Olive Press Costa Blanca Issue 153 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

Tom Jones competition on p7

EXCLUSIVE .. in a brand new column the world’s richest plumber

Charlie Mullins insists he’s no tax exile

See page 3

‘I’m never going back’

O P LIVE RESS COSTA BLANCA

We need a home!

‘Housing can never be a commodity, it must be a right we protect:’ Hundreds of thousands march across Spain

EXCLUSIVE

By Samantha Mythen & Dylan Wagemans

THOUSANDS of people turned out in Valencia and Alicante to protest about

They

over the weekend demanding urgent changes to property laws.

Demonstrators in 40 cities, including Sevilla, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona and Palma, united under the slogan ‘Down with the housing business’, calling for an end to housing-for-proﬁt. They called for immediate action to tackle soaring rents, a lack of aﬀordable housing, and

Top award for Olive Press

THE Olive Press has scooped a top UK journalism award: with campaigning young go-getter Yzabelle Bostyn.

Yzzy, 25, who joined us from university in 2023, has won the UK’s prestigious NCTJ Trainee of the Year award.

while learning her trade at the Olive Press, after studying journalism in Sheﬃeld. Here in Spain, the Yorkshire native developed the skills, dedication, and investigative mindset that have propelled her career.

She picked up the gong for her ‘hard-hitting’ investigative reporting on a variety of social and health issues in Spain. Her impactful reporting was praised for oﬀering a ‘brilliant public service’ to our readers and ‘bringing important real world issues to light’.

the prioritisation of local needs over tourism-driven policies. An estimated 4,000 people protested in Valencia, gathering outside the City Hall to demand a solution to the lack of aﬀordable

housing.

A report from Spain’s central bank revealed that nearly 40% of families spend over 40% of their income on housing costs.

Meanwhile, public housing accounts for less than 2% of Spain’s total housing stock - well below the OECD average of 7%.

the big cities like Valencia and Alicante or, often, inland villages.

They called for lower rents, an end to evictions, and an increase in public housing.

Activists called for measures such as forced rent reductions and increased social housing construction.

“In the centre of many cities there are simply no locals any more,” Manuel Gomez told the Olive Press. “Only tourists and businesses that focus on them.”

Our exact DNA for the last two decades, she beat ﬁnalists from Times and the Midland’s Express & Star.

The award recognised the high journalistic standards she demonstrated

Here to help with your life in Spain including wills, residency, tax returns, buying and selling property

We speak your language!

La Marquesa Commercial Centre, Office 4C, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales 03170 tel: 966 943 219 www.mylawyerinspain.com

The NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) highlighted her dogmatic pursuit of a holiday rental scammer and a politician, who illegally evicted a British mother-of-three. It also praised her work on our successful Nolotil campaign which exempliﬁed her ability to dig deep into critical issues and present them in a clear, impactful way. Sadly Yzzy is now leaving us for a year’s sabbatical in Canada, no doubt tracking down wrong-doing on the Klondike Trail!

Alicante’s protest attracted a thousand demonstrators, making similar demands with one neighbourhood association stating that tourists were being prioritised over local residents.

The engineer added: “My ﬁrst rental price was €200 for a room. Now the normal price is around €500-600, while my partner and I pay €850 between us.

In Malaga there are 34,466 people registered as seeking property while there are 7,496 tourist apartments with 32,132 beds available. In Valencia protesters could be heard from miles away with hundreds of whistles and Brazilian batucada drums.

Young people are particularly aﬀected by rising housing costs.

“In the past ﬁve years, there’s been an increase of around 45% of the cost of living, and salaries simply haven’t

Mari Sanchez, a 26-year-old lawyer who shares an apartment with four

sabbatical

The protests come as average rents in Spain have doubled over the past decade while property prices have surged by 44%, far outpacing wage growth.

matched.” This has meant that most local families have been forced to move to the outskirts of

Spain’s housing crisis.

were joined by hundreds of thousands of people around the country

FACING EVICTION: Yolanda Greta and Jimena Centurion

MASS PROTEST:

Hundreds of thousands marched through the streets of Spanish cities

Future plan

ALICANTE will unveil a new General Plan this summer with the aim of building over 32,000 new homes by 2045.

Cab limit

MURCIA councils will get powers to decide how many app-based taxi drivers like those on Uber can be licensed to operate in each area.

Tricky trio

THREE female pickpockets in Valencia City have been arrested after using wigs, scarves, and sunglasses to disguise themselves during robberies.

Better signs

CALPE council will update its street signs to include directions to iconic local heritage sites and other key tourist areas.

A BRITISH woman has been arrested after getting two men - including her former husband - to rob and kidnap her ex-partner at their Costa Blanca villa. The motivation was money after their 14-year relationship ended and she returned to the United Kingdom. She complained that her former partner - also British - was not giving her the ﬁnancial support she needed. Two people are already in prison fol-

BUNGLED KIDNAP

lowing the failed kidnap at Callosa d’en Sarria. They are a 64-year-old British man, who was married to her years earlier, and a Portuguese national, 56. She appeared before a Villajoyosa court on Saturday where she was remanded in custody.

Who buried him?

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Heartless’ Iberian Funeral boss died in Portugal as mystery into the missing millions deepens

THE Olive Press has conﬁrmed the death of a beleaguered expat funeral planning boss, who vanished ‘owing millions’ to his clients in Spain. We have established that Stephen Nelson, behind the defunct company Iberian Funeral Plans, deﬁnitely died in Portu-

By Samantha Mythen

gal earlier this year.

The founder of the ﬁrm, which has shut leaving, likely, thousands of victims out of pocket, passed away on the Algarve. Portugal’s oﬃcial register of-

fice confirmed the death and said it would be sending us a copy of the death certificate this week.

The Conservatoria dos Registos Civil branch, in Castro Marim, revealed British expat Stephen George Nelson had died ‘on the Algarve.

Fugitive mobster arrested

A RUSSIAN maﬁa member has been detained in Torrevieja on a European Arrest Warrant.

A court in Gerona, Italy sentenced the 37-year-old Moldovan national to 11 years behind bars in March 2022 for international criminal conspiracy.

He ﬂed Italy and has been in Spain ever since using bogus identity papers.

The fugitive was a member of the Vor V Zakone Russian criminal

gang specialising in crimes against people through violence, threats and intimidation.

A Guardia Civil patrol saw three people on a bar-restaurant terrace and spotted one of them trying to hide when he saw the oﬃcers. He was asked for some identiﬁcation and produced a fake Romanian passport.

The fugitive’s real identity was revealed via a ﬁngerprint check.

They declined to comment further, but gave us an oﬃcial register number. It comes after Citizens Advice Bureau Spain (CAB) had rowed back on an announcement he had died, being unable to conﬁrm it.

The group described the closure of the ﬁrm last month as ‘despicable’ and ‘heartless’, with many expats ﬁnding funeral services for their loved ones were no longer covered. CAB paralegal Myra Azzopardi told the Olive Press today she has been ‘up to all hours investigating into the night.’

Her group has now spoken to a lawyer about possible legal action that could be taken. Several Iberian clients have begun legal proceedings and Azzopardi recommended those aﬀected ﬁle a police report (denuncia).

Although the company website is still online, the firm has not been responding to any emails for the past month, and its telephone lines run dead. Iberian itself has offered no information to its customers, many who paid up to €10,000. “There’s an English expression, which says, ‘It ain’t over til the fat lady sings,’” continued Azzopardi. “I cannot give up on these people, the affected parties.”

Crypto con

A CRYPTOCURRENCY scam banked over €19 million for an Alicante Province gang posing as ﬁnancial advisers. They produced AI-generated bogus videos featuring celebrities endorsing their products to gain the trust of potential targets.

Authorities said 208 people were conned into making bank transfers into non-existent crypto-investments via the high-proﬁle adverts posted on social media.

Arrests - including that of the gang leader - have been made in Alicante, Torrevieja, Santa Pola and Villajoyosa. The mastermind was set to ﬂee for Dubai and has been remanded in custody.

Illegal eviction

A DEVIOUS landlady is being investigated for hiring someone to violently evict an elderly couple from her ﬂat in Gandia.

The Policia Nacional have arrested a 33-year-old man who pretended to be a plumber and assaulted one of the residents.

He duped the tenants by saying he needed to go inside to check out some water leaks.

The man then pointed a gun at the female resident- demanding that the couple abandon the ﬂat.

She was then beaten and fell to the ground, before a neighbour alerted police, who made an arrest.

JUNGLE HORROR

IN a wildlife sting, Spanish police have busted a smuggling ring selling exotic animals - including a live leopard.

The Guardia Civil swooped on a gang peddling endangered creatures online, recovering not just the majestic big cat, but also monkeys, a ﬂamingo, and even grim trophies like zebra skins and turtle shells.

A total of 26 suspects are now facing charges in a crackdown codenamed ‘Faunus’, with police uncovering illegal ﬁrearms and high-tech poaching equipment.

The rescued leopard, along with other traumatised creatures, has been placed in specialist care.

