Costa Blanca Olive Press - Issue 23 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 1 Issue 23 www.theolivepress.es

Your expat

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February 6th - February 19th 2020

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND? Take a visit to Spain’s secret Acropoli See page 10

Oh and it’s Valentines Day, chaps! Don’t Forget Find our romantic recipes inside

LIFE ON THE EDGE, See page 5

SAFELY HOME: Gatsby

Expat pet transport scoundrel emerges again after years working below the radar around Spain

See page 14

Back to his old tricks SOCIAL media recommendations can be life-saving – but for one over-trusting Costa Blanca expat a post led her into the hands of an alleged serial conman. The recommendation for a pet transport company on Facebook saw Maria Vila lose €350 to a firm she claims is a ‘scam’ and operating ‘without appropriate licences’. The 43-year-old had contacted Pet Taxi Transport to arrange the travel of her cat from London to her home in Spain in January. Despite further checks she paid the company in full to bring her kitten, a Cornish Rex called Gatsby to her villa in Gandia, Valencia. It was only when owner Jeremy Griffiths (above right) refused requests to provide basic company information that Vila became suspicious. “I then put his name into Google to find his company website, and

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

I was absolutely speechless,” Maria told the Olive Press. “Articles from the Olive Press came up over a number of years about dogs dying in transit and other problems. I then found Jeremy insisting one poor client’s dog had died because it was ‘overweight and fat’.” She continued: “Most pet transporters I’ve known are amazing and will bend over backwards for a beloved pet, but this man is an utter crook.” She immediately cancelled the order and asked for a refund for the January 25 trip. However, when no refund was made, she was forced to shell out an extra €275 for a separate transport company to deliver her kitten.She has now made a

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denuncia to the Guardia Civil and reported Griffiths to Malaga Trading Standards (OMIC). But without any registration details it will be difficult to see results. “I’m determined to stop this man,” insisted Vila. “He is so dodgy, using his mother’s address and an English mobile number.” When contacted by the Olive Press, Griffiths was unrepentant and insisted his business was registered in the UK – however Companies House has no record of the company ever existing. A spokesperson for the UK’s Defra Transport Compliance Team confirmed in emails that there is ‘no transporter authorisation for Mr Griffiths’. Griffiths, based in Torre del Mar, near Malaga, added Maria had ‘violated clause 11’ of the company’s contract as she cancelled

under 24 hours in advance and was therefore ‘not entitled’ to a refund. However clause 11 of the contract, seen by the Olive Press, makes no mention of cancellations and instead details what will happen in the event no person is present to receive a pet.

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Heart-attack

He said the money would be used to help bring over a pet ‘for charity’ in the future. It comes after Dianne Lunt, from Marbella, said her pet pug suffered a heart-attack while in transit under Griffiths from Spain in 2013. Another expat, Alec Strathern, also denounced Pet Taxi Transport after claiming his three dogs were transported in a van without ‘air conditioning’ and with holes in the floor.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Sacrilege POLICIA Nacional have arrested 11 people in connection with a €6 million fraud that saw the alleged con artists cash in on the pensions of dead people – some who died up to 20 years ago.

Plea THE US government has advised its citizens in Spain to take extra precautions against sexual assault following a steady increase in cases.

Charity posers A ROMANIAN woman has been arrested after posing as a fundraiser for a deaf and dumb charity in Cabo de Palos. Three of her family members, all based in Elche, are also being questioned in relation to the charges. It comes after the Guardia Civil pursued the family in a dramatic car chase on the AP-7 following complaints that they had been pickpocketing members of the public. The car containing two men and two women was found to have hundreds of flyers in the boot, all representing a fake charity for deaf and dumb people.

CRIME

February 6th - February 19th 2020

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME

Drama as Swedish expat finds house has been turned into drug den before getting himself arrested

So whodunnit?

A GROUP of seven have been acquitted for the murder of a Costa Blanca mayor. The gang of alleged hitmen and rivals were absolved of the shooting of Polop politician Alejandro Ponsoda outside his home 13 years ago. Ponsoda died in hospital eight days after being shot three times as he arrived home, sparking a lengthy murder investigation. However, the prosecution was built around the testimony of one witness, who alleged the mayor’s successor Juan Cano conspired with a businessman and a brothel owner to contract three hitmen. The hit was allegedly arranged at a meeting held in the VIP room of the brothel. However, the jury was not convinced, voting five to four in favour of acquittal. The prosecutors struggled to make their case after investigators found no bullet casings or DNA at the scene of the crime. “Leave me alone, I’m a normal person again,” Cano told reporters outside the court.

A SWEDISH expat had the shock of his life when he returned home to find it occupied by an armed drug trafficker. The unnamed Swede, 39, was forced to call police when he returned to his Torrevieja villa to find a 25-year-old narco pointing a gun at him. Guardia Civil arrived to the sounds of gunshots before seeing the suspect fire two more in the direction of the Swede and making a run for it. The Spaniard, who was soon cornered by agents, had turned the expat’s home into a drug den, while the expat was away. Police discovered 86 ecstasy pills, 27g of marijuana, a

The story behind the name

fter a successful 6 years working for a large UK financial services firm, I took a brave and bold move to enter the international market place some 9 years ago. Fed up with working in the city, the commuting, the cold weather and dark nights, I seized the opportunity to swap city life for beach life and made my move to the Costa Blanca. What an eye opener it was!

I went from working in a senior role within a large corporate financial services company, where I was well respected, to entering a very male dominated industry here in Spain, where I knew from that very first day, I had a mountain to climb! It didn’t take me long to see the magnitude of differences between how Financial Advisers operated in Spain compared to the UK and it amazed me back then, as it does today, some of the things that go on. It was tough, I constantly felt like I was swimming against the tide trying to create a reputation that was honest and trustworthy within an industry that just seemed have such a bad reputation. I remember being embarrassed about being a financial adviser, watching people’s reactions when I told them what I did, as

they thought ‘oh another one of them’ but the truth was, I wasn’t another one of them. This was my career and reputation, along with being the home where I was raising my family, and I was very much in this for the long term.

I was a good financial adviser that had just entered a country where ‘good’ and ‘financial adviser’ was rarely used in the same sentence. What I didn’t know back then was that this was going to be the biggest challenge of my life! My journey over the last 9 years has had its lows, most particularly seeing the industry ‘named and shamed’ in what felt like every edition of every newspaper following the notorious collapse of Continental Wealth Management, a firm who operated not too far from my own office. Chorus had been publicly warning against their practises for several years prior to the collapse, but we were also central in supporting many of their victims afterwards. This was a tough and emotional time as we got to see firsthand the damage that company had done to real people’s lives. This left the reputation of our entire industry in tatters, and trust at an all-time low. These lows did of course help me deve-

revolver, a large machete, a baseball bat, cash and several mobile phones. But no sooner had the Swede got his house back when he TOO was arrested.

Stolen

It came after police discovered the car he had driven back from Sweden was stolen and had been fitted with false number plates. He is now facing charges of car theft and the falsifying of documents. The Spaniard has been charged with violent robbery, drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and resisting arrest, among other charges.

Know the drill

A SPANISH dentist has been sentenced to three years in prison for secretly filming one of his workers getting changed. The female employee discovered a USB drive that included footage of her getting changed in the storage cupboard at the clinic in Alcorcon, near Madrid. He has been sentenced to three years in prison for crimes against privacy. Madrid’s Supreme Court also ordered the dentist, 53, to pay his employee €62,500 in damages for ‘seriously and repeatedly breaking her basic rights’.

Hard cell

A ROMANIAN expat who had half a kilo of hash in his stomach told doctors he’d swallowed batteries. The 27-year-old Romanian had in fact consumed 43 pellets of the illegal drug, each weighing 10 grams. The arrest came after he voluntarily checked into a Marbella medical centre, where he told staff he had eaten batteries in a bid to kill himself. He informed doctors of his plan to end his own life, before police arrested him on January 26. The drug trafficker was forced to expel the 430 grams through natural means and is now facing trial

Providing multi-award winning advice for your pensions, investments & tax planning.

By Tracy Storer, Senior Partner lop as an adviser, but I’d say my ethics, honesty and values have got me where I am today. Let’s not forget the highs, getting to meet and work with my 100+ clients. Easily my biggest achievement to date is knowing that the very first client I took on all those years ago is still happily my client, as are each and every one of the clients I’ve taken on since. I’m incredibly proud of that and it tells me I must be doing something right! Being part Chorus has been a special experience. We’ve won multiple awards, our clients are always recommending us to others, and we’ve been very honoured to have regularly sat on panels with the British Consulate and other prestigious speakers. These are things that make me feel proud and motivated. They also tell me I’m doing a good job and are the reasons why I will continue to provide the best service for my existing clients and new clients for many years to come.

965 641 163

www.chorusfinancial.es info@chorusfinancial.es Make sure you do your homework when getting financial advice. Make sure the company are regulated, they offer transparency etc. But also make sure that the financial adviser is right for you. Ask for references, look for reviews, be confident with your choice. Call me today on 693 107 044 or email t.storer@chorusfinancial.es.

Investment contracts are intended as medium to long term investments, and all investments have some level of risk. Figures in our articles are examples of what can be achieved and cannot be guaranteed; the value of your investments can go down as well as up. Fees and charges can vary and will be fully explained to you before any advice can take place. This article should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular product.

Chorus Financial is a trading style of Tourbillon Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission (Gibraltar), Licence Number FSC1118B, registered with the UK FCA reference 539348, registered with the Spanish DGS and CNMV Nº Registro Oficial 3214.

NEWS Christmas comes late

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A SPANISH film has scooped a major BAFTA film award in London. Klaus, directed by Sergio Pablos, won the award for Best Animated Film. The Netflix film came out on top against Frozen 2, Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Toy Story 4. Pablos took to the stage to make his acceptance speech

February 6th - February 19th 2020

and thanked Netflix for ‘betting on it’. He also thanked everyone who was involved with the film for ‘making this possible.’ The film is centred around Santa Claus and is the first animated feature film made in Spain. The Christmas film is also up for an Oscar this weekend.

Glory for Gloria PEDRO Almodovar’s Dolor y Gloria has swept the boards at this year’s Goya Awards. The movie scooped seven gongs at the Malaga ceremony, including one for the seasoned director. The film also appropriately won Malaga’s most famous

Banderas feels ‘very alive’ as he celebrates first big career win

WINNER: Almodovar with Cruz behind

son, actor Antonio Banderas, a Best Actor award. It also won best picture and

best screenplay, out of 16 nominations, with the big surprise that Penelope Cruz

Recycled red

Goals in the kitchen

PRINCESS Leonor has followed in the footsteps of her mother by recycling her outfit. The princess, 15, wore the same outfit at the official opening of Parliament that she wore in November at an event in Catalunya. The red tweed dress and a red jacket were worn in honour of mum, Queen Letizia’s lucky colour. The young Royal is following in the footsteps of her environmentally-aware mother who often re-uses her clothes. It came as many celebrities were showered in praise for wearing recycled outfits at the BAFTA awards in London this week. In particular, the Duchess of Cambridge who wore the same gown as in 2012.

FORMER British expat Julie Neville, married to England Women’s manager Phil Neville, has launched a Spanish cookbook. The 44-year-old draws inspiration from her time in Valencia, where she lived with her husband and their two children for three years. Naturally, the mum-of-two did not forget the region’s most famous dish paella in her new 248page book, Authentic Spanish Cooking. The former receptionist revealed she got her paella recipe from renowned restaurant Ca ‘Pepico. Valencian oysters also get a look-in, as do salt-crusted sea bass, which she honed at revered local fish joint, Civera.

lost out to Belen Cuesta in La trinchera infinita. Almodovar gave a long acceptance speech for best movie, in which he serenaded Spain’s newly elected Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, wishing him well over the next four years. When he returned later to accept his Best Director prize, his message was more specific. “Spanish cinema is in a good place, but it has many dark areas. “I would like to tell the President that independent cinema is in serious danger of extinction,” he said.

Oscar time

Banderas was very emotional in his speech, thanking Almodovar for his friendship and life lessons and finished his speech: “Today is three years since I had a heart attack. Not only am I alive, but I feel very alive.” Now Spanish film goers will be hoping that their top actor wins an Oscar for the first time this week. While he has been nominated for previous films, including The Mask of Zorro and Evita, he has yet to take home a major trophy.

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Grab a Grammy

SPAIN’S top singer has scooped her first Grammy. 26-year-old Rosalia won Best Latin Album for El Mal Querer at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles. It was the first time an all-Spanish album has won the category. While she told the audience it was an honour to win the award, she said she was more excited about performing a ‘flamenco-inspired’ song for them. The artist had already won four Latin Grammys in 2019, including Album of the Year. During her debut performance, the Barcelona singer gave the audience a taste of her new flamenco-powered pop single, titled Juro Que.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

February 6th - February 19th 2020

Charity case EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

Reporters Simon Wade and Joshua Parfitt

Your reporters, here to help on the Costa Blanca Contact them with any stories or news on 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es (Personal contacts on page 6)

HUNDREDS of British-run charity shops are ignoring new Spanish laws that require them to charge value added tax (IVA) on second-hand goods. A tax clampdown has seen a number already slammed with big fines, with many more now in the firing line, the Olive Press can reveal. One well known shop on the Costa Blanca is now facing fines of ‘up to €24,000’ after an inspection revealed they charged no IVA on sales throughout 2018. The Torrevieja charity’s accountant, who asked not to be named, said shops are be-

Hundreds of British-run charity shops are facing fines after ignoring tax laws ing viewed as any other highstreet business following law changes to crackdown on fraudulent behaviour. “The government’s view is that it is not fair that a legitimate business is charging IVA on sales while next door a charity shop can cut down prices,” the accountant told the Olive Press this week. “There are a lot of expats who need to make themselves aware that this is not a clampdown but merely the government doing its job properly.” The accountant said he was fighting Hacienda over the money demanded from his

DOORWAY MUM LOCATED POLICE have tracked down and arrested the mother of the baby left in an Orihuela doorway. The 35-year-old already has four daughters, and was driven to the act of abandon-

client as the client ‘was not aware’ of the laws. He pointed out that back home in the UK, charity shops enjoy zero-rated VAT on sales of donated goods. It comes as another British charity, which has two shops in Torrevieja, has also been hit with a €5,000 fine after an inspection revealed no IVA was paid on second-hand items in 2017. “It’s completely unfair,” the president, who asked to remain nameless to protect the charity’s humanitarian work, told the Olive Press. “Our charity steps in because

ment because of her ‘difficult economic situation.’ She had reportedly hidden the pregnancy from friends and gave birth alone at home. The infant was then left in the doorway of an Orihuela back-street, wrapped in a plastic bag, along with a separate bag full of baby clothes. After being found by a dog-walker on January 17, the girl was transferred to the Vega Baja Hospital and was found to be in good health. An investigation was immediately launched before CCTV tracked the mother back to her home nearby.

the government is failing to care for its citizens, and now we have to pay them for it? “Factoring 21% IVA into existing prices will heavily affect the work we do and mean we reach fewer people in need.” The president added his two charity shops were some ‘of the very few’ British-run enterprises which are now adding the tax. He urged all charity shops to make double sure they are not liable to fines. Susan Weeding, who operates four charity shops for her Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre in Rojales, said she ‘might as well give up’ if she starts having to pay IVA to the government. “The September storms already left the Vega Baja region with no forage crops and we’re now in debt just to keep our 121 horses, ponies and donkeys alive,” she said. “You have to bear in mind that most of our rescues come at the request of police and councils directly – sometimes from as far as Murcia and Granada. “We’re not allowed to re-home them as they become evidence in court cases, so why should we be hit by the government for doing our best?”

