Olive Press Costa Blanca North and Valencia Issue 134

Black flags awarded

THE Ecologists in Action group has dished out six flags to the Valencian Community in its annual ‘Black Flag’ awards.

The unwanted plaudits go to coastal areas suffering pollution caused by wastewater discharges and environmental mismanagement.

Group spokesperson, Cristobal Lopez, said that many ‘serious problems’ are caused by mass tourism and pollution generated by companies.

In Valencia, there is an award for pollution caused in the coastal area of the Natura 2000 Network.

The group also slams the mismanagement of ‘wrong coastal solutions’, with the massive filling of sand in the Albufera Natural Park.

Beaches

Ecologists in Action says that ‘the policy of managing the setbacks of the beaches on the Valencia province is totally ineffective and unsustainable’

In Alicante province, it refers to pollution by the Barranco and Amerador beach, El Campello- areas that have been affected twice by fecal discharges in March and April.

The problem has come from a pumping station that is located in the bed of the ravine to the beach.

A black flag has also been given for the ‘poor management’ of the Bay of Alicante, which includes four beaches at Cap l’horta, Albufera, Postiguet and Saint Gabriel.

In Castellon province, the flags have been awarded to the coastal section of the Grao-Camino Serratella in Borriana, due to pollution.

The environmentalists say it is a coastal section with ‘recurrent sewage leaks due to the collapse of the evacuation network when it rains’.

See Black flagged, page 22

AN eccentric expat millionaire is offering a €100,000 reward to anyone who can help him recover a legendary guitar that vanished during an acrimonious divorce.

The 1966 Fender Precision Bass became part of the annals of rock’n’roll fame when the frontman of 70s glam-rock band, T-Rex, acquired it for their band.

Singer Marc Bolan bought it for bassist Steve Currie from the famous Denmark Street guitar shop in London, in 1969.

It went on to blast out some of the most

By Walter Finch

iconic riffs of the era, from Ride a White Swan and Children of the Revolution all the way up to I Love to Boogie - one year before Bolan’s untimely death in a car crash in 1977. He was just two weeks shy of his 30th birthday. Now the iconic slab of rock-star memorabilia, valued at up to €250,000, finds itself at the heart of a whistlestop marriage that ended almost as soon as it began.

Its last known location is thought to be a storage warehouse in Spain. The guitar disappeared from the secret storeroom of music industry impresario Jeremy Hartnell, 61, who made his fortune running scrap yards in the 1980s.

He claims his estranged - and much younger - wife removed the tracking device he had planted on it and took it from his Estepona villa in 2021. The only clue to its whereabouts is a bank statement that shows a payment to a storage warehouse in nearby Marbella on April 27, 2021. The rare guitar - of

ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY

Expat puts up giant €100,000 reward to find missing guitar once played by T-Rex legend Marc Bolan

which only 25 were made - came into his possession in 2008 when he managed to buy it from the late T-Rex percussionist Mickey Finn.

It was his most treasured possession, he told the Olive Press, aside from his red 1965 Ford Thunderbird that once belonged to rock icon Prince.

“It’s the most incredible instrument with so much history,” explained Jeremy, who also owns a Bentley and an Aston Martin. “I’m desperate to get it back.”

He also claimed it’s not the only item taken by his ex-wife, with a €15,000 Rolex and a diamond ring valued at €3,500 still missing.

His efforts to recover the guitar have been hampered by the fact that police and even his own insurance company consider it a ‘domestic issue’.

straight to the jeweller and got an engagement ring,” he told the Olive Press. “I mean, she was a cool girl. I thought she was very beautiful - especially in comparison to me.

Meanwhile, his former Canadian bride wrote to him insisting ‘a wife cannot steal from her husband’.

“I met her on a website called Millionaire Match - although she’s gonna tell you she met me on a site called ‘Vegan Dating’.”

The couple got married in the Caymans the same year and afterwards jetted across the Atlantic to move into Jeremy’s sprawling villa near Estepona.

However, she told a divorce court in the Cayman Islands this month that she ‘did not have the guitar’, leaving its cur-

rent whereabouts a mystery.

Jeremy was 52-years-old when he first laid eyes on the then 31-year-old in England in 2016.

“The first day I met her I went

But the red flags were fluttering brightly from the get-go, he insisted. “I paid for this great big wedding, but out of 86 guests she didn’t have a single friend,” he commented. Then I realised - this girl can’t actually maintain a friendship.”

The marriage started to get ‘really weird’ inside just a few months, according to Jeremy, after his bride filled their matrimonial bedroom with ‘wild cottontail bunny rabbits.’

Unable to stand the mess and smell, Jeremy moved into the spare bedroom. They soon spiralled into an acrimonious separation. And then things started to go really south. Torturous divorce proceedings were initiated in 2019 - still ongoingwhile Brexit concerns prompted

Jeremy to return to live in the Cayman Islands.

Crucially, for the millionaire founder of Cockney Records, Jeremy was canny enough to insist upon ‘a prenup’ before he tied the knot. It means she has no legal entitlement to any of his possessions prior to their wedding - up to and including Bolan’s guitar. But it has not helped him recover the guitar thus far, prompting the announcement of the €100,000 reward.

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EXCLUSIVE

FENDER: T. Rex bassist Steve Curry playing the missing guitar back in 1974

HEARTBROKEN: Hartnell is desperate to get his guitar back

Top whack

REAL estate portal idealista says Altea and Javea have some of the most expensive coastal properties in mainland Spain, averaging out at €961k and €850k respectively.

Smoked out

A JAVEA cannabis club which illegally sold drugs to members and drop-in customers has been closed down by the Policia Local.

Budget boost

BENIDORM council says over €10m of savings from last year’s budget will be spent on social issues and boosting the economy including €1.7m for this year’s Christmas shopping bonus campaign.

Stash found

AN IBIZA man, 42, was jailed after trying to board a Denia ferry for his home island, with police finding a variety of drugs hidden all over his car and in his backpack.

POISONED WITH LAXATIVES

A VALENCIA jury has convicted a woman of murder after she systematically poisoned her boyfriend with laxatives to steal over €120,000 from his bank accounts and credit cards.

Mari Carmen B, 58, faces 28 years in prison.

The court heard that her 70-year-old boyfriend, Salvador, was hospitalised

in September 2020 with chronic diarrhoea, the cause of which was a mystery. His condition improved when he had no visitors. But when he was moved to a general ward the condition came back. The woman had continued to feed him laxatives during visits. Police later found receipts for a total of 4,000 of the pills in her home.

Serial killer

A SERIAL killer who murdered four people including a British and a German man is the chief suspect in the killing of a Spanish woman.

The body of 42-year-old Ester Estepa - missing since last August - has been discovered in Gandia, with Jose Jurado Montilla being probed over her murder.

Estepa was hidden under thick reeds in a cave with clothes and documentation found on her

Horror abuse

A COUPLE have been convicted of animal abuse at a Valencia court after their Great Dane died of starvation, with an expert saying it was the ‘worst case she had ever seen’. The pet - named Leia - spent five of her six years tied to a rope on a terrace in Albalat

Body could be latest victim of serial killer jailed in 1987 for 4 murders

By Alex Trelinski

remains. It's been revealed that her skull was found on a verge between the N-332 and the Gandia beach road by hikers in February.

de la Ribera. The owners were each given 12 month suspended prison sentences and ordered to attend an animal protection course following a prosecution brought by the Avada animal rights lawyers group. Avada president, Amparo Requena, said it was the cruellest animal abuse case his group had come across.

Between October 2020 and April 2021 - when Salvador died still in hospital - Mari Carmen withdrew €62,000 from different ATMs and made store purchases totalling €30,000 as well on multiple credit cards, totalling over €120,000. Her officially-documented monthly income was just €400.

DNA analysis on the skull confirmed that it is the remains of Estepa, with a judge authorising the Policia Nacional to start an extensive search for the rest of her body, which was recently found.

Estepa - from Sevilla - had a

photo taken alongside Jurado (above) two days before she vanished.

Jurado Montilla, or Dinamita Montilla, as he calls himself on TikTok, was sentenced to 123 years behind bars after being convicted of four murders in Malaga province between 1985 and 1987. Victims included the British and German tourists who were shot dead while

camping in El Chorro.

Despite his lengthy sentence, 30 years was the maximum time he could spend in prison for murder and he was let out two years early in December 2013.

He is currently in custody after being arrested in May over the killing of a 21-year-old student in the Malaga area, who was shot in the head in August 2022.

It's been reported that Montilla, 62, sent text messages pretending to be Estepa using her mobile phone, which has not been found.

The pretense included telling her mother she was going to Barcelona to catch a flight and was going to live in Argentina with some friends.

POLICE have arrested an Alicante man, 74, for allegedly running a criminal network that pocketed around €1 million by producing bogus work contracts in exchange for large sums of money from foreign clients.

The Policia Nacional says that 110 arrests have been made after a two-year investigation, with the detainees coming from Algeria, Morocco, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Bangladesh and Poland.

The alleged leader of the group is accused of acting in collusion with the administrators of several companies and sold job contracts for between €2,500 and €3,500, to be used in getting residency documents.

Jobs, but no jobs BATTERED TO DEATH

THREE men have been arrested after a 39-year-old Spaniard was clubbed to death with a baseball bat in a possible revenge killing in Gata de Gorgos. He’s been named as David Lledo who intervened a few days earlier to stop a girl, 15, being molested in the street by some men.

Two of the accused were detained by the Guardia Civil within three hours and a third man was arrested on Saturday.

ROYAL DECADE

KING Felipe VI has celebrated the 10th anniversary of becoming Spain’s head of state. He appeared on the balcony of the Plaza de la Armeria alongside Queen Letizia and their daughters Leonor and Sofia to greet a crowd of around 2,000 people. The monarch then presided over lunch at

the Royal Palace whose guests included 19 citizens representing the country’s regions and the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

All of them had been previously awarded the Order of Civil Merit for their contribution to society.

The king took the reins 17 days after his father, Juan Carlos I, abdicated over a wave of scandals.

SEEING RED

Find out why 130,000 litres of wine glug down the drain in Haro’s annual Batalla del vino

IT may be fun but it seems to be such a waste - 130,000 litres of wine will be literally poured away.

A crowd of 5,000 people will douse each other with tinto in Haro, a small town in the Rioja region.

It is a celebrated centre of production of Spanish wine but its biggest celebration, the Haro Wine Festivalwhich is slated for June 29 - dumps as much Rioja as it consumes.