Real Madrid boss facing ﬁve years for tax fraud

REAL Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is facing nearly five years in prison and a fine of €3.2 million in a fraud probe. He has testified in court over the claims he illegally pocketed €1 million over a decade ago. The tax row involves image rights revenues with the accusation that he created a ‘confusing and complex’ system of shell companies to hide the earnings.

Prosecutors - who are asking for a four year, nine month sentence - claim he 'simulated' the transfer of his image rights to ﬁrms based outside of Spain as a tax dodge. The Italian, 64, said he believed he had already settled his €1.2 million tax debt. However, it emerged he could

By Alex Trelinski

be classiﬁed as a Spanish tax resident in 2015 - the year he was sacked by Real Madrid during his ﬁrst spell at the club.

He claims he was ﬁred on May 25 and left the country four days later, which according to him means he did not live in Spain for the 183 required days to pay taxes. While his legal team insisted he only spent 155 days in the country, prosecutors think he was here for longer as he had a rental contract active for his Madrid apartment.

He replied that he

MULLINS IT OVER

NOT EVEN A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT WOULD LURE ME HOME

In his ﬁrst, exclusive column for the Olive Press, Charlie Mullins reveals that life as an expat in Spain trumps the high-tax grind back in London

AS my many friends know, as well as a load of haters in the UK, I’m now living permanently at my villa in Puerto Banus.

I love it here and after nine-months as a resident I can’t think of a good reason why I didn’t make the move a decade ago.

There’s a lot of misinformation kicking about in the UK about how I’m a tax-exile, but as anyone with half a brain knows the Spanish are very skilled at coming up with ways to squeeze a few more Euros out of their own citizens and particularly us expats.

I’ve paid a load in tax over the years, and with Labour running the show back home I decided enough was enough, and they won’t be getting any more of my cash to waste on hotels for illegal immigrants and crazy schemes for minorities, while taxing working people and businesses to death. That was the ﬁnal straw, and now I’m here the world is a much better place.

I’ve had a villa in Spain for 20 years, and I can’t understand why it took so long to wise-up and trade the trafﬁc and noise of London for a sandy beach and the sound of waves. It occurred to me soon after upping sticks and leaving Blighty that I had more friends here than I did in the place I’d called ‘home’ for 70 odd years… and a bit more thinking about this fact with a drink beside my pool, and it became obvious why.

It’s that life isn’t just about surviving here, ﬁghting for every scrap of anything you want and then ﬁghting some more to somehow hang on to it.

It’s the attitude of people; in London if you try to start a conversation with a stranger in the street or on a train, they think you’re a nutter or about to rob them.

Just the other day I was walking up a steep hill near my villa where there was an elderly lady struggling her way up in front of me.

I didn’t want to startle her when I caught up with her, so I mumbled something about the bastard hill

was tied into a year-long contract and had to give three months' notice which meant he had to carry on paying until October.

IMAGE RIGHTS: Ancelotti didn’t declare them correctly and ‘overstayed’ in Spain

Jail for Carlo?

as I approached. Ten minutes later we were still chatting. That’s a very simple example, but for me it makes it crystal clear how the pace and quality of life on the costas is a better place for humans to live and enjoy life.

It’s like the environment turns people into better versions of themselves, or maybe it’s just that all the decent, nicer people relocated here in the ﬁrst place.

Just having the time to go off for a beer or a coffee with people you bump into makes living a real pleasure. I love it! And it’s not like I miss my family in the UK since I can get back in a few hours, and they keep turning up on my doorstep and taking over the place. I said when I left that I wouldn’t return to the UK until these Labour imbeciles get thrown out of ofﬁce, but as I approach my one-year anniversary I’m starting to think even a sensible party in charge might not lure me back.

FRONT PAGES: The world’s richest plumber landed in hot water last month in the UK, with a threat to take his OBE award away even

GOING GAGA

POP superstar Lady Gaga is bringing her Mayhem Ball tour to Spain this autumn. It’s the ﬁrst time she has been on tour since 2022 and follows the release of her sixth studio album, Mayhem.

She plays Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on October 28, 29 and 31.

“There’s something electric about a stadium, and I love every moment of those shows,” she said.

AT HOME: With his Bentley in Puerto Banus

About

time!

SPAIN's Government has ﬁnally received a €100 million cheque from Brussels to help clean up the catastrophic mess left by last October’s deadly Valencia ﬂoods.

But don’t pop the champagne just yet – it’s a mere drop in the ocean compared to the eye-watering €4.4 billion they asked for. Oﬃcials warn it could take months for the EU to decide how much cash Spain will actually get.

The payout, the maximum advance allowed

under the EU Solidarity Fund, comes after Spain filed its claim in January, just under the wire of the 12-week deadline. The fund, designed to help member states recover from natural disasters, doesn’t guarantee a final figure anywhere near what Spain is asking for. The European Commission is still crunching the numbers, and approval from both the Council of Ministers and European Parliament is needed before the real money rolls in.

KICKED OUT

By Yzabelle Bostyn

It comes after dozens of expats claim they are being denied entry to their properties.

The buyers, who have paid hundreds of thousands of euros each, claim the new owner of the Residencial La Montaña development, in Murcia, is illegally forcing them out.

They claim Antonio Tovar Rabal, who acquired the project nine years ago, has ordered them to leave. Their ordeal began over 20 years ago after the mostly British buyers bought into the scheme, in El Caracolero, 25 minutes from Murcia city. Jill and William Dorrington

bought their €200,000 villa in 2003 but two years later, the unﬁnished house was abandoned by the original builder, as it didn’t have proper planning permission. The Essex couple were left without electricity, water and even a kitchen, leaving them to invest thousands to make their dream holiday home liveable.

Forced to remortgage their house in the UK to ﬁnish it, they have at least managed to visit a few times a year since. That was until last month when they were denied entry to their home by Tovar, who claimed they had been ‘illegally squatting’ for the past

Place in the Sun fury as Brits evicted from their own homes due to legal mix up

two decades.

After entering their home and changing the locks the audacious Spanish developer insisted they pay €90,000 to get back in.

“It’s been horrendous,” former legal secretary Jill, 76, told the Olive Press. “Tovar has been aggressive and intimidating. He’s broken into our house multiple times and changed the locks.

“We’ve even heard that it’s already been sold to someone else. We’ve been ripped oﬀ in every way possible.”

Fellow victim Phil Evans, 65, insists Rabal’s handling of the situation is giving him ‘sleepless nights’.

He said: “We’ve lost our investment of €159,000 and now just want our belongings back.

“We’ve got personal things in there, wedding presents and photos, even our car, it’s bewildering.”

When located, Tovar told

and spent ﬁve years legalising it at a ‘high cost’.

He claims he has tried to negotiate with residents but that ‘they don’t want to reach an agreement’.

“If I were a diﬀerent man, they would have been out within six months of me taking over, but I’ve let them stay for nine years,” he said. “The fact is they’ve been living here for 20 years without paying a penny in tax. They are illegal squatters. All I’m asking for is the €80,000 I spent to legalise each property.”

He conﬁrmed that nearly

In the money

BENIDORM will directly sanction owners of illegal tourist accommodation rentals in addition to running existing inspection teams. It follows Valencia City as only the second city in the region to run its own ﬁne collection service.

All money raised will stay in Benidorm as opposed to going to the Valencian government.

two years ago he had started renovating and selling the abandoned homes via estate agent, Your Home Spain. Agent Carolijn Bergman said: “Of course it’s sad for these people, but they made the wrong decision 20 years ago when they bought a property without a building licence.”

Incredibly the development appeared on A Place in The Sun, in March last year, to the fury of the original owners.

“The show went on about how lovely it is and how it’s now fully legal. It was a complete insult to injury,” insisted Dorrington.

Benidorm council spokesperson, Lourdes Caselles, said that regional laws from 2018 allowed local authorities to run inspections as well as collecting ﬁnes.

Extra council inspectors and Policia Local oﬃcers will be employed amidst criticism that staﬀ could be diverted from other duties.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Finestrat has decided to suspend the granting of new tourist letting licenses while it sorts out a ‘balance’ between residential and holiday housing.

others, explained: “I allocate 30 or 40% of my salary to rent. “That doesn’t allow me to save. That doesn’t allow me to do anything. It doesn’t even allow me to buy a car.”

Similarly, Elena Perez, a 22-year-old student working part-time while studying, told the Olive Press: “All of my friends are in the same position.”

The crisis is not limited to Valencia and Alicante. In Madrid, more than 150,000 protesters marched through the city’s streets rattling keys and chanting slogans like ‘Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods’. Margarita Aizpuru, a 65-year-old resident of the Lavapies neighborhood, described how nearly 100 families in her building were told their rental contracts would not be renewed: “They’re kicking all of us out to make tourist flats.”

The demonstrations also spotlighted cases of imminent homelessness due to real estate speculation.

Locally, Yolanda Greta and Jimena Centurion are among 120 residents facing eviction after their building was auctioned off by Sareb - a bank part-owned by the state - due to unpaid loans.

Opinion Page 6

Good news at last Housing crisis

HOME buyers will beneﬁt from a 10% fall in the Valencia region’s property transfer tax, regional president Carlos Mazon has announced.

