Olive Press Gibraltar - Issue 191

Police refuse to dig for Amy despite new

letter demanding action

BEACH INVASION

SPANISH customs officers landing on Eastern Beach apparently firing shots as they chase smugglers has been slammed as ‘a gross violation of British sovereignty’.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo added the early morning landing was ‘the most serious and dangerous incident for many years’.

The officers had landed on Gibraltar territory at around 5am, with reports suggesting they fired up to eight shots to ward off smugglers who had been throwing stones at them.

Two agents were injured in the incident, one seriously, after the gang threw rocks at them from Eastern Beach.

Gibraltar police and army investigators spent the next day searching the beach for bullet casings after residents claimed to have heard at least two shots being fired.

A video seen by thousands on social media gave a visual account of what happened last Thursday when a Spanish SVA customs launch started chasing the suspected tobacco smugglers. As two boats escaped onto Eastern Beach the customs officers followed them on a dinghy in stormy seas.

Contraband

Once ashore, the smugglers surrounded the officers as they seized their contraband.

“Get them! You are going to find out,” one can be heard screaming on video. It is understood the officers then fired the warning shots, with one of them seriously injured as a stone hit his mouth.

The smugglers were then seen fishing the boxes of seized tobacco back from the police boat.

Finally, the officers called for help from Gibraltar police who arrived at the scene and managed to break up the smugglers and police.

Once the officers got their dinghy to float again they left the scene and were later treated at Algeciras hospital. One had a broken nose while the other suffered multiple fractures to his face,

Continues on page 2

Left in Limbo

‘Sharp’ and ‘shoddy’ practices land dozens of foreign villa buyers millions out of pocket as Costa developer collapses

LAWYERS have been joined by mortgage brokers and agents to slam a giant construction firm that has left up to 100 foreign buyers ‘likely tens of millions’ of euros out of pocket.

Urgent legal moves are taking place after all projects of the firm Otero ground to a halt on the Costa del Sol, the Olive Press can reveal.

Countless firms and hundreds of workers have pulled off the sites after Otero stopped fulfilling its payments on January 25.

Dozens of clients have called in lawyers demanding to know what has happened to their investments for luxury villas costing between €500,000 and €2 million.

One legal firm, Martinez-Echevarria, confirmed it was representing ‘around 20 clients’ who had bought properties in Marbella, Estepona and Manilva.

“The majority are foreign, English, Dutch and Belgians, etc, but what links them is they have all paid a lot of money, up to €2m each,” lawyer Fermin Siguenza told the Olive Press.

He added his company was also

By Jon Clarke & Walter Finch

representing a number of agents and contractors.

“We don’t know how much we will be able to recover or even if the clients are protected. It’s early days, but we are trying our best.”

Meanwhile, a Marbella-based mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola revealed he was helping four clients, who have lost out.

“They are royally screwed, especially as the unpaid contractors are taking everything moveable off the sites, including windows, and even kitchens.”

He continued: “I didn’t like the way Otero operated from the beginning and I tried to tell agents not to work with them due to their sharp practices.”

The Olive Press has spoken to workers from at least three companies removing their materials from one site, called Oceanic, in Manilva. One employee of Fartech claimed that ‘well over a million euros’ is

owed to firms at this site alone.

The Cadiz firm is owed ‘at least’ €150,000 for security equipment for the 24 homes, 20 of which have already been sold at between €1.3 and €1.8 million.

“It’s a massive hit for us,” explained the Argentinian, who gave his name as Mario. “But there are loads more suppliers and firms who have lost more than Fartech.

“Some are owed €500,000, others up to a million.”

He added: “It’s a total joke that they flattened this area, put up a few concrete shells and then it all collapsed on January 25 when cheques stopped cashing.

“We’ve heard rumours that

the owners have fled to Venezuela, but nobody knows.”

The Olive Press has learnt that the company had first failed to pay its suppliers the previous month in December, just two months after the firm sponsored a giant glitzy charity bash for cancer research in Marbella.

A month later, in November, it boasted how it had won no less than eight awards at the Newbuild Awards Costa del Sol, including ‘Best Property Developer’. “We rocked,” a press release screamed above a picture of boss Ruben holding a gong.

Stopped

A company Christmas message meanwhile insisted 2022 had been ‘full of successes, achievements and joys’, while on January 12 the company announced it had hired a new sales advisor, Nicholas Roberts. This week, however, an employee working in the company’s office in Marbella confirmed that ‘all projects were stopped around 10 days ago’.

“It’s a real shame and we are trying hard to solve the problems, which are tough,” she said, passing over an email for the company lawyer, who has so far refused to comment. An agent for its Oceanic development, Mario Ballesteros, was more forthcoming.

“I’m also in limbo and have only just found out myself having been on holiday,” he told the Olive Press “While I’m not directly responsible I feel sad for all the buyers, but I may be out of a job too.”

Manilva town hall meanwhile offered guarantees to companies affected by the defunct developments, understood to include Duquesa Valley, La Paloma and Don Amaro to enable them to finish the units.

Victims

A spokesman admitted there were ‘many victims’ but added it wanted to make the area ‘liveable’ for those who had bought.

He added the town hall would be working ‘side-by-side’ with the

contractors to ‘minimise’ the problems caused by Otero’s collapse.

When pressed by the Olive Press over what level of support they would offer, the town hall replied that ‘it all depends on how events unfold’.

See ‘Like living in the Wild West’ on page 7

EXCLUSIVE

PACKING UP: Gear being removed

ly what happened but I have not seen the owner Ruben for months. I don’t know what will happen next.” He confirmed that of the 20 buyers at the development, all of them were foreign. “Only four had not been sold.”

From front page

Hotshot returns

PC Gaiviso, a new Gibraltar Defence Police officer completed a firearms course at the MoD Police Training Centre in Portsmouth, UK.

Young artists

NEARLY 90 Year 6 students from St Bernard’s Upper Primary School in Gibraltar visited the Mario Finlayson National Art Gallery as part of their studies.

Ticking clock

DEPUTY Chief Minister Joseph Garcia updated the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses on how failing to get an EU treaty would affect their work.

Seeing red

GOVERNOR’S Meadow Lower Primary School took part in the Wear Red Day in support of the Gibraltar Cardiac Association during ‘Heart month’.

Neighbourly artwork

A MEMBER of the Moroccan royal family turned up at an exhibition of nine artists from Gibraltar at the Kent Gallery in Tangier as part of a cultural exchange.

Gibraltar Minister for Culture and the Environment John Cortes opened the art exhibition attended by artists and local musicians.

“The cultural connections this artistic exchange is already generating will serve to significantly bring our communities closer through culture, understanding, and friendship,” Seamus Byrne, head of

Gibraltar Cultural Services said.

Royal family member Lala Malika Alaoui also showed Cortes around the Donabo Tangier Botanical Gardens she oversees.

The gardens are located in a forest area of Tangier overlooking the sea and features its own cafe built using traditional methods.

Cortes said he saw ‘so many parallels’ in the Donabo Gardens to his own work at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens.

“Discussions with our hostess highlighted the many possibilities of fomenting

cultural, social and educational links between Gibraltar and Tangier further,” he added.

UNIONS FREED

UNIONS will soon be able to represent workers throughout the private sector in Gibraltar in pay struggles, apparently to the ire of the business community.

While Unite the Union welcomed the move as ‘a very positive step’, the Chamber of Commerce and GFSB attacked the government.

Unions will now be able to

Workers rights boosted in private sector but not everyone happy

By John Culatto

apply to the Director of Employment when an employer refuses to recognise a union, a long-term manifesto promise. The authorities will then oblige

THE Gibraltar Government has called the 12th round of post-Brexit talks between the UK and the EU in London ‘positive and constructive’. Political leaders from Gibraltar then attended further talks in Malaga.

Attorney General Michael Llamas represented Gibraltar’s views during the negotiations in the British capital.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia took part in the London meeting by video call and went

the company to accept the union, if enough of the workers are members. And workers can now bring union representatives to disciplinary and grievance hearings.

Steven Linares, Minister for Industrial Relations, said the

TALKS ROLL ON

to Malaga last week.

“The Government remains optimistic that a treaty can be concluded, which is safe, secure and beneficial for Gibraltar,” a spokesman said.

Although the three sides have reached some agreement, major issues like joint use of the airport, tax and pensions need to be tackled.

new law was a result of ‘detailed consultation with the Chamber of Commerce, the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses and the relevant unions’.

“Most employers already accept that modern trade union practices are as advantageous to them as to employees,” Linares added.

But the Chamber said it ‘had questioned why the Government should be doing the bidding of the unions’.

