Laluz 26

THE FREE MAGAZINE FOR THE COSTA DE LA LUZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008

CONIL’S NEW HARVEST HIGH-CLASS DINING AUTUMN MIGRATION RECIPE FOR SUCCESS IN ARCOS BUTTERFLY HEAVEN IN VEJER

WHITE SPACE History, mystery and romance in the pueblos blancos

Contents 23

LA LUZ 26 SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2008

4 6 8

La luz is a free magazine

12

INSIGHT We turn our attention to the pueblos blancos in the north of the province – towns full of mystery and beauty and romance

19

DAY IN THE LIFE What it’s like being part of the family bakery which is changing the way people think about their daily bread (and lots more) in Arcos

20

HEALTH Our practical column focuses on cholesterol problems and how to combat them

23

HOMES & INTERIORS Meet the couple who have transformed a ruined travellers’ rest in Alcalá de los Gazules into a thoughtfully restored artists’ retreat

26

WEEKENDER Take a trip to northern Spain where the autumn festival celebrations are every bit as riotous as our local fiestas

33

PROPERTY A timely look at a Spanish market which is a long way from the nightmare of popular myth

37

ASK THE EXPERTS Helpful advice from those in the know

40

WILD SIDE WALK The airwaves are choked again as storks and huge birds of prey head south across the Straits for winter

42

GARDENING A colourful garden near Vejer, planned to attract butterflies, is proving a big success with the target market

44

FILMS & BOOKS Our guide to essential Spanish viewing and reading takes in the work of movie great Luis Buñuel and thriller writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte

47

READER’S RECOMMENDATION The discovery of a wonderful torch song by one of Spain’s singing greats is recounted by Juliet Eyre

48

COOKING CULTURE Meet a woman who’s on a mission to tell the world how good Spanish food can be

50

EATING OUT Our reviewers share their thoughts on three very different restaurants

52

WHAT’S ON Where to go and what to see this autumn

Advertising & Sales: please contact Ram Nijjar on +34 655 047 054 or email advertising@laluzmag.com Editor: Jenny Kean editor@laluzmag.com +34 655 865 569 Production: Tony Jefferies Design & Layout:

26

Raúl López Cabello Distribution: Javier Bernal – Discadiz +34 636 017 632 Printer: Fotocromía +34 902 101 105 Registered address: Apdo. de Correos 39 Vejer de la Frontera – 11150 Cádiz Depósito Legal: CA 551/2004 CIF: B-11784022 Copyright: La luz Communications 2008 © All rights reserved.

Reproduction of this magazine in whole or part without the written

42

permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited.

The publishers reserve the right to amend any submissions. The views

48

expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information and the advertisements within the magazine, the publishers cannot accept any liability. www.laluzmag.com Cover image: 123rf

TOWN LIKE… Conil, where a new harvest is being reaped as locals move with the times DAY TRIPPER See Cádiz from a different point of view or hit the trail to experience the spectacular deerrutting season in Los Alcornocales

La luz Communications sl

For all advertising enquiries

THOSE WERE THE DAYS Our look back at September and October through the years

10

published bimonthly by

Director: Chris Mercer

LETTERS Editor’s introduction and all your comments

54 58

ADVERTISING DIRECTORY Local services, business and classified adverts NOTICEBOARD Your chance to get details of your event or association to all the laluz readers out there

L A LU Z 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Plenty to celebrate Crisis? What crisis? This summer seems to have seen the usual crowds of people arriving on the Costa de la Luz, although the consensus does appear to be that they’ve been spending less money. And certainly everywhere – both here and in the UK – the talk is all of the ‘creesees’. Here at laluz, we’re on a mission this issue to leave behind the gloom and doom, cheer ourselves up and remind ourselves how fortunate we are to have so many great things to enjoy in this corner of Spain.

Take the pueblos blancos, for instance – surely everyone’s idea of picture postcard Spain. There’s no denying their beauty, perched on hillsides across the sierra, but as Dan Witherow discovers in our main feature, there’s so much more to them than meets the eye. Packed with history, romance and some great food and drink, they’re certainly more than just a pretty face.

Meet the couple who are living the dream in one of those white villages, Alcalá de los Gazules. They swapped life in wellordered Tunbridge Wells for a ruin in this hilltop town – and have never looked back. Be inspired by their story and indulge yourself with a reminder of all that’s best about the Costa de la Luz – from the food (sea bass served on burning olive stones – see Eating Out), to music (Why I Love…) and even the wildlife.

Are we one of the first publications to boast birds, butterflies and rutting deer all in one issue, I wonder?

Not that we’re ignoring the problems either. In our Property pages, estate agent Chris Mercer gives a frank appraisal of the state of the market, and we’ve other topical advice in our Experts column, including what could be some good news from the taxman!

Finally, the two pictures below sent in by Stephen Daly of Andalucian Guides (see Wild Side) helped put a smile on our faces. Hope they do the same for you.

Jenny Kean, Editor p.s. We’ve altered our publication date slightly, so although each issue continues to cover a full two months, expect to see it at your nearest outlet in the early part of the first month rather than right at the start.

Same beach - different animals. (Pictures taken on the beach between Barbate and Zahara de los Atunes in January and in August 2008). Winter image by Anne Bernabeu, Hotel El Palomar de La Breña; Summer image by Stephen Daly

Feedback If you have a question or want to make a point, or if you just want to tell us how you feel about the magazine, write to: editor@laluzmag.com or by post to: The Editor, laluz magazine, Apdo de Correos 39, Vejer de la Frontera, 11150 Cádiz. We reserve the right to edit letters for publication

INSPIRATION AND MEMORIES Since discovering laluz, I have always enjoyed the interesting articles about the province and the excellent photographs (which are an inspiration for my watercolours). As a Spanish lawyer, it is especially good as a way of improving my English and widening my vocabulary. I particularly enjoyed the article on food memories (Cooking Culture, issue 25), which prompted me to write in with my own: The smell of white wine, cinnamon sticks and sugar boiling in a little pan reminds me of Christmas Eve. It is the only day of the year my mother, who comes from Santander, cooks tostadas. This dish from the north of Spain is similar to the

4 L A LU Z

famous torrijas in Andalucía, which are made of honey at Easter.

In our family, it is a tradition for everyone to gather in the kitchen to prepare the different courses for the meal, talking and trying to pay attention to the cooking and learning how our mother makes them. The syrup of wine, cinnamon and sugar is poured over bread slices fried in butter. For me, this smell always evokes a lighted kitchen on a winter evening and the warmth of home.

Nuria Tubau, Conil de la Frontera > Thank you for sharing such a delightful food memory, Nuria. And I think you’re not the only one to use laluz as a language aid…

REVEALING ARTICLE Your article on Chipiona (A Town Like, issue 25) inspired me and my husband to go there for the day and we are so glad we did. We had always thought of it as a just another Spanish seaside resort, but we were delighted to discover its many charms – from the ancient corrales, where the locals still catch their harvest from the sea, to the excellent moscatel which can be sampled in all the bars.

We wandered along the promenade to the gothic-style Santuario, and then enjoyed a drink in the Hotel al Sur opposite. All in all, another good day out thanks to laluz.

Mrs V Sixsmith, Lebrija

L A LU Z 5

THOSE WERE THE DAYS

Trials, tribulations – and that’s just the football DISPUTES OVER A SOCCER CENTENARY, A CHILLING REMINDER OF A RAGING PANDEMIC AND A FAMILIAR ECONOMIC TALE COME UNDER QUENTIN KEAN’S SCRUTINY AS HE LOOKS BACK AT SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER IN HISTORY

Happy anniversaries! 1910, September The 18th of the month sees the first official away outing for the players and fans of Cádiz FC – a trip to neighbouring San Fernando for an exhibition match of “Foot ball” in which over 70 players get a run out. “It’s likely that there’ll be another game next Sunday, given the interest that’s being aroused in this sport,” says the local paper.

With the 100th anniversary of the club coming up, fans have been wrangling on the club’s forum over whether the Cadiz CF which was founded on September 10th 1910 was the genuine antecedent of the current team. “Shouldn’t the anniversary be in 1919?” asks one. “You mean 1936,” responds another. “Who cares?” says one wag, who’s more typical of your average Cádiz fan (they’re famous nationwide for their good sportsmanship and partying). “Let’s celebrate every single date we can find!”

Killer virus 1918, October It’s announced that Spain’s borders with Portugal and France have been closed. In Alicante there’s a riot as local people stop a Norwegian ship from offloading 12 sick sailors. In Cádiz province, strict detection and quarantine measures are enforced.

“It’s not the Bubonic Plague,” the authorities announce in an effort to reduce the panic. It might as well have been. It’s estimated that the Spanish Flu pandemic that gripped the world in 1918 and 1919 killed as many people as the Black Death – 50 million or more, 300,000 of them in Spain.

The virus arrived in Europe courtesy of US troops coming to fight in the First World War, so why was it called the Spanish Flu? Because Spain wasn’t fighting. No war, no wartime censorship. Grim updates on death and disinfection were carried daily in the Spanish papers, including one bizarre little ray of sunshine from Chiclana on October 6th: “Public health here is fine…No one’s even talking about the ’flu.”

Rock solid vote 1967, September

In the first sovereignty referendum, 99% of Gibraltarians say they want to remain British. The vote leads to a new constitution for the Rock, which leads to Spain closing the border for well over a decade (1969-1982). Protracted tough times lie ahead for the Gibraltarians and the 5,000 Spanish workers who are unable to get to work Just imagine: no nipping across the border for a shift at www.onlinegaming.com and a box of Milk Tray from Morrisons.

Getting the Milk Tray in those days was harder than in the old TV ads: drive to Algeciras, catch a ferry to Tangier, catch another back across the Strait to Gibraltar, back to Tangier, back to Algeciras and then home… “and all because the lady loves…”.

Déjà vu? 1992, October “With every day that goes by we’re all feeling the pinch… friends, family, acquaintances who suddenly see their livelihood threatened…you get to think that at any moment it could be you.” So runs an opinion piece in the Diario de Cádiz during the last major ‘downward readjustment’ in Spain’s economy. The summer tourist season was poorer than expected. A Black Thursday on the Spanish Stock Exchange is quickly followed by a Black Monday. GB Airways announces that it’s suspending flights to Jerez over the winter because they aren’t profitable enough…

Never fear: Andalucía’s president, Manuel Chaves, says the region is in the best possible shape to confront the crisis ahead and calls on workers and unions to be responsible and not lapse into pessimism or alarmism. Which goes to show that...erm…crises may come and crises may go, but President Chaves goes on forever.

6 L A LU Z

A TOWN LIKE… CONIL DE LA FRONTERA

Ordinary becomes extraordinary LARGELY IGNORED BY THE TOURIST GUIDES, CONIL DE LA FRONTERA HAS TURNED FROM FISHING AND THE LAND TO REAP A NEW KIND OF HARVEST.

CAMPER2

MICHAEL FORSYTH TAKES A LOOK

They can’t all be wrong, can they? Conil may not offer the antique grace, charm and quaintness of its southern neighbour Vejer, nor the hippy-style exotica of nearby Caños de Meca, but visitors keep coming back in their tens of thousands year after year. Why? Well, it’s not promotion and publicity. Up until five years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find any mention of Conil in your tourism guide. Precious travel writers – including one British disc jockey who famously called it a “gurning runt” of a town – don’t get Conil.

The beauty of Conil is that it isn’t exotic – and doesn’t pretend to be. It isn’t outstandingly pretty either, though there’s plenty to please the eye on a ramble through the old town. It’s a nice, ordinary, working coastal town that’s blessed with some of the best beaches in Europe – and a town that has managed to safeguard itself from the worst excesses of coastal development.

Stand on Conil’s immaculate blue-flag Bateles beach with your back to the Atlantic and what you see is what you get: a jumble of old and new buildings piled up against each other, shimmering white in the sun. Conservationists (and British travel writers) may shudder, but it all looks fine to a less fussy eye – and, crucially, there’s not a single high-rise building in sight.

And those beaches. Small bays to the north with smart, unobtrusive hotels perched on the cliffs, then a huge expanse of glorious sand that sweeps uninterrupted past the town and down to neighbouring El Palmar. And it’s empty for most of the year – apart from the odd discerning German

8 L A LU Z

family and groups of mums taking their daily constitutional after dropping the kids at school. In summer, though, it’s a different story.

Until relatively recently, the people of Conil made their living from harvesting fish from the sea and fruit and veg from the huerta, the fertile land on the plains surrounding the town. The huerta still produces, the dwindling fishing fleet still heads out (when the levante’s not blowing too hard), and the nets of the almadraba are still strung out every spring in front of the town to catch the migrating tuna. But between them they don’t produce enough of a living for the growing population.

These days conileños harvest what they can from a different kind of seasonal migration – tourism. For just two months in summer (and the week of Semana Santa) shops, restaurants, bars, market traders, hawkers and buskers lay out their nets and wait to see if they can catch enough to keep them going during the long winter.

So far the migrating tourists (a large proportion of them from the Basque Country, Madrid and Sevilla) keep on coming, enjoying the beach till nine at night and cramming the squares, streets, restaurants and bars of the old town till very, very late.

Why? Because Conil is the perfect place for a family seaside break: picnic on the beach, shower and siesta, browse for jewellery, candles, T-shirts and flip-flops on Calle Cádiz and at the beach front market, a stroll up to the town’s main monument, the Torre de Guzmán, to catch a free open-air show and then slowly home to bed.

BECKY DANIEL

CONIL TURISMO

CONIL TURISMO

It’s the perfect place too for young adults: those with cash throng the late-night bars on Calle Ancha, the Plaza Goya and Calle José Tomás Borrego, where for €5 they can enjoy a cubata (spirit and mixer) in the refurbished patios of some of the town’s grandest old houses; those on a tighter budget buy their drink in the supermarket and take it to the seafront botellón that’s a nightly magnet for hundreds and hundreds of youths from miles around.

And then, after the Conil feria ends around September 10th, it all stops. Suddenly there are parking spaces, no queues outside the restaurants and acres of room on the beach.

Attempts are being made to extend the season, but from midOctober to Easter the casco viejo (old town) pretty much closes down.

Far left: Conil boasts some of the area’s best beaches yet so far has remained untouched by high-rise development; Sunset on the beach (left) is a reminder of why this is called the coast of light; Castilnovo beach and its famous watchtower (above left) have so far remained protected; landmarks in Conil include the Torre de Guzmán (top) and the Arco de la Villa (above right)

The focus of Conil life moves back up the hill to the new town, where shops and businesses service a year-round population that continues to grow against regional trends; there’s a significant colony of Spaniards from ‘off’, some Germans in chalets on the outskirts and a smattering of Moroccans, Brits, Dutch and Romanians.

It’s Andalucía, so the out of season year is punctuated by popular processions, at each of which Conil’s fantastic town band marks the pace: Los Reyes, when kids scrabble under tractor wheels for sweets from the Three Kings; the boozy Romería on horse, cart and foot to El Colorado at the end of January; Carnival in late February or March; Easter; and then the Fiesta del Carmen in July when the fishing fleet takes an effigy of its patron out to sea.

