Olive Press Costa Blanca South and Murcia - Issue 77 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

ll about

Our special issue discovers why everyone is having so much fun in Playa Flamenca See page 11

Issue 77

Playa Flamenca

T was back in the 1960s and 1970s that a group of hardy an interest in the Belgians took coastline of Playa pretty, unspoilt Flamenca. Boasting two beautiful coves and hectares of wide open countryside, the Flemish speakers from Flanders were soon in their element and building homes. With its rolling olive imity to both the groves and proxmain coastal road and the rapidly growing fishing port Torrevieja, it was the perfect place of settle. to Today, Urbanisation Playa Flamenca is one of the most popular, es to live on the south bustling placCosta Blanca. Featuring two of Orihuela Costa, itthe best beaches of of Alicante, part sits in the province cian Community, of the sunny Valenes and flamingos. famed for its orangMany people assume from the flamingoes its name comes who have one of Spain’s biggest colonies revieja’s Laguna Rosa nearby at Tor(a record 1,500 pairs bred there in 2020), but in fact comes from the Flemish it Today, the population settlers. is much more cosmopolitan and more than just theis made up of a lot however, still well Belgians, who are represented. Most of the residents are British, Germans and Scandinavians and the majority permanent some stay for part residents while of the year or visit for their annual holiday.

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PERFECT PLAYA November 2022

960 500 116

With its year-round sun, unspoilt coast and golf, Playa Flamenca in Orihuela Costa is the perfect playground expats and tourists for alike

Perfect climate, perfect beaches

With more than 320 a year, short winters,days of sunshine and an average year-round temperature of 18 degrees, Playa Flamenca has a perfect climate and is a beach resort for seasons. all Its white and sandy the small neighbouring By Jo Chipchase coves. and La Estaca, have coves, La Mosca Go past Playa La this pretty Blue Flag status sincehad the coveted find a designated Mosca, and you’ll course lies 1992. dog-friendly beach, rene Famous for their where you can exercise crystal-clear waters, palm and natural, and are backed by with your four- b e t w e e n they are the perfect trees legged friend. For place for swim- In summer and cacti. interthe brave at heart two ming and watersports there’s also a nudist or just lying with walkersthe coast path is bustling ther beach a bit fur- c o n n e c t e d back and enjoying and punters enjoying on – you have been valleys, surwarned! beach restaurants. the Despite the fact beach life. rounded a bustling comBut the whole area mercial centre by hillocks lies right network of ramblas has an excellent next to the main that protect road The riverbed, the and coves (N-332) that borders it from the cas, is dry most ofRambla de las Estathe urbanisation, wind and the year and makes another popular walking Playa Flamenca the beaches providing trail. It runs down to niently close to is situated conve- a microclifeel setwo of the most which, during the La Estaca beach, mous golf fa- mate summer, courses on has the a lively ca, both Costa Blan- any that makes it suitable for golf chiringuito (beach hole, which is who look as if they bar) and lifeguards drive away.approximately a 10-minute tel, day of the year. It has its own hoare straight off Bayshop, and restaurant reputedly one of watch. the best short holes complex. The Royal Campoamor in Europe. Golf Course Also ranked highly is the Villamartin It’s possible to was opened in 1988 walk, hire electric Famous golfers by Juan de Bor- Golf Course, one of the first to open bon, Count the in include Seve that have played here of Barcelona, and Valencia region. scooters or cycle Ballesteros, Jose a tournament is held every Maria Olazabal along the wide August to honour Opened in 1972, it was designed his name. legendary Californian by course is welland Ian Woosnam. The promenade tended, with plenty With neatly manicured Putman, and attracts architect, Robert plants and and explore of greens and pine trees, golfers panoramic views towards the coast, afield. An old-school course from far of the Mediterranean. and fine views The clubhouse steeped in golfing history, it has a famous 17th Continues

In the heart of golf country

on next page

The

O LIVE P RESS

Your expat

voice in Spain

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Vol. 3 Issue 77 www.theolivepress.es November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Licenced to scam THE British embassy is warning of a scam taking advantage of expats caught in the driving licence debacle. It claims adverts have appeared on Facebook offering to get them ‘a Spanish licence in exchange for cash’. The alarm was first raised from a social media pressure group which threatened to invade the embassy last month. The group is representing what is believed to be thousands of British residents who haven’t been able to legally drive in Spain since May 1. One member told the Olive Press the scammers are asking for €550 for the service.

POLICE have kicked 40 Glasgow Celtic ‘fans’ off an AVE train for ‘uncivil behaviour’ towards Renfe workers and other passengers. Officers say their behaviour turned to aggressive abuse and insults, with fellow passengers asking to be moved to a different carriage.

U -T U R

NOW

Points

“Please don’t do any business with these guys,” he said. British ambassador Hugh Elliott revealed this week there were only two outstanding points still being hammered out between the two sides, in advance of an agreement. Meanwhile, Elliott, has denied the delay in reaching a post-Brexit deal on driving licence exchange has anything to do with the Gibraltar border negotiations. He insisted this during a meeting with the pressure group, which is trying to help the thousands of British residents who have been unable to drive.

Kicked off

The Alicante to Madrid high speed train was delayed by 52 minutes, with passengers due a refund. Renfe will file a complaint

against the 40 ‘hooligans’ who were on their way to yesterday's Champions League clash with Real Madrid. They will most likely be faced with covering the compensation as well as other charges, subject to a court order.

Hope for Kim

Tourist to get new hands after losing all her limbs after Spanish holiday five years ago A BRITISH woman who was told she had six hours to live while on holiday in Spain is finally set to undergo a rare double hand transplant. Kim Smith lost all of her limbs after she contracted sepsis following a common urinary tract infection while on holiday five years ago this month. The 61-year-old is near the top of a waiting list for hand transplant surgery, which will ‘make her life better again’. “I’ve just got on with my life and stayed strong and positive for so long, it’s been the only way,” she told the Olive Press. “After my transplant, I’ll be able to drive again and do more things life will get better again.” Kim had fallen ill while she and her husband Steve, f r o m Milton Keynes, were on holiday on the C o s t a Blanca in Novem-

EXCLUSIVE By Anthony Piovesan

ber 2017. They had plans to spend Christmas there, but one day while visiting the historic town of Sax she felt a pang of pain in her lower back. Thinking it was a urine infection she went to nearby Elda Hospital and pointed at her back, telling doctors ‘pain here’. “In hindsight I should have said I had an infection because they just x-rayed my back and sent me away telling me I had no breaks or fractures,” she explained.

Infection

NIGHTMARE: Coma and aftermath of sepsis drama

The next day she went to see another doctor, who did a test for a urine infection and, after confirming it, prescribed her with a course of antibiotics. But that night at 4am she was in so much pain she was rushed to hospital again, where doctors told her husband she ‘only had six hours to live’. She really thought she was ‘going to die’ and was put into an in-

duced coma for nine weeks, three weeks of it in her local hospital in Milton Keynes. When she finally woke up surgeons told her that her hands and legs would need to be amputated as they had ‘gone black and completely died’ from sepsis. After major surgery she then spent half a year in recovery.

“For six months I was just in bed, I couldn’t move,” she recalled. “I had to learn how to sit up and use my muscles again. It was awful.” She is now near the top of a waiting list for a double hand transplant at Leeds General Infirmary, the only hospital in the UK that can perform the surgery. The former hairdresser says she misses her hands most of all, and looks forward to cooking, sewing and driving again after the operation.

Inspirational

Tel: 952 147 834

See page 17

HAPPY TIMES: In Spain before infection

Kim hopes by speaking out she will be an inspirational voice for others who have also been impacted by sepsis. “Everyone always tells me I’m so strong and positive and so I encourage those people to be the same - It’s the only way to get through,” she concluded.

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Overnight rules MOTORHOMES and caravans can only use officially approved sites for overnight stays under new Murcia region laws which also improve disabled access at all 29 current sites which get a star grading.

Take cover MANHOLE cover thieves are operating in Cox with reports of people injuring themselves as they fall into open holes. It’s believed the brass covers are being pawned for cash.

Ring removal A Murcia fire crew sawed off a ring stuck on a 23-year-old man’s finger after he checked into the Mesa del Castillo hospital where medics were unable to help.

Fatal flip AN 83-year-old farmer died on Saturday after his tractor overturned and fatally trapped him in the Moro area of Albatera while he was working on a field.

A DRUG gang that exported marijuana across Europe from its own plantations has been arrested by the Guardia Civil. One of the ring-leaders was a British man, 30, from Orihuela Costa. Acting on information from UK authorities, the Guardia discovered that the Brit, along with others, ran five marijuana farms in the area.

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

FAMILY OPERATION

His underage son was stopped by police in San Miguel de Salinas while making drug deliveries on his electric scooter. Nine homes were raided in Alicante and Murcia. Weapons, drugs, and cash

totalling over €70,000 were removed along with marijuana plants and other drugs. Nine men, including the British man and his son, were detained along with two women.

TEEN KILLER

AN Alicante court has ordered a teenage boy to be interned for six years after shooting dead his parents and younger brother at their Elche home. The boy - aged 15 at the time - was given the maximum possible sentence requested by prosecutors, as he was not 16 until March, and therefore not eligible for a stiffer punishment of 10 years. He has been hospitalised in

Triple murderer gets just six years for killing parents and little brother By Alex Trelinski

an undisclosed Valencia centre since February and will remain there until he turns 21. He will then be released under a three-year supervised freedom licence and have his criminal record expunged.

As previously reported by the Olive Press, the youngster, named as Santiago, struck at the family home in the Algoda area of Elche after a row over his school grades, which had fallen from their usual high level. His mobile phone was taken away and his parents disabled their Wifi rout-

Love scam

Fake agent

POLICE have busted a massive ‘love scam’ in what has been claimed as one of the largest-ever operations against cybercrime in the European Union. An investigation has discovered victims in nine European countries besides Spain and over €1 million was swindled. Some 25 cases of fraud have been confirmed and inquiries are still continuing. The probe started after an Alicante woman was conned out of €835,000 over a number of years by a bogus US marine who claimed to work for the State Department. The gang leader - a 27-year-old Nigerian man - has been arrested in Mallorca and 14 of his associates of various nationalities who acted as ‘mules’ were also detained on the island.

A SCAMMER has been arrested in Elche for finding empty homes and changing the locks before renting the properties out to unsuspecting tenants. The 39-year-old man scoured the area for houses and flats that had been recently vacated via an eviction order. Police said he acted as if he was a real estate agent.

er to restrict his internet access. He shot his mother in the back while in the kitchen and then killed his brother, 10, who saw what happened. Santiago waited for his father to get home a few hours later and fired three bullets into him. The trial was held in Alicante last August under great secrecy and details have only now been released.

Gruesome

The hearing was quick as Santiago confessed to all the homicide charges. Police in February said they were shocked at how he showed no remorse over the killings. Relatives of his parents wanted the court to stop him inheriting any of his mother and father's assets, but they were told the issue had to be handled as a civil matter.

Caught at last POLICE have arrested one of Spain’s top 10 ‘Most Wanted’ fugitives who was hiding out in a town on the Colombia-Ecuador border. Viviana Andrea Vallejo Gutierrez, 36, was the only woman on the list and was also a key Europol target over running an Alicante Province prostitution ring. She was arrested in Machala, Ecuador on human trafficking, drug dealing, and money laundering charges. Vallejo Gutierrez organised her vice operation as she trawled for Colombian women offering a new life in Spain for the sum of €1,500.

Devious

The victims were unaware of what they faced and on arrival in Spain, they were taken to an apartment in Elche. Their debt instantly doubled to €3,000 and they became virtual prisoners in poor conditions as they were forced into prostitution.

June 3rd - June 16th 2021 www.theolivepress.es

LA CALA

THEY had both been interviewed - and even written columns - for the Olive Press when they opened restaurants on the Costa del Sol back in 2015. Now Ready Steady Cook presenter Steven Saunders is joining TOWIE star Elliot Wright at his popular Mijas restaurant Olivia’s La Cala. In an intriguing link up, Saunders has taken over executive duties in the kitchen and the food looks fab. It comes after the celebrity chef had closed his own La Cala joint, Little Ge-

STILL THE ‘BEST NEWSPAPE R IN ANDALUCIA’ ACCORDIN G TO THE NEW ROUGH GUIDE

olive press The original and only English-language investigative newspap er in Andalucía

the

FLOWER POW ER

by Steven Sa of the Little unders Geranium

United again

ranium, and moved back to England during the pandemic. Delighted to be back, he told the Olive Press: “This is home to me – I couldn’t wait to get back.” Wright meanwhile added he was the perfect fit to take his restaurant to the next level after recovering from a fire that gutted the premises. “We have come a long way since we

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THE winds of change have truly blown in as dozens of anti-corrup tion parties made substantial gains in town halls across Spain. Voters made clear they are ready to ditch Spain’s traditional two-party system as new parties Podemos and Ciudadanos performed well at regional and local elections on Sunday.

TOWIE star Elliot Wright launches a no-holds-barred column on Page 3 before we grill him on our food pages. See The Wright Stuff on Pages 54-55

TV presenter Nick Knowles and stunning wife Jessica lift the lid on their escape to Sotogrande on Page 3

2015

River of shame

A REAL DOG DAY FLASHBACK: To Elliot and Steven’s columns in 2015

rose like a Phoenix from the ashes, and now Steven is creating a new menu to keep us on an upward path,” he said. Here (above), theFreepair appear on a varifocal front page from 2015, with fellow TV lenses 59€ as the filling in presenter Nick Knowles a delicious celebrity sarnie. d after he crashed his new €60,000 Range Rover into the studio’s front door?

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IT sits in an eagle’s nest high above Tarragona’s famous Priorat wine region. An enviable escape from the world for around 30 locals, Siurana was the last Moorish stronghold in the region to fall to the marauding Catholic armies in 1153. And since then it has pretty much been cut off from the world, with poor wifi, no school or shops and hardly anywhere to eat or sleep. And that’s how the majority of the 100 or so locals want it to stay. At least according to the mayor, who decided to reject an offer to join Spain’s most prestigious list of stunning villages. According to Salvador Salvado it is ‘impossible’ to have more tourists visiting.

Don’t wannabe… …In the official list of Spain’s Most Beautiful villages

OUT AND IN: Siurana, while (right) Setenil and (left) Guadalest

He added there was already a ‘problem’ with visitors and more would simply di-

SHEEP replaced traffic on Madrid streets with shepherds steering their flocks through the heart of the capital along ancient migration routes. The annual event sees shepherds exercise their right to use ancient drovers paths to migrate their livestock from northern Spain to more southerly winter pastures. Sheep farmers pay a nominal charge based on a 1418 agreement with Madrid city council. This year’s flock included 1,200 Merino sheep and 200 goats.

