Olive Press Gibraltar - Issue 196

At last! Tunnel open after 14 years, see page 4

BUTCHER DUCKS TRIAL

AN evil tyrant, dubbed the ‘Butcher of Hama’, may finally escape justice in a money laundering trial.

Syrian Rifaat al-Assad, who owned property on the Rock and used a Gibraltar-based company to run his affairs in Europe, is accused of laundering €700 million in property in Spain.

But it is deemed unlikely that he will turn up for his trial at Spain’s national court in May.

The uncle of the current Syrian dic-

Gibraltar-linked tyrant Rifaat alAssad ‘in intensive care’ as court case due to resume

tator Bashar al-Assad is currently in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Damascus, claim his lawyers. Al-Assad - who gassed his opponents, including children - had previously been the owner of Gibraltar office block, 6-9 Europort, until he controversially sold his stake cheaply in 2018.

As the Olive Press exclusively revealed, the 86-year-old had cashed in his shares in the complex for around £13 million under market

value.

The sale to the Isola family was criticised by Together Gibraltar leader Marlene Hassan Nahon, who said the £17.5 million sale should never have happened.

It came as most other European countries had embargoed his hundreds of properties and bank accounts at the time.

Will it rain on the parade?

While the tourists might disagree, most locals and long-term expats are preying for the heavens to open this Easter as we approach a summer of drought...And as the Spanish will tell you it always seems to pour during Semana Santa. Happy Easter come rain or shine!

See Spain’s Weirdest Easter Events on p6 and Rain God on our back page

However, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo later insisted ‘the rule of law’ had prevailed after a High Court rubber stamped the transfer of ownership. He also assured Parliament that law enforcement had cooperated fully with a French investigation that sentenced him to four years in prison in 2020. Authorities will now seize al-Assad’s assets in France, which add up to at least €90 mil-

EVIL: Rifaat al-Assad laundered hundreds of millions, while (right) how we reported it

lion in value.

Al-Assad - who earned his nickname when he killed 25,000 people in a ruthless crackdown in 1982 - is alleged to have also invested hundreds of millions in Spain, with over 100 properties in Marbella alone. Most of them were bought via shell companies set up in Gibraltar by disgraced accountancy firm Marrache and Co.

Prosecutors expect a similar verdict in Spain, except his assets are eight times greater, valued at €700 mil-

lion.

They estimate that he has over 500 properties in Spain, including businesses like the Hotel Park Plaza Suites in Benabola and the Plaza Beach Banus.

He is facing eight years in prison

Continues on page 4

DISGRACED GIB ACCOUNTANTS ‘RAN AL-ASSAD EMPIRE’

THE disgraced Gibraltar accountancy firm run by the Marrache brothers was ‘the most important’ part of Al-Assad’s money laundering scheme, court documents claim.

In a pre-trial report it was alleged Isaac and Benjamin Marrache helped him and his family operate a complex network of dozens of shell companies to help move around millions and invest in property in Spain.

“The most important gestores (financial managers) in Gibraltar were the Marrache brothers, who have already been sentenced to severe prison terms,” the documents obtained by the Olive Press read.

The Gibraltar connection began in 1998, when Al-Assad allegedly set up High Mountain Estates LTD in the Bahamas, which in turn was owned by the Alhambra Trust, also owned by Al-Assad.

The former was the umbrella to 29 different Gibraltar companies, 1% of each of those being owned by another company, Groove Limited. In other words, High Mountain Estates Ltd owned 99% of each of these 29 companies and Groove Limited owned the remaining 1% of each.

In turn, Hiba Development SA owned 99% of Groove Limited, with the remaining 1% being owned by Raja Barakat, the wife of Rifaat Al-Assad.

It was a highly complex system built to hide the true owners of the companies which would acquire millions of euros worth of assets in Spain.

These included several properties within the luxury Gray d’Albion development in Puerto Banus, which would later be seized in 2017. These companies were then transferred to Spain where, with the help of Marrache & Co, they constantly changed hands among Assad family members and trusted allies.

Benjamin and Isaac Marrache, the two brothers mentioned in the papers, were sentenced to between seven and 11 years each on charges of conspiracy to defraud in 2014.

Marrache & Co’s involvement with the Assads ceased in 2010, when both were first arrested and their offices raided.

They were jailed in a separate case for conspiracy to defraud millions of pounds from clients of the collapsed law firm and have been disbarred as lawyers.

By John Culatto

Women meet up

MINISTER of Equality Samantha Sacramento brought together the last two cycles of her women’s mentorship programme at a networking event.

Boom time

PORT authorities removed the protective boom around the OS 35 and crane barges dismantling it as gale force winds and heavy swells hit on Wednesday.

Training up

NHS England trained Care Agency staff, prison workers and police officers for two days on how to deal with sexual offenders and victims in late March.

Baby care

SAINT Bernard’s Hospital opened its new Special Baby Care Unit funded by the Kusuma Trust in April.

A MAN who choked and threatened to kill a pregnant woman has been sentenced to eight months in prison.

Imad El Haik Massaoud, 33, of Prince Edwards Road, pleaded guilty to three charges of common assault and threatening to kill the victim.

Police said that Massaoud com -

VIOLENT ATTACK

mitted the crime when he returned home at 3am under the influence of drink or drugs. The pregnant woman was scared of him and tried to run away. She then shouted, ‘Call the police!’ as Massaoud dragged her back into

his home. He then started to choke her with both hands around his neck while saying, ‘I’m going to kill you!’ She managed to free herself just enough to contact the police, while the assault continued.

RADAR SEARCH

POLICE are using ground-penetrating radar at a new area of the Upper Rock to search for the remains of a sailor missing for 36 years. Simon Parkes, 18, disappeared in Gibraltar on December 12, 1986, and a number of police investigations have since been unable to find his remains.

The seaman, from Bristol, vanished while on shore leave after his ship, HMS Illustrious, docked on the Rock on its way to Portsmouth after a deployment to Asia.

New lead in case of sailor who vanished 36 years ago

By John Culatto

He spent the evening in bars with crewmates but never rejoined the ship. He was last seen leaving the Horseshoe Pub in Main Street at around 10.30pm. All his belongings were still onboard his ship, including his passport. The case was reopened in

SPANISH police have arrested six of the suspects who allegedly stoned officers on Eastern Beach last month.

National Police officers arrested ‘identified individuals’ in La Linea who had allegedly thrown stones at Spain’s coastguard on the Gibraltarian beach.

Spanish police had accidentally landed after trying to catch tobacco smugglers in rough seas.

“I know the RGP has been in contact with

2001 after a shipmate, petty officer Allan Grimson, was convicted of two murders. Grimson has denied involvement in Parkes' death but confessed to the murders of 18-year-old Nicholas Wright and 20-year-old Sion Jenkins. Both murders took place one year apart in 1997 and 1998 - on December 12 - the exact same date that Parkes disap-

Stoners arrested

fellow Policia Nacional officers in respect of this matter and am pleased that prosecutions will follow,” Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said. As Spanish law allows any attack on its citizens to be prosecuted in its territory, it will not matter that the incident occurred in Gibraltar.

