Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 184

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Green groups shocked as Algarrobico hotel is deemed legal while expats, such as the Priors, see their disputed homes bulldozed

Vol. 8 Issue 184 www.theolivepress.es

LEGAL: Developers can now complete the 411-room hotel built INSIDE a protected Natural Park... and with a golf course, more hotels and 1,500 houses coming next

By Giles Brown GREENPEACE has slammed the ‘dark forces’ that it claims are behind the inexplicable decision to legalise the El Algarrobico hotel.

The environmental group and the Junta have now appealed the decision of the Andalucian high court (TSJA) to overturn a ruling that the 20-storey monstrosity was built illegally on a protected virgin beach in Almeria.

They fear it will now open the door to a golf course, 1,500 homes and EIGHT more hotels in the area.

STUNNED: The Priors Another green group Salvar Mojacar have put in an official complaint against the trio of judges behind the decision - Rafael Cantero, Jorge Munoz Cortes and Maria del Mar Jimenez Morera - claiming corruption.

Others have questioned why their ruling, due on February 25, was suddenly delayed by a month at the last minute.

Claims of corruption have been joined by cries of anger from expats Len and Helen Prior whose nearby home was demolished - without compensation - six years ago.

Len Prior told the Olive Press

April 2 - April 16 2014

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EXCLUSIVE: Discussions over a Queen’s visit to Gib See page 12

OLIVE PRESS OPINION A DECADE of court cases, appeals, claims and counter claims… Millions spent on lawyers and gathering evidence…

And at the end, a disgraceful concrete monstrosity is allowed to stand on one of Andalucia’s last dozen genuinely virgin beaches! Why was the decision put off for a month at the last minute? Suspicious? You bet. If the Junta and State are really up for sharing costs to demolish this carbuncle they should move fast and pay the developer something from the millions of black money that has been syphoned off to places like Switzerland and the Cayman Islands over recent years.

EXCLUSIVE: Amy’s stepdad charged with murder See page 2

this week: “It is a disgrace.

How can they get away with this?”

Their home in Vera was demolished in January 2008 with the wave of a pen due to ‘planning irregularities’.

“We were 100% legal and everyone else’s house is still standing,” added Prior. “We are still fighting for compensation and still in the same place that we were six years ago.

“This news makes us sick to

the stomach. It’s real hypocrisy.”

The Olive Press can reveal that the company behind the development, Azata del Sol, is already linked in two other corruption cases, the Astapa scandal in Estepona - where it planned to build the largest commercial centre in Spain and even the infamous Gurtel case, which links the government in Madrid to illegal cash payments.

The company built the La Alcazaba urbanisation of 219 luxury homes in Boadilla del Monte, which was described as causing the ‘Marbellisation’ of the area. The mayor of Boadilla, Arturo Gonzalez Panero, was later indicted in Continues on Page 10

Picture by Jon Clarke

Timeline to a travesty

l March 3, 2003. Carboneras Town Hall grants permission to build l April 30, 2005. Environmentalists demand that the authorities investigate l November 17, 2005. The state rules that the hotel cannot be built closer than 100m to the sea l February 22, 2006. Judge rules that work on the hotel should be stopped as a precautionary matter as it could violate the ley de Costas l March 30, 2006. Junta revokes the building licence l May 10, 2006. Junta agrees to buy back the plot l November 4, 2010. Andalucia high court (TSJA) dismisses Carboneras Town Hall’s appeal and prohibits any development l March 27, 2012. TSJA rules that that the hotel broke the ley de Costas l July 5, 2012. Central Government and the Junta agree to demolish the hotel l January 8, 2014. TSJA rejects the construction of the hotel and confirms that the Junta owns the land l March 25, 2014. The TSJA inexplicably rules that the land on which the hotel is located is ‘zoned for building’

EXCLUSIVE: Cops issue apology for errors in Sam Hardy case See page 8

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CRIME NEWS

Goodbye to the Costa del Crime

THE image of Spain as a refuge for British criminals hiding out on the ‘Costa del Crime’ took a knock as the Guardia Civil announced a list of its Top Ten most wanted criminals - and there’s not one Brit on the list!

It is the first time the Guardia Civil has compiled a Top Ten of most wanted criminals. Commander Oscar Esteban appealed to all concerned citizens and international agencies for their cooperation ‘because of the seriousness of the crimes and because

Crackdown on Latino gangs POLICE have cracked down on violent Latin American gangs in Spain, arresting 35 gang members in dramatic raids across the country.

More than 300 Guardia Civil officers carried out a series of 28 raids against the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, which originated in El Salvador.

As well as detaining 35 suspected members, aged between 17 and 25, police seized knives, fake guns, drugs and documents in the raids across several Spanish regions, including the cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

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of the difficulty locating them.’

Among the 10 criminals sought are two Spaniards. Juan Monteagudo Marmol is wanted for sexually abusing his daughter and battering his wife, and Jorge Simarro Arbiza, a drug trafficker.

The others on the list, nine men and one woman, are from Paraguay, Romania, Venezuela, Ukraine, Italy, France, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia.

They are wanted for crimes ranging from homicide to mafia activity.

AMY STEPDAD CHARGED WITH MURDER Dave Mahon charged with death of Dean after he confronted him over missing sister

THE stepfather of missing Amy Fitzpatrick has been charged with the murder of her older brother Dean.

Dave Mahon has been bailed over the death of Dean Fitzpatrick, aged 23, in May last year.

It is believed he was stabbed after confronting Mahon over the disappearance of his sister in Mijas in 2008.

His partner, Amy and Dean’s mother, Audrey watched from the public gallery as Mahon was first charged with murder and then two days BAILED: Dave Mahon with Audrey later granted €15,000 bail by the high court.

EXCLUSIVE He appeared both times

By Tom Powell wearing a pinstripe blazer and with his walking stick, Upon returning to Ireland, and embraced a tearful Au- Mahon, 43, met gardai at drey outside after bail was Coolock Garda station. He granted. was charged with murder by He has claimed he will fight Sergeant Michael Gormley, to the charge. “I’m not guilty of which he made no reply. murder, not murder, Jesus He then appeared in Dublin no,” he said. “I would prefer if District Court and was reit was manslaughter, but it is manded in custody by Judge up to the jury. It was a terrible Cormac Dunne. accident.”

Meanwhile, the search for Dean, a father-of-one, died Amy continues following the from a stab wound soon after Olive Press’ exclusive investihis altercation with Mahon in gation last issue. Read it onhis Dublin flat. line at: www.theolivepress.

His father Christopher has es/spain-news/2014/03/20/ since revealed Dean was be- here-lies-amy-exclusiveginning to open up to him new-relevations/ about Amy’s mysterious disappearance on New Year’s Day in the weeks before he died.

Disability

Mahon’s bail was granted in his own bond of €10,000 and another €5,000 from his father Michael Mahon, who will act as an independent surety.

The judge also granted legal aid after Mahon’s solicitor Michael Staines stated his client was on disability allowance.

He will not be able to return to Spain though - where he has a house in Mijas Costa as his passport has been surrendered, and he must sign in to his nearest police station daily.

He and Audrey – who has been told she will die if she does not receive a liver transplant – recently referred to Spain as their ‘home now’.

WATCH OUT!

Cop stung for €90 duty-free watch he never wanted EXCLUSIVE A BRITISH police officer has returned from a holiday in Spain to find he unwittingly bought a €90 watch in Alicante airport’s dutyfree shop.

The officer, from Doncaster, purchased several items but not the Swatch watch.

He only realised when he looked at the receipt upon arriving home.

“I did not look at any Swatch watches, never mind putting one through the checkout, so I was shocked and surprised to see one detailed on my till receipt,” he told the Olive Press.

The man, who has served in the police force for 18 years, immediately phoned Barclaycard and was assured the matter would be dealt with.

Legitimate

However, he then received a letter explaining that the airport had reviewed the case and decided the watch had been legitimately purchased.

A Barclaycard spokesman said: “It appeared that the goods had been supplied at the point of sale and the transaction was chip and pin verified.

“The responsibility at this point does fall to the customer to check his bill and the goods received at point of sale.”

There have been other cases around Spain of shops adding an item to a customer’s bill to cover up a previous theft.

However, there is no evidence to suggest this incident was a deliberate scam.

NEWS

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Michelin Manley meets his match!

R&B SUPERSTAR Beyonce wreaked havoc at a concert in Barcelona when she produced the Spanish flag on stage.

The move angered much of the staunchly Catalan crowd of 18,000 people and was watched by numerous Barcelona superstars including Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Dani Alves and Gerard Pique, who was without his own diva girlfriend Shakira.

It was Beyonce’s only Spanish concert on her current tour, The Mrs. Carter Show.

Benchmark ‘kitchen union’ sees British ambassador cook with Spain’s hot new three Michelin star chef David Munoz

SPAIN’S chef-of-the-moment has combined forces with the British Ambassador in Madrid to star in a film where they whip up a British classic – roast beef and Yorkshire puds – with a Spanish twist.

Happy again!

IT might have been a couple of tough years with the recession, but the mayor of Marbella is Happy again.

Angeles Munoz has unveiled the town’s latest promotional video, which uses the huge hit Happy by Pharrell Williams.

Apart from featuring some of Marbella’s best known landmarks, it also includes a number of local celebrities including chef Dani Garcia, tennis champ Manolo Santana and actor Maria Adamuz.

The video, which also includes Count Rudi Schonburg and Princess Maria Luisa of Prussia, cost €8,000 to create.

ORDERS: But is Munoz or Manley in charge?

David Munoz, famous for his nearly impossible.

Mohican and three Michelin Mr Manley emphasised Britstars, paired up with Simon ain’s position as one of the Manley, 46, for the Youtube easiest countries in Europe to video promoting Spanish in- start a business. vestment in Britain.

“David’s decision to expand In the clip, David explains into the UK shows what a why he will soon be opening great place London is to start his first international restau- a new business or expand an rant in London. existing one.

“I love it,’ he says. “I lived “What’s more, he’ll add even in London for six years, and further to the incredible quallearnt almost everything ity and variety of food which there. London’s huge gastro- visitors to London can enjoy.” nomic diversity can be found Wearing union jack aprons, nowhere else.” the culinary duo add horseHis new restaurant, StreetXO radish, papaya and Spanish London, will open this sum- herbs to their beef. mer in Mayfair, bringing with The Olive Press interviewed it the food that has made ob- Munoz in Madrid in Novemtaining a table at his tiny Di- ber in his first ever interview verXO restaurant in Madrid with a British newspaper.

Miley in Madrid!

WILD: Miley’s on her way

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Flying the (wrong) flag

CONTROVERSIAL: Beyonce waves the Spanish flag at the Catalan crowd

POPSTAR?: Or mayor?

the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

CONTROVERSIAL teen star Miley Cyrus has added a second Spanish date to her Bangerz tour.

The Wrecking Ball singer will be performing (and no doubt twerking) at a newly announced concert in Madrid on June 17, as well as in Barcelona on June 13.

Miley’s album Bangerz has been number one in iTunes in more than 70 countries and sold eight million copies worldwide.

Fantasy footie

LA SALA: Cameras rolling with Carr

IT is one of the most popular TV programmes for footie fans back home.

Now ex-Birmingham captain, Stephen Carr has filmed an episode of the popular Sky Sports show The Fantasy Football Club, at La Sala restaurant in Puerto Banus.

The Dublin-born footballer, who is a shareholder at the restaurant, explained “La Sala is such a big part of my life now, it was brilliant to be able to combine it with my first love, football.”

His own fantasy football team included Shay Given, Sol Campbell, Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer. “It wasn’t easy to pick and choose,” revealed Stephen, “there are so many great players I could’ve picked three teams! I would have loved to include Robbie Keane, Les Ferdinand, Ben Foster and Nicky Butt!”

Carr moved his family to Spain following his retirement last May to focus his time on La Sala and its expansion into the UK.

STAR: Maribel Verdu

Maribel steals the limelight THE cream of Spanish cinema descended on Malaga for Andalucia’s top film festival.

Among the famous faces were Maribel Verdu, best known for her role in huge international hit Pan’s Labyrinth, and Leonor Watling, from Almodovar’s hit Speak to Her.

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

News IN BRIEF

Adios Spain THE number of Spaniards living abroad grew by 6.6% in 2013, according to the National Statistics Institute. This brings the total registered number of Spaniards abroad to 2,058,048.

Marital woe A woman has been jailed for eight years for attempting to murder her ex-husband.

The former Torremolinos police officer ran him down outside Lidl in Churriana before driving over him twice.

Fatal selfie A 21-year-old man was electrocuted to death after climbing on a train to take a photo of himself with friends. The man, from Andujar, in Jaen, touched a high-voltage wire on a train while attempting to take the photo.

Das Boot Around 10,000 Spaniards on jobseekers’ allowance could be expelled from Germany, as the country announces new measures to limit EU job migrant numbers.

Germany’s latest move follows in the footsteps of Belgium and Switzerland.

NEWS

More border chaos MORE than 1,800 African migrants have stormed the border fence into Melilla this week, as migratory pressures on the Spanish enclaves dramatically escalate. Spanish and Moroccan border police successfully held back the two separate attempts, the first of which saw 1,000 migrants storm the fence.

In the second attempt 10 subSaharans successfully reached European soil, crying out ‘Spain, freedom, freedom!’.

Recent months have witnessed several coordinated attempts on the border fences, causing Madrid to increase presence at the border.

This year alone more than 1,600 undocumented subTWO Spanish journalists held Saharans have entered the hostage in Syria for six months north-African Spanish enhave been met by overjoyed fami- claves of Ceuta and Melilla, lies in Madrid. El Mundo corre- despite increased security spondent Javier Espinosa, 49, and measures – already more than freelance photographer Ricardo in the whole of 2013.

Garcia Vilanova, 42, were cap- Heads of both enclaves have requested urgent measures tured while trying to leave Syria. from Madrid.

Hacks out

Evictions hit 184 a day

SHOCKING new figures have revealed that 184 Spaniards were evicted from their homes every day in 2013.

A total of 67,189 people were forced from their homes last year.

Most had failed to keep up with mortgage payments or fell foul of tenancy laws.

It is the first time eviction figures have been released by the General Council of the Judiciary.

The statistics reveal the true extent of the eviction epidemic with Catalunya seeing the highest eviction rate, with 23.8% of the total, followed by Valencia with 14.6%.

Andalucia saw 13.8% and Madrid 13% of the total of those evicted.At least the number of foreclosures has dropped by 9.8% to 82,650 on the numbers from 2012.

The fall is due to new legislation passed in 2013, that gives judges power to prevent evictions if they believe clauses in the contract are ‘abusive’.

www.theolivepress.es IT was a case of the toys taking over the playroom as a series of giant wooden children’s figurines took over Malaga’s CAC art gallery. The display was part of iconic American artist KAWS’s first exhibition outside the US. The Final Days exhibition, which runs until June 22, features five enormous sculptures of popular culture icons, such as Pinocchio. KAWS, aka Brian Donnelly, studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York.

TOY STORY

WE WANT TO GO HOME!

EXCLUSIVE: Hard-hitting study claims that 20,000 British pensioners are desperately trying to get back home from Spain, it can be revealed

POVERTY has trapped tens of thousands of British pensioners in Spain.

The hard-hitting study claims that around 20,000 expats are desperate to return home, but are finding it difficult to relocate.

Isolation from friends and family, lack of suitable care homes, and the increasing cost of living are the main reasons elderly expats want to relocate.

And the ground-breaking survey claims that once they do finally return home it will put a huge strain on the UK authorities.

Burden

Dr Charles Betty, a British expat based in Benalmadena, has spent over a year looking into the reasons, issues and problems of those who want to relocate but can’t due to money problems.

Backed by the University of Northampton, he has discovered that around 5% of all British pensioners on the Costa del Sol wish to return to the UK. With an estimated 350,000 such expats based here, that means around 20,000 people could be about to become an additional burden on the British state.

When adding in the number of expats also based in Valencia, Murcia and the Costa Brava, this number could reach over 50,000 people.

“I was extremely alarmed by how little in-depth research there is into the problems facing these people,” said Betty, who has lived on the Costa del Sol for three decades.

“Having been involved in welfare on the coast for more than 25 years, I can see that

EXCLUSIVE By Imogen Calderwood things are really bad.

“Action is needed now to address firstly the problems of accessing home care, and secondly how personal savings can be protected.”

He continued: “The greatest and most important issue that concerns pensioners who want to return is the ‘poverty trap’.

“They are seeing their pensions drop in value and with decreasing financial assets and the increasing cost of living it means they are simply unable to return home.”

He estimates their return - and they will one way or another - will have serious implications for the country’s elderly care organisations.

“It is for this reason, in particular, that I believe the British government should act to help the enormous group of pensioners based down here,” he added.

Interviews

His research has involved hundreds of in-depth interviews to uncover the range of issues that the elderly on the Costa del Sol are facing.

He would like to interview more people who are contemplating relocation, to discuss their experiences.

To contact Dr Betty, email cbetty47@gmail.com, or call 952 447 637. All information gathered will be treated as strictly confidential, and no names will be used.

Please contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es with your stories and reasons for wanting to return.

NEWS

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FEATURE

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OPINION

Battle on the borders MORE migrants have already crossed into European soil this year than in the whole of 2013.

Pressures on security forces at the borders of Ceuta and Melila are escalating, and no help seems to be on its way from Brussels, despite frequent calls from the Spanish government.

Every day, it seems, there are more forceful attempts to rush the border, with ever increasing numbers involved.

But where do these African migrants go and what do they do when they do manage to break through?

Spain’s immigration laws prevent the immediate expulsion of migrants seeking asylum without first ‘processing’ them – which can take months, if not years.

During this time the migrants sit in limbo, held in temporary accommodation centres. Hardly the European freedom they were imagining.

A Right Royal Rock Rumpus?

THE news that Queen Elizabeth II is considering an official visit to Gibraltar would be a huge event for The Rock.

But what if Her Majesty also, as suggested, came to visit southern Spain as well.

This would presumably cause a huge headache for Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy who would have to ensure that the British Monarch was not held up for several hours in the queues at the border.

It would also mean having to be nice again.

Life is tweet WHEN the Olive Press launched nearly a decade ago a tweet was just the sound a bird makes and a ‘re-tweet’ was, well, nothing.

But this week we are celebrating passing the milestone of having 3,000 Twitter followers - not one of them a twit - as we continue to expand our online presence.

Nowadays a popular and important way to quickly share and connect to our readers, we are regularly tweeting, sometimes evey hour.

It is leaving us an eagle’s wing above our two main rivals in this rapidly developing field, both with many less followers.

Meanwhile, our website page views have reached an all time high, hitting the 300,000 per month mark for the first time in March. This is up 73,000 from February.

We are also beating all our main rivals in the Spanish website traffic rankings.

Twitter has become the perfect way to break the news our readers care about in the quickest way possible, so if you haven’t already, join us: @olivepress

Olive Press Blacklist

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The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía

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Tel: 951127006 (admin/editorial/sales/advertising) or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month.

Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 Urb Casares del Sol, bloque 21, portal 70, bajo b, Casares 29690, Malaga Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Reporters: Newsdesk Newsdesk@theolivepress.es Claire Wilson Claire@theolivepress.es Giles Brown Giles@theolivepress.es

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The Guiri Army As the Spanish football season approaches its endgame, Tom Powell tagged along to see how Europe’s most famous expat football fanclub do battle

M

ALAGA CF have folded, reformed, climbed back up to Spain’s top flight and reached a Champions League quarter final since 1992 - all with the devoted support of a group of British expats.

The Spanish fans always jokingly called them guris and so, 20 years ago, the now-legendary ‘Guiri Army’ was born.

Recently they have been in the limelight thanks to the British media’s increasing coverage of Spanish football, as well as Malaga’s Champions League plight.

Despite the erratic scheduling of La Liga fixtures, it seemed appropriate that I should be heading for a classic Saturday afternoon kickoff.

Up and down the Costa del Sol Brits were awaking and donning their blue Malaga shirts before heading to the Lounge Bar in Benalmadena, the traditional ‘home of the famous Guiri Army’.

Dave Redshaw, the leader who has been coming to games since 1989, first coined the name Guiri Army and wrote the only Malaga CF history book.

He is immediately recognisable, taking in bets on the game and doling out the tickets.

We reminisce over a bottle – not a pint – of beer about how quickly his beloved Malaga have careered down the slippery slope from Champions League to relegation scrap.

Just one year ago this motley crew were boarding planes to Milan, Porto and Dortmund.

Yet now they find themselves teetering just above the bottom three, the second division snarling wantonly beneath them. Three points in the crucial fixture against Real Valladolid, two places below them, is a must. It ON THE BUSES: Singing and plenty of banter doesn’t take a lifelong fan to gan with a bus, which Dave gets going, and that, apparrealise that. organised to take fans to Dave recalls working out games from his local Benal- ently, is driving round roundabouts. The entire coach the draw for the Champions madena bar.

