The
OLIVE PRESS
Your expat
voice in Spain
VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 24 www.theolivepress.es October 21st - November 3rd 2021
EXCLUSIVE: The stunning Costa home where The Crown is setting Lady Diana during her 1990s escapes from her divorce back home...
Sucked dry Illegal water extraction is threatening to drain Spain’s wetland reserves and cause irreversible ecological damage
A NEW report has revealed the shocking extent of water theft from some of Spain’s most fragile wetlands. The WWF study insists the key endangered habitats include the Doñana National Park, in Andalucia, Las Tablas de Daimiel wetlands, in Castilla La Mancha, and the Mar Menor, in Murcia. The report claims groundwater from aquifers is being looted to irrigate vast
By Fiona Govan and Amber Edirisinghe
vegetable and fruit growing zones at an ‘alarming rate’ without proper control by the authorities. The stolen water is enough to fill 65,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools each year, or the equivalent of half the annual water supply to the city of Madrid. A year-long investigation highlights the extraction in four key areas, which the WWF insists are not isolated cases but are the worst examples of nationwide negligence. The Doñana area - home to 2,000 species of wildlife, DEMO: 75,000 protestors gathered in Murcia including the Iberian lynx - already has the Open every day highest protecClosed Monday tion status and is listed as a
reservas:
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UNESCO World Heritage site. Yet 80% of its natural water supplies have already been drained to irrigate the rice paddies and strawberry fields that surround the park, which sits between Cadiz, Sevilla and Huelva.
Excessive The EU’s Court of Justice ruled in June that Spain had broken EU law by allowing the excessive extractions of groundwater there. Its underground aquifers are in serious danger after 1,000 illicit boreholes and 3,000 hectares of illegal crops were discovered around Donana. Meanwhile the Mar Menor is being slowly poisoned as illegal nitrogen-based discharges are causing a build-up of algae that has cut oxygen levels in the lagoon, leaving marine life to suffocate. Last week, 75,000 people joined a demo in Murcia to protest against the ‘death’ of the lagoon. “If this is happening in places like Doñana, or the Mar Menor, what is going on in those areas which aren’t under scrutiny?” asked Rafael Seiz, a scientist at the WWF. One of these could be at the Iznajar reservoir, in Cordoba, after an Olive Press reader revealed that hundreds of fish, at least, have been washing up dead this month. Local expat John
SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea
96 649 1883 www.moraira-hamiltons.net
Continues on Page 4
Opinion Page 6
...WHILE,, also inside, ...WHILE the REAL home that the princess stayed at, which last week was the holiday escape of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his paintbrushes
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CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Blooming neck! A 31-YEAR-OLD Moroccan man has been arrested for attempted murder after cutting another man's neck with a pair of 13 centimetre pruning shears ‘for no apparent reason’ in Valencia city.
Street attack A Georgian man aged 36 has been arrested for ill-treatment after assaulting a woman in the middle of the street in Sueca (Valencia) as well as an off-duty officer who came to the victim's aid.
Top boss VALENCIA’S La Fe Hospital will receive one of 10 cancer treatment machines costing a total €280 million donated by Amancio Ortega, the billionaire boss of Zara.
Bad fall A 42-YEAR-OLD man was rushed to hospital after falling from the roof of a company in Benicarlo (Castellon) when he was installing solar panels.
October 21st - November 3rd 2021
Thugs jailed A PAIR of British men, 44 and 54, have been jailed for 19 years for a violent robbery committed in La Nucia in 2018. The older man had organised the hit against a former partner in a bar business when he found he was planning to buy a €300,000 apartment and had access to a lot of money. Alicante Court heard that the
19 years for Brits who tortured and robbed expat duo By Alex Trelinski
ski-mask wearing assailants, who have not been named, entered their target’s rural home after climbing over the perimeter fence.
SICK COACH
A FORMER gymnastics coach has been jailed for 15-and-ahalf years after sexualy abusing three of his charges who were aged between nine and 14. Former Betxi sports centre employee Carlos Franch Calpe sexually, physically and emotionally abused the youngsters between 2000 and 2017. The Valencian Supreme Court, which has confirmed the sentence, heard that he treated his students ‘in a harsh and demanding manner, pushing the minors to the limit’. Franch took advantage of his position to subject the underage gymnasts to sexual touching. Incidents involving two other minors, dating from the 1990s, were thrown out as a result of the amount of time that had passed.
Brit gun runner caught
A BRITISH man wanted by UK police on firearms charges has been arrested in Madrid. Clinton Blakey, 36, was located after he failed to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court.
‘WIKIPEDIA NARCO’ BACK IN DOCK
He was due to face charges over possession of two guns and 200 rounds of ammunitions. He had been accused of being involved in the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat.
After knocking out the owner with a hammer, he was ‘bound and gagged’ in his home, alongside a female friend who was staying. After threatening to kill the owner, they tasered and water-boarded him, until he handed over €13,000 in cash. The pair finally escaped when the owner tricked his way out of his home by turning off the lights at 1am while using the loo.
Dumped
He and his friend ran out of a garage door and onto the CV70 road where they waved down a passing motorist, who took them to the police. The robbers fled in their car which was later dumped in the Puig Campana area. Police later located it with the same zip ties and insulating tape used to restrain the victims. Also inside the car, they recovered a bank card and passport belonging to the assaulted woman. The two convicted men have been ordered to pay €13,000 back to the victim in addition to €3,500 in compensation.
HE is one of the UK’s genuine Mr Bigs. Now, Brian Charrington - aka the ‘Wikipedia Narco’, for allegedly updating his own Wikipedia page - is back in the dock for a retrial. The British drug trafficker saw his 2018 Alicante trial quashed by the Supreme Court in March due to issues over impartiality. Judges in Madrid had agreed with his defence that getting a fair trial was less likely given the same court had previously made 26 rulings on the case ahead of the 2018 hearing. The 65-year-old expat and his son Ray were originally convicted, along with three others, of smuggling 192 kilos of cocaine from South America to the Costa Blanca in 2012 and 2013. Five other people, including Charrington’s girlfriend, Isabelle Robert, were all acquitted in 2018. The drugs were brought into Altea on yachts along with fake identification papers. Charrington, based in nearby Calpe, was found guilty and handed a 15-year-jail term and fined €31 million. During his retrial that began on Monday Charrington who arrived at court in a white shirt, blue jacket and wearing a North Face baseball cap - refused to answer questions from the prosecution. He did however, reply to his defence lawyer to deny his involvement with drugs smuggling and added that he ‘worked in construction’.
NEWS
The Benahavis villa that served as the secret hideout for Lady Diana’s 1990s trips to the Costa del Sol
October 21st - November 3rd 2021
PERFECT FOR A PRINCESS
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PHOTOS BY: Private Property
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PALATIAL: Stunning eight-bedroom Villa Mozart in Zagaleta
that is playing its role as Lady Diana’s secret Costa del Sol hideout in the fifth series of hit TV drama The Crown. Doubling as the estate where the princess escaped the world’s media following her divorce from Prince Charles, it is far closer to the true location than anyone could possibly imagine. Indeed, ‘Villa Mozart’, as it has been named for the series, sits just over a kilometre from the real escape, Torre de Tramores, where coincidentally British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed last week. It was in 600-hectare Tramores, owned by UK government minister Zac Goldsmith, that Diana is understood to have hid out on
LUXURY: The Titania yacht rented for €600,000 per week
Press
EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke
PHOTOS BY: Vogue and Cordon
W
ITH a price tag of €15 million it is just the sort of holiday villa befitting a princess. In the hills near Benahavis, it boasts eight bedrooms spread over two wings and features a cinema, billiards room, Turkish bath and gym. With a heliport next door and with neighbours including President Putin and Cristiano Ronaldo, it is easy to get in and out unnoticed and the locals won’t be rubber-necking your every move. Based in Spain’s most exclusive estate of La Zagaleta, no expense has been spared on the wall-to-wall onyx marble bathrooms, with their octagonal spa baths and gold taps, while the cross-shaped pool appropriately features a polo horse and rider motif on the bottom. Welcome to the palatial home
ROYAL LIFE: Dodi and Diana in the 1990s, while (right) actress Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West on set this month. two occasions in the mid 1990s. Visiting with her close friend Jemima Goldsmith (then Jemina Khan, married to Pakistan president Imran Khan), she was able to try and get her life back on track away from the prying lenses of the paparazzi. With the British prime minister renting the actual estate, and the Goldsmith family understood to have turned down filming, producers went for the next best thing. And Villa Mozart was perfect for a number of scenes, including ones featuring the princess, played by actress Elizabeth Debicki, 31, and her close friend, Jemima. Olive Press sources revealed that producers hired the villa for a week and used it as a base for the team, when filming nearby in Puerto Banus, San Pedro and in the village of Benahavis itself. “At least three scenes were set in Villa Mozart, while they filmed in a couple of locations nearby in Benahavis,” revealed the source.
