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Number 11. Winter 2001/2002. Magazine for members of the Solbank Prestige Club. Price: 500 Ptas.
Your Money
Full service banking
Extremwalking
A hiking tour in Extremadura
Eternal Spring
A visit to Tenerife
Welcome to Solbank
Welcome
to Solbank
Usted se merece más...
...acérquese a Solbank
The Bank you can talk to
De bank met wie u kan spreken
La banque avec qui vous pouvez parler
Die Bank mit der Sie sprechen können
Customer Help Line:
902 343 999
www.solbank.com
Banco Sabadell
Solbank
Winter 2001/2002
02 Letter from the Chief - Executive
D. Marc Monràs, Deputy General Manager,
Banco Sabadell, S.A.
03 Solbank News
Recent developments and an update from Spain’s leading
bank on the coast
06 The Island Of Eternal Spring
Tenerife
12 Building A Mallorcan Dream
An Interview with estate agent Matias Kühn
06
16 Home Buyers Guide
David Searl´s step by step guide to safe home buying
24
18 Your Money
Solbank’s expert advice on full service banking
20 Handcrafted Excellence
Paulino Bernabe guitars
24 Destination Golf: Montecastillo Golf Resort
Checking out the links in Jerez
27 A Day In The Life Of:
Financial Consultant Paget Langford-Holt
28 Spain’s Hidden Treasures
Hotel Mas Crisaran
12
30 Extremwalking
28
A walking tour through Extremadura
34 Food and Drink
Edward Owen’s restaurant and wine guide
36 Improve Your Golf
Tips from the pro on how to correct chipping problems
38 Local News
What’s up and what’s on in the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol,
Mallorca, the Costa Brava and in the Canary Islands
44 Readers’ Page
Prestige Club readers’ space to voice opinions and to
share tips and other information
16
46 Your Health
Calpe’s La Colina Club retirement home
30
48 I’m Glad You Asked
David Searl answers readers’ letters
Solbank Prestige Club Magazine Director: Alex Clayton 93 728 2308. Edited: Tune In Magazine S.L. C/ Molino, 5.
28690 Brunete (Madrid). Editor: Guy Fiorita. Consultant: Edward Owen. Art Director: Javier López Writers: Edward
Owen, David Searl, Adam Hopkins, Gaetano Aly, Paul Aitken, Alex Clayton, Steve Guest, Guy Fiorita. Photographers:
Solbank Images, J.D. Dallet, Francisco Po Egea, Gaetano Aly, Jeronimo Alba, Edward Owen, Adam Hopkins, Guy Fiorita,
Montecastillo Golf Resort, Kuhn and Partner, Tenerife News. Advertising enquires: Alex Clayton 93 728 2308 All
correspondence concerning Solbank Prestige Club Magazine should be sent to: Solbank Prestige Club Magazine,
Calle Molino, 5. 28690 Brunete (Madrid). Spain. Tel: 34 91 816 43 29. E-mail: [email protected] Production:
WB Soluciones Graficas Print: Gráficas Ruíz Polo. Depósito Legal: GU-286/1999
Solbank Prestige Club Magazine is published quarterly and is distribuited free to Solbank customers.
The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Solbank S.A. or Solbank Prestige Club
Magazine, nor does the inclusion of any adver tisement mean that the publisher endorses the company concerned or its
products. No part of this magazine including texts, photographs and graphics may be reproduced in any way without prior
written consent of Solbank. We welcome comments and views about this or any other issue of Solbank Prestige Club.
Banco de Sabadell S.A. Solbank is a registered Trade Mark of Banco de Sabadell S.A.
20
46
Solbank News
Letter
Homes in Köln
from the Deputy General Manager
On 25 October Solbank was
invited by the Stadsparkasse
Köln to present its services
in Spain. Solbank has a collaboration agreement with this
Cologne based savings bank
and the objective of the visit
was to participate in the presentation of Solviva, a joint
estate agency between the
Stardsparkasse of Köln and
Dusseldorf.
Dear Club Members,
As we approach the festive season, and indeed prepare for the coming of a New Year, it is
a good moment for us to take stock of all we have achieved in the year. For Solbank, 2001
has without a doubt been exceptional: we have doubled our branch network, remodelled a
number of our older branches, attended a number of property fairs, in and outside of Spain,
and introduced new services.
As a Prestige Club magazine reader, you have participated in a Reader Survey, the results
of which have been extraordinary. There can be no doubt from the response shown by you,
our readers, that The Solbank Prestige Club magazine is extremely popular and well accepted. We shall endeavour to make it remain so.
Your comments and opinions go very far toward shaping the magazine, so much so that
in this issue we have included four new sections “on popular demand”. Spain’s Hidden
Treasures aims to explore those enchanting places that are off the beaten track, be it small
hotels or a hidden cove or a forgotten monastery. Walking Tours will take you on picturesque excursions the length and breadth of Spain with maps and advice on how to get to these
places with wise recommendations.
These sections would not be complete without a “Readers’ page” where you can voice your
opinions or share experiences with fellow readers. I encourage you all to write in and make
the most of your new page. Last but not least, we have added a section called Your Health
which provides you with useful tips on staying in shape, diet and other concerns so that you
may enjoy many long years of reading Prestige!
It’s not often that we can move ahead into a New Year with a bigger and better magazine but this is exactly what we all have to look forward to in 2002. It gives me great pleasure to address you all in this new issue of Prestige, and to wish you all an extremely happy
Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
With my very best wishes,
D. Marc Monràs
Deputy General Manager
Banco Sabadell
The event took place in the
Inmobilien Centre at 6:30 in
the afternoon with presentations by Horst Klein, manager
of the centre, and by Kai
Richter of Solviva and Gordon
Steinecke, the manager for
Solbank in Calpe. Cristoph
Albeck, manager of Solbank
in Santa Ponsa, was also on
hand to explain Solbank’s
Home Buying ser vices in
Spain to potential customers.
The event was a great success with many of those who
attended expressing the desire to find a bit of winter sun!
Sol in Sandown
On 21, 22 and 23 September,
a delegation of Solbank set
up shop in the Sandown
Exhibition Centre for the
Esher World of Property Fair.
Over 105 exhibitors were
present with much interest
being shown in Solbank´s
Home Buying ser vices in
Spain. The fair was a thorough success with managers from both the Costa
Blanca and the Costa del Sol
on hand to give advice to all
those prospective home
buyers abroad.
FeriAltea 2001
Golf News
The beautiful Costa Blanca
town of Altea where Solbank
opened a branch earlier in
the year, provided the perfect setting for Feraltea
2001. From 6-9 October a
large number of different
exhibitors offered their products and services to the
general public. Solbank was
no exception and in keeping
with the spirit of the local
branch offered help and
advice to all those who came
to the stand. A large number
of English, German and
Dutch visitors were evident
and interestingly people
came from up and down the
coast. A big thanks to the
local branch for all their help!
Aloha:
3rd stop on the golf circuit in Nueva Andalucia, Marbella. Play began at 8:45 am with 146 players in the main competition which was an individual Stableford with separate categories for men
and women.
The competition was a great success with over 122 people participating in the parallel activities
of Putting, Speed and Power and Chipping.
Pula:
4b, "For Better!"
Competition was stiff this year as the Solbank tour made its way to Pula Golf Club in Mallorca. The
islanders turned out in full force to enjoy yet another tournament under the warm Mallorcan sun.
The network of 4B automatic
cashpoint machines of which
Solbank is part, has made
its conditions far better for
cards that are issued by
banks outside Spain.
Until recently, the limit for
cash withdrawal was only
35.000 pesetas. For many
clients such an amount was
not sufficient; Solbank
brought the matter to the
attention of the board of 4b
and now card holders who
have cards issued outside
Spain can enjoy the facility of
withdrawing up to 50,000
pesetas a day. With over
11,000 cash dispensers
around Spain and with such
advances, 4b is definitely for
you and for better!
And the winner is...
The winner of the Night
stay in the Hotel La Era in
Carbonela that we offered
to raffle among the readers who responded to the
reader survey is Stephen
Fleming.
Las Brisas:
For the third year running Solbank staged a tournament at the magnificent Club of Las Brisas.
This regular fixture was graced by over 111 participants who thoroughly enjoyed the game on this
course in late October.
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SolbankPrestigeClub 03
Solbank News
Your magazine: Your survey
The tremendous response to
the reader survey carried out
in the summer edition of
Prestige has been quite overwhelming. Almost 800 readers
took the time to answer the
questionnaire enclosed. 42%
of readers rated the magazine
as excellent, with a further
54% classifying it as good.
Such an evaluation is frankly
outstanding and reflects your
commitment as readers to the
magazine.
as readers may be aware of
how we have gradually increased the number of pages
and contents in line with your
comments and suggestions.
of opinions and choices that
you all have as readers.
One of the main results of
this survey can be seen and
felt in the very edition you
have in your hands of
Prestige at this moment.
Upon your own recommendation we have gone up 8 pages
and added four new sections
for your information and of
course enjoyment. The new
sections are: Walking Tours,
Spain’s Hidden Treasures,
Health and Beauty and your
very own Readers’ Page. It is
here where you can tell other
readers of that very special
Interestingly, you have classified your favourite four sections in the following order:
Law and Finance, Local
News, Destinations and
Solbank News. Food and
Drink comes a close fifth with
almost 60% of readers considering this section as worth
reading. We have included
some of the results in graphic format so that you can
get an idea of the breakdown
The Solbank Prestige magazine has constantly strived
towards addressing readers’
needs and expectations. You
restaurant, voice your opinions on life in Spain or
simply recount an anecdote
that you feel like sharing with
your fellow readers. Prestige
is today far more than anything your magazine, and the
preferences you have expressed go directly toward shaping this magazine.
We would like to thank the
team behind the Prestige
magazine but most of all you,
the readers, who make the
magazine what it is and
whose comments and suggestions make the whole
thing worthwhile. Thank you.
Number 11. Winter 2001/2002. Magazine for members of the Solbank Prestige Club. Price: 500 Ptas.
Prestige
Excellent
42,49%
Your Money
Extremwalking
A hiking tour in Extremadura
Eternal Spring
Good
53,75%
Average
Bad
A visit to Tenerife
3,96%
0%
Favorite Sections
Finance/Legal
75,70%
Local News
69,80%
65,31%
Destinations
Solbank News
61,52%
Food and Drink
59,69%
Golf
24,86%
Interview
24,02%
New Sections
Spain’s Hidden Treassures
86,18%
Walking Tours
61,97%
Health Beanty
46,72%
Readers’ Page
39,90%
Interior Decoration
30,63%
Gardening
Boating
Books
l
04 SolbankPrestigeClub
27,49%
17,38%
11,25%
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Destination Tenerife
On the face of it, Tenerife is a small, subtropical island in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. So what is
it about this particular island that makes people want to come back year after year? Perhaps it is
because Tenerife has something for everybody. Known as “The Land of Eternal Spring”, the
island’s year round mild climate is ideal if you want to spend your time lazing on a sunny beach,
lounging by your hotel swimming pool, viewing spectacular scenery or enjoying lively nightclubs. As
well as its outstanding natural beauty, the island also has many man-made attractions to satisfy
the cravings of most visitors. By James Cunnigham.
The Island of
Eternal Spring
T
enerife is the largest of the
Canary Islands which lie just
off the coast of north west
Africa, and thought by some
to be the remains of the
fabled lost continent of Atlantis.
Like all the islands in the chain, it is
volcanic in origin. The island is
dominated by the 3,718-metre peak
of Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain. One of Tenerife’s most
popular excursions is a coach or car
trip to the base of Teide and then up
to the peak on a cable car. The
mountain is set in the national park
of Las Cañadas in which the scenery
constantly changes – one moment
lush pine forests, then seas of volcanic lava, followed almost immediately by desert moonlike plains, all
dominated by the majestic peak of El
l
Teide. Small wonder that the ancient
inhabitants of Tenerife, the
Guanches, worshipped the mountain as a god, especially as there have
been nearby eruptions within the
past hundred years. A mountain
range stretches along the length of
the island like a backbone and it is
this that gives Tenerife its unique climate. The north of the island is
covered with lush green fields and
farmlands: here trade winds bring in
cool wet weather. The south is the
place for sun worshippers where
hardly any rain or even cloud disturbs the deep blue sky.
During its recent history, the
island suffered several invasions, the
most famous of course by the
Spanish in the 15th century, and therefore it has been influenced by
Spanish and Moorish as well as more
recently northern European cultures. The architecture of the old cities
such as La Laguna (the ancient capital), Santa Cruz and La Orotava is
interesting and varied, and well
worth a visit, especially as a change
from the modern resort complexes
of Playa de Las Américas, Los
Cristianos and Los Gigantes. And
with the varying influences comes
the folklore. Few are the weeks in
the year when somewhere on the
island is not celebrating its patron
saint with fireworks, processions,
folk music and dancing.