But the government retorted that by backing the party the public had decided that ‘contrary to the Chamber’s view, such a law was necessary’.

Unite Gibraltar National Officer Stuart Davies said it was ‘long-awaited legislation’ but at the same time pointed out some minor issues to work on in the future.

forcing doctors to keep him in hospital for surgery.

Picardo has now met with Governor David Steel to prepare further diplomatic moves against Spain to protest the incursion.

“The evidence surrounding this incident discloses a gross violation of British sovereignty and, potentially, the most serious and dangerous incident for many years,” Picardo said.

“Before reacting we must of course be sure of the facts but the events indicate that the actions by the Spanish officials are intolerable.”

Either way, he did reach out to his Spanish counterparts to inquire after the well-being of the officers in question.

“We continue to work with our law enforcement agencies in reaching final determinations as to the location of the discharge of weapons,” he added.

“We will also work with the United Kingdom Government in order to determine the appropriate response in respect of these dangerous actions and gross violation of our British sovereignty by the presence of Spanish law enforcement officials in Gibraltar.”

Spain’s reaction was predictable with Antonio Sanz of the Junta insisting ‘the only enemies are those who break the law’. He said Gibraltar must ‘take effective measures’ against tobacco smuggling and ‘not distract attention from other issues of sovereignty and diplomacy’.

WARMING NEWS

WITH the current biting temperatures, a zoo has been forced to take action to keep its residents nice and toasty.

Many of the animals, such as gorillas, orangutans, meerkats and red pandas, at BioPark Fuengirola come from tropical climes and have little time for genuinely cold weather. So to keep them warm, a series of tricks have been employed by keepers.

These include radiant floor heating both inside and outside enclosures, heat lamps, heated beds and warm pools. Diligent zookeepers have also modified the animals’ diets to include vitamin supplements, vegetable broths and herbal teas for an immune system boost.

LAST LAUGH

An expat comedy club that hosted the like of Eddie Izzard and Michael McIntyre closes after 18 years

BACK in 2005, a new comedy club arrived in Madrid and Barcelona. The brainchild of Irish promoter Stephen Garland, the idea was to bring top-flight comedians from the Edinburgh Fringe to Spain for the first time.

Legendary Irish comedian Jason Byrne was the first to appear. His outstanding show, performed at the Giggling Guiri in both cities, was a taste of things to come.

Nearly two decades on, another top stand-up comedian, England’s Seann Walsh, became the final act at the club.

“I’ve got the jackpot of multiple sclerosis,” Garland tells the Olive Press, explaining his main reason for throwing in the towel. “It’s ‘primary progressive’, and generally that’s a fast-track to the end.”

Having studied music and media management, Garland arrived in Barcelona in 2002

EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Hunter

and soon ‘had the bright idea of making an Irish festival’. The multidisciplinary event was planned around Saint Patrick’s Day, 2004 but, unfortunately for him, the date coincided with the 11-M terrorist attacks in Madrid. As Spaniards came out onto the street to protest in response to the atrocity, the crowds stayed away from the shows.

Wounds

“So I went back to the drawing board, to lick my wounds, and the following year I decided to make a comedy club in Barcelona and Madrid,” he says. The result was a consistent run of award-winning shows. Among the major names that were tempted over were Eddie Izzard, Michael McIntyre,

Star visit

Stephen K. Amos, Reginald D. Hunter, Arj Barker and even Howard Marks, the notorious Welsh drug smuggler-turned raconteur.

As well as health issues, the pandemic has also played a part in the decision to call it a day. The shows that were the stock in trade of the Giggling Guiri were no longer pulling in the punters. “The world has moved on, and now the pandemic has pushed everyone to watch their

HOLLYWOOD star Nicole Kidman has been posting photos of herself on Mallorca. She is among other stars, including Morgan Freeman, who are filming a series called Lioness for Paramount+. Filming is set to continue until the start of March.

Lioness is based on true events and tells the story of a young marine recruited by the CIA to befriend the daughter of a terrorist group in order to bring down the organisation from within. Paramount+ is working in collaboration with Balearic studio Palma Pictures, as well as SurFilms.

Winning smile

STAR of Chocolat and The English Patient, amongst many other films, Juliette Binoche is to be honoured at the Goyas. The French actor and twice Oscar winner, 58, will be presented with an International Goya at the prestigious ceremony, being held in Sevilla on Saturday.

The academy described the Parisienne as ‘one of the most admired and recognised names in European cinema’.

Last year Cate Blanchett received the first-ever International Goya Award.

comedy on streaming.”

Another major issue for Garland is the need to pro mote gigs via social media channels: “I no longer have the patience for them!” he complains. “They’re so time consuming.”

Seann Walsh blew the crowd away in Barcelona and then proceeded to do the same in Madrid on the following night for the very last show.

Emotional

Garland took to the stage before the main act and gave an emotional speech, clearly somewhat unsteady on his feet due to the MS.

After Walsh’s show was over, the promoter got back up and said more words. This time he was very unsteady on his feet given he was, as he puts it, ‘hammered!’

But no one in the crowd –some of whom were at that very first gig back in 2005 –could blame him. They were just very grateful for all the laughs he’d brought them.

IN COMMON: Binoche and Blanchett - both Goya winners

Date with Beyonce

SINGING superstar Beyonce will be hitting the stage in Barcelona.

The American’s Renaissance World Tour will make a stop off at the city’s Olympic Stadium on June 8.

The Barcelona date is her only stop in Spain and will mainly showcase songs from her al bum Renaissance, including hits like Cuff it and Break my soul

Beyonce has previously performed at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona in August 2016 to present her album Lemonade, and in July 2018, on that occasion with her husband, Jay-Z, as part of the On The Run II tour.

SPECIAL GUEST: Garland (left) with Eddie Izzard

GROUND ZERO

Taxi hailed

FAMOUS Gibraltar pop-rock band ‘Taxi’ sold out their first three local concerts in four years at the Sunborn Hotel. Taxi played English and Spanish songs with all their usual energy over the two nights at the Sunborn Floating Hotel. Now, the band-members are writing new material after their last album came out in 2013.

Charismatic Gibraltarian vocalist Dylan Ferro heads the band, with two fellow locals Dani Fa and Daniel Bugeja playing guitar alongside him. The group played at a few Spanish festivals last summer ahead of a busier calendar this year. The talented musicians will play two more shows on February 10 and 11, both at the Aurora Ballroom in the Sunborn Hotel.

Biodiversity

NATURE and environmental experts from the UK visited to meet local scientists and find out how to best preserve Gibraltar’s biodiversity.

The UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs held a two-day workshop on the Rock.

DESOLATE: The derelict racecourse and how we reported the case

EXCLUSIVE:

POLICE have not ruled out digging up a section of a derelict racecourse where teenage expat Amy Fitzpatrick is allegedly buried. But they told the Olive Press this week they need ‘more information’ before bringing in diggers to search for the missing 15-yearold.

It comes despite Amy’s aunt handing a letter (right) to the Spanish embassy in Ireland yesterday, revealing how she received a phone call in 2014 claiming the teenager was killed and is buried at the Mijas Hipodromo.

Christine Kenny told the Olive Press the anonymous source told her that her niece was interred ‘beneath stable block five’. However, the Guardia Civil confirmed it had still not searched the site insisting ‘the case of Amy is on hold’. “We haven’t investigated the

By Anthony Piovesan

racetrack,” a spokesperson told the Olive Press. “Once we receive a valid clue to carry on looking for Amy then we will present it to the court and a judge can make a decision about how we proceed. “At the moment we don’t have sufficient information.” Amy would have celebrated her 31st birthday yesterday (Tuesday) - having vanished from Mijas Costa on New Year’s Day in 2008.

Vandalised

The Olive Press sent a reporter to investigate the 250 hectare site.

Completely deserted, it has been badly vandalised and neglected.

The gate is open and it’s clear that many teenagers use it as a place to socialise, with hundreds of smashed

Despite new demands in Ireland, police tell Olive Press ‘we need more information’ before digging up a derelict site, where missing Amy, 15, may be buried

drinks bottles and empty packets of cigarettes.

Empty crates pile up inside an old Irish pub, while dusty documents are strewn over desks inside an old veterinary clinic.

While there are no obvious signs, the derelict site is the ideal spot for criminals to bury a body, or dispose of vital evidence.

None of the stable blocks are numbered, but all of them are empty.

It would certainly make sense for police to search the site for any clues that could solve the case.

The location is just a short 10-minute drive from where Amy vanished in Riviera del Sol, sparking a long mystery

that once pointed the finger at her stepfather.

“It’s never been dug up and I would plead with the police to investigate this,”

Amy’s aunt told the Olive Press, last night.

