Olive Press Spain - Issue 409

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all our readers... ...our

Jon Clarke

A PRIVATE investigator who worked with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is chasing ‘a significant lead’ in the missing Levi Davis case.

Investigator Gavin Burrows volunteered to help track down the former X-Factor star and sent a team of detectives from his firm, Line of Inquiry, to Barcelona.

His 12 agents have been working on rotation around the clock scouring the streets.

Odd

“We have a number of leads but one could be really significant we are following up,” Burrows, who has also worked with Elton John, told the Olive Press.

“This is an odd case. He must have spoken to somebody when he came to Barcelona or arranged to meet somebody but that person has never come forward.”

The 24-year-old Brit, who played rugby union for Bath, went missing on October 29 and has not been heard from since.

EXCLUSIVE WINTER WONDERLAND The Sierra Nevada the true icing on the cake of living in southern Spain, writes Jon Clarke EXCITEMENT AND approaching Nevadawhile slide with INTREPID:

A BRITISH expat is pleading for help after waiting nearly six years to get his Spanish pension.

The Marbella-based 70-year-old faces bankruptcy and potential homelessness in the new year if the authorities don’t step in and help.

It comes after Jerry Wayne was turned down by Spain’s Social Security department despite paying tax for 35 years here.

Describing it as a ‘nightmare’, he told the Olive Press : “I have worked here for well over three decades and paid my taxes, I've done everything in line with the law yet here I am being forced to deal with this awful ongoing saga.”

Christmas.mid-December snows of the normally slopes are fair few skiing while fanatics the struggling fog in visitors will be - €2 half the place explains Telemark has - here offer the gone looking to do magical Spain’s most -

NIGHTMARE AT CHRISTMAS

Expat denied pension despite paying ‘over half a million euros’ in tax over three decades

EXCLUSIVE

By Anthony Piovesan

He added: “I’ve only got enough money to see me through to February and I’ve already had to move to a much smaller flat in a cheaper area to save money.

“I really fear for the future.”

The former hotel and restaurant manager continued: “I’ve probably paid over half a million euros to the state in tax while working here and this is how they treat me.”

Wayne, whose name we have changed for legal reasons, originally moved from London to Marbella in 1986, as a hospitality consultant.

Having studied hotel management and launched his own consultancy business in the UK, he was quickly in demand.

As well as working with the fivestar Guadalpin hotel, he was a consultant at the leading La Sala group and ran his own restaurants, including La Campana.

Problems

“I have been involved in hotels, restaurants, golf clubs and generally the finer things of life that this wonderful country has to offer,” explained Wayne.

His problems began though as he approached his 65th birthday in 2017 when he got a gestor to help him apply for his pension.

But due to a technicality, in which he allegedly owed a few thousand euros in unpaid autonomo (self employed) payments, his claim was denied.

Despite then getting a lawyer involved, as well as having countless calls and meetings with ‘uncaring’ civil servants, he is still no closer to solving the

problem five years on.

“I’m desperate and really hope a campaigning paper like yours can somehow help to get what’s rightfully mine,” he pleaded.

While reaching out to the authorities we have found other expat pensioners in a similar position and plan to launch a campaign in the new year.

The British consulate explained this week that expats struggling to claim their Spanish pension needed to ‘deal directly’ with the social security office.

However, organisation Brexpats in Spain pledged to help as best it could.

Horror

Its founder Anne Fernandez, added: “It sounds like a horror story, we will put this out to our members to see if anyone else can help or has similar problems.”

Spain’s Ministry of Social Security has been contacted for comment on various occasions, with no reply.

sierranevada.es See On their own! on page 6 Opinion Page 6

Crushing blow

LANDSLIDES forced the closure of the Caminito del Rey walkway after heavy rain caused rocks to fall on a 20-metre stretch of the track. It will reopen on December 15.

Oily thieves

AN olive-stealing gang taking advantage of sky high prices for the fruit has been nabbed, with eight people arrested in Antequera and over a ton of olives recovered.

Weeded out

SOME 30 people have been arrested in Andalucia for pretending to deliver ‘humanitarian aid’ to Ukraine as a way to transport cannabis across Europe from their Mijas base.

Grim task

A TEAM of forensic scientists have restarted work to recover the bodies of 110 victims of the Civil War at the Valley of Cuelgamuros monument just outside of Madrid.

HE is one of the world’s most feared mafia bosses.

Yet the alleged head of a drug trafficking empire, Christy Kinahan, is facing just four years in prison after a 12-year Spanish police probe.

The Dapper Dan, as he is known, has been ordered to return to Spain to face trial over charges brought against him from the long-running Operation Shovel investigation.

The Irishman, 65, has been charged

Weak Justice

with using a false British passport to board a flight to Brazil in 2010, and another of possessing a passport in the identity of an Irishman who died in 2002.

Plans to charge him, along with sons Daniel, 45 and Christopher Jr, 42, with the more serious crimes of money laundering and membership

of a criminal gang were dropped after authorities were unable to put together a watertight case.

Out of the 31 original suspects in the probe, which was initiated in 2010, only five are facing any charges at all - and all for lesser offences.

The long investigation came after the assassination of Patrick Doyle, 27, who was shot dead in Estepona in 2008.

Reverse charges

SPANISH police have intercepted a yacht bound for South America carrying enough MDMA powder to make more than one million ecstasy pills.

In a shock reverse, cops believe smugglers are using the route to open up lucrative new markets in countries where ecstasy is less common and prices are very high.

While the costas are the usual route for receiving drugs from South America… now they’re going the other way

By Anthony Piovesan

Police insist the seizure is the first known case of drugs being transported from Europe to Argentina.

Five people were arrested while 56 kg of MDMA was

A SEX trafficking ring that forced its victims to get hooked on drugs and work every hour of the day and week has been busted.

Raids were carried out at two homes in Fuengirola that saw seven women rescued from forced sexual slavery and six people arrested.

A further two busts were carried out at premises in Madrid, where the criminal gang made their home and

seized following the threemonth operation.

Policia Nacional officers first learned in October that a criminal gang on the Costa del Sol was planning to ship the huge quantity to South America.

Cops in Argentina then

Horror gang

base of operations, with five arrested.

The extensive criminal network lured in vulnerable women from South America with the connivance of a Madrid-travel agency. They were forced to pay off a ‘debt’ for their travel through giving sexual services.

informed them a Rio resident had gone to Spain, via Brazil, to take charge of the boat.

“They never left the boat unoccupied and loaded the vessel with tools

and material at ungodly hours,” explained a spokesman.

“They also organised some of their most suspicious movements to coincide with Spain’s World Cup matches in Qatar.”

Police followed the boat as it set off from Cadiz, only to have to put into port at Tarifa after the vessel broke down.

Hidden

When the repairs had been completed, they left port again, planning to resupply in the Canary Islands.

It was leaving Tarifa that customs went on board, finding the drugs in a secret compartment.

‘Killed own mum’

A DISTURBED Dutch man has been arrested for the apparent murder of his own mother in Estepona after her body was found beaten and strangled.

The son, 26, who is now under observation in a mental health hospital, was detained while walking along the A7 motorway naked.

The mother, 61, had been summoned back from a trip to the Netherlands the day before after friends of her son complained that he was behaving strangely and unpredictably.

The friends picked the mother up at the airport and took her to the apartment in Cancelada where the son was, hoping that she could reason with him.

She insisted that they leave her alone with her son, and the friends departed.

But a day later a neighbour told them that the apartment was wide open and so they hurried back and discovered the body.

Grisly find

POLICE have arrested an Irish man aged 51 and Ukrainian aged 31 two weeks after a headless torso was discovered by a bin diver looking for scrap in a dumpster.

The detained men allegedly lived with the victim in an apartment next to where the grisly discovery was made by a scrap merchant when he opened a suitcase looking for saleable items.

THE Three Kings are bringing music lovers a real treat this year.

A string of top-name acts is lined up for appearances in Spain, with fans of Blur being given an early Christmas present as they have finally been named as headliners at the massive Primavera Sound festival.

Meanwhile, the Mad Cool festival promises to heat up with Red Hot Chilli Peppers topping the bill in Madrid in July.

No doubt tick ets to two of the hottest music festivals in Spain will be slipped into Santa’s sack or brought by the Three Kings now the news is

Lighting the way

THE Christmas lights in Malaga are not only receiving national applause, but are starting to attract praise from around the world.

The Andalucian port city is being named on all sorts of lists which acknowledge the ‘best Christ mas lights’ for 2022.

The latest was its rank as 17th in Europe on a list compiled by trav el website, European Best Desti nations.

ALL I WANT FOR XMAS

By Dilip Kuner

out.

While Blur joins a strong lineup at the Madrid and Barcelona Primavera Sounds concerts, which includes Depeche Mode, Kendrick Lamar and Rosalía as headliners, the biggest present is the appearance of the Pet Shop Boys. They will headline the ‘opening pre-festival concert’ night with a free gig at Barcelona's Parc del Forum. They will then

head over to Madrid to repeat the free concert at the Civitas Metropolitano stadium, home of Atletico Madrid football team on June 7.

Primavera Sound is taking place on consecutive weekends in Barcelona's Parc del

STROLL THROUGH HISTORY

WHEN it comes to Christmas markets in Spain the variety is plentiful, but you can’t look past Spain’s oldest, the Fira de Santa Llucia in Barcelona.

This beloved market stretches out along Avinguda de la Catedral in the gothic quarter of the Catalonian capital.

It first sold paper and clay nativity figurines to churchgoers in 1786 and first mention of the market was by Rafael Amat, a Catalan writer in the 18th century.

Amat made reference to a ‘party in the street’, where nativity scenes, images of saints, shepherds, animals and a ‘multitude of people’ gathered.

Forum from June 1 to 3 and then at Madrid's Ciudad del Rock de Arganda del Rey from June 8 to 10, with the headliners playing both festivals. A month later Red Hot Chili Peppers will also be in Madrid.

The Californian funk-rock legends are joining a string of British legends from July 6 to 8 including Liam Gallagher, Robbie Williiams, Sam Smith and The Prodigy.

Fans

So British music fans will be hoping Santa brings them some tickets for their favourite acts, while Spanish aficionados hope the Los Reyes do the same for them!

Tasty scene

WHEN it comes to na tivity scenes, some of Spain’s look good enough to eat. In one case it is quite literally so.

The town of Rute in Cordoba is home to what is said to be the world’s largest edible nativity scene. This year a fantastic ren dition of the Holy Land has been created by seven skilled choco latiers over six months, using nearly one-and-a-half tonnes of chocolate.

Up to 20,000 people are ex pected to turn up to see the huge ‘belen’ which is created each year at Galleros Artesa nos cake and sweet factory. There are also life-sized stat ues of the Spanish Royals and the Pope – all crafted from chocolate.

Green grinches

ENVIRONMEN -

TAL activists failed to get into the Christmas Spirit when they vandalised part of a nativity scene for children with red and black paint.

The Futuro Vegetal group struck in Madrid at El Corte Ingles’s famous ‘Cortylandia’ display, claiming that the department store sells brands that are ‘bringing down the planet’.

OLDEN DAYS: Fair had humble origins

Out the woodwork

escape

IF it’s not chilly enough for you this Christmas, wait until May. Direct flights will start to connect sunny Malaga to Reykjavik, in Iceland, from then, according to the Costa del Sol Tourist Board.

Welcome back

TORREMOLINOS has welcomed back its nativity scene after five years.

Featuring more than 100 figures, the 28sqm display is on the first floor of the town hall and is open from 9am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

Brekkie with Santa

LA SALA is bringing a skislope vibe to Marbella port for Christmas. The eatery has set up a winter wonderland with twinkling lights, snowy scenes and the chance to have breakfast with Santa. The jolly fat man will be there from 11am on Saturdays with brekkie costing just €15 including a drink, with under twos eating free.

SPAIN’S humbling World Cup defeat to Morocco has seen an alarming number of extreme right football fans crawl out to ‘defend Spain’.

Hooligan groups coordinated their actions via social media apps such as Telegram to group together and hunt down Moroccan fans to ‘defend the streets from vandalism’.

A worrying alliance saw the usually fierce rivals of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Ultras Ser and Frente Madrid, unite to stop ‘acts of violence by Morocco fans’ in the capital.

Meanwhile, the ultras of Sevilla’s Real Betis, Supporters Sur, announced that they would assemble in the streets at the Heliopolis stadium one hour before last Tuesday’s

By Walter Finch

game.

The Ultras Not Reds Telegram channel posted a number of group photos and videos of masked ultras celebrating their efforts to ‘defend the streets.’

One video showed a gang of youths marching through Valencia holding a Spain flag emblazoned with a fascist symbol, chanting ‘Spain is not Muslim’ the day after the match.

Police

“Ultras and Nationalists of Valencia defended the city from Moroccan trouble makers yesterday, unfortunately there were too many police

Slow recovery

THE reservoir levels are starting to rise for the first time after nine months of water crisis.

Five of Malaga’s seven reservoirs have registered gains in their water reserves, including la Viñuela, which just 10 days ago equalled its all-time low.

