Essential Gibraltar May 2014

COMPLIMENTARY EDITION

Kaiane Aldorino

BEAUTY & DUTY GET IN GEAR WITH THE

Porsche 911

I S S U E 0 8 • M AY/ J U N E 2 0 1 4

ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING

a

N º08 -MAY/JUNE 2014

essential essential magazine® gibraltar

GIBRALTAR

ON THE RUTA

DEL

Atún

MINISTRY FOR TOURISM

in action Christel Mifsud

RUNWAY

2013

Summer SPRING INTO

WINNER

Miss GIBRALTAR

2014 line-up

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 S T Y L E I S PA I P R O I L E I S U R E I G O U R M E T & M O R E

G08_cover.indd 1

4/30/14 12:04 PM

G08 Sunborn.indd 1

4/30/14 10:20 AM

G08 Sunborn.indd 2

4/30/14 10:20 AM

15 essential marbella magazine

Issue 08 • May/June 2014

S T A F F PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR

YEARS

GENERAL MANAGER

ANDREA BÖJTI sales@essentialmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com

GIBRALTAR EDITORIAL

ANNIVERSARY U EDITION U

PRODUCTION MANAGER ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

azine.com

www.essentialmag

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DESIGN & LAYOUT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

sands Join the tens of thou of people who

GIBRALTAR PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

visit us online

COVER MODEL COVER PHOTOGRAPHY HAIR MAKEUP DRESS JEWELLERY ART DIRECTION

to catch up on the latest happenings on the Coast!

?

WHATith

Win a great prize w ry our 15th Anniversa hed Competition, publis on-line on the

9th of May

IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com

PRINTING DEPÓSITO LEGAL

BELINDA BECKETT belinda@essentialmagazine-gibraltar.com SUSANNE WHITAKER design@essentialmagazine.com MARIANO JEVA cuentas@essentialmagazine.com MONIKA BÖJTI info@essentialmagazine.com

ANDREA BÖJTI INMA AURIOLES MELINDA SZARVAS KEVIN HORN JON SEGUI IAIN BLACKWELL, ROCIO CORRALES, MICHEL CRUZ, RIK FOXX, AJ LINN, TONY WHITNEY KAIANE ALDORINO (MISS WORLD 2009) JAYDEN FA, www.facebook.com/jaydenfaphotography KYLE GONZALEZ, MISS SHAPES HAIR SALON & LIZA MAYNE LIZA MAYNE RAFAEL URQUIZAR HAUTE COUTURE PASHMINA GUY BAGLIETTO JIMÉNEZ GODOY A. GRÁFICAS, MURCIA D.L. MA-512-99

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES COMPLEJO LA PÓVEDA, BLQ. 3, 1º A, CN 340, KM 178, 29600 MARBELLA, MÁLAGA. TEL: 952 766 344 FAX: 952 766 343

ESSENTIAL GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE

@GIBMAGAZINE

www.essentialmagazine.com Member of the Association of Spanish Periodical Publications

ultradesign®

affiliated to:

conditions:

The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot accept Marbella Magazine cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions. responsibility for the claims, goods or services of advertisers.

Marbella Magazine. © Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. for 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.

G08 GMh.indd 1

5/2/14 1:22 PM

SOCIETE GENERALE PRIVATE BANKING HAMBROS

WE MANAGE YOUR WEALTH

SO YOU CAN ENJOY IT Y O U R P R I VAT E B A N KE R W O RKS C LO SE LY W I T H A D E D I C AT E D T E A M O F I N D U S T R Y E X PE R T S. SO C I E T E G E N E RA LE P RI VAT E BA N KI N G O F F E RS Y O U H I G H Q U A L I T Y SO LU T I O N S T O M A N A G E Y O U R WE A LT H I N A C O M P L E X E N V I R O N M E N T. SO Y O U H AV E T I M E F O R T H E I M P O RTA N T T H I N G S I N L I F E . privatebanking.societegenerale.com/hambros

P a s t p e r f o r m a n c e s h o u l d n o t b e s e e n a s a n i n d i c a t i o n o f f u t u r e p e r f o r m a n c e. P l e a s e n o t e t h a t investments may be subject to market fluctuations and the price and value of investments and the i n c o m e d e r i v e d f r o m t h e m c a n g o d o w n a s w e l l a s u p. A S S U C H Y O U R C A P I TA L M AY B E AT R I S K .

Issued by SG Hambros Bank (Gibraltar) Limited, which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar. © 2014 Societe Generale Group and its affiliates. © Hugo Stenson - FRED & FARID

SG_GIBRALTAR ESSENTIAL_230X300_FILLETTE VELO_HAMBROS_150ans.indd 1

HD

26/02/14 11:59

contents g The Trend Cinema 12 Home Viewing 14 Books 16 Music 18 Cars: The New Porsche 911 Turbo S 20 Creation 5 22 Gadgets 24

The Local Catalan Bay 26 Recent Refurbishments by the Gibraltar Ministry for Tourism 30 New Deputy Mayor, Kaiane Aldorino 32 Miss Gibraltar 36 The Gibraltar Music Festival 42 Dr. John Cortes, Minister for Health and Environment 44 Christel Mifsud, Winner of Runway 2013 46

G08 GCon.indd 1

The Style 50 Fashion Feature: Hannibal Laguna 56 Beauty: Upcoming Trends for the Season 58 Slimming and Detox Supplements

The Pro 60 Enterprise 66 Samantha Barrass of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission

The Leisure 70 The Almadraba Tuna Season

The Gourmet 77 La Mamela 78 Champagne 80 Carrasvi単as Wine 82 Listings

4/29/14 1:19 PM

G08 Caleta Hotel.indd 1

4/16/14 12:41 PM

WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL

publisher’s letter T

Fever Pitch

he year is hotting up and, in terms of culture and leisure, Gibraltar is going into overdrive.

There is so much coming our way that it requires a careful organisation just to keep track of it.

As well as updating the ever-growing list of artists who will perform at the Gibraltar Music Festival, we preview the forthcoming Miss Gibraltar contest, with a photo feature on this year’s contestants and you can also read about the new Love Festival on June 15 and the 3rd Gibraltar World Music Festival on June 19.

We report on the Ministry of Tourism’s recent refurbishments around The Rock, particularly involving its beaches, and we take a detailed look at Gibraltar’s very own ‘Little Genoa’ – Catalan Bay – with a fascinating insight into its history. Meanwhile, across the border, don’t miss our in-depth tale about the Almadraba tuna season.

No-one will have failed to notice new Deputy Mayor, Kaiane Aldorino, on our front cover, likely making this the most popular edition ever! In an issue abounding with personalities, she talks about her new governmental role, and we include interviews with Dr. John Cortes, Minister for Health & Environment, Samantha Barrass, the new CEO of the Gibraltar Financial services Commission, and Christel Mifsud, winner of last year’s Runway.

Elsewhere, we check out music aficionados’ dream app, Creation 5, take a joy ride in the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, enjoy a refreshing new Rueda and are very nicely entertained at La Mamela.

G08 GPuL.indd 10

4/29/14 3:21 PM

G08 Marbella Classic.indd 1

4/30/14 3:06 PM

All you need is GBC

Bringing Music to Your Ears & Gibraltar to your Screen

GBC Television

Radio Gibraltar

GBC Online

available on Gibraltar Freeview and gbc.gi

91.3, 92.6 & 100.5FM, 1458AM, DAB+, gbc.gi and Gibraltar Freeview

available at gbc.gi

Football ‘Live’ Newswatch Viewpoint The Powder Room The Hub Sessions The Essentials GibKidz Get Crafty Rock Chef Full schedule at gbc.gi

Weekdays: 7am – Ben Lynch 10am – Ros Astengo 1pm – James Neish 2pm – Paul Grant (English) 2pm – Teresa Goncalves (Spanish) 6pm – Claire Hernandez Overnight: Non-Stop Music… through the night

GBC TV Live GBC TV Watch Again Radio Gibraltar Live Radio Gibraltar Listen Again Latest Local News

G08_GBC.indd 1

© ultradesign

Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation Broadcasting House, 18 South Barrack Road, Gibraltar Tel: (+350) 200 79760 (all departments) I Fax: (+350) 200 78673 I E-mail: info@gbc.gi

4/29/14 11:28 AM

trend READING / MUSIC / FILMS / GADGETS / MOTORING / TRENDS

Enjoy life in the great indoors with top viewing ideas, books and gadgets.

Check out the cool Porsche 911 Turbo S and let your mind soar to the place you most associate with freedom.

G08 GIntros.indd 2

12

Cinema

14

Home Viewing

16

Books

18

Music

20

Cars: The New Porsche 911 Turbo S

22

Creation 5

24

Gadgets

4/29/14 1:08 PM

trend CINEMA

WORDS MARISA CUTILL

AS

e BLOCKBUSTER

OF THE MONTH

Maleficent » GENRE

Fantasy

» DIRECTOR

Robert Stromberg (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End)

» ACTORS

Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning

magnificent Queen Angelina Jolie plays w take on a classic Maleficent in this ne nt her youth, Malefice In r.

Disney characte a d an art he re h a pu is a beautiful girl wit grows e Sh . gs win ck bla set of impressive to an but her bliss is put up in a lush forest, invaders of y arm an en wh immediate end ed existence of her threaten the continu r terness converts he bit r He beloved habitat. er ith ne n ca o wh r warrio into a cold hearted of savage destruction forgive nor forget the her innocence.

» GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Paul W.S. Anderson (Death Race)

» ACTORS Kit Harington, Carrie-Anne

Moss, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland

Pompeii

Milo (Kit Harington), a former slave who has become a gladiator, watches in frustration as the love of his life, Cassia (Emily Browning) is betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator (Kiefer Sutherland). When Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupts, Milo must win a race against time to save Casia, while the magnificent city of Pompeii is burned to ashes.

» GENRE Comedy » DIRECTOR John Turturro

» GENRE Biopic » DIRECTOR Olivier Dahan

» ACTORS John Turturro, Woody

» ACTORS Nicole

(Illuminata)

Allen, Vanessa Paradis

Fading Gigolo

When Fioravante (John Turturro) visits his dermatologist (Sharon Stone) and she casually comments that she and her friend are looking for a sexy male to indulge in a rambunctious ménage-a-trois, he hits upon the idea of earning a little cash by offering his services as a gigolo. Despite enlisting the help of a talented ‘manager’ (Woody Allen), Fioravante discovers that selling one’s body is a lot more complicated than he ever thought, especially when the line between sex and love begins to blur.

» GENRE Adventure/ Science

Fiction

(La Vie en Rose)

» DIRECTOR Bryan Singer

Kidman, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia

» ACTORS Jennifer Lawrence,

Grace of Monaco

Grace Kelly was, for many women, the epitome of elegance and sophistication, but her personal life was wrought with a sense of loss, loneliness and vulnerability. Nicole Kidman gives life to the woman behind the idol, revealing all the iconic actress left behind to become Princess Grace of Monaco.

(The Usual Suspects)

Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin

X-Men: Days of Future Past

The team of X-Men send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to the past to change the course of history and prevent a tragic event that is set to end the life of all human beings and mutants.'

» GENRE Animation » DIRECTOR Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age) » ACTORS Anne Hathaway, Jesse

Eisenberg, Leslie Mann, Jamie Foxx

Rio 2

Blu, Pearl and their three children are living the perfect life in Rio de Janeiro, until Pearl decides that her little ones should learn to live like ‘real birds’ in a challenging new environment: the Amazon. Blu fears leaving his own home, but cannot even dream of living without his family.

12 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 CiE.indd 12

4/28/14 1:01 PM

G08 GTB.indd 1

4/28/14 11:05 AM

trend HOME VIEWING

Marisa Cutillas brings us a few of the season’s top DVD releases.

» GENRE Drama/Biography » DIRECTOR Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) » ACTORS Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi » IMDB RATING 8/10

Captain Phillips

This tension-filled film, based on the book, A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea, tells the true story of Captain Phillips, who was in command of US cargo ship, the MV Maersk Alabama, when it was hijacked by a small but tenacious group of Somali pirates in 2009. The desperation behind such an ill-planned attempt highlights the precarious situation of those who, owing to hunger and extreme poverty, are willing to risk their lives for an impossible dream.

R.I.P.D. » GENRE Action » DIRECTOR Robert Schwentke (The

ONTH

D RELEASE OF THE M

e FEATURED DV » GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Lee

Daniels (Precious) » ACTORS Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda

» IMDB RATING

7.1/10

itaker) is a Cecil Gaines (Forest Wh ape from racial esc to ing try n young ma During his th. segregation in the sou he acquires a ity, tur ma s ard journey tow him a onced lan series of abilities that to work as nce cha the er: in-a-lifetime off The . use re, Cecil a butler in the White Ho ness of history wit nd -ha becomes a first rkings of the and of the internal wo ntry fights for cou the Oval office, while death of the the ses nes wit ts, civil righ s through the live and Kennedy Brothers e. gat ter Wa and r Wa Vietnam

Time Traveller’s Wife) » ACTORS Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges » IMDB RATING 5.6/10 Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges play two cops whose lives are ended in the call of duty, only to find that they have a chance to avenge their deaths in the afterlife.

Think of this as the cowboy version of Men in Black: special effects, fine comedic acting and a quick-paced script make for entertaining viewing.

r e l t u B e Th » GENRE Adventure/Fantasy » DIRECTOR Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) » ACTORS Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman,

Christopher Eccleston

» IMDB RATING 7.4/10

Thor: The Dark World

The first installment of the Thor Series, saw the God of Thunder accept his divine nature and find the love of a mortal. This time, he is called upon to restore order to the cosmos by defeating an ancient race whose vengeful leader seeks to submerge the Universe in darkness.

» GENRE Comedy » DIRECTOR Tom Vaughan (What

Happens in Vegas) » ACTORS Jeremy Piven, Mike O’Malley, Miley Cyrus » IMDB RATING 4.8/10

So Undercover

Miley Cyrus plays Molly, a young private detective who works odd jobs to pay off her father’s debts. Her uncanny ability to photograph unfaithful spouses leads to a job offer from an FBI agent, who hires her to protect the daughter of an important witness in a case against the mafia.

14 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 DvD.indd 14

4/28/14 1:02 PM

Out of the ordinary

Most people don’t expect much from a visit to a bank.

We think they should.

At Jyske Bank, your own relationship manager will offer you tailor-made, hassle-free solutions… and a certain something that’s hard to describe – something out of the ordinary.

Follow us on facebook: Jyskebankgibraltar

Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. • Tel. +350 200 59205 • www.jyskebank.gi 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.

230x300_Ess_Gibraltar_Out_of_the_ordinary.indd 1

26-02-2014 10:25:35

trend BOOKS

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

One of the most interesting things about the cinema is its ability to bring us closer to some of the greatest books of the century. This month, we take a look at some of the best reads that have been brought to life in the cinema recently:

Six Cinematic Books You Just Can’t Miss 12 YEARS A SLAVE BY SOLOMON NORTHUP AND DAVID WILSON:

“Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free state and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into slavery, where I remained (for) 12 years, it has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public.” Thus begins the heartbreaking tale of one’s man’s loss of freedom. 12 Years a Slave won this year’s Oscar for Best Film, many would say meritoriously, beating out marvellous contenders (Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, in particular, stands out), largely because of its in-depth portrayal of slavery in the Deep South, where life lost its value for those who were treated as property. Children were cruelly separated from their parents and the abuse and the violation of everyday human rights was tolerated. For many, death was the sweetest of solutions to what merely amounted to survival, not life.

A MAP OF THE WORLD BY JANE HAMILTON

Alice Goodwin is a teacher living with her husband and two children on a beautiful farm. Her happiness is cut short when her neighbour’s daughter dies while in Alice’s care. Alice becomes a scapegoat, copping chastisement from the school, community and fellow parents. The novel is a startling insight into how a few minutes can destroy so many lives.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA

THE ROAD

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE

COMING SOON

BY CORMAC MCCARTHY

BY DAVID WROBLEWSKI

This heart-wrenching tale set in the ash-strewn cities of a postapocalyptic America, focuses on a father and son, who take the long road towards the sea, uncertain of their ultimate survival. The Road takes an honest look at the essence of humanity at its best and worst, delving into the nature of the survival instinct and the powerful love that keeps a father and son together.

This modern-day Hamlet tells the tale of Edgar, a young, mute boy who finds his soulmate in his dog, Almondine. Edgar comes from a long line of dog breeders and his life on a farm is relatively happy until his father passes away and his uncle arrives at the farm, keen to take command. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman have signed on as Producers for Universal Pictures’ long-awaited adaptation of this emotionally charged best-seller.

PUSH BY SAPPHIRE

Push, adapted for the big screen with the new title of Precious, is the story of Claireece Precious Jones, an obese, illiterate, pregnant teenager living in Harlem, who has been subjected to constant abuse from her mother and father. Despite her mother’s insistence that she apply for welfare, Precious decides to go to school, and is inspired to write down the shocking events she has lived through in a journal.

Her growing belief in herself leads her to consider if a normal life, with a boyfriend and a decent job, may be on the cards… until a shocking discovery rattles her newfound stability.