League in front of the TV, There are a core of about 40 ‘waheys’ each time the driver desperately hoping his home- who can be counted on for feints to go down the road with a drop of the shoulder town team every game, before checking back and Manchester while many swerving to the left and round City was not The locals and other tourists we go once more. placed with expats mix and expats “Sometimes we go round Malaga. jump on board this roundabout about ten seamlessly For tunately whenever they times,” I’m told, seems I got this has not before and after can. off lightly. yet been a the game The journey The beer-fuelled build-up problem for passes by continues in a small Spanthe Gillingham in a haze of ish bar where one young lad fan, Lyndon Pooley, who has football chat, chants, beer from the Welsh valleys, on lived in Spain for 12 years. and cigarette smoke and At 1.30pm final orders are soon enough we are snaking holiday and attending his first made at the bar for booze through the concrete suburbs Malaga match, tells me: “I’m for the journey and the strik- of Malaga, where the streets having such a laugh, it’s the best game I’ve been to.” ing Guiri Army bus, part of begin to swell with sky blue. the army for a year now, is A chorus of “We’re the Guiri Anxious to actually see some football, we head down the boarded.

Army, we do what we want,” road about ten minutes prior The Guiri Army essentially beto kick-off. La Rosaleda stadium looms into sight and it is certainly not a looker, to put it politely. The concrete block could be a car-park from the outside but that doesn’t stop the nerves tingling as I pass underneath the billowing Guiri Army flag and out into the stand, sensing the anticipation.

The army takes up position at the front of the singing section with the Malaka Hinchas, the Spanish supporters group who cheer and chant with relentless passion, no matter what is happening on the pitch.

The locals and expats mix together seamlessly, with chants in both English and Spanish, united behind a simple desire; goals.

“We’re all mates,” explains Dave. “We all support Malaga and they love the Guiri Army.”

And before long that love is PROUD: Malaga’s Guiri army is the largest foreign supporters club in Europe portrayed with a round of ‘Oh

FEATURE

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ALL ABOARD: The Guiri bus (top) and (right) supporters at the Malaga game.

And, incredibly, they even managed to get their hands on the World Cup! (left)

Malaga is wonderful’.

Soon enough Roque Santa Cruz, the most recognisable name on the pitch, triggers fist pumping, bloke hugging and throat roaring when he finds the back of the net from a corner.

But from this point onwards the match completely died, Real Valladolid equalised and the stadium fell into a frustrated silence, barring our corner, of course, where nobody sat down all game.

In truth, I don’t have a clue

which seat was even mine and there seemed to be far more people than seats anyway.

La Rosaleda seats 30,000 but this season crowds are dwindling, even at this crucial relegation scrap there were many empty seats, which I found surprising.

Also, there were apparently no away fans. Literally not one person celebrated Valladolid’s equaliser.

The final whistle eventually put the crowd out of its mis-

ery and ended the game at singing corner was ‘Schuster 1-1. The most eventful mo- vete ya’ (Schuster go now) at ment of the second half was the end. It’s nice that football when one younger Guiri Army fans can always be enthusiastic in their regular tapped hatred for the me on the This is all about manager if shoulder to the camaraderie, nothing else. tell me that my The song was team Reading the singing... and actually quite were beating going around menacing as Yeovil, only to roundabouts! it bellowed laugh at my around the fist-pump and open stadium. It was also reveal his cruel joke.

The only chant to make it past nice to hear that traditional the edges of our designated English ballad, ‘You’re getting

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sacked in the morning’, get a look in.

Back in the bar, beer in hand, I realised I didn’t really care about the game or the score.

This is about the camaraderie, the singing, the supporting and the going round roundabouts more times than necessary.

Although the season ticket holders may have not felt entirely the same way.

The drab draw hadn’t succeeded in dampening spir-

its and the coach back was much of the same, with the man who hopped off to relieve his bladder getting ‘mistakenly’ left behind.

Chatting to the seasoned fans it became clear that no-one really fears relegation all that much. Supporting any team has its highs and its lows and the Guiri Army will keep that corner of the Rosaleda alive and kicking, whether it is a Champions League semi-final or a lower-league scrap.

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NEWS

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News IN BRIEF

Model coffee EUROPE’S first 3D printer cafe has opened in Barcelona. FabCafe allows customers to print their own 3D models and watch lasers cut their designs while kicking back with a cafe con leche.

Back to life SPAIN’S National Museum of Archeology has re-opened in Madrid after a six year overhaul.

Work began in 2008 and cost €65.2 million. The museum is home to a total of 13,000 objects on display in 40 rooms.

Ditch the dub FILM director Carlos Saura is among several high-profile industry figures calling for an end to Spanish dubbing. Controversial MP and former actor Tony Canto agrees, calling dubbing an unnecessary financial burden for Spain’s ailing film industry.

Nikki Move BEACH Club chain Nikki Beach is to move its European HQ to Marbella, where it will remodel the existing beach club at the Hotel Don Carlos.

www.theolivepress.es

On third anniversary of her death, police apologise to family of tragic teen who was run over on the N-340 in Mijas Costa

We messed up over Samantha!

POLICE have apologised for mistakes made in their investigation into how a British teenager was tragically killed on a Costa del Sol motorway.

As Samantha Hardy’s family gather in Spain this week to commemorate the third anniversary of her death, there

are still many unanswered questions surrounding that tragic night.

The Olive Press revealed in April 2011 how the 19-year-old from Bolton, was apparently fighting with her boyfriend on the phone when she leapt onto the N340 carriageway.

EXCLUSIVE By Imogen Calderwood

However, her parents were convinced she was killed by a car - possibly a taxi - which was then allowed to drive off by local police.

The Guardia Civil have consistently told Samantha’s family different versions of how she died.

But it has now been confirmed that the taxi driver, who possibly killed Samantha, was allowed to leave the scene with two passengers

WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE THE head of the Spanish Medical Association has caused outrage by demanding fines for patients who block hospital emergency

test results or go to the wrong hospital, as part of a campaign to punish patients for improper use of the healthcare system. He claimed that ‘those who go a lot’ to the doctor, do so because ‘they are scared… and think it THE grand total raised by Talk will delay their final Radio Europe’s annual CUDECA day’. telethon reached €14,000.

He proposes fines for Hundreds of listeners called in patients who don’t during the nine hour marathon take their names off stint, to bid on a huge range of the waiting list or items and experiences, includ- when they delibering the chance to be a radio pre- ately put their name senter for a day, a wedding dress, down twice. and golf tours galore.

“Or when they don’t All money raised will go to CU- pick up their diagDECA Hospice in Benalmadena. noses or prescrip-

wards when they are not in ‘urgent’ need of treatment.

Juan José Rodríguez Sendín has also proposed fines for patients who fail to pick up

TRE Telethon nets €14,000 Cakes for Charity!

A TASTY charity event took place at Coin’s Cafeteria Alameda as Kristina Spalding and team hosted an English high tea raising over €300 for Cudeca.

tions, or when they go casualty rather than to a regular health centre,” he added.

But his words have been met with anger by many. The President of Spain’s health watchdog, Carmen Flores, called the proposals ‘an utter disgrace’.

“What happens is that when you have toothache or a high temperature, you’re put on a waiting list for a week,” she said. “Are we going to have to pay because of that?

“He is not helping doctors by suggesting this. I imagine they don’t support his claims because threatening to make patients pay is neither decent nor humane.”

TRAGIC: Samantha without official questioning.

Police even allegedly failed to get personal details when he returned to the scene later.

The two passengers, both potentially key witnesses, have never been traced.

It was only after her father Peter Hardy demanded to see official Fuengirola court reports that he discovered it was impossible that she died from the fall.

Signs

“The local police have since apologised for their actions,” father Peter Hardy told the Olive Press.

However, he further criticised them asking why they had not taken video footage from cameras and why was he not allowed to place a sign asking for witnesses.

“Even three years on there are so many unanswered questions,” he said “I wish I was in a position to use the services of a very good barrister and find the driver who killed Samantha.”

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GREEN NEWS

the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

Hard-hitting atlas puts Spain eighth for environmental trouble spots around the world, with the Almoraima and Valdevaqueros projects in Andalucia two of key concern

TOP TEN FOR GREEN ABUSE SPAIN has the eighth highest number of environmental troublespots in the world, according to the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJA).

The new map (pictured left)

Texts could save lives

www.theolivepress.es

pinpoints an incredible 35 ‘conflicts’ around the country that are of major concern.

The majority of these are linked to industrial and building projects, as well as waste

By Imogen Calderwood management sites.

However, friction over tourism and recreation projects

… But it has a Top 10 beach at least

MILLIONS of lives could be saved in floodprone African villages by technology developed by a Spanish phone company.

The company Nvia has developed an earlywarning system that sends a text alert to those at risk from impending natural disasters, such as floods and hurricanes.

A network of satellites and weather stations will detect the threat and send a text to villagers, allowing time for evacuation.

The technology - which can identify all mobile phones in a particular area - is already used for promotional purposes throughout Europe, such as sending special offers to people in a specific shopping mall.

CRYSTAL-CLEAR waters, pink-tinted coral and golden sands have won Spain a place in the world’s top ten beaches.

The Playa de ses Illetes, which graces the smallest Balearic Island of Formentera, came sixth in the TripAdvisor Traveller Choice Beaches Awards for 2014.

Only accessible by ferry from Ibiza, the beach of Illetes stretches almost the entire length of the island - from La Savia to Espalmader – and offers a perfect

spot to swim, snorkel and relax.

The playa successfully fended off competition from some of the world’s more exotic locations to earn the award, based on ratings and reviews on TripAdvisor from the last 12 months.

One reviewer said: “When I first saw this beach I was in heaven, and I’ve gone back every year since.”

The top three are the Baia do Sancho in Brazil, Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, and the Flamenco Beach in Puerto Rico.

Illegal hotel must go!

From front page

the Gurtel case.

The ruling also contradicts the TSJA’s OWN ruling in 2012, when the court decreed that the land, located in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park was NOT suitable for building and should be given ‘special protection’.

It also came after the Junta and the national government publicly agreed to share the cost of its demolition. The Junta has even already set aside €7 million for it.

This weekend, Junta President Susana Diaz said that she would use ‘all possible means’ to halt further work, which leaves the Junta in the surreal situation of battling its own High Court.

Construction on the hotel had originally been halted in 2006 when the building, which is less than 15 metres from the sea, was deemed to be in flagrant breach of the ley de Costas.

Despite environmental groups protesting against it, builders worked around the clock to construct the 411-room hotel.

They continued even when Greenpeace activisits daubed the word ilegal on the front of the hotel in giant letters.

Now the environmentalists are concerned that if work on the project is allowed to continue it will also pave the way for the developers to start work on an urbanisation of 1,500 homes, eight further luxury hotels and a golf course, which had initially been planned alongside the Algarrobico.

This is despite all of them being supposedly protected by the natural park boundary.

Curiously when the Olive Press visited the site a day before the ruling was due in Febru-

are also common, especially in Andalucia.

Two projects, in particular - long highlighted by the Olive Press - are on the list: the Valdevaqueros hotel and housing project in Tarifa and the continuing saga over the Almoraima estate sell off near Sotogrande.

Other major flashpoints are a waste incineration plant in Cordoba and a Huelva industrial chemical complex.

The atlas, created by 23 global organisations, maps out sites where there is conflict due to a project’s ‘damaging effects’ on the environment.

“The atlas illustrates how ecological conflicts are increasing around the world, driven by material demands fed primarily by the rich and middle class,” said Professor Joan Martinez-Alier, of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, who coordinated the project.

The map’s creator EJOLT notes, in particular, how the problems of pollution are felt most strongly among poorer communities.

“The most impacted are poor, marginalised and indigenous communities, who usually do not have the political power to pursue justice and health,” explained Martinez-Alier.

The map allows users to browse the world’s environmental conflicts, by country, commodity, company involved and type of issue.

India is home to the highest number of conflicts, with 112, followed by Colombia, with 72, and Brazil and Nigeria, both with 58.

The rest of the top ten are Ecuador, 48, Turkey, 46, United States, 36, Spain, 35, Argentina, 32, and Peru, 31.

EJOLT supports the work of environmental organisations worldwide, uniting scientists, activists, organisations, and think-tanks to prevent the exploitation of communities affected by pollution.

Visit the site at www.ejatlas. org

Heavy Rock

ILLEGAL: Greenpeace protest at hotel ary, a group of builders were doing some sort of work there.

Jaime del Val, president of Salvar Mojacar, described the ruling as ‘extremely worrying’ andsaid it set a ‘very dangerous’ precedent.

He continued: “It is a setback against the people and against the fight against speculation and corruption.”

A spokesman for Greenpeace added that it was ‘not normal procedure for the same court that condemned the hotel as illegal to now ignore that ruling’.

If completed, he added, the environmental group ‘has lost eight years of struggle’.

Salvador Hernandez, mayor of Carboneras, however welcomed the TSJA’s decision, saying that it coincided with ‘the best interests of our town’ with the jobs it would bring.

ONE of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe - the Dolmens of Antequera - will be Spain’s only candidate to be added to the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 2015.

Dolmens are single chamber tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones that support a large flat horizontal stone.

The Antequera Dolmens - alongside Stonehenge in Britain - are widely recognised as outstanding examples of megalithic architecture.

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GIBRALTAR NEWS

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Welcome to your Rock, madam EXCLUSIVE: Discussions underway over potential royal visit to Gibraltar

By Tom Powell IT would be the highest profile visit to Gibraltar in over half a century.

Now, discussions are underway for a landmark second visit by the Queen to the Rock and southern Spain.

It comes after the UK foreign affairs committee raised the possibility of a royal visit during a recent meeting in Gibraltar.

The idea was welcomed with open arms by Gibraltar first minister Fabian Picardo and, according to Olive Press sources, the discussions are continuing behind the scenes.

It would be the first time in 60 years that the British monarch has visited Gibraltar and it is hoped could potentially improve relations between Spain and Gibraltar.

“The last time she came it led to the turning of the screw the other way and the border was closed by Franco,” said one observer at the meeting. “It is hoped this might have the opposite effect.”

The meeting was attended by a number of British MPs including Sir Richard Ottoway, Anne Clwyd and Mike Gapes.

The issue was raised however by Andrew Rosindell, the Conservative MP for Romford, Essex, who said: “This is all a question of diaries.”

The item, third on the agenda, was discussed for approximately five minutes.

Mr Picardo said: “It is her place to come, this is her territory so she doesn’t even need to ask permission to visit,” he said.

“The people of Gibraltar would be very

happy.”

The visit by the foreign affairs committee, which consists of five Labour MPs, five Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat, was described as a ‘one-off evidence session with the chief minister as part of a rolling enquiry into overseas territories’.

FANTASTIC

It followed an evidence session held with UK foreign affairs minister Mark Simmonds and sought to explore the issues raised in that session, including the overall UK - Gibraltar relationship and the current situation with regard to Spain.

One attendee at the meeting told the Olive Press: “It is fantastic, it gives us real

SHIP SHAPE

Thespian joy

THESPIANS were out in force for the Gala Night of the Gibraltar Drama Festival held at the Ince’s Hall Theatre.

The judge, Arthur Rochester of the UK’s Guild of Drama Adjudicators, awarded ten prizes. Among them Best Director went to Angela Jenkins for her play Julius and Cleopatra, Christian Santos for his role as Shane in My Women and Amy Freyone for her role as Natalie, also in My Women.

The Festival Winner for the best play was awarded to How to be a Saint (pictured)

by Fresh Wineskins Theatre Company. Minister for Culture Steven Linares presented the awards.

THE world’s first 5-star yacht hotel is open for business.

Guests can now stay on board the Sunborn Gibraltar in Ocean Village after a ‘soft opening’.

Guests are able to stay the night, enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner in the top floor Sky Restaurant, have a drink in the adjacent Sky Bar or enjoy a cocktail in the Sapphire Bar just above the hotel’s grand entrance lobby.

Rooms are available from £193 a night.

Exciting

Marketing manager Sandra Lamplough said: “The opening is perfectly timed for us and we’re also seeing a number of other projects come to fruition including additional berths, office space, new eateries and bars, and the now customary summer live music programme on Leisure Island. Exciting times are ahead.”

FLASHBACK: 1954 Visit hope of solving the border problem.”

It has previously been thought that a visit by the Queen could cause more problems with Spain.

However, this diplomatic meeting could end up being good for both countries.

Following the Queen’s last visit, Gibraltarians voted in further of remaining a British territory. In 1969 Spain completely closed the border and it remained shut for more than a decade.

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GIBRALTAR NEWS

the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

ON the Rock

The Olive Press guide to What’s On in Gibraltar over the next two weeks

April 2 - 15 Fine Arts Association Exhibition of work by local artists First Floor Casemates Mon to Fri 10am-2pm, 3-6pm Sat 11am -1pm

April 6 STM Group Fun Run in aid of The Guardian Angel Foundation 5K town run and 10K around the Rock.

Start/finish at Casemates Square. Registration from 8am. Start 10am.

For more information email: funrun@stmgroupplc. com

April 6 and 13 Promenade Market Ocean Village, 11 am - 4pm For further information Tel: 54023166 Email: vivend13@hotmail.com

April 7 The Rock Tai Chi Club Kings Bastion Leisure

Centre, 6.30pm For further information Tel: 20078714 Email: rocktaichi@trainingtm.net

April 9 Trafalgar Theatre Group Garrisons Library, 8pm.

Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

April 10 The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society Piano recital featuring Ingrid Fliter Convent Ballroom, 8pm Tickets: £20 from Sacarello’s Coffee ShopIrish Town The Silver Shop – 222 Main Street or directly from the Society Tel: 20072134., www.philharmonic.gi

April 10 Jazz Nights O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel, 9pm For further information Tel: 20070500

www.theolivepress.es

News IN BRIEF

New Statesman Site LEADING UK political magazine The New Statesman has launched a six-month media partnership with the Gibraltar government. The magazine will host an online ‘microsite’ featuring the latest news, interviews and insight from the Rock.

4X4 Fun A FOUR x four rally has taken place at Europa Point.

Proceeds from the event, organised by Marocatlas Gib4x4 went to the GibMission Africa charity.

Rising up PLANS are underway to raise an American World War II bomber from British waters. The Liberator aeroplane was discovered nera Gibraltar’s airport where it crashed during operations during the Second World War.

DOING OUR BIT: Sydney Opera House also had its lights turned out

Supporting the Earth

IT was lights out again as Gibraltar played its role in the annual Earth Hour event.

As part of support for this event, in aid of the environment, the Gibraltar government switched off flood lights on the north face of the Rock and the Moorish Castle for the entire weekend.

In a further step all government and public buildings had their external lights switched off where possible.

Worldwide, from Thailand to Tahiti, Iran to Las Vegas and even the International Space Station, individuals, companies, landmarks and iconic

Group of Spanish ‘hoodies’ attack customs officers

By Giles Brown

Gibraltar Weekend Special See the sights and experience great Gibraltarian hospitality

Friday and Saturday night stay in a sea view room with Continental buffet breakfast Friday • Table reserved for the Valerga Brothers performance • Dinner for two in our award winning Nunos restaurant - a la carte menu excluding wine and beer Saturday • Full body massage per person in our Health and Beauty Club

Price of £130 per person sharing a double room *Upgrade to a suite for an extra £50 per night *Stay Sunday night for £50 including breakfast

T: (+350) 200 76501 | E: reservations@caletahotel.gi www.caletahotel.com | www.visitgibraltar.gi

VIOLENCE has flared on the Gibraltar border after customs officers came under attack from Spanish ‘hoodies’.

It happened when the officers were conducting a routine patrol of the Western Beach area, and spotted a group of four men in hooded tracksuits by the frontier fence.

When they realised they had been spotted, the group threw stones at the officers before fleeing over the frontier fence into Spain.

buildings were involved in the project The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul switched off for Earth Hour for the first time, alongside the Hagia Sophia and Bosphorous Bridge that connects Europe and Asia.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Tokyo Tower, The Bird Nest in Beijing and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur all turned off the lights.

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Buckingham Palace in London and the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro also had their lights turned off.

Officers Stoned

Escaped

Once across the border they continued the assault, also throwing missiles at the Gibraltar Defence Police who arrived in support. No one was injured in the incident.

In other incidents customs seized over 58,500 cigarettes (292 cartons) and four Spanish registered vehicles. Four Spanish nationals were arrested in connection with these seizures.

In January this year customs officers were involved in another dramatic chase

SEIZED: Tabacco hidden in one of the cars when they intercepted two men creeping along the edge of Eastern Beach. When they realised that they had been spotted, the men dropped the holdalls and escaped across the border.

A search of the bags found them to contain 11,000 cigarettes.

