Olive Press Spain Issue 413

A flying weekend trip to the scariest Game of Thrones sites in Cordoba

See page 20

No Golden boy!

POLICE may reopen an investigation into how the UK’s former ‘Public Enemy No 1’ was easily able to escape and live in Spain for two years.

Kent Police are now studying a series of sensational tapes that explain how high profile killer Kenneth Noye was harboured by a leading expat timeshare figure, based in Spain. Over 500 hours of recordings of businessman Mohamed ‘Mo’ Derbah reveal how Noye, 75, was flown to France, then Tenerife, and finally was landed on the coast near Cadiz, where he hid for 22 months.

Handed to police by UK accountant Paul Blanchard, who worked for Derbah, they explain how the former Brinks Mat robber evaded justice af-

The case of a shocking UK murder by Gold character Kenneth Noye could be reopened as fresh evidence emerges

EXCLUSIVE

By Anthony Piovesan

ter stabbing boxer Stephen Cameron to death on the M25 motorway, in Kent, in 1996.

In a letter to Scotland Yard accompanying the tapes, Blanchard, a former expat based in Spain for years, pleads with police to ‘investigate and obtain justice for the family of Cameron’. Blanchard told the Olive Press Der-

bah had been introduced to Noye, through his connections to fellow criminal John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer, who lived in Tenerife for many years.

“I am delighted that this cold case should now finally be re-examined,” he said from outside Scotland Yard, this week.

“What Derbah did to help Noye get away with murder is staggering.

“My statements and tapes prove how he used his worldwide contacts to harbour a dangerous criminal, who

killed at least once before.”

Blanchard also reveals in a podcast how Derbah - who had many timeshare connections on the Costa del Sol - moved Noye around by private plane and boat immediately after he fled the UK. Incredibly, Noye managed to evade police until he was finally located liv-

ing in sleepy Atlanterra, near Zahara, on the Costa de la Luz, from where he was finally extradited two years later. During his time in Andalucia, Noye, as told in BBC drama The Gold, took on the identity of a builder called ‘Mick’ who was living in Cadiz to evade tax.

He found a local girlfriend, Maria, who didn’t know his real identity, or of his wife and two sons, who occasionally visited him in Spain. Eventually, British cops found out and in July, 1998, two officers flew into Jerez and headed

Continues on page 5

What happened when we sent a cub reporter from Manilva to Mijas?

See The road to Mandalay, page 6

‘MY NIGHTMARE ON THE COSTA DEL SOL’S BUSES’

KILLER: Noye and road rage victim Stephen Cameron (below)

Warm weather

TEMPERATURES in the mid-twenties are forecast for Malaga this week. The much-anticipated warm spell should peak today with 23 degrees, and last the rest of the week.

Surreal find

TWO 100-year-old Salvador Dali drawings worth €300,000 have been found after they were stolen last year in a burglary in Barcelona. Police arrested three brothers.

Fewer babies

SPAIN’s declining birth rate has hit a new historic low in 2022. Figures from the National Statistics Institute shows 329,812 babies were born last year, 7,011 fewer than the year before.

Rat nests

MALAGA council has ordered all of the city’s 95 closed kiosks, that once sold newspapers and magazines, to be removed as they have become ‘nests for rats’.

COPS have busted a criminal ring that was forging residency cards for immigrants to work and then taking a percentage of their salary.

The gang, operating across Murcia and Malaga, initially took between €500 and €600 for the fake document, and then ordered the migrants, mostly Nigerians, to pay €200 a month from their income.

Migrant work scam

The organisation allegedly made €1,800 a year from each ‘customer’, as well as providing accommodation in so-called ‘pisos patera’, cramped flats packed with residents, who arrived by boat.

According to National Police, six arrests were made, four in Malaga

Murder squad

and two in Murcia, on charges of document forgery, racketeering and crimes against the rights of foreign citizens. More than 50 fake documents were seized, along with nine mobile phones and a series of computer storage devices.

GOTCHA

ONE of the UK’s Most Wanted criminals has been arrested trying to enter Morocco from Spain. Nana Oppong, 42, was snared by Moroccan cops after a warning went out on Interpol.

Oppong had been wanted by Essex police over the drive-by shooting of 50-year-old grandfather Robert Powell in 2020.

He was arrested using false documents by officers from the DGSN –Morocco’s General Directorate for National Security.

Most Wanted snared trying to cross the Straits

By Anthony Piovesan

Oppong, who had been living in Spain for at least a year, remains in custody as extradition proceedings are underway. He was one of 13 criminals sought in a Crimestoppers Most Wanted appeal last year and would have

been included on another recent appeal a fortnight ago.

The final seven, still believed to be hiding in Spain, include heavily-tattooed and often armed Jack Mayle, 31, wanted on suspicion of drugs smuggling. Mayle, from London, had a tattooed

neck, a diamond tattoo under his left eye and 'Croydon' inked on his left forearm.

Others wanted for cocaine smuggling include Welshmen, Asim Naveed, 31, who is 6ft 2in tall, and Calvin Parris, 33, who has gold teeth.

John James Jones, 32, of Lancashire, is wanted for wounding with intent. He stayed at a hotel in Madrid the night after the stabbings, but left in a hurry the next morning.

Callum Michael Allan, 24, of South Shields, is wanted for 12 alleged offences, while Mark Francis Roberts, 29, of Liverpool, is wanted for alleged grievous bodily harm. Finally Alex Male, 30, of Westonsuper-Mare, is alleged to be a regional distributor of drugs across the south west of England. Email newsdesk@theolivepress.es if you have seen any of them.

A UK hit squad with ‘military grade weapons’ have been arrested for the attempted hit on a trio of Irishmen. The ‘extremely violent’ gang, believed to be from north London, had been sent to Marbella to tackle the Irishmen who are linked to Dublin crime boss Mr Flashy.

In incredible circumstances, none of the three were killed with only one man, from Finglas, near Dublin, hospitalised with a bullet in his side.

Spanish police have accused the men of attempted murder at the popular Turtle Lake outside Marbella on September 20 last year. In the so-called ‘settling of scores’, linked to a new drug war in Dublin, the only victim made his own way to the Costa del Sol Hospital, where he refused to cooperate with police. In alarming dawn raids, cops seized a haul of weapons - including pistols, submachine guns and an axe - in Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola and Coin.

Machetes

Officers also found bulletproof vests, balaclavas, machetes, tasers and cable ties, together with GPS trackers and a mobile signal blocker. The shooting happened at the picturesque Lago de los Tortugas above Aloha golf course, a popular day trip destination for schools in the area. The attack happened just eight days after the arrest of alleged senior Kinahan cartel member Johnny Morrissey, who owned high-profile Nero Vodka.

It was initially believed to be linked to the two decade feud between the Kinahan and Hutch Irish crime gangs, who were both based on the Costa del Sol.

A notice for striking-off of Nero Drinks has been lodged by the UK’s Companies House as their annual accounts are two months overdue. The striking-off action is not thought to be linked to current police investigations in the US or Spain.

Fuengirola Marbella Plaza de las Orquídeas, Calle Orquídea, Local 5, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella, 29660, Spain +34 952 906 581 marbella@currenciesdirect.com

Benalmadena Avenida Antonio Machado, Edificio Diana I Local 13, Benalmádena Costa, Málaga, 29630, Spain +34 952 90 65 81 benalmadena@currenciesdirect.com

Carnival capers

FORGET Christmas and the three kings. They should by now be a fading memory in the face of Spain’s most hedonistic landmark on the calendar: Carnival.

Cadiz’s famous Carnival, the biggest and most prestigious in Spain - and one of the biggest in the world - is now in full swing and runs until February 26. For those wanting a more ‘Brazilian’ experience head to Tenerife .

Spain’s second biggest Carnival is in Sitges, near Barcelona, while there are plenty of local events around Spain.

BRITISH BEEF

UK architectural legend Norman Foster courts controversy designing bullfighting poster

HE’S known for his revolutionary designs, including the Reichstag dome, the Hearst tower and the Gherkin in London.

Beast of a movie

DIVERSE: Foster (right) with wife Elena has designed the Gherkin and Sevilla poster

By Walter Finch

But despite being the world’s richest living architect, Norman Foster somehow found time to knock up a local bullfighting poster for Sevilla. Now, the British architect - behind a string of local buildings, including Madrid’s Torre Bankia and Barcelona’s Nou Camp redesign - has designed Sevilla bullring’s annual festival poster. The architect will certainly lose credibility in the eyes of animal rights activists after he was commissioned by the Real Maestranza to promote its controversial season of ‘corridas’. His reputation is bound to take a wobble, like his infamous Millenium bridge, in London, that had to be shut and fixed at a cost of

HE miraculously escaped death when his siblings were buried alive. Now, Bobi, a pure-bred mastiff, has been declared the oldest dog that ever lived.

According to the Guinness World Records (GWR) he will be 31 in May.

His Portuguese owner, Leonel Costa, explained that his parents had decided they couldn’t afford more animals, so when a new litter was born they had dug a hole and dumped the unfortunate pups in it. But they somehow missed Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo mas-

Great escape

tiff, who grew up in Leiria, between Lisbon and Porto.

By ‘tradition’ once a pup had opened its eyes burying was no longer an option. So when Leonel - then just eight - and his brother found Bobi hiding, they kept quiet until his eyes opened and he gained a reprieve.

The previous ‘oldest dog ever’ was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey who was born in 1910 and lived for 29 years and 5 months.

millions after it wobbled on opening. But the Pritzker-prize winner, who has a home in Madrid, is unlikely to worry, being married to Spaniard Elena Ochoa, 64, for nearly three decades. Foster, 87, based the artwork on the striking red and yellow of the celebrated festival and on the minimalist architecture of the historic Plaza de la Maestranza.

Wild

It depicts a bull's head sat above the symbolic hide of a wild bull with the contours of the arena framing the imagery. Foster explained he took inspiration from ‘the symbolic’ features of the bullring, including the bullfighter's cape, the colours of the festival and a bull’s head adorning one of its doors.

THE movie As Bestas (The Beasts) was the big winner at the 37th Goya Awards, which took place in Sevilla.

The film, which follows a middle-aged French couple who encounter shocking violence after moving to a village in Galicia to be close to nature, won nine of the 17 categories for which it had been nominated.

These included Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Denis Menochet (inset).

Then came Cinco Lobitos (Lullaby), a story about motherhood, which won three awards: Best Actress for Laia Costa (above), Best Supporting Actress for Susi Sanchez, and Best New Director for Alauda Ruiz de Azua.

Jankto’s declaration

SPAIN has finally got an officially gay player.

Getafe’s Jakub Jankto has become the first current La Liga player to say publicly that he's gay.

The 27-year-old Czech internation al is back in his native country playing on loan for Sparta Prague. Jankto took to social media saying that ‘I want to live my life in free dom, without fear, without prej udice, without violence, but with love’.

He added: “I'm gay and I don't want to hide anymore.”

He is the highest-ranked Euro pean player to 'come out' with 45 international caps to his name.

Real dampener

Council in hot water after controversial decision to shut off water supply to homes

A MALAGA council is facing a class action after it allegedly ‘cut off’ the water supply to dozens of homes in an idyllic white village.

Lawyers have been called in after the affected homeowners in Archez were left without running water for nearly three weeks.

British expat Gail Gilkes told the Olive Press when she raised the issue with Sayalonga town hall she was told a warning had been posted on

By Anthony Piovesan

the council’s website.

She was shocked to discover that affected residents were being expected to lay pipes at their own expense to a new centralised hub.

The 60-year-old will need to install pipes for nearly two kilometres to her home. She will also need to seek permission from various owners whose land the pipes will need to cross through.

“So far quotes for the work have been varying between €2,000 and €4,000,” she explained.

Marbella law firm Parodilawyers is now handling the case and gathering affected property owners for a class action.

“The town hall never approached us directly and has constructively cut us off,” Gilkes added.

Gilkes is currently using water out of her 15,000 litre water deposit, which she says can last her about four months.

But her neighbour Anne

White is not so fortunate. The 54-year-old who lived at home with her daughter said she was only surviving on a four litre water deposit, which if used ‘very conservatively’ could last her a week.

Surreal

But thanks to the generosity of her neighbours, White is able to use the water from their tanks.

“This is a short term solution but certainly not long term,” she said.

Otero: War is to blame

DISGRACED construction magnate Ruben Otero has blamed the collapse of his company on the war in Ukraine in a letter to employees.

The embattled developer also said an ‘increase in building materials’ had taken its toll on his schemes along the Costa del Sol.

As many as 130 staff are now fac ing collective dismissal, while hun dreds of victims have now contact ed lawyers, the newspaper under stands.

In the letter to employees, sent on Valentine's Day, the Galician businessman gave them 15 days to ‘choose representatives’

for negotiation.

The Olive Press - which broke the story three weeks ago - has heard that staff have been offered a ‘one-off’ €2,000 redundancy payment in exchange for signing a nondisclosure agreement.

We can also reveal Otero is the director of a staggering 39 companies in Spain, many with a turnover of millions and most of them subsidiaries of the Otero Otero has still yet to release a public statement on the scandal, which has left hundreds of buyers and dozens of contractors likely to have lost millions across up to a dozen developments.

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“It’s surreal that this has happened - it just can’t be right, we’ve had water flowing to this property for the past 19 years.”

Lawyer Jordi Sanchez told the Olive Press the council had left the residents in a ‘totally defenceless position’.

“Every resident has a right to have a water supply if they have all necessary paperwork of their property, and have paid their water taxes and invoices,” he insisted.

“The council cannot simply cut the service. The measure has been adopted entirely disregarding the law.”

Sayalonga Council was contacted for comment, but did not respond.

Grand plan

A British businessman is resurrecting plans for a €1.2 billion sport and property development which he hopes will revolutionise the Costa del Sol.

The exciting proposal for the long-neglected Mijas race course site has been set out in a detailed 60-page master plan seen by the newspaper.

First revealed by the Olive Press juvenated plans will create thousands of jobs and ‘bring billions’ to the coast, it is claimed.

Mirage World of Sport chairman Anthony Arnold re vealed the ambitious new scheme will include ‘multi-use sports arenas’, an 18-hole golf course, ‘Europe’s largest football academy’, international tennis and cricket academies, as well as facilities for baseball and basketball.

The Midlands-based businessman said there were also plans for a commercial centre, two hotels, and a concert venue at the 250-hectare Hippodrome site, which has been closed for over a decade.

“I have been devoted to this project for several years,” Arnold told the Olive Press this week.

“It will create more than 3000 jobs, revitalise the local economy and bring 2.3 million visitors including many of the world’s leading sports stars from across the globe to the Costa del Sol,” he added.

