Olive Press Gibraltar Issue 198

Shipwreck awaits fate

By John Culatto

THE bathing season is under threat from what could be the biggest oil spill to date.

It comes with the shipwreck off Catalan Bay is finally set to get lifted out of the water.

The Dutch company employed by owners of the OS 35 to remove the shipwreck will finish the complex operation by June 16, more than two weeks late and the day after the bathing season officially starts. This new stage will see the greatest risk of a further oil spill. Although the contractors backed by the Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA) have put a plan into place to safeguard beaches, they are not entirely sure how much oil and fuel is still trapped in the ship.

Koole Wreck Removal will first make both the front and back sections airtight before lifting them out of the water from their current location 700m from Catalan Bay. Captain of the Port, John Ghio, had originally ordered that the wreck be removed by May 30. But he admitted it was ‘an extremely complex and delicate process’.

“Whilst the short delay for its final removal is unfortunate, this is the only safe way to do so that mitigates the potential future source of pollution and minimise the impact on the environment,” Ghio said.

Opinion Page 6

EXCLUSIVE: Our man at the Coronation, See page 6

ROCK SOLID

Gibraltarians came out in force to show their loyalty during the coronation of King Charles III

Full story, see page 4

IMAGINE THEY GET BACK

FRESH life has been breathed into a cold case involving some of the most iconic photographs in rock and roll history.

Cold case reopened: Fresh lead in missing John Yoko wedding photos

cluding their iconic Gibraltar wedding snaps - have been missing for decades.

While the Olive Press launched a special investigation in 2016 to help recover them for photographer David Nutter, the trail has since gone cold. Over the

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

course of a year we managed to establish that the stolen negatives were being offered by a shady Far Eastern cartel that claimed to own them. However, despite receiving a copy of a contact sheet we were unable to finally secure the negatives or pin down the seller. Now, out of the blue, we have received a mystery letter from an apparent Good Samaritan in the USA who claims she had the missing negatives in her hands in 2011.

UNSEEN BEFORE: Scan of negative of John and Yoko kissing sent to us this week

Offered to her company by a third party, they were digitally scanned, but not purchased over concerns of copyright.

Having recently read our reports from 2016 she has decided she wants to return to the photographer himself and has reached out to the Olive Press to help.

“I feel real sympathy for Mr Nutter’s plight and I want to get the scans to him,” she wrote, adding she would actually like to deliver them herself.

Taken in Gibraltar in 1969 by Nutter, the incredible photos captured the infamous, whistlestop wedding of Lennon and Yoko.

The valuable negatives – estimated to be worth at least €150,000 – vanished in the 1970s after Nutter, now 84, lent them to a friend Anthony Fawcett to use in his book, John Lennon: One Day At A Time.

They were allegedly stolen during the repossession of Fawcett’s apartment ‘he claimed’.

Despite two separate investigations by British police and the FBI they have never been recovered.

If you can help (or are the anonymous letter writer) pls contact jon@theolivepress.es in strict confidence

ICONIC: John and Yoko in Gib, while (right) with snapper Nutter, plus flashback to our 2016 probe

Cycle fundraising

A GROUP called Culture Crusaders will be raising much-needed charity cash during a 24-hour stationary cycling relay at John Mackintosh Hall.

Health heroes

GIBRALTAR’S Parliament has conferred the Freedom of the City to the Gibraltar Health Authority and Elderly Residential Services after their role in the pandemic.

Study cash

STUDENTS who want to go to university can now apply for scholarships from the Department of Education until June 9, the government said.

Enduring find

RENOWNED explorer Mensun Bound will give a speech about his discovery of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship ‘The Endurance’ on May 30 at John Mackintosh Hall.

A MAN accused of two bomb hoaxes at the Convent will get a mental health check after police found his ‘petrol bombs’ were actually fizzy drinks bottles.

Police arrested Christian Tosso, 47, of Harbour Views after reports he was ‘trying to attack’ the Governor’s residence twice.

POLICE GET FIZZICAL

Police said he threw what looked like a petrol bomb into the back of the Convent but it turned out to be a fizzy drink bottle. Officers then saw Tosso again a few days later, allegedly lighting what

looked like a fuse on another bottle. The Magistrates court remanded Tosso in custody and granted him legal aid. It ordered a doctor assess him for mental health issues as the court did not believe he was fit to be tried.

WELL DESERVED

SPAIN'S Supreme Court has upheld a 135-year prison sentence for a British teacher who created and distributed pornography of children in his care.

Ben David Rose was exposed by the Olive Press for changing his name by deed poll to become a nanny in Spain following convictions in the UK.

His devious behaviour led to the stiff jail term last year after being found guilty of molesting up to 36 children aged between four and eight years old.

It came after he was able to deceptively land a job at one of Madrid’s most prestigious private schools. The case raised serious safe-

No respite for Brit paedo teacher

By Alex Trelinski

guarding concerns after it emerged he had been convicted for similar crimes in the UK and placed on the sex offenders register before moving to Spain. Incredibly, his move was not properly monitored and he landed a job as an au pair in Zaragoza and then as an English teacher in several schools in the capital.

The 33-year-old had been convicted of sex crimes against children while running a sum-

A 12-YEAR-OLD boy who has his home town in despair has been arrested for a knife-point robbery in Brenes (Sevilla).

It is alleged that he and an adult entered a Chinese pound shop with their faces covered, going straight to the till.

The boy is believed to have grabbed the shop assistant while intimidating her with a knife.

Meanwhile, the adult snatched €800 from

mer camp near London under his previous name Ben David Lewis in 2016. In an Olive Press probe, it emerged that within days of being handed a suspended sentence and placed on the UK sex offenders register he changed his name to Ben David Rose. He applied for a new passport and fled to Spain where he quickly found work as a nanny looking after three children. Rose then moved to Madrid and cared for two young children before taking a job as an

LITTLE SNOT

the till.

They then fled the scene, with the adult punching the worker in the face during their escape. A Guardia Civil spokesperson told the Olive Press: “The 12-year-old is a little snot that has his family and the town where he lives in despair. He is a bad character.”

SCHOOLS PAEDO CALL

NEWS: We exposed Rose last year

English teacher at a private school.

Police were tipped off to the presence of a ‘dangerous sexual predator’ working in Madrid after an investigation by police in Australia. They established that someone in the capital was making and distributing obscene images. When police later searched his phone, they found dozens of obscene photos and videos of him with girls as young as six years inside a classroom. The Supreme Court upheld Rose’s sentence in a lower court last year.

Accidental fascist

A FAR-RIGHT fitness guru who was extradited from Spain to face terror charges in the UK told a court he is ‘horrified’ that he might have encouraged violence.

Liverpool native Kristofer Kearney, 39, has pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating terrorist publications but denied that he shared the videos with that intention. The court case hinges on whether the Telegram posts calling for violence were ‘reckless’, as Kearney claims, or deliberate. The court previously heard that Kearney claimed that Adolf Hitler ‘showed people the way’ and encouraged violence against black people, Jews and Muslims. Kearney was known online among far-right activists as ‘Charlie Big Potatoes’ and created a channel for exercise tips called Fascist Fitness

The offences relate to two Telegram posts on January 23 and March 8 2021, which included the manifestos of Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant and Norwegian mass-murder Anders Breivik.

Kearney is expected to return to Spain to serve his sentence once the judge hands it out on June 23.

Kearney has close links to Marbella and the Costa Blanca.

BACK IN THE RING!

THE ‘Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury is set to go another round in Mallorca after tearing up the island last summer.

The heavyweight’s declaration to return comes on the back of his jaw-dropping talk about his life at an event last August.

“He’s coming back to the same villa in Son Vida,” explains celebrity agent Gaston Montauban.

“He’s planning to come every year now, having fallen in love with the island last year,” continued the realtor, from Mallorca Deal.

Tyson, a frequent visitor to Spain, was introduced to the island by his commercial manager Spencer Brown, who regularly spends time in Mallorca. While he has frequently trained or taken holidays in Marbella, last summer he was persuaded to spend a week at

SMASH HIT

TENNIS sensation Carlos Alcaraz was returned to the top of the world tennis rankings again.