All over the country the governing PP lost absolute majorities, meaning it will have to pact at least, one other with, Estepon a Town Hall fails to to form legitimate party clean gov- up a deadly ernments. river often played in Some of the big mayors by in children danger include MarbelWhat is E-Coli? la’s Angeles Munoz A DEADLY bacteria has and been Malaga’s Francisco E-Coli is a type of fecal EXCLUSIVE de la found in an Estepona river. Torre. A strand of the killer coliform bacteria usually By Rob Horgan E-Coli bacteria has been detected found in the intestines in See A Spring of Change, the Arroyo del Hornacinos, animals and humans. of Residents of the neighbouring on Pages 4 and 5 a stream often played Its presence in water Villas Andaluzas are now in by children. strong indication of is a ing in the Guardia Civil’s callrecent sewage or animal ronmental arm Seprona, enviafter waste contamination. written complaints to the town When the bacteria lives hall came to nothing. in animal or human intestiThey insist that the nal tracts it is harmless. overrun with rats andarea is mos- CONCERNE However when it appears quitos and the town D: Resident Sam Hall hall has at river’s bank in inadequately treated been completely ‘inactive’ de- worse. water it produces a toxin spite receiving the first report “It is from which Surrey, in April. is an absolute disgrace harmful and poas well ous neighbours, have as variand worse, a serious tentially fatal to humans. Independent analysis submithealth water shows that theof the hazard,” said British resident ted a number of formal complaints to the town hall. poses a serious health river Sam Hall, 78. risk He added: ing about and could be fatal. “It’s especially In response, a town hall “On hot it,” Hall added. days spokesman told the A report from Laboratorio worrying because we couple unbearable the smell is so that seen children playing have Mayor Jose Urbano Rafael Perez Rodriguez was able to sit out in we are unour that the quantities of stated the water where it flows near ‘aware of the problem’ and it Ironically, Esteponagarden.” into would be forms’ were so high that ‘coli- the sea. ‘sorted out’. was rewere ‘too many’ to count.there “If anyone were to be struck However, when a clean up cently honoured with a Green E-Coli can cause vomiting, down, it would be a national was finally ‘promised’ for May Flag Award for boosting environmental awareness. 18, nothing happened. scandal.” diarrhoea, liver disease and Hall and Estepona Which ageing costa his wife Susanna, “They say one thing to keep respond Town Hall failed to to Olive Press quesyou happy and then do noth- tions. show was cancelle DJ’s

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By Jon Clarke

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Arty tapas is the special of the day in a new column from former Michelin-starred TV chef Steven Saunders. See Page 49

lute the quality. It means only one village has officially joined Spain’s list of Los Pueblos Mas Bonitos de Espana this year. While 22 applied, only Puentedey, in Burgos, met the strict criteria to join the association, which was set up in 2011. There are now 105 villages in the group, all of which

must be under 15,000 in population and have a perfectly preserved historic core, as well as an ‘architectural or natural heritage’. Last year, 11 more villages joined, including Genalguacil, in Malaga, Banos de la Encina, in Jaen, Roncal in Navarra and Valverde de la Vera, in Caceres. The potential rewards for the villages are huge, with the promotion they get globally from being members and the huge growth in tourism it brings.

Rejection

Capital takeover

“We have never had such a rejection,” the president of the association, Francisco Maestre, told El Pais. “Being on the list means a significant increase in tourism and is not about harming the village.”

BRINGING SEXY BACK HIS was one of the scariest characters in Hollywood history. Ben Kingsley’s Oscar-nominated Don Logan is making a return in a mini-series based on cult gangster movie Sexy Beast. Set in London and the Costa del Sol (although originally filmed in Almeria), the Paramount series is a prequel to the 2000 hit. Contrary to fake news published in a well-known downmarket rag, it is, however, not starring Ben Kingsley, Ray Winstone or Ian McShane. Their characters, Logan, Gal Dove and Teddy Bass are played by Emun Elliot, James McArdle (both below) and Stephen Moyer. They will play the characters, based in London in the early 1990s, before Gal Dove has retired to live on the Costas and is dragged back ‘for one last job’. Filming began in Liverpool in August, with streets renamed after London boroughs.

Neymar cleared

No Sharpe exit

PROSECUTORS have sensationally dropped corruption charges against football star Neymar over the Brazilian’s suspicious move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. In a surprise move, a Barcelona prosecutor announced the ‘withdrawal of the charges against all the accused’. He faced a two-year jail term and a €10 million fine and, oddly, no reason has been given as to why the case collapsed.

FORMER England star Lee Sharpe has promised ‘new exciting ventures’ after shutting his Spanish sports bar. Sharpey’s, in Javea, on the Costa Blanca has closed, less than a year after opening. “It just wasn’t working for us,” the 51-year-old told the Olive Press this week. I wanted to part ways before the standards dropped beyond my control.” See Closing Time, page 6

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4 www.theolivepress.es Low earning ALICANTE and Elche have two of Spain’s poorest neighbourhoods, according to figures compiled by the Tax Agency. The organisation says that after the Torreblanca area of Sevilla, districts in Elche and Alicante have the lowest income levels in the country. The study is based on analysing 2020 income tax returns by post codes in cities that have more than 200,000 inhabitants. The Carrus area of Elche had an average declared income of €15,386, followed by Nou Alacant in Alicante on €16,713. At the other end of the scale, La Moraleya in the Alcobendas area of Madrid came on top with an average declared income of €181,990.

Fire hero dies A MAN branded as a hero in July for digging a trench to stop his town being engulfed by a wildfire, has died in a Valladolid hospital. Angel Zamora, 53, lived in Tabara in Castilla y León. He suffered serious burns when he used his digger to build a firebreak on the outskirts of the town. He was surprised by the advance of the fire and ran away through the flames with his clothes alight to escape the blaze. He was taken by helicopter to hospital to be treated but has now succumbed to his injuries. Three other people died in the fire - the most serious of the year in Spain.

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Heat toll

ALL LIT UP

ALICANTE'S Central Market building will be given a colourful new look to celebrate its centenary from November 12 with new LED lights. The building is a major tourist attraction by virtue of its design with indoor stalls covering over 11,000 square metres. Improvements to enhance energy efficiency have cost over €500,000 including exterior and interior lights. The new coloured lights have been tested and can use different combinations to celebrate events and holidays.

GOING UNDER

Popular beaches will be swallowed up and land completely lost in 25 years if sea levels continue to rise THOUSANDS of homes in Valencia and Andalucia could be completely submerged in water by 2050, new research shows. According to Climate Central, coastal areas in Huelva, Cadiz and Castellon are at particular risk of being underwater. The climate change research group has published an interactive map, with areas in red representing land below 1m above sea level. These areas will be in danger due to a predicted rise in sea levels due to global warming. A large area of

By Anthony Piovesan

the Ebro delta will be submerge, making the town of deltebre an island. Many towns and huge swathes of land along the Guadalquivir river enroute to Sevilla will be completely submerged. Other towns at risk in Cadiz include Barbate and Los Barrios. Cadiz centre meanwhile, will be completely cut off from mainland Spain as surrounding land goes below sea level. The warning for Spain

Happy birthday!

AT RISK: Red shows areas in danger of flooding around the Ebro Delta near Tortosa

comes as the annual global climate conference (COP27) begins in Egypt this weekend.

BIOPARC got out the bunting to celebrate the 10th birthday of the first gorilla born in the Valencian Community. Ebo’s birth in 2012 was a crucial part of the international conservation programme to preserve the Western Lowland Gorilla. The birthday boy was treated to decorations, food, and a spectacular birthday cake. He was joined by his three younger brothers, Virunga, Pepe, and Felix plus majestic 31-year-old Silverback gorilla, Mambie, and females Ali, Nalani, and Fossey.

Average sea levels have swelled more than eight inches (23cm) since 1880, with about three of those inches gained in the past 25 years, according to official data. The Costa del Sol remains largely untouched according to Climate Central’s map.

Wetlands

The area around the Pobles del Sud wetlands just outside Valencia could also be particularly impacted, with water rising and swallowing up land and nearby homes. Opinion Page 6

A SCORCHING summer brought about an almost three-fold rise in Alicante Province deaths caused by high temperatures. Madrid’s Carlos III Health Institute says that 238 people died due to heat-related issues between May and September compared to 84 fatalities last year. It’s the highest figure in five years, with 127 women and 111 men affected.

Dying

Some 71% of heat-related deaths came in the 85 years and above age bracket. Statistics from the MoMo monitoring system show seven people dying in May; 14 in June; 69 in July; 123 in August; and 25 in September. A large proportion of the older fatalities suffered a loss in consciousness, dehydration and heat stroke. The higher temperatures also aggravated existing conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart issues.

Drying up SPANISH reservoirs have lost 148 cubic hectometres of water in the last week, representing 0.3% of their total capacity. At the moment, reservoirs in Spain are 36.13% below the average volume of the last decade and 20.05% less than at the same time last year. In fact, the current figures are the second lowest of all time for this week of the year. Only in 1995 were the water levels in Spanish reservoirs as alarmingly low as they are now, more so in fact, having sunk to a dismal 25.52% of their capacity.

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NEWS

Complex

Santos’ management had been criticised by unions, politicians, and health lobby groups, with frequent calls for her to resign. Her departure comes on the back of a long list of managerial resignations in her department over the last 12 months. Santos’ ‘right hand man’ Dr Juan Toral stepped down from his role less than two months ago. Valencian authorities pointed out that during the first year of public management,

2022

NDS O

EXCLUSIVE: British expat ‘devastated’ after waiting four months for breast cancer results at Torrevieja hospita l

C O ST

The

A PETRIFIED expat has been waiting for four months to have an answer from Torrevieja Hospital about whether has breast cancer. or not she Karen Moon, 66, has been left horrified after hearing tinual horror stories the conemerging from patients. “I am feeling very worried. And it emotional and is affecting my mental health,” said school teacher, this the retired week. She added: “The also affected my situation has with my husband.” relationship The Olive Press has already investigated the malfunctio ning public hospital three the last two years. times over Most recently in we splashed on July (below) levels of care afterthe appalling clusive interviews securing exwith a number of angry doctors. One of them ended up resigning after PLEAS: Protestor many years of service Your s disrobe to protect over the A debacle. CAMPAIGNING virgin Cala Mosca Benijófar expat mayor is making Our journalists have tried for HOME FROM months to contact voice in desperate last stand toa HOME save her town’s COSTA BLANCA SUR bosses for a response hospital / MURCIA but we area of unspoilt final have not been able Spain FREE Vol. 3 Issue 67 www.theolivepr TocoastValencia’s line. ess.es June 16th - Juneto speak 29th 2022 with anyone. The Orihuela best hikes la Costa. leader page 14 The PSOE Karen Moon’s is organising See boss is demanda cru- ing all own SEE OUR PULLOUT INSIDE By Alex personof everybody Trelinski cial political meeting with all O LIVE HUNDREDS of readers involved’. al nightmare have been PRESS the regional parties and “Perhaps Orihuela local environmentalists joined by expat councillors PICTURE ‘interestedR: parties’ to sit to supauthorities the has room residents port the Olive and to build ! started when SHOCKE ‘Hero’ local down stop the controver grandfath Press U-turn sial Gomendio with developers regard anyCambiemos party homes, thousands of new A protestto oppose it SHAMBLES she visited er kidnappe Cala Mosca campaign d by family U but it does , to find a development as group, develop- tion, on May helping after to be, and hopefullynot have Cala Mosca, has Salvemos U -T R nine 23, weeks ment.of ‘captivity before the first solu- a crucial red line and Your British resiorganised will not bricks threatened have , are laid. take a neglecttoand Carolina Gracia dents swap expat to withdraw be, on the last virgin kilo- a national petition and varbe- Part m a m mstarvatio at hospital support their licencmetres of our coastline,” ious protests, lievesn’there ois hope to to of her electoral promise scrapped.if the project is not said the last in voice in es for Spanshe March this gram to disoust previous PP prevent the constructhis week. ish ones. year. mayor, Gracia Spain Emilion Another Meanwhile tion of 2,274 insists all parties Among options to be / MURCIA Continues homes ago, was Bascunana, a year must come stud- Naturist group, the Spanish various Face2022 COSTA BLANCA SUR ied for the UE2 on the last stretch to oppose the me.es July 14th - July 27th to an agreemen on Page 4 book Alameda del organisedFederation (FEM) groups of t Vol. 3 Issue 69 www.theolivepress 147 834 for ga-project 952 Mar FREE the virgin coast in Orihueand even a leadproject is a swap ‘common good . a nudist protest (of for other deal in May. ing fintech guru have the area) Her coalition partners our campaign, which backed from environmwith respect for the ipality. land in the munic- One protester, is gathering ent and the rights speed. Beatriz Vidal It comes tragically however, “If the constructi Martinez, said: EXCLUSIVE one female expat allegedly after By Simon Wade ny is willing to on compa- so many other “There are committed suicide when look for any velop. areas to she found other location, then herself isolated in a This is just about derural part of A BELEAGUERED hospital has come the country. under the spotlight yet fistudied carefully,” it will be nancial gain.” again after a The woman, who had explained recently lost family had to ‘literally kidnap’ their Gracia. her husband, told friends own her life ing relative when he received ‘appallwas no longer worth The project was treatment’ for nine weeks. Among suggestions toliving. Staff at Torrevieja at Costa Blanca Snail ed in Orihuela’s first includEXCLUSIVE: Crisis quit in their on both the Spanish put pressure slammed after theyhospital have been PGOU Gen- However, and British allowed Swedish doctors governments, as eral their opposition town plan over 30 hospital one reader, Andrew expat Bo-Eskil Svensson to suffer horClark suggested a road wait ‘up to 60 rific pain ‘from neglect’. years didn’t stop ago and has been protest. droves and patients “Why don't we all protest The 80-year-old, a continual being passed a final hurdle hot potato. ing slowly around Spain’s by driv- suffered appallingwho has since died, hours for a bed’ by a Valencian bed sores coastal from intowns? It seemed to government After it was provisiona work well for fections, due to a lack of care, claim his Blanca’s most By Alex Trelinski environment the lorry drivers!” DOCTORS at the Costa family. slammed & Jorge Hinojosa lly impact study report approved in 2007, beleaguered hospital have The UK ambassador and in July. meanwhile “This hospital killed my dad”, Mia the appalling working conditions opposiWhile continued care. of Mooseberg director tion was quickly the it to insist ‘an agreement told the Olive Press this disgraceful levels that delays put into action. I think is close’. formed by proved, a was largely apweek. They told the Olive Press were frequent should resign.” ‘protected’ area of UP TO 18 HOURS a doctor at Matters got so heated last autumn of in to calm for patients just to see Making in-roads, page that police had to be called waited for 40,000 square metres who Torrevieja Hospital. 6/7 Bedsores and Emer- down angry patients Meanwhile, the Accident was func- hours to be seen. will have to be “They starved him in gency (A&E) department 50% staffing confined him to bed anda Covid ward, tioning with around ‘a ‘just three Death tained near mainKidnapped level’, with sometimes fragile tive for nine weeks,” she held him capPress reported last month Cala Mosca itself. doctors’. of a She claimed the formeradded. of affairs, The Olive shocked And in an alarming state of medics how a Swedish family was so father, fireman had developed horrific bedsores of their Giner (top), while The report noted we can reveal that dozens Princess claims Doctor Peris where at the treatment kid‘at breaking point’ Svensson, 80, they he hadn’t been turned over. because have resigned over conditions Peris want action forced to wait Bo-Eskilhim from the ward and took SCANDAL: Hospital it has at least two that in HORRIFIC: Bo was and Doctor Manuel patients are sometimesfor a bed. to public management napped They had grown so deep left frail, emaciated Mayor Dolon (middle) ‘50% of the tal returned PHOTOVOLTAIC they became and suffering from for UP TO 60 HOURS Peris Giner, him home to Sweden. after years of political rows. was working on around dangered species, eninfected. that would care for him infected bedsores two years we have con- autumn as doctors and other medical staff needed’ and this is causing October, the hospital, run by RibEmergency doctor, Jose properly.” told the Over the last conthe INSTALLATIONS CHARGERS FOR Despite ordering a private changeover. among his Previously since 2006, had regularly who resigned last month, had be- tinually highlighted worsening Cat Head plant staff quit ahead of the stress and depression era Salud ambulance She continued: “Doctors back home pital with a urinary tract infection on indictment was backed members, resulting in a worse ser- appeared in ‘best hospital’ lists and to transport Olive Press that his position December (Tribdamning ditions at the hospital. were His ELECTRIC him completely 6, spilast home Jose year, to his native speechless about how VEHICLES but Peris confirmed thingswhen up by local union boss, doctor ulus Terrestris come untenable. Sweden, they were unable treatment wasn’t covered subsequent vice for patients. won numerous awards. 15 years ago work under Doctor from 2020 ) and to get him an EU hospital neglected a person in ance. by his insur“I didn’t believe I could alarming as doctors have to work 24-hour said the ralled dramatically told Manuel Peris. discharged. this way. the Tudorella Sulcata not enough doc- “Most without a break, eight days a “It is really hospitals in rm Riviera Salud was such conditions any longer,” it was one of the best at the hos- private fibe losing its contract to the “There are simply law. “So we decided to kidnap are employed shifts When he was transferred senior medic, who worked tors and the ones whotold the Olive month, which is against the hours to Spain,” Torrevieja mayor Eduardo him and “Days later at home, he died because of University got to break- it would government in 2022. to the nearby snail. to 18 drive him 3,000kms back pital for 15 years. “It has Valencian the Olive Press. are overworked,” he “A patient can wait up Hospital on December +34 965 085 888 to a hospital that neglect.” number of Dolon told that a lot of doctors left Valencian officials promised 21, ing point.” be seen and with the low likely.” his nightmare began, insisted Former mayor Emilio “It is a fact when Press. Bo had been admitted to autoconsumo@solarwor you receive “While He continued: “When waiting for the hospital would improve reali- “They hire doctors but they instantpromises of excellent a private hos- ing wife mistakes are more his lovks.es conditions are doctors, his members were having over broken Barbro. over, that’s far from a patient who has been Bascuñana, of the conditions when it changed ly quit as the working He added it is really dif- they took added. added to depression working Seeing that her husband enough.” more than eight hours, with ty,” Peris to take sick days due also taking from private management,” chiefs that staffing not good party, voted to PP ficult to develop a relationship EXCLUSIVE and were was receiving such poor of 60 years Indeed, he explained point in the He added that the A&E department Dolon, who insisted chathospital with nor local to a crisis them. early retirement. briefed his office, for a private ambulancecare, she paid was never issues came prove the projectaplongneither to take him “Everything promised While the Valencian term boyfriend, media. back to Sweden. a Health Ministry says year ago. waiting However,

