Mallorca Olive Press - Issue 70 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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PROTESTERS have the streets as the fighttaken to ma’s terraces continues.for PalDozens of angry restaurateurs gathered on Calle Blanquerna to voice their disapproval of new terrace rules, see around 500 which could terraces affected. Under new rules, pavements will have to be a minimum of 2.5 metres free of any obstructions, leaving little space for tables. It could mean dozens expat owners - the of majority in Santa Catalina will no longer being able to serve clients outside their premises. Protesters argue that street has 'more thanthe sonable space for both reaans and the terraces’. pedestri“The current dimensions not caused any problemshave fore," said a spokesman befor a new group opposed We All Fit in Palma. to the plans A petition has so far garnered

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Vol. 3 Issue 70 www.theolivepress.es December 20th - January 9th 2020 STANDING UP FOR SANTA CATALINA

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March 14th

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14th 2018

VILLAGE IN THE CITY

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HE clinking of designer heelswine glasses, clicking of square metre and the cacophony foreign languages… - one welcome to a of places to buy in Spain.of the most expensive cal lunchtime Palma's trendiest in Santa Catalina. typi- The area may be small - only neighbourhood wide, described by is often Calle stretching from Feixina seven streets park and there is locals as 'the village in the Joan Crepsí city', ed over but it has literally to busy look and feel no doubt it has a very distinct the last explodabout it. There has been few years. With the city’s ers, in particulara huge influx of expat its most excitingbest food market, some buyScandinavian, of Catalina restaurants and, some of the coolest and Santa today is vastly bit by bit, that Palma residents different to the area that Santa Catalinashops, it is little surprise remember just cade ago. has become a de- by the

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PICTURE EXCLU

A ROMANIAN has been sentenced to three years in prison protected witness in for assaulting a the Tolo Cursach case. Florian Bogdan Puscasiu, tacked the man to warn from Sibiu, athim against giving evidence in the ongoing case, which began 16/06/2017 a year ago with the arrest 15:36 of the nightclub magnate.

SIVE

EXCLUSIVE: First pic of Romanian imprisoned for attackin thug g Cursach witness The vicious attack

on so-called ‘witness 29’ came after he had testified to the courts over Cursach’s drug trafficking and sex

The attack, which took place in the victim’s garage, is believed to have been ordered by Cursach, who is on trial for murder, money-launder bribery and corruption. ing, extortion, During the sickening March 15th - March assault the victim 28th 2018 was dragged to the ground A MINOR who escaped kicked nile centre has viciouslyfrom a juve- Theand while being teens have been charged attacked a withtold hecrimes wouldnow gay couple (right) in be killed hate and robbery. if shocking he continued He and two others, Palma. The to speak assault including a girl, out. occurred and a boy who was February 24, when the young on UKalso BASED Puscasiu, from a ju- couple gay venile centre, allegedly, lists his MORE than one thousand were who walking profession kicked and Arxiduc. along Calle as a builder punched the victims Amazon workers in TRAVE on websites, has L after shouting verbal abuse and stealing also Thebeen drid are set to stage Matwisted trio mocked INSURA ordered their back- their to pay them for NCE pack. day strike on March a twoFrom front before plus a sexuality fine of €7,200, punching and kicking 22, in protest of 21 and them city, where she had €8,000 inindamages the face.to for Spanish alleged plans to block salary ning to hide his body.been planthe witness for the injuinresidents creases and reduce ries received. After 48 hours of wages questioning for working weekends. Avenida Rey Jaime The court heard how www.globelink.co.uk she finally admitted 1, Santa Ponca, to killing 0034 871Find the the lad after an argument, witness, 510 277 out more on page who worked as a waiter XX denied she had strangled but 15 in him, the VIP zone of Curas the autopsy ruled. 96 626 5000 Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, sach’s club Titos, Palma In three routine interviews +44 (0) 1353 699082 was A MESSAGE in a at the beginning of the Continues on Page bottle search, po2 has been discovered VICIOUS: lice said the Puscasiu worked for in Cursach demonstratedDominican native Mundaka, near Bilbao an ‘extreme coldeight years after ness’ not indicative it was of someone written by a boy who was missing a loved in one. New Zealand. Police became more when she failed to suspicious give them her mobile phone, before MALLORCA’S biggest claiming she had lost it. al has been thrown ever corruption tri- He backed Not wanting to let it up with a WhatsApp judge was kicked off into turmoil after the sent to a key her message know EUROPEAN Court clude with Cursach she was under suspicion, the case. witness of and his business partJudge Manuel Penalva police ‘Let’s end these sons by the judge stating: ner Sbert officially Human Rights has told the parents to has been replaced of b******’ over concerns that act normal Another lawyer representing demned Spain for concounts, including charged on a total of 16 around her while they he had ‘lost his imparmurder, extortion tiality’ in the controversial zeroed in the co-ac- corruption. cused lating the free speechvioand on their target. Tolo Cursach nalva Bartolome Sbert alleged that Pecase. Catalans who burned of has ‘intimate friendships’ Cursach, Gabriel’s mother insisted his In shocking claims, with the and bars who owned or ran 30 nightclubs police. tures of the monarchypicfather Angel certainly on the island, faces by for Cursach, Enrique the lawyer working A new judge, had nothwrongfully imprisoning 80 years in prison after running ing to do with it. the judge was being Molina, insisted that placed PenalvaMiguel Florit, has now re- personal Mallorca as his own them. “He is a wonderful ‘manipulated by third and fiefdom for four decades. parties’. prosecutor Miguel will work closely with One of Judge no one doubt him. person, Let Penalva’s The investigation Angel Subiran. sentence a Romanian last actions was to his side because I will be by stage is about to we have to man to three con- in prison after overcome this together,” he viciously assaulted years MALLORCA’S most she a key said. witness in the case. is to remain closed. famous nightclub ALMOST 60% of workers “It is very difficult to Florian Bodgan The Balearic High digest the in Spain do not loss of a child knowing Court has ruled receive tacked ‘witness 29’Puscasiu atBCM in Magaluf any financial remuneraafter he had person you loved killed that the must stay closed testified in the courts ter losing its licence. aftion for working And in a remarkable them.” extra sach’s drug traffickingover CurIt comes after the ing violations. hours, a study by recruitcalm she pleaded that plea for and sex Cursach Group parties that were pealed the decision ap- Some of these ment agency Adecco arranged to rents of rage directed the torby Calvia town affected buy off police and politicians. has hall from last against ing emergency exits. safety, includfound. Ana Julia needed to During the sickening working hard toyear, insisting it was Calvia town stop. “I do not want everything correct the issues. insists a reopening the witness was dragged assault The club's licence pends on to deend with the rage to the ground and kicked inspections found was revoked after rected and the violations being corthat this while being woman has sown, Gabriel the establishme numerous buildtold he would be killed nt becomdoes ing fully licenced. not deserve it,” she tinued to speak out. if he con“Although there was pleaded. It is believed that Cursach orending, the fish is no happy dered the violent assault. towards the sky,” sheswimming added. parties arranged for police and www.theolivepress politicians. .es

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Santa Catalina

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Plaza Progreso, 15. 07013, Palma de Mallorca

Is this Mallorca’s hippest barrio?

The Olive Press spends in fashionable Santa a week Catalina

nearly 1000 signatures, while the island’s PP party out in support of has come rants. Restaurant the restauowners in Santa Catalina meanwhile, insist that a ‘one rule fits all’ new law will be very damaging to them. Italian Luca Prosecco, said: “WeVeronesi, at all rely on these terraces to make Shut mine, I will have a living. staff for sure and mayto lay off even be forced to close.”

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One Experience Beyond Art

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civil servants and lawyers - are to be prosecuted over their links to Mallorca’s infamous businessman Tolo

...but there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful... There’s so much to read in this bumper Olive Press special festive edition

DISGRACED: Cursach arrives at court, while (top left) two previous front pages

‘King of the Night’ Cursach. The group are being charged over their links to the nightclub mogul, who allegedly bribed and corrupted the island for decades. They include two former police chiefs and two Palma town hall bosses, all of whom are alleged to have taken money or other bribes in return for special favours. Judge Enrique Morell has charged them with a total of 15 crimes, including extortion, trafficking of influence, blackmail, false documentation, corruption and crimes against public health. Many of them, including 11 local policemen are accused of partying with prostitutes in Cursach’s numerous nightclubs including Tito’s in Palma. They are accused of taking cocaine, alcohol - and even free sex - at the various clubs over many years.

Blackmail

We trace the origins of Spain’s legendary Costa del Crime Page 6

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They include the former police chief Juan Miguel Mut, head of the Patrulla Verde, Gabriel Torres, and head of Palma security Guillem Navarro. It comes after a long investigation into the affairs of businessman Bartolome Cursach, previously under the judge Manuel Penalva and public prosecutor Miguel Angel Subiran. The Judge strongly attacked the officers, who he has probed in a shocking 50 separate cases of blackmail and threats between 2009 and 2016. The case has now been broken up into two parts, the crimes of the police and those of the civil service. In particular, the officers are accused of supporting Cursach and his businesses, protecting the clubs from harassment. Rival nightclubs and anyone opposing him would be routinely harassed and intimidated by the officers, while also receiving excessive inspections. The prosecution is asking for eight years in jail for the officers, who have entered a plea of not guilty. Visit www.theolivepress.es for indepth features on Cursach

Tel: 952 147 834

See Page 2 - 15

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Parental advisory POLICE have arrested a British couple on charges of child abandonment after their 17-month-old baby girl nearly died when she ate a stash of cannabis at their upmarket family home in Marbella.

Cemetery cold case POLICE have unearthed bone fragments in the continuing search for missing sailor Simon Parkes in Gibraltar, who is feared to be the victim of notorious serial killer Allan Grimson.

Serial killer POLICE have unearthed bone fragments in the continuing search for missing sailor Simon Parkes in Gibraltar, who is feared to be the victim of notorious serial killer Allan Grimson.

Asking for it

A MAN without a license has been arrested for drink driving with stolen goods and drugs in the car. The 23-year-old was arrested in Campos during a routine stop. Police found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in the car, as well as several computers, purses and wallets. He had been arrested only the week before for cocaine in Felanitx.

CRIME Pigs in handcuffs

THIEVES have nicked more than 300 legs of jamon from the back of a lorry while the driver took a siesta. The delivery man had been en route to Malaga when he decided to take a nap at a service station. A gang of robbers then forced open the backdoors of the van and stole €42,000 worth of meat. The haul comes after authorities reported a surge in the theft of ham and sausages across Andalucia with the approach of Christmas. Across Andalucia the Guardia Civil are investigating the theft of 130 pieces of jamon in just over a month. The meat can fetch as much as €600 on the black market during the festive season.

December 20th - January 9th 2020

Petrol perp

SNITCH SHOOTING AN INFORMANT has been gunned down while he was spotted conversing with a police officer on a roadside in Barcelona. The informant was providing information on a violent armed gang when shot.

Island shame THE Balearics has the highest domestic abuse rate in Spain. A shocking 34 women out of every 10,000 islanders fall victim to gender-based violence, almost double the national average of 18.8. And the figures are getting worse, with the numbers having risen by over 20% in just two years. In total, more than 2,000 people filed complaints in the Balearics during the third quarter of 2019. In addition, a total of 358 protection orders and security measures were granted. Cases of domestic violence are rising nationally however, with an increasing number of officers being designated to cover the issue. There were over 45,000 incidents of gender violence reported across Spain in the third quarter of 2019, a 3.6%

Shocking figures show Balearics have highest domestic abuse rate in Spain - double the national average

increase on the number recorded in the same quarter last year. The number of domestic abuse cases reported to police has also increased by 10% in a decade, with 10,000 more cases being recorded every quarter today than in 2009.

Intolerable

The Canary Islands has the second highest rates of gender violence with 24.7 people per 10,000 falling victim to abuse. Valencia has the highest rate on the mainland, with 24.2 people per 10,000, while

Galicia has the lowest rate of domestic abuse in Spain, with 10.7 victims per 10,000 people. There are also low rates in Castilla y León with 11.7 per 10,000 and Extremadura with 12.1 per 10,000. While incidents of gender violence have increased in the last decade, less women are being killed by their partners today. In 2008, 76 women were killed as a result of domestic abuse, compared to 51 last year. 55 women have been murdered by their partner across Spain so far in 2019.

