FESTIVE TRIP TO THE SLOPES:
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Festive Forty
EXCLUSIVE Gibraltar is about to smash past the 40,000 population mark - but can the Rock cope with the sharp growth?
GIBRALTAR’S surging population is poised to break the 40,000 barrier in the coming months.
At the close of 2024, the current population of Gibraltar is 39,688, according to the latest United Nations estimates – larger than commonly thought.
It is around 20% more than the World Bank’s figure of 32,000 (based on the 2012 census) and Wikipedia’s assertion that 34,000 people dwell on a territory of just 6.7 square kilometres.
It is also a yearly rise of 2.23% – or an extra 858 people living on the Rock, following the trend of a population boom that can be traced back to at least 2017.
The unusually precise UN forecast is for Gibraltar to add a further 791 people in the next 12 months, taking the total population to 40,126 in 2025.
The population is predicted to max out at 50,100 in 2070.
The surge comes in spite of the economic uncertainty generated by the inconclusive treaty talks between Gibraltar, Spain and the UK and the threat of a hard border with La Linea.
The economy grew by a China-beating
By Walter Finch
5.9% this year to nearly £3 billion, but the figures mask underlying weaknesses, according to Edward Macquisten of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce.
“If there was one sector that was driving the population boom, it would probably be gaming, or fintech-related businesses,” he told the Olive Press this week.
“But while topline GDP growth is good compared to most EU economies, a number of sectors such as retail and wholesale are still struggling after the pandemic.”
Housing
Macquisten pointed out that between 2006 and 2022 the number of workers on the Rock nearly doubled from 16,000 to 30,000.
“But construction has slowed considerably in the last two years, as developers wait for the outcome of the treaty discussions.
“A lot of building projects are holding off on giving the green light until a positive outcome is announced.
“There are over 20 big construction projects ready to go if an agreement can be reached, which will create thousands of jobs in construction di-
AFFORDABLE: Around 1,000 homes are being built to house the growing population
rectly, and many more indirectly.
“The workers to fill these jobs will come from Spain or Portugal.”
But where are all these people going to live?
The sector in luxury accommodation is humming along in spite of treaty-related gridlock, but this is not going to meet Gibraltar’s needs.
The government has made progress on a cluster of affordable housing estates centred around the Hassans Centenary Towers which are set to add nearly a thousand homes to the property market.
But for many, this does not truly address the problem of Gibraltar’s swelling housing requirements.
“Rental homes are what is most needed for all those who cannot afford the
The RGP’s drink driving campaign has got off to a rocky start
have left of their term.”
Pinna and AFH are currently help ing around 150 people who are struggling with poor housing, and the numbers are only growing.
The booming population also pres ents the challenge of so many people traversing such a small territory.
“There’s been an incredible increase in traffic in the last few years,” said Vanessa Byrne (top right), the man aging director of OTWO magazine, which focuses on sustainability.
See page 4
so-called low cost housing,” Henry Pinna, who heads up Action For Housing, told the Olive Press.
“And this is something the government has not yet mentioned.
“Even if they were to announce the construction of a few hundred rental homes now, they would not be able to deliver in the three remaining years they
“We have the highest car ownership per capita in the whole world here in Gibraltar, which is nothing to be proud of.”
This is why Byrne started the ‘Bus for Us’ campaign two years ago, which has now employed advertising on three public buses to encourage eco-friendly transport options instead of getting in the car.
Human
“We started it as a campaign to support safe cycling back in 2022 because, at the end of the day, whether it’s a bicycle, a scooter, a pedestrian, or a car, it’s still a human being there,” Byrne continued.
Today Byrne and OTWO’s Sustainable Transport Campaign to get people walking, cycling and using public transport has over 100 companies sponsoring the endeavour.
“We just can’t sustain the amount of cars. Locally, 45% of our pollution comes from transport, so it is a huge concern,” Byrne said.
Luckily, the government is on board. It already has a ten-year strategy addressing severe traffic congestion and poor air quality – when the population of Gibraltar will be 46,017, according to the UN.
Page 6
Ships in the night
A GIANT cargo ship collided with an equally enormous oil tanker in the dead of night while crossing the Strait. Thankfully, there was ‘no danger of sinking or spilling’, according to Spanish coast guards.
Xmas spirit
ALL residential parking zones will be temporarily suspended between December 24 and January 1, meaning drivers will be able to park freely. Badly-parked cars will be fined or towed.
Footy friends
FIFA has confirmed that the 2030 World Cup will be jointly held in the three countries surrounding Gibraltar – Spain, Morocco and Portugal.
Era ends
MUCH-LOVED restaurant and coffee house Sacarello’s is closing its doors this week after the building owners sold up. They hope to reopen at a new location in the new year.
ARSON EVENT
Spanish youth arrested over apartment fire that hospitalised family and killed their dog
A SPANISH teenager has been arrested in Gibraltar on suspicion of arson after a family was hospitalised.
Juan Francisco Sanchez Valenzuela, 19, who lives in Castellar, has been remanded in custody after allegedly starting a fire in a family apartment in Mid Harbour Estate in the early hours of the morning.
Five people were rushed to
By Walter Finch
Saint Bernard's Hospital, including two children, with two adults spending time in intensive care. Firefighters were unable to rescue the family’s dog.
Emergency services were scrambled to Wave Crest House after frantic reports of residents trapped inside the
A WOMAN has been arrested in Gibraltar for attempted murder after going on a latenight stabbing frenzy.
Emergency services were called to a residential address in the Upper Town neighborhood following reports of a violent disturbance.
Police officers arrived at the scene to find a male victim suffering from multiple stab wounds across his body.
Half an hour after the initial call, law enforcement had taken a 40-year-old woman into custody.
The victim was immediately taken to hospital for urgent medical treatment but, despite the shocking nature of his injuries, was dis-
burning apartment building.
Terrified occupants were heard shouting for help while neighbours captured the moment the flames erupted from a window on video.
Three vehicles arrived at the scene within less than five minutes, while an extra 12 firefighters were dispatched to evacuate the building and bring the flames under control.
Slash attack
charged shortly later.
Criminal detectives have now taken over the investigation, with the suspect being released on police bail as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack. Meanwhile, a local man is set to appear before the Magistrates’ Court in the New Year after he was reported for causing a fatal traffic accident.
Brandon Camilleri, 20, of Beach View Terraces, will appear before the courts in January.
Narco paradise
DRUG traffickers in the Strait of Gibraltar brazenly filmed themselves relaxing at sea as an enormous US warship sailed past.
The video, which they freely posted to social media accompanied, shows the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Oscar Austin cruising eastbound towards the Mediterranean at dusk.
The Housing Department were quick to put the family up in new accommodation which ‘was ready for them to move in to as soon as they were discharged from hospital.’
Writing on Facebook, the family thanked the police, firefighters, doctors and their neighbours for their support in the ordeal.
“Truly from the bottom of our heart from my kids, my husband and myself we appreciate everyone at this time thank you to everyone again,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, the Care Agency opened the Family Centre at Mid Harbour to shelter those residents who had to be evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night.
RGP Commissioner Richard Ullger complimented ‘our firefighter colleagues who bravely fought the fire and brought it under control.’
Detectives from the RGP’s Criminal Investigation Department continue the investigation.
It was taken from a pair of notorious narco speed boats that regularly wait out at sea to ferry the record-breaking quantities of drugs that Spain receives each year.
A similar video posted in August showed the impunity the narcos feel as a number of the boats fluttered around the Spanish navy vessel Patrullero Atalaya.
Speed
The recent take down of another drug trafficking gang that used these exact 300-horsepower speed boats to bring drugs into Huelva has been hailed as a success by Spanish law enforcement. Among the 12 arrested was a local businessman who had been trafficking drugs since 2017 and using his companies to launder the profits, as well as 1.6 tonnes of pure, uncut cocaine.
