Olive Press Mallorca - Issue 112 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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The FREE

Looking for Cinderella POLICE have issued an appeal for a ‘Cinderella’ thief who left his trainer at the scene of a crime. The wanted man ran away from officers after he was caught drinking alcohol on the streets in Chipiona, Cadiz. He was in such a rush he forgot one of his shoes, as well as a bottle of rum and a bag of ice. Police tweeted a photo of the trainer, hoping someone might recognise it. They joked that they were on the hunt for the ‘little princess’. “We don’t know if the shoe jumped off due to the acceleration of his departure or it was a logistics failure (it was not properly on) but the reality is that that shoe is being well cared for.” They also joked that a man who wears ‘€140 trainers drinks cheap rum from an €8 bottle’. However they added: “Running is for cowards and bad bullfighters and is uncomfortable with a single shoe. “If you run it is because you know you have done something wrong”.

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MALLORCA

Vol. 5 Issue 112

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Your expat

voice in Spain August 13th - August 26th 2021

See page 12

MAKING A SPLASH

Expats swim their way around Mallorca for charity By Katherine Brook

LOST: Cinderella’s shoe

Winners!

WE have winners of our competition to see the fabulous Paul Maxwell in The Elton John Experience, playing alongside the Malaga Symphony Orchestra. John Cahill and Kirsten Prydz each win a pair of tickets to the show at the Marbella Arena on August 21. They both answered correctly that Elton John has had 69 UK Top 40 hits. You can get tickets for the show at www.corteingles.es or call 0034 633647260 for more information.

TWO Brits have just snorkeled round the entire coast of Mallorca in just 33 days. Team Mallorca 360 set off on their sea adventure on June 30, from St Elm bay in Palma, with the aim to swim around the whole Island in support of two charities: Yachting Gives Back and Save the Med. They are also hoping to raise awareness of the problem of plastics polluting the world’s seas. The two Brits, Pete Langan and Tim Galgey, were in the water between seven and eight hours per day, starting at first light.

Challenge

They took it in turns to pull along a kayak, strapped to their leg, carrying their belongings, which included food, water, cooking equipment, their sleeping bags and a roll mat. In another kayak was Pete’s girlfriend Joanna Zet, who had a challenge all of her own: to paddle alongside the boys the w h o l e w a y around the Isl a n d , capturing footage and making sure they had a constant supply of food and drink

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CHALLENGE: Tim Galgey (left) and Pete Langan spent up to eight hours a day in the water

(and keep herself sufficiently fueled!). “We swam an average of 12km a day, stopping on beaches, boulders and rocks to recover and sleep before going again the next day,” said Langan, 47 from North London. “Our breakfast each morning was a 1200 calorie mixture of oats, protein and dried fruits, then we’d graze throughout the swim too,” he said. Come evening, the team would fill up on tinned fish, pasta or noodles. Luckily, they were able to replenish their water supply most days from shops near to where they stayed. By day 22, word had spread

about the epic challenge thanks to 35-year-old Zet sharing updates on social media, and people started meeting them at their overnight locations, bringing cakes, biscuits, curries and fruit. “We are so thankful for the food brought to us. Being in the water for so long each day was hard, especially when it went over the seven hour mark,” said Langan.

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Although they had all prepared as best they could for the challenge, there was no knowing how the body would react to being in the water for such sustained periods at a time. “We were pretty lucky. The worst thing was that any cuts didn’t heal but we took a lot of vaseSee page 16 line and sudocrem!” said Langan. As they swam around the island, the team

said the scenery was beautiful though they were slightly disappointed in the lack of wildlife they saw: “We spent more than 170 hours in the sea and the best fish we saw was a metre-long Sand Ray… about one minute after we left St Elm,” said Langan. Mallorca 360 set off with a target to make it around the island in 30 days, which technically, they did. “We had to stop for four days due to bad weather, so we actually completed it in 29 days!” he said. Since they arrived back on land Langan hasn’t yet been back in the water but 52-year-old Kent born Galgey is ‘like a fish’, and has already been snorkeling, said Langan. When the Olive Press asked the boys what their next adventure is, Langan said there’s a ‘few’ in the pipeline but they will most definitely be ‘on water, not in it’. Donations are still open on the Go Fund Me Mallorca 360 Snorkel Challenge page.

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Grim discovery THE body of experienced hiker Esther Dingley, who’s been missing since November, was discovered by her boyfriend on Monday on a mountain pass on the border between France and Spain.

Watch out CURED meat products under the label Embutidos Salgot that were distributed in the Balearic Islands have been recalled after they were found to be infected with Listeria. No cases of food posoning due to the products have been reported.

No holidays THE Balearic Nursing Union, SATSE, has slammed Ib-Salut after it suspended holidays for temporary workers and urged permanent staff to voluntarily cancel theirs too.

Fan-tastic SPORTS fans will be allowed back into stadiums in Spain from this week, with venues acting at 40% capacity.

POLICE rescued an unlucky thief who spent two days stuck in a ventilation shaft at a Madrid area Metro station. The 23-year-old man robbed an office at the Plaza Eliptica Metro station in the Carbunchel district of the capital but things went awry when he used a ventilation shaft for his escape route.

Truly shafted He was too portly for the duct and had to spend two days in it since nobody was around due to it being the weekend. Security guards on a Monday morn-

August 13th - August 26th 2021 ing patrol spotted the office doors had been forced and the lights were on. The Policia Nacional were called and saw several ceiling tiles on the floor. Officers inspected the shaft and discovered the trapped thief. The man was given medical treatment and then charged with burglary.

RIGHT DUMMY

Ventriloquist may have hidden €900 million of illegal assets A SPANISH ventriloquist turned impresario who has rubbed shoulders with A-list stars including Joan Collins and Jane Seymour may have laundered up to €900 million ahead of a move to the UK or USA. Jose Luis Moreno, 74, has been arrested in Madrid as a part of a police probe into an international embezzlement and money laundering ring. He has previously been in

By Alex Trelinski

hot water when Valencia City Council denounced him and demanded €360,000 after the ‘irregular management’ by his companies of a show staged in the city. Exact details of the latest investigation have been placed under a secrecy order with around 50 arrests being made.

Over the top A BEACHGOER knocked out several teeth of a man who picked up his backpack by mistake. The aggrieved bag owner launched his assault on Palma’s Can Pere Antoni beach with the shocked victim left spitting out teeth onto the sand. Local Police officers spotted the confrontation and the injured party told them that ‘he got confused’ when he picked up the bag. The bag owner has been arrested for causing serious bodily harm.

Much more than four stars.

A-LIST: Moreno, Collins, Seymour and Richards Moreno and his business partners have been accused of fraud amounting to over €43 million through a chain of companies. Moreno found fame in Spain and South America in the eighties as a ventriloquist and comedian making many television appearances. Since then he has become an impresario, most recently in the news for his part in the production of the Glow and Darkness TV series, starring Joan Collins, Denise Richards and Jane Seymour. TV channel, Cuatro, was sent a 5,000 page confidential document detailing Operation Titella which led to his arrest. Cuatro’s programme, Todo es

Friends.

Verdad (Everything is True) revealed that Moreno may have hidden as much as €900 million. Some €1.3 million of alleged Moreno assets were seized when police stopped a French-plated rental car in Barcelona and found the cash in the boot. Moreno has had a busy time away from show business. In 2007, an East European gang attacked his Madrid area villa, and besides robbing him, he needed hospital treatment for serious injuries. Seven years later, Moreno’s recording studios in four Madrid warehouses were burnt down.

Tourist raped THREE men have been arrested over the alleged gang rape of a 20-year-old Dutch tourist in a hotel in Playa de Palma. The three men, two Cubans and a Moroccan all aged between 20 and 22 years old, were arrested by Spain’s Police Nacional at the hotel on Wednesday. Hotel staff raised the alarm at 8am on Wednesday after the victim appeared at the reception desk and told them what had happened.

Complaint

Initially the Dutch woman was reluctant to file a police complaint but after a medical examination at hospital Son Espases she made a report to police. One of the men told police that he had sex with the Dutch woman but that it was consensual, and insisted neither of the other two men were involved. An investigation has been launched and the men have agreed to provide DNA samples.

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es ONE of Hollywood’s biggest stars has been spotted in Mallorca while shooting his new movie Hustle. Adam Sandler was seen playing on a basketball court in Palma as filming for the Netflix film gets underway in the Balearic Islands.

Rocky

Eagle-eyed fans also caught the star of 50 First Dates and Happy Gilmour getting out of a black truck wearing a grey and blue trucker's cap and black sunglasses. The movie stars Adam as a basketball scout who discovers a player abroad with a rocky past. Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall, Ben

STAR: Dame Joan

Still got it DAME Joan Collins stole the show when she attended a glitzy charity ball in Spain. The 88-year-old and hubby Percy Gibson, 56, were at the Remus Charity Night, which attracts socialites from all over Europe to Mallorca. The Dynasty actor proved to be the star attraction, despite the competing attractions of burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese and American glamour model and actor Carmen Electra.

