Olive Press Costa Blanca North and Valencia Issue 128

The English artist who introduced old Spain’s ancient buildings to the world

See page 10

A NEIGHBOURHOOD row over a luxury property development has gone international following the intervention of the Austrian ambassador to Spain.

The years-long battle relates to nine upmarket homes being built next to a 200-year-old finca in Campoamor, Orihuela, which is owned by expats from Austria.

The Wesenauer family, who bought their property in 1996, claim the structural integrity of the Casa Langostina villa is under threat by the works, which include multiple swim-

Hands off our finca!

ming pools - and plan to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

They have now been supported by their country’s representative in Spain Enno Drofenik, who wrote to local mayor Jose Vegera, pleading with him to come up with a fairer solution.

“They have had their property threatened for 20 years by an old law regulating planning activity in the Valencian Community,” wrote Drofenik.

In 2000, the family were told that they could lose a large part of their own land under the infamous Valencian LRAU planning laws, commonly known as the ‘Land Grab’ law, which allowed developers to take land for tourist home construction with no compensation if it was ‘in the community interest'.

The laws were later deemed illegal by the EU and are no longer in force, leading the family to claim they are ‘victims of an extinct law’.

Things reached a head last month when construction crews arrived to begin building nine homes and swimming pools on land that used to be their garden.

Mother Gabriele and one of her Continues on page 4

No to Nolotil!

THREE major private hospital groups have vowed to stop handing out Nolotil to at-risk patients after being contacted by the Olive Press

Grupo Ribera on the Costa Blanca, plus HCB and the Helicopteros Sanitarios group all told this paper they were committed to banning the drug for northern European and American patients.

The companies said they were following important central government advice issued in 2018, which came about after medical campaigner Cristina del Campo took the issue to the national courts.

News of their re-commitment comes after we launched a campaign in February to stop handing out the lethal painkiller - also known as Metamizole - to expats and tourists.

Clinics and hospitals across Spain vow to crackdown on ‘killer drug’ after Olive Press campaign

The majority died after their white blood cell count plummeted due to side effects from the drug, manufactured in Germany.

KILL THE DRUG

The drug - which is banned in around 40 countries - is believed to be behind at least 100 deaths of foreigners in Spain.

Grupo Ribera, which has many facilities on the Costa Blanca, made a similar promise, saying: “We advise against the prescription of Nolotil given that a significant part of the (local) population is foreign and is therefore at risk of these complications.”

And despite the Olive Press receiving a number of reports that patients have received Nolotil in HCB hospitals, the Costa Blanca group assured us this week they are now ‘following’ Madrid’s recommendations.

“We are very aware of the recommen-

dation not to prescribe Nolotil to foreign patients,” insisted the spokesman. A spokesman for Helicopteros told the Olive Press: “Due to our geographical location on the Costa del Sol our patients come from all over the world and so we are particularly aware of the side effects that Metamizole can have.

“For this reason, our medical staff are committed not to administer this medication to our patients.”

Other hospitals, including Grupo HLA, declined to comment.

The positive steps come two months after we launched a second campaign to have the dangerous drug banned for tourists and expat foreigners.

Our first campaign in 2017 ended when AEMPS (The Spanish Agency for Medicines) ruled in 2018 that Nolotil must only be used by patients for short periods of time.

any severe reaction. It further ruled the drug should also NOT be given to tourists and others ‘who would not have access to such controls and monitoring’. It must also be available by prescription only and on a case-by-case basis, with a patient’s medical history and risk factors also taken into consideration.

Despite the advice, deaths however have continued to happen, most recently with 42-year-old British expat Mark Brooks who was prescribed Nolotil in December 2023.

When we discovered others had also died following prescription, we felt we needed to act again.

After nearly 700 people signed our petition urging health facilities to follow the rules, we began asking hospitals and local health authorities for their commitment.

So far, we have received eight responses, with five pledging to follow AEMPs advice.

Most notably, the Junta de Andalucia stated that ‘knowing the risk of agran-

At least 11 patients have died after taking Metam- izole in Andalucia, a govern- ment report shows.

The region has logged at least 141 cases of agranulocytosis brought on by the drug.

In Andalucia alone, there have been at least 709 reports of complications after taking Metamizole.

Nolotil in numbers    

Some 58% of Metamizole prescriptions in Andalu- cia are currently for longer than 180 days, while 38% are for longer than a year.

ulocytosis (low white blood cell count) associated with metamizole’, its hospitals now follow the official health advice.

The Junta added it should only be used for short periods of time, ideally

The ‘informative note’ meant they should be monitored and have regular blood tests to detect no longer than a week and that any patients given the drug should be closely monitored using blood tests.

Sensationally, a spokesman also revealed to us there had been 141 reports of agranulocytosis at the hands of Metamizole in Andalucia, 11 of which were fatal.

Other local authorities, including Cantabria and Castilla-La Mancha, also claimed to be following AEMPS advice, while Madrid refused to comment.

The drug has already been banned outright in Catalunya, while it is also outlawed in many countries including Sweden, America and the UK.

PLEA: Ambassador Drofenik and the finca

PROTEST: Wesenauer mum and daughter chained themselves to a bulldozer

Foreign mums

ONE in four babies from the Valencia region born in 2022 have a non-Spanish mother according to the Valencian Institute of Statistics, with the Alicante province ratio hitting one in three.

Porn arrests

TWO brothers were among three people arrested in Alicante province during a nationwide sweep against distributors and makers of child pornography, helped by US authorities.

Tests resume

STRIKES affecting

ITV car test station workers in the Valencian region have been suspended as talks resume with the government over a salary deal.

Fees banked

CAR park charges for high season visitors to Granadella and Portitxoll coves netted a €60,000 profit for Javea council.

Here we go again

Brit ‘narco boss’ bailed after police operation in in Altea,

Benidorm, Villajoyosa, La Nucia, Javea, and Calpe

INFAMOUS British drugs

baron Brian Charrington has been arrested againthis time in a Policia Nacional operation that swept up 30 people.

Charrington, 67, was detained at his luxury villa in Altea as part of a swoop against drug trafficking and money laundering.

The police, along with Tax Agency officials, raided 24 homes and businesses in

By Alex Trelinski

Altea, Benidorm, Villajoyosa, La Nucia, Javea, and Calpe.

Over €200,000 in cash, a gun, and a kilo of cocaine were seized but reports suggest that no narcotics were taken from Charrington’s villa.

abelle and a retired Policia Nacional officer from Benidorm who had been previously detained in another anti-drugs

ARRESTED: Charrington was detained but released by court

Others arrested included Charrington's partner Is- investigation. The probe is under a secrecy order with inquiries launched in 2022.

CRIMES SHOOT UP

REPORTED crimes in Alicante province last year were up by 11.7% on 2022 figures - nearly double the national rise of 5.9%.

Interior Ministry figures showed 105,368 registered criminal offence.

Some 17,866 cybercrimes were reported last year - up 36.6% on 2022 - and the overwhelming majority were internet-related scams.

Violent robberies rose by 25.7%; thefts were up 11.4%; and sex assaults increased by 7.3%.

The biggest percentage rise in municipalities of over 20,000 residents was El Campello with 26.5%.

