Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 344

OLIVE PRESS

The

A pot of bother

Andalucía

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Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 344 www.theolivepress.es May 27th - June 9th 2020

Pic: Allan Binderup

Spaniards boiled over with anger, banging pots and pans, and blocking roads across Spain in protest at Government’s COVID-19 response at the weekend Full story on Page 6/7

ETA terrorist behind Page 9 Killing Eve

The Costa del Sol’s Nazi shame Page 10

NOT FINE EXCLUSIVE

By Giles Brown

A PAIR of female expats have appealed to their town halls over intimidation and overreaction by their local police forces during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The British duo are demanding action over extortionate fines, as well as ‘rough treatment’, they received for breaking the coronavirus lockdown.

Natalie Rose Kern, 37, from London, is furious she was fined €1,000 for ‘walking too slowly’ back from her local bank in Estepona.

The mother-of-one told the Olive Press she had also been shouted at and questioned why she did not have a car.

"They said they were fining me €1,000 – despite having a bank receipt to show them," she insisted.

“But the fine was nothing compared to the intimidation. They took my handbag and went through it, questioning me about its contents.

“They were really shouting at me and frightened and humiliated me."

Female expats slam police for ridiculous sanctions, as it emerges Spain has issued over ONE million fines for breaking the lockdown In particular, the officers wanted to know why the freelance writer had not driven to the bank, failing to believe that she did not drive.

"They told me that I was paseando – walking too slowly. 'This is NOT how you walk to the bank,’ they told me, ‘You are showing no urgency’."

In another alarming incident, an Olive Press reader was stopped after chatting to a friend, while walking her dog, in the countryside near her home.

Istan resident Corran Fraser, 36, was then marched back to her apartment and given a €650 fine by officers not wearing masks.

“I was walking my dog and chatting to a woman that I had bumped into.

I live alone and if I see someone it's nice to interact,” she explained.

“I think there was a five-metre gap

between us, but the police said that I was walking with someone and denounced me. It was completely untrue and unfair.”

To make matters worse, the officers then followed the shaken expat to her house where they took her details and issued the fine.

At no time, she says, were the police wearing masks or gloves.

Another expat, who preferred to remain anonymous, also had an encounter with the same Istan force when he borrowed a friend's car.

He said: "I had just got home when a patrol car roared around the corner. They hadn't recognised the car that I was driving and thought that it was someone breaking the restrictions.

“Even though I know the officers they informed me that I ‘wasn't allowed to drive a car that wasn't THE SKY mine’ and that I DOCTOR wouldn't be allowed ALL AREAS COVERED to leave my house in it.

“They also wanted to 4G UNLIMITED know exactly how I had picked up the car, INTERNET checking if I had broken IDEAL FOR any social distancing STREAMING TV rules.”

ALSO IPTV, Natalie and Corran have SATELLITE TV since received replies from their local mayors tel: (0034) 952 763 840 advising them to appeal. info@theskydoctor.com Istan mayor, Diego www.theskydoctor.com Marin Ayllon, sym-

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ANGRY: Kern and (inset) Fraser both fined in lockdown pathised with Corran, and while explaining he had no influence admitted: “The powers given to the police are affecting each person differently.”

A Facebook group, ‘Covid 19 Injustice Costa del Sol’, has since been set up, with many women sharing similar stories.

Spanish police have issued a staggering ONE million plus fines during the lockdown, over 100 times the UK and three times almost every other European country.

That’s a fine mess, Page 6 Opinion Page 6

2

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NEWS IN BRIEF Bra stash TWO women have been arrested in Estepona for hiding marihuana, cocaine and heroin in their face masks and bras after police stopped their car at a checkpoint and conducted a search.

Terror raids POLICE have arrested two suspected terrorists in Ciudad Real who were planning to set up a jihadist cell through internet forums, just a few days after they detained an alleged would be ‘lone wolf’ attacker in Barcelona.

Hot on his heels British fugitive who escaped from a UK court tracked down by cops to a rural bolthole A FLEET-FOOTED criminal who bolted from a UK court has been arrested in Spain, the Olive Press can exclusively reveal.

Louis Robinson, 25, jumped the docks of Manchester Crown Court back in 2014 just moments after the judge handed him 12 months for attempted burglary and aggravated vehicle taking.

Robinson had pinched scrap metal from a skip outside Harpurhey Shopping Centre,

EXCLUSIVE

by Joshua Parfitt in Puerto Lumbreras

before crashing a stolen vehicle, aged just 19.

The wanted man nearly escaped justice again when, in April this year, he escaped Spain’s Guardia Civil by climbing over rooftops from his home in Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia.

A spokesperson for the Guar-

Brit nabbed Pair snared for A BRITISH fugitive wanted on suspicion of conspiring to murder two men has been arrested in Barcelona.

National Police arrested Jamie Rothwell, 33, from Manchester, at an apartment block on Sunday morning.

A European Arrest Warrant had been issued against him in October 2019 for allegedly conspiring to murder two men.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) liaison officers in Spain traced Rothwell, passing the information on to Spanish police.

Rothwell appeared in a Spanish court on Monday and was remanded in custody while waiting for an extradition hearing.

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Brit’s slaying

AN expat in Murcia has been snared in connection with the shooting of a British businessman on the Costa del Sol. The man, based in Murcia, has been charged with the death of Peter Williamson, 39, from Manchester, who was killed outside his Mijas home last November.

The gunman and an accomplice picked up in the UK had been lying in wait to ambush him as he pulled up in his English plated Audi after going to the gym.

He had been shot seven times, with one bullet entering his heart. Williamson (above)had a history of drug trafficking and was allegedly linked to a smoking club in Fuengirola that was the subject of police interest for the alleged sale of hashish and marihuana. He was also being investigated for his alleged involvement in a plot to send cannabis packages via courier services.

SINGLE IMPLANT

PICKED UP: Gun-loving Robinson and wanted pic dia Civil in Murcia told the Olive Press he had acquired residency using a false name with the initials LWJ. Armed police later tracked Robinson down to another hideout in Albox, Almeria, from where agents cuffed him and sent him to Madrid for extradition on April 27.

A spokesperson for Madrid’s High Courts of Justice confirmed Robinson had ‘accepted’ extradition back to the UK and is awaiting transfer.

Robinson was described as ‘extremely violent’ and ‘armed’ by police who were acting on a European Arrest Warrant.

In 2018, UK police had sent out an appeal describing him as a ‘prolific offender with a history of robbery and burglary offences’ who ‘knew’ police were after him and actively ‘evaded’ capture.

Neighbours of Robinson’s bolthole in Llano del Espino said they had ‘no idea’ a fu-

IMPLANT BRIDGE

gitive was hiding out in their tiny hamlet, 15 minutes north of Albox.

“Suddenly the Guardia Civil turned up with guns and binoculars to stake him out from the other side of the valley,” one neighbour, who asked to remain nameless, told the Olive Press.

“We had no idea a wanted criminal was living out here.”

Another neighbour said she had ‘never laid eyes on him’ and was ‘shocked’ when the Guardia Civil turned up outside her house.

A local Guardia Civil source said Robinson’s trail had been picked up during a random police road block for the coronavirus state of alarm.

He is currently awaiting an extradition hearing in Madrid.

Did you know Robinson?

Or seen him around?

Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Bar battle arrest A BRITISH ‘cocaine dealer’ has been arrested after a brutal pitched battle at a Costa del Sol bar.

Zathon Dale Williams - who is wanted in the UK for various other crimes - was held for his alleged role in the knife fight at Steve’s Bar, in Mijas.

Six Brits were cuffed at the British-owned watering hole, in Torrenueva, following the violence, which took place on the first day after lockdown.

Over a dozen people were involved in the fight that left one man with his ‘guts hanging out’.

Williams, 28, is wanted in the West Midlands for drug offences.

The other five Brits arrested are believed to be aged between 25 and 40 and were all released on charges.

Gangland returns

A YOUNG Brit was facing emergency surgery after being shot in the legs four times this week.

The 27-year-old was admitted to Costa del Sol hospital where he is believed to be in a stable but serious condition.

The Brit was driven to the hospital in the early hours of the morning by a friend who told doctors he had been shot in both of his lower limbs.

IMPLANT DENTURE

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es THE carer of Spain-based snooker legend Willie Thorne (pictured left) has made a plea for help as the sportsman hits rock bottom in a new medical crisis.

Thorne, 66, has developed sepsis following chemotherapy treatment for a leukemia diagnosis he received in March from Torrevieja’s Hospital Universitario, on the Costa Blanca.

“Willie can’t feed himself or put a drink to his own mouth,” his carer told his GoFundMe fundraiser.

She is hoping to raise €30,000 to help Brit Willie through his medical battle – longtime friend and fellow Leicester sportsman Gary Lineker has donated €1,000 already.

But the GoFundMe also asks for lifts to and from the hospital, a translator to help Willie navigate his diagnoses, or just a

Read between the lines IT is the stunning beachside home that has left millions cooing about the beauty of Ibiza during the lockdown.

The sumptuous abode appears regularly in Netflix hit drama White Lines, about a DJ from Manchester who gets mixed up in drug-dealing on the Balearic gem.

Except the multi-million hideout is not on the White Isle at all… it’s in Mallorca.

Sitting in exclusive Cala d’Or on the south of the island, the four bedroom villa is actually named Can Pirata.

Owned by a wealthy Catalan woman, who lives between Madrid and Barcelona, it

‘warm meal’ to his rented flat in Alicante.

It comes after the former world no.7 declared himself bankrupt in 2015 after racking up £1 million in gambling debts. He also beat prostate cancer that same year.

His carer wrote: “Willie’s life is no secret.. He is on his own and he makes his money through appearances, which have, for obvious reasons, had to stop.

“He isn’t entitled to any relief over here, and won’t receive any available funds in England.

“This GoFundMe request is not just a request for money, but a request for help of any information, contacts, and whatever else under these circumstances.”

RISING STARS: Zoe (Laura Haddock) and (left) Axel (Tom Rhys)

STARRING ROLE: Villa home of DJ Marcus (left) is a TV hit boasts jaw-dropping views and has direct access to the sea.

Renting on Airbnb from around €1,200 a night, it also counts on expansive gardens, an outdoor pool and now, the real bragging rights factor.

Unsurprisingly, estate agent Montse Serradell from La Calma Rental Homes, who manages the property, has been inundated with requests to rent this summer.

“The interest has been huge since the White Lines crew reserved Can Pirata for 20 days in May and June for filming last year,” Serradell told the Olive Press.

The show is one of the most popular crime series of the year so far.

Penned by Alex Pina, the creator of the highly successful Money Heist, the story revolves around Zoe, as she attempts to find out what happened to her murdered

brother whose body has just been found dumped on the mainland in Almeria.

Offering a heavy dose of sun and sand in a world of hedonism, drugs and corruption, the 10-part thriller takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride leaving many pining for a holiday on the beautiful island.

Yet the vast majority was filmed in Mallorca and features the infamous Restaurante Illeta in Andratx, the Son Oliver villa in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, Tito’s nightclub, in Palma, as well as Michael Douglas' Valldemossa S'Estaca estate where a raucous orgy takes place in the first episode.

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May 27th - June 9th 2020

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RICH: Grosvenor and girlfriend Harriet

Hugh goes huge!

A MASSIVE Andalucian estate and a few blocks of central Madrid have helped to catapult the young Duke of Westminster into Britain’s wealthiest top 10.

Property mogul Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, has edged his way up the Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to the COVID crisis.

The latest edition of this annual wealth parade values the world’s richest 29-year-old at €11.57 billion.

It puts him at the 10th richest person on the 2020 list, having been 14th last year.

It comes after the Olive Press revealed that the Grosvenor Group has ploughed more than €300 million into Madrid, over the last few years, while the Duke himself owns the sprawling La Garganta hunting estate in Andalucia.

He and his family already own more land in Britain than Elizabeth II – 0.22% compared to the Queen’s meagre 0.03%.

Unlike many Rich-Listers this year, the group has increased its wealth amid the pandemic.

PROPERTY: Madrid block and Andalucian estate

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The Media Group on the move!

Office wizard some g for a sorcerer to weave The Olive Press is lookin expand again into new regions. we magic in its head office as ceful and become the glue in the young

our You’ll be energetic and res Personable and bi-lingual you will have a and rapidly expanding team.sociable and naturally computer literate. good phone manner, be

Graphic designers

The Olive Press also needs reliable, quick and talented graphic designers for its office in Sabinillas.

You’ll have a great eye for detail, plenty of job experience and a good record for turning up on time and working to deadlines

Sales executives We also need commercial sales agents in the following areas: Malaga, Sevilla, Almeria, Murcia, Catalunya, Canaries and Portugal. Great rates of pay for those with the right proven skills

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LAST, but definitely not least.. we also need wordsmiths too... can you turn a phrase and/or turn up on a doorstep on time?

We are looking for qualified, hard-working hacks and writers around the whole of Spain

If you think you have what it takes to help the Olive Press expand to the next level, please get in touch at accounts@ theolivepress.es at the first instance, sending your CV and a covering letter. These jobs could be part time or full time and will suit either man or woman of any age or colour

THE fire which erupted at a popular costa pool club was deliberate, police believe.

The flames erupted at the Nao Pool Club at around 2am the day before it was set to open for the summer season.

Police believe the attack

Sabotage

was an attempt to sabotage the re-launch of the upmarket venue, owned by the son of well-known Marbella businesswoman Olivia Valere.

Nao, based in Nueva An-

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Battle stations!

dalucia, still managed to open its doors at 2pm after the fire failed to cause significant damage.

The team actually managed to fulfil its reservations for that day while implementing social distancing measures.

Suicide risk A TOP psychologist has warned of an increase in suicide due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miguel Guerrero, who heads the Suicide Prevention Programme, in Malaga, said there must be a plan in place to prevent such an increase or to keep it as low as possible.

Guerrero insists that a study will need to be carried out to determine if there has already been an

Socio-economic fallout from COVID-19 may see spike in people taking their own lives, warns expert increase in people taking their own lives.

But he predicted the risks will actually increase at a later date.

“An increase in suicidal behaviour is likely,” he said, “not now, not immediately due to the

Tragic end

A BODY of a 38-year-old man has been found inside a car in Mijas.

The corpse was discovered by a resident in the El Coto urbanisation on Saturday.

The neighbour approached the vehicle after having seen the body in the same position in the car some hours earlier.

Policia Local were first to arrive at the scene, followed by the Guardia Civil, which has now launched an investigation.

The body will now undergo an autopsy in Malaga, but sources say there have been no signs of violence found.

