Olive Press Valencia Issue 27

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EXCLUSIVE: The Olive Press grills Valencia’s hottest chef Quique Dacosta at his brand new restaurant in Madrid

NO WAY BACK Expat pensioner forced to ‘sofa-surf’ in the UK after falling victim to alleged fake padron scam LILY Higgins had bought her dream home in southern Spain and applied for the necessary TIE card to allow her to retire here.

The 72-year-old former hospital administrator had sold her home in London and started a new life on Orihuela Costa, setting up a new home and network of trusted friends.

That was until she unwittingly found herself dragged into a fake padron scandal that ended in her arrest, with a criminal record now looming over her head.

Worse than that, with her TIE card not arriving in time, she has been forced to go back to the UK to live on a friend’s sofa.

She flew back last week after being told she had ‘outstayed her welcome’ by the British Consulate’s Immigration Department.

“I was simply too terrified to stay and face a knock at the door one night to get hauled off to the cells again,” the grandmother-of-six told the Olive

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Fallas

Many say that their properties or businesses are not included in the permit scheme, even though they have to drive through the zone to reach them.

Even the Fallas associations that organise the city’s iconic celebrations have waded in against the scheme, as have the PP and Ciudadanos opposition parties.

So far 14,443 number plates have been authorised including more than 3,000 taxis plus local police and emergency vehicles.

A total of 5,031 locals have been given permits out of a total of more than 15,000 vehicles registered at addresses in the district.

voice in Spain

EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Wade

Mijas SAN JAVIER Costa FREE

COSTA BLANCA SUR Vol. 2 Issue 41

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voice in Spain

/ MURCIA

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2021

See page 12

Expats must stay in for two years while Spain in limbo alleged residency scam is probed by police

Press this week.

Higgins, who had lived in Orijuela for nearly four years, is one of up to 40 other British victims caught up in the same situation, the Olive Press understands.

The group have been forced into a legal limbo until the pending court case takes place in Torrevieja.

Since the alleged scam was first exposed by this paper in May, the 952 147 834 FURIOUS: Lily and pal Jay were both arrested, admin company involved, One while (left) our report earlier this year Way Services, of Quesada, has continually denied the situation. soon. until the court case, has not been able Now, incredibly, its owner Matt Smith His social media attack has backfired to reapply for her TIE card via other has been made a mayor of a local vil- badly, though, leaving the victims fu- gestors because of her possible crimilage and come out fighting, claiming rious about his claims and demanding nal record. the Olive Press has a vendetta against he lose his new position.

Both Lily and Jay had been arrested him.

“It’s incredible,” said Higgins. “How and detained at Alicante Police StaAccusing us of ‘scaremongering’ he dare he attack you after ruining my tion, for their perceived part in the described us as a ‘costa tabloid’ and life? alleged fraud. threatened that we would be folding “I’m worried sick about future travel Now the pair are planning to join up and my legal status since he with dozens of others to plan a joint lealtered our padron certifi- gal action against Smith and One Way cates. They were not his to Services. alter!”

Smith, who was made the ‘Pedania Her friend Jay Elliott, 66, mayor’ of Entre Naranjos last month who is in a similar situa- - an appointment by Orihuela Town tion, is also angry that Smith Hall that requires no election - told the sent a sinister message to a Olive Press that there was no planned friend saying ‘tell Jay and Lily court case against him. thanks very much for speak- He insisted his clients had been dealt ing to the press’. with ‘in a satisfactory way’ and continMother-of-three Elliot, who ued: “The police did not bring charges is attempting to stay in Spain against them, nor do they have a criminal record relating to your allegations.

“If you are aware of anyone else that is having problems obtaining their residencia please ask them to get in touch with us, and we will happily help them.”

Opinion OFFICE: The shop of One Way Service Page 6 EXCLUSIVE

By Simon Wade

How one organised community of expats is putting El Raso on the map

See page 12

EXPATS caught up OLIVE ulent residency scamin a fraudPRESS run by a gestor on the Costa Blanca have been told by police can’t leave the country that they case is investigated. while the Dozens of people are life in legal limbo for facing a years while police up to two investigate the alleged fraud before it is decided if they face deportation or can legally stay.

It comes after the Olive Press reported on a group of expats who had been detained Tel: 952 147 834 952 147 834 by police over padron that appear to have certificates SCOOP: How the Olive Press been doc- broke the story last tored by one particular edition gestor they hired to process their TIE One Way Services, about applications. why a doctored certificate had been submitted on their behalf.

“Smith said he was Grilled to help people,” she only trying They included 71-year-old told the Olwid- ive Press. ow Lily Higgins and STUCK: Jane Long friend Jay “He said (above) has been Elliott, who were grilled he’d over his guilt to already admitted Elliott were ‘treated like criminals’ told by police that she can’t travel their town hall registration while Lily Higgins the police, before after using One Way and Jay Williams, 63, told us Services shredding my fake forms, which were he also had padron One Way Services. handled by front of my eyes” she added. in to give a statement at Alicante police station last week.

He added that she Several more have should forward to complainsince come pect a phone call from the ‘ex- It involved the property owner, police about the merely British gestor, in Ciudad to answer a few ques- who has lived in Spain for seven years, having his fingerprints da, which is at the centreQuesa- tions’. of the However, investigation. after being taken taken, as well as getting photographed. away in a These include Jane Long of Tor- two hours, police car, held for “It was astonishing,” revieja who was taken fingerprinted and he told to AlicanOlive photographed, she was Press. “I’m now told the te Police Station and the told by questioned detectives over her part in ‘an at the Policia Nacio- court case could take 18 months alleged nal that she fraud’. will be considered to two years, possibly more.”

He continued: ‘guilty, The 53-year-old said until proven innocent’.

“I started all this on September 1, but her husband Nigel she and Mrs Long despaired: “I was it became fronted Matt Smith, had con- I couldn’t even travel back told apparent as time went on there to the was something owner of UK because amiss.

I’m a criminal!”

“I feel this T h e found guiltycan go two ways: I'm K e n t ter possibly and deported or aftwo years I'm grantw o m a n ed residencia. revealed “I put all that the Services my faith into One Way p o l i c e down, a and have been so let had in- me and very stressful time for working alongside the Guardia ents f o r m e d added. countless others,” he Civil to now investigate that all res- criminallythey would not be held her, ‘anidencia applications responsible. in Alicante “So it o t h e r made in 2021. is totally clear now that Cleared 40-plus the criminal investigation The lawyer later confirmed is bep e o p l e When the Olive Press called to the Olive Press that Smith ing focused only against my cliwill also Matt Smith for an explanation ent so for sure the fiscal had made a statement will not 35 years experience • Interior be ar- he refused to answer questions. lice clearing his clients to po- start criminal actions and exterior against of any “Speak to my lawyer,” rested.’ he said knowledge of the alleged fraud. his clients sadly affected,” he Best quality products used F e l l o w before hanging up. said.

“My client explained [to the B r i t , National Police confirmed Special effects, stencilling to the police] that none of the clients If it emerges that any other of & feature walls etc B r i a n Olive Press that detectives One Way clients were are had produced the applications tained to be Fully legal/registered • Full themselves [but] only over the matter, the deliability insurance lawpaid my client to apply for yer said: “Mr Smith will proceed All works guaranteed the TIE on their immediately to clarify in front of police or/and the court that behalf,” David GuiContact Michael for a FREE jarro Mayor from these clients have no relation at quote michaelwillis5@sky.com ABC solicitors told all with any criminal activity.”

See page 23 the Olive Press in response to written Have you been affected?

Please contact us questions. on newsHe sought to reas- desk@theolivepress.es sure One Way cliOpinion Page The

CAREFUL driving into Valencia city centre without a permit - you could now be slapped with a €60 fine.

Access to the old town has been restricted from this week after a breaking-in period when drivers were merely given a warning.

You will now need a permit to enter the Ciutat Vella, which is being monitored by five video cameras.

Only residents and taxis are allowed in, as well as company workers based there and anyone who rents a parking space.

The aim is to reduce air and noise pollution and improve pedestrian access.

But the partial closure of Ciutat Vella Nord to traffic has not met with universal approval, with complaints from residents, shopkeepers and teachers from five schools.

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Prime suspect

Bear in the frame for series of grizzly livestock killings in the Pyrenees

Tragic mystery

The Olive Press TV investigation helps into the death of Kirsty Maxwell

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Girl power

The female warriors who took on Drake’s army - and won!

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I BEG YOU PADRON R See page 10

Award Winning Rehabilitation

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‘Hellish and humiliating’ as British expats over ‘fraudulent’ arrested residency applications

A GROUP of HUMILIATED: British expats have been detained Lily and Jay were questioned EXCLUSIVE after their padron by police even deportation. certificates

By Simon Wade proving they “I’ve never been lived in Spain appear to have in trouble before but been doc- derly expats described tored. situation as ‘humiliating’ the treated like here I am, being At least eight a common crimpeople have ‘hellish’, after they were and inal,” said Higgins. been grilled held miliating.”

“It’s huover the town for questioning under hall registration cau- They added tion. were all handledforms, which They that the same gestor is being gestor company by the same they told the Olive Press how investigated for changing were carted on the Costa Blanca. the date te police station to Alican- least 22 more British on at National Police about falsifying and grilled cants. applithe Olive Pressconfirmed to submitted documents Another with couple, tives are workingthat detec- card applications. their TIE not to be named, who asked alongside the Guardia told the Ol“We were wrongly Civil to now ive Press how vestigate all residencia in- for submitting they had been arrested questioned applifake padrons, cations in Alicante when they went to collect that his is anything made in even though we put the 2021. cor- “We weretheir TIE cards. rect ones in but the only gestor with our papertaken work for residencia,” read our rights into a room, dragged into business to be the investigasaid Jay explain and Elliott, 66, of tion Fraud why our 2021 told to who has livedOrihuela Costa, had been padron “Nobody has It comes after been arrested, ‘widespread over five years. in Spain for 2020 datedoctored to show a that is a fact,” fraud’ was allegedly - it was hell.”

All those detained adding: “Other he insisted, in over 22 Britons detected She and her friend Lily gestors are also being brought to become residentattempting gins, 71, had planned Hig- One Way Services, had used in as part for a based a gestor peaceful retirement here. of an ongoing This week a investigation in the revieja,in Quesada, near Tornumber of el- sun but are into TIE applications.” to process their the threat of now living with plications A police spokesman a court case - including aptold the or padron.

Olive Press: the “All residencia Owner Matt Smith insisted Continues on Page 5

21/6/19 13:30

Tel: 952 147 834

965 078 812 / 698 423 848

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CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Getting extreme SOME 44 municipalities in the Valencian Community are in a situation of ‘extreme risk’ due to the high level of COVID, despite the region’s 90% vaccination rate.

Mercy flight A GIRL aged 16 had to be rescued by air ambulance after she fainted while out hiking with friends in the picturesque Maimona ravine (Castellon).

Button up ORANGE and yellow warnings have been issued for high winds in several parts of the Valencian Community, with coastal temperatures expected to fall as low as five degrees over the weekend.

Scoot off A TOTAL of 61 electric scooter riders in Valencia city were fined on the first day of new bylaws being launched, with 43 of them penalised for using headphones, mobile phones or not wearing a helmet.

Bully chef’s pay-out A HEAD chef will have to pay €13,200 to a bullied kitchen assistant.

The female victim worked at the unnamed restaurant in Benidorm for 11 years between 2007 and 2018.

She had to leave however after needing treatment for anxiety and depression.

The chef harassed the assistant regularly with verbal abuse, branding her ‘useless’, ‘worthless’, and ‘lame’.

He also physically attacked her, shoving her around the kitchen, as well as throwing jar lids at her and hitting her with boxes.

The victim needed longterm counselling with mental health experts in addition to receiving prescribed medication.

A HUGE police operation has seen 31 people arrested in a nationwide operation against fake goods imported from a dealer in Bulgaria.

Over 19,000 counterfeit items were seized during raids in 14 provinces including Alicante, Castellon, Malaga, Murcia, Sevilla, and Valencia.

The police probe started in Sevilla in October when three people were

A DENTIST who was caught with half a kilo of cocaine on him claims it was for his own use.

Luis Senis, from Castellon, told a Valencia court: “I bought the drug for my own consumption. Perhaps if the police hadn’t caught me I would have died of an overdose.”

Now he is facing a four-year sentence after buying the cocaine - valued at €30,000 - for

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

Cocaine dentist

just €10,000.

“It never crossed my mind to sell the drugs to other people,” he told the court. His defence is calling for Senis’s acquittal on drugs dealing charges as ‘he had no intention of selling them’.

TURNING THE SCREW

Infamous assault on prison director ‘never happened’

A SENIOR director of an Alicante prison has been arrested for lying about five hooded men attacking her outside her Benidorm home.

The September 6 ‘assault’ was widely condemned across Spain... but it never happened, according to the Guardia Civil.

Imported fakery detained and their stock of 3,500 fake products removed.

The items included soccer shirts and tracksuits, as well as luxury branded bags and leather goods.

The arrested trio supplied the bogus goods to local street sellers and bazaars.

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The director of Villena prison has now been sacked after claiming she was assaulted by the hooded gang over giving evidence in a misconduct hearing the next day.

The hearing involved three Investigations revealed that the counterfeits were being dispatched from Bulgaria and the wholesaler and had other clients in Spain.

Some 19 additional raids were executed after police intercepted some of the identical packaging that was being sent to buyers.

The operation remains active as authorities want to identify the distributor in Bulgaria.

prison guards who were accused of beating up a mentally-ill inmate.

She had claimed she was grabbed from behind by the hooded men and punched in the face with a warning to ‘keep her mouth shut’.

The alleged attack led to Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande Marlaska, calling her a ‘true civil servant’.

Demo

A demonstration was even held in support of her outside the Villena prison gates.

