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THE British ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, has denied the delay in reaching a post-Brexit deal on driving licence exchange has anything to do with the Gibraltar border negotiations. He insisted this during a meeting with a pressure group trying to help the thousands of British residents who have been unable to drive since May 1. The ambassador was ‘extremely clear’ that the delay to talks is not linked to ‘wider negotiations’ about the future relationship between Gibraltar and Spain. This was later confirmed to the Olive Press by two other sources with knowledge of the meeting. According to the group’s account of the talks, Elliott said that there were ‘two technical issues’ still to be resolved. Speculation has been rife among the victims that Gibraltar was the source of the delay in the talks with Spain, long contesting the sovereignty of the Rock. Gibraltar-issued licences continue to be allowed for use in Spain until EU treaty negotiations conclude at least.
See page 14
Vol. 6 Issue 185 www.theolivepress.es November 2nd - November 15th 2022
A BRITISH woman who was told she had six hours to live while on holiday in Spain is finally set to undergo a rare double hand transplant. Kim Smith lost all of her limbs after she contracted sepsis following a common urinary tract infection while on holiday five years ago this month. The 61-year-old is near the top of a waiting list for hand transplant surgery, which will ‘make her life better again’. “I’ve just got on with my life and stayed strong and positive for so long, it’s been the only way,” she told the Olive Press. “After my transplant, I’ll be able to drive again and do more things - life will get better again.” Kim had fallen ill while she and her husband Steve, from Milton Keynes, were on holiday on the Costa Blanca in November 2017. They had plans to spend Christmas there, but one day while visiting the historic town of Sax she felt a pang of pain in her lower back. Thinking it was a urine infection she went to nearby Elda Hospital and pointed at her back, telling doctors ‘pain here’. “In hindsight I should have said I had an infection because they just x-rayed my back and sent me away telling me I had no breaks or fractures,” she explained.
EXCLUSIVE By Anthony Piovesan
The next day she went to see another doctor, who did a test for a urine infection and, after confirming it, prescribed her with a course of antibiotics. But that night at 4am she was in so much pain she was rushed to hospital again, where doctors told her husband she ‘only had six hours to live’. she then spent half a year in recovery. “For six months I was just in bed, I couldn’t move,” she recalled. “I had to learn how to sit up and use my muscles again. It was awful.” She is now near the top of a waiting list for a double hand transplant at Leeds General Infirmary, the only hospital in the UK that can perform the surgery. The former hairdresser says she misses her hands most of all, and looks forward to cooking, sewing and driving again after the operation. Kim hopes by speaking out she will be an inspirational voice for others who have also been impacted by sepsis. “Everyone always tells me I’m so strong and positive and so I encourage those people to be the same - It’s the only way to get through,” she concluded.
KIM: Still smiling through it all
Chaos looms
PEOPLE can expect ‘long border delays, extending to several hours’ when going between Gibraltar and Spain if there is no EU treaty. They will be caused by the need for ‘systematic’ and ‘thorough’ controls on everyone crossing, should an agreement not be reached, the Gibraltar government has warned. With delays worsening considerably at peak times, it advises
Warning of long border delays as companies told to prepare ahead in case of no deal agreement By John Culatto
companies with large numbers of workers commuting from Spain to plan ahead. The details were explained in a warning released in case of a No Negotiated Outcome THE SKY (NNO). DOCTOR Talks on an EU treaty beALL AREAS tween Britain, COVERED Spain and the EU have so-far 4G UNLIMITED rolled through nine rounds of INTERNET extensive negotiation with IDEAL FOR more to come. STREAMING TV “If we don’t get ALSO this solved by Christmas I fear IPTV, SATELLITE TV
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the worst as elections are looming in Spain next year and this will become a real hot potato,” revealed a senior business source. Gibraltar relies on a fluid frontier for a large part of its economy, including tourism, online gaming and banking services. “These controls include the systematic electronic scanning and stamping of passports, checks with respect to the number of days spent in the Schengen Area and enquiries which could lead to deeper interrogations by border guards,” the government announced. The Rock’s authorities add that while they have put in place ‘traffic management plans’ to soften the impact… it is unknown if the Spanish will do the same to ease any potential problems “Whether the Spanish decide to amplify facilities or streamline traffic flows to reduce delays, are
matters for the Spanish authorities,” the statement explained. “It would be prudent for businesses to identify staff members who live across the border and consult them on their day-to-day commutes. “For instance, planning for staggered shift patterns so that not all staff members are required to cross the border during peak times or the introduction of more flexible working hours.”
Tel: 952 147 834
See pages 11 & 16
TM
Exodus
Politicians fear that no deal could lead to a mass exodus of businesses from the Rock as many of their workers live in Spain. A possible solution could be with coaches getting quicker access into and out of Gibraltar. The Interbus Agreement, as it is known, could still apply to the Rock if agreed by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport. The transfer of meat from the UK would be a problem for Gibraltar in the event of no deal. This would have to be shipped to Gibraltar via ferry from Algeciras using the new facilities built at the local port last year.
2
CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Tangier art link ARTISTS are being invited to take part in a cross-cultural exhibition in Tangier in the second part of a pre-pandemic exchange with Gibraltar’s southern neighbour.
Fairytales THE GSLP has slammed the GSD opposition for using ‘empty buzz words to make hypothetical arguments’ a year before the next election after the opposition said it could do things ‘better, faster, cheaper’.
Frightful fun Laguna Youth Club hosted a successful family-friendly Halloween party offering food, drink and activities to over 135 guests.
Medieval peek TWO new interpretation panels at Casemates Square will show off Gibraltar’s Moorish and Spanish history to locals and tourists alike.
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
ANDALUCÍA IS OURS
Marbella mayor threatens legal action as husband and stepson face drugs trial amid boasts of ‘owning’ town halls and links to local police THE mayor of Marbella has threatened legal action over claims she or her town hall are linked to the ongoing investigation into her husband and stepson’s alleged drug gang. Angeles Muñoz insisted the prosecution for numerous crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption has no connection to her. This is despite at least one of the 27 people facing trial at Madrid’s High Court being
a Policia Local at Marbella town hall. Rafael Gallego Guerrero, from Ronda, was one of the key members of the Swedish mafia group, regularly providing ‘restricted police information’ in return for cash. According to Olive Press sources Gallego was also in charge of distributing many payments around the resort at the behest of stepson Joakim. He had previously been one of the mayor’s key
VIRAL VIOLENCE POLICE arrested and charged three juveniles for allegedly attacking another child in Gibraltar after a video of the attack went viral on the Rock. Prosecutors charged two boys, both aged 13 and one girl of 14-years-old with affray at New Mole House police station. Officers charged the children after investigating the attack that shows up in a video circulating on social media, they said in a statement. The affray happened in Wellington Front, a recently refurbished area of the fortifications where a lot of children hang out at night. “The Royal Gibraltar Police are aware of a video circulating on social media in relation to this incident and remind members of the public not to share it,” the statement read.
By Simon Hunter
bodyguards. The mayor’s husband Lars Broberg, 80, and his son, Joakim, 49, were among 71 people arrested last year in a massive police operation, which spanned Brazil, Spain and Sweden. Operacion Mueble (Furniture) launched in 2018 when Swedish authorities called in Spanish cops to help probe the gang, which was exporting large quantities of marijuana and other drugs from Andalucía to Sweden and other European countries. Broberg senior, who ran the estate agent Wasa Consulting, in Centro Plaza, in Nueva Andalucia, was arrested in February 2021, while his son was detained in Brazil three months later.
Launder
Judge Castellon claims a sophisticated network of companies and financial advisors helped the Brobergs launder money through property, jewels and gold. In particular, the group is accused of bribing PP officials
TRIAL: Broberg with wife Muñoz and (inset) Joakim in the three town halls of Estepona, Benahavis and Marbella to get what they wanted. They also helped other friends and clients, including rich Russian oligarchs. In one taped conversation, Joakim is heard by Spain’s crack Guardia Civil outfit UDEF bragging that he was with the town hall technician who had ‘got him the three licences in La Quinta’. In a later conversation he is heard telling his business partner Mark Holmen ‘we have won’ with three key technicians in charge of licences. “We now have the Junta de Andalucia. We have Marbella, We have Estepona. We have everything,” he says, adding: “The city is ours. Ba-
sically, we have the whole of f*****g Andalucia.” In conclusion, a police report ruled: “From the conversations intercepted the Swede had a big influence over decisions made by the town halls”.
Jail
Lars Broberg, who may escape trial due to ill health, faces a 14-year jail term for the two offences of which he is accused, one of which involves a €12m villa in the Marbella hills. His son, Joakim, is accused of being ‘the boss in charge of maintaining contact’ between the suppliers (of drugs) in Morocco and the clients in northern Europe.