“The Valencian Community will no longer have Spain’s highest property tax,” he stated. The charge is a universal levy on the value of a home that's being sold.

The new rate will go down from 10% to 9% via an amendment to the region’s 2025 budget. Mazon emphasised the change is in addition to discounts introduced last year for young people and vulnerable groups. He also promised a lowering in stamp duty - currently at 1.5% of a home purchase price.

the Olive Press he had purchased La Montana in 2017

ORDEAL: Jill and William Dorrington have been locked out of their property

From front

BOMBSHELL

By Alex Trelinski

BENIDORM’s mayor, Toni Perez, is urging locals not to panic after Spain’s Supreme Court slapped the council with a jaw-dropping €330 million compensation bill.

The hefty payout stems from a long-running legal battle over land rights in the protected Serra Gelada Natural Park.

Developers Murcia Puchades Expansion SL and Urban Villajoyosa 2000 SL were awarded the eye-watering sum after their building rights were revoked by the council.

The figure is over double the authority’s annual budget, but Perez says that he is waiting on advice from the council’s legal experts, despite the highest court in the land passing its judgement.

“I want all Benidorm residents

to remain calm,” he said. Perez was quizzed by reporters as to how such a huge sum could be found but he would

Mayor tells locals to ‘stay calm’ as €330m fine rocks the resort

not be drawn. He stated it was a ‘complex’ case and that other ‘options’ were open. The award was initially made by the Valencian Supreme Court last May, then the council appealed to the national Supreme Court which has now ruled against it - meaning it has to find €283 million plus interest. Land in the APR-7 sector of the

Serra Gelada had been classified as urban land suitable for development back in the 1960's.

The Murcia Puchades family had three plots totalling over two million square metres

Legal action started after Benidorm City Council voided urban planning agreements first signed in 2003 between then-mayor, Vicente Perez Devesa and the companies.

SCOOTER DEATH Beckham bodyguard

A BRITISH man died on the Orihuela Costa after falling off his electric scooter.

The 59-year-old was travelling on Calle Baikal in the Los Almendros-La Florida area.

Unconfirmed reports suggest the accident was caused when his two-wheeler hit a pothole, causing him to lose balance. He was allegedly travelling home from work and nobody else was involved. Paramedics tried to revive the Brit but with no success. Orihuela Costa neighbourhood associations have been critical of the state of local roads and the increasing number of potholes.

dies in Spain

A FORMER bodyguard of David and Victoria Beckham has been found dead after going missing in Spain. Craig Ainsworth, who worked for the family in London, was reportedly found in the Alicante area.

Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

Fight for your rights

HOUSING is a right, not a commodity.

Everyone should be able to make their home a sanctuary, without having to worry about being evicted, or having to struggle to ﬁnd somewhere to live. Yet in Spain, this human right is not being upheld. And this explains the extraordinary turn out over the weekend when hundreds of thousands of people called on local and national governments to act urgently on the housing crisis.

The fact the protests took place in more than 40 cities, not just the key capitals, shows how vast the issue is. Protestors were of all ages as well, demonstrating how the housing crisis is affecting so many, not just young people.

The issue is clearly being accelerated by tourist rentals, with most standing empty for most of the year… yet also by the lack of government action on implementing social housing.

This is evidenced by less tu han 2% of accommodation available being provided for social housing, compared to an OECD average of 7%.

The cost of living is increasing alongside the rising rental prices, and yet Spanish salaries remain so low with employment rights not being upheld under the law.

The increasing rental prices and rising cost of living is an issue dominating headlines across the globe. For example, rental prices are also soaring each year in London, where you’re having to pay an average £1000 (approx €1170) just to rent a room in a shared ﬂat. But at least there, most salaries are rising to match that. Some companies even pay a ‘London Living Wage.’

Here, salaries are falling so far behind daily living costs, many families are putting 40% of their earnings towards accommodation.

We need the Spanish government to get a grip on the problem and to put its money where its mouth is with more social housing, rather than making populist calls to tax foreign property owners by 100% or more.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Samantha Mythen samantha@theolivepress.es

Tom Ewart Smith tom@theolivepress.es

ADMIN Victoria Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Joshua Parﬁtt josh@theolivepress.es

Dylan Wagemans dylan@theolivepress.es

OFFICE MANAGER

Estefania Marquez (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 154 841 distribution@ theolivepress.es

SUCKING UP THE WATER

IT was one of the most extraordinary and revealing discoveries of last year.

In a clever, left-ﬁeld investigation, the Washington Post discovered using AI software Chat GPT to generate a 100-word email used a stagerribg 519 ml of water, or roughly half a bottle.

By Yzabelle Bostyn

Shocking in the extreme, it left many people, particularly in drought-threatened countries like Spain, to beg the question: is investing in AI a good idea?

While many companies and most of our downmarket rivals now use it wholesale to create reports and stories, plus funny photos, it also helps undertake the most boring tasks.

The reason? Many centres use water-based cooling systems to remove the excess heat the hundreds of servers they hold generate. Air conditioning is simply not enough so cooling towers and ‘evaporation’ techniques are used instead - at a high cost in water.

The reason: Spain has the second best high speed internet coverage in Europe, while also having relatively low cost energy and well connected electricity networks. It is estimated by Google’s Implement programme, no less, that Generative Artiﬁcial Intelligence could make up 8% of Spain’s GDP by 2034.

It is predicted to wipe out millions of jobs globally and, yet, if you believe many governments and the tech giants it is a force for good.

Spain is at the forefront of the AI revolution in Europe and the country is currently home to around 135 data centres with the number rising rapidly.

In Aragon alone, over €33 billion is set to be invested in building data centres, with many others planned for areas like Madrid and Barcelona.

But as water becomes scarcer and scarcer, activists are already starting to be heard, although the authorities don’t seem to be taking note.

“It’s shameful that in areas like Aragon, where farmers are struggling and unable to use their land because of a lack of water, the government is allowing these huge corporations in,” Ecologistas en Acción activist, Luis Garcia told the Olive Press.

Meanwhile, AI expert Katrina Ingram (left) added: “We live on a planet with ﬁnite resources and now we’re in competition with

The people’s pueblo

FUENTE Ovejuna means a lot to Spanish people. It’s a bit like Hamlet for the Brits, Faust for the Germans, or Huckleberry Finn for Americans…something you read in school, which has become part of the nation’s collective consciousness.

The village of Fuente Ovejuna (sometimes Fuenteobejuna) is to the west of Spain on the frontier of Extremadura, the land of the Conquistadors, La Mancha, the domain of Don Quijote, and Andalucia, the home of ﬂamenco and bullﬁghting.

While actually in Andalucia, in the

How AI is not just threatening millions of jobs and dumbing us down on its front line in Spain. It is also worsening drought conditions here

technology for them.

Speaking to the Olive Press from Canada, she continued: “There have been situations in Latin America where data centres have been built and suddenly local people couldn’t get those resources.

“We need to ensure technology doesn’t penalise the vulnerable.”

One of the biggest setbacks so far for the AI giants came when Google was forced to rethink plans for a $200 million data centre in Chile last year after it was revealed it would use seven billion litres of water a year, equivalent to the usage by 80,000 people. It sparked outrage for locals already struggling with severe drought and after huge protests, the tech giant was forced to switch to fan-based cooling.

“There’s a narrative that everyone should be

Everyone in Spain has heard of Fuente Ovejuna. Michael Coy explains why

By Michael Coy

province of Cordoba, it is very much a border town.

And appropriately in the year 1476, the people of Fuente Ovejuna rebelled against their overlord, and killed him.

The

playwright

Introducing Lope de Vega, who is often referred to as the Spanish Shakespeare.

Born two years before Shakespeare, he outlived him by two decades and Lope’s achievements are, in many ways, more impressive.

penned an incredible 500, with 3,000 sonnets to boot. Somehow he found time for all of this while keeping FIVE mistresses happy –and he was also a priest!

His greatest play, it is universally agreed, was Fuente Ovejuna, which was written in 1612, the year Shakepeare penned The Tempest.

The drama

The village of Fuente Ovejuna has been ‘occupied’ by a group of knights from La Mancha. The leader of the knights regards the citizens as his vassals, and the women as his playthings. He rapes one of the village girls and the people, without thinking about the consequences, attack him, and kill him.

Just check the statistics. While Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, some probably with co-writers, Lope

In those days the King travelled around the country, ‘holding court’ – literally judging the big criminal cases in each community.

King Ferdinand arrives and demands to know who killed Rodrigo, the head of

the

AI PERIL: As large parts of Spain suffer from drought, questions are being asked about the massive amounts of water being used by data centres

THE PLAY: Is performed world-wide to this very day

investing in AI, every government is seeing it as an opportunity to grow their economy, but that scales up the problem,” continued Ingram, who is the founder and CEO of Ethically Aligned AI, a company focused on helping organizations to use and understand the new technology.

“We also have to be aware, from an environmental standpoint, of which companies have a monopoly in this sector.”

