EXCLUSIVE:Crisis CostaBlanca hospital doctorsquitintheir drovesandpatientswait‘uptohoursforbed’ Jorge beleagueredappalling conditions disgraceful frequent doctor TorreviejaMeanwhile, Accident gency department around sometimesmonth,Peris conditions receive relationship promised Opinion SCANDAL: Doctor Giner Mayor (middle) Doctor Peris were introducedhaveMinistryValencianJune,AccordingunionshospiBENIJOFAR-AHOMEFROMHOME HOME A PETRIFIED expat has been waiting for four months to have an answer from Torrevieja Hos pital about whether or not she has breast cancer. Karen Moon, 66, has been left horrified after hearing the con tinual horror stories emerging from patients. “I am feeling very emotional and worried. And it is affecting my mental health,” said the retired school teacher, this week. She added: “The situation has also affected my relationship with my husband.” The Olive Press has already in vestigated the malfunctioning public hospital three times over the last two years. Most recently in July (below) we splashed on the appalling levels of care after securing ex clusive interviews with a num ber of angry doctors. One of them ended up resigning after many years of service over the Ourdebacle.journalists have tried for months to contact hospital bosses for a response but we have not been able to speak withKarenanyone.Moon’sownpersonalnightmare started when she visited on May 23, to take a mammo gram to dis Continues on Page 4
Opinion Page 6
A mayorCAMPAIGNINGismakinga desperate last stand to save her town’s final area of unspoilt coast line. The Orihuela leader is organising a cru cial meeting with all ‘interested parties’ to stop the controversial Cala Mosca develop Carolinament.
EXCLUSIVE: British expat ‘devastated’ after waiting four months for breast cancer results at Torrevieja hospital criticalStill voiceYourSpainOPLIVERESSThe BLANCASUR MURCIA voiceSpain www.theolivepress.es July 27th customers conditions. 31/12/19.952 147 834 TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd Tel:952147834 page director police Kidnapped treatmentfamilyreported they Over highlightedyears conPeris things private governmentValencian promised hospital improve explained changeover. overworked,”simply workingenough.” department month,workingdepressionresultingpatients.doctorsagainst number takemistakes years rows. Torreviejaalarminghospital’ Eduardo promises added Investment Valencia’s compared 1,043 despite requests answers rebuffcomplaints regional SHAMBLES!
Mayor launches last ditch battle to save final stretch of virgin coastline from mega-project
Gracia be lieves there is hope to prevent the construc tion of 2,274 homes on the last stretch of virgin coast in Orihue la Costa. The PSOE boss is demand ing all political parties and the regional authorities sit down with developers Gomendio, to find a solu tion, before the first bricks are laid. Part of her electoral promise to oust previous PP mayor, Emilion Bascunana, a year ago, was to oppose the me Herga-project.coalition partners from the local Cambiemos party regard any development as a crucial red line and have threatened to withdraw support if the project is not scrapped. Gracia insists all parties must come to an agreement for the ‘common good (of the area) with respect for the environment and the rights of everybody involved’. “Perhaps Orihuela has room to build thousands of new homes, but it does not have to be, and hopefully will not be, on the last virgin kilo metres of our coastline,” she said this week. Among options to be stud ied for the UE2 Alameda del Mar project is a swap deal for other land in the munic “Ifipality.the construction compa ny is willing to look for any other location, then it will be studied carefully,” explained Gracia. The project was first includ ed in Orihuela’s PGOU Gen eral town plan over 30 years ago and has been a continual hot Afterpotato.itwas provisionally approved in 2007, opposi tion was quickly formed by local environmentalists and residents to oppose it A protest group, Salvemos Cala Mosca, has organised a national petition and var ious protests, the last in March this year. Another group, the Spanish Naturist Federation (FEM) organised a nudist protest in May. One protester, Beatriz Vidal Martinez, said: “There are so many other areas to de velop. This is just about fi nancial gain.” Snail However, their opposition didn’t stop a final hurdle being passed by a Valencian government environment impact study report in July. While it was largely ap proved, a ‘protected’ area of 40,000 square metres will have to be main tained near fragile Cala Mosca itself. The report noted that it has at least two en dangered species, the Cat Head plant (Trib ulus Terrestris) and the Tudorella Sulcata Formersnail. mayor Emilio Bascuñana, of the PP party, voted to ap prove the project a year ago.
OPRESSLIVEThe COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Vol. 3 Issue 73 www.theolivepress.es September 8th - September 21st 2022 Tel: 952 147 834 See page 9 FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES HAND S OFF OUR COSTAS
By Alex Trelinski
PLEAS: Protestors disrobe to protect virgin Cala Mosca
Triple killer160 years jail for man murderedwhosex workers A MAN has been jailed for 160 years after he killed three wom en with cocaine overdoses. Jorge Ignacio Palma, a 40-yearold Colombian with a criminal record for drug trafficking, was also convicted of trying to kill six other women. He’s been ordered to pay €640,000 in compensation. Sexual The victims from the Valencia area were all sexual partners of Palma’s, and were affected by the drug given its high purity. The three women who died were Arliene Ramos (32), Lady Marcela Vargas (26) and Marta Calvo (25). All of his victims were sex work ers. Suspicion first fell on Palma when Calvo’s mother raised the alarm over her daughter’s dis appearance in 2019.
deathsSummer
By Simon Hunter
VICTIM: Marta Calvo and her killer Ignacio Palma
Palma claimed to have got rid of the corpse after having a panic attack when he woke up to find Calvo dead next to him after a so-called ‘fiesta blanca’, a com bination of cocaine use and sex ual relations.
CRIMEwww.theolivepress.es September 8th - September 21st 20222 NEWS IN BRIEF
Police then began to investigate other possible victims who had been subject to the same treat ment. The jury considered proven that Palma had hired the sexual services of his victims, with the intention of subduing them and killing them. The judge stopped short from sentencing Palma to ‘review able permanent prison’, which is the closest penalty under Spain’s criminal code to a full life sentence. He will serve a maximum of 40 years under Spanish law. Marta Calvo’s mother said that she will appeal the ruling in a bid to see Palma get an even tougher sentence.
A 38-year-old burglar has been arrested at an Alican te hotel after breaking into four homes in Cabo de las Huertas district while the owners were asleep.
TWELVE people died in road accidents in the Va lencian Community during July and August. The fig ures are three up on last year but four fewer than the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Speedy brit A BRITISH man, 21, stole a car and drove it at high speed without a licence as he ploughed through bar terrace tables and chairs in the Torremendo district of Orihuela.
bogusconwhetherdecidedcriminalwiththecentrepenedThetim.anpretendedhelplenpensivetoristANconCyclistAlicantemohadanexwatchstoaftertryingtoacyclistwhohewasaccidentvicincidenthaponacitystreetwhencyclist,24,apreviousrecordtoseehecouldadriverwithaaccident.
Dog kicked to death A MAN from Cam pos del Rio in Murcia faces animal abuse charges after killing a dog that urinat ed against his house Thewall.dog’s owner says she was also assault ed by the man when she took her pet, Lola, out for a routine walk. The woman needed treatment for shock fol lowing the attack on her in which her dog was repeatedly kicked and Apunched.resident said that Lola’s owner always carried a water bot tle to clean down any urine and she carried poop bags. The town hall has de clared a day of mourn ing for Lola.
Port plan A NEW traffic plan for Torrevieja’s port area is to be implemented after the building of a multi-million euro lei sure area was unveiled. A study will form the basis of consultation with local retailers and Serialresidents.stealer
Palma handed himself in to the authorities a month after she vanished and confessed to hav ing dismembered and disposed of her body. Despite police searches, no trace of her was ever found.
Fled His wheels ‘gave way’ when a car passed him lead ing the motorist to believe that he had clipped him. The driver got out to help him and was astonished to see the man grab hold of his wrist and snatch his €7,000 watch. He then fled on his bicycle with the victim unable to catch him. The Policia Nacio nal located and ar rested the thief on the same day.
