Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 175

Don’t miss our special Christmas events round-up on page 22 Earpiece Don’t let the Don’t let thein banks cash new size banks cash in 39mm www.hifx.co.uk www.hifx.co.uk xsee 50mm page 13 see page 13

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Vol. 7 Issue 175

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Battle for the last Frontera ‘Survivor’ at Starlite!

Writers unite to save La Almoraima

November 27 - December 11 2013

ANGRY: Garvey, Hunter-Watts and Stewart

See page 17 A TRIO of leading expat writers have joined forces to condemn the sale of a huge public estate inside the Alcornocales Natural Park.

Scribes Chris Stewart, Geoff Garvey and Guy Hunter-Watts have joined an Olive Press campaign to highlight the plight of the Almoraima estate that the PP government wants to turn into a centre for ‘elite tourism’.

“They are selling off the silver one more time to balance the books,” writes Driving Over Lemons author Stewart.

Adds Hunter-Watts, the author of numerous walk-

TV trouble

Turn to page 7

Still stylish Charlotte See page 20

A A wine time in Jerez See page 23

EXCLUSIVE

By Liam Kirkaldy But after providing police with bank details, an address and a car registration for the pair, along with proof they had been using a fake IVA number, they have been told it is NOT a criminal matter.

Now they have been told they will have to spend hundreds of euros to take the case forward as a civil matter, despite numerous other victims also suffering from the pair.

Ripped Off

Incredibly, another victim in Barcelona, Margarida Ventura, who was ripped off to the tune of €399, was also told that the sum was too small to warrant a criminal investigation.

The Jones, who moved to Sotogrande over a decade ago, took matters into their hands after they paid €3000 to upgrade their satellite TV connection.

After repeated calls to complain that the new system did not work they decided to try and lure the conmen to a fake address.

“We gave Taylor the address of an urbanisation in Marbella using a spare phone and said we needed work done,” said Janet.

“When he turned up my husband parked right up next to him and blocked in his car – after a struggle we managed to get his wallet and his driving licence.

“It was in the pouring rain - and he panicked, wriggled out of his top and ran away.”

When police arrived shortly afterwards they were able to

SPAIN’S High Court believes that the ruling PP party used a ‘caja B’ black money accounting system for a number of years.

Judge Pablo Ruz who is investigating the so-called ‘Barcenas case’ insisted there was ‘circumstantial’ evidence that the party ran the system parallel to the official one it presented to the Court of Auditors.

He claims that there existed ‘a continual financial flow of receipts and payments alongside the official accounts.’

Ruz is handling the moneylaundering and corruption case against former PP treasurer and senator Luis Barcenas (pictured above).

The former treasurer claims company ledgers show regular black money cash payments were made to current leader Mariano Rajoy, as well as other top PP officials.

Turn to page 4

Border bag backlash!

locate Taylor, who had been cowering around the corner.

While he claimed he had been the victim of an assault, police arrested him and the case went to court three days later.

“It was then we discovered it could only be a civil case, with police telling us ‘next time don’t do it yourself, leave it to us’,” continued Glenn.

“The problem is they won’t do anything. We handed him to

A FRESH row between Britain and Spain has threatened to erupt after a serious breach of diplomatic protocol.

Guardia Civil officers opened and searched an official British Government diplomatic bag as it was being transported by courier across the border from Gibraltar into Spain.

Sealed diplomatic bags are covered by international legal protection and are used to carry official correspondence or other items between a government and its diplomatic, consular or official entities.

Protocol concerning the dip-

Turn to page 2

Turn to page 11

Expats trap infamous TV installation conmen, only to discover that despite losing €3000 it is not deemed a criminal matter

BRITISH couple who trapped two infamous Costa del Sol fraudsters in a home-made sting have warned other expats to stay vigilant.

The couple, Glenn and Janet Jones, from Sotogrande, caught the two well-known conmen – who use the names ‘Jake Rose’ and ‘James Taylor’ - by luring them to a fake job in Marbella.

It came after they lost €3000 for TV installation work that was never completed.

PP ran ‘caja B’ account for years

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

CRIME NEWS

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Highway robbery Undercover cops in stakeout after takeaway gang strikes again and again EXCLUSIVE

By Liam Kirkaldy ping centre - evidence that the takeaway gang have had their fill of shoppers’ cash and property.

The latest victims were Victoria Sharp and her partner Jenny Donaldson, who

were robbed at the nearby Opencor supermarket car park.

“While I was in the supermarket Jenny was looking for her shopping list in the back seat,” said restaurateur Victoria. “She had used her wallet at the toll and it was still lying in the front.

“A man drove up, parked very close to her with the engine roaring and asked directions, then sped off. It took less than two minutes, but afterwards we couldn’t find her wallet. After searching the car we realized he must have had an accomplice who sneaked up and opened the

PHOTO. Maia Clarke Chidgey

POLICE are monitoring a crime hotspot on the San Pedro to Ronda road after a series of robberies were committed by an organized gang.

Almost every day handbags and wallets can be seen strewn across the ground at Monte Halcones shop-

DISTRACTED: Victoria and Jenny return to the scene of the crime

front door on the other side and took it.

“We lost about €1,000, from three different cards. They didn’t have the pin so we still don’t understand how they got it so fast.”

Incredibly two weeks later, they saw the exact same men hanging around the same spot.

“They even tried the same maneuver on me again but I was obviously prepared this time,” said Jenny, who drove off.

“It is apparently happening seven days a week. If you arrive in the morning you’ll find empty handbags and wallets strewn across the ground outside.”

Staff from nearby bars and restaurants said robberies were increasingly common in the area.

One said: “I heard about two guys who had their car broken into. They lost a laptop, camera, and bags, but there was nothing the police could do.”

Police have promised to send an unmarked car to the scene in a bid to catch the gang.

In the meantime, shoppers are being advised to be on their guard when visiting the area.

Domestic violence on the rise

AN incredible 2500 cases of domestic violence have been dealt with in Mijas so far this year.

On a daily basis the equality department receives a shocking eight telephone calls a day from concerned women.

There are also a total of 200 active protection orders currently being enforced in the area.

The number of complaints by British women has also increased this year.

The statistics are not unique for Mijas. Domestic violence has become a

pandemic in Spain, with a shocking 700 women killed so far this year by their partners.

The number of women killed by their partners has increased by 46% over the last three years.

Globally, one in three women is subject to sexual violence during her life.

Figures released by the UN on its international day for the elimination of violence against women also revealed as many as one in four men in some parts of the world have committed rape.

TV conmen fightback From page 1 the police on a plate, but the court said it’s a grey area and wouldn’t treat it as criminal, so we can’t get a warrant out.”

They had found the company ‘a2b electrical services’ via an advert in a rival English newspaper.

Unbeknown to them, the Olive Press had already dealt with the men via a similar company Free2viewTV a couple of times over the last few years.

We exposed them in March 2011, despite threatening us with legal action after screaming abuse at ripped off customers and calling them ‘muppets’.

But it seems the pair - one from Liverpool, one from Birmingham, who have lived in the Alhaurin el Grande area and drive a Grey Ford Focus with number plate 6365BZW - have managed to continue trading using a series of other names.

Advertising

Indeed the Olive Press has discovered that they have been advertising in most of the coastal newspapers under the names uktvsolutions, inlandskytvspain, homeserve, response electrical services and a2b electrical services.

Most of the time they even use the same mobile number.

“Incredibly one of the newspapers refused to remove the adverts until the criminals were actually convicted,” complained Glenn.

After putting out a fresh appeal for information this week on our website, the Olive Press was inundated with replies from victims, who typically lost money in similar circumstances.

They insist the conmen go under varying names from ‘James Taylor’, to ‘Jake Rose’, ‘Steve Rose’, ‘Jake Bass’ and ‘John Robinson’.

Some victims paid money to a UK bank account held by a ‘Michelle Rose’.

“I can’t describe how sickening it is to realise you’ve been robbed,” explained Glenn. “We were so nice to James Taylor, we gave him lunch and drinks at our house. I will only be satisfied if they got sent to prison and I get my money back, which I know is not going to happen.”

The Olive Press has been unable to contact the companies in question. The details of the victims have been changed to protect their identity.

It’s a fair chop!

A TRIO of audacious thieves have been arrested after stealing a helicopter to use for drug trafficking.

The chopper is identical to those used by the Guardia Civil, except for one feature – the presence of 400 kg of hashish in the back.

It had been stolen from a site in Cordoba a few weeks ago, before being moved by truck to be hidden in a Dos Hermanas urbanization in Sevilla.

Police found the vehicle as part of an investigation into drug smuggling.

A spokesperson said: “We suspect that this was going to be used for the introduction and transportation of drugs in the country.”

BLADE RUNNER: The chopper was going to be used for drug smuggling

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Enrique plea ENRIQUE Iglesias is urging his legion of fans to help the victims of the Haiyan typhoon.

The half-Filipino Spanish superstar has added a link from his official website to the American Red Cross page.

He wrote: “HELP THE PHILIPPINES! People in the Philippines need our help right away! Please consider donating to Haiyen disaster relief, you’ll feel good that you did.”

The appeal follows a successful appearance at the Latin Grammy Awards last week in Nevada.

Iglesias was pictured alongside fellow musicians Pitbull and Ricky Martin.

NEWS

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Kitchen whizz ‘Brutal touch’ creates a miracle as young punk wins three Michelinstar accolade for Madrid A CELEBRITY chef who looks more like a footballer than a whizz in the kitchen has won Madrid its first three Michelin starred restaurant in a decade.

David Munoz has snared the massive honour for his restaurant DiverXo after showing excellent creativity and style.

He only won his second star last year and is known for his ‘traveling cuisine’, which

is based on a combination of Asian and Madrid-style cooking.

Bearded with a black Mohican and horn-shaped earpiercings, Munoz comes from a middle-class Madrid family with no history of professional cooking.

He started buying his first creative cook books when he was 14.

His tiny restaurant on famous Calle Castellana has just got

MINE’S A TREBLE: Head chef David Munoz of the three Michelin starred DiverXo better and better though and he has 15 chefs in the tiny kitchen.

On entering, the diners see chefs putting the final touches to the dishes in the hallway because the kitchen is not big enough.

“We were looking to make it a brutal experience,” Munoz recently said. “What is happening in DiverXo is an absolute miracle. DiverXo aims to change totally the concept of

Sparkling edition

Thorsome!

A DAZZLING Eva Longoria has been covered in crystals for an Elle Magazine shoot.

The American beauty appears on the front of the Spanish edition’s December issue wearing nothing but Swarovski crystals.

She told the magazine: “I was very excited to be considered for such a special edition.

“The only fear I had before doing the crystal cover was being so naked.”

She added: “Not being able to cover anything made me feel very insecure!”

CRYSTAL CLEAR: Eva Longoria wears nothing but Swarovski

En route to Essex LORRA LAUGHS: Miller hopes for a Christmas tan

YE Gods! Thor star Chris Hemsworth, who plays the Marvel superhero on the big screen, is expecting another baby with Spanish actress wife Elsa Pataky.

Married since 2010, the couple already have a daughter India Rose, 18 months.

Elsa, who previously dated Adrien Brody, was last seen on our screens in Fast & Furious 6, but is now very much a home mum in Malibu.

Double delight THANKSGIVING and Hanukkah fall on the same day for the first time since 1888.

American expats around the coast are gearing up for the annual turkey-fest, the first of which was celebrated

by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles.

Scores are expected to head down to Yanx restaurant in Puerto Banus, which is offer-

ing a traditional thanksgiving feast for just €20.

Alternatively get into the American flavour and use a token in this paper to get two hamburgers for the price of just one.

Meanwhile, Jewish Americans, are celebrating the ‘onc in a lifetime’ holiday by decorating their homes with turkey menorahs, known as ‘menurkies’.

Funnyman’s hot date COMEDIAN Mick Miller is returning to Spain next month to perform alongside disco stars Heatwave.

The Liverpudlian will be appearing on stage at the Hotel Don Carlos, Marbella on December 14 before heading off to a show on the Costa Blanca on December 16.

The shows follow a successful performance at the Benidorm Palace in September, held in aid of Help for Heroes.

Miller told the Olive Press: “I do a number of shows in Spain every year and they’re always good fun. I’m really looking forward to performing for the expat crowd... and getting a tan in time for Christmas.”

Tickets are on sale from the hotline: 966 792 595 or at www. heatwavepromotions.com

THEY get half of Essex descending there every summer.

So it makes perfect sense to launch a branch of the popular restaurant chain La Sala back in Essex.

The top Marbella celebrity eaterie - which features every year in episodes of hit programme TOWIE The Only Way is Essex is looking for appropriate venues around the home county.

Already popular with celebrities including Ashley Cole, Sir Bruce Forsyth, Tulisa and Jamie Oliver it is expected to be a hit with a similar clientelle.

The British branch will be run by restaurateur James Horler, who successfully ran the La Tasca and Frankie & Benny’s chains.

“Our first site is likely to be in Essex to attract the celebrities and footballers and will have valet parking as well as the same atmosphere and great food as the Spanish restaurant,” said Horler. “‘We’re planning to roll out two sites in the first 12 months with a third to follow, maybe in West London.

It’s great timing for this type of brand.”

3

STRICTLY SPEAKING: La Sala is a favourite of Sir Bruce Forsyth

the three-star Michelin restaurant.”

Munoz, who is set to open a branch in London next year, works 15 hours a day and has not had a day off in six years.

As for diners, “you have to come here with an open mind,” he adds. “Anything is possible here and you have to be prepared to be surprised.”

His restaurant is the eighth in Spain to win three stars, the majority being in the Basque or Catalan regions.

Disappointed

El Portal de Echaurren in La Rioja and M.B. by chef Martin Berasategui in Tenerife both won two stars for the first time, while Ferran Adria’s brother Albert won a star for his Barcelona eaterie Tickets.

In Andalucia, Almeria restaurant Alejandro in Roquetas de Mar won a star back having lost it last year, while all four Malaga restaurants with stars (El Lago, Skina, Calima and Jose Carlos Garcia) maintained them.

Dani Garcia, who is set to move to Hotel Puente Romano next year, maintained his two star status with Calima.

One Andalucia chef Angel Leon, of Aponiente, in El Puerto de Santa Maria, was left disappointed after critics wrongly claimed he would get two stars.

In total Spain saw a significant leap in its success this year, seeing the country’s eateries land 171 stars, compared to 158 last year.

Portugal only had two new stars to celebrate, one for Eleven in Lisbon and one for L´And Vineyarsa in Montemor-o-Novo.

See Pond Life on page 55

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

NEWS

Mayor ordered to find €11 million in bail for corruption PROSECUTORS have asked that former Jerez mayor Pilar Sanchez face an €11.4 million bail payment over the ‘Plan E’ corruption case.

Sanchez faces three years in prison, as well as an €8.6 million fine, over accusations that she was part of

an embezzlement scheme, involving between €7.6 and €8.6million.

Under Spanish law, a bail payment must be set 30% higher than the ordered fine, as a guarantee.

If Sanchez cannot find the money, the court may seize

property equal to the amount owed.

Police started the investigation following complaints from the PP party in July 2011.

The city of Jerez is one of the most indebted in Spain owing over €1billion.

Carlos NOT Corrupt

EMBATTLED: Cospedal and Rajoy

Black money deals From page 1

The money was raised in cash donations from a string of private businessmen over a 20 year period.

In particular, Ruz points to undeclared funds which were used to pay the architect Gonzalo Urquijo for renovating the PP’s Madrid headquarters.

The payments are not included in official accounts, but in the ‘parallel, or under-the-table, accounting system.’

The party’s secretary general, Maria Dolores de Cospedal, has asked anti-corruption prosecutors to take a look at the party’s accounting, including the 5.6 million euros it spent on remodeling its headquarters.

“All payments are included in the PP’s accounting. All of them,” she said after a national executive committee meeting this week.

Prime Minister Rajoy continued to refuse to comment on the case or speak to reporters afterwards.

Bárcenas, who is being held at Madrid’s Soto del Real prison, is expected to appear back in court within the next few weeks.

CARLOS Fabra, the former chief of Castellon province who became famous for building a airport that was never used has been sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud.

The anticorruption public prosecutor had requested an eight-year jail sentence for the Popular Party (PP) politician on four counts against him related to his not declaring income of almost two million euros to the tax office between 1999 and 2004 - a fraud worth almost 700,000 euros.

The court found him not guilty of two other charges of influence peddling and bribery. In total, the prosecution had hoped for accumulated sentences of 13 years against the man who has personified power in the Mediterranean province for almost two decades.

Despite the four-year sentence Fabra said he was very happy with the ruling.

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PIE DRAMA:: President gets hit on the head

Return to the Inquisition

By Liam Kirkaldy FOUR environmental activists face jail terms of up to nine years after throwing cream pies at a regional politician.

The four men – part of Mugitu, a non-violent environmental protest group – pelted Navarra president Yolanda Barcina Angulo with pies as part of a protest against the development of a new high-speed AVE rail network across the Pyrenees.

Appearing in court, the men were told they had left Barcina ‘dazed and disorientated’.

Crack down on protests PARTICIPANTS in ‘unauthorised’ demonstrations could be slapped with fines of €600,000 if a new law is passed.

Under the Citizen Security bill, due to be drafted next week, any ‘social uproar’ leading to harassment or insults of officials will be made a criminal offence.

Unsanctioned protests outside political offices will be outlawed, alongside disorderly conduct by people hindering identification, such by wearing scarves or balaclavas.

Other offenses deemed serious are to include publishing images or personal data of policemen or interrupting public events.

Pie protesters face 29 years in jail for opposing destruction in Pyrenees

One member of the group Gorka Ovejero Gamboa faces up to nine years in prison, while the other three, Julio Martín Villanueva, Ibón García Garrido and Mikel Álvarez Forcada, could spend six years in jail.

But their defence lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, attacked the charges, saying: “If these people are convicted, the court will look like a tribunal during the Inquisition rather than a modern court of law.”

Boye claimed that the court had rejected all eyewitness accounts called by the defence and accepted only the evidence of two Spanish police officers, who were not actually present when the incident happened.

Ovejero expressed his shock at facing such a severe sentence.

He said: “In Belgium the activist Nöel Godin and his group have thrown more than 100 pies in the face of important people and they have always been understood to be expressions of surrealist art.

“In Spain, authority figures are protected as much, if not more, as they were under the dictatorship.

“If you throw a pie in the face of your local barber, nothing will happen. But if you do it to a public official, you’ll find the great weight of the law coming down on top of you.”

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Spain’s scientists hope to bring an extinct mountain goat back to life, so it’s...

HOOVES CROSSED FOR CELIA SPANISH scientists have received funding in a bid to clone an extinct mountain goat.

The scientists will test the viability of recovering the species from preserved cells of a female mountain goat that

died in 2000.

The last of the bucardo goats became extinct that year, but cells from the last animal were frozen in liquid nitrogen.

The Aragon Hunting Federation has now signed an agreement with the Centre for Research and Food Technology of Aragon (CITA) to begin preliminary work on the cells from the last animal, Celia (seen left).

The researchers, in Zaragoza, have stressed that this is not yet the start of a recovery plan, such a plan can only be initiated if the cells are still alive.

If they turn out to be alive, the process could produce one or more female bucardo clones.

Golfing Union boss made €3 gesture million in ERE case MONTE PARAISO golf course is hosting a Christmas tournament in aid of the Philippines disaster relief effort.

Local businesses have donated prizes for those closest to the flag and there are categories for men, women and juniors.

The entrance fee is €20 and proceeds will be split between the disaster relief and a local disabled children’s charity.

The game takes place on December 14.

For more information contact Paul on 617145303 or email: pauljakobi@yahoo. co.uk

5the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 5

NEWS

CASH DEMANDS: Lanzas got cash in installments A UNION boss – who was able to find €200,000 in cash to get bail – made €3 million from setting up five corrupt payments of Junta money.

Juan Lanzas, Sevilla boss of the UGT trade union, was paid €600,000 for each of the five illegal ERE payments made from a Junta slush fund

that was meant to create employment.

