The
OLIVE PRESS
VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR www.theolivepress.es FREE Vol. 1 Issue 17
I’m running things now
Your expat
Female expat makes moving tribute to her famous bullrunning dad
voice in Spain
See page 14
July 15th - July 28th 2021
Rollercoaster ride for our man getting married on the Rock during Euro final Find out how it went on page 6 Vaccine fury OVER 40,000 people have signed a petition to allow vaccinated British Expats to visit the UK without quarantining. It comes after dozens of expats expressed outrage at a rule that made them exempt and needing to quarantine on their return to see family or friends back home. The digital petition, which claimed the rule prejudiced up to six million Britons living abroad, caused a rapid response from the UK government, defending its ‘pragmatic approach’. A spokesman said: “Public health has always been our number one priority and we will not risk throwing away our hard-won achievements.” For the petition to be considered in Parliament it needs to reach 100,000 signatures. Letters special on page 10
Doomed to close
Costa Blanca hotels are left praying for the return of UK tourists - with Germans and French staying home
RECENTLY-reopened Costa Blanca hotels will have to close again if UK bookings do not pick up next month. The regional hoteliers association, Hosbec insists that it is very difficult to stay profitable without the normal masses of British tourists. The British government’s confusing and frequently-changing messages have
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already put many families off making a plunge for their summer holidays in Spain this year. But there are tens of thousands who are still planning to travel for their annual break in the sun. “If British tourists do not arrive in August, hotels are doomed to closure,” insisted Hosbec president, Toni
By Alex Trelinski
Mayor. Mayor regards the UK as almost the last hope in saving the summer season with an already gloomy outlook over visitors from France and Germany. “Rising COVID cases have reduced the hope that the
EU COVID certificate would bring in EU tourists as France and Germany are not recommending Spanish travel, which just leaves us with the British market,” said Mayor. Many hotels only reopened in late June or early this month in anticipation of relaxed UK travel rules as they are heavily dependent on the
Pollution probe
A GOLF course is among a blacklist of polluters given to a judge investigating the dumping of improperly-treated water into the Mar Menor. Judge Angel Garrote has ordered 42 agriculture-based businesses to testify, as well as the bosses Continues on Page 4
British market. From July 19, ‘fully-vaccinated’ tourists from England going to an amber-listed country like Spain will no longer have to go into self-quarantine on their return. However all British tourists, minus children under the age of four, will still need two negative COVID tests. They have to be booked before you get on your flight and can cost up to £100 (€117) each. Holidaymakers will also have to get a negative antigen test prior to flying home.
No bar
Germany last week classified the whole of Spain as ‘high risk’ for COVID-19, but there is currently no outright bar on German visitors coming to Spain if they have an EU COVID certificate. The same applies to French tourists, who are the second-highest number of foreign visitors traditionally after the UK. However a French Junior Minister suggested that both Spain and Portugal were not ‘safe destinations’, a suggestion denied by Spain’s Tourism Minister, Reyes Maroto.
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NEWS IN BRIEF Rapist sentenced A VALENCIA man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for repeatedly raping his own daughter between the ages of 10 and 15, warning the victim that she would ‘go to hell’ if she told her mother.
The white stuff FOUR people have been arrested in Paterna (Valencia) after National Police officers intercepted 15 kilos of cocaine during a hand-over at a carwash in the local industrial estate.
Sporty Gandia THE Gandia (La Safor) campus of Valencia Polytechnic University will house a new sports pavilion that will be open to the public and equipped to host international events.
Man overboard THE body of a drowned man has been discovered floating 10 miles out from Valencia port, with investigators working to check whether he had been travelling on an illegal raft that sunk several weeks ago.
Dirty crooks EIGHT people have been arrested in the Valencia area on suspicion of belonging to a ‘sextortion’ gang. The leader of the gang known as ‘El Faku’ was detained after a two-year police investigation uncovered a wealth of self-incriminating evidence he posted on social network platforms. ‘El Faku’, who reportedly called himself ‘the Messi of Work’ obtained personal contact details of unsuspecting clients through fake prostitution adverts. The gang then blackmailed the victims into paying for non-existent services, threatening them with severe violence and with informing the client’s family if they refused to pay up. To appear more convincing, the members of the gang used photographs of tough-looking Eastern European gangsters as their Whatsapp profile pictures.
CRIME
July 15th - July 28th 2021
Sextorting Brit Paedophile arrested as child sex abuse soars due to the Covid crisis
A BRITISH man has been arrested for sexually abusing and extorting a child in the Alicante area. Police say that the 67-yearold plied the British girl, aged under 15, with alcohol and drugs before assaulting her. The man recorded explicit videos and threatened to ‘release them’ to her family and friends if he could not have sex with her again. The youngster refused his demands and reported him to the Policia Nacional. According to police the girl did cleaning work at a property the man owned and he built up a bond with her by giving her alcohol and drugs.
By Alex Trelinski
Police seized computers and mobile phones containing child pornography from the man’s home. He has been charged with sexual abuse, extortion, the corruption of a minor, and
Fake
Pint sized hitman A CASH reward has been offered for information about a pintsized hitman who has been on the run since 2007. Derek Ferguson, 58, is wanted in connection with the murder of Thomas Cameron, 48, who was shot dead near Glasgow in June 2007. Crimestoppers has offered a £5,000 (€5,850) reward for information leading to the arrest of the diminutive Scotsman who is 5 foot 2 inches tall. On the Most Wanted list for years, the reward is being offered in the hope that he will finally
crimes against public health. The arrest came as Spain’s top cybercrime cop has blamed COVID-19 for a rise in child pornography cases. National Police cyber boss Agapito Hermes de Dios, told a Madrid conference that the criminal use of the internet has ‘multiplied exponentially in recent years’.
E-FIT: Ferguson in 2007 and how he might look now
be traced. It is believed that he has been hiding out in Spain protected by criminal associates. In 2015 the Olive Press reported that he was in the Marbella/Calahonda area, but since then there have been no sightings. Police beliewve he may have moved on to another part of Spain. As well as the reward for information, Police have ssued e-fits to show what Ferguson may look
like now. A National Crime Agency spokesman said that he is probably no longer known by his original name, may not be speaking with a Scottish accent and is thought to have had plastic surgery.
Images
Detective Superintendent John Wyllie, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are releasing updated images of what Ferguson may look like today.”
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“The sexual harassment of minors by adults who use fake profiles to obtain pornographic material after gaining their trust, has grown enormously,” he observed. The chief commissioner said that all forms of cybercrime were growing at an annual rate of up to 35%.“Cybercrime generates more income than drug and people trafficking,” he said.
Family strife A MOTHER is on trial in Valencia for allegedly trying to kill her own teenage daughter after she discovered that the victim was having sex with her stepfather. The brutal attack took place in the family home in Aldaia (Valencia Province) on June 25, 2018, when the 37-year-old accused reportedly took a large kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed her 16-yearold daughter during an argument over the relationship between the victim and the defendant’s partner. The accused told the court that her then 16-year-old daughter had said the mother was ‘too old’ to satisfy a man. The mother is facing up to 13 years in prison for attempted murder with the aggravating circumstance of being related to the victim. Meanwhile, her partner was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor.
Going bananas A WHOPPING 660 kilos of cocaine from two separate shipments were seized by port authorities in Valencia. Border officials and Guardia Civil officers discovered the first shipment in the fake bottom of a cargo container of bananas from Colombia, which they selected for inspection given its route and contents. Upon scanning the container officer detected 300 one-kilo packets of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment that would have been impossible to spot with the naked eye. The second shipment was seized a day later and discovered by workers at a food company warehouse hidden inside a cargo of unrefined cane sugar.
