Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 215

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UNDER FIRE: Stan Israel

Media boss in court EXCLUSIVE

By Tom Powell AN embattled Costa media group is being sued by one of Andalucia’s biggest printing firms.

Sunsearch Media, run by Stan Israel, is being chased for the non-payment of €8,000 dating back to 2013.

Tecnographic, in Sevilla, printed Perfect Homes, one of a range of large, glossy magazines produced by his group.

Israel, 53, launched a new company in 2014, called Simply Media Group, whose clients allegedly include Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and even popstar Lady Gaga’s perfume.

Debt

When confronted last night, dog-lover Israel - who drives a Range Rover - initially claimed to have nothing to do with Sunsearch, claiming it was sold last year to someone who ended up ‘not paying’.

But he then admitted he was still a ‘shareholder’.

Either way, Tecnographic is still fighting for the €8,000 payment, and has taken Israel to court in Sevilla over the debt.

While insisting it had won a

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June 11th - June 24th 2015

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Rockstar Rick Parfitt and wife Lyndsay call in police after losing thousands in Swiss kitchenware con

ROCK legend Rick Parfitt has been conned out of thousands of euros after falling for an age-old trick.

The Status Quo guitarist and vocalist was duped into buying ‘luxury’ pots, pans and cutlery for €1,465 from a pair of slick conmen posing as Swiss salesmen in Guadalmina.

It was only when the 66-year-old British rocker returned to his Marbella mansion that he realised he had been sold a dud.

Instead of ‘luxury Swiss finery’, it soon became apparent that he had acquired ‘a load of old tosh’ with ‘made in China’ inscribed on the base of the pans.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, Parfitt’s wife Lyndsay was ALSO tricked by the same fraudsters completely by coincidence.

Approached separately in Nueva Andalucia, two days before, Lyndsay handed over the same amount as her husband, leaving the Parfitts €2,930 down with nothing to show for it.

The pair have now called in the police, after Lyndsay amazingly then met the same men in IKEA’s car park in Malaga a week later.

EXCLUSIVE

By Rob Horgan Having taken their photo and given police their details, she is hoping for a quick conviction.

“I cannot believe that we both fell for it,” fitness instructor Lyndsay told the Olive Press.

“Neither of us are stupid or gullible so it just goes to show how professional these guys are.

“They are dressed in slick suits and drive luxury BMWs and claim to be from Switzerland.

“They are very good at their act, so it is vital that people must be warned about them.”

The con involves the two ‘businessmen’ approaching their ‘target’ while they are in

ROCKED: Rick and Lyndsay Parfitt lost thousands to Costa conmen price as they can’t transport it back to Switzerland.

“It is all very believable,” Lyndsay SUSANA Diaz has reached an added. “They show you some genuine agreement with Ciudadanos gear while you are seated in your car to claim her second term as president of the Andalucian and then start throwing deals at you.

“When they start loading the boxes Junta. into the boot of your car it all looks The PSOE pact with Ciudadanos leader Juan Marin was legitimate.

“It is only when you get home that you concluded with the signing realise you’ve bought a lot of cheap of three documents regarding 72 policy points. rubbish.”

Always on the lookout for a bargain, The coalition is based on an agreement, the Parfitts married in Gibraltar in anti-corruption and Ciudadanos has told sup2006 in a £46 ceremony. porters against the pact that They now split their time in Spain it will not merely ‘watch and between properties in Alhaurin el listen’.

Grande and Marbella.

a stationary car, usually in a car park, Lyndsay explained.

From there they claim to have leftover stock from a nearby exhibition, which they are willing to sell for a cut-

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CRIME NEWS

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Fruitful raid

PRINT ROW From Page 1

judgement against Israel, a spokesman declared: “The problem we have is that he has literally no assets in Spain.

“No property, nothing. But our lawyers are doing their best to force him to pay.”

Israel, who lives near Estepona, denied the debt accusation completely.

He also insisted he had never even heard of Tecnographic, or any court case.

“If the job is printed incorrectly, we don’t get paid and hence the printers don’t get paid,” added Israel last night.

Simply Media Group promotes itself as a ‘new advertising management company who specialise in the marketing of high end, luxurious magazines’, having taken over the magazine production from Sunsearch in 2014.

Israel has run a string of dissolved media companies in both the UK and Tenerife.

In 2006, his Luton-based firm, Oceana and Television Media, was fined £21,000 (€28,650) for illegally dumping commercial waste despite council warnings.

The company pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful rubbish disposal and one count of failing to provide waste transfer notes.

Israel’s co-director at Oceana and long-term partner, Lisa Brown, 37, is now an assistant editor at Simply Media.

Israel claimed: “One of my many staff had placed their office rubbish in a bag on top of our bin and it fell down overnight.”

June 11th - June 24th 2015

SLY: Pineapple plunder

PINEAPPLES were used to smuggle 200kg of cocaine into Spain shipped over from Central America.

Police seized a shipping container docked in Algeciras and found the fresh pineapples hollowed out and stuffed with the class A drug.

A yellow wax resembling pulp was used to conceal the cocaine.

The cargo was bound for two businesses, both run by Spanish nationals of Colombian origin, one in Madrid and the other near Barcelona in Sant Quirze del Valles.

Three people have been detained in connection with the mega haul and investigations are ongoing.

Fight on

Mother killer A BRITISH man has been jailed for life for strangling his own mother, then fleeing to Spain and murdering a mother-of-three.

Sean Heiss, 30, was found guilty of murdering his mother Margaret Sheehy, 58, in Kingston before taking her credit cards and heading to Spain on the Eurostar.

In Barcelona, Heiss stabbed a

Spanish authorities order extradition of controversial British boxer Scott Harrison, who is still fighting his corner

By Rob Horgan

GUILTY: Heiss with the mother he killed mother-of-three, Clementina Liscano, to death when she found him sleeping rough at a cash point.

Heiss was sentenced to 22 years in prison after extradition to the UK but pleaded

diminished responsibility, having previously suffered from psychotic illness.

The 30-year-old from Surbiton will be sentenced this week and will serve the time in Spain.

Child snatcher caught

A CHILD snatcher has been allegedly arrested in Estepona.

It was claimed that the man tried to abduct a child from outside the Opencor supermarket in Benavista.

The child was in a car outside the supermarket just off the A7, while his mother was inside the shop.

According to a Facebook post from a Marbel-

la-based woman Marcella Bonadio, the man was arrested two hours later after being identified on CCTV. Staff at Opencor would neither confirm nor deny the reports to the Olive Press, however two local shop owners confirmed they had ‘heard about’ the incident.

If you have any information please call 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es

DISGRACED Scottish boxer Scott Harrison has been ordered to return to Spain where he faces jail.

The former world champion had evaded Spanish authorities since he was given a fouryear jail term for a brutal assault on three men in a Malaga brothel in 2012.

But his luck ran out this month when a Scottish judge approved an extradition request.

Never one to shy away from a fight, the 37-year-old ‘Scottish Raging Bull’ is appealing the extradition order and has plans to restart his flailing career.

Despite being banned by the British Boxing Board of Control, Harrison could incred-

ibly return to the ring next month, after the Maltese Boxing Commission granted the former WBO title-holder a licence.

By appealing the order, Harrison has bought himself enough time to fight in Scotland in July and he has also been pencilled in on a show in Liverpool, in August.

Last week the Olive Press exclusively revealed how Harrison’s luxury villa in Alhaurin el Grande is being repossessed after vandals looted and graffitied on it (Knockout Villa, issue 214).

In and out of prison for the best part of a decade, Harrison previously served a two-and-a-half year sentence for assaulting a police officer with an ashtray in Alhaurin in 2009.

NEWS

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HAPPY AS HARRY - TWO PRINCE HARRY STORIES AS ROYAL MAKES HEADLINES IN SPAIN

50 shades of royalty

HE turned down a role in Fifty Shades of Grey but he wasn’t going to pass up on a chance to brush shoulders with royalty.

Actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife, Spanish model Elsa Pataky, rubbed

shoulders with princes Harry and William at a polo match in London.

The anglo-hispanic couple talked animatedly with the fifth-in-line to the throne at the star-studded Audi Polo Challenge.

Princess of pop

LOOKING THE PART: Chelsea in Ibiza

I’m not on the menu!

LA CALA

Our new showbiz columnist Elliott Wright gives the lowdown on the recent TOWIE visit

I

’M just coming up for breath after a very eventful fortnight!

I never was much of a multi-tasker, so keeping my new restaurant in La Cala on track while filming around the clock with The Only Way is Essex’s Marbs special has been busy to say the least!

Either way, we had a blast in some of the coast’s hottest spots... boozing in Pangea, partying in Tibu and also test-driving the new Cavalli Club in Banus – now that is quite a place.

There were the usual tears, drama and catfights, plus some very strange beachwear from Bobby, but you can catch it all this week when series 15 launches on June 14 on ITVBe. As for my on-off girlfriend Chloe, we did see each other during the trip… but I can’t go into that here. You’ll have to watch the show.

Anyway, after all that over-exertion, it’s probably time for a holiday!

But there is no chance of that as work cracks on at Olivia’s… and the good news is that the Old Bill have finally given me the all clear with building work, I was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Things are really falling into place and I can’t wait to show you the awesome menu from head chef Dave, however ladies please - while I’m flattered that you keep asking – NO I will not be ‘on the menu’.

Despite a few strange applications (let’s just leave it at that) we are getting a great team of staff together, but are still recruiting so send over a CV if you think you’ve got what it takes.

Most exciting of all, we now have a brand new sign, which the guys from TOWIE were able to see before they went home.

They’ll be back in a few weeks for the grand opening…they’ve promised… and I’m hoping I can get Arg to sing in return for his KISS: Elliott and Chloe at Cavalli usual five startClub, as tweeted by TOWIE bosses ers, three mains and six desserts!

CHELSY Davy may no longer be in line to be Queen but she is currently Ibiza’s hottest pop princess.

The 29-year-old - who dated Prince Harry for six years - has been spinning the discs at the Blue Marlin beach resort with professional DJs Housekeeping.

Davy abandoned her €95,000-a-year lawyer job at Allen & Overy last year after deciding to take a change of direction.

POLO PALS: Pataky, Hemsworth and Harry

Wedding crasher

Audrey Hepburn’s son is in hot water over ‘illegal’ Alhambra wedding HOLLYWOOD favourite Audrey Hepburn’s son Sean is in trouble after throwing an ‘illegal’ wedding at the Alhambra Palace.

The son of the Breakfast at Tiffany’s star paid €3,500 to rent out the Palacio de Carlos V for a concert in August last year.

However he now finds himself in trouble after the Alhambra’s board accused him of using the Granada venue to hold a wedding ceremony - an event banned at the historic site.

By Rob Horgan A security report by Alhambra officials claims that Hepburn and his partner Karin Hofer conducted an ‘unexpected wedding ceremony’ in the middle of the concert.

The report added that the Lord Mayor of Granada, along with a Granada councillor, officiated the service.

However, the town hall has defended the pair, saying that the concert was

We’re the new Posh and Becks!

THE Only Way is Essex’s Gemma Collins wasted no time bagging herself a Marbella man on her recent ‘work’ holiday filming the reality show on the coast.

The TOWIE star shared photos of herself with new millionaire playboy Sebastian Marc Graham, the creative director of Luxe Life magazine, raised in Marbella.

Collins, 34, gushed: “I’ve always gone for guys below me,

it’s time I aimed higher.

“Right now, Seb is David and I’m Victoria. We might even end up having four beautiful kids.”

held after an official ceremony elsewhere.

The town hall added that the mayor never officiated the marriage, despite the couple being dressed for a wedding, signing documents at the palace and being directed by the Lord Mayor throughout the day.

HAPPY COUPLE: Sean and Karin

4

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ANIMAL protection organisation El Refugio backed calls to send ex-president of Torremolinos Parque Animal, Carmen Marin, to prison for mistreatment and unqualified practice.

Commy talks ECONOMY minister Luis de Guindos is heading to Cuba, as Spain restarts trade with the communist state.

POLITICAL NEWS ELECTIONS UPDATE

Last chance saloon

Local politicians are making promises left, right and centre to secure the pact they need to govern as the clock ticks down

THE race to negotiate political pacts in Spain’s municipalities is heating up with just days remaining.

A deadline of Saturday June 13 has been set for the inauguration of new mayors, after May’s local elections failed to produce absolute majorities across the country.

The highest ever number of split municipal elections results has led to parties looking to pact with their former rivals.

In Malaga alone, a third of the province’s 103 municipalities will need pacts for stability.

Seeing which parties pact will no doubt give an early indication as to who may end up in central government come the general election in November.

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Not welcome FOREIGN affairs minister Jose Margallo rejected European Commission proposals to place 4,000 immigrants on Spain’s territory.

IN NEED: Of a pact, Montes

Torremolinos THE need to pact is as strong as ever, with both the PP and the PSOE candidates bowing down to the socalled smaller parties for their support.

PP candidate and acting mayor Pe-

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dro Montes is currently holding talks with representatives from Ciudadanos.

While PSOE leader Jose Ortiz is calling on Costa del Sol Si Puede for its support.

Mijas PSOE candidate Jose Gonzalez has held his first meeting with Ciudadanos’ Juan Maldonado and Costa del Sol Si Puede’s Antonia Santana.

After the PP lost its majority, the other three parties are set to form a pact to oust mayor Angel Nozal.

Gonzalez said he is ‘confident’ that the parties can come to an agreement that will see him elected mayor.

Benalmadena A FIVE-party pact could see the PP removed from office in Benalmadena.

Clubbing together to out current mayor Paloma Galvez are representatives from the PSOE, Costa del Sol Si Puede, the IU and local political groups Alternativa por Benalmadena and Vecinos por Benalmadena.

The prospect of the five parties not reaching an agreement is the only hope Galvez has of holding on to her post as all five have said they will not pact with the PP.

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A THREE-way pact could see neither of the country’s two biggest parties claim mayorship in Ronda. Although it is unlikely to happen, a pact between the PA, IU and A.P.R would see the PSOE and PP take a back seat.

More realistically, the IU and PA have been approached by both parties to form a pact.

While Antonio Lara, the chief candidate for the A.P.R, has criticised the main parties for slamming the door on him and not approaching him to pact.

Nerja TRUE to her job title, a headteacher is laying down the law in Nerja.

Ciudadanos chief Maria Sanchez has agreed to pact with the PP, but only if current mayor Jose Armijo steps out of the hot-seat.

The only other option for the PP is to convince the EVA or the IU to join forces or a four way pact headed up by the PSOE may win out.

Marbella

Manilva

THE fate of Marbella’s mayor is in the hands of the two elected Opcion Sampedrena (OSP) councillors.

The PP won 14 seats, while the combined left-wing parties - the PSOE, Costa del Sol Si Puede and the IU claimed 13 seats.

In a bid to lure OSP’s councillors into a pact, PP mayoral candidate Angeles Munoz has offered councillor Manuel Osorio the deputy mayorship of San Pedro de Alcantara.

PSOE mayoral candidate Diego Jimenez (below) will be inaugurated as mayor after agreeing a deal with the IU. A battle for the IU’s support was fought between the PSOE and Compromiso Manilva who both needed to pact with Antonio Barragan to gain the required number of seats.

ELECTION SPECIAL

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Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015 thethe Olive Press May 2015 June13th 11th -- May June27th 24th 2015

FEATURE NEWS

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OPINION Fight for the fight LIKE it or loathe it, bullfighting plays a huge part in Spain’s cultural heritage.

Whether you think it’s iconic or moronic, there’s no doubt that ‘la tauromaquia’ is controversial. And following its removal from France’s ‘intangible cultural heritage’, we wonder if Spain would ever follow suit.

While the Olive Press neither supports nor condemns bullfighting, the arguments the sport provokes is nothing short of spirited.

How refreshing in a world of increasing apathy, this subject creates passionate debate.

The glory days of bullfighting may well be numbered with activism on the rise and the Canary Islands and Catalunya banning it.

But for now the practice will continue to divide opinion and be seen as an art form for some and a torture device for others.

FIFA’s foul play

SPORT’S biggest corruption scandal has sent shockwaves around the world.

The arrests of 14 FIFA delegates and the tales of corruption surrounding disgraced president Sepp Blatter has been long overdue and is a welcome relief for all true football fans.

But it is important to remember that none of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for the hard work of dedicated journalists who refused to go away.

While Andrew Jennings will deservedly take the plaudits for his 15 year campaign, praise must also go to all those who strived to name and shame the crooks and conmen tarnishing the beautiful game.

This is surely only the beginning of a wider story and there will no doubt be a journalist on the scene to break the next chapter.

Cream of the crop

IN HOT WATER: Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter and (right) his colleague, the scandal-ridden Jack Warner

The football world has been torn apart by recent arrests for corruption at the highest level, but it all leads back to Spain’s nonsensical exit from the 2002 World Cup, writes Rob Horgan

The beautiful bung

SOMETIMES, corruption and scandal can seem like the only things Spain has to show for itself on a European, or even global, stage.

Amid the doom and gloom over illegal properties, crooked officials and Costa conmen, it is easy to forget all that is wonderful about life here.

And right now that is most definitely the food.

Congratulations to every Spanish restaurant in the world top 50, unafraid to push culinary borders and boldly venture into new flavours, textures and combinations.

W

HEN South Korea’s captain Hong Myung Bo stuck his penalty into the roof of Iker Casillas’ net, the world sat up and scratched its head.

It was, and still is, one of the World Cup’s greatest upsets.

Guus Hiddink’s South Korea side had conquered footballing giant Spain and were writing their names into history as the first Asian team to reach the competition’s semi-final.

It should have been the greatest fairytale story ever told at the World Cup. But something didn’t add up.

Instead of despair and desolation, the Spanish players were furious, they felt robbed and cheated… and perhaps they were right.

Egyptian referee Gamal Ghandour and his Ugandan and Trinidadian assistants had disallowed two perfectly good goals during the 90 minutes.

They had regularly flagged Spain’s forwards offside and given phantom fouls against the European side.

Their complaints echoed those of Italy and Portugal who had also inexplicably crashed out to the host side in earlier rounds.

But their groans fell on deaf ears. Or so it seemed, until the lid on sport’s greatest corruption scandal was blown open last month.

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CHEATED: Disbelief for Fernando Hierro, and (inset) Spain’s players held back by match officials cannot stomach the match’s unfair outcome

Changing channel A public auction has been held for six new national television station licences, writes our man in the capital THE tenders are now in, but we will have to wait until October to find out who will be the lucky owners of Spain’s newest television stations.

In a strategic election-year move, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy held a public auction to grant licences for six new digital terrestrial television (DTT) stations (three in highdefinition and three in regular standard broadcast), which could begin transmissions as early as the end of this year.

Among the requirements, according to the Spanish official gazette (BOE), the station owners must guarantee a ‘pluralism of ideas’ and ‘free speech’.

The prospective bidders also had to demonstrate that they turned a profit of at least €2.5 million during the last three quarters.

Bidding closed on May 28 and the winners will be announced on October 18 – one month before the scheduled general elections.

Current media conglomerates were not banned from participating in the tender, although candidates were only able to cast one bid each in one of the two categories be-

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ing offered.

But does Spain need additional TV channels, which only serve the purposes of a certain sector in society?

About a year ago, the Spanish Supreme Court revoked the licences of nine DTT stations authorised by the previous socialist government of Prime Minister José Zapatero because they were not offered through a public bidding process.

Brussels is also closely monitoring this auction to ensure that a similar situation which occurred in Bulgaria is not repeated in Spain.

In 2013, the European Commission took the Sofia government to court over its DTT licence-granting policy after it ruled that the auction held in that eastern European nation violated the Competition Directive because of ‘the disproportionately restrictive award conditions’ which led to ‘the exclusion of potential candidates’.

In layman’s terms, the EC wants to guarantee that Rajoy’s backers aren’t the only ones who are telling Spaniards what they should watch.

FEATURE

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the 24th 2015 theOlive OlivePress PressJune May 13th 2015 June11th 11th- -June - May June27th 24th 2015

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AS Swiss police swooped in on a luxury hotel in Zurich to expose the biggest sporting crime of all time, one 71-year-old investigative journalist in Scotland was being lauded around the world.

For 15 years Andrew Jennings has been sniffing around FIFA’s corrupt-ridden coffers, trying methodically and persistently to expose the corporation for what he knew it to be.

While other journalists reported on world record transfers and Champions League finals, Jennings went after the dodgy deals and secret six figure bonuses casting a long and lingering shadow over football.

After a blossoming career exposing crooked cops, the Thai heroin trade and the Italian Mafia, Jennings turned his investigative eye to sport, blowing open the corruption case within the International Olympic Committee at the turn of the century.