Late May or June is the perfect time to take a stroll south of the town along Castilnovo beach, with its landmark watchtower that harks back to the days when brigands would regularly try and lay this part of the coast to waste. It’s a tribute to the local authorities that the beach and the miraculous wild flower meadow that stretches behind it have so far been totally protected from development.

Forget what the travel books say. If you’re looking for a place where the atmosphere is safe and friendly and completely unpretentious, where there’s not a single British bar or restaurant, where you have to get by on your Spanish, where you can chill, have a great night out and enjoy a wonderful beach, then Conil fits the bill. Eighty thousand Spaniards can’t be wrong!

Details

Eating out: For good food with a great view try Francisco’s on Fontanilla beach, El Roqueo on the cliffs above or Juan María’s at the northern end of Calle Cádiz. For people-watching and tapas, grab a table in view of the Torre de Guzmán, in the Plaza de España or at any of the bars on Calle Cádiz like the wifi-connected El Patio.

There’s also excellent food at Los Hermanos (by the Arco de la Villa), Bar Mirlo (just down from the parish Church) or Venta El Pericón (on Calle Rosa de los Vientos).

Don’t miss: A taste of the night life in the old town – try the famed La Luna nightclub on Calle José Tomas Borrego; La Tertulia nearby with its jasmine-scented courtyard; or Pub Lola on Calle Ancha (discounts for laluz club card holders) The sunset: watch the sun slip into the Atlantic with your toes in the sand and a glass in your hand

Things to see: Conil’s excellent tourism office organises town walks on Wednesdays and bike rides on Tuesdays: a great way to get a feel for local history and the natural environment. More information from the Oficina Municipal de Turismo: Calle Carretera, 1; Tel: 956 440 501; e-mail: turismo@conil.org

L A LU Z 9

ALL IMAGES: TORRE TAVIRA

DAY TRIPPER: AUTUMN DAYS OUT

TORRE TAVIRA Camera Obscura CÁDIZ To wander through the narrow streets of Europe’s oldest city with glimpses of blue sea all around is, of course, a delight. But some of the lesser known charms of Cádiz are hidden from view at street level. Climb to the top of the Torre Tavira, however, and you can quite literally spy on the city and take a tour of its best attractions without moving an inch.

This is no ordinary rooftop view of Cádiz – although the viewing terrace on this, the highest of the city’s watchtowers, does afford wonderful 360 degree vistas. What sets the Torre Tavira apart is that it is home to Spain’s first camera obscura, which was opened in 1994 and which was inspired by the one in Edinburgh.

In a darkened room at the top of the tower, visitors gather round a curved, bowl-like surface onto which is projected a live, moving image of the city. It really does feel like a bird’s eye view as you skate across the roofscape to focus on a monument, a beach or one of Cádiz’s elegant squares.

The optical effect is stunning, and to be able to bring the furthest point of the city into sharp focus before your very eyes is delightful. The excellent guides explain the sights in English as required, and the history of this fascinating city literally comes alive in front of you.

This is one of the few places where you can enjoy a good view of the city’s watchtowers, for example. They pepper the Cádiz skyline, their parapets and cornices often decorated with intricate motifs picked out in red ochre.

10 L A LU Z

Dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, the torres miradores were built by wealthy traders, allowing them to watch for the arrival of boats carrying precious cargoes of gold and silver from the Americas.

But the really fun bit about the camera obscura is the glimpse it affords into the ordinary life of the city. As if from your own private watchtower, you can spot people shopping, hanging out their washing or watering their plants; someone taking a dip in the sea or a gull dozing on the top of one of the famous watchtowers suddenly becomes the centre of attention.

Children and adults alike will love the tricks that can be played on unsuspecting pedestrians strolling through the city. This is optical illusion at its best. JULIET EYRE

Torre Tavira, Calle Marqués del Real Tesoro, 10. Open Jun-Sept 10am8pm; Oct-May 10am-6pm.

The last session of the camera obscura takes place 30 minutes before closing time. Open every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Entry €4 (€3.50 reductions).

Tel: 956 212 910 or visit www.torretavira.com

ALL IMAGES: MANUEL ALFONSO

DEER RUTTING – LOS ALCORNOCALES As autumn unfolds, a sense of eerie excitement sweeps across the Alcornocales natural park. After a long, sweltering summer the Spanish red deer, eager to initiate the rut, begin their distinctive passionate cries to attract the attention of the females in the forest and mark the beginning of the mating season.

It’s a sound unlike any other, and the months of September and October are the time to experience this special call of the wild. Even if you don’t catch a glimpse of the deer, you will certainly hear them.

The call of the stag is not only one of the most poignant rituals of the rut, or la berrea, as it is called in Spain, but the most crucial. Described by one local farmer as a “bellowing roar”, the stag’s cry can be heard for miles, echoing through the forest and awakening the interest of even the most distant of hinds.

Indeed, the females are attracted not only to the males that call the loudest, but also the most often, and so their amorous calls continue throughout the rut.

Once the mature stag has managed to gather his hinds into a group (or harem), he will go to great lengths to protect them from any daring rivals who attempt to challenge his reign.

Firstly he will step alongside his competitor in order to assess his size, antlers and fighting prowess. Then, if neither stag backs down, a dramatic duel of antlers will take place

which may go on for days, or until one of the opponents becomes too exhausted or injured to continue the fight.

This spectacle of male bravado is one of nature’s most remarkable phenomena and takes place right on our doorstep. The stags, although much more alert during the rutting period, are far less cautious than usual, so it can be possible to get fairly close, especially at early dawn or late evening when they are most active.

The Hacienda del Agua in Alcalá de los Gazulas offers a rare opportunity to witness the virile display in the heart of the Alcornocales from mid-September until mid-October. The excursions, carried out in four wheel drive vehicles, take place in the evening and include a light picnic and refreshments.

Although a deer sighting cannot be guaranteed, you will be sure to hear the stag’s captivating cries and experience the park at dusk and in its most fervent state.

YVONNE PARDO Prices start from €50 per person. Contact Cristobal, Tel: 956 420 223 or 679 418 668, or see www.haciendadelagua.com The tourist office in Los Barrios also usually offers guided nocturnal visits into the park, although details for this year were not available at time of print. Dark clothing, sturdy shoes and a torch are recommended. Tel: 956 628 013 or see www.losbarrios.es

L A LU Z 11

INSIGHT: PUEBLOS BLANCOS

Highland romance DAN WITHEROW TAKES A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PROVINCE’S WHITE TOWNS, PACKED WITH BEAUTY AND LEGEND, ROMANCE, TALES OF HARD TIMES AND INGENUITY

12 L A LU Z

L A LU Z 13

KIRSTEN SCULLY

DAVID YERGA

Zahara de la Sierra (previous page) is one of the most stunning villages on the Ruta de los pueblos blancos (see map below).

Picturesque white villages, like Grazalema (above), Setenil (left), Ubrique (right) and Olvera (below), were once home to marauding troops and lawless bandits like El Tempranillo (opposite page).

CADIZTURISMO.COM

TANITO

PATRONATO TURISMO

TORREALHAQUIME.ORG

INSIGHT: PUEBLOS BLANCOS

14 L A LU Z

L

et’s face it, you’d be hard pressed to find many towns in Andalucía, let alone in the province of Cádiz, that don’t lay claim to being a pueblo blanco. The Moors sensibly whitewashed their towns to keep out the heat of the sun and that’s the way they’ve all stayed.

But there are white towns and white towns. In the northeast of the province of Cádiz, 19 of the best were thrown together years ago to form a tourism route. Random? Maybe.

Stunning? Definitely. Romantic? Like nowhere else. With a reliable car and a stomach for hairpin bends, you could visit them all in a day, but a leisurely week or two in spring or autumn would make more sense.

The pueblos blancos of the Sierra de Cádiz come in all shapes and sizes, from the majesty of Arcos de la Frontera and Olvera, with their highway connections and their sizeable populations, to tiny Villauenga del Rosario, a village of less than 500 souls nestled under a rugged slab of mountain 2,800ft above sea level.

What they all have in common is their Moorish heritage. The shady labyrinths of cobbled streets, the tiled houses with their wrought-iron grilles, the agriculture and forestry, the leather industry and the pastries – they’re all living reminders of the towns’ Arab past. As are the names of many: Zahara (the fortress), Alcalá (the castle), Algar (the cave), Grazalema (great tranquility). And as is the whitewash – plastered on so thick for centuries that the corners of the walls have become rounded.

The Moors weren’t the first to get here, though. Over 6,000 years earlier, Megalithic man was burying his dead at the Dolmen de Alberite outside Villamartín and at the Tumba del Gigante near El Gastor. The Iberos and the Visigoths were here too, and so were the Romans.

Walk along the Roman road from the settlement of Ocuri (Ubrique) to nearby Benaocaz and you can almost hear the sandals of the emperor’s troops slapping on the stone. Visit the church at Prado del Rey and you’ll find built into the wall the remains of a statue, erected in loving memory of a beloved sister by a Roman resident called Fabio Montano. His name lives on, on the labels of bottles of the excellent local red wine.

After centuries of Moorish culture and rule came the Christian Reconquest – a long, drawn out affair of improbable inter-faith alliances, mercenary bands, court intrigues and capture and recapture. It took well over 200 years, for example, for the Reconquest to advance from Arcos to Grazalema, less than 50km away. Reconquest? Tourism? The annual August re-enactment of the Moors versus Christians conflict in the village of Benamahoma has turned into a major event on the tourism calendar.

And what did the Catholic Kings do after they won back the pueblos blancos? They forced the Muslim Moors to convert to Christianity or leave, brought in immigrants from the north to repopulate, and handed over the Moors’ lands – huge swathes of it, lock stock and barrels of wine – to their ‘aristocratic’ henchmen. To the likes of the Count of Arcos, who on the sly received seven pueblos blancos (including Ubrique, Benaocaz, Grazalema and Villaluenga). A handy bonus for his battle pains.

For three centuries there was relative feudal peace – till Napoleon’s troops turned up in the area uninvited. When the people of Villaluenga resisted the occupation, the French set the town alight. The townspeople, who turned the roofless ruin of the burnt-out Church of San Salvador into the strangest of cemeteries you could wish to visit, to this day sing a popular refrain recalling the war crime:

“Villaluenga del Rosario no quiso capitular y vinieron los franceses y le quemaron el lugar” (Villaluenga del Rosario would not capitulate along came the French and burned down the place)

Fast forward to 1840 and the pueblos blancos of the sierra made it into the first tourism guide to Spain. In his Handbook for Travellers in Spain, the British writer Richard Ford (a sort of prototype of the modern-day independent traveller) described them as oriental hill-forts “perched everywhere like eagles’ nests on the heights, and exactly where a painter would have placed them for a picture. They are the homes of brave highlanders, to whom the chase and smuggling are daily bread.”

What Ford found was a lawless land inhabited by reckless smugglers and hapless taxmen, cut-throat bandoleros holed out in impenetrable caves, and wild women – a place where the wanderer (tourist) “far from home and friends, feels doubly a stranger in this strange land, where no smile greets his coming and no tear is shed at his going.”

For most of the 19th century, smugglers and bandits ruled the hills – and their devil-may-care escapades sparked the imagination of generations of European romantics. José María Hinojosa Cobacho, El Tempranillo, was one – a Robin Hood character, who would hand the ladies down from the coach and seat them in the shade before robbing them. Francisco Villaescusa Amuedo, El Cristo, was another. Born in Zahara de la Sierra, he famously disguised himself as a bishop to rob a priest at a house in Arcos... with two carabineros (police) standing at the door.

Bandoleros? Tourism? In Villamartín some seven years ago, they put two and two together and started to offer a neat package: ‘Get yourself kidnapped! Get roped up by a bandit and stay in a cortijo! Enjoy local food and dancing and music! For €xx a day, all-in!’ In Grazalema too they’ve caught on to the potential, staging annual, rousing re-enactments of the life and times of El Tempranillo (see What’s On, p52) The 20th century, however, saw a steady decline in the fortunes of the pueblos blancos of the sierra. Unable to eke out a living, people left small towns like Espera in droves to seek their fortunes elsewhere. And they didn’t stop leaving till the beginning of the 1980s (Setenil de las Bodegas lost over a quarter of its population between 1960 and 1970). Well within living memory, the smaller towns were still impoverished backwaters, so far off the beaten track that the arrival of a visitor was a significant event.

L A LU Z 15

INSIGHT: PUEBLOS BLANCOS

drink that’s as good as anywhere else in the province, flora and fauna that are second to none. And those white towns, decked with flowers and reeking of the past – of the Romans and Moors and bandits and troops who have drunk from their fountains, prayed in their temples and strolled through their squares.

PATRONATO TURISMO

Times have changed again. Things may not be easy, but the pueblos are back on their feet. And everywhere, people are diversifying and placing their bets on rural tourism.

They’ve got a compelling offer: spectacular mountains for ramblers, cyclists and hang-gliding enthusiasts, white-water rivers for the adventurous canoeist, mouthwatering food and

Today’s pueblos blancos have much to offer, from wine in Prado del Rey and the famous payoyo cheese of Villaluenga, to handmade blankets from Grazalema and activities such as walking and cycling

16 L A LU Z

Soups are a must, and a meal in themselves. If sopa cortijera is on the menu – chorizo and bread in a meat and chickpea stock – give it a try.

Starters: anything with espárragos trigueros (wild asparagus) in it.

Fish: forget sea fish and go instead for river trout – especially

if it’s wrapped in local ham.

Meat: you’re in game country, so try the venison, the partidge or a conejo a la serrana (rabbit hill-style).

Just about every dish you’ll try, including the Moorish sweet pastries, has the region’s wonderful olive oil in it… and then there’s the local wine. Heaven!

TORREALHAQUIME.ORG

BODEGASRIVERO.ES

eating LOCAL

All that sightseeing can’t be done on an empty stomach, so while you’re in the pueblos blancos you’re going to need some local sustenance.

Four to visit: ALL 19 OF THE PUEBLOS BLANCOS ARE WORTH A VISIT, BUT HERE ARE FOUR THAT COULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO START AN AUTUMN EXCURSION

ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA (Population: 1,529)

ANTONIO NOVO MEDINILLA

Richard Ford said it all 160 years ago: “Zahara is… so fortified by nature with rocks for walls, and river for moat, as to be almost impregnable before the invention of artillery.” In the heart of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, 35 minutes from Arcos, so a great place to use as base for nature walks, riding, cycling or canoeing.

What to see The panoramic views from the former Muslim fortress, perched on the rock top – well worth panting 20 minutes up the hill for • The Garganta Verde, a spectacular gorge 5km out of town, carved out of the rock by the River Pinar, home to Europe’s largest colony of griffon vultures • The Church of Santa María de la Mesa

ESPERA (Population: 3,998) Stuck a bit out on a limb (north of Arcos) from the main bunch of pueblos blancos, Espera is not just a treat on the eye. It’s a conscious town that works hard to preserve its monuments and remember its recent past – like the emigrants who left when times were hard, and the pioneering local experiments in land reform that were undone by Franco’s uprising in 1936.