He is alleged to have demanded his reward in cash installments of €20,000 to 25,000.

The details emerged during the ongoing ERE trial, implicating the Cervantes Hotel in Torremolinos, which is accused of taking €3.5 million of public money illegally.

Festival’s healthy outlook

THOUSANDS of punters are expected to attend a ‘natural living festival’ in San Pedro this weekend.

The Arte Sano event, now in its seventh year, will feature over 100 activities, a craft market, live shows and practical classes and workshops all under one roof.

The market aims to bring together creative and healing arts under one roof, with classes from yoga to Tai Chi taking place, plus classes for all ages. There will also be talks on a wide range of subjects from nutrition to spirituality.

“Many people are looking for new ways of living these days,” said organiser Monica Bereuther..

“Arte Sano is a great place to find out about the latest in natural and organic products, have a go at a class or activity they have heard about or sit in on one of the many talks.”

Visit www.festivalartesano.com for more info.

News IN BRIEF

Dining’s out SPAIN’S changing eating habits have resulted in a surge in sales of ready meals, says a report. The sector is expected to grow a further 3.4% over the next five years as more and more people opt to eat in.

Water fall WATER reserves for hydro electric power generation have fallen over the past two weeks as hydro generation increased, says the country´s environment ministry.

Sex slaves out POLICE have busted a prostitution ring in Estepona, arresting 10 people. The victims are thought to have been lured to Spain from eastern Europe, before being forced into prostitution.

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

FEATURE

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OPINION What price paradise?

WILL they ever learn? 40 years ago the Costa del Sol was one of the most beautiful and unspoilt places in Europe.

But its unspoilt beaches and quaint fishing villages were soon submerged under a concrete tidal wave as unscrupulous developers moved in.

The proposed ‘elite tourism’ development of the La Almoraima estate will hand over 10% of the Alcornocales Natural Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, to developers who want to build a 5-star hotel, golf courses, and even an airstrip.

All in the name of ‘luxury’ and the old mantra that hotels and golf courses create jobs.

But ultimately it boils down to putting more money in politicians pockets. The same ones that already walked away with thousands in black money, according to the Judge in the current Barcenas investigation.

Why can’t they just listen to the overwhelming majority of local people opposed to the plan.

What kind of jobs will be created, apart from those to serve the super rich at their tables?

The Partido Popular, in particular, seems to believe in the fallacy that luxury tourism will pull the area out of crisis. Yet Marbella has luxury in spades, and still has high unemployment.

Letting the developers loose on La Almoraima would see an environmental disaster on the scale of the Los Merinos development in Ronda, when centuries old olive trees were uprooted.

Like the virgin beaches of the Costa del Sol, once development starts, the outstanding natural beauty of the Alcornocales will be lost for ever

Media responsibility WHY should a pair of pensioners be forced to spent their own money trying to clamp down on a pair of seasoned conmen?

Why is it the police and courts do not see the importance of trying to prevent clowns like ‘James Taylor’ and ‘Jack Rose’ from robbing victims blind time after time and year after year.

It is no less than the third time we have exposed this pair of cowardly conmen.

But the buck doesn’t stop there – the papers which continually advertise their businesses need to take some responsibility too. And particularly after they receive complaints from readers.

Most English language newspapers regularly advertise crooks and spurious investment schemes, as well as services from the victims of sexual exploitation.

The media has a duty to its readers, and to the community it reports upon, and to knowingly advertise a service with no attempt to scrutinize its nature is an abdication of that responsibility.

‘Rose’ and ‘Taylor’ are the villains of this story, but they are not the only parties guilty of taking a quick profit, regardless of the consequence.

Got a news story?

Contact our team of journalists in our Costa del Sol office on 951127006 or 691831399 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es

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olive press

T

HE outcry has been huge.

Environmental groups, political parties from both sides of the spectrum and the local population have reacted angrily to the government’s plans to sell off one of Andalucia’s most valuable public estates and create an ‘elite tourism’ resort.

Now, a group of leading expat writers has joined forces to oppose it too.

The estate at La Almoraima, close to Castellar de la Frontera, is estimated to sell for between €180 and €250 million. Interested developers an adapt outline plans to build a ‘playground for the rich’ which would include a 5-star hotel, two golf courses, equestrian centre, polo fields and even a private airport. There will also be luxury lodges for hunting the deer and wild boar prevalent in the estate.

Resort manager Isabel Ugalde proclaimed: “Here I see a Ritz, a Four Seasons, or a Mandarin Oriental. There will be no resort in Europe as big as this.”

But locals say it is impossible to put a price on such a stunning place and have vowed to fight tooth and nail to keep it their environmental jewel.

La Almoraima estate makes up 10% of the Alcornocales Natural Park, renowned for its wildlife, scenery and virgin cork forests. Formally the private estate of disgraced tycoon Jose Maria Ruiz Mateos, the estate was expropriated from him by the government of Felipe Gonzalez in 1983.

The estate generates money through its cork trees (it is home to the Mediterranean’s largest cork forest), orchards and crop production, and there is a 23-room hotel and a restaurant that employs around 100 people.

However, it is proving to be a drain on resources and last year it lost the government €1.2 million, after making just €66,000 in 2011. It is estimated that around €10 million of public money has been invested in the estate over the past decade.

Speaking just after the announcement of the sale, Isabel Ugalde said: “I would be very sad to have to sell it, and if it were my decision I wouldn’t let it go. But we have to ask ourselves whether the state is really able to manage something on this scale.

“We are raising lamb and beef, planting wheat, sunflowers, corn and maintaining grazing land, so if we were able to find

Haven help us

BATTLE STATIONS: Protesters fight to save the beautiful estate

As the Madrid government prepares to sell off one of Andalucia’s most beautiful public estates to developers intent on ‘Elite Tourism’, Giles Brown and Claire Wilson report on Castellar de la Frontera’s fight to keep their land

BEAUTIFUL VISTA: The estate offers many outstanding views a buyer, it would be a big help to the local community.”

The plans, however have been met with opposition from the town’s mayor, Juan Casanova Correa, while locals and environmentalist groups have have

expressed their fury at the proposal via an online petition against the sale. A Facebook group – Almoraima Publica – has quickly gained widespread support.

At a public demonstration held

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SADDLE UP: Home of the Med’s largest cork forest

on November 15 in Castellar, over 600 people, including environmentalists, mountaineers and ramblers from across Andalucia heard speakers denounce the plans saying the project that would bring little real benefit to the region.

Correa outlined the town hall’s plans for a more sustainable project for the estate, one that would, he claimed, harness La Almoraima’s potential for generating wealth and employment in the area. He also attacked central government, saying that they were letting the estate fall into disrepair to justify the sale.

Driving into Castellar de la Frontera, you sense the level of support that the town hall enjoys.

Banners against the sale of La Almoraima are everywhere.

“We consider this sale of public land a strategic error by central government,” Correa told us at a meeting in his office. “The public don’t want this land to sold, they are against this decision and want to protect the estate as it sits in the environmental jewel that is the Alcornocales Natural Park.”

The IU mayor has little time for

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FEATURE

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Chris Stewart, Author, Driving over Lemons

OPPOSITION: The mayor Juan Casanova Correa, while (right) banners adorn the local town hall

‘Bicho malo nunca muere’ It appears that they’re selling off the silver one more time in a vain attempt to balance the books. It breaks one’s heart to see the poor battered Peninsula and its people had over a barrel yet again by its leaders. Now is not the time for further depredations on the environment; the woods and the wilderness are all that’s keeping us alive right now. Nor is it the time for flying in the face of the beleaguered multitudes who have suffered so much as a consequence of the self-seeking venality and greed of the political class. This land, having very reasonably been expropriated by an earlier government, should be used for the public good, and not as a fiefdom for the PP’s cronies. One would have thought that they had learned a lesson… but no: it’s business as usual.”

Geoff Garvey, Editor, Rough Guide to Andalucia

Guy Hunter Watts, Author, Walking in Andalucia

“The proposed sell-off of the finca La Almoraima smacks of the desperation and myopic planning typical of the current PP administration. Selling off such a valuable part of Andalucía’s ecological heritage is bad enough, but when the minister supervising the sale suggests that La Almoraima ‘would make an ideal hunting estate for a Gulf potentate or a Russian oligarch’ you know for sure that the lunatics have taken over the asylum. The equally ludicrous proposal to allow potential buyers to build golf courses, an airport and five star hotels catering to the millionaire hunting set also seems utterly misguided in terms of 21st century tourism. The Alcornocales is a unique biosphere that should be protected and opened up for those who will truly appreciate it – hikers, birders, naturalists and campers. Too much of this magnificent park is currently off limits to these groups and this must change. But the last thing the Alcornocales needs is this sort of misguided development dreamt up by bureaucrats in Madrid.

“I well remember my first sight of the Almoraima convent. After winding through an ancient stand of cork oaks, its beguiling facade, topped by a Florentine belfry and surrounded by tall palms, couldn’t have offered more southern allure.

This was, and remains, one of Andalucia’s most seductive rural hideaways.And the convent’s vast estate, criss crossed by tracks and footpaths, offers some of the finest walking in the Alcornocales Park. But a high perimeter fence and zealous gamekeepers and guards, offer a clear message: Joe Public is not welcome here.

This is a uniquely beautiful swathe of Andalucia it beggars belief to think that the Spanish state is prepared to sell this land down the Swanee to the latest generation of euro-hungry developers. As if the lessons of the butchered Costa weren’t enough. La Almoraima’s estate should be given doubly protected status and only sustainable agriculture and tourism promoted.”

those who argue that such a large scale luxury project will bring wealth and employment to the area, where unemployment rates are currently 30%.

“Just because you build hotels and golf courses, there is no guarantee of employment” argues Correa. “The Costa del Sol has hotels and golf courses, but there is unemployment on the coast as well.”

However, this is not just a case of a communist mayor opposing a macro project that will cater exclusively for the most wealthy people on the planet.

The state must not sell off this land From page 1

Rather than Elite Tourism we want to focus on rural tourism The town hall has put forward its own plan for La Almoraima.

It includes a green industrial park that will feature a biometric energy plant. “This will create jobs, help the environment and produce green energy,” he explains.

There are also plans for the forestry in the estate. This includes the cork trees and the town hall wants to include a plant that will process the cork, so that it can be used in the construction and sound-proofing industries.

In addition, the town hall wants to continue with the environmental-friendly farming

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JEWEL: Castellar Castle on the edge of the estate techniques that already exist, as well as expanding research promoting farming that doesn’t affect climate change or subterranean water reserves.

Correa is also against the whole concept of ‘Elite Tourism’. “The plan is an aggressive one,” he said. “It contains plans for a 5-star hotel and two golf courses, as well as an aerodrome. They want the global elite to come here and play golf as well as organising hunting trips as there are deer and wild boar in the grounds.

“Rather than Elite Tourism, we want to focus on rural tour-

ism. We plan to restore the abandoned buildings that are already on the land – cortijos and fincas – that would help promote rural tourism in the Parque de los Alcornocales. “ While there is significant opposition to the sale, a small minority believe it will be a solution to the area’s widespread unemployment.

Around 30% of locals are out of work, and the development plans would create jobs both during the construction process and once the estate is up and running.

“I think it could be good for the

INDUSTRY: Cork trees

area, because it will bring money and jobs here. It is a shame, if the development goes ahead, but there will be benefits.” said one local.

“We are in dire straights here, tourism would provide a significant boost to the area.”

Driving through the Nature Park up to the historic castle of Castellar, gives you a good idea of how unique the location is.

The road winds up through the cork trees to the spectacular fortress, that houses a small hotel in the castle walls and there are also quaint casa rurals for rent.

The view across the Guadarrange reservoir to the Alcornocales Natural Park is breathtaking, and an eagle swept imperiously past us as we took it all in. Forget ‘Elite Tourism’ for the global wealthy – it is impossible to put a price on such a stunning place.

Just for once it would be good for Spanish developers to stop their obsession with ‘luxury tourism’ that has gripped the municipalities on the coast and let the people of the area develop La Almoraima in a way that benefits them.

ing books on the region: “It beggars belief to think that the Spanish state is prepared to sell this land down the Swanee to the latest generation of euro-hungry developers.”

The proposed development would see 10% of the park, currently public land, turned into a private estate for the mega-wealthy including a 5-star hotel, two golf courses, a polo field and private aerodrome, as well as hunting lodges to shoot the deer and wild boar that inhabit the park.

There has been widespread condemnation from all political parties as well as from environmental groups and associations.

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

NEWS

Demolition fear for 140 more homes UP to 140 families could lose their homes in Almeria after the Superior Court of Justice in Andalucia (TSJA) ruled that their building permits are null and void.

The fears have been raised by a local pressure group that also claims the homeowners who did not take part in the proceedings may not be entitled to any compensation.

The court does not need to provide a time-scale of when the demolitions will take

We can work with these people who have the power place, and homeowners in the Valley of Almanzora area could receive just 60 days notice informing them that their homes will be demolished.

But Zurgena Councillor Jim Simpson rejected the claims, last night, asserting that the case had not followed normal legal processes and that the ruling would soon be rejected.

Pressure group believes a new wave of destruction could begin at any time

The houses in question were all found to have been built on protected land, and though the largely expat community bought them in good faith, the court ruled that they should not have been granted permits and must be destroyed.

“It is important to make this public,” insisted Maura Hillen, President of Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No! (AUAN), a pressure group opposing the demolitions.

She said it was vital to highlight the disastrous consequences of the Junta’s mindless pursuit of imposing planning regulations, as well as to point out that many of the homeowners were not informed by the courts of the proceedings.

“If they were not informed,

they can appeal,” she said.

“If they were informed and did not take part in the proceedings, they have little room to manoeuvre and may not be entitled to compensation.”

Britain’s new ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, recently weighed into the dispute, saying, “I’ve heard some heart-rending stories.

People have made a choice to come here, love Spain, but have now been left vulnerable.

“Now, the power isn’t in our hand to change that, but we can work with these people to influence those who do have the power.”

But local councillor, expat Jim Simpson rejected the concerns, claiming that the case was politically motivated.

He said, “This is a totally spurious story, with no basis in fact - whenever anything like this happens my advice to those affected is to make sure they seek professional advice, and not just listen to rumours.”

Eight houses in nearby Albox are also locked into the same process, with one case sent to the European Court of Human Rights.

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CASE TO ANSWER: 140 families could be made homeless, from demolitions like this, claims Hillen (inset)

Help find ‘unlucky ten’, says Ambassador BRITAIN’S new Ambassador has appealed to ex-pats to help police in their efforts to track down the so-called ‘Unlucky Thirteen’ crimi-

nals, hiding out on the costas.

Simon Manley pointed to the ‘extraordinary’ level of cooperation between British and Spanish police, as well as the need for the public to share any information they may have.

The joint operation, between Crimestoppers, the National Crime Agency and Spanish forces, led to the capture of sex-offender Michael McCartney within hours of its launch a fortnight ago, with a further two in the following days.

The Ambassador stressed the importance of communicating with ex-pats, pointing to the key role played by information supplied by a member of the public in catching McCartney.

Manley also cited the need to support Brits who, having been mis-sold homes, are now faced with eviction.

No clamour in the slammer A CONCERT pianist could be sentenced to 20 months in jail for practising too loudly.

Laia Martin, 27, has been charged with noise pollution and inflicting psychological damage after a complaint from a neighbour.

Girona resident Sonia Bosom said Martin’s keyboard practice went on for eight hours a day, five days a week.

The regional prosecutor became involved when tests found Martin’s music peaked at up to 10 decibels higher than the 30-decibel limit in force for the city’s musical instruments.

The authorities asked the family to stop playing the piano, or soundproof the room, but two attempts at soundproofing failed to quash Bosom’s complaints.

The prosecutor is pushing for a 16-month sentence for the noise pollution and a further four months for causing psychological damage.

Jerez toasts success JEREZ has beaten 800m cities, spanning across nine countries, to be named the 2014 European City of Wine.

The award - by the Network of European Wine Cities in Marsala, Italy - was given to the city because of its quality of wine and efforts to stimulate wine tourism.

Jerez will host a series of events in its famed botegas to celebrate the honour and increase awareness of its wines and sherries.

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FEATURE

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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NEWS

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 201310

News IN BRIEF

No vapping ELECTRONIC cigarettes are to be banned in Andalucia’s colleges and health centres.

The move follows a similar measure taken in Catalunya last week.

Mayor’s Moroccan tribute

PROUD TITLE: Miss Gibraltar Maroua Kharbouch is of Moroccan descent

THE mayor of Gibraltar has praised Miss Gibraltar during a feast for the Muslim New Year.

Anthony Lima has complemented Morocco during the Feast of Achour, saying the Rock would never forget how the country came to its rescue when the frontier was closed in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Lima said: “I have no doubt that without Morocco, Gibraltar would have had difficulty in surviving the Spanish Blockade. The people of Gibraltar will never forget this.”

He also praised Miss Gibraltar, Maroua Kharbouch, saying:: “Who would have predicted that one day Gibraltar would boast a Miss Gibraltar of Moroccan descent? Maroua you make us all so proud.”

City for rent SEVILLA City Hall is to rent out some of the city’s historic and emblematic buildings. It is offering contracts of up to 50 years as it can no longer afford the upkeep on some of its most costly property

Metro success A GROUP of 7000 passengers has successfully tested a new stretch of the Malaga Metro. They were transported along a route which stopped at five stations.

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Where’s my motor gone?

EXCLUSIVE

By Claire Wilson A BRITISH man claims he has been ripped off to the tune of thousands by a dodgy car transportation company he used to repatriate his vehicle.

Chris Mullender, from Preston, hired Eurocar Transporters in March this year, expecting the job to take just five days.

But after a series of disasters, including the arrest of the transportation truck driver, and the loss of both his car and its key, he didn’t see his car again for six months.

Pensioner Mullender, who recently moved back to the UK from Fuengirola, said: “After the driver was arrested on the advice of Eurocar boss Peter Green I employed a second company, Transco, to complete the shipping.

“I agreed, before being told my car had gone missing again. When it was eventually tracked down by the police a few weeks later I was told the arrested truck driver had lost my key.

“Once I had sourced a replacement I thought my troubles would be over, but that wasn´t the end of it and I still didn’t get my car back.

“A month or so later I found out it was being held at the port in Felixstowe, along with six other vehicles, because Green had not paid the OFFROAD: Mullender (left) and his Land Rover (below)

Expat loses his Land Rover for six months in catalogue of errors

second driver.”

Eventually, Mullender ended up having to shell out another €800 to a third firm to bring the vehicle back.

When he took up the matter with Green, things turned nasty.

“I had numerous conversations with Green, and on every occasion he tried to exonerate himself of responsibility for the payment.

Threats

“I had tried to contact Green via email, but in his replies he became threatening, saying things like ‘I know where you live’ “It is disgrace. I didn’t know where my car was for six months.

Eurocar has since been wound up and, curiously, Green himself is now going by the name Ian Burg.

He runs another company, Car Transportation, which he claims bought out Eurocar Transporters.

When the Olive Press contacted Burg, he said the issues with Mullender’s car had arisen because the car had been too full to move onto the lorry that was dispatched following the arrest of the original driver.

He said: “We were unable to move the car because it had too much stuff in it. It had been loaded onto the original truck by a pulley, but the second truck didn’t have one.”

When questioned about his change of name, he said: “My name is Peter Ian Greenburg.”

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Blockade the embassy!

Gibraltar protesters to demonstrate outside Spanish embassy in London over ‘harassment’ and ‘inhumane’ treatment DOZENS of Gibraltarians are to blockade the Spanish embassy in London this weekend.

Supporters of the Rock and local UK politicians will also join the protest against the current border problems and a series of wider issues.

The demonstration, organised by the Defenders of Gibraltar with its sister group Gibraltarians Worldwide, is a response to what the groups see as Spain’s ‘oppressive attitude’ to Gibraltar.

They claim the British Overseas Territory has to endure extreme levels of harassment, intimidation and oppression

by Spanish state machinery.