After winning the Madrid Open, he only needed to win one match in Rome to be back at No.1.

It was Alcaraz’s 31st win of the season, and he took the top spot from Novak Djokovic who recently returned to live in Marbella

this stunning six-bed villa, with stunning grounds and pool.

It came after his popular ‘After Party’ bash at Son Amar, when he enthralled the 500-strong audience, holding court and even singing. His manager, Brown, has become a close friend and confidant of Fury’s over the last few years.

The 734-msq villa, which sits next to Son Vida golf course and hotel, is for sale at €4.9m via www.themallorcadeal.com

Seeing Red!

AN anti-corruption probe has been launched on a cluster of top referees after a Spanish report revealed their sprawling property empires.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is investigating four refs, including the boss of Spain’s VAR (Video Assistant Referee) and his senior assistant.

The others, a leading La Liga ref and an international ref, are being probed over a string of luxury properties bought in cash without mortgages.

The group, Carlos Clos, Santiago Latre, Alejandro Hernandez and Jose Maria Sanchez, allegedly own 20 properties,

€5 million corruption investigation launched into four senior Spanish referees

By Walter Finch

worth over €5 million.

VAR chief Clos owns seven properties worth over €1 million, including three in Zaragoza and Castellon, with one, a giant 813 sqm villa, bought in cash.

His VAR deputy Latre, meanwhile, also owns seven properties, all of which were bought in cash.

Heard and seen

ACTRESS Amber Heard has moved from Mallorca (pictured) to Madrid, it has been claimed.

Ex-girlfriend of Hollywood star, Johnny Depp, has relocated to the capital with her two-year-old daughter Oonagh Paige.

She appears to have ‘quit Hollywood’ for good for a new life in Spain in the wake of losing an infamous defamation trial to Depp last year.

Heard, 37, was seen looking relaxed and happy with her child in Retiro park, while sources claim she has rented a modern house on the outskirts of the city.

The identity of Oonagh’s father has never been revealed, while she has allegedly split up from her lesbian lover Eve Barlow, a Scottish journalist, who worked for music magazine NME.

In 2020, he bought two properties alone worth €750,000 and €1 million in central Madrid. Meanwhile, Hernandez - who has officiated over a string of ‘classicos’ between Real Madrid and Barcelona - has homes near Madrid as well as in the Canaries. Sanchez, who has worked in the top tier since the 2015-16 season, owns various properties in Murcia bought without taking out mortgages. While La Liga referees are among the best-paid in Europe, earning a reported €12,500 a month, their high salaries don’t match up with their property empires, claim investigators.

Millions

A separate probe was launched last year to look into Jose Enriquez Negreira who received millions of euros in his role as Vice President of the Technical Committee of Referees.

Investigators are now mulling over whether to merge the investigations into one.

Brits to the fore!

FORMER UK glamour model

Katie Price has been pictured in Spain in a patriotic Union Jack bikini to celebrate the Coronation.

The controversial star, formerly known as Jordan, has been eschewing the usual celebrity hotspots for a week’s holiday in Murcia.

Price, 44, posted photos on social media posing by her pool in Roldan in the depths of inland Murcia.

Her distinctive figure - she aims to have ‘Britain’s biggest boobs’ - was also spotted around Altea and Albir, on the Costa Blanca this month.

It is her fourth vacation of the year despite facing bankruptcy proceedings.

She was taking a break with her boyfriend Carl Woods and kids at a villa surrounded by olive groves. The Olive Press tracked down the home to Roldan, some 20km from Murcia capital and 35 km from Torrevieja - a long way from glamour hotspots of Marbella and Ibiza.

Notorious for her love of cosmetic surgery, Price underwent her 16th boob job procedure in December, transforming her breasts to an astounding double H cup. She was pictured posing with Benidorm legend Crissy Rock.

Looky looking up!

HEADS had to be turned and craned upwards as the passing Basketball legend Michael Jordan visited Marbella. Ironically, a lookylooky man selling fake Nike Air Jordans was the first to notice the real NBA star, 60, was walking around after lunch at La Milla restaurant. Jordan was on holiday with his wife, the Cuban model Yvette Prieto.

BACK FOR MORE: Tyson in Mallorca with Gaston

DUE TO RAPID GROWTH WE URGENTLY NEED PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS MUST BE TRAINED AND WITH GOOD EXPERIENCE AND REFERENCES

NOT BAD-O! Stink solution

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy from Gibraltar is now fourth in the UK’s Junior Darts Corporation Foundation Tour rankings giving him a real chance at qualifying for the advanced tour next season.

Nico Bado, called ‘a young prodigy’ by the Gibraltar Darts Association (GDA), beat top seed Jack Nankervis 5-3 in the ninth event of the UK-wide junior tour held in Coventry. He became Gibraltar’s Youth National Champion after beating another rising talent Casey Dyer 4:1 in the local final. The Rock’s sports minister Steven Linares said he was ‘not in the least bit surprised by Nico’s achievement’. Bado entered the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) Tour as a rank outsider but could now play with the best young players in Europe.

Crowning moments

Coronation celebrations on the Rock as King Charles III crowned

A PARADE of all three armed forces in Gibraltar led up to the coronation of King Charles III. Governor of Gibraltar Sir David Steel saluted the armed forces while Chief Minister Fabian Picardo stood to attention beside him outside the Convent on the Wednesday before the coronation. The pair then flew to London for the ceremony itself.

Permanent reminder

SPEAKER of the UK House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle unveiled a Gibraltar coat of arms in his Westminster office before a series of meetings with various Overseas Territories. Minister of the Environment John Cortes attended the unveiling of the coat of arms and the reception in honour of the UK overseas territories and Crown dependencies.

Gibraltar’s coat of arms was part of a new window that featured all 16 overseas territories.

Cortes took part in meetings with Overseas Territories and British officials during his visit to London.

By John Culatto

Service people from the Royal Navy, Air Force and British Army marched down Main Street to converge at Convent Place.

After inspecting the assembled troops, both leaders joined in a loud ‘hip-hip hooray’.

Marching bands from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Sea Scouts were a big part of the parade in the heart of the British overseas territory.

Picardo then became the first democratically elected representative of Gibraltar to attend a Royal coronation.

“I think this is the first time we have emergency services and all three services,” Steel told GBC.

“It was absolutely fantastic and what a way to start this coronation weekend.”

“We have once again demonstrated how Gibraltar reflects the umbilical nature of the relationship with the United Kingdom,” Picardo told the national broadcaster.

The celebrations in Gibraltar peaked on Saturday after the Archbishop of Canterbury crowned the new king live on the big screen at Casemates Square.

Gibraltarians got together at Casemates to see King Charles and Queen Camilla leave Buckingham Palace on their gold state coach. The royal pair then rode to Westminster Abbey to be crowned with marching bands accompanying them on their way. Many cheered but others jeered at what they see as an outdated political system. At the same time, the Royal

Gibraltar Regiment fired a 21 Royal Gun Salute from the UK Naval base to celebrate the coronation at 1pm.

Picardo took part in a reception at Buckingham Palace the day before hosted for heads of state and other dignitaries that had assembled for the coronation.

The pictures showed Gibraltar’s chief minister having what looked like a frank conversation with the monarch.

PLANS for a new £80 million sewage water treatment plant are going ahead at a site close to Europa Point.

The government opened the tender process for the Waste Management Facility on Dobinson Way, Europa Advance Road.

It wants to have the project commissioned by the end of 2024, after years of delays created by the need to find a company that could process saltwater sewage. When authorities finally found a business that could do the job, it went bankrupt during the pandemic.

Anxious thoughts

GIBRALTAR’S health service has offered support to those suffering from anxiety during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Anxiety is the theme for this year’s event, which runs until May20, with the Gibraltar Health Authority reaching out to those suffering from ‘unease, worry or fear’.

“We educate the public on how to manage anxiety and how not to be ashamed if they are worried,” GHA Director General Patrick Geoghegan said.

Marine charge

Another arrest made after Commandos fracas

POLICE have charged an eighth serving soldier with attacking police after Royal Marine commandos injured seven officers at Ocean Village.