People smuggling ring shut COPS have detained 34 members of a criminal network allegedly involved in people smuggling. Those arrested during Operation Llama were held for crimes of forgery, smuggling and belonging to a criminal organisation. The arrests in Malaga, Melilla and Mallorca comprised 28 foreigners and six Spaniards. The sophisticated network was perfectly structured on three levels, each performing distinct roles within the organisation, claim police. The first one was made up of a Spanish citizen and a Moroccan citizen who ran an operations centre where false lease contracts were drawn up, among other documents. The second level was made up of people who dealt directly with the principal investigators and were responsible for appearing as landlords. Finally, there would be foreigners who would use these false contracts to apply for residence permits.

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A DOUBLE birthday celebration was nearly ruined when a pair of expats on a Mediterannean cruise found themselves at the centre of the global coronavirus epidemic. Philip Hinkley, 53 and his girlfriend Caroline, who live in Javea, were enjoying their break on the Costa Smeralda when Italian authorities blocked 6,000 passengers from disembarking. Fears intensified as staff informed passengers that a Chinese passenger, age 54, was being tested for the deadly virus that has claimed over 400 lives. “Staff told us we couldn’t disembark until Barcelona,” Philip told the Olive Press, meaning all destinations would be cancelled along the Mediterannean coastline back to Spain – not to mention being trapped in a confined space with a contagious disease for days at sea. The announcements infuriated many passengers and tensions reached boiling point as Civitavecchia mayor Ernesto Tedesco raced to the scene shouting ‘Are you crazy?’ as the captain initially tried to let 1,000 passengers off at their scheduled end-point of the cruise. By Friday, Italian authorities returned a negative result to coronavirus tests on the Chinese tourist.

NOT LETTING GO EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

A BRITISH daredevil has blasted his treatment at the hands of Spanish police after repeatedly breaking the law illegally scaling buildings. Adam Lockwood, 19, claims police ‘did nothing properly’ as they ordered him to descend from a 14-storey Benidorm block where he was filming himself dangling over a busy road. The stuntman, who brands himself a ‘professional idiot’, claimed police attempted to

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Your expat

voice in Spain

British daredevil vows to carry on illegal climbing despite arrest

confiscate his GoPro camera after he filmed them from the back of their car. Police allegedly also succeeded in deactivating his Instagram account – where he has 5,000 followers - after he uploaded videos of his antics. “They can’t just take me away without reading my rights,” the teenager insisted to the Olive Press this week.

Water let off! VITAL flood defences approved to avoid damage from storms have only partially been completed nearly 20 years later. An alarming 75% of all the measures passed in the Patricova flood risk action plan, passed in 2003, have still not been carried out. It comes as Spain’s Insurance Compensation Consortium agreed to pay out €15.3 million in damages after receiving 11,630 claims in Valencia following storm Gloria. The defence works include construction of containment dams and bridges and the re-channeling of rivers. They also include the im-

OLIVE PRESS

The

TRAPPED AT SEA

February 6th - February 19th 2020

provement of roads and demolition of infrastructure that prevents the passage of water during torrential rainfall. The province of Alicante has performed the worst out of the three Valencia provinces. Out of 30 pending works, just three have been completed since 2003. One scheme involves better channelling of the Gorgos river, which nearly burst its banks in Javea following intense rainfall upstream last week. In Castellón, just three of 17 works have been completed, while in Valencia the majority of operations have already been carried out successfully.

However, a spokesman for the Policia Nacional hit back insisting it was the ‘second time’ officers had caught Lockwood climbing buildings without authorisation. “Officers did not arrest him, but took him to the station as he had no identification and needed to be identified,” he stated. The spokesman added that Lockwood, along with four young accomplices, will be fined between €100 to €600 for breaking a law which forbids citizens from climbing without authorisation. Lockwood has been to court three times in the UK for similar offences. He told the Olive Press there was no point requesting permission as it is never granted and using safety ropes ‘takes the fun out of it’. Asked why he doesn’t climb a mountain, he said: “I climb urban areas because there’s so much opportunity and it’s completely different to a mountain.”

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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than one million people a month.

OPINION

Facebook failure Companies such as Pet Taxi Transport highlight the ease with which anybody in the digital world can set up a ‘company’ and charge for services remotely. In many cases without any paperwork or licences. Yet it also highlights the perils of failing to undertake due-diligence. With an enormous amount of companies across all sectors, it can be difficult to know which is legitimate and which is bogus. It is equally hard to know if that 5-star rating was earned or is faked. Yet when a company such as Pet Taxi doesn’t even have the correct registration to carry out the simplest of jobs it is important for media groups like ours to step in and expose them. For one thing’s for certain, the likes of Facebook are not going to do it.

Charity case CHARITY is the best of us; good people going into the shadows of society to share a little light. There is little as selfless as giving oneself for the benefit of a stranger. Which is why the charity sector is so respected, and revered. In the UK, it shapes our town highstreets and our currency – plans to scrap 1 and 2 pence coins were attacked by newspapers as it would see fewer coppers dropping into fewer buckets. Strong protections also exist to protect charities from paying VAT, ushering the good work onwards and upwards. But there are always those who pervert a good thing. In Spain, shady businesses have shrouded money trails under the protective cloak of the law. A leading accountant told us that efforts to clamp down on fraud will mean charities must declare income streams, and paying IVA is a means to this end. And this is also good – though the effect will damage charities that see many British expats selflessly devoting themselves to the betterment of Spain in too many ways to fill this paper. The law can be unfair, the law can be unbending, but the law is the law. Direct the anger against the scum who have ruined the protection it once gave. There will come a time of sacrifice – but, there again, is not sacrifice the very best of us, going into the shadows to share a guttering flame. PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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February 6th - February 19th 2020

‘Brextranjeros’ were nowhere to be found on the night the UK ‘took back control’ from the EU, writes Charlie Smith

48.1% REMAIN

51.9% LEAVE

TIME’S UP S O are the shackles finally off or are we about to embark on one of the messiest and costly divorces in history? Maybe both. It depends who you listen to. But one thing is for sure. When the clock struck 12 on January 31, the UK officially left the European Union and we expats in Spain were all made ‘Brextranjeros’, as the Olive Press is dubbing you. It only took three prime ministers and 1,316 days of parliamentary bickering, but we are finally here. Possibly to his eternal discredit, Boris got it done and Brexit is happening. As Nigel Farage joyfully told the European Parliament this week, waving his Union Jack. Only one question remains though... to celebrate or commiserate? On Brexit night, the Olive Press dropped into popular Kinsales bar, in Duquesa Port. ITV News were also broadcasting live from the popular expat watering hole. We didn’t spot anyone weeping into a vino tinto or triumphantly sinking pints of Carling. Nor did anyone draw inspiration from Spanish New Year’s Eve and gobble down a dozen scotch eggs as the clock struck 12. On the stroke of midnight (11pm UK time) one man clapped. A very British way to see in this new era of British history. The words of T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men seemed very apt in summing up the night’s partying – or lack of. “This is the way the world ends. “Not with a bang but with a whimper.” Remain voter Brian Forgie, 57, told the Olive Press that ‘Brexit was a f**k up’ and he was just here to ‘enjoy a drink’. “This is beyond England, Scotland and everything. “The Southeast of England has just sucked everything into itself. “There’s so much in the EU that

VARIETY: Different ways the press marked Brexit departure

we don’t understand.” Other British expats in Spain were also out on Brexit night, regardless of whether they were Brexiteers (unlikely if you’re an Olive Press reader as our 75/25% poll last year discovered, more of which later) or Remainers. One fiercely British Remainer, 64-year-old Paul Darwent, hosted an ironic Brexit bash up in the hills on the way to Ronda. The expat of 22 years put on a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ evening of poetry, food, music and comedy at his popular Bar Allioli in Jimera de Libar. Think beans on toast, tunes like Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again and buckets of nostalgia on ice. One person who definitely didn’t celebrate was Anne Hernandez (above), President of Brexpats in Spain which is fighting for the rights of British residents here. “I feel violated,” she told the Olive Press, speaking ahead of mid-

Brexit in numbers 700,000

Britons actually living in Spain

365,967

Britons registered as living in Spain

180,000 9,000 60%

Spaniards registered in UK Spanish cross-border workers in Gibraltar

British expats who couldn’t vote in 2016 referendum or last general election

night, “I feel a personal sense of ‘Rise and shine...it’s a glorious bereavement, and tonight I will new Britain’. be losing my identity. Among the most self-aggran“I’ll be sitting indoors crying todising was the Daily Telegraph, night, I’ll be having a strong cup boasting in an eight-page Brexit of coffee. supplement how its former col“How can people celebrate losumnist (Boris Johnson) made it ing their rights? It’s barbaric, 47 into Downing Street and led the years of history erased. country into a new era. “My big question is, who is the The Daily Star went with the UK going to blame when it leaves end of Dry January. and it can’t use the EU as a Meanwhile, others scapegoat?” chose to optimistiMeanwhile, across the border on cally look ahead to the Rock, Fabian Picardo’s Gieven more holidays braltar marked the EU departure in Europe post-Brexit, with a ‘short and solemn’ EU flag including English jourlowering to the glorious sounds of nalist and theatre critic Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Quentin Letts (below). The Commonwealth flag is to reWriting in The Sun, he place the EU flag. said: “The Further afield, hairpin bends other Brexit celeof Monte Carlo, Please sit brations included the bleat of Pyresome pathetic down, resume nean mountain Union Jack-waving the canals your seats and goats, by Nigel Farage and bong shops and his EuroscepAmsterdam, put your flags of tic cronies in the S candi navi a’s away European Parliafjords and frisky ment in Brussels. midsummer The Brexit Party freedoms, plus leader’s antics were swiftly cut all those amazing, bewildering, short by vice-president Mairead beautiful languages and literaMcGuiness, who turned off his tures and cooking styles: Europe microphone, adding: “Please sit will continue to exert her magical down, resume your seats, put allure on us.” your flags away and take them Local Mijas Councillor Bill Anderwith you if you’re leaving son, who became the first Brit now.” to take up the post in the Teary-eyed Retown’s 40 years of demain-suppor ting mocracy, was slightly MEPs also commore measured than memorated the Letts. approaching B-Day “Tonight I’m having by breaking into dinner at home with a rendition of Auld my Spanish wife,” he Lang Syne. told the Olive Press Farage’s anti-EU revbefore midnight, “I’m elry was matched by the definitely not going to front pages of Britain’s rightany Brexit parties. wing press, which invoked patri“Some are going to drown their otic sentiment with images of the sorrows I’m sure, but for me, it’s White Cliffs of Dover and Big Ben. not a chance to celebrate, I think ‘A new dawn for Britain’, was the a lot of British people will be afDaily Mail’s splash, while the Daifected. ly Express opted for the tedious “The biggest effect in the short

FEATURES

February 6th - February 19th 2020

Olive Press 7 online

‘Spain’s BEST English news website’

IN-DEPTH: On the La Cala drownings, missing Harry and Storm Gloria

REAL SPANISH CONTENT

VARIETY: Different ways the press marked Brexit departure term will be on the national police, because we’ll all have to be registered. We’re foreigners, no longer EU citizens. “The police have been preparing for this for a long time, in Fuengirola they have been taking on more staff.” Fellow Mijas councillor, Arancha Lopez, highlighted the ‘importance’ of the 8,842 Brits registered in the municipality. She said: “The British in Mijas are one of the pillars of our residential tourism and a fundamental part of the Mijas society and economy.”

Changes

But beyond January 31, when the tiresome catchphrases, such as ‘taking back control,’ are a distant memory, what, if anything will actually change? Aside from a commemorative 50p coin and blue passports, most things will actually remain the same during the 11-month transition period, which ends on December 31 (See box). Unless it’s extended, which has got to be a distinct possibility. One thing that could change on New Year’s Day 2021 is pensions. For those still set on making Spain their retirement destination after that, current pension guarantees will not necessarily apply from December 31 and your state pension may be frozen. Unless guarantees are renewed, s o m e 650,000 Brit pensioners across the EU will no longer see their pension

increase each year in line with wage growth, inflation or by 2.5% (whichever figure is higher). Despite claims to the contrary by the British embassy and consulates, nothing has been set in stone. For the 365,967 Britons registered in Spain (the actual number of Brits in Spain is closer to 700,000) Spain issued a royal decree last year effectively guaranteeing several rights – healthcare, freedom of movement and the right to work. Brits living in Spain are advised to check the Government website for more information, but crucially should make sure they are registered on the padron, registered as a foreigner, have enough time left on their passport and have exchanged their driving license for a Spanish one.

Updated But as we embark upon a new chapter of European history, the Olive Press is still here to keep you updated. And we will do so on an almost daily basis most likely. Despite a recent poll by a downmarket jingoistic rag revealing that 81% of its readers would be out celebrating Brexit night, we expect the vast majority of you reading this (and not the loud rabble-rousers on Facebook) are still licking your wounds. According to our own poll of thousands last year some 25% of Olive Press readers supported Brexit – still a staggeringly high number, given our location. At the Olive Press we continue to fly the European flag on our front page every fortnight. Our passports may be about to change colour, but we will always be European and will continue to bring you the top stories from around Andalucia and Spain.

EUROTRASH

Known unknowns Blue passports

They are set to make a return, more than three decades since they replaced the existing burgundy-coloured versions. The ‘iconic’ blue and gold design, which was first used in 1921, will be slowly introduced, with all new passports to be blue by around July.

Brexit 50p

Around three million of the new coins will be brought into circulation. They are inscribed with ‘January 31’ and ‘Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations’, will enter circulation on Friday’. Some Remainers, including Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spin doctor, have already said they ‘won’t use’ the new mint.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

During the transition period, you can still use these cards, which provide UK nationals with state-provided medical treatment. However, whether or not you can use the card after the end of this year is still to be negotiated.

Budget contributions

The UK will continue to make payments to the EU budget during the transition period. This means that current EU grants will still be funded.

IGNORED: Jessie from Eastenders, Iran and the yawns of Megxit

HILE other websites bring you the news from Scotland, Iran and - yes - the soap opera Eastenders, we at the Olive Press stick to stories on Spain. Ignoring bombings in Baghdad, skirting around Megxit (unless there’s a Spanish angle), and avoiding the row between Hugh Grant and Piers Morgan, we concentrate on the country we’re in. Sticking to the core values we established 14 years ago, we bring you content from around the whole of Europe’s most vibrant nation. Be this flooding in Alicante, a missing teenager in Teruel, or a food festival in Fuengirola, we vow to cover it. With a dozen-plus qualified journalists (all writing in their REAL names) we are able to provide a comprehensive round-up of everything important and interesting happening in Spain. Indeed, ours is the only resource expats interested in Spain need to use, not to mention tourists arriving here in their millions each month. With dozens of stories a day and over 1,400 links (none paid for) from global sites - including the BBC, Daily Mail and New York Post - is it any wonder we are getting over a million readers a month. Visit www.theolivepress.es and see how much content we have... and if you’ve got a business just how much exposure we can give you. Here are the top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

- WATCH: Emergency declared in Spain’s Malaga as cars left stacked upon each other and homes and businesses wrecked while freak hail leaves cars in Marbella (32,417)

2 3

- Flights diverted from Malaga airport as orange level warning activated for Spain’s Costa del Sol (31,395)

- EXCLUSIVE: Missing British man speaks out in tell-all interview after he’s found two months following his disappearance (29,947)

- IN PICS: Parts of Spain see ‘worst snow in 50 years’ as Storm Gloria kills EIGHT while others still missing in Mallorca and Ibiza (14,708)

- BREAKING: lethal Chinese Coronavirus fear as suspected case in Andalucia, southern Spain (13,709)

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STAYING PUT

STORKS have stopped migrating to Africa for winter preferring to spend the cold months in Spain instead. Only about 20% currently make the journey across the straits, due to global warming, revealed SEO/Birdlife. The majority are staying in Spain, instead of heading to warmer climes in countries, including Mauritania, Senegal and Nigeria. It is far safer staying in Spain, where they continue to forage at the many landfill sites around the region.