11the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 11

GIBRALTAR NEWS

By Giles Brown

TARGET: Spain’s Embassy And they accuse the Spanish government of using state media to pursue an antiGibraltarian hate campaign, portraying Gibraltar as an outdated colony, a tax haven

Border bag backlash!

From page 1 diplomatic bag is governed by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, it being forbidden for any third party to open them.

The British Government said Spain’s decision to search a UK diplomatic bag was ‘a serious infringement’ of international diplomatic protocol.

In a statement, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it had called on the Spanish Government to look into the incident and ensure it was not repeated.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tension between the UK and Spain over delays at the frontier and Spanish incursions into Gibraltarian waters.

and a smugglers’ nest.

Annie-Marie-Struggles, one of the organisers of the protest, told the Olive Press, “This is the first step of many that we will be taking to embarrass the Spanish government.

“We will be handing in a letter and a portfolio of the harassment and inhumane actions to the embassy. What is happening in Gibraltar would not be tolerated anywhere else.

We are not being allowed to grow as a nation”.

Gareth Gingell added; “We will also be doing the same at the European Parliament as part of our longer term strategy.

“We aim to get the world to look at Spain and remember how it treats Gibraltar.”

Paul Nuttall MEP, deputy leader of UKIP, told the Olive Press “The Defenders of Gibraltar have been doing sterling work for a long time now, highlighting the abuses of the Spanish authorities.

“The demonstration is both necessary to bring home the point and timely given the way that the Spanish authorities continue to harass the people of Gibraltar”.

News IN BRIEF

Flagged and nabbed JULIO Pons, Chairman of the Voice of Gibraltar Group (VOGG), was arrested after he pulled down the European Union flag flying at the frontier, in a protest against the EU.

Fraud charge A 33-YEAR-OLD Gibraltarian has appeared before the Magistrates’ Court charged with false accounting and conspiracy to defraud. Michael Gideon Cuby, of Jumper’s Building, was arrested after an investigation in the UK conducted by the Metropolitan Police.

Allo, allo, allo!

HM CUSTOMS, the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Defence Police launched a contraband-control operation - Operation Venetian II - which aims to combat illicit activity both overland and by sea.

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

GIBRALTAR NEWS

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More property growth

Fill your boots!

FOOTIE fans who fancy a flutter on the Rock should back the national team. BetVictor cut Gibraltar from 7500/1 to 5000/1 to win Euro 2016 after their unexpected 0-0 draw against Slovakia in Faro, Portugal, in their first Uefa international friendly.

Gibraltar’s international debut was a memorable one as the ‘Lions’ roared their way to a respectable draw. Inside the Estadio Algarve, which with over 30,000 seats has the capacity to seat the entire population of the Rock, 500 Gibraltar fans, including Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, cheered and chanted “G.F.A, G.F.A, G.F.A!” throughout the match.

BetVictor’s odds for outright winner of the competition also features Gibraltar above other higher ranked countries such as Malta, Liechtenstein, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, Andorra and San Marino.

ON the Rock

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

November 27 – 29 Charity Comedy Nights Organised by William Hill On-Line, 9pm For further info Tel. 20002784

November 28

History Society Monthly Outing George Don Gates, Alameda Gardens, 8.30 pm. For further info Tel. 57534000

December 1

Convent Christmas Fair.

The Convent, 12– 7 pm

Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association. Casemates Square, 11am - 2pm

November 29

December 5-6

An evening of Invertebrates, Molluscs, Isopods and other nocturnal critters Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural

Student Zone. John Mackintosh Hall Theatre, 7.30pm. For further info contact info@santos-productions.com

But it’s bad news for tenants with rents set to rise yet again THE areas of Queensway Quay, Ocean Village and Tradewinds are the most in demand areas to buy in Gibraltar.

And according to a property survey by accountancy firm Deloitte, the market is expected to grow yet again in 2014.

The group insists it will continue to be a positive market in Gibraltar next year with ‘values either going up or holding their ground’ But the survey of key agents, mortgage providers, surveyors and lawyers, added it would be another

tough year for those looking to rent.

Some 78% of estate agents expect rents to rise, while office space will also continue to be a problem, due to its scarcity.

Shortage

‘This reflects the current shortage of supply in the market...all surveyors selected offices as the most in-demand type of property in the first half of 2013,’ says the report.

It emerges that threebedroom homes are most in-demand residential

IN DEMAND: Ocean Village tops wanted list

properties, while the most popular price band is for homes between £250,000 - £500,000.

The survey also found most properties are sold within six months and took a month to complete the sale.

Wild wonders of yesteryear A NEW natural history book will trace the steps taken by two 19th century British naturalists in order to tell the changing story of the Iberian peninsula’s wildest areas.

The book, A Guide to Wild Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar, has been written by local authors Geraldine, Stewart and Clive Finlayson, and includes original text and photos produced by two Gibraltar-based Victorian naturalists - Lt Col. Howard Irby and Lt. Col. Willoughby Verner.

The authors followed Irby and Verner’s route to gather material for the book, which they say shows how Britain opened up the peninsula’s beauty to the world.

It also examines changes to the area’s wildlife, and though some cases are tragic, the book also contains some success stories – animals that have continued to thrive since the days of empire, such as the Griffin Vulture, which still thrives around Gibraltar today.

The book took four years to write and includes stunning photography of the Iberian landscape, from the Rock of Gibraltar to the Pyrenees, along with the wildlife it contains.

BACK TO NATURE: Guide book tells the story of Iberia’s wilderness

Border Watch

The Olive Press brings you the latest developments from the Frontier

‘Keeping an eye on the situation’

T

HE chaos at the border hit new heights on November 18.

Normally the Guardia Civil merely check vehicles on the way out of the Rock... but for the first time they decided to search all the bags of every pedestrian leaving Gibraltar.

For the ‘first time in living memory’, the ensuing queues stretched back almost as far as the airstrip. (see pic below) According to Olive Press readers, some pedestrians were queuing for up to three hours to get through the border in scenes more reminiscent of Checkpoint Charlie or the Hindu Kush.

“What an absolute disgrace last night,” said one. “The Spanish government should be ashamed of themselves for putting human beings through this - up to three hours for some people to exit on foot”.

Meanwhile, another reader (who wished to remain anonymous) commented that after a two hour wait in his car to reach the border last week he saw two cars jump the queue.

“When I finally reached the front line and was about to move forward, to my left the Gibraltar

Police removed the barrier tape allowing two cars to jump the queue. Neither car had the Royal Standard, so it was not the Queen, nor leader Picardo.

“A police officer told me both drivers had ‘a special pass’ so that they did not have to join the queue.

“Am I right to assume then that officials do not queue like us peasants?”

On a lighter note, Tommy Duffy had a novel idea on how to deal with the queues.

“I think a border queue party is in order! Anyone with a big sound system in their car can provide the music, everyone bring a bottle...

Turn a negative into a positive while rebelling against the disruption. The media attention would be amazing... Who’s up for it?”

Finally, reader Chris Bouliache contacted us to thank us for the new ‘Border Watch’ section. “Thanks… we need all the help we can get, seeing as the UK Government doesn’t seem to be that bothered despite all the questions and comments in Parliament. It is great that someone is keeping a close eye on the situation.” email newsdesk@theolivepress.es with your experiences and comments

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GIBRALTAR NEWS

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TOP QUALITY: How the Marriott hotel development will look

Hopes high for hotel, office and homes plan

A 224-ROOM Marriott Hotel, together with apartments and an office development may be built in Gibraltar.

Squarestone Gibraltar Limited is hoping to get the go-ahead at the next DPC meeting on December 17.

The company has applied for outline planning consent for the hotel, which will consist of a Marriott Hotel, and Residence Inn serviced apartments.

Alongside the hotel - which will be built on the site of the old Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club - the company has also applied to build a high-quality office development.

Squarestone’s joint founder Robert Sloss said: “This is a large and exciting project for Gibraltar. Not only will we bring in a much needed branded hotel to Gibraltar, we will also build some 7,600m2 of top quality office space in the heart of town.”

Stakeholders

He added: “We have consulted widely on the needs of Gibraltar with local Government, stakeholders and interested parties.

“We have been very encouraged by the enormous enthusiasm the project has generated.”

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

News IN BRIEF

Jobs worth THE Junta has spent more than 1.5 million on two job creation schemes in Nerja. 80 people in the town received practical training for a variety of jobs including landscaping, care for the elderly and information services.

Tuck in THE village of Totalan served 9,000 people at its ninth Chanfaina Festival. The dish, which contains potatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, breadcrumbs and meat, was traditionally eaten by farm workers. 700 kilos of potatoes were consumed over the weekend.

String along BRAZILIAN guitarist Marcos Victora Wagner won first prize at the 24th Edition of the Andres Segovia Classical Guitar Competition in Almunecar.

Wagner took home 9,000 euros, as well as a new guitar, hand made by one of Spain’s best known guitar makers.

The other side of Miro AN exhibition of artist Joan Miro’s posters is taking place in Velez Malaga.

The show Miro Cartels is currently running at the Convent of San Francisco until January 8.

Part of the Itinerarte series whose purpose is to bring culture to all Malaga municipalities, there is no entry fee.

Deputy Culture and Sports Delegate , Juan Jesús Bernal, explained that thanks to Itinerarte , a total of 19 municipalities in the province of Malaga will be enjoy exclusive exhibitions including the forthcoming exhibition The Posters of Picasso.

Miro Cartels is made up of 32 original works, owned by collectors Francisco Quero and his wife Carmen Moyan.

The couple made these

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Paraglider’s house crash drama

Lucky escape for daredevil who dropped 20ft to ground works available to show a lesser known side of the famous artists.

The exhibition comprises original posters made ​​from colour lithographs, commissioned by art galleries and made by ​​ the artist between 1963 and 1985 for exhibitions and shows in which he took part.

These include works developed for the Maeght Gallery, which he was closely linked .

Miro’s poster work has since become a key factor for the new collective language of the modern graphic world.

Its influence is still present in the new generations of artists and designers.

A PARAGLIDER escaped serious injury when he crashed into a house soon after take off.

The drama happened in La Herradura when the unlucky local man was caught by a freak gust of wind.

The airman slammed into the side of the home in the La Gemelas urbanisation and crashed 20 feet to the ground.

The paraglider tumbled down a staircase into the garden of a house, where members of Almunecar Fire Service and paramedics were soon on the scene.

Although complaining of a severe headache, the paraglider did not sustain any serious injury and was transferred to Motril Hospital for observation.

It was the second paragliding accident in a week in La Herradura, which attracts enthusiasts from all over Europe.

LUCKY ESCAPE: Paramedics help the crash victim

Stevia wonder!

Calendar to lift spirits ACOMPALIA, the hospice services charity based in Motril, has just launched its first calendar, designed to raise awareness and funds in 2014.

The calendar features scenes and detail from all over Granada province, from Marina del Este near Almunecar to sunset in the Sierra Nevada.

Acompalia committee member Alex Necas, who headed the calendar team with president Tina Emmott, says that the photos, created and donated by committee members, were chosen to reflect inspirational and also less familiar images of Granada province: “We chose images to reflect

AXARQUIA NEWS

DAYS OF HOPE: The inspirational calendar from Acompalia the everyday beauty that is all around you if you are lucky enough to live here or spend time in the province,” said Alex. “For example, a bunch of scarlet peppers drying against a whitewashed wall under a deep blue autumn sky – it’s such a common sight, but lifts my spirits every time.”

A NEW crop is bringing the sweet life back to Axarquia, traditionally famed for its sugar cane production.

In its heyday, 5,000 people were employed in the fields and factories and now another sweetener - stevia - could revitalise the region.

The Stevia Producers Association of the Costa del Sol-Axarquia has announced that the Axarquia, which had the first sugar producing factory in Spain in Torre del Mar, will also become the first place to produce stevia.

Stevia is a shrub from Paraguay. Everything currently made with sugar can be done with the stevia plant, making it the perfect alternative to artificial sweeteners. In addition, it has zero calories and is also safe for diabetics.

Peter Knacke, vice president of the association, said that the stevia market was still young, but that the goal was to increase production, making the Axarquia the European centre of stevia.

In November 2011, the European Union legalised stevia as a food and there is great demand in countries including England, France and Germany..

Knacke added that the Axarquia, known for its subtropical climate, was the perfect place to start serious production of stevia in Europe.

“This was the historic centre of sugar production and we are reviving an industry that once existed, but with a sweetener hundred percent natural, healthier and innovative alternative “ he said.

HELLO SWEETY: Newcomer Stevia has zero calories

www.theolivepress.es RING A DING: Ouzels are just one of our winter arrivals to look out for

GREEN NEWS

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Slime squad UK declares war on killer Spanish slugs

Sky-high search!

BIRD lovers should keep their eyes on the skies, as flocks of new winter birds are expected to arrive in Andalucia, according to the Andalucian Bird Society.

Ring Ouzels - smaller and slighter than blackbirds will soon be winging their way down to Spain from the Scottish Highlands for their winter break. Male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with black plumage, a pale wing panel and striking white breast band.

As an upland bird, the ring ouzel breeds mainly in steep sided valleys, crags and gullies.

Another upland bird, the Alpine Accentor usually lives at an altitude of around 2,000 metres, but enjoys spending its winters holiday in lower areas.

Around the size of robin, males and females have similar appearances, with a streaked brown back and a grey head with red-brown spotting on the underparts, along with an insectivore’s fine pointed bill.

Arriving in Spain, both species are likely to head for similar habitats in Sierras Grazalema and Sierra de las Nieves.

Helen Wallbank, secretary of the society, says there are a wide range of birds to find, “Fieldfares and Redwings of the Thrush family, which keep to the quiet, higher countryside.

“If you live near any of our

lagoons, or the Guadalhorce reserve near the airport, you can find migrant ducks and waders, such as Gadwall, Pintail, Teal and Purple Sandpiper, even Ospreys.”

The Andalucian Bird society is a group of mainly Englishspeaking bird lovers, meeting around once a month for bird watching trips.

Please see www.andaluciabirdsociety.org for more information and activities.

AN ARMY of destructive Spanish slugs is wreaking havoc on British gardens.

Now scientists are calling on the green-fingered Home Guard to check vegetable patches and report enemy sightings.

The particularly aggressive breed of slug, which is capable of destroying crops and killing wildlife, is thought to have first arrived in the country two years ago, and since then multiplied.

Scientists in Norwich have become so concerned about the in-

Wind breaker A RECENTLY installed offshore wind turbine has set a Spanish record for production during a 24hour period.

The machine on Gran Canaria produced 118,.05MWh. of output in one day, surpassing the previous record of 107.82MWh. It has generated more than 2GWh of electricity for the local grid since it started.

GM flies on trial vasion that they have launched a website for gardeners to report any slime scenes.

Within ten days, there had been 18,000 visitors to the site and more than 800 submissions reporting the Spanish slug.

The Arion vulgaris breeds and eats at a

A soaraway success ANDALUSIA’S resident black vulture population has reached its highest level in history, according to the Ministry for the Environment.

The census confirmed the presence of 330 pairs, of which 293 are thought to be breeding.

Both the number of birds and the number of breeding pairs are the highest in history.

The parks of Sierra Norte and Sierra de Andujar have seen the biggest increase in numbers. 17 new vultures have appeared in Sierra Norte alone in the last year.

The study, part of the framework for protecting the black vulture in Andalusia, was launched in 2002.

One of the main strategies is to tackle poisoning, which although illegal is the most common cause of death in the species, followed by malnutrition.

The junta has been leaving food deposits to combat starvation.

The black vulture can have a wingspan up to three metres, making it the largest vulture species in Spain.

15

faster rate than UK slugs and has much more slime on its body.

They are thought to be killing UK slugs and snails, while many hedgehogs have died after eating them and their eggs.

The Spanish slugs are so destructive they have eaten their way through gardens full of vegetable and animal crops.

THE first field trial of a genetically modified insect could take place in Spain.

A UK biotechnologhy company has applied for permission to carry out the tests on GM olive flies.

The aim is to combat the olive crop pest by releasing male flies that have a female killing gene.

If the GM flies can outbreed the wild flies, the female offspring will die – reducing the olive fly population.

Olive flies are the single major pest of olive production, and can wipe out an entire olive crop if left untreated.

WINGING WAYS: Breeding numbers have increased by 62% since the programme began

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16

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 76.80% full Same week last year: 69.36% Same week in 2003: 51.31% 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 1.35 American Dollars 0.83 British Pounds 1.42 Canadian Dollars 7.45 Danish Kroner 10.50 H Kong Dollars 8.27 Norwegian Kroner 1.69 Singapore Dollars

LETTERS

www.theolivepress.es

Powerless over power

I thought it was against the law in Spain to use your indicators at all, with most Spaniards, including the majority of police drivers, seemingly unaware that such things are fitted to their vehicles!

Dear OP I wish to report a case of disgraceful, if not potentially criminal, behaviour by Endesa towards elderly friends who formerly lived close to Alhaurin de la Torre.

Endesa added the electricity consumed by my friends’ neighbour to my friends’ electricity bill for their newlybuilt villa for about 10 years.

They also billed my friends’ neighbour for his own electricity consumption.

Our friends drew this error to the attention of Endesa who rectified the faulty wiring and confined our friends’ electricity supply to their own meter.

Our friends reckoned that they had been overcharged about 10,000 euros before this period but though Endesa admitted their mistake they failed to provide any refund.

Several local government offices, legal and civil, all acknowledged Endesa was at fault.

A meeting was then recommended between my friends and Endesa at the Ombudsman but Endesa failed to turn up.

The Ombudsman recommended referral to court which could take a further 2-3 years.

By this time my friends were totally frustrated by the Spanish legal system and because of poor health decided to take no further action I now ask the Endesa Chief Executive to investigate and remedy this situation (please

Andrew Coates, Costa del Sol

EU destructor I’m sharing my opinion after reading Gibraltar could be forced to leave the EU against its wishes (OP online, Nov 9.)

The EU is a monstrous construct, an anti-democratic bureaucratic oligarchy. Its aim is the destruction of the nation state. It is corrupt and unaccountable.

As an expat I love Europe, but hate the EU and what it has done to to southern Europe.

Free people of Europe beware.

A FAVOURITE: The set for the Eldorado series.

I was cheered to read about the former stars of Eldorado returning to the set (Issue 174).

Eldorado was one of the most popular television programmes in 1993, but that is never reported by the tabloids.

If it had been so unpopular, why are we still discussing it 20 years later?

Why did a poll in the Daily Telegraph last year result in 83% of respondents saying they wanted the show to return?

Eldorado was way ahead of it’s time.

It was launched before we really felt a part of Europe and it would be more relevant than contact the newspaper for my email address); otherwise the company can be likened to a rogue firm operating in a Third World country!

I would also ask any Spanish lawyers sympathizing with my friends’ dilemma to take the case on a “no-win no-fee” basis.

John Cummings, by e-mail

Harsh reality In response to Beggars Belief (Issue 174), I would like to remind people there is hardly any social help in Spain.

The unemployed in England live like kings compared to here.

Over the past month there have been more than 2,000 evictions in Catalunya, one of the more affluent areas of Spain.

I know of Spanish grandparents who have a two bedroom house, and are looking after 14 family members. They receive €400 per month between them which is €7 per person per week.

This is not an isolated example but normal.

I agree it is unpleasant to see beggars on the streets but what would you do?

Rod Mather, Barcelona

Aiding needy I agree with a lot of what Amanda Roberts said in her Beggars belief but think its important to separate con artists from people in need.

In most cases, you know ‘hungry’ when you see it. In Ronda, I have seen many acts of charity besides handing out euros.

Try buying a stranger a sandwich or a coffee, or a small Letters should be emailed to letters@ theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Published opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

Switch on to Eldorado ever now. It’s exactly what we need – something more positive, cheerful and glamorous - rather than traditional British soaps!

Bring it back!

James Robson, Via Web

bag of groceries. And don’t forget abandoned pets at shelters like Adana.

Harry Wright, Ronda

Not a gas I am a UK pensioner and saw your article about bogus gas contractors, though unfortunately too late to stop me being conned by what appears to be a genuine company.

