws that prohibit human activity in the summer months. But whereas forest fires impact rural areas, tsunamis often impact densely populated coastal towns where the risk of death is much increased. Indeed, in Chipiona in 1755 off Lisbon, pounding 6 metre waves killed thousands of people, with a death toll across Spain and Portugal of 50,000. And though tsunamis have always been present throughout human history, rising sea levels caused by human activity make coastal communities far more vulnerable to flooding from tsunamis. Even modest rises in sea levels dramatically increases the frequency and intensity of flooding when a tsunami occurs as the tsunami can travel further inland. A 2018 study showed only a 50 centimetre rise in sea level would double the frequency of tsunami-induced flooding in Macau, China. This means in future, smaller tsunamis may well have the same impact as giant tsunamis would today. It is therefore imperative that the coastal areas most at risk dedicate significantly more time to planning for the inevitable.
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Wheely easy Got a spare ten weeks and €600? Exactly how easy is it for a Brit to take a driving test in Spain. Mike Sedgwick got behind the wheel to find out
H
AVING found himself among the thousands of British expats left unable to drive in Spain, Mike Sedgwick undertook a bit of overtaking action. Not content to sit back and wait at the back of the grid, he set out to get himself a Spanish licence the hard way; by doing the test! Well two to be exact as you need both a theory and practical test before getting the coveted pink EU licence. “I couldn’t wait for the bureaucracy to be agreed or not, so I took the plunge and did my theory test leading to the practical,” explained the 63-year-old, who moved to Cadiz from the Midlands a few years ago. Here he gives Olive Press readers a simple step by step guide on how to go about doing it.
First up Mike registered with a local driving school and for €150 he was given an online manual (conveniently in English) and access to the test system.
Dear Pedro
AN expat has written to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asking him to take action to resolve the driving licence debacle. lives in Sally Ashwin, who ter: “This let the in d sai a, Murci astrophic issue has had a cat nerable vul st mo the impact on munity within the British com in Spain. living “This includes people ut public in rural areas witho access to transport, taxis, or mothers supermarkets, single full day who need to work a pick up and need the car to ldren at and drop off their chi school.” Press the Speaking to the Olive e he will teacher said: “I believ d we have do the right thing an rd loud hea ces voi r ou made and clear. From Aunt Sally
then spent €40 for a medical test, which is required along He with proof of legal residency to
register on the Department of Traffic (DGT) database.
then took four weeks to study (‘and study hard’) to He pass the practical theory exam,
which cost a further €100. “And I also had to pay to get to the test centre to do it,” he adds. The centre was ‘filled From front
Smudge here testimonies the Olive Press has heard throughout this debacle, leading to our front page U-Turn campaign launched on June 1. We are supporting the right of expats to swap their licences for Spanish ones, as has been the case in almost all other EU countries. Hudd, from Burton on Trent, has been campaigning continually since losing his right to drive. As well as contacting House of Lords peer Baroness Vere, he has been in touch with his MP Kate Griffiths, who said the government was ‘continuing to negotiate as a matter of priority’. But he remains unmoved and is demanding more direct action such as revoking all Spanish driving licences in the UK and making them take a full practical test in English. “We need to play hardball. All us expats want is a reciprocal deal. At the moment our lives are on hold,” he said. “Thanks for taking up the gauntlet on behalf of us expats who are really struggling here.” To sign the petition, so far signed by 4,364, visit petition.parliament.uk
BACK ON THE ROAD ...NEXT MONTH BRITS could be back on the road by the end of next month, claims UK Ambassador Hugh Elliott. But he is still unable to give a precise date, he admitted. While insisting licence recognition for British drivers is ‘very close to being finalised’ he added: “I still cannot give you a precise date I’m afraid.” But he said the two nations are in agreement over the core issues that have been problematic. “We’re now very close
NOW
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.
N
Voted top expat paper in Spain
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to finalising the actual text of the agreement,” added Elliott, who has been ambassador in Madrid since 2019. “Our best estimate is that we are looking at a date of having you back on the road around the end of July.” He also recognised the hardships suffered by those who can no longer drive legally, especially during a heatwave when the heat makes it a less viable option to walk. "Although this is only weeks away I know it will feel like a very long time
EASY DRIVER: Mike Sedgwick took the plunge
to the gills’ and apparently it is sometimes hard to get a slot, which is why you need a driving school as they block book slots. passing the test, Mike signed up for a lesson with the driving On school so they could ‘assess’ his driving abilities. “They were happy and decided to put me in for the first available slot at the DGT, which was around three weeks later. In the run up to the test he de-
to book five lessons to cided help with gears (he normally
drives an automatic car) and to understand the key driving terms in Spanish. In the end you can get by with ‘around 20 words and phrases’, he estimates. The lessons cost €30 an hour and were done with two others in the car so the sessions were about three hours long. On a plus side it helped him learn the certain phrases needed to understand the examiner during the test. “But at the end of each session I was drained and tired.”
driving test itself cost €82 including use of the driving The school car and Mike’s regular instructor explained to the examiner that he was a foreigner but was able to ‘respond to commands’ in Spanish. “We are talking about basic driving terms such as ‘derecha, izquierda, al Frente, marcha atras, primera salida, segunda salida,’ etc, and the examiner was clear in his commands!” However, Mike failed his first
and was put in for a second test attempt two weeks later, shelling out a further €82. and slipping in two more lessons (which cost a further €150). “And I passed, whoopee!”
PASS NOTES
to many of you," he said. “I know that some of you are experiencing real difficulties.”
rk found it hard wo All in all, Mike t enjoyable and calbu and anything ordeal cost around culates the entire ok about ten weeks. €650-700 and tonerve wracking and “It was definitely ing a foreigner,” more difficult be s Mike amits. ce he passed hi He adds that sins got much busier driving school hadents and waiting with summer stuve lengthened conlists for tests ha siderably.
June 30th - July 13th 2022
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PUT YOUR SHIRT ON
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lthough in the UK it is pretty common to see topless blokes out and about in the city centre on a hot day, in Palma (Mallorca) you can be fined up to €800. Walking around in swimwear when you are not on the beach in cities such as Marbella and Malaga will also land you a €200 fine.
MEET THE OP TEAM
BEWARE OF THE FUN POLICE I
F you are holidaying in Sevilla this summer, hanging your undies on the line could result in a hefty fine. Local council regulations mean that you could be charged up to €3,000 for hanging ‘indecent’ items on an outdoor washing line.
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SMOKEFREE ZONE
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ON’T pee in the sea! If you are in a desperate situation in Galicia, the sea is not the place to go. Urinating in the sea or on the beaches will result in a charge of €750 in Vigo.
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EEING in the sea, wandering around topless… even building a sandcastle! These are just a few of the strange offences that you could be fined for on your holiday to Spain. To save you from some steep fines, we have compiled a list of some of the oddest things you are at risk of being charged for this summer.
NO KINGS OF THE CASTLE
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HECK before sparking up on the beach in Spain. Recent regulation changes mean that many beaches have prohibited smoking. The regulation has already been enforced in many tourist hotspots, including Mallorca and Barcelona. Smoking on a smoke-free beach could cost you €30 (an expensive ciggy by all standards).
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NO SIESTAS ON THE BEACH
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F you are in Valencia this summer, an afternoon snooze on the beach is off the cards. Dozing off under the sun here can cost you up to €1,500 following health concerns from the local government.
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UILDING sandcastles is normally an imperative activity for a day trip to the beach. However, in some parts of Spain, this pastime is not fun but finable. On certain beaches in Tenerife and Mallorca, building a sandcastle can land you with a fine of €100. Definitely worth keeping an extra close eye on your kids!
FLIP FLOP BAN
HE cocktail is the only sex on the beach permitted in Spain. Getting frisky on the sands is illegal and in Benidorm will cost you a whopping €750.
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F you plan to hire a car on your summer holiday, make sure you have got your trainers with you! Getting caught driving wearing flip flops or stilettos, or sandals without an ankle support (or being barefoot) can attract a fine of €200.