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es HE’S got every right to lie back and take it easy. Having won the Golden Boot at the Euro 2020s championships, Cristiano Ronaldo deserved a long and luxurious break. And the Portuguese star cer-
Riding in IT’S enough to give Jilly Cooper palpitations. Argentine hunk and top ranked polo player in the world, Adolfo Cambiaso, is squeezing into his jodhpurs and heading for Spain this summer. He will be the star attraction as Sotogrande hosts the 50th edition of its International Polo Tournament from July 26 to August 28. Bringing the star back to the fields of the wealthy enclave for the first time in five years has seen the restoration of the tournament to the very highest tier of the polo world – the High Handicap category. The three most prestigious clubs in Sotogrande - Ayala, Dos Lunas and Santa Maria – are co-hosting the event and there will be a series of activities to entertain between chukkas. It is one of the traditional places to see and be seen during Spain’s summer social calendar – and everyone can join in. So, if you happen to be in the area, pop along – admission is free. Jilly Cooper - the Mistress of the Bonkbuster novel who regularly sets her books in the polo world - once said: “Anyone looks good in jodhpurs,” but she might have added about Adolfo “but some look better than others!”
tainly looks to be having it swanning around on boats in the north eastern corner of Mallorca. He and girlfriend Georgina Rodriquez, from Murcia, have been renting the magnificent Castell de Manresa estate, near Pollensa. The pair were seen out and about with their four children, while the Juventus star also posted images of his holiday on Instagram. The Castell de Manresa was a citadel built in 1715, which has now been
July 15th - July 28th 2021
Kicking back converted into a luxury holiday home where prices start at €50,000 a week. It comes with a fully staffed kitchen and personal spa. It also has its own helipad, tennis court and, of course, private beach. Conveniently he also has his €6m yacht the Azimut Grande 27 on hand nearby. He bought the 27-metre yacht last year as a celebration after Juventus took home their ninth Serie A title in a row.
Taxing time Pop star Shakira could face trial over tax ‘fraud’
COLOMBIAN superstar Shakira could yet face trial over an alleged €14.5 million tax fraud, despite having paid up the full amount two years ago. The Hips don’t Lie singer had hoped to avoid needing to testify in court – but now pre-trial depositions have been made by the prosecutor and defence. A judge will decide if the case should go to court. If it does, Shakira, real name Isabel Mebarak, could face a hefty fine, or even jail as well as being forced to publicly testify. A Shakira spokesman said:
REVEALED: Shakira could face a fine or jail By Dilip Kuner
“As soon as she learned how much she owed the Spanish tax authorities – and before a complaint was filed – Shakira paid the full amount, as well
Tennis comes home IT might not have come home for the English football players this weekend. But the Wimbledon title made its way back to Andalucia thanks to the Costa del Sol’s most famous expat Novak Djokovic. The Marbella local won his 20th Grand Slam on Sunday after claiming his sixth Wimbledon title. The Serbian star owns a stunning Morrocan style mansion in the Sierra Blanca hills, where he has lived for much of the last year. He spent most of the lockdown at the villa, which naturally has a court, training hard for this year’s tournaments. The training clearly paid off, as the three time Wimbledon consecutive winner is now only the second man in history to win the first three major tournaments of a season. This feat was also achieved by Rod Laver in 1969. The Serb has also now drawn level with the record for most ever major tournament wins, alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He has won two French Open titles, three US Open titles and nine Australian Open titles. So the people of Marbella can celebrate this momentous victory for their adopted son.
as providing the tax office with exhaustive information. For this reason, there is currently no debt whatsoever.” However, this is not enough to stop the case from going to trial, according to prosecutors. They maintain that the singer – who has two sons with Barcelona footballing legend Gerard Piquet – should have submitted tax returns in Spain from 2012 to 2014. At that time she had entered into a relationship with Pique and, prosecutors maintain, she lived in Barcelona and therefore had to pay tax in Spain. Her defence insists she was resident in the Bahamas at the time. While prosecutors admit she did not spend the six months and a day per year in Spain that would make her automatically tax resident, they claim that she was effectively living in the country as she always returned to Barcelona after business trips.
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Frying high HE is a lot more than just a whiz in the kitchen. Jose Andres may well be one of America’s most famous chefs with a string of Michelin-starred restaurants and credited with bringing tapas to the states. But he is also a famous charity worker, who has helped millions of people suffering from poverty and hunger. Now he has scooped Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for his humanitarian work in feeding those in the midst of crisis and natural disasters. The 51-year-old chef and his NGO, World Central Kitchen has won the Concord Award for ‘offering extraordinarily fast and efficient on-theground response to social and nutritional emergencies’. Born in Asturias, he trained in Barcelona before moving to the US in 1991 where he rose to fame popularising tapas and opening a number of restaurants, two of which earned two Michelin stars. In 2010, Andres formed the World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organisation with a remit ‘to end hunger and poverty’ by using the power of food to empower communities’. The charity rushes to the aid of those suffering natural disasters ELCHE’S Footwear such as Hurricane Maria, when the Museum is displaying a team supplied 3.6 million meals to pair of boots belonging the people of Puerto Rico. to one of Spain’s greatLast year it dedicated restaurants est-ever footballers. to feeding those struggling in the Former Barcelona star, coronavirus crisis. Andres Iniesta, has Andres is a friend of former presiloaned the boots in dent Barack Obama, who awarded which he scored Spain’s the chef a National Humanities extra-time winning goal Medal in 2015. He is a fierce oppoin the 2010 World Cup nent of Donald Trump who sued final against Holland. him and lost after Andres pulled The museum has got a out of a restaurant deal over the local manufacturer to ex-president’s disparaging comdonate a pair of shoes to ments about Mexicans. Iniesta’s wife, Anna, as a The Princess of Asturias Awards ‘thank you’. comes with prize money of €50,000.
Boots are made for watching
NEWS
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July 15th July 28th 2021
Electric revolution OPENING COURSE 2021-2022 BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FROM 3 TO 18 YEARS OLD
The pillars of our education
SPAIN'S government is to spend €4.3 billion in a massive revamp of its car production industry in a switch to making electric vehicles. Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said that most of the cash will come from EU pandemic recovery fund money and government investment was 'essential' to get things going. Sanchez branded the announcement as a 'real revolution' for the economy and that private investors would pump in €19
PLANS to build a luxury seafront campsite in Gandia have sparked controversy amid environmental concerns. The project has just been approved by Valencia’s regional tourism department which
billion over the next two years. The government plan would take in all aspects of the production chain. They would give grants to companies with the aim of building Spain’s first electric vehicle battery plant and increasing the production of electric cars. An initial target is to have 250,000 electric cars on Spanish roads by 2023, as opposed to 18,000 last year. The government estimates that up to 140,000 jobs could be created.
Pitching in for battle deemed it as positive for the town developing an unused rural area and creating jobs. However, the proposal is
Bad apple
Instilling Values
Language and Culture
A VALENCIAN farmer is under investigation for exploiting workers and housing them in ‘precarious and unsanitary’ conditions. The citrus grower in Picassent was employing 26 workers without contracts and forcing them to sleep in an abandoned farmhouse. The exploited employees were all from Algeria and were reportedly made to work extremely long hours in the sun, had no official documents or rights, and slept on the floor in an old building with no electricity, running water or hygiene. A 22-year-old worker told officers that he had been given a cheque for €2,700 to share among another six employees. However, the cheque had bounced as there were no funds in the account, and he and his colleagues were found to be working without contracts or Social Security. The workers had been promised wages and lodgings during the fruit-picking season, which encouraged them to travel over to Spain from Algeria.
strongly opposed by environmental associations and residents in the Moli de Santa Maria area. It has also been opposed by political party Compromis, which has issued its own report outlining arguments against the campsite. The favourable report from the authorities is the first step before it can go ahead.
Unsuitable
Sources close to Gandia Town Hall reveal that the road ahead is ‘complicated’, as the land earmarked by the developers is currently classed as unsuitable for construction. It is also located next to protected marshes and a soon to be issued environment department report is expected to oppose the project for this reason.
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ONE of the best known expat financial figures has passed away in his seventies. Bill Blevins, the joint founder of expat financial services company Blevin Franks, died after a long illness. Blevins worked closely with David Franks to build Blevins Franks into a major international tax and wealth management advisory firm. “His lively personality, insight and generosity made a big impact on staff and clients alike,” said a spokesman for the firm. “He will be sadly missed by all at Blevins Franks and many clients and business partners who met him over the years.”