Now relocated to Mallorca, the production filmed at Los Amigos restaurant and the Hotel Amanhavis, in the village, as well as on the stunning Titania yacht, which they rented for a reported €600,000 a week. “It has been great for Benahavis,” said expat councillor Scott Marshall. “Having Boris Johnson staying was also a real bonus.” It was also good for Marbella, with the Netflix crew filming a number of times around Puerto Banus.
Relationship
Director Philip Martin was spotted calling the shots with Australian star Debicki, who has replaced British star Emma Corrin as Diana in the fifth series. Other actors spotted around the Spanish resort were Dominic West who plays Prince Charles and Imelda Staunton, who plays the Queen. The fifth series of The Crown will focus very heavily on the collapse of Diana’s relation-
ship with Prince Charles. It will recall her various trips to Spain during the mid-1990s, including her ill-fated trip to stay at Mijas’ Hotel Byblos in 1994 when she was photographed topless. Her trips to Tramores, which dates back to Moorish times, were far more successful although she came close to getting rumbled when she had her sons, princes William and Harry in tow. “While they had the entire estate to themselves and had plenty of opportunities to ride and swim, the princes had been, perhaps inevitably, looking for more exciting modern-day pursuits,” said the source. “It was agreed they would go and try out the exciting new inland water-skiing lake in nearby San Pedro, where users got towed around, not by boat, but by a cable-ski.” A novel idea, but it proved to be
foolhardy as, within minutes of arriving, they were recognised by fellow visitors, one of whom contacted a local Spanish photographer, who zoomed up with a friend and started to take photos. “By incredible fortune the princes covered themselves in blankets in time and their minders were able to get them away, driving, not as the paparazzi were expecting towards Marbella, but inland to Benahavis,” revealed the source. The trail went cold and, despite rumours that they were staying in Benahavis, they were never spotted again that holiday. “It was a stroke of luck and Diana was able to get her life back on track and discuss her next moves after her divorce with one of her best friends,” added the source.
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Dead fish From front page
Pearce reported that it came after the water level was the lowest he had seen in 20 years. “Then last week dead fish started washing up,” he revealed. “I counted around 200 fish in just one 20 metre stretch of shore.” He added locals believe water is being drained off to fill rice fields in nearby Antequera, while a Coca Cola factory may also have been using ‘too much’ water, but the town hall has provided no answers. The WWF blames local authorities for failing to clampdown on illegal farming and the central government for failing to provide the funds and means required to monitor water theft.
Magnitude “There is neither a specific assessment of the water abstractions with a permit from the water authorities, nor a formal estimate of the impact and magnitude of the illegal use of groundwater,” explained a WWF spokesman. The WWF wants the authorities to ‘act urgently and effectively’ to tackle this situation. “Illegal water use is a crime against biodiversity but also against those water users that fully comply with the law and use water responsibly,” he added.
BULLSEYE! A 36-YEAR-OLD man was seriously injured after being gored in the face during the first bull-running fiesta held in the town of Nules since the start of the pandemic. The victim, a man from the town of Onda, sustained serious injuries to his jaw and his eye during the goring and was under the supervision of a specialised surgeon at Cas-
tellon General Hospital. The incident happened during the ‘bous al carrer’ at the annual fiesta in Nules when daredevils rush through the streets chased by bulls. The victim was gored after he lost his footing and fell in the path of a bull which smashed him into a barrier and pierced his face with its horn.
Quake makers TWO businessmen are on trial for their role in an offshore gas storage project blamed for causing hundreds of small earthquakes off Valencia. The pair, both senior executives at Escal UGS, are accused of failing to carry out exploratory studies on seismic activity. The plant, known as Project Castor, was opened in June 2013 to store gas in a depleted oil reservoir beneath the Mediterranean seabed in the Gulf of Valencia. The facility was designed to take gas from the national grid for storage and pump it back into the grid when needed and was designed to store 1.3 billion cubic metres of gas.
October 21st - November 3rd 2021
Call of duty THEY say that a policeman is always on duty – and one Spanish officer has proven so by using his own time for a trip to Gibraltar to learn the British way of policing. Superintendent Oscar Vico Cuesta of the Policia Local in Burjassot, (Valencia) made the 750 kilometres trip to be a guest of the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) for three days. He had asked the RGP if he could pay a visit as he had always been very interested ‘in the philosophy of the British-style of policing.’
Ideas
Vico Cuesta said: “My superior officer saw it as an opportunity for us to learn from the British police model and to bring back new ideas which could be implemented in Burjassot. He also recognised that I
STREET DRINK KIDS
VALENCIA’S mayor has declared war on the problem of mass drinking on the city’s streets. Joan Ribo, the Mayor has pledged to take on 30 more local police to combat crime and social issues related to so called bottlelones. He has also promised to speed up the fine process for people slapped with a penalty for ignoring the alcohol consumption rules. Ribo said: “We don’t want them to become, as has been seen in Barcelona and Madrid,
pitched street battles between the participants and police officers. On Monday the mayor appealed to young people participating in the gatherings to act with more consideration and civility in the Valencian capital. Neighborhood associations across Valencia have complained for weeks about the noise and the mess left following botellones, which can attract hundreds of youngsters.
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Valencia cop learns policing Gibraltar-style
COMMITTED: Oscar Vico Cuesta was a guest of RGP By Dilip Kuner
was willing to take some of my annual leave in order for me to visit Gibraltar!’ In addition to studying the structure and the capabilities of the RGP, he was particularly keen to see ‘policing by consent’ in action. He spent time with officers engaged in Community Policing, in Roads Policing and in the Victim Support teams. He was also briefed on the RGP’s policies regarding professionalism and its handling of crimes.
Vico Cuesta said: “At a personal level, I have learned a great deal that I can adopt and implement in my local police force."
Force He added: “This has been a unique experience and one of the best opportunities to learn. In my policing career, this has been a dream come true and I will be a better police officer for having had this experience. I would like to thank everyone who has made my visit possible.”
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Vol. 15 Issue 379
www.theolivepress.es
Your expat
voice in Spain
October 6th - October 19th 2021
The box is open
Are town halls deliberately targeting expats for cash?
NAMED: Schiffer, Guardiola, Blair and Iglesias
home after his house was ruled to have been built illegally in a court case that he knew nothing about. The Guadalhorce resident only found out about the judgement when a neighbour told him about a demolition notice which had been wrongly addressed to them instead And last issue we reported how Victoria Jenkins and her son were thrown out of their home that had been ‘secretly’ sold from under them at auction over a paltry €4,000 debt to the local council.