A further 46 children have been orphaned as a result of domestic abuse. Despite the shocking figures, Security State for Security Ana Botella has said that Spain is leading the way in tackling the issue, adding that it is ‘intolerable’ to remain ‘impassive’ when confronted with its terrible impact on society. Three quarters of domestic abuse cases that go to trial end in a conviction in Spain. Spanish citizens make up just over two thirds of victims, while foreigners account for the remaining third.

A THIEF has been arrested after running over a female petrol station attendant as he drove off without paying. The 38-year-old ran over the woman when she confronted him at the garage, near Palma Airport. The woman was left with serious injuries to her leg and an eye. Police tracked down the car to the gypsy settlement of Son Banya after studying footage on CCTV.

Pipe dream

A SELF-styled British Adams Family are facing prison over a multi-million euro fuel robbery. The family of four are on trial accused of siphoning off €4 million worth of petrol from an underground pipe leading to Malaga Airport. In the audacious theft the group worked together to dig a hole under their rented farm in in Pareje Palliza, Campanillas, in the Guadalhorce Valley. They then inserted basic tubing to steal nearly 160,000 litres of diesel, petrol and kerosene over the course of 2011, before selling it at hardware stores around the area. The alleged crime was discovered in November 2011, after logistics company Hydrocarbon Company (CLH) called in police. The family could be sent down for as long as 30 years in prison, although they have already returned three €3 million of the total value of the stolen fuel.

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

December 20th - January 9th 2020

Resigned to sleepless HE may have lost millions of voters in Nonights! vember’s Spanish elections.

Putt a ring on it

But Alberto Rivera clearly hasn’t lost his mojo. The ex-leader of Ciudadanos party and his pop star girlfriend Malu have announced they are expecting a baby. “I am very excited to share this wonderful gift that life has given us,” the 40-year-old

said in the post he shared with followers. Rivera and Malu certainly haven’t wasted any time in embarking on family life. The couple have only started seeing each other this year, soon after Rivera’s breakup from his four year relationship with influencer Beatriz Tajuelo.

Royal retreat

A star is re-born

HE may have won numerous trophies in 2019, but now Spain’s top golfer Jon Rahm has won what he wanted most of all – his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. The 24-year-old tied the knot with American fiancee Kelley Cahill, 25, in a fairytale winter wedding at his childhood church in Bilbao. It comes after the world number three won his second Race to Dubai last month, in the same year he was crowned European Tour Golfer of the Year. The Arizona-based newlyweds will return to the US for another wedding in San Diego in April.

There will be chorus’s all round if Banderas wins a Golden Globe

STIFF COMPETITION: From (clockwise) Pryce, Driver, Bale and Phoenix HE has taken another starstudded step towards Academy Award recognition. Now, Malaga’s favourite son Antonio Banderas has come one step nearer, after being nominated for the prestigious Golden Globe in his latest role in Pedro Almodovar’s film Pain and Glory. However, the 59-year-old,

By Robert Firth

who is currently starring in his version of musical, A Chorus Line, in Malaga, is under stiff competition. Banderas will have to beat Christian Bale, Adam Driver Joaquin Phoenix and

Jonathan Pryce to win the best actor globe in January, which is normally a predictor for the Oscars. In the film Pain and Glory, he plays an aging film director, afflicted by a creative

West end boys LEGENDARY British band the Pet Shop Boys are to headline the Mallorca Live Festival. The 80s electronic duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe (right) will perform as part of their Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live tour. The island will be treated to the pair’s string of chart-topping hits including It’s A Sin, West End Girls and Go West. Among the acts joining them at the festival will be Crystal Fighters, Miles Kane and Kate Tempest.

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block who recalls significant life events such as first loves and breakups through a series of flashbacks. It is a semi-autobiographical look at director and writer Almodovar’s life, for which he is up for a director’s award. Banderas meanwhile, picked up the best actor accolade at the European Film Academy awards in Berlin. He was also named best actor at Cannes, where the film premiered in May. Malaga-born actor Pablo Puyol will replace Antonio Banderas in A Chorus Line when he heads across the pond for the Globes and the Palm Springs Film Festival. A Chorus Line will run at Malaga’s Soho Caixabank until January 19.

RELAXED: Smith HE plays Prince Phillip in The Crown. And Matt Smith has been spotted relaxing at a destination suitably fit for a king. The former Doctor Who star was seen chatting to rowers on the exclusive Canary Island of La Gomera, ahead of the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. The race is one of the world’s toughest rowing competitions, which sees contestants travel 3,000 miles from the island to Antigua in the Carribean. The 37-year-old looked relaxed as he shared a cuppa with the competitors prior to the start of the race. It was a world away from his love troubles back in the UK, where he is reported to have split after a five year romance with actress Lily James in favour of co-star Claire Foy (below), from the Crown.

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NEWS

December 20th - January 9th 2020

xmas Odd job SPANISH classified ad website Milanuncios has been pressured into dropping a job offer that promised extra bonuses for ‘sex’. An advertisement looking for a ‘sexy housekeeper’ read that prospective employees would be well paid and have the potential to earn more cash.

“Lingerie is essential, cleaning only but if there is sex the difference will be paid,” the advert said. “Looking for a woman aged between 2040 in fine physical form, good breasts and very pleasant. Ugly women please refrain.” The denigrating job offer saw widespread condemnation on social media, before northern Spanish paper La Voz de Galicia succeeded in pressuring Milanuncios to drop the advert.

Flirty Sanchez Burking mad

A SWIMMING pool has been swamped by complaints over a Muslim wearing a ‘burkini’. Calp’s municipal pool was hit by 22 complaints over the local woman’s attire. October. The burkini is a female swimsuit that completely covers the woman’s body, except the face, hands and feet. Australian sportswear designer Aheda Zanetti created it in 2004 so that Australian Muslims could bathe in public without contravening Islamic obligations. Calp’s department of sports has not yet responded to the grievances.

SPANISH Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has embarked on a charm offensive to seek the support of Catalan separatists as he tries to form a government.

Happy 106th

SHE’S had 106 Christmases. Happy birthday Rosa Maria Schaller, who was born in Germany and now lives in Javea. The expat of 23 years celebrated with 106th with her family and the town mayor.

Acting PM’s desperate bid to woo pro-independence parties as time runs out to form government The leader of Spain’s Socialist Party is meeting with leaders from the Catalan Republic Left (ERC), Together for Catalonia (JxCat) and Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) in an

attempt to build a governing coalition, following November’s inconclusive Spanish elections. Sanchez’s PSOE emerged as the largest party from last month’s vote, winning 120 seats, but still far short of the 176 it needs for a majority. The socialist party leader made a coalition deal with left-wing, anti-austerity Unidas Podemos soon after the result.

Last ditch

However, he still needs the support of opposition parties to get the coalition approved by parliament. Talks with centre-right Ciudadanos and the conservative Popular Party (PP) in recent days have failed to secure their approval for the left-wing pact with the two right-wing parties objecting

to Podemos MPs getting key cabinet posts. In a last ditch attempt to avoid a third election in less than a year, Sanchez is now seeking the support of regional nationalist parties from Catalonia, as well as Valencia’s Compromis and Basque nationalists EH Bildu. Sanchez’s plan A is to get Catalan separatists from the ERC to abstain on the vote to approve the coalition. For it’s abstention the ERC wants the socialists to agree to talks between Madrid and the Catalan regional government about the future of the northeastern region. PSOE MP Adriana Lastra said any deal would be ‘subject to the law and Constitution.’ She added: “The entire PSOE is working so that this country can have a government as soon as possible.”

A BRITISH pensioner has been living without a working front door for three months after being told he can’t repair his house following September’s gota fria floods. 80-year-old Jim said he felt ‘afraid’ leaving his house after all his doors and doorframes became swollen with floodwater in Catral. He said he left the house in a state of disrepair over fears that insurance assessors needed to see the damage. “We have absolutely no security,” Jim told the Olive Press. “I can’t close my front gate because the electric’s gone and I can’t lock the front door. “We just don’t know if we should repair anything in the house.” Jim said a dehumidifier working ‘24 hours a day’ has taken 200 litres out of his bedroom and the same from his living room. His wife has meanwhile fallen ill requiring an inhaler twice a day for ‘breathing problems’. He added they were still sleeping in the same beds swollen with floodwater since September, while the walls of his bungalow have black marks ‘5ft high’. “We just have no idea what to do,” he said. A spokesperson for Spain’s Consorcio de Compensacion de Seguros (CCS) told the Olive Press they ‘advise people to maintain their houses in the damaged condition’.

OP QUICK Crossword Across 1 Sound of a bell (4) 4 Most precipitous (8) 8 Not manufactured by machine (8) 9 Sailors (4) 10 Parched (4) 11 Nightclothes (7) 13 Showing unusual talent (4) 15 Tavern (3) 16 At what time (4) 17 Try (7) 19 Junkie (4) 22 Engineering qualification (1,3) 23 Event (8) 24 Not defeated (8) 25 Christmas (4)

OP Sudoku

By Robert Firth

No Closure

Down 2 D-Day beach (5) 3 Opponent of new technologies (7) 4 Fly (4) 5 All of us (8) 6 Middle Eastern bread (5) 7 Superficial area (7) 12 Typo (8) 14 Among (7) 16 Laundry time (7) 18 Two under par (5) 20 Pertaining to the kidneys (5) 21 Scrutinize (4)

All solutions are on page 22

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

58 Migrants dead AT least 58 migrants have drowned after their boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean en route to Spain. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed at least one boy and three women were killed, while a further 83 migrants on board the boat managed to swim to the coast of Mauritania, alerting authorities to the shipwreck. A further 40 migrants are feared dead, while 10 of the survivors are in a serious condition.

Drawing breath!

A SPAIN’S Got Talent contestant has almost died after failing to escape from a sealed underwater box. Viewers and judges of the Telecinco show were left in shock as they watched Pedro Volta literally drowning onstage. Medical staff rushed to free the Galician escapologist who was knocked out after he stopped breathing during a live broadcast of the semifinals. The magician had intended to free himself from a straitjacket inside a double locked container filled with water. The talent show was won by two-year-old carol singer, Hugo Molina, who wowed judegs with his rendition of Campana sobre campana.

December 20th - January 9th 2020

Transport Biblical plagues of dead fish have washed up on revolution THOUSANDS an Andalucian beach in an environmental caA MASSIVE network of 100 new buses has been unveiled in Palma. Nine new bus routes have been introduced around the city, while 16 existing routes have been altered. There are currently 42 million passengers a year.

tastrophe of biblical proportions. Green group, Ecologists in Action, reported that a shoal of dead fish mixed with plastic and other rubbish had washed up on the beach in Granada. Members of the environmental organisation believe the disaster, which has seen dead fish cover the entire length of El Penon

de Salobrena beach, may have been caused by a toxic spill. “It appears too extensive to be the discarded catch of a fishing boat,” said a spokesperson from the group. The fish have open mouths and spots along their bodies,” they added. The group suspect the nearby Motril Sewage Treatment Plant may to be blame and are calling on relevant authorities to launch an investigation

Coma kid

A CHILD has been hospitalised with alcohol poisoning after being found unconscious near a railway line. The 12-year-old boy is in a coma after a Saturday night drinking session with pals in Murcia.

Nightmare before Christmas Festive fears for British expats after landslide Boris victory slides UK ever-nearer Brexit...

BRITISH expats are understandably in turmoil about their futures in Spain, following the Conservative Party’s huge election victory. Healthcare, pensions and the fate of the pound are bound to keep many of us awake this Christmas, now that Johnson has promised to ‘get Brexit done’ by the end of January. But, while it could be an unsettling festive period ahead, it may not be as bad as many of us fear, believes Our Man in Spain. “No deal is now a very remote possibility and our citizens rights are still in place,” insisted ambassador Hugh Elliot

at a meeting with expats on the Costa Blanca this week. Putting a little sparkle back on the Christmas tree, he promised that the same healthcare agreements, uprating of pensions and rights to work will not change for British expats until December next year.

Distress

And after that period, they will stay ‘the same as long as you remain a resident in Spain’. However, Anne Hernandez of Brexpats in Spain insisted it was still not clear and claimed ‘mounting’ confusion was causing many residents distress,

with some even contemplating suicide. “It is putting people under incredible pressure. Some have said; ‘I am so suicidal,’ particularly some of the elderly,” she told the Olive Press this week. British councillor for San Fulgencio, Darren Parmenter, hit back however, criticising the ‘amount of misinformation’ groups like hers have been pedalling. He told the Olive Press that once the current withdrawal agreement was signed everyone would be much more optimistic. “Not once has any of these

groups said that, if the withdrawal agreement is passed, you have nothing to worry about,” he slammed.

