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AFTER 10 months being unable to legally drive, UK driving licence holders can now get back behind the wheel.
The Spanish cabinet has approved a deal between Spain and the United Kingdom covering driving licence exchange, as well as the exchange of driver information relating to traffic offences.
A QUICK-thinking expat has saved the life of a middle aged man from his burning home on the Costa del Sol. Brit Thomas Barnes heroically risked his life to enter the burning building in Fuengirola and pull out the Spanish occupant.
Barnes, 31, had been working at his farther’s jewellers shop, Anthony’s Diamonds, when he heard shouting outside and saw smoke coming out of a nearby apartment.
He ran out and immediately climbed up a ladder other neighbours had placed there, taking a fire extinguisher with him.
Over the course of the next 10 minutes he was handed another four extinguishers, which he used to battle the blaze alone.
Eventually he emerged to help the man out of the back exit.
EXCLUSIVE
By Walter Finch
“Thomas saved the life of a man who didn’t know what was happening,” his father Anthony told the Olive Press.
“The old fella was just sitting there in the smoke. He must've been in shock,” he continued.
“Thomas brought him out and then went back in for the woman in the bedroom but he couldn’t get through.
“Black smoke was billowing down the corridor, dangerous jet black smoke.
“Two times he went in to bring her out, shouting and calling for her. It was really brave, but sadly he couldn’t
somehow reach her.”
The dramatic scenes were caught on video showing Thomas on the balcony of the first floor apartment talking to people in the street as smoke pours out around him.
Flames
The fire, which broke out on Calle Ramon y Cajal around midday, was quickly put out once the emergency services arrived. According to police, two men, aged 45 and 52, were taken to hospital in an ambulance for emergency treatment. Meanwhile, one woman in her seventies died, leading to the town hall to call a day of mourning on Friday.
A HEROIC looky looky man has been dubbed a ‘hero’ by Olive Press readers, who saw him save a drowning man off a Malaga beach.
Senegalese beach salesman Mamadou, 19, who is applying for asylum, swam out from Malagueta beach when he heard the man’s screams.
“No one else was paying any attention until this hero stripped off, did the sign of the cross and went in to rescue him,” English tourist Susan Haghegh, 68, told the Olive Press.
She added that Mamadou - who it later emerged had survived a 10-day sea crossing to the Canaries two years ago - was not even a strong swimmer.
After getting the Spanish victim, 45, nearer the shore he had to be helped by a Canadian and a Dutch tourist, who dived in to assist.
Both Mamadou and the victim were taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia. His asylum application has still yet to be approved, although it is hoped his heroics will be recognised.
Thomas, a former cage fighter and jujitsu fan who grew up in Spain, insists his actions were anything but heroic.
“I don’t feel like I saved anyone’s life,” he said. “It’s simple. No one else was doing anything and so I went up the ladder. “What I did was put the fire out in case it spread upstairs.” He added: “It
DRAMA: Thomas (inset) got through five fire extinguishers as he tackled the blaze
didn’t really feel dangerous - I was holding my breath most of the time. I enjoy putting out fires.”
Tragically, despite going back into the corridor multiple times, he was unable to bring the flames down enough to enter the bedroom where the woman was trapped.
“It feels horrible. I feel
chefs who are reaching
A MAN from Sevilla has been arrested for stealing more than €11,000 from a pensioner he was caring for. He used the victim’s credit card to splash out on luxury hotels and extravagant trips.
A GROUP of 14-yearolds allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl at knifepoint in Badalona. The shocking crime only came to light when a video began to circulate among teenagers.
MALAGA has recorded its second hottest winter in 60 years, since 1961. Weather experts reported that temperatures were 1.5 degrees above average for the cooler season.
Narco Sub
A NARCO sub was discovered by fishermen off the coast of Galicia. It’s the third homemade vessel to be found in recent years but this time there was no coke on board.
THE Gibraltar courts have stepped in to probe a suspect crypto trading platform amid allegations it was a Ponzi scheme.
It comes as a UK liquidator was brought in to close down Globix, which is suspected of defrauding hundreds of investors in Spain and Gibraltar out of as much as €70 million.
At an explosive investors meeting, hosted by former leader of the opposition Daniel Feetham KC this week, the finger was firmly pointed at Globix owner, Damian Carreras (pictured). Gibraltarian Carreras, who ran his unregulated crypto company via Gibraltar and the British Virgin Islands, vanished last year with up to €70 million owed to investors.
As the Olive Press revealed a fortnight ago, the company crash was linked to the kidnapping of one of his partners, Russian Pavel Sidorov, in Alicante, last year.
London-based liquidator Begbies Traynor is now trying to establish and locate the assets of Carreras’ company ‘Miracle World Ventures Limited’ and various linked businesses.
EXCLUSIVE
By Walter FinchThe insolvency team is trying to establish if Globix was a fraud, while primarily recovering any assets it can find.
“Was Globix a scam? Good question,” insolvency expert Adrian Hyde, of Begbies, told dozens of investors gathered for the online meeting.
“We know it's been suggested it was a Ponzi scheme,” but he added it was ‘too early’ to an-
swer the question. He also denied the liquidators were in any way connected to Carreras and were ‘working for’ the Gibraltar courts. But Hyde made it clear that they would go after the assets and property of individuals who may have ‘received huge gifts from the company’, even if it meant bankrupting them first.
POLICE are urging parents to accompany children at all times at a sports club on the Costa del Sol after a shocking attempted kidnapping.
A man in a grey car tried to snatch a 15-year-old boy after he had left Club Deportivo sports complex in La Cala de Mijas at about 9.30pm on March 13.
In an official statement, the club described the perpetrator between 30-40 years old, of medium height, with a beard.
“He tried to get one of our cadet players into his car against his will on the route between the soccer field and Aldi,” it said.
“Luckily he was able to get out and run, arriving at his house safe and sound.
“We ask all families to exercise extreme caution and do not let their children come to training or go home alone.”
Club Deportivo has requested extra police surveillance.
ing to say to you.”
He added: “Basically someone is shit stirring and if you have any evidence send it to me.”
POLICE have arrested 19 people in Malaga who are allegedly a part of a ‘well-known drug-trafficking clan’. The group can also allegedly be linked to a robbery at a jewelry store in Malaga where €95,000 of jewels were stolen. Officers raided a dozen homes in La Trinidad in Malaga and Portada Alta, seizing a rifle, pistols, a silencer, ammunition, a sword and 50 grams of cocaine.
Two of the arrested men who allegedly used a large knife to rob a jewelry store on Calle Marmoles sparked police to investigate the clan which was ‘well-known’ in the La Trinidad neighbourhood.
The Olive Press can reveal that the 39-year-old CEO of Globix is currently hiding out in Barcelona after fleeing from furious investors in Gibraltar. Carreras, who speaks fluent Russian, studied Economics at Tambov University, in Russia, where he met his business partner Sidirov, with whom he set up Globix in 2021. He lists himself as a ‘crypto mining broker’ on his LinkedIn profile and claims to have worked in the energy sector, as well as for the Ministry of Defence.
When we finally tracked down Carreras for comment he told the Olive Press: “I have noth-
It was a kidnap attempt on Sidirov last June by angry investors frozen out of their funds that first alerted authorities that something was amiss with Globix.
In the kidnap, Sidirov was snatched with his girlfriend outside their El Campello villa, before they contacted police. It was during the attack that Sidirov was able to send an estimated €40m to Ukraine in a crypto-wallet.
A DANGEROUS convict on the run from a French jail has been arrested in Torremolinos after a woman reported him for domestic violence. The 28-year-old, who was in prison for drug trafficking, robbery and assaulting police, had been serving a long sentence at the Liancourt Penitentiary Centre north of Paris.
MUSIC legend Bob Dylan is bringing his 'Rough and Rowdy' tour to Spain this June with 12 concerts. The veteran, who turns 82 in May, will perform in Sevilla, Alicante, Barcelona, Granada, Huesca, Logroño, Madrid and San Sebastian. His visit to Alicante is regarded as a major entertainment coup for the city, which is vying for international stars to come there, with another veteran - Sir Tom Jones - doing a show at the Plaza de Toros on August 1.
Dylan's Spanish dates are part of a world tour that started in November 2021 and is slated to finish next year.
CARLOS Alcaraz has regained his world number one tennis ranking after an easy straight sets win over Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells.
The 19-year-old from El Palmar only needed 71 minutes to destroy Medvedev 6-3 6-2 to return to the top of the ATP rankings.
Novak Djokovic overhauled Alcaraz to take the top ranking in January after winning the Australian Open, which the young Spaniard had to miss due to a 10-week injury lay-off.
Indian Wells was the Murcia player’s third Masters 1000 tournament victory and he becomes only the second teenager to achieve that feat after Mallorca’s Rafa Nadal, who has now dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2005.
By Simon Hunter
THE former lover of King Juan Carlos has blasted Spanish news reports that she will be in a documentary about the disgraced ex-monarch as ‘fake news’.
Vanitatis, the society page of online daily El Confidencial, ran a story claiming that Corinna Larsen, who still uses her former married name Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, would be appearing in a new production from Sky Documentaries.
What’s more, LOC, the gossip section of newspaper El Mundo, claimed that she wanted
FUMING: Larsen has dismissed documentary claim
to present the documentary at the Cannes Film Festival, which will begin in May. However, a spokesperson for Larsen said: “Corinna has not initiated any documentary, is not narrating any documentary and she is not presenting anything at Cannes. This is fake news, again led by Vanitatis.” Sky has, however, announced that the four-part series will happen, and is due to arrive on Sky Documentaries and NOW later this year.
THE heir to the Spanish throne, Princess Leonor, is due to start military training in the autumn, following in the footsteps of her father, King Felipe VI. She will spend time in the three Spanish armed forces during her training.
Leonor, 17, is currently studying at the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales. But from the end of August she will start training in the regular army at the General Academy in Zaragoza.
The second year of her training will see her join the Marin Naval School in Pontevedra,before a third year at the General Air and Space Academy in San Javier, Murcia.
SHE may have missed the Oscars red car pet, but Pe nelope Cruz stunned with her out fit in Madrid. She stole the show at a popup shop in support of the Lancome ‘ Vie Est Belle’ paign. The star lit up the event with her re nowned beauty and enthusiasm - and a stun ning black and pink ensemble by Alexan dre Vauth ier. Cruz has been a longtime am bassador for the brand, and has thrown her weight behind the cam paign, which celebrates ‘beauty and joy in life’.
“Told from the perspective of his close friends and confidants, palace insiders, former intelligence officials and critics, the four-part documentary series sheds a new light on the former King’s personal life including affairs, allegations of corruption, and alleged abuse of power – leading up to and including the events and circumstances of his abdication in 2014,” read a statement from the broadcaster.
Larsen was a regular fixture in the news headlines last year, not least thanks to a podcast in which she recounted her affair and subsequent break-up with Juan Carlos.
Revelations
Titled Corinna and the King, the eight-part series contained revelations, including how the king would appear with ‘bags full of cash’, how he was seeing someone else while she tended to her father on his deathbed, and details of the infamous elephant-hunting trip that started the chain of events leading to his 2014 abdication.
SPORTING superstars Rafa Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo may be approaching the end of their playing days, but they are teaming up for a new career.
The Tatel restaurant chain, owned by investment company Mabel Capital in which Nadal and Ronaldo are partners in its hospitality division, is opening a new eatery in Valencia.
The chain currently has outlets in upmarket areas of Abu Dhabi, Ibiza, Madrid, Mexico City, Doha, Bahrain, Riyadh and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.
The new Valencia restaurant will be located in the former Banco de Valencia building on Calle Pascual i Genis with the group promising it will be based on American 'speakeasys' of the 1920s.
COSTA del Sol Candidates in May’s municipal elections will be eyeing up their British residents after the news that nearly 16,000 of them have registered to vote.
In Marbella, Estepona and Manilva, British residents account for nearly 8% of the total registered population, according to the 2022 Census of Inhabitants. There are around 60,000 Brits officially living in Malaga province.
They had lost their right to vote in local electionjs following the UK’s exit from the European Union, but this was reversed last November by the Spanish government. In order to vote they must be registered in their municipality, have a valid residency permit and register to vote - although the deadline has passed for these upcoming elections.
EUROPE’S longest classic car race, the Spain Classic Raid IX, tore up the streets of Ronda last week.
Among the vintage motors were a 1956 Willys Jeep and a 50-year-old Land Rover.
The event featured a grand total of 140 cars, all aged 25 years or older.
