Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 339

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Vol. 13 Issue 339 www.theolivepress.es March 18 - March 31, 2020

Olive Press online YOUR ONLINE PORTAL TO TRUST It has been the fastest moving story in our 14 years of publishing... and we have hardly stopped to draw breath.

Over a MILLION people have visited our site over the last few days thanks to our coverage of the coronavirus online with hourly updates throughout the weekend.

7,960

globally

SIMPLE MESSAGE: Sunbed orders to tourists in Benidorm to stay indoors and (right) British expats on the Costa del Sol taking precautions

The civil war Expats join 99% of Spaniards in huge (and good humoured) battle to beat spread of covid-19 virus

EMPTY streets, trucks of soldiers and border closures.

This past week has left Spain looking like the set of a post-apocalyptic thriller.

With the country’s coronavirus cases nearing 12,000 as of Tuesday, it is at least comforting to know decisive action is being taken by the government.

Amid the lockdown, acts of heart-warming humanity have also shone through, with residents coming out on their balconies and erupting in applause to show appreciation for doctors working around the clock to battle the virus.

Others meanwhile prepared food for the most vulnerable, while Chinese residents in Cordoba donated thousands of masks and medicines.

Elsewhere, people walking fake dogs, a man taking out the rubbish in a dinosaur costume and Pornhub lifting its paywall have provided some much needed comic relief.

Meanwhile, a raft of famous faces joined an urgent appeal for residents to stay at home - including Malaga icon Antonio Banderas and Flamenco star Sara Baras.

And the appeal seems to have helped as streets nationwide have stayed empty with around 99% of non-urgent journeys and outings were curtailed.

The massive clampdown on free movement, not seen since the Spanish Civ-

il War, is already thought to be helping in the vital effort to stop the rapid infection rate of the COVID-19 virus.

With all restaurants, cinemas, shops and most other businesses shut, there is - to be fair - almost nowhere for locals to go.

While the Olive Press pictured three women sitting on a bench smoking in Marbella and two runners jogging together near Estepona, the vast majority of streets were empty.

At 6pm on Monday evening there was nobody on Sabinillas’ normally busy beach, nor more than a handful of cars on the main N-340 motorway.

A garage attendant in Casares told the Olive Press it was quiet on Monday, but ‘even quieter’ yesterday.

“We have had so few people coming in today. It is quite a surprise. People really are staying at home,” he said.

He added that the majority of clients were buying gas bottles or loaves of bread.

This message of public responsibility was driven home by police in Benidorm, who spelt out the words ‘stay at home’ on a beach using sunbeds.

Crisis special, p2-7

It is, of course, a horrorshow for all of us with businesses in tourism, retail or catering.

But we are all in the same boat and now you are all stuck at home, trying to stay healthy, we are working even harder to ensure we keep you up to date on the latest news from around the country.

# 177 # 245

News on the spread of the virus, what you can and cannot do, and plenty of ideas on how to get by at home.

Remember with the Olive Press online you are not alone. It is not for nothing we are now in the world’s top 10,000 most visited websites (see above) and in the top 250 in the UK and Spain. Our team of over a dozen writers are out and about making sure you are abreast of everything you need to know... visit:

www.theolivepress.es ...OH, AND 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

Find out more on Page 7

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834

See pages 27

TM

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CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL

www.theolivepress.es

Catch these scammers

March 18th - March 31st 2020

With coronavirus fear taking a grip, the Olive Press exposes a Spanish firm cashing in on people’s fear and paranoia

EXCLUSIVE

By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

A COMPANY in Madrid is conning nervous people and cashing in on the coronavirus

Marching orders THE army has been drafted into the major Spanish cities as the country’s fight against coronavirus ramps up.

So far Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Leon and Zaragoza have seen troops from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) deployed.

Soldiers were dispatched to

pandemic that has taken over the globe.

Ecomerzpro is charging a staggering €49.95 for a face mask, which can usually be found on sites such as aliex-

press.com for around €3.40 (per pair).

The Spanish company which also distributes across the globe is audacious enough to label the masks ‘discount-

ed’ from an original price of €99.90.

They’ve named this product SafeMask and claim it’s ‘the best protection against viruses,’ taking advantage of des-

clean up swathes of the capital, which officials feared may have been infected by large crowds.

All units are being commanded by General Miguel Angel Villarroya.

The move comes as military personnel were granted the authority to issue orders to the public after Spain entered a state of emergency.

The military will have the power to control the streets and limit freedom of movement, in a boost to back the police.

Fines issued on curfew breakers A MASSIVE three dozen fines have already been levied on people breaking the virus curfew in the Axarquia.

Eagle-eyed cops in Rincon de la Victoria issued 15 sanctions on locals found out on the streets.

A further dozen fines were also issued in nearby Torrox, whose mayor Oscar Medina issued a stern warn-

SINGLE IMPLANT

ing against law breakers.

Everyone is confined to their homes except for urgent and necessary journeys, including trips to the supermarket and chemists. Meanwhile, council cleaning teams have been out in the streets disinfecting municipal areas and all furniture and parks.

IMPLANT BRIDGE

perate people.

To make matters worse, the name SafeMask has already been trademarked by Canadian company Medicom – stealing intellectual property.

This week, the Olive Press found another company, Origo International, based in South Africa, selling the same FFP2 quality masks – with all the relative certificates – for just €2.94.

The company’s spokesperson, Nicholas Tsaperas told the Olive Press: “We’re sitting on 60,000 units here and just want to help in any way that we can.

“We know there’s a shortage in Europe but we’re selling them at normal prices, not inflated.

“We are not looking to make a profit at the expense of desperate people.”

Ecomerzpro, which trades in other items apart from face masks as well, is not known for its trustworthiness or good quality service.

It has an abysmal rating of 1.5 stars on Google reviews, 1.2 stars on Trustpilot and 1.3 stars on Facebook.

Ecomerzpro was approached for comment but failed to respond before we went to print.

IMPLANT DENTURE

www.theolivepress.es

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL

Referendum OFF GIBRALTAR’s referendum on abortion has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The landmark public vote had been set for March 19, but was called off to ‘protect the elderly’. The decision was agreed upon by the Rock’s main political leaders.

Euros OFF

EURO 2020 has been postponed due to coronavirus.

The European football tournament has been pushed back a year.

It comes after a high level UEFA meeting also agreed to push back the Champions League and Europa League back by a month.

Jobs in peril TENS of thousands of workers are facing redundancy in Andalucia as the coronavirus takes hold.

At least 12,000 workers are to lose their jobs in the hotel sector on the Costa del Sol alone, while a similar number could be out of work from restaurant closures.

Thousands more are set to lose their jobs at the airport, in car hire businesses and in the entertainment industry.

But the biggest losers are in the hotel sector, with over 90% of tourists cancelling holidays in March and April, with May and June also looking vulnerable.

A total of 44 hotels have al-

Thousands laid off in unprecedented scything of tourism industry just before Easter ready confirmed they are to close this week on the Costa del Sol. Dozens more, including British-run Molino del Santo, near Ronda, has confirmed it will not open this Spring (see story

Shutting for the season TOURIST BACKLASH: A visitor to Ronda crosses its famous bridge with a mask on this week

Emergency line for Gib A PUBLIC Information call centre has been set up to provide enquiries over the virus.

The GHA’s 111 phone line was previously bombarded with calls asking for advice when it should have been used for coronavirus emergencies.

A new line has therefore been set up to provide vital information.

The phone line, +350 200 41818, will be active 24 hours a day.

A WELL known rural hotel is to close ‘for the season’ due to the coronavirus.

Expat hotelier Andy Chapell, revealed his 32 year old Molino del Santo hotel, near Ronda, may not open until the summer.

The father-of-two told the BBC he had no choice due to the massive effect the shutdown was having on his 20-room business and restaurant.

“Normally we’d be opening at the end of March and we employ 24 members of staff who would start working this week.

“We met them last Friday to tell them that there’s no way we’re going to be opening this season,” he continued.

The hotel, which has been voted as the ‘Most Romantic Hotel in Spain’, has been badly hit by the virus.

“Every email we get at the moment is cancellations,” he continued.

There is one silver lining that at least all the locals will look after each other in these troubling times.

“The staff are all from a village of 1,800 people, which is a tight knit community, we all look out for each other, no one is going to starve,” he said.

29 families in peril ONE of Andalucia’s leading restaurants has been forced to shut ‘for at least a month’ from the virus.

The decision to shut double Michelin-star Bardal, in Ronda, leaves an alarming 29 families in danger, revealed a member of staff.

Somelier Miguel Conde, told the Olive Press: “It is a nightmare. We all depend on this work and we don’t really know when we will reopen.

“The fact that Semana Santa has also been cancelled makes it even worse as that’s a key period for us.”

below).

The numbers are set to be considerably higher around Andalucia with industry bosses already confirming that nearly 250 hotels are set to close around the region.

Hundreds more could shut over the next few weeks, confirmed the Federation of Andalucia Hotel Owners.

Its president Luis Callejon revealed it was just the tip of the iceberg and, he believes, it is only a matter of weeks before all 500 main hotels in the region are closed.

The rush of tourists to airports to get home amid fears of travel bans has only hurried the closures, he explained.

He believes most won’t consider opening until June, many later than that.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez estimated the amount of temporary jobs lost around Spain due to the virus will easily go over 100,000 in a speech last night.

Regionally, Granada has seen the most hotel closures with 70; followed by Jaen, with 64; Malaga (44); Cordoba (30); Almeria (22); Cadiz (20); and Sevilla with 17.

Most airlines are warning of big job losses, with BA’s Chief Executive, Alex Cruz, describing the situation as, ‘a crisis of global proportions like no other we have known’.

Iberia has also slashed its flight capacity by 75% in the midst of border closures and a lack of bookings.

Rental cars and taxis are feeling the pinch also, while Phil Carr of Alpha Parking said: “I had four cancellations on Sunday morning from parking clients who have changed plans to leave. It has been the same every day.”

The Spanish government has now pledged up to €200 billion to buffer the economy and boost unemployment benefits and aid workers.

March 18th - March 31st 2020

3

In good company

LEADER: PM Sanchez and Begona Gomez WITH coronavirus sweeping Spain and 145 other countries, it appears that nobody is safe from the viral infection.

Covid-19 is not picky about who it chooses to infect, with politicians, actors and athletes among those to have tested positive.

In Spain, Vox leader Santiago Abascal and his number two Javier Ortega Smith have both succumbed to the virus.

So too has the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Begona Gomez, along with Madrid Mayor Isabel Diaz VOX: Abascal and the President of Catalunya Quim Torra.

Best-selling 70-year-old Chilean author Luis Sepulveda also tested positive in Oviedo, while Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta has succumbed.

Football’s other confirmed victims here also include various Valencia players, while in the UK Chelsea winger Callum Hudon-Odoi has it.

Hollywood meanwhile, PRESIDENT: Torra has not remained untouched with hunk Idris Elba, from London, getting infected, as well as Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.

STARS: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson The pair tested positive while shooting Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley movie in Australia, and are now isolating.

Other silver screen heavyweights, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson, have posted pictures online of themselves donning masks.

And even the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is worried, and warning people to stay at home and to ‘listen to the experts, ignore the morons.’

HUNK: Idris Elba

4

www.theolivepress.es

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL

AGONY Property ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Coronavirus Crisis: Deadlines on Legal and Administrative issues Marbella lawyer Antonio Flores on some key procedural matters affected by Spain’s State of Alarm decree

The Royal Decree 463/2020 has immediately locked down the country, limiting the movement of citizens around Spain.

The measures brought in by the government will impact numerous contracts, court cases, tax applications, administrative matters, residency applications, etc.

Here are some of the most important legal implications: appointments, collection of residency cards, tourist visa deadlines (if someone Courts: Court deadlines and cases will is in Spain and needs to leave within a be delayed, and specific terms in the pro- specific period, they will not be in violacedural laws for all jurisdictional orders tion of Spanish immigration laws) etc are suspended. They will resume as and when the royal decree ceases to be in Private contracts: Ongoing private coneffect. Any statute of time limitations to tracts are not dealt with by the Royal Debring a case against within the criminal cree; however, the principle of ‘force maor civil courts will be stayed jeure’ or superior force can and must be applied by parties to a private contract Taxes or Administrative Matters: If you when, in the event of an extraordinary have a tax deadline or need to submit a event or circumstance beyond the control writ in any administrative procedure, do of the parties (plague), it prevents one not worry: all deadlines or terms are in- or both parties from fulfilling their obliterrupted until this royal decree ceases gations under the contract. In practice, to be in effect. It is possible to submit most force majeure clauses do not exapplications on any aspect of adminis- cuse a party’s non-performance entirely, trative law provided the procedures can but only suspend it for the duration of the be done online even if all deadlines are crisis. Our advice here is for parties to extended renegotiate terms and conditions of the agreement, adapting to the situation and Immigration matters: As above, all dead- working together and not against each lines will be interrupted. This includes ap- other, with a view to find constructive plying for residency renewals, fingerprint solutions that suit both parties.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

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Budget battle RYANAIR has finally been forced to help its worried customers.

The global low cost airline is waiving the controversial flight change fee on all bookings in March and April.

Many clients still took to social media to complain that this wasn’t enough and that they should get full refunds.

They also complained that they still had to pay the difference in price for the new flights they intended to book on.

March 18th - March 31st 2020

Father and sons split up by Spanish police on Gibraltar border, as coronavirus lockdown kicks in

Torn apart EXCLUSIVE

By John Culatto

Booking giant outrage GLOBAL booking site Booking.com has sparked outrage among its many hotel clients in Spain when it advised travellers to cancel their bookings over virus fears.

The site worsened an already awful situation for most hotel and apartment owners when it sent out a warning text message this week to anyone travelling over the next few weeks.

Despite the small print apparently protecting struggling owners, Booking.com overruled them and gave most travellers’ entire deposits back.

“It is a shocking decision as many businesses are attempting to stay open to save jobs and their livelihoods and in any case the forced closure ends in under two weeks,” said one hotel owner in Marbella.

THE human cost of the coronavirus pandemic has been laid bare, with the tragic separation of a dad and his kids in Gibraltar.

In scenes reminiscent of 1969, when General Franco closed the frontier with Spain, Glenn Cunningham was stopped from picking up his sons, 11 and 12, from La Linea.

The trio remained apart for hours after Spanish police prevented Cunningham from picking them up from Spain.

Sleepover

The two brothers had been enjoying a sleepover at their friend’s house.

“The frontier police didn’t let me go over even to pick the kids up even though I was coming into Gibraltar straightaway,” Cunningham told the Olive Press.

“To get out of Gibraltar into Spain, they’re asking for documents to prove that you live or work in Spain.

“Without any proof that you either live or have a work

REUNITED: Glenn with his boys at last contract in Spain they’re not letting anyone cross the frontier.”

In the end, the father asked his friend to bring the boys to the frontier.

“The problem was my friend didn’t have his passport so he had to persuade the Spanish police to help,” Cunningham added.

“They then arranged with the Gibraltarian border guards to authorise them to come through on their own.”

In the end, it all worked out fine and Cunningham was happily reunited with his kids.

However, according to other residents it hasn’t been as easy for other Gibraltarians.

EXCLUSIVE: Olive Press grills Twitter sensation Doctor Chen on his daily corona diary Doctor Yale Tung Chen, 35, of La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, became an overnight celebrity after posting daily tweets about the development of his Covid-19 symptoms during self-isolation at his home.

He told the Olive Press: “The support I have received from around the world has made having the illness a whole lot easier.”

Chen is currently ten days into the symptoms, which, in his case, have included a bad

headache, persistent cough, sore throat and fatigue.

The father-of-two posted daily ultrasounds on the state of his lungs, checking for signs of pneumonia, which is the most threatening aspect of the disease.

Mild signs have appeared but he says he is feeling better.

“They say it should be over in seven days but we have found it might take a little longer,” he says. “Once I have no symptoms at all, I will retest myself.”

Working in a hospital, Chen

was able to do a test for the virus as soon as he started to feel off colour.

Others in Spain don’t have it so easy.

In fact, a temperature of 39ºC, a dry cough and headache will not get you confirmation – direct contact with someone else testing positive will.

“It probably makes sense for anyone who is mildly symptomatic to just stay at home and use common cold treatment,” he says.

According to some sources, the virus cannot survive temperatures of over 26ºC or 27ºC, suggesting a warm spell of weather or drinking hot fluids could be the answer. But that is not something Chen could verify.

“What I understand from the Chinese experience is that the virus gets killed at 56ºC, so I wonder if drinking hot fluids would be enough,” he says.

“And in any case, we can’t reach that temperature in our bodies.”

Whether the pandemic will stretch into the summer is anyone’s guess, but Chen likes to think the Spanish government is taking the right measures shutting down the country.

Gradually coming out the other end, Chen jokes he is in need of a rest.

“I’ve been doing so many medical papers, reading articles and answering people on Twitter,” he says. “My wife tells me that is why I am taking so long to get better!”

6

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 one million people a month.

OPINION

Different strokes COMPARING Spain and the UK’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic is like comparing chalk and cheese.

While Spain seems to have the people’s health as a first priority, for the UK it seems to be about the economy.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday told people in Britain to avoid pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Unlike in Spain, he refused to make closures mandatory, which would have allowed the affected businesses to claim compensation.

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez has been quick to react to the coronavirus crisis. He refused to outlaw large public gatherings and then imposed heavy fines on anyone leaving home.

Johnson explained last week he would not be shutting schools, while telling people with symptoms to self-isolate for just a week - no mention of social distancing or other suggested measures.

