SNOW has caused the clo sure of a series of schools in the hilly areas of Castellon. An emergency protocol was activated in the interior areas of Alt Mallars, Alt Maestrat, l’Alcalatan and Els Ports.
Classes affecting around 900 children in Portell de Morella, Vistabella del Maestrat, Jerica and Viver were suspended on Wednesday due to Storm Isaack covering the province with snow.
See Chilling out on page 6
HEROES: Valencian firefighters at work
A SPECIALIST response team from Valencia is already digging through the rubble to help rescue victims of the Turkish earthquake disaster. The firefighting unit flew to Istanbul within hours of the devastating quake and were joined on the same flight by celebrity chef Jose Andres. The founder of World Central Kitchen - who is setting up a base in the affected area - stated he was ‘proud' to see the Valencia firefighters on board.
The 15 members of Valencia’s Emergencies and Catastrophes Rescue Unit are working with sniffer dogs in Adana, near the epicenter of the quake.
The team has experience of working in areas with collapsed buildings and will aid in finding victims. They have linked up with volunteers from the Valencian IAE charity.
By yesterday the death toll from the disaster had reached 11,000. Search dogs will be deployed along with specialist equipment including cameras to detect people who are under the rubble.
Continues on page 4
EFFORTS to halt a massive development on Orihuela’s ‘last piece of virgin coastline’ look to be doomed over a €200 million compensation bill.
The plans for 2,200 homes at Cala Mosca have now been formally re-submitted by the developer, with residents and environmentalists left scratching their heads. Furious locals have long campaigned against the scheme, doing anything including stripping off to stage nude demos at the site. But the two naked protests by Salvemos Cala Mosca group and Spain’s FEM Naturist Federation have apparently failed. Now the marginally-amended plan, close to the Punta Prima airraid shelter, has been presented by Orihuela council for public consultation until the end of February.
By Alex TrelinskiAmendments take account of a positive Valencian government environmental impact study, last July, with no obvious legal obstacles remaining to stop the project from going
ahead.
The PSOE-led Orihuela council cannot realistically rescind approval as it would have to pay €200 million in compensation to the developer, Gomendio. Last autumn, Orihuela mayor Carolina Gracia tried, but was unsuccessful in getting meaningful talks to see if the developers would agree to build elsewhere in the area. The presence of unique flora and
fauna led to the suspension of Cala Mosca building plans way back in 2007.
The tweaked Gomendio proposals include an expansion of a protected micro-reserve area for the Cat Head plant.
Gomendio says that 99.8% of the plants will be maintained compared to 26% in the original 2007 plan.
It adds that the size of the micro-reserve area will go up from 2.95 hectares to 11.1 hectares.
It has also agreed to introduce another reserve to guarantee the conservation of the Tudorella sulcata snail.
Scan
The number of plots destined for construction will therefore be reduced, with public areas created to 'preserve the environment'.
€200 million compensation claim sinks hopes of saving ‘virgin coastline’ from concrete
AN Alcoy police patrol arrested a man for drink-driving on Friday night, only for the same officers to stop him again the following evening and charge him with the identical offence.
THREE members of a Vega Baja cocaine gang have been jailed after police swoops in the region. Seven men were detained with two homes used as drug labs.
MEDICAL centres in Pilar de la Horadada and La Loma in Torrevieja have improved their 24hour emergency coverage by taking on extra doctors and nurses.
TICKETS starting at €9 go on sale in early April for Ouigo’s new low-fare high-speed train service between Alicante and Madrid which starts in May.
THE owners of a Valencia pet shop that sold ‘an avalanche’ of sick puppies have been given the longest ever sentences handed out in Spain for animal abuse.
The trio have been put behind bars for six years for showing a ‘complete disregard’ for animal welfare and being responsible for the death of 30 dogs.
A judge at Valencia’s criminal court
heard police found the animals huddled in tiny overheated spaces surrounded by urine, faeces and vomit. Most of the animals had endured an arduous journey in the back of vans from Slovakia and were often sick and were never put into quarantine.
Pet passports were forged to falsely show they had been vaccinated, before the pups were sold to unsuspecting customers for €400 a time. The previous longest sentence for animal abuse in Spain was five years and six months.
THE Valencia high court has ruled in favour of a man fined for walking naked through his local town. Alejandro Colomar, 29, from Aldaia, near Valencia, was turned away from court in September when he arrived naked to appeal a fine for nudity.
Colomar, who arrived without a stitch on minus his boots, was ordered to put
A TRIO of Alicante scammers have been arrested for selling cheap but counterfeit tickets to festivals and concerts across Spain.
The online fraud prompted over 100 police complaints from duped purchasers who only found out when they got to the venue.
Investigators believe many more people were defrauded but did not report it due to the low sums involved with ticket prices ranging between €15 and €60 each.
The fraudsters - all from the same family - made a 'full-time living' from their
more clothes on to enter the building, which he did. While he was initially fined €3,000, the regional court has now rescinded it on appeal, ruling the fine in-
enterprise.
Tickets were sold for music festivals and even musicals, including ' The Lion King ’ in Madrid.
Online buyers were sent genuine-looking tickets with QR codes on them. They had images of artists, along with details of the venue and the price paid. The scammers posted ads on social media and internet platforms to lure in customers. They also trawled through sites where people were looking for tickets to specific events and offered deals at a low price to lure them in.
fringed on his ‘right to ideological freedom’.
The court acknowledged a ‘legal vacuum’ in Spanish law regarding public nudity. It has actually been legal in Spain since 1988, when it was ruled that anyone can walk naked down a street without being arrested. The issue is that some regions, such as Catalunya, have introduced their own laws to regulate nudism, especially away from the beach.
The court noted that Aldaia itself has no specific law prohibiting nudism. The Valencia court ruled Colomar had not in any way endangered local residents or created a public order by walking through Aldaia’s streets naked.
TRAFFIC cops have seized half a million euros from the boot of a car traveling along the A-7 between Almeria and Murcia.
The vehicle was stopped for a random alcohol test, and while the driver was negative he appeared nervous. This prompted a search of the car in which a sealed metal box was discovered in the boot with the cash.
The vehicle occupants denied knowledge of the box and it has been sent to the Money Laundering Prevention Service (SPBC) to investigate.
AN erratically-driven lorry was pulled over in Murcia with the driver found to be six times above the alcohol limit. The Elche-bound truck started its journey 30 kilometres away in Librilla, zig-zagging between lanes on the A-30 motorway.
The booze-filled driver then veered off an exit onto a bank and damaged road signs. He drove on towards Molina de Segura followed by an off-duty Guardia Civil officer in his own vehicle.
He stayed right behind and used his hazard lights to warn motorists of danger until traffic police arrived.
SINGER Blanca Paloma will represent Spain at the next Eurovision contest in Liverpool after triumphing at the week-long Benidorm Fest.
The 34-year-old from Elche won the final with her song Eaea - a special take on flamenco composed in tribute to her grand-
mother, Carmen. Paloma said: “Folklore is universal and there is something in the essence of it that is understandable to everyone.”
It’s a leap of faith for Spain, as the last time it picked a flamenco-based song back in 1984, it got zero points.
An
BACK in 2005, a new comedy club arrived in Madrid and Barcelona. The brainchild of Irish promoter Stephen Garland, the idea was to bring top-flight comedians from the Edinburgh Fringe to Spain for the first time.