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LA CALA
THEY had both been interviewed - and even written columns - for the Olive Press when they opened restaurants on the Costa del Sol back in 2015. Now Ready Steady Cook presenter Steven Saunders is joining TOWIE star Elliot Wright at his popular Mijas restaurant Olivia’s La Cala. In an intriguing link up, Saunders has taken over executive duties in the kitchen and the food looks fab. It comes after the celebrity chef had closed his own La Cala joint, Little Ge-
FLOWER POW ER Musical
by Steven Sa chairs of the Little unders Geranium
United again
ranium, and moved back to England during the pandemic. Delighted to be back, he told the Olive Press: “This is home to me – I couldn’t wait to get back.” Wright meanwhile added he was the perfect fit to take his restaurant to the next level after recovering from a fire that gutted the premises. “We have come a long way since we
THE winds of change have truly blown in as dozens of anti-corrup tion parties made substantial gains in town halls across Spain. Voters made clear they are ready to ditch Spain’s traditional two-party system as new parties Podemos and Ciudadanos performed well at regional and local elections on Sunday.
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TOWIE star Elliot Wright launches a no-holds-barred column on Page 3 before we grill him on our food pages. See The Wright Stuff on Pages 54-55
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TV presenter Nick Knowles and stunning wife Jessica lift the lid on their escape to Sotogrande on Page 3
2015
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November 2nd - November 15th 2022
3
Arty tapas is the special of the day in a new column from former Michelin-starred TV chef Steven Saunders. See Page 49
River of shame
All over the country the governing PP lost absolute majorities, meaning it will have to pact at least, one other with, Estepon a Town Hall fails to to form legitimate party clean gov- up a deadly ernments. river often played in Some of the big mayors by in children danger include MarbelWhat is E-Coli? la’s Angeles Munoz A DEADLY bacteria Malaga’s Francisco and found in an Esteponahas been E-Coli is a type of fecal EXCLUSIVE de la Torre. A strand of the killerriver. coliform bacteria usually By Rob Horgan E-Coli bacteria has been detected found in the intestines in See A Spring of Change, the Arroyo del Hornacinos, animals and humans. of Residents of the neighbouring on Pages 4 and 5 a stream often played Its presence in water Villas Andaluzas are now in by children. strong indication of is a ing in the Guardia Civil’s callrecent sewage or animal ronmental arm Seprona, enviwaste contamination. written complaints to the after town When the bacteria lives hall came to nothing. in animal or human intestiThey insist that the nal tracts it is harmless. overrun with rats andarea is mos- CONCERNE However when it appears quitos and the town D: Resident Sam Hall hall has at river’s bank in inadequately treated been completely ‘inactive’ de- worse. water it produces a toxin spite receiving the first report “It is which is harmful and in April. an absolute disgrace from Surrey, as well as varipoous neighbours, have and worse, a serious tentially fatal to humans. Independent analysis submithealth of the ted hazard,” said British resident a number of formal water shows that the plaints to the town hall. composes a serious health river Sam Hall, 78. risk He added: ing about and could be fatal. “It’s especially In response, a town hall “On hot it,” Hall added. days spokesman told the A report from Laboratorio worrying because we couple unbearable the smell is so that seen children playing have Mayor Jose Urbano Rafael Perez Rodriguez was able to sit out in we are unour that the quantities of stated the water where it flows near ‘aware of the problem’ and it Ironically, Esteponagarden.” into would be forms’ were so high that ‘coli- the sea. ‘sorted out’. was rewere ‘too many’ to count.there “If anyone were to be struck However, when a clean up cently honoured with a Green E-Coli can cause vomiting, down, it would be a national was finally ‘promised’ for May Flag Award for boosting environmental awareness. 18, nothing happened. scandal.” diarrhoea, liver disease and Estepona Town Hall failed to Hall and his wife Susanna, “They say one thing to keep Which ageing costa respond to Olive Press you happy and then do quesnoth- tions. show was cancelle DJ’s
A REAL DOG DAY FLASHBACK: To Elliot and Steven’s columns in 2015
rose like a Phoenix from the ashes, and now Steven is creating a new menu to keep us on an upward path,” he said. Here (above), theFreepair appear on a varifocal front page from 2015, with fellow TV lenses 59€ as the filling in presenter Nick Knowles a delicious celebrity sarnie. d after he crashed his new €60,000 Range Rover into the studio’s front door?
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By Jon Clarke
IT sits in an eagle’s nest high above Tarragona’s famous Priorat wine region. An enviable escape from the world for around 30 locals, Siurana was the last Moorish stronghold in the region to fall to the marauding Catholic armies in 1153. And since then it has pretty much been cut off from the world, with poor wifi, no school or shops and hardly anywhere to eat or sleep. And that’s how the majority of the 100 or so locals want it to stay. At least according to the mayor, who decided to reject an offer to join Spain’s most prestigious list of stunning villages. According to Salvador Salvado it is ‘impossible’ to have more tourists visiting. He added there was already
Don’t wannabe… …In the official list of Spain’s Most Beautiful villages
OUT AND IN: Siurana, while (right) Setenil and (left) Guadalest a ‘problem’ with visitors and more would simply dilute the quality. It means only one village has officially joined Spain’s list of Los Pueblos Mas Bonitos de Espana this
SHEEP replaced traffic on Madrid streets with shepherds steering their flocks through the heart of the capital along ancient migration routes. The annual event sees shepherds exercise their right to use ancient drovers paths to migrate their livestock from northern Spain to more southerly winter pastures. Sheep farmers pay a nominal charge based on a 1418 agreement with Madrid city council. This year’s flock included 1,200 Merino sheep and 200 goats.
year. While 22 applied, only Puentedey, in Burgos, met the strict criteria to join the association, which was set up in 2011. There are now 105 villages in the group, all of which must be under 15,000 in population and have a perfectly preserved historic core, as well as an ‘architectural or natural
heritage’. Last year, 11 more villages joined, including Genalguacil, in Malaga, Banos de la Encina, in Jaen, Roncal in Navarra and Valverde de la Vera, in Caceres. The potential rewards for the villages are huge, with the promotion they get globally from being members and the huge growth in tourism it brings.
Rejection
Capital takeover
“We have never had such a rejection,” the president of the association, Francisco Maestre, told El Pais. “Being on the list means a significant increase in tourism and is not about harming the village.”
BRINGING SEXY BACK HIS was one of the scariest characters in Hollywood history. Ben Kingsley’s Oscar-nominated Don Logan is making a return in a mini-series based on cult gangster movie Sexy Beast. Set in London and the Costa del Sol (although originally filmed in Almeria), the Paramount series is a prequel to the 2000 hit. Contrary to fake news published in a well-known downmarket rag, it is, however, not starring Ben Kingsley, Ray Winstone or Ian McShane. Their characters, Logan, Gal Dove and Teddy Bass are played by Emun Elliot, James McArdle (both below) and Stephen Moyer. They will play the characters, based in London in the early 1990s, before Gal Dove has retired to live on the Costas and is dragged back ‘for one last job’. Filming began in Liverpool in August, with streets renamed after London boroughs.
Neymar cleared PROSECUTORS have sensationally dropped corruption charges against football star Neymar over the Brazilian’s suspicious move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. In a surprise move, a Barcelona prosecutor announced the ‘withdrawal of the charges against all the accused’. He faced a two-year jail term and a €10 million fine and, oddly, no reason has been given as to why the case collapsed.
No Sharpe exit FORMER England star Lee Sharpe has promised ‘new exciting ventures’ after shutting his Spanish sports bar. Sharpey’s, in Javea, on the Costa Blanca has closed, less than a year after opening. “It just wasn’t working for us,” the 51-year-old told the Olive Press this week. I wanted to part ways before the standards dropped beyond my control.” See Closing Time, page 6
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4 www.theolivepress.es NEWS Walk-in Stamps of approval jabs GIBRALTAR residents can now walk into the Primary Care Centre (PCC) without an appointment to get COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines. With the flu roaring through the US with unexpected force on immune systems weakened by COVID-19, Gibraltar wants to be ready for the worst. Its vaccine programme included the latest Omicron variant jab along with the flu vaccine that the government said ‘are both safe to be administered at the same time’. It comes after the elderly and children they care for got their jabs first. “Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself this winter, especially if you’re in one of the specified at-risk categories,” Director of Public Health Dr Helen Carter said. “This COVID-19 booster is different from previous ones because it protects against both the original strain and the Omicron strain.”
A COLLECTION of British currency stamps marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of renowned local artist Gustavo Bacarisas is now on sale in Gibraltar. Minister for Culture John Cortes and Vijay Daryanani, the postal services minister, unveiled the collection on Friday. The launch of the stamps was delayed from the original date of Bacarisas’
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
birthdate on September 23 by the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The set of stamps put together by the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau features some of Bacarisas’ most famous paintings. “It is part of the celebrations to pay tribute to the work and legacy of the artist whose impact is still very rel-
evant to date,” a Gibraltar Government spokesman said. The artist’s whole repertoire of work is now on show at the Mario Finlayson National Art Gallery and City Hall. Stamp-collectors will be especially keen on this collection because it is the last set featuring Queen Elizabeth II. The government even had to get special permission from Buckingham Palace to publish it now that Charles III is king.
Young promise
Welcoming words GIBRALTAR’S Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said he is ‘delighted’ that Dominic Raab is the new Deputy Prime Minister and ‘happy’ James Cleverly will stay on as UK Foreign Secretary. He earlier welcomed new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he took on the top job on October 25 after Lizz Truss resigned the post just five weeks into her Tory party leadership.