Their representative persuaded me to take out a maintenance contract on the basis that they were based in Antequera, but in fact they are near Granada which is too far away.

The completed work was very poor, and there was a strong smell of gas after the man left as he had not tightened clips on the tubing. Maybe they were hoping for an expensive call-back. Hopefully this will serve as a warning to others.

Frank Farrell, Antequera

Other view I think it´s a bit rich to criticise the Guardia Civil for pulling over motorists. (Pick your penalty, Issue 174).

As a lorry driver I have been stopped on countless occa-

sions in all areas of Spain by various officials including Guardia Civil, Mossos, Erzaintza and Forales.

In addition I have also received help from those same police forces, regardless of whether I have broken any laws, and have always been treated with courtesy and respect by the officers.

I see officers getting irritated after people become irritated with the police and start demanding this, that and the other. Usually there is a fine involved and the person being stopped fails to understand that the police in Spain can and do impose roadside fines.

These fines can of course be contested in a court at a later date, but a great many expats do not realise this so start jumping up and down.

This of course just annoys the police who will then look for something else to really wind you up.

Sam Schubert, Malaga

Shock signal I look forward to getting your paper as it is such a good read.

However, I am sure you have made some sort of mistake with the front article Pick your penalty (Issue 174)/ Mr Adshead said he was pulled over and fined for ‘failing to indicate properly.’

Graham Cooke, Gibraltar

Another ouch!

Dr Raj Rao (Hells teeth Issue 174) fixed some root canal fillings for me, but I have since found out that the teeth he treated are splitting because he removed too much enamel and drilled too deep.

He warned me at the time this might happen, and suggested I get the teeth crowned.

Raj wanted to charge me €900 a tooth, but I simply cannot afford this. I investigated taking legal action but was told that due to the inexperience of the Spanish in this field that I would almost certainly lose.

So I support your campaign against him - I have suffered not only physically, but financially at his hands.

John, Alhaurin de la Torre

Very happy

I used Dr Rao (Hells teeth Issue 174) for emergency treatment a year or so ago. I was impressed with both the treatment and attention, and not to mention the cost.

Such was my satisfaction that I continued to visit as does my wife.

My daughter, who has a massive aversion to dental treatment has also visited and received pre-treatment counselling before a no rushed procedure.

Ray Monteith, Alhaurin al Grande

CROSSMOT 20 * Crossmot 20 * Across 1 Clásico (7) * 5 Tímido (5) * 8 Greasy (9) * 9 Brecha (3) * 10 Siete (5) * 12 Job (7) * 13 Consequences (13) * 15 Más Fácil (7) * 17 Minero (5) * 19 Esquí (3) * 20 Storms (9) * 22 Signos (5) * 23 Sistemas (7).

Down 1 Jaulas (5) * 2 Loves (3) * 3 Ciencia (7) * 4 Builders (13) * 5 Troop (5) * 6 Migración (9) * 7 Despliega (7) * 11 Desvanecimiento (9) * 13 Quesos (7) * 14 Números (7) * 16 These (5) * 18 Se Levanta (5) * 21 La (3).

L = 199

la cultura

www.theolivepress.es

17

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Starlite’s Kool line up Marbella festival announces first acts KOOL and the Gang and Gloria Gaynor have been confirmed among the top acts at next year’s Starlight Festival in Marbella.

Other acts so far also confirmed also include Chucho Valdes, Sergio Dalma, Julio Iglesias, Dani Martin and Marta Sanchez, who will

close the festival on August 23.

But organizers also revealed that ‘at least a couple of big name English acts’ would also be announced shortly.

The line up was announced at a press conference in Madrid, where singer Marta Sanchez revealed that she

DRAW: Julio Iglesias

STAR POWER: Dani Martin

STILL SURVIVING: Gloria Gaynor, (above), and sex bomb Marta Sanchez,

will be singing with Gloria Gaynor in a one off show called Divas before returning for her solo show on August 23.

“It will be momentous” she said. “This is an honour for me. I have been a huge fan of Gloria Gaynor since I was a little girl.”

The Starlite Festival - which takes place in the atmospheric 2,500 seater Marbella Auditorio - will also include fashion, film and art events.

The show runs from July 23 to August 23.

This will be the third year that it has been held in Marbella.

Last year over 60,000 people saw acts including Enrique Iglesias, Jamie Cullum and Bryan Adams.

CELEBRATION: Kool and the Gang have been confirmed to play the festival

Real ‘slasher’ brings cinemas early Christmas present A DECISION by Spain’s biggest cinema chains to offer discount tickets in mid-October has resulted in audience numbers increasing by a whopping 59 percent.

Meanwhile, to add to the boon, box office takings went up 22 percent.

The two chains - Yelmo Cineplex and Cinesa – own 950 screens in Spain, making up 35 percent of the country’s total.

Over the three days of the promotion 1.5 million tickets were sold at the reduced price of 2.90 euros via the company’s website.

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 201318

W

ITH the festive season approaching, Paul and Dawn Sutcliffe of Lanas del Rio, have been busy weaving their latest range of shawls, scarves, serapes and blankets.

Everything is woven at their traditional mill in Gaucin using natural fibres including warm shetland wool, lambswool, silky smooth alpaca and cashmere.

These latest products add to the extensive Lanas del Rio range of high quality woven goods made at the riverside mill.

Paul does the weaving using Dobcross shuttle looms, designed and made in the Yorkshire town of the same name during the late nineteenth century.

When the cloth comes off the looms Dawn takes over and

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Weaving festive magic takes on a new twist

deals with the ‘finishing’ which is the textile trade word for softening, fulling and raising a nap on the cloth.

Firstly the pieces are washed in pure soft warm water with organic soap and at Lanas del Rio that is usually all they do.

Dawn explains: “As we want to keep our woven design clear we don’t normally ‘full’ or ‘mill’ the cloth as that muddies the design, we do sometimes raise a nap on it to make it fluffier but we generally keep raising to a minimum for the same reason”.

After washing the cloth, it is dried naturally by stretching over a frame called a ‘tenter’ from where it is taken to have the fringes knotted and when required to be made up into serapes or capes.

The most exciting development of 2013 has been the installation of a ‘fancy yarn twister’. “It helps us to twist threads of different colours and thicknesses together to make our own yarns thus enormously increasing our ability to make unusual and unique designs” .

Lanas del Rio will be showing, as usual, at the annual Gaucin Christmas fair, taking place in El Convento in the village on Nov 30 and Dec1. They will also be at the Hacienda Almoguera Christmas fair on December 7 and 8, on the old CA 9209 between Los Barrios and Algeciras.

Although the mill is not open to the public, visits by private arrangement with Paul and Dawn are possible. For more information contact them on lanasdelrio@gmail.com or call Paul or Dawn on 686458851

la cultura

www.theolivepress.es

By Claire Wilson SPAIN’S first music pirate has been arrested.

The 31-year-old has been taken into custody after he posted messages to internet forums offering copies of the new album by heavy metal band Extremoduro one month early for €10.

The copy-right thief, identified only by his initials EQT, had posted two low-quality samples to prove he had the album.

He had acquired the disc, titled Para todo los publicos, working in a warehouse

Hall of frame

FOUR Gaucin artists are holding an exhibition of their work together.

Paddy Robinson, Jennifer Waterhouse, Vanessa Wilson and Josaba Zabaleta will be showing their art, which is for sale.

The three-day event opens at Espacio La Huerta, opposite Pura Vida, Manilva, on December 6 from 11am to 4pm.

1919 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

PIRATE what’s on HOOKED E First Spanish bootlegger arrested in police clampdown on illegal music downloads belonging to Arvato, the record´s distributor.

After the band asked him to remove the content, the suspect threatened to up-

load it on the web, which he did. Warner Music had planned to release the album on November 19, but because of the leak, ended up doing so on November 8.

The civil guard also noted EQT did not have direct access to the disc at the time of the leak.

Officers are continuing investigations to find out who gave it to him.

The arrest follows news in September of a crackdown on online piracy.

Spain was put on an international piracy blacklist in 2008 because of the high number of illegal SLIPPED DISC: Copies of Extremoduro’s album offered on internet downloads.

stepona. November 29, from 8pm. Centro

Cultural Padre Manuel, Duo Iberclassico concert - classical music show by local violinists. €10.

T

arifa. November 29.

Bienstar Beach club The Bank in concert. From 9.30pm.

E

stepona, November 29. Tikitano, Best

of Broadway – Night celebrating the golden age of Broadway and all its best musicals. From 9pm. €12,50 including cocktail

G

ranada, November 29. Auditorio Manuel

de Falla. Nena Daconte concert – night of music with one of Madrid´s top vocalists. From 9pm.

M

arbella. Open now until January 15.

Red Penguin Art Gallery, El Corte Ingles Marbella, Live your Dream exhibition – Around 30 works of art from new and established artists. Free.

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la cultura

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Essex girl wows Spanish critics

Rumours abound that Baroness Thyssen plans to open an art museum in Marbella, writes Giles Brown

Thyssen for Marbella?

PLANS: Baroness Thyssen has admitted she will bring an exhibition to Marbella next year IT would be seen as a major coup in the art world.

And if, as sources suggest, Marbella can entice one of the world’s most important art collectors to open a museum there, the resort would become the envy of Spain.

The rumours come after aristocrat Baroness Thyssen revealed she was about to open a temporary exhibition in the town.

The Baroness - who owns the world’s most expensive private art collection - revealed

that she would be taking a travelling exhibition to Marbella, after its run came to an

end in Sant Feliu de Guixols, in Catalunya.

“I have been talking to the

Blues Cazorla voted the Best!

The Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, Tennessee , and responsible for ‘the preservation of the history of the blues’, voted the BluesCazorla festival, held every year since 1994 in the town in Jaen Province, the best international blues festival.

Blues legends who have headlined the festival, which takes place in July, include Johnny Winter, Charlie Musselwhite and Buddy Guy. Cazorla mayor Jose Antonio Rodriguez commented “This award would have been unimaginable for our festival a few years ago and is an accolade for a job well done.”

BEST FOR BLUES: Cazorla a true hub for the genre

CAZORLA’S annual BluesCazorla festival has won an award considered the Grammys of the Blues.

Town Hall and I would like to help with the tourism there,” the former Miss Spain revealed to El Mundo.

“Tourism needs art. We have been speaking to the mayor of Marbella about this. She is a woman that I admire because she has done so much for Marbella. At the moment we are in talks about opening a space in Marbella for temporary exhibitions.”

Expected to open in the Museo de Grabado early next year, the Baroness and Guillermo Solana, director of the Thyssen Museum in Madrid, have already inspected the facilities.

The Baroness (whose husband, Swiss aristocrat Baron Thyssen died in 2002) is a frequent visitor to Marbella and has a villa in the resort.

According to the town hall, it is hoped she will establish a permanent gallery in a designated building in the Old Town, which could be as early as 2015.

ICONIC British actress Charlotte Rampling has wowed Spanish theatre critics with a one-woman show.

Essex girl Rampling, 67, performed her show The Night Dances in Pamplona and Bilbao.

Based on the life and poems of Sylia Plath, Rampling was accompanied in the production by French-American cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton.

Rampling, who was born in Essex in 1946, appeared on stage dressed simply in black and barefoot, with the critics marvelling at the ‘power and intonation’ of her voice.

She delivered poems from Plath’s Ariel collection and her private diaries in both English and French (she speaks the latter fluently, having lived in France married to composer Jean Michel Jarre).

Now 67, Rampling first came to the public’s attention in the controversial film The Night Porter in 1974. Since then she has appeared in over 80 films with directors such as Woody Allen and Lars Von Trier and starred in the Duchess alongside Keira Knightly and in The Verdict alongside Paul Newman.

DUO: Sonia and Charlotte

Tales of Costa crime A LOCAL author has penned a series of crime novels based on the Costa del Sol. The Varigo Series, includes 20 novels featuring the world´s first healer/sleuth, Jesus el Curandero.

Inspired by real events, author S H Villa’s stories centre on a Spanish village and are based around Spanish customs and history.

The characters and stories develop across the series so the author recommends reading them in order to enjoy the full experience.

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

21

Seasonal S pecials 22

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

www.theolivepress.es

Guide to all that is best for Xmas, New Year and Three Kings

PRIZE QUIZ Answer these three questions and you could win a prize in a special draw: A. Who will be holding a Hair of the Dog Day on January 1st?

B. Where can you enjoy hot soups and jacket potatoes?

C. What is the name of the man who makes mince pies?

Opened just 500 metres from Garry Waite’s successful restaurant Nueva Campana, this modern eaterie is open from 12 to 12 seven days a week serving cocktails and 12 different wines by the glass.

The menu combines classic tapas with a twist and some amazingly creative plates that taste fabulous and look...well...FUNKY! And the prices, funky silly!’

Send your answers by e-mail to: admin@theolivepress.es or by post to Urb Casares del Sol, Bloque 21, Portal 70, Bajo B, Casares 29690, Malaga by December 25th, 2013.

www.funkytapas.com NUEVA ANDALUCIA Tapas - Wines Cocktails 952 811 590

Xmas dates for your diary Gaucin Christmas Fair. Village convent. November 30, December 1, 10am - 5pm. 20th anniversary of the Gaucin Christmas fair. Stalls, refreshments and live music.

St George´s Christmas Fair, Malaga. December 1, 12:30, Stalls, homemade food, second hand books and a raffle.

Christmas Bazaar, Marbella. Aloha College, El Angel, November 30, 11am - 4pm. Stalls, bouncy castle, children´s games, Santa´s Grotto Mijas Christmas Fair. St Anthony´s Church. November 28, 3pm. Food, mulled wine, tombola and stalls Christmas Fair. Palacete de Cazulas, Granada. December 7 and 8, 11am - 4pm. Crafts, gifts and stocking fillers, mulled wine, mince pies, BBQ and tapas Christmas Fair. Estepona Palacio de Congresos. November 30, 11am - 2pm. Table top sale and coffee morning, Christmas cards and gifts on sale Christmas music evening. House in Saleres, Lecrin Valley. December 7, 8pm. Acompalia festive-themed night of music. Tickets are €10 and available through Lesley O´Brien – 958 853 015 or lesleyobrien87@yahoo.co.uk

www.nuevacampana.com

NUEVA ANDALUCIA -T: 952 814 041

Nueva Campana is one of Marbella’s top references for quality food. We are fully booked for Christmas Day, but have some spaces are left for New Year’s Eve. And don’t forget the ‘Hair of the Dog Day’ on January 1st 2014.

Enjoy delicious clotted cream teas, homemade cakes, Ploughman’s lunches, sandwiches, hot soups and jacket potatoes all in a lovely English style tearoom in La Vega Garden Centre, Camino de Coin.

T: 656 454 753

A

www.theolivepress.es

ll about

Jerez de la Frontera

My sherry amor Vol. 7 Issue 175

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 2323

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November 27 - December 11 2013

GLORIOUS JEREZ: A sunset of memories with flamenco and Tio Pepe (inset) each stalwart attractions

Liam Kirkaldy spends a weekend trying to understand the sleeping giant of Jerez

that it is a town of drunks, with packed bars leaving customers sprawled outside onto the pavement and into the nearby market.

Tio Pepe is the town’s most famous producer and there is no escaping the logos, which stretch across the old town and down to its bodega‌ not to mention nuTurn to page 24

MAIN PHOTO: by Jon Clarke

J

EREZ means sherry, and like a cantankerous old English aristocrat the town has grown large on the stuff.

In fact, the importance of the wine industry is obvious from the moment you set foot in the town.

Arriving at Plaza Esteve in the heart of the old town on a Saturday lunchtime you could be forgiven for thinking

24

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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24

All about Jerez de la Frontera Even Islamic forces did not kill wine trade

TRADITION: Trying a 30-year old Amontillado at Bodega Tradicion From Page 23

merous roadside hoardings around the region, along with the famous bull of Osborne, from the nearby town of El Puerto de Santa Maria.

If you follow the stream of tourists (many carrying Tio Pepe souvenir bags) down from the market, you will arrive in Plaza Arenal, a beautiful spot, originally used as a space to amass troops before battle.

Nowadays more laid back in atmosphere, bitter orange trees and date palms line up regimentally around the cen-

tral fountain as a substitute for the soldiers, who would once have stood in the same spot, with more cafes, bars and restaurants springing up beyond.

Here, you will find a statue of the brother of Fascist Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the man credited with inspiring former dictator Franco to launch the civil war.

Dressage

While not exactly PC, he is at least usually topped with a flock of dirty pigeons, alongside a building draped with banners, serving as the region’s headquarters for the anarchist trade

JUSTICE: Statue of nationalist soldier has an unwelcome visitor

union CNT and communist UGT. But all around the charming centre you will find an amazing catalogue of grand and sizeable mansions, the majority built out of profits from the sherry industry.

Jerez’s remarkable growth was kick-started by the arrival of large-scale wine production in the 17th century, but sherry and wine have been produced in the area for around a thousand years.

Even the arrival of Islamic forces in 711 did not kill the wine industry, which was tolerated as a ‘source of energy’ for troops.

When sherry was first exported to England in the 13th century the drink took the name of the Jerez, albeit by an anglicized version of ‘sherry’.

Wandering outside the Tio Pepe bodega, which sits next to the stunning Catedral de San Salvador de Jerez, I met a local woman, Pilar.

She explained that the town had been transformed as the wine production process became more technologically advanced, changing the local economy and the job market in the process.

As time has gone on, she said, tourism has become more important to keeping the town’s economy afloat.

Andalucian horses are a good example of the way the town is trying to take advantage of its assets.

Originally used as a war horse, and historically used as a gift to European kings, the Carthusian breed of the Andalucian Horse is now used for activities ranging from dressage to polo.

Displays are regularly held at The School of Equestrian Art, which promises a tightly choreographed ‘equestrian ballet’ (as seen recently on a BBC programme about trains in Spain presented by Michael Portillo) though visitors should be aware that shows are less frequent in winter months, only staged on Thursdays from January to March.

But to Pilar, there is only one must-see attraction in Jerez – flamenco, with the city boasting an annual festival in November and being credited as one of Spain’s key centres for the musical genre.

The club – Pena Flamenco Los Cernicalos - sits on a quiet back-street, with only a small plaque on the door distinguishing it from the houses on every side.

After being ushered inside the building by a low-key doorman, who seemed to have confused a bouncer’s outfit with that of a west country farmer (I didn’t even know you could buy

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 2525

www.theolivepress.es

ALCAZAR: The Moorish fortress has stood since the 12th century and is a fantastic visitor attraction for the children tweed in Spain) I arrived in what looked like a cross between a nightclub and a town hall, with a few hundred chairs surrounded by photos of flamenco’s heroes from times gone by, along with the obligatory Tio Pepe logos.

By the time the show got started, I was lucky to have space to stand, let alone get a seat.

A distinguished-looking man arrived on the stage, and announced a long list of dos and don’ts for the performance (‘if you wish to chat, get out! ‘If you wish to smoke, get out!’), creating an atmosphere more akin to a bare knuckle boxing competition than a light-hearted night of music.

Debated

But then the music started and the performer for the night – Luis Lara – brought the crowd to silence with a slow, moving song, accompanied by a guitar and two backing singers.

As the guitar began to play faster, and the singer’s wails became more pronounced, parts of the crowd began

CULTURE: Jerez is a place where tradition lives on to shout and wave, until the room rose up into a crescendo of energy.

But tourists should be warned – the flamenco on show in

MARKET: The weekend finds the centre brought to life

Jerez is a million miles from the cruise-ship stuff of frilled shirts and flamboyant costumes. This is serious stuff.

Though its origins are hotly debated, it is agreed that flamenco moved across Spain from Andalucia during the 19th century, brought by refugees and travelers who were forced to flee their homes.

Jerez became a hub of flamenco partly because of its status as a haven for gypsy communities evicted from elsewhere, and the songs reflect the pain woven through their stories.

And in many ways, flamenco songs seem fitting in a place which is still stinging from the economic crisis. Indeed it is one of Spain’s poorest cities, with a debt to the tune of over a billion euros and an unemployment level of 40%.