“It might have saved lots of unnecessary panic, ‘feelings of suicide’ and even people selling up and moving back to the UK because of the uncertainties.” Christine Rowlands, chair of Conservatives Abroad on the Costa del Sol, had a more conciliatory view. Despite being a ‘staunch remainer,’ she told the Olive Press she was glad the election result meant Brexit would ‘finally be over’. “The reaction has been good from both sides,” she said. “My members just want the job done.”

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FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than one million people a month.

OPINION Britain’s Christmas no.1 On Friday we discovered what was top of the British people’s Christmas list. Santa Claus promised them a ‘Christmas gift’ they couldn’t turn down. And they lined the streets queuing up for it. And they got it. ‘Let’s get Brexit done,’ said Boris Johnson, ripping off his beard. Brexit they got. But like every child who sits on Santa Claus’s knee and tells them all his wishes, the British people were sold a lie. And you don’t have to wrap yourself in an EU flag outside Westminster to believe that. For Boris Johnson like Father Christmas can’t ride through the sky, granting everyone’s wishes with a gusto-filled ‘ho ho ho.’ Even as Johnson’s hefty parliamentary majority will allow him to whizz Brexit through the commons by Christmas and have it ‘done’ by the end of January, years of wrangling over the EU and Britain’s future relationship and ehem trade deal waits around the corner like a new year hangover. And the future of every British citizen living in Spain is tied up in that. Only yesterday Micheal Gove - who is in charge of no-deal planning - refused to rule out no-deal when challenged over the government’s plans to make it illegal for Britain to ask the EU for an extension to the transition period which ends in eleven months. Fair enough, he might have been doing himself out of a job by ruling out the possibility his job exists to plan for. But that will be no reassurance for those whose futures these politicians are meddling with.

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Charlie Smith Joshua Parfitt charlie@theolivepress.es joshua@theolivepress.es John Culatto Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es johnc@theolivepress.es Robert Firth robert@theolivepress.es Admin Beatriz Sanllehí (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

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December 20th - January 9th 2020

Assassins for neighbours Nearly 40 years since his articles coined the phrase ‘the Costa del Crime’, it is not surprising we’re STILL living in a gangster’s paradise, writes author and journalist David Baird (right)

ERE’S a question you don’t often ask yourself: how many murderers have I known in my lifetime? The answer is - almost certainly more than you imagine. No matter how tranquil and lawabiding you are, you are likely to have come into contact with somebody who has committed a fatal crime and got away with it - by sheer luck, thanks to a cleverly faked accident, or whatever. And, if you live on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, the odds you have been elbow to elbow with a most wanted criminal are even greater. Not for nothing has the region been dubbed the ‘Costa del Crime’, a tag that originated in the early 1980s. Until then, the coast was mostly famed for the antics of international jetsetters, from Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe, founder of the Marbella Club hotel, and millionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi to film star Stewart Granger and society hostess Gunilla Von Bismarck. But then more sinister sun-seekers arrived: Underworld figures learned

Organised crime on the coast was shocking a decade ago. But, warn the authors of Costa Nostra, it’s nothing compared to the drugs cartels’ vicelike grip today

Timeline of the crimes

that there was no way they could strong, respected newspaper) be extradited from Spain to the detailing a crime wave along the UK following the collapse, in coast. The article was headlined 1978, of a long-standing agree- ‘The Costa del Crime’ and the ment between the two countries. name stuck. A logo of a shifty guy This extraordinary extradition in a black hat by a palm tree beloophole was not closed until came almost seminal. 1985. Although the report was totally So Brits on the run began buying factual the coast’s tourism bossproperties on the es were furiCostas in the late ous, accusing 1970s and early me of saboThe coast’s 80s, flaunting their tage. However, ill-gotten gains and since then the tourism bosses frequenting the top number of night spots. Hitmen, were furious, shady individuconmen and bankenjoying accusing me of als robbers rubbed the good life in shoulders with arisour midst has sabotage tocrats and bullfightmultiplied. ers. Among the They were soon more notorimaking second fortunes being ous residents was Ronnie Knight, conveniently close to the vast once married to Carry On star plantations of marijuana - which Barbara Windsor. He was wanted was getting increasingly fashion- for his part in the 1983 theft of £6 able - across the pond in Mo- million from the Security Express rocco. headquarters in Shoreditch, east In the early 1980s I filed a report London. to the Sunday Express (then a I ran him to earth along with Sue

Haylock, his girlfriend, in their luxury home in the hills behind Fuengirola, but they (not so politely) declined to be interviewed. When Ron and Sue married, in typically flashy style at a Costa restaurant, an army of expat crooks turned up in force, brazenly flaunting their wealth and contempt for the law. But Ronnie’s cash dwindled and he and Sue ended up running a Fuengirola bar, attracting thrillseeking British tourists. Eventually Ronnie was forced to return to the UK to face the music. So too was Freddy Foreman, a fearsome hitman and friend of the notorious gangsters, the Kray brothers. He loved the Costa, remarking recently: “Sun and sangria and birds. I would still be there if I could!” Meanwhile, along the coast in Almería, known as the home of spaghetti Westerns, another arch-criminal once ruled the roost. On the surface Juan Asensio Rodríguez, a chunky, bald-

COSTA mafia BREXIT could threaten attempts to bring the drug trade under control along the Costa del Sol warn journalist and author Miguel Diaz and IU politician Antonio Romero. It comes a decade after their book, Costa Nostra: The mafias on the Costa del Sol, sent shockwaves through Spain and threatened its essential tourism trade. The authors say the same problems with criminal organisations still exist, but ‘with even more intensity. “The political context today is about less cooperation,” says Diaz. “The UK is key (in helping tackle the mafias) and Brexit

Owner of Heaven, David Ávila, assassinated while sitting with his family in his Range Rover, after his daughter’s communion in San Pedro

keeps Europe from having common legislation.” This comes after John Sawers, the ex-chief of the UK’s foreign intelligence service, said Britain’s security depended ‘heavily’ on the security of Europe and he hoped relations between the EU and Britain would not completely collapse after Brexit. Diaz and Romero believe the growth of mafia activity is to do with social impoverishment, and unemployment. Thousands of people in drug trafficking hotspots like La Linea, on the Gibraltar border, are employed by gangs, often throwing stones and attacking

A British man is shot, kneecapped and given a ‘Glasgow Smile’ in Marbella. The unnamed Brit was left with multiple injuries

Bomb blows up San Pedro warehouse while another explodes under a car in Benahavis, both warnings from Swedish drug mafias

Frenchman shot 20 times with an AK-47 outside his home in Marbella. The murder was a settling of accounts between mafias

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Heaven beach club burned to the ground as a warning to owner to pay what he ‘owes to Colombian drug lords’

British drug trafficker Sean Hercules gunned down in Estepona after engaging in a shootout with police

Spaniard Brian Carmona gunned down in Estepona before being bundled into a car, tortured, killed and dumped in Algeciras

Dutch-Moroccan bombmaker Hamza Ziani shot four times in the head and chest while eating sushi with a girl in Torremolinos restaurant

Moroccan man is shot in the leg outside nightclub in Puerto Banus. Motive remained unclear but appears to be a warning

December 20th - January 9th 2020

www.theolivepress.es

EXPOSES: David’s stories in the early 1980s, the front page interviews with Ronny Knight (below) ing businessman, was a pillar of society, controlling all 12 Almería cinemas. But by night he inhabited a sleazy netherworld frequented by prostitutes and men with criminal records; a world of bleak, garishlylit establishments with obliging hostesses which cropped up like mushrooms along the main highway. Many a ‘chorizo’ (petty criminal) had his bail paid by Asensio, who then put them on his payroll. They bore nicknames like Rambo and El Loco. And those who fell out with him suffered nasty sometimes fatal - accidents. Asensio’s estranged wife was killed outside Almeria’s Imperial Cinema. Apparently a corpulent man in a black leather jacket shot her several times, finishing her off on the ground. No witness could be found. Joaquín Abad, editor of the Crónica, an Almería paper, campaigned against Asensio. He told me several attempts had been made on his life and then I understood why his office was protected by bullet-

proof glass, Almería’s astonishing period of lawlessness was ended when campaigning Judge Balthasar Garzón, scourge of drug-traffickers and organised crime, dispatched a squad of Civil Guards from Madrid to tackle him head on, deliberately not advising the local authorities. Asensio was released after eight years in jail, but in 2004 he was executed gangland style, leaving

his family to squabble over his €100 million fortune. Another Costa execution occurred in 1990 when Charlie Wilson, a key player in 1963’s Great Train Robbery, discovered there is no hiding place when you fall out with fellow criminals. A blond man on a yellow bicycle turned up outside his house near Marbella. He shot Wilson, who

was preparing a barbecue to celebrate his marriage, and made his escape. In 2008 Judge Garzón turned his attention to the Costa del Sol, launching Operación Troika, a huge operation against moneylaundering mafia gangs along the coast. Some 400 police made 30 simultaneous raids. Arrests were made in Almuñécar, Nerja, Frigiliana, Marbella, Estepona and San Pedro, with a further 10 detentions in other provinces. Near my village, police swooped on a luxury residence. The Russian owner kept a low profile, posing as a respectable expatriate. But his mansion did have some special features, such as unusually high walls and the presence of a security guard. One of my friend’s daughters was well-paid for looking after his children and taking them to school. Treated as one of the family, she even went to

Moscow on holiday with them. An sions in Russia on murder charges innocent abroad indeed. and illicit possession of arms. He Then, abruptly, the picture led one of several competing machanged. The disfia groups involved creet neighbour in heroin smuggling proved to be Alexin St. Petersburg in Sleeping with ander Malyshev the 1990s, when (left), a notorious an axe and a Vladimir Putin was gang leader, acdeputy mayor. machete under cused of several After several atkillings. He was tempts on his life his pillow to fend arrested and takMalyshev had en to Madrid to off rivals sought a safe refawait trial, along uge and moved to with his wife Olga Spain where (acand my acquaincording to The Guardian) his group tance, the children’s maid. allegedly laundered more than It turned out that Malyshev had US$62 million through real estate. been jailed on at least three occa-

Troika

strONGhold police during chases of suspects. “There are lawyers and financial advisers who create companies to launder the ill-gotten cash,” the pair said.“A network of professionals collaborate with the mafias because they generate wealth in the short term.” The crisis has also been allowed to fester, according to the duo, due to some authorities and institutions looking the other way.This has been seen at Algeciras port, where 30% of drug profits are said to be spent bribing dock workers, customs agents and police officers. There are around 120 organised groups along the coast, according to the Ministry of Inte-

Popular businessman Marco Yaqout, who owned several establishments in Puerto Banus, shot to death while driving his Bentley home to San Pedro

Jan. 21

2019

Mar.17

2019

Body of French man of sub-Saharan origin, 23, found dumped in Guadalhorce industrial estate after being shot at least 10 times

rior.“. “Officials previously denied the mafias saying they were isolated events, but now they admit it’s a well-installed phenomenon.” The gangs come from an increasing internationalised scene and are either collaborating or clashing, with Dutch and Italians taking over, alongside British and Irish. “There is growing cooperation between the gangs,” continued Diaz and Romero, “who share the work in the criminal chain.“There are very specialised individuals who weave alliances between groups.“They outsource work - criminals come in, do the job, and leave.“ The renewed focus comes after one of the most

British father and son disappear from Spain’s Costa del Sol and have STILL not been found. Daniel and Liam Poole, 46 and 22, are feared dead from a drug deal ‘gone wrong’

April 1

2019

May.27

2019

Young man of Moroccan origin shot in his leg in Benalmadena as a suspected warning from a rival drug gang

The body of a man is found dumped on the side of the A-7 between Marbella and Mijas showing signs of violence

Sep.17

2019

Oct.27

2019

Bulgarian man found dumped in a ditch on the A-7176 road which connects Marbella and Istan, just hours after being shot three times in the stomach

EXECUTION: Of Frenchman in Cabopino just weeks ago wanted in Europe was arrested while celebrating his birthday in Puerto Banus

Dutchman shot dead outside property in Marbella before killers made off in his car. His associate was also shot but survived

Nov.15

2019

Frenchman, 60, executed with series of shots outside restaurant in Cabopino, by two masked hitmen thought to be of Dutch origin

Nov.21

2019

Dec. 5

2019

Briton Peter Williamson, 39, from Manchester, shot and killed outside his property in Mijas. Police believe the murder was drug-related

some weeks ago. Whilst the infamous Marbella-Fuengirola-Estepona triangle has been hotter than ever, the action is spreading to Mijas.“The Algerian mafias operate in El Zoco,” the experts revealed. “There is little suspicion raised around there.”

