Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 131

The

OLIVE PRESS

BLATANT: Crooks operate in brood daylight

Fuelling crime

FREE

It will be all...

White

GIBRALTAR

The Rock’s only free local paper

See our travel special on page 12

Vol. 5 Issue 131 www.theolivepress.es September 16th - September 29th 2020

IT comes during broad daylight and on an almost-daily basis: Over a dozen men carrying massive containers onto speed boats in Duquesa Port.

Up to 30 bottles at a time, each 50 litres in size, the group load them onto boats in a matter of minutes.

Now shocked expats have reached out to the Olive Press to investigate the cloak and dagger operation which they fear is a system of refuelling narco boats and submarines.

It comes as a hard-hitting Netflix docu-series La Linea exposed narco-traffickers, warning they were being driven out of the Campo de Gibraltar area east into Malaga and west into Huelva.

A number of bar owners and local residents told us this week how they watched the masked men scurrying across the port on an ‘almost-daily basis’ recently.

SUPPORT: Johnson and Sturgeon back Gibraltar

Chilling

In a chilling video seen by the Olive Press, the group wear hoodies, sunglasses and masks to load up one boat.

Taken on Sunday, one man stops, stares at the video and warns the unnamed expat to stop filming.

Local residents fear that the family-friendly port could soon become like La Linea overrun by criminal gangs if police do not step in and prevent it.

They believe the transfers are taking fuel to larger boats that then go on to Morocco to pick up shipments of drugs.

“Much more needs to be done by police, who need to step up patrols to send a message,” said one expat barman, who asked not to be named.

He added: “I see these guys most days around 4pm yelling in Spanish. They say ‘Hurry up, everyone move, let’s go faster’.

“They stash litres of petrol in vans near the port and run out to collect them, each man will carry a gallon in each hand. It’s always up to 30 men and a very small boat.

“Sometimes they end up dropping the containers into the water.”

He added: “These criminals are doing it right under our noses and we all know about it but there’s nothing we can do.

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised Gibraltar that ‘not a fragment of national sovereignty will be given away’ in a National Day message.

The First Ministers of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, all promised their support for the Rock in separate video messages. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson stated: “The past few months have been difficult for all of us and it’s sadly clear that this awful virus is not yet done with ALL AREAS COVERED us or with Gibraltar so far.

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The UK’s leaders send messages of solidarity to Gibraltar for National Day, writes John Culatto

“Unless and until you decide otherwise, no sliver of Rock, no fragment of national sovereignty will be given away.

“As long as I am Prime Minister that is exactly the way things are going to stay.”

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said: “I can assure you that, as we face the challenges of the months ahead, Scotland will continue to work in that spirit of cooperation and internationalism. “I know that Scotland and Gibraltar will continue to enjoy a close friendship in the future.”

For his part, the Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said: “On behalf of all the people of Wales, I send the warmest greetings on Gibraltar National Day.” The First Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster added:“It’s clear to me that we share the same strength of character power by resilience, energy and determination.”

“Let me wish your Chief Minister and indeed all of you in the See page 11 most beautiful part of the world, a very safe and happy Gibraltar National Day.”

Tel: 952 147 834 TM

2

CRIME

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF Hash mash IN separate cases five men aged between 19 and 21-years-old have been arrested this week for having small amounts of cannabis.

Attackers arrested THREE suspected drug clan members who allegedly barged a Policia Nacional car in a high-speed chase were arrested and charged with attempted murder.

Weed farm A 2,000m2 indoor plantation was discovered in La Linea that could produce up to 300 kilos a month of weed to make a half a million euros in profits

Officer loses arm A SPANISH police officer has lost his arm after being rammed into by a vehicle driven by a drug trafficker in Algeciras.

The 33-year-old Policia Nacional agent was left in a serious condition after having his limb amputated at the Punta de Europa hospital. The officer had been in his car on the so-called Los Yankees highway and had ordered an approaching car to stop while blocking the road.

The vehicle, a stolen BMW X5 from Marbella loaded with hashish, instead rammed the cop car, making it overturn.

Two officers, an inspector and lower-ranking officer, were in the car blocking the road, believing the narco would come to a stop.

The other officer got off lightly in comparison with a dislocated shoulder and bruising and has already been discharged.

The suspect is in custody after 16 bales of hashish were found in his vehicle.

High speed drop-off A TOTAL of 13 bales of hashish, thrown overboard by suspected smugglers, have been confiscated by Customs officers in Gibraltar waters.

The bales of cannabis resin

weigh over 400 kilos with a street market value of more than £2 million.

The action unfolded at

TRAGIC: Officer lost arm

9.30am on September 10 when the authorities were told that a rigid inflatable boat was speeding through Gibraltar waters.

The Customs Marine Unit on HMC Searcher were quickly on the scene and started to chase the suspected smugglers.

The crew of the boat then tried to shake off the long arm of the law and started throwing the bales of hashish into the sea.

As the suspected boat lost weight, they gained speed and soon created a decent distance with HMS Searcher.

Escaped

Pipped to the pill

CUSTOMS found a vehicle left abandoned with 650 cartons of cigarettes at Western Beach by suspected smugglers who managed to escape to Spain.

POLICE raids have taken place on addresses in the Campo de Gibraltar, Estepona and Villarobledo leading to 11 arrests.

Over 150 Guardia Civil agents took part in the operation which they linked ‘directly or indirectly’ to the Gibraltarian Gareth Mauro.

However, the mother of Gareth Mauro told the Olive Press that her son did not have anything to do with this operation.

The raids are the second part of Operation Koala which saw searches at ten homes and companies around Spain.

Police sources told the Olive Press that those arrested were Mauro’s family members and friends who were used to recycle smuggling profits.

Mauro himself is on the run from the law, presumably in Morocco.

The raids saw the freezing of bank accounts, closure of businesses and seizure of luxury boats and vehicles with a value of €5million.

Guardia Civil believe these are a number of front companies.

A TOTAL of 200 Class C tablets, including Diazepam, was found at a Varyl Begg home in an RGP raid.

A 40-year-old man has been arrested for possession and possession with intent to supply the controlled drugs.

Forced entry was used to enter and search the home after a tipoff from the a member of the general public.

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

The fast launch then managed to navigate the choppy eastern seas and leave British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.

At this point the Customs craft stopped chasing the suspected boat.

With the help of the Gibraltar Defence Police and Department of the Environment launches they fished out the 13 bales of cannabis from the rough seas.

Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.

With a UNESCO world heritage site offering 120,000 years of human history and only short drive from the Costa del Sol, enjoy the warmth of the British Gibraltarians and splash out VAT-free in Sterling.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

HE was one of the most audacious crooks in British history.

And now the story of how a working class northerner climbed into London’s National Gallery to pilfer a painting by Spanish master Goya has been turned into a film.