Murder

She is urging the case to be upgraded to ‘murder’ and submitted a letter to the Spanish embassy in Dublin yesterday.

“I’m really hoping this new

missive will bring more pressure onto the Spanish authorities to act.. We want to bring Amy home for a proper burial.” Meanwhile, Amy’s best friend Kimberley Simpson, who grew up with her on the Costa del Sol said investigating the racecourse ‘would be a good start’ in finding out what happened.

“I don’t know why they haven’t just dug it up,” the British girl told the Olive Press,

Studio plans

ARTISTS could soon have their very own space to create freely 24 hours a day, seven days a week, under government plans.

Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) is calling for anyone who is interested in renting low-cost studio spaces from the government.

The Ministry of Culture proposal will include ceramics and printmaking facilities available to everyone. The project was inspired by a visit by Minister for Culture John Cortes to The Art Hub in Woolwich, London.

“Letters confirming interest should be sent to CEO, Gibraltar Cultural Services, 308 Main Street by Friday February 17, 2023,” the Ministry of Culture said.

952 147 834

from her home in Kent this week. “She was my best friend, I miss her so much.” Last month, another friend, Alan Quieros, a former expat who grew up in Marbella, even insisted he was prepared to come over and dig it up himself.

“It’s not like you would be disturbing any businesses, or homes, it’s a disused racetrack and we’ve been told exactly which stable she is allegedly under.”

SPACE: Studio available to all

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

PLEA: From Amy’s aunt for a new police probe

SORELY MISSED: Amy and her best friend Kim on a Malaga beach

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

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

Respecting customs

THE Rock is still reeling from the latest incursion by Spanish customs at Eastern Beach recently.

While it is understandable that the customs officers were severely outnumbered and probably had to fire the warning shots as rocks rained down on them, the way it unfolded has shocked many.

Tobacco smuggling has always been a problem in the area. Spain tenaciously chases these smugglers on the ride from Gibraltar to La Linea, often in broad daylight.

But this incident was different.

The customs officers took a small dinghy from their larger launch to recover some of the tobacco.

But they must have misjudged the stormy conditions this time.

Their boat lost power and they were stranded on the shoreline, trying always to stay in the waters Spain asserts are theirs.

That very fact puts Spanish law enforcement in the stickiest situation.

They must patrol the waters Gibraltar claims as its own, therefore constantly clashing with the Rock’s own security forces.

Spain does not recognise the UN Law of the Sea that gives the British overseas territory control over its own waters. It is an illogical argument by Spain based on the 18th century terms of the Treaty of Utrecht.

If Gibraltar accepted those terms, it would mean criminals would just have to jump into the sea to avoid arrest.

But, surrounded by smugglers pelting them with stones, they started firing after getting seriously injured.

Although it is not totally clear, it seems that by the time the local police and customs arrived, the incident was effectively over.

The Spanish rowed back out to sea and found a way to leave the scene.

Coming in the midst of talks between Spain, UK and the EU, the incident serves to highlight the problems the region faces in coming years.

Will forces of law and order finally find a way to work together?

Will Gibraltar be forced to lower the price of tobacco to achieve an EU treaty and get rid of smuggling forever?

Only time will tell, and precious little time too.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Anthony Piovesan anthony@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

CHILLING OUT

above the snow line in the Sierra Nevada

DESPITE the start of 2023 being unseasonably warm, the mercury plummeted in mid-January and it has stayed there with more snow forecast in the hills this week.

After a string of cold weather warnings, locals and expats alike have been deploying thick blankets, padded coats and fighting an urge to hibernate. Those of you with wood burning stoves or open fireplaces have been racing through the logs. Mountainous areas, such as the Serrania de Ronda, Axarquia and Alpujarras, frequently experience minus zero temperatures and with many expats choosing to live in the campo and frequently at altitude, there are plenty of daily challenges.

I’ll always remember a visit to Granada in

the winter in 2003 (as will many of you to Ronda) when I found the pervading cold creeping right into my bones. So why on earth did I end up living on an isolated farm at 1,700m in the Sierra Nevada?

Charming as it is in Spring and Summer, in winter the property is above the snowline and the nighttime temperature regularly plummets to MINUS 8 degrees!

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

OFFICE MANAGER Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es

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For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75

HEAD OFFICE

Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva

That’s fine with the wood burning stove in the lounge, but as soon as you venture into the bedrooms or bathroom you’re hit by an icy blast of cold, with the thin walls providing poor insulation. Living this high can really affect your daily routine. Any water lying static overnight will freeze – including, on one recent occasion, water in the kitchen sink. Forget your morning shower or using the washing machine when it’s minus zero. The water supply is frozen until the midday sun defrosts the outdoor pipes. It’s detrimental to personal hygiene, although some mountain dwellers will happily remain unwashed, even for a fortnight particularly as laundry ends up frozen on the washing line. And remember, if you buy butane gas, be

aware that it freezes at 0C, while propane freezes at -44C. Buy the wrong type and your gas appliances simply won’t work. I’ve been there.

Motoring is also a challenge above the snowline. To drive safely, you need a 4×4 with tyres made for tarmac and off-road. In the morning, you’ll sometimes find your car doors are frozen shut and thick frost always needs removing from the windscreen. The starter motor also might be reluctant, and batteries can suddenly die. Other dangers include black ice – this is far from fun when going downhill. There is also frequent fog.

Really chilling out

Andalucia’s coldest village is Di lar, situated at 878m on the west flank of the Sierra Nevada by the Rio Dí lar. The village has 1,500 inhabitants, called Dilareños. An unspoilt destination, without too many obvious tourists, it offers a hotel, campsite, riding stable and mountain trails. So, why is it so cold?

According to last winter’s weather statistics, the village frequently sees icy temperatures of between -9 and -12C. This is

The high life - the easy way!

To get a flavour of the High Life - Andalucian style - head up to Trevelez, the second highest village in Spain at 1,476m. It’s famed for its cured ham, as well as its ascents to Mulhacen, the Iberian peninsula’s highest peak. Trevelez residents live on the snowline and they are used to the white stuff in winter. In fact, they love it.

As mayor Adrian Gallegos told the Olive Press: “Being on the snowline is wonderful. It’s very cold but it offers a wonderful landscape and we really enjoy snowy days – especially the village children.”

When there are serious white outs, the snow ploughs arrive quickly to restore access.

Years ago, I got stuck in the Hotel Alcazaba de Buquístar, because our van couldn’t drive up the steep exit slope, which was covered in 10 cm of snow.

Eventually a snowplough arrived to liberate the trapped cars.

despite being at a medium altitude.

Rick, a Brit who has lived in Dilar for many years, and divides his time between there and sunny California, says: “It’s not a particularly high village but we had -17C one year and maybe the cold air gets pushed down into the valley.”

Yes, it’s suddenly chilly outside, but spare a thought for Olive Press journalist Jo Chipchase who lives at 1,700m,

ICY: The pool freezes each winter

HOME: Jo lives above Cañar, while (top) her horse and garden view

By Walter Finch

IT was marketed to high-earners from Northern Europe as the opportunity to come and live the Spanish dream.

To escape the dreary weather and own a luxury villa on a coastline that gets over 300 days of sunshine a year.

Buyers who dreamt of packing their lives up and moving to the Costa del Sol were lured in with glossy promotions and slick computer-generated images of ultra-modern glass homes perched on hillsides above the sea.

Founded in 2017 with just a dozen employees, the rapid expansion of Otero Group, the company responsible for making these dreams a reality, understandably raised eyebrows.

Starting on the Costa del Sol, by 2022, they claimed to be opening developments all around Spain, including the Balearics, Madrid and Alicante, with half a billion euros under management and more than 130 employees - plus a whole constellation of suppliers and contractors.

Its owner Ruben Otero coined the slogan ‘Focus on Excellence’ and described this breakneck growth as ‘meaningful’ and ‘sustainable’. He also listed his company values as ‘transparent, agile and results-oriented.’

The problem is the recent results can only be described as poor, at best, as the company suspended all developments and looked to be heading towards bankruptcy.

An employee in its head office in Marbella told the Olive Press this week that ‘all projects had been suspended 10 days ago’.

Neither she, nor the main sales agent in the Manilva area, could explain what had happened or indeed when construction would begin again. In the words of agent Mario, is also ‘in limbo’.

Taking Manilva as a snapshot of the developments that Otero has been working on over the last few years, things are not looking rosy.

Dozens of units were planned overlooking Duquesa Port in a giant valley scheme dubbed by a marketing wizard as ‘the Duquesa Valley’ in 2021. Next door, came La Paloma, then Don Amaro and finally the Oceanic scheme, with its 24 stunning individual homes, each costing between €1.3 and €1.8million.