Proper event

Speaking on social media, Dame Joan declared that she and Percy had pulled out all the stops for the night, as it was the ‘first proper event’ they had been to in a year and a half due to the pandemic. German Real Estate agent Marcel Remus sells luxury villas on the island, with some fetching prices as high as €24 million. He is well known for the charity extravaganza he puts on each year, with this year’s event raising €64,000 for victims of the recent floods in Europe. CATALAN singer, Sergio Dalma has got into hot water after he urged his audience to ignore social distancing guidelines. The musician was forced to suspend his gig by organisers after he stopped his set three times in order to instruct fans to break the rules and get out of their seats during his concert in Murcia. Te Amo star Sergio performed as part of the Noches del Malecon series but t h i n g s

August 13th - August 26th 2021

Ball-earics

Foster, Juancho Hernangomez, Jordan Hull, Maria Botto, Ainhoa Pillet and Kenny Smith are all acting alongside Sandler in the upcoming film. Hustle is just one of the movie’s the 54-year-old actor is making with Netflix as part of a $275 million pact with the online streaming company. The lucrative deal was for four new films, the first of which was released in October 2020, named Hubie Halloween. He also has an animated feature film that he will write, produce, and star in as a voice actor in the works at Netflix.

What a tearjerker

PLAYER: Sandler

COOKING UP A TREAT

Actor Richard E Grant visits expat couple for BBC show

AN EXPAT couple are front and centre of a new BBC TV show uncovering the history of writers in Spain. David and Emma Illsley, who run Las Chimeneas in the little-known village of Mairena in the hills of Andalucia, stole the show when their gorgeous home made an appearance on the third episode of the series Write Around the World.

Gushed

Actor Richard E Grant, who presents the BBC show, gushed about the couple’s cookbook during his visit to the Alpujarras.

SPECIAL GUEST: David and Emma met Grant

By Kirsty McKenzie

David and Emma moved to the remote town between the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean Sea after

SILLY SINGER turned sour when he encouraged audience members to ignore the restrictions and stand up from their seats during the show. The 56-year-old singer tried to resist safety measures, telling the audience: “We are going to interrupt the concert every time they tell someone to sit down.” As part of the current COVID-19 regulations in

SORRY: Sergio Dalma Spain all concertgoers must remain seated at a safe distance and wear a mask at all times. Sergio later apologised for his actions.

AT EVERY Olympic Games over the last three decades race walker Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado has represented Spain, hip-wiggling over 50kms while never breaking into a run. But on Friday at the grand old age of 51 years old, after finishing 35 th in the 50km race walk in Sapporo, he admitted it would be his last. “You have to know when it is time to retire,” he said after the race adding that he was hugely grateful to the Spanish

spending three years teaching English in the Canary Islands with the British Council. But just like friend and author Chris Stewart, the couple were seduced by life in southern Spain and now have two sons, a booming holiday business and a popular Spanish cookbook under their belts. The pair described the family’s television debut as a ‘feel-good shot-in-thearm’ that came ‘hurtling out the blue’. They said: “To our complete consternation, we were already able to see episode three, in which we feature for a full ten minutes, with the actor Richard E. Grant waxing lyrical about our book Las Chimeneas: Recipes and Stories from an Alpujarran village.

THE FINAL LEG Federation for support during his long career. Although the Madrid born athlete has never brought home an Olympic medal despite competing in every Games since Barcelona ’92, he has still made history by become the first track and field athlete to compete in eight in a career that spans 30 years.

ARGENTINIAN football legend Lionel Messi broke down in tears as he said goodbye to the club which has been his home for his entire career. He was speaking at a press conference to confirm his departure, and was reduced to tears when members of the press gave him a standing ovation. The 34-year-old has been with FC Barcelona since childhood and has scored an astounding 672 goals in 778 senior appearances since 2003. The six times Ballon d’Or winner had by all accounts wanted to leave the club last year, but was finally ‘persuaded’ to stay when club bosses refused to let him go.

Free

But having been a free agent since July 1, he would appear to have had a change of heart, and was willing to accept a 50% pay cut in exchange for a new contract. But the parlous state of Barcelona’s finances has meant they can’t keep him without falling foul of the La Liga’s financial fair play rules. Messi has now joined Paris St Germain, where he will be reunited with Brazilian superstar and former Barcelona teammate Neymar.

“Even our boys were impressed: after all, this is a man who has shaken the hand of Luke Skywalker! “It’s a quirky and amusing bit of telly, and worth watching if only to see the gentle, rather mystified smiles of our cooks Conchi and Sole as they prepare an al fresco meal for a Hollywood actor and his hungry, drooling crew.”

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4 www.theolivepress.es Grand lady CLUB de Mar in Palma had a surprise visit from the largest single-masted sailboat ever built. Named M5, the 77 metre-long yacht docked in Apra Harbour on Wednesday, showing off its 88 metre tall mast, with an automated rig to hoist 3,380 square metres of sail. Built in 2004, M5 was originally called Mirabella V, but Rodney Lewis, founder, president and CEO of Texas oil and natural gas drilling company Lewis Energy, refurbished the boat and changed the name when he bought it in 2014. Complete with a master suite, six cabins and a swimming pool, the impressive boat has seen many celebrities climb on-board for a ride such as Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen and Sting.

NEWS

A BRITISH teenager is facing the amputation of two fingers from his right hand after being bitten by a spider while on holiday in Ibiza. The unnamed 19-year-old has been told by doctors on his return home to Wales that the infection is so bad surgery will probably be needed. The teenager recalled being bitten by something as he watched the sunset from the beach in San Antonio. “I sat on some steps and felt something sting me but I didn’t think anything of it,” he told Diario de Ibiza. “I awoke at 5 am the next morning to

August 13th - August 26th 2021

Flying high

Bite horror

find my hand was burning and was swelling up.” He sought medical treatment at the local health centre which gave him an injection but his condition worsened and he was sent to Can Misses Hospital. Blood tests determined that he had been bitten by the usually non-agressive Recluse Spider, Loxosceles rufescens, also known as Violin Spiders due to the markings on their back.

POISON: Recluse Spider

No drink no COVID HEALTH authorities in the Balearic Islands report a huge drop in infection rates since they imposed a ban on botellones - the practice of drinking with friends in public places such as parks, beaches and plazas. Island health chiefs tightened restrictions with two

Coronavirus infections plummet with ban on botellones measures introduced on July 22 and July 24 in a bid to curb uncontrolled socialising by tourists and residents alike. The first saw bars and

restaurants forced to close by 1am, an hour earlier than previous rules. The second stage saw all outdoor gatherings banned between 1am and 6am

Party poopers wanted SPANISH police are looking for ‘foreigners’ to go undercover to bust illegal parties on Ibiza. With most of the big clubs still closed due to the pandemic, ravers are hosting illegal gatherings to make up for the loss of nightlife, with organisers risking fines of up to €600,000. Now police want people to apply for a role

in the ‘party-crasher squad’, an initiative which police say is ‘a necessity to safeguard the health situation’. The illegal gatherings are ‘not only an issue related to public order, which they have always been, but now they pose an obvious risk to people’s health,’ Mariano Juan, a local official, told the Diario de Ibiza newspaper.

The incidence of cases has fallen by 27% since the new restrictions were imposed, according to data from the Balearic Islands regional health authority. On Tuesday the incidence stood at 792.5 cases per 100,000 population, down from 1,127 cases per 100,000 over a 14 day period on July 28 at the peak of the fifth wave.

Goal

Spain is on target to meet its goal of vaccinating 70% of the population before the end of August. The latest government data shows that 76.2% of the population has now been jabbed with at least one dose and 66% of the population is fully vaccinated.

THE Red Kite’s population in the Balearics has recovered from just 20 15 years ago to 200 today. The news was revealed as the Balearic Island Environmental Councillorship presented a new edition of the ‘Red book of vertebrates of the Balearic Island ‘ (Libro Rojo de Vertebrados de Baleares) - the first since 2005. The book highlights 10 species that are staging a comeback from a precarious position on the islands, including the Red Kite. Although conservation has improved considerably, there are still species whose status is worrying, especially Cave Bats whose population on the islands is described as ‘in danger’.

Expensive party PARTIERS could face a fine of €7,500 for disrupting ‘natural sound levels’ with giant screens and generators following complaints about two beach parties over the weekend of Sant Joan. The two beaches where the large gatherings were held are places of ‘community interest’, which means they have special environmental protection. The Balearic government’s has opened proceedings against the organisers of the parties, for neglecting the ‘law of conservation for environmental importance’.

www.theolivepress.es A POPULAR cake maker has vanished after being accused of taking deposits from ‘dozens’ of wedding clients in Spain. The self-professed ‘Queen of amazing cakes’ Omaya Koreitem disappeared after deleting her social media accounts and failing to fulfil orders. One client of her company Cake Couture Marbella claims to have paid €350 for a cake for his big day this summer. Ryan Archie has taken to social media for advice after he heard nothing from Koreitem as the big day approached. “This is leaving us without a cake on our wedding day,” said the British groom. “I paid a 50% deposit, which was still a good chunk of money. It was a big cake.