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HEARTLESS
A HOST of Costa gangsters, oligarchs and celebrities have been Expat mum and teenage son lose home caught up in a giant offshore tax after courts send scandal. legal notices to wrong Former king Juan Carlos, football address despite earlier family court ruling manager Pep Guardiola and singer Miguel Bose, are among the biggest Spanish names stung in the WHEN Victoria Jenkins’ partner so-called Pandora Papers. Lee EXCLUSIVE But it is the Italian gangster Raf- did a runner leaving her and their By Fiona Govan son on the Costa del Sol, she faele Amato, who was arrested in think life could get any worse. didn’t Malaga, model Claudia Schiffer, to bring who has a home in Mallorca, and But the expat family have been evict- she said. up my son as best I could,” ed after their €320,000 home was Julio Iglesias, who lives in MarThen bella, that will be of most interest sold at auction without their knowl- knockin November 2020, there was a at the door and she was given edge over an unpaid property tax. locally. an eviction notice. The Essex mum from Chelmsford All of them have been exposed “It turns as had moved to Mijas with her having offshore accounts alongside partner debt of out that my ex had a €4,000 unpaid ground tax with when their child Samuel was fourat least five Spanish politicians town hall so they put a forced salethe on the giant trove of documents in years-old. it and someone re- But when he left to go on a leased this week. business for €25,000.” bought it at auction HOMELESS: Victoria and In total, around 600 Spaniards trip to Indonesia some years back, Samuel and (above) the are now under scrutiny after being she never heard from him again. urbanisation they lived on named in the Pandora Papers leak, Her nightmare got worse when it Sold which was compiled by over a doz- took an incredible three years of Amazed that the house her husband I be too late when en media groups around the globe. court appearances to win full custo- paid €320,000 was sold I was never inoff for so formed in the first place?” The papers also put the spotlight dy of Samuel, now 14, with a judge little, she immediately on Russian oligarchs and godfa- finally ruling she could stay in the court to find out how went to the She was told that she must vacate the ther Amato, who used offshore family home until her son turned 18 without her knowledge. it happened property by October 5 this week, but in 2026. companies to amass wealth and “I was told it was a done deal and that can launch an appeal in Madrid. “I gave up any hope of child support That however will take many months assets around Malaga. this final eviction notice A series of well-known expats, such because Lee simply vanished into tive and that my time to was defini- and up to 14 weeks alone just to get a defend it had legal aid lawyer as pop star Shakira and Nobel-Prize thin air, but although our home was passed because I had ignored all the “The judge said assigned to her case. in his name, it was paid off and I was I was out of time and previous legal notices. assured we could stay in it until that the eviction must go ahead,” Continues on Page 2 my “I took she a private lawyer with son reached his 18th birthday,” she the court to demand my case me to said, sobbing. “I’m packing up our file and stuff and have no choice told The discovered that all the but for us to O l i v e notices had been sent previous legal go and stay on a friend’s sofa.” to the wrong And so it came to Press. pass when yesteraddress. day the previous court order allowing “I just got “My lawyer said I could on with cause of this but a year appeal be- her to stay in the home was comlater and still pletely ignored with t h i n g s no one will listen to the duo being me. I keep being evicted. and tried told that I am too late. But how can “Two court officials, two police officers, the two new owners, a locksmith and some other guy showed
“For months and months all the legal notices were sent to an address that didn’t exist,” explained Jenkins. “By the time I found out it was too late.” Meanwhile a hotelier in Ronda was left furious after having to pay a €900 fine when a 952 IBI147 let-834 ter was inexplicably sent to her ex-partner’s office in Marbella - despite all her documentation being registered at the Ronda address. The British resident in Madrid meanwhile told the Olive Press how letters demanding * O f f e r
v a l i d
TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd
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Forum flourishes CONSTRUCTION of a brand new cultural centre for Valencia city is over half way there. The new CaixaForum, based in the City of Arts and the Sciences complex, will be the ninth in Spain. Some 55% of the project has been completed with July 2022 pencilled in for its opening. Constructed with sustainability in mind, materials used include cork, wood and cardboard. La Caixa Foundation director Elisa Duran, said that it would be 'the most spectacular and special' in Spain. CaixaForum is a network of museums, galleries, and exhibition centres sponsored by the not-for-profit La Caixa bank. The 8.200 square metre area in Valencia
OLIVE PRESS
The
On the make
Mijas Costa
AN Olive Press reader has claimed that foreigners are being targeted by Spanish town halls wanting to pocket extra cash. The expat, based in Madrid, believes that a penalty fine for non-payment of ground rent (IBI) on a property was ‘a set up’. It comes after the Olive Press recently reported on two cases in Andalucia, where expats lost their homes due to the incorrect mailing of legal demands. In one case, Gurney Davey was forced to knock down his
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October 21st November 3rd 2021
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FLASHBACK: Recent wrong address victim + that made our +front page up, eight in total, all to make sure that we left the premises,” she added, clearly heartbroken. “I had my stuff packed up and met them at the gate and was told to go to court tomorrow to get the paperwork if I want to launch an appeal. It was horrible,” she added. She continued: “It’s a total scandal that our home worth €320,000 be sold off for just €25,000 for can the sake of a €4,000 debt without our even being informed. “But it’s actually inhumane that they are going to make my son homeless. ALL AREAS COVERED “His father abandoned us but I thought that at least we have a roof over our heads but now 4G UNLIMITED that has been taken despite a INTERNET court order promising us anIDEAL FOR other five years. STREAMING TV “I was never even given the chance to stand before a judge ALSO IPTV, and argue my case. This is not SATELLITE TV justice.” The Olive Press was hoping to tel: (0034) 952 763 840 get some answers on the case info@theskydoctor.com before we went to press.
X
www.theolivepress.es
THE SKY DOCTOR
Tel: 952 147 834
the annual IBI on her property were sent to totally the wrong building. “Meanwhile I kept asking for the bills, and was told by Madrid town hall that they would come in the post. Eventually when I found out what had happened and complained, I was told ‘these things happen sometimes’ but I still had to pay the penalty for late payment. See page 11 & 18
TM
www.theskydoctor.com
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3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .
21/6/19 13:30
Racket
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AFTER
“It stinks of a racket to deliberately make money and I have to wonder whether they are targeting those with foreign names around Spain as we are less capable of fighting back?” Have you been deliberately targeted? Do you have a story about legal and official notices going to the wrong address? How has it affected you? Get in touch at newsdesk@theolivepress.es.
APPLICATION FOR CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS Summary of application for conciliation proceedings under consideration at Forliksrådet i Oslo - Avd. 1: Case no. F2019-042447 Complainant: Modhi Finance As, Postboks 253 Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Org.Nr. 00919628103 Defendant: Blanca Eva Mendoza Herrera. Last known address: C/Felantis 5 Planta 2 Puerta 2, ES - 08016 Barcelona The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 40801,01with the addition of interest at the legal rate and legal costs. The Defendant is ordered to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 19.11.2021 stating whether or not the Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply has not been delivered prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judgment by default can be pronounced on the basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case. As the Defendant has no known address, service will be executed with authority in the Courts Act Section 181. The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been legally served when it has been posted at the legal venue for four weeks. The documents pertaining to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices at Pilestrædet 19, 0033 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.
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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.