But despite the constant arrests and crackdowns on the narco traffickers, the Strait of Gibraltar remains clogged with narco speed boats.
A Moss-t
have
ICONIC British supermodel Kate Moss has teamed up with Spanish fashion giant Zara for a bold new ‘capsule collection’. And judging by the first campaign images for the ‘ Kate Moss x Zara’ collection ’, it’s going to be a musthave for party season.
The collection, which Moss has de signed herself alongside stylist Katy England, promises to bring a touch of the supermodel’s signature style to the high street.
Zara describes the line as a ‘disco meets rock'n'roll’ fusion, with heavy doses of 70s glamour – think Charlotte Rampling, Lauren Hutton, Studio 54 and Led Zeppelin vibes.
HARDLY SEEN OR HEARD
THIS is the exclusive Madrid neighbourhood where Amber Heard has sought to rebuild her life following her ‘career-ending’ courtroom defeat to ex-husband Johnny Depp.
The 38-year-old actress has become ‘well and truly integrated’ into the capital’s elite after snapping up a €1.5m home in El Viso, in trendy Chamartin.
The five-bed property counts millionaires, footballers and politicians as neighbourswho all enjoy being just a 15-minute drive from the city
EXCLUSIVE
By Laurence Dollimore in Madrid
centre.
The home was first built in the 1960s but underwent renovations shortly before being sold.
Heard’s move to Spain came after she settled a €50m defamation lawsuit with Pirates of the Caribbean star Depp, 61, in 2022.
The Texas native, who is expecting her second child, has not worked as an actress
Ex-wife of Johnny Depp ‘fully
integrates’ into upmarket Madrid ‘barrio’ as she keeps low profile after Hollywood
since, with some Hollywood insiders claiming she was ‘blacklisted’ following the trial.
In the immediate fallout, Heard sought refuge in a tiny village in Mallorca,
ROYAL VISIT
PINT-SIZED Queen of Pop Kylie Minogue will be bringing her larger than life personality to Spain next summer.
tographer girlfriend Bianca Butti, 43. But last year the pair moved to Madrid.
A neighbour in El Viso told the Olive Press this week:
“I often see her walking her daughter to school in the “She wears a cap and sunglasses and normal clothes and keeps a low profile.
“This is a neighbourhood filled with famous people,
including footballers, and no one bothers each other, I think that’s why she likes it - she has completely integrated into the community.”
Heard’s daughter Oonagh attends a private primary catholic school that teaches in both English and Spanish. A local newspaper report from 2017 said the fees were around €600 per month, or €7,200 per year, although they are likely to have increased since then.
The Australian singer and actress has been confirmed in the lineup for the Bilbao BBK Live 2025 festival, where she will perform along with Pulp, Michael Kiwanuka, Bad Gyal, Nathy Peluso, and Raye.
The 18th edition of the festival will again transform the city’s Kobetamendi hill into the epicentre of music, offering an unmissable experience blending the natural beauty of the Basque Country with an electrifying line-up spanning genres and generations. Kylie will bring music from her Tension II album to the stage, as well as promising chart-topping hits like Padam Padam and a selection of fan favourites from her legendary career.
HOLLYWOOD legend Richard Gere and his wife, Alejandra Sil va, have traded the hustle of New York City for a more tranquil life in Spain.
Just a few weeks after making the move, Alejandra has posted on Instagram a picture of their new less hectic life - with their children getting ready for Christmas.
The 74-year-old actor, best known for Pretty Woman, and his 41-year-old activist wife have settled into their new home in Madrid.
As the holiday season kicks in, the couple have been spotted
Shifting down a
decorating their new home, and it’s clear they’re getting into the festive spirit.
“As Jamie says, ‘Mom, mom, today is the first day of Christmas’!” she wrote in Spanish alongside the candid photo.
“How I like their energy, their innocence. This year finally, Christmas in Spain!”
The image itself shows Jamie, 4, hanging an ornament on their tree, while his older brother Alexander, 5, searches through boxes of decorations.
LEAFY: Amber’s home in the trendy Chamartin district of Madrid, which she shares with her daughter Oonagh
SUPERCOOL: Moss in the Zara campaign
SPAIN will be able to suspend the EU’s new Entry Exit System (EES) at the Gibraltar border in the event that ‘the waiting time at a border crossing point becomes excessive’.
It is part of regulations designed to unblock the long-awaited digital border control.
However these pauses will only be for a maximum of six hours at a time.
Plans for a simultaneous launch of the EES across the whole of the EU on November 10 were put to one side when it became clear some member states were not ready.
Progressive
Countdown Police problems
The European Commission has since announced a six month progressive roll-out of the EES instead.
By the end of the third month, Spain will be obliged to operate the EES at 50% of its border entry points.
By the fifth month, biometric scanners must be in use at every entry point, and by the sixth, all Brits and Gibraltarians must be registered when entering Spain.
The date for when the EU will start the progressive rollout is still unknown, as it depends on each state announcing they are ready to begin.
Who’d have known!
A SPANIARD took a trip to Gibraltar and was amazed at the differences between the British territory and Spain.
TikTok user Didac, who posts travel videos from around the world – including Afghanistan, China, Guinea Bissau and many more, brought his worldly eye to the Rock last month.
He noted the strangeness of the British street markings and number plates on the vehicles ‘in a little corner right next to La Linea de la Concepcion’.
“It seems like I could be in London or Birmingham but we are right next to Spain,” he says as a red bus passes in the street.
PRICEY BARBEQUE
A LUXURY motor yacht burnt to a spectacular crisp in Sotogrande marina after workers had clocked off for the day. On-call site officials noticed smoke emanating from the bow of the €3.75 million Elysium around 6.30pm.
Strong winds soon propelled flames to rip through the fibre-glass vessel, which has been in drydock undergoing repairs since September.
A port spokesperson told the Olive Press that ‘none of their people had been on board the ship’ at the time of the fire and they ‘did not believe the fire was suspicious.’
Sources within the yachting community told this newspaper ‘the shipyard themselves had been carrying out some electrical work in the engine room.’
CRISPY: The Elysium was still smouldering the next day
The UK’s
‘FBI’
brought in to investigate allegations swirling around Gibraltar police chief
ANOTHER storm is brewing around the Royal Gibraltar Police and the current occupant of the chief’s hotseat. Reports from GBC indicate that Britain’s National Crime Agency – which usually concerns itself with serious organised crime – is investigating allegations against outgoing Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger.
By Walter Finch
The unusual investigation relates to claims made by a serving RGP officer and a former one in a recent court case – in which they are the defendants.
PAY IT BACK
Inspector Sean Picton, 35, and Anthony Bolaños, 36, said that ‘Ullger shared sensitive information with the wife of a defendant in a separate case’. Picton is facing charges of misconduct in public office and unauthorised access to computer material, while Bolaños is charged with aiding and abetting it.
WORKERS living in Spain and commuting to Gibraltar will continue to be able to claim benefits from the Spanish government for another two years.
The Council of Ministers decided to extend the measure, originally designed to help Spaniards and Europeans who work on the Rock daily, until December 31, 2026.
The article stipulates that EU citizens who commute to Gibraltar on a daily basis to work but remain resident in Spain can still claim benefits from the Spanish government without having made Spanish social security contributions.
The stop-gap measure, last extended in 2022 until the end of this year, was intended to fill the gap until a treaty can be agreed that would cover the rights and benefits of cross-border workers.
THE main Spanish group leading the charge against the Eastside development has denied it is ‘just another hostile anti-Gibraltar voice from Spain’.
Environmentalists Verdemar Ecologistas en Accion have regularly denounced the £340 million marina project on the Rock’s Mediterranean side.
The group recently said it was a ‘disgrace’ that it was left up to them to ‘defend the interests of Andalucia and Spain’. However, spokesman Antonio Muñoz Secilla told the Olive Press that the group was not motivated by grinding the nationalist axe.