Moving on to tackle FIFA, he set the ball rolling in 2006 with his book, Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals, and followed it up with a damning sequel in 2014, titled Omerta: Sepp Blatter’s FIFA Organised Crime Family.

It may have taken Jennings 15 years of campaigning before FIFA was held to account, but without his dedication and investigative instinct it may have never happened.

HISTORIC CELEBRATION: South Korea’s Myung Bo at World Cup 2002

La Liga scandal

Tales of bribery, corruption and money laundering continue to FIGHTING fall out of the FBI and Swiss poBACK: lice corruption probe into FIFA. Herrera That fateful match is now undisputes der investigation, as it has claims been revealed that recently arrested FIFA delegate Jack Warner appointed the match MATCH-fixing is the oldest and ugliest side avoid relegaofficials himself after allegedly of football. tion in May taking backhand payments.

It has been going on since the day the 2011.

In total, 14 delegates of the game was invented and has long tainted Zaragoza world’s biggest footballing body the reputation of the sport. officials are achave been indicted and many But football fans world over blindly c u s e d of paying more are being put under the thought that the top echelons of the €965,000 to Lemicroscope. sport were somehow protected from this v a n t e ’ s players to throw the Allegations of bribery, matchevil. game. fixing and money laundering That was until 41 players were charged However, Manchester United’s Anhave all been levelled at the for fixing a La Liga game between Real der Herrera, who allegedly received footballing body, which claims Zaragoza and Levante. €90,000 while playing for Zaragoza, has to work purely for the love of Every player involved stands accused of denied the claims levelled at him and football. conspiring to ensure Zaragoza won to his team mates.

Two current vice-presidents and one former vice-president Gaston Golf - Olive Press:Layout 1 08/06/2015 11:21 Page 1 have been indicted and the tomatically putting a target on But as fate would have it, BlatFBI has announced that it will his back. ter resigned after winning now be looking into Sepp Blat- But the corruption within foot- thanks to media pressure and ter, the man who presided over ball in Spain does not rest those skeletons have already FIFA from 1998 up to his resig- solely at Villar Llona’s feet. It started tumbling. nation last week. has been embroiled in recent It has been revealed that But Spain can’t complain too scandal surrounding every- Spain’s FA, along with France, long or loud. thing from TV rights to match- is to financially benefit from For the Spanish representa- fixing (see above). the Qatar 2022 World Cup as tive to FIFA is at the heart of In a shock move, Spain’s FA an off-the-books financial deal Fabulous food and entertainment including a 5* Christmas the scandal - not to mention was among a number of UEFA was set up to back the Eastern the endless nations to ig- bid. or New Years Eve Gala Dinner with fine wine streams nore a pre-pres- That tournament, the 2018 of corrupSpain’s FA, along idential elec- competition in Russia and the FOR GOLFERS tion probes pact and previous tournament in South includes 3 rounds of golf with France, is to tion and bribery instead voted in Africa in 2010 are now under tales that favour of scanclose scrutiny with bribery alfinancially benefit encapsulate dal-ridden Sepp legations at the core. the current from the Qatar 2022 Blatter in last While that fateful night in government, month’s FIFA Gwangju, South Korea, 13 World Cup the nation’s elections. years ago, will no doubt live Puerto Marina **** Iberostar **** Isla Canela Golf **** banks and Despite UEFA long and painful in the minds judicial syspresident Mi- of Spain’s football fans, what is Benalmadena, Spain Nova Sancti Petri, Spain Ayamonte, Spain tem. Under-fire FIFA delegate chel Platini urging his Europe- to come will no doubt be more Christmas 270€ New Year 300€ Christmas 250€ New Year 295€ Christmas 310€ New Year 410€ and former Spanish interna- an colleagues to snub the man painful for the game. tional footballer Angel Maria at the helm of the most corrupt Many are calling for the change 3 Villar Llona is accused of se- sporting council of all time, to start at the top, with FIFA, 5 nights 23/12/15~ 28/12/15 for Christmas Night Stay curing an illegal vote-swapping Spain’s delegates opted for the but the change must come 5 nights 28/12/15~ 02/01/16 for New Year prices upon deal for Portugal-Spain’s bid devil they knew best. from within football itself and request Prices are per person for 5 nights half board, twin room for the 2018 World Cup with And perhaps that was because Spain’s FA, like all national Qatar’s 2022 bid. the Spanish FA is worried about federations, must look in the He also refused to cooperate the skeletons which may fall mirror and remember why we GastoN GolF tours Tel: 952 936 803 with Michael Garcia’s inde- out the closet should Blatter be love to call football ‘the beautiEmail: info@gastongolf.com www.gastongolf.com pendent inquiry last year, au- relinquished from his post. ful game’.

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NEWS

8

June 11th - June 24th 2015

Rack and ruin EXCLUSIVE

By Iona Napier A BRITISH expat’s dream Costa del Sol home is to be auctioned off due to unpaid taxes.

Roy Wheat, 52, spent his life savings of €220,000 on the finca near Alhaurin el Grande in 2007, only to find out his builders’ renovations were ‘illegal’. He claims they built without a proper licence.

However, it is the enormous tax debts unwittingly racked up which have led to the property being auctioned off, on June 20.

To make matters worse, the finca, where Roy was to base his motors business, has been vandalised while he has been in the UK fighting prostate cancer.

But Roy and brother Brendan, who racked up €64,000 in tax across a number of properties in the area, are still

Expat faces seeing dream finca auctioned off over unpaid taxes

DEVASTATED: Roy (right) and the finca, now vandalised determined to fight the decision with legal action.

“I feel completely robbed,” said Roy. “I am now living on my daughter’s sofa in England. I have lost over €220,000 and can’t express how devastated

Third of kids in poverty ONE in three Spanish children lives below the poverty threshold.

The staggering figure of 2.8 million reveals Spain is the worst-affected EU country after Romania where 35% do not have sufficient funds to live.

A household is categorised as poor if there are two parents and two children living on an income of €1,264 or less per month, or €780 for a single-parent family.

Most alarmingly perhaps is that the problem is getting worse, as in 2004 just 25% of under 17s were living in poverty.

and at a loss I feel at this moment.”

While Brendan, 56, added: “We had no idea about the charges and, now JCBs and materials worth thousands of euros have been stolen, I feel responsible for persuading Roy to buy out here.”

The brothers’ lawyer Manuel Ubeda told the Olive Press that while he was contesting half of the fine over a building issue, taxes must always be paid.

Mijas Town Hall, organising the auction, stated that several notifications are submitted over unpaid council tax before any further action is taken.

“We also publish outstanding debts on the online Boletin Oficial del Estado (BoE) register,” added the spokesman.

www.theolivepress.es

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

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10

NEWS

10

www.theolivepress.es

June 11th - June 24th 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF Swarm storm A SALAMANCA pensioner was rushed to hospital after being stung around 500 times by a swarm of bees.

Zimmer killer A 95-YEAR-OLD man was arrested after allegedly beating an 88-year-old woman to death with his zimmer frame in a Navarre care home.

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FRENCH animal rights campaigners are getting closer to seeing a bullfighting ban in France.

Although still legal, the sport has now been removed from the national cultural heritage list.

‘La corrida’ was only recently added to France’s ‘intangible heritage’ list alongside culinary delight tarte tatin in 2011.

However France’s Spanishborn prime minister Manuel Valls is a fan, saying ‘it’s a culture we have to preserve’.

Bullfighting still happens in southern towns of Nimes and Beziers where long-standing tradition exists.

TRAGIC: 107 animal fatalities at El Rocio since 2007

Stop the cruelty!

Activists want tighter checks at El Rocio after over 100 animals die in just eight years

A TOTAL of 107 horses, donkeys and oxen have died at the El Rocio pilgrimage since 2007.

Animal rights group PACMA is now urging the Junta to investigate ‘inexcusable levels of animal abuse’ at the pilgrimage in Huelva.

PACMA has said ‘enough is enough’ after more animals had to be slaughtered at this year’s historic event at the end of May. “More than 2,000 horses, donkeys and oxen are put through the tortuous pilgrimage every year,” a spokesman said.

“They are exposed to extreme heat, overexertion and exhaustion.

“It is unacceptable that animals are treated this way for a ‘festival’ and we want the government to ensure animal welfare is preserved at all times.”

The group also released a disturbing video of a pregnant horse die while giving birth at the event.

PACMA now wants the Andalucian government to start early to make sure the animals are protected at next year’s event, scheduled for May 15.

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NEWS NEWS

May 28th - June 10th 2015

11

12

12 NEWS IN BRIEF Water works ALL of Torrox’s beaches have received ‘excellent’ status for their water quality and Ferrara beach has been named as the best and received a blue flag.

Sweet deal PLANS to turn VelezMalaga into the European capital of natural sweetener are in motion after meetings between the town hall and Stevia producers debated the construction of a factory.

Snail away MORE than 3,000 people attended the 16th annual snails festival in Riogordo.

Three tons full OVER three tons of hash were seized and 16 people arrested in an Axarquia drug raid.

In the culmination of longstanding investigations ‘Gui’ and ‘Galium’ the Guardia Civil seized two separate drug cartels in Torrox and Rincon de la Victoria.

The first operation seized 40 bundles of hash, two 12m long powerful rib boats and three 4x4 vehicles, while the second intercepted 76 drug bales weighing 2,350kg.

The now-disbanded gang was based in Ceuta and had set up a complex network across the Axarquia.

AXARQUIA

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

Supermarket steal

Expat widow has wallet and €600 stolen in light-fingered lift incident

A BRITISH expat has had her purse and €600 stolen in a supermarket scam in Nerja.

Widow Marion Talbot, 64, was robbed in a lift in Mercadona after paying for her shopping on a debit card, with her pin being spotted by the thieves.

Brutal murderer convicted A WOMAN is facing life behind bars for the brutal murder of a pensioner in Rincon de la Victoria.

Incredibly the 60-year-old woman has still not been identified, despite now being found guilty of slitting the throat of 70-year-old Dolores Ruiz in December 2013.

The murder happened on La Cala del Moral’s promenade and is believed to have taken place following an argument over a €4,000 debt owed for jewellery.

The murderer – described as blonde and of average height – stole her victim’s handbag and jewellery, including a €2,500 gold watch, before fleeing the scene.

She is awaiting sentencing but is expected to get life.

HIDING: Brutal murderer has not been identified

EXCLUSIVE

By Iona Napier She backed into the lift with a trolley and two ‘neatly dressed’ men in their mid to late twenties accompanied her.

As Talbot came to leave the lift her, way was blocked by one of the men, who bent over to pick up some coins on the floor, and it was then that she believes the other man took her purse.

It was only upon returning home that the expat found her purse was gone and checking her balance, saw it severely depleted.

“You never think these scams will happen to you but when it does you feel violated,” said Talbot.

“These people target vulnerable women on their own and now I must admit it makes me feel paranoid.”

A spokesman for Mercadona confirmed that thieves, probably Romany gypsies, have been targeting expats.

“Thieves target older foreigners, mainly because they tend to carry more cash – Spaniards aren’t usually worth robbing,” said Mercadona supervisor Salvador Ortega.

Ortega recommended shoppers carry as little cash as possible and be on their guard.

Gibraltar NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

ON the Rock

NEWS IN BRIEF Health kick

June 13

A rare opportunity to walk through the wild fauna and flora in the Alameda Gardens is being arranged

by Andrew Abrines. Meeting time is 10:30am at George Don Gates and tickets are £5. For more info call +350 2004 1235

June 16-18

International artists are set to descend on the Rock for the Gibraltar World Music festival. A concert will take place at St. Michael’s cave and other events will take place at the Garrison library. Tickets range from £20-£30, for more info call +350 2006 8899

GIBRALTAR health officials signed a new clinical services deal with London’s St George’s Hospital to provide patients with ‘high quality’ specialist services.

STAR TEAM: Reporter Rob Horgan with Paul Robinson and Manish Bhasin... plus some lady friends!

All aboard!

IDOL: Ian Harte (left) meets reporter Tom Powell

Signing up

A TEAM of former Premiership footballers were on board the Sunborn Yacht hotel for the launch of La Sala Gibraltar .

The popular restaurant/bar, part-owned by ex-Spurs players Stephen Carr and David Bentley, is now officially open.

They both attended the White and Gold party opening, along with former Reading left-back Ian Harte.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who currently lives in Marbella, also joined in the fun, as well as BBC Football League Show presenter Manish Bhasin.

Carr, 38, told the Olive Press: “It’s a fantastic launch, fitting for such a great venue.

“Gibraltar needed somewhere like this, and I’m sure it’s going to be extremely popular.”

Dirty protest Photo by MeteoGib

A FRUSTRATED resident dumped a bottle of sewage at Gibraltar’s housing department after her home was flooded with grey water.

Diane Sattler staged her dirty protest after the department failed to respond to complaints that her house was flooded with raw sewage last year.

Having filed numerous re-

13

Jet ski drug chase TWO drug-smuggling jet skiers evaded capture after a high-speed chase with Gibraltar’s marine police.

The coast guard picked up the men in the Straits and chased them out of Gibraltar’s waters.

During the chase, one of the jet skiers unloaded £150,000 worth of cannabis into the sea as they gave the police the slip.

The jet skiers, who are believed to have arrived from Morocco, were last seen heading towards Puente Mayorga, near San Roque.

MORE than 100 petitions about Gibraltar have been lodged to the EU in the past year, with 20 currently open and under investigation.

Governor goes GIBRALTAR could be on course to end 300 years of rule by a military governor, and appoint a civil servant after Sir James Dutton quit his post.

Angry resident fined after protesting about her home being flooded in sewage

By Rob Horgan

ports over a three week period, Sattler decided to take further steps to get noticed.

Sail away SETTING SAIL: Yachts depart for Smir, Morocco A POPULAR yacht rally from Gibraltar to Morocco is set to take place this weekend.

The Gibraltar to Smir rally, sponsored by Ocean Village and Boat Shed Gibraltar, saw a record entry of 34 boats of all sizes last year.

This year the number is expected to be even higher and organisers are confident of beating last year’s £2,000 raised for the Red Cross.

There will be a Skippers briefing at Dusk on Thursday 11 June – with canapés and drinks from 7pm – before the boats all set off for Morocco at 1pm the next day.

The fun really begins upon arrival though, with a wine and cheese party, before a Saturday spent exploring the local souk or beaches before a fancy dress fiesta.

For more information visit the Boatshed Gibraltar Facebook page.

Taking the law into her own hands, she stormed down to the housing department’s office and emptied the contents of a shopping bag on the counter.

Alongside the offending bottle of sewage, Sattler dumped a pink sponge and other sodden cleaning materials on the front desk.

But her protest not only fell on deaf ears and she has now been fined £100 for her stunt.

Sattler was charged and fined for littering at the Magistrates Court while airing her complaints about the ‘inefficient department’.

Ex-cop on child porn charges A FORMER Gibraltar police officer has been charged with possession of child pornography.

With the assistance of Interpol, Richard Jimenez was arrested after police searched his home and workplace.

Father of two, Jimenez has been charged with five counts of possession of indecent images, but is back on the streets after meeting the £1,000 bail.

Jimenez, who now works as a security guard, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He will appear in Magistrates Court to face trial.

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GREEN NEWS

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

Hey small spenders

By Iona Napier SPAIN spends a smaller proportion of its GDP on green laws than any other EU nation.

In 2014, €172 per EU inhabitant was spent on protecting ecosystems’ soil, air and water quality while in Spain the figure was just €49.

Norway spent a total €615 per inhabitant while the UK’s spend was four times that of Spain, at over €200.

“The situation is unacceptable,” said Juan Lopez, spokesman for the Equo political party.

Lopez lamented serious air pollution problems in Madrid and Barcelona - two of Eu-

Spain is Europe’s smallest spender on green policies

GLOBAL LEADER: Spain is still the world’s fourth biggest producer of wind power

rope’s worst affected cities and both well over the legal limit.

There are 17 other countries in Europe which spend less per capital on green issues, but when expressed as a percentage of GDP, Spain comes out last – with the 5th highest GDP in Europe.

The government spent €2,200 million on putting environmental law through while the likes of Holland – with a comparatively minute economy – spent €8,400 and the UK over €18 million.

With the world summit in Paris in November and the Carbon Expo Barcelona 2015 recently opening, Spain’s role on the European stage is in the spotlight.

DANGER: Forest fires

Red alert

Action at last

A DEADLY bacteria-riddled river in olive pre Estepona has finally been visited by ss € representatives from the Junta.

Musical 3 cha 1 Last issue the Olive Press exclusively irs 2 3 revealed that a strand of the killer River of E-Coli bacteria had been detected in shame the Arroyo del Hornacinos, a river often played in by children.

Following months of complaints by residents of the neighbouring Villas Andaluzas to Estepona Town Hall, Junta officials have finally stepped in.

“It is good to see that something is finally being done,” said British resident Sam Hall, 78. “We await the report from the Junta and hopefully this can be sorted out as a priority.”

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May 28th

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2015

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THE winds of change have truly TOWIE star blown Elliot dozens of Wright launches anti-cor in as parties ruption a no-holds gains in made substantial column on -barred TV presente Spain. town halls across before we Page 3 r Nick Knowles grill him on Voters made our food pages. and stunning clear they are ready See The Wright Arty tapas wife Jessica traditionalto ditch Spain’s Pages 54-55 Stuff on special of is the the lid on lift the day two-party system in a new column escape to their Podemo as new parties from former s and grande onSotonos perform Ciudada Page 3 Michelin-starred gional and ed well at re-TV chef Steven on Sunday local election Saunders s All over .

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49 governingthe country the lute majoritPP lost absoit will have ies, meanin to pact with,g at least, to form one other party Estep ona ernmen legitimate govup a deadlTown Hall fails Some of ts. the to big y river often clean mayors in child danger include ren played in la’s Angeles MarbelMunoz by Malaga’s Francisco and A DEADLY bacteria Torre. de la found in an Esteponahas been A strand of the killerriver.

EXCLUSIVE See A Spring bacteria has E-Coli What is E-Col

By Rob Horgan been detected of Change on Pages , the Arroyo del Hornacin 4 and 5 in i? a stream Residents E-Coli is os, of the neighbou children. often played in by Villas Andaluza coliform a type of fecal s are now ring ing in the found in bacteria usually callthe intestine ronmentalGuardia Civil’s envianimals and s of arm Seprona, written complain Its presence humans. after in water is ts to hall came strong indicatio a to nothing. the town n of reThey insist cent sewage that the overrun with waste contaminor animal area is rats and ation. quitos and When the mosthe town been complete animal or bacteria lives in hall has CONCERNED: Residen spite receiving ly ‘inactive’ denal tracts human intestit Sam it Hall at river’s the first report worse. in April.

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27th May

Shark attacked A BASKING shark tangled up in fishing debris was washed up on a Cadiz beach to the horror of bathers.

The huge creature was found dead and photographed by Cristina Leinenweber Perez on May 24.

Meanwhile, a shark (right) was spotted on the shore in Fuengirola. See the video at www.theolivepress.es

iNC. iVa

MALAGA province is preparing for a summer of forest fires after the driest May in 68 years.

A dry winter, spring rains and a record-breaking hot start to the summer has put the province’s fire brigade on red alert.

From the start of June until October 15, agricultural burning will be banned in mountainous areas, as will barbecues and any form of recreational or occupational fire.

Certain motor vehicles will also be banned from driving through woodland areas.

May saw just 1.7cm of rainfall - over two thirds less than the 6.1cm May average in southern Spain.

As a result, Andalucian minister for Environment Jose Espejo announced that 20 million had been invested into the area to prevent and deal with forest fires.

la cultura

www.theolivepress.es

WIN Rough WIN and WIN ready

FROM exploring pueblos blancos in the Guadalhorce Valley to walking the bustling streets of Sevilla, there is one guide which stands head and shoulders above the rest.

The Rough Guide to Andalucia is back with its eighth edition and the Olive Press has some copies up for grabs.

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015 June 11th - June 24th 2015

www.theolivepress.es

One thing which hasn’t changed is a mention for the Olive Press as ‘the best’ English language newspaper in the area.

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question: In which Andalucia province would you find the Mezquita?

Send answers to newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Bargain hunter

Brit discovers valuable piece of Spanish musical history at a council tip

PRIZED FIND: Newman with his guitar

IN the middle of a rubbish pile, British bargain hunter Shaun Newman bagged himself a piece of Spanish history.

After picking up an old acoustic guitar for just £5 (€6.80) at a council tip, Newman, from Devon, UK, was overjoyed when he dug a little deeper into the in-

strument’s history.

His guitar actually turned out to be a 100-year-old masterpiece created by legendary Spanish luthier Salvador Ibanez.

And to make things better, Shaun’s skip find has been valued at a tidy €5,440.

