Essential Marbella Magazine November 2011

FREE MAGAZINE - COSTA DEL SOL N º150 - NOVEMBER 2011

essential essential marbella® magazine ISSUE 150 • NOVEMBER 2011

ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING

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ECO MANIA

Planet UNDER

PRESSURE Eco Fashion

BENETTON LUXURY

HYBRID

MOTORS

FENG SHUI

GARDENING

NATURAL

BEAUTY

THE WORLD’S GREEN winners and losers

ISTANBUL’S

Sapphire Giant THEVIBE

WHAT’S BUZZING

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

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SAVING

OUR PLANET ...myth or sensible business practise?

Not only are our structural designs beautiful and unique, but they are designed to harmonise with the landscape surroundings and blend in with the natural environment.

There is a continuous and ever increasing outcry to save our planet, and although many companies support the idea, the proof of the pudding lies in eating it.

The Cape Reed Group of Companies not only endorses the green movement, but actively conducts their business in an environmentally friendly manner, believing that it is not only a commitment but a lifestyle.

According to Louis van der Vyver, Group Managing Director, it is not only the structures, construction material and designs that are in accordance with European environmental practices and guides, but also the way in which the materials are harvested and sourced.

The timber comes from FSC approved and certified forests. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is the international body that controls and promotes environmental responsibility and socially beneficial management of the world’s forests.

“We plant on average 165,000 new trees (seedlings) every year. These trees are cultivated and managed for 15-25 years before harvesting.

This long term involvement ensures that we have continuous quality control over the final product”, says Louis.

While the thatching material (cape reed) and Cape Reed’s unique thatching method makes for environmentally friendly and sustainable construction, - the crops are also ecologically managed and the resources are being renewed on a regular basis.

The farming of cape reed thatch also has an ecological advantage on its surroundings, and is produced and harvested through natural processes. Through maintaining this method of thatch harvesting, no scarce and expensive energy resources are being used.

Even the external fire retardant application that Cape Reed applies is a product that is European, United Kingdom and United States approved and complies with all the highest environmental requirements.

The Cape Reed Group is committed to giving

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back to society and helping where it can and is proud and privileged to financially support various special uplifting initiatives.

One of these programs includes the academic and environmental education of under privileged youths and communities. As a group of companies, Cape Reed believes it is vitally important to not only support under privileged children, but it also helps to improve communities. Louis emphasises that the company provides the necessary resources, training and finance to equip youths and community members with the skills necessary to financially support themselves as well as to contribute to the community that they live in. This program includes educating individuals with the necessary skills to become qualified draftsmen (referring to the theory that instead of giving a man a fish, rather teach him to fish).

The Cape Reed Group of Companies is also actively involved in various international outreach programs. Resources and finances are being contributed towards impoverished communities in Africa and India. This assistance, along with help from others, contributes to providing the basic needs that many of us take for granted in life. These needs range from basic food supplies to essential medical treatment.

According to Louis, Cape Reed is incredibly proud to be part of such amazing community and outreach programs, and will continue to use its best endeavours to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

He invites essential readers to become part of this contribution towards the future of our planet.

For more info on how you could become part of the Cape Reed family by having an eco friendly construction erected on your premises, please e-mail: europe@capereed.com

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DISTRIBUTION COMPANY +34628115996 / 652685667 pedidos@fortunespirits.es www.fortunespirits.es

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Issue 150 • November 2011

S T A F F PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR

IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com

GENERAL MANAGER

ANDREA BÖJTI sales@essentialmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DESIGN & LAYOUT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

SUSANNE WHITAKER design@essentialmagazine.com MARIANO JEVA cuentas@essentialmagazine.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

MONIKA BÖJTI info@essentialmagazine.com

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INMA AURIOLES KEVIN HORN IAIN BLACKWELL, MICHEL CRUZ, AMPARO DE LA GAMA, AJ LINN, JESSICA OCAÑA, ALISTAIR SPENCE CLARKE, ALLAN TEE, RICHARD WHALEY, TONY WHITNEY, AMY WILLIAMS FAMOUS, AMPARO DE LA GAMA, GARY EDWARDS, JOHNNY GATES, KH PHOTOGRAPHY JIMÉNEZ GODOY A. GRÁFICAS, MURCIA D.L. MA-512-99

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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.

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The Trend 16 Films 18 DVDs 20 Books 22 CD’s 24 Gadgets 26 Cars: The Lexus GS 450h

The Focus 28 Planet Under Pressure 34 Sustainable Food Focus 38 Alejandro Orioli of Arboretum Marbella

The Style 42 Décor: UDesign 50 Feng Shui Gardening 52 Fashion: Eco-Friendly Fashion from Benetton 58 Fashion News 60 All About Kids

The Spa 64 Natural Beauty 66 Beauty News 68 Health Feature: Lymphatic Drainage 70 Health News 72 Heath Profile: Dr. Marco Vricella of the Aria Medical Group

The Vibe 75 What’s Up and Who’s Who on the Local Social Scene

The Pro The Gourmet Shanti Som 115 Casa Mono 117 Food News 118 Chef’s Profile: Edmund Cicans of Güey 120 Wine People: Dominique Mertens of Finca La Giralda in Ojén 122

The Guide Listings 124

The Blog Kids Zone 134 Pet News 135 What’s On in November 136

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82 Enterprise 96 Finance: The Reintroduction of Wealth Tax 98 Business Profile: Cudeca

The Leisure 100 Global Environmental Initiatives 106 Turkey 110 Hotel: The Hi Hotel in Nice

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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM

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WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL It used to be the uncool preserve of hippies and new age travellers, but no longer! Going green is in vogue as more and more people finally realise the state of affairs on our planet and the implications for future generations.

All those with a conscience are determined to reduce their carbon shoe size and environmental sustainability has become big business. Surprisingly, it seems that people are prepared to pay more for a green product – hybrid cars being a good case in point – so imagine what will happen when the technology will render them not only better, but cheaper too.

In this month’s edition, we

focus on some of the crucial issues affecting our planet under pressure, starting with Green Thinking in the 21st Century and serving up Food Sustainability to follow, with a round up of which countries are playing fair, and the worst offenders, in World Environmental Initiatives.

We look into the future of driving with the Lexus GS450h, a new breed of hybrid, and its refreshing to think with the way things are moving in this sector and with the new breeds of electric cars coming off the drawing board, that the petrol engine’s days are distinctly numbered.

Don’t miss our interview with Alejandro Orioli, the founder of Arboretum, which is especially concerned with reforestation, sustainability and educational endeavours in the local area, and a fascinating insight into how an award-winning environmentallyfriendly hotel can operate while remaining super chic.

Elsewhere, we have natural products, gadgets and reading for nature lovers, Feng Shui gardening, healthy dining, eco fashion and much more. , we take Here at our own role in all of this seriously – the magazine is printed on recyclable paper, produced without wood pulp and bleached without chlorine.

!

G N O R T S G N I O G 150 AND Si, en el pasado, pensar en verde fue territorio de los hippies y seguidores del movimiento New Age, es fácil ver cómo las cosas han cambiado dramáticamente.

Proteger el medioambiente es una meta para muchas personas que son conscientes del estado del planeta y de cómo esto afectará a las generaciones del futuro.

Todos estamos intentando reducir nuestra huella de carbono mientras vemos cómo la sostenibilidad medioambiental se ha convertido en un negocio importante.

Sorprendentemente, la gente está dispuesta a pagar más por un producto verde – los coches híbridos son un buen ejemplo – y esperamos con nerviosismo el día en que los productos verdes sean

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aún mejores y más baratos.

Este mes, hablamos sobre algunos de los temas más importantes que afectan nuestro planeta, con reportajes como Pensar en Verde en el Siglo XXI o Los Productos Comestibles y la Sostenibilidad. También descubrimos cuáles son los países que más iniciativa demuestran en el ámbito medioambiental y cuáles son los que más están dañando nuestro planeta.

Regresamos al futuro con el Lexus GS450h, un nuevo tipo de híbrido que os dejará sin aliento.

Nos encanta ver la cantidad de diseños de coches preciosos que se están fabricando y nos alegra pensar que dentro de nada, los motores de gasolina y diesel ya no

existirán.

No os perdáis nuestra entrevista con Alejandro Orioli, el Fundador de Arboretum Marbella, una asociación sin ánimo de lucro que se centra en la reforestación, la sostenibilidad y la educación. En nuestra sección de viajes visitamos un hotel magnífico, muy verde y muy chic a la vez.

En otras secciones os ofrecemos información sobre productos naturales, gadgets, libros sobre la naturaleza, jardines Feng Shui, gastronomía sana, moda ecológica y mucho más. también En ponemos nuestro granito de arena: la revista se imprime utilizando papel reciclado, sin pulpa de madera y sin lejía o clorina.

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COVERING dinin

2011

in categories

g, sports, hea

lth & beauty,

for your favourites

hotels, Night

life & more!

Voting is simpl Please note that all results reflect public opinion - as voted by essential readers, and do not represent any statement of opinion by essential magazine or its staff.

e...

1. Go online to www.marbellaaw ards.com 2. Fill in the sim ple questionnair e and enter your em ail address so we can send you a confirmation message to valid ate your vote.

For the first time this year, you will also have an option in each category to sugg est a company of your choice fo r special recognition.

3. Look out for th e results, which will be pu blished in the December ed ition of the magazine, or rese rve your table for the Awards Ga la evening, Marbella’s very own Oscar’s!

BY VO

TING, YOU could WIN luxu ry holiday

accommodation six at CLUB LA CO for A’s superbly appoiST n te d Kusad

asi Golf and Spa Resort in Turk e

y.

FUNDASPANDEM

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essential magazine

WINS PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL AWARD!

O

n the 5th of October, the largest association of publishers in Spain, the Asociación Española de Editoriales de Publicaciones Periódicas (AEEPP), celebrated the sixth edition of its annual awards, presenting Magazine with the award for Best Free Publication in Spain.

The awards ceremony was held at the Real Casa de Correos in Madrid and was attended by many important members of the political, social, economic and publishing spheres, including Ignacio González and Arsenio Escolar, Director of 20 minutos y 20minutos.es and President of the AEEPP, respectively. The latter presented the awards in all categories. Over 100 publications entered the running for a prize and Marbella Magazine was recognised as the best free publication at a national level.

The list of prestigious winners included: Vicente del Bosque, Coach of the Spanish National Team (Personality of the Year), whose prize was received on his behalf by his wife; Asturian journalist José Manuel Velasco, President of Dircom and Director of Communications of the FCC; and José Antonio Martínez Soler, General Director of Multiprensa y Más, who was awarded the prize for Outstanding Achievement during his professional career. The prize for Best Public Institution went to the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), while the Prize for Solidarity was awarded to Cáritas.

The Campaign of the Year award was won by Renfe’s ‘Ave a Valencia’, which took the lead over Banco Sabadell’s campaign, featuring Pep Guardiola, and the weekend ONCE lottery ticket campaign. The advertiser of the year was Peugeot, while Zenith Media took home the Media Agency prize, beating fellow finalists Vivaki and Aegis Media. The prizewinners won two limited edition medals, minted in 1974 and 1983 by the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre. e

Andrea Böjti, Creative Director of

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magazine (second left) receiving the Award

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FC Marbella ADVERT - essential_Layout 1 22/07/2011 15:43 Page 1

La Casita - 2.450.000€ La Casita has been thoughtfully designed to accommodate family living as well as entertaining guests. The villa which features Andalucian architecture is also bright and open to enhance the flow between indoor and outdoor living.

Located in Nueva Andalucia the villa (565 sq.m) occupies a very private plot (2.675 sq.m) on a front line position overlooking Los Naranjos Golf course and Marbella’s mountain.

The main accommodation is built on one level and comprises three double bedroom suites.

The living/dining room, with feature fireplace, opens onto the main terrace and pool, the covered terraces on each side of the living/dining room are used to enjoy outdoor living and alfresco dining.

The modern kitchen has recently been refitted and has a utility room with separate access.

On the adjoining plot you will find a guest house boasting 2 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living area with open fireplace, a kitchenette and sauna. All windows from floor to ceiling fold back to offer a splendid summer house with outdoor entertaining area. A garage for 3 cars adjoins the guest house and an area of the garage is currently being used as an office/gym. The gated and private drive has designated car spaces and can accommodate further car parking.

The current owner of the property will consider part exchange for a property in the UK

Villa Rosa - 1.950.000€ Built by its current owners in the golf valley of Nueva Andalucia, minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Puerto Banus and sandy beaches of Marbella, the property can comfortably host 10 people in 5 en-suite bedrooms. The construction which ended in 2003 was finished to a superior level with carefully selected materials. Villa Rosa is very well maintained and decorated in a classical style. The villa enjoys sun all day from East and West exposure with both covered and uncovered terraces. Shops, restaurant, bars, international school, golf courses are within the immediate vicinity.

The property that sits on a plot of 1.657 sq.m, has a total of 833 sq.m and is constructed on three levels all connected by a private hydraulic lift.

The basement comprises of a large parking area with an automatic entrance door; a very well organized machine room, a fully equipped laundry room and storage room. On the ground floor you will find a spectacular entrance hall leading to the lounge which is equipped with a fire place; a formal dining room; a snug room with a fireplace, an open plan kitchen; a guest toilet and a guest bedroom.

Outdoor you will find an off street parking area; a covered terrace with different zones such as an outdoor sitting area; a lounge area and a dining area with BBQ. As well as large terraces Villa Rosa has a beautiful split level garden, the lower level hosting a large swimming pool and chiringuito.

Fine & Country Marbella Marbella Club Hotel, 29602 Marbella, Malaga, Spain tel +34 952 76 40 10 email marbella@fineandcountry.com www.fineandcountry.es

Multi-award winning luxury estate agents in 300 locations worldwide

FC Marbella ADVERT - essential_Layout 1 22/07/2011 15:43 Page 2

La Casa Verde - 5.000.000€ From the moment one steps through the entrance to La Casa Verde there is a feeling of peace, tranquillity, gentleness and calm. This is a stylish and elegant home offering unique privacy and a superb lifestyle.

The villa has recently been completely refurbished for luxurious easy living, and offers the very highest standards of quality, design and technology. Fully equipped with the latest Domotic system, the house lights, heating and security cameras can all be controlled by the owner at the touch of a button.

La Casa Verde is situated in one of the most prestigious and sought after addresses in the Marbella region next to the iconic Marbella Club Hotel with direct access to a beautiful sandy beach, complete with chiringuitos and sunshades.

La Casa Verde is on a 881 sq.m plot containing the main house of a total of 448 sq.m. Within the grounds there is a separate casita, that would be perfect for guest accommodation.The house has a total of 5 bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms.The ground floor features a stunning lounge with a beautifully hand carved stone fireplace, a state-of-the-art kitchen, two guest bedrooms en-suite and a spacious master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, dressing and sitting room which opens out onto the beautiful gardens.

The first floor features an office area, an en-suite bathroom, dressing and a second master bedroom which opens onto an open terrace.

Casa Chaos - 2.950.000€ Casa Chaos has been expertly designed to offer the very best of modern living, yet keeping a traditional Spanish feel to the property.

This is a stylish and elegant home that offers a combination of privacy and a superb lifestyle.

The property is situated in a well-established residential area within Marbella, in the prestigious Cortijo de Nagüeles. The property has stunning mountain views from the gardens and views over the sea from the various terraces. The house is within easy reach of all the local amenities of Marbella town centre which is host to many thriving shops, restaurants and bars.

Casa Chaos is situated on 2.525 sq.m plot containing the main house, separate office and staff apartment (966 sq.m). The house features 5 bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms; an open plan kitchen/breakfast room with vaulted beamed ceilings; a stunning lounge; an elegant dining room with travertine marble floors, and a music room overlooking the garden. The extremely spacious master bedroom boasts a separate sitting area for relaxation and a glorious en-suite bathroom with a Jacuzzi bath, walk-in shower, steam room, sauna and gym area.

In the garden there is an L-shaped thatched gazebo over a dining area and bar complete with music system and satellite television. There are also extensive open terraces and a good sized heated swimming pool with electric cover (9x5 meters).

Fine & Country Marbella Marbella Club Hotel, 29602 Marbella, Malaga, Spain tel +34 952 76 40 10 email marbella@fineandcountry.com www.fineandcountry.es

Multi-award winning luxury estate agents in 300 locations worldwide

THETREND REVIEWS

Cinema »»Director:

Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot) Genre: Thriller »»Actors: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz

»»Director Lars Von Trier (Dancer in the Dark)

»»Genre

Drama/Science Fiction

»»Actors

Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Charlotte Rampling

WORDS marisa cutillas

Dream House

Acclaimed storyteller and director Jim Sheridan brings us Dream House, the story of successful writer Will Atenton (Daniel Craig), his wife Libby (Rachel Weisz) and their two children, who move to a beautiful New England Home to start a new, less hectic life.

When they discover that the previous owners of the house came to a violent end, Will teams up with his attractive neighbour, Ann (Naomi Watts) to unravel an intricate mystery that threatens the life of those he loves most.

Dolphin Tale

Lars von Trier is characterised for his subtle incursions into the hearts of his characters and Melancholia follows this line of sensitivity, adding a science fiction element into the blend. The film tells the story of Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard), a young couple who throw a sumptuous party to celebrate their wedding. What they don’t know is that Planet Melancholia is getting closer to Earth with every passing second, threatening to bring psychological catastrophe and chaos to their world. Critics have raved over the film, calling it “a movie that leaves the viewer in a state of ecstasy”. Kirsten Dunst won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival this year for her wonderful performance.

»»Genre: Drama »»Director: Charles Martin Smith (Boris and Natasha)

»»Actors: Morgan Freeman,

Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr.

Melancholia »»Director: Steven Spielberg (E.T.) »»Genre: Animation iel Craig, Andy Serkis »»VOICES: Jamie Bell, Dan

Dolphin Tale is a wonderful, family-friendly, true story about a young dolphin who lost his tail after getting caught in a crab trap. The dolphin was transported to a Marine Hospital, where he was given the name of Winter. There, scientists feared he wouldn’t survive owing to the importance of the dolphin’s tail in navigating the ocean. Coming to his aid were a marine biologist, an orthopaedic surgeon and a young boy. Together, the rescue team worked to find a solution that ended up helping hundreds of thousands of people around the world who had also lost a limb. The original Winter plays himself in the film.

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn

time, of the coolest comics of all 3D animated version of one e zing sam ama the this ling for fee ter e pos wer ld the The minute I saw fans around the wor the film gined that millions of comic in, ima I Tint as and , red Bell ie soa rt Jam , hea star my t Tintin, of Billy Ellio lberg and featuring the voice artist, Georges buzz. Directed by Steven Spie ic series created by Belgian com the ding rea up w gre who d ics of the 20th chil com any ing for sell t ner bes win the sure is a tic yet is actually one of exo bit a med see in the comic ays title alw in 11th Rémi (Hergé). Tint the Unicorn was the copies sold to date. Secret of cult riddle ion diffi mill a 350 wer r ans ove to with ing , mpt tury cen and Captain Haddock atte in Tint und Craig). aro iel Dan lves by revo it book series and Red Rackham (voiced en treasure of a crafty pirate, hidd the to m the lead will which

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THETREND REVIEWS

Dvd

WORDS marisa cutillas

Never Let Me Go

I don’t know why but as the years go by, I find it more and more difficult to enjoy films which are emotionally challenging or which focus on suffering, especially when it comes to children or animals… the helpless ones whose innocence should be protected at all times. Never Let Me Go was a film that kept me tossing and turning for a couple of nights and I don’t know if the reasons were right or wrong but I can define them as being twofold: the exquisite acting of its young protagonists and Mark Romanek’s beautiful direction, which remained faithful to the complex characters of the groundbreaking book the film is based on: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, deemed ‘The Best Novel of the Decade’ by Time Magazine. The novel, a marriage of science fiction and philosophical/ethical genres, tells the tale of a special group of ‘orphans’ at a ‘boarding school’ who slowly come to discover the true purpose of their existence. The most emotionally challenging facet of both the book and the film is the limited perspective of its characters, who lack what it takes to break free from their crumbling prison. These children, who embody the existential dilemma of humanity, have nothing left but to desperately hold on to, and lament the loss of, the blissful innocence of childhood.

»»Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 70 per cent

»»IMDB Rating: 7.3/10 »»Genre: Science Fiction/Drama »»Director: Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo)

»»Starring: Keira Knightley, Carey

Mulligan, Andrew Garfield

Kokuhaku (Confessions) »»Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 80 per cent

»»IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 »»Genre: Psychological Thriller »»Director: Tetsuya Nakashima »»Actors: Takako Matsu, Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Okada

RELE e FEATURED DVD

ASE OF THE MONTH

»»Genre: Biopic e : »»Director Rob Epstein (Th

Times of Harvey Milk) nco, Mary»»ACTORS: James Frar, Jon Hamm Louise Parke

Howl

le of ng on a sofa for a coup James Franco snoozi for a tch wa line ch in t mu firs tty the pre I could a new film, I’m usually in t ou s e of me co Ris , he urs r es (think 127 Ho hours so wheneve disappointed audienc ver tic ne s ma ha dra far his so o of ticket. Franc eals the depth etc.) and in Howl, he rev g the the Planet of the Apes, rg, credited with startin sbe Gin n Alle et po can eri ry nature Am na 0s tio 195 talent, playing 1957 for the revolu when he was sued in t en madness, by vem d mo oye re str ltu de cu n counter nds of my generatio mi st be the saw on t “I reminds us no ly of of his poem, Howl. d Ginsberg, and the film sai ,” ked na to this day l ica ter starving hys pth of his words, which nce, but also of the de rta namic dy po a im g l tin ica tor sen his pre the on. In addition to up g tin ec refl d events in an g nt are worth readin ounts the importa rg trial, Howl also rec sbe Gin ent voices the em of veh t st en reenactm into one of the mo him d rte nve em co t tha d visualisation of the po Ginsberg’s childhoo es a lovely animated tur fea film The n. tio of his genera rwell. al score by Carter Bu and a haunting music

Wow! is the best word I can think to sum up my sentiments as the closing credits to Kokuhaku began to flow across the screen to the sound of heavy metal music. Confessions looks like a video clip, sounds like a Buñuel film and feels like the aftermath of an adrenalin rush. It begins gently, deceptively, with young teacher, Miss Moriguchi, breaking two items of news to her class: first, it is her last day as their teacher. Second, she knows that two students in her class have killed her daughter. Preying on the weaknesses of the two little assassins, Miss Moriguchi invites them to a psychological battle where maternal love, shame, love of self, vengeance and violence are the key players. Revenge has never been so sweet!

ore 3 m Manuale D»’A »

dy 2) d an 1 re mo A D’ e ual Veronesi (Man ci lluc Be a »»Director GiovanDeni Nir nic o Solarino, Mo »ACTORS Robert o, Valeri

Genre Romantic Come

»

e i, is back, this tim Giovanni Verones tor ec Dir the n on lia Ita ing child of ally, focus more series, brain is divided thematic t sful Manuale D’A a Bellucci). The film r who is just abou nic ye Mo law d g an The hugely succes un ro yo Ni a , De io) ert arc ob am (R ura Sc er o (La ev l n ard co tha rto (Ricc sterious Mi with big ger stars the story of Robe the provocative, my love. ‘Youth’ tells ), when he meets ’ focuses on Fabio ino rity lar atu So ‘M ria dif ferent ages of m. ale fro (V me girlfriend Sara he wants to return gti re n who turns him su lon t ma his no wo ’s rry a he ma ets to o a parallel reality 25 years, who me int er ov him s for d ite , an American an inv ro) sb o Ni Chiat ti), wh nter and faithful hu Adrian (Robert De se of pre ry TV sto s whose ou the is fam ’ ry, intellectual sort medy. ‘Eternity (Carlo Verdone), a . Adrian is a solita emotional tragic-co me sto’s Ro an gu in of Au ist live ets on to me tag ne n into the pro s in. When Adria ed his wife and go live orc div he s ce. ing ha o en ild sc wh bu ole or t since his ad the porter of the Ar t History Profess otions he hasn’t fel (Michele Placido), em sto of gu ge Au ran is a ts. nd pt ee ce only real frie strug gles to ac me’s busiest str ves a taxi along Ro onica Bellucci), he daughter, Viola (M atic Cupid, who dri sm ari ch the is s se storie Overseeing all the

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THETREND REVIEWS WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

Books 1 OUR WAY OUT

BY MARQ DE VILLIERS

1

This yet-to-be-released book by Marq De Villiers is available for pre-ordering on Amazon and its reception has already been extremely positive from reviewers worldwide, mainly owing to its global approach to the many crises we are facing, including global warming, overpopulation and energy shortages. De Villiers challenges the current trend for apocalyptic thinking, arguing that within the solution to each crisis lies the capacity for something deeper: immense, dynamic worldwide change based on the power of solutions to enable other solutions. He begins his argument by citing the current energy shortage: some 15 terawatts are needed

a year to generate the power needs of Planet Earth and that means the necessity for so many power plants that if you concentrated them all in North America, you could travel along the continent and continuously find one within your viewing range. A collective response involving technological, social and political change is the only way to go. De Villiers isn’t afraid to say what he thinks, even when it involves awkward issues such as nuclear power and the Fukushima disaster; he says that radioactive waste levels can be reduced through reprocessing and re-use. He also believes in the strategic use of genetically modified foods as a way to reduce the use of water, energy and chemicals.

2 TREES: THE BALANCE OF LIFE THE BEAUTY OF NATURE BY PIERRE LIEUTAGHI You don’t need to be an ethno-botanist to identify lying under the shade of a hundred-year-old oak as one of the indubitable pleasures of life, but writer, Pierre Lieutaghi has been involved in this specialisation for nearly all his working life. In this beautiful book, he enlightens us on how vital trees are to man, providing fuel, food, medicine and building material and playing an important role in culture and spirituality. Did you know that half a hectare of trees absorbs the same amount of carbon as is emitted by a car traveling for 16,000 kilometres? Learn this and so many more interesting facts in this worthy book, which invites us to do our best to maintain our glorious relationship with ‘the best friend of man’.

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READING FOR NATURE LOVERS 5

3 GOOD NATURED: ORIGINS OF RIGHT AND WRONG IN HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS

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BY FRANS DE WAAL

If you’ve ever wondered if there was something deeper behind your dog’s guilty look after eating a cushion, an elephant herd pulling together to save a stranded calf or a gorilla’s willingness to risk his own life to save a mate, you’ll find all the answers in Frans De Waal’s fascinating new work, which postulates the existence of a code of ethics in the animal kingdom. Ethics, it seems, are merely the product of evolution.

All animals, from marine mammals to cats and dogs, adhere to social rules, lending each other a hand, sharing meals, resolving conflicts and even developing their own rudimentary code of what is just.

Natural selection may be cruel at times, but it has also given rise to codes of cooperation and mutual assistance, followed strictly by the Planet’s most successful species.

4 EATING ANIMALS

5 OCEAN SOUL

If you’re a serious advocate of animal rights then you’re probably already a vegetarian but if you’re still fervently extolling the virtues of a carnivore diet, you definitely should obtain a copy of Eating Animals. The book, described by The Times as “gripping, horrible, wonderful, breathtaking, original”, is the product of the author’s musings on important questions. He says: “I simply wanted to know – for myself and my family – what meat is. Where does it come from?

How is it produced? What are the economic, social and environmental effects? Are there animals that it is straightforwardly right to eat? Are there situations in which not eating animals is wrong? If this began as a personal quest, it didn’t stay that way for long . . .”

Ocean Soul’s author, Brian Skerry, describes his latest book of photographs as “a love story, a story of discovery and hope…”

Skerry has been captivated by the magic of the ocean since he was a little boy and following an experience with underwater photographers, he had an epiphany. He explains: “I had always wanted to explore oceans but now I understood how I would do this. I would do it with a camera.” Through his determination, talent and hours of painstaking work, Skerry achieved the aim of any Nature photographer: to have his work published in National Geographic (Skerry sold over 20 articles to the magazine). In Ocean Soul he shares the magic of the sea through beautiful, mysterious, riveting photographs that inspire us to treat our oceans with the love and care they deserve.

BY JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER

4

BY BRIAN SKERRY

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THETREND REVIEWS

Music

WORDS Allan Tee

Kasabian Velociraptor After the success and brilliance of their previous albums, I was expecting a lot from Kasabian, but maybe just a little too much. It’s pretty much the same old stuff from the Leicester lads with a mixture of Brit rock, electronic and even some techno being thrown into the mix. All in all though the album isn’t bad but isn’t quite great either, reminding me of The Stone Roses Second Coming which was highly anticipated from the success of their debut album, but never quite stepped up to the mark.

Laura Marling A Creature I don’t Know

Tony Bennett Duets II

all of the great singers Tony Bennett has worked with aralleled in musical unp ply including a list that is sim ed his signature song, history. In 1962, Bennett record cisco. Then during the I Left My Heart in San Fran fessional career took 1970s his personal life and pro arkable comeback rem a ed a dive but he then stag putting out gold record in the late 1980s and 1990s, his audience to the MTV albums again and expanding r the first duets, his generation. Some five years afte in the ble but eternally etta regr a ings by the late Amy Winehouse latest album takes on what is one of the final record of n sfy. usio sati incl uld the sho t with tha ory ion hist d, here is a collect grateful sense of rations, and old friends include abo coll New l.