Legendary Irish comedian Jason Byrne was the first to appear. His outstanding show, performed at the Giggling Guiri in both cities, was a taste of things to come.
Nearly two decades on, another top stand-up comedian, England’s Seann Walsh, became the final act at the club.
“I’ve got the jackpot of multiple sclerosis,” Garland tells the Olive Press, explaining his main reason for throwing in the towel. “It’s ‘primary progressive’, and generally that’s a fast-track to the end.”
Having studied music and media management, Garland arrived in Barcelona in 2002
By Simon Hunterand soon ‘had the bright idea of making an Irish festival’. The multidisciplinary event was planned around Saint Patrick’s Day, 2004 but, unfortunately for him, the date coincided with the 11-M terrorist attacks in Madrid. As Spaniards came out onto the street to protest in response to the atrocity, the crowds stayed away from the shows.
“So I went back to the drawing board, to lick my wounds, and the following year I decided to make a comedy club in Barcelona and Madrid,” he says. The result was a consistent run of award-winning shows. Among the major names that were tempted over were Eddie Izzard, Michael McIntyre,
Stephen K. Amos, Reginald D. Hunter, Arj Barker and even Howard Marks, the notorious Welsh drug smuggler-turned raconteur. As well as health issues, the pandemic has also played a part in the decision to call it a day. The shows that were the stock in trade of the Giggling Guiri were no longer pulling in the punters. “The world has moved on, and now the pandemic has pushed everyone to watch their
HOLLYWOOD star Nicole Kidman has been posting photos of herself on Mallorca. She is among other stars, including Morgan Freeman, who are filming a series called Lioness for Paramount+. Filming is set to continue until the start of March.
Lioness is based on true events and tells the story of a young marine recruited by the CIA to befriend the daughter of a terrorist group in order to bring down the organisation from within. Paramount+ is working in collaboration with Balearic studio Palma Pictures, as well as SurFilms.
STAR of Chocolat and The English Patient, amongst many other films, Juliette Binoche is to be honoured at the Goyas. The French actor and twice Oscar winner, 58, will be presented with an International Goya at the prestigious ceremony, being held in Sevilla on Saturday.
The academy described the Parisienne as ‘one of the most admired and recognised names in European cinema’.
Last year Cate Blanchett received the first-ever International Goya Award.
comedy on streaming.”
Another major issue for Garland is the need to pro mote gigs via social media channels: “I no longer have the patience for them!” he complains. “They’re so time consuming.”
Seann Walsh blew the crowd away in Barcelona and then proceeded to do the same in Madrid on the following night for the very last show.
Emotional
Garland took to the stage before the main act and gave an emotional speech, clearly somewhat unsteady on his feet due to the MS.
After Walsh’s show was over, the promoter got back up and said more words. This time he was very unsteady on his feet given he was, as he puts it, ‘hammered!’
But no one in the crowd –some of whom were at that very first gig back in 2005 –could blame him. They were just very grateful for all the laughs he’d brought them.
IN COMMON: Binoche and Blanchett - both Goya winners
SINGING superstar Beyonce will be hitting the stage in Barcelona.
The American’s Renaissance World Tour will make a stop off at the city’s Olympic Stadium on June 8.
The Barcelona date is her only stop in Spain and will mainly showcase songs from her al bum Renaissance, including hits like Cuff it and Break my soul
Beyonce has previously performed at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona in August 2016 to present her album Lemonade, and in July 2018, on that occasion with her husband, Jay-Z, as part of the On The Run II tour.
expat comedy club that hosted the like of Eddie Izzard and Michael McIntyre closes after 18 yearsEXCLUSIVE SPECIAL GUEST: Garland (left) with Eddie Izzard
PILAR de la Horadada council has allocated nearly €3 million of public money to demolish an unfinished cultural centre that had no work done on it since 2006.
Construction costs spiralled from the €2 million budget presented in 2001 to €9 million just five years later.
The Marina Baches Cultural Centre project was officially scrapped in 2014. The bidding period has now ended for a contract valued at just under €3 million to demolish what was built, with the winning tender set to be announced this month.
THE government is looking at La Pedrera reservoir as a ‘floating’ solar plant site to feed low-cost energy to Torrevieja’s desalination plant which is expected to notch up a €60 million power bill this year.
A WOMAN who lost €500 in Elche got her money back and had a surprise meeting with the person who found it. It came after cops asked the pair to come to the station for an impromptu handover ceremony which ended up as an emotional affair.
The pedestrian had called the police after she found an envelope lying in the street containing the money, but there was nothing inside to identify the owner. Some extensive police work identified the cash as belonging to a lady who dropped the envelope on the way to her bank.
CARTAGENA will get access to over a third of the €484 million Mar Menor regeneration fund. €70 million of the city’s €144 million allocation will be spent on stopping Sierra Minera mining waste flowing into the lagoon.
AN exhibition is to follow the 35-year career of a Venezuelan born designer who moved to Alicante aged 15. The Palacio Provincial show paying homage to Hannibal Laguna will be announced at Madrid Fashion Week, next week.
Hannibal’s label has strong ties to the city, with the exhibition seen as ‘an opportunity to showcase the career of one of the most renowned couturiers in our country’.
“He has carried the name of Alicante all over the world,” said Carlos Mazon, president of the Diputacion de Alicante.
Laguna has become a benchmark in the industry for its luxury and femininity.
‘Sharp’ and ‘shoddy’ practices land dozens of foreign villa buyers millions out of pocket
LAWYERS have been joined by mortgage brokers and agents to slam a giant construction firm that has left up to 100 foreign buyers ‘likely tens of millions’ of euros out of pocket.
So far countless contractors and hundreds of workers have pulled off building sites after Otero stopped fulfilling its payments on January 25.
The company, which started in Malaga in 2017, claims to have developments all around Spain, including Malaga, Valencia and the Balearics.
The Olive Press knows of dozens of victims who have called in lawyers demanding to know what has happened to their luxury villa investments.
One law firm, Martinez-Echevarria, confirmed it was repre-
EXCLUSIVE
By Jon Clarkesenting ‘around 20 clients’ who had bought properties costing between €500,000 and €2 million on the Costa del Sol.
“The majority are foreign, English, Dutch and Belgians, etc, but what links them is they have all paid a lot of money,” lawyer Fermin Siguenza told the Olive Press.
“We don’t know how much we will be able to recover or even if the clients are protected.”
Mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola revealed he was currently helping four clients, who have lost out.
“They are royally screwed, especially as the unpaid con-
A SMOKING ban on terraces looks like staying in place - at least for the time being.
The 2020 law was introduced in Valencia to combat the spread of the pandemic via droplets through smokers coughing.
Valencian president, Ximo Puig, says the restriction will be kept for now despite complaints from hospitality associations. On a visit to Alicante hospital he explained he ‘understood’ the concerns and said talks were planned between them and the regional health ministry.
OVER 2,000 victims of Franco’s dictatorship have so far been dug up in the ongoing campaign to give them decent burials in Valencia.
About 70% of the identified mass graves in the region have so far been explored. Of the 2,166 bodies exhumed, some 225 have been identified.
“We have advanced a lot and want to achieve a region free of these mass graves,” said minister Rosa Perez Garijo. Around 80% of the graves in Alicante Province have been exhumed, with 61% in Valencia and 75% in Castellon.
This year’s aim is to locate a further 421 victims across 49 cemeteries.