Ibanez is widely regarded as the best guitar-maker Spain has ever seen, with British rock legend Eric Claption famously his biggest fan.

Ibanez made guitars, ukuleles and banjos in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

How I built a Roman Oasis AFTER three years living the high life in Puerto Banus – think fast cars and fast girls – British expat Paul Hickling turned his attentions to a barren hillside in Manilva instead.

It was 1981, the Costa del Sol was booming and he wanted to build a restaurant to cater for the constant stream of celebrities winding up on its beaches.

What happened next was a 35-year long disaster, but a successful one at that, with the Roman Oasis welcoming many a high flyer through its doors, not least TV chef Keith Floyd who called it his favourite restaurant.

Now Paul Hickling’s eccentric journey has been put down in words in a new book, My Roman Oasis.

“It took me 14 years to write, but I’m glad because it means I haven’t missed anything, and there is so much to tell,” said father-ofthree Paul.

“It’s the rollercoaster story from the moment I first arrived in Puerto Banus to now, and how we turned an empty hillside into a wonderful restaurant.”

Near the celebrated Roman baths, La Hedionda, hence the name, the summer barbeque restaurant is legendary for its delicious food and quirky decor.

A full-size cannon, a skeleton that lights up when you walk past and a King Arthur’s sword wedged in one of the tables are all part of the setting.

There will be a book signing at the Sabinillas

15 15

Hot off the presses WHEN British journalist David Baird fled another Manchester winter in 1965, he sought refuge in the little-known town of Nerja.

There were only five other foreigners in Nerja that winter. Wine was 10 pesetas a litre and a three-course meal could be had for 60 pesetas.

He instantly fell in love with the area and has now explored almost every corner of Andalucia.

The latest fruit of his researches has just hit the market - a new edition of East of Malaga - Your guide to the Axarquía and Costa Tropical.

The Mail on Sunday said the book ‘contains everything you need to know about f i e s t a s , sights, wine and food, places to stay’.

Priced €9.90, it is available at Englishlanguage bookshops, via Amazon or from the publisher, M a r o m a Press.

what’s on

F

uengirola, June 12 Lecture on ´How expats living in Spain will be affected by a vote to come out of the EU’ introduced

by David Frost. CostadelSol Freethinkers event in Manila Bar, Los Boliches

M

ijas, June 13 Lions Charter Night Ball. Black tie dinner and dance at 7.30 for 8pm at the Tamisa Golf Hotel.

Live music by ´The Revival Band’. Tickets €45 from La Cala Lions Charity Shop (677 059 061) or Hotel Tamisa Golf (952 585 988)

M

alaga, June 15-20 The Malaga Tango Festival presents five performances, exhibitions and activities between theatres Echergaray and Cervantes.

For more information and to book tickets visit www. teatrocervantes.com

N

erja, June 26 Coros Rocieros: four Nerja choirs and one dance group will offer the best of their repertoires at the Centro Cultural Villa De Nerja at 9pm. Tickets €5 and all proceeds to go to Nerja Solidaria

Guaranteed income savings... ...at the touch of a button STORIES TO TELL: Hickling Book Shop on Friday June 9, where the book can also be purchased for €14.95. It is also available in Patisserie Miel, Sabinillas, The Business Centre, Estepona port, Bookworld Espana, Puerto Banus, the Gibraltar Bookshop and on Amazon Kindle.

mybestbuysavings.com is powered by global comparison websites and finds the 'best buy' savings for investors looking for the best returns on fixed rate and guaranteed income savings accounts.

Current top rates on fixed & income products: 5 year fixed 5% p.a. no access

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16

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

la cultura

www.theolivepress.es 16 June 11th - June 24th 2015

The forbidden visionary S

Jack’s Corner

Banned by Franco, Irish author Kate O’Brien was the world’s first political travel writer

IGMUND Freud once observed that the ‘Irish are the only people impervious to psychoanalysis they resort to drinking and literature’.

I’ve been to an Irish bar more than a few times and it is undeniable - the Irish do indeed love their drink.

When it comes to literature, the Irish ‘gift of the gab’ is also hard to deny. William Yates, George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and Jonathan Swift - the list of great Irish writers is endless.

Now another name is finding its way into that pantheon of Irish icons. Her name is Kate O’Brien and her affinity for Spain and all things Spanish is profound.

O’Brien (1897-1974) moved to Basque Country Spain at 22 to enjoy ‘the hiatus between working and inevitable marriage’. She began to write novels and poems and almost all featured Spain as a setting. She achieved some degree of notoriety during her lifetime but, like so many other Irish authors, her work became more popular after her demise.

Many of her books deal with feminist issues - gender equality, female agency, sexual diversity and women yearning for

independence. Her characters were frequently positive gay/lesbian protagonists and young independent women, themes that were extreme and forbidden in her day.

So radical were O’Brien’s ideas that most of her work was banned in her native Ireland and adopted homeland, Spain, both strongly Catholic countries. In the decades to follow, however, these issues were not only discussed but actively embraced.

O’Brien was a prognosticator in other ways. In 1937 she wrote Farewell Spain. The book is part political, part travelogue but defies a genre. In it, she travels through pre-Civil War Spain, mixing personal experience as a traveler with political ideology.

She dabbles in anarchist commentary and was inclined to believe that the hope of social progress in Spain might lie in communism.

She was not alone in this thinking, as many western Europeans favored this political dogma during Spain’s worst nightmare.

Farewell Spain, as you might expect, was banned in Spain for much of the Franco

years and Kate herself was forbidden entry to the country she loved.

O’Brien’s methodology of mixing travel with real-time political commentary is becoming quite popular today.

Her idea of ‘political travel’ is the latest trend in the travel industry. Just as there have been trends in adventure travel, eco tours and lecture cruises.

Travel tours can now be arranged to political hot-spots like North Korea, Israel, China and S o u t h Africa. The tours work like documentaries, opening up key issues in the news for people to experience first hand.

K a t e O’Brien was a rare individual w h o w a s able to detect futuristic social phenomena. She used her considerable literary skills to project her ability as a ‘seer’.

She was a true visionary.

Bienvenidos al Hotel Hacienda Puerta del Sol, una experiencia única, un mundo aparte que les ofrece las comodidades que espera de un pequeño gran hotel Welcome to the Hotel Hacienda Puerta del Sol, a unique experience, a world apart that offers the a menities you expect from a small grand hotel

Ctra. Fuengirola-Mijas, Km. 4 Mijas (Málaga) Tel. 952 48 64 00 reservas@hhpuertadelsol.es www.hhpuertadelsol.es

THE PRESIDENTS CLUB INTERNATIONAL

www.theolivepress.es

the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

17

run by Presidents …. for Presidents

IS THERE A SOLUTION TO COMMUNITY DEBT PROBLEMS?

Y

es, there is and it’s a no-win-no-fee solution!

The recent recession in Spain saw a 30% increase in community debts and has also seen many owners unable to pay their fees. Without them being paid, the communities cannot cover their overheads and function properly. And they certainly cannot make essential repairs – one of the reasons why so many pools still remain closed, they simply cannot afford the works needed in order to obtain the licence!

The collection of debts in Spain is notoriously slow and can take years to be heard in Court never mind receive payment for the debt! But it’s often the first step communities will take in their attempt to recover the debts, not necessarily the best step.

There are 3 different types of debtors – those who will pay, those who won’t pay and those who can’t pay. Why waste money on legal fees chasing those who cannot or will not pay just to confirm something

that was already known? So, the first step should be to tackle those debtors who will pay and recover a significant portion of outstanding community fees giving the community almost instant results - cash in the bank for the community is the real goal! Debtors who are genuinely suffering financially will be pleased to provide a full assets and liabilities declaration. They can then be assessed and a suitable plan can be agreed that suits both the debtor and the community and the debtor will avoid legal action and its associated costs.

Our experts can help not only the community but the debtors too by implementing a personal budget plan for them. After all, they probably don’t want to be in debt, they probably don’t want to risk losing their assets and they certainly don’t want to owe more by being liable for legal fees and interests!

How are debts usually dealt with in Spain? In the first instance, the general assembly has to approve the debt at an AGM or an EGM that might be called especially to approve the list of debtors. By the time of the AGM there could be an accumulation of nearly one year of debts and the EGM would cost money so that rarely happens.

However, if the community fees are paid quarterly or bi-annually then to call an EGM half way hrough the community financial

year would be sensible. In that way, thedebts at the half-year stage can start to be processed and if the same owners still do not pay their fees then the second half of their unpaid debt can be approved at the following AGM. It really is essential to identify the debts early. After all, a relatively small debt of perhaps, one unpaid month or the first unpaid quarter is more easily manageable for the debtor who is more likely to pay than a figure of thousands of euros after one entire year.

The system in other European countries is not so antiquated and certainly not as slow. But how does that help if the property is owned in Spain?

If the non-resident debtor has assets (property, vehicle, business etc) in his name in his own country the debt owed on the Spanish property can invariably be lodged against them in that country. The Spanish system would normally only deal with communication in Spain so any letters that are sent will invariably end up in the letter box of the property that the debtor might have already vacated! And the community is paying for that service.

Why waste good money on that fruitless exercise when other more effective routes exist?

The Presidents Club International has the experts to help investigate those other routes and can really help the community with their debtor problems. But the solution would be to prevent those debts in the first place. The mentality of how the debtors are approached needs to be changed with aproper system adopted by communities and not just

THE PRESIDENTS CLUB INTERNATIONAL On Global Radio: Tuesday 15.30 hours, Wednesday 17.30 hours & Friday 16.30 hours. Now on Spectrum FM too! left to chance; they should be proactive rather than reactive.

A system that advises in advance that the Community will be requiring payment on a certain date and then continues to remind if payment is not forthcoming – a simple but effective system ofcontrol. Our experts at The Presidents Club International can certainly mitigate a large proportion of the pressure placed on the communities by offering this sensible approach todebt recovery that tackles these issues head on before they even arise.

Come to our presentation on debtors on Thursday 18 June at 18.00 hours.

The Presidents Club International SL Centro de Negocios Nuevo Andasol 16-20, Urb Andasol N-340, KM 189 Marbella, 29604 Málaga info@tpci.es+34 951 40 24 34 www.tpci.es

18 18

LETTERS

Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015 thethe Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 77.76% Same week last year: 81.70% Same week in 2005: 62.79% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.12 American dollars 0.73 British pounds 1.40 Canadian dollars 7.46 Danish kroner 8.71 H Kong dollars 8.84 Norwegian kroner 1.52 Singapore dollars

www.theolivepress.es www.theolivepress.es

Congrats to the expats DEAR OP, IT is absolutely fabulous news to see Brits in local town halls in Spain (Brits in office, issue 214). I am hoping to buy in Spain and this gives me great peace of mind. It is so reassuring to think that if I do buy in Andalucia then I would have a councillor who can potentially fight for my rights in Spain. Congratulations go to Dean Tyler Shelton, Maura Hillen and all the other Brits involved in local politics overseas.

Gill Lyon, Nottingham, UK

Into the valley I RUN a Spanish property search engine and it is always great to hear of a new region of Spain that is flourishing.

I had not actually heard of the Guadalhorce Valley before reading last issue’s supplement on the area, but a quick search on my site brought up a number of properties for sale.

I will have to investigate a bit more but thanks for the heads up and the informative read.

Mike Price, London, UK

More homework!

I DON’T think limiting children’s homework to an hour a night is enough (Class action, issue 214), as is currently being petitioned. My child is 11 and has school from 9 til 2, with a half hour break at 11:30 . If he got two or three hours per day homework he would still be finished by 5.30pm. It’s always been the case that some children finish faster than others.

Maybe one hour a night is enough for junior schools, but unless it’s measured by the time it takes the brightest kids to finish, it isn’t adequate for high school.

My boy gets almost no homework, and doesn’t regard his Spanish learning as a necessity, even though I have told

him that’s why school is being lenient. Consequently his maths is slipping and I’m teaching him English myself.

Sal Pike, Colmenar

Cycling bane THE weekend cycling ban introduced on the new La Cala coastal boardwalk is a sensible one, bicycles are undoubtedly a hazard for the increasing numbers of pedestrians plus joggers - including more tourists - enjoying

the opportunity to walk along the coastline as far as almost Calahonda.

That said, the authorities should erect more prominent signs indicating the cycle ban, as numerous riders still use the boardwalk on Saturdays and Sundays, oblivious apparently to the change in policy.

If this continues, then perhaps the authorities might like to increase local police coffers by ensuring officers fine those ignoring the new rule.

This should help individuals in the police reach the targets I believe they have been set to reach through fines.

This seems totally believable

given the ever high policepresence in and around La Cala, and the daily sight of cars being towed away, and drivers being issued tickets for illegal parking almost at the drop of a hat.

So far I have been fortunate, but will give only my initials in the desire it stays that way.

JC El Faro

Sky high future YOUNG Jonathan Lutwyche from Gibraltar deserved to win Britain’s Got Talent.

When he dances you can feel

the music, feel the story he’s relating. He is brilliant.

He makes me feel emotional, and he is only just starting, with the right tutoring I’m sure he’ll go sky high.

I have to remind myself that he is only 15 years old. Watching his interview with the Olive Press (Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist teaches the Olive Press how to dance, online) just added to my already lofty impression of a great young man.

Jonathan you were the real winner in my book and did your country proud.

Patricia Cocklan, Gibraltar

A REAL CAT FIGHT Health hazards I TOTALLY disagree with Kelly’s complaint (Catwoman kicks back, issue 214).

Cats are wild animals designed to survive, they are not born with a bowl and a tin opener.

Instead of paying to neuter the cats it would be better to have them put to sleep.

Feral cats are a nuisance and a health hazard and the amount wandering around the cafes in Spanish towns is unhealthy. I have no objection to someone having and looking after a pet cat.

Would it be ok for wild dogs

CATWOMAN: kelly Dooley

Right thing

and rats to roam around in the same way? I think not.

A BIT of humanity would not go amiss here.

This woman has tried to do the right thing by these cats and has had them neutered at her own expense.

She is right to fear a cull by the town hall, who clearly have no regard for living animals in Benalmadena.

Just last month, several were poisoned and their poor bodies strewn across the road.

John Lightfoot, Ronda

Jane Garrett, Axarquia

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 53 Across 7 Man (6) * 8 Balancín (6) * 9 Gris (4) * 10 Ahogando (8) * 11 Andando (7) * 13 Vestido (5) * 15 Herida (5) * 17 Crop (7) * 20 Moliendo (8) * 21 Cinta (4) * 22 Prism (6) * 23 Líder (6).

Down 1 Strap (6) * 2 Obedecer (4) * 3 Lectura (7) * 4 These (5) * 5 Northern (3, 5) * 6 Pinturas (6) * 12 Bondad (8) * 14 Aproximadamente (7) * 16 Worker (6) * 18 Saltó (6) * 19 Cigarro (5) * 21 Brings (4).

L = 198

A M The good life www.theolivepress.es

June 11th - June 24th 2015 BuyingPress or selling property in Spain?

A 28-page specialthe Olive Let us help you supplement reach your destination.

ll about

arbella

Issue 215 www.theolivepress.es

June 11th - June 24th 2015

19 19

Put us to the test. See if HiFX could save you time and money.

Tel: +34 951 203 986 costadelsol@hifx.co.uk

Don’t let the banks cash in!

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Marbella is a lot more than a cocktail of buzzy beach clubs and non-stop nightlife lit up by celebrities, writes Tom Powell

L

IKE many others, Marbella was my very first taste of Spain.

My family and I celebrated my 16th birthday in a charming little restaurant tucked away in the winding streets of the Old Town.

Our table was heaped with local Spanish delicacies - prawns pil pil, succulent garlic rabbit and cold rice pudding (yes, cold) while my uncle made sure I always had a large, frosted glass of San Miguel beer to hand.

Fast forward six years and I’m back. But

there’s no San Miguel in sight at the VIP launch of the outrageously extravagant Roberto Cavalli Club.

It’s €30 for a glass of champagne, half the cast of The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) is on the dance floor, while I’m trying to chat up one of the stars - the extraordinarily beautiful Chloe Lewis - in the courtyard.

“I take it you’re a big fan of the Olive Press,” I joke, receiving a suitably vacant

Turn to Page 20

LIFE’S A BEACH: Marbella beach yoga class outside Boardwalk cafe, while (inset left) a young Tom Powell sips his first beer and (right) with TOWIE star Chloe Lewis

CRAFTSMEN IN PAINT AND PAPER

ESTUCO INTERIORS

Centro Comercial Plaza 18, 29660 Nueva Andalucia, Marbella Tel. 952 810 633 / 952 819 321 www.estucointeriors.com

A

M

20 the Olive PressllJune 20 11th - June about

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24th 2015

arbella From Page 19

BEATING HEART: Marbella’s Old Town is its real centre

stare.

Deciding this is one girl I will never get near, I rejoin the raucous party where a bejewelled fire-eater is wowing the crowds, while a midget dressed as a viking troll walks between my legs.

It feels like a million miles from my first ‘pil-pil-tastic’ experience of Marbella – but that’s what makes the undisputed queen of the Costa del Sol tourism scene so special.

One moment you can be enjoying the peaceful shade of an orange tree or the simple pleasure of licking a pistachio ice cream; the next, you’re hobnobbing with a Who’s Who of TV celebrities, getting showered with champagne at some soccer supremo’s pool party, or turning heads in Puerto Banus in a louche Lamborghini (ED: if you’re lucky)!

The resort oozes drama and excitement for every age and inclination.

Even the world’s most expensive footballer holidays here, not to mention many of his team mates.

The perfect antidote to a tiring season at Real Madrid, Welsh wizard Gareth Bale rolled up this month in Marbella to enjoy jet skiing, golf and the Puerto Banus party scene.

But it’s the guys and girls from Essex who’ve added the wow factor and put Marbella on the map for the hard-partying Brit set.

Every summer the TOWIE stars

TOURISM QUEEN descend on ‘Marbs’ to film simmering ‘specials’ of the hit reality TV series, with drama and romance unravelling at a supercharged rate, and sexploits galore set against a Mediterranean backdrop.

Hotel bookings increase when the series is aired, as does the number of sun-seeking Brits on Malaga-bound flights.

However, the Russians, Scandinavians, French, Germans, Dutch and almost every other nationality you can think of who come to Marbella don’t get TOWIE on TV. They come for other reasons.

Marbella is also now on the radar for Americans, ever since a certain Michelle Obama holidayed in Marbella in 2010.

There really is something for everyone.

The Marbella beach club has almost become an international blueprint, with places like La Sala Beach and Nikki Beach turning a day at the seaside into an all-day dance party fuelled by a heady cocktail of sun, sand and dance music.

The pool parties are also legendary, especially those held at Sisu Boutique Hotel, as well as the Ocean Club.

Meanwhile in the party port of Puerto Banus, an international jetset crowd lets its collective hair down along the infamous ‘second line’ of the port, way into the early hours.

It’s here you will find celebrated Lineker’s Bar - with its legions of hens and stags - not to mention a host of strip clubs and more.

But frontline, and the millionaire’s playground struts the swankiest shops, the flashiest yachts, the hottest cars and some of the most beautiful people in the world, preened and polished to the max.

However, visitors without pockets as deep as the Med might be left gawping at the eyewatering price tags in the designer shops, including Gucci, Versace and Armani.

But that really is just Marbella’s shop window – there’s much more to the resort than Banus

KITE SURFING: Statue shows how it’s done and the Golden Mile (the ulti- and watch the world go by, sip mate Marbella address), as lo- sangria or a coffee - all while cal residents know. the renaissance fountain, built Geographically and historically, in 1604, plays a relaxing backthe beating heart of Marbella ground symphony of water muis the Moorish Old Town, where sic. its true oriThree historic gins lie. buildings are Here, you found in the Apart from the will find main square, a maze ocean there’s little the Casa Conof leafy houstrace, now, of the sistorial, squares ing the town h e m m e d fishing village that hall; the Renaisin by whitesance palace Marbella was before w a s h e d Casa del Corhouses, regidor; and the trendy bouErmita de Santitiques and charming narrow ago, which predates the plaza. streets which all wind up in Food-wise, the old town is Plaza de los Naranjos. rammed with top quality resOrange Square, named for the taurants, once you know where canopy of orange trees that to find them. shelter every bar and restau- Across the road, leafy Parque rant is a wonderful place to sit Alameda is a cool oasis in the heat of summer, where you can climb aboard a carriage and horses for a tour of the town.

Beyond lies the port, more down to earth, less riotous than Banus, and a 7km promenade, lined with luscious palms, beach showers sculpted in the shape of elephants.

Apart from the ocean lapping the beaches, there’s little trace, now, of the fishing village Marbella was before German Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe triggered the transformation in the 1950s, when he began developing and selling land to wealthy friends.

