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Frontier closed - but not for all! SPAIN has closed its land borders with Gibraltar, France and Portugal. From midnight on Monday, the only people allowed into Spain from Gibraltar are cross-frontier workers, returning Spanish residents and those who have a justifiable reason to enter the country. Despite the blockade being one of the objectives of the Vox party in the last elections Chief Minister Fabian Picardo stated it was not a ‘politically motivated’ move. “I am satisfied that the measures being adopted are not politically motivated against us," he said. "We have had it confirmed that workers needing to come across the frontier will be able to do so." Despite initial fears about long queues on Monday, there were no problems with frontier flow and everyone was able to get to and from work without any problems. "We advise people to have copies of their employment contracts with them if possible," continued the Chief Minister. "Additionally, we are also satisfied that there will be no effect on the supply of goods across the frontier for our supermarkets and grocers and, most importantly, for our Health Authority.”
GIBRALTAR
Solid as a Rock EXCLUSIVE By John Culatto
NEARLY half of all Gibraltar residents tested for coronavirus have been given the all clear. And two out of three confirmed victims have so far recovered. The remaining case, an elderly person, is ‘in hospital but is only mildly unwell’, according to Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. It comes as the government confirmed that of 100 people tested, some 49 have been given the
STOPPING the virus before it spreads is better than waiting until it is too late, according to the Minister for Public Health. John Cortes said it was a case of acting early to nip the problem in the bud. “This is the time to take measures against the virus,” Cortes told the Olive Press, this week. “If we wait until we have many cases before we take measures then we would be wasting our time. “If we are successful and we delay it, we are going to be criticised and asked why we took this action in the first place.” The minister praised the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) for diverting resources to handle the number of victims.
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“The GHA has 87 beds available and we are taking more measures to increase that number,” he revealed. “In terms of personnel we have called for retired doctors and nurses to come forward and make themselves available. “We have also increased the Intensive Care Unit capacity by 500%.” Last week’s visit to London has led to the promise of UK help if needed. “The Chief Minister asked the Prime Minister if it was a possibility to bring more personnel from the UK,” he said. “Boris has confirmed the UK will do everything it can to send support if we request it in detail.”
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 - tens of thousands of Gibraltarians thanks to our coverage of the coronavirus online with hourly updates globally throughout the weekend.
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Majority of coronavirus victims in Gibraltar have recovered as half of tests come back negative all clear, while 48 results are still pending. Of those who have so far caught the virus, none of them had been abroad recently so they have been listed as ‘community transmissions’. Acting Medical Director Krish Rawal confirmed the GHA would soon be able to test patients on the Rock rather than send them to the UK. “We are in the process of obtaining all the equipment,” said Rawal. “The analysers and chemicals arrived yesterday. “Now we need to calibrate those machines and train our staff. “Within the next week or ten days we should have our own in-house testing. “We’ll then be able to test and deliver the results on the same day.” He said this could mean that the drivethrough testing area at the old Rooke site could be ready by the end of the week. “There is a certain level of uncertainty with this because we do not have a history with this virus,” revealed Rawal. “The statistics are showing it’s very clear that for those under 70 it turns into just a normal cold with flu-like symptoms that will incapacitate you maybe for a couple of days. “However, for those over 70, Covid-19 can be a high consequence disease with a severe impact.” There are currently 24 beds with ventilators available for Covid-19 victims, with more on the way. The GHA has also trained up medical staff from every department to be able to deal with a greater quantity of cases.
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It is, of course, a horrorshow for # 245 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. 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 50 in Gib. Our team of over a dozen writers are out and about making sure you are abreast of everything you need to know...visit:
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CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL
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 coronavi-
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
rus pandemic that has taken over the globe. Ecomerzpro is charging a staggering €49.95 for a face mask, which can be found online – on sites such as ali-
express.com – for €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
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 may-
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or Oscar Medina issued a stern warning against law breakers. Everyone is confined to their homes except for urgent and necessary journeys, including trips to the supermarket and chemists and council cleaning teams have been out in the streets disinfecting municipal areas and all furniture and parks.
desperate 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 and 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 get back before we went to print.