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

lockdown, but following the social, economic and health consequences of the pandemic.”

The expert called on health workers to be alert in looking for suicidal behaviour in the most at risk groups, particularly the elderly who are alone, people with illnesses or patients who have been left unemployed.

He also appealed to the public to show solidarity with one another during this difficult time.

“Social support and cohesion are protective factors,” he said.

To anyone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts, Guerrero advises them to seek professional help via their GP.

A COOL €171 million has been set aside for this year’s firefighting plans in Andalucia.

The Junta is stumping up the large amount with another dry summer predicted.

It comes after nearly 12,000 fires were reported around the region, last year, with the same number expected this year.

As part of the Infoca Plan, some €18 million is being spent to modernise vehicles with most of their 25-yearold fleet of SUVs being replaced with newer models.

Prepared

Nine new trucks have also been added to the existing arsenal as well as 19 specialized pumping vehicles.

Improved GPS equipment has also been issued to help locate and track forest fires, as well as improving the safety of its workers who often work in remote locations.

Its aerial fleet of 39 planes will be increased with the purchase of three new aircraft.

Infoca will also bolster its workforce with a further 332 civilian firefighters, who will work alongside its current 4,702-strong team.

Meanwhile, a total of 24,500 hectares of forestry have been better prepared for fires with fire breaks and a minimisation of risk.

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Bookings boost THE Costa del Sol is regaining its place as one of the world’s most popular holiday home rental destinations.

Searches are up by a massive 500% according to online portal Airbnb.

It comes after Spain announced that foreigners will be allowed to enter Spain from July 1 without having to spend two weeks in quarantine.

Sought after

“It shows clear signs of recovery,” announced the booking platform, adding that the search level was almost back to the level of February.

Searches are showing a preference for domestic holidays, many within their own autonomous community, with prolonged stays up as a result of increased teleworking.

The most popular search is for a family home with a swimming pool and a garden space as well as flexibility in the booking, good WIFI connection and that hygiene standards are met.

The most sought after destinations are Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga, the Costa del Sol and the Costa de la Luz.

Use your loaf!

A MAN has been arrested after robbing his local bakery hoping he wouldn’t get recognised because he was wearing a face mask.

The 55-year-old man - who seemed familiar to staff threatened a female worker at the Malaga bakery who was counting the money on the till.

He allegedly got her to give him €500 from the cash register.

The robber, who lived nearby, was arrested four days later after being recognised as a regular customer who would come to the store every couple of days.

Hope on the horizon HOTEL searches in Spain soared by around 150% over the weekend following the news that the country would be reopening tourism from June 22.

According to Spanish travel agency Destinia, the spike occurred between 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, just after the weekly appearance by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on TV. The PSOE leader told those in the country to ‘plan their holidays now’, vowing that ‘there will be a tourist season this summer.’

He encouraged hotels to begin preparations to reopen before adding that foreign tourists, too, can plan their holidays from July, a week or so later.

The most sought after towns were Benidorm, Salou, Lloret de Mar, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Gandia, Mojacar and

Holiday planning surges as Spain gears up to open for tourism next month

Muscle beach

OVER 3,000 unemployed people are to be hired on €1,900-a-month contracts to watch over Andalucia’s beaches this summer.

The Junta aims to give more jobs and make the beaches safer for the season.

Some €10.5m has been allocated to local town halls to utilise.

Puerto de la Cruz.

But it wasn’t just beach hotels getting a look in, with rural hotel searches also experiencing a big spike.

Director of Destinia Ricardo Fernandez described STRICT quarantine rules on tourists vis- it as ‘very positive’ news for iting Spain will be lifted in July.

In a bid to save the nation’s vital tour- Spain. ism industry, worth 12% of the country’s “On the one GDP, the government confirmed the hand, it sends internarules will change in time for the summer. an mesUp until then, all international travelers tional have been ordered to self-isolate for 14 sage that we want to redays.

Although there has been no specific main relevant date set, tourism bosses have taken it as a favourite to mean that the restrictions will end destination in the Mediterfrom July 1. and Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto ranean, added that foreigners should plan for on the other, it pleases the holidays in July.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also general pubtold hospitality industry leaders to pre- lic by letting know pare for the arrival of visitors, saying: them “There will be a tourist season this sum- we will have summer and mer.”

It came after Junta de Andalucia leader we will be able Juanma Moreno branded the quarantine to travel,” he said. period ‘a nonsense’.

Quarantine scrapped for summer

May 27th - June 9th 2020

5

Back in the ring SPAIN’S bullfighters are set to return to the ring in August – provided they can get the official go ahead.

It comes after key figures met at the Sevilla home of Peruvian-born superstar matador Andres Roca Rey. They were trying to come up with a plan to tackle the crisis which the bullfighting industry has been plunged into by the coronavirus lockdown.

Part of the proposals include a drastically reduced capacity at fights, as well as some financial aid from the government to protect the ‘artform’.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez however, has said he was uncomfortable with classing bullfighting as an art.

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Policing the police THE police have a difficult job, and the Olive Press is usually the first to back them.

But we have a duty to hold them to account.

The principle of the term ‘policing by consent’ has a long tradition in parts of the world.

This recognises that the legitimacy of policing in the eyes of the public is based upon a general consensus of support.

It follows from transparency about their powers, their integrity in exercising those powers and their accountability for doing so.

Spain’s police forces would do well to consider these principles or they risk losing that consensus.

There has been widespread criticism of the, at times, draconian and unfair penalties, as recorded in the Olive Press this issue, meted out to ordinary people, who have done little wrong.

When a million fines can be handed out for breaking lockdown regulations – for ‘crimes’ like walking too slowly – something has gone seriously awry.

Pot calling kettle The protesters on the streets of many cities this week have a very valid point.

But the way their anger has been hijacked by the far right party Vox is nothing short of shameless.

Until the weekend, the so-called pot-bashing ‘casserole protests’ were an outpouring of anger at the country’s draconian clampdown that even stopped residents from leaving their homes for exercise for six weeks and led to a million fines.

While they were initially spontaneous, a police investigation found, they have been turned into a political rant at the left wing government.

Whatever your leanings the government needs to be questioned over its extreme lockdown measures, but it shouldn’t be used as a political tool by the shady far-right.

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FEATURE Photos by Allan Binderup

6

A pot of

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an easy target on the Spanish government’s back, and the opposition is in full attack mode with its ‘casserole-bashing’

I

T’S all getting a little bit tense in Spain.

Large numbers of cars, driven (presumably) by right wing voters, clogged up a number of cities on Saturday calling for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign and a ‘government of national unity’ to take control.

They arrived in their thousands in Sevilla, hundreds in Malaga, Palma and Valencia, and supposedly tens of thousands in the capital Madrid.

Flying Spanish flags and honking their horns, they drove around demanding a drastic change in the way things have been run for the last few months, and demanding the PM and his coalition partner Pablo Iglesias, of Podemos, step down.

The new ‘unity’ government would be made up by three main parties: PSOE, the Partido Popular (PP) and Vox, with the PP and Vox effectively running things, even though voters in the last elections chose otherwise (albeit by a small margin).

The pandemic and the lockdown are the key reasons behind the current protests, well, apart from the fact that no one likes their party losing an election.

It all started reasonably enough – with city dwellers going out on to their terraces each evening at 8pm to applaud the stretched

HONKING: Demonstrators in their cars hospital staff, who have worked long hours in considerable danger to save many thousands of lives.

Country Spaniards and most expats (if we can divide society into two for a moment) haven’t been as cooped up and were able to spend their time outside - picking the flowers, feeding the chickens and wondering at the strange antics of the townies.

The appreciative city-folk appeared to be saying ‘Gosh, nurses and doctors are more important for our safety than pop stars, actors and footballers’. Perhaps, indeed, they always were.

After a while though, people got a bit bored of the 8pm clapping, and took to singing or playing music from their terraces. And it was only a small step before some of those who

My thoughts by Lenox Napier

had voted for the opposition parties thought they could start bashing saucepans as a political protest instead. Everyone likes a spot of noise before dinner. They weren’t really in favour of a particular plan, but to let the rest of us know that they weren’t ‘socio-comunistas’.

Saucepan bashing, with a stick or something which makes a satisfying ‘clank’, is an import from Argentina and is known both there and here as ‘una cacerolada’.

The new government, which only took office on January 13, has been faced with an emergency that no one had any experience in handling.

Rather than protecting the economy, as a conservative government might have done – they erred on the side of caution and, under the advice of epidemiologists and other medical experts, they went with the lockdown strategy.

And after a short while the old right and left wing divides in Spain started to appear again.

Some media commentators claimed that the 40 years of democracy after the Franco dictatorship have failed to dismantle the power of the negative Spain – that of the young wealthy gentlemen, the cardboard-generals and ‘the retrograde cardinals’.

And of course the bishops have their own radio, COPE, and even a TV channel, Canal 13. They also have the tacit support of a number of conservative daily newspapers: La Razon and ABC among them.

That’s a fine mess!

After it emerges Spain’s police issued 1 MILLION sanctions during the lockdown more than three times Italy and 100 times the UK - the Olive Press looks at who’s on the right side of fine. By Joshua Parfitt

I

T will come as no surprise to anyone who lives here that Spain leads the European league table in police fines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the country’s administrative penalties broke the ONE MILLION barrier since March 14 when the nation went into a state of alarm.

It is trailed by Italy with 310,323, and Romania, with just over 300,000 – until a Romanian court ruled the majority of lockdown fines were ‘unconstitutional’ as they had no yardstick.

Germany and Portugal had very few, while UK police have, so far, only issued just over 14,000 fines to people breaking the lockdown restrictions.

Without a doubt, this makes Spanish police the most draconian and over-zealous of all law enforcement organisations in Europe.

When you get fined €600 for walking your dog just 150m from your house in the middle of nowhere, €1000 for walking too slowly, or €800 for stopping to chat to a neighbour on the way back from the supermarket, it is understandable there has been a lot of outrage.

AN expat The application of the law has been entiin Torre del rely varied though, between utter lenienMar, in the cy to ridiculous behaviour by local police, Axarquia, was fined who are normally not meant to do much €600 for tamore than watch the parks and deliver king his dog legal letters. for a walk We have had dozens of reports of our just over readers being unfairly fined or treated 150m from his home. during the lockdown.

Apparently One Olive Press reporter meanwhile, taking your was threatened with a fine for arguing dog for a ride that he could not do his job at home watin a convertiching the TV and from the internet. ble is fine...

The same police force, the Guardia Civil, in Gaucin, in Andalucia, enforced a print media blackout, by stopping its local petrol station from picking up newspapers zz MADRID police declined to fine a couple caught having sex in a on the coast, just 20 minutes away, for car because they ‘couldn’t find intimacy’ at home. Policia Local OVER a month! located the couple in a parked car ‘in full view’ on a street in Villaverde, but the couple complained there were ‘too many Now, as Spain struggles through its dispeople’ in their house. Police let them go, after asking them to parate de-escalation from the coronavidress rus state of alarm, this is a police force that can STILL fine you at least €600 for zz A SHAME-faced man in Motril was fined €650 after he was not wearing a mask. found guilty of going to the shops unnecessarily when police To help you navigate these penalties, found a stale loaf of bread in a plastic bag on the front seat and here are a few examples of where the nothing else police reports have been fine or anything but fine.

THE FINER POINTS

7

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I TORN RIGHT: Protestors aiming to change government It is argued that the current outpouring of anger is nothing more than a ‘Revolution of the Rich’ led from the smartest neighbourhood of Madrid, Barrio Salamanca, where the saucepans were being most enthusiastically bashed over the weekend.

Said to be waving ‘their hammer and golf-club’ banners, the leftist eldiario.es writes: “What’s happening with the revolution of the rich has nothing to do with the ravages of the pandemic, or the devastation of the economy, or the temporary lack of freedom; what is happening is a manifestation, however freaky, of the struggle of the young gentlemen to hold on to power.”

A more cynical version comes from Meneame, which coined it as the ‘Cayetano revolution’ (this

being one of Spain’s poshest names, similar to say Quentin, in the UK).

The website said the uprising ‘consists of a group of people who live in the most expensive neighbourhood in this country and who have never come out to demonstrate until they have had their vacations in Bali or Formentera cancelled’.

It continued: “Dozens of Cayetanos are demonstrating without keeping the required social distance, endangering their lives and that of their families, and inevitably that of the health workers who will soon have to care for them.”

Let’s not forget, after all, that anyone can fall

sick from the virus (our Eton-attending Boris did after all), and the lockdown is only a partial solution to the current COVID problem.

However, it’s more comfortable in a large apartment than a small one, or, for some poor folk, stuck for months in a car or a shack.

The economist Marta Flich reminds us that ‘the virus has no ideological preference’.

I couldn’t help but spot a sad video-clip on social media of a woman rooting through a dustbin as the flag-wearing ‘militants’ passed her by ignoring her completely.

Another clip showed a fellow in the back-seat of his chauffeur-driven convertible slowly nosing through the brightly dressed crowd while howling ‘resign, resign!’... A man of few words.

A meme from the left says: “Why bang an empty saucepan when you can fill it with stew and give it to your neighbour?”

Can one protest against the government without wearing a Spanish flag as a cloak?

The point is, the Government is seen as a mixture of the wrong kind of socialists plus the Venezuelan influenced extremists of the extreme left (Podemos to you and me), plus the nationalists, which in Spanish terms are the anti-nationalists – the boyos from Catalunya and the Basque Country.

‘Traitor’

HELD UP: A bicycle courier stopped by a police patrol while working in Barcelona

zz THE Guardia Civil in Alicante created an unauthorised list of 26 foodstuffs, 16 other products and 12 services that justified someone leaving the house back in early April. The list led to the fining of a man in Elche who told police he was going to the supermarket to buy ‘Nocilla’ – a chocolate-hazlenut spread – and this was written on the police report. Spain’s Minister of the Interior later retracted this fine and prohibited agents from using a list z z AN Elche man was sent to prison in April after receiving 47 police fines during the coronavirus state of alarm. The man was said to have ‘all kinds of addictions’ and suffered from an inability to lie successfully. On one occasion he told agents he was going to a town in the opposite direction to where he was walking; on another he told agents he was ‘walking his dog’, but had accidentally left it at home z z A POLICE officer was spotted ‘punching’ a young man carrying beer on a street in Spain last April. “A beer is not a primary need, stop taking the piss,” an officer was heard shouting in a video that went viral alongside condemnation of police brutality. Reports later revealed the boy was carrying a weapon in his belt, which he tried to withdraw after police asked him to empty his pockets. z z A MAN was investigated for serious disobedience after videos online showed him dancing ‘Sevillanas’ dressed as a woman in sunglasses. The Alicante man wanted to honour Sevilla’s Feria de Abril, but police traced him via social media and hit him with a fine of €601. zz A SERIES of brazen penitents were fined after being caught enacting a Semana Santa parade in Utrera, near Sevilla

Then there’s the republicans, who don’t like the royal family and have their own flag. That’s why we wear a Spanish flag, they say, because the others, the 51%, are traitors.