Earlier Pilar had told me about her job. She works with 17 to 20-year-olds, helping them to start their own businesses, in an effort to diversify the local economy, still struggling underneath a cloud of corruption and poverty.

Walking home after the music finished, Pilar’s words were starkly brought to life. Turn-

ing a corner, I met two boys, in ragged clothing, going through a bin for food. When I told them I had no cigarettes they ignored me, resuming their hunt.

The encounter left me pondering the reality, lying behind the idyllic image of wineries and dancing horses presented by the town. The songs make as much sense today as they did when they were written.

But any thoughts of the recession’s effect on the young was knocked from my head the next morning.

It really takes a special type of chaos to go beyond the level normally on display in any given Spanish square at the weekend, so when I heard the noise coming from up the street I knew that someone must have gone to a special effort.

It sounded like a cat-murdering contest was being held at 11am on a Sunday morning.

The reality was that Jerez was hosting seven different marching bands from the surrounding area, which met in the square just outside Convento de Santo Domingo – the thirteenth century church bordering the square.

Drums

After an hour-long, ear splitting warm-up, which at points merged into a pulsating social get together, the bands made their way – one-by-one fortunately – down towards the city’s most impressive monument, its Alcazar.

The drums provided a fitting atmosphere to the Moorish fort, which still retains a military feel, with a sand floor and sparse lay-out.

Built in the 12th century by the town’s Moorish rulers, the Alcazar acted as a seat of political and military power for hundreds of years, and - with architecture that brings you away from Europe and into north Africa – it still acts as a symbol of the town’s historical significance.

After a few hours the bands packed up and moved on, returning the old fort to a state of peace, and for an hour I simply took in the stunning surroundings of the fort and the park beyond it.

Just another day in Jerez’s long and captivating story.

GONZALEZ BYASS: The bodega guards its secrets jealously

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M

Y first taste of alegria didn’t come from a glass of cool, refreshing Fino nor from the swirl of a flamenco dancer. It came from a huddle of dishevelled homeless people as we emerged into sharp sunlight from one of the city centre’s typical merchant houses.

We had encountered hard stares from them half an hour earlier. But now the Jerezanos – the majority gypsies - were getting into full voice to a classic flamenco buleria.

Carrying the look of beggars, but with considerably more class, the thread-bare gathering were literally singing and dancing with joy - or alegria - as a local soup kitchen dished out their lunch.

Just off Plaza de Belen, in one of Jerez’s traditional gypsy quarters Barrio de Santiago, their smiles were now genuine and the mood infectious.

A slightly down-at-heel quarter of the city, most famous for its sherry and horses, there are few words to describe the splendorous architecture, which in the 16th to 19th centuries housed some of Andalucia’s richest merchants.

Overshadowed

The enormous old palaces – many with gateways and courtyards large enough to lodge a number of horses and carriages – seem to be sitting, almost waiting for their second wind, in a city which is often described as one of the poorest (or cheapest) in Spain.

An area now sparsely inhabited by mostly pensioners, gypsies or students, the houses are impossibly large (many over 1000 metres square), with balconies and intricate facades.

Properties to put half of Mayfair in the shade, it is clear the sort of privileged lives that the wine makers and big landowners had in those days. . . and also, unsurprising, how for a long time the Jerez region was known for its large number of anarchists.

While in many ways the city still reeks of old money (the anarchists are long gone – or were put to the sword), mostly Jerez

CHARMS: In the old town

Alegria, alegria, alegria Jerez – a potted history

JEREZ was founded in 1000BC by the Phoenicians, before the Romans developed it, leaving tellingly, among other items, a mosaic depicting vine leaves and tendrils.

Always a favourable site for wine with its chalky albariza soils, it was the Moors however, who in 711 named the city Scheris, from which its current name and famous wine heralds.

While it was the 500 years of Moorish rule to which the city owes much of its rich culture, the British actually made the city rich when by the 17th century around 70 per cent of the area’s wines were being exported to England.

Drunk by Kings, Shakespeare’s character Falstaff in King Henry the Fourth, regaled that sherry ‘ascends into the brain; makes it quick, forgetive, full of nimble, fiery . . . and becomes excellent wit’.

At its peak there were said to be 10,000 bodegas in the city, with hundreds of English merchants setting up alongside the Spanish.

It is even said that Sir Francis Drake worked as a merchant before going on to command the fleet that later sank the Spanish Armada in 1588.

In the claims by historian Diego Parada, his well-chronicled hatred for the Spanish came after he was attacked and beaten up by another merchant called Melgarejo. is a city waiting for change.

Two hours from the hustle and bustle of the Costa del Sol - and overshadowed in size and reputation by Sevilla and its nearby neighbour Cadiz - it might seem to have a job on its hands.

But hopefully not for much longer with a distinct sense that things are on the up, particularly with various projects now finished and the centre of town generally looking well cared for.

It has been a couple of years since my last visit to the city and, apart from a quickly obvious improvement in its restaurants; the area around the Alcazar has been transformed.

A clever use of urban space it is now easy to park your car below it and, of course, the famous Gonzalez Byass bodega is conveniently right next door.

And then comes its location. Little more than 20

minutes drive to the beaches of Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda, it is also close to the largely unspoilt beaches around Vejer and Chiclana.

The mountains of the Grazalema and Alcornocales Natural Parks, as well as the cities of Sevilla and Cadiz, are only a half-hour drive, and one of Spain’s most important nature reserve’s Donana is literally on your doorstep.

Fashionable

“There is no doubt that Jerez is ready for a boom,’ says Patrick Reid, who swapped his job in corporate affairs at London’s fashionable Groucho club to running the family business in Jerez nearly a decade ago. “It is a slow burn, but it is a strategic and affordable investment.”

As well as running two hotels, Reid and his brother Anthony – whose mother is from the city – run a business Benchamark offering a service to potential investors. Based out of the family’s ancestral home, a beautiful country mansion and hotel, called Hacienda de San Rafael, they are using their local credentials to guide people through the complicated maze of Spanish property ownership.

According to one local English businesswoman Jo Francis who is the dynamo behind charming Hotel Chancilleria and the top rated restaurant Sabores, it is well worth moving to the city.

“It is an incredibly friendly place unlike, say Sevilla, where people can be quite arrogant and rude. The pace of life is much slower and people are gentle and make an effort to be nice.”

HAPPINESS: Gypsies sing and dance for their lunch in the old town

MAIN PHOTO: by Jon Clarke

Jon Clarke discovers that behind the city’s grandeur lurks a true laid back happiness

2727 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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Jerez de la Frontera

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Back the fu

Nobo tradit are n past, (abov snaps wine ful pa rry gi of the

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to uture

ody can accuse Jerez of not keeping tions alive. Throughout the city there numerous reminders of its esteemed , soaked in its history of wine. From ve left) the industry a century ago to shots around the city today, including tasting at Bodega Hidalgo, a wonderainting at Bodega Tradicion, the sheirls from Tio Pepe and preparing one e Gonzalez Byass vineyards by tractor

Vintage year for language school Jerez language school has a special bottle of Oloroso sherry made to celebrate its 30th anniversary

T

HE 30th anniversary of Jerez-based language school Ten Idiomas has been commemorated in the only way the town knows how – with a new bottle of sherry.

Sherry maker Gonzalez Byass

By Liam Kirkaldy has produced a special blend of vintage Oloroso, which also coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Cambridge profi-

Sherry Golf

I

T is certainly one of the sweetest courses in Andalucia.

Indeed, Sherry Golf, in Jerez, boasts three courses, a golf academy and two putting greens among a range of other facilities.

Since it opened in 2004, the course has played host to a number of championships, including the King’s Cup, the Queen’s Cup and the Volvo Masters Amateur.

It is also the official venue of the Qualifying School for the European Tour.

The course itself was designed by Global Golf Co, and has the benefit of being both a walkable course for amateurs and a challenging one for professionals.

ciency exam.

The wine is made up of 11 different vintages – one for each decade of the last century – from 1913 to 2013.

Ten Idiomas owner Gerry Rylance said: “This is a unique blend and one which could never be repeated with exactly the same characteristics.

“I sent a dozen bottles to Cambridge University and one will be included in the centenary time capsule, others being opened and enjoyed at various dinners held to celebrate the centenary.”

Rylance, who is one of the longest established expatriates in the city, added: “We have a close relationship with the wineries – we even do a special course focusing on the world of sherry, including visits to the wineries.”

Ten Idiomas is considered one of the most prestigious language schools in Spain, and regularly receives pupils from leading UK schools, including Eton and Harrow.

See www.tenidiomas.com for more information

ACTIVATE LANGUAGE Another option to brush up on your language skills is with Active Language in Cadiz.

The school has recently launched a part time course aimed at helping more elderly expatriates brush up on language skills following retirement. The course takes place in both Cadiz and Malaga and is one morning a week.

Visit www.activelanguage. net for more information.

All about Jerez de la Frontera

30 30the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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Tapas revolution where to eat

JEREZ has finally got a series of top class places to eat to accompany its wines, discovers Jon Clarke

F

OR a long time you had to venture to El Puerto de Santa Maria if you really wanted to find somewhere exciting to eat.

But now El Faro and Michelin-starred Aponiente (see review in Food and Drink section of main paper) have some real rivals right in the heart of Jerez.

More of a tapas scene than a full sit down number, the axis of this food revolution is Calle Latorre where you will find the stunning Reino de Leon and near neighbour Almacen.

Billing itself as a ‘gastrobar’, Reino de Leon is carved out of the ancient walls of the city and has a charming ambience.

CREATIVE: Israel at Albala with his stuffed pork trotters (right)

TOP OF THE PILE: Sabores’ stunning garden

NEW TALENT: Jose Luis from Reino de Leon and Julian from Albores The menu is also enticing with a huge list of tapas changing regularly by the season and created by an army of chefs in the kitchen, Jose Luis leading the charge.

When a group of chupa chups of pork came out along with a boiled egg with truffles and foie in a yoghurt pot and I knew this was something a little different.

Around the corner you will find the trailblazer of the new scene Albala, where Israel Ramos is really turning heads with a mix of elegant and original dishes. Trained at, among other places, El Bulli, his stand out dishes include stunning pork trotters with rabbit and boletus mushrooms, a real winner, as well as roast suckling pig, with sweet potato pure and cauliflower, which had a nice balance of flavours.

The pudding, Mostrachon de Utrera, was a heady mix of royal jelly, cream of vanilla, lemon ice cream, crushed ginger biscuits and orange marmalade.

Nearby, on Calle Consistorio, look for Cruz Blanca, a classic home for gourmands for years. This friendly place serves up the very best in ham and cheese to compliment the city’s wines and is always buzzing with local clientele.

Top tip go for the salmorejo.

Another ambitious chef is Julian Olivares de las Heras, who has recently set up nearby with his stylish Albores.

Meaning ‘new beginnings’ it is founded on the ‘seven principles of food… salt, potato, tomato, olives, grapes, cereals and coffee,’ explains Julian, who changes the menu regularly.

This attractive joint served up a fantastic tuna tartare with caviar and wasabi sauce as well as an amazing deep fried octopus with potatoes and paprika, both a stylish and tasty dish.

Yet another stylish joint, this time with a slant on live flamenco music, is Las Cuadras. Set in the home of long established ex-pat David FraserLuckie this is a must-visit for lovers of food and authentic venues.

For restaurants the very best is Sabores (don’t just take my word, have a look on Trip Advisor).

Sitting in a hip area just a five minute walk from the centre, chef Jose Luis trained in Sevilla before working for many years at Can Fabes, under Spain’s famous three Michelin’starred chef Santi Santamaria. He recently made the final of the Gourmet Madrid food fair, while his pastry chef Julia makes all the desserts. Best of all there is a good choice of AUTHENTIC: Owner David at Las Cuadras in tapas, small dishes and full dish options. front of photo of his father back in the 1970s

where to stay

Sleep like a king

I

F you are looking for historical and authentic places to stay then you are really spoilt for choice in Jerez.

In the centre, look out for Chancilleria, sustainably developed by English expat Jo and her husband Anthony.

Its rooms are lovely and quiet and it has a fabulous restaurant Sabores. It is also just a very short walk into the centre of town.

Well established Casa Grande on the other side of the centre is run by charming German host Monika.

This grand old townhouse is well located and the rooms are comfortable with free wifi and

the breakfast is particularly worth noting.

Best of all Monika is well up on the local sherries and can organize a range of tours as well as produce a decent range in her very own hotel bar.

A great countryside option is the beautiful Casa Vina de Alcantara, which sits in a peaceful setting alongside one of Gonzales Byass’s vineyards ten minutes drive out of Jerez.

Owned by the famous wine family here you will be treated like royalty and sleep like a baby.

Its grounds have a splendid landscaped area and pool and the house has a comfortable dining/ sitting area with a roaring fire.

GRANDEUR: Dining table at Casa Vina

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Sherry: The marriage vows renewed Wine specialist Justin Roberts (right) on the great sherry comeback!

F

ORGET this year’s sherry bar craze in London. In recent years sherries have crept back onto the wine lists at restaurants around the world.

This is no surprise considering sherry with food is a match made in heaven - well a foodie’s idea of heaven at least.

This is a wonderful development, as for a long time sherry had fallen out, was divorced even, with the foods it complements so beautifully. Luckily for gourmands and not-so-gourmands, there has been something of a renewal of vows.

Sherry and food are definitely getting married again!

Thanks to sherry producers like Rey Fernando de Castilla and

Equipo Navazos, who make sherries in the way they did when sherry became famous in the first place, there is growing interest. There are some real treasures hidden away in the sherry bodegas just waiting to be unlocked!

This marvellous drink is made mostly from a single grape variety, Palomino along with Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel, which are used to make sweet wines. Time, nature and a bit of expert attention morph the wines from these three varieties into over a dozen different styles of sherry, ranging from bone dry to super-sweet; pale green to almost black, and everything in between.

There are two broad methods used to age sherry inside the barrel (or butt as it’s known in Jerez): either under a layer, or veil if you are feeling literary, of a special blend of yeasts called flor, which float on the surface of the wine sealing it off from the atmosphere or without

RATED: Superb Fernando de Castilla

flor and exposed directly to air.

The flor wines are fortified to a precise level which encourages the growth of the special yeast, blocking out oxygen from the wine and working its magic on the liquid beneath. These wines are known as a Fino (or Manzanilla if they are aged in

Try Fino or Manzanilla with some anchovies cured in vinegar the nearby town of Sanlucar de Barrameda). Wines destined for ‘oxidative’ ageing, so fully exposed to air and thus oxygen, are fortified more than Fino, preventing the formation of flor. These are the Olorosos.

A third category, the Amontillados, start off ageing under flor and end up open to the air.

Something common to all sherry is the solera system: An incredibly simple ageing method which defies concise explanation! It’s main advantage is that it irons out differences

between vintages, resulting in a consistent wine from year to year.

The Finos and Manzanillas are an excellent accompaniment to all seafood but it is with tapas that they really come into their own - chopping and changing from meat, to fish to vegetable nibbles is taken in their stride, Fino or Manzanilla prepares the palate for each new bite and complements it too. These ‘flor’ wines also have a unique advantage, they can marry with acidic dishes: Just try Fino or Manzanilla with some anchovies cured in vinegar, and you’ll see. No other wine can manage this with such aplomb! .

The Amontillados are more suited to lighter meats, like roast chicken or pate and the Olorosos go well with fuller flavoured dishes such as chorizo or smoked bacon..

WHICH TYPE? If it swims - Fino If it flies - Amontillado If it runs - Oloroso

REBORN: Sherry is staging a come-back For the dry sherries, this rule of thumb seem to work well: If it swims - Fino If it flies - Amontillado If it runs - Oloroso The sweetened versions of the Amontillado and Oloroso, usually known as Medium or Cream.

Sherry pair up very nicely with salty, blue cheeses.

Lastly, the very sweet Pedro Ximenez or PX sherry can be a dessert on their own, or poured over ice-cream as it often is in Jerez. Fino and Manzanilla are always best ice-cold, and the rest of the sherries benefit from a bit of chilling.

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Jerez is a fantastic place to look for a slice of history at historically low prices, writes Jon Clarke

T

HE first thing you notice on a stroll around Jerez are the grand townhouses and lovely squares.

The next thing you spot are the numerous British names from the sherry business, including Harvey’s, Duff & Gordon and Williams & Humbert, all of whom helped to make the city great some 200 years ago.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the stunning run-down quarter of Barrio de Santiago, right in the heart of the old town.

Many of the buildings have gateways and courtyards large enough to lodge at least one, maybe two, horse and carriages. Impossibly large (most are between 500 and 1000 metres square), with balconies and intricate facades, these were once the homes of wealthy landowners or the merchants who made their fortunes from sherry two to three hundred years ago.

While in many ways the city still reeks of old money (and you will see a lot of Ralph Lauren-clad traditional types) the city’s land values are more comparable with cities like Badajoz in Extremadura than nearby Cadiz or Sevilla.

Indeed the prices are often

33

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Where grandeur comes cheap!

LORD OF THE MANOR: Typical Barrio de Santiago home, (inset) Pablo and Caroline Ruiz Amo half those of its closest rivals.

“There are so many incredible deals to be had here,” explains Caroline Ruiz Amo, from local agent Urban Oasis.

“Prices have dropped by over 50% and they were cheap already. It is a real buyers market out there.”

She points out that they recently sold an old place of 475m square for just 75,000 euros and there are plenty of old houses available to renovate.

The agent, who works with her brother Pablo, has spent the best part of the last few years

A campus of excellence

Backed by the British Council and the Cambridge Exam Board, Campus el Sabio is growing fast, writes Jon Clarke

I

T has been an exciting four years for Campus El Sabio.

Starting with just 16 pupils in 2010 the school now counts on 260 pupils from 14 different nationalities.

“We are growing because of the crisis and not despite it,” explains director Sigve Austheim, an affable Norwegian.

He puts this down to a combination of reasons, not least the fantastic facilities of the school that sits on a greenfield site next to Sherry Golf on the edge of Jerez city centre.

But also as the local Spanish, who make up 70% of the school, are realising that for their children to get on they need to learn English.

“A good level of English will be vital in the future and the local and so called bilingual schools are not able to offer this,” he explains.

“We have also made classes in Mandarin compulsory for two to three hours a week.”

It has been anything but an easy process getting the school up and running and fully registered to teach.

The Sage British school, as it is also known, has cost millions of euros to equip and now counts

promoting the city around the world.

Having studied in Switzerland, Sorbonne and the UK she is well qualified to help anyone purchase property in Jerez.

Contact her or her brother on 956168400 or visit www.urbanoasis.es

Flying high for 25 years

F on the full backing of the British Council and Cambridge Exam Board.

“Pupils are now sitting IGCSEs and will start on their A-levels next year and the Cambridge board has described our facilities as among the top 10% in Europe which is excellent,” he continues.

The school has 20 teachers and also teaches some classes in Spanish, in particular in the subjects of social science and Spanish language.

It also has a very heavy emphasis on sports.

“Along with academic importance it is one of the key pillars of the school,” explains Austheim, who previously worked with former England manager Glenn Hoddle’s football school at the campus.

As well as links to numerous sports academies around the world, who often visit, there are regular excursions for the pupils to do scuba diving, kite surfing and kayaking.

And, as if to confirm this belief, he points out that every pupil has two hours of golf lessons a week included in the fee.

For more information contact 956929100 or visit www.campuselsabio.com

LIGHT Training Europe is one of Europe’s most prestigious places to learn how to fly.

Based next to Jerez airport, FTEJerez, it has trained up pilots for airlines including British Airways, Emirates and FlyBe over its 25 years in business.

“We understand that the airlines of today demand only the highest standard of training for their cadet pilots and future captains and believe that at FTEJerez we have the right environment, the equipment, expertise and experience to deliver just that”, explains business development manager Frik Schoombee.

It was the first school in Europe to be granted authorisation by the Civil Aviation Authority to conduct Multi Pilot Licence training and the first in Spain to be granted approval for Air Traffic Control Training.