The movie ‘The Duke’, which was immortalised at the Venice Film Festival this month, retells the incredible swinging sixties yarn about how the painting, the Duke, was stolen.

Made by Notting Hill director Roger Michell it stars Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren.

MISSING: Goya masterpiece

A-listers assemble HE’S best known as Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary.

Now British superstar Colin Firth is set to grace the boardwalks of San Sebastian for the world premiere of his new film Supernova alongside Stanley Tucci.

It has been over a decade since Firth last attended the famous film festival in 2008, when he walked the red carpet for the first screening of Genova, directed by English filmmaker Michael Winterbottom.

Firth was praised for his role as a mourning father in the drama and similar success is likely for the King’s Speech actor this year. When a state of alarm was announced in Spain in March, Firth was filming a new film Operation Mincemeat in Malaga alongside Kelly Macdonald.

So, the A-lister has multiple motivations to make his return to Spain.

See Double Take on page 11

Got the message

An unlikely overseas friendship has been sparked after an American bottle landed in Spain

By Kirsty McKenzie

WHEN a busy dad with wanderlust Jerry Whitt died suddenly in 2018, his wife Mary was determined that he would finally get his chance to travel the world.

So she lovingly placed the American’s ashes into a bottle with a note and dropped him into the Atlantic Ocean from their favourite holiday retreat in Florida and waved farewell one last time.

And to her surprise, two years later she received a phone call from a Spanish family who had found Jerry on a beach almost 5,000 miles away.

Princess in isolation fears HEIR to the Spanish throne princess Leonor has been placed in quarantine.

It comes after Leonor’s classmate at Santa Maria de los Rosales school in Madrid was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The eldest daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia will now have to self isolate for 14 days within the Zarzuela Palace and be monitored closely for symptoms.

The rest of her class are now in isolation as well as her younger sister princess Sofia.

ISOLATED: Leonor is now quarantined

Now, after a series of letters and calls, the American is hoping to come and visit the Alvarez family, who found the bottle on Praia de Razo, in Carballo, Galicia. “I decided to put Jerry’s ashes in a bottle, and his picture and a note,” said Mary, from her home in Kentucky. “I thought that this would be a good way that he could travel.”

She is now delighted that the Alvarez family are to spread Jerry’s ashes in the north of Spain. Mary said: “It touched all of our hearts. It’s just so heartwarming and touching that they are this good to us.”

Jerry’s daughter Emilee added: “I think he would be so excited to think that we have friends in Spain now.

“We talk often and he would have absolutely loved that.”

ESTUCO INTERIORS

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The 72nd edition of the event went ahead without a hitch from COVID-19.

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FOUND: Ashes discovered on beach

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September 16th - September 29th 2020

Artful Dodger

Black money

Bales of hashish dumped at sea

FISHED OUT: Hashish was recovered by Customs

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Keep calm and Rock on A DEFIANT Chief Minister claimed ‘not an inch’ of Gibraltar would be given away during post-Brexit negotiations.

As Gibraltar enters the final stages of talks before the December deadline Fabian Picardo asked the people to ignore Spanish press reports.

“As I said on National Day, this is an area where the Government of Gibraltar, led by me, will give not an inch,” said Picardo.

“You’re reading stuff in Spanish newspapers, which puts in the Spanish version of events, the Spanish claims, what they want. Absolutely ignore those.

“We will never agree to anything that dilutes British sovereignty, jurisdiction or control over Gibraltar in the negotiations.

“We are tough, we are the hawks. We will not allow them to get anything past us.

“Please do not fall into the trap that some people are falling for on social media, of believing the Spanish version of events.

“Believe your Government, we are here to fight for our Gibraltar, to defend our Gibraltar, and remember the Hawks are in government now.”

Grade A CHILDREN and headteachers have greeted the return to school this week with enthusiasm after a six month pause to in-class learning due to COVID-19.

The new plans for isolating social bubbles have proved a success in a recent discovery of cases at St Bernard’s Lower Primary.

Minister for Education John Cortes visited head teachers to talk about their thoughts for this school year.

Director of Education Jackie Mason spoke glowingly of the efforts being made to protect children from COVID-19 that should be enough to reassure parents.

“Today we have had a further meeting with the Director of Public Health, Dr Bhatti, advising us on possible scenarios that could arise and how we would deal with those,” said Mason.

All pupils except year 12s returned to school between September 2-4 after lockdown sent children home in March.

Masks have been recom-

Schools perform well in face of reopening during COVID-19 crisis

VISIT: John Cortes (right) visited head teachers

By John Culatto

mended but not enforced for all over-11s inside school corridors and in common areas.

Clubbing together THE Royal Gibraltar Police has been admitted into the Police Superintendents’ Association of the UK in a historic announcement.

The news was welcomed by both the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo (pictured) and Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger.

The PSA represents officers at the level of superintendent and chief superintendent.

It supports senior leaders in the 43 Home Office forces, like the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and British Transport Police.

The RGP is the third police force from

“The excitement was evident in the children’s faces as they made their way into the school on their first day,” Senior Education Adviser, Keri Scott reported.

“We understand that there is apprehension in the community, and this is to be expected.

September 16th - September 29th 2020

National day blues GIBRALTAR National Day was a lot quieter than usual this year as the Chief Minister stressed the importance of caution.

Fabian Picardo urged people to stay home and with their families on this usual day of community celebration.

In his National Day speech given at the John Mackintosh Hall, he spoke of a year of ‘life-threatening danger focusing on the human threat that COVID represents’.

“Today, as a Gibraltarian, my heart breaks that we cannot celebrate as we usually do,” said Picardo.

“My broken heart is filled with pride when I see everything we have successfully achieved together, when I see in our generation the same grit, unity and resolve to our nation as our forefathers have shown.

“But there are tough decisions still to be made because we as a people have a responsibility to others as we have to ourselves.”

He called social media COVID-19 deniers ‘wrong’ and said they were ‘misleading the vulnerable in the community’.

Picardo also warned revellers to be ‘responsible’ throughout National Day because ‘super-spreaders’ could lead to further outbreaks.

With most of the normal annual events cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the atmosphere was more serene than previous years.

There were less flags on balconies as the national fervour gave way to community concern.

Safe

outside mainland UK to join the association after Bermuda and the Isle of Man. “On behalf of the Command Team, we look forward to working with you in partnership,” Ullger, appointed Commissioner only this year, told the PSA. He said he was anticipating ‘reaping the benefits’ of membership.”

What a deal!

“Our top priority remains to ensure the return to school is a safe, smooth and happy one for all.

Minister for Education John Cortes, said: “I visited some of the schools today and was so pleased to see the activity and the excitement in staff and pupils alike.

“It was the closest to normality I have seen in months.