Picardo delight at new UK PM’s cabinet choices By John Culatto
“I have today written to Rishi Sunak to congratulate him on his selection as Conservative Party Leader and therefore Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Picardo said in a statement. “Mr Sunak has worked very closely with us in the past and £300. was instru“These new regulations are designed mental in the to protect cyclists from indiscriminate execution of and potentially dangerous overtaking the Soverwhich may lead to a serious collision,” eign Guarana government spokesman said tee from the The legislation has come into effect United Kingimmediately. dom.
Cyclists protected CYCLISTS will now be able to ride through Gibraltar without having to worry about overtaking cars putting them in danger. Minister for Transport Paul Balban published new legislation to fine car drivers who overtake cyclists without giving a minimum of 1.5 metres space
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
Picardo dealt with both Raab and Cleverly over the last few years to come up with a favourable post-Brexit deal for the Rock. “I’m delighted to note the return of Dominic Raab, a historic friend of Gibraltar,” Picardo said.
Happy
Raab is experienced in high level politics, having taken on Cabinet roles since 2015. “I am particularly happy also that James Cleverly has been kept in his post as Foreign Secretary, a testament to the excellent work he has done in the time he has been in post.” He credited the new Foreign Secretary for his commitment
‘in relation to Gibraltar and our important, ongoing, negotiations with the European Union’. “Both Mr Raab and Mr Cleverly are individuals with whom I have enjoyed working in the past in their time in the British Cabinet,” Picardo said. “I have written to both Mr Cleverly and Mr Raab to congratulate them on their appointments and to highlight how useful it is to have them now in posts that will be relevant to Gibraltar.”
A GIBRALTARIAN student is representing the Rock at the UK Youth Parliament meeting in the House of Commons on November 4. The Commonwealth Youth Association chose Oliver Whitmore after winning over judges with his essay on the most important issues affecting local young people. “I was very impressed with his work and I am sure that he will make Gibraltar proud during the meeting,” Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia said. He is the first local to take part in the youth parliament.
Pivotal times CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo painted a picture of a ‘modern Gibraltar’ that was ‘pointing to a digital future’ in his speech to financial experts at the UK’s tallest building. It marked the first in-person Gibraltar Day since 2019 held at the Shard where Picardo spoke about the Rock’s growing business relationship with the UK.
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GOING UNDER Fire hero dies
A MAN branded as a hero in July for digging a trench to stop his town being engulfed by a wildfire, has died in a Valladolid hospital. Angel Zamora, 53, lived in Tabara in Castilla y León. He suffered serious burns when he used his digger to build a firebreak on the outskirts of the town. He was surprised by the advance of the fire and ran away through the flames with his clothes alight to escape the blaze. He was taken by helicopter to hospital to be treated but has now succumbed to his injuries. Three other people died in the fire - the most serious of the year in Spain. A video of what happened to Angel went viral. It showed his digger disappearing in flames and then Angel running for his life while patting down clothes that had been scorched by the blaze.
Popular beaches will be swallowed up and land completely lost in 25 years if sea levels continue to rise THOUSANDS of homes in Andalucia and Valencia could be completely submerged in water by 2050, new research shows. According to Climate Central, coastal areas in Huelva, Cadiz and Alicante are at particular risk of being underwater. The climate change research group has published an interactive map, with ar-
By Anthony Piovesan
eas in red representing land below 1m above sea level. These areas will be in danger due to a predicted rise in sea levels due to global warming. Many towns and huge swathes of land along the Guadalquivir river enroute to Sevilla will be completely
Getting the point A NEW penalty points system to be made law ‘in weeks to come’ could help reduce traffic accidents and make the road safer for the public, Gibraltar’s transport minister has said. The publishing of the regulations comes after Commissioner for Police Richard Ullger asked for new ways to fight back against disrespectful drivers in the small British territory. The new system will be similar to the one used in the UK. Authorities will be able to give drivers 1 to 10 points for road traffic crimes, depending on how serious the offences are. If a driver gets more than 12 penalty points in any three year period, they will automatically lose their driving licence for six months.
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
Fine by me
AT RISK: Red shows areas in danger of flooding
submerged. Other towns at risk in Cadiz include Barbate and Los Barrios. Cadiz centre meanwhile, will be completely cut off from mainland Spain as surrounding land goes below sea level. The warning for Spain comes as the annual global climate conference (COP27) begins in Egypt this weekend. Average sea levels have swelled more than eight inches (23cm) since 1880, with about three of those inches gained in the past 25 years, according to official data. The Costa del Sol remains largely untouched according to Climate Central’s map. But the Costa Blanca isn’t so fortunate, with many beaches engulfed. The area around the Pobles del Sud wetlands just outside Valencia could be
5
particularly impacted, with water rising and swallowing up land and nearby homes.
POLICE in Gibraltar will soon be able to fine people on the spot for making a nuisance of themselves. The smaller fines of £50 and £100 will do away with the need for court cases unless the person in question expressly asks for a trial. Breaches of the peace, disorderly conduct, making off without payment, noise and alcohol related offences will all come under this change to the law. Gibraltar’s Ministry of Justice will brief the police on how to decide when to impose the fines.
6
NEWS FEATURE
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OPINION Driving change MOVES to stamp down hard on bad drivers and protect cyclists in Gibraltar are a move in the right direction. Anyone who has walked or cycled down Rock roads has felt the sense of fear that a roaring motorcycle or a revving car might be coming round the corner. Giving people points for their bad driving will create a real incentive to take care while driving. Although many people could be forgiven for nudging just over the speed limit, the truth is that many people were happy to pay a bit in the off-chance they were caught in the act. But with these points accumulating over time leading to drivers losing their licence, people will think twice before speeding, drink driving or using their phone on the wheel. Minister for Transport Paul Balban’s moves bode well for cyclists too. In a territory as small as Gibraltar, he has reasoned before that more people could use bicycles to get around. Especially considering the fight for parking, a bicycle is a perfect way to enjoy the Rock’s 300 days of sunshine a year. But too often people are put off cycling by the Rock’s narrow streets and speeding cars. Drivers overtaking cyclists in their own lanes are a particular hazard that Balban has done well to legislate against. Gibraltar needs to change its culture of seeing bicycles as an inferior form of transport. Instead, considering climate change and fuel prices, the general public needs to see cycling as responsible and viable on the Rock. While more could be done, not least the planned wall cycle route through town, pedalers can now start to feel the law is on their side. Slowly but surely, especially with the new electric bikes on the market, people will start to applaud rather than rue the occasional cyclist on the road. Only in this way will we see carbon monoxide levels drop across the town area and start to see more families take to the roads. PUBLISHER / EDITOR
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CALLING TIME As ex-England star Lee Sharpe puts his bar up for sale just 10 months after opening, the Olive Press looks at why so many expats call time early on their Spanish hospitality dreams
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ATCH any UK television series about Brits starting a new life in Spain and you're bound to get a segment on expats battling to open a bar. It’s not a cakewalk at the best of times, with pitfalls galore in trying to get to grips with all the numerous and complicated regulations here. For many, including former Manchester United star Lee Sharpe who has just closed his Costa Blanca sports bar Sharpeys after only ten months, these exciting new ventures quickly go from being a Spanish dream to the bars of a prison from which to escape. While Sharpe’s wife Lucy, diplomatically told the Olive Press last week Lee ‘just didn’t have the time to run the bar’, close friends revealed that the rent of over €3,000 a month, plus other overheads, were much more to blame. The rapid closure of a new local is a sadly familiar story to expats who have lived in Spain for years, many of whom have seen a bewildering turnover in foreign establishments. In the vast majority of cases, the new batch of landlords tend to be folk with little or no experience in the hospitality trade, let alone running a business. On top of that rents are usually disproportionately high, which the green-round-theears new arrivals have no idea about (come on, you know we’ve all been there!). And while the current economic crisis and its associated spiralling costs means there are plenty of opportunities out there, you really need to do your homework. “Buyers have to do some thorough research and get everything legally watertight,” lawyer Manuel Sanchez told the Olive Press. Taking over an existing business is done through a lease known as a ‘traspaso’, which has the advantage of not having to put in for licences as if you are starting from scratch. “Find out why an owner wants to sell on the traspaso and check through all the financial records. If there’s any hesitation on those scores, then simply don't bother,” Sanchez advised. “You might not be told about any debts until you take over and get an unwanted surprise,” he warned.
