The FREE
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 13 Issue 342 www.theolivepress.es April 29th - May 12th, 2020
This is not Armageddon!
IT was a taste of what’s to come for parents and children at the weekend. Mothers and sons, dads and daughters headed out to take the air, pick wild flowers and jump in puddles around Spain. On bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller skates or just shanks pony, they
Photos by Jon Clarke
Taste of freedom Mother of cancer victim Ashya King tells Olive Press why she has left the Jehovah’s Witnesses and wants to move back to Spain with her family
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met and chatted with friends on street corners and in parks, without fear of arrest or a heavy fine. Even better, from this weekend everyone will be allowed to exercise, as long as social distancing measures are kept. And, fingers crossed, the weather is meant to play ball!
c o n d i t i o n s .
E n d s
See a mother’s moving interview on pages 6-7
3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .
21/6/19 13:30
Photos by Mike Riley
E IV US CL IC EX P
e c t
OLIVE PRESS Andalucía
Expat restaurateurs welcome four-step plan to recovery, but fear huge losses despite being able to open again in May EXPAT businesses across Andalucia have welcomed the news they could reopen in May following seven weeks of stasis. However, they remain extremely cautious about making plans until the international tourist market returns. It comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez revealed his four-step ‘de-escalation’ plan last night after a week of positive COVID-19 data. He insisted that life will return to a ‘new normal’ by June, with restau-
EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore and Jon Clarke
rants, hotels and businesses allowed to gradually open throughout May albeit at heavily reduced capacities. As long as the numbers of infections continue to drop, restaurant terraces will be allowed to open, as well as hotels and other tourist accommodation, on May 11. Some two weeks later, restaurant dining rooms can open for business, while cinemas, theatres and museums will follow suit. Cultural events such as weddings will be able to take place with a capacity of up to 400 people outdoors and 50 indoors. By early June, it is
envisaged that more restrictions will be lifted, although restaurants could still be limited to a capacity of just 50% with ‘strict separation’ between customers. “I’m cautiously optimistic,” British hotel and restaurant owner James Stuart, of the Califa group, in Vejer told the Olive Press.
Reputation
“Restaurants with a good reputation and clientele will do alright, particularly if they have decent sized outdoor terraces.” He added that bookings for his 10 businesses were ‘pretty strong’ for July and August - mostly from Spanish clients - but that June would ‘most likely be a washout’. “While I welcome the news and we will be opening a few restaurants and hotels as soon as we are allowed in May, we are worried about our larger ones. “It is vital that town halls allow restaurants to have much more space for tables and that we are able to operate with smaller numbers of staff. “In particular the government needs to let us know about the ERTE employment measures and give us more specifics about what are the barriers and spaces needed between tables,” he added. Another long term hotel owner in Ronda, Andy Chapell, of Continues on Page 4
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NEWS IN BRIEF Speed freaks sought POLICE are looking for two drivers who broke the corona lockdown while speeding at 240 kph between Sevilla and Portugal. The Guardia Civil have put a video of the pair online. Neither is wearing masks or protective clothing, when they drove at 120 kph above the permitted limit on the A-49 highway in Huelva.
Jet set AT least 25 private jets have flown from Spain to the UK during the coronavirus lockdown. Since March 23, another 27 private planes from France and 32 from Germany have also touched down in Britain, according to data from aviation consultancy WingX.
Dog walk row A DOG walker has been stabbed while walking his dog on the Costa del Sol. The 25-year-old Spanish man was hospitalised after the incident in Benalmadena on Saturday. According to witnesses, the man was walking his pet when a Columbian neighbour tried to run over his dog. After a row the Columbian got out of his vehicle with a knife and an altercation ensued. The Columbian fled, but was traced, thanks to witness identification, to the rooftop of the apartment block where he lived and was quickly arrested.
Adams trio A TRIO from the same family have been arrested for robbing rural second homes in inland Malaga. The thieves from Casarabonela took advantage of empty holiday properties not being taken care of during the coronavirus crisis. Police however, caught the gang after a tip off and caught them red handed. A range of valuables have now been returned to their owners.
NEWS
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Lockdown lust EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore and Joshua Parfitt
SEX workers in Spain are still advertising for clients despite the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, the Olive Press can reveal. They are breaking social distancing rules, while some are openly flaunting the Royal Decree with special ‘COVID-19’ discounts. The adverts, printed in their dozens in various English newspapers, are ‘illegal’, particularly during the lockdown, Spain’s National Police confirmed this week. One advert - offered by a
Sex workers are still meeting clients via British newspaper ads despite Spain’s strict coronavirus rules sex worker on the Costa del Sol - made reference to her location just metres from a Mercadona supermarket to give punters a cover story, if stopped by police. While posing as a client, an Olive Press journalist was given a list of prices and services, answering to an advert, headed ‘Blonde - Offer COVID-19: €40,’. When asked if she was still
Brothel of Europe Spain has been referred to as the ‘Brothel of Europe’ with a 2011 UN report ruling it was the third biggest prostitution Mecca in the world, behind only Thailand and Puerto Rico. Since it was decriminalised in 1995, it has become a huge industry worth around €24.5 billion and with at least 300,000 workers. However it has also led to a rise in human trafficking, with women shipped from around the world and forced to work at night. One 2009 study by TAMPEP (European Network for HIV/STI Prevention and Health Promotion among Migrant Sex Workers), estimated 90% of sex workers in Spain are victims of human trafficking. An illegal prostitution ring was busted in Andalucia this month, with 12 victims from South America, including a young girl, freed from flats in Jaen and Cordoba.
Prison for politician THE Spokesperson for Podemos Madrid, Isabel Serra Sanchez has been sentenced to 19 months in prison for her intervention in an eviction of a disabled person. The 30-year-old (right) was found guilty of attacking police and causing minor injuries during the incident in Madrid in 2014. She has been fined €2,000 and been banned from holding public office for a number of years, but was not found guilty of public disorder, which would have landed her a stiffer sentence. She claimed it was a ‘dispro-
portionate and unfair sentence’ and added she would continue to fight to prevent evictions of families. Another Podemos leader Pablo Echenique insisted the police had no evidence she was violent, during the eviction. He insisted she was ‘demonstrating peacefully’.
working despite the lockdown, she replied: “Sometimes and with a discreet person.” Other adverts continue to offer ‘incalls’ and ‘outcalls’ in ‘private apartments’ despite the country being in its seventh week of lockdown. The sex adverts in English are continuing to be printed across local English papers on the Costa Blanca, too, suggesting there is a nationwide breaking of the rules. Spain has been on a national lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak since March 14. It has made all non-essential work effectively illegal and punishable under the law. A spokesman for the Policia Nacional told the Olive Press that people should be aware that prostitution is illegal, whether the country is in lockdown or not. “We want to clarify that prostitution is illegal in Spain,” he explained, “it does not matter if there is a lockdown or not. “In Spain we are governed by the Organic Law 10/1995 of the penal code and its updates.” People generally believe prostitution to be legal in Spain, but the reality is sex workers exist in a legal vacuum wherein the practice has been decriminalised since 1995 but no public laws have been written regarding their legal status. But while the prostitutes may not be penalised, their clients can be. Although any sex worker caught meeting clients
Paedo breakthrough AUSTRALIAN police have helped link a child sex abuse video to a Spanish paedophile. The suspect produced explicit videos of a young boy - aged four - to gain access to forums on the dark web. International cooperation was key to cracking the case: with Europol supporting Spanish police by analysing information received from cops in Queensland. Europol found that a 2015 video discovered in France may have been filmed in Spain.
Abuse
BREACH: Sex ads flouting COVID-19 rules
during the lockdown will also be punished. One male escort was stopped and fined on his way to meet a client in Barcelona last month. Another escort based on the Costa del Sol told the Olive Press he has been inundated with requests but has refused to meet with clients due to the coronavirus lockdown. “I think a lot of sex workers are obeying the rules, but I guess some who have seen their incomes disappear are in desperate situations. It’s not an excuse though, just stay home,” he insisted. The Olive Press has never published sex ads, while the Sur in English only stopped running them last year, after a new edict from the Junta de Andalucia.
Cops worked out that the suspect was also using a social media network where he was in touch with a woman who shared the same surname as the one in the title of the abuse video. They eventually tracked him down to a home in Barcelona, where they seized a large amount of material which they believe could lead to further arrests in Spain. Fernando Ruiz at Europol’s cybercrime unit insisted: “‘This type of international cooperation during the COVID-19 crisis shows how children are being protected as a priority. “We encourage everyone to be aware of the dangers to children during this time.”
No minor incident
A DAD has been arrested after dumping his son on the side of a motorway to divert police and flee a roadblock. The 36-year-old abandoned his child on the hard shoulder of the A-44 in Granada after nearly hitting a Guardia Civil officer.He has been charged with ‘crimes against road safety’ – dangerous driving and driving without a license. He also faces two other charges – the neglect of a child and disobeying a police officer. The bizarre stunt allowed the man to shake off the Guardia Civil officers, who were obliged by law to help the young child.
NEWS
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Goodbye to the queen of the coast
April 29th - May 12th 2020
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By Dilip Kuner
FOR 19 years she has been one of Spain’s most loved icons. Hundreds of thousands of people have gazed at the awe-inspiring sight of the beauty and power of Asmara the Sumatran tigress as she padded round her enclosure at Fuengirola’s Biopark. But children will no longer be able to press themselves against the glass screen that was all that separated them from the terrifying-yet-beautiful vision of the jungle queen. At the age of 19 the oldest feline resident of the parc – and third oldest Sumatran Tiger in a world-wide breeding programme – has passed away. It comes two years after her partner Rokan died and a postmortem has confirmed she did not die of Coronavirus. She died of a tumour close to her heart, breaking the hearts of her keepers and other park workers. “She was very impressive and curious and will be badly missed,” said Marta Perez, who works in marketing at Bioparc. “She needed to be treated with respect and she could be fierce with people she did not know well.” She herself had several cubs with Rokan, helping save this highly endangered species from extinction.
AN Andalucian photographer has scooped third prize at this year’s World Press Photo contest for his unbelievable shot of Iberian lynxes. Antonio Pizarro, 47, who works at Diario de Sevilla, captured the moment a pair of the wild cats fled the sound of gunshot near Doñana National Park. The veteran lensman’s snap, titled The King of Doñana, shows one lynx suspended in mid-air
Snap to it!
as it leaps for safety. Since 2013 Sevilla-born Pizarro has gone to extraordinary lengths to snap the world’s most endangered feline species. He has even sometimes used a camouflaged semi-underwater bunker so he can remain undetected while being close to the action.
OAP - Old Age Pugilist Battling Ana del Valle - 106 years old - is the second oldest person to survive COVID globally
By Laurence Dollimore
SHE has survived two world wars and one civil war. Now an amazing centenarian, from Andalucia, has beaten the deadly coronavirus. 106-year-old Ana del Valle, from Ronda, has fought off
the illness to the cheers of her family and friends. The pensioner, who has a good diet and walks daily, contracted the virus along with 60 other residents at her nursing home in Alcala del Valle. While a few of them died, she was transferred to another home in La Linea, where she
POLLYWANNACOMEBACKA A PARROT that broke the Corona lockdown has been found safe and sound. Jack, a Congo Grey parrot (left), escaped his cage, in Mijas, with owner Kara Caradas discovering he had chewed the wire in his indoor aviary in the garage and had vanished. Caradas was exceptionally distraught that the much-loved family pet had disappeared and decided to offer a €500 reward for his return. Once a post had been put out by a friend on social media, it got an amazing 150,000
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hits and leading to Jack being spotted by a local homeowner on the roof of his house in La Cala hills. The Spaniard immediately contacted Kara who went to pick him up to reunite him with his brother Wally. Kara told the Olive Press: “I have never felt anguish like it. I could not eat or sleep. I was worrying he was calling me and I could not get to him. “He is a huge part of the family and I am glad he managed to give everyone a happy story after all that”.
ALIVE AND WELL: Ana with family has just been transferred. Born in October 1913 she is the oldest survivor of the pandemic in Spain and only just behind 107-year-old Dutch survivor, Cornelia Ras. A farmworker, she had only
learnt to read and write at the age of 80, and outlived her husband, who died 24 years ago. Incredibly, it has emerged she also survived the dreaded Spanish flu at the age of seven. Her family that counts four great-grandchilA COUPLE who had set sail from Spain to cross dren - revealed the Atlantic on a sailing boat did not know about that she had the lockdown measures until they reached land a been discovered month later. Italian, Elena Manighetti and Brit, ‘collapsed’ unRyan Osborne set off from Lanzarote on February der an oak tree, 28, when COVID-19 was still mainly contained while out fetchto China. They were stunned to find the world in ing milk. an ‘almost complete lockdown’ when they hit the “She was found Caribbean island of Bequia on March 25. “When many hours latRyan read out the news our jaws just dropped,” er by her mother Manighetti revealed. with a very high fever,” said her daughter in law Paqui Sanchez. Incredibly, she SOME of his lan- tesize homeschooling survived that guage on the pitch is service, the Mancheshorrific plague probably a bit colour- ter City striker is givthat killed milful for young pupils. ing daily lessons for lions around But Sergio Aguero two weeks. the world and is watching his lan- The 31-year-old who has since stayed guage as he teaches has been at City for healthy with a Spanish to children nine years, had spent good diet and in England in a new five seasons prior to regular daily BBC website and app. that at Atletico Mawalks. Part of the BBC’s Bi- drid.
IT’S No wind up!
Spanish with Sergio
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COVID-19 SPECIAL Adios to a guiri great
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ONE of Spain’s most famous expats has passed away during the lockdown. TV sports presenter Michael Robinson, has died at the age of 61, at his home in Marbella. The former Irish international, who played for Liverpool for years, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018. But this didn’t stop him frequent-
ly appearing on Spanish national TV commentating on key football games or acting as a pundit in the studio. He finished his career in Spain, playing for Osasuna before becoming a pundit, where he became a popular household name. Spanish tennis legend Rafa Nadal insisted it was ‘the death of one of
CUT OFF Expat furious after mobile network shuts line during crisis leaving him unable to contact friends or relatives
EXCLUSIVE By Dimitris Kouimtsidis
A BRITISH expat has been left isolated by his mobile network company after his wifi, phone cable and television were cut off without any notice or a reason. Edwin Ashworth, who lives in Fuengirola, is furious that Movistar withdrew his account leaving him unable to
talk to his friends and family back in the UK during the COVID crisis. “I don’t understand why they would do this, especially since they haven’t given me a reason,” the 77-year-old, who lives alone, told the Olive Press this week. Ashworth, originally from Manchester, and a friend have been continually fobbed off by the company over why the action was taken.