FounderBlevins Franks was originally founded in the UK in 1975 before they set up in Spain when a client moved to the country. They then expanded, setting up offices across Europe. Blevins and Franks sold the company in 2012 as they went into retirement. Blevins lived for many years in the South of France where he featured on radio shows and in the local English press offering advice on finance.
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A two kilometre stretch of the upmarket resort is awash with coastal pollution, claims green group THE Costa Blanca’s most upmarket resort has been awarded a black mark for serious coastal pollution. Javea has been awarded a black flag by environmental pressure group, Ecologists in Action, for failing to tackle an ‘alarming spread’ of urban waste between the port and Arenal beach. The green group said the two kilometres of coastline is awash with wet wipes from sewage outflow, as well as cracked pipes in times of heavy rain. The town was also singled out for failing to tackle protection of underwater Poseidon grass, as well as allowing overdevelopment in certain stretches. The charity, in particular, singled out the closure of public access to Cala del Frances. It is critical of no official action being taken since problems involving the EDAR local water treatment plant became apparent in 2016.
NEWS
July 15th July 28th 2021
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Black mark for Javea
Ecologists insist that ‘urgent measures should be taken to stop the serious impact on the coastal ecosystems of Javea’. The group has also handed out an award to Orihuela Costa during its annual 2020 Banderas Negras awards, which are timed to come a month after the EU’s official blue flags are awarded. There are serious concerns
By Alex Trelinski
about plans to build 1,500 properties at Cala Mosca, south of Torrevieja on the Orihuela Costa. Ecologists in Action say that Cala Mosca is the only coastal stretch of Orihuela that has not been urbanised. Discoveries of rare flora and fauna over the years in the area have boosted
the case against development, according to the group. Of the 48 black flags awarded in Spain, the Valencian region has a total of six and Andalucia has ten. “We have only selected the very worst abuses and there should be a lot more,” said spokesman Clara Mejias, pointing out that the group only picked two new ones per province each year.
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NEWS FEATURE
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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.
Jon Clarke on the rollercoaster ride of supporting England, including tickets in Rome in the quarters, then at home for the Euro final
OPINION Coming together THE English nation has been deeply divided over Brexit. Social media has been the battleground for Leavers and Brexiters for years now. These same divisions have been found in expat communities in Spain and further afield. But in recent weeks there has been something that has pulled the English together - and that is its football team. Millions of English fans in Spain, Gibraltar, around the world and of course in England itself have largely backed the team. Yes, there have been the usual grumbles about selection, tactics and the strengths and weaknesses of individual players. But when it came down to the matches themselves, people came together to support the team. By reaching its first major final since 1966, the team helped put a smile on the faces of the English nation and its diaspora after the miseries of pandemic lockdown. And divisions over such matters as Brexit were forgotten – or at least put aside – as the England team, at last, gave people something they could agree about. Denmark, Italy, Wales and Scotland too can look back with pride as their teams did their nations proud. The exploits of all four teams showed the power of football in a positive way. Few other things in life can draw people together.
Take the knee Unfortunately, a small minority took delight in opening the festering wounds caused by racism. From booing the taking of the knee in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) to the racist abuse heaped on four fine young men, which ironically showed exactly why they were taking the knee in the first place. But the outraged reaction from the majority to the abuse suffered by those black players is heartening to see. Hopefully this new-found togetherness is something we can all carry on into the coming years.
Andrew Attrill 64, Retired, Isle of Wight Andrew made a last minute decision to travel to Ibiza with his son Jack and their friends after finding a cheap flight to the White Isle on the weekend. Watching the big game at Flahertys pub in San Antonio, the retired father of three said that he couldn’t be more proud to be supporting England in the final. “I will always remember this day and even more so to share it with my boy in Ibiza,” said Andrew.
Terry Parker Oliva, Valencia “Going into the game, I thought we had a great chance of winning as this was the best England squad we’d had for a while. Then when we scored in the second minute I thought that was it, and everyone in the pub around me started celebrating. The equaliser really killed the mood, and I could hardly watch the penalties… everyone left less than five minutes after the end, without hanging around for a drink or anything. Very disappointing. Still, they did us proud.”
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AWARDS
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2012 - 2020
Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.
S
OMETHING old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. That just about sums up our weekend in Gibraltar. Two very important events occurred almost simultaneously - England played Italy in the final of the Euros, and we also tied the knot on The Rock. The decision to book a Gibraltar wedding was made in part because of Brexit, after our local ayuntamiento in Alicante admitted that there could be ‘unknown delays’ and added bureaucracy due to the UK leaving the EU. Despite both fiance, Nicola, and I having Spanish residency, it was decided not to risk it, and Gibraltar register office was only too happy to oblige without fuss. That it coincided with the championship’s climax, only started to matter after England thumped Ukraine 4-0. The prospect of a potential place in the final alone was mouthwatering, but what if we could go on and win? It would certainly make for unique dinner party conversations in the future when
L
iving up in the very Spanish mountain town of Ronda means there are no English bars… and every football-loving expat we know had, predictably, gone down to the coast. Including our teenage daughter! So having firstly toyed with the idea of watching the Euro 2020 final at a friendly Italian pizzeria and then booked the terrace of a local restaurant, we decided we would be far happier at home with Auntie Beeb and good old Gary Lineker. For starters we could scream (and then cry) without any Italians or Spanish around to laugh and, secondly, to watch the build-up in English. Oh, and the Wimbledon final before it. It turned out to be a great evening, despite my father-in-law randomly deciding to support Italy 15 minutes before the game, despite being a dyed in the wool monarchist and playing cricket for the British army and Surrey. He did live in Italy for two decades, I suppose, and he could see it coming. And he was right. But what a month - and tournament - it’s been. Having watched the largely unmemorable group stages on the Costa del Sol, where we live in the week, we headed off on holiday to Italy with no idea that there was a chance England would play a game there. It was only as we prepared to watch Italy versus Austria in the charming main square of Ceglie, in Puglia, that we saw the permutations that could take us to Rome. We worked out that if we beat Germany a few days later (a big if, mind) England would be heading to the quarter finals in Italy’s amazing capital city. With both kids gagging for a trip to the Eternal city and the wife shrugging her shoulders, I booked a great-value apartment for two nights.
EXPAT ARMY: Jon with Charlie (right) I had no idea if we would get tickets for the game, but given no English supporters could travel to Italy and it is not swamped with expats like Spain, I figured we would have a chance. I got on every fan group and Facebook page and eventually located three tickets for 200 euros each. A lot, but not extortionate. But just before buying them I got a superb bit of advice from the Olive Press’ salesman extraordinaire Charlie Bamber, a keen travelling England fan, who told me that UEFA would be releasing some more tickets the following day. He told me I had to register with the official website, putting in my passport details and where I lived (if you had an English address you were automatically stopped from buying) and he would tip me off at the right time. And so it came to pass, I got the phone call by the pool at 4pm the next day when 1,800 tickets went out on general sale at cost price. Amazingly I was able to secure four tickets for just 75 euros each. Even the missus, who had only seen one other live game in her life before (a wet and windy draw between Tottenham and Bolton 25 years ago) would be coming.
Rocking the final By Simon Wade in Gibraltar
the ubiquitous ‘where were you when...?’ question crops up. ‘Something old’ was how I felt after driving the 600 km from home in Alicante province. A new car can make you FEEL younger, but it only hides the reality of middle age with a (passion red metallic) veneer ‘Something new’ was the fact that the England men’s football team did reach a major final for the first time in recent history. A night spent in Casemates Square saw thousands of supporters cheering on the England team with fervour, humour and passion. ‘Something blue’ wasn’t the despondency or inevitability of the penalty shootout result, but the disgusting treatment of our own players by so-called fans afterwards. Those that abused black players online should be traced and dealt with accordingly.