On average, the province’s reservoirs are at 33.9% of their capacity, gaining 0.5% after the recent rains, a figure that will increase over the next few days as the rain continues to fall.

for any actions,” they wrote.

There were reports of police clashes in Granada and fights breaking out in Huelva, while Morocco fans were reported to have rampaged through Bilbao and set cars on fire in the Catalan town of Reus.

The gangs are expected out again this evening (Wednesday) as Morocco plays France in the semi-final.

The ultra groups are notorious for adopting neo-Nazi ideology, their adulation of former fascist dictator Franco, and their hostility to refugees and non-white immigrants.

They justified coming out on the streets last week after Moroccan fans rioted across Europe vandalising many cit-

ies after their nation’s incredible wins.

But frequent racist slogans plus being regularly seen with Swastika flags suggests the hooligan groups are motivated more by racial hatred.

Meanwhile the Ultras Not Reds channel is littered with slogans such as ‘Refugees not welcome’, ‘Europe for the Europeans’ and ‘Message to Moroccans - death to Islam!’

Ex-king’s court win

A TRIO of judges at London’s Appeal Court have ruled the former mistress of ex-king Juan Carlos cannot sue him for harassment during his time as monarch.

They ruled that the former monarch, 84, was 'immune from jurisdiction' in England until his abdication in 2014.

Though good news for the Spanish royal, the ruling still means that his ex-lover Corinna Larsen can continue her civil action against him after he relinquished the throne.

The king's former mistress, who lives in England, wants an 'injunction and damages' due to 'a continuous and ongoing campaign of harassment'.

She filed a harassment suit in 2020, alleging he pressured her to return gifts worth €65 million including art and jewellery.

Her legal team called the Appeal Court verdict 'disappointing', but added it only affected a narrow part of their claim.

Safety first

BEEFED up security measures including more police on the streets will be brought in for the Christmas period.

Areas where large crowds are expected, such as Christmas markets, shopping centres, transport hubs and religious events, will be targeted from December 19 to January 15. The terrorist threat is at level four out of a possible five.

Far-right neo-Nazi hooligans ‘defend streets’ against celebrating Morroco fans

HATRED: Far-right groups ‘defending’ Spain

Solar victory?

GREEN campaigners are celebrating after a series of giant solar panel projects were put on ice.

So far three out of five proposed schemes in the Ronda area have been rejected in official environmental reports by the Junta.

The giant projects would have seen the picturesque Serrania region plastered with panels and criss-crossed with electricity pylons.

The ministry ruled against the ‘uncontrolled installation’ of photovoltaic mega-parks, highlighting the ‘effects on biodiversity’ in the protected region.

In particular, it pointed out the threat to the loss of wildlife habitats that make the projects ‘unfeasible’.

“I’m happy as one would have run through our family farm, a stunning area of virgin, wild Ronda landscape,” said Andrea Sanchez, 31, from a platform set up to oppose the projects last year.

“It would have meant 18 pylons, up to 80 metres high, on our land, which would have destroyed it.”

Other campaigners, such as well known German winemaker Federico Schatz, are more sceptical. “This is no victory yet as we believe the companies could merely resubmit their scheme again in

By Walter Finch

different ways,” he said.

The companies behind the projects, including Cobra and Vaguadas Renovables, are expected to appeal.

Meanwhile, two other projects, one developed by giant oil company Cepsa, are still up in the air, with the Junta yet to rule on them.

The biggest would install 150 kms of giant pylons from Ronda to Algeciras, going from a main plant in the Ronda la Vieja valley, near the protected Roman site of Acinipo.

If passed the cables would also cross the protected Sierra Bermeja and the Genal Valley to Benahavis.

The Olive Press revealed in 2021 that the schemes would

carpet 2,200 hectares – the equivalent of 3,500 football fields.

Despoilt

Campaigners insist there must be more suitable locations for the projects, such as industrial areas, flatter farmland or despoiled land.

But finding alternative locations for these renewable mega plants is ‘not our problem’ insists Sanchez, who runs a PR company in Madrid.

“These are private projects merely out to make money,” he said. “They have nothing to offer our local communities; zero jobs and they don’t lower our electricity bills.

“Worse than that they harm the primary economy, which is dependent on tourism.”

Donate by design

FASHION emporium MacArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Malaga has handed the Cudeca hospice foundation a cracking gift of 428 kilos of stylish clothing collected from customers as part of its Recycle Your Fashion Campaign.

Bus bonus

FUENGIROLA’S mayor Ana Mula has given townsfolk a Christmas present that will save their feet. From January 1 all local buses will be free. Initially it will be for everyone, but it is expected to be restricted to registered residents in the future.

Looking out for kids

MARBELLA optician Specsavers is celebrating a decade in the resort by spreading Christmas cheer by working with the Red Cross.

Boss Nerea Galdos-Little explained the team are collecting presents in their store with the gifts to be distributed to deprived children.

Fairway LAWYERS

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C/Nuestra Señora de Gracia 28, 1C 29602, Marbella (Malaga)

UNITED: Under the banner of protest group Aliente

Not green at all costs

THE Olive Press has consistently campaigned for the environment but this does not mean we support giant renewable energy projects that blanket the countryside.

This is why we are backing campaigners who have just won a battle in their war against massive solar farms in Andalucia (see page 4).

As reported in the Olive Press over the last two years, protests have grown in momentum as communities joined forces to oppose plans for the industrial-size projects.

Protesters argue that areas of outstanding natural beauty will be destroyed by the solar panels, which are planned ‘without proper environmental impact studies’ - and we agree with them.

Large private energy companies such as Cepsa, Iberdrola and Endesa are creating a speculative bubble that will exploit our countryside for obscene profit margins.

In a bid to ‘get round’ regulations huge projects are being split into smaller ones that need less rigorous environmental controls, according to Malaga Provincial Council.

There are presently around 610 projects on the books for Andalucia. One mega project will cover 900 hectares in Jimena de la Frontera with thousands more hectares threatened nearby, along with associated cables and electricity sub stations destroying the beauty of the valley. It beggars the question: Why don’t they install solar panels on the roofs of industrial units, on shopping centres, car parks and train stations to create self-sufficiency instead of massive projects that will destroy the environment with no benefits to local people?

Disgrace

As Christmas approaches it is important to help others in distress.

The two expats we mention on our front page and page 6 this issue need all the help they can get.

The fact that they are struggling to get the pensions due to them after paying into the Spanish Social Security for many years is a disgrace. In one case five years have dragged by with no light at the end of the tunnel.

This is a scandal. How can a man who has paid his dues be left hanging with no income for so many years? And how many expats are facing the same problem?

We asked the UK embassy if they could help - and were simply referred back to Spain’s Social Security, the very organisation that has caused the trouble to start with!

It’s no surprise we have had no reply to their plight so far. But we will. Someone needs to listen to these people’s predicaments and do something to help. And they need to do it now.

AFAMILY tragedy led to the foundation of the Cudeca hospice on the Costa del Sol.

Joan Hunt OBE (pictured above) and her husband Fred had retired to the region when he was struck with cancer. No longer able to look after Fred, Joan was helped by the Red Cross Hospital, in Malaga, but was devastated she could not look after him at home.

So with the flower money from his funeral, Joan bought curtains and bedspreads to donate to the Hospice Movement and started fundraising to start a charity of her own.

In 1992 Cudeca, an acronym for Cuidados del Cancer or in English ‘Cancer Care’, was officially registered and Joan’s dream to help other terminally ill

Strong foundations

patients began.

By 1995 they had raised enough money to start building on a plot donated by Benalmadena Town Hall and since opening in 2000, they are the only hospice in the region providing palliative care for the terminally ill, either at home or in their inpatients centre.

Joan passed away last year aged 92, and true to form had asked for donations rather than flowers for her funeral. Now the foundation she started is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special fundraising opera night.

Artists from the Malaga opera scene will hold a concert themed on opera in film, featuring tunes from film soundtracks. It is being held on December 27 at the Unicaja Concert Hall Maria Cristina (Sala Unicaja de Conciertos Maria Cristina) in Malaga. More information: www.cudeca.org

CHRISTMAS is a special day for most people, but for the Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity it’s just like any other day.

While most people will be tucking into their Christmas turkey and relaxing with family and friends, the team of nurses who look after terminally ill patients will be in other people’s homes. They will continue to fulfill their caring duties on December 25, as they’ve been doing every Christmas - and every other day - for the past 14 years.

It needs a special kind of person to work for and volunteer in palliative care as it can take an emotional toll - especially at this time of year.

The charity’s secretary Chris Rodley (below) recalls one patient who had been renting one of the charity’s specially adapted hospital beds for almost a year, and so at Christmas that year he went around to tell the ill woman’s husband they could keep it. But that day he found out she had died.

“Why do I do it? I often ask myself that question, dealing with the public and well meaning volunteers can be a strain, then I meet

AS Christmas approaches two expats who had been looking forward to a comfortable retirement find themselves locked in a war with Spain’s social security office after their pension applications were denied.

The Olive Press has promised to try and help, with the likelihood there are many more expats around Spain in a similar position.

In one case, Jerry Wayne applied to get his pension on his 65th birthday, but was instead told he owed the system nearly €7,000.

Now FIVE years later he still has nothing and faces a bleak New Year with the last of his savings about to run out.

And in a second case, Londoner Chris Scott has been waiting for two years for the Spanish pension he is entitled to after working in the country for 12 years.

Wayne meanwhile, worked here for 35 years as a restaurateur and hotel manager, and paid over the years, by his calculation, up to half a million euros in tax.

Yet, when he retired in 2017 he was told by his local social security office in Marbella that he owed the system €7,000, accrued over recent years of autonomo (self employed) payments not being met.

He then asked if the debt could be offset

against the money he was due to get as a pension, but was told that unless he paid the money owed he would receive nothing.

The advice from Social Security was also simple (actually scandalous): he would be better off keeping the €7,000 and applying for a pension no contributiva, basically a low pension that would ‘just about keep me alive’.

Having failed to get a pension he took the advice launching the process in 2018 at his local town hall, which then sent it to the Junta.

It would be the start of one of the most labyrinthine, depressing battles that shows no sign of ending after nearly five years.

In short, a string of phone calls and emails went unanswered, until, after well over a year, Wayne went in person to Marbella town hall, and was told inexplicably he would need to re-send the form.

Another year passed until he received an electronic message telling him that his latest application had also been denied.

“Social security is a law unto itself, no lawyer, will take on the system as they will lose,”

Wayne told the Olive Press

The now 70-year-old said he has ‘enough to

get by’ until next February, but after that his situation remained ‘dire and unclear’.

In another case, Chris Scott ran two real estate businesses from Granada for 12 years, insisting he paid all his nomina (National Insurance) and autonomo contributions throughout.

When the 71-year-old retired in 2019 he started to receive his UK pension, as he should. But in Spain, perhaps surprisingly, things weren’t so smooth.

“As I understand it, the agreement with EU countries before Brexit, was that any UK pension accruals would be added to any Spanish contributions to create a mean average pension with the additional payment coming from the INSS in Spain,” Scott explained.

“I have now been trying to receive my Spanish entitlement for over two years. However the two companies (gestorias) I have employed have failed to make headway.” So depressed at the lack of speed - or urgency - to hand out what is rightfully his, he

With the festive season on us, the Olive Press launches a general appeal for three charities close to home desperately in need of funds to continue their vital work through 2023

By Anthony Piovesan

Christmasangels

or talk to the family of a patient we see or hear how we have helped them and it all seems worthwhile,” he says.

“And I am retired so what else would I do?”

Rodley said he raised money for charities in the UK, before he moved to Spain and was always looking for a reason to give back to the community.

“My parents were very charity-minded, so it seems to be in the blood as it is with all the people who work in charities. “I think we are a breed of people who want to help others.”

The charity, based on the Costa Blanca, was the vision of Jennifer Cunningham who on her return to Spain after losing her son Paul to spinal cancer at age 33 was shocked to learn that there was no hospice care nursing available in her party of Spain.

“When patients get to the terminal illness stage hospitals discharge them and if they’re Spanish they’ll have their family to look after them, but if they’re a foreigner they are left completely alone,” Rodley says.

“We have nurses who go around and do weekly checks on patients at their homes

and get them whatever they need, wherever they need it, we are there for them.”

The charity helps the patient right from when they are discharged from hospital, providing transport to their home.

From there, the charity then offers support, information and medical expertise, with nurses available to care for terminal prognosis patients in their own home.

Expat Jennifer, from London, who came up with the idea, spent the final six months with her dying son Paul in a Sue Ryder hospice in Bedfordshire.

She returned to Spain and realising there was no similar service on the Costa Blanca, she decided to launch the charity in 2008, in her son’s memory.

“The hospice had taken such exceptional care of my son but on my return I looked around to see what would happen if someone was in the same circumstance here in Spain and discovered that there really wasn’t anything similar,” she explains.

“People were sent home to die to be cared for by their family, but what if that wasn’t possible?

“I decided I needed to change that and now 14 years later, I know we’ve made a difference.”

About 95% of the charity’s funds come from donations.

