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THE toxic thermal power station in Alcudia, Es Murterar, has finally confirmed plans for its closure. Endesa-owned Es Murterar is in Spain’s top ten of most polluting power plants, and one of only around a dozen coal-burning power plants left in Spain. Balearic Government president Francina Armengol has met with government officials from all energy and land departments along with the CEO of Endesa to plan the phased closure. They have also ensured that all existing jobs will be saved and transitioned to the new model. The two oldest parts of the power plant are set to close down in January 2020. The other two sections will reduce operating hours to 1,500 hours a year for until August 2020, then just 500 hours per year until 2025.

Global

The plant must be closed by 2025, but will close earlier if the second natural gas link to the mainland is finished before then. "It was necessary to propose a change – and this change in the energy model is global and an opportunity for our islands that can not leave anyone behind," said president Armengol. "It is a solution that fits in with the Climate Change Law and is also a guarantee of continued work. for the employees," she continued. When the first two sections close in 2020, the Balearic Islands will emit 10% less CO2 immediately – Mallorca's emissions alone will drop 33% that day.

16/06/2017

CMY

As Spain adds 11 new towns to its ‘most beautiful’ list, we explore how their unique architecture helped get them there, see Belissimas page XXVI

LET IT GROW continued to be in the top three destinations for property investments in the world for Brits. The only regions where sales fell were in the Canary and Balearic Islands, the latter of which saw a significant 3% drop in the last quarter. Meanwhile, the Spanish house price index published by Tinsa, Spain’s biggest appraisal company, showed such as Barcelona and Madrid were up 9.4% prices in the big cities in November. The Mediterranean coast shot up 7.8%, and the Balearic and Canary Islands up 2.3%.

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Heartbroken family and wife of British filmmaker speak out after mystery balcony fall EXCLUSIVE By Charlie Smith

THE sister of a British filmmaker who plunged from a balcony in Mallorca has spoken of her heartbreak as her brother remains in a coma in hospital. Emma Whiteley told the Olive Press last night she was ‘still speechless’ after her brother Carl Whiteley, 39, from Lincolnshire, fell from his firstfloor flat in Palma a fortnight ago in mysterious circumstances. The ‘friend of the stars’ - who mixed with the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Johnny Depp - smashed his head open at around 11pm, following an argument with his wife, Esther Muñoz, 33. Carl’s sister Emma immediately made the journey from the UK to the Balearics to be with her ‘critically ill’ brother. “I honestly don’t k n o w w h a t to say,” E m m a told the O l i v e P r e s s 15:36 after returning to See page 2 England

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FAMILY: (Left) Sister Emma and (right) Carl with Sylvester Stallone and wife Esther from Palma’s Son Espases Hospital, where Carl still lays in a coma. “I miss my brother. His progress is pretty much the same, there is still no change, but we are praying for a recovery.” Meanwhile his wife Esther denied that she had been in any way involved in his horror plunge on January 30. She told the Olive Press that her husband, with whom she has a daughter Lucy, nine, may have fallen after a gust of wind or due to being ‘dizzy’ after having a few drinks. Speaking at Palma’s Son Espases hospital, she insisted that reports in the Mallorquin press that the pair had argued were ‘totally untrue’.

She said: “We argue like other couples, but that’s it, everybody has their own problems. “The neighbour banged on our door, because she could hear Lucy crying. “She was upset because of all the noise.” She explained that the couple had only just moved into a new flat in central Palma and that they were only just getting used to their home. “It was a windy night and two hours before Carl fell, the wind blew the door open and shut and broke part of the wall,” she explained. “The balcony door was shut, but when I was in bed I heard it open again and I assumed he had gone for IN

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some fresh air. “Then I heard a noise, ran out and saw him lying his head busted, with blood everywhere and I rang the ambulance straight away.” The accountant continued, “I just want him to wake up and tell us what happened. I want to be away from this nightmare that we are living.” After a new brain scan on Carl’s fractured skull, meanwhile, doctors confirmed to his wife that he is stable and has made good progress. “Doctors have begun to take the morphine off bit by bit,” she confirmed this week, “but we need to keep fighting and praying.” The mum-of-one said Carl’s lung capacity and oxygen flow had now also improved, meaning the antibiotics are working. Carl is well-known for his bottle work in cinema, including for writing the script to Emof wine pire. with this ad He is also behind the Harry Potter convention DiagCon, based at Manchester’s Printworks. Emma helped to organise a GoFundMe page with her other brother Chris to pay for any of Carl’s medical bills, with the remaining money going towards brain trauma charities. The fundraiser met the £5,000 total in just 13 days *valid one ad and one anonymous donor per table gave a whopping £1,754.

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A beautiful family home in Calvia village. The property has an approx constructed area of 366m2 and a plot of 1150m2. The house consists of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 ensuite), a large double height lounge and excellent kitchen. In addition there is a guest toilet, laundry room, gym, double garage and 2 storerooms. Outside there is a wonderful terrace overlooking the private pool and extensive garden, all with great views out to Galaxto. Other features of the property are central heating and a/c.

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SPAIN’S property market is expected to continue growing for at least another two years, experts have predicted. According to a leading Catalan institute, ITEC, there will be no slow down until at least 2021. It comes after last year saw sales reach crisis, with a 9.7% year-to-year increase their highest since the 2008 from January to September. Growth was particularly strong in Murcia, Meanwhile, the number of sales in October up 53%, and interestingrose by a huge 17% com- ly, Sevilla province pared to the same month in 2017, according to official government Growth was also saw a 50% spike. statistics (INE). strong across the board in Catalunya, and Barcelona in particular with a rise of 31%. New home sales were up 15% to 7,971 and resales up 17% to 43,536. And it was hotspots like the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca which

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A fantastic house close to the centre of Calvià and yet on a very quiet and private street. The house sits on a plot of 1,300m2 with 240m2 of living area, 26m2 of basement and 80m2 of terraces. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (1 ensuite) and a terrace with exceptional views towards the countryside and mountains. Downstairs is the living room, dining room and kitchen. In addition there is the conservatory, bathroom and large bedroom. Outside there are extensive grassed areas along with a pool and bbq. The property also boasts parking for 4 cars (car port for 2 cars), a basement, gas central heating, a/c and fireplace.

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CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Double hero A GOOD Samaritan is in a serious condition after helping someone in a car crash near the Son Castelló polygono when he was hit himself.

EXCLUSIVE: How the OP exposed one of Spain’s great expat conmen, who died this month

Time’s up for Toni

ONE of Spain’s ‘most despicable’ British expats has finally expired. After fleecing millions from thousands of unwitting victims, Timeshare bandit Toni Mul-

Wheely bad A WOMAN in her 80’s is being investigated after scratching up her neighbours car in Marratxi with her wheelchair.

What the neck A 51-year-old from Palma has been arrested for attempted murder after stabbing his flatmate in the neck for ‘stealing’ €80.

Van-dal A TEENAGER has been arrested after torching a van in Palma, following calls to police from several witnesses.

February 13th - February 26th 2019

doon has finally bitten the dust. The long-time fraudster, who admitted to conning nearly 18,000 innocent people, died of cancer having recently got out of prison in the UK. The pint-sized conman served just half of a seven year sentence for a €6m euro escort scam, which the Olive Press helped to convict him for. A number of our stories on his schemes, set up from his base in Fuengirola, were used as evidence and even read out in his Ipswich court case, in 2013. In an audacious probe, we had installed an undercover

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GUARDIA Civil officers have frozen 98 bank accounts linked to a huge property scam in Mallorca. Police arrested 11 people and are investigating two more after some 300 victims were collectively swindled out of €5-7 million. Head honcho of the fictitious developments plot, Colombian Carlos Garcia Roldan, who disguised his appearance, is among the arrested. The Palma-based criminal activity began in 2015 and 38 properties as far as Barcelona and Tarragona have now been searched.

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BUSINESS AS USUAL EXCLUSIVE By Alex Iszatt

Costa del Sol, sources reveal that his former call centre in Alhaurin El Grande is up and running again. A similar ‘deck’ is said to be operational

VIDEO NASTY

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Neighbours and victims overjoyed as Timeshare Toni arrested over a €6 million money-laun dering fraud

A stain on paradise EXCLUSIVE By James Bryce and Jon Clarke

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PORN films and wife-swapping parties. These are just some of the unsavoury events that neighbours insist took the palatial home of Toni Muldoon.place at So they were decidedly over the moon week, when they heard the dramatic this news that he had been arrested in connection with a multi-million euro fraud.

in Fuengirola. An anonymous source claims staff who manned the desks at Muldoon’s Alhaurin office, are now carrying it on at the business centre down the road. The unnamed business is allegedly being run by Timecharge of share Toni’s lieutenant AnNEW BOSS: Bartle is now in thony Bartle. Mijas home and yacht business Gloucestershire-born Bartle has been involved in the timeised regular work, but after share market for many years, purports to offer timeshare the company – Diamond UK it can be revealed. owners a way to leave their – took his money, he never While he has largely gone unschemes, via an ‘arbitration heard from them again. der the radar, a now defunct service’. The Olive Press source is conEnglish company, LA Bartle, But on its own website, it vinced that Bartle’s network predits a for than derided more been has leaves nothing is connected to Muldoon, atory business practice. PO Box in Marbella to contact who was convicted in Suffolk The company charged £600 and in one section does not in July for running his own to help people get back their even spell its own company dating agency. membership fee, by allegedly name correctly. In total, Muldoon took fees finding buyers, revealed antiThe cost to initiate this ar- from escorts and netted him fraud forum Mindtimeshare. bitration is an eye-watering and his associates £5.7m. Although hundreds lost out, £1900 paid up front by bank The 41-year-old, yacht-loving Bartle was never taken to transfer. Bartle, is also coincidentally court and is no longer based Other companies to ‘watch the administrator of MulMediaABC in the UK, instead relocating include out for’ doon’s former Mijas villa, to Benalmadena. tion, Baines-Cohen and PH which has been at various The website, which helps (none of which are reLegal times a brothel and a swingvictims of suspected fraud, lated to real firms with simi- ers venue. claims to have found other lar names). from Cheltenham, schemes connected to Bartle. is also concern around Originally is There the sports-car loving busischeme such One Bartle’s other businesses, nessman is the administrator J.G.Maach, a website that in particular Adult Network for Eurosur Property Services Limited, which was struck off SL, which acquired the villa by Companies House in Eng- from Muldoon’s previous Also In Gibraltar: land. right hand man Bradley RogUK TV + Free WorldWide One victim, Raja Khan, ers, just months before he too Calls + UK & ES Landline claimed he had lost more was jailed at Ipswich Crown than £200 when he answered Court in July. 24,95 €/month a scam advert from through Turn to page 2 951 40 40 05 the website. Khan was prom-