Alicante accounted for nearly a quarter of all provincial crime on 24,685 - up 16.4% - while other significant increases were in l'Alfas del Pi (18.1%), Benidorm (19.4%), Calpe (20.5%), Santa Pola (14.3%), and Torrevieja (12.3%).

The only cities to see crime fall, by just over 1%, were Crevillente, Villena, and Mutxamel.

It’s believed that most of the detainees - including Charrington - have been bailed after appearing on different days before a Benidorm judge. Their release conditions include weekly visits to a police station and the withdrawal of their passports, according to the Valencian Community High Court of Justice (TSJ). The TSJ says they are facing charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, the illegal possession of weapons, kidnapping, the dissemination of secrets, and belonging to a criminal

gang. Brian Charrington was convicted of smuggling cocaine into an Altea marina in 2013 and given a jail term of nearly 11 years following a trial in autumn 2021. He was also ordered to pay a fine of over €15 million but lodged an appeal with Valencian Supreme Court, which meant that he was not jailed, with the appeal still to be heard.

His original 2018 trial and conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court over impartiality issues.

In July 2003, a German court jailed him for seven years after convicting him of drug smuggling, and he also spent two years behind bars in France.

A NIGERIAN scammer wanted on an International Arrest Warrant has been arrested at Alicante-Elche airport.

The man, 33, arrived on a Manchester flight and his name was flagged up by databases at passport control. He apparently conned a friend to start a business venture in Nigeria and she transferred a total of €67,000 to his bank account in 2021 and 2022.

CONMAN CAUGHT Test cheats

The conman used the money himself and faces up to eight years in prison after he is extradited. A DOZEN people have been arrested so far this year in the Valencian Community for pretending to be somebody else sitting a written driving theory exam. The impersonators face prison sentences of between six months and three years. The Guardia Civil also discovered 16 people using hidden earpieces and electronic devices to get friends outside a test centre to relay them the answers.

Those cheats face a €500 fine and a six month ban before they can resit the exam.

WHO’S THE DADDY

A GORILLA that arrived at London Zoo from Spain in November 2022 has become a father - twice in a few weeks.

Kiburi,19, came from Tenerife as part of the conservation breeding programme which ensures the preservation of a genetically diverse and healthy gorilla

population.

Silverback Kiburi mated with Mjukuu with a baby being born in January before nearly a month later, Kiburi's other partner, Effie, had her baby.

Primates Section Manager Kathryn Sanders said: “We’re over the moon to have a second gorilla infant born here at London Zoo in the space of a month.

“These babies are an important addition to the conservation breeding programme for this endangered species, and just as importantly, great additions to our troop.”

Old age pedaller

AN expat who has just turned 75 is not letting age keep him back as he sets off on a 1,000 kilometre bike ride for charity.

Cadiz resident Peter Munt-Davies has kept his passion for cycling challenges, with his latest quest being the Camino de Santiago pilgrims route.

No slowing down for veteran cyclist as he sets off on 1,000km challenge

Pembrokeshire-born Peter started his journey from Sevilla to raise money for the Shelter Cymru homes and people charity in his home country of

REAL Madrid’s star winger, Vinicius Junior, has admitted he is ‘losing the desire to play football’ thanks to repetitive racist abuse he has received whilst playing in Spain. The Brazilian’s comments came in an emotional press conference prior to the ‘One Skin’ friendly between Brazil and Spain at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, which finished 3-3. Vinicius, who is black, said: “I just want to play football but it is hard to move forward. I feel less and less like playing”. Valencia were given a partial stadium ban for five matches and fined €45,000 last year after Vinicius was subjected to monkey chants.

In May 2023, four men were arrested in Madrid after an effigy of the Brazilian was hung from a bridge over a busy motorway.

By Alex Trelinski

Wales. His niece, Krista, has worked for Shelter Cymru for over 20 years to make it an especially personal challenge for Peter. He hopes to raise £5,000 by completing the pilgrims route in 18 days.

Peter’s previous challenges included cycling power across Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to raise money for an addiction support charity.

“I’ve ridden bikes for most of my life,” he said.

“In my opinion, Pembrokeshire is one of the best

cycle, but I am biased!” The retired teacher, who moved to Spain in 2017, is anticipating riding solo and sees staying in a different hostel every night as a challenge.

He’ll be cycling up to 100 kms a day, with just three rest days planned for his ride.

“I’m looking forward to quiet roads and continuously changing scenery. I love the movement on a bike,” he added.

No desire

Peter has prepared by getting out on his bike as much as possible in recent weeks and practising with a GPS.

Understandably his anticipated highlight will be arriving in the main square by Santiago de Compostela cathedral, where his wife Anne will be part of the welcoming

ELLE OF A DRESS

PENELOPE Cruz may be about to turn 50, but she is proving that age is just a number as she makes the pages of glossy magazines. As part of a feature for her birthday by Elle magazine, she took a leaf out of German supermodel Claudia Schiffer´s book. Cruz wore the same iconic green Versace dress that 53-year-old Schiffer modelled on her return to the runway during the Versace Spring 2024 show in Milan. Both ladies prove that age is no barrier in the modern world.

Cruz told Elle: “People have been asking me about age since I was twentysomething. I was more bothered then than now. Now it makes more sense to discuss turning 50. It’s a huge, beautiful thing, and I really want to celebrate that with all my friends. It means I’m here and I’m healthy, and it’s a reason to have a party.”

Sunk cost

THE owner of Spain's Inditex fash ion store empire has sold his su peryacht after three years of trying at a €19 million loss. Amancio Ortega bought Driz zle for €95 million after it was built in 2012 and it got a multi-million Euro re furb five years ago. De spite this he got ‘only’ €76 million for it. The yacht can accommodate 10 people in its five cab ins and has three decks with a dining and living room on each of them.

It has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure and is 68.7 metres long and 11.20 metres wide.

Friendly dismissal

GANDIA council has sacked its supervisor for nine Nord beach chiringuitos after complaints that he was ‘too friendly’ with bar owners and ignored complaints about excessive noise.

A resident last summer denounced noise levels from a bar, claiming it had no permission to organise late-night parties. The supervisor was accused of maintaining ‘friendly’ contact with the business owners, confirmed by photos sent by the complainant to Gandia council and the Valencian government in February. He called for the employee’s dismissal, which duly happened, with the council confirming the supervisor broke rules over dealing with contracted businesses.

Chopper rescue hotspot

CALPE'S Peñon de Ifach saw the largest number of helicopter-based rescues last year in the Valencian Community. The Emergency Coordination Centre says 19 chopper rescues of hikers were carried out at the site in 2023, followed by Finestrat with 18. There were 483 mountain rescues in the Valencia region, with 233 of those in Alicante province- 93 of which involved a helicopter.

Sweet dreams

A SLEEPING boy, 4, wasn’t raised from his slumber on a Valencia school bus until it ended up at the depot. His parents have demanded an explanation as to why nobody spotted him beforehand. The boy is a pupil at the Santo Angel de la Guarda school in the Patraix area of the city. None of the grown-up supervisors on the service operated by Monbus or the driver noticed that he did not get off at his school.

There has been no comment from Monbus.

It’s a date

ONE of the more unusual world challenge events takes place in Elche this Sunday - the World Date Stone Championship.

First staged in 2009, competitors gather in the Parque de la Cuena in the city’s Altabix district to see how far they can spit a date stone.