BY GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ

Love has no limits; it is eternal and unique; it is a once-in-a-lifetime gift to be cherished and pursued, even if it takes forever. This wonderful book by a true maestro of anecdotal storytelling, is a must for anyone who wishes to know what true love feels like.

16 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 Re.indd 16

4/28/14 1:03 PM

G08 AllAbroad.indd 1

4/30/14 2:37 PM

trend MUSIC

¿QUÉ PASA? WORDS RIK FOXX

Starlite Festival update: latest acts added to the line-up include Gibraltar’s ALBERT HAMMOND (known for the 1972 tune It Never Rains in Southern California) on July 26. For the full line-up and ticket info: www.starlitefestival.com Sun 101 Festival (Málaga) update: US rockers BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB join the July 11/12 line-up. Ticket info: www.101sunfestival.com Gibraltar’s 2014 Music Festival update: new editions are ROGER HODGSON (SUPERTRAMP), 2013 summer UK chart topper JOHN NEWMAN, and TONY HADLEY (SPANDAU BALLET singer).

For the full line-up and ticket info: www.gibraltarmusicfestival.eu While ROBERT PLANT prepares for his gig with his SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS project at Málaga’s Plaza de Toros on July 27 (info: www.ticketmaster.es) fellow LED ZEPP legend JIMMY PAGE has remastered the band’s complete back catalogue and their first three albums will resurface on June 3 with bonus unheard material and four new songs.

Aussie punk pop rockers 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER plan to take the world by storm during the next six months as they will support ONE DIRECTION on their tour. The teen quartet, who have been dubbed the best Down Under export since KYLIE and had a UK number one recently with their debut single She Looks So Perfect, are due to play to 80,000 in Madrid’s Vicente Calderon Stadium on July 10 and 11.

Get ready for crazy clobber and foolish footwear galore as GAGA is back on the touring track this month. The US leg starts on the 4th to promote new material that will feature on the second phase of her ARTPOP project, which will see the light of day ‘soon’. The tour comes to Barcelona on November 8 but has already sold out. Meanwhile her former producer, AKON, reckons she’s “past her peak – I got out while the goin’ was good”. 2013 wasn’t a good year with health problems and the original ARTPOP album not selling as many copies as expected.

Almost three years after her death AMY WINEHOUSE looks set to go on the road as a 3D hologram thanks to the same company that put rapper TUPAC SHAKUR onstage in 2012. A spokesperson said, “Using the same technology, Amy will finally tour the world after failing to do so when she was alive with an orchestra and her hologram, she can take to the stage and fans can see her perform her legendary hits”. Apparently, her father has given the venture the thumbs up.

At first many thought it was an April Fools stunt but no, a new MICHAEL JACKSON album will fall on May 13. XSCAPE features eight unreleased songs worked on by producers including TIMBALAND and under the guidance of LA REID who was granted unlimited access to four decades worth of vocal material.

This month (5th) also sees the return of LILY ALLEN with Sheezus, which includes her 2013 Xmas number one single, the cover of KEANE’s Somewhere Only We Know, and her latest offering, Our Time. So expect lots of uninteresting waffling, selfies and constant twittering from her as she tries to promote it.

Also pushing his new album will be CHRIS MARTIN of COLDPLAY, the band’s sixth LP, Ghost Stories, lands on May 19 – at least it will keep his mind occupied after the “conscious uncoupling” from his wife. On the same day, MARIAH CAREY will finally present her new piece, and her production staff will get a well earned break as she has spent the last six months faffing around with tracks trying to get them to her satisfaction (and she still hasn’t decided what to call it yet) – but apparently her record bosses are not happy with the final product or the time it took to put the lid on it – especially after recent single, You’re Mine (Eternal), didn’t even dent the iTunes Top 1,000 chart.

The competition that nobody really wants to win (as they have to host it the following year), Eurovision, takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 10 and after flopping with two 20th century has-beens (HUMPERDINCK and BONNIE TYLER) in the past two years, Britain has gone for a newcomer in MOLLY SMITTEN-DOWNES with her track Children of the Universe, which was written specifically for this annual audio atrocity.

Spain’s entry comes from the 2008 UK X Factor quarter-finalist RUTH LORENZO with the spanglish self-penned Dancing In The Rain.

Many still take the competition seriously, especially in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe where Moldova’s top pop star SASHA BOGNIBOV will represent his country for a record 13th time with My Lesbian Girl while other countries seem to be sending an assortment of tribute type acts such as Belarus (ROBIN THICKE), Denmark (BRUNO MARS), Estonia (GAGA) and Malta (MUMFORD & SONS). BBC3 has coverage of the semi-finals on May 6 & 8 with BBC1 showing the final on May 10 – all start at 21.00 (CET).

Spanish coverage will be on TVE1 or 2.

18 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 Cd.indd 18

4/28/14 1:00 PM

G08 Your Flight.indd 1

4/30/14 10:13 AM

trend MOTORING

The

PORSCHE 911 Turbo WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PORSCHE

By the time you get a well-optioned 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo on the road, you’ll have spent a great deal of money, but in many ways, you’ve bought yourself a piece of automotive history, not to mention, a four-wheeled work of art.

P

orsche 911 Turbos go back over 40 years now and the original inspiration was the frighteningly fast 917/30 Can-Am race car of the period with its 1,100 horsepower. The first 911 Turbo road car appeared in 1975 and, ever since, the model has been at the very pinnacle of sports car design. Turbos have always been characterised by bulging bodywork enclosing wide, grippy tyres, along with huge (for some model years) ‘whaletail’ spoilers. Like so many other Porsche production cars, the Turbos have been raced with great success over the years. In fact, the Porsche 911 is generally regarded in the motor racing field as the most successful competition car ever built.

The 2014 Turbo’s styling is dramatic to say the least, with a deep front

air dam boasting large air ducts, more air scoops along the sides of the rear bodywork and a fair-sized rear spoiler that deploys upwards at higher speeds for greater effect. The front air dam descends closer to the road at high speeds and retracts when the car slows, leaving some clearance for parking and so on. There’s also a Turbo Cabriolet for those who must have the wind in their hair.

It’s hardly necessary to mention where a Porsche is concerned that all these ducts and aerodynamic aids are entirely functional and play a major part in the car’s superlative handling performance and high speed stability.

The car looks quite different from its ‘lesser’ 911 brethren and you’ll find it fairly easy to spot one out on the road.

20 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 Ca.indd 20

4/28/14 12:59 PM

Power (and we’re talking serious power here) comes from a 3.8-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine producing 520-horsepower. Opt for an ‘S’ version and the horsepower jumps to 560. The transmission is a 7-speed automatic with manual override available when needed. Frankly, with the Turbo’s power and torque and the near-instant shifting of the automatic, a manual box would be simply a nod towards nostalgia and little more. As with all Porsche 911 engines it’s of horizontallyopposed ‘boxer’ configuration, a layout almost no automaker, except Subaru, uses nowadays.

The car is an incredible performer and when in full flight, seems to want to go on accelerating forever. Even so, it’s surprisingly docile in traffic and at normal motorway speeds. Driven hard on twisty mountain roads the Turbo is an absolute delight and cornering speeds are dictated more by the bravery of the driver than by any suspension limitations. The car is very neutral in fast, sweeping, turns, though as with all super-fast cars, the driver should always be fully focused on the task in hand.

Handling was enhanced on the most recent Turbo I tried by 20-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero tyres. Pirelli developed the tyres specifically for this car and they grip with superb capability. Pirelli really seems to have a handle on ultra high-performance tyres and it shows on the Turbo. The Turbo uses an all-wheel drive system that really gets the power down effectively. Despite the car’s horsepower, it’s almost impossible to spin the wheels, even on wet roads. Track tests I’ve carried out with 911 Turbos convinced me that with this much power, all-wheel drive is an asset in any weather. Aiding handling on the current 911 Turbo is a sophisticated rear axle steering system.

In one of these highly desirable and costly Porsches you can top 100 km/h in something like 3.4 seconds-racing car performance for sure. Top

speed is expectedly impressive, though where you could use it I have no idea. I saw 305 km/h on the speedometer of a Porsche Turbo at a big test track in southwestern France a few years back and the 2014 model is even quicker. The cockpit is very driver-oriented and the seats, as one might expect, snug and supportive under hard cornering.

Porsche 911 interiors have improved a lot in recent years and are now beautifully done. There was a time when there was far too much painted plastic, disappointing in a luxury sports car. This is not the easiest car to get in and out of, especially for older drivers, but once in there, it fits like a handmade suit. The car just seems to demand being driven with enthusiasm. On the minus side, there are not too many places around the cockpit to stow oddments and though there isn’t much space to work with, this is perhaps something Porsche will sort out for the next generation of this car.

The rear/mid-engined layout of the car makes it something of a challenge for designers to deal with luggage space but, actually, the Turbo isn’t that bad. Up front is a fairly deep and quite roomy luggage well that’s nicely carpeted and easily accessible by raising the bonnet, under which there’s no engine, of course. There’s certainly room for a couple to stow soft-sided bags for a weekend on the road or even a week if they were experienced packers. There’s also a minimal space behind the seats.

There’s no doubt that this is one of the world’s great sports cars, regardless of price. Porsche takes its products very seriously indeed and the full potential of a car like the current 911 Turbo can only be realised on a race track, and only then in the hands of a driver of considerable skill.

For the rest of us, driving a new Porsche Turbo is the closest we’ll come to feeling like a Le Mans competitor in a seriously good race car. e

Z ENGINE 3.8-litre, 520-horsepower ‘boxer’ 6-cylinder Z TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic with steering wheel paddles for manual gear selection Z ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h in 3.4-seconds Z TOP SPEED Estimated at 315 km/h Z I LIKED Despite lots of competition and a body style that harkens back 40 years, the 911 Turbo is an iconic sports car with exceptional performance and reliability. It’s rock solid, has all-wheel drive plus amazing brakes to match its power and seems to attract attention everywhere it goes. Of all the supercars I’d pick for a cross-Europe drive, this would be the one I’d trust the most.

Z I DIDN’T LIKE It’s hard to criticise a legend, but if I were to change anything, it would be to simplify the controls in the cockpit and add more interior stowage space.

Z MARKET ALTERNATIVES Lamborghini Huracán, Aston Martin Vantage/DB9, Audi R8, Maserati Granturismo, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Z WHO DRIVES ONE? Enthusiasts who won’t drive anything but a Porsche and want the best there is. People who want more than just swoopy lines in their supercar. Owners who demand absolute dependability and a sports car that drives as well around town as it does out on the main roads.

Z PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Available now at €186.093

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 21

G08 Ca.indd 21

4/28/14 1:00 PM

trend APPS

ENLARGE YOUR MUSIC AND VIDEO

#EnjoyTheMusic

The Creation 5 Media App is a brilliant new music app for iOS, designed and developed by a local Marbella company called Creation - a division of Bang & Olufsen Marbella. The app was originally created in 2012 for the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 5 and Playmaker and since then has been developed to become a stand alone app which also works with any make of sound system.

W

e caught up with Cheryl Gatward, who oversees Communications and Social Media for Creation 5 and had a chat about the progress the app has made since it’s launch last year.

Last Summer we ran an article about Creation 5 in our Trend section, what’s been happening since then?

Wow – so much! It’s been downloaded by close to a quarter of a million people and is storming up the App Store charts! In smaller countries we have reached the Nº1 position in the Entertainment section – and in Spain the app is rated Nº1 for DLNA / Airplay. Quite an achievement when you consider that there are over a million apps on the App store!

In a nutshell, what does Creation 5 do – what makes it so different from all the other music apps out there?

It organises all your media content – your music collection, iTunes playlists, favourite radio stations, YouTube videos, podcasts – into one easy to access interface. You don’t need to keep switching apps – using one for radio, one for watching videos, one for streaming music & videos, etc. – it’s an allin-one app which makes it really convenient. It’s also beautifully designed making it an absolute pleasure to use.

What’s the most popular feature?

Our DLNA / Airplay feature is certainly the most popular – allowing you to stream music from different servers, to different rooms – it’s very

Cheryl Gatward

22 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 Creation.indd 22

4/29/14 12:39 PM

COLLECTION WITH CREATION 5

handy using your iPad or iPhone like a remote control for your music or cinema system.

What about YouTube integration?

Yes, our new YouTube feature is becoming very popular – if you’re listening to a song in your collection or on the radio, Creation 5 can automatically find the YouTube video clip for that song and you can then download the videoclip to watch offline when you’re travelling or something.

What about finding new music, does the app help you to do that ?

Our latest updates have introduced readymade playlists with new music videos uploaded to the app every week. Throwback Thursday, a blast from the past with all the great sounds from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s; Sunday Sessions where we ask a singer, songwriter, DJ or producer to pick 3 songs for a smooth Sunday and Tutti Fruti which is a collection of all sorts of new music – delivered to your iPhone or iPad every week. All these playlists really help users to enlarge their music collection –

they can pick and choose what they like to keep in their own library. We have more playlists planned for the near future!

Is there any digital streaming service available in the app, like Pandora or Spotify?

Yes – we have Rdio, the online music service created by Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. Rdio is also a great way to enlarge your music collection – you can put it on Radio mode and it will create an endless playlist based on your first song choice. Then, using our YouTube feature, you can download the YouTube music videos that match these new songs!

g You can download Creation 5 on the App Store – in the

Entertainment section. There is a free version and a Pro version (14,99 €) for iPhone / iPod and iPad. www.creation5app.com facebook.com/creation5app twitter.com/Creation_5

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 23

G08 Creation.indd 23

4/29/14 12:39 PM

trend ELECTRONICS

ASUS ZENBOOK UX301: Touted as the finest

ultrabook in the world, the Zenbook UX301 boasts a breathtaking design, scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass, a 2560x1440 resolution and a 33.78–cm display. Its fourth-generation Intel CoreTM i7 processor and Intel® IrisTM graphics make it easy to whiz through your list of tasks and to enjoy your favorite games in comfort. i www.asus.com

SAMSUNG GEAR FIT: Samsung’s latest smart watch weighs just 27 grams.

It boasts an attractive curved design, Super AMOLED 1.84-inch screen and 432x128 resolution. Choose from a host of layouts and crop any image from your phone to create your own wallpaper. i www.samsung.com

Spring CLEANING

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

AETHER CONE SPEAKER: Branded as a ‘thinking music player’, this Wi-fi speaker syncs with MAC products and learns what type of music you enjoy, offering you the ultimate personalised listening experience. It all begins with its small front dial – the speaker plays audio from streaming music services, online radio stations and podcasts. If you like what you are listening to, don’t do anything at all; if the music is not to your liking, turn the dial again until you find something that tickles your fancy. In next to no time, Aether will surprise you with a playlist that would have taken you hours to put together. i www.aether.com

TOSHIBA SB3950E1 SOUND BAR SPEAKER SYSTEM: This stunning sound bar offers an

unbeatable surround-sound experience on its own, but can be hooked up to any television from Toshiba’s ample range, affording a viewing experience accompanied by crystal-clear sound. i www.toshiba.eu

SONY BLUETOOTH SPEAKER WITH MAGNETIC CHARGING PAD BSC10:

Your favourite musical tunes never sounded better than with this dual-purpose audio and charging accessory for your XperiaTM smartphone and tablet. Watch YouTube videos, play games and listen to engaging podcasts while the wireless audio fills your living room with living sound. i www.sony.com

Stay on the cusp of greatness by updating your gadget collection with some of these new releases, set to make you look, feel and perform to the best of your abilities.

LENOVO FOLDER PAD: Lenovo rises to the

design challenge with this gorgeous tablet, which can be held in the hands or propped up, thanks to a unique backplate that can be folded to perform as a stand. Although the device is not yet available, it has already been submitted to various design awards organisations and has been praised by the international media for its blend of comfort and style. i www.lenovo.com

24 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 GaE.indd 24

4/28/14 1:04 PM

local

CULTURE / HISTORY / FEATURES / FAMOUS PEOPLE / INTERVIEWS / HUMOUR

Discover Catalan Bay, ‘a little Genoa’ in Gibraltar, read up on the latest improvements carried out by the Gibraltar Tourism Ministry, find out what former Miss Gibraltar, Kaiane Aldorino is up to and get excited about the current edition of Miss Gibraltar. We also inform you of the brilliant line-up at this year’s Gibraltar Music Festival, get to know Gibraltar’s Health and Environment Minister, Dr. John Cortes and highlight Christel Mifsud’s rise in the fashion World.

G08 GIntros.indd 3

26

Catalan Bay

30

The Gibraltar Ministry for Tourism: Recent Innovations

32

New Deputy Mayor, Kaiane Aldorino

36

Miss Gibraltar

42

The Gibraltar Music Festival

44

Dr. John Cortes

46

Christel Mifsud

4/29/14 1:08 PM

THE LOCAL catalan bay

‘

Michelangelo’s Pizzeria, and Gelatería, opening soon!!’ exclaims a sign along the grandly-named Riviera Promenade. Gelatería is Italian for ice cream parlour. The façade is sky blue and pink to tone with the crescent of Neapolitan ice creamcoloured houses above it. Beyond the prom, narrow streets and vertiginous steps meander between higgledy-piggledy houses named Villa Genovesa and Villa Napoli. Stray cats recline in the sun, washing flaps on lines strung from balconies and everywhere there are upturned boats, freshly painted or drying out. You could be in the back streets of Naples… just one cornetto and you’ll be singing the song… but, far from it, this is Catalan Bay in Gibraltar!