We will see sales drop of €6 million From Page 1
Hotel Molino del Santo, said: “While I welcome the news and we will be delighted to reopen, I am very cautious until flights are restored to near-normal levels. “Until then we will not be able to generate sufficient business to cover our costs.” Meanwhile, the boss of Mar-
bella’s landmark La Sala Group, was also cautiously optimistic, while admitting that his company would likely lose ‘over €6 million’ this year. “While it is great news to hear that people can start to get back to their normal lives, and start the recovery of what was taken away from them,
it’s not necessarily great news for businesses working mainly in the tourist market,” said Chairman Ian Radford. “With our core market being mainly UK and Scandinavian, and the fact borders will not be open probably until July or beyond, being open will only increase our losses to date this year. “We have already lost over 12,000 reservations booked over the last 12 months and we have reduced our sales forecast by over €6 million for 2020.” However, he continued that they had ‘bigger challenges’, such as trying to protect their 200-plus staff and families in the long term. “We are working on finding a business model that protects our staff, but also provides our loyal customers with what they want.
April 29th - May 12th 2020
our own. “You were the one who always made us happy about sport,” he wrote on Twitter. “We are grateful to you.” Spain’s World Cup winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas said: “Goodbye friend, it was a pleasure to share so many moments with you. You leave a big mark.”
Each time he, or his neighbour David, have tried to fix the problem they have been told the issue is taking longer than normal due to coronavirus. “It’s ridiculous how it’s been a week now and they don’t even bother to update me or at least tell me why they cut me off. “Luckily I managed to top up my British phone and have been able to use that for emergencies, otherwise I would be completely isolated,” he continued. The Brit doesn’t leave his apartment even to go buy food, he gets his essentials delivered, because he’s in the high risk category.
School controversy “It’s so infuriating because I’m entirely at their mercy of neighbours and can’t do anything about it.” A spokesperson for Movistar told the Olive Press the company was ‘looking into the case’ and that it ‘may have been caused by a technical glitch’. “There is nothing more we can say at the moment,” he added.
Health shocker
A SHOCKING 20% of Spain’s health workers have contracted COVID-19. It is the highest percentage in the world, well above Italy with 10%, China at 3.8% and the USA at 3%. Some 36,000 nurses, doctors and other workers have so far caught the virus, with around 40 losing their lives. The figures are blamed on the absence of ‘essential safety measures’ with not enough masks for workers and many defective.
PARENTS and unions have slammed plans to reopen schools in Andalucia in May or early June. The unions warn the proposal is too ‘rushed’ and can only be done if ‘the guarantees of safety and health are given.’ Francisco Padilla, president of ANPE-Andalucia, insists it will be ‘very difficult to maintain social distance measures’ in schools. Meanwhile Diego Molina, of CC OO union, believes it is a political decision and schools should not reopen until September. He added that the Junta’s plan to open schools so parents could go back to work would put thousands of grandparents at risk. It comes despite recent modelling studies of COVID-19 predicting that school closures alone only prevent 2% to 4% of deaths. Other social distancing interventions play a more critical role in controlling the pandemic.
Perspective
Countdown to freedom Phase 0 will begin for most provinces on May 4 (Formentera, Menorca and El Hierro will enter Phase 1). It will allow restaurants to open for take away service and for small businesses see customers via private bookings. Phase 1, where infection rates are low, begins on May 11. This will allow 'the partial reopening of small businesses under strict security measures, except for large shopping centres.' The over 65s will be allowed to visit shops at set times and the use of masks on public transport is 'highly recommended.' Churches and other places of worship can reopen as well as all tourist accommodation, excluding common areas. Restaurants will also be allowed to open their outdoor terraces to a 30% capacity, but not inside. Phase 2 on May 25 will see 'restaurant dining rooms open with capacity limited to a third.' Cinemas and theatres, along with monuments and exhibition centres (all restricted to a third of normal capacity) can open. Cultural events can be held with less than 50 people in enclosed spaces or with 400 people for outdoor and seated events. Phase 3 on June 8 will allow restaurants to open to 50% capacity and with 'strict separation' between customers.
“It will be a tricky balance to find, but we will find it. We have to!” And he added: “Let’s put things into perspective there are so many people in much worse situations and we can only hope that something good for the world comes out of the misery.” The plan laid out by Sanchez states that the country will come out of lockdown in four phases (0 to 3) over a two month period (see panel left). It follows an announcement on Monday that cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to open in Andalucia on May 25. The rules will only allow punters to spend up to 30 minutes having breakfast and 90 minutes having lunch and supper to allow other clients to use the establishments. There will be a reservation limit of four and people will be banned from sharing dishes while establishments must have air conditioning filters installed and strict disinfecting rotas. Opinion Page 6
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COVID-19 SPECIAL
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Sandy assures
BEACHES in Andalucia are getting set to open for the summer season. The Junta confirmed that they are ‘very likely’ to open, however there will be set limits on the density of visitors. There will also be restrictions on sunbeds, towels and beach sellers. Junta president Juanma Moreno revealed he was
optimistic that Madrid would agree to the plans, but said they were still a few weeks away from confirming actual dates. Until there is a vaccination or an effective treatment, strict restrictions will have to be put in place. Local and regional police will be expected to monitor and control the num-
‘Don’t forget the coriander, darling!’ By Charlie Smith
MIDDLE class British shoppers are helping keep Andalucian farmers alive during the coronavirus lockdown. Millions of Home Counties home chefs have been dusting off their recipe books seeking out key ingredients such as fresh parsley and coriander. “This has
Bored Surrey housewives on lockdown in UK are driving demand for Spain’s fresh herbs, reveals one happy expat supplier
helped our demand,” said British food chief Peter Langdale, 65, the boss of Malaga
At your service A NUMBER of hotels are set to reopen in May offering special security measures to beat the COVID-19 crisis Check-ins and check-outs are set to be performed virtually, with no human-to-human contact, while the Parador group will have a special reception ‘corner’ to give guests gloves, masks and disinfectant gel. The use of lifts could be limited to one person and room service discontinued. Many dining options will be similar to those served on planes, pre-made boxed meals, while the deep cleaning of the rooms will take place after guests leave. Ideally the rooms should be left vacant for a full 24 hours after a guest checks out, before the cleaning staff, wearing appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) are allowed to enter. Room keys at AC Hotels now consist of a code registered on the guest’s mobile phone. Data from the Spanish tourism sector points to a drop in revenue of over €120 billion whatever the changes. It’s vital for the industry to reopen as soon as possible, and experts in the sector are considering all kinds of options to ensure that reopening takes place sooner rather than later.
agricultural firm Horto Palma SL, whose herbs end up in Waitrose and Tesco in the UK and Mercadona in Spain. The expat of 34 years, originally from Scarborough, employs 150 people, with his firm exporting 99.9% of its produce, with the UK supermarkets its main market. “We have actually been incredibly busy,” he told the Olive Press. “We have seen no real drop thanks to the foreign demand. He added: “It’s thanks to the middle class households stuck at home and fed up with what they’ve been cooking... so they get the recipe books out, which all want fresh herbs.” And that is good news for the hundreds of busy suppliers working around the clock in southern Spain to provide the demand. Due to food production being an ‘essential service’ during the state of alarm, Langdale said his crops, including parsley, coriander and leeks, have
largely been able to reach the UK as normal. However, the company’s two garden centres in Malaga and Velez Malaga have been forced to close, with some staff put onto ERTE and others drafted into the food production side. “When lockdown started there was some panic-buying and then a couple of weeks in there was a hiccup in retail sails, but now they’re back up,” Langdale added. He believes the Spanish farmers are doing a roaring trade, while less than normal was coming out of Italy and Portugal, much to do with the availability of labour. While he said he considered himself privileged to be able to ‘keep going’, he said the crisis had been a ‘gamechanger for the global economy’. He said: “Things will never be the same again and when added to Brexit and the rise of populism it’s certainly going to be tough.”
bersThe Junta meanwhile is preparing an incentive scheme to encourage Andalucians to use their beach resorts this summer. Utilizing a similar model proposed by Italy, the region wants to introduce a ‘bono’ or voucher, which can be exchanged in hotels and restaurants.
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Masking the pain THE Spanish government has sets the maximum price for surgical masks at 96 cents. The Minister of Health recommends their use for public transport and for work reasons or where the minimum recommended distance of two metres cannot be ensured. It is not compulsory to wear one.
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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.
OPINION Tough love
THE Spanish government must feel stuck between a rock and a hard place as it attempts to take its country out of the coronavirus lockdown. Its people are growing weary of being confined to their homes and want to have more freedoms returned, but letting things return to normal too quickly could result in a second and deadlier wave of COVID-19. Either way, it’s hard for leaders to navigate deescalation plans while maintaining popularity. Luckily, Pedro Sanchez’s government seems to have the health and wellbeing of the Spanish people as its top priority. Its four phase plan seems initially fair - if a bit short on detail - and is clearly designed by common sense. The decision to let provinces which have been less impacted by the virus lift restrictions sooner stops unnecessary roadblocks to economic recovery. Clearly businesses are going to be hurt, with capacity limits set at 30 to 50% until mid-June, but it’s what must be done, initially at least, to prevent a second wave of a disease which has killed nearly 25,000 Spaniards. Let’s hope businesses are supported both during AND after this whole crisis ends.
Sex sells IT is morally reprehensible at best: Pages of sex adverts advertising every kink and quirk under the sun. But whether prostitution is legal or not and sex workers should be allowed to solicit or not, is irrelevent in the heart of the COVID-19 crisis. For the current Royal Decrees make it implicitly clear who CAN and who CANNOT work. And there are very good reasons behind that, however frustrating and painful it is for many workers, particularly self employed autonomos, who are really struggling in this crisis. It is called social distancing - preventing the spread of the disease - which can hardly be possible in the case of a prostitute. So when you find so-called ‘community newspapers’ openly encouraging ‘COVID-19 specials’ from sex workers on their pages, they can hardly be called responsible. They are cashing in on a mucky trade that sails mostly below the margins, particularly right now. It is time to call out these hypocrites for what they are. Publisher / Editor
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FEATURE
‘THEY are holed up at home and terrified this is Armageddon,” says Naghmeh King, her distress unalleviated by the sunshine pouring into her apartment with its idyllic views along the Costa del Sol coastline. “They think coronavirus is the great plague God prophesied and they will only be saved if their belief in Jehovah is strong enough” adds the 50-year-old mother of Ashya King. The family made global headlines in 2014 when she and her husband fled Britain for Spain seeking ground-breaking cancer treatment for their youngest son, now 10, sparking an international manhunt leading to their arrest and imprisonment in Madrid. Six years after that heart-rending saga, Naghmeh is in flight from a new terror: brainwashing. “They are scared, so scared, and their father is being so strict,” she reveals. “Do this, do that, making them say their prayers before every meal and repeat them after him every night.” Naghmeh is talking about husband Brett, 56, and their seven children, locked down in the family home in Milton Keynes, that she managed to escape just before the travel ban was enforced. “I couldn’t deal with it and came at the beginning of March,” she tells the Olive Press at the modest three bedroom apartment in Casares, near Estepona, where she has pinned up photos of her children on the wall and various dictionaries and bibles are strewn on the coffee table. “I told them I would come and self isolate here, where I will be safe. Brett said he didn’t want me to leave the house, he does not have enough faith that God will protect him. He thinks he will die from the coronavirus. I simply couldn’t take it anymore.” It is a cautionary tale and moving proof that extreme religion can sometimes break up families. Talking to the paper to express her ‘disgust’ at the religion she has been trying to leave for years, she claims her husband has been ‘brainwashed’ by the Jehovah’s Witnesses who ‘owe’ her a five-figure sum of money. More of which later. Hers is a story that was thrust into the global spotlight when she and husband Brett, from Portsmouth, decided that the cancer treatment their then-five-year-
EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke
I’VE BRO FREE!