The woman also claimed her mobile phone was stolen at the prison which contained threatening messages that warned her about testifying in the misconduct hearing.

A Guardia Civil probe reached the conclusion that her allegations about the missing phone and its contents were probably false.

Hit by fraud THREE fraudsters have been arrested in Castellon after allegedly stealing more than €68,000 from an elderly woman.

She had filed a complaint stating that she had been a victim of bank and card fraud 300 times over a period of several months before she noticed.

Police have arrested two taxi drivers and a woman.

They had obtained her card details and used them to pay for goods and services.

They also used their own credit card machines to ‘pay’ for bogus taxi rides then kept the cash.

Horse tragedy FIVE hay farmers are being investigated after the death of a horse and the poisoning of six others in a stable in Albocasser (Castellon).

Last October Seprona received a call from the owner of the stable saying his horses were seriously ill. One had died and he had to pay €10,000 in vet’s fees for the rest to be treated.

Police discovered that hay was to blame for the tragedy.

The officers tracked down the farmers and distributors responsible for the hay and are now investigating them for criminal damage.

NEWS NEWS

www.theolivepress.es www.theolivepress.es

PUSH THE BOAT OUT

SPAIN’S richest man Amancio Ortega is selling his biggest yacht for a cool €76million.

The Spanish fashion mogul, 85 purchased the 67 metre superyacht, Drizzle, in 2012 for €95million but now wants to upgrade his fleet and purchase a new boat worth a whopping €172million.

The Inditex found-

Right royal mess A RAPPER who fled Spain in 2018 after insulting the monarchy has another extradition hearing to fight off.

In May 2018, performer Valtonyc, real name Josep Miquel Arenas, fled to Belgium after being given three-and-a-half years in jail.

The Supreme Court upheld the 2017 verdict and sentence over a year later, prompting Valtonyc to flee Spain. Mallorca police set up a surveillance team to ensure he did not leave the island, yet he still managed to escape.

Belgian courts have rejected previous extradition requests but a new hearing has now been set for December 28 in the Ghent Court of Appeal. The Sa Pobla artist was convicted of glorifying terrorism, threatening rightwing politician Jorge Campos and making defamatory comments against the Spanish royal family.

er, who has a net worth of €70 billion, wants to upsize his boat to make his Mediterranean coastline cruises even more luxurious.

Lavish yacht Drizzle is now for sale on the website of the Mallor-

can company, Hamilton Marine in Puigpunyent, which specialises in luxury yachts.

The interior of the boat offers accommodation for up to 12 people, boasting seven double cabins for its occupants to sleep in.

SEX PEST GRANNY

A BESOTTED 72-year-old woman has been fined a mere €60 for sending sexually explicit and threatening letters to hunky Il Divo singer Carlos Marin.

Besides the small fine, a Madrid judge gave the Barcelona woman, named as Rosa, a sixmonth 500 metre distancing order barring her from approaching Marin and banned her from getting in touch with him.

Obscene

The problems started in February when Rosa started phoning Il Divo’s producer, telling him that she had developed ‘a platonic love’ for Madrid-based Marin.

The judge said the calls became ‘annoying, obscene and offensive’. She then started sending obscene letters directly to 53-year-old Marin, which generated a ‘certain un-

THEY are one of the most influential bands in the electronic music genre, and now Spanish fans will be able to see Kraftwerk life.

The German group has been around for decades, although it now has a much changed lineup, although the band is as innovative as ever.

Formed in Dusseldorf in 1969 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, they have influenced a diverse range of artists and many genres of modern music, including synth-pop, hip hop, postpunk, techno, ambient and club music.

Now they are one of the main acts

Il Divo singer subjected to campaign of sexually explicit letters

By Alex Trelinski

easiness and fear’ in him. The letters initially made explicit sexual offers and how she would ‘satisfy’ him.

The lack of a reply saw the tone of the messages abruptly change as Rosa’s written advances came to nothing.

Further dispatches referred to Marin as an ‘imbecile, fool, idiot, and a child prodigy’. The messages were also sent to his family and his Il Divo colleagues, as the language ramped up further to accuse the singer of being a ‘liar’ and being ‘married to

a prostitute’. The last straw was Rosa resorting to sending death threats.

Marin’s lawyer, Alberto Martin, said the singer had to stop meeting fans after concerts as he feared the woman might appear and attack him.

Announcing an at the new International Festival La Cala de Mijas, appeal against near Malaga. the sentence and Headliners are British group the the €60 fine, Arctic Monkeys who will be playMartin commenting their first Spanish date for ed that the judge four years at the event, which will ‘felt more sorry run from September 1 to 3, 2022. for the aggressor Also playing will be Australian than for the vicChet Faker, British bands Blostim’. soms and Hot Chip plus a lineup Il Divo is an interof Spanish artists. national hit clasTickets are on sale at calamijas. sical crossover com. singing group created in 2003.

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Top score BARCELONA captain Alexia Putellas has become the first Spain international to win the Ballon d'Or since 1960 .

She was crowned the best female footballer in the world as she received the Ballon d'Or Feminin.

Putellas, who was born in Mollet del Valles, is the first Spanish winner since Luis Suarez in 1960.

The 27-year-old was also named Uefa's Women's Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year and ended the 2020-21 season as the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe with 26 goals to her name.

Paris San Germain superstar Lionel Messi picked up a record seventh Ballon d’Or award at the event.

Putellas was one of five Barca players nominated for the award, with team-mate Jennifer Hermoso coming in second.

"Honestly, it is a bit emotional.

Very special. It is great to be here with all my teammates.

We've lived and experienced so much together, especially last season," she said. !I would like to thank all my teammates, all my teammates throughout my career and the ones I have right now. This is an individual prize but football is a team sport.”

The eagles have landed NINE White-tailed Eagles have been donated by Norway in an effort to re-introduce the species to Spain.

They are being kept in a special enclosure in Asturias as they acclimatize to their new home.

As one of eight bird species on the official List of Extinct Species, they qualify for the reintroduction project, which is being managed by conservation group GREFA. Young wild birds were taken from their nests in Norway earlier this year and sent to Spain.

They have been fitted with GPS trackers to monitor their movements once they are finally set free.

This first phase of the scheme is set to last two years, with it being used as a test to try different reintroduction techniques.

If this test phase is successful, it is planned to release 20 eagles a year for five years in a bid to build a breeding population.

Norway has previously provided birds for reintroduction schemes in Scotland, as well as current projects in Ireland and the Isle of Wight.

4 www.theolivepress.es needed Feeling Pass for a night on the town blue?

PHARMACIES across the Valencia region are joining forces to raise awareness of depression and its crippling effect.

A campaign will see leaflets distributed around 1,250 pharmacies.

Some two million people across Spain are diagnosed with depression, and the leaflet contains basic information about the condition along with recommendations for sufferers and their families.

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide according to the World Health Organisation and those who suffer from it are 21 times more likely to commit suicide.

COVID passports will come into use this Friday (December 3) around the Valencian Community.

Most hospitality and nightlife businesses will have to ask customers to produce a QR identification code that proves they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

A phone or paper certificate will be accepted, while a special app will be used by traders.

Exempt

Hospitality businesses with a capacity of under 50 people will be exempt.

People visiting hospitals or care homes will also need to produce a code.

A TRAGIC carbon monoxide poisoning incident has killed three members of an expat family in Valencia.

Police and ambulances were quickly on the scene in Catarroja when the eldest daughter came home late on Saturday

TRAGEDY: Paying respects

NEWS

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

PASSPORTS PLEASE!

By Alex Trelinski

A passport will also be needed for wedding receptions and baptisms plus music festivals (both inside and outside) where a mask cannot be worn at all times.

Bingo halls and casinos that have a restaurant will also have to adhere to the rule.

Valencian president, Ximo Puig said: “This move is urgent and necessary and

Poison tragedy night to find her mother and father and younger brother lying prone in the house.

Her family pets, a dog and a cat, had also succumbed to the faulty boiler, which emitted the lethal gas.

Neighbours gathered outside Catarroja Town Hall this week to pay tribute to the victims, a Romanian family who have lived in the area for 20 years.

The mother worked as a cleaner and the father as a mechanic and a bricklayer.

Initial reports claim there were no carbon monoxide detectors in the apartment.

ORDER: Ximo Puig

Donkey aid A VALENCIAN bookshop has launched a campaign where every purchase helps an animal association.

Up until the end of the festive period, for every book bought, La Tenda de l’Estudiant online shop will donate 5% of its sales to sponsor donkeys at the non-profit association Andrea.

The animals are used to stimulate people with physical, mental and social handicaps.

Shell shock both allows the safety of those vaccinated and convinces those who have not

More carbon dioxide deaths POLICE are investigating the mystery death of a couple found dead at their home in Lucena del Cid (Castellon).

Their bodies were found by their family after they had not heard from them for a few days.

An autopsy is underway, but it is believed they may have died from carbon monoxide inhalation.

The man was from Lucena and was 52 years old.

to get the jab.”

The new rule, rubber stamped by the Valencian Superior Court, will last for at least 30 days.

End

While the region’s high vaccination rate of 92% meant that it is ‘no longer dominated’ by the coronavirus, unvaccinated people have a 20-times higher risk of being admitted to intensive care. The president added that he hopes extra measures will not be needed over the festive period.

“We believe the COVID passport should be the fundamental measure to end the pandemic,” he said.

A GROUP of ‘vulnerable’ tortoises have been rescued from an owner who didn’t have the relevant documentation.

The man from Moncofa (Castellon), was investigated by the Guardia Civil for an offence of illegal possession of and dealing in the Greek tortoises.

Seprona discovered that he was selling nine hatchlings of the protected species online.

Of the nine, police were able to find seven.

Knowing the drill MORE than 200 firemen have taken part in a forest fire drill in La Presa.

The water treatment plant supplies 48 municipalities in the Valencia area.

In the simulation exercise, a forest fire coincided with a chemical incident inside the water treatment plant.

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NEWS

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Skull found at alternative community near Granada is ‘not’ missing Dutch expat, but man in his 40s IT was during a short walk with her dog before taking the kids to school that an expat got the most incredible shock of her life.

Wrapped up warmly against the winter morning in the Alpujarras, near Granada, she had no idea why Dragon started scratching madly at the earth.

Walking over she was horrified to discover that the German Shepherd cross had dug up a skull that she immediately knew was human.

Initially thinking it was a victim of the Spanish Civil War, she later realised on returning to retrieve it that it was much more recently deceased.

Horrified

“It was definitely fresher and smelled quite a lot,” the Romanian expat, who asked not to be named, told the Olive Press.

“My initial thoughts were that it probably belonged to a victim from the Civil War, as there were many people executed in this region and buried in unmarked graves.

“But when I picked it up later and put it into a plastic bag to stop Dragon from chewing it, I knew it was much more recent.”

The mother-of-two, who has

Gruesome discovery EXCLUSIVE

By Elena Goçmen Rueda

lived in Spain for 11 years, had soon got the father of her children to contact the Guardia Civil, in nearby Orgiva.

A patrol car was quickly on the scene, by the new age settlement of Beneficio, near Canar, where the expats live.

After taking the bag for safe storage, they went with her to visit the macabre site, which sits just below the main car park of the alternative community.

They looked around and, oddly, found no further bones or remains.

There was no sign of clothes or any other personal items, nor any signs of a struggle.

Expats told the Olive Press they had initially believed the head was that of a Dutch woman named Linda, who had an abusive partner and a teenage son.

“She had very distinctive teeth and we immediately suspected it was Linda,” said one.

“She left in strange circumstances and we were worried about her.”

A spokesman for the Guardia

DRAGON: Found the skull by the tree (below) Civil confirmed the discovery to the Olive Press and announced an investigation had been launched.

However, he denied that it belonged to the ‘missing’ Dutch woman and was ‘most likely’ a man in his 40s.

“The Judicial Police have taken over the investigation and it has now been taken to a laboratory in Sevilla for its study,” he said.

“DNA will be extracted and released to the Missing Persons database within the next two months.”

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He added: “We can assure you that it is not Linda, who is safe and sound and living in a commune elsewhere in Europe.”

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

5

By design…

TIME is ticking down to Valencia becoming the World Design Capital.

As from January 1 an exciting programme of events will kick off around the city.

It will include a series of exhibitions, conferences and events throughout the year highlighting all aspects of design.

Previous cities to hold the honour include Cape Town, Turin, and Lille and the aim is to acknowledge how design can be used as a way of boosting economic, social, and cultural development.

Over 25 venues and almost 100 groups are involved in the extensive line-up of events.

Seven 'Signature Events' jointly organised with the World Design Organisation (WDO) are expected to attract around 130,000 visitors including over 100 top-line speakers.

Beginning in June and running until November, events will bring together design professionals from across the world as well as holding activities open to the public.

These include street festivals, music events and workshops and a conference.

The year will end with the launch of the World Design Spotlight project, promoting design talent in the Valencia area.

A special launch night was held at the city's Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia last month after it was announced that Valencia had been chosen by the World Design Organisation (WDO) as 2022’s successful candidate.

HIGH DESIGN: Valencia is at the forefront

6

www.theolivepress.es 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 SALT IN THE WOUND BREXIT has complicated the life of tens of thousands of Britons who live in Spain.

For those who had been here for years and had all their paperwork in order, Brexit brought the occasional practical hurdle – the odd bureaucratic hoop to jump through in order to swap the old green residency card issued to citizens from EU nations for the new biometric TIE card, for example.

But then there are those who had to scramble to get themselves legalised, who had been slow to pick up on warnings to have everything in order and were then blindsided by the restrictions of a pandemic as Brexit approached.

Many of these people turned to ‘experts’ in the form of gestors to help smooth the application process, paying large fees to navigate a system that seemed baffling, especially without a good command of Spanish.

Help

It is particularly appalling when we have to report on the strife faced by those who sought the help of these experts only to be spectacularly let down and find themselves in a legal limbo over their residency status or facing pending action in the courts.