OPINION NO DRY SUBJECT! AS if Spain didn’t already have a problem with its waterworks. A hard-hitting WWF report has slammed the country for not protecting its key, precious wetlands. Their illegal draining to irrigate unlicensed farmland is a travesty that the Spanish government is well equipped to deal with, if only it had the political will to do so. That the investigation has been left to a charity is a veritable scandal in itself. Sure, lip service has been paid to the serious issue of the Mar Menor, but mostly it has been blame and counter-blame from politicians on both sides. Meanwhile, Spain was firmly reprimanded by the EU for failing to act against illegal farming practices in Doñana some years back… yet not enough has been done to curb it. How many other environmental travesties are being carried out right under the nose of local Spanish authorities? In this issue we highlight one alarming case that appears to be brewing at the Iznajar reservoir, in rural Cordoba. With what appears to be thousands of dead fish floating into the shore over recent weeks, we hope urgent action is being taken to investigate it. We doubt it, however. What we need to do is vote with our feet and take our own action. If we want to eat strawberries and salad leaves all year round, we can expect to see an even larger proliferation of greenhouses across more swathes of the Spanish countryside. The cost however, will be huge. It’s certainly time the authorities did their own bit before it’s too late.
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NEWS FEATURE
CROWN AND COUNTRY
ROW of photographers lined the track outside the leafy Torre de Tramores estate in the foothills of Spain’s newest national park the Sierra de las Nieves. Kitted out in khaki shorts and t-shirts, the appropriate attire for an Indian summer on the Costa del Sol, they scoured the horizon and waited patiently for their subject: the UK’s beleaguered prime minister Boris Johnson, who had fled abroad, trying (but failing) to escape a growing gas and produce crisis festering back home. All set for a jolly week of peace hidden away in a secret valley ten miles inland from the coast, near Benahavis, the Old Etonian must have been spitting in his cornflakes when he woke up to find his those times when the preshols gracing the front pages … sure of leading the country the best in the Sunday Mirror: got too much for him. Just about the only picture of the ‘What Costa Living Crisis?’ Drat and blast! Just the sec- holiday showed the mop top ond day of his break, follow- leader standing squinting into ing a rousing Conservative the evening sun in a pink work party conference speech (typ- shirt painting a sunset over, eh, Sotogrande! ically short on Well that direcfacts, large on tion at least. banter, a la BoIt looked A fortnight earris) his plans to lier he’d have go hiking, a day staged to caught the on the beach perhaps mountain horiand carousing zon in flames, the boutiques invoke some from the Sierra of Marbella sympathy Bermeja fire. old town came It looked staged crashing around to perhaps inhis ears. He would just have to make voke some sympathy from do with the 600-plus hectares his long-suffering subjects of woodlands, with semi-trop- back home, now feeling the ical gardens, a duo of swim- catastrophe of Brexit coming ming pools, tennis court and, home to roost. one would expect, a croquet But, above all, how tragic that he should be foiled in pitch or two. Oh, and dabbling with his his cheeky getaway, while the paint brushes in the after- rest of the UK had been more noon sun, as his hero Winston or less ordered to Staycation! Churchill had once done all How ironic as well that this
How the Olive Press played its part in Boris Johnson’s painting break on the Costa del Sol that didn’t play well to the crisis-torn subjects back in the UK, explains Jon Clarke
SUMPTUOUS: The stunning retreat of Torre de Tramores counts on two pools and 600 hectares
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classic slice of Andalucian paradise, had once allegedly become the redoubt of the world’s most pursued princess, Lady Diana, back in the 1990s. Yes, indeed, the leafy acres of
The Torre de Tramores estate in Benahavis takes its name from an ancient 10th century tower built in the times of the Moorish occupation. The gardens still have their original streams and irrigation channels planned by the former Muslim owners, from the days of Al-Andaluz. The property was bought by
Al Andaluz paradise
multimillionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith, who decided that this would be the place where he would spend the last days of his life. He died of cancer there in 1997.
the Torre de Tramores estate had somehow successfully shielded her from the world’s press who were circling as she hid out with her friend Jemima Khan to escape the scandal of her divorce from Prince Charles and the end of her relationship with surgeon Hasnat Khan. It had been a masterstroke to descend to Benahavis and the estate owned by Jemima’s dad Sir James Goldsmith, who latterly passed it on to her brother Zac Goldsmith, a Tory politician and pal of Johnson’s, on his death. At the time, the world had been wondering where Diana had disappeared to, when suddenly the lenses picked up her sons, Willam and Harry, water skiing nearby in San Pedro and the hunt intensified. But while the princes were pictured at the nearby inland lake, somehow they were never traced to Tramores, a short five minute drive inland from the picturesque village of Benahavis. A few weeks later she would famously be on the yacht of Dodi Fayed off St. Tropez and all set to get married to, shock horror, a Muslim. The Tramores estate is still a marvellous escape today, easily reached by helicopter with its own helipad, and with
www.theolivepress.es
October 21st - November 3rd 2021
7
Those in the know
W
HEN British Prime Minister Boris Johnson flew into Spain to take a break from the challenges of dealing with a fuel crisis and the prospect of empty shelves by Christmas, it was Olive Press editor Jon Clarke who stood up the story with Spanish police. It made the front page of the Sunday Mirror and Mail on Sunday and sparked a wave of criticism back home as a squadron of Fleet Street hacks decamped to the Costa del Sol to pick up the story. We guided them to the amazing Benahavis estate where Boris and his wife Carrie, and toddler son Wilf were staying and gave them the full rundown and background. And we, of course, kept all our online readers in the loop every step of the way. A week earlier an Olive Press story about The Crown filming in Malaga was gracing the UK press, while over the last few months over a dozen stories have seen their way into the international media.
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TOULOUSE LE PLOT: Boris has been painting inside the estate and how his painting was imagined a number of properties sleep- Most intriguing, the Olive ing up to 29 VIP guests. Press can reveal, is a visit by Costing €30,000 a week, it Boris’ father Stanley in the divides between the main Spring, when a source bumped house, set over three levels, into him while hiking in the and a two-bedroom apartment nearby hills. He had been with private access. Another clearly sizing up the place for smaller villa sleeps 10 with a post lockdown break for his five en-suite bedson. rooms. It was on the Occasionally vissecond day of Olive Press ited by Zac and his holiday, on discovered the the Friday, that his brother Nathanial, its most Olive Press Prime Minister the common family discovered visitor is younghad become a that the British est brother Ben, Prime Minister famous guest had become the who oversees the running of most famous the estate. guest for some It has seen many famous time, at least. guests, including Pakistani Through sources in MarbelPrime Minister Imran Khan la, the paper was able to eswho was photographed there tablish that he had arrived on his 1995 honeymoon with straight after the Conservahis now ex-wife Jemima Gold- tive party conference with smith. Hugh Grant has also his new wife Carrie and son allegedly stayed. Wilfred, 18 months. Carrie is
pregnant with their second child. Told he would be spending ‘up to 10 days’ at the estate, we quietly passed the story on to the UK press over the weekend, having just gone to print with our fortnightly edition a few days before. While the government did its best to try and paint a positive slant, it was impossible to stem the criticism of a leader taking an exclusive break, while most people struggled back home. His first foreign break since before the pandemic critics slammed him for leaving the country in the middle of a fuel crisis and with a predicted winter of discontent, with surging energy prices and stock shortages, brewing. The boss of the GMB trade union Gary Smith accused Boris of having ‘swanned off on his jollies while the country
is in the grip of a crisis’. “While working people worry about how they are going to pay the bills, the Prime Minister is relaxing in a luxury villa - missing in action once more.” UK Steel boss Gareth Stace also questioned the timing of the holiday when key industries in Britain were sending out warning signals. Steel producers, as well as manufacturers of paper, glass and ceramics claim they may be forced to halt production unless the government does something about energy prices, which have zoomed up due to the price of natural gas. Stace told LBC radio: “I'm sure he can get on the phone and get talking to them but to my mind, now is not the time for a prime minister to be on holiday, from the steel sector point of view.”
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The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: Benidorm and Costa Blanca hotels don’t 1- Why want to rely on UK tourists coming to Spain has it all - the ultimate guide to 2- Benahavis the hidden gem of Spain’s Costa del Sol luck this time Boris Johnson hoping 3- Better holiday in Spain’s Marbella isn’t as disastrous as previous vacations leaving Spain in drovers 4- Are Brits really where’s the evidence are the new rules for travel between the UK 5- What and Spain now Amber List has been scrapped.