Come early 2022, Otero announced that some of the homes were finished and ready to be lived in.

But when the excited Brits, Belgians and Scandina-

‘LIKE LIVING IN THE WILD WEST’

vian buyers began to move in, the first inklings that all might not be well with Otero and its business model started to sink in.

“I don’t think there is one unit that doesn’t have an issue, be it with basements, electricity or water,” Michel Katic, 57, told the Olive Press.

The South African moved into his Don Amaro property in June after selling up his courier company in Cape Town and retiring with his wife and daughter to Manilva.

“It seemed absolutely stunning and looked like a fantastic opportunity,” he said of the ultra modern unit.

“But since arriving it’s been problem after problem.”

Quite simply, the Spanish dream has turned into a nightmare. The list of problems has been endless; from a swimming pool sliding down a slope, to water seepage causing power cuts and even missing floor-to-ceiling curtains, which he insists he has paid over €5,000 for.

And it gets worse - Katic’s property is now totally overshadowed by an unfinished shell rapidly thrown up that has totally blocked his view.

“You might find this funny - but Otero sold us this villa with sea views,” he said laconically. “Now we can hardly see the sea.”

All repairs are currently coming out of his pocket, as Otero has ignored him since his final instalment. Thinking of moving? “We actually have nowhere else to go. We sold up and moved to Spain permanently.

So there’s no leaving now.”

After disaster struck last month and Otero stopped paying the contractors, in the words of one resident, the developments have ‘become like living in the Wild West.’

The English woman, who asked not to reveal her name, claimed to be in a group of 30 homeowners demanding action from Otero and the town hall.

Alarmingly, she was so terrified of the unfolding di-

saster that she was too scared to meet the Olive Press despite begging us to help.

“They’ve robbed us, they’ve lied to us, they bully us - it feels like dealing with the mafia,” she said.

“Two of my neighbours are so upset they feel suicidal about it.”

She revealed how over the last fortnight, she and her fellow neighbours have seen a series of shadowy figures prowling the unfinished units and abandoned construction sites.

She added that she had ‘seen looting, scavenging and attempted break-ins’ to the nearly finished properties. “There are

teenagers, old people and random men wandering around in our gardens - we are living in fear here.”

Yet incredibly, she claimed owners have been subject to a remarkable demand from representatives of Otero for a further €120,000 retroactively to ‘pay for an increase in the cost of building materials’.

“And they have threatened to cut off our water supply if the residents, who already have their keys, refuse to pay up,” she added.

But on top of that, she claims that the company has not even been paying its own water bills, but instead was illegally tapped into the communal water.

Other neighbours arrived in Spain last year to find they were unable to move into their supposedly finished villas and were forced to rent apartments in the meantime.

One couple from Belgium, Danny and Sandra have a home full of defects, from dents and scratches in appliances and to walls, as well as shoddy workmanship and even structural problems.

They had been told their villa was ready in February, but when the couple arrived from Antwerp the house was nowhere near ready. They had to spend three weeks in a rented apartment at a cost of €2,000. “The company reps were continually lying and that is a big problem,” claimed Danny.

After signing for the property and getting the keys, Otero kept adding new costs to the final bill.

After adding €23,000 for a kitchen, €35,000 ‘due to Coronavirus’

socket for the television.

It all meant the overall price of their villa ballooned by €110,000 above the originally-agreed price to €640,000.

And just last week they received another letter from Otero demanding a further €84,000 - ‘for building material cost increases’.

If they refused to pay up, Otero would be able to withhold their first occupancy licence which they needed to legally move in. “I hate them!” Sandra admitted near tears, as she recounted the ordeal they had gone through at the hands of Otero.

“I was sick from the stress - as were so many other people.”

Danny believes the company’s downfall was caused by selling properties too cheaply and then trying to make up for it by cutting corners on materials and workmanship.

Many of the other buyers who are facing the biggest losses were too afraid to speak to the Olive Press, or were advised against it by their lawyers.

One British buyer who is remaining more optimistic is Chris Morris, 35, a builder, who put down €700,000 in February 2022 for his Otero-built property in Valle Romano, in Estepona.

He insisted that because he owns the plot of land, he also owns the home on it, which is now 75% completed.

“Well it was 75% until the contractors took back the doors, the aircon, the windows, and so on,” he said.

“But I don’t blame them, I would have done the same in their shoes.”

He added: “We’re in talks with the company now to try and get windows and doors put back in to keep the unit secure.”

He added that Otero will be in breach of contract if it fails to finish his property by May.

“Some people said Ruben Otero (left) had fled to Venezuela with all our cash, but my architect - who’s been very helpful - said he saw him in a restaurant in Marbella on Saturday

An experienced constructor back in the UK, his advice to fellow buyers is sim“No one has lost their money yet. Until it’s final, don’t dwell on it. Just keep

The Olive Press had not received any comment from Otero despite regular requests from its lawyer David Sanchez, based in Malaga.

The Olive Press discovers how the spectacular fall of the ‘half a billion euro’ Otero group is anything but a surprise to its beleaguered clients

DESERTED: An Otero site in Manilva

PROMISE: The dream (above) and the reality (below)

ENDLESS PROBLEMS: for Michel Katich who has also lost his sea views

‘I was sick from all the stress - as were so many other people’

Speak Spanglish!

“MULTILINGUALISM is part of what makes Gibraltar”, its culture minister told a new group that wants to promote the community benefits of speaking different languages.

John Cortes met up with John Manuel Enriles and Dale Buttigieg who founded the Gibraltar Multilingual Society (GMS) recently.

They discussed possible activities and events to promote multilingualism on the Rock with cultural employees.

Cortes added: “We have an obligation to do all we can to protect our ‘llanito’ as well as to ensure that we take the opportunity that our community offers us to be able to work professionally in more than one language.

QUITE A FIND

AI discovers unknown play by Spanish master

ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) has unearthed a previously unknown comedy penned by one of Spain’s greatest writers, Felix Lope de Vega. AI was being used by researchers to transcribe 1,300 uncredited manuscripts and books at the library to save many years of human work. Another aim was to find out the authors by checking each work against a selection of words used by different writers.

After a year of verification, it

THREE small towns in the Spanish Pyrenees have staged the ancient festival of Joaldunak to ward off evil spirits and to waken up the ‘forthcoming spring’. The celebration is held on the last Monday and Tuesday of January in Ituren, Zubieta, and Lantz and is recognised by UNESCO as

an invaluable part of Europe's cultural heritage. The event is believed to be con-

By Alex Trelinski

has been confirmed that an uncredited manuscript was a Lope de Vega work called La Francesca Laura (Frenchwoman Laura) - written some five or six years before his death in 1635.

One of the people involved in the AI project, German Vega from Valladolid University, said that it was not an original Lope de Vega manuscript, but a copy - perhaps even of the

Spring beckoned

nected to the ancient rites of changing the seasonal cycle and celebrating the winter solstice. Bell wearers, or Joaldunak, as they are known in Basque, dressed up in thick sheepskins and tall colourful hats, clanging large cowbells tied to their backs to scare away the bad spirits and the witches.

A shepherd holding the chains of a huge carnival ‘bear’ with ram-horn ears accompanied the Joaldunak on their march, taking swipes at the crowd and ordering the sea of monsters to step aside to let them pass.

MORTGAGE THINK TANK

by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola

RISING RATES

Euribor hits highest level since 2008

THE ongoing rise of the 12-month Euribor (base rate) could cost the average mortgage holder €286 a month.

The Euribor is the most commonly used benchmark for the calculation of home loans in the country, and is currently at a level not seen since December 2008. At the end of January, the 12-month Euribor was at a monthly average of 3.337%, which will mean that an average 25-year mortgage of €150,000, and with an interest rate of the Euribor plus 1.5%, would cost borrowers an extra €286 a month were it to be recalculated based on the January figure. That’s around €3,430 a year.

The rise in January from December was 32 basis points, up from 3.018% that month. Compared to the same month in 2022, the rise is 3.8 points, given that a year ago the Euribor was actually in negative territory, at -0.477%.

The reason that the rate is on the rise – the sharpest since it was created – is thanks to the change in the European Central Bank’s monetary policy.

Last year saw the central lender raise rates

Back home

TWO 15th century paintings looted from Poland during World War II that ended up in Galicia, have been returned after 79 years. They were on display at Pontevedra Museum following the 1994 purchase of an art collection owned by collector Jose Fernandez Lopez.

Pontevedra Provincial Council vice-president, Cesar Mosquera, said: “We’re helping to restore an injustice, helping to restore plundered art, helping in whatever way we can to make the world a better place.”

Stolen

original.