Locals and tourists will continue a centuries old tradi-

By Dilip Kuner

tion to honour Saint Peter and Paul's day, armed with cups, bottles, jugs, boots and water guns. The festival earned the highest honour by the Spanish government and was declared a 'Festival of National and Touristic Interest,' in 2011.

HE’S BACK

Reputedly, the annual wine fight began in a 13th century dispute over town lines between Haro

THE current and former kings of clay will unite this summer to represent Spain in the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics.

Carlos Alcaraz, 21, will team up with 38-yearold veteran Rafael Nadal to compete as a highly-anticipated dream pairing at Roland Garros, a court where the duo have won a combined 15 French Open titles following Alcaraz’s stunning triumph.

Spain’s national team coach, David Ferrer, said: “One pair, which I think everyone knows and was hoping for, is Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal. Rafa and Carlos will be playing together in Paris”.

Just grand

and the neighbouring village of Miranda del Ebro.

This ultimate fiesta is messy and it is a must-do.

DREAM PAIR

CYCLING’S most prestigious race will start in Spain for the first time. The 2026 edition of the Tour de France will begin on the streets of Barcelona.

Catalunya will play host to the Tour’s first three stages from July 4 to July 6 as the world’s best cyclists vie to claim the famous yellow jersey. Barcelona has hosted a Tour stage before, with the most recent one coming in 2009, but it is the first time the city has hosted the opening stage, known as the Grand Depart.

As tradition goes, the wine warriors will trickle in at 7am dressed in red and white.

McCartney is set to return to Spain to play two concerts in Madrid next December. The legendary Beatle will perform on December 9 and December 10 at the WiZink Centre as part of his globe-spanning ‘Got Back Tour 2024’. Anticipation was stoked by both the promoter and the venue teasing fans on social media with a poster that featured Mc-

phoning Madrid, hinting at the upcoming shows. The pair of shows will mark eight years since McCartney’s last concert in Spain, when he lit up the Estadio Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid. The 82-year-old will kick off the tour in Uruguay on October 1, and land in Spain via Argentina, Chile, Peru and France, before returning to his native UK for four more gigs.

The Haro mayor will lead the procession on horseback, wending their way seven kilometres into the cliffs of Bilibio to the Hermitage of San Fe-

horseback, lices.

After a flag ceremony and a short mass at the historic chapel, the fighting commences.

Warriors

When the wine warriors are stained purple and soaked with the last of the drink, they descend into town, where they don’t have to be asked twice to begin dancing and slurring songs.

A bullfight takes place in the afternoon, then more partying.

A children’s version of the Batalla del Vino takes place on June 27, with grape juice.

PAUL

Cartney

PLONKERS: Better to drink than throw!

Mighty relief!

A HOLIDAYMAKER has been reunited with his wallet containing €6,300 after he dropped it next to a Benidorm beach.

Luckily for him an honest tourist found it while taking a stroll along the busy Levante beach promenade.

She could tell there were a lot of banknotes in it, but she simply gave it to Benidorm Policia Local officers patrolling the area. They looked inside it and besides the cash there was identification linking it to a man on holiday from the Basque Country. He was contacted and was reunited with his wallet within two hours.

Cashpoint surprise

TWO juvenile tawny owls have been rescued after they were spotted inside an ATM room of a Xativa bank.

The two brothers - aged about eight months - were rescued by staff from the La Granja del Saler Fauna Recovery centre. It is unknown how they ended up in the bank’s cashpoint room.

The duo will be looked after for up to three months before they are released into the wild. The birds have joined other young tawny owls picked up in Oliva, Potries, Losa del Obispo, Ademuz and Gandia.

NO INVITATION, NO ENTRY!

BRITISH tourists are warning fellow travellers of alarming new checks at the Spanish border.

The Olive Press has learnt of two recent cases where visitors were refused entry for failing to show a so-called 'letter of invitation'.

The document is for holidaymakers staying at a property belonging to family or friends. It must be arranged by the host at a police station via a form and with a fee of up to €80.

Once the document is stamped, the guests must carry it with

Brits turned back from border for not having a ‘letter of invitation’

By Laurence Dollimore

them to show at the border.

While unlikely the Guardia Civil will actually ask for the letter, it has happened to at least two families over the past month, we can reveal.

Villa owner Peter Griffiths warned that his friends had

TWO beluga whales have been rescued from a dolphinarium in wartorn Ukraine and brought to the Oceanografic in Valencia.

A 15-year-old male called Plombir and a 14-year-old female named Miranda, arrived at their new home last week after making a long journey from the conflict zone.

The whales were moved from the NEMO Dolphinarium in Kharkiv, with the Ukrainian city suffering frequent shelling and less than a kilometre away from the facility.

The evacuation of the whales started with a 12-hour journey by road from Kharkiv to Odessa, where a specially chartered plane was waiting to take them on a five-hour hour flight to Valencia.

been refused entry to Spain from Gibraltar, until he got them an official booking on Airbnb.

“We came into Spain via Gibraltar and they were checking documents for proof of ownership, and return flight,” he said.

“Our friends with us were refused entry initially as they

Mercy dash

didn't have the official letter of invitation. But we got them in by booking a stay on Airbnb in one of our casitas."

He added others had also been refused entry and that it was a ‘really painful process’.

Meanwhile, in Mallorca, one British couple claimed they were refused

entry for failing to show the letter to their OWN property.

The pair had been enjoying a cruise that ended in Barcelona.

However, as they own a property in Mallorca, they requested to disembark early to 'enjoy a couple of weeks at our home.'

They explained: “We submitted our passports as requested three days prior to arriving in Palma. But on the day we were due to leave the ship we were told we could not disembark.

“We were told we needed a letter of invitation, a booked return flight and proof of funds.

“We explained we would stay in our home but that was not accepted. We explained we did not have a return date as planned and were still refused.”

She added they had to go to Barcelona, get their passports stamped and get very expensive flights back to Palma.

“In a nutshell we were refused entry to Mallorca.”

Opinion Page 6

End of an era

THE Costa Blanca News is printing its final edition this week after being forced to close by its parent company.

The paid-for English newspaper has been keeping British expats informed since 1971, with copies distributed from Gandia to Mazarron and inland areas.

But in a statement seen by the Olive Press, its umbrella company Rotativos del Mediterraneo SL said it was forced to close the paper after 53 years due to ‘Covid, Brexit and rising production costs’.

The Weekly Post, another English paper owned by the group, will also cease printing. The statement also cited the near retirement of head honcho and German businessman Hans Schneegluth.

The firm said it will only be keeping its German publications alive, consisting of two print newspapers - the Costa Blanca Nachrichten and Costa Blanca Zeitung - and the Nachrichten website.

More cops

EXTRA Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional officers will be patrolling Valencian Community tourist areas from Monday through to August 31. With populations of coastal areas swelled by up to four times by visitors, an additional 400 Policia Nacional officers will be deployed, plus 318 more Guardia officers.

A

OPINION

the

What a farce!

THE so-called ‘letter of invitation’ that British tourists ‘must’ show if staying with family and friends in Spain is nothing short of a farce ( No invitation, no entry! page 4).

According to Spanish law, any third national - which since Brexit, includes Brits - must be ready to show proof of accommodation when crossing the Spanish border.

If you are staying with friends or family, the host must provide you with a ‘carta de invitacion’, or letter of invitation - which in typical Spanish form, is a bureaucratic nightmare to arrange.

The host must go to their nearest police station in Spain with documents proving they are the owner of their home and apply for said letter.

This involves filling out god knows how many forms and - of course - paying a fee of around €80.

The rule is a classic case of ‘jobs for the boys’ and smacks of a plot to bring in some extra cash for local town halls.

Let’s be honest, the British own more property in Spain than any other foreigner and have propped up the housing market for decades.

Now, literally tens of thousands of British homeowners have to get permission to let their closest loved ones stay with themwhat a kick in the teeth!

Of course, it is VERY unlikely that you will be asked to show the letter of invitation, but the fact that it IS happening to some people is unlikely to put any visitor at ease.

Now hundreds of thousands of Brits are being lumped with this extra worry when travelling to visit family members.

And what about British homeowners who are letting relatives use their Spanish villa while they are out of the country? They literally cannot visit their local police station to apply for the letter.

The whole process is the kind of pathetic red tape overreach that made many people vote for Brexit in the first place!

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

IBIZA is known as the priciest party island in Spain and is a magnet for A-list celebs.

So when I arrived at the resort of San Antonio last weekend, I was rather surprised at what I saw.

I had rather hoped for a few days of elevated dining, sophisticated cocktail bars and the ever-elusive ‘higher quality tourists’ - a phrase used by Spanish industry leaders which can roughly be translated to ‘less British trash.’

But what I actually encountered were mediocre (at best) restaurants, multiple KFCs and Burger Kings and a string of Irish pubs and bars that wouldn’t look out of place in down market Magaluf.

In fact you’re better off heading there instead because you’ll get practically the same experience for half the price.

The landscape of Ibiza itself, of course, is beautiful, with stone-free beaches, white sand and crystal clear waters.

Unfortunately, the resort of San Antonio has been turned into a tourist’s theme park, with boozing and latenight partying the priority.

The streets at night are filled with staggering Brits and mafia-linked hawkers selling laughing gas in balloons.

This is, of course, the site of Wayne Lineker’s infamous O Beach , which brings in A-list punters like Jack Gre-

Ibiza? What a downer…

The party resort of San Antonio is not what it’s cracked up to be, discovers Laurence Dollimore

alish, Ed Sheeran and Jason Derulo. Unfortunately I didn’t see any such big names, having to settle for ex- Eastenders ‘star’ Dean Gaffney instead. Although I did bump into Lineker himself as he made his way from O Beach to one of the two nearby KFCsfl anked by three beautiful young women, of course.

thing ‘kingly’ about this man is that all the locals of San Antonio hate his loud castle!’

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

Santaella

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After snapping a selfi e I asked his Viking-looking security guard if I could have a quick chat but was, unsurprisingly, refused.

Wayne had just been punched to the ground two nights before while making his way to the nearby Eden nightclub.

The video went viral and made headlines in the UK and Spain - although it didn’t win him much sympathy locally.

In an Ibiza activist Facebook group, locals responded to a post about Wayne which described him as the ‘King of Ibiza’ with fury.

Stefano Bertagnon wrote: ‘The only

Another, Martina Greef, accused Wayne of ‘destroying the island’, while one wrote: ‘What is clear is that if this man and his businesses went elsewhere, the lives of the Ibiza people would be the same or better than under the reign of this buffoon.’ Wayne spends the whole summer season in Ibiza, between April and October, but does not stay in the heart of San Antonio - opting instead for the luxury 7Pines Resort about a 20-minute drive west.