There are two categories for adults and children aged under 12, who can try

NO WAG

FURTHER victims of an alleged dog scammer have come forward following an Olive Press investigation. The victims claim to have lost tens of thousands of euros to Mino Kerouani, whose dogs either have the wrong chips or are in bad health, while some fail to arrive at all.

Australian Kim Holmes, based near Gosford, in

More victims come forward to denounce ‘dog scammer’ in Spain after Olive Press probe

EXCLUSIVE By Yzabelle Bostyn

New South Wales, told the Olive Press she had lost around €25,000 to the ‘fraudster’.

SCAMMER: Mino Kerouani is accused of ripping off more victims

“He filled the forms wrong every time and he was getting more and more money out of me,” she explained.

She claims the breeder, who has 16,000 followers on social media, failed to do essential health checks such as rabies testing.

She added that microchips did not match up to the dog’s pet passport birth date. Kennel own -

DON ROAMING!

A LEGENDARY Costa mafia boss may have inadvertently given away his movements due to his addiction to reviewing restaurants online.

Ireland’s Most Wanted gangster Christy ‘the Dapper Don’ Kinahan, 67, has spent the last four years reviewing numerous places he eats and stays at on Google - despite being a fugitive with a €5 million bounty on his head from the US authorities.

Under the name ‘Christopher Vincent’ the kingpin has made over 220 reviews around the world.

As well as 131 ratings and 92 reviews, he also gave 144 ‘helpful votes’ on a range of places including shopping malls and outlet stores.

Starting in 2019 - soon after he fled Spain to live in Dubai full time - the majority of his

Brit chemsex death

reviews are in the Middle East, Dubai and Turkey. Yet, the wanted gangster, said to be behind the death of numerous gangland figures, somehow managed to visit and review establishments in Barcelona, Madrid and other parts of Spain.

In 2021, he warned travellers in Barcelona that taxi drivers did not know where the Hyatt Regency was, but went on to declare the hotel ‘very clean’ with ‘comfortable rooms’, adding that he would ‘stay here again for a tourist break.’

‘Buzzing’ Cheri restaurant in Barcelona was also praised by Kinahan Sr for its ‘super’ ambience when ‘one is enjoying the company of one’s friends or family.’

Opinion Page 6

er Kim paid €9000 to get her dog to the UK, before paying €12,000 in accommodation costs.

their luck without any prior registration.

The best three distances go into a final ‘spit-off’’ with three more attempts.

The record was set by Altabix resident Tono Lopez in 2017 with a distance of 14.43 metres and he was victorious last year, despite only reaching 8.9 metres.

This year’s winner will win €150 in cash and there’ll be prizes for all of the runners-up in the adult and childrens’ sections...

Spitting starts at 12.30pm.

Eventually, a British breeder took in the pup. She claimed the dog arrived in the UK with ‘herpes’, ‘a 10 cm scar’ and ‘ducking syndrome’, often indicating abuse.

DUPED: Kim Holmes has lost €25,000 in the scam

Meanwhile, a British breeder, based in Coventry, claims he was also scammed by Mino when he paid €15,000 for sibling pups, only for them to arrive as two different breeds.

Another alleged victim, Fabio Bloks, claims Mino

‘scammed’ him out of €17,000 when Mino told him the dog he was expecting was ‘stolen along the way’.

The breeder, Mohamed Amine Kerouani, aka Mino, told the Olive Press he had given Fabio a ‘full refund’ of €5,000.

He also claimed Kim ‘got her dog safe and healthy in the UK’.

He added: “If there was a mistake on the paperwork like she said, the dog would never have passed the UK-France border.”

The Olive Press understands the Australian authorities have now banned any of Mino’s animals from entering the country.

three daughters Kim even resorted to chaining themselves to a digger to make their feelings known.

The finca itself is accessed through the Lomas de San Juan Urbanisation, while the land set to be developed is on the so-called PAU-25-La Cuerda site.

Orihuela’s planning councillor, Matias Ruiz, insisted: “There will be no damage caused and we will do everything possible to ensure that the Wesenauers can continue to live as normal.”

Kim Wesenauer is far from satisfied and said: “Our land has been stolen. We are appalled by the way we have been treated as we belong to Lomas de San Juan but the council made the mistake of forcing us into a different area, the PAU-25.”

RIP Robin

TRIBUTES have poured in for a British toddler who lost his battle to cancer after chemotherapy in Spain stopped working.

Two-year-old Robin was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma last year.

After it was revealed expensive treatment was needed to save his life, his grandmother, a Mijas resident, drummed up a huge campaign for her grandson. Elizabeth Parker confirmed the ‘heartbreaking’ news this week.

“He died peacefully in the arms of my daughter Rachel and her husband, Nick on Friday, March 15 in their North London home,” she said. Robin’s chemotherapy reportedly stopped working in Barcelona around a month ago so the pair decided to return to London.

The funeral was held on Friday, March 22 and was ‘an appropriate goodbye for a very brave and beautiful boy.’

UNWANTED SON

BENITATXELL has stripped an award given to dictator General Franco in 1940 to commemorate the first year anniversary of the end of the Civil War.

The title of ‘adopted son’ had been maintained since his death in 1975 and despite calls for an unanimous removal of the honour, the council’s single Partido Popular councillor voted against it with two abstentions from the REDcv party.

The council found out by accident in December that Franco still had the title, when it handed out the ‘adopted son’ award to locally-born doctor, Regulo Lorente, who retired in May after working for 40 years at Benitatxell’s health centre.

Lethal

HEALTH authorities in Spain have issued a warning following the death of a British man in Marbella who consumed a lethal cocktail of drugs during a ‘chemsex’ party. The unnamed Brit, 32, tested positive for eight different narcotic substances - MDA, MDMA, amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, GHB, sildenafil and diazepam - after a drug-fuelled orgy on the Costa del Sol.

al activity under the influence of drugs, popular amongst gay and bisexual men.

According to investigators, the man had travelled to Marbella for a weekend away with friends, where they embarked on a weekend of ‘chemsex’, a form of sexu -

After taking a lethal amount of GHB - or ‘G’ - he told the others he was heading to rest and was later found dead.

GHB - known as ‘liquid ecstasy’ - is a paint solvent used on boats that can be consumed as a synthetic drug.

Feels like home

Hola Quooker!

Quooker has arrived in Spain. You can now benefit from official technical service and local warranty. Visit www.quooker.es to know more or to find a dealer near you!

With a Quooker in your kitchen you always have 100 °C boiling water alongside regular hot and cold. Add a CUBE and you will also have filtered chilled and sparkling water – all from the same tap. The tap that does it all.

info@quooker.es

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

About time!

IT is reassuring to see so many leading hospital groups vowing to follow Nolotil guidelines (No to Nolotil, p1).

After much prodding by the Olive Press, Helicopteros Sanitarios, HCB and others were courageous enough to speak out and commit to stop administering the drug to Brits, other northern Europeans and Americans.

However they represent just a handful of the major health providers we have contacted over the past few weeks.

While it represents a victory in our campaign to crackdown on the drug, the silence from other big players continues to be deafening.

The mind boggles as to why multi-million euro care providers do not want to simply commit to no longer providing a potentially lethal painkiller to a portion of their patients.