It may have been named after 350 Catalan servicemen who settled here after assisting AngloDutch forces during the War of Spanish Succession; or after the Catalan fishermen who came here to work the waters in summer. But the Genoese were here before that, when the bay was known as La Caleta. In the 18th century, when they accounted for one third of Gibraltar’s population, public notices were published in Genoese as well as in English and Spanish.

Many day-trippers miss Gibraltar’s Italian connection as the East Side isn’t on the main tourist drag. Most visitors cross the airport runway and advance direct to Main Street, turn right for Morrisons

or take the cable car to the top of the Rock to see the Barbary macaques.

There are macaques here too and the East Side Monkey Troupe’s a discerning bunch. When it’s beach weather there’ll be rich pickings dropped by locals who come here to picnic or enjoy locallycaught octopus and squid.

This peaceful backwater is a world away from the bustling west side metropolis that divides the ciudadanos from the Caleteños, as the local inhabitants are called. They speak Spanish and they’re Gibraltarian British but under the skin they’re as Italian as Genoese sponge cake. They’ve adopted Dolores, an Italian Virgin, as their patron saint; they have their own fiestas, pastimes and cuisine – spinach pie and rosto (penne with tomato and meat sauce); a few ‘old salts’ still put to sea in Genoese bucetas. They have pointed hulls at both ends to make them easier to beach without capsizing in strong wind.

In his spare time, master shipwright Gerald Lopez builds bucetas the traditional way, in wood, as learned from a veteran Caleteño craftsman when he was a boy. He used to sell them, now it’s a hobby but a strange one for someone who admits: “I don’t like fishing.”

© Jon Segui

26 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA Catalan Bay.indd 26

4/29/14 11:02 AM

The Ita lian

Connection Photography Jon segui and david cussen

Belinda Beckett explores Catalan Bay, a ‘Little Genoa’ in Gibraltar.

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 27

G08 FeA Catalan Bay.indd 27

4/29/14 11:02 AM

Genoese buceta © David Cussen

Beach volleyball nets are put up on the beach in summer. Once upon a time there were permanent structures for hanging fishing nets out to dry.

There were other thriving cottage industries too.

Where families spread their beach towels on the sand, washerwomen used to lay sheets out to dry; perhaps the Governor’s Long Johns too, as Catalan Bay families did laundry for the military. Where there are colourful sunbrellas there were once posh canvas canopies. Tent hire was a booming business after WWII, when well-to-do Gibraltarians required shade for their picnic luncheons, eaten with proper cutlery no doubt. At their behest, public toilets were provided but, until the 1960s, the village houses had no plumbing. The locals used enamel buckets with lids. Some of the better-appointed homes had two buckets.

Like most ‘foreigners’ I used to bypass Catalan Bay, only ever viewing it from the terrace of Nuno’s (the great restaurant at the Caleta Hotel that’s also Italian). Then, last July, I got stuck in the mother of all border queues, hauled up in the East Side Holding Area for several hot sticky hours. Everyone turned off their engines and went walkabout in the bay. I was enchanted by its charm and curious to know how a little piece of Italy turned up at the opposite end of the Mediterranean, in a British territory.

A lot of what’s known is recounted in The History of Catalan Bay, a book by Tito Vallejo, the charismatic historian guide who featured heavily in the Channel 5 documentary, Gibraltar, Little Britain in the Sun. Anyone who’s watched it wouldn’t recognise this other Gibraltar, devoid of British bobbies, red telephone boxes and Jolly Boys. They’re filming a third series this summer and they’ve asked Tito for input. He’s full of anecdotes. “Historically, the Caleteños didn’t wear shoes unless they were going into town and didn’t put them on until they reached the Cross of Sacrifice,” he says, adding to my intrigue.

There’s no museum dedicated to Catalan Bay and the priestly records kept at Our Lady of Sorrows, the

pretty parish church where Italian WWII prisoners sang in the choir, have been lost. The Sea Wave restaurant’s walls showcase old photographs but historical records reside in the Garrison Library so there’s nothing much on site to enlighten tourists.

The locals have their own stories, handed down by word of mouth. Vincent Pisarello was born in a cottage by the beach before it became The Village Inn in the 1960s. Pisarello is a Genoese name, as is Parody, Baglietto, Danino, Olivero, Robba and Montegriffo – the Gibraltar phone book is full of them.

Fashion designer John Galliano and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, are of Genoese descent.

“My grandfather was one of the last people to speak the Genoese dialect but no one could understand it, not even the Genoese!”, Vincent tells me, while we watch dolphins in the bay over coffee at Stefano’s. A life-sized mannequin of Captain Hook on a bench outside (a reminder of the Barbary pirates who once ruled the waves) is the only other ‘customer’. “Most people don’t discover us until they’ve seen everything else and it’s time to go home, which is a pity,” says Vincent.

© Jon Segui

Hey hey we’re the East Side monkeys © David Cussen

© Jon Segui

A Beautiful Launderette

28 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA Catalan Bay.indd 28

4/29/14 11:02 AM

© David Cussen

Size Matters

Titty Rock

Titty Rock

© Jon Segui

They’d be sorry they missed La Mamela, colloquially known as Titty Rock and Genoese for ‘mammary’. This ‘boob’-shaped boulder fell from the cliff face in the early 18th century and landed tit up in the sand, killing a cow and a donkey but causing no human fatalities. Fishermen would touch it for luck before putting out to sea (or not, depending on who’s telling the story). You can read a scroll relating to its history (or not) at La Mamela Restaurant. (You can read my review of the restaurant further on in this issue).

Rockfalls are still a hazard in Catalan Bay. Two of George Bonfiglio’s great aunts were killed in a landslide that buried their house. “They wouldn’t cooperate with the rescuers because they were ashamed to be seen in their nightclothes,” he says, shaking his head at the needless tragedy.

I meet George walking along the prom with a set of oars slung over his shoulder, looking every inch the fisherman, although he used to work for Gibraltar’s Ministry of Defence. His great,

great grandfather arrived here in 1805, making George fifth generation Gibraltarian Genoese. He once paid a sentimental visit to Varazze, where many Gibraltarian Genoese came from. “I found a community like Catalan Bay’s twin, and people with surnames identical to my neighbours,” he says. “Some people say the Genoese arrived with the British fleet in the 17th century but my grandfather always told me they came here from Liguria to fish.”

Genoese fishermen would take leave of their families and embark on the long journey to Gibraltar in their bucetas to fish from Easter until September, sleeping in shacks on the beach.

“When Napoleon overran northern Italy, they came here to avoid conscription, bringing their families with them,” explains George.

During the Civil War, Spanish fishermen sought refuge in Catalan Bay, working alongside the villagers. There was none of the argy-bargy over territorial waters we see today. If there was any doubt over pecking order, it was decided by the toss of a coin.

George tells me it’s true that some Caleteños eschewed shoes. “The main work of the local fishermen was hauling heavy net, laid out at sea, from the beach. They wore harnesses across their upper torso to pull the nets, similar to Egyptian slaves. The strain of keeping their balance on the sand caused their feet to splay and they needed over-sized shoes that gave them a clown-like gait, so they only wore them in town. You could probably tell who was from Catalan Bay by the odd way they walked!”he chuckles.

In its heyday Catalan Bay boasted a 25-boat fishing fleet which caught supper for half of Gibraltar. At one time there was a thriving tuna industry, including a cannery and an almadraba off Eastern beach (a Phoenician style of trap net that you can also read about in this issue.)

“The fleet used nets of varying mesh size and caught different species seasonally to conserve fish stocks,” says George, who fishes for pleasure these days, in a fibreglass boat he copied from his family’s 1914 buceta. He’s caught mackerel, grouper, gilthead, black bream and bass. “What doesn’t get eaten for supper goes in the deep freeze,” he says.

Cows and goats were once kept in beachside byres to provision the community, and the bay had its own transport – a horse and carriage, which the local washerwomen hired to collect dirty laundry from the military barracks around town. They took it back, freshly ironed, in wicker baskets on foot, to turn more of a profit. “Each family had their own customers”, says George whose grandmother was engaged in this cottage industry. “They’d steep the linen in wine barrels and scrub it on washboards before drying it on the sand. Strangely enough, there were no seagulls then, as there are today, to spoil their hard work,” he laughs.

When the Royal Navy Dockyard opened in the late 1900s it offered real wages and the chance to buy bigger houses in town. Many locals married ‘townies’ and, of the 200-or-so residents today, less than half are true Caleteños. Residents of the Neapolitan ice cream-coloured houses called Little Genoa are recent arrivals.

Some traditions linger. Dolores, the adopted Italian virgin, is still paraded through the streets during the end-of-summer fiesta, a time of rowing races, fishing competitions and sailing regattas.

The old boys who get together at the Catalan Bay Social Club might indulge in an occasional game of tapone (Genoese skittles). At Christmas, Italian carols are sung. And on any day of the year, if the wind’s blowing your way, you might catch the delicious aroma of rosto wafting through Genoese shutters. e

George Bonfiglio

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 29

G08 FeA Catalan Bay.indd 29

4/29/14 1:29 PM

THE LOCAL gibraltar

Going to the beach is a cherished, long standing family tradition in Gibraltar that is part and parcel of the community’s way of life. During the summer months, thousands of Gibraltarians of all ages, equipped with swimming and other gear, faithfully congregate at their favourite bathing spots in any of the many popular beaches – Eastern Beach, Catalan Bay, Camp Bay, Western Beach, Little Bay – spread out along the Rock’s shoreline.

W

ith this in mind, Gibraltar’s Ministry for Tourism embarked on an ambitious regeneration and refurbishment programme of coastal areas and beaches in 2013, to enhance bathing facilities and services for residents and tourists, with special emphasis on those with reduced mobility issues. The infrastructural programme of works commenced last year and enters a culminating second phase in the coming months, ahead of the busy summer season. As from this year, thanks to the significant capital investment of HM Government of Gibraltar, many Gibraltarians will be able to once again enjoy Sandy Bay. All Gibraltar’s beaches have benefitted from the project with the construction of numerous wheelchair ramps, accessible toilets and changing rooms, pergolas with mobile hoists for transfers to amphibious beach equipment, the removal of obstacles and the provision of electronically adjustable sun beds. External showers have also been provided at all beaches.

Minister for Tourism, Commercial Affairs, Public Transport and the Port, Neil Costa MP, who leads the team responsible for the upgrade of the tourist product, said that in two years since

being elected, overall beach facilities across all of Gibraltar’s bathing areas had been provided “in an unprecedented manner.”

Mr Costa said the Gibraltar Tourist Board introduced in 2012 weekly cleaning of all beaches as from February 1st, well ahead of the bathing season, together with the laying of all walkways as from mid-May, the purchase of three new lifeguard speedboats and the recruitment and employment of more senior lifeguards.

Additionally, there is a lifeguard weekend service as from April 12th with a full lifeguard service as from the first week in June.

The Minister said: “As a child who spent each summer with my family at Eastern Beach, I have been delighted to be able to announce so many innovations throughout all our beaches, and to provide all the necessary resources so that the entire community can continue to enjoy this magnificent summer tradition.”

As part of the improved amenities for children and adults alike, a waterpark was successfully installed at Western Beach last year. The response from the public was so positive, that this year the waterparks will be extended across all local beaches.

Gibraltar in the sun

When summer life is a beach…

30 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 TrL GTB.indd 30

4/29/14 3:12 PM

Jelly fish booms have also been purchased for all beaches with the exception of Sandy Bay, which is undergoing a major project of littoral regeneration, following extensive engineering studies of the coastal processes affecting the beach.

Earlier this year, work commenced on the refurbishment of all public swimming pools at Camp Bay and Little Bay, together with the installation of a much needed new chlorination system that will ensure standards of water cleanliness are maintained.

Minister Costa remarked: “The improvements to the beaches and in particular to the accessible facilities are a quantum leap. Beaches are an important part of Gibraltar’s way of life in summer, and we want to provide a more inclusive and accessible environment for all the community.”

“I am delighted that new products continue to be rolled out and will be in place for the height of the season. The respective teams working on providing these services are labouring very hard to ensure that our popular beaches are enjoyed like never before.”

But it is not only the beaches that have been

transformed. Improvements to other parts of the tourist product have also been undertaken in earnest during the past year.

Works have already been completed at some of Gibraltar’s most emblematic tourist attractions, including the Great Siege Tunnels, Moorish Castle, the 100 Ton Gun, St Michael’s Cave, Jew’s Gate, Apes’ Den, the Gibraltar Cruise Terminal and Waterport Fountain.

In keeping with the Government’s policy of social inclusiveness, particular attention has been paid to the construction of accessibility features to benefit persons with reduced mobility.

A good example of what has been achieved can be seen at the entrance to St Michael’s Cave, perhaps the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Gibraltar tourist product, including special needs toilet facilities, and improved access to the tourist site with the provision of a specialised lift to enable guests to enjoy the breathtaking views of the cave from the first landing.

Mr Costa said that the rights of people with disability is an area which the Government keeps under constant review and that they will spare no effort or resources to ensure that Gibraltar

remains at the forefront of sensitivity to their needs.

Bus stops throughout the Rock have also been improved with the construction of wheelchair ramps, raised platforms and other enhanced accessibility features for persons with disability.

State of the art electronic devices to assist the visually and hearing impaired are also under consideration.

Mr Costa added: “As a progressive government, we constantly review beach facilities every year to give a better service to all sectors of the community. In 2013 we provided enhanced accessibility and for 2014 we will continue to improve the services offered in keeping with our commitment to develop the tourist product and improve the quality of life for all Gibraltarians.”

“I am personally delighted to see progress on important improvements that will benefit citizens with disability in their everyday lives.

This represents our central political commitment to upgrade key services and facilities that takes account of the entire community.” i www.visitgibraltar.gi

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 31

G08 TrL GTB.indd 31

4/29/14 3:12 PM

Photographer Jayden Fa Model Kaiane Aldorino (Miss World 2009) Makeup Liza Mayne Art Direction Guy Baglietto Hair Kyle Gonzalez @ Miss Shapes & Liza Mayne. Dress Rafael Urquizar Haute Couture Jewellery Pashmina

THE LOCAL people

G08 LoP3.indd 32

KAIANE ALDORINO

32 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

4/30/14 11:27 AM

Duty

Photography jaYden fa & John Bugeja

Five years after winning Miss World, Kaiane Aldorino is celebrating another historic achievement as the first beauty queen ever to become Deputy Mayor of Gibraltar. She talks to Belinda Beckett about the challenges of exchanging her queenly crown for the chain of civic office in her homeland.

T

here’s a little of Kate Middleton’s looks and graceful elegance in Kaiane Aldorino: the cascade of glossy chestnut hair, the slender figure and disarming smile are uncannily reminiscent of the Duchess of Cambridge. She has the poise of a princess!

Assured but not over-confident, with a natural way about her that puts everyone at their ease, Kaiane is a daughter any parent would be proud of, with a girl-next-door freshness and a down-to-earth approach to life – all very desirable qualities for a Deputy Mayor of Gibraltar.

Her new calling is another of many ‘firsts’ for Kaiane, the first Miss Gibraltar to win the Miss World crown, and the first woman to be invested with both the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour in 2011.

Although only 27 and not from the usual pool of talent from which Mayors of the British Territory are chosen, the office is apolitical and ambassadorial and being an MP is no longer a requirement. With her public relations experience and approachable manner, Kaiane is a natural for the role. When she becomes the next Mayor she will assume the chain of office worn by giants the likes of the late Sir Joshua

Hassan and current Mayor Adolfo Canepa, both former Chief Ministers of Gibraltar.

“It’s a huge and unexpected honour, an opportunity for me to give something back to the community that has done so much for me and I will take it very seriously,” Kaiane tells me over coffee on the patio of the Eliott Hotel. “I know I’m very young but that will allow me to bring something new to the role, to reach out to young people, and I’m looking forward to making it my own.”

Dressed in a chic navy trouser suit and ballet pumps (at 1.76 metre she walks tall, even without heels) she looks the picture of cool, calm and collected. You’d never guess that on top of her new responsibilities, she’s also in the throes of moving into a new home with her fiancé, working in a fulltime protocol job for the Gibraltar Government and taking an Open University distance learning course in Business Management. “I’m living out of suitcases at the moment as we’ve just finished decorating so it’s all been a bit chaotic,” laughs Kaiane, who looks anything but ruffled at the prospect of making extra space in her busy agenda for public engagements too.

As Deputy Mayor, her principal role will be

© John Bugeja

Beauty and

assisting and deputising for Mayor Canepa, whether that’s cutting the tape at an opening, hosting VIP visitors, presenting awards or presiding over important annual festivities such as National Day and Remembrance Sunday. “Coincidentally, my inaugural engagement was the draw for numbers for this year’s Miss Gibraltar contest so I felt completely at home,” says Kaiane, who won the Miss Gibraltar crown in 2009 and was voted most beautiful woman on the planet later that year. The Miss World Organisation is so delighted with her civic appointment, they’ve posted a story about it on their official website, ending with the message: ‘We wish Kaiane all the best!’