HELP IS AT HAND

has now taken over the battle himself. He said the authorities had told him they are awaiting documents regarding his case from the UK Department for Work and Pension, which confirmed his UK pension.

“Do I smell the whiff of anti-British feeling here or am I being paranoid,” Scott said.

“Throughout our life in Spain we have always made sure that we adhered to the rules and regulations over taxes, social security payments and residency - we have always been totally legal here.

“It feels like, even if one does adhere to the system, it doesn’t necessarily count in one’s favour.”

The social security office has been contacted for comment.

Please contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es if you are in a similar situation

*Names have been changed as the victims do not want to prejudice their ongoing claims with Social Security.

AGE in Spain was the first national charity in Spain dedicated to the welfare of English-speaking pensioners.

It aims to empower older people to lead fuller lives in their adopted country, providing support and access to services to meet people’s changing needs and circumstances.

The charity helps people to help themselves, integrate into local society and to access available support if needed.

It relies on a network of volunteers throughout the mainland, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands, and has been providing support and services to older people since the 1980s.

Age in Spain also helps UK armed forces veterans and their families in Spain on behalf of the Soldiers Charity, Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

As the charity explains: “Some people need extra help - people who face barriers to self help through health or other incapacity issues, lack of experience with using the internet or not actually having access to a mobile phone or computer to manage their affairs, caring responsibilities, financial or language problems.

“Whilst these issues might affect some older people, they are not age specific, so our support service is for everyone. Getting things right when you are younger helps to ensure that later life is as well planned as possible.”

Although the charity does get some grant help, it relies largely on donations. To donate or for more information visit www.ageinspain.org or phone +34 932 20 97 41

READ IT HERE FIRST

WHERE the Olive Press leads, others follow.

While our stories are often picked up by the media in the UK our influence is not just restricted to the British media – Spanish big hitters are picking up on our exclusives too.

Take our front page splash on Spain’s Coca Queen , which we got after interviewing the National Police’ crack GRECO outfit in Marbella.

A week later it was followed up by Spain’s leading daily, El Pais, quickly followed by other Spanish papers and then, finally, the UK’s Telegraph. A true global scoop. This came hot on the heels of various exclusives on missing Levi Davis in Barcelona picked up by Catalunya’s major media site El Caso, as well as the UK tabloids.

Then there was another story of ours on former Manchester United star Lee Sharpe closing his bar in Javea. That made headlines in The Mirror, the Mail and the Sun

And let’s not forget the tip off we got from our German police sources to announce another global exclusive that sex offender Christian Brueckner would be charged with five more sex crimes in October. The whole world again followed that.

Increasingly, rather than follow the Olive Press, the UK media come straight to us to try and get a head start on the opposition.

At the moment we are working on a trio of investigations for the UK media, and have often worked with Sky, the BBC and even Amazon

The big media groups appreciate our good old-fashioned feet on the ground journalism that the Olive Press is proud to specialise in.

And it’s why our subscribers to theolivepress.es are growing by the hundreds every month. They appreciate the Olive Press as their first port of call for news about Spain.

But if they’re a foreigner they are left completely alone

DONORS: Can give generously at various shops, while (top) Paul Cunningham

paulcunninghamnurses.com/helping-us/.

Hydrogen deal

Massive pipeline pact to decarbonise industry agreed by Spain, Portugal and France

THE leaders of Spain, Portugal, and France have agreed on a €2.5 billion plan for a green hydrogen pipeline that should become operational by 2030.

The deal was struck in Alicante with Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, saying the new corridor would carry 10% of all hydrogen consumed within the EU.

The use of green hydrogen is said to be crucial for decarbonising industries that are difficult to electrify like steel and cement production.

Pipelines would carry renewable hydrogen from Portugal to Zaragoza and then from Barcelona to Marseille.

The network was to have carried natural gas but will now be exclusively used for green hydrogen.

The EU has made hydrogen the cornerstone of its strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 with the share of hydrogen in the block’s energy mix predicted to reach 20% by the middle of the century.

Sanchez said that EU funds could cover half of the cost of the massive infrastructure project.

French President, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed that the

Port goes green

THE Costa del Sol’s Puerto Banus, is joining six other Spanish ports in applying a technology to preserve marine ecosystems. It will become the first Andalucian port to use the innovative technology.

The regeneration system allows the revitalisation and recycling of marine infrastructure and damaged environments.

The BioBoosting System (BBS) makes it possible to mimic nature and recover marine ecosystems. So far 10 structures have been built to provide a haven for coral and other marine life.

By Alex Trelinski

three countries will submit the project to the European Commission which has a deadline of December 15 to have it declared as a ‘project of common interest’ to get EU cash.

“This changes the trend for the Iberian Peninsula because

we aren’t going to be energy importers; we’ll be producers and exporters to the rest of Europe,” said Portugal’s Prime Minister, Antonio Costa.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the H2MED project is ‘going in the right direction’ as it ‘has the potential to help us build a real European hydrogen backbone’.

THERE is an old Chinese proverb that states: “The best kind of tree is one that was planted 20 years ago.”

This makes sense, certainly when we look at the environmental impact.

Trees really do count.

A mature tree can absorb 21kg a year of CO2, which is a major contributor to global warming.

CROAKIN’ IT

FROGS are going extinct in Spain due to the ravages of global warming and a pandemic of deadly amphibian-killing viruses. New research shows that the number of green croakers on the Iberian peninsula has declined by as much as a third in the past five years alone.

The collapse was linked to the loss of Spanish wetlands where they made their homes, and polluted rivers which infected their natural habits.

But the underlying killer of our amphibian amigos is a multi-headed Hydra of viruses known as ranaviruses, which have been introduced by human behaviour through pathogens (fungi and viruses) and their spread has accelerated by global warming.

Trees count!

This is not breaking news - the removal of trees through logging or fires has been highlighted as one of the main factors behind nature loss and environmental harm for decades.

Yet, still it continues.

The United Nations says that 420 million hectares (one billion acres) of forest have been lost since 1990.

Despite repeated promises from the world’s politicians, inadequate progress has been made.

The countries that continue to ignore international directives are:

● Brazil

● Indonesia

● DR Congo

● Bolivia

According to the National Space Research Institute, deforestation increased by a massive 22% last year.

Much of this is through illegal activity. Surely there must be a workable solution here.

The Romans watched Rome burn - we shouldn’t be watching planet Earth self-destruct.

As always, things agreed at an international level are not enacted by national governments.

THE EU TAKES BABY STEPS

The European Union plans to ban goods linked to the destruction of trees.

New rules will cover goods imported into the EU including palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber.

This also encompasses goods derived from these products.

Companies selling these products will have to prove their goods are not linked to deforestation.

It affects a lot - the coffee we drink, the chocolate we eat, the charcoal in our barbecues and the paper in our books, for example.

Maybe, just maybe it could be a major breakthrough for our forests.

We have to stand firm on this and ignore the inevitable moaning that will come from countries which will see this as a disadvantage to their economies.

Surprisingly, the first country to whinge has been Canada which has said these new regulations will be ‘burdensome’ and potentially damage trade between Canada and the EU.

Much better to damage trade than fuel global warming me thinks!!

Green Matters By Martin Tye

VALUABLE: Ancient trees

LEADERS: Reached agreement

Protect your pensions in today’s world.

With UK pension legislation frequently changing, and the importance of protecting your retirement savings, getting specialist advice is more essential than ever. But since Brexit, UK-based pension firms no longer have the automatic right to provide regulated services to EU residents.

If you are living in Spain long-term, should you leave your pension in the UK? How much flexibility will you have if you do? And what about your capital and income keeping pace with inflation? Blevins Franks are in a position to provide regulated advice on UK pensions and the opportunities for expatriates, so get in touch with us today.

Unsurprisingly unscrupulous

Dear Olive Press,

IT was no great surprise to read the Olive Press report on the scandals and corruption in Andalucia (Not grinning now, issue 407), apart from the fact Grinan has been ordered to serve six years jail.

Although not a good advert for moving to Spain and becoming part of the system, it is important for everyone to know. Yes, the whole EU project is bent as hell, all lining their own pockets, backhanders must be rife.

However Spain’s blatant disregard for its own law and EU law over many years takes the

biscuit and the flag for corruption is waved strongest by those in the Junta.

John Baker, Alhaurin de la Torre

Editor’s note: As the Olive Press Online reports, Grinan may now escape jail if a new law comes into effect.

No bus to airport is a costly inconvenience for travellers

YOU recently published an article announcing the further expansion of flights to Region of Murcia airport (RMU).

I booked a flight from Murcia to Dublin in September, having first checked that I could get a bus from Cartagena to the airport.

However, when I went to Cartagena bus station last week to check the bus times I was informed that all bus services to the airport had stopped on September 15.

Having checked the airport website, which still clearly stated that there was a bus service, I phoned AENA, the airport owner to say that they needed to update their website.

I was assured that there was indeed a bus and was given a (wrong) contact number for Interbus who subsequently emailed me to say that they no longer provided a bus service to the airport.

It is disgraceful that this international airport has no public transport links to either of Murcia’s two biggest cities, Cartagena or Murcia city itself.

My taxi fare from Cartagena to the airport will now cost me 150% of the cost of my flight to Ireland!

Spain

Breedagh Hughes, Cartagena

Editor’s note: Sadly the OP has previously reported of a woman being stranded outside the locked doors of this airport with no public transport available and having to spend a night exposed to cold and rainy conditions. The airport authorities seem not to have learned their lesson.

Coffee concern

AS a fan of the much improved and expanded Malaga Port, I am disappointed and amazed that the vast majority of cafes and businesses do not open before 11am.

Ports globally attract foot-fall from early morning until late at night, and if operators in Malaga Port feel they should only open just before midday then the authorities would do well to reconsider all the people who are going to leave unhappy that they cannot even get a morning cup of coffee.

Eileen Dempsey, Rincon de la Victoria

Editor’s note: To be fair, there is no shortage of places to grab a coffee in Malaga.

On your bike

WITH fuel prices soaring, should there not be a campaign to get more people cycling in Andalucia?

There is a good amount of cycling infrastructure in a number of towns like Estepona, Marbella and Fuengirola but I barely ever see anyone using them.

We should see rising fuel costs as an opportunity to improve the planet by weaning ourselves off them and also deprive Russia of vital income in the process.

Joan Huntington, Estepona

Good job!

I REALLY enjoyed your feature on Serrania de Ronda but especially the poem by Michael Coy.

It is just superb! Please give him my compliments.

TriciaTorreGabbitas, del Mar

Editor’s note: We have passed on your comment to Michael, who says thanks!

Comic nights

SOME of the UK’s top alternative stand-up comedians are heading to the Costa del Sol for a series of festive shows in the lead up to Christmas.

Organised by Stand-Up Comedy Spain, the shows will feature zany British comedian Dave Thompson, the actor who was fired from playing Tinky Winky in the Teletubbies series because his ‘interpretation of the role was not acceptable’.

Dave will be joined by Nik Coppin, Daisy Earl, and special guest, Kirthy Iyer.

The shows will be held at the Green House Restaurant (Casares) on Friday, December 16 and then at the Ivy Sports Bar and American Grill (Gibraltar) on Saturday, December 17 at 8pm.

Tickets for the shows cost €18 and are available from www. evenbrite.co.uk or from the Stand-Up Comedy Spain Facebook page.

Love at first light

IT is a special feeling to walk down Calle Marques de Larios in central Malaga and see golden heavenly angels above your head and groups of excited people dancing in the street.

It immediately evokes that pure childlike joy every kid experienced when they bounced out of bed on Christmas mornings and headed straight for the tree. The excitement of Christmas

Summer in Malaga is special, but nothing beats wandering the streets awash with 1.3 million dazzling lights at Christmas

By

dulls down a bit when you grow up and take on more and more adult responsibilities, but you forget them all when you’re out on the

streets of Malaga in December.

The main walk down Calle Marques de Larios is the obvious thing to do first. Here, there are three light shows each night at 6.30pm, 8pm and 10pm.

Moments before the first lights get switched on, huge crowds of people draped in their winter coats and scarves unanimously fall silent as the clock ticks closer to 6.30pm. Then the moment arrives, phones are the first to be whipped out to record the special moment. The music, carefully selected to fall in sync with the dancing lights, makes the whole experience even more spectacular.

Angels

Last year, Malaga went with a ‘festive forest’ theme, decorating the streets with suns, angels and autumn leaves. That’s been swapped for huge celestial angels that adorn the entire Calle Larios. The new gold and white an-

gels are four-metres high, and are placed on towering columns down the whole length of the street.

In addition, there are 1.3 million lights in more than 500 streets in the city.

Another highlight are the lights in the Jardin Botanico de La Concepcion.

Trees and plants are illuminated by all sorts of different colours, with angels, Santas and reindeers spread out among the gardens.

There are more light shows at the Palmeral de las Sorpresas, the Plaza de la Marina, Muelle Uno and Gibralfaro, as well as a clever video mapping show on the cathedral tower.

Malaga’s lights are getting more recognition across Europe, and even the world, and it’s not difficult to see why.