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8
GREEN
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October 21st - November 3rd 2021
WITH THE RUN UP TO COP 26, SPACE TOURISM SHOULD BE OUTLAWED
I
AM not the most fervent fan of the British Royal Family. Her Majesty the Queen is an exception. She is rightly the envy of most nations. Prince Charles shot himself in both feet with the whole Diana/Camilla affair. The less said about ‘Randy Andy’ the better. Prince William, on the other hand, is becoming a true ally of the movement to help save planet Earth from the vicious and damaging effects of climate change. In an interview on the BBC he said that the world’s greatest minds should be focused on trying to save this planet. He said: “It really is crucial that we focus on this planet rather than giving up and heading out into space to try and think of solutions for the future.” I agree. The human race is seldom logical. In July 1969 America put a man on the moon. This cost over $25 billion then. Yet lower income Americans then and now cannot afford proper healthcare.
Countless billions have been invested in space tourism, yet we still can’t cure cancer. It all comes down to priorities. Is the exponential investment in putting the extremely rich into space (with a huge carbon cost) worth it ? Prince William’s father Charles was actually ahead of the curve in talking about environmental changes. William, his son, is a more credible voice that people will listen to.
Don’t COP out…
The COP 26 conference is due to start in Glasgow on October 31. Early November will see more hot air come out of Scotland than the Sahara desert. I feel I could write the headlines now that will come from this critically important meeting of the world’s leaders. But are they truly committed? I think not. China’s Premier Xi Jinping will not be in
Green
Matters
FINAL FRONTIER? By Martin Tye
Repair this planet - don’t try to find the next place to live attendance. The Chinese are the world’s largest polluters. The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will now attend but only following huge political pressure on him to do so. Russia, India. China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil have still not come forward with fresh commitments to make COP 26 a success. Climate issues are all over the media. Electricity costs have soared to unimaginable heights. Gas prices are through the roof. Let’s hope that concrete, tangible, measurable commitments come from this conference. The clock is ticking - the world is suffering.
Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy. +34 638145664 ( Spain Phone ) Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es
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A SPANISH town is becoming a model for how to run a municipality on a sound ecological basis. Just a few kilometres from the brash tourist trap of Benidorm, La Nucia is committed to going green. The town hall has put in charging points for electric cars that are free to all, and has come up with a novel way to discourage the throw-away culture. Mayor Bernabe Cano oversaw a move that meant the more residents recycle, the less local tax they pay, which has been deemed a huge success. The road to a sustainable future has been a long one, with the municipality starting on the journey 20 years ago. Since then it has won three Architizer awards for its ecological architecture. The first step to sustainability was to ban cars from the old town centre and create green areas planted with native pines to improve air quality.
Architecturally the town has embraced a ‘quality of life’ philosophy with an emphasis on single family homes rather than the massive tower blocks seen in Benidorm.
Long run
And the council has chosen architecture that is environmentally friendly. Harking back to the old pre-airconditioning days, walls on the municipal buildings are built to be thick, thus providing a heat sink and reducing cooling and heating costs in the long run. The town hall’s approach has proven to be extremely popular with foreigners, who have flocked to the area. Expats from more than 100 countries make up more than half the population. The mayor hopes that his town can point other Spanish municipalities in the right direction by continuing to set a good green example.
Back to nature A COSTA BLANCA council has demolished a seafront house to help in the regeneration of its beaches and dunes. Positioned between the Babilonia and Vivers beaches, the ageing property in Guardamar was considered to be hindering the redevelopment of the virgin beaches. This area is also known for having two of the 20 nudist beaches on Costa Blanca, namely Playa Els Tossals and Playa El Rebollo. The three month project aims to recover a 120 metre stretch of coastline. The resort has many beaches renowned for their untouched beauty, the sand and the dunes have a natural tendency to slowly migrate west into the city itself - hence the development of the coastal forest and parks to prevent Guardamar from being engulfed with sand.
LA CULTURA
Legacy of Spain’s ‘Schindler’
SPAIN is trying to find the relatives of thousands of Hungarian Jews that were saved from the Nazis by a diplomat branded as the ‘Spanish Schindler’. German industrialist Oskar Schindler famously saved 1,200 Jews during World War Two, with his story being turned into the 1993 film Schindler’s List. Spanish diplomat, Angel Sanz Briz, used a legal device to prevent over 5,200 Hungarians being deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.
Bogus
Sanz Briz created bogus Spanish passports for thousands of Jews. He used an out-of-date 1924 Spanish law that granted citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews who were thrown out of Spain in 1492. Spain’s Foreign Ministry is now working with Centro Sefarad-Israel to see if they can track down the relatives of those people saved by the brave diplomat. Centro Sefarad-Israel director, Miguel de Lucas, said: “For him the principle of humanity, prevailed over the principle of legality.”
October 21st November 3rd 2021
9
THEYDUNNIT! Giant €1 million prize solves literary mystery
A €1 million cash prize has helped solve the mystery of just who a popular ‘woman’ author is - and it turns out to be three middle aged men. For years the identity of Carmen Mola had been kept a closely guarded secret. The
By Kirsty McKenzie
story put out was that she was a university professor working under a pen name to maintain ‘professional integrity’. And so everyone believed - un-
ART CAPITAL MALAGA could soon have a prestigious new museum that may see it take on Madrid as the Spanish capital of art. Picasso’s birth city has welcomed the idea of Russia’s Hermitage Museum (above) opening a gallery in the port. With 3 million pieces in its collection, it would have no problem fully stocking the gallery. There it would join the world famous Pompidou centre offshoot as well as adding to Malaga’s other major artistic draws like the Picasso museum and Carmen-Thyssen gallery. Representatives of the Saint Petersburg museum have been in touch with city mayor Francisco de la Torre to disTHE GAME DEALER: cuss the idea after Barcelona City Council turned it down. By Pieter Aertsen
Dear Jennifer: Don’t hang about police are watching
W
E are all still experiencing changes as a result of BREXIT and here is a little bit more useful information regarding the changes that are occurring all the time and this is regarding GB stickers for your car. All UK registered vehicles must now have a UK sticker to replace the GB sticker. If you have GB on the number plate, you will still need a UK sticker on the vehicle and this must be placed on the rear of the vehicle. Can I suggest that if you have not yet done this, do it immediately as it will save you a lot of bother, as I understand that the police are regularly pulling over UK plated vehicles. I along with many, and feeling frustrated at the way Spanish banks are behaving. Some are on strike, which is totally unbelievable, whilst many are offering very restricted service due to lack of staff and there is the continuing process of closing of branches. I fully appreciate that we need banks for all financial transactions, however you do not need to go to them for house, car or life insurance.
Claim
The after sales that you will receive will be practically non-existent and you will be on your own regarding a claim and also, do you really know what cover you have and are your documents in English. Then of course, there is the situation which I do not like at all – automatic renewal. Therefore please find the time to check your documents and the renewal date, taking into account that you have to give a month’s notice, and come and talk to one of the ladies, or give us a call and we will explain the difference between our policies and the banks and assure you of the excellent after sales procedures. There is nothing more frustrating in having a query which you can´t get answered and this of course, is unacceptable and will never happen in my company.