Beauty pageants are criticised for placing over-emphasis on physical appearance. Kaiane takes a more pragmatic attitude, recognising the opportunities they can bring. She wouldn’t hesitate to encourage other young women to enter Miss Gibraltar, one of the longest-established pageants in the world, dating from 1964, although with fewer entrants in recent years.

“You have to look at the bigger picture,” she says.

“I saw it as a chance to become an ambassador for my country and widen my own horizons, and I

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 33

G08 LoP3.indd 33

4/30/14 11:27 AM

© John Bugeja

© John Bugeja

“I know I’m very young but that will allow me to bring something new to the role, to reach out to young people, and I’m looking forward to making it my own.”

certainly did that. It teaches you self-confidence and skills like public speaking and talking to camera which are invaluable in most careers today. I was thrown in at the deep end at school because my surname begins with A, so I was always first to be called to give a talk in class. It was nerve-wracking at first but I got used to it.

It’s important to step out of your comfort zone and confront your fears.”

Kaiane was a 22-year-old human resources clerk at St Bernard’s Hospital before she became Miss Gibraltar, her passport to automatic entry in Miss World. Winning the contest in Johannesburg thrust her into the spotlight and she spent 12 months jetting around the globe, promoting the organisation’s Beauty with a Purpose projects which raise millions of pounds for charity worldwide. She visited four continents – Europe, Africa, America and Asia – and crowned her successor at Miss World in China.

“It’s difficult to choose a favourite place but I think it would have to be the Indonesian island of Bali,” she says. “I found it very spiritual, with Indian and Asian influences, wonderful people and amazing scenery. One of my standout memories was a trip on a glass bottom boat to see the coral reefs and the colourful marine life.

It was paradise!”

She returned home to a hero’s welcome – fireworks and a ticker tape parade through Main Street in the same open-top car that took Princess Diana and Prince Charles around Gibraltar during their honeymoon visit. She continues to enjoy huge popularity on her home turf where she has co-hosted subsequent Miss Gibraltar contests and the successful Variety Live 2011 show in aid of Calpe House and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Kaiane worked for the tourist board before joining the Governments protocol department at Number 6 (the equivalent of Britain’s Number 10 Downing Street), also spending a year in London at Gibraltar House, looking after the affairs of Gibraltarians undergoing operations. But, east or west, home’s best for Kaiane.“I’m so proud to be Gibraltarian and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” she says. “It packs so much into a small area and from here, Spain, Africa, Portugal and London are all within easy reach. It’s safe and everyone’s so friendly and supportive, like one big family.”

Like many Gibraltarians, Kaiane has happy memories of growing up amongst her own extended family of aunts, cousins, grandparents and great grandparents who shared the same roof with her parents and younger sister Noelle.

Typical of Gibraltar’s cultural melting pot, she has mixed ancestry, with Genoese blood on her father’s side of the family and Austrian on her mother’s, and she speaks fluent Spanish and English. From the age of 14, while at West Side Comprehensive School, she was a member of the successful Urban Dance Group and took part in the 2008 International Dance Organisation World Show dance Championships in Germany.

Although she’s had to put her dancing on hold she keeps trim at the gym and walking to work, which allows her to indulge her sweet tooth.

Always stylishly dressed and classically elegant, she says: “I’m not overly fashion conscious and I don’t wear much makeup but I do like to dress for the occasion, whether casual or formal.”

Her favourite way of chilling out is cooking and she can’t wait to christen the kitchen at her new home in Catalan Bay. “Food brings people together and it helps me to relax when I’m stressed – even if it’s a three-course dinner party for friends, I like to give it my best shot and do things right.”

As it’s a philosophy she applies to every area of life, it looks like Miss Kaiane Aldorino has already found her recipe for success as Deputy Mayor of Gibraltar! e

34 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 LoP3.indd 34

4/30/14 11:27 AM

M AKE A S P L A S H !

Boux Avenue Gibraltar

45 Main Street, Gibraltar LINGERIE 路 SWIMWEAR 路 NIGHTWEAR 路 ACCESSORIES EssentialMagazine 230mmWx300mmH FINAL.indd 1

29/04/2014 14:53

THE LOCAL miss gibraltar

“P

ut all your enthusiasm and your heart into the next few weeks because at the end of the day you will all benefit from it,” counselled Gibraltar Mayor Adolfo Canepa as he drew the contestants’ numbers for Miss Gibraltar 2014.

It was sound advice. Whatever your view of beauty pageants, the one that’s been held on The Rock every year without a break since 1964 is no longer just about vital statistics or a platform for world peace!

The ambassadorial aspect of the role adds up to a nice, expenses-paid gap year and could even be a stepping stone to a brilliant career. Just ask Gibraltar’s own Kaiane Aldorino whose trajectory to Deputy Mayor started with Miss Gibraltar! Exbeauty queens Sarah Palin (Miss Wasilla), Oprah Winfrey (Miss Black Tennessee) and Sharon Stone (who competed but didn’t win a crown) didn’t do so badly, either.

Yet young women in Gibraltar have been decidedly backward in putting their names forward.

As long ago as 1978, with days to go before the deadline, only three girls had signed up, making the annual selection of a Queen and two Princesses somewhat academic. At the eleventh hour, three more were recruited – the show must go on!

This year, even with the added inducement of £400 for the first 10 contestants, there are only eight (one more than last year). With a generous £2,000 cash prize, £3,500 clothing allowance and a passport to Miss World 2014 in London later this year, perhaps they’re missing a trick?

The reigning Miss Gibraltar, Maroua Karbouch, who will crown her successor at this year’s pageant, thinks so. “It has just made me realise how many lives I have been able to touch in a positive way,” she says, after her year wearing the crown.

Beauty pageants have changed since the days when the ideal Miss World contestant was stated to be: ‘between 17 and 25, five foot seven, eight or nine stone, waist 22-24, hips 35-36, no more no less, a lovely face, good teeth, plenty of hair and perfectly shaped legs from front and back, carefully checked for such defects as slightly knock knees.’

Apart from the age requirement (17 to 24), any girl can enter Miss Gibraltar. In fact Viola Abudarham, the very first female to wear the crown in 1959, was married! No one can explain the fouryear gap until the next contest although it’s been suggested no TV producer was willing to take on the challenge.

In the early days the pageant was held in the old Wellington Front TV studios. The scoring system wasn’t computerised until 1998 but, even with today’s modern technology, the logistics of filming in the more exotic locations (St. Michael’s Cave and the Alameda Open Air Theatre) are considerable.

The host has to be seen and heard, as well as the girls and guest artists, requiring careful planning of sound and lighting and enough cameras to ensure a seamless transmission as contestants progress through the swimsuit, evening wear and interview sections. Two production companies are taking it in bi-annual turns to produce the show – Santos Productions, responsible for years 2015 and 2017

shows (they plan that far ahead) and Stage One Productions which will film the 2016 pageant as well as this year’s show. It’s live, so anything can happen!

Says Stage One Producer James Neish, this year’s host: “Dealing with a live show is one of the most exciting feelings in the world but it’s also tough and sometimes you really do need nerves of steel. Expect the unexpected is what I say. There are always issues, though normally the audience is none the wiser which is a good thing! However, when in the 2012 edition we lost all power in St. Michael’s Cave it was the worst nightmare. We had a horrible time but an amazing team of professionals came to the rescue. Never has ‘The Show Must Go On’ saying been truer, in our books!”

The judges are always a closely-guarded secret until the Ministry of Culture announces the names on the night. The guest artist wasn’t signed went to press but expect a big as international star. Elaine Paige, Rolf Harris, Michael Bentine, the late great Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia and Gibraltarian performers Albert Hammond and Melon Diesel have all performed at Miss Gibraltar.

Beauty pageants have come and gone but Miss Gibraltar remains a fixture as solid as The Rock itself, a highlight of the local social calendar watched by record GBC TV viewers last year.

“It’s not only part of our culture and tradition,” says James. “Miss World is the perfect platform for the winner to remind over one billion TV viewers that she comes from ‘British Gibraltar’, and that has never been more important in the contest’s history than it is today.” i For further information see the Miss Gibraltar

Facebook Page or official website www.missgibraltar.gi

36 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA3 missg.indd 36

4/29/14 3:17 PM

Photography Jayden Fa

The appointment of a former Miss Gibraltar as Deputy Mayor of The Rock has added fresh impetus to one of the world’s oldest beauty pageants. Local girls have been reticent to enter in recent years but Kaiane Aldorino, who was also crowned Miss World, has given them a real target to aim for. The 52nd edition of Miss Gibraltar, broadcast live from the Queen’s Cinema on June 7, looks like being quite a contest, as Belinda Beckett reports.

From

Miss Gibraltar to the Stars!

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 37

G08 FeA3 missg.indd 37

4/29/14 3:17 PM

Larisa Volitskaya With her exotic-sounding surname it’s no surprise that 18-year-old Larisa speaks Russian like a native. She’s also fluent in French, Spanish and English, handy if she gets to Miss World. This outdoor girl enjoys skiing, country hiking, travel and reading and would look forward to the social work that’s part and parcel of Miss Gibraltar’s role. She’s hoping to take a Masters Degree in Psychology so watch out – she might out-psyche the judges too!

She says: “I like how Gibraltarians are provided with free education, healthcare, housing and other basic human needs which you don’t get in most other countries.”

Kristy Torres Will student teacher Kristy become Miss Gibraltar before she qualifies to be called ‘Miss’ in class?

It’s anyone’s guess but 22-year-old Kristy has cherished ambitions to wear the crown since she was school age herself. She enjoys reading, dance and keep fit and is hoping to work with young adults and children when she completes her studies. She certainly seems to have most of the qualifications to make the role of Miss Gibraltar a class act!

She says: “I love Gibraltar for its weather and safe environment but there’s a lack of job opportunities in certain fields of work.”

How the Girls 38 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA3 missg.indd 38

Stack Up 4/29/14 3:18 PM

Jaiza Bird One of the youngest contestants, 17-year-old Jaiza has her sights set on a legal career, majoring in criminal and human rights law. But she’d like that Miss Gibraltar crown first. She’s handy with a needle and enjoys fashion designing, keeping fit, chilling with friends on the beach and shopping in Main Street.

Winning Miss Gibraltar would give this aspiring legal eagle a chance to spread her wings before she embarks on her high-flying career.

She says: “I love the Gibraltar weather and the fact that everything is so nearby but there should be more for young people to do.”

Eleanor Wright Eleanor is also just 17 but clear where she’s headed: to medical school. She aims to specialise as a children’s doctor and is already tutoring youngsters in maths and science as a hobby, as well as assisting with Gibraltar’s Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Her prescription for a great day out is shopping with friends, lunch, beach sunbathing and an evening of jazz, in that order. Which order will she come in the contest?

She says: “I love the variety of cultures and safe environment of Gibraltar but it lacks space for dogs and it’s difficult to get to the open countryside.”

Here’s your chance to get to know the girls and pick your favourite before the Big Day. ‘Bet Victor’ Chandler hasn’t come up with their odds yet but trust us, he will! All eight contestants declare that entering Miss Gibraltar has been a life-long aspiration for the opportunities the title will bring them. Like most locals, they’re fluent in Spanish and English and can’t speak highly enough about their native land, in spite of the border queues! When pressed for a downside, a lack of entertainment for young people was the most common criticism. As Miss Gibraltar, any one of them will be in a position to change that themselves! They are unanimous in regarding it as an honour to represent their homeland on the world stage wearing the Miss Gibraltar crown. A British Gibraltar crown! Here’s the 2014 line-up in the numbered order they will be called on stage.

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 39

G08 FeA3 missg.indd 39

4/29/14 3:18 PM

Shyanne Azzopardi Environmental issues are dear to the heart of this 22-year-old ‘green goddess’ who works as a teaching assistant and is completing her PostGraduate Certificate in Education.

When she’s not keeping others on their toes as an instructor of Zumba, the dance fitness programme based on Latin sounds, Shyanne likes to end a perfect day working out with a few zumba numbers herself. Will 5 prove to be her lucky number? You’ll have to wait until next month to find out!

She says: “In recent years we have become more aware of environmental issues but there’s still room for improvement, and more green spaces.”

Claire Nuñez Sporty 23-year-old Claire has dedicated her career to ensuring the younger generation shape up and get fit for life. She works as a PE Teacher and it must be a dream job because her hobby’s are all about getting physical too – playing, coaching and umpiring netball. Her career goal is to qualify for a Masters in Leadership and Management but will she be the leader of the pack at Miss Gibraltar? Watch this space!

She says: “There are no downsides to living in Gibraltar. At times we don’t realise how blessed we are to live in such a wonderful community.”

“All eight contestants declare that entering 40 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA3 missg.indd 40

4/29/14 3:19 PM

M

g

Kirsty Serra

Megan Bonavia Go-getting Megan is inspired by new experiences. She likes to step out of her comfort zone and push herself – one reason she entered Miss Gibraltar.

For her next adventure, she’s charting a career course as a chartered accountant. Dancing, playing piano and reading are among her favourite pastimes and she gets a buzz from going on a day out without knowing the final destination. In that case, there should be no back-stage nerves for this 21-year-old thrill-seeker!

She says: “I like how open-minded and accepting people are in Gibraltar though we need more for young people to do.”

Legal student Kirsty hopes to make her mark in the judiciary world but first she’s courting the Miss Gibraltar title. Taking the law into her own hands, she entered for a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”. When not up to her eyes in law books, 21-year-old Kirsty enjoys… more reading! Religion and the sciences are among her favourite topics. She also enjoys fitness training and amateur theatre. She could prove a hard act to follow!

She says: “Gibraltar is a fortunate place to live. I like that we live in a place with people from different cultures, religions and traditions.” e

Photography: Jayden Fa Makeup: Liza Mayne Hair: Miss Shapes Art Direction: Guy Baglietto Makeup Assistant: Nyree Chipolina

Miss Gibraltar has been a life-long aspiration for the opportunities the title will bring them.”

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 41

G08 FeA3 missg.indd 41

4/29/14 3:19 PM

THE LOCAL music

Gibraltar Music Festival Saturday 6th September, 2014

Roger Hodgson to headline Radio Gibraltar Stage Roger Hodgson will be headlining the Radio Gibraltar Stage at the biggest music event of the year. The legendary singer-songwriter is widely regarded as one of the most gifted voices and songwriters of his generation. He co-founded the rock band Supertramp, composing and singing most of their hits, including Dreamer, Give a Little Bit and Take the Long Way Home. The Ministry of Culture says you’ll be able to hear the timeless Supertramp classics, plus amazing material from Roger’s solo albums in his special live performance on Saturday, 6th September.

The Gibraltar Music Festival is delighted to add another three world class acts to the bill for September: Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp), chart sensation John Newman, and Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley. The Ministry of Culture has also confirmed two local acts who will join the international stars in front of a home crowd: Adrian Pisarello and the EC Band, and Georgia Thursting.

The chart topping, supremely talented John Newman

John Newman is probably best known for the track Love Me Again, which made it to number one in the UK Singles Chart, which he also topped with Rudimental on Feel the Love, featuring his searing vocals. More recently, Cheating made its way into the Top Ten, while his debut album, Tribute, entered the UK Albums Chart at Number One. He was nominated for two Brit Awards this year: Best British Male and British Single of the Year.

The English singer is just 23, but his voice and songs cut through with a depth and a richness that belie his age. John writes, produces, plays, performs and remixes his own music, as well as writing his own video scripts and designing his own clothes. His extraordinary talent will grace The Main Stage at the Gibraltar Music Festival.

An exciting moment for Georgia Thursting Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley to Serve Up 80s Gold Eighties heartthrob Tony Hadley is recognisable for the powerful blue-eyed soul vocals he lent to Spandau Ballet classics like Gold, True and Only When You Leave. The band pioneered the Romantic movement, achieving Top Ten singles and albums in the UK between 1980 and 1990.

Tony is now a solo artist in his own right, having spent the past 20 years entertaining audiences all over the world with his stunning, rich voice.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale at Vijay and Music Corner in Main Street, as well as at Gib Oil petrol stations, the Alameda, Ocean Village Express shops and online via the Festival’s website. A small number of VIP tickets are still available. In the coming weeks, further international artists will be announced for the Gibraltar Music Festival, which will take place at the Victoria Stadium on Saturday September 6, 2014. To ensure you are the first to hear the exciting news, sign up to the newsletter at www.gibraltarmusicfestival.com

This young, vivacious artist has been making her mark on the Leeds music and festival scenes, performing at Live at Leeds 2013 alongside big names. Her vibrant performance style also recently landed her slots supporting artists such as Submotion Orchestra and Tyler Hilton.

Georgia has hailed reviews from the critics that make her stand out from the crowd. She recently travelled stateside to record her debut EP (for release later this year), so is very excited that she will be sharing her music live with a large, local crowd.