“There were strict protocols in place, which was very reassuring.

“I was so pleased to feel the eagerness to resume the learning journey.”

MUTED: Coronavirus hit National Day events

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6

NEWS FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es

O LIVE P RESS

Voted top expat paper in Spain

The

GIBRALTAR

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

OPINION Big Planet THE modern world is characterised by globalisation.

Watching an American film while eating a Thai curry perched on the edge of your Swedish sofa is a normal Saturday night.

We have free roaming for our phone data and currency cards without transaction fees to make travelling painless.

All these amenities to contemporary living make the antiquated restrictions that are now rearing their ugly head because of Brexit all the more frustrating.

At Olive Press we wholly empathise with the trials and tribulations faced by expats. Since Big Ben’s knell shook parliament at midnight on January 31, life in the EU is significantly more complicated.

Whether its a barrage of confusion at the extranjeria office (page number for TIE piece) or the news that Barclays is terminating credit cards for Brits living abroad (page number), it is clear ease of access has been replaced with increased exasperation.

Since 1919, when commercial flights first began in the UK, we have benefited from a melting pot of homogenizing cultures .

In this transition period of infuriating blurred lines and unspecified grey areas, it is more important than ever to remain outward looking and adventurous.

I

T started as a Cold War tale of intrigue involving a spy, international headlines and appearances from Robert and Edward Kennedy.

It ended when a shepherd in a remote backwater of Spain discovered a decomposing corpse in a gulley.

The mystery man could only be identified from documents found in a nearby wallet.

Guardia Civil decided the body was that of 48-year-old Vladimir Kazan-Komarek – an American citizen of Czech descent.

The year was 1972, with Spain still under the thumb of fascist dictator Francisco Franco and the world in the depths of the Cold War. The location was the now bustling - then sleepy - town of Estepona on the Costa del Sol. Kazan-Komarek had first

Cold war warrior

Left Unread DESPITE emails, Whatsapps, Zoom calls and Facebook messages to keep us busy, nothing has quite overtaken the intimacy of a handwritten letter. This is what makes the loss of post all the more disappointing. Carefully penned anecdotes from loved ones needlessly go missing. Birthday wishes disappear without a trace. Sometimes, it’s just a let down to never receive the shopping you just splurged on. Narrowly behind medical records, post is the most personal commodity we have-- It’s not unreasonable to expect, without so much as hope and a prayer, to receive what’s rightfully yours in the mail.

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Kirsty McKenzie kirsty@olivepress.es

John Culatto johnc@theolivepress.es

Isha Sesay isha.sesay@hotmail.com

Lydia Spencer-Elliott lydia@theolivepress.es

Simon Wade simon@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Admin Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

Office manager Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

Distribution ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es

Newsdesk: 0034 951 273 575 For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75 Head office

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AWARDS

2016 - 2020 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2020

Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

www.theolivepress.es

RECEPTION: Robert Kennedy greets Kazan-Komarek

of espionage and high level diplomatic negotiations.

Now, a French documentary team is looking into the mystery death of the American, trying to piece together his intriguing life.

What was known was that on October 31, 1966, when Vladimir was returning from a travel agents’ conference in Moscow, the Soviet airliner on which he was traveling — supposedly on a nonstop flight to Paris —was diverted to Prague for ‘mechanical reasons’.

It has never been proven that the flight was deliberately diverted at the behest of Czechoslo-

vakia, but the authorities certainly grabbed their chance to lay their hands on the suspected spy.

He was hauled off the plane and charged with setting up and operating an underground espionage and terrorist network in the communist country between 1948 to 1950.

They also held him responsible for the death of a policeman.

Press reports from the Czechoslovak media had previously identified him as an agent for US Army Counterintelligence.

A prisoner of the Nazis during World War II, Kazan-Komerak had worked for the US army in Germany in 1945 and 1946, before he returned to his home country.

But when the communists took control, he fled Czechoslovakia in 1948 and lived in Paris before moving to the US in 1953.

There he faded into the background, marrying a noted beauty, fathering five children and becoming a US citi-

TIEd up in Red Tape

It’s a bureacratic joke as I still can’t get my NIE after two months of trying

By Lydia Spencer-Elliott

TIME passes at varying speeds: you age slower in a spaceship but faster when in the queue at the extranjeria office in Spain…

A whole month has elapsed since I last wrote of my seemingly endless quest for a TIE residencia card.

Since then I have mentally decayed faster than a peach in the Spanish sun … transformed from my prime (24) to the metaphorical autumn of my life, rotted by bureaucracy and fermenting with fury.

Concerned that my A-level Spanish was insufficient for the task, a native speaker with five years experence in a legal firm called several official offices on my behalf to identify our next port of call on this marathon mission.

“I’ll be honest, we don’t know the steps anymore, ” she was told. “Because of COVID and Brexit, everything has changed.”

After another fruitless appointment at the police station in Estepona, some pleading and a borderline refusal to leave until we had more information than ‘no se’, we were handed the next clue in the treasure hunt: a website link.

Into the search bar it went and three clicks later our appointment in Malaga was secured. Things surely had to work out differently on the fourth try. The instruc-

LONG WAIT: Lydia is still battling Spain’s infamous red tape tions had come straight from the horse’s mouth and, to mix metaphors, we knew better than to inspect the teeth of this gift horse too closely.

Wrong decision, we discovered on our arrival in the city.

“They told you the wrong thing,” said a genuinely sympathetic member of staff. “The appointment you need can only be booked on the phone. You have to come back another day.”

It turns out lucky expats who secured residencia before July 6 are not required by law to obtain any new documents. But if, like me, you arrived after this critical date, the road to residencia is long, winding and may cause stress-induced alopecia.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Will our fifth attempt turn out to be the charm that works …or a one way ticket to an asylum? Watch this space.

Olive Press online NEWS FEATURE

September 2nd - September 15th 2020 ‘Spain’s best English news website’

Bringing you the news SAFEGUARDING REAL NEWS After two years of rapid expansion, the Olive Press announces an online pay wall

A

S the Olive Press approaches its 15th anniversary it’s a good time to take stock of what we have experienced down the years.

But even more important is to take the lessons we have learned as Spain’s only English language investigative newspaper and apply them for the next 15 years.

Back in 2006 when a small but dedicated band launched the very first issues out of Ronda we couldn’t have dreamed how much we would expand in the coming years.

A move to our head office in Sabinillas near Esteponsa proved to be a key move and within a few short years we went from covering all of Andalucia to launching editions in Gibraltar, Mallorca and the Costa Blanca North and

A documentary is studying the enigma of spy Vladimir Kazan-Komarek, 50 years since his death, writes Dilip Kuner come to public attention six years previously when he became embroiled in a spy scandal that would not have been out of place in the pages of a John le Carré thriller.