ENGINE ROOM
E’S very much the unsung hero of the Olive Press. Through recessions, pandemics and the dreaded winter slump, Charlie Bamber is never far from the front lines. With a head for numbers and an excellent grasp of business, the Olive Press’ commercial director has skillfully guided the group’s expansion over the last decade. Whether in Mallorca, Moraira or Mijas, he’s always got an unshakeable understanding for each local economy and how best to serve our clients there. No request is ignored and he is more than happy to tweak his advertisers’ copy just hours before we go to print, not to mention help them with an advertorial. A boots-on-the-ground kind of fellow, he was the man we tasked with launching in the Costa Blanca north and south regions, as well as Valencia city, over the last five years. And on top of that, he’s been the guiding light of our online paywall - that grows by the hundreds every month - and already counts on 30,000 registered users. So what makes Charlie tick? Inheriting a solid work ethic from his ad man father, he left university to work for 15 years at News International in London. Climbing up the commercial ladder he had become the Assistant Ad Manager of the Sun by his 35th birthday, before switching to run the newspaper’s operation in Spain in 2004. As well as representing Golf Monthly, Country Life and the Telegraph in Spain, he agreed to help take the Olive Press to new levels way back in 2010. And what a journey it has been from the first Axarquia supplement treading the streets of Nerja, near his home in Torre del Mar, to securing a nationwide deal with the country’s leading English insurance broker Jennifer Cunningham at her head office in Javea. Make sure to get in touch with him for any advice on integrated print and online ad campaigns, wherever you are in Spain. And look out for him at a pub near you for any Liverpool games (in fact any big football games) next season. Charles@theolivepress.es
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
SEX ON THE BEACH
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Watch out: 9 Things you could be fined for this summer in Spain, writes Livia Cockerell
DON’T HANG YOUR KNICKERS ON THE LINE
AVOID SPENDING A PENNY
VALUE: Charlie’s wild ride in the news industry
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PUT THE SHAMPOO AWAY
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POST swim shower is always much needed but you will have to make do without shower gel or shampoo. Using these products in a beach shower could cost you €750 due to the risks the chemicals pose to marine life.
cabin crew cannot strike on 1- Why Ryanairmany flights in Spain never buy pre-cut fruit and 2- Why youvegshould at supermarkets in Spain crews in Spain joining rya3- Easy jetnaircabin colleagues in strike action Ryanair claims cabin crew strikes will be 4-relatively insignificant in disrupting summer holiday flights EXCLUSIVE: Madeleine Mccann suspects 5-update: Extradition request begins in Italy for Christian Brueckner over five new cases
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GREEN
www.theolivepress.es
Zoned out
Polluting cars to be banned from city centres HIGH polluting older cars will be banned from city centres in Spain next year with the creation of low emission zones. The deadline for the new regulations to come into force is the end of the year and covers cities with over 50,000 residents. Barcelona introduced low emission zones in 2020 during peak times. Essentially petrol cars with a pre-2000 registration fall under restrictions in the city, with pre-2006 registered diesel cars also covered with drivers facing a fine of between €100 and €500 each time they enter the zone. The low-emissions zone was designed to complement the city’s so-called ‘superblocks scheme’, in which areas made up of nine blocks are closed to through traffic and partly pedestrianised.
Mossy Menor A €7 million emergency plan has swung into action after the Mar Menor became choked with six times more algae then it normally gets in a year. On average, between 1,600 and 1,700 tonnes of biomass are removed from the lagoon in Murcia annually. But so far in 2022, over 10,509 tonnes of biomass have been removed. Experts state that this is due to an increase in nitrogen and phosphate levels which promote the growth of algae. The excessive growth puts wildlife at threat due to it reducing oxygen levels. Local councils have spent between €5 million and €7 million to urgently remove the algae before environmental disaster strikes.
By Alex Trelinski
The World Health Organisation says there are only seven Spanish cities that meet established air quality parameters. The DGT move is seen as a major inducement for motorists to switch to less-pol-
luting vehicles, including electric cars. Electric car prices are higher than conventional fuel-driven vehicles and there are still comparatively few electric charging points. The government is banking on the new emission zone restrictions to boost the electric car market.
June 30th - July 13th 2022
COOL PLAN Madrid has unveiled plans for a ‘wind garden’ capable of lowering temperatures. The 14.5 hectare park is part of redesign for the Charmartin station area in the north of the city, with a wind garden that captures the breeze and recycles, dramatically reducing the air temperature by up to 4C. The idea is inspired by air cooling methods popular in parks across the Middle East. Wildlife in the garden will include fern and moss rising above the treetops to capture air from above and disperse it below. It will also have the knock on effect of helping to cool down temperatures in surrounding streets.
PREVIEW: How the park will look Dutch architecture studio West 8 will be constructing the project, the same company which redesigned London’s Jubilee Gardens in 2012.
The need to transition to renewable energy Green
ARE THE LIGHTS GOING OUT?
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OVERNMENTS have a habit of disguising the truth and leaking out snippets of bad news early on. It’s in their DNA. It has been medically proven that politicians can’t even lie straight in bed. This Spring the Spanish Minister for Energy, Teresa Ribera, posted an article about the need for us all to conserve power and change our consumption habits. At the end of her message was the implication that this winter WE COULD FACE POWER OUTAGES. ENERGY SECURITY You will have seen across all media references to this topic. What does it actually mean? The IEA (International Energy Agency) defines energy security as: “The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.” Picking this apart, the affordable price already lies
in tatters. Just look at a recent electricity bill to reconfirm this. Uninterrupted availability also looks doubtful. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the world’s energy supply chain is in complete disarray. It is not rocket science. It is simply supply and demand. The National Grid has the capability to produce a certain amount of electricity. If demand exceeds availability, then the lights go out. Spain is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels (notably gas) to produce electricity. The lunatic Putin’s ability to turn off the tap and the less than cohesive relationship Spain has with Algeria are grounds for concern. (As an aside I think we should turn off the tap with Russia….but that’s a different story.) POWER CUTS Some 4% of the world’s population (350 million people) faced major power outages last year. My money is on that figure getting smashed this year and next. Increased extreme weather events have contributed to this (yes…..climate change) and the all too slow transition to renewable energy. Look at just a few of the recent world events. A winter storm that hit Texas hard knocked out infrastructure and caused energy markets to be affected. Low rainfall in Brazil and south China (the manufacturing hub of the world) reduced the hydro-power output. China had to resort to power rationing. Across Europe, wind speeds were exceptionally low resulting in lower than normal electricity production.
AUSTRIA Long before the Russian invasion in Ukraine, last November, the Austrian Defence Minister announced that Austria was preparing for major electrical blackouts. That put the cat amongst the pigeons! In Spain it prompted shoppers to buy gas stoves, butane canisters and flashlights. Hardware stores sold out. UK Ministers (as reported on Sky news) have drawn up plans to potentially ration electricity supply for up to 6 million homes at the start of next year. As always, cuts will come at the times of peak demand - when you need it most. Yet, last month, a Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Stategy spokesperson claimed the UK had no issues with electricity or gas supply. Confused?? It’s simple really. Do you believe a politician, or your own common sense? WE CANNOT USE IT IF WE LOSE IT. As humans, we see what we want. Maybe the lights going out may just help us focus on the need to transition to a renewable world.
Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es
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LA CULTURA
June 30th - July 13th 2022
THE birthplace of celebrated Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca will come to life with dramatised tours this summer. A group of students and amatuer actors known as ‘Las Valkirias de la Vega’ from Fuente Vaqueros, a farming village in the province of Granada will liven up Spanish canonical literature for tourists and offer a totally different way to experience the story of Lorca. The script is the culmination of extensive research
BACK TO LIFE
including interviews with elderly residents and prominent members of the community of the Granada village. The experience fully immerses the audience in what the pueblo of Fuente Vaqueros would have been like at the time the iconic Andalucian writer lived there, before being executed by fascist forces during the Civil War in 1936.
Unexpected finds Search for Civil War victim unearths Visigothic remains THE search for the remains of a teenage woman executed by Franco’s fascist forces for her temerity in embroidering a Republican flag has found a body. But it is not that of Lourdes Malon Pueyo, who was just 18 when she was shot dead as she attempted to flee across a mountain. The body found is in fact that of
By Dilip Kuner
a young man aged between 20 and 30 – and dates back to between 475 and 620 AD during the Visigothic occupation of the region. The find is just one of many archaeological remains searchers have found in a 3700m2 plot which they have been scouring in their bid to find Lourdes. Her sister, Rosario, 23 died the same day in 1936, executed inside a cave where she had taken shelter with Lourdes. Their mother had been shot dead several days TRAGIC: Rosario, Mariano and Lourdes earlier, while
brother Mariano escaped to Huelva, where he died in 1999. Starting in 2013, five archaeological expeditions were held to find the young women. Rosario was found in 2017, but the search went on for Lourdes. Sponsored by the Charata Association for the Recovery of the Historical Memory of Uncastillo – a village of 800 people in Zaragoza – the search has uncovered a series of unexpected finds. The remains of the young man turn out to be associated with a previously unknown Hispano-Visigothic settlement. What’s more, walls from the ‘lost’ Medieval monastery of
San Esteban de Oraste have been found, as well as the Visigothic tomb, ceramics from the same period, a bell fragment and a set of coins from the 11th century. In the search for Lourdes and Rosario, archaeologists had used ground-penetrating radar – which revealed the unexpected archaeological remains, as detailed in the report El yacimiento arqueológico de las Peñas de Santo Domingo: las fases de ocupación hispanovisigoda y plenomedieval. But despite the wealth of finds, Lourdes – the reason the search was launched – remains missing to this day.