His crucial move was to convert his house into the Marbella Club, the town’s first luxury hotel which has hosted a galaxy of stars, like Audrey Hepburn, Sir Laurence Olivier and – just this year – Lady Gaga.

A lot of different people come to Marbella for a lot of different reasons. And, whether you’re table-top dancing at the hippest rave in town, or eating cold rice pudding on your 16th birthday, you’ll certainly never be bored!

CHARMING: Old Town streets

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June 11th - June 24th 2015

Built by Romans

Marbella resident of three decades Giles Brown on the reasons why the town is set to boom again this summer

Staying strong

S

PAIN’S most glamorous resort is set to enjoy another record breaking summer as tourists, celebrities and investors continue arriving in their droves.

The combination of a superb microclimate, a dash of designer brands and a constant stream of celebrities, from Hollywood A-listers to reality show wannabes, means that Marbella can pretty much ignore the political bun fighting that is going on in Spain and get on with the serious business of having a good time and making money.

It’s not all tourists and celebs, however. The past 12 months have seen the luxury residential property market show real growth.

Property values have historically been very high, and although the recent economic crisis resulted in a realistic realignment in prices, the past few months have seen values begin to rise as international investors are once more being lured in by the country’s low prices, investment opportunities and lifestyle.

International property analysts have highlighted three prime areas for international investment – Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella.

Foreign investors have been attracted to Spain due to the ‘Golden Visa’ scheme – which grants automatic residency to non-EU citizens who invest

SCENIC: Golf below La Concha mountain

GLAMOUR: Buena Vista Sound Club play at Benavista €500,0000 or more in Spanish and Lionel Richie and always property. This has has attracted attracts media coverage like a growing number of residency moths to a flame. investors, mainly from the Far As do the red carpet charity gaEast, Middle East and Russia. las held by Antonio Banderas Meanwhile, Marbella Town Hall and Eva Longoria, now a reguhas also lar fixture on been proevery Marbella active in socialite’s calMarbella is marketing endar. internationally the town, Even US First attending Lady Michelle renowned as a a variety of Obama’s visplayground for the ited Marbella a trade shows and exhibifew years ago, rich and famous tions in the an event which mentioned made front pagregions. es around the It is not exactly a hard sell. Inter- world and - according to the nationally renowned as a play- town hall - brought in €800 milground for the rich and famous, lion in media coverage. RestauMarbella boasts literally miles rants such as La Sala and bars of stunningly beautiful beaches, including the famous Linekers is a favourite spot for golf en- are ‘must do’ destinations for thusiasts and has an enviable the hordes of fans wanting to climate. imitate their TOWIE idols or The increasing number of high bump into a Premiership footprofile events is adding a sprin- baller or two and, though they kling of stardust to the already might not be to everyone’s eclectic social calendar. taste, they certainly bring a The Marbella Luxury Weekend dash of colour to Banus! showcases designer fashions, Written off several times before top-end goods and some seri- as being past its sell by date, ously impressive yachts and Marbella continues to attract a cars, while the month long Star- steady stream of the rich and lite Festival this year features famous, and is set to do it all Lenny Kravitz, Enrique Iglesias again and this summer!

TRAPPINGS OF WEALTH: Bentleys in Banus and a big rise in property sales are sure sign the econommy is bouncing back

MARBELLA began its life as a town in the seventh century BC, when it was a Roman settlement called ‘Salduba’.

This is also the name of a well known bar at the entrance to Puerto Banus that has been there for centuries too. Meanwhile an original Roman bridge (above) still stands surreally in the middle of the Puente Romano Hotel and a few kilometres away is the restored Roman villa at Rio Verde with its beautiful mosaics.

A sleepy town during the period of Al-Andalus, Marbella was retaken by Christians in 1485. The Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square) has been the focal point of the town since then and the town hall is still located there today.

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015 ll about

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arbella

PR PLATFORM SOME seek seclusion in Marbella, others come to get themselves noticed!

It’s all good for column inches in the British press, as reality TV star singer Gareth Gates discovered when he hit the town.

The stars of top reality TV shows TOWIE, Made in Chelsea and Geordie Shore all make guest appearances for the publicity – actually managing to coincide in 2013, when Marbella also made headline news as the most famous party territory on earth.

So important has it been for the crew from TOWIE, now in its 10th season, that every year they now come for a few weeks to make their summer spin off The Only Way is Marbs.

Meanwhile, cast member Elliott Wright opens up a restaurant, Olivia’s, in nearby La Cala de Mijas next month.

Always at the heart of the ac-

Celeb Watch

T tion, reality TV tycoon Simon Cowell also makes regular Marbella appearances. He’s rumoured to rent a villa in Marbs for a cool €15,000 a day, so it must have the X-Factor!

And finally, Alan Sugar has been visiting the resort, where he had property, for the last few decades.

June 11th - June 24th 2015

HE stage is set for another ‘Marbellous’ long, hot celebrity summer.

Over the last 60 years, Swarovski crystal-studded sandals have tramped up and down the paseo maritimo mostly in impeccably-pedicured feet.

From iconic early trailblazers like Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to more current celebrities like Posh and Becks, Hugh Grant (right) and George Clooney (below) Marbella’s appeal to the filthy rich and famous is timeless.

The well-heeled, suited, booted

From the globally famous to the fabulously rich, major players flock to Marbella like paparazzi to a photo opportunity. But that’s no surprise in Spain’s answer to the Hamptons, writes Iona Napier and beautiful have been building their fabulous villas here since Roman empire days when the town was known as Salduba.

Today, a holiday in Marbella is a rite of passage on the journey to cool, for ordinary folk as well as an A-to-Z list of celebrities.

Ironically, however, the glitz and glamour is not what initially reeled in the first pioneering punters …

Quite the contrary, when German aristo Prince Alfonso de

Hohenlohe was sent to the coast by his father in 1947, to buy land, he fell in love with a dusty little fishing village.

He was so enamoured with its natural charms, he knew he could entice some of Europe’s grandest families to swap their Cannes or San Sebastian vacation for Marbella.

From that day forth, the town was on the map and on the road to becoming the resort it is today, synonymous with refinement, class and a little

touch of bling.

Here the Olive Press picks out our favourite celebrities to grace Marbella, be it temporarily or for good.

PARADISE FOR GLOBAL LEADERS

OUT AND ABOUT: Team TOWIE

HANGOVER The Newest Sports Bar right in the very centre of Marbella

ALL LIVE SPORTS SHOWN 4 Flat Screen TV’s, Pool and Darts We can organize all kinds of parties/events bachelor and bachelorette party nights, birthdays and much more on request guinness logo on draught

Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday – 2pm til 2am Saturday – 2pm til 3am AVENIDA DEL MAR 18, MARBELLA

IT is the luxury and seclusion that entices politicians and others of high profile to buy boltholes in Marbella’s foothills.

These include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who - the Olive Press revealled exclusively two years ago - snapped up a palatial property in La Zagaleta, with plans for a vineyard.

If he needs to borrow a cup of sugar he can call on neighbours like the former Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, or loveable British actor Hugh Grant. (Although as the villas on this exclusive country estate are set in acres of grounds, he’ll have to take the car!)

French president Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni add a touch of je ne sais quoi to the Marbella party scene while David Cameron has shown his colours (bronze, not blue) at least three times on the Costa del Sol. Tony and Cherie Blair were also spotted splashing the cash in Marbella’s Old Town last year.

Meanwhile, America’s First Lady, Michelle Obama, and her younger daughter Sasha stayed in the town on a five-day trip that cost a mind-boggling €379,000 in 2010.

POWER TRIPS: Putin and Michele Obama

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

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Less Magaluf, more Ibiza The high-spending UK party crowd is a continuous dynamo of income as Marbella raises its game in the quality stakes, writes Jon Clarke

T

JOLIE FAMOUS: Angelina, Brad and Lady Gaga

SHOWBIZ STAGE

EVEN genuine A-list celebrities are prepared to risk prying paparazzi lenses for a taste of Marbella’s highlife.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came to the area on a house-hunting trip in 2013. Too bad they are looking to buy in Alicante but it’s their loss!

Lady Gaga was also allegedly cruis-

ing the market for a Marbella mansion, last year, as was reportedly George Clooney.

Hollywood glamour hit town, too, in the shapely form of not-so-desperate housewife star Eva Longoria.

While pop legends Michael Jackson, Madonna and Elton John have all also visited.

SPORTS RESORT

MARBELLA scores with the sporty set and it looks like it’s game-on for another outbreak of footy fever this summer.

Man-of-the-moment soccer star Gareth Bale - who has two properties on the coast - is a fan, showing his swinging form on the local golf courses last month.

Former England manager Fabio Capello has a property here, as do numerous Premier League footballers, past and present.

Other giants of the beautiful game, like Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and Chelsea’s John Terry, are paid-up members of the Marbella supporters club, visiting regularly.

And let’s not forget that Young Player of the Year, Spurs star Harry Kane, opted to bring his childhood sweetheart Katie Goodland here for a romantic break. Eating, where else, but at La Sala, which is owned by practically an entire team of soccer stars!

Finally, last month, the Saracens rugby team flew out for a pre-match bender in Puerto Banus.

BEACH-BOD: Bale

AKE a stroll around Puerto Banus late at night, or visit one of the many beach clubs nearby and there is only one way to describe it… the place is rocking!

Guzzling champagne, splashing out on sushi, flying in by private plane, it is estimated that the high-spending UK party crowd could bring in as much as 20% of Marbella’s income from tourism.

Indeed, according to nightclub mogul Neil Acland, the partygoers, that include footballers, soap stars and the huge retinue of hangers on, bring in a steady stream of revenue unaffected by the recession.

The group - found each weekend at Marbella hotspots including La Sala, Aqwa mist, Nikki Beach and Ocean Club - have no concerns about spending vast sums of money.

“They spent a lot of cash whatever is going on with the economy and create a lot of jobs, not to mention social security and money in licenses for the town hall,” says Londoner Acland, who runs hotel Sisu, as well as the brand new Cavalli Club restaurant and lounge.

“This is a young group of 20 to 30-somethings with a lot of disposable income. They are stockbrokers, accountants, lawyers and students and they holiday in Dubai, Ibiza and Vegas. They don’t

PACKED: Cavalli club and (right) Sisu get affected by the recession.”

It certainly seems the case, with Acland, who previously worked in security in Denmark, explaining that groups of professional footballers happily spend between €20,000 and €50,000 in one weekend.

His company organizes for them to fly over for three days and then go to Ibiza for three days with a chartered jet taking them around. “We sort out the cars, the tables, the restaurants… money is no object.”

It is no surprise then that his Puerto Banus hotel sells over 5,000 bottles of champagne and around 7,000 bottles of vodka a year.

And the whole ethos and design of

the new Cavalli club, which is part of the Italian designer Robert Cavalli group, is high end. “Absolutely no expense has been spared in the design,” continues Acland.

“The wallpaper alone costs €400 a roll.”

He continues: “To get in people are having to dress up again, look fantastic. There are no tacky, fancy dress hen groups, this is high end glamour all the way and the best DJs from around the world.”

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the Olive Pressll June 11th - June 24th 2015 about

Snaking high above the town’s new boulevard like a section of Scalextric track, San Pedro de Alcantara’s sensational new bridge is a symbol of racier things to come, writes Rob Horgan

arbella

June 11th - June 24th 2015

Bridging the gap

I

F proof was needed that San Pedro has stepped out of the shadow of sassy sister Marbella, it’s the town’s head-turning pedestrian bridge, a must-see on the Costa del Sol since it opened last autumn.

It’s more Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao-meets-Calatrava’s City of Arts and Science in Valencia than typically Andaluz. But it has bridged the gap between the former farming community and its glitzier sibling and brought San Pedro screaming into the 21st century.

The €85 million tunnel diverting dangerous high-speed traffic below the town centre, an underground car park and the new stateof-the-art boulevard with its amphitheatre, children’s play areas and ample green spaces are other examples of the shiny new

BUILDING BRIDGES: The bridge spanning above the brand new boulevard is San Pedro’s shinyw new crowning jewel image being heavily promoted by the municipality of Marbella, to which the town still belongs. Although perhaps in name only now, rather than in spirit.

Nowadays, Sanpedreños no longer feel the need to cling onto the Swarovski crystal-studded coat tails of Marbella. They have long called for

their own municipality, although as yet to no avail.

Nevertheless, the San Pedro success story continues.

Plans for a massive new commercial centre on the outskirts of town, and a university, are now in motion. The beachfront has moved upmarket too.

Its swanky new promenade, ornamented with sculptures and water features, can easily compete with Marbella’s elegant elephant beach showers now! With jogging tracks and extended cycle paths, its waterfront piles on the wow factors.

The town centre conceals other attrac-

tions amidst rows of whitewashed houses, tree-lined roads and shady plazas.

Home to the impressive 19th-century Iglesia de San Pedro, the main plaza is laid out as a square within a square: the inner square, dominated by the church, is bordered by statues, benches and water features; the outer square

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

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June 11th - June 24th 2015

New art hub

IT is one of the most exciting art gallery openings this year.

The brand new Red Penguin Gallery is now open in San Pedro de Alcantara.

Located in Edificio Guaneri, the creative centre aims to promote the best art and also organise master classes with top artists and designers from all over the

of bars and restaurants look inward on torn apart by civil war. But the town the architecture of a bygone era. was back in business during the late It’s a perfect example of how San 1940s and 50s when street lighting Pedro subconsciously reflects the was introduced and the main road greater regional culture of southern was built.

Spain, while consciously attempting Independent in spirit if not in practice, to be progressive and a stroll around town different.

– do-able in an hour Behind the church, - shows that San Pethe city flaunts its pa- The slow-and-steady dro is very much its triotism with a Spanish own place. transformation flag, hoisted 15 metres Growth may have has allowed San into the air behind a been less dramatic statue of Don Manuel Pedro to cling onto than that of other Gutierrez de la Concha tourist towns and citits character - the man who set the ies but the slow-andball rolling for San Pesteady transformadro in the 19th century. tion has allowed San Gutierrez, an army general, acquired Pedro to cling onto its character. nearly 5,000 acres of agricultural land Despite its 21st century additions, it which extended across Marbella, Be- retains the essence of Andalucia othnahavis and Estepona in the 1860s and er towns lack. It is distinctly Spanish formed the farming colony of San Pedro. with a friendly feel.

As workers arrived from Valencia, Mur- It may even be one the last resorts on cia, Granada and Almeria, San Pedro the Costa del Sol that can rightfully evolved into a sizeable town. make that claim. But that won’t stop Growth came to a standstill during the go-ahead San Pedro from planning a early 20th century, when Spain was racier, rosier future.

world.

Exhibitions of museum art collections will feature every month, while businesses can also organise conferences in the inspiring environment of the centre.

It is open Monday to Friday from 10AM-2PM and from 4PM-8PM, and Saturday between 11AM and 2PM.

ELEGANT: Estuco interiors

Two decades of design skills

I TRADITION: Statue of Gutierrez and (above) Iglesia de San Pedro

NTERIOR design experts Estuco Interiors have been based in Marbella for the last 20 years.

Working out of a new flagship showroom in Centro Plaza, the team offer bespoke designs perfectly tailored to meet your needs – however whimsical they may be.

Estuco’s multilingual professionals manage every aspect and detail of a project from conception to completion.

They have built up a trusted network of craftsmen, builders, painters, electricians and suppliers who are always on time, on spec and on budget.

The versatile team takes on residential, hospitality and restaurant projects and clients may choose from a huge range of fabrics, object d’art and the in-demand Farrow & Ball range.

Visit www.estucointeriors.com for more details.or email info@estucointeriors.com

A place to enjoy!

One of the most beautiful restaurants in Marbella Enjoy our beautiful and unique decor – Unlike any other Enjoy quality food – We make our own fresh pasta Enjoy meat and fish dishes – Made with best quality produce

tel: +34 952 78 59 43 www.facebook.com/trattoria.limpronta info@trattoria-limpronta.com www.trattoria-limpronta.com Av. de Salamanca 14. Urb. Nueva Alcántara, San Pedro de Alcántara, Marbella

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26 the Olive Press ll 26 June 11th - June about

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June 11th - June 24th 2015

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The sound of medic

Cracking backs and strumming guitars, osteopath-cum-musician Mark Shurey is a master of many trades

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ARK Shurey is anything but your average osteopath.

Indeed, a successful medical career is not the only string to his bow... or should we say guitar.

British expat Mark is, in fact, a trained flamenco and clas-

sical guitarist who has travelled the world showcasing his talent.

Playing, talking and researching all things guitar, Mark’s obsession with music has led him down an arty path.

Working with the Prado museum in Madrid, Mark has ex-

IN TUNE: Osteopath Mark Shurey and his guitar amined guitars in Goya masterpieces and has authenticated Aguado guitars stored

Award for hair loss expert MARBELLA hair loss expert Dr Ezequiel Panno is the first ever hair transplant specialist to have received the prestigious ‘European citizen of outstanding character award’.

The medic, founder of the Panno Hair Transplant Clinic, was given the accolade in recognition of his 10 years of excellence in the field of hair restoration surgery.

It also confirms his high standing among his medical peers for his scientific contribution, by developing the ‘Panno technique’ and invisible sutures.

It further recognises his contribution to the art of tricomplete, microfue and ‘tricofuss’ to pro-

duce high standard natural looking hair transplants.

“I feel very proud that my work has been recognised and the award reaffirms my commitment to helping clients re-establish their sense of security and confidence,” says Dr Panno.

“In more than 10 years, thousands of successful treatments and the development of new techniques, I still have 100% passion for my job, and I think that there are still many things that can be done within the fields of trichology and hair restoration surgery.”

Visit www.pannohairtransplant.com

in the National Archeological museum.

But back to the day job…

Mark graduated in 1994 to become one of the youngest practising registered osteopaths in Great Britain at the age of 22.

In October 1999 he moved to Spain and became the first G.O.S.C. registered osteopath to practise in the province of Malaga.

Mark offers a discreet mobile service and is available for private consultation in the convenience and privacy of your home or hotel in the Marbella area, from San Pedro Alcantara to Mijas.

To contact Mark call 618 994 590

We can restore your hair to its former glory; more volume, density and strength

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can you really

afford to be ill? our flexible and affordable medical insurance plans help to cover the cost of medical care

to find out more, speak to your broker or call ALC Heath on

+ 34 952 93 16 09 (Spain) + 350 200 77731 (Gibraltar)

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Number one for health

M Beach battle

ALC Health has had a local presence in Marbella for over a decade, as well as providing medical and travel insurance to the expat community around the whole Iberian Peninsula.

The team is always on hand to explain their range of plans which are designed to suit the requirements of people living and working abroad and with the choice to go to any hospital and any doctor in Europe as a minimum.

Having established an office in Marbella 12 years ago, ALC opened a further office in Ocean Village, Gibraltar, last year.

Indeed, with many of the company’s staff being expats themselves, they could not be better placed to understand what it’s like to be living overseas and the issues involved.

ALC Health recognises that no two individuals or organisations are the same, which is why the staff take great pride in offering a personal approach with clients.

The company has set itself apart from other providers by delivering high quality products, local support and an affordable price.

Its plans are designed to be flexible, giving you the freedom to choose the cover you need at a price that suits your budget.

Contact ALC Health at 34 952 931 609 (Spain) or 350 200 77731 (Gibraltar) or enquiries@ alchealth.com or visit www.alchealth.com

arbella

Columnist Giles Brown is the biggest thing to hit the beach since D-Day

29 June 11th - June 24th 2015

L

IVING up in my humble casita, surrounded by nature, visitors often remark that it would be the perfect place to open a yoga centre (they also suggest a residential rehab facility, but that’s a different story).

My health and fitness regime, and yes, there is such a thing, consists of mad dashes up and down the mountain track, throwing free weights around and letting most of my aggression out on the punchbag.

It’s very high on testosterone and done to the sound of straining, grunting and the Foo Fighters booming out from the stereo.

Many of my friends do yoga, and it seemed a more tranquil way of staying in shape, so when the lovely Margaret Buchanan invited me to take part in a beach yoga class just in front of The Boardwalk restaurant in Marbella, I thought I’d

NEW NOSE BAG: Giles struggles with a pose

give it a go.

It is actually not the first time I’ve done a class with Margaret, who also teaches Hot Yoga, where she put me through my paces so thoroughly that I was on the verge of throwing up and passing out.

The appeal of a morning yoga session next to the Mediterranean lured me back, however, and I duly found myself spreading out a mat on the beach.

A real cross section of people,

I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only guy in attendance that day. Along with some healthy looking Scandinavians of indeterminate age, there was also a pregnant woman, so I didn’t think that the class would be overly challenging.

