OLIVE PRESS
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September 22nd - October 5th 2021
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A phoenix from the flames as thousands of northern European residents rally to the fire call and animal home Brits describe how they saved 100 dogs from the deadly blaze that left a pall of smoke visible from Gibraltar DOUBLE TROUBLE: Two sets of fire threatened homes in Selvo area as (inset) ADANA bosses tell the Olive Press of dramatic escape and firefighter describes the start of the blaze
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A WHOPPING £1.7million in cash has been confiscated from a tobacco wholesaler in a massive money laundering probe. The Supreme Court granted the seizure against Southase Ltd after a long four year investigation by the Royal Gibraltar Police. The ruling comes after indepth work by the RGP’s Money Laundering Investigation Unit, launched after a €1.5million robbery took place at SouthEase’s premises in June 2017. The record-breaking heist allegedly saw two teenagers kidnapped and tortured and an armed Moroccan man landing an eight-year sentence.
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The company was also ordered to pay £450,000 in costs for the forensic accountants who
Tobacco wholesaler, the victim of Gib’s biggest robbery in 2017, has £1.7 million seized in money laundering probe By Dilip Kuner
were called in to assist in the investigation. “This is a great result and a vindication of the unit’s hard work and dedication over a number of years,” said a RGP spokesman. “This order will show the international community that Gibraltar takes money laundering seriously and is willing to tackle it head on”. The dramatic heist took place in New Harbours in June, 2017, when a gang stole €1.5million from the tobacco wholesalers in just 25 minutes. Armed with guns and with their faces covered, the crime group assaulted a security guard and tied up workers at the tobacco warehouse. They then took three bags con-
taining €500,000 each and fled. Two of the men, Rachid Behdaoui, 53, and Samir Douaoui, 29, were arrested near the scene of the crime moments later. Behdaoui was imprisoned for eight years and five months while his partner in crime, Douaoui, got three years and two months.
Onthe run
Meanwhile, alleged gang leader Hakim El Laghmich, 34, and another of the robbers Hamza Mesmoudi, 29, went on the run across the Spanish border. Mesmoudi was nabbed in October 2019 after police spotted him stepping off a ferry in Tarifa but El Laghmich evaded his spell behind bars until 2020 when Spanish authorities arrested him and handed him over to the RGP.
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Moroccan man cha rged with
Costa Gwy n
Gwyneth Paltrow spotted joying family time on the enCosta
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One year on
Taking stock months after of the first 12 the Brexit vote
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July 5th
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KIDNAP DRAMA EXCLU By Laura SIVE Duckett
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The Rock ’s original community newspape r 2017
New Har bours arm ed
robbery
Two teen ‘wrongfu s tortured and fath l’ arrest over er’s £1.5 mill life in chaos afte ion robb r ery
Grave victory
A NEW suspect is Harbours robbery THE Govern after two demanding justice trial ment has swered the allegedly of his friends were “OneEstate. ankidnapped clean up theOlive Press’s call to tured followin and tor- at my of the kids turned North Front etery. house on up CemThe Gibralta g his arrest. Sunday with a broken It comes we cannot rian father, who p***ing hand and our Give after we launche blood,” he foot and sons, foundname for legal rea- this revealed himself at paign last Them Respect cam-d tre of a high-pr the cen- “Twoweek. unkempt issue to clean up the guys investigation, ofile crimina stepped on kidnapped him, dozens of grounds followin has led to which he claimsl and his legs readers. complaints from ourg and grave two kidnappings he hands and askedand feet threats to Works will knew where him Gibraltar’s ily. his fam- were.” begin on the millionif sewage 1, confirm August problem needs urgent Speaking s He spokesman,ed a government attention Olive Press,exclusively to the the claims the men monies had after announcing his friends, he claims two of dow16-year-old out then threw been put aside of the winPage 7 ing the budget. 18 and 16, of snatched durwere “Thank his flat. Minister John god few days in the space of a floor,” he he lives on the first following in his summa Cortes revealed arrest and his said, ry of the get that a hobbled to adding: “He quent release.consebudthe awarded contract had been saying he'd hospital The CRIME SCENE ‘for the the unnamed and mainten fallen upkeep man, in off a bike : New Harbo areas of the ance of the planted because urs Indust of June 21. revealed his 20s, he was terrified rial Estate He added Cemetery’. In dramat teenagers that the tell the truth, to that the mainten programme been in trouble were but 29-year-old ic fashion, the tortured ance when he has been prepare in in was came by the minor conthe past for 1am by armed woken up at to nection my house offences, d partment Dethe who police, the morning. robbery, to the me I calledand told of next he remains on bail, suspect, the the pohas changed Environinsisted “They arrived is underst which lice,” he added. ood his ment has out ways to of nowher with assault not been in have ended It was the The Costa e the police in trouble and sultatio conrifles,” in the second “At first I seizure n with alleged for the past with the didn’t realisehe said. years. its glory de la Luz in all of kidnapwas so I called pounds, of 1.5m ping followin six GardenBotanic who it “I got the told them warehousefrom a young man’s g the s. OF GRAV there werepolice and smuggl in trouble as It comes own side my house Harbours in New a kid arrest for Page 9 men ing CONCERNE his Indusfortnight aftera with rifles. out- changed mytobacco but I have “I was s**t involvementalleged life, and now OP readers whack in the had apparenscared. They said armed robbery , I denly this on me - I have they includin tly taken £1.5 lion.” in gone up the g Ivasudthe early mil- crimina evening ranks in the na Finlayso Although l underground,” n, he admitte compla the father-o ined d he has said reach the that they could not “I just want f-one. graves of justice for a normal life, and tives due to their relaand shrubbe the state of weeds Last night,my friends.” firmed they the police con- Last year wery. reported change.org the case andwere still probing how launched petition had beena investigation that ‘all lines to counter They added are still open’. of neglect’, gaining ‘years MAYFA IR more than of covered a that they have re- signatures, ONMAI 700 N little attentiobut it had garnere money and‘substantial’ sum of d n from the have since ed and charged governGibraltar’s arrest- ment. luxury a man, Rachid Opposition Behdraoui, salon experie hair MP Trevor a 51-year-old mond roccan nce Hamfully-backed Monationa where quality of the robbery l. He is accused paign last our camservice matter& and possess warned thatissue, however he of a firearm ion cerns the public’s They did . were ‘falling connot confirm on deaf ears’. It comes after were looking 286 Main if they tion to Parliamhe tabled a moat this stage. for anyone else, Gibraltar, Street GX11 ent last November calling Behdraoui’s (+350) 200 1AA for the governm bail was turnedapplication for to put togethe info@mayfairo 75913 r a manage ent down on Mon- plan for day, citing www.mayfairo nmain.gi ment the Despite it cemetery. the offence the seriousness of nmain.gi ly, nothingpassing unanimoushas no locals and the fact he until now. was done about flight-risk. ties and poses it a He will appear Court on July at the Suprem e 28. Opinion Page 6
It stinks!
See the ligh t
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TRUE HERO
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Century21
June 21st
202-204 Main Tel: 00 - July 4th A BRAVE 2017 Street Mob: 350 200 51020 fighter was Gibraltarian fireGibraltar 00 350 56523000 enter the among the first to info@century21gibraltar.com fell Tower fire-ravaged Grenin London. Russell part of a Gonzalez, 31, was search and team which saved the rescue a woman life of on the 21st the 24-story block. floor of The third-generation fighter, based firein Paddington, was breathing able to use special apparatus allows firefighters which burning buildings to stay in This was for pivotal for longer. gerous mission the danof it to the upper floorsmaking block. of the His father watched screen in horror as his TV scenes unfolded. the tragic “When I saw those He said: thought to images, there, he’s myself: ‘If he’s inI By Laurence Thankfully dead’.” and Laura Dollimore out safely, Russell made Duckett it making his and Gibraltar family proud. THE Government ised to address has promNorth Front the state of the to an Olive Cemetery thanks It comes Press probe. after we drew tion to the attengraves and poor state of the relatives of mounting anger Photos sentthose buried there.of to us by Ivana layson, whose concerns are ‘falling mum, sisterFinlaw and grandfather ears’. on deaf in there, are Last November, now also are buried on social media. circulating he tabled tion to Parliament, a moThe 47-year-old the government calling for Gibraltarian and many a management to put together about the others are concerned plan for the etery. lack of maintenance. cem“It’s dangerous He explained and last night poor state spite it passing that dePage 3 of repair,”in a very the Olive Press unanimously, she nothing has this week. told “It needs “While the been done since. to be made Minister's able and tidied respecttion is elsewhere, attenmy loved ones up not only for many people struggle to but for everyone visiting the loved ones. access the graves of She added place.” acceptable,” This is simply not he told the reach someit is very hard to Press. Olive of the graves, GRAVE: which are The Gibraltar Under weeds Heritage Trust shrubbery strangled by thick thing going clined comment. have a very deto be done? “If you are and weeds. bad that serious injury,” I feel Environment lucky enough said. to your relative’s minister she graves justI have to step over Cortes to insisted the John grave you get She claims its ther get your Last year a to visit relatives.” was due to government current state ei- the worst change.org legs scratched dirty from is was launched she has petition the matter. act ‘imminently’ on or in the the amount weeds. 13 years sheever seen it of neglect’, to counter ‘years He told of high visiting. the Olive gaining more has been 700 “I worry signatures, than day that a ‘major Press yesterAnother relative but it tripping upmost about people nered little announcement added: I visit and falling attention has gar- on the maintenance Page 11 process. from the etery will in the cringe my son's military “When government. of the cembe issued imminently.’ as the cemetery grave I Opposition “An elderly visitor could grace.” MP Trevor is a dis- mond easily Another Ham- Sign of the our campaignGSD fully backed h t t p s the petition here: said: “When ://www is some- ever, this .chang insisting that week, how- org/p/cm-gibraltar-gove. the public’s gi-improve-our-cemetery
The Rock has had many inspirational LGBT leaders. We honour them during International Month, see Pride page 6
The Olive Press launches campaign for much needed makeover of North Front cemetery
GIVE THE
The Olive Press reported how two teenagers, 16 and 18, were kidnapped and tortured in the days following the raid. A friend of the boys claimed that one of them had been thrown out of a first floor window. The seized cash will be handed over to Gibraltar government coffers. M
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NEWS IN BRIEF Getting closer SPAIN has asked the EU to include Frontex in the Gibraltar mandate after drawing criticism from London, with Secretary of State Juan González-Barba, saying that the EU is close to approving a negotiation framework for border controls.