It also had notes for theatre companies intending to put

on the play.

The manuscript has been in the National Library since 1886 and had classified it as an ‘anonymous comedy’. The library said the words used in the text were ‘closely aligned with Lope’s, and not with those of the other 350 playwrights who were part of the AI experiment’.

Mature

Experts then used traditional research resources to corroborate the findings.

FESTIVAL: Villagers celebrate

“La Francesa Laura is a remarkable play, with the dramatic force expected of a mature Lope de Vega,” the library said.

Mosquera and a Polish government representative signed a formal restitution agreement last month. The works - Mater Dolorosa and Ecce Homo (below) - were part of the 700 piece Czartoryski collection stolen by Nazi forces from the Polish village of Goluchow.

STEEP RISE: Around €286 a month more

on four occasions in a bid to combat high inflation in the eurozone.

One expert told news agency EFE that he expected rates to reach 3.5% or 4% at the end of the first quarter of 2023, or at the beginning of the second.

Rates payable by borrowers are calculated by adding the bank’s margin, effectively what they earn, to the base rate so, we can improve our client’s outcome by negotiating reduced margins with the lenders and that is what we at the finance bureau are focussing on at this time.

With rises such as these it is more important than ever to search for the best deals available. Give us a call at the Finance Bureau and we can help you.

To contact Tancrede for all your mortgaging needs call: 666 709 743 or for insurance queries call: 951 203 540 Email: tdp@thefinanacebureau.com

The Finance Bureau Centro Commercial Guadalmina, 2nOffice No. 7 Guadalmina, 29670

Boob job stops squatter eviction

A WOMAN accused of squatting in a property has tried to get out of a court date claiming she had to have surgery on her breast implants on the same day.

Lawyers for the Swiss owner of the occupied home revealed that their client was ‘wondering if he had purchased a house in Spain or in a banana republic’ in the wake of the incident.

The victim had decided to buy a property in Malaga, having fallen in love with the city and wanted a home for long stays, and eventually to live in.

He discovered however, it had been taken over by a squatter when he arrived one day last year and found that the key no longer fitted the lock.

Police were called but could do nothing more than to identify the alleged squatter. She was eventually called to court for an eviction proceeding, but the case has been put on hold after defence lawyers presented a document from a clinic that stated that she was scheduled to have surgery involving the ‘elevation of mammary implants’.

The lawyers for the victim believe that the appointment is nothing more than a ruse to drag on the trial, and have called into question the authenticity of the document.

Luxury Larios

MALAGA’S main shopping street is one of the most expensive in Spain.

Calle Marques de Larios ranks in first place in Andalucia and in the top five in the country for rentals.

According to US property giant Cushman & Wakefield the average rental price is €1,800 per square metre per year.

Meanwhile Calle Tetuan, in Sevilla, comes in with €1,260 per square metre per year, and Barcelona's Paseo de Gracia is Spain’s most expensive at €2,677 per square metre per year.

It is closely followed by Portal del Angel, also in Barcelona, followed by Madrid's Serrano, Gran Vía and Preciados.

Paseo de Gracia comes in at 18th in the world rankings, which are led by New York’s Fifth Avenue at €21,076.

Bargainbasement

SierradeYeguasby theflamingolagoonis

cheapestspotinMalaga

By Dilip Kuner

IF you are looking for a bargain property in Malaga province, head inland… a long way inland!

Sierra de Yeguas has been named as the cheapest municipality for real estate in the province with homes costing a wallet-friendly €562 per square metre.

The village, near to the border of Sevilla province, sits in rolling hills close to the Fuente de Piedra lagoon, famous for its flamingos.

The area ‘rich for hiking trails’ is also just 30 minutes from the excellent train connections in Antequera and 20 minutes to the Caminito del Rey.

About 3,400 people live in what was

BLOOMING LOVELY

MARBELLA is taking a leaf out of neighbouring Estepona by installing 500 colourful flower pots in one of its districts. Estepona (left) has garnered international attention in recent years after branding itself the ‘garden city’ and installing thousands of plant pots in parks and around the old town streets. Now Marbella is sprucing up the El Barrio district with 500 blue flowerpots in a bid to give the area a typical Andalucian feel.

SPAIN’S deputy prime minister, Yolanda Diaz, has called on banks to freeze mortgage interest rate rises after one of the country’s lenders announced record earnings.

BBVA, which is Spain’s second-biggest bank, showed a 38% increase in net profits, which came in at an all-time high of €6.42 billion in 2022.

This was partly due to a double-digit rise in lending income, as well as the bank’s performance in Mexico, which accounted for more than 60% of the lender’s net earnings.

The figures came just a day after the Euribor interest rate, the benchmark used for the calculation of most mortgages in Spain, hit 3.337%, the highest level since December 2008.

Writing on Twitter, Yolanda Diaz, of Unidas Podemos, said that the current cost-of-living crisis ‘cannot be an excuse to earn more’.

“While the rise of the Euribor will make the average mortgage €250 a month more expensive, BBVA’s profits have grown 38%,” she continued.

CASH IN

AN Andalucian town is giving an ‘aid’ package of €750 to families in an attempt to avoid depopulation.

once a lively community but has now declined due to the closure of a large quarry which used to provide significant employment.

While €562/sqm may seem a more than fair price, it is still way more than the

Helpforyoungbuyers

ANYONE under 35 taking out mortgages in Andalucia could soon benefit from a 15% guarantee from the Junta. The regional government says this will allow banks to offer mortgages of up to 95% of the property value. This would mean young would-be owners will have a chance to get on the property ladder without needing the typical 20% deposit required at present. The Junta will not hand out cash as a grant, but will back 15% of the loan with public funds. No money changes hands and the full sum of the mortgage will still have to be paid by the property owner.

Final legal issues are being resolved at present, with it hoped to introduce the scheme in the coming months. If successful, under 40s may be able to apply in the future too.

bargain basement €284p/sqm properties found in Alcaudete de la Jara, in Toledo, the cheapest municipality in Spain. The average price in Malaga province was €2,787p/sqm in December, although the average in Malaga city was slightly lower, at € 2,346/sqm, according to property portal Idealista.

Other Malaga municipalities with bargain properties are:

● Teba (€577 p/sqm)

● Alameda (€579 p/sqm)

● Villanueva de Algaidas (€598p/ sqm)

● Humilladero (€661 p/sqm)

● Campillos (€680 p/sqm)

● Archidona (€690 p/sqm)

● Almachar (€717p/sqm)

● Fuente de Piedra (€784 p/sqm)

● Mollina (€787 p/sqm)

Canillas de Aceituno in the Axarquia is giving the cash to families that have lived permanently in the village for at least a year.

Digital future

SPAIN is hoping to attract more British women with digital nomad visas and tax perks this year.

The country wants to attract female entrepreneurs because the country is widely viewed as a safe place to live for women. A digital nomad’s visa and tax concessions for start-up companies in Spain are coming into force as part of a new start-up law. “We don’t want digital nomads, we want residents,” said Digitalisation Minister Carme Artigas.. “Our hope is that the nomad visa is very attractive but then they stay in our country and put down roots.” Some 22% of Spain’s economy is digital-based, with start-up hubs growing.

IDYLLIC SCENES: Sierra de Yeguas (inset) is near the flamingo lagoon

PIC CREDIT: PorSolea.com

Indoors, outdoors

Want to understand the latest ‘grannycore’ or ‘hipstoric’ trends, interiors specialist Julia

RESEARCHING hot new interior design trends for 2023 means consulting the Oracle. Yes, I’m referring to TikTok.

And yes, we are all feeling the pinch, and worried about the much predicted downturn.

The last recession, kicking off in 2008, gave birth to the vintage/ upcycling trend which allowed us to keep decorating and carry on – and to do it for free.

So what does social media tell us about the coming trends for 2023?

Well, apparently ‘grandmillenials’ with ‘hipstoric’ interiors will be indulging in ‘weirdcore’.

In plain English, we are going to be nesting again. Colour is back, and smaller rooms are back. Have you just bashed your walls down and gone open plan? Oops, sorry. Small spaces are cosy, and the times are scary.

Nostalgia is rife. Pinterest reports searches for all things old-fashioned, ‘grannycore’, is on the up exponentially.

Brown furniture is also back, and the days when antiques were cheaper than Ikea may be numbered. If I had any loose change, I’d be stockpiling George III walnut furniture (see left, below and far right). Meanwhile, in lighting, the astonishing synergy that is LED + lithium continues to give us design-tastic, go-anywhere light fittings.