When to visit In June for the Corpus Christi celebrations, when the cobbled streets and the white walls are awash with greenery and locally made blankets; local patrons St Judas and St Simon in October (see What’s On, p52); any weekend in June or September for a weekend picnic (or swim) along with the locals at the nearby Arroyomolinos lake

CADIZTURISMO.COM

SETENIL DE LAS BODEGAS (Population: 3,016) Once the centre of a flourishing wine industry, Setenil is a one-off town with a totally unique charm.

Troglodyte houses built under overhanging volcanic rock at the bottom of a gorge. If you’re up for a challenge, take the car down the crazily steep and narrow, winding cobbled streets. Home to arguably the finest olive oil in the province and some curious olive oil cosmetics.

What to see • The Fatetar Castle, a fabulous mongrel castle if ever you saw one. The Visigoths built on top of a Roman fortress, then Abderrám III built on top of that, before it was finally embellished by Medieval Christians • The Roman ruins of Carissa Aurelia and Esperilla on the town’s outskirts • The Molino de los Diezmos, a grand stone tithe barn, where espereños would bring their produce in tax to the Church, now the local oil mill

What to see • The remains of the 12th century Arab castle • The 16th Century Church of Nuestra Sra de la Encarnación • The cave houses – take a drink in one of the bars built into the rock

When to visit The Fatetar folk festival in the church square in July; the Pavo (turkey) marathon on January 6th; the town’s fiestas in the first week of September

When to go Autumn or spring, when it’s not too hot take on one of the many lovely walks from the town – along the Ruta de los Bandoleros to the Roman settlement of Acinipo or down by the banks of the River Trejo to Olvera

TORRE ALHÁQUIME (Population: 875)

What to see • Before you go, check out the video www.torrealhaquime.org • The ruins of the ancient Nazarí fortress • The ruins of the house of the village’s most famous son, the bandolero ‘El Tempranillo’.

ALAN & ANNE CROSSKEY

The archetypal pueblo blanco: not just breathtakingly pretty, but packed full of history: the Romans were here, the Moors built their castle, the Christians their churches. The people were guerrillas against Napoleon, bandoleros against the world, and fighters against the absentee landlords who kept them in misery for centuries. And the women of Torre alHáquime (trans: Tower of the wise man) have just completed a fantastic video and web page that’s a wonderful insight into daily life in the Sierra de Cádiz in the 1950s.

When to go During the Fiesta del Pilar (October 12th); for the Romería de San Juan in late June; the Feast of Corpus Christi on May 1st, when the town processes through a riot of flowers and little altars

L A LU Z 17

18 L A LU Z

HELEN PURVIS

DAY IN THE LIFE…

Sweet temptation AUGUSTO ROSA AND HIS FIVE SIBLINGS CAUSED A STIR IN ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA LAST YEAR BY OPENING A FRENCH INSPIRED PATISSERIE, DELICIA ROSA. THE LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THEIR DAILY BREAD AND LITTLE BY LITTLE AUGUSTO AND HIS FRENCH PATISSERIE CHEF ARE TANTALISING TASTE BUDS WITH AN ARRAY OF VERY NAUGHTY BUT VERY NICE CAKES, TARTS, PASTRIES AND BREAD

Where did the French inspiration come from?

My brothers and sisters and I were born in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, and I lived there until I was 12. My father was Portuguese and my mother is from Arcos. We still have family in Morocco. So, from birth I was exposed to French ideas in cooking and cake-making because of Morocco’s colonial links with France. The craft made a big impact on me and for many years I wondered how best to go about starting our own business using everything we learnt there.

Then we met a former chef in France, Feliciano Lopez. I tempted him out of retirement here in Arcos to help start Delicia Rosa and we opened for Semana Santa last year.

Surely Arcos, like many other towns, already had enough bakeries?

Well Arcos has more than you might imagine. There are already 24 panaderías here which, given

the town’s population of around 30,000 people, is a lot of bread!

But we want to be different and we don’t compete on quantity but quality. Yes, I expect we are more expensive but we have a wide variety of bread, from soya to walnut and chestnut to raisin.

These have all been hand made using the finest ingredients to make an exceptional product. I scoured the country to find the best flour I could. The general reaction from locals has been good. The foreigners who live in Arcos have been particularly receptive and many of them buy their daily bread from us.

tricky. We know what the most popular cakes are: the milhojas (millefeuille, or cream slice), lionesa de café (éclair) and the three-chocolate mousse cake, so we make larger quantities of those. In the first months of opening we wanted to offer the best known French cakes from 40 years ago – the classics. Now, little by little, we are broadening the range to include less well known pastries like the tutti frutti slice topped with cream and grapes which is perfect for summer. My favourite is the gorgeous pear tart with chocolate – a winning combination.

Do bakers really have to get up that early or is it a myth?

Yes, we start work at 5am and bake all morning until around 2.30pm. Everything is made fresh for that day and the shop opens until 1am in the summer. We usually make and display the amount we expect to sell which, for the cakes at least, can be

Do you get unusual cake making requests?

We make a lot of cakes for special occasions like weddings. For baptisms we have made cakes in the shape of a baby’s crib for example and for first communions we have made chapel shaped creations. We often make wedding cakes in the French style of choux

buns pilled high into a pyramid and decorated with caramel.

What is your most expensive item?

It’s actually a rather special bread we make called pan de papu.

What makes it different is that it has absolutely no raising agent in it. It takes us a long time to make as it rises naturally over a long period after being stretched and manipulated. There is a special secret ingredient too but I’m not giving that away! It’s amazing because it keeps really fresh for a few days. It’s €2,10 per kilo. We also do a box of 18 mini cakes for €10 – that way you can try a bit of everything. www.deliciarosa.com Interview by HELEN PURVIS

L A LU Z 19

HEALTH

Get the balance right DR ANNEBIRTHE BO HANSEN EXAMINES THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY HIGH CHOLESTEROL AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REGULATE LEVELS IN YOUR BLOOD

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is one of the body's fats. It’s one of the building blocks in the structure of cells and is also used in making hormones and producing energy.

To some extent, the cholesterol level in your blood depends on what you eat, but it is mainly dependent on how the body makes cholesterol in the liver.

Having too much cholesterol in the blood is not a disease in itself, but can lead to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries.

There are essentially two sorts of cholesterol: a 'good' sort called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and a 'bad' sort called lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL). The former can help protect against hardening of the arteries, but LDL can contribute to diseases of the heart and circulation.

It is the proportion of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol that influences the degree of cardiovascular risk.

What is high cholesterol?

In Britain the average total cholesterol level is 5.7mmol/l. Levels can rise with age, and women tend to have higher levels of HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol), at least until menopause.

Levels of total cholesterol fall into the following categories: • ideal – less than 5mmol/l (200 mg/dL in Spain) • mildly high – 5-6.4mmol/l (200-240 mg/dL in Spain) • moderately high – 6.5-7.8mmol/l (240300 mg/dL in Spain) • very high – above 7.8mmol/l (above 300 mg/dL in Spain)

COPYRIGHT NETDOKTOR

It is possible for someone to have a high level of total cholesterol and still have a relatively low cardiovascular risk because of an absence of other risk factors (such as smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure) or because their family history is free from coronary disease.

What can cause high cholesterol levels?

Cholesterol levels can run in families, and they can also be influenced by the part of the world you live in. Levels in northern European countries are higher than in southern Europe and much higher than in Asia.

We know that diet is a major factor, with diets that are high in saturated fat (cakes, pastry, meat, dairy products) raising cholesterol.

High cholesterol is also seen in connection with other problems such as thyroid, diabetes and alcohol abuse.

How is high cholesterol treated?

In the first instance, by ensuring you have a good diet, reduce any excess weight and take regular exercise. Medication may be needed when changes to diet and lifestyle fail to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

What are the symptoms of high cholesterol in the bloodstream?

You can't feel high cholesterol levels in the same way that you can a headache, but a high level combined with other risk factors can lead to atherosclerosis and symptoms of cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerosis is the build up of cholesterol and fat (fatty deposits or plaques) in the artery walls. The arteries become narrow and hardened, their elasticity disappears and it becomes difficult for blood to flow through.

These fatty plaques can rupture, causing blood to clot.

Your doctor can calculate your cardiovascular risk based on key numbers such as blood pressure, weight and medical history.

Statins such as simvastatin, atorvastatin or rosuvastatin are the most effective medicines for lowering cholesterol. These reduce the production of 'bad' LDL cholesterol produced by the liver.

Although statins are normally very effective, non-statin treatments such as Ezetrol (ezetimibe) are available if there are any problems with side-effects such as muscle pains. Older treatments such as fibrates also exist. They can be very effective when used in conjunction with more modern treatments.

What can be done to prevent cardiovascular disease?

High cholesterol is only one of many risk factors that lead to hardening of the arteries.

Other major risk factors include smoking, alcohol and obesity.

Exercise can reduce the chance of coronary artery disease. Diet is another important factor. A Mediterranean diet made up of bread, fruits, vegetables and small amounts of lean meat, fish and olive oil is recommended.

GLOSSARY • Cholesterol level • Thyroid problems • Statins • Blood sample • Cardiovascular disease

Nivel de colesterol Defecto de hormonas tiroideas Estatinas Análisis de sangre Enfermedad cardiovascular

This material is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. It should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment

20 L A LU Z

HOMES & INTERIORS

Back to

BASICS JENNY KEAN MEETS A COUPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED FROM THE LOCALS AS THEY TURNED A NEAR-RUINED TOWN HOUSE INTO AN ARTISTS’ RETREAT

ALL IMAGES: KIRSTEN SCULLY

WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS

L A LU Z 23

HOMES & INTERIORS

“A fit of madness”. That’s how Andy Russell and Helen Rigby describe their decision to buy a 300-year-old virtual ruin in Alcalá de los Gazules. But two and a half years on, they’ve realised their dream of opening a painting retreat complete with studio space, views over the Alcornocales natural park and a small pool dappled with shade from an overhanging vine.

“We were living near Tunbridge Wells,” explains Andy, “in a perfect house that even had a duck pond. We could have just spent the rest of our lives there.” Instead they embarked on an adventure which eventually led them to the hilltop white village of Alcalá de los Gazules, and the rat-infested derelict property that was to become their home.

In fact the couple spent a year searching France, Portugal and Spain for the right place to buy. Andy had been an art teacher and then worked in paint effects and interior design, while Helen was in a senior management job in the education sector. “We both also had catering experience, so we knew we had the right mix of skills to run something for people,” says Helen, “and preferably to do with art.”

As their year drew to a close, the couple still hadn’t found the right place. They had arrived on the Costa de la Luz, it was raining and then fate struck another blow when Helen broke her arm. Running out of time and money, they started to look along the coast but found it too expensive. They tried Vejer and Medina Sidonia, also with no luck, and were feeling despondent when an estate agent suggested Alcalá.

“We arrived here and immediately loved the town – it’s pretty, slightly neglected and very Spanish,” explains Helen. “We were shown this house and when we walked in the door, everything was in such a dreadful state but we just looked at each other and said ‘this is it’.

Something just clicked.”

The house – known as Hostal Salada and dating back to the 18th century – had been an inn for travellers and their mules until 50 years ago. On the lower floor, at street level, was a big stable area while upstairs was the accommodation. Because it’s cut into a hillside, the upper floor also emerges at ground level at the back of the house, where a patio lies in the shadow of the old town walls.

24 L A LU Z

The original features of the former coaching inn have been retained wherever possible (previous page), with a splash pool added in the shade of the old town walls (above right). The rooftop views over the Alcornocales (above left) are an artist’s dream, but the studio in the former stables took some restoring (bottom)

“We wanted a project, and that’s certainly what we got,” laughs Andy as he recalls the two years spent renovating and reforming the property. Working with two local Spanish builders, and with Helen away earning money in Britain, he gradually restored the building, learning about local techniques and materials as he went along.

“We didn’t change the structure of the building. I’m all for finding the cheapest and most efficient method of restoration. This building has worked for years just the way it is, so we could see in a matter of minutes how we could save it and make it work for us.”

So in the dining room on the upper floor, for example, the arched windows had been ruined with ugly aluminium frames and opaque glass which blocked both the light and the view. Having removed them, Andy and Helen decided to make a small arched balcony area instead, and the wooden French windows they installed have created a light, airy space which is now Helen’s favourite room in the house.

Clockwise from top left: The former stables now make a perfect studio space; The pretty floor tiles are original to the house; Andy and Helen enjoy some cool shade in the courtyard; The exotic daybeds were a bargain find at Carrefour

Andy’s philosophy of making use of whatever is there extends throughout. So the couple have kept the beautiful old floor tiles which lend the tall-ceilinged rooms an elegant air. “I had to stop the Spanish builders who wanted to take them all up,” Andy says. “We didn’t want it all made into a brand new place without any character, which of course is what they thought we would want.”

The end result is a simple but charming house that feels true to its roots. Plastered white walls contrast with the soft blue-grey of the painted doors and window frames, and furnishings are kept simple and fresh, often with salvaged furniture and fittings.

The scrubbed wooden dining table, for example, was picked up in England and restored by Andy, and the sofas in the sitting room were bargain finds at Carrefour which Helen has dressed with brightly coloured cushions and fabric for a more exotic look.

They liked the day beds so much, in fact, that they bought several and Andy re-welded them to make them into simple iron bedsteads for the bedrooms.

Upstairs now houses an apartment for Andy and Helen with separate accommodation for their art centre guests. The kitchen was built by Andy and every bedroom has its own wet room.

Andy’s restoration tips

Downstairs the stables, with their arched ceilings, have been transformed into a perfect studio space where residential courses and day classes are held. The old wooden doors originally used for bringing in the mules can be thrown open to let in more natural light. The patio by the old town walls now provides a shady outdoor area with a splash pool for cooling off in the summer.

Going up one more level, there’s a view that’s enough to bring out the artist in us all. The large expanse of roof terrace enjoys uninterrupted vistas to the peaks and valleys of Los Alcornocales, Europe’s biggest natural cork forest. “People who have come here to paint spend a lot of time up here,” says Helen. “Artists have always loved this part of Spain because of the light, the intense colours and the contrasts of light and shade.”

It’s almost as if Hostal Salada was made for its current role as a painting retreat. It hasn’t all been easy, however, as Helen points out.

“We were very lucky but we did also do a lot of research and gave it all a lot of thought before we embarked on this. There has been some hardship – we had to live apart on and off for two years and I did jobs I didn’t always want to be doing. But we think it’s all been worth it. We have no regrets at all. This is home.” www.paintinginspain.co.uk

• Try to find recommended Spanish builders – they have local expertise and knowledge and in our experience offer a very fair price and are hard working. An added bonus is they will help improve your Spanish • Collect a core of old, quality furniture. It will always be of use wherever you move and will add character

• The combination of tiles from local builders or chain stores with a feature of expensive ‘designer’ tiles will save hundreds of euros.