Cash grab foiled

A MAN who police caught breaking into a Main Street bar last year will spend 15 more weeks in prison.

The Magistrates Court condemned Riyen Lea, 35, after he pleaded guilty to the charge of burglary.

At about 6am on June 4, 2022, a member of the public raised the alarm after he heard the sound of breaking glass.

Police officers found Lea trying to break into a gaming machine with a crowbar.

Lea is already in prison so the 15 weeks will be added to his current sentence.

Drunk in charge

peared in 1986. Now information that came to light during research for a book on the subject by GBC journalist Ros Astengo has given police a new lead to solve the mystery. After radar scans, police plan to carry out a forensic dig in the next few months. It could be the key to unlocking this mystery that has left Simon Parkes’ devastated parents without closure for decades.

“I never expected to come across a new lead, but I really hope my work will bring them the peace they deserve,” Astengo said.

TWO British parents had to pay £200 each after police officers found them drunk at a Gibraltar bar with their ninemonth-old baby in a pram.

An anonymous member of the public tipped off the cops who raced to Waterport Road.

Once there, they confronted Rosie Richardson Jones, 35, and Bradley Skeats, 42. They were arrested after admitting that they had been drinking all afternoon.

The next morning, the couple pleaded guilty at the Magistrates Court to ‘Being Intoxicated While in Charge of a Child’.

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

KRAFTWERK, the German grandfathers of electronica are set to dazzle a new generation of music lovers at Sevilla’s Iconica festival. Having virtually pioneered the entire genre of electronic music, the Dusseldorf synth artists will complete an eclectic line up featuring

Armageddon approaches

BRITISH comedian Ricky Gervais will be making a stop in Spain on his upcoming Armageddon tour, thanks to a show in Barcelona’s Auditori Forum, on August 31. The tour will kick off on April 4 in Newcastle at two soldout shows, and will visit a range of UK cities including Manchester, Liverpool and London, as well as Dublin in Ireland.

The international dates will see the award-winning comedian, director and writer visit the United States, Portugal, Sweden and Germany, among other destinations.

Gervais is the creator and star of The Office, Extras, Derek, and the critically acclaimed recent Netflix hit After Life.

The Armageddon show will also be recorded so that it can be released via Netflix.

JUST ELECTRIFYING

Spanish stars Pastora Soler and Lola Indigo among others. The festival has become one of the top musical events in Spain and has helped put Sevilla firmly on

the musical culture map. The festival is spread over several weeks from June 15 to July 22. Kraftwerk will be headlining the show on July 3.

word

SHE is seldom out of the society pages and now Ana Obregon has sent the Spanish celebrity magazines into a frenzy by revealing she has become a mother at the age of 68.

KING OF THE BEAT

Man of the People: King

Felipe VI stuns flamenco box players in Cadiz by joining in

THE King and Queen of Spain surprised a group of flamenco box drummers by sidling up and joining in their cajoneada session prior to a theatre show in Cadiz.

The event was held outside the Gran Teatro Falla and involved Felipe VI sitting on a flamenco box and drumming alongside a group of students. The performance was intended to welcome attendees to

Spanish Phantom

ANTONIO Banderas is taking part in the production of a Spanish-language version of Andrew Lloyd Weber's hit musical The Phantom of the Opera.

Lloyd Webber and Banderas teamed up a while ago with the aim of producing theatre, musicals and live entertainment shows for Spanish-speaking markets via their new company Amigos Para Siempre (friends forever). The Spanish version of The Phantom of the Opera, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, is expected to premiere on October 4, at the UMusic Hotel Teatro Albeniz in Madrid.

the 9th International Spanish Language Congress in Cadiz - little did they realise they would attract the head of state to join in. As the King and Queen ar-

rived at the theatre for the opening show, Tiempo de Luz, they got out of their car and were immediately intrigued by the box-playing cajoneada.

The Queen and King then approached the two available boxes and Felipe VI briefly played one, joining in and singing the rumba Ali oh "The first cajon-playing king," proclaimed Guille, one of the percussionists who led the performance of 62 separate boxes - or cajones. The Instituto Cervantes and the Cadiz City Council organised the cajoneada to commemorate the origin of the cajon flamenco.

Members of the public attending the event were also free to join in.

The model, actress, TV presenter and scriptwriter hired a surrogate to bear her a baby daughter in Miami, USA.

Best known outside Spain for her role in Bolero alongside Bo Derek, Obregon lost her 27-year-old son Alejandro Lequio to cancer in 2020.

At the time she was comforted by old friends, King Emetrius Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. Now she has said she has recovered ‘the excitement to live’ after the arrival of her new daughter.

Hiring a surrogate mother is illegal in Spain, however, there are agencies that allow wealthy families to ‘order’ a kid from Eastern European countries and the USA. Obregón is being highly criticised online and on some Spanish TV programmes.

People have also pointed out how she left the hospital in a wheelchair as if she had given birth to the baby herself.

Feline fantastic

A TOTAL of 43 new Iberian lynx cubs have been born throughout 2022 in different breeding centres managed by National Parks across Spain.

The breeding season ended with the successful birth of seven cubs in the Doñana National Park (Huelva). A further nine cubs were born in Zarza de Granadilla; 14 in La Olivilla; 10 in Silves and three in Jerez Zoo. Additionally, last year saw a total of 33 lynx released into the wild at a national level as part of the Iberian Lynx Ex situ Conservation Programme.

Finally finished!

IT has taken 14 years, but the tunnel under the airport runway has opened to motor vehicles.

A second pedestrian tunnel alongside it will allow people to walk, cycle or scooter from Eastern Beach.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his predecessor Sir Peter Caruana cut the ribbon to signal the birth of the new dual carriageway dreamt of 14 years ago. It might have turned into a nightmare with the five-year court battle against contractors OHL that paralysed work, but the final result is already improving traffic flow in the city.

Border

The stretch of dual carriageway known as Kingsway which incorporates the tunnel will stretch from the Devil’s Tower Road roundabout to the Eastgate roundabout at the border. All motor vehicles, including HGVs and motorcycles will now use the Kingsway tunnel route. And in a deal with the MoD signed before the tunnel opened, pedestrians, cyclists and scooters will still be able to cross the runway as before. In the run-up to the opening, emergency services practised for an accident in the tunnel. The Chief Minister later revealed that the final cost of the tunnel was £34 million.

Opinion Page 6

APPROVAL has been given for two new affordable public housing estates.

Chatham Views, at the site of the old Westside girls’ school will provide a total of 228 apartments with 44 flats for the elderly. It will take 30 months to complete.

SITUS Construction will build the project at the cost of £57.4 million to public coffers.

The first stage of Sir Bob Peliza Mews, at

Housing leap

the site of the old power station, will deliver 253 flats in two years’ time. It will be followed by phase two within a year, once AquaGib relocates its facility at the site.