A new Valencia Democratic Memory website outlines all the work going on, including a map of all the mass graves. The web portal also includes information on stolen babies and minors, the identification of victims and how to access the DNA bank.
tractors are taking everything moveable, including windows, and even kitchens.”
He continued: “I didn’t like the way Otero operated and I tried to tell agents not to work with them due to their sharp practices.”
The Olive Press has spoken to workers from at least three companies removing their materials from one site (above), called Oceanic, in Malaga.
One employee claimed that ‘well over a million euros’ is owed to firms at this site alone.
His firm Fartech is owed ‘at least’ €150,000 for security equipment for the 24 homes, 20 of which have already been sold at up to €1.8 million each. “But there are loads more suppliers who have lost more,” said the Argentinian builder. “Some are owed €500,000, others up to a million.”
The Olive Press has learnt Otero first failed to pay its suppliers the previous month in December, just a month after boasting how it had won no
From front page
Firefighters have also brought vital health and medical supplies with them.
President of the Valencia Firefighters Consortium, Maria Josep Amigo said: “We express our solidarity with Turkey and Syria after the terrible disaster that the region has suffered.”
DEVASTATED: Swathes of Turkish cities have been reduced to rubble
“Our thoughts are with the people and our firefighters who will be there to provide help,” she added. Spain is also sending amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos and a landing platform dock laden with emergency supplies.
less than eight awards at the Newbuild Awards Costa del Sol.
“We rocked,” a press release screamed above a picture of boss Ruben Otero (above) holding a gong for ‘Best Property Developer’. This week, however, an employee at Otero’s head office in Marbella confirmed ‘all projects were stopped around 10 days ago’. “We are trying hard to solve the problems, which are tough,” she admitted.
Sales agent Mario Ballesteros, was more forthcoming. “I’m also in limbo and while I’m not directly responsible I feel sad for all the buyers, but I may be out of a job too.”
He continued: “I don’t know exactly what happened but I have not seen the owner Ruben for months.” Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es if affected
Opinion Page 6
ONE of Spain’s most complex rail engineering projects has been given the green signal at an onsite signing ceremony in Valencia.
The train line running from the south of the city to Giorgeta bridge will be moved underground, allowing a ‘divided’ part of Valencia city to be reunited after 170 years. There have been calls for a tunnel since 2003 and over €440 million has been budgeted for the work, which includes a section of AVE high speed line.
Half of the money will come from the Transport Ministry with the remainder split between Valencia City Council and the Valencian government.
The project will be undertaken in nine phases over five years, without causing disruption to train services.
A €1.75 million project to help reduce flooding in Los Alcazares has been finished.
A new collector will route excess water from outside the centre via three pipes in a one-kilometre network. Murcia's Agriculture minister, Antonio Luengo, said: “These works will prevent Los Alcazares from getting the severe flooding it has suffered in recent years.”
In December 2019, the town was seriously flooded and schools had to be closed.
Hundreds of cars were half submerged under dirty flood waters, while over a dozen roads had to be closed off. Six streets traversed by the pipes have had a complete revamp of other services including drinking water pipes, telecommunications links, and electricity supply cables. Pavements and roads have also been resurfaced across an area of 9,100 m2.
AFTERMATH: A car that had been submerged in the 2019 floods
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.
WHEN the property bubble finally burst in Spain in 2008, the fallout had far reaching effects on the economy.
Tens of thousands of people were left in negative equity as home values plunged.
Developer after developer went under, with billions of euros disappearing into a financial blackhole.
Thousands of people who had paid substantial deposits for off-plan property not yet built were left in financial limbo for years. They were out of pocket with no house to show for it. Many of them still are.
So big was the scandal that new regulations were brought in to prevent prospective home-owners from suffering the same fate again.
These included the requirement for bank guarantees to protect the deposits of purchasers, so at least they would get their money back if their property dreams were shattered. Thankfully, most developers appear to abide by this and the industry is in a far healthier state and on a far firmer foundation than it was back then.
But this is not to say that every firm is untouchable. Some clearly still go bust leaving clients, suppliers and employees in the lurch.
The full reasons why construction company Otero has seemingly shut up shop are not yet known. Nor is it known if the five-year-old company abided fully by the rules.
What we do know however is that dozens of contractors, agents and builders are owed millions of euros over unpaid bills, while an unknown number of purchasers - thought to be in the hundreds - have been left wondering if and when they will get their home completed or if they will get their cash back.
Unfortunately, among the more unscrupulous developers old habits die hard - and there are certainly still some shady firms who try to get round the rules to maximise their profit. Another recent example is Bynok, an Estepona developer, which folded last year, with the case still going through the courts.
This is why it is important to always seek competent, qualified advice from real estate professionals.
The best have been on the coast for years and know the market inside out - and more importantly know which developers to trust.
Since we broke the Otero story online, last week, several of these property professionals have told the Olive Press they refused to touch the company and would not recommend Otero to anyone.
As they told us there was clearly something ‘not quite right’. They were spot on.
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Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva
DESPITE the start of 2023 being unseasonably warm, the mercury plummeted in mid-January and it has stayed there with more snow forecast in the hills this week.
After a string of cold weather warnings, locals and expats alike have been deploying thick blankets, padded coats and fighting an urge to hibernate. Those of you with wood burning stoves or open fireplaces have been racing through the
logs.
Mountainous areas, such as La Calderona, the Sierra Nevada and the Maestrazgo, frequently experience minus zero temperatures and with many expats choosing to live in the campo and frequently at altitude, there are plenty of daily challenges.
I’ll always remember a visit to Granada in the winter in 2003 when I found the pervading cold creeping right into my bones.
So why on earth did I end up living on an isolated farm at 1,700m in the Sierra Nevada?
Charming as it is in Spring and Summer, in winter the property is above the snowline and the nighttime temperature regularly plummets to MINUS 8 degrees!
That’s fine with the wood burning stove in the lounge, but as soon as you venture into the bedrooms or bathroom you’re hit by an icy blast of cold, with the thin walls providing poor insulation.
Living this high can really affect your daily routine. Any water lying static overnight will freeze – including, on one re-
HOME: Jo lives above Cañar, while (top) her horse and garden view
cent occasion, water in the kitchen sink. Forget your morning shower or using the washing machine when it’s minus zero. The water supply is frozen until the midday sun defrosts the outdoor pipes. It’s detrimental to personal hygiene, although some mountain dwellers will happily remain unwashed, even for a fortnight particularly as laundry ends up frozen on the washing line. And remember, if you buy butane gas, be aware that it freezes at 0C, while propane freezes at -44C. Buy the wrong type and your gas appliances simply won’t work. I’ve been there.
Motoring is also a challenge above the snowline. To drive safely, you need a 4×4 with tyres made for tarmac and off-road. In the morning, you’ll sometimes find your car doors are frozen shut and thick frost always needs removing from the windscreen. The starter motor also might be reluctant, and batteries can suddenly die.
Other dangers include black ice – this is far from fun when going downhill. There is also frequent fog.
To get a flavour of the High Life - head up to Trevelez, the second highest village in Spain at 1,476m.
It’s famed for its cured ham, as well as its ascents to Mulhacen, the Iberian peninsula’s highest peak. Trevelez residents live on the snowline and they are used to the white stuff in winter. In fact, they love it.