More cash now!

A COSTA Calida mayor claims an €80 million flood prevention plan is nowhere near enough. Los Alcazares leader Fernando Lopez Miras claims more than €250 million is needed following extensive flooding in the past three years. It comes after a meeting on January 24 saw ministers agree to an initial budget of €1.5 million to improve water drainage at the protected Mar Menor lagoon. Miras also said regional president Mario Perez Cervera has taken far too long to open discussions on flood defences.

February 6th - February 19th 2020

SAND BLASTED By Joshua Parfitt

BEACHES in eastern Spain have lost an average of 11.1m of sand following January’s killer Storm Gloria. The worst-hit shoreline in Castello de la Plana lost up to 63.3m, while the Les Deveses beach in Oliva lost up to 50m in its most ravaged regions. The results from the Geo-environmental Cartography and Remote Sensing group, from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), are the first to investigate the damage to Spain’s coastline after storm Gloria swept through claiming 13 lives and leaving 10 people missing. Researchers analysed satellite images of 200km of

CLEAN LIVING

Storm Gloria causes mass loss of beach across Spain’s eastern coast coastline between Denia (Alicante) and Vinaroz (Castellón). Comparisons were made between images taken on January 6 and then January 26.

Mucking good job! OVER a hundred volunteers have cleared up tyres, shoes and plastic bags from Javea’s coastline following the destruction left by the deadly Storm Gloria. Young and old mucked in finding everything from 50-year-old electrical appliances to days-old polystyrene coughed up by the angry sea. Plastic Patrol volunteer Martine Newman said the efforts were vital not just for the environment but to teach children ‘the importance of recycling and keeping our area

“The results show the spectacular losses the shoreline has suffered,” the report said. “We’ve been able to measure that the average retreat of

clear of litter’. “We want to leave a clean planet in the hands of the next generation,” Martine told the Olive Press. She said dozens of volunteers from the Costa Blanca-based environmental group scoured Javea’s shoreline, from the port to the Arenal beach, to ‘give back to the community’. She especially warned residents of flushing wet wipes down the toilet, as they do not biodegrade in the oceans. The largely expat-run Plastic Patrol was joined by local group Javea te Quiero Limpia, which helped clear things from Javea’s port.

all the beaches of the Gulf of Valencia has been 11.1 meters, although the local differences have been significant.” Guillermo, who runs a windsurf business, restaurant and owns a house in Les Deveses told the Olive Press the damage to the sea was ‘unprecedented’.

Unprecedented

“I’ve been speaking to neighbours who’ve lived here for generations, and they’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. Guillermo said that festivals used to be held on the beach, but that now the sand has been progressively lost until the waves reach the houses. “It must be something to do with climate change – if you can’t see it, you’re blind,” he added.

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A BENIDORM hotel is trialling a range of biodegradable toiletries in a bid to cut down on the 17.5 million single-use plastic bottles thrown away each year. Benidorm Plaza will use the environmentally-friendly containers to package complimentary shower gels, shampoos and moisturisers used by tourists during their stay.

Perpetrators

The ‘innocuous’ new product, called Dropi, is the brainchild of two students from the University of Alicante who have already won numerous sustainability awards for the innovation. “Tourism can be sustainable,” said Yago Sierras, half of the duo behind the Dropi. “Hotels are both perpetrators and victims of plastic waste because if a destination is not clean it will cease to be attractive.” He added that during the trial phase, the team will fill their biodegradable bottles with their own cosmetic products – with the idea that hotel owners will buy empty containers and fill them with their own-brand toiletries in future.

LA CULTURA That’s the ticket A

February 6th - February 19th 2020

Rewriting history ARCHAEOLOGIST Eliseo Gil has been told he faces a lengthy prison sentence and anonymity from the archaeological community after being accused of falsifying artefacts that had the potential to ‘rewrite the history books.’ The professor, along with his geologist partner, Oscar Escribano, are being tried for fraud and damaging heritage after they doctored findings from an important excavation at the old Roman settlement of Veleia, northern Spain. Gil became a ‘celebrity’ in the Basque country after he supposedly discovered a link between early Christianity, Ancient Egyptian and Northern Spanish cultures. The discoveries were made back in 2006, when the archaeology world was stunned to be presented with artefacts from the third century AD with early images depicting the crucifixion as well as early Basque language. However, Gil soon came under suspicion after he presented his findings to language expert Joaquin Gorrochategui, who soon began to spot inconsistencies. He noticed that the Latin used on the inscriptions was ‘vulgar’ and contained numerous errors. Gil was soon removed of his concession to continue to work at the site, and now faces up to five and a half years in prison if it is proved that his findings were doctored.

what’s on lcalali en Flor

THE Alhambra Palace has a new system for ticket sales making prices far fairer. From next month, 70% of tickets will be made available for purchase only via the official website, call

Spain’s most famous palace just made it a whole lot easier to get tickets

centre, or in person at the site. The attraction – which was recently ranked the 11th

Yacht plot

most popular European destination – allows only a certain amount of visitors every day.

A SPANISH billionaire who smuggled a priceless Picasso artwork out of Spain has had his sentence doubled. Ex-banker Jaime Botin was caught with the Malaga artist’s Head of a Young Woman (1906), which has been valued at over €26 million. But the 83-year-old former Bankinter Chairman has now been told that he may now be sent down for his cultural crime. He was originally slapped with an 18-month sentence, which would have likely seen him not serve any time. In Spain it is often the case that first-time non-violent offenders do not have to enter prison. Botin’s original fine of €52 million has also been raised to €92 million, by Judge Elena Raquel Gonzalez Bayon. Botin’s crime was flagged up during a customs search in 2015 on the French island of Corsica. Officers discovered he was heading to Switzerland with the Picasso. He strenuously denies the charges and maintains that he was taking to Switzerland for safe keeping. Prosecutors on the case accused Botin of ordering the captain of his yacht to ‘hide it from authorities’ as it left the port of Valencia. Picasso completed Head of a Young Woman in his pre-Cubist phase, with the painting snapped up by Botin in London in 1977 from Christie’s in London. The prestigious auction house allowed Spain’s Ministry of Culture to seize the artwork ‘given its obvious historical artistic interest and be older than 100 years’. Botin’s case is currently being heard at the Provincial Court of Madrid, where he and his team may now launch an appeal against his increased sentence.

Getting your residency

UN Lawyers are ready and waiting to guide you through what you need to do if you are looking to get yourself fully legal in Spain by getting a residencia card. With some delays in applying for a Spanish residencia recently cleared up, now is the time to get yours if you haven’t already done so. And don’t worry about the complex process, as Sun Lawyers will sort everything out for you. That includes getting the appointment as quickly as possible! You should apply for a Spanish residency card if:

• You spend more than 90 days in Spain • You want to be legal in Spain • You want to have healthcare in Spain You’re staying in Spain for over 90 days

If you spend more than 90 days in Spain per year then you must apply for a Spanish residency card, which in effect is a stay permit. The UK withdrawal agreement allows applications to continue for British residents until the end of 2020, when they will be swapped over to a different card. With possible delays in the appointment system because of a rush of British nationals looking to register, you need to apply now before it is too late. You want to be legal in Spain We want to help you become legal in Spain and bring you peace of mind, as doing everything according to Spanish rules can only bring benefits. As an example, as a British person per-

manently resident in Spain, once you have obtained your Spanish residency card, you then move to exchange your EU/British Driving License for a Spanish one. That licence swap is part of the law, and so if you get stopped by the police, you’ll have the Spanish driving licence, opposed to a driving licence from a foreign country that the police officer might not be familiar with. Sun Lawyers will sort out the residencia application through all the various stages and keep to a bare minimum what you must do. You want to use the Spanish healthcare system There is no free healthcare in Spain, and all costs must be covered one way or another, though emergencies are universally covered. There are two main categories here: Limited and temporary healthcare in Spain. This must be done through the EHIC health card, but this does not include ongoing treatments. Permanent all-inclusive healthcare in Spain. One essential requirement to qualify is to have Spanish residency, in order to get a SIP card. Ready to act? It is common for Sun Lawyers to see people postponing important decisions, like applying for residency or sorting out taxes or buying a home without a reputable lawyer. Get the right advice by getting in touch with Sun Lawyers now to start helping you. Send an email to admin@sun-lawyers.com or telephone on 965 321 189. The Sun Lawyers team will deal with your query as soon as possible!

This means that tickets need to be bought well in advance and last minute tourists go to extreme lengths to get one. Until now, a staggering 49% of tickets went to travel agencies, with only 29% being available to the general public. However the system had its flaws as some agencies reserved tickets three months before possible use and did not have to confirm or pay for them until three days before. The system led to corruption and over-pricing and meant that if the agencies didn’t sell them they were often going unused. Many agencies sold the tickets at inflated prices, often to secondary agencies or individuals, who charged up to ten times the actual price. The Granada monument attracts 2.7 million visitors each year, making it Spain’s most visited attraction.

Alcalali is holding a month of festivities celebrating its famed almond blossom. Activities include guided tours, tastings, games, traditional dances and live music on weekends.

laming

Valencia’s Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias has launched an exhibition showcasing its iconic ‘ninot’ figures that are expertly crafted and burnt during the fallas festivals. Last year the festival made headlines for burning figures of Trump, Hitler, Stalin and Franco.

orolla special

PValencia’s Museo de Bellas Artes has last month inaugurated an exhibition looking at Valencia’s most famous painter – Joaquin Sorolla – who frequently painted in Javea on the Costa Blanca. ‘The Beginning of Modern Painting in Spain: Sorolla and his Time’ will also feature pieces by the master of light’s contemporaries.

ove up

One of Europe’s last and best concert halls, Benidorm Palace, is holding a special Valentine’s Day event on February 14, featuring a one-off show and four-course menu. Tickets from €35.

February 5th 6th --February February19th 18th2020 2020

Tucked away in a rugged mountain redoubt north of Granada is Castellón Alto, an ancient abandoned settlement that should be on your must-see list this year. And it’s not just the breathtaking views that will captivate you, writes Nick Nutter

LA CULTURA

The Secret Acropolis

OU need to go back to between 2200 BC and 1550 BC, that the Argaric people roamed the south of Spain. Covering southeast of the Iberian peninsula, from Granada to Alicante and from Almeria to Ciudad Real, these ancient Bronze Age folk were way before their time. Indeed, thousands of years

CLOSE TO HOME: Burial ‘cysts’ were often under the house before the Romans they developed expertise in using bronze, particularly for weaponry, as well as creating sophisticated pottery and ceramic techniques. They also mined and worked silver and gold and, above all, developed a more sophisticated society than anything that had come before. For starters, the old fashioned

communal tombs were abandoned in favour of individual burials in ‘cysts’, often beneath each family’s own dwelling. There also appeared to be three levels of society. The upper and middle classes had access to metal and weapons and the lower class were basically slaves. The refinement of their work in metals and pottery allowed them to extend a trading network established by their predecessors, the people of Los Millares. These people are known today as the ‘Argaric people’ and their culture is called the Argar culture. It was about 1900 BC that the Argaric people built a fortified settlement near the village of Galera (pop: 1,130) in Granada’s little-visited and populated Altiplano region. On a craggy spur on the banks in the valley, each separated of the river Castillejar, the from the other by three kiloplace became metres. known as CasAt its peak, Castellón Alto, and tellón Alto is beSocial structure it is an amazing lieved to have was determined housed about place for both histor y -lover s 80 inhabitants and anyone by which terrace and it grew unwith a joy of each family lived til around 1600 getting out into BC, when it was on nature. suddenly abanThe site covers doned. about half a Built on a spur hectare and overlooks a fer- of the river, terraces were cut tile plain known as the Baza– out of the rock to provide a flat Huescar plateau, the two key surface on which the houses towns of the surrounding area. were built. It is one of four Argaric sites Each house had a low stone

BOUNDARIES: Spain was divided by tribal lines in 2000 BC

foundation sat on the bedrock and then posts, made of pine, supported the walls and roof. The posts were set in the bedrock and held firmly in place with wooden wedges. Two further posts acted as door jambs, while the door itself comprised of an esparto grass mat, similar to the ones still woven in Andalucia today. The walls were cane or interwoven branches of tamarisk, broom, poplar, willow or rushes, bound together with mud or gypsum plaster. The flat roof was a frame of pine supporting interwoven material thickly impregnated with mud that then baked in the sun. But most interestingly was each inhabitant’s position in the social structure, which was determined by which terrace they lived on. The construction of the settlement, around a buttress of rock, made defence easy, the whole structure resembles a fortress. Crowning the settlement is an area called the Acropolis and it was up here, in this walled area, that the community leaders had their homes. A total of nine graves, all cyst type burials beneath the dwellings, have been found within the Acropolis, compared to a total of 130 tombs on the whole site. One of the Acropolis tombs

LA CULTURA

SCALE: The homes of the village leaders were at the top of the hill

SITE: Castellon Alto is in a rugged area contained a bowl, a jar, a halberd (a two-handed pole weapon) and, even, a short copper sword, all indicating the high position held by the deceased. Unfortunately, the other tombs on the Acropolis have been affected by erosion and clandestine pillaging. The Acropolis had its own wa-

ter cistern that would have been kept topped up by the serfs, who had to bring their own water as well up from the river far down below. As with modern towns, the settlement was not full built to start with, rather it developed over the whole period of occupation. The various phases

of construction are well explained at Castellรณn Alto. It is a great place to visit today and the majority of the site is well preserved and a huge amount of information has been gleaned about the Argar people and their culture. Anthropological study has shown that the people were typical Mediterranean types, of average height and slim build. The average height of a man was 1.67 metres and that of a woman 1.57 metres. A newborn child could expect to live about 23 years with only 3.5% surviving to the age of 60 years. The diet was primarily vegetarian with a little meat. Not unexpectedly the upper echelons of society tended to live longer and eat more meat.

February February5th 6th - February 18th 19th 2020 2020

DOORWAYS: Were made of elaborate esparto blinds that are still woven in Andalucia today

Why Castellon Alto was abandoned Beneath the settlement, extending down the valley sides to the irrigated land along the river, was a thick growth of holm-oak and Aleppo pine. The Argaric people of Castellรณn Alto denuded the valley sides of trees that they used for fuel and building. It is likely that this is the reason for it being abandoned after only 300 years.