Phase Two of the housing estate will pro-

vide a further 229 apartments, 83 of them designed for the elderly.

The government will pay Gibraltar Joinery and Building Services £104 million to build both phases of Sir Bob Peliza Mews. When both of these new estates are combined with the Hassan Centenary Terraces overlooking Eastern Beach, it will mean 1,375 new apartments and 127 flats for the elderly.

MINI MONACO

£90mn handed over for Eastside Project that will ‘rival Puerto Banus’

THE latest developer of the Eastside Project has made the first £90 million cash payment in a deal that will provide £330 million in value for the Gibraltar Government. The government chose TNG Global Foundation as the highest bidder for the Eastside Reclamation in 2021 and has been in talks with the de-

By John Culatto

veloper ever since.

Minister for Economic Development Sir Joe Bossano said the investment will give a £2.5 billion injection to the economy over 10 years.

The government says it has been in ‘very positive’ talks

London calling

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met with Gibraltar leaders to talk about the ongoing EU treaty talks in London. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said Cleverly would continue to ‘support’ the Rock, calling him ‘a long-standing friend’ of the British overseas territory.

Picardo also took the opportunity to meet Labour MPs during his visit to the British capital and briefed them on the ongoing talks.

Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia and Attorney-General Michael Llamas accompanied Picardo in the Cleverly meetings.

with TNG Global since 2021.

Apart from the cash payment TNG Global will provide £118 million for the coastal defensive revetments for both Hassan Centenary Terraces and the rest of Eastside.

As part of the deal, it will build 100 affordable homes at a value of £30 million and 400 small boat berths that will cost £20 million.

TNG Global will build parking for about 500 cars at Catalan Bay that will be free in the summer months for beachgoers.

Finally, the company will save the government from

having to spend £60 million by removing the rubble mountain from the Eastside reclamation.

Apart from private residential buildings and commercial facilities, the scheme will include a marina and public fishing jetties that could make it rival Puerto Banus.

Vietnamese businessman Tuan Tran heads up the TNG Foundation.

and a fine of €2.7 million. Meanwhile the prosecution is also seeking six years each for eight relatives, including his children, and €2.2 million fines for each of them.

The former Syrian vice-president fled Syria in 1984 after a failed coup attempt he led against his own brother. Upon his death, he proclaimed himself the legitimate successor, but it was his nephew Bashar al-Assad who went on to be president. Since then he has lived mostly in France and in Spain, especially in Marbella.

ABOUT half of Gibraltar’s land area has become a National Park under a new law.

It includes the whole Nature Reserve, Gorham’s Cave, fortifications, Botanic Gardens, National Museum and Garrison Library. It now hopes to become a member of international organisations that help national parks. Authorities believe this will promote Gibraltar’s unique heritage and nature on an international scale. The Gibraltar National Park will soon have its own website to promote it further.

IMPRESSION: Eastside project

BLACK HOLE

THE bosses of a beleaguered crypto company ‘took out €11 million’ just months before the company collapsed, it can be revealed.

Documents seen by the Olive Press suggest a Russian and a Gibraltarian withdrew the massive payments from online platform Globix in two big withdrawals.

Sole shareholder Damian Carreras, 39, withdrew nearly €8 million, while his associate Pavel Sidirov, the company’s tech guru, took €3 million, it is alleged.

Cash

Most alarming for investors desperate to recoup cash will be the discrepancy between the €40 million claimed to be in the company pot last June and the €13 million that Carreras claimed was left, recently.

According to liquidators, €40 million was transferred out of Globix wallets during a period in which the company supposedly had ‘payment processing issues’.

A Gibraltar court has heard that money may have even been withdrawn after March 10 when the company was placed in liquidation.

An exclusive Olive Press investigation first revealed the scandal on March 8, leading to mass panic among investors, believed to number in their hundreds around Spain.

Injunctions

The court has now granted injunctions against Carreras and Sidirov from accessing any further monies still remaining.

They have also been ordered to hand over all documents regarding Globix, while they are set to be ordered to court as lawyers talk of ‘compelling’ evidence of fraud.

Suspiciously, the injunction specifically prohibits any third-party ‘persons unknown’ from accessing the funds.

When reached this week, Sidirov told the Olive Press he merely helped to set up

Youthful voice

YOUNG people in Gibraltar could help spread the message of equality after meeting a government minister.

Minister for Equality Samantha Sacramento said she discussed ‘a couple of collaborative future projects’ with a group known as the Voice of Young People.

The Gibraltar Youth Service runs the programme to give teenagers a chance to express their views with figures of authority.

“They really appreciated the effort and fuss that had been made of them,” youth worker Sarah Wadsworth said.

Liquidators probing Globix close in on suspicious payments taken out of the company

By Walter Finch

and develop the Globix system and is innocent of all charges.

He said: “I was a freelancer hired to help develop the system together with a Ukrainian company. I received a maximum of €200,000 to €300,000

from Globix.”

He added he had no idea how much Carreras had taken. “He is the owner of the business, and had the right to withdraw anything.”

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

Two down, one to go

THE completion of the tunnel airport underpass and the first real payment for the Eastside development could mark the beginning of better times for Gibraltar. Both these projects have been a long time in the making and are now finally working out.

The runway tunnel has been a major issue for the Gibraltar government.

Sir Peter Caruana got the ball rolling in 2008 as Chief Minister but problems with the contractor led to the project being abandoned for years.

His successor, Fabian Picardo, fought hard for its completion even though, like the new airport, he never really believed in the need for it.

But, as both of them acknowledged in the presentation of the finished project, they would not let the developer, OHL in this case, badger them into paying out more money.

What OHL forgot was that Gibraltarian politicians are used to fighting the bigger fish.

They have done it against the Spanish during the Franco years and had to fight tooth and nail against the dual sovereignty arrangement organised by Tony Blair. “They picked the wrong client,” Caruana said. Picardo nodded his head in with a ‘Hear, hear’.

The Eastside reclamation was a great idea that never really got off the ground.

Admittedly, the 2008 financial crisis did not help and neither did the Brexit referendum.

These two major earth-shattering events created a vacuum that left Gibraltar searching for that elusive developer.

It was also tougher for developers who needed to satisfy the government’s strict guidelines for a high level of public service.

But finally, with TNG Global, the government seems to have found a developer willing to give it what it wants.

What is left is the last UK-EU deal after Brexit.

This could be the icing on the cake and benefit both these projects, but whether it is actually possible before the pendulum swings to the right at Spain’s December election is anyone’s guess.

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

Spain’s Weirdest Easter Events

Easter,

McDonald

SEMANA Santa (Holy Week) is celebrated with great passion throughout Spain. Between April 2 and Easter Sunday on April 9, you can expect multiple processions day and night in the bigger towns and cities.