IF YOU NEED ANY HELP, JUST CALL US ON 966 461 690, EMAIL INFO@JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET
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til her latest work La Bestia (The Beast) won the €1m Planeta award — the world’s highest paying literary trophy. In a plot twist worthy of an award-winning novel, it was revealed that three Spanish men had in fact penned the prize-winning book, when they were flushed out in order to claim the money. Jorge Diaz, Agustin Martinez and Antonio Mercero from Madrid and Mercia wrote The Beast together under the female pseudonym. The grand reveal has come as a huge surprise to literature fans around the world, who believed that Carmen Mola was the ‘Spanish Elena Ferrante’ — a reference to the reclusive, and also pseudonymous, Italian literary novelist. The first book, published anonymously in 2018, named The Gypsy Bride was a story that attracted international acclaim. The debut was followed by The Purple Network and La Nena, with the series focused on Elena Blanco , a police inspector who has to face the toughest and most gruelling cases in Spain. “Carmen Mola is not, like all the lies we’ve been telling, a university professor,” said Diaz on winning the prize. “We are three friends who one day four years ago decided to combine our talent to tell a story.”
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PROPERTY
October 21st November 3rd 2021
SQUIDS IN?
Korean TV sensation’s sets are a doppleganger for iconic building IT is the Korean TV series that has proved a massive worldwide hit. Squid Game is the dystopian tale where contestants play children's games with the penalty for losing being death is noted for its set design. Its sharp geometric shapes and vibrant colours stand out - but are eerily familiar to residents of a famous housing estate in Calpe, Valencia. La Muralla Roja is famous as
an example of post-modern architecture. Designed by architect Ricardo Bofill in 1968 and finished in 1973, it features interconnected communal plazas and bridges. It's painted red on the outside but has internal sections painted blue and violet, and would seem to have been a stunning influence on Squid Game designers. They, however, have remained tight-lipped and not commented on the similarities.
BELGIANS WOOED
www.thinkSPAIN.com
SET: Squid Game (above) resembles La Muralla Roja
PROPERTY developers have launched a charm offensive to woo Belgian house buyers after they overtook Brits for the number of houses bought. Official Valencian government figures show that Belgian purchasers have overtaken them for the first time this year. The Alicante Province Real Estate Promoters Association (Provia) is now targeting Belgian media in a campaign that runs until the end of the year. Besides pointing out the tourism and lifestyle benefits of buying a Costa Blanca property, Provia is emphasising that the area is an ideal destination for teleworking. The campaign recently included a three-day tour for Belgian journalists who were taken to areas like Benidorm, Denia, Moraira, Orihuela, and Torrevieja.
OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 1 Headquartered (5) 4 Where trapeze artists connect (3-3) 9 Tidy CIA mall to find a Duchess (7) 10 Examine the books (5) 11 Soft (5) 12 Cool (6) 14 Accretions (13) 17 It would have been 105 pence (6) 18 Landing site (5) 21 Fright (5) 22 Look over (7) 23 Hands down (6) 24 With regret (5)
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Down 1 Insolent rejoinder (8) 2 Large Japanese wrestlers (5) 3 Diver Tom --- (5) 5 Puzzle solver’s exclamation (1,4,2) 6 Supplemented (5,2) 7 Grasses (4) 8 Political crown of thorns wearer (5,6) 13 In an advantageous way (8) 15 Mountain lions (7) 16 Barely adequate (7) 18 Hebdomads (5) 19 Give on merit (5) 20 Disconcert (4)
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BUSINESS
October 21st - November 3rd 2021
Self-employed fury as they face new hike to make them the highest paying in EU
GO AHEAD: Ione Belarra
Hand out
THE Spanish Government has given the green light to additional funding that the Minister of Social Rights hopes will help tackle child poverty in Spain. The support package includes a direct payment to all families with children who are scraping by on the Minimum Living Wage (IMV). Ione Belarra, leader of junior coalition party Unidas Podemos and minister of Social Rights, said the new cash boost will offer payment for each child in families with low incomes. The maximum amount of €100 will be given to families who have a child under three years of age and €70 if the child is between three and six years old. €50 will be offered for every child in a low-income family between the ages of six to 18. A TOP Spanish steelmaker has slashed production at one of its factories due to the big hike in electricity prices It says that power costs have risen by 400% in a year, which it described as ‘exorbitant’. Sidenor has cut back ‘special steel’ manu-
CASH COWS
SPAIN’S hard-hit self-employed (autonomos) face an €8 a month hike in their social security contributions. The draft General State Budgets for 2022 has outlined a plan to increase both the monthly quotas and the contribution base for self-employed workers starting next year. Currently, most freelance workers in Spain pay around €283 a month in social security fees regardless of how much they earn. That means those that are self employed are still charged even if they don’t take a pen-
ELECTRIC SHOCKER
facture at its Bilbao base for at least 20 days until December 31. The overall effect will be to reduce production by 30% for the rest of 2021.
Prices rise
DEMO: Autonomos in Madrid
By Kirsty McKenzie
ny home that month. The fee, which is paid on top of other taxes, gives access to Spain’s public health system among other welfare benefits including contributions towards a state pension. Critics of the autonomo system have long demanded an overhaul - with self-employed workers in Spain currently paying the highest monthly social security fees in the EU which are far higher than the UK’s €14/ The company says it has yet to make a decision over its 1,500-strong Bilbao workforce but warned that ‘other measures’ might be necessary if price trends continue. Sidenor says it has also has plans to reduce steel production at its other plants in Cantabria and Catalunya.
month (minimum fee), the Netherland’s €50 a year and Germany’s €140 for those earning more than €1,700 a month. However, the new proposal could see some freelancers paying a minimum or €294 per month, up €8 from the current €286.15. Self-employment unions in Spain have already decreed the new payment proposals to be ‘inconceivable’.
Demos
Association of Autonomous Workers (ATA ) Lorenzo Amor said this was ‘not the best time to implement a measure of this nature’. “Many self-employed workers are still on the edge and we have been enduring a ‘complicated’ situation for the last year,” he said. Earlier this year autonomous in the hospitality industry staged a demo in Madrid demanding action to help them after incomes plunged 20%.
SPAIN’S inflation rate has hit its highest mark since September 2008 due mainly to rising power prices. The National Statistics Institute(INE) said last month’s figure stood at 4%, a rise of 0.7% on August’s figure. The INE said electricity bills went up by nearly 11% in September and have risen by 44% over 12 months. But for the government intervening to slash taxes on domestic power bills, power prices would have risen by 61% resulting in an inflation rate of 4.5%. There is no immediate prospect of an inflation slowdown as wholesale electricity prices continue to rise and business users will almost certainly pass on some of their increased costs to consumers. Spain has taken more radical action than its European Union counterparts to buffer consumers against bill hikes. It’s tried to persuade the EU to take regional action but it has not been satisfied with the response so far. The EU set out proposals last week to help the most vulnerable citizens and companies from the unprecedented surge in prices.
TOP CHOICES FASHION chain Zara is the only Spanish brand to appear on Kantar BrandZ annual list of the 100 most valuable labels worldwide. The list combines financial outcomes with consumer surveys of quality and reputation, as well as the brand’s value or potential to generate value for a company. Zara in position 83 is valued at more than $21.3 billion, maintaining the same level as last year. Amancio
Ortega founder of Inditex, the group that owns Zara has a current net worth of $78.9 billion making him the third wealthiest in Europe and the thirteenth wealthiest in the world. This past year has seen particular change in the list due to different consumer priorities during the pandemic. Amazon valued at $683 billion tops the ranking for the third consecutive year, ahead of other tech-giants like Apple valued at $612 billion.
TIME TO CASH IN! Another great opportunity to enjoy cashback rewards with LIBERTY SEGUROS
A
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them to get back on track as we all transition out of the pandemic. With exceptional insurance products that offer great savings without compromising on quality, an extensive network of more than 300 expatriate brokers and agents who are on-hand with friendly, expert advice that’s tailored to each customer – and who speak their language – LIBERTY SEGUROS has become in the preferred expat insurer with over 175,000 expat customers in Spain alone.