We recently moved into a new-build (not our village home here in Spain in Gau-

cin), and we thought we had organised fittings or sockets everywhere that we’d need light. Of course we didn’t, but now it doesn’t matter that we didn’t. We have a couple of ‘Bellhop’ lamps by Flos that light up corners, the centres of tables, and shelves. And in good weather they can go outdoors too.

In the same vein, but hot off the production line, take a look at ‘Curiosity’ by Artemide, and ‘TeTaTeT’ by Davide Groppi. Both do things that lamps haven’t really done before.

My final tip is Spain’s NewGarden, and their unit, ‘Cherry’ (far right), which is essentially a battery-powered light bulb. (It’s actually a bit wider, so check the dimensions if space is tight.)

It is wonderfully versatile: I use one as an uplighter on top of a kitchen cupboard, another sits under an upturned Ikea rattan lamp shade as a floor light. They can hang from a piece of string in a pendant fitting, or stand in for a light bulb in an unplugged lamp. In the summer you can take them outside, pop them in a pot, and snuggle them among the plants. If that doesn’t make you smug enough, they come with a remote control.

Begbie is more interested in lighting that knows no bounds

CONTRASTS: Colour is back, along with smaller rooms and antique walnut furniture

LIGHTING REVOLUTION: ‘Lamps doing things they’ve never done before’

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

By Nadia McDonald

APROJECT

for what is claimed to be the first zero-carbon luxury home in Spain has gone on sale. Running costs for the eco-home are expected to be 90% cheaper than similar new builds.

The villa will run on 100% carbon free energy supplied by a ‘domestic hydrogen power system’, developed by British company Creo International. Solar panels will produce hydrogen from water which will power a generator to provide electricity. The system’s only emissions are oxygen and water which can be redirected to the property’s garden. Meanwhile, fully-insulated walls will provide maximum energy efficiency and temperature regulation for the property in La Cala de Mijas.

The onsite power supply will significantly reduce the overall running costs, with excess solar energy stored to ensure the home is fully self-powered throughout the year.

The project on Calanova golf has been designed by Marbella-based Architectural Design Team, and will use other renewable technologies, including underfloor heating.

It will also have a Tesla battery charging station.

It is being sold for €2.5m through Mediterranean Homes and will be completed within 12 months of the project being sold.

Luxury villa to be ‘Spain’s first carbon-zero home’

BID fails

PLANS to give new life to Gibraltar’s shopping experience have been shelved after communication with businesses along Main Street broke down.

The Gibraltar Parliament passed the Business Improvement District (BID) into law last year.

It was supposed to set up better signs, attract quality businesses, and improve networking and training.

Payments

But disagreement about payments forced the company that was running the project to close down.

‘Downtown’ will give full refunds to all the companies that subscribed to the BID scheme, it said.

The government stopped taking payments from companies in October forcing Downtown to dismiss its five employees.

BID chairman George Russo told GBC that the project could still work out but not under the Downtown company. He said he was disappointed that the BID had fallen through.

OFF THE DOLE

Nearly 80,000 fewer registered as unemployed at end of 2022

THE jobless total fell by 79,900 people in 2022 - a decrease of 2.6% on the year before.

Over the same period, 278,900 jobs were created – an increase of 1.4% on the previous year – most of which were taken up by foreign workers. Both of these figures were an improvement on 2020, the year that the coronavirus pandemic hit and dealt a severe shock to the Spanish economy, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

That year saw the worst figures for unemployment

By Simon Hunter

since 2012, when the country was being rocked by the consequences of the global financial crisis and the bursting of the property bubble.

Global

But the latest data is a far cry from 2021, when 840,700 jobs were created and unemployment fell by 600,000 people.

At the end of 2022, the unemployment rate was at 12.87%, just 0.4 percent -

age points below the figure in 2021 but the lowest endof-year figure since 2007. Just over three million Spaniards were out of work at the end of last year, with

MINIMUM WAGE BOOST

THE minimum wage in Spain will be going up from €14,000 a year to €15,120, a rise of 8%. Assuming a worker receives 14 payments over the year, which was once the norm for most Spanish salaries, that is an extra €80 a month for someone working a 40 hour week.

The measure will be retroactive, meaning

that anyone receiving minimum wage will be paid extra for the month of January. The secretary general of Spain’s CCOO union, Unai Sordo, said that 2.5 million people will benefit from the measure. In particular, female workers, young people, temporary employees and those in the service and agriculture sectors will be better off.

UPS AND DOWNS

Central bank rate decisions inspire volatility in the pound, euro and US dollar

STAYING on top of the latest currency news can help you time your transfers more effectively, so find out what you should be looking out for over the next couple of weeks…

LATEST CURRENCY NEWS

The pound, euro and US dollar all traded with notable volatility over the past fortnight, following the latest rate decisions from the Bank of England (BoE), European Central Bank (ECB) and Federal Reserve.

During this time GBP/EUR fell from almost 1.13 to a four-month low of 1.11, while EUR/GBP climbed to 0.89.

At the same time, GBP/USD slumped from 1.23 to 1.20, , and EUR/USD touched a nine-month of 1.10 before slipping to 1.07.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

A dovish assessment of the BoE’s first interest rate decision of the year sent the pound sharply lower over the past couple of weeks. While the BoE raised rates by 50bps GBP investors appear convinced the bank is nearing the end of its hiking cycle. It was a similar story for the euro over the past two weeks. The ECB also opted for a 50bps hike, but undermined this after implying it will pursue just one more increase before pausing its tightening cycle.

Meanwhile, USD exchange rates witnessed some of the most volatile movements. After falling to a multi-month low in the wake of a dovish 25bps rate hike from the Fed, the US dollar skyrocketed as a bumper payroll print revived Fed rate hike expectations.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

The UK’s upcoming GDP release will be a key focus for GBP investors over the next couple of weeks. The pound is likely to soar if the UK managed to avoid slipping into a recession at the end of 2022. Meanwhile, the threat of an escalation of the war in Ukraine may cast a long shadow over the euro through the first half of February.

Across the Atlantic, the

January jump

INFLATION rose to 5.8% across Spain in January, much above the market forecast.

The preliminary figure was up from 5.7% in December 2022, a 13-month low, as fuel price hikes accelerated in January. Meanwhile, clothing, footwear and electricity prices decreased from a year ago. The market estimate was at 4.9% year-on-year in January's consumer prices.

20,463,900 people employed.

The Economic Affairs Ministry stated that job creation slowed in the last quarter of 2022 ‘in line with the slowdown of the global economy’.

Control

The INE figures also showed that the number of home workers fell by 1.7 million in the last quarter of 2022 compared to the same period the year before, as employers encouraged staff back to the office now that the coronavirus pandemic is seemingly under control.

WANT

spotlight will be on the latest US consumer price index. Could a sharper-than-expected drop in inflation dent Fed rate hike bets?

Transferring currency to or from Spain? Make your money go further

If you’re buying or selling a Spanish property, transferring a pension or wages or moving money to cover living costs, you’ll want to get the best possible return.

Currencies Direct have been helping individuals and businesses save time and money since 1996 with excellent exchange rates and no transfer fees.

Get a quote now to find out how much you could save.

With a team of over 550 currency experts and 20+ branches across Spain, Currencies Direct are never far away when you need them.

They’ll keep you up to date with the latest market movements so you can pick the right time to move your money. They also offer a range of specialist services that can be tailored to your individual requirements.

Fix a rate in advance – if you’re buying or selling a Spanish property and are concerned the exchange rate could weaken you can use a forward contract to fix the rate in advance of making your transfer. While you would miss out if the market strengthened you’d be protected from any negative shifts. Target an exchange rate – if you have a particular exchange rate in mind you can target it with a limit order. Simply set the rate you want to achieve, and your transfer will be triggered automatically if the market moves to that level. You can also use rate alerts to notify you when exchange rates hit target levels.

24/7 transfers – you can use the Currencies Direct online service and app to check live exchange rates and arrange transfers 24/7, keeping you in control. Your personal Account Manager will also be on hand if you want to discuss your requirements over the phone or face to face.

Buy currency in advance – with a Currencies Direct account you can buy currency when the exchange rate is in your favour and hold it in your digital currency wallet until you need it.

If you have a currency requirement coming up, get a quote now or reach out to the Currencies Direct team and quote Olive Press.

On a monthly basis, Spain's consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.3% in January, following a 0.2% rise last December. A further cooling in energy inflation, on the other hand, put some downward pressure on the 5.8% figure.

Twitter shakedown

TWITTER is planning on sacking more than 80% of its workforce in Spain.

But the Elon Musk-inspired shakedown is not as bad as it seems, as the social media company only employs 29 people in the company. This means that around 24 staff will be leaving on the conditions that the social network has offered. Staff will receive 33 days of pay for each year worked.