Tenerife is a nature-lover’s paradise,
with many examples of flora and
fauna unique to the islands. Nor is it
necessary to venture into the backwoods to experience wild life first hand,
as there are several parks which have
brought nature within easy reach of
the visitor. Conveniently, the main two
are situated on opposite sides of the
island. “Las Águilas del Teide”, in the
hills above Los Cristianos, has wild animals in simulated natural habitat, featuring a spectacular free-flying display
by birds of prey, including golden
eagles. The “Loro Parque” in Puerto
de la Cruz also features birds, but as its
name suggests, a large collection of
parrots and other smaller birds. There
is also a walk-through aquarium with
sharks and rays plus displays by dolphins and penguins. Either of these
parks will provide a fun-day out with a
difference.
The inner man is also well catered for, with restaurants and bars to
suit all tastes and pockets. Food
from all lands is here, including
French, Indian, Chinese, Japanese,
Thai, Lebanese, and Greek cuisine
to name but a few, as well as all the
regional variations of Spanish cooking. But don’t ignore the local cuisine, as every village will have several
restaurants, all comparatively inexpensive yet serving a limited but
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delicious menu. Local delicacies
include bananas and tropical fruits
as well as great fish, garlic chicken,
stewed goat meat in a spicy salmorejo sauce, local pork and rabbit, little
potatoes, together with either a
green or red mojo sauce – the green
is mild but the red has its basis in hot
chillis, so be warned! Eating out for
the locals is a way of life, and so will
be a far cheaper experience than a
restaurant at home. A short excursion into an inland village will certainly reap gastronomic rewards.
For visitors with children, a trip to
the Octopus Water Park in Playa de
las Américas is a must. It has numerous water slides, including the
kamikaze, a slide of which begins at
an almost vertical angle. The southern resorts also offer opportunities
for sea trips, especially those to see
the schools of pilot whales and dolphins which are always to be found
just offshore. These trips also take in
some spectacular cliff scenery
around the Los Gigantes area,
which includes the highest sheer
cliffs in Spanish territory. Another
popular land excursion is into the
western mountains to find the village of Masca, which was until very
recently completely cut off from the
rest of the island except for a donkey track. Car hire is particularly
good value, especially as the cost of
fuel is around half the price in
Europe. Invest in a good map, and
explore for yourselves the rich
beauty of the Anaga Hills in the
north, Las Cañadas, La Esperanza
and the unspoiled inland villages
and small towns. There are also historic sites as, for instance, near La
Esperanza is the hamlet of Las
Raices where General Franco planned the coup which began the
Spanish Civil War.
The town of Icod de los Vinos has
its own charm, with a 15th century
parish church, rich with gold and silver ware, as well as fine wood sculptures. Icod is also home to the
famous Dragon Tree “El Drago”,
which is the finest example on the
island and reputed to be over a
thousand years old. As its name
implies, this is a popular area for
wines, of which the island has several excellent examples, the other
main vine growing areas being
Tacoronte and the Valley of La
Orotava.
l
As far as accommodation is concerned, Tenerife can offer top class
hotels whose luxurious surroundings rival anywhere in the world, to
small inexpensive yet comfortable
Pensiones in local villages. In between you can find a full range of hotels
and self-catering apartments, usually
centred around the tourist resorts of
Playa de las Américas, Los
Cristianos, Los Gigantes and Puerto
de la Cruz. If you are self-catering,
there is a full range of international
foods available at local supermarkets, as well as markets, take-away
and home delivered food. There are
numerous holiday ownership complexes to be found in these same
areas, where are also the nightclubs,
tourist bars and main attractions.
With the comparatively inexpensive
alcohol and tobacco prices, an enjoyable evening can be much better
value than its counterpart at home.
For a cheap day out there are
numerous beaches, some busy and
others still unspoiled. Although the
l
sand is volcanic and therefore a dark
grey colour, the beaches are generally very clean, and several have
been awarded the coveted EU blue
pennant for their high standards. If
you really do need normal golden
sand, there is an excellent manmade beach to the north of Santa
Cruz called Las Teresitas, with sand
imported from the Sahara Desert.
So, to answer my original question of why visitors return to
Tenerife year after year - maybe it is
because they find in this island
everything that they want for a perfect holiday. Maybe you will too!
Solbank is a registered trademark of Banco de Sabadell, S.A.
Mortgage
B
S
Whatever kind of house
,
you want, we ve got
the mortgage for you.
For further information please
contact your nearest branch or call
902 343 999
You will receive immediate help
and professional advice.
Banco Sabadell
Solbank
Interview Matias Kühn
l
Matias Kühn arrived on the island of Mallorca in a second hand
car and not much more than a diploma in economics under his
arm. Twelve years later, his firm, Kühn and Partner is one of the
most respected and important companies in Mallorca with over
20 offices and 120 employees. By Guy Fiorita
Building A Mallorcan Dream:
An Interview with estate agent
Matias Kühn
How is it that you came to set up an estate agency in Mallorca?
I already had an inkling at that time that Mallorca would develop into the
Florida of Europe. Despite this fact, setting up shop wasn't so easy. At that
time it was practically impossible as a German citizen to establish a firm. It
took nearly a year before the first property was even sold. Thereafter,
everything suddenly seemed to happen more quickly. The selling of property
on Mallorca became less complicated, and, thanks to an increased volume of
flights, the attractiveness of the island steadily grew.
What is it that attracted you to Mallorca in particular?
The ideal location and easy accessibility are great advantages. First and
foremost, of course, Mallorca is an absolutely beautiful island, characterized
by exquisite natural beauty and a vibrant culture. No other holiday island
retreat offers such a variety of leisure activities throughout the year with a
comforting sense of security and well-being.
l
Interview Matias Kühn
I MADE MY UTMOST PRIORITIES HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY AND QUALITY…
At the time of your arrival in Mallorca
there were ver y few successful
German owned and operated businesses in the island. How do you
account for the amazing success of
Kuhn and Partner?
I made my utmost priorities
honesty, transparency and quality.
Due to these priorities, I believe,
Kühn and Partner enjoys the valued
trust of its customers. There are no
hidden surprises. The word has spread and because of this, we continue
to report record sales.
What advice would you give someone thinking of setting up a company
in Mallorca?
Entrepreneurs should be prepared to accept certain local customs,
which will ensure smooth assimilation into Mallorcan culture. Without
a working knowledge of Spanish, it is
difficult to introduce improved efficiency standards.
showcase largely works by Mallorcan
artists as well as those persons long
resident on the island, including, for
example, the painter, Nils Burwitz.
In addition, we sponsor countless
projects, which also serve to unite all
cultures.
The company now has offices in the
island of Ibiza, are there any plans to
bring Kühn and Partner onto the
peninsula or other parts of the world?
We are currently analysing the
markets on the southern coast of
Spain, in addition to Marbella, the
Canary Islands, the Cote d'Azur,
Monaco and Kitzbuehl.
In April 2000 Kühn & Partner began
a new business venture; Kühn &
Partner Yachting, which deals exclusively with the sale of yachts, moorings and charters. Luxury homes to
luxury yachts seem a natural step,
although there were already a number of companies specializing in
yacht sales and charter. What is it
that your company can bring to this
new venture?
We wanted to further meet the
needs of our clients. Most property
buyers are under a tight time schedule. They are happy to find a firm
in which they can place their trust one, which will single-handedly do
all the work necessary.
Kühn and Partner is not limited to
selling existing homes but is now
also building new urbanizations. The
exclusive homes of Las Brisas, for
example, are about the most talked
about on the island. What do these
homes offer and who are your potential clients?
Overlooking the port of Andratx,
one of the most exclusive parts of
Mallorca, 18 unique villas will be
built in a private neighbourhood
over 70000 m2 in size. Due to the
unusual location nestled on the
peak of a mountain the luxurious
homes will offer a fantastic view of
the harbour, the Teramunta mountain range and the island of
Dragonera. The exclusive villa community will have its own private
drive, manned by 24-hour security.
All homes will have their own outdoor swimming pool. Additionally, the
larger models will be equipped with
a guesthouse, an underground garage, a sauna and indoor pool.
Tell us about the Patio Foundations:
the literature says it was set up to
promote the development of studies, and investigation of popular
culture and artistic patrimony? What
exactly does this mean?
The Patio Foundation achieved
something, which is, unfortunately,
all too rare in Mallorca, namely: the
melting of the Mallorcan culture
with those of the English and
German. Only seldom does one see
such a large and varied mix of international and local guests as at our
gallery showings. This widespread
interest is generated by the choice to
How has the ban on new building
affected the company and how do
you see the future of Mallorca as it
relates to immigration and overpopulation?
Contrary to reports released
through various German press agencies, there has NOT been a halt placed
on the continued building development on Mallorca. The island authorities continue to grant building permits
for new development of single-family
dwellings, office buildings and midrange hotels. The authorities have,
however, placed a hold on granting
permission to construct apartment
l
buildings, multi-family dwellings and
5-star hotels until the end of 2002.
After this point a new regulatory body,
the Plan Territorial, will oversee the
further development of the island.
The island authority hopes to
control the population increase via
this directive. Rather than building
to meet the needs of over 600,000
persons within the next years, new
homes for a mere 100,000 will be
built. In this way, the population
increase will be more in keeping
with the sustainable improvements
in the infrastructure. This decision
to preserve the quality of life on the
island of Mallorca is one fully supported by Kühn and Partner.
Evidently the September 11th disaster in the U.S. has already changed
many things in the world. Tourism has
dropped off dramatically in Mallorca
and it is feared that new home purchases will also begin to drop. How
has this affected your business?
I beg to differ. The majority of
experts agree that, in the long run,
the tourism industry on the island of
Mallorca will stand to benefit. People
want a return to travel to safe destinations, such as the Balearic Islands.
Our numbers overwhelmingly confirm this new boom. Whilst September
was understandably weak, October
ended with impressive sales statistics.
During times of crisis many persons
tend to find solace in the more pleasant sides of life.
Mention the name Matias Kühn to
most anyone on the island and they
will know immediately who you are
talking about. The Partner, on the
other hand, seems to remain a mystery. When I told a Mallorcan friend
of mine I would be conducting this
interview he nearly begged me to
ask the following question: Who is
the Partner of Kühn and Partner?
I solely own Kühn & Partner and
its agent firm. We are currently working with various investors in the
development of numerous projects,
such as the apartment complex in
Betlem as well as the single-family
units "Dalt de Sa Rapita" located at
the Es Trenc Beach.
For more information please call:
00 34 971 22 80 20
l
Living in Spain
Safe Property Purchase
When it comes to buying a home, Spain is no different from other countries, which means you should
check everything carefully. When you buy Spanish property, as tens of thousands of foreigners are
doing every year, you should do exactly as you would do in your home country. By David Searl.
T
his means that you believe nothing and check everything.
This does not make you a suspicious and mistrustful person. It simply makes you an
intelligent buyer who wants to be sure
that he gets what he pays for.
To answer your first question, yes,
there are ways to check on just about
every factor involved in buying
Spanish property. Foreigners often
feel at a loss in a strange country
where they do not speak the language and are not familiar with the procedures, but help is available.
To answer your second question,
yes, by all means use a Spanish lawyer. He should charge you about one
per cent of the amount of the sale,
and he can save you millions of pesetas, or thousands of euros, as we had
better start thinking. In any area
where many foreigners purchase
there are lawyers who speak English
or German or other European languages. Ask among the locals to find
a solicitor with satisfied clients.
l
See the Papers Before You Sign
Before you sign any agreements
and before you pay out even a minimum reservation deposit, you and
your lawyer should see some basic
documents.
You need:
1. The Escritura Publica, which
is the seller’s own title deed,
registered in the Spanish
Property Registry.
2. The paid-up IBI receipt for the
annual property tax.
3. The catastral certificate, giving
the boundaries and total area
of the property.
4. The current receipts for the
fees of the Community of
Property Owners, the Statutes
of the Community, and the
minutes of the last AGM.
A competent real estate agent will
make sure that the seller has prepared a packet of these documents to
show to any serious possible buyer. A
company selling new property should
also have a legal package ready for its
prospective purchasers. Let’s look at
them in a little more detail.
The seller’s title deed, the
Escritura Pública, is the most important document you need. This is
registered in the Registro de la
Propiedad, the Property Registry,
and is the only complete guarantee
of ownership. This document describes the property and gives the personal details of the owner. Even the
company which has built new property, such as an apartment in a
block of flats, or a villa of new construction, will have such a title.
If you are buying off-plan or unfinished construction, the seller will
have a title to the main body of the
property, but the individual titles will
not yet be registered. This title deed
thus enables you to know that the
seller is the real owner of the property
and it lets your lawyer obtain from the
Property Registry a nota simple,
which tells whether any mortgages are
registered against the property.