JUSTICE: Years of Olive Press investigations journalist at his HQ, where he turn to his ‘beloved’ Spain undertook dozens of different though, where a string of further cases would have likely led frauds. In total, we discovered he was to his arrest. taking around One joint action on behalf of €1,200 for ev- 190 timeshare victims, for which he had been found guilty, ery victim. On sentencing, was hoping to prize money out Judge Rupert of him for damages. lawyer Antonio Overbury de- Marbella scribed him as Flores, of Lawbird, had already A MAN has been arrested in Ibiza in a ‘thoroughly got him a two-year suspended connection with Spain's largest fake dishonest, ma- sentence and an order to return nipulative and €500,000 to the victims of his document factory. At least 12 were arrested around mean individ- lucrative €9 million scam. “But that wasn’t enough. What Spain after Policia Nacional disman- ual’. tled the country’s largest forgery lab, Incredibly, he he did was rip people off once was able to and then rip them off again ofbased in Madrid. The group falsified many documents, leave prison to fering them legal services to rehis cover their stolen money. including passports, but mainly resi- continue dency cards, charging up to €5,000 dirty work and “It was another trick,” exeven boasted plained Flores, who painstakper document. Investigators noted how 'sophisticat- about it in a ingly went through thousands ed' the lab was, and 'the high quality series of trashy of documents. books, in which He added at the time: “He’s a of documents they produced'. One property owned by the ring has he admitted his clever guy who knows how to run a business – with offices been searched in Ibiza, leading to the many crimes. He had been and staff and telephones. Balearic arrest. unable to re- “They start at 9, they finish at MELANIE C JAZZES UP GIBRALTAR

Frozen out

October 2 - October 15 2013

n fraud, the Despite being caged for a multimillio empire of Toni MulOlive Press has discovered the on the Costa del Sol, doon (left) continues to thrive with a new lieutenant in charge

THE businesses of a leading Costa conman jailed in a three-year fraud enquiry are still going strong, the Olive Press can reveal. While Toni Muldoon has finally been caged after two decades of crime on the

MISS GIB: THE NEW PEOPLE’S PRINCESS

SCAMMER: Muldoon

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Fake ID factory rumbled Read more on page 39

In a classic case of Dunkirk Spirit, ball played through a raging fire a fournilva this week even when firemen in Matheir line. See full story on page 5 ruined

Now awaiting extradition to the UK, the Olive Press can reveal that Antony Michael Muldoon, 65, was picked up two-week manhunt on the Costa after a del Sol. Ordered by Interpol, he was located at the low key Miramar Hotel in Fuengirola. According to a police report, checked in with his Kenyan he had Nyambura Jane Wangari, who girlfriend is in her 20s. Geraldine French, 59, from Scotland and 29-year-old South African Bradley Rogers have also been arrested. At least 11 arrests have been made last year on instruction from UK over the authorities for similar offences. Muldoon is currently being held in Madrid, awaiting extradition.

A number of luxury cars and a have been seized, while police yacht also scoured various properties. Brought by Suffolk Trading Standards, Muldoon (above) is charged with merous counts of fraud and money nulaundering totalling well over €6 million. A spokesman for Britain’s Serious Or-

ganised Crime Agency (SOCA) firmed the arrest to the Olive Press. conA spokesman for the British Embassy also confirmed that it ‘was aware’ arrest of a British national, but noof the sular assistance had been sought. conNeighbours meanwhile, at his upmarket Turn to Page 2

6 and in that time they have to sign up a certain number of people. “He is a despicable criminal. He has ripped thousands of people off. Some of them elderly vulnerable people.” He died of terminal cancer on February 5.

He deserved it! “Most people in Spain will be having a drink to celebrate.” Those are the words of one British expat, who knew Muldoon well. The 45-year-old, who did not want to be named added: “I never wished death on anybody, but an obituary has never given me greater pleasure to read. “When he got out of prison, he started a few websites like Scambusters, reportedly offering people help who’d been scammed. “He was up to his old tricks.”

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

Double threat

CHANGING PACE: Nadal on golf course NOT FAMOUS: Elsa in Oz

Keeping their roots! SPANISH model Elsa Pataky has revealed how she makes sure her children with Thor star Chris Hemsworth hold onto their heritage. The 42-year-old, who left Madrid for Hemsworth’s native Australia four years ago, said she surrounds her three kids with Spanish people ‘so they never lose their roots’. “I have almost all my family here to speak to them in Spanish,” she said. “I’m going to try to go to Spain almost every summer, so that they know it and experience its culture. “I also teach them about typical Spanish dishes.” She added that her and hubby Chris, 35, keep their daughter India, six, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, four, as sheltered from the public eye as much as possible. “ T h e y don’t know their family is famous,” she insisted.

RAFA Nadal is not just a tennis ace, but now a noted golf pro. The tennis champion took second in the Balearic Individual Golf Championship. Nadal competed in the golf tournament on behalf of the Son Servera golf club. After the first day, Nadal was first in the tournament, shooting a 70. The second day he added ten strokes, finishing with 80 and falling back to second place. Nadal's uncle and former coach Miquel Ángel Nadal also competed, placing 15th in the annual competition.

American Hustle

Hollywood teases up comedy blockbuster filmed around Mallorca

ANNE Hathaway and Rebel Wilson have been spotted causing trouble around Mallorca this week….on TV screens that is. It comes as the first trailer for their upcoming comedy flick was released worldwide this week. The Hustle, a remake of the comedy classic Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, saw the A-list duo film mostly across the Balearic island last year. The film, originally titled Nasty Women, is about two con

Running rings

STARS: Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson artists - one working class, one middle class - who compete to defraud a naive new tech billionaire. In one tweet last year, the two co-stars jumped into a hotel swimming pool fully clothed while Wilson also posted a

Flop trumps WATFORD flop Mario Suarez may have dropped the ball when it comes to his football career, but he’s picked a winner in the marital stakes. The Spanish footballer, who moved to China after failing to set the Premiership alight, has now moved back to Madrid with his Scandinavian wife Malena Costa Sjorgren, 29, who grew up in Mallorca. He has landed a job with Rayo Vallecano, while wife Malena has won over the web with this picture of herself squatting naked on a horse. The model, from Alcudia, has amassed 409,000 followers on Instagram, unsurBAREBACK: For Mario’s missus prising with photos like this.

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GETTING SPLICED: Ramos and Pilar to get married

photo alongside Mallorca tennis maestro Rafael Nadal. “It’s so awesome to film here and I’m going to miss this place,” Wilson said, before posting a pic of Nadal to her 13 million followers on Instagram. Hathaway won an Oscar in 2013 for her role as Fantine in Les Misérables, and is no stranger to Mallorca, having holidayed here in the summer of 2015. Australian comedy icon Rebel has shot to fame world wide after creating memorable characters in multiple blockbuster comedy roles including Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect. The Hustle hits cinemas in May and is set to feature several Mallorca locations, including Palma, Puerto Portals and the terraces of Hospes Maricel & Spa Mallorca.

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HE is known as the hatchet man of Madrid. Now Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos has carved out a new ambition - to marry his sweetheart this summer. The Spanish defender has confirmed he will take his TV presenter girlfriend Pilar Rubio down the aisle in June. The A-list wedding will take place in Sevilla on June 15 with Ramos, 32, describing it as ‘the ideal moment’ for the nuptials. The lovebirds chose the Andalucian capital for a more private affair, and will ask guests to leave their phones and cam-

eras at the door. Ramos, who has won the Champions League four times with Madrid, said: “We’ve decided to get married in Sevilla because we’ve been in Madrid for so long now, it means there’ll be less people. Rubio, 40, who was voted sexiest woman in the world by FHM magazine, suggested a top music act could perform at the wedding, describing them as ‘very big’. Ramos was born in Sevilla and also began his career at the La Liga side, before being transferred to Madrid for €27m.

Lining up to star ANTONIO Banderas will baptise his new Malaga theatre by starring in a version of hit musical A Chorus Line. The Hollywood actor, 58, has chosen the famous show for the opening of his new venture, Teatro de Soho CaixaBank. The Malagueño said the show will run for three months at the new theatre, which will be within the renovated Teatro Alameda.

The show will begin in the autumn and Banderas, best known for The Mask of Zorro and a string of Pedro Almodovar films, will be playing one of the leading roles.

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

LED-ing the way PALMA town hall has revealed a new lighting project for the 14th century Bellver Castle. A total of 162 new light projectors will illuminate LED lights outside and in the courtyard. The new lights will replace the current energy-inefficient

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lighting which causes a 'green' tint effect on the historic building. They will also match the new lighting planned for the Cathedral. The project will be finished by the end of the year, with

Scrap the tax

Mallorca tourism bosses plead for tourism tax scrap as British visitor numbers drop

HOTEL bosses in the Balearics have called for the cancelling of the so-called ‘tourist tax’ following a drop in British demand. The number of Brits prebooked to visit the islands has been lower than expected this year thanks to a late April start to Easter, Brexit uncertainty and the resurgence of tourism rivals such as Turkey and Egypt. The tourist tax charges foreign visitors between two and four euros extra each night, payable at hotel receptions at the start or end of a visit. Spokespeople from the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca (FEHM), the Hotel Busi-

ness Federation of Ibiza and Formentera (FEHIF) and the Hotel Association of Menorca (ASHOME) said they previously warned the Government that the tax would harm the tourism trade. One spokesman added that ‘Brexit directly affects the reservations of one of our main

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the lights having the option to change colour for different celebrations and holidays.