The incident came as tensions continue to run high on the

border. Long delays are still being experienced by both vehicular and pedestrian traffic as Spain’s customs officers continue what they claim are anti-smuggling inspections.

Last year the Spanish government says it seized 139 million illegal cigarettes smuggled in from Gibraltar, more than double the figure for 2009.

la cultura

the olive press - April 2 - April 16 201415 15

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April 2 - April 16 2014

what’s on SUMMER OF MUSIC: A massive array of acts including Damon Albarn, The Wombats and the Kooks, who play in Murcia

Sounds of summer

A string of Britain and America’s hottest bands to star at Spanish festivals this summer

DIG out your straw hats, and get your down to Spain for a host of summer reer is kicking off in a big way in the Kooks and The Prodigy. festival-style back in gear as a string of festivals.

UK, will headline the S.O.S. 4.8 Mur- Albarn, who also writes the music for huge British and American acts head Blur’s Damon Albarn, whose solo ca- cia festival on May 2-3, along with The Gorillaz and has an African music label, was voted the fourth greatest frontman in a recent poll for Q Magazine.

Fellow British rockers Franz Ferdinand – creators of the iconic Take Me Out – will SEVILLA is arguably the best place in Spain day April 16 and includes not only space on the take centre stage with Amerito witness the world-renowned Holy Week, private 33 metre balcony but drinks, tapas and can rock group MGMT at feswith thousands descending on the city for an an on-hand cultural expert Manni Coe. tival Bilbao BBK Live, from intense week of colourful processions and reli- “It is really intense, spiritual and dramatic exJuly 10-12. gious fervour, between April 13 and 20. perience which needs to be explained and set Fans of sing-a-longs round Now a travel company is offering expats the in a historical framework,” said Manni, who the campfire will be happy to chance to witness it first hand in the most lived in Sevilla for five years. hear singer-songwriter Jack amazing of locations.

He explains how there are 58 churches and Johnson will also take to the Toma Tours has rented one of the largest bal- parishes in Sevilla, each with their own figures Bilbao stage, to serenade the conies in the city centre, allowing the perfect of the virgin and Christ, and Holy Week is the crowd with his Hawaiian birds-eye view of the celebrated Cristo de Bur- only time of the year they are all brought out. melodies. go procession right at the church entrance on “It is really tough work to get these huge statThe festival season will be Holy Wednesday. ues down narrow streets, some of them take brought to a triumphant conPunters will be able to see at least five of the 60 men,” he added. clusion by Bastille, Placebo celebrated processions winding their way There will also be a Saetero singing a traand The Wombats, at Arenal through Sevilla’s streets. ditional Easter Saeta on their balcony. The Sound in Castellon, from July The day trip leaves from Marbella on Wednes- saeta is a gypsy prayer that has become a song PIOUS: Sevilla holy week 31-August 3. through flamenco. It is notoriously difficult to sing and is only heard in Holy Week.

There is about seven hours between the exit and the enHE has inspired generations of the world’s greattrance of the procession. In est artists and left a legacy of fabulous artworks, this time people can get down and this week marks 400 years since his death. off the balcony and onto the El Greco, who died on April 7 1614, is being honstreets to mix in with the oured with a year of activities and exhibitions that crowds. have taken three years and more than €15 million “It is a big celebration when to organise. the processions return to the Over 100 of El Greco’s works are on display in venchurch but the most dramatic ues throughout Toledo, in the largest exhibition of time is when they depart,” exthe artist’s work ever held – more than 60 of which plained Manni. have arrived from 29 different world cities.

“It is the only time I have Some have even been brought from his home counever heard so many Spanish try of Crete, as well as Madrid and Valladolid. The people fall completely silent, city hopes to attract more than a million visitors. six or seven thousand in comFor more info, visit www.elgreco2014.com plete respect.”

To the heart of easter

Meet the Greek

M

alaga. April 3, 9pm, at the Echegaray Theatre. The music of ‘The Beatles’, with a twist of jazz and classical. ‘The Beatles Songbook’ will record their debut album in front of a live theatre audience, with all boxoffice proceeds going to the production.

L

a Cala de Mijas.

April 11, 7.30pm.

Canapes, welcome drinks, and a sumptuous three course dinner with drinks included. ‘Protection of Domestic Animals’ (PAD) are having an Easter Gala Dinner at restaurant Mijas Playa - now Howie’s.

Ticket price €38. To book call Lisa 658 351 642.

B

enahavis. April 8, 6.30pm, at Benahavis Town Hall. Cads, bounders and fallen women jostle with philosophers and honest workers for their place in Victorian art.

Jo Walton is delivering a lecture called ‘How to be Good: Storytelling and Morality in Victorian Painting’.

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

la cultura

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The Choir J ack’s Corner Andaluz

In a new ocasional column American expat writer Jack Gaioni gives his leftfield musings on aspects of Spanish life

♪ Ladies of Spain ♪…

Never gonna lose it

F

rom 1969-1974 no musical group had more Top 10 hits or sold more concert tickets than the rock group Three Dog Night. Listen to any classical rock music station and at some point, you are likely to hear at least one rendition of such hits as: Joy to the World, Eli’s Coming, Momma Told Me Not to Come, Shambala, Easy To Be Hard, An Old Fashion Love Song, etc. One particular hit song (#5 on the 1974 charts); Never Been To Spain has a chorus which proclaims:

Do you like to sing?

Then why not join a new and exciting choir here on the coast?

OUR Y K O BO

FREEER T S A T DAY NOW!!!

Taster sessions from

19:00 - 21:00 being held soon at:

Coin: 6th May Fuengirola: 7th May Elvira: 8th May

All ages welcome Professional coaching Make new friends Learn how to perform Sing pop and funky songs Info and to register:

www.thechoirandaluz.com

♪ ♫ ♪ Well I never been to Spain But I kinda like the music They say the Ladies are insane there And they sure know how to use it They don’t abuse it Never gonna lose it I can’t refuse it... ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ The passage is curious. It implies that the singer/songwriters are especially intrigued by ‘Spanish Ladies’. They imagine Spanish ladies are out of the ordinary, are spirited, with a reputation that precedes them. Clearly, the singer/songwriter believes the Spanish fairer sex has a disposition - an attitude - that makes them unique. Is it that they are unpredictable?

‘Crazy’ in a good way? Is it that Spanish Ladies are uniquely confident? Alluring? Scheming?

Passionate? Three Dog Night is not the first in music to ask these questions about Spanish women. Consider some of the following examples…

In 1952 - pre-Elvis and pre-rock n’roll - singer Eddie Fisher had a smash-hit called Lady of Spain. Fisher (an ex-hubby of femme fatale Elizabeth Taylor) was a crooner who, like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, represented a musical genre given to an emphatically sentimental singing style. In the Lady of Spain, the singer/ songwriter pleads: ♫♪♫♪ Lady of Spain I adore you!

Right from the night I first saw you My heart has been yearning for you What else could any heart do?

Lady of Spain, I’m appealing Why my lips should be concealing All that my eyes are revealing Lady of Spain, I love you! ♪♫♪♫♪♫

HELLO LADIES: Three Dog Night HE has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, the Savoy and Grosvenor House.

And now maestro Steve Marks is bringing his own unique blend of musical magic to the Costa del Sol. The choirmaster is launching a series of vocal and performance classes on the Costa Del Sol with his Choir Andaluz (see ad on left).

The choir offers the opportunity to sing great songs, improve your technique, polish your style and experience the thrill of performing as part of a team.

“All you need to be able to do is hold a tune, sense a

♪

No mistaking the passionate allure of a particular Spanish lady in this refrain. Clearly the singer/songwriter is seduced and inflamed with love, captivated and infatuated by this ‘Lady of Spain’. He is not simply in love, but rather totally infatuated with a ‘culturally specific’ woman.

Indie pop, a contemporary musical genre that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid1980s, combines alternative rock with the folk music of the 50s and 60s. Indie (independent) pop is considered more melodic, less abrasive and less angst-ridden than pure alternative rock. Ingrid Michaelson is a prolific Indie singer/songwriter whose 2008 album, Be O.K., received a lot of exposure on the Billboard charts. One particular cut on that hit album, called Lady of Madrid, boasts that: ♪♫♪♫ I am a LADY in Spain I sing a haunting refrain I am a lady from Mars And I can unscrew the stars I can be anything that I see I can do anything my heart tells me to do…♫♪♫♪

The Spanish lady stands apart from other women while projecting an innate confidence and an illuminating aura. Omnipotent, independent and dynamic, this Indiepop description of a Spanish lady insists there is something compelling about Spanish femininity.

This phenomenon of focusing compositions on the Spanish fairer sex is by no means contemporary. An early 18th century English naval drinking song called Spanish Ladies is still popular within the British Royal Navy.

The song laments the fact that after the Peninsula War, British sailors must return to England leaving behind their Spanish lovers: ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish Ladies Farewell and adieu to you Ladies of Spain For we’ve received orders to sail for old England And hope very shortly to see you again Let every man drink up his full bowl And let us be jolly and drown melancholy Farewell to you fair ladies of Spain! ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

The Spanish have, throughout history, been characterised as people of emotion - whether saints, artists, conquistadors etc. The role of Spanish women in music might also be included under this rubric. But the obvious questions remain: why is it that so many troubadours, musicians and song-smiths have chosen Spanish ladies as central subjects in their craft? Is it an accident? What is it about the fairer sex in Spain which draws out this propensity? The questions are rhetorical….or are they?

Raising the heavens rhythm, and give lots of enthusiasm,” says Marks, who has been a central figure in London’s acting and music business for over 25 years.

“I am very excited about forming Choir Andaluz, meeting new people, hearing them sing, and helping them to improve.

“Singing is fantastic fun, and can make you feel good in so many ways!”

The classes are being held at three different locations along the Costa del Sol, on

three different nights of the week.

On Tuesdays they gather at the Aqua Wellness Centre near Coin, Wednesdays at the Hotel Myramar in Fuengirola, and on Thursdays at the Andalucia Lab in Marbella.

Three initial taster classes are free in each venue early this month, in Coin on April 6, Fuengirola on April 7 and Elviria on April 8.

For more information visit www.thechoirandaluz.com

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April 2 - April 16 2014

Far from the Madding Crowds

Expat author Craig Briggs (above) tells The Olive Press about the highs and lows of starting a life in Galicia, as told in his book Journey to a Dream

W

HY Galicia? It’s a question I’m often asked, particularly by those who haven’t been to the area.

Once they have, the answer becomes clear. It’s a land of rolling hills and lush green pastures, where native oak woodland grows side-by-side with neatly managed pine forests.

Grand rivers meander slowly through deep valley gorges and towering mountains fringe the distant horizon.

My wife Melanie and I had often dreamed of making the big move to Spain, and we decided in 2002 to make this dream a reality. But it didn’t get off to the smoothest of starts. Even getting out the UK, complete with dog in tow and bicycle rack intact, proved problematic.

After more than 35 hours on the road we finally reached our desired destination, Ferreira de Panton, where we were renting a house.

We quickly relaxed into our new, laidback lifestyle but before long it was time to start hunting for a place to call home.

We finally found the right place, but not before visiting a run down farm with a small herd of cows in one room covered in their own effluent.

The floor was literally swimming in cow muck. The stink from the rotting vegetables, combined with the rising, methanefuelled odours of the effluent, was festering in the living accommodation above.

As we walked slowly back to the car Jamie assured us that should we decide to buy the house, the stables would be thoroughly cleaned. His comments reminded me of the old adage that, ‘a good smell sells’.

After viewing several of these ‘less desirable’ properties, we found the ideal

DREAM HOME: Craig’s house on a lake and its views. (Above) his book building project and set about creating our future home.

We had spent the summer basking in warm sunshine and immersing ourselves in the region’s rich culture, but the onset of winter brought all that to a grinding halt.

Abandoned

The unusually wet weather led to long delays, and spiralling costs resulted in the builder abandoning the project halffinished. And worse was yet to come.

The new swimming pool, the grand centrepiece of our whole project, began to rise out of the ground. Our dream home took on the appearance of a war zone.

What greeted us one morning was a scene of utter mayhem and destruction. In the middle of the garden, half way between the house and the front edge of the pool, was an ageing JCB. All four wheels had sunk into the mud.

It was so deeply embedded that the body of the excavator was resting on the muddy ground. Tons of oozing wet mud, excavated from the trench, were piled high around the sides of the gar-

Don’t stop the music!

A SPANISH court has blocked the closure of a website which contains more than four million audio files.

The Ministry of Culture had declared Goear.com (which also has a mobile app) illegal, only for the Madrid Court to overrule the decision.

The website includes clips distributed by political parties and NGOs, as well as free educational podcasts and a vast amount of music from more than 50,000 artists.

The Sinde-Wert Commission requested the website be closed as it did not own the rights to all of its content, because files are uploaded by users.

It is an imp or t a n t w e bs it e f o r u p - a n d -co min g a rt ist s a tte mp t in g t o p r o m o t e t h e ir m u s ic t o a wid er a ud ience .

den obscuring the once bright-white walls.

But we soldiered on. It wasn’t until our life savings disappeared from the bank that we almost threw in the towel.

But as spring started to blossom across Galicia, and the mud released its grip on the JCB lodged in our front garden, we were reminded of the beauty of the landscape that had drawn us here in the first place.

With the help of new-found friends we overcame our difficulties and after twelve traumatic months we finally moved into our dream home.

Looking back, it’s easy to laugh about our experiences. Now, twelve years on, we can’t imagine living anywhere else and we couldn’t have made a better choice of location.

In fact, we love it here so much we chose to go through the whole restoration shenanigans again – twice!

The last restoration project was completed in 2008: a sympathetically restored Galician farmhouse named Campo Verde. Under the banner of getawaygalicia.com we let this luxury property to visitors from around the world.

‘Journey to a Dream’ by Craig Briggs is available through Amazon in paperback or as a Kindle e-book

WIN A COPY OF THE

?

BOOK JOURNEY TO A DREAM BY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS:

1. What is the capital city of Spain?

2. Which two colours make up the Spanish flag?

3. What is the Spanish word for, ‘Thank you’?

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LETTERS

www.theolivepress.es

Expat law breakers Dear OP, I AM appalled by the number of vehicles I see in every part of Spain I visit with British number plates and no tax disc.

It immediately suggests no tax, ITV or insurance.

I have lived here for six years and have never heard of any expats being fined or having their vehicles seized, and have additionally seen people who are obviously not on holiday but are living and working here blatantly flouting the law.

Many expats, like myself, abide by the laws of our adopted country and pay our way accordingly.

I can’t begin to imagine how much Spain’s coffers could be added to if these dishonest people were brought to task.

F G Seccombe, La Vinuela

Sad sign I RECENTLY found myself looking down the OP online homepage and laughing.

Corruption, scams and all manner of crimes... it’s a sad indictment of the current state of affairs in Spain.

My only small hope is that these people are being slowly brought to justice.

Top Gear partly to blame SO the European Parliament has imposed the world’s strictest regulations on carbon dioxide emissions for new cars (OP 183).

As a general rule, the smaller a car engine, the less polluting it is; hence the more luxurious the car is, the larger its engine and the more pollution it causes.

Germany specialises in the latter.

British TV’s Top Gear programme has a lot to answer for in this respect.

Jeremy Clarkson and co would have the In another 10 or 20 years maybe Spain will be less corrupt, but don’t hold your breath !

This is the tip of a very large iceberg as I expect 95% of the politicians are at it in one form or another, from the top to the bottom.

The more corruption there is; the worse that country is.

The two go hand in hand.

Mark Wright, Marbella

Best ‘freebie’ I LOVE your newspaper, the best of the ‘freebies’ on the coast. I don’t have a bad comment regarding what you publish.

But there is one thing that does bother me and many other people living in the El Coto area of Mijas Costa who do not have transport and cannot get to Iceland or Dunnes etc in Mijas Costa to get your great newspaper.

Couldn’t somebody please let us have your newspaper in the El Coto area?

Patricia Ipiñazar Mijas Costa Ed: We aim to please so watch this space.

Justice at last JUSTICE at last (Dave Mahon officially charged with murder of Dean Fitzpatrick, OP online March 26)!

I wonder how Mahon’s first week in prison is going for him… and what on earth will Audrey be doing without him joined at her hip?

Hopefully a High Court bid for bail will be denied to ensure they know where he is.

Reports in publications say he is ‘living in Spain’, and also that he got legal aid because he is in receipt of social welfare in Ireland for disability.

Is this a public announcement of welfare fraud?

Stephanie Gold, Ireland

world believe that irrelevancies such as nought to 60, top speed, sporty handling and appearance are more important than economy, safety, comfort, miles per gallon and low emissions.

If we wish to stay safely mobile, the emission targets sought by the EU need to be implemented.

TV alert FOLLOWING the TV satellite switch we ended up buying a little stream box that promised the world (or at least the very friendly chap in the shop did).

We soon discovered that the unit used a VPN that had been paid for only one month, so beware the conmen who are out there.

Moving on we then asked for advice from our trusted PC Man and he recommended ukexpattv.com and did the whole installation for us for a small fee.

I now have UK TV services with radio stations galore.

Worth a look and the quality is good all day long here where we only have a normal ADSL line from good old Telefonica.

Sally Monrose, Alhaurin El Grande

Violence fear SINCE the economic crash and higher unemployment, the gender violence figures (OP online March 23) are bound to rise.

I wonder where the UK

Stefanjo Slavinski, Marbella stands in relation to violence against females?

Right now, we hear on the news that the authorities are just waking to the ‘appalling sexual exploitation and violent abuse’ routinely suffered by girls and young women in the council estates of London’s gang cultures.

While gender violence might be making the headlines in Spain, the UK has absolutely nothing to be complacent about concerning its place in these reports.

Jane Davis, Sotogrande

Air piracy THE PP government insists that the present stringent Gibraltar border controls are not political; they are merely to control smuggling.

I presume they will now state that Gibraltar’s exclusion from the EU aviation legislation is to prevent air piracy (Trouble in the air, OP 183)!

As I understand it the PP wants Europe to exclude Gibraltar from the rest of the continent in every way possible to bring it to its

knees.

It is a modern type of siege but, just as every other siege directed against Gibraltar, it is doomed to fail.

Unfortunately, the European PP has currently a majority in the council and Gibraltar will just have to weather the storm, just as it has done on countless previous occasions.

Just think, wouldn’t having an easily accessible airport be an advantage to the many travellers of the area? Lack of vision seems to be endemic among present Spanish politicians.

Fiona Fitzgerald, Gibraltar

Short-sighted SPAIN is being very shortsighted in leading the vote to exclude Gibraltar from important air traffic control legislation.

It needs all the help it can get right now and Gibraltar attracts tourists to La Linea and the surrounding area.

The border queues are already alienating people and affecting the local Spanish economy so why make life even more difficult?

Spain’s attitude to Gibraltar is not going to help them, it will simply make matters worse.

Jane Garrett, Axarquia

Good people I WRITE to thank the person who found my wife’s iphone5 in Mercadona off San Francisco, Torremolinos, on March 17 and handed it to the police.

In addition I want to thank the police for continually monitoring the phone until they picked up our daughter’s phone number in London which they rang to advise they had it.

Unfortunately, as we have been unable to personally thank the finder we have made an appropriately sized donation in a Cudeca collection tin.

Seamus Neary, Torremolinos

Letters should be emailed to letters@theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

CROSSMOT 29 Across

1 Act (4) * 3 Kilogramo (8) * 9 Expresses (7) * 10 Gentle (5) * 11 Realizado (12) * 14 Axle (3) * 16 Holy (5) * 17 Esquí (3) * 18 Feeding (12) * 21 Órgano (5) * 22 Movimientos (7) * 23 Anteriormente (8) * 24 Island (4)

Down

1 Germans (8) * 2 Tema (5) * 4 Anger (3) * 5 Haunting (12) * 6 Lectores (7) * 7 Honey (4) * 8 Beautifully (12) * 12 Ropa De Cama (5) * 13 Gymnastics (8) * 15 Instead (2, 5) * 19 Hierros (5) * 20 Techo (4) * 22 Badly (3)

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April 2 - April 16 2014 ROADBLOCK: Herd of goats en route to wards Maroma mountain near Sedella

Tolkien-shire Wild soaring mountains, crystal brooks and elegant whitewashed villages. Tom Powell is blown away by the stunning, varied Axarquia region en route to its ‘crown’ of Comares

Picture by Jon Clarke

D

IPPING your feet in the cool Mediterranean, in a Nerja cove backed by a buzzing town with bars, restaurants, tapas and ice cream, is a wonderful experience.

But the first sip of beer as you gaze out across the breath-taking Axarquia landscape from the hill-top village of Comares - following an epic drive through mighty mountains and whitewashed pueblos – is simply unbeatable.

The Axarquia is best appreciated when you head inland from the coast, and the transition from Nerja’s tourist hum to tranquil mountain beauty doesn’t take long.