A mortgage must be registered
and it will appear as a marginal note
against the property. This often happens with new property, as the builder takes out a mortgage against
each new apartment to finance his
own construction. This is perfectly
okay, as long as you make sure the
mortgage is cancelled when you purchase yourself.
The Impuesto sobre Bienes
Inmuebles, usually called the IBI, is
the annual real estate tax charged by
Spanish municipalities. Any secondhand property you buy will be subject to this tax and a new property
should be registered for it even if no
tax is due until the following year.
This IBI receipt is important because it shows you how much tax you
will have to pay each year and that
the tax has been paid up to date. If
not, the new owner can be held liable for the back taxes.
It is also important because it
shows your valor catastral, which is
the official assessed value of the property. Various other property taxes,
such as your non-resident property
owner’s imputed income tax, which
you must pay every year, are based
on this value.
Finally, the IBI contains the property’s referencia catastral, which is
its catastral registration number.
Which brings us to our next point.
Catastro: Another System Of
Property Registration
The Catastro is another system of
property registration. It is the land
registry and it is concerned with
exact measurement and physical
description. The Property Registry is
concerned mainly with ownership
and title, but the Catastro, which
values land for tax purposes, contains exact data, and even aerial photographs.
Now it gets confusing. We have
two systems of property registration.
And they don’t even talk to each
other. You are right. It is more complicated than it needs to be.
Furthermore, the Escritura and the
Catastral registration often disagree.
The Escritura tends to be vague
about descriptions of boundaries
and measurements. Especially in
older country properties, we often
find that the land has far fewer square metres than the title deed actually
states, for example.
If you are buying a flat in a new
building, this will not be so important, but a piece of land in the campo
really should have a catastral certificate. This certificate comes in two parts,
one of them being a map and the
other being a written description.
As it takes months to obtain the full
certificate, few sellers actually have it.
In real life you probably will not see it
and you may have to have your property surveyed by a professional.
Community Important To Property
Values
A well-run Community of Property
Owners can add thousands of euros
to the value of a modest apartment.
A community where the members
bicker and basic maintenance goes
undone can take away thousands of
euros from the nicest villa.
Before you buy, you want to see
the current receipt for the community fees, which will assure you they
are paid up and will tell you how
much you must pay each year. You
also want to see the Statutes of the
community, so that you know what
rules will apply to you as a member,
and you really ought to see the
minutes of the last AGM, just in case
the community has serious water
problems or other troubles that are
not immediately apparent.
Once you have seen these documents, you will have a basic body of
knowledge about the property you
are considering. If it still looks good
to you, your lawyer can help you with
the contract.
If you are buying a new property
that is not quite finished, the developer will certainly have contracts
prepared. Your lawyer needs to vet
this contract, perhaps pointing out
that it does not contain any penalty
clause for late finishing of the property. If you are buying a villa from a
private seller, there will be some
negotiations about how much of the
purchase price to declare on the
contract.
Many Spanish owners originally
under-declared the amount of the
sale when they first bought, in order
to avoid some of the transfer tax.
This was common practice in Spain
for many years.
In today’s booming property market, the seller may be faced with high
capital gains on his profit, so he still
wants to under-declare the sale. It is
not in your interest as a buyer to do
so. It is better to declare the full
value now, in order to minimise your
own future capital gains tax liability.
Furthermore, under-declaring by
two million pesetas or ten per cent
of the total price is an offence and
can be punished by stiff penalties.
Your Spanish lawyer can help you in
this situation and we recommend
that you declare the full price.
All these warnings give the impression that Spanish property purchase
is fraught with hidden dangers. In
fact, almost all property deals go
quite smoothly. Nevertheless, it is
only prudent to make the basic
checks that we have listed here.
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Your Money Full Service Banking
Aleix Masachs - Business Director Solbank
Solbank’s
Full Service Banking
Are you thinking about buying a house in Spain? Or have any of your relatives or friends decided
to do so? This is a very important decision, and we at Solbank can and want to make the purchase
and enjoyment of your home as easy and comfortable as possible. By Aleix Masachs.
Financing and installments for the
purchase
If you need financing for your
house, give us a few hours to study
your particular situation and we will
offer you the mortgage that best
meets your needs. If you so wish, we
can study your case even before you
come to Spain: we will analyze the
data you provide us by telephone,
fax or email, and we will give you a
specific offer. When you travel to
Spain, the documentation will be
ready to formalize the operation.
If you do not wish to finance the
purchase, you may transfer money
via a Solbank account from your own
country, and arrange for us to make
the payments in your name to formalize the purchase of your house.
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Full Service Package
Purchasing real estate is a complex
process that requires the participation
of several professionals. Solbank
offers its current and potential customers a global information service
from the outset and throughout the
entire process, and provides expert
advice on the steps to be taken and
the professionals to be contacted.
Some of the services and steps are
mandatory, such as the verification
of the actual situation of the property at the Register, obtainment of
the NIE (Foreign Resident Identity
Card), the purchase deed executed
before the Notary Public, the registration with the Land Register, and
the contracting of basic services
(water, electricity…).
Other services may only be necessary occasionally, for example, legal
advice or the valuation of the property. Throughout the entire process, the staff of your Solbank office
will provide as much information
and advice as required, but you as
the client will only have to defray the
amounts billed by the professionals
taking part.
Home Protection Plan
We have chosen the best home
insurance from among the most solvent insurance companies operating
in Spain. At the office you usually
attend, or through the internet or by
telephone, we will draw up an estimate for you, and, if you wish, we will
contract the policy on your behalf.
Solbank Home Protection Plan
offers two different models: All Risk
and Multi-risk Protection in order to
cover any specific personal or property circumstances. If you already
have your home insured, do not
hesitate to ask for an estimate and
then compare it with your existing
policy.
We help you manage your home
Your insurance, electricity bills,
municipal services, the fees from
your golf club… You can stop worrying about all the above, at Solbank
we will take care of your payments.
At home in Spain or from your own
country, you will be able to track the
progress of your account movements
and of the bills that we have attended.
Through the Internet, you will see
your account balance and even an
exact reproduction of the bills we
have paid for you. In this way, you
have total control over your account,
and, if necessary, you can order a bill
to be returned if it does not correspond to what you expected.
To see what we are talking about and more,
visit our website at:
www.solbank.com
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Prestige Product Guitars
At first glance there is nothing very inspiring about the neighborhood. It is a typical working class
barrio in the north of Madrid, cramped with dull apartment blocks with washing hanging on lines
from small balconies and parked cars blocking every inch of sidewalk. It is a part of Madrid far
from any monument or museum where it is rare to see a tourist. Yet it is here that people have
come from as far as Canada or Japan to visit.
The reason, Paulino Bernabe has his studio here and it is here that he turns out a handful of handcrafted classical guitars a year. When buying a Bernabe guitar one of the first conditions is, after
being informed of the up to two year waiting period, to come personally to pick up the instrument
when finished. By Guy Fiorita.
Hand Made Excellence:
Paulino Bernabe
Guitars
B
orn in Madrid in 1932
Paulino Bernabe began
his love affair with guitars
at the age of 17 when he
began studying classical
guitar with one of Spain’s
leading teachers, Daniel Fortea.
Much to his dismay, he soon realized
that his place in the world was not in
the playing but in the making of guitars. Today, a Bernabe guitar is
synonymous with excellence.
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2O SolbankPrestigeClub
Bernabe, a trained cabinetmaker,
began making guitar pieces in his
spare time at home. One day he got
up the nerve to show his creations to
famed guitar maker Jose Ramirez.
Ramirez was so impressed that he
immediately offered Paulino a job.
That was in 1954 and Bernabe quickly
rose to the position of head artisan.
Bernabe stayed with Ramirez for
15 years until in 1969 he decided it
was time to open his own studio.
Recognition came quickly. In 1972,
he built a 10-string guitar for “the
master of masters”; guitarist Narciso
Yepes, Yepes used the guitar until his
death in 1997. In 1974, Bernabe was
awarded the Gold Medal at the
International Crafts Exhibition in
Munich.
Today father, Paulino and son,
also Paulino, work side by side in the
studio. A visit to one is a visit to both.
Every guitar that comes out of the
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Prestige Guitars
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IN 1974, BERNABE WAS
AWARDED THE GOLD
MEDAL AT THE
INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS
EXHIBITION IN MUNICH
studio is passed between their hands
dozens of times. “There is no chain
in the production process,” says
Paulino, “we each just do what we
feel like at any given moment.”
“Although,” adds Paulino junior, “My
father always has the final word in
the building process.”
Bernabe is a rare breed of guitar
maker. He forms part of an elite class
of true artisans of which, unfortunately, there are now very few. In his studio I notice a photograph of Paulino
and Andrés Segovia on one wall, on
another hangs a picture of El Maestro
Yepes with the Bernabe 10-string in
his hand. It is the far wall, however,
BERNABE IS AN
INNOVATOR, CONSTANTLY
EXPERIMENTING WITH
NEW WOODS AND DESIGNS
IN ORDER TO BETTER THE
PRODUCT
behind Bernabe’s workbench, which
catches my attention. Here, hanging
from spring clips and covering nearly
all the wall space, is an amazing selection of figured Brazilian Rosewood.
As we chat, Bernabe takes one of
these down and begins to tap it with a
thick finger. The sound it makes
reminds me of someone snipping a
piece of heavy glass.
“I am listening to the character of
the wood”, he says, “This, for example is really strong in the basses, it
will make an excellent guitar.” The
Rosewood is used for the guitar back.
Bernabe uses American or German
pine for the front or guitar face.
Tapping the rosewood again and
then a piece of pine, Bernabe smiles
and asks, “ can you hear the way the
tone of one is a continuation of the
other? It is vital that the character of
one piece compliments the other.
Together they will make an Imperial
model, I am sure of it.” The Imperial
is the best guitar he makes and sells
for up to 1.7 million pesetas.
Bernabe, however, does not like to
talk about price. “Many of these guitars are like children to me and thus
will never be sold,” he says. He now
has nearly 60 of these children, the
favourite son being a beautiful piece
he made for Yepes. The Master died
before it was completed and although
he has received generous offers for
the guitar, he will never sell it.
Sometimes, however, things go
wrong and the child he refuses to
sell is what he calls a “bad apple”. “I
admit I have more than a few of
them. The reason I don’t sell them is
because they are not worthy of being
played,” he says.
When things come out right, as
they usually do, a Bernabe guitar is
unique in its robust basses and
powerful trebles. Although deeply
rooted in the traditional Madrid
School of guitar making, Bernabe is
an innovator, constantly experimenting with new woods and designs in
order to better the product. He has
invented over 500 different strut
designs, has used pear, maple and
camphorwood and a revolutionary
seven strut bracing system for the
soundboard.
According to Bernabe, “all of these
experiments lead to nothing if you do
not use the right material”. The right
wood, he claims, is 50% of a good guitar. Bernabe uses aged rosewood,
some as old as 100 years. “Time allows
a wood to wake and its true character
is then revealed.” “After that”, he
claims, “You need a good steady hand
and a little luck.”
According to Bernabe some guitar
makers claim to have made the best
instruments ever produced, although
he feels that neither he nor any other
builder has come close to producing
perfection. “In guitars there is still no
equivalent to the Stradivarius violin,
but that is my goal. Although I have a
long way to go, I hope one day to fulfill that goal.”
For more information on Bernabe Guitars
contact:
Tel.: 0034 91 315 6695
Website: www.bernabe-guitars.com
E-mail: [email protected]
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Destination Montecastillo
Montecastillo:
Chipping In
Gren, faraway, boonker. No, these are not typographical errors. This is the way some basic golf
terms are pronounced at Montecastillo Golf Resort outside of the city of Jerez. By Gaetano Aly.
T
he rather shaky pronunciation above is all a part of the
local authority’s grassroots
campaign to familiarize residents with the game of golf.
Teaching them the vocabulary is just
part of it. A number of other initiati-
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ves are underway, many taking place
at Montecastillo, one of the countries finest golf resorts.
In Jerez, as in many parts of the
world, golf is still considered an elitist sport. A game played by overweight millionaires, one local resi-
dent called it. According to
Inmaculada Menacho, commercial
director at Montecastillo, the problem stems from the fact that the
area has too few golf courses and
thus the people here have little
knowledge of the game.
To combat this perception, programs have been set up to help create a golf culture in the area. “We get
them out at a tender age in the hope
that future generations will no longer think of golf as something played only by wealthy tourists,”
explains Inmaculada. In order to
change people’s attitude toward the
game, both the Jerez town hall and
the Cadiz Provincial Government in
collaboration with Montecastillo
Golf Resort have set up a number of
get your feet wet initiatives.
The first involves children from
age 7 to 12 who make weekly visits
from the local schools. Schools rotate throughout the year with a different group coming every Monday
and Wednesday. By the end of the
year, all Jerez school children have
visited Montecastillo. The visits last
most of the afternoon and the children are shown everything from
course maintenance and a driving
range exhibition to English golf
vocabulary. They end their visit with
a round-robin putting championship with the winner receiving a ball
and a warm round of applause from
fellow classmates.