And the grown men that punched and kicked young Italy fans in Wembley stadium should be named, shamed and jailed. There is no place and no reason for such shameful behaviour in today’s society none whatsoever. Still, the wedding went without any drama, and everything went to plan (see pic front page). As for ‘something borrowed’? After Sunday, let’s hope it’s racism … living on borrowed time.
like home
July 15th - July 28th 2021
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Forever England By Fiona Govan in Madrid
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HE backroom of a bar in Madrid’s Malasana will be forever England, or so it would’ve been had the night turned out differently. A few dozen Brits resident in the capital had gathered there for what they hoped would be the evening they had been waiting for all their lives. “I’m pretty anxious to be honest,” said Tom Graham, a signwriter in the district, at the start of the match in La Taperia. “But I feel it really is our time.” He was wrong. And just a few hours later, disappointment was writ large on his face. “I’m not going to cry,” he said as his face crinkled and we heard the jubilant cheers from Italians in a neighbouring bar. “I’m probably the only one in this bar who actually remembers 1966,” admitted Celia Clayden who was a teenager in London when England last won a championship. “It’s a real shame this lot won’t know how that feels.”
So there we were, in Rome, having taken antigen tests and passing through seven, yes seven, security checks to watch England v Ukraine in the quarter finals. What a game, what an experience. We blew them away and guess who was sitting in the row in front? Yes, Charlie Bamber. He gets about (see pic left). But what was incredible was the amount of expat Brits who had travelled from all over Spain to the game. The flights to Rome, to Milan, to Naples, etc, etc, were full of England fans, who could legally watch their team in a massive game. We did the team proud, making an incredible racket… and who was interviewed live on Sky News by the Trevi Fountain? Mr Bamber, of course. Having sung for Spain in the heart of Positano against Italy in the semis (what an injustice), we came back and watched England in
Puerto Banus against Denmark. The best England performance for years, we had made a final for the first time in 55 years! What a game, but now we had to meet the tactical masters of the game. The trickiest, most slippery bunch of streetwise footballers there are. Italy were played off the park by Spain (but won on penalties), only just overcame Austria in extra time, and squeezed past Wales… but they always seem to win. A bit like Germany used to. My father-in-law had predicted a 2-1 win. I knew we would lose if it got to penalties. We almost always do. Local friends Lisa and Andy, not huge football fans but up for it nonetheless, watched the agony and ecstasy of supporting England this Sunday. The term; that Monday morning feeling, was never more apt.
Thirsty for glory
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HE ecstasy and the agony were lived in equal measure at the Thirsty Monk pub in Castelldefels, near Barcelona.“It was a rollercoaster of emotions. The atmosphere after the first goal was electric,” said expat Liam Hill, who has lived in Spain for four years. He showed the Olive Press a photo of how
By Graham Keeley in Barcelona
an Italian player fouled Bukayo Saka. “This is a good photo of how Italy played. “Twice they should have had a red,” he added. “That said, we hace had a good run in the Euros. It was a good night with good people.”
7
Time to travel 32
The place was buzzing By Katherine Brook in Estepona
PAIN is not short of beautiful cities oozing history from between the cracks of their ancient iconic buildings, such as Granada’s Alhambra and Sevilla’s Alcazar. But one comes above the rest, according to a poll published by global travel bible Lonely Planet this year: that of Cordoba, a true melting pot of ancient, modern and everything in between. The birthplace of renowned Roman playwright Seneca and Jewish philosopher Maimonides, to name two great thinkers, the place is a veritable warren of historic sites. Now is the perfect time to visit Cordoba’s numerous attractions without the crowds and clamour, drifting through the town at your
May 19th - June 1st 2021
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WALK THIS WAY
own pace. I wanted to explore the city without going to ‘the big three’ - the Mezquita, the alcazar and the medina - as I have a pretentious passion for taking the path less trodden. Just follow your nose and take an aimless amble
around. You won’t be disappointed. Cordoba entertained right from the get-go as I stumbled across the Church of San Francisco, built by Fernando III in the 13th century with its adjacent square with red and white porticoes. Heading west, I wound
my way through sinuous stone streets and chanced upon the Calleja de los Flores, a quaint alleyway lined with flower pots. From here it is just a gentle stroll to Casa Arabe, also known as Casa Mudejar, an arts and culture centre that hosts qual-
diced egg), I meandered along the riverfront and over the marvellous Puente Romano, a 250m stone bridge that dates back to at least the second century AD. Founded around 152BC by the Romans, Corduba, as it was called then, was the capital of
Hispania Ulterior and flourished economically by virtue of its prized olive oil. It became a Roman colonia between 46 and 45BC, but after the city put its money and troops on the wrong horse in the civil war between Pompey and Caesar,
the latter sacked it and slaughtered some 30,000 people. These seismic events would inspire Lucan, born in Cordoba just six years earlier, to compose one of the most extraordinary poems in the Latin language - the Pharsalia, a subversive, gory epic
100 years of flower power
I
T’S a botanical binge to inspire the most relucFrom as far as back as the Roman occupation tant gardners. of Cordoba, houses have been built around inner For a fortnight in May, all Cordoba opens its gardens enclosed within thick walls to provide a private courtyards to the hoi polloi who traipse haven of shade during the summer months when through the cobbled alleys and duck through the mercury often tops 40ºC. doorways to be amazed by the green-fingered These internal spaces were refined to include skills of those who live here. As the child of flofountains and water features under Moorish rule, ra-obsessed parents I recall many trips around when the Umayyad caliphate built the mosque – the formal gardens of National Trust properties since converted into a cathedral - that remains a - most often in the rain and endured only for the highlight of every city tour. promise of ice-cream or a cream tea in a chintzNowadays these spaces have been elevated to filled café. works of art, where each wall in every garden has Now with a patio of my own in Madrid sprouting been designed with the festival in mind, each pot several sad yuccas, a few hardy spider plants and of geraniums carefully placed to maximise conone pitiful geranium, it was time to seek inspiratrasts and provide sensational bursts of colour. tion from a city that packs more So good are they that the patios flower power than San Francisco have been afforded UNESCO-produring the merry month of May. tected status. A perfumed This year marks the 100th anniSome gardens belong to single versary of the Feria de los Patios, properties and others are collecpromenade when residents open their floral tions of courtyards with different inner sanctums to the public and through private dwellings looking out on them. compete for the prize of prettiest One of my favourites was No. patios in the walled garden space. 6, Calle Marroquíes where low old quarter Usually mobbed, but with COVID-19 bungalows are home to artisan keeping tourists away, it was easy workshops within a labyrinth of to find an affordable, last-minute interlocking corridors and patios Airbnb. Mine was ensconced in a quaint alley a bedecked with tumbling greenery and blooms. cobblestone’s throw from Plaza de la CorredeIt’s easy to tell the serious gardeners (the ones ra, a colonnaded square filled with terrazas fresnapping close-ups of leaves to identify plants quented by Cordoba’s student population. that might thrive on their own windowsills) from The route map provided on the website takes the nosey parkers (me). I had more fun peeking visitors on a perfumed promenade to dozens of through doors and windows, enjoying the access private patios throughout the old quarter and it’s to private spaces sealed off behind closed doors an olfactory overload even if you only visit half of for all but this fortnight in May. them. My guide was Cordoba local Chapi Pineda, a I interspersed courtyard visits with stops at tapas celebrated flamenco guitarist with a deep love bars and bodegas and sightseeing around the of his home city and an insider knowledge that Mezquita and Juderia - a joy to do in this beautihe is proud to share: including where to taste fully compact walking city. the best tortilla in town (Bar Santos) and how to Thankfully the queues for patios were shorter find a table with unrivalled views of the cathedral and faster this year, despite social distancing (upstairs on the terrace of the Pairi Daeza restaumeasures which, fortuitously, gave everyone a rant). few brief moments alone to enjoy the space withSomewhere in the maze of narrow white-washed out crowds of selfie-takers and couples romantilanes between the synagogue and the Mezquita cally posing beneath bougainvillea. he also revealed a real local treasure: Bodega
SO SPECIAL: The Roman bridge (left), the Alcazar (above), Roman pillars (below) and a work by Julio Romero de Torres
ity photography exhibitions on niche topics, including Morocco’s breathtaking blue-washed town, Chefchaouen. After a delicious lunch of tortilla and salmorejo, Cordoba’s celebrated tomato purée topped with serrano jam (or in a vegetarian’s case,
As Cordoba’s famous patio festival marks its centennial, Fiona Govan visits the city that goes potty for plants in May
33
SIMPLY STUNNING
about the aforementioned civil war whose quality scholars still debate fiercely today. Next up was the Museo Julio Romero de Torres, where I was the only visitor. Tucked away on the Plaza del Potro, this cosy, elegant museum dedicated to the eponymous local painter was the unexpected gem of my trip. Romero, born 1874, was possessed with the fervour of Flamenco, which he often personified as a naked or scantily clad lady, such as in La musa gitana (‘The Gypsy Muse’). As is the case in so much art produced by men, many of Romero’s busty women were conveniently spilling out of their garments in one place or another, leading feminists to vilify him; nonetheless, his striking style that fused a gamut of motifs - classical, mannerist, Christian, Andalucian - made a stronger impression on me than the artwork in the Bellas Artes museum opposite and lingered with me long after I left.