Sex crimes ANTONIO BOLAÑOS, aged 79 pleaded guilty to four sex crimes with children in 1965, 1966 and 2007 but escaped jail after being handed suspended sentences.
On bail
POLICE are hunting for a ‘balding’ arsonist who is believed to have started the wildfire that razed 10,000 hectares of the Sierra Bermeja. Olive Press sources have revealed that the mystery man appears to have set three separate fires on the night the mega-blaze began. “But only two of them took off, one on either side of the mountain peak,” revealed an INFOCA fire service employee, who asked not to be named. “What he knew was that as the wind was picking up and it was getting dark, it was not going to be put out that evening,” he added. Detectives from the Guardia Civil’s environmental arm Seprona are now working with the Forest Fire Investigation Brigade (BIIF) to establish the cause of the blaze that killed one firefighter and dozens of wild animals between Estepona and Ronda. They are probing why the fires were deliberately started on the road between Estepona and the inland Genal Valley village
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
PURE EVIL EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke
of Genalguacil. The Olive Press can reveal that the man was seen driving in a car shortly after 9pm on September 8… and that he may have taken off its number plates! “That is what the rumours are at the moment,” the fire source continued. What is certain is that the fire was definitely caused by arson.
Arson
And intriguingly, two other recent fires in the same area were apparently linked to marijuana plantations. The first in May in Genalguacil was caused by workers as they prepared the land in preparation to cultivate, while the second in July in nearby Jubrique
‘Bald’ man who may have started Estepona fires could have also covered his car number plates was caused by an electric generator that was linked to another plantation. “This fire was definitely caused by humans, it was not natural,” said Jose Luis Merida of BIIF. “We are keeping our investigations open on the causes behind it for now.” There has been speculation that it could have been caused by a neighbours dispute, as well as following an argument between drug gangs. It is also possible that international smugglers could have caused it in order to increase larger shipments of marijuana to the coast from Mo-
A BRITISH man has been released on bail of £14,000 for assaulting his wife, who police found covered in wounds and bruises, and for causing £1,400 worth of damage to the hotel room they were staying in.
rocco over the following nights. The Olive Press reported in 2018, how a big blaze in Manilva that led to the evacuation of 400 people may have been caused as a diversion tactic for drug traffickers. It came after a semi-submerged stolen 4x4 was dragged out of the sea the following morning. Meanwhile, BIIF boss Merida slammed the lack of forestry workers based in the nearby Genal and Guadiaro valleys. In total, just five in the former and seven in the latter. He fears that this huge lack of much-needed mountain employees could lead to a far bigger blaze razing a massive area between Estepona and Campillos.
Blaze
FIRE: Fighting the flames and (inset) narco launch in nearby Estepona
“There is a long, thick line of 200,000 hectares of forestry between Estepona and Ronda, taking in the Sierra de las Nieves and stretching all the way to Campillos,” he told La Opinion de Malaga. “It could all go up in one big blaze,” he warned. “There are not enough plans in place to prevent a fire like this. A lot needs to be done.”
Carer jailed A SPANISH carer has been jailed for four years after stealing €130,000 worth of jewellery from a Gibraltar pensioner. Virginia Osuna Gil, 31, originally from La Linea, has been sentenced to one year and seven months for burglary and another two years and five months for theft, with the terms to be served consecutively.
Stole
The stolen jewellery went missing in Irish Town between December 31, 2019, and July 1, 2020. At the time, Osuna was employed as the carer for an elderly person at the address. She stole 45 pieces of jewellery as well as an undisclosed amount of cash. The convicted woman sold many of the items to a Spanish company that has since ceased trading. Police say that it ‘is unlikely that the items will ever be reunited with their owner’. Osuna had pleaded not guilty to the offences.
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SHOT ON THE POT! A FABULOUS new crazy golf course includes a toilet to circumnavigate. The ingenious hole sits alongside others with gnomes, the Rock of Gibraltar and a windmill. All part of the zany mind of Paul Hickling, it sits in a hidden valley between Casares and Manilva. One of the coast’s longest-running entrepreneurs, Hickling came up with the idea of a crazy golf course after shutting his famous
TV show set to put Juan Carlos I’s dodgy dealings and affairs under the lens A BRITISH TV documentary is to chart the rise and fall of Spain’s former King Juan Carlos I. The controversial Channel 5 documentary will be looking at both his private life, as well as financial indiscretions. In particular, it will be looking at various offshore bank accounts and a number in Switzerland, which could amount to over one billion euros. The embattled king, who is still living in exile in Abu Dhabi, has suffered a huge fall from grace since he broke his hip during a safari trip to Botswana, in 2012. It was during that trip that his affair with Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 57, became known. It emerged last month that she is suing him for 'tens of
WINDY: Paul’s favourite hole “I knew it would do well as there’s no other place like it on the coast,” he added.
The King’s gambit
3
Back for more HE made his name starring in the BBC drama The Night Manager in the Balearics. And now British star Tom Hiddleston (pictured) has returned to the island of Ibiza with his girlfriend Zawe Ashton (with Tom below). The Avengers star, 40, put on an affectionate display with the actress in the water before heading back to the shore where they were joined by friends.
Betrayal
The pair have been together since starring in the West End play Betrayal in 2019. They are now reportedly living together in Atlanta where the actor relocated to film his new Disney series Loki. Hiddleston made his name starring alongside Hugh Laurie in The Night Manager, which was mostly filmed around Mallorca.
EXCLUSIVE By Giles Brown
millions of euros' in the High Court, in London, after accusing him of 'unlawful covert surveillance'. She had an affair with the former monarch, 83, between 2004 and 2009. She later claimed he had 'gifted' her €65 million out of guilt for the 'intense pressure' she came under and as an expression of his love. It's believed the payment came out of funds that originated with a $100million gift from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2008. The 83-year-old monarch - who is married to Queen Sofia, 82 - is being probed
Love is in the air
SHE has spent the summer getting back to her roots. Love Island star Dani Dyer jetted to Mallorca - where her grandfather comes from - for her 25th birthday celebrations. The winner of the celebrated British TV show rented a villa with her parents and son Santiago. She shared a series of snaps of her stunning break on her Instagram and YouTube feeds. They included one of her father, Eastenders star Danny, toasting to his 'sweet one'.
Slimmed down sparkle
OLD FLAMES: Former King and his ex-lover Corinna by Swiss prosecutors over a ines-Krause, as well as from number of accounts in tax private jet company Zagatka. havens. The ongoing investigation is Prosecutors are currently focussing on the period beinvestigating tween 2014 to 2018. deposits into A Channel 5 source told the his accounts Olive Press, the 90-minute where he re- documentary would be ‘conceived his troversial’ and ‘eye-openofficial roy- ing’’. al allowance It talks to key experts, biogof almost raphers and historians who €200,000 a know about Juan Carlos' early life, how he rejected Franyear. The Spanish co's ideals and helped usher tax authorities Spain to democracy. are particu- “We will also be looking at his larly interest- more recent downfall and the ed in pay- investigations he faces, and ments made finally what his legacy will tby Mexican be in the eyes of his countryHOLS: Dani and dad Allen Sang- men,” said the source.
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Roman Oasis restaurant two years ago. Not content to ‘sit back and do nothing’ he bust a gut (literally) to sculpt the course out of nothing this summer. “I did it all on my own and lost ten kilos from all the hard work,” he explained. But it has been more than worth it, with dozens (even hundreds) of visitors a day beating a trail to his door, hidden up a quiet country lane inland from Sabinillas.
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
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This years Global Gift Gala was down in numbers due to the pandemic and health restrictions, but the occasion had a dash of Hollywood glamour as always. Although Global Gift Ambassador and frequent Marbella visior Eva Longoria was unable to attend, founder Maria Bravo was joined on the night by Prison Break actor Amaury Nolasco, Despacito singer Luis Fonsi and CSI star Gary Dourdan, along with Miss World 2020, Ana Garcia Segundo. The most special guests, however, were the inspirational young people who have benefited from the work of the Global Gift Foundation.