The Six Senses hotel itself has been making huge waves since opening last year, near Portinatx. Costing from €1,000 a night, it has kept the hoi polloi well at bay and seen an amazing lineup of Hollywood stars allegedly staying this summer, includ ing Richard Gere, Will Smith and Anto nio WhileBanderas.thehotel doesn't comment on its guests a source told the Olive Press that ‘so many big names have been in on the quiet this summer’. He said they also included big-name footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Zla tan Ibrahimovic, who was also filmed dancing at Pacha at a Seth Troxler night in August.
FILMED: NBA star Dwayne Wade is followed by his own film crew everywhere HE’S known for his tactical maneuvering.ButMichael Gove’s latenight moves have been tak en to a new level in Ibiza this summer. The ex-Tory minister was seen jumping about on the dancefloor of Ibiza’s hip pest club. He made up from his recent sacking from Boris Johnson’s government with a high ener gy evening at Ushuaïa Beach club. The 55-year-old, who has been on holiday with In a spin!
ATHLETES AND A-LISTERS
Meanwhile Sienna Miller, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and supermodel Adwoa Aboah were spotted at a 30th birthday party for Cara Delevigne in August.
Celeb fest for White Island as Ibiza approaches its annual closing parties this month, writes Olive Press editor Jon Clarke AS holiday seasons go it doesn’t get much better for the White WhileIsle. the infamous closing parties approach, dozens of global superstars have been partying on the island. These include Oscar-winning of Queen Anne, in The Favourite has been renting a villa with her husband Ed OthersSinclair.recently staying include ac tress Margot Robbie, model Cara Delevigne and Emma Watson, who is understood to have recently bought a home on the island. The Harry Potter star has been spot ted three times eating in Santa Gertru dis this year, as well as playing padel tennis and horse-riding in the north of the island. Hard times “She’s been into our restaurant three times over the last six months,” re vealed a waiter at il Buco. “And getting Olivia Colman was the icing on the cake. We were all very excited.” One of the most exciting spots by the Olive Press this month was the star of Netflix’ 10-part drama White Lines, Daniel Mays. Mays, 44, was seen having dinner with his wife and son at a beachside star wife and various other basketball Afriends.friend told the Olive Press he was having ‘an amazing break’ after he toasted his marriage with champagne on the stunning dining terrace of HaSa lon Therestaurant.pairlooked stunning in black, as they were serenaded by a flamenco group with dancers. As part of their so-called Wade World Tour 2022, the group hired the su peryacht, the Wellesley, which costs €230,000-a-week to rent. The yacht, which comes with 12 crew, has been taking the couple and friends around the three other Balearic islands since mid-August. The Olive Press pictured it off Formen tera, with a giant slide inflated on its side.
Clubs Meanwhile leading DJs Carl Cox, David Guetta and Sacha have been regulars this summer, at the various famous clubs, along with Calvin Har ris, who recently bought a farm on the Butisland.the most exciting DJ has to be actor Idris Elba, who has had a regular slot alongside Guetta at Hi Ibiza all summer. Others spotted on the island this sum mer are James Blunt and Jade Jagger, who both have homes in Ibiza.
SPOTTED: Actor Daniel Mays
STARS IN TOWN: From left, Colman, Robbie, Ronaldo, Watson, Jagger, Blunt, Elba and Delevingne taverna on Talamanca beach, near Ibiza Town. It was the most fitting of visits, having played the role of Ibiza DJ Marcus, who is going through hard times while di vorcing his model wife Anna, played by Angela Griffin. A regular visitor to the island since the series aired in 2020, he was immediately recognis able with his wife, makeup artist Louise Burton. The Olive Press also bumped into former NBA star Dwayne Wade as he celebrated his eighth wedding an niversary to actress Gabrielle Union with around 20 friends at the island’s current hip pest hotel Six Senses. The ex-Miami Heat leg end was spending a week in the Balearic is lands with his Hollywood his children Beatrice and William, splashed the cash at the island’s most expensive nightclub. VIP tables cost from €2,500 to €3,500, while rooms in the adjacent hotel start at €802 a night. The world’s most expensive restau rant, SubliMotion, set up next door at the Hard Rock Hotel, costs guests from €1,500 each. The 20-course tasting menu, created by Paco Roncero, at least comes with champagne and wines. actress Olivia Colman, who has been enjoying a week with her family in the north of the island. The Olive Press can reveal that the British moth er-of-three has been out at Be nirras’ famous hippie beach, as well as eating at a hip Italian joint in Santa forActressscoopedColman,Gertrudis.48,whotheBestawardherportrayal
NEWS September 8th - September 21st 2022 MORAIRA PLUMBING PLUMBINGwww.morairaph.comHEATING&AIRCONDITIONINGSPECIALISTS tel: +34 620 523 613 / +34 966 498 993 email: info@morairaph.com Calle Mulhalcen 3, Ctra Moraira de Calpe 142b, Moraira Teulada 03724, Alicante New location further down the road towards Moraira town centre, next to Gemisant & Kostas Restaurant Air Conditioning | Bathroom Fitting Gas and Oil Central Heating | Electrics Certification & Inspection | Pool | Solar Energy SPECIALOFFER Giastu Aroma 2 2,5 kw R32 gas refrigerate A+++20db 3 years warranty including 599installationstandardandmaterial € (inc IVA) SOLAR ELECTRIC ENERGY NOW BEING INSTALLED +34 619 111 998 wellis-spain.com OLIVE PRESS IBIZA SUMMER ROUNDUP
NEWSwww.theolivepress.es September 8th - September 21st 20224 Spanish courses for International residents APPLICATIONS OPEN TIL 30TH SEPTEMBER For more information: https://www.ciudadanosextranjeros.es/ 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 Become a live-in carer in the UK To find out more, please email thespanishrecruitment@helpinghands.co.ukOpportunitiesforthosewithrighttoworkintheUKandthoselookingforsponsorshipApplyonline helpinghands.co.uk/jobs
FASCIST: Kearns (left) saluting with friends but said that should he be jailed by a UK court he should be returned to Spain to serve his sentence. Jewish His defence said in a state ment: “Diatribes against immi grants, multiculturalism or the Jewish people, although highly objectionable, can be protected by freedom of expression and within an ideology of the ex treme right.” We revealed two years ago that far right extremist Tommy Robinson was living in Mar bella. We reported how the dangerous racist even talked about moving permanently to Gibraltar.
The Kinahan clan - Christy Kinahan Snr, Daniel Kinahan and Christopher Kinahan Jrwho are now based in Dubai, have been put on a US sanc tions list because of their Irish mafia connections. Social media posts indicate that Kearns has recently vis A TURTLE has been saved after a drone spotted it trapped in fishing nets off a Guardamar beach. The drone - one of eight carrying out beach surveillance in Alicante Province this sum mer - zoomed in on the ‘bulky’ sighting 150
Cancer
In hot water!
Ultra right Brit extremist faces the music after losing extradition battle from Alfas del Pi said: “The supposedly crim inal material was spread through social networks from his domicile in the province of Alicante addressed to sub jects who were residing in the UK. “The messages are all in English and to understand the relevance it is sometimes necessary to have an under standing of the ideology of the extreme UK right.” His solicitor has now argued that since all the messag es were sent from Spain, he should be tried here as he has sufficient roots in the country. He added that there was not enough evidence for extradi tion. The National Court disagreed,
Turtle rescue metres offshore. A helicopter was then called in to investi gate further and discovered the endangered Caretta turtle caught in abandoned netting. A Guardamar rescue team sailed out to save the animal. He was then sent to Valencia Ocean ografic and later the Arca de Mar rehabilitation centre, where he is recovering from serious neck and leg injuries. The centre has helped over 600 sea turtles.
