Essential Marbella Magazine March 2010

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FREE MAGAZINE - COSTA DEL SOL Nº - MARCH 2010

essential essential marbella® magazine

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Y O U R E S S E N T I A L M O N T H LY R E A D

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OSCAR

mania

red carpet

VALENTINO

HUGH GRANT

ABOUT A BOY IN MARBELLA

celebrit y special

phantom coupé

ROLLS-ROYCE OF CARS

Spanish Goyas +lights,camera,

ACTION!

N E W S I C U LT U R E I P E O P L E I T R E N D I C H I C I S P A I P R O I T R AV E L L E R I G O U R M E T & M O R E

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Issue 131 • March 2010

S

publisher and director general manager

T A

F

F

Iain Blackwell director@essentialmagazine.com Andrea S. Böjti sales@essentialmagazine.com

associate editor

Marisa Cutillas editorial@essentialmagazine.com

associate editor

Belinda Beckett features@essentialmagazine.com

production manager

Susanne Whitaker design@essentialmagazine.com

accounts executive

Mariano Jeva cuentas@essentialmagazine.com

office administrator creative director staff photographer design & layout contributing writers

cover photography contributing photographers printing depósito legal editorial & advertising offices

Monika Böjti info@essentialmagazine.com Andrea S. Böjti Kevin Horn Inma Aurioles Iain Blackwell, Paul Brazell, Amparo de la Gama, Annie Heese, AJ Linn, Phil Morse, George Prior, Tony Whitney, Victoria Wood Hugh Grant courtesy of Famous Famous, Paul Brazell Jiménez Godoy A. Gráficas, Murcia D.L. MA-512-99 Complejo La Póveda, Blq. 3, 1º A, CN 340, km 178.2, 29600 Marbella, Málaga. Tel: 952 766 344 Fax: 952 766 343

conditions: The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions.

Marbella Magazine cannot accept responsibility for the claims, goods or services of advertisers. © Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. for Marbella Magazine.

No part of this magazine, including texts, photographs, illustrations, maps or any other graphics may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. Printed on recyclable paper, produced without wood and bleached without chlorine

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March 2010 28 50

contents 30

the news Films 16 Latest DVD Releases 18 CD Releases 20 Book Releases 22

the theme The Fame Game 12 The Oscars 26 The Cult of Celebrity 32 The Goya Awards 38

the people Hugh Grant hits Marbella 14 Meryl Streep 30

the trend The Latest Gadgets 41 The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé 2010 42 Internet 44 Environment 46

the chic A Country Estate for all Seasons 50 Décor News 58 Art News 60 Red Carpet Fashion by Valentino 62 Fashion news 68

the spa The Cosmetic Surgery Boom in Marbella 72 Beauty News 74 Zygomatic Implants 76 Health News 78 Research: Latest Scientific Discoveries 80

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the pro 83 Marbella Business Institute Statement 84 Business Profile: Marbella Dream Villas 86 Enterprise

the traveller 96 Film Sets in Spain 102 Hotel: Vincci Selección Estrella del Mar 104 Golf: The San Roque Club

the gourmet 109 Finca Besaya 111 Los Bandidos 112 Food News 114 Chef’s Profile: Ben Hayes from Terra Sana 116 Wines from Valdeorras 118 Listings – Directory

the blog 127 Pet News 128 What’s On in March 130 Your Stars for the Month Ahead

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publisher La fama es todo hoy en día

letter

As with last month’s , we have selected a theme designed to transport you to a world full of glamour and excitement. Taking our cue from this month’s Oscars, we bring the concept of Celebrity under focus, a subject everyone is seemingly interested in, whether we choose to emulate the stars, revere our icons, seek our own stint in the spotlight or just to endlessly gossip about who did what, where and when and with whom, comprising the latest larger-than-life goings-on of our favourite household names. This compulsive fascination is surely a part of human nature, providing us with ways-of-life to emulate, trends to follow and aspirations to achieve, as well as endless material to amuse us.

Setting the stage in this iconic issue, we preview the 82nd Academy Awards, being held this month on 7th March in Los Angeles. In general, 2009 may not have been one of the best of years, but it did give rise to some outstanding films, such as James Cameron’s Avatar, nominated in nine categories.

Following this, we delve into the cult of celebrity, witnessed by the fascination over reality TV shows, in a seeming progression towards Warhols pronouncement that, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes”.

Hugh Grant, having recently acquired a property in La Zagaleta, talks amusingly about his life in Spain and his future career in an interview with . We also profile prolific and terrific Meryl Streep, who is again nominated for an Oscar, for Best Actress in Julie & Julia. She has received the highest ever number of nominations for Academy Awards (16) and Golden Globes (25).

Elsewhere, we continue the charisma with the suave sophistication of Valentino Haute Couture, the ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé and a visit to some of the legendary Spanish film sets to have formed the backdrop in top movies.

All of this, of course, is in addition to our many regular sections – Cinema, DVD, CD and Book releases; Health & Beauty; Décor & Art; Dining Out, Business News & What’s On – combining to make magazine simply worlds apart.

‘s

By Iain Blackwell Este mes, hemos elegido un tema diseñado para llevarte a un mundo lleno de glamour e ilusión. Marzo es el mes de los Oscars, así que nos inspiramos en el mundo de los famosos; un tema que interesa a todo el mundo. Algunos imitamos a nuestros ídolos; otros queremos vivir nuestros propios minutos de fama; otros se centran más en cotillear sobre quién hizo qué y dónde. Esta fascinación por el mundo de los famosos es parte de la naturaleza humana y tiene su razón de ser: nos presenta a gente a quien podemos emular, tendencias a seguir y mucho material para mantenernos entretenidos.

En esta edición tan icónica, hablamos sobre la 82ª edición de los premios Oscar, que se celebran el 7 de marzo en Los Ángeles. Aunque el año 2009 no ha sido uno de los mejores a nivel mundial, nos ha dado una películas maravillosas, como Avatar de James Cameron, nominada en nueve categorías.

En otro reportaje seguimos el culto del famoseo, más presente que en ningún sitio en los programas de ‘reality’. Parece que Andy Warhol tenía razón y que “En el futuro, todo el mundo tendrá sus 15 minutos de fama.”

Hugh Grant, que hace poco se ha comprado una casa en La Zagaleta, habla con sobre su vida en España y sobre su carrera. También aprendemos más sobre Meryl Streep, la actriz estadounidense que una vez más podrá llevarse un Oscar para casa. Ella es la actriz más nominada de la historia, habiendo recibido 16 nominaciones para un Oscar y 25 para un Globo de Oro. Te ofrecemos la ropa glamurosa de Valentino Haute Couture, el coche de lujo Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé y una visita a algunas de las ciudades españolas que se han utilizado para rodar películas internacionales.

También están todas las secciones de siempre como Cine, DVD, CDs y Libros: Salud y Belleza; Decoración y Arte; Gastronomía; Noticias Empresariales y Eventos del Mes. Todo esto combinado para ofrecerte una revista fuera de serie.

e m a G e h t f o e m a N e h t Fame is

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THETHEME FAME

Report belinda beckett

THE FAME GAME

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n 1853, one adobe hut stood on the site that became Hollywood, the town that introduced a new constellation of stars to the firmament quite different to the heavenly bodies studied by astronomers – although some could be described as such! It was the birth of celebrity, the stuff that sells movies, pop records, newspapers and anti-wrinkle creams and generally makes the modern world go round.

Australian writer and broadcaster Clive James wrote a book and presented a TV series on Fame in the 20th Century, contending that celebrity was almost unknown before that time due to lack of global mass media. James nominated Charlie Chaplin the first true celebrity, due to the universal impact of his films in the 1910s and beyond.

But celebrity became distinctly different from fame, resulting in the phenomenon of people who are famous for being famous. Elizabeth Taylor was an early example, he suggests, because her private life made her more of a celebrity than her film career had.

Fame is picky on when and whom it confers its bounties. The painter Rembrandt and the composer Mozart, successful during their lifetimes, both died almost forgotten.

Their reputation only grew a few decades later. Conversely, Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his life although today they fetch millions.

High profile professions such as television, the movies and the music industry virtually guarantee celebrity. Supermodels, successful sports people and key politicians are also likely celebrity material. Their countries’ roles in international politics are so massive that every new American President and British Prime Minister immediately becomes world famous. A few humanitarian leaders, such as Mother Teresa, have achieved fame because of their charitable work. Equally, Internet celebrity can be achieved online. And then there’s Reality TV which

confers instant fame on ordinary people, from chefs to topless models. According to award-winning American journalist Bob Greene, this is, “The new stardom that doesn’t require paying any dues.” He says: “For most of man’s history people of talent would work to create something – something written, painted, sculpted or acted out – and it would be passed on to audiences. With the rise of reality TV shows, audiences have been turned into the creators and the alleged stars of reality shows like Big Brother have become famous not for doing, but merely for being.”

Fame is hard to measure when even worldwide celebrities might still be obscure to certain people in less high profile countries, as reflected in the mocking phrase ‘world famous in New Zealand’. Shakira was known mainly in the Spanish-speaking world until she began performing in English. Similarly, Spanish actors Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem and Paz Vega only gained global celebrity after they became Hollywood actors in English-language films.

Jesús Gil was a local celebrity for years in Marbella until his shenanigans came to the notice of the world press. Today he is famous for being infamous.

Certain yardsticks are used to provide ‘definitive proof’ that someone is really famous. Examples are appearing on the cover of Time Magazine, having a wax statue made of you in Madame Tussauds, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, appearing as a character in The Simpsons or, during the 1980s and 1990s, as a puppet on the satirical show Spitting Image.

The Celebrity 100 list is Forbes’ magazine’s annual ranking of the world’s ultra-famous. It includes actors, models, chefs, athletes, authors and musicians, and is calculated on entertainment-related earnings and media visibility. The current list is headed

by Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Beyoncé and Tiger Woods. Although US

President Barack Obama is ranked top in all media categories, he only comes in at number 49 because he is the lowest paid on the list.

English-speaking media commentators and journalists refer to celebrities as A-List, B-List or Z-List. These informal rankings are too subjective to be accurate although there are moves to introduce an A-H-List, based on the number of times they are Googled.

In America, Q Scores (Q = Quotient) are used by the sales and marketing communities to measure a personality’s or product’s popularity. Developed in 1963 by Marketing Evaluations Inc. a panel of consumers is surveyed about awareness and opinion of that person or thing. The Q Score is reached by dividing the total percentage of respondents who tick the ‘one of my favourites’ box by the total percentage of respondents who are ‘familiar’ with the celebrity or product.

In 2000, IBM hired Marketing Evaluations to calculate the Q Score for Deep Blue, the supercomputer that defeated chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov. Deep Blue’s Q Score was 9, meaning the computer was as familiar and appealing at the time as CNN host Larry King.

Death does not necessarily end fame, as in the cases of singer Elvis Presley and actress Marilyn Monroe. However, generally, modern celebrity is fleeting. To stay in the public eye and make money, more stars are participating in business ventures and celebrity-branded items, as well as in humanitarian ventures and, of course, Reality TV shows. Maintaining celebrity requires frequent self-reinvention, as exhibited by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madonna.

Yet, even their bright stars will not remain in the ascendant forever. In the nano-second in time since the dawn of civilisation they are only, in the words of Andy Warhol, famous for 15 minutes.

This month we look at the phenomenon of celebrity. n

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THEPEOPLE HUGH

Report amparo de la gama

A

fter premiering his latest film, Did You Hear About The Morgans in Madrid, Hugh Grant picked up his golf clubs and raced back to his new home in La Zagaleta, a haven of tranquility he describes as “a warrior’s resting grounds”. The Costa del Sol is the ideal place to play his favourite sport, golf, and to relax after the long hours of filming. Puerto Banús regulars are already getting used to seeing Grant at the local shops or having a drink at Havana Bar, a chic venue whose music takes him back to his childhood, when he used to dress up as a tree and blow at the wind so he could disappear into nothingness. magazine offers you this exclusive interview with a very English gentleman.

Once again, you’re starring in a comedy. Are you as selective with the scripts you receive as you used to be?

I’m very selective. I operate in a very particular genre known as ‘light comedy’ and not many people are able to write this sort of script. Also, I’m somewhat lazy when it comes to acting in films.

What was working with Sarah Jessica Parker like?

It seems a bit odd but I wouldn’t know how to define what working with her was like. She’s incredibly intelligent, with an eccentric and unusual mind. Sarah is a brilliant actress and a very capable, powerful business woman. Oh, and she’s got great legs.

What’s the best and worst thing about being an actor?

The best bit about acting is how it feeds your ego. I like attention and I like money.

And of course, beautiful girls are a weakness.

The worst thing? Well, I hate wearing make-up.

I think it makes me look older. It’s demeaning.

(He laughs.)

Would you like to work in Spanish film now that you have a house here?

I don’t discount the possibility. I’d love to work with Gonzalo Suárez, Almodóvar or Bigas Luna. I don’t understand why none of them has called me yet! (Laughs.)

You worked with Gonzalo Suárez over 20 years ago on the film Remando al viento. What’s left of the young actor who first stepped upon Spanish shores all those years ago?

Nothing’s left of him. I used to be young, friendly, full of hope and enthusiasm. Now I’m a bitter old alcoholic. (More laughs.)

You’re very funny in person. Now I see why you do so well in comedies...

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Ha ha! I’m not very good in serious roles and I have no desire to make audiences suffer by watching me in serious flicks. Actually, I think comedy is much harder than so-called ‘serious’ genres.

Are you as seductive as your screen characters?

In reality, I’m not. I live alone with seven cats. I love felines. Meow.

Do you think most successful actors are really that talented? Or just lucky?

Most of them are extremely talented. In my case, well I’m just lucky.

What character that you’ve played is most like you? I think it would have to be About A Boy You may be right. When I was about 12 I played a tree and I’d blow at the wind through my costume, which was made by my mum. Sometimes I think that role was most like what I am in real life.

In a decade or so, do you think you’ll still be making films with much younger actresses, similar to Cary Grant?

I suppose that’s inevitable. I hope I’m seen as enchanting, though, not sinister or perverted.

Many actors return to the theatre after a successful career. Have you thought about doing the same?

I used to act in plays but I had a problem: when the audience laughed, I’d have such a good time that I wanted to laugh along with them. The truth is that I love the theatre. I’d like to act in plays, but for short periods: three weeks at the most. Having to repeat the same lines night after night bores me.

What classic film would you like to have acted in?

Brief Encounter by David Lean. I’ve always seen myself in that film and I still do. It’s incredible.

You’re often spotted on Marbella’s many golf courses.

Is golf your favourite sport?

More than a sport, I consider golf to be a means of relaxation, especially when I play under the warm sun. But if you ask me about sport, I love football. I’m a Fulham fan.

Do you often feel hounded by the paparazzi?

The truth is that I don’t handle them very well. I’ve been arrested twice in the last three years for attacking them.

I hear that you get anxious when you’re about to shoot a film. Is making movies really that difficult?

I get panic attacks in the easiest scenes. It has nothing to do with how difficult the work is; it’s just my own psychosis at play. I blame my parents. I hope I get better with age. n

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Hugh

hen w in x la e r o t n ave “Marbella is a h I’m not filming”

Grant

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THENEWS

FILM REVIEWS REPORT marisa cutillas

green zone

[Genre] War drama [Director] Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Identity) [Actors] Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Ultimatum) join forces once again in Green Zone, an electrifying thriller that takes place during the first chaotic days of the Iraq War, when a man could trust no one and any decision he took could give rise to unforeseen consequences. During the 2003 occupation of Baghdad, sub-lieutenant Roy Miller (Matt Damon) and his team of inspectors are given the task of scouring the desert for weapons of mass destruction which are supposedly hidden there. After forcibly searching one hideaway after another, they fail to find any arms or chemical weapons but discover an elaborate plan that turns their mission on its head. Surrounded by agents with contradictory agendas, Miller must find his way amidst a network of spies in unknown territory while he struggles to find answers that will either save his country or exacerbate the violent situation in an already unstable area. Miller soon finds that, in tough times and in a region as explosive as Iraq, the most difficult weapon to find is often the truth.

Soul Kitchen

[Genre] Comedy [Director] Fatih Akin (New York, I Love You) [Actors] Adam Bousoukos, Anna Bederke Zinos, the young owner of a new restaurant in Germany, is having a run of bad luck. His girlfriend, Nadine, has just moved to Shanghai for a job promotion, he discovers he has a herniated disk and the restaurant’s regular clients are nowhere to be seen since he hired a new chef. Worst of all, his brother has just been released from prison and expects Zinos to hire him, despite the fact that work is the last thing on his mind.

Zinos’ luck changes when word gets around that he has started a new concept in his restaurant, and long queues form round the block for a taste of his ‘Soul Kitchen’ cuisine. Zinos, still heart-broken, makes the error of his life when he decides to run after Nadine to Shanghai and leave the management of the restaurant to his brother. Not only does he discover that Nadine has a lover in Shanghai, he also finds out that his brother has gambled away all his rights in the restaurant. But Zinos and his brother are still in time to save their Soul Kitchen; all they need is teamwork, determination, and the very quality that made them successful in the first place: a whole lot of soul.

Alice in Wonderla

Clash of the Titans [Genre] Drama [Director] Louise Leterrier

(The Incredible Hulk) [Actors] Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes Clash of the Titans shines the light on how the battle for power and glory prompts men to fight Kings and Kings to confront Gods.

The story begins when Perseus, born a God but raised as a human, is desperate to escape the clutches of Hades (Ralph Fiennes), who is threatening his life and that of his family. Perseus agrees to lead an army to stop Hades from stealing all Zeus’ powers, and he travels to the bowels of the earth, fighting terrible beasts and demons. Within his anguish and torment, he realises that the only way he will survive is by accepting the great responsibility that comes with being what Destiny had always decreed him to be: a God.

nd ssorhands )

] Tim Burton (Edward Sci [Genre] Fantasy [Director Hathaway, a, Johnny Depp, Anne [Actors] Mia Wasikowsk Helena Bonham Car ter

rland she o returns to the Wonde a 19-year-old Alice wh White the nds frie old Mia Wasikowska plays with her ld. There she reunites erpillar, the Cat the first encountered as a chi e, ous orm Do Tweedledum, The Rabbit, Tweedledee and yed with comedic genius rse the Mad Hatter, pla cou of , and Cat Cheshire at first but Alice soon es gam y seem all fun and

by Johnny Depp. It ma terrible is to put an end to the discovers that her destiny nderland can Wo t tha so een Qu Kingdom of the Red knew d of magic she always once again be the lan and loved.

16

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THENEWS DVD RELEASES

REPORT marisa cutillas

The Hurt Locker

[Genre] Drama [Director] Kathryn Bigelow [Actors] Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce The Hurt Locker, an independent film nominated for nine Oscars this year, closely follows the lives of a group of elite soldiers whose task is to disarm bombs in the midst of intense combat. When bomb disposal expert, Sergeant Will James, flies to Iraq to replace another officer killed while deactivating a bomb, his team members label him irresponsible when he behaves as though death weren’t a threat and indulges in reckless actions such as approaching a potentially explosive device without first sending in a bomb disposal robot.

Two of his subordinates are particularly worried, since they only have a few days of duty left before flying back home. As his team struggles to control his kamikaze ways, the country is thrown into chaos and James reveals that he is much more than an irresponsible commander with a hunger for an adrenalin rush: in fact, within him lies a secret that could change the life of each man on his team.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

[Genre] Romantic Thriller [Director] Chris Weitz (About a Boy) [Actors] Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner New Moon is based on the second novel in Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight series, which focuses on the romance between a mortal and a vampire. When Bella (Kristen Stewart) turns 18, Edward (Robert Pattinson) abandons her in an effort to protect her from scavenging vampires. Bella grows desolate and spends almost the entire year in high school by herself, finding her only solace when she discovers that every time she is in danger, she has visions of Edward. Her desire to be with him prompts her to provoke dangerous situations and indulge in risky sports such as high-velocity motorcycling, a passion she discovers thanks to her best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Bella’s icy heart begins to warm thanks to her relationship with Jacob who hides his own supernatural secret. When Bella discovers the secret of the Quileute tribe and the real reason Edward has left her, she grows desperate to find him, regardless of the danger she may be inviting into their lives.

Amelia

[Genre] Biopic [Director] Mira Nair (Migration) [Actors] Hillary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor She was passionate, a visionary, a dreamer, fighter, legend and icon. She was Amelia Earheart, the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a plane. After her successful flight, Amelia (Hillary Swank) suddenly became America’s sweetheart, called the Goddess of Light and famed for her exceptional charisma.

Yet despite her fame, her thirst for independence and risk were never fully satiated. Amelia was the inspiration for many; from the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the men who were closest to her heart: her husband and agent, publishing magnate George Putnam (Richard Gere) and her friend and lover Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). In the Summer of 1937, Amelia decided to embark on her most risky venture yet: to fly around the world alone, a voyage that she and George had always thought destined to be one of the most famous adventures in history.

Pl anet 51 ices] Jessica Biel, Justin

d, Marcos Martínez [Vo

Aba tors] Jorge Blanco, Javier [Genre] Animation [Direc n Cleese Long, Gar y Oldman, Joh

and he n in reverse. Lem is 16 s about an alien invasio tion por the United pro with ic d act ate gal oci of comedy the joy and innocence ass Planet 51 is an animated at things will be ket-fenced houses and gre pic ite how wh ing by d gin ima nde s rou day rt lives on Planet 51, sur der ful and he spends his m and capture the hea ’s life is predictably won or of the local planetariu ect Dir ’ States of the 1950s. Lem the uck be ‘Ch to is rles e od. His greatest hop Planet Ear th, Captain Cha when he reaches adultho ds day, an astronaut from l cee ma pro nor and gly hip min ces see e spa Neera. On ck descends from his of his pretty neighbour, a family barbecue. Chu stared at by a family garden in the middle of realises that he is being ly den sud he Baker, lands in Neera’s en wh rd kya bac works. When Lem ’s era Lem Ne dle of the planetarium where to plant his flag in the mid army of paranoid runs away and hides in ck the Chu from r, e fea hid by ck d Chu ade ps of green ‘aliens’. Inv ke friends and Lem hel ma y the to board his ship is rs, ts fea ir wan the ck rcome don’t know is that all Chu y the and Chuck meet and ove at Wh r. ade explorer called inv n on capturing the alie iers and a faithful robot militar y troupers intent friends, a couple of sold his , Lem … of late p hel too all the is h it him. Wit the spaceship before before it takes off without urgent mission to reach an on k bar em g gan Rover, Chuck and the

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THENEWS

MUSIC REVIEWS REPORT GEORGE PRIOR

Glee – The Music Well, it has finally landed. After months of word-of-mouth hype, YouTube Clips and television trailers, the runaway American hit TV show, Glee, is now here in Europe. The show is a coming-of-age musical extravanganza set in an all-American school, about a group of geeks and bullied teenagers over-coming adversity through an after-school music group. Although it is powerful, moving, extremely funny, and importantly breaks down several social stereotypes, it’s the songs that everyone waits for in each episode.

The mixture of classic soft rock tracks and contemporary favourites gives the show a mass appeal. Songs such as Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and Kanye West’s Gold Digger are given ballsy, musical-theatre makeovers. They are chosen not only for their cross-generational popularity but also for dove-tailing into the show’s inspirational narrative. From versions of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab and Ike and Tina Turner’s Proud Mary, every song will lift your spirits and any sense that you’re watching a trite American TV show will fade away as you’ll be completely absorbed in the slick, original takes on the tracks. It is an unashamed musical party with heart, soul and beauty. Don’t resist this due to some misguided snobbery. This will become the biggest show of the year. Enjoy the ride.

Dolly Parton – Box Set Over four discs, the Dolly box set charts Ms. Parton’s incredible back catalogue of music. It takes us from when she first recorded saccharine-sweet country numbers to her instantly recognisable big, feisty songs in later years, plus everything in-between that has made Dolly into a legend of global proportions. The collection, which also contains a 64-page booklet of anecdotes, biographies and photos, leads you through a chronological tour of her beautiful songs that are often forgotten, including the Carole King-penned I’ve Known You All My Life, Barbra Streisand’s Just For The Record, her own composition What Will Baby Be, and right up to Romeo from 1993. And Dolly’s original, and best, version of I Will Always Love You still packs that emotional punch like the first time you heard it. Whitney may have had mega success with it, but nothing prepares you for Dolly pouring her heart and soul into this song. Her raw pain and vulnerability are almost tangible as she gut-wrenchingly croons her way through this timeless track. It’s not all heartbreak and intimate emotion, however. On the turn of her rhine-stone stilleto, Dolly can turn in a brassy performance worthy of admiration. Who could forget classics like 9 to 5, Jolene and Here You Come Again? There are also glimpses of her crack at disco, criminally under-rated at the time, but fantastic when we listen to the tunes now. Perhaps we were just unwilling to let our Country Diva cross over completely into other genres. Disco, it seems, was a step too far. There’s also little mention of her foray into gospel. But perhaps this will all be on box set number two? Having written 3,000 songs, there’s surely enough scope.

Agnes – Dance Love

Angie Stone – Unexpected There aren’t many singers whose voice transcends genres with such ease. But Angie Stone has one of those once-in-a-generation talents that mean she could jam alongside a rap artist or lead a world-class gospel choir. Hers is a voice that sounds effortless and authentic at all times and not many artists can say that. For the last 30 years, Stone has helped carve out R n B’s place in history, shape contemporary soul and given us Wish I Didn’t Miss You, arguably the finest soul record of the last decade. On this new album there a several stand out tracks including, the gospel-infused Free, featuring vocals by Ricco Barrino, the brother of American Idol’s Fantasia; Kiss All Over Your Body the smoothest of ballads; and lead single I Ain’t Hearing You, which has that 80’s groove that made songs from the likes of Alexander O’Neal, Lionel Richie and Gwen Guthrie timeless. But without doubt the musthear track is I Found My Keeper, where Stone gives off a tangible sense of joy like never before.

I defy you not to feel better after listening to this.

This collection brings together black music of all genres from across several decades and delivers something solely Angie Stone.

Pop

l success is quite unusua in 200 9. The level of tain Bri in oss Spa acr in l bs wel clu r popula also did extremely , filled the airwaves and this catchy dance anthem she The single, Release Me Pop.’ Needless to say, rt-worthy tracks? Or will ro ‘Eu cha of of n um ctio alb reje ole al wh fill a to e me nag e ma Lov es ? ber Agn considering the UK’s usu -off ? Can cessful euro pop num tinent. But was it a one ere after one hugely suc es of the and throughout the con to a place called Nowh ht Nig ociated with the club tun ay ass urd nds Sat sou and se nds ABBAa lot like the happy hou go the way of Whigfield ble It’s ich k. wh , trac get on For eer I car es to keep her is found on Sometim ry, Senseless is a contender ?). A more mature sound cholic depths. Don’t wor erick, Robin S, anyone h-camp into more melan hig of lms rea mid-19 90’s (Alison Lim hit is laden the of the g: out lon m the for e es anc tak ber melodies but walls with exu esque harmonies and es from bouncing off the of Release Me again, it Swedish pop star like Agn never reach the heights es Agn uld Sho . me you can’t keep a good sha to a Gag y Lad put to lodrama with enough raucous me k of effort on her par t. wouldn’t be due to a lac

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THENEWS

BOOK REVIEWS

CELEBRITY BOOKS

REPORT BELINDA BECKETT

The Celebrity Black Book 2010, by Jordan McAuley PR guru Jordan McAuley is known as the King of Celebrity Contacts and his little black book is essential reading, whether you’re in business, the media or a fan, as it contains addresses and contact information for over 60,000 public figures worldwide. That’s everyone who is anyone: actors, athletes, musicians, politicians, world leaders, artists, authors and even reality TV stars. Useful for fans who want to request autographs, non-profit organisations seeking signed memorabilia to auction for their cause, businesses and authors looking for celebrity endorsements and media members trawling for interviews or a quote. This edition contains a free 60-day Membership to ContactAnyCelebrity.com

Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America, by Peter Biskind Beatty’s private life has been the subject of gossip for decades and Star confirms his status as Hollywood’s leading man in the bedroom, describing his affairs with Joan Collins, Natalie Wood, Leslie Caron, Julie Christie, Michelle Phillips, Diane Keaton, Madonna and many others. But Beatty was more than a pretty face. Along with Orson Welles, he is the only person ever to have been nominated for four Academy Awards for a single film – and, unlike Welles, Beatty did it twice, with Heaven Can Wait and Reds. Biskind shows how Beatty used star power, commercial success, savvy and charm to bend Hollywood moguls to his will, establishing an unprecedented level of independence while still working within the studio system.

Steve McQueen, King of Cool: Tales of a Lurid Life, by Darwin Porter If you ever had a soft spot for the late Steve McQueen, don’t read Porter’s shocking exposé. For, apparently, the hero of Bullitt, The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven was spectacularly different from the Hollywood legend. Lurid aspects of McQueen’s early life include a gothic horror of a childhood, stints as a porn performer and hustler and sinister implications surrounding his death. “He had no morals,” says Porter, who has written biographies on Marlon Brando and Paul Newman. “He was an alley cat who would have sex with anyone. That’s what helped make him a star.” If Porter is to be believed, a bright star has fallen from the firmament.

Ginger Baker: Hellraiser: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Drummer, by Ginger Baker Despite the title’s bombastic claim, Cream drummer Ginger Baker, like fellow Cream musician Eric Clapton, is a legend and an industry pioneer who did much to popularise world music with his fierce passion for the rhythms of Africa. Ginger, who also played with Blind Faith, tells his harrowing but honest story for the first time, from his humble beginnings in war-torn south London to his adopted home in South Africa’s beautiful Western Cape, complete with polo club (his passion). He also confesses to the heroin use that should have killed him, relates how he came up with a trans-Saharan trucking scheme, was a successful rally driver and built an ill-fated recording studio, and talks candidly of the loss and recovery of his fortune, his three marriages, Cream’s successful reunion in 2005 and his hopes for the future.

rson graphy, by Gerard Sande Bio ed riz ho graphy, but bio ed Unaut oris e uth ry – Th is an una moirs written, even if this Cheryl Cole: Her Sto ge to bad-boy Chelsea and e young to have her me

her marria Cole is a littl rl’s Aloud, The X Factor, Still in her 20s, Cheryl t solo single, to milk the limelight (Gi ely wis es ity A-lister. With her firs niti ebr cel ortu any opp ong am up d she’s used her hea her 2003 which d hol htclub toilet attendant in ley) and today she can that altercation with a nig England footballer Ash 9, wcastle to 200 Ne of in ller ate t-se est l bes nci ed the fourth her journey from a cou ut abo d rea Fight for This Love, nam w No n. le icons. for ABH is all but forgotte centur y’s most visible sty earned her a conviction une as one of the 21st fort and e fam of s ght the glit tering hei

and old Story of Brad Pitt Brangelina: The Unt Halperin hael Jackson, explores Angelina Jolie, by Ian tselling author of Unmasked: The Final Years of Mic sonal anecdotes. s and per Times bes with exclusive revelation Ian Halperin, New York famous celebrity couple st mo at the 200 0 Oscars and ld’s es wor Jam r the of the p the relationshi French kiss with her bro us orio not a’s doors during Brad’s elin Ang sed clo what went on behind Discover the truth behind out d Fin . ght Voi circumstances Jon her father and read about the true her estrangement from diness to have children rea her of and n, sto for weeks! marriage to Jennifer Ani ’ll be gossiping about it dynamic relationship. You of Brad and Angelina’s

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SWISS MADE HOMES

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The Oscars

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The Cult of Celebrity

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The Goya Awards

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Altos Reales - Unique villa in gated community with 7 bedrooms suites with sea views. Further 3 bedrooms and large lounge (+120m2), cinema room, big garage, heated swimming pool. Built 1.136m2. Plot 1.913m2. Ref. 11548

El Paraiso - Beautiful villa built on 2 levels plus basement. It has 2 living areas, dining room, fully fitted kitchen, 4 bedroom suites, guest apartment, gymnasium, games room, sauna. Built 667m2. Plot 2.002m2. Ref. 11526

Los Granados Playa - Duplex penthouse with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, spacious living-dining room, large terrace, fully equipped kitchen, laundry room, garage and a storage. Built 217m2. Terraces 205m2. Ref. 11922

Puerto Banús - Unique two bedroom apartment that enjoys unbeatable views over the gardens and pool all the way to the sea. Finished to the highest of standards to ensure comfort and luxury. Built 179m2. Terraces 73m2. Ref. 11477

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THETHEME OSCARS

This is the highlight of my day. I hope it’s not all downhill from here Kevin Spacey, Best Actor for American Beauty

OSCAR Frenzy Report Marisa CUTILLAS

T

he red carpet is ready to be rolled out, designers are busy sewing the final stitches on gowns for the world’s most glamorous stars and boxes of Oscar statuettes are being brightly polished. The excitement is soon to hit fever pitch as we wait for the curtains to rise on the 82nd edition of the Academy Awards. Once again, many actors, directors, producers and technicians will breathe a long-awaited sigh of relief as, finally, a lifetime of hard work, competition, personal sacrifice and love of craft will be rewarded. And at last, they will be given a chance to thank those who have stood by them through thick and thin.