According to Business Insider, 65% of the world’s data centre capacity is owned by just three companies: Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

This means they own over half of the essential technological infrastructure on which everyone else must use.

Ingram, like many experts, fears this could give the giant corporations immense political and social power.

“Large ﬁnancial and governmental interests alongside the technology make this a perfect storm,” she explained.

“We have also seen a lot of governments and companies stepping away from their environmental commitments lately and that is concerning.”

Another issue is that instead of creating less energy intensive AI models built to carry out speciﬁc tasks, industry leaders like OpenAI are pushing for huge, generalised models able to do everything.

“It’s like building a bazooka and bringing it to a knife ﬁght, it’s going to do a lot of damage, use a lot of energy and a lot of money without being particularly good at any one thing,” insisted Ingram.

“It also means there’s no competition which leads to a monopoly.”

In Spain, the big three, alongside social media enterprise Meta are heavily investing in data centres as the country shapes up to become ‘Europe’s digital leader.’

It helped that leader Pedro Sanchez stood next to Amazon’s CEO

drupled their AI investment in the country, a couple of months ago.

Dubbed the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, no country wants to be left behind, clearly including Spain.

“The government is deﬁnitely pushing towards AI and data centres,” Catalunya Polytechnic University professor Cecilio Angulo (left) explained.

“We need to be careful with where we put them because they produce heat and have to be cooled. If you’re in an area that doesn’t have much water, data centres could take it away from others.”

Andy Jassy as he announced the giant investment of €15.7 billion into three new data centres in Aragon last July.

He similarly praised Microsoft after they qua-

knights.

He puts each villager in the witness box, and asks the same question –“Who is responsible for this man’s death?” Every villager gives the same answer: “El pueblo.”

The idea

JOIN US TO WIN

Win tickets for legend Tom Jones concert

Part of the solution, he claims, is to put the centres near bodies of water so that any steam leaving them returns to nature.

It is also possible to use closed water systems or alternative cooling methods to avoid water loss.

The tech giants are so concerned about a backlash they recently made a pledge to only use non-drinkable, recycled water so that they replenish more than they consume by 2030.

While this is good in theory, it may not directly impact the communities affected by data centres, with water only replenished in areas where it is easy to do so.

The platform Tu Nube Seca Mi Rio (Your Cloud Dries My River) has now warned data centres could spell ‘devastation’ for Aragon’s agriculture and environment.

“Droughts are frequent and are likely to become more common due to climate change. If authorities do not consider stopping data centres in such situations, they clearly care more about Amazon than the region and its future,” a spokesman told the Olive Press.

In some areas of Spain, locals have already begun to turn against the new technologies, with Lleida, for example, in Catalunya, banning data centres as they ‘do not contribute to the economy’ and ‘consume too much energy and water.’

THE Olive Press is giving away two pairs of tickets to see legendary crooner Tom Jones.

Get ready for an unforgettable night as the Welsh icon brings his unmistakable voice and classic hits to the Plaza de Toros in Alicante on August 13. Tom will serenade fans with timeless tracks like It’s Not Unusual , Delilah and What’s New Pussycat

In Spanish, ‘el pueblo’ carries two meanings. It signiﬁes ‘the people’, and it also means ‘the village’.

The king is impressed that these decent citizens acted together when their honour was outraged, and he rules that there was no individual murderer – “the pueblo did it.”

The play is dear to Spanish audiences because it’s about having two virtues: civic pride and a reliable moral compass.

Today

Every summer, the people of Fuente put on a production of ‘their’ play in the village’s main square. They don’t need a theatre because this hot region gets no rain between March and October, and the actors can perform, and the audience can watch, comfortably in the open air. The only restriction is, the actors must be citizens of Fuente Ovejuna!

Spain’s AI boom may promise economic growth, but as data centres guzzle precious water, the question remains - at what cost to the country’s future?

What can I do?

Greater emphasis is needed on how we use not only AI but all digital technologies.

AI accounts for 5% of all use of digital technologies.

Yet ironically we use a lot more energy sending photos on Whatsapp than we do using AI because we do it more often.

A Google search also uses energy, but many more people use it compared to AI.

Try and use the giant tech giants as little as possible and use the simplest technology you can ﬁnd, if available. Above all try and read books and newspapers to educate yourself more. You’ll take in information in a much deeper way. We promise that.

Whether you're a lifelong fan or a newcomer to his music, there’s no doubt this is one night you won’t want to miss.

All you have to do to enter the competition is become one of our registered users. And nothing could be simpler than registering an account.

Scan the QR code below and ﬁ ll in your name and email address.

Scan the QR code to subscribe for free and enter the draw

CLUB BENEFITS

Being an Olive Press member also means getting discounts on some of the top restaurants on the costas, as well as chances to win competitions for festivals, concerts and even sports events. In addition we offer chances to win free meals, as well as furniture giveaways. Registered users can comment on stories and are also sent weekly newsletters on travel, health and property plus a news round-up each Saturday.

EASTER SPECIAL

Meanwhile, if you want a DAILY newsletter informing you of what is happening in Spain… and you don’t like getting ads, you should become a subscriber.

For just a few centimos a day you can have an unlimited ad-free browning service at www.theolivepress.es

Oh and for a very limited time only we have a very special Easter sale.

We are offering €20 off our usual annual subscription price so you can all treat yourselves to some chocolate eggs!

Get unlimited access to all articles, daily newsletters and advert free for just €29.99 for the ﬁ rst year.

Future recurring payments will be €49.99.

Scan the QR code to get your easter discount on yearly Olive Press subscription

THIRSTY: The AWS data centre (above) and the Microsoft centre in Madrid use huge amounts of water

LINK: Lope de Vega (left) chose Fuente Ovejuna as a setting for his play, which the townfolk perform every year (below)

MOEVE, formerly Cepsa, has received €303 million from the Spanish government to aid in the ﬁrst phase of the Andalucian Green Hydrogen Valley in Huelva.

GREEN MOVE

The Onuba Project as it’s called, includes the construction of a green hydrogen production plant. This will lead to an indirect creation of 10,000 jobs. The infrastructure will supply green hydrogen to the company’s own facilities and to third parties. The move comes in light of the EU Hydrogen Strategy, which aims to accelerate the production of green hydrogen.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

Time to cash in

Spain reinstates electric vehicle subsidies for up to €7,000 for private individuals

THE Spanish government has reactivated its EV-subsidy scheme ‘MOVES III’. It has done so retroactively, meaning that the programme restarted at the beginning of

Across

1 Venerate (6)

5 Records (6)

8 Couturier --- Saint Laurent (4)

9 How children escaped Czechoslovakia in 1939 (2,5)

10 Algebraic x (7)

11 Old kind of computer drive (1,1,1-1,1)

13 Roman Empire expert (6)

15 Most senior (6)

17 The Gold Coast, once (5)

19 Offence (7)

22 Receive a title in their confusion (7)

23 See 21 Down (4)

24 Intricate network (6)

25 Churchmen (6) Down

2 Early chopper designer (2,5)

3 “A Doll’s House” playwright (5)

4 Goblin we took apart for rush-hour rudeness (8)

5 Manual alternative (4)

6 Hopped on (7)

7 Fruit sacred in India (5)

12 Inﬂexible (8)

14 Seats in the park (7)

16 Joins up (5,2)

18 Alpine heroine (5)

20 Arrested (3,2)

All solutions are on page 15

By Dylan Wagemans

2025.

It will run until December 31 of the current year.

Battery-electric and hydrogen cars and plug-in hybrids with an electric range of more than 90 kilometres are subsidised up to €7,000.

PHEVs with an electric range of 30 to 90 kilometres are still eligible for up to €5,000.

Commercial vehicles are eligible for grants of up to €9,000.

What’s important to note is that the grants are for cars

not priced above €45,000.

The tax break for electric vehicles that was instituted in 2023 will also be extended.

This only applies to private individuals and includes a deduction of 15% of income tax on the purchase of electric vehicles.

The maximum deduction that can be claimed is for an

BACK TO NATURE

MARBELLA council has announced an ambitious project to widen and renaturalise the Guadaiza River, aiming to address ﬂood risks, restore ecological balance, and enhance community engagement with nature.

The €2 million initiative comes in response to recent ﬂooding at Cortijo Blanco caused by heavy rains and dam overﬂows, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable infrastructure improvements.

The renaturalisation project will span 3.5 kilometres of the river, focusing on improving its ﬂow and ecological health. Key measures include removing invasive plant species and replacing them with native ﬂora to restore biodiversity.

The river’s banks will also be enhanced with pathways totaling 1,625 metres, creating accessible spaces for pedestrians while promoting environmental awareness. Bird nesting boxes and observation points will be installed.

amount of €20,000. As mentioned earlier, the programme is retroactive. This means that people who have bought an electric car so far this year, will also be able to apply for a subsidy. The government will allocate €400 million to maintain support for the purchase of electric vehicles and the maintenance and construction of charging infrastructure.

MOVES III initially launched in 2021 to strive for a further electriﬁcation of the Spanish car network.