The city takes on another form at Christmas, it’s magical and joyful, and one that deserves to be seen before the lights go out again… until next year.

BRITISH

THE Picasso Museum in Malaga is organising this year’s annual Christmas workshop for children.

It will focus on light and sensory experimentation and has been aptly christened ‘¡Iluminados!’ (Enlightened!).

The art sessions, designed for children aged between four and 12, will be held on the mornings of Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 of December from 9am to 2pm.

Bad boy of British pop Working it out Roots of humanity

A JAWBONE dug up in the Banyoles area of Catalunya in 1887 might just be the earliest example found of Homo Sapiens in Europe, and it could even be a new species.

The bone had long been thought to be of Neanderthal origin due to its age and where it was found, along with the fact it was missing a chin - a key feature of Homo sapiens. But American scientists at Binghamton University using 3D technology are now challenging that assumption and say the bone could even be part of a previously unidentified human species.

The fossil dates to between approximately 45,000 to 65,000 years ago, at a time when Europe was occupied by Neanderthals.

While the Banyoles bone seems to fit better with Homo Sapiens in both the expression of its individual features and its overall shape, many of these features are also shared with earlier human species, complicating an immediate link to it being to Homo Sapiens.

pop legend Robbie Williams will perform at Marenostrum Fuengirola on June 15, 2023 in what will be his only concert in Andalucia. The spectacular live show will see the presentation of Williams’ new album ‘XXV’, which features all of his biggest hits and also unveils some new tracks.

Anthony Piovesan

ZANY!: Dave Thompson

STUNNING: Malaga’s lights

Sierra Nevada

WINTER WONDERLAND

IT was two decades ago that I looked out from a hillside near Ronda and spotted the distant snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada over 150 kilometres away. Like a giant white magnet I was immediately pulled in, seduced by the thrills of winter sports, right here on our doorstep.

None of the hassle of flying to Geneva and a four-hour coach trip, or braving the big freeze in Glencoe, in Scotland, most of us on the costas are under a three-hour drive to the winter wonderland of the Sierra Nevada. While entirely possible to do in a day trip from the Costa del Sol, take it from me you are missing out half of the fun if you don’t stay at least one night.

This is rightly dubbed ‘southern Europe’s top skiing resort’ and naturally - it being Spain - with it comes the usual dollop of fun and excellent culinary fare, not to mention usually clement weather.

Something of a rite of passage since a school trip to the Alps as a teenager, my itchy feet to strap on skis get more and more apparent as the month of December

inches closer to Christmas.

By mid-December the first heavy snows of the year have normally fallen and the slopes are usually warm during the day and with a fair few regulars actually skiing in t-shirts.

Yes, while most winter sports fanatics will be shivering in the Alps at Christmas or struggling to see through fog in the Pyrenees, visitors to the Sierra Nevada will be sinking canas in the sunshine… and best of all at little over €2 a throw (or well under half the price of the Alps).

“This is the nicest place in the world to ski,” explains Luis Casanove, of Telemark ski school, who has been wintering here for 35 years. “We offer the best weather and the prices have hardly gone up in years.”

And if you’re looking for something else to do en route, the magical architecture of Spain’s most visited monuContinues on page 2

The Sierra Nevada is the true icing on the cake of living in southern Spain, writes Jon Clarke

EXCITEMENT AND SURPRISES: View approaching the Sierra Nevada slopes from Malaga, while a dog goes for a slide with his owner

Photos by Jon Clarke

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.

Winter wonderland

ment, the Alhambra, is just 30 minutes away, while the fascinating region of the Alpujarras is the other side of the mountain.

The well worn claim of being able to ‘ski in the morning, sunbathe in the afternoon’ is perfectly possible… but that’s not for me. I like getting up there for a few nights, enjoying the mountain scenery, food and fresh air, plus of course a bit of mountain sport.

One of the real joys though is seeing the snowy peaks first appear on the skyline and then loom in front as you drive from around Spain (or fly to Malaga, Granada or Gibraltar).

The snow-capped peaks of Veleta and Mulhacen (mainland Spain’s highest mountain) can be seen for miles around and winding up the steep, scenic road to the top is as exhilarating as any drive in Spain, particularly on the sharp curves with steep drops.

Run by an offshoot of the Junta de Andalucia, Cetursa has upped its game considerably in recent years, getting increasingly automated in both parking and buying the ski passes (forfeits).

It’s easy to park right under the two main ski-lifts to the top and it costs around 20 euros a day.

Most places to rent skis and boots, or snowboards, can be found within 200m of the car park.

Slopes-wide, new pistes are added most years, while the latest version of snow cannons have been installed guaranteeing snow until, normally, early May.

The season often kicks off in late November, but is normally getting properly going by the ‘puente’ weekend of

Constitution Day and the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

While this year the snow has arrived late, frequently 40,000 skiers can rock up around this time, so better to come a week later.

There will be up to 110 kms of pistes open at the peak, including the amazing Laguna valley, for expert skiers, where the Netflix series about the infamous 1972 plane crash in the Andes was filmed earlier this year (see Page 6)

For snowboarders or jump-lovers make your way to Superpark Sulayr, in the Loma de Dilar 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.

Cyprus

The geography of the area is simply staggering given it is on the same latitude as Cyprus and just 30 miles from the beaches of the Costa del Sol.

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, Mulhacen, is named after Moorish king Muley Hacen (Abdul Hassan Ali), who is said to have been buried

CARVE UP: Superpark Sulayr

at the top.

The views from 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 the ocean look like a small pond. From here, decent skiers access the amazing runs of the Laguna de las Yeguas valley, including the celebrated Olympic run with its many twists and turns.

The sheer nature and landscape here is stunning and you will sometimes find yourself skiing alone here midweek if you time your trip well.

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.

Apres-ski

While a modern resort, the main base at Pradollano is a nice 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.

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).

“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.

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 €33 to €57 at peak time, but normally about €45, while those in their 70s get free passes.

IN THE FAMILY

IT is a classic family business.

Jose Antonio Lopez and his wife Montse are now joined by their two children, particularly when the resort gets busy.

But thankfully it’s not too far, the family living in nearby La Zubia, just at the foot of the slopes. In an excellent location, their shop Skisol has some of the best quality skis and snowboards to rent and customer service is the key to its success.

“We always put the customer first and have plenty of returning business,” explains Jose Antonio, who has been renting out skis in the Sierra Nevada for four decades. Best of all, the prices have not gone up for a decade.

“And we don’t just rent out any old equipment…

we buy at least 50 new

each season,” he adds. Visit www.skisol.es or call 958 48 08 57

EXPERIENCED: Montse with son and pal

pairs of boots alone

Photos by Telemark

SNOW TREKKING: Across the sierra, while (above) chilling in the resort

Big lift-up

A GIANT €21 million has been spent on two new chairlifts this season.

The Emile Allais and Veleta II lifts in the Borreguiles area are the largest investment in renovation in the resort for decades.

President of Cetursa, Marifrán Carazo, said the lifts would ‘completely reorganise’ the beginners area in Borreguiles and added it was the ‘biggest project in Sierra Nevada since the 1990s’.

“It will help to make it a reference resort in Spain and Europe,” she added.

Thaw-some!

THE Sierra Nevada welcomed 2,830 users for its first weekend despite there being little snow.

Some 1,750 skiers and snowboarders headed up to the resort for a reduced rate on the ski passes.

An additional 1,080 visitors used the cable cars to get to the ski slopes or enjoyed the attractions for non-skiers in Pradollano or in Borreguiles.

Sierra Nevada kicked off the winter season with good snow conditions on at least five slopes in the beginner area of Borreguiles.

Sierra Nevada All about

BRITS ON THE PISTE!

STROLLING through the doors of the Crescendo bar at the foot of the slopes is like going back to the 1970s.

Its retro furniture, mirrors and glitter ball give off the sensation that John Travolta might stroll in and put in a couple of swift turns.

And this is appropriately where seasoned British Sierra Nevada legends Jonathan Buzzard and Giles Birch met well over two decades ago.

Now their second office, this is where you’ll find the pair propping

up the wooden bar after a hard day’s teaching on the slopes,

they know like a fox in a fox hole.

Step back to the 1990s, a boom time in Spain, and Giles was looking for the ideal transport rep to help him grow his fledgling travel business, working with the likes of First Choice and Thompsons, that had just launched in

Granada. With his long flashers mac, ‘big hair’ and a friendly, outgoing persona, Jonathan had all the right traits.

“I had no idea what was going on but had been told that Crescendo was the place to find the Brits and the reps-in-the know,” he recalls.

“Next thing in walks Jonathan with just the right attitude and he was soon helping me deal with the three to four flights we regularly dealt with on a Sunday.” “And so it soon made sense to get

together, given that we quickly became good mates, and we pooled resources.

“We weren’t treading on anybody’s toes, because we were focusing specifically on the English-speaking market, and in those days there were hardly any instructors who spoke English.”

The pair are still working together, collectively running the extremely successful British Ski Center (American spelling) from their base in the resort (next to Tia Maria). They still teach hundreds of students a month, as well as sort out numerous trips, each year.

“Of course things were completely different back then,” explains Jonathan, who lived in Marbella in the golden years before it was ruined by corrupt leader Jesus Gil.

“We used to bring in thousands of foreigners every week, but after a couple of dry years in the 1980s the resort’s reputation suffered badly and things all began to change.

“Luckily the snow came back, albeit not yet this year, but these days it is all independent travellers and the agencies have all but disappeared.”

Of course there have been some bad years such as 1995 when Jonathan recalls cycling up the

Borreguiles slope in shorts on Christmas Day.

“But generally it is as good as most other international resorts and the range of skiing and schools is hard to beat,” explains Giles, who has three kids at school in nearby Granada.

Since arriving he has married a fellow ski instructor and their children are ‘basically in ski gloves every weekend and in the Christmas holiday’.

Special vibe

So what makes the Sierra Nevada so special, according to Giles?

“It’s just being in that environment; of being in the outdoors, the snow, the mountain, and the people you’re with. There’s quite a special vibe in a ski resort environment and it’s not changed from the initial novelty as a kid doing my first few seasons, the learning of the language and so forth.

“Just becoming part of that mountain life is where my heart is at the end of the day.

“Whether I’m teaching 20 hours, 50 hours or zero hours, it’s just a pleasure to be up here.”

The Sierra Nevada also boasts of longer seasons than other resorts, being open from late November and staying open until early May, while other resorts don’t open until mid December and end their season in March.

This is partly due to the resort’s altitude and the quality of the snow which is constantly worked on during the night.

In recent years the resort has added two new chairlifts - including a six-seater, a new user service centre and 105 new snow cannons.

“That’s why you’ll never see slush even in the latter part of the season,” adds Giles.

For more info, please visit www.britishskicenter.co.uk

It’s two decades since intrepid expats Giles Birch and Jonathan Buzzard opened the British Ski Centre, writes Walter Finch

which

EXPERIENCED: British ski center owners Jonathan and Giles

It was in 1987 that Luis Casanove first slid onto the slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

Arriving as an enthusiastic young skiing teacher, he quickly picked up the local knowledge and many local friends.

A few years later he and three others set up the Telemark ski school, which is still going strong nearly three and a half decades on.

Counting on around 20 teachers with well over a century of experience of teaching between them, it is no surprise that they are the most trusted school on the slopes.

“We’ve seen some amazing changes,” explains Luis, one of the resort’s true village elders, who usually spends the year in Africa, and actually speaks Kenyan. “But, above all, what a different world it was back then with so few schools.”

He continues: “We wanted to be the pioneers of the new world offering a much more private, personalised service and doing it in various languages.”

English, in particular, was a key requirement for the team (and still is) and among their first clients were various British expats from Marbella, as well as many Scandinavians and Portuguese.

The name of the company comes from the style of skiing known as ‘telemarking’.

This can be seen in a photo on the wall of the company… a grainy black and white picture of Luis’s grandfather skiing in 1912 in the Guadarrama mountains near Madrid.

“Telemark skiing was the original

way before Alpine skiing became more fashionable later in the century,” he explains.

Be it hiking, Telemarking, cross country, snowboarding or off-piste skiing, there are not many inches of the Sierra Nevada that Luis and his business partner Jesus Fernandez don’t know.

They can arrange everything from accommodation to ski passes and are well known for their famous off-piste mountain adventures that last from a morning to two days.

“Our knowledge and know-how is ideal for families who want the perfect personal one to one break,” he adds.

The company also runs amazing wilderness trips that literally end up in another world... the charming cobbled villages of the Genil valley, in the Alpujarras.

These one or two-day adventures take you through deep off-piste snow onto narrow mountain tracks.

Another popular pastime for those who don’t fancy risking life and limb on the pistes, is to have a day of cross-country skiing on two or three well established paths around the resort.

“It is great fitness and you do get to enjoy the fabulous views and nature at the same time,” he adds.

The company can also help organise hard-core uphill climbing for mountaineers to a half day soft snow walking trip with snow rackets.

Contact the team on telemark@telemark.es or call 958 48 11 53.