Unmissable monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984
HE iconic symbol of Cordoba is the stunning Mosque-Cathedral, which is an extraordinary example of the blending of Muslim and Christian cultures. Built in the 8th Century under the rule of Amir Abd ar-Rahman I, the mosque became a Christian church when Cordoba was conquered by Fernando III of Castilla in 1236. Such was its stunning beauty, the christians decided to preserve the mosque rather than destroy it, enhancing its beauty by adding new spaces and monuments. The central focus of the edifice is a shellshaped prayer niche built in the 10th century. The mihrab traditionally faces Mecca. However, the one in the mosque of Cordoba faces south. The striped brick and stone arches are supported by 856 granite and marble pillars from the Roman and Visigothic ruins. The sun’s rays create an impressive play of light between the pillars and the arches. Also, like many cathedrals in southern Spain, the Mosque of Cordoba has an orange tree courtyard. You can enter the Patio de los Naranjos free of charge, and this is where you will find the kiosk to buy your ticket for the oficial tour. Entrance to the Mosque costs €11 per person. Children between 10 and 14 years old will pay €6, and children under 10 are free. Early risers can visit the mosque for free from Monday to Saturday from 8:30am to 9:30am.
We are open – See you soon!
The Costa de la Luz’s most emblematic restaurant and hotel. In the stunning white town of Vejer de la Frontera.
Lavish
BEAUTY: The patios are a colourful treat Guzman, its dark tiled interior exuding the musty aroma of fermenting wine, where a glass of local fino can be enjoyed for a staggeringly good value €1.10. In the evening we dined at Taberna San Miguel Casa el Pisto, a typical Andalus restaurant where we sat in a tiled courtyard covered in feria memorabilia. Beneath a portrait of the greatest matador of all time, Cordoba-born Manolete - painted by Chapi’s own father, the artist Rafael Pineda - we devoured local delicacies including the simple but divine cogollos al ajillo - who knew lettuce could taste this good? Cordoba in May is exquisite, even for those who don’t think flowers are that interesting. In fact, I dare you to visit and not come away with a few souvenir pots and a head full of ideas for improving your own urban garden. I certainly did.
My last stop of the day was the Viana Palace. Dating back to 1492, this lavish manor exhibits an unusual intertwining of Roman and Arabic architectural styles and boasts 12 beautiful patios à la the Cordoban custom, not to mention sumptuous salons that evoke the lifestyles of the various nobles who were lucky enough to call this place home. Flowers and fruits fragrance the air and nearly every courtyard is bursting with colour. My favourites were the reception patio, with its porticoed galleries supported by stately Tuscan columns, and the serene Patio de los naranjas whose trickling fountain and spectacular purple wisteria lend it a soothing, serene atmosphere. It made for a superb end to an excellent day round Cordoba which reaffirmed an age-old truth of travel: even if a city is best known for one building alone, scratch below the surface and you’re sure to find that the place has a whole lot more to offer as well.
CalifaVejer.com tel: +34 956 44 77 30 Plaza de España, Vejer de la Frontera,Costa de la Luz, Cádiz
M I
T may not sound like an obvious choice to watch England in the Euro2020 final, but Irish pub Healy Mac’s in Estepona port was rammed with patriotic expats and tourists. One group in particular led the crowd, keeping up the energy with chants from their prime spot in the centre of the bar. Chris Legg, (pictured above right) a 41-year-old builder from Watford, said the group had been out to watch every game together and was ever optimistic that England were going to win. “This is our year. It’s got to come home now,” he insisted with a vodka Redbull in hand. “We’re going to the feria after, win or lose - we’ll either be celebrating or drowning our sorrows.” When the first goal was scored everyone went wild with bottles and drinks flying around, but it was all in good spirits. Most of the friends had been there since lunchtime, with Jason Naylor (pictured above left), 35, from Wolverhampton, explaining that the group went ‘this hard’ for every single game. “It’s not every day we make it to a Euro final!” he explained. New recruit to the group, Ollie Buckingham, 29, from London said the atmosphere was ‘amazing’. “What a place to watch the game,” he insisted. “This place is buzzing, it’s brilliant. The only way to watch a game like this.”
The Spanish connection
CHART TOPPERS: from left, Hamilton, McClarnon and Frost
For most tourists Cordoba is all about the Mesquita, the Alcazar and the Roman bridge. Laurence Crumbie took the road less travelled and found a city chock full of treasures lesser known
S
CORDOBA SPECIAL
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
IT became a football anthem sweeping the terraces in the FIFA World Cup 2018. And it has continued throughout this tournament. It started when English fans spontaneously altered the lyrics of Atomic Kitten’s number one hit Whole Again to Southgate you’re the one, football’s coming home again. It was so popular the band reunited to re-record it for Euro 2020 with no less than two Spanish connections. The new vocals and lyrics were recorded in Ibiza, when Jenny Frost joined up with Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon for the first time in 13 years. Meanwhile the song’s original writer and producer is Costa del Sol expat Bill Padley. Ironically, the Novello award-winning writer, who is a DJ at Talk Radio Europe, isn’t even English – he is a proud Scot.
ANY people know Spain only for its key cities and beaches. While these are justly famous, there is a lot more to the country than that. Now travel restrictions are largely behind us (at least within Spain) the nation is once more open to travel. But where to go? Well, we have the answer. The Olive Press has for years thrown a spotlight on hundreds of the hidden and not so hidden corners of Spain. While often visiting the emblematic cities of Sevilla, Madrid and Valencia and the fantastic islands of Ibiza and Mallorca, we’ve frequently been off the beaten track. For 15 years our writers have been highlighting the often overlooked beauty spots in places like Galicia and Extremadura. Take a look at our spotlight on Santiago de Compostela, or the delights of the Sierra de Gata or the secrets of the abandoned arabic city of Madinet, near Cordoba. These are just three of hundreds of articles in the travel section of our website, including dozens of restaurant and hotel reviews and plenty of tips of what to do. And all this is at the tips of your fingers. Just go to theolivepress.es and click on the Travel tab – and Spain is your oyster!
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: paid to Samuel Luiz Muniz, 24, beaten 1- Tributes to death in Spain over his sexuality New restrictions enforced in Spain’s Ibiza and 2- Mallorca as Balearic Islands welcome floor of British Tourists of Spain’s Malaga moved back to more 3- Half restrictive level 2 health alert due to spike in positive Covid-19 cases Brits living in Spain furious that new quaran4-tine exemption doesn’t apply to those vaccinated outside UK Curfews returning to high infection towns and 5-cities in new anti-covid measures for the Costa Blanca and Valencia areas of Spain
Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote
8
GREEN
www.theolivepress.es
Pest control
A TEAM of Spanish scientists has developed a new system to diagnose crop diseases that can greatly reduce the use of pesticides. The technology created by Ainia relies on artificial intelligence and can be mounted on drones and terrestrial vehicles, such as tractors, to take 3D shots in real time of fruit trees and other crop plantations. With the information obtained, farmers can check for any infections or pests, and accurately calculate the type and minimum amount of chemical pesticides needed to treat them. It will also enable landown-
Artificial Intelligence technology can reduce use of harmful pesticides By Glenn Wickman
ers to check water requirements and drought conditions, leading to a more precise allocation of resources. Valencia-based Ainia believes that the system will help reduce pesticide use by 10% to 60% depending on the type of crop, as well as cutting working hours and the amount of fuel used by agricultural machinery. The project is part of Ainia’s contributions towards the
so-called ‘agriculture 4.0’ - a drive to update and transform farming using modern technology - with the aim of complying with the United Nations’ (UN) Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals by making a better use of resources, saving energy and fuel, and reducing environmental impact. According to the UN, demand for food will increase by 70% over the next 30 years, with climate change and pollution resulting in a drop in crop production of between 10% and 50%.