Not much had changed as the number of cases in the UK surpassed 1,500 yesterday. By contrast, Spain began closing schools on March 9 when it had just over 1,000 cases. It has now brought in a total clampdown, which while horrific for the tourist industry, will hopefully slow down the spread of the virus.

Thank God we live in Spain, where the government has vowed to do everything it can to cushion the blow for small and medium businesses and workers. This week it brought in an unprecedented package of payments to companies and individuals who are set to suffer and ruled that mortgage payments will be suspended in April and this could be extended. A total of €200 billion has been set aside to try to help. It is also set to approve a bill that will allow SMEs and freelancers (autonomos) to delay their tax payments by six months.

While London, the economic engine of Britain, is seeing the fastest spread of coronavirus in the UK with over 400 cases, the real numbers are hard to know because health authorities there have stopped testing people who do not need hospitalisation.

Yet no businesses had been ordered to close as we went to press while people have only been ‘advised’ to not attend events like the St Patrick’s Day celebrations tonight.

A former director of the World Health Organisation revealed: “You test the population like crazy, find out where the cases are, immediately quarantine them and do contact tracing and get them out of the community. This deals with family clusters. That’s the key bedrock of getting this under control.”

That was the approach by Spain, which worked tirelessly to trace the origin of each of its infections as it began to spread across the territory. And despite these measures, it now has over 11,000 cases.

The whole country is therefore on lockdown for at least two weeks, with all businesses closed - apart from a few essential stores - and people ordered to remain in their homes.

It is a horrible business, particularly for most expat businesses, which are going to really suffer. But there’s a comfort in knowing that the government is taking a decisive approach to this unprecedented crisis. And the virus will finally abate.

Then we can all work out how to pick up the pieces.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL

Cabin fever

The Olive Press presents a Survival guide for parents at home with their children during quarantine. By Cristina Hodgson

D

OES it feel like a crowded house?

Are you crawling the walls? Got cabin fever already?

With schools, parks and playgrounds off limits, the answer is almost certainly a unified cry of YES! In fact, for many, the fortnight ahead may feel somewhat daunting.

Energetic children locked indoors with their parents, working remotely or simply because they have no choice.

It is a potentially explosive combination.

Being stuck indoors with no school or social contact with friends to break the daily routine may trigger some rebellion and frustrated behaviour from the kids (and perhaps not just the little ones).

Take my advice, the first thing is to establish is a new daily routine.

Routines are essential for children, as they give them security and peace of mind.

Establishing routines at home to encourage their autonomy, making them participate in the preparation of meals, in the cleaning of the house, setting play schedules, homework and daily exercise will make them find an order in all this uncertainty.

Here we select 20 easy activities to help keep children entertained - and parents sane - during lockdown:

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2. Foot drawings: Are you able to write your name with your foot or draw a house? You may find you surprise yourself, but you’re guaranteed a giggle in attempting to master the pen with your toes 3. Plant a seed: Take a lentil or chickpea and plant it in some wet cotton.

Watch it grow

12. Catwalk: Anything goes. Open the wardrobe and play with impossible combinations.

13. Family tree: Outline your own family tree, see how far back you can go.

14. Create bookmarks: With paper, cardboard, stickers, magazine cutouts... design your best bookmark!

15. Hot and cold: Hide an object. The only clues you can give for someone else to find it is ‘cold’ for far and ‘hot’ for near. The more difficult the hiding place, the better 16. Chinese whispers: Think of a strange phrase. Now pass it to whoever is on your right, but say it very quickly.

What comes out in the end? Perhaps you could try it in Spanish and put your language skills to test

4. Homemade Puppets: Find some old socks, sew some buttons on them as eyes, and make your own puppet show

17. Homemade Tent: Collect fabrics and blankets and set up your own tent, where you can tell stories and have a titbit

5. Hide messages around the house: Take some post-its and hide surprise messages around the house; you’re sure to get a smile out of the person who finds them

7. Play volleyball with a balloon: If you have a balloon, blow it up and play a game of volleyball in the living room

Publisher / Editor

Joshua Parfitt joshua@theolivepress.es

1. Spider’s web: Turn the hall into a spider’s web: with tape or wool... you have to go through it but without touching it!

6. Pillow fight: Nothing like a pillow fight to release tension and laugh out loud

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Charlie Smith charlie@theolivepress.es

March 18th - March 31st 2020

8. Equilibrist: With a ribbon or wool, walk over it as if it were a tightrope walker’s cable. It’s not as easy as it looks!

The Must Do’s for kids at home Make sure to include in the new daily routine: 1. Normal chores, (meals, bath, breaks, homework), 2. Housework (helping to make the bed, setting the table, removing dishes from the table) will help children feel useful and positive about themselves.

3. Daily exercise: Lack of physical exercise can increase a child’s irritability and stress that can affect his or her emotional state. Add music and dance to the daily routine. Jumping competitions on who can jump higher or jump over obstacles. If you live in a house with stairs, run up and down them a few times. However, make sure the exercises are done before 6pm to avoid activating your children too much before going to bed.

9. Treasure map: Hide an object and then draw a treasure map of your house, marking the spot with an X. Who can find it?

10. Collective drawing: Make any scribble on a piece of paper and then someone else has to complete the drawing and try to make it into a clearcut picture of something 11. Basketball: Use a bucket or a bin... Each time you move the ‘basket’ further away. Do you have a ‘Michael Jordan’ in the house?

18. Write a diary: Write down what you’ve done every day. It may not seem like much now, but it will become very, very special with time 19. Stranger for dinner: Have dinner with your family but pretend you don’t know each other. What would you talk about, how would you introduce yourself? Have fun!

20. Talk Nonsense: You say something, the next person answers with something that has nothing to do with what’s been said and so on. Let’s see who can go the longest without laughing.

Print out or write down the above list, cut out each idea and put them into a draw, pick one out and go have some fun!

Don’t forget the typical card and board games like UNO, snakes and ladders etc. Have a movie night (with popcorn), camp night, where everybody sleeps in the living room. Have fun with a bit of karaoke, musical statues, bake a cake.

The list is endless.

March 18th - March 17th 2020

7

Capital punishment Dispatch from Heather Galloway in Madrid

I

In scenes reminiscent of the civil war, the army is on the streets of Madrid and the locals are going mad at home. The Olive Press sent a reporter out onto the streets to take their temperature

T’S not exactly the Civil War or a scene from the 1936 Battle of Madrid when the Republican icon, La Pasionaria famously declared ‘No Pasarán!’, but there is a definite siege mentality in Madrid.

While Thursday March 12 saw a number of people trying to maintain some semblance of normality with people still eating out on terraces, by Friday 13, the streets were all but stripped bare of life with the chairs and tables of the street cafes and restaurants DESERTED: The Prado Museum was closed for first time in years piled and chained.

By Monday the army was on A state of emergency has And while chemists are stickeasily grasped in these parts, the streets! though there are some who Following Prime Minister been declared. Licenses for ing sold out signs for masks are clearly getting to grips Pedro Sanchez’s announce- restaurants, gyms and clubs and hand wash in their shop with it. ment that Spain will have have been suspended, and windows, on Thursday the “My wife and I had to stop 10,000 recorded cases of the the city’s dwellers were or- tactile Spaniards were still people from shaking our virus any time now, it seemed dered to retire to their homes. wrestling with restraint when hands at a meeting last like the Madrilenos finally “All the bars closing is the last it came to their customary week,” says journalist Anthohad no choice but to sit up straw in Spain,” laughs local greetings.

Luis Perez.

Distance is not a concept ny Luke. and take note.

“But then we went to a government office to ask for a document that was delivered by a man behind glass wearing a mask and gloves and were told it was uncivil of us to be there.”

The streets are now empty of people and also traffic. Like August, but without the tourists.

This is bad news for taxi vorce rates rising significantly contagion which depicts a bat- drivers, and as one driver

By Joanne Oakley since couples have been hav- tle against a mystery disease Julio tells me: “I’m not woring to spend more time togeth- are experiencing sales spikes ried about getting the virus er in self containment and increased viewing because I’m not getting any THERE are always winners clients!” and losers in any major global · Online dating sites are ex- Across the pond however, the Tourist numbers dropped by event like the coronavirus. periencing a surge in activity trend is slightly different but 45% in the capital, last week, And while many businesses, as more people are staying at maybe unsurprising, with guns while this week it is almost such as hotels, airlines and home due to social distancing and body armour sales shoot- down to none. stock markets, are reeling with the likes of Tinder using ing up.

They don’t exactly have anyfrom the shocking lockdown safety pop ups for those who However, coronavirus is of where to go as everything is and spread of Covid-19, some may be tempted to meet course having a detrimental are doing well. effect on entire business sec- shut, museums, restaurants Of course toilet roll, face · Netflix and other digital tors resulting in redundancies and bars. masks and hand sanitiser subscription services are of and businesses going into ad- Chinese shops, meanwhile, have had their shutters down brands are booming, as are course benefitting as people ministration. naturally supermarkets. will be sitting at home watch- Here in Spain, restaurants and for longer than most. “The But as the Olive Press has dis- ing a lot more television hotels are closing and some general feeling among the covered, here are 10 other in12,000 workers on the Costa Chinese,” says Luke, “is that the Spaniards are not takteresting businesses that are · Amazon is also surfing the del Sol are losing their jobs. doing well: coronavirus wave as it is re- A fleet of rental cars on the ing the whole thing seriously portedly taking on more staff Costa remain almost entirely enough and they are afraid of · Pornhub, the adult content as orders have spiked unused with thousands of can- being infected or re-infected.” company is offering a free cellations.

On Friday, Luke laughed month of premium content in · Deliveroo and other food A number of airlines are strug- when asked to draw parallels a bid to ‘help to pass the time takeaway agencies are thriv- gling with the likes of Jet2 can- with a wartime scenario but and keep ourselves enter- ing as restaurants have closed celling all flights and demand by this week he was having tained’. The porn site offered for many others plummeting second thoughts: “I thought this service in Italy initially, · Whatsapp, Skype and oth- due to restrictions on travel, last week that this is hardly rolling the deal out to Spain er digital connection services leading British Airways to conthe walking dead but now…” following lockdown at the have all registered an increase sider redundancies. weekend in use with people calling up High streets will feel the hit as For such a noisy and lively their loved ones instead of vis- they are shut down as non es- metropolis, the veil of silence that has fallen on Madrid · Sex toys company Womaniz- iting in a bid to fight isolation sential businesses. er has reported an increase in Those in the automotive indus- is nothing short of freakish. sales across Europe since the · Online gaming has seen a try have been asked to stay at Unlike the Brits, Spaniards are not ones to stay indoors spread of the virus. Perhaps boost as people are finding all home with factories closing. by those isolated from their sorts of ways to fight lonliness And also, those who are self or keep themselves to thempartners employed will also potential- selves. · Dean Koontz’s book, ly be at huge risk with calls It’s not in their nature. Which · Divorce lawyers are doing thought to have predicted the to cease the autonomo pay- is undoubtedly why Covid-19 well, with China reporting di- virus, along with a 2011 film, ments. has proved so virulent here.

Not getting stung! The winners in the Covid stakes

Olive Press online ‘Spain’s best English news website’

Users

1.8M

3.3 M 4.8 M

ON TOP: Olive Press website traffic for last four weeks

TOP 200

THE march of the coronavirus has helped the Olive Press website enter the highest echelons of the world’s top publishers.

Our online portal www.theolivepress.es is entering uncharted territory as it soars up into the world’s top 8000 sites.

The most trusted English website in Spain at 245th position, we are also making huge in-roads in both the UK and Ireland, where we also sit comfortably inside the Top 200 sites for each country, according to Alexa. com, owned by Amazon.

We put this down to consitently updated, relevent and well researched content.

Our hard-working team of over a dozen journalists and writers around Spain are first to the news that matters, on a daily and, even hourly, basis.

We also stick to the key stories that matter around the peninsula and its islands.

We are not interested in Eamonn Holmes’ tax bill, a shooting in a Manila shopping mall and, particularly, the death of the Monkees singer some 12 months late!

And nor are the 3.3 million visitors who came to our site over the last four weeks.

According to Google analytics (see above) they were treated to 4.8 million ‘hits’ (or pages read) on everything from the spread of the virus, to things to do at home and ways to avoid it.

The site has become the only resource expats interested in Spain need to use, not to mention tourists arriving here in their millions each month.

7,960

Visit www.theolivepress.es and see how much content we have... and if you’ve got a business just how much exposure we can give you.

# 177 # 245

Here are the top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: EXCLUSIVE: Tourist season in Spain’s Mallorca by coronavirus as major events cancelled 1and-crippled scared tourists cancel summer holidays (127,367 visitors)

Spain puts ENTIRE COUNTRY in lockdown citizens to their homes except for these 8 2-confining reasons (112,539) HAVE TOILET ROLL AND GIN’: Jet2 Briti3ying- ‘WE sh holidaymakers on Spain’s Costa del Sol enjobeach despite coronavirus lockdown (110,413) CORONAVIRUS: Spain’s Costa del Sol, Malaga and Guadalhorce declared ‘special containment 4- areas’ as cases in Andalucia top 100 (105,582) - EXCLUSIVE: Coronavirus ‘worries’ Costa del Sol and Andalucia hotels and restaurants as 5 holiday bookings plummet in Spain with 35 now dead (82,461)

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Safe and Sound

Time’s nearly up

A BRITISH man who went missing in Sotogrande has been found.

Jack Price who had disappeared last Monday was found in a hospital in Malaga, confused but in a good condition.

His sister, Jemma Price, posted on a group on Facebook called ‘Missing Jack Price’ that he had been found safe.

She wrote: “Please understand he is not well, we are trying to get the right help for him.”

WHERE ARE THEY? ANDALUCIA is the region with the most active cases of missing persons in Spain, with a total of 2,234.

A study by the Annual Report of Missing People in Spain 2020 registered a total of 202,259 reports from 2010 to 2019.

Of this total, 5,529 are still active cases with nearly half in Andalucia.

Cadiz has the most cases with 864, Granada 321, Malaga 292 and Almeria 262.

Valencia has the second highest number of missing people with 488 in total.

March 18th - March 31st 2020

THE net is tightening on one of the UK’s Most Wanted criminals.

That is, if you believe former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley, who has been on the trail of Liverpool fugitive Kevin Parle, 39, for years.

The ex-cop (left) is currently presenting a ten part podcast on the BBC called Manhunt - Finding Kevin Parle, where he details his movements around Europe.

Parle, who vanished in 2005, is believed to have been regularly on the Costa Blanca.

He was initially living in Torrevieja, where at six foot, six inches tall he was hard to miss.

The Olive Press believed it had spotted him visiting a museum in Madrid during the Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham last year.

Bleksley, who worked on Channel 4’s hit show Hunted, is ‘obsessed’ with finding Parle.

“I will not rest until I find him, I want him to know that, I will never stop,” he told the Olive Press.

See full story online at www.olivepress.es

bridging the gap A HUGE number of train tracks, tunnels and bridges need urgent repair around Spain.

Network chiefs at Adif have found 25 bridges, 59 tunnels and 135 embankments needing structural repair where damage is deemed ‘high risk’.

In particular four viaducts on the Cordoba to Malaga AVE line need to be repaired.

KEEP YOUR DIRTY MONEY! Spanish king rejects suspect inheritance from dad and reveals his state salary is to be scrapped SPAIN’S king has sought to distance himself from his disgraced father Juan

Carlos by rejecting any inheritance from him.

Felipe, 52, also announced

the former monarch, 82, would no longer be funded by the state.

It comes after Juan Carlos, who last year netted a €194,232 state salary, left the royals red-faced, following the Telegraph’s revelations of his secret link to offshore funds.

The UK newspaper revealed that Felipe was the ‘second beneficiary’ of a fund in Panama that was founded on a €65 million cash sum from Saudi Arabia.

It was also revealed that €5 million from the account was spent on private flights for the former king, who abdicated the throne in 2014.

Meanwhile, a Swiss probe has been launched into a fund named Foundation Zagatka, which also listed

FALL OUT: Between current and former king

Felipe as a potential recipient.

The Spanish Royal Family has denied Felipe’s knowledge of this, but said ‘if it were true’ then Felipe would not receive any of the money.

Harassment

Juan Carlos added to the royal statement that his son had no knowledge of the two funds.

Carles Puigdemont, the former President of the Generalitat, poured scorn on the ex-king, claiming he was using the coronavi-

rus pandemic ‘as a cover’ to get out the news.

“They have chosen this time to release it when everyone is obsessed by the pandemic,” the former Catalan leader said.

It comes as Juan Carlos’s ex-lover Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, claimed she’d been the victim of a ‘decade of harassment and intimidation’ from the Spanish Government.

Juan Carlos’s affair with the German became public after being injured on an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana.

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JUST as the costas were beginning to get used to 30°C temperatures and clear blue skies, winter has returned in full force.

Strong winds and snow have battered areas of higher altitude, including Ronda, the Sierra Nevada and Madrid.

What little early morning traffic was allowed to circulate ground to a halt between Ronda and San Pedro after a heavy blanket of snow.

The rapid change in weather has swept across the country, with areas above 700 metres being issued a weather warning of possible snow and heavy rainfall through Wednesday and Thursday.

STILL going round the bend ANOTHER lorry has crashed through a barrier at an infamous blackspot on Spain’s Costa del Sol. The heavy goods vehicle overturned and landed on the beach below as it tackled the tortuous bend on the A-7 motorway, in La Cala de Mijas.