Sou and y Bod of rendition

The very prolific Laura Marling has released three albums in three years and in A Creature I Don’t Know, she delivers another exceptional display of self-penned songs which are well crafted and complement her distinctive vocal style beautifully. Marling disguises reality and projects many characters in the performance as well as the writing. A truly gifted young artist and one from whom we can expect many more good experiences.

Joss Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart,A.R. Rahman Stone, Damian Marley and SuperHeavy

ve. The collaboration p consisting of all of the abo Yes SuperHeavy is a supergrou not new. He had the e Stewart with Mick Jagger is between Joss Stone and Dav reggae to ballads to musical styles, ranging from idea to converge different the usual coming from re e is a refreshing departu Indian genre. Well, it works! Her ves a stomping wea ker Wor cle first single, Mira together of creative egos. The rus, and the video is a al elements and a driving cho reggae beat, well balanced voc ds mesmeric Indian to be my favourite, since it blen dream. Satyameva Jayate has s. Great production; star er from the assembled sup als voc g ntin hau with ples sam a burst of true exuberance.

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Allan Tee presents Album Hour at 11am every Saturday on Talk Radio Europe. 99.1FM. www.talkradioeurope.com 10/21/11 3:44 PM

THETREND GADGETS In line with our theme of the month, we invite you to try out these cool gadgets, which enable you to make the most of the great outdoors, or help reduce your carbon footprint.

SOLAR POWERED MAGIC GLOBE LIGHT BY SOLAR SHOP This gorgeous light lasts for up to eight hours and possesses the ability to change colour nine times every other minute. Freeze the button to select a particular hue and enjoy ambient lighting in your garden or terrace. i www.solarshop.com

GADGETS FOR

SOLAR POWER LIGHTED PATIO UMBRELLA BY ENVIROGADGET This sturdy outdoor umbrella uses a solar panel and LEDs to provide illumination for up to eight hours. There are 24 LEDs which run along six light strips located in the umbrella spokes. i www.envirogadget.com

NATURE LOVERS WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

1 – FOLDING ELECTRIC BIKE

BY E-CYCLE

IBAMBOO IPHONE AND IPOD SPEAKER BY IBAMBOO

Unless you live so far from work that your only option is taking the bus or car, join the Green movement and hop on this all-aluminum electric bike

by E-Cycle, which you can fold up and take with you when you’re done with it, making it very easy to keep an eye on. i www.soy-eco.com

iBamboo is made from a slice of natural bamboo which has been laser-cut and hand-finished. The wood naturally magnifies the iPhone’s built-in speaker with no need for electricity. i www.ibamboospeaker.com

2 – OUTDOOR WIRELESS SPEAKERS BY AQSOUND Enjoy the great outdoors with these water-resistant, wireless speakers that can be connected to virtually any audio source, including hi-fi, TV, VCR, DVD, PC, DVD and radio. i www.aqsound.com

CAMERA LENS MUG BY CANON Few gadgets are more ideal for camera buffs than this gorgeous mug, which looks like a real lens but actually keeps your tea warm and even functions as a plant pot. i www.photojo.com

3 – MEGAPHONE CERAMIC IPHONE AND IPOD LOUDSPEAKER This is another natural amplifier for your iPhone or iPod. Made from ceramic, it bears an über contemporary look and requires no additional power. i www.tech.mikeshouts.com

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2

SOLAR POWERED LED CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

BY NIGEL’S ECO STORE Light up your outdoor Christmas decorations with solar powered rope light, which comes in the colour red or yellow. When fully charged, the lights last for up to three days, so you can also use them indoors. i www.nigelsecostore.com

3 10/24/11 11:55 AM

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GATED COMPLEX WITH 24-HOUR SECURITY I HI-TECH VIDEO ENTRY I INTELLIGENT HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEMS (DOMOTICS) I SPACIOUS AND I LIGHT INTERIORS SIEMATIC KITCHENS I SIEMENS APPLIANCES I ALARM I SATELLITE TV I SECURITY DOORS I ELECTRIC BLINDS I INTERIOR CARPENTRY I BATHROOM FITTINGS I GARAGE I STORAGE ROOMS Sales office tel: 952 90 40 35 mob: 605 900 905 I FM Consulting office tel: 952 810 000 I www.cortijodelmar.com Ctra. N-340 Málaga-Cádiz Km. 168 (salida C.C. Diana), Calle Alquería 1, 29680 Estepona I GPS: Longitud: +36º 28´9.86” Latitud: -5º1´15.94”

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WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LEXUS AND PORSCHE

CARS

THE and LEXUS GS 450h 450 other Luxury Hybrid Choices

THETREND MOTOR

T

he answer for 2012 is a resounding ‘no’ as vehicle manufacturers at the high end of the market compete to bring us hybrids that are not only thrifty, but downright luxurious and sporty too.

Certainly, there are increasingly wide choices when it comes to hybrids at the more affordable end of the market, but this year sees a rash of exciting and opulent products from the upscale makers and even Porsche is in on the act. It all adds up to the fact that a buyer with the money to spend can go green without making any luxury or performance sacrifices at all.

Take the 2013 Lexus GS 450h (available early next year) introduced at this year’s Frankfurt motor show and previewed in GS 350 (conventional drivetrain) form at the famed Pebble Beach Concours in California during August. The GS has long been Lexus’ ‘grand tourer’ – a large saloon but not quite in the same mould as the bigger 600h. Dramatic ‘European’ styling has always been a benchmark with the GS and earlier cars (they go back to 1991 in Japan) were penned by Italian master Giugiaro. The hybrid version was first launched in 2005.

The new GS certainly looks as though it will carry on the Italian design tradition that came with earlier models and it should keep its reputation as possibly Lexus’ most stylish saloon.

Interestingly, the lighting – a key styling point with any premium vehicle – is all-

Most of us would like to make some kind of gesture towards reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, but does this mean we have to drive a tiny and austere car that looks like a road-going jelly bean?

LEXUS GS 450H SPECS ENGINE 3.5-litre V-6 plus two electric motors HORSEPOWER 338 ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h in approx. 6-seconds I LIKED Great styling, superb build quality, silky smooth drivetrain, excellent cabin detailing and comfort I DIDN’T LIKE Owners will have to pay a price to go green and it can take a long time for fuel savings to catch up with how much more this vehicle costs compared to a petrol version (this applies to all hybrids) MARKET ALTERNATIVES Several contenders available or on

the way from various major manufacturers, including aforementioned Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Lincoln, but luxury hybrids will always be a rarity WHO DRIVES ONE? People prepared to spend some serious money to make a green gesture.

Owners who have no problem paying for an expensive car, but still hate paying so much for fuel. People who like to have a car that is the very last word in automotive technology PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Available during early 2012 at a price yet to be announced

The Lexus GS 450h

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Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

The Lexus GS 350

Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid

Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid SUV

LED and according to Lexus, this is the world’s first car so equipped. The hybrid system for this car is a highly-updated and enhanced version compared to anything Lexus has brought us before.

Power comes from a front-mounted petrol-fueled 3.5-litre V-6 working with two electric motors to drive the rear wheels (there’s one electric motor for each rear wheel). According to Lexus, the new GS offers very worthwhile reductions in fuel usage compared to the earlier model and is, according to reports, as powerful as a comparable V-8. In fact, Lexus is claiming 338-horsepower for the GS, which is very impressive. According to Lexus, the car will top 100 km/h in less than six seconds, which is really sports car territory. The car comes with selectable driving modes, including Eco, Sport S, Sport S+ and EV. You can choose the mode according to what mood you’re in for driving, from sporty to ultra-economical.

Compared to the petrol-fueled GS 350, the hybrid variant is said to be 30 per cent more fuel efficient.

The chassis of the GS 450h has also been reworked, so handling should be exceptional for what is actually quite a large saloon. There’s an impressive array of technical highlights with the 2013 GS. Included is Active Variable Suspension and Dynamic Rear Steering (AVS and DRS respectively). There’s also an upgraded dynamic handling system for both

safety and driver confidence. The blind spot assist system offered by Lexus is one of the best in the industry and possibly the best new safety feature in a decade. Even the most careful of us have started a lane change while there was a vehicle in our ‘blind spot’ but that’s a thing of the past with these blind spot monitors. There’s also a system that warns when you wander across into another lane, which is a valuable safety aid too. Other highlights include night vision and head-up display for some vital functions.

In recent times, there’ve been some surprising entries in the hybrid segment from names we’ve really never associated with fuel economy. Even Porsche’s elegant Panamera 4-door is being ‘hybridised’ and the move confirms the famed manufacturer’s commitment to customer demands for better economy with no performance or opulence sacrifice. The Panamera not only has the four doors normally associated with a saloon, it has lots of room for two full-sized people in the back. And it’s no less a Porsche than its sports car stablemates. It’s fast and refined and handles like a sportster half its size.

The cabin has every imaginable luxury and electronic feature and the hybrid powertrain is both powerful and silky-smooth. The Panamera elegantly fills a wide range of driving roles and you won’t feel guilty about driving it to a Greenpeace meeting.

Porsche is even developing an out-and-out sports car with this mode of drivetrain – the 918 Spyder Hybrid. One look at this stunning new sportster and the last thing that comes to mind is “environmental responsibility,” but first impressions can be misleading. According to Porsche the 918, which has the go-ahead for production, will achieve a fuel consumption level of just 3.0-litres/100 km using the European Driving Cycle. Emissions are also amazingly low for a car in this class – or any class, for that matter. It just shrieks performance and opulence, yet it has a carbon footprint that’s remarkably modest.

Porsche is also bringing its hybrid expertise to the SUV class with a new Cayenne variant. The vehicle uses a supercharged 3.0-litre V-6 and a single electric motor and will cruise at 140 km/h without using the gasoline engine. The powertrain is aided by an 8-speed automatic transmission and Porsche says that the rig will top 100 km/h in 6.8-seconds.

Fuel consumption will run around 9.0-litres/100 km – remarkable for what is a fairly large SUV with all the usual capabilities.

There are still a fair number of luxury makers that haven’t taken the hybrid path to fuel efficiency and low emissions - usually because of a commitment to diesel power, which is certainly a highly valid alternative. e NOVEMBER 2011 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE / 27

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THETHEME GREEN THINKING

WORDS AMY

WILLIAMS

The greenhouse effect is far more than a myth

As the glaciers shrink, the sea levels rise, and we become ever more aware of the effects of global warming on the planet, so too is the topic of the environment becoming an increasingly hot one. Individuals are embracing cycling and recycling, reducing and reusing, and even going all ‘Good Life’ by growing their own produce in an attempt to play their part in the protection of the planet. And, depending on the means available, it doesn’t even stop there. In an endeavour which is unlikely to be covered by the winter fuel allowance to which the founder of the Virgin Group is now officially entitled, Sir Richard Branson will be staying warm in winter at his Oxford home with heat from the earth’s core being channelled to him by the pumping of water into and out of bore holes. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, is reputed now to sport a rucksack fitted with a solar panel to power his mobile phone and MP3 player, as well as apparently also investing in solar technology and electric cars.

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As water levels rise, the consumer choices we make are inevitably changing

Pears: opting for a more natural formula

Even in a collapsed market, sales for cars like the Prius are soaring

B

ut whatever size the contribution, what originally began as environmental responsibility has quickly turned into a trend and it is now undeniably fashionable to be seen to be green. And this extends far beyond individual efforts at energy efficiency, and into the realms of big business.

The cynics among us could say that manufacturers and businesses have recognised this trend and are in turn, focusing their attentions on making their products greener for commercial reasons; the optimists would hope that their actions are altruistic, and that any subsequent commercial success was a serendipitous

consequence of a new, environmentallyresponsible attitude. But whatever the motivation, there is a growing market relating to green products and eco-friendly manufacturing, across all sectors.

A survey conducted by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies concluded that, even during times of financial hardship, there is an insistence on buying green products, demonstrated in many cases (such as the famously green Toyota Prius) by demand outstripping supply. Consumer spending on environmentally-friendly goods and services increases every year, currently standing at over €8 billion.

And not only is there a massive leaning towards ‘green’ companies and their products and practices, but there is an active movement against companies who are not seen to be doing their bit.

An extreme example being the boycott of BP and its brands following the most environmentally disastrous oil spill (which, incredibly, erupted in the Gulf of Mexico on the very same day that BP was due to receive an award for ‘outstanding safety and pollution prevention performance’) seen anywhere in the world to date. A smaller scale example is that of the centuries-old Pears Soap, forced to abandon a new, more chemically-rich recipe and increased packaging, following a simple Facebook campaign by Pears purists.

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All of this points towards green practices, and the clear communication thereof, being more important than ever for the modern-day business. On behalf of Marks & Spencer, a YouGov survey revealed that 87 per cent of those questioned believed that all retailers had a responsibility to provide humanelymanufactured products. M&S, for its part, has long been on the case and produces its T-shirts and vests using one-third of the world’s fairly traded cotton (with a 2012 projection to be using 5 per cent of the world’s organic cotton), and operates three ‘eco’ factories, all of which are green from the ground up, carbon neutral and bearing no impact on the environment. The leading high-street store also champions the green cause with its Plan A (‘because there is no Plan B’) agenda, which is a series of measures to ensure suppliers are environmentally responsible, as well as encouraging customers to ‘think climate’ through small, yet significant, steps such as reducing the temperature of a wash to 30 degrees. M&S’s goal is to become the world’s most sustainable retailer.

In the fashion world, the green movement is being embraced whole-heartedly by emporiums and entrepreneurs alike. From the high-impact efforts of M&S, to the free-range, organic, angora rabbit whose fur is spun on

the wheel of knitwear designer and unique yarn shop ‘Prick Your Finger’ owner, Rachel Matthews, one attitude is increasingly fitting all when it comes to green fashion.

Fashion designer Katharine Hamnett, who made a sartorial statement with oversized slogan-bearing T-shirts in the early ‘80s (remember the CHOOSE LIFE T-shirts worn by Wham in their Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go video?), went on to put her eco-warrier weight behind a plea to encourage all consumers to buy one item manufactured from organic cotton at least once a year. Hamnett also worked with Tesco, designing the ‘Choose Love’ ethical clothing collection which got the supermarket giant off the ground with its organic and fair trade range.

Choose Love was just one of the initiatives set out by Tesco, with other green pledges including cutting down on pollution and slashing prices on energy-efficient goods.

Having delivered on its promises, Tesco is now regarded as one of the UK’s most environmentally-friendly supermarkets, a position secured, among other things, by its investment of €132 million in energy-saving technology across its stores, the introduction of ‘Greener Living’ products, and a reduction in the cost to consumers of energy-saving light bulbs which saw sales of €4 million in a single month. Community and Government Director at Tesco, David North, sees it as the supermarket’s responsibility to encourage the customer to go green. According to him, the desire to be green already exists within the consumer but they look to businesses to help set an example.

Biodegradable products are all the rage among savvy consumers

Fake fur is thankfully more realistic and cosy than ever before

Turn it off : it costs less and consumes less energy

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Some companies reward their employees for cycling to work

Some companies offer fashionable incentives to stay warm

Everybody’s going green

Green, however, goes beyond everyday staples such as T-shirts and light bulbs and extends into the luxury markets too. Guests at a four-star Marriott Hotel wouldn’t necessarily have the environment on their mind as they relax in the hotel’s spa baths or end the day under a feather down duvet and white Egyptian cotton sheets, but fortunately, the hotel itself is taking care of its guests and the environment at the same time. Green initiatives include the towel and linen reuse service, waste recycling, low-energy light bulbs, and the sourcing of supplies such as paper, pens and flipcharts made from recycled materials. The ‘green’ meeting rooms are also programmed to be heated and ventilated only when timetabled to be in use. In one year, Marriott reduced its carbon emissions by 6,500 tons and reduced gas and electricity by 5 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. Marriott also encourages staff to do their bit for the environment, including travelling to work in the most eco-friendly way, switching off electrical items when not in use and getting

involved in green community activities.

In terms of encouraging employees’ environmental efforts in and outside of the office however, few firms have embraced the initiative as whole-heartedly as Forster, an ethical marketing, social public relations and design company based in London.

As an incentive not only to cut emissions, but also to improve the health of its employees, the company rewards any journey made to and from work by bike or on foot with an extra five minutes’ holiday per annum. Over a year, that makes a very welcome total of two more days. And should any employee attempt to use the excuse that they’d work up too much of a sweat getting to work that way, then the shower included in the free gym membership provided by the company offers the perfect solution. In winter and the colder months, employees are given ‘winter survival kits’, comprising hot water bottles and warm jumpers to be used as an alternative to turning the heating up.

The kit quirkily even includes knitting needles so staff can make their own scarves. In

2010, items such as sewing machines and carpet cleaners were made available to employees in a loan scheme with the aim of reducing purchasing costs to each individual. Forster adopts a sustainable approach to all areas of its business, from the campaigns it runs, right down to sourcing sandwiches from local suppliers – should the staff not be making anything themselves from the vegetables and herbs grown in the company’s garden club, that is.

Yet as green as both Marriott and Forster are however, they were both beaten to the top spot of The Sunday Times 60 Best Green Companies 2010 (coming in 7th and 17th respectively), by office supplies company UKOS. For every one of the reusable containers in which UKOS deliver goods to its clients (and which they then fold flat and return to UKOS on its next visit) a total of 18 trees are saved over a period of five years. The company estimates that if all customers were to use the scheme, it would mean a total saving of 69,000 boxes (26 tons of cardboard) every year.

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Plastic bag ‘suffocating’ a coral reef

Even among financial institutions there is a recognition of the current consumer respect for the environment, and consequently such bodies are beginning to provide products and accounts which promise only to invest money in ethicallysound businesses, such as those with non-exploitative employment records or a zerocarbon footprint. Not only does this appeal to investors with a strong environmental awareness but it’s a popular move among the financially-savvy too as green businesses are currently experiencing such huge growth.

Companies who have been making it their business to care for the environment long before it was so fashionable to do so are, of course, rejoicing in the news that environmental awareness is spreading to hitherto more capitalconscious big businesses, yet they nonetheless remain understandably sceptical about the real reasons for the change of working practices. Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, Tony Juniper, has said that while the changes are important, only in time will we see a separation between the corporative

initiatives which are really substantial and those which are merely brand enhancement.

The companies whose initiatives would fall into the latter of Juniper’s categories could be accused of what is now commonly termed ‘greenwashing’ – the spin in which a company claims, deceptively, to be environmentally friendly purely for marketing purposes. And it’s something that the public are increasingly aware of too. When M&S announced that it was to begin charging 5p per plastic bag in its food departments, there was cynicism from the general public as to whether this was in fact a display of social responsibility, or rather a money-making scheme in disguise. Yet whatever conclusion you draw, the fact is that during the trials of the scheme, demand for the bags dropped by 70 per cent. Given that around 13 billion plastic bags are freely given to shoppers per year in the UK alone (and that it is estimated to take up to 1,000 years for any one of these bags to decompose), it could be a phenomenal move

for the environment if other stores followed suit. The UK supermarkets’ continental counterparts have been doing so for years, with no complaint from customers.

It is understandably easy to be cynical about the real motives of the big businesses, but people who live in greenhouses (especially those heating up at the rate the earth’s currently are) shouldn’t throw stones. Research has shown that there is, curiously, more of an interest in green products when they are actually more expensive than their environmentally-unfriendly equivalents, than when their cost is lowered. The reason being the associated social status of making a sacrifice for the good of the globe. When the sacrifice is not so great, the interest appears to wane.

So whether or not the consumers are merely making social statements or the big businesses are simply seizing opportunities, the two needs are, for now, feeding each other, and environmental initiatives and green marketing are marching on. Fortunately, it works for the earth too. e

Green marketing is both profitable and the solution to saving our Planet

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10/26/11 3:01 PM

THETHEME FOOD

FOOD FOR

THOUGHT WORDS JESSICA OCAÑA

Eating for many is a passion, for others it’s routine and for some, well, it’s just a survival technique. Fortunately for those of us living in the modern world, what and how we eat is a lifestyle choice – a choice, however, that’s about to get trickier as food concerns go sustainable.

O

ne of the many reasons people flock from the colder climates of Europe to the warmer, sunnier coasts of Southern Spain is to enjoy the delights of its regional cuisine. The Mediterranean diet is renowned the world over: olive oil, fresh fish, a high intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, locally sourced meat and dairy products and, why not, a moderate consumption of wine. Such delights have not only pleasured our palates for centuries, but they have also been reported to keep us living a healthier life for longer; helping to combat major life-threatening diseases. So, for all the lucky ones living the Mediterranean dream, there is really no excuse, particularly in Marbella, where the offer of excellent eateries abounds.

However, it’s a sad fact that in life’s busy schedule, there often isn’t the time to prepare the well-balanced, home-cooked meals we’re so often reminded to be eating and so guiltily never do. Juggling work, family and even a busy social life can often mean we grab what’s fast, easy and, unfortunately, seldom healthy or nutritious. What’s more, with the worry of sustainable living becoming an increasing concern in the modern world, responsible eating nowadays also means reducing carbon footprints, supporting local economies, lowering manufacturing and transport costs and reconnecting with Mother Nature. It sounds like a lot to stomach, but the recipe for sustainable eating lies in just a few simple

ingredients: a pinch of carbon footprint reduction, a dollop of boosting local businesses and a generous serving of seasonal produce.

It’s a fact: the production, packaging and transportation of the food we eat consumes energy and results inevitably in carbon emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions can be natural or manmade. Either way, the gas is considered a Greenhouse gas, which means it takes part in trapping the sun’s energy in our atmosphere making life on Earth possible. However, it’s also a fact that if we increase the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we will also upset the Earth’s way of regulating energy from the sun. The more greenhouse emissions, the more heat from the Sun is trapped on Earth and the hotter it gets. It may sound like a great idea to have eternal summers, but living things on our planet (including humankind) aren’t ready for changing climate conditions and the consequences of what some scientists call global warming. Final fact: food that travels from far and wide, has been mass produced and in many cases grown out of season, comes with a higher carbon footprint in comparison to food that is sourced locally, is seasonal and doesn’t come with elaborate packaging. Not only that, but we also pay a premium on such food items from far-flung places – chew on that next time you’re enjoying an out-of-season passion fruit.

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In southern Spain, reducing your carbon footprint in terms of the food you eat should be relatively easy. Tomatoes, avocados, lemons, oranges, mangoes, pomegranates, asparagus, strawberries, olives… the list of delicious indigenous foodstuffs in Andalucía is endless. In fact, Andalucía produces more organically grown food than any other region in Spain. Having exported most of it to northern European countries for decades, it’s only now that the region is beginning to enjoy a growing domestic market. Which brings me neatly on to my next point: eating sustainably can help to support local economies.

So, a weekly trip to your local super, hyper or (as I witnessed recently) supermarket planet, is easy. You can get it over with in one fell swoop.

Fill your trolley; give the best part of €200 to the checkout person who’s probably thrown your trolley items down the conveyor belt (regardless of your having strategically separated eggs and bread from tins and bottles) and leave wondering what exactly it is that you’ve spent all your money on – surely you should have the ingredients of a sumptuous banquet rather than just your weekly necessaries.

Did I mention that you’re unlikely to have exchanged more than two words to the person at the checkout? Aggressive super and hyper markets have a monopoly position over the local guys. However, in the current economic climate, particularly in Spain, it surely can do no harm to give local businesses your support.

Environmentally speaking, it’s the wisest option and, in terms of local communities, supporting local businesses can help rebuild communities.

Service is personal, quality is increased and there’s definitely a feel good factor involved. As far as food products are concerned, by relying on local businesses and markets, you’re more likely to also be consuming the freshest and best and in terms of seasonal produce.

And, so to my final point, seasonal food is the way forward. Again, to those living in Andalusia spoilt by the year-round excellent growing conditions, choosing seasonal food doesn’t really require too much of an effort. You need only visit your local market to see what seasonal delights look the best. They’ll usually

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be priced so cheaply that market vendors will be almost giving them away.

On a more serious note however, being able to eat what we want when we want has become such a huge part of our consumer culture that we never have to do without – the prospect of going without raspberries in January for example just seems ludicrous. But, what we gain in choice, we lose not only in environmental benefits but also health benefits. We know for a fact that seasonal food not only tastes better, but it also contains ingredients that suit our body’s need for a particular time of year. It’s no coincidence that oranges, mandarins and other fruits high in vitamin C are at their juiciest and best at the start of winter when our bodies are preparing to fight nasty colds and other winter ailments. In the hot summer months, foods with the highest fluid content (watermelons, for example) are also at their best and most delicious. What’s more, the less time the food you eat has spent being transported, the more the nutrients and vitamins are likely to have been retained since picking.

It does sound like a lot to be thinking about, particularly with other major concerns and commitments of day-to-day living. Indeed, the pro-sustainable food debate is one I’ve had with many a sceptic or non-believer. There are those who pooh-pooh global warming, those who defend the employment opportunities provided by supermarket giants, those who contest the

economic viability of organic produce, others who deem sustainable living as idealistic and those who simply profess not to have time. Fair enough.

Sustainable eating is a lifestyle choice, for now.

Until a time when we may be forced to take action, perhaps consider easing yourself in gently.

Shop locally one day a week, buy organic food on market day or cook yourself a seasonal sensation from scratch. You might also try splitting your weekly shop between chain supermarkets and local, more specialist stores. Also, when dining at your favourite restaurant, opt for the seasonal choice – they’re likely to be the most delicious!

The best restaurants will always have a seasonal option.

Sustainable eating does indeed give us food for thought. We’ve a long way to go before the ideal situation is reached, particularly when some have so much and others so little or nothing at all. We can only try to make a bit of a difference. For now, however, mull over what’s seasonal in November and you may be inspired to put on your chef’s hat and get cooking. How about poached quince with muscatel sherry and winter spices? Or, roasted butternut pumpkin soup? Spinach, artichokes, avocados, leeks, beetroot, wild mushrooms, pears, lemons, grapes… any one of these delicious regional delights is in season now and waiting to make it into your recipe selection this month. e

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THEPRO BUSINESS

Alejandro Orioli of Arboretum Marbella

DIN BUIL

GA

A

PE OPL E

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY KH PHOTOGRAPHY AND COURTESY OF ARBORETUM MARBELLA

E H FOREST FOR T

picnic with family in the woods; a lazy Sunday afternoon resting in your mother’s garden under a weeping willow; cutting class with your best friend and giggling beneath the shade of your special oak in the middle of the forest… there is no doubt that the most beautiful memories in our lives are often associated with trees. So why is it that when it comes to causes, they are almost always at the end of the list? In Spain we read and hear a lot about the Iberian lynx, but it is actually fourth on the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) list of endangered species in Spain, the top spot belonging to the Andalusian cork oak.

Trees are so much more than requirements for our physical survival… they feed our soul and our imagination; they invite us to exhale,

relax, and dream as we gaze at their divine proportions. It can be depressing to read up on the facts and find that every second, we lose an area of forest the size of two football fields and along with the trees we lose biodiversity, fruit and vegetable staples and a host of natural medicines modern medicine has not even bothered to study.

Just one hectare of rainforest absorbs one ton of CO2 per year… why are we doing so little to preserve the existence of such an important part of the Planet? It is strange to think that our future ultimately depends on those who are willing to take a chance; a handful of inspired, committed individuals who are leading the battle to recover our beautiful forests. It is these individuals who welcome us, teach us and inspire us to form

part of a movement that must be collective if it is to be effective.

Argentinean born environmental crusader and Founder of Arboretum Marbella, Alejandro Orioli, is testimony to what one man’s will and determination can achieve. Although his professional background lies in business, he has always been passionate about environmental causes, so much so that he is a member of 11 different environmental organisations, including Greenpeace, The Climate Project Spain and Amigos de los Arboles.

Alejandro is appalled by the statistics he encounters: “We have a deficit of 13 million hectares when we compare logging and reforestation figures. That is equivalent to the size of the entire surface of Greece!” he balks.

In 2007, Alejandro met Al Gore at the first International Conference of Amigos de los Arboles (Friends of the Trees) in Barcelona and was impressed by the former US Vice-President’s ambitious

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aim: to ensure that 100 million trees were planted on Iberian soil within four years. To Alejandro, this goal, part of the worldwide Billion Tree Campaign, was “tangible, quantifiable”, qualities which had always attracted him in business. He says, “Meeting Al Gore inspired me to found Arboretum Marbella: a charity that is dedicated 100 per cent to trees.” Alejandro drafted his proposal and presented it to Mayor Ángeles Muñoz, who wasted no time in approving the project, granting Arboretum the rights to an area of land which used to be a coak ork habitat, for 30 years.