No reply

“Now we can’t get in contact with them and have had no reply on Facebook, Instagram or by email. “She (Koreitem) is continuing to take deposits and make false promises to couples. This is fraud and is ruining people’s special day.” A Facebook page now set up dedicated to those affected suggests that dozens ‘at least’ have been left out of pocket. Another person affected by the scandal, who asked to remain anonymous, first contacted Koreitem on Facebook when she paid a deposit for a client’s cake but then couldn’t get hold of Koreitem. “No one seems to know what happened,” she said. Another Marbella wedding planner, who wished to remain unnamed, told the Olive Press

NEWS

August 13th August 26th 2021

THE GREAT SPANISH TAKE OFF

Cake maker vanishes leaving ‘dozens’ of wedding clients out of pocket EXCLUSIVE By Kirsty McKenzie

she and her clients had been left ‘devastated’ by the scam. The 45-year-old wedding organiser first started working with Koreitem in 2012 after she came highly recommended. The British wedding planner only became suspicious when she received an automated message this year that said Koreitem had changed her number. Two of her clients are waiting on cakes, with a total loss of €725 in deposits. She said: ‘I asked her where she had moved to and she said Saint Martins and that I was welcome to visit anytime. I mentioned Monica was looking for her and she acted surprised but then I said that I also had cakes booked with her and she asked me to send the

details as she didn’t recall. ‘Since then she has unfriended me on Facebook, taken down her page on Instagram and is not answering any messages on WhatsApp or email.’

Deception

“My clients are devastated as am I. We really don’t need this kind of deception and thieving at any point but even less so when everyone has had such a tough time. “It makes us look bad on the coast.” While a Twitter page and website still exist for Cake Couture, which was set up over two decades ago, the Instagram and Facebook pages for the business have been taken down. Another wedding planner, who had commissioned the company to make several cakes, told the Olive Press that she has apparently changed her phone

CRUMBS: Koreitem vanished with the cash number to a new one in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. “It is such a shame as Koreitem was the go-to cake designer for very large events,” she said.

www.theolivepress.es 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

INTERESTING A Dickens of a challenge

BEST OF LUCK! TIMES have been hard for all of us during the coronavirus pandemic. There is no one who has not been affected by the health regulations, lockdowns, stress and sheer inconvenience of the restrictions. Many of us expats in Spain have been unable to visit family and friends in the UK and elsewhere in Europe for fear of becoming stranded should travel restrictions change suddenly. Indeed, the Olive Press itself has suffered earlier in the pandemic with a reporter being stuck in England for months for just that reason. But looking beyond the personal pain we have all felt, the Olive Press is extremely conscious of the suffering felt by expat businesses throughout 2020 and the first part of 2021 – particularly those in the hospitality industry. While the ERTE furlough scheme at least helped workers with a proportion of their wages guaranteed, precious little aid has been given to the owners of businesses. Yes, low-cost loans have been ‘guaranteed’ by the government – but even then we have learned of instances where banks used these to pay off old loans rather than supply new capital to tide companies over. It has been a hard slog – but as can be seen on these pages – expat businessmen and women are a resilient lot. Belts have been tightened, businesses refocused and survival plans put into action. And the more forward thinking entrepreneur’s now find themselves in position to not just catch up on lost ground but to even forge ahead. They have the vision – and energy – to rebuild their businesses so that they are better than ever before. We wish them luck, and hope that our readers will support them in the coming months and years. PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

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Kirsty McKenzie kirsty@theolivepress.es

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INTERVIEW: Sala boss Ian Radford talks to Dilip Kuner

I STRONG: Tracey Faulkner

Lockdown shocker, but now stronger Rumours Formentera was only open for three weeks when COVID struck, writes Simon Wade

TRACEY Faulkner loved her local so much she bought it and transformed it into Rumours Formentera in 2020. After working in her native Belfast, Magaluf and in New York hospitality, the 34-year-old had even built a portfolio of how her perfect bar would look. “We’d only been open for three weeks following refurbishment, when lockdown forced us to close,” she lamented. “On that first night, the front window was smashed in and we got broken into.” It was an awful start, but friends and customers rallied round to help fix the damage, after the insurance company’s attempt wasn’t up to scratch. “Steve Howells Transport gave us some strong wood, and my boyfriend got a group together to do a secure job at fixing it,” she said. “Those kind actions gave a hint of what was to come from the pandemic,” continued Tracey,

Time

“Getting through December was essential, so we delivered a threecourse Christmas menu for €14.95, which was very popular.” While little money was made, keeping staff in a job and reminding punters that their local was still trading, proved a worthwhile investment. “I feel very lucky to have come through this pandemic, but that’s down to hard work and long hours,” adds Tracey. “Even if customers didn’t order from us, we kept in touch with Facebook videos showing people how to make exotic cocktails.” A new pizza oven meant Rumours could be even more diverse with their menu, and free deliveries meant essential contact with customers was maintained. Tracy concluded: “It’s been a long wait, but the legacy of lockdown is a better business and a stronger relationship with the community.”

T was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. Charles Dickens may have written those words about the French revolution, but they could just as well have been penned for the British boss of the Sala Group of restaurants, Ian Radford, whose situation in Spain has been distinctly challenging over the past few years. Apart from the spectre of Brexit, which has still not settled down, he has had nearly two years of COVID-19 problems to deal with. Speaking to the Olive Press the 52-yearold father of three explained: “Everything was great and 2019 was our best year ever. Things went to another level.” It came after a decade of hard work, which saw him open his seminal La Sala restaurant in 2010 and the nearby La Sala by the Sea in 2008, which was designed and is now run by his wife Claire with the help of son Piers, 19, and eldest daughter Sophie, 27. Daughter Chea at 11 is the baby of the family.

Superstar

Along with the Oak Garden Grill (now rebranded as The Social by Sala) and the Havana bar in Estepona (run by Sophie) they have attracted a big celebrity clientele, including Irish superstar Ronan Keating, Premier League footballers including Harry Kane, Ashley Cole and David Bentley - who liked the restaurant

The team behind Triple Brew in Rojales picked up some valuable tips during the lockdown SEASONED restaurateurs Michael and Faith Lindemann actually opened their restaurant and nano-brewery in the middle of the pandemic, November 2020, just as takeaways were being introduced as the only option available. “We took it week by week and news-release by news-release,” explains Michael, who has previously held front-of-house and restaurant management positions in New Zealand.

SURVIVORS: Michael and Faith Lindemann

HAPPY FAMILY: Ian with Claire and Chea

so much he became a shareholder. Then there is Alan Sugar, Jamie Oliver and Prince Albert of Monaco, not to mention just about the entire cast of TOWIE who have become regulars. This has led to an upward spiral of success - a trend that continued into 2020 with takings up 20% year on year in January and February. But the worst of times were about to strike as COVID-19 suddenly came on the scene. The lockdown from March last year instantly brought the guillotine down on business for three months, with no opening allowed. And even when things opened again the levels were far lower than ever before. “Our turnover in 2020 crashed 70% over 2019. The challenge was massive,” ad-

WE LEARNT A LOT “With the planned wine-tastings and beer brewing demonstrations on hold, we needed to find a different way of bringing customers in. “We worked on making our takeaway menu something special, offering beers and wine samples in smaller bottles and QR Codes meant we could still showcase different options safely.” Knowing how busy the area can get, the summer influx of tourists was really missed. But they discovered that takeaways are still a growing sector and they have vowed to continue with the QR codes as they save printing costs. Faith, who has 20 year’s experience as a headchef in native New Zealand, the UK and in Spain, admitted: “Customers’ loyalty and staff dedication really shone through during the pandemic - that’s a great legacy.” “That support ensured we were still here once the restrictions were lifted.”

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TIMES

August 13th - August 26th 2021

But the high spending power of this summer’s visitors to the Costa del Sol and low-cost loans are helping key expat businesses like the Sala Group survive the pandemic

BUSY: La Sala has had a good August while (below) Ronan Keating and wife Storm with Ian and Claire (left)

mits Ian, a former professional squash player and keen golfer. “It didn’t help that we had very little help from the government. While the ERTE furlough scheme paid staff 70% of their normal salary, what a lot of people don’t realise is that we still had to pay their social security contributions. “Guess how much that worked out as? Almost exactly 70% of their salaries. And we had 160 staff! “In effect it was costing the government nothing – the businesses had to pay it… and apart from some small payments we got very little help from the government.” Speaking on the terrace of his flagship restaurant La Sala, he was keen to recognise the tough times his loyal staff have also suffered. “They have had to make do with 70% of their salaries plus they have no tips, which really hurts them,” he points out. Despite the huge drop in turnover the businessman realised that he still needed to invest in the business to put himself in a position to take advantage of the recovery. He has been targeting local trade, improving his terrace to avoid indoor seating restrictions and changed the emphasis of the Oak Garden Grill, relaunching it as The Social by Sala to make it more focused on being a sports bar rather than a

HEN the pandemic storm broke, Stephen Grange and Alex Hemingway bosses of the Oasis in Benijofar weren’t too worried. “When the pandemic hit, we just didn’t know what to expect,” admitted 61-year-old Stephen, a former advertising executive. “We thought it was going to be an enforced two week closure at first, so we took the chance to enjoy a well-earned holiday.” “As we planned for the reopening, we designed

Worth paying for

E at the Olive Press are always keen to talk to our readers to get constructive comments and feedback. After all, without readers – whether for our traditional newspapers or our website and online platforms – there is really very little point to our job. One question we get is 'what do I get for my money – what am I paying for?' Well, what you get is journalism, you are paying for people who excel at storytelling to do the work they love and the job they were trained to do. Being behind a paywall frees us from the tyranny of 'clickbait journalism'. With the knowledge that money is coming in, we do not have to chain our reporters to their desks to chase ever more page views. This means that our national media schooled journalists, including News Editor Dil- ip Kuner (top) Digital Editor Fiona Govan (right) and Costa Blanca reporter Alex Trelinski (below) who worked at the Sunday Mirror, Telegraph and BBC respectively, can do what they were trained for. Thanks to those people who have signed up for €5.99 a month – or €50 a year – we can afford to free our journalists to do what they do best – get out and about, meet people and report back to you, our readers. So far the takeup of subscriptions has been way beyond our initial expectations – so thank you to everyone who has recognised that quality journalism is worth paying for!