Officers arrested Rodui Aitchison, 25, who appeared at the Magistrates’ Court charged with violent disorder, resisting and assaulting police.

The marauding marines injured seven police officers and a civilian who were trying to arrest them at about 4am

around the entrance of Ocean Village Gym.

It followed the first hearing at court of the other seven defendants who did not enter pleas for similar offences.

Magistrates then chose to adjourn their trial until June 13.

The soldiers belong to an elite 550-person Royal Marines unit called 43 Commando. They are responsible for, among other things, guarding the UK’s nuclear weapons and regularly visit the Rock.

By John Culatto

“Response Team officers were required to use captor spray, baton tactics and unarmed defence tactics,” a Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) spokesman said. Witnesses watched in horror as the trained soldiers suddenly turned on the police officers trying to arrest them.

SPECIAL BRANCH INQUIRY

A LARGE tree fell suddenly on Gibraltar’s Main Street and slightly injured a passing woman.

Pictures of the fallen tree went viral on social media but no one was seriously injured by the accident.

Environmental experts believe there was a cavity in the tree that was not detected by government gardeners.

It caused the tree to snap in this sudden way, closing down Main Street for about an hour until workers cut it up and removed it.

An inquiry is likely to be launched.

Strong as the Rock

GIBRALTAR pulled off another giant killing act in style by thrashing France, Israel and Switzerland at netball in a European tournament.

It crowned the proud British territory as Division Two winners of the Netball European Open Challenge in the Isle of Man.

The Rock solid performance saw the women beat Switzerland 56-13 in the semis and France 53-20 in the final.

Gibraltar’s Megan Ruiz took the player of the tournament award after putting in a lot of extra hours training in the lead-up to the event.

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

Anxious wait

THE final removal of the OS 35 looks to now be forecast for June 16, over two weeks after the date ordered by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

The conclusion to this running debacle has led, rightly, to plenty of questions about how this accident happened and how authorities handled it.

While the police laid the blame firmly at the feet of the captain of the boat, the authorities need to put better protocols in place to stop such a terrible disaster from happening again.

For a start, the location where the port directed the ship was clearly not optimal.

The spot, facing all of Gibraltar’s main bathing areas and beaches, was clearly going to be a threat to ma rine life.

Running the ship aground on the west side of the Rock, perhaps at a more sheltered location like Rosia Bay, could have made the salvage operation a lot eas ier and faster.

Admittedly, this winter saw a raft of rather ferocious storms.

Waves of up to five metres and gale force Levante winds bashed the coast at different periods breaking up the ship further and making more oil spills inevitable. While, of course, the authorities cannot control the weather, what more could have been done to secure the ship’s structure from the storms? And it is by no means over.

How much more oil will flow out of the crushed hull once wreck removers refloat it and then winch it out of the sea?

While authorities seem to have put a plan in place, just the mere fact that oil could spill into the sea will pollute the seas even further.

Local marine protection charity The Nautilus Project said that the damage done could take the ecosystem about a decade to return to its original state.

We need a well organised and concerted effort from all.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Alberto Lejarraga alberto@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

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HUNDREDS of people go missing in Spain every year. Mysteriously, when it involves a tourist or someone from the expat community, it is not uncommon for the case to go unsolved for ages – or never be solved at all.

A search for missing English rugby player and X-Factor star Levi Davis, who had been living in the Balearics, has yielded no results after six months. The high profile investigation has attracted a lot of media coverage, but it is by no means an isolated incident. Meanwhile, the mystery of Baltic expat Agnese Klavina may be closer to being solved with her body very likely to have turned up a fortnight ago in Marbella.

But the strange cases of teenager Amy Fitzpatrick and mum Lisa Brown (both of which the Olive Press investigated at length) are no nearer being cracked.

Agnese Klavina

Last seen leaving celebrity hangout Aqwa Mist nightclub in Puerto Banus with British millionaire Westley Capper, Latvian expat Agnese has not been seen since September 2014.

Privately educated ‘Wes’, who died from Covid in 2021, partly grew up in Essex and partly at posh private schools in Marbella. He and his Scouse accomplice Craig Porter (whereabouts unknown) were filmed forcing Agnese into a car on the club’s CCTV. A body language psychologist concluded that Agnese looked ‘visibly distressed’.

The following day CCTV footage showed four masked men loading a large black holdall onto a yacht belonging to Wes’s dad – John ‘Freddie’ Capper, a self-made millionaire who owns various homes in the Benahavis hills, including Madronal and Zagaleta, where he mostly lives. Capper and Porter had claimed that they were driving Agnese to another party but she changed her mind and asked them to drop her off near her house in Monte Halcones, close to the villa of ex-England manager Flavio Capello.

WHERE

Since a body was never found, the pair were ultimately convicted in 2019 of the lesser crime of ‘coercion’ after a judge ruled that they had not unlawfully detained her. Instead, Capper was sentenced to two years in prison and Porter got six months.

But in a sensational twist, police are now investigating the discovery of skeletal remains in a suitcase in Benahavis, just yards from Monte Halcones and within 400m of at least two Capper homes. Police have yet to rule out it is that of Agnese, but are awaiting DNA tests to confirm or refute the theory.

Lisa Brown

Nearly eight years ago, Brown, 32, an expat from Scotland, failed to collect her son (who was eight at the time) from school in Guadi-

LIFELONG memories, a sense of pride and a stiff right arm are the legacy of King Charles III’s Coronation for one Olive Press staffer, who took part in the historic event.

Never without a huge smile on his face - even after a 5am dress rehearsal finish in cold, rainy three-degree London - Matt Jones made Spanish expats proud.

The 48-year-old Olive Press sales representative, who lives in the humble, sleepy, down-to-earth Andalucian village of Alozaina, was whisked into a world of royalty, pomp and pageantry on the golden streets of Westminster.

In incredible access to the May 6 procession, he ended up lining up alongside 99 other Royal British Legion (RBL) standard bearers in Parliament Square.

Acting as a ‘guard of honour’ he needed to be carefully vetted and was flown over to the UK from Malaga ‘in secret’ a week before and put up in a five star hotel at Marble Arch.

“It was an absolutely amazing experience. It was such an honour and privilege for the RBL to be asked to be part of it,” recalls Matt, who joined the media group last year.

“We were the only non-military organisation to be asked to be part and the reaction from the crowds was brilliant. They were even clapping and cheering us throughout .

“In fact, I am still buzzing from the Matt was not the only expat involved from Spain. Mary Kemp, 57, who lives in Alicante, carried the standard for District Spain North

The Sussex lass joined Matt, who represented the south of Spain, to bear their branches’ flags up the Strand, past the Cenotaph and then take up station by Westminster Abbey.

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“We stood within five feet of the parades as royalty proceeded past - we could not have been closer,” continues Matt.

“No one had a better view! Except of course we had to

aro, near Sotogrande, on the Costa del Sol.

The mother-of-one, who moved to Spain at the age of 18, had just begun a new job in Gibraltar and was said to be ‘happy’. Her partner, Dean Woods - a drug dealer, who had changed his name by deed poll to ‘Simon Corner’ - oddly vanished from the Costa del Sol just after Lisa was reported missing in November 2015.

He was arrested at Heathrow in 2018 and brought to Spain for questioning, but the case was controversially dropped. Although it was later reopened and he was extradited to the UK six months later, that inquiry also came to nothing.

Woods was sentenced soon afterwards for a completely different crime – his involvement in a €10 million cocaine ring.

The Olive Press revealed that police believe she inadvertently became involved in drug runs on yachts across the Med, but when she found out and argued with her partner he or fellow gang members killed and dumped her at sea.

Somehow Woods escaped prison while on day release in November 2022 and has been on the run since.

TheKingandI

Incredible honour as Olive Press man does his bit protecting the king on Coronation Day

keep eyes front the whole time! But we could still take in what was happening!

“The only problem was it was raining so much. Those standards weigh around 12 kilos dry. Once wet they felt like they weighed a ton. You can imagine how sore my right arm was after hours of holding the standard.

“But of course it was all worthwhile. It is such a small price to pay for being part of such an incredible moment of history; to honour your King and represent your colleagues in the RBL.”