Equal attacks
“We are not interested in questions of sovereignty or litigating who owns territorial waters,” Muñoz said.
“The environment has no borders. We denounce landfills and other environmental violations in Spain just as quickly as in Gibraltar.
“Verdemar is fighting the stone dumping that Gibraltar is carrying out just as we did during the expansion of the Port of Algeciras.
“We denounced the 700 hectares that were
reclaimed in the Bay of Algeciras to build that port over several years.”
Verdemar has also complained about the ‘suspicious silence’ from the Spanish foreign ministry over its denuncias in Madrid against the Eastside project.
“We believe that economic interests may explain why there is so much silence from the main political parties in Spain,” Muñoz added.
The Commissioner of Police has said that he is ‘confident he has acted correctly at all times’ and the Gibraltar Police Authority has not suspended him.
But observers have been left puzzled by why the allegations were made public in an unrelated trial.
One commentator has asked why the NCA was brought in to investigate a senior officer and not the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“Would that not have been the appropriate UK body to have been seconded to deal with any police conduct issue in Gibraltar?”
asked Robert Vasquez, a political commentator who writes under the nom
de guerre Llanito World “What possible ‘serious and organised crime’ could be suspected within the RGP to have resulted in NCA involvement?”
Meanwhile, a legal source told the Olive Press: “It looks like [the NCA] is investigating the allegations against Ullger, not Ullger himself.
“So the investigation will be looking at who’s making the allegations, and why. There’s something much bigger going on here.”
THE RGP have been left exasperated as their Christmas Drink Drive Campaign has kicked off with mayhem on the roads. Nine people have been arrested in less than two weeks, with six of them coming in the first 48 hours.
Two drivers were recorded four times over the legal limit, while another was not far behind. One motorist even managed to plough into 12 stationary vehicles at once. Between them, they racked up thousands of pounds worth of damage with their driving.
“It's a completely unacceptable start to our Christmas Drink Driving Campaign,” an RGP spokesperson said.
“These roadside breath tests were shockingly high, with some drivers three or four
Wildlife tragedies
TWO rare red foxes werekilled by drivers in Gibraltar near Sandy Bay and Catalan Bay last month.
It brings the number of red foxes killed this year out of a tiny population on the Rock to four, while an extremely rare otter has also been killed by speeding cars.
The government added that ‘several cats’ have also fallen victim to reckless drivers.
The incidents highlight a growing concern about wildlife preservation and road safety in the British Overseas Territory.
The government is urging drivers to ‘be aware that there is thriving wildlife in Gibraltar and that they must drive with care even when there are no pedestrians or cyclists around, and especially during nighttime hours when wildlife is usually more active’.
False alarm
SUNDAY drivers were forced into a huge queue at the border after a suspicious package was discovered near the airport.
The frontier was shut for almost two hours, with no one allowed to cross the border from just after midday until 1.45pm.
However, a little after 2pm it was reported that the Royal Gibraltar Regiment had assessed the package and found no explosives inside.
The Kingsway tunnel and the airfield runway were closed to traffic and pedestrians, although by 1.30pm the tunnel had opened to traffic in both directions. At 1.45pm, the passage was reopened in both directions to pedestrians, bicycles and electric scooters.
Driven mad
times over the legal limit.
“No matter how many times we say it, some people simply fail to understand that alcohol and driving do not mix.”
He added: “At best, you’ll get a driving ban and a fine. And at worst, you could kill someone.
“On two separate occasions this weekend, a number of vehicles were driven into, which just goes to show how dangerous drink-driving can be.
“We don’t say this to be dramatic, we say it out of experience. Our message is simple, don’t get behind the wheel if you’re under the influence.”
TROUBLE: Ullger (below) is not the first RGP chief to run into problems
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
Sustainable transport
THE news that Gibraltar is about to tip the 40,000 person mark does not come as a huge bolt out of the blue.
Coupled with the 15,000 workers who cross the border each day, it’s possible the territory has to cope with 55,000 people at its peak. Despite the government dithering over releasing the results of its 2022 census, the trend was clearly obvious.
In the build up to Christmas, the Rock is abuzz with activity, the streets and shops are alive with people.
But a growing population on a non-growing sliver of land sets a huge challenge to manage.
Investment needs to be constant and consistent because putting off doing it will only lead to nasty pitfalls in the future.
Not just in housing everyone, but in providing effective transport that does not simply rely on cars, and a modern sewage system that does not just pump human waste out into the sea.
The housing issue is almost a generational one which will take years to remedy, but tackling the issue of transport is more achievable.
The government’s Sustainable Traffic, Transport and Parking Plan, which recognises the issue of congestion and identifies various sustainable solutions, is most welcome.
These measures include a new bus network, new pedestrian and cycle routes – including making use of the Rock’s historic fortifications – and the implementation of parking charges and controls.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much top down measures can do.
In the end though, it’s also up to the residents of Gibraltar to give up their treasured cars –or at least use them far, far less.
PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es
Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es
Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es
Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es
Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es
Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es
Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es
Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es
Cole Sinanian cole@theolivepress.es
Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
ONE OF A KIND
Christmas dinner in Gibraltar is a touch of something familiar and something different –but what about neighbouring Spain?
THE Christmas dinner fare in Gibraltar is a rare and delicate species that fuses Andalucian cuisine with British bosh to create something verifiably unique.
The people revel in the traditional British Christmas dinners of a solid roast (could be turkey or could be beef or pork) along with roast potatoes, sprouts, stuffing and gravy. The accompaniment of choice is tangy, mustard-infused piccalilli sauce.
But the culinary delights do not end there.
“There’s no way anyone is not going to have their traditional Spanish ham, manchego cheese, and lomo embuchado (cured pork loin) on Christmas day,” one Gibraltarian foodie tells the Olive Press
“And sometimes the meats, be it chicken or beef, come breaded.” However, from the British-Spanish fusion was born a few dishes that are uniquely Gibraltarian.
The calentita is a traditional chickpea flour-based dish, similar to Italian farinata or French socca, which may appear as a savoury
ANDALUCIA
An Andalucian Christmas is typically a lengthy affair with a series of starters before the main course – if there is indeed a main course.
One of the most typical Andalucian starters is the caldo de Jerez named after Jerez de la Frontera in the province of Cadiz. Also called consome de Jerez, the dish is a clear soup made by boiling down beef bones with sherry, chicken, jamon, vegetables and seasonings to whet the appetite.
Other typically southern starters include cured Spanish ham – jamon – from the nationally famous town of Jabugo in Huelva, as well as marinated olives and cream of seafood soup in coastal regions.
ASTURIAS
(+34) 951 154 841 distribution@ theolivepress.es
Fabada Asturiana is the most famous dish from Asturias. This hearty bean stew is typically made with chorizo and morcilla (blood sausage). While fabada is a popular Christmas choice, tortos de maiz (corn cakes) are also a festive favourite. These fried corn cakes are often served with picadillo de chorizo, a mixture of minced pork, garlic, and smoked paprika.
BALEARIC ISLANDS
Just as in the UK, stuffed turkey is common for Christmas in Mallorca, but the tradition dates back far earlier to the 16th century, when the Spanish first encountered turkeys in the Americas. The stuffing in the Balearics is unique, with raisins, plums, apricots, sweet chestnuts, and pine nuts, often soaked in wine the night before to enhance the flavours.
Cardo (thistle) is a traditional Christmas vegetable in the heart of wine country. Often cooked in bechamel sauce with almonds, this unique dish is also sometimes enhanced with black truffles. Cardo is a quintessential regional ingredient that plays an important role in holiday meals.
side to the big roast.
Then there’s the bollo de navidad, a rich Christmas cake unique to Gibraltar, flavoured with almonds, dried fruits, spices, and often local touches like sweet wine or aniseed.
It is not dissimilar to the bollo de higo, which is a fig-based cake that is popular around Christmas time.