The last few years have been particularly rewarding for the Spanish film industry, with maestros like Pedro Almodóvar and Alejandro Amenábar being recognised on a worldwide scale thanks to films like All About My Mother and The Sea Inside.

Just last year, Penélope Cruz made history by being the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar for her role as the mad but loveable Elena in Woody Allen’s homage to Barcelona. The year before that, her partner Javier Bardem also marked a first with a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his hair-raising portrayal of a brutal assassin in No Country for Old Men. The success of this young couple in particular, brought home the excitement and value of the Academy Awards. The hotly contested competition may cop its share of flack for supporting mainly big budget films, established producers and directors and big name actors (most of whom are American) yet there is no doubt that, when the curtain rises and star comedians Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin welcome guests to this year’s Academy Awards, the sense of anticipation will be just as we remember when we were little children and Dad and Mum would let us stay up to watch our favourite stars shine on the red carpet. Every year, we celebrate the films that made us think, laugh and cry; the actors who unashamedly revealed their vulnerabilities, insecurities and fears through magnificent performances; every year, we take our hats off to the sheer magic of good film making.

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Best Motion Picture This year, predictions are more difficult to make than ever, with a selection of films that is as eclectic as it is excellent. Nominees include: u Avatar: James Cameron’s blockbuster tells the tale of the mythical land of Pandora and one man’s fight to save

its population from human destruction. u The Blind Side: Sandra Bullock plays an affluent white woman who takes in a poor black teenager and gives

him all the educational opportunities that will enable him to reach his full potential. u The Hurt Locker: An intense account of the experiences of a group of elite soldiers who have one of the most

dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. u Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino takes us on a violent ride alongside a group of anti-Nazis who refuse to

sit back and allow the Jewish people to be eliminated by Hitler’s forces. u Up In The Air: George Clooney plays a frequent flyer whose job it is to lay people off in companies across the

USA. He leads an empty life out of a suitcase until his company does the unexpected: grounds him. u Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire: Precious tells the tale of an obese, illiterate young teenager in

u

u u u

Harlem who is pregnant with her second child. When she is invited to enroll in an alternative school, she hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

Up is one of Walt Disney’s most soulful animations, concerning an old man who has lost all hope and a young boy who dreams of greater things. Together they embark on an adventure that will take them to far-off lands, and to their ultimate destiny.

District 9: An extraterrestrial population living in a suburban slum finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is ‘infected’ by their biotechnology.

A Serious Man: The Cohen Brothers’ latest, set in 1967, follows the life of a Midwestern professor whose wife threatens to leave him when his useless brother refuses to move out of the house.

An Education: A 1960s teenager girl’s life is turned upside-down when a renowned playboy arrives in town.

If there’s one thing that actor’s know… other than that there weren’t any WMDs (weapons of mass destruction)… it’s that there is no such thing as best in acting Sean Penn

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Best Director

James Cameron for Avatar

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Best Actor

Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Lee Daniels for Precious

Jason Reitman for Up In The Air

When the Academy called, I panicked. I thought they might want their Oscars back and the pawn shop has been out of business for a while Woody Allen, 2002 Academy Awards

u u u u u

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart George Clooney for Up In The Air Colin Firth for A Single Man Morgan Freeman for Invictus Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker

Best Actress

u Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side u Helen Mirren for The Last Station u Carey Mulligan for An Education u Gabourey Sidibe for

Precious: Based On The Novel Push by Sapphire u Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

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Predictions about winners are plentiful and contradictory at this stage, and while there are always surprises in the most hotly-contended categories, the Golden Globe Awards, celebrated two months before the Oscars, may shed light on the final results. This year, they went to Avatar for Best Dramatic Film and to James Cameron for Best Director; Jeff Bridges for Best Actor; Sandra Bullock for Best Actress; Mo’nique for Best Supporting Actress and Christopher Waltz for Best Supporting Actor.

History has proven that the Oscar results are far from mere carbon copies of the Golden Globes, however, so the above is at most a loose prediction of outcomes. Not only are the categories different in the respective competitions; the voting processes are distinct as well. Many critics claim that the Golden Globes are more universal, objective sources of recognition of achievement, since they are voted for by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, made up of bona fide journalists resident in Southern California who write for overseas publications. The Oscars, on the contrary, are both nominated, and voted for, by members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Membership is by invitation only (by the Board of Governors) and is limited to those deemed “to have achieved distinction in the arts and sciences of motion pictures”. Members include top directors, actors and producers.

Somehow, despite the plethora of other awards and achievements (milestones like the Cannes Palm D’Or or The Critics Choice Awards spring to mind here), few things can quite beat the adrenalin rush of winning an Oscar. Perhaps this stems from its history, which is as steeped in glamour and success as few other awards are. Oscar magic began in 1927, at a dinner in the home of MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer. Mayer and three of his guests – actor Conrad Nagel, director Fren Niblo and producer Fred Beetson, began mulling over the possibility of forming a group to benefit the entire film industry. A week later, they held a dinner for 36 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles to officially found the International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Guests included top names in film at the time, including Cecil B. De Mille, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Douglas Fairbanks was elected President and, a few months later on May 11, 1927, an official organisation banquet was held for over 300 guests. At the dinner, the Academy’s first honorary membership was granted to Thomas Edison, and five branches were established: producers, actors, directors, writers and technicians.

The first Academy Awards had to wait a couple of years, until May 16, 1929, when 270 people were invited to attend a black tie gala dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tickets cost a mere $5 each and 15 statuettes were awarded in a number of categories which included Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Writing and Best Cinematography.

The surprise element was absent, with winners being announced three months previously. All that changed the following year, when the Academy

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Matt Damon for Invictus Woody Harrelson for The Messenger Christopher Plummer for The Last Station Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones Christopher Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

u u u u u

Best Supporting Actor Top Oscar Winners

decided to keep the results under wraps until the ceremony. Newspapers were given an advanced list of winners for publication at 11pm on the night of the Awards, a policy which remained until the 1940 Awards, when The Los Angeles Times broke the print embargo and published the names of winners in its evening edition. It was on the news stands before the ceremony had even commenced. Evidently, public interest had grown considerably, with the media and audiences keen to discover the identity of the winners… Oscar madness had officially begun!

The Oscar statuette has its own interesting history though, since its first appearance at the Awards banquet in 1929, it has hardly changed in look. ‘The little man’ was designed by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons, who opted for a statuette of a knight standing on a reel of film gripping a crusader’s sword to honour outstanding movie-making achievements. The Academy hired Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley to give life to the design in three dimensions and the world-renowned statuette was born. Since its first appearance in 1929, 2,701 statuettes have been presented. Every January, new statuettes are cast, moulded, polished and buffed

by R.S. Owens & Company, the Chicago-based Awards manufacturer retained by the Academy since 1982. An Oscar stands 34.3cm tall and weighs in at a robust 3.6 kilograms. It stands on a film reel with five spokes, symbolising the five original branches of the Academy. The current statuette is almost the same as the original, with only the size of the base varying until 1945, when the current standard was adopted. The statuette is made from Britannia metal, a pewter-like alloy which is then plated in copper, nickel silver and, finally, 24 carat gold. While the precise origin of the moniker ‘Oscar’ is unknown, it is thought that it can be attributed to Margaret Herrick, the Academy librarian who, upon seeing the statuette for the first time, remarked that it reminded her of her Uncle Oscar.

More than 80 years have passed since the first Oscar was handed to a few lucky individuals whose talent, hard work and sheer passion were recognised by their peers. The year 2009 may have been a hard one for the world economy but, perhaps for this reason, we yearn more than ever for a night filled with glamour, celebrity and style, be it only on our television sets. Nobody can deny that, despite the fact that many excellent film makers, actors and technicians never make it to the red carpet of the Oscars, there’s something about the boy… n

I was lucky Mozart was not eligible this year Maurice Jarre, Best Score, Passage to India, 1985 Academy Awards u Penélope Cruz for Nine u Vera Farmiga for Up In The Air u Anna Kendrick for Up In The Air u Mo’nique for Precious:

Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire u Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart

Best Supporting Actress

History is a malleable, changing and sometimes subjective document of man’s journey on Earth but, thus far, these individuals can lay claim to an indisputable fact: they have the most Oscars gracing their mantelpiece! u Top Best Film Winners: Though Titanic (1997) and All About Eve (1950) hold a joint record for receiving the most nominations (14), the actual biggest winners are The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Titanic (1997) and Ben-Hur (1959), each of which took 11 Oscars home. u Top Best Director Winner: The most frequent winner in this category is John Ford (who won four Oscars for films like The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and The Quiet Man (1952). u Top Best Actor Winner: No actor has won this Award more than two times. This honour was achieved by nine actors: • Fredric March for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) • Spencer Tracy for Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938) • Gary Cooper for Sergeant York (1941) and High Noon (1952) • Marlon Brando for On The Waterfront (1954) and The Godfather (1972) • Jack Nicholson for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and As Good As It Gets (1997) • Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988) • Daniel Day-Lewis for My Left Foot (1989) and There Will Be Blood (2007) • Tom Hanks for Philadelphia (1993) and Forest Gump (1994) • Sean Penn for Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008) u Top Best Actress Winner: The biggest winner in this category is Kathryn Hepburn, who was nominated 12 times and won four times for films like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) and On Golden Pond (1981). A close runnerup is Meryl Streep, who was nominated 15 times and won twice (see our profile in this issue). u Top Best Supporting Actor Winner: Popular Western film star Walter Brennan is the biggest winner in this category, with three wins for films like Kentucky (1938) and The Westerner (1940). u Top Best Supporting Actress Winner: Shelley Winters and Dianne Wiest share the honours in this category, with two wins each (Shelly Winters from The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965); and Dianne Wiest for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994). u Best screenplay: Although Woody Allen (13 nominations) and Billy Wilder (12 nominations) have received the most nominations, the biggest winners are Charles Brackett, Francis Ford Coppola, Paddy Chayefsky and Billy Wilder, each of whom took home three statuettes. essential marbella magazine

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THEPEOPLE MERYL

S She’s been nominated for 16 Oscars, winning two, and 25 Golden Globes, winning her seventh this year for Julie & Julia – more plaudits than any other actor in the history of either award. Meryl Streep, at 60, is not only a legend in her own lifetime but destined for immortality, as Belinda Beckett reports.

he can sing, dance, play it straight or for laughs, and the violin too. Even after Mamma Mía!, Meryl Streep would be high on most people’s list of greatest living actresses. No one else has demonstrated such emotional range, such a facility with accents, vocals, social classes, such ability to ‘disappear’ her real self in every role she takes on.

Up for a Best Actress Oscar for Julie and Julia, in this year’s Golden Globes she was double-nominated twice over (Best Actress Motion Picture and Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture for Julie & Julia and her latest movie, It’s Complicated, a rom-com with Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. She’s also managed to maintain a happy marriage, raise a family of three daughters and a son, stay out of the tabloids and do it all without resorting to gratuitous nudity or the tiniest niptuck to her porcelain-skin.

The high school Homecoming Queen knew from the outset that her flat chest and off-kilter beauty would never qualify her as a Hollywood glamour girl. She was auditioning for her first female lead (in King Kong which, mercifully for her career, went to Jessica Lange) when movie mogul Dino De Laurentis made an aside to his son in Italian. Streep recounts: “He said, ‘Why did you send me this pig? This woman is so ugly’, so I looked at him and said, ‘I’m very sorry that I disappoint you’.

He was so used to treating girls like bimbos and never imagined that a blonde could speak Italian!”

Streep is very much the thinking man’s femme fatale and versatility personified. She’s theatrically trained, adept with foreign languages and accents (she played an Italian woman in The Bridges of Madison County, a South African in Out of Africa and studied Polish for Sophie’s Choice); she learned white water river rafting for River Wild and the violin for Music

of the Heart, received five Grammy nominations for her beautiful singing voice, perfected the super-bitch in The Devil Wears Prada and has even done voice-overs for animated films.

Her career has ranged from serious, often tragic roles (The Deer Hunter, Silkwood and her Oscar successes, Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice) to unabashed comedy (She-Devil, Postcards From the Edge, Death Becomes Her, in which her head spun round on her body like a scene from The Exorcist). Though not all have been great choices, she made them for the same reason she never wants to direct movies: family.

“I like to have a life,” she explains: “My son had gone to preschool in Texas, kindergarten in New York, first grade in Africa and England, second grade in Connecticut, third grade in Australia, and fourth grade in Los Angeles.

One day he said, ‘I don’t want to be a new boy anymore’, so I stopped picking these wild locations and settled in Los Angeles. It enabled me to go home at night without compromising my need to say something in my movies.”

The consummate actress, caring wife and mother is modest with it. In her Golden Globe acceptance speech she said: “In my long career I’ve played so many extraordinary women that I’m getting mistaken for one.”

Initially, she didn’t count TV chef Julia Child as one of them, an impression formed some years before, when she’d sought the cookery star’s support in a campaign to promote organic products in supermarkets. “She sent word back that she didn’t have anything to say on the subject,” Streep recalls. “I remember being so disappointed that she was in the thrall of something called the American Council for Science and Health, which was a front organisation for the agro and petrochemical businesses.”

Streep changed her mind after filming the comedy drama contrasting Child’s life with Julie Powell, who found fame with her humorous blog on the trials of cooking all 524 recipes in Child’s cookbook. “When you talk about passion, Julia Child had it,” says Streep. “Her joie de vivre and unwillingness to be bogged down in negativity was compelling. She was so similar in spirit and approach to life to my mother that I got to do a tiny homage to Mary Streep while I was doing the film. Which meant a lot to me and sort of located me centrally in a body I loved.

But Streep’s consummate skills don’t extend to cooking. “There was a whole kitchen set up at the studio and I practiced my cooking there but, to be honest, I feel much more confident about my acting,” says Streep.

“I’ve been cooking roast chicken for 30 years but I found

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I’d been doing it all wrong! My mother only had one cook book; it was called the I Hate to Cook Book and she used to say, ‘If it’s not done in 20 minutes, it’s not dinner.’”

She was, however, an above-average student.

She comes from a middle class Presbyterian background in New Jersey and has always been driven. “After I graduated I was a sort of hippie in a little company of actors up in Vermont. We’d travel around in a Volkswagen van. I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t rigorous enough. I need to go where people are more serious about acting. I was broke but Yale Drama School gave me a scholarship. It was a big moment for me.” (According to the then Dean of Yale, “It was immediately apparent that she was destined for greatness.”)

Athough she originally wanted to be an opera singer, she has described the happiness acting has brought her as “like being in love”. She initially set her cap at the theatre, going on to star on Broadway and winning an Obie for her performance in the allsung, off-Broadway production, Alice at the Palace.

“In the theatre there’s less pressure to find a particular niche and I’ve always felt my talent is various enough that I can put myself into different situations and have my imagination tripped by many stimulants. My attitude is, Why not try this?”

Shrewd enough to see movies were where the money was, she landed a small but pivotal role in the 1976 film, Julia, alongside Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda. The Deer Hunter followed in 1978, although she only auditioned because her fiancé John Cazale was in it, dismissing the role as, “They needed a girl between the two guys and I was it.”

It was a significant year. Cazale developed bone cancer and she nursed him until his death while playing a leading role in the TV miniseries, Holocaust, for which she won an Emmy. Also that year, she was Oscar-nominated for The Deer Hunter and married sculptor Don Gummer. The following year, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and Golden Globe for her performance as an ex-wife locked in a child custody battle with Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer.

She progressed to leading roles, beginning with her BAFTA-winning performance in The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Ever the fighter, to land the part of the Polish holocaust survivor in Sophie’s Choice (for which Ursula Andress was favourite) she put on an Oscar-worthy performance, getting hold of a pirated copy of the script and throwing herself on the ground in front of the Director, begging him for the part. She won the real Oscar too!

Respected by her peers, Bette Davis, her all-time favourite actress, sent her a complimentary letter early in her career while Dustin Hoffman is among many other actors she has impressed, commenting: “She’s extraordinarily hardworking, to the extent that she’s obsessive. She thinks about nothing else but what she’s doing.”

Streep once said it was tough for older women to get good roles because Hollywood producers “don’t want to cast women who remind them of their first wives.” But at 60, the parts (and awards) keep on coming and it looks like Ms. Streep may have to eat her words. n

p e e r t S l y r e M

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THETHEME

CELEBRITY

“

In the future, everyone will be worldfamous for 15 minutes,” pronounced Andy Warhol, way back in 1968. No one quite knew what he meant at the time but, in hindsight, it was a pretty accurate prediction. In 2007, according to Britian’s Learning and Skills Council, kids don’t want to be doctors, nurses or train drivers anymore. One in seven UK teenagers has ambitions to become a Reality TV star.

The cult of celebrity has given rise to a culture in which everyone wants to be famous. And, thanks to the media and reality shows like X Factor and Big Brother, they can, almost instantaneously – although frequently, for not much longer than 15 minutes.

Kids who at most impressed their mates one night at karaoke are now suddenly in with a shot of the Christmas No 1 record. Even the Subos and Leona Lewises of this world would be nowhere without the vehicle of television. Susan Boyle, who sold 700,000 copies of her CD in the first week of its release in America, would have lived and died in obscurity, with only Pebbles the cat for comfort.

It’s a phenomenon even Z-list celebrities recognise which is why they are prepared to swim in crocodile-infested waters and swallow witchetty grubs on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here to boost their flagging careers. When X Factor began in 2004, it pulled in an average audience of seven million. By the sixth series in 2009, it was clocking up figures previously reserved for royal weddings, state funerals and World Cup finals: more than 19 million.

The Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus observed that, “The desire for fame is the last infirmity cast off even by the wise”.

Certainly, it’s nothing new. With their pyramids and complex mummification procedures, the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt tried to ensure their own fame for centuries to come, as did later civilisations with their statuary erected to heroic figures. Even in the staid Victorian era, an ambitious young country girl called Lillie Langtry, who became mistress of Edward VII, engineered her rise to prominence by having her portrait painted by noted artists, then advertising her beauty on penny postcards sold around London. Generally however, whereas people in centuries past tended to be put on pedestals for their achievements in battle or their royal bloodline, celebrity today has pervaded all classes and sectors of society, from

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the music and film industries to sport and even academia (witness scilebrities Stephen Hawking CBE, Sir Patrick Moore and Sir David Attenborough).

This is the dawning of the Age of Celebrity and part of the reason is that it has become a billion dollar industry.

Glamorous movie stars are sought after to advertise beauty products, endorse sports equipment and even run for elective office; politicians employ spin doctors and image consultants to sex up their act; rock stars and actresses are called upon to raise money for a variety of humanitarian causes.

The public adulation of celebrity is something else. Mark Shaller, a psychology Professor at the University of British Columbia, sees it as an issue of familiarity. Celebrities’ private lives are made so public to us that we make a family-like connection, illustrated by the global outpouring of grief triggered by the deaths of Elvis, Princess Diana and Michael Jackson. At its extreme, it is a psychological disorder called Celebrity Worship Syndrome, said by New Scientist magazine to afflict 30 per cent of Americans. The British Journal of Psychology even defined a sliding scale in which the devoted fan becomes increasingly hooked into the object of their attention, until their feelings begin to resemble addiction.

“Information about the celebrity, or any little thing from their life, is like a fix the worshipper must have – they are almost compelled to learn more, read more, know more. And it’s non-ending,” says New York psychologist Abby Aronowitz. “Some even begin to believe they have some special connection to the celebrity. The whole Hollywood spin machine works together to create images that are impossible for any of us to live up to. They purposefully set us up to admire, and even covet, something we can never have.”

The danger, says Aronowitz, is that then, “When we are completely vulnerable, they sell us the image even harder – from headlines that titillate us with celebrity secrets to the books, diets, cosmetics, foods, jewellery and clothes that promise we’ll be closer to the ones we adore. There are fortunes being made by turning fans into victims.”

When the object of our interest sets a good example, it can help us strive to

Do you find yourself worrying about Susan Boyle’s mental health, modelling your dress style on Leona Lewis and dreaming that, with a little help from Simon Cowell, you could be just like them? Belinda Beckett looks at the Age of Celebrity in which being famous for being famous has become the new Holy Grail.

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achieve our own ideals. TV’s The Apprentice promotes a can-do attitude that has inspired many young viewers to follow their dreams.

Ironically, however, almost as quickly as the media builds our celebrity heroes, it breaks them via the growing practice of hanging their dirty laundry out for all to see, exploiting the ignoble human quality of schadenfreude – deriving pleasure from others’ misfortunes. The media seemed almost to rejoice when devoted family man Tiger Woods turned out to have bedded umpteen porn stars without a condom in sight. Mr Perfect had got his ‘come-uppance’ and serves him right for earning all that money, kind-of-thing.

“Prior to Marilyn Monroe, a star’s life was hidden from the public. But now, instead of a glossy ideal, we see celebrity’s ugly messes, including their drug and alcohol abuse which, for many who admire these people, translates into a very dangerous message,” says Aronowitz.

Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears are just two examples of good role models gone bad.

Fame is contagious, too. WAGS – wives and girlfriends – were photographed as much as their menfolk in the World Cup of 2006 and became instant stars of the shopping mall and wine bar, as the England team fell over their two left feet on the pitch. And if celebrity seemed more fleeting and ephemeral than it had ever

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done before, then some residue of stardom seemed immortal and creaking old pop stars like Deep Purple and Spandau Ballet went back on the road to pump up their pension plans.

This is also the age of micro-celebrity. With just a keyboard or a digital camera and an Internet connection, almost anyone can find an audience for more than 15 minutes online.

Take celebrity blogger Perez Hilton who has parlayed his hugely popular gossip website into a radio show, regular TV appearances and, most recently, a book.

As Warhol predicted, the cult of celebrity has become the world’s Holy Grail. The media, which regularly gives greater prominence to the death of an A-list celebrity than the war in Afghanistan, is largely to blame, Reality TV in particular. Although it has existed in some form or another since the early years of television (remember Candid Camera and Cilla Black’s Blind Date) the genre came into its element this century. Of course, it’s all about money, relying on sensationalism to attract viewers and generate advertising profits. And of course, it’s a sham.

Participants are placed in exotic, abnormal or even invidious situations and coached to act in certain scripted ways by off-screen story editors, while the portrayal of events is manipulated to create an illusion of reality through postproduction techniques. It’s cheap, (writers for

Reality TV don’t receive union pay-scale), it’s paid-for by audience telephone voting and as ready-made tabloid fodder, it’s self-publicising too. Plus, it taps into our base desire to see others humiliated. Formats like Big Brother, which has been exported all over the world, scrape the bottom of the barrel, focusing on a group of dysfunctional ‘adults’ living together in a large house like laboratory animals, with every action – even bathroom and bedroom activities – captured on camera. As the American magazine Entertainment Weekly wrote, “Do we watch reality television for precious insight into the human condition? Please. We watch for those awkward scenes that make us feel a smidge better about our own little unfilmed lives.”

It was largely for that reason that Jade Goody hogged the limelight even until death, a media event orchestrated by her publicist, Max Clifford. Goody became a household name after appearing in the third series of Britain’s Big Brother in 2002. Her eviction led to her own TV programmes and product ranges and an ‘instant stardom’ that saw her return as a housemate in 2007’s Celebrity Big Brother.

In 2009, riddled with cancer, Goody staged a public wedding to her jailbird boyfriend, her two sons were christened at her hospital bedside while her funeral became a media circus like

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INSTANT CELEBRITIES

no other. She was buried in a white coffin wearing the wedding dress given to her by Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, accompanied by a cortège of 21 cars and half the world’s press. Neither the death of the Queen Mother or Pope John-Paul II commanded as many headlines.

Jade Goody had no discernable talent yet she was worth £8million at the time of her death. She was named ‘the ultimate reality TV star’ by the media website, Digital Spy, and plans were even announced for Jade the Musical. In the same month, Sir Michael Parkinson wrote that Goody had become property of the media “to be manipulated and exploited till the day she died”. He claimed she represented “all that

is paltry and wretched about Britain”.

But perhaps he’s a voice in the wilderness, as Reality TV seems here to stay. There are now whole channels dedicated to it (Fox Reality in the United States, Zone Reality in the UK) while in 2008, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences created the first Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. Reality Television has become an integral part of our culture and people like Simon Cowell, Mr Starmaker himself, are only too pleased to cash in on it. Owner of the TV production and music publishing house Syco with a net worth of over $200million, he became renowned for his scathing critiques as a judge on the British talent

1 - Katie Price Following in the footsteps of other aspiring British girls determined not to let a lack of talent stand in the way to stardom, she first created the persona of topless model Jordan when her breast implants became a national obsession. During the 2001 British General Election, she ran as a candidate in Stretford and Urmston under the slogan: ‘For a Bigger and Betta Future’, promising free breast implants, more nudist beaches and a ban on parking tickets. She won 1.8% of the votes and wrote a book on her life before re-inventing herself as Reality TV star Katie Price (her real name). She met Aussie singer Peter Andre on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and their wedding and subsequent divorce took place in a blaze of self-publicity. Her total wealth is put at £40 million but it didn’t impress the Queen’s bankers, Coutts & Co, who refused to accept her as a client.

2 - Coleen McLoughlin The wife of Manchester United and England football star Wayne Rooney used her husband’s celebrity as a springboard to develop a career as a TV presenter, columnist and celebrity product endorser. Although a staple of the British tabloids, she’s no dumb WAG (she left school with 11 GCEs) and her personal wealth is put at over £8 million.

Not everyone likes her. She caused controversy after being chosen to appear in British Vogue, when the public felt that she was unworthy of such celebrity status. She has also offended animal lovers with her wardrobe of fur and snakeskin items and her assertion that, “These animals were put here for a reason, and if you don’t understand that, then go to Primark, because you’re probably just jealous”.

3 - Paris Hilton The heiress to the Hilton Worldwide dynasty is a celebutante famous for her many media appearances, primarily due to her wealth and lifestyle although she’s tried everything, from modelling and singing to writing, fashion designing and acting, none with great aplomb. She appeared in the 2007 Guinness World Records as the world’s Most Overrated Celebrity. The epitomy of the saying, ‘famous for being famous’, the Associated Press tested that out in February 2007 by

competition, Pop Idol. He progressed to American Idol, manufacturing the pop-opera group Il Divo and launching other reality talent shows like X Factor, America’s Got Talent and its British counterpart.

Often parodied for his permatan, capped teeth and waxed chest, he was described by the The Times as representing the “heartless, thoughtless and superficial – the flotsam and jetsam of the polluted seas of celebrity that is likely to sink without trace into toxic foam.”

Asked to comment on the qualities of a budding Reality TV star, Cowell said: “If you’ve got a big mouth and you’re controversial, you’re going to get attention.”

Perhaps we get the heroes we deserve.

trying not to report on her for a whole week. Nearly as famous is her accessory Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, having ‘authored’ a memoir, The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries, and also gone missing for six days after a burglary at the star’s home, believed by many to have been an ‘inside job’.

4 - Perez Hilton Hollywood stars fear the wrath of Perez Hilton, a controversial Internet gossip blogger with a poison pen. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, styles himself as The Queen of Mean and has earned a rabid following, thanks to his biting sarcasm and irreverent habits, such as doodling rude captions on paparazzi photos. Perez bolsters his web presence with frequent TV gigs, including guest-hosting The View, and a series of specials, What Perez Sez, on VH1. He recently published his first book, Red Carpet Suicide: A Survival Guide on Keeping Up With the Hiltons. Up next: a bona fide media empire. “I want to be the gay, Latino Oprah,” Hilton has declared.

5 - Myleene Klass The Grace Kelly of instant fame – classy and smart where Jade Goody was brassy and thick. Myleene limped to fame on ITV’s Popstars in 2001, when she became part of middling pop group Hear’Say. In 2006 she journeyed to the I’m a Celebrity jungle, took a shower in a white bikini under a waterfall,and, by the last week of the show, became the top searchedfor celebrity by UK Internet users. Her success as a ‘media personality’ now seems secure.

6 - Shilpa Shetty The Bollywood actress revived her flagging career on 2007’s Celebrity Big Brother UK for which she was reportedly paid £367,500. Following a worldwide controversy that publicised her as a target of racist bullying within the House, Shetty won the contest and was later seen hobnobbing with both the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the Queen. The large number of commercial offers she received afterwards themselves became reason for controversy about her riding the ‘racism’ wave to commercial gain.

She described her appearance in the show as, “A fantastic opportunity to make my country proud.” n

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THETHEME

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PENÉLOPE CRUZ AND JAVIER BARDEM

GOYAS

Awards Fever!

Spanish Stars Shine at the Goya Awards 2010 They may not be as famous, internationally, as the Oscars but they are just as hotly contested by top actors on the Spanish film scene. They are the Goya Awards whose statuette, modelled on one of Spain’s most prolific artists of all time, Francisco Goya, reminds us that when it comes to art, talent and performance, the Spanish stand on an equal footing with their American peers. In this special report, Marisa Cutillas brings you the best moment of Los Premios Goya 2010.

TOGETHER AT LAST

Spain’s hottest off- and sometimes on-screen couple, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, are not just the only two Spanish actors with an Oscar to their name; they are also the most private, often refusing to talk about each other in anything other than professional terms. This year, camera flashes were ablaze like never before, since the Goya 2010 Awards marked the first time Penélope and Javier made an official appearance as a couple. Penélope, who was nominated for Best Actress for her wonderful portrayal of a frustrated actress in Pedro Almodóvar’s Los Abrazos Rotos (she lost out to Lola Dueñas), clearly made the most of being on home ground, laughing, nudging Javier and beaming with joy when she saw the evening’s surprise presenter. You may think this couple is a tad too secretive, yet sometimes it seems the press is out to get them. Presenters of top ratings Spanish gossip show, Sálvame, were quoted as stating that Penélope and Javier exited the Awards as soon as she found out she had not won the Goya, not bothering to stay to listen to Lola Dueñas’ thank you acceptance speech. The truth is that the couple did leave early, but just a couple of minutes before the end of the ceremony, to avoid the traffic and make it to the most stylish afterparty in town.

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MO TOP ME NT S

PEDRO ALMODÓVAR PRODIGAL SON RETURNS

“I miss Pedro Almodóvar,” stated Penélope Cruz just a few moments before the Goya Awards began. The great Director from Manchego’s absence was only to be expected since his rift with the Academia del Cine Español, which led him to boycott the Goyas in 2005 and make his absence notable at every awards ceremony since.