If you are a Nature lover then without a doubt, you have visited the lush, eclectic, humid paradise that is the Jardín Botánico in Málaga: a romantic garden inhabited by exotic species from all over the world and a favoured setting for romantic weddings of the jetset. Arboretum Marbella is similar but much more ambitious in its scope; in addition to being a public park, it aims to restore the lost woodlands, working on the conservation of native species like the coak ork tree. It currently houses some 131 different plant species. Additionally, the Arboretum is devoted to education, inviting both adults and children to reconnect with trees and learn how to lead a more environmentally sustainable life through a series of courses and workshops. And in case you thought it was tucked away in some lofty mountain area, you’ll be surprised to learn that the Arboretum Marbella is right next to the Hotel Don Miguel in Marbella, a mere 1.7km from the Plaza de los Naranjos in the Old Town.

The Arboretum is divided into two areas: the conservation garden and an area that has been set aside for reforestation exclusively by schoolchildren. The latter will be using an analog forestry technique which is highly productive yet non-harmful to the environment, in accordance with the guidelines set out by forest protection association, RIFA through its delegation in Spain, AFMED. The initiative is part of the Europe-wide Natura 2000 networking programme, which seeks to preserve our natural heritage.

Arboretum Marbella is financed in its entirety by sponsors and members of the public. Some of its most avid supporters include Ikea, Philips, El Corte Inglés, the Clínica Buchinger and Grupo Fuerte Hoteles. When I ask Alejandro what dealing with the Ikea execs was like, he answers, “Ikea was one of the easiest companies to sign up. I met up with the Head of the Environmental Department in Madrid, and she fell in love with the project. She signed

up for five years!” Arboretum also invites members of the public to take part in the Give a Future Give a Tree incentive. For a minimum fee of €5 monthly, you can have a tree named after you and if you wish even plant your own tree, visiting it regularly and watching it grow and flourish in an ever greener forest.

Arboretum Marbella’s educational endeavours are one of its most attractive features. On the last Saturday of each month, Alejandro and his team head a two-hour reforestation workshop in which trees are planted using a Japanese technique called nendo dango, which he describes as “simple, fun yet highly effective.” At the workshops, kids aged eight and above and their parents have tons of fun, sticking their arms elbow deep into a mass of wax and seeds, forming balls with their hands which are so fertile, in some countries, they are dropped en masse from airplanes onto meadows as part of major reforestation efforts.

Arboretum Marbella also teaches concerned citizens classes on subjects ranging from permaculture to how to plant edible ecological gardens, bioconstruction and healthy living at home. Some 12 topics are taught throughout the year (one per month), each of which consists of 20 hours of class taught over three days (the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every month). “People come from all over Spain to attend these workshops,” says Alejandro, who this month (November 4 to 6) will be teaching the module called Hacemos Un Huerto (Let’s Plant an Edible Garden). Also this month, on November 13, everyone from the Director of Ikea and 250 Ikea employees to the Director of the Clínica Buchinger, Claus Rohrer and members of Arboretum Marbella from all walks of life will be heading to Arboretum Marbella to simultaneously plant 1,000 trees. “That day will dramatically change the face of the Arboretum,” says Alejandro, adding “In six months the area will be lush and green and every single person will be able to see how the little seed they planted has made such a difference. We suggest that parents take a camera to photograph their child before their tree regularly, to see how both grow over the years.”

As is to be expected of such a prolific activist, Alejandro has numerous plans for Arboretum, many of which are in the final stages of approval. For instance, he has signed onto the Slow Food Movement, headed by El Lago’s Michelin-starred Chef, Diego del Río and many of the Coast’s top chefs. “The idea is to set up a Moroccan tent at the Arboretum, where Diego and

g Finca El Trapiche s/n, Marbella. Tel: 951 137 210. www.arboretummarbella.org

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other chefs will be teaching 30-minute cooking classes using local, seasonal, organic produce,” says Alejandro.

Additionally, he hopes to build a 350m2 library at the Arboretum, which will also function as a classroom (classes currently take place at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Marbella). Alejandro is also working with the Social Welfare Department of the Marbella City Hall, aiding those who have been released from prison or who are recovering from drug addiction, helping them reforest what is now a huge rock locals refer to as the peñón (also the term used to describe the Rock of Gibraltar). “It is not only forests that are barren; people can be emotionally barren, and through incentives such as these they can find their way back into society and discover the hope they left behind as a result of difficult experiences,” observes Alejandro.

It is perhaps fitting that Arboretum Marbella should have been launched in 2011, the International Year of the Forest (declared by the United Nations General Assembly). There is no better time than now to take an active role in the recovery of our vulnerable Planet through the simple act of planting a tree. It is difficult not to get enthusiastic about this project, especially after meeting the enigmatic Alejandro, who proves that environmental awareness is not just a source of responsibility and hard work, but a fantastically fun experience that helps families, friends and employees bond together as they unite their efforts in pursuit of something deeper and infinitely more spiritual. As Alejandro Orioli likes to say, ““We should remember that plants and trees are what allow man to live; we owe them more respect and commitment”. e NOVEMBER 2011 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE / 39

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INTERIORS / ARCHITECTURE / ART

/ DESIGN / GARDENS / FASHION

Madrid Fashion Week, UDesign, eco fashion from Benetton and Feng Shui gardens…

42 Décor: UDesign 50 Feng Shui Gardening 52 Fashion: Eco-Friendly Fashion from Benetton 58 Fashion News 60 All About Kids

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THESTYLE DECOR

DESIGN BESPOKE DESIGN FOR REAL PEOPLE 42 / ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2011

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WORDS Michel cruz Photography Sandra Salinder

J

ason Harris and Leonie van der Wal have a different philosophy to most interior design firms. In creating handmade furniture and decorative pieces that are not serialised but individually designed they naturally cater to a market that can rightly be called exclusive. “In a place like Marbella, with its many luxury villas and penthouses, it is understandable that there is a high demand for bespoke furniture and decoration that is made to measure and to fit not only the rooms in question but also the lifestyles and requirements of the owners.”

While working closely with clients to design and make exquisite pieces of furniture, decorative art and also architectural features that fit snugly into luxury homes no matter how specific the dimensions, shapes or technical requirements, Jason and Leonie are rather unique in that they don’t restrict themselves to the top end of the market alone.

“Of course it is always going to be more expensive to have a piece of furniture made than to buy a Chinese mass-produced product off the shelf,” says Jason, “but we keep it within

reasonable bounds by having a pricing policy that is highly competitive. This means that our products remain within reach of a lot of people who might not have thought this option is open to them.”

While their wealthier clients will demand larger, more complex pieces that tend to require quite a lot of time and input, UDesign also caters to a broader market. “We have developed a system whereby we can streamline the process of designing individual furniture pieces and decorating a normal property by offering a digital visualisation service that allows us to sit down with the client and go through design, materials and colours in a visual manner that creates a pretty lifelike semblance of the furniture or room in question.”

“It’s a bit like the digital assembly kits already used by kitchen and bathroom makers, but more detailed, flexible and lifelike,” adds Leonie. This consulting system, which allows the team to speed up the design process on more conventional projects and keep their cost down, forms the focal point of the new UDesign

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shop opened in the San Pedro poligono this past October. “We will carry stock items both from our own design studio and workshops as well as from outside suppliers that we source,” says Leonie, “but in essence we are not the kind of firm that will push an existing product line. Our speciality is to produce items of furniture, decorative pieces, furnishings, decorative art and even highly personalised architectural features that are made to measure for individual homes and lifestyles.”

Personalised styles While being specialists in modern and contemporary décor, Jason and Leonie don’t like being pigeonholed in terms of style or genre. “Our strength is exactly that, our variety and flexibility,” says Jason, “so though it would be fair to say our natural tendency is towards the clean, clear lines and materials of modern contemporary styles, we are just as happy decorating a home in a more

classical or rustic style, besides which our pieces are well-suited to mixing and matching across the boundaries of style categories.”

A central part of the UDesign concept is flexibility, borne out of the great variety of materials, colours and stylistic details that can be chosen from and brought together to produce individual pieces and entire decors that are unique to a home and its owner. “What’s the use of having something made to order if you’re going to be restricted,” says Jason, emphasising just how flexible his team is.

“Our design teams love a challenge and a change, rather than always creating the same styles, and our teams of carpenters and upholsterers are diverse enough in their backgrounds and respective fields of expertise that they can handle just about anything we throw at them.”

Having built up a talented team of skilled and hardworking craftsmen and designers, Jason and Leonie are also in a position to co-ordinate other

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Top Quality at Affordable Prices

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related activities under their banner. “We often work closely with architects and developers, especially on the larger properties, and this also means collaborating with plumbers, electricians, builders and specific craftsmen in an effort that requires good co-ordination and synchronisation if we’re to get the best out of each other’s skills.”

A unique range The diversity of options and the highly bespoke concept behind UDesign means that the products it designs and produces are, in most cases, truly unique. “Even the famous Italian designer brands produce ranges in limited edition series, but because we are smaller and more focused on designing for the client rather than developing a brand per se, what we produce is very individualistic.” The point has been made; while UDesign has a recognisable touch it doesn’t impose its house styles on customers simply because above all else it designs for the customer. “Hence the name, UDesign,” smiles Leonie.

If diversity of style, material and tones is a feature of this concept, then so is the range of products that can be made. “We work mostly in wood, fabric and metals,” says Jason, “but also with glass and ceramics.” The team helps clients find a path through the many options of material and colour combinations. “You could say that sofas, chairs, tables, cupboards, beds and other forms of furniture are our bread and butter,” says Leonie, “but our range also includes soft furnishings such as curtains and carpets, decorative lamps, chandeliers, wall

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art, sculptures, office furniture and even entire made-to-order walk-in closet systems.”

Another facet of the designer’s skill, bespoke storage systems and libraries are designed to fit exactly into the home and room in question, regardless of whether the walls are straight or not, or if they conform to conventional dimensions or not.

“This is the beauty of made-to-order design,” says Jason, “there is little or no need for compromise on the part of the client.” From billiards tables and bars to wall components that house plasma screens, electrical fireplaces and sophisticated electronic systems, the range of possibilities even extends to entire private cinemas for which UDesign provides the setting all the way down to those super-comfy cinema seats. “When you cater to a bespoke market you’re always testing the limits of what is possible. Fortunately we like a challenge.” g C/ Budapest 19, Polígono Comercial San

Pedro, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 789 781. www.udesign.es

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high spec green

THESTYLE GARDENING

words by Richard Whaley Director of Richard Whaley Landscaping, a garden design and construction company established in 1987.

When we think of garden technology, I’m sure we mostly think of sophisticated watering systems, and water features, or spectacular fibre optic lighting effects… or even automatic lawnmowers!

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W

ell, for this article, I’d like to introduce some of you to an ‘ancient technology’, so to speak. It’s a technology, a knowledge that can only be explained by my good friend Paul Darby.

Paul Darby, The Feng Shui Doctor, is one of the recognised leading experts in the world on Feng Shui, Ba Zi, and all things to do with Eastern Philosophy.

He has worked for many celebrities, including Martin Shaw, Matthew Kelly and Jenny Seagrove, and many High Street names including Logitech, Specsavers, Harrods, LG and theatres in London’s West End. Paul uses interior design, colours, mirrors, lights, plants, layouts to ‘tune’ the natural chi energies which surround us, and are absorbed by use, affecting our moods, energy, positivity. These chi energies are a form of natural electro-magnetic energy – and they can be twisted and polluted by our surroundings. Feng Shui, the ancient ‘earth science’ originating in China, looks at the energies coming in from

the different compass locations and by using the basic five elements, earth, fire, wood, water, metal, and their symbolisations in colours, tunes the energies so that they flow in harmony and can be helpful to our everyday lives.

The chi energies mustn’t flow too quickly, which causes stress, or too slowly, which causes negativity and depression. Paul, with his vast knowledge and experience, through interior design and garden design, tunes and moderates the flow of these

important ‘life’ energies. Paul has also studied the ancient Feng Shui sciences of the Aborigine, Native American Indian and Japanese cultures. He works with energy flow; his Ba Zi work looks at cycles of human energy, and how they respond to the flow of the natural energies year by year. He has shown his use of Feng Shui and Ba Zi on TV in many shows, and BBC 2 TV showed a documentary about Paul teaching meditation, using the chi energies to help people with problems of stress and anger. Paul has also worked on Big Brother, putting trouble spots, places where the housemates will argue, so a kind of ‘reverse Feng Shui’. Everything Paul said would happen did, and he appeared on Big Brother’s Little Brother with Dermot O’Leary talking about this.

Paul uses modern technology within his knowledge and experience of ancient Feng Shui. He currently Works for LogiTech on a worldwide basis, providing information on the best places to use PCs, laptops, games etc., and he also gives advise to LG on electrical appliances. He is currently working for the London Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, designing restaurants, gaming areas, cabaret/theatre spaces and rooftop gardens.

Paul Darby has a book out: The Feng Shui Doctor, with an introduction by the actor Martin Shaw, thanking Paul for all his Feng Shui help. He also has a website www.fengshuidoctor.co.uk and a regular radio spot every Friday on TKO GOLD, Spanish Radio. He is currently filming a documentary for the BBC about his work in London’s West End theatre land...

Although I am in no way near a Feng Shui master, I have for some time tried to implement the basic elements and thinking in my designs, whether asked for or not. I find that it is a discipline that helps me focus the client’s needs, and wants in the right areas.

As for other garden technology, fun gadgets, children’s and adult entertainment equipment, there are a myriad of practical and even downright bizarre contraptions available. So start surfing the Web… or get in contact with me!

Enjoy your outside spaces, that’s why we live here… e

g For any questions, or landscape design enquiries: rvwhaley@gmail.com or Tel: 676 331 700 10/21/11 3:48 PM

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GREEN FASHION

THESTYLE FASHION

Few collections merit this month’s fashion feature like Benetton’s Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, a fine exponent of how commitment to environmental sustainability and cutting edge design can coexist beautifully.

Benetton has already spent some €32 million on research, and in 2011, it has reduced its usage of plastic by 600 tons, through the introduction of ‘liquid wood clothes hangers’, which are 100 per cent biodegradable and recyclable. The famed fashion house has also partnered up with CIVEN Nanofab, focusing on two key features of its identity: woolen knitwear and colour. The alliance has resulted in the creation of a finer, lighter wool thread which can also be worn in the spring and summer.

Leap into a sounder, greener future with Benetton, where decking out in beautiful garments need no longer be a guilty pleasure.

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The Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection by

Benetton WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

NOVEMBER 2011 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE / 53

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Geek but chic 54 / ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2011

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Nature Girl NOVEMBER 2011 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE / 55

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Hot or Cool?

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Wooly Warmth

i www.benetton.com

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Amaya Arzuaga

Davidelfin

Alma Aguilar

Kina Fernández

TOP DESIGNS

from Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week: Lemoniez

Angel Schlesser

Juanjo Oliva

COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS

Victorio & Lucchino

Hannibal Laguna

CONTACTS: Adolfo Domínguez: www.adolfodominguez.com, Alma Aguilar: www.almaaguilar.com, Amaya Arzuaga: www.amayaarzuaga.com, Angel Schlesser: www.angelschlesser.com, Davidelfin: www.davidelfin.com, Devota & Lomba: www.devotaylomba.com, Hannibal Laguna: www.hannibal-laguna.com, Juanjo Oliva: www.juanjooliva.com, Kina Fernández: www.kinafernandez.es, Lemoniez: www.lemoniez.com, Teresa Helbig: www.teresahelbig.com, Victorio & Luccino: www.victorioylucchino.com

AUTUMN/WINTER

2011-2012

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Devota & Lomba

Adolfo Domínguez

THESTYLE FASHION

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CONTACTS: Claudia Bradby: www.claudiabradby.com, Dior: www.dior.com, Jewellery By Selina: Available at the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre de Estepona. Tel: 693 475 218. www.jewellerybyselina.com, Tone Barker Silk: Available at SallyB Boutique at the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre de Estepona. Tel: 660 484 813. www.tonebarker.dk, Trois petits points jewelry: www.troispetitspointsparis.com, Victorio & Lucchino: www.victorioylucchino.com

Must have items for Autumn/Winter 2011 Get the look of the season with these funky new designs.

Locket by trois petits points jewelry

Silk top by Tone Barker Silk at SallyB Boutique

Rings by Dior

Shoes by Dior

Who’s Wearing What?

Diamante bracelet by Jewellery

By Selina

Malena Costa wears this gorgeous flowing gown by Victorio & Lucchino.

Locket by Claudia Bradby

Bag by Dior

Heart cuff by Jewellery By Selina NOVEMBER 2011 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE / 59

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WEAR

THESTYLE KIDS

Dress by Sisley

Suit

r from Baby and Casual wea

Dior Winter Co

llection

Girl’s necklace

Antoinet te dres ne Wooly hat by Be

D

Learn new tree planting techniques at Arboretum Marbella and help reforest a cork oak natural reserve. Parents and children aged eight and over are welcome for weekend workshops.

by Benetton

s by Monsoon

tton

ALL ABOUT

E V I G

KIDS

Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream by The Body Shop: one of these creams is sold globally every 30 seconds.

Proceeds from each sale are donated to ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes).

This month sees the birth of a new section inviting children and their parents to have, wear, discover, do and give their very best to the world, which we still believe to be a beautiful place.

Give to the new Amy Winehouse Foundation for young people suffering from addiction. Just buy an item from the collection Amy designed for Fred Perry, which is now out. All royalties and fees will de donated to the foundation, set up by Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse.

Galileo Moon Phase Clock by Grand Illusions

COMPILED BY MARISA CUTILLAS

E V A H

CONTACTS AMY WINEHOUSE FOUNDATION: www.amywinehousefoundation.co.uk ARBORETUM MARBELLA: www.arboretummarbella.es BENETTON: www.benetton.com GRAND ILLUSIONS: www.grand-illusions.com HOUSE OF FRASER: www.houseoffraser.co.uk MONSOON: www.monsoon.co.uk SISLEY: www.benetton.com THE BODY SHOP: Avda. Ricardo Soriano 20, Marbella. www.thebodyshop.es

DISCOVER

Water bottle ser

by House of Fra

ior Music Box by D

botine Housewear Bar r Muguets by Dio

Teddy Bears by

Dior

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Making Marbella Look Good

+ + + + + +

corporate branding promotional materials consumer magazines corporate publications print and e-brochures websites and more...

Tel. 952 766344

ultradesign

速

New Studio is Now Open!

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TREATMENTS / PRODUCTS / BEAUTY / SPA / SCIENCE / HEALTH

Boost yourself with lymphatic drainage, Meet Doctor Vricella, winter beauty ‘musthaves’ and the latest health news…

64 Natural Beauty 66 Beauty News 68 Health Feature: Lymphatic Drainage 70 Health News 72 Heath Profile: Dr. Marco Vricella of the Aria Medical Group

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BEAUTY

Natural, Calorie-Free Face WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

and Body Treats

TREATMENTS

Gourmet Skincare

by Yum

It used to be tempting enough when our favourite perfumes, oils and make-up products began bearing gourmet scents like chocolate, vanilla and coconut but the cosmetics industry has become so sophisticated, it is now catering to the growing consumer demand for natural, organic products created from and inspired by fruits, vegetables, flowers and gourmet treats. This month, we bring you the very best natural beauty products from the world’s most forward thinking companies.

Yum is an all-natural, certified organic company harnessing the power of natural and gourmet ingredients. Their masques are particularly delicious, especially the Marmalade Mask, which looks and smells like you could spread it on toast but whose high citrus content puts an end to free radicals. i www.yumskincare.com

Natural Elements by Essentially Yours

Yes to Carrots

This innovative company offers everything from acne treatments to cleansing facial pads, baby products and lip tins, made with carrots, tomatoes and fruits like berries, pomegranate and melon. We love their Yes to Tomatoes daily volumising shampoo and conditioner line, which combines organic tomatoes with watermelon, dead sea minerals and many other natural ingredients. The products are ‘99.6 per cent paraben, petroleum and SLSfree’. i www.yestocarrots.com

This wonderful British company uses only certified organic ingredients in its products, making the latter ideal for those with skin problems like allergies, eczema, dermatitis, etc., as well as anyone wanting to avoid harmful chemicals in general. You’ll find everything from deliciously light organic cleansers to exfoliating solutions, toners and masques. i Available at SallyB Boutique at

the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre de Estepona. Tel: 660 484 813.

Hemp by The Body Shop

What better way to enjoy the benefits of community trade hemp seed oil than in this delicious range by The Body Shop, featuring products for the face, body and hands including the wonderfully rich Hemp Hand Protector. The benefits of hemp are plentiful since this popular leaf contains a high concentration of essential fatty acids which repair skin’s moisture barrier. The Body Shop now has an online store for Spanish customers where you will find many more natural delights. i Avda. Ricardo Soriano 20, Marbella.

Gourmet Body Treats

We love this certified vegan, non-toxic, cruelty-free company, which delights the senses with a wide range of cosmetics, skincare, bath and hair products made with ingredients like brown sugar, coffee and raspberry. For baby smooth skin, try their brown sugar and coffee scrub, packed with anti-oxidants and leaving skin with a youthful glow. i www.gourmetbodytreats.com

www.thebodyshop.es

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Facelift Blepharoplasty Rhinoplasty Otoplasty Abdominoplasty Breast lift /augmentation /reduction Labiaplasty Liposuction Thigh lift Brachioplasty Scar correction Deep Peeling Botox - Filler Dental aesthetics Facial feminization

! r e v e r o f d e r u t p a Your beauty c

Dr. Kai O. Kaye

Plastic, Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgeon Fellow of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery EBOPRAS Full Member of the German Board of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery DGPRĂ„C Member of the Colegio de Medicos de Malaga (No.29/2909452)

Winner Marbella Awards 2010 Specialist Clinic

Av. Ramon y Cajal 7 / Marbella / 951

775 518 / 670 770 455 / info@oceanclinic.net / www. oceanclinic.net

BEAUTY

What’s hot THIS WINTER?

1

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

PRODUCTS

4

5 6

1 – NATRULIFT FIRMING LINE BY THE BODY SHOP

3 – TOTAL EFFECTS

BY OLAY

The pomegranate is one of Nature’s most bountiful fruits, especially when it comes to reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles and firming skin.

This brand new line, made with this delicious fruit’s skin, pulp and seed oil, features firming lotions, a refreshing eye lotion, a toner, face wash and firming day and night creams. i Avda. Ricardo Soriano 20,

This new anti-ageing cream boasts ‘seven anti-ageing benefits’ in just one product with sun protection factor 15. i www.olay.com

Marbella. www.thebodyshop.es

2 – EXTRA VIRGIN MINERALS MAKE-UP

BY THE BODY SHOP

2

This 100 per cent natural mineral make-up adapts perfectly to your skin, leaving a radiant finish that lasts all day. Choose from a range of foundations, pressed and loose powders and a gorgeously thick foundation brush. i Avda. Ricardo Soriano 20,

Marbella. www.thebodyshop.es

4 – OH LOLA!

BY MARC JACOBS Lift your mood with this sensual new fragrance, present in a perfume, gel wash and body lotion. i www.theperfumeshop.com

5 – JULIETTE AT HOME SAUCER AND PASSIONFRUIT SOAP

BY HOUSE OF FRASER

3

Few gifts could be quite as sweet and sensual. i www.hof.co.uk

6 – LOVERDOSE PERFUME

BY DIESEL Diesel’s spicy new fragrance allegedly contains molecules that stimulate hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for attraction and lust. i www.theperfumeshop.com

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WORDS marisa cutillas

Give Your System a Boost!

TREATMENTS

How long does a session last?

The sessions normally last for an hour but the first session may last a little more, since the therapist will need to conduct a consultation with you to elicit your medical background.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage

F

or those recovering from a cosmetic surgery procedure, suffering from swelling following breast cancer surgery or experiencing the pain of swollen joints, manual lymphatic drainage has always been ‘mana sent from heaven’. This technique, founded in the 1930s by therapist Emil Vodder, is both highly technical yet deeply relaxing; the most heavenly ‘massage’ you’re likely to have, consisting of the lightest of touches from the therapist, so gentle you could easily dose off but also so efficient, it helps your body get rid of the toxins and accumulated liquids which lead to swelling and pain.

What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)?

This revolutionary treatment involves using gentle, light touch massage therapy and rhythmic pumping to improve the efficiency of the lymphatic system, known as the body’s waste disposal unit. The therapist uses determined hand positions to follow the anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system, in an effort to increase the movement of lymph and (indirectly) interstitial fluid.

Each lymph node and lymph node group receives lymph from specific regions of the body. When the lymphatic system is functioning at its optimal level, so is your immunity, making lymphatic drainage an ideal treatment for anybody who easily falls prey to colds and infections.

What effects does the treatment have?

• MLD is deeply relaxing • It promotes the healing of fractures, torn ligaments and sprains, reducing pain • It may strengthen the immune system when forming part of a ‘detox’ programme • It relieves fluid congestion in both the body and face (think puffy eyes, swollen legs, etc.)

• It is an effective part of the control of lymphoedema (a condition which may occur following cancer treatment or any kind of surgery or accident) and assists in conditions arising from venous insufficiency • It promotes the healing of wounds and burns • It is used to minimise the appearance of stretch marks • It is often prescribed by doctors to speed up healing post cosmetic surgery

What is a typical session like?

Your therapist will ask you to remove some clothing and lie on a treatment bed, where you should be covered in towels to keep you warm. No oils or powders are used so the treatment is safe for even those with extremely sensitive skin.

Are there any side-effects following the treatment?

No, though you may be advised to drink some water and you may feel like going to the toilet more often, since the re-energised lymphatic system immediately begins to help you get rid of excess fluid and waste.

How long do patients need to have the treatment?

This obviously depends on the problem being treated and the results you’re seeking; some people regularly opt for MLD simply because it’s so relaxing.

In general, phase one of the treatment plan involves intensive treatment on the swollen area and phase two involves maintenance, to ensure swelling is kept as reduced as possible.

How do I select an MLD therapist?

Make sure your therapist has been trained in one of the five internationally recognised lymphatic drainage methods: Vodder, Földi, Casley-Smith, Asdonk or LeDuc. In the Costa del Sol area we can recommend two therapists:

Kirsty Cooke of Lymph Network Spain is a qualified physiotherapist from Ireland who trained at the Földi clinic in Germany.

She has specialised in the lymphatic system for six years, focusing especially on lymphoedema as a result of cancer.

Kirsty is a member of the British Lymphology Society. Tel: 664 244 290. www.lymphnetworkspain.com Deborah Duarri Cottew was trained by the Vodder school in Austria and has been a massage therapist since 1993. She is a member of MLD UK (Manual Lymphatic Drainage Association, UK). Tel: 616 839 983.

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TRAINING

THE MOST EXCLUSIVE GYM ON THE COAST

Ctra de Istán, km 0.900, Centro Comercial

FEEL DYNAMIC, FEEL GOOD...

info@dynamicmarbella.com www.dynamicmarbella.com

RESTAURANT

“Le Village” Marbella. Tel: 952 775 021

CHANGING ROOMS

MASSAGE

SPA

Monday - Friday: 8.30am to 10.30pm / Saturday: 9.00am to 3.00pm / Sunday: 10.00am to 2.00pm

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WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

UPDATE

Disarming the AIDS Virus

We are coming closer than ever to discovering a cure for AIDS. It seems the secret consists of removing cholesterol from the virus’ membranes, thereby disarming it and making it an easier target to eradicate. The effect of cholesterol extraction was explained by the head of the study, Adriano Boasso of Imperial College London: “It’s like an army that has lost its weapons but still has flags, so another army can recognise it and attack it.” When a person is infected with AIDS, the body’s immune system overreacts, weakening the body’s next line of defence: the adaptive immune response, which is carried out by immune cells called T cells.

By removing cholesterol from the virus membrane, the body’s innate immune response is no longer triggered and there is a stronger adaptive response from T-cells.

Scientists are currently using this incredible finding to develop an AIDS vaccine. Despite significant advances in the field, AIDS kills 1.8 million people worldwide every year.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication Increases Likelihood of Kidney Cancer

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that those who regularly take anti-inflammatory, non-aspirin drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen increase their chances of kidney cancer by over 50 per cent. Those who have been taking these drugs regularly for over 10 years increased their kidney cancer risk by an alarming 300 per cent. If you are worried about these findings, make sure to consult your doctor or a trustworthy naturopath about alternative pain relief.

Overweight People Find It Harder to Resist Food

It’s funny how many naturally slim people don’t quite understand how difficult it can be for the overweight to shed unwanted pounds. Do all overweight people really eat much more than thin people, or exercise less? Is it all a question of metabolism or is it much more complex than that? A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that the mystery may lie in the brain. Thin people, it seems, are able to resist tempting foods more successfully than those who are heavier because they have increased activity in a region of the brain used to control impulses.

The study involved showing both thin and overweight people photographs of rich, high-calorie foods. The heavier participants showed very little impulse controlling activity in their brains compared to the thinner group. One of the head researchers of the study, Robert Sherwin from the University of Yale, study, said: “I think there essentially may be biological reasons why people can’t necessarily control their desire for food. There is a controller – a higher function that controls your reward centres. That controller is deficient in people with obesity. They don’t activate that system.” If you’re trying to lose weight don’t let the results of the study get you down, though… they merely prove that it may be more challenging for you, but this makes it all the more rewarding when you achieve your goal.