Restarted

The programme came to an end in late 2024, and due to initial successes, the government has restarted it. They did so while actively working to get rid of ‘systematic weaknesses’ in the programme. With the €400 million increase in budget, the total funds allocated to MOVES III come to €1.7 billion.

SEA YA LATER!

THE Junta has released two sea turtles back into the wild after they were rescued by ﬁshermen. ‘Miguelita’ and ‘Macho,’ were reunited with their natural habitat on La Jara beach in Sanlucar de Barrameda.

21 “... a billboard lovely as a ---” (written by 23 Across) (4) Avda. de Palma, 56 – 03730 – JÁVEA

The two loveable creatures were initially rescued by ﬁshermen as part of the ‘SOS Caretta: Fishermen for Biodiversity’ project, and rehabilitated at the Andalusian Marine Environment Management Center.

The SOS Caretta initiative has rescued 63 turtles since it began oﬀ the coasts of Cadiz and Huelva.

By P OO LVILLAS

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30 – mail@aquilarent.com – www.aguilarent.com Camino del Andragó 1F - MORAIRA

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?

Scan to visit our website

10th - April 23rd 2025

GETTING A PASS DELAY WARNING

THE Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has launched new free Renfe and bus passes for May and June 2025.

Frequent travellers can apply from April 8 for bimonthly tickets valid on Cercanias, Rodalies, and Media Distancia trains via Renfe’s app, website, or ticket machines.

A deposit of €10 or €20 is required, now refundable after only eight trips instead of 16. In Asturias and Cantabria, passes remain valid for four months. Free passes for state-run buses will be available later in April.

In Andalucia, these oﬀers combine with regional subsidies, reducing public transport costs by up to 50%.

Easy access

GATWICK Airport has introduced advanced computed tomography (CT) scanners across all 19 security lanes.

Travellers no longer need to remove electronics or place liquids in plastic bags during security checks. Liquids can now remain in hand luggage if contained in bottles up to 100ml, streamlining the process while reducing single-use plastic waste.

Cyrus Dana, Head of Security at Gatwick, praised the upgrade as a ‘positive change’, ensuring smoother and safer travel.

A VALENCIA gourmet burger chain has won the accolade of making the world’s best hamburger. The honour goes to Hundred Burgers which has four restaurants in the area plus three outlets in Madrid. A jury from ‘The World’s Best Burgers’ tasted 900 oﬀerings in over 63 countries to come up with its 2025 rankings - the burger equivalent of the Michelin Guide. Judges praised Hundred Burgers for

TOP BURGER

its ‘attention to detail, its focus on craftsmanship and its constant evolution’ of its burgers. They highlighted the ‘intense meat ﬂavour’ which was a perfect combination with the demi-brioche bun.

Praise was also heaped on the sauces used and the crispiness of the bacon. Hundred Burgers was founded in 2020 by Alex Gonzalez-Urbon and Ezequiel Maldjian. It prides itself on using fresh ingredients daily including dry-aged Galician beef and baking brioche buns every morning. ingredients

Airport wants to make passengers show their boarding pass to use toilets as it grapples with 500 people living in the terminals

PASSENGERS ﬂying through Madrid’s Barajas Airport may soon need more than just a sense of urgency to access the loo – they’ll need their boarding pass, too.

Airport operator Aena has launched a controversial pilot scheme requiring travellers to scan their boarding pass to unlock bathroom doors. The system is currently being trialled in a family toilet in Terminal 4, with plans to expand across the airport if successful.

Oﬃcials claim the move is aimed at keeping facilities in ‘optimal condition’ and limiting access to bona ﬁde passengers. But critics say it’s another example of unnecessary

By Walter Finch

airport red tape – and could cause delays or stress for passengers in need. Sources close to Aena say the high-tech loos are part of wider eﬀorts to modernise services and ensure toilets are clean, secure, and well-maintained. But the timing has raised eyebrows. Barajas Airport has recently come under scrutiny after a rise in the number of people living inside its terminals –with estimates putting the ﬁgure at around 500. In March, a 60-year-old undocumented man tragically died at the airport, throwing the issue into

Taking the pi**

the spotlight.

While Aena insists the boarding pass bathroom system is purely about passenger experience, critics argue it's part of a wider clampdown on vul-

nerable groups using airport facilities as shelter.

For now, passengers should hold onto their boarding pass – it might just be their ticket to a toilet break.

TRAVELLERS using Spain’s airports could face delays this summer due to the sheer volume of air traﬃc across Europe. Javier Gandara from Spain’s Airlines Association has warned that a record number of ﬂights ‘may strain the European network’ and that his members are ‘on alert’.

He pointed out that delays last summer due to air congestion in Europe ‘increased by over 50%’.

“There will be more ﬂights than a year ago which is good news as travel recovers after the pandemic,” Gandara commented.

Route talks

Meetings were held at the 'Routes Europe 2025' fair with representatives of Delta and American Airlines to establish a ﬁrst-ever direct transatlantic connection.

Talks also took place over new medium-range routes to Turkey as well as discussions with European carriers that don't ﬂy to Alicante- including Bulgaria Air and Air Montenegro. The Tourist Board also met with existing airport users like EasyJet and Vueling to chew over future plans including an increase in domestic schedules.

HOMELESS: Hundreds who live at the airport would be locked out

COSTA Blanca Tourist Board chiefs were in Sevilla this week to investigate new services to and from Alicante-Elche airport.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Have bike, will travel

THE road unfurls before me, a silky black ribbon of tarmac meandering through a living painting of a landscape.

Rolling hills, cloaked in a pattern of shimmering silver-green olive groves, stretch out to the horizon.

The gangly tree limbs reaching up to the Andalucian sun.

I turn my face towards the sky too

Moving to a new job at the Olive Press, kiwi journalist Samantha Mythen takes the scenic route on two wheels from Granada to the Costa del Sol

and feel the soft spring warmth on my cheeks.

Whitewashed villages perch on the hillsides, peeking out across the valley.

Their terracotta roofs glow in the morning light.

Behind me, Granada’s historic grandeur has already faded, its labyrinthine alleys and towering Moorish relics now just a memory.

In a week, the charm had turned to claustrophobia, the narrow streets blocking out the generous spring

sunshine.

But now, I am free. I am moving to Estepona and a job at the Olive Press and rather than taking the bus - a quick, forgettable three hours - I have chosen the challenging, rather richer route: Nearly 300 kilometres of back roads in three days, just me, my bike, and the open road.

With Lujar set as my ﬁrst destination, I set off, my wheels humming beneath me.

The city fades behind me as I follow a bike path out of Granada, soon trading

smooth pavement for the unpredictable embrace of an olive grove trail.

Rocks and ruts conspire against my road bike, its tyres only just managing the challenge. At one point, I heave my bike across a shallow stream, its clear waters gurgling in amusement at my struggle.

Not exactly the smooth ride I envisioned, but this is what adventure looks like.

The ﬁrst stop is Cafetería La Chula in

Friday, 11th April – Devotion to the “Virgin of Sorrows”

7:00 AM: Rosary, followed by Mass

7:30 PM: Mass in honour of the Virgin of Sorrows

8:30 PM: Procession

Saturday, 12th April

7:30 PM: Mass and solemn appointment of the Standard-Bearer of Holy Week 2025. First ceremonial “lifting” (levantá) of the Holy Week floats (tronos).

Palm Sunday, 13th April

8:30 AM: Mass

11:00 AM: Blessing of the Palms at the Ermita de Salvador, followed by Mass

6:00 PM: Procession by the “Our Lady of Health” Brotherhood (Cofradía)

7:00 PM: Mass

Durcal, in the stunning Lecrin Valley, just under two hours away.

I am now in true Olive Press territory, with the paper regularly arriving in this pretty village. Breakfast is a feast ﬁt for a long day in the saddle: jamon, sliced straight off the bone, draped over toasted bread rubbed with ripe tomato, alongside a second helping topped with creamy avocado.

The waitress chuckles at my appetite, and in my broken Spanish, I explain that a big day demands big fuel. A café con leche fortiﬁes me further as I roll on to the supermarket, where I stock up on essentials - fruit, protein bars, nuts, and an oversized bag of Haribo sweets, my secret weapon against fatigue. The next stretch is a gift. For ﬁve blissful kilometres, I coast downhill on an old paved road running parallel to the A-44. It feels like my own private highway, the absence of cars making it even sweeter. But, inevitably, the climb begins.

The A-348 snakes its way into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, guiding me through the postcard-perfect villages of firstly Lanjaron, then Las Barreras, and, finally, Orgiva, where the story of my new job, first began (entirely unbeknown to me, I hasten to add, but the Olive Press was founded here).