What better way, then, for the silver haired maestro to make his comeback than with a surprise appearance at the end of the ceremony, to present the award for Best Film? The man behind Almodóvar’s ‘reconciliation’ with the Academy is Álex de la Iglesia, President of the Academy and Director of unforgettable films like El Día de la Bestia. De la Iglesia convinced Almodóvar with one sentence: “You already have their hatred… by doing this you can only win their affection.” The biggest secret of the evening was kept under wraps (only three people – the presenters and De la Iglesia, knew Almodóvar would be appearing). Almodóvar was ‘kept hostage’ and told to arrive when the ceremony was almost over, to avoid the eagle eyes of the press and film makers. Upon taking the stage, Almodóvar received an almighty standing ovation, and told the Spanish film industry that there was only one reason he had shown up (he made the decision to do so at 1am the previous night): “You’re President is such a pain in the ass he just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Goya Awards

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LUIS TOSAR: GOYA FOR BEST ACTOR Watching Luis Tosar receive the Goya from Javier Bardem’s hands was enough to send tingles up and down my spine. Tosar was downright creepy in his role as Malamadre, the leader of a prison revolt who unwittingly makes friends with a new ‘inmate’, who is in fact a prison warden caught in the midst of the revolt on his first day of work. It was touching to hear Tosar speak in his mother tongue, Gallego, and dedicate the prize to his sick father. Tosar, who now has three Goyas under his belt, gushed about the role of Malamadre and reminded us: “An actor can only do a good job if he is given good roles.” The film in which he starred, Celda 211, was the big winner of the night, taking home eight statuettes, having received 16 nominations. It beat Alejandro Amenábar’s blockbuster, Ágora, and is a shining example of great film-making, despite its low budget and limited setting (almost all the action takes place inside a prison).

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P N O T HIO S A F

Marta Etura

Maribel Verdú

Goya Awards

Any awards ceremony worth its salt shines in the glamour stakes, and our Spanish stars proved they can strut a red (or, in this case, green) carpet like few others. These were some of the trendiest outfits:

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Winner of the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in Celda 211, was the fashion critics’ top choice with a stunning red Oscar de la Renta gown which showed off her lean figure and gave free reign to her feminity.

Silvia Abascal

Silvia Abascal is one of Spain’s prettiest young actresses. She gave her colleagues a real lesson in glamour in this gorgeous metallic Elie Saab number.

She will surely go down in Spanish history as one of Spain’s most sensitive, profound actresses, and also one of its most elegant belles. She shone in a sombre yet elegant black gown by Oscar de la Renta.

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz remained faithful to her penchant for Italian designers, opting for a figure hugging design by Versace.

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Blanca Romero

Paz Vega

Only someone with a figure this perfect could do it: Paz Vega pulled off a flirty gown from Hannibal Laguna’s Gran Vía Swing collection

Belén Rueda

She was my personal choice for top fashion diva at the Goyas. Wearing a silk top and skirt by Carolina Herrera, she showed that when it comes to elegance, displaying less skin and more design is a good starting point.

Bimba Bosé Model and musician Bimba Bosé is never afraid to push the limits of fashion. Few others could dare to break the mould like Bimba, seen here in a suit by her favourite designer, David Delfín.

Many critics think that if Hollywood had discovered Belén Rueda earlier, she could have beaten Penélope Cruz to be the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar. At the Goyas, she wore a bronze Carolina Herrera gown.

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the trend PRODUCTS & IDEAS

The Latest Gadgets

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The Rolls-Royce Phantom CoupĂŠ 2010

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Environment

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THETREND GADGETS Report Marisa CUTILLAS

1 Muti-coloured Lite Cubes

Cool music is playing in the background, drinks are flowing and your guests have just arrived at your party. How can you make the evening extra special and give them a lovely surprise? Lite Cubes are a set of plastic ice cubes that chill your drink while they change colour, adding a touch of originality to the evening. You can even choose from two different light settings: static, in which the cubes remain one colour throughout the evening, or dynamic, in which the cubes change colour every few seconds. Each pack comes with three cubes which you can pop in the freezer just as you would with normal ice cubes.

The cubes come with a little button which you can press to start the action.

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i www.planetapluton.com

2 Bedlam Cube

Did you delight in intricate jigsaw puzzles as a child, spend hours trying to work out the Rubik’s Cube or try to solve the most difficult mysteries you could find? If so you will love Bedlam Cube, a game that consists of putting together 13 pieces to form a cube. Despite there being 19,186 different solutions, only 446 people in the world have managed to solve it, two of whom hail from Spain (from Málaga and Huelva to be exact). The cube, made in plastic, poses a fun challenge to children, teenagers and adults alike. The key is practice, plenty of patience and soaring ambition. Are you up to the challenge?

i www.planetapluton.com

3 LaCie and Phillipe Starck Hard Drives

Avant-garde designer Phillipe Starck has lent his creative talent to LaCie with the design for a series of hard drives that are sensitive to the touch, opening desired programmes with just a prod of your finger.

There are desktop and mobile varieties to select from, offering 1 and 2 TB capacities respectively. They connect to your computer or multi-media devices through a USB 2.0 port, eliminating the need for a separate drive.

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i www.lacie.es

4 Sandberg Street Blaster Headphones

Sandberg has launched StreetBlaster, a new set of headphones aimed at 12-to-29-year-olds for whom design, wearability and comfort are combined with high quality and performance in a single product. The headphones radiate quality and simplicity and can be passed from person to person without any need for readjustment, thanks to ‘smart headband technology’. They come with two cables: one extra long with an in-built microphone, meant for use in front of your home computer while you voice chat or play games; and a shorter one, ideal for use with an iPod or any other media player when you’re on the move.

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i www.sandberg.it

5 Three-in-one Camera Sunglasses

The one bad thing about leisure time is that, sometimes, you just don’t know what to do with it.

Entertain yourself with a pair of Camera Sunglasses, the three-in-one gadget which protects your eyes from the sun, takes photographs and allows you to listen to your favourite MP3 tunes. The glasses come with a 1 GB internal memory and headphones with a solid fit, so you can indulge in all your favourite sports with no need for adjustment. The sunglasses boast UV 400 protection and house a 1.3 megapixel camera, so you can capture the beauty of nature while you’re climbing up that mountain or sailing at sea. They also come wth a USB cable so you can easily transfer files from the glasses to your computer, or vice-versa.

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i www.planetapluton.com

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Aura Diamond Watch Motorola presents Aura Diamond, an exquisite new phone featuring 18-carat gold, 34 diamonds and a sapphire crystal lens. The phone boasts an original round lens, the first of its kind, which seeks to emulate the beauty of a haute horlogerie watch.

Its interior houses over 700 different components, including a quad-band GSM phone with email, web browsing, a two megapixel camera, Bluetooth and a media player.

i direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/aura

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THETREND

CARS

T

he Hon. Charles Rolls and Mr. Henry Royce were an unlikely pair to found their iconic nameplate back in 1904, but great partnerships have often been based on less likely collaborations. Rolls was a youthful and wealthy aristocrat with marketing flair while Royce was a down-to-earth engineer with a head for business. Always attracted by speed, Rolls raced bicycles as a schoolboy, followed by motorcycles and automobiles – a common enough progression at the time. Almost inevitably, he was attracted to the developing field of aeronautics – a risky and adventurous business back in the early part of the 20th century. Sadly, this was to be his undoing and he died in his Wright biplane following structural failure during a flying tournament. He was just 33 years old, but Henry Royce (later knighted) forged ahead to lay the foundations of the Rolls-Royce that has for generations been one of the world’s top luxury brands. No carmaker has quite achieved the mystique of Rolls-Royce, though many have tried over the decades.

The elegant and stately Phantom Coupé we tested recently was built at a factory near Goodwood in the south of England and is no shrinking violet in the world of fine cars. This is not a car that’s easy to miss when you see one

out on the road. It’s big (especially for a 2-door), it’s brash and it shrieks serious money – you won’t get much change out of €400.000 for one of these masterpieces. Still, which other sporting car has a picnic boot with seating for two?

The Coupé, like other Phantoms, uses a 453horsepower, 6.75-litre V-12 engine designed and assembled by parent company BMW in Germany. Also from Germany is the 6-speed automatic transmission which is manufactured by highly-regarded ZF, supplier of gearboxes to a wide range of prestige automakers. As always, these cars offer an uncanny level of refinement and luxury and very much retain the lofty standards set all those years ago by the Hon. Rolls and Mr. Royce.

It would be all too easy to believe, looking at the size of this car, that it offers supreme refinement without impressive performance but nothing could be further from the truth.

The refinement is certainly there and at levels very few automakers get close to, but the heavy Phantom Coupé will top 100 km/h in a surprising 5.8-seconds and the top speed would be higher than the claimed 250 km/h if the car wasn’t electronically governed to restrain itself when that lofty pace is reached.

Handling, too, is far better than a driver

might expect, though the car has a turning circle like a cruise ship. It’s not a car that tempts the driver to press it hard on a winding road but if agility is demanded, it is once again surprising, powering through tight bends like a far smaller automobile and with decent stability too. This isn’t the kind of driving the Phantom is built for, though. Interestingly, the Phantom Coupé has rear hinged coach-doors, as RollsRoyce calls them. They actually work very well indeed when climbing into the front or rear seats. Incidentally, the mirror-like paint finish of these cars can be specified in 16 different hues but, for the truly picky, Rolls has a palette of some 44,000 colours available.

The interior of the Phantom Coupé is an absolute delight and exceeds every expectation.

If cabinet-making maestros Chippendale and Sheraton were alive today and crafting vehicle interiors rather than elegant furniture, this is the kind of work they’d be happy to be involved with. The veneers used by Rolls-Royce to create its remarkable interior trim come from many parts of the world and can be extremely expensive. A burr walnut tree can cost tens of thousands of dollars and only part of the wood is suitable for veneer. Every panel in the car is carefully matched to its nearby opposite number

E C Y O R ROLLS

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Report Tony Whitney Photography Courtesy of Rolls-Royce

and no two cars are ever quite the same inside. Veneers are stored at Rolls-Royce for decades and carefully numbered so that, if a car interior is ever damaged, wood for a repair can be found from the same tree and the same cut, ensuring a perfect match.

Similar care goes into the fine leathers used by Rolls-Royce and customers can specify just about any colour or texture that takes their fancy. It takes several hides to upholster a Phantom Coupé and each is painstakingly inspected before being judged flawless and ready for the cutting and hand-stitching processes. Rounding off every Rolls-Royce since 1911 has been the stately Acropolis-inspired radiator grille with its Spirit of Ecstasy sculptured figure flying gracefully atop it in all her glory.

Nowadays, the flying lady pops into the grill electronically when the vehicle is parked, as a theft deterrent. The system also functions automatically, when needed, to protect any hapless pedestrian struck by the mighty Rolls. Like no other feature of the Phantom, it’s the temple-like grille and its flying lady that make it absolutely clear that this is no ordinary car – this is a Rolls-Royce.

Despite brimming over with traditional values, this car is a very sophisticated piece of engineering with every state-of-the-art feature a vehicle in this class can pack in.

Safety features include a full suite of air bags and a wide range of electronic stability and braking aids. Of course, if you need even more protection than that offered by the standard Phantom, Rolls-Royce will be happy to sell you an armoured version aimed at buyers who need, as Rolls says, ‘the highest levels of personal protection’.

The car packs in enough high-tech weapons-proofing systems to bring a sigh of envy from Transporter movie star Jason Statham himself.

It’s true that there was some grumbling by diehard Rolls fans when BMW acquired the company but few could argue that Rolls-Royce has never produced better cars and is heading in exactly the right corporate direction – recession or no recession. And the Phantom range is surprisingly large for this class. Beside the Coupé, there are standard and long-wheelbase saloons and a splendid convertible (drophead, in Rolls-speak) for Phantom buyers to choose from. n

ENGINE u 6.75-litre, 453-horsepower V-12 TRANSMISSION u ZF 6-speed automatic ACCELERATION u Zero to 100 km/h in approx. 5.8seconds Top Speed u Approx. 250 km/h (governed) I LIKED... u Impressive combination of handsome looks, unmatched luxury and supreme prestige. Better-thanexpected performance and handling. Opulent interior work plus the history and tradition that goes with ownership I DIDN’T LIKE... u Huge turning circle you learn to live with. Hefty price MARKET ALTERNATIVES u Nameplates like Bentley and Maybach, but nobody offers a large coupé to match the R-R WHO DRIVES ONE? u Owners who simply want the most prestigious finely-crafted large sporting 2-door they can get their hands on – regardless of price. People who truly enjoy the opulent ambiance that comes with over a century of tradition and history – and have the means to acquire it Price aND AVAILABILITY u Available now, starting at €371,600 including delivery charges

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THETREND

INTERNET Report phil morse

Marketing Essentials, part 2

Websites and Blogs

i Phil Morse co-runs Reedus

Design, the Costa del Sol’s longest-established web design and Internet marketing agency.

For more information, contact info@reedusdesign.com www.reedusdesign.com

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I

t is a constant source of frustration and amazement to us how few companies have an active, up to date website.

Most are old and broken, which is sad because with a little understanding and effort (and not necessarily much money), most businesses could benefit greatly from using today’s web.

The internet is dead…

Five years ago, things were very different. The small businessman wanting a presence online would remortgage his house, brave a visit to a web company (who’d blind him with science and slap him with a huge bill), then more than likely spend an equally scary sum paying for mysterious ‘search engine optimisation’ to get the site to ‘number one in Google’.

And then... well frankly, normally nothing. The site got a bit of traffic, nobody really kept it updated and a few years later, there it is: unloved and unvisited. The businessman can’t really articulate what went wrong, and so doesn’t know what to do to put it right.

Meanwhile, nothing short of a web revolution was happening under his nose.

…long live the internet!

So what’s changed? Simple: community. The web today isn’t about companies dictating from on high. Nowadays, people find and talk to each other about companies without their help. Who hasn’t read online user-generated content (reviews, rants, praise, exposés) on the Internet? Hotels, music, airlines, destinations, white goods, employers – we assess, reject, choose, update, plan, reminisce, share… and all away from the sites of the companies who often provide what we’re talking about.

So what’s a small company to do? Once you’ve accepted the fact that authenticity, transparency and honesty are absolute givens, there are practical changes you can make in order to gain traffic and customers. Here are just two:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1: Start a blog A blog is a simple way of adding new content to your site.

Once you have one, you don’t need a web company to update it – it’s as easy as using Microsoft Word. If you simply write a 200-word piece every week about something to do with your business (New product? New store? Roadworks outside? Holiday opening times? Famous customer? It really doesn’t have to be world-changing…) Google will, over time, index your efforts and your site will appear when people search for your products and services. At the same time, you also benefit from positioning yourself as an expert online in your chosen field.

You can get a blog for free (try www.blogger.com, wordpress. com or livejournal.com) – or, for a more professional look, get a web company to incorporate one into your website.

2. Get yourself out there People will talk about your business on local expat web forums, on Facebook, on TripAdvisor (if you’re a hotel, bar, restaurant) and so on. The point is, they’re not necessarily coming to your website to make a buying decision any more.

So to have your say, you need to be where your customers are.

You need to sign up on these sites and join in (be they forums, reviews, blogs or whatever). Someone praising you? Thank them and provide a site link. Someone got a complaint? Publicly put it right. Competitor no longer offering something you do? Suggest an alternative… you.

Google Alerts (www.google.com/alerts) can help you find where people are talking about you. It will take some keywords and your email address, then search the whole web continuously on your behalf for your terms, emailing you whenever you get mentioned. Start with your brand name and your main products or services and wait for it to find interesting conversations going on right now about you.

The most important thing is to join in, however strange it feels at first. ‘Get it’ now before your competitors do, and reap the benefits. n

Next month. NETWORKING

>>>>>

18/2/10 15:46:46

Jyske Bank is also a TV station

en.jyskebank.tv

Jyske Bank’s financial TV station is for people needing analyses and background information – when and wherever it suits them. For people on the move. For people who are mobile. And for people needing information about what is happening in the field of investments, in the world of economy and finance and in respect of global trends etc.

en.jyskebank.tv also offers you freedom and flexibility. Watch and listen to the programmes at your convenience – on your PC, mobile phone, iPhone or iPod. You can also customise your own programme interface with video and audio podcasts as well as RSS feeds.

We look forward to seeing you – when it suits you.

en.jyskebank.tv broadcasts programmes in English with the Bank’s specialists taking an in-depth approach – and brought to you by professional journalists.

Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. is licensed by the Financial Services Commission, Licence No. FSC 001 00B. Services and products are not available to everybody, for instance not to residents of the US.

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THETREND ENVIRONMENT

Mad as March Hares…

L

et’s go back to the beginning; no matter what your creed, religion or scientific standing, you’ll all agree that somewhere, somehow, the human race began and that it did indeed at some point begin on Planet Earth.

Earth; the revolving greeny blue-ish sphere made up of water, gas and minerals dependent on the Moon and the Sun nearest to it. What does this Earth have that would allow such a species to evolve and develop as we have? A flora and fauna so diverse that no-one could ever know the extent of them. Clean air purified perfectly, for us to be able to breathe. Clean water springing from the ground for us to drink. An abundance of vegetation for us to graze and animals to hunt. Rocks, trees and materials naturally available should we need to make shelter.

So we are fed, watered and housed, naturally.

What more could we want?

It seems that our species has a desire Nature simply never provided for – greed, peppered with a hefty dose of hunger for power.

Human beings took what was on offer, and more. Instead of being content with a lush, perfectly ordered planet, they decided that the lands must be divided up, first tribally, then according to belief systems or religions. Some craved the ownership of land more than others and slowly but surely the Earth became unnaturally divided. Industrious as these folk were, they endeavoured to elaborate on the natural lifestyle the planet had initially offered them (at no cost) by beginning to farm the Earth for its natural resources, burning fuel, removing large areas of forest in order to put up housing for fellow humans. Technological advances ensued and before long there was furniture inside homes constructed of timber and man-made fibres. Natural light was insufficient in the minds of the dwellers and so ways were found to create electricity, and gas was burned to make fires.

Many natural resources were utilised in the industrial revolution: coal, iron, trees, gold, etc.

Steel evolved, plastic was invented, railways were built, aeroplanes took to the skies, communication systems, steam ships, cars, motorbikes, buses, computers were invented… all these things have happened within a century or two of our meddling with our planet.

Now we either think it is necessary to have a house built with brick or wood, featuring electricity, gas, running water systems, heating, cars, computers, internet, mobile phones, modern furniture, television sets, MP3 players, stereo

systems, cameras, video cameras, etc. We all like to live in this strange world of ‘convenience’, where necessity is something so misconstrued we’d never know it if it smacked us unconscious. But what do we do once we’ve finished work, school or the kids have gone to bed, had our dinner, loaded up the dishwasher, had a hot bath or shower and put our feet up sat in our comfortable couch made of trees and some man-made fabric? We sit down and turn on the television (made of glass, plastic, wire, cables, metal bits and pieces, circuit boards and other things I’ll never understand) and what do so so many of us decide we are interested in watching? Nature programmes. We watch documentaries on the Earth that we live in and destroy because we are interested in how Nature works and how other species survive, even after all the damage our selfishness has created.

We even sit and feel bad about species that have become extinct as a direct result of our actions. The irony is dumbfounding. I know we were not all born in the time before any of this happened and we did not know the extent of our actions but it is still our species that has done this, and how many of us are truly sorry or fearful about the future of this planet?

We did not know this would happen but the one positive aspect of all the advances we have is that we now know, scientifically, the extent of the damage we have caused and how to save as much of what remains as we can. Nature programmes also inspire people to think differently towards the Earth and consider more respectful attitudes. We can use this power in a positive, informative way, by trying to help those who are ignorant of the problems, and by providing them with a reality check and ways in which we can help.

Come on, people, let’s do this! n

For an explanation as to why I believe our race to be completely nuts, please read on.

Report victoria wood

i Victoria Wood

is a member of the Terra Sana Life Team. www.terrasana.net

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the chic DÉCOR AND FASHION

A Country Estate for all Seasons

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Décor News

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Art News

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Red Carpet Fashion by Valentino

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Fashion News

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THECHIC DECOR

photography kh photography and hansa realty

Take one talented architect, two visionary interior designers and three hectares of rural paradise in a Nature Reserve so privileged it can never be further developed and you have the foundations for a dream home, reports Belinda Beckett.

© Hansa Realty

C

avatina is one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of music ever written and The Deer Hunter theme could have been composed specifically for this stunning country estate in the rolling hills of Marbella where wild deer are never far away. The architecture is harmony personified. The location is music for the soul.

And, when the afternoon light streams through the French windows of the library, it falls on the very architect’s table at which this evocative guitar piece was penned, by the owner’s husband. Like his music, this classical Palladian-style mansion cradled between the Mediterranean and the Serranía de Ronda, is a work to make the spirit soar.

Indeed, that was the owner’s intention when her husband died and she decided to make a new life in Spain. Her mission was to build a gracious new home that would appropriately accommodate the treasured possessions she has collected over the last 40 years from the four corners of the world; no small consideration since her huge London loft apartment (where the drawing room alone

boasted a 5.5 metre ballroom ceiling) was filled with antiquities and objets d’art on a grand scale.

In fact, everything in the property was brought over from London, excluding two of the beds, and the owner knows the history of every piece. It may be an old-fashioned idea (since many home owners moving out here tend to buy new, often from just one décor shop) but it works, creating a look that is individual and quirky rather than sterile and contrived, like a furniture showroom.

An interior designer herself, she had a longtime close friend in Hugh Henry of the prestigious London design company, Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi, whose award-winning work can be seen in private villas, apartments and mansions the world over. Henry had worked with her on four properties, including her last home, so it seemed natural to collaborate once more, especially as she shared his philosophy that a project should be dictated not only by the client’s desires but also by the culture and topography of the region, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all aesthetic.

Thus, when she found her perfect plot just five

© KH Photography

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Š KH Photography

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e t a t s E s n o y s tr a

e s n l l a u r o o C f

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The property was designed on a cruciform floor plan, illuminated by a tower at its centre

minutes from coastal Elviria, close to international schools, shops and restaurants yet set in stunning rural surroundings as far as the eye can see, she already knew exactly how it had to be: of an architectural design that would bring the outside in, with interiors designed to complement the exterior, thereby achieving a oneness with nature. To make sure, she took pictures of the plot from all angles, including every tree in what was a veritable cork oak forest – the beginning of a labour of love that she has recorded for posterity in a photograph album tracking every phase of the build. Incredibly, it was completed in just 10 months.

That was 10 years ago and it’s fascinating, today, to look at those photographs and see what transformation has been wrought, with nature’s assistance. Where there was dry, untended scrubland, lush greenery has sprouted while the gracious property looks as if it might always have been here. Also, just as the owner had planned, the muted interiors in natural pastels of powder blue, sand, sage and soft aquamarine, emulating the colours of the earth, sea and sky, merge seamlessly into the sylvan scene outside.

Endless mature gardens preserve almost all of the land’s original centenary cork oaks so that it’s hard to know where the estate finishes and the wild campo begins. Paths, illuminated at night, meander through carpets of pungent rosemary and

lavender, oleander hedges and orchards planted with peach, pear, lemon, cherry, fig, mandarin and almond trees whose delicate blossoms stipple the woodland in springtime like an impressionist painting. And then there are the 360 degree views.

From an enchanting wisteria-woven pergola on the pebbled front terrace of the main house, overlooking a formal rose garden, the whole coastal panorama is laid out like an aerial map, stretching from Benalmádena to Gibraltar, affording glimpses of the Sierra Nevada and across the Straits to the peaks of Africa’s Rif mountains. On the other side of the house, extensive gardens run down to a secluded pool built on a plateau where tall cypresses stand sentinel and the encircling granite sierras form an awe-inspiring backdrop. Nearby is a kitchen garden which, together with the orchards, keep the larder full all summer long. The owner, who was only a tub gardener before (her London apartment had a roof garden) did all the landscaping, learning from books as she went along. In another secluded part of the estate, there is a further surprise: a second, three-bedroom home perfect for family living or letting. (With 350m2 of living space, its own pool and entrance drive, plus underfloor heating, it could never be called guest accommodation.) And there’s yet more land beyond the garden proper, partially grazed by goats, which would be ideal for keeping horses.

© KH Photography Pool with a view

The villa was conceived in collaboration with prestigious London designer Hugh Henry © Hansa Realty

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© Hansa Realty

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Š KH Photography

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The formal dining room © KH Photography

The elegant living room © KH Photography

For the principal four-bedroom property which totals 759m2 in built area and terraces, all on one floor, the owner wanted a year-round home, comfortable and warm in winter, cool and airy in summer. Henry’s idea for a cruciform floor plan, with a hall running the length of the house, crossed in the centre by another, was inspired. There are tall French windows at every turn and, when standing at the centre where the two halls converge, you can see trees and sky at all four points of the compass. Where they meet, a roof tower rises up, set with circular windows on four sides that allow light to stream in. Thus, sunshine is thrown back from the off-white walls to illuminate even the very heart of the house. This clever layout allowed the owner to locate all the entertainment rooms at the front of the house, with two guest rooms at the back.

The master suite, with its separate bathroom and dressing room, occupies the west wing; the kitchen, pantry and dining room are found across the hall in the east wing.

Built before noble materials were readily available on the coast, the natural sandstone used for the hall floor was imported from France while the owner travelled to Madrid for many items, including the door handles. Way ahead of the trend for wood floors, all the other rooms are laid with pine and covered with exquisite wool rugs hand-woven in China to ancient patterns. Contributing to the noble look of the house, the ceilings are at least four meters metres high, rising to five metres where they are vaulted.

As well as central heating, there are fireplaces

in four of the rooms. These were hand-made on site and came as cast iron units around which the brick chimneys were built, comprising a hood which can be opened to let smoke out, or closed against draughts when not in use. In the formal dining room, the walls are covered in blue Chinese silk-on-paper panelling with a bird motif, hand-reproduced from a classic design, the pattern never repeated. The woodframed French windows are sound-proofed and fitted with mosquito netting so they can be thrown wide in summer to create a cooling through-breeze.

The furnishings reference many periods and styles yet nothing screams or jars and above all, the décor is understated, exuding elegance and class. At the same time, the clean and angular architectural lines would make this property equally suitable for a totally contemporary décor treatment.

After her Olympic-sized drawing room in London, the living room is of cosier dimensions yet still elegant, with French 18th century chairs upholstered in cream faux suede, a pair of antique gilt mirrors on either side of the fireplace and a magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the Portuguese-style white wood ceiling. Across the hall, the library is lined with hand-made wooden bookcases topped with classical marble busts. This space is also used as a version of today’s must-have home cinema, with a flat screen TV and a massive archive of films in all languages, on video and DVD, some so rare that Hollywood movie directors who can’t get hold of a copy ring the owner to borrow hers!

The traditional library doubles as a retro-style home cinema © KH Photography

The dining room walls are covered in blue Chinese silk-on-paper panelling with an exquisite bird motif

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The villa is a treasure house of beloved possessions collected over 40 years

Š KH Photography

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The cosy country-style kitchen

© KH Photography Bedroom fit for a Princess

Although the trend for huge family-sized kitchens makes this house’s culinary engine room look compact, louvre-doored cupboards and recesses concealed in the worktops reveal every modern convenience, from a chip pan and barbecue grill to a dish washer and an American fridge freezer. The adjacent utility room is only separated by a partition wall which could be opened up and joined to what is currently a serving area, lined with store cupboards, to create a much larger kitchen. However, with the current layout, finished in country style, everything is easily to hand.

Next to these rooms is the formal dining room with three French windows leading onto south- and east-facing terraces which catch the morning sun – perfect for breakfasting outdoors in summer. Side

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© KH Photography

tables around the room, one antique and two made to match, look ripe for holding silver chafing dishes filled with kedgeree and scrambled eggs for a classic breakfast, country manor house-style! Flying cast iron lizards on the wall above the fireplace are a tasteful take on flying ducks – although there are ducks too, also in cast iron and of an exquisite Japanese design.

Throughout the house there are also framed, text book-style diagrams of insects and fossils and other subjects that fall into the category of nature study, one of the owner’s interests.

Across the hall in the opposite wing, the master bedroom and bathroom are separated by a spacious dressing room whose built-in wardrobes are made of cedar wood, known to repel moths and mosquitoes.

In all the suites, the bathrooms are purity personified,

simply designed with white fittings and hand-made Portuguese tiles in white and powder blue. The spacious master bathroom also boasts a sunken bath and a show-stopping walk-in shower with a glass door to showcase its sumptuous finish in white and grey Italian marble. What looks like an abstract monochrome painting on the wall is a Jean Cocteau scarf, framed because it was just too good to wear.

From the window in the curtained-off w.c./bidet area, views of the Ronda mountains make stirring contemplation! Imposing beds are another feature in the guest suites. In the master bedroom, the iron fourposter frame fashioned in a period French style can be hung with curtains for a more feminine look.

If all this is not enough, with this house you also get a superb staff apartment with its own sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom; and, last but not least, the delightful second villa whose beautiful lounge, with windows on four sides, is a bowl of light, the whole surrounded by wrap-around terraces commanding equally spectacular views.

Being built on land which has since been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the future occupant really will own something exclusive as no further houses can be built here, although existing property may be extended, providing unlimited potential.

i The estate is available for sale through Hansa Realty.

For details, contact Alexander von Albert.

Tel: 952 850 250/ 696 299 128. alexander.vonalbert@hansa-realty.com www.hansa-realty.com

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THECHIC

DECOR NEWS

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THECHIC ART NEWS

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Riogordo Gallery seeks works by local artists Are you a talented artist who would love to sell your work at a Costa del Sol gallery? If so, you may have found your ideal venue in Riogordo Galería, a new gallery opening in the quaint village of Riogordo in Málaga a the end of this month. The founders are seeking works by artists who live and work in Málaga.

Works can come from a variety of genres (incuding pottery, scupture, furniture, crafts and decorative arts) and works by artists from all nationalities are sought.

i Interested artists should contact Ken Church or Elle Makin on Tel: 608 925 438. www.riogordo-galeria.com

Stephen Howes exhibition

Collectors and lovers of fine art should mark Sunday March 21 as a red-letter day. Fine art dealer Stephen Howes and Interior Designer Tony Wilson have joined forces to present an important collection of works by some of the most outstanding artists residing in Southern Spain.

New paintings by Don Clarke, Liam Delaney, Jim Park and the sculpture of Juan Zafra will be joined by exciting additions to Stephen´s portfolio. In total, 15 contemporary artists, masters of their disparate styles and techniques, will be represented in the exhibition. Casa Ventura, a boutique hotel situated in the foothills of Mijas, is the venue. Designed by Tony Wilson, it is itself a triumph of the use of light and space. Complemented by choice items of retro furniture and objects of vertu, it is the perfect backdrop to works of art. The exhibition opens from 1.30 pm onwards. Tapas and wine will be served.

i To receive your invitation, contact Stephen Howes, Tel: 952 448 055 or Tony Wilson, Tel: 951 702 370. www.stephenhowes.es

Collective Exhibition at RGalería Up until March 20, enjoy a collective exhibition featuring works by 12 international and national artists at RGalería in Marbella. Artists include Massimo Pompeo (from Italy), Esperanza Romero (from Granada), Manuel Morales (from Barcelona) and Pedro Peña (from Marbella).