The situation that Lily Higgins finds herself in is even worse. Not only was she hauled off to the local police station to explain why her residency application included forged documents presented by the gestor she paid to represent her, but she has now been forced to return to the UK with nothing, her dream of retiring to sunny Spain in tatters.

Now she learns that the gestor she holds responsible for her fate, far from facing justice for his malpractice, has instead been rewarded with a position of power by the local council.

Brexit is to blame for a lot of things, but this has added salt to the wound.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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

Fiona Govan fiona@theolivepress.es

Kirsty McKenzie kirsty@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Simon Wade simon@theolivepress.es

Cristina Hodgson cristina@theolivepress.es

Elena Goçmen Rueda elena@theolivepress.es

Rob Kiteley rob@theolivepress.es

OFFICE MANAGER Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

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

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

Cross to bear

S

PAIN’S Catholic Church has refused to launch an independent inquiry into the shocking sexual abuse carried out within its ranks over the past 70 years.

Unbelievably it maintains ‘there’s only a few cases,’ amounting to ‘0.8%’ of the priesthood.

At the end of a week-long gathering of bishops in Madrid, it stated: “We are not prepared to undertake sociological or statistical investigations. Why is all the focus on the Catholic Church? There are cases in sports federations. Has FIFA or the Spanish Olympic Committee been asked for a general investigation?”

Claim

The Church also made the surprising claim that it was frontrunners on tackling the issue.

“We are the first Episcopal Conference in the world to approve a collection of norms with which to deal with cases of sexual abuse against minors,” Church spokesman, Luis Argüello, declared after the convention, although he admitted that none of the victims had been given the space to air their grievances during the gathering.

Spain is the only country in Europe, apart from Italy, to be downplaying the abuse.

Portugal has just given the

C

ARLOS Ruiz Zafon needs no introduction. Arguably the most recognised contemporary writer in Spain, he has an equally successful international reputation.

Translated into over 50 languages, literary critics have often compared Zafon to none other than Miguel de Cervantes in style, popularity and literary impact.

Carlos’s trilogy The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, combined with his most recent book The Labyrinth of the Spirits (El Laberinte de los Esperitos), are perennial best-sellers around the world.

Zafon’s series arrived on the publishing scene with contemporaries Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling. Their popular genre shared countless tomes: tormented characters, often seeking knowledge centered around secrets to be found in books and archives. ‘Tales

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2012 - 2020

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

green light for a national investigative commission, and France recently presented the 2,500-page Suavé report, car-

ried out externally but funded by the Church, on murky practises taking place in its inner sanctum, citing at least

216,000 victims of between 2,900 and 3,200 paedophile priests since 1950.

Other countries to have taken

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While the Catholic Church in France and Spain seek to investigate wrongdoings, Spain’s clergy hides and wriggles over child sex abuse claims, writes Heather Galloway

REFUSED: Carlos Zafon

Spain’s once-leading Author Carlos Ruiz Zafon, who died last year, refused to have his books turned into films, Jack Gaioni explains why within tales’, giving way to ‘books within books’, with multiple subplots became a flourishing subgenre with the reading public.

Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Rowling’s Harry Potter would go on to become record-breaking hits at the cinema box-office. Curiously, Zafon rejected the many lucrative offers to turn his books into movies and he had some very strong opinions as to why.

Pondered Carlos had been consistent with his personal mission to encourage people to recover the pleasure of reading. In our flashy, crazed world of the internet, smart phones, video games and digital streaming, Zafon believed the joy of reading was being forgotten.

“Reading”, said Zafon, “is a primal force in which we, the readers, collaborate with the authors to create adventures, empathy and memories not unlike those of our real lives.”

He believed ‘books are mirrors to the soul’ and by reading we develop stronger analytical skills by taking note of detail.

It is perhaps ironic

that before Carlos Ruiz Zafon became an international best seller, he began his career as a screenplay writer in the movie capital of the world - Los Angeles, California.

He was an avid fan of the film noir genre and had notable success as a Hollywood screenwriter. He would be the first to admit this genre, marked by moods of pessimism, fatalism and menace was a major influence on his later written work.

But Carlos saw a disconnect between storytelling as novel verses adapting that same story to a movie.

Movies, he believed, are experienced by the audience in one 90 to 120 minute block of time but books may be picked up and put down, pondered and digested, multiple times before completion.

Carlos believed that, by reading, content could be taken in at intervals dictated by the reader’s ‘rhythm of consumption’.

He once famously said that unlike movies, ‘books have no beginnings or endings - only points of entry’.

Since something is lost from the transition from books to movies, Carlos was emphatic in not wanting to spend the time remaking his stories into another media.

He claimed that developing characters and interlocking plots so precariously, he feared his stories would ‘explode’ if he tinkered with them by adapting

www.theolivepress.es

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

7

QUALITY COSTS (BUT NOT THAT MUCH) MUCH)

OLIVE PRESS WEB:

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FIGHT: Juan Cautrecosas (right) has been battling church abuse for years the plunge include Belgium, Ireland and Germany, with the US blazing the trail in 2002.

But after the Episcopal Confer-

them to the big screen.

Zsofon believed that by reading, one can better picture his books ‘shot by shot’, the way he designed them because that is central to the reading experience.

Tragically, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, that prolific Spanish novelist who has been compared to Cervantes, succumbed to cancer last year and died in his prime at age 55.

He will forever be remembered as an outlier in the world of storytelling. It is rumored that Zafon took the time to declare in his last will and testament that his books ‘never, never, never’ (his words) be made into movies.

Rest in Peace Carlos….

ence’s jamboree, hopes were dashed for more transparency from Spain’s clergy, which hitched its wagon to the dictatorship during the Franco years and appears to still be clinging to a sense of impunity.

“The ecclesiastical hierarchy of Spain should stop committing g o n e the sin of arrogance and asone step further, producing a sume the institution’s responreport admitting to the abuse sibilities. of 81 minors by 65 Jesuit “It should treat the victims and priests between 1927 and survivors of paedophilia with 2020. respect and empathy, providBut the Spanish Church’s ading compensation and reparamissions have only served to tion for the sake of truth and infuriate the victims and the justice. associations representing “These are values that they them. intend to con“It is shameful tinue to shun,” and intolerable the director of The church that they conthe Foundation tinue to deny should stop of Stolen Childthe truth,” says hood (ANIR) Juan committing Cautrecosas, Cautrecosas told whose own son the Olive Press the sin of suffered sexushortly after Ararrogance al abuse in an güello delivered Opus Dei school the verdict. in Bilbao in The facts and 2010 at the age of 12. figures within Spain remain The priest finally got sentenced conveniently vague, though to 11 years in 2018, which was Cautrecosas is convinced that incredibly reduced to two years in reality they mirror those of by the Supreme Court, while France. “They are the same if the family paid dearly for seeknot higher,” he says. “The figure ing justice, with threats that of 0.8% is absolutely false.” drove them out of their home.

So far, the Church in Spain has But calls for more accountabilrevealed that 220 cases have ity have fallen on deaf ears, come under internal investigawith the Church insisting that tion between 2001 and April victims should approach its 2021 while the Jesuit Orown Offices for the Protection der has of Minors that were set up in March 2020 on the orders of Pope Francis.

According to Argüello, the Church will attend to anyone who comes to these offices, which can be found in each of Spain’s 70 dioceses.

But, as ANIR’s CautrecoNO PROBLEM: sas has been quick to claims point out: “It is vital to look Luis Argüello for neutral organisations to investigate rather than those in which the damage was done,” adding that, to date, the Church’s Offices for

the Protection of Minors have ‘had very little effect and lack rigour.’

Tellingly, Argüello insists that the offices have received few complaints since they opened a year and a half ago.

In fact, according to the ANIR president, victims have found the press to be a more effective vehicle for getting their stories heard, with El País compiling a database of 945 victims and 363 cases to date.

“Without the media, many victims wouldn’t have been able to come forward,” says Cautrecosas. “My son was 12 when he was abused. He still suffers from the after-effects of the abuse. It’s not like flu that you can take a paracetamol for.

“When we spoke out, our lives were made impossible, as has been the case for many of the victims in our association.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising the Spanish Church is dragging its feet on an independent investigation, given the damning indictment delivered to representatives of France’s Catholic hierarchy in Lourdes during the presentation of the Suavé report at the start of October.

“You are an embarrassment to our humanity,” François Devaux, director of the victim’s association La Parol Libérée told them.

What is clear is that the Spanish Church’s victims feel abused, first physically by a member of the priesthood, then emotionally by the apparent indifference of an institution that looks loathed to come out from behind its veil of silence.

UBLISHERS the world over, from the New York Times, to The Telegraph decided the way forward was to charge for their content a few years back.

Here in Spain it is also seen as the way forward, with all the big media groups adopting paywalls, from giants like El Mundo and El Pais to local publications such as Diario Sur and Ideal.

The Olive Press joined them a year ago. And now with more than 30,000 subscribers we are definitely on the right track.

With hundreds more signing up each month, it is gratifying to know that readers share our obsession with quality.

After all, for less than 14 cents a day - or €1.50 a week - readers can join our online revolution.

And with our current HALF PRICE SPECIAL OFFER UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR readers can help us keep real journalism alive and flourishing in a world of fake news.

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LETTERS

8

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

MISSING LETTERS

es – in fact Editor’s note: Many apologi wrong grid. we inadvertently printed the take for 382 Good to hear it’s our first mis spotted at issues... well the only one you this issue! least! We’ve double checked

On the make

WITH reference to your article On the Make asking whether town halls are deliberately not sending legal notices to citizens.

We purchased an apartment in Casares in 2011. By using a local lawyer we assumed all that we needed to do was done.

It came rather as a shock that in September of this year we had an embargo on our Spanish bank accounts and didn’t know why.

After investigating with the bank and speaking with our lawyer it became apparent that it was for purchase tax on the apartment that we were totally unaware of.

This seemed incredible such a bill could be chased some 10 years later, with no warning.

The town hall claimed that they had sent two letters to us in 2012, both of which we did not receive.

In order to release the embargo we were forced to pay them over €7000 - including 10 years interest.

We have never owed money to anyone before, and had we received the original letter that they claim they sent we would of course paid it straight away.

We feel that in some way we have been rather harshly dealt with by Casares Town Hall, and even let down.

ANDALUCÍA

Mijas Costa

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Vol. 15 Issue 379

Your expat

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Mijas Costa

October 6th - October 19th 2021

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15th 2021

Find out about 10 capital citiesSpain’s

See page 14

EXCLUSIVE

By Dilip Kuner

The box is open

AN expat is facing prison for failing to demolish fell foul of a his home after he faire’ planningtown hall’s ‘laissez Gurney Davey,rules. found out about aged 67, only the six-month sentence when was delivered a court document to a neighbour’s house.

“I went straight with it. They to Tolox town hall have received told me I shouldn’t Olive Press. it yet,” he told the “They said they were going to sending the be once they had notification to me The news camestamped it.” from the blue as a massive bolt wife has just for Davey, whose which he believesdied of cancer, the stress of the worsened from He had never case. court case thatbeen told about the a Guardia Civil followed on from denuncia for ‘illegal build’. an Davey’s two-bed 2004 - should home - built in built according never have been to the Malaga court.

We give you MMMore... ...Marvellous Monuments, Maharajas and Monasteries Moving Moguls

British expat faces demolition year home and a spell in of his 17 repeat of controversial prison - in Priors case

AN Olive Press reader has claimed that foreigners ing targeted by Spanishare behalls wanting to pocket town extra cash.

The expat, based in FLASHBACK: believes that a penalty Madrid, + Two recent + fine wrong address victims non-payment of ground for 952 147 834 made our front page (IBI) on a property was rent ‘a set up’.

It comes after the Olive + + recently reported on two Press in Andalucia, where expatscases Tel: 952 147 834 147 834 their homes due to the 952lost incorrect mailing of legal demands .

In one case, Gurney Davey was forced to knock down home after his house was his time I found out it was too was told ‘these things to have been built illegallyruled late.” happen court case that he knew in a Meanwhile a hotelier in Ronda sometimes’ but I still had to noth- was left furious ing about. after having to pay the penalty for late paypay a €900 fine ment.

The Guadalhorce resident only ter was inexplicawhen a IBI letfound out about the bly sent to her ment when a neighboujudge- ex-partner’s office in Marbella him about a demolitio r told - despite all her documentation n notice being registere “It stinks of a racket to which had been wrongly deliberd at the Ronda ately ad- address. make money and I have dressed to them instead to wonder whether they The British resident And last issue we reported are in Ma- targeting those how drid meanwh with Victoria Jenkins and her son Press how ile told the Olive names around Spain as foreign were thrown out of their letters demanding less we are capable of fighting back?” that had been ‘secretly’home the annual IBI on her property sold were sent to totally the wrong from under them at Have you been delibera over a paltry €4,000 auction building. tely debt to “Meanwhile the local council.

I kept asking for a targeted? Do you have story about legal the bills, and was “For months and months and all drid town hall thattold by Ma- official notices going the legal notices were to they would an address that didn’t sent to come in the post. Eventually the wrong address? How explained Jenkins. “Byexist,” when I found out what had has it affected you? Get in touch at newsdesk@the the happened and complained, I livepres os.es.

NAMED: Schiffer, Guardiola, Blair and Iglesias

A HOST of Costa gangsters, oligarchs and celebrities have been Expat mum and teenage son lose home caught up in a giant offshore tax after courts send legal notices to wrong scandal.

Former king Juan Carlos, football address despite earlier family court ruling manager Pep Guardiola and singer Miguel Bose, are among the biggest Spanish names stung in the WHEN Victoria Jenkins’ partner Lee EXCLUSIVE so-called Pandora Papers. did a runner leaving her and their

By Fiona Govan But it is the Italian gangster Raf- son on the Costa del Sol, she faele Amato, who was arrested in think life could get any worse. didn’t to bring up my son as best I could,” Malaga, model Claudia Schiffer, But the expat family have been who has a home in Mallorca, and ed after their €320,000 homeevict- she said. was Then in November 2020, there Julio Iglesias, who lives in Mar- sold at auction without their was a bella, that will be of most interest edge over an unpaid property knowl- knock at the door and she was given tax. locally.