• During a project never throw anything away except ‘real’ rubbish. The piece of wood you threw out yesterday is the piece that you need today, or it is firewood for tomorrow

L A LU Z 25

WEEKENDER: NAVARRA

One long fiesta ROBERT FRIEDLANDER HEADS NORTH TO BASQUE COUNTRY AND FINDS THAT THE LOCALS’ REPUTATION FOR AUSTERITY AND RESERVE COMES

ALL IMAGES: SERVICIO DE PROMOCIÓN E IMAGEN TURÍSTICA DEL GOBIERNO DE NAVARRA

TUMBLING DOWN AT PARTY TIME

26 L A LU Z

Fiesta and Navarra – two words synonymous with San Fermín, that week of booze and bravado which brings Pamplona to the attention of the wider world every July.

Personally, I’m no fan of spending 20 minutes waiting to be served in a heaving bar, and certainly not of having to bed down in a park because the city’s hotels are full. More particularly, I can’t get excited about trying to beat my personal best time for the mile while being pursued by more than a ton of mean and sweaty beef on the hoof threatening to launch me, backside first, into orbit.

So let the Hemingway fans, the young bucks and the plain stupid have their fun. I wanted to see a different Navarra – and different fiestas.

The province may be just 100 miles from north to south and half that from east to west but it is home to an astonishing diversity of landscapes. This much I knew as I picked up my hire car at Noáin airport on a bright autumn morning and headed towards the Pyrenees and the French border.

openness among the pilgrims is tangible, and as I sipped a beer in the posada I was almost – almost – tempted to grab a pair of walking boots and join the long march west.

Instead I retraced my route before heading east to the Salazar Valley where I stumbled across my first local party in postcard-pretty Ochagavía.

Surrounded by high, wooded cliffs, the village is split by two bubbling rivers crossed by old, arched bridges. It seems like an embodiment of the Basque personality: big, solid houses, stone-faced or painted white but decked with colourful shutters and tumbling red geraniums at every window.

Austere it might appear, but these villagers know how to throw a party. I had read of the romerías, or pilgrimages, up the mountainside to the shrine of Muskilda which take place throughout the year. But I bumped into something more temporal – the annual shindig coinciding with the grape harvest.

I arrived as the band struck up and within seconds the square was alive with old couples, mums and toddlers,

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Pressing matters during Olite’s grape harvest festival; medieval garb is the dress code for Olite’s harvest procession round the castle walls; young and old wait their turn to dance at Ochagavía’s autumn fiesta. This page: Ochagavía is flanked by the Pyrenean foothills

The rural nature of what locals still call the Kingdom of Navarra is immediately apparent. More than half the 600,000 population lives in or around Pamplona, which leaves an awful lot of unspoilt countryside.

The route north from the capital runs through softlycontoured valleys dotted with tiny villages before the road climbs, offering glimpses of the towering mountains ahead and passing through ever-prettier settlements. Espinal is more enticing than most: white houses, red railings and window frames and well-kept gardens everywhere.

Further north I stopped at poignant Roncesvalles with its clutch of forbidding ecclesiastical buildings and inns. In the hills above, Roland and the Frankish army of Charlemagne were routed by the Navarrese more than a thousand years ago and you can still see a memorial here to the king’s slain champion.

Nowadays this is a spot dedicated to peace and friendship, as the first Spanish stop on the French route of the pilgrim’s trail to Santiago de Compostela. The camaraderie and cheery

awkward youngsters – all dancing and cheering. The men were too busy sinking wine and patxarán a liqueur made from sloe berries. My head the next morning told me I should have donned my dancing shoes instead of my drinking boots.

Still, after a stroll through the village I was ready for more local culture. Heading south, I stopped to watch the vultures wheel above the yawning Arbayún gorge from the dizzying viewing platform before turning south-east towards Zaragoza.

I wanted to see Petilla de Aragón, a tiny piece of Navarra marooned in the neighbouring province. Set on a volcanic plug and surrounded by pine forests, it came as no surprise to learn that this was a woodsmen’s village, though the trek down the winding road in the morning and back up in the evening must have taken half a day.

It was fiesta time in Petilla, too. I strolled into the tiny square to find those of drinking age drinking, and those younger flinging themselves on and being flung off a mechanical bull.

In a bar (well, a house) on the square, the village card-

L A LU Z 27

WEEKENDER: NAVARRA

The fortified town of Ujué sits in the middle of rugged countryside.

Right: Geraniums decorate every street in Ochagavía

players were battling out the naipe championship – the real highlight of the fiesta, I was told.

Back in Navarra, I raced to Leyre monastery to hear the few ageing monks recite vespers. These Benedictines are famed for their Gregorian chants, though the efforts of those who remain fall short of those performing on the heavily marketed CD in the gift shop.

Still, there was no doubting the spirituality, nor the effect on the 400-strong congregation, many of whom were staying at the attached hospedería to attend matins.

I spent my Sunday morning in the extraordinary fortified hilltop village of Ujué, which sits high above a winding mountain road inviting admiring gasps from approaching outsiders.

The Santuario de Santa María (a fortified church), the wellmaintained walls, cobbled streets and beautiful stone houses have put Ujué firmly on the tourist map, though what most visitors clamour for are the famed sugar-coated almonds.

Surprise, surprise – it was fiesta time here too. I found myself in the middle of a raucous crowd milling around giant papier mache figures of folkloric heroes (and, of course, Moors and Christians).

More busy bars, fireworks and a heaving mass of onlookers overcome, I was on the road to handsome Olite, once the Navarrese capital and home to a royal chapel, a tasteful Parador hotel and a fairytale castle – turrets and all.

I had happened on another party town; this was becoming, if not boring, then a little routine. Did these people never work?

DETAILS Getting there Iberia has flights to Pamplona’s Noaín airport this autumn from around €190 return via Madrid Barajas.

28 L A LU Z

All major car hire companies are represented at Noaín – try budget company web car hire (www.webcarhire.com), Avis (www.avis.com; Tel: 948 168 763) or Hertz (www.hertz.com; Tel: 948 311 595).

That said, Olite’s procession was a grand affair with everyone from grannies to tots taking part and food and drink stalls set up with the castle providing the most atmospheric backdrop.

I had other plans for my last afternoon in Navarra but sometimes you have to know when you’re beaten, so I found a hotel, dumped my bag and headed back out into the throng.

My only worry was whether I would make my flight the next day. I had a 3pm departure so, with luck, I figured I might wake in time.

Where to stay • Navarra has a good network of Casa Rurales at remarkably cheap prices – expect to pay €20-€40 per person per night (www.casasruralesnavarra.com).

• A stay at Leyre monastery’s hospedería is something

different and special – and there’s a good restaurant attached to the hotel (www. hospederiadeleyre.com; Tel: 948 884 100).

• Olite has a superbly located Parador hotel (www.paradores. es; Tel: 948 740 000).

L A LU Z 29

ALL IMAGES: LISBON TOURIST BOARD

Costa de la Luz LEBRIJA TOWNHOUSE

LEB001

CALL OUR JEREZ TEAM NOW ON: 08450 177 805 or direct on 0034 956 329 572

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

JER111

LARGE APARTMENT

JER015

Amazing value for money townhouse.

3 bedrooms, en-suite to master bedroom. Family Bath. Off street parking, fitted kitchen and air-con. Walking distance to town centre and station.

Lower than builders price! €135,000

This apartment is located in a former palace that was once owned by the Domecq dynasty. There is no shortage of special architectural design elements and details in this beauty. 140m2, 2 beds, 2 baths €250,000

As part of the ancient city fortress wall, it maintains many original features: high beamed ceilings, original floor tiles and typical balconies. Communal roof terrace. Garage and store room optional.

2 beds, 1 bath €160,000

HISTORIC FORTRESS

2 BED APARTMENT

TOWNHOUSE

JER102

JER106

JER100

Recently converted bodega blends modern, minimalist interiors with classic Andaluz architecture. This 18th century structure is a significant landmark and a proud part of the Jerez streetscape.

2 beds, 2 baths, 137m2 €329,000

Within what was once the family palace of one of the most important families of Jerez, this apartment is perfect for a starting investor or a lock-and-leave owner. 75 m2, 2 Beds, 1 Bath, communal city garden and roof terrace. €167,000

A lot of home for the money in this townhouse at the edge of central Jerez with vistas of the surrounding vineyards.

Very tastefully updated and well maintained. 270 m2, 5 Beds, 2 Baths, large private roof terrace. €260,000

CITY PENTHOUSE

GREAT APARTMENT

SUPERB APARTMENT

JER118

Fabulous city centre penthouse adjacent to the famous Plaza del Arenal with the Calle Larga shopping district at your doorstep. Completely renovated with top materials. 97 m2, 3 Beds, 1 Bath, 65 m2 private terrace. €252,000

JER126

Great apartment a stone’s throw from the fair grounds in the upmarket Plaza del Caballo area. Upgraded finishes throughout and large windows to allow natural light. 93 m2, 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 24hr porter. €237,500

JER129

The impeccable, classic façade of this building is just the beginning. This apartment has a lounge of over 30 m2, a large independent kitchen and 50+ m2 private terrace. 102 m2, 2 Beds, 2 Bath. €225,900

Spanish Property Specialists On display is just a small section of our extensive portfolio in Costa de la Luz. For further information please contact us on one of the following numbers. We look forward to being of service to you.

www.spanishproperty.co.uk

Costa de la Luz

CALL OUR JEREZ TEAM NOW ON: 08450 177 805 or direct on 0034 956 329 572

LUXURY VILLA NEAR JEREZ / ARCOS

JER110

Outstanding fine country home of 328 m2 with 4 double bedrooms, 2 en-suite bathrooms, large luxury kitchen, lounge with feature fireplace. Double garage. Gas central heating, air-conditioning. Excellent condition throughout.

• Villa Rosa also benefits from a “casita” with rooftop terrace & its own pool, in the garden that could be converted into guest or B&B accommodation.

• Impressive landscaped gardens of 5,202 m2 with 14 x 6 swimming pool, orchard, huerta, lawns and future tennis court.

A great opportunity to aquire a fantastic country home with potential for letting income, ideally located only 20 mins from Jerez, 15 mins from Arcos and 35 mins from great beaches. The equivalent property in Jerez would fetch €1.5M

€565,000

Jerez Office Calle Porvera, 31 Jerez de la Frontera 11403 Cadiz Tel: +34 956 329572 jerez@spanishproperty.co.uk

Call from the UK on 08450 177 805

Our passion is property

32 L A LU Z

PROPERTY

Demand remains

high

CHRIS MERCER, DIRECTOR OF MERCERS ESTATE AGENTS, OFFERS SOME THOUGHTS ON THE STATE OF THE SPANISH MARKET AND LOOKS TOWARDS A FAR FROM GLOOMY FUTURE

Spain and the Spanish property buyer started to realise last year that the property boom which the country had experienced for the previous seven years was starting to decline.

In Britain, we have come to understand that property prices tend to follow a cycle – and from there comes the remarkable statistic that house prices actually doubled every seven years from 1945 to 2003.

I have experienced three downward cycles in Spanish property – the first around 1983-84, the second starting in the early 1990s and lasting until 1997-98 and the current slump, which started in mid-2006.

Actually, it’s not strictly correct to refer to them as downward cycles in Spanish property. They have been driven by the British market, so the downward trend has been more to do with the British buyer and their ability or desire to buy in Spain.

What makes the current trend different is that we are witnessing a global phenomenon. Although this is worrying, we know that at some point we will start to see more positive signs in the market.

In 2000 Mercers sold 374 properties on the Camposol development in Murcia. At that time we were one of the smaller agents operating locally, but the fact that within the space of 12–18 months sales went from averaging 50 in one year to hundreds proves that a slump doesn’t mean an end to all sales.

So what has happened in the market and why have we seen such an enormous increase in demand? Strangely, nothing seems to have been the main trigger. Interest rates have been fairly static, exchange rates neither good nor bad, house prices in Spain have been very attractive but not massively out of sync with Britain.

There were many factors and reasons why the early 2000s were so good for the Spanish property industry and I think that over the next 12–18 months we will see a metaphorical dam building up in Britain. Behind this dam will be many thousands of potential Spanish property purchasers and, as their numbers build, the pressure on the ‘dam’ will increase until the inevitable happens and it bursts.

Why do I think this? Well, the demand for Spanish property has not declined. If you research the most popular multi-listing property internet sites, Spain is still the No1 or No.2 (behind France). Mercers still gets around 8,000 hits a month on our web site.

I believe the housing market in Britain will start to recover within the next 18 months.

The US treasury secretary predicts that property prices in the United States will stabilise by Oct 2008. Already there are signs that property sales there are on the increase. This is good for the world economy and, ultimately, Europe.

Beatriz Corredor, the Spanish housing minister, predicts that by Sept 2009 the Spanish housing ‘crisis’ will be showing signs of recovery.

L A LU Z 33

PROPERTY UK investment in foreign property 2007 (£ billions). Source: Savills Research, ONS, DCLG

The biggest problem we are currently experiencing is the sterling /euro exchange rate. This is not going to change overnight and I am afraid could get worse. This is totally out of our control and therefore something we have to accept.

A phenomenon that we have experienced over the past few years is a growing trend to want to ‘get out of Britain’.

This is now something that is tangible. People are fed up with their lives in the UK and simply want to leave.

So for all of the above reasons the tide of people is building and when the housing market in the UK really picks up and other factors come into play and purchasers are in a position to make the move, we will see another upturn in the cycle.

Who is buying now? In the main we are seeing ‘lifestyle’ purchasers. These are buyers generally in their Fifties or older

who do not necessarily need a mortgage. They are buying not so much as an investment but for personal use. Our Jerez office has seen an increase in Spanish and other eurozone buyers.

At Mercers our experiences are mirrored by a recent survey carried out by Savills and www.holidaylettings.co.uk .

The Second Homes Abroad 2008 report found that the total value of UK foreign owned property now stands at £58billion, an increase of £5.2billion year on year, and that there are currently 425,000 properties owned by UK citizens overseas, an increase of 35,000 properties in the last 12 months.

In its profile of the UK overseas buyer, the survey found that Spain and France still dominate the list of preferred destinations and that some 34 per cent of foreign owned property (owned by Britons) is now held in Spain, followed by France (23 per cent), non-European (16 per cent), other European (16 per cent), USA (6 per cent), Portugal (3 per cent) and Italy (2 per cent).

Some 50 per cent of overseas second home owners said that owning a holiday home was the primary motivation for purchase, followed by retirement properties (18 per cent). So 68 per cent are what we would term as lifestyle purchasers.

Off plan sales and investors have decreased noticeably.

This is mainly due to a lack of mortgages being granted and the credit crunch, although we have seen a rise in the ‘predatory’ purchaser. This is someone who has access to available funds and is in a position to negotiate an often substantial drop in the asking price of a resale property.