All good clean fun perhaps, and worth a few column inches. The ultras are on the warpath.

Yawn.

But they are good at manipulation… and Facebook and Twitter are full of their propaganda.

As Donald Trump or Cambridge Analytica can tell you, the point is to be read. And seen. And heard. Truth is in the eye of the beholder, and fake news often works better than the real thing. So we come to Saturday’s protest. A clever idea to make it a demonstration with cars (poor people don’t own cars). Some 6,000 cars and motorcycles, bedecked with flags of course, jammed the centre of Madrid.

The leaders of Vox were conveniently on their stage, at the symbolic Plaza de Colon: Columbus Square.

“We want to bring down the traitor Pedro Sanchez and imprison him for crimes against the Spanish people,” shouted Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far right party, wearing a nifty lapel pin of half Spanish colours, half black mourning.

The leader of the larger PP is now struggling for space on the political perch. Pablo Casado is trying to woo the far-right voters back to his colours with, as one left-leaning newspaper calls it, ‘his total war against the Government’.

Whether the Government, evidently inexperienced in matters of pandemics, has done or is doing a good job is irrelevant.

They will be judged once it’s all over. Right now, they are facing two dangerous enemies: the virus and the opposition, both set on scoring maximum damage. The fact is that the conservatives are winning the war at the moment – and Spain most certainly does not need a second open conflict.

Scraping the barrel

N early April a report in a rival newspaper insisted it was ‘pressing times’ for the Olive Press and it was ‘mourning’ our demise.

In its poisonous fake news rant, the downmarket ‘scraping’ media group, criticised us for launching a donation page on our website to help pay for the 20-plus journalists and writers who produce it.

Well, we clearly haven’t vanished...and to use a famous phrase from Mark Twain ‘reports of my (our) demise have been greatly exaggerated’.

Indeed, as we start easing out of lockdown, the Olive Press is waving the flag for our brave, vibrant and innovative expatriate community.

Be they British, Scandinavian - or even German! - we are helping them to nurture their businesses back to health, by offering competitive advertising packages utilising our website with millions of visitors a month and our FIVE regional newspapers that go from strength to strength.

Yes, the lockdown has been hard for us, like every other media group around the globe… and yes, we did launch a donations page on our website.

But this has had a great response with an amazing 300plus donors generously giving significant amounts to allow our journalists to get out and about as far and wide as Salamanca and Barcelona during the lockdown.

So cheap attacks by jealous rivals are anything but helpful.

Unbelievable To put you in the picture, our media rival claims to have had 10 million hits on its website in April and fast approaching 20 million in May. It also crows that it is the ‘42nd best website in the UK’, putting it two places behind the Daily Mail and in front of the Telegraph, Mirror and Times.

And, of course, this is not the case. But do you know why?

Well, it is because, in the words of a UK media lawyer, they are a classic ‘scraping’ site that simply hoovers up stories from other newspapers and presents them as their own often just minutes after they are published by the original site.

But worse than that they fail to credit the source and also often use identical headlines, introductions and even captions.

It is called plagiarism as we can see clearly from the Times, as an example, this week.

But tragically, it is not just the paper’s stories that are stolen… it is even its very own opinions.

Take last week’s ‘Our View’ (left) which lifted entire paragraphs from the Guardian newspaper.

People’s paper But then, what would you expect from the so-called ‘people’s paper’ that doesn’t even know the year it was born.

Why, for example celebrate its 21st birthday, last month, with a big fanfare, when Wikipedia states the paper’s first issue was in April 2002, making it 18?.

And to make matters worse its boss announced his 23rd work anniversary with the paper, just last week, on Facebook.

That would be FIVE years before it even launched.

When it comes to figures, will anyone ever believe anything it ever writes or says again?

As they say, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote

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SPAIN will ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars from 2040.

The measure is part of a draft climate change action plan, which aims to make Spain’s electricity system 100% renewable by the middle of the century.

The proposal, which needs to be passed by parliament, aims to make the country carbon neutral by 2050.

Immediate action would also see all new coal, oil and gas extraction projects abandoned.

Direct subsidies on the fossil fuel trade will be ended and all new vehicles made emis-

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Slippery customers

Off the roads!

sion free by 2040.

The aim is to reach the goal of reducing emissions by 23% from 1990 levels over the course of the next 10 years.

The country also aims to see

Bitter sweet

POLLUTION in Spain decreased by a third in April, one of the highest drops in the world.

Carbon Dioxide emissions dropped by an enormous 32% compared with 26% globally.

“Emissions fell on average between 20% and 30% in most countries,” said Joeri Rogel, at Imperial College London.

During the first days of April, pollution levels fell to lows that hadn’t been seen since 2006.

And some 17 million fewer tonnes were released into the atmosphere on April 7 alone, compared to the same day in 2019.

However, experts still do not believe it’s significant enough to make a difference to the atmosphere in the long-term.

“It won’t make any significant difference in the long-term”, added Rogel, who believes that there will be a rebound with an even greater emissions trajectory, once we emerge from the crisis.

renewable energy account for between 32% and 42% of total energy consumption by 2030.

To hit this target clean energy sources will have to make up at least 70% of the electricity mix by the end of the decade.

Efficiency measures will also be brought in to reduce energy consumption by 35% over the course of the plan.

This would be done mainly through renovating and improving homes and commercial premises.

The Pedro Sanchez-led government claimed that the plan could generate €200 billion in new investment in the next decade and create up to 350,000 new jobs.

It also forecast that these carbon-cutting measures would boost the country’s economic growth by 1.8% by 2030 compared with business as usual.

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EELS: Smuggled in case A GANG who exploited baby eels to sell to China has been shut down.

A total of 16 illegal fishermen that snared the fish in the River Guadalquivir and sent them live to Asia have been arrested.

The elvers, as they are known, are a highly lucrative catch, especially on the Asian blackmarket.

Criminal gangs made millions smuggling the still-live creatures by air to sell in China.

Fishermen have to use nets with a mesh of just 1mm to catch the glass eels that fetch the highest price.

They scoop up all aquatic wildlife along with the elvers, causing untold damage to the ecosystem.

During Operation Ave Fenix, the Guardia Civil seized 16 sets of specialised fishing rigs.

HIGH PRICE: In China

Double blow A PAIR of lynxes have been run over on roads beside the Doñana National Park.

Both were killed on roads beside the park, taking the death toll to seven so far this year.

It has led to green groups to demand drivers take ‘extreme caution’ on the local roads, paying special attention to speed reduction.

Black spots

Ecologistas en Accion has highlighted black spots in areas which see a high number of accidents, requesting a revision to the road signs and speed controls.

Last year, at least 23 lynxes were killed on roads in the area, with a further 12 around Spain.

Thankfully it came as over 150 were believed to have been born last year in the wild.

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THREATENED: Lynxes

Bones, a testimony to pain THE medieval inhabitants of Muslim Granada suffered from terrible teeth, bad backs and painful joints, scientists have concluded after the remarkable discovery of 40 ancient tombs.

Archaeologists uncovered the graves in a suburb of the city, which was the last stronghold of the Nasrid dynasty whose greatest monument is the Alhambra Palace.

Nine specialists from the University of Granada and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), analysed the skeletons of 40 males and females ranging from newborns to 60-year-olds.

BUSINESS LA CULTURA

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Making a killing Smash BBC TV drama is based on one of Spain’s most evil female terrorists

By Laurence Dollimore

Hard labour

They had been uncovered during excavations in the city’s ancient San Lazaro neighbourhood.

They found that the inhabitants of Middle Ages Granada were relatively small - on average 163.28cm (5ft 3”) for men and 157.95cm (5ft 1”) for women.

The experts concluded that the people analysed had led lives of hard physical labour, shown by evidence of inflammatory diseases to their joints and bones.

Many were afflicted with painful arthritis in their spines, fingers and feet. Poor dental hygiene meant they also suffered cavities, loss of teeth and tartar build-up.

However, infectious diseases were practically non-existent, at least in the bodies most recently discovered.

This surprised the analysts as they knew that the Black Death, or plague, wiped out a third of Granada’s population between 1348 and 1349, when it was still under Nasrid rule.

It had been assumed infections were widespread.

It was the last of the Muslim dynasties in Spain, founded

by Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar in Granada, and it endured for two-and-a-half centuries from 1238 to 1492.

9

Song and dance THE Granada International Festival of Music and Dance will launch on June 25, despite the crisis, it has been announced.

The 69th edition of the festival will be held ‘against all the odds’, the first such event to take place in Spain and in Europe.

It is going ahead, assuming Granada has entered Phase 3.

It will open in Granada Cathedral with the city’s orchestra and choir, under the direction of Andrea Marcon, performing Mozart’s Requiem to raise money for the Food Bank of Granada. On July 9, the Festival’s Medal will be awarded to the Spanish healthcare system. All shows are only permitted to have audience numbers at 50% capacity and cannot exceed 800 people.

ROLE MODEL: Comer’s character is based on killer Idoia Lopez Riano (left)

A RUTHLESS Spanish terrorist has been revealed as the subject matter behind one of the UK’s biggest TV hits of the last few years.

Former ETA killer Idoia Lopez Riano - aka La Tigresa - was the inspiration behind Villanelle, the psychopath viewers just can’t get enough of.

Played by Jodie Comer in the hit BBC series Killing Eve, she’s the cold-hearted killer for hire with an eye for fashion - and herself.

Incredibly vain, but equally brutal and lacking in any empathy, the Russian mercenary embarks on a cat-and-mouse game-cum-love affair with an MI6 officer played by Sandra Oh. But in the real world, the assassin who inspired the multi-lingual Villanelle is the former terrorist who was found guilty of killing 23 soldiers and policemen - and rumoured to be behind many more.

Luke Jennings, who wrote the novels behind the series, revealed that Comer’s character was actually based on Riaño, the infamous Basque separatist hitwoman, who was behind some of the worst bombings Spain has ever witnessed.

Jennings revealed how he first came up with Villanelle while reading about Riaño, who was behind the death of 12 young policemen from one car bomb in Madrid alone in 1986.

She was allegedly so evil she would seduce off duty Guardia Civil officers in bars in Bilbao and San Sebastian to later extract key sensitive information during pillow talk.

“She was clearly a psychopath and completely, completely without empathy,” Jennings said.

The vanity of Villanelle, which sees her often staring longingly at herself in mirrors and shop windows, also rings true of Riaño, who once became too distracted by her own reflection while en route to kill a policeman.

“At the key moment, Idoia, who was supposed to be doing the killings, didn’t actually see him because she was so entranced with the window of a fashionable store and her own reflection in it,” said Jennings.

Indeed her vanity was even noted by her killer compatriots, including fellow terrorist Juan Manuel Soares Gamboa, who once said she cared more about her appearance than murder.

In the TV series, Villanelle opts for female lovers who usually wind up dead or extremely damaged.

Riaño, who began her killing streak at just 20 years old, hid out in Algeria for seven years before being finally snared in France in the 1990s.

She is now 55 and is free after being released from jail in 2017 following a 23-year sentence.

Having lived for some years in Andorra, where her sister lives, she is now living in Barcelona, where she works for an NGO.

Raffle-winner bags Picasso for peanuts

AN Italian woman has won a Picasso painting worth €1 million in a raffle.

The painting, titled Nature Morte was painted in 1921 in Paris and is an oil-oncanvas depiction of a newspaper alongside a glass of absinthe.

Claudia Borgogno from Ventimiglia, north-western Italy received the raffle ticket as a Christmas present from her son.

Borgogno summed up her amazement: “I have never won anything before.”

Her son Lorenzo Naso referred to it as the

best decision he’s ever made in his life.

Neither Naso nor his mother had watched the raffle, in fact they didn’t even know when the draw was taking place.

“When I arrived and I told her she had won she was like: ‘Please don’t joke’,” he said.

The 51,140 tickets were sold for €100 each, with the proceeds going to provide water for villagers in Madagascar and Cameroon.

The draw was originally scheduled for March, but that was delayed due to the

coronavirus pandemic.

Although organisers valued the painting at €1 million, the art collector who provided it, David Nahmad, claims it’s worth at least two or three times that.

Nahmad will be paid €900,000 for the work. The painting was the smallest of 300 works by Picasso that he owns, the largest private collection of works by the Spanish artist. The date and style of Nature Morte are reflective of the ‘crystal’ period in the artist’s career.

952 147 834 *Based on third par ty. Offer valid for new customers only. Subject to conditions. Ends 31/12/20.

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LA CULTURA

10

May 27th - June 9th 2020

The Fourth Reich In the third part of a special series on the nazis in Spain, Jon Clarke investigates the comfortable existence one of his former henchmen enjoyed on the Costa del Sol

I

N a verdant Elviria urbanisation the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle hang heavy in the air and an anonymous two-bedroom bungalow sits below a towering cork oak tree.

A visitor could be forgiven for assuming that Las Cumbres was just another unremarkable costa suburb, but here, until the late 1990s, one of Hitler’s most loyal Nazi generals was able to live out a long and comfortable life.

Major general Otto Remer – who played a key role in quashing a major assassination plot against the Fuhrer in 1940 – was able to spend his final years in the modest €300,000 house surrounded by Nazi memorabilia and his ‘glorious’ memories.

Refusing to repent right up to his death in August 1997, he regularly received correspondence and visits from fellow Nazis around Spain, as well as his monthly subscription to the fascist magazine Halt.