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CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL Euros OFF
Referendum 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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March 18th - March 31st 2020
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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
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CORONAVIRUS NEWSSPECIAL
March 18th - March 31st 2020
Father and sons split up by Spanish police on Gibraltar border, as coronavirus lockdown kicks in
Torn apart
THE human cost of the coroEXCLUSIVE navirus pandemic has been By John Culatto laid bare, with the tragic separation of a dad and his kids in the frontier with Spain, Glenn Gibraltar. In scenes reminiscent of 1969, Cunningham was stopped when General Franco closed from picking up his sons, 11 ALL elderly citizens over the age of 70 will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential services under new legislation that came into effect on Tuesday. COVID-19 is known to be more harmful for those over the age of 70 or with underlying health conditions. The new law prevents them from leaving their homes apart from to go shopping, buy medicines, or go to work. They can however go to their bank, care for someone with a disability or walk their dogs. The law will be in place up until April 15, when it will be reviewed. “They need to understand that what we’re doing is for their own good,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. “They put themselves at risk and what is worse, they put huge pressure on the GHA by being so reckless as to think that they’re going to be the only ones who are going to defy the virus. “I implore those who might not have heard and are just finding out now, or who think that they’re cleverer than to listen, that the law is being put in place for a good reason.” He added that the only criminal offence could be obstructing a police officer but he felt most elderly people are ‘law-abiding citizens’ and would not take such an action.
Humanity remains A VOLUNTEER co-ordinating centre has been set up by the government for those wishing to help the elderly amid the coronavirus pandemic. Already well over 400 people have registered their interest to help. The co-ordinating committee is to match all the skills of the volunteers with what the community needs. Volunteers will be able to work from the privacy of their own homes, on their phones and online. All the volunteers will be briefed on all precautions to prevent infecting others and cross contamination. “Support on occasions such as these is invaluable, we can always count on our Gibraltarian community to step up, come together and be there for each other,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. If you’re interested in helping out, you can call 200 41818.
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
REUNITED: Glenn with his boys at last and 12, from La Linea. The trio remained apart for hours after Spanish police prevented Cunningham from picking them up from Spain. The two brothers had been enjoying a sleepover at their friend’s house. “The frontier police didn’t let me go over to pick the kids up even though I was coming back 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 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 symp-
Virus wreaks havoc at schools SCHOOLS are set to close after an alarming 60% of students failed to turn up for lessons on Monday as the COVID-19 panic spread to parents. Despite the alarming drop, the government insisted schools will remain open ‘but this decision will be kept under constant review with the teachers’ union’. The fears also kept 20% of teachers at home, with online remote schooling now looking like a possible solution. Schools have been closed in countries like Spain, France and Germany and it is possible that the UK and Gibraltar might follow suit shortly. “We still believe that schools are the right environment for pupils,” said Fabian Picardo. “We will continue to deliver the curriculum as best as possible, within the circumstances, with particular emphasis on the exam classes.” The government has been saying that if local schools are closed, the elderly could get the virus from them when they are looking after grandchildren. In regards to A-Level and GCSE examinations, lessons must ‘continue to prepare students for these exams’. The Gibraltar NASUWT teachers’ union will be meeting the government on March 19 to decide whether or not the schools should stay open.
toms 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!”
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NEWS
March 18th - March 31th 2020
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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
We must all pray it works 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. 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. London meanwhile is seeing the fastest spread in the UK with over 500 cases and the real numbers are hard to know because health authorities there have stopped testing people. Yet no businesses had been ordered to close as we went to press. 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. We are now 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 31th 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)
Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote
CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL Gibraltar Calling OFF
8 Safe and Sound 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.
ALL public events on the Rock have been cancelled until the end of May as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The Gibraltar Calling music festival in September is another victim of the virus. The Government confirmed the popular annual festival had to be scrapped as it would require an investment in advance which cannot be guaranteed. “No insurance is available at reasonable costs to cover the potential loss of fees paid if the concert has to be cancelled,” confirmed a spokesman. All events planned for June and onwards will also be reviewed on a case by case basis. The Drama Festival to be held this week has been cancelled, along with Workers Memorial Day, May Day, the Spring Zarzuela, The Miss Gibraltar show will be held without any live spectators as it is being tele-
vised. In addition, the Spring Visual Arts Competition and Spring Logo Competition will now be closed-door events only for its winners. The Youth and Cultural Open Day, Calentita Food Festival, World Music Festival are all being postponed. National Day and the Monkey Rocks festival on September 10 could also be cancelled if the pandemic has not lifted. All private events held in the John Mackintosh Hall and on Gibraltar cultural premises are all cancelled. Although last weekend’s Gibraltar Snooker Open was held behind closed doors, the Darts Open and World Pool Masters are also postponed. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said all these decisions were taken ‘on the basis of the advice of experts’.
King tells dad: KEEP YOUR DIRTY MONEY!
SPAIN’S king has sought to distance himself from his disgraced father Juan
Carlos by rejecting any inheritance from him. Felipe, 52, also announced
Time’s nearly up
March 4th - March 17th 2020
Getting prepared ALL medical staff at St Bernard’s hospital have had six day courses in how to treat coronavirus cases. As Gibraltar braces itself for a rapid growth in infections, 35 nurses, as well as dozens of doctors and ambulance drivers were taught the basics of ventilation equipment and breathing problems. The medical staff were taught skills by a specialist intensive care nurse from Northumbria University to best care for these patients. The course was overseen by Sandra Gracia, Director of Nursing, and Professor Ian Peate, Head of the Gibraltar School of Health Studies. “I am very impressed by the response from GHA staff who have risen to the challenge,” said Peate. Since COVID-19 is a virus that causes breathing problems, patients who have severe symptoms would benefit from breathing machines. “I am extremely proud to see the commitment shown by our dedicated staff to provide the best possible care to our community,” said Paul Balban, Minister for Health and Care. “We need to empower our valued staff effectively to be in a position to provide the highest level of care.” Gibraltar now has three cases of the virus which has a mortality rate of 8%, with there being 185,000 cases worldwide. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo is expecting 80% of the population to contract COVID-19.
the former monarch, 82, would no longer be funded by the state.
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
FALL OUT: Between current and former king
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 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. 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 coronavirus 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.
Property
go S su -to pain pp pr ’s le ope m r en ty t
www.theolivepress.es
Issue 36
March 2020
Self-isolating this month? Our top Covid-19 Spanish hideaways include castles and country estates See page IV
How to get the perfect property shot We put a leading Spanish photographer to the test. See page VI
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 perio-. 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
10
March 18th - March 31th 2020
PROPERTY II
March 18th - March 31st 2020
PROPERTY
Mark Stucklin
www.spanishpropertyinsight.com
Hammer blow
THE coronavirus situation in Spain has become extremely se- Spain’s property market in 2020 rious with one of the fastest rising contagion rates in the world, prompting the Government to decree a countrywide lockdown is looking like a ‘total writelasting 15 days. This is the beginning of a major shock that I expect will paralyse off’ due to the coronavirus thehousingmarket,inparticularthesecondhomemarket,forat pandemic, writes Mark Stucklin least the next three months. According to an article in the New York Times this weekend, who think that ‘ecofeminism’ is the answer to the world’s proSpain has become the latest epicentre of coronavirus after a fal- blems. Let’s see how they learn from contact with reality, if at all. tering response. Personally, I think the USA is going to be the bi- So the government has declared a ‘State of Alarm’ (or State of ggest problem before long, and Alert, depending on translation) lasting 15 days, with people that should worry us all. expected to stay at home and self-isolate as the whole country AparticularblunderbytheSpa- gets put in a cordon sanitaire. nish government was allowing All tourism and leisure businesses will close. I doubt this will be massive rallies like the Interna- over in 15 days. This is going to hammer the Spanish economy, tional Women’s which relies heavily on tourism and services. Day rally in MaI worry the politics will get even uglier. drid on March 8, Shock to the This is all terrible news for the Spanish housing at a time when market,especiallythesecond-homemarket,which market will coronavirus was relies so heavily on tourism. raging in Italy, probably create I expect sales activity will be paralysed for three and there were at least, possibly longer. It looks like 2020 an opportunity months already589concould be a write-off. firmed cases in This coronavirus shock to the market will probably for buyers Spain. Partly as createanopportunityforbuyerswhenthedustsea result, contattles, but it’s obviously bad news for sellers. gions in Madrid Anyone not in a hurry to sell should consider taking their proexploded. perty off the market until buyers and confidence come back. Just over a week ago, the left Any buyers in the market today will be bottom-fishers. wing coalition partners of the Finally, I’ve seen some scenes of people panic buying loo roll Spanish government were bic- and other basic items in the UK, but in my local supermarket in keringoverwhowasmorefemi- Barcelona, though very busy all day Friday, there was no sense nist, and posturing as leaders of of panic, and the staff did a heroic job of keeping all the shelves Buying or selling your property may the fight against the patriarchy. stocked. be the most important transaction These are the kind of people
you will ever make... Attention to detail is crucial.