Career development cover if she had breast cancer. However, when after four weeks, Karen had not heard anything, she decided to phone the radiology depart ment to find out what was happening with her test. “The doctor contacted me that day and told me that I needed an echography,” explained Karen, originally from South sea, on Merseyside. But after she had not heard anything about an appoint ment for two weeks, she pan icked and decided to visit the private Quiron Salud hospi tal, also in Torrevieja. “I obviously had to pay for the echography tests and the doctor doing the ultrasounds told me that he was really sur prised about how long it had taken to get a mammogram,” she added. The doctor recommended her to get a biopsy to investigate further and she was able to get this free after getting her files from Torrevieja Hospital. “The state hospital has re cently contracted Quiron’s services as they have admit ted they do not have enough staff,” claimed Karen. Mayor Karen had the biopsy on Au gust 5 but as it is paid for by the Spanish health system she still has no results. “I am sure that if I had paid Quiron the fee of €2,000 for the biopsy, I would have had my results in 5 to 10 days. “But I was told I had to wait for ‘15 to 20 working days’ and that time has already passed,” she added. The doctors have warned Karen that breast cancers double every two months, and she has been waiting for four months without treatment. Without any idea what to do next and how best to proceed, last week she secured a meet ing with the town’s mayor Eduardo Dolon Sanchez. He spoke to the hospital and promised her that she ‘would have the results soon’. “But I still don’t have them and I’m pleading with you to try and help.” Since the Olive Press contact ed the hospital, Karen has been offered an appointment, however, the hospital has giv en no further comment. From front A BRITISH far-right extrem ist with close links to the Cos ta Blanca is set to be extradit ed to face terror charges in the UK. The 38-year-old has been identified by the Spanish po lice as ‘Christopher TK’, also known among far-right activ ists as ‘Charlie Big Potatoes’, or ‘Kris Kearns’.
By Alex Trelinski & Dilip Kuner
mafia gang based on the Costa del Sol and in Dubai, we can Wereveal.have been monitoring his Telegram channel for the group called ‘Fascist Fitness’, which has 1,800 followers. Many of his videos were filmed in Marbella - where a source has told the Olive Press he had links with shad owy figures from the now de funct MTK gym and boxing stable in Puerto Banus. This had originally been set up by Irish underworld boss Daniel Kinahan, now sought by the US authorities.
POLICE are probing an unauthorised party involving over 100 boats in a specially protected area of the Mar Menor lagoon. The gathering was organised in waters around the Isla de Ciervo by a firm specialising in boat parties. The vessels are said to have been anchored for hours in one of Spain’s most ecologically fragile bodies of water. In a resumption of national versus regional govern ment disagreements, Madrid’s Environment Ministry accused the Murcia authorities of encouraging the gathering. It claimed there was a ‘lack of control’ over recreational activities in the Mar Menor. It added that Madrid should have been notified to ob tain permission for the event.
Paratrooper Spain’s National Court has approved the extradition of the Liverpool-born former paratrooper, a decision that must be ratified by the Coun cil of Ministers. He faces up to 15 years in jail after Westminster Magis trates issued a warrant for his arrest. The Olive Press has been monitoring Kearns for nearly a year, as he travelled between his rented villa in Alfas del Pi on the Costa Blanca and ho tels around Marbella. Kearns - who is well known among members of white na tionalist group Patriotic Al ternative - has formed various links with at least one leading ited Dubai. He left Marbella and headed to Alfas del Pi on the Costa Blanca, where he continued to shoot videos for Fascist Fit ness. He rented on the Alfas/ Albir border, we can reveal, with his wife and two chil dren. Violent According to UK police, Ke arns published content in the channel ‘predominantly aimed at building up hostility against non-white people and encouraging direct violent ac tion against them, as part of an ideology of white supremacy’. He has also been photo graphed making fascist sa lutes. UK detectives believe he was getting ready for a ‘war be tween races’ and produced a video where he encouraged the ‘English white to go to mosques and synagogues to threaten immigrants’. On two occasions, he is ac cused of posting links to docu ments that encouraged people to carry out terrorism. These included links to the manifestos of Brenton Tar rant – who killed 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand –and Norwegian terrorist, An ders Breivik. The National Court in Spain
FACING JAIL
NEWSwww.theolivepress.es September 8th - September 21st 2022 5
SOME of Europe’s best rock tribute bands will be playing the returning Rock against Cancer festival this weekend. The event in Torrevieja takes place on September 9 and 10 after a two year break. The popular music festival focuses on raising funds and awareness about cancer prevention, research and treatment. It runs between 5.30 pm and 2.00 am at the Parque Antonio Soria. The line up includes Danish band ALMOST AC/DC plus a Bryan Adams Tribute, Creedence Clearwater Repeated and Volbeatz. From Murcia, there’s rockabilly in the shape of The Hellhates and the U2 Band. From Barcelona there’s Motorhead tribute band Motorhits and Attitude for Destruction playing the greatest hits of Guns ‘n Roses. Finally, Torrevieja is represented with the rock sound of Ricky Diamond. Visit www.rockagainstcancer.es
RED CARD!EXCLUSIVEByJonClarkeinIbiza
HAILSTONE TRAGEDY
SOME 225 motorists have died in Spain during July and August, 10 more than in the same months of 2019, ac cording to official data. “It is a bad figure. A single death on the road is a price that we cannot and should not accept,” said the Min ister of Interior, Fernando HeGrande-Marlaska.highlightedthat the ma jority of deaths (173) hap pened on secondary and rural roads, while 52 deaths were recorded on motorways. Car deaths
LIONEL Messi may have to knock down part of his new seaside villa in Ibiza. The Argentinian football leg end is also likely to be hit with a large fine for undertaking illegal works at his €11million mansion, near Cala Tarida. The former Barca star, now with PSG in Paris, bought the home in February this year, without an official opening licence (licencia de primero ocupación). The property he bought from Swiss businessman Philippe Amon has too many rooms. In particular, the garage block of the home has two unlicensed Millionaire football ace needs to demolish part of his new Ibiza villa bedrooms and will ‘proba bly have to be demolished’ a spokesman at local San Jose town hall told the Olive Press “The villa has a problem with its licence and to become a le gal property he needs to turn those bedrooms into a garage,” he said today. In addition, the Olive Press can reveal that Messi was also landed with a ‘stop order’ from nearby San Jose council in May for undertaking further works. “We had to step in when we discovered they were doing some other land movement in the grounds without a proper licence,” added the spokes “Theyman. were carving out terrac es to plant trees and so we had to stop the work.” The issue is unlikely to be a big problem for the Argentinian star, who owns various other homes in Spain. These include a hotel on the is land, the MIM Ibiza Es Vive, a stunning four-storey spot near Ibiza Town, which features some of his medals and prizes. Messi, 35, has been a regular visitor to Ibiza for years and spent much of August in his new villa, where he has report edly splashed up to €5million in renovations. Yacht He was also recently spotted on a yacht off Ibiza with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo. Last year, he rented the amaz ing private island of Tagoma go, off Cala San Vicente, which costs €250,000 a week. The island, owned by German estate agent Matthias Kuhn, is on sale for €157million.
Rock canceragainstisback!
A SPECIES of mutant mosquito that is re sistant to insecticides has been discovered in Spain and 12 other Eu ropean countries. Experts have warned that the strain of Tiger mosquitoes can spread illnesses like dengue, zika and chikungunya. suckersLittle
A MISSING expat has been found dead on a farm eight kilometres from his home af ter a month-long search to find him. Belgian Hugo Dewulf, 82, was last seen riding his electric scooter on a trip to buy some cigarettes in Hon don de los Frailes on August 1. The local commu nity joined forc es with the police to comb the area pensionerScooter found dead including fields around the village but with no success. A farmer across the border in Macisven da discovered his body along with his Thescooter.Guardia Civ il said there were no signs of any vio lence.