As mayor Adrian Gallegos told the Olive Press: “Being on the snowline is wonderful. It’s very cold but it offers a wonderful landscape and we really enjoy snowy days – especially the village children.”
When there are serious white outs, the snow ploughs arrive quickly to restore access.
Years ago, I got stuck in the Hotel Alcazaba de Buquístar, because our van couldn’t drive up the steep exit slope, which was covered in 10 cm of snow.
Eventually a snowplough arrived to liberate the trapped cars.
Yes, it’s suddenly chilly outside, but spare a thought for Olive Press journalist Jo Chipchase who lives at 1,700m, above the snow line
ICY: The pool freezes each winter
The high life - the easy way!By Walter Finch
IT was marketed to high-earners from Northern Europe as the opportunity to come and live the Spanish dream.
To escape the dreary weather and own a luxury villa on a coastline that gets over 300 days of sunshine a year.
Buyers who dreamt of packing their lives up and moving to the Costa del Sol were lured in with glossy promotions and slick computer-generated images of ultra-modern glass homes perched on hillsides above the sea.
Founded in 2017 with just a dozen employees, the rapid expansion of Otero Group, the company responsible for making these dreams a reality, understandably raised eyebrows.
Starting on the Costa del Sol, by 2022, they claimed to be opening developments all around Spain, including the Balearics, Madrid and Alicante, with half a billion euros under management and more than 130 employees - plus a whole constellation of suppliers and contractors.
Its owner Ruben Otero coined the slogan ‘Focus on Excellence’ and described this breakneck growth as ‘meaningful’ and ‘sustainable’. He also listed his company values as ‘transparent, agile and results-oriented.’
The problem is the recent results can only be described as poor, at best, as the company suspended all developments and looked to be heading towards bankruptcy.
An employee in its head office in Marbella told the Olive Press this week that ‘all projects had been suspended 10 days ago’.
Neither she, nor the main sales agent in the Manilva area, could explain what had happened or indeed when construction would begin again. In the words of agent Mario, is also ‘in limbo’.
Taking Manilva as a snapshot of the developments that Otero has been working on over the last few years, things are not looking rosy.
Dozens of units were planned overlooking Duquesa Port in a giant valley scheme dubbed by a marketing wizard as ‘the Duquesa Valley’ in 2021. Next door, came La Paloma, then Don Amaro and finally the Oceanic scheme, with its 24 stunning individual homes, each costing between €1.3 and €1.8million.
Come early 2022, Otero announced that some of the homes were finished and ready to be lived in.
But when the excited Brits, Belgians and Scandina-
vian buyers began to move in, the first inklings that all might not be well with Otero and its business model started to sink in.
“I don’t think there is one unit that doesn’t have an issue, be it with basements, electricity or water,” Michel Katic, 57, told the Olive Press.
The South African moved into his Don Amaro property in June after selling up his courier company in Cape Town and retiring with his wife and daughter to Manilva.
“It seemed absolutely stunning and looked like a fantastic opportunity,” he said of the ultra modern unit.
“But since arriving it’s been problem after problem.”
Quite simply, the Spanish dream has turned into a nightmare. The list of problems has been endless; from a swimming pool sliding down a slope, to water seepage causing power cuts and even missing floor-to-ceiling curtains, which he insists he has paid over €5,000 for.
And it gets worse - Katic’s property is now totally overshadowed by an unfinished shell rapidly thrown up that has totally blocked his view.
“You might find this funny - but Otero sold us this villa with sea views,” he said laconically. “Now we can hardly see the sea.”
All repairs are currently coming out of his pocket, as Otero has ignored him since his final instalment. Thinking of moving? “We actually have nowhere else to go. We sold up and moved to Spain permanently.
So there’s no leaving now.”
After disaster struck last month and Otero stopped paying the contractors, in the words of one resident, the developments have ‘become like living in the Wild West.’
The English woman, who asked not to reveal her name, claimed to be in a group of 30 homeowners demanding action from Otero and the town hall.
Alarmingly, she was so terrified of the unfolding di-
saster that she was too scared to meet the Olive Press despite begging us to help.
“They’ve robbed us, they’ve lied to us, they bully us - it feels like dealing with the mafia,” she said.
“Two of my neighbours are so upset they feel suicidal about it.”
She revealed how over the last fortnight, she and her fellow neighbours have seen a series of shadowy figures prowling the unfinished units and abandoned construction sites.
She added that she had ‘seen looting, scavenging and attempted break-ins’ to the nearly finished properties. “There are
teenagers, old people and random men wandering around in our gardens - we are living in fear here.”
Yet incredibly, she claimed owners have been subject to a remarkable demand from representatives of Otero for a further €120,000 retroactively to ‘pay for an increase in the cost of building materials’.
“And they have threatened to cut off our water supply if the residents, who already have their keys, refuse to pay up,” she added.
But on top of that, she claims that the company has not even been paying its own water bills, but instead was illegally tapped into the communal water.
Other neighbours arrived in Spain last year to find they were unable to move into their supposedly finished villas and were forced to rent apartments in the meantime.
One couple from Belgium, Danny and Sandra have a home full of defects, from dents and scratches in appliances and to walls, as well as shoddy workmanship and even structural problems.
They had been told their villa was ready in February, but when the couple arrived from Antwerp the house was nowhere near ready. They had to spend three weeks in a rented apartment at a cost of €2,000. “The company reps were continually lying and that is a big problem,” claimed Danny.
After signing for the property and getting the keys, Otero kept adding new costs to the final bill.
After adding €23,000 for a kitchen, €35,000 ‘due to Coronavirus’
socket for the television.
It all meant the overall price of their villa ballooned by €110,000 above the originally-agreed price to €640,000.
And just last week they received another letter from Otero demanding a further €84,000 - ‘for building material cost increases’.
If they refused to pay up, Otero would be able to withhold their first occupancy licence which they needed to legally move in. “I hate them!” Sandra admitted near tears, as she recounted the ordeal they had gone through at the hands of Otero.
“I was sick from the stress - as were so many other people.”
Danny believes the company’s downfall was caused by selling properties too cheaply and then trying to make up for it by cutting corners on materials and workmanship.
Many of the other buyers who are facing the biggest losses were too afraid to speak to the Olive Press, or were advised against it by their lawyers.
One British buyer who is remaining more optimistic is Chris Morris, 35, a builder, who put down €700,000 in February 2022 for his Otero-built property in Valle Romano, in Estepona.
He insisted that because he owns the plot of land, he also owns the home on it, which is now 75% completed.
“Well it was 75% until the contractors took back the doors, the aircon, the windows, and so on,” he said. “But I don’t blame them, I would have done the same in their shoes.”
He added: “We’re in talks with the company now to try and get windows and doors put back in to keep the unit secure.”
He added that Otero will be in breach of contract if it fails to finish his property by May.
“Some people said Ruben Otero (left) had fled to Venezuela with all our cash, but my architect - who’s been very helpful - said he saw him in a restaurant in Marbella on Saturday
An experienced constructor back in the UK, his advice to fellow buyers is sim“No one has lost their money yet. Until it’s final, don’t dwell on it. Just keep
The Olive Press had not received any comment from Otero despite regular requests from its lawyer David Sanchez, based in Malaga.