old son Ashya was receiving in Southampton was a danger to his life. Believing he needed the much more benign Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) - which at €70,000 the NHS trust would not fund - they smuggled him out of the hospital and drove straight onto a ferry from Portsmouth to Europe to prevent him becoming a ward of court. They planned to make for their holiday home in Malaga where four of their children were born and where they hoped the gentler Mediterranean climate would allow Ashya to recuperate while they sought PBT elsewhere. But their departure led to a global outcry with Interpol quickly called in to locate them. While they attempted to lay low in a hotel in neighbouring Axarquia they were not hard to locate, being nine in number counting the other children, Danny, now 29, Naveed, 26, Sirus, 20, Yusha, 14, Matty, 13, and This is NOT Armageddon, insists Sion, 8. “Basically, the receptionist mother of cancer victim Ashya King found out who we were and as she seeks sanctuary in Spain once called the police,” recalls Naghmeh today. “Ashya was more - this time from the clutches of taken to hospital in Malaga and we were taken to jail. Jehovah’s Witnesses We were kept for three days in a police cell in Malaga, then prison in Madrid. proving from the trauma It is clear she means it and “It was really, really bad, I of brain surgery to remove - having known her for six never knew how the author- a tumour, he still has pro- years and spoken to her on ities worked, they took over found disabilities, she re- various occasions - she and our life. We were charged veals (see side bar). I both know it will be a batwith child cruelty and I Now Naghmeh is going tle as tough as the one she feared losing Ashya for through another major up- went through with Ashya. good. I was so scared.” heaval in her life, having Naghmeh’s story began Thanks to a decided to when her Iranian family massive releave the sent her to do her A-levels sponse by the church she in England at the age of 16. UK media - and Making them say became in- Packing her off from Tehran the Olive Press, prayers before volved in at to Blackburn, where she which worked age of had an uncle, they hoped every meal and the closely with 20, some she might end up at Camthem, aiding repeat them after three de- bridge with a career in artheir appeal cades ago. or medicine. him every night Insisting it is chitecture a petition was “But things all changed raised asking d e f i n i t i ve l y when I met Brett, who was for their rethe time to a bank manager, in Camlease, allowing them to be move on, she is making an bridge, with a second job reunited with Ashya. urgent, heart-felt appeal to running a guesthouse busi“An amazing 250,000 peo- her husband to leave the ness,” she explains, with a ple demanded that Ashya religion too and join her in glint in her eye. “He was 24 should be given back to us,” Spain with their family, at and we quickly fell in love continues Naghmeh, recall- least the youngest four. and got married a year lating the emergency court hearing in Madrid, linked up to the High Court in London, where it was agreed they should be allowed to take their son for emergency PBT treatment in Prague. “Our lawyer Juan Isidro, from Sevilla, was excellent and reaaly helped get us out,” she insists. “Soon Ashya was getting treatment in Prague.” While her son is slowly im-
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STRONG: Naghmeh King has fought tooth and nail for her kids
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April 29th - May 12th 2020
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BIG FAMILY: Naghmeh King and her seven children
finally got sucked in and mas, Halloween or Easter, while she disliked the end- and they kept telling us less meetings and the way that in the next few years the ‘elders’ sometimes Armageddon would happen treated her children, she and everyone would die,” started to believe that she says Naghmeh. could save people’s lives “They want you to believe and immersed herself in that the world is a terrible the religion. place. It was a joyless reThe indoctrination contin- ligion and it is no surprise ued as the couple launched that tens of thousands are their own successful prop- leaving it every year,” she erty business renovating adds with a shudder. and selling homes in Mil- After the drama with Ashya ton Keynes, and starting a they returned to the UK, family. but life back there made They ended up buying a Naghmeh think long and trio of homes on the Costa hard about the religion and del Sol from the proceeds her role in it. and finally moved to Spain “I have now completely er.” that he started to say the ‘to learn Spanish and lead come out and three years While her parents were Lord’s Prayer before meals a simpler, holier life’, in ago I told Brett I wanted 1999. to leave. I wrote a letter to not happy with her deci- and before going to bed.” sion, wanting her to come So when a few months after They arrived, via Honduras, the church and told Brett home to Iran, the pair led getting out they received with three children in tow, to deliver it. But he said he a charmed life, with the the proverbial knock on the with Brett firstly working as wouldn’t give them the bad income Brett was making door from a pair of local a gardener before landing news. from his two jobs. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Brett a cushy job as an estate “I just feel so angry that agent with we have paid them so They bought a leafy home i m m e d i a t e l y Kristina Sze- much money. I worked out in Milton Keynes, but their took an interkely and later it is £42,000 and I want it happiness was short lived est. Prison would Interealty. back. They give you books when Brett was jailed for “His name Over the next and say they need money have a longfalsifying mortgage forms (a was Michael decade they for electricity and to adver‘white collar crime’, Nagh- Michaels, a meh insists) which ended Greek guy, lasting effect on had four more tise, advertise, advertise. up getting him sacked from and he gave his life and their kids - all born I’m writing to them to get it in Marbella’s back.” his bank job. him a few relationship Costa del Sol She continues: “I’m defiHis term was only a year m a g a z i n e s hospital - and nitely happier now I’ve in the low security Bedford which Brett ended up left, I feel free and have prison, but it would have a found intermeeting a large group of got more time to think and long-lasting effect on his esting,” recalls Naghmeh. life and their relationship, Three weeks later Michaels like-minded families via the study. Now I just want my she insists today. returned to persuade Brett various Jehovah’s groups children back. I want them to come over and live with “It was horrible for him and to go to the local Kingdom on the coast. “I sort of put up with it and me here in Spain and I he came out all skinny,” Hall for a meeting. she remembers. “But while “I refused to go, I was not we had to go to church two have been looking at bigger there he took a close inter- interested and kept throw- or three times a week, we homes to rent. “Brett and I have est in religion…particularly ing the magazines out. I c o u l d n ’ t the not really disfrom a cell mate who taught told him they were simply c e l e b r a t e ess pr ve oli bir thdays, cussed it, but I him about Noah’s ark and brainwashing him.” SOS Migrantdon’t want to go the floods. And it was then But almost inevitably, she or Christ- Ebola outbreak fear home. “Brett is fairly brainwashed by it, Save right now for sure. Our Ashya King was declared cancer free two were opening and shutting, he “I keep telling n So years ago. But the courageous youngster is was moving. We felt he needhim we should sit still profoundly disabled and may never fully ed a chance to recuperate. down and discuss Malaga recover from the trauma of his ordeal, as his We couldn’t risk him losing it, not allow other mother Naghmeh tells the Olive Press in her his sight or hearing. It was an men in a church own heartfelt words. intense pressurised time trav- SPLASH: Front page in 2014 tell us what to do. “He is OK, he can go up the stairs by himself elling with him in the car. “Brett’s been tellbut he has to sit down to come down the I had to feed him through his nostrils, ing me about divorce, he stairs. He can walk a few steps, but often he could not eat or swallow anything, he said if I’m not part of the falls. He is still paralysed and has a crossed couldn’t even drink water, he was totally parreligion he won’t allow the eye as well. alysed. children to talk to me. It’s “They took a big part of his brain, during He can’t write properly yet, his hand shakes, illegal. It is more serious. the eight hour operation but chemothera- but he is starting to read and do sums. He “It hasn’t got to the stage py would have killed him. We were told he has one to one in the class, he needs someof a lawyer, but I am being would not have sight or hearing after it. His one to hold his hand at school, but he can’t really firm with him when ears would dry out, his eyes would dry out. do secondary school and he cannot stay at speaking on the phone. But they said Proton Beam Therapy would the school he is at now. In Spain he can. If he “I’ve told him I don’t want not work on his cancer, and would not fund it. came here they would take his shunt out (a We realised we had to leave, get away from valve and tube which takes brain fluid into them to have to pray in the England … the state would have taken him the stomach and the spine) and he could then house any more. We can away so we didn’t say anything. go to school here in Spain as a normal child. read the bible ourselves “We knew he was making progress, his eyes That’s what I’m hoping for.” and discuss it, of course, but no more brainwashing.” 140828_olive_press.pdf
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on the border of the A GIANT stand-off ensued this weekend with hundreds of miSpanish enclave of Melilla with Morocco, grants storming the border. a Tangier to Tarifa ferry was In another attempt to enter Europe, three migrants hid themafter held up for two hours on Sunday, from the deck of the selves in the motor. Passengers watched were hauled from their Intershipping ferry, as the Moroccans estimated that 1,800 people hiding place near the blades. It is this year. Mediterranean the cross have already died trying to
ASHYA: On the mend, six years on
See our feature on drug- and people-trafficking
MALAGA is facing a potential Ebola outbreak after a Nigerian man, 40, displayed symptoms of the deadly virus. The Carlos Haya hospital (above) launched emergency protocols on Sunday, while hospital sources admitted they were ‘completely unprepared’ for an outbreak. The man is being kept in protective isolation until results are received. It is feared he contracted the disease on a trip home to Nigeria. "If it turns out that he has got Ebola, then we will all get it," a hospital worker said, adding that the hospital is unable to deal with such serious cases. The man - who lives in Antequera - arrived with a high fever, and was immediately put into isolation. Aside from the fever, he did not show any other recognisable symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and bleeding. At least two other suspected victims in Spain have turned out to be false alarms over the last fortnight.
See page 20
on Page 6
By Tom Powell and Rob Horgan in Casares and Joe Chivers in the Axarquia
EXCLUSIVE: Costa friends reveal Ashya King was diagnosed in Spain, where his family had previously lived for many years
REUNITED: Ashya King and family (right)
TERMINALLY ill Ashya King was diagnosed with a brain tumour in Spain before being rushed back to England for emergency treatment, the Olive Press can reveal. The seriously-ill British child - whose parents Brett and Naghmeh fled England last week sparking an international manhunt - had been taken to a local clinic after suffering headaches. “He had been having headaches back in the UK as well so they took him to a doctor who referred him to hospital for a scan, which was when they found out he had just months to live,” said family friend Joseph Lathey, 20, who knows the Kings from Jehovah’s Witness meetings. The family-of-nine had only just returned to the home they have owned in Casares for the last decade, looking forward to a long summer holiday. The Olive Press can reveal they have been living on/ off in Spain since buying the beachside apartment 10 Turn to page 4
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Here below are 18 good reasons to support the Olive Press’ new contributions appeal on our website. This is just some of our talented team of writers and journalists, who ensure that you are kept up to date on national news seven days a week, 365 days a year. Based around the country, their remit is to find original and interesting stories, as well as get behind the headlines and investigate the crime and corruption that has often given Spain a bad name. Despite tough times through the covid crisis, we have actually managed to expand and take on staff and vow, with your help to grow in strength during the rest of the year.
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Spain’s tourism industry unlikely to fully reopen until 1-lockdown the end of the year as initial plans to lift coronavirus restrictions revealed (114,024 visitors) in his 90s in Spain argues he should be allowed 2-toMan break lockdown rules as he’s the only inhabitant in left in his hamlet (36,868) COVID-19: Spain’s Andalucia plans to open shops 3- from May 11 and bars and restaurants from May 25 (30,727) in Spain are impounding Gibraltar-registered 4- Police cars, with some drivers invoiced up to €17,000 in COVID-19 clampdown (28,973) BREAKING: Spain set to allow individual outdoor 5- exercise and walks from May 2 in more loosening of coronavirus restrictions (27,976)
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EXCLUSIVE By Dimitris Kouimtsidis
AN enterprising expat schoolgirl has raised over €1,000 for two local charities through a COVID-19 lockdown campaign. Ella Aust, 11, who attends Sotogrande International School, set up the project to raise money for struggling pensioners and poor
T PA ES EX RO HE
A Helping Hand
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Big hearted expat schoolgirl raises €1,000 for the needy in lockdown local families on the coast. The idea came when the school told its pupils to base their end of term project around the lockdown and how their lives have changed. “Ella decided to break it down into two leading questions”, her mother Claire, told
Just one cone-nutter A BRITISH expat has worn a dog collar for nearly a week to raise money for a rescue charity. Russ Godwin, 42, wore the cone non-stop to raise money for HEART, a dog rescue, rehab and rehoming project, in Estepona. In total he raised €1,073 and wore it until Sunday (see right, having breakfast).
Flying high
AN expat insurance broker has raised almost €12,000 for charity. Danni Worth and his two children Tom and Alex raised the money for DEBRA, The Butterfly Children Charity, taking part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon, earlier this year. Danni’s company Op de Beeck & Worth donated €1 per policy towards the charity.
the Olive Press. “What is the most valuable use of my time right now and what can I do that will make a difference?” That’s when Ella decided to set up a GoFundMe page, with all the proceeds going to Age Concern Manilva and the Duquesa Charitable Society of St George’s food bank. “Not all children are as fortunate as me and this is where I would like your help to support and care for the needs of others”, Ella wrote. The 11-yearold, who was born in Spain Boxing coach Godwin, 42, origi- from British nally from Milton Keynes, is cur- parents has rently looking after 36 dogs. managed to “It’s difficult trying to juggle work raise donaand the dogs, we don’t really tions from have any down time, but it’s friends and worth it,” he told the Olive Press. family, but also “We’re lucky because we have from complete quite a big piece of land so our strangers who rescues have enough space to are impressed roam around and enjoy life.” with her self-
SINGLE IMPLANT
It’s coming NASA has announced that a huge asteroid will narrowly avoid hitting the Earth today (April 29), around 10.56 am, Spanish time. Well, it will actually zip past at around five million kms away, the space agency’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies announced this week. It was only last month that it revealed that it had spotted two asteroids, called 1998 OH and the 1998 ORD2, which have a trajectory ‘close to earth’. Both are classified as ‘Potentially Dangerous Objects’ as they are large enough to cause dramatic global effects, if they hit the earth.
Hottest year on record
lessness and desire to help others in need during this troubling time. The goal of €1,000 was reached very quickly, but Ella has decided to extend the deadline for another week, in order to see if even more
IMPLANT BRIDGE
money can be raised for the two charities. You can support Ella’s cause on: https://www. gofundme.com/f/helpsupport-local-familiesduring-lock-down
IT will come as no surprise to anyone who lives in Spain. 2019 was the warmest year in Europe’s history and hotter than 2014, 2015 and 2018, showing the upward trend in recent years. Since 2000, we have experienced 11 of the 12 warmest years on record. Last year we had two heat waves, in June and July, which contributed to increased drought and low soil water levels. In Europe the average temperature has risen by 2 degrees since the 19th century.
IMPLANT DENTURE
Net gains NETFLIX has added 16 million new users during the coronavirus crisis. The streaming platform had its biggest three month gain in its 13-year history, with shares also soaring by a staggering 31%. The profits recorded during this period are €653 million, more than double that in the same period last year. It is thought to be the media company least impacted by COVID-19, with the business model perfectly set for a population made suddenly housebound.
LA CULTURA
9
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Glory for Gamel
Full works of expat poet Gamel Woolsey set to be released
By Charlie Smith
SHE is one of Spain’s most distinguished expats. Buried in Malaga’s celebrated English Cemetery, she wrote widely about the country and was known around the world.
Now, the first complete works of her poetry are set to be released. In perfect timing for the end of the lockdown the Complete Poetic Work of Gamel Woolsey will showcase the many poems she wrote about Andalucia,
Book for bookworms
The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury This is a beautiful, simple and gentle novel about how books can impact and change your life. Juliette loves to read, and while riding the metro to work she imagines what her fellow passengers are like by observing the books they are reading. One day Juliette alights the metro a few stops early and discovers an unusual book shop with an even more unusual owner, Soliman. Soliman believes that people need to be paired with the correct books: books that will help or satisfy them in some way and tasks Juliette with finding the perfect home for a stack of books. Filled with literary references and a genuine love of books, this short novel really captures the imagination and leaves you with a warm, content feeling at the end. The Bookshop San Pedro, www.thebookshop.es
where she lived for many years. American Woolsey, from South Carolina, lived with and married fellow expat Gerald Brenan, who is credited with writing some of the key 20th century books on Spain. She and the Englishman lived in Churriana, near Malaga, in a home that is now a museum to Brenan’s life and works. The news was announced on World Book Day by the Renaissance publishing house that is based out of the Gerald Brenan House. The collection of the writer’s poems have been translated by long-time expat Carlos Pranger, who is related to Brenan. Woolsey also penned several acclaimed books, including Death’s Other Kingdom, which was reissued as Malaga Burning, and One Way of Love, which was initially rejected for being ‘too explicit’. She lived in Andalucia on and
off for decades, before dying from cancer in 1968 in the home La Reina de los Ángeles, which was falling into dereliction before the Olive Press launched a campaign to save it in 2007. In 2014 it finally reopened as a museum and has since hosted hundreds of conferences, gigs, film screenings and book clubs. The couple had first moved in in 1934 two years before the Spanish Civil War. They were forced to leave the country for over a decade to
return in 1953 against a backdrop of Francoism and great poverty and strife. Over the years it became a cultural mecca for writers including Ernest Hemingway, Paul Bowles and Bertrand Russell. Brenan spent most of his life in Spain after first renting a house in the tiny village of Yegen in the Alpujarras region of Granada. His critically acclaimed account of the Civil War was published in the seminal book, The Spanish Labyrinth.
Woody from the trees! HE is one of the world’s most prolific - and controversial - directors. Now Woody Allen’s latest movie about Spain is to get an Autumn release. Set in the Basque region, Rifkin’s Festival centres on a husband and wife’s individual love affairs at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The movie, starring Elena Anaya, Louis Garrel and Gina Gershon, was made last year. It comes as Allen recently denied again that he had molested his daughter Dylan Farrow, 34. He wrote about it in his autobiography Apropos of Nothing, published in March.
In the Nick of time!
IT was set to be one of the most exciting tours of Spain this year. But now a mini tour of the country and nearby Portugal by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds has been rescheduled for the same time next year. The Australian/British legends - famous for the theme tune to smash UK drama Peaky Blinders - will be performing in Madrid and Barcelona in May 2021. All original tickets will remain valid, with additional tickets also on sale. “When we finally do the shows they will be f***ing mind-blowing,” Cave promised.