Another sweet is the pestiño; fritters soaked in honey which are often enjoyed during the festive season.
The Portuguese-flavoured but distinctively Gibraltarian Queijinhos de Coco is a sweet coconut confection.
“At Christmas time, all the different dishes are put out on the table and everyone passes the plate round, taking a bit of everything,” the foodie continues.
“It’s very mix and match.”
But what happens across the border for Christmas?
Join the Olive Press on a Christmas culinary tour of Spain
BASQUE COUNTRY
Given its proximity to the Bay of Biscay, the region is known for its sea food at Christmas. Besugo (blackspot sea bream) is a traditional holiday dish, often roasted in the oven and stuffed with lemon slices. The fish is usually served on a bed of potatoes, drenched in a rich fish stock made with wine and garlic.
This soup is made with large pasta tubes ( galets ), often filled with mincemeat, and served in a rich broth. The dish is a staple of Christmas celebrations in the region.
COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA
CASTILLA LA MANCHA
Famous for its roasted cochinillo al horno (suckling pig), Castilla La Mancha celebrates Christmas with this rich and decadent dish.
Typically served after a warming garlic soup, the roasted suckling pig is cooked until golden and crispy, making it the star of many Christmas feasts.
CASTILLA Y LEÓN
Here, lechazo (young lamb) takes centre stage at Christmas. The lamb, no older than 35 days, is roasted whole, often in a wood-fired oven.
The dish is a regional delicacy, particularly in the city of Valladolid, where cordero lechal is a highly prized festive dish.
CATALUNYA
Christmas meals often consist of multiple courses, with the highlight being sopa de galets.
Pilotes de Navidad (Christmas meatballs) are a Christmas favourite for Valencianos. These large meatballs, made from minced pork, pine nuts, and breadcrumbs, are served in a rich broth called puchero The soup is a labour of love, simmering for hours with beef bones, pork ribs, and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas.
MADRID
The capital of Spain draws inspiration from all the regional cuisines of the country. Roast meats, such as lamb or suckling pig, are common on Christmas tables. Asado castellano ( Castilian roast) is a typical dish, with the meat often roasted in wood-fired ovens and flavored with garlic, parsley, and thyme. Many families in Madrid also dine out during the holidays, as numerous asadores (roast houses) offer festive Christmas menus.
MURCIA
The tapas dish zarangollo is available in many bars year-round but is also a popular choice for Christmas. This dish, made from scrambled eggs, courgette and onions, often includes potatoes.
It is typically served as an appetizer and pairs well with wine or other side dishes.
Fancy a tipple to go with your Christmas food? See page 14 for a selection of great festive wines
WHITE OUT
The Sierra Nevada is the icing on the cake for those fortunate to
IT is hard to believe that just below me are the glistening white beaches of the Costa Tropical and its nearby sister, the Costa del Sol. Way over to my east are Tunis, Sicily and Athens, while to the west are Sevilla and the Algarve.
Yet somehow, just somehow, I am wrapped up in a parka with a warm hat and gloves and completely surrounded by fluffy white snow as far as the eye can see.
Yes, this is the Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly skiing resort and mainland Spain’s highest mountain.
The geography of the area is simply staggering given its proximity to the beach and getting so much snow here is all to do with its altitude, which goes up to a staggering 3,482 metres (11,423 feet) above sea level. Its highest peak, Mul
Tel:625 25 65 15
C/DE SAN BERNARDO SIERRA NEVADA 18196 MONACHIL (GRANADA)
SKIS THE LIMIT: Sierra Nevada highpoint with views across the Med
Photo by Jon Clarke
slopes offer snowboarding thrills and spills
WITH snow like fine powder, the Sierra Nevada is a Mecca for thrill-seeking snowboarders.
For beginners and experts alike, Spain’s highest resort is a glorious setting and gets more and more popular by the year.
Stunning scenery is matched by the top-class facilities, which saw the resort host the Snowboard World Championships in 2017.
Novices should head to the central station Borreguiles, where lifts deposit snowboarders on a smooth and groomed area where they can hone their skills.
Once ready, or for those of a higher standard, they then need to head up to the SuperPark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park.
Now relocated to an altitude of 2,700 metres on Borreguiles, Spain’s most famous snowboarding park also houses the country’s biggest half-pipe.
Measuring an astonishing 165 metres in length with a height of six metres, the special design flattens the snow on the side of the halfpipe so boarders can jump on both sides.
For the best deals in snowboarding equipment and rentals visit South Star, which has three shops in the resort.
All a-board
Ci Vediamo
The Sierra Nevada’s most elegant restaurant
hacen, is named after Moorish king Muley Hacen (Abdul Hassan Ali), who is said to have been buried at the top. The views from the top of the highest ski lift, at 3,300 metres, are among the best in Europe, with the views across the Mediterranean to the Rif mountains of Morocco making it look like a small pond.
From here, I have frequently skied into the Laguna de las Yeguas valley, including its celebrated Olympic run, with almost nobody around, assuming you are up here midweek.
Discovery
It was two decades ago that I first spotted the faraway snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada from the terrace of a roof-top restaurant in Torremolinos some 150 kilometres away.
It was intriguing, like a giant white magnet, and I was soon racing up there to be seduced by the thrills of winter sports, right here on our doorstep. None of the hassle of flying to Lyon or Turin and schlepping it up on a long coach trip into the Alps, as most of us on the costas can get there in a couple of hours.
While it’s a fabulous day trip from the Costa del Sol, you are missing half the fun if you don’t stay at least one night.
Not only has the main resort of Pradollano got some of the best places to eat in Granada province but there is some excellent apres-ski entertainment on offer.
It has become a rite of passage to hit the slopes for at least a few days since a school trip to the French Alps as a teenager.
I can’t wait to strap on skis as Christmas nears and the first snows of the year finally arrive. From front page
Michelin trained chef Esteban Silva produces classic Italian style dishes with a modern twist
Open 7 days a week
Monday to Sunday 12.00-16.00 & 20.00-24.00
Plaza Andalucía, Edf. Salvia s/n, Pradollano tel: 958 480 856 civediamosn@gmail.com
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OLYMPIC RUN
Annoyingly the season seems to start later and later these days in the Sierra Nevada. While the Pyrenees already has a ton of snow, we often have to wait until just before Xmas to get the white stuff.
The beauty of skiing in the Sierra Nevada is that the slopes are usually warm during the day and you will see many regulars actually skiing in t-shirts. It’s a total contrast to the skiers who will be shivering in the Alps at this time or year though, where the price of a beer or a coffee will certainly be double.
“While I love heading up to Val d’Isere or somewhere nearby in winter, nothing beats a couple of days in the Sierra Nevada,” says hotelier James Stuart, from Vejer de la Frontera.
“It’s a charming place and it’s so very convenient for all of us in southern Spain.”
Local ski school owner Simone of Las Gondolas agrees: “This is the nicest place in the world to ski. We offer the best weather and the prices have hardly gone up in years,” says the veteran, who has been working here for nearly four decades.
And if you plan the trip properly you
could combine it with a night in the em blematic city of Granada, which is just 40 minutes down the hill.
The Alhambra and its amazing Generalife gardens are open every day of the year and a walk around the Arabic parts of the city, in particular, the Albayzin or Realejo, are wonderful with the snowy backdrop above.
You might also add in a night or two in the fascinating nearby region of the Alpujarras, or the Lecrin valley, just on the other side of the mountain.
Whatever your plans, one of the true joys of a weekend in the Sierra Nevada, is seeing the snowy peaks appear on the skyline from an hour away and then the wonderful windy drive on the final leg.
sharp curves and very steep drops.
The resort is run by Cetursa, an offshoot of the Junta, and has got incredibly organised and digitalised over recent years. The buying of ski passes (forfeits) is easier than ever and most do it in advance online, or using an easy-to-use app.
It’s easy to park right under the two main ski-lifts to the top and it costs around 20 euros a day.