The Olive Press discovers how the spectacular fall of the ‘half a billion euro’ Otero group is anything but a surprise to its beleaguered clientsDESERTED: An Otero site in Manilva PROMISE: The dream (above) and the reality (below) ENDLESS PROBLEMS: for Michel Katich who has also lost his sea views
‘I was sick from all the stress - as were so many other people’
POWER firm Iberdrola has launched its first ‘solar community’ on a school roof in Valencia.
Some 233 panels producing 105 kilowatts have been installed at Sagrada Familia in Benimaclet.
Iberdrola says the new set-up on top of the sports hall means that 170 local homes will be able to use the 100% renewable and low-cost energy.
People living up to two kilometres away can also take advantage of the option without having to pay for their own installations.
The system will generate 146 megawatt hours of electricity each year saving some 686 tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere over 25 years.
“This is an important innovative project providing energy solutions, sustainability and commitment to a local neighbourhood,” said a spokesman. Potential users can go online to work out the environmental and cost benefits via the Iberdrola Solar Communities
CLIMATE activists glued themselves to the microphones at the lectern in the Congress of Deputies.
It was the latest protest by a group called Futuro Vegetal (Vegetable Future) to demand action to save the environment. Members had staged a similar protest in November when they glued their hands to the frames of two Goya paintings in Madrid’s Prado Museum.
‘This is a climate emergency!’ the group said in a tweet announcing the demonstration.
By Anthony Piovesanwebsite.
More than two-thirds of Spain’s population live in high-rise buildings and so community initiatives are seen as vital for driving an up-take in domestic solar energy usage. Iberdrola estimates that as much as 70% can be saved on a home energy bill in a single-family home.
FURIOUS residents have protested against CEPSA’s plans to install a solar farm the size of 150 football pitches in the Serrania de Ronda.
The green campaigners chanted ‘renewals yes, but not this way’, as executives from the oil giant revealed the plans for the mega-project. The proposal, which has an investment of €62 million, would produce clean energy to supply 64,000 homes and contribute to the elimination of 84 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.
WHEN it comes to environmental news there are always surprises. Sadly some are not pleasant.
Shell, the oil and gas giant, last week reported outrageous annual profits of $39.9 billion in 2022.
These figures are the highest ever recorded in Shell’s 115 years of existence.
Quite frankly this corporate greed leaves me feeling sick.
Energy prices soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile households struggle with escalating prices and are having to make some very difficult choices.
Heat your home or eat? Scandalous Governments have talked about levying windfall taxes. This at first sight seems a sensible approach……. until you look at how small these taxes are.
The UK government billed Shell a windfall tax in 2022 of $134 million.
How does that sit with profits of $39.9 billion?
Laughable
And it gets worse when you peel back the layers. Shell is a UK headquartered company. It pays more to its shareholders than it spends on renewable investments. How can that be right?
In the UK, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt both indicated that there are no plans to increase windfall tax .
And they allow corporate giants like Shell to consistently avoid paying tax. They allow them to offset against taxable profits things like decommissioning North Sea oil platforms. They should be taxed for lack of investment in renewable solutions…particularly wind and solar.
It’s criminal that fossil fuel companies making bumper profits are let off the hook.
Not only is investing in renewable technologies the right moral choice, it makes economic sense. The CBI released a report last week claiming that 840,000 jobs have been created through investment in the fight to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
And that’s just in the UK.
PROFIT: Billions have poured in
I’m not the biggest fan of Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, but he nailed it last week when he declared ‘No company should be making these kind of outrageous profits out of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine’.
In America, landmark legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act has set aside $369 billion to tackle climate change.
It’s about time Spain and other so-called developed countries got their finger out.
A DISCOVERY in a Spanish cave suggests that Neanderthals collected trophies. That’s according to a study published this week in the magazine Nature Human Behaviour.
Researchers from Spain’s CSIC public research institute found a total of 35 horned skulls from large herbivores on the site in Madrid’s Pinilla del Valle.
They believe that the bones served as trophies, something that would, for the first time, prove that these primates had the capacity for symbolic actions.
This kind of intelligence had, until now, been attributed only to humans.
“There is nothing like this in the world, it’s exceptional,” the coauthor of the study, paleoanthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga, said.
ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) has unearthed a previously unknown comedy penned by one of Spain’s greatest writers, Felix Lope de Vega. AI was being used by researchers to transcribe 1,300 uncredited manuscripts and books at the library to save many years of human work. Another aim was to find out the authors by checking each work against a selection of words used by different writers.
After a year of verification, it
THREE small towns in the Spanish Pyrenees have staged the ancient festival of Joaldunak to ward off evil spirits and to waken up the ‘forthcoming spring’.
The celebration is held on the last Monday and Tuesday of January in Ituren, Zubieta, and Lantz and is recognised by UNESCO as
an invaluable part of Europe's cultural heritage. The event is believed to be con-
By Alex Trelinskihas been confirmed that an uncredited manuscript was a Lope de Vega work called La Francesca Laura (Frenchwoman Laura) - written some five or six years before his death in 1635. One of the people involved in the AI project, German Vega from Valladolid University, said that it was not an original Lope de Vega manuscript, but a copy - perhaps even of the
nected to the ancient rites of changing the seasonal cycle and celebrating the winter solstice. Bell wearers, or Joaldunak, as they are known in Basque, dressed up in thick sheepskins and tall colourful hats, clanging large cowbells tied to their backs to scare away the bad spirits and the witches.
A shepherd holding the chains of a huge carnival ‘bear’ with ram-horn ears accompanied the Joaldunak on their march, taking swipes at the crowd and ordering the sea of monsters to step aside to let them pass.
Across
1 Spotted (7)
5 La Scala cry (5)
8 Basra native, perhaps (5)
9 Type of pasty (7)
10 Energetic (7)
12 Bristles (4)
14 Conclusion (3)
16 Puzzling Tower of --- (5)
18 Sticky substance (3)
19 Froth (4)
21 Dixie city (7)
24 Marsh marigold (7)
26 Boredom (5)
27 Part of a cake mixed early (5)
28 Family line (7)
Down
1 Superficial (4-4)
2 Small hard particle (5)
3 Victory (7)
4 Sawbones (3)
5 Inception (5)
6 Permanent (7)
7 Hawaiian island (4)
11 Cuban dance (5)
13 Solitary juggler supports the King (8)
15 Portal (7)
17 Ailment (7)
20 Grinder (5)
22 Present time (5)
23 Dieter’s measure (4)
25 Cushion (3)
original.
It also had notes for theatre companies intending to put
on the play.
The manuscript has been in the National Library since 1886 and had classified it as an ‘anonymous comedy’. The library said the words used in the text were ‘closely aligned with Lope’s, and not with those of the other 350 playwrights who were part of the AI experiment’.
Mature
Experts then used traditional research resources to corroborate the findings.
“La Francesa Laura is a remarkable play, with the dramatic force expected of a mature Lope de Vega,” the library said.
TWO 15th century paintings looted from Poland during World War II that ended up in Galicia, have been returned after 79 years. They were on display at Pontevedra Museum following the 1994 purchase of an art collection owned by collector Jose Fernandez Lopez.
Pontevedra Provincial Council vice-president, Cesar Mosquera, said: “We’re helping to restore an injustice, helping to restore plundered art, helping in whatever way we can to make the world a better place.”
Mosquera and a Polish government representative signed a formal restitution agreement last month. The works - Mater Dolorosa and Ecce Homo (below) - were part of the 700 piece Czartoryski collection stolen by Nazi forces from the Polish village of Goluchow.