The route runs 2,000 km from Cadiz to Antequera.
SPAIN has dropped three places on the list of the happiest countries in the world.
It has fallen to 32nd position, coming below Saudi Arabia and UAE, according to the annual Gallup poll.
The report ranks Finland as the happiest country in the world for the sixth year running, one of eight European countries to have made it into the top ten.
The Global Happiness Index looks at 137 countries and interviews 100,000 people to score countries between one and ten.
Denmark and Iceland came in second and third, while the UK fell two positions compared to last year, coming in at 19th.
to benefit from up to a dozen gi ant schemes in the area are the company’s owners.
They say the 1,000 hectares of land that is to be turned into a
such as wine, should be the focus on our area’s good productive land, yet when I was joined by 92 other mayors in Sevilla last month to demand
THE Spanish government is splashing out €1.3 million to spruce up the Costa del Sol's beaches for the summer season.
Fourteen seaside towns along the Malaga province coastline will benefit from the revamp.
The work will involve adding sand, reshaping the coastline and removing debris that washed up on 39 different beaches. This emergency measure aims to repair the damage caused by the ferocious Levante storm in February.
maker Federico Schatz mean while added that in some places the giant schemes are digging up ancient ‘centenario’ olive trees.
The German, whose bodega was one of the first in Europe to be carbon neutral, added: “They also need a lot of water to clean them, that in an area and a time when we are suffering an extreme drought.”
“So much of this is about big money and giant grants from the EU. It is like a gold rush and with so many projects going in it feels like they are sacrificing Andalucia like killing a suckling pig.”
One of the organisers of the
protest Marisa Casal, who is based in Coin, estimated there are 60 projects alone in Malaga province.
“It’s a carve up, but we are not going to be beaten and are organising many more protests, in Alora and Canete la Real alone over the next two weeks.”
Before singing the Andalucian regional anthem, Villalon told the crowd: “We may be from villages and the country, but we are not stupid. To put it simply, the Serrania is not for sale!”
Visit www.rutadelaplaca.
com to see the extent of the planned schemes and the power lines going in around the region.
Opinion Page 6
BRITS heading to Spain over Easter and summer have been warned to expect long passport queues.
Last weekend over 1,000 passengers were held up at passport control at Terminals 1 and 4 at Madrid airport whilst trying to make connecting flights, causing disruption and missed flights.
The delays are being blamed on a lack of police to deal with the extra passport checks for Brits needed since Brexit.
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.
THE old saying is that ‘not all heroes wear capes’, but in fact they often have very little in common whatsoever. What heroes usually share is a willingness to put themselves at risk to help others and do what needs doing. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you are or how you got here.
Senegalese asylum applicant Mamadou had to brave his own seaborne traumas on a death-defying 10-day raft journey to the Canary Islands.
Having done so, he could be forgiven for keeping a low profile.
But when he saw someone in need he threw caution to the winds and, gambling on his ‘average’ swimming skills, threw himself into the sea to pull a 45-year-old Spanish man to safety - the ultimate heroism.
And to think his asylum application might still be rejected.
Thomas Barnes is a Spanish-born Brit and lifelong Costa del Sol resident who did not hesitate to go into a burning building.
He pulled one struggling person out but tragically could not rescue the other.
But it goes to show; when the chips are down, we’re all just humans who need to help one another.
PROTESTORS against giant solar macro projects in Setenil on Saturday chanted: ‘Yes to renewables, but not here’.
Their message is simple, and deserves to be heard and considered.
We are not against renewable energy projects, but developing them on such a huge scale in the picturesque valleys of Serrania de Ronda risks destroying its beauty and reputation.
There is already enough overdevelopment occurring in the south of Spain, with huge property developments completely destroying the look of some parts of the coastline.
It feels as if this overdevelopment is now moving inland, and the Serrania de Ronda is similarly facing threats of destruction to its charm and character.
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THERE may be light at the end of the tunnel for long-suffering malagueños , whose team Malaga FC are four points adrift of safety in the Segunda Division B, and staring another relegation in the face.
It has been reported that the fabulously wealthy company Qatar Sports Investment, owner of big-spending Paris Saint-Germain, has started negotiations to buy the club.
Just last month, a Spanish judge ordered the seizure of club owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani's assets in Spain over a litany of unpaid debts.
They include his shares in Malaga FC and could lead to the forced sale of the club at a knockdown price – after all you’d hardly pay top dollar for an asset that appears to have been run into the ground.
It would end the troubled tenure of Qa tari royal family member Al-Thani,(pic tured below) whose purchase of the Costa del Sol club in 2010 amid grand promises ushered in a new era of foreign ownership in Spanish football.
Traditionally, Span ish clubs have been owned by local busi nessmen or the fans themselves, and the system seemed to work well.
When Al-Thani
bought Malaga FC, La Liga was already top of UEFA’s complex coefficient ranking system and Spanish clubs were regularly winning the Europa and Champions League.
But it was hoped that foreign owners might provide further financial firepower and push Spain to even greater heights. However, with English clubs dethroning Spanish clubs in UEFA’s coefficient in 2020, let’s see how successful this era has really been.
It was just 10 years ago in April that Malaga FC stormed
to the Champions League quarter-finals, brushing shoulders with football royalty at Europe’s top table.
They bested Italian titans AC Milan in the group stage, and eased past Portuguese powerhouse Porto in the round of 16. They met their match against German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund in the next round, but it was a tight 3-2 affair. The 2012-13 season had Al-Thani looking like the saviour whose leadership would bring Malaga among La Liga’s second-tier heavyweights (at least equal to Sevilla and Valencia, if below Real and Barca). Unfortunately, financial difficulties including unpaid player wages and transfer fees soon followed on-pitch failure and relegation down,to the Segunda Division. Al-Thani’s ownership of the club came under investigation in 2018. Sufficient wrongdoing was found for the club to be
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TO the relief of thousands of expats around Spain, the government has finally approved a deal on driving licence exchange with the UK.
The move brought an end to the more than 10 months of hell endured by foreign residents with UK licences, after they were banned from the roads on May 1 last year.
When it became clear there would be no more extensions and UK drivers resident here were really going to be banned, the shock, frustration and fear was palpable.
It was a situation that genuinely caught many by surprise, particularly given most had done everything within their power to avoid.
And it was a situation that everyone thought – or at least hoped – could only last a couple of weeks.
But in the end it took a shocking 10 months for the UK and Spain to reach a post-Brexit agreement on licence exchange, coupled with driver information related to traffic fines.
Ten long months, during which many vulnerable residents were unable to legally use their cars to get to work or attend hospital appointments, let alone go shopping or see friends.
After hearing many sad and desperate
stories, the Olive Press decided to launch a campaign to help them. Our U-Turn Campaign - which gave the victims a voice and pushed officials on both sides to find a solutioncan finally now be retired. Job done.
While rival newspapers ignored the victims' plight and some social media commentators even insisted they ‘deserved it’ for ignoring the warnings and trio of extension periods, we knew there were a myriad of other reasons.
In particular, many got hung out to dry by gestors (some of them bogus) who failed to do their job, while others were caught abroad or unable to act due to the strict pandemic restrictions.
Take David Dawson, who had moved to Spain in December 2020 and gave a lawyer instruction to apply for the exchange. He didn’t do so and David missed the deadline. “Our house is in an isolated location with no public transport of any kind,” he told the Olive Press. “It has caused countless nightmares.”
Meanwhile, an Olive Press employee found herself in a similar position - unable to drive to work or lead a normal dayto-day life, as were dozens of other Brits who got in touch with us.
There were a few reasons for the long delay, but the main sticking point was the UK wanting to keep the licence exchange and data access for traffic offences issues separate, whereas Spain wanted them together.
Despite story after story, many on our front page, we just couldn’t get answers. The main problem was communication and, as it often does in Spain, as summer arrived the information dried up, and despite numerous requests from our journalists no further explanation was forthcoming from either side – no one could
Malaga FC’s ownership nightmare might just be coming to an end, but how have other Spanish clubs fared under foreign owners?
THE Olive Press website has been in a continuous state of growth for the past sixteen years - and there’s no secret to our success. We are the only English-language paper dedicated solely to news, culture and travel about Spain… you won’t find stories about Australia and India or even the latest UK TV gossip, like you would in one of our ‘rivals’ as it chases hits. We hire NCTJtrained journalists who write their own exclusives and know how to source and deliver the most relevant and intriguing stories for expats.
sanctioned and banned from European competition for a season.
After promising fans the world, and spending heav ily on players in order to get into the Champions League, huge outlays ul timately got the club into catastrophic diffi culties.
Why didn’t AlThani, a wealthy Qatari royal, just wave his hand to make the debts go away, as wealthy benefactors at PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle
explain why it was taking so long.
For users of social media, the UK ambassador, Hugh Elliott, became a target for their ire.
In his regular video updates, he made clear that the embassy staff were reading all of the comments that victims were leaving for him. That must have been quite an experience, given the levels of frustration that people were expressing.
But thankfully, in the end, the situation has been resolved.
Now UK licence holders can get back behind the wheel. All they have to do is navigate the Spanish bureaucracy to complete the process. Let us hope this goes smoother than the negotiations did.
United have done?
This question takes us down a rabbit hole of wild conspiracy theories regarding Al-Thani and his stewardship of Los Boquerones.
Many malagueños suspect that his ownership was merely an exercise in laundering large sums of money internationally at the expense of the clubs and fans.
Malaga fans might find some common ground with the Valencianistas , supporters of one of Spain’s traditionally more powerful clubs.
They performed the rare feat of toppling Barca and Madrid to win La Liga in 2004, after reaching back-toback Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001.
But then Singaporean businessman Peter Lim (pictured above left) arrived in 2014, and it all went downhill.
Lim is accused of asset-stripping Valencia FC, selling star players Carlos Soler, Gonçalo Guedes and Ferran Torres, and appointing his pal, former Manchester United hero Gary Neville, to manage the club for an abysmal four months.
Neville (who shares ownership of Salford FC in Manchester with Lim along with David Beckham and other famous United alumni) lost half of the 16 games he managed during a car crash tenure.
Lim has also refused to invest in the infrastructure or facilities of the club, and is currently burning through his 17th manager, club legend Ruben Barajas being the latest to sip from the poisoned chalice.
In fact, since Lim took charge, the club has reached the Champions League just once, in the 2017-18 season. Otherwise the trajectory has been borderline flatline. In response, fans of the club have been mobilising; abandoning the stadium on match day and taking to the streets to protest at the start of matches.
Not that Lim would notice: he hasn’t been at the Mestalla stadium in five years.
Foreign ownership of Spain’s football clubs has not brought the riches and success seen in England and France, or, to a lesser extent, Italy.
That might be because the clubs with the greatest sporting and commercial potential are owned by their fans and not for sale.
Real Madrid and Barcelona, the true apex predators of European football over the past decade, are owned by their members, who vote to elect a president and board of directors.
This socios model, unique to Spain, treats clubs as a social organisation rather than a purely commercial enterprise.
Yet even this benign approach has run aground, with Barcelona struggling with a bloated wage bill and huge financial problems.
Real Madrid are faring better, but even they are struggling to compete with the financial firepower found in the Premier League.
The English league’s monetary muscle is based around highly lucrative television deals, and the wealth shared equally among the league’s 20 teams, whereas in Spain, the lion’s share of the television revenue is hoovered up by Real and Barca, leaving the rest of the league struggling.
Coupled with the genuine largesse of wealthy owners, English football clubs have blown their Spanish counterparts out of the transfer market water – and it is beginning to show in results. Already at a financial disadvantage, Spanish clubs find themselves attracting the wrong foreign investors who only make things worse.
Fans of Granada FC might beg to differ, of course: Chinese businessman Jiang Lizhang bought a controlling stake in 2016 through his sports investment company Desports Group.
Under Lizhang's ownership, Granada FC achieved promotion to La Liga in the 2018-2019 season, finishing as runners-up in the Segunda Division.
In their first season back in La Liga, they achieved an impressive seventh-place finish, qualifying for the Europa League for the first time in the club's history.
They reached the quarters of that competition the following season.
Things are looking up for Granada FC, with Lizhang making substantial investments into the club and looking like a proper businessman.
In the end, as malagueños might excitedly agree, to compete with billionaires and sovereign wealth funds you need to be owned by one.
In the past few months we have helped to get the Irish government to demand the reopening of the sad Amy case and also broken scandals like the giant Otero group’s sudden suspicious collapse, leaving hundreds of mostly foreign buyers out of pocket.