Tours of Castellon Alto Tours of the site are conducted at set times and days throughout the year. Please check with the official website for opening times. The numerous informational plaques around the site are, unfortunately, only in Spanish, which is a pity because they display masses of information. The guide also only speaks Spanish. However, if when you book the tour, you ask for information in English, you will be presented with a plastic folder containing 16 sheets of A4 paper, each one a translation of the information on the plaques. For more info visit:

Nick Nutter owns travel website Visit Andalucia (www.visit-andalucia.com)

www.juntadeandalucia.es/ cultura/enclaves/enclave-arqueologico-castellon-alto

February 6th - February 19th 2020 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

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RECORD: Waves of up to 14m lashed Mallorca this week

Climate emergency declared as recordbreaking storm Gloria leaves 12 dead

ACTION STATIONS By Joshua Parﬁtt

declaring a landmark state of ‘climate emergency’ for the entire country. The PSOE leader surveyed the devas-

edented ‘climate change law’ expected within 100 days, following in the steps of scores of countries across the world. The island was hit badly, with heavy rainfall and giant waves in the fourth just ‘gota fria’ storm to hit Spain in one year (see panel left). Sa Dragonera saw record 14-metre waves, twice the height of a double decker bus, crash down onto the roof terrace of a hotel, as shocked holidaymakers clung for their lives. Videos posted on the Olive Press webit WASHED UP: Trio of boats site show the moment as they filmed from a fourth floor. on Thursday. Gusts of up to 110 kilometres per hour schoolforce 9 winds wrought havoc Gale were recorded in Capdepera, while 150 with 115km/h winds recorded in Oliva emergency services responded to and waves reaching a record-breaking separate incidents. ran 8.44m in Valencia. Some supermarkets reportedly 12 people have died around out of stock due to ferries not being So far, with a further four missing Spain, able to dock. Cataa around the Balearic Islands and Meanwhile, victim, age 44, died in bridge running over lunya. The first when a truck lost the Tordera river Asturias on Sunday snowfall and crashed has collapsed in control in heavy he was putting on into his car while Catalunya. Spain snow chains. Across died people The following day a 63-year-old 200,000 he was struck by a roof have been left in Avila after a 70-year-old man without electricity, tile. Meanwhile while 130,000 chilContinues on Page 5 dren did not attend

tation in the port of Cala Rajada and agreed to declare a ‘catastrophe zone’ in Mallorca as of today (Friday). Sanchez also insisted ecological transition would now be at the ‘forefront’ of government action with an unprec-

We’ve all gota learn

Untitled-1.pdf

vawith warmer air, the rising humidand pours immediately condense in drop a massive quantity of water one burst. In Orihuela in September than over 400mm of water fell in less an48 hours, nearly twice the town’s to nual average precipitation, due to a freak gota fría. The term refers only this unique weather event that is used in the western Mediterannean.

by A gota fría (cold drop) is causedthat pockets of arctic or polar air Eumove southeast across western rope before meeting the warmer, Alihumid Med climate, according to cante scientist Jorge Olcina. at The cold blast becomes ‘isolated’ term high altitude, hence its spanish High Depression at DANA, or Isolated 15:36 16/06/2017 Altitudes. When coming into contact

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to safety from the water? It seems to me to have been a terrible tragic accident; but if t h e r e h a v e b e e n p r o b lems with the pool then they should be exposed. B u t please, this is certainly a time when a warning should go out to all those w h o come on holiday to Spain, that just because we have a bright sunny day – the water temperatures in swimm i n g pools, unless heated, are certainly not what you would ever see in a UK s w i m m i n g pool. I was brought up in the N o r t h East of England where our outdoor pool was on the beach at Tynemouth and the w a t e r temp was 10°C at the annual opening of the pool in Easter to a maximum of 16°C in the summer. The sea temperature wo u l d never rise above 17°C. These are very different to the levels that we experience here.John

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January 22th - February 4th 2020

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stoic sacrifice

GIBRALTAR

The Gibraltar International Chess Festival returns to the Rock

see page 20

The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

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OVERWHELMED: Podemos’ Pablo Iglesias in tears after the coalition victory Nationalist Block, Teruel Existe and Nueva CaIn his letter, he referred to the two narias. men’s desire to look beyond ‘the eternal issue’ shared It was no surprise who voted against of soverthe lefteignty and he extended the hand of wing coalition, with 165 MPs from friendship on the Partido behalf of the people of Gibraltar. Popular, Vox, Ciudadanos, Junts per Catalunya, He also offered his support for the Navarra Suma and others saying 'no'. promotion of ‘policies based on the principle of The left erupted into applause, with dialogue, unsome shedderstanding and co-operation between ding tears, when it was revealed that Sanchez our respective people’. had clinched the vote. Key to Sanchez’s victory was the Representatives screamed 'si, se puede!' abstention while the pro-independence Catalan Republican of Sanchez hugged Iglesias, who was photographed Left party (ERC), which agreed to sit out in tears. Spain’s most recent election the vote after Sanchez vowed to find a solution fourth in as many years as the country was the to the pofailed to litical conflict that has dogged Spain form a cohesive government. since lunya’s separatist regional government Cata“It’s great news for Spain,” leading tried to expat Hissecede in 2017. panist, Sir Ian Gibson told the Olive Press. “There are going to be lots of compromises, but also solutions.” Terrorists He added: “Sanchez is an amazing man The government’s opponents argue Sanchez’ it’s remarkable to think he stuck it out and ‘Frankenstein government’ will be after too beholdbeing kicked out of his own party and en to Catalan separatists and pose then a threat to came fighting back. Spain’s national unity. “He has the qualities of a true statesman While Sanchez appealed for calm, and called on and speaks very well. He will be a great MPs to overcome the ‘atmosphere asof irritation’, set for Europe.” his adversaries went on the offensive. Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian PP leader Pablo Casado, accused him Picardo of also sent a letter of congratulation ‘extremist’ who had left the country’s being an to Sanfuture in chez on being re-elected, after ‘a tortuous the hands of ‘terrorists and coup-mongers’. and fractious debate’. In a tweet sent after the vote, Sanchez “Spain is entering a time for defending wrote: dialogue and useful politics. A government for all people that restores co-existence and fights for social justice. Today is the dawn of a time of moderation, progress and hope.” Spain’s new coalition is expected to See page 23 roll out a policy of raising income tax for people in Spain who earn more than €130,000.

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THE UK is failing British children overseas, as numerous paedophiles are being allowed to travel overseas to commit sex crimes, a new report has found. Dozens of dangerous sex offenders are being allowed to live around Europe, many in countries like Spain. In the hard hitting report, released yesterday, British expats have requested consular assistance numerous times over child sex and child pornography offences. a The findings have been released in 74-page report by the Truth Project, which is part of Britain’s in-depth Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Footing the bill

A THIEF has been caught after leaving his shoes behind at a crime scene. It happened after a resident of Palma heard rumbling in his garage – when he went to investigate he found his valuables in a pile by the door ready to be taken. of Mysteriously, he also found a pair someone else's shoes next to them.to Police were called and arrived find a barefoot Spaniard on the street nearby. The 26-year-old was already known for similar break-ins and has now been charged.

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The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

Shocking

It found that UK offenders ‘figure highly’ in the numbers of sex crimes against British children abroad. According to the report, from March 31, 2018, only around 0.2% of the in 58,637 registered sex offenders England and Wales had their foreign travel restricted. It says that the disclosure and barring service is ‘confusing, inconsistent and in need of reform’. A shocking 361 suspected child sex abuse cases were recorded between in 2013 and 2017 alone. In 2018, Spain alone, around five Brits were arrested for child sex offences, according to data by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Up to five more Brits in Spain were held for child porn charges in the same year, although the exact figures are not given.

SEALED: Handshake from King confirms Sanchez as leader

He also offered his support for the Iglesias’s Podemos party and a promotion of ‘policies based on the “While there are going to be Pabloof other parties. host “QUICK, simple and painless. The Press: of compromises, there will also It helped that 18 MPs, the majority principle of dialogue, understanding pain comes later,” King Felipe told lotssolutions.” and co-operation between our reincoming Prime Minister Pedro San- be Madrid-based writer, who has from Catalunya, abstained. over spective people’. chez at a swearing in ceremony yes- The in Spain for half a century, add- It means Sanchez will preside in Key to Sanchez’s victory was the ablived the first coalition government of stention of the pro-independence terday. “I’m delighted. He’s an amazing death The PSOE leader will certainly hope ed: and it’s remarkable to think he Spain since 1977 after the Catalan party, the ERC, after Santo the of dictator Franco. not, having had to endure an agoniz- man stuck it out after being kicked out Podemos, chez vowed to find a solution ing two year wait and three general his own party and then fighting back. The coalition, includes conflict that has dogged Spain since PNV, Más País, Compromís, Galego government elections to get this far. at “He has the qualities of a true states- Nationalist Block, Teruel Existe and Catalunya’s separatist It was his second recent attempt tried to secede in 2017. man and speaks very well. Nueva Canarias. an investiture since the Socialists The government’s opponents argue The parties opposing included the Sanchez’ ‘Frankenstein government’ won the most seats in December’s Frankenstein PP, Vox, Ciudadanos, Junts per Cata- will be too beholden to Catalan sepageneral election, but failed to win an Navarra Suma. to Spain’s overall majority. He will be a great asset for Europe,” lunya and was the ratists and pose a threat And Sanchez, 47, pulled out all the added the Hispanist, who has penned Spain’s most recent election country national unity. PP leader Pablo Casafourth in as many years as the books on Spain. stops as he cracked heads at a mamdo accused him of being an ‘extremin numerous a cohesive government. future moth two-day weekend session Sanchez was sworn in at Zarzuela failed to form Fabian ist’ who had left the country’s Madrid, after which he finally won Palace after winning a second vote of Gibraltar’s Chief Minister in the hands of ‘terrorists and coupPicardo sent a letter of congratula- mongers’. the vote by two seats. confidence. re-elected, is expected to After years of instability, it is ‘great MPs voted by a knife-edge 167 votes tion to Sanchez on being fractious de- Spain’s new coalition news for Spain’ insisted one of the to 165 to support Sanchez’s left-wing after ‘a tortuous and roll out a policy of raising income tax 15:36 best known1expats. 16/06/2017 country’s coalition government, propped up by bate’. Untitled-1.pdf for people in Spain who earn more Irish author Ian Gibson told the Olive than €130,000. Sanchez has als0 sent a message that economic management is a priority in his new government, by keeping on Maria Jesus Montero (left) in the Treasury. However, in a further sign of loyalty, he has also awarded her the new poUK BASED sition of ‘spokesperson of the Coalition Executive’. Opinion Page 6

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‘Cover up’ EXCLUsIVE By Joshua Parfitt

ONE of the world’s leading experts on swimming pool deaths has flown to Spain to investigate the tragic drownings of three British citizens on Christmas Eve. Allen Wilson, a health and safety expert who has worked on numerous drowning cases around Europe, arrived on the Costa del Sol yesterday. He told the Olive Press last night he believed the pool, where British tourists Gabriel Diya, 52 Comfort Diya, nine, and Praise-Emmanuel Diya, 16, died on Christmas Eve, was ‘hazardous’. He insisted the Club La Costa World (CLC) resort in Fuengirola - which he is set to visit this week - was ‘most likely to blame’ for the shock deaths of the trio.

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The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

Wilson claimed the pool’s design with just one floor ‘outlet’ – instead of two – could have created an ‘excessive suction vacuum’ and dragged them under water. It flies in the face of the Guardia il’s official investigation, which Civconcluded the three died as a result of their ‘inability to swim’. Their controversial report was thrown into jeopardy, however, when mother and wife Olubunmi Diya insisted all three could swim. Her lawyer, Fuengirola-based Javier Toro, later insisted daughter fort had even taken lessons a Com‘week before the holiday’. Toro told the Olive Press this week that ‘many lines of investigation remained open’. SEALED: Handshake Wilson, however, went further from King confirms to claim the report done by the police Sanchez as leader “QUICK, simple and painless. was a ‘cover up’ to protect the Spanpain comes later,” King Felipe The Press: “While there are going to be from Catalunya, ish tourist industry, the resort abstained. and incoming Prime Minister Pedro told lots of compromises, there will also It means and co-operation between our the tour operators. Sanchez will preside rechez at a swearing in ceremony San- be solutions.” “It stinks,” Wilson, who has worked the first coalition governmentover spective people’. yes- The Madrid-based writer, in Key to Sanchez’s victory terday. for leading European tour operators who was the ablived in Spain for half a century, has Spain since 1977 after the death of stention The PSOE leader will certainly of the pro-independence add- dictator Franco. hope ed: “I’m delighted. He’s not, having had to endure an agonizCatalan party, the ERC, after an amazing The coalition, Sanincludes Podemos, Continues on Page 4 ing two year wait and three general man and it’s remarkable to think he PNV, Más País, Compromís, Galego chez vowed to find a solution to the stuck it out after being kicked out elections to get this far. conflict that has dogged Spain of Nationalist Block, Teruel since his own party and then fighting Existe and Catalunya’s separatist It was his second recent attempt back. Nueva Canarias. government at “He has the qualities of an investiture since the Socialists tried to secede in 2017. a true states- The parties opposing included the The government’s won the most seats in December’s man and speaks very well. He will be PP, Vox, Ciudadanos, opponents argue a great asset for Europe,” added Junts per Cata- Sanchez’ ‘Frankenstein general election, but failed to win the lunya and Navarra government’ an Hispanist, who has penned overall majority. will be too numer- Spain’s most recentSuma. ous books on Spain. election was the aratists andbeholden to Catalan sepAnd Sanchez, 47, pulled out all pose a threat to Spain’s fourth in as many the Sanchez was sworn in stops as he cracked heads at a mamat Zarzuela failed to form a years as the country national unity. PP leader Pablo cohesive government. Casado Palace after winning a second vote moth two-day weekend session accused him of being an ‘exof Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Madrid, after which he finally in confidence. Picardo sent a letter of congratula- tremist’ who had left the country’s won MPs voted by a knife-edge the vote by two seats. future in the hands of ‘terrorists 167 votes tion to Sanchez and on being re-elected, coup-mongers’. to 165 to support Sanchez’s left-wing After years of instability, it is after ‘a tortuous and fractious ‘great coalition government, de- Spain’s new coalition is news for Spain’ insisted one of propped up by bate’. expected the Pablo Iglesias’s Podemos country’s best known expats. roll out a policy of raising income to party and a He also offered tax his support for host of other parties. Irish author Ian Gibson told the promotion of ‘policies based on the for people in Spain who earn more Olive It helped that 18 MPs, the than €130,000. the majority principle of dialogue, understanding Opinion Page 6 Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 29 info@hispaniahomes.es www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

EXPERT: Allen Wilson

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cold shock

Dear Olive Press, I have read and watched many reports about why this tragedy occurred (Diving in, Issue 334). in our communal pool in Benahavis every

Get educated

I swim essentially, as a political Moore sees the EU, Rose of our communias president andproud, year and day of the Issue 325, pg 7). The (Leave dictatorship to ensure that the pool is responsibility ty have There are 28 sovereign states, opposite. is thethe reality safe. the UK, which voluntarily chose to become including of year the time believes at this HoweverSteve would the UKtemperature thatwater Dunne associated. Eve our pool Christmas to 11°C now down I’m not going to Notonso. terms.and on WTO fairisbetter cold. is still, – this page at 13°C wasdown quoting chapter and byexceptionally your letters weigh in water at to swimming persons used those Onlybut looks into the into that Steve I recommend verse, going contemplate should knows. temperatures these of That Trump any industry that he warmer, specifics and if you look actually sea is the a pool with an EU-free UKinshould deal a trade to –get is trying the sea at of people swimming theallnumbers trade deals you want to know: Trump’s tellatyou the sea evenspeaks you will realise Christmas for temMahler Brentthat US-first labels. Finally, have person. to the average not enjoyable arecitizens peratures force wary of an EU armed of UK a number jumping into that can occur to anyone these are ideasshock ever closer union. However, an reaction andThe serious will cause that temperature waterbyofspecific EU policy. I am and people and notwearing floated in jumped40-plus whoinsidious anyone andworried of proyears clothes at the more out of their water them into the who followed shoes against Telegraph, Mail, the EEC/EU by the paganda be in serious difficulty in my wouldand, depth Times course, The Sun. What did of opinion, Express, very quickly. why he was so an-has to say when he was asked but Murdoch the question occurrence was a tragic ThisSomething I go into the lines of: “When along ti-EU? of cold degrees these – were EU.” The to the I go whento say: used what Ithey they do 10asked No.be were the family in the competent how water? Just to ask for an appointment! any he had is that implication

water? Were they clothed? and did they have knowledge of lifesaving techniques to get someone