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INFLATION rose to 5.8% across Spain in January, much above the market forecast.
The preliminary figure was up from 5.7% in December 2022, a 13-month low, as fuel price hikes accelerated in January. Meanwhile, clothing, footwear and electricity prices decreased from a year ago.
The market estimate was at 4.9% year-on-year in January's consumer prices.
On a monthly basis, Spain's consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.3% in January, following a 0.2% rise last December. A further cooling in energy inflation, on the other hand, put some downward pressure on the 5.8% figure.
TWITTER is planning on sacking more than 80% of its workforce in Spain.
But the Elon Musk-inspired shakedown is not as bad as it seems, as the social media company only employs 29 people in the company.
This means that around 24 staff will be leaving on the conditions that the social network has offered. Staff will receive 33 days of pay for each year worked.
THE jobless total fell by 79,900 people in 2022 - a decrease of 2.6% on the year before.
Over the same period,
278,900 jobs were created
– an increase of 1.4% on the previous year – most of which were taken up by foreign workers. Both of these figures were an improvement on 2020, the year that the coronavirus pandemic hit and dealt a severe shock to the Spanish economy, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).
That year saw the worst figures for unemployment since 2012, when the
By Simon Huntercountry was being rocked by the consequences of the global financial crisis and the bursting of the property bubble.
But the latest data is a far cry from 2021, when 840,700 jobs were created and unemployment fell by 600,000 people.
At the end of 2022, the unemployment rate was at 12.87%, just 0.4 percentage points below the figure in 2021 but the lowest end-
of-year figure since 2007. Just over three million Spaniards were out of work at the end of last year, with 20,463,900
THE minimum wage in Spain will be going up from €14,000 a year to €15,120, a rise of 8%. Assuming a worker receives 14 payments over the year, which was once the norm for most Spanish salaries, that is an extra €80 a month for someone working a 40 hour week.
The measure will be retroactive, meaning
that anyone receiving minimum wage will be paid extra for the month of January. The secretary general of Spain’s CCOO union, Unai Sordo, said that 2.5 million people will benefit from the measure. In particular, female workers, young people, temporary employees and those in the service and agriculture sectors will be better off.
people employed. The Economic Affairs Ministry stated that job creation slowed in the last quarter of 2022 ‘in line with the slowdown of the global economy’.
The INE figures also showed that the number of home workers fell by 1.7 million in the last quarter of 2022 compared to the same period the year before, as employers encouraged staff back to the office now that the coronavirus pandemic is seemingly under control.
FOOD delivery giant Glovo has announced layoffs which will affect 6% of its staff.
The cuts come amid a huge €56.7 million fine by the Spanish government for violating employment laws. That was on top of a €79m fine in September 2022 for violations of labour law. Some 250 people will lose their jobs, with the recruitment and data departments in the Barcelona HQ being most affected. NEW freelancers in Spain got a nasty surprise when they were charged an extra €220 by the Social Security system. Some 8,000 new autonomos were charged the full rate of nearly €300 instead of the reduced charge that they should have enjoyed of €80.
The government has pledged to refund the cash in March.
The
A WOMAN accused of squatting in a property has tried to get out of a court date claiming she had to have surgery on her breast implants on the same day.
Lawyers for the Swiss owner of the occupied home revealed that their client was ‘wondering if he had purchased a house in Spain or in a banana republic’ in the wake of the incident.
The victim had decided to buy a property in Malaga, having fallen in love with the city and wanted a home for long stays, and eventually to live in. He discovered however, it had been taken over by a squatter when he arrived one day last year and found that the key no longer fitted the lock. Police were called but could do nothing more than to identify the alleged squatter.
She was eventually called to court for an eviction proceeding, but the case has been put on hold after defence lawyers presented a document from a clinic that stated that she was scheduled to have surgery involving the ‘elevation of mammary implants’.
The lawyers for the victim believe that the appointment is nothing more than a ruse to drag on the trial.
JUST 130 kilometres out of the Spanish capital the small and quaint town of Alcaudete de la Jara is the cheapest pueblo in the country. Average property prices in the village in the province of Toledo are at 284€ per square metre. If you’re willing to do some renovation
work, you can find large apartments for as little €12,500. The town sits in central Spain in Castile-La Mancha and encapsulates the true, authentic spirit of the country, but
it is within easy reach of Madrid and other larger and more cosmopolitan areas. According to 2018 Census data, the town has a population of just 1703 people.
A STUNNING Mallorca fortress that became internationally known as the setting for BBC thriller The Night Manager, has a new multi-million owner. Norwegian billionaire Ivar Tollefsen paid an incredible €61.8 million for La Fortaleza, in Pollensa.
SPAIN’S deputy prime minister, Yolanda Diaz, has called on banks to freeze mortgage interest rate rises after one of the country’s lenders announced record earnings.
BBVA, which is Spain’s second-biggest bank, showed a 38% increase in net profits, which came in at an all-time high of €6.42 billion in 2022. This was partly due to a double-digit rise in lending income, as well as the bank’s performance in Mexico, which accounted for more than 60% of the lender’s net earnings. The figures came just a day after the Euribor interest rate, the benchmark used for the calculation of most mortgages in Spain, hit 3.337%, the highest level since December 2008.
By Alex TrelinskiWhile the purchase went through a year ago, the details have only recently been made public. The protected castle was previously owned by Brit Lord James
SPAIN is hoping to attract more British women with digital nomad visas and tax perks this year. The country wants to attract female entrepreneurs because the country is widely viewed as a safe place to live for women. A digital nomad’s visa and tax concessions for start-up companies in Spain are coming into force as part of a new start-up law.
Lupton, who the Olive Press revealed paid €45 million in 2011. The 350-year-old estate was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1993 and will continue to host functions and be used for filming. Tennis star Rafa Nadal and foot-
“We don’t want digital nomads, we want residents,” said Digitalisation Minister Carme Artigas.. “Our hope is that the nomad visa is very attractive but then they stay in our country and put down roots.” Some 22% of Spain’s economy is digital-based, with start-up hubs growing.
baller Gareth Bale both got married there.
It has long been popular with foreign owners, with Argentine painter Roberto Ramauge buying it in 1919 and turning it into a luxury residence.
However, it was seized by Franco’s forces during the Civil War and legal wrangling meant the Ramauge family did not repossess it until 1984. The next owner, a Brit, John Ogden, purchased it in 1989 spending millions on renovating the 232 acre site. He eventually put it on the market in 2008 for an unbelievable €125m before selling it three years later to Lord Lupton for a third the price.
Diaz said that the current costof-living crisis ‘cannot be an excuse to earn more’.
“While the rise of the Euribor will make the average mortgage €250 a month more expensive, BBVA’s profits have grown 38%,” she continued.
AN Andalucian town is giving an ‘aid’ package of €750 to families in an attempt to avoid depopulation.
Canillas de Aceituno in the Axarquia is giving the cash to families that have lived permanently in the village for at least a year.
mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola
THE ongoing rise of the 12-month Euribor (base rate) could cost the average mortgage holder €286 a month. The Euribor is the most commonly used benchmark for the calculation of home loans in the country, and is currently at a level not seen since December 2008. At the end of January, the 12-month Euribor was at a monthly average of 3.337%, which will mean that an average 25-year mortgage of €150,000, and with an interest rate of the Euribor plus 1.5%, would cost borrowers an extra €286 a month were it to be recalculated based on the January figure. That’s around €3,430 a year.