We will continue piling on the pressure and sincerely hope - and in fact expect - that we will get more support in the coming weeks.

Kinahan shame

THE fact that Christy Kinahan has been flying back and forth from Spain despite being one of the most wanted men in the world should be a source of embarrassment for Spanish police (Don roamin’, p4).

The Irish mafia boss is allegedly behind one of the bloodiest gang rivalries in history, which saw multiple murders carried out between Spain and his home country.

His gang of henchmen terrorised the Costa del Sol for years before absconding to Dubai, where by all accounts, they are enjoying a life of luxury.

Incredibly, Christy himself left reviews for a spate of restaurants and hotels from Marbella to Barcelona as little as three years ago.

Questions must be asked as to how Kinahan Sr was able to arrive in the country without detection and to move around so freely.

Clearly, the authorities were not keeping a watchful eye over the mafioso - or perhaps they are hunting even bigger fish, who they hope he will lead them to. Either way, the jollies of Kinahan Sr, all documented via his own personal Google reviews, make a complete mockery of the intelligence services.

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

TIME’S UP!

BBy Laurence Dollimore

RITISH homeowners are calling time on ‘corrupt’ community presidents who are accused of wielding far too much power in the urbanisations they manage.

The backlash is growing after it was revealed that Stephen Hills, the British president of the Torre Bermeja urbanisation in Estepona, was paying himself a salary of almost €90,000 - more than the president of Andalucia and the vice president of Spain. Since the story exploded, a string of other presidents have come under the spotlight.

Among the latest is Argentinian Pablo Abraham Campos, who has presided over the Sensara urbanisation in Benalmadena for the past 13 years.

Terrified residents are taking him to court after he was allegedly voted out at a recent AGM meeting before ‘miraculously’ finding more votes to bring it to a tie - only for six of them to be deemed ‘false’ three months later. A judge will soon rule on the outcome.

In a denuncia seen by the Olive Press, Campos is accused of falsifying signatures and renting out homes of Brits while they are not there - in one case for a total of five years.

“He runs it like a mafia,” said one resident, who was too scared to give their name.

“He sacked the carer of one poor old British woman and replaced him with a horrible brute of a lady.

“When friends visited Dorothy she screamed ‘help me, help me!’, and eventually she died.

“When her son came to sort everything out, Pablo told him he owed €11,000 for the carer!”

Don’t

Brits and locals fight back against ‘mafia-style’ community presidents along the Costa del Sol

IPablo was deported from the US after serving six years of a 10-year sentence in Chicago for the illegal supply of controlled substances. He has since bought six apartments in Sensara, all with cash, which he now rents out full time.

It means the retired supervisor, who worked at the local ITV traffic authority, has a property portfolio worth more than €1million.

It can sometimes be used offensively, but often it is a term of endearment, writes Cole Sinanan

F you’ve spent much time in Spain, particularly in Andalucia or large cities like Madrid and Barcelona, chances are you’ve heard the word guiri You certainly will if you read our front page in Andalucia, a fortnight ago, with the headline ‘Guiris go home!’. In reference to an anti-tourism campaign in Malaga, it led to aggressive anti-guiri graffiti being scrawled around the city.

While members of the ‘Guiris go home movement’ were quick to insist it was not about any expats living here, it certainly has negative connotations.

Another concerned resident added: “It’s absolute madness, we pay up to €400 per month in community fees and don’t get half the services we used to, we want to know where the mon-

ey goes but he never provides receipts!

‘It’s incredible that people still vote for him, but he does them favours’

“It’s incredible that people still vote for him, but he does them favours and they feel like they owe him, but more and more young people are moving in now and we hope his days are numbered.”

When contacted for comment, Campos said: “I did not lose any vote, if I had lost it I would have accepted the result. It occurred in a double tie of personal votes and coefficients and the change of president did not go ahead, which is why I continued in office…

“That’s what the courts are for. Two years ago, those neighbours who are now complaining held an illegal meeting. I went to

let guiri get on your goat!

The term - which, to English-speaking ears sounds a bit like ‘geedy’is often used to describe a stereotypical pasty, sunburn-prone, sometimes socks-and-sandalwearing, northern European or American visitor or expat.

But like all words that seek to generalise diverse groups into uncomplicated stereotypes, the margins are blurry.

According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) definition, a guiri can mean, simply, a ‘foreign tourist.’

The institution notes that, while it is often deployed lightheartedly, free of negative connotations, it can also be used ‘with derogatory intent.’

A brief look into the word’s history may explain how it arrived at its current meaning.

The RAE includes a handful of other definitions in its entry for the word, one of which is related to the Basque word ‘guiristino’.

During Spain’s Carlist Wars of succession during the 19th century, the Basque armies used guiri or guiristino to refer to their enemies, the supporters of Queen Maria Christina.

It thus became a negative way to describe an ‘other’ - in this case enemy forces.

The word has also been used to describe members of the Guardia Civil during Francoist Spain, and may have been connected to the word guirigay, which, according to the RAE, describes a language that is ‘dark and difficult to understand.’

But whether guiri is offensive is a matter of perspective.

Spain’s immigrant population has been growing and diversifying for decades now, a consequence of which is an ethnically and culturally diverse myriad of people living together, often in close quarters.

Words describing foreigners exist in every language, and in Spain, immigrant com-

munities have received their own names, implying varying degrees of maliciousness. What is certain is that many Spanish on the costas are just as likely to refer to their ‘guiri vecino’ or ‘mi guiri amigo’ as those ‘puta guiris’ who should go home!

While some people view the word ‘guiri’ as offensive, many Brits have begun reclaiming the word.

Just look at the so-called Guiri Army supporters of Malaga FC, made up of a large group of expats who travel around Spain to support the Costa del Sol team. Meanwhile, one clever British expat has made his own successful business off the back of term.

Tom Hopcroft is based in Madrid and is the founder of the popular lifestyle brand Guiris de Mierda.

The company organises events and meetups for expats and locals in the capital and beyond.

The 31 year old explained: “We try to set a good example that not all guiris are the

UNDER THE LENS: Managers of Costa del Sol urbanisations (pictured: Sensara Benalmadena)

court which paralysed that meeting. Now they don’t even want to defend their position in court.”

He added that he is taking one of the residents to court for defamation over the claims. In regards to Dorothy, he said he never had the power to fire another person’s caregiver, and insisted she had asked him to find more assistants after a hip replacement surgery. He also claimed no one has asked him to see the receipts for the community fees.

He added: “They can request from the administration a copy of their ledger or account statement, which reflects both the fees issued for each property and the payments made.” Also under the spotlight is Norwegian ex-billionaire Harald Oslov.

Oslov is accused by a group of homeowners in Benemara Dos Hermanas, also in Estepona, of paying ‘extortionate’ sums for basic maintenance works and for constructing a garage next to his home without planning per-

type that get smashed, get battered, and drink for five days straight. Some guiris want to give back to Spain, and so we are working with charities now, organising charity events and promoting the integration side of things”.

He adds: “We organise events around the idea that everybody has been a guiri at some point in their lives. Especially in the modern world, people live in other countries and we feel that is something worth celebrating, so we try and bring people together”. So rather than take offence at the term why not embrace it?

mission.