HOTTING UP SPAIN and Belgium are the first two teams to qualify for the finals of the European Cricket Championship. They topped Group A of the 10-overs-a-side competition being held at the Cartama Oval, near Malaga. In total, 15 nations are battling it out to earn the chance to be crowned champions in finals week where six teams will play a round robin competition from October 4 to 8. There are plenty of games to watch for enthusiasts, with games in Group B currently being played. Defending champions Germany and an England XI will be in action next week in Group C. In total, 100 matches will have been played in the European Cricket Network-organised competition. For more details visit www.ecn.cricket
4
NEWS
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NEWS IN BRIEF Screwdrivers out A NEW Ikea store is set to open in Marbella’s La Cañada shopping centre this November, bringing dozens of new jobs to the area. The new store will join over 25 of the Swedish giant’s outlets across Spain.
Earth shook AN earthquake measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale was recorded at 4.55am on Tuesday with an epicentre in Carcheles (Jaen) at a depth of 17 km.
Selling more ANDALUCIA achieved its best export figures for July since 1995 growing 38% year on year to €2,866 million.
Pair nabbed BRITISH fugitives Alison Gracey and Christoper Jones who have been on the run for 10 years from manslaughter charges over the death of a scuba diver at their US diving school have been arrested in the Basque Country.
THE Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron’s latest launch has started sea trials in Liverpool. HMS Cutlass is the first of two new stateof-the-art fast patrol
boats being built by Merseyside-based Marine Specialised Technology (MST) at a cost of almost £10 million. Both patrol-boats have been designed with Gi-
FREEDOM! THE Royal Airforce has been given the Honorary Freedom award by the City of Gibraltar. Mayor Christian Santos made the presentation in John Mackintosh Square on Saturday, with serving RAF troops parading down Royal Street after the ceremony. The award grants the RAF the right to parade through the streets of Gibraltar. It has been a three year wait for the presentation to be made - the Gibraltar Parliament had agreed the honour, which was proposed by prime Minister Fabian Picardo, back in June 2018.
Miss Gib set to take on the World!
GIBRALTAR is set to join the space age after signing an agreement with a high-tech company looking to launch satellites. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Mayor of La Linea Juan Franco will work with WISeKey, which is developing ‘a Centre of Excellence for the 4th Industrial Revolution’. The plan is to launch satellites by the end of this year, with
WITH the Miss World Finals less than three months away, Miss Gibraltar 2021, Janice Sampere, visited the Miss Gibraltar Office to sign the official entry form for the event. The staff at the Miss Gibraltar Office were also able to brief Janice on some of the finer details about her
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
Under way braltar in mind. They will be used to patrol British territorial waters off the Rock and
September 22nd - October 5th 2021 support British manoeuvres and operations in the area. Under the six-year contract with MST, the first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2021/22
SPACE AGE GIB
and the second, to be named HMS Dagger, in 2022/23. The remainder of the contract will provide an additional four years of in-service local support.
Making a splash
New centre of excellence plans to launch cyber-security satellites By Elena Goçmen Rueda
the ground station located in La Linea. The aim is to enable the joint centre to become a hub for the deployment and communication of cybersecurity satel-
participation at the Miss World Pageant, as well as several other aspects relating to her year as Miss Gibraltar. These included her active participation in local charity and community events. Celebrating its 70th Anniversary, the Miss World Finals are scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico on December 16.
lites. The announcement of the signing of the memorandums between La Linea and Gibraltar was announced on the Nasdaq, New York's technology stock market index.
Excited
“We are excited,” said Fabian Picardo. “This is expected to play a key role in accelerating the digital transformation in Gibraltar, which will be instrumental in enabling a paradigm shift for our operations through more digital technologies.” WISeKey boss Carlos Moreira has been involved with the planning and development since 2015, through his work in the so-called Malaga Valley.
FREEDIVER Dean Chipolina has joined up with the British team for the 27th AIDA World Championships in Limassol, Cyprus. He is competing alongside Alice Hickson, Georgina Miller, Ruth Osborn, Dean Chaouche and David Mellorin the contest that lasts until September 30. Earlier this year the Gibraltarian won a bronze medal in the Molchanov Gran Prix competition.
Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.
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www.theolivepress.es AS THE embers cool and the smoke clears above the vast swathes of blackened hillsides in the Sierra Bermeja, a phoenix is rising from the ashes. This is the spirit of a community that is determined to pull together and help those affected by a blaze which ravaged close to 10,000 hectares of woodland between Estepona and Ronda - and killed a young Spanish fireman. So quickly have expats rallied to the call to help the victims of the six-day blaze, that American fundraising giant GoFundMe contacted the Olive Press to praise them. The Californian company lauded the unprecedented number of campaigns - already numbering over half a dozen - launched by expats over the last week. They include British resident Graham Pagden, 51, who felt moved to do something to help having watched the wildfire
EXPAT AID
come dangerously close to ravaging his valley home. The Casares-based property manager particularly wanted to help the family of dead fireman Carlos Martinez Haro, 41, from Almeria.
Ferocious
“I looked at my two daughters who are about the same age as his and thought we have to do something for the girls he left behind,” he told the Olive Press this week. The ‘Go Fund Me’ drive he set up has already raised €6,600 for the Haro family. “Someone who says goodbye to his wife and daughters and SPAIN’S richest expat plumber has cashed in to the tune of £110 million. That’s how much Charlie Mullins is set to pocket after selling Pimlico Plumbers, the company he founded 42 years ago, to a private equity firm owned by KKR, Neighborly. Mullins, who lives in La Cala on the Costa del Sol, counts Dame Helen Mirren and Joanna Lumley among his loyal customers. He has an estimated worth of £70million and selling
SCAM WARNING
A phoenix from the flames as tens of thousands of northern European residents rally to the fire call
travels across the country to stand in front of a ferocious fire to save people and their homes, is a little bit special,” he said. “It’s very sad indeed.” His daughters have donated their pocket money to the cause along with hundreds of others around Andalucia who felt moved to do something. As the fire raged, the expat community pulled together with volunteers rushing to those who were threatened by the blaze.
Feeling flush
his firm will dramatically enhance his fortune - he stands to reap more than £110m from the sale as he owns 90% of the company. Founded by Mullins in 1979 from a second-hand van, Pimlico Plumbers is now the capital’s largest independent plumbing and electrical company with more than 350 em-
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September 22nd - October 5th 2021
Members of the equestrian community offered to take in horses from the fire zone, animal lovers took in over 100 dogs from ADANA, while voluntary vets were on call 24/7 to deal with injured wildlife or livestock. Numerous social media groups popped up to help collaborate with the firefighting efforts and to donate shelter, household items, food, clothes to whomever might be in need. And while the immediate threat ployees. “I would like to pay tribute to my father Charlie, for creating the business out of nothing. I would like to thank all of those involved in the process that has concluded with us ultimately choosing Neighborly as our partner going forward, those at finnCap Cavendish and our CFO Mike Bergin, without whom this would have not happened,” said Scott Mullins, Charlie’s son and CEO of the company.
HELPING HANDS: Graham’s daughters gave pocket money is now over, the aftermath still has to be dealt with… and that’s where the fund-raising efforts come in. Big-hearted local Kikki Godskesen is another who launched a GoFundMe in a bid to help those impacted by the fire. She set it up to demand immediate action to ‘support the affected families, as well as the wildlife and domestic animals that need support’. She has so far raised €1,350. Fellow resident Daria Dubinina, based in Casares, launched a similar fundraiser, adding: “After days of an absolute nightmare, I would love to put all our efforts so we may together restore our beautiful home. Any money raised will go to local nonprofits and animal shelters.” She has so far raised an incredible €3,770 out of a planned €4000. For details of the campaigns and how to donate email newsdesk@theolivepress.es
PEOPLE are being warned to look out for potential scam emails. The National Institute of Cybersecurity in Spain (Incibe) has said email platforms have been hit by a worrying new threat that impersonates the identity of well-known companies, including Amazon and Apple. Account holders are being urged to take care, remain vigilant and exercise caution.
Fake
The fake emails feature official fonts and logos of companies, telling recipients that they can claim gifts of electronic products and discount vouchers. The phishing trick then sees the unwitting victim share personal and banking details in order to reclaim the ‘gift’. The vile fraudsters then attempt to prise as much info as they can from victims - be it account names and passwords, bank details, addresses and more. Most of the emails are characterised by addressing the user using the first part of their email address instead of their name or surname.
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NEWS FEATURE
www.theolivepress.es
O LIVE P RESS
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GIBRALTAR
Voted top expat paper in Spain
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.