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: UK poised to relax travel rules for those 1-doubled jabbed abroad and drop quarantine from amber list countries added in Spain? Yes you can tra2- Double vel to England without quarantine from August 2 restaurant. And the investment seems to be paying off. “We have just had a very encouraging July – business was actually up on July 2019. On top of that we have become more efficient as we had to be if we were to survive. “It is not just us – everyone around here in Banus is very busy. I have noticed that the customers this year have very high spending power. They have the money and they seem happy to spend it.” Adding to the optimism is the way he was able to shore up his business financially.

new menus and operations to get back to some sort of normality.” “Menus had to reflect what people wanted, and when they wanted it.” Alex, a 52-year-old former teacher and trained chef, added: “Lockdown also made us review a lot of what else needed to change, so there were benefits.” Like many restaurateurs Alex and Stephen had to think outside the box to survive the crisis. “We created a new brand called Oasis Heat&Eat; a range of wholesome

“We did manage to get some low-cost loans – that is something the government can be thanked for – so we can pay our 2020 costs off over the next five years. “It means we didn’t have to approach private capital or our investors for money.” And the rest of the year is starting to shape up nicely. “We have managed to hang in there through the bad times. Now we are in position to take advantage of the opportunities that always arise after crises. “We are expecting to finish the year strongly and to have an incredible 2022 – COVID permitting!”

next for the UK’s am3- Analysis: IsberSpain plus travel list These are the rules for travel 4- Reminder: to the UK from amber list Spain Westley Capper implicated in disappea5-rance of Latvian model Agnese Klavina in Spain’s Marbella dies from Covid

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote

An Oasis in the storm meals to go, that just needed warming at home,” said Alex. Stephen continued: “We did everyday meals, curries, Sunday lunches, and even Valentines and Mothers Day options.” The concept is turning into a new string to their bow. “Certainly the Heat&Eat menu will return in the Autumn as people choose to eat in more and out less,” said Stephen.

“We pride ourselves on being here for everyone, whether it’s a coffee, a nice meal, or just a chat - that will never change.” “Those chats have been dominated by three topics in the last five years; the EU referendum, Brexit and then COVID.” “All three have left such a legacy, they will never go away.” “But because of them, we are stronger and more focussed about the future.”

NEW THINKING: Stephen Grange

GREEN

www.theolivepress.es

August 13th - August 26th 2021

If we all do a little we will achieve little - the evidence is there

HERE is a worldwide organisation you probably haven’t heard of called the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Bear with me,this is highly relevant. Formed in 1988, this body provides politicians and Governments every seven years with assessments on the science,the impacts and the potential options for tackling climate change. They are meeting now. Their findings will be shared with the representatives of 195 countries.

Their last report, published in 2013, helped to set the scene for the Paris climate agreement signed in 2015. This report was highly critical of our lackadaisical approach to tackling one of the most critical issues of our time…..climate change. In 2013,its assessment said: “Humans are the dominant cause of global warming.” Interestingly this report had a great impact on younger generations, many taking to the streets to demand effective political response. Has it changed things? In my view only a little.I’ve said before .. If we all do a little we will achieve little. The new report that will come from this meeting that will last a week, held virtually because of COVID, will play a key part in guiding global leaders who meet this November in Glasgow. It will be DAMNING! How can it not be.The evidence is staring us in the face.

Green

Time to wake up!

Matters

By Martin Tye

New report on climate change will be damning

Extreme weather events have shaken Europe, the US, Canada and Asia.

GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER! The IPCC is not just a bunch of scientists. This body is commissioned by governments, and IS unique in the way it operates. More than 200 researchers have been working in groups to gather all the relevant scientifically proven evidence. Nothing is written that is not scientifically correct. The report will have new information on sea levels rising and the state of the Arctic and Antarctic. It will also report on the likelihood of us holding the

global rise in temperatures to 1.5C this century. It will also review how governments are tracking against agreed targets set in the Paris climate pact. For sure Spain will not be crowned in glory. Time for the politicians to ‘walk the walk’. Relevant and strong lyrics come to mind from a track released in 2018 by the Black Eyed Peas (pictured left) called Ring the Alarm. “Wake up! I wanna say what’s on my motherf***ing conscious The whole world right now is f***ing bonkers” Anybody else agree with these sentiments?

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es

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A PIONEERING maritime Sea’s first coral nurseries across nursery has been created on several zones. the Andalucia coast to rescue SOS Corals co-ordinator, Marirare coral damaged by fishing. na Palacios, said: “This colony The SOS Corals Project has has hundreds of endangered been set up in Almuñecar’s specimens because they are Punta de la Monta conserva- very vulnerable to nets, hooks, ALSOlines, traps and other fishing tion area. The mixture WE of local rocky and sandy seabed gear, which kills them off.” INSTALL features high numDivers and volunteers bers of endangered started mapping SOLAR PV PANELS species, including out the location the orange coral of coral coloand the candenies. The team labrum coral. created areas The water of around 50 quality, the square meunderwater tres where up relief system to 250 kilos of and marine rubbish, almost currents have all from fishing, combined to create was removed. the right conditions Just one plot had in the area for coral to 200 metres of rope, 300 thrive. metres of netting, and a three The candelabrum coral is espe- kilometre length of fishing line. cially rare and normally flour- Eight out 10 corals were damishes in depths of more than 50 aged and they have been inmetres. dividually cleaned up by the However, the Punta de la Mona divers before being transferred has seen up to 1,000 speci- to colony areas. SOS Corals has mens develop at just 30 metres. set 2025 as a target for a fulDamage caused by the fishing ly-healthy coral zone with five trade has prompted the setting ‘safe’ nursery plots being creatup of one of the Mediterranean ed over the next few months.

Flying high WE ALSO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS Generate Your Own Electricity with Solar PV Panels Instantly reduce your bill and get paid for any surplus you produce.

22/01/2021 17:03:05

NINE White-tailed Eagles are to be released in the first step of a plan to reintroduce the species to Spain. The birds are being housed in an acclimatisation enclosure in Asturias having arrived from Norway, before being released into the wild. The scheme is being led by Spanish conservation group GREFA and follows the restoration of Bearded Vulture to Asturias. Norway has been key to the reintroduction of the species to several countries where the eagle had gone extinct. These include Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Wight in England. The Spanish birds have been fitted with GPS transmitters so scientists can keep track of them in the coming months.

LA CULTURA

July 30th - August 12th 2021

SMALL: The screen

Film on THERE may only be seven registered inhabitants in the small village of Ascaso, Huesca, but that hasn’t stopped it from putting on a film festival every year. This August, the film festival returns from August 31 to September 4, and is set to be bigger than ever, as it celebrates its 10th birthday. A hugely important event for the village, the film festival has an economic impact of around €100,000, and is a way of putting the small towns of Upper Aragon on the map. The quaint village currently has no electricity in the houses but by the end of 2021 residents will finally be given power. During the festival, nine films will be shown: five feature films and four shorts. The fun will kick-off on Tuesday 31, with an exhibition called 10 years that changed Ascaso, including talks from authors about how the festival transformed the small village. Shortly after, there will be a sound and light show, followed by the first film, A media coz, by Patricia Fernandez and Heidi Hassan.

Enormous hoard of Roman weapons discovered By Alex Oscar

Archaeologists have uncovered a large cache of Roman weapons and tools in the protohistoric settlement of Son Catlar, Menorca. A statement released by the University of Alicante revealed that the cache held Roman ‘weapons, knives, three arrowheads, spearheads, projectiles, surgical tools, a

IMPORTANT: Son Catlar site and some of the hoard bronze spatula probe, and so on’. Some of these items date back

as far as 100 BC. The dig site, which has just undergone its fifth season of

A RIGHT CHARLA A SLEEPY town wants to elevate the long held tradition of having a neighbourly chat on one’s doorstep into a UNESCO recognised cultural activity that deserves preservation.

CHAT: shooting the breeze

O you think of Ibiza as merely a party island? You’d be so wrong. Ibiza is the home to thousands of expatriates who value its warm climate, rich cultural heritage and peaceful environment which allows them to ‘disconnect’ from their busy lives. So here are a few reasons why you should consider buying a home in Ibiza and possibly even becoming a permanent.

Ibiza’s culture is more than just nightclubs Ibiza has an established gastronomic culture fuelled by fresh and organic food sourced from local markets. From five-star international dining experiences to rustic Mediterranean restaurants, there are options for every taste and budget. There are also lots of options to relax, from high-end yoga retreats to beautiful art galleries, providing a rich and active Ibizan cultural scene.