BILLION PLAN: Sports are central to the scheme

COSTLY COCK-UP

A PAIR of company numbskulls who ordered 31 new trains for the Asturias to Cantabria rail line have been sacked after the rolling stock was too big to fit its tunnels. Cantabria president, Miguel Angel Revilla, described events as an ‘outrageous cock-up’. Rail operator Renfe said its rolling stock manager had been dismissed while

track infrastructure company, Adif, also fired its technology inspector. Transport Minister, Raquel Sanchez, insisted the trains - costing €258 million - were still in the design phase, which will cut the extra expenditure to revamp the design. But the project is now expected to be put back two years adding an unknown cost to the price.

Blown up

A BANK branch in the heart of Malaga city has been blown up.

A gang planted explosives at two ATMs outside the ING bank on Avenida de Andalucia. It left significant damage to the bank’s facade, with a huge mess of shattered glass, twisted metal and rubble.

WATER JOKE: Gilkes (left) must install pipes to the hilltop above

EXCLUSIVE

Police probe

From front to Atlanterra, finally spotting Noye three days later en route to his gym.

In a carefully orchestrated sting, alongside Spanish police, he was finally arrested as he had lunch with Maria in a restaurant in Zahara.

Blanchard’s audio tapeswhich were recorded with an eye to ghosting an autobiography of Derbah’s - ‘prove he hid Noye in Spain’.

Noye was eventually tried and found guilty of the murder for which he received a life sentence.

He was released in 2019 and has just launched a book on his life, written with investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre.

UK Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mike Rowley told the Olive Press they had received the new evidence and Kent Police ‘would investigate’.

“The investigation into Mr Cameron’s murder was led by Kent Police and we have replied to the letter advising that any related matters would be raised with that force.”

As we went to press Kent Police confirmed they had received ‘three cassette tapes’ handed in as evidence, but told us: “We think this is a matter for the Spanish police.”

AN American woman has been forced to go to the Spanish courts to prove that a Costa del Sol resident is her biological father.

Tamara Hibbs, 52, from Kentucky, is awaiting a hearing on whether a renowned doctor in his 80s, will be forced to take a paternity test. She told the Olive Press she is ‘certain’ that he is her biological father. She claims the Costa del Solbased doctor, who is now retired, already had a family when he had an affair with her mother - before aban-

TRUTH SEEKER

doning both families and moving abroad. She has now managed to track him down to Fuengi-

rola, where he moved nearly four decades ago. But unfortunately he refused to recognise that he impregnated Tamara’s mother, Barbara, in Baltimore in 1969.

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

FAMILY: Tamara is centre

BOSSES accused of wasting ‘thousands of euros’ at a bus depot have taken action after the Olive Press pointed it out to them.

Users of Marbella bus station noticed the exterior roof lights coming on during the day, as well as toilet cisterns flushing continuously.

The general state of disrepair, also including leaking pipes, was reported to Avanza, after drivers and cleaning staff agreed with us.

It came after an Olive Press reader contacted us about the lights coming on at 2pm ‘which are hard to see due to the bright daylight.’

When confronted in a WhatsApp message in November, his cur-

rent wife told Tamara: “He has no recollection of your mother; he is old and forgetful.” She added: “He has no desire to speak to you nor meet you, and you cannot force him to.” Undeterred, she has since managed to get Fuengirola Court to order him to attend a paternity test hearing. However, the former doctor has so far dodged the summons, with his lawyers

SEARCH: Tamara thinks she has traced her father

claiming he was ‘in hospital’ and dismissing the evidence against him as ‘insufficient’. But he has, at least, now acknowledged the authority of the court and a date for a hearing is currently pending.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

“It’s a complete waste of money, particularly as I’ve seen them on many occasions like that,” said the reader, who asked to remain anonymous. Avanza promised to review the sensors and the lights are now coming on at 5.30pm, an appropriate hour for winter. The company also agreed to review the leakages in the bathrooms, which a spokesman put down to ‘misuse by some users’.

The move could save Avanza ‘around €1,368 a year’ in unnecessary bills for

the light alone, claims electricity company boss, Martin Tye.

“It is criminal that any organisation wastes electricity because of poor management and laziness,” the CEO of Mariposa Energy told the Olive Press.

See Road rage, page 6

Her lawyer Federico

Bleckmann told the Olive Press: “The case is moving forwards.”

Tamara’s labyrinthine search took nearly two years and was triggered by an admission from her mother in 2020, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s in the last days of her life.

It has involved taking DNA tests, a lot of detective work and convincing long-lost relatives in the US and Pakistan to take their own tests. While Tamara would have a claim to an inheritance under Spanish law, she told the Olive Press that the case was ‘not about money’.

“I want to be legally recognised as his daughter. I have a right to know 100% who my biological father is. My life matters,” she said.

‘I have a right to know’: American woman compels her biological father living in Fuengirola to take a paternity test

Andreu

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

Don’t hold your breath

WHILE the coast’s main bus operator Avanza confirmed that ‘if it was clear the demand was higher’, it would put on more buses. We sent them our survey results (with 87% not happy) and they claimed to have taken them on board.

A spokesman told us they measure demand daily by ‘registering ticket cancellations in our machine’.

This is surely an inadequate method to understand the true reality of how many people would use the bus service if it was fit for purpose.

This seems to be the case for our reporter Nadia McDonald (see right) , and the dozens of other expats and Spaniards we have spoken to.

Some might say it’s a chicken and egg scenario, others might quote Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams - ‘if you build it, they will come’.

With municipal elections looming in May, it is the perfect time to raise the issue of public transport with your local town halls. It’s time for politicians to get moving with a safe and sustainable mobility plan.

Shame or glory

THE bullfighting season is getting into full swing again. And with it comes the annual debate of its rights and wrongs.

To the critics, it’s a shameful blood sport, bringing pain and suffering to innocent animals, while to its aficionados, it’s a glorious cultural symbol, a bridge to our past and almost unique to the world.

Whichever side of the debate you fall on (and we know most of you are anti’s), there is little doubt the world of the corrida is very much part of the fabric of Spain’s identity.

Some of the country’s most impressive architecture is embodied in the magnificent bull rings, most dating back hundreds of years.

Through the centuries dashing matadors - and often their female admirers - have featured in the art and literature of Spanish culture.

Even the posters for bullfighters are iconic works of art, with even British architect Lord Norman Foster now designing them. But the question is: Does the corrida belong in the past or does it have a future?

While we don’t demand its end, we don’t expect it to last.

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LACK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT ON THE COSTA DEL

ROAD RAGE

Regional transport along Malaga’s coastline is a disgrace. While the light’s firmly stuck on red for the proposed coastal train extension, the Olive Press asks if it’s time to improve the bus service?

OVER half a million people live along the Costa del Sol, not counting Malaga city, a number that is said to triple during the summer.

It is one of Spain’s busiest tourist hotspots, receiving 1.5 million visitors each year and generating over a third of Andalucia’s tourism revenue.

And yet, if you look at a train map for Spain, you will notice that, for such an important economic hub, the sun coast is a curious black spot.

Tourists and new residents are understandably shocked to discover that the coastal train from Malaga and its airport stops after just 25km at Fuengirola.

The only way to get further is in a vehicle. And, for the overwhelming majority of people, the only reliable way to get around is by car.

Those without a car (or a driving licence) are largely left with a Herculean task of getting around, that is if they travel between resorts or, indeed, regularly to the airport.

Deprived of basic, reliable mobility, tens of thousands of people find themselves in the dehumanising position of being unable to carry out basic functions, such as getting to work, doing the shopping or visiting friends.

And we are not making this up. Read our sidebar (right) on a test set for a junior reporter.

Age-old demand

It’s also a plain fact that every mayor on the coast has long been begging for the train line to be extended, at least to Estepona, but why not all the way to Algeciras?

Marbella mayor Angeles Muñoz stressed the ‘profitability’ of such an endeavour, while Fuengirola leader Ana Mula hailed the idea as ‘transcendental’ and said it would ‘benefit the environment’.

By Walter Finch

movement of vehicles, facilitating mobility and connection.’

Expat councillor Scott Marshall, in Benahavis, told the Olive Press: “It’s about time something was done and we moved forwards with better buses, at least.”

This proposal has been chewed over by successive local administrations for decades – generations even.

And yet here we still are, without a coastal line like the one running from the French border all the way down through to the Costa Blanca and Alicante.

Demand

Residents are not completely without public transport options, of course: bus company Avanza has a service running all the way from Malaga to La Linea. The problem is that most of the available options are practically useless. Our readers have told us so. And in no uncertain terms.

An online poll conducted by the Olive Press found that a huge majority (87%) declared public transport to be ‘a problem’.

“For somebody that doesn't have a car, living in this area is a true nightmare,” Louisa Nunn, 62, an Estepona-based expat, explained. “There are just not enough buses. And because there's no train service, there's no alternative,” she continued.

can’t take a flight at Malaga airport before 10am as the first bus won’t get you there before 8.30am.”

Equally bad, tourists frequently arrive on late flights only to find they’ve missed the last bus – and without a car that’s a big problem.

“When my mother jumped in a taxi from the airport to my house, it cost her €140,” revealed Lendrum.

This very reporter had to stay a night in Malaga on arrival at 10pm, with very little options, apart from a costly taxi. Ana, a school teacher at the British School of Marbella, expecting her first child in April, has learnt the hard way the necessity of having a car: “Public transport in the south of Spain doesn't work properly.” She adds: “I live in San Pedro and there is no other way to get to work. I have friends at work who don’t drive and they struggle to get there on time. They have to ask for a lift from colleagues, or get an Uber.”

Carmen, who works at the same school, told the Olive Press that with so many cars on the road ‘it can get a bit dangerous’.

“The traffic is heavy and it's fast. I've known people who had accidents, so the roads don’t feel safe.”

The failure to provide an adequate bus service has made the coastal roads west from Malaga to Sotogrande, some of the most heavily used in Europe.

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Torremolinos town hall meanwhile described it as ‘a key project to improve mobility in an area with one of the highest private traffic saturation rates’.

A spokesman pointed out the proposed extension would ‘considerably reduce the

“So if you want to get into Malaga or Marbella, or somewhere like La Cañada shopping centre, you have to get a taxi. And not everybody is wealthy enough to afford that.”

The gripes are many. They include buses that run late to those that depart EARLY, services that only run a few times a day, and route changes that aren’t announced. Real-time information on routes and

schedules is available on Google Maps and other apps in cities such as Malaga or Marbella, but outside the metropolitan areas transport agencies have been slow to share their data with the tech companiesmeaning you never know when a bus is coming.

So, for most people, the only way to get to grips with regional transport is to spend several days figuring out when buses arrive, where they go and what route they follow. By the time you’ve worked it out your holiday may be over… or you may be out of a job!

It is certainly not something to undertake when you have an important appointment in a neighbouring town, a flight to catch, or just an irritable disposition.

Estepona-based retired nurse Michael Lendrum, 56, doesn’t own a car, but says he’d rather borrow one from a friend than rely on public transport.

“A bus can come 30 minutes either side of the scheduled time,” he observed. “And you

There are 950,000 registered drivers in Malaga province, and the congested A7 around Marbella is notorious for accidents. In 2022, 32 traffic fatalities were reported in the province, and 31 in 2021.

While the Diputacion de Malaga is promoting measures to reduce our individual carbon footprints and the Junta promotes green policies, the efforts are undermined when more cars are forced onto the road.

The most scathing indictment of the state of public transport along the coast is that it is even unclear which public body is responsible for the mess.

The Diputacion passed the buck to Malaga Town Hall who told the Olive Press it was the responsibility of the Transport Consortium of Malaga.

The director general of the Metropolitan Transport Consortium of Malaga, Francisco Javier Berlanga Fernández - with jurisdiction only up until Mijas - agreed with the Olive Press ‘that there is much to do.’

But he still seemed oblivious to the scale of the problem, denying that ‘anyone is left abandoned’.

“Perhaps users are unaware that on these routes the exact arrival time of the bus can be known through their phone,” he said, contrary to the experiences of everyone the Olive Press spoke to for this article.

But Berlanga Fernández did concur with one point the Olive Press put to him.

“You are absolutely right - the trainline extension throughout the rest of the West Coast is not something we will see for quite a while.”

Send your views to newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Most of the available options are practically useless

SOL IS DRIVING TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS MAD

TIMETABLE TO CHANGE

And one online story at the weekend clearly demonstrates that.

X one complaint buses, especially Mar- bella, reliable. many criticise timeta- ble changes updated find out “For doesn’thave this area is nightmare,” Louisa Nunn, Manilva-based -

pat,told not enough be- cause there’s service, there’s no Louisa (below), Brighton,continued. “So you into Malaga somewhere - shopping have to get taxi. everybodyaffordthat.”

related that the knowntimetable often early notuled theselves fine, just Timings, schedules and lack of buses a ‘disgrace’, claim expat residents del Sol demand- ing ‘shambolic’transportonTheyare actionwith - roughly every the worst-served and rarely running timetable even early.Residents car are finding life impacted necessitiesbadlycompromised. The environmentBy Walter Opinion O P LIVE RESS The ANDALUCÍA FREE 411 www.theolivepress.es January February AN animal lover is neigh- dog died and painful despite medical bills. from Monda, everything to the microchipped who had got spike metal fence of run. Indian estate managed to Mastiff friends, after des- for help. The dog was starving’ having fed three days’ Adi. don’t understand anyone can beautiful this,” he told somehow managed extricate him, was taken to veterinary hospital, - rin, survived overnight. However, shockingly Spanish owner dog who via its microchip the longer wished the dog and refused to pay bills. “I was you cannot animal don’t have continued Jain, who decided to stump himselfeverything died tragically days later. deserved so much want people know they treating pets he be voice poor dog and doesn’t again.” Needless death after pet rescue CRUEL END: medical treatment dog died EXCLUSIVE–-----–---How eat, sleep and stay healthy for with our Good Health supplement pullout inside

rely on them are sim- ply them,” said wholives Louisa added: in Malaga I’m glad station early because left five minutes schedule,” added“It’s disgusting had been wouldhave hour and Estepona-based retired Michael Lendrum, own car, sooner friend’s vehicle on pubcan come - ther side scheduled time,” “And the you can’tflightatMalaga - port before the won’tgetyoutherebefore

DEMAND: Buses flash past all too rarely and often early on the Costa del Sol (as our recent front page (inset) attested

The news that non-EU citizens will be charged €7 to enter Europe was obviously hugely important to our readers and the millions of tourists who visit Spain each year. And this is not a one off.

ROAD TO MANDALAY

IHAD been set the challenge of getting from my flat in Duquesa in Manilva to La Cala de Mijas via public transport.

Two coastal resorts on the Costa del Sol, just 60-odd kilometres apart, it should be a cakewalk I thought.

Armed with my trusted mobile maps and a good level of Spanish (it’s my university degree, after all, at Bristol), what could possibly go wrong? Little did I realise, the answer was everything.