Ultimately, the Nazi lived an enviable life on the sunshine coast, despite being a key member of Hitler’s Third Reich, which was responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people around Europe during the Second World War. The Olive Press has managed to

10

April 29th - May 12th 2020

Nazi SPECIAL DISPATCH: A secret for U-boat base, macabre facilities bank facial reconstruction surgery, transactions traced to the highest echelons of the Third Reich. Conor McGlone (right) asks how Fuerteventura’s mysterious past sheds light on Spain’s troubled history

LA CULTURA

Jandia ISOLATED: Windswept Winter peninsula where Villa Nazis allegedly hid fleeing

The shadow of fascism

date val base. Local documents the peninsula from the house as being built in 1946, vowed to uncover crossed or cry pite- rines), Fumero coast to coast. but Vidal claims the "bunker" exterior, gulls wheel and the truth. nosed about the small base of the building was built beblustery weather. rooster calls. own life is As we stifling cores of roosting doves There is one conspicuous ex- ously. A stocky man barred our Gustav Winter's museum located in a in mystery. We know back room, I was struck by the fore the war. erupted from the de- ception. Few visitors make it A gruff, to Vidal, the 1.4-mea 'donation' as shrouded in 1928 he built the power thought that the According concrete crepit courtyard as we up a second dusty track, to Vil- way, demanding at a lopsided piece that CICER on neighbouring uncomfortable out without any tre-thick reinforced plant laid entered. I'm not easily la Winter, a grandiose turreted he gestured the vaulted ceiling, and with 'museo' scrawled island Las Palmas de Gran Ca- exhibits, in the or context, could be walls, looks susimpossibly at of wood spooked but something a imposing tower - that bag building, nestled mountains. In on it. This man, I later discov- naria, which has been described explanation treated as pure memorabilia, air felt very wrong. A punch like a lighthouse - are of the Fumero. base piciously German the Pedro of a was ered, corner, (see below). used building had as "a masterpiece and gloves hung in one all clues that the villa was grandfather his time Neo-nazi shrine the 1930s, when the setting Fumero's U-boats. the and engineering". During There were old Nazi uniforms couple of chained-up rottweilers war- to provision German Gran Canaria, Winter helped to build Villa Winter Budgies was constructed, were in the opposite. next to would have been even more re- his four uncles were hired by working on right) became fas- and news clippings, huge of the house was built rest The time radio sets and photographs languished in a birdcage,"History mote, accessible only by donkey Winter's family as guards of the (pictured top the war, in Vidal's opinThere were test after "an ideal place to hide cinated by the Jandía peninsula. an inscription that read: us." or camel. the end of the 70s. Legend has it that In 1939, Win- of dead soldiers.

The looking syringes ion as had brought house at is the cage that imprisons escape allied arrests". with tubes and nasty In the 90s the stillness Disturbing rumours arrived on Fuerteventuraon a as well as serious-looking batter- and several windowless There was an unnatural scent of us here. Legend Winter's sold the ter to have presence of filled with cash have ies, alleged by Fumero to the air and a strong house to a large a suitcase rooms, for example, could there has it that the mission to purchase the people. sedentary humanity but- it had base was conHigh-ranking hotel and con- special peninsula for the Nazis. powered submarines. engi- been used to conceal Darwin Vidal, a German was no turning back now here. who has been tirelessly struction compa- strategic structed by the Winter denied this until neer who has been working with Vidal, SS officers national archives been no small feat getting bring German engineer ny and his rela- While years to combing the in 1971, historians While the Canary Islandscheap Gustav Winter, underwent facial tives - unaware of his death there were German Fumero for the last four told me in Germany, said there is ample that the rumours, Winter collaboratto mind neatly packagedis much financed by the the sale - ceased agree in the Canaries ar- investigate indicates’ that the evidence that regime, bringing winter sunshine, there surgery to alter to receive the submarinesduring regime. the Nazi the war. This is ‘everything sun- Nazi used as a na- ed with was chipelago house they SecWinter more to Fuerteventura than salary the small declaring Spain you will During burn and cervezas. This risked ond World War, it their appearance had formerly re- despite Franco of be neutral at the outbreak know if like us you have ceived to look af- to Second World War. He was, off- is said, the base the the 40-minute hair-raising acted as a secret house. indebted to HitU-boats, utilizing ter the in 2012 after all, heavilyhim brutally win road drive on Fuerteventura's Jandía launchpad for Returning from Tenerife rugged southern tip, the with a subterranean network of vol- and finding the place in a state ler for helping war. his rel- the Spanish civil After the war, it bepeninsula, to be rewarded Second World War, of utter disrepair, with volcanic canic caves. epic views of a ridge of a giant's came one of the last refuges of atives barely surviving in the During the was the Jandía peninsula of the mountains trailing like the Third Reich, where high-rank- squalid conditions, a heart-brofrom the rest stepping stones to the sea. lie ing SS officers fled to undergo fa- ken Fumero decided to stay to blocked off local inhabitants appearisland. The At the foot of the mountains cial surgery to alter their lives in look after them. Remembering were only allowed back in the miles of windswept beaches, his grandfather had 1950s, when the Franco regime ance, on the way to new stories and the sand white with perfect about the "upside-down in South America. a fence which goats and don- told him(as he called the subma- finally removed barely a speck of civilization light Now, wandering ships" sight, a tapestry of cloud,in the keys roam about the ramshackle and blue, changing quickly

S

memoraand its cornocopia of Nazi MYSTERIOUS: Villa Winterboss Fumero bilia while (top) museum

TRIO: Our first two features on the nazis in the last two issues

track down his home – rumoured to have been paid for by Spanish neo-Nazis – and even the nurse who cared for him in his final years as he became old and infirm.

Jean Goulder, from Burnley, revealed how he refused to acknowledge his part in the world’s worst human rights atrocity.

TRACKED: Our uncovering of the Nazis’ Spanish exploits (left), while (top) Remer’s Costa del Sol pile and (right) its gardener Santi Esteban Gomez A holocaust denier he failed to repent and even, according to a separate source, mocked Jews whenever they appeared on television.

“He kept a glass cabinet full of items from the war and photo albums with pictures of his time in the army,” explains Goulder.

“All in all he was very proud of his past.”

Remer had fled to the Costa del Sol to escape charges in Germany of inciting racial hatred with his continual questioning of the holocaust right into the 1980s.

He had become a writer and published articles on the war and the holocaust after being released as a prisoner of war in the mid

1940s.

An infamous holocaust denier and a firm believer in Hitler’s politics, he had been commanded by the Fuhrer himself to quash the July 20 plot against him in 1940.

The quelling of the plot led to him being promoted to Hitler’s senior ranks, which is where he stayed for the duration of the war.

In the early 1990s he was forced to flee from Germany to southern Spain where he had a number of good contacts. that I worked with him, but eventualLas Cumbres gardener Santi Este- ly the interest died down,” continues ban Gomez remembers the publicity Goulder. that followed his arrival as a fleeing “He had to keep quiet after that as holocaust denier. he knew they were “There were police kept after him in his own outside his house for a country.”

Guarded by good while, maybe a In fact, Remer was month or so,” he re- Franco’s troops protected by Spanish calls. despite his home to protect the law, “We thought they were country’s wish to exkeeping him from going tradite him to GermaNazi ‘holiday anywhere but actually ny and face charges. camp they were protecting Under Spanish law him from people who he had committed no may have wanted to crime as he was conharm him.” sidered to be exercising his right to His nurse also witnessed the pub- freedom of speech. licity surrounding the arrival of the Remer, of course, was just one famous Nazi. among many Nazis who fled Germa“There was a lot of press waiting ny in the years after the war to avoid outside his house the first day or two repercussions for their actions.

IDYLL: Elviria in Marbella hid one of Hitler’s inner circle for years

BUSINESS LA CULTURA

11

May 27th - June 9th 2020

DEFIANT: Remer as a young general had stopped a plot against Hitler and (right) his memorial service bedecked with fascist motifs Many (under Operation Trampoline) used Spain as a local jumping off point for South America, where right-wing leaders greeted them with open arms.

However, a lot also benefited from Franco’s protection and stayed to make a life for themselves without intrusion from the outside world.

José María Irujo, author of The Black List, estimates that whole colonies of them lived here undisturbed for decades. “Many lived out their lives here and died peacefully,” he says.

“We are talking about hundreds of people and the Spanish government never did anything.”

Efraim Zuroff, from human rights organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, adds that Spain has ‘a horrendous record on Nazi war criminals’.

The Olive Press has discovered countless examples of small communities of Germans that existed on the Costa del Sol from the 1940s.

Last month, we told the story about the nazis who lived on in Fuerteventura, in the Canaries, after the war, many with lots of the so-called ‘nazi gold’ to keep them bankrolled for decades.

On the Costa de la Luz, in Cadiz, meanwhile numerous Nazis were said to have been given plots of land by Franco’s government to quietly l i v e o u t t h e i r days.

In particular, in and around the exclusive

FUHRER FACT Hitler and General Franco only met once when the former visited Spain in 1940. While Franco was in awe of the Nazi leader, Hitler declared that speaking to Franco was worse than a trip to the dentist. When he declined to join the war Hitler told Mussolini the Spanish leader was ‘a coward’.

urbanisation of Atlanterra, a number of Nazis were said to have set up home (curiously also where Kenneth Noye, Britain’s former public enemy number one, also still has a home).

One long time expat, who asked not to be named, explains how the son of a former SS officer told him how his family were often joined by other Nazis, near Barbate, where they used to head for rest and relaxation.

He said the enclave was guarded by Franco’s troops both during and after the war to protect the Nazi ‘holiday camp’.

Nearer to the Costa del Sol, inland at a place called Barranco Blanco, between Coin and Alhaurin, another infamous camp was apparently set up by Franco himself.

Said to have chosen the area of natural beauty as a retreat for his close friends, the well-fortified base was the home of a number of Germans.

“There was quite a big German community living there next to a lake, known for its trout fishing,” said Amanda Jane Reynolds, who lived in the area for 30 years.

“My parents often used to go there for lunch in a German-run restaurant and you had to go past armed guards to get in.”

These days while Barranco Blanco has remnants of the towers that were once guarded by Franco’s civil guards, l o c a l s refuse to talk about the area’s chequered history.

Nearer to the home of Remer, another community of Germans literally disappeared overnight when Franco died in November 1975.

According to local gardener Santi Esteban the group that lived at Camping Marbella Playa fled to South America, fearing persecution with Franco’s protection gone.

“They lived in small chalet-style homes, which literally emptied overnight,” he said.

“Nazis, who had enjoyed immunity under Franco, foresaw the media storm that would approach and fled before their pasts caught up with

HIDING IN THE COSTA SHADOWS: (From left) Fredrik Jensen, Leon Degrelle and Albert Speer

by Hitler. them.”

Nazi hunters did indeed descend on Jensen – who was one of very few the costas to try and bring Hitler’s foreigners to receive the highest footmen to justice. However often decoration granted by Hitler – had they were too late as their targets fled the US after being deported there to face trial for war crimes in had fled or died.

In 2005 one of the 1994. most wanted Nazi war Surprise, surprise he criminals of all alleged- Injecting poison ended up being disly escaped Spanish pocovered living in Marand petrol into bella in 1999. lice and could still be living at large in South Jensen served in a the hearts of America. number of SS units Aribert Heim, who was Jews and timing and fought on the front known as Dr Death at during the war before their deaths Mauthausen concenspending time in an tration camp for his American military hossadistic experiments pital and eventually on inmates, counted Spain as one of being jailed for ten years for fighting his hideouts. for the Nazis.

He allegedly evaded capture by When he was released from jail, he Spanish police after being helped moved to Sweden where he made out of the country by fellow Nazis. his fortune.

His children claimed the war crimi- Interpol classed Jensen as a war nal – tried in absentia in Germany criminal and in 1994 he was deportfor crimes such as injecting poison ed to the US for war crimes, but from and petrol into the hearts of Jews there he disappeared. and timing their deaths – had died In fact Jensen and his wife Karin in Cairo in 1992. had moved to the urbanisation of But increasing numbers of sightings Las Belbederes populated by retired in Spain and sizeable bank transfers Scandinavians and enjoyed the sunfrom his family to the Catalan town shine and easy life. of Palafrugell caused an internation- Another unrepentant Nazi was Belal search to focus on the Costa Bra- gian Leon Degrelle. He had been va and southern Spain until the trail sentenced to death for collaborawent suddenly cold in 2005. tion after the war, but managed to It is alleged he may have been escape to Spain in a plane provided helped to escape by Fredrik Jensen, by Albert Speer, which he crash landa Norwegian Nazi who served in the ed in San Sebastian before heading SS and was awarded the Gold Cross south.

He made a life for himself in Malaga, where he continued to host meetings with Nazis and European right-wing extremists and lived very comfortably, running a construction firm which benefited from state projects.

He often attended formal functions dressed in his German SS uniform and, in a 1977 interview claimed he would be a Hitler fan until the day he died.

While Interpol listed him as wanted, he evaded a kidnap attempt by Belgian authorities, then ruled out any further chances of extradition by becoming a naturalised Spanish citizen in 1954.

How many such Nazis remain here is unknown, but Nazi hunters have long been appalled by the lack of cooperation from Spain in seeking out those who need to be brought to justice.

Dr Shimon Samuels of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre presented a list of Nazis granted refuge in Spain. “But none of them have been prosecuted and several died with impunity in Spain,” he says.

With neither time nor the authorities on their side, it looks likely that the Nazi hunters will have to stand by helpless, as the last few remaining Nazis live out their days in the shadows of the costas.

This article was first published in 2009

LA CULTURA

12

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Bookalikes If lockdown is leaving all you bookworms bereft of new titles to devour, turn over a new leaf in the same genre, recommends Alicia Duggan

S

O you’ve reached the last page of that gripping novel and you’re still pining for more. No

worries. Make a list of all the books you enjoyed and find something written along similar lines. There are plenty of booka-

… Alex Rider, switch to the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson Fans of Anthony Horowitz’s novels about teenage spy Alex Rider should feel right at home with the escapades of a junior James Bond. Written in the style of the original Ian Fleming books, the series follows the adventures of a teenage version of the future 007 who is studying at Eton. In between, he travels the world getting into and out of deadly situations with his usual charm and skill, minus the Martinis.

like titles out there. Here are some ideas to get you started.

If you enjoyed ....

… I Am Pilgrim, dip into Nomad by James Swallow Tech expert Marc Dane is a MI6 field agent. When his team is ambushed on a covert mission, Dane, the sole survivor is accused of being a traitor and betraying his team.

His only option is to go on the run and attempt to clear his name.

With the help of ex-soldier Lucy Keyes, Dane is in a race against time to discover the real perpetrators of the ambush and avert a major terrorist attack. A gripping, action-packed spy novel.

… John Green, go for Paper Avalanche by Lisa Williamson Ro Snow is 14 and lives with her mother (never Mum) Bonnie, who is a hoarder. Their home is dangerously overstuffed with the paperwork Bonnie obsessively collects. The mother-daughter roles have been reversed with Ro

stressing about money, cleanliness and the fear that Bonnie will end up suffocating under a collapsed pile of her rubbish, while trying to keep her shambles of a lifestyle secret from social services. That is until she meets Tanvi Shah, the girl who nearly died from cancer who has returned to school full of life, positivity and a determination to make friends with Ro. A truly wonderful read.