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ll about

Dr Dolittle

big city life

I brought seven animals back to the UK (A dog is for life, Issue 334, pg 10). Two dogs and five cats. That was ten years ago now. I still have the two dogs and two of the cats. They’re now all 14 years old. There’s no way I would have left them. Susan Hargreaves, Wales

I never understand people who live in the heart of the city, wanting perfect peace and quiet. If you want to live in silence move to the campo! Otherwise just understand you are a city dweller. At least it’s not 300 years ago, with raw sewage running down the streets. Alex Brown, Malaga

Fine balance

Not pedantic

I lived above a bar in Brussels for three years. Sometimes it got a bit much, but a pair of ear plugs helped. Cities are not JUST for bars and cafes though, and when you drive residents out because of noise and overcrowding, you get a dead city. Balance. Careful planning. I think the council are trying to do that and should be supported. Heath Savage, Galicia

I mention this only because you may want to correct it, if indeed you concede (Air heads, Issue 334, pg 10), 95 klms square is a vast area. I suspect it was 95 square klms. I’m not being pedantic, it’s much more than a Freudian slip. I do enjoy your crossword, why don’t you do a cryptic one. This is not worthy of print, just a friendly note. Others will notice. William Carr, Malaga

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Caña give it a rest

Malaga is now swamped with bars and restaurants. Hardly any shops that sell everyday products now exist. Almost every building being restored is destined for holiday lets. Add in the hundreds of electric scooters and segways making it difficult to walk the narrow streets, and you see how everything has been sacrificed for tourism. Andrew Birch, Malaga

ryanair model

Why can’t these airlines make profits? (Airline Flybe saved by British Government deal that includes tax break, Online, January 14) Perhaps they should look at the dreaded Ryanair model. Neil Hollow, Fuente de Piedra

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

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We will be thinking about you and your family at this sad time (Paws for thought, Issue 334, pg 30). You will all miss him terribly. Kenda Robson, Edinburgh

Readers react to the news that 103 Malaga streets are banned from opening new bars and restaurants due to noise complaints (Online, January 10)

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Vol. 5, Issue 113 www.theolivepress.es January 8th - January 21st 2020

FINALLY!

SERIOUS: Fabian Picardo

GIBRALTAR will ‘make a success’ of tough ‘challenges’ in 2020, the Chief Minister has said. In his New Year’s speech Fabian Picardo mentioned details of a major investment to be announced in the next couple of weeks Picardo said everyone must work together with ‘stoic sacrifice’ by asking for less ‘to secure our children’s future’. He noted the ‘critical importance’ of the MoUs and Tax Treaty which allowed Gibraltar to take part in the transition period. Picardo highlighted the ‘dangers and opportunities’ of leaving the EU, pointing out the agreement of a UK common that was a ‘Brexit Bonus’. RELIEVED: Pedro Sanchez after the vote Respect However, the Chief Minister prom- PEDRO Sanchez has become Spain's official ised to remain firm in agreements prime minister after winning a second vote of over future relations with the EU after confidence yesterday. the expected final departure date of The PSOE leader will govern the country for the next four years, after an agonizing the end of 2020. two-year wait “Any negotiation for Gibraltar for and three general elections. such a deal will be conducted for Gi- Acting prime minister Sanchez, 47, from Madrid, braltar by a team led by me or by Jo- was forced to recall MPs to sit for the first time seph Garcia,” he said. over the weekend to confirm “Such negotiations must be based on It was his second attempt his victory. at an investiture vote mutual recognition, mutual respect since the PSOE won the most seats in Decemand an understanding that nothing ber's general election, but failed to win can ever be imposed on Gibraltar. majority. The vote saw MPs in Spain'san overall congress “The Government I lead is willing to vote either 'yes' or 'no' to Sanchez's proposed walk away if the terms proposed do left-wing coalition government, propped up not favour Gibraltar or respect our by Pablo Iglesias's Podemos party and red lines.” a host of othThis would mean Gibraltar could opt er parties. out of a deal which gave other coun- After a heated afternoon session, he won a knifetries like Spain a greater say on the edge victory of 167 votes against 165, while 18 MPs, the majority from Catalunya, future of the overseas territory. abstained. After congratulating Pedro Sanchez It means Sanchez will preside over the first coaon forming a coalition government, lition government in Spain since 1977 after the Picardo will have breathed a huge sigh death of dictator Franco. The PSOE is propped up by MPs of relief he would not be up against from a more right-wing Spain. Podemos, PNV, Más País, Compromís, Unidos Galego

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UK ‘failing’ abused kids

End of an era

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Vol. 13 Issue 309

drugpushing bloggers

SPAIN’s pharmaceutical watchdog has issued a warning over social media influencers pushing dodgy health products. The CGCF (General Council of Physiotherapist Associations of Spain) has filed a complaint with the Spanish Health Ministry about people promoting medicinal treatments for beauty conditions without proper knowledge or training. According to Spanish law, such medical promotion is banned and advertising is strictly monitored by industry professionals. However Spanish social media ‘stars’ have been advocating the use of certain creams, wipes and tablets in order to help with cosmetic issues, unaware of some of the potential health risks that indiscriminate use can cause. Pharmacist Guillermo Martin Melgar first noticed the problem when a certain brand of prescription facial wipe was suddenly selling out, only to find it was being recommended by a popular Youtube channel as a treatment for acne.

c o n d i t i o n s .

Good health

highest levels of THMs on the continent - behind only Cyprus with 23.2%, Malta with 17.9% and Ireland’s Liffey water coming a surprising third from bottom with 17.2%. At the opposite end of the H2O horror list, Denmark’s water was the purest, with a

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January 22th - February 4th 2020

After decades of believing it was safe to drink, a new study finds Spain’s tap water may not be SPAIN’s tap water is one of the dodgiest to drink in Europe. A major Barcelona study has found it carries the fourth highest risk for bladder cancer on the continent. Findings suggest that longterm exposure to a group of chemicals in tap water called trihalomethanes may be the cause for one in 20 cases of bladder cancer in Europe each year. Scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) analysed the tap water of all 28 EU countries except Bulgaria and Romania between 2005 and 2018. At 10.9%, Spain’s tap water came out with the fourth

THM count of less than 0.1%, followed by the Netherlands ( 0.1%) and Germany (0.2%). The scientists also concluded that showering and bathing can also trigger the disease, allowing the chemicals to enter the body via the pores of the skin.

Milk matters

odds of being overweight or obese compared with their peers who drank lower-fat varieties. It has been speculated that whole milk causes CHILDREN who drink full-fat milk are less children to feel fuller, which reduces snacking. likely to be overweight than those given The research combined the results of 28 studies that were conducted across seven countries, skimmed or semi-skimmed. The findings were published in The American which had explored the correlation between Journal of Clinical Nutrition and they found that children drinking cow’s milk and the risk of children who drank whole milk had 40% lower being overweight.

OP QUICK CrOsswOrd

Across 7 Perch (5) 8 Hug (7) 10 Poorly matched (7) 11 Infectious agent (5) 12 Shout of discovery (6) 14 Mistake (4-2) 17 Showy and cheap (6) 19 Hue (6) 21 Mistaken (5) 23 Small bag (7) 24 Cap attachment (7) 25 Fertile area in a desert (5)

OM! Our guide to Spain’s best yoga 17 breaks SEE Page

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Vol. 5, Issue 114 www.theolivepress.es January 22th - February 4th 2020

Down 1 Altercation (8) 2 D-i-y beer (4-4) 3 Hit (6) 4 Exchange for money (4) 5 Two identical things (4) 6 Military dining room (4) 9 Chamfer (5) 13 Some (3) 14 Not sweet (3) 15 Foretell (8) 16 Render immobile (8) 18 Majestic (5) 20 Choice (6) 21 Small songbird (4) 22 Rowing levers (4) 23 Drinks slowly (4)

FINAL FRONTIER

Blaze mystery

Stephenson, Benahavis

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A SERIES of giant 14-metre waves as lashed the Balearics this week the Storm Gloria officially became most destructive winter storm since 1982. The record-breaking walls of water still have left 12 dead, while five are missing, including British man Ben Garland, 25, who disappeared from Portinatx, Ibiza, on Wednesday. The latest fatality was confirmed after the the discovery of a man’s body in Anoia river in Jorba, Barcelona. It comes as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (below) jetted into Mallorca after

All solutions are on page 30

Gibraltar faces UK resistance to create a free-flowing frontier deal with Spain

By John Culatto

A PROPOSAL for Gibraltarians to cross into Spain post-Brexit without a passport has been firmly knocked back by the UK. The plan to enter the Schengen agreement - despite leaving the EU - would also allow an estimated 10,000 Spaniards to enter Gibraltar every morning without unnecessary delays. However, the free movement scheme hatched by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was scotched this week by Boris Johnson’s government. “After we leave, the UK will be negotiating the future relationship with the EU on behalf of the whole UK family, including Gibraltar,” insisted a spokesman.

TRAGIC: Brit Paul Aust died in house fire EXCLUSIVE By Dimitris Kouimtsidis

A BRITISH expat who died in a on the Costa del Sol was locked in fire his home from the inside. Paul Aust, 50, died after a mystery blaze engulfed the apartment shared with his partner of 20 years, he upmarket Alcaidesa, on December in The Olive Press understands police30. probing the circumstances behind are death, which came just hours afterthe he had rowed with his partner Ben Lake. According to the next door neighbour, Lake, in his 40s, sat in the back garden while the fire took hold. “I watched him sitting in the garden as smoke poured out the windows,” said the Irish expat neighbour, who asked not to be named. “He seemed not entirely there, like was in shock or something. Whenhe went down and asked him directly I if he needed help, he just ignored me,” he added. Other neighbours backed up the claims that the pair had had a serious row two hours before the 2am blaze. just “We were woken up by a series of shouts and doors slamming soon after midnight,” said a Spanish woman, who lived upstairs. “Then less than two hours later we Continues on Page 2

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“Working closely together, the UK and Gibraltar Governments have always supported arrangements at the border with Spain which promote fluidity and shared prosperity in the region,” he added. “The UK, including Gibraltar, is not part of the borderless Schengen zone.” It came after Picardo spoke on FRONTIER: Picardo’s freedom of movement plan batted Monday as the Government read away by Westminster Brexiteers the Withdrawal from the EU Bill, tween joining Schengen and free- want to cut any separate which will come into force on Jan- dom of movement under Schen- rangements for Northernfrontier ar- common travel areas with Schenuary 31. Ireland, so gen,” he added. it is unlikely to happen for Gibraltar, gen, even if they’re not entirely part “We have to hold our noses and “On January 31 we of the Schengen information syswill ensure Gi- which has even vote for an orderly Brexit,” he told braltar’s interests are less clout. tem,” he said. protected. Gibraltar’s Parliament. “As the UK will always Liechtenstein is one such tiny state, “It is important we distinguish be- an, we will always be be EuropeMicrostates which is in Schengen but not in the British.” His deputy Joseph Garcia clarified Curbing freedom of movement is a EU. later that the so- core issue in the UK’s exit from the “There is the ability to move fluidly called ‘MoUs’ EU, with the UK government deter- between the territories of the EU a g r e e m e n t s mined to lower immigration from and these microstates,” he added. “All of these things will be considcould be used the EU. to give recipro- Picardo insisted that his proposal ered in the context of the negotiations going forward.” cated rights for was not new. both British and “We talked about this issue before Spanish citizens Brexit... about Gibraltar becoming crossing the bor- part of the Schengen zone,” he told AFP news agency last week. der. However John- “If you look at other microstates son does not in Europe, they take the benefit of

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PUSHBACK: To Picardo’s plan

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January 22th - February 4th 2020

Water worry

pharmaceutical SPAIN’s watchdog has issued a warnit was safe to drink, a ing over social media influ- After decades of believing may not be encers pushing dodgy health new study finds Spain’s tap water products. The CGCF (General Council of Physiotherapist Associ- SPAIN’s tap water is among ations of Spain) has filed a the worst in Europe. complaint with the Spanish A major Barcelona study has Health Ministry about peo- found it carries the fourth ple promoting medicinal highest risk for bladder cancer treatments for beauty condi- on the continent. longtions without proper knowl- Findings suggest athat term exposure to group of edge or training. tap water called According to Spanish law, chemicals in may be the such medical promotion is trihalomethanes for one in 20 cases of banned and advertising is cause cancer in Europe each THM count of less than 0.1%, highest levels of THMs on the followed by the Netherlands ( strictly monitored by indus- bladder year. continent - behind only Cy- 0.1%) and Germany (0.2%). try professionals. Scientists from the Barcelona

prus with 23.2%, Malta with Institute for Global Health 17.9% and Ireland’s Liffey wa- The scientists also concluded (ISGlobal) analysed the tap ter coming a surprising third that showering and bathing can also trigger the disease, alwater of all 28 EU countries However Spanish social me- except Bulgaria and Romania from bottom with 17.2%. lowing the chemicals to enter At the opposite end of the the body via the pores of the dia ‘stars’ have been advocat- between 2005 and 2018. ing the use of certain creams, At 10.9%, Spain’s tap wa- H2O horror list, Denmark’sa skin. wipes and tablets in order to ter came out with the fourth water was the purest, with help with cosmetic issues, uncompared aware of some of the potential odds of being overweight or obesevarieties. health risks that indiscrimiwith their peers who drank lower-fatmilk causes nate use can cause. It has been speculated that whole snacking. reduces Pharmacist Guillermo Martin are less children to feel fuller, which the results of 28 studCHILDREN who drink full-fat milk Melgar first noticed the probthose given The research combined across seven counlikely to be overweight than lem when a certain brand of ies that were conducted the correlation beskimmed or semi-skimmed. prescription facial wipes was American tries, which had explored The findings were published in The found that tween children drinking cows milk and the risk suddenly selling out, only to Journal of Clinical Nutrition and they40% lower of being overweight. find it was being recommendchildren who drank whole milk had ed by a popular Youtube channel as a treatment for acne.