Ibiza is a place for community and family Ibiza has an exceptionally diverse culture which attracts many nationalities as residents. A very friendly island, there is a strong sense of community, a good expat social scene, and the respectful nature ingrained in Spanish culture makes for a good place for families. Despite being a small island, it has a range of good public and private schools, several of which use the British educational system leading to internationally recognised qualiofications.

Ibiza as a place to work Traditionally people used to focus on finding a job ‘in Ibiza’ but in our virtual, digitally-connected world, many expats moving to Ibiza have found they can run their business remotely from the island. Many of our clients are consultants, professionals, writers, or artists who have found the work-life balance is embraced in Ibiza. And if you do have to travel for work, Ibiza is a mere two-hour flight from most European capitals.

In Algar, a pueblo blanco with 1,428 residents just inland from the coast in Cadiz province, Andalucia, pulling up a chair outside your front door to shoot the breeze with your neighbours at the end of a long hot summer day is as vital to daily life as collecting a barra in the morning and taking a siesta in the afternoon. Jose Carlos Sanchez Barea, the Popular Party mayor of Algar saw an opportunity to encourage the practice - known in Spanish as charla al fresco - that he believes is essential to community spirit and general wellbeing. He said: “We are going to begin the process to have charla al fresco awarded World Heritage status,” he announced.

Image from: University of Alicante

CACHE IN HAND

Cleaning up A POET has won a prestigious award for her heart wrenching poems written while cleaning hospital laundry during the pandemic. Begoña M Rueda won the Hiperion poetry award for her moving and eye opening collection based on her experiences at the Hospital Punta de Europa, in Algeciras.

Laundry

excavation following a year of inactivity due to COVID, is a fort surrounded by an 870m wall, the largest Talayotic settlement in the area. The settlement, pending approval to be a UNESCO site, was a Talayotic (ancient Menorcan) and then later Roman stronghold, during the Punic period (264-146 BC). According to Heritage Daily, Son Catlar was originally founded between 2000-1200 BC and was occupied until 476 AD, the end of the Roman occupation. The director of the excavation, Fernando Prado, even speculates that the walls of the settlement may have had a special religious connotation. Gateway to cities were associated with the God Janus, the god of transitions, time and beginnings.

IBIZA FOR EXPATRIATES

She has been doing the laundry since 2019 while writing poetry on the side. Her latest collection Servicio de lavanderia (Laundry Service) provides a ‘raw, harrowing, angry, tender, and sometimes funny, dispatch from the sweltering, invisible realm of washers, dryers, detergents and body fluids’, according to The Guardian.

POET: Begoña

What you need to know if you own a house on the White Isle

By Malini Peñalva, Spanish Abogada at Del Canto Chambers Ibiza Ibiza Property Market Ibiza is distinguished by many exclusive, high-end properties and the real estate market has remained a safe and solid place for foreign property investment – the last five years have seen property values increase by 56.5% right across the island. International buyers drive demand in Ibiza real estate, raising property values and improving the overall infrastructure. However, new planning permission regulations have made new build licenses more difficult to obtain and legal guidance is essential to move the process forward. If you are a foreign national (expat) with Spanish residency who owns a property in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera you are liable to pay a number of taxes consisting of personal income tax on property or any rental income, capital gains tax, city council tax and tax on assets such as boats. Del Canto Chambers, the go-to set of chambers for international tax and legal matters with offices in both the UK and Spain, outlines some of the key issues concerning Spanish assets and why specialist advice should be sought so that your residency status and global wealth is also taken into account.

Property Income Tax in the Balearic Islands Spanish income tax and residence rules must be considered carefully when owning property or investing in Ibiza. For example, in the case of a holiday home or rental, you are liable to pay taxes to the Spanish tax authorities on property

you own and other assets and investments. If you do not pay the appropriate tax to the Spanish authorities your property may build up a debt against it on which interest is also due, which often leads to difficulties in selling it and your bank account could be embargoed. In 1998, the Spanish non-resident income tax law introduced a tax liability on properties in Spain owned by non-residents. Tax on property transfers ITP (Impuesto Sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) is applied to the purchase of ‘second-hand’ properties, and value-added tax IVA and AJD (Impuesto Sobre el Valor Añadido and Impuesto sobre Actos Jurídicos Documentados) to new build properties bought from the developer. To mitigate their tax liabilities, some people buy their property in Ibiza through a company. Whilst this can be effective, it obviously has tax and legal implications that need to be considered, and professionals should review the structures used to buy property to ensure compliance. Unfortunately, many Spanish property owners created corporate structures to purchase their property years previously and have given them

little consideration since. The Spanish tax authorities are aware of this and if a company was created before 2018 and the tax position has not been assessed recently, they are likely to investigate. Get in touch and tell us about your Spanish Tax & Legal requirements. With Spanish tax inspections and investigations on the rise, it is more important than ever to have a qualified international tax and legal team who have expertise in both areas if you have property or assets in Ibiza. Del Canto Chambers has a team of expert lawyers who are dual-qualified in the UK and in Spain, meaning we are perfectly positioned to support our clients with any legal or tax requirements. We help ensure you are fully compliant with your tax position, helping you plan and protect your income as best as possible.

To make a no-obligation enquiry, please either call Del Canto Chambers now on: +44 2070 430648 or complete our online form on our website’s contact page, which after receipt we will come back to you within 24 hours. Our office in Ibiza are located on: Calle Illa Plana 7, 07800 Ibiza, Islas Baleares. You can contact us directly on 971 761 171

BUSINESS

Bargain motoring

FOR the first time in five years, diesel is over 14 cents per litre cheaper than petrol. This represents a saving of over 10% for those filling up with diesel, and in general, fuel consumption is lower in diesel-powered vehicles than petrol. The average forecourt prices in Spain as reported by the EU are €1.264 per litre for diesel and €1.408 per litre of Euro-super 95 petrol. The difference of 14.4 cents is the widest reported since May 2016. This is an increase of almost three cents since the beginning of 2021. In general, diesel-powered cars emit fewer CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions than petrol-engined vehicles, but are worse for air quality due to their particulate emissions.

SPAIN’S economic growth after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic has helped the eurozone out of recession. The EU had suffered a double-dip recession when two successive three-month periods showed a worrying drop in productivity. However, with both Spain and Italy showing growth of 3%, the entire region has been bolstered by an overall 2% in growth. Sources have revealed that up-to-date figures suggest growth occurred in all the EU countries involved in the research, albeit at different levels. But after the economic devastation caused by COVID-19 and various

Looking up lockdowns, the eurozone is still 3% down from its pre-pandemic level in the fourth quarter of 2019. Austria and Portugal also showed signs of strong recovery with Spain’s neighbour reporting an even healthier 4.9% expansion in its economy.

Recovery

Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics was diplomatic with his view that Portugal’s recovery reflects, ‘a slightly less disastrous tourism season than Spain’s’. Germany and France

August 13th - August 26th 2021

Going cashless What you need to know about Spain’s ban on cash payments over €1,000

SPAIN has introduced a new rule to outlaw cash payments of over €1,000 for registered companies and professionals in part of a clampdown on tax fraud.

have rebounded from the recession slower, but still showed increases, with 1.5% and 0.9% respectively. Figures released show that household spending made an important contribution in France, Germany and more so in Spain. Kenningham predicted that by the end of this year, growth levels will be close to pre-pandemic levels, but the gap will still be there. The USA has closed that gap, but unemployment is still high stateside. By contrast, the new eurozone figures showed the number of people gaining work increased by more than 400,000 in June alone.

By Fiona Govan

The regulation applies to payments involving registered businesses and professionals as part of an on-going battle by Spain’s tax office to prevent undeclared economic activity and tax fraud. That means it only applies if ‘the transaction involves one member who is acting in a business or professional role’. So for example, you can only pay the mechanic who fixes your car up to €1,000 in cash but if you sold your car to a private buyer, there is no limit.

Rules

However, the rules are different if the person paying isn’t a tax resident in Spain. So for individuals who are visiting and are not working in a professional field in Spain, they can make cash payments of up to €10,000 to a Spanish company or for professional services. The measure is part of a

BAN: Cash transactions of more than €1,000 wider EU move to crackdown on money laundering that could see a cap in cash payments set at €10,000. The new rules in Spain include penalties for those

TAXING MATTERS

ITH Brexit still fresh in everyone's minds, and a number of changes surrounding visas and the end of freedom of movement between the UK and the EU, the topic of residency, especially tax residency, can seem like a minefield. So how does tax residency work, and how will it affect Olive Press readers? Well, If you are a UK national and you live overseas with no intention to return to the UK to live, then you will only pay income tax on your UK income. However if you are an overseas national, then you will need to consider your residency status.

The Sufficient ties test, which looks at your connections to the UK, will help establish whether or not you can be considered as a tax resident. A sufficient tie test takes into account the following;

The first step is to see if you are an overseas resident and you can do this by answering three simple questions

● A UK resident who is a close family member - eg. a spouse or partner ● Available UK accommodation in which the individual has spent one night during the tax year ● Substantive UK work (Employed or Self-employed for at least 40 days, working for a minimum of 3 hours per day) ● Present in the UK for more than 90 days during either of the previous two tax years ● If the UK is the county that you spent the most time in during the tax year - this will be considered if you were resident in any of the previous 3 tax years.