There have been hundreds of crashes and a number of deaths at the same exact spot over the last decade.

On this occasion the driver walked away with only minor injuries.

LA CULTURA

Olé to gypsies

9

March 18th - March 31st 2020

Saving Spain’s ‘Stonehenge’

Junta de Andalucia finally backs law recognising their contribution to Spain’s iconic flamenco culture GYPSIES are at last to receive official recognition from Andalucia’s Junta

for their historic role in the creation of flamenco.

Officials in the region have

proposed a law to recognise, protect and support their contributions to the

genre.

The move, backed by all five of Andalucia’s parliamentary groups, would also see flamenco included as an official subject on the curriculum in Andalucian schools, a commitment already made to UNESCO.

UNESCO

Cheap as chips YOU can now snap up a Picasso for as little as €6,300.

The Malaga-born maestro’s ceramics will go on sale at a charity exhi-

bition at London’s Huxley-Parlour Gallery in Mayfair later this month.

Among the 24 pieces going for a song is a €6,300 ashtray called Bird with Worm, while the priciest is the Woman’s Face dish at €80,000.

The works are part of a 600-piece collection Picasso created in the 1950s during a 25-year collaboration with the Madoura Pottery workshop in Vallauris, France.

Raffle tickets are available for €99.

This would mean the preparation of new academic text books and a collaboration with gypsy artists to impart their knowledge in class.

Andalucia is the heartland of flamenco, a traditional artistic expression fusing song, dance and musicianship.

Flamenco is the badge of identity of numerous communities and groups, in particular the Gitano (Roma) ethnic community which has played an essential role in its development.

It has been recognised by Unesco as a universal art form since 2010.

last summer caused water levels to drop in the Valdecanas Reservoir, in Extremadura.

Known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, the megalithic monument consists of more than 100 standing stones with some standing OVER 8,000 people have signed a signaalmost two ture demanding that street names are not metres tall. changed back to supposedly fascist names The Junin Cordoba. ta de ExThe petition is demanding that the city hall tremadura doesn’t change the new Avenida del Flais studying a menco back to its old name of Cruz Conde. plan to have Meanwhile the town hall also wants to rethe rocks vert the so-called Calle Foro Romano to m o v e d Calle Vallellano, who was also related to the to higher old Franco regime. The Conde de Vallellano ground. was a minister in Franco’s government in

A PETITION to save Spain’s long lost ‘Stonehenge’ has reached almost 50,000 signatures.

The incredible stone circle appeared after record temperatures

Back to old ways

the 1950s.

Family drama Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This beautifully written debut novel

by Delia Owens is part murder mystery, part coming of age novel but mostly a story of survival and hope.

Kya lives in the marshlands of North Carolina. When she is six her mother walks out on the family leaving Kya with her brother, who leaves soon after, and her alcoholic and often violent father who spends less and less time at home and eventually disappears leaving Kya to fend for herself.

Labelled by the people of the local village as ‘swamp trash’ Kya keeps to herself, isolated, lonely and making money however she can.

The swamp and its wildlife become

her family. Time passes and her isolation grows until Tate, an old friend of her brother’s, befriends Kya and teaches her to read, opening up a world of possibilities to her.

It is a very well written tale of love, loss, murder, racism, social division and the human condition. €12.50, Available from The Bookshop San Pedro - www.thebookshop.es

10

March 18th - March 31st 2020

Stuck at home and not sure what to do with yourself? Beat the coronavirus lockdown with these virtual museum tours from home, writes Cristina Hodgson

A

LA CULTURA

See the Prado in your PJs

S coronavirus continues to dominate our daily lives, with Spain’s state of alarm in force and measures to limit freedom of movement, avoiding public spaces doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a dose of culture.

You can now experience the world’s best museums from Madrid to New York in the comfort of your own home.

Many institutions across Spain have joined the viral hashtags #YoMeQuedoEnCasa and #QuedateEnCasa, offering the possibility of online art collections, which can be viewed virtually along with their corresponding information.

This Olive Press guide will keep the boredom at bay, and proffer a little culture and education while you’re at it.

Three Top Spanish museums which offer online tours:

1. Prado

2. Thyssen

3. Picasso

Spanish museums aren’t the only ones offering virtual tours where you can learn about art, history, and science. There are literally hundreds more places to choose from.

famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Enjoy the virtual tour and get a peek at artworks from Monet, Edgar Degas, and Gauguin, among others.

including: Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s masterpiece Madonna and Child dating from the first half of the 14th century.

Here is the Olive Press Top Ten: (In no particular order)

4. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul: Google Arts & Culture makes it possible to visit one of Korea’s popular museums from anywhere around the world. Google’s virtual tour offers the best stories and featured content curated by experts from the museum and takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea.

Madrid’s Museo del Prado opened to the public on November 19, 1819 as a Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture.

The Prado has been described as a museum of painters not of paintings, given that some of its artists, such as Bosch, El Greco and Goya are represented with more than 100 works.

The Prado does a live show on Instagram, also visible on Facebook, every morning at 10:00 am. The live tour lasts one hour. museodelprado.es

GET COMFY: And virtually stroll through Malaga’s Picasso Museum

At the end of February, the Thyssen in Malaga opened one of its star exhibitions, dedicated to Rembrandt and his portrait art in Amsterdam. At the moment it cannot be visited in person, but it can be viewed digitally thanks to the magnificent virtual tour of all the rooms. You can view 80 paintings, never before seen in Europe, directly on your screen. museothyssen.org

1. British Museum, London: This iconic museum located in the heart of the city allows virtual visitors to tour the History of Time exhibition and discover the ancient Queen of Sheba and Egyptian mummies. Don’t miss out on the British Museum’s fantastic virtual tour.

2. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C: This distinguished American art museum features two online exhibits. The first ‘Fashioning a Nation’ is an exploration of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including the portrayal of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Verme and the Masters of Genre Painting.

3. Musée d’Orsay, Paris: In the centre of Paris on the banks of the Seine, installed in the former Orsay railway station, you can find this iconic Parisian museum which houses dozens of

5. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam: This gem has the largest collection of artworks

by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters. By virtually visiting this museum, you can easily appreciate the talent of this ingenious self-taught painter.

6. Museo Archeologico – Athens: The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece and one of the most important in the world. With three types of exhibitions: ‘Temporary’, ‘Permanent’ and ‘Unseen’, the museum offers numerous online videos to follow and learn more about the Predynatic period, the Ancient Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom.

7. Pinacoteca di Brera – Milan: The palazzo was built on the remains of a 14th century monastery of the Umiliati order which was subsequently given to the Jesuits. In the early 17th century it was turned into the solidly austere building that can be seen today. Its online collection hosts 669 records

The Palacio de Buenavista houses the Collection of Museo Picasso Malaga. It is located in the heart of the old city, and the building is a magnificent example of 16th-century Andalucian architecture. The ground beneath the Museo Picasso Malaga preserves important evidence of the city’s roots in the past. Exceptional Roman and Moorish remains show visitors the fragments of the city’s history, dating back to the seventh century BC. museopicassomalaga.org

8. Musei Vaticani – Rome: ‘The Vatican, the Museum of Museums,’ not only houses the extensive collections of art, archaeology and ethno-anthropology gathered by the Popes over the centuries, but also contains some of the Apostolic Palace’s most extraordinary and artistically significant rooms. You can take a virtual tour through these richly detailed spaces.

9. The Musée du LouvreParis: The Louvre is one of Paris’ most visited attractions, hosting a collection of 35,000 priceless masterpieces and antiques. The museum was once a fortress, built in 1190. In the 16th century, it was turned from a fortress into a royal palace.

Visit the museum’s exhibition rooms and galleries, thanks to a virtual tour sponsored by Shiseido.

10. Galleria degli Uffizi – Florence: The Uffizi Gallery is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence.

It’s one of the world’s top art museums - housing some of the most important works of the Renaissance, including works by Leonardo da Vinci as well as its outstanding collections of ancient sculptures and paintings (from the Middle Ages to the Modern period). Discover the masterpieces of its collections and history, travelling through captivating descriptions and HD pictures

LETTERS

12

March 18th - March 31st 2020 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

A threat in my own town

Mallorca Issue 75 G IN AT BR LE CE TWO SPANISH HEROINES: One who escaped Franco to another whose infamous name has been adopted by a train station

OLIVE PRESS Crippling The

MALLORCA

Your expat

voice in Spain

UK PRIME Minister Boris Johnson is set to grill Spain over the tragic, in ‘preventable’ death of a teenager

Mallorca.

He will demand answers over how to Tom Channon, 18, was able to fall his death in Magaluf.

The Welsh lad, who had just comat pleted his A-levels, fell seven floors the Eden Roc complex in July 2018.

Disgracefully the only barrier keeping people safe was a knee-high wall, and another British holidaymaker had fallen to his death in the same spot just weeks before.

At an inquest last year, UK coroner ruled the teenager’s death could havea been easily prevented by putting up fence. But, despite now finally putting a fence up, the authorities in Spain have been slow to come forward with damages for Channon’s family. demanding also are His parents prosecution for gross negligence manslaughter and are taking civil proceedings.

By Isha Sesay

by THE tourism sector has been crippled Mallorca the spread of the coronavirus in for the with ministers fearing the worst economy. to deA series of hotel chains have decided confirmed lay opening at Easter, as the sixth island. case of COVID-19 emerged on the bookings It comes after a significant drop in and a number of flight cancellations. Hotels Mallorca-based Barcelo and Be Live of the confirmed they’re feeling the effectsfor the epidemic and room reservations had fallen Holy Week and in the summer badly. who had Alarmingly, a number of tourists already booked villas for the summer have cancelled, the Olive Press can reveal. it had Expat-run Look Mallorca confirmed June alone seen FIVE bookings cancelled in over fears the health crisis will worsen. all five “All five were for luxury villas and scared have been cancelled by familiesholiday” about catching the virus while on revealed a spokesman. will be “We are deeply worried that there core busimore which will really affect our ness this year,” she added.

Preventable

After the family’s Welsh MP Alun Cairns stepped in to demand action in Parliament this week, Johnson waded in to help. “I’m sure the house will join with me in expressing our deepest sympathies with Tom’s family and friends,” he said during Prime he Minister’s Questions. He added would help to ‘seek justice for Tom’ in and would call in the foreign office the first instance. an MP Cairns added: “Tom died in accident that was totally preventable and avoidable.”

It was exactly five weeks after Tom his Hughes from Wrexham fell to death at the same site in similar cirYet cumstances. nothing had been done to make the area safe.

Impact

Bandits, Moors and goats... the perfect holiday escape?

Find out on page 18

Your expat

FREE

ERASED: Controversial art

No more mural

A MURAL protesting tourism has been painted over with controversy in Soller.

In 2016, artist Soma painted the mural titled 'tourism engulfing Mallorca' – a large snake representing tourism, eating Mallorca and pooing out the trash that's left behind.

The mural has stood for the last three years, but just four days after the Popular Party took over the Soller government it was painted over with white.

The local PP, now headed by Carlos Simarro, has said that 'there is no special motive' for erasing the mural.

The town plans to paint a map of Soller on the wall instead.

voice in Spain

Vol. 3 Issue 57 www.theolivepress.es June 21st - July 4th 2019

British teen’s death after plunging from Magaluf apartment wall ‘was preventable’ coroner says

celebrated finishing their Alevels.

The tragedy, in July 2018, saw the new graduate fall 15 metres, before being found dead in the courtyard at the Eden Roc com-

Proud to be expats

Untitled-1.pdf

1

AssociaThe President of the Palma Hotel on the tion, Javier Vich, believes the impact is set to economy is unquestionable and busiworsen. “This situation directly affects he said. nesses in the whole of Mallorca,” FederaThe Mallorca Hotel Business be tion (FEHM) added that there wouldwith a knock-on effect on employment now the majority of temporary contracts postponed to start from April to the summer.

“We depend on tourism to exist and are being harmed by this epidemic on which will have a direct impact hiring workers,” said Maria Jose Aguilo. conferences and events of A number have already been cancelled, including the XV Congress of the Spanwas ish Society of Glaucoma, which Palacio scheduled to take place at the de Congresos this week.

More than 400 ophthalmologists from across the world were schedis uled to attend and its suspension said to have taken organisers completely by surprise. of It was ordered by the Ministrythey Health, with officials claiming wanted to avoid having a large number of medical personnel in one place at one time.

SIMPLE STEPS

THE death of a British teen who plunged from a Mallorca apartment wall ‘could have been prevented’, a coroner has said.

Holidaymaker Thomas Channon, 18, died from ‘catastrophic injuries’, the third fatality at the Magaluf resort in the same year.

The teen, from Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan, fell over a knee-high wall during a holiday to Mallorca with pals, as they

Opinion Page 6

AN overwhelming majority of our readers are not offended by the term ‘expat’.

That’s the initial result of our online poll which asked ‘Do you find the use of the word 'expat' to describe British and foreign nationals living in Spain offensive?’

The vote came after a barrage of emails to the newsdesk complained of the Olive Press’ use of the word, requesting that it be switched out for ‘resident’ or ‘immigrant’.

However a snapshot of our readers’ opinions revealed that two thirds were not bothered by the term.

On our Facebook poll, there have so far been 881 votes.

Out of those, 656 said ‘no’, while 223 said ‘yes’.

The results were repeated on Twitter, of 80 votes said they did not find the term offensive.

16/06/2017 where15:36 68%

TYPICAL EXPATS: Brits and (top) Dutch

plex.

Channon’s death came around a month after Tom Hughes, 20, from Wrexham, also fell to his death at the apartment block.

An inquest in Pontypridd found that Channon may have been ‘intoxicated and fatigued’ after he returned from a night out and fell seven floors.

Coroner Graeme Hughes did however add: “I do not find Tom was ridiculously drunk or out of control.”

A post-mortem revealed the young lad was twice the legal drink-drive limit, after he had been watching Croatia beat England in the World Cup. The student of St David’s College in Cardiff was found to have died from blunt force injuries to the trunk,including pelvic fractures.

Hughes added: “It is absolutely tragic that simple steps of erecting the temporary fence were not instigated following Thomas Hughes’ death in June 2018.

“These simple steps would have, in all probability, prevented Thomas Channon from meeting his death on July 12 2018.

“For reasons unknown, he has travelled beyond the wall and

RIP: Channon died on holiday

fallen some distance. He has sustained catastrophic injuries.”

Channon’s mum Ceri said at the inquest she was glad that there had been ‘recognition’ that her son’s death could have been prevented.

The inquest heard that ‘steel bollards’ are now in place at the complex.

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Mallorca’s tourist season at risk from spread of coronavirus as major events cancel and tourists scrap summer holidays

under threat DESERTED: Mallorca restaurants are canIt is hoped that no further events celled at the centre. huge impact Globally, the virus is set to have a Air Transon tourism, with the International of €26 bilport association estimating losses lion in 2020.

GlobalTravel analyst Ralph Hollister from having the Data, said: “If the virus is still cancellasame impact by the end of April, rapid rate as tions could start to increase at a health to be consumers deem the risk to their holiday.” a for need greater than their Commission Director of the European Travel impact on Eduardo Santander added: “The - we’re European tourism will be massive talking about big losses.”

Opinion Page 6

PLUS: The opinions of eight leading ladies in Spain to WE CAN DO ANYTHING! celebrate A International Women’s Day 23

A special four-page pullout

March 2020

www.theolivepress.es

N equal world is an enabled world.

This is the theme of International Women's Day 2020. On March 8 the spotlight turns to women throughout the world who are striving for gender parity in the workplace, in their businesses, in sports, in culture and arts, and in their communities.

The movement started in

Over a century after International Women’s Day first started, Karen Livermore asks, are things really any better in 2020?

1911, so now in a new century and a new decade are we making a difference?

At first glance, it’s easy to say yes. There’s something in the air that feels like real change. The #metoo and #timesup movements were a palpable moment where women were not only being heard, but their voices were powerful. They were calling out previously untouchable

media giants, companies, politicians and stars. Being male, rich and powerful was suddenly no longer a shield. Out of it has come a real effort to shift, not only

unpalatable men from their positions, but the views they represent, from public acceptance.

Things that matter to and affect women, are finally

Women on the frontline in Spain

N

Let’s raise a glass to celebrate International Women’s Day 2020 or, as we say in Spain, Día Internacional de la Mujer. Ten women in Spain from all walks of life share their views and inspirational stories

features inside

See series of special Womens Day

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OLIVE PRESS

Manilva, A and From Sabinilla Duquesa s stunning Manilva to lively Duquesa, WORLDS check out COLLIDE our free supplement T inside ll about

Vol. 13

Issue 338

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Vol. 5, Issue 117 www.theolivepress.es March 4th - March 17th, 2020

HISTORY:

The Castillo

de la Duquesa

takes pride

of place,

keeping

watch over

the unspoilt

Mediterranean

coves and

beaches

that stretch

all the way

March 2020

from Sabinillas

to Cadiz

province

Breathtaking Parfitt finds coastline meets expats in bags of Spanish inland adventure.