That is why when you choose Charles Gomez & Co for your conveyancing, our dedicated team of experts scrutinise everything and keep you informed at every step of the process.
35 Years of Excellence in Conveyancing
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.”
III
March 18th - March 31st 2020
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 of Gibraltar’s richest men and a developer responsible for
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 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 one of the most environmentally focussed in Gibraltar, with dozens of new trees planted.
SATISFACTION: Butcher (left) will enjoy creating the Reserve, as it will look (above)
“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 natu-
ral 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 moti-
vation behind developments like these was, Butcher said: “We really get into these schemes.Whatyouhavethere 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.
PROPERTY
IV
March 18th - March 31st 2020
Escape to
Asturias Castle, €14 million
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 newconstructionof1,227m2 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.
Hunting Estate, Madrid, (Price on request)
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
PROPERTY
the country
V
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. Spreadingover16,000sqft,theultra-modernhomecomescomplete 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 This15thcenturypropertyinthehillsofCalviaprovides 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. Thereisalsoaswimmingpool,library,winecellar,
abundantolivegroves,waterwell,fruitandvegetable garden, tennis court, several garages and more. Andofcoursetheeveressentiallivingquartersfor the staff.
VI
March 18th - March 31st 2020
“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
PROPERTY
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
time. Other than keeping a keen sition is so important that eye on weather apps, the the photographer is always team also prepare by using accompanied by a stylist to an app to determine the arrange furniture and beorientation of the building longings. so that it can be photogra- Rocio explains that this phed at exactly the right basic staging is part of the time to capture the best package, since it helps ‘bring out the essence of a light. This tends to mean photo- property”. graphing east-facing buil- If more is required you can dings in the morning and arrange for the stylist to west-facing ones in the af- bring props - bread, fruit, wine, glasses, flowers and ternoons. plants to dress the space. Clutter is a maIn my case, I jor obstacle LUXURY: The quality of the apartment’s sheets and towels are perfectly picked out by Charly’s team had already to creating an thought ahead A stylist unforgettable image, and accompanies the and styled the apartments since Charly the day before photographer is particularly so Rocio could known for his for clarity of use the extra clean lines and items to create composition oft-repeated a specific fomantra ‘less is cus or ‘colour more’, the intepop’ for the rior stylists remove as many things as possible to create photo. While changing lenses for an unfussy 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
PROPERTY
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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 designer 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
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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PROPERTY
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
March 18th - March 31st 2020
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.