For the seller, it is important to be realistic when selling a property. Do take the advice of an experienced estate agent.

For example, we sold a substantial building in the centre of Jerez to an investor from Madrid within 24 hours of listing the property, for the asking price in excess of €500,000 because the property was correctly valued and marketed. *Mercers have been named among the winners in the Best Spanish Estate Agency category of the CNBC International

Location of UK 2nd homes abroad. Source: Savills Research, ONS, DCLG

34 L A LU Z

Property Awards

L A LU Z 35

taxprecision.com

small businesses • private clients

NEW OFFICES OPENING IN JEREZ IN SEPTEMBER

Sotogrande

•

Marbella

•

Jerez

•

Southampton

www.konsilia.es | info@konsilia.es |tel: +34 902 555 045

EXPERTS

tax

FERNANDO DEL CANTO A founding partner in the firm Konsilia, Fernando has worked as a tax adviser in the UK for Deloitte and previously KPMG. He is qualified both as a Spanish abogado and an English barrister and publishes a blog on international tax matters at www.taxprecision.com. Tel: 902 555 045; e-mail: Fernando@konsilia.es or see www.konsilia.es

I caught a mention on a radio programme recently about the possibility of non-residents in Spain being able to claim back some Capital Gains Tax. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any further information. Can your experts help?

T Baynham, Herts > This undoubtedly refers to a recent case brought against Spain by the European Commission, which has indeed left open the possibility that nonresidents could claim back some tax. The European Commission decided to take action against Spain in the European Court of Justice. At the heart of the case was the argument that non-Spanish tax residents selling their property in Spain prior to December 31st 2006 may have been charged higher taxes than Spanish residents, which goes against EU rules.

In December 2007, the European Court of Justice ruled against Spain’s tax

treatment of EC non-residents regarding Capital Gains Tax paid up to December 31st 2006 (Case C-562/07). During those years Spain treated capital gains tax paid under a clear discriminatory regime for non residents.Non-residents were taxed at a flat rate of 35 per cent, while residents were taxed according to the Spanish Income Tax progressive scale (for assets owned for less than a year), and a flat 15 per cent rate if the assets had been owned for more than a year.

This unfavourable tax regime for nonresidents remained in place until the end of 2006. In 2006 the government passed

a law establishing an 18 per cent flat tax rate for all capital gains arising from disposals made by both residents and non-residents alike. However, no statutory provisions were made to correct the discriminatory regime applied to non-residents up to December 31st 2006.

The case is now clearly settled and Spain will need to comply with the decision. Before considering any action it is essential to consider the merits of each case with a qualified European tax lawyer, specialising in Spanish tax litigation.

Konsilia has announced the opening of new offices in Jerez. The staff of this young firm of tax, accounting and legal experts are all fluent in English and can help on a range of subjects affecting people on the Costa de la Luz. For more information, contact 902 555 045

We are keen golfers, and have wanted to buy a second home in a quality golf development in Spain for a few years. Now that we are in a position to do so, we are nervous because of the state of the Spanish real estate market and the persistence of negative publicity in the UK press. Can you advise on what would be a secure investment? Stuart Dimmack, Staffordshire

property REGAN BERGER Regan is sales and marketing director for Arcos Gardens Golf and Country Estate in Arcos de la Frontera. He has worked in the Spanish property market for over 10 years and is qualified with GIP (Gestor Intermediario de Promociones y Edificaciones).

Tel: 956 701 694. www.arcosgardens.com; e-mail: rberger@arcosgardens.com

> Quality golf developments have been among the best investments in Spain in recent years, and more importantly, have not suffered nearly as much as other developments in the recent slow moving real estate market.

However, it is important to be aware that you should choose your golf development with great care. Of prime importance is the standard of the golf course itself. You should avoid developments where the golf course is not yet finished, as its quality cannot be properly judged.

All too often in Spain, golf courses are created with the sole intention of facilitating the sale of the accompanying properties which is the developer’s prime concern, and therefore investment in the golf course itself is kept to a minimum. One should also take note of the level of maintenance that is given to the course, and study reviews given by either golf professionals or prestigious golf publications.

One of the attractions of buying into a golf development is the rental opportunities it affords.

However, if the course is not attractive and challenging then it will not attract golfers. You should not underestimate the potential of this huge market. Golf is one of the fastest growing sports worldwide, and Spain attracted more than two million golfing tourists last year. To successfully secure regular rentals (where desired), it is essential that the quality of the properties is high and that they are fully equipped. Golfers tend to be in the upper bracket of tourism, and this is reflected in the properties they will rent.

The pedigree of the developer should also be scrutinized. The better developers will have endorsements from recognized industry professionals that will attest to the quality of not only the golf course but the amenities that are additionally included. The ideal development should offer a variety of amenities, services and entertainments that will cater not only for the golfer but also for any family members that may be accompanying the golfer.

Advice is limited to general statements on finance, property and legal matters. Always check with your financial adviser or abogado if you need specific advice on these matters

L A LU Z 37

EXPERTS Do you have any questions for our panel of experts? send them to: laluz magazine Apdo de Correos 39 , Vejer de la Frontera, 11150 Cádiz Or e-mail editor@laluzmag.com

I’m sure I’m not alone in complaining that my pension – originally in sterling and exchanged into euros – no longer goes as far as it did when the exchange rate was better. Can you give me any advice about how to get the best out of the situation? George Howard, Chiclana

finance COLIN LANGTON Colin Langton is a financial writer and regulated financial adviser with 40 years experience. Readers who have questions can contact him at Langtons Wealth Management in Sotogrande.

E-mail: colin.langton@ langtonswealth.com; Tel. 956 796 791 or 666 423 518

> Many of the retired expats we meet every day in Spain have a similar complaint. Namely, they have taken a massive pay drop over the last year or so, at the very time that prices of every day items (eg fuel) are increasing. Certainly, if you receive a pension or other income from the UK then exchange rates alone have reduced your buying power by at least 25 per cent in recent times. I have previously advised readers to fix the exchange rate on their pension for a year or two ahead, via a money broker. If nothing else it makes planning simple.

The other thing is to ensure that you are not paying more tax then necessary, and that capital is earning the best rate. Many people don’t realise that one can hold a bank account inside an offshore insurance bond wrapper, and depending on circumstances get improved returns and pay less tax. Also there are structured investment products from leading banks providing guaranteed income of 10 per cent, with little or no capital risk. These are not sold over the counter – one needs to consult a specialist independent financial adviser.

Lastly, if you are over the age of 60 and own property here (or in Britain) then a major boost to your retirement income and capital is available now via a safe lifetime mortgage. You can take a loan and use the money how you like, and there is nothing to pay until you die… or if you move home. The loan and accumulated interest are then repaid from the property sale proceeds, although if you move property you could switch the loan to the new property. This plan, which comes from a well known UK building society, is proving very popular with expats, who want more income now, or simply want their property to work for them.

legal SIXTO GARCÍA Sixto García is the founding partner of the Chiclana-based firm, Costa de la Luz Lawyers.

The company, in Cádiz since 1990, specialises in legal and tax advice for foreigners buying property in Spain, but also offers help on a wide range of other legal issues including civil, criminal and commercial cases. Tel: 956 531 214 or see www.costadelaluz-lawyers.com

We own the top floor of an old house in Vejer, so the property as a whole has several owners. How do we go about arranging to cover costs for maintaining the shared areas of the property, such as the patio or outside walls? Do we need to form an association and if other owners refuse to help pay the costs, can we do anything to force them? Jonathan Booth, Vejer de la Frontera

> The main thing here is to check whether the property has been officially divided up horizontally according to the appropriate law*; this can be checked at the land registry.

If so, the solution is simple, because under this law, each property that has its own reference on the register is assigned a percentage share of the cost of maintaining any common and shared areas. This percentage determines the amount that each property owner must contribute towards the general expenses for maintaining the building, these expenses being agreed annually in a meeting of all the residents.

38 L A LU Z

More complicated – and almost certainly the case in Vejer – is when the apartment is part of a larger house; whilst the main house will have its own número de finca registral, each individual apartment does not and therefore no portion of the shared costs has been assigned.

In this case, it’s a question of using civil law to assign the expenses according to the use made of common areas by each property. This might be done by calculating the proportion of each property (the amount of square metres it takes up) as a percentage of the whole house, or by simply dividing up the costs equally.

Any of the residents can try to enforce payment of the shared costs, preferably through a friendly approach. But should this fail, you will need to resort to legal action in the courts. * un régimen de división horizontal, laid down under the Ley de Propriedad Horizontal 49/1960, reformada por Ley 49/1999

L A LU Z 39

WILD SIDE WALK

STEPHEN DALY BENDS HIS NECK TO WATCH THE STORKS AND MAGNIFICENT RAPTORS MAKE THE CROSSING FROM EUROPE TO AFRICA DURING THEIR AUTUMN MIGRATION

The annual avian migration in southern Andalucía is a spectacular sight during the months of September and October, where the skies often seem full with soaring and gliding birds.

One of Europe’s main crossing points from the north is on the Straits of Gibraltar where migrants converge to travel south to Africa, thus avoiding the colder winters in Europe and finding better food sourcing opportunities in the warmer African countries.

Quite often, birds will have to wait in this area until more favourable weather comes along to assist their passage, and one can regularly see spiralling white storks, black kites and other raptors lifting ever higher on warm thermals. Larger birds are more dependent on rising air currents to assist long journeys than the smaller bird groups such as falcons.

Raptors in particular take traditional routes that make the best possible use of the local topography, especially where there are short water-crossings available. Throughout August and into September the black kite passes along the Costa de la Luz in tens of thousands. These are usually the first raptor heading south in large numbers and among the first to return in the spring.

September sees thousands of short-toed eagles and the smaller booted eagle passing, often seen hunting as they go.

Montagu’s harriers can also be seen hunting low across fields and verges, looking for crickets, grasshoppers and small mammals.

Marsh harriers and the more northern nesting hen harriers also pass through slightly later in the month, as do lots of lesser kestrel that traditionally nest in towns and villages throughout central and southern parts of the Iberian peninsula.

Vultures such as the resident griffon vulture are considered partial migrants and some often head south or north to countries like Holland. Egyptian vultures are summer visitors and do migrate south in September and October.

White storks are among the most common migrating birds, though you can also spot smaller groups of rare black storks.

Bird migration is a fascinating subject that has prompted plenty of speculation through the ages. Questions such as ‘where does each species go to during the winter months and how do the birds navigate’ require complex answers. There has been intense research done throughout the world into migration and bird behaviour, which has only increased our respect for their migratory powers, including the whole spectrum of navigational aids, from sun and stars to an awareness of the Earth’s magnetic field.

Rather than go through an extensive breakdown of all the raptors it is possible to see, I will concentrate on identifying the more common ones that pass through this area. Remember that this is a time for a lot of juvenile birds migrating for the first time and their plumage pattern and colour can differ to those of adult birds.

Juvenile birds may be less shy than their parents, and good, close views are possible around this time.

40 L A LU Z

ALL PHOTOS: STEPHEN DALY

Flight congestion

Black Kite A summer visitor seen in Cádiz from March to October. It resembles the red kite but with a much less forked tail and a much darker brown underwing. It can often have a paler head. During a prolonged levante (easterly wind), it can be seen in large numbers sitting in fields or in the air soaring on large thermals in the countryside around Tarifa and Bolonia, awaiting a change in the wind direction.

Griffon Vulture A colonial and partial migrant, this bird can be seen all year round in Cádiz. It’s a huge bird with broad wings that are two-tone brown in colour and a short, dark squaredoff tail. It’s got a small head that looks sunken into its ruff. These are scavengers and can be seen in their hundreds feeding at the site of a dead animal. The nearest organised feeding point is at Torre de La Peña, near Tarifa.

Egyptian Vulture A summer visitor that can be seen in Cádiz from March to October. Much smaller than the Griffon, the adults have a distinct flight silhouette with long, straight-edged but pointed black and white wings and a wedgeshaped tail. The adults have bare yellow skin on the head and throat. It can be confused with the White Stork in distant flight, so checking the tail shape is important. This is also a scavenger but takes road kill during the breeding season. Often solitary but during migration groups of threes and fours can be seen.

Booted Eagle Regarded as a summer visitor, this can be seen from February though to November with small but increasing numbers staying on in southern Spain during winter months. The smallest of the European eagles, it is roughly the size of a common buzzard. The more common form has a dirty white breast, belly and forewing with dark flight feathers showing also a dark trailing edge.

Views to the front show clear white spots at the joint of wing and body, known as ‘landing-lights’. Dark forms of this bird can be confused with the black kite.

Short-toed Eagle Like the Booted Eagle this larger eagle is also still regarded as a summer visitor and can be seen from February though to November with small but increasing numbers staying on in southern Spain during winter months.

This bird is a specialist reptile hunter with long wings and very light, slightly barred underside. These lovely eagles have darker barring on the body with an owl-like head that is usually a darker brown colour showing a barred tail. In flight it always appears a lot lighter in colour than other large birds and often hovers or hangs into the wind with legs held down.

White Stork Like quite a few species, this larger stork is also still regarded as a summer visitor and can be seen from February though to November, with thousands of birds staying on in southern Spain during winter months. The same phenomenon is happening with the rarer black storks. It is quite distinctive in flight, with long projecting neck and legs.

Adults have bright red bills and red legs. Like the griffon vulture, it has a wingspan of roughly two metres and hundreds can be seen in huge spiralling ‘kettles’ during the autumn passage.

Stephen Daly runs Andalucían Guides, the birding and wildlife tour company, and runs day tours in Cádiz province (Tel: 956 432 316 or 647 713 641). More bird identification tips can be found on his website, andalucianguides.com

Recommended bird guides • The Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe by Lars Svensson, Peter J Grant, Killian Mullarney, and Dan Zetterstrom. (Collins Guides) • Birds of Europe: With North Africa and the Middle East by Lars Jonsson (Helm Field Guides) Where to go • Torre de la Peña near Tarifa is a good feeding spot, and the cliffs above Bolonia also afford some great views of migrating birds. Also try the Ojen valley near Facinas.

• There are manned observation posts at Tráfico (km 87 on N340 east of Tarifa), Cazalla (just off km 90 on N340) and Algorrobo (km 99.1 west of Algeciras).

L A LU Z 41

GARDENING

Mike and Jenny Dawson have created a garden that’s a haven for butterflies including the common blue and the swallowtail; the asclepias curassavica (below left) is a favourite food of the monarch butterfly

The

butterfly effect STEWART PITCHER IS ALL A-FLUTTER AS HE TAKES A STROLL THROUGH A VEJER GARDEN

Stewart Pitcher trained in agriculture and was a farm manager by profession before starting up his gardening business in Vejer several years ago

42 L A LU Z

During the summer months, when the surrounding Andalusian countryside is a tapestry of burnt yellow grassland, bare wheat stubble and chocolate brown fields of drying sunflowers, our lush gardens often become a haven for wildlife. It’s easy to imagine some gardens as oases for all sorts of welcome and unwelcome visitors – insects, amphibians, birds, rodents, reptiles and even the occasional bovine (some of our readers will empathise!).