EXPATS and locals living in Inca will now have to pay to keep their dogs. Pet owners must now register their pups with the town hall, paying an initial fee of €10, before paying a €5 renewal fee each year. Companion pets, including dogs for the blind, are excluded from the socalled dog tax. The funds raised will help pay for dog parks, poo bins and for a new local government job to help control dogs in rural areas, where flocks of sheep have recently been attacked. A MALLORCA explorer has travelled more than 2,500 kilometres across Antarctica by KITE. Manuel Olivera is one of four crew members of the pioneering Spanish polar expedition which has just finished travelling the vast ice sheet with zero emissions on a wind sled. The men spent 52 days circling the Antarctic, while towing 2,000 kilograms of cargo. They also managed to climb the 3,768 metres-high Dome Fuji. The crew has returned safely to the Russian base Novolazárevskaya after enduring nearly two months of bitter cold conditions, with temperatures reaching lows of -42C.

markets’, i.e. the Brits, which in the period from January to November 2018, decreased by 1.5%. In Menorca over the same period, the tourism industry shrunk by 10%. "Tourist tax decisions could not have been more inappropriate given the uncertainty looming over the sector,” the spokesperson added. The recovery of destinations on the other side of the Mediterranean has also hit hard, with the arrival of tourists to Turkey increasing by 21.6% from January to September 2018 and to Egypt by 41.5% between January and July. It means shrinking figures and fewer bookings have pushed the tourism season back from from March to late April, with the fall of German, British and Nordic tourism being a major factor. The controversial tax was introduced following fears that tourism was draining the islands’ resources and pricing Spanish residents out of the property market. It also brought in a total of €122 million in 2018, and has partially or fully funded at least 156 projects.

Francoera bodies found THREE bodies from the Franco-era have been found down a well in Mallorca. The find came a week after the search for General Franco's victims were commissioned by the Ministry of Culture. The bodies were found 47 metres down the pou de s'Àguila, a well in Llucmajor. Believed to be from the mid 1930s, the remains show fractures and signs of trauma, believed to have been caused by being thrown down the well after beatings. Several testimonies from the time claim the Franco regime arrested, tortured and murdered many people in the area, from sons of politicians to quarry workers. Many of them were supposedly thrown into the s'Àguila well, usually while still alive. "This is the hardest of tasks because it reminds us of the extreme cruelty,” said Minister of Culture Fanny Tur Riera. “The well of s'Aguila is the protagonist of many local stories and it will be a great satisfaction to be able to fulfil our duty to recover and return to their families the bodies of those who paid so much while working for democracy,” she continued. The team hope to find more victims.

Snap snap THE Spanish Government is expected to call a snap general election after Parliament has refused to pass the budget. Catalan parties did not support the 2019 budget proposed by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Spain’s leader refused to make concessions to the secessionists over talks about self-determination. Sanchez’s Socialist PSOE Government does not have an overall majority, as it holds just 84 of the 350 seats in congress. He is now set to make an announcement about what will happen next for Spain on Friday after the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Icely done lads!

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Windrush expat ‘terrified’ no-deal Brexit would force him back to the Caribbean EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

A BRITISH expat fears being kicked out of Europe just before his 90th birthday in the case of a no-deal Brexit. Windrush pensioner and former train driver, Basil Moonilall, 89, relies heavily on Spain’s health system after having a throat tumour

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Ill wind coming!

removed in 2000. However if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, Moonilall, based in La Linea, fears he won’t be able to afford private insurance on his €511-per month pension. “If I don’t get free healthcare, I don’t get to see the

Cash for Cabrera

doctor,” Moonilall, who only has one vocal cord from cancer, told the Olive Press. The expat, who worked as a taxi driver in the UK for 35 years, also fears that if he was forced to return to Britain he could be deported back to Guyana after arriv-

THE Government has committed 12 new workers to the Cabrera National Park in Mallorca in a €5 million expansion. However the cash injection by Madrid has not yet been confirmed, and could only amount to €250,000 if state accounts are not approved. But the dozen new staff are guaranteed for the national park that sits on an uninhabited islet southeast of Palma. New roles will include marine area watchman, extra general staff and, for the first time, more tour guides. Current finances for the protected area were approved by Mariano Rajoy’s Government and originally left the park with its lowest ever budgets.

ing as part of the Windrush generation in 1958. “I’m worried that if I leave, I will have to start life all over again,” added the anxious grandfather, who moved to Spain in 1993 to be with his Spanish wife who sadly passed away two months ago. The Windrush generation were born British subjects and arrived in the UK before 1973 from the Caribbean, but shockingly in recent years some have been refused healthcare or had their citizenship revoked. Some have even been forced home. “They were asked to come to the UK to rebuild the country after the war,” Moonilall’s son Raymon, who lives in Gibraltar, told the Olive Press, adding that he is worried his father may be sent back to Guyana. This despite not visiting since 1958 and where only one of eight siblings is still alive. “In the draft withdrawal deal we only have until 2020 to enjoy free healthcare, but what happens at the end of those two years?”

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Ban on diesel passes

FEARFUL: Expat Basil Javier Rodriguez, an assessor with the Expat Agency, insisted he expected more problems for expats like him in two years. He told the Olive Press that most private health insurance companies ‘don’t want to cover you’ if you are 65 and over. He said: “I know many Spanish people who when they reach 70 their insurance companies don’t want to cover them, or make them pay as much as €1,000 per month.” He added that over-65s could pay into the Spanish social security system, for which the minimum payment is currently €283 per month. It would mean however that, without any reciprocal agreements between the UK and Spain, in the event of a no deal Brexit, the next best scenario could see Moonilall with only €228 spare capital per month. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU in just six weeks.

THE Balearic Parliament has approved a ban on new diesel vehicles by 2025. The new Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition means no new diesel cars, trucks, vans or motorbikes can be registered in the islands after 2025. "Being the first always has risks, but we can not afford to waste more time" , said Marc Pons , Regional Minister for Energy, Land and Mobility , who has been a big defender of energy sustainability. Diesel cars registered before the cut-off date can stay on the islands as long as they last.

Tow many cars THERE has been so much illegal parking in Palma that the Policia Local’s impound is officially fully stocked. The Son Toells car pound cannot take in anymore cars, forcing cops to tow illegally parked vehicles to underground car parks. Some 200 cars, motorbikes and vans will now be crushed to clear up room.

FEATURE

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

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 500,000 people a month.

OPINION Rock and a hard place IT’S high time the British Government stop infighting and get on with delivering Brexit, whatever it may be! The human impact of the UK’s divorce from the EU was revealed to its fullest extent this week, as Basil Moonilall, who turns 90 this year, revealed it could see him kicked out of TWO countries. Basil came to the UK in 1958 with the Windrush generation, before he moved to the Campo de Gibraltar in 1993 to be with his Spanish wife, who sadly died two months ago. His future is more uncertain than most, with his healthcare and citizenship in question, but his story should resonate with the hundreds of thousands of Brits who have built their lives here in Spain. The biggest fear for British pensioners is that their healthcare will not be covered by the NHS after the UK leaves the EU. Whatever the outcome, there needs to be something concrete from the Government so that people like Basil - who spent his whole working lives in the service of the British public - can begin planning their futures after March 29. Publisher/ Editor Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

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Anxiety rises PACKED: Hundreds of expats came to hear the latest updates from Simon Manley in Malaga

A deal, or no deal, expats are growing increasingly concerned about Brexit next month… here Charlie Smith and Joshua Parfitt present their Brexit Survival Guide

ILL I be deported? Can I still see a doctor? Do I have to fly the Spanish flag? It’s no wonder fears are swirling among the up to one million expats who call Spain their home, as the Brexit deadline approaches like an express train. With just over six weeks to go before the UK pulls out of Europe, it is still unclear exactly how the 300,000 registered Brits in Spain will be treated… let alone all those who come and go on a temporary basis. In a mercy-type mission to ease these concerns, British Ambassador to Spain,

CAPTION

TENSION: Jean Claude Juncker shares frosty moment with Theresa May as Brexit looms

Simon Manley has been undertaking a series of roadshows around the country. At one, taking place to a packed hall of expats in Malaga last week, his How to get your Spanish citizenship message was simple: After living in Spain for 10 ‘Keep calm, years you can apply for and get regSpanish citizenship. istered’. Getting this ‘golden ticket’ Alongside means you can travel, work an expert and visit within the EU. panel, he Spain does not permit dual carefully citizenship however, so you and clearly would have to give up your responded UK passport. to people’s But, you can also become a Spanish citizen through birth or marriage, even if your Spanish parents were born outside the country. The other requirements include being a ‘good citizen’ and being integrated into Spanish society. To be a good citizen you must be financially stable and without a criminal record. Being integrated means that you must be able to speak some Spanish and ‘take part in Spanish social activities’. If you are applying after having lived in Spain for 10 years, you must first have permanent residency. To apply for Spanish citizenship you will need to visit your local Civil Registry office. You will need to fill in a citizenship form and bring the following documents:

fears about their status in Spain come March 29. Above all, he assured the 200-plus people gathered that under the draft withdrawal agreement there would be no significant changes to anyone’s rights until the end of a transition period, set to last until December 31 2020. However, he raised a few key concerns and warned what could actually happen if the UK leaves the EU with no deal, as could still alarmingly be the case. Here, the Olive Press breaks down the key talking points of the Brexit seminar, on everything from healthcare to pensions and the peculiar situation where Spain permits foreigners to get dualcitizenship.