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
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 produc-
tion 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 winery’s 40 staff also followed their own fathers into I’ve ever tasted’. History, tradition and inno- the business, some starting vation rule at this family as young as 14 in the days winery now in the hands of when the winery paid for the education the eighth genof workers’ eration. children. Founded in Alvear studied F e r n a n d o 1729, it is the Gimenez Aloldest in Andaengineering vear, the curlucia and the but always rent Executive second oldest President, is in Spain. knew his true continuing a A stroll through vocation tradition startits cool, musty ed by his ancellars gives cestor Diego fascinating insight into a world of viticul- Alvear Escalera, a Riojan ture where ancient tradition who came to Montilla to buy vineyards and set up meets modern techniques. Wine, and olive oil too, are the winery. Montilla’s life blood, along But it was Fernando’s great with the tourists who come grandfather who replantto buy them and explore the ed the estates with Pedro town’s palaces, churches, Ximenes grapes after the hermitages, convents and phylloxera plague that devcastles. Most were built astated Spain at the end of between the 16th and 17th the 19th century. Now there centuries, giving a glimpse are 500 acres producing PX of how things were almost wines, the jewels in the Al300 years ago when this ex- vear crown. Fernando studied naval enceptional winery was born. Throughout its long histo- gineering according to famiry, ownership has passed ly tradition but always knew down from parent to child, his vocation was winemakeach successive generation ing and he returned to the bringing their own ideas to winery over 30 years ago. the business as it strives to When asked what makes Alkeep pace with new tech- vear wine stand out, his fornology while preserving its mal demeanor gives way to long heritage. Most of the 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 complex process. “Wine casks or butts are filled to about five sixths leaving enough free space at the top for the flor to develop. The action of the yeast
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Alvear’s Top Three best selling wines Fino C.B.
PRESIDENTS PICK: Fernando is a fan of PX and (above) old machinery
gives an extraordinary aro- rite - the process is differma and flavour to the wine.” ent again. This smooth, He shows me a cask in the sweet chocolate-coloured centre of the cellar which wine is made by exposing has been especially de- the grapes to the sun once signed with a glass side to harvested. The grapes are reveal this alchemy. spread over plaited esparThis initial ageing process to grass mats towards the gives birth to Alvear’s Fino end of August and are slowC.B., Alvear’s signature ly sun dried until they turn wine. Wherever Andalu- into raisins. A dense must cians get together, you’ll is then obtained from the find this ‘still wine’, mean- crushed fruit to produce an ing it has no authentic raiadded alcohol. sin juice. Wines subject Ximenez wines I was honoured to a longer during my visit have a place ageing process to be given a - usually until in kitchens of preview of a the nutritional new wine not capacity of the every michelin- yet released flor has been on the marstarred chef exhausted - beket: 3 Miradas come AmontilParaje de Rioflados, acquirrio Alto 2016. ing a deep golden colour. It’s taken from the best For darker, richer Oloroso vines on the best plots, bithe flor is not allowed to ologically aged under its develop at all. The process yeast cap and blended in is stopped by fortifying the a butt for three years. The wine to an ABV (Alcohol by resulting wine is neither volume) of 18% (flor needs filtered nor cold stabilised, around 15% to grow) and which means it is so good it by completely filling the doesn’t need to go through wine casks to the top. The any other process. The effects of ageing in these first bottles will be winging wines can be appreciated their way to wine shops this via the distinctive aromas spring. left by oak and time. Bodegas Alvear has the caFor the famed dessert wine pacity to age five million liPedro Ximenez - my favou- tres of wine in butts distrib-
uted around its various wineries: 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. 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.
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
PX de Sacristia 2005
Pedro Ximenez 1927
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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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
OP QUICK Crossword
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
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
Across 1 Roomy (8) 5 Image of a deity (4) 9 Borders (5)
1. British Museum, London: This iconic museum lo11 Dog of mixed breed (7) cated in the heart of the city allows virtual visitors to tour 13 Shouts (5) the History of Time exhibi14 17th letter of the Greek alpha- tion and discover the ancient Queen of Sheba and Egyptian bet (3) mummies. Don’t miss out on 16 Overzealous (5) the British Museum’s fantas18 Little drink (3) tic virtual tour. 10 Cushion for kneeling (7)
20 Science of logic, quantity,
2. National Gallery of Art,
shape and arrangement (Abbr.) (5) Washington, D.C: This dis22 Loss of memory (7) tinguished American art mu24 Makes journeys (7) 26 Young hooter (5) 27 A great deal (4) 28 Frenzied rush (8) Down 1 Cooking vessel (7) 2 Inert elemental gas (5)
seum 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 Underwriter (7) 4 Exclamation of disgust (3) 6 Draws aimlessly (7) 7 Finds pleasing (5) 8 Wan (4) 12 North African oil state (5) 15 Survive (7)
OP Sudoku
17 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” actor --- Elliott (7) 19 Chatter (7) 20 Broken rock for road repairs (5) 21 Killed (4) 23 Find the answer (5) 25 Posed (3)
All solutions are on page 23
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
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
HEALTH
The race is on
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
Spain joins US, China and Australia in bid to find a cure against coronavirus
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
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. Mice were fed nobiletin and kept on a low cholesterol, high fat diet during the study, which left them much thinner. They also showed reduced levels of blood fat and insulin resistance when compared with mice on the same diet but without nobiletin.