1. Are you present in the UK, for less than 16 days in the tax year? 2. Are you present in the UK, for less than 46 days and have not been a resident in the previous three tax years? 3. Do you work overseas full-time and are not present in the UK for more than 90 Days in the Tax Year? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then you are automatically an overseas resident.

caught failing to comply. Fines imposed by the tax office increase incrementally according to the amount paid in cash over the permitted €1,000.

Apari helps explain how tax residency works for UK nationals living in Spain

● Your Sufficient Ties (otherwise known as connections to the UK). ● the amount of time spent in the UK ● what your previous residency status was in the UK A sufficient tie, or connection to the uk, can be determined by the following;

The automatic UK test, comprises a further 3 questions;

Days Spent in the UK

Previously Resident

Less than 16 Days

Automatically Not Resident

1. Are you present in the UK for 183 days or more in a tax year? (spending any day past Midnight is classed as being present in the UK for a day)

16 - 45 Days

Resident if 4 UK Ties or more

So how does residency affect you? Well as a UK resident you will pay tax on both your UK Income and Overseas Income - but this also means that you are eligible for the UK tax free personal allowance. Not Previously Resident If you are a non-resident then you will only be liable Automatically Not Resident to pay income tax on all income arising in the UK. Automatically Not Resident

46 - 90 Days

Resident if 3 UK Ties or more

Resident if 4 UK Ties or more

2. Is your only home in the UK?

91- 120 Days

Resident if 2 UK Ties or more

Resident if 3 UK Ties or more

121 - 182 Days

Resident if 1 UK Tie or more

Resident if 2 UK Ties or more

183 Days

Automatically UK Resident

But what if you answered no to all of the above? Well then this leads us onto the Automatic UK test.

3. Do you carry out full-time work in the UK? But it doesn't end there - if you still answer no to all three of these questions, there are still steps to consider.

The below table will help to determine your sufficient tie test outcome - this can affect your residency.

APARI has been developed to support people with any resident status - you can sign up for free at www.apari-digital.com today and start Making Tax Doable!

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Amber light

SPAIN’S tourism industry welcomed the British government decision to keep it on the amber list, allowing those who are fully vaccinated to enter the UK without the need for quarantine. The changes that were announced by the UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps came after weeks of speculation that Spain might be heading for an ‘amber plus’ list or new ‘amber watchlist’, both scenarios which would seriously deter tourists from visiting.

Review

But instead the current rules as regards travel to the UK from Spain will be maintained until the next review in two weeks. Confusingly, the Department for Transport said that ‘arrivals from Spain and all its islands are advised to use a PCR test as their pre-departure test wherever possible’. This is despite the fact that the official regulation allows people to use the cheaper lateral flow antigen tests.

CORKER! By Katherine Brook

A SPANISH vineyard has beaten the world’s finest to be named the best in the world to visit. Herederos Marques de Riscal has been given the accolade by online drinks retailer, The Bottle Club. Fifteen vineyards from around the world were ranked on a scale of 0-90, taking in different variables like the year established, size, distance to nearest city, cost of tour,

July 30th - August 12th 2021

Spanish bodega named best in world to visit

bottle price, Google review, accommodation, Instagram hashtags and variety of wines

FRAUD ALERT THE Spanish Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) is warning holidaymakers to be careful when renting holiday homes in order to avoid falling prey to fraud. Common tricks used by con men include posting adverts for non-existent properties and pocketing the deposit, phishing - posing as companies or official government bodies to obtain personal information - and offering accommodation that is in much worse condition than advertised. If any money has been handed over for a non-existent property and the company does not offer customers the chance of making a refund claim, victims are urged to report the case to the police or the Guardia Civil cybercrime department. When the conditions of an apartment are not as agreed, the client is entitled to make a claim either to the owner – if rented directly with no intermediaries – or to the internet platform or agency used. According to the OCU, cases of fraud have shot up due to a rise in the number of holidaymakers renting apartments and chalets instead of staying at hotels.

available. The highest score was awarded to Spain’s Herederos del Marques de Riscal, in Elciego, with 71.6, over 12 points higher than Bodegas Salentein in Argentina, which came in second place with 59.2. Next was Antinori nel Chianti Classico, in Italy (59.1), followed by Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in France (58.4), and Delaire Graff Estate in South Africa (55.5). Other countries to also make the top 15 list include Austria, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Uruguay and Germany. In last place was Catena Zapata, in Argentina, with a score of 46.3. Herederos del Marques de Riscal began operating in 1858, and was the largest vineyard in the study, spanning 985 hectares. Tours of the vineyard start from €19 and they have a variety of red, white and rose wines available.

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The Olive Press - 11th/12th/13th August 1/6 Page - 83 mm w x 170 mm h (all editions except Gib)

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

12 books about Spain for your holiday reading list, with Shannon Chaffers

UMMER in Spain usually brings with it the opportunity to get out and explore the country. But even if the pandemic forces you to stay put this year, don’t forget that something as simple as a great book can transport you to the world’s most interesting places. With that in mind, here are 12 books about Spain to check out in the remaining weeks of summer. Ranging from historical investigations to action-paced thrillers, each provides a unique insight into life in this rich and varied country.

August 13th - August 26th 2021

LITERARY SUMMER

DON QUIXOTE by Miguel de Cervantes

erhaps Spain’s most famous novel, Don Quixote is widely considered to be a foundational text of Western literature. Written in two parts in the early 1600s, it follows the trials and tribulations of a nobleman who, inspired by tales of chivalry, decides to become a knight. Its varying narrative styles and engaging plotlines still holds up centuries later, and it’s a must-read for those interested in the roots of Spanish literature.

SPANISH VIGNETTES by Norman Berdichevsky

f you are interested in learning more about the Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry, Spanish Vignettes is your go-to guide for this and other important elements of Spanish culture. American expat Norman Berdischevsky covers 34 topics in a fun, digestible way that is perfect for newcomers to Spain.

THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho

HIS internationally renowned tale of an Andalusian shepherd boy who sets off on a hero’s journey in search of hidden treasure is both heartwarming and fulfilling. Coelho’s writing offers both inspiration and wisdom to power you into autumn.

DRIVING OVER LEMONS by Chris Stewart

his light-hearted, witty memoir offers another accessible avenue into Spanish culture. Former Genesis drummer Chris Stewart describes how he and his family adjust to their new life in Spain after buying a remote farm in Andalucia on a whim.

WORKING CLASS HEROES: THE STORY OF RAYO VALLECANO, MADRID’S FORGOTTEN TEAM by Robby Dunne

unne’s work is a bottom-up narrative focused on football. The Irish journalist goes beyond the dominant Real Madrid/Barcelona narrative and dives into Madrid’s working class club, Rayo Vallecano. Providing insight of the club’s neighborhood pride and anti-fascist roots, he achieves a unique blend of sports and history that lovers of both will find captivating.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS by Ernest Hemingway

ialing back the clock, Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 novel set during the Spanish Civil War is regarded by many as one of the best novels written about the war. Drawn from his experiences covering the conflict for an American newspaper, this gripping tale centres on an American fighting with a Spanish guerilla force as a member of the International Brigades. It is just one of Hemingway’s books about Spain: The Sun Also Rises and Death in the Afternoon are also worth checking out.

GALICIAN SONGS by Rosalia de Castro

witching genres, this book of poems about Galician traditions and culture will shed light on the particular experiences of the Galicians in northern Spain. De Castro is seen as the founder of modern Galician literature, and with her work only recently being translated into English, reading her poems is a great opportunity to immerse yourself into the oft-overlooked Galician way of life.

MADRID AGAIN by Soledad Maura

nother modern-day novel, this tells the story of a Spanish woman torn between the life she has made for herself in America and the family she left behind in Madrid. When she decides to become a historian to discover her family’s past, a whole new journey awaits, and it’s one you’ll want to take with her.

THE ORNAMENT OF THE WORLD: HOW MUSLIMS, JEWS, AND CHRISTIANS CREATED A CULTURE OF TOLERANCE IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN by María Rosa Menocal

f you are looking for a non-fiction approach to medieval Spain, this historical narrative will do the trick. As the title suggests, Menocal details the relatively peaceful coexistence of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Spain that lasted for 500 years during the medieval era. Offering lessons for the present day, it makes for a fascinating historical account as well.

THE ORANGE GROVE by Rosana Ley

hen it comes to contemporary novels, you can’t go wrong with this one, in which a mother must confront the past she left behind in Sevilla when she returns with her daughter years later. It makes for a feel-good read that’s perfect for your summer holiday. To find out more, check out the author’s online interview with the Olive Press.

THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES by Giles Tremlett

his historical undertaking makes for a great pairing with Hemingway’s novel, telling the full story of the International Brigades who fought against Franco in Spain. A bottom-up investigation by the Madrid-based British journalist sheds light on the complicated, fascinating, and chaotic experiences of these anti-fascist fighters.

GARDEN BY THE SEA by Merce Rodoreda

n enthralling work by one of Spain’s great Catalan writers closes out this list. This novel follows the lives of a wealthy family and their friends who spend their summers vacationing at a villa on the Meditteranean. Told through the eyes of their gardener, this sun- soaked, carefree story evolves into a tension-filled mystery when a wealthier family moves in next door.