I visited the resort myself and it is stunning. Sitting on a cliff edge, it offers incredible sea and mountain views and the service is world class. It is an example of the quality and class that can be found all over the island if you go to the right places. Either way, when I do go back to Ibiza, I know where I WON’T be visiting.

KING WAYNE: Roaming San Antonio, while (right) impressive 0 Beach

BRITISH FAVOURITE: Lineker’s bar, while (right), laughing gas sellers

THERMAL: Power plant in Palencia has been described as a ‘cathedral of energy.’ See page 8

GALICIA: Palace in Pontevedra comes with its own inner-city park, while (below) this 14th century farm has vineyards. See How green is my valley, page 10

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

SPECTACULAR: The biomass power plant is designed not just for clean energy but to also highlight its green credentials through an eye-catching design

HOLY POWER

AN innovative new thermal power plant with a distinctive ‘lantern-like’ shape has emerged from the plains of northern Spain.

Located in Palencia, the 1,960-square-metre building takes the shape of a pill to provide heating to the town’s 80,000 inhabitants.

Designed by architect studio FRPO, DH Palencia offers an extraordinary glimpse into the heart of the energy-generating process through a translucent ribbed facade.

Welded from steel and plastic, it generates new methods of power while educating on renewable energy.

It sits atop

Described as a ‘Small cathedral of energy’ a stylish new thermal power plant is generating heat from local biomass

By Walter Finch

vy concrete’ which in turn conceals an underground silo which stores biomass from local forests and other renewable sources.

Lauding it as a ‘small cathedral of energy’, Pablo Oriol, the co-founder of FRPO wants it to ‘establish a significant connection with the community it serves.’

tivity is constant, and at

night it is illuminated from the inside to become a clean energy lantern.”

“Our intention has been to move away from previous references of an energy production plant,” Oriol explained.

“Since the network is invisible because it’s underground, the power plant building had to be responsible for transmitting the qualities of this new type of energy for the city.

It is a milestone of the energy transition, and at night it becomes a clean energy a huge ‘bathtub of hea- se ac-

Part of the mission of the thermal plant is to symbolise transition from traditional heating technologies, such as natural gas, into cleaner energy.

So keen was FRPO to showcase the inner workings of cleaner heat generation that they even made the tower designed to expel the smoke from the heating system’s filtering process translucent. Visitors are welcome to come and explore the energy process inside the power plant too.

Its interior is also designed to make everything transparent.

GREEN PLAN: The blueprints for the thermal station have taken shape in the form of the unusual building (top)

TAYLOR-MADE:

The €25,000 a night suite for Taylor Swift

Enchanted

THE British president of a Costa del Sol community is now earning more than the prime minister of Spain after bumping up his own salary, it has been claimed.

Stephen Hills, who runs the Torre Bermeja community in Estepona, hit the headlines earlier this year after it emerged he was earning just over €86,000 per year.

That was almost as high as the actual President of Andalucia Juanma Moreno (€87,333), and higher than the vice president

Expatcommunitypresident who earns more than Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

Yolanda Diaz (€84,600).

But now, Hills is making around €102,500, far more than PM Pedro Sanchez (€90.010), after approving a salary increase of €16,500 in his community’s 2024 budget, reports Area Costa del Sol.

It comes as a group of Spaniards and fellow Brits are taking Hills to court, hoping to prove

SPANISH IMPRINT

BRITISH architect Norman Foster has brought a touch of Spain to this year's London Festival of Architecture.

The influence of his frequent design partner Cristina Iglesias is easily seen in the Radial Pavilion in the City.

Designed by Foster + Partners’ it highlights Foster's long-standing connections to Spain.

He lives in Madrid and has a Spanish wife - and has not only been influenced by Spain, but has also had a huge impact on the Spanish architectural scene.

The design of Radial reflects Foster's interest in sustainable architecture and his experiences working in Spain.

The pavilion's frame is constructed from recycled scaffolding, echoing Foster's philosophy of minimising waste and extending a building’s life cycle.

The design prioritises creating a gathering space for discussions and reflection.

This aligns with an emphasis on public spaces and community engagement often found in Spanish architecture, particularly in Foster's Spanish projects.

his actions are ‘totally illegal’. However some locally-based Brits previously defended Hills, saying he is ‘doing his best’ to defend his Torre Bermeja community.

The 400 metre square spot, that

HOTEL rooms don’t get any more stylish.

CASHING IN

One, who asked not to be named, previously told the Olive Press: “There is another president there who is trying to control the whole Guadalmansa development, and wants to get rid of any people who stand up to him, such as Stephen.

FRONT PAGE:

“The budget for the other president’s urbanisation is 50% higher than that of Stephen’s, so what are they spending their money on?

“Stephen works a full-time job looking after his residents, some guy tried to take over from him but didn’t last for three months.

Stephen has been president for 20 years with basically no one standing against him, people understand how he defends the urbanisation.”

Another source told the Olive Press: “This is all part of a feud that has been going on for five to seven years, people don’t know the half of it!”

But David Valadez, the lawyer representing the residents who are taking action against Hill, insisted his actions were ‘illegal’.

He told the Olive Press earlier this year: “People are outraged, his actions are totally illegal

And fittingly Taylor Swift wasn’t scrimping and saving during her recent trip to play in Madrid.

How we first reported on Stephen Hills’ salary

and against the rules.

The American star behind hits, including Enchanted and Cruel Summer, splashed out €25,000 a night for the suite at the chic Rosewood Villa Magna hotel. She chose the Royal Anglada House suite on the top floor, which counts on two rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a dining room.

“I am convinced that he will face a judge, however the courts in Estepona are very saturated right now so we are not sure when to expect a trial.”

The Torre Bermeja urbanisation contains 109 apartments, and is one of five urbanisations that form the Guadalmansa development in Estepona.

Each urbanisation has a president, who looks after the dayto-day running of the blocks, such as collecting community fees or arranging gardeners and maintenance.

They have regular meetings with other presidents, where they can propose laws or changes which are voted on by the residents they look after.

But the majority of homeowners in the 109 homes Hills looks after are not there all year round, and have given him the right to vote on matters on their behalf.

Hence when he decided to give himself a salary increase, there was no one to stand in his way, it is alleged.

Valadez added: “So many have

overlooks historic Paseo de la Castellana was just five minutes from her two sold out shows in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. It is not known where she put up the rest of her 100-strong entourage, including security, medical staff and the drivers of her own ambulance.

The luxury suite comes with a steward and e-scooter to ‘explore Madrid.’

Visit www.theolivepress.es to see full review of the five-star Rosewood Villa Magna

Celeb next door

A FINCA next to the stunning estate of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ has gone up for sale.

The Can Calo property has been listed for an eye watering €13.75 million.

Both properties once formed part of a bigger finca owned by the Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria in the 1880s.

The villa is described as a ‘spacious oasis of peace and tranquility, with impressive views to the majestic and idyllic coast.’

It comes complete with a library, study, sitting rooms and music areas, all with expansive sea views.

The main house has six bedrooms, each with its very own ensuite. There is also a separate guest house with two bedrooms, an independent kitchen and dining room.

The garden complex is perfectly manicured, with a pool and other leisure activities.

Wall Street star Douglas bought the neighbouring s’Estaca property in 1990 for €3.5 million.

He has tried to sell it on various occasions, in 2014 and 2019 but never found a buyer.

Ultimately, he took it off the market and now he and British actress Zeta-Jones spend long periods at the house.

A historic property, the Archduke Ludwig was one of the island’s first conservationists and owned land all the way from Valldemossa to Deia.

He restored various fincas in Miramar and Son Marroig along the way.

given him their deferred votes and I don’t think they know what they have been used for.”

According to Valadez, the bylaws that dictate the runnings of Guadalmansa say a president ‘cannot earn money’ for the role.

Valadez said Hills created an office called ‘Administración Gerente de la Urbanización’, or Administrative Management of the Urbanisation, without the knowledge of other presidents.

He then used this office to pay himself tens of thousands of euros, it is alleged, by creating jobs that do not exist, such as an administrator, who receives more than €17,000 per year, and two other employees earning €45,000.

“It is intended to mask the attribution of a very high salary to the president,” added Valadez. The Olive Press has contacted Hills and Valadez for further comment.

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How green is my valley

THE green valleys, mountains and rugged coastline of Galicia are renowned for their tranquil beauty.

The region is becoming more and more popular as people start to turn away from the busy and scorching costas of southern Spain and search for a cooler, less frenetic alternative.

Galicia is steeped in history and a host of ancient buildings are for sale.

By Dilip Kuner

Indeed, your money goes a long way when it comes to purchasing a piece of history, especially compared to the coastal hotspots. Here we pick five special properties, some ready to move into, others needing a little TLC.

ANCIENT MANOR HOUSE, Cardeixa, Pontevedra

€230,000

FOR those looking for a project, this 16th century Pazo (traditional Galician manor house) could be right up your street.

It needs a complete renovation, although the walls are structurally sound.

Its remarkable features include an enormous granite lareira (traditional fireplace) that covers a significant part of the property, and the balcony is supported by three granite columns.

It also boasts a unique rectangular dovecote. Some stone elements, such as doors, appear to be from a much earlier period, possibly from the 12th century.

The Land covers an area of 3752m2, and the surface area of the Pazo is 400m2.

ENTIRE VILLAGE Puebla del Brollon Lugo

€1,510,000

WHY buy a house when you could own the whole village?

It has 15 buildings, including a bar-restaurant on 40 hectares and is operating as a holiday accommodation business, with all the cottages restored and fully

Stretch your cash by buying a little Galician history

fitted.

In spite of being at a high altitude (nearly 1,100 metres), the climate is good due to the fact that it faces south and to the north it is protected by a large mountain, which gives it a mild microclimate.

VINES AND HISTORY, Monforte, Lugo

€1,100,000

This ancient Pazo actually offers history you can taste!

The estate boasts a rich history dating back to 1376. Once home to nobles and dukes, the Pazo is surrounded by a protective stone wall and encompasses 22 hectares of land, including a productive vineyard and fruit orchards which have been producing wine and fruits for many generations. The 900-square-metre main residence, currently undergoing restoration, features 10 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a fully restored chapel. In fact, all you need to recreate Medieval life!