Following the herd

Mayor launches coastline from last ditch battle to save ﬁnal mega-project stretch of virgin

ll about

Issue 69

and Ciudad Quesada

www.theolivepress.es

965 724 734

July 2022

HISTORIC CORE: Benijofar has its roots in Arabic times and is famed for its citric fruits

ll about

Benijófar

and Ciudad Quesada

ESTLED between Murcia and Elche, Benijofar and Cuidad Quesada are known for their orange groves and golf courses, as well as fantastic beaches with covet-ed blue flag status. Handily close to the A7 motorway, and the airports of Alicante and Murcia just 30 minutes away, they also count on a great range of shops and restaurants. As well as being

The promised land of orange blossoms, beaches, and shopping self-contained with their own amenities, Benijofar and Ciudad Quesada are close to the popu-

lar tourist resorts of Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja, and the expat towns of Rojales, For-

mentera del Segura, Algorfa - with its well-known Zoco Sunday market, Almoradi, San Fulgencio, and

BENIJOFAR - A HOME FROM HOME

Heredera. Residents and visitors have an endless choice of places to go, and things to do. With around 5,000 inhabitants, Benijofar is a stronghold for British and Northern European expats, as well as those coming on vacation. About 60% of permanent residents hail from Northern

SEE OUR PULLOUT

INSIDE

965 724 734

July 2022

www.theolivepress.es

Issue 69

HOME FROM HOME

HISTORIC CORE: Benijofar has its roots in

Arabic times and is famed for its citric fruits

ESTLED between Murcia and Elche, Benijofar and

Cuidad Quesada are known for their orange groves and golf courses, as well as fantastic beaches with covet-ed blue flag status. Handily close to the A7 motorway, and the airports of Alicante and Murcia just 30 minutes away, they also count on a great range of shops and restaurants. As well as being

shopping The promised land of orange blossoms, beaches, and Segura, Algorfa - with self-contained with their own amenities, Benijofar and Ciudad Quesada are close to the popu-

lar tourist resorts of Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja, and the expat towns of Rojales, For-

mentera del Segura, its well-known Zoco Sunday market, Almoradi, San Fulgencio, and

Continues overleaf

The

BENIJOFAR - A HOME FROM HOME

Your

expat

voice in Spain

COSTA BLANCA

FREE

The

plaints - many of them from expats - about disgraceful care leading to serious complications and even death. The Olive Press has investigated the hospital and spoken to former doctors who have resigned due to the pressure that they have to deal with everyday due to staff shortages.

A SUR / MURC

IA Vol. 3 Issue 73 www.theolivepres s.es September 8th - September 21st

PILAR DE LA HORADADA is pedestrianising its centre by the Town Hall and church on an experimental basis. Temporary signs and planters will be erected to block off vehicles on 10 roads this month. Traffic flows on the normally-busy Calle Mayor are expected to be reduced. Shops will be asked if sales volume has benefitted and whether footfall in the area has risen. If the experiment is a success, pedestrianisation will become permanent.

By Alex Trelinski

voice in Spain

COSTA BLANC

Pilar experiment

Your

expat

FREE

July 14th - July

27th 2022

most By Alex Trelinski the Costa Blanca’s & Jorge Hinojosa DOCTORS at have slammed and beleaguered hospital working conditions the appalling I think the director of care. delays put into action. disgraceful levels resign.” Olive Press that They told the HOURS were frequent should got so heated last autumn to calm at Matters of UP TO 18 to be called in to see a doctor waited for that police had for patients just patients who Emer- down angry Torrevieja Hospital. Accident and func- hours to be seen. Meanwhile, the department was gency (A&E) around ‘a 50% staffing Kidnappedlast month tioning with sometimes ‘just three reported level’, with (top), while The Olive Pressfamily was so shocked Peris Giner doctors’. state of affairs, a Swedish claims Doctor action father, in medics howthe treatment of their want And in an alarming breaking point’ public management that dozens of at Hospital ‘at and Doctor Manuel Peris 80, they kidrows. tal returned to we can reveal over conditions where took SCANDAL: Bo-Eskil Svensson, (middle) ‘50% of the October, after years of political the ward and by Ribhave resigned forced to wait Mayor Dolon working on around causing hospital, run napped him from medical was needed’ and this is regularly Previously the bed. patients are sometimes staff HOURS for a him home to Sweden. among his era Salud since 2006, had lists and we have con- autumn as doctors and other for UP TO 60 last two years changeover. and depression Jose Peris Giner, in a worse ser- appeared in ‘best hospital’ the Over the highlighted worsening con- staff quit ahead of the backed stress Emergency doctor, last month, told indictment was Jose members, resulting tinually numerous awards. hospital. His damning who resigned his position had beas 15 years ago 24-hour won vice for patients. ditions at the confirmed things spi- up by local union boss, doctor in have to work days a “It is really alarming Olive Press that the best hospitals “Most doctors Doctor Peris eight from 2020 when Manuel Peris. Eduardo it was one of come untenable. I could work under enough doc- shifts without a break, the law. ralled dramatically Torrevieja mayor Salud was told are simply not “I didn’t believe any longer,” said the Press. firm Riviera contract to the “There the ones who are employed month, which is againstto 18 hours to Spain,” left told the Olive up its the hos- private tors and such conditions he told the Olive “A patient can wait low number of Dolona fact that a lot of doctors who worked atto break- it would be losing in 2022. the “It is are overworked,” senior medic, of excellent “It has got likely.” be seen and with Valencian government cials promised broken promises pital for 15 years. they instant- doctors, mistakes are more when it changed Valencian offiimprove when Press. having over are hire doctors but added receive “While members were working conditions would ing point.” reali- “They as the working conditions “When you management,” chiefs He added his the hospital due to depression that’s far from from private ly quit He continued: has been waiting for to take sick days were also taking Dolon, who insisted hospital they took over, local not good enough.” and a patient who hours, it is really difdepartment his office, nor ty,” Peris added. that staffing He added that the A&E neither briefed early retirement. more than eight a relationship with Valencian media. Indeed, he explained point in the While the ficult to develop came to a crisis says never issues Health Ministrywaiting them. promised was average A&Efallen by “Everything Investment Mitimes have plan was new Health Minister, invest15% since thein June, Valencia’s claims heavy staff to of guel Minguez, introduced the ment has led to an increase just 1,043 unions rubbished compared to 1,793 people, claim. are when Ribera’s contract ended. requests for They insist patients backed over despite continual c complaints simply being corridors Yet, answers on specifi Olive Press up in A&E rooms the last six weeks, The with no one or observation totally rebuffed hosof ‘up to with delays a hospital has been for comment from the available 60 hours’ for goverment. pital or regional bed. 6 medical Opinion Page According to problems unions the hospibegan when the

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average A&E Investment times have fallen by Mi15% since the plan was Valencia’s new Health Minister, investintroduced in June, guel Minguez, claims heavy of staff to unions rubbished the ment has led to an increasejust 1,043 to claim. 1,793 people, compared They insist patients are when Ribera’s contract ended. for simply being backed Yet, despite continual requestsover up in A&E corridors answers on specific complaintsPress or observation rooms the last six weeks, The Oliveno one with delays of ‘up to has been totally rebuffed withthe hos60 hours’ for a hospital available for comment from bed. pital or regional goverment. According to medical Opinion Page 6 unions the problems began when the hospi-

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www.theolivepress.es Vol. 3 Issue 69

Blanca Crisis at Costa EXCLUSIVE: quit in their 60 ‘up to hospital as doctors patients wait droves and bed’ hours for a

NOW

THE head of Torrevieja’s health department, Pilar Santos, has resigned just over a year after it returned to public management. Ribera Salud's contract to run local health services, including Torrevieja Hospital, ended on October 15, 2021. Since then, waiting times at the hospital’s emergency department have sky-rocketed with staffing issues across the hospital as previously reported by the Olive Press. It has faced a string of com-

The

Torrevieja boss faced many ‘disgraceful care’ allegations

Lonely death

THE body of an 82-year-old British woman surrounded by ‘tons of hoarded rubbish’ has been found after neighbours reported a strong smell coming from her Torrevieja home. Police believe that she may have been deceased for a fortnight. woman, named as JoseO LIThe VE suffered from the ‘rubphine, P Rbish-hoarding’ ESS condition of Diogenes Syndrome. FIGH Torrevieja social services and T THE MO N the Cruz Roja subsequently T H E B E A C H ES as she had Still paid regular visits critical severe mobility problems. Tons of belongings accumulated over the years were both inside and outside the property. The community property O LIVE manager is now asking for P RESS help from the city council to Fast lane CALLED remove the items due to a danST E O LIV O P OUT: Olive of fire. P RESS Press exposed THIS NOW! ger The area’s owners association ! appalling ES BL AM SH had submitted at least a doztreatment en letters to the council since on various 2015 asking for action to be occasions, taken and the need to help an with Santos elderly person Tel: 952 147 834 who could not (top) live on a ‘day-to-day basis’. staff numbers in the health The OCU consumer organ952 147 834 department have risen from isation puts the national 1,212 to 1,889 people. figure at 52 minutes while Santos has been replaced by it hits 199 minutes in TorJose Cano who has run Pub- revieja. lic Health for both the Ori- The maximum average 952 in 147at834 huela and Torrevieja health waiting time comes departments since 2003. 415 minutes at Torrevieja Cano takes over as a report compared to 199 minutes in says emergency room wait- other Valencian Communiing times at Torrevieja Hos- ty public hospitals. pital are nearly four times See Letters page 10 DUMP: trash in garden the national average. N

A PLAGUE of mosquitoes in parts of Torrevieja brought on by the unseasonably warm weather has led to the sacking of the city’s pest control provider Inti. Mayor Eduardo Dolon has been inundated with complaints since mid-October and says Inti cannot fulfill the terms of its contract. The company has just one vehicle to cover the area, with Dolon saying that up to five should be used daily under the current circumstances It is not known what the council will do to replace Inti which had a year left on its current €57,000 per annum contract and which could sue for compensation.

HOSPITAL CHIEF QUITS !