ESTEPONA

Avd. España, nº 10, Local 5, Estepona, Málaga, 29680 estepona@currenciesdirect.com

MARBELLA

Plaza de las Orquídeas, Calle Orquídea, Local 5, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella, Málaga, 29660 marbella@currenciesdirect.com

+34 952 906 581

FUENGIROLA

Avda. Alcalde Clemente Díaz Ruíz s/n, Urb. Puebla Lucía, Edificio Leo, Local 1, Fuengirola, Málaga, 29640 fuengirola@currenciesdirect.com

+34 952 906 581

BENALMADENA

Avenida Antonio Machado, Edificio Diana I Local 13, Benalmádena Costa, Málaga, 29630 benalmadena@currenciesdirect.com

+34 952 90 65 81

NERJA

Calle Antonio Ferrandis Chanquete 1, Local 1A, Nerja, Málaga, 29780 nerja@currenciesdirect.com

Discover hassle-free currency transfers

+34 952 906 581

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Looking West

BRITISH airline Jet2.com has announced a new flight route between the UK and the Costa del Sol.

Starting this summer, the carrier will fly direct four times a week between Malaga airport and Bristol.

The company’s chief executive Steve Heapy said he was optimistic about the continuing demand for travel in 2023.

“The forecasts for this summer in Spain are for an additional growth of 4% compared to 2022,” he said. The airline now offers flights from Malaga to Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, London Stansted, East Midlands, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol.

Uniting MA with NY

TICKETS for United Airlines’ new direct flight from Malaga to New York are now on sale on its website and via travel agents.

In the first week of June, the North American airline will begin to travel from the capital of the Costa del Sol to the Big Apple, with air fares starting at an average of €620.

Marbs best Sarnie

THE 10th Snack Competition jury at Madrid Fusion gastronomy summit have voted a sandwich, lovingly prepared in Marbella, to be the best in Spain.

Ingredients include beer bread in addition to pickled partridge, oregano paste, ham, mustard seeds, IPA beer, sugar, red wine, leeks, seasonal mushrooms, mustard leaves and radishes.

Chef Javier Ruiz Portillo from the El Parque de la Milla restaurant pocketed €1,500 in prize money for his creation.

FLOCKING IN

International tourist trade up 130% in a year

THE number of tourists visiting Spain rebounded by 130% to 71.6 million in 2022, compared to the previous Covidhit year.

According to the Spanish statistics office (INE) the strong recovery was still not enough to match pre-Covid 2019, remaining 14% down.

On the map

By Dilip Kuner

ANTEQUERA’S new railway station is finally operational . Passengers can now choose between 22 daily trains that will link Antequera town centre to the AVE and Avant networks across Spain.

This was despite a strong recovery in the first half of the year, with foreign visitors at 92% of their pre-Covid level by July. But the recovery dipped in the second half of the year, possibly due to high inflation and energy prices hitting spending power. On the other hand, domestic tourism has recovered much faster, throwing a lifeline to the industry. Tourism industry body Exceltur’s Tourism Outlook report said the sector’s GDP reached €159 billion in 2022 - up 1.4% on the previous year and 4.7% on 2018.

Eight AVE trains will pass through Antequera AV station every day: six on the Granada-Madrid route and two between Granada and Barcelona, which will improve connections between the Malaga town and other cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Lleida and Tarragona.

BACK TO ITS ROOTS!

El Lago’s Terra menu is a sustainable tour of the very best produce the Costa del Sol can offer. Going back to its Slow Food Movement roots, the Marbella restaurant is working with over a dozen local producers from around Malaga.

The KM-zero local and seasonal concept is anything but new for the Michelin-starred joint… It was the first restaurant in Andalucia to be awarded the KM0 accolade.

Now, it is working with growers from the Axarquia, Guadalhorce Valley and Ronda region to put the ‘best of the best on your plate’ explains chef Fernando Villasclaras. “This region is blessed with many of the best ingredients in the world thanks to its climate,” the chef, from Nerja, told me. As well as radishes from Estepona, he uses artichokes from Alhaurin and aubergines from Coin in his amazing new menu degustacion.

Each is carefully cooked and served in a creative way, alongside a glass of local wine from Granada, Ronda or Jerez, if you opt for the ‘ maridaje ’ pairing.

The real highlight though is the ‘ Gargouillou ’ invented by French chef Michel Bras, an amazing melange of 27 different blanched vegetables served as a (sort of) soup.

At El Lago, which has held its Michelin star since 2005, Villasclaras serves it in a chilled lettuce broth, which is delicious.

Other highlights are the courgette cooked in Payoyo goats cheese with the ‘nector’ of onion and grilled rocket, while the sweet potato pudding with muscatel grapes and sugarcane honey from Frigiliana was to die for.

TUMMY TROUBLE

A MADRID restaurant that is famed for its Spanish omelettes has been forced to temporarily close after around 30 patrons got sick with salmonella.

Casa Dani, which is located in the city’s upscale Salamanca neighbourhood, has been open for more than 30 years and is said to sell more than 100,000 tortillas de patatas every year. But unlucky customers who sampled the star dish have reported suffering gastroenteritis and fevers after consuming omelettes that were reportedly not fit for consumption.

Strike threat

with supplies due to the war in Ukraine, as well as the Omicron Covid variant, but that from April there was a travel recovery, especially in the leisure, meetings and congresses sectors.

Inflation

AIR NOSTRUM pilots have voted 92% in favour of indefinite strike action in their on-going pay row.

The decision follows seven days of strikes over the Christmas and New Year period.

The report added that 61% of economic growth in Spain last year was down to tourism.

Exceltur said the first quarter of 2022 was marked by higher energy prices and problems

The body believes that accumulated demand and the desire to travel have overcome the adverse effects on personal income caused by inflation. The report pointed out that a big increase in domestic tourism activity boosted the sector.

Pilots union Sepla said it was a response to Air Nostrum's ‘immovable’ position in preventing negotiations to sign a new agreement ‘that sets fair working conditions and wages for workers’.

Air Nostrum said that if it caved in to Sepla's ‘exorbitant’ requests for a 30% salary hike over two years, the firm’s financial viability would be threatened.

The so-called Montblanc finale (above), was a true surprise looking like a classic pasta dish but was really a poached pear served in chestnut cream, orange jam and meringue. Villasclaras shows real maturity for a chef in his early 30s, but his stints at Dinner under Heston Blumenthal in London, as well as with Spain’s genius Andoni Luis Aduriz, at Mug aritz, really helped his development.

“More than anything I am going back as close to El La go’s roots as possible with the Slow Food concept,” he explains.

“I have a great, young team, including a Serbian sous chef, and we hope to do great things in 2023.”

Meanwhile, there is a more meaty and fish-lad en one called ‘ Sazon ’, as well as a normal A la carte, restaurant PR Roberta Panelli, explained.

The linguist from Turin, who moved over two years ago to take over the reins from her mother, said: “We all work together and I’m learning so much every day. This is my family now.”

As well as a superb, detailed wine list that counts well over 100 listings from around Andalucia (35 from Ronda alone), there are plenty of fascinating rarities. My top tip is the remarkable Ximenez-Spinola PX, from Sanlucar, near Jerez, a nutty, sweet, but remarkable light in strength (12.5%) chestnut.

El Lago is based on Greenlife Golf Course, in El viria, near Marbella. It is open from midday.

www.restauranteellago.com

Vegetarian heaven as leading Michelin star joint in Marbella heads back to KM0 menu, writes Jon Clarke

LOCAL LAD: And Villasclaras is thinking locally with mostly local ingredients

ONE of the things that makes people fall in love with Spain is the food. The Mediterranean diet, rich in fish and seafood, nuts and fruit, is famously good for the heart.

And not only the heart: the diet is full of ingredients known for their aphrodisiac properties.

With a very important date coming up (February 14, in case you forget), a dinner date should prove a win-win situation. These foods provide both psychological and physical stimulation because they trigger an increase in the release of serotonin, the socalled happiness hormone. The practice of using food to increase sexual desire dates back to the 4th century BC and takes its name from the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Aphrodisiac foods aren’t always as exotic as ginseng. You might already consume them on a daily basis and not even realise.

Food of love

HONEY

THOUGH you might need to eat half a jar to get the effect, honey contains boron, vitamin B, and nitric oxide, all of which are good for stamina.

In addition, nitric oxide is released in the blood during arousal and helps men achieve erections, while vitamin B is said to stimulate hormones associated with sexual desire. Some men even use honey as a natural treatment for premature ejaculation. Anyway, get sensual and creative this Valentine’s day by finding something that’s packed full of honey (but perhaps not a hive).

CHOCOLATE

entine’s Day with chocolate?