●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

A valid passport and copy For under-18s: a guardian, or both parents Spanish Resident Card (TIE) Birth certificate printed within last 90 days Criminal record check printed within last 90 days Marriage certificate if applicable Registration certificate printed within the last 90 days A CEFR certificate of at least A2 in Spanish A CCSE exam certificate showing the result of an exam on Spanish laws and culture ●● A payment of €100

HERE TO HELP: British ambassador Simon Manley

FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es

February 13th - February 26th 2019

olive press online

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

- Another Spanish warship enters Gibraltar waters playing national anthem in two-hour Royal Navy stand-off (13,533)

PANEL: Experts giving their advice just weeks before the UK divorce date

Deal - ‘Your rights maintained’ but new ‘TIE’ green card needed Ambassador Simon Manley rose to his feet to assure anxious attendees that ‘with a deal, your rights in Spain will be guaranteed by force of international law.’ “The deal will maintain your right to residency, pensions will continue to be uprated and healthcare will continue as before,” he said. And the diplomat calmed nerves by saying that a grace period - a paradise period for some - in which all paperwork could be sorted out, would remain until December 31, 2020. “But that withdrawal agreement can only enter into force when it has been approved by the UK,” added Manley. The Brexit divorce is being felt in many parts of the Union, but at this stage of negotiations it appears the source of heartache for expats on the Costa del Sol is not the English channel, nor Brussels, but the House of Commons. If it passes before March 29, the key component of the deal for British residents in Spain will be the transition to a new form of identification. The Ambassador announced that ‘a new card will replace the green card’ that British expats currently wield as their right to residency in Spain. Brits will ‘at some point’ during the transition period need to submit their green registration certificates for a Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE) - it’s the same identification that grants non-EU nationals residency in Spain - but Brits will not need to fulfil the same requirements as nonEU nationals. Those who are NOT currently registered via the National Police will NOT however be able to acquire a TIE card. “Please apply now,” the Ambassador urged, “there’s nothing more important you can do.”

Dual citizenship exists for a chosen few Spain does not permit dual citizenship, except for two very specific groups of people. But who are these chosen two? 1. International Brigades veterans: This group of volunteers fought as soldiers for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. Named after the 50 countries from which they came, the group’s largest intake was from France with 9,000 joining from the

country. The UK contributed 2,000 men to the International Brigades and 500 were killed while 1,200 were wounded. 2. Sephardi Jews who can prove a family relation to Spain:

These Jews are an ethnic group originally from Spain or Sepharad, a place of uncertain location that is mentioned once in the Bible. The Sephardi Jews set up communities throughout Spain and Portugal, before they began to be exiled in the 15th Century. About 16% of the global Jewish population is Sephardi and around 40,000 are

- WATCH: Spaniards fuming at viral video of two drunk British women being treated at hospital in expat hotspot (12,392)

No Deal - Assuming our rights will be maintained, but no agreement yet In the worst-case scenario that an agreement is not reached, and the UK leaves the EU with no deal, the Ambassador warned that British expats’ rights in Spain will ‘not be protected’. He spoke passionately about meetings with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who insisted he greatly valued the British presence in his country. However, as with promises surrounding pensions, healthcare and rights to residency, the recurring word in the Ambassadors oratory was ‘assume’. Concerning healthcare, he said: “The intentions are clear, but we have to find an agreement with Spain.” Regarding pensions, Manley added: “We need a reciprocal agreement with Spain, because without that the default position is pensions will not be uprated - British expats in Australia do not have uprated pensions.” A royal decree is expected this month to underline how Spain will treat British expats should Britain exit the EU without a deal. There were sterner warnings however, from panel legal expert Myra Azzopardi, of Citizens Advice Bureau Spain. She warned the Olive Press that up to 700,000 British people either living full time here unregistered or with interests in Spain could face immigration issues soon after March 29. She said that under EU law, British citizens would be allowed 90 days in Spain before they would have to register themselves at the nearest national police station. Though Spain currently has no powers to expel Brits who stay over this 90-day period, she said ‘after Brexit you will be expelled as an illegal alien, you could be deported.’

- Dog walker finds dead narco washed up on Costa del Sol beach after high speed police chase (8,069)

- WATCH: Wild boar shot and killed by cops after rummaging through bins on Spain’s Costa del Sol (7,300)

- Man in Spain arrested as police find his girlfriend chopped up in freezer (4,880)

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Number crunching ●● 700,000 - the possible number of unregistered Brits who could be forced to leave Spain ●● 26,000 - the income (in euros) you might have to prove to gain residency in the event of a no-deal Brexit ●● 1,735 - the number of

workers hired by the Spanish government to deal with Brexit ●● 10 - years you need to live in Spain to get Spanish citizenship ●● 5 - years you need to live in Spain to get permanent residency

The Olive Press is this week the 199,000th most popular website in the world, more than 650,000 places higher than Mallorca’s very own Daily Bulletin...and even ranked three times higher in Spain

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88Feb 14th - Febwww.theolivepress.es 27th 2019 what’s on

lenn miller

AMERICAN swing and big band music from the 40s and 50s is coming to Palma's Trui Theatre on February 15 with the famous Glenn Miller Orchestra.

i s t o r y of Rock-

SPAIN'S biggest rock show, The History of Rock, arrives at the Palma Auditorium on February 22, featuring hits from the 50s to today.

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Send your informa newsdesk@theolive tion to press.es

Comic stream NETFLIX has announced the comic book El Vecino, from the Spanish artist Pepo Perez and screenwriter Santiago Garcia, is set to become a new series. The digital streaming platform will adapt the graphic novel, which tells the story of struggling artist Javier whose life changes when an alien falls on him and in a dying act passes on its superpowers. The trouble is that Javier’s newfound abilities initially prove useless as he gets fired from his job and his girlfriend decides she wants to take a break. The series will be directed by Nacho Vigalondo, director of 2016 science fiction film Colossal, and star actors Quim Gutierrez and Clara Lago. “Everything has developed really quickly since last February when we sold the rights to Zeta Audiovisual, which in May en-

Spanish artist’s comic book to become new Netflix series

Pedro in print COMING SOON: Comic made into Netflix show tered Netflix,” Pepo Perez said. his secret identity from his girlThe graphic novel was first friend who begins investigating published in 2004, and the sto- Javier’s superhero alter-ego ry develops over five volumes as Titan. neighbour Jose Ramon teaches “The comic is a situation comJavier to use his superpowers edy with this chaotic character for good—as well as how to hide who is very normal except for

port fair

ES C O R C A is hosting a nature and sports fair on February 24, for lovers of hiking, biking, rock climbing and everything outdoors. OLDEST: Fair in Mallorca

CARNIVAL rides, innovative games and plenty of food carts are returning for Mallorca's biggest fun fair, the Fira del Ram. Son Fusteret in Palma once again hosts the island's oldest and largest fun-fair, dating back to 1500s. The Fira del Ram has classic games and activities including the

Fun-fare ring toss, a fun house and bumper cars. Everyone's favourite is the 60-metre-high Ferris wheel which gives spectacular views of the whole city from up top. The fair is open daily with fun for all ages from February 28, running daily until April 28.

being a superhero,” Perez said. Filming will start in March, and will most likely launch in 2020, though the date is not yet confirmed. Writer Santiago Garcia was the translator for Spanish-language series of Spider Man, X-Men and Calvin and Hobbes. Continuing its investment in local-language production in Europe, Netflix is producing El Vecino as one of five new Spanish-language productions to launch worldwide on the streaming platform in 2020. There are currently six Spanish Originals series on Netflix, and this recent investment comes after the establishment of the streaming giant´s first European production hub in Madrid.

PEDRO Sanchez has become the first Spanish Prime Minister to publish a book while in office. His seminal work, Manual de Resistencia, a journey of the PSOE politician’s route to the top, will hit the shelves on February 19. The 320-page hardback will retail for €20.50 and is published by Ediciones Península. Spaniard’s made fun of the Prime Minister’s announcement with jokes on Twitter. One user wrote ‘in the time I make a paella, Sanchez writes a book and a doctoral thesis’, while another said, buying the book is ‘the main concern of the Spaniards ahead of unemployment’. According to the its synopsis the book covers: “A four-year period of acceleration in politics, where everything has become unpredictable.” As well as current affairs, readers will be treated to ‘the unknown side of the President’, who acts as the book’s narrator.

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Issue 26

February 2019

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Find out why this gorgeous Mallorca finca was featured in the New York Times

From medieval to modern As Spain adds 11 new towns to its ‘most beautiful’ list, we explore how their unique architecture helped get them there, see Belissimas page VIII

LET IT GROW SPAIN’S property market is expected to continue growing for at least another two years, experts have predicted. According to a leading Catalan institute, ITEC, there will be no slow down until at least 2021. It comes after last year saw sales reach their highest since the 2008 crisis, with a 9.7% year-to-year increase from January to September. Meanwhile, the number of sales in October rose by a huge 17% compared to the same month in 2017, according to official government statistics (INE). New home sales were up 15% to 7,971 and resales up 17% to 43,536.

Expansion for two more years, as market approaches growth of 17% this winter

Growth was particularly strong in Murcia, up 53%, and interestingly, Sevilla province saw a 50% spike. Growth was also strong across the board in Catalunya, and Barcelona in particular with a rise of 31%. And it was hotspots like the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca which

continued to be in the top three destinations for property investments in the world for Brits. The only regions where sales fell were in the Canary and Balearic Islands, the latter of which saw a significant 3% drop in the last quarter. Meanwhile, the Spanish house price index published by Tinsa, Spain’s biggest appraisal company, showed prices in the big cities such as Barcelona and Madrid were up 9.4% in November. The Mediterranean coast shot up 7.8%, and the Balearic and Canary Islands up 2.3%.