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 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 pro-
NEARLY 90% of pregnant women who want to have an abortion in Spain have been harassed by anti-abortion groups, according a report. Asociacion de Clinicas Acreditadas para la Interrupcion del Embarazo (ACAI) is an organisation that runs abortion clinics and has released a report stating that 89% of women who have tried to terminate
their pregnancies have been pressured by anti-abortion groups. Sonia Lamas, a spokesperson for the organisation described some of the examples of abuse the clinics face: “We reported months ago the harassment we suffered, but the authorities don’t even come to clean the graffiti.” Of that 89%, 67% felt threatened during the medical pro-
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tect people in the short term while a vaccine is properly tested.
Too far cedure because of the harassment they had faced previously. Anti-abortion groups such as Hazte Oír, Derecho a Vivir, Más Futuro and Asociación Sifra dedicate a good part of their time and resources to put obstacles up in place for women trying to get an abortion.
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.
BUSINESS
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Pandemic plunders profits
Amazon jobs boom AMAZON has announced it will open a new logistics centre in Sevilla, creating more than 1,000 fixed jobs over the next three years. The retail giant’s new site in Dos Hermanas will use cutting edge robotic sorting technology and is set to open at the end of summer. Warehouse posts make up the majority of new jobs, with THE International Monetary Fund has warned that the ongoing coronavirus epidemic will paralyse Spain’s tourism industry and cripple consumption. The global lender said what remains unclear is how prolonged and intense the economic impact will be. In an unprecedented development, there is so much uncertainty that the international body has been unable to make a growth forecast, even for the year 2020.
Decisive
It comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Spain has now surpassed 2,000. The health ministry has warned that the end of virus transmissions is not expected for at least two months and in the worst case scenario the crisis could last for another five. At a press conference in Madrid, director of health emergencies Fernando Simon said ‘we are in a very different situation than a few days ago’. He urged people to take responsibility for their own health by making sure they follow government guidelines in relation to hand washing and avoiding facial touching. He also urged parents to keep children at home as
base salaries of €14,500 and recruitment set to start in the coming weeks. Amazon’s new centre will be its fourth in Spain, where it already employs 7,000 people. Jeff Bezos’ firm will construct its latest site with energy saving technology in a bid to help reduce its CO2 footprint.
‘forced to make sacrifices to help others who are not in a position to do so’. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo warned landlords that do not cut rents they will have to pay ‘a massive tax bill’ on the rents they acquire. On March 12, Chamber of Commerce president Christian Hernandez asked the government to consider ‘a number of measures to help local companies after a dramatic fall in sales’. Restaurants, bars and cafes are the worst hit after they were closed down on March 16. Shops have lost most of their clients after tourists were blocked entering Gibraltar at the port and land border.
Breathing space for businesses BUSINESSES are getting a reprieve from the coronavirus pandemic after the Government has announced that restaurants, bars and nightclubs will be temporarily closed. It comes as the Government recommended against social gatherings to stop the spread of the Covid-19, with Gibraltar recording two new cases on Monday. Businesses in the catering and leisure sectors will be able to pay utility bills such as water and electricity for the month of April over a 12-month period to ease the tension of closures. “The Government will waive all business rates for affected businesses in the relevant sector for the second quarter of the calendar year 2020,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. The Government has called on Gibraltar’s phone and internet providers to offer a similar plan for businesses during these difficult times. Import duties for products other than tobacco, fuel and alcohol will not be applied until April 30. “We have the financial firepower at our disposal to be able to react and to assist even further depending on how matters develop in coming weeks and months,” Picardo added.