Whitewashed houses with wrought-iron balconies cling to the mountainside, their ﬂow-

Holy Week Celebrations Programme in Calpe

Monday, 14th April

7:30 PM: Penitential Service

Tuesday, 15th April

7:30 PM: Mass

9:00 PM: Procession by the “Christ of the Gypsies ‘The Mighty One’” Brotherhood

Wednesday, 16th April

7:30 PM: Mass

9:00 PM: Procession in honour of the Most Holy Christ of the Three Falls

Holy Thursday, 17th April

7:00 PM: Mass commemorating the Last Supper

9:00 PM: Procession by the “Our Father Jesus of Nazareth” Brotherhood

12:00 AM (midnight): Procession of Silence

Good Friday, 18th April

9:00 AM: Stations of the Cross (Vía Crucis) with solemn ascent to the Ermita del Salvador

10:30 AM: Morning Prayer

6:30 PM: Liturgy of the Passion and Death of Christ

8:00 PM: Procession of the Holy Burial (Santo Entierro)

Note: Women are invited to participate in traditional mourning attire, including a veil and mantilla.

Holy Saturday, 19th April

10:30 PM: Easter Vigil and Solemn Resurrection Mass

Easter Sunday, 20th April

8:30 AM: Mass

11:00 AM: Festive procession from Plaza San Salvador to the church, where the floats (tronos) of the Resurrected Christ and the Virgin Mary meet. 12:00 PM: Mass celebrating the Resurrection 7:00 PM: Mass

FUELLED: Pizza, beer and supermarket snacks powered the journey

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

er pots bursting with fuchsia and crimson geraniums. A cool mountain breeze drifts down from the snow-capped peaks above, refreshing but also whispering of the challenge ahead.

A ‘shortcut’ lures me off the main road, but ﬁrst, I pause for lunch. Settling among the grassy slopes, I glance back at the valley I conquered this morning.

The villages now sit far below me, their tiled rooftops a patchwork of earthy reds and oranges. I breathe in deeply, savouring the quiet joy of being here.

When you’re bikepacking, life distills into its simplest form: move forward, eat, rest, repeat. Having left my homeland of Aotearoa, New Zealand to start fresh in Spain, the weight of change lingers in my thoughts. But here, on the road, it all melts away. That peace, however, is short-lived. Ahead, the road writhes its way uphill, a serpentine stretch that promises two hours of slow-motion suffering.

This is ‘Type 4 fun’—an experience best appreciated in hindsight.

I pedal on, stopping only for a handful of Haribo, their sugary punch the only thing keeping my legs moving.

And then, ﬁnally, the reward. Cresting the summit, the Alboran Sea shimmers below, a vast expanse of blue that makes every agonizing pedal stroke worth it.

But Google Maps, my ever-unreliable guide, has one last trick up its sleeve. My supposed ‘shortcut’ turns out to be an hour-

long descent on a gravel-strewn nightmare of a road.

My hands ache from gripping the brakes as I navigate through a gauntlet of jagged rocks. Towering cliffs loom above me, the sheer scale of the landscape making me feel deliciously insigniﬁcant.

When I ﬁnally spot smooth black pavement ahead - gleaming as if freshly laid - I could kiss it.

The last push to Lujar is short but steep, my tired legs protesting every turn of the pedals.

The village is still, its narrow streets bathed in golden evening light and at the Albergue I have the eight-bed dorm to myself - a luxury after such a grueling day.

Dinner is a pizza, its crisp crust adorned with salty olives, lovingly prepared by the hotel-owners-turned-chefs. Sleep comes easily.

The next morning, my ritual begins: ﬁnd coffee within an hour’s ride, then go. Dawn reveals one of the most breathtaking vistas I’ve seen all year.

kilometres to Malaga- but every few kilometres, I ﬁnd myself stopping to snap another photo. The views are just too good.

A cyclist’s dream road greets me at sunrise: empty, sweeping downhills that let me ﬂy.

Having learned my lesson, I ignore Googles’ suggestion of a gravel track and stick to the smoothly paved GR-5207.

I’ve pedaled 100 kilometres, my legs ache, but my heart is full

As I round the ﬁrst bend out of Lujar, the Costa del Sol unfurls before me, its blue horizon melting into the sky. Today is a long one - seven hours, 120

By breakfast, I’m basking in the sun outside a café near Motril, devouring a tuna-and-egg bagel and my second coffee of the day.

Along the coastal road, lycra-clad cycling groups surge past, and I shout cheerful ‘holas’ - it feels particularly good when I’m zipping downhill and they’re toiling uphill.

The N-340 carries me most of the way, but I veer off whenever possible, detouring onto beachfront promenades

where Saturday sun-seekers lounge by the sea.

At La Herradura, I refuel at Coche Coche, a cycling cafe where a cappuccino revives me. Further on, in Torre del Mar, I indulge in a lemon-pie-ﬂavored gelato at Heladería La Nonna.

By then, I’ve pedaled 100 kilometres.

My legs ache, but my heart is full.

Looking back along the coastline, I spot the wind turbines near Lujar, now tiny silhouettes against the sky, a marker of just how far I’ve come.

The last of my Haribo stash disappears as I roll into Malaga.

Freshly showered, I celebrate at The Kiwi House of Beer, a craft beer haven run by fellow New Zealanders. A hazy IPA from DosKiwis Brewing in Girona is the perfect toast to the near-end of my journey.

The Final Stretch

With two days of relentless riding behind me, my body protests, but

Estepona awaits.

The morning ride out of Malaga is gentle, leading me to Cafetería El Pasaje in Alhaurin de la Torre, where a vegetable-and-egg sandwich and a massive swirl of churro fuel me.

The road weaves around the foothills of the Sierra de las Nieves, carrying me through sleepy villages where life moves at a blissful pace.

In Monda, I pause in the sun, savouring fruit and a cold Coke Zero, knowing the ﬁnal stretch looms ahead.

The last push is an hour of chaotic highway along the A-355, but at least it’s mostly downhill.

In three days, I’ve seen more of Spain than in my ﬁrst two weeks. My bike has been my ticket to freedom, a passport to winding roads, hidden cafes, and endless plates of Spanish cuisine.

As Estepona ﬁnally comes into view, I know this is just the beginning.

CHALLENGE: The route twists and turns largely on the back roads and tracks

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You type: “My internet is really slow.” The AI bot, in its inﬁnite wisdom, replies: “Have you tried checking our website for solutions?” Ah yes, brilliant. Let me just struggle through three minutes of buffering to read an article that will inevitably tell me to ‘restart my router’.

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LA CULTURA

Facing the divine

THE face of Saint Teresa of Avila - one of the most inﬂuential ﬁgures of Spain’s Catholic Church - has been reconstructed in a special bust to mark the 510th anniversary of her birth.

Her image has been immortalised by Italian sculptor Bernini in The Ecstasy and a portrait by Rubens, as well as an El Greco wood carving.

General Franco even kept a sculpture of one of her hands on his desk.

Sculptor Jennifer Mann from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Australia has now created what she believes is a life-like bust of Teresa.

Mann gathered all the existing information about her including body measurements, x-rays, and previous pictorial depictions.

November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE CULTURE STORIES? Scan

FALLEN CROSS

Giant symbol to stay at controversial Franco era mausoleum

SPAIN’S biggest symbol of the fascist Franco era - the Valley of the Fallen cross - will remain, according to the country’s Catholic Church.

The 150-metre tall structure will not be taken down as the government seeks to ‘resignify’ the site, according to church spokesperson, Bishop Francisco Cesar Garcia Magan.

He admitted that taking it down had been an option but that had now been rejected.

The world’s biggest cross stands over the Valley of the Fallen mausoleum situated 50 kms outside Madrid.

By Alex Trelinski

The complex was builtmainly through forced labour - in the wake of the Civil War of the late 1930s. Construction was ﬁnished in 1959 and consists of a basilica situated underground in an excavated space in the mountain, the cross, a Benedictine monastery, and a school.

Up to 50,000 Spaniards from both sides of the conﬂict are interred there. General Franco’s body was exhumed from the site on the orders of the Pedro Sanchez government in

SPAIN’S Eva Yerbabuena walked away with a prestigious Olivier award at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday. She won the Best Achievement in Dance honour for her show, which she staged twice last year at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Eva, 54, is regarded as one of the world’s leading ﬂamenco dancers. She becomes the second Spaniard to win the same award fol-

2019 and transferred to a private plot.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the dictator’s death.

Initial plans for ‘resigni-

Olivier winner

fying’ the area included de-consecrating the church and closing the monastery.

Talks between Catholic authorities and the government however have ensured that worship will continue and the Benedictine monks will remain.

Bullﬁght threat

SPAIN’S parliament will vote this year on whether bullﬁghting remains a sport classiﬁed as being of cultural heritage.

The country’s Central Electoral Board on Monday said that a 664,777 signature petition will have to be debated in Congress- demanding the repeal of the law. The minimum required signatures to force a vote is 500,000.

The move has been spearheaded by the No Es Mi Cultura group. It says if the 2013 law is scrapped, it will make it much easier for local authorities to veto bullﬁghting events.

A debate has to be held within six months.

It will force Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to make his position publicly clear on a topic he's skirted round since being ﬁrst elected seven years ago.

lowing in the footsteps of Sara Baras in 2020.

Jorge Bosch was nominated for best supporting actor in Kyoto - a political thriller running at the Soho Place Theatre until early May, but lost out to Elliot Levey for his performance Giant Yerbaguena in

GET INLAND!

