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Vol. 6 Issue 152
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Jávea · Moraira
March 27th - April 9th 2025 All about
The definitive gem of the Costa Blanca just gets better and better
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HIDDEN GEMS AND ANCIENT TREASURES
Often hailed as the Valenciano) boasts ‘coolest spot’ on the Costa Blanca, Javea some of Spain’s finest beaches - if you can(or Xàbia, in get to them
SEE P 7
ELECTRIC SHOCKER PRICELESS: Gold
J
Roman coins and
Did this Brit kill John George? P2
Phoenician
amphoras have been AVEA is stunning. found on Javea’s coastline itself is full of The town In August it is not unusual for the sites to see and ancient shore to get so packed toward plenty of roped that it is It was the nearby Portitxol Island. bars and restaurants off to here, just off the to seeking a daynew arrivals and those a remarkable island, keep the most dedicated on the beach have piece of history that gour- head elsewhere. mandes happy. to recently discovered was - 57 gold RoBut what brings Fortunately, in man coins hordes to this part the tourist elsewhere to goJavea, there is an headlines. that made international to. Head for Porta Blanca are its of the Cos- titxol Beach, situated Javea’s beaches breathtaking side on the other ural not only offer natbeaches and crystal-clear of Javea’s dramatic beauty but also southern den treasures, wa- headland. harbour hidters. adding an intriguing But the peak summer The beach, nestled layer of history between cliffs, to the area’s allure. season is a beautiful, is possibly not the Portitxol, serene spot with peb- Latin, is meaning ‘little port’ in it what National time to vis- bles underfoot and and Conde Nast Geographic of the surrounding stunning views gems. Alsoone of Javea’s hidden called Traveler coastline. It is call the perfect one of Spain’s finest ca, this 900-metreCala de la Barraspot stretch of peb- Playa Granadella. beaches more energetic to relax, but those bles and rocks take to the water sits between Cap and explore further by swimming Continues
By Tom Ewart Smith
EXPATS David and Margorie Smith’s retirement dreams turned into a living hell when Spain’s largest electric company left them in the dark. The Brits, aged 87 and 88, claim they
Expat pensioners - 87 and 88 years old have power cut off despite having legal contract and paying their bills were treated ‘worse than animals’ by Endesa after the energy giant cut off their power and slapped them with a shocking €3,000 bill.
Where’s the cash?
MYSTERY continues to surround the ‘disgraceful’ collapse of the firm Iberian Funeral Plans in Spain. plans effectively null and void. Hundreds of expats are fuming after As reported on our front page last discovering their end-of-life plans, for issue this meant that a number of which they paid up to €10,000 for, funerals have gone unpaid, causing have effectively vanished overnight. considerable grief for The firm was founded by British exfamilies. pat Steve Nelson, who SS E R Despite taking millions is reported to have died OLIVE P in payments over the around six weeks ago in last decade, nobody Portugal. has been able to establish Shortly afterwards, clithe status of the firm or accounts. ents began noticing no one was anA source close to Iberian told the Olswering the phones at Iberian headive Press this week that an expat Karquarters, nor responding to emails. en Krejzl could be ‘the key’ to discovIt soon beering what happened. came clear the Krejzl is the former partner of Nelcompany had son and was closely involved in the ceased operating, leaving all Continues on Page 6 of its customers’
EXCLUSIVE
The couple moved to Andalucia after two decades in Galicia, purchasing a small home in Alameda, near Antequera, two years ago. “It seemed like the best move we’ve ever made,” David told the Olive Press. But their retirement dream soon turned into a nightmare, when they started noticing erratic electricity bills via the previous owner’s provider Holaluz. The monthly demands ranged from €10 to €140, despite minimal electricity use. Frustrated, they switched to fellow giant Iberdrola in June 2024, using the same CUPS identity code, but a month later Iberdrola inexplicably cancelled their contract. It eventually emerged that their CUPS code had been shared with a neighbour’s home, but by then they had opened a new account with Endesa. Things however were to get worse when Endesa bizarrely reassigned their CUPS to their neighbours. And two months later, on January 19, the couple received a letter demanding €2,314 for a
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IN THE DARK: Margorie and David Smith
claims Endesa’s customer service year’s worth of energy. The letter was addressed only to ‘the regularly hangs up, and she describes occupier’ and lacked a sender’s name. them as ‘very rude’. Crucially, the CUPS number listed Despite their possessing a physical did not match the one from the cou- contract, Endesa claims they have no record of the couple. ple’s new contract. An Endesa representative later con- Eventually a representative for the firm at its office in Antequera told firmed it was non-existent. Adding to their woes, when they orig- them: ‘pay and you can claim it back,’ inally joined Endesa, they were told but they refuse to trust the company. they needed a new smart meter, cost- Even lawyers have told them they are ‘wasting time and money’ trying to ing €647. This was despite a local electrician resolve the matter. confirming their current meter was Their last hope lies with the Junta, ‘fully functional’, and an Endesa which is reportedly investigating. representative in Antequera also “We have been told they are helping, but with a company that behaves like deemed the upgrade ‘unnecessary’. The company insisted though they the gestapo, I doubt they will get anystill had to pay the €3,000 sum ow- where either,” added Margorie. The Olive Press was unable to get ing or they would be cut off. On January 22, this year, Endesa hold of a spokesman at Endesa bedid exactly that, forcing the couple fore going to press. to move into a nearby rented home, Opinion Page 6 where they are still staying. “They are treating us worse areacostablanca.com than an966 112 428 imals,” said Margorie, who suffers from panic atYOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR CALPE, tacks. BENISSA, MORAIRA AND REGION S h e
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