Manilva, Sabinillas tradition and plenty Joshua and Duquesa of

UCKED Irish Pubdown a side local pub. was always street in Sabinillas, a cosy, However welcoming, McGuinness’ further its stellar FUN IN if unassuming EU. THE SUN: reputation sode of afield, until it For local It is no families And its Channel 4’s Awas launched was relatively surprise into patrons, and McGuinness New Life unknown age of Brits as Manilva get-up-and-go expat in The TV stardom in on the padron officially patrons an epi- Brits in the 12,000-strong Just around spirit of couple Micheal Sun. Micheal in Spain. has the highest And it isn’t and Danielle, the cornerSabinillas, Duquesa and Danielle Duquesa There are percent- from all walks just those municipality. typify the make up 42% is Kinsale in Sabinillas some 4,000 washed port, where and Manilva. up of from restaurant you can Shelton, of Likea newspaper life and occupations BRUNOSof Manilva’s Blighty. Other This localdown with a Guinness. order a population, Manilva’s here!) they settled on the Manilva local, fantastic in the heart favourite (Ed: Some too, as and one first health all have something according expats help the Roman homemade of Most Costa del Sol. recently ITV News have even of the only in these baths around to Dean tourist, pie Duquesa, descended had its moment in common.set parts inhabit Tyler here for Julius British for Brexit politicians fed by thea temperate life 60BC, it seemsCaesar, who either night as in the spotlight San Luis which sits at visited Walking fruits of the beneath the that de Sabinillas the end the coral-white the UK sea. jaw-droppingpeople come left the itself.

Jackson, around the yacht-dotted or up on of the mile-long marina of Though mountains, a 74-year-old the hilltop beachfront La lows, the Brits lookout of ish watching them Scotsman, marina I meet and the of Manilva baguette.

180-odd eat crumbs counting expat “It’s a really other nationalities from his the fish in the John well maintained pan flauta, shalcome former business or Spanconsultant port, friendly told the and Olive Press, safe too,” which is the also MÁLAGA Continues CAR RENTAL

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‘Trust women’

By John Culatto

‘WE need to trust women’ was the message from the wife of Chief Minister as she gave an the impassioned speech at Casemates Square.

Justine Picardo (above), herself a lawyer, was one of a number of top speakers who spoke in favour of a Yes vote at the March 19 referendum.

The marchers walked from the Piazza to Casemates Square brandishing banners and chanting, ‘Home, safe, legal’.

“We have the opportunity to vote for something meaningful that will improve the lives of women to come,” said Picardo.

“Being pro-choice doesn’t mean we are pro-abortion or anti-life.

“It is not something we ever wish to have to choose but it can be a necessity for a number of women who find themselves in unfortunate choices.”

“This referendum is about whether we should trust a woman about when to have a baby to choose for herself what to do with her body and her life.”

Extreme

She told the crowds of when she had a miscarriage which could have needed an abortion so as ‘not to risk death’ for herself.

Picardo scoped that even in scenarios of rape or casual the sex the Pro-life group would suggest these babies were given for adoption.

UK BASED

TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents www.globelink.co.uk

TRAVELLERS from coronavirus risk areas will have a ‘legal duty’ to report to the Gibraltar authorities.

A raft of new measures have been brought in to tackle COVID-19 in Gibraltar where the threat level is still ‘low’.

A number of possible arrivals from the Far East have been put into self-isolation for 14 days but no case has been reported to date.

The government has revealed it is checking people coming to the

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SPOTTED: Medical staff in hazmat ment.

“They will be contacted by a Public Health professional who will advise on the best way to protect themselves and others.”

“The anti-choice group does not lawyer. realise the mental and psycholog“Women would be accused ical trauma of carrying a baby of nine months only to give it up for claiming false cases of rape in orfor der to have an abortion. adoption,” she said.

“How can we as a society believe “No-one has been able to produce a law only for rape and incest, that it is acceptable to force bepregnancy on women against theira cause they know no such law is possible.” will?

“We need to be able to trust women.”

Compassion She said that passing a law just for Picardo concluded that the March incest or rape was a non-starter.

19 referendum was an opportuni“Such a law would take us to ty that the other extreme,” continued the modernise people should take to the the law.

“Gibraltar now needs to step into the 21st Century,” she continued.

“We need to have a choice law, not because we are pro-abortion but because we are pro-women.

“We want our sisters, daughters and grand-

suits have been seen assisting members of the public in Gib A couple of simulations have al- staff are thoroughly prepared ready been held to practice for the the procedure is streamlined, and discovery of a coronavirus case and on ready in case it is ever needed,” the Rock. said the GHA. “Repeat practices ensure that all “The global spread of COVID-19 is being constantly monitored and is under continuous review.

“The risk to Gibraltar currently remains low.”

Minister for Public Health John Cortes said everything was being done to protect the public.

“In the meantime, it is always good practice to keep good hand hygiene and use tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, and throw them away as soon as possible,” he added.

“Anyone travelling outside of Gibraltar is asked to pay close attention to the changing situation worldwide, and contact Gibraltar authorities as soon as possible if they are in an at-risk area.

daughters to have access to safe medical treatment to have safe medical treatment under any circumstances.

“Voting no is telling society that we are not to be trusted by having free will over our own bodies and do what is right for ourselves.

“I don’t understand how any women has any right to vote against this law or how any man has any right to vote no. Vote yes because you have empathy,because you are compassionate, because you can sense her fear, because you can walk in her shoes.”

Together Gibraltar said she was concerned that the ‘social bonds’ could stop people from voting in the referendum.

“The referendum is here and we need to vote,” said Marlene Hassan Nahon.

“We need to make people understand what is at stake here.

“We need to trust women, get out and vote for Yes.” Both sides Page 5

Tel: 952 147 834

Proud

“All travellers returning from an at-risk country within two weeks of arriving back in Gibraltar have a legal duty to report.”

For his part, Paul Balban, Minister for Health and Care, said: “I am extremely proud of the GHA for their work in preparedness and planning, and I am happy with the progress to date.

“It is up to all of us to do everything that we can to protect ourselves and others by keeping our hands clean and fulfilling our duty to report any travel to at-risk areas.”

Opinion Page 6

Costa Blanca Issue 25 See page 24

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c u s t o m e r s

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E n d s

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Danielle Arcegono, Estepona

Stocks are plummeting too, with company that owns British Airways,IAG, the and Iberia suffering a drop in value Vueling of more than 9%, the highest of any company in the Ibex 35.

The International Air Transport Association estimates that the virus outbreak the sector more than €26 billion in will cost Travel and tourism analyst, Ralph2020. ter, from GlobalData said: “If the Hollisvirus is still having the same impact by April, cancellations could start to the end of a rapid rate as consumers deem increase at the risk to their health to be greater than their need for a holiday.”

With Semana Santa starting on April 5, businesses in Spain are worried about one of Spain’s busiest weeks will whether as normal. More than one milliongo ahead traditionally descend on Sevilla and visitors Malaga combined during Holy Week.

A total of 14% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product comes from tourism, according to the European Travel Commission.

It’s Executive Director Eduardo Santander said: “The impact of the virus on an tourism will be massive — we’reEuropetalking about big losses.”

and get the most success in your task

Readers react to coronavirus, which has killed dozens in Spain and leaves tourism economy on brink

Total lack of care

I took a friend to the Virgen Del Rocio Hospital in Sevilla for a scheduled appointment. As the coronavirus outbreak is running riot in Spain, I expected to see hand sanitizer at the hospital entrance. There was none. On entering the hospital, there was none at the Reception desk either (this was not even staffed). When my appointee and I went two floors down to the waiting area for his appointment, there was no visible signs of hand washing or hand cleansing items. Do the Spanish medical authorities not care for the safety of their patients? I don’t think so. This could be worth following up in other Spanish Hospitals.

Alan J McGarva, Sevilla

Keep it up

I simply want to thank you for your excellent publication and especially for the vital work you are doing to keep us informed at this difficult time. Thank you.

John Oxborough-Russell, Murcia

Top job

My Acupuncturist sent me your video on the mandatory lockdown in Spain! I found it very helpful and wanted to thank you! I’m from California, visiting my mom here in Nueva Andalucia and all this is extremely confusing!

I really appreciate your detailed information, which is very easy to follow! Stay safe and again, thank you!

Sabrina Lafargue, Nueva Andalucia

23

A special four-page pullout

March 2020

www.theolivepress.es

N equal world is 1911, so now an enabled world. in a new century and a Over a century This is the theme of we making new decade are International a difference?

International after Wo- At men's Day 2020. getting heard, Women’s Day On March say first glance, it’s easy to first 8 the spotlight started, Karen is being taken. and action women is still yes. There’s something turns to woalarming. Last But there is Livermore men throughout in the air that still so far to go. year was a dark feels like real asks, are things 12 months who are striving the world change. The really any celebrating the We may be in Spain with #metoo and better in 55 women kifor gender #timesup downfall of parity in the workplace, 2020?

Harvey Weinstein, lled either by partners movements were in a palpable or ex their businesses, shaming of Placido and the partners. The moment where media giants, companies, highest figure in sports, women in culture and politicians and unpalatable men go over his admissionDomin- since 2015. It's were not arts, stars. Benot the only from their of setheir communities. and in heard, but their only being ing male, rich and powerful positions, but the views xually harassed women, but country where these figuThe movement powerful. They voices were was suddenly they represent, in Saudi Arabia res are rising. were calling no longer a started in out from public However, in shield. Out of still high fiving women are a disturbing move previously untouchable it has come a acceptance. their right to real effort to shift, Things own a passport party is lobbying the Vox without the not only affect that matter to and consent for cuts in funding to women, are combat genfinally Gender of a male guardian. violence against Continues overleaf

We needed to change

Women on the frontline in Spain

Let’s raise a glass national Women’s to celebrate InterDay 2020 or, we say in Spain, as Día Internacional la Mujer. Ten de all walks of lifewomen in Spain from share their views inspirational stories and

Opinion Page 6

the work culture

that we needed doing so societyto change the work culture and in if we wanted to Ana Botín, the field of equality. see advances in “Since then these President of equal opportunity ideas have been reflected the Santander in the in Banesto, then policies that we first pushed banking group recently in Santander in for the UK and ot only was Ana in the Botín made continued. “In Santander group as a whole,”more dame by Queen that speech I emphasised she Elizabeth II for an honorary nefits of diversity Financial sector services to the the bein the company. from different the first Award in 2015, she was also awarded And with data more women instudies, I explained that having taking the helm for Responsible Capitalism managerial positions, after being fair, Ana, 59, is also the year before. apart from was good for business. a pioneer. The women a major European Besides talent, first woman to run those of bring skills to business that bank, she’s on the Forbes’ men – better interpersonal complement list of World’s been ranked eigth tion, cooperation, men. Within her Most Powerful horizontal thinking communicahas made a point corporation, this financial Wo- city to really listen whizz as well as more and a capaof boosting female ming for 30% empathy and direction, ai- the ability to prioritise.”

Botín (they currentlyof its CEOs to be women by 2025 schemehas also introduced a life-work account for 20%). the aim is technical because, ‘one of equality, which Beyond 2025, tunities lies the keys to equalbalance 40% ratio, irrespective means a 60%in opporof gender.

She said: “For domestic work.’

In an article she responsibility, men to increase their share in response to published on her LinkedIn we need public of this page for greater policies that allow tials, she wrote,a debate over her feminist credenflexibility in the “I have spent years tive; years in which as an execu- Ana is adamant there will workplace.”

I have seen be no salaries that in general women don’t get enough to know taking between male and female discrepancy in speech delivered staff members on a fair deal… In a tion that equal responsibility in a banking in 2008, I talked to a room full of men in instituBilbao Forbes is ranked 16th in the world. about the importance acting with more magazine also of women notes that Botín confidence in ourselves and licy of ‘backing small companies has a poowned by women’. and companies

N

See special supplied inside

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

Keep up the good work Dear Laurence Dollimore, I refer to your two excellent articles – Issues 337 (Victory! pg 1) and 338 (Rothschild reckoning, pg 4) – promoting the outcome of Barry and Marion Joyce’s successful legal action against Rothschild’s Equity Release scam. Very well done. I would be interested to know if there are similar successes against Llandsbanki, the other violator of equity release on the Costa del Sol. Keep up the good work at the Olive Press.

Castillo de la Duquesa

Gone through hell If anyone can help us please now come forward (Speak up! Issue 338, pg 2). We have gone through hell for over four years, worked tirelessly and continue to do so in hope that one day we can find Lisa and lay her to rest. She deserves a final resting place, her son deserves to know where his mummy is and we can finally have some closure, knowing the promise we made to our mum that we would continue to carry on.

Helen Jordan, Dumbarton

Fenced in I very much appreciate your arguments against the blocking of hiking paths (Trailblazers, Issue 339, pgs 6-7). I had often been affected by new fences too. I have stored all my hiking tours in Andalucia on wikiloc.com, where you may watch them and download the GPS trail by searching for ‘Wandalus’. A detailed description of the tours is given on http://www.andalusien360.de Wolfgang Zoellner, Torrox

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First three coronavirus cases in south of Costa Blanca as tourism fear takes hold

THE first three coronavirus cases have been reported in the south of the Costa taking the total number in Spain to Blanca, 213, with 22 of those in Valencia.

One of the unlucky trio, an entrepreneur It comes as nervous hoteliers from Orihuela, had just returned from the rateurs are bracing themselves and restauMilan Footwear Fair. for astating effect coronavirus could the devAnother victim had also returned have on where 107 people have died at thefrom Italy, Spain’s tourism industry. centre of They are joined by tourist Europe’s Covid-19 outbreak. chiefs who fear He was diagnosed at his home in Torreman- a major hit to critical Semana Santa week, zanas, 20 miles inland from Villajoyosa, which heralds the start of the holiday season. where he remains quarantined.

Data from travel analytics The third victim, a young man, is in isola- shows international flightsfirm ForwardKeys tion in the General Hospital of Alicante. booked from the hasn’t been to Italy, but it is understood He UK and the US were down almost 20% for a that five-week period up until February his family have.

23.

British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair Meanwhile an 82-year-old man and in Biscay Lufthansa have all started cancelling flights became Spain’s second coronavirus fatality within Europe and to China. last night after suffering from pneumonia.

Some have drastically The country’s first death in the outbreak to fill empty seats, withcut prices in order was a 69-year-old man in Valencia, Ryanair reducing who flights to Italy by 25%. succumbed to complications after being di- Israel also announced agnosed. it will place all travellers arriving from Spain Currently there are no plans to curtail any upon arrival, with the strict into quarantine public events or cancel inbound flights to plied to Germany, Austria, protocol also apElche or Corvera Airports.

Switzerland and France.

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TRIPLE THREAT

Continues overleaf

Dear Olive Press, It took me roughly three months after my move from the Philippines until I slowly became more comfortable in Estepona. But why am I being seen as a threat? Ever since the Covid-19 epidemic began I have been called ‘coronavirus’ on the streets, not once but twice in one week. The first time, I was LEAVERS: Trio myself by shouting, ‘te entiendo!’, able to defend of to Brits in Spain of boys who pretended to cough and the group uttered ‘coronavirus’ under their breath. But by the second time, I felt helpless and frustrated as though I wouldn’t be able to survive Estepona any longer.

It was a normal Thursday night. I usually take the same route going home but this night I wanted to entire jourhistoric centre. Thepolitical discover more of theEU, a there were lly, asand essentia the Rose one does, as my phone, I was onsees ney Moore 7). The Issue 325, proud, hip (Leave saying dictators started who pg lit street poorly on a and three men states, sovereign 28 are There . opposite the mood in the is wasn’t I reality and corre!’ corre! irus, ‘coronav to become ly chose voluntari ng that I which pretendi thesoUK, at them, including stared I just to argue would g asthe UK thatmost upsettin Dunne d. Steve them. The nd believes associate understa could not to not going — regardNotn so. a Chinese for I’m mistake on WTO beingterms. better fairpect is not unjustly s to be and quoting chapter page bydeserve lettersnobody yourrace, of their lessdown weigh violence the in act of into Steveanlooks nd that cing but it is experien profiled but —I recomme verse, protect to means the Trump having That without knows. he place that public a industry any of specifics not mean I that does Asian UK should I amdeal Yes, an EU-free withbut a trade trying to .get is yourself your local in deals people do the neither virus, trade Trump’s to know: want all you you the tellhave during school a high work in As IFinally, store. for the Chino speaks Mahler Brent labels.

US-first have like themes discuss nityof to opportu the have I day, force armed EU an wary citizens UK of a number educate toideas I try while and students the with this are these , However and an ever closer union. school theam outside is a real racismpeople that them by policy. I aware not EU are andthing, specific floated of who yearsnot more people are many there of pro- this insidious 40-plus worried at the more a key role on how ignorance plays this issue and the h, c, by the EEC/EUtes. paganda of epidemi timesTelegrap In Mail, thinking prolifera way of against didbeen What They Sun. course, of and, Times Express, have should humanit for sion compas when so an- nt of why he asked he was say when judgeme Murdoch thewas clouds racism priority, the utmost into go I “When of: lines the along g it seems it, Somethin about ti-EU? denial in are everyone. Even if we EU.” The to the I goan whenthan c. what I say: epidemi they dospreads 10 racism No. faster that implication is that he had to ask for an appointment!

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Rock after having been in the hardest hit countries, mainly in the Far East and northern Italy or Iran.

In February, the Government set up the Coronavirus Co-ordinating Group to ramp up its response to the global crisis with the Gibraltar Health Authority.

“These active measures include the publication of regulations imposing a legal duty for travellers arriving in Gibraltar within two weeks of travel to an at-risk country to report to authorities on arrival,” said the Gibraltar Govern-

women is still alarming. Last year was a dark 12 months in Spain with 55 women killed either by partners or ex partners. The highest figure since 2015. It's not the only country where these figures are rising. However, in a disturbing move the Vox party is lobbying for cuts in funding to combat gen-

that we needed to change the work culture and in doing so society if we wanted to see advances in the field of equality.