The rise in January from December was 32 basis points, up from 3.018% that month. Compared to the same month in 2022, the rise is 3.8 points, given that a year ago the Euribor was actually in negative territory, at -0.477%.
The reason that the rate is on the rise – the sharpest since it was created – is thanks to the change in the European Central Bank’s monetary policy.
Last year saw the central lender raise rates
STEEP RISE: Around €286 a month more
on four occasions in a bid to combat high inflation in the eurozone.
One expert told news agency EFE that he expected rates to reach 3.5% or 4% at the end of the first quarter of 2023, or at the beginning of the second.
Rates payable by borrowers are calculated by adding the bank’s margin, effectively what they earn, to the base rate so, we can improve our client’s outcome by negotiating reduced margins with the lenders and that is what we at the finance bureau are focussing on at this time.
With rises such as these it is more important than ever to search for the best deals available. Give us a call at the Finance Bureau and we can help you.
RESEARCHING hot new interior design trends for 2023 means consulting the Oracle. Yes, I’m referring to TikTok.
And yes, we are all feeling the pinch, and worried about the much predicted downturn.
The last recession, kicking off in 2008, gave birth to the vintage/ upcycling trend which allowed us to keep decorating and carry on – and to do it for free.
So what does social media tell us about the coming trends for 2023?
Well, apparently ‘grandmillenials’ with ‘hipstoric’ interiors will be indulging in ‘weirdcore’.
In plain English, we are going to be nesting again. Colour is back, and smaller rooms are back. Have you just bashed your walls down and gone open plan? Oops, sorry. Small spaces are cosy, and the times are scary. Nostalgia is rife. Pinterest reports searches for all things old-fashioned, ‘grannycore’, is on the up exponentially.
Brown furniture is also back, and the days when antiques were cheaper than Ikea may be numbered. If I had any loose change, I’d be stockpiling George III walnut furniture (see left, below and far right).
Meanwhile, in lighting, the astonishing synergy that is LED + lithium continues to give us design-tastic, go-anywhere light fittings.
We recently moved into a new-build (not our village home here in Spain in Gaucin), and we thought
we had organised fittings or sockets everywhere that we’d need light. Of course we didn’t, but now it doesn’t matter that we didn’t. We have a couple of ‘Bellhop’ lamps by Flos that light up corners, the centres of tables, and shelves. And in good weather they can go outdoors too.
In the same vein, but hot off the production line, take a look at ‘Curiosity’ by Artemide, and ‘TeTaTeT’ by Davide Groppi. Both do things that lamps haven’t really done before.
My final tip is Spain’s NewGarden, and their unit, ‘Cherry’ (far right), which is essentially a battery-powered light bulb. (It’s actually a bit wider, so check the dimensions if space is tight.)
It is wonderfully versatile: I use one as an uplighter on top of a kitchen cupboard, another sits under an upturned Ikea rattan lamp shade as a floor light. They can hang from a piece of string in a pendant fitting, or stand in for a light
bulb in an unplugged lamp. In the summer you can take them outside, pop them in a pot, and snuggle them among the plants. If that doesn’t make you smug enough, they come with a remote control.
JULIA BEGBIE is an interior designer, and was a director of KLC, London’s leading interior design college, for ten years. In a post-pandemic pivot, Julia became a digital nomad, and launched Recipe for a Room, which offers interior design courses online. She divides her time between Gaucín in Spain, and everywhere else.
julia.begbie@gmail.com
is more interested in lighting that knowsCONTRASTS: Colour is back, along with smaller rooms and antique walnut furniture LIGHTING REVOLUTION: ‘Lamps doing things they’ve never done before’
for what is claimed to be the first zero-carbon luxury home in Spain has gone on sale. Running costs for the eco-home are expected to be 90% cheaper than similar new builds.
The villa will run on 100% carbon free energy supplied by a ‘domestic hydrogen power system’, developed by British company Creo International. Solar panels will produce hydrogen from water which will power a generator to provide electricity. The system’s only emissions are oxygen and water which can be redirected to the property’s garden. Meanwhile, fully-insulated walls will provide maximum energy efficiency and temperature regulation for the property in La Cala de Mijas.
The onsite power supply will significantly reduce the overall running costs, with excess solar energy stored to ensure the home is fully self-powered throughout the year.
The project on Calanova golf has been designed by Marbella-based Architectural Design Team, and will use other renewable technologies, including underfloor heating.
It will also have a Tesla battery charging station.
It is being sold for €2.5m through Mediterranean Homes and will be completed within 12 months of the project being sold.
ATTENTION TO ALL PROPERTY SELLERS: PROPERTIES WANTED, BUYERS WAITING!!!
WE
ONE of the things that makes people fall in love with Spain is the food. The Mediterranean diet, rich in fish and seafood, nuts and fruit, is famously good for the heart.
And not only the heart: the diet is full of ingredients known for their aphrodisiac properties.
With a very important date coming up (February 14, in case you forget), a dinner date should prove a win-win situation.
These foods provide both psychological and physical stimulation because they trigger an increase in the release of serotonin, the socalled happiness hormone. The practice of using food to increase sexual desire dates back to the 4th century BC and takes its name from the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Aphrodisiac foods aren’t always as exotic as ginseng. You might already consume them on a daily basis and not even realise.
THOUGH you might need to eat half a jar to get the effect, honey contains boron, vitamin B, and nitric oxide, all of which are good for stamina.
In addition, nitric oxide is released in the blood during arousal and helps men achieve erections, while vitamin B is said to stimulate hormones associated with sexual desire. Some men even use honey as a natural treatment for premature ejaculation. Anyway, get sensual and creative this Valentine’s day by finding something that’s packed full of honey (but perhaps not a hive).
entine’s Day with chocolate?
Well, chocolate is quite effective in increasing serotonin levels and libido, especially in women. Cocoa beans contain phenylalanine and theobromine, chemicals that help blood circulation and lung function, and they combat fatigue as well, making this a powerful and useful aphrodisiac. Give your partner a big box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day and enjoy the results.
AS our brains already assume oysters are an aphrodisiac, we get a double stimulation, psychological and physical, as soon as they appear on the table.
In addition, the high protein and zinc content helps to improve sperm production in men and lubrication in women. It is a food that provides a great energy boost, guaranteeing good performance and sexual drive – as long as they’re fresh.
THE potassium the fruit contains is tied up with the body’s capacity for producing sexual hormones, and is more effective in increasing sexual desire in men than women. It’s also one of the oldest aphrodisiac foods in the book – indeed, it predates books. Surprise your partner with an avocado cocktail; the result should please the eye and stimulate the imagination (and more).
CINNAMON
THE only natural aphrodisiac recognised as such by medical science, the spice is known to stimulate blood flow, especially in the abdominal area of the body. This improves blood sup-
ply to the genitalia, resulting in sexual arousal.
Generally, if your partner goes to make a cup of tea during sex it’s not a promising sign. But if it’s cinnamon tea, don’t lose hope: even inhaling its steamy aroma is said to combat loss of sexual desire.
In men, like most things on the list, cinnamon helps achieve and maintain an erection.
APPARENTLY the insides of figs bear some resemblance to a female reproductive organ, and this exciting thought has, through the ages, proved very arousing.