Well, chocolate is quite effective in increasing serotonin levels and libido, especially in women. Cocoa beans contain phenylalanine and theobromine, chemicals that help blood circulation and lung function, and they combat fatigue as well, making this a powerful and useful aphrodisiac. Give your partner a big box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day and enjoy the results.

AVOCADO

OYSTERS

AS our brains already assume oysters are an aphrodisiac, we get a double stimulation, psychological and physical, as soon as they appear on the table.

In addition, the high protein and zinc content helps to improve sperm production in men and lubrication in women. It is a food that provides a great energy boost, guaranteeing good performance and sexual drive – as long as they’re fresh.

THE potassium the fruit contains is tied up with the body’s capacity for producing sexual hormones, and is more effective in increasing sexual desire in men than women. It’s also one of the oldest aphrodisiac foods in the book – indeed, it predates books. Surprise your partner with an avocado cocktail; the result should please the eye and stimulate the imagination (and more).

CINNAMON

THE only natural aphrodisiac recognised as such by medical science, the spice is known to stimulate blood flow, especially in the abdominal area of the body. This improves blood sup-

ply to the genitalia, resulting in sexual arousal.

Generally, if your partner goes to make a cup of tea during sex it’s not a promising sign.

But if it’s cinnamon tea, don’t lose hope: even inhaling its steamy aroma is said to combat loss of sexual desire.

In men, like most things on the list, cinnamon helps achieve and maintain an erection.

RED WINE

FIGS

APPARENTLY the insides of figs bear some resemblance to a female reproductive organ, and this exciting thought has, through the ages, proved very arousing.

However, it’s probably the high beta-carotene content involved in the production of sex hormones which gives figs their aphrodisiac properties.

The high sugar content makes figs a good source of energy if you are planning a long night.

Benalmadena

Avenida Antonio Machado, Edificio Diana I Local 13, Benalmádena Costa, Málaga, 29630, Spain +34 952 90 65 81 benalmadena@currenciesdirect.com

CHICKPEAS

UNLIKELY as it sounds, chickpeas can also be a powerful aphrodisiac and a very suggestive dish. But they need to be prepared properly – go for hummus rather than a winter stew. Being spreadable, a bowl of hummus is perfect for kicking off some spicy games (or eating with celery).

OP Puzzle solutions

NUMEROUS investigations have been carried out to discover the link between red wine and sexual desire. The main reason red wine seems to increase sex drive is that it helps ramp up blood circulation. But also worth a mention is the fact it contains alcohol.

The greatest known disinhibitor, alcohol stimulates the part of the brain where the controls for inhibition and relaxation are kept.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we provide the perfect ingredients for a very romantic dinner

HATE CRIME

A PUBLIC prosecutor in Valencia is seeking a twoand-a-half-year jail term for a man who blamed the LGBTQ+ community for being the origin of the monkeypox virus.

The man is facing charges of a hate crime, and could also be forced to pay a fine of €3,600 if eventually found guilty.

The case dates back to May 2022, when the accused published an article titled ‘El Chueca Virus-22’, in reference to the well-known gay quarter of Madrid.

In the text on a far-right website, the author said that the LGBTQ+ community was the origin of the virus and used a series of offensive expressions.

HEARTY EATING

How the Mediterranean diet helps Spaniards live so long

NUTRIENTS and chemicals in the Mediterranean diet drastically improve heart and lung health, according to a new study.

And it could be the reason behind Spain’s rich history of people

Building blocks

THE new care home at the old Rooke site that was put together like Lego from modules built in China is nearly ready just a month after building started.

Workers are putting the finishing touches to the building, with the government wanting it to replace Mount Alvernia.

A Chinese company shipped in the 200 prefabricated units on the merchant vessel ‘Great Faith’ on January 11.

Trucks transported the prefabricated modules at night over that week to prevent as much disruption as possible along the usually busy Queensway.

“It is important to bear in mind that the beneficiaries of this project will be many of

By Anthony Piovesan

person. The Food Research International study looked at elderly Mediterraneans and how certain substances called microbial phenolic metabolites (MPM) in a diet involving a high intake of nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and moderate quantities of wine was linked to improved cardiovascular health.

In Spain, 7,447 participants were recruited

between October 2003 and December 2010, for the study. Spain currently has the oldest living person following the death of French nun Lucile Randon, at the age of 118.

Maria Branyas Morera, who lives in Catalunya, at the ripe age of 115 now holds the title. She is one of nine Spaniards in the top 100 of people who have been the oldest in the world.

Catalan

Mask-free

Spain at 116 years. She’s followed by Maria Branyas Morera at 115, Martia Antonio Castro (114), Joan Riudavets-Moli (114), Francisco Nuñez Olivera (113), Saturnino de la Fuerte Garcia (112), Josep Armengol (112), Jesus Mosteo (111) and Antonio Urrea (111).

MASKS are no longer mandatory on public transport in Spain. The Covid measure ended today, with the obligation being ended for passengers on buses, trains and taxis. However, you will still have to wear a mask in health centres and pharmacies Industries such as the travel sector had been calling on the government to do away with the use of face masks on transport in Spain, which is one of the few European Union countries that still had any kind of coronavirus restrictions in place.

Gibraltar’s senior citizens,” the government said at the time.

“There is expected to be a significant knock-on effect with homes being released for rental to persons on the housing waiting list,” it added.

Maria was born on April 4, 1907 in San Francisco. She returned to Spain in 1914 with the rest of her Catalan family, and has been living in the Tura d’Olot senior home for several years. There have been three women, and six men throughout Spain who have been the oldest people in the world.

Ana Maria Vela Rubio, who died in 2017, was the oldest person in the world and in

Gibraltar’s first Members Club and Day Spa FOUNDERNOWAVAILABLEMEMBERSHIP

Romantic Ronda

Hard to swallow

POLICE are hunting thieves who stole gold-covered sex toys worth €80,000 from the largest distributor of erotic toys in Spain, Dreamlove, located in an industrial estate near Sevilla.

Boob job

A WAITRESS in Spain has denounced a potential employer for demanding that she send him photos of her cleavage before considering her for a job, telling her it ‘was very important’.

Naked justice

VALENCIA judges backed a man’s right to walk around his home village of Aldaia naked, but not before telling him to put his clothes on when he turned up for his hearing nude.

Pearl of a find

Waitress finds €4,000 gem in plate of clams

By Simon Hunter

A DECISION to overrule her boyfriend at dinner and order clams paid off for a young woman when she discovered a valuable pearl worth €4,000 in the first one she opened.

Waitress Natalia Freire, 22, had a ‘huge craving’ for a plate of the shellfish when she went out to eat with her boyfriend. “He’s a shellfish gatherer and is sick of eating them. So I ordered a plate for myself. And

PURR-FECT REWARD

A PET owner desperate to find her beloved cat offered a whopping €1,000 for its safe return.

Alba, a 19-year-old student, plastered signs offering the reward all over Arroyo de la Miel (Malaga) when her furry

as I work here they gave me extra!” she revealed.

“Our kitchen makes them so well,” she said about the dish, which she ordered in the very restaurant she works in A Coruña, in Galicia.

friend Tokyo vanished for 11 days. “My cat is like my daughter,” she told the Olive Press “Money was not important, I just wanted her to return”. But Alba didn’t end up stumping up the huge reward as she herself found Tokyo hiding inside the basement of her neighbour’s house!

Given the purple colour of the pearl, Freire initially didn’t realise what it was, and it wasn’t until she’d finished her meal that she looked it up on Google “I’d heard about pearls in oysters, but not in clams,” she said. But it is that very colour that made her find so valuable. Purple pearls, which are traditionally associated with artistry, wisdom, complexity, nobility and passion, are rare and in high demand. Natalia has not decided whether she is going to sell it or keep it.

If she does cash in, it is not known if her boss at the restaurant will want a cut.

RONDA has been named ‘the most romantic city in Spain’ by Hello! magazine. “There is not a single one of its ancient streets, decorated with stately palaces, that does not have a legend or a love story to tell,” claimed the famous UK publication.

It has published its 20 must-see cities in Spain, each overflowing with romantic nooks and dreamy locations for Romeos to discover with their Juliets. The other destinations include Siurana, La Albufera, Aranjuez and Castillo de Pubol, in Girona.

Famous

It also lists certain specific spots like the famous San Nicolas viewpoint in the Albaicin of Granada as well as the Santa Cruz barrio of Sevilla.

It particularly sings the praises of the ‘kissing corner’ of Iznajar, in Cordoba, and Vejer, in Cadiz, as well as Gaudi’s amazing Parc Guell, in Barcelona and the Lovers’ Mausoleum in Teruel.