Reporter Walter Finch has doggedly pursued the truth behind the construction firm that has projects in Malaga, Mallorca and Valencia, now suspended.
Most recently Finch, who we poached from the Daily Mail last year, has exposed a cryptocurrency ‘investment’ scandal involving Gibraltar’s Globix platform that has seen hundreds of people - mainly expats - lose huge sums of cash totalling up to $70 million, maybe much more.
Over the course of weeks we have built up an ongoing investigation into the shady firm with a number of Russian links before carefully breaking the news a fortnight ago. No surprise it has since gathered steam with the involvement of a big London-based liquidators and one of Gibraltar’s leading KCs and politicians stepping in and we continue to probe.
Stories such as these are the reason we exist. It is a core part of the Olive Press’ identity to uncover wrongdoing and warn expats of the pitfalls that await them if they are not careful.
For years we have supported the expat community by rooting out crooks and scammers and launching environmental campaigns.
That’s why Sky News and the BBC, the Daily Mail and the Sun - to name a few - all come to us frequently when they want a story investigated.
We are the only English website dedicated to Spanish news that you can trust.
Our growing readership numbers (we have 30,000 registered on the website alone) are the proof of the pudding - consumers value well written, relevant and trusted news and are willing to pay for it.
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:
1- The UK hits back at the European Union’s Brit-hitting ETIAS tourist tax with one of its own
2- Lanzarote joins the Balearics in seeking to shut out British tourists in favour of Germans
3- The nightmare is finally over! Spain finally approves driving licence deal with UK meaning residents can legally get back on the roads
4- Spanish cuisine ranked third best in the world
5- Liverpool fans try to skip out on €2,200 bar bill in central Madrid
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MOTORISTS are ditching their cars for bikes to save money, especially after the government scrapped the 20 cents per litre fuel discount. According to automotive company Norauto, the annual savings from using an electric bicycle is €2,010 compared to cars.
It also contributes to a 99% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
In Spain, there are 900,000 electric bikes in circulation, making them the most popular electric form of transport in the country.
AS thousands of Europeans do every year, Jan Arlemark has recently moved to Spain in his retirement. But the Swedish inventor is not sitting on his hands. Having witnessed both traffic congestion and overflowing rubbish containers in Barcelona, he has joined a small innovation centre called Ac-
cacio to start designing a new and improved garbage-handling system. The result, he explains, is
an ‘intelligent system’ that guides dustcart drivers only to the containers that need to be emptied. This can reduce the distance travelled by up to 50%, making it simpler, more efficient and cutting CO2 emissions.
What’s more, the containers in his system are equipped with a ‘solar-powered disinfection system’, which eliminates bad smells and stops bacteria from spreading.
“This added feature makes the garbage-handling system much more hygienic and environmentally friendly,” he adds.
Arlemark had previous experience in disinfection technology, which he has com-
bined with this AI system for the garbage collection itself.
“I have drawn up my visions as a map for the future handling of our garbage,” says Arlemark. ‘“My hope is to find an investor and a municipality to prove my statements.”
A simulation he carried out in one of Barcelona’s 12 districts showed savings on fuel and personnel thanks to the system.
The inventor has already filed a patent application for his system and will be present at the EU Startups Summit in Barcelona, which will take place from April 20 to 21, to present the project to potential investors.
FOR many the word nuclear conjures up negative images of war and destruction.
Nuclear energy however does hold the key to providing electricity in an environmentally sustainable way. To satisfy the ever increasing world demand for power the solution is a mix of different technologies that do not depend on fossil fuels – solar, wind, water and nuclear.
What is nuclear power?
To generate nuclear power (in non-military reactors ), uranium atoms are bombarded by much smaller neutron particles.
This causes the atoms to break down and release huge amounts of energy as heat. The heat is used to boil water which produces steam which drives turbines and generates electricity.
That’s enough of the science lesson.
How ‘green’ is nuclear power? And how safe ?
The International Atomic Agency has called nuclear power ‘intrinsically safe’.
In the UK, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt said in his recent budget that the government wants to provide 25% of the UK’s electricity needs by 2050 with nuclear power. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power stations do not pro-
duce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane during their operation. So in that sense, yes they are a greener solution.
The downside
The bad news is that it takes around 10 years to commission a new nuclear plant.
And it’s very expensive. It will cost
over £30 billion to finish Hinkley C in the UK. Governments really don’t have much choice.
The lights of Europe cannot go out, and we have to rein in the well documented damaging effects of global warming.
So I say yes to nuclear. And we must continue to invest in it as well as other new technologies.
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?
CONTACT US: +34 676 90 15 19 |
Dear Olive Press,
I AM writing to bring to your attention a mistake that was made in an article published in the last edition of the Olive Press titled Oops!
Ahead of Andalucia day on February 28, reader Tricia Gabbitas sent us her home-penned song to be sung to the tune ‘Mors et Vita’ by Gounod to celebrate…
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 physi- cally 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 luxu- ry 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 any- thing 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 guaran- tees and the correct way.
Steve Brown,Wales
Regarding your article last week on new an- imal welfare regulations that exclude hunt- ing 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 EvansThe article included a quote attributed to Britney Spears, but the accompanying photo was of Shakira, leading readers to believe that the quote was from Shakira.
I Did It Again.
As a reader of your newspaper, I was disappointed to see such a mistake. The mix-up of the photo and quote could mislead readers and compromise the credibility of your publication. It is essential to maintain accuracy in all news articles, especially when reporting quotes from public figures.
I kindly request that you issue a correction in your next issue to clarify that the quote is, in fact, from Britney Spears and not Shakira. I also urge you to take the necessary measures to ensure that such mistakes do not occur in the future.
Pauline, a concerned reader
Editor’s note: We did not actually attribute the quote to Shakira, but we are happy to make it clear to anyone confused that Oops I did it again! (the headline) referred to the story rather than the singer, who was indeed Britney Spears.
I READ with astonishment the letter (Olive Press Issue 413) stating ‘I have no sympathy for hunting dogs’.
Whilst sharing the writer’s dislike of hunting, to agree that such dogs be excluded from animal welfare laws, as is the case, was incredible.
Many of these dogs are kept in squalid conditions and, when they are no longer considered useful, disposed of. Longstand ing methods are to hang them from trees, throw them down disused wells and a va-
REGARDING Sarah Evans’ obviously uninformed comments. Is she so unaware of how these hunting dogs are treated?
How they are forced to travel in tiny boxes on wheels, five or six of them packed in like sardines.
How they are kept
riety of other sadistic measures.
A year ago I adopted two ex-hunting Galgos. Initially if I picked up a sweeping brush or raised my voice they would cower on the ground in anticipation of their expected beating.
One year on and I have a pair of delightful, happy, trusting, loving dogs. They have thrived under my personal animal welfare
chained up in appalling conditions, lucky if they get a crust of stale bread, and no water in sight? How if they don’t perform as required by the galguero, they are beaten and often found quivering in a corner, terrified of the human being?
How they are hung up by the neck from a tree and
left to die or how they are thrown down abandoned wells with no escape? Pure abuse.
So please don’t tell me that they don’t need to be protected. Do a bit of research before you make such unjustified comments.
Grim stats
Women’s----
Me too! In power
Under represented OUR BRILLIANCE IS IN OUR DIVERSITY equally, expat journalist--
HEALTHY WAGE-
--
PORTRAYAL
--
WHY don't you throw on some more ‘women’s’ rights and '’women's power’ stories? Try to stay balanced and stop this virtue signalling. Dedicate an issue to MEN and their problems for a change. Ridiculous Axel von Schubert, Olive Press online
---
on page 22
An OP reader’s comment that hunting dogs should not be included in animal welfare legislation was not popularGeorge Headen, Mijas Costa
…might have been a more appropriate headline for Shakira story
A TASTE of New York as it was can be sampled in Malaga.
The Museo Carmen Thyssen is putting on an exhibition of urban photography and casts a spotlight on the 1940s street life in the Big Apple. This show brings together 20 images taken by two women photographers in New York in the 1940s.
The urban photography exhibition, 'Street Life. Lisette Model and Helen Levitt in New York' opens the gallery’s new ArteSonado space and will be on display until June 11.
HAVE you always wanted to write but never got round to it? Always had a story but didn’t know where to start?
Maybe you’re a frustrated poet or you’ve written business stuff all your life and want to get creative?
Well an intensive creative writing course in the heart of rugged Ronda could be the answer.
Based at charming Casa del Rio, a boutique hotel set in rolling moun tains, the course by Chalk the Sun, in May, still has a few places.
Led by Jo Hepplewhite, the founder of the nearby Gaucin Writers group, there will be creative inspiration aplenty and dozens of helpful tips and guidance.
Jo has taught at Westminster and Middlesex universities, at the University for the Creative Arts in Kent and in care homes and prisons. With a master’s degree in creative writing she likes to combine her knowledge of language as a communicative tool with her belief that everyone can benefit by exploring human experience through the practice of writing poems and stories.
“Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration,” she insists, citing an Edison adage.
SPAIN’S government has approved the renewal of a birthday gift to all 18-year-olds in the form of a culture voucher worth €400.
The extension to the Youth Cultural Bonus, which can be spent on books, concerts, cinema tickets, museum entrances and now - following a court case - bull fights, has this week been passed by the Council of Ministers.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the scheme in 2020, saying it would introduce youngsters to Spain’s rich cultural history. Approximately 500,000 teenagers are eligible for the pass.
The money will be loaded onto a virtual card and spent via smartphone.
You basically need to acquire the requisite skills and techniques via the range of engaging and instructive exercises and activities that are built into the course. As well as detailed instruction the course offers time for individual work and exploration in the tranquil and picturesque surroundings. With a luxurious room, breakfast and dinner provided, stimulating company, group work and at least one individual tutorial, the course allows writers to focus entirely on writing, and to emerge at the end of the week with a project well on the road to realisation.
BAR NUEVO
A family run business that is English speaking. Their range of food covers all tastes, from tapas through to full dishes. As the only National lottery location in the village, you can choose your lucky numbers whilst dining.
LOZAINA is an oasis on the edge of the new Sierra de Las Nieves National Park.
With amazing views, stunning green countryside and inspiring walks, it is blessed but is it too much to ask for a great collection of bars and restaurants as well?
The answer is not at all! The village of just over 2,000 people with its whitewashed streets and cobbled plazas has an impressive range of eateries and watering holes. From cañas as you soak up the sun to traditional Spanish tapas, you’ll never be short for choice. Outside the town hall you’ll find a handy electronic information point that lists all the picturesque village’s restaurants and bars with their contact details.
If you wish to book your table in advance, contact the town hall on 952 480 013 or email social@alozaina.es
BAR CENTRAL
Bar Central is known for their fish dishes but they also serve up fantastic homemade burgers on a lovely terrace with stunning views across the village.
Urbanización "La Pasadilla"
A-366
Cerro del Pozuelo
Tapezuelas
Pazadilla
AWHIRLWIND
Ma-
take you far and wide in just a few square kilometres. You might start by gazing out at luscious yachts bobbing by the glitzy port, or the glistening sea along a peaceful beach trail. And then minutes later you could find yourself among rolling green hills populated by luxury villas, or burgeoning vineyards
around a whitewashed village.
And on your journey you will meet a kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life, each with a story to tell.
Manilva officially has the highest percentage of Brits on the padron in Spain, with between a third and a quarter of the 16,000-strong municipality hailing from Blighty.
But it’s not just Brits - foreign, settled residents, many from northern European countries, make up 42% of Manilva’s population.
In spite of these high numbers, Manilva is not simply an expat colony - not at all.
The district has a strong and thriving Spanish culture and community that lives extremely harmoniously and very cordially with their foreign guests.
The locals and the foreigners mix and mingle in the same bars and restaurants and the pitter patter of conversation dances between English and
Spanish - and very often halting Spanglish.
“We come here for the sangria,” Londoner Richie tells the Olive Press in the shade of a Spanish bar near El Castillo, a tiny fishing settlement buzzing with Spaniards and foreigners.
“We go around to all the towns along the Costa del Sol,” his friend Siobhan adds. “We even go as far as Algeciras. I give the sangrias in each place a score out of ten.”
And how much did she give the sangria in El Castillo? “Oh, this is a nine,” she
declares - nowhere gets a ten. “I think it’s the cinnamon. They get it just right.” El Castillo gets its name from the castle that guards its sea walls. Built in 1767 by engineer Miguel del Castillo and builder Jose Vargas, it was financed by Sevilla businessman Francisco Paulino.