Within minutes of leaving the beaches behind me in the morning sun, I was ascending a winding mountain

road, marveling at the mountains specked with isolated white homes as if they had been sprinkled on the landscape like hundreds and thousands.

My first stop was in Archez, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Almijara, and it set the bar high. The only

noise came from a stream trickling down from the mountains above and the distant engine of a tractor.

A street so narrow that obese tourists could struggle to pass led to a charming mini-plaza with geraniums adorning houses and the quaint church of Nuestra Senora de La En-

becomes

Cerveceria Restaurante

Belga Calle Gloria, 9, Nerja

Open 12hu/24hu Closed on monday

carnacion.

The eye-catching fourteenth century tower is the minaret of an earlier mosque, the clearest evidence of Archez’s Moorish roots.

Five kilometres further on sits gleaming white Salares below the Maroma mountain. This elegant vil-

lage, built on olive oil and wine production, is the smallest municipality in the Axarquia. But make sure to stop.

The mazy streets are home to plump old ladies snoozing in the morning Turn to page 20

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In search of the ‘white crown’ From Page 19

Walk the Walk ART lovers in the Axarquia will be able to enjoy all styles of arts and crafts at the sixth Art Walkabout in Competa.

Due to take place over the weekend of April 19/20, the event aims to bring together the community in an animated and artistic atmosphere at various venues in the town.

Works on show include paintings, photographs, graphics, drawings, ceramic bowls and bronze sculptures. In total there are 19 artists from many countries living and working in the Competa area.

For more details on the event visit www.competaart.com

ROAD TO COMARES: Locals in the hills on the tracks around Comares

sun, colourful potted plants and the odd child playing. On the other side of town stands an ancient stone footbridge that radiates a true sense of adventure and history, like something out of Tolkien’s Shire.

Beautiful little pueblos, pickled in hundreds of years of Andalucian sunshine, began to fade into each other as I continued to cruise the mountain roads - not entirely sure if I was heading remotely in the right direction.

My drive roughly followed the Mudejar route, which takes in five Moorish villages and countless incredible views.

I passed through Sedella, Canillas de Aceituno and La Vinuela, each with their individual towers and arches, plazas and piles of potted geraniums. The latter is, by local standards, a ‘new’ pueblo as it was only formally recognised in 1764.

The landscape is so relentlessly spectacular that I felt guilty for not stopping at every single viewpoint and giving it the five minutes gawping it demanded. But I would never have made it to Comares.

Although a day spent journey-

ing between these villages is still highly enviable. The roads were sensational – the kind you see on Top Gear when they’re testing supercars. And the cyclists obviously thought so too, often found tackling mountain climbs in their droves.

The first glimpse of the Vinuela reservoir – just outside Canillas de Aceituno - made me desperate to drop everything and dive head-first into its sparkling blue waters.

The turquoise reservoir helps supply the city of Malaga but has also

seen a recent boom in housing construction on its shores. The area is home to plenty of expat British and increasingly Scandinavians, Dutch and Germans.

Their main hive is the legendary Puente de Don Manuel, where they can count on a cluster of English stores, an Irish bar, great fish and chips and conveniently a curry house.

It was from near here that I suddenly spotted what looked like a white crown adorning a hilltop on the other side of the lake. It took

ARCHEZ: A beautiful pueblo pickled in the Andalucian sun

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 201421 21

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Pictures by Tom Powell

April 2 - April 16 2014

ADVENTURE: Salares bridge, (right) Comares and (inset) Migas me a few minutes to realise that stood atop the mountain and gazed this snow-cap cluster was Comares, out at this sublime region. Sierras my garret for the night. dressed in a patchwork of puebThis spectacular place gives a los, plantations, winding roads and whole new level of meaning to isolated homesteads spilled down ‘mountain-clinging’. It looked ma- towards the sparkling coast where jestic and intriguing up high and Torre del Mar can be seen hugging compelled me to fothe shore. cus on the destinaThere is a walking tion, having indulged Villages twinkled route around Coin the journey all mares laid out by and coastal towns morning. pretty ceramic footshone, while a Benamargosa was prints, taking in numy penultimate stopmerous miradors, donkey brayed ping point, another the Castillo, the below impeccably white peaceful cemetery village this time surand ending back in rounded by citrus orchards and avo- the central square. The remains of cado and mango plantations. the Moorish fort stand highest of From there the corkscrew road all. to Comares climbed higher and It turned out to be the stronghold of higher, but its death-defying hair- ninth century rebel leader Ibn Hafpin bends were worth it. It was all sun - here and at nearby and approleading up to that moment when I priately named Masmullah - who is

recognised by information boards across the village.

I found myself completely alone in this serene place, bar the occasional locals sweeping outside their home. Despite being very small, it took me a long time to walk around as I couldn’t help but stop and admire the view every few minutes.

The square - where I tucked into a gigantic portion of fried pork and chips - was only made louder by the snoring of a middle-aged man, slouched against his front door.

There is no escaping the heat up on the mountain though and I was aggrieved to discover the municipal

Q: What has Nerja got to do with Trivial Pursuit?

A: It invented it

I

T is possibly the most successful board game of all time, with over 100 million copies sold in 26 countries and in at least 20 languages... and it was born in the Axarquia.

It happened after two young Canadian journalists stayed in Nerja in the winter of 1980, having quit their jobs to work on the game and persuade investors to part with their money.

Chris Haney, a high-school dropout, had been working as a picture editor in Montreal while his friend David Abbott was a sportswriter.

The pair lived at El Capistrano, a villa resort where Haney’s parents had a house, and they allegedly worked 16 hours a day thinking up questions for their game – fuelled by San Miguel. And lots of it.

But while they enjoyed the paella, the beer and strolls along the Balcon de Europa, they struggled to find investors for ‘Six Thousand Questions’, as it was originally called.

Just one Nerja resident decided to invest, a Canadian barman. He is now a millionaire.

The game went unnoticed for two years. They lost money on every copy they sold and it looked to be a disaster. But then once the first cheques starting rolling in they never stopped.

Within months it was selling by the million and in 1984, Time magazine called it ‘the biggest phenomenon in game history’.

And it is still incredibly popular, with Nerja’s first Trivial Pursuit tournament currently being planned for this year.

DEVOTED: Chris Haney and David Abbott

pool is only open in the summer months.

The Axarquia is undoubtedly a hiker’s paradise. There are many clearly signposted routes heading out of Comares and infinitely more that aren’t publicised in leaflets.

After taking a short walk around the edges of the village I headed back to my hotel located on the road into Comares, Hostal Atalaya.

It is a simple yet charming place to stay, with legs of ham, jugs of wine and quirky lamps hanging from wooden beams in the bar. I sampled a hearty local speciality called Migas, a dish piled high with fried

bread crumbs, spicy sausage, pepper and slices of orange. The kind of stomach-satisfying food I could imagine tasting like heaven after a day laboring in the Axarquia sun.

After filling up further with plump, juicy olives and fried white fish, I retired to the hotel’s south-facing balcony to feast instead upon night-time views of the Axarquia.

The villages twinkled and the coastal towns shone, while a donkey wheezed its way back up the mountain road below me.

The tourist leaflets refer to Comares as the Balcon de la AxSAID to have been designed so the dead would not turn their backs on each arquia (balcony other, it is claimed to be the only round cemetery in Spain. of Axarquia), but Now locals in Sayalonga hope that their unusual graveyard, built in 1840, is I can’t help but to be promoted better as a tourist attraction.

A visitor centre is now open and a local historian is urging the authorities to feel that is an understatement. It’s designate it a BIC, or site of specific cultural interest. the crown.

Dead interesting

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Molasses of fun

I SCENIC: View from Nerja’s Balcon de Europa

Nerja resident for 30 years, here are Linda Maria Zima’s top tips for visitors TAKE breakfast in Italica, an ancient coffee bar in Plaza Cavana where you will be taken back in time. l Visit El Salvador church and the Balcon de Europa, easily spotted by the 500 year old tree. Don’t forget to say hello to King Alfonso XII. l Verano Azul park, named after a famous black and white series filmed in Nerja in the 70’s, using some locals as actors. l You must visit Maro, to the east of Nerja, ‘a small village with a big history’.

T could be called one of the sweetest spots in Spain. Quite literally that is, thanks to its sugar cane factory.

But Frigiliana, which sits on the edge of the Parque Natural Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama, has also won prizes for being the prettiest village in Spain thanks to its immaculately kept, flower-bedecked cobbled streets.

The miel de cana factory in question - El Ingenio - is set in the magnificent 16th century mansion Nuestra Senora del Carmen in the heart of the town.

The only one still functioning in Spain, it chugs out deliciously sticky molasses – or treacle – on an hourly basis.

The building, which unfortunately is not open for public visits, is one of four traditional water mills in the town, the other three are now private houses. The mansion was built in renaissance style for the

The coastal pair of Nerja, with its stunning beaches and top restaurants, and Frigiliana, with its sugar cane factory and cobbled streets, compliment each other perfectly, writes Tom Powell lords of Frigiliana, the Manrique de Lara family, and was used as a sugar mill before becoming a factory.

Frigiliana, with its mosaic cobbled streets and whitewashed houses, probably rues its proximity to the coast and the resultant daily droves of tourists.

Built on the side of a mountain, its streets are remarkably steep in parts, but it is a lovely place to explore, not least with its spectacular backdrop of soaring mountains and forest.

Small shops, bars and restaurants can be found hidden away down an alleyway or

A true Verano Azul fan can make a pilgrimage to the various spots in Nerja associated with the programme lVerano Azul park. Here you find a replica of Chanquete’s home, a battered fishing boat, where the ‘pandilla’ (gang) used to meet the old sailor and listen to his wise advice. Plaques around the park depict members of the cast lThe street running by the park is named after Antonio Ferrandis, the actor who played Chanquete. He died in 2000 lNerja Town Hall. A portrait in oils of Chanquete hangs in the town hall lPaseo Marítimo Antonio Mercero. The road running alongside Burriana beach bears the name of the series director and there is a commemorative plaque

through an arch. While traces of the old Moorish castle remain above the hilltop where spectacular coastal views are also found.

Nearby, take a light lunch at the Garden Restaurant at the top of the town, which overlooks the factory and offers the best views around.

Despite its hilly location, the village won the Premio Reina Sofia 2013 award for universal accessibility because of its wheelchair friendly ramps and rails.

Just 6km from this gem of a pueblo – and a delightful walk if you’re up to it – lies the quirky coastal town of Nerja.

This charming resort - the Costa del Sol’s prettiest (although Marbella and Estepona might argue) - has fought off high-rise development and remains one of Spain’s most upmarket tourist resorts.

It has a distinctly laid back feel about it and is far more scenic in terms of its coastline than any of its western rivals.

Flanked by the dramatic Sierra Almijara, Nerja has retained an authentic air in its narrow winding old town streets, rocky coves, powdery sands and glistening waters.

Nowadays it is a tourist hub but not that long ago Nerja was a dirt-poor fishing village. It was still well off the map in the late 1950s when tourism started taking off west of Malaga in spots such as Torremoli-

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Don’t be warded off by the ‘phantom’

T

DISCOVERY: Frigiliana’s steep steps are worth the climb and (right) its sugar cane factory and its produce nos and Marbella.

It’s all part of the indelible mark left by the But then came a stroke of luck. Five boys vintage 1980s TV show on the local econon a bat-hunting trip stumbled upon the omy and Nerja’s reputation. opening to a cave on a hillside above the There is a fishing boat from the show – tiny fishing village of Maro, a few miles which revolved around a group of teeneast of Nerja. Vast caverns were revealed, agers summering in Nerja - in the town with spectacular rock forcentre. mations of evidence of But it is not just the caves Paleolithic man. and television fame that The real joy is General Franco himself separate Nerja from the came to view ‘Cuevas de found in the small rest of the Costa’s tourist coves below the towns.

Nerja’ and coach-loads of visitors followed suit. Dur- town or nearby in It has one of the best seing the 1970s the boom lections of restaurants on Maro really began with increasthe Costa del Sol. Quality ing numbers of Europeans is high and at least half a coming on holiday. dozen restaurants - includBut it took television to really awaken the ing Sollun, Carabeo and the newcomer Furest of Spain to this burgeoning resort. sion - are vying to be the best.

Wherever you go in Nerja, a certain name The main plaza and surrounding streets keeps recurring. There are Verano Azul - centred on the large palm-lined prom(Blue Summer) apartments, a Verano Azul enade of the Balcon de Europa - are alive travel agency and bus company, a Verano with activity, but it doesn’t take long to Azul park. You may even find a bar serving lose the crowds. a Verano Azul cocktail.

There are many miradors with benches

perfect for a lunch-stop. At one, a woman tried desperately to make me buy a sprig of lavender for five cents. “I’m sorry, but lavender just won’t go with the jamon in my sandwiches.” There were also massages and designer watches being flogged to tourists - and this is just in March.

The real joy is found in the small coves just below the town, or nearby in Maro that you share only with a crazy German who chases seagulls and a young Spanish family.

When you sit against a rock, feet dangling, fresh from a ‘swim’ in the late afternoon sun, the cove can seem so peaceful you lose track of time.

Nerja’s beaches are cut off from the town, they are not backed by a road but by a cliffface. You can sit on the sand and not see any sign of civilisation; just rock-studded coastline meets blue sea in both directions.

This is the very best of Nerja and thank heavens there is one town left that gives a clue as to what the Costa del Sol must have once been like.

HEY are easily the most popular tourist attraction in the Axarquia and it is little surprise that Nerja’s caves pull in thousands by the day.

While some describe them as over-commercialised and not worth the money, the caves are in fact some of Europe’s finest.

Despite enormous crowds at peak times, within seconds of descending the stairs you are in an extraordinary place, worlds away from Nerja and the sunny coast.

A marvelous glistening underworld of stalactites and stalagmites, sprouting and dripping into weird and wonderful formations, with each flight of stone steps the eerie caverns get more impressive.

The ‘phantom hall’ in particular – so called because of the ghoul-like appearance of its structures – is astounding.

The vast caves also boast the

world’s largest stalagmite; a 32 metre high column verified by the Guinness book of world records no less. And there is a campaign currently underway to get the caves officially recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

The site was allegedly discovered by five local lads in 1959, when they went hunting for bats. After dislodging a couple of stalactites they were able to descend into a huge cavern where they found skeletons and ceramic pottery. The caves were officially opened to the public in the summer of 1960.

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RIDE OF YOUR LIFE: A trek and (right) Jackie and Alain

SPLENDOUR: La Vinuela

Having organised horse treks around the Axarquia for five years Alain and Jackie of Finca Don Carmelo know the area’s most beautiful spots. These include: l

The breathtaking views of Guaro

l

Take a bath with the devil at Baños de Vilo

l

The old railway line to El Cañuelo

Don’t miss the birthplace of the river Guaro! The area is a hiker’s heaven, and restaurant El Caseron de Guaro is the place to be for tapas with a view.

When our cortijo was being renovated and we didn’t have a shower, we came here to take baths in the sulphur spring, which was recently restored with EU money. It’s only a hole in the ground, but the scenery is idyllic with the river running beside it. The water is also good for your skin.

La antigua vía is still a landmark even though they took away the rails in 1954. You can just imagine what an incredible journey it must have been, coming by train from the coast to Ventas de Zafarraya. You can walk all of it, the best stretch though is Periana to El Cañuelo, where the ‘mountain bar’ can be found.

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Picnic at Lake Viñuela

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Back in time at Veleta

The lake of Viñuela is a reservoir and while swimming isn’t encouraged, the splendour of the lake is best enjoyed from the picnic area of the little hamlet Las Mayoralas. The ever changing colours of the water never cease to amaze. If you forgot to bring your picnic you can have lunch at restaurant Las Mayoralas next door.

Entering Cortijo Veleta is like stepping back in time. Antonio, Antonia and their son Jesus are the owners of this old farmhouse/restaurant. They grow their own veggies and make their own wine and Antonio even made his own furniture from old olive wood. It’s only open on weekends. If he’s in the mood Antonio will sing you some flamenco at your dinner table.

A pair of seasoned hacks gave up journalism to run a horse-riding business, writes Eloise Horsfield

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S I trot along an unused railway track deep in the Axarquia countryside, I wonder whether there is anything in the world I would rather be doing.

And as our gorse-lined route leads us through the Guaro Valley – providing a fantastic opportunity for vulture and eagle spotting – I realise I have not seen a single vehicle since setting off from Periana hours before.

It is pretty incredible for the Axarquia, where sadly an estimated 22,000 illegal homes have been built since the 1990s – of which up to 8,000 are on protected land according to green group Ecologistas en Accion.

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“This is probably the only road in the Axarquia with no illegal property on it at all,” jokes one of my hosts, Alain Grootaers, of Finca Don Carmelo, as we mosey along in the warm, afternoon sun.

Our route will cover around 15 to 18km throughout the day and take us from 350m to 950km – although thankfully the horses will do most of the work.

Alain, 49, from Belgium, and his Dutch wife Jakobien Huisman, 43, left behind city jobs in Antwerp five years ago to discover the idyll of rural Spain, and the horse lovers now offer an attractive range of equine treks.

Shortly after arriving I am introduced to my mare, Deliciosa – or Dee for short, who like most of Finca Don Carmelo’s horses is mixed breed English/Arab.

“We find pure Spanish-blooded horses a bit unpredictable, which is the last thing we want for taking out punters,” explains Jakobien, who began riding at the age of eight.

I am pleased to find Dee poised and steady, and as Jakobien informs me, can even be relied on for her steady appetite.

“She’ll stop to eat whenever she gets a chance,” she laughs.

And sure enough, just as we’re saddled up and about to set off, Dee saunters over to the nearest pile of hay and starts tucking in.

As well as Dee, the couple’s 14-strong herd also includes foals Alfarnate, Baila and Colorado, plus Jakobien’s 30-yearold mare which she brought from Belgium.

“It’s really old for a horse and it cost a fortune, but I just couldn’t bear to part with her,” she says.

Soon we are off, heading around the pretty village of

Periana and through a shady suggests we try a trot – and the olive grove. next thing we know the horses Meanwhile I learn more about have upped their pace, taking this energetic couple, who his animal as their lead. didn’t think twice about taking Although a little unsettling at daughter Julia, then 11, off for first for someone who – dea year-long trip around Asia be- spite my surname – has never fore settling in Periana. spent much time on a horse, I “People said, ‘Why are you soon feel comfortable with the burying yourselves in a small quicker rhythm.

Andaluz village?’” says Jako- Back down at walking pace, Alain bien, originally from Holland. and Jakobien lead us to a trough “But we didn’t see it like that. where the steeds take turns to It was simply time to do some- enjoy a well-earned slurp – apart thing else.” from Dee who Jakobien is a goes straight for The steeds take travel journalsome wild mint. ist contributing After a downhill turns to enjoy a regularly to Belsection, where slurp apart from gium’s biggest all our stomach n e w s p a p e r , Dee who stops to muscles are Het Laatste given a mini eat wild mint Nieuws, and work-out, we Alain is also a grind to a halt prolific writer at the village of whose achievements include El Canuelo for lunch. setting up Belgian men’s mag El Canuelo is a tourism comP-Magazine back in 1998. plex owned by former London As if running horse treks wasn’t art dealer Edward Crawshaw, enough, the pair also pro- where we are spoilt with a leiduce organic olive oil which is surely three-course meal as shipped back to upmarket res- we absorb breath-taking views taurants in Belgium. over the lake.

“I made a lot of contacts when “It’s wonderful that Jackie and I presented a cookery pro- Alain are offering these horse gramme for a while,” explains treks because no-one else seems Alain. to be doing it,” says Crawshaw.

Soon we turn onto the stunning And despite a jovial ambiance, we country road, which in the early are instructed to go easy on the 1900s housed a railway line booze in view of the ‘drive’ back. ferrying industrial materials to “We don’t want to be over the and from the coast. limit – the same laws apply to Today it’s an incredibly pictur- driving a vehicle as they do for esque track boasting views horses, sadly!” says Alain. over Lake Vinuela.

“You’d almost expect to see some Finca Don Carmelo offers a Indians appear from over that range of treks from half-day to ridge, wouldn’t you?” jokes Alain. eight-day. Prices start at €60 Once we are used to the per person. Over 12s only. See rhythm of our carriers, Alain www.fincadoncarmelo.com

HOTTING UP

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FTER 27 years providing quality professional electronics services in Spain, Klimacentro is now opening up a new store in Marbella.

Founded by entrepreneur Dolores Alba the company, based in Torre del Mar, is now run by son Jose (inset, right), who is heading up the new expansion.

Klimacentro is ‘the most trustworthy option possible’ when undertaking climatisation and solar energy projects.

The company offers a wide range of services including air conditioning, under-floor heating, central heating and swimming pool heat pumps, as well as replacing old equipment with new high efficiency systems. Not forgetting all servicing and repairs.