The accounts have been branded a ‘black hole’ featuring ‘inexplicable sums’, including gardener salaries of over €45,000 per year each, which residents claim they did not approve.

And Oslov, who owns a painting company in Gibraltar, refuses to reveal who is behind some of the works.

It comes after community fees reportedly increased by 22% over the past two years, while spending soared by €127,000.

One Brit told the Olive Press: “Our fees are continuously increasing and we get no further services for it… it seems there is a black hole where money is being buried.

“They use the proxy votes of Brits and other foreigners to vote in any measure they want.”

When contacted by the Olive Press, a spokesperson for Oslov denied all the claims made by the homeowners, branding them ‘defamation’. Oslov, who was president for 40 years, and his VP, resigned just days after being contacted by this newspaper in late February.

However, residents told this newspaper that he has ‘handpicked’ the next candidates for presidency and the new committee.

Falsifying

At the most recent AGM meeting in March, Oslov refused entry to a notary, who had been hired to make sure all proxy votes being used to vote in a new committee were above board.

One expat said: “He had brought his own lawyer with him and made sure to vote in his hand-picked committee.

“Luckily, one long-standing member stepped down and we were able to get one ally on the board who was not hand-picked by Harald.”

Meanwhile in Marbella, the president of the Cabopino community, Gianni Fieno, and its administrator Michelle van Gaalen, are being investigated for falsifying documents and cooking the books.

Residents there said that the pair have ‘kidnapped the community’ and run it like a ‘cabal’.

The pair, both expats, are accused of “surrounding themselves with friends” and gaining the votes of owners - some of whom they allegedly let off their community fees as a reward for giving them their proxy votes at general meetings.

Elsewhere, homeowners in Lomas de los Monteros, Marbella, have denounced the president of the community and the administrator for allegedly transferring €30,000 euros to their personal accounts.

It came after community fees soared to €6,000 per year but residents were not allowed to see accounts nor how the money was being spent - raising alarms.

A court decided it was a civil matter, however, and not a criminal one, with the complainants left feeling “helpless”, according to reports in Spanish press.

LEADING THE WAY

Olive Press sets the news agenda once again as our reporting is followed up by the world’s leading publications

THE Olive Press has once again been at the forefront of the news this past fortnight after being followed up by the world’s most-read publications.

Our trusted reporters were flown out to Tenerife - for a second time - to investigate the growing anti-tourism movement on the Canary Islands.

Their in-depth report was the lead story on MailOnline before being followed up by the Sun and a string of national newspapers.

Meanwhile, the front page story in our last issue on the ‘guiris go home’ movement in Malaga was followed up by the Guardian.

Elsewhere, the Times flew out to interview Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo after our extensive reporting of the McGrail inquiry.

There is no doubt that the Olive Press continues to be the number one source of English-language news in Spain.

It is why we are repeatedly trusted by the leading newspapers in Britain, who only come to us when they want a story investigated. Our journalists have years of experience working for national titles in the UK, including the Daily Mail, MailOnline, Mail on Sunday and the BBC, and are all NCTJ-trained and accredited.

None of our rivals in Spain are offering the sheer quality and quantity of our exclusive reportingwhich is partly made possible thanks to our online subscription model.

We thank all of our registered users and subscribers, the numbers of whom are continuing to grow on a monthly basis.

If YOU have a tip or story that needs investigating in Spain, then do not hesitate to email tips@theolivepress.es

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

1- Storm Nelson arrives to Spain: Rain, strong winds and rough seas predicted for much of the country

2- EXCLUSIVE: Locals in Spain give their verdict as wave of anti-tourism reaches Tenerife - but residents are divided on the issue

3- These are the 12 most beautiful ‘pueblos’ in Spain’s Andalucia - according to National Geographic

4- Saharan dust warning for southern Spain: Weather phenomenon to roll in from Africa tomorrow

5- Protests over swimming pool bans in southern Spain: Locals fume after government prioritises hotels over private homes amid ongoing drought

GUIRIS: As seen in TV series Benidorm (left) also take part in Spanish life from football supporters to charity events

UNDER FIRE: President Oslov (top right) and Fieno (below left), plus urbanisations Benamara (top) and Cabopino (below)

Scan to visit our website

Merger completed

SPAIN'S biggest telecoms merger has become a reality, with Orange and MasMovil completing the legal process to become a joint company.

The two operators will have a base of over 30 million mobile phone customers and will become the leading telecoms firm in the country, based on client numbers. The new entity - which has yet to reveal its namealso has over seven million broadband subscribers (fibre and ADSL) and another two million who access television services.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

OP SUDOKU

Ca hing in

$LIVE music concerts and festivals in Spain during 2023 reported a 26% increase in turnover to nearly €579 million.

The figures come from the Association of Music Promoters (APM). It says that Spain’s live music industry has beaten the previous record of €459 mil-

Across

6 Issue a foreboding statement (4)

7 Come into (7)

9 Suppress (8)

10 Predecessor of the C I S (1,1,1,1)

11 Brushes off (4-9)

14 Where doctors went (7,6)

17 Two-masted sailing ship (4)

19 Trips (8)

20 Dull cops air dissent (7)

21 Requirement (4)

Down

1 Observe and remember (4,4)

2 No kidding! Mute about a group of countries (6,7)

3 Largest Saudi city (6)

4 Nearby, on a country road (6,3,4)

5 Airport guesses, for short (1,1,2)

8 One of the Indian majority (5)

12 Texas tea (3)

13 Made accessible again (8)

15 Foxed (2,3)

16 Origin (6)

18 Indictments (4)

All solutions are on page 14

By Alex Trelinski

lion recorded in 2022 and has been constantly growing since 2014, with the exception of the Covid pandemic years. APM president, Albert Salmeron, said: “We don't think there is a bubble and we think on the contrary that there is still a long way to go.

“Live music has become a form of leisure and access to culture that has become even more popular compared to 10 years ago and the sector evolves organically and progressively year after year."

The APM revealed that the Arenal Sound festival in Burriana (Castellon) was the highest-grossing festival

Live music strikes right note as the money rolls in

last year, bringing together 300,000 people over six days.

Second was Primavera Sound Barcelona (243,000 in five days) and Viña

ABOUT TIME

AIRCRAFT manufacturer Boeing has paid out an undisclosed sum to settle a lawsuit after a Spanair plane crashed in August 2008 with 154 people losing their lives. Flight 5022 crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport as it was departing for Gran Canaria.

The aircraft involved in the crash was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, with Boeing having acquired the manufacturer in 1997.

The lawsuit claimed that Boeing ‘was aware of a mechanical defect that increased the risk of error during takeoff but failed to apply a known fix to all of their planes’.

Initial reports suggested that the plane’s

Rock , in the Albacete province town of Villarobledo (240,000 in four days).

By region, ticket sales were the highest in Madrid, Andalucia and, especially Catalunya, which hosted many stadium concerts featuring big names like Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen and Beyonceaccounting for 26.35% of the national turnover.

Coldplay alone pulled in over 221,000 spectators for their four Spanish gigs. Albert Salmeron said: “Last year was unique, because so many tours built up after the pandemic break and we thought that there could still be a drop in ticket sales, but it wasn't like that.”

AFTERMATH: 154 people died

flaps and slats had been incorrectly configured for take-off, and further investigation revealed that the aircraft's takeoff warning system had not sounded.