… Jojo Moyes, get stuck into City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

… Harry Potter, try Skulduggery Pleasant

by Derek Landy Magic is real! When 13-year-old Stephanie Edgley attends her uncle’s funeral she meets Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton detective who believes her uncle was killed by sorcery. Stephanie must quickly master her own magical abilities and help Skulduggery to save the world from the apocalypse. A supernatural flight of fantasy filled with drama, humour, peril and unforgettable characters.

… Khaled Hosseini, dive into The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani Set in 17th Century Iran, the course of a young woman’s life changes drastically when her father dies suddenly, leaving her without a dowry. She must go to the city to live with relatives but is treated little better than a servant. Interspersed with Iranian fairy tales and descriptions of Iranian traditions, it is a story of a young woman’s struggle to find love and independence in a patriarchal world.

… David Baldacci, try City of Windows by Robert Pobi Meet Dr Lucas Page – astrophysicist, bestselling author of maths books, foster father to a multitude of children, university professor, orphan and FBI agent. A sniper in New York has taken an impossible shot and killed Dr Lucas’s FBI partner from the good old days, so he’s drafted back into the force to help track down the killer. A thrilling, fastpaced page turner.

… The Handmaid’s Tale, sample Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi A powerful novel set during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 which saw the Ayatollah Khomeini take

… Big Little Lies, check out Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

It’s 1940 and 19-year-old Vivian has flunked out of Vasser.

Her affluent parents can’t deal with her, so they send her to New York to live with her Aunt Peg who owns a crumbling theatre called The Lily Playhouse. Virginal and naive, Vivian is enthralled with the show girls and actors she meets there and delights in gallivanting around New York City, drinking, flirting and sleeping with men. However, her partying and carefree living catch up with her when she makes a mistake that can’t be undone. A fun, sensual, heart-warming story which explores the ideas of redemption, forgiveness and living life on your own terms.

Shaker Heights is a peaceful, respectful suburb whose well-off residents follow the rules and lead uneventful lives …. until artist Mia Warren and her daughter, Pearl, arrive on the scene. They rent a house from second generation Shaker Elena Richardson and soon their lives are inextricably intertwined as their teenage children become fast friends. However, things start to unravel as rules are broken, secrets are revealed and little fires set.

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By James Patterson and Cynthia Fagen

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€19.90 The Bookshop San Pedro, www.thebookshop.es

power, dealing with the rise of a patriarchal, religious authoritarian power and the erosion of women’s rights. The author was a professor expelled from Tehran’s University for refusing to wear a veil, although she continued to meet in secret with some of her students to discuss banned western novels.

… Girl on the Train, try Someone We Know

by Shari Lapena In a small, tranquil neighbourhood where all the residents are polite and friendly, a teenager breaks into his neighbours’ houses, snoops around their computers and gets into their emails. In so doing, he unwittingly opens a Pandora’s box of secrets, lies and m u rd e r.

An intriguing, atmospheric thriller filled with twists and suspense.

13

May 27th - June 9th 2020

FUNKY DREADS

Looking for the perfect escape once the lockdown finally ends? A weekend of fresh air, mountain scenery and walks will revive your senses

run to the hills

A heady mix of styles will make the ‘green’ Brota musical festival one of the hits of the summer

FUSION: Steel Pulse and (below) DJ Steve Aoki

R0520.indd 1

DANCE, funk and reggae fans will rejoice as American DJ Steve Aoki and British Reggae legends Steel Pulse fuse for the third annual Brota Musica Festival.

The festival in Rota, Cadiz, is hoping to attract up to 20,000 music fans for the weekend in August.

Also high on the bill is Spanish songstress Roza-

len who will use the festival as her only Andalucian date this year.

Spanish rappers Nach and Rel B will also take to the stage with funk-rock group O’Funk’Illo rounding out the star studded line up.

Sustainable

The third edition of the Brota Festival is unique in Andalucia as the only music festival to be recognised for its ‘sustainable’ credentials.

The United Nations Environment Program describes the event as ‘an event designed, organised and developed in a way that minimises potential negative environmental impacts, and leaves a beneficial legacy for the host community and all those involved’.

The festival is due to be held from August 7-8 and is currently awaiting confirmation from the Spanish government that it can go ahead amid the COVID-19 crisis.

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LETTERS

14

May 27th - June 9th 2020 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es Mallorca Issue 80

GIFTED: Trevor and Pauline are fighting on LEAVERS: Trio of Brits in Spain

Every cloud

Dear Olive Press,

Get educated

Gibraltar Issue 122 OLIVE PRESS

The Rock’s ONLY free local paper

May 13 - May 26, 2020 Vol. 5, Issue 122 www.theolivepress.es

ON THE HUNT OF THE NAZI GOLD a Nazi U-boat base in the Hot on the heels of our dispatch onGold Trail to Madrid and, Canaries, we investigate the Nazi light on a shady chapter in allegedly Gibraltar, shedding new See Page 10 history that has never been fully resolved.

Unlock the Rock! by the public through social media and broadcasting.

PHASE FOUR

By Diexter Thomas on The fourth phase is set to start FREE movement will be allowed June 16 and will see people finally in Gibraltar from May 21 - with the able to go to bars and cafeterias. to lockdown to be ended in August.

These establishments will need The Chief Minister announced the get a permit, much like the opening proposed ending of COVID-19 reof restaurants in phase three. strictions on the Rock after steerPicardo said he expected the bathing ing clear of a serious pandemic on beaches to be allowed by midin of since the first case was recorded June, depending on the progress March. the virus.

The ‘Unlock the Rock’ plan was un“I want to be clear that our ambiveiled on Tuesday, and will consist tion will be to see a normal bathing of four main phases, with two reseason with normal beach going,” view stages to see if there has been Picardo revealed. restricany any increase in cases. see “We do not want to to The ‘Rock Unlocked’ phase could tions whatsoever on our ability 1, be in full effect from August attend beaches, but this will require with over 500 emergency beds still common sense from the public. available in case of a relapse.

“You will have to pitch your tents Gibraltar is currently undergoing further away from each other than the first phase of the strategy, with we are used to. the second phase set to start on “We will not be able to crowd spots best the May 21. and shore the around esThe second phase will see free as we each like to do, this will be movement re-established with musential.” seums, exhibitions and galleries opening again.

Bathing But it is not good news for everyone.

He warned that if there was a spike Chief Minister Fabian Picardo inin active COVID-19 cases, the Govwould reserve the right to sisted that people with a BMI of 30 ernment or or above, who are older than 70 ‘re-impose restrictions.’ have a weak or compromised im“We are considering making Europa mune system - are recommended pool in the bathing pavilion at NASA the Rock to be completely open must adhere to the rules for to stay at home as much as possible. exclusively available to our elderly DAWN: Locals can go out but “This will take effect from the 21st NEW contact tracing app will start to kick citizens. of this month if things are progresswaiting list after a long 60 day hia- into force, using people’s mobile “It will allow them to bathe without in Some schools, construction sites members of ing well, and we see no increase phones to alert them if they come mixing with younger gyms could also see a return in tus. added the Chief infection rates,” explained Picardo. and 2, with the latter ‘subject to into contact with someone with the community,” “We will continue to have rules Phasecontrols’.

PHASE THREE Minister.

COVID-19. five and six will about large gatherings so the law strict health services will restart This is also the phase where people Finally, phases third phase is set to take place will be able to eat at restaurants, serve as phases for reviewing those will still restrict the constitutional Many screening for patients on the GHA’s The and gyms from June 1 freedom of association.” be limited to a 50% occu- restaurants, cafes, bars and will see which will only if they have a permit that continue to remain closed. religious ser- pancy, but of Health.

“Assuming everything has gone well, taking from the Department then we vices Road will partially be which is a big assumption, place ‘under Line Wall Chatham Counterguard will move to ‘Rock Unlocked’ - phase very strict dis- closed and off as part of previ- ‘new normal’ as we head into the autancing con- will be shut the ous announcements to reduce air tumn,” said Picardo when we must trols’.

“That is the moment traffic to help with The Govern- amount of be most alert of how things progown quality. ment’s be ress.”

UK BASED Public transport will and coming with bus routes It is around then that weddings normal atseeing new timetables for funerals will have almost tendance figures returned. passengers and drivers. will Theatre performances take place behind closed Opinion Page 6 doors, but will be viewed

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May 14th - May 27th 2020

THE MAN WHO BEAT COVID TWICE An expat from Alicante has proven you can catch coronavirus a second time... and still survive

Find out how on P5

DISASTER TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS: Ian Tanner

Down the pecking order

THE European Union is making desperate bid to salvage the holidaya season for the costas.

It comes after Brits were warned that holidays abroad this summer are ‘very likely’ to be cancelled.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock broke the potentially devastating news for Spain during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday.

By Laurence Dollimore and Joshua Parfitt

has twice been diagnosed but cheated

death

Expats describe the likely cancelation of the summer holidays for Brits in Spain as ‘catastrophic’

“We haven’t made a final decision... but it is unlikely that big, lavish ternational holidays are going to inbe possible for this summer,” he told hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip huge blow for the Spanish tourism inSchofield.

“To have to wait four fallow months dustry, with the costas heavily reliant The move, if confirmed, would be a on the tens of millions of British tour- and then have the summer taken AN emu has become the latest away from you… it’s catastrophic.” ists who visit every summer. victim of coronavirus.

He added: “A number of entertainers Some 12% of the country’s GDP The flightless bird in Verdegas, is may be forced to go home, from tourism, while in the Comunidad though I do Alicante, has been left homeValenciana it is the biggest employer, believe it’s a question of staying strong less after its owner died generating 14.6% of the region’s GDP. in body and mind. When it does open of COVID-19. up, Benidorm will be ready like a ragThe revelation by Hancock came just ing bull.”

It was part of a menagerie of hours after Spain announced a mananimals, which also included27 datory 14-day quarantine for all inter- There is still a glimmer of hope for a llama – since re-homed in Barnational travellers arriving from May tourism, with Ryanair announcing celona – that were left abanthat it would be restarting around 15 - the same measure announced doned. by 40% of its flights across the UK on Monday.

Europe from A concerned local called in It would mean tourists having to stay July 1.

El Refugio del Burrito donkey Flying out of 80 bases, their destiinside their accommodation for two nations and the probability sanctuary in Cordoba, which weeks, before having to quarantine of them has been sending supplies filling up will depend on agreements once again when arriving back to for the animals to be fed. the between countries.

UK. When it comes to being rehom“It will most likely continue through- The UK has already confirmed, for ed, the emu has been left firmly out the de-escalation period,” con- example, that quarantine measures down the pecking order. firmed Health Minister Salvador Illa. will not apply to those travelling from Nicky Cohen, from the refuge France or Ireland and there will This could run into July. be said: “The problem is that you For those without second homes and considerable lobbying by the Spanish need a special zoological tourism industry and airlines over who don’t plan on staying for months lithe cence to own an emu. at a time, it makes a holiday to Spain next few weeks.

“If there is anyone who does practically impossible in the short have the right papers, term. we Flexible would love to hear from them.”

FREEDOM: Palma residents finally The moves were described as a ‘disas- Last night the European Union conterrace as Mallorca enters Phase get to enjoy a drink on a restaurant ter’ by the Costa Blanca’s leading hotel firmed 1 it would do everything it could association, Hosbec. to help “If the quarantine is still in place It proposes a phased approach across in July and August, we can wave good- the European Union that sweeps away bye to any hopes of British tourists closed returning this summer,” its president, The borders and travel restrictions.

Commission said is looking to Toni Mayor, said. give people the ability, confidence and “For places like Benidorm that safety pend so heavily on UK tourists,de- “Free to travel again. it movement and cross-border would be a disaster.” travel are key to tourism,” insisted He added: “I don’t see international spokesman. a flights to Spain resuming until July at But he warned: “This approach must the earliest. It’s a body blow.” also Local expats are certainly in agree- bilitybe flexible, including the possito reintroduce certain measures ment. if the epidemiological situation reFormer West End star and leading quires.”

Benidorm entertainer Jamie Somers, Germany is now studying an agreesaid he’s already seen ‘thousands in ment with Mallorca, while a corridor losses’ and won’t make a penny until is already set to open up between ‘July or August’.

Czech Republic and Croatia, takingthe SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS in The singer, who performs 14 times Austria and Germany. week in the summer, added: “Whata Whatever Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea happens, it will be a maspeople tend to forget, is most in sive blow for Spain if the usual British the entertainment game live hand-to- influx does not happen in July and mouth from November until the seawww.moraira-hamiltons.net son picks up.

Readers react to a Spanish sexpert warning against ‘rimming’ and French kissing as Spain emerges from lockdown (Dog days aren’t over, Issue 343, pg 24)

Ignorance is bliss I thought I knew a bit about this, but what the heck is ‘trimming’?

No don't tell me – I'm too old at 76 years!

Pauline Laverick, Torrevieja

Worth the wait That’s the funniest article I’ve seen during the whole lockdown.

It’s almost been worth being inside all this time just to read this!

Hilarious. Thank you Olive Press.

Sharon Dolman, Malaga

Help me, Google!

OMG, I actually spat my tea out! I confess, I had to Google ‘rimming’.

Jane Burgess, Marbella

Light relief The best article I’ve read in a long time.

Kelly Ainsworth, Blackburn

Photo by Allan Binderup

At least you can do this at last..

I enjoyed your article. 7 I remember sitting in a bar (2017?) in Bariloche, Argentina, eavesdropping on an argument (rather heated!) among two patrons concerning Argentina's continuing defaulting on loans, gold and the Nazis etc. (In Gold Blood, Issue 343, pg 10). From what I gleaned (their argument was in Spanish), these guys were in agreement that stolen gold was indeed smuggled from Europe to Argentina. They differed in their view that the many Argentina loan defaults are due to their ‘disproportionate’ (my word) gold reserves.

Evidently Argentina has less than 1% of the world's population but 5-10% of the world's gold supply... According to these two guys, something just didn't add up.

Jack Gaioni, US

Misunderstanding I read in your paper some criticism of a vet who thought it wise to put a cat to sleep (Claws out, Issue 343, pg 2). I would like to say the Butibamba vet is one of the very best on the coast. I suggest that the owner was very stressed and hysterical, hence there was a row between her and the vet. I had two dogs in his care. He was recommended to me and I have been a client of his for six years. Unfortunately I was not a witness to the incident but know him to be highly intelligent, gentle and very caring. I can’t believe it is in his nature to be aggressive at all and can only think that the woman concerned was in a highly emotional state and provoked him in her grief.