Risks

Milk matters

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January 23th - February 5th 2020

RECORD: Waves ofof up RECORD: Waves toup 14m eastern to lashed 14m lashed east Spain this week Spain this week

be at the ‘forefront’ of government action with an unprecedented mate change law’ expected within ‘cli100 days, following in the steps of scores of countries across the world. It came after serious storms lashed the Costa Blanca, also leaving millions of euros of damage. Gale force 9 winds wrought havoc with 115km/h A gota fría (cold drop) is caused winds recordby pockets of arctic or polar air that move southeast across ed in Oliva and western Europe before meeting the warmer, humid waves reaching a according to Alicante scientist Mediterannean climate, record-breaking Jorge Olcina. The cold blast becomes ‘isolated’ 8.44m in Valenat high altitude, hence its spanish term DANA, or Isolated cia, and a shocking Depression at High Altitudes. 14.22m in Ibiza. When coming into contact with So far, nine people warmer Mediterannean air, the rising humid vapours immediately have died around condense and drop a massive quantity of water Spain, with a furla back in September 2019 over in one burst. In Orihuether four missing less than 48 hours, nearly twice 400mm of water fell in around the Baletation, due to a freak gota fría. annual average precipiaric Islands and Catalunya. The By Joshua Parfitt

a landmark state of ‘climate emergency’ for the entire country. Leader Pedro Sanchez (below) insisted ecological transition would now

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A SERIES of giant 14-metre waves lashed eastern Spain this week Storm Gloria became officially as the most destructive winter storm since 1982. The record-breaking walls of water – and weather that left nine dead – came on cue as Spain declared

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STEREOT YPED GET EDUCATED Dear Olive Press,

exist.

do indeed voters British Leave lly, as a political The Moore EU, essentia sees the Rose l experien persona from Theand I speak pg 7). ce I can only Issue 325, proud, and hip (Leave dictators s. variation and ns exceptio many are states, there knowis the opposite. There are 28 sovereign reality reasonably retired, to be early tend voluntari to become But, they ly chose UK, which theoften including y educate modestl yet Dunne successd.ful, thatd.the UK would believes Steve associate thetoradar’, under ‘fly not to right is It 1. that going believe They I’m so. Not terms. fair better on WTO andimmiexceptio chapternot 2. They’re by quotingexpats, pagevaluable lettersnally down your weigh they are as the theminto ok forlooks be Steve 3. It willndallthat grants I recomme butand verse, taxes paying into and out caught be to Trump clever That too far knows. he that industry any of specifics padia, residenc as such trifles ng organisi should or UK here, EU-free an with deal is trying to get a trade . licences driving and cover health deals proper trade ron, you all you want to know: Trump’s tell respectf beingspeaks right thing theFinally, forul and doing Or, just BrentinMahler labels. US-first have . integrate to force trying by armed EU polite an of wary citizens UK of a number for that. too superior They , these are ideas union. However closer everfar an are and s but Ithey the Bahama be inand am can’t should they Reallyby not EU policy. people specific floated it. at the insidious 40-plus years of proafford worried more ssinglyh, most embarra obvious more the Mail, Telegrap What’s against by the EEC/EUand paganda too imfardid as ves themsel see they that is t What Sun. apparen The course, of Express, Times and, e languag the learning about d bothere anbe so to was he portantsay when he was asked why Murdoch cringing y found new home I go into of their of: “When linesgenerall the are g alongand Somethin ti-EU? question a simple The lar EU.”vernacu asked when I go tointhethe I say: when do what 10 they No. adios.’ y nada de salida? ent! la es appointm ‘donde an for ask to had implication is that he Rob Bajo, Mojacar

The ones who live here and voted to leave are hypocritical. They’re the ones who have one foot here and one foot back in the UK. Well they better get registered and change their cars and licences, the way the rest of us who are totally committed to living here have done. Jill Handley, Malaga

Patri Camps, Malaga

Nanna said

Remoaners

He was shot alongside his lover, a famous bullfighter. The family of the bullfighter will not allow anyone to to remove bodies (Chasing shadows, Issue 335, pg 6-7). A little old granny in Ardales told me that 22 years ago when I made the mistake to ask what happened in the village of Ardales during the Civil War. It’s a very tricky subject still! One day we will find out I guess? Alex Neate, Ardales

The Remainers wanted a second referendum. Well they got one in the General Election. Staunch Labour voters chose Tory, as their MPs had let them down. Also, after three years, many Remainers had finally seen how the EU machine works – and that it hasn’t submitted audited accounts for decades, which breaches their own laws. Mark Jones, Marbella

Worlds apart

There is a distinction between loving Europe, yet not wishing to be part of the EU. They are two different entities. Many people refuse to, fail to, or simply cannot grasp this simple reality. John Wolf, Leeds

No small change Reading the last edition of your newspaper, I came across the article Pesetas from Heaven (Issue 335, pg 20) and I am really interested in it as I have the coin depicted. Can you please offer any more information on the subject. Hector F Requena, Gibraltar

Can’t have your cake and eat it

Leave England to sort its own problems out. Those who now make their home in Spain will be in the European Union because Spain is in. Get over yourselves. You ought not to try and have your cake and eat it! Joy Lowry, Newcastle

Ed. Hi Hector, thank you for your letter. We will try and find out more for you, so that you can hopefully make a bit of money from your antique coin.

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first victim, age 44, died in Asturias on Sunday when a truck lost control in heavy snowfall and crashed into his car while he was putting on snow chains. The following day a 63-year-old died in Avila after he was struck by a roof tile. Meanwhile a 70-year-old man died of hypothermia in Moixent, icante after falling into snow closeAlhis home, and two homeless people to – one in Gandia and another in Carcaixent – also died from hypothermia. Four people died yesterday, including a farmer in a hailstorm, a homeless person killed by hypothermia Almeria, a woman whose house in lapsed in Alcoy, and a man whosecolcar was swept off a road near Benidorm. Four are still missing in Catalunya and the Balearic Islands – including a 25-year-old Brit in Ibiza. Leading climatologists backed the

Oh the irony

LEAVERS: Trio of Brits in Spain

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OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 7 First shot in tennis (5) 8 Sterile (7) 9 Least difficult (7) 10 Above (5) 11 Book of elementary principles (6) 13 Register (5) 16 Wide open (5) 18 Violin (6) 21 Pending (5) 23 Move forward (7) 24 Chooses (7) 25 Indoor game (5)

9 5

OP SUDOKU

See health on page 13

Your voice in Spain

Well, I haved lived on the Costa del Sol for 25 years and this wasn’t the first time (Did climate change cause Storm Gloria?, Olive Press TV, January 25). It happens every couple of years. I remember my first year in Spain. We had so much heavy rain that I asked myself, why did I come to Spain? About 10 years ago we had snow close to the Viñuela area. Nothing new. The other problem is, building houses in an area were they shouldn’t be, or close to old river beds etc.

British expat blasts UK TV programme featuring Brexit voter who moved to Spain’s Costa del Sol as ‘not representative of Brits in Spain’

MALLORCA

The

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Down 1 Salad sauce (8) 2 Withdraw (6) 3 Kiln for drying hops (4) 4 Individual (6) 5 Pace (4) 6 Go away (5) 7 Drowsy (6) 12 Regret (3) 13 Mischievous person (3) 14 Commonplace (8) 15 Renovates (6) 17 Stately mansion (6) 19 Intrude upon (6) 20 Swearword (5) 22 Confer (4) 23 Too (4)

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVELBean coming Sky high 13

February 6th - February 19th 2020

Spain is one of three global bases offering space travel next year

THRILL-seekers will be offered the ultimate experience in southern Spain next year. A Spanish company is to blast tourists into space from a trio of global bases, one of them in Andalucia, in 2021. Zero 2 Infinity is building a base in Jaen, alongside two more in Saudi Arabia and Baja California, in Mexico. Costing up to €12 million to build, the launch pad in Villacarrillo, will offer punters 10 to 20-minute trips for around €125,000 each. The balloon-type craft will ascend 36 kilometres into space and punters will need to be of a certain level of fitness. The trip will be in a pressurised cabin or

DOUBLE DELIGHT A RESTAURANT in Toledo has served up the best croquettes in the country for two years in a row. Restaurante Ivan Cerdeno came top again for the ‘creaminess, texture and flavour’ of its Spanish delicacy. In second place was Casa Belarmino in Asturias, in the contest sponsored by celebrated jamon producer Joselito.

pod, propelled by a balloon fuelled by helium gas. It will soar higher than planes, but below satellites. No extensive training is needed and passengers will not be wearing astronaut gear, but overalls similar to those of a race car driver. Passengers will mostly feel the same as they do on a normal flight, but there will be a certain level of discomfort as there won’t be any catering or toilets. “As there is nothing abrupt about it, it’s the kind of tourism anyone can enjoy,” said co-onwer Kemel Kharbachi. “The 2021 tourists will have to have plenty of economic clout, but as both the technology and the program evolve, in five or 10 years we want this type of trip to become something like the ‘all-inclusive’ packages to the Caribbean.” Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to have the first civilian in space this year, while Richard Branson plans to take 600 tourists into space this year, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber.

THE nephew of the British-Italian founders of Costa Coffee has sparked a new coffeehouse franchise on Spain’s Costa Blanca. Junior Costa, 30 (below) has just opened the second branch of his Nostro Cafe Costa brand in Javea following in the footsteps of his two uncles, Bruno and Sergio Costa, who started the Costa Coffee chain in Lambeth back in 1971. After moving to Spain with his father Giancarlo 13 years ago, London-born Junior said that he set his sights on starting a new franchise from Spain. “We want our chain to be focused on attention to the clientele,” Junior told the Olive Press. “As much as I want to represent what my family has done, I don’t want to do the same as them.” The new shop, on Avenida de Lepanto, offers fresh-pressed juices, pastries baked daily, smoothie bowls, sandwiches and tostadas. It is open from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, in the iconic port area of Javea.

February 6th - February 19th 2020

Hillside romance

WHERE better to celebrate Valentine’s Day than in the intimate surroundings of Fountainhead hotel and restaurant, voted one of the top ten most romantic venues in Spain. Nestled in the beautiful hills near Riogordo in Malaga province, the views are stunning as is the décor of this award winning restaurant. Helen Bartlett’s inspired cooking draws gourmets from far afield, known for her imaginative infusion of modern and traditional dishes that also includes vegetarian and vegan options.

Pampering

The extensive wine list boasts around 100 of Spain’s best wines at reasonable prices. So, if you fancy a special dinner, head up to Fountainhead where you will be warmly welcomed by their pampering staff. And, if you don’t want to drive home, it’s also possible to stay the night in one of the four fabulous suites. Prices: around €40 per head for three-course a la carte dinner. Special Valentine’s Day package for two, dinner, bed and breakfast €295. Drinks not included. Reservations 696183309 www.fountainheadinspain.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Big heartshaped day

ALENTINE’S day is just one big heart-shaped excuse to eat mouth-watering, heart-melting food, our one true love. Wonderful meals aren’t only found on menus, in fact, the best dinners are undoubtedly those you prepare yourself… and your loved one will certainly appreciate it all the more. Cooking is a labour of love and whether you’re a Heston Blumenthal aficionado or a beans-on-toast connoisseur, it shows you care and takes you to the heart of the meal and the root of the flavour. It takes far more thought and care to create exciting, enticing food than it does to fall back lazily on the default flowers and chocolates combo. And why not experiment with some of mother nature’s own aphrodisiacs; avocado, almonds, honey and figs are all bound to cause a stir. So with love in the air and rumbling in the belly, treat that someone special to these romantic recipes without stepping out your front door (except, of course, to buy the ingredients).

Valentines Day is the perfect opportunity to woo your loved one, via the kitchen

Parmesanstuffed medjool dates wrapped in bacon

Roast salmon and asparagus It’s love at first sight when succulent salmon meets aphrodisiacal asparagus in this one-pot-pleaser... lPre-heat the oven to 200C. lTip new potatoes and 1 tbsp of olive oil into an ovenproof dish and roast for 20 minutes, until they are starting to brown. lToss the asparagus, trimmed and halved, in with the potatoes and return to the oven for 15 minutes. lAdd cherry tomatoes and vinegar and nestle salmon fillets amongst the vegetables, then drizzle more olive oil over and return to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes. lScatter over basil leaves and serve everything scooped straight from the dish.

For a Valentine’s ‘date’ to remember... lPull the pits out of large Medjool dates and stuff with a small chunk of Parmesan cheese. lCut slices of bacon in thirds and wrap each piece around a stuffed date. lPlace them seam-side down on a baking sheet and bake at 180C for 10 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

February 6th - February 19th 2020

POP A CORK! You can’t have a romantic dinner without some sparkle and fizz.

Budget Fresh fizzy and oh so Spanish, check out Lidl’s amazing Aresel DO Brut Nature Vintage Cava €2.59 . Not everyone loves sparkles, but you won’t go wrong with this.

Honey baked figs and ice cream And something sweet for your sweetheart lCut a dozen fresh figs in half and put into a shallow baking dish and dot with 1 tsp butter. lMix 1 tbsp clear honey with juice of one orange and drizzle over the figs. lBake for 15 mins or until the figs are soft and sticky. lServe with vanilla ice cream topped with orange zest and chopped pistachios.

Blow it Head to Aldi for its award winning Veuve Monsigny Champagne €12.99. The prestigious International Wine and Spirits Challenge rate it as one of the ‘world’s best’ champagnes.

A Slice of Africa FIVE times bigger than the UK, South Africa is a country you can’t hope to conquer. Cape Town to Durban is a full-day’s drive crossing desert, savannah and shrub from Atlantic Ocean to Indian Ocean. And yet thanks to monumental advancements in technology, this epic journey can be completed in just four days on the gigantic MSC Orchestra. With a special deal via Costa Blanca-based travel agency Falken Tours this marvel of the world will be just the first stepping stone on an adventure from South Africa to Venice via Mauritius, Seychelles, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, Montenegro and Croatia. Starting at €2,299 for an interior room – and €3,699 for a room with a balcony – this once-in-a-lifetime tour will depart from Cape Town on 14 April, lasting 30 days until arriving in Venice on 13 May. Ushering you on your trips to the palm-fringed Port Louis of Mauritius and Port Victoria of the Seychelles will be MSC Cruises Orchestra cruise ship. The ship can hold 2,550 passengers, with room for over 1,000 crew, and features a range of restaurants, swimming pools and spas to comfort you on your journey. www.falkentours.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

February 6th - February 19th 2020

GOING NUTS!

They might be small farms in the Spanish hills, but they have big ambitions. By cultivating nuts using trusted natural methods, they are changing the industry in Spain, writes Karethe Linaae

or most people nuts come shelled, bleached, salted, and packaged until they are but a pale relation of the original fruit. Here in the Spanish south though, nuts still grow on trees. Frutos Secos (dried fruits) as they are called are named after their low water content and include all nuts and some seeds. In Spain’s mountain regions locals have been growing nuts since time immemorial. The traditional family farms included citrus and nut trees and what couldn’t be produced would be bartered for. Unfortunately, this type of small-scale bio-diverse farming became less profitable and almost died out, but times are changing…

In recent years, growers on the coast have experimented with Macadamia and Brazil nuts, but the latest trend in nuts in Andalucía is pistachio. Originating in the Middle East, where Iran used to be the biggest global producer, archaeological digs have found that Turks ate pistachios 7000 years ago. Though most Andalucia farmers are unfamiliar with pistachios, the nuts were common here in the Arabic era. They disappeared completely right after the Catholic re-conquest.For centuries, nobody knew why… “Christian farmers noticed that some of these foreign trees bore no fruit, so they cut them down” explains pistachio farmer José Manuel Dorado.What the farmers didn’t realize was that these male trees were needed to pollinate female ones. With no pollination there were no nuts, so shortly after the rest of the pistachio trees were also cut down. It took almost 500 years to bring the pistachios back to Spain. Apparently, eating pistachios makes you happy, since zinc and iron helps with brain function. Pistachios are also high in thiamine, magnesium, Vitamin B6, phosphor and copper, which aids metabolism and reduce fatigue. Spain imports 95% of its pistachios, so the nuts are in high demand. While walnuts might cost €3-5 per kilo, high quality pistachios can sell for €6.5 per kilo. No surprise they are the new nut-farming fad! The fruits are harvested between September and October and the nuts have to be shelled and dried within 24 hours, or they may become toxic. Other farmers in La Serranía de Ronda have pistachio orchards, but José Manuel is the only organic grower. “ I am a book publisher and knew nothing about farming,” so he spent a year learning everything he could about pistachios. After 5 years, his first harvest was given to friends and family who had supported him through the process. In a few years, he expects his farm in Alcalá del Valle to yield 1000 kg per hectare. “I could get double if I watered the trees, but I am not doing this to maximize production,” he says. While others plant their trees 4 to 5 meters apart, his trees are 7 meters apart, having 49 square meters to spread their roots. After the first couple

Chestnuts a spiky lot Spanish chestnuts (castañas) were thought to originate in the Middle East, but recent prehistoric excavations have re-classified chestnut as native to Mediterranean countries.“Chestnuts were popular with the Romans because they could be dried,” says archaeologist Pilar Delgado explaining that the Romans also spread the species throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Chestnuts

Walnuts

cerebral and sundried The walnut tree is full of history. Originally from the East where it grew along the Silk Route, the tree is also the protagonist of one of Aesop’s fables, written by a Greek slave around 600 BC. The Romans Introduced Nogales Or walnut trees to Spain. Today, China and the USA are the biggest producers of walnuts, which are said to prevent cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, while having antiarrhythmic and anti-inflammatory properties. Archaeologist Pilar Delgado confirms that our region had enormous walnut trees. As late as the 1970’s, pickers would climb into the tree crowns, some 50 meters tall, to harvest walnuts. Never touching the ground, they used an elongated hook, grabbing onto the next tree and flinging themselves like Andalucian Tarzans from tree to tree.