It involved the shadowy world

7

September 16th - September 29th 2020

www.theolivepress.es

South.

But perhaps the biggest change has been the rise of the internet as the medium through which we can reach a hugely expanded audience.

We have striven to provide engaging, well researched and original content, with regularly over 20 stories and features a day.

This has involved a heavy investment in the most important factor for any news organisation – the staff.

Our dozens of fully-trained, NCTJ-qualified reporters have uncovered hundreds of exclusives which would make many a ‘bigger’ media group proud.

It helps that many of our team have worked at UK national newspapers, including Dilip Kuner at the Sunday Mirror, Kirsty McKenzie at The Daily

Olive Press online ‘SPAIN’S BEST ENGLISH NEWS WEBSITE’

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: Benidorm officials say 130 million 1-demolition bill for illegal towers is not in the public interest (30,996) Village engulfed in mammoth fire on Spain’s Costa del Sol (27,542) 2- Laguna Levante Beach to end 3- Benidorm’s restrictions this Monday as domestic tourist season ends (24,402)

PRAGUE: Kazan-Komarek (inset) was imprisoned behind the Ironfrom Curtain - Terrifying footage inside Laguna

4

zen, all while settling into life as a travel agent.

Life seemed to be going well until he made his fateful Moscow trip. In Prague he was charged with high treason and espionage.

During the Kazan-Komarek trial in 1967, the most serious charges that he had been an American intelligence agent were quietly dropped after an intense diplomatic campaign by the US government.

He was instead convicted on lesser charges of subversive activities against the Czechoslovakian state and jailed for eight years.

His rapid release was brought about largely through the intervention of Senator Edward Kennedy, whose brother Robert was present when Kazan-Komarek’s flight touched down on American soil.

Once safely back in the US, Vladimir admitted that the charges against him were partly true. He had helped people escape from Czechoslovakia, believing that he was working for French intel-

ligence.

Subsequent investigations found he was being rather modest with the truth.

It is believed that he was one of the most important agents for the French Secret Service (SDECE). And that he returned to the other side of the Iron Curtain to organise a network to rescue people threatened with death or prison for their resistance against the regime’s dictatorship.

The network was liquidated by communist police and Kazan-Komarek alone managed to make it back to the West after a shoot-out with border guards. Seriously injured, he returned to Paris and spent several months in hospital.

While the case caused a sensation at the time, Vladimir faded into the background.

He severed ties with the Harvard Travel Service, of which he had been president.

Then in 1971 he left his wife and five children in Wellesley, Massachusetts and disappeared to Europe.

In November that year he re-

Village fire on Spain’s Costa del Sol (21,677)

Fire at Estepona’s Laguna Village: surfaced in Estepona where zan-Komerak through the(19,212) pictures from the scene 5-Exclusive he lived alone in a small flat. documents found nearby, toGet in touch a today at sales@theolivepress.es Guardia Civil investigators gether with key to his front or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote said he led a normal life, door. passing his time writing a Strangely, the US authorities book about flying. in Spain failed to inform his He made friends with expat widow of the death. That was Americans and was due to fly left to the Canadian couple to the US with a he had been Canadian couset to travple when he disel with some The mystery appeared. months earlier.

On June 5, US State Deof his life and 1972, the Unitpartment offideath have ed States concials said there sulate in Sevilla was no indicanever been was informed tion that Kaquite forgotten z a n - Ko m a r e k

by Samuel Berman, an Amerimight still have can living in Esbeen involved tepona, that Kazan-Komarek in intelligence work, and inhad been missing since May sisted he had not been em11. ployed by any United States The authorities discounted intelligence agency. And the report after being in- there the matter rested. formed he had been seen in But the mystery of his life the first week of June. But a and death has never quite body was discovered on Sep- been forgotten. There are tember 7 in a hillside gully on still people who wonder if the a farm outside Estepona. body truly was his and why A Marbella court decid- he should have given up a ed there were no signs of successful career and large foul play and confirmed family to disappear into what the corpse’s identity as Ka- was, at the time, a remote backwater of a country living under a dictatorship.

Now, nearly 50 years on, a French documentary team led by Karel Prokop and Laurence Guyot is trying to unravel the mystery of Kazan-Komarek’s death and is looking for anyone who knew him, or had heard any stories about the man of mystery.

Their ultimate ambition is to solve the enigma of Kazan-Komarek - and find answers to the puzzle that briefly thrust the quiet town of Estepona into world headlines.

SLEEPY: The quiet backwater of Estepona found itself at the centre of world headlines

You can approach the film makers through us by emailing newsdesk@theolivepress.es

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8

LA CULTURA

September 16th - September 29th 2020

Dancing Queen spends years, often a decade or more, practising and perfecting the strict framework of rhythmic patterns. And even when the steps are down pat, a dancer will never stop practicing and training daily.

It’s this dedication that has propelled Urusla Lopez to the very top of her profession, as she explains.

• How did it all begin?

W

ITH the grace of a ballet star, the passion of a flamenco artist and the regal air of a Queen Ursula Lopez was dancing towards her destiny at an age when most children are taking their first baby steps at school.

“There was never a time ‘before’ flamenco, it was just something we all did, my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents before them,” says the 44-year-old beauty, born in Cordoba, raised in Algeciras and feted today as one of the best flamenco dancers and choreographers in the world.

From being discovered by legendary film director Carlos Saura, to being a featured artist at t h e Spanish National

Ballet and wowing audiences at Sadler’s Wells in London with her own production, Ursula Lopez is on point for her next challenge as director of the Andalucian Flamenco Ballet in Seville.

The Junta de Andalucía’s institutional dance company represents the region on stages all over the world and plays a fundamental role in attracting new audiences to experience Andalucia’s flamenco culture. Founded in 1994, it has won plaudits from the public and critics and a host of prestigious awards.

Don’t be fooled by the overpriced and often tacky tourist shows.

Andalucia’s most iconic dance style is so much more than overthe-top frilly wardrobes, fancy fans, castanets, excessive use of microphones and showy light

effects.

Born out of oppression and suffering, flamenco should above all be fierce, evoking passion, temperament and energy. Puro flamenco relies on improvisation and though renowned artists rehearse for choreographed theatre productions, their true personality and creative flair shine during intimate, spontaneous performances of singing, guitar, and dance. An authentic performance will put equal focus each.

To master the art, a flamenco dancer

I started in a dance academy at a very young age, graduating in both Spanish and classical dance. In Sevilla I had the opportunity to train with great flamenco maestros such as Manolete, an internationally reclaimed Spanish choreographer and dancer.

And with Manolo Marín who choreographed the Opera Carmen, directed by Carlos Saura, which opened the doors to my professional career when I was 18.