It was certainly a long day for the 100 standard bearers. They were bussed to Whitehall at 7am where they mustered for a 100 yard procession to Horse Guards Parade.

“This was an honour in itself - a civilian organisation being permitted to be on the ground,” insists Matt, who was up at 5am finishing preparations on his uniform and boots.

From there they marched to Westminster Abbey to proudly stand with their standards, before a short rest during the Coronation service itself.

They were directed to Dunbar Court for a cup of tea and a sandwich, before returning to their posts.

Following the King’s departure, the RBL members broke ranks to head back to their hotel where they were presented with certificates

TEEN: Amy vanished in Mijas in 2008, while Levi (right) disappered in Barcelona last year

More questions than answers remain in missing person cases involving foreigners in Spain. As the body of tragic Agnese may have finally turned up, we look at five others

ARE THEY?

Lisa’s family believe Woods may have returned to Spain, where he has many friends and connections on the Costa del Sol.

On leaving court in 2020, Lisa’s brother Craig said: “We are still hoping for information, but at this moment, the judge is not bringing any charges.

“But it’s an ongoing case and if anybody knows anything, they should act on it. “It’s still very difficult for the family, everybody feels it.”

A £100,000 reward is still being offered by Lisa’s family for information on her whereabouts.

Amy Fitzpatrick

Amy, who would have celebrated her 31st birthday last month, vanished from Mijas Costa on New Year’s Day, 2008. She had been babysitting. Her aunt received a phone call in 2014 from an anonymous source who said Amy was buried at the former Hippodrome racecourse in Mijas. However, as the Olive Press recently reported, Spanish police have yet to investigate or excavate the site. She was just 15 when she disappeared on the short walk home to Riviera del Sol. The Dublin teen was

living in Spain at the time with her mum Audrey Fitzpatrick, her stepfather Dave Mahon and her brother Dean. No trace of Amy has ever been found. The family faced further tragedy when Dean was stabbed to death by his stepfather Mahon in 2013. Mahon was later convicted of manslaughter and jailed. He and Audrey remain together despite the tragedy.

Levi Davis

The case of Levi Davis has dominated headlines since he first went missing on October 29, 2022. However, a new development has sparked fresh hopes the 24-year-old could be found alive.

A close friend of Levi’s told a private investigator

hired by the family that a text sent to Levi on December 15 had been opened and read recently. The friend had written to say, ’Please come home. I love you. And miss you xx’.

And beneath the message an acknowledgement had appeared to show the text had been read.

Levi had been staying in Ibiza but travelled to Barcelona with just €40 and no change of clothes. He was picked up on CCTV leaving the Old Irish Pub near Barcelona’s La Rambla about 10pm on October 29, a few hours after arriving on the boat. Levi’s mother, Julie, received information from an alleged eyewitness that her son had ‘been sighted’ at Placa de Sant Agusti looking ‘lost and confused’ on November 14.

So far, only his passport has been found, which Mossos D’Esquadra agents discovered near the city’s port.

John Leach

John Leach, who was 65 at the time and appeared in 1990s BBC TV series Eldorado, has not been seen since leaving his home in La Cala de Mijas in 2012.

He was last seen walking alongside the A-7 next to El Sheriff bar sometime between 12.30pm and 1pm on August 21.

It is believed he may have decided to go to a wake being held in El Chaparral golf at a bar called The Hut at 4pm as he had called a few friends the day before to see if they were going.

He was carrying €10 in cash and his mobile phone but failed to answer calls made by his daughter Jessica, who was visiting Spain when he disappeared. Jessica said at the time.: “He likes his daily routine and always sticks to it so this is not normal behaviour for him.

of appreciation before sitting down to a gala dinner.

“I am so happy it went so well. It was nerve wracking leading up to it. We didn’t have long to prepare for the event, just a few days of practice. I had to learn how to march in step as I have never been in the military. In the end the adrenaline saw us through,” he explains.

“But we all helped each other and worked as a unit. Everyone looked after their colleagues’ backs. If you had a shirt not tucked in, or a tie askew, a friendly tap on the shoulder

would be given, and everything would be sorted out.”

And to cap off the longest - and possibly best - day of his life, Matt, who has lived for 13 years in Spain, previously working for the Costa del Sol News and Spectrum Radio, managed to reacquaint himself with some decent English beer.

“We were not allowed a drink in the days leading up to the coronation, but after the gala dinner it was straight down the pub.

“It was a great day to be British, and a great day to drink British beer!”

“Me and my mum are sick with worry and just hope he is found safe and returned home soon,” added Jessica. But 11 years on, nothing more has been heard about John, who was a well known and popular figure around La Cala..

He was wearing a grey polo shirt with beige or white three-quarter-length trousers and brown shoes.

If you have information on any of these cases the Olive Press on 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@ theolivepress.es

CRIME SCENE: A body and skull, which could be Agnese’s, turned up at The Crest development in Benahavis this month

OFF TO THE PUB: Straight after the gala dinner with Matt, ringed at work (above) in the morning outside Big Ben

Pic credit: Jon Clarke

RALEIGHING TOGETHER

BUSINESS leaders from Gibraltar visited its sister city of Raleigh, capital of North Carolina, to try to forge links with the southern US state.

Amcham President James Lasry spoke to financial experts in the city about how Gibraltar had regulated blockchain ‘on a principles base’ during a lunch there.

Accounts closed

NATWEST bank in Gibraltar is closing down some of its business accounts for law firms and estate agents. The main bank on the Rock said it would shut down the so-called ‘pooled accounts’ as it could not carry out the necessary checks to stop money laundering.

Customers now have 60 days to find a new bank to do their business with.

Both the newly formed Trusted Nova bank and Gibraltar International Bank have offered to take the accounts.

Trusted Nova Bank recently formed on the Rock and will fund large building projects on the Eastside and Bayside. Gibraltar’s own national bank said it had the resources to check for money laundering and would also look at setting up the pooled accounts.

A Natwest spokesperson said the decision has nothing to do with Gibraltar being greylisted last year for being weak on money laundering checks.

One of the visitors to Raleigh was the Head of Global Facilities at multinational data company Continent 8, Luis Garcia. The company has its own data centre 500 metres deep into the Rock of Gibraltar that helps serve the British territory’s large gaming sector.

Meta data drought

Meta’s planned data centre will require ‘660 million litres of water a year’ in drought stricken area

A PLANNED data centre that will serve Facebook and Instagram owner Meta will need 660 million litres of water a year to run in a drought-stricken area. The structure is due to be built in the Toledo municipal-

By Simon Hunter

PROFIT SURGE

ENERGY company Endesa has announced a 76% surge in net profit for the first quarter of the year, defying the effects of Spain's windfall tax.

The company, owned by Italian energy titan Enel, revealed that it had trousered a staggering €594 million from January to March, despite paying a €208 million windfall tax in the first quarter.

Spain's energy firms have benefited from soaring gas prices but Endesa is still challenging in the High Court the legality of the temporary 1.2% levy on utilities' sales.

ity of Talavera de la Reina. The project was given approval as a Project of Singular Interest (PSI) by the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. This means that the project will be fast-tracked given the economic impact it will have on the region. But among the plans from the company are a requirement for 200 million litres of water a year for the data centre itself, and then another 440 million for the rest of the infrastructure on the site. Claims that the Meta site is in an ‘area in danger of drought’, and that it would require increased consumption from the River Tajo (Tagus) basin. But the regional premier of

2022 SPANISH INCOME TAX, RATES AND OBLIGATIONS

Calling all Spanish tax residents!

Remember you must submit your tax return before June 30, writes

THE filing period for personal income tax for 2022 started in April and will last until June 30.

The obligation to declare is for tax residents who, according to the law, spend more than 183 days during the calendar year in Spanish territory.

Not all residents however are obliged to file an income tax return.

Only those who receive an income of more than €22,000 per year if they receive it from a single employer, and €14,000 if they have two or more employers.

In addition, individuals who receive an income from interest, dividends or rental income,

etc. may also be subject to the obligation to declare even if no other income is received.