Located just 10 kilometres from Monforte, 27 kilometers from Ourense, and 85 kilometers from Lugo, the Pazo offers stunning views and easy access to the Jacobean Route of the Camino de Santiago.

Chery picked

CHINESE cars will soon be rolling off the Barcelona production line of Ebro EV-Motors after they struck a deal with manufacturer Chery Automobile. Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, presided over an official signing ceremony at the Zona Franca plant with Chery's Omoda brand being produced there in the next few months.

Chery is China's biggest car exporter with its Omoda 5 model being available in both petrol and electric versions.

The deal makes it the first Chinese volume car manufacturer in Europe and it will set up dealerships across the continent.

EVer popular

AS sales of electric vehicles continue to rise in Spain, there is a wide selection available. Tesla still tops the charts but cheaper options from Dacia and Kia are also in the top 10 list. Meanwhile, the Spanish-made Hispano Suiza Carmen supercar (top) is available for a cool €2 million.

SThe Zona Franca plant was used by Nissan until their operation closed in 2021 and former employees will be hired as part of the new workforce.

PAIN has pledged to make the entire country carbon neutral by 2050, and for this to happen cars are going to have to get greener.

Its automotive plan focuses on the environmentally friendly electric and hybrid car industry and aims to make the technology cheaper, and easier to use and access across the country.

Special incentives have been rolled out over the coming years to encourage the ownership of environmentally friendly vehicles, both private and commercial.

The Spanish government's €800 million fund for electric car subsidies ended in December 2023, but a new program, Moves III, has been launched.

9 10

GO ELECTRIC

By Dilip Kuner

This

for specific details and application processes. Private buyers can claim up to

€7,000, with companies buying fleets to use as taxis eligible for more. Vans can attract subsidies of up to €9,000. Introduced in June 2023, a new tax incentive allows a 15% deduction on the purchase price of electric vehicles

and charging equipment, capped at €3,000 for the car and €600 for the charger.

These incentives follow a government pledge to promote battery production in Spain and push the manufacture of electric vehicles in the country.

Volkswagen Group’s SEAT subsidiary plans to team up with power company Iberdrola to build Spain’s first battery factory for EVs

Volkswagen has previously announced its intention to build six EV battery plants across Europe, with three earmarked for the Spain/Portugal/southern France area.

In total, the government is granting €3.75 billion towards making electric and hybrid cars cheaper than petrol and diesel to buy by 2027.

HAPPY: Pedro Sanchez breaking the news

Motoring

Motorists beware

SPAIN'S Traffic Authority, the DGT, has warned motorists that fake text messages are being sent out to trick them into paying fines. The bogus texts are demanding the payment of made-up penalties for offences that never happened.

The technique, known as ‘phishing’ tries to get unsuspecting victims to pass on their bank details or other private information.

The DGT has published screenshots of the fraudulent SMS texts alerting users that have ‘24 hours to pay their fine’.

They also include a link that the phone holder has to click on to pay the penalty and within it they fill in private details which are then hacked by cybercriminals.

The DGT said via social media: "All false, as they only want to capture the victim's bank details.”

“Remember that the DGT only sends notifications of penalties via the post or electronic addresses."

OBSTACLE COURSE

Jo Chipchase explains how it is more a case of ‘drive to survive’ than ‘driving over lemons’ here in southern Spain

YOU know the look: The tourist as he gets off the plane at Malaga or Alicante airport wearing an expression of fear and loathing when faced with his or her newfound motoring challenge. And yes, driving in Andalucia is not for the faint-hearted.

Newcomers who are accustomed to the relative civility of British, or say Scandinavian, roads suddenly find chaotic roundabouts where nobody gives way, blind bends where other vehicles hurtle towards you at speed, and pedestrians armed with shopping bags diving in front of your car. Meanwhile in the rural inland areas, you find rough dirt tracks that spiral up mountains with sheer drops to the side, donkeys and mountain bikers frequently blocking at least half the road and ‘motos’ hurtle around madly, throwing caution (and maybe even beer bottles) to the wind.

or city, such as Granada or Malaga, brings its own hazards.

‘Lane discipline’ is a pipe dream where busy junctions are concerned. Just like the Sunday roast, you can easily be carved up or mashed, as well as shaken and stirred.

Then there’s the problem of other road users, some of whom clearly don’t have the skills to hold a ‘permiso de conducir’ (driving license).

How some motorists ever manage to reach their destination is an important question. Says Granada-based car reseller, Bernard Drivefast: “First challenge: staying on the road alive.” Quite. So, let’s look at the various motoring challenges in more detail, with some help from various local social media forums.

Boy racers and blind bends

health and safety or, indeed, his own lifespan – he just wants to eliminate as many nanoseconds from his journey as possible. Putting the pedal to the metal, these drivers race round mountain passes, using your side of the road to cut the corner and frequently nearly colliding head-on. Sometimes, they do collide and the ‘grua’ can be seen removing the tangled cars from the road.

Talking of blind bends have you ever met an ALSA bus or articulated lorry swinging out towards your car on one?

In this region, it is a case of every man (or mule) for him- self. Meanwhile, a journey

to a larg- er town

Here in the heart of macho-land, we have the cult of the boy racer. He care about

SUMMER FINE SADNESS

DRIVING with flip-flops, barefoot or without a t-shirt behind the steering wheel could land drivers with fines, warns Spain’s Department of Traffic (DGT).

According to the DGT, during the summer season, safety at the wheel is relaxed and clothing or footwear not suitable for driving are often used, putting drivers at risk of breaking the law and consequently slapped with a hefty fine.

Motoring experts say that driving with flipflops or without a t-shirt is not expressly forbidden, but whether we are fined depends on how the regulations are interpreted.

THESE ARE THE MOST TYPICAL SUMMER FINES:

€ Driving barefoot, or wearing flipflops: €200. According to DGT, driving without appropriate clothing or footwear can hinder the driver’s capacity to control the vehicle.

€ Driving without a shirt: €100. Article 3 of the General Traffic Regulations stipulates that: “one must drive with the necessary diligence and caution to avoid any harm to oneself or others, taking care not to endanger the driver, the other occupants of the vehicle or other road users”. Based on this rule, driving

shirtless is grounds for a fine since, in the event of an accident, the activation of the seat belts could cause serious injuries to the driver.

€ Driving with one hand or arm outside of the vehicle: €100. Although it is forbidden to put your hand out of the window, it is not forbidden to have your arm resting on the window. Article 18 of the General Traffic Law states that the driver and passengers must maintain a sensible position inside the vehicle.

€ Drive with a hat / cap that covers the ears: €100.

€ Eating ice cream while driving: €100€200 and two points off your license.

€ Copilot with feet on the dashboard: €100.

€ Throw a cigarette out the window: €200 and four points off your license.

THE DGT RECENTLY TWEETED A REMINDER:

The question of the summer is back. To drive or not to drive in flip-flops? There are no specific rules about it, but if it is seen to affect safety (e.g. pedal operation) it may be punishable. Advice: Use common sense and wear comfortable and safe footwear.

Too fast, too slow

As well as people going too fast, some are driving too slow. The slow sloths can pose a problem on mountain tracks, where they pootle along in an old car with a trailer attached - often with hunting dogs in it - trapping

Bikers beware

BRITISH bikers arriving in Spain are about to be given a lesson in how to drive on Spanish roads.

A whopping 20,000 motorcyclists are expected to arrive by ferry from the UK in the port of Cantabria this year - up 10% from 2023. And authorities in Santander are taking steps to ensure their safety on the region's scenic but sometimes challenging roads.

The biker clubs will be handed glossy brochures detailing Spanish traffic regulations - including speed limits, drink and drug driving laws, helmet use, and safe riding practices.

you behind and not pulling into any passing places. If you have a plane to catch, it’s high time for a selection of rude gesticulations and your horn. Slow drivers can also be encountered on town roads. After a few breakfast-time ‘sol y sombras’ in their favourite bar, you’ll see them driving with exaggerated care or progressing in a direction that isn’t quite straight. Hire car drivers can, at times, also be seen slowing down and looking confused at road signs, which point towards a certain town or tourist attraction and then die out just before the visitor gets there and most needs help.

Reversing trials and tribulations

Going forwards on steep rural roads is one thing: reversing is quite another. Says long-time Granada expat, Trudie Taloolor: “Some Spanish drivers cannot reverse. It takes them forever to wind first, left, then right from bank to steep edge or hidden ditch, slowly, slowly back. It’s almost worth putting your own car in reverse and backing double the distance in half the time.” We’ve also probably all encountered motorists who flatly refuse to reverse, even if they are driving a smart car and you’re in a large van. Yes, rather than entering the dreaded reverse gear, they will make their ‘adversary’ perform a precarious reverse towards the unknown, such as a sheer drop. Isn’t the reverse manoeuvre an integral part of the driving test? Similarly, these people cannot successfully reverse park and tend to bash into the vehicles in front and behind.

ADVICE: Guardia chatting to bikers

higher number of accidents.

Last year, there were seven motorcyclist fatalities on Cantabria's roads, including one British national.

Over 1,000 brochures are being distributed to arriving twowheeled Brits with the help of Brittany Ferries.

The new awareness campaign comes in response to the growing number of bikers who disembark by ferry in Santander.

Jose Miguel Tolosa, the provincial traffic chief, emphasised the vulnerability of motorcyclists and pointed out how Cantabria’s winding roads often see a

Highway authorities have been concerned by recent statistics from the region, where 1,333 motorcycle accidents occurred between 2018 and 2023. They resulted in 19 fatalities and 187 serious injuries and recent years have seen a significant increase in incidents, with annual figures tripling compared to 2019, 2020, and 2021.

CHILL: Keep your temper and relax if you want an easier time behind the wheel

MOTORS

Lost in the metropolis?

Maybe it’s time to head to the big city? En route, the motorway holds various menances.

Town centre obstacle course

Bad parking is also a big problem in town centres, with some motorists leaving their cars on tight corners, meaning that larger vehicles struggle to get around.

One annoyance is nutty tailgaters who drive close to your rear, looming like the devil, even if you cannot safely let them past. Then there are drivers who have all the time in the world to complete their journey, and believe that everyone else does too.

Driving in Andalucia’s cities brings its own challenges. Lane discipline is an abandoned concept, with motorists neither giving way at busy roundabouts, sticking to their own lane nor bothering to use their indicators. Try driving a re-matriculated righthand-drive vehicle with a blind spot in central Sevilla – what fun you will have.

And joy of joys, then you have the roundabout conundrum. You know the way that Spanish drivers used to be taught to go left from the outside lane, therefore cutting up anyone driving fast in the fast lane. Half the time without an indicator.