10
April 29th - May 12th 2020
LA CULTURA
SPECIAL DISPATCH: A secret Nazi U-boat base, macabre facilities for facial reconstruction surgery, bank transactions traced to the highest echelons of the Third Reich. Conor McGlone (right) asks how Fuerteventura’s mysterious past sheds light on Spain’s troubled history
ISOLATED: Windswept Jandia peninsula where Villa Winter allegedly hid fleeing Nazis
The shadow of fascism
S
cores of roosting doves erupted from the decrepit courtyard as we entered. I'm not easily spooked but something in the air felt very wrong. A punch bag and gloves hung in one corner, a couple of chained-up rottweilers were in the opposite. Budgies languished in a birdcage, next to an inscription that read: "History is the cage that imprisons us." There was an unnatural stillness to the air and a strong scent of sedentary humanity but there was no turning back now - it had been no small feat getting here. While the Canary Islands bring to mind neatly packaged cheap winter sunshine, there is much more to Fuerteventura than sunburn and cervezas. This you will know if like us you have risked the 40-minute hair-raising offroad drive on Fuerteventura's rugged southern tip, the Jandía peninsula, to be rewarded with epic views of a ridge of volcanic mountains trailing like a giant's stepping stones to the sea. At the foot of the mountains lie miles of windswept beaches, with perfect white sand and barely a speck of civilization in sight, a tapestry of cloud, light and blue, changing quickly in the
blustery weather. exterior, gulls wheel and cry piteThere is one conspicuous ex- ously. A rooster calls. ception. Few visitors make it A gruff, stocky man barred our up a second dusty track, to Vil- way, demanding a 'donation' as la Winter, a grandiose turreted he gestured at a lopsided piece building, nestled impossibly at of wood with 'museo' scrawled the base of the mountains. In on it. This man, I later discovthe 1930s, when the building ered, was Pedro Fumero. was constructed, the setting Fumero's grandfather had would have been even more re- helped to build Villa Winter and mote, accessible only by donkey his four uncles were hired by or camel. Winter's family as guards of the Disturbing rumours had brought house at the end of the 70s. us here. Legend In the 90s the has it that the Winter's sold the base was conhouse to a large High-ranking structed by the hotel and conSS officers German engineer struction compaGustav Winter, ny and his relafinanced by the underwent facial tives - unaware of Nazi regime. surgery to alter the sale - ceased During the Secto receive the ond World War, it their appearance small salary they is said, the base had formerly reacted as a secret ceived to look aflaunchpad for U-boats, utilizing ter the house. a subterranean network of vol- Returning from Tenerife in 2012 canic caves. After the war, it be- and finding the place in a state came one of the last refuges of of utter disrepair, with his relthe Third Reich, where high-rank- atives barely surviving in the ing SS officers fled to undergo fa- squalid conditions, a heart-brocial surgery to alter their appear- ken Fumero decided to stay to ance, on the way to new lives in look after them. Remembering South America. the stories his grandfather had Now, wandering goats and don- told him about the "upside-down keys roam about the ramshackle ships" (as he called the subma-
rines), Fumero vowed to uncover the truth. Gustav Winter's own life is shrouded in mystery. We know that in 1928 he built the power plant CICER on neighbouring island Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which has been described as "a masterpiece of German engineering". During his time working on Gran Canaria, Winter (pictured top right) became fascinated by the Jandía peninsula. Legend has it that In 1939, Winter arrived on Fuerteventura with a suitcase filled with cash on a special mission to purchase the strategic peninsula for the Nazis. While Winter denied this until his death in 1971, historians agree that there were German submarines in the Canaries archipelago during the war. This is despite Franco declaring Spain to be neutral at the outbreak of the Second World War. He was, after all, heavily indebted to Hitler for helping him brutally win the Spanish civil war. During the Second World War, the Jandía peninsula was blocked off from the rest of the island. The local inhabitants were only allowed back in the 1950s, when the Franco regime finally removed a fence which
crossed the peninsula from coast to coast. As we nosed about the small museum located in a stifling back room, I was struck by the uncomfortable thought that the exhibits, laid out without any explanation or context, could be treated as pure memorabilia, a Neo-nazi shrine (see below). There were old Nazi uniforms and news clippings, huge wartime radio sets and photographs of dead soldiers. There were test tubes and nasty looking syringes as well as serious-looking batteries, alleged by Fumero to have powered submarines. Darwin Vidal, a German engineer who has been working with Fumero for the last four years to investigate the rumours, told me ‘everything indicates’ that the Winter house was used as a na-
val base. Local documents date the house as being built in 1946, but Vidal claims the "bunker" or base of the building was built before the war. According to Vidal, the 1.4-metre-thick reinforced concrete walls, the vaulted ceiling, and imposing tower - that looks suspiciously like a lighthouse - are all clues that the villa was used to provision German U-boats. The rest of the house was built after the war, in Vidal's opinion as "an ideal place to hide and escape allied arrests". The presence of several windowless rooms, for example, could have been used to conceal people. Vidal, who has been tirelessly combing the national archives in Germany, said there is ample evidence that Winter collaborated with the Nazi regime, bringing
MYSTERIOUS: Villa Winter and its cornocopia of Nazi memorabilia while (top) museum boss Fumero
LA CULTURA HOARD: Of Nazi U-boat batteries and tech, while (right) Gustav Winter him ‘a great fortune’. purchase of Jandía state that the faVidal claims he has the paper trail that cilities should "be compatible with shows Winter received 2,000,000 Rethe needs of the German navy". Vidal ichsmark in 1939 - equivalent today to also said he had proof that German €123 million - from Hitler's right-hand specialists in military construction had man and father of the Gestapo, Herbeen sent to Fuerteventura around man Göring. this time. He said documents supporting the This suspicious activity did not go un-
noticed. After the war, according to Vidal, Winter appeared on a list drawn up by the allied forces of 104 wanted German agents in Spain. Like other Germans on the list, Winter was not handed over by the Spanish authorities and died a free man in Gran Canaria.
Top secret: What FBI documents tell us about island’s Nazi secret In 1973 an FBI informer reported that “a number of former Nazis live on the Island of Fuerteventura”. That is, according to a declassified FBI report from 1973. Released by the CIA in 2001, the documents propose a theory that top-ranking Nazi official Martin Bormann (left), had not actually died in 1945 but was alive and living in Zurich. Bormann is thought to have been instrumental in the Nazi’s flight capital programme, which saw millions of dollars of blood money and gold smuggled out of Germany via Spain before the allied victory. In 2009 the Olive Press investigated a mid-1940s ‘Nazi gold train’, which allegedly came to Gibraltar via Spain (see website). The same informer also reported: “Large land holdings in the Jandia section of the island are either owned by ex-Nazis who receive the income from them, or are sites of their residences. A man named Winter reportedly acts on behalf of the Nazis in their real estate dealings”.
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April 29th - May 12th 2020
ter turned into a historic tourist attraction, directed his venom towards the government, which he says is ashamed of the island's dark past. Fumero said the government could compel Lopesan to maintain the building "as is done in cases of historic buildings or they could directly negotiate to acquire it...but the government does not take action, and Lopesan prefers to wait for it to fall before recognizing the rights of my family and reaching an agreement." "They all have responsibility for it. The Winter family sold the house to Lopesan with my uncles inside, as if they were mere furniture," he said bitterly. Lopesan did not return my calls and neither did the local government, the Cabildo. But it seems Villa Winter is not something the government wishes to publicise. It Fumero told me life was hard for the lois certainly not in any glossy tourist brocals in Jandía under fascist rule. "Many chures. This might seem odd on an island people worked as medianeros [shareso heavily dependent on the tourist Euro croppers], cultivating and caring for but perhaps not; the presence of such livestock, but half of the benefits went a place suggests state to the owners of the complicity in some very unland". Fumero alleges conscionable practices. In Winter made use of this The loss of mainstream Spanish polipunishing system. tics, we have seen recent autonomy, "As always happens, gains by the far-right and it some [locals] benefited, has taken almost 50 years surveillance especially those who since Franco's death for his collaborated with him or and many body to be exhumed from worked as 'watchmen'... the Valle de los Caídos, the beatings but for the majority, it shrine he built as a triummeant the loss of auphant homage to fascism tonomy, surveillance and a sneer at democracy. and many beatings," he said. In the absence of any true reconciliation, Fumero described the concentration many Spaniards still do not know where camp in Fuerteventura in Tefia, which their grandparents, murdered by Franco's survived until 1966, as "another dark forces, are buried. It was not without a cerchapter of the island". He says Winter tain sense of relief that I buckled up for the used the inmates as slaves to build spectacular drive back to civilisation. But it the path that led from the centre of the was no longer the evil spectres of the notisland to the villa, the so-called camino so-distant past looming among the crumde los presos or 'inmates' path'. bling turrets that sent shivers up my spine, Vidal says it is probable Villa Winter itit was the sense I had of how in Spain the self was built with slave labour. present is so mercilessly chained to its Later, Fumerom, who wants Villa Wintroubled history.
April 29th - May 12th 2020 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es
Hola and Hallelujah!
Mallorca Issue 78 The
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April 17th - April 30th, 2020 Vol. 3 Issue 78 www.theolivepress.es
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A SEMAN ed cell SANTA an C2020
EASTER SPIRIT: Server at the
Mercat de Santa Catalina (left)
LET US OUT! to the A SPANISH lawyer has complained European Parliament that the country’s coronavirus lockdown rules are illegal. are Jose Ortega believes the rules - which more draconian than other European and countries, such as Germany, the UK Italy - are an infringement of civil liberties. a letThe Valencia-based lawyer has sent ter to the Human Rights sub-committee movedemanding that the basic right of to the ment is added as a modification current state of alarm decree. “The government has illegally introduced of a very dangerous and disturbing system could suspension of individual rights that be described as a de facto transitional
Lawyer appeals to EU over ‘illegal’ lockdown claims that infringe civil rights and make Spain a ‘de facto dictatorship’
and (above) street cleaners
taking no precautions in Andalucia
Getting you through
plenty Easter may be off, but there is still to look forward to in April, including...
Property tips from real estate expert Amanda Butler see p4
By Dilip Kuner
is dictatorship,” insisted Ortega, whonew best known for his work opposing coastal laws. LoThe letter received by MEP Leopoldo fopez, who sits on the sub-committee, the cuses on the restrictions to travel and right to basic ‘outdoor activity’, where virus risks of catching or passing on the are low. right “It is an effective suspension of the to free movement,” insisted Ortega.
Get educated
Keys Isl nd to the
Lessons from history. What Spanish flu can teach us about COVID-19 see p6
Continues on Page 2
Cooking up a storm in lockdown see p11
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SEMANedA ell SANTA anc C2020
CLOSED: Easter was a total
page 10
Gibraltar’s
coronavirus restrictions that these measures should not last a minute longer THE success of Gibraltar’s set an example for Europe and Spain than necessary,” said Chief lockdown has been an exMinister Fabian Picardo. ample to the world with cas- recovered from COVID-19 virus in on the same date as three el- suspectedGibraltar, with one “That is why, in Cabinet, we es at an all-time low. casualty later be- are already seeking Despite predictions of a big derly people at the Hillside ing confirmed to have been on appropriate exit to work peak in the middle of this home came close to being negative stratefor coronavirus. gies to lift the restrictions month, there were only 36 declared recovered. On going active cases on April 13, These figures were tak- down wasto press the lock- imposed as soon as possien from more than 1,500 ministers still active, with ble.” This week could prove with only one in hospital. suggesting that it a turning In contrast, 93 people had COVID-19 test results re- would continue until medi- continue point if figures ceived, with nearly 100 still cal advice suggested other- recovery to show signs of although there are to be processed. wise. fears relaxing restrictions The peak of active “Believe me when I tell you could see a second cases was reached I am committed wave of to ensuring the disease. on April 9 with 63 ongoing at the time, although there were also 60 recovered. There have been no deaths so far from the TWO locals
Lockdown crackdown
who escaped the lockdown in Gibraltar to go on a drunken spree have been stopped in their tracks by the long arm of the law. Ian McIntosh, 42, and Lizanne Golt, 37, were arrested for allegedly obstructing police while drunk on Lime Kiln steps. The RGP were called by residents in the area who said the pair were making too much noise. When they refused to budge they were told they were breaking COVID-19 social lockdown rules and taken to New Mole House in handcuffs.
Costa Blanca Issue 28 The
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April 16 - April 29, 2020
SEMANedA SANTA
CARRIED AWAY: Easter was
Lawyer appeals to EU over ‘illegal’ lockdown claims that infringe civil rights and make Spain a ‘de facto dictatorship’
a total whitewash particularly
A SPANISH lawyer has complained to the European ParBy Dilip Kuner liament that the country’s coronavirus lockdown rules fication to the current state of are illegal. Jose Ortega believes the rules alarm decree. - which are more draconian “The government has illegally than other European coun- introduced a very dangerous tries, such as Germany, the UK and disturbing system of susand Italy - are an infringement pension of individual rights that could be described as a of civil liberties. The Valencia-based lawyer de facto transitional dictatorhas sent a letter to the Human ship,” insisted Ortega, who is Rights sub-committee de- best known for his work opmanding that the basic right of posing new coastal laws. movement is added as a modi- The letter received by MEP
with cleaners like this on our
Leopoldo Lopez, who sits on the sub-committee, focuses on the restrictions to travel and the right to basic ‘outdoor activity’, where risks of catching or passing on the virus are low. “It is an effective suspension of the right to free movement,” insisted Ortega. “It is a fundamental right of the individual contained in the European Convention on Human Rights and in other international human rights treaties
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Readers call on the Government to let everyone out for exercise, not just kids
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Come on Pedro, we all need to get out and have a walk. The over-50s are in need of some type of daily exercise. Please, just an hour, we promise we will keep our distance, we are going stir-crazy. We are going to crack if we are indoors much longer. Just a stroll, that’s all we are asking for. Please. Stephen Kim Raymond, Marbella
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PROTEST: Puns, pets and expats were all in attendance at the antiBrexit march in London at the weekend
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Border battle as nuisance neighbour forced to cut down intrusive cypress trees
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sive anti-Brexit protest in London at the weekend. “It was great to be there making history I hope,” said Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain. “It is not the first time we have ted with our feet, but it was our voggest ever march contingent,” bishe added. “It was a sign of commitment that so
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go awry with his neighbours, who he insists refused to be friendly ‘from the outset’. Capps, who trained as a paramedic, claims the neighbour’s four dogs barked continually and their owner hid inside the house whenever approached. Despite calling in the Guardia Civil to investigate and contacting the mayor of Benissa for help, he said the neighbour refused to negotiate a compromise. A letter to the town hall, seen by the Olive Press, pleaded for help, insisting the man was deliberately threatening them and that he carried a gun.
Gun
As well as asking the town hall to check if he had a licence for the rifle, the September 2018 missive asked if local police could speak to him about his dogs. Capps claimed he was ‘worried for his life’ and that the neighbour appeared to have ‘mental health issues’. Another neighbour, Spaniard Jaime Serra Ortola, 43, has also denounced the neighbour for ‘death threats’ against him and his dog. “I’ve denounced him countless times and the police have twice been round. It’s fair to say he is unhinged,” he told the Olive Press. The feud began when Capps put up a low bamboo fence to create some privacy from the neighbour who spied on him while swimming, and then reacted furiously, screaming ‘this is war!’ Capps now fears the trees will not only block his view, but the roots could destroy his pool. The Olive Press was unable to speak to the neighbour, despite various visits.