Belly Fat Linked to the Development of Asthma The European Respiratory Soceity (ERS) recently held their annual congress in Amsterdam, revealing important findings including the fact that excess abdominal fat (which has always been linked with a plethora of conditions including diabetes and heart disease) can also lead to the development of asthma. Researchers conducted a study of over 23,000 adults aged 19 to 55, finding that those who were obese in their mid-sections had a 1.44 greater chance of developing asthma. If in addition to having belly fat, the subjects were also obese, the chances of the latter rose to 1.81. The importance of the study was explained by scientist Ben Brumpton from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, “Asthma can affect people of all sizes, but our study has highlighted both the individual and combined effect of central obesity and overall obesity on asthma development. Both these measures have an individual impact on asthma and an additive effect when they are combined.”

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WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ARIA MEDICAL GROUP

PROFILE

P

erhaps the most important consideration when selecting a cosmetic surgeon is safety.

Dr. Marco Vricella of the Aria Medical Group (Marbella, Gibraltar, Madrid) has the kind of qualifications and track record similar to that of Qantas in the plane industry (no crashes, ever).

He is a member of the UK General Medical Council (GMC), an organisation any surgeon worth their salt is part of, and on the Specialist Registry for Plastic Surgeons. Marbella is a small place so his excellent reputation is equally comforting, bearing in mind he has no legal issues or scandals tainting his name. Interestingly, the day I meet Dr. Vricella for our interview, he tells me that of 20 consultations scheduled that day, “15 are referrals”, which speaks volumes, as past patients are recommending their friends and family to him.

Another way to guarantee safety is through pre-operative tests, which are always very rigid at Aria Medical Group. At least two weeks before any operation, patients go for a blood test and ECG (those aged 40 and above must also have a chest X-ray). In the case of breast surgery, patients over 35 must have a breast ultrasound, while for those over 40, a mammogram is required. Patients also have to answer an extensive list of questions about prior health conditions and medication, and if surgery is approved, they are then given detailed information about any complications that can ensue. Patients leave the consultation with all the information they could possibly need about the surgery, ensuring that they go into Theatre knowing exactly what to expect.

The quality of the equipment and materials are also vital to successful procedures. Aria Medical Group is located in the luxurious Marbella High Care International Hospital, which is a top of the range facility in terms of both its operating rooms and recovery rooms. As for materials, Dr. Vricella uses the only the best, since “we do not compete on price; we compete on service,” he says. Thus if you’re having a breast augmentation you can look forward to receiving only the best cohesive silicone gel implants on the market. Coupled with technology is Dr. Vricella’s own artistry, touted by his patients as simply the best. “New technology is always being developed but a good aesthetic surgeon 20 years ago is still a good aesthetic surgeon now. It’s all in the hands,” he says.

Once safety and artistry are ensured, all that is left is feeling cared for and looked after and Dr. Vricella notes, “Many patients feel like they’ve entered a family after their experience with us”.

This is due to a number of factors, including Aria’s multi-lingual, highly qualified and friendly team, comprising skilled and experienced anaesthesists who know how to calm down

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If ever there was a time to receive personalised, safe and loving care, it is when you take the decision to have cosmetic surgery. For many, surgery is a solution arrived at after many years of tolerating insecurities and health issues. Think of a woman who opts for breast reduction surgery after putting up with neck and back pain for countless years; or someone whose self confidence has been transformed after having their nose improved.

Dr. Marco Vricella of the Aria Medical Group:

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY any pre-op jitters as well as two vital pillars at Aria: Head Patient Coordinator, Louise Truelove, and Clinical Services Director, Damien Moore.

Louise is the warm, friendly soul that people first meet when they visit Aria and she accompanies patients caringly through the consultation, preand post-operation stages. Damien, meanwhile, a Specialist Nurse and Physiologist, has played an important role during thousands of operations and he is well-loved by patients, as is evidenced in the testimonials on Aria’s website. Damien has even offered his own home to some patients following an operation, amazing them with his cooking skills and caring nature. Following my interview with Dr. Vricella, I met Dianne, a

patient who was having her stitches removed following a breast reduction. Dianne, who lives in Gibraltar (where Dr. Vricella also conducts consultations at College Clinic, Regal House) told me that she was pampered to bits at the Hospital, and a week after being discharged, Damien and Louise visited her at her home in Gibraltar to make sure she was doing well. At Aria, post-operative care and support is available 24 hours a day, as is revision surgery within one year of the procedure. “Aria is like the luxury boutique hotel of cosmetic surgeries,” says Dr. Vricella. The day you decide you want to change something about yourself, why not give yourself an all-round five-star experience? e

g Tel: 952 895 088. www.ariamedicalgroup.com 10/24/11 11:59 AM

Cosmetic Surgery |

Non Surgical Procedures |

Cosmetic Dentistry

w w w. a r i a m e d i c a l g r o u p.c o m

FREE private consultations FREE genuine aftercare* FREE revision surgery* FREE 24 hour helpline* + Breast Augmentation + Breast Uplift + Breast Reduction + Tummy Tuck + Liposuction + Facial Injections + Face Lifts + Eyebag Removal * Your first post operative year - we offer you the best possible service, without question.

+ Rhinoplasty

Book your consultation By phone: (+34) 952 895 088 in English (+34) 662 936 058 en Espa単ol Or online: info@ariamedicalgroup.com Dr. Marco Vricella is Director of the Aesthetic Surgery unit at HC Marbella Private Hospital.

FREE Consultations

| Gibraltar

| Marbella

|

Madrid

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business & product launches / seasonal parties / charity events / social scene

We have been out and about following the most important and glamorous events taking place in the Marbella area. Did you miss out this month, or can you spot yourself?

76 40th Anniversary of The Mah Jong at Roche Bobois 77 La Parisienne Launch Party 78 Onda Cero Marbella 25th Anniversary at Villa Padierna 79 Rosmarino Celebrates its 6th Birthday 80 Continental Design Launches in Nueva Alcรกntara

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THEVIBE

Roche Bobois: 40th Anniversary of the Mah Jong Celebration The dream sofa of many design buffs is surely Mah Jong: the Roche Bobois sofa resulting from a marriage of different colours and prints which together spell the word ‘joy’. It’s been 40 years since the Mah Jong was first invented by Hans Hopfer and decorated by top international designers for Roche Bobois, but somehow, its magic continues to captivate.

“Life is colour and warmth and light” – Julian Grenfell

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PHOTOGRAPHY Johnny Gates & STEVE SPARROW PHOTOGRAPHY Johnny Gates ñl download your photo from www.i-marbella.com 10/26/11 12:46 PM

THEVIBE

La Parisienne Launch A fresh, crisp Niçoise salad, juicy roast chicken with grilled veg, freshly baked pastries and a plethora of speciality teas, preserves and special treats are only a few of the many exciting treats you can look forward to at La Parisienne, the trendy new bistro style restaurant/pastry shop where you can eat in, take away or simply enjoy a chilled glass of wine or an irresistible French dessert.

“The cooking of France is, in some strange manner, intimately linked to the genius of her greatest men” Rouff, French journalist and writer

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THEVIBE

25th Anniversary Celebrations for Onda Cero Marbella Staying at the top of the game for 25 years is a feat only few can boast about and Onda Cero did just that with a bang, holding an elegant cocktail in the lush gardens of the Villa Padierna Palace Hotel. Several local Mayors joined well-wishers in their throngs to pay homage to Pepe Navajas and his longstanding team.

“It’s not true that I had nothing on, I had the radio on” – Marilyn Monroe

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PHOTOGRAPHY johnny gates PHOTOGRAPHY Johnny Gates PHOTOGRAPHY Johnny Gates ñl download your photo from www.i-marbella.com 10/26/11 12:47 PM

THEVIBE

Rosmarino della Piazza Turns Six! Can anyone think of a better way of celebrating six years of culinary success than with a glittering cocktail and canapé party? We think not and luckily Rosmarino della Piazza Founders, Cristina and Avelino, agree, inviting regular and new customers, prominent businesspeople and members of the press to an unforgettable celebration.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one hasn’t eaten well” – Virginia Wolf

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THEVIBE

New Studio for Continental Design Fashion, design and a funky vibe were the ingredients which ensured that the launch of Continental Design’s new studios in San Pedro was a roaring success.

Guests came to celebrate with Justin and Adriana and sipped champagne while viewing some of the gorgeous fabrics, styles and accessories that permit the Continental Design team to offer a total furnishing solution in a variety of spheres including interior design, sales, marketing, architecture, graphics, quantity surveying, and overall project management.

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same”– Coco Chanel

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PHOTOGRAPHY johnny gates 10/26/11 12:48 PM

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FINANCE / LAW

ENTERPRISE

NEWS /ENTERPRISE / LOCAL BUSINESS PROFILES /

€1 MILLION GOLF CHARITY WORLD TOUR LAUNCHED AT FINCA CORTESÍN The €1 Million Gold Charity World Tour is an exciting new fundraising project set up by Dr. Volker Bernhardt, who will be playing the best golf courses around the world, inviting amateurs to play against him and donate money to charity if he wins.

Dr. Bernhardt played his first event at Finca Cortesín against three amateurs and though it was a tough game, he managed to beat his counterparts at the very last hole. A €4.000 cheque was handed to the Director of UNICEF in Málaga, Salvador Pérez Moreno, who told the press that the money raised would feed and care for some 100 children for an entire month.

g www.golfcharityworldtour.com

ENJOY THE RACES AT ASCARI

If you are a diehard motor racing fan, head for the Circuito Ascari de Ronda on November 12 and 13 to catch the last stage of the Boss GP European competition, featuring top pilots competing for pole position in various different cars including F1, Indy Cars, GP2, etc. Boss GP is an important European championship which takes place over seven of the world’s most prestigious tracks. This year, the action took place in Holland, Germany, England, Belgium and Italy in addition to Spain. g Tickets can be purchased online on www.ascari.net

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MÁLAGA TO BE THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF ELECTRIC CARS IN 2012 The year 2012 will be a special one for Málaga: the Andalusian city will play an important role in the Smart Community System, an important initiative resulting from the agreement between the Japanese government and a group of Japanese and Spanish companies, who plan on testing the possibilities of electric transport in Málaga, with 200 electric cars landing on our shores in the new year. The project involves an investment of €60 million and is being headed by the Mitsubishi Corporation. It will see the installation of 220 recharging points and 16 rapid recharging points in the city. The Málaga Town Hall, meanwhile, will be a participating partner in Green Emotion, a similar project dedicated to increasing electric mobility on the Coast. g www.malaga.eu

KEMPINSKI HOTEL BAHÍA ESTEPONA OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE ANDALUCÍA MASTERS 2011 For the second year running, the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona was chosen as the official hotel for the Andalucía Masters 2011, which took place at Valderrama Golf Club from October 27 to 30. The Hotel housed top players and their families, including Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Pablo Larrazábal, Edoardo Molinari, Martin Kaymer, Peter Hanson and Graeme McDowell.

g CN 340, km 159, Estepona.

Tel: 952 809 500. www.kempinksi.com

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BRAIN WEEK IN SPAIN The Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) and the Brain Foundation recently celebrated Brain Week, a yearly event in which doctors carry out diagnostic tests on subjects in six different cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Badajoz, Málaga and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The tests measure cerebro-vascular health and mental agility and were carried out on adults and children alike. In Spain, neurological diseases affect some seven million people, or 16 per cent of the total population. g www.sen.es

SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH FOR LA PARISIENNE NETWORKING BREAKFASTS AT VASARI Never before has enjoying a delicious breakfast been as informative as now, with Vasari Café Negocios, a networking event which will take place from Monday to Friday at 9am at the Vasari Café.

The event will include a brief 10-minute chat from a businessperson followed by a buffet breakfast and plenty of networking. So far, talks have been given by real estate professionals, beauty companies and many more businesses.

g The buffet costs only €5. Urb. Alzambra., Puerto Banús.

For a precise schedule of topics, Tel: 952 929 020. www.vasaricafenegocios.com

There’s a hot new spot for bistro style meals and exquisite French pastry and it’s called La Parisienne. The restaurant and bakery, which conjures up the flavours and aromas of a Parisian café, held a press lunch and inauguration party within a matter of days, giving diners an insight on the kind of treats they can now enjoy at this new culinary haven, located in the popular Centro Plaza commercial centre in Nueva Andalucía.

The food is traditional, with everything from a fragrant ratatouille to roast meat dishes, French salads and quintessentially French mousses and crèmes tempting your taste buds. They also sell a wide range of specialty teas, jams and treats.

g Centro Plaza Nueva Andalucía, Locales 60-62, Marbella. Tel: 951 279 056. www.laparisiennecafe.com

XANIT INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL INVESTS €750.000 ON NEW AREAS AND CELEBRATES WORLD VISION DAY The Xanit International Hospital in Benalmádena recently announced its plans to invest some €750.000 on three new areas: a Pediatric Emergency Unit, Day Hospital and Physiotherapy Area. To date, the Hospital has already opened the new Pediatric Emergency Unit, which measures 150m2 and which comprises an observation area, a waiting hall and a play area. Xanit also recently celebrated World Vision Day giving free eye tests to patients during four days. The doctors used the Intra-Ocular Pressure test, which is the only accurate way to diagnose glaucoma at its earliest stages. g Avda. De los Argonautas s/n,

Benalmádena. Tel: 952 367 190. www.xanit.net 84 / ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2011

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ANDALUCÍA LEADS THE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC RACE IN SPAIN The Photovoltaic Industry Association (ASIF) and the Association of Promoters and Producers of Renewable Energies in Andalucía (APREAN) held a press conference to announce that Andalucía is now the ‘autonomous community’ with the biggest market in photovoltaic energy in Spain, following the amendment of a crucial regulation in 2008 which boosted the number of photovoltaic projects carried out in Andalucía. Previous regulations had put a stop to planned projects, making the amendment a necessary tool in the establishment of photovoltaic plants in the region. g www.aprean.com

WORLD PEACE DAY AND FUN ACTIVITY WEEKEND FOR STUDENTS AT ALOHA COLLEGE Staff and parents of Aloha College recently gathered together to celebrate International World Peace Day, a yearly event set up by the United Nations to give people of all nations a day to share acts of peace. The school embraced the invitation to contribute to the world’s progress towards peace by wearing white and participating in a range of activities to build pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the concept of world peace. Year 12 students, meanwhile, took part in an exhilarating sports weekend in Cortes de la Frontera, as part of their CAS programme. They engaged in many activities and challenges with a special emphasis on teamwork and its importance in meeting important goals. g www.aloha-college.com

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© KH Photography

POINTER VETERINARY CLINIC & SURGERY ESTEPONA LAUNCH Anyone who loves their pets probably knows Dr. Nazli Kraft, the highly skilled, friendly veterinarian who has been attending to our pets with love and care for many years. Nazli, joined by her lovely team of nurses, Melanie and Fiona, recently celebrated the official launch of the new Pointer Veterinary Clinic & Surgery in the beautiful Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol, which offers ample free parking. Snacks, drinks and free pony rides for kids made for a lively party which lasted until way past the sunset. We wish Nazli and her team the success they deserve, thanks to the professionalism and friendship they have shared with both pets and humans for so many years.

g C/ Río Padrón Alto, Estepona. Tel: 952 804 165. www.pointerclinic.com

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FERRARI CLUB REVS ITS MOTORS AT LA FIORENTINA Sundays are normally quiet and lazy for most of us but of course, most of us don’t own a Ferrari. The Ferrari Owners Club of Andalucía meets on the day even God decided to rest to do just the opposite, putting their pedals to the metal and enjoying an adrenalin-filled ride followed by a hearty lunch. The Club recently sampled the wares at La Fiorentina Pizzeria e Pasta Fresca, created by the owners of De Medici Ristorante. The drivers comprised a fun group which included Toni Dalli. La Fiorentina serves everything from soups and salads to fish, meat, fresh homemade pasta and pizza made in a wood burning oven.

g Open Monday to Saturday from 1pm to 11pm and Sunday from 1pm to 6pm. CN 340, km 167, Marbella. Tel: 952 885 765. www.lafiorentina.com.es

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USP MEDICAL CENTRE OPENS IN FUENGIROLA The USP Hospital Group opened its latest medical centre in Fuengirola, offering a radius of 200,000 people living in the area 24-hour emergency service, paediatric emergency services, home visits, and much more. The Hospital houses a team of seasoned professionals in a wide gamut of specialities, including allergies, digestive medicine, dermatology, cardiology, gynaecology, urology, etc.

g Avda. Jesús Santo Rein 19, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 461 444. www.usphospitales.com

PIA ARRIETA MORALES OF DIANA MORALES PROPERTIES AT CHRISTIE’S CONFERENCE IN LONDON Pía Arrieta Morales of Diana Morales Properties joined other luxury real estate specialists from across the globe at the 2011 Christie’s International Real Estate Global Annual Leadership Conference. Owners and managers representing more than 22 countries, including South Africa, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Brazil, were in attendance for the event, entitled Global Connectivity Through Strategic Marketing.

“Passionate expertise is what differentiates our luxury real estate network,” says Neil Palmer, CEO. “I am honoured that Pía attended the conference in London. The opportunity to interface with colleagues from around the globe, garner strategies from global experts in leadership, social media, and the Chinese market, in addition to previewing the marking innovations about to be rolled out will certainly further enhance the high level of service our brand represents.” g Avda. Ricardo Soriano 72, 1B, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 138. www.dmproperties.com

OFFICIAL PRESENTATION OF MARBELLA SKI CLUB The Palacio de Ferias y Congresos was the chosen venue for the presentation of the Marbella Ski Club: a fun organisation for those who can think of no better activity than hitting the powdery ski slopes on a sunny winter’s day. Sierra Nevada is a fantastic ski resort in nearby Granada, where most of the skiing action will be taking place. g For further information, Tel: 952 777 725.

www.marbellaskiclub.com

TALK RADIO EUROPE BROADCASTING IN MALLORCA

Talk Radio Europe, one of Spain’s most popular English speaking talk radio stations, is now broadcasting in Mallorca on 103.9FM, replacing Spanish news station Radio Diario, which previously broadcasted on this frequency. A need was identified in the Mallorcan market for an English speaking radio station which was not music based. The age range of Mallorca’s expat population begins to peak from 35+ years, which perfectly matches Talk Radio Europe’s target audience. The move to Mallorca follows the launch in July of its international website g www.talkradioeurope.net

STEPHEN HOWES EXHIBITS AT THE KASSER-RASSU GALLERY Internationally renowned fine art dealer, Stephen Howes, presents an exhibition of paintings by Don Clarke and sculptures by Juan Zafra, which can be viewed until November 11 at the Kasser-Rassu Gallery. The exhibition features previously unseen works by two of the most celebrated contemporary artists in Europe, who never cease to amaze, inspire and delight. g Bulevar Príncipe

Alfonso von Hohenlohe, Edif. Centro Expo, Marbella. Tel: 650 361 543. www.stephenhowes.es

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TRIPLE A BENEFIT CONCERT – MARBELLA Help fundraise for abandoned pets charity, Triple A by attending a wonderful classical opera concert at the Hotel H10 Andalucía Plaza at 9pm on Saturday 19th November.

Singers include tenor Rudolf Von Vitovec, soprano Heidrun Mühringer and Baritone Dominik Eberle. G Tickets are available at

Pointer Clinic in Nueva Andalucía, the Triple A stand at the Saturday markets in Puerto Banús, the Clínic Veterinaria Zarpas y Bigotes in Marbella Real or by calling Elisabeth: Tel: 639 610 209 or Jan, Tel: 952 823 851. www.aaahelps.com

SURVEY SPAIN WINS BEST OVERSEAS PROPERTY BUSINESS AWARD “A wonderful resource for the overseas property industry.” That was the verdict of the judges of the Overseas Property Professional, Awards for Excellence 2011, who voted Survey Spain ‘Best Overseas Property Business’ at the annual Property Investor Show & OPP Live, held at the Excel Centre in London on 13 October.

Survey Spain was honoured for its technical know-how, market knowledge and longstanding reputation for integrity. “We’ve been working in Spain for many years, striving to provide a quality service and represent the professionalism and values of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors,” said founding partner of Survey Spain, Campbell Ferguson. “OPP can choose from an impressive list of global companies, so it’s a great honour to win this award.” g www.surveyspain.com

FIRST CLUB SIERRAMAR TENNIS TOURNAMENT Club Sierramar celebrated its launch with a fun tennis tournament at Tenis Marbella Playa, where a host of adults and kids of various levels battled it out on the courts and enjoyed a hearty lunch and an awards ceremony afterwards. The Club is a youth association dedicated to extra-curricular activities for kids in the ‘secundaria’ and ‘bachillerato’ phases of the Spanish educational system. Activities carried out include cooking, dance, theatre, crafts and sport. Tenis Marbella Playa offers classes from Monday to Sunday for children and adults, from September to June. g For further information, Tel: 607 858 056.

www.golftennismarbella.com

MARBELLA FIREMEN TAKE IT OFF FOR A GOOD CAUSE

JYSKEBANK.TV NAMED EUROPE’S BEST WEB TV CHANNEL Jyske Bank’s online TV station, Jyskebank.tv, has gone from strength to strength, winning another prestigious award recently: that of Best Web TV Channel at the Digital Communication (DC) Awards 2011 in Berlin. The event recognises the best communication projects from all over Europe and took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Potsdamer Platz. “This has been a good year for Jyskebank.tv. First, we won a Sabre Award in the spring and now a DC, which is awarded by a jury of academics and business executives from all over Europe. This is indeed a major recognition of our TV production and approach to communication at Jyske Bank,” said Lasse Høgfeldt of Jyskebank.tv.

g www.en.jyskebank.tv

Debra, the charity aiding children with butterfly skin and their families, is the lucky beneficiary of a charitable effort undertaken by the firemen of Marbella. The sexiest, most swashbuckling members of the force took their clothes off to show off their glorious arms, chests and six packs in a fantastic new 2012 calendar which costs only €8 and is available at DEBRA stores in Marbella.

g C/ Mendoza 14, Marbella and C/ Jacinto Benavente 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 816 434. www.debra.es

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WORLD WILDLIFE FUND ASKS TOWN HALLS TO INCREASE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL EQUIPMENT The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently held a virtual seminar to focus on how local town halls can save more energy. Public administrations are a crucial factor in reducing CO2 emissions in Europe by a significant degree, and it is hoped that by the year 2020, there will be greater standardisation of energy saving measures across the board. The WWF presented town halls with an online aid to help them become more environmentally efficient: a list of energy saving computers, printers, light bulbs, etc. For the full list, log onto www.eurotopten.com. Robert Kaukewitsch, from the Environment Department of the EU, said: “If the entire European Eunion used the same energy efficiency criteria for lighting and office equipment, 15 million tonnes of CO2 would be saved every day and our electricity bill would be reduced by 50 per cent.” g www.wwf.es

NH HOTELS SIGNS GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR TOURISM

ROBERT HILLARY KING SHINES AT AMNESY Amnesty International recently held an emotionally charged film week at the Institutio Río Verde. The last film showed, In the Land of the Free, was narrated by Morgan Freeman and focused on the harrowing story of ‘the Angola Three’: three members of the Black Panther Movement in the 1960s who were wrongfully jailed and who together spent over 100 years in solitary confinement. The only member of ‘the Angola Three’ who is now free, Robert Hillary King, was present at the event, answering questions to an amazed audience after the film viewing. King also signed copies of his book, From the Bottom of the Heap, a fascinating account of his life and experiences in the jail in the Angola State Penitentiary. King mentioned that in the USA, words like ‘freedom’ are beautiful, but in his country, they are only words. King continues to fight for the freedom of his two friends. g www.es.amnesty.org

EUSTORY PRESENTS THE 5TH EDITION OF ITS HISTORY COMPETITION IN SPAIN My Family in History is the new theme for this year’s Eustory history competition, which invites young people aged 14 to 21 throughout Spain to take part. The aim of the competition is to encourage youngsters to ‘rescue’ the memory of members of their family from oblivion and put them into an historical context using scientific methods. The projects can be presented in a variety of formats, but must be submitted before August 15, 2012. The prize includes the chance to join activities at several history academies throughout Europe and over €16.000 in cash awards. g For further information,

The NH Hotels Group recently made a public commitment to the World Tourism Organisation’s Global Code of Ethics and the ECPAT Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation during the 1st International Ethics and Tourism Conference, held in Madrid in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias. By signing these documents, NH Hotels promises to abide by these strict codes of ethics, which have already been in place in all its hotels throughout the world since last May.

g www.nh-hotels.com

www.eustory.es

WINE PRESENTATION AT LA SALA BANÚS Bodega Gonzalo Beltrán recently presented its latest ‘star’ wine: Perezoso 2010, a 100 per cent Syrah red bearing the Denomination of Origin of Sierras de Málaga. The wine is made at Finca La Nogalera, situated in Hoya de los Molinas del Tajo in Ronda. The presentation was held at La Sala in Puerto Banús, where keen gastronomers enjoyed a tasting of a wine that stands out for being cultivated ecologically following bio-dynamic criteria, under a process in which vines are pampered to the max. g For further information, www.bodegagonzalobeltran.com

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HOTEL MELIÁ LA QUINTA TO COMPETE IN EUROPEAN HOSPITALITY AWARDS

The European Hospitality Awards 2011 will be taking place on November 4, in an effort to recognise hotels and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the world of hospitality and set the benchmark for the hotels of tomorrow. Marbella’s own Hotel Meliá La Quinta is pleased to announce that it has been nominated in four categories, owing in large part to its unique programme, Kid’s & Co, which sets out to make children staying at the hotel feel special. At the Hotel, an area measuring over 1,000m2 is dedicated to leisure installations, with lot of fun activities and areas for children to enjoy. g La Quinta Golf & Spa s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 952 762 000. www.melia-laquinta.com

NOVEMBER IS DENTAL MAKEOVER MONTH AT OASIS DENTAL CLINIC If you dislike your smile because you have spaces or teeth that are crooked, discoloured or severely worn out, you’ll be pleased to learn that Oasis Dental Clinic is offering a special dental makeover deal in which all preparatory work will be discounted by up to 50 per cent. Planning is one of the most complicated and important stages of any transformation. Therefore, in addition to the initial comprehensive examination, the dentist may require x-rays, models, photographs and mock-ups on both the models and/or your mouth, to achieve the best result. The Clinic is run by Dr. King, qualified in London and with 13 years’ experience working and teaching in the UK, practicing privately in the West End. Dr. King is one of a select few to be recognised on the UK speciality list in her field of prosthodontics and her team includes highly skilled professionals including an endodontist, anaesthesiologist, a multilingual receptionist and nurse. g Avda. Ricardo Soriano

13, Marbella. Tel: 952 766 357. www.oasisdentalmarbella.com

RUSSIA VS. SPAIN: GOLF STYLE CUP TAKES PLACE IN MARBELLA

Prominent Russian businesspeople, members of the media and celebrities will be joining forces to challenge the Spaniards at the Golf Style Cup, which will take place at the Marbella Club Golf Resort on November 11.

The event, organised by DSP Exclusive, will last eight days, with Alferini and Finca Cortesín also hosting parts of the competition. The Hotel Villa Padierna Palace hotel will be welcoming participants and their families and friends for a cocktail reception and a gala dinner prize-giving ceremony.

g Tel: 951 894 026. www.dspexclusive.com 94 / ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2011

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THEPRO FINANCE WORDS ALISTAIR SPENCE CLARKE

RETURN OF THE DREADED SPANISH WEALTH TAX A BRIEF COMMENTARY Many will remember that happy day in 2008 when the Spanish Government eliminated Wealth Tax, or so it was thought…!

Tax rate band € 0

T

he idea in 2008 was to make Spain a more attractive economy and do away with an archaic tax that has its roots in 1977 when inflation and interest rates were in double figures. The fledgling Spanish democratic state was crying for financial aid and so an ‘extraordinary tax’ was born.

Tax planners thought it suspicious in 2008 when the tax was not eliminated from the statute book and, instead, a 100% exemption was introduced. We thought that the Government was hedging its bets. Spain was running headlong into recession so it all seemed very odd. And so it proved.

It seems that the Government has now given up entirely on the idea of making Spain an attractive place in which to invest.

On 17 September 2011 the Government reintroduced Wealth Tax as an ‘emergency measure’ by simply changing the 100% exemption to a tax free allowance of 700.000€ for 2011 and 2012.

So, Wealth Tax is now back and with the following basic characteristics:

Who has to pay Spanish Wealth tax?

Individuals with net wealth that exceeds 700.000€. It applies to individuals – not to families or couples or companies. Residents are taxed on worldwide net wealth, non-residents on Spanish net wealth.

Who has to file a Spanish wealth tax declaration?

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Cumulative wealth €

Tax Rate %

Tax on band €

Cumulative tax €

700.000,00

0%

0

0

167.129,45

867.129,45

0,2%

334,26

334,26

167.123,43

1.034.252,88

0,3%

501,37

835,63

334.246,87

1.368.499,75

0,5%

1.671,23

2.506,86

668.499,76

2.036.999,51

0,9%

6.016,50

8.523,36

1.336.999,50

3.373.999,01

1,3%

17.380,99

25.904,35

2.673.999,02

6.047.998,03

1,7%

45.457,98

71.362,33

5.347.998,03

11.395.996,06

2,1%

112.307,96

183.670,29

Thereafter

2,5%

(Online tax calculator at www.spenceclarke.com)

assets that exceed 2.000.000€, even if net wealth is less than 700.000€.