Vintage years

Celebrating

35 years on the slopes WE ALSO ORGANISE ACCOMMODATION AND SKI PASSES

BEFORE AND AFTER: The team in 1991 and 2022

The team at Telemark reach their 35th anniversary this year, writes Jon Clarke

WHEN Spanish director JA Bayona needed some snowy high mountain scenery for his new movie, he knew where to look.

The Jurassic World film-maker headed to the Sierra Nevada to set one of the most harrowing survival stories ever told.

The blockbuster movie recalls the 1972 ordeal of the Uruguayan rugby team who survived a plane crash in the Andes, in part by eating their dead colleagues.

Largely set in the soaring Granada ski station, filming took place through last winter and this Spring in Pradollano and nearby Guejar Sierra.

Called Society of the Snows, the producers from Netflix used the wreckage of three Fairchild Hiller FH-227 passenger aircrafts.

One of them was installed in the isolated La Laguna valley area, popular with experienced skiers.

A challenging place to install a set, sited at over 2,000 metres,

it caused various hardships for the cast and crew.

In particular they endured volatile weather, extremely low temperatures and, in some cases, altitude sickness.

“It was like making a Herzog with three units and 40 actors,” said Belen Atienza, who worked alongside Sandra Hermida, who worked on Bayona’s ‘The Impossible’ and ‘A Monster Calls’.

The Laguna set was chosen for its reliable snow and being roughly the same altitude as the Andes crash site.

“They took over various areas, but it was very much in secret,” said a source at Cetursa, which runs the resort.

“It is definitely a very big production costing millions and it was very good news for the skiing resort.”

The most exciting development was the re-construction of the crashed plane inside a huge hangar at the top of Pradollano village.

While the main actors are from Argentina and Uruguay, produc-

ers hired dozens of extras from the Granada area.

An advert looking for locals ‘with long hair and with heights between 166 and 188cm’ went in various regional newspapers. They also wanted ‘walkers, mountain climbers between the ages of 18 and 43’.

Based on the book La sociedad de la Nieve by Pablo Vierci, the film charts the true story of Uruguayan Air Force flight 571 which crashed on a glacier. Famous from the 1993 film Alive, only 29 of the 45 passengers survived the crash, finding themselves in one of the world’s

most hostile environments.

Barcelona born director JA Bayona said: “It is great to be telling one of the most remembered events of the 20th century, with all the complexity of a story that gives so much relevance to the survivors as well as to those who never returned from the mountains.”

The film was shot in chronological order to allow for the actors to transform from strapping young rugby players to emaciated victims.

It finished filming in Chile this Autumn and Winter and is due out in cinemas next year.

of help from its passengers, while (right) parked at the top

Timeline of a ski station

● Angel Ganivet, Spanish Consul to Helsinki, gave birth to the idea of turning Sierra Nevada into a ski resort at the end of the 19th century. He likened his Granada homeland to the ‘Finland of Andalucia’ in a local newspaper.

● 1898 marked the creation of Diez Amigos Limited, a group that led skiing excursions around the area.

● Thanks to their continued success, the organisation was able to create the first youth hostel in the area not long after rebranding itself Sociedad Sierra Nevada in 1912.

● The main road from Granada to Sierra Nevada and a cable car were both put in place at the beginning of the 1920s, which allowed more people to discover the joys of snow-oriented fun.

● The boom years of the resort began in 1964, when Centros Turísticos S.A. (CETURSA), was created, allowing its rapid development.

● Sierra Nevada is the southernmost ski station in Europe and sits at the highest point in Spain.

● The station hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1996. It has also welcomed several Alpine Ski World Cup events, with the first in 1977. In addition, it has been the main venue for the Winter Olympics.

● In 2017, Sierra Nevada hosted the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships, a major international contest put together by the board of the International Ski Federation.

ILLNESS: Some of the cast got altitude sickness, while (right) director JA Bayona (left) and team member

CHALLENGE: The set was mounted in La Laguna valley

The route to the top

THE only way to get to the top of the slope was to walk... or take a friendly donkey!

Indeed, until the first two ski lifts (Borreguiles and Parador) were built in 1969, this was the preferred route.

The resort actually dates back to 1912 when Spain’s oldest ski club, the Sierra Nevada Society was founded.

However, it was not until the 1920s – with the modernisa tion of Granada’s roads - that the Sierra Nevada started to become known.

By the last 1950s a bus used to chug its way up to the slopes, while cars would turn up in their dozens at weekends.

Visitor numbers slowly grew from then and, in 1964, Cetursa, a business dedicat ed to reserving ski tickets, was founded. It was around then that the resort was at its most glamourous with the likes of Principe Alfons Hohenlohe, the owner the Marbella Club hotel, regularly bringing up friends, including Sean Connery to ski.

The best selection of old pictures, not just some of the vintage visitors to the resort, can be found in the charming Tito Luigi restaurant, which has been open for nearly 30 years and counts the King as an occa sional visitor.

“We have had them all in here,” explains owner Javier, who heralds from Menorca. “Spain’s best footballers, bullfighters and its leading politicians... everyone loves to ski in the Sierra Nevada.”

YOMP: Most skiers

It used to be a two hour bus ride from Granada and then a donkey up the slope

Sierra Nevada

SKI’S NOT THE LIMIT

NO trip to the Sierra Nevada is complete without paying homage to Granada’s most iconic landmark, the stunning Alhambra Palace.

This magical 13th century Arabic building dominates the city from its hilltop eyrie.

After a morning tour of the sumptuous monument and its gardens, wander the streets of the Albaicin, the pedestrianised former Moorish quarter.

The streets are lined with teterias serving authentic mint tea and the Arabic pastries while the shops are akin to a Moroccan souk, with exotic clothing

and beautifully-crafted knickknacks.

For art lovers, the Museum of Fine Arts (below) sits in the heart of the Charles V palace with over 2,000 incredible pieces of classic work.

Elsewhere the Sacromonte neighbourhood is where the original gypsies first settled and lived in caves and you can visit the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte.

Another of Granada’s most important historic attractions is

the Cathedral, an imposing structure of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture that took over 180 years to construct. It remains unfinished as two towers were originally planned for the facade, only one of which has been halfbuilt.

As Granada is Andalucia’s main university town, cultural events are high on the agenda.

And, above all, it won’t bust your bank balance either. Travel website Omio has branded the city, the cheapest holiday destination in Europe for its range of free activities and cheap sightseeing tours from €6.

THRILLSEEKERS: Get their kit off every year

The Alhambra is free to enter, although you do have to pay to see its most famous Nasrid palaces and Generalife. The Andalucian city has dozens of free activities – 112 to be exact. That includes 10 free museums.

An evening out in the city is a bargain, with 86 bars and nightclubs where beer costs just over €2. MUST

But would he approve?

A COLLECTION of Sierra Nevada’s bravest and silliest thrill seekers rush down the mountain in swimsuits for the last day of the season. Next year, the unusual downhill event will start at Borreguiles where participants hand in their clothes to take to the slopes into Pradollano where drinks and hedonism awaits.

Budding nudists often get a discounted ski pass if they sign up to the official page.

However, space is normally limited to 500 people and prizes are given to the best and most outrageous out -

One regular visitor to the slopes, King Felipe, is not expected to take part. In former years he normally drops in around Christmas time with friends (pictured right).

Festive fun

The resort is one of the most festive places to be in Spain, and the Spaniards know it, as they arrive in their droves for Christmas and New Year.

‘Nochebuena’ or Christmas eve, when the Spaniards celebrate the festive season with a huge family meal and lashings of turron, is usually a sell out.

Meanwhile ‘nochevieja’, or New Year’s

January 5

Eve, where massive screens show the countdown in Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol, with grapes galore, is a riot. For the eve of the Reyes on Jan 5 the three kings duly arrive on skis. Kids will love it.

Carnival, from February 6-14, also sees a mass arrival for the fancy dress competition, snow-sport contests and spectacles from Granada University.

MAGICAL: Three kings trudge up the slopes on

VISIT: The Cathedral and (above left) the arts museum

BREATHTAKING: And the grounds of the Alhambra are free, while it’s the best preserved Arabic palace in Europe

Peak of good dining

APIPING hot raclette, a burger and chips and a few tasty tapas used to be the basic offering in the Sierra Nevada two decades ago. Today a Moroccan Harira soup, ramen and gyozas or a spicy red tuna burrito are more likely to be on the menu for your evening’s grazing.

Just as the quality of food has gone up around Spain over recent times, the same has happened in the country’s most famous ski resort.

One of the trailblazers in this improvement is former snowboard pro Stevie Silva, who swapped his board for a set of sharp knives, over a decade ago now.

A man never content on standing still (and with three restaurants in Pradollano these days), his main joint Ci Vediamo is still

hard to beat.

While he dubs it ‘rebel food’ and there is plenty of creativity here, the truth is you are just as likely to eat a simple soft crab tempura or a superb bowl of pasta. What he guarantees is quality and always a few nice twists.

This year I loved his deep-fried ‘parcels’ of egg, bacon and leeks (below) that melted in the mouth in one bite, while an amazing spaghetti of giant crayfish with pecorino cheese was unbeatable after a hard morning on

the slopes.

“I arrange it so all the juices flow from the head and claws into the dish,” he explains, as he personally shaved the pecorino on top.

“It really adds to the flavour”.

A tight ship run by Stevie and his Maitre’d girlfriend Luna, their wanderlust takes them around

The quality of food in the Sierra Nevada is going up as rapidly as the resort, writes Jon Clarke

Sierra Nevada

A mountain of dining

the world in summer time (to the Far East and around Europe) tasting new dishes.

One of the best places to try their current favourites is their new joint, Makalu , named after the fifth highest mountain in the world, bordering China and Nepal.

This hip spot feels like a Shoreditch popup, literally carved out of a wall in the heart of the resort.

Set up by Stevie and three partners, it is focusing on ‘fusion cooking’, a mix of Asiatic, Basque and European dishes, around 12 in total. “We’ve got stuff like Ramen, some cuchara (literally spoon) dishes and an amazing Spanish tortilla with white truffle,” adds Stevie.

His other Japanese restaurant, Shimbuya , now in its fourth year, goes from strength to strength, adding a new chef, who's ‘spent 25 years making sushi, many years in Japan’.

A bit further up the hill it is well worth seeking out and expect some delicious gyozas, noodles and a cool vibe.

My top tip, go for the California Roll with a king prawn, salmon and sesame seeds.

Another couple really focussing on creative food are Nestor and Sonia, who have just opened their first restaurant, Confusion , in Pradollano after running holiday apartments for five years.

You can tell it’s going to be different from the floral decor outside, while inside it has a sense of Alice in Wonderland , thanks to the creative interior design skills of artist Sonia.

Luckily, the food is able to match and, while just finding its feet, it has a real in -

ternational team in the kitchen coming up with some great ideas.

There are lots of vegetarian options, which is rare for skiing resorts, and a great section of sharing dishes, salads and soups.

I really liked their Harira soup, from the Rif mountains, a rich broth of chickpeas, lamb, harina and apricots, among other ingredients.

The tostada section was also enticing, with

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: Designer Sonia and husband Nestor have brought some magic to Confusion

Sierra Nevada

From

Lunch of kings

each covered with their own animal photos.

Easily the most established restaurant in the Sierra Nevada is Tito Luigi , run by two long term pals Luis and Xavi, whose brother runs Tia Maria cafe just off the slopes.

They can claim at least two kings of Spain eating here and the walls pay tribute to their esteemed clientele, including various international film stars, bullfighters and politicians.

An absolute must for any stay in the resort, in particular to see it in action (it can serve up to 250 people in one sitting), so make sure you book in high season.

Expect some of the best pizzas in the resort, generally splendid Italian fare, while a stand out dish is easily the squid-ink spaghetti with prawns.

Looking for something a bit more creative and informal, the pair also run the hipper joint Tito Tapas a few doors up, while a third restaurant is up in the middle of the resort.

glass are excellent and the tapas change regularly.

If meat is your thing make sure to try out La Muralla , run by Argentinian Gonzalo Funes, whose steaks sit pride of place in the window and are among the best in the resort.

The ‘tostas’ are also great and come in various guises, while I loved the milhoja of

TOP PICKS: Muralla Burger and (above) Las Gondolas

STEAKHOUSE SUPREME: Argentinian-run La Muralla

FRIENDLY: Nichi at Bar Ski

ROYAL DINING

IN the heart of the resort the most established restaurant is easily Tito Luigi, run by two long term pals Luis and Xavi (above).

At least two kings of Spain have eaten at this seminal joint and the walls pay

foie gras and a courgette carpaccio with fig sauce and the melt-in-the-mouth

tribute to their long list of established and famous clientele, including American film stars, bullfighters and politicians.

which specialises in the best quality burgers on the slopes.

naise and cooked in its own juice.

The pair also run popular Las Gondalas just off the slopes and excellent for some apres ski light bites, a hot drink or a beer. By far the most fun tapas joint is Bar Ski , set up by the funniest man in the Sierra Nevada, Nichi, two decades ago.