How wrong I was. An hour later I was both physically and mentally exhausted. Margaret had carefully taken us through a series of yoga moves that had subtly worked out seemingly every muscle in the body, including some fiendish balance postures that left me wobbling like a drunken flamingo.

But as I walked back to the car I felt great for several reasons.

The cost of the class included a donation to the Positively Pink Breast Cancer Charity, and I could actually feel my core muscles. And now I have yet another excuse to spend even more time on the beach.

The art of redesigning a smile

BEACH YOGIS: Strike a pose

A NEW dental clinic has opened in Marbella, located on Avenida del Mar next to El Fuerte hotel.

The newest member of the Crooke and Laguna clinics, the facility of almost 400m2 features state-of-the-art equipment and the latest technology.

The company already has well established clinics in Malaga, Benalmadena and Churriana and Dr Eduardo Crooke and his team share over 30 years experience in full mouth dental rehabilitation.

From the moment you walk through the doors you sense something special.

The interior design and furnishings would not look out of place in a 5-star hotel, while

the atmosphere is calming and designed to make the patient feel fully relaxed.

Ambience-enhancing music and colourchanging lights are the finishing touch.

“We want this to be a calming, relaxing and rewarding experience for the patient. While delivering confidence that they are in the hands of experts who can give them total satisfaction,” says Tula Crooke.

Crooke and Laguna Marbella is a refreshing new dawn in dental clinics, a world away from sterile clinics of the past and somewhere that can finally give you the smile of your dreams…

For more information contact Marbella@ crooke.net or 0034 951 50 01 00

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30 the Olive Press ll 30 June 11th - June about

STARS: Sinatra and Ava Gardner flew in

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Stardust memories

HETHER it was Diana Dors or Sean Connery, Ava Gardner or Audrey Hepburn, James Hunt or Rod Stewart, none would have come to Marbella without the influence of Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe.

For the German aristocrat was the svengali with the necessary capital to turn the dusty village into a highfalutin millionaires playground to rival the likes of Cannes and Deauville, in France.

It was in 1947 that the charismatic playboy had been sent to the coast by his father Prince Maximilian to purchase some land. The family already had business interests in southern Spain, particularly in Malaga.

The 23-year-old was told to hook up with his eccentric uncle Ricardo Soriano, who had been eulogising about the merits of the coast for a number of years.

A huge fan of watersports, Soriano especially liked powerboat racing and lived an enviable

June 11th - June 24th 2015

FILLING HIS BOOTS: Sean Connery and Jackie Lane

The Olive Press looks back at the lives of the aristocrats and celebrities that turned a small fishing village into a glitzy, star-studded resort for the ‘jet set’

bohemian life.

He was soon chaperoning his nephew up and down the coast in his vintage Rolls-Royce looking for land.

The bilingual Alonso – who was a keen painter - was immediately taken by what he saw in Marbella.

Sheltered by the dramatic Sierra Blanca and with crystalclear waters just a stone’s throw away, the savvy prince immediately saw a wealth of opportunities.

He ordered his father to sell off his wine cellars in Malaga and began developing his now seminal Marbella Club hotel, which opened in 1954.

But that was not enough and the well-connected prince soon embarked on a European-wide campaign to convince all his high-flying friends that Marbella, not San Sebastian or Cannes, was the only place to be.

And his campaign worked with

ON THE BALL: George Best spent time in Marbella

the grand families of central bella… who made Marbella,” Europe, including the Bis- explained Alfonso. marcks, Rothschilds and Met- Marbella took pride in being ternichs, coming to see what cut off from the hectic, stressthe fuss was about. ful and often scary modern A string of celebrities followed world. suit, with actresses including Indeed, news of the Cuban MisElizabeth Taylor and Sophia sile Crisis did not reach the reLoren, photographer Patrick Li- sort until it was over. chfield, footballer George Best, “Everybody had model Brithe most gorgitte Bardot, geous parties and Rolling when the rest Marbella took pride Stone Bryan of the world Jones joining in being cut off from was trembling the in-crowd. that World War Even British the hectic, stressful III was startaristocracy ing,” explains and often scary got in on the Count Rudi modern world act, with the Schonburg, a Duke and former managDuchess er of Marbella of Windsor (Edward and Mrs Club.

Simpson) visiting the hotel.

Coining the nickname the ‘King “The people I met in Hollywood, of Clubs’, Alfonso’s reputation in New York, and in Europe, quickly preceded himself and they were the roots, the bridge he soon opened up a disco that brought people to Mar- which got the club swinging ev-

ery Tuesday and Friday nights.

Despite revelling in its exclusive status, the Marbella Club was anything but formal.

“At dinner everybody arrived with a dinner jacket, but I said ‘Stop!

This is not the Marbella way!

You only wear a dinner jacket on New Year’s Eve,” recalled Alfonso.

As the inspired prince’s creation boomed, so did Marbella and its surrounding hillsides. New restaurants, bars and sports clubs began sprouting up as the Costa del Sol quickly entered its so-called golden era.

Developers included Jose Banus, who built Puerto Banus marina and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, who built a white palace (still there today) that is modelled on both the White House and a mosque.

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

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The golden days remembered GLAMOROUS: Diana Dors sunbathing, while (from far left) nuns on a beach, the Romeria near San Pedro and fishing boats

The likes of multi-millionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi (who formerly owned La Zagaleta, Spain´s most expensive urbanisation) were able to dock their luxury yachts in the port.

“Thanks to my initiative, Marbella’s Golden Mile alone now provides 60,000 jobs,” Alfonso once said.

While his friends called him

the ‘King of Clubs’ or the ‘Little Prince’, locals came to know him affectionately as Ole-Ole, because of his difficult to pronounce surname.

Yet as the Costa del Sol dream began to spiral into uncontrollable development, Alfonso became aware of the monster he had helped stir. Concrete towers were sprouting up as far as the eye could see, from Malaga

all the way down to Estepona, almost 100 kilometres away.

Worse still, wanted British criminals began to take advantage of a lack of an extradition treaty between England and Spain.

This influx of crooks and subsequent crime left the idealistic Alfonso disillusioned with the vision of rich grandeur he once envisaged for Marbella.

After growing weary of the

mass tourism that was lowering the tone of his town, he sold up all his Marbella business interests in 1978 in search of a new vision.

Entering his 60s, the prince settled in his last home with his third wife Marilys Haynes, a Gibraltarian divorcee. He plumped for a mountain retreat, in the hills close to Ronda, with a trout lake, partridge

wood and an impressive library.

And the ever-inventive Alfonso decided on another successful business pursuit – producing the soon-to-be award-winning wine Principe Alfonso. And it was nestled in the heartland of Andalucia, close to the sleepy village of Arriate, where Alfonso finally found true happiness before passing away, leaving his estate to his children, in 2003.

“I have lived in castles, in Venetian palaces and the world’s finest hotels. I have watched the sun rise over the beaches of five continents and I have looked into the eyes of the most beautiful women of the universe,” he famously remarked.

“Everywhere I sought my dreamed-of city and at last I have found it in Ronda.”

ALOHA COLLEGE, Marbella

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Proper tools FROM power tools and decking to paints and timber treatments, AIM British Building Supplies (ABBS) is Spain’s leading supplier of British building materials.

Set up over 10 years ago in Elviria, ABBS has the answer for all your building needs.

Run by expat John Mayne, the building merchant offers tools and materials for both trade experts and home DIYers.

And with a trained and experienced workforce, the team are readily available to dish out advice on all aspects of construction and decoration.

“We are confident that our customers get the best advice,” John says: “We carefully select all of our products to ensure high quality and good value for money.

“We have thousands of branded UK and international building products.”

For more information visit www.abbs.es or call 952 835 172

arbella One of Andalucia’s most rewarding mountain adventures lies in wait among the pine trees just a few miles inland from Marbella, writes Tom Powell

UP, UP AND AWAY

L AIM HIGH: First stop for building supplies

Menú Diario con bebida

Daily Menu with drink

10€

A Concha is to Marbella what Table Mountain is to Cape Town or the statue of Christ the Redeemer is to Rio de Janeiro.

Wherever you are, its 1,215-metre shellshaped peak rises up before you like a talisman, its colour changing with the angle of the sun.

If you haven’t been tempted to climb it yet, you will be.

The mountain is best reached from the north, diverging off the main road up towards the Refugio de Juanar.

Set amid pine trees, the wonderful old hotel and restaurant - once a Parador - could be a perfect overnight base camp for your ascent which, truth be told, is no pushover.

However, anyone used to hiking and not afraid to get their hands dirty should have no problem, and the soaring panoramic views are definitely worth it.

Former cavalry office James Hewitt, he of Lady Diana fame, once told the Olive Press he regularly climbed it (there and back) in ‘well under three hours’, and not at a forced charge.

But, being realistic you should leave four hours to include a couple of nice breaks and to enjoy the view at the top, which is really something else.

The peaks of Africa’s Atlas mountains can be seen in the distance, as can the Rock of Gibraltar down the coast, sticking out into the shimmering sea.

Here, walking guide Guy Hunter Watts, gives a breakdown on the way to the top

Música en Vivo - Live Music

The Walk

Plaza Antonio Banderas s/n Puerto Banús tel: 952 81 12 39

From the Refugio de Juanar, descend 100m to a junction, then turn right at the ‘Mirador’ sign.

Looping up through the pines you reach a parking area, then pass a green metal gate and continue along the track following the sign, GR243.1 Istan.

After passing a ruined stone hut you

reach a sign that says PR-A 168 La Concha, pointing right off the track. (20 mins) Cut right away from the track towards the green mesh fence of Cortijo de Juanar, then angle hard right down through an olive grove for 100m to a four-way junction.

Cutting left into a stand of pines you come to a three-way junction.

Here, angle left following another sign that says PR-A 168 La Concha.

Reaching the top of the ridge, head straight on for a few metres, then angle right and continue along the ridge, now heading almost due west between low-growing oaks.

Having run just left of the ridge, the path cuts up right to its highest point and passes a large cairn (1 hr 10 mins) before descending for a short distance.

Cairns mark the way from here.

Angling slightly left, the path passes beneath a steep cliff face, El Salto del Lobo, where there are steep drops to the right: care should be taken on this section.

Zigzagging steeply up left (a hands-on approach at this point will be useful) it then drops steeply back down to a more level path running towards La Concha.

Cairns still mark your path as you head on just south of the ridge, be-

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BREATHTAKING: Views from La Concha

NUTS AND BOLTS This enchanting trail begins in the pine forest, continuing across stunning open fields of olive groves before the rocky climb to the peak begins.

It takes between 90 minutes and two hours to reach the summit, and the same to come back, so bring plenty of water and, if you’re a picnic person, a decent lunch to enjoy at the top.

For more information and walks see www. guyhunterwatts.com

fore angling back up to the top.

A massive panorama opens out to the south as you reach a cairn where you’ll see blue and red stripes on a rock. At this point you’re actually a few metres higher than the official summit of La Concha.

From here, angle down left following cairns and red and blue way-markings, sticking close to the ridgetop. The Istan reservoir comes into view to the west.

The path runs a few metres beneath the ridge, on its southern side, before cutting up to a three-way marker post. (1 hr 45 mins)

Here, carry straight on, following a sign saying ‘La Concha 15 mins’ along the ridge to a large cairn.

Here the path angles right, descends, then picks up the continuation of the ridge before climbing steeply once more. (You may feel safer using your hands from time to time, as there are steep drops to your left.)

Red and blue flashes still mark the way and lead you up to the summit of La Concha (1,215m).

(1 hr 55 mins) After enjoying the amazing panorama, retrace your footsteps back to the Refugio. (3 hrs 45 mins)

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Showing the way Class act Marbella’s property market is leading the Costa del Sol - and even Spain - on the road to economic recovery

THEY are the perfect double act And Zara Gayon (below) and mum Araceli insist that they have set up their business for a lot more than just making money.

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XPERTS predicted it would be one of Spain’s speediest post-crisis recoveries and Marbella has not disappointed.

The jewel in the Costa property market’s crown is seeing the signs of recovery align and investors and construction companies are back in town.

With luxury homes in Marbella and Puerto Banus at around 50% of their original value, it is no surprise the buyers are flooding back.

Sales increased by 30% at

the end of 2014 and the latest Eurostat figures show

Fast and efficient Fastighetsbyran estate agency is growing rapidly with offices in Marbella and Estepona, not to mention 10 more in Spain IT certainly has firm foundations, with its two bosses having run the main branch of Sweden’s top bank Swedbank in Marbella for a decade.

Now Olle Westerling, 63, and Kent Schanke, 55, have an even stronger base for growth, as their real estate business straddles both Marbella and Estepona.

To add to their main base in Marbella, the bosses of Fastighetsbyran have added a new office in Estepona.

It is a lovely space with stylish decor, clever use of natural light and, of course, entirely furnished from Ikea.

“We wanted to create a bit of a wow factor, using a mix of the usual Swedish style and a few local Spanish touches,” explains Westerling. “It was obvious that Estepona was a good place to expand, but our core clients are in Marbella.”

In total, Fastighetsbyran now has 12 offices in Spain and an incredible 250 in Sweden.

As Kent adds: “We have a lot of Scandinavian clients, but the British market, both with sellers and buyers, is growing fast.

“Obviously speaking perfect English and our good affinity to the UK helps.”

Visit Fastighetsbyran’s offices in Centro Plaza, Marbella and Avenida Espana, in Estepona or call 952 807 652 for more information

ON THE UP: Bosses Kent and Olle at Fastighetsbyran

construction is up by an unexpected 16% in the first few months of this year.

In fact, Marbella’s property sales are soaring near precrisis levels, up 89% since 2008.

As tourism increases, more people are opting to purchase a holiday pad for regular getaways.

And things are set to get better, particularly with British buyers currently seeing the best exchange rate in a decade, meaning an investment in Spanish property is now great value.

Britons are, once again, the leading purchasers in the Costa del Sol, followed by Scandinavians, Belgians, French, Dutch and Germans.

Leading agent Christopher Clover of Panorama Properties, explains: “It is clear that the market touched bottom in 2011 and has been improving unquestionably yearly since then – last year an impressive 28,31% over 2013 sales volume.

“Those who have been waiting for years for the ‘right moment’ to buy, creating a pent-up demand, have finally realised that the crisis is over and prices are on the move upwards.

This realisation creates a confidence with buyers that we have not seen during the crisis years.”

SOUGHT-AFTER: Marbella property

Fellow agent Ulf Hessedahl, of Andalucia Development, adds: “More houses are being renovated and built and there has definitely been an increase year-on-year on properties sold.

“There is more confidence, more sales are coming through and in some areas prices have even gone up!”

“We set up Elviria Estates with one purpose only; to enjoy our work and make as many customers as possible as friends.

“We hope this will lead to that magical multiplier effect where everyone feels part of our family team.”

The pair have over 40 years of experience of the Elviria area to draw on and their customers and friends do not hesitate to trust them with their properties whether to sell, rent or manage them.

Best of all they speak fantastic English, with mum Araceli living in Surrey for five years, when her dad worked at Dorking General Hospital.

On returning to Spain she studied tourism, before switching to real estate.

Visit www.elviriaestates. com or contact them on 695 403 074

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Quarter century of business MY DREAM AS A CURRENCY SPECIALIST THE HiFX team has been based in the most enviable spot in Centro Plaza for three and a half years and has built up a loyal following.

The dynamic team of six staff, from Germany, Spain and the UK - led by Spaniard Jose Ivars-Lopez, who commutes between the UK and Spain - are a great advert for the Marbella lifestyle.

“It’s awesome working here and the only problem I can foresee is never wanting to leave!” said Jack Curd.

“I

’VE seen and heard more business deals done over a drink in Centro Plaza than in any office I’ve ever worked in,” jokes Ed Dzien, who owns the new Office Bar in Marbella’s Centro Plaza.

And he is talking about the legitimate, above-board kind of deal.

Because only the most well-established, classiest companies have offices here, far from the bling bars of Puerto Banus – but close enough to wander down if you crave the buzz of the port.

Based just up from the Nueva Andalucia bull ring, the commercial centre perches in an enviable spot with breathtaking views across to La Concha mountain and Marbella, and all just a stone’s throw from the A7 coast road and 6km from Marbella.

While celebrating its 25th birthday this year (but you’d never know it), the centre still feels HiFX TEAM: Gregor, Ed and Jack modern, buzzing and chic.

Centro Plaza - which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year - is a truly international commercial hub, discovers Iona Napier

Right about now, millions of Scandinavians are forcing their freezing bodies into the sea – where the water temperature is just 16°C. We have the buyers!

We are Sweden’s leading real estate agency in Spain. And we’re growing fast, from Barcelona to Gran Canaria. We know the market and have a register full of frozen Scandinavians who dream of a life in the sun.

Let us prove ourselves! If we don’t manage to sell your home, you don’t pay anything.

But since we sell more than one home every day, that’s probably not going to happen...

FASTIGHETSBYRÅN MARBELLA, 951 191 000 / FASTIGHETSBYRÅN ESTEPONA, 952 807 777 MARBELLA@FASTIGHETSBYRAN.SE / FASTIGHETSBYRAN.SE/OVERSEAS

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Home from home at Cafe Fredo WARM WELCOME: From Nelly and Raul

TOP LOCATION: Centro Plaza looks across to La Concha With a great range of bars, restaurants, fashion boutiques and beauty salons, it is an excellent place to spend a morning.

But it is also a great place to find a professional estate agent, money exchange company or lawyer.

Easy to park (there’s a valet service), easy to peruse (even wheelchair-friendly), it is the shopping centre for people who hate shopping.

You can get your hair done, learn to dance, buy a dress – or a house, if you’re feeling flush – and then sip a cocktail… all in a Centro Plaza-style day’s work.

Originally built to provide the zone with facilities it sorely lacked, it caters to over 10,000 households around the nearby area, including a very large percentage of wealthy, demanding clients.

It is certainly quickly clear that both the staff and visitors to the centre are an elegant

YO PROS: Fastighetsbyran

Raul Ghermin only took over Café Fredo one month ago but with some regulars already signing up for three meals a day, a busy summer looks to be in store…

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CHIC: Lola the dog and (inset) Ed Dzien at The Office breed.

Think city boys, but better tans and without ties, and wellheeled women minus the harassed London look.

As I watch various tables of hotshots doing business under shady white parasols armed with a cold beer – I wonder if London could learn something from this place?

At any point on a weekday bars are smattered with a mix of businessmen, tourists and expats and they are a polyglot lot, with many British, Germans and Scandinavians in particular.

Estuco Interior’s team of top class interior designers typify this mix, hailing from the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Spain.

Furnishing and designing the interiors of houses for well over two decades, employee Ellen Brouwer explained: “It’s a very interesting cosmopolitan mix, but it works well.”

Kent Schanke, co-owner of estate agent Fastighetsbyran, a huge household name back in Sweden, now breaking into the British market here, agrees.

“It’s a great hub for lots of things – for real estate, for banking, great restaurants and there’s such a friendly feel,” he says.

There is also a classy array of

eateries, with Cafe Yanx and Cafe Fredo to name but two.

“It’s so family friendly here and you only have to look at the view to realise why we love working here,” says David Fisher, owner of Yanx.

The oasis of tranquillity is only shaken up once a week when crowds descend for the Saturday morning flea market bringing the family-friendly holiday vibe to the exclusive enclave.

Buzz

“I moved to Spain to get away from the rat race and about as hectic as it can get here is the Saturday buzz when there’s the market and it’s full of people,” says vintage fashion shop BChic’s glamorous Swiss owner Michelle Melliger whose adorable sales accomplice, Lola, a King Charles spaniel, is a permanent fixture.

The finest views of all are found at the vantage point near HiFX office where uninterrupted sea and mountains stretch as far as the eye can see… and the charming team of currency specialists aren’t bad either!

Pop in for a chat and you never know where it might lead… well, certainly for an entertaining coffee or beer at one of the nearby bars. Take it from me.

ITH all the charm of a provincial pueblo café, plus a cocktail selection to rival any Marbella beach bar, Café Fredo sits in pole position in Centro Plaza.

Maybe it feels local because everyone here knows the owner, Raul Ghermin, who is a familiar Nueva Andalucia face having previously managed nearby La Sala restaurant and Tuk Tuk Asian Fusion.

Ghermin, 27, and his charming mum Nelly - who has been shaking up Marbella’s cocktail scene for 12 years (try her coconut show) – make you feel like part of the family serving delicious salads, pizza and pasta.

“Nueva Andalucia may be smart but my café is down to earth but very professional, and kids are always welcome,” says Ghermin, who moved to Spain from Romania at the age of three, initially to the stunning Andalucian province of Jaen.

Defying Puerto Banus’ sometimes mindboggling prices, happy hour from 5-8pm is pocket-friendly and sees the ‘yo pros’ of Centro Plaza let their hair down.