OPINION SPIRIT OF THE BLITZ IN England we call it the ‘Blitz Spirit’- that sense of community that brings people together in the face of great adversity, not just to make the best of it but to reach out and go the extra mile to really help those that need it. There may not be an equivalent term in Spanish (and if there is, please write in and tell us) but here - as in the worn-torn London of World War Two when the German bombs rained down - people certainly have the propensity to behave the same way. The wildfire that ravaged the hills above the Costa del Sol earlier this month served to bring out the very best in the Costa del Sol community. People were united in despair as they watched hillsides burn. They rallied round to offer shelter to those fleeing from their homes as the blaze threatened to devour properties. And in the aftermath of the tragedy, once the flames were dampened, people didn’t forget the debt owed to firefighters who risked everything, and who tragically lost one of their own. When the brigades returned from the hills it was rightfully to a heroes’ welcome in Estepona and fundraising efforts to rebuild lives are continuing in a material show of appreciation. A similar drama is now playing out in the Canary Islands where forces of nature are to blame instead of a despicable act of arson from a particularly evil individual. But there too, we’ll see that the human spirit will not be broken and as homes are ripped apart, community roots grow stronger. PUBLISHER / EDITOR
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EXCLUSIVE: Frantic battle saw expat charity bosses rescue 100 dogs just before Sierra Bermeja wildfire engulfed their centre
LIKE A MOVIE
AN animal rescue centre boss By Elena Gocmen Rueda has recalled the dramatic mo& Amber Edirisinghe ment she and her husband had to evacuate their shelter asMalaga's biggest wildfire for decades after walking around the site with raced towards them. Brown and her husband, treasurSusie Brown, the president of er Reg Winkworth - the British ADANA (Association for the rights mother-of-one was frequently of abandoned animals), revealed overcome with emotion. how they had been ordered to re- It is hardly surprising with the treat ‘immediately’ after the wind entire valley around them being changed directotally obliterated tion, sending the by the blaze as it Sierra Bermeja 'We got out by raged for six days blaze directly toand leading to the skin of our the destruction of wards them. “Everyone was so hectares. teeth', shelter 10,000 scared,” revealed Driving up to the Brown who deshelter in the boss Brown scribed it as ‘a Parque de los Perevealed miracle’ that the dregales, on the entire centre in border of EstepoEstepona was not na and Casares, razed to the ground. the absolute devastation was all Speaking to the Olive Press on too clear. her first trip back, she added: The ‘sixth generation’ wildfire, “Someone was definitely watch- which was only finally extining over us. If we had been evac- guished largely thanks to rain, uated just half an hour later we has decimated the shelter’s surwouldn’t have made it”. roundings, as well as its outbuildIn an extremely moving interview - ings which held around €10,000 worth of vital supplies, many of them medical. By something of a miracle the main building survived thanks to the volunteers cutting a big fire break around it last year. The shelter had to be evacuat- DEVASTATION: Susie Brown and Reg Winkworth (inset) organised the evac ed along with its 100 dogs after strong winds suddenly fanned were scuppered when news of a tangled mess with volunteers HE wildfire which the flames and they began to the shelter’s struggle was pub- struggling to get by in their vans raged through the crawl down the mountain at lished on social media with pleas carrying the animals. Sierra Bermeja ravaround 8am. to ‘get to ADANA, quickly, they “We got out by the skin of our aging 9,670 hectBrown and her husband had need help with the evacuation’. teeth,” Brown revealed, as tears ares with a perimeter of 85 been monitoring the situation Soon hordes of well-meaning vol- rolled down her cheeks. kilometres is anything but through CCTV cameras fitted unteers began to turn up along She continued that firefighters the biggest fire in Spain’s around the property and even with children in tow. had told them they would have recent history. slept there for two nights. It turned out to be more of a hin- to sacrifice the shelter and let it In fact it comes in ninth As well as cutting the fire break, drance than a help, with Wink- burn as they didn’t have enough and pales in comparison to the charity had also put an emer- worth describing the scene as manpower to protect it. the Minas de Riotinto blaze gency evacuation plan in place ‘surreal’ and like ‘a horror movie’. “There were a thousand soldiers between Huelva and Sevilwith a list of people to get in touch Despite the goodwill it made the and firemen and 40 airplanes la in the summer of 2004 with if the shelter was at risk. evacuation far harder, as the but they just couldn’t cope,” she destroying 29,867 hectHowever, the well made plans narrow access tracks became added. ares across 13 municipalities and killing two people. The second worst fire this century broke out at a welding workshop in 2012 in Corte de Pallas, in Valencia, devastating 28,879 YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES hectares. Another blaze this year in Cepeda La Mora, near Avila, which started when a car burst into flames, saw 21,993 hectares destroyed over eight days. And back in 2012, a wildfire in Andilla, Valencia, saw some 20,064 hectares scorched. That same year Castrocontrigo, in León, had a fire ravaging 11,592 hectares. N the wake of the wildfire that raged In 2005, a fire in the through Sierra Bermeja speculation is province of Guadalamounting as to the ‘who, how or where’ of jara torched 10,352 the source of the blaze. hectares. If you ask any Spaniard as to what the most Next comes a 2017 likely cause of forest fires is, they will autofire in Encinedo matically point in one direction: real estate (Leon) which speculation. burnt 9,820 had occurred would have never been eligible This false belief has been so deeply ingrained for construction anyway, largely due to locahectares, in their mentality that the 2003 Government tion or it being publicly owned. while a fire decided to act to discourage arsonists from Still, the conservative Aznar government of in Quesada, believing fires could lead to rural land being 2003 thought that the 30-year ban on real in Jaen, saw reclassified for building even though it was estate development would fix the problem. 9,756 hectnot the case.. ares burnt in Unfortunately statistics tell another story. So a new Mountains Act was passed that Although the number of burnt hectares has 2015. It thereprohibited for 30 years the change in use of been reduced, there has not been a notable fore comes in forest land after a fire. ninth, with decrease since the worst years (1976-1994). It also made the regional government respon- The thing is that fires have rarely been the 2012 sible for ensuring the restoration of forests caused by owners of the affected land and fire in Malfollowing a blaze and banned any activity that therefore we should look deep into the arsonaga, which would get in the way of the regeneration. razed 8250 ists’ deranged minds and their psychological For the most part, forestry where wildfires characteristics for an explanation. hectares, coming in around Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com tenth.
They shall be remembered
T
AGONY Property ANT
No motivation
Legal eagle Antonio Flores on why urban planning isn’t behind the Sierra Bermeja blaze
I
www.theolivepress.es
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
HORROR
7
PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES...
M
EET Phoenix who within just two days of the fire was dumped near ADANA. Volunteers working on the clean-up operation at the animal shelter took in the abandoned dog along with his sibling when they were found abandoned tied to a fence near their centre amongst the still smouldering countryside. ADANA’s Susie Brown and Reg Winkworth took in the two lovable dogs without a moment’s hesitation. Winkworth said that Brown wanted to give them ‘two very poignant names’, so the canines were aptly named Phoenix and Pegasus. The pair were said to have been brought in ‘starving’. Winkworth said: “They’re safe now so that’s the most important thing.”
cuation of the ADANA shelter as flames destroyed the surrounding area Walking around the shelter to assess the damage, they described the silence as ‘the weirdest feeling’, as the usually lively shelter that can house up to 150 dogs was completely empty. A series of pipes that provide water for the animals had been destroyed, meaning the dogs can’t return until this is fixed. Luckily they have a 19,000 litre reserve tank that will be able to help them for the meantime while they seek to get new pipes installed. The outer fences that are usually used to contain dogs in case they run away were also completely burnt along with the thermal winter beds that help to keep the dogs warm later in the year. Volunteers have finally returned
to begin the slow process of clearing the debris and trying to begin to return the place to normal. For now, the dogs are being safely housed with 60 different families along the coast. “People were amazing, we have the best supporters,” added Brown. She was also keen to squash a series of ‘fake news stories’ that spread about them having chosen to abandon ‘angry dogs’ and horses at the shelter. It ended up causing a lot more problems as their switchboard became blocked by angry people
Horrifying screams AS well as scorching temperatures and choking fumes, firefighters had to endure the horrifying screeches of wild animals trapped by the fire. Dozens of charred animal carcasses have already been found in the aftermath, particularly those of goats and sheep. Many other creatures, including rabbits, deer and wild boar also died. The nests of around three pairs of Golden Eagles and 10 pairs of Eagle Owls were also destroyed. The Sierra Bermeja is home to 14 species of invertebrates as well as 300 wild mountain goats or Ibex. One fireman described the ‘horrifying screeches’ of wild boars stuck in the undergrowth as he and his team battled against the deadly flames. Francisco Morales told of his feelings of ‘impotence’ and ‘sorrow’ during the six days they were battling the fire. More than 25 volunteer vets with expertise in disaster conditions have come forward to give advice and care to wild animals burnt in the fire. The Malaga Veterinary Association set up a 24-hour hotline (630 80 99 23) to report any sightings of animals injured.
calling up to complain about it. They even received a message from an English newspaper asking: “Why did you let your horses burn?” As for all the generous volunteers, Brown wants to thank them for their ‘phenomenal response’. However, she stressed that the existing team of volunteers are going to have to sort out the cleanup themselves, saying that ‘no matter how kind and well meaning people are, please stay at home’.
What’s breaking
E
VERY day, almost every hour and sometimes by the minute we are putting up breaking stories online. Over the last 48 hours it has been the remarkable volcano erupting in La Palma, while over the last fortnight it has been the terrifying Sierra Bermeja wildfire. Our website often publishes 25 stories or more on what is happening around the country on any given day. BREAKING Be it floods, fires or terrorist attacks, we have it covered… and we will enNEWS sure to get journalists into the area as soon as we can. Take the fire in Estepona. Over a week-long period we published over two dozen stories - many of them exclusive - with analysis on the horror blaze that killed a fireman and razed 10,000 hectares. Our reporters sought out officials working to contain the blaze to keep our readers informed about how it was developing. We kept in touch with those who were most affected and those who were forced to flee from their properties as the flames approached. And we told their stories. And now our team is doing the same to cover developments as a volcano erupts in La Palma, by speaking to people on the ground, checking official sources, and publishing the most up to date and reliable information. BREAKING It is perhaps little surprise that over the last fortnight we have NEWS seen a healthy 78 people signing up for our paywall online. The team at the Olive Press is dedicated to providing reliable factual reporting but we can only do this by asking our readers to support us. We already have 30,000 of you following us on Facebook, 10,000 on Twitter and 2,000 on Instagram. Please now come and register online and subscribe for full adfree access to our website as well as daily newsletters with all the news straight to your inbox.