Bombs

There have been six shootings, including the death of a British man, Peter Williamson, who was shot to death by a man ‘of Arab origin’ in Mijas, as well as a Frenchman, who was executed in the car park of a Cabopino restaurant. “A man was also shot in Nagueles, Marbella while taking his boy to school and we have seen bombs and arson attacks by Dutch mafias in the infamous triangle recently,” added Romero. Asked how to tackle the problem, the pair said an increase in specialised police would be ‘a start’

A huge investigation was launched but Operación Troika collapsed in October 2018, when no case could be proved against the 17 accused, consisting of seven Russians, five Spaniards, two Ukrainians, a German, an Estonian and a Lithuanian. By then Malyshev, surprisingly let out on bail, had fled Spain for Russia. Disturbingly Judge Garzon, who brought many criminals, including Chile’s President Pinochet, to book, was banned from practising when his enemies in the judicial system organised his removal from office. That’s good news for the international cohort of criminals who have moved to the Costa, and their arrival has not stopped. Most recently, Dutch and Irish gangsters have been settling accounts in public fashion as a warning to their enemies. These mobsters of various nationalities don’t have much faith in the Spanish authorities’ ability to protect them. When a leading Russian mafioso was arrested in Mijas in 2017, he was sleeping with an axe and a machete under his pillow to fend off murderous rivals. Meanwhile, my one-time neighbour Alexander Malyshev is back in St. Petersburg with partner Olga, where with two sons they run several successful businesses. Local publications have noted: ‘The godfather of the 90s has returned’. David Baird has been reporting from Spain since the 1970s. His books include Between Two Fires, an account of the guerrilla war in southern Spain in the 1940s and Sunny Side Up, how the 21st century hit an Andalusian village. Published by Maroma Press (www. maromapress.wordpress.com)

GREEN

www.theolivepress.es

Climate flop

Plastic shocker

COP25 conference ends in ‘failure’ as countries agree vague pledge to work harder to meet warming targets ACTIVISTS symbolically dumped a pile of manure outside the global climate conference as it ended after 14 days in Madrid this weekend. It was a fitting end for the 2019 United Nation’s Climate Change Conference. For as Greta Thunberg said, the much hyped-up, COP25 talks ‘failed.’

Positive

OVER a third of Spain’s plastic packaging ends up in landfill, shocking new statistics have revealed. An alarming 38% of packaging ends up dumped in landfill, compared to just 0.1% of packaging in Germany, according to research. The UK fares slightly better, chucking 22% of plastic packaging into landfill each year.

Other European countries also recycle more than Spain. In France, 29% of plastic is dumped without being recycled and in Italy only 14% of plastic waste isn’t recycled. Europe produces 20% of the world’s plastic waste, about 60 million tons of the 348 million tons of plastic the world throws away each year.

World leaders ended up agreeing to come up with more ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions, in order to meet the 2015 Paris agreement. The accord, which is now more than four years old, pledged to limit global warming to below two degrees. Few countries who attended the summit brought with them revised plans to meet the targets set in Paris. In one small positive, the EU finally agreed to its

“John had no idea his investment fees were so high!”

Johncametoseemebecausehewanteda second opinion on an investment plan he had set up when he first moved to Spain 5 yearsago.Somehow,despitestrongfinancial markets, John’s portfolio had barely beaten inflation in all that time. John was helpful enough to bring along all the original paperwork and valuations his IFAhadprovidedsincehestartedhisplan, along with some Fund Fact Sheets. The first thing I noticed was that the original recommendation had included a 10yeartie-inandaveryhighannualbondfee of 0.95%. I also quickly realised that the funds that had been recommended to John had incredibly high annual fees and below average performance. John’shadbeenrecommendedfundsthat were costing up to 5 times more than the averageduetoundisclosedfeestheywere paying to his adviser. Duetothecomplexwaythefeesweredis-

December 20th - January 9th 2020

guised and layered, John had no idea his investment fees were so high. There were only 2 small reassurances I could make. Firstly, he was not alone – 10,000s of expats in Spain have been set-up with similarlyover-pricedportfoliosasthisiswidely practisedbyfirmshere.Secondly,it’savery easy problem to solve. John agreed for Chorus to take over the management of his portfolio, and we immediately sold those over-priced, underperforming funds. Unfortunately,asJohnhadalreadysigned paperwork for that 10-year tie-in 5 years ago, there was nothing I could do about those high bond fees, and he would continue to pay them for a further 5 years. Chorusclientscannowbenefitfromexactlythesameinvestmentbondforjust0.25% per annum, with no tie-in. It’s just a shame he hadn’t sought a second opinion from us before signing up. The good news is that John now has a diverse portfolio of FCA regulated funds, with a strong track record from wellknown,UKbasedinvestmentinstitutions.

target of reducing Co2 emissions to net zero by 2050, more than 30 years in the future. Experts say more ambitious emissions cuts are needed if the world has any hope of meeting the objectives set in the Paris accord. Particularly as emissions have risen by 4% since the agreement was signed in 2015. The president of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, insisted, at least, that his region - Spain’s most endangered - was set for a ‘green revolution.’ This will involve injecting €350 million to fund reforestation, as well as encourage more renewables and hydroelectricity

Green jobs boom GREEN jobs are increasing at a faster rate than jobs in all other sectors in Spain, new figures have revealed. The number of environmental jobs increased by 4.5% last year, compared to a 2.5% increase in jobs overall, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Some 316,200 new green

projects.

Droughts

Andalucia has suffered a 40% reduction in rain in the last four decades while

jobs were generated in 2018 and the production of environmental goods and services added an extra €26.4 million to the economy. The increase means that jobs related to the climate and natural resource management now account for 1.76% of all employment in Spain and make up 2.2% of GDP.

bouts of flooding and droughts have become more frequent. The autonomous community is also home to the Tabernas desert, one of Europe’s few deserts.

Providing multi-award winning advice for your pensions, investments & tax planning. By Tracy Storer, Senior Partner Even with that high bond fee remaining in place, his annual fees have now reduced by 1.6%, meaning John will save significant amounts in fees over the coming years, which will have a positive effect on the growth of his plan. Although past performance can never be a guarantee of future performance, the portfolio we placed him into has substantially outperformed his existing portfolio historically,andI’mconfidenthe’llseebetter returns moving forward. The exact overall fees you may pay for any investment or pension solution will depend on your specific circumstances socanvary,butChorusprideourselveson fair & transparent fees and are now offering Spanish compliant investment bonds and platform options with no tie-in.

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Investment contracts are intended as medium to long term investments, and all investments have some level of risk. Figures in our articles are examples of what can be achieved and cannot be guaranteed; the value of your investments can go down as well as up. Fees and charges can vary and will be fully explained to you before any advice can take place. This article should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular product.

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ASierra Nevada

www.theolivepress.es

Vol. 13 Issue 333

ll about

FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es

White world

December 20th - January 9th 2020

+34 958 481 170 +34 675 470 669 www.alquileressierranevada.es

2019/2020

First-time skier Charlie Smith slopes off to the Sierra Nevada to discover the thrill of the chill on our doorstep

By Charlie Smith We step out at Borreguiles, which sits some 2,700 metres above sea level. This is the basecamp for many of the Sierra’s runs, which range from the green-coloured ‘muy facil’ pistes to those in black, labelled ‘muy dificil’. Blinded by the brilliant white sheen given off by the snow, I meet my teacher for the day, Joey, from the British Ski Center. Having only ever skied on the dry slope in Halifax, Yorkshire, Continues overleaf

photo by Telemark

ILENCE. There is not a single peep as I climb upwards through the valley to meet my maker. I poke my head out of the cable car window and the Sierra Nevada’s fresh alpine air hits my lungs. Then I hear it – a sweeping crunch down the crisp white piste, as a snowboarder whizzes past below. Another tears through, and then a third, all weaving down the mountainside at blistering speed. I’m definitely more terrified than the three Spanish guys sharing the carriage with me. We have left behind the cosy bars and restaurants in Pradollano, the main town of Andalucia’s only ski resort.

www.theolivepress.es

ll about

December 19th - January 8th 2020

Pascual perfect WANT to avoid all the chaos of queuing for skis and kit on arrival in the resort? Why not take a short stop at Pascual Ski on the way up? Opposite the BP garage in the village of Cenes de la Vega, just off the main road, here you will find Jose Luis Pascual, 65, who has nearly 50 years of working in the Sierra Nevada. He has a great range of new skis and boots and all the tools to repair and prepare your own skis in advance of your arrival. You can literally park right opposite the shop at the petrol station. As well as speaking perfect English he has a big number of skiing instructors available to connect you to. “I have always been one to look after the clients,” explains Jose Luis, who did his military service at the age of 19 with the so called ‘legion blanca’ in the Pyrenees. “We can do repairs that people might think are impossible and we take particularly care of the boots we rent out.” You can find it at Camino de la Vega, 23, Cenes de la Vega or call 958481048 or visit www.pascualski.com

Sierra Nevada

December 20th - January 9th 2020

THROWING SHAPES: Charlie shows some classic early form

From Page 17

Halifax’ finest

on a school trip, it’s fair to say I am out of my depth. Joey takes me over to a small conveyor belt up a very gentle incline slope, that is probably classed as ‘muy muy facil’. He puts me through my paces and after an hour of intensive training, I’ve gone from Bambi on ice to actually skiing. It’s time to hit the slopes. The pair of us hop onto the Emile Allais ski lift, named after the French alpine ski champion of the 1930s. And maybe Emile would have been proud – if not a bit bored and bemused – as I safely ‘snow ploughed’ my way to the bottom. Saying goodbye to Joey, I pop into Restaurante Borreguiles for a much-needed and reasonably-priced cafe con leche and bocadillo, while I reflecting on my newly-discovered sporting prowess. With the sun now beating down, I take my confidence – or should that be cockiness – back up the slope and prepare for my first solo run. All goes well until I cross a small but slippery patch of ice – a rarity on most of the Sierra Nevada slopes, which are generally icing sugar-soft. A €9 million cash injection for the 2019/2020 season has seen the introduction of 33 new snow cannons, which produce the same amount of snow

in half the time, meaning the environment benefits as well as the slopes. As I hurtle over the ice, desperately trying to slow myself, I clip the skis of 10-year-old boy, sending us both flying. As I look up I realise his classmates have witnessed the whole thing. But rather than giving me a dressing down, the lad’s teacher imparts some words of wisdom and encouragement.