Some motorists like to park their car opposite the town ‘fuente’, where they proceed to fill two dozen large bottles with spring water to take home. Meanwhile, everyone else sits waiting for them to finish before they can squeeze past.

Bollards and iron posts are also a problem.

Town halls love to install these to control where cars can park. Usually, these obstacles will be positioned directly in your blind spot, vastly increasing the chance of smashing a tail light or mangling a side panel. Some towns have special cannon-ball type structures to prevent ‘bad’ parking. Drive over one of these, and you will throw your wheel alignment out or make a hole in your suspension. Also, beware of old ladies who step out from behind parked vehicles armed with shopping trolleys. They

Save some cash

As we await the inevitable summer rise in fuel prices, here are some tips on how to squeeze more kilometres out of every litre of petrol

AS temperatures rise there is one inevitability in the holiday resorts of Spain.

The big petrol companies may deny it,

While you don’t need to be Mastermind to work this out, it’s worth putting at Number One because, according to What Car? magazine, people still make their decisions on the kind of car to buy on a surprisingly irrational basis.

Although fuel consumption is increasing in importance to drivers, in a survey of new car buyers acceleration from 0 to 100kmh and the number of extra features included in a package had more importance than the fuel consumption. Many people believe that given the often less-than-perfect state of rural roads, the best bet is to buy a gas guzzling 4×4, all-terrain vehicle. But BMW’s X5, the Land Rover Defender and Mitsubishi Shoguns cost a fortune to keep topped-up.

Do you really need one? How many times a week do you really need to drive off-road?

Get a smaller fuel efficient car and save euros. And if you can, go electric!

but those of us who live on the costas know that the price of fi lling up your car ALWAYS rises when the holiday season is upon us. There is however plenty you can do right now to reduce the cost of your motoring and to improve the fuel-effi ciency of your vehicle…

If you don’t need to use your roof rack regularly, take it off.

Extra drag has a big effect on fuel consumption.

Also, do you really need to be flying that flag from your radio aerial?

Okay, it’s not the worst thing you could do in fuel efficiency terms, but lose it anyway, it’s really very chavvy!

think they have right of way, 100% of the time.

Furthermore, if they encounter any friends, they’ll stand there chatting and block the road while you sit there pulling your hair out.

Life in Andalucia certainly wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for its driving experiences. Maybe that is why Chris Stewart entitled his famous book Driving over Lemons rather than choosing another title. Really, those lemons are just one more possible obstruction in the road.

Car factory job cuts

UP to 1,600 jobs at the Ford car manufacturing plant in Valencia are under threat after the company announced job cuts.

The grim news follows on from a previous round of 1,100 job cuts implemented last year, raising concerns about the long-term future of the facility.

The American automaker currently employs around 4,700 workers in Valencia, but is proposing to permanently eliminate 600 positions. However, a glimmer of hope exists for the remaining 1,000 affected employees.

Negotiations are underway to potentially rehire them by 2027, when production is planned to be ramped up thanks to a new hybrid car.

A Ford spokesperson said: "A temporary solution could be negotiated for the other 1,000 to bridge the gap until production of the new vehicle starts."

This suggests the possibility of temporary layoffs or furloughs for these workers.

The announcement of the new hybrid vehicle offers a potential lifeline for the Valencia plant.

Ford aims to begin production in 2027 with a projected annual output of 300,000 units destined for European and international markets. This new model could translate into future job security and economic growth for the region.

The Valencia plant has undergone significant changes in recent years. Ford currently only assembles the Kuga compact SUV there, having phased out other models like the Mondeo.

USE

AIRCON LESS

If you can do without it, do without it. AirCon systems, although more efficient than they used to be, still have a big impact on your car’s consumption.

Talk to friends who often do similar journeys to the ones you do every day and see if you can’t coordinate and take one car instead of two.

Not only are you acting responsibly, you might get to know your neighbours better and enjoy some social interaction and learn a bit of Spanish while carrying out your regular chores.

Don’t carry around gear in your car that you don’t need. Some people’s boots are used as extra home-storage capacity.

If you don’t need that tent/toy box/tool kit every day, keep it at home. Every 50kg of extra weight reduces your car’s fuel efficiency by an incredible 2%!

It is true that driving with the windows down has a negative effect on a vehicle’s aerodynamics but experts agree that below 70km/hr it is more fuel friendly to do this than to have your passenger space cooled like the inside of a Zanussi.

You don’t need to zoom up to and away from junctions as if you have a woman about to give birth on the back seat.

Drive in the highest gear possible, don’t over-rev your engine, drive more smoothly and at a more even speed and your fuel will last longer.

Obviously, one or two of these measures only make a tiny improvement to the fuel effi ciency of your vehicle but taken together your could improve your consumption by 20 to 30%.

DIZZY: Roundabouts are a special problem all on their own

SCRAPE: Spanish drivers can find some unusual places to park

November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE PROPERTY STORIES?

HOME OF THE GREAT AND GOOD Pontevedra

IF city life appeals to you but you would love a bit of rural tranquility at the same time, then this 17th century palace is just what you are looking for..

Not only is it Pontevedra itself, but it sits on a massive plot of 14,862 sqm including its own private park right in the heart of the historic city. As you pass through the grand stone portal adorned with family crests and flanked by majestic lions, a path lined with magnolias

leads you to the Pazo de La Parda

This is where the Council of Ministers of King Alfonso XIII convened. Deeply rooted in Galician heritage, this estate has long been home to families with immense influence.

The grand granite main building boasts two floors and a crenellated tower. Inside there are 12 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a dining room, a living room, a salon, a study, a library, a large office, and a beautiful kitchen.

€3,250,000 From Page 10 DEFENSIVE POSITION Near Ourense

IF you are worried about burglars, then how about buying a 16th century fortified farmhouse?

€580,000

This grand Pazo boasts its own defensive tower complete with battlements, from which you can rain arrows down on any potential home invaders just as in days gone by… although the police may not be too sympathetic. It has three bedrooms, two li-

ving rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen ready to move into, with spacious areas on the ground floor available for conversion, and it sits on 5,800 sqm of grounds.

All properties available at, and pictures courtesy of, https://www.grupocountryhomes.com/

NORTHERN HERO

By Dilip Kuner

WHEN British architect Sir David Chipperfield fell in love with Galicia he not only built a house there, but helped set up a body to protect the stunning local landscape. Lamenting the ‘disastrous’ effects of poor urban planning along the coast, he set up an organisation to protect its important green spaces. The non-profit organisation, Fundación RIA, was designed to tackle the challenges of rural development going forwards.

As expats in southern Spain look north for cooler climes at holiday time, the Olive Press celebrates one British architect who has made the Galicia region his home are

“The nature is spectacular and the towns are amazing in their essence but they mess them up,” he recently explained to the Guardian. “They are modernised in the most horrible, brutal manner.”

The 2023 Pritzker Prize winning architect realised the region was trying to balance economic growth with preserving its natural and cultural heritage - and failing.

He lamented that former village high streets have been tur-

ned into highways, cutting each settlement in two, while industrial estates for the fishing industry have often cut residen-

IMPRESSIVE:

The nature is spectacular and the towns are amazing in their essence but they mess them up

tial areas off from the sea. So when Galicia’s then president Alberto Nuñez Feijoo (now the leader of the PP party) approached Chipperfield for help, he jumped at the chance.

Set up in 2017, RIA's

approach is multifaceted. It fosters interdisciplinary studies, spearheads pilot projects, and advocates for strategic territorial planning. RIA - which was named after the region’s coastal inlets or rias - works closely with local communities, government bodies and industry and academic institutions.

Its aim is to come up with planning solutions bringing together locals and international experts to avoid the worst development excesses.

The region’s diverse environment presents a microcosm of the challenges and opportunities facing rural areas worldwide.

Through careful planning and governance, RIA strives to demonstrate how development can coexist with environmental protection and cultural preservation, all while prioritising economic and

social well-being. Chipperfield’s personal connection to Galicia fuels his dedication to RIA. He started visiting the region in the 1990s, first discovering the modest fishing town of Co-

rrubedo, where he built a holiday home for his family.

Over three decades, he has developed such a strong affinity for the region he lives there for much of the time. This passion, coupled with his ar-

chitectural expertise, makes him a powerful advocate for its sustainable future.

A recent project exemplifies RIA's impact when it was appointed to coordinate the Territorial Agenda for Galicia.

This ambitious

initiative aims to establish a new planning regime, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Pact.

Curiously, RIA does not actually design new buildings, but concentrates on improving the living conditions of locals.

Its most tangible achievement is probably in Palmeira, where waterfront car parks were removed so the town could ‘reconnect’ to the sea.

This involved creating a long stone bench along the sea wall where people could gather and enjoy the views and fresh sea air.

To date it remains the biggest construction built by RIA. It is a far cry from his most famous projects which in Spain include The Ciutat de la Justícia in Barcelona and the impressive Veles e Vents Americas Cup venue in Valencia.

PRETTY: in Palmeira waterfront car parks were removed so the town could ‘reconnect’ to the sea+

HOME.: The house in Corrubedo that Chipperfield built for his family and how it sits in the urban landscape (left)

Chipperfield’s Veles e Vents building in Valencia (right) and the Ciutat de la Justicia in Barcelona

Cooking up a storm

SPAIN’S foodie culture thrives on outdoor living. Long, sunny days and warm evenings naturally lend themselves to socialising and dining alfresco.

It is an alluring thought for expats too. After all, who doesn’t appreciate a barbecue?

But these days firing up the barbie just isn’t enough for many people, with more and more people transforming their garden dining options with a stunning outdoor kitchen.

They are no longer a complete luxury and are increasingly seen as an extension of the living space, transforming terraces and patios into vibrant entertain-

By Dilip Kuner

ment hubs.

The beauty of these alfresco kitchens lies in their versatility. Whether you have a spacious patio or a cosy balcony, there's a design to suit your needs and budget.

For example, Modular kitchens offer a flexible and budget-friendly solution. They come in prefabricated units that can be easily arranged and reconfigured.

Built-in kitchens provide a more permanent and luxurious feel, allowing for complete customisation with features like built-in grills, sinks, and storage.

It is of course essential to choose the right materials. The Spanish weather may be glorious, but it does still rain. Opt for stainless steel for its durability and sleek look. Granite and natural stone countertops add a touch of elegance and can withstand the elements. Wood adds

warmth, but choose a weather-treated option for longevity.