The top three most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
“The best way to help ADANA right now is to donate,” she said. Visit www.adana.es to make donations. Or visit the shop in Estepona.
National park now!
URGENT: Petition for extention of park grows fast
A CAMPAIGN to turn the Sierra Bermeja into a national park is gathering steam. A petition to include it in an extended Sierra de las Nieves national park now has 71,000 signatures. Such a move would mean 'more vigilance, more controls and more resources for fire prevention'. Scientists insist the area has a ‘unique and invaluable’ ecosystem, which needs urgent protection. One biologist Felipe Roman, claimed that the area had been ‘completely abandoned to its fate’. The Sierra Bermeja National Park Platform failed to get support from either the PSOE or PP when the Sierra de las Nieves national park, between Mijas and Ronda, was finally created this year. The map above shows the new national park boundary in greenin green with the proposed extention in red.
Is a volcano on Spain’s Canary 1- Analysis: island of la Palma about to blow? Horrorshow as Spain’s Estepona blaze 2- goes into fifth night with 4 more villages evacuated UK scraps COVID-19 traffic light sys3- tem with changes for fully jabbed passengers
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LETTERS
Pollution criminals Dear Olive Press, ON the beautiful Rio Verde, between the villages of Otiva and Jete in Andalucia, the fruit growers are throwing their rubbish on the riverbank and burning it! Large plastic crates, supermarket water bottles and plastic packaging will all wash into the Mediterranean. When the river rises in the autumn all of these plastics will pollute the sea and the microplastics will be there forever,killing the fish, birds and ulti mately human beings. , This is against International law . Law nish Spa and Law an Europe However, the environmentalg agency in Spain is doing nothin about it! In fact, the office fora the environment called Sepronin is just a few moments away the village of Otiva. They could see the smoke rising of from the river if they look out their window! Please email: seprona@guardiacivil.org and ask for action!
Raymond Russell (Ortiva)
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
NEW GROWTH
Readers were quick to write in with their thoughts of the Sierra Bermeja wildfire SMELL of smoke still fills the air, and fire burns on the slope of Real behind Estepona. Earlier there was a glow behind the blackened mountains that form the horizon, showing the fire is still burning further from the coast. Smoke drifts down the valleys, but this will change as the breeze begins to blow in from the sea. We wait for the drone of the planes and helicopters, starting with the rise of the sun, on a new day, but apparently more of the same. It's so sad to see the blackened hillsides, to know that the forest of pines has gone, and it will be 100 years until it looks as it was again.
However, the sight of nature's regeneration will also be refreshing and inspiring. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, but that dust and ashes feeds the new growth. After days of mourning for all we've lost, we must be positive again and grow better. Campbell Ferguson (Estepona)
Salute to brave flyers
Park call
I WAS at the Ikos hotel in Estepona, where ash fell like confetti on Thursday all day. ON Friday the ash was gone but the fire fighting planes came over the roof of the hotel so close it was eery. With planes just skimming the hotel blocks, it was as if war had broken out and I wanted to salute the brave flyers trying to control the fire as it spread. A massive cloud covered the resort and all we could do was hope the flames we could see in the distance would die out before dawn broke - but it didn’t look good and we had a sleepless night as we waited for daybreak.
CALLS have been made to make the Sierra Bermeja a National park following the wildfire. This should have been done years ago. It is an area of outstanding ecological value and so should get the same sort of protection as the neighbouring Sierra de las Nieves. This is even more important now if the area is to recover and regenerate in the coming years. With national park status would come extra funding which will be much needed.
Kate (Oxford, England)
Jane Dempsey (Fuengirola)
Good job Terenia Tara’s column (Mallorca Olive Press and online) about her lack of trust in government and touching on the mysterious death of Dr David Kelly drew a response THANK you for Terenia Tara’s comments on Afghanistan and all that went on back in 2003 in your recent (August 29) article in the Olive Press. Like Terenia, a few years ago I did a lot of research into the death of David Kelly (above) and I was sure then and I am still sure now that the poor man was put to death for no other reason than oil. I could go on, and on, but I don't think I need to when Terenia clearly understands. There is one hell of a story here but will the truth ever come out? It seems now to be well and truly buried. Frank F. (by email)
OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 7 They can be common or proper (5) 8 House clearer (7) 10 Most common TV or radio broadcast (3,4) 11 Run off (3,2) 12 Like old videos (6) 14 Wide scarf (5) 16 Oliver Twist’s fence (5) 19 Pines (6) 24 Arranged in stacks (5) 25 Machine-like (7) 26 Unruly SAS well out of it (7) 27 Electrical rectifier (5)
Down
OP SUDOKU
8
1 In the limelight (2,5) 2 Archimedes’ shout of triumph (6) 3 In the wake (6) 4 Roof support (5) 5 Charm (6) 6 Banal (5) 9 Period of watchfulness (5) 13 Hankering (3) 14 Wily (3) 15 Super excited (7) 17 Permit (5) 18 Heavily committed (2,4) 20 Personify (6) 21 Sines and tangents, for example (6) 22 Express words by letters (5) 23 Destroy (5)
All solutions are on page 12
LA CULTURA
Happy anniversary
MARBELLA’S Starlite music festival celebrated 10 years this summer with its longest ever season. This year’s festival featured more than 180 shows in 80 days - 57 concerts in the main auditorium and more than 124 on the outside stages and attracted 161, 724 concert goers. Although hampered by COVID restrictions and travel rules that meant many international acts were unable to perform, Starlite still featured a diverse lineup of artists across all musical genres. They included Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler, Nicky Jam, Raphael, Miguel Ríos, Carlos Rivera, Placido Domingo, and Ara Malikian. HUGE prehistoric footprints uncovered in western Andalucia belong to elephants, researchers have confirmed. After careful analyses of fossilised footprints discovered along a stretch of the Huelva coastline between Matalascañas and Mazagon, experts have revealed
IN one of the most unexpected pairings in entertainment history, filmmaker David Lynch and singer Pharrell Williams have paired up to open a nightclub and beach restaurant in Ibiza. Situated on the west coast of the White Isle, El Silencio Ibiza features ‘huge fabric tentacles, giant lips and swing seats, giving off the vibe of an ethereal, Lynchian dreamland,’ said Miranda Makaroff, the artist and fashion designer responsible for the some of the premises’ interiors.
September 22nd October 5th 2021
9
The odd couple
David Lynch and Pharrell Williams team up for nightclub
BIG FOOT
that the site was a nursery for prehistoric elephants some 129,000 years ago. Based on the rounded–elliptical nature of the tracks, along with other shape features, the team have concluded that the footprints were left by
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Cocktails Managed by Arnaud Frisch, the space has been designed by Moredesign with the cocktails imagined by Diego Cabrera. While the artsy club and cocktail bar is something to behold, these peculiarities are enhanced by a Balearic-themed restaurant backed by Williams’ own ToGo street-food group. Sitting on wooden tables directly on Cala Moli beach, diners can enjoy simple dishes such as a strawberry, feta
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and tomato salad, tempura calamari or Iberian pork with sweet potatoes and chorizo. straight-tusked elephants. Researchers from the University of Lisbon assessed the height, mass and age of the elephants by each of the 34 tracks discovered and believe that the footprints belong to 14 young calves, eight juveniles (aged two– 7), six adolescents and five adults.
There’s even a pool complete with a simple poolside menu that includes Mediterranean favourites including toasted focaccia bread and mozzarella with caramelised tomato. This is not the first time Lynch has delved into the nightclub world having opened a members-only club in Paris called Club Silencio which was inspired by his classic film Mulholland Drive. Its new Spanish counterpart is however much less formal and open to the general public from Monday to Friday until the end of October.
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2/8/18 17:01
10
GREEN
www.theolivepress.es
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
National park status would help protect these beautiful areas
N
ORMALLY I dedicate this column to criticising mankind’s ability to damage the world we live in. Instead of dwelling on global warming, CO2 emissions, pollution of our seas and the air we breathe, this week I want to reflect on the catastrophic damage caused in the Sierra Bermeja. I watched from my terrace as the fires raged in the distance, the night sky alight with an orange glow wrapped with turgid smoke. 10,000 hectares of beautiful nature de-
stroyed. Countless animals burnt alive. Unique forms of flora and fauna decimated. People evacuated from their homes. A brave firefighter dead, leaving behind a wife and two young children to live a very different life to the one they planned.
WHY? This was an intentional act of arson. It was clear to investigators that this could not have happened any other way. One Olive Press reader wrote to me saying that the guilty parties ‘should be burnt at the stake’. An understandable sentiment , although an unlikely outcome. I cannot fathom why anyone would want to do this. I hope they rot in jail until the next mil-
Green
Matters
TIME TO REFLECT By Martin Tye
Disastrous wildfire gives food for thought lennium. All this does make me reflect on the beauty that surrounds us. Spain has it all - sea, mountains, fabulous landscapes. It needs protecting. Areas like the Sierra Bermeja need National Park status, and a suitable infrastructure to enable it to be protected and thrive. I hope the Spanish government provides suitable financial support to enable speedy restitution in the Sierra Bermeja. I have been touched by the many local initiatives that have sprung into action:
-The charity Collective Calling organised and delivered food parcels to displaced and affected families -GoFundMe pages to raise funds to help resident animals who lost their feeding habitat -Aloha College Marbella with a non uniform day to raise funds These are just a few of the many examples of how communities pull together to relieve disaster. The sad thing here is that this disaster should never have happened.