“This certainly can only bode well for the future of this remarkable pilot training academy and for the quality training of our airline captains of tomorrow,” adds Schoombee.

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BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Bank buyers FORMAL offers for nationalised bank NCG Banco are due to be taken this week, according to finance minister Luis de Guindos. He said there is plenty of interest from buyers.

Staying put A FORMER JP Morgan bank trader has refused to be extradited to the US where he faces criminal charges. Spaniard Javier Martin Artajo did not consent as he has roots in Spain and the crime took place in the UK.

Tuck in SPANISH private equity firm Axon Capital has bought a minority stake in online food ordering portal Justeat.in.

The Bangalorefounded company offers home delivery from a range of restaurants that sign up.

41 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 35 35 The Olive Press fortnightly business section taking a look at the Spanish economy and offering tips on how to save AND make money

Looking for bargains? Spanish hotels top of the shopping list for one of biggest real estate investors SPANISH hotels are top of the shopping list for one of the world’s biggest investors in real estate.

Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm, could invest a total of €3 billion in Spain over the next three to five years.

It is currently in talks to buy a group

REAL DEAL: Apollo has set its sights on Spain

of hotels, and aims to create a pan-Europe hotel group with Spain as a key compo-

nent.

The tourism industry is widely being touted as a key escape

route from economic turmoil in the country.

Roger Orf, head of European real estate at the firm, said the lodging industry needs capital, and as room rates can go up quickly over ensuing years such investments are attractive for investors.

FIND THE FAT CATS

lawyers’´offices.

POLICE are hunting five bankers ac- neo (CAM). cused of embezzling funds from failed A Madrid judge has also ordered war- Judge Javier Gomez Bermudez is lookbank Caja de Ahorros del Mediterra- rants to search premises, including ing into the allegations and considering whether the suspects knew about, or should and could have known about, the state of CAM’s assets before it collapsed.

Police have already deA RECORD number of Spanish bor- The increase has been partially attained two executives, inrowers missed mortgage repayments tributed to an asset review enforced cluding the former managin September, the latest figures from by the Bank of Spain.

Lenders are now obliged to ensure ing director Robert Lopez the central bank show.

Abad.

Non-performing loans accounted for their bad loans, those which are unThe regional savings bank 12.7 percent in September compared likely to be paid back, are properly was taken over by Banco to 12.1 percent in August and 10.7 classified.

This new requirement has seen Sabadell in 2011 after losses percent in September last year. linked to real estate loans In real terms, €6.9 billion in loans were Santander’s proportion of bad loans double since June. wrecked its business. classified as being in default.

A record load of loan trouble...

Cafe del Marred in Sydney TWO former stakeholders in Ibiza’s iconic Cafe del Mar have hit out at a recently-opened Sydney branch, accusing the proprietors of trademark infringement.

Carlos Andrea and Pepe Les wrote on Facebook that the Australian venture ‘has nothing to do with our iconic Cafe del Mar brand.’

They said: “People behind this venture are taking advantage of trademark name registration made in bad faith several years ago.”

But an Australian Cafe del Mar director, Alex Daniel, said the venue was “entirely legitimate”.

Founder

He claimed that he, and fellow director John Zappia, bought the rights from Cafe Del Mar founder Ramon Guiral in 2008 - two years before Mr Guiral allegedly cut ties with Mr Andrea and Mr Les - and says he has the legal paperwork to prove it.

Cafe del Mar Ibiza opened in 1980 and is known for its sunsets and its annual ‘chillout’ music compilations. A Marbella venue opened in June this year.

36 36 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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One for ME, one for you ONE of the country’s largest hotel chains has snapped up two new properties on the Balearic Islands.

ME Hotels will open a 200room property in Santa Eulalia, Ibiza in June, and a 246room resort in Calvia, Mallorca in May next year.

The luxury resorts will include fitness centres, Bali beds, spas and cocktail bars, among a range of other luxury facilities.

HOT SPOT: Hotel chain targets Balearic Islands

Jerry good GERMANY’S booming export industry is helping Spain overcome its own economic crisis as the country provides intermediate goods to Germany’s exporting companies, the Spanish economy minister has said.

A bullish boost to finance A NEW company offering finance to small and medium sized companies has been launched.

Toro Finance will provide short-term finance to the suppliers of major Spanish companies.

The financing will provide companies with working capital to develop their businesses.

The company itself has received a €400 million cash injection from private equity firms JZ Capital Partners and Avenue Capital.

Toro Finance will benefit from the investor´s expertise, both of which have made investments in a portfolio of Spanish micro cap companies.

Plush plans for the oldest hotel THE OWNERS of the Puente Romano and Marbella Club hotels have snapped up Ibiza´s oldest hotel.

Iraqi-born British businessman Daniel Shamoon and his partner have bought Playa Real, a 250 room hotel on Talamanca beach, near Ibiza Town.

Shamoon will turn the hotel into an exclusive resort, which is expected to open in 2015.

The hotel was previously rented by the Playa Sol Group, which has a portfolio of more than 50 hotels and apartments across Ibiza.

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

AGONY ANT

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

FRAUDBUSTERS I T is common knowledge that a company is a vehicle that is not always used to conduct lawful business, but rather employed as a device or façade to disguise the fraudulent activities of the individual ‘puppeteers’ controlling it.

For instance, business people who set up single-shareholder companies, are appointed as directors of their own companies and when the tough gets going, close the companies and leave a trail of debt behind …only to then start all over again.

But as limitation of liability “is the rule, not the exception”, if an aggrieved creditor to a company wishes to further his claim against its owners or directors, personally, the acting lawyer should identify those instances where the individual is acting in a manner contrary to corporate laws.

In connection with this, the Spanish Supreme Court has identified the following rules that help establish when company owners should be stripped of company protection:

*

Abuse of rights: This happens when a director gets involved in illegal behaviour.

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Antisocial use of companies: Is when, by use of the protection dispensed by using a company, one frustrates the expectations of bona fide clients whose rights are irreparably harmed.

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Artificial creation of multiple companies: All owned by the same person, to obtain a result contrary to law. The Supreme Court refers here to pure fictitious entities, inconsistency of the juridical person, decoupling

What happens when companies become vehicles for fraud, writes Antonio Flores of Lawbird

of one person into several companies, instrumentation, confusion of personal and juridical personalities, substantial confusion and identity, single economic unit etc.

*

‘Decapitalization’ of the companies, or inadequate capitalization.

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When a boss is able to walk away with impunity from massive monetary damage: Inflicted to a numerous group of bona fide persons by willful misconduct, fault or negligence.

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Company being the “alter ego” of the main shareholder: When the owners use the corporate form to further their own personal goals. This occurs where there is inadequate capitalization, overlap in ownership, directors and personnel and shared address, office space and other similar indicators like working from home.

Contact Antonio aflores@lawbird.com

at

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I

Don’t let your dream home get swept away by Spanish inheritance tax

F you own a property in Spain, then you need to read this article…

Most owners are not aware that their beneficiaries and their estate may have to pay inheritance tax both in their country of domicile and in Spain. Spanish law dictates that the beneficiary of your estate must pay tax on the amount that they inherit. The level of tax payable is not a fixed rate and is determined by the relationship to the deceased, their residency sta-

tus and their existing wealth in Spain. In addition the estate of the deceased could be liable to pay inheritance tax in their country of domicile. For example if the deceased was UK domiciled and had worldwide assets in excess of £325,000 then the estate could also be liable for inheritance tax at 40% payable in the UK.

What are the options to minimise the liability?

Unfortunately, it is common practice for lawyers and tax advisers who are not conversant with both jurisdictions to advise based on their own, often insufficient, knowledge. We have known of cases in the past where property owners in Spain have been advised

A Spanish will does not minimise tax liabilities

to prepare a Spanish will to avoid the tax. But as the tax is paid by the person inheriting the asset, the existence of a will does nothing to minimise this. There are also times when the existence of a separate will in Spain complicates matters and increases legal costs. It is key, then, that all British owners of Spanish property have a UK will dealing with their worldwide assets, thereby making another will elsewhere unnecessary.

Another misconception is that by simply taking out a mortgage on the property it will reduce the tax liability on death.

It is true that the value of the asset will be reduced by the amount outstanding on the mortgage however, the banks often insist that life policies are taken out which pay off the mortgage on death and the beneficiaries are back to inheriting the whole of the unencumbered property. Even if there is not a life policy then there is a substantial debt

outstanding which will have to be paid before the property can be transferred.

Finally, the most dangerous option that is put forward is to transfer the property to your children or beneficiaries now.

The Spanish tax is payable not only on the inheritance of a property, but also the gifting of a property, so the tax would be paid sooner rather than later.

Also, once the property is in the names of your beneficiaries then you have to be able to trust that they will not dispose or charge your asset and leave you homeless. Issues of insolvency, divorce and your beneficiary pre-deceasing you can also add complications to what appeared to be a simple transaction.

The solution Quite simply you invest your Spanish property into your own UK Company (which Win-

David Rogers Tel. 0034 622 345 558

cham can supply) of which you will be the Director and shareholder and have total control. Contrary to popular belief there would be no 7-10% Property Transfer Tax payable on this transaction.

Our method enables you to utilise Spanish legislation to conveniently own and maintain your home within a corporate structure in the most tax efficient way. Unlike an offshore Company which creates an additional 3% tax burden each year, the UK is not classed as offshore and in line with EU treaties cannot charge UK Companies the 3% tax.

All Clients who use our services to purchase or invest a property into a UK limited company are covered by Title Deed Insurance which affords cover for 20 years and a maximum of €360,000 compensation including demolition order, fraud and compulsory purchase, plus many more areas.

Mark Bailey Tel. 0077 02 192 797

If you would be interested in receiving a free Spanish inheritance tax Illustration and the opportunity to discuss how this method of ownership could benefit your personal circumstances please visit www.winchamiht.com or scan the QR code below. Alternatively contact one of our advisers on +44 (0)1260 299700 (UK) or 0034 965 830 991 (Spain).

We aim to provide a friendly and professional service for our clients with a unique ability to cover their affairs in both jurisdictions with a comprehensive approach.

advertorial

E-Cigs safety

R

ECENT reports may suggest e-cigarettes are no healthier than the real thing, but the overwhelming opinion is that e-cigarettes ARE indeed more healthy.

Professor John Britton of the Royal College of Physicians said: ‘If all the smokers in Britain stopped smoking cigarettes and started using ecigarettes we would save millions of lives every year. It is a massive potential public health prize” Debate rages everywhere about how much safer e-cigarettes are, but research conducted by Michael Siegel at Boston University suggests that e-cigarettes may indeed be a much safer alternative to conventional cigarettes.

Siegel concludes that by isolating nicotine, ecigarettes should carry far fewer chemical risks than traditional cigarettes.

Siegel and his colleagues found evidence that ‘vaping’ diminishes cravings among smokers, not only by nicotine consumption, but by fulfilling the desire to hold something in their hand or insert something in their mouths.

Siegel said: “The relevant question is not are these things safe, but are these things much safer than real cigarettes, and do they help people quit smoking? The answer to both of those questions we know is yes” Further, European lawmakers in October threw

out a bid to curb sales of e-cigarettes by classifying them as medicinal products.

The EU motion was voted against and the majority were against banning them.

Tobacco manufacturers are taking the matter very seriously, by buying up all the major Chinese manufacturers, including a large stake in the company who invented the e-Cigarette.

E-liquid is made up of approved food additives, flavourings and nicotine.

Jacques Le Houezec, a consultant in public health and tobacco dependence from France, told delegates recently at the latest conference that while e-cigarettes contained some harmful substances, the levels of toxicants were nine to 450 times lower than in cigarette smoke.

Finally, Matthew Moden, a manufacturer of eliquid told the conference: “In 10, 12, 20 years’ time, I think nicotine will be akin to caffeine in regard to how people consume it, how it’s considered and the effect it has on the body.”

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 3939

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MODELO 720 IS TAME COMPARED TO ‘FATCA’ WHICH KICKS IN JUNE 2014!

T

he governments of France, Germa- start talking to each other. However coopny, Italy and Spain together with the eration now even extends to offshore juUK and US have developed a “Mod- risdictions meaning there is less and less el Intergovernmental Agreement to opportunity to keep assets undisclosed in Improve Tax Compliance and Implement other jurisdictions.

FATCA”. If you think that sounds like douThis is not a conspiracy on our part to ble Dutch it simply means attempt you to part with that these countries have your investments or to perThis is not a established a framework suade you to give up your for reporting by financial in- conspiracy on our offshore trust arrangement stitutions account informa- part to attempt you (even though you may well tion to their respective tax to part with your be wondering why you have authorities. In other words it, what it actually does and investments if you are resident in any of how much it costs you each these countries you need to year for the privilege!).This be aware that the authorities are co-oper- is FACT. We have been consistently advisating and regularly exchanging information ing that there is no longer any option but in their continued attack on tax evasion. to restructure your assets in the most tax This is not scaremongering, this is a real- compliant way. The sooner the better in ity. It was always bound to happen that tax the light of this new initiative! authorities desperate for revenue would If you are a British national, living in Spain

with an offshore trust in say the Cayman Is- ficient solutions readily available.This does lands or BVI then beware. The offshore ju- not mean moving from one risk to another risdiction will very likely report your details by lodging your investments and savings to the UK authorities who subsequently in a Spanish bank and worrying about a will tell their European counterparts and Cyprus style haircut on your funds. What in the case of Spain the authorities there it means is sitting down with a profeswill want to know why these sional adviser and listening assets were not disclosed to some facts about soluThis does not on the Modelo 720 form you tions that will stand the test completed prior to the end of mean moving from of time. No more sleepless April 2013. You did complete one risk to another nights or concerns everytime and submit a return didn’t by lodging savings you get a letter from Hacienyou? If you didn’t then you in a Spanish bank da or HMRC. should be prepared to face Why not make an appointthe possibility of losing a ment to meet with one of our good deal of your wealth in a single stroke advisers at one of our tax and wealth clinwithout ever knowing where the informa- ics being held in your local area. You can tion came from. make an appointment by telephoning +34 It simply is not worth the pain of running 956796911 or by emailing enquiries@fithe gauntlet with the tax authorities when duciarywealth.eu. there are simple cost effective and tax ef- YOU NEED TO TALK TO US URGENTLY!

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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Top Dollar www.theolivepress.es

41

Road to Riches,

by Richard Alexander

A pension mystery Open market options are the best-kept secret from some people!

I

n a financial world that is becoming I have written previously, the annuity ever more complex, it can be easy to market is right for some people and forget some of the basics, and I was is highly competitive so why is it that reminded recently that open market the pension providers don’t go out of options in pension contracts still re- their way to point out that an open main a mystery to many. market option exists? Some do but It has become something that perhaps many don’t. as an independent financial adviser I They will undoubtedly issue paperhave become guilty of taking for grant- work as you near retirement age seted – forgetting that many people do ting out your options, and somewhere not benefit from taking independent in the information will be reference to advice. the option but it may not be promoted So what is an open market option? It too strongly to people who deal directly is best explained as the ability to move with them rather than through an adyour accumulated penviser. sion fund from the proJust recently, UK penA single person at vider you have saved with sions minister Steve retirement could well to an alternative provider Webb has been making secure an annuity which for the purpose of taking noises about this very would give an annual retirement benefits. issue and the fact that income of 7.1% Typically, most pension too may people are loscontracts will offer this ing out at a time in their option without cost or lives when they need to penalty if it is at normal retirement secure every penny of retirement inage, and many will not penalise at any come. time.

The reason of course could well be It is in our culture to shop around for that for companies that offer poor anthe best deal and this is exactly what nuity rates, this can be highly profitable this option is designed to allow. The business. As an example, for a single best company to have saved with over person at retirement who is seeking a the years may not be the best compa- pension for the remainder of their life ny to provide your retirement income, could well secure an annuity in the particularly if your intention is to use open market which would give them your fund to purchase an annuity. As an annual income of 7.1% of their pension fund. Based on a £100,000 fund, that is £7,100 per year and they could well live for a further 25 years; that amounts to £177,500 in total.

Their company however may well be offering a lower annuity rate of perhaps 5.6%, which over the same period as the example would amount to £37,500 less, which that person missed out on, with the product provider being the beneficiary.

On the flip side, their contract could have contained a guaranteed annuity rate which could have been as much as 11% and clearly then, they would be better off to stick with the original company, receiving £275,000 over the same period.

Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com

51 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 41

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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Big switch off sparks panic THE forthcoming UK TV turnoff has sparked so-called ‘Big switch off’ happens, expats are anger - and panic - around the region. wondering which way to turn… and having With supposedly just days to go before the heart palpitations every time there is a flicker

We’ll be a global experiment!

Mike Crompton of Mediastreamz on whether Spain’s internet infrastructure will be able to handle the increase in demand with the Big Switch Off

I

HAVE been asked many the odd Skype call and a times whether or not I bit of web browsing will think that the existing change to a demand for a systems will cope with constant data stream of up a 100,000 or so UK expa- to 2Mb for several hours at triates all hitting the web a time. from about 7pm to watch I suspect that if you live in an area which has a large UK television.

That figure isn’t that many UK expatriate community in the great scheme of and where there are few things where you have a choices available to you in population of over 40 mil- terms of internet provision lion, but streaming TV over (only one or two suppliers), the internet is also not the there may well have a probsame as reading an article, lem receiving an unintersending emails or looking rupted IPTV stream.

This view has nothing to do at web pages.

In my view, 100,000 ex- with any specific provider, patriates settling down to rather it is to do with the watch three or four hours data capacity of a specific of high definition IPTV tele- area whether this is based vision in southern Spain on a wireless or a wired WILL have an impact, but it service.

In the end I think that powill be localised.

Some homes use ADSL, tential service subscribers some use Iberbanda, and should be realistic in their expectations others use and try to a WiFi conn e c t i o n . Subscribers should understand I suspect be realistic in their the area they that this expectations and live in.

If most scenario is try to understand houses in common their area your area are throughout empty for southern a lot of the Spain and so far it has served everyone time, things may be fine for 80% of the year but there reasonably well.

Further, some areas only may be a degradation for have a few British users, a couple of months in the while in other urbanisa- summer when the tourists descend. tions they are the majority.

For example Malaga city Others may have great has excellent telecommu- quality during the day but nications infrastructure which tails off during the and the local population evening as demand for there is mainly Spanish or bandwidth increases. at least Spanish language Be flexible, be understandbased, I don’t suspect any- ing and above all find out one who requires UK IPTV about the area you live in. living there to notice any This is new territory for all of us and in some redifference.

One thing for sure, expats spects we may be leading will need to have an inter- the world, for what other net connection. So demand region has 800,000 people for internet provision is (figure from The Guardian likely to rise in certain ar- Nov. 2012) all switching from a traditional broadeas but not others.

The amount of data that cast television service to will be demanded by each an IPTV based service at UK expatriate internet ac- the same time? count holder is likely to It is an exciting month change dramatically as ac- ahead. count holders whose previ- visit www.mediastreamz. ous demand was for only com

during Eastenders or Downton Abbey.

Indeed, so large has become the debate, that our exclusive story warning people of the switch off six months ago, has seen a record number of comments on our website.

No less than 466 comments have been posted by concerned viewers and specialists in a position to provide a solution.

Expats want to know how they can carry on watching their at-risk BBC and ITV favourites after the satellite switch off, which could happen at any time between now and Christmas.

The problem is the result of a new satellite being launched to replace an old one, which was beaming the channels to Spanish television screens.

The new one is being more focused on providing better quality service to the outer regions of the UK and less to the rest of Europe.

It is expected to mean that southern Spain and Gibraltar will lose the signal currently picked up by most Freesat packages.

Viewers would need to subscribe to Sky which is not thought to be going, or to use one of the available IPTV internet provided services provided by companies such as TV-One, Smart Sat or Mediastreamz.

“There are lots of ifs and buts,” explained Mike Crompton from Mediastreamz. “Not least whether the current internet networks will crash or not once it happens.”

Here Crompton, expands on whether the telecom industry’s broadband internet infrastructure will survive, with so many new people starting to watch TV via the internet.