Adrian Pisarello and the EC Band

Adrian Pisarello and the EC Band need little introduction! With songs like Aquí Nadie Se Lo Traga and Bájate en la Próxima Estación, Adrian has become a household name. He’s passionate about music, particularly rock, punk and folk.

As well as being an award-winning songwriter, Adrian is also one of the most energetic local musicians around, giving every performance his all. He is as comfortable playing intimate settings as he is on the big stage, having supported acts like Shaggy, Estopa, Melon Diesel and Breed 77.

Adrian always has various musical projects on the go, but is especially excited about bringing together the talented musicians that make up the EC Band to perform in front of thousands of fans at the Gibraltar Music Festival. g www.gibraltarmusicfestival.com

42 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 GMF.indd 42

5/2/14 10:14 AM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

THE LOCAL people

Dr. John Cortes has no problem sleeping – it’s the furry creatures haunting his dreams that trouble Gibraltar’s Health and Environment Minister! They are the Rock’s cheeky Barbary macaques which regularly top his daytime agenda, too, along with the health and well-being of the local human population and, by natural extension, the planet.

I

t’s an unseasonally warm April afternoon when I meet Dr. John Cortes in his office at Duke of Kent House. The perfect day for a photo shoot in the magnificent Alameda Botanical Gardens – the ‘green lung’ of Gibraltar he restored to its former glory over 20 years as Director.

“If only,” he says, pointing to a mountain of paperwork that will keep him at his desk until 8pm as usual – not always ‘going home time’ as he often works evenings and every weekend.

An Oxford graduate with a PhD in Ecology, John gave up what most people would consider a dream job to enter politics. Working in one of the world’s most beautiful public green spaces, he was intimately acquainted with every specimen of flora and fauna, and their Latin names. “The previous government had lost the plot, there was a democratic deficit and the professionals were not being listened to. I felt

I could make a contribution,” he explains.

We console ourselves with a photograph of the Minister beside his mantelpiece menagerie of china animals. “This is one of my favourite birds, handcrafted to commemorate the first three occasions I sighted one in Gibraltar, once when I was camping,” says this former Scout Leader, picking up a figurine of a crested hoopoe. There’s also an eagle, a woodpecker and a wolf, the mammal the Minister most admires because “it’s prehistoric, a competitor to early man and an emblem of the wilderness I love. They were given to me by Sir John Chapple, a former Governor of Gibraltar and another keen birder.”

John has been fascinated by birds ever since his parents gave him a choice of a bicycle or binoculars for passing his 11+. “I chose binoculars and sat in the stairwell of our house in Irish town, training them on swifts and starlings,” he says. “I never did learn to ride a bike.”

44 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 LoP2.indd 44

4/29/14 12:02 PM

JohnDOCTOR Cortes GIBRALTAR WORDS BELINDA BECKETT PHOTOGRAPHY JON SEGUI

He’s a ‘Tweeter’ as well as a twitcher. ‘Lifelong biologist and naturalist, now trying to make sense of politics and make politics sensible,’ says his Twitter bio.

So has he?

“As I tell people quite often, I’m not a real politician because it’s not a reflection of real life.

In the real world, if you do something well you are praised but in politics, whatever you do you are criticised from some quarters. As a scientist, I’m used to analysing data and testing hypotheses first but if you admit that a hypothesis is wrong in politics, you are making a U-turn!”

Politics seems a strange enough U-Turn for a man whose academic brilliance could have taken him in many directions – a top research post, a university professorship… he might even have become a successor to David Attenborough or a Shakespearean actor, who knows? He has directed and performed in amateur theatre to rave reviews and authored books on birds, plants and Barbary macaques. “After natural history, acting is the love of my life and I might have gone into the performing arts but we didn’t have the same opportunities when I was a boy,” says John, who was 13 when the border closed. He takes vicarious pleasure in having passed down his talents to the next generation. His son has a degree in theatre technology and his daughter is studying to be a vet An unfortunate twist of fate had a hand in his own destiny early on. “I applied for a Royal Society Fellowship to study reptiles in Spain’s Coto Doñana and was awarded £10,000 a year for three years – a not inconsiderable sum in 1982. But, because I was Gibraltarian, my project was handed over to a Spaniard who never did anything with it,” he says.

“That changed the course of my career.”

After a year in supply teaching he entered the civil service, becoming general manager of the new Gibraltar Health Authority which he restructured to put patients before paperwork. He was a Justice of the Peace for 17 years and has served on umpteen NGOs, both political and ecological, in and beyond The Rock, most famously as General Secretary of the Gibraltar Ornithological

and Natural History Society from its inception in 1976. He has an MBE for his conservation work in Gibraltar, Spain and Morocco.

In 2011, the socialist in Dr. Cortes (who founded the Gibraltar Union of Students) combined with paternal concern for his homeland, came to the fore, and he gave everything up to stand as a GSLP candidate, coming second to Fabian Picardo. With his environmental and health background, he was the obvious choice for both portfolios.

Bringing Al Gore to Gibraltar was one of his early coups. Under his remit, Gibraltar is establishing a reduced carbon footprint, recycling more waste, investing in new green spaces and hybrid vehicles to counter urban pollution and opening a new eco-friendly power plant that burns gas, not diesel. “Finally we’re moving with the times on fuel and energy consumption to become the greenest government in our history and possibly in Europe too, though we’re not finished yet,” says John.

He is also proud of the Day Surgery Unit which opened last September and now carries out over 80 per cent of operations. This and a third hospital operating theatre has reduced the waiting list for beds at a stroke. “We only had to cancel two operations all winter,” he says proudly, adding with one of his oft-used horticultural analogies: “We’re still putting down roots, having first had to recondition the soil after the mistakes of the previous administration. I would like another four years to see all our plans come to fruition.”

Not everything in the garden is looking lovely. Some people blame the artificial reef for Spain’s renewed hostilities and a return to siege conditions, with long queues at the border. “I think most people realise now that the reasons for Spain’s aggression go way beyond the reef, a project started in the 1970s,” says the Minister.

“Deploying concrete blocks to encourage the return of sea grass in what had become a barren desert is a system used in Spain and all over the world. Sea grass produces as much oxygen in the ocean as tropical rainforests in the atmosphere.

It’s vital to marine life.”

So what keeps him awake at nights? “I sleep

soundly because I’m tired and my conscience is clear but the macaques are my biggest nightmare,” he says. “I have been saying for years that, if they become accustomed to human food, they will shift their location to urban areas. It’s not an over-population problem or even a monkey problem – it’s a human problem.”

Dr. Cortes has been on their case with blowpipes and putty which was effective for a while, steeper public fines for feeding them and a noise deterrent that worked on macaques in India but didn’t bother their Gibraltar cousins one hoot. Transportation to other colonies is being considered for some. Dr Cortes loves the monkeys as much as anyone, although he would prefer them not to haunt his dreams. “They’re not aggressive as a rule and shouldn’t be feared.

They have fascinating natural behaviour when it’s properly interpreted but whereas we might smile at them in a tricky situation, that’s threatening behaviour in monkey language.”

As Health Minister, John has to be seen ‘walking the walk’ although his stride is less vigorous since breaking his ankle on a nocturnal bat watch, which has brought his gym sessions to a halt. The Upper Rock Nature Reserve is his workout and “escape to the wilderness”. From these dizzy heights he can forget affairs of state and focus his binoculars on migrating birds. Last year was his 28th consecutive Winter Bird Count.

“When I was a kid I’d see six or seven hundred common buzzards crossing the Strait. There are far fewer now, due to global warming.”

Whether he gets his hoped-for second term in office or not, he won’t be idle. There’s the theatre, a return to the magistrates courts, perhaps, and a long-promised trip to The Galapagos Islands.

Presenting a radio programme is another of his ambitions.

He’s already planned his next books: “Historical fiction, fantasy fiction and my memoirs, although I’ve been told that if I publish those I will have to leave Gibraltar,” he adds with a touch of mischief.

But that’s as unlikely as the Barbary macaques quitting The Rock… or the Minister’s dreams. e

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 45

G08 LoP2.indd 45

4/29/14 12:02 PM

PHOTOGRAPHY JAYDEN FA

CHRISTEL MIFSUD

THE LOCAL people

GIRL

Her sassy Street and Sportswear collections sell online internationally under the Shorji label - all within a year of winning Runway 2013’s New Designer Competition. As this year’s catwalk extravaganza draws to a close, Christel Mifsud tells Belinda Becket how it gave lift-off to her own fashion career.

C

hristel Mifsud didn’t respond the way some girls might when her boyfriend nicknamed her ‘shortie’. (She’s too petite to punch him on the nose, anyway!) She took a different line of attack, turning the affectionately ‘heightist’ label into a fashionable one: Shorji, her pet name given a Japanese twist while on a trip to Tokyo, now sewn into every garment she hand-makes at home and sells in her online shop internationally.

Christel is the very personification of her brand. She even looks like her Shorji logo, styled on the Momiji brand of collectible, hand-painted Japanese dolls. Issey Miyake is one of her favourite designers and her own collections are pretty cutting edge: Street and Sports shapewear in zingy neons − the clothes she likes to wear herself, while power-walking around the Rock or partying with pals. They’re comfy and practical without renouncing a stitch of style, whether slashed to reveal, cut to cling or printed with witty motivational phrases that bring smiles to faces: ‘Train like a Beast’, ‘Kiss my Glutes’ and ‘Muscles loading – please wait’ reflect her own bubbly personality.

It all came about because she could never find anything to fit her – even in Mothercare! Christel is five foot nothing and a dress size four. Kids clothes were too shapeless, adult fashion made her look like a kid dressed up in her Mum’s clothes. She’s 34 but she still gets asked for her ID in pubs! Stuff like that could get a fashion-

conscious girl down but not this diminutive dynamo. If ready-to-wear had marginalised her, she’d make her own haute couture wardrobe.

We’re talking about a girl who’d never learned to load a bobbin or thread a needle. Necessity had to work overtime to become the mother of Christel’s invention!

“I taught myself to sew out of pure frustration but it turned into a passion,” she says. “I juiced every single tutorial from YouTube and any other useful stuff I could get my tiny mitts on. I bought books the required capsule the collection of three original and took sewing classes from Dorcas Hammond who designs outfithat ts. Against her own doubtful expectations, she clothes for the Miss Gibraltar pageant. I was determined.”

With her L-plates on, she sat downwon! at her mother’s sewing Herforsporty vests, tanks, bras, crop tops machine (a basic model with a tortoise button ‘slow’theme and a of hare and clothes. leggingsFrom in practical, for ‘fast’) and began modifying store-bought turning moisture-wicking fabrics, breathable air mesh and radio-active hues also up hems and shortening sleeves she graduated into pattern making, bought her the chance cutting, constructing and sewing outfits from scratch.

Word spreadto show at Fashion Clash in Maastricht, and soon Christel had a growing list of fans clamouring aforEuropean copies platform for hot young and then present a full collection of 20 of her funky designs. “It gave me such adesigners, buzz to be able to towear outfi ts at Runway Select perfectly-fitting garments at last and have friends compliment melast November. on my designs and ask me where I’d bought“Showing them!” my collection was a prize in itself, winning was and an unexpected bonus and Fashion Reluctant to ‘go public’ but encouraged by family friends, ClashCompetition was an awesome she entered Runway’s 2013 New Designer an hourexperience,” she reflects.

“I got to and make before the deadline. As she worked full-time at meet her father’s air- friends with some lovely hairdressers, photographers, makeup artists, conditioning company, she spent a franticpeople, fortnight putting together

46 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 LoP.indd 46

4/29/14 1:58 PM

“I TAUGHT MYSELF TO SEW OUT OF PURE FRUSTRATION BUT IT TURNED INTO A PASSION” journalists, choreographers, designers’ assistants and models from all over the world. Showing to such a big audience was nerve-wracking but an inspirational experience for any new designer.”

After all that, it was time to give up the day job. “It was scary because I’ve been working with my Dad, over weekends and in the school holidays, since I was 12 but everyone encouraged me to go for it,” says this talented slip of a girl who designed her own website, too, launching her online shop this January.

It received 20,000 hits in the first three months, from customers worldwide.

With plans to refresh and add to her Street and Sportswear ranges seasonally – look out for pastels, brights and tie dyes this summer – she’s also working on a collection of showstoppers to wear for June 15’s Gibraltar Love Festival of music, and ideas for a new children’s range. Local charity fashion shows where customers can try before they buy are also on her agenda. Her Shorji S-Bands − seamless sports armbands designed to carry keys, money and music on the run, are selling like they’re going out of fashion! “They don’t have zips or Velcro fasteners that chafe the skin,” says the ever-practical Christel who’s inspired by solving the everyday fashion problems she encounters herself.

Check out her blog for tried and tested fashion tips!

“I’m into fitness but I could never find clothes that were comfortable as well as stylish and if you don’t feel good inwardly it reflects outwardly,” says this sporty fashionista who focuses on fabrics that

flex and draw moisture from the skin, with stretch jersey (not elastic) waistbands that give zero tolerance to muffin tops.

Travel is another source of inspiration – especially that holiday in Tokyo, where the Shorji brand was born.

“The fashions there are a bit extreme for Gibraltar but it’s fun adapting the look,” she says.

She tests her finished designs on a real model first, to make sure they deliver. And she really does deliver − driving Gibraltar orders to customers’ doors in her patriotic redand-white Mini Cooper. Shorji is still very much a cottage industry she runs from home alone, designing, cutting and sewing everything by hand. “I’ll have to invest in IT and hire some help eventually,” she says reluctantly, “but I’m so particular it will be hard to delegate.”

Some things never change. She still can’t find clothes to fit in her own online shop as Shorji sizes only come in 6-12! “Well, who wears a size four?” she laughs. “In Gibraltar, probably just me!” g www.shorji.com

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 47

G08 LoP.indd 47

4/29/14 1:58 PM

style

INTERIORS / ARCHITECTURE / ART / FASHION

Relish in the beauty of Hannibal Laguna’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection and get in shape for the coming summer season.

G08 GIntros.indd 1

BEAUTY / HEALTH

50

Fashion Feature: Hannibal Laguna

56

Beauty: Upcoming Trends for the Season

58

Slimming and Detox Supplements

4/29/14 1:08 PM

sapphire 230x300mm-tree:Layout 1 8/27/13 3:42 PM Page 1

Life has moved on...line Sapphire Networks, growing with your needs

www.sapphire.gi +350 200 47 200 - info@sapphire.gi Suite 3.0.3 Eurotowers, PO Box 797, Gibraltar

THE STYLE fashion

Spring

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

RITES OF

Hannibal Laguna paints the colours of Nature with his artist’s brush, recreating our ideals of beauty with otherworldly shades of magic.

Turquoise turns into the season’s hottest shade (‘petroleum’), pink takes on a touch of neon and white becomes a dazzling ivory. Famed for elegance and grace in his designs, Hannibal Laguna is also a true visionary, reinterpreting the world around him with every new collection.

Fuschia Frivolity

50 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FaF.indd 50

4/28/14 1:40 PM

In Bloom

Hannibal Laguna ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 51

G08 FaF.indd 51

4/28/14 1:41 PM

Petal Power

52 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FaF.indd 52

4/28/14 1:41 PM

Petroleum Passion

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 53

G08 FaF.indd 53

4/28/14 1:41 PM

Nature or Nurture?

54 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FaF.indd 54

4/28/14 1:41 PM

Ivory Perfection

i www.hannibal-laguna.com ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 55

G08 FaF.indd 55

4/28/14 1:41 PM

THE STYLE beauty

9TRENDS BEAUTY

to Watch Out for in the Summer

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

PRODUCTS

Most ladies like to sit beneath the sun and soak in the golden rays, sporting light, make-up free looks all season… or do they? The Spring/Summer catwalks are indicating that it’s not going to be about going completely natural. Rather, the key is to use the following trends to bring out our beauty in a subtle, natural yet highly feminine way:

Z LIQUID EYELINER: Yes it is possible to marry sunbronzed skin to 1960s cat-like eyeliner. Wear this valuable make-up item sans eyeshadow, for a youthful yet funky look. Team it with neutral or bare lips, a straight, pulled-back ponytail and you’re on to a winning look. Experiment with liquid eyeliners in turquoise or blue, the ‘in’ shade of the season.

Z SHIMMER: When it comes to foundation and primers, it’s all about the glow of youth.

Use a shimmering primer before applying your foundation, or apply a bit of shimmer at the top of your cheekbone and in the centre of your forehead.

Remember to keep it subtle. Light metallic eyeshadows will also be all the rage; try Maybelline’s 24 Hour Color Tattoo cream gel shadow in bronze; it is subtle yet sparkly enough to give your eyelids a dewy effect.

Z MONOTONED EYESHADOW: Forget about contouring this season; just apply one shade. See how light pink or nude works on your skin and keep the rest of your face light and natural too.

Z TWIST AND SHOUT!: Tease hair and wrap it up in a messy French twist… think of Bardot at her most glamorous, but lessen the volume at the top of the head a notch. The look should be natural and casual. Braids will also be ‘in’: try a side fishtail or a crown braid, as sported recently by stars like Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence.