The floats (pasos) carrying saints, candles and flowers are carried through the streets on the shoulders of men, preceded by the clergy and followed by a cloud of incense, a

Procession of the Drunken Mobs, Cuenca (Castilla-La Mancha)

Jesus Christ was subjected to while dragging his crucifixion cross to Mount Calvary. The march gets under way at dawn on Good Friday, when ‘the mobs’ respectfully stage the ridicule of Christ to the sound of out-of-tune drums and trumpets while drinking resoli, the typical drink of Cuenca.

band or drummers, and penitents. Biblical events are commemorated with great fervour in even the smallest of villages. But there are some places where the local population goes the extra mile, adding a personal touch or a twist on the Easter theme.

Here are some of Spain’s more unusual Semana Santa celebrations:

Descent of the Angel, Aranda de Duero (Burgos)

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

THE Spanish government is preparing a law to ban the sale of internal combustion engines by 2040. It is part of a concerted effort to be the first European government to meet the EU’s official target of a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2040.

Fair enough – we all want cleaner air.

In addition to the problems of polluting emissions, when you consider that fossil fuels (gasoline and diesel) are becoming exponentially more expensive, it stands to reason that the automotive industry is heavily invested in producing emission-free electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids. Yet the reliance of EVs on the electrical grid system creates its own set of problems (more about that later).

So what about a solar car? After all, solar energy is front and centre in any discussion of clean, emission-free energy – especially here in sunny Spain!

But the silence around the topic is deafening, so I looked into it.

As mentioned, the internal combustion engine is going the way of the dinosaurs. Since the Spanish government announced its intention, 31 countries, states and cities have internal combustion bans in place.

Copenhagen, for example, wants to end all diesel sales starting

ON Easter Sunday, they stage the appearance of the angel who announced the Resurrection of Jesus to the Virgin. Using a system of pulleys, a globe – suspended from a cable – is lowered into position above a statue of the Virgin Mary, cloaked in black. To gasps and cheers from the crowd, the globe bursts apart showering confetti to reveal a small child, also dangling somewhat precariously from the cable, dressed as an angel. The angel releases two doves, swoops down and removes the cloak to signify the end of mourning, and flies up and down at quite some height.

Drumming of Hellin (Castilla-La Mancha)

MORE than 20,000 drums sound through the streets and rattle the windows of this city – and almost all week. The first drumming session takes place on Holy Wednesday and the last ones boom out on Easter Sunday. Attendees dress in black tunics with red scarves tied around their necks.

Driving on sunshine

Fossil fuels are bad for the planet, electricity is expensive. How about we all drive solar cars? Jack Gaioni explores the options while waiting for a breakthrough

next year. Likewise, Paris, Athens, Milan, and Mexico City plan bans by 2025; Norway by 2025; and France, Germany and the UK by 2040. In the United States, California, New York, and Washington have a 2030 target date for a ban in place.

With the aim of reducing emissions paramount, it’s logical the auto industry is promoting EVs. Indeed, running cars on electricity does reduce emissions, but there are unintended consequences.

Here in Spain, the cost of electricity has skyrocketed and costs four times what it did just a few short years ago. Blackouts are becoming more common everywhere: the US already has more than any other developed nation, and the situation is getting worse. Experts expect a 38% increase in electricity consumption by 2050,

mostly due to the projected sales of EVs. Add to that another 10-15% increase to reflect the growth of energy-consuming industries, and power grids will be hard pressed to keep up with demand.

Bottlenecks in the supply of batteries and the high demand for components have already caused some manufactures to suspend EV production.

Doomed

Factors like these undermine confidence in the EV and hybrid markets. But if the internal combustion engine is doomed, and there are doubts about the reliability and capacity of electricity grids, what direction does the auto industry turn?

A few established auto manufacturers in-

It’s

and in Spain that means saints and processions . . . as well as Nero, flying children, and drunken mobs, writes Nadia

THIS procession reenacts the mockery that

enahavis

LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

Sculpture

FREE tennis, football and golf lessons for kids, plus language, yoga and pilates for adults… is it any wonder Benahavis has seen nearly 30% growth in just over a year?

The statistics for this tiny, privileged enclave, a vulture’s wing flap inland from the Costa del Sol, are nothing short of remarkable.

Long the highest-earning place in Andalucia (with an average earnings of €38,000), its population (of which 65% is foreign) has soared from 7,300 residents to a healthy 9,244 since 2022.

“It’s a massive amount of growth and we are still amazed by it,” explains British expat councillor Scott Marshall, who grew up in Benahavis.

The growth is mostly down to digital nomads and teleworkers looking to live somewhere warm surrounded by nature and open spaces.

And Benahavis really has exactly that and, in particular, now that its nearby hills have been officially designated the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.

Spain’s sixteenth national park, its

soaring peaks are often covered with snow in winter (hence the name), and are some of the most amazing for hiking and bird-watching, with eagles and vultures soaring above with increasing frequency.

Best reached from the Benahavis urbanisation of La Quinta, a three-hour circular walk takes you up to the famous castano santo - holy chestnut tree - that at 1000 years old is said to be the oldest in Malaga province. But there are many other walks right from the village, in particular down into its famous river gorge, where many people combine hiking with swimming, or up towards the stunning country retreat of the wealthy Goldsmith family, where the UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed two years ago.

First revealed by the Olive Press, Johnson had turned up to enjoy what Benahavis offers best: a week of hiking followed by a dabble with a paintbrush out in the open air.

By coincidence his visit came at the same time as Netflix descended on the village to film a couple of scenes from the hit series The Crown.

Renting out a villa in the exclusive enclave of Zagaleta, they portrayed the mid-1990s holiday that Lady Diana took with her friend Jemima Goldsmith at her family estate, Tramores.

The cast and crew were regularly seen around the village, both filming various scenes, as well as enjoying their time off.

Continues on next page

Sitting beside Spain’s newest national park with the highest-earning locals in Andalucia, Benahavis is definitively Andalucia’s dream location and not just for Prime Ministers, writes Jon Clarke

PROTECTED: The new Sierra de las Nieves national park flanks the town, while (inset) it counts on many charming corners

From previous page

ESCAPE FOR PRINCESS DI

“It is the best possible promotion we could have had,” explains Marshall, who’s artist father David moved to Benahavis in the 1970s. Both visits were thanks to the village’s connection to the Goldsmith family, who are heavily focussed on protecting the local environment, in particular planting trees. Benahavis is already one of the greenest places to live in Spain with 75% of its land being protected and non-urbanizable, but now the town hall is slimming down its urban plans, even more.

In total, just 2,500 more homes will be allowed inside its borders, while there are plans to have its own 1,500-pupil school (see page 4).