SHUT: The ‘traspaso’ is up at €3,300 a month at Lee Sharpe’s bar, (below) Ray Curran in expenses,” By Alex Trelinski said president, & Anthony Piovesan Juan Lopez. “Making things He added that potential owners must take pay today is some good local financial advice and create much harder.” a proper long-term business plan backed up A Torrevieja by money in the bank that you’ll almost cerbar owner, tainly need to create a successful business. who wanted to There will always be nasty surprises, issues remain anonwith the council and, of course, a need to do ymous, consome marketing. firmed the drop Owner of Benidorm’s Escape Bar, Andy in demand. Mansell, echoed the need to have plenty of “I’ve been looking to retire, but there has capital in reserve. “You need back up funds been just one inquiry this year over the for when things go wrong, which is bound to traspaso and that’s despite dropping the happen with equipment failing and the cost asking price,” said the female boss. of repairs,” he told the Olive Press. “I think Brits, in particular, are now very “Get a good gestoria to check on the licence reluctant to take on a bar and are more because I had the wrong one and did not aware of the time and effort needed to qualify for what pitiful pandemic aid was ofmake a go of it.” fered,” he added. She added: “Restrictions on how many He also pointed out that the tax authorities days a non-resident can stay due to Brexit in Spain have the right to dip into your bank have also significantly reduced our trade in accounts ‘whenever they feel the need’. the off-season. It is often cheaper to close Most tellingly, he warned how vital it was for the day than open, and that's what we to put away the ‘rose-tinted’ glasses as are doing.” the stresses of running a bar could likely In Andalucia, Irish pub owner Ray Curran change your attitude to staysaid winter trade was ‘nearing in Spain. ly as important’ as summer “Before taking the plunge, You might not trade. step back, look around and He launched The Quays Irish be told about remember what you love Bar in Puerto de la Duquesa about the country and conin 2019 with his partner Lisa any existing sider whether it's worth loshaving to navigate through ing that connection,” he obdebts until you the global pandemic, and served. now the economic fallout of take over “The quality of life soon disthe war in Ukraine. appears running a hospitality “I don’t think there was a business and you end up hatsingle business owner that ing Spain for all of its red tape as well as didn’t think about the possibility of having siestas and bank holidays when nothing is to close during the pandemic,” Curran told open,” concluded Andy. the Olive Press. Either way, Olive Press research suggests “Now with inflation, electricity is up 40%, the number of foreigners looking to take from day to day you never know how much over a bar traspaso in Spain appears to be you’ll be charged for food … these are very falling as costs have soared in the wake of challenging times.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Fortunately for Curran he understood the In Murcia, Cartagena’s Hostecar associahospitality trade having managed a bar tion paints a gloomy picture for any potential in Naas, near Dublin, before he moved to newcomers. “Profits are down by 15% over Spain in 2018 and working in a local bar the summer compared to 2019 and our for a year on his arrival. members have tried to keep price rises low “A mistake many people make is that they or else they would have to close with the rise come in July and August and the bars are packed, so they think to come back next year and buy a bar but then November hits and it's a completely different story,” he said. “You still have the same costs, the same wages to pay, the same rent. You need to research and know your location and clientele.” As Duquesa is a very residential area with lots of expats he has tried to make his business appeal to the locals, instead of just tourists. “If your bar relies solely on tourist trade, then you’ll experience the highs in summer, but you’ll hit real lows in the winter,” he insisted. It is a warning and good advice too. So to conclude, take your time to do your research, find the best location, have the cash to pay your bills for a couple of years and get ready for long hours and hard work if you are to succeed. Oh, and make sure you spend some money on marketing, preferably with your most SURVIVORS: Andy Marshall (above) and two well known Benidorm pubs popular local newspaper!
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
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Leg up, NOT legged it!
What do the Spanish think? Hundreds of column inches in Spain have been dedicated to the soap opera of British politics, over the last fortnight, with one recurring theme: Brexit
‘UK is not Little Britain’ El Pais columnist Santiago Carbó Valverde wrote that ‘after Brexit the UK has weakened its commercial ties and not just with the EU… and the entry of foreign human capital has slowed considerably, creating bottlenecks that have got worse in certain sectors’. His UK-based colleague Angel Talavera quoted the famous ‘computer says no’ sketch from TV show Little Britain, adding: “The chaos of these recent weeks is simply the continuation of the political and economic decline the UK has been suffering since the referendum.’
‘The sick man of Europe’ Online daily El Confidencial columnist Celia Maza wrote about how the UK risked becoming ‘the sick man of Europe’ once more, describing how Truss had ‘only been in Downing Street for just over a month, but is in a totally unsustainable situation’.
cess’ of both Brexit and his job, lying to Parliament, disobeying his own Covid rules, ignoring disciplinary committees and causing havoc with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Truss had to go after further tanking the economy with her infamous ‘mini-budget’ and causing a fracas about fracking. So, now we have No 5 at the helm - Rishi Sunak, Britain’s much hyped ‘first Hindu prime minister’ and the richest ever occupant of No. 10 – another first. Wealthier than King Charles, Sunak is already in hot water about reinstating Home Secretary Suella Braverman, after she resigned over sending classified documents from her personal email address. However, there are some advantages. Sunak is certainly more eloquent and statesmanlike than Truss and Johnson - hardly difficult - and he seems to have a basic grasp of economics. Locally, expats are constantly asked: ‘What on earth is going on back home?’ Council employee, Lucy Hayes Logan, told the Olive Press that every councillor at Lanjaron Town Hall asked her about the current situation in the UK this week. “Sometimes, one person will ask, but never the whole team!” she revealed. Local Spaniard, Bernard Campo Campos, however, made the most pertinent point: “At least the English accept their mistakes and resign. In Spain, even if they are caught stealing, they don’t resign, deny everything, and the law allows them to keep what they have stolen.” So, to conclude, how long before Sunak falls on this sword, leading to a general election… and, who knows, would a Labour government under Kier Starmer take a different approach to Europe and end this mess? Answers on a postcard to newsdesk@theolivepress.es
Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info
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CHARLIE ANNABEL
here - never to be seen again. Meanwhile, Brits visiting the EU from the UK are forced to queue for longer at airports, and non-residents need their passports stamped, and can only visit the bloc for 90 days, while their children can no longer study in Europe via the popular Erasmus scheme. The decision by David Cameron, selfishly trying to protect his party, has led to five Prime Ministers in the last six years. The last one, Liz Truss, lasted just 44 days. This is compared to the previous five leaders holding office from 1976 to 2010. Yes, 34 years! To recap: after Cameron’s quick resignation, Theresa May came and went, after promising to make the UK ‘strong and stable’. Her successor, Boris Johnson made a ‘titanic suc-
AMIE
Mismanaging mayhem leads to yet another leader in the UK. Jo Chipchase looks at the the political crisis back home from a (slightly) Spanish perspective
ELISA
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OREIGN nationals watching the UK’s political news could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Inglaterra’ changes its Prime Minister as frequently as some people change their sheets. The situation has aligned ‘Great’ Britain more with Mr Bean than a ‘serious international player’. It wasn’t always this way. Before Brexit, Britain was seen as an open, multicultural, and forward-looking country - an attractive place for EU citizens to live and work. More ‘Cool Britannia’ than ‘Clown Show’. After Brexit, many Brits in Spain were painfully aware that our home country was being perceived as a closed and isolationist nation. The Brexit vote in June 2016 had many of our Spanish friends asking: ‘why are you committing hara-kiri?’ And they had good reason to ask, as the Pound nosedived against the Euro, the trade deficit went stratospheric, the Garden of Kent turned into a giant lorry park and thousands of postal items disappeared into customs
LAURA
SICK MAN OF EUROPE?
ANATOLY
LAURENCE
MERRY-GO-ROUND: Just five PMs in six years from Theresa to Boris and Truss to Cameron with Rishi in the middle
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N case you were wondering, another one of our journalists has made it to the Big Time! Madrileno Jorge Hinojosa (pictured above) has landed a job with the UK’s top-selling newspaper, the Sun. The UK-trained hack scooped the plum role after a six-month stint with the Olive Press in Malaga. Forced to go back to London or lose his working visa due to Brexit, he has joined the online edition as a general reporter. “Thanks for everything. It was all due to my experience at the Olive Press,” he said. He follows in the footsteps of Joe Duggan, who himself became a Sun reporter after a three-year traineeship at the Olive Press in 2018. He’s still there. And for the record, our two previous news editors are both currently working at the British nationals. Charlie Smith is carving out a career at the Express, while Laurence Dollimore is grafting with the Daily Mail in London. Meanwhile, Anatoly Kurmanaev is the New York Times correspondent in Mexico, Amie Keeley is a senior reporter at the Financial Times, Imogen Calderwood is Managing Editor at Global Citizen, and Annabel Grossman is the Associate Editor at the Independent. Finally, two former female stars, Iona Napier and Elisa Menendez, are both cutting the mustard with ITN News in London, while Laura Balfour makes documentaries for National Geographic and Netflix among others.
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GREEN
www.theolivepress.es
REACH FOR THE SKY
Spanish company developing ‘green’ rocket fuels SPACE rockets are not viewed as the most ecologically-friendly technology, with them spewing greenhouse gases high into the upper atmosphere. But now Spanish researchers are searching for a green solution. Spain’s first advanced biofuels plant - opening in Cartagena next year - will look to make sustainable fuel for reusable space rockets being made by Elche’s PLD Space. Repsol’s €200 million project at its existing refinery site at the Escombreras Valley will have the capacity to produce 250,000 tons of biofuels annually by recycling waste like cooking oil and non-food crops. The fuel giant has now signed an agreement with PLD Space to promote the use of biofuels in their rockets. The alliance will see feasibility studies conducted to replace current rocket fuels with others produced with sustainable raw materials. New types of fuel will also be made to measure at the Repsol Technology Lab for the propellants of the rockets manufactured by PLD Space. Rockets such as SpaceX use liquid kerosene similar to
GREEN TOUR
By Alex Trelinski
that used in civil aviation, or a specific type for rockets called RP-1. The challenge is to come up with new renewable fuels which would reduce the carbon footprint by at least 90%. PLD Space co-founder Rau
Verdu, said his company wants to ‘continue investigating alternatives that allow us to reduce our carbon footprint’.