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NO SWEAT
DIOR MIO: Iconic location THE Plaza de España in Sevilla became the dramatic setting for a spectacular fashion show by Dior inspired by flamenco. The live event took place as the city was in the grip of an early heatwave and temperatures soared above 40ºC. But the models looked as cool as cucumbers as they displayed the ‘Cruise 2023’ collection by the luxury fashion house and it clearly drew on the historical and cultural traditions of Andalucia. Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri unveiled a collection that took inspiration from costumes associated with flamenco, bullfighting and equestrian arts. The work of local craftsmen and artisans were apparent in the rich embroidery and lace work adorning some of the most spectacular outfits. The fashion show began with a procession from the city’s cathedral and incorporated a flamenco performance in the colonnaded Plaza de España.
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LA CULTURA
GETTING June 30th - July 13th 2022
Talent, respect for tradition, and a great sense of humour is proving to be the recipe for success for Sevilla’s most in-demand artists
S
POPULAR: Container heads are big sellers
EVILLA is famous for its ceBy Sorrel Downer ramic art. It’s impossible not to marvel at the antique tiles lining the city’s churches, pal- acle giver in the act of sorting out a aces – and bars. You can learn about problem; a painting or statue of the the history of ceramics at the Centro helpful saint; or an object relating Ceramica Triana, but for traditional to the miracle itself. Over the centuceramics with a playful modern twist, ries, mariners and fisherman have seek out The Exvotos. left models of ships and boats in Two artists from Sevilla, Luciano churches all along the Spanish coast Galan and Daniel Maldonado, work in thanks for returning alive; farmtogether (and speak together) as The ers have left figures of animals; and Exvotos, and are taking the art world arms, legs and torsos cut out of tin by storm. Their ceramic sculptures or zinc have been left by those cured have been snapped up by galleries of disease. and private collectors as far afield as Some objects are grand, but most Australia, North America and Taiwan, are folk art, humble and a little and sit in many private homes, public home-spun. These days, ex-votos are institutions, convents and churches more likely to be plaster casts, baby across their home city. shoes and football shirts. There is a The cabeza recipientes, contain- big collection outside the Capilla del er heads, (beautiful with a kicker Señor de la Puerta Real in Jerez. of kitsch), are the most in-demand Popular religious art is a central influpieces of a collection of work that ence, but the idea of ex-votos exists uses Spain’s heritage all over the world and of art and religion as a predates Christianity. springboard, but then The famous cabezas, Some of the goes its own way. for example, were inGalan and Maldonado spired by terracotta container have a workshop in Seheads the Romans heads have the villa, hidden in one of made for their ancient those narrow streets gods. look of women north of Las Setas Further inspiration at a feria and south of Mercado comes from theatre, de Feria. The giant ceopera, and from films: ramic heart at the en“Classic movies like trance, and the strains of music com- Cleopatra, Samson and Delilah, and ing from inside – usually classical, Bitter Rice as well as good recent sometimes a bit of Cuban, depending ones, like Portrait of a Lady on Fire on whether or not they need to con- and Joker. We watch cycles of Italian, centrate – give it away. French, Japanese, and, of course, Everything inside it is fascinating, Spanish cinema”. The bright and from the salvaged wooden furni- joyous ambiance of sunny southern ture to the terracotta heads in Spain also feeds into the creative various stages of gestation star- mix. ing blankly from the shelves. Some of the container heads have Sculptures, from the secular the look of women at a feria with to saints and flamenco clowns, their rouged cheeks and coronas of are posed under the kind of flowers . . . or fruit. The heads are holglass bell jars the Victorians low, and can be used for flowers, and used for displaying stuffed come in different sizes, the biggest birds. “Here we call the jars standing around 32 cm, and costing fanales. We love them!” €700 €800. There are also toreros When people step into this and admirals, and others inspired world, “they are delightby Greek mythology, including an ed and we are proud. unsettling Medusa and To create beautiful a Neptune, the back of objects you have his head encrusted with to surround yourself clams, and with coral as a with beauty. We are crown. still working on the They make the popular decoration, but I ex-voto body parts (‘we think we can call have feet, hands, eyes . . . the look, a ‘cabinet it’s funny when people of curiosities’.” ask how much an ear The two artists are, much like costs!’), and there are their art, part serious, part statues of saints, ranging funny, and deeply rooted in the from 32-65 cm, and startclassical tradition. Both went to ing around €600. Their Sevilla’s Escuela de Arte, then saints are traditional, rewon grants to study abroad. spectful and exquisite – but Galan, who studied wood carvalso endearing and funny. ing, sculpture, and clay modelStudying them closely, it’s ling, travelled to Venice to learn hard to work out why. They Venetian mask-making techare similar to the antique niques. Maldonado, who studied figurines you might see in a ceramic painting, went to Lisbon church or museum, but there to work in 18th century ceramic is something in the exaggeratart restoration. Returning to Seed gestures of their hands, the villa in 2001, they combined their hint of a double chin, and the complementary skills. attitude in their glossy faces, “It sounds very romantic to say it, that sets them apart. but we are really now in a situaThey are reverent . . . but tion where our life is art and our with a guiñon, a wink. work is our life.” “On the one hand, we have The name ‘Exvotos’ comes traditional training – we from the tradition of offering know the methods, something in thanks for divine the 17th century techintervention. An ex-voto might niques, and the pieces be a painting showing the mirwe make have a gravi-
tas,” say the artists. “On the other hand, we have a great sense of humour, and while we have enormous respect for tradition and we don’t want to offend, we do like to have fun.” The collection also includes paintings, wall hangings, candelabra, lamp stands, and candlesticks on which faces and torsos emerge out of the ceramic like figureheads on a ship, and collections of hand-painted plates – though surely no-one dares to put food on them? “We have clients who keep them only for decoration, but others who give lunches using our pieces,” they say, “and we eat off them too!” Everything is hand-crafted, start to finish. For ceramic sculptures, that process can take up to 90 days to complete, from pencil sketch to miniature 3D model, through to modelling, drying, glazing, firing, decorating and painting. Unsurprisingly, the waiting list for private commissions is long. Some assignments can be challenging: “Our strangest so far was a painted ex-voto dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe by a wonderful lady who lost her partner through the fault of his children,” they say. “We had to synthesise that story into a wooden panel.” Galan and Maldonado work internationally, with interior designers who give them ‘the freedom to let our inspiration take us wherever it wants’. Closer to home, their patrons include the Marbella Club, where ‘we continue to collaborate in bringing dreams to life – for example, we had an idea for a fireplace and we were able to do it there. This year, we’ll be working in the hotel’s beach club’. You’ll also find their pieces in the Marbella Club Hotel store, and on the exvotos.com website, and Instagram (@theexvotos). Visits to the studio are by appointment only. Tel +34 670 58 66 09; info@theexvotos.com
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www.theolivepress.es
Marbella
WE LOVE MARBS
June 2022
It’s been the destination of choice for Visigoths and Romans, Grace Kelly and Presidents. Kimberley Mannion charts Marbella’s eternal allure
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Pictures by Jon Clarke
GOLDENSANDS: Vista from Guadalmina, Hugh Grant and Tyson Fury in a Ferrari, while (right) Grace Kelly and Michelle Obama
ARBELLA has owned the reputation of being a playground for the rich and famous for over half a century. Photos of the glamorous beach destination fill glossy travel magazines around the world and it’s easily the most aspirational place to live and visit in Europe, alongside perhaps San Tropez or Ibiza. An exclusive enclave, it has long attracted celebrity visitors such as Sean Connery, Hugh Grant and Audrey Hepburn to its iconic nightclubs and restaurants, while captains of industry, like Alan Sugar and Theo Paphitis, and footballers, like Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale stalk its
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Marbella
From front
A SUGARCANE TOWN WITH ELEVEN TOWERS
CHARMING: A stroll around the ‘casco historico’