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

Nina Jones, La Cala de Mijas

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What a bummer

Nazi chat

21

23

Across 6 Austrian Alpine resident (8) 8 Immediately following (4) 9 Spoken (4) 10 Memento (8) 11 Paving substance (7) 14 In this place (4) 15 Leaf of a book (4) 16 Camera stands (7) 20 Type of effigy museum (8) 21 Intentions (4) 22 Breezy (4) 23 Applying a protective layer (8) Down 1 Table-top game (4) 2 Ship (6) 3 Muzzle (5) 4 Submerged half-way up the legs (4-4) 5 Stir to action (6) 7 Fenced areas (5) 12 Main roads (8) 13 Exclamation of contempt (3) 15 Tranquil (6) 17 Rural (6) 18 Fiend (5) 19 Stage items (5) 21 Skills (4)

All solutions are on page 18

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Open for business MIJAS’S popular street markets have reopened.

A series of safety measures have been brought in, including perimeter fencing and barriers to try to keep customers distanced as well as minimum

Anything but easy

EASYJET has announced that it will resume some of its flights on June 15, ahead of a bigger resumption on July 1.

The low-cost airline is only starting routes where it believes ‘there is sufficient customer demand to support profitable flying.’

That includes only one Spanish airport, Barcelona, and 10 UK airports, among them London Gatwick, Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast International.

Meanwhile, Easyjet’s lowcost rival, Jet2 will resume all flights and holidays on July 1, pushing back the original date of June 17.

A Jet2 employee told the Olive Press that workers will have to go back to work a week or two earlier in order to get things running.

THE cost of living in Spain has dropped by 0.7% in April but the cost of up to 50 foods has risen. Lower energy prices have helped make overall living cheaper, despite surging food prices, as the Olive Press investigated last issue (Corona-rouges, Issue 343, pg 6). For example, fresh fish rose by 2.7% in April and now

spacing between stalls.

Each market pitch will be disinfected before and after the day’s trading and vendors will have to wear gloves and masks, and use disinfecting gels.

One for daredevils

SPECTACULAR: Caminito’s cliffside walkway THE reopening of the death-defying Caminito del Rey has been delayed until June 12.

Tickets are now on sale with availability until the end of July.

Open from Friday to Sunday there will be 550 visitors allowed per day. costs 10.5% more than it did at the same time last year.

Something similar has happened to fruit, rising by 1.6% last month, 12.8% higher than last year.

Other non-fresh food products have also risen significantly in price during the last month.

Pizzas and quiche rose by 3.6%, seafood by 3.5%, potatoes by

Food for thought

2.6%, pasta by 2.5% and beer by 2.1%. In the case of electricity, the average household bill is around 20% lower than in April 2019.

15

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Can’t have your cake THE Mediterannean diet may be the pinnacle of a balanced diet, but neither olive oil nor fresh vegetables feature in the top 10 products bought by Spaniards during the lockdown.

Cakes and confectionery instead hold the top spot for supermarket purchases during Spain’s state of alarm, according to a report.

These are followed by spices, cheese and frozen fish.

The report by consumer statistics site Nielsen found the top purchases during the beginning of the state of alarm, on March 14, included basics such as toilet paper, rice, pasta and beans.

Then as a panicked public realised the supermarkets would not sell out, sales of beer, wine and confectionary began to skyrocket.

It comes as the Official College of Dietitians and Nutritionists of the Valencian Community is fearing an increase in obesity following the coronavirus lockdown. The increase in the purchases of chocolate, cakes and alcoholic beverages, together with a decrease in physical ac-

x

But Spanish avoid Med diet staples in favour of comfort foods during the lockdown

By Joshua Parfitt

tivity, could leave a lasting impact on the health of Spaniards.

“Now that we are getting back to work, we are starting to see what’s ahead of us,” said Rafael Birlanga, the president of the college.

“Some 80% of nutritionists who have participated in a study of ours believe there has been a worsening in health and that levels of overweight and obesity have increased during this period of quarantine.”

You are a healthy lot!

The 10 products with the highest sales include, in order: 1. Cakes and confectionary 2. Spices and flavourings 3. Grated cheese 4. Frozen fish 5. Dried fruit 6. Sanitary/ hygiene products 7. Sauces and condiments 8. Coffee 9. Beer 10. Tinned and preserved fish

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Relax and Restore Retreat Wine and Yoga

16

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Aubergines with attitude Life may be too short to stuff a mushroom but the plump purple berenjena makes it so worthwhile

F I

OR the last two months they have been holed up in Granada following a coronavirus travel nightmare (Into the frying pan, Issue 340, March 16). But now British couple Yianni Papoutsis, 44 and Sophie O’Hara,

26, have turned lockdown into a culinary showdown.

To continue their new series of quarantine recipes for the Olive Press, the pair give us a wonderful way to fill a delicious local aubergine.

have a childhood memory of my Greek aunt pulling steaming trays full of Papoutsakia (little shoes) out of the oven first thing in the morning, before the heat of the day made cooking unbearable. I used to sneak a couple, scalding hot, there and then although these yummy stuffed aubergines were made to be enjoyed cold over the next couple of days.

Even though they grow wild in India and Africa and have been cultivated in China since the fifth century, Euro-

peans missed out on aubergines until they were introduced by the Moors in the Middle Ages.

Different culinary cultures stuff their aubergines differently - meaty, veggie, vegan. Berenjenas rellenas in Spain are stuffed with mince and topped with béchamel, as they are in Greece. I'll admit to leaning towards the Greek flavours but anything from Bolognese to minced meat with onions in gravy works, depending on what you fancy.

Serves 2

Ingredients: ●● 1 aubergine ●● 2 tbsp olive oil ●● 1 bay leaf ●● 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon ●● 1/4 tsp ground cloves ●● 1 tsp oregano ●● 1 tsp thyme ●● 250g minced pork, beef or lamb ●● 1 small onion, finely chopped ●● 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped ●● 50ml red or white wine ●● 200g tinned tomatoes The béchamel: ●● 25g butter ●● 25g all purpose flour ●● 220ml milk ●● 50g melty cheese (Tierno, gruyere, Emmental, cheddar etc.) ●● 1 egg yolk ●● 1/4 tsp nutmeg ●● Salt and pepper to taste ●● 1 handful of parsley

Castaway cooking

By Yianni and Sophie

Method: Step 1: cut it in half lengthways.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Remove the green stem of the aubergine and not to pierce the skin With a sharp knife score a criss-cross pattern over the flesh, being careful (but don’t worry if you do).

Step 2: roast flesh side down for Rub the flesh with olive oil and season heavily with salt and pepper; from the oven and cool.

Remove . wrinkled is skin the and soft is flesh the until 20-40 minutes Step 3: then add the onions, While the aubergine is baking, fry the mince in hot oil until it starts to brown, wine, scraping any yummy garlic, herbs & spices; cook until the garlic begins to brown. Add the the alcohol has boiled off. brown bits off the bottom of the pan and simmer for five minutes until Step 4: ally until most of the Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered stirring occasion soggy. be will es aubergin your or ‘wet’ too not is it sure Make liquid has evaporated.

Step 5: then slowly add the flour, Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat, to turn the heat up stirring continuously until it forms a paste. Be patient and don’t be tempted too high, it will take about five minutes to cook the flour.

Step 6: will slowly come together Add the milk in stages, incorporating it all before adding any more. It sauce. creamy into a smooth, Step 7: Add your cheese and stir until it has completely melted, then stir in the egg yolk and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Step 8: Assemble the shoes! Mash the aubergine flesh with a fork until you’ve hollowed out a container for the meat. Fill the aubergines with the meat, then spoon the béchamel over the top.

Step 9: Cook in the oven at 200C for 20 minutes or until the bechamel has turned golden brown. Garnish with parsley and serve hot with red wine or cold with white wine, and a couple of slices of crusty bread.

Stay tuned for more and check out their blog @nice.olation

on Instagram.

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SERVICE WITH A SMILE: A waiter at Olivia’s La Cala

T

HE Costa del Sol’s larger restaurants have welcomed the Government’s easing of lockdown, as Malaga enters Phase 1.

But small business-owners are more gloomy, citing a ‘lack of guidance’, while others complained ‘it’s just not viable’.

In Phase 1 of the COVID-19 de-escalation plan, terraces are allowed to open at 50% capacity while tables have to be two metres apart.

Olivia’s La Cala boss, Elliott Wright (pic right), was one of the first restaurateurs to fling open his doors on Day 1 of the first phase.

“Everyone’s had a really good time, we’re really pleased with the response,” the 40-year-old TOWIE star told the Olive Press, following a DJ set with cocktails on the terrace.

The restaurant’s first big event since March, comes after months of hygiene planning to keep guests safe.

“Our menus are all on stands so you don’t have to touch them,” Wright added, “We have hand sanitiser at all the entrances and we are temperature testing people when they come in.”

However, further down the coast in Calahonda, Amy Winfield, the founder and owner of the well-known Jammy Olive Cafe, is feeling the heat a little more.

“It’s really, really quiet,” the 37-year-old from Nottingham, who had placed her seven staff on ERTE, told the Olive Press.

“We waited until Wednesday to open up,” the expat of nine years added, “I was a little bit nervous, but the opening day was quite busy.

“But from my customers’ response, everyone is very care-

May 27th - June 9th 2020

The coast’s big restaurateurs taste Phase 1 freedom, while expat bars with tiny terraces are left with a sour taste in their mouth, writes Charlie Smith

Pic: Jon Clarke

Pic: Dilip Kuner

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Size matters

17

CAREFUL: Protective measures in place at Venta Polvovilla in Ronda

PLEASED: Elliott Wright welcomes guests at Olivia’s ful, they are generally in good spirits, but don’t know what they can and can’t do.”

Amy can only seat 16 people at the four outdoor tables she is permitted, and described the health and safety advice from the Government as ‘very hazy’.

Her frustrations are shared by the owner of expat cafe Espresso Bar, just a couple of doors down.

“How do you pay a 100% bill on a 50% income?” Deborah Marks, from Dublin, who

has been at the helm for 12 months, said.

The expat of seven years added: “It’s good if you have a 120 or 80-seat restaurant with a big terrace, but not for the likes of us.

“Normally I can sit 13 people outside, but they have to be two metres apart, so it’s just not viable with four tables.”

A recent study revealed that 50% of Spaniards will not holiday this year, while domestic tourism is set to be more popular this summer

than foreign breaks.

“We’re definitely focusing on the Spanish market,” British hotelier and restaurateur James Stuart, on Cadiz’s Costa de la Luz, told the Olive Press.

The boss of the Califa group, in Vejer, is staggering his bar and restaurant openings in a bid to take the sting out of the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating economic impacts.

He added: “There are not enough clients, we need to do this to help us manage the situation, it’s like starting from scratch.

“We’re going to be relying on people from Cadiz and Sevilla to start with and hopefully Malaga as soon as possible.

We’re a strong brand and we have big terraces.

“The guidance from the Government is inadequate, it’s all up in the air and we’ve had to make it up as we go along.”

By July Stuart’s firm normally employs 80 people, but that will be down to 60 this year, as operations remain at around 75%.

La Sala meanwhile opened the doors of its flagship restaurant on May 22, mak-

ing use of the restaurant’s large terrace.

The celeb favourite opened by operating temperature screening of its guests, as well as staff.

It was also using ‘antivirus mats’ at doorways, as well as ‘single-dose cleaning wipes’, gloves and masks.

Initially the celebrated restaurant will open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm – 2am with a reduced 50% capacity on the outside terrace, allowing plenty of social distancing between tables.

The best dining terrace on the Costa del Sol is open again !!! from Friday 29th May

GETTING READY: Staff at a Sabinillas chiringuito

Pic: Allan Binderup

tel: 952 89 50 35 info@restaurantesarmiento.com Crta. de Casares Km 12’5 Mon & Wed: 13:00-16:00 Thur, Fri, Sat: 13:00-16:00 & 19:30-22:30 Sun: 13:00-16:00 Tue: Closed

www.restaurantesarmiento.com IMPLEMENTS: For serving up ketchup and mayo in Mallorca

authenticity, spontaneity and enjoyment when being around a table

PROPERTY

18

May 27th - June 9th 2020

CH96

45.000€

This single storey chalet style property is surrounded by stunning countryside views. Inside it has been completely modernised and has a bright and spacious feel. At the front it’s gated entrance opens to a patio area which leads to the main entrance with a typical Andalucian entrance hall.

Osuna Office +34 675 787 627

Brit firm ploughing millions into Costa del Sol shopping centre proceeds to next stage

MEGA: Massive centre will take three years to build

It appears to have decided to sink its cash into what it has dubbed Global Resort

Intu Costa del Sol, which it is developing in partnership with local partner Euro-

Corona viewings

Isla Redonda, Sevilla

1 bed, 1 bath Build: 65m2

Mega-mall

RULES on how to safely conduct property viewings have been laid out by an estate agents’ governing body.

Agencies in regions that have entered Phase 1 of the lockdown exit can now show homes and open small (less than 400 sqm) offices to clients by appointment only.

The General Council of the Official Associations of Real Estate Agents (CGCOAPI) says that at the moment viewings can not

be arranged to people living outside the same province as the property.

Homeowners will have to leave the premises at the time of the sales visit and it should be completed as quickly as possible.

Masks and gloves should be worn by both agents and customers, and social distancing maintained at all times, particularly when going through communal areas of buildings.

fund.

The first phase is called ‘the link project’ and will include the construction of 6.5 km of roads plus the building of an overpass and underpass to cross the AP-7 main road.

The centre is slated to be built next to the Torremolinos Conference centre.

“In these times of general economic uncertainty, the projected Global Resort means an important generation of jobs and supplier companies from all sectors, which will become an extraordinary economic engine for the whole province,” said the company.

The British company is also, together with Nuveen, owner of Xanadú near Madrid, one of the largest shopping centres in Spain.

Its major business interests are in the UK where it owns 17 centres.

Break-up bother

info@inlandandalucia.com

CC. Conyper, Local 14, 41640, Osuna, Sevilla

www.inlandandalucia.com

Director of Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers, Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt, explains how to re-arrange asset holdings in Spain between family and friends without attracting a great deal of taxes The following article has been summarised to avoid unnecessary tax technicalities. The quoted tax rates are subject to change from one year to the next. Seek professional legal advice on your matter

C

OVID-19 has brought in its wake a host of nasty effects, both direct and indirectly.