A local (and surprisingly trim) businessman intimates to me that he eats all three meals a day here, and gives special mention to delicious breakfasts available from 9am – early for Spain!

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B-Chic is a unique designer label located in Marbella.

Our clothes are lace and vintage looking in style which creates a timeless and elegant look. We pride ourselves on being able to cater for ladies of all ages as our different designs are varied and versatile. Our clothes are not only elegant but also extremely comfortable to wear as they are loose and floaty in style.

Bettina Melliger designs all of our collections.

Le bon vin AS chic as a French winery with a warm welcome impossible to find in Paris, Laura Copetta’s wine shop reeks of class - and she should know, as the daughter of a French architect.

Dona Copetta Wine & Delices, just down the road from Centro Plaza, is a refreshing slice of Mediterranean charm in the middle of cosmopolitan, whitewashed Nueva Andalucia.

Offering everything from kosher wine to bottles with customised labels to event catering cooked by Laura’s exuberant chef mother Sonia, it’s a personal affair executed with the utmost professionalism.

And they deliver wine home for free!

FINE WINES: Laura outside the shop

Local 14, Centro Plaza in Marbella, Urbanizacion Nuevo Andalucia, 29660 Marbella

Marbella B-Chic tel: 661 690 967 www.bchicmarbella.com

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www.vip-marbella.com

We speak English Hablamos español Мы говорим по-русски

+34 952 86 70 68 | info@vip-marbella.com | C/ Juan de la Cierva nº2 Marbella

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Once a haunt for tacky souvenirs and pickpockets... now Marbella’s ‘casco historico’ has become one of Andalucia’s true references for dining, writes Jon Clarke

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HERE has been a quiet revolution in the heart of the old town of Marbella.

Not just in its appearance and shops, but in its incredible range of good places to eat.

As well as its very own Michelin-starred restaurant Skina, the centre has one of the finest concentrations of good restaurants in Andalucia.

Charming, candle-lit and offering increasing quality, the days when you could get away with serving any old muck are truly over.

Indeed, there are easily half a dozen fabulous places to eat in the old town, each offering its own style and flavour.

One of the most exciting recent additions to the dining scene is Italian Casa Tua in a charming cobbled street with pretty candle-lit tables.

Opened by Adriano and his wife Catherine two years ago, the Irish-Italian couple, who have two kids Viviana and Massimo, have travelled the world running restaurants in Italy, Ireland and the US. They certainly have a lovely eye for detail and the restaurant is stylish in the extreme, using some clever ideas, such as the recycled palletwood planting boxes.

The menu is a nice mix of Italian classics with some original twists like the buffalo godfather of the centre has mozarella, deep fried and in to be Cassanis, now over a tomato sauce. decade old and consistently A lemon-scented ricotta reinventing itself. cheese ‘fagottino’ was Set up by your perfect host creamy and delicious, while Guy Sirre, who formerly the fresh scallops with cho- worked for the Sultan of Brurizo went down a treat. And, nei, it is constantly refining its as you would expect, the tira- cuisine and coming up with misu pudding was the icing new recipes. on the cake.

Set in a typical Andalucian Without a doubt though, the townhouse – based around

DELICIOUS: Tuna tataki and vegetable tempura at Madre Tierra

Gourmet delight

EVOCATIVE: And the menu at Casa Tua is a nice mix

an evocative patio – there is a very distinct ambience at work.

Its head chef Fabian Cangas has been at the helm since day one, but frequently takes time out to train at different restaurants around the world.

He and his brother are firmly behind a brand new restaurant now, the stylish Cafe Flore, which is a charming spot to sit and while away a lunchtime or evening.

Billing itself as Italian ‘and more’, it is actually a splendid place to find fresh, healthy ingredients, simple salads, as well as more traditional heavy dishes such as osso bucco or crayfish risotto.

I enjoyed a ‘burrata’ of creamy buffalo mozzarella, with raf tomatoes and basil, as a starter and then a spinich and ricotta lasagna,

which was healthy and filling, all part of the €14 set lunch.

Continues Page 40

AL FRESCO: Candle-lit dining at Madre Tierra

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To finish off I tried Fabi’s intriguing pudding ‘Financier’, which turned out to be a bakewell tart with strawberries and ice cream.

Another excellent new addition to the old town dining scene is Madre Tierra, set up by the long term Italian businessman Genesio, who previously owned a string of restaurants in Marbella, including Mistral Beach.

Sitting in an amazing leafy square, this is a wonderful trawl around European cuisine, with stylish flourishes and incredibly fresh ingredients.

No surprise that chef Miguel has cooked around Spain’s big cities, including Goizeko Wellington in Madrid and even at the Royal Palace.

I tried a fabulous tuna tataki with a tempura of vegetables and pansies on top. It was lightly seared to perfection, although be careful of the wasabi source.

The burgers come in two guises, with salmon and with

beef. I had the 100% Galician beef number, which had three sources, tartare, mustard and BBQ and came in a great sourdough Italian bap.

Maitre D Massimo is very experienced and has a good grasp of the excellent wine list, which has some Italian chestnuts, and at night the place is romantic in the extreme with tablecloths and candles.

Nearby you might want to check out Yamas, possibly the only - and certainly the

TALENTED: Peruvian Aldo at Tempura best - Greek restaurant on the coast.

Set up by Kulis and Hayley,

the couple have invested heavily in making this a true secret in Marbella.

Set around a stunning courtyard, the menu is a trawl through all the Greek classics you can name.

Last, but anything but least, is the splendid restaurant Tempora, which just gets better and better, all thanks to its very capable Peruvian chef Aldo Espinosa, a Cordon Bleu trained whizkid, who understands freshness and spices more than most.

Naturally he served up a tremendous ceviche, with his own unique touches, that changes by the day and the freshness of the fish he finds.

Coming with watercress, cod roe and spices it was tangy but not too overbearing.

TEAMWORK: The Cafe Flore crew and (right) restaurant

An eye for style IN the heart of Marbella old town sits a dazzling treasure trove of Louis Vuitton holdalls, Chanel handbags and nostalgic Frank Sinatra LPs - not to mention retro rags from Gucci and Dior.

Coining ‘vintage’ long before it was cool, Richard and Amanda Zizzi-Knight opened Déjà Vu Marbella Vintage in 1997 and have been riding the classic wave ever since.

Bath-born Amanda’s mother was a model in the 1940s and an eye for style runs in her blood.

The timelessly elegant shop boasts over 3,000 regular clients and has charmed everyone from Eva Longoria and Russian royalty to TOWIE stars on a shopping mission.

“The beauty of being in Marbella is that iconic fashion models from the 1960s and 1970s bring in clothes to sell - and you just never know what you are going to get,” says Richard.

“Vintage to us is anything good quality, great design and perfectly preserved.”

The Aladdin’s cave of 100% guaranteed clothes, elegant accessories and antiques is on Calle Pedraza 8.

ALADDIN’S CAVE: Deja Vu Vintage

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FAMOUS VISITOR: Michelle Obama in Orange Square

Lady luck

Since the visit of US First Lady Michelle Obama, the old town of Marbella has become a mustvisit on the tourist circuit, writes Jon Clarke THE morning had started early - at 5am - with dozens of Spanish police joining over 100 American special agents, sent to Marbella to guard the President’s wife.

No-one was taking chances and every manhole cover in the old town had been lifted to carefully check for bombs in advance of the arrival of Michelle Obama in August 2010.

Bristling with nerves, the area’s narrow cobbled streets were combed by a phalanx of plainclothed policemen, while shopkeepers and waiters waited for Marbella’s most famous visitor for years.

Considering the number of places in Spain that President Obama’s wife could have visited, it was a genuine honour that she chose the centre of Marbella.

But, it was entirely justified along with further visits to Ronda and Sevilla - and it was to

become the start of a total rejuvenation of easily the Costa del Sol’s prettiest historic centres.

Surrounded by the bright lights and modern buildings of most of Marbella, the old town comes as a real shock to the system.

In fact, driving into Marbella it is actually quite easy to miss the old town entirely.

But miss it at your peril, for its winding white-washed streets and pots bursting with colourful geraniums make it feel like the most traditional of Andalucian pueblos.

And like most Spanish historic centres, wandering aimlessly is the most rewarding way to explore. Ultimately, all roads lead to the Plaza de los Naranjos – or Orange Square - the beating heart of Marbella’s old town.

It is a lovely spot to while away an hour with its renaissance fountain - built in 1604 - still running and the orange blossom delightful when in bloom.

You could s p e n d hours wandering the little backstreets – and the superb range of sweet independent shops have great browsing appeal, including stylish My Dreamy Shoes and Deja Vu.

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ORIENTAL GREATS: The team at Takumi and (below) an invention

WHERE TO EAT

Marbella is Andalucia’s true dining capital, writes Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke

Culinary masterclass

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F Michelin stars were the only measure, Marbella would be the definitive dining capital of Andalucia.

Aside from the trio of Michelin-honoured establishments – El Lago, Skina and Dani Garcia – there are at least half a dozen more that come close to deserving the

plaudit.

As internationally celebrated chef Garcia, who has two stars alone, confirms: “Marbella just keeps getting better and better.

“The real tragedy is that it is not being properly rewarded for its great cooking and variety.”

Well it certainly is from the Olive Press.

Aside from the massive variety there are over 100 different nationalities cooking in Marbella - there is amazing quality.

“You have just about every style you can think of,” explains Japanese restaurant owner Alvaro Arbeloa at Takumi.

“But most of all, whatever restaurant you open, if the quality is not good enough you will not survive.”

This boils down to the fact that Marbella locals - and

NEW BROOM: Team at Madre Tierra

Beach life

IT is the perfect Marbella hangout with an all-American twist and ideal for families.

Always coming up with great events, it is the amazing secret location of South Beach though, that is part of its charm.

Sitting on a hidden beach in El Rosario, this trendy wooden-built chiringuito, offers a great range of fresh dishes, but there is a lot, lot more.

You can use a paddle board, play in the sand and even have a kitesurfing lesson if

HAPPY: At South Beach the wind is right.

South Beach is open every day on Avenida del Limonar 124, Marbella (exit El Rosario).

Call 952 113 005, or email info@southbeachmarbella. com

tourist alike - expect quality and are not scared to pay for it.

“There is nowhere else around, where the clientele is so well off and so demanding for quality,” continues Arbeloa, who previously ran a restaurant in Mallorca with his Japanese partner Toshio, before opening in 2011 just off the Golden Mile.

One place that certainly epitomises quality and of an oriental touch is Ban Thai.

Set up just two years ago, owner Fendi has experience of running Thai restaurants in the UK and runs a tight ship.

His menu is fun and buzzy, and the best judgement of how good it is should be the number of Thai visitors who eat in night after night.

Landmark

Without a doubt, one of the businessmen making the biggest waves in the food stakes these days is Ian Radford.

The former professional squash player has been constantly adding to his La Sala brand over the last six years.

With a series of famous backers, including footballers David Bentley, Stephen Carr and Shay Given, he has been able to create two of the town’s landmark restaurants; La Sala in Puerto Banus and Rincon de la Sala in San Pedro.

And now the group has a third La Sala by the Sea (see review, right), a fantastic Thai restaurant in the old Buddha Beach site by the beach, near Puerto Banus.

The original La Sala on the way up to the Nueva Andalucia bull ring is probably the most talked about eatery in Marbella. Certainly abroad.

This is the place to find the ‘ladies who lunch’, the movers and shakers, celebrities, footballers and the wealthy empresarios who make Marbella what it is.

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Exquisite Thai food, contemporary design and first class service combine to create a memorable dining experience

TALENT: Francisco Vacas at L’impronta

AUTHENTIC: At hip new Cibo An emporium of glass and seductive lighting, its real strength though, lies in its wood-decked terrace, that serves as the ideal tourist sun-deck.

Oh, and the food, is surprisingly good too, with a superb range of classic dishes with a contemporary twist.

And then there is more, with one of Andalucia’s leading beach restaurants just up the road in Elviria.

Called approp r i a te l y

Beach House, owners Guy and Lucy McCrow have built this place up over a decade to make it not just one of the most fun places to eat… but with great quality food guaranteed.

Attention to detail is paramount and the team of chefs, led by Jeff Mynott, is always hard working and constantly improving the quality of food.

Indeed, you will be hard pressed to find anywhere better for lunch or supper.

Back in central Marbella on the Golden Mile look out for the exciting new restaurant Cibo.

In the old location of the Polo House, it is beautifully deco-

rated and has a great menu.

Owned by the capable Metro Group (Joys, Jacks, Mumtaz, Metro, etc), it is excellent value and a romantic spot for dining out.

Another great Italian is La Trattoria, in Nueva Andalucia. The brainchild of capable restaurateur Paolo, who spent ten years working in Tarifa before switching to Marbella.

Claiming to be the ‘best and most authentic’ Italian in Marbella, it is an elegant place, in a great location for parking.

There is no doubt his fresh pastas and salads are among the best on the coast.

A great place to drink wines with fine food is at the longtime rated Albert & Simon restaurant in San Pedro.

The brothers Albert and Simon, appropriately, took over the baton from their father, who had one of Marbella’s first Michelin-starred restaurants.

Turn to Page 44

STALWARTS: Chef Albert at Albert & Simon and (right) Beach House

A little Thai paradise: La Sala by the Sea

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ITH zingy Thai food, cool, fruity cocktails and a luxurious beach vibe, it’s clear La Sala by the Sea won’t be suffering from second season syndrome this year.

Owned by a string of former footballers,the La Sala chain’s Thai offshoot in Puerto Banus is back for a second summer after a successful debut in 2014.

Sitting by the beach, under shady palms and with a series of tranquil water features-cumpools, the setting could easily be Koh Samui.

It was little surprise to learn that the restaurant is the brainchild of Claire Strutton, who spends considerable time on the Thai island with fiance Ian Radford, La Sala group’s chairman.

The word ‘sala’ actually means a wooden pavilion in Thai and everything about the place has a flavour of the Orient.

Our meal began with a bang with the Thai tapas selection, which oozed authenticity. The platters overflowed with colour and flavour, including sticky satay skewers, crunchy samosas and sumptuous prawn toasts. All complemented by four sublime sauces, including a smoky semi-spicy and a sweet chili.

Thick, juicy criss-cross squid, flavoured delicately with chili and smothered in generous

CHILL OUT: By the pool dollops of aioli, also went down a treat.

The mains were stylishly presented, with big helpings of sticky rice to offset the heat.

While my Kaprow – stir-fried beef with chili and basil - was tender and tasty, it certainly packed a kick, demanding serious amounts of liquid to keep my cool!

The future certainly looks bright for this little Thai paradise.

Open from 13.30 7 days a week Tel: +34 952 77 02 21 Mob: +34 607 988 554 Ban Thai, Calle Gregorio Marañon 8, Marbella, Málaga, CP 29602

TOP THAI: At Ban Thai

www.banthai.es

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From Page 43 In terms of quality it is very hard to beat and the French culinary talent is all too obvious. There is an excellent wine list to boot, with some chestnuts from all over France.

Also in San Pedro is the very elegant L’Impronta, an upmarket Italian joint, run by capable Francisco Vacas,

who actually heralds from Cordoba.

A passionate chap, who left school and began cooking at the age of 13, he has created a seductive spot, with parquet wood floors, hydraulic tiles and evocative paintings.

Insisting on sourcing only the best line-caught wild fish, in-

GREAT TERRACE: At Vaca Loca cluding sea bass and turbot, he also offers a great range of tasty and seasonal dishes.

Best of all, his €25 set lunch had a great mix of dishes including chopped veal liver in onions, gravy and mashed potato,

Macaao: The perfect cod

T

HE black cod came out glistening as brightly as the sea in front of me.

Imported from Iceland, it was served up with a medley of vegetables and sat on a bed of mash and cep mushrooms, with tiny cherry tomatoes as a garnish.

And, as cod goes, it really gets no better, being as succulent as it was meaty and flavoursome.

It should have come as no surprise, the restaurateur behind Macaao having heralded from a long line of Belgium restaurant owners, not to mention training on the Cote d’Azur, with the likes of legend Alain Ducasse.

Open, friendly and bristling with enthusiasm, Michael Dhondt and his wife Christine are your perfect hosts.

“We ran two restaurants back in the St Tropez of Belgium, Knokke le Zoute, before deciding to up sticks and make a go of it here two years ago,” he explains.

Having employed a fabulous chef Peter Cernac, he knew he had a chance.

Concentrating on fresh, seasonal produce, the restaurant - which is open all year and serving dinner from May to September - has a decent menu with plenty of meat and fish dishes.

There are many specials of the day - including no surprises, mussels - as well as oysters,

shrimp croquettes and a ceviche, thanks to the sous chef from Peru.

My starter of Vietnamese ‘nems’ was stunning, rolled up in lettuce and with mint, while my raspberry creme brulee pudding was as fresh and light as could be.

“All thanks to my training with Ducasse,” explains Michael. “But I really don’t want to push that side of things. I just want people to know about our simple, e a s y beach restaurant. And we can build up slowly.”

and topped off with a lovely vanilla panna cotta.

Another exciting spot in San Pedro is Vaca Loca, also just around the corner by the stylish new bridge.

This terrace restaurant is the brainchild of local expat businessman Andrew Levene, who saw an opportunity with this excellent location.

Hiring one of the coast’s well-established chefs Darren, who trained at La Sala, the menu has a great mix of steaks, burgers and ribs, all cooked on the grill.

Friendly, efficient service, you will not be disappointed, particularly with the brand new summer menu, which has a good variety of tapas.

Finally, in the heart of the old town of Marbella you have a huge range of places to eat and the choice keeps getting better. The best include Cafe Flore, Casa Tua and Madre Sierra.

See article on Pages 39-40

OH MY COD: Tasty dish

GOURMET: La Trattoria

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Time slows down and all becomes extraordinarily bright and beautiful.

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June 11th - June 24th 2015

WHERE TO STAY

Sleep like a king

H

IGH in the hills, in one of the most privileged spots in Marbella sits one of Andalucia’s most stunning boutique hotels.

A true oasis of calm, the Marbella Heights Hotel is certainly appropriately-named, with its stunning views across the Mediterranean as far as Gibraltar and even Morocco.

This zen-like retreat, run by

charming host Mercedes from Valladolid, comprises five well appointed rooms.

But the real charm is the amazing garden, surrounded by nature, where you relax on deep sofas or sunbeds beside the alluring pool.

Meals can be cooked to order and the breakfasts are a real treat.

If you are looking over in San Pedro de Alcantara, why not

OASIS: At Source of Wellbeing with therapist Jade

TRANQUIL: Marbella Heights Hotel try out Hostal Plaza, which has an amazing rooftop terrace perfect for chilling out.

Run by four expats, it has great clean rooms and is excellent value.

Finally, if you are looking for the dream rural retreat, you should think about the Source of Wellbeing in an amazing hidden valley just 15 minutes inland.

Set up by a talented Austrian Martina, this luxury B&B is based on the banks of the bub-

bling Alamino stream and is a genuine oasis of near-tropical vegetation.

Well-appointed with spacious rooms, outdoor jacuzzis and hectares of grounds, it is a wonderful place to hole up for a few days, and a great base to drop into Marbella or Puerto Banus when you fancy it.

Best of all, the team has a great range of masseurs, chefs and therapists, including Jade, who is an LVL eye lashes specialist, no less.

FUN NIGHT: Guests on Hostal Plaza rooftop

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Stable living

47 the Olive Press June 11th - June www.theolivepress.es June 11th - June 24th 2015

Spain’s first eco-friendly straw house hits the market IT didn’t work out for the first of the three little pigs, but Spaniards are constructing a straw house that will not blow down at the first puff from an

angry wolf.

And it will consume 90% less energy than the average house, too.

The creation by Basque com-

Splash down HOLIDAYMAKERS will be making a splash on the Costa del Sol this summer after the largest hotel waterpark resort was installed in Estepona.

The Hotel Globales, in Playa Estepona, is now home to the 20,000m² Splash World waterpark.

Designed by waterpark experts Polin, the park has six thrill-seeking slides, including firm favourites such as the kamikaze and b l a c k hole.

MORTGAGE THINK TANK

by Tancrede de Pola

ECO-HOUSE: Made of straw, in Biscay pany EcoPaja is the first house of its kind to be built in Spain to premium industrial standards.

The construction has a solid wooden structure and compressed straw serves as the insulation of the house, which is also fireproof.

Compared to an average house with 20cm thick walls, the straw house’s walls are half a metre deep and, coated in lime plaster to allow the house to breathe and offer prime insulation.

The building is part of a new wave of ‘healthy builds’ made of only natural, locally sourced, non-toxic substances.

And taking under four weeks to construct in the factory and three days to assemble on site, the economical choice (€1,000 per square-metre) could take Spain by storm.