“Since then these ideas have been reflected in the equal opportunity policies that we first pushed for in Banesto, then in Santander in the UK and more recently in the Santander group as a whole,” she continued. “In that speech I emphasised the beot only was Ana Botín made an honorary nefits of diversity in the company. And with data dame by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the from different studies, I explained that having Financial sector in 2015, she was also awarded more women in managerial positions, apart from the first Award for Responsible Capitalism after being fair, was good for business. Besides talent, taking the helm the year before. women bring skills to business that complement Ana, 59, is also a pioneer. The first woman to run those of men – better interpersonal communicaa major European bank, she’s been ranked eigth tion, cooperation, horizontal thinking and a capaon the Forbes’ list of World’s Most Powerful Wo- city to really listen as well as more empathy and men. Within her corporation, this financial whizz the ability to prioritise.” has made a point of boosting female direction, ai- Botín has also introduced a life-work balance ming for 30% of its CEOs to be women by 2025 scheme because, ‘one of the keys to equal oppor(they currently account for 20%). Beyond 2025, tunities lies in domestic work.’ the aim is technical equality, which means a 60%- She said: “For men to increase their share of this 40% ratio, irrespective of gender. responsibility, we need public policies that allow In an article she published on her LinkedIn page for greater flexibility in the workplace.” in response to a debate over her feminist creden- Ana is adamant there will be no discrepancy in tials, she wrote, “I have spent years as an execu- salaries between male and female staff members tive; years in which I have seen enough to know taking on equal responsibility in a banking instituthat in general women don’t get a fair deal… In a tion that is ranked 16th in the world. speech delivered to a room full of men in Bilbao Forbes magazine also notes that Botín has a poin 2008, I talked about the importance of women licy of ‘backing small companies and companies acting with more confidence in ourselves and owned by women’.

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getting heard, and action is being taken. But there is still so far to go. We may be celebrating the downfall of Harvey Weinstein, and the shaming of Placido Domingo over his admission of sexually harassed women, but in Saudi Arabia women are still high fiving their right to own a passport without the consent of a male guardian.

Gender violence against

We needed to change the work culture

Ana Botín, President of the Santander banking group

Gibraltar Issue 117

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Issue 36

March 2020

Self-isolating this month?

Our top Covid-19 Spanish hideaways include castles and country estates See page XII

How to get the perfect property shot We put a leading Spanish photographer to the test.

See page XIV

Brits are back BRITISH buyers are very much back in the market.

There has been a strong upturn of enquiries and purchases from UK clients on the Costa del Sol since the start of the year, an Olive Press investigation has found.

While the coronavirus crisis has caused a drastic slowdown this month, most estate agents reported very healthy interest from Great Britain.

Over a dozen agents revealed they had seen a substantial increase

in British buyers in January and February, helped by the exchange rate hitting €1.20 to the pound.

Some have seen a massive 50% increase in enquiries on last year, while others have had double the sales of 2019 across the same period.

One, Holmes Sotogrande, had a record number of sales in January, ‘all of them based on Boris getting Brexit done’.

“It’s been a significant improvement on January and February last

Brexit decision and election victory for Boris leads to upswing of British buyers in January and February, despite March coronavirus crash year,” said boss Ben Bateman. “Brexit was the key factor, helping people ‘crystalise’ their decisions to buy.”

Marbella’s longest-established agent Panorama, celebrating it’s 50th year, meanwhile, saw sales to UK citizens ‘double’ for the first two months of the year compared with the same period last year.

“And enquiries from UK residents are up 41% for Jan and Feb this Continues on page II

II

March 2020

PROPERTY

II

Mark Stucklin

www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

Hammer blow

THE coronavirus situation in Spain has become extremely Spain’s property market in 2020 serious with one of the fastest rising contagion rates in the world, prompting the Government to decree a countrywide is looking like a ‘total writelockdown lasting 15 days. off’ due to the coronavirus This is the beginning of a major shock that I expect will paralyse the housing market, in particular the second home pandemic, writes Mark Stucklin market, for at least the next three months.

According to an article in the New York Times this weekend, These are the kind of people who think that ‘ecofeminism’ Spain has become the latest epicentre of coronavirus after is the answer to the world’s problems. Let’s see how they a faltering response. Personally, I think the USA is going to learn from contact with reality, if at all. be the biggest problem before So the government has declared a ‘State of Alarm’ (or Stalong, and that should worry us te of Alert, depending on translation) lasting 15 days, with all. people expected to stay at home and self-isolate as the A particular blunder by the whole country gets put in a cordon sanitaire.

Spanish government was All tourism and leisure businesses will close. I doubt this will allowing masbe over in 15 days. This is going to hammer the sive rallies like Spanish economy, which relies heavily on touthe International rism and services.

Shock to the Women’s Day I worry the politics will get even uglier. market will rally in Madrid This is all terrible news for the Spanish housing on March 8, at a probably create market, especially the second-home market, time when corowhich relies so heavily on tourism. an opportunity I expect sales activity will be paralysed for three navirus was raging in Italy, and months at least, possibly longer. It looks like for buyers there were alre2020 could be a write-off. ady 589 confirThis coronavirus shock to the market will promed cases in Spain. Partly as bably create an opportunity for buyers when the dust setta result, contagions in Madrid les, but it’s obviously bad news for sellers. exploded.

Anyone not in a hurry to sell should consider taking their Just over a week ago, the left property off the market until buyers and confidence come wing coalition partners of the back. Any buyers in the market today will be bottom-fishers.

Spanish government were Finally, I’ve seen some scenes of people panic buying loo roll bickering over who was more and other basic items in the UK, but in my local supermarket feminist, and posturing as lea- in Barcelona, though very busy all day Friday, there was no ders of the fight against the sense of panic, and the staff did a heroic job of keeping all patriarchy. the shelves stocked.

From page I

BRITS SLOWED BY VIRUS

year,” boss Chris Clover told the Olive Press.

“We’ve even had five sales so far for March, despite the coronavirus fears.

“The first stage of Brexit has now happened and that has taken much of the indecision away.

“Now we need to wait to see how Britain will exit and what will happen.”

Another agent Scott Marshall, of PropertieSpain in Benahavis, has seen a similar upturn.

“We’ve seen a really good upturn in British enquiries but most importantly buyers. In fact, I would say as much as 50%.

“Things were excellent in January until mid-February, but since then it’s slowed down due to the coronavirus.”

Homebuilder giant Taylor Wimpey saw over double the amount of British buyers from the general election in December to the end of January.

The British company that builds hundreds of homes in Spain each year, recorded a huge 125% rise in sales to British buyers across December and January.

Andalucia was the most popular region regis-

tering 19.55% of total sales to British buyers, while Catalunya came second and Alicante and Mallorca followed on.

Surveyor Campbell Ferguson has seen a good start to the year, now sadly slowed down with the virus fears.

“One of the big international agencies I talked to said January and February figures for enquiries are significantly higher than those of last year and I have seen a steady run of instructions for pre-acquisition building surveys, so I think this year is, or was, shaping up to be a good one,” he explained.

“As yet, we haven’t been able to ascertain whether the virus will slow things down. I can’t see how it cannot, as people will become more reluctant to travel and get stuck in planes for three hours with 200-plus strangers!

“However, if, as predicted, this largely blows over within the next six months, I see a very strong autumn as Brits who have been wavering decide they really must do something before the Brexit transition period runs out at the end of this year.”

wwwwwww

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Nice one, Ron! Harry Potter helps inspire cool Madrid studio with elevated bed A MADRID architect has used Ron Weasley’s fictional home as inspiration for her latest pro-

ject.

Pia Mendaro was given the brief by her friend and artist Clara Cebrian,

who said she wanted her 10m2 studio to resemble the home of the much-loved Harry Potter character.

“Clara is an artist and does not like overly designed things,” she told Designboom.

“She wanted something like Ron Weasley’s house; something that could adapt to the needs that appear over time.”

The highlight of the makeover is the elevated bed, which Mendaro designed with Manuel Ocana and is capable of holding up to five people - while giving the studio much more floorspace.

It also connected to a long balcony on the roof of the property.

Meanwhile, the terracotta bathroom, hidden behind a wall, gives a splash of colour.

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New eviction aid SPAIN is set to bring in new measures to protect people from eviction.

The new government is to offer aid to anyone struggling with their mortgage or rent.

The announcement is part of a move to guarantee the right to decent housing, which was agreed by Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez in his pact with Podemos, his partners in government.

It comes after rents across Spain increased by more than 54% since 2014.

Even the UN has highlighted how Spain faces housing problems of ‘stunning proportions’, affecting those struggling without work or sufficient benefits.

The current moratorium on evictions was due to expire on May 15 but will now be prolonged by up to four years.

“The government is also going to stop some evictions for non-payment of rent in high-tension markets where there are vulture funds involved,” insisted leader of Podemos Pablo Iglesias.

A vulture fund is a hedge fund, private equity fund or distressed debt fund, that invests in debt considered to be very weak or in default.

The measures are expected to focus on cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.

PROPERTY

INLAND DREAM Stunning estate in Ronda in top five most expensive homes for sale in Spain

A trio of other gems include: THE SUMMER CASTLE is a remarkable property, about 25 minutes from Ronda, which dates back to the 16th century. Once owned by a marques, the 10-bedroom estate is a must visit for anyone with a cool €7.5m to spend. It has amazing grounds that include its own chapel and it has even won architectural prizes for its renovation. It counts on its own olive oil, made from the estate.

LUXURY HACIENDA sits in a unique 200 hectare wine estate, which has already scored over 90 points in the Penin guide for its well known Encina del Ingles wine. The amazing property sits in five hectares of this estate and is 500m squared in size. It has an amazing 20m pool and the buyer will automatically become a member of the exclusive Ascari race circuit nearby. The price: A cool €4.95m.

Life in a box

THEY are 1.2 metres in height by 2.5 metres in length and, believe it or not, they are ‘living accommodation’.

When finished, they will rent out for €215 a month… and they also come with rules - no smoking and no sex between residents (as if there was room)!

No wonder these ‘hive floors’, as they’re being called, are causing such a buzz of controversy in Madrid.

Developer Haibu 4.0 plans to build ten of these blocks in the city containing an incredible 579 rooms.

Relatively-speaking, they provide no more space for humans than hives for bees.

And Madrid city council claims it is trying to stop these new developments which are illegal in the capital because they ‘flout urban planning regulations’.

A spokesman insisted that the ‘homes’ did not yet have the correct permits.

Dubbed ‘coffin homes’ in Hong Kong, they’re stacked on top of each other next to the common spaces available to all the residents.

This has stopped plans to present them publicly next month, according to company sources.

Haibu 4.0 points out that it takes just 15 days to build each housing development and has expressed its intention to build them on both private and public land.

In addition, only workers and students with work can rent, residents who have already lived in the city have priority and the age range is between 22 and 63.

Babies and children are welcome, as well as couples, who will sleep on different floors so as not to disturb the neighbours.

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IT sits on its own hill with views for miles and counts on a tennis court, swimming pool and intriguingly its own Roman ruins.

With a vineyard, staff house and even a herd of cattle in the mix, it really is a palace made for a king.

Is it any wonder then that this stunning €16.6m estate near Ronda has just featured in the Top Five most expensive properties for sale on Pisos.com.

The leading property portal fails however to get across the sheer splendour of this 260 hectare estate with its 888-metre squared villa, which counts on seven bedrooms and two living rooms, plus an entirely separate guest quarters.

“It really is an amazing place,” explains agent Oscar Ernstsen, of Villas and Fincas, which is marketing the property.

“It really has everything you could ever want from a big estate. It is very private, yet close to Ronda and the coast and it has been amazingly kept and designed.

“Wherever you are on the estate, the views are breathtaking and exploring the estate over the net of tracks you’ll notice how well organized the finca is.

“There are even some Roman ruins on

site as well as an ancient finca.

“It also counts on its own olive grove of 5000 trees that will make some income in the years to come and there are plenty of wild animals around, such as deer and mouflon.

“It would be perfect for a film star or captain of industry.”

The Ronda area is rapidly becoming one of the most exclusive places to buy country properties in Spain.

And it is really no surprise, sitting in one of the most privileged areas, between Sevilla, Antequera and Marbella with clean air and an abundance of water.

The town itself is a gem, the third most visited in Andalucia, with a fabulous historic core and with a superb range of shops and restaurants, one with two Michelin stars.

Sitting between 600m and 1000m in height, the huge range of country estates often sit in their own land with oak and olive trees. Many are hundreds of years old, but completely modernised with air conditioning, double glazing and solar panels. Villas and Fincas has over 20 such properties for sale ranging from as little as €500,000 upwards.

FINCA LA MORERA has five guest suites and a separate staff house, plus two swimming pools, one solar heated, and a separate games suite. The classic Andalucian cortijo, owned by a celebrated British restaurateur, has beautifully presented grounds, with numerous hidden spots and grassed areas. It counts on its own ecological garden with a supply of seasonal vegetables as well as the fruit trees that surround the property. At just €1.325m it is excellent value.

All on www.villasfincas.com

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Au natural Stunning new Ibiza home of the future is almost 100% self-sufficient This picturesque home is the picture of simplicity.

The work of local architect Maria Castello Martinez, Ca l’Amo is spread over 42,385m2 at the north end of San Mateo in Ibiza.

Its stone walls have been erected in an increasingly wild forest area filled with pine and juniper trees.

The house is separated into five distinct areas and has been designed to allow for natural ventilation during the hot summer months - helped by the use of stone, wood and marble materials and natural shading from the surrounding trees.

Meanwhile, all interior pavements, wetland coverings, pool and terraces are made of natural limestone.

The property also relies almost entirely on rainwater which it collects and stores in a cistern capable of holding more than 200 litres.

The water profs

Trinity College Dublin consults the team behind Premier Agua and now so can you WHEN the water in Mallorca doesn’t taste like it oughta … or the shower in your Marbella townhouse doesn’t flow like it should, this Irish newcomer in Spain has the solution to hand.

Premier Agua has been tapping into domestic and commercial water problems for nearly two decades and has even provided the correct answers for Dublin’s top university.

But their ingenious and good-value system can also revolutionise the way we treat and drink H20 at home.

Set up by a team of professional engineers two decades ago, the range of products available at Premier Agua is impressive.

From solutions for limescale and water filtration to lack of water pressure and sewage issues, no task is too tough to tackle for John Bell and his team in southern Spain.

Founded in Ireland in 2001, Premier Agua launched into the Spanish market last year.

Its sister company Adarebiocare designs, supplies and maintains sewage treatment plants and water tanks all over the Emerald Isle.

“We run one of the most experienced and hands-on companies in Ireland,” explains proud co-owner Siobhan Bell.

So much so that Trinity College Dublin has engaged Adarebiocare in the construction and maintenance of new sewage treatment systems designed and tested for Ireland’s Environment Protection Agency.

“Like back home, we quickly realised

there is a big problem in southern Spain with domestic and commercial water pressure,” continued Siobhan.

The company’s answer is the Aquaboost tank, a cheap, simple and reliable way to remedy the problem for businesses and homes alike.

With 300 litres of water storage you will always have water on demand.

“And a ‘slave tank’ can easily be added to double capacity on request,” Siobhan added.

The tank comes ready to plug in and is very easy to install, giving constant pressure throughout in a virtually silent operation.

The unit can fit through a standard doorway making it convenient for new build or existing properties, tucking neatly away under stairs or in utility rooms.

Premier Agua also specialises in wastewater and sewage treatment systems for any size population, supplying only tried and tested systems with the EN Certification.

John insists any products without the EN Certification are ‘sub-standard’ and should not be used.

Visit www.premieraqua.es for more info or call 643914214

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Reserving history I

F you’re heading up the ramp to access Gibraltar’s upper rock nature reserve, you will see a building often referred to as the Old Casino.

It’s a derelict site which was set to eventually collapse if nothing was done to it.

The casino is sat in a sensitive part of Gibraltar, between the Nature Reserve and Alameda Gardens, on solid ground which hasn’t been reclaimed.

But also hidden on that site are huge Victorian-era water tanks which are highly valued by Gibraltar’s heritage groups, and thankfully, the government.

And if the Old Casino collapses on the valuable heritage site, it could mean a huge loss for the Rock.

Thankfully, the intriguing water tanks have been seen to have huge potential in terms of development.

Enter Greg Butcher, one

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Gibraltar’s most successful developer to protect Victorian-era water tanks and create one of the Rock’s most exciting new developments, writes Diexter Thomas of Gibraltar’s richest men and a developer responsible for other mega-projects on the Rock, such as the World Trade Centre, Ocean Village and Ocean Spa Plaza.

He has long seen the potential of the site and in late 2018, he submitted an application for the use of the Old Casino site to the Development Planning Commission (DPC).

Called the Reserve housing development, it needed to be exceptional with the commission made up of members of the Government, environmental groups, heritage groups and representatives from

other organisations.

And last month, the business dynamo finally got the green light for his plans.

It is an ambitious project, which involves 111 apartment complexes.

It will be eight to 10 storeys high and will have space for 150 parking spaces, many for electric cars, as well as some of the best views across the straits and inland Spain.

To prevent any damage to the historic tanks, the old Casino is to be carefully demolished by hand to make room for the development.

It’s an exciting project, which - best of all - will be

SATISFACTION: Butcher (left) will enjoy creating the Reserve, as it will look (above)

one of the most environmentally focussed in Gibraltar, with dozens of new trees planted.