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Star quality
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Pluck of the Irish
I
worked on TV3’s Ireland AM as a stylist for over a decade and left my beloved Ireland for sunny Spain in 2016. I opened Joffrey’s restaurant in La Cala de Mijas with my partner, Joffrey Charles, a splendid French chef. Channel 4 television filmed with us for six months for their programme, A New Life In The Sun, aired in early 2017. Life as a newly minted restaurateur was exceptionally difficult but nothing prepared me for the news that came in September of 2018. Joffrey noticed a lump under my right arm. I waved his concerns away, taken up with pushing the business ever forward but the lump continued to grow and he insisted I attend a clinic. That was in August. I was referred to Costa Del Sol Hospital in Marbella in September and at that SOLID: Chef Joffrey and Lisa appointment, all hell broke loose. I had 15 cancerous restaurant had to close. tumors in my right breast. I I am supposed to have my on behalf of expats in Spain immediately had to have a tests in early April 2020 with to safeguard their healthcare mastectomy followed by eight a meeting scheduled with rights before Brexit. I haven’t months of chemotherapy, my oncologist in Marbella on to date received a reply from then a month of radiothera- April 15. But I still haven’t Number 10. The Spanish system is unpy. Some nights I could see been told if it’s der siege, I angels as Joffrey cradled me on or off. The am awaiting in his arms. Our amazing Spanish have instructions on This Irish been extraorattending those dinary to me, British tests to see if helping me as I have beatmuch as possiResistance en cancer but ble with my brofighter will there is no word ken Spanish. I yet. Spaniards am now a whiz battle boldy on are dying at a at Spanish medrate of knots, ical terms with a they are the prilittle help from Duo Lingo. ority, When my treatment finished lated not me. I have self-isoI flew to London, filmed by I havefor over four weeks and decided to concentrate Channel 4, and handed in a my petition at Downing Street I amefforts on helping others. writing to the media here
Locked down from critical cancer tests after a mastectomy and eight months of chemo, La Cala restaurateur Lisa Burgess finds her Irish British Resistance
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Quick Crossword
Across: 7 Spacious, 5 Idol, 9 Edges, 10 Hassock, 11 Mongrel, 13 Yells, 14 Rho, 16 Rabid, 18 Sip, 20 Maths, 22 Amnesia, 24 Travels, 26 Owlet, 27 Lots, 28 Stampede.
Down: 1 2 3 Insurer, 4 Ugh, 6 Doodles, 7 Likes, 8 Ashy, 12 Libya, 15 Outlast, 17 20 Metal, 21 Slew, 23 Solve, 25 Sat. Denholm, 19 Prattle, Steamer,
Argon,
Jacqueline Mann, Malaga
Double-edged sword
Herd immunity?
The only, only, reason I can see for this is to start getting kids exposed to the virus, and help build an immunity in the population. There has been an argument all along that keeping children socialising or in school etc. would help build immunity, something we’re not able to do in this current, strict lockdown. When lockdown ends, with no immunity, there’s likely to be another wave. I am just reading between the lines here, trying to make sense of such a bizarre decision. Cathy Chambers, Malaga
It’s all very well but for those of us who rely on the British market for 80% of trade (Andalucia to push for hotels and restaurants to open in summer to avoid ‘economic catastrophe’, Online, April 21). It’s a double-edged sword as we have no idea how the UK situation will evolve. It’s all very well to try and attract other markets but it takes time and money to develop that kind of trade. Without enough subsidy it could be calamitous for small businesses.
Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress
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with your arms stretched out in front of you, then lift your arms and legs at the same time, keeping them straight as possible.
7. Tuck-ups - Lay on your back with your arms stretched out by your ears, bring your knees to your chest then lay them back down. 8. Mountain climbers - Assume the plank position (similar to the push-up position but on your forearms), and bring your knees into your chest one at a time as fast as you can. 9. Lunges - Lunge to the left, being sure to keep your right leg straight. When your left leg reaches a 90 degree angle, hop on to your right side and repeat. 10. Squats - Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, put your arms out in front of you with hands clasped to help balance and bend your knees. Try to achieve a 90 degree angle, while keeping your back straight.
in Spain, the USA, and Ireland. Especially for the Olive Press newspaper which can be relied upon for thoroughly researched and sourced material. There is so much misinformation out there and it’s causing people to panic. I am trying to stop this on all my social media accounts. Chef Joffrey has opened a new business this month called ChefJoffrey@Home on the Costa del Sol with all appropriate licenses and sanitary conditions. His first customer was a wonderful Irish friend, Lynn Branagan Cronin who needed a night off from cooking. Chef Joffrey will deliver a free meal to the elderly every week in our community, and more as business increases. My new nickname from an eminent journalist is ‘IBR’ the Irish British Resistance. I must do my bit, as must we all in these dire circumstances, while relying on my native sense of humour to see this through. My grandfather, Ned Burgess, was an Irish politician and Mayor of Cobh; my Irish mother, Ann Burgess, was a fierce activist; and my British brother Michael fought AIDS to the very end without complaint. My darling departed mother, who battled cancer bravely as we nursed her at home, often reminded me of this poignant James Joyce quote: “Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” Likewise, this Irish British Resistance fighter will battle boldy on, quill at the ready.
Stay safe and well Lisa (Pluck of the Irish, Issue 341, pg 22). It is nice to read some good news, we followed you on A New Life In The ED: Don’t miss Lisa’s latest Sun. installment on p22
What an absolute joke, what muppets for even suggesting that children could only go out to accompany adults to supermarkets etc. Surely a simple walk around the block away from everyone is more beneficial and safer for everyone? Tom Batley, Malaga
BEST
Vol. 1 Issue 1
GROWING PAINS AN expat is celebrating after his nuisance neighbour was told to trim a row of ‘intrusive’ trees, following an Olive Press probe. American expat Gordon Capps, 59, is overjoyed after police confirmed they had ordered his Portuguese neighbour to cut the line of cypress trees to just 1.5 metres in height. Capps had sought our help after the ‘disturbed’ 30-something neighbour planted a dozen trees alongside his garden fence, threatening to block his stunning views of the Sierra de Bernia y Ferrer. The 59-year-old film worker said the move was the ‘last straw’ in a bizarre ongoing feud with the neighbour, who he claims recently approa- CONCERNED: Capps points at home of his ‘threatening’ ched him with a rifle on his and armed neighbour who worked as a prop master shoulder. everything about it, except Benissa last March with his “It feels like he’s putting up 12 for CSI Las Vegas, told the that one thing.” French wife Catherine, a retimiddle fingers at us,” Gordon, Olive Press. “We love this place, we love Capps, from Los Angeles, red yoga teacher. bought his stunning villa in But things quickly began to
Or you need... Help with
•
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1. Jumping jacks - Also known as star jumps, they are the perfect warm up.
2. Knees up - March on the spot, bringing your knees as close to your chest as possible. 3. Russian twists - Sit on the floor with your heels on the ground (or lifted if you’re able), place your hands on your chest and twist from side to side. 4. Plyo push-ups - Your regular push-up except you try to push your hands off the floor and land back in the push-up position. This can also be modified by going on to your knees while the uber fit can clap as they come off the floor. (If you’re finding it tough try pushups on your knees to begin with). 5. Burpees - Drop into a squat and place your hands on the floor in line with your feet, jump your feet out and in, then jump into the air - repeat. 6. Supermans - Lay on your front
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ANXIOUS expats breathed a sigh of relief this week after Parliament voted to wrestle back control of the Brexit process in yet another humiliation for Theresa May. The fresh blow for the British me Minister has put the future Priof a million expats in Europe firmly into the hands of MPs, who are expected to vote against a hard Brexit. It comes after thousands of expats joined a million marchers at a mas-
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LET US OUT!
WELL done Olive Press and heroic lawyer Jose Ortega for daring to break the taboo and state the obvious: “Lockdown makes Spain a de facto dictatorship” (in your front page story and his letter to the European Parliament.) . Ortega’s courageous action is all-too predictably being almost completely ignored by the world’s media. LEAVERS: Trio is now not only an Orwellian poSpain course of Of Brits in Spain lice state/dictatorship - it’s also a notoriously and systemically corrupt dictatorship and arguably a locked-down lunatic asylum ruled largely by clowns and hypocrites, who - to prove it - have ruled that cigarettes are ‘life-essential’ and therefore exempted tobacconists from the lockdown. Rose Moore sees the EU, essentially, as a political rd 325, pg 7). The Issue Absu dictatorship (Leave and proud, states, sovereign 28 are There . lungs and opposite your the is health, reality your destroy to want So if you become to chose ly voluntari yourself far which UK, making the thereby including system your immune the UK would pulmonary of serious Dunne mannerthat d. Steve le to allbelieves associate more vulnerab to not going g Covid-19 includin Not so.- I’m terms. illnesses on WTO scular better fairand cardiova s. and buy cigarette chapter or two to by quoting a mile go outpage yourtoletters are free you down weigh immune your the en into strength looks thatto Steve ndout want to go youI recomme But ifbut verse, cycling, by running, That Trump so much he knows. thatmore) systemof(and any industry specifics - you are alone airwith should a de fresh UKdeemed in the an EU-free walking deal a trade to get is trying Utterly ker.to law-brea Trump’s trade deals know:absurd. you want you all tellfacto now be will for parents how many AndUS-first speaks Brent Mahler Finally,smoking labels.more have surroundciggies enic carcinog their on away puffing force armed EU an of wary citizens UK of a number p apartsealed-u in their kids edanbyever are ideas , these Howeverown union.locked-d closer and ments? am I policy. not EUthe people andnce by specific floated silence media is disof complia 40-plus and insidious The years of prothethe Orwellia at is worried more the ean obedience of h, - as graceful by the Mail, EEC/EUpopulac against gthe paganda e. Telegrap Spanish gerly snitchin did What Sun. The course, and,isofback Times Express, in power. His spirit never Franco General so an- own he wasclamp-d was asked he militaris say -when Murdoch fascistic tic,why as the really left into as a go I “When of: lines the along g that say I Somethin (And ti-EU? proved. against the Catalans The to the EU.” when I go . do what Itsay: dence..) 10 they opponen No.civilised of Indepen he had to ask for an appointment! is thatively, implicati subvers Yours on
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Easy for Easter
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
EASYJET has launched its Easter flight dates for next year, a full five months ahead of schedule. Flights to Spain are on offer for as little as €35 each way for next April. Alicante and Malaga are among the destinations offered as part of the low cost airline’s Easter deals in 2021. Easyjet has put on 39,000 flights between March 28 and April 18. Robert Carey, a spokesperson said: “We know many people’s Easter holiday plans have been disrupted this year. “So we’ve taken the decision to put our Easter flights for 2021 on sale early so our customers can either book a new break or, if they are rearranging their travel plans.”
CORONA SHOCKER: Expat bar forced to throw out over 2,000 pints of beer
A BRITISH pub has had to throw out €6,300 worth of beer due to the state of emergency. The Victoria and Albert, in Estepona, has been forced to
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Bottoms Up EXCLUSIVE By Dimitris Kouimtsidis
tip away 2,100 pints of prime quality beer. The pub, owned by husband and wife, Matt and Natalie Earnshaw, originally from
Newcastle, made the drastic decision as the beer was set to go off. Faced with either drinking 2,000 pints between them, or emptying out the vats, they took the sensible - if more depressing - option.
Earlybird rewards A PAIR of enterprising restaurateurs have devised a clever way to help their community - and keep their vital cashflow coming in. Brothers Miguel and Juan Herandez are offering prepaid vouchers of €50 and €100 to faithful customers to use once they reopen. The earlybird vouchers for their restaurant Sarmiento, in Casares, will guarantee not just a 10%
bonus on any meals, but the brothers will put an additional 10% towards their local community food bank. “It will go to the town’s most disadvantaged families,” explains Miguel, 39. “But is also means we will have some cash flow in order to pay our bills. We got the idea from another restaurant, but decided to add a twist with our vouchers.”
“We are going to make a massive loss because of coronavirus,” Natalie, 41, told the Olive Press this week. “We only moved from Dubai to the Costa del Sol two years ago to launch the business so it is a real shame,” she added. The couple were faced with the horrible situation as they had decided to get two big tanks as opposed to many more smaller barrels for their bar. Most pubs get the beer by the barrel, which holds 90 pints each. The bigger tanks, which hold 1,200 litres each, are a greener option and allow for ‘better flavour’ and less gassy beer. But unfortunately the brew goes off after 45 days.
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Bad night’s sleep OVERNIGHT stays in Spain dropped by 61% in March. The number of nights spent in hotels and other accommodation fell by 8.3 million, on last year’s figures. It also means that the quarterly drop for the first three months of the year is at 21.6%.
Border extension SPAIN has extended temporary travel restrictions for non EU citizens. The extension will last at least until May 15 and only diplomatic staff and their families, long-term residents, cross-border workers, healthcare professionals and flight personnel are exempt However, this measure still does not apply on the land border with Gibraltar or with Andorra.
We’RE Getting ready for business Restaurateurs and hoteliers are getting creative for COVID free dining, writes Joshua Parfitt
I
T could be just like having your own private dining room. A perspex partition surrounding your table for two - bringing total privacy - while a waiter in a N-95 mask serves you with aplomb in white plastic gloves. It is a small price to pay for the millions of diners, who head out to Spain’s restaurants, cafes and bars each week. Restaurateurs around Spain are looking at ingenious ways to ensure that diners will be able to eat safely when they are finally allowed to open this season. It comes as the government has taken tentative steps towards normality with the lockdown being relaxed this week and regional authorities, such as the Junta de Andalucia, looking to allow restaurants to open before the end of May. Despite Spain’s Employment Minister Yolanda Diaz, hinting a fortnight ago that the hospitality and tourism sectors might not open until the end of 2020, many regional authorities are insisting they will ensure this is not the case. After all, it would be a massive blow for the country’s estimated 300,000 establishments, which are currently locked tight, leaving 1.7 million out of work. The knock on effect for the economy is huge, with the restaurant sector generating €124 billion a year… or approximately 6.2% of the Spanish economy. Here are a few ideas and proposals:
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
A Madrid restaurant El Viejo Cafe has already put up custom-built screens (right) designed to protect customers. “We are trying out several ideas, but obviously they are mere proposals at present as the Ministry of Health will have to approve them,” owner Enrique Abanades, 59, revealed. He believes while costly, the construction could be easily sponsored by large breweries, with their logos on, as they have with branded parasols, serviettes and beer mats. “We are going through difficult times and the future is not bright, but what we are trying to do is get ahead,” added Abanades, who is also the president of the Leganes hospitality association.
CERTIFICATE OF SAFETY Jose Luis Yzuel, president of the Hosteleria de Espana association, has other ideas. His association, which represents 270,000 businesses, has plans for a ‘certificate’ to reassure customers of an establishment’s safety and to ensure tables are kept over two metres apart. Requirements could include ‘thermal cameras’ to screen customers and prevent access to anyone suspected of having a fever, as well as distribution of disinfecting gels, deep-cleaning and mandatory testing of staff. Yzuel added the use of ozone in air conditioning – to kill any airborne viruses – could also be part of the plans.