Finally passed by the Junta, construction will begin later this year and will feature the ‘most impressive outdoor spaces’ in Andalucia. Visitors will be more impressed by the village itself, which is so nicely secluded from the buzzing Costa del Sol, yet only a short 10 to 15 minute drive to the hotspots of Marbella and Estepona. Lungfulls of pure mountain

air are on the house as you huff and puff up the cobbled streets to the top of this beautifully-kept pueblo hung with painted flower pots, and ornamented with stylish street lanterns, fountains and viewpoints, ten to the pound. Keep an eye out for a glimpse of President Putin’s yellow-ochre castle at the top of one nearby hill (not that he is likely to be using it again anytime soon), while I was impressed with the electric car charger points, not to mention innovative bike repair stations around town.

A village stroll is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times, when this former Arabic stronghold was crowned by the 11th Century Montemayor castle, overlooking vast swathes of the Costa del Sol. The village takes its name from Havis, a Moorish prince who ruled from the castle, before his family were finally ousted and the village reconquered by the Catholic monarchs in the late 15th century. It was then that war broke out between Benahavis and

Marbella and raged on for 350 years until the village gained its independence. Near the village are a few things of note. On Sundays there is the flea market set in the feria ground on the way, stalls selling art, clothes, knick knacks and brica-brac as far as the eye can see. It’s well worth a rummage. Water babies meanwhile, will love the Rio Guadalmina gorge, which is one of its coolest natural attractions on the Costa del Sol.

Take a river ramble along its banks, go wild swimming in one of the deep rock pools or

try canyoning along the Canon de Las Angosturas. Not for the faint-hearted, the 50-metre descent starts at Charca de las Mozas - a popular picnic spot south of the water tower roundabout that’s become the unofficial swimming baths. Dive in - there’s no charge!

Parts of the river were chan -

A village stroll is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times

NUPTIALS: At either chapel or church (below)

CORNUCOPIA: Thousands of second hand items at the weekly flea market

nelled by the Arabs in order to supply nearby farms and orchards. These routes have since been adapted for hiking with the addition of a suspension bridge over the Angosturas canyon, opening up the Sendero Acequia del Guadalmina, an easy family walking route of around four kilometres beside a water-

course dug for the farmers and shady to boot. Finally, there is the Benahavis for foodies.

With over a dozen restaurants and its own cookery school, it is no surprise it has been called the ‘gourmet capital’ of the Costa del Sol. There is certainly healthy competition between the

many restaurants in the heart of the village and each of them vie for your custom with enticing terraces facing out to the nearby hills. While they may not be free for local residents, they are anything but expensive and far better value than their nearby rivals in Marbella or Estepona.

MOST of the population growth in Benahavis over the last half decade has been wealthy pro- fessionals, and the majority come from abroad. Indeed, an incredible 65% of the population is now foreign, with hundreds of digital nomads relocating here from northern Europe and the States over recent years. But there were an incredible 101 nationalities registered on the local padron last year, with the British still the largest, counting for around 50% of the foreigners in the town and approaching 2,000 in number.

As well as the location and natural surroun- dings, foreigners are also drawn to the town’s

Quality not quantity

high-speed fibre optics as well as its excellent sporting facilities, which are mostly free to re- sidents.

So good are the free golf lessons that one youngster to benefit, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 20, has recently moved to Mississippi to compete on the competitive US women’s golf circuit. The town is modernising and upgrading all the facilities all the time and has recently installed a full size running track.

DID YOU KNOW?

Seaborne Jesus, Alicante

EASTER celebrations in Alicante have a maritime flavour starting with the figure of Christ of the Sea coming into harbour aboard a boat, accompanied by port police. Another unusual event is the Last Supper, where a monumental float requiring nearly 200 bearers is paraded through the streets.

Genarin’s Burial, León, Castile-Leon

ONE of the most unusual traditions during Semana Santa is the pagan celebration of Genarin’s Burial. A mock funeral procession takes place in the historic centre of Leon on Holy Thursday, in honour of Genaro Blanco, a drunk known for frequenting all the brothels in the city. He was run over by a truck in 1929, and, on the first anniversary of his death, four of his friends staged the mock funeral in homage to their dearly departed party companion. Over time, it became an excuse to parody the Holy Week processions. Though subjected to censorship during Franco’s dictatorship, the tradition re-emerged in the 1970s.

Holy Week of Ben-Hur, Lorca (Murcia)

DECLARED a Festival of International Tourist Interest in 2007, this procession is more reminiscent of a flamboyant carnival. The city’s different religious brotherhoods spend months preparing floats for what has become something of a competition. Marc Anthony, Nero and Cleopatra are among some of the pre-Christian characters that feature in this Easter procession.

cluding Toyota and Hyundai have begun exploring solar-powered vehicles. The first order of business has been to enable normal ‘plug-in’ EVs to use solar to top up the batteries, providing ‘an auxiliary add-on’ to extend the EVs’ range.

Other manufacturers, mostly start-ups, are looking at ways to make cars that are totally powered by solar, or which use the grid solely as backup. Aperta Motors in California, for example, is on a mission ‘to build lightweight and aerodynamic vehicles powered by the sun that are able to handle most daily needs completely off the grid’.

Using solar roof panels, the Aperta charging system can provide enough energy to power a daily range of 44 km (as long as it’s sunny). The average commute in the US is 30 km per day (in Europe it is 28 km), and so, for the commuter, the need to stop and charge during the day is eliminated. Designed with three wheels, the vehicle can achieve speeds of over 95 km per hour, and, the manufacturers claim, reduce emissions by more than 6000 kg of CO2 per year.

At the time of writing, Aperta’s solar car is yet to pass all federal safety standards, but there is already a backlog of 12,000 pre-orders for the vehicles which cost between €27,000 and €42,000.

Germany’s Sono Motors aims to make ‘every vehicle solar for a world without fossil fuels’ and is developing an EV that charges itself. In a bid to achieve a ‘grid-free’ range of 305 km, more than 1000 solar cells have been adapted and embedded in the plastic body panels of the roof, the sides and the boot. Their prototypes use two to three times less battery power than any EV currently on the market, and already meet legal safety standards. They’re also more suited to today’s consumers, being four-wheeled, multi-passenger and traditional sedan style.

Prisoner freed, Malaga

WHEN plague broke out in 1759, prisoners rioted when they found out that Easter processions were cancelled. In the hope they could be saved from the plague, they then forced their way out of jail and carried a statue of Jesus through the streets before returning to their cells. King Carlos III was so impressed by their piety that from that day on he declared a prisoner should be set free in Malaga every Easter, so long as they had not been convicted

Dance of Death, Verges (Girona)

ON Maundy Tuesday, Verges lays on a Dance of Death. Two adults and three children dress up as skeletons and dance to the rhythm of drums. The origins of the tradition stem from medieval times when Christianity provided hope during the terror of the plague.

Look out below, Valencia

On Easter Saturday Valencianos like to make a noise. They celebrate Christ’s Resurrection with fireworks at midnight but they are not noisy enough for the locals. They join in the noise by throwing pots and old crockery from upper floor balconies. Take an umbrella if you are visiting - water is regularly dumped on unwary visitors too.