Spain's sunshine is a blessing, but you’ll also need protection from the heat. Consider awnings, pergolas, or even retractable roofs to create shade. Outdoor kitchens exposed to the elements might benefit from a permanent roof or enclosure.

Built-in grills are a must-have, allowing you to barbeque with ease. Think beyond the grill and consider adding a sink, refrigerator, or even a pizza oven for an ultimate outdoor cooking experience. When designing your outdoor kitchen, incorporate elements that reflect the Spanish spirit. Terracotta tiles, colourful mosaics, and locally sourced furniture add a touch of authenticity. Sustainability is also a key consideration. Opt for energy-efficient appliances and consider incorporating water-saving features.

An outdoor kitchen is an investment that extends your living space and enhances your enjoyment of the outdoors. With careful planning and a touch of Spanish flair, you can create a haven for unforgettable gatherings and culinary adventures in the great outdoors, without leaving your home!

If it’s too hot in the kitchen, move outdoors

GRAND: Outdoor kitchens fit to feed the stars under the stars

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STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

The Nazi stormtrooper and bodyguard to Hitler who joined the Israeli secret services and made his home in Spain

AT

first glance the funeral in Madrid seemed like nothing out of the ordinary.

It was a warm June day in 1975 and the few dozen mourners initially lowered their heads to pay their respects as the flower-draped casket rolled gently by.

But then came the shock when, clearly on cue, the majority of attendees suddenly stretched out their right arms in a full Nazi salute.

When they began singing a series of Adolf Hitler songs, the event became intriguing in the extreme… And even more so when it later emerged that some of those in attendance were members of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.

This was the funeral of Madrid resident Otto Skorzeny, a former Nazi who had happily lived in the Spanish capital for decades.

As strange as it may sound to readers who have just watched the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings to liberate Europe from the Nazis, a group of former SS leaders at a funeral in Spain wasn't all that rare.

What was, is the attendance of members of a group dedicated to Israel’s security. Strange bedfellows? Counterintuitive? Illogical?

You need to consider the life of Otto (1908-1975) who was born in Vienna into a family with a long and distinguished military legacy.

He certainly cut a fine figure. He was tall (nearly 2 meters), athletic (an Olympic fencing champion) with movie star good looks.

Many believed Otto bore a striking similarity to the dashing Hollywood star Errol Flynn. And he had an appropriate dramatic facial scar (c/o fencing) that only added to his swashbuckling persona. We need to go back to 1932 though when he joined the Austrian Nazi Party and swiftly moved up the ranks.

After completing numerous commando raids, Otto became one of Hitler’s favorite soldiers. So good, in fact, that he became the Fuhrer’s bodyguard and chief of all commando operations. His missions were audacious, bold and worthy of

By Jack Gaioni

an Ian Flemming / James Bond script. They included Operation Oak when in 1943 Italian partisans kidnapped Hitler’s closest ally, Benito Mussolini and imprisoned him high in the Apennine Mountains.

Otto and company, using gliders made of canvas, were able to crash land near the prison, free Mussolini and safely escort him back to Berlin.

The Fuhrer was delighted! The mission even impressed Winston Churchill, who called Otto ‘the most dangerous man in Europe’. Then there was Operation Greif: Otto was assigned the task of training English-speaking German troops, dressed as American soldiers, driving captured Allied jeeps and tanks to roam behind enemy lines. Their orders were simple: to cause great disruption by upsetting Allied communications, giving false orders and misdirecting traffic. The Fuhrer and Otto believed the mission could change the course of the critical Battle of the Bulge and for a brief period, they were correct.

Operation Long Jump: Later that same year, Otto personally devised a commando plan to assassinate the Big Three (Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt) at the Tehran Conference in Iran.

Stalin however, somehow uncovered the plot and Otto was able to convince Hitler the plan was unworkable. The mission was aborted.

At the war’s conclusion and during the subsequent Nuremberg trials (Nov. 1945), Otto was imprisoned as a war criminal.

And in true derring do he es-

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caped and for two years hid out as a fugitive in France, Bavaria, and later rural Ireland.

But by 1950 he was living openly in Madrid where a sympathetic Francoist Spain welcomed Nazi refugees as asylum seekers.

By all appearances, his new life appeared normal. Married and settled and no longer living as a fugitive, he quietly set up a small import/export business.

It was not long before it became apparent that his business was a front to help numerous Nazis escape to South America.

This was especially to Argentina where Otto not only ‘advised’ Juan Peron but became a bodyguard (and some say a lover!) to Eva Peron.

He also became the founder and advisor for the Paladin Group, an organization based near Alicante which specialized in arming and training international guerilla groups.

Unsurprisingly, Otto’s actions in Egypt did not go unnoticed by Israel’s Mossad.

One evening in 1962 two Mossad agents posing as a couple befriended him in a Madrid bar.

He was initially sure they were there to kill him and later explained his enormous surprise when it turned out they wanted to hire him.

For unknown reasons Otto agreed. Sent to Jerusalem to meet with Mossad hierarchy, Otto, with his Egyptian connections, began to compile a list of German scientists and the names of front companies from Europe that were complicit in Egypt’s military projects.

By 1950 he was in Madrid where Francoist Spain welcomed Nazi refugees

During his two decades stay in Spain, he also made many trips to Egypt. There he began a program to train Arab volunteers in commando tactics for possible strikes against British troops stationed on the Suez Canal.

One of those trainees was none other than the Palestinian hero and leader, Yasser Arafat.

As a personal advisor to Egyptian President Gamel Nasser, Otto helped recruit German scientists in a missile program to be used against Israel.

He was soon ‘hands on’ involved in the kidnapping and assassination of Heinz Krug, an infamous German scientist and chief hardware supplier for the Egyptian missile program.

Otto never explained, at least publicly, how he could transition from being a Nazi commando and bodyguard to Hitler to being an agent for Israel’s secret service.

The irony is rich. Was he seeking atonement for his Nazi past? Did he fear for his life if he did otherwise? Or was he just a swashbuckling adventurer seeking his next adrenaline fix?

He supposedly took the answer to his Madrid grave so we may never know.

“YOUR website is incredible… I have never seen so many inquiries!”

That’s the glowing testimonial of Marbella lawyer Diego Echavarria, who took out a sponsored article on our website last week.

His post about winning expats compensation over dodgy mortgage deals has so far been read by more than 15,000 people.

“I am receiving lots of enquiries,” a very satisfied Diego explained. “In fact I have never had so many, it’s amazing.”

And it’s no surprise given the sheer amount of traffic www.theolivepress.es is now receiving.

More than 100,000 people visited us on many recent days, cementing our position as the most popular English website in Spain.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people are registering on our website daily and we now have nearly 40,000 registered users, who receive special deals and promotions each month.

Only by signing up can you take advantage of these offers, including competitions to win tickets for concerts - and ONLY by being a client can you tap into our valuable database.

While our carefully distributed papers continue to bring results (just ask long term clients like La Sala, Specsavers or the Sky Doctor) our online popularity is creating new opportunities.

But not everyone understands how to utilise them.

One company that does is the Metro Group, which regularly uses our website and database to offer a string of excellent deals at its dozen-plus restaurants.

One free meal giveaway at Bono Beach in Marbella saw an incredible 900 entrants last month. Meanwhile, a 50% discount for the opening of their new Nomad restaurant got 96 bookings, while a 25% off brunch deal brought another 50.

“We’ve been very happy with the results” explained marketing boss, Karen Wolfson.

Five-star hotels SO/Sotogrande and the Kempinski have used our database, while an exclusive room discount at DDG Retreat, near Estepona, got ‘even more bookings than the Times’.

On the Costa Blanca, a FIFA-accredited agent trusted us to promote an international football match in Murcia between Northern Ireland and Andorra. The response speaks volumes.

“It went really well and we saw a noticeable uptake soon after it went live,” he said. “We will definitely be using you guys again!”

When it comes to advertising your business in Spain there’s nowhere better than the Olive Press

Register your FREE

MISSION: Skorzeny (left) and with Mussolini on rescue mission

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Bargain travel offer

YOUNG people in Spain aged from 18 to 30 can register for big summer season travel discounts via the Ministry of Transport website.

Some of the reductions go as high as 90% for train, bus, and Interrail tickets across Spain and Europe. It means that people born between 1994 and 2006 can take advantage of the governments' Young Summer low cost scheme between July 1 and September 30. Registration on the Transport Ministry website is free but must be carried out no shorter than 24 hours before the first journey.

Fuming Airbnb

Landlords claim Barcelona’s decision to eliminate ALL tourist apartments will cause a ‘recession’

AIRBNB landlords have blasted Barcelona City Council’s plans to revoke the licences of the 10,000plus tourist apartments as a ‘populist decision’ that is ‘accompanied by a lot of ignorance’.

On Friday, Barcelona’s mayor Jaume Collboni vowed that tourist apartments will be outlawed by November 2028 in an attempt to relieve the city’s housing crisis which has seen rental prices surge by 70% in just

Electric air cabs

THE journey from Malaga to Marbella could be shortened to just 20 minutes by taking a futuristic electric air-taxi - for a price.

This futuristic vision could become a reality in 2030, thanks to groundbreaking technology from Spanish company Crisalion Mobility.

The eVtol (electric vertical take-off and landing) will have capacity for five passengers, plus a pilot and will cruise at a speed of 180 kilometres per hour. They will not be able to maintain that speed for one hour, however, as they will just have

EXCLUSIVE

By Ben Pawlowski

a decade.

The Olive Press has spoken to several Airbnb landlords who have decried the move as ill-thought-out, claiming it will hit hard-working citizens and do nothing to address the root cause of the housing crisis.

Luis, general manager at Aparteasy, a property company that offers short-term rentals through Airbnb, de-

a range of 130 kilometres - but more than enough for a round trip between Malaga and Marbella. Crisalion Mobility estimates fares to range between €150 and €200.

Chicken claims

ANIMAL rights groups Including Spain’s Animal Welfare Observatory (OBA) have claimed that 70% of the chicken sold by German retailer Lidl contains bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

scribed the move as a ‘populist decision’ which will ‘not solve the problem of housing in Barcelona as it represents only 1.1% of total housing’.

Luis said the revoking of licences would give rise to a ‘new black market’, pushing tourist expenditure towards the ‘small rich hands’ of hotel owners.

Francesco, who has managed over 1,200 reservations as the manager of tourist apartments, argued that the decision was ‘accompanied by a lot of ignorance of the sector’ with a misunderstanding of the ‘advantages tourist apartments bring to neighbourhoods’.