December 20th - January 9th 2020

www.theolivepress.es

1111

December 19th - January 8th 2020

Old age pleasures

IDYLLIC: The Sierra Nevada puts skiers on top of the world

SURFS UP: Some daredevils ditch skis and snowboards as they ride the slopes

for a hot steam bath and soak up some me-time at one of several This friendliness is a characterising feature of the Sierra Nevada, as hotel spas. locals and tourists – from Portugal, Britain, Germany and ScandinaBut all year round, the Sierra Nevada is paradise for fresh air fiends. via – seem at peace among the tranquility of the idyllic landscape. After ‘the melt’, the resort becomes a haunt for walkers, wildlife lovGiven that my ‘victim’ and I both walk away unscathed, all in all, I ers and mountain bikers. count my first ever day’s skiing as a roaring success. Get the best views by taking advantage of the ski lifts, which in sumThe prices for all this fun in the snow are not to be sniffed at either. mer carry both people and bikes to the summit to enjoy the breathMy adult’s one-day ski pass was €50.50 (low season price, which rises taking routes back down. in high season to just over €52). Seven-day options start from just €271, while there are generous dis- Borreguiles, the resort’s imprescounts for children, elderly and disabled customers. sive ski bowl, boasts a bike park This is a bargain when you look at what the Sierra Nevada has to offer, in the hotter months. Youngwith 124 different runs for every ability, whether you’re Shaun White sters can test their strengths in or Barry White. the mini-olympiads zone or race Beginner and intermediate slopes are in abundance with 19 green against each other on the pedal runs and 41 blues – my kind of territory. car track. And for Beijing Winter Olympics hopefuls there are 50 red runs (dif- Guided dawn and dusk walks ficult) and 14 black and orange (very difficult). and a bumper running and cyThere is even more adventure for the 2019/20 season, with some 30 cling race calendar are a magevents including Snowrunning (snow mountain race), Potholes (free- net keeping the resort busy 12 style), School (alpine skiing) and Veterans (alpine skiing) competi- months of the year. tions. Back in the icy present, it’s time But perhaps the most exciting will be the Snowboardcross event, on to sample some of Pradollano’s March 6 and 7, starring legendary athletes like Lucas legendary apres Eguibar and Regino Hernandez. ski scene. It’s hard to believe that 106,8 kms of pistes and 124 runs For the perfect The bar’s walls (75% open in mid-December) lie just two hours from start, drop into sunny Marbella on sea and half an hour from Granada. include a family Bar Esqui where It truly lives up to the marketing hype as a place where affable landlord you can ski in the morning and sunbathe on the coast, photo featuring Nichu slings capina colada in hand, by the afternoon. ñas across the a fresh-faced Expert skiers treasure the snow which, particularly in counter like a springtime, is quite unlike the tightly-packed ice found King Felipe VI bartender in a in many European winter sports resorts. western saloon Some ski fans even brave the mountain descent in biwhile blasting kinis for the last day of the season in May (la bajada en bikini), an punters with everything from unmissable occasion charged with champagne, hedonism and near- Michael Jackson to 90s club nudity. classics. A hearty pub grub menu Even on my trip in cold December I spotted some shoeless surfer – with quality albondigas – is on dudes, wetsuits and boards in tow. offer as you scrutinise the history “Constant improvements and an ability to produce a lot of snow are adorning the bar’s walls, includjust two of the strengths of our resort,” said Santi Sevilla, who has ing a family photo featuring a been working at Cetursa, the resort’s administrator, for eight years. fresh-faced King Felipe VI. “Add to that the arrival of the Freestyle Ski World Championship and An equally-tasty post-ski bellySnowboarding here in March, and the affordability of ski passes, and warmer is the lentejas, freshly you can see why it is one of the most attractive resorts in Europe. served up by Jose Carlos and his “One of my favourite new additions is the Pista del Mar in the heart team at the cosy and modestlyof Borreguiles. priced Casablanca. “This has been created to make a fun and safe area where families and La Visera is also a great spot for beginners can enjoy the snow.” steak, while Swell, Tito Tapas Santi is far from the only skier smitten by Pradollano’s charms. and La Bodeguita are all defiOver one million people visit the resort each year. nitely worth a trip too. That is an impressive achievement considering it was only construct- For those with a bit more spended in 1964, making it a newbie in comparison to some of France’s ing money, La Muralla’s relong-established resorts like Chamonix and Courchevel. vamped menu makes that hard But there is much more to the Sierra Nevada than sliding down it on work on the slopes all worthtwo planks of wood. while. The melt-in-the-mouth You can tackle it by toboggan and snowboard, or on a snowshoe hike carrillada is a must, as is the (akin to walking with a tennis racket strapped to each foot). courgette carpaccio with fig Family-oriented Mirlo Blanco park gives kids their adrenalin fix as sauce and the peanut tart to finthey brave the star attraction, Trineo Ruso (Russian sled), which ish. And of course, nothing goes whisks riders around a several hundred metre track with tight turns down better at this time of year and a 550 metre descent. than a steaming glass of tinto de A magic carpet slide and bouncy castles can also be found in the zone, Invierno - spiced, mulled wine. along with mountains of snow for DIY fun. Salud! And if that sounds like too much action, you can always swap icy snow www.britishskicenter.co.uk

THEY have been coming to the Sierra Nevada for decades from their home in Almeria. And, best of all, retired expats (above) Martin and Brenda Carney, 72 and 70, now get their ski passes completely free of charge. “All we have to do is rent our gear and we have been using the same shop Ski Sol since we first came,” explains former UK hotelier Brenda. “We love it up here and the snow is usually excellent.” Shop boss Montse (pictured with them) explains that they have dozens of clients in their 70s, and one Norwegian in his NINETIES. “He’s been coming down here for years,” she reveals. “He is amazingly fit and I think skiing really helps him stay that way.” Many of the local business owners still ski every day, well into their sixties. They include Jose Carlos, at Bodega Casablanca, and EOE skiing school boss Jose Luis Hernandez, 64, who explains: “It’s a great sport, using almost all your muscles, your arms, your legs and your dorsals, not to mention the heart. “My brother Manolo still skis and he’s in his 80s and I intend to ski when I’m 90.” Statistically 2.7% of skiers in the Sierra Nevada are over 60 years old. Last but not least there are a lot more Asian skiers coming these days, including the group (left) from China who live in Malaga.

December 19th - January 8th 2020

FLYING S

CARVE UP: Some of the sections of the superpark Sulayr

OCALS boast of its cream snow. So it is no wonder the Sierra Nevada is a Mecca for thrill-seeking snowboarders, who come in their droves to take advantage of a soft and sumptuous ride. For beginners and experts alike, Spain’s highest resort is a glorious setting. With its stunning scenery and top-class facilities, it was no surprise that it won the bid to host the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships two years ago. One of the best places to catch the top riders in action is at SuperPark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park. Sitting at an altitude of 2,700 metres on Borreguiles, the famed snowboarding park houses the country’s biggest permanent half-pipe.

Measuring a height of six the side of th Rookies will sort, thanks reguiles. Here, lifts d groomed are Many profes their home a These includ their passion “It’s a fanta Spain, if not over the last

Carigüela La Carigüe La

Carigüela

Warm and friendly local in the heart of the Sierra Nevada

Urban legends

The Sierra Nevada’s treacherous nature has created a land of myth and folklore

O local Granada folk, the Sierra Nevada mountains are hugely important - and not only as a source of tourism and pride.

Their snow-capped peaks are the setting for many legends and urban myths. The stories, designed to help explain tragic events and natural phenomena like avalanches, have been passed down over the centuries and remain • The Mulhacen peak is 3478 metres high and is the highest classics to this point of continental Spain. day. Below are the two • There are 66 plant species and 80 animal species native to most famous. the Sierra Nevada National Park.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Sierra Nevada has been part of La Vuelta a España with the final stage of the cycling race ending there on several occasions. • At 1200 metres it has the largest difference in gradient in any resort in Spain.

• Night skiing is held at Pradollano on weekends, weather permitting

• The Super parque Sulayr has a 165 metre Half Pipe for freestylers and snowboarders and is Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park. • It is the most Southern ski resort in Europe and 80% of its days are sunny during season.

Fabulous fish, amazing salads and various Moroccan dishes tel: 958 480 010

Calle de la Virgin de las Nieves, 16 Edificio Edelweiss, 18196 Sierra Nevada

MONKEYING AROUND: But the Mono Careto warns against this

• Sierra Nevada ski station hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1996 and the 2015 Winter Universiade, the world university games.

• The name Sierra Nevada means ‘Snowy Range’ in English

• Sierra Nevada has 107km of skiable slopes, with 115 runs (40 blue, nine black, 50 red and 16 green as well as cross-country ski trails). • The resort’s ski lifts can carry 45,555 skiers every hour.

• In case of a lack of snow, there are 353 artificial snow cannons which cover 35km of piste.

The mono careto

The literal meaning is ‘monkey face’ but the mono careto may be a magical monkey or a mystical fairy, depending on who is telling the story. The small, hairy creature is blamed for many of the ills that befall the local populace, including the ‘la malafolla granaina’, a bad mood that makes you snappy towards others. It has also been fingered for causing avalanches which have buried mountaineers, cutting climbers’ ropes and throwing rocks at visitors. The cheek critter is believed to have been created as a metaphor for how dangerous the mountains can be if you don’t treat them with respect.

The Devil’s Broom

Legend has it that there was once a wealthy lord who lived with his beautiful daughter in a remote castle in the Alpujarras, on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. The lord planned to marry his daughter off to a fellow landowner, and kept her hidden away from the world so she could not meet anyone else. But unknown to him, she had been sneaking out of the house at night and had already fallen for a local shepherd. When the lovers learned of her father’s plans, they decided

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STARS

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada is fast becoming a natural haven for Spain’s top snowboarders

FREESTYLE: Riders catch some air

GNARLY: Snowboards are well catered for at the Sierra Nevada

an astonishing 165 metres in length with a x metres, the special design flattens the snow on he half-pipe so boarders can jump on both sides. also find a place to carve their niche in the res to the gentle gradients of central station, Bor-

deposit snowboarders on a smooth and wellea where they can hone their skills. ssional snowboarders class Sierra Nevada as and a few shops specialise just in snowboarding. de South Star, where Jesus and his brother juggle n for the snow with running their own two shops. astic place for snowboarders, one of the best in t Europe,” explains Jesus. “It has grown loads t few years and we are always busy.”

to elope north through the treacherous, snowbound mountain passes, even if it meant their deaths. On his way to meet her, the shepherd bumped into the devil who offered him a broom to hide his tracks in the snow. Pursued by the rich lord, the couple fled until they reached the 3,371-metre peak of Mount Alcazaba, just a few metres short of the mighty Mulhacen (3,482m) But when they dropped the broom it began to sweep by itself, causing an avalanche and burying their pursuers. The story goes that the broom was left there forgotten, where it still sweeps, causing landslides to this day.

December 20th - January 9th 2020

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Jetting in! World champion Jet Skier David Selles has set up on the slopes

AVING whizzed around the world as a professional jet skier David Selles has slid onto the Sierra Nevada slopes with an exciting new business. The seven-times World Champion, from Benidorm, opened a ski shop and school in the heart of Pradol-

HOT SEAT: David with team and

lano last season. Be Snow is the culmination of a three-year search for the perfect way to make a living on the slopes. “Since buying a home nearby some years ago, I haven’t stopped looking,” Selles, 48, tells the Olive Press. And when decades-old ski shop Pascual Ski, in Plaza Andalucia, came up for sale he jumped at the option. Now half a year later he has finally opened with a stylish new urban look, with a few of the former staff and with tens of thousands of euros of brand new equipment. “We’ve got 650 new pairs of skis and 800 pairs of brand new boots,” he boasts. “It is the most important thing for anyone wanting to guarantee to have fun on the slopes. “Top class skis with fantastic edges and the most comfortable boots you can find. We can promise that.” It has been an exciting couple of de-

cades for the father-of-two, whose Brazilian wife, Alyne, often helps out in the shop. After growing up in Finistratt, near Benidorm, he took up the sport of jet-skiing and won his first world championship in Crete in 1997. He then competed around the world in countries as diverse as Japan, Canada, Alaska and Chile, before winning his final championship in Marbella in 2008. It was a pretty full on two decades and, technically, he was not allowed to ski during all the time as a professional. “Contractually my sponsors would not allow it, but - of course - I couldn’t resist and came quite a few times incognito,” admits the businessman, who first skied in Candanchu at the age of eight. “Now I couldn’t be happier. This is my passion, not a business. I get to ski every day and make a living at the same time,” he concludes.

Don’t boob this one

THRILL-SEEKERS: Get their kit off every year

A COLLECTION of Sierra Nevada’s bravest and silliest thrill seekers rush down the mountain in swimsuits for the last day of the season. Next year, the V Bajada Swim, will start at Borreguiles where participants hand in their clothes to take to the slopes into Pradollano where drinks and hedonism awaits. Budding nudists also get a discounted ski pass if they sign up to the official page. However, space is limited to 500 people and prizes are given to the best and most outrageous outfits.