The News Editor set me a generous arrival time of 3pm and at 11am I began to plan my route.

After an hour of scouring Google maps, the main bus company Avanza’s website and downloading the pointless ‘Moovit’ app, I began to realise how wrong I was. Not only was there no apparent feasible route, I also couldn't find the waiting times of changeovers, or accurate timetables.

MAMMOTH 952 147 834 TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd

The Olive Press sent student intern Nadia McDonald on a short midweek mission to get to Mijas… or should that be Mandalay?

the tourist office in Duquesa, where a friendly lady told me I needed to go to Sabinillas, and with no bus in sight and my foot hurting I ended up getting a taxi – a cheat I know.

To add insult to injury, the bemused taxi driver told me my assignment was nigh on impossible and that I should just cough up €140 to get there and back… or realistically expect not to make my appointment. As it was by now approaching 13.00, frustration was building up, much like the clouds overhead.

However, not one to quit, and refusing to walk into my office, which happens to be in Sabinillas, to report that I had aborted the mission, I eventually found a bus stop.

That hope very quickly turned to dismay as the bus timetable at the stop reported a wait of an hour and a half for the next bus.

Another youngster at the stop (who looked as though he too was losing the will to live) said he had already been waiting for 40 minutes for the previous bus which had still not shown.

Our team of experts provide authoritative information on every key legal, business and cultural development related to life in Spain every week, indeed every day. Our website has dozens of stories every day that matter to you.We already have over 30,000 subscribers, thousands of them paying a small, but excellent value fee to keep our dozens of journalists, writers and specialists.

Can you afford not to be one of them? Do you really want to rely on unsourced and unchecked stories from untrained writers who work for socalled ‘news’ websites that simply steal stories and run council press releases word for word? News, investigations, authoritative analysis, culture features (such as the debate on bullfighting on page 14), explainers, warnings, reviews, interviews, well researched travel features, and even opinions. Strong ones.

Whatever you are interested in about your life in Spain, we have it covered.

Visit www.theolivepress.es today and sign up for as little as 15 cents a day!

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

I changed tack and decided to ask

from Tel: 952 147 834 See back

Google on an poll, over half respondents said transport problem on the Costadel 38% agreed prob- lem, despite and not be- ing affectedbyit.

I didn't know if this was even the correct bus stop, but two locals suggested I start by taking the bus from there to Estepona, which at least gave me some hope!

At this point I instinctively reached for my phone to get a live update of the buses in the area, which proved to be a fantastical idea.

After I waited for 50 minutes and it started to rain, I figured there was no way I was going to be on time. I would definitely have been late. I didn’t even know how or where I could change in Estepona?

1- Spain wakes up to threat the EU’s new ETIAS tourist tax poses to its British tourism

2- Sharp and shoddy practices land dozens of foreign villa buyers millions out of pocket as Costa del Sol developer collapses

3- New study: Increased diabetes risk for people previously hit with Covid-19

4- A little Gaudi glory: Discover the house that was the first designed by the Catalan architect

5- Three youngsters in Spain found guilty of the biggest fraud ever against amazon in Europe

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

Our article on the new tourist visa tax (if you missed it online you can read it on page 35) has had a massive 338,000 page views in just three days.

GREEN BOOST

Mercadona spending millions on rooftop solar

THE Mercadona supermarket chain is to spend €60 million on installing solar roof panels at its stores in Spain this year.

Renewable energy currently powers up 114 of the firm’s shops along with nine logistics blocks and an online warehouse site, plus newly opened offices in Albalat dels Sorells in Valencia province.

The company aims to have 350 stores solar-equipped by the end of 2023 with a target to complete the programme in all of its 850 outlets and logistics centres within three years.

Solar energy allows each store to save 20% of its annual power consumption and cuts 30 tons of CO2 emissions per annum.

Overall power usage saved at the end of this year would be the annual equivalent of conventionally powering-up 124 supermarkets - with that equivalent rising to 300 shops by 2027.

Mercadona invested €14 million last year in panel instal-

URBAN FOREST

PLANS to turn a former toxic wasteland in Malaga into a giant urban forest have been reactivated.

The platform Bosque Urbano Malaga has presented a project to turn the former Repsol petrol storage plant into a 177,000m2 Hyde Park-style attraction, with a natural lake, an amphitheatre and bicycle, and walking trails.

By Alex Trelinski

lations which reduced CO2 emissions by 3,000 tons. This move can be seen as a boost to advocates of rooftop and brown field solar installations.

Critics of plans for mega solar farms covering thousands of hectares of virgin countryside in Valencia and Andalucia have called for them to be toned down in favour of alternative installations.

In a blow to campaigners, a proposal for a 100-hectare solar plant to be developed in Ronda, Cañete La Real and Cuevas del Becerro has been given the tick of approval by the Junta de Andalucia.

At first the project was rejected, but Cobra, which is

behind the plans, revised the proposal so that overhead power lines be buried instead to ‘reduce the visual impact of the plant’. It would be located in Majadas de San Antonio and have a power output of 500 wattpeak (wp).

(LEZ) at the beginning of next year. Restricted access to road traffic is a requirement of the Climate Change Law for cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and must be implemented this year in cities such as Malaga.

Malaga’s LEZ will cover an area of 473 hectares in the city centre and its surroundings.

A number plate recognition system will be installed to control road traffic access through 97 points in the centre of Malaga.

TAX IS GOOD FOR YOU!

NOBODY likes paying tax, including yours truly.

That said, tax is vital when it comes to winning the fight for climate change.

With a few notable exceptions (Biden’s massive investment in the USA) the reason most countries are failing to hit the targets they agreed to is very simple… lack of money

Herein lies the problem.

Governments are under pressure to cut taxes...

the cost of living is rising quicker than wages, energy costs are through the roof due in part to Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, and families and businesses are feeling the pinch. Leading UK economist, Lord Nicholas Stern, has said that higher taxes will be needed if the UK is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

He rightly states that both public and private investment in new technologies is needed. Let’s look at both.

Private investment should not be the issue. There is a good long term return on investment. The major petroleum companies and energy providers have all posted record breaking and obscene profits. They should be forced to invest heavily in new renewable projects. Public investment is the major challenge. Politics take over, inaction follows.

Governments need to subsidise investment in new technologies and that money is typically financed by tax revenue or borrowing. Hence the need for us to pay more tax.

The Spanish and UK governments have not taken the opportunity to hit the exceptional profits of banks, energy providers, petrol companies etc with windfall taxes. So, it will come down to you and I. Brace yourself...it will come.

By Martin Tye

PAY UP: Higher taxes needed to reach net-zero

As developed countries scramble for what has come to be known as ‘energy security’, environmental concerns have dropped down the priority list of policymakers’ minds.

Governments are doing exactly what the majority of people do. The emphasis is on inflation, the economy and public services.

A recent survey by pollsters Ipsos confirmed just that. People surveyed all professed to be concerned about the environment but were much less enthusiastic about funding change. Is there a credible option?

Green Matters

TOUGH TIMES: Warning from Lord Stern

Pic Credit: FLICKR Brookings Institution

You can find more exclusive properties on our website. Are you interested in selling your property and having it advertised on multiple portals and newspapers or are you interested in buying a property?

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BENAHAVIS | 12 BEDS | 15 BATHS | 2300 M2 REF: STRAND6602 | PRICE: 9,995,000€

FUENGIROLA | 3 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 93 M2 REF: STRANDP2013 | PRICE: 378,000€

MARBELLA | 2 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 352 M2 REF: STRAND2427 | PRICE: 680,000€

FUENGIROLA | 3 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 175 M2 REF: STRAND1517 | PRICE: 695,000€

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From the heart

Ahead

OTERO MOTIVE

We’ve been inundated with letters from readers shocked at the Otero scandal and some not so shocked at all…

Shocking behaviour

Feel so sorry for all the investors and the men that have physically worked on these sites. Hopefully the culprits will be found and prosecuted!

Pamela Machlachlan, Marbella

No shock here…

That man Ruben was my old boss, he didn’t pay me my wages even though he was driving around in many luxury cars. It was only €500 but I deserved it and he had the money…

He is a scam artist!! I hope he gets what he deserves... what goes around comes around.

Jamy Elizabeth Banks, London …

or here

Let’s be honest, the whole Otero way of buying was very bad from the start. Making you the owner of the plots before even building. Completely different to how other developers work. People who buy this way really are told by lawyers that if anything goes wrong, this is what will happen, but people want to risk it to buy cheaper villas. They should’ve chosen developers who build with bank guarantees and the correct way.

Steve Brown, Wales

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

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.

EXPAT2EXPAT REWARDS

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CHECK-OUT OUR POLICIES

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DEDICATED TO EXPATS

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ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING IS IN ENGLISH

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.

LIMBO: Dozens of homes are unfinished

NO SYMPATHY FOR HUNTING DOGS

Regarding your article last week on new animal welfare regulations that exclude hunting dogs.

I really don’t understand why these animal rights activists are calling for hunting dogs to be protected under animal welfare laws in the first place.

I am sure the dogs fall under general animal welfare anyway and the fact they are hunting doesn’t make them subject to abuse. After all they are not the ones being hunted!

Sarah Evans

QUICK CROSSWORD

Cult religion

A SANCTUARY dedicated to the ancient god Mithras has been uncovered by archaeologists excavating at the Villa del Mitra in Cabra, near Cordoba.

Archaeologists uncovered a rectangular sanctuary measuring 7.2 by 2.5 metres, which, according to the archaeologists, is standard for the cult religion.

It has a narrow entrance that descends several steps leading into the sanctuary that has two flanking stone benches. The archaeological team suggest these would have been used by worshipers to perform rituals and hold feasts in honour of Mithras.

The walls have fragments of Roman bricks, with some niches, which would have likely held sculptures.

Furthermore, a dark burnt layer covers the floor, which upon a closer examination has revealed fragmented remains of pigs, birds, and rabbits, indicative of the kind of cooking done during the ritual banquets.

COUGH UP!

Netflix users will no longer be able to share their passwords with friends and family

THE days of sharing your Netflix account with friends and family outside your own household are over in Spain. The streaming giant has just launched new restrictions that will mean that members will be much more strictly controlled when it comes to using the service.

“Today, over 100 million households are sharing accounts – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV

Roaring in

By Simon Hunter

and films,” explained the company’s product innovation director, Chengyi Long. “So over the last year, we’ve been exploring different approaches to address this issue in Latin America, and we’re now ready to roll them out more broadly in the coming months.’

The result is a new system

THE largest exhibition of life-size dinosaurs, Dinosaurs Tour, is coming to town. Visitors to Malaga could soon be forgiven for thinking they have stepped into Jurassic Park.

From May 20 to June 4 they will be able to see life sized models of Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, Protoceratops, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Spinosaurus, Diplodocus, and many more.

The Jurassic Expo will set up stall with an exhibition of animatronics and models of

Art & Nature

TRAVEL magazine National Geographic has included art-lovers paradise Genalguacil as one of the most ‘curious’ in Spain.

The town, perched above the Genal River Valley on the northern slopes of Sierra Bermeja in Malaga, is a small town, with just 500 inhabitants, yet teeming in artistic wealth.

It is considered an outdoor museum and is home to dozens of works by contemporary artists from all corners of the planet.

that means people who want to see shows like Marilyn, starring Ana de Armas, will have to pay up in Spain, Canada, New Zealand and Portugal if they are outside the primary account’s household.

the ancient creatures on the feria ground, next to the Conference and Exhibition Centre.

Tax. Inheritance planning. Investments. Pensions. So many questions!

„ Is Andalucía now a tax haven?

„ Will my family be affected by Spanish succession tax?

„ Why may my assets not end up where I want when I die?

„ How does Brexit and the changes to Spanish taxation of pensions affect me?

„ What does 2023 have in store for my investments?

Users will now be obliged to set a primary location. Anyone in that household will be able to use the account. Other users can transfer their profile to a new account, meaning they won’t lose their viewing history, watch list or personalised recommendations.

Option

Users will still be able to access their account when they are travelling, as well as having the option to add extra members for people they don’t live with. This option will cost €5.99 a month per profile in Spain. This will, however, only be available for those with a standard plan (one extra member) or premium plan (two extra members).

The town’s commitment to contemporary art, fused with its Arab heritage, cobblestone streets, secluded squares and colourful balconies adorned with flowers, makes it one of the most beautiful and unique towns in Spain.

STAR ATTRACTION: Ana de Armas in Marilyn

ART: in the town

LA CULTURA

EMBRACING THE SACRED DARKNESS AT THE HOUSE OF LIGHT: DEATH DOULA RETREAT TAKES PLACE IN ORGIVA, GRANADA

Learn to support the dying and the bereaved, with a practical yet spiritual retreat and course from April 1-6

THE importance of time, care, and community when people die, or are bereaved, can’t be overstated. And, yet, for many people, these are times of loneliness and isolation. Returning to the Alpujarran market town of Orgiva this spring is the Sacred Circle Training Co., a social enterprise that provides its internationally renowned ‘End of Life Doula’ preparation course.

Starting with a five-day retreat at the House of Light from 1-6 April, the course then continues for 12 months online, providing high quality materials and facilitation.

Alexandra Derwen, founder and lead facilitator, says: “You may have heard the term ‘doula’ in relation to birth. Coming from the ancient Greek word for ‘servant’, a doula is a lay person who offers com panionship, advocacy, and emotional support. As well as attending at births, doulas are found at death and times of grief.”

Alexandra add: “Many course participants lean how to apply spirituality in serving the dying and bereaved, make peace with the sacred darkness, and embrace being in a global community of kindred spirits.”

“By remembering the lost death rites of the European traditions - and working with the ancestors of our land, place, and space – we are guided towards the right relationship with the other-than-human world. Coming together with stories of death, loss and grief helps us to celebrate our humani-

Getting fruity

The Alpujarra of Granada provides an abundance of fruits, writes Jo Chipchase

BEFORE we know it Spring will be upon usalthough in the Alpujarra it tends to arrive later than on the costas.

The region has a long history of cultivation and agriculture, but what can be grown varies with altitude.

From the riverbeds to the mountain peaks, you’ll find colourful flora growing naturally, as well as a wealth of fruit and vegetables planted throughout the terrain. Many people have their own vegetable plots, called huertas The area is renowned for its abundance of grapes,

prickly pears (don’t pick these up in your hands!), nisperos, figs, avocados, olives, oranges, and lemons – made famous by Christ Stewart’s book ‘Driving Over Lemons’, which is being televised. It also has almonds, cherries, peaches, and apples, as well as tomatoes and other huerta goodies, such as cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, lettuce, aubergine, onions, courgette, and cabbage (although the veg are less eye catching than the flowering trees).

ty and find connection in our shared mourning.”

“Who is called to this work?