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PROPERTY

www.theolivepress.es

February 2019

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Land of contrasts

Spain’s property growth could be slowing down - with some regions seeing growth of 25%, while others are 50% down, but generally the country is still in a strong position, writes Mark Stucklin

HE number of Spanish home sales inscribed in the National Land Registry rose by 3% in November last year compared to the same month in 2017. There were 38,084 Spanish home sales inscribed in the Land Register in November, and 42,150 if you include subsidised homes (known as VPO), all according to the latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), based on data from the Spanish Land Registrars’ Association. The Spanish market has been growing since it started to recover in 2014, but the recent figures suggest that growth is starting to slow down, as one would expect it to one day. The average sales growth over the first 11 months of 2018 was 12%, compared to 16% in 2017. New home sales were up 8% to 8,043 and resales up 3% to 34,107, both in positive territory as they have been al-

most every month since August 2017. By region, November was a mixed bag, with sales up strongly in small markets like Cantabria and Asturias in the north, as well as isolated, but beautiful Teruel, in Aragon. The province of Girona, in Catalunya home of the Costa Brava - also had a good month. In contrast the Andalucian province of Huelva, home to the Costa de la Luz, suffered a 54% decline in sales (ED: This is amazing, if true, given I know the area well and many of my agent clients and friends say it has been pretty steady there). Looking at how sales changed on a year-to-date basis (11 months) in regions that attract the most attention from foreign buyers, interest was up in all regions bar the Balearics, where sales fell 3% (see above right). Growth in sales was also comparatively weak in Catalunya, possibly due to the politi-

SALES: Teruel came out top, while Balearics saw a 3% drop while (below) January saw the best sales last year

cal situation. Murcia deserves a mention in dispatches for it’s 24% growth. Despite it’s romantic name, rugged landscape, and sunny climate, Murcia is a bit of a backwater that is popular with British buyers, perhaps because of the marketing efforts of mega-developer Polaris World back in the boom years. Had it not been for Polaris World spending big on marketing in the UK before it succumbed to the Spanish property crash, Murcia might not be on the radar of British buyers as much as it is. A new airport in Murcia that has just become operational might boost foreign demand for the region over time. Visit Spanishpropertyinsight.com for more information

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

February 2019

Ladies only

Tubular sells MIKE Oldfield’s house in Mallorca has been sold following a ten-year battle to find a buyer, the Olive Press can reveal. The five-bedroom finca in Bunyola has taken a decade to sell, despite its solar-heated pool, a showjumping arena and even a helicopter pad. But despite the great location and bargain price tag, the British Tubular Bells star struggled to sell the property. The price it has now gone for is unknown, but the house was originally listed for €3.95 million, before its value had plum-

meted to just €1.65 million by 2017. “It sold at the tail end of last year,” a reliable Palma estate agent told the Olive Press, asking to remain anonymous. Despite the villa’s star quality, Michael Cunnington, who originally sold the house to the musician, said ‘you wouldn’t buy the house if you had a Bentley’. Speaking to the Olive Press, Cunnington, who worked at MJC Associates, said the location up the ‘bumpy little road’ to the house makes it the perfect celebrity hideaway.

GOBStoppers WORKS on the Don Pedro and Vistamar hotels in Cala Sant Vicenc have been ordered to a halt by the Mallorca Council. Environmental group GOB demanded the works stop in December after discovering the hotels did not have the necessary licences. The government has now halted the project, near Pollensa, which included a pool renovation and an interior remodel. The GOB is now pushing for the Don Pedro to be demolished as it argues it should have never been built on protected land. A SERIES of iconic 20th century images have been recreated for an original advertising project, selling homes on the Costa del Sol. The brainchild of developers Urbania, the photographs have been superimposed and re-imagined alongside vistas of the development, Higueron West 217, between Benalmadena and Fuengirola. The snaps include the legendary Abbey Road photo featuring The Beatles,

III 11

STAR: Oldfield strikes a pose outside Mallorca pad

“It’s spacious and bigger than your average home,” added the retired estate agent, “but it’s not glitzy and is very taste-

fully done up.” After listing the house for sale Oldfield, who won a Grammy for his theme to the Exorcist, moved to the

Bahamas with his family. The multi-instrumentalist described the location as an ‘incredibly inspiring place to work’.

Bargain or scam?

Man and wife facing prison after ‘snatching’ property from neighbour with Alzheimer’s for more than a million under asking price

FEELING BLUE: Molinar house

A PALMA couple are facing prison after buying a home worth €1.7 million from a neighbour with memory loss for only €200,000. The couple are on trial after they acquired the frontline home in Molinar, before making a profit of over €1m when they sold it on a few years later. A Palma judge must rule if the transaction in 2011 was a cunning scam concocted by the couple, or if they were

Turning heads

and one of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s looking through a glass window. In the Abbey Road photo a group of builders dress up like the original Fab Four crossing a road in the development, with a dozen vintage cars from the era in the background. Another uses Alfred Eisenstaedt’s famous photo of a sailor kissing a girl during the VE celebrations in New York. The resort, set to open in 2020, is bidding to be one of the most environmentally-friendly developments ever with a 100,000m2 ‘green belt’ at the forefront of its marketing campaign.

simply offered a bargain. The couple claimed that the elderly neighbour had been a family friend for years and was looking to downsize. They insisted he was single with no children and that he didn’t need more money. “He offered me the house and asked for €200,000 – I did not see a valuation but it was in the middle of the economic crisis so it didn’t seem unreasonable,” he told the court. “It was not a bargain for me, we have never cheated or taken anything away from anyone,” he continued at the trial this week.

Disease

ICONIC: Abbey Road shot

A week after the sale of the house was finalised, the elderly man was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and within a year was incapacitated from the confusion. Witnesses and doctors have been disagreeing on the man’s mental state in court. Many say he was in right mind during the sale, from his own cousin to the notary and some doctors. Others say he was in early stages and ‘easy to deceive and manipulable’. The couple face up to eight years behind bars and a fine of €77,000.

SPAIN'S first women-only hotel is set to open in Porto Cristo this April. The Som Dona on Mallorca's east coast will be a four-star hotel just for the ladies – and adults only. The idea came from ‘a growing business trend focuses on the female audience,’ according to Som Hotel's president Joan Enric Capellá. “We want as many employees as possible to be women, of course respecting Spain’s parity laws,” he continued. “One of our objectives is also to give a certain visibility to women doing traditionally masculine jobs,” he said, although the interior is designed in white and pink.

PRETTY IN PINK: New hotel

Boris’ ‘love’ estate BORIS Becker’s former Mallorca estate has been taken over again by squatters, who may declare it a ‘love state’. The once stunning villa, made headlines last year when a group of squatters claimed the land as theirs. The ‘takeover’ was led by Georg ‘Bauchi’ Berres, who has now returned with more friends, believed to number around 30 people. The German expat has been joined by Elisaweta Wall, who is understood to want to declare it a ‘love state’ – a ‘commune of sharing’, free from government taxes. “Only a few days ago we signed a contract in which we all stated that everyone here has their own area and their own tasks,” said Wall this week. The 60-year-old squatter plans to allow companies to hold photoshoots on the property for a fee. He is also planning to allow backpackers to camp out for a small fee.

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Belissimas! February 2019

Stunning new villages have made it onto Spain’s ‘most beautiful’ list, writes Laurence Dollimore

ATTENTION all Instagram addicts! A further 11 new villages have been added to the list of the most beautiful in Spain. The list is created by the Asociación de Los Pueblos Más Bonitos De España (Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain) to celebrate and create awareness of some of the more scenic but under-visited spots in the country. We’ve rounded up five of the 11 gems them for you to add to your getaway list for 2019.

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Níjar, Almería This Moorish wonder is steeped in history and sits between the Sierra Alhamilla and south-east coastline of Almeria. Its sea of white houses and churches make it one of the most picturesque. It’s also renowned for its pottery, new performing arts centre (above) and sits in a stunning natural enclave, right on the edge of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.

Carmona, Cantabria Nestled in the leafy region of Cantabria. Carmona has been declared an official Historical-Artistic Site thanks to its typical mountain houses which give it its traditional aesthetic. It sits on the picturesque Nansa River and is surrounded by bright green valleys, making it a top contender for Spain’s ‘most beautiful’ list.

#ClimateChangeIsReal

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

13V

February 2019

Potes, Cantabria This colourful town is located in the centre of the Liebana region in Cantabria. It sits at the confluence of four valleys with bridges and gorgeous views adding to its charm. Its rainbow-coloured homes and buildings are complemented by its Mediterranean climate and walnut and poplar trees. Earthy orujo grape brandy is a local speciality produced by its valley. vineyards.

Setenil de las Bodegas, Cadiz Based in Cádiz, this quaint town is famous for its troglodyte dwellings built into rock overhangs above the Río Guadalporcún. According to the 2005 census, the town has a population of just 3,016, many of whom live in nearby Ronda. The town extends along the course of the Rio Trejo with some houses being built into the rock walls of the gorge itself, created by enlarging natural caves or overhangs and adding an external wall.

San Martín de Trevejo, Cáceres This idyllic village in Extremadura is a heritage treasure with one of the best-preserved historic quarters in Spain. Streams run down the centre of the streets and the roofs of the houses practically touch. Just 15km from Portugal’s border, only 800 inhabitants live here today and speak a dialect no visitor will recognise - Fala - quite different to Spanish and Portuguese though closer to the latter.

VIII 14

PROPERTY

www.theolivepress.es

February 2019

February 13th - February 26th 2019

made it big times There’s no surprise this Balearic beauty has caught the attention of house hunters across the pond

SPACIOUS: This finca sits on 60 acres of lush landscape

STUNNING Mallorca finca has featured in the New York Times. The rustic farm property is set on 60 acres just outside Llucmajor and dates back to the 14th century and was the centrepiece in the American newspaper’s House Hunting in Spain feature this month. The property is surrounded by a stone wall and has many features and structures created from local stone, mortar and cement. And if you can afford the €6.9 million price tag, you will get a three-bedroom villa, guesthouse, separate casita with one bedroom, a pool house, spa and fully equipped stable house with two bedrooms. Elsewhere the property boasts several covered and uncovered terraces, as well as orchards, riding trails, a large garage and swimming pool. And if you love your flora, feast your senses on the myriad of species, with orchards of almond, orange, lavender and olive trees adorning the property. The property is listed with Sotheby’s International Realty.