The fortification was planned with war against the English in mind, with Gibraltar having fallen to the newly-formed United Kingdom just half a
Continues on Page 2
The booming coastal hotspot of Manilva has delights for all but retains its Spanish flavour, writes Walter Finchtour of nilva will DRAW: Manilva’s St Anne’s and the nearby view
From previous page
tel: 952 892 097
info@costamanilva.com
century before.
In its more modern incarnation, as recently as the 1970s the monument was a residence divided into 16 homes for families housing 70 people.
Today it is a tourist attraction in an ideal location, but beware - it doesn’t open on weekends!
Just a short stroll along the beachfront from El Castillo, you will find a port unlike any other port on the Costa del Sol.
Puerto de la Duquesa is the only one to face out to sea. From each of the three edges you can gaze out into the Mediterranean. Duquesa is, without a doubt, the thriving coastal jewel in the Manilva crown, benefiting from tourism and buzzing with life.
For most of its history Manilva has been dependent on fishing and agriculture, especially its vineyards and celebrated sweet wines.
But over the last couple of decades, as this little township has welcomed an influx of tourists and development, it has still maintained a peaceful air.
Av.
Telephone: 657 46 6614
Though the Brits and the 180-odd other nationalities come from all walks of life and occupations (Ed: some have even set up a newspaper here) they all have something in common.
Like Manilva’s first health tourist, Julius Caesar, who visited the nearby Roman baths around 60BC, it seems that people come here for a temperate life beneath the jaw-dropping mountains, fed by the fruits of the sea.
Bob and Jen from Essex told the Olive Press over Belgian fries that they manage to come to Manilva once a month for as long as ten days a pop.
But they are content with splitting their time in this way, and are not tempted to fully retire to the sun just yet.
Bob, who works in the solar energy business, still has a few more panels to lay in this booming industry before he’s ready to hang up his work belt.
But it is partly due to content second-home expats such as Bob and Jen that the unpretentious Duquesa has undergone such a growth spurt in the last decade - and the expansion doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon.
New cafes, bars and restaurants with cuisine from all over the world are springing up as a result of its growing tourism.
Aside from the fantastic prices of homes in the area, the environment is distinctly low rise, largely green and everything is close to the sea.
But when you do venture inland, you will head into wine-making territory. Manilva town, a sleepy, glittering village nestled on a hilltop, is famous for its sweet wine. It, and the process of making it, is something indelibly imprinted on the locals. Even our taxi driver proselytised over the wonders of this wine - although he did advise us not to get through more than one bottle at a time.
When you arrive in the village, you will see that the central Plaza de la Vendimia (Wine harvest square) is adorned with a spectacular mural depicting workers in vineyards. And in the nearby interpretation Centre,
Gastro Tapas Beach House
Bar open till late KITCHEN:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 1pm till late
Sunday: 1pm till 6pm (Closed Wednesday)
opened in 2010, you can do vocational courses in wine-making, aimed at inspiring the younger generations and training future professionals.
The locals like to boast that the moscatel de Alejandria is the best table grape in the whole of Spain and that it is specific to Manilva, whose slopes have been continuously planted with vineyards since 1501.
The basic wine made from this grape - the Manilva wine - is known as ‘vino mosto’, and in the olden days, almost the entire town earned a living from it.
The trucks would come from as far as Bilbao to take the grapes and whatever was left would be turned into wine.
IT is the first time in Manilva’s recent history that a mayor’s tenure has not come to a premature end.
And Mario Jimenez’s six-and-a-half years in charge is all the more impressive, given the recent turmoil of Brexit, two years of Covid and the complicated Ukraine crisis. With nine mayors in just over 20 years it is fair to say, continuity has been in short supply.
“What I have brought is stability and seeing projects that often get cancelled through to the end,” he explains.
“I have worked hard to forge a good working relationship with the Junta and Malaga Diputacion and I understand the needs of the large expat population,” he adds. With a new cycle lane and footpath currently being installed between Manilva and Sabinillas and the promenade on its final leg, he has certainly got something to be proud of.
“Yes, the paseo maritimo took a bit longer than planned but it makes the area so much better for locals and particularly tourists,” he insists.
He is also excited about building a new theatre next to the town’s Institute, installing a new swimming pool in Manilva and clearing up the area around the ancient Castillo. The father-of-two is also adamant that he does not want any more development along the town’s eight kilometres of coastline.
“I’m a big fan of green spaces and the fantastic expanse of coastline we have. We are working really hard not to over-develop the coast and have actually dropped density levels since I came to power.”
A former plumber, he went into politics two decades ago as a councillor of sport, youth and infrastructure and knows his town like the back of his hand.
Initially from the IU (United Left) party, he is particularly proud of Manilva’s history.
“The Romans had a key base in Manilva and they made
a lot of their celebrated fish paste Garum here, which was exported back to Rome.
“I am also fascinated by the Fortress of Los Castillejos de Alcorrín, an eighth century castle - and much older settlement - which was only discovered in 1989.” And a message to the huge number of foreigners who live here: “We are very proud that so many foreign residents have chosen Manilva as their home, in particular the British, who number nearly 4,000 on our official census.
“We hope to encourage more.”
Mayor Mario Jimenez Rodriguez is proud of his achievements over the last six yearsLOVELY: El Castillo and views to Casares
Almost all of the locals that the Olive Press spoke to could remember back to those days. Most of them had been living in Manilva village all their lives, they all knew each other, and they had done so since childhood.
“This place is one big family,” lifelong resident Eligio told us.
Eligio, who’s sun-beaten blue eyes twinkled as he regaled us with tales of Manilva over two cañitas that he generously bought for us, said he spent most of his free time in the village church.
Nearby, a sign displayed the village motto: Very noble, very loyal.
Then another man who had been listening in walked over to our table, put his hands on Eligio’s shoulders, and told us with all sincerity that our new friend embodied this motto. It turned out that they had known each other since they were kneehigh, and Eligio had even worked for the man’s father.
network of tracks is visible in between, inviting you out to hike, cycle or horse-ride.
Another short walk and a hop and you are down in San Luis de Sabinillas, or just ‘Sabby’ as it is affectionately known to the expats. Like everywhere else on the coast, it too has flourished under tourism in the last decade.
But there remains a tangible working atmosphere (it still has a small fishing fleet) and this is still a town where Spanish people enjoy their Spanish lives.
The blue flag beach stretches from Rio Manilva to Duquesa
Further along, and buried in Manilva’s historical heart a short walk from the centre, is St Anne’s church and adjoining cemetery, where Eligio liked to spend his time.
Who he was remembering he did not tell us. Turn a corner and there the 250-year-old church is; striking yet simplistic, bold yet unassuming.
Sauntering through the maze of white houses with their terracotta roofs, every ‘Hola’ from passers-by strengthens the feeling that Manilva is very much Spanish still.
Up on the mountain it is removed from the wave of tourism lapping at the coast. And then there are the postcard views from every direction, white houses spill down into vast vineyards with mountains out behind and the Costa del Sol to the front.
The Pedreta viewpoint delivers a view stretching from the white cluster that is the mountain-clinging Casares village to the coastal hubs of Estepona and Marbella below. A rich
A coastal stroll from Puerto Duquesa, Sabinillas has also become a popular destination for expats.
It is certainly a distinct community with a healthy mix of Spanish, expat English, German, as well as Moroccans and South Americans. It is also a veritable hive of commerce. While it wins no beauty awards, there is a great range of supermarkets and shops in Sabinillas.
‘Wall Street’ is where traditionally all the banks and insurance companies centred and down on the beach there is a great range of bars and restaurants which stretch into the distance on either side.
Back on the blue flag beach, that stretches all the way from Rio Manilva to Puerto Duquesa, fishermen still launch their boats and are often met by waiting restaurateurs upon their return, eagerly awaiting the days catch.
Sabinillas effectively bridges the gap between the multi-cultural, tourism-driven hub of Puerto Duquesa and the withdrawn, tranquil, traditional village of Manilva.
With the right blend of coastal expansion and Spanish tradition, it is easy to see why Manilva is making a name for more than just its wine.
BRIAN Berney from C2C Properties is passionate about regulation in the real estate industry and concerned that the vast majority of real estate agents on the Costa del Sol are not members of any professional bodies or affiliated with the Official College of Real Estate Agents. He explains: “Not all agents are registered, as it is not required by law, but we’d highly recommend that buyers take care and make sure they are rep resented by a licenced agent. The Official College of Real Estate Agents protects buyers, as it ensures the agent has civil liability insurance, carries out continuous training and is subject to their Code of Ethics.
Before selecting an agent ask them which associations they are part of, and ask for their membership number to ensure that they are regulated and you are protected.
C2C Properties are regulated by Royal decree 1294/2007 and are members of the API and AIPP. This means that our team are qualified real estate professionals registered with and recognised by the Consejo General de los Colegios Oficiales de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria de Españathe body which regulates the real estate market in Spain (membership number 29096122107C).
We’re also members of the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP). As members of the AIPP, we have been vetted and approved, and we have voluntarily committed ourselves to industry regulation. We’re here to help buyers and sellers in Manilva, Sabinillas, Casares and Duquesa with their property journey.”
EVERY September Manilva celebrates its winemaking tradition in a three day harvest festival, with flamenco dancers, brass bands, music and dancing into the early hours in the Plaza de la Vendimia.
The sweet moscatel grapes have been grown in the vast vineyards that surround Manilva since the 16th century and are used to make the aptly named Manilva wine, famous throughout Spain. Although vines have been grown on the sunny slopes of the town
for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, it is fairly recently that wine became one of the area’s main products. Winemaking became the town’s main economic activity after the Spanish Civil War because of its ideally suited climate and soil. The festival was founded in the early 1960s and has become an important part of the local calen-
dar, drawing visitors from across the region to see the winemaking process.
As well as making the sweet dessert wine, the moscatel grapes are also dried on the hillsides to make the famous ‘Malaga raisins’.
The festival has even been declared of Tourist Interest by the Provincial Council of Malaga. During the celebration of the end of the grape harvest, the very first wines produced are presented with tastings handed out of the sweet wine. In the early hours of the morning, a Rocio Mass is celebrated, giving way to the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows through the
village streets. This procession is accompanied by local young women dressed as traditional villagers, who pray for the fields of Manilva to be protected.
In Manilva, it is still customary to step on the grapes for hours on a square surface with a protruding edge and a slight tilt towards the centre of either side. It is through this point that the juice, or must, flows into a well-shaped tank on a lower level. Every year, a resident is honoured to be in charge of treading this fruit. The crowds gather on Calle Mar to witness the grape treading and taste the first wine of the season.
You are originally from the North of Spain, what brought you to Manilva?
Andalucia and more specifically Malaga, is a paradise, not only for its sun, sea and climate, but also its people, this is what drew me to leave Asturias in the North West of Spain for Manilva, where I have been welcomed with open arms, and where I run my business in the communications and graphic arts sector.
What have you learned over the years that has prepared you for this role?
My entry into politics is not totally accidental, I have always been linked to politics in Asturias,
WITH the local elections looming, Manilva is currently experiencing a resurgence in the fortunes of the town’s centre right Partido Popular.
This is all thanks to the appointment of local businessman, José Manuel Fernández, as the party’s mayoral candidate at the May 28 polls.
For many years, the PP at provincial and regional level have been puzzled as to why, in a municipality that votes 60 to 70% right or centre right at regional or national level, that this hasn’t been reflected at the local elections, concluding that it was more a case of the candidate than the message.
The subsequent search for a viable candidate led the Provincial PP to identify a suitable leader, which led Estepona’s mayor, Jose Maria Garcia Urbano, to invite José Manuel Fernández, to put together a team to contest the May 28 elections.
I caught up with Jose recently and asked him about his entry into local politics, and his vision for the future of Manilva.
working for a number of parties, including the PP, in a publicity and communications capacity.
I have also held professional appointments in various institutions and public bodies, which is just one of the factors that led José María García Urbano, Mayor of Estepona, to look to me to revitalise Manilva, a responsibility to which I hope to respond with hard work and enthusiasm to improve the lives of its residents.
What is your view of the current political situation in Manilva?
Manilva has remained stagnant in comparison to our neighbours on the Costa del Sol, a fact that can be laid directly at the door of the poor and ineffective management of a series of coalition governments and the personal interests of those who have lined their pockets rather than look after the interests of its people.
Manilva must make the most of its privileged position on the Costa del Sol. To do this it must get aboard the Partido Popular juggernaut, the vehicle that includes Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola, and Torremolinos, the blue wave of opportunity in Andalucia, and put an end to populist and outdated policies.