This is one of Spain’s most amazing drives, with scenery to die for
Most places to rent skis and boots, or snowboards, can be found within 200m of the car park.
While this year the snow has arrived late, some 40,000 skiers often land on the bank holiday puente weekend at the beginning of December.
Now the temperatures have finally dropped there will be plenty of snow machines pumping throughout the day and night and at its peak there will be 110 kms of pistes open.
lar area, Europe’s largest freestyle park, with its giant 165 metre ‘half pipe’.
And then there is the famous ‘Rio’ run that leads right down to the resort of Pradollano, which sits at 2,100 metres.
spot to take in the air or a spot of lunch, and there are things for the kids to do, with entertainers and Disney figures wandering around, particularly around Christmas.
“Since then the infrastructure changes were huge and it is now a big resort,” explains resort marketing boss Santiago Sevilla, who has worked there for nearly two decades.
This is one of Spain’s most amazing drives, with scenery to die for, as the snowy mountains loom ever closer. Indeed, at least half of those who drive up don’t even ski, but come to enjoy the views and exhilarating road with its that Netflix made its amazing series Society of the Snow about the infamous 1972 plane crash in the Andes. For snowboarders or jump-lovers make your way to Superpark Sulayr, in the Loma de Di-
Planning
A fun fact, it was in the Laguna valley, designed for expert skiers,
It definitely pays to pick your days with Easter and Christmas frequently saturated with queues for the lifts, although Christmas Day can often be relatively quiet, while on the day of
the Reyes (January 6), almost all of the Spanish will be at home opening presents.
Don’t forget to try and avoid Semana Blanca (literally ‘white week’) – or half term at the end of February – when school children learn to ski, and, of course, bank holidays can also be very busy. The main tip is to go up early at 8am to 9am before the Spanish get going or waiting till midday.
While a modern resort, the main base at Pradollano is a nice
SLICING UP: The
need improving
The Sierra Nevada has also got a reputation as being a resort for fun, with the apres ski being some of the best in Europe, once you know where to find it (tip: it’s mostly uphill).
The skiing resort started to develop rapidly from 1995 when the World Skiing Championship was scheduled to be held there (due to poor snow it actually took place the following year).
The ticket office in Plaza Andalucia is fully digital and now has dozens of machines installed for credit cars and phone payments so you shouldn’t have to queue for long.
A day’s skiing costs €37 to €63 at peak time, but normally about €45, while those in their 70s get free passes.
pizza slice shapes
AUTHORITIES: The local police and Guardia Civil mountain patrol
HIGH LIFE: Jon relaxing pn the terrace at El Lodge
LAUNCH PAD
Meet some of the charities spreading Christmas cheer in Gibraltar
CHRISTMAS is a time for cheer but it’s also a time for charity, and to remember those less well-off.
Fortunately, the Rock’s small population is blessed with a wealth of kind-hearted and generous souls who dedicate themselves to helping those in need.
The government lists a staggering 352 registered charities in Gibraltar on its website – around one for every 100 residents.
From providing housing to battling cancer to supporting vulnerable children – and far beyond this – the Olive Press has spoken to a few of them about the good work they do.
Tackling the housing crisis
ACTION For Housing describe themselves as a pressure group rather than a charity
‘as we don’t handle money’, founder Henry Pinna, 79, tells the Olive Press.
But the group, set up way back in 1981, still plays an outsized role in society on the Rock.
“In those days, it wasn’t unusual for several generations to live under one roof – grandparents, parents and daughters and their offspring. The overcrowding was acute.”
Have things got better in the intervening period?
Pinna credits the introduction of ‘so-called low cost housing [which] has improved prospects for younger people.’
“And the construction of flats for pensioners has helped, because they’ve downsized to smaller homes to let people on the waiting list move into their bigger apartments.”
But there still remains the ‘backlog’, the seemingly eternal enemy of AFH that always arises from the ashes and can never be fully vanquished.
“We’re mainly concerned about the elderly. Some have been waiting for 13 years. Some of them die while waiting for decent accommodation.”
AFH is currently trying to help around 150 people on its backlog list to find better housing.
They run drop-in surgeries at the John Mackintosh Hall every Monday from 6pm to 7.30pm – ‘or later if more people turn up.’
“But we don’t see much prospect for them if the government doesn’t build the social housing they promised in their manifesto last year.”
Pinna estimates that they need to build a further 400 flats if they are to break the backlog.
So what keeps him coming back and plugging away, 44 years after he was first moved to set up the group?
“It’s the sense of fulfilment I get when we’re able to resolve a family’s problem for them. I feel very fulfilled,” the retired ombudsman reflected.
“But of course, they keep on coming. You sort out two, and you get three. And get three, you get four. So it’s never ending.”
DREAM GIFTS
IT all started with a dream. A literal dream, in which angels were decorating a Christmas tree and giving gifts to children.
This was what inspired single-mum Nicole Stein, 49, to set up Christmas Tree Angel, a new initiative to bring the community together and provide presents for underprivileged children – and their struggling mums.
Participants attach an angel created by children to their tree, and on that angel will be a label with the name of the child, their age, and what they want for Christmas.
People can then see the label and get the child the present, to be dropped off at Nicole’s nursery Bright Start Montessori Nursery on Governor
SUPPORT FOR CANCER SUFFERERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
HEARING the dreaded news that one has developed cancer is not perhaps the terrible death sentence it is often perceived to be.
At the Cancer Relief Gibraltar centre, Senior Nurse Vanessa Cross (below) told the Olive Press the majority of the patients they see have a curative – or potentially curative – form of the disease.
And there’s every chance they’ll beat it and resume their normal lives.
Vanessa, who followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a nurse after listening to her come home from her shift and tell her father about her day, has been with the centre for five years.
She’s part of a team that supports around 600 individuals with cancer and their families or carers who live or work in Gibraltar (including people who live in Spain).
These people are offered a range of vital services, including nursing support, counselling, various holistic therapies such as massages and yoga, and much more.
But it doesn’t come cheap. Each year Cancer Relief Gibraltar has to raise £500,000 in order to continue functioning –and each year it’s touch and go.
On top of a government grant which covers wages and basic needs, they rely on a small army of kind and generous donors, including foundations,
Street. “It could be a Transformers toy, or a tracksuit, or even a Playstation 5,” Nicole tells the Olive Press.
“The idea isn’t just that they get a pres-
corporate events and individual fundraising.
It allows Vanessa and her team to ‘make a difference, and help people to help themselves.’
“It really resonates with me, to help people get back an element of control that they might feel they’ve lost when they’ve been diagnosed with a chronic disease,
“It’s very inspiring, and we are in a very privileged position to have people share so much of their personal lives with us.
“But I try to keep my emotions out of it – when you’re talking to someone, you always have to remember this is about them, not about me.
“This is the best place I’ve ever worked, absolutely.”
ent that otherwise they might not get at all, but that they get a present they truly want.
“And in the process, they know someone cares about them.”
Nicole knows as well as any the hardship that parents – especially mothers – can feel at Christmas.
“I’ve had a few hard knocks in my life.
There was one Christmas where I found myself unable to buy presents for my two children.
“I ended up rummaging through the unwanted gifts box outside St Theresa Church. I never told my children where the presents came from until they were much older.
“They had never realised the hardship I was going through.”
The initiative is a new one and Nicole is looking for more businesses and individuals to take part.
“It’s so important that Gibraltar keeps the community spirit at Christmas time and that we come together as one people to support those who need it.”
Ex Olive Press reporter secures front page in yet another success story for former staff
FORMER Olive Press reporter Anatoly Kurmanaev celebrated a milestone this month after securing a front page story in the New York Times. His intriguing report shed a light on the rising tensions among Russia’s elite as the Ukraine war begins to severely impact the country’s economy.
It is just another example of Olive Press staff going on to do great things in the world of journalism.