Entitled Rouge sur Rouge, the exhibition as a whole attempts to analyse love and its twists and turns, with works created specifically around this theme.

i Urb. Marbella Real, Local 8, Marbella. Tel: 952 868 434. www.rgaleria.com 60

Tori Seyd at Terra Sana “I think as a child you’re always drawing, colouring and doing crafts and that’s normal and what you do as a kid. The weird tragedy is when you become an adult, you ‘grow up’ and lose that. You stop creating, you stop involving yourself in the joy of colouring and creation and stuff.” Ed Templeton’s quote from the Beautiful Losers documentary very much encapsulates artist Tori Seyd’s passion for creativity and art. Tori paints everything from doorknobs right through to cornices, wall decorations and tiles. For a selection of her latest work, head for Terra Sana in the centre of Marbella.

i Avda. Antonio Belón 1 (esq. Miguel Cano), Marbella.

Tel: 952 901 274. www.terrasana.net

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THECHIC FASHION

c h i t i g w a OscarM Report Marisa CU

TILLAS

Classic Valentino Red

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This month, all eyes in the fashion world will be firmly focused on the red carpet on Oscars night. A flurry of stars will be decked out in the finest creations by top designers, and when it comes to making a woman feel like a star, few cut it quite like Valentino. This month, we feature dresses that are bound to don the figures of the world’s most beautiful women.

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i www.valentino.com essential marbella magazine

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Benetton www.benetton.com Chanel www.chanel.com Chopard www.chopard.com Furla www.furla.com Hermès www.hermes.com Lemoniez wwwifema.es Manoukian www.groupe-manoukian.com Roger M Creative Jeweller C.C. La Cañada, upper floor, Marbella. Tel. 952 901 515. www.rogermjeweller.com

1 - Clutch bags by Furla 2 - Metallic bangles by Furla 3 - Tweed dress by Chanel 4 - Diamond earrings by Chopard 5 - Diamond bracelet by Roger M Creative Jeweller 6 - Crocodile skin shoes by Furla 7 - Silk scarf by Hermès 8 - Tweed suit by Chanel 9 - Diamond ring in three tones of gold,

by Roger M Creative Jeweller 10 - Top, skirt and belt by Manoukian 11 - Silk gown by Lemoniez 12 - Silk and cotton shirt and trousers

by Sisley for Benetton 13 - Draped cotton jumpsuit by Sisley for Benetton 14 - Silk and cotton one-shoulder dress with flounces by Sisley for Benetton

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the spa BEAUT Y AND HEALTH

The Cosmetic Surgery Boom in Marbella

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Beauty News

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Zygomatic Implants

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Health News

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Scientific News & Research

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THESPA HEALTH

MILLS & MILLS

Marisa Cutillas talks to David Mills of Mills & Mills Cosmetic Surgery Spain

H

ave you spent an eternity yearning to put an end to sagging eyelids?

Have you always wanted to slim down quickly with a liposuction or augment your breast size through cosmetic surgery? If so, there’s no time like the present, with Marbella undergoing a new boom in this industry.

It can all be chalked down to the presence of big players like Mills & Mills, winners of the Award for Best Specialist Clinic 2009, who are working wonders in attracting the UK market to our shores. Spain may be at the tail end of a crisis, but somehow, it is slowly creating a reputation as Europe’s number one choice for medical tourism.

David Mills, co-founder of Mills & Mills in Marbella, together with his wife Debra, has noticed a big change since the inauguration of their clinic in Marbella, in 2005. “Back then,” he says, “the number of significant providers of cosmetic surgery in Marbella could be counted on one hand. The market was very fragmented and consisted mainly of individual surgeons who didn’t really seem to know how to market their services. Mills & Mills is the product of almost 30 years in the business and when we arrived, we made a big push in terms of making our services known. Following our arrival, in the years 2006 to 2008 there was a veritable boom in the industry.”

As is the case with most markets, the presence of big players may pose a challenge to smaller and equally-sized competitors, but David sees this as nothing but positive in the long run since, as he acknowledges, “We all need to work together to promote Marbella as the number one destination for surgery.” Interestingly, Mills & Mills was the first clinic to use billboards in its advertising. Now, says David, “our competitors are following suit. And this also applies to our prices. They seem to adapt their prices according to what we offer our Patients in an effort to remain competitive.”

Has the crisis affected the cosmetic surgery industry? “Of course,” says David, explaining, “some clients are keen on having surgery but postpone doing so because their banks are declining the necessary financing… sometimes even when they have an indefinite working contract and a payslip.” Interestingly, now is probably the best time to have surgery in terms of price. If in cities like Barcelona, the average price for a breast augmentation is in the region of €6.000, Mills & Mills is currently offering the same procedure from a mere €3.560. And there is a solid segment of the market, those aged 50 plus, who are still able to afford cosmetic surgery and take advantage of current price lists.

The crisis has also affected the type of surgery opted for. In the past, breast augmentation occupied a dominant position in the industry. “Now,” explains David, “the procedure mix is changing; more facelifts are being done than ever before as a percentage of the whole. Breast surgery is still an important player, but less so owing to the financing situation. Non-surgical procedures are still very popular, with most patients still able to afford a few hundred euros every few months to fill in wrinkles, lips, or have their Botox done.”

Mills & Mills has managed to stay at the top of the game in tough times not only through careful marketing of the brand, but also through veritable

coups like the recent incorporation of Dr. Mario Russo, one of the most prolific and well known plastic surgeons in the UK whom David calls “the Fernando Torres of cosmetic surgery” and who now holds the post of Medical Director of Mills & Mills. Says David, “It has always been our goal to bring him to Spain. He is arguably best known for breast surgery procedures and has incredible surgical experience for such a young Surgeon.” Dr. Russo’s value lies not only in the operations he performs, but also in his ability to attract UK patients and, very importantly for Mills and Mills, more top Plastic surgeons to the group. “In the end, to a large extent, you’re only as good as the performance of your surgeons,” David reminds me. Part of Dr Russo’s remit is the management and support of the existing team of surgeons to ensure that surgical performance is of the highest standard and that patient care remains first class.

Mills & Mills has also strengthened its position through its recent merger with The Hospital Group. The latter is the second largest provider of cosmetic surgery in the UK and the number one provider of obesity surgery. “The Hospital Group was looking to expand into Southern Europe and the U.S.A,” says David, “and they saw Mills & Mills as the perfect opportunity to get a major foothold in southern Spain.” The first move of the new entity was to create a new Spanish brand to capture a share of the Spanish market. The company offers its services all over Spain, from Barcelona and Madrid right through to the Canary Islands and Mallorca.

Despite tough times, Marbella is still an attractive town for holiday makers, some of whom mainly come to our shores to relax and unwind, and have a surgical procedure done during their stay. “Marbella is uniquely attractive to the UK market since it is like a second home for the British. There are countries like Poland which are offering very competitive prices but which the British simply don’t identify with. Most Brits have never been there for a holiday and all this is a massive advantage for us. Patients feel confident because often, they know somebody who has already been to us.”

Mills & Mills is putting its all to help turn Marbella into a mecca of medical tourism, very much like the Philippines or India, but offering all the convenience and familiarity of a Mediterranean destination. David is confident that we are getting there slowly but surely, and hopes in the future to count on interest from the local government. Cosmetic surgery could, indeed, do far more than improve the physical appearance of patients; it could very well provide the economic boost that the Costa del Sol so badly needs. n

photography kh Photography

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i Casa Sta. Isabel,

Urb. Las Mimosas, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 908 538. www.millsmedical.com

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THESPA BEAUTY

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing range by Kiehl’s: Say goodbye to enlarged pores If you’ve tried virtually every product on the market and you are still bothered by the appearance of open pores, you may well benefit from the thorough action of The Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing range by Kiehl’s.

Made with Amazonian white clay, which Kiehl’s harvests in an eco-friendly way on the island of Marajo in Brazil, the range includes a daily cleanser, pore refining tonic, pore minimising lotion and a cleansing masque. Amazonian white clay not only visibly reduces the appearance of pores, it is also a potent anti-oxidant, fighting the free radicals that lead to sagging and wrinkles. It also controls the skin’s production of oil and helps get rid of dead skin cells.

i Available at El Corte Inglés, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 909 990. www.elcorteingles.es

Peepo: For the morning after the night before Party girls who need to hide the ravages of too many late nights will love Peepo, the natural new mineral cover-up from UK cosmetics brand, Lily Lolo. Its vibrant yellow colour works wonders on blemishes and tired eyes; the yellow pigment quickly disguises the purple and blue tones of dark circles and instantly removes any traces of sleep deprivation. Applied directly under the eyes with a soft concealer brush or sponge, the silky yellow powder will instantly refresh your complexion, leaving you bright eyed and ready for the day. Founded in the UK over four years ago, Lily Lolo has grown into a market leading mineral and 100 per cent natural makeup company. Natural-product junkie (and brand founder), Vikki Khan, discovered mineral make-up overseas and was instantly hooked but couldn’t believe there wasn’t a quality, affordable range available in the UK. Following the development of the perfect mineral combination, Lily Lolo was born in a small Leeds back-bedroom in 2005 and is now taking the cosmetics market by storm. All Lily Lolo products contain no chemical nasties, resulting in fabulous healthy skin. Products are approved with the BUAV logo showing that the company does not test on animals. Lily Lolo Mineral Cosmetics contain no parabens, bismuth oxychloride, synthetic dyes or nano-particles.

Zap those zits with Zeno Here’s a new must-have beauty item for those who are constantly struggling with acne: the Zeno zit zapper, a handy gadget which uses a safe, low dose of heat to kill off the bacteria that cause spots.

The gadget takes 90 seconds to warm up, after which a tiny light lets you know that it’s ready for action. Hold Zeno’s circular tip over the area where you feel a spot beginning to form and keep it there for two and a half minutes. Repeat the process two or three times a day and pay close attention to your skin; Zeno does not work on blemishes that are already developed.

i www.myzeno.com

i www.lilylolo.co.uk

No more needles with Safetox Beauty We all know how good Botox and fillers can make us look and feel but many women prefer non-invasive procedures to battle wrinkles. Safetox Beauty is a new electric device that relaxes the specific muscles that cause wrinkles, delivering a facelift-like effect to the forehead without the need for a doctor’s visit. Just use Safetox Beauty for five minutes a day over a period of weeks and help re-educate your muscles and restore the muscular dynamics of a youthful face. If you’re already a regular user of techniques such as Botox, hyaluronic acid, collagen, etc, don’t worry; Safetox can be used in conjunction with these fillers, enhancing their localised effect through its overall beneficial action to the muscular dynamics of your face.

i www.safetoxbeauty.com

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THESPA BEAUTY

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Before

After

H

ave your hopes to find a fixed alternative to your removable dentures been crushed due to problems with bone loss? Many patients are turned down for implants because they lack the bone mass necessary in the upper jaw to fit them. This condition is normal in patients who have been wearing a dental prosthesis for many years, or in those who have suffered from severe periodontal disease. Until now, the only solution consisted of bone grafts: complex operations in which bone taken from the chin, hip, tibia and even the cranium, are grafted onto the upper jaw for subsequent fitting of implants. The process of grafting is not only complex, requiring more than one surgery and lengthy healing times; it also has unpredictable results and low success rates. Finally, a solution has arrived for those who remember what it was like to bite into a juicy apple with their own teeth, enjoy a fine steak or even the most simple of pleasures: a Spanish bocatta. It’s called a zygomatic implant, involves only one surgical procedure and boasts a 100 per cent success rate after five years. The best thing about it is that, just one day after surgery, patients can be fitted with implants, meaning they can not only enjoy foods to a level that is simply not possible with a prosthesis, they can also boast a beautiful, white smile almost immediately after a visit to the dentist!

Zygomatics as a technique was invented in the late 1990s by Professor P.I. Branemark of Sweden, a revolutionary surgeon who realised that the ideal point on which implants could be anchored was the inside of the zygomatic bone (the cheek bone), whose density and good quality allows it to tolerate the forces of chewing when connected to a fixed dental prosthetic. Following 10 years of intensive research, the results were so positive that the first specialised implants were commercialised and the spread of the

technique began. In the year 2003-2004, documentation and data were published revealing success rates close to 100 per cent, as well as minimal complications.

Zygomatic implants are now being carried out at Agave Clinic in Marbella, where a highly experienced and qualified team of maxillofacial and dental surgeons is giving patients plenty of cause to smile.

The surgery is mostly performed using general anaesthesia in the adjacent USP Hospital, though patients preferring not to undergo this can opt for a local anaesthetic combined with intravenous medication.

The anaesthesiologists are adept at bringing patients to a state of relaxation and well-being, under a process known as conscious sedation.

The process is much simpler than one would imagine. At least one day before surgery, an examination and comprehensive oral study is completed, with cast models, X-Rays and photos being taken. The day after surgery, fixed teeth will be placed and the patient can commence a normal life, enjoying all the favourite foods they often took for granted before loosing their teeth. Follow-up oral hygiene is vital, with doctors advising proper brushing and the use of a Water-Pik for routine cleaning around the implants and bridge. A visit to the dentist twice a year is also recommended for a thorough dental cleaning.

Zygomatic implants are the perfect

instance of how making a big change to your quality of life and aesthetic appearance is easier, quicker and painless, thanks to groundbreaking advances and talent. If you yearn to rediscover the feeling of having your own teeth, you’re dissatisfied with your smile or you’d like to do away with unsightly gaps, visit Agave Clinic and find out how, in just a couple of days, you can be a brand new person.

i

Agave Clinic Avda. Severo Ochoa 24, Marbella.

Tel: 952 864 191. www.agaveclinic.com

Zygomatic Implants

for patients with severe bone loss

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“I got fixed teeth within 24 hours without bonegrafting” Heather was not happy with her illfitting full denture. Implantologists told her she needed bonegrafting.

Because I’ve always had problems with my teeth, I have been wearing a denture for a very long time. It often came loose or made a rattling noise, even though I had it adjusted again and again. That was so embarrassing. Laughing, eating, talking: it all became a nightmare and I hardly went out anymore.

My dentist explained to me that my jawbone had atrophied over time. I went to see four different specialists on dental implants, but was told that implants wouldn’t be possible without bonegrafting.

I was really afraid to have that done, because of the pain and the possible complications. Also they told me the whole process of bonegrafting, placing the implants and making the bridge would last up to one year.

But then I heard from a friend about Agave Clinic in Marbella. They told me that implants were possible for any patient, without bonegrafting, in only one surgical procedure, regardless of how little jawbone was left. Then, the bridges would be placed only 24 hours later!

In the lower jaw, normal dental implants are placed, yet in the upper jaw so-called “zygomatic implants” are used. These unique 4–5 cm long implants are anchored in the upper jawbone and in the very dense cheekbones.

The day after the surgery the bridges were screwed onto the implants. At first I couldn’t believe that was really all. And I had virtually no pain. They even let me bite an apple immediately after having placed the bridges. For many years I hadn’t been able to do that.

It is really exciting what modern medical technology can do today!

I’m very pleased with my new teeth and would recommend Agave Clinic for dental implants.

They are very professional and such a nice team!

X-rays and plaster casts of my jaw were made and a short time later it was time for the operation. Four zygomatic implants were placed in my upper jaw and six normal ones in my lower jaw. They were inserted under general anesthesia.

At the end of the day I was able to leave hospital.

Heather is enjoying life again with her implant-borne teeth, that were placed the day after surgery without bonegrafting.

w w w. a g a v e c l i n i c . c o m +34-952.864.191 International Centre for Advanced Maxillofacial and Plastic Surgery

Marbella

Av. Severo Ochoa, 24. Marbella (next to the USP hospital).

Email: info@agaveclinic.com

Zygomatic implants Essential 3_en.indd 1

01/01/10 17:37

THESPA HEALTH

Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Stem cells to kill off HIV? An exciting new development has been made in the fight against the HIV virus, with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) publishing a study revealing that human blood stem cells can be engineered into cells that kill HIV-infected cells. Professor Scott Kitchen, member of the UCLA AIDS Institute, explains, “We have demonstrated that stem cells can be used to engineer the immune system, particularly the T-cell response, to specifically target HIV-infected cells.” Not only is this technique good news for those suffering from HIV, it can also be used to restore impaired immune responses to other viruses that cause chronic disease and even tumours. The problem with HIV-infected individuals is that their T-cell receptors, which help the T-cells recognise and kill HIV-infected cells, are often too low in number. By simply cloning these receptors, genetically engineering human blood stem cells and placing them into human tissue, scientists were able to observe a significant increase in the number of cells that were able to target those containing HIV proteins. Finally, there is hope that we have found the solution to the problem that has been plaguing mankind for so long.

Coffee may be the secret to a long life?

Do you love the delicious aroma, flavour and warmth of coffee but find yourself resisting your urge to start the day with a hot cup of Java for health reasons? The good news is that science has demonstrated what we all suspected: coffee isn’t just good for the soul but for the body as well. Scientists at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid tracked the coffee drinking habits of 86,000 females and 42,000 males from 1980 to 2004, comparing the frequency of death from any cause, death due to heart disease and death due to cancer among subjects with different coffee-drinking habits. After accounting for factors such as smoking, diet and body mass, the scientists found that women who drank three cups of coffee on average a day had a 25 per cent lower rate of heart disease, and an 18 per cent lower rate of death from causes other than heart disease or cancer, than those who did not drink coffee. Results weren’t so good for the males, though scientists point out that far fewer males were part of the study.

A breath of fresh air with Depur Mon Did you know that the average adult breathes in more than 15 cubic metres of air a day and that 90 per cent of this air is inhaled in enclosed areas (the office, home, public transport, bar, etc.)? Over 500 different chemical substances can therefore make their way into our system, causing negative effects on our lungs. Harmful chemicals we unwittingly breathe in on a daily basis include pollution, allergy-provoking chemicals, tobacco and cleaning products. Depur Mon is a new supplement which helps the lungs perform their natural functions, which include aiding the body’s defence system and keeping secretions in the respiratory tract at their optimum, bacteriafighting levels. The supplement, which comes in a syrup form, contains eucalyptus, pine, equinacea, Vitamin C, Betacarotene, English sundew and galacto-oligosaccharides, all of which work together to facilitate breathing, fight free radicals, stimulate the immunological system and encourage the growth of helpful bacteria in the intestine. Available at pharmacies and good health shops.

i www.casapia.com/midietetica/depur-mon 78

Boost your immunity with eight simple steps We often think of ways to improve our immune system at the advent of winter season, fearing oncoming colds and flus, but immunity is something we should work on throughout the year to stave off serious illnesses such as cancer, in addition to seasonal bugs.

We recently came across an interesting article in Men’s Health magazine which recommends the following eight-step plan for year-round health: u Eat enough. If you eat too little, your body focuses on the heart and lungs, leaving your immune system somewhat neglected. u Sleep enough. Lack of sleep seriously impairs the immune system, leaving your body helpless against upper respiratory tract infections, flu and viruses. u Consume enough glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid that comes from proteins, which is also an immunity powerhouse. u Eat well after a hard work-out. Men’s Health recommends a glass of chocolate milk following a workout session, since it is cheap, delicious and very effective in helping your body recover. u Be kind to your stomach. A perpetually inflamed gut can have a myriad of side-effects, including ones as serious as heart disease, cancer and auto-immune disorders. Eat natural yoghurt, which should keep your intestinal flora at its optimum level. u Protect your mouth, eyes, nose and ears from harmful bacteria by washing your hands frequently.

Do not use anti-bacterial soap, which leads to greater resistance to bacteria, or perfumed soaps which can cause a reaction. Go for natural soaps instead. u Increase your fluid intake. When you wake up, it is important to replenish all the systems that have been hard at work while you’ve been sleeping. Drink plenty of water, green tea or orange juice. u Get the flu vaccination. Help your body start making the anti-bodies it needs to fight the many strains of virus it encounters daily. If you have heart problems, asthma or any other respiratory condition, this is especially important.

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Hi my name is Anna I had my tummy tuck 4 months ago at the age of 34 by Dr. Kaye at Ocean Clinic Marbella.

Dr. Kai O. Kaye Plastic Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgeon Fellow of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery EBOPRAS Full Member of the German Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery DGPRÄC Member of the Colegio de Medicos de Malaga No.29/2909452

I have had two 10 pound babies which did nothing for my stomach!! I decided after a year of serious exercise and healthy eating the only option to get my stomach back would be to have surgery. I visited a few clinics before I chose to go with Ocean Clinic.

I felt very at ease with Dr. Kaye from my first appointment. He explained the whole procedure in great detail and showed me exactly where the scar would be. (Which was my main concern as I still wanted to wear a bikini without it being noticeable) He decided that the best results for me would be to have a tummy tuck, some lipo around my hip area and also to reconnect all my muscles which had been separated. He also showed me several before and after pictures so I was fully aware of what to expect.

On the day of my surgery (admittedly I was nervous) Dr. Kaye came and saw me to draw his markings and also to reassure me that I was in very safe hands. The operation lasted about 3 1/2 hours the only thing I remember is waking up in my private room wearing a corset.

Dr. Kaye came at about dinner time to see how I was getting on, to be honest I felt pretty good just a bit tight. I had a very comfortable nights sleep and even managed to get up and have a little walk. The following lunch time Dr. Kaye came and took out the drains and I was discharged from hospital.

It has now only been 4 months since the operation and I am so happy with the results. I can’t wait for summer to show of my new figure in a new bikini!! I would not hesitate to recommend Dr Kaye to anyone thinking of have any surgery.

To learn more about this procedure and to see all of Anna’s photos, please visit our Gallery at www.oceanclinic.net.

av. ramon y cajal, 7 - marbella - www.oceanclinic.net - 951 775 518 - 670 770 455

THESPA

RESEARCH Not content with teaching us how to dance on ice or survive in the jungle, celebrities have been trying to add science to their remit – with disastrous results, according to the charity Sense About Science, reports Belinda Beckett.

Celebrities Talk A Load Of Non-science

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rom Megan Fox’s theories on vinegar as a weight-loss tonic to Gwyneth Paltrow’s warnings on pesticides, celebrities have been busy again in 2009, making erroneous claims that have been widely reported in the press and are often swallowed hook, line and sinker by their adoring public.

Sense about Science publishes an annual blacklist of stars’ dodgy statements, together with the real scientific facts, in the hope that they’ll either hush up or brush up on their knowledge. The charity even offers to coach celebrities as part of its drive to increase the public’s understanding of science. “People in the public eye are often drawn to promoting theories, therapies and campaigns that make no scientific sense,” says Ellen Raphael, the charity’s Director. “But they have disproportionately ‘loud’ voices and, with the Internet, misleading claims live on for a long time.”

In 2009’s list of offenders, actor Roger Moore was taken to task for claiming that foie gras causes Alzheimer’s disease, former US Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin for dismissing evolution and vegetarian Heather Mills for her wild claim that meat putrefies in the gut for 40 years, causing life-threatening diseases.

Other celebs have been pulled up for confusing natural substances, such as hormones, with chemicals and suggesting that ovulation is suppressed naturally by pregnancy and prolonged breastfeeding. Actress Suzanne Somers, for example, said the contraceptive pill must be unsafe, “Because is it safe to take a chemical every day, and how would it be safe to take something that prevents ovulation?”

Arsenal footballer Robin van Persie was also cited for publicising a treatment in which horse placental fluid was dripped onto his injury. “We’ll be on the lookout for more sporting examples in the run-up to the World Cup finals in South Africa this summer and the 2012 Olympics,” says Raphael.

Overall, the main message from scientists to celebrities in the 2009 Review is that nutrition is neither the cure nor the cause of everything. Says Raphael: “We have seen a flurry of comments about diet and nutrition, such as Heather Mills’ claim that meat gives you ‘the illness you die of’. Last year, we were tentatively optimistic that celebrities had dropped their enthusiasm for ‘chemical-free’ products and lifestyles.

Sadly, like shoulder pads and mini-skirts, ‘chemical-free’ claims never really go away and in 2009 we have seen renewed calls to avoid deodorants and the pill because they ‘contain chemicals’. Once again, this year, scientists are stressing that nothing is chemical-free and the effect of specific chemicals depends on the dose.

“By correcting these mistakes, the scientists are not just helping celebrities but also giving the public the means to explain why these claims are wrong. In 2010 we invite more celebrities to get in touch to check their facts before broadcasting them.

We have over 4,000 scientists willing to help and we do it for free.”

The good news is that in 2009 an unprecedented number of ‘faces’ have contacted the charity to check their facts with scientists before speaking publicly.

Adds Raphael: “We have also seen an encouraging rise in the number of television presenters, performers and commentators debunking pseudoscience and promoting evidence-based thinking. For example, some of our scientists liked the response of 80s’ rock star Bonnie Tyler when questioned about trying acupuncture: “I lost some weight but I was also on a more sensible diet at the same time which, if I’m cynical, is more likely the reason for the weight loss.”

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CELEBRITY HEALTH MYTHS (QUACK QUACK)

. .and what the scientists say

Megan Fox, Cindy Crawford and Stacy Ferguson Claim: Vinegar shots flatten the stomach and detox the body.

Fact: There is no magic pill for weight loss and the body is quite capable of doing its own detoxing. u

u

Shilpa Shetty Claim: Carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks causes wrinkles.

Fact: The amount of the gas in soft drinks is dwarfed by levels naturally produced by the body.

In any case, scientists cannot see how it would age the skin.

Denise Van Outen and Natasha Hamilton Claim: Deodorants contain chemicals linked to breast cancer.

Fact: The link has not been proven and suspect compounds are too large to enter the body.

u

u Gwyneth Paltrow Claim: The damage done by pesticides in animal experiments means that children should not be exposed to them.

Fact: Experimental animals are subjected to much higher doses than those found in food. u Heather Mills Claim: Meat can stay in your colon for up to 40 years, causing life-threatening illnesses.

Fact: Meat proteins are, like all other proteins, broken down by enzymes and absorbed into the bowel before they reach the colon. Any indigestible matter is expelled by the body.

Sarah Palin Claim: She didn’t “believe in the theory that human beings – thinking, loving beings – originated from fish that sprouted legs and crawled out of the sea”, or from “monkeys who eventually swung down from the trees”.

Fact: To speak of ‘sprouting’ and ‘swinging’ suggests sudden events, whereas evolutionary changes happen almost imperceptibly, over many hundreds of thousands of years. Evolution is not a matter of belief; the evidence is there in fossils, embryology and genetics.

u

u Roger Moore Claim: Eating foie gras can lead to Alzheimer’s, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Fact: There is no scientific evidence to prove that eating foie gras is responsible for any of these diseases. u Robin van Persie Claim: Massage using placenta fluid helps heal sports injuries.

Fact: Any benefit is more likely to be thanks to the massage rather than the use of placenta fluid.

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the pro ALL ABOUT BUSINESS

Marbella Business Institute Statement

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Business Profile: Marbella Dream Villas

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THEPRO THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED BY MAGAZINE AS A RESPONSE TO THE AIRING OF THE TELEVISION PROGRAMME REFERRED TO. IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY ROBERT TENISON UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE MARBELLA BUSINESS INSTITUTE.

A

s an Anglo-Spaniard who has been living and working in Spain for many years, I sat down to watch the Piers Morgan television programme on Marbella with more than a little interest and a certain degree of trepidation. Would this be a hatchet job?

Well, to be honest, I, and many local residents, thought that the programme was mainly wellbalanced, reflecting the realities of a small but highly cosmopolitan society that embraces a wide variety of social strata – from the mega-wealthy in their splendid isolation to the party-loving holiday crowds in Puerto Banús. Nevertheless, in spite of Morgan’s claim that the programme would be about ‘the two Marbellas’ it was in point of fact about three Marbellas: the elitist, the popular, and the criminal.

The people interviewed were not representative of typical Marbella ex-pat residents – and I stress residents. They represented a small and far from typical minority. Parts of the programme also bordered on scaremongering and misinformation, particularly comments made by a self-styled expert on the ‘Costa del Crime’, who does not, as stated in the programme, live and work in Marbella (or even in Spain), and one wonders why he was selected as an interviewee when he made a series of uninformed and misleading remarks that will only have served to strengthen the redtop-promoted fiction that Marbella is a hotbed of crime.

I do not claim to be an expert on crime but I do live in Marbella, speak Spanish and read the local papers in English and Spanish. Also, I am, for my sins, an expert on the corruption in Spain associated with planning procedures. So I believe I am qualified

to counter some of the inaccuracies and false impressions made on Piers Morgan’s programme.

While no one denies that there is a criminal element in Marbella (it would be frankly surprising if it were crime-free!), the impression given was that shootings occur on a regular basis and that someone is dealing drugs within 20 metres of you. How many of the two million tourists that visit Marbella every year come across a murder, drug dealing, or other crime? Probably none.

As for the crime expert’s assertion that 40% of cocaine shipped into Europe is through Marbella, this is simply untrue. Police statistics show that nearly all of it comes through Galicia in the north of Spain.

Viewers learnt, surely to their stupefaction and incredulity, that “statistically” black money has fuelled 60-70% of the property boom in Marbella over the last 30 years. Oh dear, where did this ‘statistical’ figure that the crime expert confidently put on record for posterity come from? Apparently from statistics that no-one apart from the interviewee has ever seen, as they are certainly not a matter of public record. Quite how the producers of the Morgan programme could let such rubbish be aired is probably a question that will never be answered.

No-one denies that black money has played a part in many property transactions in a system that facilitated the under-declaration of the purchase price, but this is not a Marbella-based phenomenon; it is common to many Mediterranean countries. But it sounds better to make Marbella the world capital of such practices. Same with political corruption. It has been commonplace under socialist governments,

BUSINESS

starting with Felipe Gonzalez, so let’s attribute it all to Marbella, even though it is countrywide.

Of course the programme omitted to mention the fact that Marbella Town Hall has produced a new Urban Development Plan (PGOU), which, after 18 years of anarchy thanks to the Gil-led municipal government’s self-enriching shindigs, will henceforth guarantee a stable, long-term framework for future development and growth. This new plan was brought into law by the regional government in January.

Other badly-chosen interviewees included a married couple who have a business on the coast but do not live in Marbella. Nevertheless, their opinions and personal experiences appeared to be taken seriously by Morgan – although he did rather choke slightly over his microphone when one of the couple straight-facedly claimed that disgraced late mayor of Marbella, Jesús Gil, “had his heart in the right place.”

As Piers Morgan put it, “Marbella can offer it all,” from La Zagaleta to Puerto Banús and from the Marbella Club to the Casco Antiguo, and there are not many places in the world the size of Marbella that can offer an infrastructure of such quality and variety.

In conclusion, the good parts of the programme were very good and positive, but the bad parts, specifically the poorly-selected interviewees, counteracted much of the positive elements. Where were the typical expats who have made Marbella their home, or the hundreds of thousands of golfers who visit each year, or the foreign professional people, doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, who have created successful Marbella-based enterprises?

Neither seen nor heard. n

Spotlight on Marbella Report Robert Tenison photography kh photography

i

Robert Tenison is the author of Deadly Secrets, a crime thriller involving bribery, corruption, money laundering and murder in southern Spain. www.deadlysecrets.es www.marbellabusinst.com essential marbella magazine

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THEPRO

BUSINESS

Report belinda beckett photography kh photography

MARBELLA DREAM VILLAS

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ou’re a cash-rich investor looking for a dream home in the sun, built to your own spec to enjoy and sell on at a profit. But time is money and you don’t want to waste it flying to site meetings or longdistance project managing. That’s where Marbella Dream Villas comes in, a new designer label in haute couture homes. Targeted at a new generation of real estate investors and tailor-made for these difficult times, it’s a one-stop shop for exclusive lifestyle properties in unsurpassed locations. The professional team handles the whole process, from plot selection and architectural design to licensing, construction, interior décor and, ultimately, a profitable cash return. Clients include some of the world’s leading industrialists who benefit from one point of contact and the ability to track every stage of the build on a Blackberry from anywhere in the world.