How do you and your team differ from those of your opponents?
As a relative newcomer to Manilva I see it with a fresh pair of eyes. I don't accept that the cur-
rent situation is how it has to be because that has always been the way.
I don't have extended family connections or an entrenched network of colleagues that have to be considered when making political decisions or appointments, which means I can work solely with the interest of the municipality and its people in mind.
As I said, those who have spent years keeping Manilva at the back of the train of modernity, employment, quality of life or security, are the ones who once again choose to sit on their hands.
All have made politics a way of life with no other source of employment. These are the usual faces, with the same policies, playing musical chairs in the council chamber.
The Partido Popular team boasts new blood, drawing on members with a wide range of experience and professional skills. Included on the team in a prominent role, is Dean Shelton confirming that our programme is designed for everyone and especially for the large community of foreign residents, but with a genuine commitment, not empty words. It is
a fundamental objective of mine and of the entire team that accompany me on this adventure that should lead us to local government.
What is your vision for Manilva?
Manilva, Sabinillas, Puerto de la Duquesa, Castillo and our urbanisations are an asset that we must foster through sustainable growth. We have everything we need to improve this beautiful place, all we require is good political management to place Manilva where it deserves to be and no longer the ugly duckling of the Costa del Sol.
Estepona must be the mirror in which to look at ourselves, not to copy, but to emulate and take advantage of its experience, its synergy of having become a benchmark among Spanish and even European cities. PP Manilva wishes to improve the quality of life of all those who live here, of those born here and of all of us who have chosen this place as home, through projects that will provide solutions to problems with parking, cleanliness, and security.
BUSTLING Duquesa ma-
rina is cut off from the mainland by a whitewashed shell of intricate buildings, balconies, plazas and steps, like an oyster enclosing its pearl.
The back end of the port is lined with imposing Chinese restaurants, immaculate in appearance; they are the back-
bone of this multi-cultural hub.
A walk around the port, which scarcely takes longer than five minutes, reveals cuisine from all over the world.
As well as restaurants serving cuisine from across Asia-China, India, Japan and Singapore,
there is a plethora of European options.
It could be argued that Duquesa lacks Spanish identity as there are more English voices than yachts and more burgers than tapas.
But by taking a step out either
side of the port, the expansive soft sand beaches will firmly remind you where you are.
This meeting point of friends and cultures sings through its restaurants, cafes, bars, the people who work in them and the people who sit in the sun and enjoy them.
And Duquesa is, more than anything, likeable, as if it were Puerto Banus’ younger, more relatable and friendly sibling. This sociable spirit emanates not only from tourists and expats but the staff, who hail from all over the world including Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.
Puerto Banus may win in terms of glamour but Duquesa is more affable and, importantly, much more affordable.
It is still very much a 21st century place too, with wifi freely available in all the cafes and every possible amenity a short distance away. But Duquesa doesn’t feel like it has been ruined by tourism or de-Spained by its growth.
The wonderful variety on offer in such a small enclosed place shows this port is precisely designed to be quirky, eclectic and affordable.
THE legacy of the Roman Empire permeates throughout the Iberian Peninsula, not least on the Costa de Sol which acted as the gateway to the Mediterranean.
The Romans’ love affair with the Costa del Sol was not hard to understand. Apart from the climate, bountiful fishing and rich pastureland, the area was a vital corridor to the Empire’s first line of defence.
Manilva and Sabanillas
thrived as Roman towns, evidenced by the many ruins that you can still see here today, such as the Roman baths, believed to have been frequented by Julius Caesar's army and the Ciudad Romana de Lacipo, an ancient Roman outpost just north of Manilva.
First, a little history …
Baetica, the Roman name for Andalucia, became one of the most dynamic and economically developed regions in the far-flung Roman Empire, rich in resources and modern in outlook, even welcoming liberated slaves.
Before the legions arrived in the second century AD life was hard and simple, the land dotted with small and isolated agricultural settlements. However the development of a fish salting industry fuelled by increasing Roman presence on the Ibe-
tel: 952 89 21 73
rian Peninsula saw most of these segmented populations moving to the coast, settling in the town we now call San Luis de Sabinillas.
Julius Caesar himself is said to have cured a skin complaint in the spring
At that time, salt curing was the best method for preserving fish for export by sea to Rome and other parts of the Empire. Manilva became known as Saltum and came under the administration of Conventus Gaditanus - a vast region stretching from modern-day Cadiz province and along the the entire Costa del Sol to Almeria.
Casares, under the Roman name of Lacipo, was a strategic gateway from the valley to the mountains of Cadiz and Malaga. Manilva and Casares boasted road links as good as EU fund-
ing has provided today. They were connected by one of Baetica’s main thoroughfares to Carteia (currently San Roque where the Roman ruins of Carteia still partially survive), Corduva (now Cordoba) and the city of Baetica , together with Italica and Hispalis , both in the Sevilla region.
Some of that amazing infrastructure still survives. Roman remains can be found in Sabinillas, Haza del Casareño, Lagunetas, Manilva and Castillo de la Duquesa which showcases the remnants of a Roman Baths, town, curing factory and even a necropolis. Protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest, the ruins can be visited today and undoubtedly the most popular ‘asset’ is La Hedionda, the Roman baths built around a natural mineral spring where Julius Caesar himself is said to have cured a skin complaint. Still in working order today, the name means Stinky in Spanish and comes from the sulphurous waters which smell like rotten eggs. The good times ended when Baetica was invaded by Visigoths and the Roman’s Iberian empire fell around 5AD. People started to abandon the coastal settlements, returning inland in search of other ways to survive, perchance to dream of the glory that was once Rome.
● 6,000 BC - Neolithic farmers arrived in Manilva, leaving stone tools and pots in places like the Sierra de la Utrera caves, just north of Sabinillas.
● 1,500 BC - The Phoenician civilisation spread across the Mediterranean, leading to se- ttlements in Cadiz (meaning ‘fort’ in Phoenician) and the Castillejos de Alcorrín settle- ment in Manilva.
● 200 BC - The Romans in- vaded the Iberian peninsula in 206 BC, establishing a fi- shing village in Manilva. Ju- lius Caesar became governor of Southern Spain in 61 BC and is believed to have cured a skin disease in the Roman baths at Hedionda.
● 711 AD - The Moors inva- ded the Iberian peninsula and established the settle- ment of Martagina just south of La Chullera.
● 1400-1500 AD - Barbary pirate raids forced most of the population to flee into the hills for security. However, many still returned daily to fish.
● 1515-20 - Following the Re- conquista, the Duke of Arcos conceded land in present-day Manilva to the fortified town of Casares for growing gra- pevines.
● 1530 - The hilltop village of Manilva proper began to take shape thanks to its Duke, who parcelled off pieces of land to encourage people to settle there.
● 1722 - The Church of Santa Ana in Manilva village was destroyed by an earthquake.
● 1796 - Manilva gained in- dependence from Casares, when it was given a ‘royal privilege of the town’.
Serving lunch and dinner
International style
USA - Spain - Italy - Argentina
OPEN: 11.00 - 00.00 Closed Monday
Calle Fernado Pessoa, Local 2, San Luis De Sabinillas, Andalucia, Spain
Open 08.00 - 20.00
Monday to Saturday
Breakfast, Lunch & Coffee
FREE Wifi
Avda de España, Edif Manisabi, Local 7, Sabinillas
Tel: 680 109 185
Pasaje Neruda, esquina Pío Baroja, edf. Don Manuel SABINILLAS - MANILVA - Málaga
Located in the main square next to the town hall, Papa Mig’s as it’s locally called, they cook most of their dishes on the BBQ. If the mouthwatering smell isn’t enough to lure you in then their incredible views of the valley surely will.
Roast chicken every weekend, cooked with a traditional homemade spice mix. Why not take the complete menu including chips and roasted peppers.
This long established family bar offers fantastic tapas and a Menu del Dia. It is a great place to absorb yourself in the local community and take in the views of the Sierras. If you're lucky you can enjoy the infectious laugh of Maria.
If you’re in need of a sweet pick me up then look no further than Cafe Delicias that offers amazing homemade cakes and desserts. It also has a wonderful terrace that catches the sunshine throughout the day.
BAR
Another new addition to Alozaina, this English run restaurant offers fantastic home cooked English and International food. With monthly Karaoke Fridays, this is a place to stop on your travels through the village. Careful, it may be difficult to leave.
This new addition to the village offers great meat and fish dishes. Dine inside, or on their lovely terrace with views to the street. Just take a seat, order, and watch the world go by.
Located on the main road into the village, Garaje is a lively bar and discotheque specialising in fantastic cocktails and artisan beers. Why not shoot some pool, play darts or just sit and chill on their large terrace and soak up the local culture.
Wow! They specialise in Pizza Buns best described as a pizza pie. Two pizzas are put together top to top, then placed back in the oven. Melt in the mouth pizza.
Nice crispy bases, fantastic service. They deliver to your home or hotel throughout the village. A dine in option is also available. What’s your favourite toppings?
Another evening establishment that offers great cocktails, music and entertainment. Fancy a game of pool? Then look no further. It offers the largest range of international drinks in the village.
In the Centro de Mayores you’ll find a very good value bar that also plates up some delicious grub. It's often packed and is a social hub in the village. This bar has access for all mobility levels.
RESTAURANTE MIRADOR
Having been open for many years, this restaurant is a real treat. It’s recommended that you book a table here as they are only open at the weekend. If you can get an outside table, team Olive Press suggests you do.
Jorox is situated just 10 mins away from Alozaina and a special place, just like this restaurant. Built into the cliffside, they offer home cooked Spanish food. In the winter months the open fireplace keeps you warm and toasty. Whatever time of year you pop in, the views are to die for, and the service offered is unique.
WHEN I first visited the Alpujarra in the early 2000s, I was immediately offered a glass of ‘costavin’ (local wine). Rose-coloured and sweet, strong yet natural, it was a pleasant change from the Chardonnay we drank in Brighton.
During a second visit, my group booked a farmhouse near Almegíjar, a 40min drive from Órgiva. To our surprise, it was shared with the Spanish host family. Out came the ‘abuelo’ (grandad) with a five-litre bottle of costa to offer his guests. He trustingly left us in charge of the precious gift. Unaware of its strength, and being typical Brits abroad, we swigged it down quickly. The abuelo returned to reclaim the remaining wine – only to find an empty bottle, and everyone asleep in the midday sun. Since then, I have a long history of enjoying the local vinos, which are typically grown in the Lecrin valley, the Alpujarra and the Contraviesa.
Most of these varieties are extremely palatable. In recognition, Granada wine producers have their own quality seal – the ‘D.O Vinos de Calidad de Granada’.
Although visitors can easily underestimate the strength of the local vinos, they contain fewer chemicals than store-bought wines, and some types are ecological.
Javier, a bar proprietor from
Cáñar, who bottles 800 litres a year, says that his home-made costa contains just 6% sulphites. Francico García Carrión, proprietor of bar-restaurant-bodega, Haza del Lino, just above Polopos on the Sierra de Contraviesa, uses 5% sulphites. He also avoids raising agents. This natural approach compares favourably to commercial wines, which contain much higher chemical levels. If you’re sensitive to sulphites, that bottle of ‘tinto’ or cava from the supermarket will cause a headache the next morning. The costa won’t – provided you don’t overindulge.
For 2,000 years, the Contraviesa and Alpujarra has produced wine. Presumably called costa because it’s made within sight of the coast (the Costa del Sol), this vino uses grapes that grow in abundance on the terraced slopes.
Historically, costa has been made by everyone - from individuals in their ‘fincas’ to bodegas nestling amongst the almond farms.
The area has several large, commercial operations, such as the famous Finca Cuatro Vientas in Murtas. Open since 2004, in its current guise, this produces three renowned wine brandsMallafolla, 4V and Marquis de la Contraviesa. The large and impressive winery has a bodega, museum, restaurant, wine
HARVESTING: In the Contraviesa is between August and October
tasting tours, and accommodation. Guests can see antiquities dedicated to wine production, as well as audio visual content.
The Alqueria de Morayama, located near Cadiar, produces 9,000 bottles a year and offers onsite accommodation, in a hotel with a swimming pool.
The Haza del Lino bodega opened in 2014 and is expanding to produce more varieties of its delicious wine. It has a friendly, family feel and provides generous meals.