Directly, by infecting and killing hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people the world over, from all ages.

Indirectly, by drastically changing our lifestyles as we struggle to cope and adjust to our new reality.

Governments, in order to

protect the most vulnerable elements of our society, are forced to curtail our fundamental rights and limit our ability to move freely, even forcing non-essential businesses to shut down. But more fundamentally, it has forced people into a seemingly never-ending lockdown, trapped within the walls of their own homes. As a result of these necessary draconian government-imposed measures, it has led to Depres-

Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers is a law firm specialized in conveyancing, taxation, inheritance and litigation. You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by completing our contact form or by telephone on (+34) 952 19 22 88.

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SUDOKU

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

A BRITISH company’s plan for a massive €850 million shopping centre on the Costa del Sol has taken a step forward.

Intur has given the Torremolinos project the green light and has submitted documents to the town hall for the first phase of the project.

This will cost €47 million and involves putting in transport links for the huge centre.

The whole project – which is expected to take three years to complete - looked on the brink of collapse when Intur ran into financial problems.

But it has recently completed the sale of two mega-centres - Puerto Venecia, in Zaragoza, and Intu Asturias – and is in the midst of a restructuring process.

sion-era levels of unemployment, with economies in free fall.

We have gone from Greta’s ‘save the planet’ to save ourselves in the span of only two months.

And we thought Australia’s wildfires, from early on this year, which ravaged the land and devastated wildlife, destroying in their wake thousands of homes and taking the lives of hundreds was going to be the major highlight of 2020.

How little did we know. Does anyone remember when this was a thing?

Amid this dire financial context of millions of workers being laid off, myriad companies filing for bankruptcy, property price drops of 40%, or more, stock markets plunging into the red, wiping out whole fam-

ilies’ life savings, couples are forced to live 24/7 under the same roof - with kids. Understandably, this sparks great tensions or even drives a rift between them, putting relationships under severe strain.

Not everyone has what it takes to come out on top.

Escaping from this ordeal unscathed is proving quite the challenge for many couples and as a result we are sadly witnessing more and more couples filing for divorce.

In this article, we explain a special legal procedure that can be followed in Spain to re-arrange property holdings which saves buyers a considerable amount in taxes.

On buying resale property in Spain, a buyer is normally subject to 8% Property Transfer Tax (ITP), or even more, on the sales proceeds. However, on following what is known as a ‘Dissolution of Joint Property Ownership’ (or DJPO, for short) a buyer attracts only 1.5% Stamp Duty.

In plain English, this procedure saves you 86% in tax, or more.

Interested? Read the full article on my website: www.larrainnesbittabogados.com

BUSINESS

Feel the fear and do it anyway Jonathan Holdaway recalls the crash of 87 and why you SHOULD be planning your finances during the current crisis

W

RITTEN by Susan Jeffers, this is the title of one of the first ‘motivational’ books I received as a Christmas present in 1987, just over two months after ‘Black Monday’ on October 19.

This was the first stock market crash I had experienced in my career, and was sudden, severe and largely unexpected. It came straight after the weekend of the great storm of 1987, and wiped off around 23% of the value of the FTSE 100 in two days.

I remember going out to help save my father’s boat that weekend, as it was moored a little offshore and in danger of being set adrift and wrecked. At that time I was unaware that the markets were about to suffer a similar fate.

At that time everyone thought it was the end of the world and yet, looking back at a chart of the FTSE 100 now, it is hardly discernible as a little blip on an otherwise relentless rise upwards.

There is a standard warning which is often quoted about investments: ‘the value can go down as well as up’ and this would be one that appeals to the pessimists amongst us.

However, as an optimist and with my experience of many stock market crashes over the last 30 years or so, I prefer ‘what comes down must go up again’.

In fact, I would go as far as to say why wouldn’t you want to buy something at a 20 to 30% discount?

Now is also a great time to do some proper financial lifetime cashflow planning a key component of my wealth planning proposition.

My clients can literally see what their financial future may look like and discover their own ‘number’. This is the amount of money they will need, factoring in future expected life events in order to achieve everything they want to in their life. Bringing money to life.

It allows them to incorporate any proposed changes and examine the impact before going ahead with them.

‘What if’ scenarios can also be included, to test the resilience of their plan, so that the effects of a future crisis, and another stock market crash can be assessed in the plan.

It’s a highly successful, innovative way of connecting people to their money, allowing them to stay on track, no matter what the world throws at them.

Ensure that your money doesn’t run out before you do – let me provide you with a plan and help keep you on track until you achieve your goals, and answer some of the questions previously posed by my clients.

Can I afford to retire at 60, or at least move to a three-day week?

Can we afford to give our kids £25k as a deposit for a house?

If I retired at 60, how long could we maintain our lifestyle and when would the money run out?

What growth rate do I need in my portfolio to meet my future plans?

No lifetime cashflow plan can predict your future but as General Eisenhower once said, ‘Plans are a waste of time. But planning is essential’.

Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303/+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.

Talk to us today

Visit BinckBank.com/opportunity

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Making a Splash

IT’S that time of year when the weather is starting to get warmer and despite the coronavirus lockdown people want to take a dip.

But after the long winter lay-off, would-be bathers may find their pools are not quite in top condition.

The good news is that Splash Pools has re-opened its premises on the Mijas road, on urbanisation Doña Pilar, just by the Valpairaso restaurant.

In fact, the family-run business run by Sammi and Paul Clueit since 1999, has maintained its operations throughout all but three weeks of the lockdown. These include general

maintenance as well as leak detection and major renovations.

But now they have been able to open the doors to their retail premises to people who need help and advice as well as to pick up any chemicals and spare parts that they need.

Sammi said: “We are always happy to help, but it is a good idea to phone first to see if we can advise over the line or to make sure we have in stock whatever you need.” She added that if you need a particular part, then to take it along to ensure an exact replacement.

You can call them on 952 591 053

We will not fly

Spain swaps foreign holidays for domestic breaks as tourist spending set to take corona hit

HALF of Spaniards have said they will not go on holiday this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A new survey has also revealed that four out of 10 ‘will not fly’ until a vaccine for the killer virus is developed.

Domestic spots like the Costa del Sol, where 65% of holiday homes are Spanish-owned, are therefore the most popular option.

Of the 50% of respondents who intend to take a vacation, 41% will do so in Spain, according to the EY-Parthenon study of 2,106 people.

An additional 8% who were due to holiday abroad, will now also take a break domes-

ISLAND BREAK: Mallorca this year?

tically, while 9% still plan to travel outside Spain in 2020. Meanwhile the research is damning for tourist spending, with 42% of those polled saying they will shell out ‘less, much less or nothing’.

However, 16% claimed they would be willing to increase their holiday budget and 38% said it would remain unchanged.

ANDALUCIA’S regional government has pledged €1.6 bilOn the other hand, 70% lion towards upgrading hotels with a new ‘Grand Luxury’ said they would be open to classification taking the lion’s share. spending ‘a bit more’ if they The Junta’s Governing Council aims to “restore competitivewere allowed more wiggle ness to a sector that had been waiting 16 years for this deroom over cancellations cree,” according to vice president of the Board, Juan Marin. and booking modifications.

The money has been promised over the course of five years, The study also found that with €1.1 billion earmarked to partly finance new hotels in 70% of people would spend the Grand Luxury sector. the same in cafes, bars and Another €500 million has been promised to help existing restaurants, with the other three, four and five star establishments 30% likely to splash ‘less, that want to improve their category between 2020 and 2021. much less or no cash at all’.

Cash for luxury

TURBULENCE ON THE STOCK MARKET BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7.

29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226

19

Spain: (+34) 951 56 56 56 UK: (+44) 203 901 2756 Email: info@binckbank.com www.binckbank.com

20

Affordable Business Contacts

May 13, 2020

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HEALTH

21

KO-ing the corona kilos

May 27th - June 9th 2020

How one leading doctor tied a virtual knot in her overeating habits with a Gastric Mind Band, writes Dilip Kuner WHILE many of us have been piling on the lockdown pounds, one woman has been waging war on weight with an incredible mind therapy that gives the corona-kilos a slim chance of victory.

British doctor Elisabeth Adams has been steadily shedding surplus fat since flying to Spain

to complete the non-surgical Gastric Mind Band (GMB) treatment in December.

Not the easiest time to lose weight, the 54-year-old gynaecologist returned to her Somerset home with fresh resolve and was delighted to see her waistline shrinking throughout the festive period.

When lockdown hit, confining her to the house with husband David and teenage children Jamie, 17, and daughter Alex, 13, her efforts could so easily have been derailed.

“Two teens certainly get through the food and they have been demanding chocolate

Snakes alive!

Lisa Burgess

Lisa Burgess confronts her inner serpent during lockdown and puts it right back in its cage...

M

ENTAL health is often neglected in these dire times so to keep the brain firing on all cylinders I do frequent Zoom quizzes in Dulwich with my British, Irish and French friends.

Friday night was girls versus boys and the subject was history. When asked what battle English Henry V won against the French, I was at the ready with the Battle of Agincourt but got stuck on what film was written and directed by Luc Besson in 1994? I knew it, it was on the tip of my tongue but my opponents got it: Leon (Lion).

Talking about ferocious beasts, my Facebook Memories threw up a picture of me with a large snake and 3 Irish models from 5 years ago, when I worked on Ireland AM's morning show. It was a moment in time where I had to face my ‘ophidiophobia’ and get on with it, much like my carcinophobia (fear of cancer). Actually, the snake was charming!

As I was browsing my happy

SLIPPERY CHARACTER: Some of Lisa’s old TV friends memories there was a sudden thud from my washing machine. Let's put this in context: the fridge, cooker and washing machine have all had to be replaced recently due to their antiquity, much like myself and The Hundred Years War ensued when my fella Joffrey, a chef in case you don’t know, did not appreciate that my TWO dressing gowns were being held captive in the load, hiss spit.

I commenced immediate social distancing from the kitchen and to say we were in a spin is an understatement but it was eventually resolved

by Chef with a little help from Alexa.

Prior to the laundry skirmish, we agreed Joff would trim my hair but I cast a beady eye on him hacking vigorously away at the onions and decided Mona Lisa should remain Co-

rona Lisa.

We were looking forward to our first night out in Phase 1, courtesy of friends at a luxury villa in La Cala, for another fierce quiz clash themed on the animal kingdom.

During my research, I found that spitting cobras can blind an adult male lion in seconds.

I pondered on the subject of toxicity and emotional well-being, especially the tumultuous internal mind battle one faces under lockdown.

The words of William Shakespeare's Henry V gave me some much-needed counsel: ‘men of few words are the best men’. It made me realise that my own human behaviour needs adapting so I intend to hold my asp tongue and be more subdued lioness at the quiz, the better to direct my focus on winning the lion’s share of the points!

biscuits with menaces, so the temptation is always there,” Elisabeth, from Taunton, told the Olive Press.

Obesity is a high risk factor for a serious reaction to Covid-19 but the GMB programme kept her on the BIG BATTLE: Elisabeth has lost straight and narrow.

“I was sceptical about GMB eight kilos in just six months beforehand and my husband, GMB in Fuengirola, in Spain, on tional approach,” she continwho is also a gynaecologist, Google. I was pretty sceptical ues. “Now, I already knew a lot was even more so,” she conbut also intrigued.” of the things they were telling tinues.

So she booked a flight to com- me because it’s part of my job, “However, it was amazing how plete the three-day programme but they reinforced the knowlwell it worked and it has continat the Elite Clinic, run by well edge I already had. ued to work.” established expats Martin and “Hypnotherapy was a small part She explained that her deMarion Shirran. of the whole process, but the imcision to try the programme “I was impressed straight mersive three-day programme (which incorpoaway,” she con- was so much more… it was very rates both cognitinues.

“Mari- impressive.” tive behavioural I was advising on and Martin Since she started her therapy, therapy and are very caring. six months ago, Elisabeth, who clinical hypnosis) patients to lose Working as a works with the Nuffield group, came about due health profes- has managed to lose eight kilos weight and to the amount sional, I know to bring her BMI down to 28. of her obese pagetting larger how difficult it “I still have a way to go but I am tients she sees can be to give very pleased with how things are myself on a weekly bapeople the time progressing, especially with the sis. and attention added hazard of being locked Many of them are they need. indoors with the biscuit tin.” too overweight to even have the “My first session was due to Her tips for people struggling most simple of procedures, and take two or three hours but I with their weight during the conshe has long recommended emerged after eight. tinued lockdown here in Andalutaking the normal gastric band “Their philosophy is to really cia, and most of Spain – and at surgery, which is far more invadelve deep down into the pa- any other time for that matter? sive. tient’s psychology. A lot of eat- “If you are stressed, bored or “Patients understandably find ing problems start at the sub- tired it is a very easy release to it worrying. But the danger conscious level and need to be eat to compensate. is if they don’t deal with their properly dug into.

“Think of doing something else. weight problem, the other “Martin and Marion are pas- And get out of the habit of eating more important issues resionate about getting to the too much. Stop when you feel main,” she adds. root cause. That was very ob- you have had enough – even So she started looking around vious. if it means leaving food on the for an alternative – and not “They also take a very educa- plate.” only for her patients.

Incredibly, despite all the options available in the UK, she found her solution on the Costa del Sol. And she elected to be the test case.

Martin and Marion Shirran’s GMB treatment has At five foot seven inches tall garnered world-wide recognition, acres of newspaand weighing 91 kilos, by her per and magazine coverage and appearances on own admittance she was ‘clintelevision shows across the world. ically obese’, with a BMI of They flew to New York to appear on Good Morn31.5. ing America TV show, which has the biggest En“I was very conscious that glish-speaking audience on the planet, as well as while I was advising patients to being featured on Britain’s ITV Daybreak and This lose weight, I was getting larger Morning. Since founding Elite Clinic in Fuengirola myself,” she reveals. in 2004, they have helped hundreds of patients to “Then up popped resolve all kinds of problems, from smoking and drinking addictions to insomnia, phobias and depression. Visit www.gmband.com or phone 34 951 311 591

Global enterprise

Stubbed out

THE sale of menthol cigarettes has been banned throughout Spain.

The ban is part of EU rules that were passed in 2016 and shops found selling them will face fines of up to €10,000.

The ruling was passed as,

Spain bans sale of ‘gateway smoking’ menthol cigarettes while menthol cigarettes are seen as less harmful, they are actually just as bad for your health, if not worse.

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus may never go away.

Even if a vaccine is found, controlling the virus will be a ‘massive effort’.

“It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away,” said Dr Mike Ryan.