We train our journalists to leave no stone unturned and teach them how to write stories to the standard of national newspapers back home.
They also get to work for them directly, as papers like the Mail on Sunday MailOnline, the Sun and the Telegraph, regularly contact us to cover stories for them in Spain.
Last year, Madrileño Jorge Hinojosa landed a job with the UK’s top-selling newspaper, the Sun The UK-trained hack scooped the plum role after a sixmonth stint with the Olive Press in Malaga.
Forced to go back to London or lose his working visa due to Brexit, he joined the online news desk as a general reporter.
“Thanks for everything. It was all due to my experience at the Olive Press,” he later wrote. He follows in the footsteps of Joe Duggan, who himself became a Sun reporter after a three-year traineeship at the Olive Press in 2018. He now works at the i.
Our current digital editor Laurence Dollimore became a senior reporter at MailOnline when he briefly returned to the UK post-Covid.
Meanwhile, former news editor Charlie Smith moved to the Express and now works as a BBC local democracy reporter. Elsewhere, former reporter Amie Keeley became a senior reporter at the Financial Times, Imogen Calderwood the Managing Editor at Global Citizen, and Annabel Grossman the Associate Editor at the Independent.
Finally two former female stars, Iona Napier and Elisa Menendez, are both cutting the mustard with ITN News in London, while Laura Balfour makes documentaries for National Geograph- ic and Netflix among others.
Meanwhile, our latest potential star is reporter Yzabelle Bostyn whose hard hitting reports have earned her a place on the shortlist for the prestigious NCTJ Awards for Excellence. She is one of just three shortlisted as trainee of the year in the news category.
BEST OF LUCK YZABELLE!
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Under tables
GIBRALTAR is set to crack down on cash-inhand Spanish labourers who undercut their local counterparts.
The move targets small traders such as plumbers, electricians, and furniture assemblers, many of whom cross daily from the neighbouring Campo de Gibraltar.
As part of the clampdown, the Gibraltar government will intensify border controls and enact strict monitoring of cross-border commercial activities.
Local businesses are also being encouraged to help authorities identify and target unregistered traders by reporting potentially unlicensed competitors.
Business Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez described it as a move to combat ‘illegal trade’ that has been creating unfair competition for local Gibraltar businesses.
JUST THE JOB!
Food delivery app Glovo abandons its ‘self-employment’ model for drivers
GLOVO has been forced to abandon its ‘false self-employment’ model and will hand its drivers legal employment contracts.
The company will transition away from its old way, which claimed that its drivers were ‘entrepreneurs’, following years of intense legal pressure from Spanish authorities.
Around 60,000 delivery workers who have worked for Glovo since 2021 will now become regularly employed with all the bene-
By Walter Finch
fits it brings, according to Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz.
The move follows repeated warnings and substantial fines from labour inspectors, who have long argued that Glovo was systematically exploiting workers by classifying them as independent contractors instead of employees.
The ‘false self-employment’ model allowed Glovo to get
away with not paying €267 million in Social Security contributions, a burden that instead fell on its own drivers.
THUMBS UP!
SPANISH business continues to bet big on the British economy.
The latest ‘business climate barometer’ from the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom paints a picture of optimism among industry chiefs from Spain.
Nearly half of the Spanish companies surveyed reported that they are banking on increasing investments, employment, and revenue in the UK in the coming year. Since records began in 1993, Spain has directed nearly €170 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) towards the UK, accounting for 18% of its total global FDI.
Competitor Just Eat has already filed a lawsuit against Glovo, claiming the company gained an unfair competitive advantage by avoiding proper employment costs - estimated at over €645 million in savings.
Local riders’ rights group Riders X Derechos has responded with caution, highlighting Glovo’s ‘history of lawbreaking’ and calling for transparency in their employment practices.
The Spanish government has already modified the Penal Code to enforce stricter penalties on companies misclassifying workers, with potential prison sentences of six months to six years.
THE United Kingdom continues to run a trade surplus with Gibraltar to the tune of £2 billion – amounting to a third of the territory’s entire GDP. Trade between the two territories came almost entirely in the form of services, with trade in goods plummeting by 40.5% and 71.4% respectively. Overall trade between the two came in at £7.1 billion in the 12 months leading up to June 2024 – an increase of 1.5% or £105 million, according to the UK’s Department for Business and Trade.
While Gibraltar exported £2.5 billion to the UK in this period – a healthy 6.8% up on last year – it imported a further £4.6 billion. Goods to Gibraltar made up only 6.8% of the UK’s exports, consisting mainly of refined oil (£103.9 million), ships (£48.1 million) and cars (£19.2 million).
Interestingly, works of art exported to Gibraltar were valued at £17.5 million, while the Rock sent £590,000 of artwork to the UK.
All of Gibraltar’s exports to the UK came in the form of services.
Meanwhile, Gibraltar’s Direct Foreign Investment in the UK dropped off dramatically in the last published figures from 2022.
Figures show that Gibraltar divested from the UK to the tune of £4.3 billion, potentially a reflection of conditions emanating from the Covid pandemic.
OP QUICK CROSSWORD
LA CULTURA
CHRISTMAS is celebrated in many parts of the world and each country adds its own festive twists.
Spain, for example, likes to display figures of famous people taking a poo and everyone eats 12 grapes at midnight on New Years Eve… oh, and there will rarely be a turkey or sprout in sight. Well not many. Check out these cool local traditions - and a few tips - that make Navidad unique.
12 lucky grapes
Grape guzzling is probably the best known Spanish festive tradition.
During the last 12 seconds of the year before the stroke of midnight we attempt to chew or swallow a dozen grapes timed with the dongs of the church clock. It’s not as easy as you think but there’s an imperative to eat the lot in order to guarantee 12 months of good luck in the coming year.
Scarlet fever
You might not have realised it before but many Spaniards make sure to wear a scarlet pair of pants or knickers on New Year’s Eve as an extra guarantee of joy and good luck.
It can also be a bra or socks - but it can never be on show.
You can stock up at a Chinese store where the rails turn red at this time of year as Asians too believe it’s a lucky New Year colour.
Deserted streets
Visitors often complain there’s no one around on Christmas Eve in Spain and that’s true enough. On this night of the year Spanish families get together for a feast at home although teenagers may head out to discos in the wee small hours. It is the same on New Year’s Eve until around an hour before midnight when a human earthquake hits the streets, with some revellers partying on until dawn.
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
Feliz navidad
Spending Christmas in Spain? These are the things to look out for this Christmas
Sweet Jesus
These days Spanish kids get two rounds of Christmas presentssome from Santa on the morning of December 25, the rest on January 6, the so-called Day of the Wizard Kings.
They are the same three kings who brought gifts for the baby Jesus but while the good kids receive presents, the naughty ones are supposed to receive coal.
The previous evening, every town in Spain holds a Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos as the kings and their pajes reales (royal pages) parade through the streets on floats throwing sweets for the little ones.
The fat one
Whether you like a flutter or not, if you live in Spain you’ll probably be pressurised by workmates, family and friends into investing in a decimo - one tenth of a ticket in the biggest lottery prize in the world.
The Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad is known as El Gordo - the fat one - and last year it paid out €2.38 billion, turning entire towns into millionaires villes overnight.
Drawn on December 22, it dominates Christmas TV advertising and the winners are splashed by every media.
Don’t poo poo big day
In Spain a Christmas tree in the plaza is not enough. Most towns also have at least one Belen de Navidad. These scale model nativity scenes are perfect in every
CHRISTMAS SHOCKER: President Trump as a ‘caganer’
detail, from the stable in Bethlehem to the baby Jesus, his parents’ animals, the three kings and shepherds. Despite the religious theme some visitors are shocked by the touches of irreverent humour which may come in the form of a ‘caganer’ - usually one of the shepherds caught with his pants down in the act of defecating.
And, on that subject, carganars are huge in Catalunya and every year there is a prize for the best one. Everyone from the Queen to Muhammad Ali has one.