Expanding your property portfolio

The Finance Bureau’s mortgage expert Tancrede de Pola explains how multi-property mortgage loans are beginning to take off

E

XPANDING your property portfolio is an exciting proposition and one that need not be stressful.

Obtaining a mortgage on your second, third or fourth property has previously been a painful experience but the winds of change are upon us and multiproperty loans are now becoming increasingly likely.

With the guidance of a broker the daunting prospect of a multi-property venture can be a pain free experience.

Up until recently banks were reluctant to lend for clients building their property portfolio, because of a weak rental market.

But with the rental market now picking up, I know of at least one bank which has changed its tack and is now offering loans on second or third homes.

Within the last six months, banks are seemingly happier to try something different, dropping the ball and chain which has restricted them over the past few years.

And if my experience has taught me anything, it is that

where one bank goes the others quickly follow.

That said, the banks are not throwing their money into the breeze.

The usual mortgage loan procedures apply when seeking a multi-property loan. In other words a client must have the required deposit and correct income balanced against their monthly outgoings, including the new loan commitments, as

this is still the key calculation to work out when lending.

It is also important to note that the bank is not likely to include the Spanish retail income in this calculation.

That is why the usual broker-client strategy is imperative when applying for this kind of loan.

But if you can prove your existing income is sufficient to support loan payments then I see no reason why some banks

wouldn’t agree to loans on multi-property purchases.

However, all said, I do have a few sage old words of advice for those developing a collection of properties.

First of all, make sure the properties you buy are suitable for the surrounding area and the people likely to rent. For example, don’t buy an apartment on the outskirts of town and expect to achieve short-term (holiday) rentals.

Second of all, buy property in an area that has varied facilities. This obviously depends on where you’re buying, but schools, supermarkets, restaurants and transport facilities are always a plus.

My third and final piece of advice - and the most important to you, the property purchaser - is to not put all your eggs in one basket.

In other words, spread your property portfolio across different areas and property types to spread your risk.

With all that in mind, a trip to your mortgage broker should be the first step you take on the road to building a property portfolio.

To contact Tancrede for all your mortgaging needs call 666 709 743 or email tdp@thefinanacebureau.com

Nightmayor

A FORMER mayor in Granada has been banned from taking political office for urban abuse.

Ex-mayor of Otura, Ignacio Fernandez-Sanz received a 16 year ban and a €4,000 fine for approving infrastructure works at illegally built properties.

Two other councillors, Pedro Cabanillas and Ignacio Perez have been served with seven year bans for their involvement.

The charges date back to 2007 when a licence was granted despite no official visit taking place at the site.

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Demolition job Senate bulldozes plans to protect homeowners who buy illegal homes in ‘good faith’

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PLANS to amend property law to protect purchasers from having their houses demolished have been thrown out by Spain’s upper house of parliament.

The Senate controversially threw out proposals to protect homeowners who ‘paid in good faith’ for ‘irregular homes’ constructed on illegal or protected land.

Expat lobbying groups AUAN and SOHA have long campaigned for a change to Article 34 of the Mortgage Law, which al-

FAMILIAR SIGHT: Homes torn down in Andalucia

lows for irregular homes to be knocked down with no compensation for the owner.

A SOHA spokesman said: “We have lost a grand opportunity to give everyone better judicial protection.

“It is difficult to explain, when all the parties are in agreement for the need for these legislative changes.”

More rentable to buy TENANTS in Spain are left with less money in their pocket at the end of the month than people who own their homes.

Based on average income weighed against average rental prices, families living in rented accommodation have

to allocate 27% of their income to meet monthly payments, according to property website pisos.com.

In comparison, homeowners fork out just 22% of their income on mortgage payments, leaving them significantly better off.

Property windfall

Possession play THE number of homes being repossessed in Spain is on its way down.

A 5.2% reduction on the number of repossessed properties during the first quarter of 2015 demonstrates a stabler economy as homeowners meet their mortgage payments.

A total of 30,952 homes have been repossessed this year, of which 29,591 were urban properties.

Andalucia has the highest number of repossessions (8,948) followed

by Catalunya (5,168) and Valencia (4,852).

BOOMING: New-builds are on the up

Licence to build NEW-BUILDS are back in business all over Spain, as construction cranes return to the skyline after a long leave of absence.

The number of licence applications grew by a quarter in the first four months of the year, with over 10,000 permits dished out by the Ministry of Development.

In total, new-build licence applications have been on the rise for nine months, the longest sustained increase since 2006.

SPAIN’S fourth largest banking group, Banco Popular, is giving the country’s booming property market an added boost.

The bank is aiming to offload €451 millionworth of its property portfolio before the summer is out, to balance the books.

Apartments, land and hotels are among the properties up for grabs.

The inventory is part of some €10 billion in property or distressed loans currently on offer by Spanish banks to clear their debts.

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

EXCLUSIVE

By Tom Powell CUSTOMERS in Spain are paying around a third less than Britain to download music, films and video games online.

But they pay even less in America, where popular music and film streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify are cheaper as well.

This is despite there being no associated costs such as distribution or delivery with online download purchases.

However, both Netflix (tv series and film streaming service launching in Spain in October) and Spotify (music service) are still more expensive in the UK than Spain.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Digital divide

Spain paying a third less than Britain to download music, films and audiobooks An Olive Press investigation has revealed the biggest price difference was for video game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black flag, which costs €29.99 to download from the Sony Playstation website in Spain, a whopping €61.15 in Britain and just €28.52 in the USA (when converted into euros).

The download down-low

Spain - UK - USA

Spotify: €9.99 - €13.57 - €9.16 Netflix: €8 (starting in October) - €8.14 - €7.05 PlayStation, Assassin’s Creed game: €29.99 - €61.15 €28.52 Google play, Paddington film: €13.99 - €13.57 - €11.91 Apple iTunes, Taylor Swift 1989 album: €10.99 - €10.85 - €9.68 American Sniper film: €13.99 - €19 - €11.47 The girl on the train audiobook: €9.99 - €12.21 - €6.41

Meanwhile, the costs of downloads from Apple’s iTunes and Google’s Playstore again fa- SWIFT: vour Americans. For Cheaper in the example, the cost to US download the film American Sniper from iTunes is €13.99 in Spain, compared to €19 in Britain and a mere €11.47 for our transatlantic cousins.

This comes after it emerged British users of Amazon Prime pay up to €80 more for the service than their European counterparts.

After a free 30-day trial of the one-day delivery service, customers are charged €107 a year to continue. But the same service costs just €15 in Spain, for once outdoing the USA, where it costs €88.

American intervention BANK of America is in final talks to buy loans with a nominal value of about €400m from Spanish state lender Bankia.

Pact-woman DEVELOPMENT Minister Ana Pastor has made a €22 billion pact with Colombian officials to develop the South American country’s infrastructure.

Lidl lift GERMAN supermarket chain Lidl will create 400 new jobs across its Spanish stores this summer.

Recruiting OFFICIAL statistics recorded 117,985 fewer people were jobless in May, a 2.7% drop in unemployment compared to April.

Growth spurt SPAIN’S economy will grow by 3.1% this year, predicts the International Monetary Fund

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the olive press - March 19th - April 1st 2015

AGONY ANT

R

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

EAL Estate Agents (REA) in Spain have long thought that if they register a client with a property owner or developer (irrespective of whether they show them the property), they have an automatic right to receive a commission.

However, and it may come as a shock to many, this is not the case, according to specific case law on the matter. The following rulings explain this: Appeal Court in Oviedo (22/2/1996): […] Only the broker that has effectively concluded the ADVERTORIAL

RENEWAL OF EUROPEAN DRIVING LICENCES EU driving licences are valid for driving throughout Spain.

The renewal of EU driving licences requires the holder to undergo psychometric aptitude tests and be legally resident in Spain.

Who needs to renew?

The latest EU Directive 2006/126/CE states that holders of EU driving licences that have expired or are about to expire need to renew their licence.

Holders of EU driving licences that are valid indefinitely or for more than 15 years for Group 1 (AM, A1, A2, A, B & BE) or valid for five years or more for Group 2 (BTP, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE) need to renew their licence, providing they have been legally resident in Spain for two years since 19 January 2013.

HOW TO RENEW This can be done in the local office of the Spanish Traffic Department, by calling 060 and making an appointment, or online at www.dgt.es DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED · Official application form (available from local Spanish Traffic Dept. or download from www.dgt.es) · Proof of identity and residency · EU driving licence. Original and a photocopy · Results from psychometric aptitude tests from recognised and authorised centre · A recent photograph 32mm x 26mm IN THE INTERESTS OF ROAD SAFETY These procedures have been implemented to comply with driving licence regulations (Directive 2006/126/CE) in an effort to help increase road safety in general. Countries of the European Union have a single driving licence for all 28 members, in a drive to harmonise the more than 110 different types of driving licences currently in circulation.

For more information contact Línea Directa on 902 123 282 or visit www.lineadirecta.com

Commission?

Think again Antonio Flores argues that Real Estate agents are not entitled to commission for registering a client with a property owner or developer contract between buyer and seller is entitled to retribution, rejecting ‘equitable remedies’ to the broker who, having intervened in some capacity in the contract has nonetheless failed to close an agreement.

Appeal Court in Oviedo (27/2/1998): […] the elucidation of who is entitled to the commission where several REAs intervene is not an easy one for, although several REAs may have ostensibly taken part in the negotiations, it is only the REA whose actions were decisive to perform the instruction who will be entitled to a commission payment. […] In a transaction where the principal has hired several REAs, it is not always easy to establish which of those specific actions, as carried out by each REA independently, produce the desired result of successfully closing the deal. The Court is of the opinion that where this situation occurs, it is a question of fact whether a specific REA action was decisive in securing the closing of the deal, in other words, the causation of the exchange of contracts between buyer and seller even if, in practice, coexisting ac-

tions or other particular factors of other REAs could have helped achieve the result.

Supreme Court (23/2/1965): […] Where several independent brokers concur with each other in a transaction, remuneration will have to be paid to the one whose action was a cause, even if not exclusive, of the success of the intermediation, i.e. the exchange of contracts.

Not upholding this view risks transmuting the very nature of a brokerage into a type of services contract where remuneration would be paid irrespective of the result of the conclusion of a sale, thus depriving brokerage agreements from the risk-of-failure element that is inherent to any aleatory contract.

The most immediate consequence of the application of this case law is that the commonly known action of “registering a client”, on its own, does not entitle the agency to receive a commission.

On the contrary, a REA needs to prove that his endeavours have materialised, spec i f i c a l l y, in the exchange of a purchase sale agreement (of whichever description).

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

Top Dollar

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

Living for the weekend!

TOP 10 WEEKEND BREAKS 1) Madrid 2) Paris 3) Barcelona 4) London 5) Roma

6) Venice 7) Valencia 8) San Sebastien 9) Sevilla 10) Palma de Mallorca

REVEALED: Where Spanish people choose to head for a dream weekend break

ICONIC: Women favoured Paris

THEY say home is where the heart is.

And this is true for Spaniards, who picked Spanish cities for six out of their ten dream weekend breaks, a new survey has revealed.

But it was Paris, the cultured capital of France, which came out as the most popular foreign city.

In fact, only Madrid is a more popular week-

end break, a clear winner chosen by 14.2% of the 6,000 voters.

Unsurprisingly many women favoured Paris, with 16% voting for the city of love.

While England’s capital, London, traditionally very popular with the Spanish, came in fourth with 9% of the vote, beaten by Barcelona in third on 10%.

ADVERTORIAL

Penny-pinching Brits

Plan zero

M

ÁSMÓVIL, one of Spain’s leading telecommunications operators, has published its 2014 results for the Alternative Equity Market showing a great success:.

Income has risen to €159.8 million and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to

Masmovil is aiming to be the fourth biggest telecommunications operator in Spain thanks to its great value plans €10.9 million.

With these results MÁSMÓVIL is positioned as the leading independent operator and is aspiring to be the fourth

NUMBER ONE: Spanish ideal city break is Madrid

largest national operator with comprehensive telecommunications services, including mobile, land-line, broadband and cloud services.

Its growth strategy is based on its experience and technological capacity, as well as Spanish shareholders committed to the same vision of permanency and product philosophy.

The goal for this year is to continue offering the best prices and the best service to customers.

With that in mind, it has just launched a combination of 2 Gigabytes + 0 cents/minute calls for only €9.90 per month – as part of its PLAN ZERO. This will particularly appeal to people that frequently use the internet on their mobiles to listen to music or watch videos.

BRITS may be landing on the Costa del Sol in record numbers but they’re not flashing the cash like they used to.

Despite 2014 being the fastest rate of economic growth in the UK since 2007, it seems that Brits have got used to looking after their centimos as more of their euros are staying in their wallets.

A whopping 86% said they were spending less on holidays than before the recession, according to market research firm Mintel.

In April, 5.4 million Brits made their way to Spain, a 5.5% increase on the previous year.

Jobs jamboree SPAIN’S jobs market is booming despite a more slowand-steady economic growth in the Eurozone as a whole.

The ‘big four’ countries of France, Germany, Spain and Italy are leading the continent in creating a business bonanza, according to Eurozone service sector statistics.

In May, payroll increases were the highest in 91 months in Spain and hit a 41-month high in France, confirming that the sector is on the up.

May also saw overall Eurozone unemployment fall to 11.1% from 11.2%.

Short of income?

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MÁSMÓVIL is all about transparency, without the small print, fines or permanence clauses! You may ‘park’ your SIM card for up to six months at a time when returning home so that you can keep the same Spanish number when you come back! This, together with a polite customer service team who speak no less than six languages (English, German, Spanish, Scandinavian, Russian and Finnish) and a web site in four languages, makes MÁSMÓVIL a firm favourite with expats.

Find out more about the terms and conditions for PLAN ZERO by phoning the toll-free number 1473 today for the name of your nearest MÁSMÓVIL agent, or visit www.masmovil. es/en. Free shipping is included online!

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Ringing the changes

By Iona Napier THEY used to be every teenager’s freeway to freedom the keys to your first car.

But a set of wheels is no longer what’s firing up the youth of today, according to management consultants KPMG. Young adults now put smartphones and tablets above cars as the ultimate symbol of freedom.

Statistically, 567,273 Spaniards aged 18-20 possessed a driving licence in October 2008 but, by October 2014, the number had dropped to 395,913.

The new figures are a major cause of concern for 54% of senior car sector officials, who are worried about the effect of decreasing demand from under 25s on the industry.

The financial crisis limited the purchasing power of young drivers and their parents.

Fast cars no longer the ultimate key to freedom for Spain’s young adults

ROAD TRIPS: A thing of the past for Spain’s youths?

But historically too, Spain’s young petrol heads have been decreasing in number.

During the 1980s, 20% of drivers were aged 18-24 but, by 2012, the figure had dropped to just 8%.

The rise of eco-warriors, improved public transport, the high cost of running a car and the rise of social media in connecting people are all possible factors for the decline.

A fine mess

SPEED DEMONS: Frequent on Andalucia’s roads DRIVERS in Andalucia are more likely to be caught speeding than anywhere else in Spain.

Central government raked in €130 million in radar gun fines in 2014 and Andalucian drivers contributed 20% of the pot.

By March this year, €27 million worth of fines had already been dished out across the country and Andalucian motorists footed most of that bill, too (€7 million).

In contrast, motorists in Cantabria, La Rioja and the Balearics are less likely to be caught speeding - with each area accounting for under €2million worth of fines in 2014.

UNSAFE: 47% of seats

Car seat scare

KID’S car seats are unsafe for use in almost four out of ten cases, according to a shocking new study.

Car security watchdog SRI tested 30 different models of baby and toddler car seats for safety, installation, ease of use and comfort - and 37% failed.

“We are extremely surprised by the huge number of failures,” commented a spokesman for Spanish motor club Race.

Of 30 car seat models, only 13 were judged to be ‘good’, six were ‘acceptable’ but 11 models were complete write-offs.

Cybex seats were consistently highly recommended while Casualplay Sono Fix came bottom of the survey.

Money for nothing

FOR the seventh year running, Spain is renewing its subsidy to motorists who turn in their old cars for scrap to buy new.

The incentive scheme has substantially bolstered the country’s motor industry, seeing car sales grow for 20 consecutive months.

5353

GOLF In the swing of it One-hit wonder THE average golfer goes for years without notching up a hole-in-one. But then, Miguel Angel Jimenez isn’t your average golfer.

The popular pro famous for chomping cigars and being his enthusiastic ‘self’ on the course slotted in his third hole-in-one of the season (his second in

Costa del Sol golf courses ranked top in Spain for second year running THE Costa del Golf has retained its world-class reputation after two of its courses were voted the best in Spain.

For the second year running, the Golfers’ Choice ranking of Spain’s top 50 courses has placed Real Club Valderrama, in Sotogrande, top and Finca Cortesin, in Casares, second.

Valderrama was given a score of 9.4 – up from last year’s 9.3 – in the rankings, compiled by the Leading Courses website based on golfers’ experiences.

Finca Cortesin recorded a score of 9.1 for the second year in a row, since the top 50 rankings for Spain began.

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale recently played a round on the course.

In third place Valencia’s La Galiana and Alcanda in

as many weeks) at the UK’s Wentworth Golf Club.

The Spaniard has smashed the record for the number of aces recorded on the European Tour.

Surpassing previous record-holder Colin Montgomerie, Jimenez now has 10 holes-in-one to his name!

LEGEND: Jimenez with trademark cigar

Top hole!

Golf Breakfast & Buggy Hire!

PRIME SPOT: Finca Cortesin, in Casares, was recently visited by Gareth Bale

Mallorca both scored 8.9.

Many more Andalucian courses made the list, in-

cluding La Cala Club, Marbella Club and La Reserva, also in Sotogrande.

SIMPLY THE BEST: Real Club Valderrama also topped the list in 2014

Chari-tee golf drive THE famous annual golf tournament in aid of Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice tees off on Saturday June 27.

La Cala Golf resort will host the popular fund-raising tournament, as it has done for the last two decades, with prizes for the three best players in each category up for grabs.

The 18-hole game costs €58 per player including green fee, shared buggy and an after-barbecue, when the prize-giving ceremony and raffle are held.

Profits will enable Cudeca to continue supporting those suffering from cancer, and their families, through its day care unit, inpatient unit and home visits.

In all, the charity requires a staggering €3 million a year to run.

For information and bookings contact 952 669 016, golf@lacala. com or visit www.lacala.com

Urb. Baviera Golf, 29751 Caleta de Vélez – Málaga Telf. 952 55 50 15 – reservas@bavieragolf.com - www.bavieragolf.com

Voucher 10€ on the summer offers 2GF + Bg=100€ , 1GF + Bg = 67€ , 1GF + Trolley =55€ *Buggy depend on the availability

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Bad car karma

There’s something about Giles Brown and his motors that doesn’t quite connect

F

OR the son of a racing driver of some repute who spent a large chunk of his childhood surrounded by cars, I don’t seem to have an awful lot of luck when it comes to my own motors.

You could write a ‘how not to’ guide when it came to my last car, the infamous Freelander. Every time something went wrong with it (frequently) it was expensive-enough to fix so it hurt, but not expensive enough to say, ‘Oh Freelander it!’ and take it to the scrapyard.

Until the day that it finally gave up the ghost, after I managed to crack both the subframe and the chassis. This basically meant that the bit you sit in was about to fall off the bit you drive. (I’m technical like that).

My mechanic assured me that, had this happened while I was driving, it would have sheared my legs off just below the knee, which might just have stung a bit...

Being stuck with no transport up at the Casita was not a great situation. My nearest neighbour kayaks to his house and once memorably borrowed one of my rowing boats when he brought a new sofa. I was treated to the rather surreal sight of a three-piece Swedish suite moving majestically across the water.

As regular readers will recall, however, the Yummy Mummy organised a whip-round among my friends for my birthday that raised over €1,200 for a new set of wheels. It had the added benefit of leaving me speechThey say other people’s kids less for the rest of the day, are the most effective form a feat that previously many of birth control; and, having thought impossible. listened to the ear-piercing With the cash I brought a shrieks of a great many little sturdy Seat Ibiza that was recDarrens and Tracies in my time ommended by all my friends (British kids are among the as unlikely to break down and easily repairable if it did. worst), I find that so true.