FOOD & DRINK

August 13th August 26th 2021

LA B O DE

lys

panishwine

Sunshine in a glass This is what makes Spanish wine so special, write Matthew Desoutter and Benjamin James

Matthew Desoutter and Benjamin James are the pair behind Simply Spanish Wine, an online community for wine lovers who want to learn more about the amazing wines of Spain. Check out the website: www.simplyspanishwine.com

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 8 Not for money (3,4) 9 Elevate (5) 10 So soon? (7) 12 "Oleanna" playwright (5) 16 Parliamentary output (4) 19 Kind of entertainment channel (5,2) 20 Gentlemen's preferences, maybe (7) 21 Partial darkness (4) 24 Vesicles (5) 27 A girl's best marriage prospect (2,5) 29 Middle Eastern heights (5) 30 In name only (7) Down

OP SUDOKU

PAIN’S a big place, we all know that. At fighting off diseases like mildew and getting over 500,000 km2 it’s over twice the grapes to ripen properly can be a challenge, size of a country like Great Britain but down to the hot, dry South-East where as we with about 20 million fewer people. all know temperatures can reach over 40ºC in With big chunks of the population concentrat- the summer months. ed on the coast, that means the Spanish in- All those different climates have a real impact terior is full of wide open spaces and not that on how grapes are grown and wine is made many people. and ensures Spain has a fascinating range of There’s also a lot of vines. different wine styles which few other countries In pure numbers, it’s got more hectares of can match. vine planted than any other country in the Another thing the Spanish wine scene has reworld – close to 1 million hectares at the last ally got going for it is its people. count. This means Spain is one the world’s big We’ve spent many years driving round Spain wine-producing countries; evmeeting winemakers from all ery year it can churn out about over, and we’ve always been Spain has a 44 million hectolitres of wine, struck by what a diverse bunch which is about 6,000 million they all are. Lots of them are range of wine bottles to you and me. surprisingly young. So all those stats are interestThere’s a big demographic styles few ing, but what is it about Spanish change going on, as the next countries can wine that makes it special? generation takes over vineyards Well for us here at Simply Spanand bodegas from their parmatch ish Wine, one of the key things ents, or sometimes even their that makes Spain so different is grandparents. diversity. In lots of cases, this is a conscious career First of all there is diversity of landscape. Re- choice – we’ve met lots of young Spanish member, Spain is a very high country. With winemakers in their thirties, for example, who an average altitude of 600 metres above sea faced with a choice between city life or going level it’s the second highest country in Europe back to their family’s more rural roots, chose just behind Switzerland. That means you can the latter to pursue their winemaking dream. find grapes growing in all sorts of different There are also lots more women winemakers places: from way up high at above 1,500 me- on the Spanish wine scene now than there tres in the Canary Islands, to right down by the used to be. Sometimes they are carrying on seashore in Galicia. the family tradition managing famous, well esWith climate change forcing up average tem- tablished wineries, like Maria Jose Lopez de peratures pretty much everywhere, winemak- Heredia at Bodegas Lopez de Heredia Viña ers being able to grow grapes at altitude is Tondonia in Rioja, while others like Paola Mea good thing. As the temperature drops the dina Sheldon at the Williams & Humbert sherhigher up you go, planting grapes at higher ry house in Jerez de la Frontera oversee the altitude helps ensure the grapes have longer winemaking process on a daily basis. to ripen which helps make for fresher, more Between them, these new winemakers are balanced wines. shaking up the Spanish wine scene. They These changes in altitude mean Spanish might be recovering ancient vineyard plots, vineyards can also have really diverse cli- rediscovering native grape varieties, or expermates, from the wet, damp North-West, where imenting in the bodega, reworking traditional practices like whole bunch fermentation - stalks and all - to get fresher, more complex wines, ageing their wines in concrete eggs or clay amphorae instead of wooden barrels, or focusing on organic or biodynamic winemaking. Wherever you are, there’s a huge amount going on and loads to discover. If you’re a fan of wine, you’re living in the right country!

1 Spread out lazily (6) 2 Take a loan (6) 3 Prolonged unconsciousness (4) 4 £25 (4) 5 Metric mass unit (4) 6 Thin layer (4) 7 Euro fraction (4) 11 Crack a cryptogram (6) 13 Modify (5) 14 Roof overhang (5) 15 Vituperative person (6) 17 Forced to turn and face attackers (2,3) 18 Talent-spotter (5) 22 Imploring (6) 23 Small boiler? (6) 24 Minor but essential workers (4) 25 River sediment (4) 26 Opposite/hypotenuse (4) 27 "I had not thought death had undone so --- " (Dante Alighieri, "Divine Comedy") (4) 28 City of Seven Hills (4)

All solutions are on page 14

COLUMNISTS

Getting quizzical

E expats have a penchant for quizzes on the Coast. I attended one recently and the questions involved determining the drawings and flags of individual countries. I was quietly outraged when I saw three people at a nearby table consulting their phones with clear colored flags in view. This is just not cricket. I summoned over the quizmaster and they were dutifully told off. As it happened they came last so their efforts were far from rewarding. We have many pensioners living here and I believe it is a great way to get out and enjoy yourself. Not only are quizzes fun but they enhance your memory, reduce stress (unless you are on my formidable team of seasoned quizzers where I torture myself with indecision) but most importantly a good quiz connects people.

Lisa Burgess If you are sitting there twiddling your thumbs then go and find out where your local quiz is and even if you are on your own then take the bold step to try it - I have often invited people of all ages to my table and they have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I won my last quiz with an amazing team and that is what it is all about - teamwork. It brings people together. We had a superb time and I learnt new and useful facts to progress in my quiz future. Sometimes the correct answer just pops into your brain without much forethought. How did I know where Del Boy lived in Only Fools & Horses? On the other hand whenever I get the question Where is Mount Ararat without fail I get it wrong. Either way, I have a good time and it is the experience more than the win. This is the medicine we all need after our annus horribilis so get out there and just give it a try! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

August 13th - August 26th 2021

The Island of reinvention

HIS island forces you to re-evaluate who you are and what you want in life. After moving here at the start of the COVID crisis I was forced to put my professional life on hold. After running a successful PR company in the UK and having over 20 years’ experience working in the media, I along with everyone else followed the stringent restrictions, which for most professions has been devastating! Since then, aside from writing my regular column, I’ve done some work for the British press, mainly news stories related to COVID and its impact on the tourism industry.

Terenia reassess her career goals and is now in search of happyness

My original plan here was to which put me off ice-cream continue with the PR busi- for life after eating so much ness, but having had nearly a of it. year off from it, I went on to I discovered it’s do a variety of not something I jobs including I discovered really want to do s i l v e r- s e r v i c e it is not anymore. waitressing and In England bar work. I’ve something I there’s not worked in retail, much else to really want to did a short stint do but work as a croupier do anymore your ass off and and trained as since before I a financial adleft school I’ve viser for a firm grafted. in London. One Christmas I My first job, at the age of was even a Santa’s helper in 15 was in an ice-cream van, a Grotto. Fun? Not!

AFFAIR OR ALIEN ABDUCTION?

VER since I read the Erich von Daniken book, 'Was God an Astronaut?', I have always wondered if aliens really existed, and the recent US government report on UFO activity reinforced my curiosity. Now, thanks to the bloke who plays snooker with my mate's uncle Harry, all has been revealed. The man is in touch with an alien whistle-blower. Well not exactly, 'in touch', but as he is the product of his mum being abducted by

an alien (others say it was the milkman), he receives the odd birthday and Christmas card from his estranged space father. But recently, in an apparent fit of anger and frustration, Daddy 'Greenblob' decided to breach the wall of intergalactic security by revealing certain facts to his snooker player offspring. China was not the culprit for the outbreak of COVID. According to our whistle-blower, it started in a Yorkshire Chinese take-away. Evidently the owner, another surrogate space birth who was being financed by the Alien Federation, defaulted on his repayments. So as any decent organised crime boss would have done, they injected a minute dose of COVID on a set of chopsticks. The idea was to infect one customer with a mild fever, as a Health and Safety 'frightener' on any future non-payments. Unfortunately, the purchaser was a Chinese national, who the following day returned to his home in Wuhan. The catastrophic end result is now history. Feeling extremely guilty, the aliens decided to contact the US intelligence service, and warn them to take immediate action by administe-

OLD HACK IN THE SUN Benny Davis Ramblings of an 80-something expat

ring a proven antidote. Unfortunately, all their attempts at communication were met with a recorded message saying, 'We are sorry, but the CIA cannot answer your call at the moment. All our agents are busy studying new reports on UFO sightings to determine if there is alternate life in the universe.' You may think I have entered a world of fantasy with this so-called report, and you would be right, but when you have lived as long as I have and witnessed so many extreme scientific leaps and bounds over the years, nothing would surprise me in this crazy, rapidly changing world of ours.