fairways and marinas. While British reality TV show The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) has helped immortalise ‘Marbs’ as the ultimate party destination, bringing it crashing down to earth in some ways, the genuine super-rich still come to visit. It is no coincidence that during the two year pandemic, its five-star hotels were almost full, while property prices soared to unbelievable heights. As one estate agent told the Olive Press, Marbella is ‘almost bulletproof from a property crash’. “It is almost unique in Europe,” he added. There are simply not enough villas for sale and listings are becoming incredibly scarce to come by. Demand far outstrips supply. And buyers are heading to Marbella for a lot more than just sunshine and beaches. While it’s fair to say that the majority of tourists come to rub shoulders with the super rich and party, a good few end up marvelling at its suprising history, while inspecting its Moorish walls in the centre, or stumbling over a Roman villa or Visigothic church on its outskirts. The Costa del Sol resort has certainly gone through an interesting trajectory to become the place it is today. Take away the top of the range cars, foreign visitors in designer clothes, and rowdy revellers, then rewind the clock a millennia or two, 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 (four of them, by the way). Its next incarnation was as a Roman city. You can see the evidence at the Termas de Las Bovedas Roman baths, near San Pedro de Alcantara, 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. Today’s Marbella would be totally alien to the Visigoths, but the early Arabs spotted the town’s potential, calling it bien habitada, or ‘place of good living’. They built a walled town in the in the tenth and 11th 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’). While nothing of the size of Sevilla or Granada, 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. Before tourism arrived properly in
the 1950s and 60s, Marbella was surprisingly industrial: During the 19th century, it was the most important centre for steel and iron production in the whole of Spain. At one point 75% of the country’s supply came from one single production plant in Marbella. The industry eventually shifted to
Retro Marbella
BUZZ FOR BOATIES: Picture of the old Puerto Deportivo
Views of the Costa del Sol town before it hit the big time
NO SIN: Nuns having fun in the sun
MINING: At Sierra Blanca
HEART: The Marbella Club kick-started the town’s glamour
BIG CHANGES: The Club Maritimo (above) and carrying the Virgen del Carmen during an Easter parade in the 1960s
June 2022
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ANCIENT AND MODERN: From the Alcazaba to Puerto Banus and a spot of beach yoga in between
the north of Spain turning the local mises the glamorous Marbella lifeeconomy to farming, in particular, style: Puerto Banus. growing sugar cane, before finally Jose Banus was close to the Spanseeing the rewards it could reap as ish dictator, General Franco. He had a holiday destination. worked as a spy on the Nationalist Marbella’s glitz and glamour has side during the country’s bloody civil its roots in the period war, and Franco visited after the Spanish Civhim on the Costa del il War, during which it King Fahd and Sol a few years before had been a haven for his death. terrorist Bin Nazis and Franco’s FaThe architect had no langists. shortage of powerful Laden have When Spanish noblefriends to help him proman Ricardo Soriano mote his new resort. been regular founded the Albergues The grand opening celvisitors del Rodeo residential ebrations for Puerto complex in 1943, he Banus in 1970 lasted established Marbella’s a week, and included a tourism model for the future. dinner and dance for 1000 guests. It was clear that the combination of Prince Rainier of rival luxury destinaleafy, upmarket villas with the warm tion Monaco attended along with his climate, expansive views and beauti- wife, Princess Grace, who danced ful beaches was a winning formula. with Banus under the watchful gaze Over the following decades, more of guests including Playboy founder picturesque estates were devel- Hugh Hefner. oped, and the price of land went Marbella’s glittering reputation through the roof. grew, attracting hugely wealthy visiSavvy people, who would become tors from the Middle East. responsible for shaping the modern King Fahd of Saudi Arabia became Marbella, started moving in. a frequent guest – as did Osama One of them was Don Jose Banus, Bin Laden, no less (later named as who developed the area that epito- the mastermind behind the 9/11
BIGWIGS: Prince, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, Sean Connery and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia all loved Marbella
attacks on New York’s Twin Towers). He enjoyed several holidays in Marbella between 1977 and 1988. More positive endorsements came from favoured celebrities, including former James Bond stars Sean Connery and Roger Moore who acted as international ambassadors for Marbella in the 80s and 90s. So many world leaders came and went, with Tony Blair, David Cameron and Michelle Obama coming for holidays, while former Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, bought himself a house in Guadalmina.
President Putin acquired a palace in the Zagaleta urbanisation in the hills above the resort ( revealed to the world by the Olive Press) while crooner Julio Iglesias also swooped in for a mega-estate on the borders of Istan. Sportsmen came in their droves, with boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua even visiting to train in the very same month, during the pandemic. Simon Cowell, Eva Longoria and Prince, the list goes on. The new millennium saw the nightlife volume turned up to max.
The late Olivia Valere arrived from Paris to open her eponymous nightclub in 2000, and Prince came to party . . . like it was 1999. More club openings and legendary nights out have followed. Just wait until Ibiza superclub Pacha opens up the road, in nearby Estepona, watch out Ibiza!!. Marbella is a destination that has been a lot of different things to different people over the years, but the world-class restaurants, cosmopolitan atmosphere, and perfect climate look set to entice the world’s elite for decades – if not millennia – to come.
TAKING THE PLUNGE
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VERYONE loves a warm bath. But the Romans took bathing to another level, studding the Mediterranean with sublime stone thermae so that they could indulge in this pastime in any part of the Empire. Bathing to a Roman, you see, was more than a siesta to a Spaniard or teatime to a Brit: the public baths were a hive of (male) activity, a chance not only to wash and relax but also to catch up on the local gossip, cut a couple of business deals or even flaunt your social status by marching in with a troop of slaves. Now, the Junta plans to evoke this ancient lifestyle by restoring the amazing Bovedas de Guadalmina Roman baths. Located just a short stroll from the Paleochristian Basilica del Mar in San Pedro and only a stone’s throw from the beach, these thermae
ATTRACTION: Roman baths are finally to be restored
represent some of the most important archaeological remains in the area and have been a source of fascination for centuries. Locals used to call them the ‘baths of the old Moors’, thinking Arabs had built them after conquering the area in the Middle Ages, but they actually date back to the third century AD, when the Roman settle-
ment Cilniana was enjoying its heyday. The baths are currently closed to the public, with the sizable restora tion project, taking place in phases over several years. Eventually the plan is to turn them into a tourist magnet by restoring some of their former glory.
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Marbella
WHERE TO EAT
BUZZING
Jon Clarke loves the summer vibe at La Sala by the Sea
Photos by Jon Clarke
LADIES LUNCHING: With spicy wings and cocktails for later
C
OME summer there is definitely nowhere more fun to be than La Sala by the Sea. Ask international footballers
Eden Hazard, Dele Alli or Des Walker, who flock in regularly come the silly season. With some of the hottest girls to eye
up around the pool and some swanky sounds coming from the DJ up on high, it ticks all the boxes for a celebrity packed day out.
The wine list says it all: Aside from the nearly 30 different champagnes on offer - Dom Perignon sliding in at 450 euros a pop and Kristal no cheaper there is a good mix of international roses, not to mention cocktails. But La Sala by the Sea is a lot more than a buzzing beach club, with great drinks and music… it counts on a spacious beach area and, best of all, an excellent menu. It has a great sushi plate, in three sizes, as well as an excellent mixed Thai starter, of no less than six dishes, the chicken satay a total winner. The very Asiatic influenced menu care of owner Claire Strutton’s love of Thailand, you can definitely trust the Pad Thai, while the Crispy Duck Pancakes were as good as any I’ve tried on the coast. Staffing is one of the highlights with the Maitre D Luke, a South African livewire, giving us a brilliant overview of its history, from when it first
ON THE PALATE - RESTAURANT REVIEW
ROARING FROM THE FRONT Leone is a scarily good addition to frontline Puerto Banus, writes Jon Clarke
Above the hordes
I
T somehow remains cool and calm, while sited in one of the Costa del Sol’s most emblematic - and bustling - locations to dine. That’s Leone, that has roared to life this summer in Puerto Banus with a strikingly good menu and equally good vibes. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sinatras, Picasso and Jacks, it is never easy to get noticed in this high-end busy Marbella marina. But Leone counts on hip design and a great use of light, as well as pale/neutral colours to make its debut. After a few key menu changes over its first couple of months, it is starting to brim with confidence. A part-Asiatic menu broadens out into a wide enough palate, with enough original and off-beat dishes to stand out above the nearby hordes. The duck terrine starter with foie gras marinated in cognac is a good example, while the ‘fresh’ Spring rolls, with a Nuoc sauce, were excellent and original, as were the superb Rock
opened as Buddha Beach. “I love the mix of people who visit, from footballers to families, some of whom come for literally every day of a twoweek holiday,” he told me. “This afternoon alone, I’ve served Dutch, Germans, Swedish, South Africans and Brits, there is always a big mix.” His enthusiasm spoke volumes and fortunately, unlike other nearby beach clubs, the volume isn’t turned up to the max so you can actually talk. Best of all, you can park free of charge just outside in a gated area, which is easy to reach.
