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VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 28 www.theolivepress.es December 16th - January 12th 2022
All the fun of the slopes 2021 - 2022
A Sierra Nevada
BEST VALUE RENTALS ON THE SLOPES
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Photos by Telemark
Nothing beats a weekend in the Costa del Ski, writes Jon Clarke
the magical architecture And if you fancy a change, Alhambra, why the Sierra Nevada of Spain’s most visited monument, the of the T’S not hard to work out Europe's top skiing is only half an hour away, while the beaches is often dubbed ‘southern beckon in an hour. nearby Costa Tropical sunbathe resort’. in the Alps this week The famous adage of ‘ski in the morning, and it’s While you’ll be shivering lunch is very much game on Pyrenees, I’m eating and it’s foggy in the the top of Spain’s second in the afternoon’ many times. the Sibeen tried and tested in bright sunshine near interests me. I like visiting usu- But none of that the sport, but also the food and highest mountain. the Sierra Nevada is for It’s mid-December and and a few of the regulars erra Nevada watchthe people. ally warm during the day while everyone looks There is simply nothing more amazing than drive are actually skiing in t-shirts, on the skyline as you ing the resort appear Malaga or tanned. washed down with an from around Spain (or fly over to land in that Even better, my light lunch, to just over €10…and Gibraltar). Mulhacen obligatory caña, comes up the slopes! peaks of Veleta and as far as is at a restaurant halfway not the number of ki- The snow-capped miles around (in fact of can be seen for 120 miles as the crow flies) and “Here we sell the weather, Luis Hernandez, boss gone Grazalema, somesteep, often single-carriageway to lometres,” explains Juan the prices have hardly winding up the EOE ski school. “And any drive in the country. the top is as exciting asout with timeless views and up for years.” This is a wonderful day
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Continues on Page 2
SNOW TREKKING: Across
See our special 8 page Sierra Nevada supplement, which tells you all you need to know to get the best out of Europe’s most southerly ski resort See page 9
the sierra
Sharpe-eye NEW STARS: (Clockwise from bottom) Lopez, Yanome, Lourenco, Jose, Herrador and Sevilla
COOKING UP A TREAT
Valencia cuisine shines with six new Michelin stars - four of them with women at the helm THE Michelin Guide has awarded six new Valencia restaurants with coveted stars. An incredible four of them have female head chefs. The gongs confirm the region as one of the true culinary hotspots of Spain with 22 starred joints.
Style & Quality CC El Osito, L’Eliana Next to Clinica Atenea 15 minutes from Valencia Tel: 622 603 392 – 963 514 232
By Fiona Govan
At a ceremony, appropriately in Valencia this week, local culinary whizz Quique Dacosta handed out the awards. The Valencia chef maintained his own three-star restaurant in Denia, while winning a first star for his new Madrid restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz hotel. His third restaurant, El Poblet, in Valencia city also maintained its two stars. The six stars make him one of the most decorated chefs in Spain. Of the six restaurants that received new stars in the Valencia region, four have female chefs. Lienzo has Maria SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS Jose Martinez at the helm, Fierro Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea has Carito Lourenço, while Arwww.moraira-hamiltons.net rels (Vicky Sevil-
96 649 1883
WHIZZ: Quique Dacosta
la) is in Sagunto and Atalaya (Alejandra Herrador) is in Alcossebre. The two other restaurants are Kaido Sushi Bar and Peix & Brases in Denia. Across the whole of Spain a total of 31 restaurants won new stars, with four now becoming two-star establishments.
HE’S traveled the world as a professional footballer winning European trophies and Premier League titles. Now Manchester United and Leeds legend Lee Sharpe is to open an exciting new business on the Costa Blanca. The father-of-two, who is also a TV star and professional golfer, is launching his first Spanish sports bar this weekend.
Bar
Alongside his wife Lucy, the recently established expat, will open Sharpey’s Sports Bar in Javea next week. After a year of settling into life on the Costa Blanca with his two young children, aged four and five, he finally spotted the perfect opportunity. “It’s going to be a real community hub, high on service and atmosphere. And perfect for all the family,” he told the Olive Press. With his wide network of contacts from sports and showbiz you can expect to find plenty of famous faces dropping in. Lee, 50, made the decision to move to Spain during the COVID pandemic in the UK last year. He revealed that he had moved to Javea in October with a new lockdown threatening in the UK last winter. He also quickly realized that with the Brexit deadline looming they would need to get residency status set up. “It took quite a while but we finally got it sorted and got the kids into school. “I’m loving the Spanish lifestyle and the Javea area is a really cool place. It’s nicely understated and without too many knobs in Ferraris and Lamborghinis.”
Awarded
Although no new three star accolades were awarded in the latest edition, the country maintained its 11 three-star restaurants; four in the Basque Country, three in Catalunya, and one each in Madrid, Cantabria, Andalucia and Valencia.
HAPPY FAMILY: Lee with wife Lucy and kids