This tax is proportional and is levied according to the principle of economic tax capacity, which is constitutionally recognised in article 31 of the Spanish constitution. It basically means that those who earn more pay more. For income obtained from salaries and pensions the general tax scale must be applied and the tax rate varies from a minimum of 19% for the lowest incomes to 47% for incomes exceeding €300,000.

Other income such as dividends, interest, real estate income or capital gains must be declared in the

savings section and these rates tend to be significantly lower than the general scale.

It should also be noted that all taxpayers, depending on age and family circumstances, are entitled to family and personal allowances to reduce the amount payable.

If you have any queries regarding the filing of your income tax return, we recommend that you contact Pedro from My Lawyer in Spain who will be happy to advise and assist you.

Wedding boom

DESTINATION weddings are booming in Malaga more than ever, with thousands of overseas couples tying the knot in the province last year.

According to the Association of Wedding Professionals (APB), an estimated 189,000 marriages were celebrated last year compared to 147,800 in 2021. This year, it is expected that there will be up to 5% more weddings than in 2019, according to data from Bodas. net.

It is hoped that this will spill over into the burgeoning wedding business in Gibraltar.

Pay boost

Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano Garcia-Page of the Socialist Party, said that his government would not allow for a lack of water to ‘endanger the arrival of companies’.

Garcia-Page is one of the many politicians running at the upcoming regional and local elections that will be held across Spain on May 28. Barring any obstacles, the work to build the Meta Data Center Campus will begin at the end of this year. It will occupy a 125-hectare plot of land in an industrial park.

BUSINESS bosses and trade unions have agreed to increase workers’ wages by 4%. Both sides have reached the deal known as the Agreement on Employment and Collective Negotiations (AENC) after months of bargaining in the context of the current inflation. The Executive Board of the Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) unanimously approved the agreement and will ask Spanish businesses to apply it. It has been decided that salaries ought to rise this year, with further 3% boosts in 2024 and 2025. And further 1% increments could be implemented each year if inflation continues to grow.

3 Nimble (5)

5 Sunday before Lent (13)

visit

for more general legal advice in Spain

on page 15

Interest, real estate income or capital gains must be declared

Cameras roll

A NEW television series set in and around the world of organised crime on the Costa del Sol has started filming on location.

The series, produced by Movistar Plus+, will be an original fiction series titled ‘ Marbella ’ that delves into the intricate web of criminal gangs operating in the real-life organised crime hotspot.

The project will be led by the same team behind Spanish smash hit shows such as ' La Unidad ,' ' Fariña ,' and ' En el corredor de la muerte .'

The series promises a complex narrative that weaves together multiple nationalities which, if true to life, will feature Brits, Irish, Swedes, Moroccans, Dutch, South Americans and, of course, Spanish gangsters.

ROMAN WAY OF DEATH

New exhibition tells the lives of gladiators, with help from their tombstones

SLAVES, prisoners of war, condemned criminals or even free men who voluntarily chose the job… there was no one route to becoming a gladiator in Roman times.

But one thing was common - death was never far away.

STONE ME

AN exhibition of sculptures by Picasso, who is better known for his Cubist and surrealist paintings, has opened in the artist's birthplace of Malaga. Housed at the city's Picasso Museum, the ' Picasso Sculptor. Matter and Body ' exhibition brings together 61 sculptures dating between 1909 and 1964.

It forms part of the global celebrations marking 50 years since the artist's death and will run until September 10.

By Simon Hunter

Now a new exhibition in Burgos is telling the stories of some of these warriors through artefacts used to commemorate them.

The Museum of Human Evolution in the northern Castilla y Leon region has borrowed six funerary ‘steles’ from Cordoba’s Archeology Museum for the show, which is called ‘Death in the arena. Gladiators of Cordoba’.

The steles – made from slabs of limestone or marble – are inscribed with the life stories of the dead gladiators, and were once located in a necropolis in

IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT YOUR EXPOSURE TO UK INHERITANCE TAX AN ERROR OF JUDGEMENT?

In this article we examine the financial consequences of not addressing your exposure to UK inheritance tax.

INHERITANCE TAX REVENUES RISING SHARPLY

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collected an extra £729M in inheritance tax receipts for the financial year 2021/22 an increase of 14% from the previous year raising £6.1 billion in revenue.

The UK Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast that for the financial year 2022/23 inheritance tax receipts will raise £6.7 billion in tax revenues.

The OFBR has also predicted inheritance tax receipts will increase by a further 24% to £8.3 billion by 2026.

The average UK inheritance tax liability per estate continues to rise sharply from £209,000 in 2019/20 to an estimated £266,000 by 2022/23.

A strong rise in asset values (including UK house prices) alongside the UK Government’s decision to freeze the level at which estates are exempt from IHT has dragged more people into the UK IHT tax net.

DEEMED DOMICILE

As a result of recent changes to UK ‘deemed domicile’ provisions in April 2017 the conditions for those claiming non-domicile status have been tightened. Once you have passed away, the burden of proof for any non-domiciled claims falls on your heirs.

If

Our

RE-TRIGGERING UK DOMICILE

You may have lived abroad for many years but your circumstances can change. It’s not uncommon for British nationals to return home if the spouse passes away or if they require medical treatment. If you return to the UK for more than a year your domicile of origin is reinstated and you become liable to UK IHT.

IT’S A VOLUNTARY TAX – WHAT IS STOPPING YOU?

Whilst HMRC is always looking at ways of increasing tax revenues; inheritance tax is a ‘voluntary tax.’ The earlier that you plan the more options you will have available to protect your estate from UK IHT; procrastinating will only tighten the taxman’s grip on your hard-earned money.

Many tax payers choose to do nothing –whether it is inertia or not feeling enough pain – is anyone’s guess. However, ignoring the problem doesn’t make the pain go away. Doing nothing about UK Inheritance Tax deprives your loved ones from enjoying the fruits of your hard labour. You are basically gifting money to the UK Government rather than to your beneficiaries – why would a rational person not take steps to reduce their tax exposure?

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

EPITAPHS: On a Gladiator life and (top) a helmet

Cordoba.

The site was discovered in the 1930s when the local council in Cordoba decided to build a new neighbourhood.

It was then that workers found a spectacular underground tomb, and some years later proper excavation work located 15 burial sites (five of them with two occupants) for a total of 20 gladiators.

The exhibition also features reproductions of the equipment that these gladiators

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

PROFESSIONAL actors from UK’s Young Shakespeare Company are putting on Hamlet for over 2,000 schoolchildren in Gibraltar until Friday.

Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) has partnered with the John

used, including shields, helmets, daggers and armour. The items on display date from the first and second centuries A.D. but the exhibition explains the birth of the profession of gladiator from as far back as the fourth century B.C., when combat would honour

Mackintosh Educational Trust to bring the talented UK troupe to the Rock. They have also been putting on a workshop to give young dramatists an opportunity to work with professional actors.

someone’s memory. The display would later become the preferred public spectacle in the times of the Roman empire, according to the museum. The exhibition will run until autumn and is free to enter. Guided tours are also available at no charge.

Are you suffering from anxiety?

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Change through relocation abroad can also add to mental health pressures and these life changes are never easy.

Counselling and therapy has changed the lives of many. Getting in touch is the first step.

Recognising that there is an issue is the first step on the road to recovery.

Help is available through our confidential counselling service.

Freed with a brushstroke

From slave to grand master: Jack Gaoini recalls a remarkable, little known chapter in Spanish art history involving Velázquez & Pareja

DIEGO Velázquez (1599-1660) needs no introduction. Perhaps the best-known painter in Spain’s Golden Age, Velázquez’s paintings became the paragon of excellence for the great Spanish realist and impressionist painters that followed.(think: Pablo

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Picasso, Joan Miró, Salvador Dali, etc.). Recently, Velázquez has been on the minds of art historians and museum curators for reasons you might not expect.

Of late, on-going discussions by those in the art community argue that Velázquez’s legacy has brought a new dimension to the world of art. Allow me to explain…

Early in his career, Velázquez had a mod-

est, somewhat regional, reputation as a painter. That changed when the Flemish great Peter Paul Rubens, who while visiting Madrid, recognised the young man’s potential.