How is my house valued for Wealth Tax? The highest of its cost, the cadastral value (see municipal annual tax demand –IBI) or other officially assessed value. The last occurs when the tax office does not agree with the declared deed value.

How is net wealth calculated, and at what tax rates?

Net wealth is calculated by deducting total liabilities from total assets. Assets are usually valued at cost but there are some exceptions to this rule. Non-residents can only deduct from Spanish assets those liabilities directly related to the Spanish assets (typically a mortgage).

Spanish residents are also exempt up to 300.000€ of the value of their homes.

Trading assets are exempt if: The assets are used for trading and these provide the majority of an individual’s income.

For trading companies, if an individual owns 5%+ of the company, and is a director receiving a salary that represents 50%+

of annual income (excluding investments).

Shares in non-exempt unaudited companies are valued at the higher of net asset value, nominal share value or five times the average profits of the previous three years.

Warning! Non-residents who own property with Spanish companies are not exempt from Wealth Tax. Spanish company shares are just as much Spanish assets as Spanish properties.

Spanish company ownership simply does not work for tax mitigation, not just for wealth tax but also, more seriously, for Spanish Inheritance Tax. Many have made this mistake.

Tax evasion usually results in fines of 75%+ of unpaid tax. If tax evaded exceeds 120.000€ this is a criminal offence. On a more positive note, after 4 years, tax evasion cannot be prosecuted.

Non-residents owning more than one property must appoint a fiscal representative.

Annual income tax for residents/ non-residents on theoretical rental income for second/holiday homes remains unchanged.

The 100% exemption will apply again for 2013 onwards. However,

as we have seen, Governments change their minds. The election this November is expected to result in a change of Government from the socialist PSOE party to the centre-right Partido Popular, but it is unlikely that this tax law is going to be eliminated before 2012, as the Partido Popular recently admitted.

Sadly, it’s hard to imagine Spain being able to afford the elimination of this tax in the foreseeable future.

To make life more complicated, Wealth Tax has been ceded to the autonomous regions of Spain, which have extensive powers to modify the tax. We will have to see what happens in different parts of Spain.

Regardless of where nonresidents have property, the state system for this tax will apply and so the ridiculous situation could arise of neighbours paying completely different amounts of tax on identical properties, just because they have different tax residence. If this is not a blatant case of discrimination, I don’t know what is, and the EU has taken action before when such inequalities have appeared.

In the meantime, all is not lost, the tax planners are still in residence… e

g Spence Clarke & Co., Chartered Accountants, Marbella, Tel: (+34) 952 82 29 43, Email: enquiries@spenceclarke.com 10/21/11 3:51 PM

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THEPRO PROFILE Cancer is a scary word… just the sound of it is enough to make our stomachs weaken.

The disease has taken the lives of so many people we love, hanging arbitrarily over countless men, women and children like the Sword of Damocles. Cancer often invokes the ‘fight or flight’ response though if you sit back and reflect on it, you will see there is a third option: action.

This was the choice of Cudeca Hospice founder, Joan Hunt, when she lost her husband to cerebral cancer in 1991.

shining star WORDS Marisa CUTILLAS Photography KH Photography

at cudeca J

oan and her husband first came to the Costa del Sol to live their dream retirement, where out-oftown excursions, social get-togethers and days on the beach with friends were the order of the day. All that changed the day her husband was diagnosed. Joan recalls: “He passed away very quickly and throughout his illness I felt so lonely. In the UK there are around 300 hospices but in Málaga at the time, the only place providing palliative care or support for families of cancer patients was a small unit in the Red Cross Hospital.

I didn’t want anybody to go through what I did and since I had a solid background in business in the UK, I knew I would be capable of setting up a cancer hospice.”

Joan’s first step was to turn to doctors for support. She explains, “I developed a friendship with some of the doctors treating my husband.

I invited them to lunch with other friends, and told them I was willing to dedicate the rest of my days to a cancer hospice if they would be willing to help. They said yes and the hospice was founded in 1992.”

Joan may have been a high flyer on the UK business scene, but she soon realised that she didn’t have much of an idea of how to set up a charity. She says: “I contacted people I thought might be of help.

A producer and actress at the Salon Varietes was so enthusiastic about it, she held a fundraising performance, which garnered much-needed attention from the media”. Joan did everything she could to obtain

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support, approaching the owner of an empty locale close to where she lived, for instance, and asking if he would allow the foundation to use it as a charity shop. Cudeca now has 12 of these shops, which together make up one third of the amount raised yearly.

Much more is needed than fundraising efforts. Cudeca has a team of doctors and nurses who attend to people in their homes and some 600 volunteers do everything from working in the Cudeca shops to collecting patients from their homes and taking them to the hospice for day treatments, which include everything from medical care to having a bath to Reiki and reflexology. Cudeca also functions as an in-patient centre, with nine bedrooms boasting an exterior terrace facing a peaceful garden where the sound of water flowing provides much yearned-for tranquility.

All this comes at a hefty price, of course, and Cudeca’s doors remain open thanks to the support of the community, local businesses and, to a smaller extent, some official social funding, though Joan notes that “since we opened the in-patient unit, our yearly accounts have shown a loss.”

There are many ways you can support Cudeca. The week beginning November 28th is Cudeca Awareness Week, during which everyone is invited to use their imagination to organise their own fundraising event: anything from a

garage sale to providing services.

Your event will be publicised by Talk Radio Europe; just contact them on Tel: 952 799 953. In addition, On December 2, from 10am to 7pm, the yearly Talk Radio Europe telethon will be taking place. The presenters will be auctioning off stays at hotels, beauty treatments, golf weekends and so much more. Why not join in and bid on the item of your dreams?

Meanwhile, December 16 is ‘Light a Light’ day, in which Joan will turn on a plethora of Christmas lights encircling the Cudeca centre as everyone holds a candle in memory of the many loved ones lost to cancer.

“Cudeca is not a place where people come to die,” says Joan, “when we explain to patients what the illness will entail, it’s always with encouragement and enthusiasm.

Cudeca was set up for people to enjoy the best quality of life while they are living. We always look up, never down.”

As I conclude my interview with Joan, she encourages me to read the hand-painted tiles which grace the walls of Cudeca’s patio: each reminds me of the light that continues to shine even when we leave this earth.

“Baby Jack, two months old” “Eric, I will love you forever” “Daddy, my special star – Love, Treasure” “Daddy so sorry I misunderstood you” “Safe and sleeping in Heaven looking down on me” e

g Tel: 952 564 910. www.cudeca.org 10/24/11 11:40 AM

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THELEISURE TRAVEL

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weden’s long-term goal is to phase fossil fuels out altogether, and the government has given this drive a deadline of 2020. Sparked in 1980 during the oil crisis, the initiative has already seen Sweden achieve an energy output of 28 per cent from renewable and eco-friendly resources. The focus is on hydro, wind and nuclear power as a provision of electricity. Combatting the high consumption of fuel for transportation, many Swedish cars are now powered with methane, a green and low-cost gas produced fresh from the cow, and companies are even sending employees, whose jobs require them to drive, on eco-friendly driving courses which educate them to drive at a moderate speed without sudden stops or starts, resulting in lighter fuel consumption. And when Sweden has to cut down a tree, it ensures that nothing is wasted, compressing the sawdust left behind into wood pellets which homeowners buy and burn for heat.

Arguably one of the world’s most beautiful countries, Iceland has a natural magnificence which it is keen to protect and of which it is rightfully proud. And the beauty which exudes from its glaciers, volcanoes and waterfalls is accompanied by a geothermal power which is being efficiently harnessed, accounting, with hydrogen, for 82 per cent of the country’s electricity and heat. Coal accounts for only the remaining 18 per cent. Iceland intends to be the first country to become completely reliant on hydrogen, which can be used in homes, in businesses, and even for transportation. Buses are powered by hydrogen to assist Icelandic citizens to go about their daily routines in an eco-friendly way, and Iceland’s focus is now heavily on the Mercedes Benz A-Class F-Cell, the first fuel-cellpowered passenger car on the road, emitting nothing more than pure water vapour.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class F-Cell: Running on natural energy

Stockholm: A self-sustainable city

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lems b o r the p t but f o e n awar vironme to do u o y Are g the en helpless ? That’d facink you’re ut them re you an thin hing abo ina. Or a much anyt e you Ch doing as play mak warrior, ly can tod of the eco- u possib the goo Sweden. al as yo part for call you individu your e? Let’s do from mental glob as they , environs vary Just dividual nitiative ntries to in rts and i the cou So if effo ly across d earth. -fulls of wild ur share fter lung lly clean t on o re ever a an equao find ou , you’ air, and ead on t he most fresh cience, r ies are t ntally cons h countr vironme whic least, en and ctive. proa

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The central heating system in the Badrutts Palace Hotel in St Moritz © Badrutts Palace Hotel

Switzerland has consistently, and successfully, striven for a greener society. In some of the smaller towns, cars have been completely banned to encourage cycling or a simple stroll, and the government has even introduced a fee for the disposal of unsorted household rubbish. Any bag of rubbish which cannot be sent for recycling has to bear a sticker, costing €1, in order for it to be collected. The attitude extends to the hospitality industry, with one example being the Badrutts Palace Hotel in St Moritz which not only offers discounted prices for guests who arrive in a hybrid car, but which also installed an entirely new heating system which has cut carbon output by 80 per cent each year through the sourcing of energy from a local lake, a goal now shared by other hotels and schools.

If it weren’t for the prevalence and popularity of

Badrutts Palace Hotel in St Moritz: Operating with environmentally friendly practices © Badrutts Palace Hotel

the country’s charcuteries, French pigs would be able to rest easy. A far cry from the build quality of the houses made of straw in the fairy tale we’re all familiar with, France is currently using straw bales in the construction of new-build properties. Straw is seen as a sturdy, eco-friendly alternative which also provides great insulation; and no amount of huffing and puffing will blow these houses down.

France is also increasing its use of eco-fuels and organic farming, and has even reduced taxes for any homeowner who installs solar panels. Eighty per cent of French electricity now comes from nuclear power, and Sarkozy is pushing to reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 per cent in 10 years.

Germany prides itself on being one of the world’s most environmentally-aware countries, operating, amongst other initiatives, a recycling system which introduces no fewer than five

different bins into the management of household waste. Of those five, the ‘black’ bin is either for rubbish which cannot be recycled, or for use by those who have neither the time nor the inclination to separate their waste; but be warned, the latter isn’t really an option – not recycling in Germany is frowned upon. On a national level, Germany regulates pesticides, controls the agricultural use of water and limits carbon emissions, which results in low levels of soot and high levels of water quality.

It invests in alternative energy, and has introduced an ‘efficiency in buildings’ programme which not only reduces emissions, but also creates jobs in the construction industry. The implementation of this programme has been hugely encouraged in other countries.

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Colombia boasts a varied landscape and a good environmental track record

Countries such as Austria are making great strides in eco gardening

Another country looking further afield than its own internal initiatives is Austria. Not only is it doing its own bit for the environment, but it’s making sure as many other countries as possible do too. Take for example, the eco-friendly gardens which it has planted, by agreement between the respective governments, across the border with the Czech Republic. The stunning gardens are full of herbs, flowers and fruit trees, and not a single pesticide. It doesn’t stop next door either. Scoring green at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Austrian Olympic Committee and entourage of broadcasters were housed in a specially constructed ‘passive house’ which the Austrian government had commissioned in Whistler. Using a mere 10 per cent of the energy consumed in an average Canadian home, the passive house has neither heating nor cooling systems but instead uses a selfregulatory system which circulates air and thermal heat, contained by high-efficiency windows.

Moving away from Europe and across the Atlantic, the island nation of Cuba is setting a fine example of environmental sustainability and in fact, was the only nation in the world to meet the World Wildlife Fund’s definition of sustainable development in 2006. It is attempting to control

sea levels in order to prevent the salt in the water from ruining the country’s rich soil, reduce the use of harmful and illegal pesticides on farms, increase the use of abandoned farm land, and encourage the exclusive use of organic products on all farms.

The country has also poured money into the implementation of hydroelectric power, connecting many of the homes and business in the Guamá area to a hydroelectric power station. With 30 rivers in the vicinity, almost 7,000 people will be using ‘clean’ electricity once the project is complete.

Blessed with a beauty both stunning and diverse, the Colombian landscape comprises volcanic regions, coral reefs, natural hot springs and snow-capped summits. And in a move to protect this natural paradise and take a step towards sustainability, the Colombian government has ended a lot of the deforestation caused by palm oil plantations and the illegal cultivation of cocaine, and embarked on eco-friendly projects.

Other actions include the use of bamboo instead of steel in construction projects, and the opening of national parks to provide a sustainable habitat for the country’s large number of endemic species, among them many native medicinal plants.

Colombia has also developed an energy portfolio around clean, renewable energy sources such as hydroelectricity, biofuels, wind and solar power.

And its efforts are being recognised. Last year, Colombia featured in the top ten of Yale University’s Environmental Performance Index which ranks over 160 countries on the achievement of environmental goals.

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A nuclear reactor in Lianyungang, China

Many US cities may boast beautiful skylines but their environmental commitment is sorely lacking

In light of Colombia’s positive environmental efforts therefore, a scathing eye turns to China.

With China falling into the same income category as Colombia, its claims that it is too poor to afford either environmental awareness or action are met with cynicism. It fails to perform on every count of care for the planet, with the exception maybe of being slightly better at protecting its habitat than its southeast Asian neighbours, although given that they perform equally poorly on numerous other counts, they cannot be viewed as much of a yardstick. Contributing massively to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, China burns coal, the dirtiest form of energy, for 70 per cent of its power – adding up to a consumption of 2.5 billion tons each year. The sulphur released by the coal causes acid rain which damages native plants and crops. It also contributes enormously to the ever-growing hole in the ozone layer whose gradual disappearance leaves the earth increasingly unprotected from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

But it’s not just the planet which suffers as a result of China’s inaction, as the health of individuals is also in jeopardy. Pollution in the air and in water is high, cities have elevated levels of soot, and not everyone has access to clean drinking water. The World Health Organisation estimates that water pollution-related illnesses account for almost 100,000 deaths each year.

And if China’s ‘poverty’ excuse is tenuous, the USA’s poor environmental priorities have even less justification. An affluent society in which citizens live in energy-guzzling, appliance-filled homes, often located far from work and necessitating a drive in one of a number of cars owned by the household, combined with an apathy towards the environment makes America one of the most wasteful countries on the planet. A reliance on coal means emissions contribute heavily towards global warming, making it one of the leading producers of greenhouse gases; its own per capita carbon dioxide emissions reach almost five times the per capita figure worldwide.

At 300 million people, the United States’ population represents approximately 5 per cent of that of the world’s, yet its disproportionate consumption of natural resources accounts for around one quarter of that used globally.

Understanding why the attitude towards the environment varies so wildly from country to country is not easy. If China claims poverty as the cause for the environmental damage it does, yet America’s colossal carbon footprint is attributed to its affluence, the connection does not appear to

be wealth. With these eco-super-villains coming in first and third respectively on the list of the world’s most populated countries (with India taking second place), perhaps population is the link? Certainly the fact that Brazil and Russia fall very short of any convincing attempt to protect the planet would support this theory... although, the appearance of shame-faced Australia (with its population of 22 million over an area almost as large as Europe itself) on the list of the world’s worst offenders disproves that too. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality is a more convincing argument, highlighting the fact that while America and other enemies of the environment continue down their path of planetary destruction without immediately seeing the impact of their behaviour, squeaky-clean Scandinavia, so close to the melting Arctic, is witnessing first-hand how the sea levels are rising as a result of global warming. And as Canute, King of Denmark, Norway and parts of Sweden himself proved, simply telling the sea to retreat just doesn’t work, therefore action is essential.

But whatever the reason for the different approaches adopted across the world, if a country’s eco-credentials aren’t high on your list of holiday priorities, the world is still your oyster – at least until the reefs have been over-farmed or the waters too polluted. If it’s clean, green and pristine you’re after, it might be time to brush up on your Swedish. e

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THELEISURE TRAVEL

The Tallest Hotels of the Building in Europe

The new Sapphire Building in I stanbul

Words Amparo de la Gama

Istanbul has been a cosmpolitan hub for thousands of years, a land of plenty which prompted Napoleon Bonaparte to utter, “If the world were one sole nation, its capital would be Istanbul”.

View from Galata tower to the Golden Horn in Istanbul

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t seems the Turks have taken his words to heart, asserting the importance of Istanbul by erecting the tallest building in Europe. Bearing the fitting name of Sapphire, the building comprises 64 floors and measures 261 metres in height, giving a new, high-tech feel to the Turkish skyline.

This marvel of modern engineering boasts its own four-storey commercial centre, 47 floors of apartments and direct access to the city’s subway system. Some 10 floors will be used as a basement and many floors will enjoy spectacular 360º views from external terraces. This is only one of 40 new buildings constructed in the last six years, thanks to the impressive economic impulse driving the Turkish economy. If you’re travelling to Istanbul and you think all you’ll find are vestiges of the ancient Ottoman Empire, you may be surprised. The Turkish city is fast becoming one of the most modern cities in the European continent.

Turkey is becoming more and more attractive to Spanish tourists every year, thanks to a vast improvement in communications. Turkish Airlines has increased the number of flights to Istanbul, with up to three flights leaving Madrid and Málaga for Turkey every week. Turkish Airlines’ Director, Halid Koca, says that the increase in flight numbers has led to a

The Sapphire: Reaching for higher ground ©Amparo de la Gama

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four-hour reduction in flight time. Travelling in these planes is a true luxury, making one thankful that these aren’t the old days when the only way to get to Turkey was by sea. The Turkish penchant for modernity has held sway over the past two centuries, with Sultans like Mahmud II and Ataturk resorting to reformism and republicanism, respectively, in an effort to keep up with the times. The Turks like talking about Europe and Europeans and Turkey’s plans to join the European Union are already underway.

European Dreaming

The new Sapphire Building in Istanbul © Amparo de la Gama

Celal Ceyhan is a professional guide who completed his studies at the University of Vigo, in Spain. He tells me that 70 per cent of Turks wish to enter the European Union, though they are aware that they are facing some resistance: “We know some nations, like France and Germany, are opposing our acceptance into the EU,” he says, adding, “though the possibility of this dream becoming reality has led us to carry out vital

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reforms in our infrastructure. Our laws have also been changed; for instance, the death penalty has been abolished and there is a strong anti-torture campaign underway.

The central bank has also been made independent. Many more developments still need to be carried out”. Celal thinks that one of the things that worry EU politicans is “the fact that Turkey is a Muslim state”, though he notes that “Fear of other religions is a diminishing force. The sharp social differences are more worrisome. In Istanbul there are doctors earning hundreds of thousands of euros a year while in Bursa, farmhands earn only €500 a year.” This disparity has led to three million immigrants living in countries like Germany to dream of being considered European.

The Blue Mosque of Istanbul

The Turks like talking about Europe and Europeans and Turkey’s plans to join the European Union are already underway

The old town One of the most famous Turks of all time is Nobel prize winning poet Orhan Pamuk, who often extolled the virtues of the old Taksim suburb and town square. From this area one can easily spot the dome and two minarets of the old Cihangir mosque, which leads onto the Bosphorus strait, separating Europe from Asia. On the right lies the historic old town of Istanbul, with its most characteristic sites including the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar and Golden Horn; on the left lie the newer suburbs and straight ahead looms Asia: distant, discrete and filled with light.

Sites to See Boats of all sizes and nationalities pepper the coastline of the Bosphorus, which takes on a golden hue at sunset. A panoramic view of the city can be enjoyed from the lofty Galata Tower and a few minutes away is Taskim Square, the commercial centre of Galata and home to Greeks, Armenians,

The whirling dervishes of Turkey

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Jews, Italians and French in the Ottoman period. On the weekends, an eclectic bunch of people fills the local pubs and by day, Istiklal street houses a buzzing bazaar where keen buyers will find everything from tea to contemporary art, kebab stands, international fashion houses, lingerie boutiques and music stands where Sezen and other Turkish pop stars belt out their latest hits.

One Dream In Galata, the Turks are tired of informing tourists that they are not Arabs. But are they European? Pamuk addresses this question in his book Istanbul: Memories and the City He says: “In part we are European and in part we are not. Our identity has always been defined as much by the Orient, as by the West though we are certainly moving in a westerly direction”. One thing that is certain is that the Turks wish to become

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

“Our identity has always been defined as much by the Orient, as by the West”

European. As my travelling companion and I speak to people in Istanbul, Bursa or Canakkale, we find that the melon seller on the highway says the same thing as Celal or the sellers of imitation goods in the Grand Bazaar. Rich and poor, men and women, atheists and Muslims all share the same dream. Even on the Prince Islands (a group of tiny islands close to Istanbul), we met a health worker who approached us to say that her country was ready to enter the EU.

The Whirling Dervishes and Sufism Istanbul has a population of 12 million souls dispersed among a metropolis that stretches along kilometres of European and Asian shores along the Bosphorus. Both sides are united by the sound of a flute and the spiritual dance known as ‘whirling’. The dancers call out “Come as you are!” and start to twirl like planets and stars, filling the night with an indescribable magic. The dance pays homage to the illustrious poet and Sufist mystic, Jalaluddin Rumi, also called Mewlana, who lived in Istanbul and constructed a school in the 13th century in Cappadocia. Time and time again, in countless languages across the globe, Mevlana’s famous quote is often cited: “Come, come, whoever you are; wanderer, worshipper, lover of learning… it does not matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come even if you have broken your vow a thousand times. Come, come, yet again come”. Turkey dedicates these words to the world: for visitors are always invited to return to Turkey. In this land, everyone leaves their shoes at the front door, perhaps so that those who veer away know how to return, while the nomadic peoples forge ahead in their journey towards Destiny. e Galata tower in Istanbul

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THELEISURE HOTEL

HOTEL

WORDS MICHEL CRUZ

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hink of Nice and you picture the classic French Riviera; palm trees swaying in the breeze by the seaside promenade that separates the trendy beach clubs from such icons of luxury as the famous Hotel Negresco.

Further in, pretty boutiques and quaint bistros in shaded streets. True, this is still how it can be, but for young, trendy and environmentally conscious visitors to this Mediterranean city there is also another way to enjoy the Riviera experience.

Two hundred metres inland from the sea there is a hotel that redefines the established concept of the boutique hotel, as developed

by Philippe Starck in the 80s and 90s. The Hi Hotel qualifies as a boutique hotel because it is so clearly built around a design concept, but the décor that evolves from it is rather more counter-culture and youthful than many of the simply luxuriant and opulent hotels that would normally populate the pages of a boutique hotel guide.

Having said that, the style, comfort and avant-garde design are certainly of a high standard, but for Matali Crasset, creator of the hotel and one of the leading new designers in France, the emphasis was not on producing yet another temple to superlative luxury but rather somewhere that makes a bold statement in its own right. You can find that kind of opulence across the length and breadth of the Côte d’Azur, but in bringing the young urban vibe to Nice she wanted to mix professional design with quirky exuberance.

As a result, each of the 38 rooms in this hotel is individually styled, configured and fitted, yet all are colourful. You can go for the almost spa-like relaxation of the Indoor Terrasse, the serenity of White & White, get quirky in blue or pink, or simply clean and fresh in lemon yellow.

The public areas are similarly youthful, urban and fitted for the technology generation. Whacky chairs, tables and wall mountings from the hand of Matali dress the reception and lounge areas in a way that refreshingly doesn’t take itself too seriously and challenges visitors to do the same.

Matali and co-founders of the Hi-Group, Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chapelet, surely cannot be accused of a lack of daring, for they have boldly created a setting that is not only left of field in its design concept, but also has

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Hi Hotel, Nice

MODERN BY

IDENTITY a touch of counter-culture about it that will tickle many a fancy. What’s more, they haven’t done it in Paris, Lille or Lyon, where such a venue would blend into the modern urban landscape, but have singled out Nice for a touch of 21st century eclecticism.

In so doing the team have created not so much a boutique hotel, but what she calls a design and urban hotel. The emphasis is that this is very much a 21st century interpretation of the theme, albeit a personal one. Naturally, in the classic confrontation between form and function the designer has had to marry her concept to all the services, facilities and practical functioning of a hotel, but perhaps not surprisingly has managed wonderfully well.

Alternative it may be, but the Hi Hotel is still in Nice, so it has to be seductive enough to lure clients away from the conventional temples of luxury. As a result there is the Hi Beach private beach club, Hi Body spa and the Happy Bar, which requires little translation. From the modern vibes and trendy visual touches of the late night Happy Bar to the relaxing health and beauty treatments

of the spa and the languid trendiness of the beach club, Hi offers classic ingredients remixed á la mode du siècle 21.

Add the uniquely fresh and colourful environment of the Hi Business seminar spaces and the Hi Sushi bar, which naturally offers organic produce only, and you have a very complete package. And indeed, a 21st century concept of this kind would not be complete if it did make an effort to be environmentally sound. As such they don’t come much sounder, for the hotel proudly lists its award-winning environmental credentials, which include the use of mineral organic (rather than chemical) paint, recycled materials, vegetable based toiletries, waste separation, ecological cleaning products, low-efficient designs and equipment, non-chemical garden fertilisers and a bicycle rental service. What’s more, the hotel puts its money where its mouth is and deals with organic suppliers instead of cheaper mass-produced alternatives – making this the ultimate feel-good destination for a repose on the white sands of the Côte d’Azur. e

g 3 Avenue des Fleurs, Nice, France Tel: 33 (0) 4 97 072 626. www.hi-hotel.net 10/21/11 3:52 PM

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RESTAURANT THEGOURMET

WORDS Michel Cruz Photography KH Photography and Andrea Böjti

Shanti-Som a different dining experience

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ormally a restaurant is located in urban surroundings; occasionally you’ll have to drive out to a more remote roadside setting, but Shanti-Som takes you a little further and off the beaten track. You see, set within the private Shangri La that is the Shanti-Som Wellbeing Retreat, the restaurant of the same name offers not only fine dining but also a very distinct environment in which to enjoy it.

In spite of its secluded setting, the retreat is remarkably easy to get to, just past Ojen on the road to Monda. A short drive through a forested area will suddenly open up into a Thai-inspired world of manicured gardens, gently flowing fountains and gorgeous peace and relaxation.

Fine dining with a twist As if this environment isn’t enough of a departure from most restaurants, the team have set themselves the task of operating in harmony with the health and beauty treatments offered in the wellbeing centre. This means working with organic produce, drawing from the estate’s own herb gardens and creating dishes that tantalise the senses yet remain true to a philosophy of healthy and balanced eating.

This balancing of two potentially contrary goals is achieved at no cost to the dining experience, as the restaurant infuses Asian variations upon

Spanish and Mediterranean classics to create an ever-evolving range of dishes. “We are always experimenting and developing,” says food and beverage manager Hugo Chinarro. This flexibility and creativity also makes it possible to cater to people with a wide range of nutritional requirements and intolerances, something that is still remarkably rare in this part of Spain.

Tasting menu Though there is a menu, which changes regularly, the team laid on a tasting menu for us that reflects the cuisine and philosophy of Shanti-Som. It began with a Thai king prawn with spinach ‘a lo pobre’ in a mini-bowl of sweet-sour soup inspired by Chinese Qin Shi sauce. Having thus enlivened our taste buds, we continued with a Shitaki and Boletus warm Salad that is as gorgeous as it is unusual. With no green in sight, just beautifully dressed fresh, fleshy mushrooms on a bed of water vegetables accompanied by a 2010 Monteabellón Verdejo Rueda with a splash of sake.

After this delight came steamed mussels in a fish bouillon with cashew nuts and basil, the spiciness of which was softened by a rich Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé from Navarre, called Principe de Viana. The main course kept us on a healthy fish trajectory of monkfish poached

in coconut milk with parsley pesto, pumpkin pieces, smoked paprika and a caper sauce. The amazingly tasty garlic flower comes from the organic herb garden and apparently grows freely in and around Marbella. This course had us back on a Rueda Sauvignon Blanc de Blanc with notes of pineapple and mango by Viña Cimbra.

We ended the adventure with a Loempia, or Indonesian spring roll in a tangy sauce. This dish was accompanied by a sophisticated red wine from Rioja called Envite, before we sampled the soft cream panacotta with little ginger cakes and watermelon granito. Instead of a dessert wine or the conventional coffee we were then treated to a selection of unusual natural teas that included the likes of seaweed-based Spirulina Stamina and the rich, creamy Pear Caramel – all designed to create a sense of lightness and wellbeing.

The menu de degustación displayed artistry and inventiveness yet left us feeling light and contented. This balancing of the elements, of taste and goodness, is reflected in de-tox smoothies such as the Ginger Cooler, an apple juice with ginger extract and a hint of tamarind – sharp, sweet, fizzy and deliciously refreshing.