In another initiative, the Cadiz
Provincial Government and Montecastillo offer 40 golf scholarhips
every year for children between 7
and 12 years old. The scholarships
include weekly lessons with pro Don
Ross or a member of his staff. The 40
scholarships are divided into two
groups, 25 going to beginners and
the other 15 for children who wish
to continue further into the game.
Children who miss out on the
The programs, however, are not
exclusively designed for children.
As part of a private initiative,
Montecastillo offers discounts on
green fees to local Jerez residents.
The idea is to get local people out on
the course as often as possible and
thus break old taboos about the sport.
Former touring professional Don
Ross runs his FeelGolf School from
the driving range adjacent to the
course. He is an active participant in
“WE GET THEM OUT AT A TENDER AGE IN THE HOPE THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL NO LONGER THINK OF GOLF
AS SOMETHING PLAYED ONLY BY WEALTHY TOURISTS”
scholarships can pay a nominal
monthly fee of 4,000 pesetas to
attend the classes.
These programs have been a great
success. According to Inmaculada
Menacho, perceptions are beginning
to change and many of the kids have
already shown real talent. A number
of them are now regular players and
at least two of them are training with
their sights set on becoming professional players.
the local golf programs, lending his
services whenever needed and preaching his Feel Good method of golf.
Don claims he is able to make anyone
a better golfer with just a few simple
tips.
According to Don, golf is much
easier than we are led to believe.
Don says that the children who come
are often the best students as they
have not yet been brainwashed into
thinking that the golf swing is a com-
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Destination Montecastillo
plicated affair. “I can get almost
anyone hitting the ball in the air in
their very first lesson,” he says.
After my visit to Montecastillo I
wondered how many of these kids
know just how lucky they are to be
getting their first taste of the game
here. After all, Montecastillo is one
of Spain’s best golf courses. Last year
Golf World Magazine rated it 53rd
on their list of the one hundred best
LAST YEAR GOLF WORLD
MAGAZINE RATED IT 53RD
ON THEIR LIST OF THE ONE
HUNDRED BEST COURSES
IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE
courses in continental Europe.
Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1993, it
is a 6424 metre (as measured from
the white tees)beautifully manicured par 72 - 18 hole course which
runs through the rugged hills outside of Jerez.
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Of course one of the country’s
best golf courses is not reserved
exclusively for the hack golfer. Since
1997 Montecastillo has also been the
site of the Volvo European Masters
Tournament. After the British Open
this is probably Europe’s most prestigious tournament in which only the
continent’s top 66 players are invited
to attend. Much of the gallery enthusiastically following the pros at
last year’s tournament was made up
of those children who got their first
taste of the sport through one of
these local initiatives. The hope is
that someday one of them will even
be invited to play in the tournament.
For more information contact:
Montecastillo Hotel and Golf Resort
Carretera de Arcos
11406 Jerez (Cádiz)
Tel.: 0034 956 151 200
Fax: 0034 956 151 209
A Day in the life of:
Financial Consultant
Paget Langford-Holt
By Edward Owen
I
t was the stock market crash of 1987 that forced a fortu“We offered market branding with investment relations for
nate career change for a London bond dealer, sending him to
quoted companies, “says Paget, “And our main area of expertiSpain where he has thrived ever since. In fact Paget Langfordse was in corporate communications with the bulk of business
Holt, 43, is one of a dynamic new breed of experts who help
in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions and public offers.”
fine-tune the economic motor which drives the new Spain.
Albion’s first big break came in 1993 when the company
Paget admits he had a privileged background - his father was
worked for Infoinvest, the in-house investment bank of SEPI,
the Conservative MP for Shrewsbury for 30 years and he was
the Spanish state holding company which was restructuring
privately educated at Shrewsbury School - but his quiet deterand selling off various state entities. Paget advised the chairmination to lead his own life started when he studied French
man. “I was part of the planning team. I had to listen to investand Arabic at Exeter University in southwest England.
ment bankers. I was fortunate to see how major practitioners
He joined the London bankers Samuel Montague & Co.
handled the whole process.”
Ltd. in 1981 and spent 5 years as a “baby banker”. Then in 1986
Now Paget, Chief Executive Officer, and Alejandra, Managing
he joined Kleinwert Benson Ltd. and worked as a bond trader
Director, employ 32 people at Albión. They boast penthouse offiuntil that fateful day in October 1987.
ces with a terrace with great views of
“The day of the crash I was, as usual,
Puerta del Sol and Calle Alcalá, right in
commuting from my flat in Fulham to
the centre of Madrid. Clients include
the City by motor-bike, “ recalls Paget, “ It
Clifford Chance, the world’s largest law
was the morning after the worst hurricapractice, estate agents Jones Lang LaSalle,
ne for centuries had wreaked havoc
oxygen suppliers Air Liquide and investacross southern England and I had to
ment bankers Goldman Sachs.
weave around trees and debris. Then the
“One of the things which kept our
market collapsed.”
business going over 10 years is that we
This meant that he had to disband his
learned people will work with you if they
team but he was invited to join the
know and trust you but you do not have
International
Corporate
Finance
to be the biggest, “explains Paget, “The
Department to cover the Spanish market.
only guarantee of success is pure hard
Paget established Kleinwort Benson
work. No one realises the sacrifices that
España in Madrid and says, “The most
have to be made to one’s personal life
immediate thing that struck me was the
and quality of life.
accessibility of people and their openHis advice to other foreigners thinness. In Spain there were lots of opportuking of starting a business in Spain is:
nities and they were taken by largely
“Get a good lawyer because administraFrench and German investors whereas
tion in Spain does not favour small busiA BRIT IN THE
the English companies were slow off the
ness. There is a labyrinth of administramark.
tion that needs to be dealt with.”
VA N G U A R D O F
“The economy was up. The older
“My personal attitude as an Englishman
generation was being replaced by a younin Spain is that I never wished to play any
S PA N I S H B U S I N E S S
ger, more dynamic group, many of whom
particular card of Englishness and always
spoke two or three languages. I was worwanted to be part of the Spanish commuking in mergers and acquisitions and rainity on a business and social level. 95% of
sing equity capital.
my friends here are Spanish.”
“I immediately discovered it was a place to enjoy both worIn fact Paget married a Madrileña, Belén, now 35, in 1995.
king and otherwise. I found people in Spain extraordinarily
They have a son, Nicholas, 4, and Hugo, one month. They
friendly and easy to work with. I was lucky in so much as I had
have a flat by the Retiro Park and the family has a house at
friends of my generation who took me under their wing and
Roche, near Conil in Cadiz province. “ The biggest relaxation
introduced me to their inner circles. This aspect is difficult
is escaping there, “ says Paget. He also enjoys oil painting.
here in Spain.
He says: “I’ll be a happy man if I continue working in the
“Waking up to the sun every day is lovely and exhilarating. I
most pleasant environment I’ve ever come across, increasing
decided to come to live in Madrid permanently in November
our business scope and diversity of clients. We now have a solid
1990.”
company with new clients coming in who approach us. I don’t
A year later he set up his own company with Alejandra
want to be the biggest company but to be recognised as the best
Moore Mayorga, a charming, bubbly Madrid educated internain the field of financial communications.”
tional business expert, half Andaluz and half American, whose
grandfather had been Kleinwort’s representative in Spain.
They founded Grupo Albión, named after Albus, the northern
Grupo Albión
Calle Alcalá 4, 6ª. 28014 Madrid. Tel: 91-531-2388. www.grupoalbion.com
wind - the Anglo-Saxon influence.
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Spain’s Hidden Treasures Mas Crisaran
Spain’s Hidden Treasures
Mas Crisaran
By Guy Fiorita. Photos Francisco Po Egea.
I
n recent years there has been a
proliferation of rural accommodation throughout Spain
and particularly in Catalonia.
In fact, the area now has over
700 rural accommodations
offering over 5,000 beds. Rural
accommodation, as defined by the
Catalan Tourist board, includes any
establishment with less than 15
rooms. Anything over that is considered a hotel.
Mas Crisaran is a perfect example
of the new wave of rural retreats in
Catalonia. Tucked away in a sleepy
part of the Baix Empordà, near
enough to the hustle and bustle of
the coast but far from its echo, this is
the type of place one either comes
across completely by chance or is led
to by a knowing friend.
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Restored by owners Cristina
Fernandez de Villanicencio and
Arantxa Garcia, this 15th century
Catalan Masia or farmhouse has a
total of nine rooms. Each room has
air conditioning, a large screen television and individual safes. The
rooms are individually decorated
with antique furniture bought by the
owners on their travels to Africa and
India. The most impressive room is
the 120 square metre Portobello
suite with heavy wood beams, rustic
tile floors and enormous full length
windows.
The building is set amid immaculate grounds complete with a swimming pool and even a hammock
hanging between two impressive
pine trees. The views out over the
green rolling countryside offered
from both the garden and from any
of the rooms are worth the trip
alone.
It is not only their luxurious furnishings but also attention to detail
that make Mas Crisaran so special.
Here, for example, lunch may be a
pool side picnic under the pine trees
or an elaborate offering in the formal dining room. Clients have no
choice of menu but are never disappointed by what they are served. The
cuisine ranges from highly exotic,
recipes learned on their travels, to
revamped traditional Spanish and
Catalan dishes.
Cristina and Arantxa's enthusiasm for Mas Crisaran is unending
and they are always designing new
ways of making guests’ visit more
enjoyable.
Mas Crisaran
17133 Fonolleres - Girona
Tel.: 00 34 972 769 000
Fax: 00 34 972 769 219
Email: [email protected]
http://www.mascrisaran.com
Installations:
Garden, exterior parking, swimming
pool, restaurant, bar, salon, elevator,
security system.
Rooms include:
television, air-conditioning, telephone,
hair dryers, safe.
Singles: 169.00 euros + 7% IVA
Doubles: 193.00 euros + 7% IVA
Suite: 319.00 euros + 7% IVA
Distances:
Barcelona 130 km (airport), Girona 20
km (airport), France 50 km.
To arrive:
From Barcelona take the A-7 towards
Girona - France. Get off at exit (salida)
6 direction Palamós, this is the C-66
road. When you have gone 18 km.
turn off to the left at the road marked
Torroella de Montgrí / L1 Estartit /
Pals. Continue through the towns of
Rupiá and Parlavá. About one
kilometre beyond Parlavá you will see
a sign indicating Fornellers / Hotel
Mas Crisaran.
Visits:
Girona old town, Dalí MuseumFigueras, Medieval Towns of Pals,
Monnels, Peretallada, Iberian ruins at
Ullastret, Costal towns and beaches
at Calella, llafranc, Xa Tuna,
Aiguablava, Medes Islands marine
reserve.
Activities arranged by hotel:
Golf- Serres de Pals, Campo de Golf
de L´Ampurda.
Water skiing, hot air balloon rides,
ultra-light flying, horseback riding, bike
rentals, tennis.
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Walking Tours Extremadura
Extremwalking
Adam and Gaby Hopkins take us on a guided tour through Extremadura, one of Spain’s least
known yet most beautiful regions. By Adam Hopkins
Day 1 - Arrival
Adam and Gaby (your guides
throughout the tour) meet hikers at
the Madrid airport for the four-hour
drive (refreshment stop en route) to
Finca Vaqueril near Cáceres. This is
the home of Beatriz Vernhes de
Ruano and her son Javier, who run it
as a country guesthouse. This beautiful 19th century farm house is 5
miles from the road, set in 2000
acres of classic Extremadura landscape with granite outcrops and
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dehesa, parkland, dotted with oak
trees. The rooms have great character and are most comfortable, all
with their own bathrooms. The first
two nights are spent here.
Cáceres with Adam for a walking tour
of this conquistador city - the knights
of Santiago were also founded here.
Dinner - the food is excellent - and
the night at Finca Vaqueril.
Day 2 - Cáceres (Walk 5 miles)
An easy morning’s walk on the
estate amongst cork and holm oaks,
Visigothic tombs, Iberian pigs and
circling red kites, ending with a picnic lunch. An afternoon siesta and
then 45 minutes by vehicle to
Day 3 - Salvaterra do Extremo
Portugal (Walk: 8 miles with vehicle
option)
You leave the Finca by vehicle for
a short drive via the Roman bridge at
Alcántara and across the border into
Portugal. Here you pick up the wal-
king route at the beautiful
Salvaterra do Extremo. Now you are
walking in Portugal along the Erjas
River (Erges - Portuguese) with
views far into Portugal and back
across to Spain and the romantic
clifftop castle of Peñafiel. You walk
through one-time smugglers’ territory, accompanied by pack animals.
There is much scenic variety with
river gorge and riverine grassland,
forestry, young and mature, and
views to open farmland on the
Spanish side. You are likely to
encounter plenty of bird life. En
route there will be a picnic lunch.