DID YOU KNOW: HEALTH NUTS Pistachios

The Middle Eastern cousin of years, pistachios can grow without watering, producing fruit for 150 years, contributing to their environmental suitability. And what of the environment with the use of herbicides and pesticides? Most growers add them to the trees while they grow. José Manual uses nothing but natural casera remedies like nettle infusions on his pistachios, but says that “ farmers around here use lots of herbicides and bug killers”, and ‘just to be sure” they always toss in more than recommended. La Molinilla uses herbicides in the growing process, but nothing chemical once the nuts are picked. Chestnut trees, which usually grow ‘wild’, are not sprayed. What is the future of nuts in la Serranía? Our mountain region can never compete with the vast mechanical nut farms in California and China, but if Andalucian growers continue to cultivate nuts in smaller orchards with natural farming methods, their product will always be superior.

and acorns were a vital part of people’s diet until the Spanish began to import potatoes from the Americas around 1570. The wood was used in carpentry and furniture making. Castanets used by Flamenco dancers were also made from chestnut wood - hence the name castañuelas. The trees can become ancient and giant, as one can see when visiting Andalucía’s majestic Castaño Santo (above), said to be almost 1000 years old. The highly valued Spanish chestnuts (annual production of 18.000 tonnes) are exported

People recognized the nutritional value of nuts long before we began eating ‘health food’. During periods of famine they were a source of much-needed calories, but since almost 80% of a nut is fat, a little goes a long way. Like natural energy bars, nuts are rich in proteins, polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. Their health constituents are said to balance cholesterol levels, improve heart function and prevent diabetes and cancer. Nuts also keep well, and are an economical and convenient snack.

to Europe, America and even Japan. With its ideal mountain climate, the Genal Valley produces 4 million kilos. Chestnuts are an important side-income for the white villages of Pujerra, Jubrique and Parauta, with crops being sold to local cooperatives for around 1-2 euros per kilo. But sadly, this season has been disastrous for chestnuts and prices have sometimes been under €1 euro per kilo. Bad quality, bad price and small production. The trees are picked in October, when the leaves turn golden and the valley becomes

a Bosque del Cobre (a copper forest). The chestnut harvest is celebrated with traditional village f i estas, often dedicated to the towns’ patron saints. The menu offers roasted chestnuts and artisanal products made from the nuts, accompanied by a fortified sweet wine called Mistela.

Almonds

a sensitive beauty Originating from the Far East, almonds have been growing in the Mediterranean region since it was introduced by the Phoenicians 3000 years ago.People here say that the tree improves the rock, because they will grow on the most inaccessible crags. Almond trees are some of the area’s earliest bloomers and the first nuts to be harvested. Due to climate change, blossoms can now be seen in January. Maite Teresa Martos, who has a small organic almond orchard in Ronda’s gorge, explains that early sprouting risks later frosts potentially ruining the crop. “Everybody around here used to grow almonds,’’ she tells me, “but people stopped picking them”. Producers like her cultivate almonds for private consumption or sell to wholesalers who supp l y

the Spanish Turrón industry in the North. Almonds contain Omega 6, magnesium, potassium, calcium, Vitamin E, thiamine and niacin. In addition to the fruit’s many food uses, almond oil is used in the cosmetics industry for creams, massage oils and other skin products, while the oil from bitter almonds is used as natural flavouring. Almonds accounted for most of the global nut production of 2.4 million tonnes in 2018. 67% were grown in the USA, making the Spanish 5% share negligible by comparison. Ironic since Spanish missionaries are said to have brought the fruit to America in the 18th century. With increasing global demand and the popularity of new almond products, Spain’s production is once again increasing. Growers sell for €1-2 per kilo with shells on.

EARLY BLOSSOM: Almond trees are the first to flower but frosts become a danger

February 6th - February 19th 2020

BUSINESS

LOSE THE TWOS

Your friend

A TELEPHONE translation service has just launched in Spain offering instant Spanish-English interpretation for max. €1.57 per minute. My Friend in Spain puts English-language, non-Spanish speakers in direct contact with bilingual interpreters to help in emergency situations within seconds. The number for English-Spanish telephone interpretation is +34 807 499 846 and costs €1.21 from a Spanish landline or €1.57 from a Spanish mobile. There is NO NEED to register and no extra costs. Callers pay for the exact minutes they use through their telephone service provider. The instant Spanish translation service is only available from Spanish phones, but will have awill have a UK number live by summer, 2020. Telephone interpretation is offered in English-Spanish, French-Spanish, German-Spanish and Spanish-English – with more languages coming soon. Get in touch at +34 807 499 846 or visit www.myfriendinspain.com “With our new service you have a translator in your pocket 24/7,” Martin Ducos, owner of My Friend in Spain, told the Olive Press. “If you get stopped by police at two in the morning, you have a number that will get your situation translated immediately by a friendly, polite human being instead of a machine.

THE European Commission (EC) will evaluate the use of one and two euro cent coins with a view to eliminate them this year, it has been announced. The EC’s Work Programme for 2020, presented this week, will include the evaluation as part of a raft of new measures from German president Ursula von der Leyen, who took charge in December last year. The vice president of the EC, Maros Sefcovic, explained in a press conference that the objective of the evaluation is to analyse the ‘efficiency’ in the use of these currencies.

NUMBERS GOING NORTH SPAIN has had its best year for tourism ever. In 2019 the country had 83.7 million tourists last year. Breaking records for the seventh consecutive year, it is a 1.08% increase on 2018. Spending from visitors has also increased, with tourists spending €92.2 billion, a 2.82% rise compared to 2018.

PAY DAY

TWO million workers in Spain are hoping to see their pay packets fatten after Pedro Sanchez’s socialist government raised the minimum wage to €950 a month. Employees in the agriculture, construction and hospitality industries – as well as cleaners and carers – will benefit the most as

Socialist PSOE Government announce minimum wage hike to €950

Spain’s newly elected government aims to raise the minimum wage to €1,200 a month over the next four years. The minimum wage has now doubled from just

Burger bunfight RESTAURANT Brands Iberia (RBI) has bought KAM Food Service in the latest frenzy of fast food firm acquisitions. The Spanish firm is a subsidiary of the company that owns Burger King (Restaurant Brands International). KAM Food Service operate 70 restaurants a c r o s s northern Spain, with 1,650 employees. In 2019 RBI

took over Megafoods, which had 80 restaurants. With the latest acquisition it brings the groups total fast food outlets in Spain to about a thousand.

€450 per month in 2002, and increased 5.5% from the last benchmark of €900. “An extra 50 euros could mean a mother gets to feed her children fish this month,” Spain’s minister for work, Yolanda Diaz, said.

Strangers

Diaz however added that €950 a month was ‘still not enough to live off’ in many parts of Spain. She said that rents were so high in major cities that ‘sharing houses’ with strangers was a fact of life that ‘shouldn’t have to be that way’. The new measures will also see the daily rate for temporary workers – contracted for less than 120 days a year – rise to €44.99. Minimum hourly pay for more temporary workers, such as cleaners, will rise to €7.43.

PROPERTY

BARGAIN: This amazing fifth floor three-bedroom apartment in the heart of Torrevieja is on sale for just over €189.000 with Invest For Home

Brexit boost

February 6th - February 19th 2020

WE CAN HELP YOU SELL YOUR HOUSE! Do you want to sell your house as soon as possible, at the best price, and without problems? At Hispania Homes, we customize a marketing plan that meets all your needs to sell whenever you want and, of course, at the best market price. Be sure to ask us if you are thinking of selling. We will make an assessment of your home without obligation. A picture is worth a thousand words

CONFIDENCE if finally returning to the Costa Blanca property market. The UK’s confirmed departure from the EU has led to a sharp upturn in enquiries, the Olive Press can reveal. While the world has become polarised on opinions over Brexit, the real estate industry has seen some welcome grass roots of recovery. Indeed, a trio of agents on the Costa Blanca, confirmed a much healthier situation than this time last year. One, Amael Bouarroudj, of Invest For Home, in Torrevieja, said: “The increased confidence comes from the fact that for three years, people just didn’t know what was happening - now they know. “Buyers have been holding back since the referendum, which means they now have a bit more saved up, and the improved exchange rate means more buying power, too.” He sees the forthcoming Easter Holidays (April 4 to April

String of estate agents say Brexit clarity is bringing new hope to Costa Blanca market and up to 15% bounce in enquiries, discovers Simon Wade 19) as the time when the market will be teeming with buyers wanting their ‘place in the sun’. “There is a distinct rise in enquiries from British buyers and I expect it to continue.” Nicola Kemp, who runs Barcelo Real Estate, in Ciudad Quesada, has also seen an improvement. “Compared to this time last year we are seeing a lot more confidence in the buyers from the United Kingdom. “A healthier exchange rate and the confirmed date for Brexit is helping to reassure people that the end to the waiting is in sight, and they are beginning to resume their house-hunting here. “We predict that over the coming months we will con-

tinue to see an increase in enquiries from British buyers, and the market will continue to grow and flourish!” Lindsey Smith, co-owner of Olivia Real Estate, in Los Montesinos, has seen a healthy 9% growth in completions since the Brexit date was confirmed, and roughly 15% more enquiries. She, like other agents we spoke to, is pleased with the high number of quality newbuild properties on the market, often competing in price with similar-sized previously-owned homes. And with a healthy market of buyers from Scandinavia and Russia as well as the UK, thousands are expected to go for the clean lines a new-build provides.

and the best time for you to sell to get the best price for your home. We have many tools (MVI of the Property Registry, MLS databases, collaborating colleagues, etc ...) that help us obtain information to set the maximum price that the market allows. If you make a mistake in the price, you can waste a lot of time and money! We our experts at negotiation

We are in constant training to offer you the Within our personalised marketing plan, we best advice and to negotiate hard at the always include the table. staging of your home We are not going to Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 29 info@hispaniahomes.es for potential buyers do an intermediation VENDORS www.hispaniahomes.co.uk to fall in love with it. job. We will represent Use of professional you and fight only for photographers to- HOW TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY your interests! Want to sell QUICKER AND BETTER gether with home your property? staging are essential Relax. We take care Ask here for our for this to happen – of everything VENDORS GUIDE and we can do just In addition to advisand get the most success that! ing and representing in your task you, we take care Boost your chances of all the necessary Avda. Madrid, 24, 03724 Moraira - Alicante of a sale contracts and certifications for the sale A good strategy is essential. More than 20 of your home. marketing actions will give a good boost to It won’t be difficult for us! the process of selling your home. Come and ask about our service commitment. Take advantage of our buyers’ portfolios In our database there are hundreds of Get the best market price for your house potential buyers waiting to snap up your dream home. We analyse the market, the competition Maybe it’s yours ... what are you waiting for?

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AGAINST THE ODDS A FIBROMYALGIA sufferer who experiences ‘constant’ pain has walked the Costa Blanca as part of a 6,000km journey to raise awareness about her illness. Violette Duval set out on April 13 from her home in Normandy before walking the entire Atlantic coastlines of France, Spain and Portugal. She said she battles through her ‘chronic fatigue’ – symptomatic of the musculoskeletal illness – as it is not

Fibromyalgia sufferer walks 6,000km in ‘constant pain’ to raise awareness about her forgotten condition

formally recognised as an illness in the countries through which she is walking. “I get muscle and bone pain in my body all the time,” Violette told the Olive Press during a stop-over in Javea. She said she ‘lost’ a well-paid job at KPMG because doctors would not sign her off for paid medical leave in France.

“I was hating my country for a long time – a lot of fibromyalgia sufferers have to pretend to be depressed to get time off work,” Violette added. “For 10 years I had doctors telling me it was all in my head and that I just didn’t want to work, but here I am walking 6,000 kilometres to make people see me.” Violette said movement aids her condition, though she admitted the ‘cold and the rain’ were affecting her on her journey, where she stays in hostels, hotels or with friends and acquaintances. “A lot of people on the street think I’m carrying my baby, or they see my flag, and I stop to explain my story,” she said. “I have been able to touch

the hearts of a lot of people and I’m hoping the French media will pick up on it when I return to Marseille so I can call on the health minister to make change.” Olive Press medical columnist J eremy Kenton said fibromyalgia is ‘not recognised in a majority of countries’ meaning that ‘millions are not eligible for benefits’. “The World Health Organisation has classified it as a disease, but often doctors only prescribe antidepressants, which don’t do a lot to help.” He added there are 2 million sufferers of the disease in France, and roughly 3% of people worldwide are afflicted, including Morgan Freeman and Lady Gaga.

SILENT PROTEST: Violette´s mammoth walk to highlight fibromyalgia

Cruel end

A 10-YEAR-OLD Congolese boy whose life was saved when a Valencian humanitarian foundation removed a humongous tumor from his face has died on return to his country. Emmanuel was last month flown in to see Manises-based surgeon Pedro Cavadas – of the Pedro Cavadas Foundation – after suffering five years with a craniofacial tumour than grew larger than his own head. “There’s no life in this boy. He’s been condemned to a rapid and horrific death,” Cavadas said before two gruelling 10-hour interventions that succeeded in removing the ‘largest tumour’ he had ever seen.

Choked

But the miracle was short-lived. Less than a month after receiving his second chance in life, Emmanuel died on board a flight from Madrid to Casablanca. Authorities investigating the boy’s death after an emergency landing in Malaga, January 31, confirmed he ‘choked to death’ after suffering a massive haemorrhage. “It will take a lot of time to recover from this tragedy, especially after everything pointed to a happy ever-after,” Cavadas said. “All deaths hurt, but with patients of the Foundation, they hurt a lot more.” The Pedro Cavadas Foundation was set up in 2003 with the goal of providing modern reconstructive surgery to underprivileged patients of African countries. Emmanuel’s father reportedly spent five years going from hospital to hospital to heal his child, until a humanitarian agency put the family in touch with Dr Cavadas.