He encouraged Diego to travel to Italy to paint, study and learn from the great masters. In 1629 he left Malaga for Genoa, entrusted by King Philip to continue to paint but also to procure paintings and sculptures for the royal palaces. Traveling with him was a personal entourage of other artists, assistants, and - wat for it - a Morisco slave named Juan de Pareja. Even after the expulsion of Moors (1492), Spain remained a muti-racial and highly stratified society but artists were known to have slaves in their workshops.

To some extent, Velázquez’s subject matter while in Rome reflected this diversity. With his brilliant use of a loose (almost impressionistic) style of brushwork, vivid colors, shading, and light, Velazquez brought to life a certain ‘vitality’ to darker-skinned subjects. During his stay in Rome, Velázquez’s painting of his slave, The Portrait of Juan de Pareja was exhibited at the Pantheon (1650) where it not only was popularly received, it ‘electrified the city of Rome’. As one biographer noted: “The Portrait of Juan de Pare ja was widely applauded by all the painters from different countries who said the other pictures were ‘art’ but Velázquez’s portrait was ‘truth’. Very little is known of Juan de Pareja’s background. He was born around 1609 in Antequera and came to Velazquez either by purchase, gift, or inheritance. Pareja was believed to be born of an African slave and white Spaniard. Early on, as a member of Velazquez’s household and workshop, he demonstrated knowledge that went beyond merely mixing paints, cleaning brushes and setting up easels.

‘Manumission’

Rather, he evolved into not only a dedicated apprentice but as an emulator of the masters around him - especially in his time in Rome. There he developed stylistically into an artist in his own right and was prolific in his painting. One critic described his bold brushwork as ‘more of a sign of courage rather than confidence’. Diego Velazquez would ultimately free him by ‘manumission’ or formal emancipation from slavery. Juan de Pareja had entered Rome an enslaved Morisco but left a free man with an accomplished reputation. Flash forward nearly 300 years to the world of art in New York City. In 1926, The

Carnegie Corporation purchased a private art collection from a Puerto Rican man of mixedrace named Arturo Schomburg.

Schomburg, a historian, writer, and activist, often collected ‘slave narratives’ - evidence of what he called ‘hidden black achievement’. Known as part of an intellectual revival of African arts called the Harlem Renaissance Movement, the Schomburg/Carnegie collection is housed today in the New York Public Library. Schomburg however was not finished with his efforts. Using the proceeds from his sale to the Carnegie Corporation, he traveled to Spain to retrieve many of the works of Juan de Pareja.

At the time of this writing, much of Schomburg’s collection pertaining to the works of Pareja is on display at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The exhibition offers an unprecedented look at the life and times and artistic achievements of Juan de Pareja. The Met hopes to better position the voices of enslaved people through art.

The presentation examines ways in which ‘enslaved art’ and a multiracial society are linked to Spain’s Golden Age.

The infamous Portrait of Juan de Pareja is contextualized by the presence of much of Pareja’s works. Even the original historical document which ‘freed’ Velasquez’s dedicated assistant is on display.

These works, combined with Velazquez’s portrait of Juan de Pareja serve as a thread connecting 17th Century Art with 20th Century Art.

DID YOU KNOW?

● I, Juan de Pareja is an award -winning novel by Amer- ican writer Elizabeth Borton de Treviño. In 1966 the fictionalized novel won the prestigious Newbery Med- al for excellence in children’s literature.

● “Decolonization of art”-- the process of freeing insti- tutions (e.g., museums, exhibitions, etc.) from the cultural and social effects of Euro-colonial art, is re- ceiving increased attention. Many museums are is- suing statements of solidarity hoping to offer greater access to the art of colonized people. For a fasci- nating video on this subject matter with associate curator at The Met , Maia Jessup Nuku, go to: https// YouTube/SBfGRVFFczk.

● Not all Pareja’s work is presently in New York. His classic The Calling of Saint Matthew can be viewed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. At the Museu de Belles Arts in Valencia, the Portrait of the Architect José Ratés Dalmau can be viewed.

● The Met’s Exhibit in New York City runs until July 16, 2023.

SELF PORTRAIT: Pareja (far left) and, above, his pic by Velázquez

CELESTIAL: Bautismo, while (below) Portrait of the Architect José Ratés

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

PAELLAS

A WEBSITE extolling the virtues of traditional Valencian paella has celebrated its 10th anniversary by publishing details of 20 'hidden' paellas - special recipes 'not known even to Valencians'.

Wikipaella acknowledges 364 restaurants that make authentic paellas to Valencian standards.

Unsurprisingly 320 of those are in the Valencian Community, but outsiders are found in Madrid and Murcia, as well as further afield in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“A proper paella is down to unique ingredients,” said Wikipaella co-founder Guillermo Navarro.

The 20 'hidden' paellas have been compiled by Josep Piera who states that paella is 'not a recipe' but a technique of cooking rice which is considered by experts to be one of the hardest rice dishes to produce.

Brits lead the way as visitor numbers soar

SPAIN was visited by 13.7 million foreign tourists in the first three months of the year - 41.2% more than in the same period in 2022.

Between January and March, the total spend by international tourists was €17.2 billion, an increase of 44.7% compared to the same quarter last year, according to the National Statistics Institute.

In March, 5.3 million visitors arrived in Spain (an increase of 30% compared to March 2022), who spent a total of €6.6 billion, 31.1% more than a year ago.

Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Hector Gomez,

THE SPANISH Government will fund 50% of the cost of Interrail passes for people aged between 18 and 30 to travel across Europe this summer.

President Pedro Sanchez has also announced that discounts of up to 90% and 50% on regional and high-speed trains respectively will be offered to this age group.

FOREIGN TOURIST SURGE

By Alex Trelinski

claimed the figures were proof that ‘2023 is becoming an extraordinary year for tourism in all measures with higher spending and longer stays’.

“We are witnessing the consolidation of tourism as one

Cheap travel

These promotions will be made available from June 15 to September 15.

“We are going to have an European Interrail and a Spanish one so young people can get to know all the municipalities and regions of their country,” Sanchez said.

of the main drivers of the Spanish economy, which is also reflected in the quality of employment in the sector and in an increasingly varied and innovative range of destinations," Gomez added. By country, the United Kingdom, dominates the foreign arrivals with 1.1 million visitors, experienced strong growth in March (up 29.4%) compared to the same month in 2022. France and Germany are the countries that come next on the visitor numbers tally. The Canary Islands were the top tourist destination in March, accounting for 24.7% of all foreign tourists (1.3 million people) - up 15.5% more than a year ago.

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And what about a dream day out with a gourmet lunch on Candela’s stunning new yacht?

“A choice of four distinct menus, one vegan, perfect for a fun - or romantic - day out on the high seas!”

Discover a new gastronomic concept at Candela Marbella, a restaurant right in the heart of the charming old town.

Enjoy traditional local and national dishes with unique international touches and flavours thanks to head chef Andy Zillner

tel: 646 88 84 31 candelamarbella.com

Pl. Gral. Chinchilla, 2, 29601 Marbella, Málaga

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

WHERE TO KICK YOUR HEELS

From French shoe designer Louboutin’s Alentejo hideout to Branson’s soon-to-open UNESCO protected Mallorca estate, the Olive Press picks a Top 8 of new Iberian Peninsula hotels for 2023

JW MARRIOT, MADRID

Opened March, From around €400 a night

DESIGNED to offer a new standard of luxury in the capital, the JW Marriott chain opened its first hotel in Spain this Spring. Installed in the central Canalejas zone, between the Puerta del Sol and the Castellana, you are a hop, skip and jump from just about every Madrid site.

It’s a striking entrance in Spain for the global US giant, which has gone for a very contemporary feel in its 139-room hotel.

The reception and dining area is dramatically lit with original iron columns

The amazing views from the guestroom terraces are particularly worthy of note, for their graphic black and white tile floors.