Evening brings you to the
Portuguese spa of Termas de
Monfortinho where you spend two
nights in the comfortable Hotel
Fonte Santa.
Day 4 - Monsanto and Idanha-aVelha (Optional walk: 4.5 miles)
Light walking/rest day in
Portugal, with visits to Monsanto,
mountain top settlement where the
houses back into granite boulders far
bigger than themselves, and Idanhaa-Velha, a Roman town much larger
than the medieval village now within
its walls. An optional two-hour walk
links the two. Return to hotel, with
picturesque cascade swimming pool
in season and sports facilities nearby squash, tennis, billiards.
Day 5 - Sierra de Gato
(Walk: 10 miles + 4 miles with vehicle options).
A short vehicle lift will take you to
the start of the early morning walk
back across the frontier into Spain,
with pack animals, through open
country and rolling farmland with
mountain views ahead and an introduction to the Peninsular War en
route. After a picnic lunch (vehicle
options from here), you arrive at the
enchanting stone farmhouse of El
Cabezo, the farm and family estate of
Miguel and Maria Muriel Garcia.
Miguel has 100 head of cattle, cork
oaks and excellent olive oil and
looks forward to showing you the farming side of his life, Maria has done
up six bedrooms to a very high standard of comfort, all with their own
bathrooms. Within a short distance
there is the home of Maria Rosa de
Torres-Peralta, Fuente Arcada, with
equally stylish rooms (and a hermitage on the estate). The two houses at
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Walking Tours Extremadura
the foot of the Sierra de Gata accommodate the whole of our party most
comfortably.
Day 6 (Walk: 8 miles with vehicle
option)
A leisurely start for a higher walk
in the Sierra de Gata. There will be a
picnic lunch en route with a vehicle
option for return to home base.
Day 7 - Ciudad Rodrigo
The morning starts with an
upward drive to the pass of Santa
Clara. From here you walk to the
River Agueda at Navasfrías. As you
walk, you cross the watershed between the Tagus and the Duero, so passing from Extremadura into Old
Castile. The vehicles will meet you in
Navasfrías and take you on, first for
a picnic lunch and then to the historic walled city of Ciudad Rodrigo,
crossing an area where Spanish,
French, British and Portuguese
armies marched and counter-marched during the Peninsular War.
…ANYONE ACCUSTOMED
TO WALKING, OR WHO
PLAYS ANY KIND OF SPORT
FROM GOLF TO TENNIS, OR
EVEN AN UNPRACTISED
PERSON REALLY EAGER TO
WALK, COULD CERTAINLY
ENJOY IT.
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The tiny city endured two sieges, the
second giving the future Duke of
Wellington a (controversially) costly
but important victory. In the afternoon there will be time to walk round
the city with Adam and Gaby explaining the history (especially the
Peninsular war) and enjoying the
architecture and the atmosphere of
a well-preserved historic town,
unchanged by economic success.
The cathedral still bears marks of
cannon shot. Your last night is spent
in the Parador Nacional Enrique 11,
a recently restored 14th century castle. Dinner is taken in the parador.
Day 8 - Early morning departure to
Madrid for the flight home.
Clothing
▪ Trousers- walking long
▪ Shorts
▪ Trousers/skirt tidy
Prices:
The cost of this holiday including flights
from London Heathrow is £1370 April &
May; £1360 September & October.
Single room supplement on all walks is
£155 and generally covers a double
room for sole occupancy. The price also
includes all meals with wine at lunch &
dinner, supporting vehicle with transport of luggage, support staff, muleteer
and English-speaking guide.
NOTE: Itinerary subject to change according
to local conditions. All mileages given are
approximate.
Packing List
The week is one of great informality. For
men there is no need to bring jackets and
ties and ladies do not need to bring smart
evening clothes or jewellery. We would
recommend something tidy for some of
the evenings. There is no laundry service
throughout the week.
Essentials:
▪ Air tickets
▪ Passport
▪ Money (Shopping & tips only)
▪ Camera
▪ Spare film
▪ Spare camera battery
▪ Binoculars
▪ Sun glasses
▪ Sun cream
▪ Insect repellent/antihistamine
▪ Flower & bird books
▪ Reading book
Socks
▪ Underwear - warm***
▪ Nightwear - warm***
▪ Jersey - thick
▪ Jersey - thin
▪ Handkerchiefs
▪ Boots or shoes - walking**.
▪ Trainers/gym shoes
▪ Bathing costume... (May - Oct)
▪ Bathing towel (small)... (May - Oct)
▪ Washing/shaving kit
▪ Hairbrush & comb
Supplied by tour:
The following equipment is supplied on
arrival and need not be brought unless
you prefer to bring your own:
▪ Small shoulder bag
▪ Thumb stick
▪ Waterproof jacket with hood
▪ Waterproof trousers
▪ Water bottles (on the mule)
▪ Sun hat
If clients are residents in Spain and therefore do not
require flights there is a reduction which can vary
and so will be given at the time of enquiry/booking.
Note: **Boots or walking shoes: We recommend
that you bring walking boots or shoes with a good
grip. Trainers are fine for most conditions but are
not satisfactory when the ground is muddy or dry
and gravelly.
***Warm clothing: It is particularly recommended
to bring these items as it can be cold at night on
both walks at any time of the year, and at times
during the day in Spring and Autumn.
For more information please contact:
The Walking Safari Company in the UK
Tel.: 0044 1572 823 820
e-mail: [email protected]
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Food and Drink
Parador de El Hierro
Parador de El Hierro. Las Playas.
38900 El Hierro. Islas Canarias
Tel: +34 922 558 096
Fax: +34 922 558 086
Parador Reservation Centre:
Tel: +34 915 166 666
Food and Drink
Parador de El Hierro
During the past few years a revolution has been taking place in the kitchens of Spain’s state-run
chain of Parador hotels. Since the first Parador was opened in 1928 in the Gredos mountains near
Madrid, the state has opened over 80 more, mostly by renovating ancient castles and medieval
monasteries but also by erecting hotels in areas of outstanding beauty. By Edward Owen
E
milio Gomez - Calcerrada
heads the kitchen cabinet of
Paradores in Madrid and
has transformed their once
lack-lustre offer into real
gastronomic excitement. Now highlytrained chefs compete with each
other in Parador competitions and
there is a new sense of pride in the
menus and wine lists. Paradors now
excel so much at regional cooking
and wines that even locals compete
with the Parador clients for restaurant tables. Many Parador bars also
now offer tasty tapas.
Many regular amigos of the
Paradores use them to chill out away
from the stresses of life. And there is
no more remote a Parador in such a
spectacular setting as the one on
the Canary Island of El Hierro. The
270 sq. kms. island is the most
south-westerly of the Canaries, next
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to La Gomera, Columbus’s last stop
before crossing the Atlantic, and has
a population of just 7,000. It is dominated by the 1,500m extinct volcano, Mount Malpaso, and features
wonderful walks through woods of
red cedars, along precipitous cliffs,
around sudden valleys filled with tropical plants and bird life and through
soaring pastures where cattle and
goats graze.
The Parador de El Hierro nestles
by the sheltered eastern seashore
of island, right beside the beach
with the green mountains rising steeply behind. The hotel is so remote
that it took five years to build, with
materials arriving by sea.
The colonial - style rooms boast
balconies with wooden balustrades,
many overlooking the Atlantic. The
large pool is by the lava-blackened
beach. In the Parador gardens are
coconut palms, dragon trees and
other exotic foliage.
Wonderful fresh fish of - course
dominate the local gastronomy but
cattle, imported in the 17th century,
produce rich dairy products. The tender, small, Canary Islands potatoes papas - also thrive alongside sweet
potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, papayas and bananas. Herreños used to
make a toasted cornmeal mix to
accompany meals - gofio - from barley
but now maize is more often used.
02
01
03
The Parador recipes here have been slightly modified since some Hierro ingredients are difficult to obtain elsewhere.
01 Caserolle of Canary Fish
with Scalded Cornmeal
Ingredients (6 persons)
1,8 Kg. Sama, Pargo or Sea Bream ▪ 500 grs.
Onion ▪ 300 grs. Green Pepper ▪ 300 grs. Red
Pepper ▪ Half teaspoon Cayenne Pepper ▪ 200
grs. Tomato ▪ 500 grs. Small Canary or New
Potatoes (papas) ▪ 500 grs. Sweet Potatoes ▪
1 Bay Leaf ▪ 1. White Wine ▪ Pinch of Salt ▪
Small amount of Virgin Olive Oil ▪ Majado
Sauce: 3 cloves of Garlic ▪ 1 pinch of Cumin ▪
2 sprigs of Parsley ▪ 1 sprig of Coriander ▪ 10
strands of Saffron ▪ 1 sprig of Thyme ▪ 1 pinch
of Oregano ▪ Gofio: 250 gr. of wholemeal
flour, toasted in a heavy pan or in the oven.
Fish Stock.
Preparation:
Clean and cut the fish in filets and boil the
fish remains with 75 cl. of water to make a
stock. Peel the onions, tomatoes, sweet
potatoes and small potatoes. Cut the onion,
peppers and tomatoes into thin strips.
Separately, in a mortar, pound all the ingredients for the Majado Sauce and dilute with a
little of the wine. In a casserole gently fry in a
little olive oil the chopped onion, peppers,
tomato and the bay leaf. Add the chopped
sweet potatoes and the whole small potatoes. Season to taste. Drizzle with the rest of
the white wine and reduce. Add some of the
fish stock and all the Majado sauce. Cook
until the potatoes are just done and add the
fish to the casserole and cook until the filets
are tender. Check for seasoning again and
add salt if necessary.
Gofio escaldado: Scalded Cornmeal In a bowl
put the toasted wholemeal flour and add the
hot fish stock drop by drop, mixing with a wooden spatula until the mixture is compact.
Serve as round cakes alongside the fish casserole.
02 Stew of Island Goat
Ingredients (6 persons)
2,5 Kgs. Goat Meat ▪ 2 Large Onions ▪ 1 head
of garlic ▪ 1 pinch of cayenne pepper ▪ 1.
White Wine ▪ 1. Beer ▪ 1 pinch of Thyme ▪ 10
Cumin seeds ▪ 1-2 Bay leaves ▪ 1 pinch of
ground Nutmeg ▪ 1 dessert spoon of Sweet
Paprika ▪ 1,5 dl. Virgin Olive Oil ▪ Salt and
Parsley to season.
Preparation:
Cut the fat off the meat and cut into small
chunks. Peel the onions and cut them in half.
Put the meat into a casserole and cover with
salted water and cook slowly until the meat is
half cooked. Then stir in the head of garlic,
the onions, the bay leaf, the thyme and the
cayenne. Add the wine and beer and simmer
gently to reduce the liquid. Cook until the
meat is tender. Remove the head of garlic,
the onion and crush or blend together with
the parsley, the cumin and the ground nutmeg. Add to the stew, just bring it to boil before serving. Season if necessary with salt.
03 Sweet Cheese Cake
Ingredients: (6 servings)
500 grs. Fresh Cow’s Cheese without salt ▪
175 grs. Sugar ▪ 100 grs. Flour or 50 grs.
Cornflour ▪ 2 Eggs ▪ Grated rind of one lemon
▪ Pinch of ground cinnamon ▪ 250 grs. Puff
Pastry mixture.
Elaboration:
Beat the cheese with the eggs until it’s as
creamy as possible without being lumpy. Add
the sugar, the sifted flour or the cornflour, the
lemon rind and the cinnamon: mix well with a
whisk. Roll the pastry until it is very fine,
about 2mm. Thick. Cut it to line a buttered,
10 or 12 cms. diameter cake pan with sides
about 2-3 cms. High. Fill with the mixture and
bake in a pre-heated oven at 170º C during
15 to 20 minutes until golden. Present on a
plate sprinkled with sugar. Can also be served with warm honey, made runny with the
addition of hot water.
Torres 20 Brandy
As the festive season approaches, gastronomes must give some thought as to how to round off the traditional over indulgence
with a suitable digestivo.
This year those who appreciate the good
things in Spain can have a special conversation piece if they serve the Torres
20 Hors D’Age brandy from Penedès,
just south of Barcelona. At Vinexpo in
Bordeaux this year, in a blind tasting
held as part of the International
Wines & Spirits Competition, it was
voted the best brandy in the world.
This is no mean feat given that the
Bible of the drinks trade, the Wine
Spectator, says, “Vinexpo is the
biggest wine show on earth,”
Held every two years, the latest
wine buffs’ jamboree attracted
54,000 visitors from 142 countries. When one considers that the
tasting included well known French cognacs,
retailing at considerably more than the 4,200
pts for the Torres 20, one must toast yet another triumph for Miguel Torres.
The 20-year-old brandy is obtained by distilling cer tain wines produced from the
Parellada grape grown on the higher slopes of
the Upper Penedès Mountains. After a natural
fermentation process, with the oils and tannins preserved during pressing, double distillation takes place in copper pot stills.