Although the brand is new, partners Ian Waudby and Eric Müller have worked in Marbella’s property market for over 20 years. Parent company, The Crest Group International of Benahavís, is a wellknown venture capital investment company that has worked on behalf of consortiums and high net worth individuals in the construction and sale of 220 new villas on the coast, and also in Morocco, South Africa and Brazil. “If you look at any local agent’s website, we’ve probably had input in 20 per cent of the villa properties featured,” says Ian, whose cutting-edge designs can be seen at many of Marbella’s best

addresses, from Sierra Blanca and Los Arqueros to Los Monteros and La Heredia.

A South African with a Masters in Business Administration and a keen eye for design, his own experiences highlighted the need for a company that could project manage for wealthy investors with neither the time nor the inclination to co-ordinate the work of multiple trades people and craftsmen in a foreign language on site. Even before he teamed up with Eric, a property developer from Holland whose stunning Thai-style villa in Los Monteros he designed, Ian’s was the first company to fast-track builds using new construction technology. For the Marbella Dream Villas brand, the dynamic duo has developed an exclusive software system that allows clients to choose their plot, customise the design spec of their villa online and receive a fixed price before committing. Clients have a human point of contact through a personal account manager, one of a team speaking nine languages, including Arabic. Once satisfied, they can monitor progress of the build via a live personalised website with the assurance that it will come in on time and on budget.

“We are the only full service contractor for large luxury homes where all the people are employed by the same company,” says Ian. “Our aim is to make Marbella Dream Villas a brand synonymous with the best real estate money can buy. We have harnessed an expert team of professionals to find and develop irreplaceable plots with classic and contemporary villa designs

that anticipate trends. We work from the end user backwards; you make 15 to 20 per cent more on the exit price if you take a project to completion.”

The company is already on the road to achieving that ambition, with €10 million-worth of projects underway, a growing portfolio of repeat clients and plans to develop the retail side of the business, throwing down a challenge to other realtors who have traditionally been associated with premium Marbella real estate.

Says Eric, poring over drawings for a stunning Balinese mirror pool, a lagoon pool complete with sandy beach and another lit with fibre-optic lighting: “Property development is a fashion business and, at this level, people want wow factor. A rectangular pool with a dolphin motif doesn’t do it. They want the pool house too, complete with showers, kitchen and TV. The Spanish tend to box houses, with smaller enclosed rooms and a rustic look, when the current demand is for a far more contemporary, open-plan experience, with larger living spaces, grander master suites, lower-maintenance gardens and terraces that have greater connectivity to the house.”

Adds Ian: “High end real estate gives a better return than most other investments in any market but, in an economic downturn, it has to be extra special. We believe ours is. In a nutshell, there are two approaches: Nike’s Go for It and Coke’s The Real Thing. In our experience, things always go better with Coke!” n

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Marbella Dream Villas C.C. Los Halcones 3, Benahavís.

Tel: 952 799 191. http://marbelladreamvillas.com

The Haute C 84

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Dream Villas Made to Measure A traditional approach of selling and buying beautiful homes for the modern executive family requires a specialised company with a passion for luxury properties and an understanding of modern living.

Marbella Dream Villas is such a company.

Showcase Property The house previewed is located in the prime suburb of Los Monteros, within walking distance of the best beaches and summer restaurants. It was designed and built by Marbella Dream Villas for a modern thinking family who want to enjoy an open plan lifestyle with state of the art fitments, the best installations, all recreational facilities for quality recreation such as gyms, bodegas, cinema, steam bath, yet the home provides an intimacy of enjoying outdoor areas that are drawn into the open plan interior living spaces for each family member.

Living the Dream Contact:ďż˝

info@marbelladreamvillas.com +34 952 799 191 +34 659 609 206 www@marbelladreamvillas.com CC Los Halcones Local 3 Urb. Monte Halcones 29679 Benahavis, Malaga, Spain

The location gives this specialist property security and convenience. Beautiful beach walks and restaurants can be enjoyed without use of cars yet access to all of Marbella’s facilities is only minutes away. This property and others can be seen on our web site www.marbelladreamvillas.com.

Price on application

6 beds

6 baths

1000m2

1700m2

CREST GROUP I N T E R N AT I O N A L

www.crestgroupinternational.com

THEPRO

BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE Report Marisa Cutillas

Official opening of Majestic and Grand Ocean Plazas at Gibraltar’s Ocean Village Last month saw the official opening of the now-complete Majestic and Grand Ocean Plazas in Gibraltar’s award-winning Ocean Village. Set to become an iconic part of Gibraltar’s cityscape with their striking blue glass-fronted terraces, these tall residential towers provide further proof that Gibraltar continues to flourish in the face of adversity.

At the opening, Joe Holliday, Gibraltar’s Deputy Chief Minister, cut the ribbon in the presence of Ocean Village Founder, Greg Butcher. Assembled press and guests were treated to a tour of Grand Ocean Plaza’s magnificent 8th floor showflat before the customary champagne reception. Ocean Village is doing plenty to bolster Gibraltar’s economy, increasing the number of berths from 225 to 323 to accommodate yachts of up to 90 metres. Sales and Marketing director for Ocean Village, Brian Stevendale, explains, “We have a pent-up demand for oversized berths and we must deliver them.

Gibraltar’s marinas are constantly busy and can turn away upwards of 100 boats a day in peak season. In particular, we’re seeing an increased frequency of large super yachts wanting to use the Rock not just for fuel but also as a base.”

i For further information, Tel: 350 200 40048. www.oceanvillage.gi

Andalucía Open to tee off at the Parador Málaga Golf Champion golfer Miguel Ángel Jiménez joined Luciano Alonso, Sports, Business and Tourism Counsellor and Miguel Martínez, the President of Paradores, to announce the ninth edition of the Open de Andalucía, set to take place at the Parador Málaga from March 25 to 28, with a total prize purse of 1 million euros. Miguel Martínez told the press: “It’s been over 10 years since this tournament last took place at Parador Málaga Golf and it’s about time we took up this challenge once again. For four days, this golf course will attract Europe’s top players and highlight the attractiveness of Málaga and Andalucía as a tourist destination.” Miguel Ángel Jiménez added, “The competition will consist of a par 70 and will be very competitive, since holes 1 and 16 will be played as par 4s. I’m excited to take part in a competition which will attract some 140 players, many of whom prefer to take part in the Open de Andalucía rather than the Bay Hill tournament, which takes place in the United States at the same time.”

i www.openandalucia.com

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Haiti gala at La Quinta Golf a great success The La Quinta Golf and Country Club gala, organised

by Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe, in aid of the Haiti eathquake victims was a huge success, generating in excess of €15.000. Over 275 guests enjoyed a dinner, which featured fun surprises, raffles, and top notch peformances from standup comedians Stan Boardman and Kenny Lynch. Singers Stephen Lloyd-Morgan, Rebecca Tate and Mel Williams, along with the Marbella Big Band, gave some musical flare to the evening which more than achieved its goals. The funds generated were handed over to the Ark Christian Fellowship which will initiate projects for several orphanages in Haiti.

The Fellowship has over eight years’ experience in helping orphaned children worldwide.

i Urb. La Quinta, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 390. www.laquintagolf.com www.talkradioeurope.com

Sol Meliá to run the Hotel La Quinta Golf Resort & Spa Sol Meliá has taken up the reins of its third hotel in Marbella: the Hotel La Quinta Golf Resort & Spa, formerly run

by Starwood under the Westin brand. The Hotel, now called Meliá La Quinta, boasts many inviting features, including 172 rooms with views over the golf course or sea, a luxurious spa which will soon bear the prestigious Yhi Spa name, and a kids area which makes the hotel an ideal family destination.

According to the management, the new Meliá La Quinta “is the perfect addition to our organisation, since now our clients in Marbella can enjoy top international cuisine, first-class facilities for business events and conferences, an excellent golf course and the coolest beach club in town, without having to leave the hotel chain.” The new Meliá La Quinta is the fourth Sol Meliá Hotel to boast a golf course and is part of the expansion plans for the whole Sol Meliá Group which has added 11 hotels to its chain in the past few months, including the Meliá Valencia, Meliá Algarbe, Meliá Sharm (in Egypt) and the Meliá Dunas (in Cape Verde).

i Urb. La Quinta, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 000. www.solmelia.com essential marbella magazine

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4Business International Awards at Alanda Club Hotel Del Sol Packaged (DSP), Andalucía’s leading relocation and corporate event management company, are the proud winners of the 4Business International Business of the Year Award 2009/2010, celebrated at the Alanda Club Hotel. The Award, presented by Maurice Boland, was hotly contested, with UK specialist postal delivery service company, Offex Marbella and the Key to Media magazine and restaurant guide, providing some tough competition. Marina Robertson, Director of DSP, was thrilled to have received the award, saying, “We were flattered to have been nominated, but to have won the Business of the Year Award is a fantastic achievement in our first year of trading.” 4Business International is one of the leading business networking associations in the South of Spain and has in excess of 70 members from many different business sectors.

i Tel: 951 894 026. www.4businessglobal.com

The Marbella City Council at Fitur Spain’s most renowned tourism fair, Fitur, celebrated every year in Madrid, was the perfect setting for the Marbella City Council to promote the Costa del Sol as a top tourist destination. Mayor Ángeles Muñoz, whose presence at the fair did plenty to attract attention from both the media and visitors, noted that despite the reduction in tourism to Spain during the past trimester, plenty is being done to increase world awareness of Marbella and its advantages. The focus is on the Consorcio de Turismo (Tourism council) and the Red de Promoción Inversa de Grandes Capitales Europeas (International Investment Network) as a means to increase tourist numbers.

i www.marbella.es Crú @ Nueva Andalucía: Stylish new salon by Daud Hashmi

©KH Photography

Daud Hashmi and his staff, formerly known as Crú @ La Cañada shopping centre, have relocated to a brand new site: Crú @ Nueva Andalucía, at the salon previously occupied by Red Hair & Beauty. The new location, next door to Terra Sana Nueva Andalucía, offers better parking for clients, a thriving community of local shops and restaurants and a newly refurbished salon, where Daud is happy to offer additional services and his ‘Shop in Salon’ facilities for quality products. Daud explains, “I am looking forward to a time of expansion with the addition of the staff from Red to work with my current stylists, and I am sure that we can all work together and make a great team.” In addition to traditional hair services, the new Crú will offer a full range of beauty treatments with Laura, and Sports Massage Therapy with Grant Foster. The ‘Shop in Salon’ will stock a range of quality products from Kérastase, Redken, Paul Mitchell, Nioxin and Joico. There will be up to 30 per cent discount on all services, including a blow dry for €20 and colours from €40 with top quality Redken and Schwarzkopf tints.

i C/ Las Malvas s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 813 328. www.hair-marbella.com

Extra Living by Metalco comes to Marbella Stylish design house Metalco, founded in 1984 and present in over 3,000 cities in 32 different countries, has opened a new shop in Marbella featuring a wide range of urban and outdoor furniture, as well as modular metallic fences. The stunning selection of pieces includes elements for landscape architecture, benches and tables.

Metalco follows the principles of ‘lean production’ and ‘just in time’ in its manufacturing process, which contribute to speedy delivery and impeccable quality. The company is very environmentally aware, relying on solar energy for all its needs. Any wood used comes from sustainable forests, where continuous reforestation is ensured.

i C.C. Poveda, Blq 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 647. www.extraliving.es

Ikea holds training day for CIOMIJAS students Cookery and management school El Centro Andaluz de Formación Integral de las Industrias del Ocio (CIOMIJAS) recently teamed up with IKEA for a fun-filled day in which students were able to learn all about the latest trends in table décor. Following a talk from IKEA’s decor expert regarding different types of tableware and cutlery, students were divided into groups, each being assigned a specific motif to inspire them in the decoration of their respective tables. The results were stunning, with shoppers and staff alike impressed with the creative choices made by the students.

i CN 340, km 201, La Cala de Mijas. Tel: 902 530 222. www.ciomijas.com 88

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©KH Photography

Mombasa Café-Teatro: A stylish new venue to meet and greEt Dark red wood, stylish leather furniture and British colonial paintings and photography are but a few of the ingredients which make up the new ‘it’ place in Marbella: Mombasa Café-Teatro, a venue to meet up with good friends and enjoy a steaming cup of Java, cocktails and drinks, and great music. What makes Mombasa truly original are the stand-up comedy acts, by comedians such as Osvaldo, Paco Calavera and Juan y Punto.

i Avda. Miguel Cano 1, esq. Carlos Macintosh, Marbella. Tel: 608 146 918. www.mombasamarbella.com

Diamond Dates: Dreaming of a romantic dinner?

Valentine’s Day may be over but surely many of our readers, especially those from overseas, dream of a wonderful dinner with fine company.

Diamond-dates Dating Service offers international clients educated, bilingual and sociable ladies/ gentlemen who will be able to escort you on a formal or informal date. Short- or long-term companionship can be arranged. All you need to do is complete an online booking form, check out the profiles of available companions and book online or by telephone.

i For further information, Tel: 693 514 488. www.diamond-dates.com

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Thoroughly Gorgeous: Wedding Photography in Southern Spain If you recently got engaged and are beginning to plan everything from your dress to catering and photography, there is no better way to look ‘Thoroughly Gorgeous’ than by putting yourself under the guiding hand of established photographer, Talia Giraudo. Talia specialises in creative portraiture and wedding photography, her unique images capturing special moments, tiny details, the unusual or just the plain quirky to produce natural, stunning images to be cherished for a lifetime. Her knowledge, combined with her easygoing personality, make the whole experience enjoyable with clients feeling at home and comfortable during photo shoots. On Talia’s new website you will find details of the Jorgensen Albums range, which takes wedding albums to a whole new level of creativity and personalisation. The albums are individually designed and contemporary in feel, offering a wide range of covers and mats assembled to match your style and display your wedding photos for generations.

i Tel:605 275 407. www.thoroughlygorgeous.com Aloha College for Haiti In response to the disaster in Haiti, Aloha College organised a Haiti Charity Week involving all pupils in the school. Various fundraising activities were set up, with the week culminating in a non-uniform day where pupils paid a fee for coming to school in clothes of their choice. So far, Aloha has collected more than €5.000 and donations are still coming in. The Aloha College Charity Committee organises many events during the year, always trying to involve the pupils directly so they realise that they can make a difference and contribute, as a school, to a better world. As Sir Winston Churchill once said: “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.” Watch this space for news on how the funds are being allocated.

i www.aloha-college.com

PowerSki Jetboards España presents JetBoarding PowerSki Jetboards has recently launched the new millennium sport of JetBoarding, performed on a revolutionary motorised board which is a cross between a high performance surfboard and a competition waterski/wakeboard. The sport combines the sensation of many other extreme sports such as windsurfing, skiing, jet skiing and snowboarding, and has won prestigious prizes for design and mechanical engineering. Take a sharp G-force turn, go nose riding, jump the highest waves or ski with a friend on your new PowerSki Jetboard, designed to make you feel like a king of the waves.

i CN 340, km 164, Menara Buice, Suite 1411, Estepona. Tel: 902 170 076. www.powerski.com BUPA expands in Andalucía A new sales and support centre for BUPA International, a

leading international expatriate health insurer, has opened in Fuengirola. The new walk-in centre has more than doubled in size and the expanded team of 12 staff now supports customers and distributors in Europe, the Middle East, Sub Saharan Africa, Spain and Gibraltar. BUPA was founded in 1971 and now boasts a network of more than 7,500 hospitals and clinics around the world, a multi-lingual helpline and a 24-hour worldwide emergency medical centre based in Copenhagen. The company has more than 800,000 customers in 190 different countries.

i C/ Santa Rosa 20, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 471 204. www.bupa.com 90

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Second Marbella International Art Festival Following the success of the first International Art Festival in Marbella (FIAM), which showcased the works of over 100 artists to 20,000 visitors, the second edition is just around the corner. Artists and sponsors are being called upon to participate in the event, which will take place from Thursday June 17 to Sunday June 20.

Submissions have already been made from galleries, artists, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists and digital artists who can’t wait to show their work at this dynamic street festival, which takes over the Alameda and Avenida de Mar in the heart of Marbella. Inscription is now open and soon a panel of experts will decide whose work will be on view. Please send your entries (including your CV and four images) to FIAM by March 18.

i www.festivaldeartemarbella.com Charlotte Fisher and friends host dinner in aid of Haiti Event organiser extraordinaire, Charlotte Fisher, was joined by friends Sandra del Río and Lucas McKenzie in hosting a dinner at Chateau Mona Lisa in Puerto Banús, all proceeds from which went to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. On arrival, guests enjoyed a welcome cocktail followed by a sumptuous dinner. Raffle tickets were sold, with generous prizes donated by Dreamers, Salamanca, Sinatra’s, Arno Valère, Aretusa, and The Orchid Room, among many other local businesses, as well as numerous cash donations. One guest, whose cousins were still missing in Haiti, made a heartfelt speech urging everyone to dig deep into their pockets. The evening was rounded off with live music by DJ’s Nilo and Juan Patata. Over €3.000 was raised on the night, which will go to the Doctors Without Frontiers association.

i www.msf.es New Director for the David Leadbetter Academy at La Cala Resort La Cala Resort is proud to announce the incorporation of a new Academy Director Head Trainer at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy: Laurence Brotheridge, a PGA-qualified professional.

Laurence grew up as a promising scratch golfer in Bahrain, competing in various tournaments around the Middle East. The teaching side, however, proved more attractive, prompting him to enrol in the University of Birmingham and British PGA in 2003.

After graduation, in 2007 he was recruited by IMG to be a David Leadbetter Instructor at DLGA, Austria and DLGA Bradenton, Florida. As a fully certified DLGA instructor, he has assisted David Leadbetter and his staff in lessons with promising youngsters and tour pros. His coaching philosophy is to provide a simple, effective and enjoyable lesson. La Cala Resort, with 60 holes, has been recently named the country’s largest golf resort by the Real Spanish Golf Federation for the fifth consecutive year.

i La Cala de Mijas s/n, Mijas. Tel: 952 669 033. www.lacala.com essential marbella magazine

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HSBC talk on market conditions and outlooks for 2010 HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt (International) SA recently gave an investment presentation to English speaking clients and another to German speakers on two consecutive days at Restaurante Santiago in Marbella. As well as the presentation by the Private Banking Team, there was an opportunity for guests to sample excellent cuisine and wine at one of Marbella’s finest restaurants, and to take a tour of the impressively stocked bodega. The investment seminar covered aspects such as present market conditions, the investment outlook and investment opportunities for 2010. HSBC Trinkaus is based in Luxembourg, with local contacts here in Spain. The company forms part of the private banking division of the HSBC Group.

i For a copy of the presentation or information on private banking services

on offer from HSBC, please contact Richard Black on Tel: 951 279 223. www.hsbctrinkaus.lu

Reviva Weddings: for the most special day of your life With the big day coming up, and a long checklist to complete, wouldn’t life be easier with a local shop featuring stylish design and décor items? The good news for soon to be blushing brides and grooms is that Reviva Weddings’ Laura Charles has just teamed up with Earthscent Flowers to launch a shop which is the first of its kind in Marbella. Laura, who realised there was a gap in the market for a stylish wedding and party design service, launched Reviva Weddings three years ago, and has since earned a reputation as one of Europe’s top wedding designers.

Loraine Gilder from Earthscent, meanwhile, has trained with renowned florist Paula Pryke Flowers in London, and has successfully run her flower store for 10 years. With Laura and Loraine’s combined attention to detail and trends, you will find a wonderful selection of decorations and flowers to help you style your event, from elegant chair covers, sashes and linens to fabulous bridal flowers, ceremony decorations and enchanting centrepieces. The shop also carries many unique accessories, fabulous gifts, favour ideas, sky and water lanterns, wedding stationery, cakes, cake toppers, confetti cones and fans.

Pre-owned boat show at Marina Marbella From April 1 to 5, a pre-owned boat show will be held in the marina of Puerto Banús. An estimated 100 boats, from 17 to 84 feet, are expected to be present at the show, supervised by the respected firm Marina Marbella, S.A. This will be a great event for anyone looking for a good deal and great value for money, with the added security of boats being serviced by the professionals at Marina Marbella. All boats will be in the water and available for sea-trials. As well as the sale of pre-owned and brokerage boats, Marina Marbella Group focuses on sales, service, importing, exporting and distribution of powerboats and motor yachts of the following brands: Sea Ray, Chris Craft, Azimut, Absolute, Dominator, Lazzara, Marquis, and Cabo Yachts. Marina Marbella has offices and service facilities in Spain, England, Sweden, Portugal and Morocco.

i Puerto Pesquero s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 777 099. www.marinamarbella.net New charitable, environmental and cultural projects for Fundación Fuerte Fundación Fuerte, the association created by the Fuerte Hotel Group to organise charitable and cultural activities and promote environmental sustainability, is excited about the host of events it has lined up for 2010. This year, some 12 social charitable and 10 cultural activities have been approved, a significant increase on last year’s quota. The line up will include education programmes, drug awareness campaigns and socio-cultural events. The Fundación’s first activities can be traced back to its founder, José Luque, who frequently supported local charities and sports institutions, forming part of the Programa Proyecto Hombre de Marbella. The Fundación Fuerte was officially created in 2005, following the successful construction of a house for 60 homeless children. Isabel María García Bardón, José Luque’s widow and President of the Fuerte Group, together with her children who also hold important positions in the Group, are committed to running a socially aware, environmentally friendly hotel chain which is as concerned about its surroundings as it is about the satisfaction of its clients.

i C. C. Pinares, Elviria. Tel: 951 271 220/ 952 839 830/ 618 021 172.

i www.fundacionfuerte.org

Ski workshops for the physically and mentally challenged Construction company Ferrovial and the Fundación Adecco joined forces with the Fundación Deporte y Desafío to sponsor two weeks of skiing in the Sierra Nevada for the physically and mentally challenged.

The first ski week ran from February 7 to 12, while the second started in February 28 and will run until March 5. Special exercises and goals were set for all participants by experienced instructors who know how to adapt exercises to specific needs. Participants and one guest each took advantage of the ski weeks, accommodation and meals, thanks to this original, fun incentive.

i www.deporteydesafio.com 92

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essent ial LUXURY PROPERTIES

Bedrooms 5

Bathrooms 6

Built 675 m2

Plot 1,712 m2

€ 1,950.000

exceptional Villa In Los Flamingos golf resort Recently reduced in price to offer outstanding value, this exquisite 5 bedroom villa set on three levels has been built to modern standards whilst retaining all the charm of a traditional Andalusian home. South facing, it boasts magnificent views to the sea and surrounding mountains and is close to all necessary amenities with Marbella, Puerto Banus and Estepona all nearby. There are five ensuite bedrooms, four with full walk in dressing rooms, a large “Siematic” kitchen, a cinema room, gym and sauna with accompanying shower room, a laundry room connected to the house via a chute, a wine cellar, a 3-car garage and a lift that connects the three floors.

The infinity pool completes a beautifully landscaped garden and the large private drive offers ample on-site parking. This exclusive property has been finished to the very highest of standards with utmost care and attention to detail.

BEnahavís estates

T (+34) 952 886 386 T (+34) 627 909 840

info@benahavisestates.com www.benahavisestates.com

i

Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 Built 209 m2 Terrace 75 m2 Price 325.000 Euros ALCAZABA BEACH TOWNHOUSE Beautiful Townhouse located on a first line beach urbanization of only 32 houses, 5 minutes drive to the centre of Estepona, where you can find many restaurants and shops, 10 minutes to Puerto Banús and only 15 minutes drive to Marbella town. This charming threebedroom, two-bathroom townhouse is close to amenities and transport links in Estepona. The accommodation comprises a fully fitted kitchen, utility room, guest toilet, spacious lounge in 3 separate areas, private parking space, covered and open terraces. The property has views to the garden and a partial sea view from the upstairs terrace. The urbanisation has beautiful tropical landscaped gardens, with a communal swimming pool by the sea and a private gymnasium with sauna. MUST BE SEEN!

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Marbella estates s.L.

T (+34) 952 90 42 44 T (+34) 686 940 306

info@marbella-estates.com www.marbella-estates.com

i 23/2/10 15:54:53

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the traveller SPORTS AND DESTINATIONS

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Golf: The San Roque Club

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Film Sets in Spain

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THETRAVELLER SPANISH FILM SETS

Star A

destination

Spain has long been known as the home of the infamous Spaghetti Western, along with more iconic wild west productions such as A Fistful of Dollars, but the badlands of Almeria are not the only locations that attract Hollywood’s top movie moguls to ‘Sol-y-wood’, as Belinda Beckett reports.

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his month, cinemas around the globe will unveil the new Warner Bros. star-studded fantasy blockbuster, Clash of the Titans. What few movie-goers may realise is that many of the unworldly-looking location shots were filmed in Spain, whose striking landscapes, fairytale castles and iconic cities continue to provide Hollywood with backdrops of Oscar-winning potential.

Real landscapes shot in the Canary Islands were mixed with computer-generated images to reinvent the 1981 movie of the same name, loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Rising star Sam Worthington (who made his name in the Golden Globe-winning 3D sci fi epic, Avatar) plays the hero whose quest to rescue Princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) is thwarted by vengeful Gods Zeus (Liam Neeson) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes).

Nearly 20 per cent of the film was shot in

Tenerife’s volcanic Teide National Park last summer, used as a stand-in for Greece and the mythological underworld, along with the island’s coastal and forested areas in Icod, Buenavista del Norte and Guia de Isora, and with Lanzarote’s Timanfaya National Park. Although security guards were posted to keep the public away from the sets, some intrepid fans snuck past them to solicit autographs and grab shots showing statues of giant Gods rising up from Teide’s eery lunar landscape, many of which have been posted on the Internet. Some local residents even landed parts as extras and support staff when Warner Bros. flew in a 350-strong production team and two aircraft full of materials last May to begin the three-week shoot.

It is the first American super-production to be filmed on the island for 43 years. The last

biggie was the 1966 movie, One Million Years BC, featuring Raquel Welch in a furry bikini. The pretitle dolphin sequence narrated by Stephen Fry in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (2005) was also filmed on the island at Loro Parque, home to Europe’s largest dolphin show pool. Further back in time, it was off the coast of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria that Gregory Peck wrestled with a ferocious sperm whale in John Huston’s 1956 version of Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick.

Explaining why Tenerife was chosen as one of the main locations for Clash of the Titans, Producer Kevin de La Noy said: “We didn’t want to go where other films have been. This film had to be special.

We could have gone anywhere in the world but Tenerife has so many beautiful and dramatic landscapes and that wonderful light and flavour which will really make this film stand out”.

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For tourism, such events are worth their weight in gold which is why most cities have their own dedicated Film Commissions, set up to attract movie producers to their doorsteps. Titans is said to have generated €2.5 million in revenue for Tenerife during the shoot alone, to say nothing of expected visitor spin-offs this year. As the Canarian Government’s Director General for Territorial Planning, Sulbey González, commented: “This is a great opportunity for all the islands to promote themselves to the rest of the world. From what we have seen so far, this will be a film worth waiting for and just think what it will mean if this film is nominated for an Oscar!”

Mainand Spain, too, is no stranger to Hollywood. Big box office characters such as James Bond, Indiana Jones, Anakin Skywalker and Lawrence of Arabia have all been here to shoot their adventures, accompanied by battalions of art directors, set designers and camera crews dedicated to transforming urban and rural landscapes into surreal other worlds, from the Sahara desert and the Siberian steppe to outer space.

Seville’s emblematic Plaza de España morphed into an extra-terrestrial palace on the planet Naboo for the arrival of Senator Amidala and her protector Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones; Almería’s Cabo de Gata Nature Reserve was chosen by Steven Spielberg to shoot action sequences for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum and surroundings open the 007 adventure, The World Is Not Enough, while in Die Another Day, the famous spy can be seen strolling through the streets of Cádiz. Orson Welles chose the village of Calatañazor in Soria province to shoot scenes for Chimes at Midnight and staged battle scenes within the city walls of Ávila (sequences that inspired later battle scenes in Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan). But, perhaps most incredible of all, the countryside around Madrid was transformed into the snowbound battlefields of the Russian Revolution for Doctor Zhivago!

Spain’s versatile landscapes can pass as many locations. Andalucía, with its snow-capped mountains, sunny beaches, serpentine mountain roads and arid desert, has played stand-in for Jordan, Israel, barren Afghanistan, mountainous Tibet, verdant South America and even the wild Australian outback. Sometimes it even plays itself: Málaga was both the central theme and the location for El Camino de los Ingleses (2006), directed by the city’s most famous son, Antonio Banderas.

Almería, with its strange lunar landscape and barren Tabernas Desert, cornered the lion’s share of location shoots for Spaghetti Westerns, the broad sub-genre of low budget films produced by Spanish and Italian companies that emerged in the mid-1960s and took off like a bullet from a Colt 45. Although most of these movies were ‘turkeys’, they were redeemed by the trilogy directed by Sergio Leone, A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), starring Clint Eastwood as an anti-heroic gunslinger motivated by money. Today, several of the production studios (Texas Hollywood, Mini Hollywood) preserve some of the old sets as tourist attractions.

Gold In Them There Hills

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Capital Locations Spain’s two largest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, have also grabbed their share of the limelight. Madrid landmarks like the Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, the Fine Arts Academy and Paseo del Prado played leading roles in the 2008 film Deception, starring Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman, and in The Bourne Ultimatum with Matt Damon, where Spain’s capital not only played itself but doubled for Turin. The twisting streets of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, meanwhile, created the sinister backdrop for Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), starring Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman. The film used 5,000 extras who answered an advert for ‘’middle-aged, 18th century lookalikes with long hair’.

Barcelona’s historic district also took centre stage in Woody Allen’s Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona (2008), along with the Modernista architecture of Antoni Gaudí. The movie gave birth to a themed guided tour of the city and today, Gaudí’s iconic La Pedrera is equally well known for the rooftop sequence featuring Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson, while Parc Güell is eternally linked with the budding romance between Johansson and Javier Bardem. Although the film won a Golden Globe and was priceless for the city, in terms of global publicity, controversy arose in Catalonia because it was partially funded with public money. The City Hall provided €1million and the Government of Catalonia, half a million.

Other movies that have showcased Barcelona’s architecture to a worldwide audience include The Machinist starring Christian Bale (2004) and the supernatural film Fragile (2005), starring Calista Flockhart.

One man who has done more than most to promote Spain to cinema audiences is awardwinning director Pedro Almodóvar. If you visit Castile-La Mancha, you can go on a tourist trail

that takes in the different settings of Volver, set and filmed in Almodóvar’s native province and Madrid. His Oscar-winning Todo Sobre Mi Madre was another home-grown production, shot in Madrid, Barcelona, and A Coruña in Galicia while his latest movie, Los Abrazos Rotos starring Penélope Cruz, was filmed in Madrid and the Canary Islands and was nominated for a 2010 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

The economy of filming in Spain and its wealth of experienced, grass-roots production companies were among the reasons executive producer George Lucas chose Spain as one of the locations for the 1989 adventure film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Director Steven Spielberg used Almería’s Tabernas Desert for the action-packed tank chase scene. The tank, a fully functional replica of a German 1917 International Mark 7 used in World War I, weighing 28 tons, was built in four months, flown to Almeria aboard a British Belfast plane – one of the largest aircraft in the world – and transported from location to location on the back of a low loader truck. It took two weeks to film the 10-minute sequence at a cost of $200,000 a day. Mónsul Beach in Almería’s Cabo de Gata-Níjar Nature Reserve was used to shoot the scene where Sean Connery frightens some seagulls with an umbrella to bring down a German plane while Granada’s Guadix Station was transformed into a replica of the Middle Eastern town of Iskendrun, complete with mosque, camels, goats and women in yashmaks.