The Contraviesaperfect grape-growing terrain
Drive on the unspoilt Contraviesa, and you’ll find signposted ‘Rutas del Vino’ (wine trails). This is the route to learn about how wine is made – or ‘elaborated’, as the Spanish say.
The Contraviesa is ideal for grapes because of its favourable altitude (around 1,200m), latitude, soil conditions and temperature. The ‘little sister’ to the nearby Sierra Nevada, this range doesn’t receive its own water source from snowmelt. Despite the lack of irrigation, grapes, figs, and almonds thrive here. Thanks to the rocky terrain, the soil traps winter precipitation and accumulates water reserves. Late sprouting of the grapes is usually accompanied by spring rain. Even without much irrigation, the crops grow. The clouds that typically form at sunset make the grapes more humid. They are normally harvested from August to October.
Alicia Fernández Viñolo of Cuatro Vientos explains that, on the rolling hillsides, mules still plough the land to grow grapes. In some places, tractors find the steep terrain almost impassable. The old methods prevail to this day, alongside the new.
How is the wine made?
There’s a surprising complexity to wine making. It’s not just a crude process of chucking the ‘uvas’ into a barrel, stamping on them, then leaving them to ferment. It’s necessary to control the conditions and temperature to ensure you don’t make vinegar instead. It is important to avoid the cellar temperature falling below 11C
Jo Chipchase
Bodega Cuatro Vientos is a working winery that produces renowned wine brands and has a museum, restaurant, guided tours, and shop
LOCATED at 1,150m on the Sierra de Contraviesa, near the village of Murtas, the Bodega Cuatro Vientos is an unmissable destination on the Ruta del Vino (wine route).
It nestles on the GR-5202, overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountains to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
With 30 hectares of its own vineyards, and 10 shared hectares, producing grapes over the centuries, Bodega Cuatro Vientos is the perfect place to learn about wine production, taste wine, and enjoy a restaurant meal.
A working bodega, Cuatro Viento produces the Mallafolla, 4V and Marquis de la Contraviesa brands, famed locally for their palatable taste.
In the museum, you can see countless objects related to wine making traditions, with many interesting antiquities. Modern audio-visual presentations explain the process, “the soul of the cellar”, in English, German and Spanish. It’s an unforgettable experience for groups.
or rising above 23C, to avoid the vinegar effect. Commercial producers have tried and tested processes. Even then, they achieve a slightly different taste every year, because the grapes vary.
In 2014, Francico García Carrión of Haza del Lino decided to reform his old family winery. He says: “I decided to improve the quality of our wine, as the grapes from our area have exceptional quality. I renovated the
Up-cycled furniture in the heart of Capileira, where old is new again! New colours, new textures, new life, new look!
building, where we made wine with my father and grandfather. I built a stainless-steel area for making the wines and another area for storing barrels.
This was to make high-quality reds, some young wines and other wines aged with barrels. I kept almost everything my father and grandfather used, to see if it would work. In 2021, we carried out further improvements.”
According to Francico, his fermentation process occurs over six days.
The Crianza is then kept in wooden barrels, the rest in aluminium. For wine to be labelled as a Crianza, it must be aged for two years, with a minimum of one year in an oak barrel and another year in the bottle before it’s sold.
What’s up with white?
Surprisingly, white wine produced in the Alpujarra is hard to find – because of a lack of demand, say the locals. Traditionally, red and rose varieties have been the strong preference. Fortunately, both Cuatro Vientos and Haza del Lino produce good whites, with their in-house labels. The Haza del Lino white proved to be fruity, dry and delicious. “White and sparkling wines are increasingly in demand in the
area,” says Francico García Carrión. Whatever vino proves your favourite, you won’t want to miss the ‘wine route’ and bodega tours during your next visit to ‘South of Granada’.
The wine museum also features private rooms with small wine cellars. If you invest in 48 bottles, and keep them there, you can invite friends for hospitality in the cosy alcoves.
The impressive 1,200m venue can also be hired for events, accommodating 400 guests. It combines a traditional atmosphere with the latest AV facilities, making it suitable for meetings, conferences, family gatherings, and large receptions. As well as exploring the museum, guests can stroll in the grounds.
An interesting feature is the separate agro-agriculture museum, which contains items related to farming the land.
During your visit, don’t forget to taste and buy the famous wines! There are three distinct brands: Mallafolla – launched in late 2012, this comes as Crianza Red, Red and Rosé. All bottles have the “PDO Vinos de Granada” quality seal.
4V – also from 2012, this comes in the varieties of Red Barrel, Red, Rosé, and White.
Marques de la Contraviesa – an emblematic brand, created in 1995. Under the seal of “Quality Wines from Granada, Contraviesa-Alpujarra”, it incorporates: Aging, White, Pink, Unaged Red, as well as Selection Josefina and Quality Sparkling Wine.
To arrange your group tour, or book the restaurant, call +34 630 236 244.
Opening times may vary by season: it is vital to call first.
For more information and to see the online shop - visit www.bodegacuatrovientos.es
Finca Cuatro Vientos SL. Carretera de Murtas Km 7, Murtas 18490 La Contraviesa - Alpujarra - Granada - España Tfnos. 958 956 958 - 630 236 244
FromteachingGeographyanddramainBuenosAirestofrontingupthe internationalIBDiplomaprogrammeinTheHague.JonClarke meetsthenewheadmasteratLaudeSchool,AndrewAtkinson, who’sclockedupafairchunkof airmilesgettingthere
IT was while watching a TV series on a soldier who returns from the first world war to go into teaching that Andrew Atkinson, 56, first had his calling. He was only 14, but the dramatised novel, To Serve Them All My Days, really struck a chord and he knew he wanted to become a teacher.
“I am the last of six children and my father always hoped that one of us would go into teaching,” he explains from his new accessible, ground floor office at Laude School, in San Pedro de Alcantara. “He loved his education and his first wife was a teacher. Maybe it was subliminal that I wanted to join the profession, and me becoming a teacher certainly made him really happy,” he continues. It was not as if his other older siblings had bombed in their career choices, going into social work, advertising, interior design and the police force (‘oh and one black sheep’), but Andrew had a passion for learning and, more importantly, imparting it.
Having grown up in Chesire, near Edinburgh and then Guildford, in Surrey, he studied Geography and History at Exeter University, before teaching both (via Goldsmith’s College) at a north London former Grammar School in Finchley. It was there at the age of 25, not long after graduating, that he had his second ‘premonition’, as he calls it.
Sitting in the staff room at lunch, surveying his stressed and ageing colleagues, he was guided to a series of jobs abroad at the back of the Times Education Supplement.
“A friend of mine had taught in the Dominican Republic and pointed out these jobs abroad, which didn’t need TEFL. So I chose to go to Mexico but ended up in Argentina and went off with a backpack,
Andrew Atkinson, Headteacher, Laude San Pedro
Age: 56
Born: Cheshire
Educated: Edinburgh, Surrey, Exeter, London and an MA at Trinity, Dublin
telling my terrified parents ‘not to worry’ and I’d be ‘back next year’ and didn’t come back for 10 years! Apart from holidays, of course.”
It was there, while teaching at St. Andrews, in Buenos Aires and then becoming a head teacher in Mar Del Plata´s Holy Trinity College, that he retrained to be a drama and theatre teacher, with guidance from a professor from the Colon Opera House. And five years later he was promoted to become a head teacher in his early 30s.
Everything looked rosy until, in 2003, the Argentine economy was turned upside down and the country went into a deep financial crisis forcing Andrew and most of his fellow international teachers to leave.
It led to a spell teaching theatre in Milan, before he was enticed to Spain to the British School of Barcelona, now owned by Cognita, a big global group, before he was headhunted to help set up the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes for six Spanish schools in the SEK group, based out of Madrid from 2006.
It was to be the start of a major career shift that ended up with the talented drama teacher becoming the global head for the IB network, which currently involves over 5,600 schools in 159 countries.
So good was he at organising the six schools around Spain (spread from Almeria to Galicia), that the IB group offered him a job at its headquarters in Cardiff in Wales, before he was tasked with the job of overseeing the relocation to its current IB Global Centre, in The Hague, in Holland.
RETURN: After visiting Morocco on an Interail trip as a teenager, Andrew now plans to return
“I took the job knowing I was developing the curriculum/ syllabus and got to invite great
teachers from all around the world to the Hague. Say a group of 12 social anthropology teachers would come and we would plan the course for the group. I had to engineer the whole thing.
“I was Mister IB diploma then and was eventually promoted to Washington to plan the system to evaluate and authorise all the IB schools globally to see if they could do it or not. Most IB schools are in the US, as it turns out, and I had to devise the system for them to be inspected, making sure they reached the level.” It was a major, high-flying job in a fast corporate environment, setting up systems and meeting lots of people at many international conferences. Five amazing years of travel and learning.
“But I realised one day I was so far away from teaching children. Serendipity and promotion led me into those jobs and getting rewarded. I was very lucky and I learnt a hell of a lot, but there came a point that I had come too far away from actual teaching,” explains Andrew, who is currently renting in Guadalmina, having landed the job last August.
Yet another career shift saw him moving back to work as the Director of the International School of London (ISL), before becoming a consultant and basing himself in Ireland after Brexit.
“I was at ISL when Brexit happened. It was horrible. I had foreign kids coming and asking me: ‘Am I going to have to leave today?’ The whole attitude changed. It was a horror. It made me want to leave. I felt enough, enough of this country that doesn’t want to be part of Europe and I got out,” he recalls.
And the knock on effects, he believes, are already having damaging consequences on the UK.
“Look at the number of children learning languages in England. It has dropped astronomically. Very few kids are doing French or modern languages at A-Level or GCSEs. It is at its lowest level ever. They are just not interested. The arrogance of the English. They think everyone speaks English.
“But the facts are being bilingual gets you places. Languages open doors. You need to talk in other languages to get on. Never mind the neuroscience of a bilingual brain which is more powerful than a normal brain. Being exposed to other languages improves brain development. Half your day in Spanish, say, and half in English is really helpful.”
While working as a consultant since Brexit and during Covid took him to many countries, including Uruguay, Russia and the Middle East, he is adamant that his new role at Laude is ‘almost definitely my last gig’.
“I didn’t know Laude, but when I heard it was in Andalucia, I knew I would love it. What is there not to like? I had worked in Almeria a bit and had visited the area, in particular Granada and Sevilla, but I
didn’t know the coast. I interailed down the coast once going to Morocco and remember being on the beach one night for San Juan. I fell in love with Andalucia for that. It has a real spirit.
“Yes, I love travel and seeing the world, but enough is enough. I am done with airports and travel. I know Spain is where I will retire. I have lived here before, in Barcelona and Madrid and I speak Spanish too, albeit with quite a few
Argentine words thanks to my 10 years there.”
So what’s the long term plan for Andrew? To buy a home in San Pedro or Marbella, he says, and probably head to Sevilla again for Semana Santa. Does he like Golf, I venture? Out comes a snort and a very real look of disdain. “Do I look like a golfer?” It’s a hard one to answer and sadly time is up, the lunch bell rings and off he goes.
SpeakingSpanish
My colleagues laugh at me from time to time as I keep embarrassing myself using Argentine words when I make speeches. It just comes out. A word like a ‘bondi’ which is a bus in Argentina. I told parents their kids are going to get on the ‘bondi’ and they stared at me thinking what is he talking about.
Abigrangeof media
Online I read a digest of different newspapers. But if I pick up one, I don’t know if I am ashamed to say it, as I’m not to the right, but I like the journalism of the Telegraph. The crime stories and court stories, I find it a better read. Maybe I just like the big broadsheet design.”
Bestof Andalucia
I love the area and go to Malaga and Marbella a lot, although Ronda is my favourite at the moment.
Benefitsof abilingualbrain
The neuroscience of a bilingual brain proves you become brighter academically. While your brain is wiring as a young kid and adolescent, bilingualism allows it to wire better, you are thinking and learning in two languages. It really helps de- velopment.
IBvA-Levels
As a head teacher I want to offer both A-Levels and the IB. I like the flexibility. While I have only ever taught the IB, I have been brought to Laude to get the perfect balance between it and A-Levels, which are simply better for certain pupils. The IB was invented by Cambridge professor Doctor Alec Peterson in the 1960s and was designed for families who were constantly relocating around the world. It has a real pacifist mission behind it. It is not just to teach children the content of exams but to make the world a better place and is linked to the UN.
One of its keys is that it is very important to be physically active. Healthy body, healthy mind stuff.