Not like a de-tox drink at all, but typical of the cuisine and ambience you’ll find at ShantiSom: a real treat that extends beyond the taste buds. e

g Shanti-Som Wellbeing Retreat. Llanos de Purla, Km 22 - A355, Monda, Marbella. Tel: +34 952 864 455. info@shantisom.com, www.shantisom.com 150 THE GOURMET.indd 115

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RESTAURANT THEGOURMET

CASA MONO

AND THE NATURAL EVOLUTION OF CUISINE WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CASA MONO

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hen Casa Mono restaurant opened its doors in Marbella a little over a year ago, avid foodies converted it into the talk of the town. Serving up traditional dishes made with top produce sourced both locally and from countries as far as Norway or Canada, the restaurant was opened by Guy Sirre, unique in his ability to capture that delicate, elusive blend of great cuisine, a friendly, hardworking staff and a lively ambience, which together make for a restaurant that buzzes with life yet never ceases to be cosy and romantic. Guy, who also founded what is an undoubted stalwart in the Old Town, Casanis restaurant, brought the results of his many years in search of culinary magic, to Casa Mono and since then, there have been many developments in his life. For one, he has recently opened his second Casanis in Madrid, in the iconic Plaza de los Cortes, adjacent to the national congress. He divides his time between three successful restaurants, acknowledging that his “admittedly egocentric” dream of opening in Spain’s capital, was made possible by the visionary team at Casa Mono, currently being captained by Manager, Clement and Head Chef, Alex. Clement points out that “in the restaurant business you can never sit on your laurels; you constantly have to work hard, to innovate, to serve dishes that are tempting enough to arouse the diner’s curiosity and loyalty.” Like Guy, he highlights the importance of his team: long-standing members of staff like Pablo, Jurgen and Koen, who shake and stir delicious cocktails, recommend specials of the day and understand how great cuisine is made.

“I may not be a chef but I spend a lot of time in the kitchen; it’s important to understand how a dish is made in order to explain it to curious diners,” he smiles, irresistibly.

When Casa Mono was launched, Guy’s favourite animal, the monkey, took pole position in the thematic sense. Lush palm trees, murals (by resident artist, Aldo) and hand-made mosaic tables and furniture (courtesy of talented artist, Antonio Mudarra), were married to bespoke furniture pieces, a gorgeous candle-lit terrace and a monkey bar, where you can enjoy exotic cocktails as you watch the sun set. The look has taken on a distinctly cooler, more sophisticated feel since then, thanks to Aldo’s new jazzinspired murals, inhabited by musicians and flappers, dressed to the nines and lounging in smoky jazz clubs. The cuisine has also reached new heights, thanks in no small part to the incorporation of Chef Alex Lambert into the team. I was first impressed by Alex some six years ago, when he was heading up one of Marbella’s most successful beach restaurants.

Since then he has accomplished everything he set out to do, including opening a restaurant in Belgium with his brother, who currently runs the establishment.

At Casa Mono Alex lets his culinary passion flow freely, with traditional French and Belgian dishes served in a creative new way, with touches of flavour only a seasoned chef can provide. In this way, the sheer excellence of the very best produce is met head-on by the chef’s talent, who showed my dining companion and I how small touches can turn a traditional sauce into an inspiring invention, using simple ingredients like champagne, herbs and spring onions. Our meal began with a true flavour sensation: the veal sweetbreads, seared and wonderfully highlighted by a white lemon, butter and herb sauce. We were equally impressed by the seared scallops, accompanied by ultra tender, juicy King prawns, seasonal vegetables

g Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Tel: 952 774 578. casamonobrasserie@gmail.com 150casamono_andiindd 117

and a smooth white sauce. Clement suggested a special of the day: the wild turbot. Alex served it simply grilled but with an irresistibly delicious sauce, made with herbs, foie gras and basil, once again accompanied beautifully by fresh, grilled vegetables. For dessert what could be more heavenly than a chocolate fondant, oozing liquid chocolate from the middle, freshened up with a home-made blood orange sorbet and complemented with a warm vanilla sauce.

After a fantastic evening whose pièce de résistance was the charm and warmth of the staff, it became clear that a truly successful restaurant, like all relationships, businesses and ventures, must continue to evolve if its team is to remain inspired. The best example of chemistry optimised is surely life itself, which should never be stagnant, eternal or immobile. Casa Mono has taken this philosophy very much to heart, and continues to grow, flourish and multiply like the most beautiful flower in Nature. e

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THEGOURMET NEWS WORDS Marisa CUTILLAS

Trattoria L’Impronta opens in Nueva Alcántara

A stylish new Italian restaurant has opened in Nueva Alcántara: Trattoria L’Impronta, bringing you authentic Italian cuisine created under the watchful eye of Paolo Ghirelli. From classic dishes such as spaghetti alle vongole, antipasto Emiliano and veal scallopini with lemon and fetuccine a la crème, to modern takes on crispy duck salad with lemongrass and King prawns cardinale with black taglierini, your tastebuds will be dancing and your appetite thoroughly satisfied. The restaurant opens every day of the week except for Tuesday, offering a daily threecourse lunch menu for only €25. On Sundays, enjoy a typically Italian ‘bollito mixto’. g Avda. Salamanca, Edif. San Pedro del Mar, Local 14, Nueva Alcántara, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 785 943. www.trattoria-limpronta.com

Canal Cocina and La Reserva del Pastor present Bar Canal Cocina

Canal Cocina, the only Spanish television channel specialising in gastronomy, will be at La Reserva del Pastro de Málaga until November 30, offering surprises, gifts and fun events to their faithful viewing audience. There will also be a fun competition, the winner of which will enjoy a delicious dinner with friends. If you’ve never seen this entertaining channel and you speak Spanish, make sure to catch it on Digital +, Ono, MoviStar Imagenio, Telecable, R or Euskaltel, and discover exciting new recipes, read up on news or join competitions focused on the subject of food.

Photo © Shaun

g C/ Sánchez Pastor 3, Málaga. Tel: 952 214 748. For a specific programme of events, www.canalcocina.es

Nueva Kaskada Heralds in the Autumn/Winter Not one to rest on its laurels, Garry Waite’s restaurant El Rincón de Gvadalpín changes and improves on a regular basis. Improves in as much as they have just added a cocktail bar and lounge as you enter the restaurant (which is situated on the corner of the Gran Hotel Gvadalpín Banús) and changes because the menu does that seasonally. “We keep our retro menu as constant,” says Garry, “but our modern section changes four times a year.” A quick glance at the new menu shows a host of interesting dishes including the Scotch egg. In Waite’s reinterpretation of this classic dish, minced seasoned chicken in breadcrumbs houses a ‘hidden’ poached egg and is deep fried and served on a cheddar cheese salad with pickled shallots and Branston pickle alioli. Main courses include Venison with Wild Mushrooms, Confit of Rabbit with Serrano Ham and Braised Beef Cheeks with Bubble and Squeak. Their famous Sunday Lunches are once again in full swing with classic Roast Beef from the carving trolley and entertainment from the legendary John Porter.

Nueva Kaskada, famed for its romantic ambience and excellent cuisine, recently held a well-attended presentation to welcome in the Autumn/Winter season, offering guests a variety of treats whipped up by their new Chef, German maestro Ewald Fichthaler. The famed chef, who has worked in Michelin starred establishments the world over, has also cooked for royalty and dignitaries and is renowned for delighting the senses with his wonderfully creative take on traditional dishes. Nueva Kaskada will continue to offer both indoor and outdoor dining on the spacious terrace and the cosy interior, warming diners with its trendy open fireplace and delighting them with refreshing drinks at the new cocktail bar and chill-out lounge with live piano music and after-dinner DJs. A weekday lunch menu is available for just €15, and the restaurant’s legendary Sunday lunch, complete with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, costs just €12,95.

g Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and for happy hour cocktails from 7pm. CN 340, km 173, Camino Edgar Neville s/n, Marbella. Tel: Call 952 929 001/ 629 273 765. www.rinconguadalpin.com

g Urb. La Montua, C/ Chorreadero 39, Marbella.

Tel: 952 864 478. www.nuevakaskada.com

Seasonal Changes at El Rincón de Gvadalpín

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THEGOURMET PROFILE

Edmund Cicans of Güey:

Defying Gravity Words Marisa Cutillas Photography KH Photography

T

hey say that opportunity is like a fragile light which flickers in your hand but for a brief moment, determining the kind of life you will lead depending on whether or not you seize it and don’t let go. Latvian born chef, Edmund Cicans, took a moment like this and made it his own, deciding from the time he entered adulthood to be the captain of his own ship. By the age of 19 he was the youngest Head Chef in Latvia (of the famous Monterosso Italian restaurant) and in his early 20s he was honing his craft through his culinary travels to France and Germany. I first met Edmund when he was 24 and already Head Chef of one of Marbella’s most buzzing and ‘in’ restaurants. Impressed by the speed at which over 100 clients were served for lunch that day, and above all by the creative nature of his cuisine, I admired his confidence and skill. Now, five years later, he is at the top of the game, fronting one of Marbella’s trendiest hotspots, Güey Restaurant and Lounge Bar, which has what he calls “the essential pillars of a successful restaurant – ambience, service and excellent cuisine”.

Güey (pronounced ‘way’ and meaning ‘brother’), whose owner Antonio hails from Mexico and who is not averse to helping recreate the authentic recipes he savoured as a child, has constructed a true paradise of leisure in the Nueva Andalucía area: a two-storey restaurant and bar lounge with spacious outdoor terraces,

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chill-out spaces and a stunning sky bar. The food is creative international with touches of Mexican, which is more precisely defined by Edmund as “cuisine rooted in tradition but creatively presented”. With everything from fresh fish dishes to seared scallops, guacamole and nachos, Güey is a celebration of the best of world cuisine and culture, with a multi-lingual staff that includes the charismatic Johnnie B. Gómez, organiser of many party style events. Edmund, who describes the staff at Güey as “the best and most closely knit team I’ve worked with”, began collaborating with Güey in a consultory capacity in December 2010, when the restaurant was taking its first baby steps and needed advice on the secret ingredients for success. Following a brief hiatus which saw Edmund travelling to Latvia, Andorra and various gastronomic capitals in Spain “to recharge batteries”, the Chef rediscovered his own creativity, and was convinced to join Güey in a more direct capacity (as Head Chef).

Since then the restaurant has gone from strength to strength, with Edmund taking a clearly defined stance when it come to the menu: “The face of cuisine is constantly changing,” he says, adding, “Diners are a lot more demanding these days since almost everyone is into cooking and people now enjoy cooking at home, making things they used to go out for in the past. To attract regular customers you have to offer something

different… new sauces, new combinations that will make them say ‘Wow! How did they do this’? when they take their first bite.”

Edmund has recently put the finishing touches to Güey’s Autumn-Winter menu, and the temptation is too much to resist, with star dishes such as the home-smoked salmon flavoured with fried red onions and a fine herb and crème fraiche dressing. Equally enticing is the magret of duck with a potato and black truffle terrine, snow peas and a red wine and wild berry sauce.

If Edmund’s professional career is reaching a pinnacle his personal life couldn’t be any better and he surprises me with a new addition to his family since we first met: his angelic son, Eruin, now four and very much the spitting image of his Dad. As Edmund and I catch up on all things culinary, Eruin quietly colours pictures next to us, waiting patiently for his father to take him fishing.

“When you care about the restaurant you work in, you basically have to be there all day,” Edmund acknowledges, though he still finds time to bond with his son, with whom he shares a delicious breakfast every day and quality afternoons such as these, when it’s just a man and his son.

Edmund, who always manages to cheer me up with his Latvian sayings, suddenly announces, “Life drops you in a river and you go wherever it takes you,” but his own life is very much an instance of swimming against the current, living your dream and travelling to where your heart desires. e

g Plaza de las Orquídeas 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 929 250. www.gueybanus.com 10/25/11 3:50 PM

t h e a rt of Fi n e T h a i C u i s i n e

952 818 392 or 670 748 415

RESERVATIONS:

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

TAI PAN

Chinese Cuisine - Polynesian Bar

Serving Marbella in a Select Atmosphere for 29 years.

Puente Romano, Fase 2, Marbella.

Open Daily for Dinner from 8:00

Tel: 952 777 893 / 952 775 500

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

NOW OPEN FOR

LUNCH & DINNER!

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THEGOURMET WINE

BACK ON THE SCENE

Dominique Mertens of Finca La Giralda, Ojén WORDS AJ LINN PHOTOGRAPHY KH PHOTOGRAPHY

T

he picturesque village of Ojén, nestled in the hills behind Marbella, is sacrosanct as the home of the world-famous Aguardiente de Ojén that originated in the village in the 19th century.

The product is arrived at by steeping anís seeds in industrial alcohol and then distilling the liquid in a copper still, after which the alcohol content will be around 35º for the sweet (sugar-added) variety, and up to 70º for a special anís, although the usual level for the commercial dry version is 40-45º.

At around €12 a bottle, it is a cheap way of obtaining top-grade drinking alcohol, but you would need to be pretty tough to overdose on it. For most people it is a one-glass event.

There are two brands of anís that are almost national symbols: Anís del Chinchón and Anís del Mono. The first is named after the village near Madrid where it is made, and the second, for some reason, carries a picture of – and the name of – a monkey.

But, if anyone bothers to count them, there are hundreds of brands on the market, with almost every famously dead bullfighter having an anís named after him.

The Aguardiente de Ojén, which in its day boasted 28 gold medals and a royal warrant, was sold in London, Paris, the United States (famously New Orleans), the Philippines and Cuba, and was certainly for a time the most famous liquor produced in Spain. People would travel from afar to visit the distillery, and even now, decades after production ceased, devotees still comb bars and ventas optimistically searching for that one remaining unopened bottle to add to their collections.

It all started at the beginning of the 19th century, when Pedro Morales, who hailed from Ronda, married an Ojén girl who one day helped a beggar. In return for her kindness the beggar, as the story goes, gave her a recipe for making aguardiente. Its unique secret was believed to lie in the blend of wild herbs, including sage and rosemary. Picasso immortalised the drink in a 1912 still life and writer Camilo José Cela frequently referred to it in his works: ‘una copa de Ojén’.

So successful for a time was the aguardiente that in an age before patents and brand registration, hundreds of imitations quickly swamped the market.

Nor did family squabbles help matters, and it was finally thanks to a defrocked priest who had been put in charge of production, Francisco Cabrera, that the fires which kept the stills bubbling finally went out in 1920.

A more charitable version blames the end of an era on the outbreak of phylloxera that devastated the vineyards, and yet another that as Morales lay dying he gave the secret formula to his daughter – who promptly went the same way as her father before she could pass on the recipe to anyone else.

Nothing succeeds like success, so it is not surprising that since the demise of the original product there have been attempts to resuscitate it, most famously in 1968, but none of them even remotely approaching the required level of perfection that immortalised the original.

The excellent news is that when you read this the relaunch of Aguardiente de Ojén is just weeks away.

Dominique Mertens, a savvy Belgian entrepreneur with international business interests, bought a rural finca in Ojén 11 years ago, and has slowly but determinedly been focussing her local activities on making good wine and olive oil. The white wine (15º – around €6,50 retail) and the muscatel (18º – €16,50 half bottle) are both very agreeable and sell locally in the small quantities that limited production allows, currently about 1,400 bottles annually, although the main part is exported to Belgium. Not that the conversion of an untidy fruit-producing farm to ordered vineyards has been without difficulties. The original finca building had to be totally renovated, a winery had to be built, and wine and olive presses, together with fermenting tanks and bottling line, all had to be installed.

Prior to pressing her own grapes, Dominique sent them to a local co-operative where they were pressed by foot, and when

she decided to bring the job in-house in 2007 she used a traditional spindle press.

But after most of the resulting juice and pulp finished on the ceiling Dominique realised she had to buy a modern hydraulic version, and in spite of the fact that the wines were bottled by hand during the first five years of operation, an automated bottling machine now has pride of place in the bodega.

It is impressive to see this petite, blond, driven, lady at work at her desk, running not only a burgeoning winery soon to become a winery-distillery, but at the same time dealing with clients as far away as mainland China. Dominique started exporting highclass Spanish products to China eight years ago, more or less by accident after being asked by Chinese friends to source such items from Spain to satisfy a growing

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internal market where price was not the first consideration. Her Chinese company now distributes olive oil, both organic home-grown and a commercial variety, organic wine, and a red wine from Extremadura.

With typical single-mindedness, Dominique planned her moves like a military campaign. Everyone knows that Galicia is Spain’s leading producer of grape distillations, locally knows as orujo and roughly equivalent to grappa, marc, rakia, schnapps, etc., or in fact any unsophisticated distillation of the solids left after the grape pressing. Running to ground a bottle of the original Aguardiente de Ojén, she paid the very high price the vendor asked for, had it analysed, and keeps it in her safe. Dominique also owns an old original document issued by the Ayuntamiento de Ojén that refers to Pedro Morales e Hijo, Fábrica fundada en 1830.

For as long as most people can remember, Galicians have distilled their own liquor at home. As with all good things, revenue-hungry governments stepped in with measures to control (read tax) anyone who had a pot still in their outhouse. Home distilling is now forbidden unless for personal consumption, and the 20 or so registered distilleries make most of the region’s output. This has not put a stop to clandestine distilling, and Dominique, on her fact-finding mission to the heart of the aguardiente country, visited some of these.

She ended up buying two 300-litre copper pot stills (legally of course) that are now sitting in their virgin state in a whitewashed room in her winery, waiting for the unforgettable moment when they are fired up and start spitting out the first few drops of the precious Aguardiente de Ojén 2011.

This will not only be a momentous occasion for Dominique personally but for Ojén municipally. Which is really where Dominique’s much grander project is heading. Just as the

area east of Málaga is known as the Axarquía, the area to the West, that includes the Sierra de las Nieves and valley where the villages of Ojén, Monda, Guaro, Tolox, Yunquera and Casarabonela are situated, is known as the Garbía. It is a beautiful valley situated just above Marbella and where time stands still in its white villages. Although wine made in Málaga Province is referred to as DO Sierra de Málaga, it is not inconceivable that in the not-too-distant future there will be a DO Sierra de las Nieves, and an initial presentation to this end took place in Ojén town hall in July.

More practical and of a more tangible value is Dominique’s mission to get village people to work on projects that will give added value to the importance of the area as a tourist attraction. Very few locals make handcrafted products these days, and even fewer speak any other language than Spanish.

Ideally a foundation will resolve these issues and Dominique already has the unstinting support of the mayors of each village, as well as important local personalities including medical professionals and lawyers.

Dominique Mertens is President of the association that will promote the Garbía generally and the Sierra de las Nieves in particular, uniting the municipalities into one overall region that will present a united front for the purpose of encouraging investment and attracting tourists. Dominique’s Finca La Giralda is currently the only winery in the area, but making wine is not a complicated business and there is no reason why other bodegas should not be set up in the region.

There is even financial support from the Junta de Andalucía for such initiatives, in an effort to encourage employment.

Prior to my trip to Ojén I had no idea that someone was making good white wine and muscatel so close to Marbella – and even less of one that the once world-famous Aguardiente de Ojén was about to take on a new lease of life. g Tel: 676 498 418. dmimpex@gmail.com

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RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANTS / CINEMAS / GOLF / GYMS /TENNIS

/ SCHOOLS

RESTAURANTS

::: ARGENTINEAN :::

::: AMERICAN :::

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

C/ Virgen del Pilar, 6, Marbella. Tel: 952 779 297

Buenos Aires South

HARD ROCK CAFÉ

Clericó

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

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

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

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

Jacks

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

Open seven days a week from noon till late.

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

New york

Tango

::: FRENCH :::

Chateau Mona lisa

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

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

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera 8, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 808

Yanx

Open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Centro Plaza, Avda. de Manolete 1, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 951 279 056

Open from 9am Monday to Saturday and Sunday from 11am for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Centro Plaza, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 861

LA PARISIENNE

Valderrama Restaurant

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

::: GREEK ::: Red Pepper

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

::: GRILLS :::

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

Asador guadalmina

Viejo Cancelada. Between San Pedro & Estepona.

Tel: 952 886 307

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

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

Tel: 952 786 688

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

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

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

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

Grill del puerto

El Carnicero

MARBELLA CLUB GRILL

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Pueblo

Open every night for dinner. Marbella Club

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

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Price guide ::::::: per head for a three-course meal with wine

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

Old Town Grill Open Monday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch. C/ San Lázaro, 3, Pza. Victoria, Marbella.

Tel: 952 867 306

Piratas flame grill Open every day for lunch and dinner except Sunday. Puerto Deportivo de Marbella, Locales 37-40, Marbella. Tel: 952 865 940

puente romano beach club Open every day for lunch. CN 340, km 177, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

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

::: INDIAN :::

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

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

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

mughal village Open daily for lunch and dinner. Aloha Towers, Avda. del Prado s/n, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952

under €25

€25 – €40

€40 – €60

€60 plus

819 240

Park, Marbella. Tel: 952 886 338

Café tortuga

Mumtaz

baboo lounge and restaurant

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Ramón Areces, esq. C.C. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 610 261 654

Open daily for both lunch and dinner.

Casa No.7, P. Banús. Tel: 952 812 090

safFron Open from 7 pm ‘til late night every day.

Parque de Elviria, local 7-9, Las Chapas (take second exit, after Hotel Don Carlos), Marbella.

Tel: 952 830 146

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

::: INTERNATIONAL ::: alumbre

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/ Strachan 11, Málaga. Tel: 951 500 022

AMAPOLA Open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner and on Saturday for dinner only. Closed Sundays.

C/ Ortega y Gasset, Local 87, Marbella. Tel: 952 774 650

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

amigos Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday. C/ Málaga 3, Benahavis. Tel: 952 855 175

auld dubliner Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Diana

Open every day for lunch and dinner, closing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at 8pm. Ctra.

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

Beach club don carlos Open daily for lunch. At the Hotel Don Carlos.

Avda. Zurita s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800

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

beckitts Open Monday to Sunday for dinner. C/ Camilo José Cela 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 868 898

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

bora bora Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/ Gitanilla s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 789 100

Brunings Open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 7 pm.

Las Palmeras 19, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 786 156

CAFÉ DE RONDA Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Avda.

Ramón Gómez de la Serna 23, Marbella. Tel: 952 862 149

Calima Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Hotel Meliá Don Pepe, C/ José Meliá, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 764 252

capitán Open for lunch and dinner every day except Wednesday. C/ Avila, Blq. 5, Local 1, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 799 635

CAPPUCINO GRAN CAFÉ MARBELLA Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ José Melià s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 868 790

casa gecko Open Wednesday to Saturday for dinner. Plaza de los Naranjos 11, Marbella. Tel: 687 201 953

Casa mono Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

C/ Calderón Estébanez 19, Marbella.

Tel: 952 774 578

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

celima Open every day for lunch and dinner. Hotel Hermitage, Ctra. de Casares, Casares. Tel: 952 895 639.

cerrado del águila Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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THEGUIDE

RESTAURANTS

Price guide ::::::: per head for a three-course meal with wine

Urb. Cerrado del Águila, Camino del Acevedo, s/n, Mijas Costa. Tel: 951 773 521

Charme cafe Open every day except for Sunday from 12pm to late. C.C. Centro Plaza, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 906 313

cortijo fain Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Ctra. de Algar, km. 3, Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz.

Tel: 956 704 131

Don Leone Open every night for dinner. Puerto Banús, Marbella. Tel: 952 811 716

Don Quijote Open every evening for dinner (7pm-12am). Urb. El Rosario, km. 188, Marbella. Tel: 952 834 748

el bistro lounge de pan y mermelada Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Urb. Marbella Real, Local 16, Marbella. Tel: 952 829 308

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

El Campanario

de Cádiz, km. 187. Tel: 952 771 700

under €25

€25 – €40

€40 – €60

€60 plus

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Muelle de Honor, Puerto Banús. Tel: 951 778 797

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

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 7pm.

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

EL JINETE

Finca Besaya

Open daily for dinner except for Friday. Ctra. La Cala Golf, km 45, La Cala de Mijas. Tel: 952 119 170

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

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

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

El lago

Finca El Forjador

hotel marbella club buffet

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

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

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

Finca las brasas

ICE

EL MIRADOR

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

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Urb. El Rosario (mountainside by the El Rosario roundabout), Marbella. Tel: 952 835 151

Galeria San Pedro

karma

Open from 11am until midnight. Closed Sundays.

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

Open every day from 10am until late. C/ Las Violetas 7, Conjunto Andalucía Garden Club, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 815 736

girasol

khala

Open daily for dinner from 6.30p.m. Avda. del Prado, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 813 859

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. NH Alanda Hotel, Marbella. Tel: 952 899 600

Golden goose

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

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Blvd.

Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 952 764 648

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch only. Ctra. Ronda, km.

46, Urb. Las Medranas, local 4, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 951 275 750

El gran gatsby

Open for breakfast every day. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Resort. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona.

Tel: 952 809 500

El oceano beach hotel restaurant & spa Open every day for lunch and dinner. CN340, km.

199, Marbella. Tel: 952 587 550

EL OLIVO Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch. At Marbella Golf & Country Club. CN 340, km. 188, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 500

El Restaurante del Casino

Herrero del Puerto

LA biznaga

EL RINCÓN DE GvADALPÍN

Güey

la brisa

El Corzo

Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and for Sunday lunch. Gvadalpín Hotel, Beach side, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 929 001

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Plza. de las Orquídeas 4, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 929 250

Open for dinner Thursday to Monday from 7pm.

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

Open daily for dinner. Hotel Los Monteros, Ctra.

Fabiola

hermosa

La cabaña del mar

Open every day for lunch. Open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. CN 340, km. 168, Estepona.

Tel: 952 880 126

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THEGUIDE

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

LA CANTINA DEL GOLF Open for breakfast and lunch until 8pm. Closed Sunday. Flamingo Golf Club, Cancelada, Benahavís. Tel: 951 318 815

La Esencia Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Hotel Incosol, Urb. Golf Rio Real, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 831 303

La Loggia Open daily for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks. Hotel Villa Padierna & Flamingos Golf Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km.

166 (Cancelada exit), Benahavís. Tel: 952 889 150

La Menorah

Cala de Mijas, Mijas. Tel: 952 669 000

La Veranda Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. Hotel Villa Padierna, Urb: Flamingos s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 952 889 150

La veranda lobby bar Open every day for lunch and dinner. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

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

los arcos Open every night for dinner. Hotel Meliá La Quinta, Urb. La Quinta Golf s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 952 762 000

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

Messina Open for dinner Monday to Saturday.

Avda. Severo Ochoa, 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 864 895

mil milagros Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch. CN340, km 179, Marbella.

Tel: 952 858 958

mozaic Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday. Urb. Las Chapas, Marbella. Tel: 952 839 901

Miraflores Golf Restaurant Open daily for Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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

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

los bandidos

LA SALA

magna café

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Belmonte, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 814 145

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

La Terraza

max beach

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

Open every day for lunch and dinner.

CN340, km 198, Mijas. Tel: 952 932 780

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

La Terraza

Mc café

oyarbide

Open daily for dinner. La Cala Resort, La

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and

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

nueva kaskada Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday. Urb. La Montua, C/ Chorreadero 39, Marbella. Tel: 952 864 478

OCHO

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THEGUIDE

RESTAURANTS

Price guide ::::::: per head for a three-course meal with wine

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

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

Patio de los perfumes Open every night for dinner. C/ Aduar 1, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 687 508 242

POCO loco BEACH Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Playa Hermosa, CN 340, Km 189, Marbella. Tel: 952 836 170

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

polynesian’s restaurant & cocktail bar Open every night for dinner. Urb. La Alcazaba, CN340, km 175, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 100

puente romano beach club Open daily for lunch. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

puro beach Open daily for lunch and dinner. Laguna Village, Playa El Padrón. CN340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 800 015

Rojo

under €25

€25 – €40

€40 – €60

€60 plus

Beach, Marbella. Tel: 952 865 579

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

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

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

sentidos

tanino

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

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

umami

shiraz

Terra Sana

What’s cooking deli and takeaway

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

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

Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nueva Andalucía next to the Casino.

Tel: 952 906 205. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 977. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona.

Tel: 951 901 050

Open daily from 10am to 6pm. C.C. Guadalmina, Local 34, Marbella. Tel: 649 829 391

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

The Clubhouse Bar & Brasserie

Small world café Open Monday to Friday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 9am-2am, Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner, 12.30pm-2am. C.C. Le Village, local 15, Ctra. Istán km. 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 046

Open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Urb. Los Naranjos de Marbella, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 844

Suave

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/Manzana, Locales 8-11, Pueblo Los Arcos, Elviria. Tel: 952 830 868

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

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

sunset

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

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Puerto Deportivo de Marbella, Marbella. Tel: 952 776 667

schilo

Swing

the playwright

The orange tree

trocadero beach Open daily for lunch and dinner. Playa de la Carolina, Marbella. Tel: 610 704 144 Open daily for lunch and dinner. C.C. Colonia, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 637 558 927

zozoï Open every day for dinner from 7.30pm-12am.

Plaza Altamirano 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 858 868

::: ITALIAN ::: Al Dente

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

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

Open every evening from 6:30 pm-11 pm. Plaza General Chinchilla 1, Plaza de los Naranjos, Marbella. Tel: 952 924 613.