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

Golden ticket

IX 15

February 2019

A property shopping list for those who want to escape Brexit Britain and have a cool €500,000 spare

S Brexit getting you down? Is your country - like Britain - suffering an existential crisis of identity, resulting in bouts of uncertainty, xenophobia, confusion and stress? Then why not buy a Spanish residency for you and your family? That’s the option available to the wealthier citizens of the world thanks to Spain’s so-called Golden Visa programme. It means ANYONE and their family can become Spanish residents if they invest a cool half a million into the country’s real estate sector. So if you’re shopping for a new country, we’ve rounded up what €500,000, or thereabouts, can get you in Spain’s hottest property markets.

Mallorca €595,000 Ref. 65831 Bed: 1 Bath: 1 First Mallorca

HELPING YOU FIND THE PROPERTY OF YOUR DREAMS Carrer de la Galera 1 • 07002 Palma Tel: 971 721 898 • service@inm-immobilien.com www. inm-immobilien.com

INVESTMENT PROPERTIES

El Poble Sec, Barcelona €515,000 Ref: W-02EXEU

Trafalgar, Madrid €540,000 Ref: 81807543 Bed: 2 Bath: 2 Idealista

Old Town Palma - 395,000

Bed: 3 Bath: 3 Idealista

Ref: INM2061 Bedroom: 2

Size: 72m2 Bathroom: 1

Playa de Palma - 990,000

Ref: INM2065 Bedroom: 4

Size: 220m2 Bathroom: 2

Characteristic, renovated old town apartment in a prime location in Palma This light-flooded apartment with charm is located on the third floor and was completely renovated in 2015 and retains the typical elements. It is divided into a spacious living – dining area with open loft-style fitted kitchen, two double bedrooms (one with a balcony) and a bathroom all with original wooden floors. On the shared roof terrace with panoramic views over the rooftops of the city, there is a 7 m2 storage room belonging to the apartment. The entire building has been renovated and is in a very good condition just a few steps from the town hall. The city beach of Palma is within walking distance. First class renovated apartment for first time use Apartment in a 6 party house on the Playa de Palma. It has a living / dining area with fireplace, an open Zeyko designer kitchen, four double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a conservatory that can be opened up to 180 degrees. Other features include high ceilings, air conditioning cold / warm, infrared heating and double glazed windows. An excellent investment property in an up and coming area with perfect year round infrastructure. The apartment is surrounded by various 5 star hotels, the marina or airport can be reached in a few minutes.

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25/10/18

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

BUSINESS www.theolivepress.es

Mallorca demand down

THE summer season is expected to start six weeks late this year, hotel bosses have announced. The Cluster of Hotel Chains of the Balearics (ACH) have had a meeting about the worrying state of the upcoming high season. Between Easter holidays being later than usual, the end of April, and low booking numbers from German, the UK and Nordic countries, the association believes the season will start weeks later than usual. Last year the majority of hotels in Mallorca were open by early March, but this hotel's are choosing to wait. "There is no demand and this will cause many establishments to delay their opening until May… the evolution of the markets is not responding to expectations and companies will act accordingly,” said ACH president Gabriel Llobera. “Even the British, German and Nordic markets are not reacting to special offers," he continued.

No way Jose JOSE Mourinho (pictured) has been handed a one-year prison sentence for tax fraud in Spain - but he will not serve any time. The ex-Manchester United manager struck a deal with prosecutor and agreed to pay a €2 million fine. The 53-yearold Portuguese’s crime relates to tax fraud in 2011 and 2012 while he was the coach of Spanish giants Real Madrid. It comes after fellow ex-Real star Cristiano Ronaldo was given a 23-month prison sentence and an €18.8m fine for tax evasion. Xabi Alonso, who played alongside Ronaldo under Mourinho, is also accused of tax fraud.

Huge minimum wage hike begins in Spain as companies admit they will increase prices

COMPANIES across Spain have begun reacting to the controversial 22% minimum wage increase. It comes after the central bank warned the massive hike, from €736 per month to €900, could destroy around 125,000 jobs this year. The PSOE government, led by Pedro Sanchez, believes the salary bump, which came into effect in January, will bolster spending and hiring, helping Spain’s economic expansion reach the next level. The €164 monthly wage increase affects around 8% of the country’s workforce - about 1.2 million people. However fears that the increase would push prices up are beginning to bear fruit. Jorge Montes, the boss of

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Wage war

a dry cleaners in Madrid, told press he will be raising his prices for the first time in over a decade to pay for his two full-time employees’ new earnings. ““I’m going to try to pass that on to the consumer,” Montes said, “I didn’t dare do it before because I didn’t want to lose market share.” Spain is not the only country to increase its minimum wage, following in the footsteps of France, Greece, parts of Canada and the US. Seen as a sure fire vote winner, the move is hoped to jump-start broader salary growth, which has failed to keep up with the pace of GDP

On fire

MORE than 82 million foreigners visited Spain last year, breaking tourism records for the sixth year in a row. Despite renewed competition from Turkey, Tunisia and Greece, the total number of tourists increased by 1.1% from 2017. Overseas visitors spent almost €90 billion in total, a 3% increase on the year before, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). The average daily spend by individual tourists has also grown to €146. Despite the number of Brit-

ish visitors declining by 1.6%, they were still by far the biggest foreign group with 18.5 million holidaying here in 2018. The number of Germans dropped by 4.1% to 11.4 million while Scandinavian visitor numbers also dropped by 0.7% to 5.7 million. But visitors from the US grew by 11.8% to reach just under 3 million while Russian tourists jumped by 6.3% to 1.2 million. Tourism is among Spain’s most important industries, accounting for around 16% of GDP.

expansion. It is also hoped it will weaken the appeal of far-right populist parties like Vox, which is predicted to do well at the next elections.

17 17

February 14th - February 27th 2019

SPANISH businesses are being warned of the potentially major consequences of a no-deal Brexit. The tax office has sent letters to thousands of export firms advising them on how to adapt to the worst case scenario, should the UK crash out of the EU without a deal in March. The letters warn that trade flows between Spain and Britain would cease to be considered internal European transactions and would instead be subject to customs formalities. “Brexit could have a significant effect on your organisation and its logistics flows,” the letter reads. “If there is no exit agree-

Brexit fears ment that includes a transitional period, this will mean that on March 30 the UK will leave the single market and the customs union.” The number of Spanish companies exporting to the UK grew by 8% between 2012 and 2017 to 11,695. The UK was the fifth top destination for Spanish exports in 2017, after France, Germany, Italy and Portugal.

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BUSINESS

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Feb 14th - Feb 27th 2019

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Buy your own pueblo

Gwyneth Paltrow recommends it and there are plenty for sale in Spain, writes Michael Doherty of the Woodbrook Group

ould you like to own your own village? Spain has a few to spare. They are the forgotten pueblos - once thriving rural communities, now devoid of life, their stone buildings crumbling, their cobbled streets silent. It is estimated there are as many as 3,000 of these abandoned hamlets, scattered around Spain, par-

WE ARE

CEO: Michael Doherty of the Woodbrook Group

ticularly in Galicia, Castilla y León, Aragón and Asturias. The actress Gwyneth Paltrow shone the spotlight on such unusual investment opportunities when she recommended buying a deserted Galician village as a Christmas present on her website, Goop. A Dutch couple took up her suggestion and are in the process of clinching the deal for around

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Distributors

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SALES

Sales Executive

winning Would you like to represent an award media group? We need agents in Mallorca nce • Must have previous sales experie • Have good local contacts • Be reliable • Be self-motivated • Good references essential

heolivepress.es @t jon t ac nt co e as ple en th s ke ta it If you have what

DESERTED VILLAGE: One of the hamlets for sale and (below) Gwyneth €150,000. That’s a bit below the average askingprice for these villages although some have sold for as little as €50,000. That expenditure, however, will only get you the deeds to the properties. Most of these villages are in a state of complete ruin and AldeasAbandonadas, a real estate agency specialising in such deals, estimates a price of between €500,000 and €600,000 to make the buildings habitable. Nevertheless, there is considerable interest. Aldeas Abandonadas reports that 70% of clients come from abroad. British buyers lead the way followed Belgians, French and, of late, an increasing number of investors from Russia and Arab countries. Interest from Spaniards is small but growing. It is not easy to secure these purchases since would-be buyers must deal with a number of owners, including some who have left Spain and others who have inherited the property. AldeasAbandonadas and similar agencies will locate the owners and do the necessary paperwork with the public notary, the land register and the local councils. S o m e buyers plan to set up a tourism b u s i n e s s , others to farm while s o m e are simply seeking an unusual retirement haven. If that is your dream, then go for it. However I always advise caution to expats who want to invest in specific properties or property schemes. I am not thinking here of people buying a home for themselves. There are beautiful properties to be had in wonderful Spanish locations, often at very reasonable prices. But it is one thing to look at a house and decide if it is right for you. It is quite a different matter to assess the market and decide if it is where you want to place your capital. Deserted villages at least have an aura of romance. That can’t be said for every new marina and tourist development but, as an investment, they can prove just as risky. What most expats want is peace of mind and a secure environment in which their money can grow. For that, you need advice. Let me declare an interest here. My company, the Woodbrook Group, is an international firm of financial advisers and, of course, we would be very pleased to handle your business. But whoever you take advice from, make sure it is sound and impartial and do not rush into any investment without knowledge. The Woodbrook Group is not owned by any financial institution or life insurance company. This makes us different from the majority of financial advisory companies and means we can offer you unbiased and impartial advice tailored to your individual requirements. *For more information, contact our team at the Woodbrook Group Office in Marbella: Av. Ricardo Soriano, 72 Edificio Golden Portal B, 1ª Planta 29601 Marbella, Málaga, Spain. Telephone: +34 952768471 Email: officemarbella@woodbrookgroup.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Rose ole www.theolivepress.es

SPANISH rose is tipped to be one of the biggest trends in the world of wines this year. According to respected industry paper The Drinks Business, the country’s winemakers have been working hard to compete in the growing market. R i o j a king Muga recently added Provence-style pink, Flor de Muga, made from old vine Garnacha to its range. Barrel-fermented and left on its lees for four months, it is a delicate pink shade with notes of cantaloupe, peach and rose blossom. Meanwhile, its Rioja neighbour, Marqués de Riscal, has taken its rosé in ‘a fresh direction’. “It has lightened its colour to the ballet-shoe pink consumers crave by changing the blend from 100% Tempranillo to 80% Garnacha and a 20% mix of Viura, Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca,” the Drinks Business reported. Cava producer Codorníu set the rose trend in motion last summer with Anna Rocks, a frozen rosé popsicle made with its semi-dry Cava, Anna Ice Edition Rosé, created by pastry chef Jordi Roca of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona.