By P OO LVILLAS

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FESTIVAL: Arenal Sound attracted 300,000 fans

EXOTIC ANIMAL RESCUES

A VARIETY of endangered exotic animals including Nile crocodiles and a Burmese python have been rescued over the last year by the Guardia Civil's environment unit - Seprona.

In a report about last year’s operations, Seprona said the

By Alex Trelinski

two crocodiles - both mea suring two metres - were re moved by officers from an El Moralet farm in August.

The owner didn't have an import certificate or one for breeding in captivity.

“At the end of 2023, a two-metre-long Bur mese python was found in Alicante City while an Afri can spurred tortoise weighing 25 kilos had been abandoned in Calpe's Sierra de Olta mountains,” said Seprona, in a statement. Other finds included a bur

Menagerie of tropical creatures rescued by police in just a year

GREENPEACE has issued a stark warning that up to 75% of Spain could be at risk of desertification without urgent action to reverse the effects of climate change.

The worrying figure, which comes from research carried out by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, reflects the ‘critical’ water situation in Spain.

Desertification is the process by which vegetation in drylands decreases and eventually disappears, creating a desert landscape. According to Greenpeace, which released

CROC: One of two found

“The rescued animals were taken to different rehabilitation centres, lodges and parks where specialists were able to evaluate their condition and provide the required treatment,” Seprona added.

DRYING UP

the information to mark World Water Day, celebrated on March 22 every year, Spain and Greece are the European countries with the greatest stress placed on water supply.

Over 12 million Spaniards are currently under some form of water restriction, with droughts raging in Andalucia and Catalunya as reservoir levels continue to dwindle.

The Guardia division emphasised that extensive inquiries have been taking place to see whether exotic animal owners had obtained permission to keep such species.

“If the owners cannot provide a legitimate reason or certificates permitting them to breed animals in captivity, they will face fines of up to €6,000 and could face charges relating to the protection of wild flora and fauna,” Seprona warned.

Open every day – Closed Monday

reservas@palaciodelabellota.com

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rowing parrot, which is native to Patagonia, and a Venezuelan blood-eared parakeetboth of which were spotted by

LA CULTURA

BRIDGE TO THE PAST

INPICTURES: An English painter captured the cities of pre-industrial Spain frozen in time in 1908 on a remarkable voyage through the country

AREMARKABLE tome by a British writer and painter on Spain’s wealth of incredible cathedrals was released 115 years ago this month.

Cathedral Cities of Spain was the culmination of a monthslong voyage around Spain by London-born watercolourist

WW Collins (1862-1951).

A prolific author most famous for his fiction work, including 27 novels, 60 short stories, 14 plays and over 100 of non-fiction, his homage to Spain’s religious architecture sometimes gets overlooked. The book serves as a bridge between the modern Spain that we know today and its grand, imperial past, long consigned to the dustbin of

By Walter Finch

history.

Just after the turn of the 20th century in 1908, he arrived at the port of Cadiz and embarked on a tour of Andalucia. From there he travelled up to Valencia, before heading inland and then winding up in Spain’s northern regions. Always accompanied by his trusty easel and paint palette, he visited 24 cities by train and produced an astonishing 60 watercolours.

And in the process, he documented a Spain that was still catching up with the rest of Europe, and still with one foot in the past.

sevilla - the most fascinating city in spain

Collins fell in love with the life of the roofs of Sevilla.

“In early spring, before the great heat comes, and in autumn before the cold winds arrive […] Seville's washing hangs out to air, and up on the roofs, in the warm sun, with the hum of the streets far below, you will hear the quaint song—so Arabian in character—of the lavandera, as she pegs out the damp linen in rows.

“In the evening the clicka-click-click of the castanets and the sound of the

guitar, broken by merry laughter, tells one that perhaps the Sevillano has fathomed the mystery of knowing how best to live.” He made a number of sketches and paintings of Sevilla’s remarkable offerings, including the Alcazar and inside the Cathedral.

But it was the 12th century Giralda Tower (left) that stands out, the ‘magnificent relic of the Moslem's rule [that] rears its height far above everything else in Seville.’

cadizcity of the past

Once the ‘greatest port in the world’, in the early 1900s Collins lamented: “Where are thy glories now, oh, Cadiz?”

Many would argue that the capital of tuna territory has recovered its former grace, although it remains some distance from being the world’s greatest port. Collins described it as ‘still a White City lying embosomed on a sea of emerald and topaz’.

Unfortunately, he noted, by the 20th century Sevilla had robbed her of trade, leaving her ‘little more than a port of call for American tourists.’

He produced two paintings in Cadiz; one of the cathedral (below) and another of the central marketplace - ‘a bustling scene, full of colour.’

cordoba - second only to the great damascus

The first thing Collins noted upon his arrival in Cordoba a century ago was that, under seven hundred years of Christian rule, it had ‘dwindled down to what one finds it to-day—a quiet, partly ruinous town.’

“Of all its great buildings nothing remains to remind one of the past but the ruins of the Alcázar—now a prison, a portion of its walls, and the much mutilated Mesquita—the Cathedral.”

The Mesquita dazzled him most of all with its scale and size - Collins erroneously claims it is ‘the second largest church of any in existence.’

“Coming suddenly into the cool shade of its many pillared avenues, I felt as if transplanted into the silent depths of a great forest.

“In every direction I looked, the trunks of huge trees apparently rose upwards in ordered array.

“The light here and there filtered through gaps on to the red-tiled floor, which only made the deception greater by its resemblance to the needles of a pinewood or the dead leaves of autumn.

“Then the organ boomed out a note and the deep bass of a priest in the coro shattered the illusion.”

The Cordoba bridge was captured in his typical watercolour style, with its 16 arches and guarded at one end by a Moorish Tower, ‘round which the road passes instead of through a gateway, thus giving additional security to the defence.’

LA CULTURA

granada - the most ideal situation

The Englishman found Granada and its location on the edge of a fertile plain at the base of the Sierra Nevada to be perhaps his most agreeable. He discovered ‘tortuous streets which wind up the steep hill sides’ and marvelled at ‘the life of an ordinary Spanish town’ in the springtime.

The Alhambra, which he calls the most fascinating spot in all Spain, rises above the city and ‘broods over past glories of the civilised

Moor’.

“How is it possible to describe the Alhambra?” he asks.

Before the location had been turned into a UNESCO heritage site through which three million people trampled each year, Collins set foot through the ‘massive doors.’

Here he produced a sketch of the Court of the Lions - ‘so called from the central fountain upheld by marble representations of the kingly beast, surrounded by a beautiful arcade.’

malaga - the noisiest town in spain

Malaga was Cadiz’s rival for the title of oldest seaport in Spain, but Collins was clear that it was definitely ‘the noisiest town in Spain’ at the start of the 20th century.

Although every city in Andalucia was ‘a babel of street-cries’, Malaga was just a little more so than all the rest.

“The seranos, or night-watchmen, disturb one’s rest as they call out the hour of the night, or whistle at the street corners to their comrades,” he writes, while ‘a breeze makes hideous the hours of darkness by the banging to and fro of unsecured shutters.’