Aretusa

tikitano

Carpaccio

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. Guadalmansa, CN340, km 164, Estepona. Tel: 952 798 449

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Frontline Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 813 357

Trocadero arena

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday 7pm until midnight. Avda. de la Constitución, corner

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Torre Real

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

Caruso

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THEGUIDE

C/ Andalucía, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 782 293

Da Bruno Open all day. Pasta Da Bruno: Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 27, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 348 – closed on Sunday. Da Bruno Cabopino: CN-340 Km. 194,7.

Tel: 952 831 918. Da Bruno a Casa: Marbella Mar, Local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 857 521 – closed on Sunday. Da Bruno A San Pedro: Avda. del Mar, local 1E,San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 860 – closed on Monday. Da Bruno Sul Mare: Edif. Skol, Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 318/19

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

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

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

Luna Rossa

Da Paolo

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

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

Open every night for dinner. C.C. Cristamar, Avda.

Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 608

dalli’s pasta factory

Metro

Open Monday to Friday for dinner and on Saturday and Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Second Line Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 871 / 952 818 623

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

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

gold restaurant Open every day from 10am to 12 am. Complejo Benabola 13, Beach Side, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 055

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

MADE IN SARDINIA

Pizzeria Picasso Open daily from 12 noon. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 813 669

portofino laguna village Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 808 035

Ristorante Roberto Open daily for dinner. Beach Club, Hotel Puente Romano, CN-340, km 177.5, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Rosmarino della Piazza Open Monday to Friday for lunch and daily for

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GYMS

GOLF

CINEMAS

RESTAURANTS

THEGUIDE dinner. C.C. Pinares de Elviria, s/n, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 850 148

Orquideas, C/ Iris, 11B, Edif. Excelsior no. 1, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 813 603

day except Mondays. Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 790 370

salotto

Sakura

Restaurante La Marina

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Avda. del Prado, Via 1, local 2, Aloha Golf, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 112

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

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

sol i luna

Sapporo

Open every day from 1-4.30pm and 8pm until midnight. Paseo Marítimo s/n, La Atunara, La Linea de la Concepción, Campo de Gibraltar. Tel: 956 171 531

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for brunch. C/Sierra Bermeja s/n, Urb. Ancón Sierra, Las Lomas de Marbella Club, Marbella. Tel: 952 866 627

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C.C. Costa del Sol, upper level. CN-340, km. 166 (Estepona). Tel: 952 888 710

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

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday.

Centro Comercial Marbellamar. Tel: 952 770 550

trattoria l’impronta

Sushi des artistes

Open daily for lunch and dinner except on Tuesday. Avda. Salamanca, Edif. San Pedro del Mar, Local 14, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 785 943

Open every day for lunch and dinner.

CN 340, km 178.5, Marbella. Easy parking.

Tel: 952 857 403

Villa Tiberio

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

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

zafferano Open every night for dinner except Sunday. C/Gloria II, 11, Casco Antiguo, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 125

::: Oriental ::: Asia Food

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

Asiatico Zen Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday lunch. C/Lirios s/n, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 691

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

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

golden wok Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. Marbellamar, Marbella. Tel: 952 866 840

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

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

Kama Kura Open Tuesday to Saturday from 8-11pm.

The San Roque Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 127, San Roque, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

meca Open every day for lunch and dinner.

C.C. Pino Golf, Don Carlos, Local 1, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 365 / 658 646 829

Ombú Open every evening for dinner. At Hotel Don Carlos. Avda. Zurita s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800

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

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

RestaurantE asiático Bangkok Open daily for lunch and dinner. P. de las

Sukho Thai

Sushi Katsura

Tai Pan Open seven days a week for dinner. H. Puente Romano, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 177, Marbella. Tel: 952 777 893

Thai Gallery Open seven days a week for dinner from 8pm. CN-340, km.175, Edif. Rimesa, Bajos, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 392

tHapa thai Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Urb. Puerto Deportivo 13, Edif. Poniente, Estepona. Tel: 951 318 445

Wasabi Open daily from 1.30 pm for lunch and dinner. C.C. Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 577

Wok Away Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Avda. Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 907 304

Wok Buffet Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. El Pilar, 22, Estepona. Tel: 952 887 092

Wok Wang Open every day for lunch and dinner. C/ Camilo José Cela, C.C. Plaza del Mar, planta 0, local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 478

Yuan Open every night for dinner. Hotel Torrequebrada, Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 441 414.

::: SCANDINAVIAN ::: Skandies

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm to 11pm.

Closed Mondays. Avda. Antonio Belón, 26 (behind the lighthouse), Marbella. Tel: 952 776 323

::: SEAFOOD :::

cervecería ostrería santiago Open daily for lunch and dinner. Avda. del Marzo, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 078

Cipriano Open daily for both lunch and dinner.

Playas del Duque, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 077

El Barlovento Open from 11am-4pm and 7.30-11pm every

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

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

RestaurantE Eddy & Marisa’s Urb. Coral Beach, The Golden Mile, Marbella.

Tel: 952 824 534

Restaurante El bote Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Paseo Marítimo Rey de España, Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 660 084

Santiago Open daily for lunch and dinner. Paseo Marítimo, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 078

::: SPANISH ::: Bahía

Open every evening for dinner. At Hotel Don Carlos. Avda. Zurita s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800

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

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

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

Casa Fernando Open from Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Avda. del Mediterráneo s/n, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 853 344

El Portalón Open Monday to Saturday for lunch 1-4pm and dinner from 8pm-midnight. Ctra de Cádiz, km 178, Marbella. Tel: 952 827 880

finca tabanko Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra.

Fuengirola-Mijas, km. 4.2, mijas. Tel: 952 590 727

Hacienda Open from 1-4.30pm and 7.30 -11pm. Closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. Urb. La Alcaidesa, La Linea de la Concepción.

Tel: 956 582 700

La Meridiana del alabardero Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays. Camino de la Cruz, Marbella. Tel: 952 776 190

la moraga Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C/ Ramón Areces s/n, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 448. Also open in C.C. Parque

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Miramar, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 593 405

Aloha Golf Club

18 holes. Tel: 952 850 111

La Taberna del Alabardero

18 holes. Tel: 952 907 085. www.clubdegolfaloha.com

Santa Maria Golf & Country Club

Open everyday for lunch and dinner except Monday. San Pedro Playa, Urb. Castiglone. Tel: 952 785 138. Also at Ctra. de Ronda, km. 167, San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 265

Atalaya Golf

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 831 036

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 882 812. www.master-hotels.com

Sotogrande Club de Golf

Cabopino Golf

Valderrama

Mesón el adobe

18 holes, Par 70. Tel: 952 850 282

Open daily for lunch and dinner except Tuesdays. Avda. La Fontanilla, Edif.

Balmoral, Bajo 3, Marbella. Tel. 600 003 144

Cerrado del águila

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 791 200 www.valderrama.com

Tragabuches

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 956 794 100

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

El Paraiso Club de Golf

CINEMAS & THEATRES

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 951 703 355

Club de Golf La Cañada 18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 883 835

Estepona Golf 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 937 605. www.esteponagolf.com

18 holes. Tel: 956 785 012

GYMS & SPORTS CLUBS ALHAMAR GYM

C.C. Alhamar, CN-340 km 197.

Tel: 952 934 684

ATENAS

Finca cortesín golf club

Barquilla 1. Marbella. Tel: 952 776 240

18 holes, Par 72, Tel: 952 937 883. www.golfcortesin.es

AZTEC COUNTRY CLUB Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa.

Tel: 952 934 477

AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL MIJAS

Flamingos Golf Club

Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas. Tel: 952 590 380

18 holes, Par. Tel: 952 889 157. www.flamingos-golf.com

CENTRO DEPORTIVO EL FUERTE

AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL TORREMOLINOS

Golf Río Real 18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 756 733

CENTRO DE YOGA Y SALUD INTEGRAL

Plaza de España, Recinto Ferial. Tel: 952 379 521

Golf Torrequebrada

Ramón y Cajal 21. Marbella. Tel: 952 773 804

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 442 742

CENTRO PLAZA GYM

AUDITORIO PARQUE DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN

Guadalmina Golf

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 074

36 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 883 375

Cerrado del águila

Marbella. Tel: 952 825 035

La Cala Golf Resort

Mijas Costa, Málaga. Tel: 951 773 523

CENTRO CULTURAL EL INGENIO

54 holes, Pars 71, 72 and 73.

Tel: 952 669 033. www.lacala.com

CLUB DEl SOL

Garcia Morato, s/n. San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 968

Av. El Fuerte s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 861 624

La Dama de Noche

Tennis /paddle classes. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595

CINESA LA CAÑADA

9 holes, Par 70. Tel: 952 818 150

Dynamic training centre

La Cañada. Marbella. Tel: 902 333 231

C.C. Le Village, Marbella. Tel: 952 775 021

cines gran marbella

La Duquesa Golf & Country Club

Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 810 077

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 890 425

cinesur

La Quinta Golf

Amapolas, s/n Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 916

C.C. Miramar, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 198 605

27 holes, Par 72.Tel: 952 762 390 www.laquintagolf.com

Fuerte Gym

Avda. Camilo José Cela, s/n. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 800 056

La Reserva Sotogrande

GIMNASIO ESTADIO

18 holes. Tel: 956 695 209

MULTICINES MEDITERRÁNEO

Trav. Huerta de los Cristales, Marbella.

Tel: 952 828 217

Mijas. Tel: 952 663 738

La Zagaleta Golf & Country Club

PALACIO DE LA PAZ

18 holes. Members only. Tel: 952 695 209

Recinto Ferial. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 589 349

Lauro Golf 18 holes

Atalaya Park Hotel, Marbella. Tel: 609 571 920

TEATRO ALAMEDA

Alhaurín de la Torre. Tel: 952 412 767

HOTEL PUENTE ROMANO

Calle Córdoba 9, Málaga. Tel: 952 213 412

CN340, Km77,5. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

TEATRO CERVANTES

Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club

Ramos Marín, 199, Málaga. Tel: 952 224 109

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 784 600

TEATRO CIUDAD DE MARBELLA

Los Naranjos Golf Club

Ctra. de Istán, Km2. Marbella. Tel: 952 778 580

Plaza Ramón Martínez, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 159

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 815 206

MARBELLA GUN & COUNTRY CLUB

Marbella Club Golf Resort

Monda. Tel: 952 112 161

TEATRO SALON VARIETES

18 holes, Par 73. Tel: 952 113 239

MARBELLA SPORT

Emancipación 30. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 474 542

Marbella Golf & Country Club 18 holes. Tel: 952 830 500

Km 171.5. San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 788 315

VERACRUZ CINES

Mijas Golf

MULTI SPORT

Veracruz. Estepona. Tel: 952 800 056

36 holes, Par 70. Tel: 952 476 843

YELMO CINEPLEX

Miraflores Golf

Avda. Picasso 27. San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 801

Plaza Mayor. Tel: 902 220 922

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 952 931 960

New Concept Training

Monte Mayor Golf & Country Club

Monte Paraíso Country Club, Camino de Camoján s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 866 843

MULTICINES ALFIL

GOLF GUIDE

FITNESS CENTRE NEW STYLE

Avda. El Fuerte, Marbella. Tel: 952 861 624

HAPPY DIVER’S CLUB

MANOLO SANTANA RACQUETS CLUB

18 holes. Tel: 952 113 088

02 CENTRO WELLNESS

Alcaidesa Links

Parador Málaga del Golf

18 holes, Par 71. Tel: 956 791 0400. www.alcaidesa.com

18 holes. Tel: 952 381 255

Plaza del Mar. Marbella.

Tel: 952 900 420

Real Club de Golf Las Brisas

P-E SPORTS CLUB

Alhaurín Golf

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 810 875

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 952 595 970. www.alhauringolf.com

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

Urb. Parcelas del Golf, Aloha Gardens, N. Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 357

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 785 014

qi sport

Almenara Golf

San Roque Club

Urb. La Alzambra, Marbella. Tel: 952 907 090

27 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 582 027. www.sotogrande.com

18 holes, Par 72. Tel: 956 613 030

SATURNIA REGNA

Santa Clara Golf

Marbella Tel: 952 761 475, Elviria. Tel: 952

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GYMS

THEGUIDE Tel: 952 809 500

SEVEN STARS SCHOOL

La Cala resort

Tel: 952 861 500. Spa & Beauty Miramar. Tel: 952 920 000

Tai Chi & yoga. Pasaje Estrecho, Estepona.

Tel: 952 923 055

La Cala de Mijas Tel: 952 669 000

Hotel Fuerte Miramar Spa

Marbella Club Hotel CN340, Km180. Marbella.

Tel: 952 822 211

Pl. José Luque Manzano.

Marbella. Tel: 952 768 400.

Spa & Beauty Miramar.

Tel: 952 768 410

Bull-fighting Museum

SPORTCLUB ROUTE 66

Hotel Meliá Marbella

Marbella. Tel: 952 902 714

CN340, Km175. Pto. Banús.

Tel: 952 810 500

Museo de Bella Artes

POST OFFICES

HOTELS

Ctra. Mijas, 1.5km. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 461 648

hotel Villa Padierna

SPORTING CLUB ATALAYA PARK HOTEL

CN340, Km166, Exit Cancelada.

Benahavís. Tel: 952 889 150

CN340, Km 168,5. Estepona.

Tel: 952 888 212

vincci selección estrella del mar

TICKET-TO-RIDE

CN340, km 190.5, Marbella.

Tel: 951 053 970

Cristamar, Pto. Banús.

Tel: 952 905 082

Vitality studio

Alanda Carib Playa

C.C. Le Village, Marbella.

Tel: 952 902 362

CN340, Km 194.

Tel: 952 902 537

SCHOOLS MARKETS TENNIS TOURIST

HOTELS

Hotel Playa Bonita CN340, Km217. Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 442 840

Hotel Princess Playa

Alanda Club Marbella

TRAIN

Bonsai Museum

834 835

CN340 Km192. Marbella.

Tel: 952 902 537

CROWNe PLAZA

Almenara Golf Hotel & Spa

CN 340, km 168, Estepona.

Tel: 902 875 730

Avda. Almenara s/n.

Sotogrande. Tel: 956 582 000

Don Carlos resort, leisure & spa

Paseo Marítimo. Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 944

NH Alanda Hotel & Spa CN340, Km176,6. Marbella.

Tel: 952 899 600

NH Marbella C/ Conde Rudi, s/n. CN340, Km178. Marbella.

Tel: 952 763 200

Parque Arroyo de la Represa.

Marbella.

Tel: 952 862 926 Plaza de Toros. Estepona.

Museo Cortijo Miraflores C/ San Agustin 8. Málaga.

Tel: 952 218 382

Museo del Grabado Hospital Bazán. Marbella.

Tel: 952 825 035

Museo de la Villa Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas.

Tel: 952 590 380

Museo Ralli Urb. Coral Beach. Marbella.

Tel: 952 857 923

Museum of Málaga Wines

Parador de Ronda

Carrera 39. Ojén.

Tel: 952 881 453

Amanhavís Hotel & Restaurant

Plaza de España, s/n. Ronda.

Tel: 952 877 500

Museum of Miniatures Carromato de Max

CN340, Km192. Marbella.

Tel: 952 768 800

C/ Pilar 3. Benahavís.

Tel: 952 856 026

pierre & vacances CALEDONIA GOLF resort

El Compas. Mijas.

Tel: 952 489 500

finca cortesin hotel, golf & spa

Atalaya Park Hotel

CN340, km 165, Cancelada exit.

Estepona. Tel: 952 889 999

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation

playabella spa gran hotel

Plaza de la Merced 15. Málaga.

Tel: 952 060 215

Urb. Costalita s/n, Estepona.

Tel: 959 528 253

Picasso Museum Málaga

Beatriz Palace & Spa

Selenza estepona thalasso & spa

CN340, Km207. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 922 000

CN340, Km165, Estepona.

Tel: 952 899 499

Palacio de Buenavista, C/ San Agustín 8. Málaga.

Tel: 952 127 611

Benabola Apart Hotel

SENTIDOS Hotel

Arroyo El Rodeo, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 899 700

Benabola. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 815 000

CN340, Km185, Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n. Marbella.

Tel: 952 765 732

Gran Meliá Don Pepe

CN340, Km173. N. Andalucía.

Tel: 952 811 517

Crtra. Casares, Casares.

Tel: 952 937 800

Gran hotel gvadalpín Marbella & SPA Bulevar del Príncipe Alfonso Von Hohenlohe, Marbella.

Tel: 952 899 400

Gran hotel gvadalpín puerto banús

José Meliá s/n. Marbella.

Tel: 952 770 300

hotel los monteros CN 340, km 187, Marbella.

Tel: 952 771 700

Hotel Meliá La Quinta

CN340, Km168,5. Estepona.

Tel: 952 889 000

barceló Marbella C/ de Granadillas, s/n. Urb. Guadalmina Alta, Marbella.

Tel: 952 889 099

blue day banús hotel Coral Beach Golden Mile. Marbella.

Tel: 952 824 500

el oceano beach hotel Miraflores Playa, Torrenueva, Marbella. Tel: 952 587 550

Sunset Beach Club Avda. del Sol, 5. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 579 400

Roman Public Baths Gualalmina Baja.

Tel: 952 781 360

POST OFFICES Calahonda C.C. El Zoco.

Tel: 952 932 175

Tamisa Golf Hotel

El corte inglés

Camino Viejo de Coín. Km 3.3.

Mijas Golf. Tel: 952 585 988

Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 909 990

TRH el paraíso

Fuengirola

CN340, km 167, Estepona.

Tel: 952 883 000

Tel: 952 467 843

Hotel Puente Romano

Golf Hotel Guadalmina

CN340, Km179. Marbella.

Tel: 952 820 900

Guadalmina Baja. Marbella.

Tel: 952 882 211

Hotel diana park

Hotel Torrequebrada

Gran Hotel Benahavis

Avda. del Sol s/n, Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 446 000

Huerta de Rufino, Benahavís.

Tel: 902 504 862

Hotel Triton

H10 Andalucía Plaza

Avda. Antonio Machado, 29.

Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 443 240

CN340 Km 174.

Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 812 000

NH SAN PEDRO

hotel suites duquesa golf & Spa

h10 Estepona palace

sisu boutique hotel puerto banús

Urb. La Quinta Golf, Marbella.

Tel: 952 762 000

CN340, km 143, Manilva.

Tel: 952 891 211

Incosol Hotel and Spa Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n. Marbella.

Tel: 952 828 500

Kempinski Hotel bahía estepona CN340, Km159. Estepona.

Avda. del Carmen 99, Playa de Guadalbón, Estepona.

Tel: 952 790 040

HM gran hotel costa del sol La Cala de Mijas, Mijas Costa.

Tel: 952 587 710

Hotel El Fuerte Avda. El Fuerte, s/n. Marbella.

CN 340, km 168.5, Estepona.

Tel: 952 887 659

HOTEL PYR MARBELLA Avda. Rotary International, s/n, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 353 C/ Jerez 1, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 853 040

Estepona C/ Málaga 82–84.

Tel: 952 800 537

Fuengirola Pza. los Chinorros.

Tel: 952 474 384

Marbella Jac. Benavente, 14.

Tel: 952 772 898

Nueva Andalucía C/ Jazmines.

Tel: 952 810 887

San Pedro

CN 340, km 173, Puerto Banús, Tel: 952 906 105

Pizarro, 41.

Tel: 952 780 393

MUSEUMS

sChools

San Pedro Alcántara.

Tel: 952 781 360

Ages 3-18. Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 814 133

Basilica Vega del Mar

Aloha College

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Angela’s School Ages 6-14. Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 042

british school of marbella Ages 18 months-6. Marbella.

Tel: 952 779 264

Calahonda International College

Ages 3-16. Marbella.

Tel: 952 770 077

Performing Arts Academy

Benalmádena Costa (Second hand items) Recinto Ferial, 10am-2pm

Calahonda

Urb. Bel-Air, Estepona.

Tel: 952 883 221

Ages 3-18. Marbella.

Tel: 952 906 865

Calypso, 9am-2pm

Club deL Sol

Estepona

Peter Pan School

Avda. Juan Carlos II, 9am-2:30 pm

Tennis/paddle classes.

Calahonda. Tel: 952 939 595

Ages 3-18. Tel: 952 930 080

Ages 0-3. Bilingual nursery.

San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 051 Benalmádena. Tel: 952 562 103

Calpe School

Saint George’s School

At the entrance to the town, 9am-2pm

Ages 2 1/2–11. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 029

Ages 2-8. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 606

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

Childrens placE Bilingual nursery

Sotogrande International School

Thursday Alhaurín El Grande By

Atalaya, Estepona.

Tel: 952 928 444

Ages 2–18. Sotogrande.

Tel: 956 795 902

Colegio Alborán

St. Javier’s International School

the Guardia Civil Offfices, City Centre, 9am-1pm Málaga Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre. 9am-1pm San Pedro By the sports pavilion, in the Divina Pastora district, 9am-2pm Torre del Mar Avda.

Europa, 9am-1pm Torremolinos El Calvario, near Town Hall, 9am-1pm Vélez Málaga Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

Ages 3-18. Ricmar.

Tel: 952 839 645

Colegio Alemán

Ages 1-7. Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 457

Ages 3-18. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 417

Stagecoach Theatre Arts School

Colegio Las Chapas

Ages 4-16.

Tel: 952 900 453

Ages 5–18, girls school. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 616

bel air tennis and paddel club

Sunny View School

Istán La Cala

Club de tenis don carlos Hotel Don Carlos, Avda. Zurita, CN340, km 192. Marbella.

Tel: 952 768 800

Club Internacional de Tennis Ctra. Cádiz, km 173. Marbella.

Tel: 952 813 341

Club Madroñal Benahavís.

Tel: 617 647 223

Club Nueva Alcántara San Pedro Alcántara.

Tel: 952 788 315

Hofsaess tennis academy Monte Elviria (next to German School). Tel: 952 835 812

Colegio San José Guadalmina

Ages 2–18. Torremolinos.

Tel: 952 383 164

Tel: 952 883 858 Estepona.

Tel: 952 800 148

Dolphin Nursery

Swans international school el capricho

Ages 6 months-5 years. San Pedro. Tel: 952 799 563

Ages 3–10. Marbella.

Tel: 952 773 248

Ecos College Ages 1–18. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 027

Swans international school Sierra blanca

English InteRnational College

Ages 11–18. Marbella.

Tel: 952 902 755

Las Chapas

Ages 3–20. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 058/9

TLC Tutorial College

La Víbora, 9am-2pm

Puente Romano TEnnis club

Ages 13-18. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 933 249

Rincón de la Victoria

Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Tenis El Casco

wendy kindergarten

Málaga.Plaza de la Iglesia, 9am-1pm

Ages 4 months - 5 years.

Marbella. Tel: 952 772 910

Saturday Coín C/ Urbano Pineda,

Fiona Jones School of Dance Ages 9–14. Manolo Santana Racquets Club. Fuengirola.

Tel: 610 764 439

Hijas de María Auxiliadora Ages 3-12. Marbella.

Tel: 952 771 396

III language schools San Pedro. Tel: 952 778 492 Marbella. Tel: 952 822 191 Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 908 558 Estepona. Tel: 952 794 059

Inlingua Language School All ages. Marbella.

T: 952 774 942

the InteRnational SCHOOL of ESTEPONA

Friday Benalmádena In the area between Tivoli World and the Plaza San Pedro, 9am-1pm

Calahonda Calypso, 9am-2pm

9am-1pm

Street Markets

La Cala Recinto Ferial,

Marbella

9am-1pm Maro Close to the Nerja Caves, 9am-1pm Mijas Costa Las Lagunas, 9am-2pm Nueva Andalucía Next to the bullring. Park near CN340 and walk upwards, 9am-1pm

Fairground (Avda. de Juan Alameda), 9am-2:30pm

Sunday benahavís

Tuesday Churriana

Arts & Crafts.

La Ermita Park, from 10pm

9am-1pm

Estepona

Monday benahavís

Arts & Crafts. Village Square, from 8pm

Fuengirola

Puerto Deportivo, 9am-1pm

Recinto Ferial (close to the CN340, on the same side as the bullring), 9am-2:30pm

Fuengirola

Laude San pedro international college

Monda C/ Los Huertos, 8am-2:30pm

Next to Rosaleda football stadium, 9am-2pm

Nerja

Sotogrande

Ages 2–18. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 799 900

C/ Chaparil, 9am-1pm

At the Marina, 9am-1pm

Ages 2-12. Estepona.

Tel: 952 884 789

Mayfair Academy

Wednesday Alhaurín de la Torre

Ages 4-18. Atalaya Park, Estepona. Tel: 952 784 923

benahavís

Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra

Arts & Crafts. Village Square, from 8pm

Avda. del Limón, 9am-2pm

Recinto Ferial, 9am-2:30pm

Lew Hoads Tennis Club Ctra. de Mijas, Km 3,5. Mijas.

Tel: 952 474 858

Manolo Santana Racquets Club Ctra. de Istán, Km 2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

Miraflores Tennis Club Urb. Miraflores, Km 199.

Calahonda. Tel: 952 932 006

El Rosario. Marbella.

Tel: 952 837 651

Tourist offices

Benahavís Tel: 952 855 500 Benalmádena Tel: 952 442 494 Estepona Tel: 952 802 002 Fuengirola Tel: 952 467 625 Gibraltar Tourist Board Tel: 956 774 950 Marbella Tel: 952 822 818 Málaga Tel: 952 213 445 / 952 216 061 Mijas Tel: 952 485 900 Ronda Tel: 952 871 272 San Pedro Tel: 952 785 252 Tarifa Tel: 956 680 993 Torremolinos Tel: 952 381 578

Málaga

TENNIS CLUBS Aztec Country Club Urb. Riviera del Sol, MijasCosta. Tel: 952 934 477

TRAIN

Customer assistance T: 952 128 267 General Info T: 902 240 202 Reservations T: 902 240 202 Ave T: 952 128 079

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AIDAN DWYER:

13-YEAR-OLD SOLAR TECHNOLOGY PIONEER

Many of the world’s greatest artists, musicians, scientists and philosophers made their mark on the world at an early age, but few probably made as important a discovery as Aidan Dwyer, a 13-year-old boy whose life changed dramatically one winter’s day when he was hiking in the Catskill mountains in New York.

Dwyer had always been fascinated by trees but, on this special day, he noticed “something strange about the shape of tree branches.

I thought trees were a mess of tangled branches, but I saw a pattern in the way the tree branches grew. I took photos of the branches on different types of trees, and the pattern became clearer.” Dwyer noted that the branches had a spiral pattern and thought “that the trees had a secret to tell”. Finding his inspiration from Sanksrit poetry and the Fibonacci code, Dwyer conducted his own investigation to see if there was a secret formula behind the ‘design’ of trees and whether the purpose of the spiral pattern was to collect

sunlight better. He made a device to investigate how trees collect sunlight, coming to the conclusion that plants grew in various Fibonacci patterns in an attempt to collect the maximum amount of sun and to avoid the problem of shade from other objects.

Dwyer used his discovery to increase the efficiency of solar panels, allowing the latter to improve their efficiency by between 20 and 50 per cent. Dwyer explains: “The tree design takes up less room than flat-panel arrays and works in spots that don’t have a full southern view. It also collects more sunlight in winter. Shade and bad weather like snow don’t harm it because the panels are not flat. It even looks nicer because it looks like a tree. A design like this may work better in urban areas where space and direct sunlight can be hard to find.

But the best part of what I learned was that even in the darkest days of winter, nature is still trying to tell us its secrets!” Only from the mouth of babes!

ANCRAA Giant Donkeys

C/ Notario Luis Oliver 6, Marbella. Tel: 952 779 172. www.blackboxteatro.com Born to be Wild Jeep and dolphin eco-tours for the whole family. Open 9am-8pm.

Blue Dolphin Beach Club, Estepona Beach. Tel: 639 720 246 Cable Ski Marbella Water ski cable system and pool.

Open 11am-9pm (closed Mondays). Urb. Las Medranas, San Pedro. Tel: 952 785 579 Camelot Fun play centre in

Cuddle a donkey or become a volunteer to help save this humble but threatened animal. CN 340, km 164, Finca los Pajaritos, Estepona.

Tel: 952 790 511

Bioparc Fuengirola

Award winning zoo covering Madagascar, Africa and the Far East. C/ Camilo José Cela, 6. Tel: 952 666 301. www. bioparcfuengirola.es Black Box Teatro Dramatic Arts School for all ages.

KIDS

THEGUIDE FAMILY

La Cañada with a wealth of games and activities and qualified child minders.

Special events include baby and toddler mornings and a baby grow clinic, for mums to be and newborns. Ctra. de Ojén s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 764 766 Galaxia Versatile and fun play centre for children of all ages, with separate areas indoor and outdoor. Mega slide, mini planetarium, birthday parties, summer camp. Life size characters. C.C. Guadalmina, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 885 530 Crocodile Park Educational park with more then 300 monsters. Pose with baby crocodiles. Open 10am-6pm.