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Food lab T

What’s on for foodies!

World famous elBulli restaurant to reopen as museum LEGENDARY restaurant elBulli is set to reopen next year after a £10 million revamp - but there won’t be any food on the menu. Ferran Adria’s Catalunyan restaurant was ranked as the best in the world for four years in a row. But it has now been brought back to life as a laboratory and museum of culinary innovation. Adria, 56, said: “The mission of elBulli1846 is to create quality knowledge of restaurant gastronomy

and everything that surrounds it.” The ‘1846’ is a tribute to Auguste Escoffier, the French maestro who became known as the ‘king of chefs, chef to kings’. Born in 1846, he is credited with popularising haute cuisine, and inspired Adria to accomplish a similar feat with molecular gastronomy, which mixes textures and flavours like edible foams, papers or jellies. The original elBulli,

19 19

February 14th - February 27th 2019

MASTER: Ferran Adria

TUESDAY evenings are tapa's night in Palma with the Ruta Martiana Tapas Route. Grab a beer and a bite in the bars and cafes of the Sa Gerreria neighbourhood from 7pm until late.

F named after a French bulldog owned by the German-Czech couple that

Taste test-icle

SPERM is finally on the menu in Spain. Cod’s sperm that is. The Japanese delicacy, known as shirako, sees the testicle of the fish - containing its semen served as a tapa. It is usually served raw and with a seaweed sauce, although there is an option to have it fried. The dish is available for the first time in Spain at Kiro Suhi, in Logroño, in the La Rioja region. Diners who have tucked into the testicle-based menu item describe it as soft and ‘similar to the brains of a lamb’. Others said it tasted of cream cheese. OH MY COD: Fish sperm dish

built the place in 1961, shut eight years ago due to heavy losses despite its huge popularity. The new project will open by February 2020. Professionals will work there on how to innovate efficiently, be it in the bigleague restaurant business or on a smaller scale, Adria said. The parallel museum will offer guided tours by prior appointment only.“There’ll be people saying that this won’t work, but they used to say the same in the mid1990s,” added Adria.

apas night

oodie fun

Sant Llorenç des Cardassar's weekly market has been revamped for the year – open Thursday mornings with a new focus on gastronomy and culture.

rganically

The only fullyorganic food market in Mallorca, Mercat Ecologic de Palma offers seasonal vegetables and fruit, along with wines, bread, olive oil, cheeses and more, every Saturday from 8am until 2pm.

Music, gastronomy, design, comfort and great art.

OD Port Portals combines good location with contemporary and mediterranean design. For work or for pleasure, as a true symbol of quality, OD Port Portals is everything anyone staying in Majorca can ever wish for. A lively place, with its own events, Burger Meets Gin, Mexican Brunch or Tasting Brunch, where locals and visitors are welcome. Av. Tomàs Blanes Tolosa, 4 07181 Calvià | Mallorca +34 971 675 956 odportportals.com

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FOOD,DRINK

February 13th - February 26th 2019

The Cat’s Wh February 14th - February 27th 2019

As the tiny village of Robledillo de Gata is singled out alongside Carmona and Vejer as among Spain’s best rural retreats, Jon Clarke extols the delights of a week in the little-known Sierra de Gata

CHARMING: Hervas village stroll and drinking fountain

OOKING for a quiet corner of Europe, where you are almost guaranteed to hear no English, French or German? A place where even in summer you will hardly meet a tourist? Head to the Sierra de Gata, a rolling collection of hills that meander gently down to the Portuguese border between the Salamanca and Caceres provinces. Meaning the ‘Cat Mountains’, few parts of Spain have such a wonderful collec-

tion of pretty, mostly untouched villages paired with wow factor walking terrain. For outdoor types it’s the cat’s whiskers! One of Spain’s most remote corners, yet only five hours by car from the Costa del Sol or two from Madrid, you will find yourself in a different world wrapped in lush wooded forests, home to storks, black vultures and other impressive birds of prey including booted eagles, sparrowhawks and goshawks. Even better, the villages are as old as the Doomsday book and offer up an excellent range of places to stay and eat. We discovered the Cat Mountains (not to be confused with the Catskills, in the US) while looking for somewhere to escape the sweaty Spanish coastline in August, having packed the kids off to their grandparents for a week. While much of central Spain - particularly Extremadura - becomes a frying pan in summer, the northern hills of Caceres at mostly over 1,000m in altitude are five-to-ten degrees cooler and temperatures drop down nicely at night. We had initially planned a trip to the neighbouring area of Los Hurdes, equally dramatic and magical although nowhere near as pretty as the Sierra de Gata. While Los Hurdes was said to be so poor a century ago there was widespread FOUNTAIN: In Robledillo WATERFALL: Near Robledillo starvation and even cannibalism, its up and use as a launchpad for our journear neighbour was ney of discovery. blessed with more Set on a jaw-dropping 200-hectare esfertile land and high- tate of oak woodland, it’s a genuine sustainable working farm, producing its own er rainfall. This was clear, with olive oil, honey and milk. Owner Miguel takes his large herd of most of cows out to grass each its two morning and brings them dozen There’s well safely back each night. villages He and wife Maria were feeling signposted so enthusiastic for their decidedfootpaths in guests to really explore ly livedthe area they devoted in and many of its 10 minutes every mornrelatively villages ing over breakfast to a populatrundown of suggestions, ed, with most of them excellent. quite a few younger, more Some even involved Miguel coming to educated urban pick you up in his ancient 4x4 after a types arriving to long and lubricated lunch at one of the run restaurants and nearby village ventas! One of the area’s big draws is its locab&bs. We found one of the tion on the long-distance GR-10 footpath latter in the delight- which spans Spain and Portugal, running ful Finca el Cabezo, from Valencia to Lisbon. which proved the This means you get a series of wellperfect place to hole signposted footpaths out of many of its EVENING WALK: Around San Martin de Trevejo

& TRAVEL

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Whiskers

February 13th - February 26th 2019

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February 14th - February 27th 2019

WHERE TO STAY

AUTHENTIC: Breakfast is served at Finca el Cabezo

VERDANT: Sierra de Gata valley, map (inset) and local horseman (below)

DIP: In dammed river

vas, at the other end of Caceres, just off the main N-630 motorway that would take us back to Sevilla. One of lesser-known towns of the celebrated Ruta de la Plata, it’s home to the most remarkable collection of buildings of anywhere I have visited in Spain. Medieval in look, but unique in style, with roof tiles that stretch down the sides of the buildings, much of the town was built by jews before the full force of the Reconquest took hold. It has a curious, well preserved jewish area, and an extremely atmospheric ancient centre, buffering on the river. It also has a number of decent places to eat. It’s also an excellent base for hiking, with plenty of trails taking you into the nearby hills, one heading to a splendid waterfall for an icy cool midday dip. All in all, this was a very eye-opening trip of discovery for us, a little-heard about region and practically never written about, in English at least. I hope the Sierra de Gata stays something of a secret for now. So try not to let the cat out of the bag!

villages, most heading on ancient medieval paths into the hills and on to the next village. Each day we would get up and hike for two or three hours before the heat of the day took a grip. During the evenings we would head out to visit the charming villages, with Robledillo de Gata one of the true gems of the region, a real photographer’s delight with wonderful well-preserved old buildings and a breathtaking green backdrop. But other villages like San Martin de Trevejo and Trevejo its tinier sibling are equally worthy of visits, particularly for their excellent local restaurants. And the square in San Martin is the epitome of ‘charming’, such beauty in a pinprick of a town coming as a complete surprise. Our side-trip to Portugal for the day was also fun, although much much hotter. We ended our week in the fascinating village of Her- REMARKABLE: Hervas has one of the most unusual collections of buildings

Finca el Cabezo is one of the most stunning country farmhouses in Spain. Authentic in the extreme, you will be amazed at its charms, not to mention its peaceful location and incredible landscapes. While there is no pool, you can find a series of natural pools to swim LOCATION: Cabezo and in nearby and you can (below) El Jardin walk right from the door. www.fincaelcabezo.com In Hervas, you might want to consider El Jardin del Convento, a charming townhouse hotel with one of the most amazingly kept hotel gardens in Spain. A peaceful spot, expect to hear the owner’s family playing the piano in the evening, while the building has been little altered in 200 years. www.eljardindelconvento.com

WHERE TO EAT Sesamo in Hervas is a charming spot at the bottom of the town specialising in healthy mediterranean cuisine and heavy on vegetables. www.sesamocasadecomidas.com El Buen Avio de Trevejo is a tiny hole in the wall in one of Spain’s smallest hamlets of Trevejo. A tiny spot high up in the Sierra, it nonetheless has charm personified and some amazing good local, organic produce, thanks to its owner.