In 1996 I joined the Compañía Andaluza de Danza, known today as Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía.

For the next eight years I performed in the company’s shows, touring the most important festivals and theatres around the world.

I then joined the Spanish National Ballet as a featured artist for two years before setting up my own dance company in 2007.

Flamenco was always part of my life. My sister, Tamara, too, had an extensive career in dance, with a 12-year long trajectory in the Spanish National Ballet. She has taught Spanish dance all over the world, from London to Chicago and even received an award from the Emperor of Japan for cultural merit. Together we run our dance academy, Studio Flamencodanza in Seville.

“

I received the news in a phone call, an incredible moment where I felt proud, happy, emotional all at the same time. It is a recognition of eight years of hard work where I proved my dedication to dance and flamenco day in and day out. Nothing is handed to anyone on a plate, especially not in flamenco. If you haven’t put the hours in, if you haven’t been

San Sebastian Film Festival to headline controversial Woody Allen film about sex in its own city falls in love with a Spanish woman).

Amid sexual assault allegations towards the American director, the selection of the rom-com to launch the programme hasn’t passed without controversy.

However, Allen, 84, will not attend the festival himself, due to coronavirus fears.

Running from September

ART: Dancers strike beautiful poses

Born out of opression and suffering, Flamenco should evoke passion and above all, energy

• You’ve just been appointed Director of the company you danced for. How does that feel?

ENERGY: Flamenco dancers in full flow

SPAIN’S top film festival opens this month with the premiere of a Woody Allen film about itself.

Shot in the city last year, the action in Rifkin’s Festival starring Elena Anaya and Louis Garrel is set during festival week.

It tells the story of a married American couple seduced by the magic of the Basque city and the fantasy of the event (she has an affair with a French movie director, he

consistent, dedicated and determined, it will show. In that sense, flamenco is very just.

It’s a great honour that the Andalucian Flamenco Ballet have placed their trust in me. They have seen the direction I want to take and have given me their backing. I believe my proposals stood out for their artistic direction, based on the dissemination of dance and Andalucia’s intangible heritage. I now look forward to taking the Andalucian Flamenco Ballet to where it belongs.

We have some very exciting projects coming up, both nationally and internationally, a three-year scheme which I’m very excited to lead.

• You are currently holding auditions for the cast of the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía (dancers, singers, guitarists, percussionists). What do you look for?

In a dancer, for someone who masters all the typical Spanish dance styles but whose underlying strength is flamenco.

Nowadays dancers are extremely well-prepared. They have all been dancing since they were about six years old and their formation is excellent. My generation did not have the extensive training they have. These young dancers have a confidence about their abilities that is enviable. It took me years to reach that level of self-assurance in my abilities.

This is positive for someone who intends to perform in front of thousands of spectators.

In one way they have it easier as they are so well prepared, but, on the other hand, having so many well-prepared dancers makes the competition tougher. However, at the same time, there is a lack of individuality, of personal growth and experiences … shared moments with fellow dancers that I feel is missing. Perhaps social media is to blame. I know that

9

Double Take

PASSION: Ursula in action

“

At 44, mother-of-two Ursula Lopez has danced her way to the top job at the Andalucian Flamenco Ballet. The homegrown Queen of Flamenco talks exclusively to Cristina Hodgson about her new role, flamenco as therapy and how today’s young dancers can follow in her footsteps

LA CULTURA

September 16th September 29th 2020

my experiences helped me grow into the dancer I am today, and I’m grateful for them.

• Has flamenco changed since you first started out?

With deep-seated roots, the principals remain the same as those taught from parent to child decades ago. I would even go as far as to say they remain steadfast from over a hundred years ago.

There is of course a natural evolution process, but just as flamenco is in Andalucia its most significant expression, its deepest root, the fundamentals remain unwavering.

•

18-26 and now in its 68th edition, the festival has long attracted esteemed directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Francis Ford Coppola, silver screen legends (Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Davis) and current stars like Penelope Cruz, John Malkovich and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And this year, with Cannes cancelled and Venice scaled down due to the pandemic, San Seb is picking up the slack with top-tier cinema normally reserved for its famous rivals.

Originally due to premiere on the French Riviera, Colombian filmmaker Fernando Trueba’s Forgotten We’ll Be will now close the festival.

Other top movies to watch out for are Harry Macqueen’s British drama Supernova starring Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth and Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, starring Oscar award-winner Frances McDormand.

Your day-to-day must be hectic with your new directorship, your own dance company and dance academy, and two young children?

I won’t lie, it is very tough. It’s a very long day which begins before 7am and ends after 11pm.

Non-stop. Dance has taught me to be strong, determined and resilient, but it’s my love for flamenco that gives me the drive to set new challenges and I’m lucky to have a career which I love and have always loved. I feel very fortunate.

• Can anyone take lessons at your Flamenco Danza Academy?

Anyone, from beginners to advanced. The most important thing is not to feel intimidated or foolish. If you really let yourself go, flamenco is one of the best therapies. The connection between body and mind is incredible. To feel the music, you free your mind in an almost meditational way. And instead of feeling self-conscious, you will find it gives you confidence. With a good instructor and a bit of patience, even an inexperienced dancer can learn. What can I say, I highly recommend it!

www.juntadeandalucia.es/ cultura/flamenco/content/ www.flamencodanza. com/teacher-profile/ursula-lopez/

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10

HEALTH

Wales fails

Fantastic opportunity to stay aboard 1 of 2 boutique Boatels in one of the best locations in Gibraltar Ocean Village beckons to enhance your stay, you are surrounded by the best bars, restaurants and duty free shopping. Enjoy excursions and watch beautiful dolphins at sunset, right on your doorstep, finish your day sipping a cocktail on deck.

Contact Johnny & Tracey: jasminecoraljay@outlook.com or call 0044 7834953424 DON’T MISS OUT

OP QUICK Crossword

OP Sudoku

SPANISH researchers have come up with a way to easily detect if a drink has been spiked with date rape drug GHB. It allows people to see with their naked eye if the drug – which is colourless and odourless and has a slightly salty taste – has been poured into their drink.

GHB (Îł-hydroxybutyric acid) is notorious for leaving its victims helpless and open to attack. The Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) estimates that the substance is involved in approximately 20% of sexual assaults. University of Valencia (UV) predoctoral researcher Silvia RodrĂ­guez NuĂŠvalos explained that cur-

A YEAR Two teacher and child that tested positive for COVID-19 at St Bernard’s Primary School led to self-isolation orders.

Those children who self-isolated were able to carry on with their classes online.

Parents were sent the details on how to use the learning program via email, with access codes available on application.

Year two teachers who were placed in self-isolation gave the children tips on how to go through the lessons. “The Contact Tracing Bureau has been in contact with those staff members and all parents of children who have been deemed as close contacts,� said the Gibraltar Government.