The Essex mum from Chelmsford an eviction notice.

“It turns out that my ex had All of them have been exposed as had moved to Mijas with her partner debt of unpaid ground tax a €4,000 having offshore accounts alongside when their child Samuel was with the four- town hall so they put a forced at least five Spanish politicians in years-old. sale on it and someone bought it at auction the giant trove of documents re- But when he left to go on a business for €25,000.” leased this week.

HOMELESS: Victoria and trip to Indonesia some years In total, around 600 Spaniards she never heard from him again.back, Samuel and (above) the are now under scrutiny after being Her nightmare got worse urbanisation they lived on Sold named in the Pandora Papers leak, took an incredible three when it years of Amazed that the house her husband I be too late when which was compiled by over a doz- court appearances to win full I was never inen media groups around the globe. dy of Samuel, now 14, with custo- paid €320,000 was sold off for so formed in the first place?”

The papers also put the spotlight finally ruling she could staya judge little, she immediately went to the She was told that she must vacate the in the court to find out how it happened property by October 5 on Russian oligarchs and godfa- family home until her son this week, but turned 18 without her knowledge. can launch an appeal in Madrid. ther Amato, who used offshore in 2026.

“I was told it was a done deal and that That however will take many companies to amass wealth and “I gave up any hope of child months support this final eviction notice was defini- and up to 14 weeks alone assets around Malaga. just to get a because Lee simply vanished A series of well-known expats, such thin air, but although our home into tive and that my time to defend it had legal aid lawyer assigned to her case. was passed because I had ignored all the “The judge said I was out as pop star Shakira and Nobel-Prize in his name, it was paid off of time and and I was previous legal notices. that the eviction must go ahead,” she assured we could stay in it until my “I took a private lawyer with me Continues on Page 2 son reached his 18th birthday,” she the court to demand my case file to said, sobbing. “I’m packing up our and stuff and have told The discovered that all the previous legal go and stay on no choice but for us to O l i v e notices had been sent to the wrong And so it camea friend’s sofa.” to pass when yesterPress. address. day the previous “I just got “My lawyer said I could appeal be- her to stay in court order allowing on with cause of this but a year later and still pletely ignored the home was comwith the duo being t h i n g s no one will listen to me. I keep being evicted. and tried told that I am too late. But how can “Two court officials, two police officers, the two new owners, a locksmith and some other guy showed

v a l i d

f o r

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c u s t o m e r s

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S u b j e c t

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E n d s

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd 1

THE SKY DOCTOR

up, eight in total, all to make sure that we left the premises,” she added, clearly heartbroken.

O f f e r a l i d “I had* my stuff vpacked fup o r and n e met them at the gate and was told to gow to c court TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd tomorrow to get the paperwork 1 if I want to launch an appeal. It was horrible,” she added.

She continued: “It’s a total scandal that our home worth €320,000 can be sold off for just €25,000 for the sake of a €4,000 debt without our even being informed.

“But it’s actually inhumane that they are going to make my son homeless.

“His father abandoned us but ALL AREAS COVERED I thought that at least we have a roof over our heads but now 4G UNLIMITED that has been taken despite a INTERNET court order promising us anIDEAL FOR other five years.

“I was never even given the STREAMING TV chance to stand before a judge ALSO IPTV, and argue my case. This is not SATELLITE TV justice.”

The Olive Press was hoping to tel: (0034) 952 763 840 get some answers on the case before we went to press. info@theskydoctor.com

Tel: 952 147 834 TM

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S u b j e c t

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21/6/19 13:30

THE SKY DOCTOR

See page 11 & 18

TM

* O f f e r

Legalise

In 2016, and Davey was then again in 2017, ordered to down his house, knock with a neighbour,but, in common he waited for more details.

While his Irene Millan,Spanish neighbour, hear from the29, did eventually was given six court again, she her property months to ‘legalise’ - an option was never given.

Davey However, his ent good luck neighbour’s apparsoned chalice. turned into a poiHaving spent €20,000 with DEMOLITION: town hall to legalise the Expat Gurney the dwelling, Davey is being the court finally forced to knock refused to accept lan, whose name the new paperwork was down his own provided by deeds, was also sentencedon the cancer, at the house and faces the council. age of months jail and to six months Instead, demolition handed a fine six “We thought we had71, in April. jail from legal firm €6 of thing right done Manzanares, which went ahead was ordered - Nowa day for a year. at the time. every- them that planning told the smart Davey is terrified last week. legal advice We got would To add insult thing to do. and went be applied for permission “Why would to injury Irene’s lose his home at any he is set to lawyer 54-year-old father, in order to get through a cen - or ‘warehouse’. as an almawe moment. build illegally? deliberately try to permission Manuel Mil- It comes just two months to build the home.

This way it would It makes no sense his wife Diana since that died from bowel “Diana fought breast remit of Tolox come under the in we would sell up everything cancer the UK and risk six years before town it all.” bowel cancer for would give permissionhall, which Now Davey’s - I they could and later avoid first thoughts am sure the ‘legalise’ are to serving the jail stress brought The language of onethe property. legal letter, He said: “My lawyer is sentence. seen by the Olive it on.” trying to Press, suggests get the sentence suspended.” this would be The a mere formality. couple, originally from But the property never ALL AREAS COVERED got legalFlatten Suffolk in the ised.

In fact, the In the meantime UK, Tolox mayor spent time, he has of the forced to ask €150,00 Juan 4G UNLIMITED the town hallbeen 0 jailed and Vera, has since been permission for building their fined to knock his INTERNET scheme to allow for his part in a property down. own property.

IDEAL FOR erties to be built up to 350 prop- “I will do it “It came as myself. on land classified a JCB STREAMING TV package - a as ‘rural’. from someoneI will borrow and flatten my home of plot with a newa In most cases he ALSO IPTV, had used very same ‘lax’ will not let thethe past 17 years. I home on it.” town hall do procedure of the charge SATELLITE TV it and apDavey admits plying to build an me more money.”

See page 5 & 15 he and his wife try to keep the prying‘almacen’ to He added: “I’ve no tel: (0034) 952 were perhaps Junta authorities away.eyes of the live afterwards. Butidea where to 763 840 the land is still mine - maybe naive to follow “We thought that info@theskydoctor.com was the way tent.”

I can live in things worked the advice a in Spain,” said www.theskydoctor.com Tolox Ayuntamiento their lawyer. of Davey, a retired builder. refused to “We went to comment, citing The see a lawyer lawyer, advice. data protection and got laws.

It turns out o that was not c o n d i t i o n s .

E

X

Yet another case

X

g to do the OP I’VE just had a bit of a laugh tryine of your very issu last the in rd swo Cros k Quic good paper. clues have been Unfortunately, the wrong down s! clue ss acro e’s issu used with this usion until I It initially caused quite some conf s offered just clue t join the eventually realised that would not work together! as it has caused Anyway, don’t worry too much laugh once good ty pret a have to I and wife my have ever we one first the r erro the sed we’d reali OP. the spotted in r virtually since We have been getting your pape publication your y enjo ys alwa you started and and sudoku and always enjoy your crossword riment!! but this time it caused us much mer will happen so We understand that mistakes ght that we’d thou just we lem prob no e’s ther other of your y man sure e we’r as know let you know that you let to and do also readers will ed us and caus it ent sem amu the we’ve enjoyed paper in your ying enjo inue that we hope to cont t clues for the the future - hopefully with the righ crosswords!

J & S FJ. Mijas (Malaga)

Are town halls On the Make in an effort to earn cash?

The

Dear Olive Press,

I AM sure the people of Rojales will remember the Gota Fria when the Segura River rose above the arches.

It was carrying so much rubbish that two machines were placed on October 20th NEWS November 2nd 2021 5 top of the stone bridge to scoop the junk out into lorries in an attempt to save the river from overAre town halls flowing.

O deliberately P targeting expats A year later Rojales council was fined €5,000 for NOT AGAIN for cash? not cleaning up the rubbish and allowing it to HEARTLESS build up again.

Now there is a massive build-up of reeds in the Cowhich vers thecould again block the chanRiver Segura, whole of Spain nel and to once more lead to flooding in the Vega Baja.

With the current deplorable state of the river, now it is time the Confederacion Hidrografica Racket Offer a numb deler Segura paid a visit to the PSOE council of different plans(CHS) to suit all budg ets Most competitive Natio nal funer al planmake in Rojales and them take action in clearing provider in the whole of Spain All funds the river. just need to leave enough vegetaare prote cted by anThey independent trust OFFICE HOUR tion forS:the wildlife.

10.00am-18.00p m europl www.theskydoctor.com

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ans@comparefuneral.org tel: +34 911 436 813 www.comparefuneral.org

JB, Quesada

What for?

YOU ask if town halls are deliberately not sending letters so they can earn some extra cash through fines.

I have no idea - but I did get a letter threatening me with an embargo if I did not immediately pay €120 to Fuengirola council.

It, of course, did not tell me what this demand was for.

As I had to go into the office to pay anyway I decided to ask what it was for.

Big mistake! I was sent to three different queues in my quest to find the reason, and all I got was a shrug of the shoulders.

Some two hoyrs of queing later I was finally worn down and just joined the last queue - to pay up.

I am now €120 poorer, and still have no idea why!

John Iillis, Casares

David Anderson, Fuengirola

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 7 Be overcomplimentary (4) 8 Scion (8) 9 Like suits and boots (8) 10 Transmit (4) 11 On a lower storey (5) 12 The Stanley ---, an unusual very early car (7) 15 Straddling (7) 16 Military training centres (5) 18 Party enforcer (4) 20 Court statement (8) 21 Least dry (8) 22 Cole Porter’s “Anything ---” (4)

Down

OP SUDOKU

Sorry!

Action needed

1 Incivility (8) 2 Dance director (13) 3 Dunce (5) 4 Puts on (7) 5 Nowadays (4,3,3,3) 6 Showing signs of use (4) 13 Business deductions (8) 14 Taken for one’s own (7) 17 Most isolated city in the world? (5) 19 Political hardliner (4)

All solutions are on page 22

10

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GREEN

Water solution

New technique tested to replenish underground water supplies A NEW method of replenishing underground water supplies is to be trialed in Spain.

Researchers hope that the plan will increase underground reserves by 15% with a 99% saving in power needed and carbon emissions.

The Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) system will use recycled water from Marbella’s La Vibora sewage works. Some 50,000 cubic metres of the cleaned water will be added to the underground supplies using ‘surface infiltration’ rather than existing pumping technologies.

The pilot project is being run by the EU funded Life Matrix environmental organisation alongside the Acosol water company.

If successful it could be rolled out to other parts of Spain such as Valencia, Alicante and Almeria, which suffer from drought and water shortages.

Marbella was chosen for the pilot as it is in an area that suffers from high ‘water stress’, especially with the influx of summer tourists.

Researchers see it as an area which needs better management of its water

resources and the perfect test bed for ‘non-conventional’ techniques and technologies.

The managed aquifer recharge system proposed

by Life Matrix will bring together different solutions to make sure the quality of the MARBELLA: Site of the pilot project water is high and soil structure is not destroyed. search Centre Foundation, with the Life Matrix, co-financed by the Eu- participation of Cetaqua Barcelona, ropean Commission’s LIFE pro- Water Technology Centre; the Hygramme, coordinated by Cetaqua drogeology Centre of the University Andalucia, Andalucian Water Re- of Malaga (Cehiuma) and Acosol.

Exceptional drought THE water resources of the Axarquia region are slowing to a trickle with La Viñuela reservoir, the biggest in Malaga province, at just 18.79% of its capacity - its lowest since 2008.

The decrease in water levels in the last year has led the Junta to decree the reservoir in a state of ‘exceptional drought.’

The concern about the state of La Viñuela reservoir is shared by farmers in La Axarquia, who fear there will not be enough water to irrigate their products.

Not only is the shortage jeopardising crop irrigation but the water could become unfit for human consumption due to a concentration of heavy metals.

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

Grim and dry future SOUTH-EAST Spain faces a 40% fall in water resources by 2050 if remedial action is not taken, according to Ecological Transition Minister, Teresa Ribera.

Speaking at an Alicante water conference, the Minister said that areas like Alicante Province, Murcia, and Malaga Province would suffer more than an average water loss of 24% for the rest of Spain.

Teresa Ribera said: “There has been a review of all of our infrastructure to produce the right response to what lies ahead.

“If no measures are taken, droughts will

affect 70% of Spain in 30 years time,” she added.

Ribera’s grim scenario also suggested up to 75% of the Iberian Peninsula could be at risk of desertification if nothing was done.

She called for better connectivity between water confederation companies in the south-east as well as increasing desalination capacity and upping recycling rates.

“Intelligent management is needed, together with digitalisation; adaptive crops; flood prevention and improved efficiency,” said Ribera.

Martin Tye explains why not enough being done to save us from climate change

TWISTED LOGIC

Green Matters

By Martin Tye

A

S the dust settles after the COP26 conference held recently in Glasgow, what outcome can we expect ?

Some strong commitments were made. Are they sufficient to save our planet ?

I think not.

India highlighted the main reason we will fail – GREED. Just as COP26 closed, authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, shut all schools and colleges indefinitely because of the level of air pollution.

India and China insisted on modifying the final agreement on fossil fuels. Instead of ‘phasing out’ the use of coal, they jointly insisted on the words ‘phasing down’ being used.

How mad is this?!?

Delhi is submerged in a pungent toxic haze.

Citizens are subjected to levels of PM2 far higher than the World Health Organisation’s safety guidelines.