SPRING is the perfect time to explore the Requena-Utiel region of inland Valencia. With mild weather, blooming wildﬂowers, and a laid-back wine-country vibe, the area offers countless ways to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether you’re an expat, a retiree, or a couple looking for a weekend adventure, here are ﬁve springtime activities that showcase the natural beauty of Requena-Utieljust a short drive from Valencia.

1. Horseback Riding in Requena

One of the most scenic ways to take in the gorgeous landscapes of Utiel-Requena is on horseback. Local tour providers, such as Ekiaventura, offer guided rides along picturesque trails. Even beginners are welcome, as routes along the gentle plains require no prior riding experience. Some excursions even pair horseback riding with wine tastingyou might spend 45 minutes trotting through the hills before relaxing at a bodega to sample Utiel-Requena’s renowned wines. It’s a perfect spring activity: enjoy the fresh air and green scenery from the

saddle, then toast the experience with a glass of Bobal wine.

2. Rafting and Water Adventures on the Cabriel River

For a shot of adrenaline, head to the Hoces del Cabriel area for rafting or kayaking. The Cabriel River - considered one of the cleanest in Europe - runs turquoise and clear through a dramatic canyon, making it ideal for water sports. Spring is the perfect season, with the river running high and the sun not yet too intense. Choose from guided white-water rafting trips or a gentler open-kayak outing to enjoy the gorge at your own pace. Several adventure companies, such as Hocesventura and Avensport, operate in the area, catering to beginners, families, and thrill-seekers alike. They provide the gear and expertise to ensure a safe and unforgettable day on the water.

3. Hiking in Hoces del Cabriel Natural Park

5 Things to do outdoors This Spring in Valencia’s Requena-Utiel region

All religious elements outside the basilica will continue to be ‘respected’ including the cross.

Bishop Garcia pointed out that the deal still has to be ﬁnalised despite the government pressing ahead. He added that he did not know what the timetable is for implementing the changes.

Hoces del Cabriel Natural Park offers hiking routes for all ages and

ﬁtness levels. Its varied terrain - from deep river gorges to dense forests and open meadows - makes for stunning spring walks. Easy trails like the 3.8 km Cuchillares de Contreras loop or the Peñas Blancas viewpoint route take around 1.5 hours and reward you with breathtaking panoramic views. For more experienced hikers, the 18 km Contreras Reservoir circular route takes you deeper into the park, offering canyon vistas and the chance to spot wildlife such as wild goats or birds of prey. Guided hikes are also available through local accommodations like Hotel Raïmblanc. Whatever you choose, lace up your boots, pack a picnic, and hit the well-marked trails to enjoy spring in full bloom.

4. Vineyard Walks and Wine Tastings

Requena-Utiel is wine country, and spring is a wonderful time for a leisurely vineyard walk. The

region boasts nearly 3,000 years of winemaking history, and the rolling hills come alive with fresh green growth this time of year. Many bodegas welcome visitors for tours, some even offering ‘hike & wine’ experiences that pair a short nature walk with tastings of signature wines made from local grapes like Bobal and Tempranillo. You can also follow parts of the ofﬁcial Requena-Utiel Wine Route, which connects winery towns via scenic backroads. Imagine strolling between vineyards under the warm spring sun, then pausing on a winery patio with a glass of vino. The mix of light exercise, gorgeous landscapes, and rich wine culture makes for a perfect day outdoors.

5. Birdwatching in the Hoces del Cabriel Canyons

Nature lovers and bird enthusiasts will ﬁnd much to admire in and around Hoces del Cabriel Natural Park. This protected area is a sanctuary for wildlife and especially known for its birds of prey. Spring is a prime season

for birdwatching: the blooming ﬂora draws insects, making birds more active and visible. From the park’s trails or miradores (lookout points), you might spot griffon vultures soaring above the cliffs, or Bonelli’s eagles and peregrine falcons hunting along the ridges. Lucky birders may even hear the call of an eagle-owl at dusk. Several park trails double as birding routes, offering a chance to combine a scenic hike with birdwatching. Be sure to bring a camera and a ﬁeld guide—the sight of these majestic birds against the canyon backdrop is a spring highlight.

From horseback riding through budding vineyards to rafting down crystal-clear rapids, the Requena-Utiel region offers a treasure trove of unique springtime adventures. And the best part? All of this is within about an hour’s drive from Valencia. Whether you’re after high-energy thrills or peaceful strolls with spectacular views (and perhaps a glass of wine in hand), Requena-Utiel has something for everyone this spring. So embrace the sunshine and happy exploring!

For a hassle-free visit to Requena-Utiel, try Hotel Raïmblanc where all your excursions can be arranged so you can focus on savouring the experience.

STAYING PUT: The giant cross in the Valley of the Fallen

November 29th - LOOKING FOR MORE CULTURE STORIES?

Sol or Sombra?

As the bullﬁghting season starts, aﬁcionado

Scan to visit our website

Michael Coy gives some insiders tips on going to see ‘los toros’

THE bullfighting season has arrived, and, if you live in Andalucia, there’s no escaping the buzz.

Sevilla’s iconic ‘ cartel’ (poster) is

Iout, marking the official launch on Easter Sunday.

As tradition dictates, Sevilla kicks things off with a 10-day festival of toros , featuring three legendary matadors: Morante, Talavante, and Daniel Luque.

I should point out things are different over in Valencia where the season started with the region’s Fallas festival last month.

So, you’ve decided to attend a bullfight. What should you know before stepping into the ring?

First, avoid buying tickets from a tout.

You’ll find plenty of them hanging around major bullrings like Sevilla’s historic La Maestranza and Las Ventas in Madrid.

If this is your first bullfight, however, you may find yourself in a smaller ring, such as Inca in Mallorca (and there’s a fascinating corrida there on Palm Sunday).

T is a name that resonates around the bullrings of Spain.

Simply known as El Fandi, David Fandila, is a 43-year-old, Granada-born matador who remains one of the most electrifying ﬁgures in the world of bullﬁghting - a true granadino de pura cepa (Granada lad through and through).

If you haven’t witnessed his daring artistry yet, now might be your last chance. Catch him in Sevilla on Wednesday, April 30, or during Granada’s feria in mid-June. Why do bullﬁghters adopt nicknames? In Andalucia, names like Juan, Javier, or Manuel

But even in Inca, be-

ware of the ‘scalper’ - they’ve got an eye for tourists and will try to offload overpriced tickets to unsuspecting visitors.

It’s time for the ultimate Spanish experience: the ‘cushion dilemma’

The solution? Head to the official ticket office (the taquilla ), as even on the evening of the event, it’s rare that a bullfight will sell out, and you’ll avoid being ripped off.

Next, decide: ‘ sol ’, ‘ sombra ’, or ‘ sol y sombra ’?

Sol tickets are budget-friendly, but there’s a catch: you’ll be roasting in the sun for over two hours.

eas of the ring, so the bulls will tend to end up there, leaving you squinting and missing much of the action.

Sombra tickets, on the other hand, place you in the shade, offering the best view of the action - but they come at a premium price.

Then there’s the sol y sombra option, where you get the best of both worlds: part sun, part shade.

Ticket-sellers might ask if you have a preferred ‘ tendida ’, which refers to the sections or ‘segments’ of the bullring.

Pure blood

Plus, the matadors have a preference for the shaded ar-

If you’re aiming for authenticity, tendida 7 is where the true aficionados sit. Be prepared for

The ‘reckless’ youth who became a torero legend

are so common that standing out requires a moniker with ﬂair.

Take the legendary Manolete - his real name was Manuel Rodriguez, essentially the Spanish equivalent of John Smith.

some standing a

Enter El Fandi, a name as distinctive as his style. Bursting onto the scene in the mid-90s as a teenage novillero (rookie bullﬁghter), El Fandi could have taken a very different path. He was once a star skier, his agility honed on snowy slopes serving him well in the bullring. But his choice wasn’t about fame or spectacle - it was about courage. “To face a bull without fear is nothing,” say the old masters. “To face it despite fear—that’s something.”

Granada, El Fandi took on all six bulls himself - a feat typically shared among three matadors. Gored in the stomach by the third bull, he refused to back down. After being stitched up, he returned to ﬁnish the ﬁght. El Fandi also revolutionised tradition by placing the banderillas (decorative sticks) himself - a task usually reserved for assistants. His speed and footwork are unmatched; he’s faster running backward than most people sprinting forward.

Early critics feared he might become a tremendista, prioritising ﬂashy theatrics over skill. But he silenced doubters by proving himself not just as a performer but as a master of his craft. Today, he’s even respected as a bull breeder.

Yet El Fandi seems to defy this wisdom, showing no trace of fear at all. His daring is legendary. In 2012, during a hometown ﬁght in

With El Fandi in action, expect breathtaking agility and fearless showmanship that leave audiences spellbound. Whether you’re seated on your rented cushion or swept up in the fervor of the crowd, one thing is certain: this is more than just a performance - it’s history in motion.

Ready? Vamonos

loud cheers, occasional catcalls, and the spirited energy of diehard fans. Now, with your ticket bought, you’ve got an hour to kill before the event begins. The tradition here is that the real locals won’t be at the ring just yet. They’re all in nearby bars, enjoying a pre-fight drink.