Shrimps in tempura. The best starter, by far, however was the beef tartare (above), served as a sort of triple decker sandwich, but with wafer thin bread and spicy capers. A small serving of French fries made up the melange. There was a nice looking salad menu, in particular a creative nectarine and feta number, with olives and cucumbers. For mains I loved the mussels (below), which came lightly grilled and served with parsley and garlic, while the salmon in an Asiatic sauce and served on a banana leaf was super. The wine list was not expansive, but varied enough, and our waiter, Naf, who I’ve known from other restaurants in the area, steered us towards an excellent verdejo, Meraldis, oaked for
SPECTACULAR: Sky Bar offers the best seats in Banus
WINNER: Salmon in Asiatic sauce 13 months in cask and with a lovely body. He talked us into trying the Paris-Brest choux pastry pudding, which was a praline buttercream twist on profiteroles, that I’m still thinking about today, two weeks later. Leone, Front line, Puerto Banus. www.leonebanus.com 952 811 621
ONE of the true secret spots in Marbella is the Benabola Hotel Sky Bar. The only rooftop dining spot above Puerto Banus offers views as far as the eye can see… and then some. Lording it over the famous marina, this is the best place for an early evening tapa and cocktail, or a nightcap following supper. Even better, come for the evening and join those-in-theknow alongside various celebrities. And anyone ordering two cocktails or more gets free underground parking (follow the Benabola Hotel signs and get your card franked at reception). And, if you want to really experience the high life then book a room at the hotel. Visit www.benabola.com
LA CULTURA
AHEAD
June 30th - July 13th 2022
TRUE ART: Galan (right) and Maldonado with some of their creations
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11
LETTERS
12
June 30th - July 13th 2022
You never stop learning Dear Olive Press,
wart’s early novels Having read Chris Ste early life here in and l iva about his arr interest your article Spain, I noticed with with Chris Stewart, s on Walking over lem t in the third parapublished last issue. Bua giggle when I read p hel t no ld cou I ph gra were garrotted for the sentence ‘where we ion ran wild as my nat agi im My ’ ht. the nig fortunate reporter mind pictured your un tly strung from nea all s ion and compan ceiling awaiting n che kit Chris Stewart’s he, Chris, might ot wp ste their fate in a rich sh late night uli gho be preparing for a read the remainder I s les the ver Ne st. fea st as I have been a of the article with intere ly novels and am ear rt’s wa Ste ris fan of Ch follow ups. So are re the ow kn to delighted for alerting per spa new r you my thanks to I am sure I ich wh s vel no me to these new I enjoyed as ch mu as shall enjoy equally the earlier ones. Gillian Watson, Mijas Costa le-eyed spot. You Editor’s note: An eag out this slightly int po to ht rig ite qu are . To garrot means novel use of Englishstrangulation, esby ne eo to kill som of wire or cord, pecially with a lengththe author of this by t me e the same fat piece.
DESPERATE: Migrants scale Melilla’s fence
When will it end? Why does Spain continue to hold onto Mellila, despite it being in a different continent? It seems to me this is asking for trouble, especially with regards to migrants who recently stormed an immigration facility. James Lewis, Marbella
Speaking frankly With the recent deaths of 23 migrants crossing the Morrocan border to Mellila, the death of 50 migrants on the Mexico border to Texas and the continuing peril of those crossing the English channel, there surely has to be a better and more humane way of treating those seeking a better life while still retaining some degree of border controls. Where can I find out more about this? Sylvia Pianto, Alicante
Drawing the line The media has been quick to condemn Boris Johnson’s Rwanda plan for refugees, but would so many migrants have tried to climb into Spanish territory had Spain had a similar hard-line approach in place? Ruth Bride, Casares
Editor's note: The horrible deaths we have seen of migrants this week will unfortunately not be the last and it is certainly time for a full transnational approach to what is an international issue. The International Rescue Committee specialises in providing long-term support for refugees who enter a new country using legal routes and has useful information on their website rescue. org. A path to avoid future deaths will not be solved by reactionary domestic policies but by global outreach.
No smoke I have been reading with great interest the informative yet highly alarming reporting you have been doing on forest fires. We all know that climate change is happening and causing untold damage to our planet, but I wonder to what extent climate change is to blame for forest fires, which, after all, are a naturally occurring phenomena. In addition, I have heard that forest fires are actually a forest’s way of resetting its ecosystem for the better? I’m sure your research elves would be able to enlighten me. Daniel Thompson, Valencia
Editor’s note: You are correct that naturally occuring forest fires are essential for many ecosystems as they help to control insect and disease damage. However, frequent and large-scale fires have negative impacts on air and water quality, biodiversity, soil and landscape aesthetics, especially when caused by human error or arson. Forest fires also threaten climate change mitigation, as they release large amounts of greenhouse gases. The European Environment Agency says climate change is undeniably having a strong impact on forest fire risk in Europe.
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Across 6 Sedentary kind of General (8) 8 Something of little value (4) 9 Dogma (5) 10 Look up to (6) 11 Activity necessary for scaling Everest (4,8) 13 Disturbed men only met up for inactivity (12) 16 The --- Flyer, first heavier-than-air powered aircraft (6) 18 “If It --- Been For Love” (Adele song) (5) 19 It’s rolled towards a jack (4) 20 In a manner free from danger (8) Down
OP SUDOKU
Strung out
We breakdown some key issues of the past week and a grammarian teaches us the meaning of an obscure word…
1 Members of a flock (8) 2 Beautiful (6) 3 Car exhaust pollutants (12) 4 Organized group of criminals (3,3) 5 “The Sign of ---” (Conan Doyle) (4) 7 It brings one back to Earth (7,5) 12 Don’t mention it (3,2,3) 14 Business big shots (6) 15 Venerated townspeople (6) 17 Chamber (4)
All solutions are on page 14
BUSINESS Race to host F1 June 30th July 13th 2022
THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE FOR ALL THINGS GLASS
13
Madrid plans to snatch Grand Prix from Barcelona MADRID wants to host the Spanish Grand Prix after the current Formula One contract with the Circuit de Barcelona expires. The regional government has sent a letter of intent to Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One, to confirm an interest in joining the sport’s expanding calendar. Regional minister Enrique Lopez said in the letter: “I believe that holding in Madrid a motor racing event, which is one of the most exciting sporting phenom-
GLASS CURTAINS
By Kimberley Mannion
ena of our time, would be a success for all the professionals, institutions and companies involved in the development of Formula 1. It comes after F1 authorities warned the promoters of the Spanish Grand Prix to fix its ‘unacceptable’ traffic and organisational issues after a number of problems emerged at the Barcelona race this year. The move has been antici-
WINDOWS AND GLASS CURTAINS
Covering the whole of the Costa Blanca
GREEN LIGHT: Hosting a F1 race is a status symbol
pated since regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso sponsored the revamp of
REACHING FOR THE SKY THE battle to become home of the Spanish Space Agency has been ignited between Madrid and Sevilla. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has stated that there will be an operating headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency by 2023. Sanchez also said that as part of decentralisation efforts, the headquarters will not be located in Madrid. Despite this, President of Madrid Isabel Diaz Ayuso has written to the Prime Minister to outline her city’s desire to become the centre of Spanish space work. But Sevilla is determined it will be the host,
having applied months ago as part of the national decentralisation process. In a letter to Sanchez, Ayuso asked him to reconsider the necessity of having the site based outside Madrid, and allow the capital city to be part of the hosting race. This prompted a response from the Mayor of Sevilla, Antonio Muñoz, who fired back that the supposed decentralisation process would not be one if the agency ended up in Madrid. Muñoz stated: “Sevilla is the most prepared city, with the most potential and ability to be the headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency.”