Emissions down CARBON emissions in Spain fell 13.7% last year to their lowest level in 31 years. A surge in renewable energy coupled with a decline in industrial and road activity due to the pandemic meant the country’s emissions fell to 272 million tonnes, 6.4% below the 1990 level, according to the Environment Ministry. In terms of electricity generation, 35% less carbon was emitted as coal fired power stations were phased out and renewables such as wind and solar grew 13%. In total, 3.6% less electricity was generated than in 2019 as business demand declined during the lockdown. Spain aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, with its climate plan foreseeing coal capacity to be zero by 2030.
SOLAR PV PANELS
PEOPLE in Spain are amongst the most optimistic when it comes to the battle against climate change. A survey conducted in 16 countries found that people aged 55 and over believe most strongly that their behaviour can make a positive difference. The majority of people questioned in Spain, Canada, Brazil, Italy, China and Thai-
Still time
land felt that if we act now there is still time to save the planet, the survey by Mintel found. Overall, 54% were optimistic there is enough time to combat global heating, with 51% saying changing their own behaviour could make the crucial difference.
Martin Tye explains how the construction trade should help fight climate change
Green Matters
Costa del Building Site
By Martin Tye
I DRONE: Latest technology helping farmers
July 15th - July 28th 2021
REMEMBER my father saying to me on my first visit to Spain, many years ago “The Spanish would build on a roundabout if they could!” Funny how you remember certain things from way back. By lunchtime I can’t remember what I had for breakfast! Yet I remember that. Probably because the landscape in Spain doesn’t allow you to forget. Cranes, building sites,heavy construction traffic and the endless stream of white man vans serve as a constant reminder. In 1987, alternative rock band The House Martins released an album titled The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death
NOT GRINNING NOW: The Housemartins
Could this apply to the raft of avaricious developers building more and more close to you? So relevant to today’s theme are lyrics from a hit song of theirs Build. “Slow, slow and quick, quick quick. It’s wall to wall and brick to brick. They work so fast it makes you sick. Let’s build” I’m not against sensible development but I am against: High density development Let me start with high density development. This leads to areas being ruined and creates future infrastructure issues. Spanish planning officers all need a trip to Specsavers. Method of Construction Let’s learn from others. Worldwide, the construction sector alone is responsible for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The impact of construction is even more evident when looking at CO2 emissions from energy use – with the sector contributing 38% of the world’s emissions. At a time when car manufacturers rev up their zero – emission vehicle ambitions, what is happening in the
construction sector? Nothing that I have witnessed. Car makers are striving to produce low emission vehicles and to be fully electric by 2030. The same impetus should be applied to the construction sector. Case in point – Scandinavia Cities like Oslo, Helsinki and Copenhagen are working to clean up this high emission industry. At a site at Olav Vs gate, one of the busiest streets in the heart of Norway’s capital city Oslo, things are very different. Work started in 2019 as a pilot project for the first zero emission urban construction site in the world. All the machines used on site - excavators, diggers, loaders - were electric. Using electric equipment in place of traditional diesel engines meant that everyone in the vicinity noticed a significant reduction in ambient noise and pollution. Even the builders shouted less. (Hard to imagine that here in Spain!). So it can be done. Oslo now wants all Municipal construction sites to be zero emission by 2025. And all construction work, public or private, to be zero emission by 2030. To ensure this happens all public tenders for construction work are only awarded to contractors who use zero–emission machinery and trucks. Wake up Spain - there is no need to be left behind!
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13/4/21 12:32
LETTERS
10
July 15th - July 28th 2021
Furious reaction Appalling news Dear Olive Press,
Appalling news
in Spain for I’M a British citizen and have lived appalled at I’m say to have just I over 30 years. in still can’t the news that Brits living here in Spa rantine, even visit the UK without having to qua ID jabs here though we’ve completed our COV in Spain. is in a care My mum’s 92, has dementia and since Januhome in Devon. I haven’t seen herher regularly ary 2020 but keep in touch with. I used to be through twice weekly video calls months but able to go over and see her every few I just can’t as a 68 year old pensioner myself, in a quarstay to 00 £10 over out fork to afford ay, as I’ve anyw s ulou ridic it’s And antine hotel. ID passCOV my have and had both COVID jabs UK. port, but of course its not valid forthis sad situaI’m sure I’m not the only one in and I don’t tion. Time’s running out for mumover and see go to able be know if or when I’ll ly hoping that her in the near future. I was real to visit family wed allo be ld wou s Brit ed vaccinat looking forin the UK as from July 19 and was . soon ward to seeing mum need to make I really think that somehow we like myself, that sure I’m as d hear es our voic ble to get to many other British expats are unas. tive rela or nts see their elderly pare
Christine Martin (Girona)
Amber list ‘discrimination’ on visiting the UK has been roundly condemned by our readers
EU hatred WHAT world are UK politicians living in? Do they not understand that many British citizens live in Spain and want to visit family they have not had the chance to see for up to two years? How can the UK government possibly justify allowing UK residents to go to amber listed countries on holiday without having to quarantine if vaccinated, but not allow us double vaccinated people in Spain the same rights? The excuse seems to be that the UK can not have the technology to read the EU digital certificates. What a load of baloney! The fact the EU has been working on this has been common knowledge for months. An organised government would have thought ahead and worked with the EU so that this scenario would not arise. Or is the UK government so filled with hatred of the EU it can’t bring itself to even communicate with it for the good of its own citizens? Dave Collins (via website)
Pure discrimination I AM furious and upset! We have waited 18 months to be able to visit our families, some of whom we haven’t even met as they have been born during that time or are very old as is my mother who is 93. How can a holiday be more important than reuniting with loved ones after so long? In Spain we have our own digital app to prove vaccination with an approved vaccine. Why is this not valid if we live outside the UK? It is pure discrimination!
Answers needed THIS situation with non recognition of expats vaccines, in our case Astra Zeneca - a UK developed vaccine - should now be challenged in the courts. The British government should be held to account on the grounds of discrimination and misselling vaccines into the EU states. This raises a number of points and questions. Firstly, UK citizens abroad are being ignored by their own government Does this mean that the British government is saying that vaccines developed in the UK and sold to EU states are less potent because they are NOT administered by the UK NHS, but rather the EU states? Is there some information the British government is withholding about the Astra Zeneca vaccine, especially as the US is refusing to use it? Or is this a means of the UK government making money out of expats through test charges and quarantines/hotel expenses? The term ‘cash cow’ comes to mind. These questions should be put to Grant Schapps - and answers should be given ASAP! Karl Bickerton (by email)
Just despicable IT is quite despicable that the UK will not accept vaccination proof from Spain. There must be hundreds of us who are desperate to see our families. Totally unacceptable!
Kath Wood (by email)
Mike Eccleshall (by email)
OP QUICK Crossword Across 6 Hillock (5) 8 Snaps (6) 9 Fastened (8) 10 Cry at the end of an exam (4) 11 Adapts (5) 12 Artic's load (7) 15 Language-garbling clergyman (7) 16 Deep ditch (5) 18 Iris (4) 20 Job vacancies (8) 21 Accumulations of rocky debris (6) 22 Fashion's --- Karan (5)
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12
LA CULTURA
Changing sides
SPAIN has approved a draft bill on LGBTI rights that will allow transgender people over 14 to change their legal gender without medical diagnosis or hormone therapy. The cabinet of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez approved the controversial draft bill a day after World Pride Day. The draft bill will now go to a public hearing before another reading in the cabinet before being put to the vote in Spain’s Congress. “This is an historic day after more than 15 years without any legislative progress,” Equality Minister Irene Montero said in a news conference.