He said: “Does the city

have the right to eliminate this source of income from private citizens who have borrowed money and refurbished their properties for this use?”

Impact

Francesco also told the Olive Press that the move will impact architects, renovation companies, cleaning staff, maintenance services, taxis, internet providers, textile companies and restaurant workers, all of whom benefit from tourist apartments operating within the city.

He added that the council needs to build 10,000 new homes for social housing rather than make all tourism properties illegal.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

They also claim that 38% of the samples it tested contained listeria, while 83% carried pathogens that will cause diarrhoea such as E.coli and Campylobacter.

The tests were carried out by a German laboratory, which tested 142 products from Lidl’s own brand, sold across Europe.

The results showed that 17 of the 24 samples from Spain contained bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. However, Lidl said that the study was aimed at ‘discrediting the company’s image with false and/or unproven information’, adding that ‘the items allegedly analysed are produced by suppliers that supply chicken meat to a large majority of Spanish distribution chains’.

PLAN: Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni

November

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Bull run warning

LOST WORLD

PAMPLONA has produced 10,000 leaflets offering safety tips to tourists planning to visit the world-famous bull runs that start on July 7.

Information is in four languages including English and Spanish, and will be distributed in bus and train stations, as well as airports.

A digital version will be available on the Pamplona City Council website and copies have been sent to embassies and consulates.

There are warnings about running with the bulls if intoxicated or under the influence of drugs

The leaflet has sections on cutting the risk of being robbed and what to do if you witness or are a victim of sexual aggression.

Stunning find in Spain has archeologists excited: 2,400 year old tablet could provide glimpse into the secrets of an ancient lost civilisation

A RECENTLY unearthed tablet from 2,400 years ago could be about to re-write ancient history.

Pre-dating the famous Rosetta Stone by 400 years, the discovery could be evidence of a previously unknown written language used by the lost Tartessian civilization.

The artefact, which was unearthed at the Casas del Turuñuelo dig site in Badajoz, appears to be inscribed with an alphabetic sequence of 21 signs.

If confirmed, it would indicate the presence of a sophisticated and literate society in pre-Roman Iberia.

By Walter Finch

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) believes the tablet may be a practice slate used by artisans to hone their skills before engraving on more permanent materials.

The inscription features repeated illustrations of faces, geometric shapes, and warriors in combat.

Researchers are particularly interested in the tablet's alphabetic symbols.

While some signs resemble known southern Paleo-Hispanic dialects, others are en-

tirely new.

University of Barcelona researcher Joan Ferrer i Jane believes the tablet ‘could reach 32 signs if complete.’ It would potentially represent

ROBBIE ON DISPLAY

POP star Robbie Williams visited Barcelona last week for the launch of his very own art exhibition called Pride and self prejudice that’s been inspired by his mental health struggles. The city’s Modern Contemporary Museum (MOCO) is displaying 17

INCREDIBLE: The ‘sketches’ on the tablet

a brand new sister language to the existing southern Paleo-Hispanic family.

The find is crucial for historians and archaeologists as it fills a gap in understanding the transition between ancient Iberian scripts and the later fully developed writing systems of the Roman era.

Wealth

A so-called ‘influencer’ found she had no influence whatsoever when security refused to let her into Sevilla cathedral. The Argentinean named Gigi was told to go-go when she turned up at the holy site wearing a skimpy bikini-style top and covered with tattoos and piercings.

“They told me that I couldn’t go in like that, that I needed to cover up,” she explained in an online video, still wearing the small black top that had not met the approval of the staff. As she pointed out, however, the temperature in Seville was 39ºC, and what’s more, she saw another girl with a similar outfit but with no tattoos allowed to enter.

According to a TikTok commentator called Ruben, they didn’t let the influencer in ‘because she might get stuck on the magnet they have at the door’.

large-format paintings created digitally on an iPad, in the style of David Hockney’s latest works.

MOCO director, Kim Logchies, said: I have seen more than 5,000 of his works and I can assure you that he has a new voice and a completely different prism in the art world.”

The Tartessian culture, known for its wealth and sophistication, flourished from the 9th to 6th centuries BC in what is now Andalucia.

Their mysterious disappearance has long been a source of fascination, with some attributing it to earthquakes or tsunamis.

Put your money to work

HAVE you ever considered how your investments can impact the environment and society? Sustainable investing offers a way to align your financial goals with your values.

This article dives into the world of sustainable funds, exploring what they are, how they work, and the different approaches you might encounter.

While we often focus on sustainable practices in our daily lives, there’s another area to consider: our investments.

This isn’t about your everyday spending, but rather the money you’re saving for the future. Many people invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds, and most banks offer a variety of options based on your preferences. The concept of sustainable investing gained momentum after Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, highlighted its importance several years ago. Since then, the financial market has embraced this approach.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to sustainable funds. Definitions and approaches can vary depending on the fund manager and your personal priorities. Here are some key questions to consider:

FOCUS ON EXISTING VS. DEVELOPING SUSTAINABILITY: Do you want to invest in compa-

There

nies that are already sustainable, or those transitioning towards sustainability? The latter might need your investment to make the change, but verifying how those funds are used can be challenging.

THE Spanish government will invest €2.24 billion to connect Asturias to the Atlantic Corridor cross-border high-speed rail network.

The investment will see northern Spain link up with cities

DEFINING SUSTAINABILITY: What constitutes a sustainable company? The EU’s taxonomy even includes gas and nuclear power in this definition. Often, banks go further and have their own criteria.

EXCLUSION VS. THEMATIC FUNDS: Some funds exclude specific industries considered unsustainable, like fossil fuels. Thematic funds, on the other hand, focus on a particular aspect of sustainability, like environmental solutions, social responsibility, or good governance.

A recent Morgan Stanley study revealed investor priorities in sustainable investing. Climate action topped the list (15%), followed by healthcare (13%). Water solutions, circular economy, nature & biodiversity, and education were also important considerations.

The EU’s sustainability reporting standards aim to minimize ‘greenwashing,’ where companies exaggerate their sustainability efforts. This transparency will be beneficial for investors.

It can be difficult to definitively say if your investment directly translates into positive change. However, by choosing sustainable funds, you contribute to the growing demand for sustainable practices. Companies that don’t prioritize sustainability risk being excluded from the capital market, driving positive change across the board. Ultimately, sustainable investing offers a way to make your money work towards a more sustainable future, even if the impact may not be directly measurable.

Please send your questions or comments on how to be greener to christin@theolivepress.es

Black flagged

ECOLOGISTS in Action has handed its unwanted black flags to 48 beaches across the Spanish coast.

‘Black flag’ status shames coastal resorts for pollution, over development, gentrification and poor management of wastewater.

The ‘award’ is given by the environmental group and this year’s list includes popular resorts like Estepona, Tarragona and Ibiza. According to the NGO, the Canary Islands are one of the worst affected areas.

An annual report, the Black Flags denounced the ‘overtourism and urbanisation of our coastline’ as one of the ‘biggest problems’ Spain faces.

Of the 48 beaches named in the report, some 15 have been overdeveloped next to the sea.

A further 16 had insufficient management of wastewater meaning the seawater was not clean.

48 beaches named and shamed by environmentalists

By Yzabelle Bostyn

Some six more had chemical or acoustic pollution, three had marine rubbish, three had suffered damage caused by industrial activities and four more had environmental damage.

They also called out two hotels in Fuerteventura, which they claim were built in a protected area.

Speaking to the Olive Press, before the report was officially released, the environmental group defined the issue as a ‘chronic cancer.’

“We only choose 48 to not overwhelm the press and the people but there are hundreds of natural spaces that are being destroyed,” Cristobal Lopez, Ecologists in Action spokes-

man and Coordinator of the ‘Black Flags report’.

Lopez believes the Spanish coast has ‘several serious problems’ that are mainly caused by mass tourism and pollution generated by companies.

“Spain doubles its population during the holiday period and consequently, there is an uncontrolled urban development that leads to the destruction of the coast. This aberration means that what once were natural areas become a set of hotels and summer homes”. He added: “Water sanitation and filtering treatment services collapse because of the overpopulation and sewage flows directly into the sea.”

“And many companies also dump their waste, including chemicals, in the sea, but the

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Atlantic trains

across Western Europe, including Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Strasbourg, Mannheim and Le Havre. The majority of the funding will be ear-

marked for EU projects to be completed by 2030, with €675 million going towards longer-term infrastructure developments.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 6 Tattoo, 8 Evolve, 9 Marc, 10 Effusive, 11 Joshua, 13 Seuss, 15 Dab, 17 Fatal, 18 Eddies, 20 Alcatraz, 22 Hawn, 23 TV show, 24 Nation.

Down: 1 Paranoia, 2 Notepad, 3 Beefy, 4 Low speed, 5 Aviv, 7 T L C, 12 Headache, 14 Sherwood, 16 Benzene, 19 Drown, 21 Levy, 22 Hat.

THE Iberian lynx is no longer classed as ‘endangered’ on the global red list of threatened species after a two-decade-long conservation effort across the peninsula. According to the latest census figures, the lynx population on the Iberian peninsula has risen to 2,021 from a low of just 94 in 2002, with almost

Off the list

86% of those found in Spain. The change in status, which means the Iberian lynx is now categorised as ‘vulnerable’, was announced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). the

The investment is expected to give business in the region a big boost, with improved connections between ports on the Iberian peninsula and business hubs in France, Germany, and other countries in Western Europe.

fines they face are ridiculously low and there are many times they are not even enforced to pay them.”

Affluent North far outstrips

By Walter Finch

THE average salary in Andalucia crept up to over €2,000 a month in 2022.

Lopez identifies Andalucia, which has received 10 black flags, as one of the most environmentally destroyed regions in Spain, while Valencia has been given seven.

WAGES UP

Head in the clouds

At €24,042 a year, it represents a 3.8% increase on 2021, according to the Salary Structure Survey released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) last week. Across Spain, the average salary came in at €26,949, a 4.1% increase.

Aside from the pocket of Madrid, the affluent north vastly overshadows the wealth of central and southern regions of Spain.

The Basque Country and Madrid outpace all with average earnings topping €30,000, standing at €32,314 and €31,231 respectively. They are followed by Navarra and Catalunya, where workers earn €29,190 and €28,775 respectively.

The lowest wages were re-

ported in Extremadura (€21,923), the Canary Islands (€23,097), Castilla-La Mancha (€23,752), and Murcia (€23,852).

Joining Andalucia slightly above these figures are Galicia and Castilla y Leon, with earnings around €24,000.