The copper, a good conductor of heat, ensures
that fatty acids do not form and only the finest
and most aromatic part of the spirit is used for
this brandy. During the first year the brandy is
aged in new Limousin oak casks and subsequently in older barrels. This is to make sure
the aromatic influence of the virgin oak is limited. Just a whiff of the 20-year-old nectar will
clear most nostrils and its delicate amber
colour sets it very much apart from the dark
firewater of cheap Spanish brandies. Its bouquet hints at dried fruits and raisins. In the
mouth it is surprisingly suave, leaving at first a
tingle on the tongue and then a delicious long
lingering taste as one feels the liquid slip down
to sooth the tracts and inspire well being.
The family bodega of Torres has been established since 1870 at Penedès. The company
now also owns vineyards in Chile and
California and continues to expand.
Torres 20 Hors D’Age. 4,200 pts. Miguel Torres
Comercio 22. 08720 Villafranca del Penedès. Barcelona
Tel: 93-817-7400. Email: www.torres.es
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Golf Lesson
P
A
U
L
A
I
T
K
E
N
Improve your game:
Correcting common
chipping errors
I
n spite of the endless numbers of magazine articles, books, videos and the like, I see the same old basic
errors committed when it comes to chipping. So here goes with another one. Check out the photos,
get yourself in front of a mirror and make sure you don’t fall into the same old trap.
Photo 1 shows some really common errors in the set up from
front on.
If your chipping position resembles this, you have very little
chance of being a good chipper.
Here we see not one error but 4!
1
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They are:
▪ The ball is too far forward.
▪ The hands are back behind
the ball.
▪ The weight is on the right
foot.
▪ The sternum is behind the ball.
2
Photo 2 shows the same position from down the line, where
you can see the shoulders pointing to the right of the target
and the right arm tucked into
the body.
This begs the question - Why do
3
4
so many people perform this simple
task so poorly?
I believe there are two main reasons
for this. Firstly, people try to help the
ball into the air by trying to get
under the ball. Secondly they don’t
see themselves and assume that
everything they are doing is just like
what they have seen in magazine
articles.
So in an effort to break this mould, I
suggest you get a ball, a club and a
mirror and fix your set up right now.
Follow these easy steps and check
yourself in the mirror as you go
along.
Photo 3 shows me using the putting
grip but you can use your normal
grip if you prefer. Notice how the
back of my left hand is already set in
a flat position.
7
5
Once you have done this, now make
sure you:
▪ Place the ball opposite your right toe.
▪ Place your feet close together,
stance open.
▪ Lean your weight positively
towards your front foot.
▪ Hang a club from your sternum
making sure it hangs in front of
the ball (photo 4)
Photo 5 shows the completed set up
position.
Notice how:
▪ The arms are relaxed and slightly
bent.
▪ The hands are pushed forward
opposite the left thigh.
▪ The left forearm and left wrist are
in a straight line.
I suggest you practise this procedure
with the help of a mirror and master it
before you start practising the stroke.
8
6
Photo 6 shows the result of a poor
set up and an attempt to scoop the
ball into the air. Note how the back
of the left wrist breaks down producing an ascending blow which just
clips the top of the ball with the leading edge.
Now onto the strike - with your new
set up position rock your shoulders
as in photo 7. In other words initiate
the swing by lowering your left
shoulder and raising the right shoulder. Notice how the club naturally
swings upwards. Do not make any
attempt to keep the club low to the
ground and keep the hands passive
throughout. This sets up a natural
descending blow, ensuring a crisp
contact.
Photo 8 shows the finish position.
Notice how the back of the left hand
has not broken down. Even more
surprising is that the follow through
is relatively short, much shorter than
the back swing. Just use the rhythm
and momentum created by the back
swing.
I recommend you start using a 7 or 8
iron to perfect the stroke. Once you
get a consistent strike with a good
roll on the ball you can experiment
with other clubs, e.g. a sand wedge
or a pitching wedge for short shots, 5
or 6 iron for longer shots. This is not
a high shot, the ball should “jump”
onto the fringe and then roll
towards your target like a putt.
So good luck with these techniques
and you will soon be chipping them
dead!
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Costa del Sol News
Compiled in cooperation with “Costa del Sol News”
Bumper crop in olive harvest
This year’s olive harvest in Málaga will be the best in four years. The autumn rains have swollen
the fruit, which will improve the quality of the oil. Experts reckon that 65,000 tons will be collected in the province starting next month.
The 10,000 families who cultivate 115,000 hectares of olives in Málaga are preparing
for a bumper crop, while the
40 cooperatives who handle
the collected fruit, are gearing up to receive an average
of 4 million kilos every day
until March. Between the
families, the cooperatives
which employ an average of 5
people each, and the
industry's indirect employees, 10 per cent of Andalucía's
population is linked to the
production of olives. In addition, half a million temporary workers are employed
during the harvest.
Mechanisation has increased
substantially in recent years,
particularly in the use of the
machine which shakes the
tree, causing the olives to fall
Tourism outlook difficult
Provincial secretary of the CCOO’s workers commission in
Málaga, Francisco Gutiérrez said that British tourist reservations on the coast have fallen by 30 per cent since the start of
the international crisis, particularly since the start of U.S. air
strikes on Afghanistan.
He explained that British
tour operators, the most
important to the industry,
usually made their reservations for the summer during
October and November, but,
to date, none had been confirmed. He pointed out that
the reluctance to book and
the lack of interest from
Britain was a product of the
international circumstances
that affected holidaymakers
throughout Europe.
According to data released by
the syndicate, 40 per cent of
tourists on the Costa del Sol
are from Spain, while only two
per cent come from North
America. Sr. Gutiérrez said
that the American market had
fallen, citing the cancellation
of three conferences planned
for Málaga as an example.
Without wishing to be alarmist, he said that next summer would be approached in
difficult circumstances, and
criticised politicians who
"practice the politics of the
ostrich".
to the ground where they are
gathered. However, around
half of the harvest is still
collected by hand.
Benalmádena
pines for its
trees
Last week a building contractor working on a parcel of
land fronting the Palmasol
Hotel on the Avenida del
Mar cut down three pines
trees. These one hundredyear-old trees, which stood
over 30 metres in height, are
the last existing ones in
Benalmádena Costa.
The Izquierda Unida party
says the contractor cut down
the trees with the full backing of the Benalmádena
Town Hall. The IU now states that it will take the matter
to the Public Ombudsman as
it considers the felling of the
pines as an ecological crime.
The regional environmental
department claims it was not
able to act to save the trees,
as it had not been informed.
On the up
The average prices of new properties in Benalmádena and Estepona have risen 51 per cent
since 1995. The highest increases were recorded in Marbella and Fuengirola, which recorded
rises over the same period of 58.5 and 52.2 per cent. The average price on the Costa del Sol
has risen to 145,000 pesetas a metre according to a report by the Society of Valuers.
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Crackdown on
illegal fishing
In the past two years, 110
boats have been confiscated
along the coast in an effort to
crack down on illegal fishing.
Last week, almost 4,000 kilos
of immature fish were seized
by officers of the Guardia
Civil in Caleta de Vélez. The
night-time operation at the
port began with the searching of three lorries loaded
with fish. The first two,
bound for Granada, produced 600 and 224 kilos of the
illegal fish, while 60 kilos
were found on the third lorry
which was going to Periana.
A further 2,330 kilos were
found at the Fishermen's
Guild in Caleta.
Figures just released show
that the Fisheries Inspector
for the Junta de Andalucía
(regional government), working with the Guardia Civil,
seized over 23,000 kilos of
illegal fish in September
from markets, restaurants,
lorries and boats. While the
total is up 14 per cent on last
year, the number of inspections has increased by 30 per
cent. The confidential “inmaduros” hotline received over
1,000 calls, denouncing the
sale and transport of the fish.
As part of the Junta's campaign to stamp out the sale of
immature fish, the public
have been asked not to eat
them in restaurants. Two
main reasons are cited. First,
there is no control of the sanitary conditions in which they
are transported and stored.
And second, stocks of certain
species are dwindling because of the removal of the
young fish, which do not then
produce the next generation.
Costa Blanca News
Compiled in cooperation with “Costa Blanca News”
Dodgy estate agents targeted
After investigating advertisements of property for sale
and rental, the Consumer
Protection Office, OMIC,
found some companies are
charging between 38,000 and
60,000 pesetas for providing
information that should be
freely available. OMIC has
now urged Alicante council
to take action against the
companies concerned, claiming the advertisements deliberately mislead buyers and
renters into believing the
agencies represent the property owners. Councillor Juan
Zaragoza explained that
these companies compile
huge databases on properties
across the city, but do not
verify any details. Companies
purporting to be intermedia-
Costa security heightened
Anti-terrorist measures increased at 40 locations in the
Valencia Region. Specific surveillance and security checks
are aimed at identifying and
aborting any terrorist movements in the province, as well
as avoiding incidents involving groups opposed to the
US and NATO military intervention.
Central Government Delegate
to Valencia, Carmen Mas, met
Regional President Eduardo
Zaplana on Monday to
explain the tighter security
controls enforced at 40 specific locations in the region.
Further safety controls have
been set up at airports, ports
and harbours. Surveillance
around mosques and synagogues has been doubled due to
the fear of vandal attacks.
Patrols have been deployed
around the Cofrentes nuclear
power station, oil supply lines
other possible targets of a
Islamic fundamentalist terrorist attack.
Police presence in Alicante
districts with a large Muslim
population has been increased. Guardia Civil and National
Police are collaborating in
gathering information on any
possible terrorist cells or
Islamic activist groups trying
to settle in the city.
Drought ends
Alicante celebrates stemming the tide
The large amount of rainfall
in September, double the
usual amounts for this month
in Alicante and Elche, has
brought an end to the
drought status in five of the
nine areas of Alicante
Province. The Marina Alta,
L'Alacanti, Bajo Vinalopó,
Comptat and Alcoiá are no
longer under drought conditions, which still persist in the
Marina Alta, Alto and Medio
Vinalopó and the Vega Baja.
Reservoirs along the Segura
and Júcar rivers are now 20
per cent full, the only exceptions being the Amadorio
and Guadalest reservoirs
with only one hectometre of
water in each.
Over 2,200 shopkeepers and
businessmen celebrated the
end of three years of work on
Alicante's new flood prevention system by holding a street party in the old city centre
at the weekend. Public Works
officials declared the installation finished in July but cautious businessmen and shopkeepers delayed their cele-
brations to see how effective
the new underground system
would cope with the autumn
downpours - the first of
which fell two weeks ago.
Over 12 billion pesetas were
spent on improving and renewing the city's flood prevention system, which may be put
to another test by forecast
gota fría downpours.
ries then offer a very expensive service to clients - but in
the majority of cases, when a
client follows up on information provided by the estate
agent, more often than not
the property has already been
rented or sold. In some cases,
properties had been taken off
the market months earlier.
OMIC has identified three
companies in Alicante operating the system but a spokesman said that he does not discount the possibility of many
more operating throughout
the Costa Blanca.
Road
delays
Regional Public Works councillor, José Ramón García
Antón, has attributed the
long delays in finishing the
CV-70 between Benidorm and
Guadalest to heavy rainfalls
and the problem of displacing
nesting birds of prey, which
are protected under endangered species legislation.
Opposition groups had previously claimed that the main
reason for the delays was the
non-payment of bills to contractors. The road was originally given a completion
date of September 2000, but
this was put back until March
of this year. Continuing problems with construction have
now seen the finish date
postponed to December.
Sr García Antón has given
his assurance that the work is
now almost complete and
the December termination
date will be met.
The first phase of the CV-70,
including the stretch between Benidorm and La Nucía,
has been open to traffic for
over a year. The remaining
phase, which has been delayed, affects the stretch linking Polop with Guadalest.
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Mallorca News
Unions ask for no job cuts in airlines
Unions have asked for caution among airlines in the
current transportation crisis.
In a note sent to workers in
the aviation industry, the
CC.OO (Workers Commissions)
and UGT (General Workers
Union) noted that the terrorist attacks in the US have cau-
sed a definite drop in demand
and asked management not
to take decisions which could
increase problems for the sector before the situation has
been evaluated properly. The
country’s main carrier, Iberia,
is planning a ten per cent cut
of its workforce (about 3,000
persons). According to the
flight attendants union, STAVLA, Iberia can easily survive
the crisis without resorting to
job cuts. The union spokesperson pointed out that
Iberia has a limited amount of
resources slated for U.S.
flights and thus its position
cannot be compared with
major U.S. carriers which
have already resorted to massive job cuts. Iberia’s main
business is in South America
and Europe, which gives the
company an advantage in this
conflict. STAVLA also suggested that if cutting does become necessary the company
should stop leasing of planes
and crews it has contracted
with other companies, such as
Air Europa and Air Nostrum.