New test instantly shows if drink has been spiked

SIMPLE: New test helps detect spiked drinks rent tests are not particularly Professor of Organic Chemisreliable. She said: “When you try at the university, the team mix spirits with non-alcohol- has now patented the test. ic beverages, for example, a GHB is relatively easily availtonic, the detection problems able. Its effects last from increase, as those beverag- three to six hours and the es contain products that can body metabolises it quickly, give false positives or false so it is very difficult to prove negatives. its intake afterwards. “With the sensor developed by the UV team, the compoDefenceless sition of the drinks does not change the response, so it is a It is used as a recreational drug due to its euphoric efsafer method.�

The test comes in an easy to fects, but it is addictive and use kit where a drop of the produces loss of conscioussuspect drink is added to a ness of reality, so the person liquid. If it changes colour, who swallows it is defenseless against dangers such as then GHB is present.

Led by Ana Maria Costero, robbery or rape.

PROPERTY

September 16th - September 29th 2020

Movers and shakers

Time to move...

CORONAVIRUS restrictions may have kept people at home, but while there, they have been investigating moving house.

Two of Spain’s leading real estate websites – Idealista and fotocasa – have seen a surge in property searches over the past three months.

For fotocasa this translated into 40% more traffic in June compared to the same month in 2019.

The company’s communications director Anais Lopez said: “All the real estate agencies we work with say they’re seeing unprecedented interest in changing homes.�

Benat del Coso, speaking for Idealista added that online mortgage brokerage requests over the summer were 20% per cent higher than normally seen in the same period.

These figures come as a relief when compared to the stark data reported by the bank of Spain for April, May and June.

Across Spain house sales plunged 43% to 75,000 in the second quarter. Price growth slowed in the same period to a quarterly rate of 0.44% according to the College of Registrars, although there are signs that prices have started rising faster through the summer.

It’s the great Ibizan bargain hunt!

Deals are on offer from chalets in Santa Eulalia to apartments in Sant Jordi.

FINDING a dreamy rental property in Spain during the summer season often turns into a nightmare.

But the arrival of COVID-19 - in lieu of millions of holidaymakers - means landlords in hotspots across Spain are offering substantial discounts in some of the country’s most desirable postcodes.

Some of the biggest bargains can be found on the party island of Ibiza, best known for its glamorous parties and big-name celebs - and counts Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss,

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 1 Restless, 5 Iced, 9 Small, 10 Foreign, 11 Empty, 12 Tugboat, 13 Tobacconist, 18 Aviator, 20 Amaze, 21 Madonna, 22 Delta, 23 Near, 24 Unbolted.

Down: 1 Risked, 2 Shampoo, 3 Lolly, 4 Safety curtain, 6 Cairo, 7 Denote, 8 Origin, 14 Attend, 15 Scarlet, 16 Salmon, 17 Reward, 19 India, 20 Audio.

Jade Jagger, Rafael Nadal and Michael Fassbender among its A-List fans.

The island, nicknamed the White Isle after its traditional lime-washed houses, is known as the clubbing capital of the world and acknowledged for its high octane parties - and equally high rental prices.

But even the most hardcore ravers were forced to call it a night after coronavirus swept the globe and pulled the plug on the party island. Still, if you’ve ever dreamed of living it large in Ibiza, now’s the time to make your move.

For instance, rental sites like Idealista and Fotocasa are advertising homes all across the island for 50% less than their usual rental price. The rent on a three-bedroom chalet in Santa Eulalia has fallen from â‚Ź4,000 per month to â‚Ź2,000.

Meanwhile â‚Ź1,500 has been knocked off a two-bedroom luxury penthouse with a jacuzzi in the center of Ibiza, and â‚Ź775 off another villa in the same spot.

11

OSLO CONCILIATION BOARD Extract from complaint currently being dealt with

by Oslo Conciliation Board – Dept. 2 Case No. F2019-063581 Complainant: Nordea Bank Abp, Filial I Norge Defendant: Freddy Løvland. Last known address: Coto Real Kiznos 302, 29691 Manilva, Spain The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 48740,67 with the addition of interest at the legal rate and legal costs.

The Defendant is ordered to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 20.10.2020 stating whether or not the Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply has not been delivered prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judgment by default can be pronounced on the basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case.

As the Defendant has no known address, service will be executed with authority in the Courts Act Section 181. The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been legally served when it has been posted at the legal venue for four weeks.

The documents pertaining to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices at Pilestredet 19, 0033 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

Across 1 Uneasy (8) 5 Chilled (4) 9 Little (5) 10 Strange (7) 11 Vacant (5) 12 Small, powerful harbour vessel (7) 13 Dealer in smokers’ supplies (11) 18 Pilot (7) 20 Stupefy (5) 21 Virgin Mary (7) 22 Wide river-mouth (5) 23 Close (4) 24 Unfastened (8) Down

Date rape breakthrough

School outbreak

tival 2020 in With the Gibraltar music fesal day don’t miss ion September and Gibraltar natommodation early to out on the fun! Book your acc tment avoid disappoin

THE First Minister of Wales will be ‘in touch with universities’ over quarantine requirements for Gibraltar university students.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo called the Welsh elected leader today to see if he could find some way to overcome the two week quarantine period imposed on arrivals from the Rock. The two week COVID-19 self-isolation would mean new students would miss out an important time at the beginning of the university year.

Gibraltar has argued that because it has done more tests it is likely more cases will be detected but it does not mean there are more infected people. According to the Government he agreed on ‘close communication between our respective Public Health authorities’ which was important for arriving university students.

September 16th - September 29th 2020

SUDOKU

“

1 Dared (6) 2 Hair cleaner (7) 3 Boodle (5) 4 Fireproof theatre barrier (6,7) 6 Capital of Egypt (5) 7 Indicate (6) 8 Source (6) 14 Concentrate (6) 15 Bright red (7) 16 Freshwater food fish (6) 17 Recompense for hardship (6) 19 World’s largest democracy (5) 20 Relating to sound reproduction (5)

Buying or selling your property may be the most important transaction you will ever make... Attention to detail is crucial.

That is why when you choose Charles Gomez & Co for your conveyancing, our dedicated team of experts scrutinise everything and keep you informed at every step of the process.

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All solutions are on page 11 TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME0720.indd 1

20/7/20 13:08

12

Eye on IBIZA

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL It’ll be all white!

History tour

September September 16th 16th - September - September 29th 29th 2020 2020

You don’t have to be a millionaire A-lister to enjoy a week on the party island of Ibiza, discovers Olive Press editor Jon Clarke

13

History tour

STUNNING: Dalt Vila

M

any wrongly assume that Ibiza is lacking in culture, being full of footballers and Love Island types.