A toddler has been killed after being struck on the head by a hailstone when storms hit Catalunya. The 20-month old died after being rushed into the Jo sep Trueta hospital in Girona. A woman was also admitted into hospital with the child and was being treated for her injuries, according to Catalunya Radio.
I live on neighbouring La Gomera, and first went to cover the story on September 21st, writes Barbara Belt (right). The ferry, full of Canarian firefighters and members of the Military Emergencies Unit, docked at the port of La Palma’s capital, Santa Cruz, in the east. Two hours later I was driving on the west coast, towards the red glow in the sky. Then there it was! Roaring, spectacular, belching flames, lava and ash. I nearly came off the Lookingroad!one way, I could see banana plantations all the way to the sea, and the oth er, an ancient volcano shooting lava thousands of metres into the air. The noise was ex traordinary. I got covered in volcanic dust, as did my car, and there was a heavy smell of sulphur dioxide in the air. The press were allowed into the Exclusion Zones that had already been hit, as well as the areas about to be hit, which was worse. There was so much sadness and shock. You can’t just watch that level of panic, so I did what little I could to help. After 48 hours at the volcano, arriving back at Santa Cruz was like arriving back from a war zone. Was this the same island? Of course there was panic here too. Only the 1,500m high ridge and prevailing winds were keeping it safe. It was impossible not to be awestruck by the extraordinary spectacle, by human in significance against nature’s power, but the plight of the Palmeros killed any sense of thrill.
Shortly after 3pm on September 19th, 2021, there was a huge volcanic eruption in La Palma, the Canary Islands, that was to last for three months. Barbara Belt witnessed the volcano in action and says, one year on, the recovery process is far from over T HERE are two volca noes on La Palma, a small island, just 47 km in length, at the northwestern end of the Ca nary Islands. It was Cumbre Vieja in the south that erupt ed, shooting out lava for 85 Bydays.the end of it, nearly 3,000 buildings and 74 km of road were buried in lava, and 370 hectares of farmland destroyed. Some 7,000 is landers were evacuated from their homes. Damage has been estimated at €900 mil Seismologistslion. saw seismic activity cordsPalmaeruptioningmostvolcanoyetbeforeissuedwarningsanddramatically,increasingwaseruptionweredaysitblew,lastyear’s–thedamagvolcaniconLasincerebegan–caught people by Fissuressurprise.suddenly opened on the southwest flank. The first magma formed two slow-moving lava flows. Then eight new vents blew, produc ing flows that fanned out fast like the fingers of an open hand, covering one of the most fertile banana planta tions in the Canaries. Lava, with a temperature in excess of 1000 degrees, wiped out everything in its path. It was impossible to predict where new vents would blow. Some evacuation warnings left people with as little as 15 minutes to get out. Shocked local residents es caped with their goats, chick ens, cows, sheep, cats, dogs, beehives and whatever they managed to load onto trucks as the lava fast approached. Tourists were evacuated to ForTenerife.the next three months, lava bombs, and fountains of lava shot into the air. Ash plumes (one 7.5 km tall) rained ash over the island. At its peak, the volcano pumped out 53,600 tonnes of sulphur dioxide a day, the noxious gases travelling as far as the Caribbean and Germa ny. When the lava reached the sea, it created a fajana (coastal shelf) so big the is land maps had to be redrawn. The volcano was erybody’sphraseever’mas25.ondeclaredofficiallyoverDecember‘BestChristpresentwastheonevlips.
PUBLISHER / EDITOR Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es
Communication is disrupted: Tons of volcanic ash is still being removed, and rebuild ing and re-routing work con tinues on roads. Some areas remain closed to the public because of the dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmo sphere, such as the once popular beach destination Puerto Naos. Few evacuees used the of ficial hotel and shelter ac commodation, most camping out with family and friends. And, although a number have since been allocated pre fabricated houses or apart ments, the majority still are. As Javier Salinero of the vol cano victims’ pressure group Tierra Bonita explains: “The island economy has col
The 53,600pumpedvolcanoouttonnesofsulphur dioxide a day Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es John JorgeCulattoHinojosa jorge@theolivepress.es HEAD OFFICE Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva NEWSDESK: 0034 951 273 575 For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75 ADMIN Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es OFFICE MANAGER Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es DISTRIBUTIONENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es
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But whole villages were de stroyed, as were churches, schools, medical centres, in dustrial areas, roads, bridg es, fruit plantations, cem eteries, irrigation systems, electricity lines and water pipes. Hundreds of animals had died. A thousand hect ares of previously fertile land lay under solidified lava flows. There was just one fa tality: a roof collapsed under a man as he attempted to clear ash off it inside the ex clusion zone. The islanders’ livelihoods were destroyed, too. And one year on, serious problems re main.
REMEMBERING THE DESTRUCTION
THE entire country suffered during COVID-19 and now the cost of living crisis Money is tight and people are desperate to return to normality and get the economy up to full steam. But this should not be used as an excuse to allow the wholesale destruction of what remains of the Costa Blanca’s beautiful countryside. The region’s coastline has seen massive develop ments spring up over the past 40 years – many to the benefit of the locals. But when the last few virgin beaches and undevel oped rural valleys are put under threat of develop ment there is only one driving force: Greed. Coastal land is only ever snapped up by ‘big busi ness’ looking to make a fortune by using legal loopholes or lax regulations to push through con struction projects. In the case of Cala Mosca, in Torrevieja (see front page), the land was bought many years ago when regulations were lax. But now, tragically, it is the last stretch of unspoilt coast in the whole municipality’s boundaries. It must be preserved for future generations to en joy and as a haven for wildlife. For there is no way Mayorback. Carolina Gracia is to be congratulated for seeking a way out of the impasse her town hall finds itself in. For if it doesn’t go ahead the developers stand to get €200 million in compensation, given the previ ous council leadership gave it the green light. Finding less environmentally sensitive land to de velop is the best solution, says the mayor - as long as Cala Mosca is permanently protected. The Olive Press couldn’t agree more and joins May or Gracia in saying enough is enough!
1- British gang arrested on Spain’s Ibiza in the country’s biggest ever pink cocaine swoop with over 500000 in cash seized 2- Explainer: What you need to know about Spain’s free rail travel scheme from September
AFTER VOLCANOTHE lapsed. On this small island we depend on each other and everyone is affected. Now there’s no news people think normal life has returned, but many are still without homes and incomes. Prospects are poor. Application processes for official help are very com plex and urgently need sim Theplifying”.toll on mental clearlyhappened“It’stefaníapsychologiststopped”,thetripledforrise:continueshealthto“RequestshelphavesinceeruptionsaysEsMartín.over.Whatisvisible, and now there’s a real sense of incre dulity, coupled with rocketing incidences of severe depres Sosion.”why is the situation so bad? One important, seldom mentioned, reason is that, ac cording to the Canary Islands government figures, 1,600 buildings were lost. Coperni cus satellite data places the number at 2,988. The main problem with compensation, whichever figure is correct, lies in the islands’ planning regulation peculiarities. Many of the buried buildings were family homes, com plete with outbuildings, fruit orchards, livestock pens and plantations. Some even had planningtheIslands,inmongallyBuildinghouses.registeredwerepools.swimmingButfewlegallyasilleisacompracticetheCanarygivenrestrictivelaws.
People need houses and town halls frequently turn a blind Volcanoeye. victim compensa tion money has so far only been automatically paid out to those whose houses were legally registered. The rest must undertake a ‘ridiculous ly long claims procedure with no guarantee of success’, ac cording to Tierra Bonita.
Sanchez also announced the installation of a €3 million system monitoring, measur ing and controlling emis sions of toxic gases, and he stressed more help was on the way: “In these five years of government, the Canary Is lands will receive almost 60% more economic resources than in the last five years”.
Many buried buildings were family homes, complete with outbuildings
O UR Digital Editor Fiona Govan is bidding a sad farewell to the Olive Press and its readers. We are sorry to see the former Daily Tele graph staffer head off to tackle new chal lenges - she has left big boots to fill. But thankfully we have found the man to do just that.