Political parties attack Munar´s suggestion
All the Balearic political parties expressed strong disagreement with the controversial
proposal by President Maria
Antonia Munar, to set quotas
limiting the arrival of new
immigrants in the islands.
Francesc Antich said that the
only quotas which the Balearic
government are able to set are
on new construction, something Antich claims his party
has been defending. Antich
claimed that setting quotas on
immigration would only be a
cause for battle that is not
good for anyone.
Antich said that the central
government is responsible for
setting the number of residence permits granted each year
to immigrants. The Balearic
minister of labour, Eberhard
Grosske, was even more ada-
mant, claiming that this type
of proposal was both “simplistic and demagogic.” Grosske
said that there were no unemployed immigrants in the
Balearics because local companies need the labour. He
also called for workers' rights
to be respected and that immigrant workers be given contracts and social services to
attend their needs.
Road deaths on the rise
The latest set of figures from
the end of August, released
by the Accidents Statistic
department of the Balearic
government, show a 32.5 per
cent rise in road deaths
during the first half of this
year. In the first half of 2001
there were a total of 106
deaths on Balearics roads, 26
more than during the first
half of last year. The report
cited the increased number
of vehicles on the road and
poor regional road conditions as the main causes for the higher toll. In Mallorca, ten per cent of
drivers tested for alcohol at the scene of an accident have tested positive this year whereas in Ibiza
the figure increases to as high as 20 per cent.
l
Unemployme
nt increases
by 502 in
September
The number of unemployed
in the Balearic Islands rose by
502 in September as compared to the previous month,
bringing the total number of
unemployed to 16,241, or
4.65 per cent of the island’s
total work force.
The Balearics was among ten
regions in the country where
the jobless rate rose, although the increase was significantly higher than the
national average of just over
2 per cent. Even with this
increase the Balearics still
remain the region with the
lowest unemployment rate in
the country, the statewide the
figure is nearly 9 per cent.
According to the ministry of
labour jobless rate in the
Balearics is ten per cent higher than September 2000.
Most notably, the figure of
502 includes 26 men and 476
women. Overall figures show
the rate of unemployment
among women is more than
double that of men. The sectors most affected by the rise
include agriculture and tourism but a drop in unemployment was registered in
industry and construction.
British tourists
spent more this
summer
According to Eugeni Aguiló
and Antoni Sastre, professors of applied economics at
the Balearic University, daily
spending by visitors was up
by five per cent on last summer. Average daily spending
by all tourists reached 9,300
pesetas. The British were the
big spenders this summer,
spending an average of
15,000 pesetas per day compared to the German average daily expenditure of
11,500 pesetas.
Home Banking
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Costa Brava News
By Steven Guest
Blanes-Tordera road improved for next summer
The Generalitat, Catalonia’s
regional government, has
announced massive road
improvements to the old
Tordera-Blanes road, a black
spot on the Costa Brava road
system particularly in the
summer
months.
The
Generalitat will spend over
2m euros on widening the
road and building cycle
lanes. According to government sources, the road works
will be finished by next July.
Meanwhile, the main A-19
motorway from Barcelona
will be extended to Blanes
and Lloret by 2003, although
demands from residents and
hoteliers for the A-19 to
reach Tossa de Mar have
been turned down because
the government doesn’t consider the volume of traffic
sufficient to justify the investment.
Costa Brava leads hotel
occupancy in Spain
Fear of invading
windmills
Last summer the Costa Brava
was the most popular holiday
destination in Spain, according to the National Institute
of Statistics (INE). Some
400,000 people stayed in
hotels along the Costa Brava
in the month of August, 64%
of these were foreigners.
That easily beats second place
Costa del Sol with 329,000
and Tenerife’s 216,000. “This
has been one of our best years
ever, “beams Martí Sabrià,
manager of the Costa Brava
Hoteliers Association.
Fly-surf might be banned
Coastguards and local authorities along the Costa Brava have
warned that the latest craze of fly-surfing might be banned
because of its high-risk nature and danger to others. Fly-surfers
find the high winds of the Costa Brava particularly exhilarating,
yet many there see the sport as potentially lethal to bathers, sailors and the fly-surfers themselves. Attached by 40-metre-long
nylon cables to kite-like wind bags, surfers speed across the open
sea. Yet the real danger comes when they shoot over waves into
the air, airborne for 100 metres at a time. Rather than banning
the sport outright, authorities and rescue services want shorter
fly-surf cables to make the sport less risky, especially in the jumps.
Costa Brava has reached growth
limit, claim ecologists
Ecologists from the Association
of Naturalists of Girona
(ANG) want the Generalitat
to severely restrict the growth
of new housing developments in the centre of the
Costa Brava. ANG spokesperson Enric Pardo claims the
population here “has already
surpassed tolerable limits
with a population growth of
l
21% over the last 10 years,
compared to 7% in the city of
Girona”.
Yet with the Generalitat
investing heavily in new
roads, many ecologists expect
the situation to worsen considerably. They argue that new
roads only encourage more
weekend breakers and traffic
jams.
Wind might be the power
source of the future, especially
for gusty Costa Brava, but it
certainly makes a mess of the
scenery. Girona’s Association
of Naturalists (ANG) warns
that the Generalitat’s wind
power policy will damage the
Costa Brava’s landscape for
good. According to ANG’s
Enric Pardo, “the companies
that are interested in building
wind plants want eight to ten
metres of wind per second, so
naturally they look for high
mountains.” He claims the
Generalitat isn’t doing enough
to protect many of the natural
parks and high mountains in
northern Catalonia. And while
the Generalitat has come up
with a protection plan, Cap de
Creus, the famous park overlooking Cadaques, already has
windmills.
LLoret gets
government to
protect virgin beach
One of the most unspoilt
parts of the Girona coastline,
between Lloret de Mar and
Tossa de Mar, is to be declared an official protected
zone by the Generalitat. The
Mayor of Lloret, Josep Sala,
asked the Generalitat for
complete protection for the
area known as Guiomar Cala Moriscais mainly to
ensure that property dealers
couldn’t build along the
coastline like they have along
the majority of the Costa
Brava.
Drop in leisure
boat accidents
The number of incidents
involving leisure boats on
the Costa Brava has fallen
dramatically, according to
Coast Guards in Girona.
Over the last four years the
Spanish government has
tried to prevent accidents
with summer campaigns
outlining the dangers of sailing and simple measures
that can be taken to stop
accidents. The campaigns
seem to be paying off. Last
year there were just 228 sea
rescues by Coast Guards,
91% of which were call-outs
to leisure boats, basically
yachts and speedboats.
“Captains seem to be responding to the call for safer sailing,” says one Coast Guard
co-ordinator. With 27,000
registered vessels in this category on the Costa Brava and a
massive summertime influx of
foreign boats, the numbers
look pretty good especially
considering that 35% of callouts were for mechanical breakdowns which could have
easily have been eliminated
with a simple service. Yet
Coast Guards warn coastal
councils with popular beaches
that many accidents involving
bathers and boats and jetskis
occur because there aren’t
specific areas protected by
buoys just for swimming.
Canary Island News
Compiled in cooperation with “Tenerife News”
Granadilla: help for the disabled
The Tenerife Cabildo has
announced their contribution of 46 million pesetas
towards the building and
equipping of a special centre
for disabled persons in the
Granadilla de Abona zone of
the South. Coordinating this
splendid effort is the
Prominsur Association, dedicated to providing help for
physically challenged victims
of illness or accidents, mostly
unable to help themselves.
Between them, three island
authorities will provide 40%
of the necessary finance. The
Cabildo and the Canary
Government will provide 40
million pesetas each, and the
town hall of Granadilla will
dedicate 23 million pesetas
from its annual budget. The
rest we assume will be raised
by Prominsur.
The new Centre will be built
at Los Llanos. Work there will
consist mainly in giving the
necessary psychological assistance to the disabled, to help
La Laguna: the convent
dragon-tree gets an airing
Consumer food concern
The Tenerife Cabildo is spending 132 million pesetas
(0.79 million euros) of taxpayer's money on a worthwhile
project. This is the complete
restoration of the antique
convent of Santo Domingo,
in one of the oldest parts of
La Laguna. The original
capital of the island is already
stuffed to bursting with beautiful buildings, as well as
some not so beautiful ones,
but luckily these are mostly
to be found, or ignored, in
the industrial estates that
surround La Laguna.
The Santo Domingo convent,
unused for years before restoration started, contains a unique garden, with the remains
of a great Dragon tree in it.
Dulce Xerach Pérez, the culture councillor who gets
everywhere and does everyt-
hing, says that this poor old
tree has lost two of its original
'arms' or branches, with the
result that it now boasts little
more than a third of its original form. Plans are afoot for
the restoration of this important example of typical Canary
flora.
This little dragon tree park
had been open to the public
before, but the usual vandals
moved in and wrecked the
joint, so it was closed. It is
proposed that when restoration work is completed, the
dragon, palm, orange, lemon
and other trees will be available for viewing again, but
under strictly controlled circumstances, and as a part of
the officially designed Tour
of the ancient convent.
Benches and paved paths will
be provided.
Some 75 per cent of all
Spanish shoppers admit they
have little or no confidence in
the standard of foodstuffs
they purchase on a regular
basis. A recent study by the
Spanish confederation of consumer organisations shows
that for seven out of ten consumers food, fundamentally
meat and poultry, offers little
them overcome difficulties in
the home, for example, or
their workplace. Further building will include special sporting zones such as a swimming pool, playing fields,
running track, gymnasia etc.
There will also be a large greenhouse, where the patients
will be taught (if they didn't
know before) about the cultivation of typical island crops.
The official opening of the
new Centre is scheduled for
the end of next year.
in the way of health guarantees. The use of fattening agents
like hormones and antibiotics
were a major source of concern among those questioned, especially in the light of
the VCJD crisis, in the wake of
which most consumers say
they pay far more attention to
information contained in
labelling.
Two government bodies combine to make the roads safer
The Ministry of Transport
(Trafico) and the Cabildo de
Tenerife (island government)
are coming together in a
combined effort to make
Tenerife roads safer for their
users. 300 million pesetas (1.8
million euros) have been
voted for spending over the
next 3 years on a series of
reforms designed to reduce
the high number of traffic
accidents. Vice-President of
the Cabildo, and minister of
transport Lorenzo Dorta
(never willingly out of the
news) has said: "we have to
take determined action to tackle this problem at its roots.
According to official figures,
half these accidents occur on
roads of secondary importance, and it is obvious that the
condition of these secondary
roads can lead to trouble.
Therefore it in the public interest to improve these roads,
and thus improve our chances
of reducing the number of
accidents occurring on them."
This seems sane enough, but
given that anyone not
actually blind knows that our
secondary roads are a disgrace, the wonder is that the
Cabildo, or the Canary Island
Government, which supervises the Ministry of Transport,
should not have decided on
such a move before.
l
Readers’ Page
Readers’ Page
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first edition of the Readers’ Page. From this issue on we will reserve
this space for all readers of Solbank Prestige Club Magazine. It is up to you to fill up
these pages. We invite all of you to write in and voice your opinions or give advice on
any aspect of living in Spain. If you think you have found the perfect weekend getaway,
or a place to buy hard-to-find products, discovered a new restaurant, need help raising
funds for a charitable project or anything else you feel our fellow readers should
know… then drop us a line.
The following are just a few of the comments we received in our Reader Survey.
Thanks for your help and suggestions.
First Time Buyers
Dear Solbank,
As I have only been living in Spain for a year, I
would like to get more information for first time
buyers, especially legal and financial advice: if
Solbank arranges insurances, how to bring my
car to Spain or purchase one in Spain (perhaps a
car advertisement section), information on tax
regulations etc.
MARTIN SMITH. U.K.
All information concerning property ownership in
Spain and taxes also legal requirements and changes in law. Some articles on boating. Regulations
in Spain mooring costs/license costs…
STEPHEN ALOYSIUS FLEMING. IRELAND
Readers’ Page
“Please new section: Readers’ page (questions of readers)”
Congratulations
“
This magazine is one of the best edited
bank magazines we have seen and it is getting better issue by issue
SIEGFRIED F. KIEHL. GERMANY
“
”
Correspondence: readers’ letters
MARTIN GODFREY PETERS / SPAIN
Questions from readers concerning legal and general questions ans“wered
by an expert
”
ROSANNE NORIS / U.K.
Language
PERTTI OLAVI SEEVE. FINLAND
“
A well constructed and printed magazine
which we always look forward to receiving.
Reflects the very high standard of Solbank
as a bank - thank you
H.F. STRIDE. U.K.
Dear Solbank Team,
The Autumn 2001 edition of your
“Solbank Prestige Club Magazine” is
the first one I received. I enjoyed
very much reading your magazine,
but what perhaps is missing is a
section about the Spanish language,
as you are especially focused on
foreigners living in Spain. It would be
useful to publish in each edition a
few of the most used spanish
expressions with their translation
into english, for example the
Spanish words used in the bank statements, or names of food etc.