Frequently, it is accomplished people who have been burnished in the fires of death and loss themselves. Maybe they wished their loved one had been supported to die at home. They now want to help other people who are dissatisfied with a clinical approach to death and our limited modern funeral practices. The retreat is ideal for those who seek a more spiritual depth and closure afterwards.”

Death doulas serve at palliative or hospice type deaths, and provide support in the community following a sudden or violent death, after the loss of a baby or child, or when someone takes their own life.

Says Alexandra: “If we believe in a ‘good death’ for one person, it applies to all people. As such, death doulas are radical allies in the fight for social justice. Being a doula is about being in the community; it’s not a job performed alone.”

The retreat takes place in House of Light, a beautiful space in Orgiva dedicated to transformational healing and body work.

www.houseoflight.love

For more information, please see www.journeywithdeath.com or email sacredcirclecic@gmail.com.

Sacred Circle Training Co. has ‘Open Circles’ for the curious running through February and March, where questions can be asked.

Robert and William run the Jardin de la Alpujarra near the village of Portugos. Robert says: “Up here, spring arrives more slowly than on the coast, giving each bloom a chance to give its best. The first buds of the almond trees burst into flower in early January. Almond blossom gives way to cherry, peach, apricot, and apple, while the sequence of wildflowers takes us from the bright yellow of the gorse to the gaudy pink of the cistus.”

“In March, daffodils wave from the roadside and, in April, the wisteria cascades from the balconies of village houses. Most dramatic of all are the wild asphodels that emerge from the succulent clumps in April with their milky white, star-like flowers.” “In late May, the sight and smell of the Spanish broom is intoxicating, along with the delicate aroma of jasmine. Roses grow in abundance in the dry air.”

Gareth Lister, a keen gardener based above the spa town of Lanjaron, likes planting his own trees. He advises: “Now is a great time to plant trees while they are still dormant. The soil is moist and easy to work. Garden centres are brimming with trees - both bare root and potted. Plant them both the same way. Dig a hole larger than you need, loosening the soil all around the planting hole. Don’t plant too deep - keep the soil at the same height that the tree has been grown. Fill in and firm the soil with your feet, leaving a small ridge

IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN

Choosing the right schools can be a problem of algebraic proportions for parents newly-arrived in Andalucia. The Olive Press has the facts to help you tick all the right boxes

A 16-page Olive Press special pull out supplement

THERE’S no denying it, upping sticks and moving you, your partner, the kids and even the family dog to Spain is one of the biggest decisions of your life.

And when you arrive in ‘the land of the three Ss’ - sun, sea and sangria - there’s still a far more important decision to make: where your youngsters will learn the three Rs.

On the Costa del Sol, negotiating the interactive whiteboard jungle (blackboards are old hat) is an even tougher call, as you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Of course your selection will depend on certain key factors: distance from home, budget, academic standards and teaching style, to name just a few.

So where do you start?

The first box on your checklist will be whether to opt for a state school or an international college?

It’s generally an easier decision to make for younger children, as

Get to know the Spanish state school system

There are four phases to the school system in Spain, below is an explanation of how it is structured:

● Educacion Infantil (Preschool) - 3 to 5 years of age (inclusive, i.e. three years). This is optional.

● Educacion Primaria (Primary Education) - 6 to 11 years of age (six years). Compulsory.

● Educacion Secundaria Obligitoria or ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) - 12 to 15 years of age (four years).

● Bachillerato (Post-Compulsory Schooling) - 16 and 17 years of age (two years).

The Pre-school stage (infantil or popularly known as pre-escolar) is free for all children but not compulsory.

However, it is regarded as an integral part of the education system with infants’ classes at almost every primary school.

There are some separate nursery schools, colegios infantiles, also.

The next two phases, primary (colegio) and secondary school (instituto) education are compulsory and free of charge.

At the end of the ESO successful pupils are awarded a Secondary Education Certificate, which is necessary to enter the post-compulsory stage of schooling for their university or vocational studies.

Alternatively they may leave school and get a job.

Once pupils have their Bachillerato they can take their university entrance exam.

The primary decision

primary schools throughout Europe are more or less comparable. Around 80% of expats send their children to the local state schools –called ‘colegios’ for primary schools and ‘institutos’ for secondary schools.

There are two serious advantages to Spanish schools. The first is that children will learn Spanish fast and should integrate well into their new home country. Younger children, in general, thrive in state schools, with youngsters under nine normally picking up impressive spoken Spanish (usually, far better than their parents) within a year, just by socialising with their new friends.

The second key advantage is that state schooling is free of charge from the age of three, when children can begin attending infantile or ‘pre-escolar’, equivalent to a nursery in the UK.

The only costs you’ll have to cover are books, school trips and, if the school has them, uniforms. There are, however, downsides to state schools, particularly if your child is older or more timid.

Older children with limited Spanish can often have trouble adjust-

ing, finding the move to a different country, combined with schooling in a tricky language, way too much to cope with.

Learning history and physics in a foreign language isn’t for the faint hearted!

“It is fine if you get the kids in at a young age, but if they are nine or 10 then they will find it harder,” advised one English parent, whose two children have been through the local system in Marbella.

Tips for choosing a new school

● Ignore the glossy brochures - go to the school and see for yourself

● Meet the head, meet the teachers, and meet the students

● Look at the exam results

“They will almost certainly need some extra tuition and it also helps if the parents get involved in the school and try to get to know the other Spanish parents. Joining the parents/teachers association certainly helps.”

If you decide against the state system, either because you fear the standards will be low (according to reports, Andalucia does indeed come well below average), or because you prefer to have your children educated in their native language, then your best choice is to go private.

Going private

● Find out about opening or taster days

● If the students seem happy, chances are your child will be happy too

● Be clear about what you want from a school - do lots of research

Budget is usually the main consideration but many expat parents find that choosing an international school gives their child a gentler introduction to a foreign country, with much smaller class sizes and with teaching in English, German, Swedish or French.

Many international schools follow the basic UK curriculum, with GCSE and A-levels, with a number of local schools regularly getting kids into the top British universities, including Oxbridge, Manchester, Edinburgh and London. Others cater for the American, French and Swedish systems too. International schools have very

different personalities and philosophies, and it’s very much a matter of personal preference.

But with more than two dozen on the Costa

del Sol alone, there are more than enough to choose from.

Marbella – with more than 50,000 foreigners – has the largest concentration of international schools, after Madrid and Barcelona, with well over a dozen.

Malaga city, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Estepona, Almunecar and Sotogrande all have their own options.

The rise of international schools in Spain can be traced back to former dictator General Franco, who introduced tourism to the Costa del Sol.

Since then, a torrent of foreign visitors settling along the coast has turned it into a melting pot of cultures, providing endless opportunities for education start-ups.

A great advantage for many parents is that international schools often have a more multicultural environment than state schools, with most having more than 20 nationalities attending and offering a bilingual study programme.

To tie in with this, many of the top schools offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, as well as the local secondary school qualification, the Bachillerato.

The IB – which may be unknown to some English readers – is the normal route to university for European students.

Of course the option remains for A levels, as

BILINGUAL BENEFITS

Students

IMS

from the dual language school

CHILDREN at International Montessori School in Sotogrande learn both English and Spanish effortlessly in a curriculum taught in both tongues. It’s been operating since 2020, and previously functioned as a child education centre. But when the space moved in 2019 they expanded their services to become an education centre authorised by the Andalucian government as a foreign teaching institute for students aged from four months to 12 years.

At IMS Sotogrande students can expect stimulating spaces equipped with furniture to meet the needs of all age groups. Students are also given specific material and tools to help with their learning.

IMS Sotogrande

teachers have the relevant training and experience to understand every childs’ different learning needs.

The learning cycle at IMS Sotogrande promotes ‘concentration and the power of attention’, as well as teamwork, collaboration and peer learning.

The school encourages older students to learn by mentoring younger students, and the younger ones to observe their elders who are ‘role models’ for them.

IMS Sotogrande combines both the Spanish and American curriculums.

The school believes that not all children learn in the same way, or have the same interests. But through observation and the follow-up of the teacher, together with the participation of families, it is guaranteed students at IMS Sotogrande achieve all learning objectives set out by the state curriculum.

(+34) 653 04 17 39 administracion@ims-sotogrande.com www.ims-sotogrande.com

Spanish and English ‘coexist naturally’ throughout the day at IMS Sotogrande.

There are always two teachers in a class, one who speaks English and the other who speaks Spanish.

It is through this environment the child learns both languages almost effortlessly as they absorb and experience it daily.

well as for other international qualifications including the Swedish and American systems. No guide can decide your child’s education for you, and there is no easy answer. Choosing a school in Spain is as much a personal choice as in any other country, whether your biggest consideration is cost, integration or a smoother transition.

For more information about The International Montessori School, please contact them by telephone on +34 653 04 17 39, by email at administracion@ims-sotogrande.com or consult the website at www.ims-sotogrande.com

Education for life

The International Montessori School is centrally located in Sotogrande offering a real Montessori curriculum and bilingual education for children from 4 months to 12 years old. Children learn both Spanish and English in a montessori enviroment ensuruing the learning process.

Kindergarten and primary school authorized by the Junta de Andalucia as a foreign educational center.

at

Sotogrande are masters of both English and Spanish once they graduate

LEARNING a new language can be difficult and, for many, intimi dating.

But whatever your age –whether a child or a granny – if you have made Spain your home then the ability to speak Spanish will make your life a whole lot easier and definitely more enjoyable.

There are many different op tions and the indecipherable long lists of schools online would put off even the most enthusiastic of students. But here, the Olive Press has broken down all you need to know about picking the best language lessons for you.

If you go solo you’ll have 100% of the

LEARNING a language is hard.

SPEAK THE LINGO

Learning Spanish may seem difficult but it is well worth it

tutor’s attention, making your lessons more intensive and solely structured around

But many people find a group learning environment more eficial, and that a sense of camaraderie boosts their en-

Luckily for us living here in Spain, Spanish is one of the easier languages to pick up.

But we are all busy and despite having the best of intentions it can be difficult to find the time to learn and improve. Below we have rounded up four top tips which will let you learn the lingo that much faster.

BE OPPORTUNISTIC

Try to take advantage of opportunities to speak Spanish whenever you can.

Chat to the locals in the bus queue, in shops and in the street.

Look up local conversation classes or ‘intercambios’, where groups of English and Spanish meet for a copa or cana to practice each other’s languages. You should also try living with a Spanish speaker which will force you to speak the lingo on a daily basis and will naturally improve your vocabulary.

DEDICATE TIME TO LEARNING

Putting money towards lessons can really help you prioritise your learning and is especially helpful if you’re just starting out.

TRY TEACHING ENGLISH

thusiasm.

Learning from your peers is invaluable, and if you’ve recently moved to Spain language classes can be a good way to meet like-minded people in a similar situation.

There are many ways of tracking down a tutor, the most useful way canbe to check ads in community areas like post offices and newsagents and of course look online.

Learning in a group can be a really fun way to learn.

If you can’t afford lessons, make a weekly timetable and set aside at least four hours a week to learning. Make sure you nail the basics and try to set yourself daily targets of X amount of new words.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Don’t underestimate how important it is to practiceconstantly and consistently.

Throw yourself out there and speak to the bus driver, hairdresser, shopkeeper or anyone who will lend an ear.

If you’re not in a Spanish speaking country, then repeat phrases in front of the mirror, to family and friends or even your dog—basically anyone who will listen! Don’t be scared, the more you practice the more confident you become.

MAKE IT YOUR ROUTINE

Try to incorporate Spanish into your everyday routine. This means playing a language app like Duolingo everyday, listening to Spanish music and/or radio and watching your Netflix or TV with Spanish subtitles. Pick out the odd word and translate it and add it to a vocab list either on your phone or in a notepad.

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL!

Homestay Spanish - or any other language - is a unique way to learn a language through complete cultural and linguistic immersion

ON an InTuition language course, you choose 15 to 30 hours of one-toone tuition with a private host tutor each week.

From the age of 14, you can sign up to enjoy the carefully tailored courses, which ensure that outside lesson time, you become a welcome member of the host family: sharing your meals and going on cultural and social excursions, accompanied each time by your hosts.

Evenings and weekends are spent socialising and putting into practice the Spanish you have learnt in the day – helping you to rapidly develop fluency, confidence, and accuracy in an entirely natural context.

Programmes are fully inclusive: as well as one-to-one tuition and full-board accommo-

dation, we also include all study materials and resources, detailed before and after assessments and comprehensive academic support.

The UK-based team is on hand 24/7 to provide everything you need before, during and after your immersion.

InTuition’s 30 years of experience and expertise in the field is always at your disposal.

“With more than 1000 qualified and experi-

The key factor for choosing a personal tutor is to find someone who you get on well with. Don’t be afraid of asking for a discounted first lesson, to make sure that the tutor is the kind of person you’re looking for.

The search for a group class can be even more baffling, but if you are clear in your own mind about what you’re looking for, you can simplify the search before it even begins.

THESE ARE THE MAIN FACTORS TO CONSIDER:

The intensity of timetabling varies greatly from course to course. Some schools offer six hours of lessons a day, while others offer a couple of hours a week. Take into consideration how much time you want to dedicate to your lessons before choosing a course.

Smaller classes are nearly always preferable, as they ensure you will get more time with the tutor and the class will progress more quickly. Look for schools that specify a number of pupils in each class, as the ones that don’t are likely to accept applications until the class is too big to handle. Check the credentials of the teaching staff - the schools that show the credentials are proud of the quality of their staff. The best schools offer several options. You can study in a classroom, have one to one lessons in your own home, and increasingly popular ‘virtual’ classes done online. These should not be confused with self-teaching – they are proper classes with a tutor with lessons tailored to your needs, conducted live. Whatever your choice – good luck!

THE recent boom in private language schools offering English has meant a bigger demand for English teachers in Andalucia.

This means that increasing numbers of expats are finding the opportunity of either starting off on a new career or simply obtaining an additional source of income.

But can anyone get a job in a language school?

Surprisingly there are no legally required qualifications to work as an English teacher in Spain.

This has, of course, led to plenty of poor quality language schools setting up.

Those looking for work in the sector can start by checking out schools belonging to ACEIA, the Association of Andalusian Language Schools, whose website www. aceia.es has a list of members.

If you have little, or no, previous teaching experience or wish to re-cycle, it would be a good idea, and a very rewarding experience, to take a Cambridge CELTA teacher training course. Employers around the world, not just in Spain, ask for CELTA - an internationally recognised TEFL qualification which will provide you with the skills necessary to teach in the classroom as well as hands-on experience.

A CELTA certificate is regulated by Ofqual at level 5 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

A teaching qualification does not automatically lead to employment, but it certainly gives you a head start over other people applying for work.

enced host tutors in our global network, we guarantee to have an ideal match for you, whatever language you would like to learn, wherever you would like to study,” explains

Posh private or Joe public - is paying for an education worth it? Olive Press alumni Dimitris Kouimtsidis and Charlie Smith compare their own schools to find out

TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY

PRIVATE STATE

WHEN my parents told me they were sending me to private school for my GCSEs, I didn’t know how to feel.