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
No room at the inn
COSTA DEL SOL hotels had a bumper holiday weekend, with bosses reporting occupancy rates of up to 95%. The ‘puente’ long weekend combined with unseasonably warm temperatures saw visitors flock to the beaches last week, helping to keep the tills ringing for the hard-pressed hospitality sector. The encouraging figures were announced by the vice-president of the Junta, Juan Marín, who described the data as ‘magnificent’. He said: “They have exceeded the forecasts we had and follow the positive trends set in the summer, confirming a recovery in tourism.”
High cost HOTELIERS across the world have praised Barcelona for its tough stance against ‘unregulated’ holiday lettings by online firms such as AirBnB. A virtual meeting between representatives of hoteliers’ associations from 36 countries demanded more regulation of tourist flats in holiday hotspots - with them saying Barcelona’s model was a step in the right direction. Didac García,of the Barcelona Hotel Association, said that during the meeting hoteliers had criticised the exponential growth of the ‘poorly regulated’ short term lettings market.
October 21st - November 3rd 2021
Travel boost England introduces cheaper COVID testing for fully-vaxxed travellers
FULLY vaccinated passengers and children arriving in England from non-red list countries such as Spain will be able to take a cheaper lateral flow test instead of a PCR test from October 24. The British government had said it would introduce the changes but only recently confirmed the date, meaning the new rules will kick in time for half-term holidays. The new rules mean it will be considerably cheaper to perform the compulsory Day 2 test on arrival to England from non-red list countries. Although the rules only apply
AN abandoned Torrevieja hotel that became a brothel is receiving a new lease of life. French developers ESI are spending €1.5 million on refurbishing the Eden Roc building. They aim to reopen it as a hotel in 18 months time. The Eden Roc was constructed in 1970 and was one of Torrevieja’s first premier hotel and restaurant complexes during the era of the seventies tourist and property booms. It infamously became a hostess club venue before the building was abandoned in 2013.
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New beginning It’s on a prominent setting on a cliff between the Torre del Moro and Cala de la Zorra next to Avenida de Alfred Nobel. The three-storey structure already has stair access to several coves. Owners ESI specialise in computer products but have diversified in recent years to include a portfolio of hotel ownership including projects in Bulgaria.
Bouncing back to England and not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland they may well be rolled out there in the coming weeks. Passengers will still have to book the tests ahead of their flight and include the booking code in the Passenger Locator Form.
AIRPORT FREEDOM
FAMILIES and friends can now wave farewell or welcome arrivals from inside Spain's airport terminals. For the past 17 months, terminal access had been restricted to passengers with a boarding pass unless a special exemption had been granted. The restriction ended last Friday, subject to general health safety rules like mask wearing. Airport bosses reserve the right to restrict entry at busy times to avoid the risk of overcrowding.
Lateral flow tests will still have to be bought privately and list of approved private providers will be posted on gov.uk on October 22. However, travellers who are not fully vaccinated will still need to take a PCR test on day two after arriving and must quarantine for 10 days at home.
Simpler
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it would make travel easier and simpler. Taking away expensive mandatory PCR testing will boost the travel industry and is a major step forward in normalising international travel and encouraging people to book holidays with confidence."
ALICANTE-ELCHE Airport has instantly bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, according to AENA. More than 180,000 tourists will be using Costa Blanca’s biggest airport in the next five days with over 1,200 flights. At the start of October it welcomed 180,000 passengers in just five days on 1,200 flights. This places the transport hub not only in pre-pandemic figures but very close to the numbers enjoyed in 2019, the best ever year for tourism in Alicante province. Compared with the same period in 2020, when the country was in the midst of lockdown there were only 511 flights. Information from AENA also shows the average occupancy of planes is now up to 70%, a marked improvement from the 50% seen during the summer. The airport operator states that the return of British tourism is key and, for the moment, the rest of October and November provide promising figures, considering it is viewed as the low season by many.
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MONEY MATTERS
with Tracy Storer, Senior Partner, Chorus Financial.
FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL
October 21st November 3rd 2021
TASTY DELIGHTS T
YPICALLY overshadowed by its more touristy neighbours Valencia and Andalucia, visitors to Murcia may be surprised to discover the wealth of regional gastronomic delights that can be found along this fertile stretch of Mediterranean coastline. In fact for the second year in a row, Murcia has been nominated as the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy. This is all down to the quality of Murcia’s ingredients.
From fresh quality fruit and vegetables grown on the fertile lands of La Huerta de Murcia, to its own variety of Calasparra rice grown within its terraced paddy fields accompanied by copious amounts of delicious seafood, often pulled fresh from the Med that very morning. The Olive Press takes a look at Murciano cuisine and highlights those dishes that you really won’t want to miss out on.
Pastel de Carne This traditional dish used to be made across Spain in the medieval era however it practically vanished in the nineteenth century. Today Murcia is the only spot where you can enjoy an authentic pastel de carne. The pie uses filo pastry that is intricately fashioned into a pattern and is filled with egg, meat and chorizo. Visitors can find one at almost any bakery in town.
N
Pulpo al Horno
Zarangollo
Zarangollo is a classic Murcian countryside dish that consists of scrambled eggs with courgette and onion and occasionally a few potatoes are added too. This dish is simple, delicious and easy to try your hand at at home
T
his typical tapas dish from Murcia is made by baking a large octopus in the oven with garlic, bay leaf, onion
Arroz Caldero
and beer. Serve with a healthy squeeze of lemon and savour the juicy octopus meat with a satisfying crunch on the outside.
Ensalada Murciana
O
amed after the cauldron-like pan in which it is prepared, arroz caldero is a rice stew traditionally made by the fishermen at Mar Menor, who would use the fish that couldn’t sell at market. Ñoras (little dried peppers common in Murcia), garlic, tomatoes, saffron, and seafood from the Mar Menor are frequently used in the stew.
PENSION OPTIONS
Ten regional specialities to discover in Murcia - the surprising Capital of Gastronomy, writes Amber Edirisinghe
ften served as a starter, this simple but tasty salad is made with tomato, Cieza olives, onion, tuna and hard boiled egg. Many Murcian families have their own variations on this recipe, sometimes swapping out tuna for cod.
Paparajotes
Money Matters answers all your questions on finance, tax, pensions, investments and more here in Spain. This week we received the following question from Mr John P. from Jalon.
Marineras
Dear Tracy,
A
super traditional Murcian dessert is paparajotes, battered and fried lemon leaves along with ice cream. Just make sure to nibble the sweet dough casing and not the leaf itself!
Pan de Calatrava
Hi John, Firstly, you are not alone with this issue! We are in the process of dealing with lots of Aviva and other pension schemes, where our clients are facing similar restrictions. The issue is that when your scheme was originally set up, the manner in which you could access your pension would have been based on what was around then and purchasing an annuity would have been the main feature. Pensions options have changed since then and buying an annuity may not be as attractive as it once was. In 2015 the government introduced pension freedoms and with this came flexible drawdown. This method of accessing your pension has proved to be very popular with pensioners both in the UK and overseas. It is flexible, so it allows you to take what you need from your pension when you need it. This could just be a regular monthly income, or it could be ad-hoc lump sums (or a blend of both). Accessing your pension in this way allows you to plan around your specific income needs and also allows you to take the Spanish tax system into consideration when planning your income. The problem with your current Aviva pension is that to access flexible drawdown you would need to transfer to one of their other pension schemes. Unfortunately, these new schemes are only available to UK residents, which leaves you with the limited options while resident in Spain of buying an annuity, or taking your pension to find an external scheme. Fortunately, there is a solution, as there are several UK pension providers that you could transfer to who offer flexible pensions to non-UK residents. A local adviser such as Chorus can help you explore your options and provide ongoing advice on such pensions. If you have any questions about finance, tax or money matters here in Spain, call +34 965 641 163 or please email them to me on t.storer@chorusfinancial.es with subject ‘Money Matters’. All emails will get a response, and some may even appear in our column!