LA CULTURA Century in the making +34 958 481 170 +34 675 470 669 www.alquileressierranevada.es

The history of Telemark - one of the Sierra Nevada’s oldest ski companies - has roots as far back as 1912 PROUD: Luis shows a off a photo of his grandfather ski-

THEY say a photo is worth a thousand words. And the picture of Luis Casanove’s grandfather 100 years ago is certainly no exception. Taking pride of place on the wall of his company Telemark’s office in the heart of the Sierra Nevada, the grainy black and white image shows him skiing in Spain, in 1912. In the hills of the Guadarra- PERSONAL ATTENTION: From Luis, while (right) he teaches children ma range, north of Madrid, he actually appears in faultless English. to be snowboarding at first glance. “And here we still offer Telemark as well “He is actually Telemark skiing, which was the as many other types of skiing classes.” original way, before Alpine skiing became more Be it hiking, Telemarking, cross country, fashionable later in the century,” explains Luis, snowboarding or off-piste skiing, there are not many inches of the Sierra Nevada that Luis and his business partner Jesus Fernandez don’t know. Going for three decades, they are well known for their famous off-piste mountain adventures that last from a morning to two days. But their school, set up in 1989, is now focusing very much on families and children. “We have realised that our knowledge and know-how is perfect for families who want the perfect personal one to one break,” continues Luis, who spends half the year in the resort and the other half in Africa. The company also runs amazing wilderness trips that literally end up in another world... the charming cobbled villages of the Genil valley, in the Alpujarras. These one or two-day adventures take you through deep off-piste snow onto narrow WANT to avoid all the chaos of queuing for skis mountain tracks. and kit on arrival in the resort? “We try to put an emphasis on ecology Why not take a short stop at Pascual Ski on the and nature and it is impressive to see the way up? typically old farmhouses in the area and Opposite the BP garage in the village of Cenes how little they have changed,” adds Luis. de la Vega, just off the main road, here you will “It is a real, fun adventure, something you find Jose Luis Pascual, 65, who has nearly 50 will not forget. years of working in the Sierra Nevada. “Best of all, a team of mules ends up helpHe has a great range of new skis and boots and ing to bring your stuff back to Pradollano,” all the tools to repair and prepare your own skis in advance of your arrival. he adds.The day trip costs just €100 per You can literally park right opposite the shop at person and includes transport and lunch. the petrol station. Another popular pastime for those who As well as speaking perfect English he has a don’t fancy risking life and limb on the big number of skiing instructors available to pistes, is to have a day of cross-country connect you to. skiing on two or three well established “I have always been one to look after the clipaths around the resort. ents,” explains Jose Luis, who did his military “It is great fitness and you do get to enservice at the age of 19 with the so called ‘lejoy the fabulous views and nature at the gion blanca’ in the Pyrenees. same time,” he adds. “We can do repairs that people might think are The company can also help organise hardimpossible and we take particularly care of the core uphill climbing for mountaineers to a boots we rent out.” half day soft snow walking trip with snow rackets. You can find it at Camino de la Vega, 23, Cenes Contact the team on telemark@telemark. de la Vega or call 958481048 or visit www.pases or call 958 48 11 53. cualski.com

Pascual perfect

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what’s on

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December 20th - January 9th 2020

WHERE TO EAT

introducing...

SHIMBUYA RESTAURANT

REBEL SUSHI AND MUSIC

tel: 958 88 55 06 Virgen de las Nieves, Edifico Bulgaria (local 7), Monachil

Après scoff

There are mountains of good places to eat in the Sierra Nevada, writes Jon Clarke

IN their matching outfits and sparkly tops, there is a real sense of fun at Ci Vediamo. But the real reason to visit is the wonderful creative food of chef Stevie Silva and his team of hip, young chefs. Now in his 11th year on the slopes, this talented young chef spends his summers in Asia or south America, with girlfriend Luna, picking up new dishes to test out on his faithful clients. The pair deserve all the success they have had, opening just as the worst recession in Spain’s history kicked in. Their excellent dishes this season include a ceviche of scallops in a bloody Mary sauce and an amazing false risotto with coco-

TOP TUCKER: Olive Press editor Jon enjoys Nevada Suiss, while (right) team at Ci Vediamo

nut milk, kimchi and prawns. Also look out for the amazing uzukuri of turbot with yuzu and an amazing soft crab tempura. But let’s not forget they also have some of the best pizzas in the resort and lots of more traditional dishes to boot, not to mention a great wine list. They also have a new Japanese inspired restaurant Shimbuya, halfway up the resort, that keeps getting better and better. Staying faithful to the Japanese style of minimalism, it has electric blue tiles on the wall and lots

of plain wood and even a slot machine at the door. I particularly liked their California Roll with a king prawn, salmon and sesame seeds. Next door, keep an eye out for the excellent local Swell next door, which is a cool place to hang out, grab a burger, salad or wok and watch the football. Close by is another recently-opened restaurant, La Cariguela, run by the team behind the most popular bar in town Bar Ski, set up by Nichi two decades ago. Here you will find Nichi’s partner Fatima running a classic soul kitchen concentrating on excel-

lent quality fish and the resort’s only Moroccan dishes, including a delicious chicken tagine. This is a classic local place, warm and friendly, where service is at a premium and where you will eat some of the resort’s best food, including my personal favourite the tartare of bluefin tuna with avocado, apple, cucumber and caviar. In particular, stop to chat to Fatima’s son Mohamed, who is a livewire of information and at 22 as ambitious as anyone I’ve met in the Sierra Nevada. In the heart of the resort, few places come more traditional than Tito Luigi, where at least

Michelin trained chef Esteban Silva produces classic Italian style dishes with a modern twist

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • Monday to Saturday • 12.00-16.00 & 20.00-24.00 Plaza Andalucía, Edf. Salvia s/n • Pradollano • Tel. 958 480 856 • civediamosn@gmail.com Find Us on Google Maps with 360° degree view

December 20th - January 9th 2020

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December 19th - January 8th 2020

FACES: At La Visera, Vertical and Tia Maria bar (below) Nichu shows off his skills at Bar Ski

KINGS OF PRADOLLANO: Javi and Luis at Tito Luigi, while (below) Fatima and Mohamed at La Cariguela two kings of Spain have eaten. Take a look on the walls and you’ll find evidence of the royal family’s many sojourns down to the golden slopes… and plenty more aside. Indeed, over the last three decades, this wonderful restaurant, run by pals Javier and Luis, has also provided dinner for bullfighters, Hollywood stars and politicians. And it’s perhaps no surprise for a joint that consistently provides for 250 covers every evening during the busy season. Specialising in good Italian fare, it serves up great pizzas, pasta dishes and my favourite squidink spaghetti with prawns. The pair have another, hipper restaurant Tito Tapas just up the road and a third more formal restaurant up the hill in the middle of the resort. Next door look out for the also well established La Muralla, run by Argentinian Gonzalo Funes, and appropriately with the best steaks in the resort, not to mention excellent wines by the glass. The melt-in-the-mouth carrillada is a must, as is the courgette carpaccio with fig sauce and the

FACES: At La Visera, Vertical and Tia Maria bar (below) Nichu shows off his skills at Bar Ski peanut tart to finish was a sure- lanueva, who grew up on the slopes, with his father opening fire winner. The ‘tostas’ are also great and one of the first hostals in the come in various guises, while I 1960s. The historic photos add to the atloved the milhoja of foie gras. He and his brother Luciano also mosphere (as does a framed Olrun the brand new Muralla ive Press article!) and the heartBurger, almost next door, which warming soul food is always excellent, and specialises in the includes stews, best quality burglentils as well as ers on the slopes. A cool crowd prawns wrapped It’s a lovely spot and you will in potato with and makes a a soya mayongreat addition to struggle to find naise and lovely what is easily the a seat on many lamb chops with most competitive whisker-thin wild run of restaudays asparagus. rants in the Sierra Looking for views, Nevada. the recentlyAnd don’t forget the brothers’ other bustling opened, Al Dente faces right spot Las Gondalas, right in the onto the slopes and has a suheart of the town and perfect for perb mix of Italian and Spanish some apres ski light bites, a hot dishes. My tomato, mozzarella bruschetdrink or a beer. The cool sounds playing to the ta with basil and black olives was terrace attract a cool crowd and original, while I particularly loved you will struggle to find a seat on the Saltimbocca, which is fillet steak stuffed with ham and with many days. Just up from here, look out for a rich ricotta sauce. the amazing Bodega Casa- There were some delicious ‘nisblanca run by Jose Carlos Vil- calo’ mushrooms added for ex-

tra measure. Owned by friendly Granada lawyer Antonio, his team are knowledgeable and service is crisp. He also co-owns the well established La Visera next door, along with chef Pepe, who is a very capable chef and always leading the charge in the kitchen. Another excellent place overlooking the slopes is Tia Maria, which has a good mix of dishes and is a great place for breakfast. Run by Carlos, the brother of Tito Luigi’s Javier, this is an institution and place to while away the day. Newer and really leading the charge food-wise is La Mar Sala, where Carlos has created an ambient spot, perfect for tapas and wines by the glass. This prime spot by the Melia hotel is normally filled to the rafters and counts on some excellent

wines by the glass and the very best seafood from Motril, including boquerones, cigalas and conchas finas. A genuine find. He has also just opened another place called La Mar del Bueno, which is a stylish place and promises to be a true winner this winter, with a decent, creative looking menu. For coffee, breakfast, and in fact just about everything, Vertical is hard to be beaten and also has a great range of snacks and

light bites, including hot dogs for the British clientele. Another brilliant option, particularly for great coffee and amazing pastries, is La Croissanteria, in the heart of the main square. Run by friendly Argentinians Cristian y Jessica, service is very much with a smile and there are even a couple of unusual south American chestnuts I had never tried before.

WHERE TO STAY

Snow dreams There are hundreds of places to stay in the Sierra Nevada, but only a handful are really reliable, writes Jon Clarke IT is hard to describe Pradollano as an authentic mountain village. But, with a metre of snow on the ground and the sun finally out, it certainly has its charms. There are lots of places to stay but easily one of the most charming has got to be the authentic Hotel Kenia Nevada, which is well located near the centre of town and open most of the year. Run by the friendly Don Pedro – who used to ski for the country as a youngster - it is clean, well run and serves up one of the best breakfasts in Spain. It also has a gym and spa, with an in-house masseur, and plenty of communal areas, filled with charming old furniture. You could also go upmarket and splurge on one of the two wonderful Melia hotels, right

in the heart of the resort. The rooms at the Melia Sierra Nevada have been recently renovated and the New Premium rooms have been built on floors 7 and 8. Meanwhile the nearby Meliá Sol y Nieve hotel offers The Level experience, which is the hotel group’s most exclusive commitment to luxury and personal service. Another good budget option is the GHM Monachil, which is well located right by the slopes and has had a massive upgrade over the last couple of years and continues with the rooms now. It has an excellent breakfast buffet and a big car park, which costs just €10 a day for guests. Another popular option is to rent an apartment in the resort, of which there are many.

Be careful, of all the many deals on the likes of airbnb and booking you could be in for a shock when you arrive, being stuck out in Babylon or find the place much smaller and dirtier than it initially looked in photos. A much better option is to trust the long-time local specialists, Sierra Nevada Alquileres, which has a massive 150 apartments on its books, which start from €80 euros a night and go up to well over €1,000 if you want something really exclusive. It even has some chalets to rent to boot. The company is always busy but its boss Antonio always has time for a chat if around and will always find you a good deal. Visit www. alquileressierranevada.es) for more information.

LA CULTURA

December 20th - January 9th 2020

Guiri gong By Joshua Parfitt

A BRITISH tourist, an American expat and a boat load of illegal migrants. These are the key ingredients for one of the hottest foreign films ever up for a Spanish film award. With its backdrop of barbecues,

English-language film, Foreigner, tipped to win prestigious Spanish film award fine wine and boat trips, it is the perfect setting for a classic summer sojourn. But Foreigner - filmed in Malaga and Cadiz - has been nominated for ‘best short film’ at this year’s

Save the cinema By Gillian Keller

ENDANGERED Palma cinema Cineciutat has started crowding funding from fans in a bid to keep its doors open in 2020. The old-school multiplex specialises in independent films, and screens almost every film in its original language – making it a favourite among the

city’s expats. Cineciutat was launched eight years ago when Palma’s original independent cinema, the Renoir, closed its doors. It took only three months for the neighbourhood to rally together so that Cineciutat could move into the site at s’Escorxador. To find out how you can help, visit: www.cineciutat.org

prestigious Goya awards. One of four films up for the gong, it seeks to unite the experiences of the characters, who come across a boatload of migrants in original circumstances. The shocking series of events slowly unravel as Mark (played by Josh Taylor) goes out with an old friend on his speedboat into the shimmering Med.

Danger

But a strong current sees Mark suddenly drift into mortal danger, until he is miraculously rescued by the anxious immigrants, who include pregnant women on board. The short film ends with an innovative scene shot from a beachgoers’ phone as the migrants sprint through sunbathers and into, as is often the case, newspaper headlines. It is a film that, according to director Carlos Violade, ‘makes us reflect on what it means to be a foreigner in a globalised world, where, paradoxically, more and more borders arise’. Foreigner has so far won ‘Best International Short Film’ in the prestigious Bogota film festival, as well as winning three awards at the Spanish annual Cortogenia short film festival. It will discover its fate in Malaga on January 25.

December 19th - January 8th 2020

what’s on Fancy nights BOOK a New Year’s Eve night with style at Palma’s Fulla D’Ostra, which offers bubbles, cocktails and a special tasting menu.

Southern soul GOSPEL music is bringing Christmas from the deep south to Palma with the Alabama Gospel Choir appearing at the Palma Auditorium, performing soulful Christmas hits. January 6.

NYE party PLAYA de Palma’s Bierkönig is throwing a New Year’s Eve bash starting at 5pm and raging until the early hours of January 1.