His place is always buzzing at lunch and in the evenings and comprises a classic soul kitchen concentrating on hardy, simple dishes.

And, if you fancy something simpler (and available to take away) he has just opened a new joint Nichis Cooking next door, with a great range of roast chicken, pies and other dishes.

Fancy Mexican? Then you are now spoilt for choice in Pradollano.

Somewhere really worth checking out is Canalla a brand new place set up by Raul, fresh from six years living in London and with a really good sense of taste.

A good use of space with an excellent terrace just below the Kenia Nevada hotel, the staff are dressed in utilitarian boiler outfits and music is distinctly London grime.

I loved the decent list of tacos and burritos, an amazing ribs taco coming out steaming and

MEXICAN MAGIC: Raul at Canella

KINGS OF PRADOLLANO:

Xavi and Luis at Tito

Luigi

Sierra Nevada All about

Best Home Cooked quality food on

the slopes

The top of flavour mountain

delicious with a delicious sweet sauce.

Nearby, is Calambrito , a lovely space, with an equally good mix of Mexican favourites.

I particularly liked the tacos, while the staff were really attentive and friendly. Owned by Jesus from snowboard shop, South Star, it

has great music and nice decor.

Another place focussing just on burgers, La Calle , opened up last season next door. Also run by Jesus, this is a place your kids are definitely going to like.

Another great simple joint, but with great home cooked food, is Telesilla Burger

It is one of the most popular joints with workers in the resort and that is no surprise both for its great value prices, and the fact that owner Maria works in the kitchen.

Cleverly designed using ski lifts as tables, you can get everything here from hot coffees in the morning to superb desserts at tall times of day.

Keep your eyes peeled for the charming Bodega Casablanca run by Jose Carlos Villanueva, who grew up on the slopes, with his father opening one of the

first hostals in the 1960s. The historic photos add to the atmosphere, while the heart-warming soul food is always excellent, and includes stews and lentils.

Another excellent place overlooking the slopes is Tia Maria , which has a good mix of dishes and is a great place for breakfast. A total institution run by Carlos (part of the Tito Luigi family) this is the spot to chill out and enjoy the sun for the afternoon and early evening.

For coffee, breakfast, and in fact just about every -

thing, Vertical is hard to be beaten and also has a great range of snacks and light bites, including hot dogs for the British clientele.

Finally, few places get as busy as the highly-rated Antorcha , which sits by the Kenia Nevada hotel.

Run by Antonio and Maite for over a decade, each table gets its own ‘sausage tree’, while its speciality of the house is the ‘hot and spicy platter’ on which you can cook your own rump steaks, up to 400gr. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Plaza de Pradollano, Bajos Melia Sol y Nieve, Sierra Nevada – Granada

MIXING IT UP: Staff at La Calle while (left) Calambrito is an atmospheric space

EXPANDING: Telesilla has added half a dozen new chairlifts, while (right) Carlos at Tia Maria

ON THE UP AND UP: The team at Vertical

Snow dreams

There are hundreds of places to stay in the Sierra Nevada, but only a handful are really reliable, writes Jon Clarke

IT is hard to describe Pradollano as an authentic mountain village.

But, with a metre of snow on the ground and the sun finally out, it certainly has its charms.

There are lots of places to stay but easily one of the most charming has got to be the authentic Hotel Kenia Nevada, which is well

located near the centre of town and open most of the year.

Run by the friendly Don Pedro – who used to ski for the country as a youngster - it is clean, well run and serves up one of the best breakfasts in Spain.

It also has a gym and spa, with an in-house masseur, and plenty of communal

areas, filled with charming old furniture.

You could also go upmarket and splurge on one of the two wonderful Melia hotels, right in the heart of the re -

sort.

The rooms at the Melia Sierra Nevada have been recently renovated and the New Premium rooms have been built on floors 7 and 8.

Cocina de autor

SPLURGE: At luxurious Melia hotel, while (right) lobby at Kenia

AUTHENTIC: Kenia Nevada

A CHRISTMAS TALE

South of Granada, it’s time for a festive break, away from the rat race

IF you fantasise about picture-perfect Christmas card scenes, with snow-laden pine trees, mountain vistas, and real wood-burning chimneys, the Alpujarra fits the bill.

With the Sierra Nevada peaks glistening with snow, forests laden with Maritime Pines, and an abundance of almonds and figs, there’s a lot to say, ‘it’s Christmas time’.

The Alpujarra is also known for its fresh air, which will clear the festive hangover caused by too many ‘sol y sombras’ (brandy mixed with anís) or mulled wine. It’s also peaceful. In this tranquil area, you’re more likely to run into a shepherd walking his goats than a group of people having an office Christmas party.

In La Alpujarra, the emphasis is on community spirit, with towns building intricate municipal ‘Belens’ (Bethlehem scenes) and using natural resources to ‘deck the halls’, such as red Poinsettia plants and sustainable wooden decorations.

Another custom is for residents to crochet pretty covers to adorn municipal ‘furniture’, such as trees and parking bollards. This year, there has been a focus on Christmas trees made from unusual products, that aren’t an actual tree.

Some towns hold workshops to make your own presents – for example, personalised gift boxes or soaps. Others run artisan markets and encourage people to ‘shop local’, such as the popular spa town of Lanjaron.

To keep up the festive spirit, Lanjaron has launched a fun-packed festive programme running to January 5. This kicked off with a ‘Zambomba’ night on December 7, with choirs singing flamenco-influenced songs, followed by the opening of a Santa Claus house.

The town is also holding workshops, music nights, and dance displays, as well as two large parties in the sports hall (those are likely to be wild!).

The nearby market town of Orgiva has mounted a large municipal tent to host community events and music nights throughout the holiday. It also has carol singing in its church. Christmas in La Alpujarra is the perfect opportunity to light the

wood-burning stove and relax in front of Netflix. However, if you feel active, there is plenty to see and do.

Check out the Christmas lights in your nearest town. Most pueblos have a municipal display. Alternatively, travel to a big city such as Granada or Malaga to see the large-scale illuminations.

Christmas markets are the ideal place to buy thoughtful gifts.

Artisan presents can include pickles, soaps, hand-made decorations, and items woven from cane. Granada has markets running at Bib Rambla and Puerta Real. These take place daily from 11am to 2pm and 5-9.30pm, except December 25 and January 1.

Ice skating is always good for the family at Christmas. Granada is running a festive outdoor rink at Bib-Rambla.

If you like a knees-up, check out the ‘Noche Buena’ and ‘Noche Vieja’ celebrations in your town’s municipal tent, plaza, or sports pavilion. The wildest Alpujarran municipal party the reporter has ever witnessed (at the ripe old hour of 8am!) was, amazingly, in a school gym.

Head to the white villages of Pampaneira, Bubion or Capileira, La Taha de Pitres, or the area’s highest village of Trevélez to try the delicious ‘tapa’.

Visit forestry routes and recreation areas, such as Puente Palo (Cáñar), Huerta de las Monjas (Lanjaron) or Hoya del Portillo (Capileira), if there’s not snow on the tracks.

atelier vintage

Up-cycled furniture in the heart of Capileira, where old is new again! New colours, new textures, new life, new look!

DECK THE HALLS: Christmas stockings line a house balcony in Granada

FESTIVE: A musically inspired Christmas tree

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

BELÉNS

Christmas started early (as usual) when decorations went up last week between Constitution Day and Immaculate Conception Day. As well as trees, lights and baubles, many homes and towns feature a nativity scene celebrating the birth of Christ known as Belens

These vary from a small collection of figurines to elaborate recreations of Bethlehem featuring its landscape and the Magi. Some nativity scenes add ‘hilariously’ crude elements, for example the ‘caganer’ that depicts a peasant with his trousers down doing his business - although in recent years the role of the peasant has been taken over by celebrities and politicians.

Live nativity scenes are also popular and the village of Beas in Huelva is famous for them, where its inhabitants represent over 30 biblical scenes.

For many the start of Christmas is December 22 when Spaniards gather around radios and televisions holding their tickets in hope of winning the Christmas lottery.

Dating back to 1812 in Cadiz, it has been held every year since without interruption (even during the Civil War).

People purchase the €20 decimos (tenth of a ticket) annually from July.

The draw occurs at Madrid’s Loterias y Apuestas del Estado draw room and the top prize is known as El Gordo valued at €720 million.

-

On Christmas Eve people across the country leave work early to gather with their families to enjoy a feast of traditional dishes.

The menu differs regionally but many favour seafood or baked fish for mains as well as suckling pig and lamb.

This is followed by desserts such as turron (honey and almond nougat), marzipan and polvorones (crumbly shortbread).

-

This pagan rooted Catalonian tradition of the Caga Tio (Pooping log) is a log that parents give to their children in early December, on which they draw a face, cover it with a blanket to keep it warm and crown it with the typical Catalan barretina (a red wool hat).

Children give him food and look af ter him so that, when they sing and hit him with a stick on Christmas Eve, he poops out turron them.

IT’S OVER TO YOU

Do you think you pay a lot of taxes but don’t get enough services? Complaining with your friends at the bar or on Facebook/Twitter doesn’t change things?

TAKE ACTION!

If you are a citizen of any European Union country (even from UK), and if you own a property or if you are renting a property long term in Mijas, please take these three steps:

● Go to the nearest office of the Town Hall (Mijas Village, La Cala, Las Lagunas) and ask for your inclusion in the padron (registry of local inhabitants)

● At the same time, ask for your inclusion on the electoral census (to be able to vote in the local elections)

● The Vote for the next local elections will take place, Sunday, May 28, 2023

● Become part of the solution, make things happen DEADLINE: 30TH DECEMBER 2022

Spain has no shortage of festive traditions that differ regionally. Starting at the beginning of December and ending in January there are plenty of scrumptious treats on offer as well as parades to go and see. Here are some of the interesting traditions that make Navidad special.

Every Christmas Eve, Chris

tians attend a midnight mass ( La Misa del Gallo ) to cele

brate the birth of Jesus. Mallorca does something else during the mass known as the ‘chant of the Sybil’ ; it is recognised as Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.

The chant is performed by a character dressed in a tunic, helmet and sword.

Instead of Father Christmas or the Magis some Spanish regions have their own gift giving friends such as the Olentzero from the Basque Country.

The kind natured Olentzero loves food and drink. He lives in the forests of Navarre and the Basque Country making charcoal, but comes down on Christmas Eve to bring gifts to good children.

Head northwest and you will reach Galicia, home of Apalpador. The redbearded charcoal burner always carries a lit pipe in his mouth, a beret on his head and a walking stick.

He is known to travel throughout Galicia on December 24 and 31 ensuring everyone is fed.

Originally sweets and chestnuts were given out but now small toys are also given to children.

DÍA DE LOS INOCENTES

Just a fews days later marks the celebration of the Dia de los Inocentes on December 28.

The festivities commemorates the failure of King Herod’s plan to murder all the babies in Bethlehem for fear that baby Jesus would take his throne.

Throughout the day Spaniards play pranks on each other varying in extremity and many newspapers try to trick readers by publishing false articles - much the same as April Fools Day in the UK.

Thousands congregate in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol each year to hear its clock produce the 12 chimes that are broadcast on radio and television across Spain counting down to the new year.

A popular tradition that started in 1909 is trying to eat 12 grapes to the rhythm of the clock’s chimes. In order to have a lucky year one must eat the last grape at the last toll of the bell.

Champions and unlucky participants alike toast the New Year with a glass of cava to wash it all down and at the end of the night a tasty portion of churros con chocolate

Another lucky talisman is the wearing of red underwear underneath one’s clothes which is said to guarantee a prosperous year.

Someone to look out for on De cember 31 is the ‘man with the noses’, a mythical character who has as many noses as there are days left in the year.

He can be seen on New Year’s Eve at midnight in Placa de Pa lau, Barcelona, the only night he has a normal appearance.

The next day on January 1 he will have 365 noses all over his body.

Although some children await the arrival of Father Christmas, this custom is not as popular in Spain.

Most leave their shoes out and some food awaiting a visit from the Three Wise Men - Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar - in the early hours of January 6.

If a child has been naughty they will receive a lump of coal and if they have been good they will receive some gifts.

Three Kings Day also marks the end of Christmas in Spain.

The celebration begins on January 5 with the Cavalcade of the Magi, parades that are organised all over Spain.

Children can see the three

Wise Men, their camels, and other mag ical char acters parade around and throw sweets to them.

It is also customary to share a Roscon de Reyes, a sweet ring shaped treat filled with cream and candied fruits.

The treat also contains two items - there is a small figurine and whoever finds it is crowned king of the house for the day and a dried bean which is supposed to bring bad luck to its finder.

XMAS ON THE ROCK

ENJOY A COOL ROCK CHRISTMAS!

IT might not be snowing in Gibraltar this Christmas but it is going to be one of the coolest festive seasons in recent years.

The list of events leading up to December 25 reads like an Advent calendar with a treat nearly every single day.

Whether you live in Gibraltar, want to visit for a day or you’re on holiday in the area, the Rock will keep your winter blues at bay with a myriad of events for people of all ages.