Z EXTREME SIDE PARTS: Once again, girls will be wearing their hair parted to the side and pulled back in a tight ponytail. The key to this simple style is the health of your hair. Keep it glossy with a good serum and for fuss-free, poker-straight hair, try the thermal straightening treatment, which will leave your hair in tip-top condition for many months in a row.

Z STRAIGHT HAIR: Forget about the tousled look of summer. Sleek, straight locks are back.

Grow your layers and opt for an even cut. This summer, channel your inner Rapunzel; the longer your hair is, the better.

INTENSE LIP COLOURS: We will be seeing everything from fluorescent orange hues to deep reds and fuschias, on lasses’ lips. Pair a bold lipstick with minimalistic make-up.

Just a little foundation, eyeliner and the lightest of blushes will be the most this look can take.

NAIL ART: Ostentation is what it’s all about when it comes to nails. Stand out from the crowd with colourful, brash, bright nail designs.

Go for a different design on every nail. At the very least, experiment with more than one style on your next visit to the nail technician. Flowers are out but glitter, crystals and stripey designs are definitely in! Forego traditional summery pastel shades for brown, bronze or gold.

HEADBANDS: Cloth headbands used to be a useful accessory while you were applying your make-up but this season, you’ll definitely want to keep it on. Think thick, elastic bands in an array of colours; it’s the perfect look after a swim in the sea, when you don’t have enough time to get the straightening iron out!

56 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 BeF.indd 56

5/2/14 1:15 PM

Available now in Gibraltar! Susan’s Aesthetic Service, Valmont Suite, Specialist Medical Clinic, 1st Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49999 • info@smg.gi www.valmonteurope.com

G08 Valmont.indd 1

4/30/14 10:12 AM

THE STYLE health

Detox ADVICE

and Slimming Supplements for the Perfect Bikini Body

Summer has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it; suddenly, heavy coats give way to airy summer dresses, flirty sandals and of course… the dreaded bikini! Take advantage of the last couple of months before peak beach season to trim and tone up problem areas. Make it a point to stick to organic, seasonal, fresh produce; steer clear of trans fats, refined sugar and salt and stock up on Omega-3 essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Boost your programme with these popular slimming and detox aids: Z THE LEMON DETOX The process of detoxification has long been proven to be an effective way to eliminate, neutralise or transform the toxins we absorb daily from our diet, the environment and, sometimes, the medications we take. Detoxification has come to be an important part of a popular weight loss diet known as 5:2, which involves five days of healthy eating followed by two days of lowcalorie consumption (in the latter phase, dieters aim to consume just 500 calories a day). On fasting days, followers of the 5:2 method drink a blend made of Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, water and a pinch of cayenne pepper – the drink is said to keep hunger at bay, boost the metabolism and provide a potent array of nutrients.

One glass usually contains around 100 calories, so fasters usually consume between five to six glasses a day.

Z CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID (CLA) CLA is an essential fatty acid usually obtained from animal fats and milk. It is said to accelerate the action of an enzyme which helps break down fat in the blood, while simultaneously slowing down the activity of another enzyme which assists cells in the absorption of fat. A recent Norwegian study suggests that CLA is particularly helpful with changing the body’s composition, promoting greater

from slowing down during weight loss. A 2009 study body fat loss during dieting, and a lower fat-topublished in the International Journal of Obesity muscle ratio if weight is regained after dieting. revealed that the catechins in green tea may boost Z ORTIS PURE PLAN DETOX This potent blend the metabolism. contains a host of ingredients, including green tea Z CHA DE BUGRE Sourced from a Brazilian tree, Cha extracts, artichoke, tamarind pulp, concentrated de Bugre is said to help fight the formation of fatty apple juice, fennel, dandelion and concentrated deposits, thereby keeping cellulite at bay. Taken an elderberry juice. It is the ideal ‘pick-me-up’ for those hour before meals, it is said to supress the appetite. feeling lethargic due to toxic overload. Artichoke Z NATURE’S GARDEN STEVIA Make life a whole lot and birch kickstart the liver, dandelion, green tree more appetising with this unique natural sweetener, and birch aid the kidneys in their cleansing function, made from a plant that is grown in Paraguay and tamarind does wonders for the digestion and wild Brazil, where it has been used for centuries to pansy helps keep your complexion clean and clear. sweeten food. Despite having no calories, stevia Z CHITOSAN This unique dietary fibre, made from is 200 times sweeter than sugar and can be used the shells of crustaceans, is said to aid in weight with hot and cold drinks, as well as popular dessert loss by facilitating fat absorption, binding to fat so recipes. Best of all, it brings none of the negative that less can be absorbed into the system. effects associated with artificial sweeteners like Z AFRICAN MANGO WITH GREEN TEA In two saccharine or aspartame. randomised studies involving overweight and obese Z APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DIET Various studies subjects, those who consumed African mango lost indicate that the consumption of apple cider vinegar between two and four more kilograms per month, before going to bed may be helpful in preventing compared to a placebo group. African mango has body fat buildup. been highly recommended by Dr. Oz, who claims that it is “highly effective at sequestering fat and Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a cholesterol” and eliminating these compounds varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are from the body. Green tea, meanwhile, is one of the pregnant, breastfeeding, taking any medications or under most powerful antioxidants known to man, with medical supervision, please consult a doctor or healthcare studies showing that it may stop the metabolism professional before use.

g All items can be found at Holland & Barrett in Gibraltar. 160 Main Street, 58 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 HeF.indd 58

Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49504. www.hollandandbarrett.com

5/2/14 11:43 AM

Gibraltar

Club Card

n i o J E E FR ! y a tod

With our Club Card, every time you give you get something back You’ll collect an introductory 4 points for every £1 you spend You’ll receive exclusive promotions including bonus point events and production offers

They say the best things in life are free... that’s why it’s free to join, plus you’ll collect points every time you shop Start enjoying all the benefits your Club Card has to offer!

Zip a dee do dah!

160 Main Street, Gibraltar · Tel. +350 200 49504

Mr. r. H M Ho ollllaan nd d& &B Baarr rreett tt * terms & conditions apply

www.facebook.com/HollandandBarrettGibraltar

Gibraltar

local The Governor Goes Walkabout

The Governor and Lady Dutton with Andrew Bonfante, CEO of the Borders and Coastguard Agency

The Gibraltar Governor and his wife, Sir James and Lady Elizabeth Dutton, have been on walkabout to familiarise themselves with their new home and its people, no doubt discovering that for a small place there’s a lot to see! One of their first ports of call was the infamous frontier, a visit hosted by Borders and Coastguard Agency Chief Executive Andrew Bonfante and his team. Sir James and Lady Dutton were able to see first-hand the volume of traffic and pedestrians coming into Gibraltar in the mornings, and the Biometric data passport and ID card scanners in operation. They also saw round the airport terminal, including the search areas where high tech x-ray, metal and explosive trace detectors are used to screen baggage and cargo. On another occasion they visited Bruce’s Farm Rehabilitation Centre and Mount Alvernia Care Home for the Elderly with Samantha Sacramento, Minister for Equality, Social Services and the Elderly. They have also toured the Technical Services Department with Paul Balban, Minister for Traffic, Housing and Technical Services, where they saw how digital mapping is being used in strategic decision making.

Decorate Your Home – with Your DNA! A pioneering new British company in Gibraltar is offering family portraits with a 21st century twist: genetic art, featuring your DNA expressed as colourful bar codes to hang on your wall. Simply provide a sample with a handy swab kit and DNA Your World will do the rest, sequencing the 16-gene combination that makes each of us different to create your own unique Genetic Bar Code. The pattern, precisely matching the colours produced by a molecular sequencing machine, is then reproduced as large-scale art on canvas, aluminium, acrylic or an aluminium/acrylic combination to add a contemporary and stylish note to your home that will be a talking point with all your friends! The brainchild of Michael Jowers, who has a PhD in evolutionary genetics and a passion for his subject, he says: “By using genes that are inherited, you can trace patterns within your family members or compare your genes to those of your partner, all through the eye-catching medium of art.”

g www.dnayourworld.com 60 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 En.indd 60

4/29/14 2:03 PM

A ‘Chindian’ World Music Festival Celebrated British Indian composer/ producer Nitin Sawhney will headline Chindia, Gibraltar’s third World Music Festival featuring a fusion of Indian and Chinese music. Sawhney’s work combines Asian and worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica. He has won 17 major national awards for nine albums and will premier the intimate show audiences will see at Womad in July and the Royal Albert Hall in September. Held in the spectacular setting of St Michael’s Cave on June 19, the programme begins with a taste of oriental ancient music from professional French duo Guo Gan and Mieko Miyazaki on Japanese koto and Chinese erhu stringed instruments. Top Israeli percussionist Itamar Doari provides the bridge between these two musical performances while internationally-renowned dancer/choreographer Nathan Conroy ties the theme together with a show of Chinese and Indian dance.

g Tickets from Gibraltar Productions, 92 Irish Town, Sacarello’s and online at www.milentradas.com Further information, www.gibraltarproductions.com

Gib Love Festival The Gibraltar Music Festival isn’t the only act in town so make a date in your diary for the Gib Love Fest on June 15. This brand new event for music lovers of all ages will bring top young international artists to the open-air Victoria Stadium Complex for non-stop sounds from 15.30pm until midnight. UK Duo Chase & Status top the bill (the final act on the night). The line-up also headlines ASWAD, one of Britain’s best-loved reggae bands, 2010 X-Factor runner up Rebecca Ferguson, Tony T. the ex-lead singer of R.I.O., Spanish vocalist Nalaya Brown (of Privilege Ibiza fame), Gibraltarian pop/rock artist Guy Valarino and local acts Reach, Hollie April & Megan Dallas. Local businesses will sell their products from stalls during the day and there will be attractions for children. g Tickets, priced at £45 (general), £150 (VIP) and £15 for under-

12s (limited to 300 tickets) are available from Music Corner and The Ivy, Ocean Village and www.eventbrite.com Further information from the Gib Love Festival Facebook page or www.gibraltarlovefestival.com ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 61

G08 En.indd 61

4/29/14 2:04 PM

READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THE NEW STATESMAN Gibraltar is making headline news in Britain’s leading current affairs magazine. The New Statesman and the Gibraltar Government have joined forces in a sixmonth media partnership that has given The Rock its own microsite on the NS website, featuring news, interviews and topical insight. Traffic to the magazine's online version hit a record high in 2013, with 2.68 million unique visitors.

Commented Chief Minister Fabian Picardo: “The project will undoubtedly play a major role in carrying the Gibraltar story around the world at a particularly difficult time of aggressive attempts to undermine the Gibraltarians and their economy.” The partnership includes a monthly print feature, published in the last issue of every month until August. Previous partnerships have included three, 16-page special reports containing interviews and profiles of Gibraltar’s influential business and political leaders.

NEW PORT CAPTAIN’S HOME-COMING Bob Sanguinetti returns to his native soil as the new Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Port Authority and Captain of the Port, following the resignation of Captain Roy Stanbrook.

Bob spent most of his career in the Royal Navy, commanding warships and reaching the rank of Commodore, also working with the Ministry of Defence in various strategic roles. Latterly he was Head of Intelligence at the UK’s National Operations Headquarters in London. Married with three daughters, Gibraltarian-born Bob is a Younger Brother of Trinity House, a Yachtmaster Offshore and has wide experience of management and planning. Commented Neil Costa, Minister for Tourism, Commercial Affairs, Public Transport and the Port: “The Port is a major economic player in Gibraltar and we are sure that Bob will provide the leadership and drive to continue its growth and development.”

g www.newstatesman.com/gibraltar

LOCAL ARTWORKS HEAD FOR THE RA Two local artists are one step nearer to having their work exhibited at London’s prestigious Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Don’t Look at Me, a naive sculpture by Shane Dalmedo, and Gibraltar View, a charcoal landscape drawing by Alan Perez have passed the pre-selection round and will wing their way to the UK to be judged alongside up to 12,000 other entries from all over the world. The best 1,000 will make it to the final show, the most popular open exhibition of contemporary art in Britain, held annually through June, July and August since 1769. Over £70,000 is awarded in prize money and many artists like Marc Quinn (notable for his faeces sculptures) have gone on to fame and fortune. The Ministry of Culture is covering the cost of transporting the artworks as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Royal Academy to promote fine art in Gibraltar.

GIBRALTAR NURSE HONOURED Gibraltar skin specialist Linda Castro has received a top British nursing accolade.

She was runner-up for Dermatology Nurse of the Year in the British Journal of Nursing’s 2014 Awards, which recognise excellence in the profession at all levels. “Linda is an example and an inspiration to all those who work in health care,” said Health Minister Dr. John Cortes. “Her enthusiasm is contagious and her skill has helped many hundreds of our patients. I know this from personal experience, both as a colleague and as a patient myself.” Linda, Dermatology Specialist Nurse at the Primary Care Centre, gave special thanks to her team and family, adding: “Coming from our little but wonderful Gibraltar, my home, I was privileged to have been shortlisted and given second place.”

Linda Castro (left) at the BJN award ceremony in London

62 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 En.indd 62

4/29/14 2:04 PM

G08 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 1

4/29/14 11:26 AM

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SUCCESS Gibraltar’s Special Olympics swimming team made a splash at the Princess Charlene Swimming Meeting in Monaco, returning triumphant with five medals. Daniel Gavito won gold in both the 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle; Malcolm Miel took bronze in the 25m freestyle and silver in the 25m backstroke; and Alfred Celecia won bronze in the 25m freestyle and 4th place in the 25m breaststroke. Teams from 28 European countries and South Africa competed in the two-day event at the Stade Louis II stadium, opened by former South African Olympic swimmer Princess Charlene with a performance of percussion by members of the Princesse Stéphanie Youth Centre.

MOR KABASI ROCKS BABEL MED Gibraltar Productions, the management company behind the Rock’s World Music Festival, recently celebrated a top award for one of its artists. Seville-based Sephardic singersongwriter Mor Karbasi was chosen by thousands of internet users to win the €5.000 Orange Foundation Prize, awarded to help talented artists fund upcoming projects. The prize was presented at Babel Med in Marseille, the most influential professional platform for Mediterranean music which this year hosted 36 concerts on four stages, providing 27 hours of music for an audience of 16,000.

During the three-day combined conference/music festival, the Gibraltar Productions delegation of Yan Delgado, Fatosh Samuray and José Luis Martínez introduced the artists they represent to more than 2,500 delegates and 275 companies from 60 countries, among them festival directors, artists, agencies and record label promoters.

SPRING FESTIVAL FEVER Gibraltar will be blooming with cultural events from now until the summer solstice. The annual Spring Festival kicked off with the traditional May Day celebrations and finishes on a high with the Calentita food fest – tastes from Gibraltar’s cultural melting pot at Casemates Square on June 21st. In between, stand by for art and photographic exhibitions, dance, theatre, lectures, Gibraltar’s Got Talent, a short story competition, parades, pomp and circumstance. The Gibraltar Flower Show at John Mackintosh Hall from May 6-9 is a perennial favourite. Other popular events include the Mr Natural Strongman and Strongwoman Gibraltar Championships on May 10 at Victoria Stadium; the Gib Fringe Festival at the Alameda Open Air Theatre From May 15-18; A Celebration of Opera by the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society in St Michael’s Cave on May 22; and the one-and-only Miss Gibraltar beauty pageant at the Queen’s Cinema on June 7.

The 2014 Spring Festival also has a new logo by Sarah Devincenzi who scooped £300 for her winning ‘Rock garden’ design.

g Full programme from culture.info@culture.gov.gi

GIBRALTAR DARTS TROPHY Top darts pros from around the world including Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, Michael Van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis and Gibraltar’s own Dylan Duo and Dyson Parody will becompeting for the top prize of £20,000 in next month’s 2014 Gibraltar Darts Trophy. Organised by the Ministry for Sports in conjunction with the Professional Darts Corporation, the tournament will be held over the weekend of June 27-29, at the Tercentenary Hall. There will be a total of five sessions with the big Sunday final at 17.30. g Tickets are on

sale during business hours from the Ministry of Culture, 310 Main Street, Tel +350 200 47592.

64 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 En.indd 64

4/29/14 2:04 PM

G08 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 2

4/29/14 11:26 AM

THE PRO finance

words Michel Cruz Photography Jon Segui

Recently appointed as the new CEO of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, Mrs. Samantha Barrass has been tasked with the important role of upholding Gibraltar’s reputation as a safe, robust and wellmanaged centre of financial services.

66 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA FSC.indd 66

4/29/14 11:57 AM

Heading up the Financial Services Commission – a key position W

hatever your position on the financial sector, its existence is one of the facts of life – so it is desirable that such an important part of the economy should be regulated.

The extent and form this takes could again be up for debate, but the brief of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (FSC) is to do everything in its power to protect the rights of consumers whilst also safeguarding the reputation of the financial sector as a whole. It does this by providing a clear regulatory framework within which firms and individuals can operate ethically; providing guidance and information, monitoring business conduct and, where necessary, taking pre-emptive or punitive action with the means placed at its disposal.