Slipping up

HEALTH APPOINTMENT By Jeremy Kenton

‘Slipped disc’ is a misnomer for a variety of medical issues you’ll need to watch for in older age, writes osteopath Jeremy Kenton

Discs do not ‘slip’. They do not come flying out of place, and they cannot be pushed back into place. So what do they do? The intervertebral disc is a plate of cartilage that lies in between each individual vertebrae. (Imagine a chewy sweet filled with jelly inside – that is a typical disc.) It acts as a shock absorber for up-and-down movements in your spine. As you bend forward, the jelly inside – or nucleus pulposa – shifts backwards; when you bend backwards it moves forwards. Now, when we are young and healthy, the outer layer – annulus fibrosa – prevents too much movement of the jelly inside. However, as we get older or if we damage the outer layer, then it can tear or just deteriorate with age just like the wall of a car tyre. So what problems can this cause? Tears in this annulus fibrosa can allow the jelly inside to seep through the outer fibres, which then places direct pressure on the nerves that exit from in between the vertabra on each side, producing pain. (Try and imagine the nerves are like the wiring loom on a car.) Different nerves supply different parts. So if the pressure from the protruding gel is bulging through the disc is at a specific site, it will produce specific effects on that specific nerve. Leg pain, for example, is often called sciatica, but true sciatica is where there is pressure on the nerve that will give you pain straight down the middle of the back of the upper leg. Disc damage may be due to annular tear, where the outer covering is damaged. The classic disc damage, however, is where the jelly nucleus either protrudes or bulges – or, as we in the profession would call it, a herniation, rupture or in severe cases a full prolapse. If the disc material applies pressure directly onto the spinal cord, and the nerves exiting on each side and the pressure is equal, then this is called a central disc prolapse and will give pain into both legs at the same. If the central disc prolapse occurs at the lowest level of the spine in between the fourth and fifth Lumbar vertabra, then this can apply pressure to what is called the Cauda equina and can damage the nerves supplying the bowel and bladder leading to urine retention – an acute surgical emergency. Discs also dehydrate and reduce in size, narrowing as we get older, and this disc degeneration means they no longer cushion the shocks, jolts and bumps as we walk or run producing pain. Most of us over 40 will show some degree of disc degeneration on an X-ray or MRI often without any pain or symptoms. Surgery is not the only option and you should always consider other more conventional conservative treatments such as osteopathy, chiropractic or physiotherapy. Yes, there are times when surgery is the only option, but there is so much that can be done to help through manual methods of medicine and exercise. So, if you have been told you have a slipped disc, think again and consider which type of disc involvement you have.

invasive fat reduction or body sculpting treatments to look better in the buﬀ, according to a new survey of 500 men and women from Cutera, Inc. And those who exercise regularly are most likely to have a body-sculpting treatment, with

HEALTH

Health & Beauty

procedures.” What’s more, truSculpt iD produces an average fat reduction of 24 percent, and visible improvements are seen in 6 to 12 weeks following the ﬁrst treatment. Multiple areas can be treated in one session,

www.weekender.news

February 6th - February 19th 2020

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PANIC OVER

Revolutionary Laser PVP treatment for prostate gland enlargement now offered at British clinic ery, and is a marked improvement over other minimally-invasive treatment procedures currently available for prostate enlargement - otherwise known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Clinica Britannia is a British medical and dental centre established in Calpe in 1997. English, German, Russian,

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THE WOBBLES effort, pain and cost

SUFFERING with loose teeth? You may have been told that you will now need dentures or implants. But this is not actually the case, especially with regards to the front teeth. At Karan Sud Dental, in Calpe, we use fibrebond technology to splint loose teeth together and replace missing teeth. This innovation uses a resin-based fibre, placed behind the affected teeth, that can strengthen them without having to pull them out and allows you to keep your teeth for much longer. Dentures are bulky, and affect both taste and function. They also can jeopardise the health of remaining teeth. Dental implants in the anterior region - or front teeth - are also very complicated. They involve surgery, and take a lot of time, effort and expense. With fibrebond technology, however, you can save on all of these things, as well as pain. If you have mobile or missing teeth, please call us to see if you’re a suitable candidate for this innovative treatment.

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but additional treatments loving their truSculpt iD may be required for optimal results. In a separate study sculpting results. of individuals who had the “TruSculpt iD is a very procedure, 100 percent said exciting new development in they were satisfied, would get non-surgical body contouring. it done again and would refer The lower abdomen and love a friend for truSculpt iD. And handles can be treated in just a everyone felt better in - or out PANDEMIC: no coronavirus Alicante yet single 15-minuteBut comfortable of - theirinclothes. treatment session. patients The So, if66-year-old you’re thinking HOSPITAL de Our Torrevieja hadabout rehave very pleased the looking a new Wuhan, kind of hasbeen deactivated itswith quarcently into visited body sculpting results after they can body contagion sculpting antine procedure an personalized where the viral Icelandic fell ill without achieve with tourist this innovative resorting to drastic is believed to have origiwith suspected symptoms measures, nated, before arriving iD in system,” says Dermatologist find a truSculpt ofrey coronavirus. Torrevieja for bya searching holiday Jeff S. Dover, MD, FRCPC provider near you and suffering a fever. of Skincare Physicians in https://trusculpt.com/find-aHospital sources howevChestnut Hill, MA. provider. have now said the paBy and large, people are er tient’s symptoms ‘do not corroborate with epidemiological criteria’ to be considered coronavirus.

Virus free

Doctors said the case was ‘100%’ ruled out. The patient, who checked herself in with her 52-year-old husband, will be treated for respiratory illness and moved out of quarantine.

COLUMNISTS

February 6th - February 19th 2020

GETTING CONNECTED

BYE BYE

By Loraine Gostling

Loraine Gostling’s tearful farewell to the EU is brightened by the inimitable comments on her Javea Connect group

My first thoughts as I sat down to try to amuse those who have made it this far in the paper are tinged with sadness. I thought the dreaded Friday 31 would not affect me as much as it actually did. And I was fine, really I was, until my newsfeed popped up with a photo of Brussels lighting up the main square in Union Jack colours to say farewell to the Brits. I got all tearful, had to grab a tissue, followed closely by a large G&T – or two – that somehow eased the pain a bit. Then it occurred to me that soon, other EU countries will follow suit, and once France completes their Frexit, the Brits will want back in again anyway! The following day, after the mourning period (and minor hangover) was over, I thought I best go check on my flock in Javea Connect to see their reactions. Important questions were being asked, such as ‘will we still be able to get our duty free cigs?’ or ‘can I take my cat back as his passport is Spanish?’ There were some funny comments spotted now and again, such as ‘I voted Remain, not just for political reasons, but because my mum’s moved to Spain and I want her to stay there’ and ‘have we tried unplugging 2016 waiting ten seconds and plugging it back in again?’. Another wrote: “Say goodbye to croissants people. Delicious croissants. We’re stuck with crumpets FOREVER.” Though I have to say my favourite was: “Why do we need any colour passport? We should just be able to shout, “British! Less of your nonsense!” and stroll straight through.” Although, a certain UK newspaper (not sure whether I can name it, so for safety’s sake I will name it the “Brexpress”), really did make a huge faux-pas by writing about Brits flying with their posh new blue passports this year. Their photo editor must have had one or two vinos too many at lunch, as the accompanying picture had been taken from

a mock-up by Monty Python’s Flying Circus many years ago! But hey... you know what... I like hamsters.... and elderberry wine is pretty damn delicious... Fly with it UK Gov..... M.P. is rather more palatable when it stands for good old Monty! Just as a final thought here... if you make a faux pas twice... are they faux passes?

OP Puzzle solutions

Across: 7 Serve, 8 Aseptic, 9 Easiest, 10 Supra, 11 Primer, 13 Enrol, 16 Agape, 18 Fiddle, 21 Until, 23 Advance, 24 Selects, 25 Darts. . Down: 1 Dressing, 2 Recede, 3 Oast, 4 Person, 5 Step, 6 Scram, 7 Sleepy, 12 Rue, 13 Elf, 14 Ordinary, 15 Renews, 17 Palace, 19 Invade, 20 Curse, 22 Talk, 23 Also.

SUDOKU

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Storm after the storm

With forage at double the price following September’s floods, the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre faces going under in new tax scare, writes Susan Weeding WHEN we started the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre 11 years ago, we naively thought it would be a simple dream. We jumped all the legal hoops of becoming an asociacion and we even went twice to the tax office to double check we didn’t have to declare anything. We were told ‘no no, you are just an asociacion’. Sadly we didn’t have a crystal ball back then. Our work carried on developing, we deepened relationships with the police to rehome rescues, and here we are with 121 horses, ponies and donkeys. However, the troubles started around three years ago when an employment officer turned up out of the blue and told us we weren’t allowed any Spanish volunteers. He said that residents of Spain would have to be given contracts if they wanted to work at the rescue centre, and threatened us with a €9,000 fine if we didn’t comply within four weeks. It was a very bitter pill to swallow, as it would financially hit us hard, but we went along with it and employed three work-

FARM FLASH By Susan Weeding

ers paying €900 minimum wage and the taxman for healthcare and pensions. And then, last September came the floods, which have seen us forking out double forage as the alfalfa crops have been decimated. The current bill is already €20,000. Our four shops get quiet over the winter period, meaning we’ve been paying wages out of our own pockets as there’s nothing left in the charity coffer. And the latest development is the 21% IVA we will need to start charging on sales of donated goods in our charity shops – as reported by the Olive Press this week. It will mean us losing a lot our end, because we can’t make people pay an extra 21% on top of all our prices in the charity shop. So we’re doing everything we can to continue to function as a rescue centre. Two staff have gone – maybe a third will go too. I’m 64, my husband Rod is 70, and to top things off he’s been told it’s illegal for him to work at the centre as he’s a pensioner. How do we care for 121 horses, ponies and donkey without staff, with high costs, and less funding coming in? Several kind people have donated money, but long term we really do not know where we are going. We are doing everything we can to balance the books and give these abused animals a second chance in life.

SPORT

While the world grieves for Kobe Bryant, Malaga mourns the untimely death of another hero of the game

FORMER Malaga and Great Britain basketball international Robert Archibald has died at the age of 39. University of Illinois athletics officials confirmed Archibald’s death in circumstances that still remain unclear. The seven-foot giant is the only Scotsman to ever play in the NBA when he was drafted in 2002 by the Memphis Grizzlies. He moved back to Europe in

Second blow for basketball 2004 and had a successful career in the Euroleague – Europe’s top tier competition. He played for four Spanish teams during that period including Valencia, Badalona and Zaragoza. However Malaga, where he spent three seasons from 2008 to 2011, was the team where he made the biggest impact. Archibald also had 37 caps as a Great Britain international, representing Team GB at the London Olympic Games in 2012, after which he subsequently retired from international duty. Tributes have come in from around the globe, including from Spanish legend Pau Gasol who was his teammate in Memphis. British Basketball Federation chairman Maurice Watkins said: “He was a fantastic ambassador for signed for the East London Scottish and British basketball club in the summer, but has and will be fondly remembered had a tough time adjusting to for his great contribution to the life in the Premier League. He game in our country, his talent has been criticised by fans for and his achievements.” his performances and, with His death came just two days the return of Darren Ranbefore the world lost another dolph from Middlesbrough, titan of the game in Kobe Brythe 33-year-old was now surant, who lost his life along with plus to requirements. eight other people in a helicopThe Madrileno has played for ter crash. The 41-year-old LA a few teams in Spain’s top tier, Lakers star and his daughter Giincluding Atletico Madrid, anna, 13 were killed when their Espanyol and Malaga – when chopper smashed into a hill in they were still in La Liga. California.

Roberto goes home ALAVES have signed Roberto Jimenez Gago on loan from West Ham. The Spaniard

RELIEVED: Roberto

HEARTBROKEN: The basketball world is hurting

February 6th - February 19th 2020 RAFAEL Nadal was knocked out of the Australian Open at the quarter final stage. The world number one suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Dominic Thiem. The world number five stunned the Spaniard in a four-set thriller, 7-6 7-6 4-6 7-6 at Melbourne Park. The Austrian qualified for his first Australian Open semi-final and faced Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Nadal, 33, had defeated Thiem in the last two French Open finals but the 26-year-old finally got his revenge. “I had luck in the right situations, the net cord was on my side,” Thiem said. “But it is necessary because Nadal is one of the greatest of all time and you need some luck to beat him.” The Spaniard seemed tense and tired throughout the entire match. He was given a time violation in the second set for taking too long to serve after winning

NADA MAS

a brutal 19-shot rally. That led to an irritated Nadal telling the umpire: “You don’t like good tennis.” But the hot shot from Mallorca was still unhappy about the incident and spoke to the tournament supervisor Andreas Egli about it. He later had another disagreement with the umpire over not being allowed to challenge a Thiem serve and throughout the match complained about the cool air blower next to his chair not working properly. All these incidents highlighted Nadal’s edginess and translated to his game as he missed shots he would normally be expected to make.

Enjoy the new Cashback promotion from Liberty and spend the benefit your way!

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FINAL WORDS

Dead men’s shoes SPECULATORS in Madrid are eyeing up prime properties in the capital where tenants have been paying as little as €7 a month due to laws honouring contracts signed before May 1985 until the tenant moves out or passes away.

Seismic shock A 4.2 MAGNITUDE earthquake shook Almogia, lying north of Torremolinos, but nobody was hurt and no significant damage was caused.

OLIVE PRESS

The

A BRITISH expat has filed a denuncia in Marbella afer a new property development has ‘blocked his view’ across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco.

FREE

COSTA BLANCA

Vol. 1 Issue 23 www.theolivepress.es

OOPS! Your

E IV US CL IC EX P

Blocked

expat

voice in Spain

February 6th - February 19th 2020

CAR AHOY: Talk about dopey tourists.. this one reversed his hire car onto a boat in Cabopino this week. Pic sent in by reader Graham Pierce. Full story at www.theolivepress.es

SEA WEED SAGA By Joanne Oakley

A BRITISH sailor got the shock of his life when he pulled a bail of hash - worth €280,000 - out of the sea. The yacht captain Mike Stewart bucked the trend by immediately calling in police and coastguard on landing the haul off Murcia. The seasoned seadog, 58, had been sailing from the

Quite the buzz

British sailor finds €280,000 worth of marijuana in the Med

UK to Mallorca, via the Straits of Gibraltar. The Mancunian and his three crew - one a former policeman - spotted the huge 35kg package, wrapped in plastic off the port of Aguilas. After dragging it on board

they soon realised that it was a huge stash of marijuana and called the Spanish police. “You could hardly pick the thing up,” revealed Stewart. “One of our crew was in the police for 45 years and he hadn’t seen a thing like it.”

It is thought the drugs may have been dumped by traffickers in fear of being followed. It could also have been left anchored out at sea, ready for pick-up. The regular sailor added: “Coming through the Straits there’s always refugee boats, things like that.”

Submarine

A COSTA Blanca woman has been charged over the theft of 40 vibrators from a sex shop. The Callosa de Segura local was tracked down by the Guardia Civil a day later, by which time more than half of the items had already been used. The 40-year-old confessed that much of the €2000 haul had been shared with her neighbours and pals in the Costa Blanca town. One particular model, the Satisfyer, has become one of the most demanded sex products in Spain, with sales increasing by 1,300% in 2019. The woman is now awaiting trial for the January 23 robbery.

It comes after a Spanish man was sentenced to eight years for smuggling the largest ever haul of narcotics into Gibraltar. Last year a group of Galician smugglers were found bringing tons of cocaine into Spain via a specially-designed submarine.

Brolly good show A SPANISH ‘Super gran’ caught on camera taking on a robber with her umbrella has gone viral on social media. Amazing CCTV footage captured the moment the 73-year-old pensioner, from Madrid, tussled with the thief outside a supermarket. The video shows Antonia being thrown to the ground by the young thug after she tries to raise the alarm. The thief was attempting to open the cash register in the shop with a small knife, which she tried to wrestle off him. Despite her heroic efforts, the man made off with €2,000. However, footage shows him receiving one last blow to the head in the street outside. After Antonia reported the incident to police the man was arrested.