Most gardens serve a purely practical purpose for the owners of the house. Other gardens actively encourage certain species of wildlife by the plants chosen, their healthy condition (which allows them to support a parasite) and the absence of insecticides. A garden which is a riot of colour will attract butterflies, and choosing plants for food for their caterpillars will encourage them to stay.

Alongside the busy N-340 from Cádiz to Tarifa would not have been my first stop when looking for butterflies, had it not been for the hard work and dedication over the last eight years of Mike and Jenny Dawson, who have transformed the terraced garden of their small B&B below Vejer into an oasis for butterflies.

Most of the plants have been chosen as food for laying butterflies, in an attempt to establish breeding colonies of the monarch butterfly (danaus plexippus) ,uncommon in this part of the peninsular. Mike originally spotted this large, graceful butterfly in la Breña, the pine forests of Barbate and, as a keen amateur lepidopterist in England was quick to recognise that he was seeing something rather special.

He knew that its caterpillars fed solely on the poisonous

asclepias curassavica (or milkweed), a small shrub that resembles the oleander and which is native to this area and spread throughout Mexico and Central and South America after its introduction as an ornamental plant. As the monarch butterfly chooses to make this plant its host, it in turn becomes unpalatable to its predators, and most birds learn to avoid these colourful butterflies and their caterpillars.

Milkweed can be found growing near lantana, a common shrub in this area, and their flowers curiously mimic one another, possibly intended to facilitate pollination from one type of insect, that is the monarch or other large butterfly.

Alternatively, their combination may be a warning of their danger to grazing animals. Having said that, milkweed does have some medicinal use for treating ringworm and internal parasites, and can even be used as flavouring for tortillas.

Mike and his wife then decided to plant it in their garden to see if any butterflies would come. Over their eight years here, their garden has become a riot of colour and near allyear round blooms, with an eclectic display of gazanias, freesias, tobacco plants, buddleias and lantanas on steep north-facing terraces, shaded by old walnut and apricot trees.

The milkweed is now so established that it self-seeds in every spare patch of ground, and looking carefully one can see the tell-tale bitemarks on the leaves from the monarch caterpillars.

The caterpillars are harder to spot – Mike suggests that they prefer to hide during the hotter hours of the day.

The flowers they have chosen have attracted more than a dozen other species of butterflies to their garden, including the large tortoiseshell, now endangered in Great Britain. As

ALL PICTURES: MIKE DAWSON

A red admiral (above left), and the monarch butterfly (above right and below left) which is now breeding in the Dawsons’ colourful garden (below right)

seasonal TOP TIPS As summer draws to a close, harvest season begins.

Those of us who have planted tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, melons and courgettes will be enjoying fresh home grown vegetables and home made gazpacho, often in such abundance that every visitor is unable to leave without several armfuls of fresh organic veg!

Start planting lettuce once the heat of summer is behind us, plant leeks, onions and brassicas for Christmas. If your lettuces have finished, potatoes are a good crop to follow. Prepare the land now for sowing at the end of the month.

Mike explains: “Success for the butterfly depends on how well it can adapt to environmental changes. When its caterpillars will only eat one type of plant and that plant is wiped out, then it is obvious that the butterfly will follow.”

Wild nettles are favoured by peacocks and red admirals, so if you have a patch, let them grow. Thistles are tasty for the painted lady, and fennel is favourite for the beautiful swallowtail. Wild grasslands in early summer are a good place to look for the common blue, and to keep the cabbage whites off your brassicas, try giving them an alternative menu of nasturtiums to fill themselves up on.

Try taking cuttings of shrubs and deciduous trees in early autumn, put them in pots, on saucers, in a sheltered but not forgotten spot where they will overwinter, until hopefully budding in the spring.

Divide tubers and rootballs in October, plant seeds and bulbs of spring flowers, and take cuttings of your best geraniums to put in pots next summer. Don’t forget the lawn – it is tired and a light dose of 15:15:15 (the blue balls) will revitalise it.

Many thanks to Mike for his invaluable knowledge and contagious enthusiasm, which enabled me to write this article. He would like to meet fellow lepidopterists, especially those who have seen peacock butterflies in this area. He can be contacted through the editor on editor@laluzmag.com; Tel: 655 865 569

If you’ve managed to get some parsnip seeds, (try www.tozerseeds.com ) sow them before it rains, hope we have a wet winter and expect them around Easter.

Readers are invited to share their gardening and design problems or ideas by sending them to editor@laluzmag.com or la luz magazine, Calle Porvera 31, Jerez de la Frontera, 11403 Cádiz

L A LU Z 43

FILMS & BOOKS

Master class At the movies – DAVID MACGOWAN

• VIRIDIANA Luis Buñuel (1961) It would be a crime not to include a work by Luis Buñuel in any list of great Spanish films and I have selected his 1961 masterpiece Viridiana as possibly the finest piece in this series.

Buñuel began his film career by shocking the world with the infamous eyeball-slitting sequence in the short surrealist film Un Chien Andalou, which he made with Salvador Dalí in 1929. Over the next five decades he directed work that entertained and outraged audiences in every country.

In 1960 Franco naively told his minister of culture to invite Spain’s greatest director back from exile in Mexico to make anything he liked. It was the first film that Buñuel had made in his native Spain.

Once Viridiana was completed, Buñuel fled, whilst the film was instantly banned in Spain and the culture minister reprimanded by Franco for allowing its production. Buñuel had used his opportunity for spectacular revenge for what he saw as the sins of Catholicism.

Off the bookshelf – TONY JEFFERIES

• THE SEVILLE COMMUNION Arturo Pérez-Reverte (Vintage, £7.99) He was a war correspondent for two decades and allegedly quit his job at Spain’s state-owned RTE television station because he was sick of internal politics.

He’s also an accomplished sailor, a mover and shaker in literary circles and the creator of a wonderful and hugely popular swashbuckler in Captain Alatriste.

Even so, Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s great achievement in recent years has been to virtually corner the market in Spanish language modern day thrillers. Not that his readers need Spanish: most of his work is available in English translations which lose nothing of the suspense and excitement and attention to detail running through the originals.

The Seville Communion, published a decade ago, cemented his reputation as a popular novelist, though one whose books demand – and reward – a little thought on the reader’s part.

44 L A LU Z

So what was it about Viridiana (once called “one of the great feelbad movies of all time”) that caused such a furore - yet simultaneously won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival?

Viridiana, played with gusto by Silvia Pinal, is a novitiate nun about to take her vows. She goes to live with her recently bereaved uncle (the great Spanish actor Fernando Rey) in a creepy country estate, where he attempts to seduce her, believing her to resemble his deceased wife. In a fit of guilt, he hangs himself after telling her that he has deflowered her.

Confused and upset, Viridiana invites the village paupers to the estate in an attempt to redeem herself through charity but things go spectacularly wrong.

Buñuel tells this elaborate story in a very simple and direct way.

You really do want to know what happens next, partly because the director knows exactly where to place a camera. The storyline was (and perhaps still is) very offensive to many Spanish, with its overt anti-Catholic references; at one point, the “beggars’ banquet” freezes into a tableau of the Last Supper to the strains of the Hallelujah Chorus while a woman is being raped.

There is strong symbolism throughout the film, and every time one sees it there are fresh surprises and visual jokes. Buñuel keeps the camera moving constantly from one perspective to another so that the viewer is never quite sure what will happen next; the very name Viridiana suggests a moving target, for the Spanish word diana means ‘bulls-eye’.

Buñuel (pictured) once said: “I want to make even the most ordinary spectator feel that he is not living in the best of all possible worlds”. He wanted to shock people out of their middle class complacency and Viridiana certainly achieves this.

It’s the tale of a Vatican super-priest, Father Quart, who breezes into Seville decked out in stylish Italian clothing and with a sophisticated outlook on life.

He’s there to investigate the murky goings on after a hacker gets into the Pope’s personal computer and leaves a warning about mysterious deaths in a small church in the city which has been scheduled for demolition.

Pérez-Reverte’s skilful use of characterisation make his cast of characters eminently plausible even if, at first sight, a hard line priest, a beautiful, bored aristocrat, her rapacious banker husband, her wacky old mum and a visiting American might seem more like the cast of some crummy sketch you trip over on late night Spanish television.

The plot is good – and its every nuance is worth discovering, which is why I’m not going into further detail – with a couple of clever twists and one as audacious as it’s unforeseen.

But more than that, this is a thriller which really takes you into the back streets of Seville. The atmosphere is wonderful, the writing has the right weight without being turgid and the whole thing still manages to bowl along at a good, page-turning pace.

This is the author’s great skill; he has produced a tale at once acceptable to the summer sun-bed browsers and those whose tastes are more catholic and a little more highbrow.

Pérez-Reverte has written a number of thrillers since The Seville Communion but this remains his most atmospheric, thoughtful novel and it makes an excellent introduction to his work.

W I L D S I D E WA LK ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A weight off your shoulders Remember why you moved to Spain in the first place? For most people, it’s to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle, leaving behind the stresses and strains of life in the UK. But the reality may not always be quite like that. The frustrations that can come with moving to a new country and often setting up a home as well, may leave you feeling out of your depth.

Now life management company Luz Concierge can help.

They will take on any problem, big or small, so whether you’re looking for a reliable electrician, a babysitter for the night or – at the other extreme - restoring a property or setting up a business, help is at hand.

Based in El Puerto de Santa María, Luz Concierge has several years experience of looking after clients in the Cádiz province, and has accumulated an extensive cultural knowledge and

understanding of local procedures and red tape. The firm offers a variety of concierge services to people who are investing or moving to the area, or who are already living here.

Services range from: • Property restoration • Arranging installation of kitchens • Bathrooms and fittings • Property management • Key holding • Cleaning • Organising plumbers, electricians • Management of deliveries • Garden and pool maintenance • Interior design • Sourcing schools • Medical • Solicitors, gestors • Babysitters • Registration at town hall • Getting NIE • Setting up bank accounts • Business licences and much more …

Luz Concierge understand the frustrations and stress that can come with moving home, restoring properties and settling in, while adjusting to a new culture and surroundings. They understand that life is busy and that your time is precious. Their goal is to provide help and information that you may need to either find your dream property, assist with moving home, settling in to new surroundings, or general day-to-day wants and needs. Let Luz Concierge make life easier and give them your to-do-list.

Think of Luz Concierge as your own personal assistant.

It is possible to contract as little as an hour or to block-book hours of Luz Concierge services. For example, for one hour purchased you can request a babysitter, a cleaner or a search for dog kennels and still have 30 minutes of time purchased left for other requests, because with Luz Concierge you only pay for time used. You also will have the peace of mind that Luz Concierge only use proven and reliable service and trades people. It is your one stop shop to facilitate all your needs.

Luz Concierge are a one stop call to facilitate all your needs.

Luz Concierge The Penthouse - C/ Jesús de Los Milagros 12, El Puerto de Santa María, 11500 - Cádiz - Spain Tel: 620 617 036 / 638 723 568 info@luzconcierge.com www.luzconcierge.com

L A LU Z 45

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Want to read more?

It couldn’t be easier!

We hope you enjoyed this issue of laluz – enough to want to keep finding out more about this fabulous part of Spain.

Whether you’re a visitor to the Costa de la Luz or a local resident, why not have a think about taking out a subscription?

It’s the simplest way of guaranteeing that you get your very own copy delivered to your door (or buzón).

The magazine’s free, so all you’ll pay are the postage and administration costs. A bargain!

It’s too hot to talk about Christmas, but it could be the perfect present for a loved one – a bit of sunshine that lasts all year round.

Just fill out the form and enjoy!

Subscription Form To subscribe to laluz magazine, either email a request for a form to editor@laluzmag.com or complete the following form and post to one of the addresses below. Your subscription will start with Issue 27 (Nov/Dec 2008) unless you state otherwise.

YES I WANT SIX ISSUES OF LALUZ your DETAILS Title __________________________________ Initials _______________ Surname _____________________________________________________

Send this form with your cheque to: UK: La Luz magazine, c/o 3 Thakeham Close, Lawrie Park Gardens, Sydenham, London SE26 6HN SPAIN/WORLD: La Luz Communications SL Calle Porvera 31, Jerez de la Frontera, 11403 Cádiz

Address (for delivery) __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Postcode_______________ Country ______________________________ Tel no. _______________________________________________________ E-mail address ________________________________________________

CHOOSE YOUR TYPE OF SUBSCRIPTION Cost per year (6 issues) for delivery to: Spain €18 Rest of the world €50/£34.50

Europe (inc UK) £24

CHOOSE YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT

by CHEQUE I wish to pay in euros by a cheque drawn on a Spanish bank. (made out to La Luz Communications SL) I wish to pay in pounds by a cheque drawn on a UK bank. (made out to Tony Summers)

or BANK TRANSFER I wish to pay in euros by transfer from a Spanish bank.

Spanish bank account details for bank transfers: Bank address: Caja Rural del Sur, 11150 Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz, España.

Account name: La Luz Communications SL Nº de Cuenta: 2217698022 Entidad: 3187 Oficina: 0078 DC: 11 IBAN: ES8231870078112217698022 In the case of a bank transfer, return this form with your details to: La Luz Communications SL Calle Porvera 31, Jerez de la Frontera, 11403 Cádiz.

HOW DID YOU FIND LALUZ? Restaurant, hotel, shop Tourist office Passed on by a friend Online

READER’S RECOMMENDATION

Why I love…

María Jiménez’s Black Stockings JULIET EYRE RECOUNTS HOW SHE WAS SMITTEN BY THE SOUND OF A SMOKY-VOICED SINGER DURING A LONG, HOT, DUSTY ROAD TRIP THROUGH SPAIN

Music and car journeys. Even today, the sound of the Beatles or the Carpenters conjures up long trips as a child back from Italy to the UK, the miles rolling by in my father’s old Volvo estate. In those days, our car music was played from a clumpy eight-track cartridge. Then later, after meeting my husband, it was cassette tapes and family camping holidays in Brittany singing along to anything from Neil Young to George Michael or The Proclaimers.

It’s a powerful thing, music, and especially when it comes to triggering memories. And for me, now living on the Costa de la Luz, there’s one track which I will always associate with another car journey – this time, back to England one hot August. By now, we’d moved on to CDs, and as ever, my husband had put together a selection of tracks to while away the hours.

As we drove through the dusty, baking countryside of Extremadura, I heard María Jiménez for the first time. From the opening bars of Medias Negras, with its sweet guitar notes and slightly throaty vocals, I was caught. Here, I sensed rather than understood, was a story. And although my basic Spanish allowed me to catch very little, Jiménez’s powerful voice touched me in a way that it still does today.

I now know that it’s a story about a man who picks up a girl in a mini skirt and black stockings – and with a shady past. They end up back at his place, but in the morning, she’s gone, together with his wallet and his computer. But worst of all, robándome además el corazón – she stole his heart as well.