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Moscow in Madrid Award-winning director David Lean also looked to Spain when he was forced to find a substitute for Moscow to film his blockbuster Doctor Zhivago. In the days pre-glasnost and perestroika, Boris Pasternak’s book had been banned by the Kremlin so a replica of the Soviet capital was painstakingly constructed from scratch outside Madrid, where most of the wintery scenes were filmed in temperatures reaching 90 degrees Farenheit although, when the sun persistently refused to stay out of shot, some scenes had to be filmed in Finland! The shoot lasted 10 months and included sequences in Soria, where the Varykino family estate was set, using frozen beeswax to replicate ice. For the charge of the Partisans across a frozen lake, a cast iron sheet was placed over a dry river-bed and fake snow (mostly marble dust) sprinkled on top.

Lean was instrumental in bringing many other films to Spain, including Empire of the Sun and the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, starring Peter O’Toole. Many of the desert scenes were shot in Almería and Doñana, Moorish Seville doubled as Cairo and Jerusalem and the city’s stunning Plaza de España became the Cairo Officers’ Club.

The attack on Aqaba, one of the more stirring scenes in the movie with a spectacular pan shot of dust rising up from behind the charging Arabs, was reconstructed in the Tabernas Desert.

Spain’s magnificent Moorish castles have also come into play in the making of major movies. The 10th century castle in Molina de Aragón, Guadalajara, witnessed the investigations of Sean Connery in The Name of the Rose (1986); Loarre Castle in Huesca was chosen by Ridley Scott for scenes in his 2005 Crusades epic, Kingdom of Heaven, starring Orlando Bloom; and Spain was the principal location for the 1961 film El Cid, starring Charlton Heston and Sofía Loren. Time magazine reported that the 195-minute epic employed 7,000 extras, 10,000 costumes, 35 ships, 50 outsize engines of medieval war and four of the noblest old castles in Spain: Belmonte Castle in Cuenca, Ampudia and Torrelobatón in Castile and León and Peñíscola in Castellón. The latter, built by the Knights Templar in the 14th century, was reinforced with new walls for the film and is now a popular tourist attraction and emblem of the seaside town’s annual comedy film festival.

Meanwhile, magnificent Los Hornillos Palace, surrounded by parkland outside the Cantabrian village of Las Fraguas, provided the exteriors of the haunted house setting for The Others, a 2001 psychological thriller directed by Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman,and based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. The film won eight Goyas and boosted tourist visitors to the stylish mansion designed by English architect Selden Wornum, modelled on the Magdalena Palace in Santander.

These are just some of the places in Spain to have experienced the magic of Hollywood. And, with Spanish cinema enjoying a Renaissance not seen since the days of Louis Buñuel and La Movida, the forthcoming Clash of the Titans blockbuster won’t be Spain’s last ‘take’ on the subject by a long way. n

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THETRAVELLER HOTEL

Arabian Luxury, Mediterranean Lifestyle

Vincci Selección Estrella del Mar T he name Vincci Hotels may sound new to many of our readers yet, surprisingly, this chain of over 35 hotels in areas as diverse as the USA, Portugal, Tunisia and Spain has a history behind it which is as rich as it is fascinating. The five-star Vincci Selección Estrella del Mar in Marbella, opened in 2008, is already raising the bar when it comes to luxury accommodation in Marbella. Class, comfort and relaxation are qualities that come to mind when we think of this hotel, the cherry on the cake for its founder, Rufino Calero, whose experience in the hotel industry dates back to his first job, at the tender age of 18, with Grupo Husa. So enterprising was the fledgling entrepreneur that, five years later at the age of 23, he was named Director of the Hispanhotel chain. In 1961 he purchased his first hotel, the Gran Vía in Zaragoza; in the early 1970s he created the OTA hotel group; and in 1975 he created one of the most successful hotel chains in Spanish history: the Tryp group, which he presided over for a remarkable 26 years before selling it to the Sol Meliá Group.

Now, Calero and his sons have decided to lend their passion to a new baby: the Vincci Hotel Group.

The Vincci Selección Estrella del Mar, ensconced in the pine-clustered area of Elviria-Las Chapas, is a shining symbol of luxury minus the ostentation. Its sombre, simple exterior (built with hand-crafted Tejar brick) contrasts patently with the graceful beauty of the interior, where Islamic arches and domes, flowing fountains and 15,000m2 of spectacular gardens hold sway. The design boasts a clean beauty where light cream and beige tones are married to stunning details such as Arabian hanging lamps, furniture from Lebanon, Egypt and India, ornamental tiles, white linens and aged materials. Art deco pieces add a touch of modernity, while sheer elegance is provided by stunning cream marble walls and natural stone floors. The hotel’s moderate height (it is composed of two- and three-storey buildings), as well as its courtyards, Arabic fountains and quaint, intimate corners imbue a sense of peace and calm, where privacy and harmony abound.

There are 134 rooms, two of which are junior suites boasting large sitting rooms with their own terrace, two bedrooms and a full en suite bathroom. There are also two duplex suites located in the side towers of the building, each with a spacious sitting room and full bathroom on the lower level and a large bedroom and full en suite bathroom on the upper floor. A large terrace area with an inviting dining table and canopied sun beds beckons guests to gaze out at the Mediterranean. The superior double rooms, meanwhile, also

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have their own living room and a spacious furnished terrace, also with sea views. Those travelling with extended family should note that 16 of the rooms can be connected together through communicating doors. In addition, there are four rooms specifically designed for disabled guests. These are located on the ground floor and enjoy direct access to the pool area and gardens.

In addition to the sheer beauty of the hotel, there is plenty to keep you occupied. Gastronomes will marvel at à la carte restaurant Baraka (serving creative international cuisine with strong Mediterranean influences) or La Acequia, a buffet restaurant with a stunning outdoor terrace where guests can tuck into a hearty breakfast overlooking the pool and gardens.

In warmer months, the place to be is undoubtedly the poolside and guests can select from the children’s pool, the climatised pool or the two lagoon-style adult pools with inviting Balinese beds set beside the lush gardens, with their imposing pines and palm trees. Those who like to stay in shape while they holiday can work out at the gym, then relax at the spa with its Jacuzzi, sauna, hammam, ice fountain and peeling shower.

Guests can opt for a wide selection of treatments and massages, or get ready for an important event by having their hair or nails done at the salon. The hotel also organises a host of activities for those into adventure sports and leisure activities. Choose from a day of golf, horse-riding, scuba diving and plenty more. In high season, adults can enjoy entertainment while kids stay busy at the Mini-Club, providing supervised activities for the little ones.

Organisers of company conferences and incentives can select from three different meeting rooms, ranging from 180m2 to 232m2 in size.

Fancy a game of tennis? Would you like to take some golf lessons or work on the Internet? All of these can be arranged at the Concierge and Golf desks, where seasoned professionals can recommend and organise everything you need to make the most of Marbella.

The Vincci Selección Estrella del Mar may be the new kid in town but its founders’ long, fruitful history ensures a level of excellence only found in the very best hotels. Service, excellence and ambience are three ingredients that augur a long life for the Vincci Hotels group. n

Report marisa cutillas photography courtesy of vincci hoteles

i Urbanizacion Estrella del Mar, Las Chapas, Marbella.

Tel: 951 053 790. www.vinccihoteles.com

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THETRAVELLER GOLF

report paul brazell Acosta photography courtesy of the san roque club

The San Roque Club Old Course

T

he San Roque Old Course is an important part of the golf offer at The San Roque Club and ranks among the finest golfing arenas in Spain. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja Mountains in Cádiz province, it was designed in 1990 by architect Dave Thomas and legendary golfer Tony Jacklin. The bunkers were later redesigned by our own Seve Ballesteros.

The 6,494 metres, par 72 Championship Old Course consists of an 18-hole layout winding through mature forest and emerging onto some hilly holes. Well conditioned, you’ll find contoured fast greens, narrow, tree-lined sloping fairways, numerous tricky bunkers and sand-traps, native vegetation and undulating terrain with ravines and water hazards on the back nine, all combining to make this a challenging test for all naure of golfers.

HOLE 6

i THE SAN ROQUE CLUB

CN340, km.127, San Roque, Cádiz.

Tel: 956 613 030. www.sanroqueclub.com Paul Brazell Acosta Professional events photographer www.paulacostaphotography.com PRO FOR A DAY™ “Feel like a pro, and keep the memory forever.”

Tel: 669 694 848. www.proforaday.com

HOLE 17 Par 5 My second choice is the 17th hole, a long par five. It is a very demanding closing hole, bounded by water hazards. Try to keep left with both your tee shot and second shot; if not, it is quite difficult to make it over the lake in order to land your ball on the green in three, and two putt for a well deserved par. Yes, I have lost a few balls in this lake so if you find one while searching for yours, with the initials PBA, please contact me!

Par 4 While managing the Bang & Olufsen store located in Sotogrande, I had the great pleasure of hosting a few tournaments to entertain our clients at the San Roque Club Old Course.

My first choice of favourite holes is the 6th, a long par four. It has a lake to negotiate, so be careful of this famous ‘water magnet’! In order to reach the green in two, you will need a long drive, then a medium-to-long pitching shot uphill to the green. Take care with the trees left and right, which you will find surrounding most holes on the course.

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HOLE 18 Par 4 As on many occasions (probably something to do with the cold beer waiting for us at the club house), I have also chosen the par four 18th hole that leads directly to the green in front of the beautiful Domecq property.

This magnificent mansion, centrepiece of The San Roque Club, is the former home of the Domecq family who founded a sherry dynasty. Go for a birdie with a long drive here or be happy with a par to end a very demanding, yet beautiful 18-hole course, unlike anything you will have ever played in the south of Spain! n

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the gourmet

E VERYTHING ABOUT DINING

Finca Besaya

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Los Bandidos

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Food News

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Chef’s Profile: Ben Hayes from Terra Sana

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Wines from Valdeorras

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Listings

Page

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! r a B o n ia P w e n Enjoy our

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THEGOURMET

RESTAURANT

FINCA BESAYA

A New Dining Dimension Report BELINDA BECKETT photography kh photography

F

inca Besaya has always been a seductive spot, a charming old farmhouse above the Golden Mile that pre-dates much of modern Marbella.

Oak beams, soft lamp light, stylish sofas clustered around an enormous fireplace and intimate dining corners decorated with antiques and modern art create the illusion that you are a VIP guest at a private house party. Since taking over ownership six years ago, international restaurant consortium Deyafa (owner of Nestor, Puerto Banús) has worked hard to update the pipes and slippers ambience with a more sophisticated ‘3D’ (dining, drinking and dancing) experience and, in high season, it’s not unusual for the restaurant to host 350 guests. From Easter, the three panoramic terraces are given over to the eclectic sounds of St. Tropez DJ Mitch and those visitors reluctant to call last orders can enjoy ‘one for the road’, knowing they can safely leave their vehicles overnight in the 380-space car park.

Now there’s another compelling reason to pay a return visit – a revolutionary dining concept developed by the group’s Kitchen Consultant, Claudio Campanella. Claudio has worked with a new team in the revamped kitchens to devise a menu that is not only delicious on paper but functions like clockwork on the busiest nights and appeals to a wider-ranging clientele. The circular table of 14 all-Spanish diners whose laughter filled the restaurant during our visit shows how this philosophy is already working at this perennially popular ex-pat haunt.

Claudio not only has a wonderful way with pasta

(the freshest and lightest you’ll ever taste); he honed his international repertoire in America, where he opened Washington DC’s famous Boccaccio restaurant and a sister restaurant in Brazil before becoming a partner in London’s trendy San Frediano Italian restaurant and the capital’s Mayfair Club.

Quality, flavour and presentation have been raised to new levels with the emphasis on unpretentious French brasserie cuisine given an Andalusian twist, starring generous portions and rich Mediterranean flavours. Claudio defines it as, “Earthy food but with a high level of sophistication.”

Along with a selection of Iberian appetisers (including Cecina de León, a salted, smoked, airdried beef) and some technically demanding dishes (turbot carpaccio, escalope of foie gras) there are daily specials offering modern temptations like veal cheek. Says Claudio: “Cooking is a passion for me and it gives me great pleasure to surprise people with adventurous dishes that even children want to try.”

Our adventure began at a candlelit table overlooking the twinkling lights of Marbella. (There are also three smaller dining alcoves perfect for private parties.) Claudio had prepared a ninedish tasting and, as a curtain raiser, we sampled a delicate tower of creamy scallops, aubergines and tangy smoked cheese drizzled with pesto sauce, a symphony of textures and flavours. The beef carpaccio that followed was as good as I’ve tasted, served with generous shavings of Parmesan and a tasty dressing. Then came triangular pumpkinfilled ravioli with an intriguing accompaniment: fruit

mustard and almond cookies. The buttery richness of the sauce was a gourmet moment to savour, its sweetness complemented by the honeyed flavours of the fruit-packed Duero Verdejo house wine.

Act Two began with a confit of lamb shank slowcooked for eight hours with rosemary and garlic, served with a rich Rioja sauce and a selection of garden-fresh vegetables (I counted seven different varieties). The meat could be cut with a spoon, ditto the Duck magret glazed in honey and mustard, presented with Dauphinoise potatoes and caramelised asparagus. We also did justice to the French hen, a whole baby poussin, crisp and well-seasoned, served simply with new potatoes and green beans.

It’s a testimony to the fabulous factor of the desserts that we cleared all three plates. The raspberry and white chocolate tart with melt-in-themouth pastry was demolished in a moment, along with the mango mousse atop a crunchy podium of coconut cake. And who would have guessed that a concoction of carrots, apple and beetroot would work in a dessert? Served on a pastry base with home-made vanilla ice cream, it was truly scrumptuous.

Finca Besaya has raised its game to another dimension and I hereby award this 3D Dining experience a fourth D, for Delicious!

i

FINCA BESAYA Open nightly for dinner from 8pm-3am (last orders midnight in winter). Urb. Rio Verde Alto, Marbella.

Tel: 952 861 382. www.fincabesaya.com essential marbella magazine

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THEGOURMET

RESTAURANT

LOS BANDIDOS

The A-List of Taste Report BELINDA BECKETT photography kh photography

T

here are people who say Puerto Banús has lost its cachet. But one restaurant, posed on the waterfront beside the sleek super-yachts and exotic cars, still glows with that aura of magic, its flickering candles twinkling like a beacon to the port’s golden years. For nearly a quarter of a century, whenever a ‘big name’ is in town, you can find paparazzi outside Los Bandidos, determined to snatch a candid shot; and almost without fail, you’ll find glamorous proprietor Jill Lindberg on duty, equally determined that they will not! At the glimpse of prying camera lenses, cushions are put up at the windows, allowing her VIP guests to dine in privacy.

Jill’s almost motherly concern for guests’ well being and the pleasure she takes in indulging their every whim keeps Los Bandidos buzzing, even on a chill February evening when neighbouring restaurants were at a standstill. That, and her insistence on top quality produce befitting her discerning clientele which her Head Chef of 12 years, Juan Sepulveda and his not inconsiderable team of 12, convert by mysterious alchemy into edible art. Even the wines (Protos, Pesquera, Vega Sicilia) are treated with due respect, the sommelier expertly pouring an oaky Mauro from Castilla y Léon over a silver aerating ball into a gleaming glass decanter. Such niceties have been noted by Michelin inspectors but Jill rejected the chance of going for a star. “The ground rules are so restricting. I was far more flattered by Condé Nast’s review that we were a ‘must visit’ in Spain,” she says. She has turned down considerable sums

for her escritura too, protesting at the very idea: “This is my passion, my lifestyle, the best job in the world!”

A twinkling presence as she weaves expertly between tables in vertiginous black stilettos, Jill was brought up in France and Sweden and learned her appreciation of fine food from her grandmother who ran a top Swedish hotel school. Still, everyone thought the multi-lingual political science graduate was crazy when she fell in love with Marbella and shelved plans to work for the United Nations.

Having taken on a friend’s restaurant for a bet that she could fill every seat in two months (which she won) she bought a locale at the then ‘unfashionable’ end of Banús and Los Bandidos was born.

The name is odd, given that the menu is a fusion of Swedish, French and international dishes with Spanish and Mexican cuisine conspicuously absent; but it was a canny move. “It was named after my ex-husband Kurt’s golf society,” explains Jill. “There were 26 members then, among them Sean Connery, Kevin Keegan and James Hunt. I figured that gave us 26 guests and their families to start with!” It did and, to this day, it’s an unusual night when a VIP doesn’t arrive with respective entourage of bodyguards, to which framed photographs decorating the walls stand testimony.

Real plants (lovingly taken down and watered daily) weave tendrils across the ceiling while mood lighting, soft music, velvet cushions and candlelight conspire to seduce.

Joining us at a window table normally reserved for Presidents, Jill took a quick reading of our

favourite foods and chose for us with confidence (the lengthy, delicious menu would make anyone indecisive). Words cannot do justice to my creamy duck foie, drizzled with a caramelly port reduction, its richness cut by fresh mango; or the perfect presentation of my partner’s mixed plate: skagen toast with caviar, gravaadlax, gratinéed mussel etc., a cross-section of the starter menu in intricate miniature. I could wax lyrical over Kurt’s Favourite, invented by Jill’s former husband, featuring the juiciest, most tender fillet steak, coated in smooth black pepper sauce with a side of cheesy tagliatelli. My partner was equally impressed with his rosemary-flavoured baby lamb chops, pink and mouth-watering, stacked on a chive and potato mash garnished with sweet baby green beans.

The scrumptious raspberry cheesecake and the crispest, lightest apple tartlet topped with vanilla ice cream were also deeply sensual experiences.

Our meal over, it was with reluctance that we eased our way out through the constant tide of arriving guests (this is a late-night haunt). It had been a stellar experience, worthy of the port in its heyday. Looking back, we could see Jill’s blonde head bobbing among the diners, doing what comes so naturally. An international celebrity and his people were expected. There would be cushions up against the windows tonight.

i Open daily for dinner from 7.30pm until late.

Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 815 915/ www.losbandidos.info essential marbella magazine

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THEGOURMET

FOOD NEWS Report Marisa CUTILLAS

Hotel Hermitage Casares: Gourmet gastronomy at affordable prices The recently inaugurated Hotel Hermitage in Casares is now serving excellent cuisine with affordable prices at its restaurant, Celima. With spectacular views across the Casares countryside to the Mediterranean, the restaurant offers an ambience that is as select as its cuisine. Heading up the kitchens is Gonzalo Gutiérrez, a talented Spanish chef who has devised a tantalising repertoire of dishes based on the freshest local Mediterranean produce, including fruits, vegetables and herbs from the hotel’s own kitchen, fine fish and seafood, along with local game specialities. Gourmet evenings will be a regular occurrence, with fabulous fourards Edw © Gary course dinners offered at prices as low as €35 per head, including wine and water.

The bijou bodega in the hotel’s cellar is an original setting for regular wine tasting evenings, where expert sommeliers from select wineries visit the hotel to give gastronomes an insight into the world of wine and wine pairing meals. A superb three-course lunch menu is available from Monday to Friday for just €14 per head, and a selection of business lunch menus ranging from €30 to €50 is available on request. Open every day for lunch and dinner.

i Paraje de Celima s/n, Ctra de Casares, Casares. Tel: 952 895 639. www.hotelhermitage.es Traditional recipes revived at the Hotel Escuela Convento Santo Domingo The Hotel Escuela Convento Santo Domingo, the 16thcentury convent-turned hotel and cookery school, has just announced its first Jornadas Gastronómicas, a culinary event that will take place every Friday evening until March 26. For just €30 per head, diners will enjoy a fine wine pairing meal featuring traditional dishes served in Málaga from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday. Many of these recipes have been long forgotten and are now enjoying a revived popularity. Rescued recipes include cod cooked in tomato, crunchy spinach porrilla served over a chickpea puree and garlic compote and, for dessert, some sweet Málaga wine torrijas. Guests are advised to book in advance.

i C/ Santo Domingo s/n, Archidona, Málaga. Tel: 952 717 070. www.hotelescuelaturismoandaluz.com

© KH Photography

© KH Photography

The fabulous new Zozoi A stalwart on the Marbella gastronomic scene, Zozoi restaurant is happy to announce that it has just re-opened after a series of renovations that includes the building of a glassed-in terrace, where diners can enjoy outdoor dining even in the coldest of winter months. As well as an elegant new look, Zozoi also boasts interesting additions to the menu, including a list of home-made pizzas that are probably different to anything you’ve tried before. Made with original ingredients, varieties include the meatball pizza with sage, lemon, cream and prosciutto, and a Moroccan chicken pizza.

Regulars at Zozoi will know that the menu changes frequently, so there is always something new and delicious to tempt you. The restaurant opens every night for dinner except Sundays

i Plaza Altamirano 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 858 868. www.zozoi.com

Tasting Evening at Suite Fusion Elegant restaurant Suite Fusion at the Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella recently held a well-attended dinner to invite members of the press, dignitaries and members of the local jetset to sample the best of their new menu. The Orient is the clear inspiration behind tempting treats such as the Mezzes Libaneses mixed platter (featuring hummus, tabulé and babaganus), lamb chops with miso and potato puree, or tuna tataki with sesame and pepper, over a tomato and vegetable tartare with rum sauce and kimuchi. The flavours of the east, and studied technique of the West, combine to bring your taste buds alive at Suite. Open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for dinner.

i Hotel Puente Romano. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 630 962 852. www.suiteclubs.com

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THEGOURMET

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Ben Hayes

Bringing the flavours of the world to our doorstep

CHEF PROFILE

a n a S a r r e of T

report marisa cutillas photography kh Photography

A

fter tucking into a hearty California wrap, healthy Thai beef salad or spicy Moroccan couscous at your favourite Terra Sana restaurant, it might be difficult to personally thank the chef who has brought these wonderful international dishes to Marbella. The man behind the menu, wizard of flavour and fervent fan of world cuisine, is Ben Hayes, Executive Chef of the rapidly-expanding Terra Sana chain which is soon to open branches in Málaga, Sotogrande and Sevilla. Terra Sana is big; much bigger than when Ben joined founder Steve Sweeney and his team to offer something different in Marbella: a cool, laid-back restaurant where friends could meet for a smoothie or coffee and enjoy the kind of healthy fusion cuisine that was so hot in cities like L.A. He has turned the exotic into something accessible, with dishes bearing the unmistakable flavours and aromas of far-off lands like Morrocco, India and the Far East.

Like any great chef, Ben’s fascination with cuisine began at a young age: he was only eight when he grew to idolise the chef at a local pub his mother used to take him to for healthy meals. Says Ben, “This chef was excellent. He would always serve fantastic local produce, including fresh fish dishes and the best sweetcorn chutney I’ve tasted! He sparked a passion in me. I wanted to be like him and I started out by helping my grandmother in the kitchen.”

Ben’s childhood was immersed in the kind of values you will often hear top Basque chefs espouse, where gastronomy is part of culture and tradition. Like them, Ben describes the kitchen as, “the hub of every home… a meeting point, a place to talk about things, so we might as well make it lively.”

Ben, born in Gloucestershire, began his professional life at the age of 15, “in nice little inns cooking local food – things like game and pheasant.”

His desire for greater knowledge propelled him to train at college for two years, after which he won a scholarship to Switzerland, where he honed his craft in many five-star hotels.

One of the highlights of Ben’s career was working with Paul and Jeanne Rankin in Roscoff, the first restaurant in Northern Ireland to achieve a Michelin star. Ben was lucky enough to run

Roscoff for two years, as well as do his bit in television: “Paul had a gourmet cookery programme in Ireland and I did many backstage scenes with him, also some part-time work for the BBC.” London soon called and, once again, Ben’s lucky star shone on the horizon, prompting him to work for Alistair Little at The River Café, renowned as being one of the best Italian restaurants in England. There, he spent three years working alongside chefs who are now some of the biggest names in gastronomy, including Jamie Oliver. For Ben, the River Café was nothing but positive: “I had some of the best times of my life there. A lot of us went on to do very interesting stuff. One colleague now has a two-Michelin star restaurant in New York, another has a restaurant in London. I remember that all of us were very passionate about food. We’d go to Italy twice a year for research and all of us helped Jamie out with his first programmes. When the BBC stepped in and asked him to do a series of shows, we helped him with the cookery. We were like a great big family.”

So whom do we have to thank for bringing Ben over to Marbella? In an indirect way, Ronnie Woods from the Rolling Stones. Ben explains, “I started working at a private club Ronnie had in London and it didn’t go too well. I had a friend in Spain so I decided to go over to Marbella for a summer job in Terra Sana. Six years down the track I’m still here and we’ve gone from one restaurant to many, including franchises.”

Things have changed immensely for both Terra Sana and Ben Hayes, who is now starting to learn about costings, management and how to run a successful business. Rather than working at an individual restaurant, Ben can mostly be found at the production kitchen, where he experiments with new recipes, trains the chefs and runs the catering part of the business. At Terra Sana he seeks to create cuisine that “mixes flavours from everywhere… the sauces and marinades from the USA, Thai herbs and spices, Italian flavours; then, on other days, you just feel like something simple… a lovely steak seasoned only with sea salt. That’s what the Terra Sana menu is all about, bringing a vast range of flavours from around the world to your table.”

i www.terrasana.net

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THEGOURMET

WINE COLUMN

Report aj Linn

GODello’S LITTLE ACRE… H

ere we go again.

The pundits are forecasting another bad year for Spanish wine, the usual suspects being the excessive number of producers, ditto labels, too high restaurant prices, lack of qualified sommeliers, foreign competition mainly from the New World, and the failure of advertisers to reach the national mass market.

There is a lot of truth in most of that and, as well as too-high restaurant prices, they could have added too high store prices. But is any product or market perfect? Moreover, is it reasonable to say there are too many producers when the only solution would be for some of them to close down or merge – something that is not on the cards at present, the wine business being an ego trip along the lines of owning a football club.

Nevertheless, there is an excellent argument for reducing the number of officially-denominated wine regions in Spain. There are nearly 80, many of them superfluous as they have common borders with other much larger regions that are household names, and this just confuses the drinking public. As an example, why should there be three separate regions for Txacoli, which you have probably never

heard of, let alone drunk, and which is hardly consumed outside the Basque Country? (Viz. Arabako Txakolina-Txacoli de Alava, Chacoli de Bizcaia-Bizkaiko Txakolina, and Chacoli de Getaria-Getariako Txakolina).

The producers in each region have to pay for the regulating committees, usually on the basis of a canon per bottle each bodega sells. If you are appointed to one of these committees, it really is a grand job; you get to decide which grapes can be planted and how the wines can be labelled, all of which, if you also happen to make wine, produces endless opportunities for conflict of interests.

Valdeorras is a typical mini-DO wine producing area; so small, in fact, it could almost pass unnoticed if it were not for God’s gift – the Godello grape. It is a tiny slip of land in Orense province, sandwiched between the Galician wine-producing areas of Albariño to the west and north, and El Bierzo to the east, less than 1,000 kilometres square. Although the Romans are credited with planting the first vines, the reds were popular locally until the phylloxera bug wiped out every vineyard in 1911. Apparently, a very good salesman came calling shortly after and persuaded the uninformed winemakers to invest in the same Palomino vines that have always been used in Jerez to make sherry. They planted palomino vines along with garnacha tintorera, known as Alicante, to make red wine. Neither lived up to expectations but it was not until the 1970s that

some enterprising winemakers from outside the area decided that the only future would be to return to the autoctonous Godello and Mencias grapes that had always grown in the area, for white and red respectively. By that time there were only around 200 Godello vines remaining but, fortunately, these were resuscitated before it was too late and the rest is history, as they say.

It is now the Godello grape that makes this region famous and, love him or hate him, the contentious Robert Parker once wrote that Godello is one of his team’s favourite white grapes in the world. So, in spite of what they tell you, it’s better to focus on the white wines of Valdeorras, rather than the reds. There are producers who for some reason, probably the cost of converting, still make very mediocre wine from Palomino and Alicante grapes, so you cannot assume that anything with Valdeorras on the label is made from the magic Godella grape. Check carefully, although the price will usually give it away as the inferior grapes sacrifice quality for high volume.

When you are invited to have a chupito in a local restaurant, the preferred choice is orujo.

This is a distillation of the seeds, stalks and skins from the pressing of the grapes. These waste products are fermented and then distilled in alambiques (copper kettles) heated over an open fire for upwards of six hours. This is home distillation in its most basic form and has been practised in Spain since Moorish times. The result is pretty strong, up to 50º alcohol. Regrettably, domestic production has now given way to commercial but the resulting tipple is none the worse for that and, if you have never tasted the traditional queimada, you have missed a great experience. To make it at home, take an earthenware bowl big enough to take a litre of orujo (grappa will also do), mix in a third of a cup of granulated sugar, the rind of a lemon and a few coffee beans, set the lot on fire, stir and cover. Serve hot and repeat as often as necessary. Don’t plan on getting up too early the next morning.

i

You can find ValdeSil’s regular Godellos locally in Hipercor and Vinacoteca La Cartuja, (Area Distributor: Exclusivas Soto, Marbella), starting from €10. Pelas de Portella, another outstanding wine made from the fabulous Godello white grape, can be found for around €18, as can the superb Guitian at about €19.

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Fi n e T h a i C u i s i n e

RESERVATIONS:

952 818 392

Open Every Evening for Dinner Ctra. de Cรกdiz Km. 175 PUERTO BANร S (Behind The Shell Petrol Station) Marbella

Puente Romano, Fase 2, Marbella. Open Daily for Dinner from 8:00pm Serving Marbella in a Select Atmosphere for 27 years.

tel: 952 777 893 or 952 775 500

TAI PAN Chinese Cuisine - Polynesian Bar

Exquisite Royal Thai Cuisine

NOW OPEN FOR

LUNCH & DINNER!

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Tel: 952 770 550 Open Mon-Sat. C.C. Marbellamar, L-3A. Marbella.

Oriental Delights

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22/1/10 11:27:45

RESTAURANTS Price guide

Per head for a three-course meal with wine

RESTAURANTS

Buenos Aires South

AMERICAN

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. C/ Virgen del Pilar, 6, Marbella. Tel: 952 779 297

Under €25

HARD ROCK CAFÉ

€25 – €40

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

C/Ramón Areces, esq. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 024

€40 – €60 €60 plus

Jacks Open seven days a week from noon till late.

Puerto Banús, Tel: 952 813 625, Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 563 673

INDIAN

INTERNATIONAL

iN

Yanx

GRILLS

Open from 9am Monday to Saturday and Sunday from 11am for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centro Plaza, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 861

TGI Friday’s

GREEK

Open from 12pm to 12am. Avda. Muelle de Ribera, locales 4-5, Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 993

Tony Roma’s

FRENCH

Open from 1pm-4pm and from 7pm to 12am.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km.176, 29600, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 533

ARGENTINEAN B.Ayres

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Antonio Belón, 22, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 683.

Tango Open daily for dinner except Tuesdays. Puerto Banús (opp. the car park). Tel: 952 812 358

FRENCH

Asador guadalmina Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Urb. Guadalmina Alta, C.C. Guadalmina, Local 3, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 883 003

El Carnicero Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Pueblo Viejo Cancelada. Between San Pedro & Estepona. Tel: 952 886 307

El Carnicero 2 Open every day for lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 176, Marbella. Tel: 952 867 599

Nestor

El Coto

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Urb. Alzambra, Edif. Vasari, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 020

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Ronda (El Madroñal), San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 786 688

Valderrama Restaurant

El Gaucho

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only and on Sunday for Buffet Lunch. Apartado 1, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 132.2 Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 791 200

Open daily for dinner from 7.30pm. Galerías Paniagua. Sotogrande. Tel: 956 795 528

GREEK Red Pepper Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 812 148

GRILLS Asador Criollo Grill

el rancho del puerto Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Benabola 4, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 252

Grill del puerto Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Ribera 47H, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 686

MARBELLA CLUB GRILL Open every night for dinner. Marbella Club Hotel. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

RESTAURANTS

AMERICAN

ARGENTINEAN

Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. CN340, km.178, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 922

Clericó

Open nightly for dinner. CN340-A7, km. 166, Cancelada, El Saladillo. Tel: 952 784 463

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iNGS LISTINGS LISTings Old Town Grill

Massala

Areté

Calima

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch. C/ San Lázaro, 3, Pza. Victoria, Marbella. Tel: 952 867 306

Open daily for dinner. 57, Duquesa de Arcos (Sabinillas seafront). Tel: 952 897 358

Open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner.