Other regions such as Asturias, Aragon, Cantabria, La Rioja, and the Valencian Community also reported wages below the national average. Particularly noteworthy is the Balearic Islands, where the average salary rose to €27,146, marking the country’s highest year-on-year increase at 12.5%.

This upward trend in salaries, particularly in regions previously lagging behind, offers a glimpse of a potentially narrowing economic divide, suggesting a slow but steady fiscal recovery in some of Spain's traditionally lower-wage areas.

MICROSOFT has announced plans to invest over €6.6 billion in setting up new data centres in Spain. The new centres, to be located in Aragon, come hot on the heels of Microsoft’s first cloud region, Spain Central, located in Madrid. The company claims that it will generate over 70,000 jobs and contribute approximately €10 billion to Spain's GDP by 2030. These projects are aimed at providing state-of-the-art, sustainable, and secure AI solutions not just for Spain, but for Europe at large.

AI Solutions

Spain Central already boasts artificial intelligence (AI) solutions which it claims will help Spanish companies and public organisations to tap into the power of AI.

This investment is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to expand its global data infrastructure footprint, following similar expansions by other tech giants like Amazon Web Services, who have also bet on Spain.

GREEN INVESTMENTS:

are lots of opportunities

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ABORTION LAW BACKED

SPAIN’S Constitutional Court has backed a reform to the country’s abortion law that was passed last year, which allows 16 and 17-yearolds to terminate their pregnancies without parental permission.

Sources from the top court have said that a majority of judges have rejected an appeal against the legislation, which was filed by the farright Vox party.

There is a majority of progressive judges in the court currently, and their sentence has been drafted

by one of these magistrates, Laura Diez, who argues in her text that the law is constitutional. Four conservative judges, meanwhile, voted against the decision. As well as the age change for seeking terminations without parental permission, it also forces regional governments to ensure that public healthcare resources are available for abortion procedures. Prior to the passing of the law, more than 80% of terminations were carried out in private clinics.

Skin cancer on the up

EXPERTS have warned about a significant rise in skin cancer cases, but many people are treated successfully as it is detected early.

The Hospital Universitario Virgen de Victoria in Malaga says 150 melanomas were diagnosed last year at its facilities.

Hospital head and dermatology specialist, Enrique Herrera, said: “The incidence of skin cancer has multiplied 15 times in the last 50 years due to the

lack of awareness of this disease and not enough prevention when exposed to the sun.

“Although the sun is life, it is important to protect ourselves and do things correctly since taking precautions is still the best way to avoid skin tumours”, he added.

Last year the Spanish Academy of Dermatology said skin cancer cases had risen by

40% over four years, but survival rates are around 90% due to earlier diagnosis.

BEST AND WORST

SPAIN'S best regions for public health services have been named in an annual report from campaigners for high quality health provision.

The Federation of Associations for the Defence of Public Health (FADSP) gave the Valencian Community and Andalucia the lowest scores, while Navarre, the Basque Country, and Asturias came out on top.

The 20th FADSP report said

Valencia and Andalucia named two worst regions for healthcare

By Alex Trelinski

the country's National Health System ‘has worsened’ in recent years. The study aims to work out the differences between the

BOTOX HORROR

A WOMAN in Zaragoza ended up in intensive care after she received botox injections in a private apartment rather than in an authorised clinic.

There is a growing ‘black market’ for such esthetic treatments, with the botox used often having been stolen. Botox injections use a toxin to prevent muscles from moving, and as such are a popular method used by men and women to smooth out wrinkles.

Healthcare sources said that the woman, who was described as being middle aged, suffered iatrogenic botulism, which is an acute intoxication caused by the injections. The condition can be caused either by excessive quantities of botox, or by its incorrect administration.

The symptoms include difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, as well as weakness, blurred vision and paralysis.

The patient spent several days in intensive care before being discharged.

Police are investigating the incident.

health services of the country’s 17 regions based on the latest available data and on the same level, which FADSP says is difficult due to a ‘lack of transparency’ and figures not being updated.

Assessments are carried out by looking at financing; resources and operations such as per head ex-

penditure: the number of beds per 1,000 residents; operating theatre numbers; and doctor and nurse totals.

Other things taken into account include pharmaceutical spending; patient appreciation; waiting lists; and health privatisation.

The maximum possible score in the study is 142 and the minimum score is 33, with an average obtained of 85.4.

The regions with the best ratings are: Navarre (106), the Basque Country (105), Asturias

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

European Medicines Agency begins review of Nolotil, the painkiller blamed in Spain for dozens of expat deaths, writes Simon Hunter

THE European Medicines Agency (EMA) has begun a process to review the safety of Nolotil, a painkiller which has been blamed for dozens of ex-

(100) and Castilla y Leon (95).

The lowest numbers are Catalunya (80), the Canary Islands (79), Castilla-La Mancha (79), Madrid (79), Murcia (78), the Balearic Islands (77), Andalucia (66) and Valencia propping up the bottom(62).

In recent years, there has been little change as to which areas do well and which ones flounder in comparison.

FADSP spokesperson, Dr. Marciano Provencio, said: “The difference between different regions is clearly ex-

cessive and it shows a great disparity in health services, which far from falling has gone up.”

“This continues to jeopardise a much-needed cohesion and equity between the regions.” he added.

Over the vexed issue of waiting lists to see a specialist consultant, the longest delay is in the Canary Islands (149 days).

They are followed by Andalucia (143 days), Navarre (114 days), Murcia (110 days), Aragon and Extremadura (106 days).

Sickies

THE number of sick days taken by workers in Spain has leapt up by 43% on average since 2018 according to a new study.

The report from Umivale Activa and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research says that 5.9% of working days were lost last year to illness, compared to 4.1% - five years earlier. Common illnesses and non-occupational accidents account for 91% of last year's absenteeism total. In the case of the health sector, 681 sick leaves were registered per thousand workers in 2023 - well above the average figure of 473 per thousand across Spain.

The seven highest regions for sick absenteeism are the Canary Islands, the Basque Country, Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, Catalunya and the Murcia region - all with overall rates above 6.5%.

neric name of Nolotil) following concerns that the measures in place to minimise the known risk of agranulocytosis may not be effective enough,” an agency spokesperson said. Agranulocytosis is a known side effect of medicines that contain metamizol, and involves a sudden and sharp decrease in a type of white blood cell. The condition can lead to serious infections, which can be fatal. The drug is known to have potentially deadly side effects for Northern Europeans. The Olive Press is currently running a campaign to ensure Nolotil is only given on short-term

prescriptions and should not be prescribed to North European patients, nor anyone from the United States, Australia and New Zealand. We have collected the testimony of a series of families who lost loved ones after they were prescribed Nolotil in Spain.

Yvonne Flowers had been living in Spain for 23 years when she suffered an accident, and was prescribed Nolotil while in hospital and later died. Her family successfully sued the Hospital Clinica Benidorm for negligence and received a payout of more than €400,000.

In December of last year, a 42-yearold father from the UK died in Alicante after he took Nolotil for a shoulder injury.

Expats

As well as the Olive Press, the Association of Drug Affected Patients (ADAF) has also been campaigning for greater restrictions on the drug. The ADAF, which was founded by

campaigner Cristina del Campo, believes that Nolotil is responsible for at least 47 deaths, 37 of which involved British and Irish expats in Spain.

The review by the EMA was started after a request by the Finnish medicines agency. Once the committee responsible for the evaluation of safety issues for human medicines completes its research, it will make a set of recommendations.

Toothy visitor

A BEACH in the Canary Islands was evacuated and the red flag raised after a two-metre shark swam right up to the shore.

Sun seekers

PEOPLE on Spain’s generous state benefits have been warned not to swan off on holidays longer than 15 days this summer as they ‘have no right to enjoy holidays.’

Fan-atics

MALAGA FC fans went so nuts after their team won promotion they packed the airport at 5am to welcome the players and even forced the town hall to shut down parts of the city centre.

Aged like fine wine

Archaeologists

discover 2,000-yearold vintage in Roman tomb

IF you like a finely aged wine, forget about the famed €5,000 a bottle Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2004, which reached a peak of excellence for the Bordeaux vineyard - it is a mere stripling. Instead, head down to Car-

By Alex Trelinski

mona in Sevilla province where archaeologists have discovered a vintage that is an incredible 2,000 years old. They found what is thought to

DOUBLING UP

be the oldest wine still in liquid form in a glass urn while investigating a Roman tomb. But anyone tempted to sample the vino to see how it has aged over two millennia should be aware of a grisly secret. Also in the urn are the cre-

A FEMALE kitten used up one of its nine lives after surviving a 200 kilometre journey trapped in a car engine.

the first century AD.

A MARBELLA clinic has become the first in Spain to offer pet cloning where a genetic copy of a cat or dog can be made for around €55,000.

A breakthrough in animal cloning happened in 1996 with Dolly the sheep being cloned from an adult cell by scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. Since then, animal cloning has become widespread, especially in species of high economic value such as camels and horses, where cloning costs can reach €75,000.

mated remains of a person, submerged in the wine.

The vehicle was travelling southbound from Barcelona on the AP-7 motorway when it stopped at a service area at Benicarlo in Castellon province. After parking up, the passengers were convinced they heard the meows of a cat coming from somewhere in the car.

A Guardia Civil patrol looked around the car before discovering the little kitten caught in the engine area. One life gone

SHACKLETON’S

Carmona town Council and the University of Cordoba say both the wine and remains have been preserved since

Organic chemists at the University of Cordoba have identified it as the oldest liquid wine discovered to date, thus replacing the Speyer wine bottle, dated to the fourth century AD, found in 1867 and preserved in Pfalz museum in Germany. Despite the 2,000 years, the condition of the tomb was excellent and well-sealed, making it easier for the wine to maintain its natural state. Chemists studied the pH, the absence of organic matter, mineral salts, and the presence of certain chemical compounds, which were compared to current wines made by Montilla-Moriles, Jerez and Sanlucar.

Cloning an animal involves replicating its genetics by extracting a sample of DNA from the animal’s skin tissue. The extracted cells are cultured and their nucleus is inserted into an egg of the same species, previously enucleated. This embryo, which contains 99.9% of the genetic material of the original animal, is then implanted in a female for gestation.

The Grupo OVO clinic, run by embryologist Enrique Criado, has performed five dog clones for Spanish clients and hopes to expand its market to neighbouring countries such as France and Portugal.

Cloning a dog costs around €55,000, while a cat comes in €5,000 cheaper.