Money Matters answers all your questions on finance, tax, pensions, investments and more here in Spain.
C
alatrava bread pudding is one of the most popular Murcian desserts. It is a flan made with stale bread or sponge cake with caramel sauce poured on top.
Cuerno Merengue Named after its likeness to a horn this scrumptious dessert consists of a pastry cone filled with soft meringue which is toasted on the top. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth.
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marinera is a breadstick or a very thin piece of toasted bread which is then topped with russian salad (potato, tuna, and vegetables) and an anchovy resting on top. The local challenge is to try and scoff it up in three bites.
Michirones
Beans are one of staple ingredients of the region, featuring in many dishes. Michirones is a tasty stew made with dried beans, meat, and a broth flavoured with ham bone. This is often served as an appetiser in restaurants.
OP Puzzle solutions
Quick Crossword
Across: 1 Based, 4 Mid-air, 9 Camilla, 10 Audit, 11 Cushy, 12 Trendy, 14 Accumulations, 17 Guinea, 18 Wharf, 21 Alarm, 22 Eyeball, 23 Easily, 24 Sadly. Down: 1 Backchat, 2 Sumos, 3 Daley, 5 I have it, 6 Added to, 7 Rats, 8 Party leader, 13 Usefully, 15 Cougars, 16 Minimal, 18 Weeks, 19 Award, 20 Faze.
SUDOKU
I have recently turned 60 and have tried to access my private pension with Aviva. Unfortunately, they have told me that as a non-UK resident my options are restricted to either take an annuity, draw my entire pot or transfer to another pension plan. Can you explain why this is and why I can’t draw down my pension flexibly as originally planned?
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The Olive Press all editions - FP_342x256 - PROMO - October 6th
OLIVE PRESS
The
Coming last
Mercy missions
FINAL WORDS
DRONES are being used to feed and water dogs stranded by lava during the volcanic eruption on La Palma, with two companies vowing to continue the mercy missions ‘while it is safe to do so’.
Naked truth SCIENTISTS at University College London using artificial intelligence and 3D printing have managed to reveal a hidden nude portrait painted by Picasso underneath his work ‘The Blind Man’s Meal’.
Stubbed out A MAN 27, threatened to attack an Alicante bar manager with a screwdriver after illegally lighting up a cigarette on the premises. The customer’s threats led to the police being called in and his subsequent arrest.
Your expat
voice in Spain
VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 24 www.theolivepress.es October 21st - November 3rd 2021
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This is not a Drill
Valencia’s Bioparc celebrated the birth of a new member of its Drill family, a highly endangered species of primate which number less than 4,000 in the wild.
Raunchy video on atheism leads to dean’s resignation A COUPLE grinding suggestively against each other in the hallowed environs of Toledo cathedral for a music video has led to the resignation of the dean. Spanish rapper C Tangana and Argentinian singer Nathy Peluso staged their romp for new release Ateo. Church authorities have launched an investigation into
Bite size?
A 35 metre-long nougat turron - a Spanish speciality for the sweettoothed especially at Christmas - is set to be the largest ever made in Jijona when it takes pride of place at this month’s Alicante Gastronomica fair.
how permission was given for the filming of Ateo – a song meaning Atheist – a collaboration that is full of religious imagery. It appears permission to film was granted by the dean of the cathedral who expressed support for the project arguing that the song and its video ‘presents the story of a religious conversion through love’.
Boogie nights
REVELLERS in Andalucia have been given an extra hour of fun. Late-night opening hours for restaurants and bars have been extended to 2am, while nightclubs can stay open until 3.30am.
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Seeing double
Your expat
voice in Spain
September 8th - September 21st 2021
ORIGINAL SIN
Bishop chucks in his cassock to marry erotic writer
A SPANISH bishop has resigned so he can marry an By Kirsty McKenzie erotic novelist. Xavier Novell announced It his decision to leave the thathas now been revealed he took the personal church just 11 years after he decision due to his relationbecame the youngest bishop ship with erotic writer Silvia in Spain at the age of 41. Caballol. The 52-year-old sent shock- “I waves through the commu- a have fallen in love with woman and I want to do nity when he suddenly re- things signed as the diocese of Sol- vealed. properly," Novell resona for ‘personal reasons’. “It is a magnificent vocation
Short fuse
A MAN attacked an electricity office in Galicia after receiving a high bill. The irate 54-year-old smashed windows at the Naturgy office in Vigo over a huge rise in his normal bill.
He told the police that his anger had up for a day and he could 'no longer been building contain himself'. The government has introduced temporary reductions on IVA to reduce the impact of hikes.
THEY normally take years to produce just one baby. Now a remarkable panda mother has given birth to twins in Madrid. In the first panda births in Madrid Zoo for five years, Huz Zui Ba had her fifth and sixth babies. As soon as she gave birth to her first cub, she put it on her lap and started to give it a good lick. The father is Bing Zing, who last year topped the charts in the ‘Giant Panda Global Awards’ for being the ‘most favourite panda’. The health of the cubs, born with pink skin, is being monitored by vets, joined by two experts from China’s Chengdu Panda Breeding Base. The international captive breeding programme has seen it now declassified from an endangered species to the ‘vulnerable’ category.
SEEN THE LIGHT: Bishop and his lover Silvia but I see that the Lord has wanted me to renounce that ger family." beautiful thing to have a big- Novell will now also ask for the Pope's permission for a dispensation from the vow of celibacy and obedience that all Catholic bishops take when they enter the MARBELLA firefighters priesthood. have rescued an Eurasian If the Pope gives Novell his eagle-owl after one of its talblessing, he is set to marry ons got tangled in netting at the 38-year-old writer from a local golf course. Barcelona. Firefighters used a specialShe has penned at least two ised vehicle to get close to novels, Amnesia Trilogy and the owl, which got trapped at The Hell of Gabriel's Lust, San Pedro Alcantara. which is described as ‘an erotic novel with Satanic overtones’. RARE: Pinkies
Terwit woo hoo!
AMUSED?: Naughty Bishop Novell (above) would have approved
He quoted lyrics from the song including; “I was an atheist but now I believe, because a miracle like you has to have come down from heaven”, as an example.
Big omelette DIGGERS have uncovered a dinosaur’s nest that contains a dozen eggs. The 60 million-year-old discovery was hidden away in a massive two-ton rock in Loarre in north east Spain. Each egg is 15 centimetres in diameter- nearly four times bigger
ANDALUCÍA
than a chicken egg. Early analysis suggests that they were laid by Sauropod titanosaurs, which were herbivores with long tails and necks and could reach a massive 20 metres in length.
He insisted that although the video used ‘provocative visuals’ it was not insulting to the faith. “The aim was only ever to support a dialogue with contemporary culture while always respecting the faith of the church.” However, the archdiocese of Toledo released a statement within hours of the video being released expressing ‘deep regret at what had happened’ and implied the archbishop had known nothing about the project. Subsequently the dean, Juan Miguel Ferrer, resigned from his position.
MOST Spanish men lose their virginity at 19 according to a study which has pinpointed the average age for first time sex in 35 countries. Icelandic teens are apparently the first to slip between the sheets with the average boy losing his virginity at 15.3 in the famously liberal country. According to the report by Manual, Spain comes last - almost - as the country of Latin lovers was ranked only above Japan, where men also lose their virginity at 19, and China, India and Malaysia where men wait until their early 20s to pop their cherry.
Virginity
In comparison, the average age a British man loses his virginity is 18 years and 4 months old. Men in the United States, Greece, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, South Africa, Russia and Mexico, on average, all wait until their 18th birthday before doing the deed. After Iceland, Denmark ranked second youngest with an average of 16.1 while Sweden came next with an average of 16.2.