When you’re 14, all you think about is how sad it is leaving your friends and changing environments – from something where you felt comfortable to going somewhere strange and new.

But the older I get the more I realise how grateful I am to my folks for providing me with a jumpstart to adult life.

I did quite well in my GCSEs (A*s and As) and on my first day of Year 12, our Head of Sixth Form had a surprise for me and around 20 of my classmates: we were to be ‘tutored’ be cause we were considered prospective Oxbridge stu dents.

Already we were a step ahead of other kids who were thinking about Oxbridge, as we had teachers ac tively helping us not only with our appli cations but with those all-im portant extra curricular activities. The school ac

tively promoted as many outside interests as possible so that we could become ‘well-rounded individuals’.

I may have not gone to either Cambridge or Oxford in the end, but I chose Leeds, a Russell Group University where emphasis is placed on developing students’ potential. Unlike my friends from state schools, most of my year ended up at Russell Group unis – it was the norm, not the exception.

Most people tend to not name their secondary school on their CVs but mine takes top billing, along with my university degrees. That’s the sort of confidence that a private school education gives you, because I know what sort of closed circle it is. Anyone in London will have heard about my school and know I’ve had a good education, automatically seeing me in a more favourable way. It’s my Gold Card.

VMY state education gave me three qualifi cations I never expected: the confidence to perform on stage, the chance to expe rience new countries and the best way to deal with bullies.

I attended a secondary school and sixth form cen tre in Oldham for a combined seven years. My C of E school definitely stood out from the rest in what is one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Indeed it was frequently rated ‘out standing’ by Ofsted. Students were from a range of back grounds, from the less affluent to those used to being ferried about in mummy and daddy’s Land Rover. We were lucky enough to visit some amazing corners of the world on school trips, including Iceland, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Paris and of course, Chester Zoo. However, closer to home, you didn’t need 20-20 vision to see that the facilities could have done with a lick of paint – or two. Martin – the school’s beloved janitor – was tasked with keeping tabs on pretty much the whole school grounds, from the decrepit lighting and plumbing to the decades-old woodwork ma-

chinery.

Even as a young teen, you got the sense that the budget of a private institution might have made school a more comfortable place to learn, especially in winter.

There were exceptions, such as our fantastic drama studio and science labs, however the yellowing and dogeared 1970s textbooks in our language classrooms left a lot to be desired.

I had some inspiring teachers, who helped me in my successful university application to study Geography at King’s College London. But lessons often spiralled out of control. With classes frequently numbering 30 students or more, things can get rowdy. Smaller class sizes and more oneto-one contact time, in line with the private school model, would definitely have been beneficial. Apart from having to stand up to the occasional bully my school days were some of the best of my life. But there was always the feeling that a private school might have done just that bit more. Hence, my report card to my alma mater reads: Needs to pay more attention to detail. NB: Dimitris is the Night Editor of the Daily Star, while Charlie is a reporter at the Express. Both live in London.

SUCCESS BEGINS AT SUNNY VIEW

Sunny View School, outstanding education on the Costa del Sol

SUNNY View is a British, privately owned school. It was established in 1971 to provide quality, affordable education with attention to high academic achievement, personal care and support. The school caters for students from age 1 through to 18 years of age. We are a vibrant community of students, staff and parents with a shared sense of purpose – to help each student achieve their best both inside and outside the classroom.

At Sunny View School, we put a high value on the school’s inclusive, caring and respectful atmosphere. Students thrive in this environment and are supported by excellent teaching and modern resources and facilities. It’s this combination that makes Sunny View the best place for your child to get an outstanding education.

Recent developments include the opening of 2 fantastic new projects, Little Sunny View, a space dedicated to the care and development of 1 to 2 years olds and, at the other end of the school, our new Sixth Form Centre including state of the art classrooms, study areas and recreational facilities including a swimming pool. The development of students’ academic, social and emotional skills is at the heart of everything

we do. We believe that our happy, engaged students will ultimately make the world a better place. We recognise that each student brings different strengths and abilities to their learning and have put in place a unique curriculum that caters to this diversity. Our student population represents some 35 nationalities, creating a language and culture-rich environment.

The school is committed to providing a worldclass learning experience that is both fun and engaging. The Team at Sunny View is deeply committed to the well-being of all students, and this means ensuring their safety and happiness is a priority.

Sunny View School has been educating students of all ages and abilities for over 50 years.

2022 saw the opening of two fantastic new projects, Little Sunny View, a space dedicated to the care and development of 1 to 2 years olds and, at the other end of the school, our new Sixth Form Centre including state-of-the-art classrooms, study areas and recreational facilities including a swimming pool.

Our staff are dedicated professionals who take a proactive approach to teaching, ensuring that

students are engaged in their learning, progressing confidently and thriving academically, socially and emotionally while learning valuable life skills. This has enabled many previous students to secure places at prestigious universities around the globe - including Oxford, Cambridge and MIT.

In 2022, three of our students were recognised by Pearson Examination Board for achieving the highest mark in Europe for IGCSE Information and Communication

Technology and the highest mark in Spain for GCE A Level Graphic Communication.

Sunny View School’s educational philosophy is centered on the belief that all children can learn, and that it is our responsibility as educators to give them the tools they need to succeed.

Our comprehensive programme aims to foster a diverse and nurturing learning environment, where students are not only given access to all the advantages of modern technology but can use this technology in collaboration with their classmates. At each stage of the curriculum, from Preschool to Sixth form, our team of experienced, UK-trained teaching staff strive to

make learning fun, interactive and inspiring for students of all abilities and interests.

Sunny View School offers an outstanding education in a caring and inspiring environment from early childhood through to A Level. Built on 50 years of experience, our school provides a safe and secure learning environment where children thrive.

Sunny View is inspected regularly by NABSS with our latest feedback being to, ‘Maintain the many existing strengths of the school, especially in the quality of the best teaching and learning and the leaders’ drive for improvement ‘or in simple terms, ‘to keep up the fantastic work’.

TALE OF TWO PUPILS: Privileged Dimitris (left) and achieving Charlie (right)

THE REAL WORLD

RECENTLY The Times issued its interim report from its wide-ranging, year-long ‘Education Commission’. The commission, which sought opinions from education and business leaders, amongst others, concluded that reform of the education system could boost the UK economy by £125bn a year.

According to the Commercial Education Trust charity, almost three quarters of companies believe their profitability and productivity would rise by at least 25% if new recruits were better prepared for employment.

But what does this mean?

The world of work has changed dramatically over the last couple of years – the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to completely rethink how they do business and much of their operation has moved online. Restric tions may have come to an end, but big companies like Apple and Microsoft have embraced full time remote or hybrid working.

This is a world which, un fortunately, most people leaving school or university over the past few years have

Leading online independent school Minerva’s Virtual Academy, is changing how the education system works to better prepare students for the world of work

been woefully underprepared for. Yes, they know more about computers and technology than we ever did, but that is a world away from having the skills to interact with new colleagues who you never, or seldom, meet in person.

That was one of the drivers behind the launch of Minerva’s Virtual Academy. It is the perfect school for modern times – combining smart technology and engaging online resources with one-to-one support, active group learning and multi-disciplinary projects.

The online academy offers pupils the flexibility to learn from the comfort of their home, anywhere in the world, while ensuring they develop the social skills required to live fulfilling lives and succeed in the workplaces of the future.

Minerva has changed the way it approaches education and headmaster Laurence

Tubb believes its programme is attractive to modern employers. Pupils’ timeta-

bles don’t look anything like the traditional school timetable, but rather resemble a work week calendar. Why? Because 70% of the time Minerva’s pupils self-study on the platform with only 30% spent with teachers in ‘normal’ lessons. This automatically gives the pupils set deadlines to complete sections of work.

A calendar of deadlines is very different to a calendar of lessons that pupils have to turn up to without any prior preparation, which is what you see in mainstream schools. The academy’s pupils learn to manage their own time to meet these deadlines – and Minerva helps them do this with a dedicated personal mentoring programme. They are taught study skills which will benefit them for years to come – not just revision hacks.

The flexibility and mentoring offered by Minerva means that particularly bright pupils have the freedom and support to explore areas of interest

and passion outside of the curricu lum.

Some students who had been doing well at physical school previously actu ally thrived at home during lockdown and want to continue learning from where they feel most comfortable but

whether in the UK or abroad, or

whose families travel between coun tries and do not relish the thought of boarding school. The result is a richly diverse collection of students who have much in com mon – a desire to make the best of their education, to develop their skills of independence and collaboration –all skills they will need to take into the

They are taught study skills which will benefit them for years

CREATIVE OUTLOOK

Spanish parents put creativity at the top of the list, while most Brits prefer the three Rs

ASURVEY has found that literacy and numeracy are the most important targets for British parents, while Spaniards put more value on cre-

ative thinking.

The PEW Research Centre asked parents in 19 different countries whether they think schools should focus on resourcefulness or basic

academics.

Public opinion in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada also showed a clear preference for an education system that emphasised creativity and independent thinking.

The survey of global attitudes, showed big cultural differences towards education - and widening political polarisation.

In Spain, 67% of people wanted schools to prioritise the teaching of creativity, compared with 24% who wanted schools to focus on the academic basics and discipline.

But at the other end of the spectrum was the UK, where researchers found that 51% wanted schools to prioritise

NURTURINGLEARNING

ALMA Forest School is an exciting and dynamic educational institution that combines the best of both worlds - traditional classroom instruction and hands-on learning in the great outdoors! Nestled in the heart of a beautiful finca, students at Alma Forest School have the opportunity to explore, discover, and learn about the natural world around them in a way that is both challenging and engaging.

The curriculum at Alma Forest School is designed to foster critical thinking, curiosity, and a love of learning. From ecology and conservation to deep explorations of space, students are exposed to a wide range of subjects that not only challenge them academically, but also inspire them to make a positive impact on the

world around them.

The sense of community at Alma Forest School is truly unique. Stu dents are encouraged to work together, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. They learn how to communicate effectively and to be responsi ble, respectful members of a community. Plus, they make friends that will last a lifetime!

thought schools should pay more attention to cultivating creativity. This approach came closer to that of less-developed countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, where the expectation was that schools should get on with teaching the basics.

Countries such as the United States, Australia and Japan hovered somewhere in the middle, with opinion divided. In China, there was the

strongest demand to have an equal emphasis put on all aspects of education, without choosing between them. As well as wanting to test public opinion on the style of education, the Pew research investigated how much liberal or traditional views of education were proxies for political divisions. The researchers said that in most advanced economies, such as in western Europe and North America, ‘educa-

tional preferences are an ideological issue’. They found that by far the most politically divided countries were the United States and the UK, with right or left-leaning people having very different ideas about education. In countries such as the Netherlands, Canada and Germany, views on education were more likely to overlap between all political groups.

Alma Forest School has recently partnered with Learning Planet. Launched by the Learning Planet Institute and UNESCO on the 24th of January 2020, Learning Planet is dedicated to learning stakeholders and communities. It the respect, well-being and fulfilment of oneself, others and the planet. Learning Planet defines itself as a middle-ground: it connects institutions with grassroots movements and innovators to scale up their ideas. Alma Forest School is collaborating with the Learning Planet Alliance as part of their Teachers for the Planet programme and Alma Forest will feature as an educational model that inspires action. Working with the Aga Khan Foundation and Teach For All, this programme will culminate in an event at COP28.s

is a long-term initiative with a mission to gather players from around the world in order to identify, celebrate, enhance and scale up innovative educational solutions towards sustainable futures that ensure

Overall, Alma Forest School is an amazing place to learn, grow and make a positive impact on the world. With a focus on hands-on, experiential learning, a sense of community and commitment to sustainability, it's no wonder Alma Forest School is such a special place.

www.almaforestschool.com

Telephone: +34 646 596 155 info@almaforestschool.com

An educational approach that brings nature and learning together to create a supportive community of big thinkers and thoughtful change-makers

20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

The Swedish School Marbella now has a new extension with more classrooms to accommodate more students! 20 years of excellence from 2003 - 2023

University challenged

Spain fails to make the top list,

the UK and America dominate the top 50

SPAIN is absent from the list of the world’s top 100 universities, while only 11 made it into the top

According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), the first entry from Spain is the University of Barcelona, which comes in between 151 Only the top 100 universities are given an individual ranking in the study, which identifies the best global higher educational instituBarcelona’s Autonomous University, Madrid’s Complutense University, and the universities of Granada and Valencia placed in

By Dilip Kuner

the 201-300 bracket. Madrid’s Autonomous University, Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra and the University of the Basque Country ranked between the 300th and

400th positions, while Valencia’s Polytechnic University and the universities of Santiago de Compostela and Sevilla ranked between 400 and 500.

The top five places went to Harvard, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge and California-Berkeley. In sixth place comes Princeton, while Oxford makes the top ten at eighth and University College in London comes in 18th.

British

support and guidance, pupils take part in the excellent online stud ies provided by the Swedish curriculum in a social and engaging school environment. They also benefit from all of the perks of the school including healthy, home-cooked lunches, school trips and physical education.

As well as promoting good health through nutritious meals that are very popular with the students, the physical education provided benefits from the school's wonderful garden, 25 metre swimming pool, artificial turf for football and access to large play areas with climbing trees and sandbox.

The school is also close to a large park and within walking distance of the beach.

Located in a beautiful natural area in Marbella near Puerto Banús, The Swedish School offers the best start in education and personal growth.

Isabel Saunders-Lagrillière CEO and co-founder

Only two other countries make the top 20 with France’s Paris-Saclay coming in at 16th, while ETH in Switzerland comes in at 20th. Other British universities to make the top 50 are Imperial at 23rd, while Edinburgh comes in at 35th, Manchester comes at 38th and King’s College at 48th.

Justice seekers

SPAIN most popular university subject is law, according to a new study that looks at global education trends.

University students searched the most for info on law degrees, followed by computer science and psycholo gy.

Globally, the study showed that nursing was the most popular choice, followed by business admin istration and then law.

“These three programs likely attract a large number of students due to their practical and in-demand na ture, as well as the diverse career opportunities they can provide,” a spokesman for the University of the Potomac study explained.

A degree in education was the most popular degree in 24 countries including China, Russia, Brazil and Germany.

British kids searched for ‘psychology degrees’ more than for any other degree in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile in the US, Israel and Greece the highest interest is in computer science.

while

TOP OF THE PILE: America’s MIT comes in top

HIGHLY RANKED: Harvard and Oxford (below)

LEGAL EAGLES: Include Spain’s Baltazar Garzon and Michelle Obama and Amal Clooney

Home free

NEW DORM-AL

Increase in Spanish students moving away to university causes the dorm industry to boom in Spain

BRITISH expats who lived in Spain before the end of 2020 can get student support and cheaper fees if they start a university course or other further education in the UK before 2028.