“We will coat our buildings in green,” Butcher told the Olive Press this week.

He wants the complex to house a natural rooftop habitat with up to 574 square metres of plant-life and at least 46 trees.

The total amount of trees in the area is set to increase by ‘200%’.

Based on feedback from the DPC, this was more important than the use of solar panels to mitigate the visual impact from the

upper rock nature reserve.

“There’s an increase in natural habitat by building this and an increase in trees, the trees are large not little saplings,” said Butcher.

And to water these plants, rainwater harvesting will be a key element of the design along with an onsite de-chlorination system for waste water from it’s swimming pools.

After all the paperwork is done and after the Old Casino has been hand-demolished, completion of The Reserve is expected to take two and a half years.

When asked what his motivation behind developments like these was, Butcher said: “We really get into these schemes. What you have there is ugly and it’s unsafe, for the people who use it and it’s unsafe for road users and there is no pavement (to get by).”

The Reserve will get rid of the big imposing concrete limestone wall which is a block for both drivers and pedestrians.

“To put it all together will create huge satisfaction and we can make it look beautiful,” he added.

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Asturias Castle, €14 million

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Escape to Hunting Estate, Madrid, (Price on request)

Where better to self-isolate than in a fortified castle?

This 15-bedroom, 14-bathroom estate was the mastermind of King Alfonso III who built it on a previous settlement in a bid to protect the coast and estuary from Norman invasion.

The property spreads over 43,485 m2 and is enclosed by a high crenelated wall.

On the highest part of the land sits a quadrangular tower of 119.57 m2 while the new construction of 1,227 m2 with a featured balcony sits adjacent to the tower wall.

The Italian-style gardens feature fruit trees and shrubs and species which have been growing there for over a century.

This sweeping estate could get you through the apocalypse, nevermind the pesky coronavirus.

With 15 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, your family and friends will be more than comfortable.

Set among sloping hills and valleys, its 10 artificial ponds collect enough rain water to provide a fresh supply throughout the year.

Meanwhile, the hunting grounds include mouflon, wild boar and roe deer and the surrounding lands are extensive enough to keep livestock.

The estate is located to the west of Madrid and 74 km from Avila and 67 km from Toledo, allowing easy access to visit any of these cities in a day.

Its vast forests also feature centuries’ old Holm oaks and meadows nestled between the Sierra de San Vicente and Sierra de la Higuera.

Segovia Castle, €15 million

This 20-bedroom castle will transport you back to the medieval era while allowing you to live off the grid.

Declared a National Heritage site, the Gothic-Mudejar estate also features Arab and neoclassical details, with historians believe it could date back to the eighth century.

No relics from that era remain but its arches (left) do date back to the 1100s, while it was home to the King of Aragon in the 14th century. The large estate, sprawling over 780,000 acres, also features a traditional mill, campsite, crypt and several warehouses.

The Property Insider

T

by Adam Neale

Speechless

HE Irish have a saying that goes, ‘if you can’t say anything, say nothing,’ and it seems particularly apt in the case of Google’s Local Reviews where it is possible for any ‘person’, who may have never used your service, to give your company a one star rating without any comments, justification or explanation.

Such a state of affairs means anyone with a computer and multiple Gmail aliases can damage your company’s hard-won reputation.

And here lies the real problem – according to Google there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

This happened to Terra Meridiana. A ‘user’ (robot, real or otherwise we will never know) who to our knowledge had never used the services of our company, gave us a one-star rating, and this is the important bit...they did not leave a comment.

Now I am not saying my company is perfect, but we do try to offer a good service, so when we received this one star review we were pretty upset, especially since we had no record of this ‘person’ ever having used the services of our company.

Moreover, since the ‘person’ did not leave any feedback, how could we know how we had failed or how to improve our service?

It is entirely possible the person mistook our com-

pany for another company; we wanted to know.

We responded to the reviewer and asked them to explain the reason for their one star rating, but to date we have not received a response.

Overnight we went from five stars to 4.8 without, it appears, any justification, so we decided to contact Google.

Google’s guidelines for the removal of negative reviews I won’t bore you with the process of complaining to Google although if you are interested you will find some excellent resources online.

Suffice to say, Google considers receiving a low star rating without a comment is not a good enough reason for removing a negative review.

And this is why Google’s guidelines for removal fail to do their job.

Are ratings reviews?

Google says: “Reviews from your customers can provide valuable feedback for your business, and replying to reviews can help build your customers’ trust.”

The reality is Google’s guidelines for the removal of negative reviews are not good enough.

So what Google really means to say is – ‘we have no

guidelines for what constitutes a genuine review’.

Google’s best practice for reviews is: Google allows anyone to post a rating of your company without a comment there is no way of verifying the reviewer is indeed a customer of your company.

So we decided to consult Google’s best practices, where we learnt, “Reviews from your customers can provide valuable feedback for your business, and replying to reviews can help build your customers’ trust.”

Somewhat surprisingly – or perhaps those who have written to Google in the past will say it is no surprise – it said that a one star rating with no explanation ‘did not meet their guidelines for removal’. It would have to stay.

To us this seems completely absurd. So, we sent

Terra Merridiana’s Adam Neale explores Google Local Reviews and why you cannot trust them the following response to Google: “I do think Google should allow users to differentiate what exactly they are rating with comments: for example: A. I want to make a comment about this website B. I want to make a comment about the services of this company All ratings should require a comment or be disallowed.

Any comments?”

To date we have received no answer.

As this article, How to Delete a Google Review points out, bad reviews can break a business, especially one that is new, or is classified as a small to medium enterprise.

While Google does have a Small Business Support team to whom you can complain about a negative review, there is no guarantee that they will help, as we found out, because the review was not abusive, nor did it break any of Google’s other related policies.

We would suggest that Google change its policy and disallow reviews without explanations. That includes five star ratings.

A review is of no use to anyone unless it is honest and transparent. If you don’t like us, tell us why, but if you can’t say anything, say nothing, and step away from your keyboard!

Terra Meridiana, 77 Calle Caridad, Estepona • 29680 • Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 .

Email: info@terrameridiana.com. Website: www.terrameridiana.com

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PROPERTY

the country

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March 18th - March 31st 2020

These mansions, castles and country estates provide the perfect hideout from the coronavirus epidemic, writes Laurence Dollimore

Gumuchdijan Villa, Sotogrande, €12.295 million

This eight-bedroom eight-bathroom property will keep you more than occupied in the exclusive enclave of Sotogrande.

Spreading over 16,000sqft, the ultra-modern home comes complete with a gym, spa, outdoor AND indoor swimming pool, wine cellar and unique water feature.

All properties are available through Sotheby’s International.

Mallorca estate, €17.5 million This 15th century property in the hills of Calvia provides the ultimate escape from civilisation while being just 30 minutes from Palma Airport.

The main house is complimented by a guest house, providing 15 bedrooms in total.

But it’s the extra features that make this property special, with the old oil press now a home

cinema.

There is also a swimming pool, library, wine cellar, abundant olive groves, water well, fruit and vegetable garden, tennis court, several garages and more.

And of course the ever essential living quarters for the staff.

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“I

F it’s cloudy the shoot will be cancelled,” warns Charly Simon, one of Spain’s top real estate photographers.

“Light is key for a good property snap, particularly on the Costa del Sol which draws people for its sunny climate,” he explains.

An experienced hand, his portfolio includes over 5,000 stunning luxury properties. But today the Marbella-born photographer has been testing his skills with a different sort of property in the old town of Ronda - Ronda Romantica, the 18th century aparthotel that I renovated and opened to the public last autumn.

Charly wanted to prove to the Olive Press how an ‘impactful photograph with an emotional punch’ is the

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Maximum Exposure way to get a property sold or rented.

It’s an old cliche but a picture is worth a thousand words of real estate jargon.

However, there are pictures and pictures.

“With people seeing around 3,000 images a day, you need to have something really special to stand out,” says Charly.

“My photographs get viewings for houses because people connect with the image so directly that they can already see themselves there.”

And apparently, his photos can turn a house that has

Ronda boutique retreat owner Gabriella Chidgey sees the light on a shoot with property photographer Charly Simon and his ‘flash mob’ of dream sellers

been overlooked for years into a quick sale.

I am intrigued to see what his team will do with Ronda Romantica and luckily the sun is shining on the designated morning I set for them to visit.

Entirely clad in black with smart monogrammed jackets, photographer Ani and interior stylist Rocio appear on the dot of the allotted

sition is so important that time.

Other than keeping a keen the photographer is always eye on weather apps, the accompanied by a stylist to team also prepare by using arrange furniture and bean app to determine the longings. orientation of the building Rocio explains that this so that it can be photogra- basic staging is part of phed at exactly the right the package, since it helps time to capture the best li- ‘bring out the essence of a ght. property”.

This tends to mean photo- If more is required you can graphing east-facing buil- arrange for the stylist to dings in the morning and bring props - bread, fruit, west-facing ones in the af- wine, glasses, flowers and ternoons. plants to dress is a the space.

LUXURY: The quality of the apartment’s sheets and towels are perfectly picked out by Charly’s team Clutter major obstaIn my case, I A stylist cle to creating had already an unforgetta- accompanies the thought ahead ble image, and and styled the photographer since Charly apartments is particularly the day before for clarity of known for his so Rocio could composition clean lines and use the extra oft-repeated items to creamantra ‘less is te a specific more’, the interior stylists focus or ‘colour pop’ for the remove as many things as photo. possible to create an un- While changing lenses for fussy space.

Although the team send a detailed checklist of their requirements before the shoot, emphasising that the house must be clean and organised, they often arrive to a home overburdened with personal items littering floors and walls.

The clarity of the compo-

the close ups, Ani explains how a manually-operated camera offers a breadth of possibilities and control that is quite simply unavailable with the automatic settings on even the best mobile phones.

Charly ensures that they always use the latest professional equipment but he’s adamant that it is not the camera but ‘knowing how to take a photo that makes, not takes, the picture’.

Having a good eye is a great starting point but it is the hours of training, practice and experience that finally distinguishes the pro from the keen amateur.

They calculate that the minimum time needed to photograph an apartment is an hour, a villa takes two to four hours, hotels and rental properties longer since the focus will be as much on the details as the general views.

Despite the preparation and time on site, Charly affirms that the most important work is executed back at the studio by the graphic designer.

Ani and Rocio also confess that the final success of the

HISTORICAL EMPHASIS: But the 19th century features don’t make the apartment any less luxurious

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And here are some other homes Charly has brought to life STYLING: Getting the light perfect and everything in its rightful place is vital for Charly’s well-trained team

image ‘owes 70% to the retouching’. Not only are colours enhanced but exterior and interior photos can be merged so that the landscape outside the window is as vivid and clear as the internal space. And unsightly details such as electrical cables or damp patches on walls can be removed.

Should the space be empty or old-fashioned, the desig-

ner can even digitally furnish and decorate the room to provide inspiration for the client. This professional and friendly team certainly put me in the picture as they worked systematically through each apartment and outside space. Quick as a flash in their methods, it still took over three hours of unrelenting focus to photograph five apartments.

Once their job is finished,

the images are left in the hands of the graphic designer. Here are some of the final results alongside my own rather poorer mobile phone efforts, they certainly sold me!

Visit www.charlysimonphoto.com Or for more information on Ronda Romantica contact Gabriella on 0034 654152122 or visit www. alcantarilla.co.uk

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

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Food price mania

Pork of the town

THE best torrezno in Spain has been revealed.

Last year Spaniards ate 13.5 million torreznos de Soria – a deep fried strip of bacon – similar to a pork crackling.

The snack, usually served as a side, has had a resurgence in recent years, with more and more chefs competing in the annual ‘best torrezno’ contest.

This year’s golden boy, chosen through a blind taste test, was Fernando Arranz, from Bar Restaurante Piscis in Soria, Castilla y Leon.

A torrenzo veteran of 45 years, Arranz scored 10 out of 10, for his recipe’s ‘golden crust, crunchy texture and perfect flavour’, which was inspired by his grandmother.

PANIC Buying, store closures and consumer lockdowns have seen agricultural prices soar as farmers struggle to keep up with demand.

Distributors in the province have seen demand for items such as tomatoes and avocados triple in this past week as shoppers strip shelves and hoard items ready for the isolation imposed by local authorities.

Miguel, a worker at the Llano de los Frailes factory in Torrox has explained that over the weekend, workers were in the fields around the clock to keep

Pair on the square

Coronavirus crisis pushes Spain’s agricultural prices through the roof while restaurant closures see fish prices slump

up with orders, and the traditional Saturday ‘bullfight’ auction saw prices increase dramatically. Tomatoes increased from around €0.40 cents per kilo to over €1.53. Green peppers surged to nearly €3 and courgettes went from €0.50 to over €1.

THE first two four-star hotels in Estepona will be completed in June, it has been announced.

The Maravilla Palace will open its doors in the town’s iconic Plaza de las Flores after a €15 million investment.

Sporting a craft beer microbrewery and rooftop pool, the 49-room hotel, is expected to employ 25 people.

Joining it on the square will be Hotel El Pilar, with both new ventures to be operated by Silken Hotels.

It will feature 37 rooms, a spa, function rooms and four restaurants, including a British-style pub.

From these prices, the final product seen on the shelves of larger supermarkets will be much higher.

The SAT Citrima Cítricos, located in the Guadalhorce valley is one of the largest producers of oranges, tangerines and lemons in Malaga and has also seen an increase in production, although it insists that prices will remain competitive.

“We are working every day, including Saturdays and Sundays” explained its manager, Guillermo Aranda.

“We are not doing business or taking advantage of the situation. This is not the time to do business, but to collaborate with the population.

“In fact, the prices we have, have hardly moved. We are selling oranges for between €0.30 and €0.40 per kilo and lemons for €0.50, when the average so far has been €0.42,” he added.

Axarquian fishermen are also feeling the struggle as chiringuitos, bars and restaurants close their doors.

The industry has seen drops of nearly €3 per kilo of popular catches such as lubina and dorada, while the closure of public fish markets has also hit the industry hard.

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

A vintage business

Cristina Hodgson dives into the dark cellars of Andalucia’s oldest bodega where eight generations (right) have cultivated the prestigious wines of DO Montilla-Moriles which have even scooped 100 points from Parker

S

IMMERING in the sierras of southern Córdoba, the white town of Montilla presides over the hottest and driest wine regions in Spain.

In summer the sun seems hot enough to shrivel the

fruit on the vine. Yet the alchemy of the harsh climate and local soil combines to produce perfect growing conditions for white Pedro Ximenez grapes which account for 95% of production here. So perfect that acclaimed American wine

critic Robert Parker gave one of its wines his top score of 100.

That wine was a PX 2011 from Bodegas Alvear. Parker described it as ‘the most amazing Pedro Ximenez I’ve ever tasted’.

History, tradition and inno-

vation rule at this family lowed their own fathers into winery now in the hands of the business, some starting the eighth generation. as young as 14 in the days Founded in 1729, it is the when the winery paid for oldest in Andalucia and the the education of workers’ second oldest children. in Spain.

Fernando A stroll through Gimenez AlAlvear studied vear, the curits cool, musty cellars gives rent Executive engineering fascinating President, is but always insight into a continuing a world of viticultradition startknew his true ture where aned by his ancient tradition cestor Diego vocation meets modern Alvear Escaltechniques. era, a Riojan Wine, and olive oil too, are who came to Montilla to Montilla’s life blood, along buy vineyards and set up with the tourists who come the winery. to buy them and explore the But it was Fernando’s great town’s palaces, churches, grandfather who replanthermitages, convents and ed the estates with Pedro castles. Most were built Ximenes grapes after the between the 16th and 17th phylloxera plague that devcenturies, giving a glimpse astated Spain at the end of of how things were almost the 19th century.

300 years ago when this exceptional winery was born.

Jewels Throughout its long history, ownership has passed Now there are 500 acres down from parent to child, producing PX wines, the each successive generation jewels in the Alvear crown. bringing their own ideas to Fernando studied naval enthe business as it strives to gineering according to famikeep pace with new tech- ly tradition but always knew nology while preserving its his vocation was winemaklong heritage. Most of the ing and he returned to the winery’s 40 staff also fol- winery over 30 years ago.

When asked what makes Alvear wine stand out, his formal demeanor gives way to a broad smile and his eyes shine with pride.

“The Pedro Ximenez grape is the true gem behind the Alvear wines,” he tells me.

“The same grape variety becomes the sole basis of all our wines, from dry fino to fragrant amontillado and of course our acclaimed sweet Pedro Ximenez.”

But how can the same grape produce such different wines. “It’s all in the aging process” he says, pushing open a centuries-old oak door, and we step out of the glaring sunlight into the dark dank cellars.

The wines - or what Brits know better as sherry are subject to the miracle known as ‘ageing under a ‘velo de flor’, Fernando explains, ‘a natural biological process where a cream coloured cap of yeast develops on the top of the wine’.