The firm is developing two reusable craft, the Miura 1 suborbital and the Miura 5 orbital.
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
Too little AUTHORITIES in Barcelona and Madrid have pledged to plant six million trees in a bid to slash carbon emissions. Barcelona will be among the top three cities in the world to have the most trees per square kilometre. Researchers estimate the Catalan capital has about 1.4 million trees at present, resulting in 13,739 trees per sq km. But the city would need to plant more than 155 million trees to mitigate its current carbon footprint of 26.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to the research. Madrid has a current carbon footprint of 43.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The Spanish capital would need to plant more than 260 million trees to combat its emissions.
Greenwashing is a term you will hear increasingly. But what is it?
PULL THE OTHER ONE
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REENWASHING is when the management team within an organisation makes false, unsubstantiated, or completely misleading statements or claims about the sustainability of a product or a service they provide. Put simply…. lies.
There are so many examples: ● The well publicised Volkswagen fiasco where the company deliberately lied about vehicle emissions. ● HSBC bank was forced to remove billboard and poster advertising in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The posters omitted material information. Various images were used by HSBC to convey the belief to consumers that the bank was investing in
GREENPEACE has begun a tour of six Spanish municipalities with the aim of promoting renewable energies as part of a green recovery in the country. Apart from promoting renewable energy and energy saving among citizens, the campaign aims to pressure public administrations into switching to clean, cheap and safe energy sources in order to achieve 100% renewables by 2040.
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environmentally beneficial work. The ASA stated: “Customers would not expect that HSBC, in making unqualified claims, would be simultaneously involved in the financing of businesses that made significant contributions to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.” QUITE RIGHT. Many manufacturers jump on the ‘we use recycled materials’ bandwagon. What they don’t tell you is that they have a history of coercive labour practices or humanitarian issues. Coca Cola has spent millions declaring that 25% of its bottles are made from marine plastic. The company never references the fact that it is the world’s biggest plastic polluter. Kim Kardashian’s clothing company Skims prints on its compostable underwear packing ‘I am not plastic’. The small print states the product is plastic type 4 or LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene). Here in Spain, Mercadona, after the EU’s ban on plastic cutlery, rebranded the cutlery as ‘reusable’ instead of providing alternatives. ● Tesco claims that its flexible plastic packaging is new, improved and ‘recyclable’. But to be recycled, customers have to take packaging back to larger stores – and even then, it is unlikely to be recycled. Instead, it will almost certainly be exported, incinerated or sent to landfill.
Green
BAN: Rishi Sunak reinstated a ban on fracking
TIME TO STOP HIDING BEHIND LIES It is impossible to deny. Global warming is supercharging extreme weather at an astonishing speed. It’s visible here in Spain and around the world. Humans are causing climate breakdown and accelerating the toll of extreme weather around the planet. There is widespread loss of life and livelihoods due to more frequent heatwaves, floods, wildfires and droughts caused as a direct result of the climate crisis. FRACKING GOOD JOB RISHI SUNAK The new British PM gives a glimmer of hope to us all. Last week he reinstated the ban on fracking (the process of extracting natural gas by drilling/ blasting into the Earth). His short-lived predecessor, Liz Truss , had lifted the ban on the controversial process.
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OLIVE PRESS ALL EDITIONS - PROMO 3 - FP 342 X 256 - NOVEMBER 2/3/4, 2022
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BUSINESS
Playing it safe
THE University of Gibraltar has hosted two discussions between academics and the online betting industry on how to protect punters from the risks of gambling. The university’s Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming (CERG) held the sessions as part of the European Safer Gambling Week. Experts from the US and Canada talked about the challenges and advantages of getting companies to partner with academics in the first discussion held online. It was co-hosted by Yale University’s gambling research centre. The webinar is now available on the University of Gibraltar’s YouTube channel. CERG’s Chairperson Zsolt Demetrovics and Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner Andrew Lyman hosted an on-campus conference in the second event. In it, gaming professionals and researchers gave more talks on responsible gambling. During a round-table chat they discussed working together to understand gambling trends to stop punters getting addicted. “The presenters of these events demonstrated the mutual benefits of the collaboration between the two parties on independent research,” Professor Demetrovics said. “We saw some excellent examples of such joint work and discussed potential barriers of cooperation.”
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
Powering up Big rise in profits for Iberdrola energy giant
ENERGY provider Iberdrola has reported a 29% rise in profits over the first nine months of 2022 compared to the same period last year. This is down to its US and Brazilian operations as well as an increased investment in renewable energy. Profit figures in Spain tumbled by 14%, with Iberdrola putting it down to the summer droughts. Its overall bank balance is extremely healthy with a net €3.1 billion profit this year up to September. The company has projected an annual profit of up to €4.2
By Alex Trelinski
billion. Governments like the one in Spain, as well as a EU-wide initiative, have moved to impose windfall taxes on energy companies they believe are benefiting from higher prices
TARIFF DELAYS
DISCUSSIONS: At Gibraltar university
SPAIN'S competition regulator, the CNMC, will probe the country’s four leading gas suppliers for not doing enough to help consumers switch to the lowest tariff. Naturgy, Endesa, Iberdrola and TotalEnergies are obliged to offer the ‘Last Resort Rate’, known as the TUR. The tariff is capped by the government and is considerably lower than prices on the free market. Since the government approved a new TUR rate for communities that share a gas boiler and central heating systems, the requests to switch to the tariff have rocketed. It’s believed that customer service departments from the energy companies have not been able to cope.
POUND ON THE UP T
GBP/EUR exchange rate rocked by UK political chaos but bounces back after Sunak confirmed as PM
RADE in the pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate remained highly erratic through the second half of October amid UK political drama. Over the last two weeks, GBP/EUR has traded in a range between €1.16 and €1.13.
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING? The GBP/EUR exchange rate fluctuated wildly over the past couple of weeks, amid considerable UK political uncertainty. After initially spiking to a six-week high after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt scrapped almost all of his predecessor’s mini-budget, GBP/EUR almost immediately relinquished these gains amid questions over the future of Liz Truss’s premiership. Truss’ resignation just 45 days into the job, quickly put an end to this speculation. The pound initially firmed on the announcement, before the prospect of another Conservative leadership election erased these gains. Sterling then picked up again in the last week of October after Rishi Sunak was crowned the new Prime Minister. Sunak is seen as being more fiscally prudent than his predecessor, with GBP investors hopeful he will retsore some credibility to the UK government. The euro also traded in a wide range in recent weeks. While the single currency faced some headwinds amid concerns over the apparent escalation of the war in Ukraine, it also benefitted from some notable weakness in the US dollar. The euro then firmed toward the end of October ahead of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) latest interest rate decision. While EUR investors welcomed the bank’s second consecutive 75bps rate hike, the dovish tone of its accompanying statement undermined the single currency.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? The immediate focus for GBP investors will be the Bank of England’s (BoE) latest interest rate decision on November 3. There is considerable speculation over the size of the BoE’s upcoming rate hike following the recent UK fiscal uncertainty. Could an oversized hike stoke concerns over the impact on the UK economy and weaken the pound? Meanwhile, the euro is likely to remain highly sensitive to developments in Ukraine. Any signs that the conflict is continuing to escalate could drag on the single currency. PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that two-cent gap between €1.16 and €1.13 translates to a €6,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you. Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.
as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Iberdrola has been vocal in objecting to state intervention, claiming it fixes prices far in advance of wholesale market increases and that changing regulations might put off longer-term investment in cleaner energy. The firm’s investments were 14.2% up on the same period last year, with 90% allocated to renewables and smart grids to accelerate electrification and energy independence from fossil fuels.
Jobs
Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman, Jose Ignacio Sanchez Galan, said: “Accelerating investments in electrification will allow us to be less dependent on the volatility of oil and gas and generate more growth and more jobs, as this set of results shows.”
Happy airports SPAIN'S airport operator Aena expects October passenger numbers to return to 2019 levels - the first month back to the pre-pandemic level. It says the rise in travellers will continue, with carriers offering 5.3% more seats for the winter season, compared to a year ago. Aena is now hoping the final 2022 total will be higher than earlier predictions and will exceed a forecast of 85% of 2019 passenger numbers. Even though 60% more passengers went through its airports between July and September compared to 2021, Aena’s overall revenues rose by just 33%, with the operator’s third-quarter of 2022 net profit of €335 million 11% lower than had been expected.
Inflation drops SPAIN'S annual inflation rate has fallen to 7.3% in October according to preliminary figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE). That's a 1.6% drop on the September figure and is the lowest rate since January, before the war in Ukraine. It's the third consecutive month where inflation has fallen, something that has not happened since 2020.
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LA CULTURA
Writers return
A STAR-STUDDED line-up of speakers will flock to Gibraltar’s annual literary festival to be held from November 25-27 at various locations around the city. After two years in stasis because of the pandemic, the eighth Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival will feature journalists, Royal experts, academics, former MPs and public speakers. Three journalists will grace the stage with their words throughout the four day event. Raffi Berg is the Middle East editor of the BBC News website and has been journalist for 30 years. During his talk he will lift the lid on the true story of how Israeli secret agents set up a hotel in Sudan in the early 1980s, acting as staff by day and people smugglers by night.