They will be protected by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and able to get home fees status as well as student loan support, the UK authorities have confirmed to the Olive Press

While this can vary depending on the region, this applies to all children holding British passports who were born in the EU and UK nationals that moved to Spain.

“UK Nationals have the same rights to access schools as other UK residents,” a spokesman for the British Embassy told the Olive Press

“My understanding is they will have access to Student Finance, but I would direct readers to the gov.uk links as they will be kept up to date,” she added. Further Education 19+ and apprenticeship funding is also available.

There is more information for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the Studying in the UK section of https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-europe

THIS year The American College in Spain (ACS) celebrates its 10th anniversary since it was founded in 2013. ACS offers fully accredited American education, both for high school and university. Students can obtain a high school diploma in association with Mizzou Academy of the University of Missouri, which is accepted by all universities in the US and Europe that follow the American curriculum. Andreah is a typical teenager, who grew up in Marbella like many residents of the Costa del Sol. At the age of 16, she enrolled in the High School program at The American College in Spain. After two years, she graduated and obtained a fully accredited high school diploma. At that point in time, her parents decided she was not yet ready to move away from Marbella to start her university studies.

The American College in Spain, accredited by the educational authorities of the State of Florida, also offers a 2+2 university program whereby students can complete their first two years of university studies in Marbella. On completion of these two years, students may transfer to any university in the United States or other universities in Europe (recognized by the US Federal Government)

FOR the 50% of Brits who go to university or college moving into a damp, cold, shared flat with strangers has become something of a rite of passage. Many discover the endless washing up and how much toilet paper and energy bills cost.

For Spaniards, this is a relatively uncommon experience with only around 17%

of students leaving their region to study. Most students live at home or with grandparents, which perhaps explains how there are only 100,000 student beds in dorms versus 1.6 million students in Spanish universities. Recently, Spanish students have realised the benefits of moving away to

study causing a surge in demand for student housing. Spain's popularity for Erasmus students has also influenced the demand, along with Latin American students.

In Malaga, the number

of student housing beds rose almost 50% over the past year, according to a recent study by JLL, a real estate services company. The boom of dorm beds really took off during the pandemic, with investments reaching €140 million in the first part of 2021, up a whopping 140% from the year before.

The dorm industry in Spain escaped the economic impact of the pan -

ROUTE TO THE TOP

The American College in Spain, celebrating 10 years of excellence in American education

According to Andreah, “The American College in Spain helped me tremendously to succeed as a high school student and to find out what I really wanted to do in life. A big advantage of the American system is that you don’t need to decide right away what you want to study. When I obtained my high school diploma, I was not sure in which direction I wanted to go, but I was still able to start university.”

Andreah spent only one year on the university program because ACS arranged for her to transfer sooner to Florida International University (FIU), one of the best universities in Florida and the entire US.

She realized that she wanted to study hospitality and tourism management. She was accepted as a transfer student at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, at Florida international University where she completed the last three years, and in May 2022 she graduated from this prestigious hospitality school, which is ranked one of the top five in the country.

“Living in Miami and studying at FIU was like a dream come true. The facilities and the resources that this university offers are second to none but the most important for me

was the training that I received by doing in ternships and working at some of the best hotels in Miami.” Andreah, who is now 22 years of age, has a full-time position in the Human Resources Department of the very prestigious W Hotel of Miami, which is part of Marriott Bonboy, one of the largest hotel chains in the world.

According to Ms Gayle Marco, the Academic Director at ACS: “Andreah is the perfect ex ample of how the program at The American College in Spain works. She obtained a high school diploma, enrolled in our 2+2 Uni versity program, transferred to the US, and ended up graduating from one of the most prestigious universities and hospitality schools in the world. Now she has an excellent position working in a very prestigious hotel chain in Miami.”

demic, with hundreds of millions being invested by foreign companies from Canada to France.

Rules

According to Minder, there is a shortfall of 450,000 beds, partly due to the fact that most student dorms have historically been run by nuns who have laid down morally restrictive rules like splitting up girls and boys.

LOST IN THE MATRIX

IN the late 1980s, when I was a secondary school pupil in England, there were no smart devices. Phone calls were made from a landline in your parents’ lounge, and they could hear your conversation.

Writing was done with pens and pencils, while typewriters were used in offices, and the internet was still a sparkle in the eye of the US military. Fast forward 35 years and everything has changed. Mobile devices and apps are ubiquitous. Parents use them. Students use them. And yes, some families love them. But most (yours truly included) hate them, because making quick and easy phone calls to the school has now been discouraged, as has popping in for a chat.

The app called iPasen (created by the Junta) governs everything in the public school system in Andalucia. This includes registering absences

(per missed class, even), monitoring of exam grades, the advising of school trips and holidays, and making appointments with teachers.

However, miss an important message on the app and you will receive the equivalent of a ‘parental, C-minus –could do better’.

Some studious children do reportedly use apps and social media to help with their learning pathway. However, the common purpose is for entertainment.

Some 1% of students meanwhile, reportedly use social media for academic purposes, while 68% attributed

their late bedtime to its usage.

A British study linked social media use to decreased sleep quality associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance in 2018. Parents might not realise that their teen is sneakily viewing social media under the duvet, leading to poor concentration the next day.

As parents and teachers are increasingly aware, sites such as TikTok and YouTube – are used to follow the latest influencers: ones they consider ‘cool’ and worthy of their respect. This is where a problem materialises. Back in our day, ‘influence’ was what your family tried to instil as social values. Despite their best efforts to be traditional, some of us ventured, bright eyed, onto the 70s, 80s or 90s music scene and formed our own worldview.

In that era, the social edict was ‘get on with people from every walk of life’ (maybe even hug them, particularly in the classic 90s ‘summer of love’!) rather than the division and mistrust being sown today.

CONTACT US NOW : training@clic.es

The current hate fashion is being fuelled, in part, by influencers (both organisations and individuals) who use social media algorithms to share dubious ideas. They are directly targeting our teens. Alleged rapist and sex trafficker, Andrew Tate, is a classic example. Much lauded by teenagers, the British social media giant has millions of followers, despite a sketchy track record of criminality and clear love of misogyny.

In particular, his content promotes how formal education is unnecessary

fluence on secondary school pupils, with some deprogramming courses having to be introduced in parts of the UK.

A British company, Men at Work, trains UK school staff how to approach these issues. One female teacher reported a teen boy belittling her by putting ‘MMAS’ (make me a sandwich) on the bottom of every assignment, taken from a sexist meme circulating online.

From the mouth of teens

encourages young men to learn a marketable skill, such as ‘drop-shipping’ or crypto investment.

Other influencers encourage flat-out crime, in particular in Spain and the UK.

Drill artists, in particular, are leading school pupils astray, insists Archie. “People are looking up to drill artists, who are bad influences. Most songs are about killing and stabbing, abandoning women, robbing, and stealing. It is influencing kids towards this roadman lifestyle and thinking that stabbing people is cool.”

Teacher challenge

According to Ana Moreno Rodriguez, a public-school teacher, based in Granada, influencers are causing noticeable difficulties for her profession, and many teachers are trying to change the resulting negative attitudes in class.

TimetoteachEnglish

tel: +34 954 50 21 31

to become rich and famous. Indeed, Tate is widely blamed for having a negative in-

A good example here in Spain would be Archie, an expat 15-year-old from Granada, who respects his teacher but aspires towards the lifestyle promoted by Tate and other famous influencers, such as psychologist and author, Jordan Henderson, who is popular on YouTube. Scathing of the job opportunities for school leavers in Andalucia, he says:

“I’ve lost hope in the modern school system. I strongly dislike school because I believe that it doesn’t teach you to be rich and successful. Instead, it trains you to be a pawn working long hours for bad pay.”

This includes reinforcing that it’s necessary to leave school with, at least, the ESO certificate (equivalent to UK GCSEs), to avoid entering the job market with no qualifications.

One such example is that to become a mechanic you will have needed to have passed an ESO that includes maths.

Go out into the world and spread your wings with CLIC International House’s CELTA English teacher training in Cadiz

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CLIC International House in Cadiz offers the Cambridge CELTA teacher training course for those keen to join this fun and booming industry.

An intensive four-week boot camp that will equip you with the theory and practical skills you will need to stand up in front of a classroom full of language learners with confidence and teach.

This is the most prestigious TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course available and the first time it’s available in Cadiz. English language skills have never been in greater demand - both in Spain and all over the world - as parents and young people realise it can make the difference between getting the job or not.

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He adds: “School teaches in a way you’ll forget. You’ll study for an exam and forget it afterwards. Then you are bombarded with more boring information, taught in boring ways. By the time you finish school, you can’t remem-

Danger of drill artists

However, many teens demonstrably aren’t listening or don’t care.

“We are all trying our best to counteract this, but I don’t think anything is being done in a regulated way,” she tells the Olive Press.

“But not all social problems can be addressed at school. Families also must address it. After all, parents buy mobile phones ahead of time, without supervision or training. We’re putting dangerous weapons into the hands of children - if they are misused.”

It’s a career that offers flexibility and variety far from the 9-5 grind, with teachers free to choose the hours that suit them, either in a school or visiting students in their homes or offices - or a combination of both.

Teaching English is something that can be done online from home or part-time, to complement other lines of work.

The opportunity to take this CELTA course, which is done in-person at the CLIC International House, is available this year only at the centre in Cadiz.

It’s a qualification that will free you to pursue a life abroad, among foreign languages and immersed in other cultures - and it’s never too late. Some of our trainees have taken the plunge in their 60’s. And there’s no better place to do it than with CLIC International House in the beautiful Andalucian town of Cadiz.

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Archie suggests that far worse content than Tate’s misogyny exists for impressionable youths. Despite positioning himself as ‘Top G’ (meaning gangster), at least Tate

Online influence is here to stay

With teens already influenced by what they are finding online, apps are becoming the default for daily tasks. And with even many adults obsessed with their social media reach, we’re unlikely to close the stable door now the horse has bolted into cyberspace. And let’s remember that many schools used distance learning during the Covid pandemic, and many people liked that model (if not necessarily the parents).

Perhaps that’s where we’re logically heading, as an option.

Home-learning if you want. It’s already possible for teens in Spain to study the UK GCSEs and A-Levels by distance learning, with the physical exam sat in the UK.

Spain doesn’t offer an online ESO option yet. But perhaps it’s coming.

The biggest question it begs: without a teacher present in the room, would some pupils study anything at all?

With social networks and influencers wreaking havoc with many childrens’ education in Spain, Jo Chipchase asks will it soon be possible to study the Spanish curriculum from home?

ADDICTED: School students nowadays are often on their phones

DIRTBAGS: Tate (top) and Drill artists gloryfying violence

around the edge to aid watering.

“Don't forget to stake the tree, placing the support on the side of the predominant wind at a 45-degree angle. Tie it with a flexible strap.”

He adds: “Water your tree well and mulch over the whole area. Remember to keep watering for the first year, until the roots have established. There is nothing more satisfying to plant than a tree!"

KNOWN as the capital of the Alpujarra, Orgiva is a cultural melting pot with residents of 65 different nationalities living and working together. Raul Orellana (below) is the acting Partido Popular mayor.

He urges English-speaking residents to exercise their right to vote and help decide the town’s future.

Says Raul: “The period to register in the electoral roll ended on January 15. There’s been a high number of registrations. The elections are held on Sunday 28 May, when we must visit our polling station. If you want to vote by mail, you must visit the Correos from Monday April 3, to collect an application form.”

He adds: “In our existing four years at the town hall, we’ve shown that it’s possible to govern through dialogue and collaboration. We’ve managed a very difficult moment.

The pandemic was a test for everyone.

Now, with your vote, it’s time to value how things are done and who’s going to manage

YOUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT

your town, day to day.”

Many residents are concerned about a wave of robbery in the town. Says Raul: “The crime problem derives from the sale and consumption of drugs.

From the town hall, we’ve increased the number of local police and we’re asking the government sub-delegation to increase the Guardia Civil and act in known drug dealing locations.

Afterwards, the law, as applied by our judges and prosecutors, must help us to eradicate this problem.”

He adds: “I urge people to denounce crime and appear at trials so that convictions occur. Social services, for their part,

are working on options for drug users.”

We have some advanced projects planned for the town. These include the new hospital, Guardia Civil barracks, a plaza and carpark project, improvement of some roads and bridges to make mobility easier, improved access to Lanjarón, and a park.

He concludes: “We’re at a crucial moment for the future of Órgiva. Let's imagine the town hall, Diputacion de Granada, Junta and Spanish government working together. to boost Órgiva and the Alpujarra.

“We can make our beloved Capital of the Alpujarra a benchmark throughout the province.”

Raul Orellana, Mayor of Orgiva, on why it’s important to exercise your vote in the municipal elections on May 28

TIME’S UP?

It’s brutal and bloody – and that’s just the political debate. Can, and should, bullfighting change to survive, asks Kimberley Mannion

IT’S been a bad few years for bullfighting, that most Spanish of spectacles. Arenas closed for long periods due to the Covid-19 pandemic, several small plazas de toros ceased activity for good, and Spain’s younger generation grew ever more vocal on the subject of animal rights.

As the bullfighting season gets under way, is it fair to say that the future looks uncertain for the sport?

In the Spanish government’s last survey of cultural practices, published in 2019, just 8% of the population had attended an encierro (or running of the bulls) or a bullfight within the previous year.

But though interest in small local events seems to be dwindling, an opportunity to see the great stars of bullfighting live in the ring still generates plenty of excitement. Tickets to see famed matador Jose Tomas (below right) in Alicante recently sold out in half an hour, with resale tickets reaching prices of over €1,000.

Some involved in the sport agree that bullfighting has to change from its current form in order to survive the decades to come. The

potential for it to adapt and develop is limited by the fact bullfighting is the focus of a major culture war issue in Spain, polarising both sides and leaving little room for discussion.

about how they see themselves: traditional Spanish or modern European. Far right party Vox has used bullfighting as a political tool, making the protection of cultural activity part of its political message. Meanwhile the government has shown reluctance in pushing for prohibition, while at the same time not actively promoting it. Notably, bullfighting was not initially included among the options when €400 culture passes were given to young people. Illustrating the divisiveness of the sport, the Spanish Supreme Court has this month ruled that the government's decision lacked justification and so the vouchers can be used for after all, following Fundacion

It has also become a political football for separatist regions: Catalunya banned bullfighting, but the Spanish Constitutional Court declared the move illegal.