A figure below 50 is acceptable. Delhi recorded a level of more than 400, causing long term damage to people’s health.

As hospitals start to fill up with patients complaining of wheezing and breathing difficulties, the Indian government continues to

SMOG: Lethal haze is covering Delhi

push on with its use of coal.

This form of twisted logic will be the reason the world will fail with its mission to control climate change.

Powerful nations will continue to put financial and economic gain above the planet’s needs.

Bad air kills more than one million people in India.

SO WHAT WAS AGREED IN GLASGOW ?

Martin Tye is the owner of energy switch company Mariposa Energy.

Call +34 638145664 or Email him at martin@mariposaenergia.es

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LA CULTURA

Valencia-bound for Bardem bounty A FILM starring Javier Bardem has broken a Spanish film awards record, landing a giant 20 nominations.

The Good Boss (El Buen Patron) is expected to be the big winner at the annual Goya Film Academy gala taking place in Valencia in February.

The comedy-drama, directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa, tells the story of a factory boss who bends over backwards to help his workforce.

Besides nominations for Best Director and Best Movie, Bardem (left) has also picked up a Best Actor Goya nod.

The film is also in the ‘Best International Film’ category for the Oscars in March.

The Goyas, now in their 36th year, will see Penelope Cruz attending the gala at Valencia’s Palau de Les Arts on February 12.

The Spanish star is up for a Best Actress nomination for her role in the Almodovar film Parallel Mothers.

AN Iberian sword considered to be of great historical value was discovered among looted archaeological treasures offered for sale online.

The sword, which has a bird’s head hilt, is thought to date from between the third and second century BC and was likely plundered from an ancient grave where it

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

POISON ART

THEY may be stunning examples of art from our ancestors, but Spain’s famous cave paintings could have poisoned early artists. Analysis of 5,000 year-old bones found in 23 sites across Spain and Portugal has found evidence of mercury poisoning. Scientists from the University of North Carolina Wilmington analysed the remains of 370 people who lived during the Late Neolithic and Copper Age.

Toxic

It was found that the highest levels of mercury were found among those living at the beginning of the Copper Age – between 2900 and 2600 BC. Researchers said the unusually excessive amount of mercury is attributable to cinnabar, a toxic mercury sulfide mineral with a shiny purple colour.

It was traditionally used as a paint pigment, with ancient tombs in Andalucia found

LOOT FOR SALE was buried with the warrior who owned it more than two thousand years ago.

Spain’s Policia Nacional tracked down the seller who had a stash of more than 200 artifacts pilfered from archaeological sites in Spain.

Ancient people found to have high levels of mercury

They arrested the seller, a man from a town in Jaen province in Andalucia, who is now facing charges for theft and offences against national heritage.

Described as an ‘Iberian falcata’, police said it had ‘possible remains of silver

ART: But it could have been deadly to our ancestors

By Kirsty McKenzie

covered in cinnabar powder.

Ancient people used it to paint chambers, decorate figurines and even daub on the dead.

Since the end of the Copper on the blade, and is in a very good state of preservation’ “The fact that the piece has not been used since the owner’s death - the weapon is buried with the warrior when he dies so that no one can use it increases its value due to the rarity of finding pieces in this state,” police said in a statement.

Age and early Bronze Age, the use of cinnabar has gradually declined.

Researchers hypothesise that people from Portugal and Andalucia could have accidentally inhaled or consumed large amounts of mercury from cinnabar during various rituals and painting sessions.

Levels of up to 400 parts per million (ppm) were recorded in the bones of some of these individuals.

“Taking into account that the WHO currently considers that the normal level of mercury in hair should not be higher than 1 or 2 ppm, the data obtained reveal a high level of intoxication that must have severely affected the health of many of those people,” researchers said.

Potters find A STORM that hit the coast of Malaga has uncovered two ovens dating from the Roman era on the beach of San Pedro in Marbella—a mere five metres from the shore.

The archaeological remains are believed to be part of a big Roman industrial zone that once produced a fish paste called garum and even bricks for export around the Med. It is all connected to another settlement of Cilniania, of which a number of remains are currently protected and open to the public.

The remains are currently fenced off and being monitored around the clock to prevent looting.

Thieves in the past stole a valuable Roman mosaic from a villa at nearby Puerto Banus.

The image of Medusa is believed to have been stolen to order and has been replaced by a replica.

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LA CULTURA NAZIS ON THE RUN

NEW book once again throws the spotlight on the history of the Costa del Sol as a refuge for wanted Nazis after World War II. While many of Germany’s most wanted men fled to South America in a bid to escape justice, many more did not have to travel across the Atlantic to dip under the Allies’ radar.

They found a home in Andalucia instead, as Jose Manul Portero’s new book, Nazis on the Costa del Sol, reveals.

It deals with how the region provided shelter and tolerance to Nazi criminals, the privileges they enjoyed and how this process has affected the country.

“Before, during and after the Second World War, Hitler’s Germany found in Franco’s Spain the ideal place for its finance and espionage activities first, and as a safe haven later”, Portero explains.

The Costa del Sol was not the only Nazi sanctuary in Spain but it was a particularly significant one, due to the quantity and ‘quality’ of those who fled here.

So-called ‘Doctor Death’, Aribert Heim, ‘Adolf Hitler’s adopted son’, Leon Degrelle, and ‘Scarface’, Otto Skorzeny were just a few of the infamous Nazis who hid out in Malaga’s then remote coast and countryside.

With Germany’s defeat in World War II, thousands of Nazi leaders were tried, convicted or executed and others subjected to the ‘denazification’ processes.

But others, pursued by Israel or Nazi hunters like Simon Wiesenthal, fled to Spain, thanks to the good relationship between Hitler and Franco.

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

How notorious high ranking fascists made a home in Franco’s Spain

of the ideologues of Austrian Nazism and a fugitive from justice in his country.

“Malaga had some unbeatable Portero, the former headmascharacteristics: excellent climatter of a secondary school in ic conditions, gastronomy, ideal Benalmadena, came across terrain for hiding and its proximVioleta Friedmann’s story, ity to the coast of Africa, which an Auschwitz survivor who made it easy to flee if there were fought a court case against problems,” explained Portero.

Hitler’s right hand man, Leon Also, the friendly Degrelle. presence in FuenHe settled girola of Jose in Spain for Dozens of Nazis Antonio Giron de years and did Velasco, Minister several interspent their of Labour who views with helped several retirement safe Spanish magNazis during the azines, where and secure in time, gave them he tried to dispeace of mind. miss the realthe Spanish sun So much so that ity of the Hodozens of Nazis locaust while spent their retiregiving free ment enjoying Malaga’s sun. rein to his anti-Semitic views.

Some of them lived for decades He also gave an in-depth exundisturbed, without their neighplanation of the amount of bours even knowing about their aid the Spanish government shameful past. provided during his stay.

Portero, who has lived in Benal“If I am alive now and grandfamadena for decades, tells how ther of six Spanish children, it’s he even shared a table with because the Spanish people, Gerd Honsik, whom he knew as in the great moment of coward‘Don Gerardo’. ice, have behaved like great, He described him as ‘a gentlecourageous and noble people”, man who conversed pleasantly he said in an ABC interview in in Spanish’ without giving a hint 1945. that he was one Degrelle never missed an opporBy Elena Goçmen Rueda

UNREPENTANT: Otto Remer (below left), his funeral programme and Aribert Heim (below) Marbella has also been home to as translator for Hitler in meettunity to tell people what Hitler some of the most important Na- ings of the highest level. allegedly once whispered to him: zis who fled to Spain.

Even the publication of the list “If I had a son, I would like him to Otto Remer, who was in charge of 104 Nazi criminals sheltered be like you.” of putting down Operation Valky- in Spain in 1977 by El Pais did Spain repeatedly refused his rie, the assasination plot against nothing to prevent the propoextradition, protected him by Hitler, was one. He lived peace- gation of anti-semitic views in staging a false escape and even fully in Marbella until his death Spain by un-reconstructed Nagranted him Spanish nationality in 1997. zis. and name: Jose Leon Ramirez ‘Doctor Death’ Aribert Heim, who Gerd Honsik boasted of having Reina. killed and tortured countless printed 80,000 copies of his patients through grisly ‘experi- book, which supported the Naments’ such as direct injections zis, in Barcelona. of toxic compounds like gasoline Degrelle gave lectures and had into the hearts of his victims was no problem publishing his memanother to seek a home in Mar- oirs. bella.

Even Erik Norling, a friend of Also in the city was Otto Skorzeny, Degrelle’s, estimated that some ‘Scarface’, who was personally 15,000 Nazi sympathisers were commissioned by Hitler to carry able to visit him or listen to his out Operation Oak, which ended rallies during these years. with the rescue of Benito Mussolini on the Gran Sasso.

Some of these Nazis even bePortero states that ‘to consider came respected figures.

Hans Hoffmann, affectionately that nazism disappeared with known as Juanito, was honorary the death of Hitler and the deconsul of Germany in Malaga, feat of Germany is a simplicity without anyone apparently giving that few can believe at this point importance to the role he played in time’.

The ‘tenacious’ fight of Friedmann against Degrelle made him write this book, and he decided to finish it by telling another survivor’s story: Nobel Prize winner and Auschwitz survivor Elie LAID BACK: Leon Degrelle Wiesel. enjoying life at his finca La “In his work The Night, WiCarlina en Sevilla esel says that to forget the victims is to kill them a second time,” he concludes.

Rallies

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LA CULTURA

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

FROM BIG APPLE TO WHITE ISLE

Meet the flamenco dancer from New York who used Spain’s lockdown to forge a new career in folk music

T’S no small feat for a foreigner to make it big in Spain’s competitive world of flamenco.

But that is exactly what Leilaunching her own projlah Broukhim, a New Yorkects. er with Sephardic Persian But it all ground to a halt heritage, achieved when as the pandemic took hold she inauguand the narated Madrid’s tion went into Centro CulturIt all ground one of the al Flamenco in strictest lockto a halt as February 2019 downs in Euwith a show rope.

Spain went inspired by For Leilah Federico Garinto a strict though, hangcia Lorca. ing up the lockdown It was the culCastañuelas mination of meant an optwo-decades portunity to spend more mastering the art of flatime on another of her menco, forging a career as passions: music. a dancer on the tablao cir“It was tough to suddenly cuit before stop flamenco, especially as the Madrid show was proving a success,” she told the Olive

By Fiona Govan

Press. “But in fact, the enforced pause brought an opportunity to think about the other things I wanted to do.”

She spent lockdown in a remote casa on the island of Ibiza where she concentrated on writing her own music, playing guitar and singing.

“I’ve been singing since I was a kid, doing musical theatre in high school and at college but I started learning guitar in 2015 so I could communicate better with my flamenco guitarist.

“However it soon became

apparent that flamenco guitar wasn’t really for me and when I started playing regular guitar and very soon after I found myself composing my first song.”

I didn’t even know that side of me really existed but it magically appeared and it’s a true blessing to be able to express myself with lyrics and through music.

“All of my songs are very closely related to my experience, especially in love, and I find it very thera-

peutic to forming be able to express myself concerts accompanied by and my feelings through ‘the band’ – Nico Martin my music.” on electric guitar, Jesús “It’s an amazing way to Caparrós on bass and get things from my heart Shayan Fathi on drums. out and to share it with “Playing live is a whole others. And if it resonates other ballgame, especially with others, that’s a true with a band. gift.

“Playing with “It comes out a band, with naturally, I try Playing live is such amazing not to force it,” artists who says Broukha whole other bring their im, who own talent, during lockballgame, their own style down released especially with and their own her music vidinspiration to eos on Youa band the music. tube and per“I feel like formed live it’s almost a concerts on Instagram and dream that I have got to Facebook. this point, it was never But now that entertainexpected or planned but I ment venues are back in just feel so blessed that I action, Broukhim, who am able to play my songs describes her style as an that I created on my sofa American psychedelic folk in my living room to an sound, is taking it to the audience on a stage with next level. such talented musicians.”

She has now startes per-

BUSINESS LA CULTURA

Hourly rate

THE Spanish government has raked in more than €1.5 billion in fines on companies who failed to properly record their employees’ working hours.

Since a new law was enacted in 2019, employment inspectors have detected 1,274 infringements. This means each guilty company has been fined an average €1.2 million.

So far this year, 401 businesses have been penalised for not noting the correct hours their employees work.

The Labour Inspectorate has also ordered 300,000 temporary contracts to be made permanent this year.

The government is warning businesses to get their houses in order, saying inspections have increased by 355% over the past two years in a crackdown for employees’ rights.

And companies that abused the pandemic ERTE scheme have also been targeted. Some 44,393 cases have been initiated, with 35,190 finalised, resulting in 5,832 penalties.

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

Peace deal

15

Metalworkers call off strike in Cadiz after union reaches pay deal with bosses

METALWORKERS unions have called off a strike that had led to angry protests and violent clashes with police in Cadiz after reaching a pay deal with company bosses.

The strike involving some 20,000 workers lasted nine days before a preliminary deal was struck.

Pleased

“I am pleased that companies and metalworkers have reached an agreement,” confirmed Andalucia’s regional leader Juanma Moreno.

POO POWER Strikers had cut off access to industrial zones during nine days of largely peaceful protests which occasionally flared up into violent clashes.

At one stage riot police dispersed picket lines formed by burning containers using tear gas and rubber bullets.

Telefonica windfall

SPANISH telecoms giant Telefonica could be in line for a €1 billion tax refund thanks to a National Court ruling.

Judges have ordered the Ministry of Finance to pay back the sum due to overcharging over a decade ago.

The period covers 2009 and 2010 with the court stating that Telefonica paid too much Corporation Tax. The money would be returned in the form

of tax credits for the telecoms company. The Ministry of Finance is studying the National Court verdict before deciding whether it should appeal to the Supreme Court.