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when collection was arranged, staff prevented claiming he had Covid-19. the move, It led to the grandfather, served as a UN peacekeeperwho had in Lebanon, being left in complete isolation for EIGHT days without food or fluids, insisted his family. When they came to see him in January they were so alarmed they They then drove the 3,000 km journey took a series of horrific home and into the care of the emerpictures, showing the gency room at Karlskrona hospital, shocking level of malnu- near the family home in Karlshamn. But sadly, her dad did not trition and neglect. survive and After his wife, 79, sat died on April 17 of the infections that with him for four fur- he developed in Spain. ther days without a bed After multiple attempts at trying to for herself, daughter get her complaints heard at Torrevieja Mia insisted they ‘decid- Hospital, Mia has now shared her experience on social media. ed to kidnap him’. They hatched a plan for “It is appalling what they did to this two other grandchildren lovely man, who was a hero - a fireto fly to Spain and met man who saved many people,” Mia CHARGERS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES up with Barbro’s friend explained this week. “I hope our tragic story to rescue him. can save someIn a slick operation, one else.” the group ‘borrowed’ a One of the Facebook sites she turned autoconsumo@solarw orks.es hospital wheelchair and to was set up by British expat George carefully got him out of bed, out of the ward and Continues on Page 5 into the family’s campervan. Opinion Page 6

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NEWS FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Time to act is now IF this year’s searing hot summer wasn’t enough to alarm you about the effects of global warming, then new research surely will. Research group Climate Central has published an interactive map showing the areas of Spain that will be underwater by 2050. Thousands of homes and businesses will be completely submerged. That’s in just two-and-a-half decades. So make no mistake, we are amid a climate crisis. It’s not like we haven’t continually done our bit campaigning for the environment. The Olive Press is constantly highlighting green issues, including the spread of desertification, the proliferation of golf courses, the use of plastic bags and the widespread destruction of our coasts. It’s why we set up 17 years ago. But now it is going to take a combined effort from everyone to keep Mother Nature’s fury at bay if we continue to waste water and pump greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, like there’s no tomorrow. Our kids get it. Greta Thunberg gets it. But more than 200 countries attending the critical COP27 UN climate summit in Egypt this weekend need to act. And act now. The time has come for more action and less talking.

Eyes wide open NEVER take the advice of a bar-stool lawyer. This has long been the advice for people arriving in Spain – particularly if they’re looking to open a restaurant or bar. The pitfalls are numerous and all too many people hand back their keys having to shut the door on their Spanish business dreams. Forget the often well-meaning advice of the local lawyers… talk to those serving you on the other side of the counter. On this page we share a few words of wisdom from successful businessmen – and they are worth repeating. Come in with your eyes wide open to the problems you may face. Get reputable professional advice to guide you through the tangled thickets of red tape you are certain to encounter. Be ready for some serious hard work and, above all, make sure you have the financial backing to give your business a real go should things slow down quicker than you hoped. You may then have a chance to live your Spanish dream, after all.

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CALLING TIME As ex-England star Lee Sharpe puts his bar up for sale just 10 months after opening, the Olive Press looks at why so many expats call time early on their Spanish hospitality dreams

ATCH any UK television series about Brits starting a new life in Spain and you're bound to get a segment on expats battling to open a bar. It’s not a cakewalk at the best of times, with pitfalls galore in trying to get to grips with all the numerous and complicated regulations here. For many, including former Manchester United star Lee Sharpe who has just closed his Costa Blanca sports bar Sharpeys after only ten months, these exciting new ventures quickly go from being a Spanish dream to the bars of a prison from which to escape. While Sharpe’s wife Lucy, diplomatically told the Olive Press last week Lee ‘just didn’t have the time to run the bar’, close friends revealed that the rent of over €3,000 a month, plus other overheads, were much more to blame. The rapid closure of a new local is a sadly familiar story to expats who have lived in Spain for years, many of whom have seen a bewildering turnover in foreign establishments. In the vast majority of cases, the new batch of landlords tend to be folk with little or no experience in the hospitality trade, let alone running a business. On top of that rents are usually disproportionately high, which the green-round-theears new arrivals have no idea about (come on, you know we’ve all been there!). And while the current economic crisis and its associated spiralling costs means there are plenty of opportunities out there, you really need to do your homework. “Buyers have to do some thorough research and get everything legally watertight,” lawyer Manuel Sanchez told the Olive Press. Taking over an existing business is done through a lease known as a ‘traspaso’, which has the advantage of not having to put in for licences as if you are starting from scratch. “Find out why an owner wants to sell on the traspaso and check through all the financial records. If there’s any hesitation on those scores, then simply don't bother,” Sanchez advised. “You might not be told about any debts until you take over and get an unwanted surprise,” he warned.

SHUT: The ‘traspaso’ is up at €3,300 a month at Lee Sharpe’s bar, (below) Ray Curran in expenses,” By Alex Trelinski said president, & Anthony Piovesan Juan Lopez. “Making things He added that potential owners must take pay today is some good local financial advice and create much harder.” a proper long-term business plan backed up A Torrevieja by money in the bank that you’ll almost cerbar owner, tainly need to create a successful business. who wanted to There will always be nasty surprises, issues remain anonwith the council and, of course, a need to do ymous, consome marketing. firmed the drop Owner of Benidorm’s Escape Bar, Andy in demand. Mansell, echoed the need to have plenty of “I’ve been looking to retire, but there has capital in reserve. “You need back up funds been just one inquiry this year over the for when things go wrong, which is bound to traspaso and that’s despite dropping the happen with equipment failing and the cost asking price,” said the female boss. of repairs,” he told the Olive Press. “I think Brits, in particular, are now very “Get a good gestoria to check on the licence reluctant to take on a bar and are more because I had the wrong one and did not aware of the time and effort needed to qualify for what pitiful pandemic aid was ofmake a go of it.” fered,” he added. She added: “Restrictions on how many He also pointed out that the tax authorities days a non-resident can stay due to Brexit in Spain have the right to dip into your bank have also significantly reduced our trade in accounts ‘whenever they feel the need’. the off-season. It is often cheaper to close Most tellingly, he warned how vital it was for the day than open, and that's what we to put away the ‘rose-tinted’ glasses as are doing.” the stresses of running a bar could likely In Andalucia, Irish pub owner Ray Curran change your attitude to staysaid winter trade was ‘nearing in Spain. ly as important’ as summer “Before taking the plunge, You might not trade. step back, look around and He launched The Quays Irish be told about remember what you love Bar in Puerto de la Duquesa about the country and conin 2019 with his partner Lisa any existing sider whether it's worth loshaving to navigate through ing that connection,” he obdebts until you the global pandemic, and served. now the economic fallout of take over “The quality of life soon disthe war in Ukraine. appears running a hospitality “I don’t think there was a business and you end up hatsingle business owner that ing Spain for all of its red tape as well as didn’t think about the possibility of having siestas and bank holidays when nothing is to close during the pandemic,” Curran told open,” concluded Andy. the Olive Press. Either way, Olive Press research suggests “Now with inflation, electricity is up 40%, the number of foreigners looking to take from day to day you never know how much over a bar traspaso in Spain appears to be you’ll be charged for food … these are very falling as costs have soared in the wake of challenging times.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Fortunately for Curran he understood the In Murcia, Cartagena’s Hostecar associahospitality trade having managed a bar tion paints a gloomy picture for any potential in Naas, near Dublin, before he moved to newcomers. “Profits are down by 15% over Spain in 2018 and working in a local bar the summer compared to 2019 and our for a year on his arrival. members have tried to keep price rises low “A mistake many people make is that they or else they would have to close with the rise come in July and August and the bars are packed, so they think to come back next year and buy a bar but then November hits and it's a completely different story,” he said. “You still have the same costs, the same wages to pay, the same rent. You need to research and know your location and clientele.” As Duquesa is a very residential area with lots of expats he has tried to make his business appeal to the locals, instead of just tourists. “If your bar relies solely on tourist trade, then you’ll experience the highs in summer, but you’ll hit real lows in the winter,” he insisted. It is a warning and good advice too. So to conclude, take your time to do your research, find the best location, have the cash to pay your bills for a couple of years and get ready for long hours and hard work if you are to succeed. Oh, and make sure you spend some money on marketing, preferably with your most SURVIVORS: Andy Marshall (above) and two well known Benidorm pubs popular local newspaper!

appeared into customs here - never to be seen again. Meanwhile, Brits visiting the EU from the UK are forced to queue for longer at airports, and non-residents need their passports stamped, and can only visit the bloc for 90 days, while their children can no longer study in Europe via the popular Erasmus scheme.

Selfishly

The decision by David Cameron, selfishly trying to protect his party, has led to five Prime Ministers in the last six years. The last one, Liz Truss, lasted just 44 days. This is compared to the previous five leaders holding office from 1976 to 2010. Yes, 34 years! To recap: after Cameron’s quick resignation, Theresa May came and went, after

What do the Spanish think? Hundreds of column inches in Spain have been dedicated to the soap opera of British politics, over the last fortnight, with one recurring theme: Brexit

‘UK is not Little Britain’ El Pais columnist Santiago Carbó Valverde wrote that ‘after Brexit the UK has weakened its commercial ties and not just with the EU… and the entry of foreign human capital has slowed considerably, creating bottlenecks that have got worse in certain sectors’. His UK-based colleague Angel Talavera quoted the famous ‘computer says no’ sketch from TV show Little Britain, adding: “The chaos of these recent weeks is simply the continuation of the political and economic decline the UK has been suffering since the referendum.’

‘The sick man of Europe’ Online daily El Confidencial columnist Celia Maza wrote about how the UK risked becoming ‘the sick man of Europe’ once more, describing how Truss had ‘only been in Downing Street for just over a month, but is in a totally unsustainable situation’.

‘Truss’s statements against Brexit’ El Mundo, UK correspondent Carlos Fresneda pointed to her flip-flopping on the issue of Brexit, reminding readers that she once famously said she ‘didn’t want to live in a world where my daughters have to request a visa to work in Europe’.

promising to make the UK ‘strong and stable’. Her successor, Boris Johnson made a ‘titanic success’ of both Brexit and his job, lying to Parliament, disobeying his own Covid rules, ignoring disciplinary committees and causing havoc with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Truss had to go after further tanking the economy with her infamous ‘mini-budget’ and causing a fracas about fracking. So, now we have No 5 at the helm - Rishi Sunak, Britain’s much hyped ‘first Hindu prime minister’ and the richest ever occupant of No. 10 – another first. Wealthier than King Charles, Sunak is already in hot water about reinstating Home Secretary Suella Braverman, after she resigned over sending classified documents from her personal email address. However, there are some advantages. Sunak is certainly more eloquent and statesmanlike than Truss and Johnson hardly difficult - and he seems to have a basic grasp of economics.

Resign

Locally, expats are constantly asked: ‘What on earth is going on back home?’ Council employee, Lucy Hayes Logan, told the Olive Press that every councillor at Lanjaron Town Hall asked her about the current situation in the UK this week. “Sometimes, one person will ask, but never the whole team!” she revealed. Local Spaniard, Bernard Campo Campos, however, made the most pertinent point: “At least the English accept their mistakes and resign. In Spain, even if they are caught stealing, they don’t resign, deny everything, and the law allows them to keep what they have stolen.” So, to conclude, how long before Sunak falls on this sword, leading to a general election… and, who knows, would a Labour government under Kier Starmer take a different approach to Europe and end this mess? Answers on a postcard to newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

ELISA

IMOGEN

Mismanaging mayhem leads to yet another leader in the UK. Jo Chipchase looks at the the political crisis back home from a (slightly) Spanish perspective

IONA

OREIGN nationals watching the UK’s political news could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Inglaterra’ changes its Prime Minister as frequently as some people change their sheets. The situation has aligned ‘Great’ Britain more with Mr Bean than a ‘serious international player’. It wasn’t always this way. Before Brexit, Britain was seen as an open, multicultural, and forward-looking country - an attractive place for EU citizens to live and work. More ‘Cool Britannia’ than ‘Clown Show’. After Brexit, many Brits in Spain were painfully aware that our home country was being perceived as a closed and isolationist nation. The Brexit vote in June 2016 had many of our Spanish friends asking: ‘why are you committing hara-kiri?’ And they had good reason to ask, as the Pound nosedived against the Euro, the trade deficit went stratospheric, the Garden of Kent turned into a giant lorry park and thousands of postal items dis-

LAURA

AMIE

ANATOLY

LAURENCE

MERRY-GO-ROUND: Just five PMs in six years from Theresa to Boris and Truss to Cameron with Rishi in the middle

SICK MAN OF EUROPE?

CHARLIE

N case you were wondering, another one of our journalists has made it to the Big Time! Madrileno Jorge Hinojosa (pictured above) has landed a job with the UK’s top-selling newspaper, the Sun. The UK-trained hack scooped the plum role after a six-month stint with the Olive Press in Malaga. Forced to go back to London or lose his working visa due to Brexit, he has joined the online edition as a general reporter. “Thanks for everything. It was all due to my experience at the Olive Press,” he said. He follows in the footsteps of Joe Duggan, who himself became a Sun reporter after a three-year traineeship at the Olive Press in 2018. He’s still there. And for the record, our two previous news editors are both currently working at the British nationals. Charlie Smith is carving out a career at the Express, while Laurence Dollimore is grafting with the Daily Mail in London. Meanwhile, Anatoly Kurmanaev is the New York Times correspondent in Mexico, Amie Keeley is a senior reporter at the Financial Times, Imogen Calderwood is Managing Editor at Global Citizen, and Annabel Grossman i s the Associate Editor at the Independent. Finally, two former female stars, Iona Napier and Elisa Menendez, are both cutting the mustard with ITN News in London, while Laura Balfour makes documentaries for National Geographic and Netflix among others.

JOE

Leg up, NOT legged it!

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: woes continue in Spain as new 1- Strike strike days are called by Ryanair and Vueling Bank holidays in Spain 2021 full list of 2-dates for every autonomous community Rich by design the world’s wealthiest 3-architects from China to Spain and the USA to UK to go back an hour on 4- Clocks in Spain Saturday night Spain’s national police detain one of 5-UK’s most wanted criminals in Marbella

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November 3rd - November 16th 2022

GREEN

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REACH FOR THE SKY

Spanish company developing ‘green’ rocket fuels SPACE rockets are not viewed as the most ecologically-friendly technology, with them spewing greenhouse gases high into the upper atmosphere. But now Spanish researchers are searching for a green solution. Spain’s first advanced biofuels plant - opening in Cartagena next year - will look to make sustainable fuel for reusable space rockets being made by Elche’s PLD Space. Repsol’s €200 million project at its existing refinery site at the Escombreras Valley will have the capacity to produce 250,000 tons of biofuels annually by recycling waste like cooking oil and non-food crops. The fuel giant has now signed an agreement with PLD Space to promote the use of biofuels in their rockets. The alliance will see feasibility studies conducted to replace current rocket fuels with others produced with sustainable raw materials. New types of fuel will also be made to measure at the Repsol Technology Lab for the propellants of the rockets manufactured by PLD Space. Rockets such as SpaceX use liquid kerosene similar to

GREEN TOUR

By Alex Trelinski

that used in civil aviation, or a specific type for rockets called RP-1. The challenge is to come up with new renewable fuels which would reduce the carbon footprint by at least 90%. PLD Space co-founder Rau

Verdu, said his company wants to ‘continue investigating alternatives that allow us to reduce our carbon footprint’.