5- Breaking: hull of stranded os 35 bulk carrier breaks in two off Gibraltar’s Catalan bay threatening a major oil spill
3- Beware: Spain might be hit by a hurricane, american experts warned 4- Rafa Nadal’s pregnant wife admitted into hospital with minor complications
Meanwhile, many families are leaving the island. Speaking last month, on his tenth visit to La Palma since the eruption, Pedro Sanchez, was keen to emphasise that help was on its way, saying that the Spanish government was also redoubling its ef forts to “reduce bureaucracy and speed up procedures”. Bid
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
The president drew attention to the €418 million financial aid already mobilised by the government, the €15 million to cover losses in the banana industry, and the support in the form of ERTEs (extended until the end of the year).
The money’s there, but pay ing it out is painfully slow. However, the president of La Palma’s island council, Mari ano Hernandez Zapata, told the Olive Press that public administrators will now be working with orthophotos and satellite imagery ‘in or der to facilitate realistic val uations of houses destroyed, so that fair insurance com pensation is received, to gether with simplified ac cess to the compensation,’ which, he added, amounts to a maximum of €60,000 from the Spanish govern ment and up to €30,000 from the Canary Islands
WELCOME TO THE OLIVE PRESS focusing my efforts.” And we are more than happy to welcome him aboard!FIONA: Wishing you all the best for the future Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info
Simon Hunter moved to Madrid in 2000 and has been working in journalism practi cally since he ar Fromrived. 2005 to 2006 he edited magazineEnglish-languagethe InMa drid, which was aimed at tourists and locals alike, as well as contribut ing to guide books such as Time Out and in-flight magazines for airlines such as easyJet. In late 2006 he joined the team at the EL PAÍS En glish Edition, where he became editor in 2014. During his time at Spain’s biggest-selling paper he oversaw the transition of the English Edition from print to fully digital, hosted podcasts and Facebook live broadcasts, and helped grow the monthly audi ence figures from the low hundreds of thousands to more than a million during the coronavirus pandemic. When EL PAÍS took the decision to no longer cover Spain stories in English - sticking to a more interna tional theme - he decided it was time to move on. He is now working as a full-time freelance journalist, contributing to The Times, La Sexta and Foods and Wines from Spain, among others, as well as enjoying a side gig as a voice-over artist (he is the voice in English who tells you to ‘mind the gap’ on Spain’s low-cost high-speed AVLO trains). “I’m thrilled to have joined the team at the Olive Press so that I can con tinue to bring all of the great stories and fea tures from Spain to an English-speaking audi ence,” Simon said. “I’ve been endlessly fascinat ed by this country ever since I arrived and I look forward to sharing that obsession with the readers. There is huge potential for online sto ries from Spain, and that is where I will be
Sixgovernment.hundred flats, prefabri cated and wooden homes have been commissioned.
Over 100 have been pro vided and, Canary Islands housing minister Sebastian Franquis expects the re maining accommodation to be installed this month. But this is half of what’s needed even by the most conservative estimate.
GREENwww.theolivepress.es September 8th - September 21st 20228
An easy answer is to say that it is just supply and demand that is pushing the cost However,up.the causes of the exponen tial rise in the cost of electricity run deeper.
If you look at the OMI website image (left) it paints an ominous picture. The average wholesale cost of elec tricity in Spain in July was €143 a TheMWh.forecast for October is €219 per ButMWh.look at the October prices for our neighbours (where there is no gas cap) France…. €601 per MWh !!! And Germany…. €455 per MWh . In the UK, Ofgem reported recently that the average annual bill in Jan uary 2023 would be £5,386. In the Summer of 2021 this figure stood at In£1,087.parts of Sweden, they are already Wethere.are on the same trajectory. It is time to look at your consumption habits and go renewable wherever you can. It’s a lot cheaper to produce your own electricity than to buy it.
Study to irrigate reforestation with water collected from the air study is exploring how it can be used on the mainland. Public company Gesplan, which manages the project, plans to test the method in maritime areas around Barce lona and the El Bruc munici pality in northern Catalunya, which was devastated by fire in 2015.
Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638 145 664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es
Foggy idea
SPANISH reservoirs fell by a further 0.9% in just a week to 35.9% capac ity. According to recent data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITE CO), there is currently a total of 20,174 cubic hectometres of water in Thisstorage.is9,251 cubic metres less than the average for the week over the past 10 years and 3,651 cubic hectome tres (18%) less than the same time in 2021.
● Putin’s Russia is using its oil and gas as a weapon of war. Europe is struggling to wean itself off Rus sian production quickly enough. (Not that Russia is really con cerned about losing its European custom. China and India and oth ers will fill the void. )
+34 951 120 830 |
THE thought that electricity could soon cost €1 a Kilowatt is Wefrightening.neverthought fuel would be €1 a litre. Now it’s €2 a litre. Less than a year ago we didn’t stand on a petrol station forecourt watching the cost of filling our tanks with dread. Now we do. It’s the same fearful feeling now when you open your electricity bill.
AS Spain starts its recovery from a series of wildfires, the drought it finds itself locked into could be a major obstacle to regeneration. But a trial being held in the Canary Islands could help parched coastal regions re grow forests where there is little to no rainfall. The EU-backed Life Nieblas project is experimenting with collecting and condensing fog to help individual saplings grow without the need for conventional watering. The project, which is based in Gran Canaria as well as in Portugal on the Iberian penin sula, is using fog collectors to improve degraded landscapes and fuel reforestation. Although such collectors, which consist of plastic mesh located in the path of the pre vailing wind, have been used for years, the project is de signed to improve their effi ciency and effectiveness. The technology is simple – as fog blows through the mesh, water droplets form and then fall into containers at the base of the structure. While the technique is well suited to the Canaries, it is not quite so effective in the less humid Mediterranean, but the
TIME
What about here in Spain?
● Governments throughout Europe failed to invest in renewable en TO SWITCH ergy production during the last decade to be able to cope with cur rent demand. ● Climate change has added to the problem. ● Droughts throughout the world have resulted in less Hydroelectric ity being produced. ● And the wind has not blown as much this year, resulting in less wind turbine production. Fuel Poverty This is a term not greatly discussed in recent years in the developed world. Now it’s all over the media. Lower income families are having to make difficult choices. Eat or be warm. Throughout the world, we are witness ing an increase in civil unrest. The main cause is inflation. The main contributing factors to infla tion are:
We all moan about our bills. Well… you ain’t seen nothing yet! Currently, the impact of electricity increases is being softened through Government support. All this is only temporary. Will IVA re main reduced forever? I very much doubt it. Will the electricity tax remain reduced from 5.11% to 0. 5%? Spain and Portugal managed to ne gotiate a temporary cap on the price of gas with the European Union. We are four months into a 12-month mea sure.
LITTERGLASS
Why has electricity become so expensive?
MORE than 1,000 one li tre beer bottles have been collected in one weekend by environmental activ ists in a natural space in Gerena, Sevilla. It is believed that all of the bottles had been dumped in the area this summer by lazy and irre sponsible litterers. The bottles would have contaminated the area for over 4000 years, the time taken for glass to decompose, had they not been collected.
● We have entered an era of global competition to secure energy sup plies. More countries are compet ing to buy a limited resource. Pric es only go up.
| www.mariposaenergia.es 100% Certified Green Energy Reduce your energy bill Switch to our 100% Green Energy Save even more money with our solar PV panel installations! Generate your own electricity Solar PV Panels Simply send us a recent bill & we will calculate how much you can save. Get a quote today Contact us today
How long before one Kilowatt of electricity costs €1?
● Rising energy costs ● Rising fuel costs ● Restricted food supply of basic ne cessities (Ukraine war) The impact of people going hungry and cold will have a massive effect on health services that are still recover ing from Covid, lack of staff and insuf ficient funding.