Though having its roots in Spain, Telefonica is present in 11 other countries including the UK where it operates the O2 brand and provides services to other mobile operators.

The company reported a record global profit of €9.3 billion in the first nine months of 2021.

Unions called the strike amid demands for wage increases to be linked to the consumer-price index as inflation soars with rising power costs.

They want rising inflation, recorded at 5% in October, to be reflected in their salaries, while industry leaders were instead offering 2% salary hikes over the next three years.

Both sides accused the other of inflexibility during five rounds of abortive talks before finally striking a deal in Sevilla.

However, the terms of the deal have not yet been made public.

Cadiz, with a population of 116,000, is one of Spain’s poorest cities, where the main industry is shipbuilding and unemployment is over 23% far above the national average of 15%.

BOSSES of Barcelona’s transport system are looking at ways of running the city’s buses on sewage.

They want to turn sewage sludge left over from waste water treatment into biomethane in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

EU funding through the Nimbus Project is being used to try and create greener public transport.

According to TMB public transport operator, 70% of its fleet ran on diesel fuel in 2010. By 2020 75% of its buses were hybrid or running on less polluting energy.

But the 1,100 strong fleet is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels with their associated CO2 emissions, and air pollution problems.

The process will work by gathering sewage sludge at water treatment plants and tunning it into fuel.

The biogas created is made up of methane and CO2 which is at present stored in large silos to be burned to power the plant.

Instead, from March the CO2 will be removed leaving biomethane which can be stored under high pressure to be used as fuel for buses.

At the moment just one bus is being tested, but the plan is to have 46 of the methane-fuelled buses in the fleet by 2024.

A BIG THANKS!

C

What we have learned from the year just passed

AN you believe that we are nearly at the end of 2021?! Whether it’s been a good, or not so good year for you, there’s no denying that it has absolutely flown by!

So we thought that we would take the time to look back on the last year, and the changes that came along with penalties for late filing of tax, in line with the new Mait! king Tax Digital for Income Tax system - with the aim The beginning of the year was very much still oversha- to be more supportive of those with genuine reasons dowed by the COVID-19 pandemic - whebehind mistakes or late filing, whilst still ther you were in the UK or sunny Spain, penalising those who are consistently late. unfortunately there was no escaping the But it wasn't just the treasury changing The much disruption and sadness brought on by cothings in the first half of the year! The beanticipated ronavirus, and the impact that it had on ginning of June saw the much anticipated the world’s economy. release of the brand new and improved release of And in line with the changes brought to the 2.0! APARI 2.0 has been built by APARI 2.0 was APARI economy, the March Budget was announlandlords & self-employed taxpayers, with in June ced, offering support packages for those the aim to simplify tax and empower its affected. Furlough and the Self Employed users with their own tax data - we, pretty Income Support Scheme were extensimply, want to Make Tax Doable for YOU! ded, offering financial support to those in By allowing users to seamlessly upload and allocate need. The Stamp Duty holiday their banking transactions, and choose their submiswas extended, offering sion route of either SA100 or MTD, we are giving UK a welcome reduc- taxpayers the ability to be in control of their own tax t i o n journey! t o And that’s not the end of the APARI story - we have also t h o s e released two other brand new products - so keep your t r y i n g eyes peeled for our Ten Minute Tax, and Simplified Tax to get products! Both offer quick, easy, and reasonably prionto the ced options for taxpayers with different tax needs, a UK proper- jargon-free way to submit their tax return directly to ty ladder, or HMRC! p u r c h a s i n g Unfortunately the latter part of the year brought some another buy- slightly disappointing news - that Making Tax Digital to-let property, for Income Tax would be pushed back for a year, from and the personal 2023, to 2024. APARI, as the frontrunner for MTD for allowance was in- income tax, has been raring to go for quite some time, creased to £12,570 but HMRC (with some pressure from various external (but fixed until 2026). stakeholders) felt that more time was needed to bring HMRC also used this such a big change into play. The good thing is that the time to announce new pilot scheme will be extended, giving taxpayers more

of an opportunity to get to grips with MTD before it becomes a legal requirement!

Looking back on the year, the APARI team would like to thank Olive Press readers for their support and interaction with APARI over the last year! We hope you’ve learned lots about tax, and that it has been of some benefit to you!

Have a happy and healthy festive season, and here's to a great 2022!

For all the latest information and advise, visit www.apari-digital.com

•Coinciding with 3-6/DIC2021

From December 3 to 5 - 2021

feriaautomovil.es

V A L È N C I A NEW / COMMERCIAL / USED

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL INCREASED numbers of police officers will be patrolling shopping areas across Spain in the run up to Christmas.

The Policia Nacional have ramped up their presence in places that attract a large number of people.

Besides commercial and leisure areas, officers will be at seasonal markets as well

Bounced out LOW cost carriers Ryanair, Vueling and EasyJet are among the world’s lowest-rated airlines according to figures compiled by luggage storage firm, Bounce.

The study however makes no reference to fare prices or what the priorities are for passengers.

The Bounce 2021 Airline Index survey combines passenger experience reports for the first six months of this year along with punctuality assessments and luggage allowance limits to produce the rating.

Bounce also used reviews for services like in-flight entertainment, seat comfort and meal quality to produce its index with a top score of 10.

Ryanair is the fourth-worst, with Spanish carrier Vueling sixth, and EasyJet seventh.

VivaAir Columbia was rated the world’s worst.

Santa patrol

as pounding the beat on busy streets in towns and cities.

The aim is to cut crime in shops as well as thefts from people doing their shopping.

Under the auspices of the ‘Safe Commerce

BRITS visiting Spain now have to be fully vaccinated before they are let in.

Spain has changed its entry requirements for UK citizens due to a surge in COVID cases.

Up until this week, people with a negative test or who could prove they had already had COVID could also enter.

Border

But this is no longer acceptable, and from now British citizens will have to show their certificate of vaccination.

The new regulations were issued in the Official State Gazette (BOE) under measures taken on travellers from non EU and associated Schengen countries.

These regulations will remain

December 2nd December 15th 2021

17

Plan’ created in 2013, each province will have a dedicated strategy to cutting crime at a busy time of the year.

The boosted visible police presence is once again expected to act as a deterrent for potential offenders.

Leaflets will be distributed to traders warning them about some of the tricks .

No vac no entry Brits entering Spain must have vaccination certificate in force until Midnight on New Year’s Eve. The news comes after Portugal decided to set up mobile random COVID patrols on its border with Spain.

The controls will make sure

Happy campers DENIA council has changed rules banning overnight stays for motorhomes at beach car parks.

It comes as a new car park is being constructed at Les Rotes beach with specific places designated for camper vans.

“In these times caravan and motorhome tourism is booming which has led us to change the parking laws,” said a council spokesman.

people crossing the land border are either vaccinated or have a negative COVID test, with the aim of bringing land crossings into line with airports and ports.

But they stop short of full border checks, relying on traffic police and border agencies to ensure regulations are met.

Meanwhile, Spain has said it will introduce restrictions on flights from South Africa and Botswana in the wake of a new COVID strain discovered in those countries.

The announcement came shortly after the European Commision recommended an EU-wide travel ban to and from southern Africa due to the rapid rise of the B.1.1.529 variant.

I

tourists who stay in the Balearic Islands, introduced in the Law 2/2016 of 30 March, varying from €1 to €4 in an attempt to promote sustainable tourism.

Currently, Brits have seen how Brexit limits stays to 90 days out of 180 days spent in the EU Schengen area. This rule even applies to those who own property in Spain but do not have Spanish residency. Spain’s economy relies heavily on British tourism – it is not in the country’s interest to put up roadblocks for Brits wanting to enjoy their second homes in Spain.

Visa

British people are making a stand, asking for the EU’s reciprocity with the UK to allow their citizens to spend six months in Spain for touristic reasons, the same that the UK allows EU visitors.

Those who wish to spend half of their time between the two countries should not be penalised and nobody should be deprived of the ‘peaceful enjoyment’ of their home in accordance with the European Human Rights Convention (EHRC).

While some British citizens are considering

F you ever fancied owning a beach-side home close to Valencia city centre, then real-estate agents Playa Patacona Home Services offer the professionalism you need to secure a dream home. The agency has an extensive property portfolio that covers not just La Patacona Alboraya beach but all around Valencia City and the surrounding area.

Owner, Aritz Pagett, said: “2021 has been a good year after the pandemic and I would describe the property market as hot.”

He added that they are getting clients from all around the world including the UK, the United States, China, as well as closer to home from across Europe.

Playa Patacona Home Services offer a close personal and professional service to its clients, be they a buyer or a seller. There are no language issues either as everything is conducted in English including all the laborious paperwork. Aritz Pagett said: “We believe we are the only English-speaking real-estate company in the area.” Buying the right property needs experience which the company offers, having spent over a decade in the La Patacona Alboraya beach area.

The agency observes three core values:TRANSPARENCY: Both the buyer and the seller must be given all the necessary information they need with total legality and openness. Everybody needs to kept informed of what is happening at every stage of the process.

Playa Patacona Home Services removes the stress of home buying and selling by handling many key aspects. That includes contract negotiations, changing utility suppliers, and obtaining an energy efficiency certificate.

QUALITY: The team will work hard to make sure customers get the home that they really want and are presented with a variety of choices, backed up by professional local knowledge.

TRUST: Maintaining close contact with clients builds up a bond of trust leading to satisfied customers.

Playa Patacona Home Services removes the stress of home buying and selling by handling many key aspects. That includes contract negotiations, changing utility suppliers, and obtaining an energy efficiency certificate. There are also plenty of holiday rental vacation homes on offer for a break to remember. www.patacona.es - 699 334 455 Address: Avenida Mare Nostrum, 48, 46120 Alboraya, Valencia.

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Spain still needs British tourism to continue growing Julio Prieto is a Barrister and Abogado at Del Canto Chambers.

I

Professionalism and expert advice from Playa Patacona Home Services

on the beach

SAY NO TO TAX! T was recently announced that the Valencia region has begun talks which may lead to the introduction of a new tourist tax, generating significant controversy.

Many consider this to be a rather inappropriate moment to bring in new costs to a sector which needs to recover to pre-pandemic levels to boost the economy.

In stark contrast, in a move to attract tourism to the isles of Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera and Cabrera, the regional government of the Balearic Islands reduced the tourist taxes in April 2021 to the establishments, i.e. tourist accommodation such as hotels, aparthotels and campsites, which experienced a fall in 2020 of 18.5%.

This means the Balearics were the most visited destinations in Spain with around 3.3 million tourists.

Some 11.8 million people visited Spain last summer, of which only 1.5 million were British. This was primarily due to COVID restrictions in the first two quarters of 2021. The Spanish economy is distinctly dependent on international tourism, specifically on British tourists and investment.

The concept of the tourist tax is certainly not new as many other European countries, Italy, for example, require a contribution from tourists staying in various types of accommodation that are paid directly in the tourist establishment.

In the Balearic Islands, the regional government introduced measures to bring a ‘sustainable tourism’ at a time when the level of tourism in the Balearics was overwhelming.

The so-called ECOTASA is a tax imposed on

THE PROS

legal action to tackle the restrictions newly imposed on them, others are choosing to re-assess where they call a second home and are obliged to look for other residency options such as the Golden Visa or the Non-Lucrative Visa that may create further tax obligations depending on the number of days staying in Spain.

Gaining residency in Spain needs to align with your reasons for spending time there so that the right visa is obtained.

For example, those looking to conduct business operations from Spain might want to consider the Entrepreneur Visa, while those looking to make investments in the area (e.g., via property or other large assets such as boats) might find the Golden Visa best suited to their needs. The third option is the Non-Lucrative visa, which applies to those wanting to live in Spain and have the financial means of being self-sufficient.

Tourist taxes are just one in a number of tax liabilities that apply to Spain. Thus, it is worthwhile seeking the right legal and tax advice for your residency options in Spain, which will allow you to remain in Spain for a longer period than is permitted under the Schengen rules, whether you own a property in Spain, conduct business out of the country or you simply want to retire to a sunnier climate.

As the authorities begin clamping down on those who are considered to be overstaying their welcome in Spain, we at Del Canto Chambers are advising an increasing number of clients wanting to apply for Spanish residency.

To make a no-obligation enquiry, please either call Del Canto Chambers now on: +44 2070 430648 or complete our online form on www.delcantochambers.com contact page, which after receipt we will come back to you within 24 hours.

Our office in Ibiza is located on: Calle Illa Plana 7, 07800 Ibiza, Islas Baleares.

Contact us directly on 971 761 171

www.thinkSPAIN.com

18

I

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL Palaces of luxury

t doesn’t get more luxurious Rooms cost from €900-a-night than this. A deep-filled ja- but the foyer, a grand space cuzzi in a marble-clad salon with sweeping staircases that set beneath a golden dome once housed the banking floor with a sparkling chandelier that and now uses teller tables as a wouldn’t look out of place in a reception desk, is open to the public, the perfect spot for a ballroom in the Palacio Real.

This is the bathroom in the Royal coffee meeting, afternoon tea or Suite of Spain’s most upmarket pre-dinner cocktail. hotel, The Four Seasons Madrid, The highlight is the rooftop a 400 square-metre apartment restaurant by celebrity Marbella which encompasses the former chef Dani Garcia who has deoffice of the notorious banking signed a brasserie menu showcrook Mario Conde, former chair- casing dishes from his former man of Banesto before he was three-Michelin starred restaurant in Marbella along with crowd jailed for embezzling €13 million “If only the walls could talk,” pleasers such as his burger with laughs hotel PR manager Marta foie-gras.

Centeno Sampere, as she gives Step outside the Four Seasons, the Olive Press a tour around its cornered façade rising like a the most expensive suite in all of prow of ocean-going cruiser, and take a short stroll past Spain’s Spain.