TOP TIP - Roman Gem of Merida

one night in the wonderTake my advice and spend at least the way to the Sierra de on da Meri of city ura mad ful Extre Gata or back. Unesco World Heritage August is a great time to visit this de la Plata, in south Ruta us famo the gem, which sits on amazing Roman Extremadura. Why? You can do the keep you occupied sites by day (and there is enough to play at the original for at least two days) and take in a awesome stone Roman amphitheatre at night. This C, is surrounded by structure which dates back to 16B world’s oldest, still the of one nd ry…a histo ng fascinati functioning Roman bridges.

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COLUMNISTS

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February 13th - February 26th 2019

Shop horror Feb 14th - Feb 27th 2019

Mallorca diaries

By Lesley Keith

The trials and tribulations of food shopping in Mallorca

H the joys of shopping, how I are ready in the boot, several coins sit long for the good old days in on the dashboard for trolleys, I have a the UK where I could order it mental list (a very good idea as written online and they would deliver it ones tend to be sitting at home on the all bagged up to my kitchen at a time table when I need them) and know to to suit me. go in the afternoon when it’s quiet. I colOf all household chores I think the lect exactly what’s needed and that’s weekly supermarket shop is my least when the trouble starts. Checkouts in favourite. Spain are so stressful I think. In Eroski Actually I don’t have a favourite, what a they seem to do whatever they can to stupid word to use, I pretty much hate make the process as slow as possible. all household chores. When I came There can be just one person in front of here all those months ago I naively be- you but they won’t have weighed their lieved that I would be strolling down to kaku’s or something. Next they’ll have a local market early on a sunny morn- coupons that won’t go through the till ing, clutching my wicker and a manager has to basket to buy beautiful be called which takes fresh produce whilst How he thought forever. having a jolly banter in Suddenly their husband spanish with a cheeky we were going to will appear with another local stall holder. fifty items to process. Sadly reality often dis- live on crisps and Then they’ll have forappoints doesn’t it. pizzas all week I gotten to process their Markets are once a store card so it has to don’t know week and manic and be run through again, anyway don’t sell cleanall rounded of with a ing products or loo rolls, nice little chat while blah, blah, blah.... I have to go to a su- they print off a million more coupons, permarket, it’s an unavoidable fact of until finally and slowly they wrestle life. their purchases into the fifteen plastic Up in the north where I live there are carriers they’ve just bought. two giants right next to each other, Lidl No way will that cashier let me pay and Eroski. for my baguette and toothpaste until Just a short drive, easy parking be- they’ve completely moved away from tween the two, healthy commercial the till. competition to keep prices realistic, OK now switch to Lidl, a complete reyes it all sounds very good doesn’t it. versal of the experience. The queue I’m also very organised, bags for life can stretch halfway down the aisle

but they’ll be through it faster than an episode of Supermarket Sweep on fast forward. I’ve learnt to be ready for them now, my empty bags for life gaping open expectantly in my trolley, the conveyor belt completely organised with my purchases so that the heavy stuff goes first, credit card in my teeth, and from the minute they sing ‘Hola!’ at you I’m away. Like a finely honed packing machine that’s OD’d on WD40 there’s no stopping me. As the final items go into my bags with the left hand, I’m putting my card’s PIN in with my right.

The aim is to be finished when they are and although I’ve got it sussed to a ‘T’ it’s exhausting. Then there’s the lugging it to my boot followed by dragging it into the house and trying to find somewhere it can go (That’s the worst bit of all). I know what you’re thinking, if I hate it so much why don’t I get my partner to do it? Well I’ve tried that and it went very badly. So badly that I suspect that this was his master plan so that I wouldn’t ask him again. How he thought we were going to live on crisps

and pizzas all week I don’t know. He’s stoically come with me on occasions but frankly he just gets in the way and there’s then those discussions about how did the chocolate and alcohol got into the trolley without me seeing it and why is it all costing so much? Actually maybe that’s not such a hardship now I think of it..... As I say it’s an unavoidable fact of my life so why am I making such a song and dance about it? Shall we just say the cupboards are currently bare and leave it at that?

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Powerman

THE world's most prestigious duathlon returns to Mallorca's Can Picafort on February 23 – the Powerman duathlon is the best of sprinting and swimming. The Classic Powerman consists of 10km running, 60km of cycling and another 10km of runningthere is also a shorter ‘sprint’ version.

GROWN: Female fanbase

Girl power A WOMEN’S football match has broken the record for the highest attendance at any female sports event in Spain. According to official data, 48,121, came to watch the quarterfinal clash of the Copa de la Reina between Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid.

Strike

Atlético won the match 2-0 thanks to a first-half strike from Ángela Sosa and a late goal from Aurélie Kaci. The tie, which took place at the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao, beat the previous record attendance by 12,000. The previous record also involved Athletic, when they beat Hispalis 5-1 in 2003 at their former stadium. SLICK: F1 motor

February 13th - February 26th 2019

Training campo

FA Cup exits mean Liverpool and West Ham can catch some rays in Spain LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed his side will train in Marbella this week, ahead of their clash with Bayern Munich. The Reds are set to play the German side in the last 16 of the Champions League on February 19. The Costa del Sol break comes after midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum revealed he played through Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth at the weekend with diarrhoea. He said: “The tablets helped a

Too soon

CARDIFF City has cancelled its mid-season break to Tenerife so it can mourn the death of their record €17m signing Emiliano Sala. The 28-year-old Argentine, who began his career in Spain, was found dead after the plane he was travelling in crashed over the English Channel. PSG forward Kylian Mbappe has now donated another €30,000 to the private rescue effort aiming to find the plane’s pilot David Ibbotson. “I'd rather cuddle my kids and see my missus, because it's been a long two weeks,” Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock said.

lot but at half-time I had to run off to get to the toilet. “I was like ‘Oh no!’ I ran inside and I managed to control it!” Liverpool’s convincing win over the south-coast side at Anfield helped them get their title bid back on track after Manchester City closed the gap at the top to just three points. As Liverpool head back to southern Spain, they are likely to be at the Marbella Football Centre where they trained in February last year. For those looking to catch a glimpse of the Premier League stars, the training ground is in San Pedro, just off the AP-7. Fellow Premier League side West Ham have also arrived in Malaga this week for a few days of training. The Hammers will be training in the warm weather until Saturday before their meeting with Fulham at the London Stadium on February 22.

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February 14th - February 27th 2019

OUCH: Brits lose to German team

Pesky Germans

BOSS: Pellegrini

GREAT Britain has lost out to Germany in the crucial Challenge Mallorca cycling four-day cycling series. Marcel Kittel from Germany rode to victory in the Trofeo Palma race, ahead of the highest-placed British rider Alex Paton, who finished in 55th place. Paton is part of the Canyon dhb p/b Bloor Homes team, who were also represented by Brits Jacob Hennessy, Matthew Bostock and Alexander Richardson. Kittel beat the Brits to claim just his first win in 11 months, helping him bounce back from a poor 2018.

TRAINING: Reds in Spain

THE Rich Energy Haas F1 team has left the racing world in the dust with the unveiling of its new black and gold livery. Their VF-19 car was unveiled ahead of the rest of the F1 teams this week, with Toro Rosso being first and Alfa Romeo Racing bein the last team to show off their new vehicle. Gene Haas, chairman of Rich Energy Haas F1 Team, said: “The new car looks distinctive, not only in terms of its colour scheme, but also with the new regulations in play.”

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Jump for Goy MALLORCA Film Commission have begun pushing for Palma to host Spain’s prestigious film honours night, the Goya awards.

FINAL WORDS

February 13th - February 26th 2019 Drawing a line in the sand

Voted

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Stealchair PALMA police have caught a driver fraudulently using the parking permit for his disabled father to go where he pleased—his father died three year ago.

A lot of dough TEN bakeries have been selected to go ovn-to-oven for the ‘best ensaimada in the world’ on March 1. The winner will receive 1 tonne of flour.

Never fur-get

Hero police dog who helped catch record number of murderers and traffickers retires A HEROIC police dog has retired in Spain after working on 500 cases over more than

a decade of service. Elton (pictured) is the fourlegged Guardia Civil agent

Bending the law A BAND of robbers led by a contortionist who planned crimes based on his horoscope have been arrested in Barcelona. The group consisted of a 55-year-old Romanian contortionist, a 24-year-old Venezuelan woman, and two Spanish men - all of whom are accused of breaking into 15 properties, mainly bars. The contortionist

used his skills to get through small holes and spaces to enter the buildings – after checking his daily horoscope to assist his decision making - while his crew were kept on look out. Police tracked the leader back to his home after one of his break-ins - a cabin in the middle of the woods - and arrested all four members.

who has helped cops crack everything from murders to missing people cases. Renowned for his superb sense of smell, the Belgian Shepherd has worked on around 40 cases a year. In a tribute to their tail-wagging agent, a Guardia Civil statement read: “He was able to provide proof of a murder by detecting a drop of blood.” When the Spanish police took him on over 10 years ago, he was the only dog of his kind in the force. His highlights include

searching for disappeared teenager Diana Quer, murdered schoolgirl Marta del Castillo and the bodies of five soldiers after an explosives accident. Online tributes poured in for Elton, with one Twitter user writing, ‘Elton, thank you for your great work in your time of service’. Another said: “I hope that now that you are retired, you have a great home.” Elton has received full honours as he puts his crimefighting days behind him.

DRAWING hearts in the sand could land tourists in prison, the Canary Islands Government has warned in a beach vandalism crackdown. Graffitied stones, crosses made out of volcanic rocks and a smiley face carved into a cliff face, are among the activities to be made illegal by environmentalists. The Maspalomas sand dunes on Gran Canaria are part of a protected area, but tourists have desecrated the natural surroundings with their ‘works of art’, according to green groups.

Tougher

One organisation, the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation has backed tougher punishment for the tourists whose behaviour they say, is an ‘abuse to the environment’. Perpetrators could be fined up to €600 or face prison, while visitors to the island will now have to get written permission before visiting the island.

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