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CLIMATE change is to blame for the dramatic shrinking of glaciers in the Pyrenees which could all but disappear within two decades, scientists in Spain have warned. A new study reveals the extent to which the ice mass has melted at a steady but rapid speed since the 1980s. Three glaciers have all but disappeared since 2011 leaving just stagnant strips of ice behind while in 17 of the remaining ice sheets an average loss of 6.3metres of ice thickness has been recorded. And in parts of the fasting-melting glaciers, the ice thickness loss was estimated to be up to 20 metres. Using high-res satellite imagery dating back to 2011 and
drone footage collected last summer, a team from the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, (IPE) mapped ice mass evolution and produced 3D models of the shrinkage.
Alarm
According to the study, the ice mass of Pyrenean glaciers shrank by over one-fifth on average over the last decade. The researchers firmly lay the blame for the shrinking glaciers on climate change and specifically the 1.5ºC rise in temperatures in the mountain region over the last century. Jesus Revuelto, one of the research team said the findings should act as an alarm bell.
Running out of Puffinus THE most critically endangered seabird in Europe has been spotted off the coast of Ibiza. At least 10 pairs of Balearic Shearwaters were seen nesting on the islet of Es Vedranell. Balearic Shearwaters are one of the rarest birds in Europe and one of two listed as ‘Critically Endangered’. As well as a low reproduction rate and small population, it has a very high mortality rate from non-natural causes such as being hunted by rats and cats. Many get accidentally caught in fishing gear.
In a second extract from his new book My Search For Madeleine Olive Press editor Jon Clarke tracks chief suspect in the Maddie McCann case Christian Brueckner to a desolate corner of Saxony
Photos by Jon Clarke
LA CULTURA Overgrown and isolated
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
Shallow grave?
A
T the end of a dark, narrow track I finally found the collection of derelict buildings, suffocated by knee high weeds and weighed down by history. The former East German box factory, near the tiny Saxony village of Neuwegersleben, was one part of my journey into the heart of darkness for my book that I couldn’t avoid. It was here that the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case Christian Brueckner invested €36,000, through an auction in Leipzig, and here that police found up to 20,000 sickening photos and videos he had hidden in a Lidl bag under the body of his buried dead dog Charlie. I arrived on a sunny afternoon to find nobody else about, although I recognised it from a SINISTER: One of Brueckner’s cara and an apparent shallow grave at the German box factory, Maddie and Brueckner (below) number of press reports. It had thing rather more sinister than fit the bill. ‘Particularly if evitaken some time to find the making boxes. Perhaps arma- dence is destroyed afterwards,’ site, which spread over quite ments. There were dozens of he had replied to his pal. a number of hectares and its openings that led down to dark ... rusty old gate was chained shut spaces, some interlinked and and had a ‘Stop’ sign alongside others full of rubbish. I had those words etched in my it. I clambered into the first build- brain so when I wandered to It was walking into the wide ing, which had a collapsed roof the back of the small annexe open expanse that you began and rubble piled up at least a I did a double take. Looking to realise what an incredible metre high. On one wall the recently dug up, and certainly opportunity this could have word Arbeit (job/ work) and two not appearing in a single photo been for a pervert like Bruec- shorter words could just about or video I had seen of the box kner, 44, who officially told be made out, not dissimilar factory, was what looked like friends that he wanted it to be to the words on the entrance a shallow grave, about 5ft in a car repair garage or some gate at Auschwitz concentra- length and a foot and a half in sort of sculpture tion camp: Arbeit in depth. garden. macht frei (work A pile of rubble, with chunks As Chief Prosesets you free). of concrete at the bottom, was saw cut into a workbench. gersleben was one such facilCould this cutor in the case I slowly wan- next to it, while an empty bot- There was a kitchen, two bath- ity. It would make more sense Hans Christian dered about the tle had been thrown in, almost rooms and a big room with doz- to blow the place up once the be where Wolters told me various build- for decoration. It was extremely ens of shelves, which had up investigation into Brueckner is Brueckner the following ings looking for sinister. to 1,000 books on them (many finally comday: “If you want anything of rel- When I later brought it up more were strewn on the floor), pleted. made some of to sexually abuse evance until I with the prosecutor in nearby as well as hundreds of old rekids, that is the his videos? stumbled across Braunschweig, he refused to cords, presumably all once My Search right place, as a side annexe be drawn on what they had stolen by Brueckner, including for Madnobody would with four huge found at the box factory, only one by Barry Manilow, which I eleine is see or hear plastic vats, presumably used admitting that they had recent- imagine wasn’t his taste. available on anything. There are no neigh- to store the diesel that Bruec- ly been back. The weirdest thing I found as I Amazon in bours!” kner stole on many occasions. The industrial site would have sifted through the cornucopia Kindle and The site was divided into a Next to it was another small been one hell of a job for the of neglect was a large series paperback grid of concrete squares and annexe with one big, heavy ga- police to examine and, it was of circular symbols sprayed v e r s i o n s comprised around half a doz- rage door slightly ajar. I pushed reported that 100 of them had on the floor at the threshold and at most en buildings. The first thing I it open and wandered in to been in situ for the first few of each room, a neo-Nazi-type good booknoted was the amount of un- find a pair of dirty mattresses days of the search which began Celtic cross in an electric or- shops derground areas, suggesting propped up against the wall, a on January 14, 2016. ange colour. that it was once used for some- tub full of empty alcohol bot- All around the site I found They appeared to have been recently, probably tles and a pair holes in the ground, openings added of broken wom- leading to cellars and tunnels. sprayed by police as they finen’s sunglass- Some areas had obviously ished inspecting a room in the been excavated by police, while latest search. es. Could this be many others appeared to have With dusk falling I took my where Bruec- been ignored. But that is only leave, not wanting to be stuck here at night and with an kner made guesswork. some of his The downright spookiest build- appointment already made videos? Did he ing was probably once the fac- with friends of Brueckner’s in keep women, tory’s main office and it was Braunschweig, an hour’s drive away. even children, the most intact. chained up I pushed open the door to go in Braunschweig, I later learned, and found a trapped bird flying was where Adolf Hitler had here? There was only around and tried to let it out, been given citizenship in 1932 to allow him to run in that one small win- unsuccessfully. dow with rein- This had obviously been the year’s German presidential forced glass, hub of activity and according election, and he was rewarded so this would to one of Brueckner’s friends with a series of ministries once be the place Bjorn, who I talked to later, this the Nazis took power the folfor it, and given was where he stored most of lowing year. his 2013 Skype his stolen goods, including doz- This included the Hitler Youth chat with his ens of computers, solar panels and even the SS training online friend and many other items. There schools base, while a numpanickspatz66 were pots of paint, cutlery, ber of key armament factories about ‘captur- countless chairs and tables, were set up around the area. UNSETTLING: Was this Brueckner’s place to ing something over a dozen computer mon- It would certainly make sense ‘capture something small’? small’, it would itors. A nasty looking circular that the nearby site in Neuwe-
DARK HISTORY
11
HIS LINKS TO GRANADA!
I
T was two weeks after Christian Brueckner had been made a prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case in June 2020 that I received a call from the Mirror to dig into him in Spain. Talk about coincidences. I was actually reading a book about Orgiva, the Granada town, which I’d dubbed the ‘Glastonbury of southern Europe’ (and where, coincidentally, the Olive Press was born) when the reporter in London asked: ‘Can you get to a place called Orgiva?’ I almost fell off the sofa. ‘It’s where Brueckner’s friend Michael Tatschl lived for many years, a guy he went to prison with. I’ve tracked him down on Facebook and he would make an excellent interview.’ Despite omitting the fact that his Facebook page actually showed him leaving Orgiva in 2016 – or that his featured image showed him snarling at the camera with his middle finger sticking up – it was definitely worth the threehour drive into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Most of all though it came as a real Eureka moment when two dots itching to be joined were finally united as a concrete certainty: the hippie hangout of Barao de Sao Joao in the Algarve, where Brueckner lived for some time, now had a direct crime link to Orgiva, the new age capital of Spain. I had long had a feeling Brueckner would have links to Orgiva, with its little-checked, free-spirited community of international travellers tucked away in a string of hidden valleys. The Alpujarras is a region I know well having come across the fledgling Olive Press there in its first few months, while writing a travel article for a UK paper.
PAL: Micha Tatschl
12 PROPERTY OF THE WEEK U
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GETTING BIGGER
D
EL Canto Chambers is opening a new office in Palma, Mallorca, as the London-based barrister chambers expands its work across the UK and Spain in response to increasing demand for advice on the opportunities available in the Balearic Islands. Covid-19-related restrictions encouraged many to re-think their lifestyle choices and as such, UK entrepreneurs are increasingly looking to move their business operations and residency to sunnier climates. Recognising that many businesses can operate from anywhere in the world, Spain has become one of the most popular choices, with the Balearic Islands coming up trumps. Since the Brexit vote, interest from British investors into Spain has grown significantly, with the UK becoming the main foreign investor in Spain in 2019. Investment by British companies increased by almost 80% in the first half of 2019 compared to the same time in 2018, to €3.125bn.