It’s highly qualified staff pride themselves on the quality of their work, which they believe separates them from the rest.

They also hold the advantage of being able to deal with clients in their native language with staff fluent in English, German, and Russian.

“Our best publicity has always come from the word of mouth of our customers,” says Jose. “We offer a wide range of systems and parts at competitive prices.

“And our quality service and after sales and warranty repairs are well known.

Klimacentro offers customers the full package.

“That’s why top manufactures such as Daikin, Hitachi, Toshiba and Panasonic all trust us for their installation, maintenance and warranty needs.”

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

If it seems too good to be true it probably is.

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One-eyed bandit!

David Baird follows in the footsteps of the bandoleros, who made the Axarquia infamous

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BOUT the biggest hazard you ry bandits was El Bizco (the one-eyed will meet on the back roads bandit). They remember him in his of the Axarquía is a herd of birthplace, El Borge. goats, a lorry overloaded with Take a ride up there and witness how the farm produce or a hostelry inviting you landscape becomes steeply undulating, clothed in olive groves and vineyards. to dally for a lazy hour or so.

But it was not always so. Bandoleros – Several streets are named after revoor bandits - were once a major feature lutionary heroes such as Che Guevara, the legacy of a of life in this area. leftwing, anti-monarColourful types Disguised as a chy mayor who often though they were, it did not make the ex- priest, he entered, made headlines with his controversial deciperience of having pointed a pistol sions. your valuables purloined at the point of and made off with The Mudejar-RenaisRosario church a blunderbuss any 100,000 pesetas sance is impressive, with impleasanter. mense pillars supportIn the years following the Napoleonic Wars, so lawless were ing its three naves. Look for two holes the roads that the English writer Richard in the weather-vane atop the church.

Ford advised travellers to bring along ‘a They were allegedly made by El Bizco’s decent bag of dollars’ to appease any shotgun.

The vane had never worked but — after highwaymen you might meet.

He also suggested carrying an im- he blasted away — it functioned perfectly. pressive-looking watch, noting; “The Otherwise El Bizco’s record is pretty absence of a watch can only be ac- gruesome. With his comrades in crime, counted for by a premeditated inten- Frasco Antonio and Manuel Melgares, tion of not being robbed of it, which he terrorised the whole area. At times, the ladrón considers as a most unjus- these cut-throats were used by unscrutifiable attempt to defraud him of his pulous ‘caciques’, powerful land-owners, to sway local election results. right.”

One of the most notorious 19th-centu- Wander down a maze of narrow

RUINED: An old mill in the Rio de la Miel valley once used by smugglers

CAPTURED: Infamous bandit El Tempranillo was finally captured and kept at Venta de Alfarnate (left) streets and at the bottom end of the village you find the olive mill where El Bizco was born. It has been converted into the Posada del Bandolero, combining an attractive hotel, restaurant and museum. At the side of the bar you can see the original mill-stones and a deep well.

El Bizco’s chum, Melgares, meanwhile is said to have committed one of his most daring crimes in Frigiliana (six kilometres inland from Nerja).

Disguised as a priest, he entered the Ingenio, the mansion owned by the Counts of Frigiliana, pointed a pistol at the manager and made off with around 100,000 pesetas.

Today the Ingenio houses the last factory in Europe producing miel de caña (molasses), on sale in local shops.

Frigiliana was a flash point in the 1940s when anti-Franco guerrillas based in the adjacent sierras sought to provoke a general revolt. In a bid to discredit them, Franco’s tightly controlled media labelled them ‘bandoleros’.

If you hike into the mountains with their abrupt inclines and deep gorges riddled with caves, you can see how difficult it was for the Civil Guards to track the guerrillas.

High up, near a pass called the Puerto de Frigiliana, lie the ruins of the Venta Panaderos. Once this inn was a welcome rest stop for muleteers en route to Granada and a meeting place of footpads, smugglers, guerrillas — and Civil Guards.

Locals tell anecdotes about how the guards would suddenly arrive, discover meals which the guerrillas had ordered and pro-

weaves its way through the forested Montes de Málaga then past limestone crags to the Venta de Alfarnate.

First opened in 1691, this inn, standing beneath the rocky buttress of the Tajo de Gomer, claims to be the oldest in Andalucia. At weekends it is crowded as ‘domingueros’ (trippers) tuck into roast kid, partridge and pork.

In the past all manner of travellers stopped here. A plaque notes: “In this Venta on April 21 1850 the Mail on the way to Málaga was stolen by a group of 12 armed men. The bandits took particular care to seize a packet of Government prosecutions and criminal lawsuits comceed to scoff the food themselves. ing from the Granada chancery.”

Just east of Nerja is the Río de la Miel On one occasion in the 19th century, valley, a delightfully peaceful spot but a horseman rode up as the customonce a refuge for smugglers. ers were tucking into gazpacho from a When guerrillas landed from North Africa, common bowl. they trekked up this valley to their bases Told there were no spoons left, he used in the mountains and Río de la Miel bethe crust of a loaf to scoop up the cold came such a breeding ground of resissoup — then produced a pistol. tance that it was called ‘Little Russia’.

“Now,” he commandAlmost every village ed, “do the same as I has some tale to tell El Tempranillo’s do. Eat your spoons!” about smugglers or claim was: “In They recognised him bandits. Such as Beas El Tempranillo, Annamargosa, up a wellSpain the king dalucia’s most notoriwatered valley northrules, but in the ous bandolero, whose west of Vélez-Málaga. claim was: “In Spain sierra I do” A couple of centuries the king rules, but in back it was dubbed the sierra I do.”

Gibraltar Chico (Little They were forced to chew their wooden Gibraltar) because the inhabitants spoons. were renowned as smugglers, particuOn other occasions, El Tempranillo larly of tobacco. was more gallant. Always courteous, These days Benamargosa likes to think if he stripped a lady of her best jewelof itself as the Oasis of the Axarquía. lery, he would kiss her hand and asThe sheltered environment and benign sure her: “Such a pretty hand needs climate allow tropical fruits such as no adornment.” mangoes and avocadoes to flourish on Truth to tell, those bandits were hardly the fertile lands bordering its river. a bunch of Robin Hoods. Most would Perhaps most famous for its associahave robbed their own grandmothers tion with the lawless past is a lonely given the chance. But time has cast a inn standing on a crossroads at one of romantic aura over them, popular mythe highest points of the Axarquía. thology has embroidered their characTo reach it, you take the old road from ters and their memories have been enMálaga to Granada, the A6103. It shrined in everything from museums to the names of gourmet dishes.

Ford maintained that travellers often exaggerated the bandit peril. When he inquired about thieves, “according to all sensible Spaniards, it was not on HE largest english-speaking satellite TV the road that they were most likely to company east of Malaga, Techno-Vision ofbe found, but in the confessional boxfers a range of solutions to ensure expats es, the lawyers’ offices, and still more can get UK channels. in the bureaux of government.”

Techno-Vision’s qualified engineers provide Bless my soul — some things don’t change. television solution services for the whole of the

Visionaries

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coast, supplying freeview and satellite channels including BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

With their extensive range of products, TechnoVision can provide solutions for full-time residents, expats with rental properties, and for those who divide their time between Spain and the UK. The company also offers full after-sales care and support.

For more info visit www.techno-vision.es, or call 952 520 946.

Learn more about the outlaws in Francisco Montoro Fernández’s book Bandoleros de la Axarquía (Acento Andaluz). David Baird is the author of East of Malaga (Santana Books), the definitive guide to the Axarquía, as well as Sunny Side Up — The 21st century hits a Spanish village and Typhoon Season. These are distributed

by Maroma Press (http://maromapress.wordpress.com/).

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A thirsty mess

Tom Powell takes a dawn hike from Comares

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ROSE early from my bed on the outskirts of Comares, eager to stretch my legs on one of the walking routes before getting back in the car. I opted for the Ruta Lavadero, described as ‘medium difficulty’.

The gentle dawn stroll through Comares was set to the tune of birdsong and a cow mooing down the mountain somewhere.

I said ‘hola’ to a donkey in a garden and set off into the rising sun, which was splashing fuzzy pinks and oranges over the sierras. The route was well signposted… That is unless, like me, you tend to go running up every rocky path to see how the view differs.

Needless to say, within an hour I was pretty lost and tales of people going walking up in the Axarquia (in particular around Frigiliana) and never returning were present in the back of my mind.

I passed just two other people on my hike and they seemed to be equally struggling with the combination of heat and mountain.

The beauty of Comares being atop a mountain though is that you will always know roughly how to get back there. And so I continued to tread a path over the rocks, through the pine forests and past the farms and luxurious houses, while always keeping one eye on the white-topped mountain.

A few hours of glorious hiking later I found myself back on the road into the pueblo; a sweaty, thirsty mess.

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All along the watchtower

HIS 7km walk is among the easiest in the region… and easily one of the most beautiful.

A there-and-back ramble with a short loop beyond the Torre de Maro it forms one of series of Axarquia walks in my Coastal Walks of Andalucía book.

The walk begins in Maro, near Nerja, one of the few villages that has escaped the urban sprawl that you come across in so many places along Spain’s southen seaboard.

After cutting down towards Maro’s beach – which is worth a quick detour you head on towards the torre through a swathe of irrigated terraces.

Here you will find an amazing spread of banana, avocado, custard fruit and vines being cultivated as well as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in the plastic-covered greenhouses: you’ll soon see why this part of Andalucía’s coast is known as the Costa Tropical.

A steep climb leads up through pine forest to the Torre de Maro. On a clear day, looking east and west along the coast, you’ll spot other watchtowers with which this one once communicated, sending warnings by smoke or fire should a raid by North African corsairs appear imminent. From the tower a short loop leads back to the track you followed earlier from where you return to the village past the old sugar cane factory.

An oceansi ramble dep from one o the Axarqu prettiest vi Guy Hunter

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side parting of uia’s illages by r-Watts

April 2 - April 16 2014

Sensory centre

The Nitty Gritty

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Distance: 7 km Time Required: 2.5hrs Rating: Easy Total Height Gain: 225m Map(s): ING 1:50000 Motril 1055 (19-44) Water: No springs so take plenty

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HE walk begins just beyond the roundabout at the entrance to Maro, on the western side of the village, next to the Hogar y Centro Social de Maro. From here walk east. As you reach Bar La Entrada turn right along Calle Virgen de las Maravillas. The road bears right then left as it skirts round the edge of the village. Passing Hotel Casa Romántica de Maro you reach an esplanade. Here cut right down a flight of steps. Passing the old sugar cane factory, El Ingenio, you reach the MA138. Turn right and follow the road down towards the Playa de Maro beach for 700m. At a point where the road loops hard right cut left up a dirt track. (15 mins) Becoming concreted the track loops right and reverts to dirt. The Torre de Maro comes into view as the track loops hard back to the left for 75m then reaches a small brick water deposit to the right of the track. Here branch right along a narrow path which runs beneath a breeze block wall. Reaching a fork take the higher, left branch which runs on between greenhouses before descending steeply to a track. Angling left you pass a ramshackle house with a cylindrical water deposit. (25 mins) Passing right of another house the track descends for a short distance between groves of avocado and custard fruit as it contours round a barranco.

Climbing once more you reach a sign for Paraje Natural and a junction. Carry straight on, climbing more steeply, to a point where a track angles up to meet yours from the right.

Here angle hard back to the right and follow a track which gradually angles back towards

the sea. Passing an area where the track broadens out cut left up a path which leads steeply up to the Torre de Maro. (40 mins) Leaving the tower head north along a rocky track until you reach a point where the pines to either side of you become denser. Here cut left at a cairn along a narrow path which angles down through the trees to reach a track that cuts down towards the N340. Here angle left along the track back to the point where you left it earlier then retrace your steps back to the top of the steps above El Ingenio. Here turn right along the esplanade then continue straight on along Calle Real.

Reaching a junction and turning left after 250m you return to the start point of the walk. (1 hr 40 mins)

T is a community centre with a very big difference.

Su Derrick, who runs La Vaqueria, in Benamargosa, is a true livewire of creative energy.

Aside from the fabulous range of arts and crafts inside her shop, the mother-of-three now counts on a ‘sensory garden’ with outdoor sculptures and a eco-herb garden.

There are mosaic mushrooms, a bottle wall of 500 bottles and much much more in this work in progress.

Derrick arrived in the Axarquia 30 years ago, via France and Torremolinos where she worked as a ‘pavement artist’.

As well as giving art classes, her enterprising daughter Lucy, 19, has recently opened a second hand furniture emporium next door.

And her fellow siblings Josie, 22 and Ben, 18, are on hand to help out and bring a range of their own ideas to the mix.

Coastal Walks in Andalucía (ISBN 9-788489-954939) by Guy Hunter-Watts contains a selection of 50 walks close to southern Spain’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.

Routes vary in length and difficulty but are all within the capabilities of anybody in resaonable health who walks on a regular basis. The book is available at all good bookshops as well as from amazon.co.uk.

Open every day 12:30 to 16:30 20:00 until late Calle Los Moros, Velez-Malaga Reservations 951 250 100

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WHERE TO STAY

F CARING: Christa and Jan at Palacio Blanco

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From boutique to rustic rural

ROM rural, rustic retreats to charming beachside hotels, the Axarquia has got the lot.

But few places beat the amazing Hotel Carabeo in the heart of Nerja with its nine romantic rooms, many overlooking the sea.

Now well established, the team have given the rooms a complete overhaul this year and, in particular, the top floor suite with its huge spacious outdoor terrace The Axarquia has a great selection of places to stay, discovers Jon Clarke and rolltop bath is a room to die be in a better location in the The rooms are fantastic in size sites and restaurants nearby. for.

Another great central spot in Ner- heart of town by the emblematic and you are right next to the ex- If you are looking for something cellent Cochrane’s Irish restau- more rural, then few places ja is Hotel Toboso, which couldn’t Balcon de Europa. rant and bar, which is come as luxurious as Cortijo Pilgood for a local meal traque, near Colmenar. and has the best ter- Sitting in the most wonderful race in Nerja. location, with some of the best Another wonderful views in Christendom, this wonplace to lay down derful spot has been set up by your hat is hotel Belgium couple Hubert Deckers Palacio Blanco and Annemie Tielens. in Velez Malaga, He was a well-known chef back which has been tak- in Belgium, while she was a psyen over and much chologist. improved by capable Dutch couple Queen Jan and Christa.

This historic building It is a stylish place where no right in the heart of expense has been spared, in this gem of a town particular with its giant solar is stylish and oozes heated swimming pool and expansive bedrooms with roll comfort.

Breakfast is excellent top baths and beds that cost and this charming €10,000 each and are even professional couple slept on by the Queen of Enggo out of their way land, it is said. to help guests settle They also recently won a Belgium TOP BREAKFAST: Casa los Dos in and recommend equivalent of TV programme Four

Hotel Palacio Blanco is located in the historic district of Velez Malaga, in an over 300 year old moorish monastry which was converted in 2008 to a luxury 9 bedroom boutique hotel, with roof terrace, excercise water jet pool and sundeck with bar. Featured in the BBC program Amazing buildings which followed the whole conversion process.

Prime location in the city centre within walking distance of bars, restaurants, theatre and shops.

Rooms with luxury bathrooms and walk in shower, air conditioning, free wifi, international TV, ES,GB,D,B,NL. Perfect for business meetings, weddings or as a private hotel with family and friends.

Beach and golf course only 4 kms from the hotel.

We speak Dutch, English and German It is all affordable luxury

Hotel Palacio Blanco, C/ Felix Lomas, 4, 29700 Velez-Malaga

T: +34 952 549 174 M:+34 658 274 528 E: info@palacioblanco.com

www.palacioblanco.com

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RETREAT: Piltraque and (right) a fabulous suite at Hotel Carabeo in a Bed. The hotel that came second in the programme coincidentally, Casa los Dos, is also a wonderful rural retreat, much nearer to Competa.

The Dutch-run B&B sits in a tranquil spot down a country lane between the village and the sea.

The accommodation is incredibly clean and stylish and you are guaranteed a mean breakfast, in fact one of the best I have even had in Andalucia.

Also just outside Competa is Hotel Alberdini, where many rooms come in Gaudi-style casitas with spectacular views.

There is the added advantage of having an excellent restaurant.

EXCELLENT: Restaurant and views at Alberdini

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WHERE TO EAT

TALENT: Juan at Sollun and a dish (below)

TEAM: At Frietkot

Jon Clarke takes a ride around a rich variety of the Axarquia’s best restaurants

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ITH some of the best ingredients in Spain there is literally no excuse to serve up bad food in the Axarquia. And thankfully there is a nice range of restaurants serving the best.

One of the most exciting recent openings is that of Swedish eaterie Fusion, in Nerja.

Set up by Kim and Fredrik Kullberg, a well travelled couple, with five children no less, attention to detail is spot on with fresh flowers, candles and dishes to match.

It is exactly what it says on the tin, a fusion eaterie that takes in Fredrik’s influences from around the world, in particular three years living in Thailand.

Formerly the head chef at footballer Tomas Brolin’s restaurant Undici, in Stockholm, he produces some top dishes, including a lovely plate of fresh foie on toast with rocket salad and a blackberry reduction.

There is a lot of experimental stuff here too including the tuna in poppyseeds with soba

MELTING POT

noodles and ‘Irish moss’, a dish you really want to jump on, both spicy and succulent at the same time, as well as the wild boar hot pot with shitake mushrooms, exciting, original and tender.

Another fabulous Nerja restaurant Sollun has been producing consistently some of the best food in Nerja for years.

Recently moved to a new spot on Calle Pintada it is named after owner Juan’s two children Sol and Luna.

Originally from Albacete, he famously set up a Michelin starred restaurant in Marbella

(which he asks not to mention) before falling out with its owner and setting up alone in Nerja.

The food is light and original, including a beetroot and strawberry ‘porra’ in a vinaigrette with mackerel.

Other highlights are his pork cheeks, with sweet potato and honey, parsnips and wild mushrooms, his splendid scallops with pork belly and cauliflower and the amazing white chocolate desert, with yogurt, cheese and passion fruit.

A Michelin starred wine A small Axarquia winery is now producing six wines served in 28 leading restaurants in a dozen countries

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T is one of the most stylish buildings in the Axarquia.

Sitting half way up an impossibly steep hill with amazing views, it is from here that a Dutch wine producing couple have taken their wine to the world.

Bodegas Bentomiz is now selling its wines in 28 Michelin-starred restaurants in 12 countries globally. And its six wines, three whites, two reds and a rose have won many awards.

Here, Clara Verheij and André Both have rescued the abandoned vineyard above which they built their home.

Recognising the enormous potential of the local Moscatel de Alejandría vines, they have had rave reviews from wine journalists and sommeliers.

Aromatic

The Axarquía’s unique terroir such as the vineyards steep slopes and the closeness of the sea, all provide an ideal microclimate for the grapes.

The vines – some over 100 years old - are grown in hollows to collect water, and are cut back to bushes, so that the leaves protect the maturing grapes from that scorching summer sun.

André and Clara have invested heavily in modern equipment and make naturally sweet or unforti-

AWARD WINNING: Modern Bentomiz fied wines in their temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. They also produce a red from a blend of grapes: Petit Verdot, Tempranillo and Romé, a little known vine indigenous to the Axarquía.

They named their aromatic wines Ariyanas, after a nearby Moorish hamlet, which comes from the Arabic word for aromatic.

The pair got their wine known by taking mini European tours to wine fairs and celebrated restaurants, getting an 85% success rate. “If the sommelier tried our wine, the restaurant purchased it!” says Clara.

Why not come up for yourself, as Clara explains: “Visitors enjoy seeing the vineyard and get an understanding of how the wines are developed – before enjoying the wines with a guided tasting.

For larger groups we offer home-made tapas, each paired with a particular wine.” www.bodegasbentomiz.com

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

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xarquia

TOP OF THE TOWN: Garden Restaurant soars above charming Frigiliana Another highly-rated eaterie is Carabeo, whose setting could not be improved sitting on desirable Calle Carabeo overlooking the sea.

Well established as a hotel as well as a tapas bar and restaurant, it is run by the very talented, hard-working English businessman Lucan and his sidekick Belen.

They are big on style and there are some amazing paintings and a very seductive fin-desiecle atmosphere with wood panels and leather chairs.

Lighter bites can be enjoyed at tapas bar 34, where you will eat some amazing prawns in beetroot jus or the apple and mincemeat tarts.

Another new Nerja restaurant is Belgium-owned Frietkot (soon to be renamed), which is run by the friendly Aline and Nick de Wilde in the heart of the old town.

This capable couple produce some Belgium classics including fantastic prawns with red peppers and garlic, superb mussels with pesto and gratin, and best of all Belgium stew in beer.

the town into an oasis of calm and style.

The food is incredibly fresh too, with everything made on the premises ‘no tricks, just good fresh local produce,’ he explains.