Drying up gogreen@mariposaenergia.es
Green MattersBy Martin Tye
*Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and breakdown services. 952 147 834 TheOlivePress-256x342-MP0622.indd 1 6/6/22 10:43
This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that three-cent gap between €1.18 and €1.15 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 Servicesyou.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 Atthem.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. +34mojacar@currenciesdirect.com04638950478914
BIG SPENDERS
SPENDING by international tourists in Spain has finally returned to pre-pandemic levels. Latest National Statistics Institute (INE) figures show visi tors paid out €11.8 billion in the country during July, a 127% rise on the same month a year ago. According to the INE, visitors spent an average of €170 a day while in Spain, not far from the record levels of €177 seen in May and €174 in June of this year. For the year up to July, tourists have spent more than €47 billion, which is four times greater than in 2021 but slightly below the figure for 2019, the last year before the corona virus health emergency hit, when the total was €52 billion. The actual number of visitors, however, is still yet to reach pre-pandemic figures. In the first half of 2022, there were 39.3 million tourist visits to Spain – that’s three times the figure for 2021, but still a far cry from the 48 million seen in 2019. In July, UK nationals topped the list in terms of total visi tors, with 1.9 million tourists coming to Spain – 200,000 fewer than the same month in 2019. That was followed by the French (1.4 million) and Germans (1.1 million). British visitors also spent the most while in Spain, accord ing to the INE figures, with an estimated outlay of €2.4 bil lion – up nearly 260% on last year. The most popular destinations for visitors in July were the Balearic Islands, followed by Catalunya and the Valencia region. For the first seven months of the year, meanwhile, Catalunya was the most popular destination.
Charged Prosecutors Laura Pellon and Olga Muñoz will probe wheth er there was any embezzle ment of European funds. The Chinese company charged €16.70 per PPE gown but two Spanish companies, who did not win the contract, offered prices of just €0.32 and €0.27 per gown. The Health Ministry spent €10.1 million on the Chinese deal as opposed to either €139,000 or €163,000 on the Spanish options.
Road toll options weighed up in €1.4 million study
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SPAIN’S government has commissioned studies on how to introduce a nationwide road toll system from 2024. The measure is in return for receiving EU Covid recovery grants worth €70 billion. Spain has been under pres sure to fall in line with other EU member states like France, Germany and Portugal where widespread toll road charging is the norm. The General Directorate of Highways (DGT) has hired consultancy firm Ineco to pro duce nine reports for a new highways financing scheme. Ineco will get paid €1.4 mil lion for 10 months work. The reports will look at whether charges should only apply to state highways or be extend ed to regional roads, or even every road. They will also review charge lev els which will seek not to harm the most financially vulnerable. Also under scrutiny will be exactly what kind of payment system will be used. The two options seem to be that either motorists will pay a fixed sum each year to give them unlimited travel or tolls will be charged on a ‘per use’ Becausebasis. of so little time re maining, it is believed the fixed charge system will be implemented initially with each car having a sticker on it, similar to that for an ITV test. That will allow more technol ogy to be installed to bring ‘per use’ charging. Opponents say the state of the economy means it’s not the right time to introduce such a measure.
Towards the end of August, Sterling initially rose higher against the single currency. The euro came under pressure as Russia’s Gaz prom announced a pause in gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipe line, pushing European energy prices to new record highs. In addition, the flash PMIs for August showed stronger results for the UK than the eurozone, thereby lifting the pound euro exchange Laterrate. that week, EUR regained its losses amid reports that some European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers will push for a 75-ba sis-point interest rate rise at the bank’s next policy meeting. Meanwhile, Ofgem announced the new energy price cap for UK households, confirming an 80% hike. This stoked fears about the country’s cost-of-living crisis, with economists warning that many people will be unable to afford bills. In August’s final week, the pound fell further after Goldman Sachs forecast a five-quarter recession in the UK and warned that inflation could hit 22%. At the same time, the euro rallied as the EU prepared an ‘emergen cy intervention’ in energy markets, prompting a sharp pullback in gas prices. Hotter-than-expected Eurozone inflation added to EUR’s upside as September rolled around, again raising expectations for a stronger rate hike from the ECB, while the UK’s deteriorating economic out look kept GBP under pressure.
By Alex Trelinski
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The first big event of the next two weeks will be the ECB’s interest rate decision. Markets expect another 50-bp rate rise, though a 75-bp move could be on the cards. If the ECB de livers another hawkish surprise, the single currency could climb. The following week, the Bank of England (BoE) will also convene to de cide on monetary policy. The current consensus is that the British cen tral bank will opt for another half-point hike, although there are some significant data releases ahead of the decision that could affect it. An expected contraction in UK GDP in July could put pressure on Ster ling, and also dampen expectations for a larger BoE rate rise. We also have the all-important UK labour market overview and the latest inflation rate reading. If the UK jobs market remains strong and inflation continues to climb, the pound could strengthen ahead of the BoE Asidemeeting.fromthe size of the coming interest rate rise, GBP investors will also pay attention to the BoE’s accompanying statement. Last month, the bank forecast a UK recession, causing Sterling to slump despite a 50-bp rate hike. Could an increasingly downbeat outlook see the pound fall even lower? All the while, GBP/EUR will continue to be influenced by UK politics and the eurozone gas crisis. These two factors will inject the currency pair with increased uncertainty, potentially leading to some choppy trade.
Slight easing
INFLATION in Spain stood at 10.4% in August - a 0.4% drop on July’s rate according to the National Institute of Statistics. The figure is better than a market forecast of 10.9%. The reduction is mainly down to falls in fuel prices offsetting rises in food, electricity, and hospitality. Core inflation, which does not include food and energy pric es, rose to 6.4% in August compared to 6.1% the previous month. Economy Minister, Nadia Calvino, said: “Inflation has start ed to ease and it should continue slowing in the coming months.” She added that the government had helped to con tain price rises.
GBP/EUR exchange rate hits two-month low as UK stumbles towards recession
THE pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate fell to a near twomonth low through the second half of August as the UK’s increasingly dire economic outlook pushed the pound lower. Over the last fortnight, GBP/EUR briefly touched €1.188 be fore falling steadily to hit lows of €1.155.
THE European Public Pros ecutor will investigate why Spain’s Health Ministry grossly overpaid for Chinese disposable PPE gowns during the early stages of the pan Somedemic.
Gown cash probe
500,000 disposable gowns were bought at 60 times above market val ue from the Weihai Textile Group using EU funds, while much cheaper local options were rejected.
Free access was available afterwards to the munici pal showers, with council
Lost
A JEWEL of Spanish military history has been rescued from an illegal internet auction. The item, is believed to be the oldest iron sword known to date in Spain, dating from the early Iron Age, and had been put up for sale on the internet for an initial price of €1,200. The historic gem was located by the Guardia Civil last Decem ber as part of the ‘Pandora’ operation to combat illicit traffick ing in cultural property on the Internet. The seller, a resident of Villanueva de la Fuente who was unaware of its significance, agreed to hand over the weapon for experts to authenticate. Technicians from the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha were in charge of its analysis and confirmed that it was indeed ‘an exceptional’ and ‘unique’ piece. The sword was made with the wrought iron tech nique in the seventh century.