Relocation
While many entrepreneurs are considering relocating their UK-based business to Spain, there are also many investors looking to buy a small or medium sized enterprise in Mallorca or one of the other Balearic Islands. The types of business vary greatly, from service-based businesses to boat chartering and horse riding, with Spaniards selling these to UK citizens. The type of activity you wish to embark upon goes together with the need to gain residency. There are three available visa options to consider. Golden Visas incur mostly a €500,000 expenditure out of tax and expenses and will reward you with citizenship for investing into the country, other Golden Visa options related to significant deposit and Spanish company
SPAIN has unveiled a package to bring down soaring electricity bills that include capping gas prices, cutting taxes to the consumer and redirecting energy company profits. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (right) outlined the measures as he admitted that it was unacceptable to see energy companies profit from elevated market prices. High natural gas prices on international markets are driving up electricity prices, benefiting gas producers and energy companies that generate power from other sources. Spain’s government plans to take €650 million of additional profits from electricity
companies to reduce consumer bills until next April. Plans also include reducing the electricity tax from 5.1% to 0.5% and an extension of the IVA reduction from 21% to 10% for users with less than 10 Kw of contracted potential until the second quarter of 2022.
Bills
Households across Spain have seen their electricity bills rocket about 40% to record prices this year, with the cost reaching an all-time high of €154.16 per megawatt-hour last week, according to market operator OMIE. Martin Tye, CEO of green energy company Mariposa
Minimum rise
SPAIN is set to finally introduce a rise in the minimum wage after months of haggling between trade unions and business federations. Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said the increase would come into force as early as October, but apart from calling the increase ‘limited’ she did not put a figure to the rise. Ther minimum wage was last increased shortly before the pandemic in 2020, when it went up by 5.5% to €1,108 a month. The minimum wage in Spain is set through negotiations between labour unions and business representatives, although the government can force through a settlement if no consensus is reached.
More help at hand as Del Canto expands in Spain
Julio Prieto is an international barrister specialised in Tax and Private Clients, based in London and Palma de Mallorca. investments’ are options to be considered too; The Non-Lucrative visa relies on the person’s own financial resources to ‘sufficiently’ maintain him/herself and family members – this is a good option if you are not planning to undertake professional activities in Spain, so is ideal for retired people that want to spend most of their time in Spain. Finally, the Entrepreneur visa requires a specific cost to start up a business in Spain considering innovation and benefits that the business will bring to Spain as other requirements. It is also important that expats consider their tax options when relocating to Spain, especially prior to buying a property in the Balearic Islands and seek professional advice from international lawyers with a good understanding of the two jurisdictions (the UK and Spain). This requires a variety of taxes payable, which consist generally of personal income tax on property or any income rental; capital gains tax; city council tax; and tax on assets such as boats. For British citizens and foreign expats planning on moving or operating their business from Spain, there are many options available.
To make a no-obligation enquiry, please either call Del Canto Chambers now on: +44 2070 430648 or complete our online form on our website’s contact page, which after receipt we will come back to you within 24 hours. Our office in Ibiza are located on: Calle Illa Plana 7, 07800 Ibiza, Islas Baleares. Contact us directly on 971 761 171
HOW has the COVID-19 pandemic affected buyers’ work/life priorities? After an unprecedented period of lockdown, many people have taken the opportunity to reassess their lifestyles and values. The threat of future outbreaks occurring has also had a specific effect on those looking to purchase a second home or retreat. Knight Frank's recent annual Global Buyer Survey has highlighted some of these trends. For some, the ability to work remotely, alongside incentives such as visas for digital nomads, and a desire to travel after a period of confinement, has boost-
Energía , has welcomed the government’s plans , stating: “It is time for the consumer to be put first.The large corporations continue to make big profits while the average consumer suffers.That is completely unfair and wrong.” He also applauded Sanchez’s proposals to promote cleaner and greener energy, adding: “A move to renewable energy is not only vitally important in order to combat climate change, it is also a cheaper source of energy.
Green
“Due to the fact that green energy does not produce the greenhouse gas CO2 , there are no emissions rights charges levied on this type of energy, which instantly makes it cheaper. Over the past two years we have been able to reduce thousands of consumer’s bills by switching them to 100% green energy.”
SECOND HOME BOOST ed demand for a homefrom-home. The pandemic has sparked a wave of second home demand with 33% of respondents saying they are more likely to buy a second home as a result of COVID-19. Better lifestyle and use as a retreat was the key reason cited by home buyers. Of those looking to buy a second home, 23% say the pandemic has influenced where they want to buy with countries with
OP Puzzle solutions
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Across: 7 Nouns, 8 Remover, 10 The News, 11 Leg it, 12 Grainy, 14 Stole, 16 Fagin, 19 Yearns, 24 Piled, 25 Robotic, 26 Lawless, 27 Diode. Down: 1 On stage, 2 Eureka, 3 Astern, 4 Truss, 5 Amulet, 6 Trite, 9 Vigil, 13 Yen, 14 Sly, 15 Psyched, 17 Allow, 18 In deep, 20 Embody, 21 Ratios, 22 Spell, 23 Trash.
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BUSINESS
September 22nd October 5th 2021
Desert dreaming AN avant-garde new tourism project has opened in the heart of the Gorafe desert in the Granada. In a world first, District Hive aims to change the current concept of luxury accommodation and offers a total disconnection from the outside world, through a deep immersion with the environment. The project features the first 100% self-sufficient and transportable modules or pods that can be deployed on any terrain, even where construction is not possible. The Dichomodule, created by the Spanish studio MOHO Arquitectos, is capable of generating its own water from the air, its own electricity from solar energy, and has enough energy to power it for four days without sun. The management system of black water transforms waste into ash, and waste water from the kitchen and bathrooms is filtered through two filtering processes so that it can be used as irrigation water.
advanced vaccine programmes or stringent lockdown measures topping the menu with an overwhelming 67% of respondents citing this as a major sway factor. Buyers of second homes are prioritising outdoor space, a home study and greater privacy post-lockdown. The property market in several areas in Spain witnessed an immediate surge in enquiries after lockdown.
Trend
Researchers are already predicting a second wave of activity as rules start to ease and travel restrictions loosen - a trend already evident this summer across prime second home hotspots France and Italy. The reappraisal of the work/ life balance may signal a boom in the luxury property markets throughout Spain, which may well boost Gibraltar’s market too..
FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL TOP PAELLA CHEF WORLD Paella Day, a tribute to Valencia’s most universal dish, is celebrated every September 20 - coinciding with the harvesting of its main ingredient: rice. This year chefs from all over the world will compete live in La Marina de Valencia, specifically in La Marineta, in a paella competition which won’t fail to get mouths watering. The winner will be awarded with a trophy made by the Fallas artist, Jose Luis Platero, which is on display in the Central Market.
September 22nd October 5th 2021
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ESTUCO INTERIORS
Cooking up a treat Spanish chefs dominate world’s Best Chef awards A SPANISH chef has scooped the top prize in The Best Chef Awards 2021 in a list dominated by Spanish talent. 41 year-old David Muñoz is the owner of Madrid’s three Michelin starred DiverXo collected his award in Amsterdam with a speech that recognised the hardship suffered by restau-
rants during the coronavirus pandemic. During the pandemic Muñoz launched a successful takeaway service GoXo offering food from his restaurant in Madrid and then expanded to Barcelona. He leapt from number five on the list last year to scoop the top award describing the recogni-
Flying high MALAGA airport bosses say they had their busiest month since the year began as summer holidays soared across Spain. Airport operator Aena said that during August there were 13,033 aircraft movements, just 16.7% fewer than the August before the pandemic. But the numbers are still far below pre-pandemic levels. During the month of August, the airport handled 1.4 million passengers, a figure that represents 36.5% fewer than the number recorded in the same period of 2019 Compared to 2020, the latest Aena data shows that Malaga airport registered 106% more travellers last August and 45% more landings and take-offs. So far this year, Malaga airport has seen 4.2 million travellers pass through its gates, some 69% fewer than in this same period, pre-pandemic, in 2019.
THE MOST PROFESSIONAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK ON THE COSTAS ENSURES AN EFFICIENT AND GREEN SERVICE FOR THE OLIVE PRESS
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he Olive Press has always invested heavily in ensuring that our copies are readily available for our growing legion of readers. We work hard to achieve our target of zero returns, ensuring we do not waste money or paper, which is an ever important factor for our environmentally-conscious readers. Since 2019 we have employed the services of Self Select Media, the UK market leader in charge of distributing hundreds of free papers and magazines, including the Evening Standard, Metro and Time Out! OWNER: The team that now has a company in southern Spain has analStewart ysed the region and strategically placed our stands within the main supermarkets and major expat hangouts around the costas. This highly targeted process ensures that you can conveniently pick up your favourite read easily every two weeks. To keep in line with our green philosophy it also allows us to closely monitor our distribution and how it ebbs and flows depending on tourism and trends. We receive detailed photo reports of each of the drops, timed as they happen, and the number of copies left over. As Steward Leece, the boss of Self Select explains: “We have 125 years of publishing and distribution experience and know Spain well having had a home here for three decades. “It is a pleasure to work with the Olive Press, one of the market leaders in Spain, to ensure that the company maintains and expands its reach around the country.” He continues: “The basis of our service is that Every copy is taken by personal choice. We offer publishers and advertisers a controlled fully quantifiable media distribution route to market. Via a network of displays placed within high footfall retail outlets, and targeted miscellaneous distribution points across the North and South Costa Blanca region, and now Valencia.”
For up-to-date information on your nearest distribution point, then please visit www.theolivepress.es or read our digital versions online. For more information on our fantastic ditribution partner, please visit www.selfselectmedia.es
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tion as ‘the greatest joy’. Muñoz was among 15 Spanish chefs named in the top 100 chefs which included Basque chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, from Mugaritz restaurant, in third place. Joan Roca, one of the brothers behind El Celler de Can Roca in Catalunya, appeared in fourth place and also took home the Science Award.