Madrid’s Jarama race circuit which reopened in February. Rather than the existing Jarama circuit, a new track could be built at Morata de Tajuña, south east of Madrid, where land has already been earmarked for the project.
Interest
Other regions in Spain have also expressed an interest in hosting the race. Alcañiz in the region of Aragon and Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucia have both thrown their hats in the ring, while authorities in Barcelona said they want to renew the contract.
BOUNCING BACK T
GBP/EUR exchange rate rebounds from one-year low following BoE rate decision, writes Peter Loveday
HE pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate continued to trade with notable volatility through the second half of June in response to a Bank of England (BoE) rate decision and European energy concerns. Over the last two weeks, GBP/EUR fell to a one-year low of €1.14 before swiftly rebounding to around €1.16.
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? The past couple of weeks have seen the GBP/EUR exchange rate trade in a wide range, with the pairing briefly striking a one-year low. This slump came in response to some lacklustre UK economic data, coupled with Brexit jitters amidst the renewed threat of a UK-EU trade war. However, the pound was then able to rebound sharply in response to the Bank of England’s latest rate decision. While the BoE opted for another modest 25 basis point hike this month, GBP investors seized on the bank’s hints that future hikes could be more aggressive. Since then the pound has continued to fluctuate as a modest rise in UK inflation caused GBP Investors to further revise their BoE rate hike bets. The second half of June initially saw the euro firm as it benefited from risk-off flows. This uptick in the single currency was underpinned by some hawkish comments from European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers, who bolstered expectations for an aggressive rate hike from the bank in September. EUR exchange rates faced some headwinds as a result of renewed concerns over European energy security, amidst a sharp drop in Russian gas exports to the continent. The euro was also dented by the publication of the Eurozone’s latest PMI figures after they reported growth in the bloc’s private sector slowed sharply in June.
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WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? As June comes to a close its likely we will see similar catalysts of movement continue to influence the GBP/EUR exchange rate, with recession fears and the war in Ukraine also likely to continue to infuse volatility in the pairing. The pound could struggle to attract support amidst political uncertainty in the UK. With Brexit and ongoing questions over the future of Boris Johnson’s premiership likely to limit Sterling’s upside potential. For EUR investors a key focus at the end of this month will be the Eurozone’s latest CPI print. Another jump in inflation could buoy the euro as it places more pressure on the ECB to take action. The start of July will then see the focus turn to the ECB’s latest interest rate decision, in which the bank is set to raise interest rates by 25bps points. While the increase is largely priced in by EUR investors, the focus will be on how the bank plans to handle fragmentation in the Eurozone as well as its forward guidance for an expected hike in September. Any further hints that a 50bps hike may be on the cards could boost EUR exchange rates. PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, just a onecent gap translates to a €2,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you. Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.
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14
PROPERTY
June 30th July 13th 2022
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Legal Eagle
ARTIST’S IMPRESSION: How the health centre will look
Market booms
INVESTMENT in real estate leases in Spain has grown by 6.5% in the first five months of 2022 compared to the same period last year. New leasing investments on real estate reached €2722 million on private property. In Madrid, €532 million was spent on property leasing contracts, and €525 million in Caltalunya.. President of the Spanish Leasing and Renting Association (AELR) Jose Coronel de Palma concluded that ‘the leasing market shows growth during 2022, despite the uncertainties of the global circumstances’.
With Victoria Wright
REPORTING A CRIME When and how can I denounce someone?
A €4.57 million contract has been awarded to build Benidorm’s new Rincon de Loix health centre. It will replace the current two-floor clinic on Avenida Juan Fuster Zaragoza. Murcia-based Orthem Servicios y Actuaciones Ambientales will build the centre with a completion period of 23 months, though a starting date has yet to be announced. The hope is that construction could begin before the end of the year with the new facility opening in early 2025. The new building will be on Avenida Zamora. It will occupy 3,500 square metres of land donated by Benidorm City Council and will be close to the existing medical centre. The three floor structure will also be home to an ambulance base to serve an area popular with tourists.
Cashing in
Beachside rental prices up nearly 10% in just a year THE cost of renting a seafront home for your holiday has risen by an average 9.7% this summer and will set you back more than €1,000 a week. According to TECNITASA, a valuation, consultancy and sustainability company, the average price has gone up from €926 last year to €1,016 on average for a flat in July and August. In 2020 the cost was €826 a week. Jose Maria Basañez, president of TECNITASA said: “The increases in recent years mean that families with more limited resources have to reduce the number of days they spend on holiday or look for smaller flats further away from the beach. He added: “However, the most privileged locations, such as Illa a Toxa in Pon-
By Dilip Kuner
tevedra, Puerto Banus in Marbella, Cadaques in Girona and Ibiza in the Balearic Islands, which have very high prices, continue
A
DENUNCIA in Spain is a police re- claim for lost or stolen property, much can port you make if you have been the be lost in translation, which might result victim of a crime or have witnessed in a refusal of the insurance company to a potential crime. pay out a genuine claim. There is a broad spectrum of crimes that You can also file a report online in English, can be reported, ranging from a mis- then take the crime number to the office placed passport, to a house break in, or named in the report (usually the closest a stolen vehicle, or a suspicion of some- National Police station to your Spanish one distributing drugs. The most common address) present the crime number, tocrimes to be reported are thefts and lost gether with your ID, within 24 hours, withdocuments. out the need for an appointThe police will investigate ment. They will print off your and decide whether or not report for you to sign without You can also there is a criminal case to the need for you to complete file a police answer, or whether the case the whole report in front of is a civil matter, in which the officer. report online case you would be advised The third option is to file the to make the ‘denuncia’ direport over the telephone to entirely in d buy in the sunny rectlyCosta to aBlanca court through a a national number - make English solicitor. sure you have all the releIn certain vant information handy. eautiful homes for salecases such as domestic violence, even if You cannot file a report uxury villas the to rent victim does not want to proceed, the anonymously and should your report inpolice can continue with the case if they clude the name of a person you suspect sion fee is only €2500 feel it is in the public interest to obtain a of committing an offense, the police are prosecution. There are three ways to file legally obliged to inform the suspect of 46 | email: info@azul-homes.co.uk a report. the name and details of the person who w.azul-homes.co.uk The first is to go in person to your nearest made the report. Guardia Civil barracks or National Police So it is advisable to use a consultancy station. We would recommend taking ad- firm when making a report, so you have vice on how to word the report as even representation and guidance right from if the ‘denuncia’ is only for an insurance the beginning of your case.
Expensive
The most expensive flats are in Paseo de las Delicias in Aguilas, which cost €1,100 for 90m2 metres, and in Puerto de Mazarron, where the price is €875 for around 80 m2. For those with fatter wallets, the Port of Ibiza has prices reaching €2,500 a week for 100 m2. Puerto Banus in Marbella (pictured) is another hotspot for high prices. Renting 90 metres will set you back €2,700 a week.
on Relaxation
OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 5 Helsinki, 7 Lama, 9 Steep, 10 Babble, 12 Grad, 13 Allergic, 15 Finds out, 16 Fuel, 17 Caesar, 19 Brood, 21 Debt, 22 Nintendo. Down: 1 As needed, 2 A N C, 3 Liability, 4 Flab, 6 Exterminate, 8 Millisecond, 11 Favouring, 14 Referred, 18 Sits, 20 TNT.
SUDOKU
FOR ANY HELP AND ADVICE ON LEGAL ISSUES, YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT: ALBA CONSULTAS - LEGAL ADVISERS (+34) 96 561 5061 / +34 692 386 293 C.C. EUROPEO, LOCAL 168, CTRA TEULADA - MORAIRA. 03724 INFO@ALBACONSULTAS.COM WWW.ALBACONSULTAS.COM
to be in demand, and are practically fully booked.” The biggest rises have been seen in Catalunya. Tarragona has seen a 15.2% rise. A 60m2 firstline flat in Salou will set you back €1,370 a week. Barcelona province saw an average increase of 9.5% compared to 2021, with an 80 m2 rental costing €1,600. However, at the other end of the scale is Murcia, where there have been falls in the asking price for holiday rentals.
FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL
June 30th July 13th 2022
15
Silent flight
SPAIN’s first electric plane has made its inaugural flight after taking off from Sabadell Airport, near Barcelona. The eco-friendly plane, weighing just 500kg has space for just the pilot and one passenger, is 100% electric and makes virtually no noise. Once fully charged the Velis Electro biplaza can fly for around one hour, plus the propeller action can recharge the battery as it flies and add to the flight time. It has joined the fleet of the Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell and will be used to ‘revolutionise’ pilot training.
ELECTRIC!: The two-seater plane The Mayor of Sabadell, Marta Farrés, joined the pilot on a ten minute flight over the town in what she described as an ‘extraordinary experience’.
A taste of the past RECIPES dating back to 13th Century Cordoba have been given a try out by a London-based celebrity chef husband and wife team. Owners of Moro restaurant, Sam and Samantha Clark, have been experimenting with dishes from a unique 800-year-old Moorish-Andalucian cookbook. The manuscript of Ibn Razin al-Tujibi’s recipe book was discovered in the British Library back in 2018. Originally, it was thought to be an ancient Moorish medical journal. However, following further translation and re-
Enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in a beautiful environment
Andalucia’s ancient Arabic cookbook given new lease of life By Livia Cockerell
search, experts found that the manuscript contains around 475 recipes from the Moors. Best of Delectable Foods and Dishes from al-Andalus and al-Magh-rib is one of the two surviving cookbooks from the Muslim-Andalucian world, a period in which the Moors had their most significant impact on Spanish cuisine.
The writer was born in the city of Murcia back in 1227 and wrote this cookbook 32 years later, following the exile of the Moors. In the introduction he described that Andalucians are ‘advanced in creating the most delectable dishes’. Since the manuscript was translated into English last year, the Clarks’ have worked to tackle some of its fascinating recipes from this book. Currently, they are working towards a public event with the British Library for which they will reproduce four of Razin al-Tujibi’s’ ancient recipes.
Create When attempting to create the halwa recipe (a sweet nougat-like confectionary), Sam Clark expressed his admiration for the Moors saying: “How they managed by eye without thermometres is incredible.”
Fruity prices SKILLED CHEFS: Sam and Samanth Clark
Ready to go THE hugely popular British high street sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger is to open 70 outlets across Spain and Portugal. The announcement is part of grand expansion plans to double the size of the restaurant group. Despite its French sounding name, Pret is a very British invention founded by Sinclair Beecham who opened the first Pret in London’s Victoria in 1986. Pret has entered into a franchise partnership deal with Ibersol Group, which already operates over 600 restaurants on the Iberian Peninsula including brands such as Pans & Company and FrescCo, as well as licenses for Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell.
THE price of fresh fruit and vegetables is soaring thanks not only to nationwide inflation and a rise in transport costs, but also as a result of a poor harvest. Last winter was noticeably wetter than usual, with episodes of torrential rain that wiped out crops. Farmers report producing 40% fewer fruit than last year after the difficult winter. Added to that is an early start to summer-like temperatures with the hottest May since records began, followed by a June which saw the earliest heatwave seen in 40 years.
Paseo Maritimo de la Patacona n 14, 46120, Alboraya, Valencia I T. 96 372 40 95 I 618 356 043 I info@casapatacona.com
BE PREPARED
Get your home ready for summer
W
E all want to make the most of the summer but apart from thinking about the beach, on vacations, or about that dreamed trip, it’s important that we all take the necessary steps to ensure our homes stay safe and secure. Unfortunately, the probability of being burglarized or robbed at home is tender to be higher during the summer! As we are likely to spend more time away from home, even for days if we plan to go on holiday, we want to give you some tips on how to minimise the chances of your home being burgled and, in the unfortunate event that it does happen, to make sure you're covered! ● Talk to your insurance agent to make sure that your contents cover are properly calculated, including furniture, white good and electronic appliances, clothes, jewelry, personal belongings, etc. ● Make sure that your doors and windows are in good condition and check all locks are working and get a home security system to help reduce the chance of being a burglary victim. ● Make your home look lived in, for example, you could invest in some timer switches for your lights to give the impression that someone is home. ● Ask your neighbours or a friend to keep watch of your home and collect the post from your postbox ● Create a list of emergency contacts if anything was to go wrong in your home. ● Don’t share holiday plans or pictures on social media or adjust your privacy settings to make sure you are not sharing personal information with the wrong people ● Beware of squatters! Make sure your home insurance covers the Legal Defense in case of illegal occupation of the property But in summer, it's not just a possible burglary of your home that you need to watch out for. There are small inconveniences that come with the heat, such as annoying pests and insects!! Fortunately, there are home insurance policies that include pest control, fumigation, and disinfection services. In summer we also like to enjoy our home outdoors, and it is interesting to have a cover for our garden furniture, even for the garden itself, in case of a summer storm! You may also have a second home for holiday rentals. In that case, make sure that you have a specific cover for holiday rentals, including public liability for your guests. LIBERTY SEGUROS has adapted its Home Insurance plans to provide solutions that best suit your individual requirements giving you the option of being covered for all these eventualities. Understanding that every customer’s needs are unique, it has created additional coverages to allow you to enhance and complement your home insurance cover. Regardless of the plan you choose, you can now add Optional Packs to your home insurance to ensure your plan is perfectly tailored to you. What’s more, if you are a new LIBERTY SEGUROS client and take out a Home, Car, or Life policy now and until the 26th of July, you will receive 30€ Cashback on your first policy and 60€ from the second policy onwards, or 60€ Cashback on each new policy if you are already a customer. For more information, simply call or visit one of the more than 300 LIBERTY SEGUROS qualified brokers and agents. They are available to provide friendly and expert advice, in plain English, about the best coverages and options to suit your specific needs. LIBERTY SEGUROS team can help you to find the cover that will be perfect for you. Visit libertyexpatriates.es to find the name and details of your nearest agent!
16
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
June 30th - July 13th 2022
THE WALLS OF HISTORY
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PAIN is littered with castles. It has such a glut - 10,257 to be exact - that I’d believe it if there were more castles per capita in Spain than in any other country. You’ll see castellated walls in various states of upkeep perched atop crag-
The mud fortifications of Baños de la Encina have endured for over a millenia, writes Fiona Govan gy outcrops the length and breadth of Spain, whether they were built by the Moors across the southern half of the peninsula or by the Crusaders who battled to prevent the Islamic in-
vasion stretching further north. Most visitors to inland Spain have ticked off the hugely famous fortress palaces like Sevilla’s Alcazar or Granada’s Alhambra or the fairy tale
castle in Segovia with its turrets and buttresses that wouldn’t look out of place in a Disney movie. Plenty of others are familiar the world over having served as locations for scenes of Game of Thrones. With so many castles to choose from, you’d be forgiven for not pulling off the motorway every time you saw one. However, on a hillside outside Jaen, rising out of a sea of olive groves, there is a stop worth making, This is Baños de la Encina, just a 20 minutes diversion off the A-4 about halfway between Madrid and the coast, in the province of Jaen, Andalucia. This town of fewer than ANCIENT: Baños de la Encina
IMPOSING: The castle dominates the area
3,000 people boasts the oldest castle in Spain (that is still standing), an impressive sight with its perfectly preserved walls that date back to the 10th century. It was the Celtiberians who are believed to have first settled on this outlook above a river followed by the Romans, but it was under the Caliphate of Cordoba and Al-Hakam II that in 967 the castle was constructed as part of a network of fortresses across the Sierra Morena. Originally known as Bury al-Hammam and then Castillo de Burgalimar, the majestic castle walls connect 14 towers with a fifteenth larger tower in one corner. Although its high walls may look like sandstone, they are built of compressed earth, a sophisticated adobe that has survived more than a
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ISLAMIC: The castle was built by the Moors
VISIT LEE SHARPES BAR JAVEA The Ex England, Man Utd and Leeds Utd star (and Love Island!) would like to welcome you to Sharpeys Bar
Live sports and music and the occasional celeb! Traditional English pub service and banter along with great food, family area and open for breakfast tel: +34 653 44 60 48 / 608 609 860 goodtimes@sharpeyssportsbar.com millennia. They surround a vast oval space within. Stroll around the outside of the walls and take in vast vistas of olive trees stretching as far as the eye can see, as well as the beauty of the reservoir below. These rolling hills that stretch away to the horizon are home to the Iberian lynx, although the elusive creatures are hard to spot. Nestled behind the castle is the town itself, its pretty white-washed buildings clinging to the hillside. Once you’ve explored the castle and taken in the splendid views, wander through the network of narrow cobbled streets and patios where you’ll catch glimpses of the castle walls around every corner. It’s off the beaten track and you won’t find coach loads of tourists but Baños de la Encina is most definitely a pit-stop worth making.