VERY SUCCESSFUL

Mail-out restaurant campaign bites BIG with our thousands of registered users

WITH a new restaurant opening looming and a need to spread the word, Malaga’s leading Metro Group turned to the Olive Press to help. Via two enticing emails, we hoped our 30,000 registered website users would bite. And bite, they certainly did.

For a limited period of just 11 days, our readers at www. theolivepress.es were offered a unique 50% discount code to redeem against a meal at the hot new restaurant Nomad, opening last month in Marbella. And boy, did they use it, with a staggering 83 BOOKINGS coming in for the launch.

“It was very successful and we have actually been a bit overwhelmed with the reservations,” Metro’s marketing manager Karen Wolfson explained.

“All in all we are very pleased with the result. Thanks so much. We will definitely be doing more with the Olive Press.”

One of the lucky readers to benefit from the generous meal offer was Danish expat, Carsten Christensen, based in San Pedro.

“We jumped at the offer and I took my wife for her birthday with friends,” he explained. “The meal came to €300, which dropped to only €150 after the discount code was applied.

“It was a great meal and we have already booked to come back, not to mention recommended it to a few of our friends.”

For more information on how to run a similar campaign for your restaurant or another business contact sales@theolivepress.es

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

1- Light at the end of the tunnel: Gibraltar’s new runway tunnel opens March 31 much to commuters’ glee

2- Why are the Semana Santa hats conical and are they linked to the KKK?

3- British parents pay £200 bill each after going on drinking session with their baby at a Gibraltar bar

4- Ryanair boss fumes over latest Spain flight disruptions caused by French air traffic controller strike

5- Spanish celebrity Ana Obregon become a mother at 68

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SALESMAN AND A TRUSTED ADVISER

FIDUCIARY Wealth has been shaping the wealth of the British expatriate community in Spain through unbiased tax-led wealth management advice since 2007.

OUR DIFFERENCES

The company has strong professional connections to a prestigious and well-regarded law firm and a global accountancy network. These relationships reassure clients of our longevity as well as the credibility, integrity and quality of our financial advice.

LEGAL ROOTS

We are closely associated with Gibraltar’s longest standing, Band 1 law firm, established in 1892.

GLOBAL NETWORK

We are also a member of MGI Worldwide, a top 20 ranked global network of independent audit, tax, accounting and consulting firms with truly global reach – founded in 1947.

CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

We understand the positive benefits of high client interaction and deeper client relationships as well as the importance of engaging in a broader dialogue to provide more client focused solutions.

CLIENT CENTRIC ADVICE

We provide fully independent, individually tailored and holistic financial advice.

WHY CHOOSE US?

We are passionate about helping improve the lives of the British expat communities we are so

proud and privileged to serve.

Old fashioned approaches to product and service provision are changing, with clients demanding a shift away from a commoditized transactional offering to a tailored approach.

The British expat community in Spain is fed up of dealing with single-transaction financial advisory groups which purport to offer independent and customized advice but all they do is sell you a Spanish Bond without necessarily embedding any value.

There is a complete lack of trust in financial advisory practices which disguise extremely high commissions, that are often as much as 10%, by tying you into a life insurance product for seven years, through the use of early encashment penalties.

We have built our advice model around full disclosure and best client outcomes. It means our pricing is fair and transparent, fully independent and individually tailored to satisfy your needs.

We focus obsessively on delivering the best customer experience, eliminating complexity and making the product simpler and easier to use, providing more information and guidance to ensure the right purchase decisions are made, great customer service and reducing prices.

We have never been product driven. Our mission is to understand our clients’ biggest pains, fears and worries and help them achieve their dreams, aspirations and financial goals.

We put every ounce of energy into delivering the desired result – serving and embedding as much value as possible.

We are in the Costa del Sol fully available for meetings throughout the week from Sotogrande to Nerja and inland Malaga and Granada.

If you feel you would benefit from a second opinion to eliminate any doubts you may have about your finances or to review your existing investments which are troubling you due to volatile and challenging market conditions; please email enquiries@fwm.gi or call us on Tel: +350 200 50982

*Our financial advisers are fully licensed, qualified and regulated to provide financial advice in Spain and across the EU.

INFLATION SURPRISE

SPAIN'S inflation rate in March clocked in at 3.3% according to preliminary figures from the National Statistics Institute.

That's down on February's figure of 6% and is attributed to falls in electricity and fuel prices and the big hikes recorded in March 2022 working their way out of the system.

The March inflation rate is the lowest annual figure since August 2021 and has

Price rises slow down but food still 16% more expensive

By Alex Trelinski

confounded predictions from economists who projected a rate of around 3.8%.

Angel Talavera, chief economist for Europe at Oxford Economics, said: “This should not make us believe that inflationary tensions are

Forecast beaten

SPAIN'S economy grew by 5.5% last year- the same rate as in 2021 - according to the National Statistics Institute(INE).

The 2022 rise was confirmed after the INE reported a 0.2% rise in GDP growth for the final quarter of last year.

Last year's increase was 1.1% higher than predicted by the government and confirms two years of growth after GDP fell by 11.3% in 2020 due to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.The economy though still has not fully recovered to volume levels seen before Covid struck.

Domestic demand contributed 3.1% to GDP growth in 2022, a figure 2.1% lower than that of 2021, while foreign demand contributed 2.4%- 2.1% above the previous year.

over.”

“Core and food prices will remain high, and in addition, the large fall in energy prices in the last months of last year will cause the opposite effect to that of March on the inflation rate in the last months of 2023,” he added.

Core inflation, which does not include variable fresh food and energy prices, was 7.5% year-on-year, slightly below the 7.6% recorded in February.

It’s the first drop - albeit marginal - in the core rate in 23 months.

Food

Food prices are the main issue for most people in Spain with the last stripped-out figure reporting a 16.6% annual rate in February.

The Bank of Spain has predicted that food inflation will remain in double digits for the rest of 2023 with the annual rate in December predicted to be 12.2% before falling to an average rate of 4.6% next year.

Fuengirola Marbella Plaza de las Orquídeas, Calle Orquídea, Local 5, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella, 29660, Spain +34 952 906 581 marbella@currenciesdirect.com

Avda. Alcalde Clemente Díaz Ruiz s/n Urb. Puebla Lucia, Edificio Leo Local 1, Fuengirola, 29640, Spain +34 952 906 581 fuengirola@currenciesdirect.com

Spain +34 950 478 914 mojacar@currenciesdirect.com

Benalmadena

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

SPERM MISTAKE

A MAN who had a son via IVF treatment has discovered that the child is not his biological offspring and now wants €1 million compensation. The situation came to light due to a series of coincidences which included repeated comments from relatives about how little the child, who was born in late 2021, resembled his father. Then a friend with medical knowledge noticed that the blood group of the baby was

IVF baby is not biological offspring of father

By Simon Hunter

incompatible with those of his parents. This prompted the family to take a paternity test, the result of which showed that the woman was the child’s biological mother, but that the man was not the father.

BREATH EASY

HAYFEVER sufferers will be able to breath easy this year.