Ailing economy
Closer to home
AXED: Valencia’s Fallas cancellation could be a €500 million loss
IMF warns coronavirus to paralyse Spain’s tourism as ECB says ‘it could be as bad as 2008’ much as possible, especially in the worst hit regions like Madrid, which has more than 1,000 cases. Meanwhile, the European
Central Bank has set anti-crisis measures. In a conference call to European leaders, ECB leader Christine Lagarde said the
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,
BUSINESS leaders have welcomed government rent cuts for local companies hit by the coronavirus crisis. The Chamber of Commerce and GFSB support the government decision not to charge companies rent for the second quarter of the year. Both business bodies echoed the Chief Minister’s call for private landlords ‘to waive at least 50% of the rent due’ in the second quarter of the year. “Now is the time for landlords to share the burden and keep Gibraltar’s best interests,” said the Chamber and GFSB. They said that commercial landlords need to be ‘as flexible as possible’ as everyone is being
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.
economic situation could become as bad as 2008 if governments are not decisive enough, reported Bloomberg News. Spain has already cancelled the huge Fallas festival in Valencia, which usually injects around €500 million into the economy. Next month, one of the biggest earners for the country, Semana Santa celebrations have also been cancelled, losing millions of domestic and international tourists to the likes of Sevilla and Malaga. The Feria de Sevilla due to take place at the end of April could also be postponed . This is the city’s largest festival after Semana Santa, with an economic impact of €800 million.
moving closer to THE UK is granting Gibraltar full access to its market after its latest consultation. This new free market between Gibraltar and the UK will see a continuation of the way things were in the European Union. After the agreement was announced last year, the financial regulation of both countries will now be aligned to create a level playing field. “This consultation builds on the hugely important political agreement achieved by the Chief Minister with the UK to ensure continued market access.” said Albert Isola, Minister for Financial Services “We have been working very closely with HM Treasury over a considerable period of time and we enjoy an excellent relationship.” Gibraltar’s advantage has always been its fast and efficient
regulation, taking less time to carry out financial services. Low corporation tax has also brought a number of companies to the Rock, including betting, insurance and fintech companies. The Financial Services Act was the last piece in the puzzle to shore up any holes in Gib law. “Gibraltar in due course will also, naturally, be legislating to permit UK-based firms to continue to access our market. “This two-way access that is unique to Gibraltar and the UK reflects our strong and historic relationship. “It will permit further growth in financial services that is a key sector for our economy.” With the financial services industry bringing around £500million to public coffers each year, this is one of the silver linings of a tough Brexit for the Rock.
COLUMNISTS
23
- March MarchMarch 18th 18th - March 31th 31st 20202020
‘Got the city on 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
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 nough-
ties 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
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 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. 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
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HEART-THROB: Moreno 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 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 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/
PROTECT YOUR HOME
Finding an emergency plumber to fix a burst pipe in the early hours of the morning can be a stressful experience. Damage can run into the thousands. Most home insurance covers water damage from leaking pipes. But what is covered and what is not, can be confusing. Home insurance from Línea Directa covers your property 100% against any water damage, which means we will guarantee the insured contents for their full base value. Our policy also covers accidents, unforeseen spillage and leaks from neighbouring properties. Our policies also cover flooding, mudslides or an accidental diversion on the ordinary course of water flow in channels, ditches or sewage flows.
OP Puzzle solutions
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.
SUDOKU
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.
Uncertainty
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!
WATER DAMAGE GUARANTEED PROTECTION
Quick Crossword
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 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 rowe 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.
DISCOVER A LEAK
If you discover a leak, turn off the stop valve to stop the flow of water. Then turn off the mains electricity supply. Place a bucket under the leak to catch as much water as possible, while turning on all the taps to reduce the system pressure. Take photographs of any damage and retain any possessions that have been damaged. These may be needed in the event of a claim. If you would like some further advice on this matter, please call our English speaking customer service on 902 325 325.
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We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com *Fully comprehensive offer valid for new customers only. Guarantee subjec t to cover, repair at approved garage, and cour tesy vehicle availabilit y. Subjec t to conditions. O ffer ends 30/11/18.
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Vol. 5, Issue 118 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.