In fact the island has a rich history dating back to the Romans and Phoenicians before them. One of the best places to appreciate this is Ibiza Town, also known as Eivissa. Beautifully preserved behind formidable fortifi-

GOLDEN FIND: Chiringuito on Cala de Sa Ferradura sits below Ibiza’s most expensive rental

W

E’RE eating €8 sausage sandwiches with thinly-sliced Toro tomatoes, washed down with ice cold Estrella Damm lagers and a couple of fizzy drinks.

With a plate of prawns as a

starter and ice-creams for the kids for postre, the bill comes to just €58 and the owner throws in a couple of sunbeds and a parasol for free, as it’s a ‘bit of a gloomy day’.

The simple beach chiringuito, Es Pas de S’Illa, on Cala de

sa Ferradura, may not be the easiest place to find, but keep your eyes peeled and you might see an international superstar or footballer stopping in for a quick one.

For above it is, reportedly the most expensive private island home in the entire Meditteranean.

Built on a small rocky outcrop, actually joined by a small spit making it a peninsula, the stunning home has been rented by global starlets, including singer Madonna and Cesc Fabregas for his wedding.

Russian-owned, it will set you back a lofty €250,000 a week in summer. But it sleeps 18, has 22 staff and you can arrive by boat or helicopter if the mood so takes you.

With spectacular sea views, two swimming pools and a rotating sun-deck atop a tower, you get the picture that this is something out of the ordinary Costa rental market.

Welcome to Ibiza, where even in the heart of the Covid crisis, the fashionable beach restaurants are busier than ever. Indeed, according to locals, many are almost twice as busy as usual.

This is the island of the global super rich and don’t think for a minute that the coronavirus is stopping them from spending their money.

Whether buzzing to and fro from nearby Formentera isle on a superyacht or shooting the breeze at a private villa party, they were very much in attendance. You could see it from the lineup of private jets at the airport and the designer schmutter being worn around Ibiza town.

And while the island’s celebrated superclubs might have been shut this season, it didn’t stop the select few from splashing out on bottles of champagne at €500 a pop or a plate of Jamon Iberico de Bellota at €50 a throw.

I watched it with my own eyes during a 10-day stay on the island with my family, taking advantage of an amazing €50

return fare on Ryanair from Malaga this summer.

While hoping to experience some of the glamour of the socalled White Island, we were very much on a budget and looking to save our pennies as much as we could.

Taking picnics to isolated beaches is a great option, as is watching Netflix at home in the evening with an excellent bottle of Ribera (or a local Balearic wine) in the comfort of your rental home. I particularly recommend White Lines,

Super Santa

a drama about the genesis of Ibiza’s club scene, actually set in nearby Mallorca, but with some excellent storylines.

Here are some other great money-saving ideas for doing Ibiza on a budget without missing out on a thing.

Take a hike

CONTRASTS: From hip W hotel to historic Puig de Missa church

SECRET: Portitxol beach is accessed by mountain path only

I

t might come as a surprise to many, but Ibiza is excellent walking terrain. The island is criss-crossed with a network of fabulous hikes, many taking in secret, isolated beaches that can only be accessed via Shanks’s pony.

The walks are well mapped out, particularly the ones in the north, and the excellent website and app Wikiloc provides plenty of easy-to-follow maps. One of my favourites, short and sweet at under 8km, is the amazing circular walk which takes in Playa es Portitxol, a stunning cove with a few boat houses and nothing else. Park up by the Urbanizacion Isla Blanca and, my advice, take the inland route downhill first, skirting around an incredibly unspoilt pine forest.

cations, the historic core is known as Dalt Vila, a UNESCO protected World Heritage site and once one of the most important trading centres in the Med. Heavily fortified during the reigns of Kings Charles I and Felipe II to defend it against the French and the Ottomans, you enter on foot via the dramatic slope up to the drawbridge and gateway of Portal de Ses Taules.

Santa Eulalia is probably Ibiza’s only year-round resort. It’s great value for families, well looked after with a historic core and a friendly vibe. The polar opposite of rowdy ‘San An’, make sure to visit the charming Puig de Missa church which dates back to the 16th century before strolling along the promenade to the pretty marina. There are some excellent restaurants dotted along the seafront and a couple have live jazz in the evenings. But this is not a party town so by midnight most of the locals and tourists have gone to bed. The beaches are darned good too and the historic Hotel Buenavista, the island’s second oldest, has gorgeous gardens - paradise for cocktails or an evening meal. You should also take a look at the recently opened W Hotel which architecturally takes some beating.

From here you pass an ancient cobbled courtyard into a maze of narrow, winding streets full of rather overpriced restaurants and boutiques.

You’re better off shopping in the grid of streets below the old town, home to one of the island’s oldest restaurants, Comidas Bar San Juan, or the nearby Santa Rita Ibiza, which has some great value tapas and wines by the glass.

14

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

September 16th - September 29th 2020

LIBERTYCASHBACK

Beach life

When

Breathtaking Benirras This gorgeous beach deserves special mention. It’s where the cool crowd go to strip off (often entirely, so be warned) and listen to the sunset bongo drums, particularly on a Sunday which is an all-dayer (although you now have to get bussed down as it gets very busy)

Dining secrets

TASTY: Atmospheric Aubergine, and top floor dining at OD Talamanca

Flights/Ferries

Getting to Ibiza from the mainland of Spain has never been cheaper. Since the Covid crisis took a grip direct flights have been costing not much more than €50 return. Flying at the end of September with Ryanair from Malaga will cost you €46 before you book in a bag or seat, or €54 via Vueling from Alicante. Alternatively take a ferry from Denia or Valencia via various companies.

Car hire

Be warned car hire is expensive in Ibiza whenever you go. Always book a long time in advance or look out for local firms, based in each town/ resort who will rent you cars for considerably less once in situ.

Where to stay

The supercool five-star OD hotel in Tala-

IBIZA has a great range of restaurants, although many are overpriced and underwhelming at the same time.

It pays to have some local knowledge and, in particular, to have a car to get to the rural reaches of the island, where many of its best eateries are found.

The northern triumvirate of Sant Miguel, Santa Gertrudis and Sant Llorenc have some of the best chestnuts.

I particularly liked Aubergine (www. aubergineibiza.com), an unpretentious roadside venta from the outside that opens out into a stunning landscaped garden.

Just outside Sant Miguel, its remit is offering a veritable feast of local goodness, with the Slow Food concept of ‘farm to table’.

As you might expect there are plenty of great light vegetarian dishes, such as the fabulous roasted aubergine carpaccio, with cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, rocket pesto and a lot more...but it also had delicious lamb chops with homegrown potatoes at just €20 and a superb Aberdeen Angus burger.