Named
The team at Barcelona’s Disfrutar - Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañaswere jointly recognised in sixth position. Other Spanish chefs named on the top 100 list are Martin Berasategui, (at number 28), Eneko Atxa (31) Paco Roncero (45); Angel Leon (48); Paco Morales (54); Quique Dacosta, (57); Jordi Cruz, (59); Antonio Romero (87); and Diego Guerrero (89).
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14
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Strange sights Pay a visit to seven of the most unusual museums in Spain
S
MUSEUM OF SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS
MICROMUNDI MUSEUM OF MINIATURES
The collection is very diverse as it receives donations from many different artists.
WITCHES MUSEUM
MUSEUM OF FUNERAL CARRIAGES
THE TORTURE MUSEUM ALTHOUGH there are indeed many torture museums all over the world, this one found in Cantabria’s Santillana del Mar, focuses in on methods used during the Spanish inquisition. There are over 50 gruesome torture instruments on display, from guillotines to iron maidens and chastity belts.
MUSEUM OF EROTIC SCULPTURE
AS home to one of the largest known witch trials in history, it is natural that the town of Zugarramurdi in Navarra is also the location of this museum. The museum remembers the 53 victims who were sent to the stake and prison during the trials and explores the history of the myths and folklore surrounding witchcraft.
MELON MUSEUM GENERATIONS of melon farmers belong to Madrid’s Villaconejos and the fruity museum sprouted here acts as an exploration of the history of the area, honouring the fruit itself and its growers. The municipality even hosts its own melon festival in autumn!
PAIN has its fair share of world-class museums and galleries to visit, but look beyond the major tourist attractions and you will find some small and sometimes frankly bizarre collections dotted across the country. Here are seven of the most unusual and fascinating museums to seek out if you are travelling off the beaten track.
FROM just a single pepper mill, Andrea Ludden grew her collection to what it is today, with over 20,000 pairs of eclectic salt and pepper shakers. Ludden has organised shakers dependent on theme and colour and it’s crazy to see the variety of different pieces from replicas of the beatles to antique pieces from the 1800’s. Head inland from the Costa Blanca to the hilltown of El Castel de Guadalest in Alicante, to visit the collection and spice up your life! BESALÚ in La Garrotxa is home to this collection, inaugurated in 2007 by artist and jeweller Lluís Carreras. The museum displays over 5,000 pieces of miniature artwork, with many pieces having to be viewed through a microscope. Some pieces to note are an ant holding an umbrella whilst walking a tightrope and pinocchio and his maker in a peanut shell but there are many more.
September 22nd - October 5th 2021
ALTHOUGH this is an outdoor sculpture park, this collection of erotic sculptures certainly merits a place on the list. Located throughout the Can Ginebreda woods in Girona, the collection began in 1975 and was sculpted by Xicu Cabanyes. Cabanyes utilises many different materials in order to create his pieces from concrete and stone to recycled objects and scrap metal. His pieces that often prompt a giggle from passers-by, actually hold many deeper meanings. The sculptures act as a celebration of life, connecting intimacy with nature and also incorporating religious symbolism.
OPENED in Barcelona in the 1970’s by Cristóbal Torra. This seemingly morbid museum displays 19 pieces from the 18th century to the 1950’s including: 13 horse-drawn hearses, 6 accompanying cars and 3 motor hearses. Visitors can marvel at the intricate carriages and take a glimpse into the history of funerals past.
HEALTH
BIG BOOST
SPAIN has announced it will immediately roll out plans to administer a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to those considered the most vulnerable. Elderly people in care homes as well as those with compromised immune systems such as cancer and transplant patients, will be eligible for booster dose, the Health Ministry announced on Thursday. Health chiefs had been weighing up whether to introduce a booster programme and decided not to delay for fear of overlapping with the start of the flu season.
Immune
Other countries, including the United Kingdom, the USA and France, will also offer boosters to the elderly and people with weak immune systems, although as yet there is no global scientific consensus as to whether they are necessary. Spain’s elderly care homes were badly hit at the start of the pandemic. SPANISH scientists have developed a new lowcost skin test that shows COVID-19 immunity and determines whether a third vaccine dose is required. The test which is nearly 100% accurate has been developed by a research team in the Canary Islands and using a very simple testing process similar to that used in allergy detection.
September 22nd October 5th 2021
15
No laughing matter POLICE are warning people about the dangers of nitrous oxide - or laughing gas - after a ‘worrying’ growth in consumption of what many consider a harmless drug, despite deaths linked to its use. Usually sold in small silver jars, nitrous oxide is inhaled and affects everyone differently, depending on the amount inhaled and interaction with other substances or medications. Most users report a feeling of dissociation from their body, similar to floating, as well as distorted perceptions and, in rare cases, visual hallucinations.
Itching to test
It could revolutionise COVID testing with analysis performed remotely from a photograph of the skin test area. If the person has immunity, the skin will produce an identifiable inflam-
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Police warn of dangers of ‘party drug’ nitrous oxide
The immediate effects of laughing gas include euphoria, body numbness, a feeling of sedation, dizziness, uncontrolled laughter and blurred vision. In some cases, inhaling the drug can be fatal.
Fainting
The effect of gas can lead to a loss of blood pressure that can lead to fainting and heart attacks or hypoxia from lack of oxygen. Prolonged use can lead to side effects such as memomatory reaction. The test has been developed by Dr Yvelise Barrios, immunologist, and Dr Victor Mathey, allergist, both from the Hospital University of Canarias. “The reliability is very high. We tested a group of people who had not been exposed to the virus and in that group all the tests were negative” says Dr. Barrios.
ry loss, ringing in the ears, numbness of limbs, spasms, depression, weakening of the immune system and psychosis. Police warn that the increase in use across Spain is ‘devastating’ and said they have seen an increase in the presence of the drug in Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Malaga, Oviedo and Ceuta. The gas, which is commonly inhaled through balloons, has been linked to multiple recent incidents In Spain. In June, a 32-year-old man was rushed to intensive care after he fell from a thirdfloor holiday rental apartment in San Pedro de Alcantara, and just days later a girl was seriously injured after leaping out of a moving vehicle and jumping from a bridge, in Marbella both the man and the woman were believed to have taken laughing gas. A Swedish holidaymaker drowned after taking the drug and becoming disorientated, also in Marbella.
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POLICE are hot on the trail of a French pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago who vanished along with seven goats, three donkeys and a dog from a ‘secure pound’ where the animals were placed when officers demanded to see paperwork.
Sad addict
A BOY from Castellon (Valencia) has been registered as the first clinical case in the world for video game addiction after he spent 16 hours a day playing Fortnite when he became depressed after his mother died.
Hisssteria POLICE spent two days hunting for a two-metre long boa constrictor which escaped from its tank in Palencia, with neighbours being warned to keep their pets at home in case they became a snack for the slippery reptile.
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Vol. 5 Issue 157
It’s no surprise as saddest folk in Spain live in the wettest regions IT will come as no surprise to northern European expats that the Spanish regions that experience the highest rainfall are also the most miserable. A new study has discovered that Galicians, who experience the most rain, are the least happy in the country.
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September 22nd - October 5th 2021
Pig of a plan
RAINING ON HAPPINESS By Amber Edirisinghe
The region, which gets around 75 inches of rainfall a year, is only matched in a lack of happiness by its near neighbour Asturias that gets
Win a home for a song WITH property prices constantly rising one woman has decided to give people the chance to get a house for just €28. The three bedroom two bathroom villa in the historic town of Mula (Murcia) has been home to Colette Copperwhite for 20 years. But now she has decided to pack up and head back home. And instead of selling her property in the traditional way she has decided to put it up for raffle. For £25 a ticket people can not only win the villa but pocket a cash lump sum of £15,000 (€17,450) if enough tickets are sold. A percentage of proceeds from this raffle will be divided between the Spanish and Irish Cancer societies if all tickets are sold. See advert on page 7.
almost as drenched. Meanwhile, sunnier spots, including the Balearic Islands, Andalucia and Valencia are among the happiest in Spain. The most joyous spot of all however is Navarra, with a 7.85 out of 10 rank, closely followed by the Balearics, both dry and sunny areas.
Culture
According to research by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), the southern and north-eastern regions have the most cheerful residents. A colour-coded map by Carlota Albala clearly shows which regions are the happiest. According to the study, the residents of Pamplona, in
Navarra, are the happiest in Spain. The region is known for its rolling countryside and gastronomy as well as its art and culture. Andalucia ranks at a respectable fifth place, with its warm climate and rich cultural history. Valencia ranks sixth with a happiness rating of 7.38 out of 10.
IT has stood firm against hordes of marauding Moors and columns of crusading Christans. And at one time it was the base for legendary Spanish knight El Cid. But the fearsome fortress of Gormaz, in Soria, is now under attack from a more unconventional, and decidedly smellier, enemy. It comes after plans for a nearby pig farm were passed, allowing 4,000 swine into the nearby valley. The move has sent a hastily raised militia of ecologists, architects and history lovers to the battlements. Only a kilometre from the castle - the largest fortress in Europe when constructed in 965 - the pig farm will understandably pollute the area with its smells. Green group Ecologistas en Action, in particular, cite the health risk caused by 2,000 sqm of slurry. Now the battle is on to ensure that the 28-tower fortress, that was once a strategic stronghold for the Caliphate of Cordoba, repels this latest repugnant assault.