C/ Cuba, 14, Torremolinos. Tel: 952 051 782 El Refugio del Burrito Donkey sanctuary just 40 minutes north of Málaga. Open 11am-7pm. Fuente de Piedra, Málaga.

Tel: 952 735 513 Danzzas Ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, theatre craft and hip-hop for kids. Classes at the Manolo Santana Racquets Club and at Plaza Gym. Contact Fiona on Tel: 663 646 040. www.danzzas.com Flamenco Classes Children aged 5 to 8 can learn to dance flamenco with Isabel Gil, a professional dancer.

Classes on Monday and Wednesday at the Nueva Alcántara Tennis Club. Tel: 952 788 315 Funny Beach Kids paradise with go-karts, trampolines, mini-motorbikes, mechanical bull. Open daily. East side of Marbella. Tel: 952 823 359

Ice Skating Rink and Indoor Swimming Pool New sports centre

with public ice skating, indoor pool, children’s pool. Avda. García Lorca, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena.

Tel: 952 577 050

Inter Marbella Football Academy Football Academy for boys

and girls of all ages, just opposite La Cañada in Marbella. Training is on Mondays and Wednesdays. Call Craig on Tel: 609 310 409. www.intermarbellacf. com Karting Club Málaga Go-kart circuit for kids and adults who feel a need for speed. Open 10am-midnight.

Ctra. De Coin, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 581 704 Kids Multi-Sports Club A plethora of sports for children of all ages and abilities, from tennis through to football, cycling and skateboarding. Parties with

games, activities and bouncy castles.

Urb. Parcelas del Golf, Avda. del Prado, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 656 618 712 Kidz Kingdom Fun play centre and birthday party area for kids, with a mini disco. Urb. Bel-Air, CN 340, km 166.2, Estepona. Tel: 952 925 936

Kidz Kingdom 2 – Space City

Space theamed play centre for daily visits or parties. Life size Barney and Sponge Bob. Urb. El Rosario, CN 340, km 188.5, Marbella. Tel: 952 839 275 Little Fishes Swimming classes for newborns to 3-year-olds in Marbella, Estepona and Riviera. Tel: 686 498 561/ 607 875 949. www.littlefishes-spain. com Little Gem Swimmers Swimming courses for babies and toddlers in Benalmádena. Contact Emma on Tel: 628 567 129. www. littlegemswimmers.com Marbella Stage School Kids can take accredited courses in dance, drama, musical theatre and singing after school on weekdays and all day on Saturdays. Tel: 952 906 865. www. marbellastageschool.com Megabowl & Sports Bar This bowling centre boasts state-of-the-art tenpin bowling lanes as well as great food, drinks and entertainment. C.C. La Cañada, Ctra. Ojén, Marbella. Tel: 902 232 999. www.megabowlmarbella.com Musical Babes Babies and toddlers aged 6 months to 3 years enjoy singing, playing simple instruments and playing games. Tel: 952 853 027. Los Jazmines 11, Bajo B, Nueva Alcántara, San Pedro de Alcántara. www.brainwaves-spain. com

NMA The Nelson Music Academy

Kids aged 4 to 12 are introduced to music in its funnest aspects. Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm to 7pm, Saturdays from 11am to 1pm. Edif.

Jupiter 44, Local 3, C/ Jesús Cautivo, Los Boliches, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 478 416. www.nelsonmusicacademy.com Original Dolphin Safari The original dolphin safari, established in 1969! Daily sailings from Marina Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 71914. www. dolphinsafari.gi Parque La Batería Kids will have fun in this park, built in the civil war era and featuring four replica cannons, underground bunkers and passageways.

Urb. Montemar Alto (near the train station), Torremolinos.

Plaza Mayor Family entertainment

with multi-screen cinema, bars, restaurants, bowling alley and kids play area. Málaga. Tel: 952 247 580 Scouting Kids will have fun being a boy or girl scout. The programme followed is the same as that in the UK. Tel: 680 870 270 Sealife Centre See 2 metre long sharks. Touch pools and walk-though glass tunnel. Open daily 10am-6pm.

Benálmadena Port. Tel: 952 560 150 Selwo Adventure Park Over 2,000 animals, 4x4 tours, plus adventure activities. Open 10am-9pm. CN340 Km 162.5, Estepona. Tel: 902 190 482 Selwo Marina Dolphins Exotic birds, penguins and virtual reality shows. Open 10am-6pm. Parque de la Paloma, Benalmádena. Tel: 902 190 482 Stagecoach Renowned performing arts school for singing, dancing and acting skills. The academy is open to four to 16-year-olds. Tel: 952 900 453/666 838 213. www.stagecoach.es Steam Train Ride Enjoy a steam train ride crossing the Andalusian mountains with a scenic trip from San Roque to Ronda. Tel: 952 931 186 Swim Bebé Swim Swimming classes for under 4’s and AquaNatal classes for mums-to-be. Tel: 617 520 588 Teleférico Benalmádena Cable car to top of Calamorro mountain, falconry, trekking and horseriding. Arroyo de la Miel. Open 10am-6pm. Tel: 902 190 482 Tennis Camp Tennis lessons for kids from 4 years on, with professional coaches. Open 10am-1pm. Club del Sol, Calahonda. Tel: 952 939 595 The Music House Kids learn, grow and have fun making music. Open to children from 2 years on. Edif. San Pedro del Mar, Blq 7, local 12, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 785 515. www.themusichouse.es Tivoli World Biggest amusement park on the Costa del Sol. Open daily from 1pm. Avda. de Tivoli, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 016 Trenecito de Marbella Take a relaxing train ride to view the main sights of Marbella. Daily 10am-1pm.

Paseo Maritimo. Tel: 639 765 981 Yaina’s Park Indoor play centre with staff speaking Scandinavian, English and Spanish. Open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm. Children’s parties, parent’s coffee shop with pool tables, television, food. Avda. Gamonal 4, Edif. Hercules, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. Tel: 622 005 068

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THEGUIDE PETS WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

PETA GOES XXX PETA is ready to launch a brand new www.peta.xxx website, featuring racy pics and videos of celebrities who believe in animal rights, as well as information on the abuse animals in factory farms undergo daily. PETA spokesperson, Lindsay Rajt, said, “We live in a 24 hour news cycle world and we learn the racy things we do are sometimes the most effective way that we can reach particular individuals.”

A Baby Hippo is Born at Bioparc Fuengirola

If there’s one thing in the world cuter than a pygmy hippopotamus, surely it is a baby pygmy hippopotamus! If you’re up for some wrinkly, chubby action in person, head for Bioparc Fuengirola, where you will see the tiniest, cutest hippo in the park: a male who weighed only five kilograms at birth. The hippo’s birth is a special cause for celebration, since the three hippos born previously at Bioparc were all females. For some reason, hippos in captivity tend to produce more females than males. In Spain as a whole, of the seven hippos born in 2010, six were females. Bioparc also recently celebrated International Ozone Layer Day, giving special workshops to show how some animals are indispensable when it comes to protecting the ozone layer. g C/ Camilo José Cela 6, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 666 301.

Help Save Needy Greyhounds

Greyhounds in Need (GIN) is the leading greyhound rescue charity working in Spain, having rescued and re-homed several thousand dogs with the help of Spanish volunteers in homes across Europe and the USA. Greyhounds and galgos (Spanish-bred hunting greyhounds) make excellent family pets, and, contrary to popular belief, they require moderate exercise and many can live happily with cats.

To help children develop empathy and make a difference to the many galgos in need of a loving home, GIN has developed an education resource for Spanish schools. Spanish teachers, teaching English as a foreign language to children aged nine to 12 years can use the GIN resource to help children develop their understanding and use of expressive English through a greater understanding of the galgo. g For further information on rehoming a galgo, the education resource, or to donate,

Tel: +44(0)1784 483 206. www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON IN NOVEMBER

THEGUIDE WHAT’S ON EVENTS CONTINUED FROM October Until November 7 ART EXHIBITION – MARBELLA

Houses of Art Marbella presents an exhibition of works by artist Marco Grassi, famed for paintings which express the plight of humankind. Tel: 952 857 196. www.housesofartmarbella.com

Until November 11 ART – MARBELLA

Stephen Howes presents an exhibition of contemporary art, with paintings by Don Clarke and sculptures by Juan Zafra. At the KasserRassu Gallery. Tel: 650 361 543. www.stephenhowes.es

Until Monday, November 14 ART EXHIBITION – MARBELLA

Self-taught figurative artist Mario Bancalero aims to stir the deepest feelings in his audiences with haunting photos of landscapes representing primary emotions. At the Casino Marbella from 9pm to 5am daily. Please bring your passport. Tel: 952 814 000. www.casinomarbella.com

Until November 18 ART EXHIBITION – FUENGIROLA

Ángel Giró, famed for his highly realistic paintings of Andalusian white villages, presents his latest works at the Casa de la Cultura de Fuengirola. Available for viewing Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and 4:30pm to 10pm. Tel: 952 582 925.

Until November 25 ART EXHIBITION – ESTEPONA

The Stoa Art Gallery in Estepona presents the exhibition The Alcazaba That I Love by painter C. Álvarez. The gallery opens from 11am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 6:30pm from Monday to Friday, and from 11am to 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tel: 951 318 426. www.stoagallery.com

Until December 31 CAFÉ Y LIBROS – SAN PEDRO, NUEVA ANDALUCÍA, MARBELLA

The Delegación de Cultura de Marbella has set up five libraries in local bars, to foment the love of reading and networking with fellow intellectuals. In San Pedro at Flanker Bar and Knut’s Gastrobar. In Nueva Andalucía at Cafetería La Toscana. In Marbella at Bar El Bocata Express and Café Bar El Reloj. www.marbella.es

NEW AND REGULAR EVENTS Monthly on different days FILM SHOWING AND DINNER – MARBELLA

The Marbella International Film Festival hosts Oscar Nights, which include a showing of a major Oscar winning film and dinner at the H10

Andalucía Plaza Hotel. Tel: 952 812 000. www.marbellafilmfestival.com

AMERICAN CLUB – MARBELLA

The American Club Costa del Sol Chapter meets monthly for excursions, sports and social events. Tel: 952 772 789. www.americanclubcostadelsol.com

AMIGOS DE LA CULTURA – COSTA DEL SOL

Meets at different times and places for lunches, lectures, concerts, ballet, theatre, opera, etc. Further information, Tel: 669 445 809. smartkidsmarbella@gmail.com

Every Monday SALSA CLASSES – MARBELLA

Learn how to shake your hips like a true Latino at El Campanario, under the guiding hand of professional dancer, Rafa. At 7:30pm. Prior booking is necessary. Tel: 952 904 233. www.elcampanariogolf.com

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Monday July 11 onwards KIDS CREATIVE WORKSHOP – MARBELLA Painting, arts and crafts classes for kids aged seven to 11 at the Joy Arts Studio, taught by popular artist, Joy Fahey. From 10:30am to 1:30pm. Tel: 669 050 254.

Every Monday and Wednesday LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS – MIJAS PUEBLO

Spanish/English and English/Spanish conversation with fellow native speakers, 10-11:30am. Further information on meeting points, Tel: 952 589 010. www.mijas.es

Every Tuesday and Thursday themed parties – marbella

Finca Besaya presents themed parties weekly.

Every Tuesday is Salsa night and Thursday is Flower Power night. wwww.fincabesaya.es

Every Second Tuesday of the Month JAZZ – ESTEPONA

The Coast’s Jazz Appreciation Society meets at Benavista Country Club at 8pm. Classic videos followed by a live jazz performance then dinner.

To book, Tel: 952 888 106. Further information from Brian Parker, Tel: 669 504 942.

Every Third Tuesday of the Month FLORAL ART CLUB – ESTEPONA

Meets 3-5pm monthly with NAFAS demonstrators at El Campanario Golf & Country Club. Further information from Marilyn Pemberton, Tel: 952 928 197.

Every first Wednesday of the month CULTURE AND COCKTAIL – MARBELLA The Association of Art and Culture holds monthly meetings at Magna Café, Magna Marbella Golf, at 8pm. Tel: 627 833 262. www.culturamarbella.org

Every Wednesday TOASTMASTERS CLUB – MARBELLA

Every First Sunday of the month OPEN DAY – MIJAS

Every Wednesday and Thursday CINE CLUB – MARBELLA

Every Saturday and Sunday KIDS’ CAMP – MARBELLA

Weekly meetings of this public speaking organisation, 7:30pm at Aloha Gardens, Nueva Andalucía. Further information, www.toastmastersmarbella.com

Cine Club Buñuel presents films in their original language at the Marbella Instituto Río Verde at 8pm and 10:15pm. Tel: 952 774 638.

Every Thursday CINE CLUB – ESTEPONA

Top films shown weekly in Spanish or original soundtrack at Padre Manuel Cultural Centre, 9pm. Tel: 952 802 002. www.estepona.es

Every last Friday of the Month COFFEE MORNING – ESTEPONA

ADANA animal rescue charity coffee morning at Plaza Manilva (outside Longman’s Bookshop) 11am – 2pm. Kennels open 10am – 5pm Monday – Friday and 10am – 2pm Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Further information, Tel: 952 797 405/ 606 274 206. www.adana-estepona.com

BUSINESS LUNCH – MARBELLA

Marbella Business Institute invitation-only lunch club for local and visiting business people, active and retired. To apply, see www.marbellabusinst.com

Every First Saturday of the Month ORIGINAL ROCK & ROLL DANCE CLUB – NUEVA ANDALUCÍA Rock & roll music from the late 1940s to the early 1960s spun by resident DJ Tall Mike, with visiting acts and stalls selling memorabilia. 10pm – 3am at La Flor de los Naranjos restaurant. Entry free.

Further information, Tel: 952 913 285. www.activesoundproductions.com

PAD animal shelter, Cerros del Águila, welcomes visitors from 12-3pm. Further information, Tel: 952 486 084. www. padcatsanddogs.org

Aloha Gardens Multi-Sports Club weekend camps for children aged 4-14, 10:30am-1pm.

Activities include tennis, football, cricket, basketball, hockey, handball, paddle tennis.

Aloha Gardens, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 814 086. www.themultisportsclub.com

Thursday November 3 and Thursday November 10 TANGO CLASSES – ESTEPONA

Learn to dance Argentina’s national dance or simply enjoy a performance by professional tango dancers. From 8:30pm at Restaurante Tikitano. Urb. Guadalmansa, CN 340, km 164, Estepona. Tel: 952 798 449. www.tikitano.com

Friday November 4 COMPUTERS – MARBELLA

Marbella MAC Solutions presents a course called iWork, on the subjects of pages, keynote and numbers. Learn to make anything from a presentation to spreadsheets, brochures and posters. From 10am to 2pm at the H10 Plaza Hotel. Tel: 951 700 716/ 666 756 692. www.marbellamacsolutions.com

CONCERT – MÁLAGA

Famous Spanish singer Antonio Orozco plays his latest hits at the Auditorio Municipal de Málaga at 9pm. Tickets can be purchased from Tel: 902 002 799. www.ticketbis.com

Saturday November 5 CLASSICAL MUSIC – MARBELLA

Pianist Filipe Pinto-Ribeiro plays sonnets, rhapsodies and more by Hungarian Composer Franz Liszt. At the Vasari Centre in Urb. La Alzambra in Marbella, at 8:30pm. Tickets cost €20 for adults, €5 for those aged 16 and under and free for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased at FNAC La Cañada or from Tel: 689 000 944. www.musicaconencanto.org

FLAMENCO – MARBELLA

Enjoy a wonderful dinner and flamenco show featuring Saray and her Group at El Campanario Golf & Country House. Tel: 952 904 233. www.elcampanarionet.com

SHOWJUMPING – ESTEPONA

The Regional Show Jumping Competition takes place at 10:30am at the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol. Tel: 952 808 077. www.escuela-ecuestre.com

Friday November 11 INSPIRATIONAL WORKSHOP – MARBELLA

Head for the Selenza Hotel at 10am for a workshop featuring meditation, Tibetan

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singing bowls, ‘gratitude art’ and photography. From 10am to 5pm.

Tel: 951 712 258. www.gratitudeart.com

MUSIC DOCUMENTARY – MARBELLA

Enjoy a wonderful documentary film about one of the most popular instruments in musical history: the piano. At the Iglesia de La Virginia in Marbella at 8pm. Tel: 689 000 944. www.musicaconencanto.org

BREAKFAST – MARBELLA

The Fundación Cesare Scariolo, dedicated to helping children suffering from cancer and their families, is holding a fundraising breakfast at the Hotel Meliá Don Pepe at 9:30am. Tel: 647 536 005.

Saturday November 12 to Sunday November 13 EXCURSION – GRAZALEMA

The Environment Department of the Marbella Town Hall is organising fun outings to the Sierra de Grazalema. Tel: 952 765 724. www.marbella.es

Sinéad O’Connor

Sunday November 13 CONCERT – MÁLAGA

Sinéad O’Connor performs at the Teatro de la Diputación de Málaga at 9pm. Tel: 902 360 295.

Monday November 14 NADFAS LECTURE – FUENGIROLA

Leslie Primo gives an interesting lecture on The Gulf of the South Pacific from Cook to Gauguin. At 4:30pm at the Salon Variétes Theatre. Tel: 952 382 713. www.nadfascostadelsol.org

Tuesday November 15 FLOWERS – ESTEPONA

The Estepona Floral Art Club holds a flower arrangement demonstration at 2:45pm at The Oak Restaurant in Benamara. Please let the Club know if you’d like to have lunch beforehand. Tel: 951 170 573.

NADFAS LECTURE - MIJAS

Leslie Primo gives a talk on Joshua Reynold’s portrait of Omai, his Tahitian origins and how he became an 18th century icon. At 10:30am at The Danish Club. Tel: 952 382 713. www. nadfascostadelsol.org

Wednesday November 16 COMPUTERS – MARBELLA

Marbella Mac Solutions teaches a course on iMovie, showing you how to make your own personal or business videos. From 10am to 2pm at the H10 Plaza Hotel.

Tel: 951 700 716/ 666 756 692. www.marbellamacsolutions.com

Friday November 18 to Sunday November 20 AN EVENING OF SONG – FUENGIROLA

Enjoy the music and voices at An Evening of Song, devised and directed by Siân Hopkins.

At the Salon Varietes Theatre in Fuengirola at 8pm. Tel: 952 474 542. www.salonvarietestheatre.com

WORSHOP – ESTEPONA

At the H10 Plaza Hotel. Tel: 951 700 716/ 666 756 692. www.marbellamacsolutions.com

Friday November 25 CONCERT – MÁLAGA

Rock band Hamlet plays Sala Paris 15 at 10pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.nvivo.es

Friday November 25 to Sunday November 27 BLUES – MARBELLA

A host of US and Spanish blues musicians light up the Hotel Sunset Beach in Benalmádena.

Artists include Andre Williams, Little Victor and his Combo, the Goldstars and many more.

Tickets are available from El Corte Inglés Ticket Sales. Tel: 902 400 222.

Enjoy a fun workshop on Reference Point Therapy at El Campanario. The therapy helps you to be fully present in the moment and to eliminate all the obstacles standing in the way of personal fulfilment. On Friday from 7pm to 9:30pm, Saturday from 9:30am to 6:30pm and Sunday from 10am to 7pm. Tel: 651 976 172. www.lifecanbesosimpleblog. wordpress.com

Sunday November 27 EXCURSION – GUARO

Saturday November 19 TRIPLE A BENEFIC CONCERT – MARBELLA

The Ronda International Film Festival aims to raise the public’s awareness of the current society, by presenting sometimes contrasting, at other times complementary points of view of politicians, film makers and the audience itself.

For further information, Tel: 952 878 795. www.rondapalaciodecongresos.es

Help fundraise for Triple A by attending a classical opera concert at Hotel H10 Andalucía Plaza at 9pm. Singers include tenor Rudolf Von Vitovec, soprano Heidrun Mühringer and baritone Dominik Eberle.

Tickets are available at Pointer Clinic in Nueva Andalucía, the Triple A stand at the Saturday markets in Puerto Banús, the Clínic Veterinaria Zarpas y Bigotes in Marbella Real or by calling Elisabeth, Tel: 639 610 209 or Jan, Tel: 952 823 851. www.aaahelps.com

TANGO – MARBELLA

The Environment Department of the Marbella Town Hall is organising a fun excursión to Guaro, Chiribenítez and Puerto Alto. For precise times and details, Tel: 952 765 724.

Friday November 25 to Friday December 2 FILM FESTIVAL – RONDA

Saturday November 26 THEATRE – BENALMÁDENA

The Al Fresquito Theatre Company presents Lo Que Queda De Nosotros: a theatrical show where words and choreography combine to delve into the nature of the human consciousness. At the Casa de la Cultura.

At 8:3opm. Tel: 952 444 689.

Producciones Lastra presents a new show performed by the Nuevo Tango Zinger Septet, featuring the music of Ástor Piazzolla and other great Argentinean composers. At 9pm at the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella. Tickets available at the theatre itself and at El Corte Inglés. Tel: 952 903 158. www.produccioneslastra.com

CONCERT – MÁLAGA

Spanish rockers Marea raise your adrenalin level at Sala Paris 15 at 10pm. Tickets can be purchased from www.nvivo.es

Wednesday November 30 COMPUTERS – MARBELLA

Marbella MAC Solutions teaches a course on Basic Photoshop from 10am to 2pm at the H10 Plaza Hotel. Tel: 951 700 716/ 666 756 692. www.marbellamacsolutions.com

TEATRO CERVANTES

Friday November 4 to Saturday November 5

Edmon Colomer directs the Philarmonic Orchestra of Málaga in a performance called Espejos Literarios II, featuring the music of García Román, Mahler, Schnebel and Strauss. At 8:30pm on Friday and 8pm on Saturday.

Friday November 18 to Saturday November 19

If you thought Beethoven’s music could no longer surprise you, check out this live performance of his most heroic, popular, passionate pieces, performed by Abdel Rahman El Bacha on piano. At 6:30pm on Friday and 6pm on Saturday.

Monday November 21

Popular Danish pop-rock singer Thomas Helmig sings his greatest hits as well as compositions written especially for his latest concert in Málaga. At 8p.m.

Tuesday November 29 CONCERT – MÁLAGA

El Sueño de Morfeo is one of Spain’s best-selling pop bands. They will be playing at the Teatro Cervantes at 8pm as part of their national tour called In Search of Smiles, which is also the title of their new album. i Tel: 952 224 109. www.teatrocervantes.com

TEATRO ECHEGARAY Sunday November 6

Kids show The Dream of the Scarecrow features live-scale puppets in an imaginative tale of bravery and friendship.

At 11am and 1pm.

MARBELLA AWARDS – MARBELLA

Marbella Magazine celebrates a yearly awards ceremony in which you, the people of Marbella, vote for your favourite companies in a variety of categories. Ticket sales and funds raised from the raffle draw will go to the Fundación Cesare Scariolo and FUNDASPANDEM. Tel: 952 766 344. www.essentialmagazine.com

Sunday November 13

The El Flamenco Vive dance troupe presents Al Compás Flamenco, a show teaching children the basic flamenco rhythms, styles and dances. At 11am and 1pm.

Sunday November 20

Totó is a little bear who teaches children the importance of affection and friendship. Featuring the Tanit Teatro puppeteers and actors company. At 11am and 1pm. i Tel: 952 224 109. www.teatroechegarray.com

Thursday November 24 COMPUTERS – MARBELLA

Marbella Mac Solutions teaches a course on iPhoto, teaching you to organise your photos and create interesting projects. From 10am to 2pm.

Yanela Brooks NOVEMBER 2011 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE / 137

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THEGUIDE STARS

Annie Heese is the founder of astrology website, www.cafeastrology.com, a site featuring articles, love sign compatibility reports, predictions, the gen on famous people and their star signs, and general information for astrology buffs.

ARIES [21 MAR - 20 APR]

LEO [23 JUL - 22 AUG]

SAGITTARIUS [22 NOV - 21 DEC]

Your sights are set high in November, but several circumstances bring you back down to earth. You can successfully combine practical matters and more fanciful ones this month. With focus, you can make enormous progress in your work. Romantic illusions need to be dealt with on the 6th-7th. Career and financial matters are strong and settled by the 15th-16th, after a scurry of activity and concern about money around the 10th. The last week of November brings the chance to turn losses into gains.

Your charm is considerable this month.

However, a simple flirtation could be misinterpreted as more than it is, so watch that you don’t land yourself in unnecessarily complicated situations. You could change your mind, or cool off, in the last week of November. The same may be true of taking on new creative projects – you can start them feeling gung-ho, and then lose interest later. Ups and downs come from the need to frequently discern between fact and fancy. Finding a middle ground is the key.

Personal popularity soars this month. Your independent spirit pushes up and out, and there’s plenty of scope for doing your own thing. Others take special interest in you. Enhancing your appearance in some manner serves to increase your confidence even further. Career and finances are especially strong, particularly on the 15th-16th and 23rd-27th. Even so, be careful that you don’t let runaway optimism lead you to take on more projects than you can handle, as you’ll likely feel the pressure in the last week of the month.

TAURUS [21 APR - 20 MAY]

VIRGO [23 AUG - 22 SEP]

CAPRICORN [22 DEC - 19 JAN]

The 10th brings heightened emotions and personal revelations, generally relationship-related, with the Full Moon in your sign. At the same time, romance begins to heat up. Some of you pursue it more assertively, and others experience ups and downs. Avoid new relationships that seem to be inviting trouble. The 15th-16th is strong for romance and creativity. Shared finances can become tricky to handle in the last week of the month, so do what you can to straighten out debt, as well as ownership and joint money matters, before then.

November is likely to begin with a certain level of ambiguity or uncertainty surrounding work and love matters. Keep a low profile and avoid jumping to conclusions until after the 11th, when energy levels increase and indecisiveness no longer plagues you. As confident and energetic as you feel, however, avoid taking on too many new projects, as you’re likely to feel their weight in the last week of the month. Moderation and focus are keys to success now. The 27th is excellent for finding love in unexpected places.

Your private life is especially animated this month. You’re not as willing to share your feelings with the world in November, and personal plans are in an early stage of development.

You’re in a period of reflection and preparation, so take things as slowly as you can. Sacrifices may need to be made when it comes to your relationships – you are required to be sympathetic and helpful now. The last few days of the month, however, bring love matters up front and centre.

Appreciation for your efforts is forthcoming.

GEMINI [21 MAY - 21 JUN]

LIBRA [23 SEP - 23 OCT]

AQUARIUS [20 JAN - 19 FEB]

Good energy for relationships is with you for most of November. Your attitude towards love is transforming in significant ways. Single Geminis might meet a charming and communicative love interest. Work and professional matters are well starred. Your goals are clearer and motivation is easy to find. From the 11th, you could feel a strong desire to renovate your home, but be careful that you don’t take on more projects than you can reasonably handle. From the 24th, complications can arise that have you rethinking what you’ve started.

You’re so busy this month that it’s easy to get distracted and miss important information. Working your charm is effortless now, but do watch for confusion in love and friendship on the 6th-7th. After this, you’ll have much more clarity in these areas of life. Mechanical break-downs, misinformation, dealing with red tape and other such annoyances, are likely in the last week of November. Concentrate on getting your work done well the first time so you won’t have to redo things later.

While your career initiatives remain on the front burner in November, pressure to perform is reduced and your social life begins to take more priority. You’re in high demand with friends and group activities can keep you pleasantly busy this month. Even so, exercise moderation when it comes to answering those demands, as the last week of November can be especially hectic and you may regret having scheduled too many activities. A partner’s behaviour can be baffling around the 6th-7th. Financial matters become clearer but more pressing.

CANCER [22 JUN - 22 JUL]

SCORPIO [24 OCT - 21 NOV]

PISCES [20 FEB - 20 MAR]

Work relationships improve in November but try to avoid overloading your plate with responsibilities, as they could come back to haunt you in the last week of the month.

Mix-ups and other such challenges are likely then. Any ‘crisis’ occurring in your work at this time actually clears the way towards better working conditions. Carefully watch your spending and financial dealings around the 6th-8th.

The temptation to borrow from the future, combined with unrealistic expectations, can lead you down the wrong road. A relationship strengthens on the 27th.

Financial matters seem very promising this month, but do be careful that you don’t overdo spending or purchasing items that you are likely to regret later in November. Ambiguity surrounding career matters on the 6th-7th clears up on the 15th-16th. Romantic proclamations or relationship challenges are likely on the 10th. Trust issues are in play. Trying to separate fact from fiction in your love life could put you on an emotional rollercoaster. Personal impact is strong this month, especially from the 11th forward.

You’re feeling especially optimistic about your work this month and you’re being received in a wonderfully charming light.

It’s easy to rally up support now. As long as you avoid the trap of taking on too many responsibilities, you’ll be fine later in the month when complications can arise and things become extremely busy. Don’t spread yourself out too thin.

Problems that have been brewing in your close relationships can become pressing from the 11th forward. Conversations are helpful around the 15th-16th, but backtracking is likely from the 24th onwards.

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Mellior Vasari La Alzambra Local 3-1 Puerto Banús - Marbella - 29660 Spain +34 951 319 728 UK +44 0800 112 3027 info@quaypropertygroup.com

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