FUNDRAISING: The independent Palma cinema needs help

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20 December 20th - January 9th 2020

gly gin

GRAB your favourite holiday outfit at the OD Port Portals on December 20 for its ‘ugly Christmas sweater party’ at the delicious Burger meets Gin night.

hristmas roast

LOOKING for a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and no cooking? Head to Woodys Carvery in Calvia for a six-course menu on December 25.

Danger dish Government issues stark prawn warning that could leave bitter taste for seafood-lovers SPAIN’S Ministry of Health has warned against sucking the heads of prawns. The health body has sounded the alarm over high levels of cadmium (Cd) in the crustacean, a heavy metal associated with zinc, copper and lead ores. While it occurs naturally in the environment, human activity such as min-

ing and the burning of fossil fuels and waste has seen a spike in its presence. The metal can accumulate in the human body, mainly in the liver and kidneys, over a period of 10-30 years. After prolonged exposure, it can cause renal dysfunction and failure and in the long term, cancer.

a n g ove r brunch

ENJOY a ‘happy hangover’ at the Palma Boat House for the New Year’s Day Brunch with Champagne and live music from 11am on January 1.

estive fever

PALMA’S Beatnik Bar Purohotel hosts the Lux AW Club Christmas party on December 20, so be prepared to drink and dance the night away from 8pm onwards.

T’S beginning to smell a lot like Christmas, here in Spain, when the buttery aroma of mantecados warm from the oven wafts from bakeries and abuelas’ kitchen windows, filling the chill December streets with festive expectation. Sinful homebaked sweetmeats have been a guilty Christmas pleasure in these parts since Moorish times and every town, village, peña and brotherhood has its own traditional recipes – frequently jazzed up with a naughty nip of cider, sherry or aniseed liqueur. But who could have guessed that some of the nicest (and naughtiest) are produced behind convent walls by nuns! Some sisterhoods have been tempting mortals with their convent confections since the Middle Ages, guarding their recipes with the secrecy of the confessional. So it was with a fair degree of excitement that the Olive Press got to spend a morning baking with a group of group of nuns at the Convento San Francisco in Ronda… and the results were divine! Convent pastries - such as Huesos de Santo (Saints’ Bones), Trufas de Madre de Dios (Mother of God Truffles) and Corazones (Sacred Hearts) de Santa Clara - are often christened to reflect their saintly origins. And the nuns

LE CORDON Bleu in Madrid has included five Balearic students in its top 50 who will compete for a top haute cuisine award. The contestants for the Promises Award for haute cuisine have been chosen from 28 culinary schools from across Spain. Students will submit a

Top pupils five-minute video of them cooking a dish, which will be posted on Youtube. The top ten will be announced in February and they will compete in the capital in April in front of top chefs to win the Promises Award.

A taste of the divine Get thee to a Spanish nunnery for the best sister act in home-baking since Two Fat Ladies. Karethe Linaae gets an exclusive cookery lesson this Christmas

work their culinary alchemy with the humblest of ingredients. Augustine nuns at Sevilla’s Convento de San Leandro have been baking since the 16th Century and their most famous pastry, Yemas de San Leandro, contains only egg yolks, sugar and a few drops of lemon. They are among a heavenly host of artisan reposterias made in Andalucía’s convent kitchens. Carmelite, Cistercian and Franciscan are among the orders now busy at their devotions to produce seductive sweetmeats for Christmas. While initially selling to the surrounding communities, some convents now have websites, offer gluten-free alternatives, and

can ship anywhere in the world. Our local nuns in Ronda have also gained quite a reputation for their blessed dulces. We are led in to meet them in their wonderful authentic kitchen in the bowels of their wonderful home, just off the mountain town’s historic Plaza de San Francisco. We are soon watching ancient Sister Natividad cracking a sack of almonds on a tree trunk in the convent patio with a giant hammer. As December begins, the sisters can be found rolling dough around the clock, kneading their love, care and culinary traditions into every bite-sized treat. They are baking an incredible 35

It’s why the metal has been classed a category 1 carcinogen for humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Given its potential for accumulation in the liver and kidneys of animals, the highest levels occur in the edible offal of animals (Kidney, liver etc). High consumption levels are also found with shellfish, because in many cases the whole animal is consumed, including the viscera (liver, kidneys etc), where cadmium is concentrated. In the case of prawns, the majority of these organs are contained in its ‘head’, before the body. In products of plant origin, the highest levels are found in algae, cocoa, wild mushrooms and oilseeds.

Flaking a splash

A CEREAL bar to rival London’s Cereal Killer Cafe has launched in Palma. Retroflakes199X offers a trip down memory lane, with its vintage cereal stock including everything from Fruity Pebbles Apple Jacks to Lucky Charms. It also has coloured milk, aswell as gluten-free and vegan options. There are also cereals from across the globe. The nostalgia does not stop there either as there are plenty of ‘80s and ‘90s films and retro games, including Nintendo 64 and Donkey Kong. The shop even collects vintage cereal boxes, some unopened, such as limited edition Batman and Addams Family cereals. Retroflakes199X is on Carrer de Velázquez, with more than 20 types of cereals on offer from just €3.50

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Toll, 4 Steepest, 8 Handmade, 9 Tars, 10 Arid, 11 Pyjamas, 13 Able, 15 Inn, 16 When, 17 Attempt, 19 User, 21 C Eng, 23 Incident, 24 Unbeaten, 25 Yule.

Down: 2 Omaha, 3 Luddite, 4 Soar, 5 Everyone, 6 Pitta, 7 Surface, 12 Misprint, 14 Between, 16 Washday, 18 Eagle, 20 Renal, 21 Scan.

SUDOKU

What’s on for foodies!

PROCESS: A patient nun watches her mantecados bake in the oven kilos of mantecados – meaning a few thousand cookies – by hand in a single day! Originating in Antequera and brought to fame in the tiny town of Estepa, mantecados have gone nationwide to become synonymous with a Spanish Christmas. What’s the secret? Could it be the generous amount of lard? In their industrial-sized 19thcentury kitchen, the sisters chat softly as they fill tray after tray with neat round dough balls which one of the novices will top with sesame seeds. After baking, each mantecado is individually wrapped in a silk paper with the convent’s seal. “Working and praying is our life”, Sor Isabel tells me. Madre Nieves, the Abbess, adds touchingly: “With all the bitterness in the world, we pray that

our treats will sweeten the lives of those who eat them”. When I ask them where they keep their recipes, they look down at their busy hands, pretending not to hear. Each convent has its own specialties and the recipes are sacrosanct. What I can disclose is that no pastry is made with more than a handful of ingredients and contains no preservatives or artificial flavourings; just ground almonds or wheat flour, butter or lard, cider or sugar and a touch or cinnamon, lemon peel or orange zest. Most ingredients are grown locally, some in the monastic gardens. Some closed convents still sell their confections clandestinely through a revolving Lazy Susan embedded in the wall so as not to show their faces, but our nuns

now sell them from their little store, albeit still behind bars. People here say that the nun’s reposterias taste of home cooking, old village kitchens and a bit of heaven. Thanks to the income from their baking, the sisters can continue their simple lives and maintain their convent. By purchasing their artisan pastries, you are not only sharing in a best-kept Spanish gastronomic secret but also keeping alive an important part of the country’s culture. And when you get to eat them believe me - heaven can wait! The convent in Barrio de San Francisco is open for purchases from 10.00 to 18.00. Tel: 952872177

December 20th - January 9th 2020

Creating festive magic!

HOME GROWN: Decorations made from cuttings from the garden and nearby hedgerows

When it comes to Christmas traditions, it’s the simple pleasures that mean so much. Just take a look in the nearby hills, writes Gabriella Chidgey

HRISTMAS is coming and my heart sinks just a little. This is the first year that both my children are Santa sceptics, and with Father Christmas out of the picture, where does the magic and ritual come from? I shall miss the hanging of the stockings and the letters I answered as if from the head elf. I shall miss being woken up at 5am with squeals of excitement, hard as it may seem. Despite being at a Catholic school in Ronda they are nonbelievers so church rituals won’t fill the gap. Since our families live in the UK, it won’t be about a big family get-together, nor about sending cards since I never make it to the post office between the opening times of 11.45 and 14.30. This Christmas I am instead concentrating my resources on the feasting and decorating part. And, in the current tradition of eco-consciousness I am

In the villages around Spain, the women traditionally infuse anis with herbs and spices at Christmas. In many homes you will see a bottle with small glasses on a tray with ‘rosquillos’; homemade donuts with orange lemon and cinnamon flavoring alongside them. Coincidentally, the anis from my village of Arriate has been trademarked ‘Mistela’, its local name and can be bought around the region

being as organic as possible. In times gone by, I have designed, bought, created, cooked, decorated and directed the entire production for family and friends. Yes, I wanted to fulfil expectations, and I completely exhausted myself. This year, I want to do Christmas, but I want to do it with grace and ease, and I want to enjoy it. But how is this possible? In Spain everything begins on December 8 - the ‘puente’ bank holiday - which celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

This is the day when families traditionally put up their decorations. And until only a few years ago, this ritual would be unpacking the boxes of small figurines to compose the nativity scene. Meanwhile, moss would be collected from nearby woods to simulate the ground and often mountains, rivers and extended villages created around the manger. Now, however, the northern tradition of the Christmas tree has been adopted by many Spanish families and garden centres are filled with pine trees sold in their thousands.

DID YOU KNOW?

The British Puritans banned Christmas in 1647, both for its Pagan decorations as well as its ‘debauched’ festivities. Leader Oliver Cromwell removed the public holiday of December 25 since it was not a named day in the bible. The public was not amused. Violent disturbances ensued with the worst taking place in Canterbury and the repercussions of the rioting leading eventually to a rebellion and a second civil war.

my wintery interior. Outside, the saturated blue sky and evergreen landscape of holm oak, olive and pines around our Ronda valley is dappled with the golden leaves My British roots mean that I am glass decorations, most have of poplar, acacia and mulberry. firmly established in the tree been bought locally in Ronda, It is a wonderful time to be tradition, and the boxes we but certainly not made there, or outside and I feel enormously ritually unpack are full of lights, indeed anywhere vaguely local. grateful for a winter as colourbaubles, stars and angels. As my mother took back the ful as this. Finding these boxes rather de- figurines she had from her own I am also glad I have set mypleted this year - following a childhood and my children re- self the task of collecting and vicious cull of all half-working fused to hang any apples and making some decorations inlights in a rather puritannical walnuts from our garden, a box stead of heading for the nearpost-festivity purge last year - I of unbreakable mass-produced est shop, particularly when it wondered how I might replen- red, shiny and glittery baubles means walking in these surish stocks. were added to the Aldi trolley. roundings. Luckily I still had a few strings I did however go out in search Once back inside, I put the of lights, which are the cen- of evergreen leaves and berries mountain of foliage and fruit tral decorative element to this in the knowledge that my quest into all the jugs, vases and any winter solstice celebration that to beautify my home was as other appropriate receptacles I signifies the return of light and much a Pagan tradition of ven- can find. warmth after the darkest days erating tree spirits as it was a I then mixed roses with roseare over. wider celebration of the winter mary and olive tendrils, while The rest of the decoration is solstice. bay branches largely inspired by the Paradise It also serves were paired with tree, a fir tree hung with apples the practical olive branches Pine cuttings that represented the Garden of purpose of using and berries Eden. A 16th century German the suckers and turned out to be Pine cuttings tradition that became a Chris- new shoots that turned out to be tian ritual and slowly spread proliferate on my, very malleable very malleable across Europe and America. as yet, unpruned were great and were great and Redemptive wafers are trans- trees. for wreaths and formed into the current predi- Pleased that my circular tree orfor wreaths lection for cookies, and apples, husband has naments. They nuts and berries are now bau- bought new seare easily fashbles. cateurs, I easily ioned without Tree decorations became a gathered armfuls of bay, olive, any wire or string. globalized commercial venture rosemary and cypress tree With time, I can see how you after about 1840, following the branches. could make rather lovely tree popularisation of the tradition I returned for the last of the decorations and next year I will by Queen Victoria. red roses and filled a few bas- give it a go. Fashionable Americans fol- kets with quinces (which grow Originally these circular decolowed suit and today the total in abundance), persimmons, rations symbolized the Holy revenue in the US alone is esti- oranges and a few remaining Trinity with its triangular shape. mated at 26 billion dollars. pomegranates. Wreaths meanwhile, were Although I do have a couple The fiery life-giving colours of made from larger branches of very beautiful hand blown these fruits really warmed up and by the 19th century had become the symbol of advent. Currently, making wreaths seems all the rage, looking on my Instagram feed. There are even workshops in the UK you can attend, which is a great way to spend a day with other people; getting into the Christmas spirit without just imbibing it. The historian Ace Collins wrote that ‘The wreath was born out of not throwing things away’ and I don’t want to throw away my seasonal cheer and love on the quest for a perfect Christmas. I started out feeling resentful about the advent of Christmas, but I now I feel inspired. I want to create a verdant, nature-filled home. I want to set aside time to go for a walk with my husband and gather more foliage. In the future, I would like to set aside time to make cookies and natural decorations with my children, friends and strangers. I want to create a ritual out of this and I would like it to feel companionable, A winter tip is quinces which can be found all around inland undemanding and unhurried. Spain. They are wonderful to scent a room and the Victori- And, of course, may this fuans used to keep them in the linen cupboards to perfume the ture also be resplendent with sheets. They are also delicious poached in a syrup with cinna- twinkly lights and hundreds of spice scented candles. mon, star of anis, cloves , lemon and maple syrup.