HOTELS: QUARANTINE IN PARADISE “We want to be the safest hotel in all of Spain,” said Javier Perez Jimenez, the managing director of the VP chain, which includes five-star hotel Plaza Espana Design. He plans to carry out rapid coronavirus tests on every single customer, which may take place in a makeshift clinic ‘on the ground floor’ or in ‘an ambulance outside’. If a guest is healthy, they will proceed to reception and receive a welcome pack with personal protection equipment: gloves, face
mask and hand sanitiser gel. All remote controls will be covered in plastic, and every corner of the room will have dispensers with disinfectant. Breakfast meanwhile, will be brought in a picnic basket with fruit and yogurt. Waiters will have to use steam cleaners in between meals. “We are going to use dispensers as though it were the end of the world. But it will not be the end,” he promised.
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April 29th - May 12th 2020
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Recently arrived culinary expats give us their latest installment in their castaway cooking collection
Put some bang in your banger
F
OR the last few weeks they have been holed up in Granada following a coronavirus travel nightmare (Into the frying pan, Issue 340, March 16). But now British couple Yianni Papoutsis, 44 and Sophie O’Hara, 26, have turned lockdown into a culi-
nary showdown. To continue their new series of quarantine recipes for the Olive Press, the pair explore the curious Spanish origins of Jambalaya. Stay tuned for more and check out their blog @nice. olation on Instagram.
Sausage Jambalaya Having arrived in Spain with nothing but hand luggage five days before the State of Alarm, we moved into our house exactly 12 hours before the lockdown was imposed. This left us with one very brief shopping trip to a Chinese bazaar to purchase everything we needed from pots and pans to bath towels and bedsheets. Hence we have very little in the way of kitchen utensils so have a new
found appreciation for one pot wonders such as this simple Jambalaya. Originated in the French quarter of New Orleans by Spanish sailors wanting to recreate paella; without access to saffron they used tomatoes supplied by the Italian community. This however is a Cajun Jambalaya hailing from the swamplands of Louisiana and as such it leaves out the tomatoes which
appear in the Creole versions from New Orleans. Please feel free to add some if you’re in a tomatoey mood. Rice, (ideally long grain), is rice simmered in stock with a few simple spices, a variety of meats and vegetables. It almost always uses some kind of smoked sausage and the backbone of the flavour comes from the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajan cooking: onions, celery and green peppers. You can serve it dry like a paella or add more liquid to make it a soupy stew.
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
Castaway cooking
Serves 2-3
By Yianni and Sophie
Ingredients: ●● 2 tbsp olive oil ●● 3 garlic cloves, whole with skins on ●● 5 large bay leaves ●● 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper ●● 120g longaniza or other smokey sausage, sliced ●● 1 stick of celery, diced ●● 1 onion, diced ●● 2 long thin green peppers, one roughly chopped, one diced ●● 225g long grain rice ●● 750ml chicken stock ●● 1 dash of chilli sauce (optional) ●● Salt and black pepper to taste ●● 50g frozen peas
Method: Step 1 Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear then leave to soak in fresh water for at least twenty minutes, up to four hours. Step 2 Fry the garlic cloves, bay leaves, black pepper and sausage in the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Brown the sausages remove and set aside. Step 3 Fry the the peppers, onions and celery until they are a deep golden brown. Step 4 Drain the rice and add to the pan. Stir until it is all coated in the oil (about one minute).
Step 5 Add the stock together with the chilli sauce (if using) and cooked sausage. The liquid should just cover everything in the pan, if it doesn’t top it up with more stock, water (or chopped tomatoes for a Creole style Jambalaya). Stir to combine, add salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil then turn the heat down low and simmer uncovered for fifteen minutes until almost all of the liquid has disappeared. Step 6 Sprinkle the peas over the top, straight from the freezer, do not stir it. Cover with a tight fitting lid and leave off the heat for ten to twenty minutes to allow the rice to fluff up. Serve with cold beer, crusty bread and whilst singing ‘Jambalaya’ to the tune Bamboléo by the Gypsy Kings.
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Spice up your life These essential Spanish seasonings will quash your hunger for your favourite British condiments during lockdown
17
April 29th - May 12th 2020 Pimentón (Paprika) it might not be worth it’s weight in gold, but is a rockstar found in Spanish food all the same. It’s what makes chorizo red and what gives the famed Galician octopus dish its characteristic smokey tinge.
Report by
Cristina Hodgson Azafrán
(Saffron) is the world’s most expensive spice and one of the most characteristic in the Spanish cuisine. Nicknamed ‘oro rojo,’ red gold. Cultivating saffron is an extremely labour-intensive crop. The weight of the spice is worth more than gold. Think of that next time you eat a paella and I can guarantee you will not want to put any Worcester Sauce near it.
M
ISSING your English Mustard, Branston Pickle and a dollop of HP Sauce on your
Pepper and Garlic to name but a few. By using the freshest possible produce, fish, meats and cheeses, plate? basic ingredients are Personally, I love a bit of left to shine in Spanish brown sauce (even though I’m cuisine, needing only a a vegetarian). But be warned, pinch of salt or just one you will not find this much or two spices for searenowned British condiment soning. Making the English anywhere in inland Spain. Don’t even ask for it, no one Mustard sometimes rewill know what on earth you’re ferred to as ‘the most patriotic of all British talking about. But the local shopkeepers, in sauces’ seem insigniftheir willingness to help, will icant and insepid in go through all the items in the comparison. shop to see if they do indeed The simplest of comstock this magical condiment, pounds, salt, is however the most and you will paramount NOT be able to Spanish to leave until Spain has cuisine. they’ve fin206 Michelin ished. Where would On the coast, Spain’s gastronorestaurants, my and tapas be some superincluding 11 markets stock without their hugely popuHP Sauce, but three-stars lar cured at exorbitant meats, prices. such as You’ve come to a foreign country, why on Jamon? earth stick to fish and chips, A Spanish chef would mash and green peas – or the rather have his or her child nicknamed stuff you put on them? The Spanish cuisine is incred- ‘feo’ than hear the ibly diverse. word ‘sosa’ meaning With countless peculiarities in bland, regarding his the Spanish menu, surprise culinary arts. yourself by finding your new And you would be favourite sauce or realise that, hard-pressed to find in fact, you have no need for a Spanish recipe that ghastly– or fancy, depending does not have salt in it, but on your the level of amor pa- mixed with other natural ingredients such as vegetables, triae– sauces. Condiments in any cuisine whole grains, olive oil, nuts, gives a unique personality to fish, eggs, poultry, pulses and meat, the nosh will always be each dish. In Mediterranean terrain it healthy. couldn’t be any other way: But the true joy comes to Saffron, Paprika, Cayenne those hard-core garlic fans,
you will find garlic in every other dish prepared in Spain. Why bother with horseradish sauce, when you can have a totally natural flavouring which brings out the flavour with a bang to the blandest of foods. Garlic in Spain is enjoyed in many forms: fried and crunchy with oil, lemon and salt as a salad dressing; spread on bread with some olive oil and is an essential ingredient in many cold summer soups like gazpacho, salamorejo, ajoblanco or alioli. Not that the latter is a soup, rather a thick garlic sauce. Best NOT to slurp it up, especially if you’re out on the pull. For those exceptionally brave, or with a fixation on vampires, there is also raw, pickled or smoked garlic. Spices aside, I best warn of a peculiar beverage that might throw an unsuspecting tourist and even now after over a decade of living in Spain I’m not sure if I like it or not. Chufa horchata, a plant milk beverage, originating as far back as the 13th-century Valencia, made with soaked, ground, and sweetened tiger nuts usually served with ice. If rice pudding does it for you, be ready to be seduced by this milk beverage that is sweet and creamy, with a smooth texture. Thankfully Churros make up for the oddity of the foremost ‘desert.’ and you don’t even need to feel bad about consuming so many calories at one go. As they say, ‘A churro is only a breadstick that dared to dream...’ However Spanish chefs must be doing something right, Spain has 206 Michelin restaurants, including 11 three-star restaurants. There is a Michelin restaurant in nearly every region and major city of Spain.
Pimienta de Cayena (Cayenne Pepper), the smaller the spicier, these sun-dried peppers are incorporated in many local dishes, including the popular ‘pil-pil prawns’ served in a mouthwatering oil, garlic and cayenne pepper sauce. Some die-hard fans of cayenne pepper refer to it as not only a condiment, but a ‘philosophy of life.’
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April 29th - May 12th 2020
BUSINESS
‘Connect 4’
best ‘connectors’ were those professionals being drafted in professionals in associated for more complex matters. professions, also in the main In research undertaken by dealing with client’s money, the Chartered Insurance such as accountants or Institute in 2012, the most solicitors. important factor when While the lawyer was more assessing a financial adviser to likely involved in a ‘distress’ recommend to their clients, for purchase by their clients both solicitors and accountants (divorce, death or dispute), is that they hold a recognised the accountant professional would be in more qualification regular contact – such as One advantage at least annually Chartered with their is not having to F i n a n c i a l clients, in order endure someone Planner. to prepare the In fact 62% of annual accounts sitting next to you Accountants and or personal tax 68% of Solicitors with halitosis! r e g a r d e d return. Or they might Chartered status be involved in as important changing a business structure when evaluating a new in order to reduce the tax financial adviser to work with. liability of the owner. Since I arrived in Spain just Not only did it help to have an over 12 months ago, I have experienced, highly qualified been dedicated to building a financial planner to help with team, partnering with others to their clients financial problems, leverage the power of this key but it was also very beneficial differentiator, and to optimise to my own clients to have our clients financial success. access to a trusted legal or As with any partnership, good taxation expert. communication is key. It’s basically a team approach Touching base with clients to client’s money, and where regularly on an ongoing basis necessary could involve other is the only way to ensure that
they are getting the whole picture – after all we all want the same results – a great financial outcome over the course of their and their loved one’s lives. You’ve been hired because your client can’t see the wood for the trees, and you can. With the team approach no financial stone will be left unturned, and they can be assured that you’re working together to achieve the same agreed upon goals. In the course of my collaboration with these other professionals, it would sometimes be necessary to give an appropriate presentation at one of their client events – or they at mine, whether it be a legislative change in taxation or more commonly an annual budget synopsis. These proved very useful and informative for clients and was a great way to ‘join the dots’ between the related but very different worlds of law, taxation and finance.
It is even more important as we prepare to emerge from lockdown over the next few weeks that we stay informed, and perhaps make adjustments to our business or life plan going forward With this in mind I would like to announce that – in conjunction with BTB Club I have decided to offer a free webinar in conjunction with a lawyer, tax adviser, private banker and social entrepreneur, who will each give a short presentation with the theme of ‘Resilience’
running through each, and then a live Q&A session afterwards. The webinar is on Thursday May 7 at 18.30 and will last approximately 30-45 minutes with questions. To reserve your place, or if you have any queries, in the first instance please email me at jonathan.holdaway@ chasebuchanan.com.
Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7. 29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226
Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303/+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.
AGONY Property ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES
Fighting the COVID-19 Crisis Marbella Town Hall initiates the path to recovery by allowing thousands of Licenses of First Occupation to be approved by architects Marbella municipal officials have approved a revolutionary measure that will greatly prop up property sales and shortterm rentals, COVID-19 permitting. The spokesman for the PP Felix Romero announced that the Town Hall had approved groundbreaking and much awaited decision to allow qualified architects to grant Licenses of First Occupation (LFO) under the “responsible declaration” format. This declaration or statement is a docu-
ment in which the signer confirms, under his responsibility, that the property or building meets the requirements of applicable planning regulations to be used by owners and tenants. According to Romero, anyone trying to go through the “cumbersome” Town Hall procedures to attain the LFO will now be able to resort to an architect who, within days, can officially approve a property as fit-for-purpose just as if the Town Hall had rubber stamped it. Romero added that the average time for granting an LFO of 12 months could now be shortened to weeks, if not days, a measure that in his opinion is “indispensable to collaborate in the economic recovery”. He even went to admit that some licenses have taken years to be approved. Sales that were pending or conditional on getting an LFO, and rentals that were being offered in a semi-clandestine way on properties without this document will benefit.
Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com
Photography by Mike Riley
A
WHILE ago I wrote about the huge benefits I received from attending a regular weekly business networking event - here I was able to meet like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs who, like me are advocates of this activity, in order to meet potential clients or more importantly ‘connectors’ to potential new clients. It’s the old networkers adage of not who’s in the room but who do they know, and you would like to meet that isn’t in the room. During these weekly conversations over the year we have become to know, like and trust each other. Obviously in the current situation the ‘room’ has been replaced by the ‘screen‘ which has enabled so many of us to continue with our networking meetings, albeit in a virtual environment. I guess one advantage is not having to endure someone sitting next to you with halitosis! When I was previously working in the UK, my
Chartered Financial Planner Jonathan Holdaway recognises the benefit of professional connections, as he looks ahead to emerging from lockdown
THE Bank of Spain has estimated that the economy will shrink by up to 14% this year. The bank claims the economy has shrunk by 4.7% already up to the end of March. The best case scenario would be a drop of 6.6%, while the worst case scenario could see figures as high as 14%. That means that there won’t be the perfect rebound –
BUSINESS
19
April 29th - May 12th 2020
No rebound
Take them back
Economy set to shrink by up to 14% this year as unemployment set to rise by 20% called ‘recovery’ in a V shape – as many pundits had predicted.
Despite initial predictions the economy would recover to the state it was before the pan-
Gem of an idea IT is as heart-warming as it is clever. Jewellery firm TOUS is giving all women who have given birth during the COVID crisis a free gift. The Spanish firm has come up with a special line of gifts which it will hand out to all mums, who have recently given birth. In honour of Mother’s Day, on May 3, the firm made a video starring real women who have given birth in recent weeks. This year marks 100 years since TOUS was founded.
demic, it is now thought that the crisis will leave considerable debt and unemployment levels will soar. It is believed that unemployment levels will rise between 18% and 22%, without including the workers that have been put on ERTE schemes. The bank led by Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos, recognises that there is great uncertainty and admits that circumstances may cause the numbers to change. Some 80% of companies around Spain have seen a reduction in business, while only 10% have seen an increase.
SPAIN’S High Court has ordered Ryanair to reinstate 224 members of staff it sacked across Spain. Judges said the Dublin-based company’s reason for the redundancies – that it was closing four bases – was ‘not good enough’. Michael O’Leary’s budget airline has been told it needs to reinstate workers ‘in the same working conditions’ with ‘immediate payment of wages not received.’ The travel giant has told its lawyers to launch an appeal. It comes after the low-cost operator axed its bases at Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Girona on January 8 this year. Ryanair fired workers at these regional sites, although it U-turned in Girona and was accused of ‘pressuring’ employees there to accept pay cuts of up to 25% on new contracts. The layoffs were in response to the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX planes in the wake of an Ethiopian plane crash, which claimed the lives of 157 people. In court Ryanair lawyers failed to convince judges that a combination of the Boeing situation and Brexit was enough to get rid of staff.