Two unique shows will take place on December 15-16 to begin the countdown to Christmas Day.

An opera tenor the New York Times called ‘a total star’ will be singing his heart out at The Holy Trinity Cathedral from 8pm.

He is none other than the UK’s Jonathan Tetelman, who has performed at such illustrious locations like Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle and Winchester Cathedral.

Along with Philip Scriven on the organ, Tetelman will ring out some Christmas classics and popular arias at Gibraltar’s historic Church of England cathedral.

Fancy

more popular singing on the night instead? The Rock has that covered too!

Children from Gibraltar’s Academy of Music and the Performing Arts will belt out some cracking carols in their very own Christmas variety show at Ince’s Hall.

Gibraltar’s own singing mayor will hold a second event the next day to bring you into the weekend.

Then, why not meet up with Santa at Gibraltar’s famous floating hotel.

Yes, you heard right!

Santa Claus will be at the Sunborn Hotel for tea on December 17 from 2.30pm to 5pm and for the Sunday Roast on December 18.

Santa will also be at Cafe Fresco in Ocean Village that day.

The marina favourite will offer a unique opportunity for your children to get a photo with Santa along with a special Christmas kids meal.

Live music all day will lead up to the World Cup Final at 4pm, keeping those patient dads entertained too!

Santa will be kept busy during the leadup to Christmas with three appearances on December 20-22 at the unique Top of the Rock Mons Calpe Suite.

Enjoy a stylist afternoon tea and even top it off with champagne as you zip up and down the Rock of Gibraltar in the complementary cable car.

The action starts hotting up for young people in the final stretch to Christmas Day.

Local DJs will spin the disks for under-16s at the Garrison Gym in Europa Road on December 21.

Complete with light shows and a selection of music, students will be able to enjoy the night with their friends as their parents hang out upstairs until the end of the event at midnight.

Rock on the Rock will feature an electronic music party the following day at its unique venue.

More into rock music? Jetstream will play on December 23 at local venue Boyds for all their fans.

On Christmas Day itself, why not spend the occasion in the stylish environment of the Sunborn Hotel enjoying a traditional three-course lunch?

Santa will be on hand for the kids while live music will wash away your cares.

Finally, burn away the calories dancing at the biggest electronic music event of the winter.

The Que Pasa Christmas Party, headlined by Luuk van Dijk and Manda Moor will liven the dancefloor from 6pm to 6am at the Tercentenary Sports Hall of the Bayside Sports Complex.

So what are you waiting for? Get down to Gibraltar this Christmas and have an unforgettable festive season!

Festive flavours at PizzaExpress

OH come, all ye hungry! This season, Pizza Express is setting the table for a festive feast with extra flavour.

Indulgence is on the menu, from truffle loaded Dough Balls to dazzling Christmas desserts. Pizza Express is the perfect place for Christmas work-dos or a celebration with family and friends. Whatever your festive mood, they’ve got the food.

2 COURSES for £19.95 or 3 COURSES £24.95! This includes a bottle of Cava for two, or choice of one small glass of house wine, half pint of draft beer or any soft drink per person.

Book for Christmas at PizzaExpress Gibraltar today and check out theirFestive Menu on https://pizzaexpress.gi/ our-food/ or call +350 200 500 50 to book, or via bookings@pizzaexpress.gi

Perfect spots to celebrate Christmas in and out of Gibraltar

A busy (Advent) calendar of events is lined up for Gibraltar

ENJOY A COOL ROCK CHRISTMAS!

Expect the unexpected at The Yard

FOR a change of scenery head over the border to the newly developed ‘Acqua Plaza’ in Alcaidesa.

The Yard is the go-to place for lovers of food and drink and is a great choice for a Christmas day out.

Serving everything from a traditional English breakfast to their fusion style tapas, their food offering has something for everyone. They also have an extensive drinks menu, serving speciality cocktails, Brewdog IPA and over 150 different gins.

For those looking for something a little more social, they also host a range of events with a weekly Spanish lesson for those wanting to brush up on their conversational Spanish, bi-weekly quiz nights as well as live screenings of the biggest sporting events with an immersive surround sound system.

And for New Year Eve they are offering free canapes and a live DJ until the early hours. The party is bound to be popular, so contact them to reserve a free ticket.

Check out their website to learn more: www.theyard.es or check out their social channels @theyardalcaidesa

The action starts hotting up in the final stretch to Christmas Day

Cash delivery

BARCELONA is to become the first Spanish city to implement a so-called ‘Amazon tax’, which will target online sellers as well as postal services whose revenues exceed €1 million a year.

The aim of the levy is to tax these companies for the use of public space by delivery vehicles, as well as to level the playing field for small businesses.

“We want local traders to have equal fiscal condi-

By Simon Hunter

tions compared to the major e-commerce platforms, which have a very high market share,” said Jaume Collboni, economy chief at Barcelona City council.

Wage wars

MEN on average earn 21% more than women in Spain, according to new figures.

Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) conducted a survey where it also found that the number of female employees with the lowest salaries was double that of men. Men earned an average of €2,276 per month in 2021, while women earned €1,883 per month, or €393 less.

The wage gap widened even further when it came to salaries in the highest-paid jobs.

The data showed one in three men received a high salary compared with one in four women.

Lower salaries were considered to be less than €1,37640.5% of women surveyed received below this amount compared to just 20.2% of men.

The plan is likely to be approved at the end of February, and is expected to help empty the city of delivery vans. For example, the tax will not be applied when deliveries are left at collection points rather than being taken to the consumer’s door.

‘This planet cannot allow for a 300 gramme package to be transported to your home in a vehicle that weighs more than a tonne,’ said city councillor Jordi Marti about the plan.

Tax

By focusing on large e-commerce firms and postal services with a high revenue level, the tax will not be applied to self-employed workers who make deliveries, nor small firms.

The idea of the tax was initially recommended by the central government’s finance minister, Maria Jesus Montero.

Relive those stress-free days with the all-in English services of Linea Directa

WHY do we feel so much nostalgia for the 80s? It was such a stressfree decade with bold fashion statements and new hair trends. Remember mixing music on cassette tapes, recording your message on home answering machines, and not to forget how neon colours rocked with scrunched-up legwarmers over spandex tights. So satisfying. Well 9 out of 10 Línea Directa customers get the same satisfaction and recommend the best priced car, bike and home insurance to friends and family.

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CHECK-OUT OUR POLICIES

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FINDING ITS FEET

GBP/EUR exchange rate briefly strikes three-month high on fleeting UK economic optimism

WHILE it has continued to fluctuate, trade in the pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate over the past couple of weeks has been more subdued than in recent months, in part likely due to fewer high-impact data releases. During this time, we have seen GBP/EUR trade in a range between €1.16 and €1.15.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

After ending November on a sour note in response to lacklustre retail and mortgage figures, the pound was able to find its feet again at the start of December.

The GBP/EUR exchange rate was carried to a three-month high on the back of UK economic optimism, after a stronger-than-expected manufacturing PMI helped to buoy hopes for a milder UK recession than previously feared.

This uptick in GBP/EUR was assisted by weakness in the euro after the Eurozone’s consumer price index reported inflation in the bloc cooled more than expected in November.

The following week saw the GBP/EUR exchange rate quickly retreat from its best levels as some hawkish comments from a few European Central Bank (ECB) officials revived demand for the euro.

This uptrend in the single currency was reinforced by some upbeat German industrial data, while the pound was undermined by a cautious market mood.

The euro’s momentum quickly faded again however, following comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he suggested the war in Ukraine could be a ‘long-term process’. Meanwhile, Sterling found its feet again amid an improving market mood and optimism over a UK-US gas deal to help shore up Britain’s energy supply.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

Looking ahead, the spotlight will be on both the Bank of England (BoE) and ECB as they deliver

their final interest rate decisions of 2022.

The BoE is expected to opt for a 50bps rate hike this month, after a bumper 75bps increase in November. But with the move largely priced in, the focus is likely to be on the bank’s outlook for 2023. If the BoE hints it may further moderate the pace of future interest rate hikes, the pound could stumble. It’s a similar story for the ECB, with a 50bps hike widely expected the focus turns to the bank’s forward guidance. Will a cautious outlook result in the euro giving ground?

Also of note to GBP investors will be the publication of the UK’s latest jobs report and consumer price index. The CPI release in particular could infuse volatility in the pound. While another uptick in UK inflation will place pressure on the BoE to maintain its rate hikes, it will also raise cost-of-living concerns.

Meanwhile the Eurozone’s latest PMI releases could undermine the euro if December’s preliminary releases report another contraction in private sector activity.

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

Currency market volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that three-cent gap between €1.16 and €1.15 translates to a €2,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market.

For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you.

Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers.

Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

sive car, motorbike and home insurance to British expatriates and residents in Spain for over 25 years. With over 3 million customers nationwide, Línea Directa makes sure you get the best possible price for the kind of insurance you really need.

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Their Roadside Assistance team speaks English and will quickly help you with your onward journey. If you urgently need a duplicate set of keys for your motorcycle, then their English-speaking customer service will sort it out. And should you require Home Assistance to set up your new Wi-Fi connection, then English speaking technical staff will set up a visit.

DID YOU KNOW?

All Línea Directa insurance policies offer some exciting features specifically designed for British expatriates living in Spain. Their home insurance includes Pet Assistance, IT Assistance, and Home Maintenance. All motorbike policies come with Replacement Motorbike, Technical Equipment cover and even Young Person’s Night-time Assistance. And their car insurance includes helpful services such as Legal Assistance that can provide help when applying or renewing your driving license in Spain.

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Barcelona to levy ‘Amazon tax’ in bid to empty streets of delivery vans

Very Noor-ish

Jon Clarke gets a lesson in Andalucian culinary history with Cordoba’s rapidly rising star Paco Morales

HALF science lesson, half history, a meal at Cordoba’s food science lab, known as Noor, is an essential journey for anyone interested in Spanish food. Very much the rising star of Andalucia’s culinary scene, its eccentric boss Paco Morales is easily up there with the most intellectual chefs of his time.

Managing to create an extra di mension to his recipes, a meal at Noor is much more than just

an education for the palate. It is not for nothing that he has just seen himself jettisoned into the World’s Top Chefs awards at a spectacular number 43.

Putting him among the dozen Spanish superchefs, it is restaurants like his that are the reason the country is now, definitively, the world leader in the cooking stakes. Now into his seventh year of opening, he shows no signs of

slowing up. Alongside Andoni Aduriz at Mugaritz or Ferran Adria before him at seminal El Bulli (where he coincidentally trained), bespectacled Morales has found ways to completely push boundaries.

For starters, his ability of taking ancient Spanish recipes and giving them modern twists is extremely admirable, while each season he is moving a century

nearer to the present day.

we have got to the 16th century, or the ‘edad de la luz’ (enlightenment).

You also have to admire how he has come back to the barrio of his upbringing, where he began his life as a cook in the roast chicken shop of his dad.

And you will most certainly be impressed with his attention to detail and how Noor is as much a cultural project transcending what a restaurant should be.

Like a choreographer inspecting his troupe, Morales stands at the pass glowering at everything and everyone, which is unnerving enough for the diners, let alone staff.

Every dish is triple-checked before coming out and, make no mistake, this is a performance with Morales getting involved in every aspect of our meal at the two-Michelin star joint.

Despite having six waiters (all named on the honours board) he is continually popping up like Where’s Wally to serve and then explain a dish, and even swooped in twice to top up the wine glasses.

Noor (meaning ‘light’ in Arabic) is certainly a place that guarantees something you’ve never experienced before.

SECURE

Lotti Lundstedt, from Liberty Seguros offers us some tips on how best to avoid damage to our homes and shares with us the popular home insurance covers for properties in Spain.

“The most common claims are those caused by water damage. As a general rule, we always recommend closing stopcocks – even if you are only going to be away for a short period of time.

“What’s more, there are other small actions that can be taken to prevent unintended damage too. From not using the toilet as a waste bin, to protecting drains with filters, unblocking drains as soon as you come across a blockage, preventing damp by maintaining good ventilation throughout the home, checking pipe joints and making

sure there are no leaks coming from the cistern or dripping taps. These are all simple but effective ways to keep your home protected all year round.”

Nevertheless, in the case of damage caused by water, Liberty Seguros home insurance policies do offer extensive cover. Policy holders can rest assured that expenses incurred with regard to locating the damage are covered, as is the repair and/ or replacement of damaged parts within the confines of the home.

Home insurance policies with Liberty Seguros also cover the breakage of pipes - even if there is no actual damage caused by the leak – and excess water consumption can be claimed for up to 1.000 euros per claim each year.

Lotti Lundstedt continues: “In recent years – and as a result of climate change – extreme events which cause significant damage to homes have become more and more common. With this in mind, coverages that include damage due to atmospheric, meteorological, geological or seismic phenomena such as landslides, subsidence or floods are in high demand.

At Liberty Seguros we have taken this into account and with our optional ‘Accidental All Risks’ cover, all of these scenarios are covered – even if they are not actually con-

sidered ‘extraordinary’ under current legislation.”