Winter tip

December 20th - January 9th 2020

Top hotels A DOZEN hotels in the Balearics have been ranked in the top 100 in the world at the TUI Holly Awards. For 25 years the German tour operator has recognised excellence in hotel management, attention to customers, service and dining.

Two getaways in Menorca made the list: Hotel Santo Tomas and Bungalows Mar Blau. The ten making the list in Mallorca include Hotel Es Port in the Port de Soller, Calvia’s Don Antonio, Hotel Leman in Palma and Hotel Capricho in Cala Ratjada.

AWARD-WINNING: Palma’s Hotel Leman YOUNG people in the Balearic Islands are forced to spend an impossible 123% of their wages on renting, it has emerged. The Youth Council of Spain has prepared the Emancipation Observatory, a study explaining growing trends and economic changes. It found that the average yearly wage in the Balearics is €11,000 for 16 to 29-year-olds. The growing cost of housing in the region means young people cannot afford to leave

PROPERTY

Party’s over

AIRBNB has plotted a crackdown on house parties in Mallorca’s residential areas. The rental giant has announced ‘one of the most important innovations in the company’s history’ as they build trust between communities and itself. Landlords are to be held responsible for wild and loud parties, and the harassment of neighbours, under the new plans. Homeowners will be required to update ‘house rules’ to comply with new Airbnb’s policies. Some landlords are willing to ‘take the hit’ for noise complaints and uncivil behaviour – some even advertise their properties as ‘perfect for parties’. Once the new rules come into force in the new year, landlords with multiple complaints will have their accounts shut down. Airbnb has also pledged greater contact with local police forces.

Homegrown their family home. Just over 20% of young adults under the age of 30 have moved out of their parents’ homes in the Balearics. Young people would need to spend on average 91.8% of their salary on a mortgage.

By Amanda Butler

Keys Isl nd to the

Back to business

Amanda Butler’s Christmas has come early, with the election of Boris Johnon helping Mallorca’s property market get moving again

SO my prediction of Boris tion ahead, with parliament’s being voted in came true, first task being to agree the albeit the landslide victory withdrawal agreement bill beunforeseen! Since it was fore January 31. proved that Jeremy Corbyn With a large Conservative was not a realistic choice for majority, there will be no isthe electorate – something sue with this. The next cliffso many people have felt for hanger will be when all the 27 remaining EU years and was states are refurther exacquired to agree erbated by his Whichever way to Johnson’s fe n c e - s i t t i n g policy on leav- one slices it our new trade deal. In addition, ing the Euroroller coaster an agreement pean Union – I seguess Boris re- ride is not quite regarding curity and law ally was the enforcement best outcome over needs to be with at least passed and if one decision it’s still a ‘no deal’ by the end being firm. It’s now time to definitely of June, then the UK faces the make that jump. It removes prospect of leaving without uncertainty, which almost one at the end of December every market hates (includ- 2020. ing property) and 2020 will Whichever way one slices it, now be the year that Britain our roller coaster ride is not quite over with uncertainty – leaves the EU, like it or not! In Churchillian terminology, albeit it lessened – continuthis is perhaps only the end ing for the foreseeable future. of the beginning and there is This being the case, I doubt now a great deal of negotia- we’ll see any significant

change in real estate activity from the British market next year.

Real estate market

It’s mid-December and the Christmas festivities are now in full flow. It’s rarely a busy time of year for the property market in Mallorca, with most buyers and sellers more interested in family holiday organisation, focusing on winding down business activities with the end of the year in sight. It’s been a proverbial roller coaster ride for me this year (representing predominantly British buyers), but the year is not quite at an end... For those following my Olive Press articles, you will know I have a very special property at present in Old Bendinat. I wrote in the last issue about some strong interest being shown, and working as the Exclusive Sellers Agent in this instance, I am very pleased it doesn’t rely solely on the British market. So I am happy to say that the end of the year looks positive, with the negotiation in progress as I write. We’re not there quite yet, but close. With fingers crossed, 2020 will be starting on a very positive note.

Festivities

DOG: The UK PM has accelerated Britain’s EU withdrawal

Until then, I would like to wish all our Olive Press readers a very Happy Christmas. May it be full of fun, laughter and happy times. Please do spare a thought for those less fortunate without family or close ones, or those who can’t afford the luxuries of a celebratory Christmas spread. There are many charities here on the island supplying presents and meals for the less fortunate, so please think about a small donation. Organisations helping the disadvantaged – particularly children – include the JoyRon Foundation and you can still buy a beautiful Diversity of Mallorca Calendar (designed by your own Olive Press property correspondent! ) at www.joyronfoundation.org for any friends and family you have forgotten about. Or spare a few euros and donate to the Radio One Mallorca Christmas appeal or Age Concern Mallorca. Bringing it closer to home, perhaps spare a thought for your little old neighbour who rarely gets any visitors, as even a little box of chocolates or an invitation for a coffee or a glass of wine over this festive, but potentially lonely holiday season, will help make someone’s Christmas a much brighter one.

COLUMNISTS

December 20th - January 9th 2020

ACCIDENT REPORT FORMS How The Bloody IF YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT Cats Stole Christmas GetTING ConnectED By Loraine Gostling

A goodwill adoption of two cats turns sour for Javea Connect admin Loraine Gostling as the creatures terrorise her Christmas decorations So this is Christmas, and what have I done? The truth is... not much. You see, something dreadful happened to us that stopped me getting in my elf outfit on November 30, ordering Alexa to play Christmas tunes (with a strict ban on Mariah Carey, as she really grinds my gears) and starting work on the seasonal decorations. Yes, this year we’ve acquired cats. And the two furballs have put paid to the Gostling Christmas twinklies. The new additions to the family – namely Draco Meowffoy and Muggle – were unwanted by their previous owner and ended up at APAC Protectora de Caballos in La Xara. Now, the M&M brothers are not your usual unwanted moggies: they were spoiled rulers of their previous kingdom, fed on caviar, sleeping on sheepskin rugs, peeing in that posh kitty-litter with the sparkly bits and

wearing diamond collars. Hell, they even had their masculine bits replaced with artificial testicles known as ‘neuticles’ – or sili-balls as we call them – so they still looked like Lion Kings from the rear! But feline fate stepped in and they soon found themselves living in the APAC stable (a little like that other famous Christmas Dude). Being cats, they are sly little buggers, and learned to act like that cunning pussy in Shrek with the big eyes, and they flung themselves around my daughter’s neck, purring and mewing and BANG... next thing I knew, we had adopted two fiends destined to ruin my season of goodwill for years to come! My normal three, fully -adorned, twinkling trees have been replaced by a stupid little artificial model that has to be hidden in a moggie-proof cabinet. Oh, the shame! But, as always, I digress! So as 2019

comes to a close, let me quickly brief you on the sagas and cliffhangers of this Getting Connected column: KFC Ondara is now open and STILL causing finger-wagging discussions on Javea Connect; Tortie the missing randy tortoise from Jalon has still not been found; the swingers discussion lasted for over three weeks and is still being followed (for a friend obviously); I have not been back to the airport to see if I can master the sauce level of the Burger King one-arm bandit; and, as far as I am aware, there is still no cure for stupid.So folks, ‘Javeaselves A Very Merry Christmas’!

We hope you never need to complete an accident report form, but should it be required, here are the steps to follow. Try to keep calm, never admit blame and collect as much information as possible. STEP 1.

Using the accident report form, take down the name, address and mobile phone number of all the drivers involved in the accident along with their car make, model, registration, colour and insurance details

happened. Take photos and video footage of the scene. STEP 4. It’s important that all parties involved sign the completed accident report form. Below is an example of how an accident report form should be completed.

STEP 2. Request names, addresses and mobile phone numbers of any witnesses to the accident, and add them to the report form. Our breakdown assistance covers motorbikes, scooters, mopeds and all types of powered two wheelers. Wherever your two wheels take you, Línea Directa has you covered. STEP 3. Collect evidence noting the direction that the cars were travelling, the car’s condition and how many passengers. Write down the sequence of events by sketching out what

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

Elegant sea view villa in Old Bendinat for sale. 7 Beds

5 Baths 620 m² - Constructed 1600 m²- Plot Pool €7.7m Ref: 19021

Luxury Mallorcan villa situated in Old Bendinat, one of the most prestigious residential areas of Mallorca. Boasting beautiful sea views from all living areas, this classical style property is beautifully presented with bright south-facing rooms and oak parquet throughout. Distributed over 3 floors, double lounge and dining room, 7 spacious bedrooms, master with walk-in wardrobes and private terrace. Nicely landscaped gardens, al fresco dining and delightful sea views over the pool. Just 10 minutes to Palma.

Contact Amanda J Butler your one stop property advisor in Mallorca email: ajb@mjcassociates.net or tel: (+34) 690 075 169

Costa del sport MALAGA has been named European Capital of Sport for 2020, following Budapest, which previously held the title.

FINAL WORDS

Odd job SPANISH classified ad website Milanuncios has been pressured into dropping a job offer that promised extra bonuses for a ‘sexy housekeeper’.

Get a room AHEAD of one of the most passionate El Clasicos in recent memory, a graffiti work, featuring Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique snogging, has gone viral.

OLIVE PRESS MALLORCA

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Vol. 3 Issue 70 www.theolivepress.es December 20th - January 9th 2020

A SHOCKING video has captured the moment a dopey lorry driver rammed a car sideways down a motorway for 2km. The scary footage shows a female driver in a damaged Nissan Micra being pushed around by the trucker who had no idea there was a vehicle in front of him. When the Spanish driver was finally stopped by dozens of

TRAINS will run throughout the night this New Year’s Eve, allowing penny pinching revellers to travel back from their festivities with style in 2020.

(due to awkward festive deadlines)

We use recycled paper

Oblivious lorry driver ‘T-bones’ motorist down Costa del Sol road for miles without stopping

fellow drivers on a dangerous bend in Mijas he revealed he had ‘no idea’ she was there. “I didn’t see her, where was she?,” he can be heard saying in Spanish, “I thought I had a puncture.” The terrified woman, called Ana, believed to be from Swe-

Bah humbug! SWEET-toothed expats’ vintage tuck shop favourites have been revealed. Sales of confectionary from yesteryear have risen by 40%, according to Waitrose. The British supermarket partnered with the British Corner Shop, in 2016, a firm shipping sweets to Brits overseas who are in need of a sugar rush. Jelly babies are the company’s most popular nostalgic treats, making up 25% of all orders. They are followed by mint humbugs, wine gums, rhubarb and custards, butter mintoes and liquorice allsorts.

den, adds: “I was in the right lane, he was pushing me for miles.” Local English chef Steven Saunders shot the video, coming off the A-7 at La Cala de Mijas. He revealed: “Oh my god, she is lucky to be alive!.” The Nissan sustained body damage, as well as a flat tyre and a broken wing mirror in the incident Police later breathalysed the driver, who is believed to have passed a test. The Spanish-plated truck appears to be from haulage company, Palletways.

festive delight A MAN with Down syndrome has been chosen to play one of the three kings in Spain’s traditional Christmas parade. Known as ‘Antonio’, the 30-year-old takes on the role of King Melchor, who visited baby Jesus with the other kings Caspar and Balthazar. ‘King Antonio’, as he is now known, was reportedly ‘overcome with emotion’ when he was told of his new role by Churriana Town Hall.

952 147 834 v a l i d

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January 9th

Round the bend!

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