The firm is developing two reusable craft, the Miura 1 suborbital and the Miura 5 orbital.

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Too little AUTHORITIES in Barcelona and Madrid have pledged to plant six million trees in a bid to slash carbon emissions. Barcelona will be among the top three cities in the world to have the most trees per square kilometre. Researchers estimate the Catalan capital has about 1.4 million trees at present, resulting in 13,739 trees per sq km. But the city would need to plant more than 155 million trees to mitigate its current carbon footprint of 26.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to the research. Madrid has a current carbon footprint of 43.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The Spanish capital would need to plant more than 260 million trees to combat its emissions.

Greenwashing is a term you will hear increasingly. But what is it?

PULL THE OTHER ONE

REENWASHING is when the management team within an organisation makes false, unsubstantiated, or completely misleading statements or claims about the sustainability of a product or a service they provide. Put simply…. lies.

There are so many examples: ● The well publicised Volkswagen fiasco where the company deliberately lied about vehicle emissions. ● HSBC bank was forced to remove billboard and poster advertising in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The posters omitted material information. Various images were used by HSBC to convey the belief to consumers that the bank was investing in

GREENPEACE has begun a tour of six Spanish municipalities with the aim of promoting renewable energies as part of a green recovery in the country. Apart from promoting renewable energy and energy saving among citizens, the campaign aims to pressure public administrations into switching to clean, cheap and safe energy sources in order to achieve 100% renewables by 2040.

●

environmentally beneficial work. The ASA stated: “Customers would not expect that HSBC, in making unqualified claims, would be simultaneously involved in the financing of businesses that made significant contributions to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.” QUITE RIGHT. Many manufacturers jump on the ‘we use recycled materials’ bandwagon. What they don’t tell you is that they have a history of coercive labour practices or humanitarian issues. Coca Cola has spent millions declaring that 25% of its bottles are made from marine plastic. The company never references the fact that it is the world’s biggest plastic polluter. Kim Kardashian’s clothing company Skims prints on its compostable underwear packing ‘I am not plastic’. The small print states the product is plastic type 4 or LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene). Here in Spain, Mercadona, after the EU’s ban on plastic cutlery, rebranded the cutlery as ‘reusable’ instead of providing alternatives. ● Tesco claims that its flexible plastic packaging is new, improved and ‘recyclable’. But to be recycled, customers have to take packaging back to larger stores – and even then, it is unlikely to be recycled. Instead, it will almost certainly be exported, incinerated or sent to landfill.

Green

BAN: Rishi Sunak reinstated a ban on fracking

TIME TO STOP HIDING BEHIND LIES It is impossible to deny. Global warming is supercharging extreme weather at an astonishing speed. It’s visible here in Spain and around the world. Humans are causing climate breakdown and accelerating the toll of extreme weather around the planet. There is widespread loss of life and livelihoods due to more frequent heatwaves, floods, wildfires and droughts caused as a direct result of the climate crisis. FRACKING GOOD JOB RISHI SUNAK The new British PM gives a glimmer of hope to us all. Last week he reinstated the ban on fracking (the process of extracting natural gas by drilling/ blasting into the Earth). His short-lived predecessor, Liz Truss , had lifted the ban on the controversial process.

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OLIVE PRESS ALL EDITIONS - PROMO 3 - FP 342 X 256 - NOVEMBER 2/3/4, 2022

The !

Death of a Princess

Tony Peterson, Manilva

EXCLUSIVE chat with long term boyfriend, See page 6

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

U -T U R

To Valencia’s best hikes See page 14

STOP THIS NOW! PICTURE SHOCKER: ‘Hero’ grandfather kidnapped by family after nine weeks of ‘captivity, neglect and starvation’ at hospital

The saga goes on I TRIED to do everything right when attempting to swap my UK driving licence for a Spanish one. I registered my intention to do so before the deadline but had to wait six months for a TIE appointment. When the document finally came through, I was told by Traffico it had no record of my registration having been made. As a result, myself and my wife are stuck at home most of the day and have to use taxis to go shopping or to the doctor as buses are non-existent in the part of Andalucia that we live in. PLEASE can the UK and Spanish governments hurry up and get an agreement made.

Bedsores

“They starved him in a Covid ward, confined him to bed and held him captive for nine weeks,” she added. She claimed the former fireman had developed horrific bedsores because he hadn’t been turned over. HORRIFIC: Bo was left frail, emaciated and suffering from They had grown so deep they became infected bedsores that would care for him properly.” infected. pital with a urinary tract infection Despite ordering a private ambulance She continued: “Doctors back home December on to transport him home to his native were completely speechless about how treatment 6, last year, but subsequent wasn’t covered by his insurSweden, they were unable to get him an EU hospital neglected a person in ance. this way. discharged. When he was transferred to the nearby “So we decided to kidnap him and “Days later at home, he died because of University Hospital on December 21, that neglect.” drive him 3,000kms back to a hospital Bo had been admitted to a private hos- his nightmare began, insisted his loving wife Barbro. Seeing that her husband of 60 years was receiving such poor care, she paid for a private ambulance to take him back to Sweden. However, when collection was arranged, staff prevented the move, claiming he had Covid-19. It led to the grandfather, who had served as a UN peacekeeper in Lebanon, being left in complete isolation for EIGHT days without food or fluids, insisted his family. When they came to see him in January they They were so alarmed they homethen drove the 3,000 km journey took a series of horrific gency and into the care of the emerpictures, showing the near room at Karlskrona hospital, the family home in Karlshamn. shocking level of malnu- But sadly, her dad did not survive and trition and neglect. died on April 17 of the infections that After his wife, 79, sat he developed in Spain. with him for four fur- After ther days without a bed get hermultiple attempts at trying to complaints heard at Torrevieja for herself, daughter Hospital, Mia insisted they ‘decid- perience Mia has now shared her exon social media. ed to kidnap him’. “It is They hatched a plan for lovely appalling what they did to this two other grandchildren man man, who was a hero - a firewho saved many people,” Mia PHOTOVOLTAIC to fly to Spain and met explained CHARGERS FOR INSTALLATIONS up with Barbro’s friend “I hope this week. ELECTRIC VEHICLES our tragic story can save someto rescue him. one else.” In a slick operation, One of the Facebook sites she turned the group ‘borrowed’ a to was +34 965 085 888 set up by British expat George autoconsumo@solarworks.es hospital wheelchair and carefully got him out of Continues on Page 5 bed, out of the ward and into the family’s campervan. Opinion Page 6

intensive care where I found myself surrounded by half a dozen doctors and nurses who conducted a further ultrasound examination. During the following six days I was given constant heart monitoring, blood tests and two further ultrasounds. I have since been discharged with a course of blood thinning medication and two follow-up appointments. Not being able to breathe was a horrible experience, but if it had to happen there was nowhere in the world that I would have got better or faster treatment. Thank you Torrevieja Hospital.

NOW

REGARDING your ‘horror’ stories about Torrevieja Hospital, I would like to say that they gave me first-class treatment. After falling seriously ill, I went to the A&E department, where, even though it was extremely busy, I was seen by a nurse within 20 minutes and a doctor within 90. He conducted a very thorough and professional examination, and during the next three hours I had a series of blood tests, X-rays, an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an MRI scan. They identified two separate blood clots on my Pulmonary arteries and moved me instantly to

NOW

Making in-roads, page 6/7

Great service at much maligned Torrevieja hospital should be reported First-class treatment

I’LL never get the seven hours and a half that it took to travel from Madrid to the Costa del Sol back. But my time isn’t that precious, however my money is. And during these days of brutal inflation, the €26 I spent on two buses and a taxi to get me from Fuengirola to San Luis de Sabinillas is a hit to the pocket. But, I wouldn’t have to complain about time, or money, if there was a rail extension along the Costa del Sol. I don’t understand why such a link on one of the most popular stretches of coast in Europe doesn’t exist. The Costa del Sol feels more disconnected to Madrid than Calabria to its respective capital, Rome. And that’s saying something. There’s also a green benefit. Imagine all the cars that would no longer need to be on the road if there was a train linking Malaga to the rest of the Costa del Sol. I would save €26, and more importantly the world might be spared a few extra greenhouse gasses.

U U -T R

Following the herd

expat

Vol. 3 Issue 67 www.theolivepress.es June 16th - June 29th 2022

HUNDREDS of readers have been joined by expat councillors to support the Olive Press U-turn campaign helping British residents swap their licences for Spanish ones. Meanwhile various Facebook groups and even a leading fintech guru have backed our campaign, which is gathering speed. EXCLUSIVE It comes tragically however, after By Simon Wade one female expat allegedly committed suicide when she found A BELEAGUERED herself isolated in a rural part of under the spotlight hospital has come the country. yet again after a The woman, who had recently lost family had to ‘literally kidnap’ their own relative her husband, told friends her life ing treatment’when he received ‘appallwas no longer worth living. for nine weeks. Among suggestions to put pressure Staff at Torrevieja hospital have been on both the Spanish and British slammed after they allowed Swedish governments, one reader, Andrew expat Bo-Eskil Svensson to suffer horrific pain ‘from neglect’. Clark suggested a road protest. The 80-year-old, “Why don't we all protest by drivwho has since died, ing slowly around Spain’s coastal suffered appalling bed sores from infections, due to a lack of care, claim towns? It seemed to work well his for family. the lorry drivers!” The UK ambassador meanwhile “This hospital killed my dad”, Mia continued to insist ‘an agreement Mooseberg told the Olive Press this week. is close’.

Fair’s fair

Dear Olive Press,

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LETTERS

John Perryman, Malaga

Can I help?

Michael Burke, La Zenia

I AM following with interest the issues with UK driving licenses. Recently I have had some experience applying for a parking card here in Spain and would like to discuss this experience with Ambassador Hugh Elliott, and provide possible pointers to help him and his team in their discussions. It is difficult to know the best way to contact him. Can you help me?

Me too! AFTER I collapsed, unable to breathe, my wife called an ambulance. I arrived at Torrevieja Hospital A&E at 9.45am, and then underwent multiple tests including two ECGs, was given oxygen, and then at 12pm taken for an MRI scan. At 1.30pm, the doctor came and advised me that I had two large blood clots in my lungs, and they had also damaged heart tissue, but I did not need surgery. Later that day I was moved into ICU, and spent a couple of days under observation, and then onto a day ward with a private room, shower and toilet. Throughout my four-day stay, all the staff were motivated, professional, could not do enough for me, and were absolutely superb. I was really dreading going in, after reading all the bad press about the hospital, but I had a really good experience. David Mellor, Benijofar

Professor Raymond P. Clark, O.B.E, Moraira

Editor’s note: The best way of contacting Hugh Elliott is via the British consulate at spain.consulate@ fco.gov.uk. Keep us posted on your progress and we hope you have more luck than many of our readers!

Editor’s note: I am pleased that both of you got excellent treatment and are now on the mend. This is the care that all patients deserve, but sadly at times has been lacking at Torrevieja Hospital. It is our job as a newspaper to hold authorities to account where improvements are needed. Maybe the hospital authorities are taking notice and making changes. I hope so.

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Across 7 Hardly extreme (7) 8 Aviator (5) 9 Norway, to its inhabitants (5) 10 Put in the ground (7) 11 Rounded projections along an edge (8) 14 Grind down (4) 16 Reverse command (4) 17 Wise Tsar redirects one who takes orders (8) 20 Warm air current (7) 22 Enhance (5) 24 Former Portuguese territory in South China (5) 25 Cart driver (7) Down 1 Film-festival locale (6) 2 Half a shout of approval? (4) 3 Graceful antelope (7) 4 1965 Beatles film (4) 5 Little (4-4) 6 It has a bit (6) 8 Young horse (4) 12 Formal interview (8) 13 Placed under a fairy tale mattress (3) 15 Drunken Gran set about alien (7) 16 Period during which a machine is running (6) 18 One on watch (6) 19 Rounds (4) 21 Salacious (4) 23 Has (4)

All solutions are on page 21

ll about

Playa Flamenca

Issue 77

T was back in the 1960s and 1970s that a group of hardy Belgians took an interest in the pretty, unspoilt coastline of Playa Flamenca. Boasting two beautiful coves and hectares of wide open countryside, the Flemish speakers from Flanders were soon in their element and building homes. With its rolling olive groves and proximity to both the main coastal road and the rapidly growing fishing port of Torrevieja, it was the perfect place to settle. Today, Urbanisation Playa Flamenca is one of the most popular, bustling places to live on the south Costa Blanca. Featuring two of the best beaches of Orihuela Costa, it sits in the province of Alicante, part of the sunny Valencian Community, famed for its oranges and flamingos. Many people assume its name comes from the flamingoes who have one of Spain’s biggest colonies nearby at Torrevieja’s Laguna Rosa (a record 1,500 pairs bred there in 2020), but in fact it comes from the Flemish settlers. Today, the population is much more cosmopolitan and is made up of a lot more than just the Belgians, who are however, still well represented. Most of the residents are British, Germans and Scandinavians and the majority permanent residents while some stay for part of the year or visit for their annual holiday.

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November 2022

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PERFECT PLAYA With its year-round sun, unspoilt coast and golf, Playa Flamenca in Orihuela Costa is the perfect playground for expats and tourists alike

Perfect climate, perfect beaches With more than 320 days of sunshine a year, short winters, and an average year-round temperature of 18 degrees, Playa Flamenca has a perfect climate and is a beach resort for all seasons. Its white and sandy coves, La Mosca and La Estaca, have had the coveted Blue Flag status since 1992. Famous for their crystal-clear waters, they are the perfect place for swimming and watersports or just lying back and enjoying beach life. Despite the fact a bustling commercial centre lies right next to the main road (N-332) that borders the urbanisation, the beaches feel se-

By Jo Chipchase rene and natural, and are backed by palm trees and cacti. In summer the coast path is bustling with walkers and punters enjoying the beach restaurants. But the whole area has an excellent network of ramblas and coves The riverbed, the Rambla de las Estacas, is dry most of the year and makes another popular walking trail. It runs down to La Estaca beach, which, during the summer, has a lively chiringuito (beach bar) and lifeguards who look as if they are straight off Baywatch. It’s possible to walk, hire electric scooters or cycle along the wide promenade and explore

the small neighbouring coves. Go past Playa La Mosca, and you’ll find a designated dog-friendly beach, where you can exercise with your fourlegged friend. For the brave at heart there’s also a nudist beach a bit further on – you have been warned!