Rows and rows of wine casks line the dusty floor, kept damp in the summer by water sprays to maintain optimum temperature. Fernando’s words echo softly around the quiet cellar as he continues to explain the

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

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March 18th - March 31st 2020

Alvear’s Top Three best selling wines

PRESIDENTS PICK: Fernando is a fan of PX and (above) old machinery

complex process. “Wine left by oak and time. casks or butts are filled to For the famed dessert wine about five sixths leaving Pedro Ximenez - my favouenough free space at the rite - the process is differtop for the flor to develop. ent again. This smooth, The action of the yeast sweet chocolate-coloured gives an extraordinary aro- wine is made by exposing ma and flavour to the wine.” the grapes to the sun once He shows me a cask in the harvested. The grapes are centre of the cellar which spread over plaited esparhas been especially de- to grass mats towards the signed with a glass side to end of August and are slowreveal this alchemy. ly sun dried until they turn This initial ageinto raisins. A ing process dense must is gives birth to then obtained Ximenez wines from Alvear’s Fino the C.B., Alvear’s crushed fruit have a place signature wine. to produce an in kitchens of authentic raiWherever Andalucians get every michelin- sin juice. together, you’ll I was honoured find this ‘still during my visit starred chef wine’, meaning to be given a it has no addpreview of a ed alcohol. new wine not yet released Wines subject to a longer on the market: 3 Miradas ageing process - usually Paraje de Riofrio Alto 2016. until the nutritional ca- It’s taken from the best pacity of the flor has been vines on the best plots, biexhausted - become Amon- ologically aged under its tillados, acquiring a deep yeast cap and blended in golden colour. a butt for three years. The For darker, richer Oloroso resulting wine is neither the flor is not allowed to filtered nor cold stabilised, develop at all. The process which means it is so good it is stopped by fortifying the doesn’t need to go through wine to an ABV (Alcohol by any other process. The volume) of 18% (flor needs first bottles will be winging around 15% to grow) and their way to wine shops this by completely filling the spring. wine casks to the top. The Bodegas Alvear has the caeffects of ageing in these pacity to age five million liwines can be appreciated tres of wine in butts distribvia the distinctive aromas uted around its various win-

eries: La Sacristia and El Liceo where the oldest wines are stored; Las Mercedes, known widely as C.B.; and Las Higueras and Buganvillas where the Pedro Ximenex wines are aged.

A further bodega in the old town centre called de la Casa was Alvear’s very first property and is regarded as a site of historic and artistic interest. This 18th century former manor house hosts the regions oldest soleras which contain amontilalado wines that are two centuries old.

Award-winning

A walk through this vintage winery with a direct family descendant of the Alvear dynasty to guide me through a tasting of these exceptional wines was the ‘velo de flor’ on my own perfect day.

Alvear’s award-winning wines are the perfect complement to the gastronomy of the Montilla-Moriles region - both with it and in it. Local olives, grapes, cereal and garlic feature in dishes influenced by its Jewish, Moorish and Christian past. The result is a cuisine where wine plays an important role both for boosting flavours and as a key ingredient.

Today Pedro Ximenez wines have a place in the kitchens of every Michelin-starred chef as well as in the restaurant wine cellars and there’s one to go with anything, savoury or sweet.

Worth mentioning is the tapeo, an informal way of tasting a wide range of typical tapas of the area while enjoying Fino, Pale Cream or Amontillado served straight from the barrel by a traditional venenciador.

The 90 minute guided tour of Bodegas Alvear includes an introductory tasting for €12 per person.

Fino C.B.

PX de Sacristia 2005

Pedro Ximenez 1927

Variety: 100% Pedro Ximenez.

Produced from the best musts of the Pedro Ximenez grapes.

A typical product of that special process which takes place in the cask under a veil of yeast is the ‘crianza en flor’. C.B. stands for Carlos Billaneuva, the 19th century cellar master who marked the casks containing the best wines with his initials.

Colour: Subtle and delicate with a pale straw colour Nose: Floral tones and a fresh almondy, salty flavour Taste: Tangy with a refreshing finish and softness which makes it easy to drink Enjoy with: Any chilled aperitif - tapas, shellfish, fried fish, salads and even sushi

Variety: 100% Pedro Ximenez.

Since 1978 Alvear has been the only winery in the world to produce a full vertical range of Pedro Ximenez vintages. Since then the best Pedro Ximemenz vintages have nee statically aged in the Bodega de Pedro Ximenez de Scaristia Colour: Dark mahogany with reddish edges accentuated when the glass is rotated.

Nose: Intense, with notes of old oak, roasted coffee beans and a hint of toasted caramel.

Taste: Velvety and dense with hints of raisin, dried apricots, dates, baked apples and jam.

Enjoy with: Something sweet.

It goes well with chocolate, fruit of any kind, fresh or candied or, if you’re into bad habits, a good Havana cigar

Variety: 100% Pedro Ximenez. Made from sun dried grapes and aged in American oak barrels using the traditional system of criaderas and soleras. It is the bodega’s hallmark and a blend of the winemakers’ selection.

Colour: Bright mahogany with iodine tones Nose: Intense with notes of raisin, coffee, caramel chocolate Taste: Elegant and sweet with the taste of chocolate and raisins Enjoy with: The sweet course.

It brings out the flavour of dark chocolate desserts, fruit cake, fruit salad and even blue cheese. Or for total decadence, pour it liberally over vanilla ice cream

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SPAIN has announced a €200 billion package to help business owners, the self-employed and laid-off workers from the coronavirus crisis.

The Prime Minister said the economic measures – equivalent to around 20% of Spain’s GDP – are the ‘largest’ mobilisation of public funds in modern Spanish history.

Pedro Sanchez promised that he would leave ‘no-one behind’ in a comforting press conference on Tuesday.

“We must protect our employment, our companies, our families…there will come hard times, but united we can resist the pandemic,” he promised.

The key moves were the freezing of mortgage payments for affected workers, and a special benefit for the self-employed and laid-off workers whose incomes have been affected.

AXED: Valencia’s Fallas cancellation could be a €500 million loss

Critical care

Spain’s €200 billion plan to aid ‘autonomos’, employers and laid-off workers through the coronavirus crisis facing temporary layoffs as a result of economic stagnation following the lockdown.

Half of the €200 billion package is earmarked as ‘liquidity’ for at-risk businesses.

Semana Santa

A further €30 million is for scientific research to develop

a covid-19 vaccine and cure.

Another €17 million is to support the groups most likely to suffer from the effects of the pandemic. The International Monetary Fund has warned that the ongoing paralysis to Spain’s tourism industry is an unprecedented situation with growth forecasts impossible.

Meanwhile the European

Teen girls create ‘walk home safe’ app AN APP has been developed to provide greater security for women returning home alone especially after dark when public spaces empty.

The ‘When and Where’ app was created by five teenage girls from Madrid,

Supermarket sweep

MERCADONA sales increased by 5% in 2019 after reaching €25 million. The supermarket chain registered a net profit of €623 million which is a 5% increase on the previous year.

This comes after an investment of €2.2 million, with Mercadona president, Juan Roig describing the growth as part of ‘the brutal transformation of Mercadona’. 2019 saw Mercadona open 36 more stores across Spain with further plans for store reform and new openings in the future.

Roig is also pledging to do his bit for the planet by reducing plastic in the supermarket chain by 25% before 2025.

Alarm

All self-employed (autonomo) workers with severe losses will be able to access a special benefit and will be exempt from paying social security contributions while the state of alarm is in place.

Companies who have salaried staff will be able to temporarily lay off workers without paying severance packages – and workers will likewise be able to access unemployment benefits.

Employers will not have to pay social security contributions for their laid-off workers while any temporary layoffs (ERTE) are in effect.

Once the temporary lay off period is over, the workers will resume work and employers resume paying social security contributions as before.

Sanchez has urged companies ‘not to fire any staff’ and plans for a second royal decree to stop a major blow to the economy.

This is in response to the over 100,000 workers, who are

33

March 18th - March 31st 2020

and tracks the journey of the user.

Once the journey starts, if there is any deviation or sudden stop, a message is sent to the user to ask if they are ok.

The app will also alert a designated contact and

emergency services if needs be.

Cordoban company Magtel is currently collaborating with the app creators in order to make improvements and speed up calls to emergency services.

Central Bank has announced anti-crisis measures to help banks support the economy.

In a conference call to European leaders ECB leader Christine Lagarde said the economic situation could become ‘as bad as 2008’ if governments are not decisive enough. The huge Fallas festival in Valencia, which usually injects around €500 million into the economy, has been cancelled alongside the key Semana Santa celebrations which are huge earners for the Andalucian economy in particular. The Feria de Sevilla, due to take place at the end of April has also been cancelled. It is the city’s largest festival after Semana Santa and has an economic impact of €800 million.

34

March 18th - March 31st 2020

BUSINESS

Not worth the risk

Don’t try and catch a falling knife, warns Chartered Financial Planner Jonathan Holdaway, amid market freefall over coronavirus As I sit down to write this piece, world equity last week, were trading where they should markets are in freefall off the back of the oil pri– somewhere in the middle of the two extrece drop and continued concern over the impact mes. We assign an equal weight to all three of of Covid-19, as the number of new cases rethese scenarios because it is the mathematical ported outside of China each day continues to expression of “we don’t know”. This exercise rise and to make matters worse, Saudi Arabia suggests that staying invested with a prefefired the first shot in an oil price war - although rence for more defensive factors within equity as if to confirm the extreme volatility, the FTSE allocations makes sense. is bouncing by nearly +3%!

China’s oppressive coping strategy really does The corona epidemic is still our main concern. seem to have beaten the virus. Daily new caIt’s impossible for anyone to predict the virus’s ses have slowed to a trickle and for the last course and there is an absence of conviction two weeks between 88% and 100% of new among medical experts, let alone investment cases have been in Hubei province, where it all professionals. We view the finanbegan. The mortality rate is starcial implications in terms of three ting to level off, the severity rate broad scenarios: (i) Covid-19 and has plunged and the recovery China’s the associated disruption could be rate has surged to 90% outside oppressive coping on the cusp of dissipating rapidly; of Hubei (it’s 67% across China (ii) it could continue to worsen into as a whole), but the daily change strategy does the second quarter, greatly disrupin new cases outside of China is seem to have ting profits before the world gets rising. back to normal in the second half We focus on this metric, because of the year; (iii) it may escalate into beaten the virus during the 2003 SARS outbreak a full scale pandemic, with lasting the peak in new cases coincided economic effects into 2021. with the trough in equities and As financial markets are probability-weighother risk assets. This also bore out early last ting machines, we use a simple valuation framonth when new Chinese cases peaked, and mework to help us assess our three scenarios. markets thought we weren’t going to see epiThese scenarios give us a best case, a worst demics in other countries. case and something in the middle, so we can South Korea and Italy are of more immediate model the effects on equity prices, weight them concern, as like China, they are supply chain by probability and add them together to comlinchpins. It’s possible that the daily changes pare this probability-weighted price to today’s in new cases in Korea has peaked, but it is too actual price. early to say for sure. Looking at the percentaAssigning an equal possibility to all three suge changes, Korea seems to be following the ggests that equity markets, as of the end of Chinese roadmap, even without the draconian

lockdown, which is good news for now. But, again, we don’t know how it will develop from here. In the last few days new cases in the UK, Spain, France and Germany have started to rise, and there is a risk that as virulence peaks in one country it springs up in another, preventing a market recovery for some time.

Stock market corrections greater than 15% are very rare outside of recession, so as ever, it’s the risk of a US and global recession that we need to monitor most closely. Last week’s falls in equity markets invited comparisons to October 2008, but it is important to remember that the US had already been in recession for 10 months back then. Today, the world is very much NOT in recession, while the pro- RISK: Coronavirus to have unique impact bability of the US falling into recession in the next 12 months was negligible before Co- tighten financial conditions which could lead vid-19 struck, according to our analysis. to weaker firms going bankrupt. Central bank In January the global manufacturing PMI, a action is designed to support sentiment (of much-watched measure of business confi- course, it can’t do anything to help immediate dence, had returned to a nine-month high. supply chain dislocation). While last week’s Another important difference is that policy- surprise 0.5% cut from the Federal Reserve makers are on the front foot. Central banks was not met with much applause from equity are cutting rates and not because they mis- markets, it is important to note that financial takenly set them too high to begin with. The conditions haven’t tightened by that much – Bank of England’s agents are co-ordinating li- they tightened far more in the 2015/16 growquidity with commercial banks to ensure that th scare – and are still looser today than they China-facing firms do not run into working were a year ago. capital problems and the finance ministers of Of course, if Covid-19 causes a contraction in the world’s major economies are already dis- profits that lasts for more than two quarters, cussing a co-ordinated fiscal policy response some weak companies may start to become should a pandemic emerge. insolvent, but debt servicing costs are very The threat to economic growth from Co- affordable. vid-19 or government reactions to it comes In short, we see little evidence that a Covia three main channels: 1. vid-19-induced recession tourism, 2. the supply chain, 3. would trigger a financial crisis. sentiment.

World events are Especially when we consider Many Chinese tourists have that monetary policy is currently unique and can set so loosely – most recessions stopped departing from China and they make up more than especially financial crises, be scary while and 25% of all tourist arrivals in are triggered by a monetary poHong Kong, Japan, South Komarkets find a licy mistake. rea, Vietnam and Thailand, so There is also some growing comfort level these countries are particularly concern about rising unemployvulnerable to this channel. ment. Staff lay-offs from airline The supply chain is the bigger companies have joined recent threat. That said, the PMI surveys conducted announcements by some financial services in mid-February – before the outbreak in Italy companies such as HSBC. We are monitoand Korea, but when Chinese factories were ring the situation closely but will only react still in mothballs, didn’t report all that much if this appears to be spreading to firms that of an increase in supplier delivery times. In aren’t suffering profound structural problems. fact, in the US, supplier delivery times were So far, there is no evidence that the Covid-19 actually improving! Anecdotally, Chinese fac- has produced significant layoffs in aggregatories are springing back to life, but some of te and US jobless claims increased by 3,000 the daily data disputes this. Coal consumption to 216,000 last week, but this is still below by the six major Chinese power suppliers is 2019’s average of 216,500. still 35% below where we would expect it to Given the extreme skills shortages registered be at this time of year; Baidu’s tracking data by many hiring surveys across the world, firsuggests many workers have not returned to ms might actually hoard labour as they wothe industrial cities from their rural New Year rry about their ability to re-recruit staff if the family get-togethers. Data from the service Covid-19 disruption proves to be relatively sector (the largest sector of the Chinese eco- short-lived. nomy at around 45% of gross value added) We’ll continue to monitor the situation with looks better: property sales in Beijing were a particular focus on consumer confidence, down 95% year-on-year in mid-February but credit markets, leading indicators of recession in early March they were higher (i.e. missed and the spread of Covid-19. As things stand, activity is being recouped). Expressway tra- we are still of the view that there will be a ffic is also back to within a few percent of last recovery in the second half of 2020 and we year’s norm. That said, there are also anecdo- intend to hold onto equity positions through tal reports of empty shopping malls: people this period. For those investors overweight are returning to work but not, perhaps, to cash, now could prove to be a sensible time their usual consumption habits. to increase their allocation to equities.

South Korean and Italian disruption adds to I will keep you updated with developments, supply chain pressure. Italy puts huge pres- but please do get in touch if you would like to sure on the European automotive ecosystem, talk through your own situation in more detail. which has plants in the quarantined zones. Remember, don’t constantly check their acA 10-day shutdown of FCA, Renault, BMW count, you’re not investing for 3 weeks but and Peugeot’s plants would shave off 0.6% for long term growth, don’t try and catch a from Eurozone industrial production accor- falling knife, it never ends well and be assured ding to Oxford Economics. it’s not different this time – world events are As it stands, sentiment is the greater threat. unique and that’s why they can be scary as Declining sentiment not only derails con- markets find their comfort level. sumption and investment directly, but can If all else fails, just buy toilet roll for resale!

Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7. 29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226 Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303 /+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@ chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.

BUSINESS

35

March 18th - March 31st 2020

Supporting You Through Market Uncertainty

BY Tim Govaerts CURRENT market conditions are and have been challenging, to say the least, for both investment professionals and their clients over the last month.

Especially on Monday, first with the coronavirus and then the oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, the latter being the reason for the big fall on Monday 9.

Then again on Thursday 12 when the US banned all flights from Europe, excluding the UK. Markets have now dropped in magnitudes not seen since 2008. Share price falls have been the largest amongst consumer-facing firms particularly within the leisure and tourist sectors as well as companies with higher debt relative to profits.

Governments and central banks are trying to help and will continue to do so. The Federal

Market downturns may look scary, but sit tight and play the long game Reserve and the UK have already reduced interest rates with other central banks around the world likely to follow. Other forms of supportive monetary policy are also being rolled out into the financial system in order to ensure liquidity. Governments are planning to spend, using borrowed money, with even the Germans edging towards a bit of fiscal irresponsibility.

David Miller of Quilter Cheviot on March 12 said “Growth forecasts for this year have been revised but increasingly economists are forecasting weak activity beyond the current quarter, as quarantines and restrictions curtail activity.”

“The consensus remains for three to four months of depressed activity with a subsequent recovery but reduced activity will impact corporate profitability in the interim. Measures of stock market volatility are significantly higher than across 2019, as demonstrated with the main market movements reported widely across the media and press. This demonstrates the trouble markets are having in digesting news flow and assessing the risks ahead. The number of ‘unknowns’ means that assessing the direction of travel for markets from here is uncertain, but the continuing spread of

www.blacktowerfm.com cases and emerging stresses in the finan- have invested for the medium to long term, cial system would point towards continued which means the more likely you are to have the potential for healthy returns and achieve volatility. “ your financial goals, regardless of market downturns.