There is a kids menu at €12 and they also have a playpark at the back, plus on busy nights you’ll be spoilt by an unobtrusive fashion show of the restaurant shop’s wares.

manca (www.od-hotels.com) is easy walking distance to Ibiza Town and the famous nightclub of Pacha. Walk the other way and in ten minutes you are in amazing pine forests en route to the superb Cala Bonita. Hyper modern with a cascading trio of pools, it is where the DJs and thosein-the-know stay. It’s top floor restaurant has views to die for, as do most of the rooms. Another great place to stay is the Hotel Buenavista & Suites in Santa Eulalia which counts on fabulous, mature gardens and some spacious rooms (www.ibizabuenavista.com)

Markets

Until

The hippy market in Las Dalias opened in 1985 and is bustling with people out to buy handmade jewellery, cool linen beachwear, and rustic-looking leatherwork.

I

biza is famous for its huge variety of beaches, ultra clean water and lush undersea Poseidon grass meadows. Don’t miss Cala Bonita (below), a great city beach near Eivissa with its own excellent chiringuito, Cala Nova, which rustles up great surf waves and fodder too at the hip Atzaro Beach club (above). Cala de Sant Vicent is another must visit, as are the beaches east of Portinatx including Cala Xucla, Cala Xarraca and, if you like to dive in from the rocks, S’Illot des Rencli. Another excellent beach for underwater exploration in the south is Cala Tarida, with its superb, good value beach restaurant Ses Eufabies.

Up the road in the village of San MIguel is the stunning La Luna Nell’Orto (www.lalunanellorto.com), where you sit under a shady fig tree and watch the beautiful people.

It’s a touch overpriced, but the food is excellent and includes a delicious carrillada, or bulls cheek. Better value, although certainly not cheap, is La Paloma (www.palomaibiza.com), a genuine island secret and well worth seeking out in San Llorenc.

The very definition of style, this rural delight is authentic in the extreme, based around a country farmhouse and you will definitely need to book.

Top tips to eat must include the aubergine starter as well as the amazing salt cod fish cakes. The meringue cake pudding with rose petals and raspberries was the pudding of the holiday.

Nearby in Santa Gertrudis you will find some charming places to eat.

But nothing will beat Bottega il Buco (www.ilbuco.com), an amazing Italian with the best ingredients imaginable.

The sister restaurant of the famous New York joint, it has dozens of homemade focaccia every day, made from its own largely gluten-free flour.

The menu changes daily, so a burrata one day comes with peach the next day with figs… and there are loads of fresh vegetable dishes, including a superb cauliflower gratinale, with roast fennel.

I particularly liked the smoked swordfish with cod roe, while the shoulder of lamb was particularly tender and slow cooked.

In terms of beach restaurants, you are obviously spoilt for choice.

I particularly liked Atzaro Beach (www. a t z a ro b e a c h .

AUTHENTIC: La Paloma and (right) Luca com) in Cala explains the menu at il Buco

Nova for its amazing location and decent range of dishes to match.

This is one cool spot overlooking the hip Cala Nova, famous for its surf waves on many days of the year.

The view goes for miles to the Punta de Fonell and famous Tagomago island across a sea of green umbrella pines, dotted with cubist villas.

Part of the fast-growing Atzaro chain, owned by a local Ibiza family, its menu includes an amazing ceviche of sea bass, with aubergine crisps, as well as a superb red prawn carpaccio, which is reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock or a Rothko, but far tastier.

Finally, as hotel restaurants go, the sixth floor roof terrace of the hotel OD Talamanca takes some beating.

Sitting at one end of trendy Talamanca beach, just a 15 minute walk to Eivissa town, Finally, looking for a great chiringuito, try the great value Es Pas de S’illa on Cala Ferradura You have one simple menu but views to die for.

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The Olive Press all editions FP (342mmx256mm) September 16

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FINAL WORDS

Mistaken identity COPS busted a brothel in Tetuan and dished out 75 fines for flaunting COVID-19 restrictions after a man mistook the plain-clothed officers for punters and offered them ‘alcohol, girls and parties’.

Bomb surprise A DOG walker on a stroll in Murci’s Sangonera la Verde stumbled across an active mortar grenade dating back to the Civil War in the late thirties.

Tomb raider 11 ANCIENT graves have been uncovered by student volunteers at Pobla de Ifach in Calpe on the northern Costa Blanca.

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Vol. 5 Issue 131 www.theolivepress.es September 16th - September 29th 2020

Sign of the times

A STORM is brewing over the makeover of a 90-year-old lighthouse with a campaign group taking a dim view of the colourful changes.

The beacon, near the Cantabrian town of Ajo, is at the centre of a cultural row after a vibrant paint job by local artist Okuda San Miguel.

Zebra crossings and children warning signs are deemed to be sexist ROAD signs in Spain have been branded sexist.

A government report highlighted what it called the 'machismo' displayed in tra-

ditional road signage.

In particular it claims that a ‘careful of children’ sign, which depicts a boy holding the hand of a girl leading

Missing post SPANISH police have tracked down a valuable painting by renowned Spanish artist Joan Miro that had been missing since it got ‘lost in the post’.

Investigators tracked it down to a London auction where the piece was up for sale with an estimated price of €10,000.

Investigations began after

the artwork from the famed Gaudi series failed to reach its destination.

Eye tests available by appointment at Specsavers Ópticas.

We’ve made some changes to our normal practices in store. We are thoroughly disinfecting the room and all the testing equipment used after each person we see, our team are wearing personal protective equipment and if you try on frames, we’ll ask you to give them back to us when you’re done so we can give them a good clean before they’re tried on or touched again.

For more information or to request an appointment visit specsavers.es Marbella Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 12 Tel. 952 863 332

her across the road, shows women in a 'situation of dependence and subordination.'

Other signs such as those for 'zebra crossings' and 'tractors prohibited' are also under fire for showing only male figures.

"Even when progress has been made, signs contrary to the principles of equality still survive,” said a spokesman for the Attorney General’s office.

Critics argue that the signs, designed in 1957 by British typographer Margaret Calvert OBE, were created

without a specific gender in mind.

A survey carried out in 2017

by El Pais showed that just 22% of Madrid's street names were after female figures, compared to 19% in Barcelona and just 10% in Valencia.

This is not the first time that Spain has seen its roadside information come under fire.

As early as 2006, the town of Fuenlabrada near Madrid gave all its signage and traffic lights a make over, swapping all of it's male signs for female outlines.

Vibrant

Some 4,000 people have signed a petition asking the council and the port authority to reverse the scheme for the monochrome sentry, which stood stark white over the Atlantic for almost a century.

The council has been hoping the recently completed project, called Infinite Cantabria, would encourage tourists from across the globe to visit the landmark.

Some of the money raised through events at the site will go to funding food banks in the area.