The El Patio garden is a charming oasis on the roof and the signing of leading Madrid chef Mario Sandoval bodes well.

www.marriott.com

WHEN it comes to the world’s best luxury hotels, Spain ticks many boxes. And the accommodation on offer just keeps getting better, particularly when it comes to architecture, with a host of hip new

hotels opening over the last year. Whether you are seeking rural tranquillity, a lively city break, a taste of history or a beach holiday, there is something for everyone. Here we take a look at 8 of the best new hotels in 2023…

CANFRANC ESTACION, HUESCA

Opened February 2023. From €159 a night

EXPERIENCE First Class accommodation at this former railway station. Sitting in the heart of the Pynenees, just seven kilometres to the French border, this stunning hotel is an architectural gem, both in its original design and recent reform. Opened in 1928 with a ceremony attended by King Alfonso XIII and president Gaston Doumergue, at the time it was a modernist masterstroke made of steel and concrete.

Promising a route from Paris to Madrid and Lisbon, via Zaragoza, it was suitably grand (and long, at 241m in length).

But the Spanish Civil War ended any hopes of romanticism as the border shut and during World War II, Canfranc witnessed a wagon-load of arrests, espionage and gold trafficking across the border into Spain.

It became known as ‘the Titanic of the mountains’ particular after the station (and route) closed in 1970.

Thankfully after much tooing and froing it was acquired by the regional Aragon government and in 2017 work began on bringing it back to its former glory. In February its doors finally reopened with 103 rooms, care of the Spanish Barcelo group.

You enter the hotel via the grand, imposing central booking hall (right), with giant windows and views onto the Pyrenees. It sets the scene developed by Barcelona interior firm, ilmio, who have renovated the rooms to a high standard maximising the views.

www.barcelo.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

VERMELHO HOTEL, MELIDES, PORTUGAL

Opened May 2023, from €278 a night in low season

THIS sleepy part of central Portugal was mostly overlooked for decades, until the nearby coastal strip of Comporta got globally fashionable a decade ago. While a little way south and inland, the Alentejo boutique hotel of shoe legend, Christian Louboutin (above), is by far THE style hotel of 2023 so far.

Opening this month, it is inspired by Louboutin’s ‘eclectic, maximalist and daring’ tastes. And that is all too clear, looking at the photos on the website, which champions, as much, its artisan designers and artists as its actual location or rooms.

The Parisian fashion legend fell in love with the region decades ago and has carefully gathered together the best of its authentic style.

This is the listed historic home he frequently locked himself away to work on his winter collection and, who knows, maybe inspired his famous red soles (top left). It is very much a reflection of the region’s laid-back vibe and wonderful light and its 13 bedrooms are a riot of colourful details, including frescoes and unusual tiles. The Matinha suite, in particular, is out of the grand dreamy playbook of the kings of Sintra. While carefully preserving the building’s detailed architecture, the gardens are a step on, being designed by landscape specialist Louis Benech, who has even worked at the Gardens of Versailles. There is a natural heated swimming pool. Need we say more. www.vermelhohotel.com

CASA PALACIO PAREDES SAAVEDRA BY ATRIO, CACERES

Opened March 2023 From €1,139 a night

LIVE like a conquistador. The price for a junior suite may seem a touch high, but then you are staying in a five-star Renaissance palace with parts dating back to the 14th century. Caceres is one of the most charming towns in Extremadura, with the ancient streets reminders of the wealth that poured in from South America.

Its opening was a dream come true for Jose Polo and Tono Perez, famous for their three Michelin stars at the nearby Atrio Restaurant (also a hotel), in Caceres.

A further step into luxury, this architectural jewel is artfully placed in a key historic barrio of this wonderful city. The reception areas of the hotel follow ‘a simple, unified architectural canon in harmony with its surroundings’, and there is a distinct sense of tranquillity.

The beautiful courtyard has maintained its original columns and flagstone floors, while its suites are surprisingly modern, yet work with a range of original features from vaulted ceilings to Juliet windows.

At least the price includes breakfast and you can normally (one expects) get a booking in the nearby Atrio restaurant. www.restauranteatrio.com

GRAND HOTEL SON NET, PUIGPUNYENT, MALLORCA

Opened March 2023, From approx €615 a night in low season

IF grand, country estates are your thing, then Son Net takes some beating. Like an Italianate villa its grand proportions shelter some of the best appointed suites - and communal rooms - in all Europe. And this is no fusty, sit-on-their-laurels grand family sitting back and collecting tithes from the fortunate few. Son Net was taken over by Andalucia’s leading five-star delight, Finca Cortesin, last year. They know how to do luxury… and discreetly to boot. Far from worried about occupancy, they concentrate on amazing service (the sort where Santander bank’s Bo-

tin family can feel comfortable, dining next to the likes of Slash, from Guns & Roses or Peter Andre).

After a year of expensive renovation which carefully conserved its palatial design (stone floors, beams and arches, etc) it has recently emerged as a sophisticated retreat with classically elegant bedrooms and suites.

Nudging into the foothills of the Sierra Tramuntana mountains, the grounds are to lay back and be pampered beside the 30-metre pool flanked by private shaded cabanas, a phalanx of flower-beds and a vineyard and ecological vegetable garden.

www.sonnet.es

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

SON BUNYOLA, BUNYOLA, MALLORCA

Open June 16, From approx €600 a night in September

WE first wrote about the incredible UNESCO heritage estate British tycoon Richard Branson owns in the north-west of Mallorca a few years back… and when he opened a couple of villas last year we expected the hotel to follow soon afterwards.

Now, finally, after plenty of chopping and changing, the Son Bunyola Hotel will open with 26 rooms and suites next month.

The hotel is expected to be a new definition of luxury for the island, sitting in its incredible 1,300 acres of private land. On a rocky headland, enveloped by a pine forest, the privileged guests can be guaranteed peace and silence. It will count on two restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, as well as a spa.

www.virginlimitededition.com

NOBU HOTEL SEVILLA

YOU looking at me? You looking at me? Well you should be.

ned its latest palatial hotel and restaurant in the heart of Sevilla.

forgettable style-orientated experience in this most historic of

The five-star establishment has 23 luxurious rooms each offering a sanctuary of modern Japanese minimalism. Walnut wood-panelled suites have subtle furnishings and luxurious comfort detailing, from deep beds to ‘crisp high thread count linens’.

The Miyabi and Zen suites are particularly well appointed with their soothing cobalt and cream walls.

www.sevilla.nobuhotels.com

LA FONDA HERITAGE, MARBELLA

Opened February, From €261 a night off season

ANOTHER first for Andalucia sees French brand gurus Relais & Chateaux open a stunning new boutique hotel in Marbella.

Following a giant € 7.5m refurb, La Fonda Heritage is a genuine journey through elegance and a lesson on how to conserve the best features of an ancient property. Indeed, the 16th century townhouse - one of the grandest in the resort - has maintained all its iconic features from the remarkable columns and arches to its pretty hydraulic tile floors.

The French, of course, know a thing or two about style and it is no surprise this wonderful addition

to the Marbella hotel scene has been included in the 580-property chain, that launched in Paris in 1954.

The Olive Press was particularly impressed with the walled garden (see below left) and use of palms and other trees in internal patios offering a cooling and green effect.

The 20-room hotel’s restaurant, Jane, utilises the skills of well-travelled executive chef Pascal Silman, who’s worked under a series of French greats, including Roger Verge, Alain Ducasse and Michel Guerard.

www.lafondaheritagehotel.com

DIGGING THE CAVES

Unique, historic, and always cool on a hot Spring day, the village of Setenil de las Bodegas near Ronda is the perfect spot for a weekend excursion

ANDALUCIA’S white villages, the pueblos blancos, cling to mountainsides throughout the region and rank among the most beautiful in Spain. But there’s one that deserves to be singled out: Setenil de las Bodegas, in the northeast corner of Cadiz, is unique for its cave houses and cave restaurants and shops.

The village has grown up in and around cliffs in a river valley, located less than 20 kilometres north of Ronda. Many of the homes and businesses are set into caves, with just the whitewashed façades visible under the overhanging rock face. Several of the streets are also dug into the cliff and sheltered by massive jutting boulders, some of which are draped in ivy. On the outskirts some terraces of houses jut straight into the cliff face, some with curtailed rooflines, others, somehow,

PLAIN SAILING

Boat insurance you can trust from

YOUR boat has been locked away in storage, and with the sunny weather fast approaching you are itching to get her wet for the first time this season!