However, it’s probably the high beta-carotene content involved in the production of sex hormones which gives figs their aphrodisiac properties.
The high sugar content makes figs a good source of energy if you are planning a long night.
UNLIKELY as it sounds, chickpeas can also be a powerful aphrodisiac and a very suggestive dish. But they need to be prepared properly – go for hummus rather than a winter stew. Being spreadable, a bowl of hummus is perfect for kicking off some spicy games (or eating with celery).
Quick Crossword
NUMEROUS investigations have been carried out to discover the link between red wine and sexual desire. The main reason red wine seems to increase sex drive is that it helps ramp up blood circulation. But also worth a mention is the fact it contains alcohol.
The greatest known disinhibitor, alcohol stimulates the part of the brain where the controls for inhibition and relaxation are kept.
Across: 1 Sighted, 5 Bravo, 8 Iraqi, 9 Cornish, 10 Dynamic, 12 Hair, 14 End, 16 Hanoi, 18 Goo, 19 Foam, 21 Atlanta, 24 Cowslip, 26 Ennui, 27 Layer, 28 Descent
Down: 1 Skin-deep, 2 Grain, 3 Triumph, 4 Doc, 5 Birth, 6 Abiding, 7 Oahu, 11 Conga, 13 Royalist, 15 Doorway, 17 Illness, 20 Molar, 22 Nonce, 23 Kcal, 25 Pad
As Valentine’s Day approaches, we provide the perfect ingredients for a very romantic dinner
A PUBLIC prosecutor in Valencia is seeking a twoand-a-half-year jail term for a man who blamed the LGBTQ+ community for being the origin of the monkeypox virus.
The man is facing charges of a hate crime, and could also be forced to pay a fine of €3,600 if eventually found guilty.
The case dates back to May 2022, when the accused published an article titled ‘El Chueca Virus-22’, in reference to the well-known gay quarter of Madrid.
In the text on a far-right website, the author said that the LGBTQ+ community was the origin of the virus and used a series of offensive expressions.
NUTRIENTS and chemicals in the Mediterranean diet drastically improve heart and lung health, according to a new study.
And it could be the reason behind Spain’s rich history of people
By Anthony Piovesanperson. The Food Research International study looked at elderly Mediterraneans and how certain substances called microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM) in a diet involving a high intake of nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and moderate quantities of wine was linked to improved cardiovascular health.
In Spain, 7,447 participants were recruited
SPANISH pharmacies have reported long delays in hundreds of different kinds of medication as Europe grapples with a drug shortage.
Spanish pharmacies had a hard time supplying 403 different types of drugs last year, including for cardiovascular, neuromuscular, digestive, and respiratory diseases, according to the General Pharmaceutical Council of Spain (GPCS).
The problem is 150% worse now than it was in 2021, the Madrid-based council said, as procuring those drugs takes up to four to five weeks longer than it once did.
GPCS Director Antonio Blanes Jimenez said the drug shortage problem had been felt since 2019.
"The situation had improved during the pan-
demic and grew worse again in 2022," he said. Limitations placed by China and India on the export of raw materials needed for drug production and shipment and output-related problems caused by the Russia-Ukraine war were the main drivers of the shortage.
Also pointing to the role of low drug prices in Spain, Jiminez said current data and trends did not paint an optimistic picture for 2023. Patients should remain calm, however, as pharmacies can still provide generic medications in most cases, he added.
between October 2003 and December 2010, for the study. Spain currently has the oldest living person following the death of French nun Lucile Randon, at the age of 118.
Maria Branyas Morera, who lives in Catalunya, at the ripe age of 115 now holds the title. She is one of nine Spaniards in the top 100 people who have been the oldest in the world.
Maria was born on April 4, 1907 in San Francisco. She returned to Spain in 1914 with the rest of her Catalan family, and has been living in the Tura d’Olot senior home for several years. There have been three women, and six men throughout Spain who have been the oldest people in the world.
Ana Maria Vela Rubio, who died in 2017, was the oldest person in the world at 116
MASKS are no longer mandatory on public transport. The Covid measure ended today (Wednesday), with the obligation being ended for passengers on buses, trains and taxis.
years.
She’s followed by Maria Branyas Morera at 115, Martia Antonio Castro (114), Joan Riudavets-Moli (114), Francisco Nuñez Olivera (113), Saturnino de la Fuerte Garcia (112), Josep Armengol (112), Jesus Mosteo (111) and Antonio Urrea (111).
However, you will still have to wear a mask in health centres and pharmacies
Industries such as the travel sector had been calling on the government to do away with the use of face masks on transport in Spain, which is one of the few European Union countries that still had any kind of coronavirus restrictions in place.
POLICE are hunting thieves who stole gold-covered sex toys worth €80,000 from the largest distributor of erotic toys in Spain, Dreamlove, located in an industrial estate near Sevilla.
A WAITRESS in Spain has denounced a potential employer for demanding that she send him photos of her cleavage before considering her for a job, telling her it ‘was very important’.
THE council of Cumbres de Enmedio in Andalucia, with 50 inhabitants, wants someone to rent the town’s only bar for €20 per month. The council will pay for electricity and water.
By Simon Hunter
A DECISION to overrule her boyfriend at dinner and order clams paid off for a young woman when she discovered a valuable pearl worth €4,000 in the first one she opened.
Waitress Natalia Freire, 22, had a ‘huge craving’ for a plate of the shellfish when she went out to eat with her boyfriend. “He’s a shellfish gatherer and is sick of eating them. So I ordered a plate for myself. And
A PET owner desperate to find her beloved cat offered a whopping €1,000 for its safe return.
Alba, a 19-year-old student, plastered signs offering the reward all over Arroyo de la Miel (Malaga) when her furry
as I work here they gave me extra!” she revealed.
“Our kitchen makes them so well,” she said about the dish, which she ordered in the very restaurant she works in A Coruña, in Galicia.
friend Tokyo vanished for 11 days. “My cat is like my daughter,” she told the Olive Press “Money was not important, I just wanted her to return”.
But Alba didn’t end up stumping up the huge reward as she herself found Tokyo hiding inside the basement of her neighbour’s house!
Given the purple colour of the pearl, Freire initially didn’t realise what it was, and it wasn’t until she’d finished her meal that she looked it up on Google “I’d heard about pearls in oysters, but not in clams,” she said. But it is that very colour that made her find so valuable. Purple pearls, which are traditionally associated with artistry, wisdom, complexity, nobility and passion, are rare and in high demand. Natalia has not decided whether she is going to sell it or keep it. If she does cash in, it is not known if her boss at the restaurant will want a cut.
RONDA has been named ‘the most romantic city in Spain’ by Hello! magazine. “There is not a single one of its ancient streets, decorated with stately palaces, that does not have a legend or a love story to tell,” claimed the famous UK publication.
It has published its 20 must-see cities in Spain, each overflowing with romantic nooks and dreamy locations for Romeos to discover with their Juliets. The other destinations include Siurana, La Albufera, Aranjuez and Castillo de Pubol, in Girona.
It also lists certain specific spots like the famous San Nicolas viewpoint in the Albaicin of Granada as well as the Santa Cruz barrio of Sevilla.
It particularly sings the praises of the ‘kissing corner’ of Iznajar, in Cordoba, and Vejer, in Cadiz, as well as Gaudi’s amazing Parc Guell, in Barcelona and the Lovers’ Mausoleum in Teruel.