C/ Mediterráneo, Edif. Mediterráneo, 1 (next to Marisquería Santiago), Marbella. Tel: 952 777 334

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Hotel Meliá Don Pepe, C/ José Meliá, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 764 252

puente romano beach club

Open Monday to Saturday from 6pm for dinner. Urb. Torrenueva, Mijas Costa. Tel: 902 463 426

auld dubliner

Casanis

Open every day for lunch. CN 340, km 177, Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 900

Mumtaz

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Diana Park, Marbella. Tel: 952 886 338

Open every day from 6pm except Sundays. C/ Ancha, 8, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 450

baboo lounge and restaurant

cerrado del águila

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Winter season: closed Sunday and Monday nights.

Ctra. Arroyo de la Miel, s/n, Benalmádena. Tel: 902 102 675

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Urb. Cerrado del Águila, Camino del Acevedo, s/n, Mijas Costa. Tel: 951 773 521

beach club restaurante grill Open every day for lunch. Hotel Fuerte, Castillo de San Luis s/n and Hotel Fuerte Miramar Spa, Plaza José Luque Manzano s/n, Marbella. Tel: 902 343 410

Open Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Centro de Negocios Puerta de Banús, local 22, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 929 411

beach house

cortijo fain

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Coto de los Doles, Carril del Relojero, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 839 458

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Algar, km. 3, Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz. Tel: 956 704 131

boulevard

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Front line Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 814 371

Open Friday for dinner and Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner. El Castillo de Monda s/n, Monda.

Tel: 952 457 142

Open 9am to 6pm. C/Califa, Edif. La Maestranza, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 907 876

khans 2

alminar

Brunings

Open daily for dinner. Edif. On Line, C/ Las Malvas, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella (opposite Andalucía Plaza Hotel). Tel: 951 319 161

Open Thursday to Monday for dinner. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 7 pm. Las Palmeras 19, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 786 156

Little India

Amanhavis

Open daily for dinner from 7pm. Conj. Buenavista, L 21-22, Avda. de España, Calahonda. Tel: 952 931 829

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday from 8.00pm. Calle del Pilar 3, Benahavís. Tel: 952 856 026

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner and drinks from 7.30 pm. Plaza Antonio Banderas, Puerto Banús. Tel: 606 070 979

Restaurante Rancho Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra. Cádiz, exit Las Chapas. Tel: 952 831 922

INDIAN

Mughal village

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Casa No.7, P. Banús. Tel: 952 812 090

safFron Open from 7 pm ‘til late night every day. Parque de Elviria, local 7-9, Las Chapas (take second exit, after Hotel Don Carlos), Marbella. Tel: 952 830 146

indian dreams

Taj Mahal

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda. Duque de Ahumada, Paseo Marítimo 9, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 096

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Private parking available. Ctra. Cádiz, km 179 (behind Venta los Pacos). Tel: 952 857 670/ 629 244 659

Jaipur purple Open daily for dinner except Tuesday. C.C. Costasol, local 3, Estepona. Tel: 952 888 353

khans

INTERNATIONAL al bacar

Open for dinner from 8pm. Avda. La Fontanilla, esquina Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 583

Bubbles

Chic brunch & café

Deli-icious

Don Leone Open every night for dinner. Puerto Banús, Marbella.

Tel: 952 811 716

Don Quijote Open every evening for dinner (7pm-12am. Flamenco show on Sundays. Urb. El Rosario, km. 188, Marbella.

Tel: 952 834 748

el bistro lounge de

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RESTAURANTS

INTERNATIONAL

iN pan y mermelada

Open from Mon. to Sat. for dinner. C/La Concha 11, El Ingenio, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 788 686

Closed Monday. Local 1A. Puerto de Cabopino. Tel: 952 837 483

Urb. Golf Rio Real, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 831 303

El Restaurante del Casino

Herrero del Puerto

la fonda de marbella

Open every day for dinner from 8pm-4am. Hotel Andalucía Plaza s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 814 000

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Casas de Campos, 1, Málaga. Tel: 952 122 075

Open every night for dinner. C/ Los Caballeros, 4-6, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 288

El rincón de gVadalpín

hotel marbella club buffet

La Hacienda

Open for lunch Friday to Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Monday. C/ Edgar Neville, s/n, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 929 001

Open every day for lunch. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

IVy

Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 193, Hacienda Las Chapas, Marbella. Tel: 952 831 267 / 831 116

Fabiola

Open daily for dinner. Hotel Los Monteros, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 187. Tel: 952 771 700

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sundays for lunch. Cortijo Los Canos, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro, CN-340, km. 132, Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 695 114 / 619 694 484

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch. The coffee shop opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Urb. El Rosario, Club de Tenis el Casco, Marbella. Tel: 952 831 989

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks. Hotel Villa Padierna & Flamingos Golf Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 166 (Cancelada exit), Benahavís.

Tel: 952 889 150

El lago

Finca Besaya

LA biznaga

La Menorah

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Urb. Elviria Hills. Avda. Las Cumbres s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 832 371

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Rio Verde Alto, s/n. Tel: 952 861 382

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Arena Beach, CN 340, km. 151.2, Estepona. Tel: 952 792 734

EL MIRADOR

Open daily for lunch from 1-4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Ctra. de Casares, km. 10. Tel: 952 895 120

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch only. Ctra. Ronda, km. 46, Urb. Las Medranas, local 4, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 951 275 750

La cabaña del mar

Open everyday lunch and dinner. Golf Hotel Guadalmina, Marbella. Tel: 952 882 211

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Urb. Marbella Real, Local 16, Marbella. Tel: 952 829 308

El Bolero Open every night for dinner from 8-11pm. The San Roque Club, CN 340, km. 127, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

El Campanario Open every day for lunch. Open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. CN 340, km. 168, Estepona. Tel: 952 880 126

El Corzo

Open for breakfast every day. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Resort. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

EL OLIVO Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch. At Marbella Golf & Country Club.

CN 340, km. 188, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 500

El Patio de los Perfumes Open daily for dinner. C/Aduar 1, Casco antiguo, Marbella. Tel: 952 828 650

El Relicario

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Finca El Forjador

Finca las brasas

La Loggia

La Terraza

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra. FuengirolaMijas, between CN-340 and highway. Tel: 952 580 513

Open every day for lunch and for dinner from Monday to Saturday. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona CN 340, km 159, Playa El Padrón, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Galeria San Pedro

LA CANTINA DEL GOLF

La Veranda

Open from 11am until midnight. Closed Sundays.

Avda Las Palmeras 15, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 780 927

Open for breakfast and lunch until 8pm. Closed Sunday. Flamingo Golf Club, Cancelada, Benahavís.

Tel: 951 318 815

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. Hotel Villa Padierna, Urb: Flamingos s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 889 150

hermosa

La Esencia

La veranda lobby bar

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 7pm.

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Hotel Incosol,

Open every day for lunch and dinner. At the

La Terraza Open daily for dinner. La Cala Resort, La Cala de Mijas, Mijas. Tel: 952 669 000

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iNGS LISTINGS LISTings Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Cádiz, km. 199. Urb. Riviera Golf. Tel: 952 931 941

Paseo marítimo Benabola, s/n. Tel: 952 819 078

Montecarlo

roca tranquila

Starz

La Verandah

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Closed Tuesdays. Avda. Litoral s/n, Estepona. Tel: 951 273 994

Open every day for lunch and dinner except Monday. Urb. Torreblanca de Sol, C/ Tortola, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 196 067

Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast and lunch.

Centro Plaza, kiosko 3, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 816 313

OCHO

Rojo

Suave

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. C/ Moncayo 12, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 460 232 / 648 502 822

Open every day for lunch and dinner except Sunday. C/ Granada, 44, Málaga. Tel: 952 227 486

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Paseo Maritimo Rey de España 93, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 866 627

Salsa marinera

SUi-to

Ogilvy & Mailer

Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Ribera 50H, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 940

Dinner and afterwards dance to music by resident DJ. Thursday to Saturday. Hotel Puente Romano, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Open week days for dinner at 7:30pm and weekends for lunch and dinner, closed Tuesdays. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 136. Playa Guadiaro, Torre-guadiaro, Cádiz. Tel: 956 615 998

Lee’s bistro Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and every night for dinner. C.C. Guadalmina, Local 8, Edif. Barclays, Marbella. Tel: 952 928 610

los bandidos Open every night for dinner. Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 915

magna café

Open everyday for lunch and dinner, except Tuesday and Sunday evenings. Los Naranjos Country Club, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 815 398

oyarbide

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Calderón de la Barca, s/n. Tel: 952 929 578

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch. C/ Acera de la Marina 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 772 461

Mc café

passion café

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Marbella Club Hotel. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n. Tel: 952 822 211

Open for lunch and dinner every day. C.C. La Colonia, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 781 583

Messina

Open daily for dinner from 7pm and Sunday Lunch, with club/dancing. CN 340, Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe 11, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 380

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday. Avda. Severo Ochoa, 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 864 895

messina puerto banús Open every day for lunch and dinner except for Sunday. C/Ramón Areces, Complejo Marina Banús.

Tel: 952 815 840

polo house

schilo Open Thursday to Saturday for dinner. Hotel Finca Cortesín. Crta. Casares s/n, Casares, Málaga. Tel: 952 937 800

sentidos

shiraz

Terra Sana

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Puerto Deportivo, Local 15, Marbella. Tel: 952 778 334

Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nueva Andalucía next to the Casino. Tel: 952 906 205. Golden Mile, Marbella. Tel: 952 777 480. Terra Sana Express@ ILounge. Avda Antonio Belón, 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 901 274. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 977. C.C. Los Arcos, Elviria. Tel: 952 833 250. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 951 901 050

Skina

Open every night for dinner. Urb. La Alcazaba, CN340, km 175, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 100

Small world café

Open daily for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ctra. de

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Open from 12-4pm and 7.30pm until midnight.

Closed Wednesdays. Arena Beach, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 151, Estepona. Tel: 952 796 320

tanino

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday. C/ Aduar 12, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 277

Relais de Paris

Swing

Open every day for lunch and dinner. At Sentidos en Río Real Hotel. Urb. Río Real s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 732

polynesian’s restaurant & cocktail bar

Miraflores Golf Restaurant

15, Ctra. Istán km. 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 046

Open Monday to Friday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 9am-2am, Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner, 12.30pm-2am.. C.C. Le Village, local

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. CN 340, km.168, Benamara, Estepona. Tel: 952 883 259

The Clubhouse Bar & Brasserie Open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch

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GOLF

iN and dinner. Urb. Los Naranjos de Marbella, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 844

The far isle

CASINOS

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner except Tuesday. Edif. Lubina Sol, Riviera Exit, CN 340, km. 198, Marbella. Tel: 952 935 039

The orange tree

SPANISH

Open every evening from 6:30 pm-11 pm.

Plaza General Chinchilla 1, Plaza de los Naranjos, Marbella. Tel: 952 924 613.

SEAFOOD

Tikitano Beach Restaurant

Complejo Benabola 13, Beach Side, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 055

la brisa Open every night for dinner except for Wednesday and Thursday nights. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

la pappardella di estepona Open every day for lunch and dinner from 1pm to midnight. Puerto Deportivo de Estepona. Tel: 952 802 144

Re-opens 15th December, Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Guadalmansa, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 164, Estepona. Tel: 952 792 820

LA pappardella sul mare

trocadero playa

Open every night for dinner. Urb. Doña Lola, Local 21-22, Calahonda, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 934 667

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Playa Santa Petronilla, km 178, Marbella. Tel: 610 704 144

Leonardo da vinci

Lombardo’s

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 178, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 799

zafferano Open every night for dinner except Sunday.

C/Gloria II, 11, Casco Antiguo, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 125

Oriental Asia Food Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Comercial, Pinares de Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 850 060

Asiatico Zen Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday lunch. C/Lirios s/n, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 817 691

Dragón de Oro Open every day from 12.30-4pm and 7pm until midnight. Closed Monday lunchtime.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 141, Urb. Hacienda Guadalupe, Manilva. Tel: 952 890 956

Al Dente

Luna Rossa

Open 7 days a week for dinner. Closed on Mondays. Urb. Jardines del Puerto, local 12, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 181

Open daily for both lunch and dinner, closed on Sundays. Paseo Marítimo Benabola, local 12, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 810 543

Amore e Fantasía

MADE IN SARDINIA

Open every day for lunch and dinner from 7pm onwards. Muelle Benabola, Casa 5A, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 813 464

Open every night for dinner. C.C. Cristamar, Avda. Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 608

Aretusa

Marco dallis

Open daily for dinner. Front line P. Banús. Tel: 952 812 898

Open daily for dinner. Avda. Fontanilla, Marbella. Tel: 952 776 776

Caruso

Metro

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday 7pm until midnight. Avda. de la Constitución, corner C/ Andalucía, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 782 293

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 907 037, Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 446 460

Casa Nostra Open daily for both lunch and dinner. C/Camilo José Cela 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 861 108

Open every day for lunch and dinner.

C/ Ramón Areces, local 7, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 810 448

Da Bruno

Pizzeria Picasso

Open all day. Pasta Da Bruno: Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 27, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 348 – closed on Sunday. Da Bruno Cabopino: CN-340 Km. 194,7. Tel: 952 831 918. Da Bruno a Casa: Marbella Mar, Local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 857 521 – closed on Sunday.Da Bruno A San Pedro: Avda. del Mar, local 1E,San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 860 – closed on Monday. Da Bruno Sul Mare: Edif. Skol, Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 318/19

Open daily from 12 noon. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 813 669

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Locales 1821, C.C. Cristamar, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 319

portofino laguna village

Osaka

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 808 035

Open every day 13:30-16:00 & 19:30-24:00.

CN-340, km. 166 (Benavista). C.C. Costa del Sol. Tel: 952 885 751

Ristorante Roberto

Parlez moi d’amour

Open daily for dinner. Beach Club, Hotel Puente Romano, CN-340, km 177.5, Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 900

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Closed Mondays. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 672 730 126

Da Paolo

Rosmarino della Piazza

Open everyday for lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera, casa G-H, local 43, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 453

Open Sunday to Friday for lunch and dinner and Saturday for dinner. C.C. Pinares de Elviria, s/n, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 850 148

RestaurantE asiático Bangkok

De Medici

terraza dual

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Urb. El Pilar, C.C. Benapilar, Estepona. Tel: 952 884 687

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Marbellamar s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 250

gold restaurant

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Avda. del Prado, Via 1, local 2, Aloha Golf, Nueva

RESTAURANTS

ITALIAN

SCANDINAVIAN

Open daily from 7pm. Galerías Paniagua, Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 795 924

Villa Tiberio

Oriental

ITALIAN

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 807 354

Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 112

Open every day from 10am to 12 am.

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Pizza Marzano

saleto

Kaede Open every day for lunch and dinner. At the Hotel Meliá La Quinta. Urb. La Quinta Golf, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 059

Kaiden Sushi Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Com. Guadalmina Alta, Guadalmina 4, local 2, lower floor, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 896 508

Kama Kura Open Tuesday to Saturday from 8-11pm. The San Roque Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 127, San Roque, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

meca Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Pino Golf, Don Carlos, Local 1, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 365 / 658 646 829

Naga

Open daily for lunch and dinner. P. de las Orquideas, C/ Iris, 11B, Edif. Excelsior no. 1, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 813 603

Sakura Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Jardines del Puerto, L.5, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 536

Sapporo

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iNGS LISTINGS LISTings Open daily for lunch and dinner. C.C. Costa del Sol, upper level. CN-340, km. 166 (Estepona).

Tel: 952 888 710

Sukho Thai Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday.

Centro Comercial Marbellamar. Tel: 952 770 550

Sushi des artistes Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

CN 340, km 178.5, Marbella. Easy parking. Tel: 952 857 403

Sushi Katsura Open for lunch from Monday to Friday and for dinner from Monday to Saturday. C/Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 193

Tai Pan Open seven days a week for dinner. H. Puente Romano, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 177, Marbella.

Tel: 952 777 893

Open every day from 1-4.30pm and 8pm until midnight. Paseo Marítimo s/n, La Atunara, La Linea de la Concepción, Campo de Gibraltar.

Tel: 956 171 531

La Torre

Open from Tuesday to Sunday for both lunch and dinner. C/José Aparacio,1, Ronda (pedestrian street between bullring and Parador). Tel: 952 190 291

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Muelle de Honor, Club de Mar, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 561

Casino Nueva Andalucía

Marisquería La Pesquera Open daily for lunch and dinner. Plaza de la Victoria, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 170

RestaurantE Eddy & Marisa’s Open for breakfast and lunch from 9am - 6pm.Urb. Coral Beach, The Golden Mile, Marbella. Tel: 952 824 534

Restaurante El bote

Thai-china

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Paseo Marítimo Rey de España, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 660 084

Open daily for lunch and dinner except for Tuesday lunch. CN 340, km 197, Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 017

Buenaventura

Thai Gallery Open seven days a week for dinner from 8pm.

CN-340, km.175, Edif. Rimesa, Bajos, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 392

Wok Away Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 907 304

Wok Buffet

Tragabuches

SPANISH Open every day for lunch and dinner. Plaza de la Iglesia, 5, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 858 069

Casa de la era Open every evening for dinner. Ctra. de Ojén, km 0.5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 625

Casa Fernando

CASINOS Hotel Andalucía Plaza, Km153. N. Andalucía T: 952 814 000

Casino San Roque CN340, Km124, San Roque T:956 780 100

Casino Torrequebrada CN340, Km220, Benalmádena T: 952 446 000

GOLF GUIDE Alcaidesa Links 18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 956 791 0400. www.alcaidesa.com

Alhaurín Golf 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 595 970. www.alhauringolf.com

Almenara Golf 27 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 582 027. www.sotogrande.com

Aloha Golf Club 18 holes. Tel: 952 907 085. www.clubdegolfaloha.com

Atalaya Golf 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 882 812. www.master-hotels.com

Open from Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Avda. del Mediterráneo s/n, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 853 344

Cabopino Golf

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. El Pilar, 22, Estepona. Tel: 952 887 092

Wok Wang

Hacienda

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 951 703 355

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C/ Camilo José Cela, C.C. Plaza del Mar, planta 0, local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 478

Open from 1-4.30pm and 7.30 -11pm. Closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. Urb. La Alcaidesa, La Linea de la Concepción. Tel: 956 582 700

Club de Golf La Cañada

Yuan Open every night for dinner. Hotel Torrequebrada, Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 441 414.

La Meridiana del alabardero

18 holes, Par 70. Tel: 952 850 282

Cerrado del águila

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 956 794 100

El Paraiso Club de Golf 18 holes, Par 71.

Tel: 952 883 835

Estepona Golf

Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays. Camino de la Cruz, Marbella. Tel: 952 776 190

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 937 605. www.esteponagolf.com

Skandies

la moraga

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm to 11pm.

Closed Mondays. Avda. Antonio Belón, 26 (behind the lighthouse), Marbella. Tel: 952 776 323

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Ramón Areces s/n, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 448

18 holes, Par 72, Tel: 952 937 883. www.golfcortesin.es

SCANDINAVIAN

SEAFOOD Asador Santiago Open daily for lunch and dinner. Paseo Marítimo, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 078

Cipriano Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Playas del Duque, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 077

El Barlovento Open from 11am-4pm and 7.30-11pm every day except Mondays. Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 790 370

Restaurante La Marina

La Taberna del Alabardero Open everyday for lunch and dinner except Monday. San Pedro Playa, Urb. Castiglone.

Tel: 952 785 138. Also at Ctra. de Ronda, km.

167, San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 265

La Veranda

Finca cortesín golf club

Flamingos Golf Club 18 holes, Par. Tel: 952 889 157. www.flamingos-golf.com

Golf Río Real 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 756 733

Golf Torrequebrada 18 holes, Par 72.

Tel: 952 442 742

Open for dinner from Monday to Sunday.

Hotel Villa Padierna & Flamingos Golf Club.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 166 (Cancelada exit), Benahavís. Tel: 952 889 150

Guadalmina Golf

Mesón el adobe

54 holes, Pars 71, 72 and 73.

Tel: 952 669 033. www.lacala.com

Open daily for lunch and dinner except Tuesdays. Avda. La Fontanilla, Edif. Balmoral, Bajo 3, Marbella. Tel. 600 003 144

36 holes, Par 72.

Tel: 952 883 375

La Cala Golf Resort

La Dama de Noche 9 holes, Par 70. essential marbella magazine

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GOLF guide

GYMS

HOTELS

MUSEUMS

POST OFFICES

TENNIS

iN Tel: 952 818 150

CLUB DEl SOL

La Duquesa Golf & Country Club 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 890 425

Tennis /paddle classes. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595

La Quinta Golf

FITNESS CENTRE NEW STYLE

27 holes, Par 72.Tel: 952 762 390 www.laquintagolf.com

Amapolas, s/n Nueva Andalucía. T el: 952 817 916

La Reserva Sotogrande

GIMNASIO ESTADIO

18 holes. Tel: 956 695 209

La Zagaleta Golf & Country Club

Trav. Huerta de los Cristales, Marbella.

Tel: 952 828 217

18 holes. Members only. Tel: 952 695 209

HAPPY DIVER’S CLUB

Lauro Golf 18 holes Alhaurín de la Torre. Tel: 952 412 767

Atalaya Park Hotel, Marbella.

Tel: 609 571 920

Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club

HOTEL PUENTE ROMANO

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 784 600

CN340, Km77,5. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Los Naranjos Golf Club

MANOLO SANTANA RACQUETS CLUB

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 815 206

Marbella Club Golf Resort

Ctra. de Istán, Km2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

18 holes, Par 73. Tel: 952 113 239

MARBELLA GUN & COUNTRY CLUB

Marbella Golf & Country Club

Monda. Tel: 952 112 161

18 holes. Tel: 952 830 500

MARBELLA SPORT

Mijas Golf

Km171.5. San Pedro Alcántara.Tel: 952 788 315

36 holes, Par 70.

Tel: 952 476 843

MULTI SPORT

Miraflores Golf

02 CENTRO WELLNESS

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 931 960

Plaza del Mar. Marbella. Tel: 952 900 420

Monte Mayor Golf & Country Club

P-E SPORTS CLUB

18 holes. Tel: 952 113 088

Parador Málaga del Golf

Urb. Parcelas del Golf, Aloha Gardens, N.Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 357

18 holes. Tel: 952 381 255

SATURNIA REGNA

Real Club de Golf Las Brisas 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 810 875

Marbella Tel: 952 761 475, Elviria.

Tel: 952 834 835

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

SEVEN STARS SCHOOL

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 785 014

San Roque Club

Tai Chi & yoga. Pasaje Estrecho, Estepona.

Tel: 952 923 055

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 613 030

SPORTCLUB ROUTE 66

Santa Clara Golf

Ctra. Mijas, 1.5km. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 461 648

18 holes. Tel: 952 850 111

SPORTING CLUB ALHAMAR

Santa Maria Golf & Country Club

C.C. Alhamar. Calahonda. Tel: 952 934 684

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 831 036

SPORTING CLUB ATALAYA PARK HOTEL

Sotogrande Club de Golf 18 holes. Tel: 956 785 012

CN340, Km 168,5. Estepona.

Tel: 952 888 212

Valderrama

TICKET-TO-RIDE

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 791 200 www.valderrama.com

Cristamar, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 905 082

GYMS & SPORTS CLUBS

Avda. Picasso 27. San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 801

Vitality studio C.C. Le Village, Marbella. Tel: 952 902 362

HOTELS

ALHAMAR GYM C.C. Alhamar, CN-340 km 197. Tel: 952 934 684

Almenara Golf Hotel & Spa

ATENAS Barquilla 1. Marbella. Tel: 952 776 240

Avda. Almenara s/n. Sotogrande.

Tel: 956 582 000

AZTEC COUNTRY CLUB

Gran Hotel Elba & Thalasso Spa

Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa.

Tel: 952 934 477

Urb. Arena Beach. Estepona. Tel: 952 794 308

CENTRO DEPORTIVO EL FUERTE

Bulevar del Príncipe Alfonso Von Hohenlohe, Marbella. Tel: 952 899 400

Av. El Fuerte s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 861 624

CENTRO DE YOGA Y SALUD INTEGRAL Ramón y Cajal 21. Marbella. Tel: 952 773 804

CENTRO PLAZA GYM

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Gran hotel gvadalpín Marbella

Gran hotel gvadalpín puerto banús

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 074

Arroyo El Rodeo, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 899 700

Cerrado del águila

Gran Meliá Don Pepe

Mijas Costa, Málaga. Tel: 951 773 523

José Meliá s/n. Marbella.

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iNGS LISTINGS LISTings Tel: 952 770 300

hotel gvadalpín byblos Mijas Golf, Marbella.

Tel: 952 667 691

Hotel Don Carlos CN340, Km192. Marbella.

Tel: 952 831 140

Hotel La Cala Golf La Cala de Mijas Tel: 952 669 000

Hotel Meliá La Quinta Urb. La Quinta Golf, Marbella.

Tel: 952 762 000

Hotel Puente Romano CN340, Km179. Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 900

Hotel Torrequebrada Avda. del Sol s/n, Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 446 000

Hotel Triton Avda. Antonio Machado, 29.Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 443 240

Incosol Hotel Medical Spa

Avda. El Fuerte, s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 861 500. Spa & Beauty Miramar. Tel: 952 920 000

Tel: 952 857 923

Hotel Meliá Marbella

Carrera 39. Ojén. Te1l: 952 881 453

CN340, Km175. Pto. Banús.

Tel: 952 810 500

Museum of Miniatures Carromato de Max

Hotel Playa Bonita

El Compas. Mijas.

Tel: 952 489 500

CN340, Km217. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 442 840

Hotel Princess Playa Paseo Marítimo. Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 944

Hotel Riu Rincón Andaluz CN340, Km173. N. Andalucía.

Tel: 952 811 517

Hotel Selenza CN340, Km165, Estepona.

Tel: 952 899 499

Museum of Málaga Wines

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation Plaza de la Merced 15. Málaga.

Tel: 952 060 215

Picasso Museum Málaga Palacio de Buenavista, C/ San Agustín 8.

Málaga.Tel: 952 127 611

Roman Public Baths Gualalmina Baja. Tel: 952 781 360

POST OFFICES

H10 Andalucía Plaza

Calahonda

CN340 Km 174. Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 812 000

C.C. El Zoco. Tel: 952 932 175

NH Marbella

Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 909 990 Fuengirola.Tel: 952 467 843

C/ Conde Rudi, s/n. CN340, Km178. Marbella.

Tel: 952 763 200

El corte inglés

Estepona

NH SAN PEDRO

C/ Málaga 82–84. Tel: 952 800 537

Fuengirola

Kempinski Hotel bahía estepona

C/ Jerez 1, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 853 040

CN340, Km159. Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Parador de Ronda

Marbella

Marbella Club Hotel

Jac. Benavente, 14. Tel: 952 772 898

CN340, Km180. Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

Plaza de España, s/n. Ronda. Tel: 952 877 500

Villa Padierna

SENTIDOS Hotel

C/ Jazmines. Tel: 952 810 887

CN340, Km166, Exit Cancelada. Benahavís.

Tel: 952 889 150

CN340, Km185, Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n.

Marbella.

Tel: 952 765 732

San Pedro

AGH Estepona

Sunset Beach Club

CN340, Km 166.5, Estepona.

Tel: 952 889 040

Avda. del Sol, 5. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 579 400

Alanda Carib Playa

Tamisa Golf Hotel

CN340, Km 194. Tel: 952 902 537

Camino Viejo de Coín. Km 3.3. Mijas Golf.

Tel: 952 585 988

Club deL Sol

Amanhavís Hotel & Restaurant

HOTEL PYR MARBELLA

Club de tenis don carlos

C/ Pilar 3. Benahavís. Tel: 952 856 026

Avda. Rotary International, s/n, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 353

Hotel Don Carlos, CN340, km 192.

Tel: 952 831 739

Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n. Marbella.

Tel: 952 828 500

Alanda Club Marbella CN340 Km192. Marbella. Tel: 952 902 537

Atalaya Park Hotel CN340, Km168,5. Estepona. Tel: 952 889 000

barceló golf

MUSEUMS

Pza. los Chinorros. Tel: 952 474 384

Nueva Andalucía

Pizarro, 41. Tel: 952 780 393

TENNIS CLUBS Aztec Country Club Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa.

Tel: 952 934 477 Tennis/paddle classes. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595

Club Internacional de Tennis

C/ de Granadillas, s/n. Urb. Guadalmina Alta, Marbella. Tel: 952 889 099

Basilica Vega del Mar

Ctra. Cádiz, km 173. Marbella. Tel: 952 813 341

San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 781 360

Club Madroñal

Beatriz Palace & Spa

Bonsai Museum

Benahavís. Tel: 617 647 223

CN340, Km207. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 922 000

Parque Arroyo de la Represa. Marbella.

Tel: 952 862 926

Club Nueva Alcántara

Benabola. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 815 000

Bull-fighting Museum

Lew Hoads Tennis Club

Plaza de Toros. Estepona.

Ctra. de Mijas, Km 3,5. Mijas. Tel: 952 474 858

Golf Hotel Guadalmina

Museo Cortijo Miraflores

Manolo Santana Racquets Club

Guadalmina Baja. Marbella.

Tel: 952 882 211

Marbella. Tel: 952 902 714

Museo de Bella Artes

Ctra. de Istán, Km2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

Gran Hotel Benahavis

C/ San Agustin 8. Málaga. Tel: 952 218 382

Miraflores Tennis Club

Huerta de Rufino, Benahavís. T el: 902 504 862

Museo del Grabado Hospital Bazán. Marbella. Tel: 952 825 035

Urb. Miraflores, Km199. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 932 006

HM gran hotel costa del sol

Museo de la Villa

Puente Romano Hotel

La Cala de Mijas, Mijas Costa.

Tel: 952 587 710

Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas. Tel: 952 590 380

Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Museo Ralli

Tenis El Casco

Hotel El Fuerte

Urb. Coral Beach. Marbella.

El Rosario. Marbella. Tel: 952 837 651

Benabola Apart Hotel

San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 788 315

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KIDS KIDS KIDS KIDS family fun

Congo Come face to face with the world’s largest spider and visit a real rainforest. Inside Tivoli World.

Tel: 952 575 697 Crocodile Park Pose with the offspring of the half-tonne adult crocodiles. Open 10am-6pm. C/ Cuba, 14, Torremolinos. Tel: 952 051 782 El Refugio del Burrito Visit this donkey sanctuary just 40 minutes north of Málaga. Open 11am7pm. Fuente de Piedra, Málaga. Tel: 952 735 513 Fuengirola Zoo Go to mysterious Madagascar, Africa and the Far East. Open 10am-6pm. C/ Camilo José Cela, 6. Tel: 952 666 301 Funny Beach Kids paradise with go-karts, trampolines, mini-motorbikes, mechanic bull. Open daily.

East side of Marbella. Tel: 952 823 359

Ice Skating Rink and Indoor Swimming Pool New sports centre with public ice skating, inAFA Marbella – Football Academy Football

SCHOOLS

street markets

Academy for boys and girls of all ages, just opposite La Cañada in Marbella. Training is on Mondays and Wednesdays. Call Craig on 609310409 for more info. www.afamarbella.com Born to be Wild Jeep and dolphin Eco-tours for the whole family. Open 9am-8pm. Blue Dolphin Beach Club, Estepona Beach. Tel: 639 720 246 Cable Ski Marbella Water ski cable system and pool. Open 11am-9pm (closed Mondays). Urb. Las Medranas, San Pedro. Tel: 952 785 579

Aloha College Ages 3-18.