I could eat his Bunelos of mushrooms and onion with an aubergine chutney and mint and lime yogurt sauce every

the ‘most picturesque’ in Spain.

There is a nice range of tapas and a decent range of wines by the glass.

In Competa try the highly rated Alberdini, where Inez and Enmanuel have created a wonderful retreat, both warm in winter and breathtaking with its views and terrace in summer.

STYLE: Velez mayor and owner at El Convento, while tapas (right) at charming Carabeo

day for lunch they were that A cultured pair, vegetables are delicious. locally sourced and the kitchen Bodegas Bentomiz’s Over in Velez Malaga you must is certainly adventurous.

Oasis look out for the stunning re- In Puente don Manuel meanHeading out of Nerja to the cently converted El Convento. while, you will find the Town — TheInstalled in in — serving up the best fish nearby village of Frigiliana an old convent, Fryer you would be mad to miss the surprise surprise, with high ceil- and chips for miles and the amazing Garden Restaurant, ings andBuy beautifully preserved opened Bar Rendezthese fabulous winesrecently direct from the Bodega run by the incredibly capable features, local businessman vous, great for all day breakRob Grimmond.

Jose Manuel Garrido pulled fast and fresh ...or bookhas a Winetasting Tour food ... by the day.

A regular visitor to the village a real rabbit out of a hat here.

Here, friends of 25 years Sue And Find Out! for 30 years he has turned this It has a lovely outdoor terrace and Jackie, who previously ran lovely leafy spot at the top of and sits on a streetTel: twice voted +34 952the 11catering 59 39at Castle Combe race circuit, put on a splendid M: +34 658range 845 of285 dishes, including the classic Rendezvous Royale, Tour and & Tasting: onlybasically €5,00 ppbubble (min. €40) and squeak with a poached egg and Tapas Tour & Tasting: only topped €9,00 pp (min.

8 people) crispy bacon.

Finally make sure not to miss Bodegas Bentomiz is 5 min from the nearby Morenos, which is Sayalonga on the road to Cómpeta: an upmarket spot now with its look for the sign. own pool table.

For more information call us or visit: Extremely popular with locals it has a great selection of food and www.bodegasbentomiz.com bar snacks. It is also popular for its nightlife and various live acts.

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Spain?

FRIENDS: Jackie and Sue at Rendezvous

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ABLE: Fredrik and Kim and a creation at Fusion in Nerja

in

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o s llUn

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Tour and & Tasting: only €5,00 pp (min. €40) Tapas Tour & Tasting: only €9,00 pp (min. 8 people) Bodegas Bentomiz is 5 min from

Sayalonga on the road to Cómpeta: look for the sign.

For more information call us or visit:

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C/Pintada 23, 29780, nerja, Malaga

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

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A A ll about

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xarquia

PROPERTY FOCUS ON NERJA

The best properties are selling in Nerja in record time, discovers Tom Powell

Magical market W

ITH its charming mix of Andalucian spirit and international vibes, Nerja is steadily becoming one of the most desirable upmarket tourist towns on the coast.

Homes with large terraces and sea views – for those who can afford it - are particularly popular. And with pric-

es at an all time low; there is no time like the present to up sticks and move to this ‘magical’ town.

Christina Bergsten, of Swedish estate agency Fastighetsbyran, says: “We are selling very well.”

“Sometimes the best properties are sold before they have even been advertised!”

Certainly things have been

hotting up in Nerja recently, agrees lawyer Nacho Escobar.

His company Lex Iuris currently has half a dozen sales going through, some 10% more than last year. “It is excellent news,” adds the lawyer, who covers the entire Axarquia area.

A standard two bedroom home with a terrace and

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35 April 2 - April 16 2014

PROPERTY SPECIALISTS: Lawyers Nacho and Sabina at Lex Iuris, team at Fastighetsbyran and Linda Maria Zima (right) from Inter Sales Nerja sea view, and not in need of work, currently costs between €200,000 and €250,000.

Nerja is free from the concrete high-rises that have helped lower property prices in other coastal resorts, but this does mean buyers must pay more than they would in Torremolinos or Calahonda.

“Nerja is steadily and subtly becoming an up-market coastal town,” believes Lin-

da Maria Zima, of freelance estate agency Intersale Nerja.

“It holds its prices more than other coastal towns because there isn’t a lot of property and it is a bit special with its low rise buildings, mountains and coves,” adds Zima, who arrived in Nerja with her Portuguese husband 30 years ago.

Those buying property in Nerja, Frigiliana and Torrox

Better mix

I

T has been the best start to the year since Tim Whiteley launched his estate agency Villa Solutions 12 years ago.

And while declining to discuss actual numbers, the agent, based in Puente don Manuel, insists the mix of buyers in his inland Axarquia area is better than ever before.

“We have got a good mix of English, Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians and Belgiums. They have been my saviour.

“They are so different to the British buyers and buy in the right way. They always take notes and photos and look carefully at the quality and value of the build, as well as the pool.”

Ultimately it has led to a ‘more cosmopolitan mix’ to the area. “I expect to see a Belgium bar opening soon,” adds the agent, who has 230 properties on his books in a roughly 15 mile radius around the town, including Periana, Alcaucin and Canillas.

Aside from becoming well known for offering a snail farm to clients on a hit TV programme in 2004, Whiteley is also known again for negotiating the sale of a property owned by pop star Mikey Graham of Boyzone this year.

It began with TV show A Place in Spain, in 2004, when he tried to find Welsh couple Lee and Cheryl the perfect home to buy in the Axarquia.

“But I straight away realised that satisfying their limited budget and ideas was going to be a difficult task,” explains the estate agent, 35.

That said, the publicity was fantastically good for the company, which ended up featuring in 10 episodes of the show.

“Clients still ask me about the snail farm and how it is doing,” explains the father-of-one, from Wiltshire.

Visit www.villasolutions.net

have been predominantly Scandinavian over recent years, although more recently many British people have been returning to the market.

Escobar from Lex Iuris agrees. “The British are definitely coming back after seven years away.”

Nerja’s particular appeal is not only in its multitude of coves and beaches backed by cliffs and not a main road, but by the friendliness of its Spanish residents.

“Nerja is also beautiful, it has the Andalucian style and is very charming,” adds Bergsten, who has lived in Spain since she was seven and moved to the Axarquia 20 years ago.

Property fairs

“Expats are lured by the appeal of skiing in the Sierra Nevada in the morning, then sunbathing on the beach later that afternoon.”

And Fastighetsbyran, who have ten offices across Spain, have been operating in Nerja since September 2011 and receive most clients through their website and property fairs in Sweden.

Linda Maria, from Carlisle in England but has lived in Spain for 30 years, concludes: “I have seen Nerja grow from 12,000 people to 25,000 people registered, and there are many more that need to register.

“The town draws really cultural and professional people. It is a great mix and I am very happy here.”

For more info contact www. fastighetsbyran.se or www. intersalesnerja.com. Nacho Escobar can be reached at nacho@lexiurisabogados.es

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A A ll about

By John McCann, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks

O

VER the last 15 years there have been a number of initiatives to clamp down on offshore tax evasion, each one whittling away at financial privacy as we knew it. Now we will see the introduction of global automatic exchange of financial information.

The 2008 financial crisis prompted governments, desperate to increase tax revenue, to renew the campaign against offshore tax evasion.

Offshore centres fell into line and around 1,100 new tax information exchange agreements were signed.

These are agreements between two jurisdictions and generally provide for information provided on request. Last year saw a pivotal move to multilateral agreements, where several countries share vital information. This will happen automatically each year, regardless of whether someone is suspected of tax evasion or not.

In 2010 the US enacted its Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which requires foreign financial institutions to report account details of Americans to the US authorities.

Working with the G5 (Spain, UK, France, Germany and Italy), they developed a model for the ‘intergovernmental agreement’ to be used to implement FATCA. In April 2013, the G5 an-

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xarquia

The end of financial privacy nounced their intention to exchange FATCA-type information and promote it as the global system of automatic information exchange. Over 40 jurisdictions have since joined the pilot group.

In September, G20 leaders announced plans to introduce automatic exchange of information as the global standard.

Then in February, the Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD), working with the G20, released the Common Reporting Standard covering the rules to be imposed on global financial institutions.

The Standard is specifically designed with a broad scope across three dimensions: 1.The financial information to be reported includes all types of investment income, and account balances and sales proceeds from financial assets.

2.Besides banks, custodians, brokers, certain collective investment vehicles and certain insurance companies need to report.

3.Reportable accounts cover those held by individuals and entities such as trusts.

Financial institutions will determine the residence of each client and collect data on their assets and income. This will be forwarded to the tax authorities in the clients’ country of residence.

EU developments

The Savings Tax Directive is being revised to cover investment funds, pensions and innovative financial instruments, and capture payments made through trusts.

The revised Administrative Cooperation Directive, to apply

from January 2015, introduces automatic exchange on employment income, director’s fees, life insurance products, pensions and immovable property.

The EU is also closer to reaching agreements with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino on their revision of their savings agreements.

How could the loss of financial privacy affect you? Is your tax planning fully compliant? Are your assets as tax efficient as possible? International tax planning is very complex these days; it is essential to seek specialist advice.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www. blevinsfranks.com

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

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April 2 - April 16 2014

I had a dream Peter Langdale on how he set up his business Garden la Palma in Velez Malaga

I

HAD a dream. The year was 1985, Spain was entering the European economic community, and I wanted my own business.

Being a third generation market gardener, a pioneer in iceberg lettuce production, mixed with a little experience of growing in southern Portugal, the future in Spain looked a possibility for such an adventure.

After a two week intensive Spanish language course, our house sold and furniture stored, my wife Gill, daughter Victoria (not quite four years old) and I boarded the ferry at Dover.

DREAM: Peter’s massive nursery and (top) his team picking parsley

From those early days we grew to be one of the Axarquia’s foremost horticultural businesses Unexplained and saw many changes over this period.

Some 16 days later just as the sun was setting I As I cast my mind back I see a very different arrived on a farm at Trapiche, near Velez Malaga, Velez. If I dwell upon the farming back in 1986, most notable was the production of sugar cane. in the heart of the Axarquia.

An unexplained gut feeling persuaded me that Working sugar mills were still going strong in Velez-Malaga, Frigiliana and Salobreña. During this was the starting line for us.

Many Olive Press readers know this it as Finca La late April and May the sky would turn black as Palma, the site of the Tuesday Farmers market. the cane was cleaned out by burning, prior to being harvested.

Unfortunately what goes up must come down and so all the ash that went skywards began to fall wherever the wind took it.

Iceberg lettuce full of cane ash was not a good selling point!

All the cane was hand-cut and hand-loaded onto the trucks to be taken to the mills.

The men carrying out this work had to be incredibly fit as it was physically very demanding and incredibly dirty. They were as equally black from head to toe as any coal miner with their only recompense, the hope of being the highest paid field workers in the comarca.

Readers. How many of you have just bought strawberries?

No doubt many of you, and these berries, like hundreds of tonnes more, will almost certainly have been produced in the area around Huelva and Almonte.

28 years ago this was not the case, with the Axarquia being the biggest exporter of strawSUCCESS: Peter and Heiko berries.

The Trapiche based co-operaLREADY a heavyweight with opticians shops in a numtive TROPS, now known worldber of Europe’s big cities, Heiko Stumbeck raised quite wide for its avocados and mana few eyebrows when he opened up a shop in the Axgoes was founded on the strawarquia. berry business.

The addition of Optica Heiko by Heiko in Torre del Mar in 2003 In the spring of 1987 this cocame about after one particularly nice break in the area. operative produced and exportThe family had often been on holiday in the village of Cajiz, ed in excess of 3,000 tonnes near Velez Malaga, and Heiko fancied trying his chances in the of strawberries along with imarea. portant quantities of fine round The young German - who designed and produced his own specbeans. (Now imported fron Ketacles - had opened his first opticians in Denmark at the age nya). of 30.

As the strawberry crops disapHe went on to open branches of his company in Berlin, Hampeared the majority of the land burg and Paris, as well as little Torre del Mar. used was planted with avocaThe shop in Torre, with one of largest and best quality ranges of dos and later probably manglasses on the Costa del Sol, is now run by his son Peter. goes.

Peter, who owns the shop, studied to become an optician in The development of these Copenhagen, and apart from a few years in the Danish army, crops I will leave for another he has always worked as an optician. chapter and another day.

He speaks German, English, Swedish, Norwegian and Spanish.

A very international (family) affair

2for1

Buy 2 glasses - pay for 1 Applies to all frames in the store and all types of lenses.

Remember, you can share the offer with a friend.

A

Avenida Andalucía 119 Torre del Mar Telephone: 952 967 923 www.heikobyheiko.es We speak your language

Peter Hejnfelt

Trini Jiménez

R U O Y E V SA

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Property

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39

Foreign boom FOREIGN buyers snatched up almost a quarter of all residential property purchased in Spain last year.

According to data released by the Council of Notaries this week, 21.4% of homes were bought by foreigners in 2013 – a total of 55,187 homes – a 9.8% increase on 2012.

Valencia saw the biggest increase in foreign buyers, 16.9%, followed by the Canary Islands, with a 15.7% increase.

Most popular

Andalucia, Murcia and Catalunya also saw increases of 15.6%, 15.2% and 7.7% respectively.

However, foreign purchases dropped in other

INCREASE: Expats buying homes

Over a quarter of homes in Spain sold to foreigners, with growth up over 50% in a year

regions, including Galicia by 32.5%, Castilla y Leon by 28.9%, Navarra by 23.4%, and Castilla La Mancha by 23%, among others.

The biggest increase – 54% - came from nonresident buyers of second and holiday homes.

Coastal areas are the most popular with nonresidential buyers, as the location of the majority of holiday homes.

Holiday homes were particularly popular with South Americans, with the number of Colombian buyers rising by 311.1%, Argentinean buyers climbing by 97.8%, and Chilean by 76.9%.

The number of British buyers still makes up a sizeable portion of the market, despite falling to 14.9% from 34.3% in the peak in 2007.

The French, Russian and German markets are all growing in importance with increases of 10.9%, 8.2% and 7.8% respectively.

At the end of 2013, the price per metre square of purchases made by foreigners was 1,486 – a slight fall of 3.8% from 2012, which points to a slowing down in the market’s decline.

...And a good time to buy THIS year is shaping up to be a year of opportunity in the property market, ac-

cording to a Spanish real estate agent.

The online study by Look

and Find found that 39% of people think that now is ‘a good time’ to buy a home.

A further 26% are more cautious, waiting to see how the situation will evolve over the coming months.

New builds

Latest data from the National Statistics Institute has backed up the survey’s findings, revealing a surge in purchases of houses, particularly of pre-existing homes rather than new builds.

Purchases of existing homes saw an increase of 2.2% in 2013 – up to 166,173 – but the number of acquisitions of new builds fell by 6.8% to 145,241.

Look and Find found that, on average, house prices have fallen by around 35% since 2006, and that the declines in the last quarter are comparatively insignificant.

“This is something that clients are increasingly perceiving more clearly, and that makes it a good time to invest in housing,” added a spokesman.

“The results testify that if the money was available to buy, or at least the ability to apply for a modest mortgage, then purchasing a home would be one of the main investment options.”

SURGE: In buying homes

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Property Crime? What crime?

We’ve got housesitters!

40

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April 2 - April 16 2014

Advertorial

Lamia Walker (right) has launched a housesitting business in Spain, to make leaving your home and pets safe if you go away THERE is no doubt that across Europe the number of burglaries appears to be on the rise.

Homeowners everywhere are looking for ways to protect their property and pets in their absence.

Data from the Spanish Interior Ministry shows that the number of burglaries committed during the last six months of 2013 was 62,359, up from 49,993 in the same period in 2012, indicating a steep 7.24% spike.

Analysts believe the deepening financial crisis in recession-bound Spain prompts people to make a living from crime, in particular burglaries.

Across Europe second homes are especially being targeted, according to figures published by a French crime statistics agency; 17.7% rise in break-ins at rural properties.

HousesitMatch, an online network for homeowners to meet housesitters, is there to help remedy the problem having just launched in Spain.

You can find a wide choice of housesitters and those with police checks and references are highlighted on the website.

Last summer a friend in the UK called and asked if I was still involved in housesitting, a business I had been nurturing for a couple of years.

Despite having a groom and an au pair that summer she found there was a week when she had no-one to care for her property and horses in the long holiday.

Hence the call, and did I know of a horse and dog lover who might step in to help out for a week…

My friend Sarah has an estate in West Sus-

sex, UK, three geldings and three large dogs - two Portuguese Estrella mountain dogs, and one South African Ridgeback.

The dogs have turned out to be great family pets though originally purchased to guard her property, however, it still takes newcomers a while to be accepted to the inner circle so to speak – so this was not the easiest of housesits to match.

Fortunately, by tapping into a network of experienced pet sitters she found a young woman, a student, who despite her youth was an experienced horsewoman and could offer references to prove it.

References

They met, Harriet’s references checked out and there was a good feeling between the two. Sarah returned from holiday to a secure property, a happy stable of horses and dogs who had been well looked after and exercised. And Harriet had made several new equine and canine friends through the HouseSitMatch network.

Whenever you travel away from home it can be worrying as you look to organise the right support for your property to keep it secure and all systems running on an even keel, until you return.

Aimee, based in the Var region of France, has also recently started to use housesitters to occupy her property. The first time was when she had just moved into a property in a hill top village she found she had

SAFE: Keeping home and pets well looked after while away

to travel to see an ailing relative in the UK. It was early May and her friends were also away. Because she was new to the region she didn’t know anyone else who could help.

There had also been a spate of burglaries in the village, so she was particularly concerned about leaving the property entirely empty for a couple of weeks. She went online and found a housesitter through a network. She found real peace of mind because she was able to find a sitter who could keep things safe and ticking over until she returned. The sitter loved it and was paid a small amount to stand in as caretaker.

If you need help finding just the right house or pet sitter for when you go away, whether for a short or a long trip, try HouseSitMatch. com. We have a wide selection of sitters available for you. If you prefer to discuss your query in person then just give us a call.

Top tips on buying in Spain, part 2

I

N my last column, we looked, briefly, at what to take into account before purchasing a property in Spain. Now, here’s an overview of the expenses that will be coming out of your account to pay for your new home.

Aside from the rather obvious requirement of having the money, or the mortgage, that will be needed to pay the agreed price of your dream home in Spain, you should also set aside approximately an additional 15% of the sum to cover all the other costs for which you, the buyer, are liable when purchasing a property.

These can be divided up into three categories: fees paid to professionals; fees due to the Property Registry (Registro de la Propiedad); and taxes due to municipal and central governments.

Spanish lawyers normally charge 1%, plus VAT, plus VAT of the agreed price for their services, which should include all the items listed previously: verifying ownership and description details in the Property Registry and the state property database for tax purposes (Catastro), confirming there are no impediments, taxes, or other liens that would affect the sale, checking the town hall has no planning issues or charges pending, drawing up deposit and purchase contracts (if required), and generally protecting your interests as the

The Property Insider by Adam Neale

the purchase price: 8% on amounts up to €400,000; 9% from €400-700,000; and 10% for amounts over €700,000. A separate scale applies for parking spaces: 8% up to €30,000; 9% between €30-50,000; 10% purchasing party.

For their services in drawing up from €50,000 onwards. and overseeing the signature of For new properties, buyers the public title deed (escritura) need to pay, (i) 10% valueand payment, the notary usu- added tax (VAT, known in ally charges around 0.2% of the Spanish as IVA or the Impuesagreed price. Thereafter, the cost to de Valor Añadido) on top of of registering your purchase and the purchase price, and, (ii) transfer of ownership in the prop- 1.5% stamp duty. erty with the Property Registry Whether you’re buying a new or a resale should be about property, if two-thirds of the notary’s fee.

If you are buying you are taking out a All taxes arising from a nonmortgage, from a property you will also resident, you purchase in have to pay Spain must be should retain 3% 1.5% stamp paid within 30 of the price duty of the days from the principal date of signaloan, plus inture of the public title deed. After this, buyers terests and costs in case of become liable for a surcharge non-payment. of up to 20% of the tax in ques- If you are buying from a nontion. And, remember, prior to resident, you should retain paying tax, foreign buyers need 3% of the agreed price and to obtain a NIE number (núme- deposit this with the Revenue ro de identidad de extranjero), a month after completion. the foreign identification num- Finally, depending on the terms ber required for all paperwork of the contract agreed between with the Revenue Service (Ha- buyer and seller, as the buyer, you may also be liable for mucienda).

For resale properties, buyers nicipal land tax (plusvalía), as exmust pay Transfer Tax (Im- plained in the previous column. puesto de Transmisiones Pat- Once you’ve paid all the above, rimoniales), levied in line with the home of your dreams will, at a sliding scale, depending on long last, be yours!

Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona.

Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com

Top Dollar www.theolivepress.es

A GERMAN healthcare giant is to produce its entire global aspirin output in Spain, following the government’s reforms to lure foreign investors back to Spain.

Bayer AG has spent €6million in Asturias in order to get the Langreo plant pro-

the olive press - April 2 - April 16 201441 41

The Olive Press fortnightly business section taking a look at the Spanish economy and offering tips on how to save AND make money

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Painkillers ease recession

ducing all of its aspirin.

It is good news for Spain which has seen investments in new production sites or the extension of existing ones rise 8.8% from a year ago to €15.8

billion, according to statistics.

“Spain’s qualified and flexible labour force, its competitive production costs and its strategic location make it very attractive,”

said Manuel Fernandez Ortega, manager of Bayer’s Langreo plant.

The company employs about 2,160 people in five Spanish facilities.

Venezuela floats free

HEADACHE: No more!

Mystery shoppers

By Tom Powell SPIES posing as customers are to be sent to bank branches across Spain, to ensure they are complying with regulations when they offer their products to customers.

Financial watchdog CNMV insists the mystery shoppers will be let loose on banks at various points throughout the year.

Any evidence’gathered by the ‘spies’ will be used to take disciplinary ac-

since 2006, and in extreme cases a FSA banking supervisor is allowed to record conversations between ‘customers’ and employees.

Financial watchdog will unleash inspectors posing as customers to weed out bad practice in Spanish banks

Lost savings

tion against financial institutions tion of the regulator’s goals for the found to be violating regulations.

CNMV chief Elvira Rodriguez an- year. nounced the plans at a presenta- ‘Mystery shopping’ is already widely employed in Britain and France, where people are hired through an agency to carry out qualitySPANISH banking giant Santander has The Financial Conduct Agency (FCA) has hit control inspections. been fined €14.9 million by a British finan- Santander, the Eurozone’s biggest lender, In the UK, mystery shoppers have been cial watchdog, in one of the biggest ever re- for ‘widespread investment advice failings’.

The FCA claims Santander ‘let its customers inspecting banks tail banking penalties. down badly’.

“Customers trusted Santander to help them manage their money wisely, but it failed to live up to that responsibility,” said a spokesman for the FCA. “If trust in financial services is going to be restored, which it must be, then customers need to be confident that those advising them understand, and are driven by, what they need.”

Santander ‘let customers down’

CNMV is also working on a classification system designed to alert customers to the risks of certain financial products on the market and to help them make more informed decisions about their investments.

Thousands of Spaniards have lost their savings after investing in risky shares sold by savings banks during the lowest point of the financial crisis.

Meanwhile, the watchdog continues to lobby for an enhanced level of authority and supervisory capability.

SPANISH companies operating in Venezuela are expected to take a hit, after its government introduced a free-floating currency exchange system this week. Telefonica could stand to lose as much as €1.5 billion, according to preliminary estimates.

Asian hub THE government is looking at the Philippines as a potential hub for Spanish firms in Asia. The Minister for Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Garcia has visited the country to check out the opportunities.

Look for LatAm A DOZEN Spanish companies are participating in the 2014 International Air and Space Show, which opened in Santiago, in Chile, this week.

The Spanish firms, including Urovesa and Navantia, aim to identify partners and source new customers in Latin America.

Bad advice

Steve Pateman, head of banking at Santander UK, said the bank regretting that ‘investment sales processes did not meet the required regulatory standards’.

The watchdog reduced the fine by 30% because Santander agreed to settle at an early stage in the proceedings.

The bank’s bad advice was first brought to light in 2012, by a mystery shopping exercise that recorded serious failings in the way Santander was advising its customers.

It follows a €16.9 million fine that Santander received last month from the National Securities Commission (CNMV) in Spain, for infractions committed in the sale of securities in 2007.

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42

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On the up Spain’s economy is set to grow by a respectable 1.2% this year, predicts central bank

SPAIN’S economy is set to grow by 1.2% this year, according to predictions by the central bank.

The financial forecast indicates a ‘gradual and modest recovery’, with the gross domestic product growing by a further 1.7% in 2015.

“After the start of the recovery observed in the second half of 2013, we predict that the Spanish economy will continue to progress through this year,” the Bank of Spain reported in its monthly bulletin.

If the predictions are accurate, Spain is set to see its most dramatic economic growth since 2007, shortly before a property crash threw the nation into a fiveyear recession.

The growth forecast however, will not be sufficient to dramatically reduce unemployment levels, which reached a peak of 26% at the end of 2013, but improvements have been predicted.

POSITIVE: Bank of Spain governor

The Bank of Spain estimates that the unemployment rate will ease to 25% this year, and 23.8% in 2015.

But Prime Minister Rajoy’s government has a less optimistic outlook for the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy.

TELECOM companies Masmovil and Ibercom are set to merge together to form Spain’s third largest firm in the secOn track tor.

Bosses of both companies are confident the move - involv- It has predicted a growth of ing cash and share exchange - will be approved at the share- 1% in 2014, with a further holder’s AGM. Only Telefonica and Jazztel would be bigger. growth of 1.5% in 2015.

Masmovil Ibercom will also become the third largest Alter- But both agree that the native Investment Market firm in Spain behind Gowex and first months of 2014 indiCarbures. cate the forecasted growth This collaboration comes after Vodafone announced it has is on track. taken over cable company ONO for €7.2 billion, suggesting “Economic indicators for a major restructuring of the Spanish telecommunications the first quarter of 2014 point in general to a conmarket is on the horizon.

A Masmovil spokesman said the joint firm aims to appeal tinuation of the gradual imto the ‘residential and business’ market with ‘landline and provement in activity,” the Bank of Spain concluded. mobile solutions’.

Massive Movil

Overpriced internet SPAIN has the second highest internet prices in Europe.

The minimum cost of a standard connection in Spain is €38.70 per month, beaten only by Cyprus on €46.20.

The cheapest internet access is found in countries such as Lithuania – €10.30 per month – and Romania at €11.20.

COMPREHENSIVE: Vodafone’s planned 4G network

talk radio europe

VODAFONE has announced it will be rolling out 4G mobile coverage to all of Spain’s 54 provincial capitals.

The 80 largest cities will all receive 4G – the next level of high-speed mobile technology - including the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

Expanding

The 4G expansion is part of the company’s €650 million Spanish investment

4G Orgy programme, titled Project Spring.

Vodafone said its 4G network will have reached 50% of the Spanish population by April 2014, a year earlier than first envisaged.

It recently also agreed a deal to buy Spanish cable operator Ono for €7.2 billion, with the aim of expanding its interests in Europe.

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AGONY ANT

R.T.A.:AL-4-04-0017. 2ª cat

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43 Spain’s largest Campsite & mobile home park the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

Camping Los Gallardos

Now in our 23rd year - here since 1991!

A relaxing community site near Mojácar, Almería, ideal for short or long term living.

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

Is it time to sideline the out-dated notaries?

I

By Antonio Flores of Lawbird

T is pretty normal for the outcome of a bank mis-selling case to have gone largely unnoticed by the legal community - there are thousands of them after all. It is also not uncommon that keen litigation lawyers win cases where complex financial products were flogged, with little regard for their clients’ objectives and desires.

That said, what are the odds of an active public notary – supposedly an expert in these matters - falling victim to a predatory bank? And more, what are the odds of this public notary going to court, pleading ignorance about the legal documents he signed, in his own office, and win? Very low. Almost as low as the probability of a tossed coin falling on its side and yet, that’s what happened!

It is no secret that I dislike the very existence of these professionals - or at least dislike what their legal roles consist of. In my opinion, they are no longer required in a technology-aided legal system that should get rid of these costly elements, reminiscent of a country with a largely (I hope no longer!) illiterate rural-based population.

But in all fairness, bankers are far worse professionally - and their guilt is beyond all reasonable doubt - so it seems clear to me that this notary was ripped off by his now ex-banker and exfriend.

The court found, when ruling partially against Santander bank, the following: lThere is an extended – and corroborated - per-

ception that banks abused the use of ‘asymmetrical information’ – which is neither fair to, nor transparent with, their clients. lThere was no evidence that the notary had prior experience in this sort of product (a ‘swap’ contract). lThere was no evidence that the branch manager and his aide fully explained the complexity of the financial products. On the contrary, it was established that the product was sold as an insurance policy to protect against currency fluctuations. lThe bank was a client of the notary and trust was implicit in the relationship. Also, the contracts were explained, and signed off, in no more than 30 minutes.

Even if this skilled professional got away with it, the odds still stack up against banks’ clients that could - and should - have known better what they were agreeing to.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

Call us on 950528324 or 609506869

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

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Top Dollar

www.theolivepress.es April 2 - April 16 2014

Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander

HE announcements made in regard to pension benefits are far reaching and immediately had a negative impact on the share price of companies that specialise in the provision of annuity contracts.

Whilst you may be thinking to yourself that, as a Spanish tax resident, the UK Budget does not affect you, it does.

If you have any pension contracts that are in the UK or originated from benefits in the UK then you will in all probability have more options available to you now than ever and even more in prospect from April 2015.

There is so much involved that it is too much for one article, hence the reference to Part 1!

For years, HMRC have been concerned about what it calls ‘Pension Liberation’, the like of which had been going on through the use of QROPS to enable pension funds to be fully surrendered, or liberated.

But now these new proposals will allow total liberation of pension funds from next year. I think that whilst this brings many planning opportunities, it also brings a risk and the potential for money to be extracted from pensions and spent now rather than providing for retire-

RADICAL: New pension reforms Part 1!

The Budget was a real surprise to the pension industry; in fact it has been described as the ‘most radical’ budget for years

ment.

This concern has already been raised by Labour politicians and with a general election due in the UK next year, it is highly probable that if there is a change of Government, that these new rules may well be withdrawn or watered down.

There is therefore a window of opportunity to look at what the new options are but sadly I know there will be those in my industry who call them-

selves advisers, who will see this as an opportunity to ‘get their hands on’ people’s pension money for reinvestment, regardless of whether it is the right advice. So beware the salesman who may come knocking on your door!

The two key changes with effect from March 27 are the increase in ‘triviality pension limits’ and the level of income, which can be drawn from a pension fund.

The triviality limit has been raised from £18,000 to £30,000 and where total pension funds are below this level, the total fund can be surrendered for those over 60. For UK tax payers, up to 25% will be free of tax with the balance being taxable as income. For Spanish tax residents, a different tax treatment will apply.

For people who have been taking advantage of capped drawdown, where the majority of the pension fund remains invested and income is simply drawn from the fund, the income level from their next policy anniversary has been increased. The formula, which applies to UK Government Actuaries Department tables, has been increased from 120% to 150%.

This formula is used to determine the maximum pension and will have the effect of increasing this by 25%. More to follow soon!

Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 201445 45

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April 2 - April 16 2014

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“FATCA” MAKES IT SET GAME AND MATCH FOR TAX AUTHORITIES – HACIENDA SMELLS BLOOD!

T

his time last year you could have proportion of whom will specifically been forgiven for thinking that target UK expats. the idea that the Spanish tax However this may not even be necessary authorities would be closing in on as Spain has recently signed an expatriates was all a load of nonsense agreement with other EU countries and just an exercise to worry people into including the UK to share personal taking some action to rectify their tax financial information regarding its affairs. residents and nationals.

Well since last year a good Furthermore the UK deal has happened that having already agreed an A number of people might well disturb any exchange of information just bury their complacency that might with the Channel Islands heads in the sand have set in. We have has also reached hoping the problem already had a tax amnesty out to a number of will go away and then the introduction offshore jurisdictions of Modelo 720 both of such as Cayman and which by all accounts BVI to conclude similar were spectacularly unsuccessful in arrangements. All of this is happening trying to flush out the whereabouts of prior to the likely revision of the EU undisclosed offshore assets. Hacienda Savings Directive which is likely to is not giving up that easily and to include a much wider range of financial counter this apparent non-compliance instruments within its scope as well with regulatory requirements the as a look through facility for offshore authorities are now employing several companies and trusts. thousand more tax inspectors a large You can now have a situation where

the expat resident who is beneficiary of an offshore trust holding assets in an offshore bank account could well be reported to Hacienda via the UK authorities without ever knowing where the information came from.

We have moved into a new area of tax transparency with all governments desperately keen to collect revenue and prove to their counterparts that they are taking the issue of non-disclosure more

seriously than their neighbours.

Of course most people will think that this has nothing to do with them and their affairs are all perfectly straight forward. That’s great but we also come across a number of people who have chosen to keep their assets “hidden” from the authorities and who think they will be immune to examination or else they just bury their heads in the sand hoping the problem will go away.

Unfortunately we cannot change the past. What we can do however is help you put your affairs in order moving forward so that your assets are not exposed to the risks of non-disclosure and that they are held in a totally transparent way that will not alert the tax authorities.

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46 46

OP Columnists the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

Belinda Beckett, Mistress of Sizzle, owns up to a new vice

www.theolivepress.es

My Sherry Amor

My granny kept a bottle of it in the dark recesses of her pantry to offer to visiting clergy. A drink to be sipped in bird-like pecks from thimble-sized glasses with your little finger crooked, just so. More sherry vicar?

I

SHERRY:Barrels of fun

t was a never-except-on-aSunday drink with a whiff of gentility and a medicinal taste. A tipple associated with maiden aunts and Women’s Institutes, neither naughty nor nice.

But what Calendar Girls did for the WI, clever marketing is doing for sherry.

This year it’s getting a sexy new makeover in the home of its birth because Jerez is 2014 European Capital of Wine.

Sherry is a wine, zut alors, whatever the French say. So

if you’d like to give the Croft Original another chance, now is the time and Jerez is the place to make merry with sherry. It worked for me.

Have you ever consumed sherry by the wine glass with your meal?

It’s quite the done thing at Restaurant La Carboná, an amazing Michelin Guiderecommended restaurant in the town centre. It used to be a bodega but you get more than a drop in a tasting glass

here, where sherry stars in the food as well as on the wine list. Guapo young Jerezano Javier Muñoz is making a name for himself as The Sherry Chef with saucy techniques that would scandalise your maiden aunt: meat sauces, sweet sauces, marinades and maridajes, all made with sherry!

Have you ever tried sherry in a cocktail?

Master mixologist Eloy García of Bar Cubanamé has

MERRY WITH SHERRY: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis won more contests than your granny’s had Tio Pepes and now he’s shaking it up with sherry. I made merry with five of his sherry combos and didn’t even wake up with a resaca. The man’s a maestro!

Have you ever tried sherry from the barrel?

Head for a tabanco where they serve it from the wood for €1 a shot, in measures that would make the vicar slur his sermon! It worked wonders for Ashton Kutcher and his girlfriend Mila Kunis last year, I was told.

After being caught on camera downing sherry at El Pasaje (the oldest tabanco in Jerez), they snuck off for a Ritual del Amor at the Hammam Andalusi, say no more…

In heaven

I

HAD the sad duty of attending a funeral last month. The ceremony itself was incredibly moving as the deceased was in his 30s and over 500 people attended. The only thing that marred the event was the ringing of mobile phones. I can understand if your phone rings and you quickly turn it off. But

the elderly lady who started to text (with keypad beeps) deserved all the abuse (whispered abuse it must be said, but still rather audible all the same) she received. Far worse was the numbskull who once took a call as we stood by the coffin at another funeral. It was a wonder that he wasn’t lynched.

Carpe Samsung!

A good friend of mine used to have the perfect solution to this sort of behaviour during lunch. He regarded his City lunches as sacred and woe betide if you answered a call when you were with him. With a cry of ‘Carpe Samsung’, the of-

Showing some soul

I HAD the pleasure of helping out at the recent Talk Radio Europe Telethon in aid of CUDECA last month. It’s normally quite a frantic atmosphere at the best of times (my shows have often been described as ‘The Perfect Storm of Chaos Theory and Crisis Management’) and with the phones ringing off the hook from the word go, and an army of helpers behind the scenes it really was quite something. As I write this, however, the total raised stands at over

€14,000 raised and counting. Which just goes to show that behind the glitz and glitter that people often associate with the Costa del Sol, there is also a real heart and soul. Congratulations to everyone who was involved.

fending mobile would be hurled into the nearest ice bucket!

Spectacular

But it does highlight how much we love our mobiles down here.

If you have any of the social apps then your mobile becomes your personal paparazzi for any social occasion. You Instagram the food that you are about to eat, though I have always thought that’s a strange one.

In the 70s and 80s we didn’t suddenly whip out our Polaroid cameras if we were served a particularly spectacular Spag Bol at our local bistro. You would have been thought extremely strange. On any night out now, however, there will always be

one of the party Tweeting, Instagraming or putting a selfie on Facebook. They’ll normally be doing this seated at a swish Puerto Banus nightclub, surrounded by beautiful blondes and a huge bottle of bubbly on the table. ‘Ah yes. But are they really enjoying themselves?” I frequently mutter to myself on a Friday as I sit on my own with the cats, enjoying another CupA-Soup dinner by the wireless…

Another friend has the perfect way to ensure that dinner conversation isn’t interrupted by someone fiddling needlessly with their phone. Everyone has to put their mobiles in the middle of the table and the first person to crack and reach for their phone pays for the meal!

Even the bodegas are PXFactoring up their acts.

At Tio Pepe you can try a catamaridaje – a sherry tasting paired with a palo of flamenco. Enjoy a fandango with your fino and a malagueñas with your manzanilla. Olé!

I used to think manzanilla was a herbal tea, not my cup of tea at all, until I went to Jerez.

But I’ve come to appreciate the dry wit of a flirtatious fino … the full body of a smooth oloroso ... and I’d run off with Pedro Ximenez and a chocolate brownie tomorrow, a maridaje made in heaven!

That doesn’t mean I’ve turned into my granny who only thought there was one type of sherry. British sherry.

“Don’t give me that foreign stuff,” she used to say. “You can’t beat good old Harveys from Bristol.”

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

Spanish women are the least likely to die from breast cancer in Europe

Simply the breast!

Eating meat could cause cancer

ANIMAL protein causes inflammation which could lead to cancer and stroke, according to Spanish researchers.

A study conducted by the University of Navarra found people who consume mostly fish and plant-based sources of protein were in a healthier condition than those eating mostly meat.

The team recruited 96 obese people, who were put on a reduced calorie diet consisting of either 30% or 15% protein.

After eight weeks both groups had lost nearly the same amount of weight and fat, but inflammation was higher in those who consumed mostly meat.

Head researcher Patricia Lopez-Legarrea, said: “We are cautious to make general recommendations, since the study was only performed on a small number of adults with metabolic syndrome. But it is a good idea to keep red meat consumption to twice a week or less, and to stick to leaner cuts.”

SPAIN has the lowest breast cancer The country registers around 16 pared to a European average of the countries with the next lowest figures, 19, 20.3 and 20.6 respecmortality rate in Europe, according deaths per 100,000 of the fe- 23.9. male population per year, com- Portugal, Cyprus and Finland are tively, according to Cancer Reto new research. search UK. The rate is highest in Ireland, at 31 per 100,000.

Walking for cancer

POSITIVELY Pink and Blue, a pair of Mijas-based cancer support charities, are holding a walk to raise much needed funds.

The walk around beautiful La Cala de Mijas will be held on April 19, to raise money for mammograms, ultrasounds and blood tests.

Offering free breast, prostate and testicular cancer screenings to all UK expats on the Costa del Sol, the charities helped more than 560 women and 136 men in 2013.

This year they have set themselves the challenge of offering 1,000 free breast screenings, and 200 free prostate blood tests and testicular cancer screenings, and need all the support they can get.

Remember to wear something pink or blue, or face a forfeit,

Change

Research carried out by MacMillan Cancer Support, meanwhile, found that England and Wales had registered the largest fall in the number of deaths from breast cancer in the past 25 years.

The change - 41% - represents the greatest improvement in survival rates seen in the EU, although it is worth noting that the countries had the highest mortality rates when the study began.

The turnaround is said to be the reWALK THE WALK: Positively Pink and Blue attendees celebrate a recent fundraiser sult of new drugs and bring €5 per person for 10.30am at El Oceano Ho- uted. introduced over the entry fee. tel in La Cala, where walk- Contact Pat on 610 774 408 the past two deWalkers should meet at ing maps will be distrib- for more information. cades.

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Med diet, again PRAISES are being sung again for the Mediterranean diet, which has now been proven to reduce the incidence of type two diabetes.

Spanish researchers found the diet, supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is more likely to prevent type two diabetes than a low fat diet, or one supplemented with mixed nuts.

A sample of 3,451 people aged between 55 and 80 took part in the study and were split into three groups.

The incidence of diabetes was 40% lower in those supplementing with EVOO, and 18% lower in those supplementing with mixed nuts, compared to the sample group which was not supplementing with anything.

Researchers said the inclusion of non-saturated fats, such as those found in EVOO and mixed nuts, was the key to reducing the chance of getting diabetes.