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
GLOBAL STAGE
Expo 2027 bid by Malaga passes first hurdle
MALAGA is about to host the Davis Cup tennis final, has just secured a direct flight to New York and is now a step closer to hosting a huge world-famous international event. The port city is officially in the running to host Expo 2027, a global five-month event that brings together millions of visitors from 192 countries. The Bureau of International Expositions’ (BIE) deemed Malaga a suitable candidate to host the important event. The event attracts tens of millions of visitors.
Prehistoric Estepona HUGE: Malaga could By Expo Anthony Piovesan host 2027 London hosted the first Expo in 1851 - since then the events have grown and provide five months of activities, exhibitions, and inspiration on ways to make cities more
liveable and sustainable. Malaga hosting the Expo would generate €321m and attract 3.1 million people. Spain hosted the event before, in fact it was in Andalu-
High keys
ALL THAT JAZZ
INTERNATIONALLY renowned pianist Chucho Valdes will perform at a concert of African and Cuban jazz music in Torremolinos on November 17. The winner of seven Grammys and four Latin Grammys will be joined by Jose Gola on the electric bass, drummer Dafnis Prieto and Roberto Jr. Vizcaino on percussion. The musicians will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Cudeca Hospice, based in Benalmadena. The Cuban pianist, composer and arranger has left his mark in every musical style he has ventured into, with his name included in the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
ONE of the biggest events in Malaga during the autumn is just around the corner; the annual Malaga Jazz Festival. This year the festival celebrates its 36th anniversary with some 40 jazz concerts programmed. The main concerts will take place in the Cervantes Theatre from November 3 to 9, however, other public spaces will also be used for the musical festival, including parks and squares.
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7 Hardly extreme (7) 8 Aviator (5) 9 Norway, to its inhabitants (5) 10 Put in the ground (7) 11 Rounded projections along an edge (8) 14 Grind down (4) 16 Reverse command (4) 17 Wise Tsar redirects one who takes orders (8) 20 Warm air current (7) 22 Enhance (5) 24 Former Portuguese territory in South China (5) 25 Cart driver (7)
New regulations for English expat residents in Spain governing the mandatory issue of a Spanish driving license
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All solutions are on page 13
Event
Officials from each destination submitted a proposal detailing how they planned to host the event. Malaga’s proposal, deemed ‘feasible, viable and in line with the rules’ by the BIE, was labeled ‘The Urban Era: Towards the Sustainable City’. It includes a projected host date of June 5 - September 5, 2027, outlined €859 million to house the event and earmarked land at Buenavista to build the main site.
Tools
Among the remains discovered is a set of stone tools, which were used to scrape fat and hair from animal skins, to separate meat from bones and to polish wood and bone. The discovery has been made in an area next to the town centre, and it has become the first of its kind to be excavated in the Western Costa del Sol. In addition to the prehistoric remains, archaeologists have also unearthed the remains of a Roman site, possibly a farm about 2,000 years old.
Mandatory Spanish driving license
Across
1 Film-festival locale (6) 2 Half a shout of approval? (4) 3 Graceful antelope (7) 4 1965 Beatles film (4) 5 Little (4-4) 6 It has a bit (6) 8 Young horse (4) 12 Formal interview (8) TheOlivePress-256x170-CAR-4.i 13 Placed under a fairy ndd tale mattress (3) 15 Drunken Gran set about alien (7) 16 Period during which a machine is running (6) 18 One on watch (6) 19 Rounds (4) 21 Salacious (4) 23 Has (4)
cia also, when Sevilla played host in 1992. Malaga is the fifth final candidate, along with Minnesota in USA, Phuket in Thailand, Belgrade in Serbia and the Argentinian city of San Carlos de Bariloche.
A STUNNING archaeological site that has uncovered remains from 128,000 years ago has been found in Estepona. Town council employees found the site which dates back to the Lower Paleolithic, the earliest part of the Old Stone Age, in Las Mesas de Saladavieja.
EW regulations governing the mandatory issue of Spanish drivers license for British citizens is an issue that’s causing concern for some of our English expatriate customers. Our Legal Assistance service will keep you fully updated on all the latest news and provide details on driving schools closest to your home, where you can prepare for the exam in are now not valid. All existing agreements on English, consult the registration fees and raise highway regulations that protect the Member any questions you may have. States of the European Union have ceased to In this article we’ll explain the regulations and be valid and applicable. However, those British procedures that you’ll have to follow, and the drivers who do not have their main residence *Fully comp rehen sive offer valid for new custo mers only. Guara appro vedin garag e, and cour subje c than six possible sanctions for non-compliance. If you Spain and travel periods ntee of less tesy vehic le availafor bilit y. Subje c t to cond itions t to cover , repai r at . O ffer ends 30/11 /18. need more information or you’d like to speak to months (tourist type), may continue to drive in our Legal Assistance team, please call 919 180 Spain, during that period, with their original 022 and we’ll be happy to assist and advise you. permit. TM
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1
AUTOMATIC LICENSE EXPIRY AFTER APRIL 30, 2022 As of December 31, 2020, the UK ceased to belong to the European Union, and regulations that allowed driving in Spain, with a British driving license, ceased to be applicable. UK issued driving licenses were only authorized to drive in Spain until April 3O, 2022, and
ENGLISH FOR SPANISH LICENCE SWAP
2/8/18 17:01
Residents with a British driving licence, had until December 31, 2020 to swap and redeem theirs for a Spanish licence. Consequently, they must now obtain a new Spanish driving licence from scratch, submitting to the requirements and tests established in Spain for obtaining said.
Call their English-speaking customer service staff on 952 14 78 34 or get a competitive quote now at lineadirecta.com
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Malaga Linked
OVER the next five months Malaga airport will be linked with 119 destinations via 192 routes. From October 30 to March 25 airlines are offering 7.4 million on 43,834 flights - 13.6% more than the same period in 2019. The UK remains as the biggest market and has the most routes (39) and seats, totaling nearly 1,600,000 on nearly 8,500 flights to and from Malaga this winter. European destinations account for 148 of the programmed routes, with flights to and from the Netherlands, Italy, France, Denmark and Ireland, seeing considerably more seats available this year than previous years, including 2019, before the pandemic hit Europe.
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
SIMPLY THE BEST
Hotels in Madrid and Ibiza lead the way in a global luxury travel brand ranking WHEN it comes to the world’s best luxury hotels, Spain ticks many boxes. Now, a new hot list puts an exciting launch and two long-awaited relaunches of
Fast track to Madrid
THE iconic Caminito del Rey, an aerial trail built in the walls of the Gaitanes gorge in Malaga, has opened a new visitor centre. It has 240 parking spaces and a viewpoint overlooking the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir, which aims to promote sustainable mobility through a bus that connects it to the entrance and exit of Spain’s most famous hike.
PRIVATE high-speed train operator Iryo, the first low-cost ‘AVE’ to run routes between Malaga and Madrid, has announced its start date. The inaugural journey between Spain’s capital and the Costa del Sol will take place next March 31, with tickets for this and subsequent journeys already on sale.
By Jon Clarke
hotels over the last year at the top of the pile. Ibiza’s new Six Senses hotel and Madrid’s recently relaunched Mandarin Oriental Ritz and Rosewood Villa Magna are in the Top Three best global luxury brands for 2022. All three brands score over 80% in
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SUMPTUOUS: Ibiza’s Six Senses and (left) Mandarin Oriental Ritz
overall rating by the respected Luxury Travel Intelligence (LTI) body. The groups, which each opened (or reopened) hotels in Spain over the last 12 months, come way above the Ritz Carlton, Oberoi and Jumeirah brands. Four Seasons, Belmond and One&Only also score highly. It is the second year in a row Six Senses took the number one spot, while Rosewood has jumped an impressive seven places from ninth to second. Six Senses - which only has two other hotels in Europe, one on the Douro river in Portugal and another in the French Alps - opened in the north of Ibiza last summer.
The group has continually impressed LTI this year. “It delivers an authentic blend of wellness, sustainability, warm hospitality and crafted guest experiences,” it ruled.
Score
Assessed over a 12-month period each brand (which must have a minimum of 10 hotels) can get an accumulative maximum score of 4628, they score over 128 different areas. These relate to overall performance, not the performance of individual properties. The focus is on the brand’s ‘passion, commitment, ethos and values, as well as the quality of its management and staff’.
STRIKE WOES NEW strike days have been called by the Ryanair and Vueling unions which will affect numerous Spanish airports. Firstly, Spanish Ryanair ground staff have announced they will hold strikes up until January and secondly, Vueling cabin crew in Spain have announced they will take action every Friday, Sunday, Monday and on public holidays up until January 31 2023. The strike action called by Ryanair’s USO union will affect 22 Spanish airports including Malaga Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, Mallorca, Ibiza, Valencia and Almeria.