It’s quite a task and, in a prominent international centre of financial services such as Gibraltar, a very important one too. The sector depends heavily on credibility and trust, and it is partly up to the FSC to ensure this hard-won reputation is maintained and, if anything, enhanced as the crown colony seeks to expand its role as a stepping stone between Europe and the rest of the world. The person who heads up the FSC therefore occupies a key position, so we thought it important to get to know its recently appointed CEO, Mrs. Samantha Barrass.

A pioneering role in regulation Mrs. Barrass joined the FSC in February this year from the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA), where she had been Executive Director of the body governing 10,000 law firms and over 140,000 legal practitioners in England and Wales. Before that she was involved in regulatory positions within the Financial Services Authority (FSA), having been one of the first economists recruited to develop cost-benefit analytical tools for new regulation.

She began her career at the Reserve Bank of New

Zealand as a young economics graduate from the University of Canterbury before returning to England to study for an MSc in Economics at the London School of Economics.

It is with these credentials that Mrs. Barrass succeeds Mr. Marcus Killick as CEO of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, which will be pleased to have found a replacement with such a service record in the field of regulation. Having entered this specialisation at an early stage because she recognised the growing need for regulation in an increasingly liberalised financial environment, Samantha Barrass formed part of a pioneering group that sought to ensure good governance and ethical conduct within a market economy.

The approach taken was not one of burdening the private sector with heavy prescriptions, but rather of streamlining the process of regulation in such a way that it didn’t stand in the path of growth and development.

“In wanting to weed out unethical behaviour and incompetence we were never ‘against’ business, but actually wanted to make sure it had every chance of success,” says Barrass.

“Even so, initially the burden of proof was on the regulators to show that the market system wasn’t entirely capable of avoiding problems through self regulation alone, but gradually the potential dangers of bad practice and corporate governance disconnect became evident and our role was affirmed.” The system developed put the emphasis on establishing an unambiguous framework within which firms and professionals could work, focusing more on subsequent monitoring and guidance than on restrictive edicts. “What’s more,” says the new CEO, “monitoring provides the important chance of catching situations before they grow big, thus giving us a pre-emptive role that often enables us to avoid heavy sanctioning.”

Samantha Barrass has never been a fan of dealing with the problems that arise in her field by issuing a new set of rules and regulations. “Very often you are not contributing to a meaningful solution by doing this, so we took the approach of analysing the situation more broadly and trying to find solutions at the root of the problem rather than just the point at which it becomes visible. In addition, we projected ahead to see if we could identify any plausible potential problems and act to avoid them. This, I believe, is the true role and indeed value of anyone in a regulatory or legislating function.”

Promoting sector growth through good management The key functions of the FSC are quite straightforward to define: 1) licensing firms, 2) overseeing them and 3) enforcing against them if necessary. “These are our main operational actions,” says Barrass, but for her they fit within an overall brief whose ultimate goal is also threefold, namely to 1) protect the rights of consumers, 2) punish offenders and 3) protect the integrity of Gibraltar’s financial services sector.

In an industry as sensitive to confidence and market sentiment as this one, the common denominator in achieving all of the above is the ability to weed out bad and incompetent practice, deal with it effectively and thus leave a body of healthy, well-functioning financial services firms that do Gibraltar proud and raise its profile as a prominent international centre. “Put simply, good practice and a strong track record draw investment, and this in turn feeds the growth earmarked in Gibraltar’s ambitious development plans.”

It is therefore in everyone’s interest to stick to the guidelines of their profession and act within the spirit of ethical norms, but you can’t expect all individual

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 67

G08 FeA FSC.indd 67

4/29/14 11:57 AM

principals and professionals to keep the bigger picture in mind. “The entrepreneur is fully entitled to pursue profit,” says Mrs. Barrass, “as long as their actions do not go against the best interests of their clients, their profession and their sector. We naturally hope that we can count on the personal integrity of those involved, and in the vast majority of cases we can, but our role is ultimately to catch out those who don’t play to the rules and make sure they don’t sully the waters for everyone.”

The key is to make it increasingly hard to follow the unethical path, even if it is tempting.

“Great strides have been made in this regard in international private banking, making it very difficult to do what was once quite common. The key here is creating a deterrent, which in the case of the biggest offenders is punished not only by fines but also through the reaction of the markets, yet equally in offering an initial role of guidance and support.”

The process of regulation The process therefore begins with providing a clearly defined framework that delineates the

professional playing field of those in the financial services sector – establishing the requirements needed before firms and individuals can be licensed to practice in the field, highlighting legal compliance and conduct in relation to the products offered, the manner in which they are presented to the public and indeed the way in which companies are run and financially operated.

“This is where our licensing activity comes into it,” says Barrass. “We check the credentials of the individuals and the track records of the corporate entities involved before issuing licenses.

Next comes the process of monitoring, advising public and practitioners alike through our website, publications and seminars, offering guidance and also timely warnings when we spot problems, and only ultimately taking punitive action if there is no other recourse.” She shares the FSC’s preference for the kind of timely pre-emption that obviates the need for more stringent action. “To use an analogy, it’s a bit like how a good referee who has the game in hand does not need to hand out as many cards as one without a firm grip on the situation.”

However, when companies or individuals are

found to be breaking the rules the FSC will act and if necessary undertake punitive proceedings that could result in fines, the revoking of licences or worse. “The powers available to us vary under each of the Supervisory Acts which cover our regulatory activity. Generally though, we have a wide range of enforcement powers that we can bring to bear in enforcement cases. These powers are applied to regulated firms and individuals, proportionately and according to the risk posed by such entities as a result of a regulatory breach or other event, or according to the severity of the breach.”

The most serious breaches of financial services legislation may be referred to the Attorney General as Gibraltar’s prosecuting authority, in order that the latter may consider bringing a prosecution before the courts. “Under some Acts, the AG may stay or compound such proceedings, with the latter being analogous to the compromise penalties levied by the Collector of Customs in lieu of taking offenders to court.”

Apart from the court route, therefore, the FSC is empowered to deal with cases within its own powers. The ultimate sanction among these is the cancellation of a firm’s (and in some cases an individual’s) licence or authorisation. Stopping short of cancellation, the FSC may also suspend a licence for a given period, or until the licensee meets certain specified requirements. A licensee may also have its operations curtailed by the imposition of conditions, which are designed to bring it back to an acceptable financial position or to an adequate level of corporate governance.

Individuals who have been found to be in breach of the Supervisory Acts, or who have fallen short of the standards expected of persons responsible for the running of a firm, such as directors, shareholder controllers and managers, may be declared as being ‘not fit and proper’ and would be required to step down from notifiable positions held within regulated firms. “On the whole, though, our aim is to avoid such a state of affairs by minimising risks and curtailing unacceptable behaviour through our routine supervisory work.”

It is the sensible approach of an organisation whose difficult task it is to act as an independent regulator that keeps a complex, fast moving sector like financial services honest without impeding its growth. “It’s a delicate balancing act,” says Samantha Barrass, who seems just the person to fulfil the FSC’s stated mission of promoting Gibraltar’s excellent reputation as a well-governed international financial centre. g www.fsc.gi

68 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA FSC.indd 68

4/29/14 11:57 AM

G06 Totus.indd 1

12/13/13 2:58 PM

Tuna weather vane, Conil © José Lojo

THE LEISURE tuna

Tuck in at the

Tuna Fiestas!

You haven’t tasted tuna until you’ve tried wild atún rojo de almadraba, brought to the southwest coast of Spain courtesy of the Atlantic bluefin after the first full moon in May. Their arrival is celebrated with gastrofests in the Big Four almadraba towns of Cádiz province, whose time-honoured fishing method delivers these ocean giants in peak condition to the world’s top restaurant tables. All you need is a map and a healthy appetite to join in this great gourmet gig, as Belinda Beckett reports.

leaf, tuna boats floating on a sea of blue sauce, bite-sized tuna pizzas presented in miniature printed boxes, liquid tuna wittily named Gin Tunic! Only the finest local ingredients are used to create astonishing pairings showcasing the latest culinary techniques: tuna with apple, with tomato marmalade, with PX sherry; tuna carpaccio, confit and sous vide.

Along with sherry, Iberian pork and retinto beef – all from the southwest corner of Andalucía – almadraba-caught tuna is raising the game in Spanish gastronomy. The secret to this ocean delicacy is timing and the unique method of bringing these giants safely out of the water by ‘almadraba’ trap nets offshore, a technique dating back 3,000 years to Phoenician times.

Zahara boasts one of the ‘big four’ Atlantic almadrabas in Spain, along with Tarifa, Conil and Barbate which hold their own festivals. In 2010, Barbate welcomed 50 celebrity chefs to the festivities: gastronomic geniuses of the calibre of Ferran Adrià, Dani García and Ángel León, dubbed the Chef of the Sea for his amazing repertoire with fish and seafood at Aponiente, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Cádiz province.

© Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Cádiz

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CUSSEN AND AS CREDITED

T

he dish set before me looked more like fruit than fish. It was the shape and colour of an orange, topped with a small green leaf and presented in a miniature fruit crate. That was the whole idea! Paripé de Mandarina (Mandarin Deception) turned out to be tuna tartare, cunningly disguised in a sphere of mandarin gelatine. A gourmet trick that delivered on humour as well as flavour, like all the ingenious creations on the menu at last year’s Ruta de Atún in Zahara de los Atunes, named for its most prized commodity: the Atlantic bluefin.

During festival time there are nearly as many fish aficionados on land as there are tuna in the sea. And no wonder. With a tapa priced from as little as €1,50 (or up to €3,50 with a beer, soft drink or chilled manzanilla), it’s a no-brainer for fish fanciers! Last year in Zahara, a tiny maritime pueblo of 1,300 residents that seems to have more restaurants than locals to eat in them, 36 chefs sold 79,241 tapas – not bad in an economic crisis!

Extraordinary innovation is the principal ingredient of the festivals, when restaurants outdo each other to present outstanding dishes: tuna burgers and lollipops, tuna wrapped in gold

Gaspar Castro, President of ACOZA

70 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA Tuna.indd 70

4/29/14 12:15 PM

© Ignacio Soto www.naturetarifa.com

Zahara beach © Ni-Mu Comunicación

Tuna weather vane, Conil © José Lojo

“

Book a trip to watch the thrilling levantá

Tuna fishing is a controversial subject as Atlantic bluefin went into astronomical decline in the 1980s and 90s through over-fishing.

They’re still on the endangered list although the selective almadraba fishing method is considered more sustainable. The majority of the tuna shoals escape the nets completely, immature fish can wriggle through the mesh and live to spawn another day and only the best specimens are taken when the nets are hoisted out of the water.

A quota of 657 tonnes has been set for Cádiz this year but, as the average tuna weighs 200 kilos (and 15-foot tuna weighing 500kg are on record), that’s not as many fish as you might think: a few thousand, a fraction of what the catch once was – 15,000 in 1997, 70,000 in the industry’s heyday – not nearly enough, say the 500 families who depend on the tuna for their livelihood. The festivals are helping to raise awareness of this centuriesold tradition. It has disappeared completely in neighbouring Chiclana where the old almadraba of Sancti Petri closed down in 1971, with the loss of 2,000 jobs.

Tuna carpaccio

Juicy tuna steak © Carlos de la Calle

For these top chefs, May’s full Moon is a red letter day. They can begin to showcase the new season’s recipes starring this ‘pata negra of the sea’. Only now, as the bluefin pass through the Gibraltar Strait en route to their Mediterranean spawning grounds, are they in such peak condition. They have grown fatty overcoats while wintering in the depths of the Atlantic, which give the flesh its rich flavour and juicy quality. The Spanish confusingly call it atún rojo (red tuna) because the meat is the colour and texture of fillet steak. On their return journey in late summer, after the rigours of reproduction, the bluefin are skinnier shadows of their former selves.

Cervantes wrote about the Andalusian almadrabas in his novella, La Ilustre Fregonera. You may have seen one of these large floating structures which appear off the Cádiz coast in late March, one kilometre out to sea. Often mistaken for fish farms, they’re quite the opposite – complex labyrinths of netting, several kilometres long and more than 30 meters deep, that guide wild tuna into a large central trap.

© Ignacio Fando

Almadraba-caught tuna is raising the game in Spanish gastronomy”

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 71

G08 FeA Tuna.indd 71

4/29/14 12:15 PM

Tuna disguised as toffee

Tuna weather vane, Barbate

Conil

The levantá (raising of the trap) is a thrilling spectacle if you’re not squeamish. Several will be held between April and June, dependent on wind, tides and sea conditions and decided by the almadraba’s ‘captain’. At the appointed time, the fishermen surround the circular trap in their vessels and start hauling in the nets. As the boats move closer together, the trap becomes a seething cauldron of frenzied fish. Almadraba is Arabic for ‘place of fighting’ and the name’s well-justified.

Nowadays cranes and winches, rather than hooks, are used to land the fish on the boats where they are expertly slaughtered to minimise suffering.

Only 20 per cent of these magnificent specimens will end up on the tables of Spanish restaurants.

The rest will be destined for Japan. Every year during the season, Japanese ships queue up in the bay to buy tuna directly from the almadrabas.

It’s a highly prized ingredient of sushi and sashimi and sells in Japan for phenomenal sums. The current record for a 221 kilo bluefin sold at auction in Tokyo is equivalent to €1.1million! The average

Tune into the production process at Barbate’s Tuna Museum www.museodelatun.com

200Kg tuna in Spain would fetch around €5,000.

Even so, the Spanish fishermen who battle as fiercely as Hemingway’s Old Man and The Sea to land their quarry generally can’t afford to buy it.

Until recently, there was little chance of witnessing a levantá unless you were well-connected. However, the tuna festivals have generated such growing interest in the art of the almadraba that the inaugural licensed levantá excursion was organised last year

by Ignacio Soto of nautical tours specialist, Nature Tarifa (www.naturetarifa.com). Anne Manson, who runs a cooking school in Vejer (www.anniebspain. com), was lucky enough to be on it.

“For 20 minutes we watched the ferocious splashing of these majestic fish as they were hoisted out of the ocean, then the sea returned to its rolling calm, as if nothing had happened,” she recalls. “I felt a sense of loss, knowing that most were going to be butchered and preserved at -60 degrees for their journey to Japan. But I was blown away by how wellexecuted it was – a perfect example of sustainable fishing. Only the tuna are caught, and only the biggest kept; the rest are returned to the ocean. It’s not in the fishermen’s interests to take more.”

© Carlos de la Calle

All hands on deck © Toñi Flores Cebrián

72 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA Tuna.indd 72

4/29/14 12:15 PM

G08 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 3

4/30/14 10:23 AM

Landed! © Oscar Chamorro

“

The current record for a 221 kilo bluefin sold at auction in Tokyo is equivalent to €1.1million!”

Hotel Meliá Atlanterra could be yours!

If high drama is your bag, there’s plenty of it with tuna tastings, sherry pairings, show cooking, street parades and a demonstration of tuna filleting that’s pure theatre, complete with buckets of blood! It’s called a ronqueo after the ‘snoring’ noise the knife makes when separating flesh from bone. It takes experts with cleavers and sharp knives under 10 minutes to reduce one silvery tuna into 17 choice cuts. The ventresca (stomach) is sold in steaks at around €40 per kilo, the morillo (a muscle in the head) costs more and the female eggs sell for over €80 per kilo.

“Hardly any goes to waste which is why we call the tuna el cerdo del mar,” Gaspar told me.

Even huevos de leche are relished, though they aren’t for the faint-hearted (being tuna sperm).

Gaspar swears they’re “very tasty” although, as his restaurant was responsible for last year’s Mandarin Deception, should we believe him? e

© Carlos de la Calle

Barbate © Carlos de la Calle

Back in Zahara, the final preparations are being made for the VI Ruta de Atún. Last year’s festival netted €400,000 over the weekend alone – a welcome boost for the local economy at a traditionally quiet time of year.

“For most towns, May is the month for communions and weddings but we’re only a small fishing village,” says restaurateur Gaspar Castro, President of local traders association ACOZA, the organisation responsible for this shining example of entrepreneurialism in action.

“At the same time, it’s one of the best months to eat fresh red tuna, caught in our unique way.

We’ve been making a party of it since 2009 and it’s really paying off.”

It’s all so well organised. Everyone gets a map with the location of each restaurant and its speciality tapa, divided into colour-coded zones, plus a sheet of paper drawn up with boxes to get stamped as you eat because tuna isn’t the only temptation. There are some enticing prizes for enjoying it too: consume 12 tapas for the chance to win one of three prizes worth up to €500. Eat all 36 and a stay for two at the posh

Tuna Festival Calendar (9 May-9 June) May 9-June 9 XVIII Ruta del Atún, Conil i www.turismo.conil.org

May 13-18

VI Ruta del Atún, Zahara de los Atunes i www.rutadelatun.com

May 22-25 VII Semana Gatronómica del Atún, Barbate i www.larutadelatun.com

May 30-June 1 II Ruta de Atún, Tarifa i www.aytotarifa.com

Tuna Totem

The Atlantic bluefin has been chosen as the mascot for a new private tourism initiative that will promote the attractions of five resorts along the tuna route. Launched by the Cádiz-Estrecho Fisheries Development Group, The Millennial Tuna Route will highlight the history, culture, traditions, gastronomy, natural environment and leisure activities in Conil, Zahara, Barbate, Tarifa and La Linea. The new portal will provide a marketing and advertising platform for local businesses that have a relationship with tuna, the sea and the area under four headings: Roots, Life, Flavours and Emotions. i Further information from www.rutamilenariadelatun.com

Tuna parade through Zahara

74 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 FeA Tuna.indd 74

4/29/14 12:16 PM

met

RESTAURANTS / REVIEWS / NEWS / WINE / CHEFS / GUIDE

Dine at one of Gibraltar’s finest establishments: La Mamela, take the temperature down a notch with a glass of cool Champagne and read up on exquisite Rueda from Carrasviñas.