Emotional Blacktower have been advising clients for What does this means for investors? Well over 30 years now, through both the good we are all familiar with being told “The val- and bad times and our role is to utilise that ue of your investments can go down as well experience in dealing with different types of as up”, but it’s an emotive and indifferent market conditions, to make sense of the curstatement that entirely overlooks the stress- rent situation, to be there to reassure clients ful emotional roller coaster that both inves- and help take the emotion out of clients’ tors and advisers feel when there is a major decisions. Blacktower will be by your side sell-off. both now and in the future, we are here to What I want to say to all of those clients/ help you weather the stormy waters ahead. investors (myself included) is to sit tight, no matter how scary that is, any knee jerk re- The above information was correct at the time of prepaaction i.e. selling in a falling market would ration and does not constitute investment advice and you just mean consolidating a heavy loss and should seek advice from a professional adviser before missing the rebound, when it comes. You embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain

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You’re taking the pith!

A molecule in sweet oranges called ‘nobiletin’ has been found to drastically reduce obesity and even reverse its impact on the body.

Scientists from Canada’s Western University of Ontario published their findings in the Journal of Lipid Research.

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Above and beyond As well as your expertise in eye care, what other support do you provide to the visually impaired in Spain?

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IN March Specsavers Opticas announced the launch of its national fundraising campaign in aid of ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs (FOPG), to help support vulnerable people with severe vision loss.

We have pledged to raise more than €5,000 over the next year, to support the important work of the FOPG and shine a light on the incredible service it provides.

What is ONCE? ONCE stands for the Organizacion Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, or the Spanish National Organization for the Blind.

It is a charity working hard to improve the quality of life for the blind, those with visual impairment and disabled people in general throughout Spain.

They have 72,231 members (figure correct as of 31/12/2019) and of those 87% have a severe visual impairment and 13% are completely blind.

What is FOPG? Under the umbrella of ONCE sits another charity; Fundacion ONCE del Perro Guia (FOPG) – the ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs.

The foundation runs the only centre which breeds and trains guide dogs for blind people, or those with serious vision loss, to help them gain better mobility and more independence.

It provides its services to people with visual disabilities throughout Spain, by virtue of the collaboration with ONCE itself, which offers the guide dog as a free social service for people affiliated with that organisation who request it and are eligible.

The foundation breeds its own dogs and takes responsibility for the entire process of training the guide dog and pairing it with the most suitable applicant.

They also train the new owner how to make best use of this mobility aid and supports both the owner and the dog throughout its life as a guide dog.

Why has Specsavers Opticas chosen FOPG as its official charity?

As an opticians, we’re passionate about improving the lives of people with sight loss, so we’ll be doing all we can throughout the year to raise funds for the foundation.

A guide dog makes a huge difference to the lives of those with vision loss, but it takes a long time and a big investment to breed and train these very special dogs and support their owners throughout their lives.

So the charity needs donations to ensure that each person who needs a guide dog can have access to one.

Why is it important that people have access to guide dogs?

Vision loss can be incredibly isolating, leading to feelings of loneliness and depression.

However, thanks to the foundation and the work they do, people can gain a new sense of independence and confidence.

The work of this foundation is essential to increase the autonomy of blind people or those with a serious visual disability.

Changing from walking with a cane to doing it with a guide dog represents a huge improvement in their mobility, speed and security of their movements and allows them to integrate with society in a much more meaningful way.

Find out more about FOPG www.perrosguias.once.es All nine stores in Spain are supporting this charity campaign.

Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store.

To find out more or book your next appointment head to your nearest Specsavers Opticas store or visit www.specsavers.es

HEALTH IN the midst of the coronavirus pandemic the question on everyone’s lips – well except ‘where are all the toilet rolls’ – is inevitably going to be ‘is there a cure?’

Covid-19 is sweeping across the world, with infections and deaths rising everyday.

Globally, 182,000 people have been infected with more then 7,000 dead.

Scientific teams across the world are scrambling to create a vaccine to prevent or cure the infection.

So far, there is no proven cure or treatment but some scientists are claiming they are closing in an end to the viral spread.

The first to create a vaccine was Chinese researchers in February and after further research, it is thought that human testing will begin in April.

The drug used is an antiviral and is believed to have been developed for Ebola.

Closer to home, Spain is now launching its own clinical trials into this vaccine and will test the drug on infected

37

The race is on

Spain joins US, China and Australia in bid to find a cure against coronavirus

patients.

These trials will be carried out in three hospitals across Spain, in Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona.

Meanwhile in the US, a human clinical trial has begun testing an experimental vaccine to protect against the virus.

The drug apparently uses genetic engineering to create bits of the virus, therefore being recognised by the immune system.

Although health officials have said it may take up to 18 months to test any vaccine fully, it is thought that this drug could protect peo-

ple in the short term while a vaccine is properly tested.

There are also researchers in Australia who may be even closer to the goal, claiming that a HIV and anti-malaria drug has cured Covid-19 patients.Professor David Paterson from the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research said: “It’s a potentially effective treatment. Patients would end up with no viable coronavirus in their system at all after the end of therapy.”

The professor is hoping to trial the vaccine on a large scale by the end of the month.

March 18th - March 31st 2020

Healthy Gut for a healthy immune system

EVERYONE is talking about their immune system at the moment! It’s the number one topic on everyone’s mind.

We spoke to Lisa Manley Cahill, Nurse, Naturopathic Nutritionist and Colonic Hydrotherapist at Bodyworks Health Clinic to find out what we can do to strengthen our immune system and keep us healthy throughout this stressful health scare.

“Right now what you want to focus on is keeping your body as strong and well as you can” Lisa says.

“If you want to strengthen and support your immune system then your gut is the place to start - your gut wall houses 70% of the cells that make up your immune system and has a direct impact on the quality of your blood and your autoimmune responses.If you want to fix your health, start with your gut. Gut health literally affects your entire body. Certain cells in the lining of the gut spend their lives putting massive quantities of antibodies into the gut.”

Lisa recommends this four-step strategy to help strengthen your immune system through your gut: Eat more fibre – your large intestine can ex-

tract a whole bunch of great vitamins from fibrous foods and it acts like a cleaning crew through your large intestine and colon.

Avoid antibiotics unless you REALLY need them – and then take with some probiotics AND make sure to eat prebiotic foods as well.

You really need the good gut bacteria to be strengthened.

Skip the sugar and alcohol – but a small glass of red wine and a piece of good, dark chocolate are fine – these are actually prebiotics!

Take action – if you have persistent symptoms or are concerned, a food intolerance test or a colonic hydrotherapy treatment can help.

Lisa’s final thoughts on the situation, “Our gut is able to alter brain chemistry – in fact its connection is faster than normal nerves. So a strong healthy gut will not only make your immune system better but it will also help you better manage the stress that the situation is causing. Which also makes your immune system stronger! It’s a triple win!”

For more information on a healthy gut and immune system: www.TheBodyworksClinic. com. Or call 952 883 151 or WhatsApp 699 703 936

GOLF

38

March 18th - March 31st 2020

A pair of Ryder Cup veterans will participate in the Andalucia Masters in preparation for golf’s most heated rivalry RYDER cup stars, Thomas Bjorn and Lee Westwood have announced they will return to Valderrama.

The European hotshots will go head to head at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation from April 30 to May 3.

The pair made their Ryder Cup debuts at the venue in 1997, when Europe captained

by Spanish legend, Seve Ballesteros beat the United States to retain the trophy.

Westwood, who is vying to make the cut for the European team for a record 11th time, spoke very highly of the course, which is frequently hailed as among Spain’s best.

19

Comeback kings

“There isn’t much you can say about Valderrama that hasn’t already been said,” said the 46-year-old Englishman.

“It’s a fantastic golf course and 1997 was very special because I made my Ryder Cup debut there and then won the Volvo Masters a few weeks later,”

Bjorn, a 15-time European Tour winner from Denmark added: “Valderrama is an excellent golf course, and a test which we all enjoy returning to.”

The pair will be joined by a host of other European stars for the Andalucian Masters at

RIVALS: Bjorn (left) and Westwood (above) the end of next month.

Tickets are now available, starting from €7 for juniors and €15 for adults.

Season tickets are available for the full week (€30 for juniors and €75 for adults), as well as weekend-only tickets (€15 and €40).

89

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started so well

Yet another good month on the Alcaidesa Golf courses for the ex-Estepona Golf Society with the weather remaining dry, the courses in great condition and the competition being fierce throughout the month with an ample supply of visitors from the UK and Ireland to keep the numbers up.

Winners this month include Campbell Dickie, Jan Hakanssen, Norman Roberts, Peter Manley, Gordon Murray and Mike Dunlea.

The monthly Trophy was a very close affair with Peter producing a late run ​on the last game to just pip Martin O’Callaghan by a point.

The Oscar this month was won by Clive Towle.

The one item dominating the conversation latterly has been coronavirus and its spread around the world and Europe in particular, with Spain now featuring prominently in the number of cases and deaths, being second only at the current time to Italy.

With this in mind and also the large influx of golfers from abroad during the high season for golfers, some of the Society have decided that they will take a sabbatical from golf until the warmer weather really arrives, which it is hoped will help to reduce the spread of the virus.

Most, if not all of the members of the group are in the high risk category, either through age or having an underlying health problem, so we all need to be aware of the dangers and the precautions we should be taking to reduce the chances of catching the disease.

Putt it away THE Spanish Golf Federation (RFEG) has postponed the Spanish Championships due to fears of coronavirus.

The tournament was due to take place at the end of the month, with the women playing on March 21 and 22 and the men on March 28 and 29.

The Federation said: “We have taken a series of preventive measures suggested by the sport and health authorities.”

New dates for the championship have not been revealed, but it’s not expected to be anytime in the near future.

The RFEG has also agreed to postpone any meetings, presentations and seminars that it had organised for March.

This comes after La Liga announced that the next two fixtures will be played behind closed doors.

Boost for women THE ladies European Tour Championship is set to return to the Costa del Sol. Sotogrande will host the second edition of the invitational La Reserva golf tournament in May. The competition, which will run from May 14 to 17, will see over 120 international top players vying for more than €300,000 in prizes.

The Sotogrande La Reserva is

CHAMPION: Last years winner Celine Herbin the first stop of the ladies cal- Swedish golfer Annika Sorenendar in Spain, followed by stam continuing her role as the Estrella Damm Mediter- host and ambassador. ranean Ladies Open in July.

Last years winner Celine More then 150 countries will Herbin will also return to debroadcast the event, with the fend her title.

OP Puzzle solutions

Across: 7 Spacious, 5 Idol, 9 Edges, 10 Hassock, 11 Mongrel, 13 Yells, 14 Rho, 16 Rabid, 18 Sip, 20 Maths, 22 Amnesia, 24 Travels, 26 Owlet, 27 Lots, 28 Stampede.

Down: 1 Steamer, 2 Argon, 3 Insurer, 4 Ugh, 6 Doodles, 7 Likes, 8 Ashy, 12 Libya, 15 Outlast, 17 Denholm, 19 Prattle, 20 Metal, 21 Slew, 23 Solve, 25 Sat.

19

SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

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COLUMNISTS

39

March 18th - March 31st 2020

‘Got the city on a lockdown’

C

ALLE de Antonio Moreno at the back of Mercadona is not the most beautiful street in Los Barrios. But the story behind it is quite something for our pueblo.

It’s named in honour of a local bakers delivery boy made good who became a Hollywood heartthrob in the Roaring Twenties of 100 years ago.

Antonio Moreno – Tony to his friends – was the original red hot Latin lover of the silent film era, smouldering on the silver screen when Rudolph Valentino was still in short trousers.

He was leading man to Garbo in The Temptress (1922) and Clara Bow in It (1926), the blockbuster that made her the ‘It Girl’; he worked with Gloria Swanson, Gary Cooper and Tyrone Power at Vitagraph, Paramount and Metro Goldwyn Mayer; he made over 100 films and directed four; and he was the first Spanish actor to receive a star on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame.

Coronavirus has Giles Brown humming along to a noughties boy band from inside his loo roll lair

IF you read my column in the previous issue of the Olive Press, you will remember, probably with a shudder, that in my (admittedly peculiar case) one of the side effects of the coronavirus outbreak has been the fact that I can’t get cheesy pop

songs out of my head.

At the beginning of the outbreak it was ‘My Corona’ sung to the tune of My Sharona by The Knack.

And since the announcement of the lockdown, the line ‘got the city on lockdown’ from the song Fly By

by noughties boy band Blue has been bouncing around my head.

To be honest, the lockdown hasn’t had that much of an effect on my lifestyle.

True, the number of press lunches may have plummeted, but apart from that I’m carrying on fairly much like before.

Living in splendid isolation in a cottage by the lake, with the nearest neighbour about half a mile away, a generator for power and a large water deposit tank, I was all prepared for the

The other Antonio

Long before Antonio Banderas, another hot Spanish actor was the toast of Hollywood and he came from the Campo de Gibraltar, writes Belinda Beckett Scant evidence remains of the handsome 15-year-old Spaniard who earned pocket money teaching wealthy Americans and Europeans to play polo in Campamento (during its posh heyday) and got his big break when some of those influential clients offered to fund his education in the States.

But the forgotten sex symbol who crossed the Atlantic in 1902 to follow his American dream became ‘an obsession’ for Spanish journalist and film maker Mar Diaz, who has pieced the fragments together for a documentary. “I knew I couldn’t tell Antonio’s whole story so I found

a common thread - the search for his lost films,” says Diaz. “The story of his life is the history of cinema from 1912 until 1959.”

Her research took her to the Library of Congress in Washington and the Academy of Cinema in Los Angeles, to Mexico City where Moreno directed Santa, the first Mexican talkie, to the home of his great-granddaughter Franci and back to Los Barrios where a few neighbours still remember the star and his mother who owned the finest house in the street, thanks to her son.

These interviews are preserved in the 2016 documentary, The Spanish Dancer, named by Diaz

breakdown of society.

Although, to be honest, I sort of hoped it would be the zombie apocalypse.

I’m not entirely sure what I am going to do with the c h a i n s aw / f l a m e t h r o w e r hybrid that I constructed, though it could be useful to jump the queue at the supermarkets.

Being the 50-something male that I am, I’m not a huge fan of big shopping trips, preferring to get life’s essentials – coffee, cat food, agua con gas – from the smaller stores.

Uncertainty

after one of Moreno’s movies.

When talkies arrived, Tony reinvented himself as a character actor, playing a scientist in the 1954 horror classic Creature from the Black Lagoon and gun-slinging with John Wayne in western epic The Searchers.

Off screen he and his oil heiress wife Daisy Canfield Danziger were Hollywood’s Golden Couple, driving fast cars, hosting racy parties and living the Great Gatsby lifestyle.

He died in Calfornia in 1967 and though history overlooked him

HEART-THROB: Moreno he never forgot his homeland, modelling his LA mansion on the grand houses of Cadiz which gave birth to a new architectural style Stateside, dubbed Mediterranean Revival.

Today his stately pile is a historic monument renamed The Paramour Estate – a fitting epitaph for a red hot Latin lover.

Check out the full story at https://thespanishdancer. wordpress.com/

So I looked on in bewilderment at the panic buying images that swamped social media.

“Why does anyone need that amount of toilet roll?”

I asked myself, “surely half a dozen pot noodles, baked beans and a family size pack of dry Whiskers will suffice?”

But in the current uncertainty, who knows what will work against the virus? And it’s for this reason that I’m writing this particular column from the safety of my vast and impregnable fortress of loo roll!

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Vol. 13 Issue 339 www.theolivepress.es March 18th - March 31st, 2020

RAISING THE ROOF

Legend helps community keep trim while coronavirus has them quarantined

AN out-going fitness trainer has given a free rooftop workout class making the most of the quarantine period.

The personal trainer gave the session after his gym Sano Sevilla was forced to shut due to the virus.

Barking mad A SPANISH joker is facing a big fine after being stopped walking a toy dog during the coronavirus lock-down.

The man was stopped by police in Palencia with the stuffed dog, which he hoped would get him around the restrictions of going out.

Police confirmed he faces ‘a huge fine’ in the ‘very serious situation.’

“He didn’t fool us and he will be punished... It is a question of public health,” said a spokesman.

Adamant that he did not want to let the lockdown impact people’s health, Gonzalo took to the rooftops of the Mairena Del Aljarafe apartment complex and gathered residents on their balconies for a flash mob workout session.

Cheering

INSPIRED: ‘Gonzalo’ holds fit session for neighbours

The impromptu workout is part of the latest in the latest growing trend sweeping across Europe. Videos have been circulating online of quarantined residents banding together and singing, playing music and pulling together to congratulate health workers on their work against the virus.

In Madrid, residents were filmed shouting ‘Viva los Medicos’ whilst cheering and applauding the medical workers on the front line of the coronavirus outbreak.

A NEWBORN baby has brought some welcome good news to the Olive Press team.

Elsa Hansen-Dollimore was born at the Costa del Sol hospital on Sunday as the coronavirus curfew came into full effect.

The niece of Olive Press digital editor Laurence Dollimore weighed in at 4kg (8.8lbs) and is at first glance fully healthy.

Proud parents, British expat Leanne Dollimore and her Norwegian partner Alex Hansen, based in Mijas, were kept in the hospital for a couple of days as a precaution against the virus. While the rest of the family have yet to meet the new arrival due to strict hospital regulations on COVID-19 contagion, the news is a welcome positive amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Extinction rebellion POLICE in Murcia have had to take to social media reminding citizens that fancy dress costumes are not a valid way to avoid the lockdown.

National rules only allow people to leave home to walk their dog for as long as necessary.

It comes as one canny Murcian thought he could evade the rules by wandering the streets dressed as a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur.

Despite being questioned by police, he was later seen (and filmed) by a neighbour taking his rubbish out.