The
OLIVE PRESS
A Sierra Nevada ll about
www.theolivepress.es
February 2021
Slide away Vol. 14 Issue 363
to You can finally slope off Andalucia’s skiing heaven, writes Charlie Smith
Your expat
voice in Spain
S
ILENCE. There is not a single peep as I climb upwards through the valley to meet my maker. of the I poke my head out the cable car window and alSierra Nevada’s fresh pine air hits my lungs. Then I hear it – a sweeping white crunch down the crisp piste, as a snowboarder whizzes past below. and Another tears through, then a third, all weaving at down the mountainside blistering speed. terriI’m definitely more fied than the three Spanish guys sharing the carriage with me. the We have left behind cosy bars and restaurants main in Pradollano, the ski town of Andalucia’s only resort. We step out at Borreguiles, mewhich sits some 2,700 tres above sea level. for This is the basecampruns, many of the Sierra’s the which range from facil’ green-coloured ‘muy lapistes to those in black, belled ‘muy dificil’. Continues overleaf
VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 7 www.theolivepress.es February 25th - March 10th 2021
Hit the slopes See page 11
You’ve got no mail! BATTLING: Mike wants his crisps and spices, and (below) our previous front page
A model patient
A BRITISH expat has branded post-Brexit rules ‘his worst nightmare’ after a birthday present of his favourite treats from the UK was banned from entering the country. Mike Battle, 41, was left stumped when he heard his package of goodies had been held up by customs in Madrid for over TEN days. The gift, sent from his family, via courier company Fedex, contained crisps and spice mixes - but Mike never got to unwrap them. The parcel, valued at around €20, was deemed unacceptable by customs chiefs and returned to Mike’s mother in Leeds.
Nightmare
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The
La Linea shut down
“It was confirmation of my worst nightmare when it comes to receiving anything from the UK,” Mike told the Olive Press. “Before Brexit it was the same as receiving deliveries from around the corner, now receiving products from the UK is just as difficult as from China,” continued Mike, who has lived in Spain for 27 years, currently based in Malaga. “There is supposed to be a trade agreement in place, but no-one knows exactly what that agreement is - just as no-one knew exactly what Brexit was when they voted for it,” added the businessman, who recycles electronic products. LIVE It comes just a month after the Olive Press broke the stoRESS ry that guards at the Gibraltar-Spanish border confiscatPERI-LESS ed a furious expat’s Nando’s G IN CROSS Peri-Peri sauce under new Brexit rules. Joseph Lathey, 27, a Brit who works in Gibraltar but lives in Spain, said was left fuming when much of his weekly
border THE town of La Linea de la Concepcion extra has been handed reharsh coronavirus de Anstrictions by the Junta
dalucia. which municipality, The has been borders Gibraltar, 4.2 of the placed into Level tier sysregion’s coronavirus tem. an unprecThe town is facingthe number edented climb in to orof cases and was forced business der all non-essential activity and trade to cease Sunday. from midnight on hotels, This includes shops, - with restaurants and bars essential the exception of supermarbusinesses such as kets or petrol stations. decision Experts made the president regional along with Friday afJuanma Moreno on inter the town’s cumulative 1,247.9 cidence rate reached people. cases per 100,000
FREE
Double
double the That is more than currently average rate of the Gibraltar besieged Campo de stands health district, which 100,000 inat 506.5 cases per habitants. made The whole district, currently up eight towns, is no one closed down, meaning a juscan leave or exit without as medical, tified reason, such legal or for work. remain These measures will least Januin place until at at a press ary 25, Moreno said conference today. closed off The campo was first diswhen health authorities contagious covered the more virus had UK variant of the arrived in Gibraltar. which Since then, La Linea, workreceives cross-border an exers daily, has seen in tremely sharp increase COVID-19 cases. the Olive One worker told situthe Press this week that was ‘out of ation in the area
control.’ who works The young woman, but lives on the Costa del Sol her partin the Campo, andwaiting to ner are still both into dibe tested after coming a COVID-19 rect contact with infected person.
GIBRALTAR
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ivepress.es Vol. 5 Issue 139 www.theol
January 13th - January
26th 2021
border was confiscated at the his Peri-Peri hot sauce cloves were accepted but angry when his chilli and STUMPED: Lathey was has branded A BRITISH expat ‘ridiculous’ Spanish border officials confiscated and ‘clueless’ after theysauce at the his Nando’s Peri Peri legisprohibited list. But Spanish Gibraltar border. 2019/2072, left fuming lation, specifically law and vegetatotal of 16 Joseph Lathey, 27, was shopping Exclusive by as that THERE have been a ridiculous weekly that vegetables was his it since of dictates Dollimore said “I when much Laurence prohibited deaths from COVID-19 my shopping to cross back ble-based products are struck in would mean most of was binned as he tried in.” the pandemic first peninsula from a would also not be allowed to be named, admit- from entering the into La Linea. Gibraltar. bananas and told the Brit the who asked not his ‘third country.’ on the This meant seeing his a customs Indeed, officials his £55 shop that ted that he stuffed bacon down told the The last four occurred finally they were The Gibraltar Government only items from leeks being tipped into were his underwear after hearing weekend the vaccines of someone Olive Press: “The Government’s could cross the frontier officer’s bin. EU law speseizing the majority arrived on January 9. vegetable sawere and chilli powder. understanding is that It also included his inhe add- else’s products. The majority of the deaths weekly cloves the UK as a cifically exempts plant products underly“It didn’t make any sense,” mosas, one of his favourite of elderly people with pretty clue- The EU now classes Ramsons, on for personal consumption tougher there ed, “they seemed to be treats he buys from Concountry, bringing in cannot tended Border third at ing conditions although and from official controls less. Waterport Road. to the EU. were also some exceptions.surdocuments controls on what can and cloves trol Posts on introduction “I asked them to provide taking and cross the border into the bloc. Meanwhile, his chilli COVID-19 active cases just Gibraltar Govjustify what they were were deemed acceptable. passed the 1,000 mark I had a to just sent me a photo of a link According to the several items period althey