Taliban

Showing the distance between the two sides, in an open letter, the President of the Fighting Bulls Association, Victorino Martin, compared the Mayor of Gijon, Ana Gonzalez, to

the Taliban due to her position on toros

The political element of the debate at times overshadows the issue of animal rights. Some of those who defend the fact that bulls are killed in fights, point out that Spain’s meat industry kills vast volumes of animals daily for a population with the highest meat consumption in Europe.

The sticky issue is cruelty. If bullfighting is to survive the 21st century, the ob

TALIBAN: Accusation thrown by Victorino Martin at Mayor Ana Gonzalez

SPECTACLE: Star names like Jose Tomas (pictured right) still pull in the crowds

ish Constitutional Court, rejected the motion, ruling: “Such a degree of divergence from the traditional use makes it impossible to recognise the core characteristics of the bullfight that the State has protected”.

If events in which the animals, spectacle and pageantry cannot be enjoyed without cruelty to animals and bulls being killed, the bullfighting industry is likely to struggle for survival.

Big toros supporters who do not want to see the tradition modernised say it’s the business model of the industry that should evolve, rather than the practice itself. As bullfighting relies heavily on public money and contributions, one option

would be to move to a more commercialised system supported by the box office sales.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Pais, bullfighting analyst François Zumbiehl suggested a communications campaign to counter the total anti-bullfighting narrative now commonplace among young people.

Zumbiehl did suggest making changes to traditional fights, but not to minimise animal cruelty.

Rather, he would make it more exciting for the audience by speeding up the event, eliminating break times, ‘making it less predictable’. For those who want to protect the tra-

dition, better organisation is needed. Groups coordinate and present a unified message to defend bullfighting. However, it will take a lot of campaigning to change the minds of a younger generation which is largely opposed.

Charges

Without making changes to traditional bullfighting so that animals are not killed and the fights are less bloody, it is hard to imagine crowds of thousands continuing to fill bullrings for much longer.

Send your views to newsdesk@theolivepress.es

PROTEST: Demonstrators (left) want matadors to hang up their capes

BLOODLESS: Is this the future of bullfighting?

Boom confirmed Doing just Fine!

EXPAT Chris Hara is shooting for the stars alongside his wife Jacqueline and Spainborn son Cristian.

Chris and Jacqueline, who moved to the Costa Blanca in 2004, have built up a million-euro turnover business with the Fine & Country real estate brand since opening an office focusing on luxury and lifestyle properties.

Never willing to rest on their laurels, they identified an opportunity to take their business to the next level and have now taken on the ‘master licence’ for the international brand.

Opportunity

Chris explained: “Our son Cristian, who studied Business and Economics at Valencia University, was looking for an opportunity to work within our business after recently receiving a degree equivalent studying for the Certificado Agente Professional Inmobiliario, (Professional Real Estate Certificate).

“He received his certificate the same time we were offered the opportunity to take on the licence, so as a family, we saw this as an opportunity to cement the future of our business, as well as allowing us to ensure Fine & Country can develop further in relatively untapped Spanish markets.”

GOOD-BYE VISA

Expat property investors could lose right to visa for property investment

SPAIN’S ‘Golden Visa’ scheme is in danger of being abolished under a new bill submitted to Congress.

The Residence by Investment scheme, introduced in 2013, allows foreigners to obtain a Spanish residence permit by buying real estate worth at least €500,000 in the country.

Left-wing political party

Mas País said this type of investment drives up housing prices, making it difficult for locals to purchase their own homes.

At the same time, it claims,

By Walter Finch

the government does not carry out checks on the provenance of the funds, opening the door for crooks and fraudsters. The bill submitted to Congress would limit the Golden Visa to foreigners who launch a business project with job creation or innovation that contribute to the growth of Spain’s economy. Simply purchasing property would not be enough, with

Cheapest deal

TALAVERA de la Reina in Toledo province - known for its ceramics industry and popular with tourists - has the cheapest properties for sale coming in at just €350 per m2. The city in central Spain came top of a survey conducted by property appraisal firm Tecnitasa.

It was followed by the Carrus district of Elche and the Juan XXIII neighbourhood in Alicante - both at €440 per m2 - with the two districts regarded as deprived areas. The low prices contrast with €11,400 per

Mas Pais arguing that this does not create jobs or bring any other economic benefits and drives up inflation. Leader of Mas País, Iñigo Errejon said: “The Spanish

CHEAPEST: Talavera de la Reina

m2 in Madrid's Calle Serrano and €10,000 on Barcelona's Paseo de Gracia, which are the highest prices in the country.

government does not check where this money comes from, nor how it was earned or what the rest of the relatives who come get up to. It is basically a class shortcut.” “There are parts of Spain that are being colonised by people who do not want anything to be regulated.”

Portugal

Last week Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced the ending of his country’s Golden Visa scheme in order to ‘fight real estate speculation.’ The European Commission has also expressed its opposition to Golden Visa and Golden Passport schemes in the EU.

HOME property sales in Spain reached 650,000 in 2022 - the biggest total since 2007 when nearly 780,000 residences were sold.

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) figures showed a 14.7% rise in sales on the previous year despite a 10.2% annual fall in December caused by rising interest rates and increasing financing costs. With the exception of 2020, which was an untypical year due to the pandemic, house sales have exceeded 500,000 annually in Spain since 2018. Used homes accounted for 532,459 sales in the 2022 total.

Property Magnet

SPAIN just failed to make it on the podium in a ranking of property investment in Europe for 2023, coming in fourth place - but up three from last year.

The UK came in first place, followed by Germany and then France in a survey by real estate firm Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis. Madrid and Barcelona also ranked highly for most attractive European cities for investment, coming in fifth and sixth place respectively.

It’s a bust

THE state of the economy in the wake of the Ukraine war and the post-pandemic period contributed to the highest number of Spanish companies folding in 2022 for 27 years.

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) says that 26,207 firms closed their doors last year - 10.1% more than in 2021, and the highest figure since 1995. Most of the dissolutions were voluntary, with 2,997 businesses disappearing via mergers and 2,494 for other reasons. The largest number of closures were in Madrid (8,842), Andalucia (3,988) and Valencia (2,177), while at the other end of the scale, Navarra saw just 91 dissolutions.

Solid recovery

MALAGA airport has closed January with 10.5% more passengers than in 2019.

For the first time, Malaga has registered higher passenger rates compared with pre-pandemic numbers.

The airport was used by 1,120,167 travellers in January. Internationally, the UK remains the most popular destination with 216,828 passengers in the month, followed by the Netherlands, with 79,653; Germany, with 66,747; and Italy, with 55,026.

Booming banks

Profits soar and shareholders cash in at Spain’s ‘Big Six’

SPAIN'S biggest banksSantander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Sabadell, Unicaja Banco and Bankinterclocked up record profits in 2022 according to a survey from the Noevantas consultancy. They made an accumulated total of €7.5 billion - a whopping 38.5% year-onyear increase.

Neovantas said the profit rise came from an increase in net interest income, with 12.2% more in

By Alex Trelinski

the year-on-year rate, due to interest rate increases.

Fees also increased by 6.1%, while operating expenses were reduced by 10.2% due to structural adjustments like branch closures that the banks continued to make in 2022.

The profit rise will mean a dividend bonanza for shareholders over the

CYBERCRIME is now account ing for 20% of reported of fences in Spain according to Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. He said there were over 375,000 cybercrimes last year - up by 72% on 2019 and a 352% increase on the 2015 total.

A media awareness campaign has been

PROTEST: BBVA employees demonstrated against layoffs; two years later the bank has posted massive profits

coming months. BBVA will distribute a dividend equivalent to €0.50 per share, which represents a pay-out of 47%, while Sabadell announced

Online criminals

launched with the first phase featuring a TV advert warning about the need to take security measures when going online. The second phase will focus on posting interviews and warnings from experts on social media platforms.

There when you need us

The funeral plan provider that rolls with the punches to deliver the best value in Spain

IT was down a leafy corridor between the colonial-style balustrades of a commercial centre that the Olive Press found Compare Funeral's offices.

Just a stone’s throw from billionaire's row in Sotogrande.

We were treated to a hearty welcome by directors and brothers-by-marriage Ben and Jack and a dainty one by Head of Sales Andalucia Ruth - a rose between two thorns, as Jack quipped.

Having brought their best practices and signature Direct Cremation plan over from the UK in 2020, Ben and Jack immediately set about simplifying matters for people whose loved one has passed away in Spain.

With funerals usually happening within 48 hours in Spain and so much daunting paperwork to be completed, guiding grieving customers through these procedures was a primary motivation for the trio.

Ben, who has lived his entire life in Spain, learned how difficult and traumatic the process can be first hand when his father passed away without a funeral plan and the final bill ended up costing €15,000.

Although for Ruth, it was when one funeral director declared that he was ‘too knack-

Wage increase

THE Spanish government has decided to increase the minimum wage by 8% for 2023.

The raise will mean about 2.5 million low/salary workers will receive €1,080 gross per month in 14 payments installations.

Labour minister Yolanda Diaz said the increase ‘is not just another piece of information’ but ‘makes it possible to change people’s lives’.

The increase will be applied retroactively from January 1.

a new increase in the payout from 31.8% to 50%.

Neovantas believes the banks face an uncertain 2023 due to temporary windfall taxes such as the tax on banks and mortgage relief measures.

Jobs

It expects delinquency to rise and reach levels above 5%, since the last available figure of 3.68% recorded in November 2022. The news comes two years after a total of 19,000 bank employees lost their jobs, almost all through state-approved ERE layoffs, meant for companies struggling financially.

Pricey dinners

FOOD inflation in Spain stayed at over 15% in January despite an IVA tax cut on some basic products.

The National Institute of Statistics(INE) reported an inflation rate of 15.4% for food and non-alcoholic drinks, compared to 15.7% in December.

Overall the inflation rate for January was 5.9% - higher than initially forecast by the INE and 0.2% up on the previous month.

As expected, the rise was largely down to the end of the 20 cents per litre fuel subsidy. Diesel went up by 13.8% and gasoline by 1.3%, while electricity prices fell by 17.5%.

ered’ to do a hymn as he had already done seven funerals that morning, and the mourners were shuffled out.

“These poor people paid for a service that they never got,” she declared.

But despite having provided almost one thousand funeral plans over the past three years without even a single complaint, the team occasionally finds their business harassed by teams of coordinated social media trolls.

One Facebook post from Ruth triggered a torrent of unmerited abuse that, while not harming the business, hurt emotionally.

“It was horrendous,” she said. “It was my post, and it all kicks off. What have I done?”

For a registered Spanish company that holds its clients’ funds in a trust signed off by a third party, it was galling to have their name dragged through the online mud by anonymous trolls.

But it’s made up for when the team receives stirling support from even just a handful of their happy and grateful customers.

“Put your knives away and trust me,” wrote one who knew the value of Compare Fu-

neral’s work.

“You will never receive a better and more respectful service for you and your beloved departed,”.

“And customers having your back like that,” says Jack, “is one of the joys of the job.”

For more information or to discuss personalised funeral plans, contact Compare Funerals on +34 911 436 813 (WhatsApp +34 697 889 684) or send an email to info@comparefuneral.org or visit in person to our office located at 24 Avenida Paniagua, Galerias Paniagua de local 30-31, San Roque, Cadiz 11310.

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Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Amused, 5 Both, 7 Akela, 9 Hermit, 10 Rips, 11 Algae, 12 Wept, 13 Doze, 14 Orange, 16 Stem, 17 Scar, 19 Cradle, 20 Frau, 23 Neat, 24 Nahum, 26 Taxi, 27 Obtain, 28 Taper, 29 Thus, 30 Ensign

Down: 2 Mae West, 3 Symptom, 4 Data, 5 Bared, 6 Topaz, 8 Engaged, 15 Airship, 17 Senates, 18 Amazing, 21 Reach, 22 Units, 25 More

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Brit Tax

Spain wakes up to threat the EU’s new ETIAS tourist tax poses to its British tourism

RYANAIR is ramping up its flights to Malaga for the coming summer in anticipation of a bumper tourist season on the Costa del Sol.

The airline is set to offer flights to Malaga from 84 destinations in Europe, including six new cities, and increase frequencies on 25 routes.

The six new destinations include Belfast with three flights a week, and Newquay, Bremen, Paderborn, Frankfurt Hahn, and Gdansk with two.

Links

The Irish airline is also offering five new routes for the summer season out of Sevilla as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations of having a base in the capital of Andalucia.

Sevilla will now be linked to Cork (Ireland), Nuremberg and Weeze (Germany), Prague (Czech Republic) and Santander.

ALARM bells have started to ring in Spain over a new EU tourist tax that is set to hit the nation’s number one customer - the Brits. The tax, known as the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), will see all nonEU tourists handing over €7 to enter the Schengen zone.

Juan Molas, the president of Spain’s Tourism Board, has expressed concern that it will hit the country's

By Walter Finch

competitiveness as a tourist destination when it is due to come into effect in November.

“We will contact the EU to learn more about this tax and how it will directly impact British tourism, which, with 18 million visitors, was our main source of travellers to Spain in 2019,” he said.

Much of the ETIAS tax

Cruise wave

is shrouded in mystery, with many details, such as how it will be applied and where the money raised will go, unknown. Its claimed purpose is to

MSC CRUISES, the third largest cruise company in the world by number of passengers, expects to bring more than 100,000 cruise passengers to each of the ports of Malaga Alicante and Valencia this summer.

The company ramping up its presence in Spain, with with MSC Cruises ships forecast to make more than 500 turnarounds or transit calls in Spain at Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Cadiz and Tarragona, which translates into a total of more than two million tourists.

provide the EU with greater control over who is entering its borders and is designed to track or halt criminals and undesirables.

Visa

The tax is likened to the ETSA tourist visa that the United States issues to foreign travellers, and will likely function in the same way. Brits who are unaware of the new requirement will be able to complete the ETSA form at the airport and most people will receive confirmation in minutes. But for those whose checks are more complex, there could be waits of up to 96 hours.

FORBES magazine has chosen Malaga as the best city in the world as an alternative to the big capitals.

FORGET MADRID Summer Ryan

While capitals tend to hog the column inches, sometimes it’s other less-influential cities which best showcase the culture and magic of the country’s people and history.

According to a study, in which 420 cities from 89 different countries were taken into account, Malaga has topped the list as the most outstanding city in the world, ahead of Barcelona.

Forbes highlights Malaga's ‘gorgeous beaches’ and the city’s attractions like La Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castleand many art galleries, which are ‘attracting people from far away.’

The article puts Malaga above other major cities like Lyon (France), Split (Croatia), Casablanca (Morocco), Munich (Germany), Osaka (Japan) and Vancouver (Canada).

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Fun AMES and

LOOKING out across the rolling plains of the Cordoba Campina, my teenage son felt just like Olenna Tyrell surveying her kingdom. His perch on a balcony near the top of a tower at Almodovar del Rio castle (left)-- had become part of one of the seminal scenes of Game of Thrones’ series seven. This vertigo-swirling spot at mythical Highgarden castle is where the

ancient queen of the Reach empire looks out (below) to see the giant army of the Lannisters amassing far below.