You get her de-winterized, antifouled and everything gets checked over thoroughly before you experience the exhilarating feeling of taking her out to your favorite spots. Even though you have taken care of all the physical aspects to make sure your rides will be pleasurable and trouble free, it is easy to forget to take care of any unforeseen and above all unhappy events that might occur whilst taking your prized possession for a spin.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether you own a dinghy, jet ski or a luxury super yacht, taking care of the body work and mechanics is only one aspect that goes towards assuring your safety. Sailing is a sport of variables and the unforeseen can unfortunately happen; however, having the right cover in place with an insurance company that you can trust will go towards preparing you for any eventuality.

This is where LIBERTY SEGUROS - the preferred expat insurer in Spain - can help.

LIBERTY SEGUROS has designed a policy with the expat in mind that extends far beyond mandatory liability cover. With added benefits that include voluntary public liability, theft, damage to the vessel itself (as well as auxiliary craft, wreckage removal, special fixtures and personal belongings, amongst others), damage caused by third parties and damage due to pollution risks and coastal regattas, its marine insurance provides comprehensive protection both when moored and out on the seas.

What’s more, should the unimaginable actually happen, its marine policy will cover loss of life, permanent disability and injury to occupants for accidents that take place both on the boat as well as accidents that occur whilst boarding or disembarking. This policy can also be tailored to individual needs to cover solicitor’s fees, medical bills, loss of wages and other aspects that are important to you. LIBERTY SEGUROS can also insure your vessel under the traditional Institute Yacht Clauses (IYC).

By Anthony Piovesan

with chimneys (above right). Walking through the town feels almost surreal: you just can’t imagine that a place like this exists – or that people actually live here.

Invasions

But Setenil has a population of nearly 3000, and records show there has been a village here since the 12th century - and it was certainly a settlement in Roman times. Long before that, it was home to cave dwellers: Excavated objects show the town inhabited by troglodytes 25,000 years ago.

As the modern village grew, people dug into the cliff face and enlarged the caves, and built houses in the spaces between the rocky cliffs. This prevented them from getting too hot in the summer, and too cold in winter.

The chisel marks where caves have been excavated are still visible inside bars and restaurants. If you stay overnight in a cave house, you’ll be able to admire the handiwork while lying in bed or taking a shower.

Modern Setenil was founded in 1484, when Christian armies came from the north and expelled the Moorish rulers. It took the Christians 15 days

to rid the village of the Moors who defended themselves from the castle at the top of the mountain.

The name ‘Setenil’ is believed to derive from ‘septem nihil’, a Latin phrase meaning ‘seven times no’ – in reference to the number of invasions successfully repelled. The other part of its name –‘Bodegas’ – is the Spanish for ‘store’, and refers to the caves which were once ideal for storing wine, grown in the nearby Ronda hills and popular back in ancient Rome.

Commercial wine production died out in the 19th century when phylloxera marched through, but today there are over 30 nearby vineyards (or bodegas) in the area again.

Valley walk

Setenil is a popular day trip, and on weekends you’ll see many tour buses and cars circling in search of a space. But here’s a hot tip: If you’re planning to drive to Setenil, leave your car in Alcala del Valle and take in the beautiful scenery and work up an appetite by walking the remaining three kilometres along the picturesque Arroyo de los Molinos.

On the weekends the cave restaurant terraces under the dramatic overhang on Calle Cue -

vas del Sol are very busy, but in the week it’s usually quiet. They specialise in Cadiz mountain food: tasty stews, pork and chorizo; revueltos (scrambled egg mixed with black pudding or asparagus); Conejo a la serranía (rabbit) and sopa cortijera (soup made with bread, poached eggs, and asparagus). They do good desserts too: puff pastry with quince, cider dumplings, and torta de aceite – cake made with olive oil and almonds.

If booking ahead, try to get a table at La Frasquita, Bar la Escueva or La Tasca (all on Calle Cuevas del Sol) for top atmosphere and shade.

Exploring

After lunch, explore the backstreets, some of which wind up between the huge boulders to the top of the town and the ruined Moorish castle. The tourist office in a medieval building has a beautiful patterned Moorish wooden ceiling, while there is an attractive 16th century church (Our Lady of Encarnacion) built on the site of a mosque.

A steep winding staircase right by the river on Calle Cuevas del Sol leads to a lookout, the Mirador del Carmen. From here, you can see the town complete in all its beauty, its rows of whitewashed houses snaking up the mountain, the jagged cliff faces, as well as the surrounding olive and almond fields.

It’s no surprise Setenil consistently makes it onto the ‘top places to visit’ lists, and particularly after the New York Times singled it out among its Top Ten for 2019.

For more information, visit www.turismodesetenil.com

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Zoom, 8 Graduate, 9 Sparkler, 10 Nods, 11 Alive, 12 Reduced, 14 Telstar, 16 Egypt, 19 Tact, 20 Songster, 21 Aerobics, 22 Mats.

Down: 1 Compel, 2 Improvisation, 3 Agile, 4 Barrier, 5 Quinquagesima, 6 Stodge, 13 Warship, 15 Enamel, 17 Pretty, 18 Gnash.

The policy protects both when moored and when out on the seas

METEORITE: Like a giant rock has dropped on homes and streets

Aussie lessons

SPANISH actor Javier Bardem has told chat show host Conan O’Brien that listening to AC/DC songs helped him learn English, including ‘All the curses, all the bad words’.

Cashing in

THE Spanish state received €300 million over 10 years from ‘forgotten’ bank accounts under a rule where any cash or shares in dormant accounts must be handed over after 20 years.

Just quackers

A FAMILY of ducks led to a hold-up at Madrid’s Barajas airport when they decided to go for a waddle along the runway. They eventually strolled away unharmed.

P LIVE RESS The O

Mayday!

Urgent rescue mission as pod of Orcas sink sailboat with crew of four

LIKE a scene from a horror movie, the crew of a sailboat had to be rescued half a mile off the Cadiz coast after a pod of aggressive killer whales tried to sink it.

Four sailors aboard the Alboran Champagne yacht made the distress call just after midnight.

The pack of enormous marine

By Walter Finch

predators had disabled the rudder and smashed a hole in the hull.

Upon realising that they were taking in water, they donned their lifejackets and prayed that the coast guard would arrive in time.

TRULY STUCK

A YOUNGSTER got himself into a tight spot after getting wedged between two fences in Benidorm.

A fire crew was dispatched to the resort’s ‘English Zone’ where it used its hydraulic separator, normally used in traffic accidents, to free him.

Let us out!

Salvamar Enif arrived to rescue the crew just as the sailboat was starting to go under. The Alboran Champagne was so flooded that it was unable to be towed back to port, and so the boat was left adrift with a special light activated to warn

Hairbrained scheme

A BALD-faced attempt to cheat in a driving theory exam by hiding a camera under a comedy toupe did not pay off for one desperate learner driver.

The 24-year-old, of Chinese origin, attended his exam in Guadalajara with ill-fitting hair that immediately raised suspicion. Police swooped and discovered the wig hid a mini spy camera and a small earpiece, which the man had used to communicate with a friend who was reading the questions through the camera.

The man was given an automatic failure and a disqualification from taking the exam again for a further six months.

other vessels in the area. Several hours later it was almost entirely submerged under the Atlantic when a Guardia Civil auxiliary patrol boat arrived to salvage what was left of the wreckage. Orcas are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain, and they have been known to hunt a wide range of prey including fish, squid, seals, and even whales.

Wild

Despite their name, orcaswhich are a type of dolphinhave very rarely been known to attack humans in the wild. There have been reported cases of a specific pod of orcas harassing or bumping into boats in Northern Spain, west of Portugal and around Gibraltar.

YOUNG Brits fled the UK in their droves ‘to escape the King’s coronation’ - and Spain was one of their top getaways.

Short-haul jaunts to a host of Spanish hotspots were up fourfold over the coronation weekend.

Demand for trips to Benidorm and Ibiza rocketed – with travel firm Last Night of Freedom revealing clients were specifically saying they wanted to ‘escape the coronation’.

Marbella and Madrid also saw a bump in bookings from Brits, while trips to Barcelona rocketed by a staggering 400% over the long weekend.