LA CULTURA September 8th - September 21st 2022 11 OP QUICK CROSSWORD All solutions are on page 12 Across 6 Prickly seed vessel 7(4)Accentuated (8) 9 He, she and it (8) 10 National wealth letters (1,1,1) 11 Socially ill at ease 14(4-9)Where races com mence (8,5) 17 Enemy (3) 18 In mourning (8) 19 Ballistic weapons 20(8) Young cow (4) Down 1 Body fuel (8) 2 Voltage changers 3(12)Mock (6) 4 Hard outer layers 5(6)Rope fibre (4) 8 Import (12) 12 Woman of habit 13(3)In an inconsistent way (8) 15 Way to buy cheap ly 16(2,4)Showy (6) 17 Free from bias (4)SUDOKUOP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 LHD Advert_July22 170x126mm.indd 1 29/08/2022 17:27
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Military Jewel
By Alex Trelinski cleaners joining forces with residents to hose down the rivers of tomato juice. The event has been clas sified as a Festival of In ternational Interest for 20 years. It started by accident in 1945 when a Buñol parade saw young people squeez ing among the crowd to get a good view of some ‘giants’ walking the streets One of the parade partici pants was shoved over and lost his temper, trying to take it out on everybody. The crowd was not im pressed by his overreac tion and grabbed toma toes from a vegetable stall, which they threw at him resulting in the seeds of La Tomatina being sown.
Rallying call THE process to choose Spain’s 2023 Eurovision Song Contest entry has started. Broadcaster RTVE is looking for entries to compete in Jan uary’s Benidorm Fest. The resort hosted the first new-look selection process this year that at last ban ished years of poor songs and Submissionsperformances.canbe made via RTVE’s official Euro vision website with the deadline being October 12.
BUÑOL’S La Tomatina celebrated its belated 75th anniversary last week after a two-year break caused by the Covid pandemic. An estimated 20,000 peo ple bought €12 tickets to allow them to take part in the world-famous tomato Somefight. 130 tons of Valen cia-grown tomatoes were brought in for the battle which is traditionally held on the last Wednesday of TheAugust.hour-long celebration saw participants wearing swimming goggles to pro tect their eyes while their clothes were left covered in tomato pulp. Tomato battle resumed after Covid break
Ripe for a g d time
SPOOKY: Demonic engravings adorn the front door of a Trasmoz home OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 6 Burr, 7 Stressed, 9 Pronouns, 10 G D P, 11 Self-conscious, 14 Starting lines, 17 Foe, 18 Bereaved, 19 Missiles, 20 Calf. Down: 1 Nutrient, 2 Transformers, 3 Pseudo, 4 Crusts, 5 Hemp, 8 Significance, 12 Nun, 13 Unevenly, 15 In bulk, 16 Garish, 17 Fair.
Local superstition cleared out a Spanish village in the 14th century before turning it into a must-visit festival, discovers Jack Gaioni some extent. Hazel had long dark hair and wore ‘goth-like’ clothing. But more than anything else, her laugh resembled more of a cackle than a giggle. I was reminded of Hazel, aka ‘The Witch’, while visiting a pueblo in northern Spain recently. Let me Trasmozexplain…isasmall pueblo nestled in the northern foot hills of Aragon within sight of the snow capped Moncayo Mountains. There is a 13th century castle that domi nates above the town. It was once was a thriving pueblo home to 10,000 in habitants with silver, iron and lumber bringing prosperity to the Today,village.however, Trasmoz has a mere 62 people with no schools, many dilapidated homes and only one bar/ Whyrestaurant.thedecline? It seems that in the 1500s, some local citizens began counterfeiting coins with silver and lead from the nearby mines. They used the castle to house their forge and as a base of illegal operations. Local authorities became suspicious. As subterfuge, the counterfeiters began ru mours about witches brew ing potions at night thechainsdraggingwhilearoundcastleand lighting fires in the towers at scarewereThemidnight.rumoursmeanttoawayinspectors and local citizens from the castle.
HISTORIC: Trasmoz is drenched in history and stories
LA CULTURA September 8th - September 21st 202212 Boutique de complementosmoda,yregalitos abierto lunes -sábado 10 am - 2 pm Calle Correo, 1 Orgiva, Granada, 18400 WITCH THIS SPACE
GHOSTLY: The village of Trasmoz in Aragon has just 62 resi dents...as well as a dark criminal past So strong were the suspicions of witchcraft in Trasmoz ofthethorities,calexasperatedthatlochurchauandArchbishopTarazona,of ficially cursed, then remainsnicationTheentiremunicatedexcomthevillage.excommuorderinef fect today. Trasmozis the only pueblo in Spain ever to hold The rumours were meant to inspectorsscareand locals away from the castle WE called her ‘The WeWitch.’were class mates in second ary Afterschool.all,her name was Hazel so it wasn’t a quantum leap to be nicknamed ‘The Witch’ (read: Witch Hazel). She was good-natured about her nickname and didn’t seem to take offence. In fact, she ‘leaned into’ her moniker as ‘The Witch’ to this dubious honour. Today Trasmoz embraces their witch-craft heritage and status as a one-of-kind ‘cursed and excommunicat ed’ Everypueblo.summer thousands flock to Trasmoz to witness reenactments that depict witches being hunted and tortured. Known as the Fe ria de Brujeria, (Festival of Witches), the streets become medieval markets selling their wares of lotions, mag ical potions of native plants and herbs said to have heal ing (and hallucinogenic!) properties. Magical There is live music, falcon ry demonstrations, sword fights, hypnosis and magi calTheshows.highlight of the festival is a parade that features the naming of the ‘Witch of the Year’ conclud ing with a fireworks Trasmozdemonstration.also cele brates All Saints day and the Winter solstice where pagan customs of fire are said to keep Tras moz warm in the winter while scaring away evil spirits. The castle above town has been restored and is now a witchcraft museum replete with examples of cauldrons, brooms and sculptures of past ‘local’ witches. The experience of Trasmoz with witchcraft is the excep tion rather than the rule in Spanish history. Contrary to the reputation
● The father of singerJulio Iglesias, Mr. Julio Iglesias Puga, waskidnapped in 1982 bythe terrorist band ETA. He was held captive ina home in Trasmoz. He was ultimately freed byan operation involving100 special operationspolicemen. ● The inventor of the mopand a bucket, a Spaniardnamed Manuel Jalon Corominas, was a resi dent of Trasmoz. There is a monument sculpture intown to honor his handyinventions.
UNLIKELY ATTRACTION: Trasmoz draws thousands of tourists to its annual ‘Festival of Witches’ DID YOU KNOW?
● Spanish Romanticistpoet and writer GustavoAdolfo Becquer (1836-1870) - an artist considered by many to be themost read writer after Cervantes - often used Trasmoz and its legacyof witchcraft as a settingfor many of his novelsand poems.
● The Moncayo Mastiffjust outside Trasmoz,offers some of the most popular and spectacularhiking routes in all ofSpain. Lower elevationoak forests give way toa series of snow-cappedpeaks with incredibleviews. On a clear day,one can see the Pyrenees to the North and Zaragoza and the EbroValley to the south. of the Inquisition, Spanish authorities were sceptical of supernatural phenomenon of any sort—witches, fortune tellers, oracles or sorcerers. They considered witchcraft to be a northern European or Protestant superstition. The incidents of large-scale witch trials in England, France, Germany and Colo nial America far surpassed anything that occurred in Trasmoz or for the rest of Spain for that matter. By coincidence, I met up with Hazel recently. I hadn’t seen her in 30 years. Her hair is short and greying and she was dressed more conven tionally. When we recalled her days as ‘The Witch’ she laughed … errr… she cackled.
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Madrid’s prime real estate market expected to be a world leader in 2023 MADRID is predicted to be one of the five cities in the world where the price of lux ury homes will grow the most in International2023. real estate con sultancy Knight Frank pre dicts an average increase of 6% in the price of prime resi dential properties in the Span ish capital. This places it in joint third place with London. The top two spots are in the USA, with Miami and Los Angeles luxury properties forecast to rise by 8% and 7% respectively. Rounding out the top five is the South Korean capital of Seoul, where Knight Frank forecasts 5% growth in 2023. Overall for the current year, the consultancy forecasts an average increase in prime res By Dilip Kuner idential prices of 4.4%. This represents a reduction of 1.7% compared to Knight Frank’s forecast at the begin ning of the year. The firm expects 11 of the 25 cities analysed to show a slow er rate of growth than initially Knightforecast.Frank has also pre sented its International Wa terfront Index report, which studies the cost of wa terfront homes com pared to those located elsewhere in 15 cities around the world. On average, water front properties are worth 63% more than properties in other lo cations. This situation is likely to continue given that 42% of re spondents said they are more likely to buy a waterfront home now than before the Thepandemic.top destination globally is Sydney. Homes located on the Australian city’s har bour generate a 121% premium for home owners over those res idences further away from the sea. In Europe, Cap d’An tibes (55%) and Mo naco (43%) are the two most outstanding cit ies in this respect.