While sketching from the harbour, he described the scene as ‘an impressive fabric with all its

valencia - the great bird fanciers

architectural incongruities.’ “So it struck me as I sat on the quayside of the Malagueta making my sketch, sadly interfered with by an unpleasant throng of idling loafers.” He bade farewell to Malaga by serenading the ‘delightful climate despite the fierce winds and the dust they raise.

“Though rain seldom falls the cool sea breezes in summer bring a refreshing tonic to the dweller up country.”

Collins also hinted at Malaga’s touristic future, observing that ‘many Spaniards at this season come here for bathing, and obtain a maximum of sunshine without the intense heat of the interior.’

Collins wrote that the road that connected the city of Valencia to its port was the ‘busiest high road I saw in Spain.’

“Strings of laden donkeys, waggonettes crammed with good-humoured laughing fisher[men] and country folk pass along, an electric tram carries those who can afford the extra centimos, and the carriages of Valencia’s well-to-do citizens take them to the harbour for a breath of sea air out on the breakwaters.”

Once again echoing the Spanish costa’s visitor-friendly future, he noted that the wines were so cheap that it was more expensive to drink water, but with one key difference - ‘drunkenness is unknown’.

The local peasantry were ‘very illiterate and scrupulously honest’ and ‘like the Andalucian, he is absolutely trustworthy in all his dealings, which are conducted by word of mouth’.

There was just one lawyer in Valencia to the 10 further north, ‘where modern ways of life are more in vogue’. He settled down to paint his customer watercolour of Valencia’s cathedral (above), although he was hardly impressed.

“The Cathedral was originally a Gothic structure, but one fashion following another, has been at different times so altered and robbed of all architectural beauty that there remains but little of interest in the building.”

CostaBlanca for all

Here Ouigo

BUDGET train company Ouigo is hopefully set to launch in Andalucia, Murcia and Valladolid, sending costs plummeting around the country.

In June, the French high speed train operator will set up new stops on its Madrid-Valencia line.

Later that month, it will expand its network in Eastern Spain, with destinations in Elche and Murcia, linking up this line with Valladolid on its way to Madrid. In the second half of the year, it will launch lines connecting Madrid and Andalucia including Sevilla, Malaga and Cordoba. Tickets will start at just €9 for adults, a price so low that Spanish transport minister, Oscar Puente has accused the company of ‘flagrantly plummeting prices.’

Beer threat!

Indoor hops keep taps flowing as climate change threatens refreshing tipple

A SPANISH startup company is growing hops indoors under multicolour LED lights to ensure that climate change doesn’t halt beer production. Ekonoke says the

BITTER NEWS

THE price of chocolate in Spain is going up due to the ever-increasing cost of cocoa. Cocoa now fetches over 10,000 US dollars per ton, compared to around 2,900 a year ago.

Boss of Alicante producer, Valor, Pedro Lopez, said: "The chocolate market is going to suffer a lot and it's going to lead to unavoidable increases."

Poor harvests, mainly in Africa, which accounts for 70% of the world's production, are the main problem.

Much of the crop disappeared under heavy rains and raised the price of cocoa by 27%.

By Alex Trelinski

hydroponically grown hops will shield beer from the impact of climate change, as hop plants don’t like the

WORRIED: Pedro Lopez

hotter, drier conditions experienced in recent years, resulting in production falls. Hops are a key ingredient in beer making, combining bitterness and complex aromas.

But the plants are very demanding when it comes to growing conditions - they require an abundance of water, fresh temperatures and good light levels, and are only happy within certain world latitudes (between 42 and 45 degrees).

In Spain, hops are mostly produced in one northern region, Castilla y Leon, where farmers are struggling with a multi-year drought.

According to the company, extreme weather events linked to climate change are reducing the productivity per hectare of hops outdoors by up to 30% and

threatening the production of beer.

Its business model relies on entering 20-year contracts with beermakers, which involve setting up a hop-growing facility right next to their breweries.

All of Ekonoke’s production is being sold to Corporacion Hijos de Rivera, the makers of Estrella Galicia beerwhich already sells IPA and amber lager beers made with the startup’s hops. Ekonoke built a 1,200 square-metre pilot production facility next to Estrella Galicia’s plant in the northwest province of Lugo, on land rented to them by Hijos de Rivera. Being much bigger companies, the brewers can negotiate better deals for construction materials and energy supply, considerably reducing the startup’s costs.

Camper crackdown

VALENCIA Policia Local officers have been jotting down number plates of motorhomes and caravans parking in the El Saler natural park to punish illegal overnight stays.

Such stays in car parks next to the former El Saler sports centre are prohibited but visitors have been accused of ignoring prominent warning signs.

Spokesman for the El Saler neighbourhood association, Pere Pau Carillo, said that 'hundreds' of motorised homes took over the car parks during the Easter holiday.

The parking zones are designed for people to spend a few hours in El Saler forest or the beaches, as well as dining out at bars and restaurants. Instead, there have been a stream of complaints that people have been camping overnight as well as placing chairs and tables outside their vehicles, which is also prohibited.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

CHINCHON

THIS town has a unique plaza with historic buildings and enchanting three story balconies where you can enjoy the local cuisine.

The square hosts many events throughout the year including bull fights, comedy festivals and music performances.

Another must visit is the 17th century nunnery famous for the sweet treats handmade by the sisters. The local baths, once for washing clothes, has now been renovated using colourful murals, turning it into a picturesque spot.

Chinchon is easy to get to from the capital, with trains taking just one hour.

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November 29thDecember 12th 2023

April

MADRID ESCAPES

Travelling on a budget? Try these ‘low cost’ escapes all within an hour of the capital

MADRID is a must-visit for anyone exploring Spain, but sometimes people want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Here we look at some day-trip destinations all within an hour of the capital - and they are all easy on the wallet, leaving more to spend on your return to Madrid.

From a village tucked away in a UNESCO bio reserve, to unique stone architecture; hiking and cycling trails to the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, there is a wealth of places to visit. So if you are visiting the capital for a few days, make room in your agenda for a visit to one of these delightful spots. You won’t be disappointed.

PATONES DE ARRIBA

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 6 Warn, 7 Inherit, 9 Restrain, 10 U S S R, 11 Cold-shoulders, 14 Medical school, 17 Brig, 19 Stumbles, 20 Prosaic, 21 Need.

Down: 1 Take note, 2 United Kingdom, 3 Riyadh, 4 Around the bend, 5 E T As, 8 Hindu, 12 Oil, 13 Reopened, 15 At sea, 16 Source, 18 Raps.

ALCALA DE HENARES

PUEBLA DE LA SIERRA

A PRETTY town found in the Sierra del Rincon, Puebla de la Sierra is a UNESCO bio reserve. The picturesque ‘valley of dreams’ is home to the Puebla river as well as an open air sculpture trail.

Art lovers will also enjoy the Museo Japones, a museum dedicated to Japanese art. Despite being one of the most targeted areas during the Spanish Civil War, the area still has a lot of history, including the Parroquia de la Purisima Concepcion, an old chapel and mill. The stone buildings surrounded by forest are great to visit at any time of year but especially in Autumn.

The town is a 1 hour 40 minute drive from the capital but there are no easy public transport routes.

KNOWN as the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, Alcala de Henares is one for culture lovers. Visitors should start in the floral Plaza de Cervantes before exploring the historic university, Cervantes museum, cathedral, palace and roman ruins. Getting to the town couldn’t be easier, with a 40 minute train trip or drive from Madrid.