BIG SWITCH OFF: Rocket has launched

Property

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Bob Callan reckons the market has pretty much hit rock bottom

The Property Insider

Has the market bottomed out?

T he cumulative drop in housing prices since December 2007 has hit 46.1% on the Mediterranean coast, according to data provider Tinsa.

It has fallen to 43.5% in the capitals and major cities, 42.1% in metropolitan areas, 31.6% in the other municipalities and 28.5% in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

The upmarket property market in Marbella and the Costa del Sol, however, has generally out performed the market. Throughout 2013 it has

shown green shoots of recovery, and luxury and exclusive properties in prime areas are selling at realistic prices.

Serious investors have also come out in force throughout the year, sensing that perhaps the luxury market has bottomed out, and are ready and waiting to pounce on that ‘once in a lifetime investment deal’ I won’t disappoint these serious investors, with two property deals that in my opinion represent the best property bargains of 2013...

LA QUINTA MANSION BARGAIN BOUGHT FOR 2 MILLION NOW FOR SALE AT 1 MILLION. PANORAMIC AND STUNNING SEA MOUNTAIN AND GOLF VIEWS An exclusive and luxury four bedroomed villa. This exclusive property with a Moorish contemporary style boasts an elevated southerly position above La Quinta golf course, with panoramic views over the mountains and the sea.

The property was originally bought by the owner for €2 million in a company structure, and has been advertised at €1,490,000. by other agents. It can now be bought exclusively for a fixed price of €1 million through Bob Callan Consulting Ltd. The accommodation of over 402m2 with heat and cooling air conditioning, spreads

over three floors and includes reception room, formal dining room, fully fitted luxury kitchen breakfast, utility room.

There are four double bedrooms of which three have bathrooms/ shower rooms en-suite.

The master bedroom suite with walk in dressing room, second double bedroom with closet dressing room and en suite.

Third double bedroom with en

suite. Fourth double bedroom with a bathroom/shower room nearby.

Outside the property is south facing, with manicured gardens with a heated swimming pool and thatched gazebo, with panoramic golf, sea and mountain views (south orientation).

There is a private drive, large garage, large car port.

LAS CHAPAS VILLA BARGAIN €450,000

BY FAR THE BEST VILLA BARGAIN DEAL ON THE COAST RIGHT NOW, IN THIS PRICE RANGE – SEA VIEWS, WALKING DISTANCE TO THE BEACH AND AMENITIES AND POTENTIAL TO EXTEND THE PROPERTY An absolute bargain villa walking distance to one of the best beaches in Marbella! This 4 bedroom (4th bedroom is in the basement area) single level villa is located within Hacienda Las Chapas, only a five minute walk to the supermarket and only a little further to restaurants and the beach. This property has stunning sea views from the large living room, kitchen, master bedroom and even the garden.

There is also a good sized swimming pool, bar area and separate guest apartment with bathroom and kitchenette located in the basement area. The villa itself could do with some updating but is still in very good and useable condition, but the price certainly reflects that – it has just been reduced by €250,000, and makes this the best deal in Hacienda Las Chapas right now! A fantastic buy for a family home or rental investment. An early viewing is recommended as this will not be around for long plus the property has tremendous potential with the prospect of extending the villa to a second level which would include around a 50m2 second floor gaining stunning panoramic views to Africa and Gibraltar. You can see this property online at www.BobCallan. com or ring 616004771 to make an appointment to view.

SPANISH LARGEST DISTRESSED SALE SO FAR: SAREB is selling €440 million worth of debt in struggling Realia to USbased Fortress Investments and Spanish investment manager Azora Capital. The deal is one of the most ambitious Spanish distressed property deals so far.

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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amino

MORE CHANGES power PLEASE Pedal rules as Spain CAR JAM: But more bikes sold this year

gets on its bike

BLACK SPOT: But now it’s safety first on the La Cala curve

CASH-STRAPPED Spaniards have bought more bikes than cars for the first time on record.

A total 780,000 new bikes have been sold this year, compared to 700,000 cars as a result of higher taxes on both fuel and new vehicles.

The figures represent a 4% increase in bike sales, and a whopping 30% fall in car sales.

The figures are somewhat shocking for a country which, unlike its neighbours, doesn’t embrace cycling as a means of getting around.

Few people in the country commute to work on their bike, and Spain has one of Europe’s highest fatality rates for road cyclists in Europe.

Wrong Gear

THE first wave of letters sent out by the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT) in their most recent campaign to drivers of cars more than ten years old has revealed a series of errors in the official records.

Many of those contacted have turned out to have sold their cars more than 20 years previously, or to have scrapped them. In other cases, the owners have died.

A spokeman for the DGT commented that the first wave of letters had mainly gone out to owners of vehicles registered in the 60s and 70s, when many cars were scrapped or sold without the proper documentation.

Despite drop in accidents from speed cameras, mayor wants further improvements on Mijas bend THE Mayor of Mijas has upped calls for road improvements on the La Cala

curve between Mijas and Marbella on the A7, after the first round of changes

led to a dramatic cut in accidents.

The Ministry for Promotion and the General Traffic Delegation has installed a raft of changes to increase security on the curve, including automatic speed radars, more visible road signs and a newly-asphalted surface.

The improvements have seen accidents drop from 21 crashes in 2012 to just 13 this year.

But the Mayor of Mijas is pressing for more changes, including an increased police presence on the road to deter speeding.

Almost 14,000 vehicles travel on the La Cala curve every day and the high number of accidents has seen it gain a reputation as an accident black spot.

It is estimated that nearly 18% of vehicles using the curve break the speed limit.

CRASH DUMMIES: Real bodies now replace them

Real bodies replace dummies at crash centre

HUMAN corpses have replaced crash test dummies at a motor test centre in Spain.

The MotorLand Technology Park in Alcañiz is using human bodies after budget cuts made the €150,000 crash test dummies too expensive.

The research centre is one of six in the world to use corpses, and said as well as being cheaper, using bodies enables scientists to better assess

Speed increase hits the breaks

tissue damage caused by collisions.

The cadavers are generally made available once Spain´s medical faculties have finished with them.

Human corpses were first used in crash test simulations back in 1930 at Detroit’s Wayne State University.

But they were phased out after moral and ethical issues surrounding their use were raised.

ALMOST half of Spain’s drivers are opposed to a proposed increase in the speed limit, recently submitted to Congress.

The proposal – which would see limits raised from 120km/h to 130 km/h on certain roads – is opposed by 48.9% of drivers, according to a survey of motorists, with only 37.2% responding in support of the plan.

The poll – conducted by the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) - shows that drivers’ greatest concern is motorcyclists driving without a helmet, followed by children travelling without a seat belt.

Interestingly, although only 12.5% of drivers admit to regularly breaking the speed limit, 67% of respondents say they believe other people do so regularly.

Seven in ten drivers say they would never drink-drive, while around two-thirds claim to never using a phone behind the wheel.

The survey also demonstrates that penalty points are ineffective, with most people saying the threat had no effect on their behavior.

Need for speed HERTZ has released a new range of supercars in Spain, giving normal people the chance to experience the high life - if only for a day.

The range, available at Hertz’s Malaga office, includes Ferraris, Porches and Maseratis – which usually retail at over €200,000.

But, with renting a Lamborghini priced at over a thousand euros a day, anyone hoping to get a taste of luxury had better start saving now.

OP Columnists

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 45 45 Belinda Beckett, aka Mistress of Sizzle, reflects on the joys of cyber-motherhood

Giving birth to a website I

never wanted children. I wasn’t put off by the patter of tiny feet. (I love babies’ feet!)

Just the process.

I blame it on Helga – a 1967 sex education film our class of 12-year-old giggling schoolgirls was taken to see. It showed the journey of a pregnancy from conception to birth: the facts of life at a stroke.

We were all really looking forward to the sex scene but what an anti-climax! I’ve since seen sexier programmes on bovine artificial insemination … although, as the film was directed by a German called Erich F. Bender, maybe there should have been no surprises there.

It was the gruesome and bloody birth that remains splattered all over my memory. Think Quentin Tarantino directing a remake of Alien.

It was way too much information for a girl of my impressionable years – in a lasting-psychological-damage way.

That explains why I didn’t want babies. But can it be to blame for the angst I’ve been going through since giving birth to a website, exactly one year ago?

In medical terms I’d be called an ‘elderly primagravida’, the unflattering label they pin on first-time mothers over a certain age. In techie talk, I’m equally high-risk - one of the pre-digital generation dating back to BC (Before Computers). Too right! It takes the energy and computer-savvy of youth to handle all the back-linking, blogging, spam filtering and tweeting required in raising a fledgling website.

So, for would-be cyber mothers of a certain age everywhere, this is my cautionary tale.

It was an immaculate conception – in that there was no male input (not even hosting by Go Daddy) but whoever planted the seed was no angel. What tortured days and sleepless nights! The gestation period was double the human term and I was heavily pregnant with half-formed ideas from day one of those long 18 months. And the morning sickness! Sometimes I couldn’t look at a computer for days.

There were even times, I confess, when I considered aborting.

I hired a designer, of course! (I don’t do DIY, even on WordPress) and it was fun choosing the name and the colour scheme. I even bought an outfit and accessories in match-

More Sartorial style matters....

A

Believe it or not, in this issue’s column Giles is giving fashion hints...

I

was invited to meet Simon Manley, the new British ambassador, at the Consulate in Malaga last week. Even though the event was described as ‘informal’, I cunningly guessed that the ambassador’s idea of informal was perhaps somewhat different to my ripped jeans and skull T shirt. So I dug the suit out.

The thing is that I haven’t needed to wear my suit much in the past three years – we don’t wear bow tie much on the radio anymore – and if I’m wearing anything much more than a sarong at the lake in summer it’s a formal occasion. In the meantime I’ve also embraced a healthier lifestyle, losing around 20 kilos in the process, so my best suit looked very much like huge outfit that Talking Heads’ singer David Byrne used to wear.

Still, I think I managed to get away with it. It may have been the shocking fushia nail varnish that did it...

SUITS YOU: Giles and tie with Ambassor Manley

Take the time to do some good this Xmas

DEVASTATED: Tacloban was flattened in the Philippines typhoon

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EGULAR readers of my column (and I assume there are a few of you hardy souls out there) will know that I generaly ramble on about life in general, with more than the occasional reference to cats, my life and the lake and the increasingly frequent maladies that affect me.

But I’d like to take a serious moment if I may.

A very good Filipina friend lost her mother at the end of October, and she flew back for the funeral in her home city of Cebu. Cebu is located 200

kms from Tacloban, which was the city almost totally wiped off the map when Typhoon Haiyun hit the central Philippines.

I was stunned, as we all were, when the images began to start coming out from Tacloban, and began to get worried when I heard that the storm front was 300 kms long, meaning that Cebu was affected. All phone calls, messages and social media requests checking on if she was safe or not met with no reply for three days after the storm hit. When I found out that northern Cebu province had also been badly hit by the

typhoon I feared the worst.

Finally on the fourth day I had a message from her on my mobile, letting me know that she and her family were safe, but her flight back had been cancelled because of chaos caused by the storm. To say that I was relieved would be an understatement.

We all tend to live our lives at a hectic place, rushing from one meeting to another. But an event like Typhoon Haiyan makes us stop and think about how important friends and family are.

Try and make time for them.

lthough I might not have a suit that fits, my black tie is the perfect size. Two summers ago I was invited to a friend’s wedding in Almunecar where that was dress code. I duly checked out Zara and H&M (I am the last of the big spenders, I know) and while they had various outfits in my size, they all looked a little too fashionable.

If you look at wedding photos from the 70s, there will always be someone who dressed a little too fashionably, and he stands out, mainly from the size of his lapels that you could kite surf with. And I didn’t want to be that man in the photos in 30 years time.

Luckily I remembered the Marks and Spencers store in town, so I dashed down there.

They had classic black tie, but after trying all their suits on, there was still nothing that fitted me.

“The only one we have left is the one on the manequin” said the shop assistant. So they took the suit off one dummy, put it on this one, and low and behold it fitted perfectly.

I’m thinkingof having that added to my business cards – ‘Journalist, broadcaster and M&S’ idea of the perfect male!

ing tones to wear for my for my ‘avatar photo’ … the sad cyber-equivalent of knitting booties… And oh, how I studied! I was ‘blog’-eyed with all the ´How To´ sites I tried to read, absorb and inwardly digest on the planning and care of a website – but all they gave me was heartburn.

The labour was sweated, the delivery brutal and then I was terrified of touching anything in case I deleted it. For most of this year it’s kept me up at nights because the slider needed changing and the blog had to be fed with posts on a regular basis.

Never too late

ELEGANT: M&S look

But, ‘Hello World’, it’s too late for regrets because here I am, one year on, still pushing the metaphorical pram because I haven’t got it to walk yet. (Do you think it takes after me?)

And ok, I know it’s not human. But sometimes I think I really have given birth to an alien being. Every time I turn on my computer it’s there, demanding more love and attention than I have hours in the day to give it.

Perhaps if I buy it a Google Panda or Penguin they’ll come and take it away!

OP Columnists

46 46 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Health is real wealth !

A

s the years add up, however good your bank balance is health is real wealth.

Whether you have a national healthcare programme in place or you are covered through a programme you earned during your working career, every senior needs to pay close attention to their healthcare package.

You may want to change to another programme or you may want to augment your coverage with a private plan tailored to your specific needs.

The world of healthcare is changing very quickly and costs are soaring. In addition, many find themselves locked out of the exact coverage they need due to chronic conditions. Here are four very important considerations for all seniors when evaluating your healthcare needs.

and need a plan that pays attention to your medications, diet, need for insulin and all the extra precautionary measures needed to keep you healthy. Maybe you want a membership to a health club as part of your medical package. Do you want to include vision and dental care to your plan? Are you overweight or are you a cancer survivor? Any health condition you had in the past or currently suffer helps you plan out your specific needs in healthcare.

Take some time to make a detailed analysis of your current health conditions before making a decision.

1. What are your exact needs in terms of a healthcare package?

Doctors are under pressure to work longer and earn less. They may opt to work in a private hospital where they can pick and choose the cases they’ll take. Be sure that if you make changes to your healthcare plan, your doctors will still

Maybe you have had or need to have surgery in the near future. Or perhaps you are diabetic

2. Will your current doctors accept a change you make to your coverage?

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A TONIC: There are important healthcare factors for the elderly to evaluate accept you or that you are happy to find a new physician. Just remember that a doctor who knows you personally and has treated you over time may better meet your health needs.

3. Can you really afford it?

If you are fortunate enough to have your healthcare covered by a national plan then this is less of a concern. But if you have a private plan, perhaps a secondary policy, you’ll need to ask some hard questions. Finding the balance between your monthly premiums and the amount of risk you take in deductibles is always tricky. Again, your health history and current health status will help you decide what works best for you. Buying a product you can’t really afford makes no sense, but neither does lowering your health care premiums to the point that you have a huge deductible to pay later in a time of crisis.

4. What additional insurance or private plans

do you want to add to your basic coverage?

There are numerous ways to maintain optimal health by purchasing private plans which include the options you want and need. You may need physical therapy, chiropractic work, acupuncture or a personal trainer. You may decide to work with a professional on weight control or to stop smoking. Only you can decide which healthcare plans work for you.

As we grow older we need to pay special attention to our healthcare coverage. In our busy working days, most of us had good healthcare plans through our jobs. But retirees often have to make do with less coverage for a higher premium. And if we’re on a national plan, we may have to wait for necessary procedures.

Take the time to search through your current healthcare coverage and find any areas of weakness or need that shoud be filled. Most insurance companies will let you speak with a representative to help you determine the best plan for you.

www.askgranny.com is a unique website and resource for grandparents and senior citizens worldwide created by Granny Juliet and provides useful information on a number of topics

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GOLF In the swing of it

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 47 47

Hole in one - again!

Golfers still in love with Spain as it tops list of holiday destinations SPAIN has maintained its position as the number one golfing holiday destination in Europe.

A report by The Global Golf Tourism Organisation shows that Spain received over 28% of European golf tourists - 10% more than its closest rival, Portugal.

The Costa del Sol was the most visited area, with 12.7% of visitors to Spain preferring the area to the rest of the country.

Interestingly, the Costa del Sol was the first choice be-

cause of votes from British and Scandinavian golfers.

But those from France are more likely to head to the Costa Brava. German golfers did not show a strong preference for any particular area.

The study found that Spain’s advantage lay in the quantity and quality of it courses, as well as the high standard of accommodation and year-round good weather.

Spain performed particularly well as a winter desti-

nation, with analysts putting the jump in sales down to the political turmoil in north Africa, which led golfers to choose Spain as a ‘safer’ option.

At 9.4% growth, Europe performed just above the global average of 9.3%.

Spain saw a 124% increase in golf holiday sales over the lastdecade.

Meanwhile, another study found that golf – a sport popular with the corporate travel and events sector – was worth €1.55bn to the

QUALITY AND QUANTITY: Spanish courses are still popular

A NEW search engine has been released, specifically aimed at providing information on golfing holidays.

The website – named Golfboo – allows golfers to search different courses around the world, comparing prices, facilities and user ratings.

On course for great hols The site lists 50 courses in the Malaga area, giving them an overall rating of

FLYING THE FLAG: Finca Courtesin is rated the best course in Spain

8.1.

At number 22 worldwide, the highest ranked course in Spain is Finca Courtesin Golf Club, near Casares, which is given a rating of 9.1.

“The concept behind Golfboo is to enable golfers to access great information relating to their golf experience,” said Fabio Peral, site co-founder. “Society has become accustomed to using search engines for a variety of day to day necessities and we believe the golf industry is ready for a search engine of its own!”

European tourism market.

The sport plays a big part in the tourism market because golfers typically outspend the average tourist.

The study shows that golfers visiting Spain usually stay for seven nights, and usually in four or five star accommodation.

Scandinavians typically outspend English visitors, spending around €230 per day, compared to just €170 from the English.

OUT OF POCKET: Miguel Angel Jimenez

An Open and shut case for sad Miguel MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ says that organizing the Andalucian Open cost him more than €2 million over the last four years, and will be unable to bring the tournament to life in future without help from sponsors.

The Churriana born golf veteran – ranked in the top 100 worldwide – claims that losing €700,000 on the 2012 tournament alone forced him to abandon plans for a 2013 tournament.

Jimenez said that while he broke even on the first two, he was later forced to dip into his own finances to bankroll the tournament.

He said, “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t squander my whole life, my whole career, when no one else is around to take up the baton.”

The 49-year-old is the oldest ever winner on the European Tour, having triumphed at the Hong Kong Open.

He has now opened a golf academy in Torremolinos, which – complete with driving range, pitch and putt and nine-hole course aims to help players of all ages improve their game.

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24 48 48 the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

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Installed or fixed Manual/electric Will travel inland No deposit/cash on delivery Call John on 952467783 680323969

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APEX CHIMNEY SERVICES Professional chimney sweep, NACS qualified, clean & reliable Tel. 696320202 AIR CONDITIONING installations repairs and servicing. Airflow 952443222 > airflowspain@live.com

COTTAGE IN THE DORDOGNE This delightful project was abandoned about six years ago due to ill health. A stone-built cottage in a quiet cul-de-sac approx one mile south of Champagne. Mains electric, water, telephone line, flush WC & septic tank. Partly restored and habitable.

Ground level.Living room approx 24 sq m. Good concrete floor. Beamed ceiling with termite-resistant chestnut boarding. Traditional stone fireplace accommodates a Godin wood-burning stove.Sink in corner with cold water tap.

Upper level.New floor (2007) with 18mm chip board on 9” x 2” joists. Treated with Xylophene insect repellent.Bedroom approx 12 sq m. Small bathroom with WC & hip bath. Rear space for small kitchen. Internal partitions insitu & fitted with new doors (2007). Further work is required including provision of stairway down to living room.

Lower level.Garage approx 21 sq m with up-andover door.

Rear Garden. South facing approx 430 sq m. 15m x 28m roughly grassed in 2007.