I’ve seen harassed parents They reckoned without my bribing their kids with ice inverse Midas touch when it cream and threatening to give comes to all things mechanitheir Gameboy away to the cal. poor, all to no avail; I’ve seen them apologising to restauMeltdown rant managers for cola spilled, In the three months that I chocolate smeared and Kinder have owned said Seat, the list Egg machines put out of ac- of things going wrong have intion; I’ve watched them pacing cluded a faulty oil sensor that the hotel lobby at 2am, worried beeps when I go uphill, totalled about what drug- or alcohol-fu- front tyres (the track to the elled condition their teenagers Casita is a front-wheel-drive might return in… if they return. killer, I have discovered), a That said, the average woman’s stereo that cuts out every five urge (but not mine) to produce seconds, driver’s door electric her own tiny creation and dress window stuck in the down poit up in cute booties is still sition, petrol cap cover that restrong. And when the brooding fused to open (leading to a Bainstinct hits, all thoughts of the sil Fawlty-esque meltdown at a juvenile delinquent it may grow petrol station in La Linea) and up to become are lost in a fan- the latest one – a central locktasy of cherubic bottoms and ing system malfunction, meanBaby Gap romper suits. ing that I can only get into the In my village of Los Barrios, ev- car through the (permanentlyery female of child-bearing age open) driver’s side window, à la who isn’t pregnant is pushing a ’Dukes of Hazzard’. pram, reprimanding a scream- Add to that the recent €200 ing toddler or trailing a disaf- fine from the Guardia Civil for fected adolescent in her wake. driving on a UK licence and it In my humble opinion they is safe to conclude that I have should give up breeding and very bad car karma! get a cat. You don’t have to Does anyone have a Tuk Tuk for wash and iron for them; they sale? don’t require therapy later in (STOP PRESS. The water cap life because of your sub-parent- fell off last night on the way ing skills; and you’ll never get back from filing copy...) stretch marks!

Who’s kidding who?

Belinda Beckett, aka Mistress of Sizzle, muses on her contribution to the declining birth rate

I

For Sale 799,000€ Los Lenadores is located in a small tranquil valley just outside the pueblo of La Atalaya, just an hour from Malaga and 30 minutes from Ronda. Access is via a track through Olive groves and Oak woods opening on to the beautiful, secluded valley.

The house is a fully modernised 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom finca with natural spring water, solar power with generator back up, solar hot water, underfloor central heating, partial air conditioning, and full internet connectivity. The interior has fully tiled floors, fitted Neptune kitchen, and the build size extends to 228sq m. plus 180sq m. of terraces, including a totally private 11 x 4.5 m pool, with casita.

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’LL never forget that line in Only Fools and Horses when Del Boy becomes a proud father and his brother Rodney asks him, “What is it Del?” “It’s a little baby”, Del gushes, tears in his eyes.” And so it was ... but not for long...

When will parents realise that ‘having a baby’ is a euphemism. What they are actually going to have is a baldy little human being (kittens are sooo much cuter) that morphs, progressively, into a terrible two-year-old, cheeky child and truculent teen.

By the time it reaches adulthood, gets a modicum of sense and is in a position to repay its parents for the long, thankless years of love and money showered upon it, it ups and leaves, returning fleetingly for Christmases, birthdays or, if extremely cash-strapped (or Spanish), to resume residence, often with partner in tow.

(Did you know that humans are the only species on earth that allow their offspring to return to the nest?)

Later, when said offspring have kids of their own, and Mum and Dad are unflatteringly renamed ‘granny’ or ‘gramps’, they will be expected to participate in nurturing a second generation of babies through their costly rites of passage.

Then, when they can be of no further use, they will be summarily despatched to the old folk’s home until they fall off the perch, an event the kids hope will happen sooner, rather than later, before the inheritance is all used up.

Of course, it doesn’t always turn out like that. Some of my best friends are contended grandparents. But given that the Eurozone now has the world’s lowest birth rate, at 9.9 children per 1,000 population, there must be an awful lot of people out there who think like me.

C lassifieds

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Interesados por favor pónganse en contacto a través de jo@worldtrans.dk

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FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

World’s greatest Spanish restaurant named best on the planet in 2015 rankings

TOP 10 1. El Celler de Can Roca (Spain) 2. Osteria Francescana (Italy) 3. Noma (Denmark) 4. Central (Peru) 5. Eleven Madison Park (United States) 6. Mugaritz (Spain) 7. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (United Kingdom) 8. Narisawa (Japan) 9. D.O.M (Brazil) 10. Gaggan (Thailand)

Whine and dine IT is 10 minutes before service and a team of 30-odd chefs is surprisingly zen-like as they beaver away in the engine room of El Cellar de Can Roca.

We wait with anticipation to tuck into a 20-course tasting menu, which weighs in at a rather alarming €190 plus a

Other Spanish restaurants in top 50: 13. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo 17. Arzak, San Sebastian 19. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu 39. Quique Dacosta, Denia 42. Tickets, Barcelona

IT’S official. Spain has the best restaurant in the world.

While El Celler de Can Roca in Girona claimed the top prize, Spain was the only country to feature twice in the top 10 at the World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards in London.

In total, seven Spanish restaurants feature in the top 50.

Run by brothers Joan, Jordi, and Josep Roca, El Celler de Can Roca moved up one place to knock last year’s Danish winner Noma off top spot.

Reclaiming the title it won in 2013, El Celler is also rated as Spain’s numero uno on TripAdvisor.

To see what publisher Jon Clarke made of the world’s best restaurant see (below).

Meanwhile, Mugaritz in San Sebastian retained the sixth place award it received last year.

However it wasn’t all good for Spanish eateries, as Arzak in San Sebastian slipped down the rankings, moving from eighth to 17th.

It was amazing food, but the wine let it down, writes Jon Clarke €95 wine-pairing deal.

Some inventive fish dishes come out first, including smoked eel and chestnuts, a prawn with vinegar, an oyster with anemone, mackerel with pickles and mullet roe.

Things start to get interesting when the fish courses fuse into meat and we have the skin of a sardine stitched onto pork jowl.

However, the big downside of the night was the wine. To be frank, the mix was disappointing, particularly as it included no less than three Rieslings from Germany and a quite bizarre, oxidized 1986 Ribera del Duero, which was horrible.

Because of that, I’m afraid to say the Roca boys only get two out of three from me.

www.theolivepress.es 59

the Olive Press June 11th - June59 24th 2015

FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

MILLI Taylor, 28, has notched up hundreds of miles bringing the flavours of Andalucia to London’s trendy dining scene.

Her parents own rural B&B Rancho del Ingles in the Gua-

5959

dalhorce Valley, where she honed her culinary skills.

Now a private caterer, Milli has cooked for a number of celebrities including Danni Minogue and Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl, specialising in fabulous finger food for parties.

Heavenly hispanic hors-d’oeuvres

One of Andalucia’s foremost foodie ambassadors, selftaught caterer Milli Taylor shares more of her party bites from paradise with Olive Press readers

Paella ‘arancini’ & alioli If there’s not enough leftover paella to go around the whole family again the following day, I shape the cold rice into small balls, coat them in breadcrumbs and fry them for my own version of the Italian arancini. Top with a little alioli and parsley and you’ve got a very tasty canapé. If you don’t have paella leftovers, this is how I make them from scratch.

1 tablespoon oil 1 onion 70 g chorizo picante, finely diced 150 g skinless boned chicken thighs, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 100 g prawns, finely diced 70 g squid, finely diced a pinch of saffron 1 tablespoon tomato purée 600 ml chicken stock 300 g paella rice 1 egg yolk plain flour, for dusting 2 eggs, whisked, for egg-washing 200 g breadcrumbs sunflower oil, for frying freshly chopped parsley, to garnish For the alioli 2 garlic cloves, crushed 100 g mayonnaise a pinch of paprika a squeeze of lemon juice Makes 40 Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onions, chorizo, chicken and

Butternut squash & chorizo skewers 600 g butternut squash 360 g chorizo parsley leaves, to serve For the marinade 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pinches sea salt a pinch of coarse black pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cumin baking sheet lined with a silicone mat Makes 35 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

garlic for 10 minutes.

Add the prawns, squid, saffron, tomato purée and stock, and bring to a simmer.

Add the rice and stir. Let simmer for 20 minutes and check the rice to see if it is tender. If it isn’t, cook for a few minutes more. Take off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then mix in the egg yolk and spread on a tray to cool completely. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Flour your hands and use a spoon to form the rice into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. Chill the rice balls again, until firm. When you are ready to cook, dust the rice balls in flour, dip in egg wash and finally in the breadcrumbs.

Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan until a breadcrumb sizzles in the oil. Fry the arancini, in batches, for 2–3 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are a deep golden brown and the centre is piping hot. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve.

To make the alioli, mix the crushed garlic cloves into the mayonnaise with the lemon juice and paprika.

To serve, cut each ball in half, top with alioli and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl. Cut the butternut squash into 35 neat cubes, toss in the marinade and then transfer to the prepared baking sheet, making sure there is a little space between each cube of squash.

Cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the squash is cooked through.

Cut the chorizo into 35 pieces and fry in a hot pan for a few minutes until the chorizo turns crisp and the excess oil is released. Absorb any excess oil with kitchen towel.

Skewer through a parsley leaf, then the squash, then the chorizo. Serve.

Milli Taylor’s book Party-perfect Bites - 100 Delicious Recipes for Canapes is available to Olive Press readers for the special price of £11.99 including postage (rrp£16.99) by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256 302 699 and quoting the reference GLR L4L.

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the Olive Press June 11th - June 24th 2015

FOOD & DRINK www.theolivepress.es with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

60 You are what you think you eat THEY say you are what you eat and Spanish people take great pride in delicious cuisine.

But new research from Nestle suggests they don’t realise just how bad some of their eating habits are.

While 70% of Spaniards believe they eat very well, nine in ten do not eat a proper breakfast, if at all.

Red meat

And seven out of ten do not consume five small meals per day – the recommended food intake – while one in six miss at least one meal a day completely.

The Spanish eat a whopping 2.5 times the recommended amount of red meat and 65% of those interviewed eat either no fish or less than the recommended intake.

Almost three quarters of the population do not drink the eight glasses of water each day that the heat demands, although 82% believe they do.

FLOWER POWER

by Steven Saunders of the Little Geranium

Steven Saunders’ latest recipe comes with a health warning...

Tapas to die for!

S omebody recently posted that headline on TripAdvisor for our ´Little Geranium´ Restaurant in La Cala and it got me thinking… Years ago, when I was on Ready Steady Cook I said out loud ‘this recipe is to die for’. It was live TV and afterwards we had a complaint. Apparently an old lady had been so excited with the recipe she jumped with joy and… well, passed away. I felt somewhat responsible!

Seriously though, there is nothing nicer than the soft flavours of smoked salmon coupled with sour cream, the saltiness of caviar and the tartness of caper berries. (Especially when it is home smoked which is what I do on my BBQ after curing it first.) Enjoy this wonderful tapas and try a glass of Alborino or Cava with it!

Smoked salmon Blinis with caper berries & caviar Ingredients for approx. 12 blinis (4cm) For the Blinis Plain flour 100g Semi-skimmed milk 250ml 1 free-range egg separated White sugar 15g Salt 3g 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda Olive oil 1 tablespoon

For the topping and garnish: Sour cream (about 100ml ) or Nata para Montar whisked up and seasoned with a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoned with salt About 250 grams of good quality smoked salmon 1 tablespoon of caper berries (with stalks on if possible) A little balsamic syrup Rocket leaves and fresh herbs Approx 1 dessert spoon of Avruga Caviar (herring roe… optional) Fresh lemon/lime to squeeze over to finish

Method Leave the milk out of the fridge for half an hour before you start so it is room temperature.

Sift the flour through a fine sieve and add to the milk. Add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk until smooth. Add the egg yolk, sugar and salt

and keep whisking until smooth. Now whisk up the egg white and add this, folding in to make sure there are no lumps and then run the mixture through a sieve. Add the vegetable oil and stir. Cover with cling film for 30 minutes at room temperature.

The best way to cook blinis is to use a cast iron blini pan – but any heavy-bottomed pan will do, you can then cut each blini into small 4cm rounds. Get the pan very hot, and using a ladle put 2 tbsp of the mixture into the corner of the pan and tip from side to side until it has covered the surface and is as thin as possible – Flip the blini and cook for approx 15 seconds. Tip gently on to a plate and make your next blini. Each time you finish one, spread a little soft butter on the top side to keep them soft and prevent them sticking together.

Serve them warm topped with a little sour cream and then top with folds of smoked salmon and Avruga Caviar. Garnish with rocket leaves, fresh herbs and caper berries, then season with a little black pepper (freshly ground) and a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon.

Add a drizzle of balsamic syrup and top with caviar (optional) to garnish and serve!

Steven Saunders FMCGB www.thelittlegeranium.com steven@thelittlegeranium.com 0034 722 232 274

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El Rincón de

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AWARD-WINNING HOTEL

Sea world REPEATS POPULAR SPECIAL OFFERS ‘Chef of the Sea’ Angel Leon is cooking up a storm to raise money for a Cadiz nature reserve

The two-star Michelin chef will be the main attraction at the 200-person celebration which marks the end of the spring crowdfunding push to raise funds for the La Covacha salt pan in the Bay of Cadiz.

Leon is one of a trio LOCAL CELEB: Leon of local celebrities to back the campaign, with sculptor Javier Ayarza and flamenco

by Eddie the hotel hound fusion singer Clara Montes also highprofile backers.

The event starts at midday at the Sale HE master has a mug which he doesn’t know that I’ve seen. It has et Sole restaurant at a picture of a handsome dog, rather like me, on it. The dog has his Los Toruños Metrohead out of a car window as it whizzes along and the caption reveals politan Park with a what the dog is thinking; ‘Park not Vet’s, Park not Vet’s’. video presentation Well, obviously any dog would think that – although parks aren’t big where by Salarte’s lead ecolI live so for me it’s more like: ‘Anything but Vet’s, Anything but Vet’s’. ogist, Juan Martin However, the real issue is that I never know how long a car journey is going Bermudez, showing to be because I can’t tell the time. the work the team But I am not totally stupid; Lead and the infamous black bags in the back have done over the of the car equals local walk. Basket, dog food, toys, lead and black bags past year and how means we are in for the long haul. I’ll jump in straight away for the local their crowdfunding walks, for basket cases I need more persuasion. scheme reached its And it does make me laugh… I am a medium-sized dog and my baskets need the whole of the back of the car – approximately twice the area al- €3,000 target.

After that, guests will located to a human for the same journey!

Couple that with getting them to pick up whatever I ‘leave behind’ in the be treated to shrimp, old black bag – and is there any real question as to which is the more intel- cupped oysters and plankton from La ligent species of the two?

Covacha itself.

To book your place To get in touch with Eddie, contact his owners Andy and Pauline at the at the event on June Hotel Molino del Santo. Bda Estacion s/n, 29370 Benaojan, Malaga. 21 email contacto@ Local issue 46:The Local Issue 5 5/13/14 10:54 PM Page 104 952 167 151 - 952 167 927. info@molinodelsanto.com salarte.org

A dog’s life,

Anything but the Vet’s

T

The €5.00 Lunch

Molino del Santo Hotel offers 3 Special Deals during June. Which will you choose?

DEAL 1 - EAT AND STAY OVER

Bed and Breakfast – with our popular monthly menu for two people You also receive a bottle of our excellent house wine on us for each room – and we’ll give you a free room upgrade on arrival subject to availability.

Price per person in a Standard balcony room – 87 euros.

DEAL 2 - EAT a la CARTE, STAY OVER & MASSAGE

Bed and Breakfast and three courses from our A La Carte Menu, a bottle of our excellent house wine on us with a relaxing half hour back or leg massage per person included. Free room upgrade on arrival subject to availability.

Price per person in a Standard Terrace Room – 122 euros.

DEAL 3 - SPECIAL 5 COURSE TASTING MENU, STAY OVER & MASSAGE

Tame your hunger!

Bed and Breakfast with our excellent Five Course Tasting Menu included along with a super relaxing hour long whole body massage per person. We’ll include a glass of local wine matched to each course of the menu totally free.

Price per person in a Superior Room – 152 euros.

All bookings subject to availability. New reservations only.

Other combinations possible – just call or e-mail us at info@molinodelsanto.com.

Here to stay!

Available 12:00 till 16:00 Mondays to Fridays

We’re also open every day for non-residents for coffee, teas, lunch and dinner. Come and discover for yourself the best food in the Ronda area.

Lots of people come on the train too- contact us for more details “You have created something very special here ... we’re already planning out next visit.” PR June 2015 ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt Great

l0lIdeas

COCOMO Cocktail Bar & Restaurant Reservations recommended

685 218 054 Next to the Senator Banus Spa Hotel

Please mention The Local when responding to advertisements

ke the to ma of the most AREA A D RON y Chapell d by And Compile

with the

help of

Free Guide to 101 THINGS TO DO IN THE RONDA AREA available by e-mailing info@molinodelsanto.com

FRE E GIF T

the dog Eddie

More information of any kind e-mail

info@molinodelsanto.com

www.molinodelsanto.com | info@molinodelsanto.com | 952 16 71 51 ESTACIÓN DE BENAOJÁN, NEAR RONDA, MÁLAGA

the

E RE

Covering Andalucia in 2015 with over 200,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 500,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

olive press F

Telephone: 951 273 575

Work hard, play hard SPANIARDS are statistically the second best in the world at balancing work and play, beaten by Denmark.

FINAL WORDS

Bag reclaim THE eight-year-old Moroccan smuggled over the Cueta border in a suitcase has been reunited with his family after his father’s bail.

Serpent shock TERRIFIED tourists found a 2m long snake in an Alicante airport elevator before being escorted off the premises by police.

Smoke screen

June 11th - June 24th 2015

FOOTBALL icon Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother (left) was caught flouting the law carrying €55,000 in her hand luggage as she tried to leave Spain.

Money laundering laws state that €10,000 is the maximum that can be taken out of Spain undeclared.

Dolores Aveiro, 60, was held by guards while the money was confiscated in Madrid’s Barajas airport.

She then flew to Portugal carrying €10,000 and will have to pay €600 to reclaim the rest.

Ronaldo mum had €55,000 in bag...

Hot property Sun-worshiping Spanish entrepreneur taken to court for selling off plots on the Sun SOME people will buy and sell anything for a quick buck… but one woman from

Galicia has taken that philosophy to another level.

Not happy selling sunglasses

SPANIARDS are among the highest smokers in Europe with a third of all people in Spain regularly smoking.

Cyclist heaven BARCELONA is the most bike-friendly city on the Mediterranean, claims the Copenhagenize index.

www.theolivepress.es

SUN-SEARCHER: Angeles Duran

to beach revellers or shares to stockbrokers, Maria Angeles Duran has done the unthinkable and sold off the Sun. But after spinning €1200 on €1/ m² plots online, eBay has stepped in

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and banned the 54-year-old Spanish entrepreneur from her solar venture.

Claiming the sales were a con, eBay has stopped all future deals going through.

But an unrelenting Duran is not happy with that and is fighting her corner, using a loophole in the ‘Outer Space Treaty’ to take the trading website to court.

“There was no snag, I backed my claim legally, I am not stupid, I know the law,” she said.

She is in fact claiming €10,000 as compensation following eBay’s ban.

Light-fingered sleepers LIGHT-fingered Spanish holidaymakers are more likely to fill their suitcases with hotel supplies than any of their European counterparts.

The Germans and the Irish are also prone to smuggling a shampoo, and make up the top three European offenders, according to Hotels.com.

However, there are two nations who are even worse than the Spanish.

Argentinian travellers are the world’s worst with Singaporean travellers second.

Fight or flight HOLIDAY is a time for relaxing, having a few drinks and kicking back.

But it seems some tourists are taking this too far with rowdy mishaps on flights to Spain.

A Jet2 flight from Leeds Bradford to Alicante stopped off in Toulouse to throw passenger Grant Marshall off for ‘drunk and abusive behaviour’.

The budget airline issued him a lifetime ban and he may have to pay several thousands of euros for the unplanned stopover.

Marshall was part of a group of 14 who were reportedly consuming illicit alcohol, using intimidating language and threatening behaviour.

...While exmissus bedded Fifa boss A bad week for Ronaldo was compounded when Spanish newspaper El Mundo claimed disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter had an affair with Ronnie’s ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk (above), while the Madrid star was dating her.

Name game BELIEVE it or not but not every Spaniard is called Juan, Paco and Pedro.

There are, in fact, a multitude of weird and wonderful names - but some are tragically dying out.

One of these is Urracas meaning Magpie - which was once the most popular girls name in Spain in the Middle Ages Now, after 200 years of plummeting in popularity, it has officially died out.

Other names walking the tightrope are Canuta, Prepedigna and Afrodisia - all long standing traditional names, each with less than 10 people alive and all over the age of 80.

What ban?

BARCELONA FC have signed Sevilla defender Aleix Vidal for €13 million, despite their transfer ban.

The former Sevilla player, 25, will not be able to play for the Champions League winners until January 2016.

The Catalan giants were banned for two transfer windows for breaking rules.