Terenia Taras

Telling it like it is

It was only when I was in my early 20s after travelling that I got my shiz together and trained as a journalist on a local newspaper. From there my career took me to the News of the World and the Daily Mail in London working at the sharp-end of journalism. Since then, I’ve written for the Times, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Sun, Express, Mail on Sunday and many magazines. Maybe it’s midlife contemplation, I’m not going to use the word crisis as I refuse to be a stereotype, but since I moved to Mallorca and during the pandemic I’ve had a lot of time to think! Did I ever really enjoy the past six years since I started my PR business, or was it simply the best option at the time? Working from home and being a single mother, it was a good fit and being self-employed is generally more lucrative. During that time I did miss working as a journalist though - especially the excitement of being involved in the news agenda and having to drop everything at a minute’s notice to go cover a news story. But do I still want to be a journalist, or am I just looking back with my shades on?

Choice

I don’t think I’m that same person anymore. If given a choice between hanging out in Magaluf covering the shenanigans of our British tourists for the Sun newspaper, or not, I think I’d prefer not. I’ve done it, and one thing for sure is, there’s not much new in news really. You do end up covering the same stories, just the details change. Be it train crashes, kidnapped kids, some celebrity or high-profile person sleeping with someone they shouldn’t, and personally for me the worst of all, reality TV celeb stories. I’m clearly missing something about reality TV because I just think it’s the most dumbed-down TV ever created. Even COVID, which has been a fresh hell for all of us including the media, is now over saturated. So back to Mallorca and what should I do long term? I’ve yet to find my niche here, but whatever I end up doing it won’t be about money or ego. I’m at a point where perhaps for the first time in my life it will simply be because it makes me happy.

FOOTNOTE: According to Wikipedia, many thousands of people across the world claim to have been abducted by aliens. That's one helluva milkman – or?

YOU CAN FOLLOW ME @tereniataras

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 8 Pro bono, 9 Raise, 10 Already?, 12 Mamet, 16 Laws, 19 Cable TV, 20 Blondes, 21 Dusk, 24 Cysts, 27 Mr Right, 29 Golan, 30 Nominal. Down: 1 Sprawl, 2 Borrow, 3 Coma, 4 Pony, 5 Gram, 6 Film, 7 Cent, 11 Decode, 13 Amend, 14 Eaves, 15 Abuser, 17 At bay, 18 Scout, 22 Urging, 23 Kettle, 24 Cogs, 25 Silt, 26 Sine, 27 Many, 28 Rome.

SUDOKU

HEALTH

Third time’s a charm

CAREHOME health workers are asking to be given a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine. The president of the Círculo Empresarial de Attention to People (CEAPS), a group representing care home workers, has said a third shot of the vaccine can protect staff and residents in homes against mutations of the virus, including the Delta variant. President Cinta Pascual said: “The vaccine does not protect 100% and with this fifth wave it has become clear that the third dose is totally necessary. It should be mandatory.” Pascual is also calling for the government to introduce a clear protocol of action for care home residences and said that telling the elderly to isolate in their rooms and cut off visitors ‘is not an option’.

Seeing red Time to drop tax on tampons

MINISTER of equality Irene Montero has said the tax applied to sanitary products, nicknamed the ‘tampon tax’, should be abolished in Spain. Montero is calling for the 5% levy applied to items such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, nappies and other hygiene products for dependents scrapped. It is a controversial law because the IVA (value-added tax) that is applied to the sanitary items means they are classed as luxury items - a rule that has been called ‘sexist’ by many people. Women’s rights campaigners have been fighting for years

CALL: Irene Montero wants tax scrapped to put an end to the tax and earlier this year the UK was able to get rid of the ‘Pink tax’ because it is no longer

NOT MONKEYING AROUND AUTHORITIES have stopped clinical trials for a Spanish-developed COVID-19 vaccine following media reports that a monkey developed a lung lesion during testing. Over 100 volunteers were set to get the first test jabs of the new formula, but Spain's medicines agency (AEMPS) postponed their injections due to safety concerns. The Higher Council for Scientific Research denied suggestions that the decision was prompted by test results on the macaque monkey.

The group said that clinical trials had not been cancelled but had been merely postponed until the AEMPS fully evaluates the vaccine’s safety. The vaccine produced by the National Centre for Biotechnology has been regarded as ‘promising’. The formula was going to be tested initially on 112 people via a programme co-ordinated by Madrid's Hospital de la Paz. Full clinical trials would have rolled out to as many as 30,000 test subjects.

subject to European Union rules on sanitary products due to Brexit. An EU directive meant the rate could not fall below 5%. VAT on sanitary products has been levied at various rates since 1973. Montero said: “The next Budget should be a Budget centered around the reconstruction of the country and feminism is key to that. We should not have another tax system that punishes women or the tasks they assume. “Menstruating is not a choice and neither is it a choice that a baby uses nappies during their first years of life or that an older person also needs them.”

July 30th - August 12th 2021

Passport disaster THE health service of the Balearic Islands may have committed a data protection offence by mailing COVID passports to wrong addresses. This computer error has sent the passports - digital certificates that allow free mobility between european countries - to the wrong people. The incident took place at the end of July, but according to sources the problem has been solved and the Spanish data protection agency has been informed. The failure occurred in the downloading of requests. There was an alteration of the order and the certificates were renamed wrongly. Since this incident there is a new, simpler method to obtain the certificate. By entering the patient portal, inserting your health card number, date of birth, and the last three digits of your mobile phone you will receive an sms code that allows you to download it.

NOT REQUIRED SPAIN’S Health Minister, Carolina Darias, has rejected using the EU COVID-19 certificate nationwide to allow fully-immunised people into indoor hospitality and leisure venues. Carolina Darias said: “The EU COVID certificate is a legally approved document for EU travel purposes but we would need a new national law for it to be used in a different way. “The regions already have powers to regulate indoor capacity of bars and clubs and have produced their own documents that show whether someone has been fully vaccinated or got a negative COVID test,” she added. Areas like Andalucia and Galicia are already using the EU certificate for entry to venues like clubs, but the Valencian Community has held back as it feels it would discriminate against people who have not been vaccinated yet.

50% off varifocal lenses Something to smile about

Santa Ponça Avda. Rei Jaume, 117 Tel. 871 964 331 50% off varifocal lenses: Cannot be used with other offers. Purchase one pair of glasses from our 89€ range or above and get 50% discount on all types of varifocal lenses including a scratch-resistant treatment. Extra Options available at an additional charge. Excludes safety eyewear. ©2021 Specsavers Ópticas.

Olive Press Mallorca– 170mm x 256mm – Colour

13th August

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FINAL WORDS

Shut out SPANISH football striker Alvaro Morata was forced to sleep at a hotel after his wife accidentally locked him out of the house. Worse yet, his team, Juventus, had just lost 3-0 to Barcelona.

Winging it WATCH out for American-style chicken wings by La Cocinera, which have been recalled after certain packs were mislabelled, leaving out a key allergen ingredient, milk!

expat

Not snickering now

voice in Spain August 13th - August 26th 2021

A BIT EARLY

Jelly big! A GIANT species of jellyfish that can reach a whopping 40 kilos has been spotted off the coast of Andalucia. Researchers believe the increase in ‘jellyfish blooms’ could be down to global warming.

Your

Fountain mania

A HISTORIC fountain, dating from 1790 in the centre of Malaga has been used as an impromptu bathtub. A man has been captured on camera bathing in the Fuente Los Cristos, The image shows a man, dripping suds into the drinking water - at least with the decency of wearing Speedo-style swim trunks. The image has triggered various comments, many of which slam the fountain user. “This cannot be allowed. We need quality tourism.” said one twitter user.

SUMMER may still be in full swing, but in the north of Spain, Christmas preparations have already arrived. The festivities have started early in Vigo in Galicia after the city started to string up its Christmas lights.. Mayor Abel Caballero said that the council is committed to having the ‘best Christmas in the world’ as 11 million led lights were installed across the town

Christmas decorations going up to ‘boost tourism’

Bite

Trees

The city council is decorating more than 350 streets and has ordered more than 1,000 trees - over double the number they had last year. In an attempt to boost tourism to the area, the city has said this year will be ‘bigger and better than ever before’ and boasted that the display will be the greatest in the world, putting the likes of New York, London and Paris to shame. The city also plans to erect the tallest tree in the world, a

SNICKERS Spain has found itself in a sticky situation after an ad for the chocolate bar was branded homophobic. Now the company has apologised and pulled the 20 second TV advert featuring Spanish ‘influencer’ Aless Gibaja. In it, the long haired and famously camp Gibaja (pictured above) is at a beach bar with a friend where he asks a waiter for a ‘sexy orange juice with vitamins A, B and C.

ATTRACTION: Vigo illuminations

By Kirsty McKenzie

ski slope and a gigantic Ferris wheel, which is normally one of the main attractions of the display. Home to Europe’s largest fishing fleet, Vigo’s Christmas lights have been a great draw in previous years.

But visitors will have to wait before they can view the illuminations in their full glory. While the €1 million decorations are going up now, it is thought that they will be officially switched on in November, with visitors arriving en masse for the switching on ceremony at the end of November.

The waiter gives him a Snickers ice cream. After taking a bite, Gibaja turns into a macho short-haired bearded man with a deep voice (above left). “Better?” the friend asks. ‘Better,’ the bearded man replies. Snickers’ slogan then comes across the screen: “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry.” This did not go down well with the LGBT State Federation. It tweeted: “It is shameful and regrettable that at this point there are companies that continue to perpetuate stereotypes and promote homophobia. We are here if you need training!”

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