Tel: 606 849 692 - (0034) 952 937 756. Tax Fonciere: 117 Euros PA. Site plan & location plan available on request.Price: 44,950 Euros ono.

DOG & CAT sitting. Care of your animal in its own house. Spanish, English and German spoken.

Maria 699 621 202

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51the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 51

The scene to be seen advertorial

The La Sala group has established itself as the coast’s premiere restaurant for ambience, gastronomy… and star spotting

T

HE La Sala group’s establishments are renowned for their vivacious ambiance, exquisite gastronomy and excellent value for money.

Flagship restaurant La Sala in Puerto Banus has grown from strength to strength since its inauguration in 2010 and has welcomed the likes of Prince Albert of Monaco, Sir Alan Sugar and Jamie Oliver.

Throughout the winter months La Sala continues to thrive, boasting live entertainment seven nights a week, a bustling bar every evening and an unbeatable ambiance.

“The menu is varied, the food is excellent,” recalls one Tripadvisor reviewer, “The atmosphere and service is second to none and the people watching is out of this world,” says another.

ABOVE: Chef Darren; RIGHT: Unbeatable ambiance

Tribute acts

The week at La Sala starts with the renowned Piano Man, Paul Maxwel, delighting the crowds with his passion and flair, and performing the best tracks from over the years.

Young talent Zoe Hughes takes to the stage on Tuesday nights, merging chart hits with the classics everyone loves to hear.

In addition to the live music in the bar, on Wednesday nights La Sala’s second dining room hosts the coast’s finest tribute acts including The Four Tops, Legends of Motown, The Rat Pack, Michael Buble Tribute – Call Me Irresponsible, and The Sweet Temptations. Guests can choose to enjoy dinner during the show or simply opt for bar tickets.

Thursday night welcomes the duos; Southern Impact, and Vicky and Ernesto take it in turns to create the incredible ambiance La Sala is famed for.

When the weekend arrives the music and entertainment reaches new heights. Beautiful singer Gemma starts the celebrations on Friday evenings with her incredible vocal talent while belly dancers, DJ’s, saxophonists and drummers add to the electric atmosphere.

The party continues on Saturdays with the remarkable duo, Masquerade followed by DJ Alex. “I try to keep things as

up-to-date and modern as possible without becoming repetitive,” explains Alex.

“I opt for the music that would get me in the party spirit when I go out.”

You might think things would start to slow down on a Sunday, but not at La Sala, instead they choose to finish the week in style with not one, but two performers.

Favourite dish

The afternoon live music session from 3 to 6pm is the perfect accompaniment to La Sala ‘not-to-miss’ Sunday roast.

Enjoy succulent cuts of meat, crispy roast potatoes, light and airy Yorkshire puddings all topped with delicious, rich gravy.

Over a third of Brits have voted the Sunday roast as their favourite dish, “I think it’s fantastic that this tradition is still so popular,” says chef, Darren, “It’s a little touch of home here

on the coast.”

Each week Darren creates an irresistible three course set menu with favourites such as deep fried brie with cranberry sauce, and filo prawns with alioli serving as starters, and chocolate bread and butter pudding with custard, and banoffee crumble completing the delicious offering.

If you opt for the three-course menu (and how could you not!) you can take advantage of the ‘buy one get one free’ offer on Heidsieck Champagne.

If that’s not enough La Sala also provides a children’s entertainer in the second dining room, adjacent to the restaurant, to keep the little ones occupied while you sip your champagne in peace!

La Sala’s unparalleled formula has confirmed its position as Puerto Banus’ premium hotspot and guarantees an experience you will want to enjoy again and again.

Reservations call 952 814 145.

SUNDAYS: Kids stuff

MUSIC: Great Acts

52 52

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the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

We’ll drink to that SPAIN could overtake Italy as the EU’s second largest exporter of food and drink by the end of the decade, according to an industry forecast.

The Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation (FIAB) said the country registered the highest increase in food and beverage exports of any EU member state, with a growth of 9.4% in 2012.

It is currently the third largest exporter, with France in the top spot.

Spain’s food and drink industry is the largest single industrial sector in the country, employing more than 440,000 people.

Gee, that’s nice

A SPANISH wine has been crowned the best of the year, the first time the country has won the accolade in an annual US listing.

Cune Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2004 was voted Wine of the Year by critics and readers of US magazine Wine Spectator.

Made by one of Rioja´s oldest and most important producers, the judges said the wine was high quality, offered excellent value and ´had an X-factor defined as excitement.´ It is aged for three years in oak, and an additional two years in bottle before release.

The wine, which sells for around €45 a bottle, was given 95 points out of a potential 100.

It is the first time a non-US wine has scooped the top prize for five years.

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Climbing the apples and pears!

PERSIMMONS are taking Europe by storm. The orangey-red leaf-topped fruit, known locallu as ‘kaki’ has become so popular that during their season last year, they outsold kiwis and mangoes.

There are five varieties of persimmon, which are grown in warm countries across the world.

Here in Spain there are two persimmon hotspots – Valencia and Huelva.

Growers in the regions produce one variety, rojo briliante, which is characterised by its elongated appearance.

The harvest is typically October and November, but this year, due to the weather, it started a couple of weeks later.

Warmer days at the beginning of the season made the fruit colour at a slower rate than normal, but latterly, cooler evenings and abundant rainfall have resulted in plumper, deeper-coloured fruit.

The conditions this year have been so ideal for persimmon fruition that some plantations have been able to multiply their production.

One distributor has doubled its output from three to six kilos over the past year, and expects to be producing as much as 16 million kilos a season within a number of years.

Amazing benefits

Like all fruits, persimmons are packed with vitamins and minerals and have a range of health benefits.

Persimmons are high in fibre, and so help maintain a healthy digestive system. Fibre-rich food also keeps you feeling full for longer, so it’s great for those watching their weight.

Vitamin-wise, they ooze vitamin

TOP OF CROPS: Persimmons are outselling kiwis and man-

Pork loin in persimmon sauce Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs. pork loin 2 lbs. potatoes basil thyme sage blend of aromatic herbs for roasting salt 2 Persimmon 1 tablespoon of rum or brandy 1 tablespoon of honey

Persimmon cheesecake

consistency. Peel and slice the potatoes; place them in an oilcoated baking tray. Sprinkle them with oil; season and bake.

Serve the pork with the kaki sauce, accompanied by roasted potatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

½ cup melted butter 8 oz graham crackers 10 oz crème fraiche

Instructions:

Instructions:

Ingredients:

Filet the tenderloin, season and roast in skillet. Save.

To prepare the sauce, dice kakis and sauté them in a pan, adding a little water.

Add a tablespoon of rum or brandy, a tablespoon of honey, and simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat until sauce achieves desired

2 Persimmon 4 eggs 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons lemon zest ½ tablespoon vanilla extract 7 ½ oz sugar 2.2 lbs cream cheese

A, which is known to improve vision, and are rich in vitamin C which helps boost immunity.

They are also known to help in the fight against heart disease, and are widely used to treat constipation, haemorrhoids and diarrhoea.

Alternative health

Chinese medics recommend patients suffering from hiccups consume persimmons, while Japanese medics take

advantage of its antihaemorrhagic properties to control excess bleeding.

How to eat them

Unlike the Israeli variety, also known as a Sharon fruit, Spanish persimmons can be eaten when firm or ripe. Unripe persimmons have a crunchy, applelike texture, but once ripe the skins turn a red, almost translucent colour, and their flesh becomes gelatinous and juicy perfect for scooping out with a spoon.

They can also be cooked into a variety of sweet and savory dishes. Why not try one of the recipes above?

The Year of Cava SPANISH brewery Torres is to release a limited edition cava wine in 2015 which it plans to distribute in China.

Torres will initially make just under 5000 cases of the new cava per year and will market it as a premium product across the Asian markets.

The announcement follows a recent increase in the market share of Spanish wine in China, ground which has been gained at the expense of French counterparts.

Exports of Spanish wines surged 40 percent year-on-year in China in the first half of the year according to Chinese customs reports, and the country is now the thirdbiggest exporter of bottled wine to the lucrative Chinese market.

Preheat oven to 160 ° C. Place baking paper in a pie plate.

Crush crackers, mix with melted butter, press as a base in the pan and let cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Mix the cheese with sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, flour and eggs. Stir and add crème fraiche with grated kakis. Stir again, place in the pan and bake 75-90 minutes. Let cool and serve cold.

Makes 4 servings.

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53the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013 53

Olive oil woe BRITS are suffering an extra virgin olive oil shortage following a Spanish drought.

Spain produces half of the world’s olive crop, but yields this year have been slashed by almost half due to low rainfall.

This has resulted in a slump in olive oil production at a time when demand is at an all-time high.

It follows an announcement earlier in the month that goats cheese was in short supply after a swathe of goats were culled following an out-

break of Q fever, Almond and Halkadiki olive harvests have also been hit by environmental issues.

Around 80% of the world’s almonds come from California, which has suffered both drought and a declining bee population, the latter resulting in polination issues.

Bad weather in Greece has been blamed for a poor Halkadiki olive crop, which has led to a 50% price hike.

Tuck into tip-top tapas GOURMETS and gastronomes have stormed Cordoba to enjoy the tasty delights of a ten-day tapas competition.

Running until December 1, the event - which is in its second year - sees 42 different eateries across the city laying on 83 different tapas dishes, as part of a campaign to promote Cordoban cuisine.

Award categories include best traditional tapas, best innovative tapas, best tapas made with mushrooms or truffles and tapas of the year.

Organisers say they hope the event will draw attention to the high standard of the city’s food.

DISHY DELIGHTS: Cordoba is transformed into a gourmet’s paradise

For information on the event – including a map of the participating restaurants – see www.concursotapascordoba.com/en

Recipe for happiness TOP chef Juan Maria Arzak took time out from a recent holiday in Marbella to meet with mayor Angeles Munoz.

Munoz said it was an important day for the town to have one of the greats of Spanish gastronomy visiting. The mayor said that the town had always aimed for “...excellence and quality – two of the words that describe Juan Maria Arzak perfectly.”

After signing Marbella’s Book of Honour, Arzak told town hall

HAPPY GAZE: Arzak signs the visiting book as the mayor looks on guests that he had been coming to Marbella for 30 years.

He also revealed that he was considering buying a house

here, so that he could see his friends Dani Garcia and Santiago Dominguez.

“Marbella is a place that if you

come to when you are feeling sad, makes you happy.” the Basque chef said.“ So I want to come here more and more!”

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Here’s to healthy drinking

A feast of knowledge

Ferran’s research centre gets go-ahead

THE elBulli Foundation has been given the go-ahead by the regional government.

The research centre, founded by chef Ferran Adria, will be built in the Cap de Creus Natural Park around the town of Roses.

It is close to where the restaurant, once widely considered the best in the world, was located, in a secluded and hard to reach spot.

ElBulli started as a humble beach bar but grew, attract-

ing thousands of visitors from around the world until it closed at the top of its game in 2011.

It was known for its experimental cuisine, cooked by the man who was deemed the most influential chef in the world.

The foundation intends to preserve the restaurant’s legacy.

Building will begin next year and it is expected to open in 2015.

Adria described the government’s approval as ‘historic’, as though we’d been given four

SPANIARDS are the biggest consumers of nonalcoholic beer, according to a survey.

The country guzzled a total 584,1 million litres of low or alcohol-free beer in 2012, a third more than second place Germany, according to research agency Euromonitor.

Spain even outdrank the Middle East, where alcohol consumption is frowned upon, or illegal.

The researchers cite strict drink driving laws, new health trends and a culture of drinking to mingle rather than to get drunk, as possible reasons.

Despite healthier drink choices, the country continues to have the highest percentage of cigarette smokers aged 15 and over in the developed world.

Art that’s food for thought

A TAPAS art exhibition which includes El Bulli´s famous clothespin spoon and a table made out of bread has opened in Miami.

Tapas: Spanish Design for Food, is an ode to Spanish cooking and the influence of design on the country’s gastronomy.

The exhibition, put on by Accion Cultural Española, includes more than 8,000 square feet of displays, and over 200 exhibits.

Among the displays are pieces of paper printed with flavoured inks, and a chopping board with holes through which crumbs empty down a funnel into a bird feeder.

Curator Juli Capella said: “Spanish design, like Spanish culture, is about fun, and this speaks to that. The message is, share your food to feed another.”

The exhibition was first unveiled at Tokyo Design Week, and will tour around the US after the stint in Miami.

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advertorial

the olive press - November 27 - December 11 2013

Pond Life!

I

But El Puerto Santa Maria fish factory Aponiente deserves its Michelin star, if not two, believes Jon Clarke

T was little surprise that Angel Leon was looking a little grey around the gills.

The chef had just discovered that a much-touted second Michelin star set to come his way had fizzled out en route to his celebrated El Puerto Santa Maria restaurant (see report on page 3).

In a bad mood for the entire Saturday evening, it also explained why most of his staff seemed on edge and the atmosphere was as frosty as a fish tank.

Just about managing to summon up a smile for a photo as he served up a bread roll stuffed with crab paste, it was the best we got from Andalucia’s wild boy of the kitchen.

But Angel can be excused.

For this culinary genius has single-handedly revolutionized the way to eat fish.

Over the last half decade the

Cadiz chef has led the way in responsible dining. Akin to the campaigns of Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall in the UK, he has deliberately eschewed popular (and largely endangered) fish to seek out unfashionable, little-known breeds instead.

The 21-course ‘Gran Menu’ is a constant reminder of this, starting appropriately with the ‘unwanted fish snacks’, which are actually as unmemorable, as unwanted.

The entirely sea-based (note NOT fish-based) menu is full of odd breeds, off cuts and strange sensations.

There is no cod, sea bass or turbot on Angel’s menu, and when we did finally come to a dish of tuna, we discovered it was the unpopular, rarely used and tough parpatana, an area between the mouth and neck.

Cooked extremely well, to be fair.

With a group of friends, we signed up for the adventure with open minds and bulging wallets (for at 115 euros a head, it is eye-wateringly expensive).

Anything but your average night out we were soon debating what on earth had gone into an oyster shell that was clearly not an oyster. It turned out to be ‘plankton rice’, apparently an AponiCREATION: But NOT an oyster

ente classic.

But ultimately, the biggest eye raiser of the evening – at least for my wife and I – was the sheer amount of dishes that included plankton and algae.

Not exactly a fan of the green (and apparently very healthy) pond resident, it was a disappointment, to say the least, when the last of a trio of CHEF OF THE SEA: Leon serving a roll desserts came out with plankton infused into a va- stand out dishes, such as the razor shell dish, which saw the clam nilla ice cream.

Not really a restaurant to take cut up, split in two and served in your father-in-law then, An- its own juice with gnocchi. gel apparently grows his own The local shrimp fritters were the plankton or algae, or could that thinnest, most delicate I have be both? I couldn’t exactly work ever eaten and the beer-battered Sanlucar prawns were stunning. it out. Nor really care.

That said, there were some real A play on Eggs Benedict was served up using cuttlefish eggs and onions and had a lovely sweetness. Mackerel marinated in adobo was another highlight and, I’ll be honest, I actually enjoyed the ‘Truffled cheese from Atlantic sea beds’ which turned out to be cream cheese with ‘foie gras of plankton’.

But perhaps the real winner on the night was the ‘sherry accompaniment’.

Spawned

For an extra 35 euros we were served up a dozen interesting Sherries, all selected and carefully matched with the dishes by the talented sommelier Juan Ruiz.

An erudite and affable chap he used an interesting mixture of Olorosos, Amontillados, Finos and PXs, with a heavy emphasis on the highly-rated bodegas of Hidalgo and Fernando de Castilla.

Spending much of his time trying new Sherries from the local area, he admitted he even had to go to London to buy one Manzanilla ‘I Think’, by Equipo Navazos, which was not available for sale in Spain.

All in all, it was an evening not to be forgotten.

It was actually my third visit to the joint, which first time, five years ago (reviewing it for restaurant site www.diningsecretsofandalucia.com), was only just getting known and didn’t have a Michelin star.

On this showing – packed to the gills with punters (excuse a final fish pun) - Angel is maturing and will continue to grow.

While he didn’t get his much coveted second star, so what.

He should stop worrying: it is not for nothing that he is known around Spain as the ‘Chef of the Sea’.

He is the real king of the waves and while his food is challenging in the extreme, we should be proud in Andalucia that we have spawned (sorry!) such a genius.

55

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Doggy good FUENGIROLA has become more dog friendly, with the announcement that pooches can now travel on buses and will be given their own dedicated beach.

FINAL WORDS

Fast track FAST food advertising has increased 16% over the past three years, latest figures show. TV adverts across Spain and South America have also gone up by 8% over the period.

Old crimers THE number of people over 60 who have committed a crime has gone up by 41% over the past five years, and the new criminal majority is aged between 41 and 50.

No spark MORE than a million Spanish homes were cut off from the electricity supply in 2012. Iberdrola and Endesa cut off 1.4 million families between them.

the FREE

Covering Andalucia in 2013 with over 200,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 220,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

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Telephone: 951127006

November 27

December 11, 2013

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Now Bale is definitively shit hot!

FANS can now adorn their Christmas trees with Gareth Bale and Neymar decorations… taking a dump.

The footballers, and their Real Madrid and Barcelona team mates, have been made into so-called caganers, deficating figurines associated with good luck, for the holiday season.

They have been made by a Girona-based firm caganer. com and show the two footballers squatting.

Former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, Scottish first minister Alex Salmond and Italian politician/comedian Beppe Grillo have also been immortalised

as festive figurines.

In total 50 new figurines have been created this year, including the new Pope.

Other figures already created include the Queen and President Obama.

A spokesperson for the company said it was expecting the Neymar figure to be the best seller, but was also banking on good sales of Gareth Bale, Javier Aguirre and Kiko Casillas.

ACTION MAN:That’s young Ryan Whitehead

Ryan’s silver lining

BALE: Solid performance at the back!

Cavemen eat family Evidence suggests the family ate the entire Jones clan next door

NEW evidence has emerged of a brutal caveman dinner party in northern Spain – where the guests butchered the hosts.

Researchers found the remains of a massacred Neanderthal family in the El Sidrón cave system, near Asturias, which had been killed and eaten by a neighbouring group.

Scientists used modern forensic techniques to show how the family, which included children as young as two, had been murdered, stripped of their flesh and then eaten.

FULLY CLOTHED: The team

Royal Society of London biologist Carles Lalueza-Fox said it was likely the massacre had been caused by a severe famine.

He said:“I would guess they were killed in winter when food was short. There is no evidence of any fire so they were eaten raw immediately and every bit of meat was consumed.

“They even cut around the mandibles of the jaw to extract the tongues.”

The group was made up of three adult males, three adult females, three teenage boys and three children, aged between two and nine.

He added: “It must have been a big feast. We think Neanderthal groups were about 10 to 12 strong, so this may have been a complete family group, although someone may have got away.”

A YOUNG judoko has scooped a silver medal in the national championships.

Ryan Whitehead, aged nine, narrowly missed out on the gold medal in the event, hosted by the British Judo Council.

He travelled to the competition with two fellow members of the R.K Judo Club of Estepona, Welsh champions Ben Barkby and Tom Whybrow.

Long life

SPANIARDS have one of the highest life expectancies in the world, even though they have a penchant for cigarattes.

The average Spaniard lives 82.4 years, outliving citizens of every other country in Europe apart from Italy, according to the latest OECD Health at a Glance report.

The news comes despite Spaniards being some of the biggest tobacco consumers in the region. A total 23.4% of Spanish adults smoke, compared to a European average of 20.3%.

The number has dropped considerably however, from 45%, in the past 10 years.

From hoses to poses

SOME of Malaga’s finest firefighters are baring all in the name of charity.

The region’s heroes have stripped down and oiled up for up for the 2014 fire department calendar, proceeds from which will help needy families in Manilva and Casares.

They are expected to raise €8000, with the 2000 printed calendars each being sold for €4.

The calendar is the result of a collaboration between the Malaga Firefighters Consortium, Manilva and Casares Town Halls, Eroski and other local businesses.