July 15th - July 28th 2021
Jurassic Park New species of dinosaur discovered in Spain
NEW BEAST: never discovered before
By Glenn Wickman
A NEW species of dinosaur has been discovered in Spain. Investigators working at the Portell de Morella (Els Ports) archaeological dig in Castellon have unearthed fossilised remains of the previously unknown species, which they have named Portellsaurus sosbaynati. Similar to an iguanodon or large iguana, the crea-
AN investigation is ongoing to see if a skeleton found in the Real Alcazar of Sevilla could be those of a noble child. The remains of the four-year-old girl were found under the main altar, suggesting that she was the daughter of a very prominent family dating back to the 15th century.
Discovery
The discovery was made in April during work being carried out in the chapel of the Gothic Palace, in view of the restoration project of its ceramic tiles. A preliminary survey to study the possibility of installing an airing chamber to guarantee
ture measured eight metres long, weighed one tonne and lived in the area 130 million years ago. The large herbivore is said to be related to similar species that inhabited what is now China and Nigeria just
Noble find
the chapel’s preservation had revealed the funerary remains. The girl’s lead coffin contained the remains of the child, said to be in a relatively good state of preservation and dressed with fabrics, shoes, leather and mother-of-pearl buttons. Even parts of the girl’s hair remain. The quality of her clothing points to her being a member of a wealthy and possibly noble family. By the position of the bones when unearthed, her hands would have been folded across her chest when she was buried.
after the Jurassic period. Investigators reached their conclusions after uncovering a full jawbone in what has become one of the top spots in Spain for dinosaur discoveries, with up to 250 other items currently being tested at the lab. Spokespeople for the team explain that the jawbone has a set of characteristics that make the creature unique throughout the world. It is also the oldest species of dinosaur discovered so far in Castellon Province. The name Portellsaurus sosbaynati combines the site where the remains were found, Portell, with the Greek term sauros – ‘lizard’ – plus the surnames of Vicente Sos Banyat, the first scientist to receive an honorary doctorate by the UJI.
Sad remains AN archaeological dig in Valencia city centre has unearthed several small graves belonging to children. Experts working on the restoration of the Islamic wall in the Plaza del Angel this week discovered 10 individual burial sites. Archaeologists believe the young victims died during the siege of Valencia by Jaume I’s forces in 1094, when the inhabitants were unable to leave the city to bury their dead and therefore did so next to the wall, where the graves would be protected. Meanwhile, permission has been granted to excavate the tomb of the man considered to be Spain’s first fascist. Jose Maria Albiñana founded the far-right Spanish Nationalist Party in 1930 and is buried in Enguera (Canal de Navarres). It is thought that nine Republican soldiers executed during the Civil War could be buried beneath Albiñana’s mausoleum. Relatives of the deceased Republican militiamen have been given permission to dig for their remains.
DIG: Children’s remains have been found
Festive return
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Here come the girls! A NEW series recognising talented local women has been launched by the Alicante Institute of Cultura Jaun Gil-Albert. Called Alicante en femenino the series of lectures will feature outstanding women in the worlds of art, literature, science, sports, politics and gastronomy. Alicante writer, Jose Luis Ferris, opened the series with a session dedicated to poet Francisca Aguirre (Paca Aguirre), who passed away two years ago. Aguirre’s work has received many awards including Favourite Daughter of the City in 2012, the National Poetry Prize in 2011, and the National Prize for Letters in 2018. The events serve as a warm-up to the launch of the Son ellas concerts, in August, where talents including Sole Gimenez, Sara Baras and Leire Martínez will perform live.
Concert
OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 6 Knoll, 8 Photos, 9 Anchored, 10 Time!, 11 Gears, 12 Freight, 15 Spooner, 16 Gully, 18 Flag, 20 Openings, 21 Screes, 22 Donna. Down: 1 Skin-deep, 2 Mother tongues, 3 Spidery, 4 Contributions, 5 Boom, 7 Lark, 13 Hologram, 14 Remorse, 17 Bend, 19 Lack.
restrictions. The activities started last Saturday and continue today (Thursday) at 9pm with the Festive Music Concert at the Circo Theater - the Festive Music Concert,with the Orcelitana Lyrical Union. Tomorrow there will be another concert at 9.30pm in El Palmeral by the Oriol and the Ideales music groups. The festivities will end on Sunday at 12.15am with a fireworks display at the Seminary of San Miguel.
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FESTIVALS have returned to the Vega Baja with Orihuela’s popular ‘Moors & Christians’ week in full swing. Lasting until Sundays, activities have been
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14
LA CULTURA
July 15th - July 28th 2021
Hemingway, my dad and the bulls
In a moving tribute to her legendary father, American Deirdre Carney explains why she sorely misses running the bulls at July’s postponed San Fermin festival
I
T’S oddly invigorating to A fair few will be reading the wake up at seven in the morning paper where that day’s bulls are presented, morning with a analysing their hangover and attributes, insleep deprivation, and then cluding horn put yourself in slopes and fur the way of terror colour while siWe are just for the fun pping coffee. I ritualistic of it. pretend to note beings and the That’s what the details trying communion happens when to look far more of being there you go running relaxed than I with six half-ton feel. in this electric fighting bulls The agony of atmosphere at Pamplona’s the last 30 miwhere fear famed San Fernutes before the and adrenaline rockets blast at min festival. 8am, (when the It will be around and joy are bulls are relea7.15am when I all mixed into stroll up to the sed) and your one is barriers by the life is quite posincredible old Hostal Marsibly on the line, is nearly unbeaceliano, now a civic building, rable. and greet my But for me, thefriends who will also be run- re is (usually) no turning back. It just so happens my father, ning the bulls that morning.
“
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THRILL: Deirdre and dad Matt run with the bull
Matt Carney, was the first foreigner famed for his bull running skills. An Irish-American WW2 Mari-
ne Officer who was shot and wounded on Iwo Jima, he started his career at San Fermin by meeting and getting in
a fist fight with legen- d a r y writer Ernest Hemingway. That’s a longer story, but let’s just say, they both deserved it.
He ran as well as the Navarrans, the locals used to say and he did it for 30 years from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Never standing still APARI 2.0 launched to help you with HMRC tax declarations by Emilia Carvell
A
S Olive Press readers we know that you have become familiar with APARI and our mission to educate all taxpayers about Making Tax Digital, and making the transition to this new tax system, as seamless as possible. Which is why we are happy to announce that APARI 2.0 is now live! APARI has been a labour of love for our founders Sudesh & Anita Sud, and the whole team is really proud of what’s been achieved by the original APARI Product but staying ahead of an emerging market means we have to adapt and adjust with our users and their tax requirements. That is why we have taken our extensive MTD expertise and knowledge alongside feedback from existing users, and developed a software that will not only help navigate the new taxation rules, but will also help users keep a track of all of their
business income and expenditure. As showcased during our March Webinar, the upcoming upgrade of the software includes enhanced features designed to make your transition to Making Tax Digital (MTD) as smooth as possible. APARI has been created with you in mind - it is not only a tool to calculate and submit tax, but also to manage your property and business portfolio. Our brand new mobile application will enable you to keep up to date on the go, and amazing features such as snap and save receipts along with bank feed connection, will make digital record-keeping near effortless. Some things will stay the same - APARI is still HMRC recognised and will continue to educate our users about all things tax. For more information on MTD, visit the HMRC website.