The song is written by Joaquín Sabina and even though this version is the wrong way round (Jiménez singing in the first person as a man), it somehow works. It’s a rollercoaster mix of common-place detail and the great affairs of the heart; from the chance meeting on the pedestrian crossing where she asks him for a light, to the moment he realises he’s smitten. There’s humour that even I can catch when, back at the flat, things start to move quickly: Recalenté una sopa con vino tinto, pan y salchichón.

A la segunda copa, -¿qué hacemos con la ropa?, - preguntó.

Jiménez’s rich voice is perfectly matched to the story; in one phrase, she can go from sassy, woman-of-the-world to vulnerable innocence. And as the affair hots up, so too does the music, with some hand clapping to defy any metronome. It’s a very Spanish sound that combines rhythm with a sweet melody; it’ll make you want to sing along even if you can’t manage the words.

Imagine my delight to discover that María has her roots in this part of Spain; born in Seville, she now has a home in Chiclana and is a regular at Los Faroles at San Andres. One of Spain’s most extrovert singers, she can convey laughter and pain, love and grief.

She is famously quoted as saying that she sings with her coño. But wherever the voice comes from, it’s your heart that it’ll touch.

Medias Negras can be found on the album Donde más duele – Canta por Sabina. For more María Jiménez, try De María… a María… con sus dolores

Medias Negras (1990), written by Joaquín Sabina La vi en un paso cebra toreando con el bolso a un autobús llevaba medias negras, bufanda a cuadros, minifalda azul.

Me dijo tienes fuego, tranqui que me lo monto de legal salí ayer del talego, que guay si me invitaras a cenar.

Me echó un cable la lluvia, yo andaba con paraguas y ella no – “¿A donde vamos rubia?”. – “A donde tú me lleves”. – Contestó.

Así que fuimos hasta mi casa. -”Que es el polo”.

– Le advertí. – “Con un colchón nos basta, de estufa, corazón, te tengo a tí”.

Recalenté una sopa con vino tinto, pan y salchichón.

A la segunda copa, -¿qué hacemos con la ropa?, -preguntó.

Y yo que nunca tuve más religión que un cuerpo de mujer, del cuello de una nube aquella madrugada me colgué.

Estaba sólo cuando al día siguiente el sol me desveló me desperté abrazando la ausencia de su cuerpo en mi colchón.

Lo malo no es que huyera con mi cartera y con mi ordenador peor es que se fuera robándome además el corazón.

De noche piel de hada, a plena luz del día Cruella de Ville, maldita madrugada y yo que me creía Steve Mc Queen.

Si en algún paso cebra la encuentras, dile que le he escrito un blues; llevaba medias negras, bufanda a cuadros, minifalda azul.

Do you have something you love about this area that you would like to share with other laluz readers? It might be a place, a person or just an experience you’ve had. If so, email around 600 words to editor@laluzmag.com or post to laluz magazine, Calle Porvera 31, Jerez de la Frontera, 11403 Cádiz.

L A LU Z 47

COOKING CULTURE

Spreading the word worldwide COLETTE BARDELL MEETS A WOMAN WHOSE MISSION IN LIFE IS TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT SPANISH FOOD SHOULD BE ON

ATASTEOFSPAIN.COM

EVERYONE’S MENU

48 L A LU Z

Marta Angulo radiates dynamism when it comes to her favourite subject – Spanish food. But she’s no amateur ‘foodie’; in fact she has made it her profession to promote the best of Spanish food across the globe, resulting in a pretty hectic schedule. One day Cádiz, the next New York, she is one of a band of dedicated professionals committed to raising the profile of this country’s produce on the world stage.

Marta founded a management consultancy company, Food Consulting, in 2002 and is a member of the management team for A Taste of Spain, a gourmet travel company. She’s also one of the many talented ex-urbanites who have escaped the city for the more tranquil setting of the Costa de Luz. Marta based herself in the pretty hamlet of La Muela outside Vejer, having fallen in love with the area on holiday from Madrid. “I love this area for its climate, the people and the peace, and it’s a great place to bring up my five-year-old daughter”, Marta says.

Her passion for food was ignited in her childhood. Brought up in Burgos in the north of Spain, she remembers her mother and grandmother spending a lot of their day planning and preparing meals using local, fresh, ingredients; the family motto was ‘eat well’. “I have always had a curiosity about food. For me it really symbolises the culture of a country”, Marta says.

She embarked on a career with food after leaving school, 20 years ago. Her work as a food ambassador has given her an insight into changing attitudes towards Spanish foods. “Even up until the early Nineties, Spanish food and products weren’t really

known in the gourmet food markets abroad,” she says. “Now we have a definite presence through the work of companies like ours, through trade associations and most importantly the meteoritic rise of top Spanish chefs such as Ferran Adriá, who have made Spanish food fashionable.

“For instance our top quality jamón ibérico sits comfortably alongside the likes of wild salmon and caviar. We still have some way to go with the general public, which is why connections with the big British supermarket chains, for example, are of paramount importance for tapping into the market and making a deeper, longer lasting impression on the average shopper.”

Jamón is a case in point: I once watched in dismay at the deli counter of one of Britain’s top supermarkets as the assistant cut thick slices instead of the necessary paper-thin sheaths. So how can professionals like Marta get over a cultural obstacle like this?

“This is just the sort of challenge Food Consulting loves to get involved with,” she says. “For instance, in Japan we collaborated with the Andalusian trade agency, EXTENDA, to organise a jamón cutting competition for chefs and restaurateurs. These kinds of initiatives pave the way for dedicated in-house training with supermarkets.”

She and her partners, Fátima de Silóniz and Anne Marie Aznarez, work with leading food brands, institutions, chefs and even the public. As Marta explains in her rapid fire speech: “We bring a different approach to our clients with a 360-degree vision of the world of food. We know about lots of different sectors – hams, cheeses or wine, for example – and understand the specifics, but we are also up to date on what’s going on in the international world of food. We follow the trends from everywhere, from what the top chefs like Ferran Adriá are doing, to updates on country-specific and global food movements like the rise of ecofoods or the Slow Food campaign.”

and marketing and control distribution abroad, working with top quality distributors like Brindisa which has done much for Spanish products in the UK,” she says.

In her Food Consulting role, Marta is currently working with local producers through the Cádiz chamber of commerce to organise and promote the best producers in the area, and help them to extend their markets at home and abroad.

EXTENDA

But even today, is Spain still the poor relation locked in cooking combat with countries like Italy, with its world famous balsamic vinegar and fancy bottled olive oils? Marta rallies to the Spanish cause with a volley of statistics and facts about her country’s produce: “Take olive oil for example. We are and have been for years the world’s number one exporter of top quality oils in the world, but everyone thought it was Italy as their marketing effort was stronger and more focused.

“This is now changing; we have forged a profile for our denominación de origen as we did with our wines. So the average foreign shopper now knows a Rioja as they would a Burgundy, or our cava as well as they know champagne. We are creating distinctive personalities for our oils from different regions, protecting and promoting oils from the small producers and cooperatives in the sierras around Spain. Currently we are promoting single estate oils (pagos), like the Italians, and it is proving very popular in gourmet markets”. This is backed up by figures from the Marta Angulo (above left) olive oil association ASOLIVA, works to promote Spanish which show that Spain’s food around the world, for ‘packaged oils’ (less than five example by helping to litres), as opposed to bulk organise jamón-cutting exports, are up three fold in competitions in Japan the last five years.

The markets for Spanish food are also slowly changing, as Marta explains: “France is still number one for Spanish products as it shares many culinary traditions with the Basque county and Catalonia. But we are cementing our presence in the UK, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Australia and in Scandinavia, and breaking into new markets in Eastern Europe and China.”

There is no room for complacency, however, and Marta is aware that there are plenty of products that still need a push. “Our preserved and canned fish products – many produced here on the Costa de la Luz – sometimes suffer from a low quality image which is crazy because they are a superior product. I think they really need to extend their protected status (only some products currently have the denominación de origen), improve packaging

Marta believes the future is bright for Spanish produce and urges people in the Costa de Luz area support local food producers. These can range from the small sierra producers of honey, olive oil and cheese, to salazones and fish conservas from Barbate, sherry vinegar, sweets from Medina Sidonia, aromatic salt or retinto beef from local ranches. And at the top end of the market, there are luxury brands like the Cádiz-based chocolates, Pancracio, which already enjoy international sales via the internet.

“I consider myself very lucky to be working in this sector, it’s a sociable business which suits my personality,” says Marta. “I get to travel, meet a variety of people and have access to some of the best food on offer – which is great as I love food, but it’s a little difficult if you want to remain svelte,” she laughs.

L A LU Z 49

EATING OUT

Waste not, want not APONIENTE El Puerto de Santa María Hailed as a genius of alchemy for his scientific and experimental approach in the kitchen, El Puerto’s Ángel León is a keen advocate of reducing food waste. He has even been known to use fish-eyes to emulsify his dishes. Yet despite his artistic technique, this is not food for art’s sake. According to León, it’s all about the taste.

This, his first restaurant, is a grown-up place. Seating only 30 people and with 11 chefs working in the kitchen, it has a certain seriousness. Yet its simple, elegant décor and a cool maritime theme make it remarkably unassuming.

The restaurant’s nine-course tasting menu offers guests a ‘gastronomical journey’. It’s also where León’s curiosity for the sea becomes most evident (he started fishing with his father aged five).

The first dish – a cold soup of plankton with white shrimp tartar and molluscs – was intriguing. The only time I had come across plankton was at the bottom of the aquatic food chain in my school days. The waiter explained that the distinctive, green colour was due to its high amount of chlorophyll (the cells vital for photosynthesis) and not any artificial food colouring. In fact, rich in marine minerals, proteins, essential fats and vitamin K, plankton is a superior source of nutrition.

Next there were chocos a la cochambrosa with a caldo that had been clarified using one of León’s culinary inventions – the

50 L A LU Z

Clarimax, a sieve-type structure made from marine algae. The tightly-wrapped, small parcels of squid were exquisite, exploding at first bite and oozing warm, fishy flavours.

After a plate of tajita de pez limon came the more familiar sardinas marinadas en mar y vinagre de xerez, served on toasted bread with a tomato, onion marinade and perfectly cooked atun rojo de almadraba with glazed tomatoes and mint.

All handsomely presented.

A silken-looking sea bass followed, arriving on a pan of burning black olive stones. Depending on the catch of the day, the fish served can be anything from sargo (bream) to the less common breca (dace), yet all are cooked similarly on this soft, fragranced heat.

There were two excellent puddings, one fruity and refreshing, the other warm and chocolaty served with toffee icecream and all polished off with a strong coffee.

León clearly runs an intelligent and accomplished kitchen.

Preparing each plate with care and precision – at times using even the least sought after ingredients – he provides his guests with a memorable and unique experience. What’s more, he does it at remarkably reasonable prices which spill over onto the vast wine and sherry list. YVONNE PARDO Aponiente, Calle Puerto Escondido, El Puerto de Santa María.

Tel: 956 851 870; www.aponiente.com. The nine-course tasting menu is €50 (not including wine). The a la carte menu has starters from €8 and main courses from €23

RESTAURANTE PRADILLO Zahara de los Atunes

LA ALTERNATIVA Jerez de la Frontera Heard the old joke about the vegetarian in Spain being served habas con jamón? Laughter aside, the reality is that broad beans with ham can sometimes be listed as a veggie delicacy, which makes eating out a bit of a lottery if your taste doesn’t run to meat, more meat or fish.

With this in mind, former catering manager Mark Vedmore opened Jerez’s first vegetarian cafe-bar, La Alternativa. Vedmore, who moved to Spain five years ago, was determined to bring some variety into Jerez’s foodie scene. Interestingly, the large majority of La Alternativa’s clients are jerezanos keen to try this different food. And what they try, they like. Again and again.

“The potato wedges are very popular,” says Vedmore. “And I once took our Banoffee Pie off the menu. It caused such an uproar that I had to put it back on the next day!”

On our visit we tried the equally popular home-made hummus with warm pitta bread and vegetable sticks. The hummus was thick but creamy with the flavour of cumin seeds bursting through and the sticks of cooked, chilled courgette made a change from the more usual cucumber.

Other starters include mature cheese, walnut bread and onion marmalade and a bean and pepper salad with an oil and reduced balsamic vinegar dressing; prices range from € 3.65 to € 7.25.

From the selection of main dishes we tried the curried vegetables with steamed rice, coconut, red onion, sultanas and yoghurt. The curry flavouring was delicate and the celery, leeks, carrots with new and sweet potatoes were a good combination. The dish was beautifully presented with all the accompaniments served separately – a kind of curry DIY. This worked really well as I piled on the coconut and didn’t bother much with the onions – it’s all down to individual choice.

My fellow diner went for the selection of four mixed salads of couscous with almonds, sultanas and mint yoghurt; Thai vegetable rice and a mushroom sauce; pasta bows with preserved vegetables; and cherry plum tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella pearls and pesto oil. It all looked gorgeous and the highlight was the searing flavour of the ginger in the Thai salad. Prices for main courses range from € 10.95 to € 12.20.

The Banoffee pie lived up to its top billing and its popularity is well justified. We were also very tempted by the fresh melon with ginger and the hot muffin with rum butter.

La Alternativa is also open for breakfasts with a difference, offering dishes such as scrambled eggs and sultana bread alongside traditional but authentic molletes. Worth getting up early for. HELEN PURVIS

Oscar and Rodrigo, owners of Pradillo in Zahara de los Atunes, had been coming to this pretty seaside village from Madrid for a number of years before they decided to open a restaurant. “It’s a magical place,” says Rodrigo and, because they now live here, the restaurant is open all year round.

The terrace dining area has a hip, urban-bedouin atmosphere and inside the restaurant is simple and modern, the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. If you have the energy after eating, the beach is just two minutes walk away.

My companion for the evening was in some discomfort as he had spent the day on the beach exposing a part of his body that is usually left covered. But as soon as we sat down (he gingerly) and tasted the olives marinated in lemon and cumin, and accompanied by a good Crianza Azpilicueta – chilled but not too cold – his sunburn faded into the background.

Pradillo is one of the few restaurants in the area where vegetable dishes are readily available, such as vegetables al wok or vegetables in tempura. We started with carpaccio de atun, slices of tender, raw tuna which melted in the mouth with a flavour of lemon and soy, and parillada de verduras, grilled mixed vegetables with sea salt and an unexpected touch of fresh pineapple.

My companion chose hamburguesa de solomillo con queso brie which was very good and lacking the expected bun. I chose solomillo de vaca de Cantabria which is unusual in Andalucía and was a taste sensation. Even more unusually, both were served with vegetables. We could also have chosen solomillo retinto (the beautiful brown cows that you see grazing throughout the region) or of course the local atun almadraba, sashimi de atun or chuletitas de cordero lechal (baby lamb chops).