Within hours her redoubt is stormed and Olenna is forced to imbibe poison in a moment now etched in celluloid history.

One of many parts of this imposing Moorish castle that can be visited today (with over a dozen stills from the hit HBO series conveniently post-

GIANT JOB: 800 workmen took 36 years restoring Almodovar Castle

ed up), in the words of my son this is ‘how castles should be restored’. A formidable spot over a bend in Andalucia’s Guadalquivir river, half way along the ancient Roman road between Sevilla and Cordoba, the 8th century fortress had indeed been carefully renovated to the tune of millions by the former Count of Torralva back in the early 20th century.

Some 800 workmen spent 36 years turning it into a home, with dozens of bedrooms, alongside obligatory banquet halls and ballrooms, as well as keeping its most interesting features, including a huge courtyard and dungeon.

Impressive in both scale and location, little-visited Almodovar castle is a great way to spend a couple of hours either side of a splendid lunch at La Taberna Cuatro Caminos, a short five-minute stroll downhill. Part of a long-weekend history tour, geared around Game of Thrones, but equally appealing to my wife, who appreciated the scenery and architecture of the fascinating Campina region, the real joy however, is the lack of tourists.

For this extensive area of rich farm-

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With winter upon us, Jon Clarke takes a tour of inland Andalucia where much of hit series Game of Thrones was set

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

land between the two key Andalucian cities has three or four towns of incredible touristic interest all well worth a visit.

I’ve long extolled the delights of the little-known gems of Ecija and Carmona (allegedly Spain’s oldest settlement) for anyone who’s done Sevilla and Cordoba, or equally Granada, Malaga and Ronda to death.

But how about Osuna or Medina Azahara? All gems of the former Roman and later Moorish dynasties that ruled the region for well over 10 centuries.

Our tour began around 10 miles north of Sevilla at the ancient city of Italica, where two scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed.

This Roman town that has been slowly unravelling itself to archaeologists for the last century, is replete with a number of villas and a spectacular coliseum, where a zombie, known as ‘the Whitewalker’ is put to death in the programme.

An enormous site crisscrossed with ancient paved streets and dotted with monuments, the tragedy is how much of the former city was carted away in the 18th century to build the main road north into Extremadura and even a dam on the River Guadalquivir.

It’s still an impressive place to visit (the birthplace of emperors Trajan and Emperor Hadrian) and a real surprise for first time visitors,

with many a Spanish bride and groom getting their official wedding pictures here.

Founded in 206BC, it was built on a classic Roman grid plan with public buildings and a forum at the centre and was linked to a busy port on the nearby Guadalquivir. Thanks to Hadrian who built a number of temples and made it an official ‘colonia’ it thrived for hundreds of years until the 3rd century, when the river silted up, encouraging the growth of nearby Sevilla. It’s still an impressive site and thankfully the vast majority of tourists visiting nearby Sevilla do not venture out, meaning you will often have the place to yourselves.

From here we struck out east towards Osuna, where we stayed for the night, thanks to its healthy choice of former palaces to bed down in.

A strategic place which once stood on the edge of the former Kingdom of Granada and the hilly Cordilleras Beticas where the Moors clung on for two centuries until 1492, it was first inhabited by the Tartessians 3000 years ago. Becoming a Roman colony called Genetiva Iulia, when Julius Caesar visited, it later became known as Oxuna in Moorish times until it was taken by the Catholic kings in 1239 after a Continues on next page

ORNATE: Italica is crisscrossed with paved streets and full of mosaics, plus an impressive colosseum

DAWN: Sun rises over former Roman colony of Osuna

THE BEST PALACES

bloody battle.

Changing the name to Osuna, it was during the 15th and 16th centuries that it really flourished when Count of Urena encouraged the construction of 13 churches, a convent, hospital and even university (still open with a splendid Mudejar ceiling).

It was clearly a wealthy place, with one street, in particular, decreed by UNESCO to house the most impressive collection of palaces in Spain. Calle San Pedro (but equally a handful of parallel and perpendicular streets) is full of veritable gems from the Baroque to the Renaissance periods and, including, at least one ho-

tel, Palacio Marques de la Gomera, which must be visited for its charming courtyard and chapel.

We stayed at its sister hotel at the top of the town, the Hospederia del Monasterio, and got up early and had a fascinating walk up to the socalled Canteras area, a plateau full of ancient burial sites (below) and caves, from where much of the golden sandstone was hewn to build the town’s wonderful churches and palaces.

The views across the Campina stretched forever, while the atmospheric photos of the town catching the early-morning sunshine were

worth the stroll alone. We got back and woke up the teenager to head for breakfast and then the highlight, the bullring, where the HBO cast and crew had spent 17 days filming a major gladiator-style dragon scene from season five. The night be-

COLUMNISTS

fore we’d stumbled across the very restaurant, Casa Curro, where actress Emilia Clarke had celebrated her birthday, with appropriately, dozens of photos from the night on the wall (above right).

The staff proudly showed off a signed visitor book, while I tried to recall what I’d eaten here some 10 years earlier. Nothing exciting, in truth, but probably (still) about the best of what’s on offer in Osuna. Rocking up around midday, what we hadn’t realised was the bullring was shut, it being a bank holiday close to Christmas, so all we could do was walk around it from the outside and peer through the odd gap. (NB. It’s only open from Friday afternoon to Sunday).

The laddie took it surprisingly well however, maybe thanks to spoiling him with a giant plate of pancakes for breakfast, and the Almodovar castle more than made up for it later that afternoon.

By nightfall we were back on the Costa Del Sol, but not before a splendid late lunch at a new grill restaurant Asador La Perdida, in Alcala de Guadaira, just south of Sevilla.

A splendid stop just off the motorway, I took note that this is the perfect stop off for anyone en route to Sevilla vis Ronda.

WHERE TO EAT AND STAY

Hotel Hospederia de Monasterio (www.hospederi adelmonasterio.com), in Osuna, sits in a commanding position at the top of the town, with a wonderful court yard with its own splash pool and sunbeds. While the rooms are charming, it’s a little too sleepy in winter, there is no-one on reception and you have to head out to get your breakfast.

Restaurante Casa Curro in Osuna is where the cast and crew of Game of Thrones frequently ate and cele brated the birthday party of Emilia Clarke. It claims to have the biggest selection of tapas in the town and you can eat in both the dining room or bar, where the walls are covered with the many celebrities and bullfighters who have visited over the years. La Taberna Cuatro Caminos (www.latabernadecuatrocaminos.com) in Alm- odovar del Rio is a true dining secret serving up perhaps the best Rabo de Toro in Spain (oxtail originated in Cordoba). A professional place run by Juan Sanchez Doblare (below) since the 1970s, his wife Antonia is the cook. Also famed for its croquettes, make sure to order a snifter of the bone dry Montilla Moriles fino on offer.

Asador La Perdida, in Alcala de Gua- daira (www.asadorlaperdida. com) is a charming country home set in its own grounds, easy to park and with a very distinct style. Just five minutes off the AP-4 motorway, you sit outside in the gardens or patio, or inside in one of three stylish dining rooms. A grill-style joint, the steaks are fabulous, although there are loads of salads and specials of the day.

LOOK WHO’S TALKING

Just when you thought it was safe, Giles Brown makes his new year return to the Olive Press

JUST when you thought it was safe to go back to the last pages of the Olive Press. I’m back.

A combination of pre and post Festive season and New Year commitments and celebrations, plus yet another birthday in mid-January, meant that I had no time to put the proverbial pen to paper – or badly manicured fingers to keyboard. Then there is the ongoing Kafkaesque saga of my struggle with bureaucracy.

I will spare you the labyrinthine and sometimes the wrong side of lucid details. But I will say this.

You know those missing person situations, where highly trained mountain rescue teams spend days scouring remote peaks for stranded climbers?

I have a way of saving on both

manpower and time.

Just give the details of who has gone missing to the funcionarios at Hacienda They will be able to find you in seconds. You could be in

a hut on a tributary in the depths of the Amazon, the first European to make contact with the indigenous tribes, when you would hear the sound of a canoe approaching, delivering the aforementioned Hacienda letter…

I tried to circumvent the fact that I am now well and truly in my mid-fifties by informing anyone who asked that I was now the same age as the

speed limit in the US. (55, in case you didn’t know).

But my age drops to 30 in urban zones, obviously. Leaving Marbella at 2.30am after my celebrations, I ran straight into an alcohol checkpoint. Noticing my accent, the officer immediately whipped out the breathalyser and politely asked me to blow into it.

PUZZLE: The tee-total Englishman in Marbella?

The poor man obviously was not to know that these days coffee is the only thing that I drink, and so waved me on.

Glancing in the rear view mirror, I

am sure that I saw him shaking his head and banging the breathalyser as I drove away in disbelief ‘English? In Marbella? At 2am? And under the limit????’

UNESCO GEMS: In Calle San Pedro

No surprise

SAVOURY snacks have been given an unsurprising thumbs-down for harming health in a study conducted by Spain's OCU consumer group. It analysed 202 snack products and classified 80% of them as unhealthy or very unhealthy, including those promoted as containing less fat. Though tempting for everybody of all ages, stuff like nachos, crisps, and cones are all highly processed with ingredients that can cause health issues if eaten frequently.

CHILD’S BEST FRIEND

Dog therapy a big hit at Spanish hospital

A FRIENDLY pooch can give a huge boost to children with mental health issues, a new study has found. Some 23 youngsters aged under 13 from the Day Hospital at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona took part in sessions over two years as-

Diabetes risk

PEOPLE who have been infected with Covid-19 could be at increased risk of diabetes, according to a new study. Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles analysed the medical records of 23,709 adult patients who had at least one documented Covid-19 infection between 2020-2022.

When the researchers distinguished between those who had been vaccinated against those who weren’t, they found that the vaccinated had almost no increased risk of diabetes after Covid-19, but the un-

By Alex Trelinski

sisted by professionals from the Centre for Assisted Therapies with Dogs (CTAC). The children were either autistic, had behavioural disorders, or suffered from

vaccinated had a nearly 80% higher chance of a new diabetes diagnosis.

Researchers said the difference was not statistically significant and more data is needed.

excess anxiety. Mental health nurse Elias Guillen said: “We discovered that 75% of emotional incidents with the children were on days where there was no dog therapy.” Sessions were carried out weekly with 45 minutes allocated to each patient.

“On the days that the dogs visited, there was a different atmosphere, which allowed us to assess the children far more easily,” added Guillen. The hospital’s head of youth psychiatry, Dr Astrid Morer, said: “It is incredible how the children face situations like an examination with a dog, which they would not have done without forming an affectionate bond with the animal.”

The CTAC selects the dogs that are put through their paces to see if they would

PAIN RELIEF

SPAIN has become the first European country to allow women to take medical leave for being on their period.

The Spanish government has now passed the ‘period pain’ law, allowing women to stay at home for a few hours during the working day or take medical leave if pain prevents them from working. The law, which passed by 185 votes in favour to 154 against, recognises menstrual health as part of the country’s right to gender equality in health.

be suitable for therapeutic tasks.

All kinds of breeds ranging from large to small were used in the Barcelona study, which was supported by ‘La Caixa’ Foundation and animal food manufacturer Purina.

“The rule is going to stop being a taboo,” Minister for Equality Irene Montero said. Menstrual leave is currently offered only in a small number of countries around the world, including Japan, Indonesia, Zambia, South Korea and Taiwan.

O P LIVE RESS The ANDALUCÍA

Fun and games

A SEX shop in Sevilla celebrated Valentine’s week by holding a series of treasure hunts in city parks, with the prizes of erotic sex toys hidden away.

Nick(er)ed

A MAN who used underwear as a mask during three knifepoint robberies has been arrested in Manises (Valencia) after police recognised him from descriptions.

Bees knees

THE Smart Green Bees project is attempting to repopulate Spain with 47 million Iberian Bees, with the first hives placed on a farm in Los Montes de Malaga natural park.

‘Bimba’ goes beyond a joke

DERBY PILGRIMS

Spanish cousins go on 3,000 km pilgrimage to DERBY to watch team they fell in love with on FIFA

A football-mad Spanish family went on a bonkers 3,000km pilgrimage to watch Derby County play after falling in love with them in a video game.

Fernando Batallon and his six cousins set out on the journey from Lugo in northern Spain to finally see their beloved football team in the flesh.

The love affair had begun after they randomly chose the League One club while playing FIFA together because they liked the ram on the club’s

By Walter Finch

badge.

“It all started on FIFA Career Mode,” law firm worker Fernando, 25, told Derby County podcast ‘Steve Bloomer’s Washing’.

“We wanted to play as a new team, but didn’t know which one to pick.

“So, we decided to choose the team with the badge that we liked the most. And that, of

A MAN who tried to smuggle 15 Moroccan migrants OUT of the UK to Spain because they ‘didn’t like Britain’ has been jailed.

The Moroccan man, who was a taxi driver in London, was stopped by French police in Dunkirk where he was caught trying to smuggle the group through France.

The migrants had told the smuggler they ‘didn’t like Britain’ and wanted to settle in

course, was the charming Ram crest of Derby County.”

The Spanish fans had been following the team since 2019 and were thrilled when they finally

GETTING OUT

Spain instead, according to police. The man was convicted and jailed for one year for people smuggling and aiding illegal stays. More than 30,000 migrants arrived in Spain illegally last year, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

got to see their heroes, who had previously just been graphics on a TV screen, in action. And they were in luck as the Rams, notorious for posting the worst ever points total for a season in the Premier League (although Rams fans will point out they twice won the league in the 1970s and reached the European Cup semi finals), romped to a 5-0 victory over Morecambe. Fernando and his cousins were welcomed with open arms by the friendly fans of Derby and even got to take a picture next to the Pride Park pitch.

IT probably wasn’t the wisest way to present a lesson on Africa.

A teacher at a Spanish school blacked up, put on an exaggerated accent and posed next to a toy monkey for the class.

“Hello friends, my name is Bimba and I come from Africa,” the teacher from Catholic school Trinidad Sansueña in Cordoba says at the start of a video recording posted online.

“In Africa people don’t have white faces, they have faces like mine,” the teacher continues. “Africa also has a lot of animals,’ she adds, picking up the monkey, which she calls Monolo. The recording has since been denounced by an independent and ‘anti-racist’ digital media outlet called Afrofeminas.

Bad nudes

JUDGES have told a Vera (Almeria) holiday complex that it can not have a mandatory nudity policy in its pool and gardens. The Supreme Court heard that security guards had been hired to make sure no one wore clothes while enjoying the facilities at the Natura World apartments, which face on to one of Europe’s biggest and most popular naturist beaches.

MEMORY: The Derby pilgrims at Pride Park