”
”
“
Quality of magazine is excellent, accompanying photographs are superb. Try not to
pitch it too up market or for too expensive
tastes. There is much of interest in Spain
B.A. HORLOCK. U.K.
”
JANE HENKINS. U.K.
Some help with learning your language, please.
“
Keep up the good work, you are doing very
well. Don’t lose those excellent writers you
already have
”
PAMELA RUSSEL. U.K.
MRS HEADLEY. U.K.
“
Quality magazine that is a pleasure to
receive
Events
Dear Solbank Team,
First of all I would like to tell you that
I consider your Solbank Prestige
Club Magazine to be informative and
of very high quality. To improve it
even more, I would suggest to put in
a new section, which informs about
up-coming events, festivals, ferias
and sports by regions and also
about their cultural background.
”
PETER MORTON. U.K.
MARY ANN JONES / SCOTLAND
Financial Information
“
What’s on section - main events
coming up over next 2/3 months
ROBIN STEWART EAST. ENGLAND
”
Nice Comments
“I would like to win the stay at Hotel la Era”
ANDREW BYWATER. ENGLAND
Dear Solbank Staff,
I appreciate your quarterly magazine and look forward to every issue I receive. As I am very interested in financial services, I would like very
much to see a section about important shares in
Spain and Europe. Also information on funds,
time deposits, Spanish saving and pension plans
would be very useful.
JOE MARTINS. WALES
“
”
Solbank: service with a smile
J. LENGKEEK. HOLLAND
names and habitat of birds, wetland fowl. Suitable plants and their
“careThewhich
can be grown for most of the year. Plants for patio containers.
Names in Spanish/English of everyday fish seen in the supermarket
”
Expand information on taxes, annual expenses,
motoring laws and charges. Also about Spanish
saving and pension plans. The effects of the euro
currency.
ANDREW VOADEN. ENGLAND
JOHN PHILLIPS. ENGLAND
“
A list of bridge clubs and a bridge column would be of interest. There
must be as many bridge players as golfers to cater for
DEREK SEGALL. U.K.
l
”
Please send your contribution to:
Readers’ Page - Solbank Prestige Club Magazine
Dirección de Promoción y Publicidad Solbank
Gabinete de Marketing y Publicidad
Banco Sabadell - Plaza Cataluña, 1
Tel.: 902 343 999 - E-mail: [email protected]
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home without it...
Come in and talk
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Health Care
Your Health:
Planning for the Future
The major concern of the many foreigners who come to retire in Spain should be what provisions
they will make should they require help in old age. Since Spaniards themselves are also now faced
with this problem because they are many more elderly people than young, the choices are becoming increasingly limited. By Edward Owen
D
ue to the fact that the cost
of living is much cheaper in
the Spain than northern
European countries - an
average basket of shopping
is at least a third less - and because
the Spanish climate is far healthier,
particularly for those with respiratory ailments, the option of choosing a nursing home in Spain is very
attractive.
Here we look at one example. Dr
Graham Young, 56, who had a
Harley Street practice, founded the
Colina Club complex for the elderly
near Calpe on Spain's Costa Blanca
in 1991.
Dr Young was a course director
for a seminar on retirement at a
summer school in Gerontology at
the University of Barcelona. It submitted a document to the European
l
Commission demanding a common
policy for health and retirement
benefits with the right to free movement. He is trying to get Britain to
allow elderly Britons abroad to receive the same benefits they can get
when in residential care in the UK.
“We have had extensive discussions
with the DHSS in Newcastle and they
say: “These benefits are non exportable.” But I do hope for significant
advances. The UK government is now
prepared to send National Health
Service patients to other European
countries for operations and I believe
nursing home care will follow.”
His home was the first to be recognised outside Holland by the Dutch
authorities and, unlike the Britons,
his Dutch clients receive benefits
from their homeland. Germans can
now do so as well.
La Colina is beautifully situated
overlooking the Mediterranean and
Calpe's soaring rock. It has a swimming pool, bowling green, bar, restaurant, library and satellite television in the rooms. There are 20
rooms with bathroom and balcony
for 24 hour care and 50 apartments
for sheltered care.
La Colina charges 57,988 ptas
(348 euros) plus 7 per cent VAT per
week which includes full board and
24 hour medical care from English
speaking staff.
Mrs Pat Findlay, a spritely 79, the
globe-trotting widow of a British
naval officer, took advantage of the
renting scheme when she wanted to
see what La Colina was like.
“My family in England had wanted me close to them but I found the
British treat the elderly like secondclass citizens without a brain. You get
shut up from 4 pm until the next
morning and the climate is awful.
It’s also dangerous with muggings
and so on, “she says, “I was invited to
Spain for the first time and really
liked it. I saw an advertisement for
La Colina and tried it. “For a person
such as myself, who needs back-up,
dable, good, red wine. “We call it
granny importing. Many of our
elderly British clients were brought
over here when their sons or daughters came to live here, probably
taking early retirement. As EU citizens they are entitled at retirement
age to full medical care under the
national health system of the EU
country.
"In Spain this means that
obviously while they are in a nursing
home we provide the nursing care
and a private doctor but they get
approved medicines for free on the
Spanish social security system . In an
acute situation, they are entitled to
go to a Spanish hospital.
“Our local hospital in Denia is an
absolutely first class hospital, twelve
years old, with first class equipment
and top specialists. It's embarrassing
to us who invented the national
health system to see how much bet-
wine - is much better for one's health."
The current very high exchange
rate also helps. British pensioners
transferring to Spain need a DHSS
form, E121, which can then be used
to obtain Spanish residence and for
joining the Spanish state health service. This means that all operations
etc are free and several of Dr Young's
patients have cancelled their increasingly expensive private health care
plans because they are now resident
in Spain and can use the excellent
local health service.
In addition to the details already
filed on La Colina concerning 24 hour
care rooms, the complex has sheltered
care in one and two bedroom flats
which can be leased or rented.
A large two bedroom flat on a 20
year lease costs 55,000 pounds and a
one bedroom is 39,000 pounds.
Monthly charges are 23,000 pesetas
(80 pounds at current rates) which
there is an alarm system and the nurses come immediately. Last year I
had a slipped disc and they did
everything for me. I bought a two
bedroom apartment and I have a
wonderful view from my terrace of
the countryside, the sea and the
Calpe rock. In England this would
cost a fortune.”
Mrs Findlay said she was even
swimming in the Colina pool in
October and that generally she felt
she had a good deal.
Dr. Young says: “The equivalent
cost of our five star accommodation
in the UK would be at least 50 per
cent more. And here, the perfect
weather eases people's rheumatism,
arthritis and chest problems and the
light alleviates depressions. People
are stimulated, have the benefit of a
good Mediterranean diet and affor-
ter Spain is than the UK.” Dr Young
says there are very few residential
homes in Spain or geriatric doctors,
but the government has pledged to
remedy this situation and there is
much more community spirit than
in the UK. However, many existing
homes are pitifully crowded.
But Dr. Young points out that
Spanish nursing homes are cheaper
than those in, say, the UK and
Germany, for several reasons.
“Land and constructions costs are
so much less in Spain. Staff and feeding costs are considerably less and
we may only need the heating on two
months during the year compared
with up to eight months in the UK.
“Food costs are much cheaper than
in Britain and the quality of the
Mediterranean diet - with olive oil,
fresh fruits and vegetables as well as
provides: English speaking doctor 24
hours on call, visit by English SRN
three times a week to provide free
Spanish medication, up keep of the
gardens, pool and bowling green,
free minibus service on weekdays to
local town (Calpe) and satellite tv.
Patients furnish their own flats.
Flats can also be rented for
115,000 pesetas for two bedrooms
and 100,000 pesetas for a single per
month. This includes all the services
listed above.
In La Colina's restaurant (guests
welcome), lunch or dinner, with a
choice of starters, main courses and
sweets plus bread and half bottle of
wine costs 1,300 pesetas.
La Colina Club
Calpe Valencia
Tel.: 0034 96 583 5226
l
Letters David Searl
I’m Glad You Asked
David Searl is author of the books, You and the Law in Spain and The Spanish Property Guide. He writes a monthly
column in Lookout Magazine on legal matters in Spain. In forthcoming issues David will be happy to answer questions
related to Living in Spain. Please send any questions you may have to:
Living In Spain
Solbank Prestige Club
Calle Molino, 5. 28690 Brunete (Madrid)
Solbank Prestige Club Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage suffered by readers.
Can a buyer get a mortgage to purchase my
house, which has never
been inscribed in the
Property Registry?
I bought my house in
Marbella in 1984, with a
contract signed before a
Spanish Notary. However,
the previous owner had
never registered the place
in the Property Registry, so
he had only a similar contract to prove his ownership. The Notary accepted
this as legally valid.
At the time, I did not have
the cash handy to pay the
transfer tax of 6 per cent,
so I did not register the
property either. The years
passed and I just never
got around to it. Now I
want to sell the house. My
prospective buyer needs a
mortgage in order to buy,
but the bank tells him that
they will not mortgage a
property that is not registered. In fact, the property
is registered, but in the
name of a woman who
sold it to the man I bought
it from in 1984.
If I now register the property in my name, will I
have to pay the transfer
tax and the other fees?
Will this be based on
today’s value, which is
much higher than when I
bought it? Also, I have
never paid any other taxes
except the IBI, the annual
real estate tax. If I register
now, will I be liable for a
large sum of back taxes?
If it makes any difference,
l
I am a non-resident. What
advice do you have?
B.H. (Marbella)
Don’t Worry. You can register the property in your
name today, without paying
any transfer tax at all. In
the bluntest terms, you
have got away with it. If you
paid 10 million pesetas for
your house 16 years ago,
your transfer tax has now
lapsed and you have saved
yourself 600,000 pesetas.
The tax lapses after four
years. We have to add a sixmonth declaration period to
this, so we call it five years
to be safe. Your only expense now will be the registration fee, which should be
under 100,000 pesetas.
Yes, you should go ahead
and register it. Then your
prospective purchaser will
be able to obtain a mortgage. It is true that the
bank will not mortgage a
property that is not under
the seller’s name in the
Property Registry.
Yes, you will be liable for
back taxes on your property, but only for four
years. You don’t give a
value, but if we suppose
an assessed value of 20
million and a market value
of 30 million pesetas,
your combined non-resident property owner’s tax
and capital assets tax
would be around 150,000
pesetas a year.
Because the Spanish tax
man will include this year
with the four back years,
we must take five times
Is their tax picture better in Spain or in the UK?
We contemplate retiring to our apartment on the
Costa Brava. Our pension would keep us in the 40
per cent tax bracket. Would there be a financial
advantage to becoming Spanish residents and paying
our tax in Spain rather than in the UK or is there any
financial advantage to remaining non-resident and
continuing to pay our income tax in the UK?
F.M. (Devon)
You do not say exactly what your income is but, yes,
you would be subject to Spanish income tax as an
official resident. You will find Spanish and UK rates
quite similar. As an example, incomes between about
18,000 and 25,000
pounds pay at 37 per
cent. Incomes from
25,000 to 40,000
pounds pay at 45 per
cent. The top rate is
58 per cent.
Many deductions are
available, and rate
cuts are planned for
2002, so you will have
to do your numbers
and make your choice.
If you live full-time in
Spain, you are required to become an official resident, in any case.
150,000 a total of 750,000
pesetas. It sounds like a
nasty bite, but remember
that you avoided this tax for
12 years before that, so
you got away with it again,
saving around 1.5 million
pesetas. Add this to your
600,000 transfer tax and
you have avoided over two
million pesetas in tax.
The other good news is
that you will have no capital gains tax to pay because you bought the pro-
per ty before Januar y,
1987. In order to make
sure that you pay your
back taxes, the Spanish
tax man will require the
buyer to pay five per cent
of the total purchase price
directly to Hacienda, as a
guarantee, because you
are non-resident.
If this deposit is bigger
than your debt, you can
claim a refund. If it is less
than your tax debt, you
must pay the excess.
Some benefits you can
only get with...
...your Solbank
Prestige Club Visa
•
•
•
•
Discounts in shops and restaurants
Discounts on green fees
Travel insurance for 125 million pesetas
Worldwide acceptance
Banco Sabadell
Customer Help Line:
902 343 999
Solbank
Alicante
CORONATTI
Andorra
MERCAT DE L’OR
Barcelona
J. ROCA
Bilbao
PERODRI
Elche
JAVALOYES
Marbella
GÓMEZ Y MOLINA
Madrid
PERODRI
BROOKING
Oviedo
NICOL’S
HEROCAT, S.L.
Teléfono: 93 272 05 41 • Fax: 93 272 05 42
e-mail: [email protected] • www.hysek.com
Reus
SOLANES
Santander
PRESMANES
Zaragoza
GINES

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