Great for families, there are a wealth of free activities in Perales. The Island of Taray is ideal for hiking or cycling along its old railway line. Kids will also love discovering the ruined castle and neolithic site, both free to explore. For those interested in religion, the Iglesia de Santa

Maria del Castillo and the Ermita de San Sebastian are worth a look. Finally, take a wander through the town to discover its many fountains, curious cave house and picturesque main square. It is a 45 minute drive from Madrid, or you can catch a 50 minute bus from Atocha station.

PERALES DE TAJUÑA

THE unique stone architecture and steep, magical streets attract many visi -

CREDIT : Raul AB/Flickr

CREDIT : santiago lopez-pastor/Flickr

CREDITS: santiago lopez-pastor/Flickr

CREDIT : manuel m. v./Flickr

Needless deaths

THE lives of over 4,000 Madrid care home residents could have been saved during the Covid-19 pandemic if they had received hospital treatment.

A citizen-led inquiry blames the Madrid regional government for blocking hospital access in the first weeks of the pandemic to people who had pre-existing conditions or lacked private health insurance.

Inquiry

The inquiry report pointed out that the region had a far higher number of Covid care home deaths compared to other parts of Spain.

A Madrid government source branded the report as 'totally politicised’ and said the region’s professionals and administration ‘did everything humanly possible to save as many lives as they could’.

Green wonder

Olive leaves could provide effective treatment of Alzheimer’s and diabetes

SCIENTISTS in Spain believe olives may hold the key to treating diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Specifically, it is the leaves of olive trees which could prove

By Laurence Dollimore

vital thanks to their very high levels of oleanolic acid.

It comes after a 2019 Prediabole Study found that consuming olive oil rich in oleanolic acid prevented the development of type 2 diabetes. After three years of intake, patients were found to have a 45% lower chance of developing the condition than those who did not take the oil.

Experts at the FAT Institute in Sevilla, Andalucia, now want to test whether the oil

LEAVES: could hold the key to treating Alzheimer’s

can actually treat people who have already got diabetes. The test subjects will be patients at the Virgen del Rocio hospital, also in Sevilla, with Dr Javier Sanchez Perona

SICKER AND SICKER

leading the research.

One of the obstacles has been the extortionate price of laboratory-made oleanolic acid, which comes in at €1.5million per kilo - 25 times more expensive than gold.

To overcome this, Dr Perona and his team developed and patented a simple method for creating highly pure oleanolic acid from olive leaves.

Miracle baby

A TEAM of over 30 professionals at Valencia's La Fe Hospital have become the first in Spain to successfully remove a cardiac tumour from a prematurely-born baby.

Medics detected a rare type of heart tumour known as pericardial teratoma diagnosed in the 24th week of the baby's gestation which was behaving aggressively.

At the six-and-a-half month stage of pregnancy it was decided to deliver the baby via caesarean section - with it weighing just 900 grams.

The child had to remain attached to the placenta while it was stabilised and surgery performed to remove the tumour. A second surgery and two cycles of chemotherapy has left the baby is completely tumour-free.

Age concern

STEPHEN Fry has blasted popular weight loss drug Ozempic after it made him ‘throw up five times per day’. The medication, prescribed for obesity and type two diabe tes, is soaring in popularity in Spain. While some celebrities have praised the ‘miracle’ drug, Fry said it made him ‘sicker and sickIn just five months, the 66-year-old lost five and a half stone as he simply ‘didn’t want’ to eat or drink. But soon he ‘couldn’t take’ throwing up anymore and stopped taking Ozempic.

“It is so simple that even children can obtain it with homemade materials with an acceptable degree of purity,” he explained.

Oleanolic acid defends the olive tree from attacks by microorganisms and is found in the fruit, but more so in the leaf.

SCIENTISTS have revealed the age when people can officially call you ‘old’. Research from the University of Stanford, claims that old age officially starts at 78. The research was based on over 4263 blood plasma donations from people aged 18 to 95. It showed that at 78, the levels of certain proteins in blood plasma began to plunge. The lack of proteins inhibits DNA’s ability to repair itself so essential organs are more vulnerable to effects of ageing.

FIND: Dr Perona

O P LIVE RESS The COSTA

Old Age peddler

A GRANDMOTHER aged 72 has been arrested for running a drug trafficking operation in Valencia alongside her 17-year-old grandson, police discovered she also had two arrest warrants outstanding.

Long lost

A DAUGHTER was reunited with her missing father after searching for him for 20 years. He went missing in Bilbao in 2004 and was recently found in a village in Navarra.

Pigeon pie

BARCELONA has been trialling an innovative solution to the pigeon problem around the Camp Nou: every afternoon a patrol of eagles and falcons is unleashed to drive them away.

Double celebration

Twins hit landmark triple figures while hubby approaches 102

TWIN sisters have just turned 100 and another family milestone is beckoning as one of their husbands will hit the 102-year mark in a few months time.

All three are said to be in good health, with Manuela Lopez Ramal and Demetrio Torrente Gea celebrating 77 years of marriage.

Manuela lives in Ibi (Alicante) and her sister Isabel is based

By Alex Trelinski

20kms away in Cocentaina, where she moved to be near her three children after she was widowed 30 years ago. They were recently recognised by their local towns with the mayors of Ibi and Cocentaina, along with councillors and town hall staff, congratulating their long-living residents.

The sisters are the only remaining survivors of an extended family of nine siblings.

ANARCHIST BACKLASH

LEFT wing firebrand Pablo Iglesias has had his new Madrid bar daubed with graffiti by anarchists. The former deputy Prime Minister, 45, is a partner in Taberna Garibaldi, which ‘honours’ a string of historical revolutionaries and left wingers. Customers can order a range of drinks includ-

ing a Fidel Mojito, inspired by the Cuban revolutionary leader, the Mandela Zulu, a Gramsci Negroni and an Evita Martini. However, the new adventure has earned the wrath of anarchists. An unknown group sprayed graffiti demanding the removal from the menu of a cocktail inspired by Buenaventura Durruti, a hero of the movement.

They say their lives haven’t changed a great deal and continue to be active by doing simple household chores with the help of their children.

Unsurprisingly, their mobility is not what it used to be while Manuela's hearing has declined but she still enjoys a full life.

Isabela also has the same issue with hearing but still shares her twin’s positive attitude to living, while all three continue to live in their on homes.

IT may be a tradition dating back to the 1620s, but the bizarre ‘baby jumping’ festival of El Colacho has become a victim of an online backlash. Originating in the 1620s, it sees mothers from the village of Castrillo de Murcia lay their babies down in the street. Then men, dressed as red and yellow-masked ‘devils’, run through the village shouting insults at the townsfolk before leaping over rows of babies born in the village in the past 12 months.

Denizens

While aficionados of the festival say it is harmless, some internet denizens disagree and have jumped in with both feet.

“This village must have suffered a grave tragedy in the past to have ended up with this absurd tradition,” wrote one.

“Sure, the idiot who jumps is just that; an idiot. But the parents are even worse.” Thought to be a pagan twist on Catholic traditions, the event is supposed to be a triumph of good over evil and takes place in June.

TON: Manuela (left) and Isabela, with Demetrio