That said, while the IB diploma is good for its breadth and holistic nature, it is not for every kid. The IB is great if you are a kid that doesn’t know what you want to do. But If you know what you want to do, whether you are creative or want to do medicine, study A-Levels. They are simply more rigorous and in-depth.
Luckily you can take the unique bits of the IB diploma and devise your own model. So we at Laude are going to have what is called the ‘extended curriculum’ in our Sixth Form - a block of time when they do parts of the IB. I am creating our tailor made version to go alongside A-Levels.
A COURT has confiscated the passport of a 17-monthold girl in a bid to prevent her parents from subjecting her to female genital mutilation (FGM).
The mother of the child tried to get the procedure performed in Spain and also stated that she would ‘do it herself’, police said.
Healthcare staff activated a prevention protocol that included informing the parents that FGM was a crime in Spain. When the family missed medical visits and meetings with social workers, the police were informed.
A court subsequently ordered the young girl’s passport to be seized given the risk that the family would travel to Sierra Leone, her mother’s country of origin.
The case is currently in the hands of the social services. The child’s passport will be held until she is 18 years old.
EATING a ‘Mediterranean-like diet’ can lower the risk of developing dementia by up to 23%, according to new research.
The groundbreaking study, published in the BMC Medicine journal, shows people who kept to a diet rich in foods like seafood, fruit and nuts, had a much reduced risk of developing the condition.
A Newcastle University team analysed data from 60,298 individuals from the UK who had provided
By Anthony Piovesaninformation about what they ate.
The scientists scored people based on how closely their diet matched the key features of a Mediterranean one and followed those involved for almost a decade.
The team took into account each individual’s genetic risk for dementia too.
BENEFICIAL: A Mediterranean diet is good for health
Dr Oliver Shannon said: “Finding ways to reduce our risk of developing dementia is a major priority for researchers and clinicians.
A COMMON irregular heartbeat condition known as atrial fibrillation (A-fib) may increase the risk of demen tia, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that people newly diagnosed with A-fib had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia. The risk was even higher (65%) among those who developed a-fib before age 65, and in people who did not have chronic kidney disease (20%), the University of Washington study found.
The best way to avoid developing A-fib is to maintain a normal weight and blood pressure, avoid sleep apnea, get plenty of exercise and eat a healthy diet.
“Our study suggests that eating a more Mediterranean-like diet could be one strategy to help individuals lower their risk of dementia.”
John Mathers, Professor of Human Nutrition, added: “The good news from this study is that, even for those with higher genetic risk, having a better diet reduced the likelihood of developing dementia. “Although more research is needed in this area, this strengthens the public health message that we can all help to reduce our risk of dementia by eating a more Mediterranean-like diet.”
THE number of people in Spain hospitalised with Covid-19 rose by 9.7% in just a week earlier this month. The number of such patients in intensive care units (ICUs) also went up, by 11.9% There were 2,006 coronavirus cases receiving hospital treatment across the country, with 94 in the ICU. Until now, the winter season had not seen a significant uptick in coronavirus cases, although flu cases have been on the rise.
THE number of violent acts suffered by medical professionals in Spain hit a new high in 2022, with a total 843 physical or verbal assaults registered. That’s according to the Medical Association of Spain (OMC), which has been tracking the statistics since 2010. The figure for last year was up 38% from the year before, when it came in at 612. The previous highest number was recorded in 2019, when there were 677. The numbers, however, are ‘the tip of the iceberg’, according to Jose Maria Rodriguez Vicente, the general secretary of the OMC. Speaking at the presentation of the figures on Thursday, he said that ‘many doctors have got used to living with threats and do not report them’.
Fuengirola Marbella Plaza de las Orquídeas, Calle Orquídea, Local 5, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella, 29660, Spain +34 952 906 581 marbella@currenciesdirect.com
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WHO could forget how strange our lives became on 14 March 2020, thanks to the new virus with the spike protein?
We were told it hailed from the Wuhan wet market in China, and constant news coverage whipped up public fears.
With little warning, we were instructed to stay at home (quédate a casa) and were only allowed outside for ‘essential supplies’, animal care, or to empty our bins, all to be undertaken in a mask. The national state of alarm only ended on June 9, 2021.
After that, regional goverments could decide rules – such as, residents must remain within their own province or municipality and not gather in groups. Despite the strict lockdown, Spain had 255 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, an unenviable rate in Europe.
Afterwards, we eventually ‘de-escalated’ out of Covid restrictions, returning to a full life with family, friends, and fiestas in 2022.
Three years on, what (if anything) have we learned from our collective experience? And, with many people currently sick with coughs and fevers, has Covid really gone – and if so, where?
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KRAKEN VARIANT?
In January, when China abandoned its ‘zero Covid’ policy, and opened its borders, the world feared that new subvariants would fly out.
A much hyped subvariant is Kraken (XBB.1.5). Derived from Omicron and related to the XBB strain, Kraken appeared last October. The World Health
Organisation (WHO) has been watching it as a ‘variant of concern’. According to a December study in Cell magazine, it’s great at evading immune defences and vaccines. So where is it?
Although Kraken is already supposed to be in 29 countries, and already accounts for 40% of cases in Spain (of those that are tested and reported), who knows anyone who has been diagnosed with this subvariant? Answers on a postcard.
DO TESTS STILL WORK?
Despite everyone seeming to be sick with fevers, persistent coughs, and weakness over the last few months, reports of positive Covid tests are anecdotally scarce.
Are the home antigen tests doing their job? This is debatable. The advice from the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) is ‘if you think you are infected with Covid but test negative, test again in 48hrs . . . if you’re still negative, take another in
two days’.
A 2022 study showed that home antigen tests were only 60% accurate on the first day of a person’s symptomatic infection. For asymptomatic infections it dropped to 12%.
A second test improved accuracy to 92% and 51% respectively. The need for ‘serial testing’ is hardly
inspiring.
Lucy Hayes Logan of Lanjaron says: “I recently caught Covid from someone with a ‘bad cold’. When they notified me, I tested every day and got a positive after two days. I had previously caught Covid in January 2022. The symptoms were different this time, with fever, dizziness, chills and body pain, so it could have been a different variant.”
She adds: “Maybe there aren’t many positives because people test once when they start to develop symptoms, rather than retesting during the estimated incubation period. It’s an expensive process and unpleasant. So, with a negative test they put it down to a bad cold or flu and just treat the symptoms.”
With hardly anybody claiming to have Covid, many people complain of a cough with fatigue lasting three weeks, or a feverish flu that sends you to bed for a week instead. Colds never used to last that long.
Arguably, the lack of mingling, and the prevalence of masks during the pandemic have lowered our resistance to germs, our immune response.
Ivan Sanz Muñoz, of Spain’s National Influenza Center of Valladolid, said in an interview: “Covid-19 displaced all respiratory viruses, in general. For this reason, now everyone is sick, since the viruses are recovering their ecological niche.
“In addition, the flu virus mutates 10 times faster than the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.”
Recent articles from America suggest that during the pandemic people lied about their children having Covid.
That’s no surprise. People working in the gig economy, or freelancers with no sick pay, cannot afford to be ill. A possible Covid infection is easy to pass off as a bad cold; a lack of testing means that most people don’t even know what they’ve caught. And then they spread it.
WHERE DID COVID REALLY COME FROM?
This March, the US Congress passed a bill to declassify documents about the origins of Covid. They suggest that it comes from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The American contingent is now asking what research the Wuhan laboratory carried out before the outbreak of Covid, and why some researchers were sick in 2019.
As one Olive Press reader said when the pandemic started: “If there was a puddle beside the puppy, you might reasonably think the puppy did it”. Despite that, WHO did its best to reassure the world that Covid mutated from pangolins sold in the nearby Wuhan wet market.
NOW?
According to Statista, Spain had 3.7 million Covid cases up to March 1,
2023; and 119,400 deaths. Despite that, some people still claim that Covid never existed, and was just ‘flu’.
Although we have emerged back into a kind of normality, the impact on Spain’s mental health (and people’s finances) is still felt today. And there’s a whole Covid generation: children born after March 2020 know nothing other than the Covid era.
During the pandemic, we all saw division and even hate within our communities – mask wars, conspiracy theories, and reporting of neighbours who ventured outside. This division in society exists today. It hasn’t gone away.
If we have learnt anything at all, it’s maybe that the truth can be bent, and, where the pandemic is concerned, falls somewhere in the big space between official dialogue and conspiracies.
Lawbird is a firm of English speaking lawyers who specialise in property law, corporate law, litigation and immigration law. Whether you plan to buy a house, start a company or relocate to Spain, we offer a no-nonsense service to assist you.
MADRID has been named the best European city for fine dining, according to a new study.
Travel logistics app Bounce analysed European cities on their total number of Michelin-starred restaurants, with the Spanish capital boasting 162 of them.
Madrid has emerged in recent years as a culinary powerhouse, hosting some of the most exciting and creative restaurants in Europe, such as the three-starred DiverXO for cutting-edge gastronomy and Paco Roncero, which serves traditional Spanish dishes with a modern twist.
In the study, Madrid earned a ‘foodie score’ of 8.35 out of 10.
The city also had one of the lowest proportions of restaurants to fast-food outlets (4.62%), determining its impressive rank.
Madrid rated above Paris which had 118 Michelin-starred restaurants, Amsterdam (72) and London (69).
A FUENGIROLA parlour now boasts Spain’s best chocolate ice cream.
The Caramelo ice cream parlour won first prize in a contest organised by specialist magazine Helado Artesano, in which more than 150 professionals from all over Spain took part.
The product, made and sold in Fuengi-
THE UK is set to introduce a new requirement for visa-exempt visitors to Britain which will see them fill in an online form and pay a fee in order to enter the country. The move will affect all European Union citizens and seems to be a tit-for-tat response to the EU’s ETIAS tourist tax, which has been causing consternation among Spanish tourism bosses. Starting from next year, tourists from Spain and other European countries will need to complete an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) form before boarding a plane to the UK.
rola, by the artisan Matias Kuyumdjian was crowned the best in the country. The professional won with a recipe that he had been working on for four months and that he had only just included in his business offering.
"It is a mixture of pure chocolates from different origins," Kuyumdjian said.
The ostensible purpose of the ETA, according to the British Home Office - just as with the ETIAS - is to improve security and digitise the UK’s borders.
THREE cold soups from Malaga have been named in Europe’s top 10. Food guide Taste Atlas, has compiled a list of the best cold soups in Europe, three of which are typically ‘Made in Malaga’; Gazpacho, ajoblanco and porra antequerana. The very similar salmorejo, from Cordoba also made it on to the list.
Tarator from Bulgaria - made with yoghurt and cucumber - was named best. Meanwhile readers of Taste Atlas have rated Spanish cuisine third best in the world. Based on criteria such as the ingredients,
Visitors will be required to disclose their full name, their date of birth, country of citizenship and details of their trip. There will also be a fee to be paid although it has not been revealed how much it will be.
dishes and drinks of each cuisine, they gave Spanish food 4.59 out of 5 points. Among the top-rated Spanish dishes are 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham, followed by cured Manchego cheese, fried fish, espetos (grilled sardines) grilled prawns and paella.
Leading the list is Italian food, followed by Greece.
ANDALUCIA is hoping for a bumper year in long haul visitors with a host of top sporting and cultural events this year.
The Junta hopes to entice North American tourists to view events such as the Solheim Cup and other golf tournaments; SailGP sailing, the Davis Cup as well as the centenary tournament of the Spanish Basketball Federation, which will feature the USA basketball team.
On top of this, the Latin Grammy Awards coming to Sevilla , as well as an array of other cultural events, is hoped to attract the South American market.
Meanwhile the ETIAS tax that’s set to charge Brits €7 to enter the Schengen zone has been pushed back to 2024. The controversial measure has been bedevilled by delays, uncertainty and internal criticism. Applicants for the ETIAS form will have to detail their health history, criminal record and EU immigration history.
With the ETA also coming in in 2024, the two reciprocal tourist taxes look set to come into effect at the same time. Visitors from Canada, the USA, Australia, Brazil, Japan and dozens of other countries will also be affected.
TOP: Madrid dining
CEO of Jet2 Holidays Steve Heapy has waded into a row over ‘low class Brits’. He has written to Lanzarote’s president, Dolores Corujo, asking her to clarify whether or not she wants British tourists to visit the island.