Ski Galore SIERRA Nevada’s Ski, Snowboard and Mountain Resort has surpassed its all-time record of advance ski pass sales. The resort’s recent campaign promoting advance purchase of long-term ski passes with discounts, has seen some 5,200 passes sold for 10, 15, 20 days or the entire individual or family season. These passes were sold between September 15 and October 17, where buyers were offered discounts between 20% and 30%. In total, the 5,192 ski passes that were sold will generate more than 76,000 days of skiing.
HEALTH Polio probability
Cutting costs
HEALTH chiefs in Gibraltar have reassured patients that nobody will go without medicine they need even if GPs are cutting down on prescriptions. Gibraltar Health Authority Director General Patrick Geoghegan explained that the decision to stop giving out some prescriptions won’t affect vital medication. “The GHA will not allow any of its patients to go without medication that they genuinely need,” he said. “It is important, however, to recognise that some medications are cheaper and easier to access over the counter than via prescription.” He said that another reason for the change was that ‘some prescribed medications have been changed from expensive brands to alternative generic options but what is inside the pack is medically the same’. “This policy is not about taking medicine away from patients who need it; it is about responsible use of the GHA’s resources .”
Concerns raised about the return of disease
By Alex Trelinski
CONCERNS over a possible return of polio has prompted Spain's emergency centre (CCAES) - led by the familiar 'pandemic' figure of epidemiologist Fernando Simon - to call for improved monitoring in the country. The CCAES says there's a 'considerable probability' that polio will circulate again in Spain but stressed that health risks were 'very low' due to high vaccination rates. Polio had been pretty much eradicated over the decades until a case was reported last year in Malawi.
THE FIRST outbreak of West Nile fever has been detected in Andalucia. The Junta reported that two horses had been infected in Tarifa. According to the administration, the outbreak was declared on October 17. The virus is transmitted by the bite of an insect, usually Culex mosquitoes. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms including headache, neck stiffness, disorientation and muscle weakness.
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
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Cancer care upgrade SAINT Bernard’s Hospital in Gibraltar has opened new ‘first class’ visiting and consultation areas at its cancer clinic. The refurbishment followed the yearly amount of patients being treated on the Rock as opposed to travelling abroad rising from 1,872 in 2018 to 5,861 last year. Now the Gibraltar Health Authority expects as many as 7,000 people to be treated at the Oncology ward in St Bernard’s Hospital. “This is an initiative that has made an enormous difference to our cancer patients, offering a space to see their doctor,” GHA Director General Patrick Geoghegan said: “This area has more privacy and amenities – in the coming weeks blood extractions will be performed here too.”
Feeling down
Consumption of antidepressants is increasing in Spain, according to data from the Ministry of Health. People under the age of 18 who take antidepressants were also twice as likely to experience suicidal behaviour, the research also showed. Spaniards consume more than 92 antidepressants every day for every 1,000 inhabitants. It places this type of medication as the fourth best-selling drug in the country. Use of the drug increased by 7.5% last November, which experts believe was caused by the pandemic.
GET JABBED: Polio is on the return
International interest also rose when the virus was detected in wastewater in
Virus warning The last outbreak of the virus was in the same month last year and affected 10 horses. In 2022 there were 32 outbreaks in Andalucia. In September the first positive case of the virus in a person this year was recorded. An 89-year-old woman from Vejer de la Frontera was infected.
OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword
Across: 7 Average, 8 Flier, 9 Norge, 10 Planted, 11 Scallops, 14 File, 16 Undo, 17 Waitress, 20 Thermal, 22 Adorn, 24 Macao, 25 Wagoner Down: 1 Cannes, 2 Hear, 3 Gazelle, 4 Help, 5 Pint-size, 6 Bridle, 8 Foal, 12 Audience, 13 Pea, 15 Strange, 16 Uptime, 18 Sentry, 19 Ammo, 21 Lewd, 23 Owns
the UK. The CCAES - part of Spain's Health Ministry - believes all necessary precautions should be taken. An evaluation says: “Given the epidemiological situation and fewer vaccinations internationally coupled with less surveillance in Spain in the last decade, we should focus on coordinating all of the aspects that are part of the Spanish Action Plan for the Eradication of Polio.”
Warns
The plan includes keeping the vaccination schedule up to date, especially among children, as well as reinforcing surveillance and carrying out training among medical staff to be aware that polio could still be around. The CCAES warns that in recent years there been circumstances that 'make it difficult to achieve eradication' It suggests that the focus on Covid-19 has resulted in less attention being paid to detecting other diseases early on. It added that some people have also taken a negative stance against all vaccines, even when their children are involved.
PUT IT OUT! SPAIN’S Asociacion Española contra el Cancer (Aecc) has called for a total ban on smoking in several ‘emblematic sites’ in the province of Malaga as well as terrace restaurants, bar terraces, beaches and parks. The call comes following Sevilla’s approval of a non-smoking initiative in two ‘emblematic’ spaces totaling 34 hectares in the heart of the city; the Maria Luisa Park and the Plaza de España, the most famous square in Sevilla. This is not the first time the Aecc has called for smoke-free zones to be implemented in Malaga. Last May, coinciding with World No Tobacco Day, the Aecc called for a total ban on smoking in Malaga’s iconic Calle Larios, the main setting for the city’s famous Christmas lights display as well as other open spaces such as terraces, beaches, parks and gardens.
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
CREAM AT THE TOP The 20 chart-topping Spaniards milking it in the world’s Top 100 restaurant list, presented by Dilip Kuner
S
PANISH cuisine is up there with the best in the world and is starting to dominate the charts. Madrid has just hosted a global gathering for the 100 Best Chefs Award, and no less than 20 Spaniards across 16 restaurants got a listing, compared to just 10 in France. From Dabiz Muñoz - this year’s winner for the second year running - to two-times chart topper Joan Roca in third, every
Mother and daughter team Fina Puigdevall and Martina Puigvert share their ranking (and two Michelin stars). Their restaurant, Les Cols, lo- NEW ENTRY cated in the masía farmhouse where Fina was born and brought up her three children, focuses on local produce from the La Garrotxa region. Martina has taken over from her mother as head chef and is keeping the family tradition going. PACO PEREZ - Enoteca, Barcelona Perez’s passion for cooking started at a very early age. At just 12-years-old he started working in the tapas bar owned by his family and was hooked by cooking. He headed to France to train under Michel Guerard, one of the fathers of Nouvelle cuisine and holder of three Michelin stars. He then returned to work at, for a long time, the world’s best restaurant, El Bulli. In 2008, Perez took over the kitchen of Enoteca at the Hotel Arts Barcelona, where he has NEW ENTRY won two Michelin stars.
#87 #87
MARTIN BERASATEGUI Restaurante Martin Berasategui, Loidi Kalea
#42
DANI GARCIA Tragabuches, Marbella
RETURN
JAVIER & SERGIO TORRES Cocina Hermanos Torres, Barcelona
#41
NEW ENTRY
#36
VICTOR ARGUINZONIZ Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Bizkaia
Paco Roncero is the head chef of his same name restaurant in central Madrid (previously Casino), where he has two Michelin stars. He is also credited 9 PLACES with developing ‘molecular cuisine’ and has the most expensive restaurant in the world, Sublimotion in Ibiza. It is known for its unique dining experience and extreme cost with an average price, per head, of slightly over €1,900.
#33
24 PLACES
Twin brothers Javier and Sergio Torres started in the world of cuisine when they were 14 years old. After having separate careers and working in renowned restaurants all over the world, they united again in 2002 to start new projects together. Their restaurant, Cocina Hermanos Torres, has two Michelin stars.
QUIQUE DACOSTA Quique Dacosta, Denia, Valencia
Dacosta is one of the leaders in modern avant-garde cuisine, a keen supporter of the Slow Food Movement, and uses only products sourced locally. While he has his own three Michelin star joint in Denia, he also has two stars in nearby El Poblet and has a star as director and culinary creator of the amazing Deessa restaurant at Madrid’s Mandarin Oriental Ritz. It received its first Michelin star just seven months after its opening.
#19
51
Morales opened Noor with the aim of putting Andalucian gastronomy on the map. In just over three years he had done just that by gaining two Michelin stars. His capacity for innovation and his personality have allowed him to bring the aromas and flavours of the moorish Al-Andalus cuisine to a modern audience. He has recreated ancient recipes and techniques in a contemporary and avant-garde way.
Garcia began his career with Martin Berasategui, with whom he says he shares ‘his DNA as a chef’. He won his first Michelin star at the age of 25 at Tragabuches in Ronda. He left and eventually earned three stars at his own name restaurant in Marbella, but handed them back just weeks after winning the final star. He has since opened nearly a dozen other restaurants, many of them Bibos, around Spain and abroad and even made money creating his own unique McDonald’s hamburger. However, he has now returned to his roots by opening a Tragabuches in his native Marbella, focused on local Andalucian cuisine.
This restaurant has an urban and industrial look and a relaxed feel that reflects the personality of the chef. The name is an acronym of his core philosophy: ‘Days to Smell, Taste, Amaze, Grow & Enjoy’. Guerrero brings PLACES disparate cultures, ingredients and flavours together from Spain, Mexico and Japan to such effect that he has two Michelin stars.