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A FUSION OF TASTES Specsavers Opticas Summer Photography Competition offers prizes of a €100 Amazon voucher and a pair of designer sunglasses worth up to €159 for the best photo
D
ON’T forget to take plenty of photos this summer - it could win you a prize. Specsavers Opticas has launched a summer photography competition to shine the spotlight on the beautiful places where the company has stores. They are asking local residents to send in beautiful photographs of the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Mallorca, to be in with a chance of winning a €100 Amazon voucher and a pair of designer sunglasses. Chantelle Hayward from Specsavers Ópticas in Calpe said: “We are passionate about protecting our customers’ vision, ensuring they can all enjoy the beauty around them and love the stunning locations in Spain where we have stores. “Entries will be judged by professional travel and lifestyle photographer Oliver Vegas. He travels the world capturing the beautiful places he sees, so is a perfect person to choose the winner of this competition.” Vegas said: “To be able to judge this competition is a privilege, as images are such an important part of our lives. We are all constantly capturing moments on our phones and cameras that we want to remember and want to be able to revisit. I’d advise participants to
take pictures that really mean something to them and that they express their own personality through the image. “Pictures should all be original and represent a memory or a moment in the way they want to remember it for the future.” The competition is open until September 1 and photographs can be submitted on social media by tagging @SpecsaversOpticas on Facebook and @specsaversspain on Instagram, sending photos via Messenger or via email to spain.marketing@specsavers.com
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Just Terr-a-iffic! Benidorm Palace puts Mother Nature up front
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EGENDARY theatre Benidorm Palace is ready for the summer season with its spectacular show ‘Terra’. Billed as ‘a tribute to Mother Nature’ and planet Earth, it has assembled a cast of 50 for a truly remarkable show. Its international performers bring a large helping of glamour with its musical spectaculars. But there is much more to the programme than song and dance. Award-winning magician David Climent, aerial contortionist Sharyn Monni and circus artists Sandy & Samantha Monteiro Vassallo and Jastin Monteiro Vassallo are just some of the acts that will entertain. The show uses cutting-edge technology, includ i n g 2 5 0 sqm of custom-made HD LED screens with 8K resolution, to brilliant effect.
HEALTH
June 30th - July 13th 2022
Dementia hope DOCTORS at a Madrid hospital have discovered a new way to slow down the progression of dementia. The team from Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre have detected a protein, which could play a vital role in the slowing down of Alzheimer’s. It is hoped this new knowledge could be the foundation upon which to develop new therapies for the disease. The successful study followed 155 volunteers with the genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer’s and 93 healthy relatives over periods of between two and 15 years, since dementia starts to develop in the body years before symptoms become apparent. The healthy group possessed a much higher amount of the protein.
Fresh jabbing A NEW round of Covid booster jabs will be available to everybody in Spain from this autumn. The fourth shots will feature improvements to the vaccine to take account of new variants. Covid case numbers are low due to the country's successful vaccination programme. The highest number of cases are in those aged over 60, with the cumulative incidence standing at 590, compared to 3,400 last Christmas. Health Minister, Carolina Darias, described hospital occupancy caused by the coronavirus as ‘tremendously stable’ accounting for 5% of beds. Figures show that the risk of hospitalisation in those aged over 60 was cut by 63% in the first two months of 2022, and deaths were down by 57% in that same period - all down to vaccinations.
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Cholera denial
WHAT’S IN A NAME
SPAIN’S national health ministry has rejected claims by regional authorities that a case of cholera has been detected for the first time in more than 40 years. A farm in Toledo province was sealed off while Castilla-La Mancha authorities investigated the source after reports that a child had contracted cholera after drinking from a well. But, Spain’s central Health Ministry insisted that in fact, the girl was suffering vibrio gastroenteritis and not cholera as first thought. “After the corresponding analyses, it has been determined that the pathogenic agent in this case is non-toxigenic vibrio cholerae 01 and, therefore, it is not considered a case of cholera, but of vibrio gastroenteritis,” said a health ministry spokesman. The last cholera outbreak in Spain originated in the North African enclave of Melilla in 1979.
TROPICAL storms and hurricanes have been named for years, but now Sevilla will become the first city in the world to classify and christen heatwaves. The year-long pilot project will put spells of hot weather into three categories based on severity. All category three heatwaves will be named in the descending order of the alphabet, starting with Zoe, Yago and Xania. City authorities will classify them based on their impact on public health, including mortality rates. The classification will enable emergency measures to automatically bring in certain measures including the opening of municipal pools and requiring health workers to check on vulnerable patients.
High time Spain moves step closer to allowing medical marijuana
By Livia Cockerell
SPAIN’S lawmakers have moved a step closer to allowing chemists to dispense medical marijuana. Congress has approved recommendations by Spain’s Medicines Agency, which will now need to be rubber-stamped by Spain’s Health Commission. The majority of po-
JOINT EFFORT: Ruling parties push measure through
litical parties (excluding PP and Vox) voted in favour of the report. The proposal outlines conditions that will allow doctors to prescribe cannabis with THC - the psychoactive component that makes you feel ‘high’ - for therapeutic purposes. It calls for the establishment of a centralised reg-
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istry of the patients entitled to use it. The text emphasises the need to ensure that this policy does not result in an overall increase in cannabis consumption outside of a medical context. Moreover, it states that, for now, the policy will focus on people suffering from epilepsy, nausea as a result of chemotherapy, endometriosis, multiple sclerosis, ontological and non-ontological pain.
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FINAL WORDS
FARMERS are demanding increased police patrols in Murcia's Lorca area after 1,000 kilos of mellons were stolen last week for sale on the black market.
Lovesick A 20-YEAR-OLD Alicante woman has been arrested for faking her own kidnapping in an attempt to attract the attention of her young boyfriend.
Tourist boost ORIHUELA will spend €3 million boosting tourism using EU money set aside for Covid pandemic recovery on tourist information, increased car parking, and encouraging more low season visitors to come to the area.
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COSTA BLANCA NORTE / VALENCIA FREE Vol. 4 Issue 84 www.theolivepress.es June 30th - July 13th 2022
HOME WIN
International open-air festival goes decidedly local this year IT has become Spain’s most famous open-air art festival, renowned for putting up foreign artists and sculptors as they create a specific work for the event. But after organisers of Genalgaucil’s famous Art Encounters sifted through 174
applications from 14 countries from artists wanting to take part, they went decidedly local. All seven allotted artists this year are from Spain. The jury for the festival, in which the village streets are turned into an open-air gallery
HE is known to be a fan of the UK Home Counties and a close mate of hellraiser Johnny Depp. But it’s not exactly clear why film director Tim Burton has become an ‘Ambassador of Madrid’ , an award given for ‘services to the city’. The ex-husband of Helena Bonham Carter has no obvious connections to the city, aside from a planned exhibition of his visual work.
ATTRACTIONS: Art is dotted through the streets from August 1 to 15, examined bids from as far and wide as Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Peru and Guatemala.
Gone for a Burton While famous for movies, including Batman, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare before Christmas, none were filmed in Madrid. He is not known to own property in the city or have done anything to promote its culture, parks or history.
A jury spokesman from the village, between Estepona and Ronda, explained that the selection process was ‘very difficult and hard-fought due to the large number of projects with more than enough quality to be among those selected.’ But when it came down to the nitty-gritty the jury dismissed the international entrants and chose an all-Spanish ensemble - Julio Falagan, Marta Galindo, Mar Guerrero, Gala Knörr, Jesus Madriñán, Jose Manuel Martinez and Javier Palacios. All of them will live in the town for a few weeks, with all expenses paid.
AIR Nostrum has ordered 10 blimp-like airships to fly passengers around Spain. The UK-made Airlander 10s which cut emissions by 90% are set to run from 2026. The airline operates as a franchise of Iberia with 91 domestic and international routes. The ships, which can carry up to 100 passengers, are powered by helium and described as environmentally friendly.
SACKED IN THE MORNING AN employee of Cristiano Ronaldo has crashed the star’s €2.1m Bugatti Veyron sports car in Mallorca. The two-seater hit the wall of a property in Bunyola, where it ended up in a storage area for butano gas bottles. The front of the luxury car was badly damaged but no one was hurt. The footballer has been on holiday in Mallorca with his wife and five children.