The president recently called for higher-quality tourists from places other than the UK. Heapy has called for Corujo to explain what she means by ‘higher quality tourism’. The British media has been infuriated by statements made by Corujo who said that the island should aim to attract ‘quality’ tourists from places such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
AS legend has it, the Catalan chef began selling a bit of home-cooking at the family charcutería and before you know it the shop had become Sant Pau, one of the best restaurants in Spain. For a while Ruscalleda, mother of two, had three restaurants with seven Michelin stars between them.
Sant Pau closed in 2018, and these days, she just manages Moments (at the Mandarin Oriental) and Sant Pau Tokyo, advocates for healthier food options in hospitals and schools, writes foodie books and serves as an example of all that’s possible.
IN Netflix movies, the pressures of running a restaurant break up marriages, but Diaz jokes that she opened this gem of a restaurant in Elche in 1984 to save hers because, with a husband also working in hospitality, without a joint project they’d never see each other. Self-taught, she’s known for fish and seafood dishes using citrus and edible flowers that are as exquisitely beautiful as they are delicious. Author of a popular cookbook (Sentidos) familiar to Spanish TV audiences as a judge on Top Chef, Diaz is also an ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council.
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Elena Arzak, San Sebastian,
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SHE spent seven years training in Switzerland and working in top restaurants across Europe (including London’s Le Gavroche and elBulli) before coming home to work with her Dad.
It was a risk: Juan Mari Arzak is one of the biggest names in Spanish gastronomy. But talent, technical skill and her own distinct approach have seen her scoop up awards in her own right – Best Female Chef in the World (2012) among them. She is the only woman running a three-Michelin star restaurant in Spain, albeit with Juan Mari along-
side. ‘He’s my maestro,’ she says. ‘I love it!’
Maria Jose San Roman, Monastrell, Alicante, 1955
VANGUARD technique, a celebration of the local gambas, and playful tasting menu have won her multiple awards at this top marina-front spot. San Roman also has the very important role of president of the Asociación de Mujeres en Gastronomia (MEG) pushing for visibility and equality.
OF all the very many things women do at least as well as men, most people would seem to agree standing in a kitchen and cooking stuff is among them.
Yet only one in 10 of all Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain has a female head chef. And in the Repsol Guide only three restaurants run by a woman have the maximum three Sols (suns) – out of 42.
The obvious conclusion is that women are too busy creating alta gastronomia to go around blowing their own trumpets. While some of the most famous male chefs seem to be just as interested in self-publicity and burgeoning business empires as in their food, many a talented female pours all their creativity into the dishes they lovingly assemble.
KNOWN as the ‘volcanic chef’ not for a Ramsay style temper but for being part of the ‘volcanic cuisine movement’ dedicated to using local produce, most ingredients in the minimalist dishes she creates with precise and scientific skill come from her own orchard, veg plots and chickens in Olot.
Home-grown and KM 0 also applies to her team: Daughters Martina (ex of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, New York) and Carlota (ex of El Celler de Can Roca) now work alongside her, while her third Clara works front of house.
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To get to the top as a female chef in Spain takes a lot of talent and oomph. Here are the brightest stars in the gastronomic galaxy, and the rising stars with restaurants that every self-respecting gourmand should know.
Cristina
INSPIRATION struck while helping her mother-in-law in the family tapas bar in La Nucia. After studying the culinary arts in Benidorm, absorbing the molecular gastronomy teachings of Ferran Adria, and working as an intern at El Celler de Can Roca, she diplomatically transformed the traditional venue into a sophisticated Michelin restaurant voted fifth best in the world by TripAdvisor punters, and winning the title of best chef in the province of Alicante along the way.
Fina
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INDUSTRIAL engineering was her first plan, but instead she set off for the Netherlands and worked her way up through the restaurant business. After a couple of years at the head of London club Aquarium’s 2-Michelin star restaurant, she came home and, in 2005, opened La Salita in Valencia’s foodie barrio, Rufaza. The winner of Spain’s first Top Chef TV show (in 2013), Valencia’s Cook of the Year title in 2014, she has a second restaurant, and a phenomenal cocktail bar, La Coctelería al Nu.
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SHE wanted to be an artist and it shows in the way she converts the hearty rural mountain food of Soria into gorgeously presented, technically sophisticated seasonal tasting menus. Lucas studied gastronomy before re-
turning to the family restaurant founded by her grandparents in 1952. Known for her use of local mushrooms and black truffles, if you could eat a walk in the woods, it would taste like this.
Vicky Sevilla, Arrels, Valencia,1992
IN 2021, the 29-year-old from Sevilla became the youngest female chef in Spain to get a Michelin star.
Alba Esteve Ruiz, Restaurante Alba, Alicante, 1989
SUCH was the impression she made when working in Rome in 2018, she won Italy’s best young female chef award.
Now home and running her own restaurant, her elegant and aesthetically pleasing dishes are, writes one critic, impregnated with a touch of Italian.
Alba (another graduate of the hit machine that is Joan Roca’s El Celler de Can Roca) is the only woman on the shortlist for Spain’s best young chef award (results due imminently).
Incidentally, Joan Roca has received Michelin’s Chef-Mentor 2023 award for services rendered.
Camila Ferraro, Sobretablas, Sevilla, 1987
Just four years earlier, she’d been begging banks to loan her the money to start a restaurant. Despite her grit and determination, she drifted into chef-dom by accident when, as a 17-yearold, instead of flying home from a holiday in Menorca, she stayed and got a job in a restaurant. She later worked with both Susi Diaz and Begoña Rodrigo (who she counts as mentors).
Rocio Parra, La Parra, Salamanca, 1982
IT would be wrong to call her the Pork Queen, but she loves the stuff: 13 of the 25 courses on one of her tasting menus feature it in some form, from tartar of salchichon to an Iberian pate éclair.
The Madrid-born chef trained under Michelin-star chef Paco Roncero and also worked with Yolanda Leon before moving to Salamanca for love.
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The amount of skill and imagination, artistry and sheer graft that goes into the two lengthy, seasonal tasting menus on offer, defies belief.
It won her a Michelin star five years after opening, in 2020 – she was the only female chef in Spain to get a first star.
Rakel Cernicharo, Karak, Valencia, 1985
CERNICHARO creates dining experiences: Her restaurant is a world of its own, where design, art and moody lighting complement the food.
The tasting menus are journeys through the senses and based on themes (currently ‘fire’, ‘smoke’ or ‘embers’) and truly unique.
Karak has been going for ten years, though in its current central location (at Hotel One Shot Mercat 09) for just five.
Another Top Chef winner (2017), she finally got on the Repsol radar last year.
ANOTHER chef who learnt her trade at El Celler de Can Roca and other great restaurants of the north, Ferraro’s fresh reinvention of traditional fare in her home town of Sevilla generated a gigantic buzz when Sobretablas opened in 2018.
Bouncing back after lockdown, she became the first female winner of Spain’s Cocinero Revelación (young cook of the year) award in 2020.
INDITEX - the world's biggest fashion retailer - posted a 27% rise in net profits last year as sales exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Net income soared to a record €4.1 billion in results covering the first full year that Marta Ortega, daughter of Inditex founder Armancio Ortega, took over running the company. In-store and online sales reached €32.6 billion - 18% more than the €27.71 billion posted last year and 15% higher than in 2019, before the Covid pandemic struck. The positive figures come despite Inditex closing and then selling off its 514 stores in Russia - its biggest market outside Spain - following last year's invasion of Ukraine.
THE value of Spanish pension scheme assets fell by €482 million to €82 billion in February 2023, according to new data. Following an increase in asset values in January, a more ‘challenging market environment’ caused the drop last month, according to pension advisory organisation Inverco. But Inverco suggested that projected returns in the medium to long term for individual schemes were positive.
“For example, at 26 years, the pension schemes will register an average annual return of 2.5% while at 10 and 15 years it is estimated that the return will be 2.6% and 2% respectively,” a spokesperson said.
Benefits paid out during the month totalled €207m compared to contributions of €115m.
FOOD and non-alcoholic beverages rose in February by 16.6% over 12 months - 1.2% higher than in January.
The food inflation rate, according to the National Institute of Statistics, is at its highest point since it
started using the current measuring system in 1994. The peak in the current
MERCADONA has reported that profits rose 5% last year as consumers had to deal with increased prices.
The company made €718 million in 2022 - up from €680 million the previous year. Mercadona president and main shareholder, Juan Roig, said that €161 million in dividends had been paid out and in ‘the interests of transparency’, he declared his annual salary as €11 million. On rising food prices, Juan Roig said his business had cut profit margins by 0.6% to help customers.
economic crisis was 15.7% in December with this year’s IVA tax cuts on basic food essentials being quickly swallowed up by rising prices. Increased fresh food costs for vegetables, fruits, and legumes are behind the rise due to supply issues caused by weather conditions in Spain and in other EU countries, and the resulting increase in international demand.
Last month, Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said there were ‘reasons to believe that food inflation had peaked’, but clearly that is not the case, with added pressure now on the government to do more. Among some of the biggest rises over 12 months,
there’s sugar (52.6%), butter (39.1%), sauces and condiments (33.8%), olive oil (33.5%) and whole milk (33.2%).
Food inflation has been in double digits for 11 months in a row and Spain’[s problems are mirrored elsewhere in Europe.
For example, Germany’s rate for February was 21.8%
Rising prices have been caused by farmers having to pay more for basic items like seeds, feed, fertilisers, electricity or fuel, but experts believe with those rates now falling, reductions will start to be passed on through the food chain.
FORD has announced 1,100 job losses - 20% of its workforce - at its Almussafes car plant in Valencia.
The news follows last month’s announcement of 3,800 job cuts elsewhere in Europe, including 1,300 posts in the UK.
Last year, Ford said it was delaying production investments in Spain, citing a ‘revised outlook for Europe’, but emphasised that it was moving forward with plans to start producing electric vehicles later this decade at Almussafes.
Production of the S-Max and Galaxy models will cease next month at Almussafes as Ford moves to manufacturing only electric passenger cars by 2030.
It means that only the Kuga SUV will be made at Almussafes until 2025, when the new GE2 electric car starts rolling off production lines.
WOMEN are safer than men on the road, according to Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic. It revealed 60% of women drivers have never received any type of traffic penalty.
A MALAGA policeman has been sent to jail for attempting to frame a drunk driver for assault. The cop smashed his own head on a wall and told the driver ‘you did this’.
TICKET sales from live music and festivals have contributed a whopping €459 million in 2022 in Spain, with Andalucia contributing €75,907,173 to that total figure.
VOYAGE: A mystery object could have washed up in Australia from Galicia
at his property near Mission Beach in Queensland, in the country’s north.
The 55-year-old believes it could have come from Spain because of the words inscribed in it, ‘Cape Finisterre’. The location is a rock-bound
A PAIR of Liverpool fans in Spain for a match against Real Madrid ‘generously’ bought everyone in the bar several drinks. But when it came time to leave at 2.30am the self-proclaimed ‘millionaires’ tried to scarper without settling their €2,200 tab. They had earlier stumped up €1,000 but carried on running up the bill. Police were called and - after a struggle - the duo were arrested, accused of fraud.
peninsula on the west coast of Galicia in Spain.
The object is about 32cm wide and shaped in a circle, with a barcode and serial number, and an on-off button.
“I was just walking along the beach naked - it’s my private property so I can do that - and I found this thing that at first looked like a jellyfish,” Deacon said.
“When I looked closer I realised it was some gadget UFO-type thing.
“It has it written faintly in black ‘Cape Finisterre’, and I Googled
it and saw it was a location in Spain.
“If this thing has travelled all the way from Spain, especially to the Queensland coast, then it would have needed to get around South America or Africa which is an absolute miracle.”
It may seem unlikely that the mystery object travelled 12,500 miles all the way from Spain, but there has been a recorded instance of a bottle thrown into the sea in Spain being found in New Zealand.
Do you know what the object could be? Email newsdesk@theolivepress.es
FOUR years after hitting the headlines after installing ‘Spain’s largest urban slide’ then shutting it down 24 hours later after several injuries, Estepona is trying again. In 2019 the terrifying slide in the Costa del Sol town, which was 38 metres long and had a gradient of 33 degrees, was ripped out after several people suffered friction burns and bruising.
It connected two streets and was designed to give people a fast way down.
Now the council has opened its new offices - and incorporated a slide between floors for employees, again to save time.
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for plans for the world’s first commercial octopus farm to be sent to Davy Jones’ locker. Seafood producer Pescanova has proposed a €65 million farm on Gran Canaria. The proposal to kill around 1 million octopuses a year with ice slurry will ‘cause considerable pain, fear and suffering as well as a prolonged death’, according to animal rights activists.