Liberty Seguros supports the NGO Doctors Without Borders in their work against COVID-19 in Europe, especially in support of the elderly, migrants and homeless people The company has made a donation to Doctors Without Borders to support its professionals who are responding in Europe to the medical needs generated by the pandemic and its consequences. ► Doctors Without Borders provides pandemic management solutions in different crisis committees, such as designing external hospitalisation units to help reduce the hospitals’ congestions.
In other European countries, Doctors Without Borders has focused its efforts on those places where the epidemic is hitting hard, with the most virulence, and among the most vulnerable social groups: the elderly, homeless and immigrants. In this way, its work strategy includes three areas: technical and strategic support and advice to hospitals and health centres; advisory work, training and support in nursing homes and support for vulnerable groups such as the homeless and migrants.
► Doctors Without Borders has focused its efforts on those places where the epidemic is hitting harder and on the most vulnerable social groups: elderly, homeless, and immigrants.
In Spain, their response has focused on advice and support when preparing intervention and decongestion plans of health care structures, thanks to a highly experienced group of professionals.
Liberty is a company that is committed to society and aware of the importance of the support from private companies to the organisations that are leading the management of the COVID-19 health emergency and its consequences. For that reason, the insurer has made various donations to entities operating in Spain, Portugal, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, where it carries out its business operations in Europe.
To this day, Doctors Without Borders in Spain has participated in the evaluation of the response in around 12 hospitals, collaborated in the creation of 22 hospital extensions, which are allowing to decongest emergencies and intensive care rooms, and also facilitating the delivery of medical materials and logistical resources.
Thus, it has donated 250,000 euros to the NGO Doctors Without Borders, with the aim of supporting professionals who are responding in Europe to medical needs. generated by this pandemic, which has mainly hit Italy and Spain and affected 100 other countries throughout the world. “At Liberty, we want people feel safe. Therefore, as a socially responsible company, we believe that it is our obligation to make an effort to support the professionals who are working day by day to protect people and helping to stop this crisis. We also want to thank them for everything they are doing for our employees, clients, mediators and partners, for our families and for our society at large”, explains Tom McIlduff, CEO of Liberty in Europe.
In addition, with the aim of maximizing their response capacity and reaching the maximum number of health professionals, socio-health workers, cleaning personnel, structure managers and other professionals, Doctors Without Borders in Spain has developed some tools such as guides, protocols and audiovisual content, which are accessible on a specific website for professionals. This disease seriously affects the elderly. Thus, a large part of the efforts of Doctors Without Borders have focused on this vulnerable group and on supporting nursing homes. So far, more than 100 nursing homes in Spain have already been advised, and they continue to work to reach many more. In Portugal, Doctor Without Borders teams have started to visit nursing homes and supporting authorities and management teams to train staff and establish basic hygiene and prevention of transmission measures. In Italy, they support
To find the location of your nearest broker/agent, please visit www.libertyexpatriates.es. or simply call 91 342 25 49
a network of nursing homes in various cities, to prevent the spread of affected cases. In France and Belgium, Doctors Without Borders is focused on helping migrants and homeless people. Thus, its teams have been pulled out in some of the emergency shelters established to accommodate people living on the streets during the confinement and in other collective accommodation facilities, providing medical support, assessing health status and identify possible COVID 19 cases. They also attend general enquiries close to food distribution points, five days a week. Other Liberty initiatives to support entities that protect people from COVID 19 in Europe In Spain, Liberty has made a donation of 50,000 euros to the Red Cross to help with sending medical supplies to medical professionals and hospital centres in the most affected regions, as well as delivering food and other basic necessities to those in need. It has also contributed by making a donation to the NGO Messengers of Peace, to help with
the distribution of food to soup kitchens for the elderly, and to the Foundation for the Promotion of Development and Integration (FDI). This aid will go towards carrying out psychomotricity courses to help young people with disabilities – a group that is particularly vulnerable at this moment in time. In Ireland, donations have also been made to Pieta House and Alone. These charities reach protected characteristic groups that are at specific risk of social exclusion, such as the elderly and people with mental health disorders. Liberty Seguros has also ensured its help has reached Portugal with a donation to CASA (Centro de Apoio aos Sem Abrigo). CASA is delivering food to people in need in quarantined areas. Also, in our neighbouring country and thanks to another donation made by the insurance company to APAMETAL, 500 protection masks have been produced and delivered to health personnel at the Sao José Hospital in Lisbon.
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April 29th - May 12th 2020
TAP TURNED OFF
IT is firstly vital to thank the frontline staff, or worker bees, who without which our hive would not survive. But it is fairly obvious that everyone has been stuck in their homes in Spain over the last six weeks, with the leisure and hospitality industry closed indefinitely. Normal business life has effectively disappeared, with commercial ‘reason for being’ taken away. LOCAL IMPACT All Spanish and expat income has all but stopped as if a tap has been turned off. Time hangs heavy as day and night melt into each other as the weeks drag on Some people have found home working possible, enjoying and learning from the experience. The ‘inconvenience’ of being interrupted by the children is counterbalanced by the savings of not having to
COVID-19 and the actions to slow its spread have changed the world, writes surveyor Campbell Ferguson in the first part of his quarterly property report
commute or even get dressed! Thanks to a fast internet connection Survey Spain has been adding to building survey and valuation reports The local economy though may take years to provide the services for the demand that will certainly return, although not helped by the attitude of the Government to freelance workers (autónomos), the source of
Concrete gains
CLOSED: Kiosks and florists on Barcelona’s iconic La Rambla
many jobs and tax income. The nature of tourism must surely change when it restarts.
Mini boom
Climate Change inexorably affects our lives and the virus hasn’t changed that. Reductions in energy use and CO2 are still vitally important.
The Property Insider
by Adam Neale
Property is a safe house for investors in the time of coronavirus, writes Adam Neale
A
S financial analysts and market experts debate what shape the post-coronavirus economic recovery may follow, drawing on letters like V, U and W to trace possible trajectories over the coming months and years, there’s one letter pundits are missing from their alphabets: P for property. Stocks, unit trusts and long-term bonds have traditionally accounted for the lion’s share of many personal investment strategies, attracting the hard-earned savings of most people planning for the future, however uncertain that may be. But savvy investors know the best way to protect a portfolio is to diversify risk, just in case the unthinkable happens. As COVID-19 is showing, that can occur all too fast. The spread of the pandemic has seen international stock markets suffer knock-on symptoms, with heavy losses sustained by indexes and individual investors. Property markets have also been affected, as some, including Spain, have been forced to stop doing business for now. But a number of key differences between shares and real estate make the latter a much safer bet over time. Making the most of leverage While it is hard to find financial institutions willing to let you borrow money to buy shares, you can usually purchase property without personally having most of the asking price in your account. Just ask your bank. Mortgages allow those eligible to finance up to 80% of the cost of a property against its residual value and pay off the interest and outstanding capital over a longer term at historically low interest rates. If you mortgage a property for use as a primary residence or holiday home, you’ll gradually pay off the amount lent and will eventually own your home outright. And if you finance the purchase of investment properties via mortgages, you’ll have the benefit of tenants making payments against your loans before ownership, and income,
reverts to you. Hedging against inflation Once the worst of the coronavirus pandemic has passed and economies around the world start to recover, some analysts are forecasting that inflation could spike as, amongst other reasons, rising demand from consumers drives up prices. Bonds are seen as being most at risk from inflationary trends, as the promise of security often obscures low guaranteed returns, impacting investors’ purchasing power over time. Real estate, on the other hand, has proven to be a solid hedge against inflation. Property that provides income from renting can be pegged to market rates so, as rental prices rise, your income follows suit. At the same time, while property values do fluctuate in short-term cycles, in the longer term, investments in bricks and mortar tend to be worth more than even the best-performing stocks over time. The real value of real estate Unlike shares and bonds, a property exists in the real world. That means you can enjoy it personally – as a place to live fulltime or spend your holidays and leisure time – or rent it to other people for their use. Either way, you get a guaranteed return from your investment. And the longer you hold on to it, the more you’re likely to see it appreciate in value. If you’re lucky enough to own a home on the Costa del Sol, in one of the in-demand locations like Estepona, Marbella, Benahavís and Sotogrande where we operate, you already know how rewarding an investment in property can be here, in the long-term as well as every day you spend in the sun. If you’re interested in adding real estate to your investment portfolio, contact us for more information. Email Adam on adam@terrameridiana.com, call +34 678 452 109 or +34 951 318 480 (office)
Terra Meridiana, 77 Calle Caridad, Estepona • 29680 • Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana. com. Website: www.terrameridiana.com
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT Internationally, the world economy has and will continue to take a huge hit. Airlines are the most immediately affected and will have a big impact on expats. Living here with family and businesses in the ‘old country’, would not be possible without the many flights ‘home’. When they are permitted to fly will dictate the start of the resumption of ‘normal service’. Some tourists will hesitate while others are desperate for the warmth, sun and escape of a holiday. Without ‘health passports’, then a reliable vaccine, it will happen slowly, as people accept that the virus is another risk of life. Financially individuals, businesses and Governments are all affected. Unemployment has risen substantially. Some businesses have gained, e.g. health service suppliers, Amazon and the like. All have learned that the ‘just-in-time’ economy supports a national manufacturing base, but doesn’t replace it. The recovery of tourism will gradually rise to the numbers we depended upon before. There will have been soul searching regarding Life/Work balance and we will see more families coming over to start a new life. Brexit’s deadline could create a mini boom, with the usual mix of well informed and naïve dreamers, each to be assisted in their own way. Easing lockdown restrictions gradually will bring life back to normal for some, though many will be depending upon Government assistance and regulations for fixed cost deferrals, such as rent and mortgage payments, to survive financially. Others who ‘slip through the net’, will be depending upon charities and other organisations for actual survival, with their provision of food, clothing and shelter – the basics of life. Never forget how lucky you are, only having to sloth about in the house all day. The alternatives for many are not attractive. Campbell D Ferguson, FRICS is the director of Survey Spain SL.
Email us at admin@surveyspain.com or call 00 34 952 923 520
PROPERTY
House sales boom Well to February at least the market was really picking up
HOUSE sales in Andalucia increased by 8% in February, compared to the same month last year.
By Dimitris Kouimtsidis
That’s the third highest rise in Spain, behind Aragon which
was at 12.7% and the Balearic Islands which was at 8.2%. In Spain as a whole however, the increase was only 0.1%.
According to data published last week by the Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas (INE), in February, 8,882 home sales were recorded in Spain’s southernmost region.
New builds
Bubble trouble A WAREHOUSE worker in Zaragoza has been rescued after a fire suppression system went off, releasing a five-metre tidal wave of foam. Fire crews rushed to the scene when no sign of the man could be seen among the bubbles, which swept through the warehouse and out into the street. Emergency services were alerted at about 4am,
but on arrival found it impossible to locate the man. Fortunately the victim had managed to escape from the foam and find a sheltered spot until they reached him. He was then taken to hospital for a precautionary check up. It is unknown what triggered the fire suppression system.
That put Andalucia second, only behind Valencia as the region with the most sold homes per 100,000 inhabitants. Throughout the country nationwide, 44,104 houses were sold, of which 35,220 were second hand and 8,784 were new builds. When it comes down to plots of land (fincas), 34,003 were sold in Andalucia, 10.3% more than February 2019. In Spain as a whole, that number was 191,497, an increase of 2.3% more farms sold than last year. Meanwhile, there were 35,320 resales across the country, a rise of 1%. The region with the most foreign buyers was the Canary Islands, with sales up 68%, while Malaga was just above 0% and the Costa Blanca and Barcelona were down 11%.
21
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Onto a new chapter FOR more than a decade she has been at the helm of Andalucia’s leading non-profit illegal homes campaign group, helping thousands of expats avoid a property nightmare. But after her 11-year tenure, Maura Hillen has stepped down as President of Abusos Urbanisticos Andalucia No (AUAN) although she will continue to support new President, David Fisher. She told the Olive Press: “I am also currently pursuing new professional avenues within the real estate market as a consultant who will hopefully help others to learn from my experience and to avoid the pitfalls
that I and others have encountered over the last decade. “It will be nice to meet our friends again in person once measures are relaxed but we understand that it will be a long time before life returns totally to normal.” Maura has lived in Albox since 2007 with her partner John and three podencos.
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HEALTH Death sentence
April 29th - May 12th 2020
Med for your head
SPAIN’S Mediterranen diet can help keep your brain in gear, as well as your waistline in the clear, scientists have found. Frequently lauded by health gurus for its mixture of seafood, vegetables, nuts and olive oil, the Med way of eating can help fight dementia. A study in the Alzheimer’s and Dementia journal found that people who eat more fish have slower rates of decline in their cognitive functions. Those with a higher genetic risk of Alzheimer’s, who are carriers of the APOE gene, were found to benefit from this diet, researchers found. The study, authored by Dr Emily Chew from the National Eye Institute in Maryland, US, comprised two trials of almost 8,000 elderly volunteers. Participants were sufferers of AMD, an ‘age-related eye condition’, and were tested for their consumption of grains, fish, olive oil and fruit and veg.
Spain’s high coronavirus death toll owes to its huge obesity problem, warns doctor A SPANISH scientist has warned that obesity could be behind Spain and Italy’s
high coronavirus mortality rates. Francisco Tinahones, pres-
ident of the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (SEEDO), said this could be
The race is on
THE Oxford Vaccine Group has started human trials on its coronavirus vaccine, but Europe is still lagging behind overall. The main research areas are the US (46% of ongoing projects), Asia (38%), while Australia and Europe are each conducting 18% of current studies. In terms of cash flow, 72% of vaccine efforts are privately funded, while universities are bankrolling 28% of studies. Oxford’s ongoing trials for its hAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine are not set to finish until September. It is being produced by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, which produces 1.5 billion doses for various diseases every year. Around 1,100 people are set to take part in this trial, which is partly funded by the British Government.
why some Meditteranean nations have fared worse than China or South Korea. He said there was ‘some evidence’ to support this explanation of why COVID-19 claimed the lives of 23,521 in Spain yet less than 5,000 in the two Asian countries put together. “There are several articles that already clearly show that subjects with obesity are more at risk of dying and needing intensive care, even more so in those who are morbidly obese” he said. Morbidly obese coronavirus patients – those with a BMI of over 40 – are twice as likely to experience complications and be put on a ventilator as
Never give in!
D
AY 50 of cancer lockdown with my French partner and chef, Joffrey Charles, and the good news is I am not starving. My oncology appointments have been postponed twice at Costa Del Sol Hospital, Marbella - last November due to radiotherapy burns and again on April 15th, a casualty of the lockdown. But there is happiness to be found in small things. There was an extensive search recently for Joffrey’s electric shaver and much joy when he found it lollygagging in the back of a cupboard. He left it lying precariously on top of
those who are are a ‘healthy weight’ – those whose BMI is between 19-25. The risk of morbidly obese patients needing artificial assitance breathing is 86%, while it is 60% for obese people (those with a BMI of 30 or more) and 47% for people who are a ‘healthy weight’. Tianhones stressed that obese people are likely to experience increased inflamation and have a ‘decreased lung capacity’, which make them more susceptible to COVID-19. Around 25% of the Spanish population is overweight or obese, with 131,000 deaths attributed to the diseases every year.