If you show up early, don’t be surprised to find yourself surrounded by a sea of foreigners - Spaniards are in no rush. When it’s time to head in, find the gate marked with your ticket details. If the signs aren’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask one of the helpful stewards. They’ll point you in the right direction.

Once inside, it’s time for the ultimate Spanish experience: the ‘cushion dilemma’.

For a few euros, you can rent a charity cushion to soften the hard concrete seating - highly recommended if you want to survive the two-and-a-half-hour ordeal without discomfort.

And then the fun begins. A steward will lead you to your ‘ fila ’ (the row of seats you’re assigned). It’s perfectly fine to tip them for their help, though it’s not obligatory. But hold on - what if the old guy in the beret is sitting in your spot? This is all part of the spectacle. In Spain, personal space is a foreign concept, and within seconds, the crowd will be up in arms, debating whether the beret-wearing man or you deserves the seat. Don’t expect a quick resolution. When the old chap realizes you’re not going to back down, he’ll shuffle off, and you can finally settle in.

As you catch your breath, ensuring you’ve got your white linen handkerchief on hand, you’ll find that the real action hasn’t even started yet.

Just another part of the unique charm of the bullﬁghting experience!

DEATH DEFYING: El Fandi used to be a skier

HEALTH

SWARM WARNING Alzheimer’s hope Mornings only

HEALTH chiefs have issued an urgent alert as swarms of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes are expected to explode following a stormsoaked March.

Relentless downpours from storms Jana, Konrad, Laurence and Martinho have left pools of stagnant water – the perfect breeding ground for mozzies. Now, with temperatures rising fast, experts say it's a ticking time bomb.

Early signs of increased mosquito activity have already been reported, especially in wetland and coastal areas. The Junta has updated its West Nile Virus (WNV) risk map, placing hotspots like Sevilla, Cadiz, Huelva and even Tarifa on high alert.

The virus, spread by bites, can cause serious illness – even brain inﬂammation – especially in the elderly or those with health conditions.

Locals are urged to dump standing water, use citronella, lemon oils, and have antihistamine creams at the ready.

By Alex Trelinski

DRINKING coffee brings positive health benefits, so long as you drink it at the right time of day - and in moderation Its benefits depend on things like how much you drink, your age, being biologically male or female, medicine you take, and even your genes. Some plus sides are linked to caffeine, while other components of coffee will also bring health pluses.

Evidence shows that the chances of getting Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers's disease, as well as severe liver and kidney problems are reduced.

Coﬀee is good for you - at the right time of day

ﬁts could be wasted if coﬀee is drunk at the wrong time.

He says on his social media channel that drinking coﬀee later in the day will have negative metabolic eﬀects and cause sleep problems.

Rojas also suggests that drinking it all day is somewhat counterproductive and that the key time to enjoy it is in the morning.

RESEARCHERS from the University of Barcelona have made a breakthrough in producing a drug for Alzheimer's suﬀerers after testing it on mice.

Though the disease is incurable, most of the current drugs used have a limited impact in its early stages.

Over 800,000 people in Spain have Alzheimer’s and the Barcelona research has come up with a drug that has neuro-protective and anti-inﬂammatory beneﬁts.

lower probability of suﬀering a heart attack.”

But cardiologist Aurelio Rojas believes that all of the bene-

HEALTHY MOVE

MOVING to Spain could be good for you.

New research has found that people who spend a lot of time in colder countries - especially during the winter - tend to have higher levels of brown fat in their bodies.

This is a special type of body fat that burns calories to generate heat and keep us warm.

He referred to a European Heart Journal study which showed drinking coﬀee in the morning cut the chance of death from heart issues by up to 31% while premature deaths fell by 17%.

The research says that drinking coﬀee at other times alters circadian rhythms and counters melatonin

Researchers found that people living in colder conditions burned more brown fat than those in warmer climates. Cold temperatures appear to aﬀect both how fat behaves and how the body processes energy. According to a Japanese study involving over 500 participants, people exposed to colder climates had a 5.8% higher total energy expenditure compared to those in milder environments.

and cortisol which are two important hormones for staying awake and having a good sleep. Later drinking also raises blood pressure and the chance of inﬂammation, resulting in potential heart problems.

Aurelio Rojas said: “It seems that people who drink coﬀee only in the morning have a longer life expectancy and a

He also said that he was surprised to see social media postings from people recommending coffee drinking later in the day.

“This would have a higher chance of raising stress levels, and therefore stopping proper rest,” he added.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Admire, 5 Albums, 8 Yves, 9 By train, 10 Unknown, 11 C D R-O M, 13 Gibbon, 15 Oldest, 17 Ghana, 19 Umbrage, 22 Inherit, 23 Nash, 24 Tissue, 25 Canons.

Down: 2 Da Vinci, 3 Ibsen, 4 Elbowing, 5 Auto, 6 Boarded, 7 Mango, 12 Dogmatic, 14 Benches, 16 Signs on, 18 Heidi, 20 Ran in, 21 Tree.

The patent has been licensed to a pharmaceutical ﬁrm so that human trials can begin to get approval for the drug to be used.

The study is the culmination of seven years of research in which researchers have used a new approach, based on the inﬂammatory processes that contribute to triggering the disease and modulating its progression.

At Seepoint, we

Lovers

A JEALOUS girlfriend caused mayhem at a packed nightclub in Malaga after pepper spraying her own boyfriend during a blazing row –triggering the evacuation of 300 clubbers.

Kinky thief

AN Alcoy (Alicante) man was arrested after twice breaking into a ﬂat opposite his own to steal women’s underwear, using a ladder to access the window and escaping with lingerie.

Scooped up

A TRADITIONAL

UK-style ice cream van operated by a British man has been seized by Benidorm police after locals shopped him for not having a licence.

OLD FOLKS’ HOTEL

Dog’s dinner

MOVE over, Michelin-starred menus - there’s a new foodie craze in town, and it’s strictly for the ‘paw-sh’ crowd. Yes, Britain’s most discerning dogs are now dining on ‘chef-crafted King Prawn and Giant Squid Paella’. Because Pedigree Chum is so last season. Fresh dog food brand Years. com has unleashed its ﬁrst dish in the swanky ‘Chef’s Collec-

By Dilip Kuner

tion’, and it’s a canine twist on a Spanish classic. Forget your average bowl of brown mush; this limited-edition delicacy features saffron-infused rice, ﬁre-roasted piquillo peppers, and - wait for it - marinated squid tentacles. That’s right, your furry friend can now eat better than you.

A 27-year-old Brit got himself into a sticky situation in Benidorm after attempting to channel his inner Spiderman and getting stuck on top of a shop sign. The daring tourist found himself trapped on Gambo Street, much to the amusement (and concern) of hundreds of onlookers.

Emergency services quickly swooped in, with police cordoning oﬀ the area and advising our wannabe web-slinger to stay put. Fireﬁghters soon arrived to save the day,

Web you believe it!

Gourmet squid and prawn dish for pampered pooches

though it's unclear what inspired the man to shimmy down the building facade in the ﬁrst place.

No word yet on whether he was trying to avoid the pub crawl or just thought it was a new way to avoid the crowds. Local reports conﬁrm he’ll be facing no charges, but surely he’s learned to keep his feet on the ground next time.

The mastermind behind this tail-wagging treat? Luke Alkemade, a chef with a resume so fancy it practically wears a cravat. From Michelin-starred kitchens to luxury yachts, Alkemade has now turned his talents to feeding Fido. Working with veterinary nutritionists, he’s created a meal that’s not just delicious but also delivers 100% of your pup’s daily nutritional needs. At £6.95 (€8.22) a pop, this isn’t just dinner - it’s an ‘experience’. But act fast! Only a limited number of these posh pooch plates are available online. According to Years.com CEO Darren Beale: “Too many dogs are stuck eating bland biscuits. We’re here to spice up their bowls - and their lives.”

trying

So, if your pooch deserves more than pedestrian doggie food, why not let him dive into some decadent seafood? Just don’t be surprised if they start demanding sparkling water with their meals. Bon appetit, Bowser!

AFTER years of court battles and protests, the infamous Algarrobico Hotel in Almeria might ﬁnally have a purpose: a ‘luxury retirement home for rebellious seniors.’

Writer Luis Martinez Reche suggests turning the abandoned 411 room monstrosity built on a virgin beach into the ultimate pensioner paradise. With ocean views, spacious rooms, and endless staircases for ﬁtness, it's the perfect spot for bingo nights and unlimited pudding. Environmentalists want it demolished, but let’s be real – it’s sturdier than most grandpas' hips. Welcome to ‘Algarrobico Seniors' Paradise’!

iThief

A BRITISH tourist whose bag was swiped at Malaga airport is tracking the thief’s every move through her Airpods. Lauren Morley, 29, has spent days spying on the thief’s routine, learning the street they live on and workplace - the airport. Frustrated by the police’s lack of action, Lauren’s now calling for an army of amateur detectives to help her catch the airport bandit and reclaim her stolen stuﬀ.