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 814 133

Angela’s School Ages 6-14. Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 042

Calahonda International College Ages 3-18. Tel: 952 930 080

Calpe School Ages 3–8. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 029

Childrens placE Bilingual nursery

Ages 3–20. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 058/9

Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra

Fiona Jones School of Dance

Ages 3-16. Marbella.

Tel: 952 770 077

Ages 9–14. Manolo Santana Racquets Club. Fuengirola. Tel: 610 764 439

Hijas de María Auxiliadora Ages 3-12. Marbella.

Tel: 952 771 396

III language schools

Colegio Alborán

San Pedro. Tel: 952 778 492 Marbella. Tel: 952 822 191 Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 558 Estepona. Tel: 952 794 059

Ages 3-18. Ricmar. Tel: 952 839 645

Inlingua Language School

Colegio Alemán

All ages. Marbella. T: 952 774 942

Ages 3-18. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 417

the InteRnational SCHOOL of ESTEPONA Ages 2-12.

Atalaya, Estepona. Tel: 952 928 444

Colegio Las Chapas Ages 5–18, girls school. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 616

Colegio San José Guadalmina Tel: 952 883 858 Estepona.

Tel: 952 800 148 Dolphin Nursery Ages 6 months-5 years. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 799 563 Ecos College Ages 1–18. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 027

English InteRnational College

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door pool, children’s pool. Avda. García Lorca, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 050 Jayne Melville Performing Arts Courses at all levels: ballet, tap, jazz/modern, hip-hop/street, drama, mime and singing. London Studio Centre. Tel: 952 906 865 Karting Club Málaga Go-kart circuit for kids and adults who feel a need for speed. Open 10am-midnight. Ctra. De Coin, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 581 704 Natura Aventura Theme Park Rock climbing wall, pot holing, kayaks, quads, archery, paintball etc.

Estepona. Tel: 952 884 789

C/ Santa Beatriz, San Pedro. Tel: 902 011 077 Original Dolphin Safari Watch, touch and swim with dolphins. Open 10am-5pm. Marina Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: 9567 71 914 Paint & Fun Ceramic Café Ceramic painting studio closed Mondays. Apt for all ages. C/ García Morato 8, El Ingenio, San Pedro. Tel: 952 783 884 Parque Acuático Mijas Thrills and spills to be had in this family friendly water park. Open daily from 10am. Fuengirola by-pass. Tel: 952 460 404 Plaza Mayor Family entertainment with multiscreen cinema, bars, restaurants, bowling alley and kids play area. Málaga. Tel: 952 247 580 Saturday Club Ages 6 to 12, tennis, martial arts, skating, aerobics, dance and ball games. Open 9.30am-2pm. Route 66, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 448 713 Sealife Centre See 2 metre long sharks. Touch pools and walk-though glass tunnel. Open daily 10am-6pm. Benálmadena Port. Tel: 952 560 150 Selwo Adventure Park Over 2,000 animals, 4x4 tours, plus adventure activities. Open 10am-9pm.

CN340 Km 162.5, Estepona. Tel: 902 190 482 Selwo Marina Dolphins, exotic birds, penguins and virtual reality shows. Open 10am-6pm. Parque de la Paloma, Benalmádena. Tel: 902 190 482 Steam Train Ride Enjoy a steam train ride crossing the Andalusian mountains with a scenic trip from

street markets

San Roque to Ronda. Tel: 952 931 186 Swim Bebé Swim Swimming classes for under 4’s and AquaNatal classes for mums-to-be. Tel: 617 520 588 / 609 474 038 Swim Squad Swimming lessons and Pool Parties.

Professionally run by fully ASA qualified swimming teachers and lifesaving staff. Child protection approved. Tel: 697 714 905 Teleférico Benalmádena Cable car to top of Calamorro mountain, falconry, trekking and horseriding. Arroyo de la Miel. Open 10am-6pm. Tel: 902 190 482 Tennis Camp Tennis lessons for kids from 4 years on, with professional coaches. Open 10am-1pm.

Club del Sol, Calahonda. Tel: 952 939 595 The Music Factory Music, dance and drama academy in Mijas Costa. First class free. Hip hop, ballet, tap, modern, yoga and freestyle. Tel: 952 582 077 The Swimming School (Marbella) Professionally run Learn to Swim ASA swimming courses for children aged 4-12. Tel: 657 581 961 Tivoli World Biggest amusement park on the Costa del Sol. Open daily from 1pm. Avda. de Tivoli, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 016 Trenecito de Marbella Take a relaxing way to view the main sights of Marbella. Daily 10am-1pm.

Paseo Maritimo. Tel: 639 765 981

Avda. Juan Carlos II, 9am2:30 pm

Las Chapas

Thursday Alhaurín El Grande

Calahonda

Performing Arts Academy

Monday Marbella

Ages 3-18. Marbella.

Tel: 952 906 865

Fairground (Avda. de Juan Alameda), 9am-2:30pm

By the Guardia Civil Offfices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

Saturday Maro

Peter Pan School

Tuesday

Vélez Málaga

Ages 0-3. Bilingual nursery. San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 051 Benalmádena.

Tel: 952 562 103

Monda. C/ Los Huertos, 8am-2:30pm

Close to the Nerja Caves, 9am-1pm

Nerja

Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

Saint George’s School

C/ Chaparil, 9am-1pm

Torre del Mar

C/ Urbano Pineda, 9am1pm

Ages 2-8. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 606

Churriana

Avda. Europa, 9am-1pm

La Cala

9am-1pm

Málaga

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

St. Javier’s International School

Fuengirola

Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre.

9am-1pm

Mijas Costa

Torremolinos

Near bullring, 9am-1pm

El Calvario, near Town Hall, 9am-1pm

Nueva Andalucía

Ages 1-7. Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 457

Stagecoach Theatre Arts School

Recinto Ferial (close to the CN340, on the same side as the bullring), 9am-2:30pm

Wednesday

La Víbora, 9am-2pm Calypso, 9am-2pm

Coín

Las Lagunas, 9am-2pm

Puerto Banús

International School OF Sotogrande

Ages 4-16. Tel: 952 900 453

Alhaurín de la Torre. Avda. del Limón, 9am-2pm

Sunny View School

Benalmádena Costa

Ages 2–18. Sotogrande.

Tel: 956 795 902

Ages 2–18. Torremolinos.

Tel: 952 383 164 Swans Ages 3–12. Marbella Tel: 952 773 248

(Second hand items) Recinto Ferial, 10am-2pm

By the sports pavilion, in the Divina Pastora district, 9am-2pm

La Cala

Friday

Recinto Ferial, 9am-2:30pm

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

Málaga

TLC Tutorial College

Calahonda

Ages 13-18. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 933 249

Calypso, 9am-2pm

Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga.Plaza de la Iglesia, 9am-1pm

Istán

Benalmádena

Estepona

wendy kindergarten

At the entrance to the town, 9am-2pm

In the area between Tivoli World and the Plaza San Pedro, 9am-1pm

Puerto Deportivo, 9am-1pm

Laude San pedro international college Ages 2–18. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 799 900

Mayfair Academy Ages 4-18.

Atalaya Park, Estepona.

Tel: 952 784 923

Ages 4 months - 5 years. Marbella.

Tel: 952 772 910

Estepona

San Pedro

Next to the bullring. Park near CN340 and walk upwards, 9am-1pm

Sunday Fuengirola.

Next to Rosaleda football stadium, 9am-2pm

Sotogrande At the Marina, 9am-1pm

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THEBLOG PETS Report Marisa Cutillas

“A cat’s eyes are windows enabling us to see into another world.”

Irish Legend

Get rid of unwanted hair with Furminator Labyrinth Aquarium: (Almost) Free Willy!

Those who love the colour and splendour of aquariums simply cannot resist the new, luxurious Labyrinth Aquarium, guaranteed to make your fish feel as if they were swimming in the deep blue sea.

The aquarium houses so many labyrinths, corners and crevices, the experience is almost as good as the ocean or a river where fish are free to roam to their heart’s content, instead of swimming in repeated circles as they would in your average goldfish bowl. Opulent Items offers a wide range of tanks that are set to revolutionise the interior design world, prompting many of those who never considered having fish to purchase them, not so much as pets but as curious pieces to add new life to the home. The labyrinth includes silk plants, three lights, filters, air pumps and cleaning equipment. The lights contain programmable timer plugs which allow you to set the times when you’d like them to turn on and off.

i www.opulentitems.com

Do you adore your pets but hate the amount of hair they shed on your clothes, furniture, beds, rugs and even in your car? We recently came across a new pet gadget called Furminator, developed by professionals in the pet grooming sector and approved by veterinarians. Furminator isn’t a brush; it’s a patented professional hair remover, ideal for eliminating loose hair from both long- and short-haired dogs and cats. Furminator reduces the problem of loose hair by 90 per cent, thereby cutting down the allergy risk and clean-up time in your home.

It’s also a great relief for your cat, who won’t have to put up with the digestive upset caused by fur balls. Furminator comes with an ergonomic handle that’s easy to use, and its stainless steal comb doesn’t cut but gently removes unwanted hair from your pets, without harming their skin. There are different sizes to choose from and at prices starting at around €35, Furminator is a fantastic investment for your home’s cleanliness and your own health and well-being.

i www.furminator.es

DogQuality.com: Help at hand for older dogs If your dog is getting older and is suffering from reduced mobility, you may be at your wit’s end trying to figure out how to make its life easier. Click onto www.Dogquality.com, a specialised site for senior dog care. The site has just joined forces with a manufacturer with over 40 years’ experience in producing dog carts to offer the most technologically advanced dog wheelchairs on the market. Quality Carts are bespoke dog wheelchairs and carts made for dogs with weak rear legs. The carts restore the dog’s mobility, so they can stop pining for their younger days when frolicking and long walks were a daily pleasure. There is a wide variety for helping dogs with the two most common causes for reduced mobility: thoracolumbar disc degenerative disease and degenerative myelopathy. Help is also at hand for dogs recovering from painful knee surgery. For some of us, dogs are important members of the family whose well-being and quality of life matter as much as ours. Thankfully, science is at hand to help with problems we previously thought had no solution.

i www.Dogquality.com

Riddex pet collar We love this new pet collar by Riddex which is funky, modernlooking and comes with a built-in voice recording capability that allows you to speak your address, phone number and any other details that will help people find you if Fido ever gets lost. This is good news since in Spain, although the micro-chip system helps identify dogs living nearby, animals taken outside their respective provinces are no longer identifiable. Dogs and cats are often lost while the family is on holidays in unfamiliar territory, so it’s good to know that no matter where Fido is, there is always a way to connect him with you. The collar also has an ultrasonic pulse system that is safe for your dog but deadly for fleas.

i www.coolest-gadgets.com essential marbella magazine

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THEBLOG WHAT’S ON

Gilbert & George

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH uuWHAT’S ON IN MARCH uuWHAT’S ON IN MARCH uuWHAT’S ON IN MARCH uuWHAT’S on IN MARCH

Tel. 952 127 600/ www.museopicassomalaga.org

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Through March/April – May 9 EXHIBITION – MÁLAGA In cooperation with the British Council, the Contemporary Arts Centre presents Jack Freak Pictures, a touring exhibition debuting in Spain by contemporary artists Gilbert & George, who always work as a duo. Also, until April 4, figurative painter Eric Fischl’s latest collection on The Art of Bullfighting. Further information, Tel: 952 120 055/ http://cacmalaga.org

Wednesday March 3

MARCH EVENTS

Monthly on different days AMERICAN CLUB – MARBELLA This young dynamic chapter of the American Club Costa del Sol meets monthly for lunches, excursions, sports and social events for members and guests. Activities include a swim/spa/sauna on the 1st and 2nd Mondays of each month, a mother/ child playgroup on Fridays, movie nights and many other regular happenings. Further information, www.americanclubcostadelsol.com AMIGOS DE LA CULTURA – COSTA DEL SOL One of the oldest cultural clubs in Marbella meets at different times/places for lunches, lectures and the best tickets to concerts, ballet, theatre, opera, etc. Further information, Tel: 669 445 809/ smartkidsmarbella@gmail.com

Until March 24 EXHIBITION – FUENGIROLA A journey through the USA in 20 photographs taken in 2008 by Málaga-trained photographer Hanna Quevedo, Collective Image Gallery, Puebla Lucía. Further information, www.fuengirola.org

Until March 31 LOVE LETTERS COMPETITION – MIJAS PUEBLO Write a poem or letter to love or lost love, in Spanish, in this annual contest. Closing date for entries, March 31st. Further information, Tel: 952 590 380/www.mijas.es

Through March until April 16 EXHIBITION – MARBELLA Paintings by Ellen Zaks and Stefan Dowsing at the de Vittori Gallery, Urb. Lomas de Río Verde, Monday-Friday from 9-5pm. Preview the paintings at www.stephenhowes.es

Through March until April 25 EXHIBITION – MÁLAGA Artworks from the Centre Pompidou Collection showcasing Czech painter František Kupka (18711957), ranging from his earliest academic work to his pioneering abstract art. Further information,

CUDECA CONCERT – MARBELLA Charity concert headlining the Pontarddulais Welsh Male Voice Choir and soloists, Welsh tenor Stephen Lloyd-Morgan, British pop singer Yazz and soprano Siân Hopkins, 9pm, Hotel Don Carlos, Marbella, hosted by Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe.

Tickets €30, from Anglo Wines, Sotogrande; Beccy´s, Monte Duquesa; Christina´s Cards, Sabinillas; Glitterati Books, Benavista; The Cudeca Shops in Marbella and Estepona and The Hotel Don Carlos or Tel: 697 783 942. Limited V.I.P. tickets, €50, including premier seating, cava, canapés & drinks (excluding spirits) can only be reserved on Tel: 697 783 942. Further information, www. slmlive.com/choir

Every first Wednesday of the month CULTURE & COCKTAIL – MARBELLA The Asociación de Arte y Cultura Marbella monthly cocktail party at Magna Café, Magna Marbella Golf.

Further information, www.culturamarbella.org/ lorraine@culturamarbella.org

Every Wednesday TOASTMASTERS CLUB – MARBELLA Weekly meeting of this public speaking organisation, 7.30pm at Aloha Gardens, Nueva Andalucía, above Café El Jardin. Further information, http://theachievers.freetoasthost.org BRIDGE CLUB – CASARES COSTA Duplicate Bridge Club meets 7pm at the Centro Comercial, Urb. Marina de Casares. Partners found for single players. Further information, Tel: 952 893 633/ cbc@pageseuro.net

Thursday March 4th WINE PAIRING LUNCH – MIJAS PUEBLO Wine Pairing and Gourmet Menu offered at the Wine Museum, 1pm. Five courses + five wines, €20. Further information and bookings, Tel: 952 589 010/ frd@mijas.es Also, this month, there are further activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mijas Foreigners’ Department. Check out the website at www.mijas.es

Every Thursday CINE CLUB – ESTEPONA Top films shown weekly in Spanish or original soundtrack, Padre Manuel Cultural Centre, 9pm.

Entry €3. Further information, Tel: 952 802 002/ www.estepona.es

Friday March 5 FLAMENCO – MARBELLA El Flamenco Perdura en el Tiempo, presented by

the Sánchez Cortés Company, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella, 9pm. Tickets, €12-15, from the theatre box office and El Corte Inglés. Further information, www.marbella.es JAZZ POETRY – FUENGIROLA Gloría Pérez Gastón ‘Luna’ and Francisco Javier Murillo Lara present a poetic take on jazz, 8.30pm, Casa de la Cultura. Further information, www. fuengirola.org CONCERT – ESTEPONA The Municipal Band performs at 8.30pm, Padre Manuel Cultural Centre. Further information, www.estepona.es

Friday March 5-9

castle and chill-out terrace. Adults €5, under-18s and pensioners free. Further information, Tel: 952 592 700/ www.hipodromocostadelsol.es

Every first Sunday of the month OPEN DAY – MIJAS PAD animal shelter, Cerros del Aguila, welcomes visitors from 12-3pm. Further information, Tel: 952 486 084/ info@padcatsanddogs.org

Monday March 8 NADFAS LECTURE – FUENGIROLA Libya Uncovered by Christopher Bradley, 4.30pm, Salon Variètes Theatre. For information on other social events or membership, contact Pauline, Tel: 952 382 713.

THEATRE – FUENGIROLA The poignant family saga, Come Laughing Home,

by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse, Salon Variétes Theatre, nightly at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm. Box office, Tel: 952 474 542, open Monday-Friday from 10.30am-1.30pm and 7-8pm. Further information, www.salonvarietestheatre.com

Tuesday March 9

Saturday March 6

JAZZ – ESTEPONA The coast’s Jazz Appreciation Society meets at Benavista Country Club, 8pm. Classic videos followed by a live jazz performance plus dinner. To book, Tel: 952 888 106. Further information from Brian Parker, Tel: 669 504 942.

MARCHING BAND CONTEST – MARBELLA Held at the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella, 9pm.

Further information from the theatre box office, Tel: 952 903 159.

Every Saturday and Sunday KID’S CAMP – MARBELLA Aloha Gardens Multi-Sports Club weekend camp for 4-14 year-olds, 10.30am-1pm. Activities include tennis, football, cricket, basketball, hockey, handball, paddle tennis. Further information, Tel: 952 814 086.

Sunday March 7 PRE-EASTER SHOW – MARBELLA In Praise of the Mantilla, organised by the Asociación de Amas de Casa Ntra. Sra. del Rocío, 7pm, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Tickets, €5, from the theatre box office and El Corte Inglés. Further information, www.marbella.es

Sunday March 7, 14 & 21 HORSE RACING – MIJAS COSTA The Hipódromo Costa del Sol’s spring racing calendar continues. Gates open 10am for first race at 11am. Other attractions include an arts & crafts market, live music, dancing displays, kids’ bouncy

NADFAS TALK – LOS BOLICHES Illustrated NADFAS talk, Arabia Felix: Secret Treasure chest of Yemen and Oman, Land of the Gold and Incense Road, by Christopher Bradley, St. Andrews Church Hall, 10.30am.

Every second Tuesday of the month

Wednesday March 10 EXHIBITION – FUENGIROLA Digital art by Tina Verpoorten, Los Boliches Tenencia de Alcaldía. Inauguration on 10th at 8.30pm. Further information, www.fuengirola.org CLASSICAL CONCERT – MARBELLA Música Con Encanto presents Grandes Dúos with cellist Tilman Mahrenholz and pianist Jorge López, 8.30pm at Les Roches Marbella. Tickets, €25 from Fnac La Cañada. Further information, Tel: 689 000 944/ www.musicaconencanto.org

Thursday March 11 CONCERT – FUENGIROLA Málaga band Indian Grooveland in concert, 8.30pm, Casa de la Cultura. Further information, www.fuengirola.org

Friday March 12 CHARITY REVIEW – MARBELLA Musical review in aid of Aspandem, presented

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Pastora Soler

by La Toñi y su Ballet, 9pm, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Tickets, €10 from the theatre box office and El Corte Inglés. Further information, www. marbella.es

Saturday March 13 CONCERT – MARBELLA Vanesa Martín presents her album, Trampas, 9pm, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Tickets, €14-16, from the theatre box office and El Corte Inglés. Further information, www.marbella.es

Saturday, Sunday, March 13, 14 REGATTA – MARBELLA III Grand Prix Costa del Sol yacht races start midday on Saturday, 11.30am on Sunday from Marbella Port, organised by the Club Marítimo de Marbella.

Further information, www.gpcostasol.es

Sunday March 14 FAMILY FUN DAY – MARBELLA The Foundation of Friends invites you to a fun day out and Easter Parade at Nagueles Park, Marbella from 11am-5pm, featuring many family activities with dancers and the stagecoach choir.

Entry: adults 10€, children 5€, under 5’s free.

Further information, Tel: 607 988 544 / michelle@ thefoundationoffriends.org classical CONCERT – MARBELLA Cellist Tilman Mahrenholz presents Suites for Solo Cello, 12.30pm, Iglesia de La Virginia de Marbella.

Tickets from Fnac La Cañada. Further information, www.musicaconencanto.org

salonvarietestheatre.com

Saturday March 20 AMERICAN FOOTBALL – MARBELLA A free afternoon out for the family to watch local American football team, the Marbella Sharks, and their cheerleading team. This fixture kicks off against the Granada Lions at 6pm, at the Santa Maria de Las Chapas Stadium. Further information, www.marbellasharks.es PUPPET SHOW – ESTEPONA Titerestepona presents a puppet show, midday at Plaza de las Flores. Further information, www. estepona.es

Monday March 22-24 THEATRE – FUENGIROLA Three productions by Teatro Muñoz Seca, 8.30pm, Casa de la Cultura. Further information, www. fuengirola.org

Tuesday March 23-May 9 EXHIBITION – MARBELLA Exhibition of drawings by Manuel Augusto García de Viñolas, Picasso, Vázquez Díaz and Canogar, Cortijo Miraflores Museum. Inauguration on 23rd at 8pm. Further information, www.marbella.es

THEATRE – MARBELLA Fugada, directed by Tamzin Townsend, 9pm, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Tickets, €18 from the theatre box office and El Corte Inglés. Further information, www.marbella.es

Thursday March 25-28 ANDALUCÍA OPEN – MÁLAGA This prestigious four-day golf event tees off at the Parador de Golf and will be televised all over the world as Tour players compete for a prize pot of €1million. Daily entry, €10 or a four-day ticket, €30, under 16s free. Tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis at the golf course from 7.30am on the 25th. For corporate hospitality packages, contact mar@opendeandalucia.com

Friday March 26-April 28 EXHIBITION – FUENGIROLA Photographs by the Municipal Photography Workshop, Collective Image Gallery, Puebla Lucía.

Further information, www.fuengirola.org

Every last Friday of the month BUSINESS LUNCH – MARBELLA Marbella Business Institute monthly luncheon at a different restaurant in the area. Non-members welcome with advance notice. Further information, Tel: 952 773 500.

Monday March 15-30 EXHIBITION – ESTEPONA Paintings by María del Carmen García, Casa de la Juventud, Plaza de las Flores. Further information, www.estepona.es

Every third Tuesday of the month FLORAL ART CLUB – ESTEPONA Meets from 3-5pm at Benavista Country Club, visitors welcome. Further information, Tel: 952 890 352.

Every third Wednesday of the month LUNCH – MARBELLA The American Club of Marbella meets at a different local restaurant, with an occasional guest speaker, 12.30pm. New friends welcome. Further information, Tel: 952 862 770.

Friday March 19 CONCERT – FUENGIROLA Classical concert with the Mainake String Quartet and Miguel Ángel Leiva (piano), 8.30pm, Casa de la Cultura. Further information, www.fuengirola. org MUSICAL – ESTEPONA Musical spectacular, Genética de Fuego, 8:30 pm, Padre Manuel Cultural Centre. Further information, www.estepona.es

Friday March 19-28 THEATRE – FUENGIROLA The spectacular musical, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Salon Variétes Theatre, nightly at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm. Box office, Tel: 952 474 542, open Monday-Friday from 10.30am1.30pm and 7-8pm. Further information, www.

Pasión Vega

Wednesday March 24-April 24 EXHIBITION – MARBELLA Viaje por Egipto y vistas Andaluzas by David Toberts, one of a series of exhibitions to celebrate the Museo de Grabado’s 10th anniversary. Also this year, the gallery will showcase works by winners of the annual National Engravings Competition, along with many other events. Further information, www.marbella.es/ www.museodegrabado.com

Saturday March 20 Charity Gala – Marbella ‘End Polio Now’ charity gala dinner at 8pm at the Hotel Puente Romano featuring a fashion show and dance. The evening will include a Moulin Rouge extravaganza, featuring fashion, beauty and music. Tickets cost €150. Dress code: Black tie only. Further information, Tel: 952 850 501. fashionvilla@telefonica.net

COFFEE MORNING – ESTEPONA ADANA animal rescue charity coffee morning at Plaza Manilva (outside Longman’s Bookshop) 11am-2pm. Kennels open 10am-5pm MondayFriday and 10am-2pm Saturday, Sunday and fiestas. Further information, Tel: 952 797 405/ 606 274 206/ administracion@adana-estepona.com

Cervantes THEATRE – MÁLAGA Friday, Saturday, March 5, 6: Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra concert with works by Borodin, Shostakovich and Stravinsky, Friday 8.30, Saturday 8pm.

Sunday March 7: Spanish chanteuse Pastora Soler, 7pm.

Wednesday March 10: Composer/singer Lila Downs presents songs from her new album, Ojo de Culebra, 9pm.

Friday, Saturday, March 12, 13: Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra concert with works by Vaughan Williams, Saint Saëns and Tchaikovsky, Friday 8.30, Saturday 8pm.

Monday, Tuesday, March 15, 16: Multifaceted Spanish singer Pasión Vega returns to Málaga on her Más Pasión tour, 9pm.

Friday March 19: La Verbena de la Paloma, a lyrical farce presented by Teatro Lírico Andaluz, 9pm.

Thursday, Friday, March 25, 26: Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra Easter concert, The St. Matthew Passion by Bach, 9pm.

Saturday March 27

Ticket sales from the relevant box office/ Tel: 902 360 295/ www.generaltickets.com and other outlets. Further general information, Tel: 952 224 109/ www.teatrocervantes.com

THEATRE – MARBELLA In celebration of World Theatre Day, Cain Club presents the surreal En el Monte del Olvido, focusing on two thieves on the cross awaiting the arrival of Christ, 9pm, Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Entry free by invitation. Further information, www.marbella. es CHORAL CONCERT – ESTEPONA Eastertide choral concert, 8.30 pm. Padre Manuel Cultural Centre. Further information, www. estepona.es

* BUS & TICKET For concerts on 6th, 13th & 26th, music lovers can take advantage of transport to and from the Cervantes, including ticket, for €35. The coach departs from San Pedro at 5.25pm with stops in Marbella and Fuengirola (and along the N-340 at Elviria, Calahonda and La Cala, if required) to arrive in time for refreshments, returning directly after the concert. Reserve in advance from Elizabeth, Tel: 606 167 356/ 952 936 403. essential marbella magazine

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THEBLOG STARS

STforARS March ARIES [21 MAR - 20 APR] You are certainly regaining your confidence this month. While the changes may not be dramatic, they definitely indicate that you are moving forward and coming out of your shell. You have been more introspective recently and you are building towards a rather exciting and action-packed spring and summer. Decisions are coming to you more clearly, plans are straightening out and your romantic life is less confused. You know your position. Excellent days for good favour, partnering and personal appeal are the 7th-31st but especially the 7th-8th, 16th-17th and 20th-21st.

TAURUS [21 APR - 20 MAY]

LEO [23 JUL - 22 AUG] After some months of introspection, and perhaps hesitancy, you are regaining confidence.

You are figuring out what it is you want, personal plans are beginning to move forward and your decision-making ability is now back on track. It’s easier to find support from others, and for some of you to obtain or manage loans, particularly from the 14th-16th, when you are pleasantly surprised by the help you receive. The people in your life are generous with their time and energy, and their happiness ricochets back to you.

VIRGO [23 AUG - 22 SEP]

Friendships are especially dear to you this month.

You are meeting new people and enjoying making contact. For some of you, your romantic life could involve some sacrifices from the 7th forward. Other Taureans are keeping their love life secret just for the time being and enjoying their privacy. Home life is becoming more and more straightforward.

In the next few months you will be pouring a lot of energy into your home and family, seeing to it that any complicated or confusing matters at home are straightened out.

Strong energy for love is with you this month.

Whether it’s about reconciliation, fixing problems, enhancing a partnership or attracting a new relationship, the cosmos are lending a helping hand. The 14th-17th brings pleasant surprises in love. Complications in your intimate life or with shared finances begin to disappear this month, and you are beginning to see some real progress. While March is not the most energetic period of the year for you, many of you will be feeling revitalised through the support and generosity of others.

GEMINI [21 MAY - 21 JUN]

LIBRA [23 SEP - 23 OCT]

Your career is on the upswing in March. The 7th-8th and 15th-17th are especially strong periods for material and professional success. Pleasantly surprising events are happening in your career mid-month. The 7th-8th is also good for positive energy in love and partnerships. In general, people in your life are becoming more accommodating from the 10th forward and March should be quite prosperous for you. A friendship is becoming clearer and less complicated. You are ironing out your differences. Wonderful conversations with friends and lovers this month help to lift your spirits.

You continue to work hard and get your practical affairs into order in March. Many of you are living up to your New Year’s resolutions and paying more attention to health and fitness routines. Changes are in the air for your personal relationships this month, and you will be thoroughly enjoying the increased clarity. After some months of not really knowing where you stand in a friendship or partnership, matters become clearer and the people in your life more straightforward. The 7th-8th and 21st-22nd are stronger days for opportunities.

CANCER [22 JUN - 22 JUL] Practical matters, including finances and career, are beginning to clear up for you this month. You are putting confusing situations and insecurities about your earning power or career path behind you, particularly after the 10th. Some of you might even enjoy a promotion or other type of advance in your career. Others are appreciating your knowledge and breadth of vision. You are making beneficial connections and finding it easy to take problems in your stride. Some of you are considering taking courses that will boost your professional appeal.

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Annie Heese is the founder of astrology website, www.cafeastrology.com, a site featuring articles, love sign compatibility reports, predictions, the gen on famous people and their star signs, and general information for astrology buffs.

SCORPIO [24 OCT - 21 NOV] Work and career matters are starting to move forward for you in March. After some months of delays, stalled plans and perhaps lack of enthusiasm, you are starting to regain confidence, passion and interest in your work. You can prepare yourself for a busy and active professional life in the next few months. For the first half of the month, however, you are able to take a break from the rigours of competition and pressure, finding more time for recreation. The 15th-17th brings pleasurable surprises and attention your way.

SAGITTARIUS [22 NOV - 21 DEC] A very pleasing and heart-warming month is in store for you. After months of confusing signals in the romance department, love becomes clearer and you are rebuilding your faith and confidence in people around you. From the 7th forward, in fact, your personal charisma skyrockets. Travel and educational plans are beginning to show forward movement. Some of you are meeting romantic interests from a different cultural background than yours. Home life is rewarding and supportive, especially since you are giving back and taking the time to make family feel special.

CAPRICORN [22 DEC - 19 JAN] You are feeling empowered and productive this month, with energy to spare. Family and domestic conditions improve, as do finances, especially money and property shared with a partner, or coming from outside sources other than your personal income. You begin March with a lot of ‘little things’ to do: errands, returning phone calls and emails, appointments and paperwork. The 15th-17th brings surprising but pleasant news. As the month advances, much pleasure is derived from family and home life, even if the pressures of work still call you!

AQUARIUS [20 JAN - 19 FEB] Focus continues to be on finances, possessions, comfort and practical matters this month. Pleasant financial surprises may be in store on the 15th-17th. March is a strong month for taking charge of your finances and for cashing in on creative projects or hobbies. Studies, learning, communication, and transport matters are moving forward after the 10th, when you will be feeling more mobile, cheerful in attitude and communicative. After a few months of some confusion or lack of clarity in your love life, relationships begin to regain momentum.

PISCES [20 FEB - 20 MAR] March is an energising month for you. Others are paying special attention to you and the feedback is good! You are beginning to feel more confidence about Money-making abilities and your work, and this confidence will only increase in the next few months. You are getting into a more practical routine that helps you to feel grounded and enthusiastic about the future. New Moon energy from the 15th-17th gives you a boost. You feel that you can easily shed the unproductive or unhealthy attitudes that have been weighing you down.

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