In the heart of golf country Playa Flamenca is situated conveniently close to two of the most famous golf courses on the Costa Blanca, both approximately a 10-minute drive away. The Royal Campoamor Golf Course was opened in 1988 by Juan de Borbon, Count of Barcelona, and a tournament is held every August to honour his name. With neatly manicured greens and panoramic views towards the coast,

this pretty course lies between two interconnected valleys, surrounded by hillocks that protect it from the wind and providing a microclimate that makes it suitable for golf any day of the year. It has its own hotel, shop, and restaurant complex. Also ranked highly is the Villamartin Golf Course, one of the first to open in the Valencia region. Opened in 1972, it was designed by legendary Californian architect, Robert Putman, and attracts golfers from far afield. An old-school course steeped in golfing history, it has a famous 17th

hole, which is reputedly one of the best short holes in Europe. Famous golfers that have played here include Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam. The course is well tended, with plenty of plants and pine trees, and fine views of the Mediterranean. The clubhouse Continues on next page

WELCOME TO BODEGA 75 eas Carrer Las Orquid menca Local 11, Playa Fla 89 Orihuela Costa 031

A75.COM WWW.BODEG

Introducing your go-to store for your local wines and spirits needs

tel: 711 011 367 ll about m info@bodega75.co www.bodega75.com

Playa Flamenca

From front

BLUE FLAG PIONEER

E are a relatively new wine and spirit store on Playa Flamenca, Orihuela Costa, run by a wife and husband team. was recently restored and has a We’re passionate about wine and restaurant on a roof terrace overlooking the 18th hole. know many of our customers feel the same way. We have explored local winemakers and suppliers Where to stay in order to be able to offer Spain’s La Zenia Hotel, located in Playa Cala best hidden wine selection, with (the next cove along from La Estaca) an emphasis on - of course! - local is the ideal choice for beach lovers. wines from Alicante and Murcia. Right beside the sea, it’s also close We also have crafted artisan beer to cafes, a summer chiringuito, shops, from local microbreweries and a and a wide range of facilities. ce du selection of spirits, plus a lot of pro e Campoamor Golf Hotel, an easy h quality local win r organic produce. We stock extraWine store specialising in hig wines, spirits and Artisan bee 10-minute drive from Playa Flamenca, e wid rld wo or y iet virgin olive oils as well as other olive oil offers accommodation in comfortOffering a wide var premium quality and into snacks little terrace delicacies, such as jams, olives Spanis moment you walk our (5€ store h gourmet on our apartments with views towards plement) able sup re sto our m fro ttle bo and more - all local. do you need an expert recomany glass or the Orihuela Costa, and has a large ected wines by the sel oy Enj Our special relationships with mendation for a wine? Or do you restaurant, shop, and swimming pool. producers, importers and whole- know what you want? Whether The prices for both accommodation salers bring us considerable you are new to the world of wine and food are very reasonable, and the savings, which we pass on to our or a great wine enthusiast, you hotel is suitable for everyone –not just golfers! customers. will be confident and comfortWe love traveling to regions to able exploring our selections and meet our winemakers and learn choosing the wines you prefer. Best of both about their wines first-hand. We Oh, and an exciting thing is that worlds have tasted 99% of our local we also do great wine tastings wines which we have on sale with local winemakers in off-seaPlaya Flamenca is the best in our store. Thus, we know the son months. Email us to be put on sort of beach resort, comwines by taste not by word, and a list for further information. We bining the naturalewe can translate our winemakers’ also have our little terrace where za of the seaside stories to our customers. our guests can sample selected with commerce and enterYou will be looked after from the wines by the glass. tainment.

Don’t forget to follow us on social media for latest offers, news and great stories. So cheers to a great wine! Instagram @bodega_75 Facebook Bodega Seventy-five

Carrer Las Orquideas Local 11, Playa Flamenca Orihuela Costa 03189

Residents benefit from having the Orihuela Costa town hall located here, along with medical facilities, schools and a gymnasium offering yoga and exercise classes. There are large shopping centres and supermarkets nearby, including Mercadona and Consum. And, for more of a local flavour, there’s a market selling fruit and vegetables as well as belts, purses, shoes, and accessories every Saturday, from 9am to 2pm (except holidays). Residents and visitors alike can take advantage of the diverse range of restaurants and bars. You’ll find Irish, Chinese, Italian and French establishments here, along with traditional Spanish, of course. Three eateries popular

BODEGA 75 WWW.BODEGA75.COM

with visitors are Coffee del Mar, with its European and British cuisine; The Cellar Door, serving up French, Mediterranean and Asian dishes; and the Italian Leonardo Ristorante. For those who feel inclined to follow up with a game of Bingo, there’s Kasey’s Bar. You’re spoilt for choice!

An ideally placed hub

Playa Flamenca is accessed via the main N-332 road between Cartagena and Alicante or Torrevieja (just 4 km away). It also has its own signposted exit (763) from the AP-7 motorway. The Playa Flamenca urbanisation offers relatively easy parking, free of charge. For those arriving from afar, it is a mere 51 km from the Alicante-Elche airport, and 53km from Corvera airport in Murcia region. It is equally placed between two train stations:

tel: 711 011 367 info@bodega75.com www.bodega75.com

Wine store specialising in high quality local wine produce Offering a wide variety or worldwide wines, spirits and Artisan beer Spanish gourmet snacks and premium quality olive oil Enjoy selected wines by the glass or any bottle from our store (5€ supplement) on our little terrace

November 2022

THIRD TIME LUCKY

It was the third of her charity shops and a key office for her insurance business. Jennifer Cunningham reveals why Playa Flamenca has more than come up trumps

S BLUE FLAGS: Both beaches in Playa Flamenca have had the honour since 1992

30 km from the Balsicas-Mar Menor station in Murcia and 31 km from Orihuela station. And the town has its own bus service that connects it with other destinations nearby, including Torrevieja and Alicante.

Nearby attractions

Playa Flamenca is the perfect hub for visiting other towns on the Costa Blanca, including Torrevieja, Zenia and Cartagena. If you have lively teens to entertain, a must-visit is the GoKarts Orihuela Costa racing circuit, on the Torrevieja road, which offers quads and inflatables for younger kids, as well as the actual karts. Another recommended destination for younger family members is the trampoline park, Urban Jump, where kids can learn to jump and flip. For the very occasional rainy day, there is the nearby Paint It ceramic modelling workshop, where kids and adults can create their own items to take home. A five-minute drive will take you to the Zenia Boulevard Shopping Center, which is one of the largest malls in the entire Mediterranean basin. While, for those plentiful good days, you’ll find boats to hire and boat trips available at Torrevieja.

Hot property

The urbanisation is understandably popular with retirees and families alike. If you are tempted to stay, you’ll find a wide range of property available from well-appointed homes overlooking the sea to semi-detached houses and villas with swimming pools. The oldest part of Playa Flamenca, around the Rambla, is full of detached villas. However, because the coves are small and further development is limited, these properties are pricey. But a newly developed area, on the other side of the N-332, has smaller plots and lower prices.

ALWAYS READY TO HELP E-tax Solicitors introduce their new office just opened in Playa Flamenca!

E HAVE just opened our Playa Flamenca office this very summer, but we’re absolutely not new to the market! Our team includes lawyers who have been active in the whole area of Alicante, and further afield, since 1990. Not only that, but our multilingual staff can attend you in English, Swedish, French and German, so if you have any doubts you can just give us a call or send us a message and we’ll be glad to resolve them for you. Our team manages sales/purchases of properties all over Spain on a daily basis, as well as having the expertise to take care of your legal issues and administrative formalities (such as

Power of Attorney, inheritances, NIE’s, residential certificates, tourist licences and much more). Other services we provide to our clients are the control and management of your fiscal matters in Spain and also your household supplies contracts. If needed, we also supply insurance services, from house insurance to health insurance. In fact, we can provide just about any type of insurance to cover all eventualities. We are also more than happy to receive you in our office Monday-Thursday from 09:00 to 18:00 and on Fridays from 09:00 to 15:00.

HE already had two charity shops in Quesada and Almoradi, but Jennifer Cunningham had a sneaky feeling that Playa Flamenca would be the best. Set up to help raise money for hospice nursing care in the surrounding area of La Marina, Spain, the Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity offers invaluable support to the terminally ill and their families among the expat community. “Our shop in Playa Flamenca is a real joy and does very, very well,” explains Jennifer. “It is the main one now for raising funds and we get some lovely stuff in there from all the local expats.” The charity had been set up 14 years venues and hosted fundraising events ago following the death of her son Paul from live music performances to charity from cancer at just 33. lunches. Jennifer had been inspired after watching the ‘exceptional’ care he received These efforts enable the charity to provide free at-home hospice care for thoover his last few days at a Sue Ryder se who are discharged from hospital hospice, back home in Bedfordshire. once there is nothing more “But here in Spain I doctors can do for them. found there simply wasn’t anything similar. People The locals are “We supply the equipment to be cared for at home, were really just sent home so incredibly such as a hospital bed, from hospital to be cared wheelchair and pressure for by their family in their generous, as well as nurses final days... but what if that offering lots of mattress, to provide palliative care wasn’t possible?” and give support,” explains The horrible thought led great stuff Jennifer. her to set up her own charity with palliative care nurHer team of 20 volunteers ses, based in nearby La Marina, which helps over 100 people a year by providing end of life care. is run entirely thanks to volunteers and “The nurses are absolutely incredible. funded by donations. How they do it day and day after day I “The locals are so incredibly generous, offering lots of great stuff that we don’t know,” she added. “I admire them can sell to raise funds for our hospice so much.” work,” explains Jennifer, who has run As for Playa Flamenca, she couldn’t Spain’s most successful expat insurance speak more highly of the urbanisation. business for nearly three decades. “It’s a beautiful seaside resort, with Over the years dozens of local businessome lovely houses and sea all around,” ses and community clubs have offered she says. “It’s a great place to live and is continually growing.” Jennifer herself relocated nearby (to Benijofar) from North London in the 1990s for a quieter life, after initially setting up her business in Javea. Arriving with her husband - who had been ill, but made a miraculous recovery - she forged a career setting up as an insurance agent. Now, 30 years on and Jennifer Cunningham Insurances SL is one of the most successful expat-owned businesses in Spain. It has no less than seven offices and counts on thousands of clients spread around Spain and Portugal. “But it all began here in the Quesada, Playa Flamenca, La Marina triangle,” she continues. “This is and always will be our heartland thanks to one of the highest densities of foreign residents in Spain. MUCH MISSED: Jennifer’s son Paul inspired her charity “The Costa Blanca south was crying out for someone to design special insurance packages for the expat market and our business thrived. It can only get bigger,” she adds “Thank you very much for all your support and may it continue”.

We look forward to hearing from you.

For more information or legal advice, contact E-Tax on +34 965 641 283 or WhatsApp on +34 604 436 717, email info@e-taxsolicitors.com or on www.facebook.com/etaxsolicitors

Visit www.jennifercunningham.net or www.paulcunninghamnurses.com for more info Visit Jennifer Cunningham Insurances S.L and Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity by clicking on the links.

LA CULTURA Maiden visit ROCK legends Iron Maiden will play a gig in Murcia City next summer in what has been described as the most ‘important’ concert seen in the regional capital. It will be one of only three concerts by the band in Spain. The group, fronted by Bruce Dickinson, will perform at the Enrique Roca stadium on July 20. It will be their fourth visit to the Murcia region after making their local debut in Los Alcazares in 1996. Around 25,000 people are expected to attend with the night jointly organised by regional promoters Madness Live and Murcia City Council. Iron Maiden’s Spanish gigs will be part of ‘The Future Past Tour 2023’ and will include songs from their pandemic-released album ‘Senjutsu’ inspired by Japanese tradition and culture. The two other dates on the Spanish leg of the tour will be at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on July 18 and the Bizkaia Arena in Bilbao on July 22.

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

‘HEROES OF THE COLOSSEUM’ Prehistoric Last chance to see Alicante’s gladiator exhibition AN international exhibition celebrating the days of gladiators doing battle in Rome’s Colosseum has been extended due to public demand. ‘Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum’ will continue at

discovery

By Alex Trelinski

Alicante’s Archaeological Museum until November 20 after piling in the visitors since April. The display has travelled all around the world in recent years, including Australia, Belgium, and France, but it is the first time it has come to Spain. Interest in the Roman gladia-

Elderly looter A 90-year-old man has been arrested in Torre Pacheco for looting historically valuable property for over 70 years. The Policia Nacional used a drone to identify some of the items that were outside his home. The artefacts came from churches and archaeological sites. The man had no authorisation to own any of the ancient items. Valuables removed by police included a Roman column base taken from Cerro de la Almagra de Mula in the Murcia region and two 17th century galleon cannons.

A STUNNING archaeological site that has uncovered remains from 128,000 years ago has been found in Estepona. Town council employees found the site which dates back to the Lower Paleolithic, the earliest part of the Old Stone Age, in Las Mesas de Saladavieja. POPULAR: The exhibition gives a taste of ancient Rome tor was given a boost over 20 The Roman era is brought to years ago when the Russell life with a large interactive Crowe-starring movie 'Gladia- model of the Colosseum. tor' became a big box office hit. There are also 140 works of art The exhibition has been put to- and original items loaned by gether by the Colosseum's direc- eight Italian galleries and mutor for 32 years, Dr. Rosella Rea. seums. Visitors can enjoy seeing a mixture of original objects couFights pled with modern replicas and models with cutting-edge tech- Items on display also include nology, interactive displays, surgical equipment used to heal the wounds of gladiators and other multimedia devices. There are four sections looking who survived in the arena and at how gladiator shows started; tokens used for betting on the who exactly were the gladia- results of fights. tors; combat venues like the The exhibition also reveals that Colosseum; and what it was women were not just spectalike to have a day in gladiato- tors at contests but that there were female gladiators. rial arena.

Tools

Among the remains discovered is a set of stone tools, which were used to scrape fat and hair from animal skins, to separate meat from bones and to polish wood and bone. The discovery has been made in an area next to the town centre, and it has become the first of its kind to be excavated in the Western Costa del Sol. In addition to the prehistoric remains, archaeologists have also unearthed the remains of a Roman site, possibly a farm about 2,000 years old.

LA CULTURA

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

FABULOUS FRESCOS We take a look at some of the stunning paintings that adorn Spanish buildings

ROM cave paintings to church frescos to modern murals of epic scale, countless artists have left their brush marks on Spanish architecture down the centuries for

visitors to enjoy today. These are not all frescos in the strictly technical sense but whether classical or street art, some Spanish murals are downright impressive.

Sistine Chapel of Extremadura Looks are deceiving … If you came across this modest shrine in Badajoz, you’d never guess it houses a treasure known as the Sistine Chapel of Extremadura. Olive trees and streams surround the Shrine of Virgen

Madrid’s Goya dome Abbey El Escorial The historic home of the Spanish monarchs has as many impressive frescos as it has legends. From this colossus reigning over the city of Madrid from its northern hills, King Felipe II could sit in the library and ponder art representing the seven liberal arts: Rhetoric, Logic, Music, Grammar, Arithmetic, Geometry and Astronomy. The majority of the El Escorial frescos were painted by the 16th century Italian sculptor and mural painter Pellegrino Tibaldi.