G08 GIntros.indd 4

77

La Mamela

78

Champagne

80

Carrasviñas Wine

82

Listings

4/29/14 1:09 PM

G08 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 4

5/2/14 10:34 AM

restaurant THE GOURMET

La Mamela Oceans of Flavour words Belinda Beckett Photography Jon Segui

Y

ou can still choose your fish, displayed washed and glistening on ice – much more appetising! Everything is a Catch of the Day here, no matter which territorial waters it swam in. If it’s not ordered from the local fishermen, it’s bought at Algeciras fish market on the Spanish side of the border.

This guaranteed freshness brings fish aficionados from far and wide to enjoy the fruits of the Strait in situ, served up with stunning ocean views and a side-order of bracing sea air to bolster your appetite. On weekends in summer there can be a two-week waiting list for a terrace table. Inside, marine memorabilia and photographs of prize specimens caught in the Bay provide many talking points in this charming little restaurant that’s long and wedge-shaped, like a boat, with tablecloths and napkins picked out in nautical blue and white.

On one of the walls, an excerpt from a 1998 issue of the Daily Mail tells the story of six House of Lords peers who were so disappointed that the restaurant had run out of bream that a boy was sent down to the beach to buy one. The table they sat at is cordoned off with ceremonial red rope and their names are immortalised on brass plaques on the chairs.

That story should have made Page Three in The Sun, by rights… but not everyone instantly realises that they’re dining in an establishment

Hooking your meal ‘alive’ from an aquarium used to be all the rage in high-end fish restaurants but La Mamela doesn’t need such gruesome gimmicks to emphasise the freshness of its produce. A large natural aquarium laps at its doorstep – the Strait of Gibraltar — and the fish that will be served up to you on a plate was swimming in it the same morning.

whose name is Italian for ‘mammary’: La Mamela (colloquially known as Titty Rock) is also a DD-sized, boobshaped boulder that fell to the beach from the cliff face centuries ago!

The restaurant displays a chunk of it outside, as it’s said to bring luck to all who touch it. I suspect it’s just a clever marketing ploy on the part of La Mamela’s owner, Elliott Victory, who has a wry sense of humour.

But he swears it’s true. “My great niece, Kaiane Aldorino, became Miss Gibraltar and then Miss World after she touched it,” he says. Perhaps she touched it again, as she’s Deputy Mayor now!

Elliott has kept the same chef and general manager since he opened La

Mamela 17 years ago, having called in with friends in the days when it was a pub called The Picolo. “It was after 4pm, a bit late for lunch in Gibraltar, and they told us that all they had left to eat was potato skins,” recalls Elliott.

“I was so ashamed that a Gibraltar establishment serving food couldn’t offer anything better, I came back the next day and bought it.”

The fish and chips here are a cut above the corner chippy, although vegetables take second place to the star attraction. There are clams and langoustines, sea bass and sole, red snapper, red mullet… sardines and bluefin tuna are coming into season now. John Dory is one of the house specialities, a flaky, buttery fish you

can enjoy fried, grilled, coated in crispy batter or, as we tried it, lightly poached in a sherry sauce, topped with gambas and Serrano ham. As nothing is frozen, there are only a few portions of each fish so, if you have your heart set on something special, order in advance.

The sizzling cod pil pil made a delicious change from prawns and the irrepressible Elliott gave us a live demonstration of the only way to eat succulent carabineros: you slice each plump red shrimp in two, pop it into your mouth head-first and suck out the flesh. It’s a messy business but, for reasons it’s probably best not to think about, much more delicious eaten this way!

They know how to cook a good steak here too and there’s an excellent wine list. Dessert is at the whim of Mario the chef – usually crème caramel, apple pie and something calorific, like banoffee pie, all home made. I hope you go on a day when he’s made white chocolate cheesecake – pudding heaven!

With a warm welcome (and large portions of fun and laughter, if Elliott’s around) don’t let this fish restaurant be the one that got away! g Open Monday to Saturday from

12.30-3.30pm and 7.30-10.30pm, Sundays 12.30-4.30pm. Reservations, Tel: +350 200 72373. www.lamamela.ning.com ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2014 / 77

G08 ReR.indd 77

4/29/14 10:56 AM

THE GOURMET wine

Vive La Difference L

ikewise the grandes marques champagne houses of Rheims probably believed their virtual monopoly based on a centuriesold reputation would keep customers happy forever. Their skill lies in blending the wine to a consistent level year after year, regardless of how the harvest may have performed, using grapes bought in from local farmers.

The latest wake-up call came when the owner of one of Champagne’s oldest houses discovered that his product had disappeared from the wine list of a top New York restaurant.

Indeed, there were no longer any big names on the list, only champagnes from growerwinemakers. These mini-wineries make champagne using their own grapes to the exclusion of any other, so following the small is beautiful syndrome, fashionable restaurants, supported by wine critics, have started promoting ‘garage champagnes’. Sommeliers are delighted, as it increases the mystique element

News From The Champagne Front Words AJ LINN Photography Courtesy of of Enoteca Gramona

A fundamental axiom for any successful business is that resting on laurels is no option. There have to be ongoing improvements to products and services to keep ahead of the competition. De Beers thought it had the global diamond business under control until challenged by Russian and other unsupportive producers, and even in the civilised wine trade the aristocracy of Bordeaux did not realise until the last minute that their great wines would not sell themselves. of wine. Indeed, if you did order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in such a restaurant, you may be asked if you would not like to try the Franck Bonville instead. It should be pointed out that the small growers themselves are quite content doing what they have always done, ergo selling their limitedproduction at the cellar door to all-comers, and frankly overall sales of the top houses have hardly been dented. The danger to the grandes marques is that their usual grape suppliers may one day decide to make their own champagnes.

Living in Spain, and particularly on the Costa del Sol, it is hard to get through a typical weekend without encountering that eternal riddle: champagne or cava?

Just to show how run of the mill ordinary cava can be, the Barcelona courts recently settled a two-decade long dispute between producers Freixenet and Codorníu, ordering the first to pay four million euros and two million bottles of cava to the legal victor, Codorníu. This is a tacit admission that their cavas are so similar they can be interchangeable, and the endconsumer probably will not even notice. The lawsuit was remarkably petty as it happens, with Codorníu initially accusing Freixenet of selling cava that had not been fermented for the regulation nine months. Freixenet responded by alleging that its rival was using pinot noir grapes instead of the traditional varieties. Codorníu, which traces its roots back to the 16th century, looks on Freixenet as the upstart kid on the block, and was put out by its aggressive marketing strategy.

These two brands compete for the massive American cava market, and probably have the least to fear from a rest-of-Spain boycott of Catalan products.

The problem for Champagne as a denomination is that cava everywhere is

getting better, while the wine of which Churchill said in 1918, “Remember gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!” and Napoleon commented, “In victory, you deserve champagne, in defeat, you need it,” is mired in tradition. This of course can also make it desirable, and fans will argue it cannot get any better, but what happens when cava catches up? That will never happen, some of you may be thinking, but you are wrong.

In a recent landmark blind tasting in Málaga in which I participated, eight experienced tasters could not tell the difference between top champagnes costing around 200 euros and cavas costing less. These restaurant owners, regional distributors, wine buyers, sommeliers, wine writers and food critics, judged the Dom Perignon 2003 Vintage (€132) as the worst of the bunch, inferior to all the cavas and champagnes. Even the Krug (€149) and the Louis Roederer Cristal (€175) had a hard time fighting off the Spanish competition, and head and shoulders above all of them was Gramona Enoteca Brut Nature 2000 (€120), with Gramona Celler Batlle 2005 (€51) highly praised. The tasting was based on Catalonia’s Gramona bodega’s products, but of course there are many absolutely top-rate cavas that can hold their own against all-comers.

Conclusion? Something I have been preaching for what seems like ever. Wine snobs are bad enough but champagne snobs are to be pitied. They buy the mass-produced champagnes because, in their own words, they “cannot stand cava”, but more likely would hate to be referred to as “the host who served cava instead of champagne...”, but I will wager a case of Gramona that in a blind tasting like the one described here, they could not tell the difference. e

78 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

08 WiF.indd 78

4/28/14 1:17 PM

Untitled-8 1

4/30/14 1:45 PM

THE GOURMET wine

A D E U R

SPANO GLO HI CACHAZO N A , S E L S CORRA O DEG A R O C IO S Y OF B WORDS APHY COURTE R PHOTOG

n i a p S f no o i g e r e n i w e t hi w g n i d a e l e h t

CARRASVIÑAS The name Carrasviñas comes from the pools created in the street from the century old practice where, during harvest time, the wine producing families would have to empty their underground cellars to make room for the new wine.

The D.O. Rueda is one of the few European wine growing regions which specialises in making white wine and in the preservation and development of Verdejo, the indigenous grape variety.

Rueda has been known for producing wine since the 11th century, and such wines would have been enjoyed

by Ferdinand and Isabel, as they unified Spain in 1492 and made their capital in this region. Their patronage, and the important cities of Segovia and Valladolid, have made Rueda a key part of Spanish history and culture for centuries. Virtually every house in Rueda had a wine cellar, and grapes and wine were as much a part of life as bread and Catholicism!

But in the last twenty five years a revolution in Rueda has changed the style of the wines, and brought the region to the attention of the world’s wine connoisseurs.

A reverence for the indigenous variety, Verdejo, has been combined with modern equipment and winemaking techniques to make Rueda one of Spain’s most cuttingedge wine producing regions. Much of the harvest is done at night and every step of the winegrowing and the winemaking process includes careful handling so that oxidation of the grapes is avoided. As a result, the Rueda Denomination of Origin (D.O. Rueda) was the first quality region to be approved by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture for the larger Castilla y Leon region.

The Cachazo family was involved in the founding of the D.O. Rueda. The well known Marques de Riscal had a meeting with Felix Lorenzo Cachazo (father and founder of the D.O. Rueda) and six other wineries and decided to create a new kind of wine with Verdejo grapes.

One of the bodega’s secrets is the raw material: the 80 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 WiF.indd 80

grapes! There are 25 hectares of vineyards at the winery but they also buy grapes from other farmers and always from the same producers. Just a verbal agreement exists between the parties which is respected year after year and generation after generation… What is also unique is that Rueda has some of the oldest vineyards in Europe some of which are over 100 years old. When phylloxera hit Europe, most of the vineyards were destroyed.

However, the vineyards in Rueda were spared, as the sandy soil in the area did not suit the pest’s survival.

The wine has a unique flavour, with a hint of scrub herbs, a fruity touch and an excellent level of acidity.

The extract, a key factor when assessing the personality of great white wines, is perceived through its volume and its characteristic bitter touch, which leaves a glint of originality in the mouth, accompanied by a rich fruity expression. These wines are harmonious and their aftertaste invites one to go on drinking.

Great food matches are: grilled shrimps (gambas a la plancha), gallo and merluza rebozada, goat cheese salad, and light meals.

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% VERDEJO TASTING NOTES: Straw yellow colour with greenish rim, clean, bright and very attractive.

NOSE: Full potential of aromas with medium-tohigh intensity and some aromas of dry grass coming through. A nose reminiscent of tropical fruits (papaya and pineapple) and a floral lift with herbaceous, aniseed and mentholated overtones.

MOUTH: Elegant and very rich palate, fleshy and well structured. A fresh and acidic mid-palate highlights its subtle varietal character enhanced by some fruity notes. The finish provides an intense and elegant bitterness.

This premium dry white wine from Rueda is priced just under £5 and has received many prestigious awards! We could say it’s a winner and a top white wine for a very attractive price.

Z Awards: World Wine Championship, Chicago: Bronze medal Z Premios Zarcillo 98, Ponferrada: Golden Zarcillo Z Premios Zarcillo 99, Valladolid: Bronze Zarcillo Z Guía Campsa 2009: 90 points Z Premios Zarzillo 2007, Valladolid: Silver Zarzillo Z Guía el País 2010: 3 Racimos (Top) Z Guía Peñín 2013: 90 Points Z Guía de Oro: De los 100 mejores vinos españoles 2010.

Z Guía Repsol 2013: 90 Points Z Guía Gourmet 2010: Best young white wine from Spain Z Guía Gourmet 2013: 7,25 points (Top Wine)

g Available at Anglo Hispano, 5/7 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 77210, www.anglo.gi, www.cachazo.com 4/29/14 1:17 PM

NEW WINES JUST ARRIVED! SPECIAL LAUNCH OFFER • SPECIAL LAUNCH OFFER • SPECIAL LAUNCH OFFER

UP TO 35% OFF ON MIXED CASES AngloHispanoShop

@AngloGibShop Anglo Hispano Shop

5-7 Main Street Tel: +00350 200 77210 Email: shop@anglo.gi Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:30pm Sat:10:30am-2:00pm Anglo_Essential.indd 1

2/21/14 3:09 PM

restaurants All’s Well Bar & Restaurant

Gallo Nero

Maharaja Indian Restaurant

solo express

Unit 4, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 72987

56/58 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 77832

5 Tuckey’s Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 50733

Casemates Square, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 62828

BEAN & gone cafe

Gatsby’s

Mamma Mia

Taps Bar

20 Engineers Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 65334

1 /3 Watergardens 1, Waterport Ave, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76291

Unit C, Boyd Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 64444

5 Ocean Village Promenade, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67575

Mons calpe suite

Gibraltar Arms

Top of The Rock, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 79478

Theatre Royal Bar & Restaurant

Bianca’s 6/7 Admiral’s Walk, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 73379

Bistro Madeleine 256 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 65696

Bridge Bar & Grill Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 66446

Bruno’s Unit 3, Trade Winds, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 68444

Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 51738

Cafe Solo Grand Casemates Square 3, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44449

Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 77288

184 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 72133

Ipanema Unit 11, Ocean Village Promenade, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 216 48888

Jumpers Wheel Restaurant 20 Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 40052

Jury’s Cafe & Wine Bar 275 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 67898

Khan’s 7/8 Watergardens, Waterport, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 50015

Kowloon Restaurant 20 Watergardens III, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 42771

La Mamela

Mumbai curry house

60 Governor’s Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 51614

Ground floor, Block 1 Eurotowers, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 73711

The Chargrill Restaurant at Gala Casino

Nunos

Gala Casino, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76666

The Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76501

O’Reilly’s Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67888

Piccadilly Garden Bar

The Clipper 78 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79791

The Cuban

3B Rosia Rd, Gibraltar Tel. +350 200 75758

21B The Promenade, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67889

Pizza Express

the island

Unit 17, Ocean Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 50050

27 Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66666

Pizzaghetti

the ivy sports bar & grill

Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 72373

1008 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 63868

Latino’s Diner

Restaurante Nunos Italiano

The Landings Restaurant

Casa Pepe

194/196 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46660

15 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 66100

Unit 18, Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46967

Latinos Music Bar and Restaurant

Caleta Hotel, Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76501

Champion’s Planet Bar & Grill

9 Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 47755

Rooftop Bistro, O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel

Europa Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 73000x The Royal Calpe, 176 Main Street.

Tel: +350 200 75890

Casa Brachetto 9 Chatham Counterguard, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 48200

Unit 2B, The Tower, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46668

Charlie’s Steakhouse & Grill 4/5 Britannia House, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 69993

Corks Wine Bar 79 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 75566

El Patio Unit 11, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 40713

El Pulpero Unit 12A Watergardens, Waterport, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44786

La Parrilla 17/18 Watergardens, Block 6, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 66555

Laziz Sail 2.2, Ocean Village Marina, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 40971

Le Bateau 14 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66420

Lek Bangkok Unit 50 1/3, Block 5, Eurotowers, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 48881

4 Stagioni

Little Rock Restaurant & Bar

16/18 Saluting Battery, Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79153

Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel +350 200 51977

Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar +350 200 70500

Roy’s Cod Place 2/2 Watergate House, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76662

Sacarello’s Cafe-Restaurant 57 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 70625

Seawave Bar 60 Catalan Bay Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 78739

Solo Bar & Grill Unit 15, 4 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 62828

13a Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 68222

The Rock Hotel Restaurant

The Trafalgar Bar 1a Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 45370

The Waterfront 4/5 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 45666

Tunnel Bar Restaurant Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44878

Verdi Verdi Unit G10, International Commercial Centre, Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 60733

82 / MAY/JUNE 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

G08 GLi.indd 82

4/29/14 12:41 PM

Untitled-6 1

12/10/13 1:21 PM

G08 Patricia Darch.indd 1

5/2/14 4:04 PM