PACO RONCERO Paco Roncero Restaurant, Madrid
11 PLACES
#56
One of the grandfather’s 14 PLACES of modern Spanish cooking, Martin Berasategui oversees his Basque Country restaurant and is one of the most decorated chefs in the country, with eight Michelin Stars to his name. His restaurant offers edgy a la carte and tasting menus and has an impressive wine cellar to match. He won’t be happy with his drop in the charts.
DIEGO GUERRERO DSTage, Madrid
PACO MORALES Noor, Cordoba
#54
one of these culinary maestros has their own unique take on gastronomy. Like true artists, their edible masterpieces are never conventional and always have the power to enthrall. And the best thing about it; there are many new entries and they are spread right across the country from Cadiz to Valencia and Marbella to Cordoba.Here’s the full rundown of Spain’s best and how they match up to last year’s charts.
#96
MARTINA PUIGVERT & FINA PUIGDEVALL Les Cols, Olot, Catalunya
#38
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
PIC CREDIT: noorrestaurant.es
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Arguinzoniz’s groundbreaking Basque Country restaurant uses local firewood to NEW ENTRY create a unique grill cooking process using local, natural products. Overseen by Victor Arguinzoniz who even char-grills his desserts, his signature chorizo tartare and tomahawk steak don’t come cheap at €242 as part of the set menu. But many a foodie still make a pilgrimage here from around the world.
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
November 2nd - November 15th 2022
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EPICENTRE: Heat map chart to the world’s best cuisine
1 4 3
5
10
1
3 14
GRAPHIC: Keith Franks - Olive Press
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1 16 16
STYLISH: Cellar de Can Roca at no. 3 and (above) a dish at Azurmendi ENEKO ATXA - Azurmendi, Bilbao
#18
Atxa is a leading player in Modern Basque Cuisine. Azurmendi takes you on a culinary journey from the rooftop vegetable garden to an indoor greenhouse. An eco-friendly es- 13 PLACES tablishment, Azurmendi uses environmentally-friendly materials and recycles its own waste. For this, Eneko won The Sustainable Restaurant Award in 2014. Far from a conventional restaurant, his truffled egg is cooked inside out and edible cotton can be tasted in the indoor greenhouse. Azurmendi boasts three Michelin stars. ANGEL LEON - Aponiente, El Puerto de Santa María Known across Spain as ‘el Chef del Mar’, Angel Leon is noted for his experimental seafood. In 2017, Aponiente earned its third Michelin star (the first and second were won in 2010 and 2014), making it Andalucia’s first-ever three-Michelin-starred restaurant. He is currently engaged with a project explore the culinary uses of sea35 PLACES to grass.
#13
#1 SAME
ORIOL CASTRO, MATEU CASANAS & EDUARD XATRUCH Disfrutar, Barcelona
#7
#5
ANDONI LUIS ADURIZ - Mugaritz, Renteria Andoni Luis Aduriz has stayed near the top again for his revolutionary restaurant in the Basque region. Always thinking ahead and constantly questioning the logic of global cuisine, this self-confessed kitchen rebel takes an unapologetic approach to cooking. A genuine maverick, the UK’s Restaurant Magazine has had him in its Top 10 for the last decade. Oddly, in the Best Chefs list he has fluctuated up and down from 30th to 70th between 2017 to 2020, before making No3 last year.
Slightly confusingly, the ‘chef’ in seventh spot is actually three people from Disfru1 PLACE tar restaurant. The history and legacy of the Mediterranean is a running theme at this trendy city restaurant, set up by three trainees originally from Ferran Adria’s legendary El Bulli, just up the coast. Influenced by fishing village fare, the menu transports your mind from old to new and metropolis to farm terrace. Their aim? To amaze, stimulate and create through gastronomy.
2 PLACES
JOAN ROCA - El Celler de Can Roca, Girona Joan has yet again taken the plaudits, but his restaurant is a family affair. There’s Joan, the architect of taste; Jordi, the sweet anarchist; and Josep, the magic ingredient: three brothers, inspired heavily by their mother’s cooking, their repertoire stirred by childhood memories and created with love and generosity for their customers. Opened in 1986, it has three Michelin stars. The food is simple but creative, old yet new - lamb with bread and tomato, St George’s mushrooms with avocado and cava made at the restaurant.
#3
1 PLACE
MY FOOD’S LIKE A GUNSHOT TO THE HEAD! Still #1 for the second year running, the Olive Press interviewed Muñoz in 2013 DABIZ MUÑOZ - Diver XO, Madrid
Chef Dabiz Muñoz has built a reputation as a pioneering and creative adventurer. Still only in his 30s, he continual-
ly surprises with his unique approach to cooking, describing his food to the Olive Press as being ‘like a gunshot to
NO PORKERS: A young Dabiz was open and honest in an Olive Press interview in 2013, (above right) his restaurant today
the head’. DiverXO specialises in fusion cuisine combining different culinary traditions to produce an experimental menu that’s as unconventional as it is sophisticated. Born in Madrid, he is internationally recognised for his cooking and fabulous restaurants. He currently has three Michelin stars. In the week he scooped his third coveted star in 2013, he told the Olive Press: “This is an honour for all Spanish chefs and for Spanish cuisine in general.” Highly complimentary of the British food scene, he credited London for helping to shape his career, having worked at restaurants in the capital including Nobu and Hakkassan for six years. “I am mad about London and have a lot of friends there.
The food scene is so vibrant, way above Paris. There are so many influences from Asia, the Americas, everywhere.” Posing with his trademark porcelain pig (left), he concluded: “The philosophy for the restaurant is like my philosophy on life. I call it total cooking. You need an open mind. It is almost pornographic, completely nat-
ural and laid out bare. It’s like a rollercoaster ride and I want the taste to be like a gunshot to the head.” Editor Jon Clarke reviewed DiverXo the following year, describing it as the ‘best meal’ he had eaten in Spain. That stands today. “The simple explosion of flavours, the pure joy of what has been produced, the enthusiasm
of the staff… we laughed through the entire meal,” he recalls this week. “I ended my review saying, his creativity and influence on Spanish cuisine would ‘keep Spain a head and shoulders above the French for the next decade’. And that has certainly come to pass. The way things are going it may be two or three decades.”
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Animal crossing
FINAL WORDS
AT least one accident per day on Alicante Province roads is caused by an animal running onto a highway, with 373 incidents logged last year.
Jewel aid AN emerald that was recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which sank 400 years ago, will be auctioned in New York for an estimated €70,000, with cash raised going to support the Ukrainian resistance.
Fruit rustler POLICE have arrested a man who took 250 kilos of premium pomegranates from an Elche farm. The 50-year-old man attacked the crop owner before he fled in his van.
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Canoe believe it! British man capsized in English Channel was trying to paddle to Spain, claims rescuer A BRITISH man thought he had arms of steel to navigate the English channel and kayak to Spain. But it turns out he has a gut of steel instead after the Blackpool resident capsized and claimed to have survived for 12 days eating just seaweed and raw mussels, and drinking rainwater. Daniel Lewis was found in the middle of the English Channel clinging to a buoy after his inflatable kayak capsized.
By Anthony Piovesan
Dutch fisherman Tunis Van Luut rescued the 28-year-old, who told him that he had been trying to paddle to Spain and had been out at sea since October 15. Van Lutt revealed that Lewis was unable to stand when they pulled him onboard the French fishing vessel De Madelaine.
A STAG party whose rowdy behaviour caused a high-speed AVE train to be late after they refused to get off when ordered, have been told to pay €7,676 compensation to delayed passengers. A Madrid court has told the 11 people to cough up nearly €700 each after train operator Renfe paid €7,676 in compensation to 216 passengers as its ‘punctuality’ code had been broken.
RESCUE: Daniel Lewis was hauled out of the sea The skipper said: “He needed your clothes, just your swimwater and he was drinking a lot, ming shorts - there was nothing and I asked him who are you else. His condition was so bad and how is it possible that you I could see his eyes were very are here on this buoy without deep in his head and he had a lot of blue veins on his head and arms. “He told me he wanted to go to Spain, but I said that is stupid because of the distance.” The ambitious paddler is now The party was ordered to leave the Madrid to recovering in hospital. Malaga service at Cordoba, but they refused Coastguards in France said it and carried on drinking, singing and shouting. did not appear Lewis was expePolice were called to remove the drunken mob rienced or ready to attempt to from the train, resulting in a 15-minute delay. cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Expensive do
A PARROT caught up in a shop blaze was saved from becoming an ‘ex-parrot’ after firemen gave him oxygen. Gandia and Oliva firefighters on the Costa Blanca had been called out to extinguish the fire in an electric scooter shop, with smoke and fumes belching from the premises. A check of the empty premises uncovered a parrot suffering from smoke inhalation and high temperatures. Quick as a flash, they revived him with a whiff of oxygen before he - in words Monty Python may have said - ‘went to meet his maker’.
Booze control
A MAN accused of stealing 45 bottles of wine with a value of €1.6 million has also been charged with stealing a bottle of whiskey worth €5,000. Constantin Dumitru, allegedly pulled off the wine theft from the Atrio hotel and restaurant in Caceres, Extremadura. Now Dumitru is accused of stealing a bottle of Balvenie, valued at €5,250 in a separate incident.
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