Frying pan masterpieces IT is Spain - and Europe’s - hottest place in summer… and Ecija, in Sevilla, also counts on some of the most beautiful frescos in the coun-

try. The ones painted on the Palacio de Penaflor are 60 metres in length and were created by artist Antonio Fernández in 1764.

del Ara in Fuente del Arco. For a chapel in the middle of nowhere, it’s surprisingly large but the whitewashed walls give no clue to the magnificent polychromic frescos that lie within.

Saint Louis of France frescos

The Royal Chapel of San Antonio de Florida boasts a jewel to match its regal name - ceiling and dome frescos by the great Francisco de Goya, painted in 1798. They depict Saint Anthony of Padua raising a man from the dead to free his innocent father from murder charges. They took Goya just six months to complete.

Recently restored, the church of San Luis de los Franceses in Sevilla showcases some of the finest examples of Spanish Baroque art in the country. It’s not so famous for its quantity of frescos as for their harmony with the architecture. With ornate artwork rampaging over arches, domes and cupolas, completely disguising supporting pillars, it’s difficult to see where the painting ends and the church begins.

Frescos of Abdon de Paz A series of 17th century religious frescos recently discovered by accident when the owners of the house in Abdon de Paz Plaza, near Toledo, was doing it up. The whitewashed walls of the traditional patio home hid awesome paintings depicting the parable of the Prodigal Son and other religious scenes. The family renovation project continues, this time with the help of an archeological team.

St. Antony of the Germans fresco frenzy Founded in Madrid by Felipe IIl at the beginning of the 17th century, the church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is one huge wall-to-wall fresco. It’s also the only church in the region with an elliptic form. Originally built alongside a hospital for Portuguese

migrants, it was later rededicated to German immigrants The frescos are by Luca Giordano and Francisco Ricci - the former a prolific Neopolitan court painter renowned for his speed of painting, nicknamed Luca fà-presto (Luca-get-it-done-fast).

952 147 834 *Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and breakdown services.

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6/6/22 10:43

BUSINESS

18 More jobless

SPAIN’S job market slowed in the third quarter of this year, suffering a small rise in the unemployment rate to 12.67% with the total number of jobless creeping nearer to three million people. The country’s job market traditionally sees a fall in unemployment in the third quarter, thanks to the boost that the tourism season brings, among other factors. But this year the ranks of the unemployed swelled between July and September, rising by 60,800 workers to a total of 2,980,200 people.

Fraudster caught A REAL estate fraudster has been arrested in Calpe after spending three years dodging police. He aroused the suspicion of Guardia Civil in September 2019 when he witnessed a crime involving a woman in a Calpe street but fled the scene without helping the victim. Police finally arrested him on this autumn. Authorities said the 49-yearold Slovakian made ‘large amounts’ of money by fooling clients into believing he was involved in ‘luxury’ real estate.

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Powering up Big rise in profits for Iberdrola energy giant ENERGY provider Iberdrola has reported a 29% rise in profits over the first nine months of 2022 compared to the same period last year. This is down to its US and Brazilian operations as well as an increased investment in renewable energy. Profit figures in Spain tumbled by 14%, with Iberdrola putting it down to the summer droughts. Its overall bank balance is extremely healthy with a net €3.1 billion profit this year up to September.

By Alex Trelinski

The company has projected an annual profit of up to €4.2 billion.

Windfall

Governments like the one in Spain, as well as a EU-wide initiative, have moved to impose windfall taxes on energy companies they believe are benefiting from higher prices as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Iberdrola has been vocal in objecting to state intervention, claiming it fixes prices far in advance of wholesale market increases and that changing

TARIFF DELAYS SPAIN'S competition regulator, the CNMC, will probe the country’s four leading gas suppliers for not doing enough to help consumers switch to the lowest tariff. Naturgy, Endesa, Iberdrola and TotalEnergies are obliged to offer the ‘Last Resort Rate’, known as the TUR. The tariff is capped by the government and is considerably lower

than prices on the free market. Since the government approved a new TUR rate for communities that share a gas boiler and central heating systems, the requests to switch to the tariff have rocketed. It’s believed that customer service departments from the energy companies have not been able to cope.

POUND ON THE UP T

GBP/EUR exchange rate rocked by UK political chaos but bounces back after Sunak confirmed as PM

RADE in the pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate remained highly erratic through the second half of October amid UK political drama. Over the last two weeks, GBP/EUR has traded in a range between €1.16 and €1.13.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? The GBP/EUR exchange rate fluctuated wildly over the past couple of weeks, amid considerable UK political uncertainty. After initially spiking to a six-week high after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt scrapped almost all of his predecessor’s mini-budget, GBP/EUR almost immediately relinquished these gains amid questions over the future of Liz Truss’s premiership. Truss’ resignation just 45 days into the job, quickly put an end to this speculation. The pound initially firmed on the announcement, before the prospect of another Conservative leadership election erased these gains. Sterling then picked up again in the last week of October after Rishi Sunak was crowned the new Prime Minister. Sunak is seen as being more fiscally prudent than his predecessor, with GBP investors hopeful he will retsore some credibility to the UK government. The euro also traded in a wide range in recent weeks. While the single currency faced some headwinds amid concerns over the apparent escalation of the war in Ukraine, it also benefitted from some notable weakness in the US dollar. The euro then firmed toward the end of October ahead of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) latest interest rate decision. While EUR investors welcomed the bank’s second consecutive 75bps rate hike, the dovish tone of its accompanying statement undermined the single currency.

regulations might put off longer-term investment in cleaner energy. The firm’s investments were 14.2% up on the same period last year, with 90% allocated to renewables and smart grids to accelerate electrification and energy independence from fossil fuels.

Jobs

Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman, Jose Ignacio Sanchez Galan, said: “Accelerating investments in electrification will allow us to be less dependent on the volatility of oil and gas and generate more growth and more jobs, as this set of results shows.”

SPAIN'S airport operator Aena expects October passenger numbers to return to 2019 levels - the first month back to the pre-pandemic level. It says the rise in travellers will continue, with carriers offering 5.3% more seats for the winter season, compared to a year ago. Aena is now hoping the final 2022 total will be higher than earlier predictions and will exceed a forecast of 85% of 2019 passenger numbers. Even though 60% more passengers went through its airports between July and September compared to 2021, Aena’s overall revenues rose by just 33%, with the operator’s third-quarter of 2022 net profit of €335 million 11% lower than had been expected.

Inflation drops SPAIN'S annual inflation rate has fallen to 7.3% in October according to preliminary figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE). That's a 1.6% drop on the September figure and is the lowest rate since January, before the war in Ukraine. It's the third consecutive month where inflation has fallen, something that has not happened since 2020.

WANT TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY ON YOUR CURRENCY TRANSFERS? CALL, EMAIL OR VISIT US IN BRANCH!

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? The immediate focus for GBP investors will be the Bank of England’s (BoE) latest interest rate decision on November 3. There is considerable speculation over the size of the BoE’s upcoming rate hike following the recent UK fiscal uncertainty. Could an oversized hike stoke concerns over the impact on the UK economy and weaken the pound? Meanwhile, the euro is likely to remain highly sensitive to developments in Ukraine. Any signs that the conflict is continuing to escalate could drag on the single currency.

LA ZENIA

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that two-cent gap between €1.16 and €1.13 translates to a €6,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you. Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

QUESADA

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

Happy airports

Calle Salvador Dalí, No 6, Playa Flamenca, Orihuela Costa, La Zenia, Alicante, 03189 costablanca@currenciesdirect.com +34 965 994 830 LA MARINA Avenida de Lóndres 1A, Local 6, Urb La Marina San Fulgencio, La Marina, Alicante, 03177 costablanca@currenciesdirect.com +34 965 994 830

Centro Comercial Quesada Centro, Avda Las Naciones 24, Local 6A, Ciudad Quesada Rojales, Alicante, 03170 quesada@currenciesdirect.com +34 965 994 830 MAZARRÓN

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Avenida los Covachos, Camposol B, Mazarrón, Murcia, 30875 murcia@currenciesdirect.com +34 968 976 383 MOJÁCAR

Avenida Mediterráneo 341, Mojácar, Almería, 04638 mojacar@currenciesdirect.com +34 950 478 914

Decades of wealth management advice in Spain Blevins Franks can help you make the most of your wealth and living in Spain. Our advisers live locally and provide integrated financial advice covering -

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Tax planning | Minimising tax on income, capital gains, wealth, pensions and inheritances.

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I N T E R N AT ION A L TA X A DV IC E • I N V E S T M E N TS • E S TAT E PL A N N I NG • PE NSIONS Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts, retirement schemes and companies. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.

HEALTH

Kids flu drive

MURCIA health clinics have started flu vaccinations for 70,000 children between the ages of six months and five years. Usually only children at risk receive the shot, but health experts expect this winter to be more virulent after two years of kids avoiding the flu due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Only Murcia, Galicia and Andalucia have chosen to follow World Health Organisation guidelines to vaccinate all young children. But youngsters have no need to fear a painful jab a nasal spray has been authorised to administer the vaccine this year.

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Polio problem

Feeling down

Concerns raised about the return of disease CONCERNS over a possible return of polio has prompted Spain's emergency centre (CCAES) - led by the familiar 'pandemic' figure of epidemiologist Fernando Simon - to call for improved monitoring in the country. The CCAES says there's a 'considerable probability' that polio will circulate again in Spain but stressed

THE FIRST outbreak of West Nile fever has been detected in Andalucia. The Junta reported that two horses had been infected in Tarifa. According to the administration, the outbreak was declared on October 17. The virus is transmitted by the bite of an insect, usually Culex mosquitoes. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms including headache, neck stiffness, disorientation and muscle weakness.

By Alex Trelinski

that health risks were 'very low' due to high vaccination rates. Polio had been pretty much eradicated over the decades until a case was reported last year in Malawi. International interest also rose when the virus was de-

Virus warning The last outbreak of the virus was in the same month last year and affected 10 horses. In 2022 there were 32 outbreaks in Andalucia. In September the first positive case of the virus in a person this year was recorded. An 89-year-old woman from Vejer de la Frontera was infected.

GET JABBED: Polio is on the return

tected in wastewater in the UK. The CCAES - part of Spain's Health Ministry - believes all necessary precautions should be taken. An evaluation says: “Given the epidemiological situation and fewer vaccinations internationally coupled with less surveillance in Spain in the last decade, we should focus on coordinating all of the aspects that are part of the Spanish Action Plan for the Eradication of Polio.”

Warns

The plan includes keeping the vaccination schedule up to date, especially among children, as well as reinforcing surveillance and carrying out training among medical staff to be aware that polio could still be around. The CCAES warns that in recent years there been circumstances that 'make it dif-

ficult to achieve eradication' It suggests that the focus on Covid-19 has resulted in less attention being paid to detecting other diseases early on. It added that some people have also taken a negative stance against all vaccines, even when their children are involved.

Become a live-in carer in the UK Opportunities for those with the right to work in the UK and those looking for sponsorship Apply online helpinghands.co.uk/jobs To find out more, please email spanishrecruitment@helpinghands.co.uk

CONSUMPTION of antidepressants is increasing in Spain, according to data from the Ministry of Health. People under the age of 18 who take antidepressants were also twice as likely to experience suicidal behaviour, the research also showed. Spaniards consume more than 92 antidepressants every day for every 1,000 inhabitants. It places this type of medication as the fourth best-selling drug in the country. Use of the drug increased by 7.5% last November, which experts believe was caused by the pandemic.

Start your journey as a live-in carer today! Earn up to £866 per week Flexible pay options Free food, accommodation and travel Free Blue Light discount card Career development

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Green winner

TAKE IT SLOW

TRAIN lovers seeking to taste luxury Orient Express style can now book a journey on the Al Andalus Express. They will be able to sit back and indulge themselves on a luxurious train ride through some of Andalucia’s most beautiful landscapes. Those with the time and money to spare can experience snow-capped mountains, dazzling lakes, natural parklands and pretty white villages travelling through Andalucia in unforgettable style. All the carriages of Al Andalus date from between 1929 and 1930, preserving the classic style of the roaring twenties fused with luxury and modern comfort as you travel through the region. Locations visited are Sevilla, Cadiz, Ronda, Cordoba, Ubeda, Baeza, Granada and Malaga. Departure dates in 2023 are from mid April to late November.

Strike woes

NEW strike days have been called by the Ryanair and Vueling unions which will affect numerous Spanish airports. Firstly, Spanish Ryanair ground staff have announced they will hold strikes up until January and secondly, Vueling cabin crew in Spain have announced they will take action every Friday, Sunday, Monday and on public holidays up until January 31 2023.

SUMPTUOUS: Ibiza’s Six Senses and (right) Mandarin Oriental Ritz

Simply the best Hotels in Madrid and Ibiza lead the way in a global luxury travel brand ranking WHEN it comes to the world’s best luxury hotels, Spain ticks many boxes. Now, a new hot list puts an exciting launch and two long-awaited relaunches of hotels over the last year at the top of the pile. Ibiza’s new Six Senses hotel and Madrid’s recently relaunched Mandarin Oriental Ritz and Rosewood Villa Magna are in the Top Three best global luxury brands for 2022. All three brands score over 80% in overall rating by the respected Luxury Travel Intelligence (LTI) body. The groups, which each opened (or reopened) hotels in Spain over the last 12 months, come way above the Ritz Carlton, Oberoi and Jumeirah brands. Four Seasons, Belmond and One&Only also score highly. It is the second year in a row Six Senses took the

By Jon Clarke

number one spot, while Rosewood has jumped an impressive seven places from ninth to second. Six Senses - which only has two other hotels in Europe, one on the Douro river in Portugal and another in the French Alps - opened in the north of Ibiza last summer. The group has continually impressed LTI this year. “It delivers an authentic blend of wellness, sustainability, warm hospitality and crafted guest experiences,” it ruled.

Score

Assessed over a 12-month period each brand (which must have a minimum of 10 hotels) can get an accumulative maximum score of 4628, they score over 128 different areas. These relate to overall per-

Base birthday RYANAIR has launched four new routes for the winter season out of Alicante airport as it last week celebrated 15 years of having a base there. The new low season routes will fly to Fez, Frankfurt, Helsinki, and Lodz. The airline says it will run a 'record' winter schedule out of Alicante with 64 routes featuring over 460 flights per week. Ryanair has carried 45 million passengers since opening its Alicante base in 2007 with the first service going to London Stansted. The company's Spain and Portugal chief, Elena Cabrera, said: “We continue to deliver more flights, more growth and

lower fares than any other airline in Alicante.” Airport head, Laura Navarro, commented: “Ryanair's decision to have an Alicante base was a wise one and joint work between us has helped to bring us to where we are.”