And don’t forget the first big lottery of the New Year - El Niño, is drawn on January 6.
December fools
TURKEY TWISTER: Not a common dish at Xmas hoping the infant Jesus would be among them.
December 28 commemorates the biblical King Herod’s plan to slaughter all babies under two years old,
Despite its gruesome religious origin, Día de los Inocentes , is the equivalent of April Fools Day.
If you hear of any strange news stories on this day, you’d best take them with a very large pinch of salt.
Sing to win
Forget Christmas carols and those schmaltzy Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin numbers.
In Spain we have our own festive songs known as ‘villancicos’ which are the true soundtrack of Christmas. Some, like ‘Alepun’, ‘Los peces van a beber al rio’ and ‘Pastores venid’ have been sung in the same way for centuries. They may be performed by a children’s choir or adults sitting around a brazier playing traditional instruments like the zambomba (earthenware friction drum),
pandereta (tambourine) or improvised with a bottle of anis and a spoon.
It’s a tradition on the verge of extinction but it still survives in small towns.
Yule handout
It’s a tradition on the verge of extinction but it still survives in small towns.
In the build-up to Christmas, children roam the streets, stopping at every door to sing a villancico in return for some yuletide pocket money known as an aguinaldo.
Festive food
Forget turkey, the Spanish prefer seafood, particularly prawns and lobster, as well as good jamon , and occasionally lamb or roast suckling pig. We also like the more traditional yuletide treats that you won’t find anywhere else.
There’s turron, a honey and almond nougat in brittle or chewy versions - either way, tough on teeth; mazapanes , also made with an almond dough moulded into different shapes; polvorones , a crumbly cake that melts in the mouth; and Roscon de reyes , a big circular cake with a hole in it filled with sugared fruit and cream, and the highlight of the family table on Three Kings Day.
CHRISTMAS CRACKER: Most Spaniards wear red underwear AWAY-DAY TO A MANGER: Belens are the highlight of many towns, while (right) pile of turrons
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
The ultimate drinks guide for Christmas and the New Year, writes Ben Odgers
IT’S the time of year where thoughts turn to corks popping, celebrating Christmas with friends and family and finding that perfect bottle for a gift.
Running out of inspiration or not sure what to have with the turkey? Fear not I have you covered!
STOCKING FILLERS
Just €2.69 will secure you Beso de Luna (Moonlight Kiss) available at Aldi. A standard blend of the grapes Tempranillo and Garnacha has resulted in a delicious strawberry scented wine that punches well above its price point. Perfect for Christmas parties and a great accompaniment to tapas.
Luis Gurpegui 2021 Rioja also graces the shelves at Aldi at an unbelievable €3.49. The fact that this wine received 94/100 by respected magazine, Wine Enthusiast, should be taken seriously. Classic cherry and
plums on the nose with jammy red fruits and warm spice on the palate. This is best with simple lamb dishes, but the acidity means it can cope with fattier meats and is great with cheese. An absolute steal!
UNDER THE TREE
Ok, let us move up a price bracket now and get to serious wines that would work well for your Christmas din ner or New Year’s lunch. Taking a trip to Eroski will help you unearth more gems, starting with Enate Chardonnay 234 (Vin tage 2023/24). With notes of fresh green apple mixed with a bit of tropical fruit; it is not heavy as it has not had any contact with oak barrels. It is the perfect pairing for a fish course and great with simple roast chicken, €10 in Eroski.
If you are going for simple roast beef
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
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or something a bit more adventurous like suck ling pig, then Condado de Haza Crianza 2020 from Ribera del Duero is perfect. Currently in Carrefour at €12.89 this 100% Tempranillo based wine offers blackberries and currants blended with roasted spice to give a long vanilla finish. Put it in the fridge for 10 minutes before you open it.
ICING ON THE CAKE
OP Puzzle solutions
Quick Crossword
Across: 1 Audits, 4 Heard, 8 Hygiene, 9 Necks, 10 Sense, 11 Sounder, 12 Extraordinary, 15 Airport, 17 Visit, 20 Piece, 21 Mailing, 22 Eat up, 23 Berths.
Down: 1 Aches, 2 Dig in, 3 Theresa, 4 Hindu, 5 Arcadia, 6 Destroy, 7 Leisure time, 12 Example, 13 Torment, 14 Invoice, 16 One up, 18 Shift, 19 Togas.
If you want to find the best France has to offer plus plus some great Spanish wines there is only one place to go…NICOLAS. Now based out of Marbella with three shops, it offers an amazing range, local delivery or shipping across Spain. Check www.nico lasmarbella.com for more details.
Boss Georgina Rascón de Galván was kind enough to share with me her picks for Christmas and New Year.
Cava quality has massively improved over the last decade and is no longer Champagne’s little sibling. A case in point is U Mes U Larus Cava Reserva Brut Nature at €20.90. This blend of Pinot Noir and Xarello, from
Penedes, exhibits fine bubbles with citrus, bri oche, and almond on the nose. This wine makes the per fect aperitive or would pair well with a simple grilled prawn starter. It needs to be properly chilled so at least a few hours in the fridge prior to opening.
White Burgundies (Chardonnay) tend to lend themselves well to richer poultry.
Pouilly-Fuissé Les Préludes, Terres Secrètes 2022 offers up green apples, pears, and a nice buttery note from its contact with oak.
The wine’s bright acidity helps cut through any fattiness. Great with quail, pheasant, or partridge, available at €29.70. Place in the fridge an hour in the fridge before opening.
Red Burgundy can be very versatile in food pairing. If duck or venison is on the menu, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Buissonnier Vignerons de Buxy 2022 could be a good bet. At €14.70 this wine over-delivers. It has plenty of red currant and cherry fruit with earthy spice and a bit of white pepper. Lower levels of tannins (the dryness you find in tea) mean it is quenching and refreshing. Again, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes before opening.
Red Bordeaux can make for the ultimate Christmas dinner companion. Georgina recommends Château Cormeil-Figeac Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018. Predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Franc, this is one for beef tenderloin or roast lamb. Dark
berry fruits mix with tobacco and vanilla on the nose and follow on the palate with a little bit of dark chocolate on the finish. To open or gift, €27.90 seems very fair for something so classy. Remember red Bordeaux likes to be served at cellar temperature (15-18C).
PERFECT NIGHTCAP
Now, on to my own Spirits Sourcery guide to the best spirits for this festive season. Dictador 20-Year-Old Colombian rum is like Christmas distilled into a bottle. The aroma reveals intense dried fruit notes, accompanied by rich molasses and caramel, with sub tle hints of oak and tobacco. Yum! Available for €63.90 from El Corte Inglés. The Glenturret Triple Wood won ‘best single malt’ at the International Wine and Spirits Challenge last year. Incredibly it costs just €73 from Amazon.es. This Highland whisky is
liquid gold with vibrant spices, peaches with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla leading to a sweet oaky finish. The most underrated of all the dark spirits is Armagnac. The quality to price ratio cannot be beaten. Armagnac XO Monluc is available at €99 from NICOLAS and is perfect with chocolate. Fifth generation producers Monluc have created a delicious elixir packed with rich dried fruits, candied orange peel and roasted nuts.
Ben Odgers, is the founder of Spirits Sourcery, which sources rare wines and spirits. For more info visit www.spiritssourcery.com.
Unknown dangers
MALES in Gibraltar between the ages of 19 and 39 are being warned of the dangers of taking cocaine following a spike in deaths of men within this age group.
An advisory campaign, titled ‘Know the Risks’, aims to shed light on the often-overlooked dangers of mixing cocaine with alcohol and the hazardous substances it is often cut with.
“The festive season sees an increase in cocaine use at social events and the campaign aims to inform the public on some potentially unknown dangers,” the government said.
Strokes
One danger of mixing cocaine and alcohol is the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Meanwhile, it is often cut with anything from deadly Fentanyl, banned painkillers or animal deworming agents.