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Why choose a funeral plan? Especially for the Expats and their families, funerals can be a very stressful and complicated experience. When you pur chase a funeral plan, you are making the whole process far easier and less stressful for your loved ones. Prices are fixed, with either full payment or with a small deposit, and a payment schedule over 60 months which is interest-free. There is no medical required, no health restric tions and no limit on age. In Spain, the funeral usually happens very quickly after death, which can be frightening and daunting for your family members to deal with. I cannot understand why you would not organise this, to help your loved ones at this very difficult Onetime.phone call and the plan goes into operation. There is a choice of three plans, and all the documentation required is included. If you decide that a funeral plan is not for you, you must make sure that your wishes are known, money is available immediately and that at least one of your loved ones has an NIE number. In line with Spanish law, direct cremation usually takes place 24-72 hours after death and prolonging this will incur extra mortuary expenses. Death is always traumatic and exhausting – why make it even harder for those left behind?
Scare headlines by UK tabloids dismissed HEADLINES in British tab loids warning holidaymakers about a plague of bloodsucking bed bugs at hotels across Spain have been dismissed - and the blame put on tourists them selves. The reports claimed that popu lar tourist destinations includ ing Costa Blanca, the Baleares and the Canary Islands were infested with the insects and putting holiday makers at risk. The Olive Press got on the case to find out the truth.
Dear Jennifer: DON’T LET IT BUG YOU
FUNERAL SOLUTION Are there funeral plans with no age restrictions?
By Jorge Hinojosa
COMBINED Covid/flu self di agnostic tests are starting to be pushed out to chemists. They will allow people to see if they are infected with Covid-19, Influenza type A or Influenza type B . Since the start of the month Covid cases have been falling, but there are still people dying and getting seriously ill from the Officialdisease.advice is to take a Covid test if you are suffering from symptoms, but some people don’t do so as they assume they have a cold or the flu. This is partly because some of the most severe Covid symp toms, such as a complete loss of smell, are not so prevalent now. Other symptoms such as con gestion, headaches, sore throats and a cough are easily confused with those of a cold or the flu. The new test costs €2.94. Take the test HEALTH authorities are oversee ing the withdrawal from the mar ket of three batches of Ardo Frozen Fruitberry Mix due to the presence of Hepatitis A. These are batches 586 2213 (best be fore date 10-11-2024) and 586 22131 (best before 11-11-2024) in 1 kilo packs; and batch 586 22131 (best be fore 31-05-2024) of 2.5 kilos. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the suspected batches. The mix, which came from Bel gium, has been distributed in An Dodgy fruitberry dalucia, the Baleares, Catalunya, Murcia, Valencia and the Basque Country.
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Jorge Galvan, director of the Spanish Association of Envi ronmental Health (ANECPLA) confirmed that this year was a particularly bad one for bed bugs but explained that this was a global problem and not just a Spanish one. “The increase of bed bugs is not only affecting Spain, but it is also affecting every country,” he said. “The main reason why there are more bed bugs is because of climate change and the in crease of temperatures,” he Inadded.fact, he warned that it may be the tourists themselves that are the problem, because they are transporting the bugs across borders in their clothes and luggage. Hotels “It’s quite possible there are more bed bugs in the UK than in Spain and that they are brought over to hotels here by the guests themselves,” he said.
OVER the past few months, there has been an upheav al regarding funeral plans in the UK. Every week, it would appear that there was a new company provid ing plans. Most of these companies have now disap peared due to the new regulations for funeral plan providers in the UK, as they are now regulated by the FCA. However, due to these changes, and after a considerable amount of research, I decided to provide my clients with a Spanish-regulated funeral plan company, which has been providing funeral plans in Spain for many years, and is ful ly registered and regulated by both the Spanish authorities and the DGS.
A spokesman for the Alicante hotels association told the Olive Press: “This information is to tally false, we haven’t received any reports of bed bugs in any of the hotels of Alicante. “It is the first time this year that I have heard about bed bugs,” he added. Likewise, the Spanish health ministry has not issued any warnings regarding bed bugs in hotels across Spain.
A GIANT phallic carving un covered by archaeologists at a site in Cordoba is believed to be one of the largest such finds dating from the Roman Althoughworld. depictions of the penis were a common theme used to represent fertility, bring luck and ward off the evil eye, the team digging at the Nueva Carteya site believe this particular relief carving is something more unusual.
A LARGE Sulcata tortoise has been rescued from the Pudio River in Sevilla with police taking the endan gered species to the sta tion for a bite to eat before handing it over to a reserve.
A GANDIA man sold cocaine which he had hidden in his Covid mask. The 59-year-old Spaniard drew the attention of police who decided to watch him in action. Officers spotted several people ap proaching him in the street and en gaging in a brief conversation. They saw him remove his mask each time and noted an exchange of items. He was arrested and a home
Bad luck A MAN restoring a prop erty in Galicia has found €24,000 worth of old peseta banknotes stuffed in Nesquik bottles but they are worthless as the deadline for exchanging them for euros passed in February. Whale watch OVER 90 whales have been recorded in sight ings off the Denia coast since May. Around 100 volunteers have partic ipated in the Cape Fin whale project spotting the mammals at sea or from viewpoints.
SNOW JOKE
A YOUNG dog who was res cued at just 15 days old has re turned the favour by saving his master’s life one year on. Joaquin Gallardo was exhaust ed and on the verge of giving up after he fell down a well and left floating for six-and-a-half hours in an isolated part of Rincon de la Victoria (Malaga). His cries for help had gone un heard during the ordeal – but his faithful dog Tanka refused to leave his master. It was Tanka’s incessant bark ing that finally raised the alarm, when two young wom en in a distant house decided to investigate the commotion. They were guided by the barking to a patch of isolated ground and By Dilip Kuner and the young man was finally hauled to safety suffering no more than a few bruises. to plunge into the unprotected well, losing his phone in the process. For the next six-and-a-half hours Tanka kept barking. Gal lardo said: “She barked so much that police told me the dog was a wreck from exhaustion.” Favour It was a year ago that Gallar do had found Tanka on waste ground. She was barely 15 days old and very neglected. He rescued, nursed and cared for her and now Tanka has managed to return the favour.
Virility “It was common to place them on the facades of hous es or represented on small amulets worn by soldiers as a symbol of virility, but not of such a size as the one found now,” explained Andres Roldan from the Museum of Nueva Carteya and the pro fessor leading the excavation “Weproject.are consulting the bibli ography and, at the moment, we have not found one of such dimensions,” he said. The relief carved on a lime stone block measures close to half a metre in length and is thought to have formed a cor nerstone of a tower on a large building crowning the hill of the Roman settlement. search uncovered 175 grams of co caine and a precision scale in addi tion to €7,360.
FREE voiceYourinSpainOPRESSLIVEThe expat COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA Vol. 3 Issue 73 www.theolivepress.es September 8th - September 21st 2022We use recycled paper REREREuseducecycle WORDSFINAL Well done!
Faithful pooch barked for 6 hours to attract attention after owner fell down well
theTankaIronically,wasreason Gallardo had fallen down the well in the first place. He had been chatting to his mum via WhatsApp when the pooch ran off after a cat. Gallardo fol lowed, only heard the yells of Gallardo. He was stuck in the 10-metre deep well, with no footing and grimly staying afloat. They called the police BEST PALS: Joaquin and Tanka
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