The same diet supplemented with EVOO was also recently championed for reducing the risk of dementia among older people.

THE Colonic Hydrotherapy Room, with therapist Lynda Martin, has recently opened a second clinic at Forum in La Cala de Mija Edifico Calasol B13, and invites clients to visit, enjoy a glass of wine and check it out.

Make a quick call direct to Lynda on 608 675 081 and she will answer any of your concerns.

Colonic irrigation is by no means a new therapy. It was used by the Ancient Egyptians in their quest for wellness as it was thought that death began in the colon.

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OP

University education in Andalucia is cheaper than most of Spain

ANDALUCIA’S universities have imposed the second smallest tuition fee hikes in the country over the past five years, according to a finance report.

Fees for degree courses here

have increased 9.7% since 2008, compared to 144% in Catalunya.

49 49 38 57

Headmistress Sian Kirkham takes a look at the school´s Talent Show and Green Week

As a result, medical students at Barcelona University pay €1,620 more per year than those studying at the University of Granada.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 75.5% of university students in Andalucia opt to attend the university closest to home, or at least stay in the region to study.

Slashed

lingual education in public schools in order to prepare students for the future.

But while students used to get grants to go overseas to learn foreign languages, funding cuts have led to them having to attend summer camps here in Spain instead.

Between 2012 and 2013 the number of scholarships fell by 25,000, according to government data.

the olive - April 2 - April 16 the olive presspress - April 2 - April 16 2014

treme

Degrees over fees F

No, gracias A LANGUAGE school has attempted to persuade Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to reverse a decision to scrap language scholarships – by offering him free English lessons in the UK. Madrid-based Speak & Go Idiomas sent the prime minister a letter inviting him to take a free language course in the UK. They claimed it would enable him to realise the benefits of learning a language in the country in which it is spoken.

But the prime minister politely turned down the invitation, stating that while he appreciated the importance of learning a foreign language, austerity cuts to education spending would remain in place.

Rajoy said the government was pushing towards bi-

monthly youth and education section

Galicia’s universities are the only ones to have registered a smaller hike than those in Andalucia - 2% - according to the Fiscal Crisis, University Finance and Fair Contribution study.

Researchers concluded that, despite the increase in fees, universities are struggling to cover state funding losses incurred over the past two years.

The government has slashed the budget by nearly €900 million over the past two academic years, and by a total of €1.39 billion between 2010 and 2013.

ORGET Britain’s Got Talent – it was more a case of The British School of Marbella’s got Talent last month.

Yes it was that time of year again when our gifted youngsters took to the stage for the hotly anticipated BSM Talent Show.

It took months of preparation, endless rehearsals and vats of coffee – and that was just for the staff performances.

As usual hordes of paparazzi had to be held back at the school gates as the young stars were ushered into the building among a backdrop of screaming fans and the kind of hysteria usually reserved for One Direction.

Once inside the school hall there was standing room only as the excitement reached fever pitch and several flustered parents had to sit down and have a glass of water.

We were treated to mighty magic tricks, phenomenal football skills, dynamic dance acts and a gravity defying hula-hoop performance that had everyone teetering on the edge of their seats.

After much debate our panel of

BSM’s Got Talent

judges decided that Oscar from the Foundation Stage was the lower school’s winner, with his performance of Happy.

Other noteworthy acts included the Year One girls’ ‘Minion Dance’, which is rumoured to have inspired Marbella Town Hall’s ‘Marbella is Happy’ video last week (See p3 Happy Again).

However, it was the Year Four and Five boy band who raised the roof with their version of Bryan Adam’s Summer of 69.

They were the overall winners and following their meteoric rise to fame, can now be seen nonchalantly signing autographs most lunchtimes.

Although word in the playground is that the band may split due to artistic differences, with some band members now contemplating a promising solo career ahead of next year´s Talent Show.

We also celebrated Go Green Week at BSM last month.

During the eco-inspired event our diligent pupils descended on Marbella’s beach one morning to pick up discarded litter.

Armed with plastic bags, gloves and steely-eyed determination, our pupils filled several bags during their sandy quest before returning triumphantly to school.

They also came up with a number of eco-friendly measures to help save the environment such as turning off the lights, monitoring plastic cup usage and using less paper in the classrooms.

Although a bid to save ‘endangered vegetables’ by taking them off the school menu was rejected by yours truly.

To watch a video of the Minion Dance visit www.facebook. com/britishschoolofmarbella

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www.theolivepress.es FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

Adios, New York Hola, Marbella

As one door shuts, two open for chef Dani Garcia ANDALUCIA’S top chef Dani Garcia has been forced to abandon his dream New York restaurant after just one year.

However, the Marbella masterchef is remaining upbeat about the closure of Manzanilla and insists he will return to open another restaurant in the Big Apple soon.

Garcia was shocked to hear

that Manzanilla had been shut down by the owners, following weeks of intense discussions.

“I feel bittersweet because the restaurant was working, busy and most of the critics were positive about it,” he revealed.

“The truth is I don’t really know what happened but I think it was an accumulation of things, it started late,

D-Wine Time

A UNIQUE new concept in enjoying wine has opened in Marbella.

The mayor of Marbella was on hand for the opening of the venue D Wine, which features a wine shop, restaurant and lounge, all under one roof.

The stunning new business has over 3,000 wines which have been selected in association with world-renowned wine critics American Robert Parker and Spain’s own José Peñin.

There is also an exclusive ‘wine by the glass’ dispenser system, which provides the opportunity to taste at least 32 superb

the works cost much more than expected, and it was very big.”

But the silver lining is that he can now focus on a very ‘exciting’ project back home in Marbella.

The restaurant, Cocina Contradicion, in the Hotel Puente Romano, will be based on the world of fiction and the menu will be called ‘Once upon a time’.

BAD APPLE:Garcia

An adjacent restaurant will include food from a range of countries and will be entertaining, fresh and dynamic’.

“I’m in the best process there can be in life: being able to create your own concept from zero,” he added.

“We have learned that you have to liberate the clients when it comes to eating.”

I’ll drink to that

SPANISH wine production shot up 41% last year thanks to a wet spring and sunny summer.

wines by the glass, specially selected by their team of expert sommeliers.

Mayor Angeles Munoz gave her support for the project and thanked owner Oleg Gurkov for showcasing the best Spanish wines in Marbella, as well as creating 40 jobs. D-Wine is also launching a school for sommeliers

With vineyards producing 50 million hectolitres, enough to fill 6.7 billion bottles of wine, Spain produced even more wine than France at 42 million hectolitres and Italy at 47 million.

For years Spain has lagged behind France and Italy despite having the ‘largest planted surface of vineyards in the world’.

Angel Ortega, representative of winegrowers in La Mancha, put the bumper crop down to unusual weather conditions.

“It’s not often that you see all the right climate conditions come together” he said.

“There’s a good side and bad side. To have more production means it’s always a bit more difficult to sell. The good part is that our competitors didn’t have an especially good year.”

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the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

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Sunday 6th April

Frank Sinatra - TRIBUTE

This amazing Frank Sinatra tribute, features songs from the most famous crooner of our era, this is definitely an evening not to be missed! (10€ cover charge)

Wednesday 9th April

The Bluze Brutherz Band

The Bluze Brutherz Band is bringing all your favourite Blues Brothers songs to life on stage at La Sala, get your dark glasses on... see you there! (10€ cover charge)

Sunday 13th April

Tango - DANCE SHOW

Enter the world of Buenos Aires and experience the rich cultural cast of the most famous dance in the world... the Tango brought to you by Rea Dance. (10€ cover charge)

Wednesday 16th April

The Jersey Boys- TRIBUTE

Featuring well known hits from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, this is a real roller coaster of a show. (15€ cover charge)

Thursday 17th April

Hensler & The Texas Pearls

The 'best of the best' Country Music hits featuring a range of classics from Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and more. (10€ cover charge)

Sunday 20th April

The New Orleans Jump Band

Join us for lunch from 2pm in our function room and enjoy live New Orleans jazz and blues performed by the renowned New Orleans Jump Band. (10€ cover charge)

Wednesday 23rd April

True Divas - TRIBUTE

Three amazing voices with one aim... to celebrate the music of the True Divas of all time from the 50's right up to the current day. (10€ cover charge)

RESERVATIONS 95 281 4145 ● INFO@LASALABANUS.COM ● WWW.LASALABANUS.COM

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FOOD & DRINK www.theolivepress.es with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

As they reach a big 20th anniversary, the six restaurants in the popular chain feed up to 1,100 diners a day

The BIG 2-0 for Da Bruno A CULINARY force on the Costa del Sol has celebrated its 20th birthday… and with a tribute from the mayor herself.

Angeles Munoz helped bosses of Italian restaurant Da Bruno celebrate in style, thanking

By Imogen Calderwood

them in person for their contribution to the social and economic development of the town, at a ceremony held at the restaurant.

CELEBRATIONS: Da Bruno sur Mare was the venue Owners Bruno and Giuseppina Filippone have arranged numerous celebrations through-

Food fibs GENERATIONS of parents knowingly fill their children’s heads with myths and legends when it comes to eating healthily.

Almost a third of adults today are happy to tell their child that eating crusts will give them curly hair, even though they know there is no truth behind it, according to a study by Persil.

Drinking milk will make you strong and eating carrots will help you see in the dark are the next most popular little white lies that are passed on from parent to child, according to the poll.

out 2014, including musical evenings, races, golf tournaments, and nights at the opera.

“On behalf of the whole of the very large Da Bruno family, I would like to thank the Marbella town hall for this recognition,” said Bruno.

Satisfaction

True taste of Italy in Vejer SET in one of the most beautiful locations on the Costa de la Luz, Hotel Sindhura, near Vejer, now counts a gourmet Italian chef among its staff.

Head chef Benito - owner Ana’s son in law - has trained with a string of famous Italian chefs including Gennaro Contaldo and Antonio Carluccio.

His new restaurant Peperoncino Grill boasts an innovative twist on traditional Italian dishes, with mouth-watering pasta, succulent char-grill meats with locally grown vegetables, real gelato ice cream and authentic coffee straight from Italy.

“Come and visit our brand new terrace restaurant on April 11 to enjoy a true taste of Italy, by sunshine or by candlelight,”said Ana.

“The hard work that we put in every day to boost each of our establishments is made worthwhile when we see the satisfaction of our clients.”

Next to Bruno stood his wife, Giuseppina, and their children Giancarlo and Marcella, who now manage three of the six Da Bruno restaurants – Da Bruno A Casa, Da Bruno Mijas-Costa, and Da Bruno San Pedro.

Across all six restaurants – including the Da Bruno Pasta, which opened first in 1994, Da Bruno Sul Mare and Da Bruno Cabopino – the family can feed 1,100 diners at a time, and employ more than 200 staff.

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www.theolivepress.es

A cut above the rest!

Spain’s top jamon slicers will do battle in Estepona this weekend EIGHT of the best jamon slicers in Spain will go head to head (or knife to ham) in the fourth national ham cutting championships in Estepona this week.

The contest, organised by Estepona Town Hall

JAMON EVERYBODY!: The contest

By Giles Brown and ham cutting entrepreneur Jose Maria Tellez ‘Popi’, will take place in Calle Real from April 5.

The contest has quickly grown to become one of the most important in Spain.

The eight finalists have been selected from over 80 applicants. The panel of judges, including last year’s winner Candido Murillo, will be looking among other things at the size and thickness of the slice.

They will also judge how clean the cut is and weigh up the creativity in the presentation of the jamon on the plate.

One key factor is the accuracy of how close the cut is to the required 100 grams for a racion and also the style the jamon slicer has when serving the ham on the plate.

Estepona Town Hall’s Ana Velasco commented that the competition would use the prestigious Joselito ham from Guijuelo, near Salamanca.

Hotelier and Hoteli-HER Our hotel team at Molino del Santo on how to deal with suppliers

Pick your provedor!

I

T takes a while and needs a close eye, patience and a bit of toughness too.

But time invested in finding good suppliers (provedores) pays off in the long term.

And it’s certainly not all about price – it’s about reliability, service and being pleasant. We’ve now reached the point where we know our suppliers well, from the fishmonger to the carpenter.

Our 27 years of experience means we don’t suffer fools gladly but it can be difficult in a small community.

Some of our best friends were the local butchers many years ago but you can’t work with people who say they will deliver at 6pm when you have hungry guests to feed at 8pm and who literally don’t deliver at all that night.

The Perfect Supplier JOSE Manuel Dominguez from Montejaque is our supplier – or provedor - of freshly picked oranges from San Pablo.

He delivers every Friday afternoon and is reliable, punctual and fussfree.

But there’s another trait that makes him stand out – he’s always smiling. (see right) If you work at Molino del Santo you know when he’s arrived...The kitchen staff who check the order smile when they see him arrive.

The waiter who then loads his oranges into the juice machine begins to laugh at his jokes.

He even gets the office staff laughing as they pay his bill!

And what’s more he’s sees himself as part of the team and loves helping out.

The delicious home-made marmalade served at breakfast and made by Louisa

Thriving

Castle in El Colmenar is brought up by José as he returns from San Pablo.

He stops en route at Gaucin and collects paintings from ar tist Lesley Riddihough to hang in The Galler y at Molino. And so on, and so on.

Yes, the perfect supplier.

It is a sad fact that they still won’t talk to us because we told them we had to source meat elsewhere after lots of last chances to comply.

But it’s the old rule… the difficult ones can easily take up so much energy that you forget about the vast majority of hugely reliable ones who never let you down.

One of the best also gives us credit for up to a year on top of being a total delight - now that’s someone who’s guaranteed our business for ages to come.

So let’s raise a glass to our beer suppliers, our wine merchants and our lovely corner shop which provides all of our fresh fruit and vegetables – we don’t tell you often enough how much you help our business to thrive.

Hotel - Bar - Restaurante. Bda Estacion s/n, 29370 Benaojan, Malaga. 952 16 71 51 - 952 16 79 27 . info@molinodelsanto.com

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LOOKING FOR A GREAT IDEA OF HOW TO SPEND A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH FRIENDS? the olive press - April 2 - April 16 2014

Why not try a residential cookery course at Ronda’s leading rural hotel?

M

OLINO DEL SANTO has just hosted its first ever three day cookery event for a group of 12 people and it has been a huge success.

One day people have learnt to make 5 different imaginative tapas , another day traditional specialities and finally the dishes for a 5 course gala dinner.

Under the watchful but very supportive eye of new head chef Alberto Guzmán, an international group were shown how to prepare dishes and then thrown in at the deep end to do it themselves.

Black pudding and pine nut parcels, flash fried squid with onion marmalade and sun-dried tomatoes, and a delcious strawberry gazpacho were amongst the tapas prepared and each particiapant was given a full set of instructions to help them reproduce their triumphs at home.

Each day a different member of Molino staff joined in the event and helped to translate and encourage the novice cooks. The atmopsphere is friendly but focussed and people have come away raving about their experiences.

The events have had to be squeezed into the late afternoon slot between busy lunchtimes and dinners at the award-winning restaurant. For owners Andy Chapell and Pauline Elkin, this has been an exciting experience. “We have never done anything like this before and we could not have a better teacher than Alberto,” said Andy. “He really knows how to engage people and to plan interesting things that involve people at all stages.”

Alberto Guzman (left) And Andres Aguilar at Hotel Molino del Santo

You can choose to stay over in the hotel or just make a day of your visit. Come for a light lunch and then get stuck in to the learning process. It’s an ideal thing to do with friends or for a memorable special event.

Costs are very reasonable too - from just 20euros per person - and of course you get to enjoy your efforts afterwards.

Contact the hotel for more details email info@molinodelsanto.com or telephone 952 16 71 51.

Molino del Santo hotel and restaurant, near Ronda, is open every day for all meals and has 18 very comfortable rooms set in a stunning location by a mountain stream. The hotel gets very busy so reservations are highly recommended at all times.

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THOUGHTS OF A HOTEL DOG - Part 2 “Plucked from Adana rescue home in Estepona by Hotel owners sounds like an ideal scenario for a dog. Unless you get chosen by the wrong hotel. The food is so good at Molino del Santo that the plates come back clean from the tables. So much for my idea of regular doggie-scraps.

Bad luck to live in a hotel with such great food”

Follow Eddie’s regular thoughts on our Facebook page – Hotel Molino del Santo

www.molinodelsanto.com | info@molinodelsanto.com | 952 16 71 51

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olive press

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THE first ever case of ‘whatsappitis’ has been diagnosed in Granada after a pregnant woman arrived in hospital with sore wrists.

The 34-year-old had been overusing the messaging service Whatsapp, with doctors noting she spent as much as six hours holding her phone in one day. She is 27 weeks into her pregnancy. Doctor Fernandez-

The good life

FINAL WORDS

Child poverty SPAIN has the second highest child poverty rate in Europe according to a Caritas report.

At 29%, it is only beaten by Romania.

Our Venus A 5000-year-old clay figure known as the ‘Venus of Estepona’ is set to become the town’s symbol.

On display at the town’s archaeological museum, it was found during a dig in August 2011.

April 2 - April 16 2014

Whatsappitis

(brought to you by the OlivePress)

ANDALUCIA has nabbed the top spot in a list of the world’s ‘Top 20 places for the good life’, rated by UK paper The Telegraph.

The Moorish architecture, its churches and pretty fincas, and diverse cultural heritage were among the many cited crowning glories of the region.

Covering Andalucia in 2014 with over 200,000 papers EE (130,000 digital) and around 250,000 visits to the R F website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

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Guerrero, of Granada’s hospital, said the patient had ‘bilateral wrist pain’ and describe it as whatsappitis.

“The treatment consisted of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and complete abstinence from using the phone to send messages,” she said.

Spanish people use Whatsapp more than any other European country, but doctors are now warning people not to strain their wrists too much.

Oil systems go!

Malaga’s new metro has been hailed as a landmark moment for sustainability using olive oil for fuel

OLIVE oil is to be used to power Malaga’s entire new metro network, making it the most environmentally efficient transport system in Europe.

The Ministry of Public Works has announced the decision to use olive oil and championed it as a green alternative to electricity.

The train network – which should begin carrying passengers this year – will be the largest in the world to employ the cutting edge bio-diesel technology.

You love me so well

A HALF-NAKED woman had to be rescued from a 15 metre deep well by firefighters, after falling into it while having sex.

She was found suffering from shock and hypothermia, while her partner had reportedly zipped up his trousers and left.

The spot in a park in Ciudad Real is allegedly popular with amorous couples.

They did not realise they had loosened the boards covering the well before it was too late.

Emergency services received an anonymous call – believed to have been from the fleeing partner – and eventually found her and pulled her out of the well, soaking wet and with no underwear on.

Down the line!

Local environmentalist Chris Stewart - former Genesis drummer-turned-writer - hailed the move as ‘a giant step towards a sustainable planet Earth’.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to see Malaga leading the world in terms of sustainability, this is a landmark moment for anyone who loves and cares for the world we live in.

“Let’s just hope Boris Johnson and Transport for London are watching closely.”

Meanwhile, technology tycoon Sir Richard Branson has also overseen research into the use of olive oil as a power source, with the hope of launching an offshoot company called Extra Virgin.

The olive oil will be taken from a variety of co-ops in Ronda, the Axarquia and Guadalhorce valley, in a move which the Junta hope will create more jobs for recession-hit areas.

In June 2004 the Junta granted the construction of the Malaga metro, but since then the project has hit many delays. Staff are due to begin training this month and the first two lines will open in summer.

NO FOOL: Chris Stewart

Neil’s one night stand QUIRKY politician Neil Hamilton will be giving his UKIP party a European push with a whistle stop visit to Gibraltar next week.

Former Tory Hamilton, 65, now campaign manager for UKIP, is helping to launch the party’s European election campaign.

Gibraltar comes under the South West constituency.

Hamilton, who was recently described by leader Nigel Farage as a ‘Backroom Boy’ will be joined by serving UKIP MEP Paul Nuttall.

It is not known if his formidable wife Christine will be joining him.

Nanny on the naughty step A NEW royal nanny looking after Prince William and Kate’s son Prince George is on a Spanish town hall’s ‘name and shame’ list for failing to pay tax.

Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, 43, has been appointed to keep the royal prince in check but it appears she was far from perfect herself when living in her native Spain.

Palencia town hall, in Castilla, lists her as failing to pay tax for two years between May 2007 and July 2008. She has since settled the debts but her name remains on the list.

The revelations are bound to cause embarrassment for Borrallo, who only started work a few weeks ago following an intensive and lengthy interview process.

She was placed on the non payers register after several failed attempts to make her pay the IBI tax, which is the Spanish equivalent of council tax.

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Midfielder Dani Benitez, 26, is on loan at Granada from Udinese in Italy who have terminated his contract.

The Spaniard tested positive for the recreational drug after Granada’s 1-0 La Liga win over Real Betis in February. During the game he was sent off after playing just 16 minutes as a substitute.

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