According to the SEAIC allergology society, 2023 will likely be mild for allergy sufferers.

By using a model based on historical data and weather forecasts, the society has predicted that spring will be mild for pollen on the Mediterranean coast but a little worse in areas such as Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura. SEAIC reported that coastal cities such as Barcelona, Alicante and Murcia will see pollen levels of between 1,000 and 1,200 grains per square metre, rising to 2,000 in inland urban centres such as Lleida and above 4,000 grains in areas south of Madrid..

The cold winter has had an effect on pollen levels, in particular from cypresses and conifers, which are usually the first to shed their grains.

COUNSELLING THE GURU’ CHANGE IS POSSIBLE

The rise of generalised anxiety in an uncertain financial climate

IN an uncertain financial climate and an economic downturn, many families feel a generalised sense of anxiety about how they may meet the rising cost of living and ensure that they have enough income to cover costs.

The war in Ukraine, an unstable banking sector and steep rising inflation and food costs, all add to pressures on families.

A social environment that feels unstable does add fear and insecurity to those who are ‘breadwinners’ in families.

952 147 834

“The result was communicated to the family on February 27, 2023 and was devastating for them,” a lawsuit filed by pressure group The Patient’s Ombudsman states. The family is suing the health system as well as the Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar in Cadiz. The regional health chief, Catalina Garcia, launched an investigation into what exactly happened.

Fears

The lawyer acting for the family, which has not been identified, also raised fears about how far-reaching the error could be: i.e. another family undergoing IVF treatment may have had a baby using the man’s sperm.

The group has opted to go public with the story in order to avoid such mistakes happening again. “It’s obvious that what happened cannot be sorted out, but perhaps if everyone hears about it, it won’t happen again,” a spokesman said.

This anxiety may show itself in a generalised form of anxiety, a sharp rise in fears and a rise in bodily tensions such as tighter muscles in the jaw, head and neck, feelings of dread or catastrophic thoughts and low moods.

Generalised anxiety due to stressors should be seen through the prism of a constant overactive bodily stress response. Sometimes this overactive stress response is related to a specific life event or sometimes, it starts to become the ‘norm’ in how people think and feel because the body has adapted to react to a consistent perceived threat.

If anxiety and stress is not countered long term, the body adapts to this hyper-active state which leaves the body and mind in a constant state of alert. This is what we call ‘generalised anxiety’ and the longer people feel financially unstable, the greater the risk that generalised anxiety can bed into those who are the main family earners. Counselling is one of a range of treatments to help individuals manage their stress levels and underlying thoughts and feelings that can trigger high stress anxiety reactions.

Whilst many people may have events in their lives that lead to high levels of anxiety, generalised anxiety is more of a deeper rooted issue that points to historical events that have shaped the way that an individual interprets or reacts to

world events.

For example, trauma events, parents who projected consistent fears of the world to their children, as well as unstable home environments can all affect the subconscious of someone who has experienced such adverse life events so that they feel a deeper sense of the world being a risk to their existence. These innate fears trigger the fear centres in their brain which become sensitised over time and which remain on ‘high alert’ for risk.

Sadness

So whilst someone who has not been affected by adverse life events may look at the loss of their job through the prism of sadness tinged with a desire to get another job, individuals with traumatic childhoods or adverse life conditions may view the same event as another bad event in a catalogue of bad events in their life and that such depressing news was only a matter of time because ‘nothing good ever happens to me’. This in turn can trigger the same ‘fear centre’ in the brain, reconfirming a mental loop that the world is unstable and that the individual is somehow incapable, weak or unable to cope. Counselling can help such individuals make sense of where these thoughts come from and provide opportunities for an individual to develop self-compassion and a deeper sense of understanding of the root causes of why they think and feel certain ways.

For many, this realisation is life changing to the point that they are able to slough off old behaviour patterns that have held them back. Change is really possible and the first step is reaching out for help and acknowledging that there is a problem.

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

TASTE OF SPRING

WITH Semana Santa upon us, it’s time to resume outdoor living.

Summer ranges are about to drop in store… and will usually be gone by the end of May. So, if you want to get ahead outside, here are some top terrace tips.

On your marks, get set, go: More-is-more maximalism – a hot trend right now, and our strong sunlight, deep blue skies, staggering sunsets, and colourful landscapes can certainly handle it. Add in plenty of patterns with different

As we finally move outside back into our gardens and roof terraces, Julia Begbie, takes a look at a few hot options

sized repeats, lots of strong colour (a wide range from light to dark) including the frames of furniture, and a variety of surface textures too.

Not a style for shrinking violets - if you have a go and it looks a bit sad, you probably need to add more!

Quiet minimalism – if bold colour and pattern set your nerves on edge, then follow Nicky Dobree’s advice (below) and take inspiration for colour from the landscape.

Establish a base neutral palette (e.g. off-white, beige, taupe, or grey) and hold back with the accessories, limiting the colour palette to soft and muted tones and shades picked up when you survey your surroundings.

Invest for long-lasting style – use high quality sun and weather-resistant textiles, such as Designers Guild fabrics, to get years of pristine performance.

According to Jacqueline Roberts of TerazzaBella, in Estepona, among the biggest developments in terrace design has been the huge increase in exciting colour and pattern, not just in textiles but in outdoor rugs and wallpaper too. Now you can have whatever you want, inside or out!

Visit www.telabella.es

Live like Jackie O

HARD WEARING: Materials from Designers Guild

JUST between us, there is something special going on at Ikea right now: a partnership with cult Finnish design brand Marimekko – beloved of Jackie O and Carrie Bradshaw. If you know, you know. These star designer collaborations sell fast and are one season only. The Marimekko products

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PROS

Designer Nicky Dobree on how she was inspired by the local vernacular to create the sumptuous look of hip Vejer hotel Plaza 18

quite a departure and is Nicky’s first hotel project. Judging by the ecstatic guest reviews, it won’t be her last.

are branded ‘bastua’: use this term to filter the Ikea website and discover a small but perfectly formed capsule range of kimonos, floor cushions, rechargeable lanterns, trays and platters, glorious glassware, and all manner of beach and terrace textiles to get you and your home summer-ready!

The branded carrier bag (watch out for late summer resale prices on eBay) is just €0.99 and would make a great gift / beach bag.

British interior designer Nicky Dobree is best known for a portfolio chock-full of sumptuous, snowblown ski chalets.

So Plaza 18, a boutique hotel in sun-baked Vejer de la Frontera, is

You might wonder how an outsider - even a professional one - could drop in, flawlessly convert a venerable Andalucian building, and deliver an impeccable sense of place.

It helps that Nicky has been a regular visitor to Vejer and is a true champion of the Andalucian vernacular.

Plus she’s a veteran when it comes to getting wide things up narrow tracks.

Of particular interest from an interior design point of view is how Plaza 18 manages to feel both historic and contemporary, and cool and cosy, all at

the same time.

Here she gives the Olive Press her tips for renovating and decorating in Spain.