Agreement “I was completely stumped. ernment website, website.” after the Christmas might have are now stabichicken which I thoughtthe Peri-Peri to a Spanish Government take his for personal consumption and milk “Therefore, the Government will be though they have since Lathey was told he could been stopped but not Olive Press. this matter with to banned, including all meat lised. in back onto the Rock infant milk, seeking to clarify Authorities. sauce,” Lathey told the products (bar powdered onion shopping The strict measures imposed relevant Spanish with “The officials said it contained pro- store it. and special food required the the social lockdown introduced selling it all for £20, baby food reasons or pet food re- “Until the final agreement it contained up Decemrelaended on meaning “I future puree, added for medical by the government 2 have fitherefore not respect to Gibraltar’s reasons). which is better than nothing,” cessed veg and was quired for animal health than 20kg tionship with the EU is settled, and ber 27 and January Lathey. on in more allowed over. nally taken effect. It comes after You cannot bring or more than 2kg unless the Government advises believe or derPublic health expertswave was several reports of any fish product animal products, specific bridging measures whilst the start of the third on social me- of other specific oysters, live mus- ogations having been agreed shopGiinitiated by Black Friday dia of Brits including honey, that agreement is negotiated, food sels and snails. be treated as a third ping on November 29. shophaving See page 16 reminder, pub- braltar will EU cusAs the pre-Christmas seized at the The Government 4, does not list country for the purposes of and famlished on January ping spree continued together border. on the toms controls.” expat, vegetable products as being ilies started to meet spread One it is believed to have further.
gafter most of his shoppin and’ ‘contrab British expat left fuming i sauce - was labelled including the Peri-Per new Brexit rules at Gib border due to
Dark times
Continues on Page 5
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21/6/19 13:30
Are you feeling depressed? Addiction problems?
A POPULAR well-known expat centenarian has had her first COVID jab as she approaches her 101st birthday. Peggy Bloomfield, based in Moraira, got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Teulada Medical Centre. And she’s now raring to go, according to her neighbour Shirley Young. “She is amazing! Thrilled to bits to
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vaccine to Mrs Bloomfield, while the second pic shows her receiving a visit with balloons, champagne and cake from Olive Press reporters when she hit the big 100 last year. Is she the most elderly expat in Spain to get the COVID jab? If you know anyone older, please contact us at newsdesk@theolivepress.es and tell us about it!
Back in business as Boris plans to lift travel ban
SPAIN could be gearing up for an avalanche of tourists to its shores in May. Airlines and travel agents have seen the number of Brits booking holidays abroad soar this week after the UK announced its roadmap out of lockdown. UK tourists could finally be able to leave the country for holidays from May 17, the government announced on Monday. Costa Blanca hoteliers have welcomed the announcement from Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who revealed the move as part of his four-step plan for gradually lifting restrictions in England. “It opens the door for our members to start to prepare to reopen their hotels. We just need to hope that the planned date happens,” said Hosbec hotel association boss Nuria
By Kirsty McKenzie
Montes. Only 20% of the area’s hotels are currently open with occupancy rates of around 10%. The surge in optimism comes as airlines said bookings for the summer season were more than four times higher compared with the same period last week. Alicante, Malaga and Palma were among the most popular destinations, according to the budget holiday giant easyjet, with August its busiest month. The announcement was described by chief executive, Johan Lundgren, as a ‘much-needed boost in confidence’. “We have consistently seen a pent-up demand for travel and this surge in bookings shows that this signal has been what
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get the jab and feeling great!” she told the Olive Press. “Lockdown permitting I’m hoping to get the Mayor to visit on her birthday this year.” Her second jab is booked in two weeks’ time and Peggy will be celebrating her 101st birthday in April. Our photograph shows nurse Juanjo administering the first dose of the
Sky high hopes
Call NOW +34 689 806 769
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CELEBRATION: Peggy received her COVID jab (left) and happy days at her 100th birthday
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UK consumers have been waiting for,” he said. Holiday bookings were up by 630% and flights by 337%. “While the summer may be a little while off, we will be working around the clock to ensure we will be ready to ramp up our flights to reconnect friends and family or take them on a long-awaited holiday to remember,” he added. Travel firm Thomas Cook said traffic to its website doubled in the day after the Prime Minister’s statement, while Ryanair confirmed there had been a ‘large surge’ in bookings. However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged caution warning that the effectiveness of vaccines will dictate whether international travel can go ahead. He said: “We have to protect against these new variants, and that is a big challenge.” Hancock added that ‘we can be much more relaxed about international travel’ if vaccines work well against the South Africa and Brazil strains. “If the vaccine doesn’t work against them, then that will be much, much more difficult,” he said.
It comes as the government confirmed they are looking at the idea of vaccine passports to allow travel abroad. At the moment Brits are only permitted to travel for essential work purposes. No one is allowed to enter Spain from South Africa, Brazil or the UK via air or sea until 6pm on March 2 under the current restrictions.
Restrictions
The ban was first introduced in December when scientists first detected a more-transmissible variant of the virus in the UK. Tight restrictions were originally supposed to end on January 19 but the ban has now been extended multiple times, with restrictions currently in place until March 2. This ban comes after Spain confirmed its first case of the Brazilian variant on Friday, with two cases of the South African variant and 479 cases of the British variant of the virus. Anyone flying into Spain must also proof of a negative Covid test, which should be taken up to 72 hours before departure.