Only those with the very deep- parliament and along the Paseo est pockets, like Conde himself del Prado to the newly unveiled Mandarin Orionce had with his ental Ritz (also money-laundered with an average millions, could afWell-heeled nightly room rate ford the €20,000 of about €900). a night for a suite locals sipping The Belle-Epoque equipped with a palace was one private gym, quarnegronis or of Cesar Ritz’s ters for security smoking cigars three original staff and an ex(alongclusive lift straight on the terraza properties side Paris and to the car park to London) when it ensure guests the opened to great utmost privacy.

The hotel opened in September fanfare in 1910. But by the turn 2020 after a spectacular €600m of this century Madrid’s Ritz had redesign and almost a decade lost its gilt and its faded glory was of building work to incorporate a draw only for those hankering seven buildings between Puerta for the past. del Sol and Sevilla known as the But after undergoing a much Centro Canalejas regeneration needed renovation it is yet again project that also includes 22 pri- one of the most opulent destinavate apartments and a shopping tions in the capital.

Here well-heeled Latin Ameriarcade of top brand stores.

Within the hotel, wide corridors cans take afternoon tea or enjoy stretch like galleries showcasing the classic menu at low tables some of the 1,500 artworks com- beneath the glass canopy in the missioned specifically for the ho- Palm Court while a pianist tinkles out Frank Sinatra tunes on the tel by emerging Spanish artists.

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

GRAND: Facade of the brand new Four Season, Las Brasas restaurant at the Villa Magna and its wine cellar keys of a grand piano.

The Mayor of Madrid, the PP’s Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida strides through with his entourage en route to a private dining room.

In the stylish cocktail lounge, Pictura, a saxophonist plays gentle jazz, while a group o f

By Fiona Govan

American businessmen discuss foreign markets and a young couple sip the house champagne Ruinart.

Outside, the Ritz Garden offers al-fresco dining with an amuse bouche tapas menu, and designer cocktails attract a younger crowd with money to burn.

The big draw is Quique Daaosta’s Deessa restaurant where a tasting menu, served with a course entirely dedicated to caviar, comes with an eye-watering starting price of €180.

While the Ritz is conveniently located for art lovers just steps away from the Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia, the newest of Ma-

AS TRAVEL reawakens in the post-lockdown world, Spain’s capital has repositioned itself to attract the big spenders drid’s deluxe offerings is closer to Spain’s upmarket shopping district in Salamanca.

The overhauled 1970s beast, the Villa Magna hotel, reopened in October as a Rosewood, where an overnight stay starts at €600.

Here, rooms look out over the tree-lined Paseo de Castellana while the ground floor is divided into dining spaces which include the brasserie style Las Brasas, an elegantly casual café offering exquisite patisserie and the late night Tarde O, where you’ll find a mix of visitors and well-heeled locals, sipping negronis or smoking cigars in the central terraza.

Friends navigate between tables with large shopping bags from boutiques on nearby Calle Serra-

no hinting at expensive purchases within.

While the Four Seasons has Dani Garcia, and the Ritz has Quique Dacosta, the Rosewood has its own star chef with Jesus Sanchez, whose restaurant Cenador de Amos in the hills outside Santander boasts three Michelin stars.

His Madrid offering, simply dubbed Amos, brings the best of his Cantabrian cuisine to the capital.

These three new openings of high-end hotels within the last year have already created a buzz that promises to continue into 2022 with a new Marriott, a Hard Rock Hotel and an Evok.

It’s all part of a concerted plan to position Madrid as one of the premier luxury destinations in Europe to compete with London and Paris.

“Madrid has everything that lends itself to a luxury destination,” believes Fabian Gonzales, CEO of newly created think-tank Forward_MAD which has been created to drive the capital’s new tourism plan to attract the type of traveller who spends an average of between €20,000 and €30,000 on each trip.

“It has a privileged location, great air and land connections, and a reasonably good

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL ‘ Putting on the Ritz December 2nd - December 15th 2021

CHIC: Breathtaking beauty of the new Ritz bar climate. From the tourist point of view, it boasts a historical and cultural heritage that is recognised throughout the world: museums, entertainment, gastronomy, shopping etc but what was needed was a rebrand,” he said.

“The perception of the city is al-

ready changing.”

Marta Centeno Sampere at the Four Seasons agrees. “As a native of Catalunya it pains me to say this but Madrid is most definitely the rising star while Barcelona has gone off the boil,” she said.

RELAX

THE first thing I’ll do if I meet Jamie Oliver is to give him a big hug for what he has done to paella.’

This is the surprising confession spoken by three Michelin-starred chef Quique Dacosta as we sit at the top table in Deessa, his newly opened fine dining restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid, where I have just enjoyed one of the most memorable meals of my life.

There is no paella on the menu here, but Quique is referring to an incident that threatened Anglo-Spanish relations almost as much as the issue of sovereignty over Gibraltar after the British chef posted a recipe for paella that included chorizo.

The inclusion of the Spanish sausage in the traditional rice dish deeply wounded Spaniards and led to an almighty spat with one commentator declaring that ‘wars had been declared for less’.

“My point is that Jamie has had such a huge influence on promoting world cuisine, even if he made a big mistake with that recipe,” explains Quique with a wink.

“The paella incident was an opportunity for us to really talk about one of our emblematic dishes, and that can only be a good thing.”

The stylishly bespectacled chef has since opened an arroceria restaurant in London’s Fitzrovia where he serves 10 different pae-

19

Meet the Michelin starred chef who is bringing his exquisite dishes to Madrid from Valencia, writes Fiona Govan lla dishes – none of them with chorizo! The 49-year-old is the culinary genius behind the Valencian region’s only three Michelin starred restaurant, his eponymous Quique Dacosta in Denia as well as El Poblet in Valencia’s old town which has won two Michelin stars.

Not bad from someone who started out as a pot washer in a trattoria at the age of 14 and is entirely self-taught.

“I trained myself from classic French recipe books and then combined those techniques with the simplicity of Spanish dishes.

“I cooked instead with local produce, substituting the expensive ingredients required for French haute-cuisine with what was available.”

He showcases simple flavours such as Denia’s famous red prawn – paired with a saki rice wine in an inspired stroke of genius - in the dishes included in a tasting menu at Deessa that includes an entire course dedicated to caviar and fish roe.

His alchemy is epitomised in a dish named simply ‘hard boil egg’. The outer white shell made from a delicate skin of white asparagus bursts at the press of a fork to reveal an oozing rich interior of yolk

THE RITZ: has reopened with Valencia’s Quique Dacosta at the helm. Our Fiona grilled him.

enriched with the flavour of a caldo.

Oysters are served on a verdant green gel of celery aspic, while his Melba peach and gold leaf dessert has been created especially for the restaurant at the Ritz in homage to its legendary chef, Auguste Escoffier.

And like Escoffier himself who turned the Paris Ritz kitchens into standards for excellence.

Quique is set to do the same at the Madrid Ritz where he is gastronomic director across all the dining ‘universes’ as he calls the different restaurants.

In the Palm Court, he has designed a classic menu including traditional favourites such as sirloin beef Wellington while a champagne bar offers tapas

of oysters and elvers.

The luxurious cocktail bar, Pintura, is dedicated to what Quique describes as ‘liquid cuisine’ while the Jardin restaurant offers more casual al fresco dining with a menu that includes amuse bouche tapas and paella.

“I was given complete freedom to create what I wanted here in Madrid. It was an incredible opportunity to bring the same ambiance and dining experience of the Denia restaurant but place it in a hotel environment and with the vibe offered by the capital city,” he said.

“It is something entirely different, but I hope with the same soul.”

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY Looking for an exciting winter trip, just a few hours away by car? Why not take the El Chorro Challenge, in an area now known as Southern Spain’s Lake District, writes Jon Clarke

K

NEES knocking and nerves jangling many a thrillseeker has navigated their way along the death-defying Caminito del Rey, before taking a dip in one of the trio of stunning turquoise lakes nearby.

It had long been dubbed the ‘world’s deadliest walkway’ (understandably with no handrail and big sections missing) until the Caminito reopened seven years ago following a €9 million upgrade.

But you’ll still need a head for heights taking this high-adrenalin hike that runs through the El Chorro

gorge, an immense fissure five kilometres long and 300 metres deep as it slices through towering limestone cliffs.

Set between the two postage stamp-sized villages of Ardales and El Chorro, in the province of Malaga, it is no wonder this area has garnered the nickname ‘the Andalucian Lake District’, in part thanks to a series of Olive Press travel articles over a decade ago.

The scenery is more akin to the countryside of Cumbria or the cantons of Switzerland than the average scenery on the Costa del Sol with the two villages linked by hairpin bend roads past the shimmering reservoirs bordered by sandy beaches and shaded by feathery conifers.

With lakeside campsites, it’s the quintessential active weekend break for outdoor sports types, offering rock climbing, watersports, pedalos and dining under the stars at charming pine-shaded ventas.

The true highlight though is the Caminito itself, a path in-part pegged to the side of the deep gorge, which once allowed workers to build and later get between two hydroelectric projects installed at the beginning of the 20th century.

It opened in 1905, inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII leading to its regal name, but fell into disrepair in the second half of the century.

This is when the daredevils

marched in, making the walkway back to your car at the other end. a sort-of rite of passage for teen- But that is certainly not the end agers and extreme sports enthu- of your day’s adventure. There is siasts from around the region. a lot to explore in the area, with Badly maintained and missing one incredibly interesting side key sections, this unsurprisingly trip up to the ancient ruined city led to a number of deaths with of Bobastro, found by taking a the drop to the river below being side road uphill just a few clicks over 100 meters, or 330 feet. outside El Chorro.

Even after the authorities com- A fascinating place, it was here pletely closed it by removing in the ninth century that rebel large stretches of the walkway Muslim leader Omar Ibn Hafsun, in 2000, more people died, with declared independence from four alone between 2009 and the Moorish kingdom of Cordo2013. ba, leading to deThe walk today is cades of conflict It was here properly organand the setting up that the ised and the path of an impregnable extremely well mountain redoubt defunct BBC maintained with that was hard to safety its main capture and even soap opera priority. There are harder to find.

Eldorado was monitors at all Today, you can exthe key sections plore the site, with once filmed and information its various buildpanels and maps ings and ruins at many places en route. that suddenly emerge in clearYou will need to book in advance ings amid deep woodland. Most as numbers are limited to just fascinating of all is an ancient 1000 visitors each day and the church that was literally hewn path is accessed via a long tun- out of rock, with circular shapes nel from near the main car park as windows, one presumes. and a couple of excellent lake- This is all part of the upper reachside restaurants. es of the Guadalhorce Valley, It is a reasonably long, two-hour which has been a popular place hike with the highlight being the for expats to settle for decades. amazing bridge near the end, al- Reached via Malaga, Antequera though the scenery throughout is or Marbella, the valley is full of breathtaking. white-washed pueblos like Tolox, Once completed you will find Guaro and Monda, with its imyourself in El Chorro village, pressive hilltop castle and stunwhere there are various places ning nearby gorge. to eat and where you catch a bus Once a best-kept secret, thou-

sands of new visitors are discovering this lesser-known valley thanks to the El Chorro Challenge.

The polar opposite to the glitz and glamour of the nearby coast, which is just 20 to 30 minutes away, the valley offers a more peaceful, relaxed way of life.

Largely rural, the lifestyle here is much more typically Spanish than the nearby resorts.

Coin, the region’s ‘capital’ has an emblematic church at its centre and a multitude of winding cobbled streets full of whitewashed houses. It was here that the defunct BBC soap opera Eldorado was once filmed, on a self-contained set still intact outside the town.

Set up by the Romans, who made it into a market town before largely abandoning it for almost 500 years, Coin was brought back to life by the Moors, who rebuilt it in 950 AD. Much of this later success came from the quarries of marble and iron ore which were used in the construction of Sevilla’s famous settlement of Italica, the birthplace of the future Emperor, Hadrian.

Reconquered by the Christians during a long siege in which Christopher Columbus allegedly took part, it was also popular with another great explorer Captain Cook, who visited in 1829.

After a visit to Cartama, Alhaurin

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

21

STUNNING: Fantastic scenery is an added extra of the Caminito del Rey, while (left) nearby Bobastro, (far left) church in Alora, while (below) the lakes near Ardales

and Coin, he wrote, ‘These villages are on rising ground above the river and in beauty of situation and cultivation cannot be excelled.

“They afford a specimen of the whole country when possessed by the Moors, being surrounded by gardens with orange, lemon and palm trees and abounding in all the fine as well as the more common fruits.”

Even today, the Guadalhorce Valley is considered to be among the most fertile in all Spain.

Crisscrossed with streams, as well as modern and ancient acequias (man-made water channels), it has as much modern cultivation as it has wildlife, while signs of its fecundity are found in the villages where you can pick oranges and lemons that line the streets.

To the west of the valley, the soaring Sierra de las Nieves has seen even less human interference, leading to it being recently declared a National Park, Andalucia’s third, after Donana and the Sierra Nevada.

Apart from the few towns and villages on its outskirts, the park is largely uninhabited, with a rich variety of pine, fir, ash, chestnut and oak trees, and countless streams and waterfalls.

Rambling and horse riding are all great ways to explore its undiscovered beauty.

The park is easily accessible from the picturesque villages of

Tolox, El Burgo and Yunquera, which possess a charm all of their own.

Tolox is a tumble of whitewashed houses where the villagers have even gone so far as painting the tree trunks white, to reinforce the pueblo blanco look.

Yunquera is slightly bigger, with one of the most picturesque church spires in the Guadalhorce Valley although its emblem is the ancient castle towering 500 metres above the village.

Alozaina is embedded like a jewel in a setting of olive groves and

the village’s charming centre is marked by stone arches while the church – the crowning glory in most of these pueblos - can be seen against the skyline from the narrow streets below.

From the striking Santa Ana church itself, there are spectacular views towards the Sierra Prieta.

A half an hour north east you cannot miss Alora, which can be seen from miles around.