For addicts, a variety of treatment options are available, from at-home detox programmes to intensive residential support at Bruce’s Farm.
The Care Agency and local charities are also involved in providing assistance to users and their families.
A POPULAR shower gel has been removed from shelves after a ‘dangerous bacteria’ was identified in it. The Spanish Medicines Agency (AEMPS) has ordered that ‘Cosmia-Gel de ducha exfoliante hueso de albaricoque’ stop production, be removed from shelves and all existing bottles collected.
Dirty shower gel
It is believed the apricot shower gel contains an infectious bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can provoke dangerous infections for older people and those who have a compromised
Hair drug warning
A POPULAR hair-loss drug is linked to a shocking condition known as ‘werewolf syndrome’ in babies, Spanish health officials have warned.
The bizarre side effect has left infants covered in excessive body hair after being exposed to the overthe-counter scalp treatment, minoxidil
Commonly sold under the brand name Regaine, it is widely used by adults to treat hair thinning, but now it’s feared that babies could be suffering from hypertrichosis – an abnormal growth of fine, dark hair on their faces, limbs, and backs.
The troubling issue came to light after Spanish au-
By Dilip Kuner
thorities reported a case where a baby boy developed a thick patch of hair on his back and legs after his father, who had been using minoxidil to treat his own hair loss, cared for him at home.
Health experts believe the drug may have transferred from the father to the baby through skin contact or accidental ingestion.
Spanish officials have since confirmed that at least 10 cases of this rare condition have been reported across Europe, with all symptoms fading once parents stopped using the drug.
immune system. It was sold in Alcampo and supplied by the French business, SAS OIA.
If you have the shower gel, you can return it to any Alcampo store and get your money back.
Spanish health chiefs warn hairloss drug could trigger ‘werewolf syndrome’ in babies
Experts warn that young infants exposed to the drug could also face serious risks to their heart and kidneys.
The warning comes after a scandal in Spain in 2019,
THE BEST CARE
Hospiten Estepona completes expansion project, doubling its healthcare capacity
HOSPITEN Estepona has recently completed an important expansion project, significantly increasing the hospital’s capacity and preparing it for future growth. This expansion will enhance surgical capabilities and improve the quality of care provided to patients, as well as broaden the range of services and medical specialties offered at the hospital. Key improvements include the expansion of the Emergency Department, which will now feature two separate areas with distinct circuits: Adult Emergency and Pediatric Emergency. Additionally, Outpatient Consultations and Hospitalisation areas will be expanded, doubling their current capacity.
In the Hospitalisation area, the number of rooms will increase in both the existing and future building, reaching a total of 53 rooms (in addition to the six ICU beds). In total, there will be 59 rooms across Hospitalization and ICU. For Outpatient Consultations, the number of consultation rooms
will increase from 18 to 30, with 12 new rooms added.
These new spaces will strengthen specialised units, including Gynaecology (with the creation of a Women’s Unit), Traumatology (with the addition of a Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Room), Cardiology, and Ophthalmology (with plans for a new ophthalmology centre set to open in 2025, coinciding with the start of construction).
The proposed solutions aim to minimise the environmental impact of the construction, incorporating energy-efficient and eco-friendly practices both in the building process and in the daily use of the facilities. With the opening of this new centre, Hospiten reaffirms its commitment to excellence in healthcare, innovation in the hospital sector, and pioneering solutions in architecture.
The team at Hospiten Estepona consists of highly skilled professionals, dedicated to the health and well-being of our patients and committed to providing more human and inclusive healthcare.
Phone
ban call
SPANISH government experts have called for an almost total ban on digital devices for young children - with no screens at all for under-threes and extremely limited use until age six. The 250-page study also advises parents to stick to non-smart phones for children aged 12 to 16, and demands mandatory health warning labels on all digital devices sold in Spain.
Parents are urged to prioritise physical activities for children aged six to 12 and implement parental controls on any smart devices.
where 17 children, including babies, developed similar symptoms after unknowingly consuming minoxidil , which had been mislabeled as reflux medication.
The report warns of serious risks, including impacts on sleep, concentration, and mental health. Schools are also under scrutiny, with recommendations to overhaul educational apps and reduce digital tools in early education.
You’re knick(er)d
A ROBBER who used his underpants as a mask and socks as gloves at 19 restaurants in Madrid has been arrested when he was caught wearing his disguise in the early hours of the morning.
Q outrage
ACTIVISTS in Spain are outraged after the governing socialist party announced plans to drop Q from the LGBTQ+ acronym and ban trans women from female sports competitions.
Second life
A 92-year-old woman who had been declared dead at Bunyola’s Joan March Hospital and transferred to the Son Valenti funeral home in Palma was sent straight back to hospital when she started moving.
A NEW Zealander has won the World Spanish Scrabble Championship despite not speaking the language.
Nigel Richards achieved the feat thanks to his impressive memory and strategy skills. And he has form for similar feats - in 2015, he clinched the world title for French scrabble, which he also doesn’t speak. He repeated the feat in 2018. The 57-year-old is widely considered the best player in the
Bey nd ords
How a Kiwi who only speaks English won the World Spanish Scrabble Championship
By Yzabelle Bostyn
world after starting to compete in New Zealand at age 28. He took to the world stage in 1999 at the Melbourne World Championships. Since then he has won the English world championship five times.
In preparation, he had memorised the whole of the English dictionary, a challenge he overcame in just five sittings. He repeated the feat with first the French and then Spanish Scrabble dictionaries.
SAYS IT ON THE TIN
A SPANISH man was left shocked after receiving a tin of cat food instead of the €659 Google Pixel 8 Pro phone he ordered during Black Friday. Alvaro, from Valencia, thought it was a prank when he opened the package to find the wrong item. Despite contacting customer
Kempinski Hotel Bahía
service immediately, he’s still waiting for a resolution, with the company promising to process the return in 14 days.
Over two weeks later, Alvaro has made dozens of calls with no success. His story, which went viral on X, has led to reports of similar mix-ups.
Don’t miss the most famous Christmas occasions on the Costa del Sol this festive season, a time full of sparkle and joy...
24 December - Christmas Eve six course Gala dinner at Baltazár Bar and Grill, with live music and that perfect Christmas atmosphere.
25 December - The famous Christmas Day buffet brunch, with live music, kids entertainment and the visit from Santa!
31 December - You can choose between:
New Year’s Eve: a stunning gala dinner with a pre-dinner cocktail, live music, midnight celebrations and an open bar to dance the night away.
New Year’s Eve buffet: ideal for all the family, with a pre-dinner cocktail, live music, midnight celebrations, and kids club available till 01 00
It is said he has a photographic memory and sees words as a ‘chains of letters’, each with its own mathematical possibilities. He is known as a calm, emotionless and gentlemanly player within the Scrabble community.
Talking of his latest title he said: “It's more of a challenge here, which is really what I’m looking for. I just enjoy trying to develop the possibilities and see what I can do, see what I can present. I can enjoy it if I win. I can enjoy it if I lose... I'm just here for a bit of fun.”
SPAIN’S top road boss is blaming Peppa Pig for the fact that just 11% of road construction workers are women.
Marta Serrano, head of Land Transport, says cartoons like Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol send a ‘stereotypical’ message that roadwork is a man’s job.
“These cartoons show all the workers as giant, muscle-bound dudes,” Serrano quipped at a conference about the role of women within road building before adding, “It’s a cultural challenge!”
With fewer women working in haulage, Serrano insists the gender gap in the sector is causing problems – and not just on the pavement. “We’re lagging behind,” she said, pointing out that even within her own ministry, only 40% of staff are women.
Wishing all our readers a very merry Christmas and New Year. We will be back on 15 January 2025
Discover more by scanning the QR code for more details about each special occasion!
+34 95 280 9500 reservations estepona@kempinski com