There are currently more than 100 potential vaccines in development, but he highlighted how measles is still not eliminated completely, de-

Menthol also has a dilating effect on the pulmonary alveoli, which causes a faster absorption of nicotine from tobacco by the consumer.

This in turn has a powerful addictive spite already having vaccines. effect, which However it is still possible to conindirectly introl the virus, but there is no guarcreases the anteed way of easing restrictions addictive powithout triggering a second wave of tential of the infections. product as a It comes as the UN warned that the whole. pandemic was causing widespread “These fladistress and mental health, particvours inularly in countries where there’s crease the a lack of investment in mental attractivehealthcare. ness of the

Here to stay

product and there is a false perception that they are healthier or less harmful than other cigarettes,” said a spokesman for Spain’s health ministry.

“Some consumers choose this alternative instead of quitting permanently, which has a negative impact on your health.”

Campaigners have welcomed the new law on the so-called ‘gateway smoking’ products, as they encourage young people to pick up the habit.

The EU regulations also state that health warnings must now cover 65% of the packaging and it also bans promoting tobacco products, e-cigarettes and ‘herbal products’ for smoking.

22

COLUMNISTS going overboard

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Y

YOUNG GUN: Giles in the 80s

OU can easily dismiss ‘The Port’ as full of the wannabes, the It girls, and the has-beens as well as the brash, blinged, blasted and frequently botoxed, but it has been an integral part of my life for decades.

Although the anniversary was lost in the lockdown, Puerto Banus celebrated its 50th birthday in May. The project was the brainchild of Catalan construction magnate Jose Banus Masdeu, a close friend of Spain’s leader General Franco and known as ‘the regime’s builder’.

Marbella was already a fashionable and exclusive retreat for the rich and titled old families of Europe.

Glitz, glamour and a seething Ronnie Corbett – Giles Brown chronicles his misspent youth as Puerto Banus turns 50 Banus wanted something different: a resort not for ‘the wealthy few, but for the wealthy many’.

The crowning achievement was Puerto Banus, a yacht harbour on a scale never seen before, with a Mediterranean-style village attached.

The project was called ‘crazy’ and ‘stupid’ when the plans were announced, but he enlisted the services of Beverly Hills architect Noldi Schreck, whose first job was to meet Jose Banus and convince him that Puerto Banus was not a suitable place to build huge

skyscrapers.

He drew an artist’s vision of Puerto Banus as a sophisticated Andalucian village and marina, and then superimposed stark soulless skyscrapers behind them.

This convinced Jose, and Puerto Banus became the first marina to be constructed by a single architect.

Puerto Banus officially opened on May 17, 1970.

Marbella had never had an event like it.

The 1,700 guests included Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, future

Vamos a comer

Spanish King Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Greece, film director Roman Polanski, the Aga Khan, Playboy owner Hugh Heffner (who flew in on the Playboy Jet) and most of the European Jet Set. Entertainment was provided by a young Spanish singer called Julio Iglesias, who was contracted to sing for the guests for the sum of 125,000 pesetas.

In all the party cost Banus eight million pesetas, which included hiring an army of 300 waiters from Sevilla as they couldn’t find enough

Charlie Smith

As Andalucia’s bars and restaurants reopen for business, it’s the perfect time to brush up on your Spanish ordering skills, writes Charlie Smith

GAMBAS pil pil, crusty bread, beer, ensalada de pulpo, real cafe con leche, chips, alioli, tomato salad, jamon, olives – the list of local delicacies my palate has been pining for goes on.

The prospect of eating out again in cafes and restaurants has dominated my existence in recent weeks.

Yes I can easily have a coffee or a nice salad at home, but it’s just not the same is it?

Phase 1 has now arrived and Malaga’s terraces are once again flung open for business – albeit at 50% capacity, with social distancing in place and, crucially, only if establishments can actually afford to start up again.

But for those hungry for a meal outside their own kitchen, throw away that Telepizza flyer because restaurants and bars are beckoning.

If there was ever a time to dust off your Spanish skills, it is now as you once again navigate la carta and share una broma with the barman, obviously from two metres apart.

Tarantino

Under new rules, you may find you are allowed less time in said restaurant or bar, so you will need to take command with the camarero (waiter) from the get-go.

First the drinks.

When I started learning Spanish, quisiera was a word I used a lot. But I quickly realised that this is far too polite.

Whether ordering your cafe, caña, tinto de verano,

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Puerto Banus had arrived.

The 70s and 80s underlined Puerto Banus’ reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. Formula 1 world champion and Guadalmina resident James Hunt would be seen playing backgammon in Sinatra Bar. Sean Connery, whose beachfront villa, Malibu, was less than 10 minute’s walk from Puerto Banus, was also a regular.

I started to visit Puerto Banus on family holidays and, when we moved to Nueva Andalucia in 1985, the Jet-Set marina became my regular haunt.

Being a 17-year-old cashless student at the time meant that I was hardly rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at Menchu’s, so we used to buy beers at the small supermarket and hang out on two benches behind the Hollywood Bar that we christened ‘The Slabs’.

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Puerto Banus was completely different in the 80s.

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zumo de naranja or chupitos (shots), it is much better to state what you want and just tag ‘por favor’ on the end.

This is still very polite though and many people cut the ‘please’ out altogether.

Dame (meaning give me) and ponme (put me) are common when ordering – these do not sound at all demanding to the Spanish ear.

Ponme is from poner, a great verb that Spaniards, as my Spanish teacher explained to me, use for everything: poner la mesa (to set the table), poner una multa (to fine), poner huevos (to lay eggs).

But back to drinks, and if you are still thirsty, say otro de lo mismo (another of the same). This is very useful, especially if you find yourself a bit borracho with all the excitement of Phase 1.

Catching a waiter’s eye, waving your hand and por favor can be used to get their attention, but in my experience it is generally better to holler perdona.

On to food.

There are myriad delights to Spanish cuisine: tapas, pintxos, a quick montadito, seafood and so on.

But there are a few basics you will need first.

‘Soy alergico a ...’ will tell the waiter that you are allergic to something, perhaps nueces (nuts), mariscos (shellfish), or soja (soy).

You may also be intolerant to gluten or lactosa, be vegetariano or perhaps even vegano.

If you are vegan then good luck to you, as in Spain it is not uncommon to be served a ‘meat/fish-free’ dish which contains exactly that.

Qué me recomiendas? is what you could say if you are bewildered by the menu’s numerous raciones and tapas.

However in my experience it is usually better not to ask the waiter so that you can try new things – although a word of warning: if you see ‘carne mechada’, steer clear.

Other pieces of restaurant paraphernalia useful to remember include cenicero (ashtray), aceite de oliva (olive oil) and sillita (high chair).

Finally, you could tell a waiter that your food is quema (burnt) or frío (cold), but don’t be mean, they’ve only just re-opened!

Better to loudly proclaim ‘estaba rico’ as you pay for la cuenta.

Late nights turned into early mornings at Webster’s bar with its legendary lock-ins.

With no social media, any passing celebrity was more likely to be friendly too – apart from Sean Connery who famously told us where to go in the old cinema in Puerto Banus, after we all hummed the James Bond theme tune as he walked in.

I spent an (admittedly hazy) evening with actor John Hurt in Sinatra’s, had an even more hazy night with Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan when we celebrated the end of filming of their movie The Business, frequently spotted Rod Stewart enjoying a hassle-free dinner at a front-line restaurant, and was famously with my friend who was dating Ronnie Corbett’s daughter.

She had broken her curfew and was dancing with us in Joe’s Bar when the curtain by the front door flew open and a very, VERY angry five foot nothing comedian burst in and grabbed his daughter.

When we foolishly tried to interject, we were greeted with a stream of invective that owed more to Quentin Tarantino than the Two Ronnies.

The Puerto Banus of my ‘terrible teens’ may be long gone, and most of the characters too, but every time I find myself walking past the old Hollywood Bar – now a restaurant – I always duck down the narrow walkway to the place where ‘The Slabs’ once stood, pause, and allow myself a little smile.

SPORT Tour de force

23

Kick off

By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

THE Harlem Globetrotters have moved their tour of Spain from May to September due to the coronavirus crisis.

The tour was originally meant to begin on May 8 in Malaga, but that was cancelled as a result of the pandemic, with new dates not being set until now.

These have now been scheduled for September and will kick off in the capital of the Costa del Sol on September 11 and end in Barcelona on September 20.

Tickets will remain valid for the new dates and ticket buyers are not required to make any changes.

LA Liga will return behind closed doors from June 8, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced.

“From June 8, La Liga will be back,” he said.

“Spanish football has a huge following but it will not be the only recreational activity that will return.”

Javier Tebas, the league’s President said he hoped the first round of fixtures could begin on June 12, but La Liga has yet to confirm a date.

Pleased

Teams have been training in groups of 10 so far, but that will increase as the de-es-

calation process moves forward.

Sanchez said: “Spain has done what it should and now new horizons are opening for everyone.

“The time has come to bring back many day-to-day activities.”

Tebas added: “We are very pleased with the decision.

“It is the result of the great work of clubs, players, coaches, CSD (National Sports Council) and agents.

“But we cannot lower our guard, it is important to follow health regulations and ensure the pandemic doesn’t come back.”

Clubs tested their players and staff before returning to training at the start of the month, with only five results coming back as positive.

Keep your distance

AS Spain’s golf courses start reopening, players will have to stick to set of protocols or risk disqualification. A whole new set of rules has been drawn up by the Spanish Golf Federation to maintain social distancing. And in time-honoured golfing fashion, breaking the regulations will be severely punished. Intentional infringement of the ‘coronavirus local rules’ will mean a two stroke penalty or loss of hole in matchplay for a first offence. Break the rules again and the player will be disqualified.

The main points are:

May 27th - June 9th 2020

Sanchez gives green light for La Liga to restart in June

Foul play VILLARREAL and Getafe have both denied any involvement with match fixing in last season’s La Liga.

It comes after a 2-2 draw between the two sides last year is being investigated as part of Operation Oikos.

The operation led to the arrest of 11 people, with five former Osasuna directors and two former Real Betis being given jail sentences.

“Villarreal and its first team wish to show their absolute rejection of the accusations and categorically deny being involved in any way in fixing the game,” said a spokesman.

Matchfixing

LEAD: Messi’s Barca to attack the table With 11 matches still to play in Spain’s top flight, Barcelona are first, two points ahead of rivals Real Madrid

●● Social distance must be kept throughout the whole round ●● Flagsticks must be left untouched in the hole ●● Holes will have a backstop to stop the ball reaching the bottom ●● Only the player can pick up the ball ●● No equipment including clubs and pens can be shared ●● No device such as ball markers, gloves and tees can be borrowed ●● Rakes will not be allowed to be used in bunkers ●● Scorecards, whether card or electronic

in second.

Segunda Division is also set to resume at the same time in mid-June.

must not be passed around and will be disinfected before and after the round, says the federation ●● All objects on the course, including benches, must not be touched ●● In addition players are asked to wait in the car park and then head straight to the first tee five minutes before their booked time ●● On completion of the round they should leave the course immediately ●● Changing rooms and cafés and bars will remain closed ●● Buggies and trolleys must be disinfected before and after each round

Getafe also released a statement saying that the club ‘wish to categorically deny any involvement with this matter and this type of conduct.’

Getafe needed to beat Villarreal on the final day of last season in order to stand a chance of qualifying for the Champions League, but following Valencia’s win against Real Valladolid, both Getafe and Villarreal now had nothing to play for.

“Operation Oikos came about due to an accusation by La Liga, which has joined the case as a private plaintiff, and will take all legal measures necessary to clarify the facts that are under investigation,” La Liga said in a statement.

The

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Cooking for trouble…

FINAL WORDS

AROUND 200 chefs – including several Michelin-starred – have marched on Congress in Madrid in their whites to demand more help from the government during the coronavirus crisis.

Biting problem IBIZA residents are suffering from a plague of mosquitoes that have bred in stagnant hotel and second-home swimming pools left unattended during the lockdown.

Stuck fast TWO hikers in Cartagena had to be rescued by sea after they decided to try to reach a beach, but got stuck on a steep slope at the foot of Monte Roldan.

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Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 344 www.theolivepress.es May 27th - June 9th 2020

A star is born

Speaking the lingo SPAIN can look forward to a rapid return of British tourists, according to internet search figures.

And once they get here, many more will be able to speak Spanish.

The country has been the most searched holiday destination online during the coronavirus

Lockdown Brits have been honing their Spanish skills for their next trip to the costas, study reveals lockdown in the UK. A survey by Holiday Extras named Spain as the number one place people wanted to

visit when travel restrictions are lifted.

The same study also found that 81% of respondents were

Sky’s the limit GETTING creative is one sure way of enticing punters back to your business.

One local hotel went sky high to prove that its restaurant terrace and its gardens were meeting social distancing regulations.

The Kempinski Hotel, in Estepona, sent up a drone and got this unusual aerial shot showing its facilities in perfect shape to open.

Part of its ‘White Gloves Service’ health and safety protocol the security of guests and staff is paramount, although no exact date has been set for its opening.

Yelmo Cinemas meanwhile, send out a photo of two Star Wars stormtroopers to promote the fact that its establishments are opening in Phase 2 of the lock- STYLISH: Kempinski Hotel’s down exit strategy. May the force be with them. stunning aerial shot

looking forward to an overseas trip once free to do so.

And with the news that Spain’s quarantine restrictions to be lifted on July 1 they are soon be able to fulfil their vacation dreams.

But frustrated holidaymakers have not just been dreaming of a trip to sun-kissed Mediterranean shores during lockdown.

Many have been preparing for their much anticipated journeys by learning Spanish during their long hours at home.

Online learning platform Tutorful has noticed an 81% spike in the number of language lessons taken during April.

Mark Hughes, CEO at Tutorful, explained: “We recorded a huge jump in our online language lessons, with Spanish taking the top spot.

“There were four times as many Spanish classes taking place on our platform in April than in March.”

A SPANISH politician has become an internet hit – or rather the ostrich that photobombed him during a press conference has.

Miguel Angel Revilla, the President of Cantabria, was totally oblivious to the special guest that ended up stealing the show.

A video showed the inquisitive bird standing behind the politician and looking over his shoulder.

The bird looked at everything that was happening in absolute amazement.

Homer

The incident occurred when Revilla held a press conference to speak about the reopening of a zoo.

However, he did not notice the bird and continued speaking.

It was only later that the politician noticed the inquisitive bird. Proving he has a sense of humour, Revilla posted on social media an image of the incident together with one of Homer Simpson in an uncannily similar situation.