So, how do you know that APARI is the right product for you? Well, to be honest, that's something only you can decide - but the joy of APARI is that you can sign up and start your journey for free! And, even if you’re still unsure, it really is the best time to prepare and start digital record-keeping, ready for the official switch to MTD in 2023. For all the latest information and advice visit www.apari-digital.com
LA CULTURA
July 15th - July 28th 2021
15
ls while (right) the photo of Matt impaled that was on the living room wall
I have seen photos and videos feeling like it. I was hooked. and it is true. He was graceful, That was in 2010 and after he seemed fearless, he smiled that I moved to Spain and transcendently, and he had ti- started going to smaller fesming. He was never running tivals around Navarra and away from, but actually run- running in places like Tafalla, ning with the bulls, which is Larraga and Estella, trying to learn more. exactly the point. The way he described it, it was I had days when I was braver an act of spiritual convergen- than others. I had runs where ce with the herd, of being ac- I slunk out just after the rocket, cepted by them. You are not not feeling it, and somewhere the antagonist, but a brother. along the line I managed to You may run side by side, or get accepted into this colourful ‘on the horns’ meaning right group of bulls and men. in front of the bull, in perfect This endeavour seems to atrhythm. It’s spectacular athle- tract mostly men. The best ticism mixed with mental acui- answer I get to why women ty and bravery. It is pure joy, don’t run the bulls is simply better translated in Spanish as that they are not that stupid. It is rather pointless in a conalegria. When I was a child I asked my crete way, though perhaps dad if he would teach me how not in a traditional-ritual conto run and he said: “Why sure text. Male chauvinists claim - when you’re old enough. us women are not physically Just, uh… just don’t tell your or mentally equipped to run mother.” I will never know if with the bulls. However, on he meant it as he any given mordied shortly after ning, neither Male when I was still are many of the little. male particichauvinists In my late teens pants. and early twenAnd then there claim women are the young ties I attended are not up to male foreigners San Fermin but who are often I just wanted to bull running full of bravado party. I finally but completely went to learn clueless as to about the bulls with my dad’s old friend, Bom- what it all entails. ber (“Don’t yell my name in an The most clear danger I was ever in was in 2014 when an airport”, he used to say). He had long white hair and infamous Miura, among the sunglasses he never took off. fiercest breeds of bull, slipped He was the first person to and fell at the back of the agree to show me the way of herd. the bull run, or encierro, as it’s A bull on its own will become known in Spanish. “Because relentlessly aggressive. This that’s what your dad did for one was no exception and I had also tripped and fallen me and others,” he told me. He plonked me in a corner of just ahead of him. The bull, the encierro (the streets barri- named Olivete, looked at me caded for the run), and then and then gored an Australian the rockets blew, the crowd and two or three more guys surged and the bulls literally right in front of me. flew by clopping on the cob- Somehow I survived by stanblestones. ding stock still like a statue When they were gone and I plastered against the wall. The was left standing there, appa- game is Don’t Move a Hair. rently still alive, there was no I was wearing a ridiculous li-
nen jacket and had make-up on, because my father had apparently worn a suit out of respect for the Miuras. I felt absurdly overdressed but thought grimly, if you get gored by a bull, you might as well look your best. The street had cleared considerably and only the most experienced runners were left trying to entice the bull away from those of us stuck along the walls. People on the balconies screamed above us in unison each time the bull charged someone. Reality shifted to a dreamlike quality. After a surreal amount of time, I managed to sprint up the street in bursts when the bull was not looking my way, finally sliding through sawdust and grime under a barrier to safety. The adrenaline rush from that left me shaking on and off for hours, even after a couple of glasses of brandy. My father was gored in 1977, incidentally by a Miura, not long before I was born. I watched a video of him speaking about it from the hospital, possibly on some very good drugs. There was no pain, he said, just that feeling of blood flowing out of his leg, of life flowing. It reminded him of being wounded on Iwo Jima. He told the interviewer that he simply went deep into himself and remained calm - it was unfolding as it should unfold.
I grew up with a graphic photo of the goring on my living room wall, my dad swinging by his leg on the bull horn, which gives a kid some life perspectives I guess. He loved that photo. In a world so driven by the fear of death and an obsession with safety, some people still seek the feeling of confronting it. It’s a ritual played out in many different ways across human cultures. This ritual happens to be one of the most exciting and dangerous still left on the planet. A lot of the foreigners are vete-
rans who have seen battle and many say the bull run is therapeutic for them. “I can finally feel something again,” one told me having seen unspeakable things as a medic in Afghanistan. As the clock nears 8am, we move somewhere to sing our prayers to the saint San Fermin. I can usually barely stand. I am so nervous - no matter how many times – and we sing: A San Fermin pedimos… We sing once in Spanish, then in Basque three times over, asking that San Fermin protects us in the bull run.
INTENSITY: Bulls leap over men at the entrance to the ring
We are ritualistic beings and the communion of being there in this electric atmosphere where fear and adrenaline and joy are all mixed into one overwhelming yet strangely beautiful emotion, is a rare experience and one I will always love. The final song is sung one minute before the rocket goes. We yell VIVA! GORA! and move to our spots. My hair is usually standing on end. BAM, BAM the rockets go, the pen is opened, and your destiny barrels down on you.
The
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FINAL WORDS
EL Gordo Christmas lottery tickets are now on sale throughout Spain, with a whopping €2.4 billion up for grabs in the draw on December 22.
High steaks HEALTH minister Alberto Garzon receives a mixed response after launching a campaign to encourage Spaniards to eat less meat, following research that Spain consumes more than any other EU country.
Oh, pants! ALMORADI City Council has put out a warning to residents that having visible washing lines or satellite dishes on terraces and balconies may incur fines.
VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR www.theolivepress.es FREE Vol. 1 Issue 17
NOMOPHOBIA A SPANISH study has discovered that a large proportion of young people experience moderate levels of nomophobia: the fear/anxiety of not having access to a mobile phone. The University of Granada study showed that nomophobia comes from a fear of not being able to reply to messages, a lack of phone or data coverage and an inability to interact with social media.
Deduced
The investigators deduced that nomophobia is related to ‘fomo’ (fear of missing out) and to dependence on mobile phones for carrying out everyday activities. They also found out that, through the study of the 880 nursing students, experiencing nomophobia can lead to problems in peoples’ daily lives. For instance, the anxiety it causes can cause issues in work/study productivity and quality of life (in terms of rest, social relations and eating habits).
Your expat
voice in Spain July 15th - July 28th 2021
Got it licked
Battle for the statue
A COURT has delayed the removal of a monument celebrating a fascist victory during the Spanish Civil War. The Monument to the Battle of Ebro celebrates a decisive defeat of the Republican army in 1938 by Nationalist forces led by Franco. The 45-metre high memorial, which was inaugurated by dictator Franco in 1966, is the latest symbol in an ongoing battle between Spain’s left-wing government which seeks to remove all remnants of the late dictator and those who oppose it. Campaigners in Tortosa, a town of 33,000 inhabitants, launched a legal battle to oppose attempts by the pro-independence Catalan regional authorities to remove the statue. The Friends of the Monument in Tortosa argue that author-
Court halts efforts to remove Franco monument after campaign by locals By Graham Keeley
ities should respect the result of a 2016 referendum in which 68% of local people voted to save the statue. “They are overriding the interests of local people to suit the political interests of Barcelona. We are not in favour of Franco or against,” lawyer Alejandro Hernandez told Olive Press. Hernandez said the monument bears no trace of the Franco regime. Lourdes Ciuro, the Catalan justice minister, said she was confident the memorial would be removed later this month. “It is a fascist monument which honours one side who won the
war,” she added. Spain’s left-wing government ordered Franco’s remains to be removed from the Valley of the Fallen, a huge mausoleum outside Madrid, in 2019.
ANIMALS at a Spanish nature park have been keeping cool in the recent hot weather thanks to some specially-made ice lollies. Mundomar staff came up with a lolly range to cater for the different diets needed at the Benidorm park. For example, the lemurs got an ice and vegetable mixture while it was a fish-themed lolly for the otters and meat combined with ice for the meerkats. Staff and visitors were able to enjoy watching the animals using different techniques to eat the lollies. These ranged from biting them and throwing them on the ground through to old-fashioned licking! Experts said that one bonus was that they had their senses invigorated by the icy treats because they were something that the animals were not used to.