Lisa Burgess
COVID-19 lockdown has denied Lisa Burgess vital oncology appointments but her chef partner’s kitchen skills have at least put a smile on her face a cotton bud container and my elbow sent it flying to the floor in pieces. I have learned a lot about my partner under lockdown and one of them is that his hair grows much faster than mine. I am just grateful to have any. We have remote control wars in our household, I am a news junkie, he loves action movies, comedies and cookery shows. We have managed to compromise but, mon Dieu, after a two-hour ses-
sion with CNN, I discovered he is an ardent capitalist and I am a passionate centrist. Debates rage heatedly at Casa de Joffrey y Lisa. Talking about passion, I am keeping busy writing my semi-autobiographical novel, Dirty Burgess. It’s my Irish nickname in reference to a much-loved Irish movie, The Snapper. I recently sent off the first three chapters, edited 25 times since January. It’s racy but not 50 Shades of Lisa - more Bridget Jones meets Samantha Jones with a touch of Love Story. Hollywood hasn’t been on speed dial yet but I may be calling my friend and former work colleague there, Bobby Farrelly, who made Dumb & Dumber.
Inspired
Joffrey offered to help feed frontline workers in Mijas but due to my deficient bone marrow and weak immune system, he is not permitted. We shut down our catering and food delivery business in Mijas quickly due to coronavirus. So now he is offering to help cancer charities using his bi-lingual skills to comfort the French community. More Sky News and Spanish Congress for me, less Trainwreck and Rambo for him. On the food and cleaning front, things are going swimmingly. I am not allowed in the kitchen or on the deep cleaning. Monsieur is the aficionado of both - no prob-
OP Puzzle solutions Across: 1 Sunset, 6 Oslo, 8 Saved, 9 Paella, 10 Debt, 11 Rural, 12 Aden, 13 Yelp, 14 Crimea, 16 Due, 17 Asp, 19 Balsam, 20 Lull, 23 Ante, 24 Amiss, 26 Eton, 27 Pigged, 28 Kenya, 29 Levy, 30 Remind Down: 2 Unaided, 3 Silence, 4 Tsar, 5 Overseas, 6 Oddly, 7 Libel, 15 Italians, 17 Amalgam, 18 Pattern, 21 Untie, 22 Lanky, 25 Spar
SUDOKU
Quick Crossword
4 9 1 5 7 3 6 2 8
2 7 3 4 6 8 5 9 1
5 6 8 9 2 1 3 7 4
3 4 7 8 5 9 1 6 2
1 5 9 6 4 2 8 3 7
6 8 2 3 1 7 9 4 5
7 3 5 1 9 4 2 8 6
8 2 6 7 3 5 4 1 9
9 1 4 2 8 6 7 5 3
Puzzle by websudoku.com
lemo Joffers. His budget cooking under lockdown has been a marvel. One night he rustled up stuffed pork steak with glazed carrots and made-from-scratch onion gravy. The remainder of the pork in the fridge was used the following night for a stir fry pork with noodles and vegetables. Tonight is spaghetti Napolitano my favorite - with lashings of grated cheese. I could easily eat that three nights in a row. I learned much during my 8-month long chemotherapy last year about foods that boost your immune system so I incorporate 5 vegetables, nuts, or fruits into my diet every day. Joffrey has had to swap his Twix bar for mandarins, Coca-cola for fruit smoothies, crisps for pistachio nuts and strawberries for M&M’s. He is allowed his donuts to maintain the entente cordiale. While Joffrey is watching France’s Top Professional Chef, I post a daily tribute to a person or couple I know on my Facebook page and end the night with an inspirational quote, just in case there is someone up at 4 am feeling desperate. I have been there. In a world where you can be anything, be kind. I repeat this nightly to myself while gazing longingly at a portrait of my darling departed Irish mother, Ann Burgess. My biggest challenge this week has been a call to arms from a TV production company in the UK. They are working on a proj-
TEAM: Joffrey and Lisa
ect about Andalucia before lockdown. The aim, when it airs to millions in the UK and Europe, is to attract national and international tourism to our region when the borders reopen. I am assisting for free in finding archive video footage of Andalucia so I have had the enormous task of finding drone pilots, bodegas, travel companies, tourist boards, and more. I have been hung up on a few times but it just made me persist more. I celebrated with a fruity cava after receiving beautiful archive footage and joined my first, virgin Zoom party in Dulwich, London with my English friends. It was hilarious as we kept talking over each other. Two glasses in, I had to be put on mute quickly - much like the Zoom UK cabinet! I am planning a Zoom pub quiz for this weekend. I am nominated as the first Magnus Magnusson about the USA so Joffrey beware!
We are also laying the foundations for another Joffrey’s restaurant on the Costa, someday over the rainbow. I know I have at least five operations ahead and I still don’t know if those cancer node buggers have got the better of me. I am aiming to rise like the Phoenix from the golden ashes with a 20-year-old body, a 52-year-old mind, and a handsome 30-yearold affluent chef on my arm but patience is necessary. Joffrey and I are avidly watching the various projects globally in the race for a vaccine. You can guess France is his pick, mine is the UK’s Oxford University. France’s Charles De Gaulle once said, ‘Faced with a crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself’ but I am more inspired by Winston Churchill’s rallying call during World War II: ‘Never give up, never give in’. We certainly will not, Sir!
COLUMNISTS Coronavirus carnage 23
April 29th - May 12th 2020
BEING what is deemed an ‘essential worker’ – which as a freelance journalist and broadcaster is a first – I am lucky enough to be allowed to travel to the studio. I’ve been driving in Spain
The Costa’s car-free roads are giving Giles Brown travel nightmares since the mid 80s, so it is safe to say that I have seen practically every weird and wonderful scenario possi-
ble. I still get cold sweats remembering the – frankly deadly – bends by the La
Meme team
Charlie Smith discovers the educational benefits of Spanish coronavirus memes
S
INCE lockdown kicked in, my Spanish teacher Carola has been holding our lessons via Skype. This comes with the obvious benefits of wearing pyjamas and dipping out of view of the camera for a quick snack – all while learning verb conjugations. Despite my heavy workload – writing a never-ending stream of coronavirus articles while blitzing through The Office UK and Tiger King – lockdown seems to have helped my Spanish. It is not because I have been watching Spanish TV and films, although I do intend to finally start La Casa de Papel soon and hopefully see Dolor y Gloria. No, I think it is more to do with the Spanish memes that have landed in my WhatsApp messages from both English expats and native speakers. My regular lessons have, of course, played their part in improving my speech too, but
the crazy vocabulary of ‘memery’ seems to have worked wonders. “Os voy a enterrar a todos.” This is the phrase from a recent meme for the Queen’s 94th birthday, which sees the words superimposed on the Piccadilly Circus big screen next to a giant picture of our scowling monarch. It translates as ‘I’m going to bury you all’, a darkly appropriate message for the current crisis. What I liked about this – other than the thought of our Liz decking people in with a shovel – was that I learnt the verb enterrar (to bury). The meme also uses os voy, a reflexive plural personal pronoun. This is the vosotros form, meaning the person using it, in this case the Queen, is telling a group of people that she will do something to them. I regularly read Spanish newspapers as part of my job and I would highly recommend this to aid your learning, especially as a lot of papers tend
clapped out cement lorry whose driver had skulled a few carajillos ‘to get the cogs turning’. Or the convoys of Moroccans heading to Algeciras that would overtake in formation. Whether there was oncoming traffic or not. I once arrived on the scene of a huge crash outside San Roque with the road littered with dozens Charlie Smith of rugs, chairs and assorted kitchen to write in a very formal style. equipment. It But if you’re slow like me, a whole article was akin to may take half an hour to digest whereas a driving ginmeme can be understood in seconds and gerly through will likely imprint itself on your brain. the Tangiers For students who now feel like they have a branch of Habgood enough grasp of Spanish to be able to itat. explain quite a bit about themselves, there With the new is much to be gleaned from memes, includtravel restricing help with different tenses. tions one might “Pues al final no era tan difícil cortarse el think that it pelo uno mismo.” This is a meme making would be a litfun of the idea of cutting your hair at home. tle safer on It roughly translates as ‘Well, in the end it the roads. wasn’t that hard to cut your own hair’. First One would be of all using ‘pues al final’, is a great way to wrong. casually start a sentence. Presented with It also conjugates the verb ser (to be) in the miles of highimperfect tense, using the he/she/it form – way with sparse era. traffic, I’ve noThis is a doorway into the complexities of ticed that the conjugating estar’s tricky sister verb. Once majority of long you can do this, you’ll be chatting away at distance lorry the bar in no time – at least once we’re aldrivers have lowed back out for a caña. developed a In the meantime, mug up on those memes. bad case of ‘leadfoot-itis’.
Cala lighthouse in the days before they constructed the central reservation and you were never sure what was coming in the opposite direction. Chances were, in those predrink driving days, it was a
Quarantine blues
There is something a little disconcerting about keeping within the speed limits to glance in the rear view mirror and see an 18-wheeler with Maroc plates three inches from your bumper and flashing manically. They are not the only challenge. You also have to be on your guard from timid motorists coming back from the supermarket with their weekly shop. They are so worried about catching the virus or getting stopped by the police that they aren’t really concentrating – nor can they see out properly due to the bags of shopping in the back, and they also have their vision obscured by ill-fitting masks. It almost makes me miss being tailgated by some flash berk in a Bentley. Drive safely!
Terenia Taras Telling it like it is
If lockdown’s driving you crazy just have a little patience (but purlease don’t post that song online) writes Terenia Taras INSTEAD of stockpiling toilet rolls we should have been storing up our inner reserves of patience and selflessness because that’s certainly being tried and tested at the moment. But really, is it so bad to stay in for a short period of time? One of the best lines I’ve read throughout the coronavirus crisis is, ‘our grandparents were called to arms, we’ve been asked to just sit on our sofas’, which I’m sure you’d agree that in comparison is no real hardship. But by week three of lockdown and we’ve exhausted all the small DIY tasks, decluttered our cupboards to make space for all those loo rolls, and we’re all beginning to moan about how bored we are. It kind of feels a little like Christmas because we’re all at home just eating and drinking - except that Santa has been replaced by the Grim Reaper. There’s not really much else to take pleasure in right now and so what if we eat half that cake we just baked! We’re also bingeing on box sets, films, more box sets, checking in to catch the latest depressing TV news updates, then back to the box sets in despair. POSERS: Celebs with Marigolds
We jump on the latest TV or film recommendation from friends as one of the few forms of escapism from the real-life apocalyptic film we’re all actually living in. But there are only so many books you can read, box sets you can watch and cakes you can bake before the boooooordom returns. There isn’t the spare money and definitely not the mindset for shopping online because those of us who do still have an income are maybe having to support their partner who has lost theirs. Also, none of us know how long this may go on for so we’re all being super thrifty and fashion just seems so frivolous right now! And where would you wear it? Hence, in pretty much the same way bored celebrities do, we take to social media to share the minutiae of our lives. But do we really need to see posts of famous people wearing Marigolds just to prove they’re like the rest of us who have to clean our own toilets. If these people really want to help, then please make a hefty donation to all the real stars who have gone mainly unrecognised up until
INSPIRATION: Take That can help us get through this now, the nurses, doctors, specialists, delivery drivers, supermarket shelf stackers and anyone else who is helping to keep this crisis from spilling over into something even more unimaginable. Like everything in life, we will move on from this, so instead of all the daily negativity and boredom we should try and look beyond the here and now to the time when we can press the play button on life again. And maybe having had waaaaay too much time to think, we might just come out of this for the better, valuing what really matters, which is people instead of our relentless, selfish pursuit for more. In the words of Take That, ‘just have a little patience’ because we will get through this - without cute coronavirus renditions of that song online, thanks! LOCKED DOWN: Terenia and partner Paul
@tereniataras
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Vol. 13 Issue 342 www.theolivepress.es April 29th - May 12th, 2020
RECLUSIVE mountain goats have been photographed roaming empty streets and scaling
C VE PI SI U CL EX
Toeing the party fine
Family, neighbours and Olive Press on hand to surprise British expat on key birthday
CORONAVIRUS may have stopped Peggy Bloomfield from celebrating her 100th birthday in style. But it didn’t stop neighbours, friends and the local authorities from surprising her with a ‘Feliz Cumpleaños’ sung from a distance of
Last dance
A MAN is under investigation for a serious disobedience after he was filmed dancing ‘Sevillanas’ dressed as a woman in sunglasses in Alicante. He faces a fine of up to €30,000 for wearing a ‘wig’, a ‘mask’ and ‘women’s clothes’ in an attempt to hide his identity on a Santa Pola street. But it took agents until just the next day to find out his real identity and charge him.
two metres outside her Spanish villa. The planned day of merriment, booked for a beachfront restaurant, in Moraira, on the Costa Blanca was sorely missed. Children and grandchildren from the UK could only wish her well via Zoom and WhatsApp, while on site at the Pinar de l’Advocat urbanisation, hugs were offered and then withdrawn, banked for an unknown date in our uncertain future. But still, a bottle of champagne – served by local PP leader Raul Llobell – flowed in glasses, handed out with the utmost precaution. Meanwhile, a series of helium balloons were provided by her favourite local community paper, the Olive Press.
houses in one inland Sevilla town. The Iberian Ibex were seen on the roof of this house in Moron de la Frontera. While not an endangered species, the creatures are quite rare and become more active during spring as plants and food return to the mountainsides.
EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt
Shouts of ‘See you down the pub later!’ were met with a sparkle of laughter on Peggy’s big day. “It’s so very nice of you all, thank you, I really appreciate it. I really do,” Peggy announced. The idea was the brainchild of longtime friend Shirley Young, who organised the stunt with local PP member Sarah Richardson. “I love Peggy so much,” Shirley told the Olive Press, on the verge of tears. She met Peggy 14 years ago, when she
had just arrived from Cambridge. “She’s like a mother to me,” adding Peggy was notorious for normally staying out later than partygoers half her age. Sarah Richardson added: “Civil Protection have been taking bookings in the crisis for children celebrating birthdays – so I thought, why not celebrate a 100th?” Peggy’s daughter, Val applied for a letter from the Queen, predictably not arriving in time for the big day. “It is due to arrive shortly,” she said hopefully.
THE Mayor of Vilafranca de Bonany in Mallorca has been fined €3,000 after attending a boozy party during the nationwide lockdown. Montserrat Rossello was found hiding out in a backroom when the Guardia Civil stormed a property on the outskirts of the village. Police had been tipped off by several residents in the area who believed that their neighbour was holding a social gathering in their house. When responding officers entered inside, they found numerous bottles of alcohol as well as three ‘intoxicated’ individuals.