Lundstedt also explains that one of the most asked questions is whether locks and keys are included in Liberty Seguros home policy. She reveals: “Our Liberty Seguros home insurance policy includes a complete assistance. We will actually send a locksmith out to you if you find yourself locked out by accident, and of course, you are also covered for locksmith services if your keys are lost, stolen or broken, or even if the lock has been rendered useless due to an attempted burglary, or other.”

Essential

Liberty Seguros believes that whilst it’s not compulsory by law, having a home insurance policy that is adapted to YOU is essential for your peace of mind. It’s for this reason that Liberty Seguros makes it as easy for you as possible to adapt your home policy to meet your REAL needs.

What’s more, with Liberty Seguros there are more than 300 expats agents and brokers that are available to assist you with face-to-face advice in your OWN language.

This year, coincidentally,

The arrival alone on a poorly-lit suburban street somewhere in the Cordoba hinterlands was the first big surprise. We actually had to grill our taxi driver

if he knew where he was going as we stepped out to a row of simple, single-storey terraced houses.

And there on the corner it was, a fabulous silver cube, seductively lit and resembling a nightclub with no windows, nor hardly a sign.

A door slides open and your adventure begins, firstly in a small corridor where your waiters take your coat and wash your hands pouring water from an Arabic copper teapot.

Suddenly you are thrust into the main dining room, which is deceptively small, but made

WHAT LIES BENEATH

There are so many layers to peel at Cordoba’s most beautiful boutique

WHEN the owners of Cordoba’s most charming boutique hotel decided to expand a few years ago they knew there would be something below the building next door.

But what the Hospes Palacio del Bailio couldn’t have known was the extent of what they would find, including an almost perfectly intact Roman villa, replete with columns and mosaics.

Now, in a wonderful conversion the team has managed to fuse this basement discovery with an underground spa, as well as their main restaurant, Arbequina, on the ground floor.

It is here, during breakfast, lunch or dinner, that guests can marvel at the sheer weight of history at play in this wonderful Andalucian city.

Indeed, there is no better place to stay in Cordoba that offers such a good sense of

what this ancient Roman (later Moorish) city can offer.

For this 16th century palace sits on its own small hill in the heart of Cordoba’s casco historico, featuring a series of stunning leafy patios and gardens that help keep the hotel cool in summer.

Even better, the five-star hotel has four-star prices off season (ie now until March, outside key holidays, or in the heat of the summer) when you can get a double room for €150 including vat.

And what lovely rooms they are, particularly the junior suites, facing into the main garden, with its amazing mix of citrus and palms and, of course, enticing pool.

What I liked most however, was the arrival at the palace through an ancient arch,

onto cobbles, where carriages once disgorged their privileged visitors before turning around another large leafy ivy-clad patio.

It was so evocative of centuries past and has been so carefully restored with nothing out of place.

From here you're into the lobby, which blends contemporary chic with avant-garde fittings and furnishings, while all the orig-

TOP CHEF: Paco Morales

GREAT VALUE: Luxury rooms at the hotel

hotel Hospes Palacio del Bailio, writes Jon Clarke

to look larger with its unusual wood and eye-shape patterned ceiling.

There are only eight tables, which explains why we had to book months in advance and why, having secured a booking, we had up to half a dozen calls and emails from the management sorting out the fine tuning and our menus of choice. We also had to put a credit card down to guarantee our arrival. This is the way these days, with proper fine dining, where margins are tight and no shows can cost dearly. It’s more than fair enough.

We had opted for the basic ‘bereber’ (or Berber) menu, which still counted on 11 courses, albeit one being the bread and another the petit fours.

Having reached the 16th century we were finding ingredients and influences from the new world, items brought back by the Conquistadores This meant that while earlier seasons were inspired by the Almoravid and Almohad periods (12th and 13th centuries) we should have now been getting products including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers or cocoa.

The truth is there was so much more going on, such as the cuajada de khan’, the yoke of a free range egg, with capers and caviar, while the ‘karim’ of pistachio, came with herrings and a green apple sauce.

My personal favourites, despite looking like a dog’s dinner, were the main course of durum wheat pasta with eels and smoked butter, swimming in a lemon and black truffle sauce, while the roasted pigeon on a carob pate (above), with sage and black truffle was also a real winner.

The lemon ‘ceuti’ pudding (above right) with a mint biscuit infused with coriander and black pepper, should have been foul… but it was wonderful.

Detail

BEAUTY: Roman remains fused with more modern hotel

inal decor, including the 18th century frescoes in the main patio have been carefully restored.

This is a lovely place to start the day taking breakfast, which generously runs until 11.30am, before it converts into the main restaurant, now with talented Javier Moreno at the helm.

Benefit

One other major key benefit of staying at the palace is its location. While it is in the pedestrianised casco historico you are not in the main drag so you won’t get swamped with tourists like in the Jewish or Patio quarters, which are still only a ten minute walk away.

For more information visit www. hospes.com/es/palacio-bailio or call (34) 957 498 993

The attention to detail throughout was amazing, including the Christmas tree shaped holder for the petit fours, which actually resonated, I noticed, with the coping on top of the nearby Mesquita.

The wine list is almost as good as I’ve found in Spain, in particular, as there were at least a dozen interesting and varied wines from around the world coming in at under €30 which is extraordinary for a two Michelin star joint.

Nowadays always avoiding the so-called ‘maridaje’ or pairing, which so rarely work for me, we chose an excellent Godello from Valdeorras for €26 and a superb basic Pinot Noir from Morey St.Denis, in Burgundy at €38. It was not a heavy meal and the end result was an incredible €115 per head, which must be the best value leading restaurant I’ve ever eaten at.

Noor is located on C. Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 8, Cordoba. For bookings and information, visit www. noorrestaurant.es

SHINY: Noor is hard to miss

EXQUISITE: The food is fantastic, while (left) a history lesson explaining the menu

Primark push

FASHION

Some 1,000 new jobs will be created, including a mix of full-time and part-time opportunities for sales staff, trainee managers and department managers.

The clothes retailer, owned by Associated British Foods, already has 56 stores in Spain - its biggest market outside the UK.

Three stores will open next year in Toledo, Lanzarote, and Melilla. Other openings are slated up to 2024 in Jaen as well as Lorca in the Murcia region, with other locations to be announced.

in

foreign buyers of Spanish property table after

spooked by war in Ukraine

POLES have been in a buying frenzy for Spanish property this year in an overheating housing market, thought to be driven by a booming economy and an existential fear of their war-

BUSINESS BOOMING

SAM Shaje sold three properties during his first summer working as a real estate agent in Marbel la more than six years ago.

When he told his boss that he was dis appointed with the low commission, his boss replied: ‘If you don’t like it you can open up your own agency’.

And that’s exactly what Sam did.

In 2017 he launched Marbella Estate Group and business has grown ‘tenfold’ since then.

“At first we started with a single employee and now we have nine people working for us,” Sam said.

Marbella Estate Group is based in San Pedro and offers top properties to buy and sell in all of the Costa del Sol area, with a special focus on Marbella.

The company has also expanded its horizons with Marbella design group, a division of the group which specialises in design and architecture.

Sam actually studied architecture in Valencia, choosing to leave Sweden to pursue his studies in Spain.

“Our drive lies in the satisfaction of our customers by helping them reach the best solutions and property goals based on family

situations, leisure time and relocation to Spain,” he said.

Marbella Estate Group also helps people navigate the paperwork and bureaucracy involved in the relocation process.

“A lot of our clients from outside the EU are looking for that golden visa,” Sam said.

“We have lawyers who specialise in that so that we are not only helping clients purchase property in Spain, but follow up and help them get living rights.”

Sam said Marbella Estate Group aims to follow through with clients from ‘start to finish’.

“We strive to be the firm that will help you fulfill your purpose in the Spanish market in the most efficient and comfortable way possible,” he said.

CLIMBING THE POLE

mongering Russian neighbours.

Polish buyers have seen a record 2,300 property purchase so far this year, already more than double the entire of 2021.

This brings the Polish share of foreign buyers of Spanish houses to 3.2%, someway behind perennial champion investors the Brits, who are still in the lead at 11.2%.

It means the Poles already outstrip the Americans (1.6%), the Chinese (2.6%), and - ironically - the Russians (2%), with the Swedes in their sights (4.2%), according to stats from the

Statistical Information Centre of Notaries in Spain. But overall, foreign buyers have increased 19% on 2021, helping to drive up prices 7.5% year-on-year.

Expensive

Barcelona still presides over the most expensive housing market, with a square metre costing €4,352 (up 5.3% on last year), followed by Madrid with €3,851 a square metre (up 71%) and Palma de Mallorca property €3,122 but up a whopping 12%.

One famous Pole who can afford property in Mallorca is World Cup flop Robert Lewandowski, who has a property in Santa Ponsa.

FOREIGN RELIANCE

FOREIGN demand has been propping up the Spanish housing market even as demand from the biggest buyers - the British - has dried up, Spanish Property Insight report.

Back in the glory days of 2007, domestic demand from within Spain outweighed foreign demand for property - until the bubble burst. Since then, while foreign demand quickly recovered and was above 2007 levels by 2014, domestic demand has never recovered.

By the first half of this year, foreign demand was 120% higher than in 2007.

In contrast, Spanish demand has not recovered to its 2007 levels and was still 30% lower in the first half of this year.

GRAPHS: Show the evolution of the market

And it is a reliance on the growth in foreign demand that has contributed to the recovery of Spain's property market, propping up much of the economy.

When comparing the performance of foreign markets over the period from

2007, it appears that Germany has performed the best, with its demand up 680%, while the UK is still 30% below its 2007 levels.

Lawbird is a firm of English speaking lawyers who specialise in property law, corporate law, litigation and immigration law.

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Lawbird Legal Services Slp C.Ricardo Soriano, 19 29601 Marbella (Spain) TEL: +34 952 861 890 FAX: +34 952 861 695 gary.newsham@lawbird.com www.lawbird.com

The director of Marbella Estate Group took a plunge to open the firm, and it’s a move that has paid off

Poles coming up fast

being

By Walter Finch

retailer Primark will spend €100 million on opening eight stores and refurbishing existing outlets in Spain.

HOME: Robert Lewandowski and wife have property in Spain

Gender agenda

NEW rules have been brought in meaning Christmas ads can not target girls with the colour pink and boys with blue to avoid ‘gender stereotyping’ of children.

Stamp up!

A BID by right wing parties to ban a stamp celebrating the centenary of Spain’s Communist Party has been turned down by a judge and sales have boomed with an extended print run ordered.

Bad cop

A GUARDIA Civil officer in Almeria has been stripped of his job and jailed for four years after issuing unfair fines against a neighbour he did not like, going as far as falsifying documents.

THAT’S RUFF

A Brit was left stranded at the airport after a dog chewed his passport

WE’VE all used the ‘my dog ate my homework’ excuse before.

But Brit Nicholas Hyde never thought he’d need to pull that old chestnut out in front of border authorities as he pleaded with them to be allowed to board a flight back to the UK.

And what was even more absurd, it wasn’t an excuse. His dog - a four-year-old Beagle called Simba (pictured) - actually had mauled his pass-

By Anthony Piovesan

port right before he was due to fly back to London from Valencia on Sunday.

His concerned mother Antonia Hyde posted an urgent plea for help online seeking advice.

“Help! My son is stuck at Valencia Airport. His dog ate his passport! He has his NIE but they won’t let him fly to

IN a twist to the David v Goliath case, Goliath has won!

A tiny burger and pizza joint in Cadiz has changed its name after global giants McDonald’s got on their case saying the Menoc Donald moniker of the fast-food restaurant was too similar.

So, after 34 years, the restaurant has changed its name to Menoc

Gatwick,” she explained. Speaking exclusively to the Olive Press Nicholas described the entire situation as ‘surreal’. “He just devoured it, the bottom corner of the passport with the identification number

Silly burgers

Burger instead.

“We received a burofax asking us in a friendly way to change the name. Obviously, we got down to work because we knew that we had everything to lose if we didn’t”, explained owner Jose Antonio Calvo.

was destroyed,” the 23-yearold said.

He pleaded with the airline which contacted immigration at Gatwick airport with a photo of the mauled passport - but that was also to no avail.

His only option was to apply for an ‘emergency passport’ at the British consulate in Barcelona.

Train

In just a few hours he had an appointment time confirmed, so he booked a train to the Catalunyan capital, picked up the document on Tuesday and flew to Gatwick that evening.

On a wing and a prayer

SPAIN’s very own ‘bird man’ pulled off an astonishing feat when he flew under the famous arch bridge of Ronda at 300km per hour.

Daredevil Daniel Roman leapt out of a paramotor in the cool December sky in a wingsuit from several thousand metres up and prepared to take aim at the barely ten-metre gap under Ronda’s imposing Tajo bridge.

Coming in at a third of the speed of sound, any miscalculation would have spelt a messy end to the elite jumper.

Having burst through the central arch and cleared the cliffs. Roman pulled the cord on his parachute and the ‘bird man’ gently descended to land.

We’re back in print on Jan 11, but online every day at www.theolivepress.es

EXCLUSIVE