This stunning place packed with Moroccan and Roman influences is topped by a castle, which

sits on a lofty pinnacle looking down on this quaint pueblo.

A stop at the 17th century La Encarnacion church en route is the perfect prelude to the main event atop Cerro de las Torres hill.

The castle has had a long and chequered history. Originally built by Phoenicians, before being expanded under Roman rule, it was destroyed by the Visigoths and rebuilt by the Moors.

Last, but not least, as you head back down to the coast it is likely you will head close to Cartama,

with a castle of its own looking down from high above.

But Cartama, while an attractive place to while away a morning, is now becoming known for something far more international: its famous annual cricket tournament.

This small white town is now home to the Cartama Oval and the recently inaugurated European Cricket Championships, which kicks off again in February.

The 2022 Bet2Ball European Cricket League (ECL22) finals will take place over six weeks from February.

Dubbed as ‘the Champions League of European cricket’, ECL22 is a 30-team tournament including the champions of England, Ireland and Scotland, as well as teams from the likes of Jersey, Austria, Hungary and Switzerland.

22

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

A NEW agreement to improve finances and boost passenger numbers at Murcia’s struggling Corvera airport has been struck with the regional government.

The COVID pandemic severely impacted services using the airport which opened in January 2019.

Even prior to the pandemic, flight service numbers were lower than those at the previous San Javier location.

Corvera help

‘White elephant’ airport to get boost

Convenient

San Javier was more convenient for international travellers and expats with homes around the Mar Menor and further afield like on the southern Costa Blanca.

Corvera operator, Aena, has now reached a deal with the Murcia government to make changes to its initial contract due to the current economic situation.

The alterations include cutting fees for carriers until pre-pandemic economic conditions are restored. In December 2020, the Murcia government gave Aena €2.6 million to help it deal with the

impact of the pandemic.

Aena’s General Director, Javier Marin, said: “Corvera is in a very good position to boost its connectivity.

“It is a modern airport, with great capacity and safe from a

health perspective as accredited by the ACI (Airport Council International).” Marin referred to working closely with Murcia authorities to ‘reactivate and increase the visibility of Murcia as a destination’.

OP Puzzle solutions

Across: 7 Gush, 8 Offshoot, 9 Wearable, 10 Send, 11 Below, 12 Steamer, 15 Astride, 16 Camps, 18 Whip, 20 Pleading, 21 Sweetest, 22 Goes.

Down: 1 Rudeness, 2 Choreographer, 3 Booby, 4 Affects, 5 This day and age, 6 Worn, 13 Expenses, 14 Adopted, 17 Perth, 19 Hawk.

SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

COLUMNISTS I

have always been a cat person. With a lifestyle that is best described as erratic, cats, with their independent outlook on life have always been my pet of choice.

If I have to spend a night away, 50 Shades will normally hunt and dispatch some unfortunate campo creature if she gets peckish. Usually leaving some indescribable remnant on the terrace as a warning not to forget to feed her again.

Before being adopted by 50 Shades, my feline companion who strolled in nonchalantly one day and decided that she liked the place (as several human house guests have done over the past decade. But with worse manners), I had no idea of the rich variety of wildlife that surrounds the Casita.

Field mice, birds, rats, rabbits, grouse, stoats – have all been proudly deposited on the kitchen floor at various times, to be greeted by myself with muffled oaths as I reach for the disposal materials.

When the current, long

December 2nd December 15th 2021

It’s a dog’s life Cat person Giles has a new furry friend

term (over four years) house guest therefore mentioned that she would be looking after an elderly Spanish couple’s dog, I was a little alarmed. What sort of dog? Knowing that the owner was a keen hunter, who kept him in the backyard of their house, I was concerned that the hound’s instincts might kick in and, with four cats currently lounging at the Casita, there would be a frenzy of fur.

“I’m not a dog person” I muttered darkly to myself

as I parked in the drive that night.

And there he was.

Buli, the sweetest natured Spanish Water Dog, who looked absolutely terrified at the sight of me climbing out of the Landcruiser. But after a little coaxing, he crawled over to me and licked my hand.

So I’m now both a dog and a cat person and, although negotiations are still ongoing, Buli might just have found a new home. It’s a dog’s life…

A TOUCH OF CLASS BOUTIQUE HOTEL

VILASIRA: A haven in which to enjoy fine wines, the best local food and pampering treatments

T

HE 10-hectare estate of vineyards, olives and almond groves sits on the edge of the Hoces del Cabriel Natural Park.

Welcome to VILASIRA, a privileged escape, where you quickly connect with nature, while also immersing yourself in a world of wine, good food and pampering luxury.

VILASIRA is not only a superb destination to kick back and relax in, but it also has its own 19th century winery nestling in the heart of the complex.

A wine connoisseur’s dream, this is the perfect place to learn about Spain’s rapidly expanding and complex world of wine.

Not only can you sample VILASIRA’s various vintages grown and matured on the estate, but you can also taste carefully selected wines from all around the world.

Accommodation matches the quality of the wine,

from the standard rooms to the beautiful and elegant suiGASTRONOMY te, which features an antique bathtub and fireplace.

A self-contained villa is the perfect retreat if you are travelling with your family or a group of friends.

Everything from the exposed wooden beams to the natural barro floors is authentic, while the white linen and cotton couldn’t be more luxurious.

There is ample space and all the rooms have views of the estate and vineyard.

In VILASIRA every detail is taken care of allowing guests a truly memorable experience at any time of the year.

It is the perfect spot to disconnect and reconnect with yourself, a place where you can feel and live and truly breathe in clean air and nature.

Even better, the Wellness Service is a great way to pamper yourself or your partner through massages and treatments.

A daily afternoon tour of the vineyard ends with tastings accompanied by the best local gastronomy in the underground Trulli gallery.

Later, the restaurant offers a creative gastronomic menu full of the magic of This is the principle by which the owners and staff of VIlocal cuisine from the Utiel-Requena LASIRA live and it says everything about the hotel and its region with fresh produce from the philosophy. area, much from the estate, including Owned by partners Ricardo Gomez and Ana Vila, the bouits own olive oil. tique hotel is a reflection of the couple’s own personalities.

It is an opportunity to sample true Having lived and worked in hospitality and tourism in Maflavours, where tomatoes taste of to- drid and Valencia for decades, they have returned to their mato and the cheeses are made with native Requena area, to their roots and the place they fell Only for THE OLIVE PRESS freshly milked milk, and presented in in love 17 years ago. the purest way.

The hotel is a project based on love with READERS with the thename code an As the famous Catalan artist Gaudí amalgamation of Ana’s surname (Vila) and the name of once said: ‘Nobody invents anything their daughter (Sira).

OLIVEPRESS20 because everything is written in natu- It is a beautiful way to create a conversation between geNATURAL PARK re. Originality consists in going back nerations and unite past and future.

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HEALTH

Jabs rejected

SPAIN has one of the highest vaccination rates for over 12s in Europe at close to 90% but most of the rest have no intention of getting the jab.

According to the latest study

by Spain’s CIS, the profile of the unvaccinated in Spain is male, aged between 25 and 44 years-old, who are in the low income bracket and are likely to vote for Vox.

Trust

The figures reveal that almost four million people have yet to receive a jab against the coronavirus and 57.8% of them have no intention of doing so. Some 28.3% revealed that they did not trust the current vaccines.

A further 17.1% admitted that they were scared of the side-effects while just 1.9% said they would wait until the longer term effects of the vaccines could be studied.

The age group that is least likely to turn down a vaccine is those aged over 65 while those who are most convinced of its benefits are those aged between 18 and 24.

December 2nd - December 15th 2021

MOVING GOALPOSTS

SPAIN has decided to raise the thresholds to determine low, medium and high risk infection rates in an overhaul of the nation’s COVID traffic light system.

Health Minister Carolina Darias announced that a new scale had been agreed to reflect the fact that close to 90% of Spain’s adult population is now fully vaccinated.

High risk threshold doubled for COVID restrictions RAISED: Darias announced the change

Reduced

She said the current scale – which is used to determine the risk of an area based on infection rates so that restrictions could be imposed - was drawn up before Spain launched its vaccination programme and should now reflect the fact that ‘COVID hospitaliations, ICU admissions and deaths have been drastically reduced’.

The measure has been intro-

ALL youngsters aged five to 11 could soon be vaccinated against COVID. Following approval by the European Medicines Agency, it is expected that the green light will be given in Spain to jab the age group.

It is now estimated that the vaccine could be rolled out to youngsters by the end of the year, although February is thought to be a more realistic target. This follows the news that the US

By Fiona Govan

duced amid debate over the reintroduction of restrictions as infection rates rise in the run up to Christmas.

The new traffic light system will raise the bar on the low risk category from a cumulative

Kids’ jab

has been vaccinating the age group for over a month, with no significant side effects noted.

At present, since inoculation is only authorised from the age of 12, children under this age are not immunised and can therefore become infected and spread the disease.

incidence rate of 50 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days up to 100 cases. This means any zone under 100 cases per 100,000 will be categorised as ‘under control’.

When the infection rate is registered between 100 to 300 cases per 100,000 population it will be considered in the category of ‘medium risk’.

The ‘high risk’ category is declared when infection rates reach between 300 and 500 cases per 100,000 people and anything over 500 will now be classified as ‘extreme risk’.

The traffic light system to determine risk zones is in place to justify the need to impose restrictions such as licensing hours and curfews.

23

Miracle worker A DOCTOR suffering from a terminal disease has opened a free cancer centre in just three months after attracting more than 5,000 donations.

Jesus Candel was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year and is about to undergo another round of chemotherapy, but despite his illness he is determined to live a healthy life to the fullest - and wants to help others do the same.

Most of the equipment inside the Granada centre, such as exercise machines, were donated by kind do-gooders and the spot even runs on solar energy panels that were gifted to them by a solar energy company.

Jesus said: “The centre allows a 180-degree attack on the disease.

“You can live with cancer and you can even overcome it.

But you have to take care of yourself. I am an example.

But it is essential to change your lifestyle, because a pill is not going to solve anything.

He added: “The best pill we have to treat diseases is physical exercise, but unfortunately the ignorance of medical professionals means that these treatments are not applied. You have to be on top of cancer patients so that they strengthen their immune system. They need to eat well and exercise to avoid neurotoxicity or cardiotoxicity while they are undergoing very harsh treatments.

“I train two and a half hours a day. I have terminal cancer that cannot be operated on. I am stopping it with a lot of exercise and effort, taking away my stress, eating well, receiving the same treatments that many receive and that they cannot endure because they are very hard.

“Either you train your body and your mind or you can’t stand it. This is called taking responsibility for your health.”

The

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Wrong man

FINAL WORDS

KFC has taken the internet by storm after casting Messi double Brazilian Alexandro Pereira to be the face of a campaign for new product ‘La Chingona’, with many believing it is the real Barcelona star.

New leaf REFORMED Spanish thieves have used the Reddit social media platform to give tips on how not to get robbed this Christmas: number one being keeping the spare house keys near the front door.

Pricy cafe JOURNALIST Paz Alvarez shared on Twitter her bill for a coffee, a pincho de tortilla and a caña for €14.10 at Madrid bar La Primera. Despite not asking for bread, they charged her on the grounds that ‘bread is compulsory’.

Your expat

Waffly naughty nativity

voice in Spain

VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 27 www.theolivepress.es December 2nd - December 15th 2021

DOG’S BEST FRIEND

Local hero catches dog that fell from fourth floor balcony A DOG that plunged from a fourth-floor balcony was saved by a passerby who caught the terrified pooch.

Now the 26-year-old Alicante man has been branded a hero and promised a gong by the city council.

The drama unfolded when police were called after hearing a dog was precariously perched on a balcony. The animal had half of its body

By Alex Trelinski

under the terrace railing and was in serious danger of falling to the ground.

As police rushed to the scene, the dog fell into the street, but straight into the arms of the passerby. Onlookers burst into a spontaneous round of applause and congratulated the hero.

SPAIN’S Black Rat population is booming - and the coronavirus lockdown is being blamed.

So far this year in Madrid alone 35 outbreaks have been dealt with, almost three times the number that were recorded in 2019. Serious outbreaks have also been detected in Valladolid, Valencia and Barcelona.

The lockdown is seen as a likely explanation of the relatively shy rat - which can harbour disease - moving further into urban centres seeking out food while the streets emptied

AN erotic waffle store in Sevilla called ‘La Vergeria’ has been denounced after setting up a nativity scene with male and female reproductive organs as characters.

This innovative christmas crib uses waffles in the shape of male sexual organs to represent Joseph and Jesus, and a waffle in the shape of a female sexual organ to represent Mary.

The far-right Vox party, the complainant, says that ‘not everything goes in the field of advertising and marketing’.

Complaint

The Dalmatian-Staffordshire Terrier mix suffered just a small scratch on one leg and

OH RATS!

during the early weeks of the pandemic.

Unlike the Brown Rat, which moves across the city through the sewer system, black rats move overground and tend to live in parks or abandoned plots.

The rodents often live in trees in nests like birds.

was taken into care by the fire department’s canine unit. The unnamed rescuer was less fortunate and was taken to hospital with a fractured wrist and two broken fingers.

Alicante’s Security Councillor, Jose Ramon Gonzalez, said: “We plan to recognise the rescuer who proved to be a great citizen not by just rescuing the dog, but doing something that put his life at risk resulting in injuries.”

Its spokesperson in Sevilla, Cristina Pelaez, filed the complaint as a crime against religious feelings.

“We have reached a point where many entrepreneurs with less scruples than imagination seek notoriety for their products, by offending, the Catholic religion.

“We are facing a turn of the screw against Catholicism that we are not prepared to tolerate.

“We are not going to allow a company to offend the majority of Sevilla’s citizens by displaying in its shop windows an obscene montage of the birth of the Son of God”, she said.

See Cross to bear, P6