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Average, 8 Flier, 9 Norge, 10 Planted, 11 Scallops, 14 File, 16 Undo, 17 Waitress, 20 Thermal, 22 Adorn, 24 Macao, 25 Wagoner Down: 1 Cannes, 2 Hear, 3 Gazelle, 4 Help, 5 Pint-size, 6 Bridle, 8 Foal, 12 Audience, 13 Pea, 15 Strange, 16 Uptime, 18 Sentry, 19 Ammo, 21 Lewd, 23 Owns

LUXURY: The Rosewood Villa Magna

formance, not the performance of individual properties. The focus is on the brand’s

‘passion, commitment, ethos and values, as well as the quality of its management and staff’.

VALENCIA will be the European Green Capital 2024 after seeing off seven rivals including Murcia City and three Italian contenders. It's an award where the European Commission recognises and rewards efforts to improve the environment, which impacts on the economy and quality of life. The winner was announced at a ceremony in Grenoble, France. Valencia mayor, Joan Ribo, said: “We have gone down a road with plenty of top achievements into making Valencia an extra-special city.”

Transition

European Commissioner for the environment, Virginijus Sinkevicus revealed that Valencia was victorious due to its past and current achievements in the field of sustainable tourism, climate neutrality, as well as fair and inclusive green transition. The city pockets a €600,000 prize to introduce measures to enhance Valencia's environmental sustainability as part of being the Green Capital in 2024. Meanwhile another award could be heading Valencia's way as it fights it out with Espoo in Finland and France's Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropol to be crowned the 2022 European Capital of Innovation in December with a €1 million first prize at stake.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

CREAM AT THE TOP The 20 chart-topping Spaniards milking it in the world’s Top 100 restaurant list, presented by Dilip Kuner

PANISH cuisine is up there with the best in the world and is starting to dominate the charts. Madrid has just hosted a global gathering for the 100 Best Chefs Award, and no less than 20 Spaniards across 16 restaurants got a listing, compared to just 10 in France. From Dabiz Muñoz - this year’s winner for the second year running - to two-times chart topper Joan Roca in third, every

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Mother and daughter team Fina Puigdevall and Martina Puigvert share their ranking (and two Michelin stars). Their restaurant, Les Cols, lo- NEW ENTRY cated in the masía farmhouse where Fina was born and brought up her three children, focuses on local produce from the La Garrotxa region. Martina has taken over from her mother as head chef and is keeping the family tradition going. PACO PEREZ - Enoteca, Barcelona Perez’s passion for cooking started at a very early age. At just 12-years-old he started working in the tapas bar owned by his family and was hooked by cooking. He headed to France to train under Michel Guerard, one of the fathers of Nouvelle cuisine and holder of three Michelin stars. He then returned to work at, for a long time, the world’s best restaurant, El Bulli. In 2008, Perez took over the kitchen of Enoteca at the Hotel Arts Barcelona, where he has NEW ENTRY won two Michelin stars.

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#87 #87

MARTIN BERASATEGUI Restaurante Martin Berasategui, Loidi Kalea

#42 

DANI GARCIA Tragabuches, Marbella

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RETURN

JAVIER & SERGIO TORRES Cocina Hermanos Torres, Barcelona

#41

NEW ENTRY

#36

VICTOR ARGUINZONIZ Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Bizkaia

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Paco Roncero is the head chef of his same name restaurant in central Madrid (previously Casino), where he has two Michelin stars. He is also credited 9 PLACES with developing ‘molecular cuisine’ and has the most expensive restaurant in the world, Sublimotion in Ibiza. It is known for its unique dining experience and extreme cost with an average price, per head, of slightly over €1,900.

#33

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24 PLACES

Twin brothers Javier and Sergio Torres started in the world of cuisine when they were 14 years old. After having separate careers and working in renowned restaurants all over the world, they united again in 2002 to start new projects together. Their restaurant, Cocina Hermanos Torres, has two Michelin stars.

QUIQUE DACOSTA Quique Dacosta, Denia, Valencia

Dacosta is one of the leaders in modern avant-garde cuisine, a keen supporter of the Slow Food Movement, and uses only products sourced locally. While he has his own three Michelin star joint in Denia, he also has two stars in nearby El Poblet and has a star as director and culinary creator of the amazing Deessa restaurant at Madrid’s Mandarin Oriental Ritz. It received its first Michelin star just seven months after its opening.

#19

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Morales opened Noor with the aim of putting Andalucian gastronomy on the map. In just over three years he had done just that by gaining two Michelin stars. His capacity for innovation and his personality have allowed him to bring the aromas and flavours of the moorish Al-Andalus cuisine to a modern audience. He has recreated ancient recipes and techniques in a contemporary and avant-garde way.

Garcia began his career with Martin Berasategui, with whom he says he shares ‘his DNA as a chef’. He won his first Michelin star at the age of 25 at Tragabuches in Ronda. He left and eventually earned three stars at his own name restaurant in Marbella, but handed them back just weeks after winning the final star. He has since opened nearly a dozen other restaurants, many of them Bibos, around Spain and abroad and even made money creating his own unique McDonald’s hamburger. However, he has now returned to his roots by opening a Tragabuches in his native Marbella, focused on local Andalucian cuisine.

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This restaurant has an urban and industrial look and a relaxed feel that reflects the personality of the chef. The name is an acronym of his core philosophy: ‘Days to Smell, Taste, Amaze, Grow & Enjoy’. Guerrero brings PLACES disparate cultures, ingredients and flavours together from Spain, Mexico and Japan to such effect that he has two Michelin stars.

PACO RONCERO Paco Roncero Restaurant, Madrid

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11 PLACES

#56

One of the grandfather’s 14 PLACES of modern Spanish cooking, Martin Berasategui oversees his Basque Country restaurant and is one of the most decorated chefs in the country, with eight Michelin Stars to his name. His restaurant offers edgy a la carte and tasting menus and has an impressive wine cellar to match. He won’t be happy with his drop in the charts.

DIEGO GUERRERO DSTage, Madrid

PACO MORALES Noor, Cordoba

#54

one of these culinary maestros has their own unique take on gastronomy. Like true artists, their edible masterpieces are never conventional and always have the power to enthrall. And the best thing about it; there are many new entries and they are spread right across the country from Cadiz to Valencia and Marbella to Cordoba.Here’s the full rundown of Spain’s best and how they match up to last year’s charts.

#96

MARTINA PUIGVERT & FINA PUIGDEVALL Les Cols, Olot, Catalunya

#38

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

PIC CREDIT: noorrestaurant.es

Arguinzoniz’s groundbreaking Basque Country restaurant uses local firewood to NEW ENTRY create a unique grill cooking process using local, natural products. Overseen by Victor Arguinzoniz who even char-grills his desserts, his signature chorizo tartare and tomahawk steak don’t come cheap at €242 as part of the set menu. But many a foodie still make a pilgrimage here from around the world.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

November 3rd - November 16th 2022

EPICENTRE: Heat map chart to the world’s best cuisine

1 4 3

3 14

GRAPHIC: Keith Franks - Olive Press

1 16 16

STYLISH: Cellar de Can Roca at no. 3 and (above) a dish at Azurmendi ENEKO ATXA - Azurmendi, Bilbao

#18

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Atxa is a leading player in Modern Basque Cuisine. Azurmendi takes you on a culinary journey from the rooftop vegetable garden to an indoor greenhouse. An eco-friendly es- 13 PLACES tablishment, Azurmendi uses environmentally-friendly materials and recycles its own waste. For this, Eneko won The Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2014. Far from a conventional restaurant, his truffled egg is cooked inside out and edible cotton can be tasted in the indoor greenhouse. Azurmendi boasts three Michelin stars. ANGEL LEON - Aponiente, El Puerto de Santa María Known across Spain as ‘el Chef del Mar’, Angel Leon is noted for his experimental seafood. In 2017, Aponiente earned its third Michelin star (the first and second were won in 2010 and 2014), making it Andalucia’s first-ever three-Michelin-starred restaurant. He is currently engaged with a project explore the culinary uses of sea35 PLACES to grass.

#13

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#1 SAME

ORIOL CASTRO, MATEU CASANAS & EDUARD XATRUCH Disfrutar, Barcelona

#7 

#5 

ANDONI LUIS ADURIZ - Mugaritz, Renteria Andoni Luis Aduriz has stayed near the top again for his revolutionary restaurant in the Basque region. Always thinking ahead and constantly questioning the logic of global cuisine, this self-confessed kitchen rebel takes an unapologetic approach to cooking. A genuine maverick, the UK’s Restaurant Magazine has had him in its Top 10 for the last decade. Oddly, in the Best Chefs list he has fluctuated up and down from 30th to 70th between 2017 to 2020, before making No3 last year.

Slightly confusingly, the ‘chef’ in seventh spot is actually three people from Disfru1 PLACE tar restaurant. The history and legacy of the Mediterranean is a running theme at this trendy city restaurant, set up by three trainees originally from Ferran Adria’s legendary El Bulli, just up the coast. Influenced by fishing village fare, the menu transports your mind from old to new and metropolis to farm terrace. Their aim? To amaze, stimulate and create through gastronomy.

2 PLACES

JOAN ROCA - El Celler de Can Roca, Girona Joan has yet again taken the plaudits, but his restaurant is a family affair. There’s Joan, the architect of taste; Jordi, the sweet anarchist; and Josep, the magic ingredient: three brothers, inspired heavily by their mother’s cooking, their repertoire stirred by childhood memories and created with love and generosity for their customers. Opened in 1986, it has three Michelin stars. The food is simple but creative, old yet new - lamb with bread and tomato, St George’s mushrooms with avocado and cava made at the restaurant.

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1 PLACE

MY FOOD’S LIKE A GUNSHOT TO THE HEAD! Still #1 for the second year running, the Olive Press interviewed Muñoz in 2013 DABIZ MUÑOZ - Diver XO, Madrid

Chef Dabiz Muñoz has built a reputation as a pioneering and creative adventurer. Still only in his 30s, he continual-

ly surprises with his unique approach to cooking, describing his food to the Olive Press as being ‘like a gunshot to

NO PORKERS: A young Dabiz was open and honest in an Olive Press interview in 2013, (above right) his restaurant today

the head’. DiverXO specialises in fusion cuisine combining different culinary traditions to produce an experimental menu that’s as unconventional as it is sophisticated. Born in Madrid, he is internationally recognised for his cooking and fabulous restaurants. He currently has three Michelin stars. In the week he scooped his third coveted star in 2013, he told the Olive Press: “This is an honour for all Spanish chefs and for Spanish cuisine in general.” Highly complimentary of the British food scene, he credited London for helping to shape his career, having worked at restaurants in the capital including Nobu and Hakkassan for six years. “I am mad about London and have a lot of friends there.

The food scene is so vibrant, way above Paris. There are so many influences from Asia, the Americas, everywhere.” Posing with his trademark porcelain pig (left), he concluded: “The philosophy for the restaurant is like my philosophy on life. I call it total cooking. You need an open mind. It is almost pornographic, completely nat-

ural and laid out bare. It’s like a rollercoaster ride and I want the taste to be like a gunshot to the head.” Editor Jon Clarke reviewed DiverXo the following year, describing it as the ‘best meal’ he had eaten in Spain. That stands today. “The simple explosion of flavours, the pure joy of what has been produced, the enthusiasm

of the staff… we laughed through the entire meal,” he recalls this week. “I ended my review saying, his creativity and influence on Spanish cuisine would ‘keep Spain a head and shoulders above the French for the next decade’. And that has certainly come to pass. The way things are going it may be two or three decades.”

The

O LIVE P RESS

REuse REduce REcycle We use recycled paper

Animal crossing

FINAL WORDS

AT least one accident per day on Alicante Province roads is caused by an animal running onto a highway, with 373 incidents logged last year.

Jewel aid AN emerald that was recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which sank 400 years ago, will be auctioned in New York for an estimated €70,000, with cash raised going to support the Ukrainian resistance.

Fruit rustler POLICE have arrested a man who took 250 kilos of premium pomegranates from an Elche farm. The 50-year-old man attacked the crop owner before he fled in his van.

Your expat

voice in Spain

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Vol. 3 Issue 77 www.theolivepress.es November 3rd - November 16th 2022

Canoe believe it! British man capsized in English Channel was trying to paddle to Spain, claims rescuer A BRITISH man thought he had arms of steel to navigate the English channel and kayak to Spain. But it turns out he has a gut of steel instead after the Blackpool resident capsized and claimed to have survived for 12 days eating just seaweed and raw mussels, and drinking rainwater. Daniel Lewis was found in the middle of the English Channel clinging to a buoy after his inflatable kayak capsized.

By Anthony Piovesan

Dutch fisherman Tunis Van Luut rescued the 28-year-old, who told him that he had been trying to paddle to Spain and had been out at sea since October 15. Van Lutt revealed that Lewis was unable to stand when they pulled him onboard the French fishing vessel De Madelaine.

A STAG party whose rowdy behaviour caused a high-speed AVE train to be late after they refused to get off when ordered, have been told to pay €7,676 compensation to delayed passengers. A Madrid court has told the 11 people to cough up nearly €700 each after train operator Renfe paid €7,676 in compensation to 216 passengers as its ‘punctuality’ code had been broken.

RESCUE: Daniel Lewis was hauled out of the sea The skipper said: “He needed your clothes, just your swimwater and he was drinking a lot, ming shorts - there was nothing and I asked him who are you else. His condition was so bad and how is it possible that you I could see his eyes were very are here on this buoy without deep in his head and he had a lot of blue veins on his head and arms. “He told me he wanted to go to Spain, but I said that is stupid because of the distance.” The ambitious paddler is now The party was ordered to leave the Madrid to recovering in hospital. Malaga service at Cordoba, but they refused Coastguards in France said it and carried on drinking, singing and shouting. did not appear Lewis was expePolice were called to remove the drunken mob rienced or ready to attempt to from the train, resulting in a 15-minute delay. cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Expensive do

Just resting A PARROT caught up in a shop blaze was saved from becoming an ‘ex-parrot’ after firemen gave him oxygen. Gandia and Oliva firefighters on the Costa Blanca had been called out to extinguish the fire in an electric scooter shop, with smoke and fumes belching from the premises. A check of the empty premises uncovered a parrot suffering from smoke inhalation and high temperatures. Quick as a flash, they revived him with a whiff of oxygen before he - in words Monty Python may have said - ‘went to meet his maker’.

Booze control

A MAN accused of stealing 45 bottles of wine with a value of €1.6 million has also been charged with stealing a bottle of whiskey worth €5,000. Constantin Dumitru, allegedly pulled off the wine theft from the Atrio hotel and restaurant in Caceres, Extremadura. Now Dumitru is accused of stealing a bottle of Balvenie, valued at €5,250 in a separate incident.