There is a wide variety of homemade puddings and we shared a delicious panacotta de la casa drizzled with caramel. After our complementary chupitos of amaretto and brandy, the sunburn seemed a distant memory. KATY SENDER Restaurante Pradillo Carretera Zahara de los AtunesAtlanterra s/n (on left, just before Hotel Porfirio).Tel: 956 439 268 www.restaurantepradillo65.es. Open Tues-Sun 12pm-4pm & 8pm-midnight (summer); Wed-Sun evenings only (winter).

La Alternativa, Calle San Pablo, 7 (off Plaza Arenal), Jerez de la Frontera 11402. Tel: 956 343 961. www.laalternativauniversal.com.

Open: Breakfast – Tues-Fri 9.30am –midday; lunch – Wed-Sun 12.30pm-4pm; dinner – Tue-Sat 9pm-11.30pm

L A LU Z 51

WHAT´S ON

LA LUZ GUIDE TO

What’s on

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 – PLEASE CONFIRM ALL EVENTS WITH VENUES OR LOCAL TOURIST OFFICES BEFORE SETTING OUT

Holidays

Classical

OCTOBER 13th Since National Day (12th) falls on a Sunday this year, the holiday is being celebrated the following day

SEPTEMBER 16th Harpsichordist Cheng-I Chen Liu plays works by Handel, Scarlatti and JS Bach at the Castillo Santa Catalina in Cádiz.

Starts 9pm

NOVEMBER 1st All Saints Day

OCTOBER 23rd & 25th Two performances of Puccini’s Turandot with the Málaga Philarmonic and the house Choir at the Teatro Villamarta in Jerez. Begins Thursday 23rd at 8.30pm, Saturday 25th at 8 pm. Ring 956 149 685 for details

Ferias/Fiestas SEPTEMBER 20th–24th Music, dancing, fun, horses and a lot of livestock at Andalucía’s oldest agricultural fair, in Villamartin. What do you mean you’ve never been there?

Well worth a day out.

25th- 28th The people of Arcos de la Frontera get dressed up in their flounced skirts and cropped suits for three days of celebrations and great hospitality marking the feast day of local patron Saint Michael.

OCTOBER 4th-7th Processions and fireworks as Rota celebrates the feast day of the Virgen del Rosario.

saints, Simon and Judas, with processions, displays, exhibitions, competitions and food.

30th-November 2nd Every kind of local seafood delicacy, plus a glass or two of the town’s lovely dry sherry (manzanilla) at the Feria de la Tapa in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Pop, Rock & Blues SEPTEMBER 18th-21st Get those dancing shoes on! It’s salsa time in Chiclana. Four days of dancing, workshops, concerts and food at the Pura Salsa festival at the town’s municipal sports complex.

Details from 649 973 244 or http://webs.ono.com/fis2008 20th Jerez’s finest pop rockers Maldebares appearing in Tarifa.

Check for details nearer the event on their website www. myspace.com/maldebaresband

4th-5th Free food and drink at the Virgen del Rosario celebrations in the tiny gastrovillage of Villaluenga del Rosario.

An excellent reason for a weekend in the hills near Grazalema.

28th The little town of Zahara de la Sierra celebrates its patron

52 L A LU Z

29th Andalusian bands Kool, The Milkiway Express, Agaporni’s Funk and Shake Before Use at the Akople Rock Festival in Conil.

Starts 7pm and it’s free OCTOBER 24th Fine songs from a fine rock band. Extremoduro play the Chapin football stadium in Jerez

Folk, World & Jazz OCTOBER 24th Pioneering Spanish jazz saxophonist Pedro Iturralde in concert at the Real Teatro de las Cortes in San Fernando. Starts 9pm. Tickets from €15

NOVEMBER 6th Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott and pianist Angela Hewitt play pieces by Bach, Beethoven and Schumann at the Teatro Villamarta, Jerez. Starts 9pm.

Ring 956 149 685 for details

Kids Flamenco SEPTEMBER 13th It’s bulería night at the Jerez autumn wine harvest fair. No details have been released at time of press, but the line-up is usually top class. Check www.turismojerez.com for details nearer the time or ring the local tourist office on 956 341 711

SEPTEMBER 11th-14th Your teen and pre-teen kids will leave home unless you take them! It’s High School Musical at the Teatro Villamarta in Jerez. Tickets from €25.

Further info from 956 149 685

OCTOBER 7th Annual flamenco festival in honour of El Gastor’s famous son, ‘Diego de El Gastor’. No details available at time of going to press, but worth a visit on spec 17th A spectacular night on the cards as María Jose Franco and her company bring her De Grana y Oro show to the Real Teatro de las Cortes in San Fernando.

Starts 9pm. Tickets from €12 – on sale from October 2nd. Ring 956 595 831 for details

NOVEMBER 1st-2nd A proper family night out in San Fernando as Aladdin – The Musical hits the stage at the Teatro Real de las Cortes.

Performances on Saturday 1st at

Autumn/Harvest fair. Yes, I know we said to expect fewer horses, but this is different…At the Parque González Hontoria.

Details from www. turismojerez.com or ring the local tourist office on 956 341 711 at the beginning of September

5pm and 8pm, Sunday 2nd at 12pm and 8pm. Tickets from €30 www.ticktackticket.com. Ring 956 595 831 for details

Others SEPTEMBER 12th-24th It’s grape harvest time in Jerez and what used to be

called the Autumn Feria or the Harvest Feria is back under yet another brand new guise. Expect fewer horses and more popular sherry-and-culture focused events. Details to be announced, but it’s an excellent time to pay a random visit to one of the world’s most famous wine capitals and quaff the odd palo cortado or three 21st If you’re into horses, it’s horse day at the Jerez

OCTOBER 17th-19th Here’s a bit of fun. The people of Grazalema and Benamahoma are going back in time (to 1832) with a weekend recreation of the life and times of local bandit El Tempranillo.

Shoot-outs, flamenco, workshops, stalls, a popular banquet – and an execution to top things off!

SEPTEMBER 21st Xerez CD v Córdoba, Chiclana Industrial v Tharsis 24th Bound to be loads of atmosphere at this local derby as newly promoted San Fernando take on newly relegated Cádiz CF in Bahía Sur. OCTOBER 5th Arcos v Conil

Football Football is back. Did it ever go away? Some interesting games on offer in the province:

L A LU Z 53

DIRECTORY

Advertise in La luz & boost your sales now!

For all advertising enquiries please contact Ram Nijjar on +34 655 047 054 or email advertising@laluzmag.com Closing date for Christmas issue 27 – Nov/Dec: Mon October 20th 2008

>

PRICES FROM AS LITTLE AS €50 FOR 2 MONTHS

N.S.P. SERVICES FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF YOUR:

HOUSE GARDEN & POOL We even deal with those little emergencies

all!

No job too sm

Tel: 628 931 285 / 956 412 156 nigel.pickering4@btopenworld.com

Get results!

Advertise in laluz For all advertising enquiries contact

+34 655 047 054 54 L A LU Z

Harley Davidson Heritage Classic

Year 2000 only 7,000 miles. Spanish plates. Excellent condition, stage 1 tune, sounds and looks incredible. If you’ve ever fancied a Harley this is the one to go for. A real classic and head turner.

Offer around â‚Ź14,000. Tel: 630212803

L A LU Z 55

DIRECTORY

56 L A LU Z

L A LU Z 57

CLASSIFIEDS

CHARITY Animal Welfare Awareness– Please Neuter and Castrate Cats and Dogs at Home or from the Street. 16,000 births of unwanted animals from one pair. www.losanimales.org offers information and facts, Vets and Animal Hospitals. Stop the disease, cruelty and neglect now.

HEALTH Massage & Reflexology Aromatherapy massage, Sports massage/Injuries, Hot Stone massage, Lymphatic Drainage massage, Reflexology and Reiki.

Treating the Mind, Body & Spirit.

Also Bemer Bio-electro magnetic Energy Regulation. Treats many conditions. Arcos and Home/Hotel visits. All Areas covered. Over 10 years experience. For more information

or to book an appointment please call Carol Stone (ITEC) on 956 704 965 / 653 139 558 or visit www.holisticstone.com SPORTS Costaluz Tennis Club Come and join us! Sunday mornings in Nova Sancti Petri (11am – 1pm) Ladies, men’s and mixed doubles – all levels and visitors welcome. For further information contact: Suzanne 956 437414 or Kevin 956 451066 email: Kevin@site2c.co.uk FOR SALE Classic Moody design Bermudan cutter rigged yacht. 10.30 M, beam 3.4M, depth 1.7M, Full headroom, Volvo Penta CU 23, 2 VHF radios, wind speed/ direction, Depth gauge indicator/ alarm. Sleeps 6-8. Dinghy Davits.

Price 32,000 Euros.

Tel: 956 537 099 mobile 661423669 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BBC, ITV, SKY Satellite Locally based, professional service with guarantee and afterinstallation support. Receive over 100 free English channels without any subscription. Best price + free advice.

Relocation, realignments, antennas, cards, multi-rooms.

Call Vivid Image: 956 448 001 or 636 761 506 Get to grips with basic Spanish speaking and listening skills in 2-3 weeks.

We offer 5-hour courses that cover all the Spanish required to get by on a daily basis. No nasty grammar; no abstract theory.

Material to meet individual needs.

For a free trial lesson call Nicholas Sharman at Trafalgar Language Centre, Vejer. Tel: 655 671 380 Translator Half Spanish with BA Honours in Spanish and Spanish Translation can translate Spanish to English and English to Spanish.

Rates vary depending on complexity of text. Call Cristina on 671 890 473 MPC Tiling Experienced tiling specialist for kitchens/bathrooms/walls/floors /swimming pools. Recently relocated from the UK and fluent in both English and Spanish.

Call for a free no obligation quote on 619 326 230 or e-mail maperezcaballero@yahoo.es “QUALITY NOT QUANTITY”

NOTICEBOARD

TASTE of charity A charity curry night in Jerez raised €2,665 to help build a badly needed school for infants in Gambia. The event was held by laluz reader Honor Lee at her house in Jerez and around 90 people attended – a mix of locals and ex-pats.

“We were absolutely thrilled with that figure and are already planning another one next year,” Honor said. “The food was authentic and delicious,

and our Indian chefs wore their traditional costume and looked gorgeous.”

One guest brought a limited edition picture to raffle which alone raised more than €350. For more details on next year’s event, email info@visitjerez.info

58 L A LU Z

Full strength La Luz FC – sponsored by laluz magazine – has recently shifted up a gear from its usual seven-a-side games with what it hopes will be the first of several 11-a-side matches. The club entertained a youthful team from Jerez Flight Training (aka The Top Guns) at Chiclana’s El Trovador stadium in July. The Top Guns dominated the early stages, and La Luz goalkeeper Stefan Lindhorst performed wonders to keep the first half deficit to 2-0.

The combination of fresh legs and a change in tactics at half time saw La Luz begin to control the second half. Emilio Salas scored to reduce the deficit and La Luz drew level in fine style with a superb, curling 30-metre volley from Kevin Hilton.

He followed up with a second goal to put La Luz ahead before the Top Guns levelled late on for a 3-3 draw.

La Luz continue to play seven-a-side games, mainly against Spanish teams, but are scheduling an 11-a-side match against the US Navy in October. There are also plans for a barbecue and a tournament in October.

All players are welcome to join the side, which plays on Thursday evenings at El Trovador in Chiclana. Contact Mark Sandow on 619 121 968 for details.

PICK UP POINTS

You will continue to find us in hotels, restaurants, bars and shops, but the following places are designated pickup points so there should always be plenty of copies

CÁDIZ Alcalá de los Gazules Antigua Fonda B/B Calle Sánchez Flores 4 Arcos de la Frontera Tourist Office Plaza del Cabildo, s/n turismo@ayuntamientoarcos.org

Tel: 956 702 264 Café Ole Cerro de la Reina s/n Mesón de la Molinera Urbanización El Santiscal Barbate Tourist Office Avda José Antonio 23; Tel: 956 433 962 Bar La Galería Paseo Marítimo Hotel El Palomar de la Breña San Ambrosio km 4.5; Barbate-Los Caños de Meca Benalup-Casas Viejas Tourist Office C/ Paterna 4; Tel: 956 424 009 contacto@descubre-andalucia.com

Cádiz Junta de Andalucía Tourist Office Avda Ramón de Carranza; Tel: 956 258 646; otcadiz@andalucia.org Tourist Office Paseo de Canalejas s/n; Tel: 956 241 001; aytocadiz.turismo@telefonica.net

Active Language Plaza Libertad 4, 1st floor Chiclana de la Frontera Tourist Office Constitución s/n; Tel: 956 400 101; turismo@chiclana.es

Mail Boxes Etc Ctra. de La Barrosa; C.C. Miramar, local 22 Nuevo Look Fashion La Vid, Edif. El Espinel, local 2 Lemon Tree restaurant Ctra de la Barrosa, Urb Soto del Aguila Monopoly Apartaclub la Barrosa; Ctra. de la Barrosa, Los Gallos Chipiona Tourist Office Plaza Juan Carlos I, 3 Tel: 956 377 263 E-mail: turismochipiona@gmail.com Conil Tourist Office C/ Carretera 1; Tel: 956 440 501; turismo@conil.org Andaluz Homes C/ Flor, 25 Grazalema Tourist Office Plaza de España 11; Tel: 956 132 225 Jerez de la Frontera Tourist Office Alameda Cristina Tel: 956 341 711/956 338 874 turismojerez@aytojerez.es Mercers estate agents Calle Porvera 31; Tel: +34 956 329572 Medina Sidonia Tourist Office Plaza de la Iglesia Mayor, s/n; Tel: 956 412 404 Andaluz Homes C/Hercules 2 Chelsea Academia Pza carretita s/n

Olvera Tourist Office Plaza de la Iglesia s/n; Tel: 956 120 816 Olvera Properties Calle Maestro Amado 2 Bar Pepe Reyes/Tartan Bar Pza del Ayuntamiento 9 El Puerto de Santa María Second Time Around Books Avda. Juan Melgarejo Galeria, Supermercado Crevillet, Ctro cial Vista Hermosa Local 2 Tel: 956 540 220 Rota Tourist Office C/ Cuna, 2. Palacio Municipal Castillo de Luna.

Tel: 956 846 345 turismorota@hotmail.com Sanlúcar de Barrameda Tourist Office C/ Calzada del Ejército s/n; Tel: 956 366 110; turismo@aytosanlucar.org

Tarifa Tourist Office Paseo de la Alameda s/n; Tel: 956 680 993 turismo@aytotarifa.com DN-Law C/ San Trinidad 1 Bossa Cafe Puerta de Jerez Circus Bar C/ San Sebastian 8 Vejer de la Frontera Tourist Office Avda de los Remedios 2; oficinadeturismovejer@hot mail.com Tel: 956 451 736 De La Luz Properties SL Los Remedios S/N Hotel El Califa Plaza de España

La Patría restaurant Patria 48, La Muela The English Bookshop C/ Juan Rellinque 45 Zahara de la Sierra Tourist Office Plaza Zahara 3

LALUZ IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GIBRALTAR You can find laluz in

Gibraltar Morrisons W side Road

L A LU Z 59