ON COLOUR: Take local inspiration for colour, look to nature and local culture, so for example, against the soft stone tones of the south of France you might pick a palette of soft pinks and greens, whereas in the south of Spain, you start with a black and white canvas and you can afford to use bolder colour.

ON MIXING OLD AND NEW: Even if you want contemporary style, don’t strip out beautiful original details, instead invest in restoring these. Furnishings don’t have to work so hard when the architecture is beautiful; you can mix very modern pieces with antiques in a well-restored period building, particularly when you select local pieces.

ON PUEBLO BLANCO STYLE: The pueblo blanco vernacular is strongly black and white, but in an older building, the patina of use alters colour. Plaza 18’s blacks and whites are off-blacks and offwhites, and not off-the-ferretería-shelf. All colours

were carefully tested on site. Culturally, Africa also has a role to play in Andalucian style, and in Plaza 18 artworks by African artists were also woven in.

ON OUR CLIMATE: A room that is decorated using light-coloured linens to alleviate the summer heat can also be cosy on a chilly winter’s night when you turn on lamps, sink your feet into rugs, plump cushions and surround yourself with a collection of art and decorative objects.

ABOVE ALL: Save time and money by getting professional design help, learn about local style by working with an expert who knows instinctively what’s right and where to find it.

“EVERY project has to be grounded by its location and its architecture…having a sense of place for any building is absolutely vital.”

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

A Happy Easter

Flight boost

BRITISH Airways will increase flights from Gibraltar to Heathrow to three on certain weekends in coming months.

Three Saturdays in April, two in May, two in July, four in August, five in September and four in October will see the extra flights.

Minister for Business and Tourism, Hon Vijay Daryanani, said: “This is welcome news for overnight tourism, our hotels and Gibraltar PLC on the whole.”

Bumper Semana Santa for tourism businesses

SPAIN’S tourism sector is expecting to do big business this Easter, with forecasts suggesting that visitor numbers and spending will break records of recent years.

The end of Covid-19 restrictions will see the return of international visitors while Spaniards are also very keen to enjoy a domestic vacation. This has led to many hotels and other establishments to already hang up the ‘no vacancy’ sign, according to news agency Europa Press.

Melia Hotels Internation-

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 6 Allow, 7 Scurry, 8 Spur, 9 Noontide, 10 Dangle, 12 Gamma, 14 Dad, 16 Melon, 17 Retire, 19 Countess, 21 Togo, 22 Sloped, 23 Icing.

Down: 1 Warplane, 2 Blur, 3 Twinned, 4 Subtract, 5 Trod, 7 Shop, 11 Grown-ups, 13 Mortgage, 15 Drastic, 18 Bend, 20 Oily, 21 Trio.

By Simon Hunter

al, for example, has reported a 22% rise in sales compared to 2019 thanks both to price rises and the return of tourists from key markets such as the UK and Germany.

This boost has been felt in particular in the Canary Islands, where hotels are already above 65% occupation levels.

Barcelo Hotel Group also reported a rise in sales, with average occupancy expected to be 10 percent-

age points above that of 2022, and a major boost in revenue.

As for flights, bookings for trips into Spain are just 3% below the numbers for the same period in 2019, Spanish daily El Pais reported, while domestic flights are up 12% on four years ago, the last Easter before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Strikes

But there are worries that strikes in Germany where unions want above 10% pay rises could have an impact on popular destinations for Germans like the Balearics.

Pricey wine

POLICE have arrested three men in Madrid on suspicion of stealing €25,000 worth of wine from shops in the city’s upscale Salamanca district. Among the stolen bottles were Bordeaux wines from Chateaux Pétrus, one of which had a price tag of €6,700.

The suspects would first visit the stores in question to ask questions about high-priced wines, before later returning to steal them.

The strikes have hit the aviation sector as well as ports and trains.

The arrests come after another high-profile case in Spain involving stolen wines. In early March, a former Mexican beauty queen and her partner were sentenced to four years in prison for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth an estimated €1.6 million from a hotel.

Fooled you

OLIVE Press writer Simon Hunter has attracted more than 2.3m views - and many outraged comments - with his April Fool tweet featuring a tortilla espanola including sausages and cheese as ingredients.

Speed freak

A BRITISH biker has been clocked speeding at 202kph on the A7 in Manilva on the Costa del Sol and is now under investigation for a crime against road safety.

Just learning

POLICE are investigating a 58-year-old man after he allowed his eight-year-old son behind the wheel in a Malaga car park used by parents to teach their children how to drive.

P LIVE RESS The O GIBRALTAR

RAIN GOD

Villagers pray for end to drought at special Mass to Lady of the Torrents

A DROUGHT stricken village has revived an old practice to pray for rain.

The inhabitants of L’Espunyola in Catalunya decided to hold a special mass to Our Lady of the Torrents, a local virgin associated with rainfall, in a bid to save their crops.

Some 250 residents joined a procession, with worshippers bearing the colourfully paint-

By Dilip Kuner

ed statue of the virgin from its home in the local church (pictured) and around the village streets followed by the bishop and parishioners. Together with tourism, farming is the main source of income for L’Espunyola, which is about an hour-and-a-half north of Barcelona.

Following three dry years, much of Catalunya is affected by drought, putting crops at peril unless it rains soon. All three reservoirs in the area

PLUCKY PEACOCKS

IT makes a change from rescuing cats from trees. Fire crews in Valencia were called out on a peacock rescue mission after four birds were spotted leaping across rooftops. Residents were surprised to see the colourful creatures enjoying freedom on top of buildings on Godella's Calle Mayor. There were concerns that one or more might suffer a fatal fall and that pedestrians might be injured as well. Firefighters from Burjassot and Paterna were assigned the task of getting the peacocks to safety.

are below a third of their capacity and nearby La Baells reservoir is at just 35% capacity. It may be an old Mass revived, but the villagers have tried the same method of ‘rainmaking’ in recent times. And they claim it workedsoon after offering prayers and hymns to Our Lady of the Torrents in 2008 the heavens opened. But Bishop Francesc Conesa (pictured) is being cagey over whether the villagers’ prayers will be answered this time. He said: “We have asked with faith, and many people have come and prayed with faith. “The Lord will give us what suits us.”

FIVE Komodo Dragons have been hatched in a

This is the first successful breeding of the world’s largest lizard in Spain for a decade. Currently there are only 1,300 of the endangered species in the The breeding success at Fuengirola’s BioParc is a milestone for the species as it is particularly difficult to get the lizards to mate. Female dragons are only on heat for one week a year and spend the other 51 weeks actively avoiding the male.

Conceived

Each of the baby dragons have been named: Juanito (for being conceived on San Juan’s day), Phoenix (as his egg broke during incubation but he managed to survive), Embum (meaning ‘morning dew’ in Indonesian), Saya (a tribute to a previous female dragon at the zoo) and Drakaris (named by a team member who is a self confessed Game of Thrones fan).